One Stop Shop

There are so many great coffee companies out there. But there is only one company we know of, that takes into consideration how our palate, and our environment, affect the taste of our coffee. Kings Row Coffee pioneered what they refer to as the “Bordeaux-inspired blend”, to make a coffee that would taste good just about anywhere. Then, it was time to convey that value to the online buyer, who had no way of tasting the difference from looking at product images and description. Today, we talk with Sam Sabky, CEO at Kings Row Coffee, about convincing prospects to trust your claims, and why it’s important to be persistent when soliciting sales. Some of the best quotes from this episode: "We are at an age where customers are inquisitive. They are asking where the product is sourced from, and how it is made." "Our retention strategy is “politely annoying”. We like to reach out to them directly, at least once a week. " "Don’t get discouraged or stop contacting customers just because they’

One day, while she was at the post office, Kate Adams started to feel frustrated: all she wanted to do is send a handwritten “thank you” note to someone, and now she’s wasting her lunch hour waiting in a long line. That’s when she had the idea: to change the way we “give gratitude”, by making it simple and quick, while maintaining the handwritten, personalized aspect. Her simple tweak is what separates her store from all the gift and gift card stores, but it comes with its own challenges too. In this episode, we chat with Kate about creating a unique, scalable, consistent quality product, even when the product is essentially handmade. Some of the best quotes from this episode: "If even I had a billion dollars, I would still be doing the same exact thing." "I didn’t even have a business, but I still pitched my idea. I had my first client, and I wasn’t ready, but I turned up and said yes." "People would ask: “How do you know this would work?”, and I would say: “Well, because I already

Would you start a business in a town which, according to the latest census, has a population of 135 people? Jonathan Clammer did just that, and his business is thriving. Salem Essentials & Apothecary is a brand that aims to make natural products affordable for everyone. And while it exists online, most of its business comes from selling directly to the community. In this episode, we talk to Jonathan about his favorite ways to make sales in places where other businesses are not looking. Some of the best quotes from this episode: "For a local business, the story is better said one on one." "The online market is overcrowded, but, no one knows your story. Find a way to personalize your business and make it your own." "I want to be able to sleep well at night, knowing that our products are giving people benefits." Find out more about Salem Essentials & Apothecary: Official Website: https://salemessentials.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/salemessential1 Facebook: https://w

Should you buy an existing business, or create one from scratch? What are the benefits and risks associated with buying an existing business? Our guest today is Joshua Poertner, he bought Silca 3 years ago, but the company just recently celebrated 100 years in the market. In this episode, Joshua tells us about his experience, what buying an existing business really entails, and even, how to know when it’s time to let go of managing your own business. Some of the best quotes from this episode: "I saw space for a company to come and do things better, not necessarily cheaper." "I think you have to have an element of passion when you’re talking about your product, otherwise it will be hard to sell." "Our customers are buying not only the product, but the vision of what we’re after." Find out more about Silca: Official Website: https://silca.cc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SILCAvelo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SILCAvelo Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user38024414/videos Pinterest

Calvin Quallis wasn’t born with a silver spoon. Prior to Scotch Porter, he co-owned a small barbershop in Newark, New Jersey. He experimented with skin, hair, and beard grooming products that he created with his own hands, which his customers loved and kept asking for. Eventually, he took the plunge and decided to start a business selling his handmade products. But he didn’t have online business experience, and he didn’t have huge capital, yet he was able to create a line of products that has raving fans. In today’s episode, we hear from Calvin, how he did that, in an already saturated, highly competitive market. Some of the best quotes from this episode: "I’m not a chemist, but super curious, so I went home and started tinkering until we came with products that customers enjoyed." "One of the biggest pluses for me was having intimate dialogues with customers and understanding them." "We focused on an underserved market, and it made it easier for us to get the word out." Find o

