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

Dealing with difficult team members is the first thing Omar Sayyed (SIGHYEED) mentioned when asked about his lowest point in business. Omar is the Co-founder and CEO of Ties.com | Scarves.com | and Alynn.com (ALAN) that started in 2000. The company started off literally 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: [0:09] Jeremy’s introduction of Omar Sayyed. [1:04] Why looking at Omar makes Jeremy want to up his game. [1:48] Omar’s lowest professional moment: Dealing with difficult people. [9:50] The proudest business moments Omar has experienced. [16:16] The timeline for acquiring Allyn.com - beginning to end. [22:55] How to connect with Omar. [24:40[ The story behind Sock Genius. [27:54] A business idea Omar has that someone else is invited to steal: An app that allows you to insert memes. In this episode… One of the most difficult parts of leading any business i

Company culture is a vital part of the way Travis Romine build his companies. Travis is the Founder of Sharp Commerce. His company is  a group of e commerce ninja's helping with customer engagement, retention and advanced marketing. He Took sales from $100/day to $15,000+/day over 10 year period at Paradise Fibers that he cofounded which grew to one of the top performing businesses in the needlecraft industry.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:   [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction to Travis Romine, today’s guest. [9:01] How Travis got started in ecommerce alongside his Dad. [14:11] Why Travis moved to Magento. [17:00] People want deals but they also want entertainment, a careful balance. [21:00] Using software properly so you get the biggest use of it. [37:57] Staff growth over the years: how it happened and why. [50:10] How the company had an $80K day of sales. [53:20] Failures along the way. [58:31] The decisions Travis and company had to make about phone systems. [1:07:03] The support and skill of Travis’

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction of Colt Cabana and his podcast. [1:33] Colt’s lowest moment in his career: being fired from WWE. [3:05] How the lowest point brought Colt to his highest point. [4:08] The reasons given for being fired. [5:23] What it was like to be in the “big league” of the WWE. [6:10] How everything great blends together over the years. [7:14] Where you can find Colt online. In this episode… Colt Cabana is one of those people who attained his dream only to find out that it wasn’t all that he thought it would be. So much so that he wound up being fired from his role in the WWE. Looking back, Colt says that was the lowest point of his career and on this episode he shares what it meant to him to attain that level of success only to lose it. Being at the height of your profession after many years of hard work is a wonderful feeling. When it’s a high profile position like being a star in the WWE, it’s even more exciting. Colt Cabana shares what it was like to

Jordan Gal is founder of Carthook, a cart abandonment software solution that recovers lost revenue by following up with potential customers who don’t complete the checkout process.  Jordan previously ran a successful ecommerce business that was acquired.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction of Jordan Gal, ecommerce software developer. [1:28] The most important thing Jordan did: found a good Volusion developer. [6:03] Mistakes made on the checkout page. [7:25] The most common reasons people abandon a cart. [9:06] The power of a live chat functionality that tracks user activity on the site. [12:19] Why people abandon SaaS purchases. [14:28] Observations from working with ecommerce vendors. [20:05] A story that illustrates the importance of phone contact with prospects and customers. [24:50] The good and difficult parts of scaling an ecommerce business. [28:34] Mistakes ecommerce builders should avoid. [31:37] The major skillsets Jordan had that he would never pass to someone el

Tom Bilyeu 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: [0:24] Dr. Jeremy’s introduction of Tom Bilyeu, his guest. [1:19] The lowest point in Tom’s journey: quitting Awareness Technologies. [3:40] The biggest and worst sacrifices Tom made when working for Awareness Technologies. [4:16] Tom’s proudest moments. [8:00] Why ketogenics may be the best fight against cancer we have. [11:05] How to connect with Tom. In this episode… Nobody has been more successful in business than Tom Bilyeu. His company, QuestNutrition is one of the fastest growing businesses out there. But he’s had his share of low points on his journey

Kenny Kane has been coding since the age 13 and began his career as a pharmacy technician at the age of 15.  Kenny is COO and Cofounder of stupidcancer and he oversees eCommerce, content curation,and much more. He has also helped develop corporate relationships such as Siemens, General Motors, Seattle Genetics and many more.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:   [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode with Kenny Kane of StupidCancer.org [1:20] What is a must for sellers to boost sales and get more engagement? [5:00] How Kenny has built community for StupidCancer. [6:20] Why Kenny is still a big fan of email connections and marketing. [9:30] Self selection segmentation strategies that have worked. [13:12] The connections StupidCancer provides for people who use it. [14:29] Mistakes people make with ecommerce stores. [16:05] Fun facts about Kenny Kane. [23:08] The start of StupidCancer and what it’s all about. [29:25] The early wins in ecommerce (CafePress). [36:16] How Kenny effectively reaches out

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. [1:31] Raising entrepreneurs. [2:32] The lowest point for Cameron. [4:27] Learning to recognize the symptoms of stress. [5:57] One of the proudest moments for Cameron. [7:23] Some of the daily rituals that are important to Cameron’s success. In this episode… Cameron’s attraction to entrepreneurship started early. Having a father and 2 grandfathers who were entrepreneurs inspired Cameron to

