Inspired Insider With Dr. Jeremy Weisz | Ecommerce Interviews | Entrepreneurship | Inspirational Stories | Business Lessons

Today we have Brandon Checketts. Brandon has been a lifelong entrepreneur - starting as far back as elementary school when he sold candy to other kids in the neighborhood. His technical skill now has him firmly in the tech industry where he runs BookScouter.com and Seller Labs, as well as RoundSphere which operates their office space in Athens, Georgia. Seller Labs has expanded its product offerings to solve many problems for sellers. They offer tools for Amazon keyword research, Sponsored Products advertising, product discovery and inventory management. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Brandon talks about what Seller Labs does for ecommerce businesses. [2:30] Customer success stories. [3:30] Why you should check out Seller Labs. [4:00] Brandon’s bucket list items. In this episode… How does a business leader build a company around offering groundbreaking ecommerce and Amazon tools? What is the future of such a niche business model? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from Brandon

Today we have Bernie Thompson founder of Efficient Era. Bernie has worked as a programmer for IBM, software manager at Microsoft and much more. He is also the author of "FlyWheels and Feedback Loops: A Guide to Success for Amazon Private Label Sellers." Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] What does Efficient Era do? Why did Bernie Thompson start it? [1:50] Pain points solved by Efficient Era. [2:50] Customer success stories. [3:50] The best way to turn around a negative review. [4:30] A milestone that Bernie is proud of. [5:00] What you need to know about Efficient Era. [6:00] A bucket list item. In this episode… What does it take to build a robust and thriving brand? How can business leaders like you learn from the example and story of a business built on helping others create a focused and dedicated brand for their organization? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from entrepreneur and innovator, Bernie Thompson. Bernie opens up about why he founded Efficient Era, the great work the

Today we have Scott Galvao. Scott is a co-founder of InterCultural Elements (ICE), a Germany based company with over 50 employees which helps retailers expand e-commerce sales internationally. Before InterCultural Elements, he cut his teeth working on a wide range of international ecommerce businesses. Scott worked for more than 6 years at AuktionMaster and ChannelAdvisor UK as an Implementation Manager. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Scott describes how Intercultural Elements serves its customers. [2:00] Customer success stories. [3:10] How Intercultural Elements is an A to Z solution service. [4:10] Fear of the unknown keeps business leaders from expanding. [5:00] A milestone for Intercultural Elements that Scott is proud of. [5:30] A bucket list item for Scott. In this episode… What does it look like to build an organization that specializes in helping other businesses succeed? How does a business like that market itself and promote its services? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’l

Today we have Charlie Moyer who went from an unemployed military veteran with no eCommerce or online marketing experience to growing his men’s grooming company, Badass Beardcare from $3000 per month to $375,000 in monthly sales. It all started with a simple $20 investment, and now he employs over 12 people in their El Dorado Hills facility. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Why have samples been so effective for Badass Beardcare? [2:20] New and popular scents. [5:00] Plans to expand internationally & lessons learned at Prosper Show. [7:30] How do negative keywords work? [8:30] How Prosper Show has been helpful. [9:30] Bucket list items. In this episode… What does it take to develop a growing and expanding business? How do you take that business model and launch it in an overseas marketplace? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from business leader and innovator Charles Moyer. Charles goes over the Badass Beardcare model, what new and seasonal scents they are developing, how they

Today we have a wonderful guest, Eytan Wiener. As COO and Co-Founder of Quantum Networks, Eytan has overseen the company’s expansion from a startup in 2008 to a 25 million dollar company by 2014. His oversight gained the company a 4,566% increase in revenue, a rise deemed unprecedented in the industry, earning Quantum a place on the INC. 500 list for the three years in a row, as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. Eytan is also a partner with Tradeport, and a board member of PROSPER Show. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:00] What did it take to put on Prosper Show? [2:00] What is the gap that is filled by Prosper Show? [2:45] The big takeaway from Eytan’s talk at Prosper Show. [3:45] Ideas and insights that are worth the price of admission to Prosper. [6:30] What you need to know about Prosper Show and why you should attend. In this episode… How do you put together an event that brings all types of leaders and organizations to focus on sharing best practice education? What w

