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

Business systems are what make or break any eCommerce business. That’s the wise counsel of James Thomson, founder of MarketplaceAccelerator.com which is a consulting company for large Amazon sellers who do over $10 million in sales annually. James is the former business head of “Selling on Amazon”. He developed the initial Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) NUDGE program that helped Amazon sellers generate an extra $1 billion in annual sales. He also has a Ph.D. in Marketing Strategy from Northwestern University. His primary focus is President of the PROSPER Show--this is an educational conference focused on helping online sellers become more profitable.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction of James Thomson, Founder of Marketplace Accelerator. [1:26] James’ best advice for eCommerce sellers regarding business processes. In this episode… Business systems are talked about a lot in the internet space - and for good reason. Systems not only cause your business to run smoothly, they als

Effective delegation is a skill any founder has to learn or the company will not grow. Brian Goulet co-Founder of The Goulet Pen Company learned the lesson of delegation in the trenches. He and his wife Rachel run an online retail store focusing on fountain pens, ink, paper, and other tools for the writing enthusiast. They have grown it from a mom-and-pop startup from their dining room table to a multi-million dollar operation with over 40 team members and a 12,000+sf office/warehouse space.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction of today’s guest, Brian Goulet. [1:33] The signature way Goulet Pens packages their products. [5:29] The ideal customer that Goulet Pens serves. [12:38] What Brian learned from Dave Ramsey, Gary V, and Seth Godin. [14:20] The biggest challenge: moving from a one man show to a team. [17:48] Brian’s background growing up with an entrepreneurial Dad. [22:25] The biggest challenges in delegation. [24:31] How Brian determines what things to delegate and wha

Chris Voss spent 24 years in the FBI and was the FBI’s lead international kidnapping and hostage negotiator for 4 years. He was an Instructor of International Business Negotiation at Harvard and is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown and University of Southern California MBA programs. He is author of Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It. He founded the Black Swan Group which is a negotiating consulting firm that applies his field tested lessons of hostage, crisis and kidnapping negotiation to the business negotiation world. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction of Chris Voss, former FBI agent and professor of business. [1:54] The lowest point in Chris’ career: When Martin Burnham was killed in the Philippines. [4:43] Where you can find Chris and connect with him. [6:25] The role Chris’ son plays in the business and what Chris has learned from him. [7:30] The services Chris’ company provides to business owners surrounding negotiation skills. [10:2

Mom entrepreneurs fill one of the hardest roles on the planet. Laura Fuentes founder of Momables.com and food and lifestyle brand LauraFuentes.com knows the struggle of balancing home and work intimately.Big brands hire her - brands like Sabra Hummus, Nestle, Bobs Red Mill, and many more. As well, her brands reach over 700,000 unique visitors per month. Momables helps parents feed their children great tasting healthy foods without spending an eternity in the kitchen or breaking the bank. Her sites also provide weekly recipe plans, cookbooks like “The Best Homemade Kids Snacks on the Planet,” and she even offers a done for you meal delivery service. She runs all of this while raising 3 kids. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:23] Jeremy’s introduction to Laura Fuentes, founder of Momables.com [1:30] The decision to homeschool her children and the challenge it has been. [4:20] How running the business impacts Laura’s children. [10:05] What forced Laura to implement clear boundaries between work and home

  It’s hard to be a generous person when you’re experiencing hard times. But Peter Awad, who Founded Import Auto Performance which he has grown to 7 figures, discovered that those are EXACTLY the times you need to practice generosity. Peter’s company, IAPDirect.com has been selling car parts online for over 15 years. He is also Co-Founder of Mission Meats that sells grass fed beef sticks and bars and they even donate a portion of the profits to organizations. If that was not enough he runs the Slow Hustle podcast showcasing the massive roller coaster that is Entrepreneurship. He manages to do all of this with 4 kids! Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction of Peter Awad, guest on this episode. [1:36] The low and high moment for Peter: The Real Estate meltdown. [4:26] Peter’s proudest business achievement so far. [5:20] Why the “slow hustle” and what does it mean? In this episode… Peter Awad describes his hardest time in business as the events surrounding the Real Estate crash in

