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

Jason Friedman is founder of 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: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction of Jason Friedman. [1:39] Jason’s lowest point in life: leaving his business and lacking in business. [4:11] Jason’s “big why” now. [4:53] Jason’s proudest moment in his career. [7:51] What Jason does to instill creativity in his children. [11:10] How to contact Jason and get into his coaching programs. [15:12] Where Jason goes to get his own business coach

Ryan Lee, who Jeremy considers one of his early internet mentors, is founder of Freedym.com which is the netflix for lifestyle entrepreneurship, offering entrepreneurial skills training for everyone. He is a former Recreational Therapist, Gym Teacher and Personal Trainer. In 1999 he started an online fitness business while living in his parents’ basement and grew it into an empire that did 7-figures per month. More importantly many of the people he has mentored have gone on to do big things. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode with Ryan Lee. [4:00] How Jeremy got started in business back in 1999. [10:31] The worst things Ryan saw working in hospitals. [19:05] Lesson Ryan teaches to his kids in light of what he’s seen. [21:26] How Ryan’s wife has influenced his business trajectory. [28:32] Cutting out the fat to focus on what was important. [33:23] The ideas that came together to create Freedym.com [39:23] The most popular courses in Ryan’s membership site. [43:

The difficulty of finding venture capital is nothing new to Divey Gulati. Divey is Co-Founder of ShipBob, a company that 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. The ShipBob team has raised over $5million in venture capital to date and serves businesses in Chicago, New york and LA. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:11] Introduction to this episode and Jeremy’s guest, Divey Gulati of ShipBob. [1:38] Software Divey recommends. [3:32] How Divey and his team came up with the name ShipBob. [4:40] The lowest moment Divey has had to push through in business. [6:10] How Divey and his team connected with their investors. [7:14] One of Divey’s proudest moments for the company. [9:02] The biggest lesson for entrepreneurs. In this episode… Venture capital is vital for most startups and the struggle to find and secure it is common to most founders. Divey Gulati and his part

It’s a Shark Tank success story this week, with Desiree Stolar, co-founder of Unshrinkit which is an emergency sweater saver. They have a patent-pending formulation that helps unshrink wool clothing back to the original size. They were featured on the hit TV show Shark Tank and got an investment offer from Mark Cuban. A wool expert was quoted saying “this could change the world of yarn.” Desiree has an MBA from Harvard. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:   [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction of Desiree Stolar and this episode. [1:15] The tough reality of being an entrepreneur. [3:05] A huge despair moment for Desiree during the Shark Tank season. [11:58] Tips for those going on a show like Shark Tank. [16:08] Equipping the customer service team for a huge flood of interest and purchases. [25:04] Advantages and disadvantages of selling products on Amazon. [28:08] The preparation Desiree’s team put into their Shark Tank experience. [34:55] The state of the company prior to the Shark Tank experience. [40:18] Shark

Brian Goulet, co-founder of The Goulet Pen Company has found one of the most challenging aspects of his success to be managing anxiety as it relates to his business and his family. 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 run 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: [0:11] Introduction to this episode with Brian Goulet. [1:34] The lowest moment Brian has had to push through: Dealing with his own calling and the impact it has on his family. [5:21] One of the proudest moments Brian has experienced. [7:46] How you can connect with Brian. In this episode… One of the most difficult aspects of business success is managing the anxiety that can crop up as you are on the road to that success. Brian Goulet shares how he’s navigated that challenge, on this

Amazon private label is the niche that today’s guest, Greg Mercer has focused on to great success. Greg is the founder of the software “Jungle Scout” which allows you to quickly and easily perform product research on Amazon and a second software product called “Review Kick” which helps people quickly and easily get reviews for their amazon products. But those software solutions are based on Greg’s own success as an Amazon private label seller. Greg generates revenues in excess of $400K per month by selling his own products on Amazon. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:   [0:00] Pre-show banter between Jeremy and Greg. [4:36] Jeremy’s introduction of Greg Mercer and this episode. [5:31] The big mistakes Greg has made selling on Amazon. [6:53] Why Greg transitioned from wholesaling to private label sales on Amazon. [11:38] Patterns Greg discovered from losing products. [14:40] Greg’s history selling on Amazon and what has caused his quick success. [17:41] How Greg uses the Jungle Scout tool to research prod

Product Failures are one of the many obstacles Kimberly Crupi Dobbins has had to overcome as the founder of Simple Squares organic nutrition bars. She bootstrapped the company after going on a sabbatical from her previous company, 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 large scale retailers. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode with Kimberly Dobbins. [1:25] The lowest moment in Kimberly’s journey and how she pushed through. [4:13] The proudest moment in Kimberly’s journey until now. [6:02] How Kimberly felt when Starbucks approached her about her products. [6:15] Kimberly’s advice for new and growing companies. In this episode… Nobody who’s built a company on a product wants to see what Kimberly Dobbins saw when she picked up a box of her nutritional bars that were about to ship. A slimy goop was oozing out of the cracks of the box. Dealing with a p