Chloë Thomas is the founder of eCommerce MasterPlan. She is a best selling Author, speaker, and host of the eCommerce MasterPlan podcast. She’s been deeply involved in eCommerce marketing for over a decade. In Chloë’s latest book: Customer Persuasion, she gives a step by step guidance on “How to Influence your Customers to Buy More”, depending on the stage your Ecommerce business is in at the moment. Plus, she shows you how to determine your business stage, and where you should be directing your focus right now. In this episode, we go over the key notes and learnings from the book, to help you make more sales, and create a repeat customer base. To get the Customer Persuasion book: http://customerpersuasion.co.uk/ Some of the best quotes from this episode: "Nowadays, your customer service issues will end up on social media." "There are different relationship levels with your customers, and you need to work out which of these stages is most important to you." "It’s very important to ge

Before creating a successful business (Euphoric Herbals), Cindy Collins developed natural remedies for mothers and sold them on Etsy. So how did this phenomenal woman go from a side gig with no direction, to 10,000 orders in 37 countries, all within a relatively short time span? Today, we chat with Cindy, and learn the strategies that helped her multiply sales volume by eight. Some of the best quotes from this episode: "I asked questions and listened, and that’s how my best selling line of products was developed." "With market outreach, instead of going an inch deep and a mile wide, try to go an inch wide and a mile deep." "I look at what bigger companies do and ask how can I do this, but make it my own?" See more from Euphoric Herbals: Official Website: https://www.euphoricherbals.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/euphoricherbals/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euphoricherbalbirth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/euphoricherbals/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/e

In this episode, learn the pros and cons of selling only one product and being hyper targeted. Jessica Ekstrom was an intern at a wish granting organization, when she noticed that a lot of kids loved to wear headbands after hair loss from chemotherapy. With this simple idea, she founded Headbands of Hope. For every headband sold, a headband is given away to a child with cancer. Headbands of Hope is just one example of how a company that didn’t need a ton of products to scale and remain interesting. Some of the best quotes from this episode: "Entrepreneurship is impulsive problem solving, and the answer is to start a business." "The way to keep a single product fresh, is to anticipate trends." "You shouldn't have to choose between making a difference and making a living. You could do both at once." Find out more about Headbands Of Hope: Official Website: https://www.headbandsofhope.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeadbandsofHope Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadbandsOfH

Today, we chat about finding and building consistent Ecommerce branding. Valfré is a women’s apparel and accessories brand that was founded by Mexican-born artist, Ilse Valfré. What makes Valfré's shop remarkable, is how it manages to provide such well defined Ecommerce branding. Although they sell products that seem unrelated at first glance, the harmony created by brand consistency makes it an addictive website to browse and shop from. Some of the best quotes from this episode: "We try to create content that resonates with us. We try to have fun with it." "You have to both find, and create, your brand voice." "You got to create a great product, because great products market themselves." See more from Valfré: Official Website: https://valfre.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/valfre Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Valfr%C3%A9-102420213136494/?fref=ts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valfre/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/valfreofficial/ Credits: Music feat

Have an innovative product idea? Here is how two guys from Brooklyn disrupted a market with no capital or connections. Ryan and Jon, Greats’ founders, knew that they could produce high quality Italian-made shoes for men for a lower price, if they could do business more efficiently than the bigger guys. They launched their brand in 2013, and quickly became an instant "Classic", selling out of most styles within 90 days. Today, we chat with Ryan to talk about the importance of understanding a market before attempting to disrupt it. Some of the best quotes from the episode: "If you're building a brand but not retention and repeat, you're not doing a good job at building a brand." "Branding involves generating an emotion around a purchase." "When you create brand ambassadors, that's when you have a brand." Find more about Greats Brand: Official Website: https://www.greats.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatsbrand Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatsBrand/ Instag