If you want to master your craft you’ve got to hear this conversation with Jay Papasan. Jay co-authored The ONE Thing - The Surprisingly simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results with Gary Keller. It has been translated into 24 languages and has more than 275 national bestseller list appearances, including #1 on the Wall Street Journal and has sold millions of copies. When I ask many top entrepreneurs one of the most impactful books they read, “The One Thing” comes up over and over. The journey for Jay has been interesting from translator to teacher of poetry and creative writing at NYU to HarperCollins to Keller-Williams Realty and best selling author. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:23] Jeremy’s introduction to Jay Papasan. [1:36] The conversation Jay had with Gary Keller in the bathroom. [5:09] The amazing success of the book that nobody predicted. [7:04] The system Jay used to promote and organize/write the book. [16:02] The ONE THING that you should focus on in THE ONE THING book. [22:23] Time

When you make an expensive business mistake like Brian Oaks did early in the life of his business, it can sink you. Brian Oaks founder of GLobal Goods where they source and manufacture Agave Nectar, Coconut Oil, and Mexican Vanilla products. The company produces their own natural skincare line Cocave. They sell all over the world and do this by also providing local jobs to struggling areas like in Africa , Asia, Dominican Republic and many other nations. On this episode you’ll hear how Brian and his team overcame a costly mistake early on to build a successful company and have provided jobs for many in 3rd world countries.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:11] Jeremy’s introduction to his guest, Brian Oaks. [1:35] The lowest moment in Brian’s business: an expensive mistake. [3:30] A recent challenge that didn’t get Brian very upset (since he’s endured so much). [4:40] The proudest moment: launching a new product line that nobody had done before. [6:47] Stories of sustainability Brian’s company has

To start from scratch is never easy, but Peter Rahal, co-founder of RxBar didn’t know any other way to do it. He and his team manufacture whole food protein bars with a “No B.S” value proposition since the base of the bar only includes whole food ingredients like egg whites, almonds, cashews, and dates. They sell more than 175,000 bars per month and can be found in Trader Joe’s across the country as well as Wegmans Grocery, Whole Foods and many more. Today’s you’ll hear Peter’s success story - from apartment workshop to national distribution. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:09] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode featuring Peter Rahal. [1:42] Starting out in an apartment and no office. [7:50] How Peter and his partner started the business with no cash. [14:04] Selling products door to door at Crossfit gyms: Here’s the sales pitch. [17:10] How the business was started while Peter was working a full time job. [20:20] Peter’s family heritage of entrepreneurism. [22:40] Building the team over time. [

When a customer decides to cancel an order - a big order - it’s not an easy thing to handle. On today’s episode Manuel Becvar shares the impact a large cancelled order had on his business as it was just starting to scale. Manuel is the founder of Import Dojo. He has been living and working in China for over 10 years, with 17 years in the sourcing business. He has a unique perspective because he has his own brand, sells to retailers and is a supplier. He has worked with the biggest retailers in the world, developing, sourcing, and finding new products. These include: Wal-Mart, Amazon, Lowes, Sears, Home Depot, and many others. He is author of The Import Bible: the complete beginners guide to successful importing from China. a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:14] Jeremy’s introduction to Manuel Becvar, founder of Import Dojo. [1:34] Manuel’s lowest moment in business so far. [5:29] Places you can go to connect with Manuel. [6:28] Business ideas Manuel wants you to steal (because he doesn’t have time to act on

Healthy food matters to Kimberly Crupi Dobbins. A lot. It was her own health needs that motivated her to found Simple Squares, a supplier of premium organic nutrition bars. She bootstrapped the company after going on a sabbatical from Morningstar. She went from making the bars in her kitchen to selling over 1 million bars in year. They are sold in Whole Foods, Starbucks, and many more. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction of this episode with Kimberly Crupi Dobbins. [1:25] How Kimberly got her nutritional snack bars into Starbucks and Whole Foods stores. [3:38] What vendors should consider before going into large chain stores. [5:26] Why Kimberly developed her healthy food product and why. [6:34] Kimberly’s routine when she was working full time and starting up the company. [7:14] The things that had to be built in order for Kimberly to quit her full time job. [12:44] The decision to expand her offerings and how she went about it. [16:00] What new owners don’t know that they ne