Jason Guerrettaz is the co-founder and Marketing Strategist for Website Closers. Jason is a former corporate counsel to Mid-Market as well as Fortune 500 companies. His duties have also included serving as General Manager of the largest digital marketing firm in its industry. This experience motivated him to found his own company, United Commerce Group, Inc., which is the parent company for a number of web properties including GunSafes.com, Saunas.com, MassageChairs.com, and Melondipity.com. Ron Matheson is the co-founder and Experienced Broker for Website Closers. Ron has been in the business of buying and selling online companies for over 20 years. For several years, he was affiliated with the largest business brokerage in the world. Out of several hundred Brokers in the country, he was consistently in the top 10 and even ranked as high as number 4. He has won several awards and rightfully earned the reputation as one of the Top Brokers in the country. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Jeremy i

SellerActive was launched in 2011 by Jason Harra and Bryan Hockett of Salem, Oregon. Coming from an e-commerce background themselves, the founders knew well the thousands of small tasks that burden online retailers. The dream of SellerActive was to offer a set of user-friendly tools to e-commerce businesses, services that could simplify and automate online listing, processing, and shipping. While SellerActive is officially still young, its tools and services have been tested and refined in online marketplaces for well over a decade. (SellerActive's tools began as internally developed solutions for textbook retailer Bookbyte.) Customers can rest assured knowing our services have been tried, tested, and proven through over 12 years of success in online marketplaces. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Jeremy introduces his guest, Jason Harra. [1:30] How does SellerActive serve their clients? What are their success stories? [2:00] Who should use SellerActive? What are some milestones? [2:30] Mistakes

Today’s guest is David Lahme, co-founder of Tradeport. David has built this nationally recognized reverse logistics provider focusing on a completely integrated returns management and processing solution for major E-commerce, retail, OEM, and distribution supply chain partners, including: JET, Sennheiser, Sears, Accell NA, SquareTrade and GoWireless. He is a highly effective executive with proven experience in business strategy, sales and development, partnership alliances, and client account management. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Jeremy introduces his guest, David Lahme and he shares why Tradeport started. [1:15] How Tradeport serves their clients. [1:45] Who should use Tradeport? [2:15] Mistakes ecommerce sellers are making. [2:45] David shares how Tradeport creates success stories. [3:00] David’s proudest milestone for Tradeport. [3:30] How Tradeport helps ecommerce leaders. In this episode… How can you and your organization identify and take advantage of a massive vacuum on the market

Rick Cesari was the first person to use an infomercial to build a national brand name (Juiceman®) and then apply the same strategy to launch a number of other products and brands into the stratosphere: The Sonicare Toothbrush, the George Foreman Grill, OxiClean, and Orange Glo®, as well as Fortune 500 clients Microsoft and Clorox®. He is the founder and CEO of Cesari Media, a full-service direct-response marketing agency that provides production, media buying, interactive, and campaign management services.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] I introduce my guest, Rick Cesari. [1:30] Must have components of an infomercial. [2:30] How to get testimonials for your product. [3:30] Surprising stories from infomercials. [4:30] Why it’s important to educate the consumer. [5:30] Rick talks about working with Billy Mays. [7:00] Rick shares lessons from selling The Juiceman juicer. In this episode… What lessons can you learn and take away from a renowned marketing expert? How can you benefit from the pers

Danny and his brother Rob Kole have been in the importing and wholesale business for over 30 years. They built Kole Imports literally from the ground up. They started out selling items at swap meets and quickly realized there was a new trend emerging - dollar stores. They immediately took a trip to China and began selling Wholesale dollar store merchandise - becoming one of the lead suppliers in the Dollar Store Supply industry. Kole Imports is now a booming company with a constantly changing product line - on average 7,000 items are sold under the Kole Imports name.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Jeremy introduces his guest, Danny Kole. [1:20] Popular items at swap meets 20 years ago. [2:00] Milestones along the way and lessons learned. [3:00] Private labeling on Amazon. [4:00] Success stories from sellers who partner with Kole Imports. [5:30] Pride in the ability to change with the times. [6:30] What Amazon sellers need to know about Kole Imports. In this episode… How does a wholesale sup