Investing in employees is one of the things Omar Sayyed has made his specialty. Omar is the co-founder and CEO of Ties.com, Scarves.com, and Alynn.com. The company started off fulfilling orders out of a co-founder's living room. They have managed to grow into the world's largest online men's and women's accessories retailer. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction of this episode of the podcast. [6:48] The process the company follows in developing new product ideas. [13:39] Things that have changed in the company’s processes over the years. [19:10] The challenges of cultural intelligence working with suppliers. [21:05] Examples of products they expected to do well but flopped. [26:26] The launch process, testing product popularity, etc. [31:45] Top selling products on Ties.com. [38:03] The beginnings of the company story. [44:15] What Omar focused on when he came on board with the company: the team. [49:12] Tips for building a team and talent acquisition. [58:55] How Omar met his

Jay Papasan 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. The book 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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:   [0:23] Jeremy’s introduction to Jay Papasan, The One Thing, and this episode. [1:17] Jay’s lowest point and how he pushed through the tough time. [2;57] What Jay recommends to keep going when hard times hit. [4:21] Jay’s proudest moments. [5:53] Where you can connect with Jay. [6:49] The company’s involvement with Heroes For Children. [8:07] The role Jay’s wife has played in his success and her own successes. [11:00] Lessons Jay is watching his children learn. In this episode… Jay’s book, “The One Thing” is all about the increased success and forward motion th

Metabolic disease is the target in the crosshairs of today’s guest Tom Bilyeu. Tom is Co-Founder of Quest Nutrition which was named the 2nd fastest growing private company in America with over 1400 employees and 57,000% growth. Tom’s mission is to end metabolic disease. He also hosts a thought leadership show called Inside Quest where he features people like Tim Ferris, Russell Simmons, and many more. If you want to get out of the matrix then listen to Tom and his Youtube channel. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:   [0:30] Jeremy’s introduction to Tom Bilyeu and his company. [2:45] How the movie, “The Matrix” has influenced Tom. [8:55] The dark places Tom comes from. [13:46] The things that snapped Tom out of his dark place. [15:13] Mindset issues and their relationship to the body. [21:51] What Tom has learned from his co-founders. [23:09] The day Tom quit and how it led to selling the company and building another.. [30:45] The first branch office of Quest and how the product has changed over time. [34

Being stressed out over cookbooks is a big part of what Laura Fuentes has experienced in her business journey. She is the founder of Momables.com and food and lifestyle brand LauraFuentes.com where big brands like Sabra Hummus, Nestle, Bobs Red Mill and many more hire her to 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. They provide weekly recipe plans, cookbooks like The Best Homemade Kid’s Snacks on the Planet,  and even partnered with a done for you meal delivery service.  Laura 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 and this episode. [1:26] Laura’s lowest point and how she pushed through. [5:30] The techniques Laura uses to cope with the stress. [7:15] The proudest moments Laura has experienced. [8:13] Mentors and colleagues Laura gets help from. In this episode… Being stressed out is

Cameron Herold is the former COO of 1-800-Got-Junk. He helped grow the company from $2 million to $106 million in only six years without any debt or outside funding. He has helped build three $100 million dollar companies. Today he is a top rated international speaker and he coaches CEOs on steps to multiply their revenue and profit. He is best selling author of the book-- Double Double: How to Double your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less --which is on its 7th printing. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:37] Jeremy’s introduction of Cameron Herold, author of Double Double and founder of BackPocket COO. [1:35] Some fun facts about Cameron. [3:23] What did you want to be when you grew up? [5:00] Coming from a long line of entrepreneurs. [5:17] Lessons learned from his entrepreneurial family. [6:24] The value of taking care of your employees. [7:00] Working with entrepreneurs that truly care. [8:17] Motivating your employees. [10:16] The role of R&D. [11:18] Hiring systems you found to be reall

Knowing how to fire someone is never a formulaic thing. That’s what Richard Baccus has learned over the year of running his business. 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. Since 2008 Gruene Steam provides 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  steam products to clean floors. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:11] Jeremy’s introduction to this week’s guest: Richard Baccus [1:19] Richard’s lowest moment in business: having to let employees go. [2:18] The high point in business: moving into a new facility. [4:25] 30 years before the new facility was possible. [4:41] The hardest part of Richard’s job as a CEO. [5:51] The best and worst parts of working with his father. [6:30] Ric

Quality Control matters tremendously to Matt Geddie and is what has set Skinny and Company apart in a very crowded market. Matt is the co-founder of Skinny and Company. Skinny and Company produces Coconut Oil products that have their origin in the jungles of Vietnam. They bootstrapped the company to over $800K in revenue per year and have a special patent pending technology on how they extract the coconut oil. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:55] Introduction of Matt Geddie and his coconut oil product line. [3:08] What Matt saw that told him existing coconut oil products could be improved. [12:24] The biggest skeptic Matt’s company has been able to turn around. [18:10] What worked for sales early on and what works now. [20:40] Some of the surprising sites that gave great traction. [24:10] How Matt plans the content he’s producing to fuel the content marketing machine. [28:04] How the team determines what customer requests to explore. [36:23] The biggest sales ever for Skinny and Company: $200K in 3