Energy products that make a difference in people’s lives are an important focus of Edmond Torbati’s company, Label Choices. It’s a company that provides labels for some of the industry's most recognized brands. For more than a decade Label Choices has delivered the highest quality labels for the cosmetic, bath and body, and food and beverage industries including Makeup Geek, Medulla Beauty, Coconut Girl Ice Cream, Nutty but Nice, and many more.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:55] Jeremy’s introduction of Edmond Torbati, founder of LabelChoices.com. [1:40] How Edmond encouraged Coconut Girl Ice Cream to develop a new label. [4:57] The process Edmond uses to help companies properly label their products with no setup fees like traditional printers. [10:30] The two things that drive product companies toward success. [13:28] The 3 types of people: entrepreneur, manager/leader, and artist. [19:07] How you can connect with Edmond. [21:17] The up and coming brands we should watch. In this episode… Thoug

The natural foods industry didn’t see Jim Simon and his sister Annette coming. They are the co-founders of JimmyBar. JimmyBar is Jim’s 6th start up and he decided to tackle the food & obesity problem by creating a natural foods company. The company only uses wholesome ingredients that are gluten free and dairy free that people can actually pronounce. Jimmy Bars can be found in Whole Foods, Walgreens, Target, Kroger, and many more. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:11] Jeremy’s introduction of Jim Simon, co-founder of Jimmy Bar. [0:57] The story behind the name of the product and company. [5:29] How Jim got their products into the first store and snowballed it from there. [12:39] The advice Jim gives to those wanting to get their food products into big stores. [20:17] The decision to release new flavors of bars. [25:40] Making adjustments to packaging and quantities. [30:35] The unique distribution path food products have to follow. [33:20] Lessons Jim has learned from going through a number of ac

Nik Ingersoll cofounder and Chief Marketing Officer of Barnana with Caue Suplicy and Matt Clifford. Barnana is a healthy organic banana snack with flavors like coconut/banana, banana chocolate and many more. They are in over 5000 stores including Safeway and Whole Foods and are in the US, Japan, Canada and Australia. There company is on a mission to end food waste at banana farms. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction of Nik Ingersoll of Barnana.com [2:03] Nik’s lowest moment and how he pushed through. [4:36] The story Nik thinks of when he thinks of his dad. [5:13] The proudest moments Nik has experienced in business. In this episode… There are few things harder to handle in life than a death in the family. All of us have to face it and it’s never easy. It’s even more difficult when you’re in the midst of growing a fledgling business. Nik Ingersoll shares his story on this episode of Inspired Insider. When his father died Nik Ingersoll discovered that the expected burden of gr

Excellent customer service is a hallmark of every company Jason Friedman runs. Jason is founder of CXFormula™. Through CXFormula he helps fast-growing, entrepreneurial companies gain an unfair advantage over their competition. His clients range from solopreneurs to companies like ...in retail include (Foot Locker, Adidas, Nike), hospitality (W Hotels, Universal Studios, Disney,), financial services (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Fidelity), higher education (Stanford & Harvard Universities) and Online Services / Information Products. In 2008, Jason sold his first company (Creative Realities) in the high 8-figures. He has started and successfully exited 4 other businesses: Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:58] Jeremy’s introduction of today’s guest, Jason Friedman. [3:20] Jason’s first career as a touring lighting director. [7:45] Lessons Jason learned from popular bands that translate to entrepreneurism. [10:45] Jason’s first project for Foot Locker . [15:00] Using stories and emotion to inspire r

Quitting a job with nothing to fall back on is nothing new to Jim Simon and on this episode you’ll hear his story. Jim Simon is co-founder of JimmyBar. He and his sister Annette started the company together. This is his 6th start up and he decided to tackle the obesity epidemic by creating a natural foods company. JimmyBar uses only wholesome ingredients that are gluten free and dairy free - ingredients that people can actually pronounce. Jimmy Bars can be found in Whole Foods, Walgreens, Target, Kroger and many more. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:   [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction of Jim Simon, creator of JimmyBars. [0:55] Jim’s lowest moment: leaving a great job to run a startup. [2:13] Why it’s not natural to leave a secure job but you do it anyway. [3:40] The proudest moments in the business. [5:33] Jim’s experience working with many family members in his business. In this episode… Jim Simon is no stranger to quitting a job. In fact, he says he’s quit a number of good paying jobs in his lifetime to