You can create real change and social impact in the world with your small business. Today’s episode is about the story of 3 military men, promoting world peace in a different way. Combat Flip Flops created jobs for both Afghan women, and US soldiers. Also, every product Combat Flip Flops sells puts an Afghan girl into secondary school for a day, while each Peacemaker Bangle or Coin Wrap sold clears 3 square meters of Unexploded Ordnance from a region rocked by long-term war - saving lives and providing economic opportunity. Some of the best quotes from this episode: “Smaller dealers pre-orders, collecting e-mails on our website, retargeting, that’s how we get our very first sales.” “Our initial surge of traffic wasn’t from the article in NYT, but from Gizmodo. This gave us traffic that broke our site.” "Having the right manpower to scale is the hardest part, it’s the bottleneck of the business.” Find out more about CombatFlipFlops: Official Website: https://www.combatflipflops.com/ Twitter: https://tw

Some of the most brilliant business ideas can come from your own, every-day struggles. Learn how to identify potentially profitable market gaps with Ozi Okaro. Ozi is an African American mother, who noticed the lack of diversity in mass-manufactured dolls. Inspired by her own childhood, and encouraged by own her daughters, she created Ikuzi Dolls, a line of dolls with different shades of darker skin, and texturized hair. Some of the best quotes from this episode: A lot of times when you need something, a lot of people out there need it too. My best advice before you start a Kickstarter campaign, is to amass some following. Start small, test, and then expand. But taking the leap and starting is the way to go. See more from Ikuzi Dolls: Official Website: https://www.ikuzidolls.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ikuzidolls Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ikuzidolls/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ikuzidolls/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ikuzidolls/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-h

What should you look for in a potential business partner? Getting along on a personal level is not enough to create great business partnerships, but it CAN be an added bonus. Liora and Meagan are two acquaintances- turned business partners, crushing it, and enjoying every bit of working together. Learn from their lessons here. Some of the best quotes from this episode: “If you are concerned with maintaining friendship above creating something together, you’ll start seeing problems.” “I would never consider bootstrapping without a partner, because no one else will ever understand the struggle.” “You have to admit to yourself when a work relationship is no longer working.” Find out more about oVertone: Official Website: https://overtone.co/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/overtonecolor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/overtonehaircare Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/overtonecolor/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/overtonehair/ See more from Liora and Maegan: Maegan on Instagram: https://www.instagr

Today we chat with Joey Sturgis, founder of Joey Sturgis Tones. Listen in as he maps out the road from a high school music hobby to a well established, profitable business. Joey Sturgis started playing with music and computers straight out of high school, but he never thought he would end up building a business around it. Joey never received any formal business training, only through sheer determination and hard work, was he able pushed himself to learn everything necessary to succeed. Pick up tips from his journey. Some of the best quotes from the episode: “At the end of the day, business is about human connection. You could be the best at what you do, but that doesn’t matter if you can’t talk to people.” “If you’re an introvert and need to network, it helps to remember that other people are probably just as nervous as you are.” “Today, we have tools that others before us didn’t have. There’s really no excuse for you to not go out there and test stuff.” More about JoeySturgisTones: Official Website: https

In this episode, we talk about lessons that impact your bank account. Adam Kail started “Brothers Leather Supply” as a side gig, and found success through a process of trial and error. Adam had to fine-tune many entrepreneurial skills, not the least of which is managing the expenses that come with tremendous business growth, remembering that “cash is king”. Some of the best quotes from this episode: “I am very open about the mistakes I made, because as an entrepreneur, this is how you learn.” “What could go wrong? Always ask this question before making a decision.” “If you can live without a business expense, and it’s not going to affect your bottom line, don’t do it.” Find BrothersLeatherSupply elsewhere Official Website: https://www.brothersleathersupply.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/brosleather Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brosleatherco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brosleather/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/brosleather/ Credits: Music featured in this episode was "Celery