Steve Chou is the founder of Bumblebee Linens and MyWifeQuitHerJob.com. With a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, it’s pretty clear Steve is a smart guy. He not only runs multiple six-figure businesses but he’s also a hardware engineer by day and an entrepreneur by night. If that wasn’t enough on his plate, Steve’s also a husband and father of 2 kids. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:37] Jeremy’s introduction of Steve Chou, founder of Bumblebee Linens and MyWifeQuiteHerJob.com [1:38] What’s the hardest part about balancing your 2 businesses, your job as a hardware engineer, and your family? [5:44] Creating space for everything in your life. [6:56] What’s a must for eCommerce sellers to boost sales? [9:41] Getting your customer to be emotionally invested in your products. [10:50] What’s working the best for your business in terms of paid services? [14:18] Targeting methods that work. [15:15] Facebook ad targeting surprises that Steve found in his camp

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. [1:32] What’s been the lowest and proudest eCommerce points? [3:49] The lesson you want to leave us with today? In this episode… Like all business owners, Gary faced his fair share of struggles. He managed to go from bankruptcy to 8-figure

John Ruhlin is the founder of the Ruhlin Group and the author of Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention. He’s the #1 all time distributor of Cutco Knives in its 65+ year history.  John is a master gift-giver, who forges lifetime relationships while generating huge returns for his clients.  His impressive list of clients includes the Chicago Cubs, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bears and many top entrepreneurs including Darren Hardy, Cameron Hould, and many more.  The true essence of John Ruhlin can be summed up in this quote from a very important person, his daughter: John helps people love on people. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:37] Jeremy’s introduction of John Ruhlin, founder of the Ruhlin Group and author of Giftology. [2:03] How John’s daughter describes what he does. [4:16] A fun fact about John. [5:27] Growing up in large family and how it taught him work ethic. [7:44] The importance of standing out. [8:31] John’s aspir

Wes Grudzien is co-founder of Lullaby Lane. Wes 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: [0:47] Jeremy’s introduction of Wes Grudzien, co-founder of Lullaby Lane. [1:11] What’s been the lowest point? [3:29] What’s been the highest point? [4:08] Celebrating the high points. In this episode… Finding success in a highly competitive market certainly comes with its fair share of challenges. As Wes and the Lullaby Lane team sought success in their Amazon storefront, they learn to tackle those challenges head on. Wes shares the high point and low point of the business, as well as the lessons learned along the way. Wes discusses the low point of Lullaby Lane, which came following a misunderstanding about shipping weights. He shares how the issue evolved, and what it was like to face

Craig Ballantyne has helped over 1.5 million people with his Turbulence Training and Home Workout Revolution exercise programs. He has been a fitness expert to Men's Health magazine since 2000, and is co-owner of the popular success newsletter, EarlytoRise.com, where they reach hundreds of thousands of people daily with success, fitness, and self-improvement advice. He is the author of The Perfect Day Formula: How to Own the Day and Control Your Life. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:37] Jeremy’s introduction of Craig Ballantyne, founder of Early to Rise and author of The Perfect Day Formula. [1:19] What’s The Golden Ticket? [2:27] Craig’s morning routine after he gets up at 4am. [4:48] How do you come up with new material to write? [7:02] What inspired your interest in health and fitness? [8:25] Craig’s dreams of being in the NHL and how it led him to his career in health/fitness. [9:52] The influence of Craig’s father. [11:38] Some of the unconventional things Craig did. [13:19] Learning discipli

John Ruhlin is the founder of the Ruhlin Group and the author of Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention. He’s the #1 all time distributor of Cutco Knives in its 65+ year history.  John is a master gift-giver, who forges lifetime relationships while generating huge returns for his clients.  His impressive list of clients includes the Chicago Cubs, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bears and many top entrepreneurs including Darren Hardy, Cameron Hould, and many more.  The true essence of John Ruhlin can be summed up in this quote from a very important person, his daughter: John helps people love on people. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:37] Jeremy’s introduction of John Ruhlin, founder of the Ruhlin Group and author of Giftology. [1:58] The low point of John’s journey. [2:58] How did you get out of that “funk”? [5:30] How did your wife help you get through that low point? [7:17] One of the proudest moments in your journey. [9:34] Som

Ethan Anderson is the co-founder of MyTime, an online scheduling software that allows you to book appointments online with businesses ranging from haircuts to oil changes to dental exams – with over 2 million businesses to choose from. Previously, Ethan founded Redbeacon, raising over $7.4million and growing the team to over 20 people before being acquired by Home Depot.  Ethan has a diverse background, going from Duke Economics to Harvard MBA, and working at McKinsey, Buy.com, Starbucks, Clorox, and Google to then founding 2 companies, one with a successful exit. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:40] Jeremy’s introduction of Ethan Anderson, co-founder of MyTime.com. [2:13] The most stressful part of Ethan’s journey so far. [3:53] A trademark battle Ethan faced and the stress involved. [5:09] Mentally coping with the stress of things like the trademark battle. [7:14] Launching a POS product and dealing with stolen credit card issues after the launch. [8:33] How to remedy issues like the fraud issue t