Product Shipping is Divey Gulati’s specialty. Divey is Co-Founder of ShipBob, a company he started with his partner Dhruv Saxena. ShipBob provides automation and on demand shipping and packaging for small businesses. They have shipped out over 500,000 packages to date and the company has raised over $5million to date and serves businesses in Chicago, New York, and LA. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction of this episode with Divey Gulati, co-founder of ShipBob. [1:36] What happens when a company grows too fast? What are the challenges? [10:12] The learning curve of setting up a warehouse facility. [12:15] How the ShipBob service works for a typical company. [15:51] Why would someone want to use their own shipping service? [10:00] Who is the best fit for ShipBob? [23:06] The biggest culture shock of moving from India to the United States. [27:05] What it was like getting into Y-combinator. [30:56] Helpful mentors and advice from Y-combinator. [32:17] The iterations ShipBob went

Peter Rahal Cofounder of RxBar understands the need to overcome anxiety. His company manufactures whole food protein bars with a “No B.S” value proposition since the base of the bar only includes whole food ingredients like egg whites, almonds, cashews, and dates. They sell more than 175,000 bars per month and can be found in Trader Joe’s across the country as well as wegmans grocery, whole foods and many more. Find out more about his experience with anxiety as it relates to life and business. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction of this episode with Peter Rahal. [1:25] What has been Peter’s lowest point in business? [3:21] Peter’s proudest moments in business. is episode… Overcoming anxiety is something we all have to learn. On this episode, Peter Rahal shares a particular moment in his business where the stresses of his personal life crashed in while huge business difficulties were happening at the same time. What would you do if you were in the midst of a product recall - a

  E business is something Richard Baccus has made into an art form. Richard runs ABC Vacuum Warehouse and Gruene Steam with his dad Ralph. ABC Vacuum started in 1977 as a mail order vacuum business. They operate  a brick-and-mortar store as well as 20,000 sq. ft. warehouse and employ 28 staff. Their other company, Gruene Steam has been in operation since 2008. Through it they provide alternatives to harsh chemical cleaning products because after decades in the retail floor business they knew there was a better way. They used German innovations to come up with unique steam products to clean floors. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:11] Jeremy’s introduction of Richard Baccus, his guest today. [3:13] What Richard learned working with his Dad from an early age. [7:45] How Richard’s company used magazine advertising effectively early on. [13:50] How the company started putting their products online way before Google. [18:14] How the team began opening new franchises and getting the business moving. [22:4

no stranger to that pressure. David is founder of Tovala, a smart oven that is paired with a meal delivery service. With Tovala you get a fresh, healthy, packaged meal delivered to you. You scan the package and pop it in the smart oven and it knows the precise time and method to cook that meal to perfection -  by broiling, baking, steaming, or convection. On Kickstarter David’s team sold $250,000 worth of Tovala ovens and $100,000 of that total in one day. Tovala won the University of Chicago New Venture Challenge in 2015. To date they have raised over 700K. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode with David Rabie. [1:53] David’s lowest moment in business: Trying to live up to expectations. [3:20] How David kept going with little response to his product. [4:22] David’s proudest moments. [7:07] Lessons learned for those trying to get their ideas into the world. In this episode… Every startup wants to exceed expectations - of their customers and their investors. Whe

The words “healthy” and “bakery” don’t often belong in the same sentence. But Alon Ozery started what is now the  Ozery Bakery with his father in 1996 by scraping together money from family and taking out a business loan. They began in a small 700 square foot sandwich shop in Canada and at that time his brother Guy joined the team. Since then they have grown into a 90,000 sq ft facility supplying grocery store chains and natural food stores all over the US and Canada with their natural products. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction of this episode with Alon Ozery of Ozery Bakery. [1:29] The success Ozery bakery is experiencing now (the “after” story). [6:38] The hiccups experienced in doing a repackaging and rebranding. [13:57] How the Ozery family came up with their unique product ideas. [23:19] Alon’s background, early years, and introduction to business. [26:38] How Alon got the business started, including the fund raising. [35:40] The research and development process the Oz