Today we have Jim Edwards who is a top direct response marketer and entrepreneur. Jim started back in 1997 writing ebooks and today has a very popular software product that helps shortcut the process of writing copy for ecommerce, webinars, and much more. Jim helps people discover how to turn ideas into income with books, ebooks, video, sales copy, and blogging. Jim's successes are compelling because he went through a lot of challenges. After having success in real estate and mortgage banking, Jim left the industry to launch his own business. In just a few short years, he lost all he acquired, and he struggled. Jim developed a heart condition and landed in the hospital staring death in the face. Thereafter, he declared bankruptcy. After 2-3 years he made it all back and kept going. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:20] Jeremy introduces his guest, Jim Edwards. [3:00] Jim talks about his early career and experiencing low points. [9:00] How did Marlon Sanders influence Jim? [13:00] Finding an audience

Today we have someone who people whisper about behind closed doors in high-level entrepreneur groups because they want his advice. Roland Frasier founded, scaled or sold almost two dozen different businesses ranging from consumer products to industrial machine manufacturing companies with adjusted sales ranging from $3 million to $337 million. He has completed infomercial deals with Guthy-Renker and K-Tel Direct, publishing deals with Simon & Schuster and Random House, negotiated shows with major hotels on the Las Vegas strip, he's been involved in over 100 private and public offerings, and much more. Roland currently is a principal in Idea Incubator which owns both DigitalMarketer.com and NativeCommerce.com and works in marketing businesses with Ryan Deiss, Perry Belcher, Frank Kern and many other digital marketing thought leaders. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Roland Frasier. [2:30] Roland talks about Founder’s Board. [6:00] Where did the 1892 Society web do

Today we have Justin Jacobs founder of Refunds Manager.com. He is software developer turned Amazon refunds hero. When I heard about what Justin offers I thought it was a no-brainer to use their company but they obviously only work with sellers who have a certain volume of sales and there is an objection he gets that I did not expect. The reason it is a no-brainer is they charge you nothing upfront and only get paid when they collect funds from Amazon's mistakes. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:50] Jeremy introduces his guest, Justin Jacobs. [2:00] Common errors that Amazon makes. [5:30] Justin talks about how he came up with the idea for Refunds Manager. [8:30] How did Justin get the business started? [14:30] Why Justin and his team tackle older orders first. [16:00] Justin shares some horror stories from some of his clients. [20:00] Building a team and delivering quality customer service. [22:30] Getting the word out and increasing brand awareness. [24:30] What gets people’s attention at conferenc

Today we have Christopher Lochhead who started his first company at 18 and retired 30 years later. He is a three-time public company CMO, best selling author, and host of Legends and Losers Podcast. He was a co-founder of Play Bigger Advisors, served as Chief Marketing Officer of Mercury Interactive, a $1B software company that was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2006 for $4.5B. He is coauthor with Al Ramadan and Dave Peterson and Kevin Maney of Play Bigger: How pirates, dreamers, and innovators create and dominate markets. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:30] Jeremy introduces his guest, Christopher Lochhead. [2:30] Christopher talks about his work with One Life. [6:00] How to connect with Christopher. [7:00] What inspires Christopher? [8:00] Christopher describes all the items he has in his office. In this episode… One of the greatest investments that a successful person can make is to help others find financial success. It’s not about a handout, it’s about equipping and helping others learn the b

Today we have Paul Johnson co-founder of Seller Labs with Brandon Checketts. They make valuable tools for Ecommerce Sellers including Feedback Genius, Snagshout, Scope, and Quantify. In the past four years, Seller Labs has grown to more than forty staff and they develop applications for modern Ecommerce businesses. Last year Seller Labs helped their customers transact over seven billion dollars on Amazon.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:00] Jeremy introduces his guest, Paul Johnson. [2:00] Paul talks about the ecommerce tool, Scope. [10:30] What problems does Scope solve? [14:00] Common mistakes that ecommerce businesses make. [18:00] Best practices for following up with ecommerce customers. [20:30] Paul talks about launching Feedback Genius. [29:00] Is it best to start a private label business or resell products on Amazon? [31:00] Paul talks about his initial success as a liquidator and where he went from there. [41:30] More common mistakes made by ecommerce businesses. [46:30] Paul talks about S