Great Company Culture is huge to  Alon Ozery.   He started what is now the Ozery Bakery with his father  in 1996 by scraping together money from family to fund a business loan that got them established in a small 700 square foot sandwich shop in Canada. His brother Guy joined in also. 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: [0:27] Jeremy’s introduction to today’s guest: Alon Ozery. [1:16] The lowest and highest points Alon has seen in business. [2:00] The power of customer emails for the company morale and success. [4:00] How Alon and the company celebrate the wins. [6:10] Ways the company supports the community and community events. [7:47] Advice to entrepreneurs getting into the food industry. [10:12] Establishing profit sharing and employee ownership. [12:50] Alon’s favorite product recommendations. In this episode… Company culture can be

Wes Grudzien (GRUD ZEE AN) knows what it takes to be successful at selling on Amazon. Wes  is cofounder of Lullaby Lane. He helped grow the company’s  Amazon sales to over 7 million dollars annually in less than 3 years. He is also the founder of Ezonomy  where he teaches the exact methods used to grow a 7 figure business and consults with large scale sellers. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction of Wes Grudzien. [1:31] The reasons Lullaby Lane was able to grow so quickly: access to suppliers. [2:53] What separates the LL approach from others who sell the same things? [8:31] The thought process behind coming up with new product ideas. [10:22] The things Amazon private label sellers are doing well and the mistakes they are making. [21:14] The type of things that make a good product bundle on Amazon. [24:45] How Wes gets customers to his own site rather than buying through Amazon. [28:23] Focusing on the things you can control - like inventory control, etc. [32:35] Resources Wes

Business Partnerships can be painful and on this episode Ryan Lee ( I consider one of my early internet mentors)  and founder of Freedym.com (the Netflix for lifestyle entrepreneurship) shares about one of his. Ryan is a  former Recreational Therapist, Gym Teacher and Personal Trainer.  In 1999 he started an online fitness business while living in his parents basement and grew it into an empire that did  7-figures per month. More importantly many of the people he has mentored have gone on to do big things. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:25] Jeremy’s introduction of Ryan Lee of Freedym.com [1:19] Ryan’s lowest point business wise. [3:53] One of Ryan’s proudest business moments. [7:32] What went through Ryan’s head when he made 7 figures in one month. [13:28] The best things that came out of a $25 mastermind group. [14:00] Where you can find Ryan. [14:36] Ideas Ryan wants to give away that he’ll never work on. In this episode… There is a stigma attached to business partnerships. Many people have ha

Gary Nealon is the founder of RTA Cabinet Store and has built an 8-figure eCommerce business. Gary is also the owner of the Rox Group, a collection of eCommerce sites in the home improvement niche. Rox Group includes one of the largest online distributors and importers of kitchen cabinets in the United States.  They have been featured one over 80 shows on popular networks like HGTV, A&E, and many others. Gary has been featured on the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 as well as being listed as one of Philly’s 100 fastest-growing companies in the past 3 years. Gary also runs WineTrailAdventures.com and Nealon Solutions, which is a marketing company. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:37] Jeremy’s introduction of Gary Nealon, founder of RTA Cabinet Store and The Rox Group. [1:44] What’s a must for sellers to boost sales? [3:39] When did you first consider direct marketing? [5:49] How do you get 78k people on a Facebook page about cooking? [7:43] How does the messaging differ when the customer is a contractor v

Greg Mercer is the founder of the  software Jungle Scout which allows you to quickly and easily perform product research on Amazon. And Review Kick which helps people quickly and easily get reviews for their amazon products. In addition, Greg  generates revenues in excess of $400K per month by selling products on Amazon.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:   [0:01] Greg Mercer’s travels over the past years. [1:16] The hardest part about running a business virtually while on the road. [3:09] How Greg runs his Amazon business. [4:56] Jeremy’s introduction of Jeremy. [5:38] The lowest points Greg has had (mentally). [7:14] One of Greg’s proudest moments. [8:00] Greg’s favorite success story of a Jungle Scout user. [9:37] How to connect with Greg. In this episode… For anyone who is involved in the e commerce space on the Amazon sales platform, Jungle Scout has become almost a household name. It’s creator, Greg Mercer, is a very successful Amazon Private Label business owner himself, so his insights into th

Amine Khechfe (AMINE  KESHVE) understands the power of customer complains. He cofounded Endicia with Dr. Harry Whitehouse in the 1980’s. Endicia is a leading provider of eCommerce shipping technologies  with more than $12 billion in postage printed. They  help send over 500 million parcels of mail per year and account for over 60% of all online postage printed in the US. They help businesses run their shipping operations by printing shipping labels or online postage right from your desk. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode’s guest Amine Khechfe. [1:40] The issue of integration: Getting it right for software tools. [5:16] The first integration partners for Endicia. [11:47] How Endicia’s business goes up in times of recession. [13:54] The trends Amine sees in the ecommerce space because of his work with so many sellers. [20:51] How many of Endicia’s features or services came from customer feedback. [25:21] Making decisions about which ideas to implement into the