Today we have Amine Khechfe who 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: [1:02] Jeremy’s introduction of Amine Khechfe, cofounder of Endicia. [1:27] The low point and the high point of Endicia. [2:33] How to get through the low points. [3:02] The high point for Endicia. [4:10] The process of getting approval from USPS. In this episode… For any business, there are highs and lows along the way. For Endicia, the low points helped to keep them focused on their core values and continue to grow the business in the right direction. Amine shares the lowest points and the highest points in the evolution of Endi

Today we have Laura Roeder, Founder of MeetEdgar.com, which is a social media automation tool designed to prevent updates from going to waste. Basically you don’t have to keep feeding in posts because it recycles them for you! Since Edgar's launch they have grown to 16 employees and  have more than $2.8 million in annual recurring revenue  AND they've bootstrapped the entire way. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:47] Jeremy’s welcome and introduction to this episode with guest Laura Roeder, founder of MeetEdgar.com. [1:25] Some of Laura’s favorite business books. [2:35] Laura’s journey and what she wanted to be when she was growing up. [3:43] What did you learn from your parents early on? [5:00] Balancing parenthood with running a business. [5:46] Why Laura decided not to wait, but to go ahead and start the business while she was pregnant. [7:36] How do you create boundaries to make sure you have balance with family time? [9:05] What was your first hire for Meet Edgar? [12:06] Laura discusses her key

Today we have Travis Romine, Founder of Sharp Commerce. His company is a group of ecommerce ninjas helping with customer engagement, retention and advanced marketing. He took sales from $100/day to $15,000+/day over 10-year period at Paradise Fibers that he cofounded, which grew to one of the top performing businesses in the needle-craft industry. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Jeremy’s introduction of Travis Romine, founder of Sharp Commerce. [1:24] Advantages and disadvantages of various ecommerce platforms. [5:23] What level would someone have to be at for you to tell them to try Magento? [7:00] Other ecommerce platforms to consider. [9:11] The main differences between BigCommerce and Volusion. [11:05] Why would you recommend BigCommerce over Volusion? [12:38] Travis discusses Shopify. [17:45] At what level would it be a no brainer to choose Magento? [19:36] Travis compares the major ecommece platforms, discussing the pros and cons of each. [22:30] What is it about Magento that makes it a w

Heath Squier is the master food formulator and CEO of Julian Bakery, which is a company that develops and sells “transitional” Paleo foods Products include Paleo and Primal Products like Paleo Protein Bars®. Paleo Wraps, Paleo Cereal, Paleo Chocolate and more! they are grain-free, gluten free, GMO-Free. Heath learned the benefits of using vitamins and whole foods from his mother, Barbara who is a certified nutritionist who founded the original Julian Bakery in the 1990. By combining his background running tech companies with his parents’ brick-and-mortar business, Heath has grown Julian Bakery into a worldwide brand. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:45] Jeremy’s introduction of Heath Squier of Julian Bakery. [1:35] Fun facts about Heath. [2:47] An overview of the supplements Heath takes daily. [5:40] Some of Julian Bakery’s best sellers. [7:32] The evolution of the Julian Bakery protein bars. [10:27] The most popular bar and how they develop various flavors. [13:38] What’s the best method to get the

Jordan Gal is founder of CartHook. Their software recovers lost revenue by contacting people who don’t finish the checkout process. He previously ran a successful ecommerce business that was acquired. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:43] Jeremy’s introduction of Jordan Gal, founder of CartHook. [1:08] What are some of the best things ecommerce business owners should take action on right now? In this episode… For any business owner, finding ways to grow and connect with the target market are the keys to success. Jordan Gal is no stranger to growing an ecommerce business into a resounding success, so much so his last business was acquired. In this short chat with Jeremy, Jordan shares some tips and strategies to help you connect with areas of opportunity in order to grow your ecommerce business. He offers insight into how you can analyze all areas of your business to identify what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve. Jordan discusses the value of “doing a sweep” of your business. He talks abou

Matt Miller is Founder of School Spirit Vending. The combined efforts of his business and his franchisees, allowed them to sell  over 5 million stickers last year alone while helping schools raise funds. School Spirit Vending has accumulated over $12 Million in sales over the past few years. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:39] Jeremy’s welcome and introduction to this episode with guest Matt Miller, founder of School Spirit Vending. [0:01:10] Did you ever think you’d sell over $12M in stickers? [0:01:39] What were you thinking when you first started this? [0:02:50] Can you share something that was really tough at the time that you can laugh about now? [0:04:45] How do you handle tough situations like that with your family? [0:06:41] The transition from job to entrepreneur. [0:08:30] When did you transition full-time into being an entrepreneur? [0:09:25] What made things change around 2008-09? [0:10:35] Matt shares his sales pitch. [0:11:29] Some obstacles you face when you try to get vending machin