Today I have a force of nature, Adrienne Richardson. First of all, you don't mess with a hockey mom from New Jersey. I like to brag about her that she is one of the top marketing experts around. I don't like to pigeonhole her even though it is on her site that she is a Facebook Ad expert because she is so sharp when it comes to messaging, copywriting, funnels and direct response marketing and there is so much more that goes into the campaigns that she runs for people. What I want Adrienne's tagline to be is "Hi, I am Adrienne and I drive cold traffic (people who don't know you) into an automated webinar and have it spit out millions of dollars on the other side." Of course, Adrienne work with top people who have systems in place to do this and she has spent tens of millions of dollars on Facebook so she knows what works and what doesn't. Adrienne has a laundry list of amazing clients like Russ Ruffino, University of California, and many more. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:15] Jeremy introduces hi

Robin Smith is the co-founder of Virtual Logistics with Scott Beaver. The company was founded in 1994 and helps businesses take the software they use and allows them to communicate with one another so the company never has to move data manually which prevents errors and ultimately saves money. Virtual Logistics allows Ecommerce business owners to not only focus on running and growing their businesses but to accelerate growth. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Robin Smith. [3:00] Robin talks about integration. [8:00] Product strategy, the use of shopping carts, and the customer experience. [12:00] Common integrations that Robin and his team handle. [14:30] Mapping the customer experience. [19:30] Who should connect with Robin and his team’s services? [26:00] Big mistakes ecommerce businesses make. [28:30] Streamlining processes and helping companies become more efficient. [31:30] Are Robin’s services a one time cost or a monthly cost? [34:00] Robin talks about mapping

Today we have Jeff Moore President of International Pacific Seafoods, which is a Specialty Importer of Premium Quality, Chef Ready Frozen Seafood to the foodservice and retail segments. Jeff has led the company expansion from $11MM to over $30MM in the past few decades. They have customers such as Cheesecake Factory, BJ’s Restaurants, House of Blues, and many others. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Jeff Moore. [2:00] Jeff shares wisdom that he learned from the founder of Claim Jumpers. [5:30] Why context is so important. [8:00] Jeff talks about how influential his mother was on his writing. [10:00] Taking away the jargon and writing with the reader in mind. [13:30] Jeff talks about his passion for philanthropy. In this episode… How can you leverage your skills of leadership and influence to further your objectives and increase your reach? Imagine what it would mean for your business and your personal brand to grow those skills and put them on display! On this episo

Ioan Mitrea is the founder of SellerEngine. He started selling on Amazon on Thanksgiving Day 2001 from the attic of an old Victorian house in California. Ioan founded SellerEngine Software just a year later in 2002 and released the first Amazon repricing and inventory management software. For over 15 years they have helped thousands of Amazon sellers. The SellerEngine Team represents nine nationalities, speaking thirteen languages and working in three countries. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Ioan Mitrea. [2:00] Ioan shares his story, the cliff notes version. [7:00] What went through Ioan’s mind as he began to sell books on Amazon? [9:00] Ioan talks about expanding his business. [13:00] What’s the mindset around entrepreneurship in Romania? [18:00] Ioan talks about his business partnership and his move to Portland. [20:00] What skills has Ioan brought into his business from his time in college? [25:00] How did Ioan get his first customer? [28:30] Ioan talks about h

Today we have Randi Brill founder of Quaracore and TeacherPeach. QuaraCORE is a full-service creative agency that helps companies dream up the right products, solutions, and strategies. In 2012, she started her own e-commerce company, TeacherPeach.com. The part-time experiment is now a top seller of teacher gift totes and classroom products on Amazon. She is the author of "99 Creative WOWs - Words of Wisdom for Business". Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy introduces his guest, Randi Brill. [2:00] Randi talks about the lowest moment in business. [6:00] Props and other items that inspire Randi. [8:30] Creativity is everywhere! In this episode… Have you ever struggled with trusting the right people in business? Did you have a business partnership that went south or an employee you had to let go that didn’t end well? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from innovator and business leader, Randi Brill. Randi opens up about her journey as an entrepreneur and the lessons she has lear