Learn the "tricks of the trade" when it comes to creating ads on Facebook, with Adrian Morrison. Adrian specializes in Ecommerce and social media marketing. He turned a few dollars from Facebook ads into a multi-million dollar marketing company, and today, he helps other entrepreneurs turn their Ecommerce businesses around. He is also the author of "Social media profits from your home Series”, and "20K Per Day eCom Secrets". Some of the best quotes from the episode: "Here is how you can tell if an ad is going to be a winner or a loser with only $5 a day, and within only 3 days." "Instead of forcing a product to sell, look for things that already have the “Sizzle Effect", and will immediately take off." "Let me tell you what’s easier than turning your passion into a profit: It’s turning other people’s passions, into your profit." Find Adrian Morrison elsewhere: Official Website: AdrianMorrison.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdrianMorrison Faceb

Rishi Sharma, GM of Q-See Security, has had an interesting journey to say the least. In this episode, Rishi shares how he worked on Obama's election campaign before moving into local government, whereafter he joined Q-See in Customer Service. Over time he worked his way to the top and is now General Manager. He credits the lessons he learnt from his grandparents, which sees him taking chances and living a life without regrets. Rishi also shares how they focus on the quality of their products, their customer service and how they've build a distribution network via big retailers. Some of the best quotes from the episode: “Take chances and live a life without regrets.” “Meditation has helped me put life in perspective and step outside of situation in crisis.” “Connect with your customers around a bigger goal than just buying the product.” “Customer support is everything!” “Our biggest initial investment was the quality of our products.” Find Q-See elsewhere: Store: https://q-see.com/ Twitter: https://q-see.co

9 out of 10 of Nic's previous businesses were failures. And that's something which he attributes to his current success. In this episode, we spoke to Nic Haralambous, who admits to having a sock fetish. Nic is the founder of the luxury men's brand, Nic Harry, and started his business by selling socks that he had to Photoshop into pairs. His first stock cost only $300, which he quickly converted to almost $5000 in sales. We also dive into how he started selling socks to get out of a depressive funk, what's he's learn about being an entrepreneur and running physical retail stores is much easier than Ecommerce. Some of the best quotes from the episode: “I’m pretty well-versed in failure.” “This thing has grown a little bigger than I thought it would.” “Our business is about gut decisions with a little bit of data behind it.” “Business is about tenacity, resilience and how pain you can handle.” “You have to be pre-conditioned to like the not-fun parts of being an entrepreneur.” “How do you know what success look

Oberon Design was born at a time before technology was what it is today. Neither social media or Ecommerce existed. In this episode, we talked to Oberon Vice-President, Becca Smith, who passionately shares their story and says "There's life beyond your phone". Becca - a cancer survivor - tells us how they've grown their handmade leather goods business, where they started promoting their goods at faires before getting their first website build in 2000. But she says: "We’ve made a good a living, but it’s never been about making a lot of money." Tune in as we speak about being unique, making things that are valuable and how customers rely on businesses to be honest. Some of the best quotes from the episode: “We make everything we make. So we can make our own decisions. We’re independent.” “People are more interested in American-made things today, but for years nobody cared.” “It’s hard for people to imagine that anything happens without the use technology.” “There is life beyond your phone.

FiXT has been in business for 10 years and probably picked one of the most difficult industries in which to build a business: music. In this episode we speak to FiXT co-founder, James Rhodes, who says he's had to wear multiple hats over the years. James speaks about not necessarily knowing what the best path to take was, but that they dug in, experimented and were willing to fail. We also hear how FiXT have grown their business through the evolution of the music industry from selling CD's to the inception of iTunes to today, where music streaming is FiXT's primary source of music-related revenue. And they've done this all through being in tune with their customers and not drinking too much of their own Kool-Aid. Some of the best quotes from the episode: “I just kept volunteering for more opportunities.” “At one stage, I did demo’s of 20 different Ecommerce platforms.” “There wasn’t a clear path ahead of me, but I just dug into it.” “One of the biggest assets we’ve had is building a direct relationships with