In this episode of the D2Z Podcast, Brandon Amoroso sits down with Alejandro Chaban, the visionary CEO and founder of Yes You Can!, a renowned health and wellness company. Alejandro's journey is nothing short of incredible, having battled obesity, bulimia, and anorexia at just 15 years old, only to emerge as a highly successful entrepreneur.Brandon and Alejandro explore the intricacies of building and leading a thriving team. They emphasize the importance of clear communication, fostering innovation, and maintaining accountability within a growing organization. Alejandro's insights highlight the significance of adapting to the ever-changing landscape of marketing and communication in the health and wellness industry, showcasing how Yes You Can! continues to evolve and succeed.The discussion also delves into the realities of entrepreneurship, where Brandon and Alejandro stress the essential qualities of resilience, adaptability, and customer-centricity. They emphasize the value of embracing change, staying open to innovation, and listening to the needs of the audience. This episode offers a ton of entrepreneurial wisdom, providing invaluable insights for aspiring and established business leaders alike.

Lily Comba, Head of Agency Partnerships at Superfiliate and CEO of Superbloom, joins Brandon Amoroso in the D2Z podcast for an enlightening conversation that uncovers the dynamic world of influencer and affiliate marketing. In this episode, Lily shares her extensive background in influencer and affiliate marketing, including her pioneering work with Thrive Market on influencer collaborations. She discusses the challenges posed by outdated tracking methods and underscores the pivotal role technology plays in optimizing influencer and affiliate programs.Lily's journey takes an intriguing turn as she discovers Superfiliate, a platform poised to revolutionize referral and loyalty programs. She highlights how this platform streamlines processes, offers data-driven insights, and enhances the overall customer experience. Brandon and Lily delve into the significance of a sister agency like Superbloom in supporting brands to unlock the full potential of tech solutions like Superfiliate.The conversation also explores the evolving influencer landscape, the importance of upholding the integrity of influencer marketing, and the role agencies play in providing consulting and formal support to brands navigating the creator economy. Lily's passion for optimizing influencer marketing shines through, making this episode an invaluable resource for marketers and entrepreneurs seeking to elevate their strategies.Tune in for a profound discussion on influencer and affiliate marketing, the transformative power of technology, and the ongoing importance of preserving the essence of influencer marketing in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Cade Proulx, Head of Partnerships at Sendlane, joins host Brandon Amoroso to delve into his fascinating entrepreneurial journey and the dynamic world of e-commerce partnerships. Cade's journey spans from brokering a $10 million series C deal at a young age to his current role at Sendlane, where he spearheads partnership initiatives. He shares insights into the challenges of pivoting a business, the critical role trust plays between entrepreneurs and investors, and the evolving dynamics in the post-COVID business landscape.One of the key takeaways from this conversation is the emphasis on quality over quantity in partnerships. Cade highlights the importance of fostering meaningful relationships where there's a mutual exchange of value and trust. Whether partnering with large agencies or boutique firms, Cade believes that the percentage of business contributed to each other is more valuable than sheer numbers. This perspective offers valuable insights for businesses seeking to establish and maintain strong partnerships in the ever-evolving e-commerce ecosystem.The episode also sheds light on Sendlane's unique position in the email marketing landscape, with its competitive pricing, robust features, and strong support system. As businesses explore alternatives to other email marketing platforms, Cade discusses Sendlane's growth and its commitment to building a partnerships program that collaborates with more agencies and tech partners.For professionals in the tech startup and e-commerce space, this episode offers a wealth of insights and lessons on navigating these dynamic industries. Tune in to gain valuable knowledge and stay tuned for more episodes like this.

Mike Sill, co-founder of thriving CBD business, Sunday Scaries offers a trove of insights as we delve into his entrepreneurial journey, from the inception of his first venture, a photography business, to owning a bar and grill in San Diego, and eventually stepping into the CBD industry. Discover how Mike overcame challenges, navigated restrictions, and harnessed AI to revolutionize customer interactions.Mike, with his rich experience leveraging AI tools, provides a fascinating walkthrough. He shares how he uses tools like ChatGPT and Bard to craft engaging and human-like interactions with customers. But the learning doesn't stop there. We dive into the realm of content creation, video editing, and SEO in the context of AI assistance. Mike also enlightens us on the art of task delegation and prioritization, a critical skill for every entrepreneur.We move into the intricacies of CBD advertising. Mike unveils unique strategies to navigate the complex rules and restrictions that surround CBD products. We also delve into the importance of profitability in the CPG industry and the significance of brand partnerships. 

From raising over $300 million before the age of 25 to investing in service-based businesses, Tim Calise has a lot to say about founding companies. In our discussion, Tim spills the beans on the essential ingredients for a successful business – a relationship-based model, considering multiple buying decisions, focusing on longevity, and understanding customer pain points. He also emphasizes the need to carve a niche by honing one particular area of expertise. Tim offers an in-depth perspective on the potential risks and rewards associated with having a co-founder and the alternative of hiring vendors for immediate needs. We also talk about personal growth and achieving a work-life balance. Tim narrates his inspiring journey from a salesperson to a sales manager, and then a consultant and investor. He outlines the importance of understanding one's desires and setting priorities accordingly. 

I am joined this week by David Conforti, co-founder and CEO of the Varfaj Group. Together, we trace Varfaj's journey from its inception at NYU to its present-day management of large-scale projects on the Shopify Plus platform. We also shine a light on the stark digital divide between small businesses and legacy enterprises, and discuss how this gap can be bridged using the right balance of compliance and innovation.We zoom into the human element of business, by evaluating the role of project/client success managers in our organizations. The shift from a traditional hierarchical structure to a more fluid pod structure, the necessary blend of senior and junior talent, and possible pitfalls in the hiring process are all discussed in detail.Finally, we dive into the world of working capital. David Conforti and I reflect on the merits and demerits of traditional hiring methods versus leveraging existing networks, and why a trial period before full-time offers could prove beneficial. We also discuss the importance of swift cash conversion for sustained growth. 

Carter Snyder of the Sasha Group helps us traverse the evolving landscape of media consumption and advertising. We discuss how the giants of digital platforms - like Walmart and Amazon, and dominant streaming services - are molding the way we consume media. From the rise of social media apps like TikTok, challenging Facebook's reign, to the diversion from linear TV to streaming, we examine these seismic shifts, and also share our personal experiences and the benefits of career adaptability in this fast-paced world.Carter and I delve into how TikTok is shaking up Google search, exploring the paradigm shift in information consumption. We discuss the significance of discovering your niche, the power of authenticity, and the crucial understanding of media mix across channels. Balancing the delicate act of collaborating with existing teams while strategizing with client's budget, business objectives, and data in mind is also on our conversation menu.We also dive into the art of managing teams and building brands and on striking the right balance between learning for growth and accommodating various working styles. We share insights on providing guidance without overwhelming team members and handling situations when performance doesn't meet expectations.

I'm with speaking with Matt Goodman, the co-founder and CEO of Okendo. Matt walks us through Okendo's suite of solutions explicitly designed to combat the rising cost of customer acquisition by creating super fans for your brand. From reviews to quizzes, referrals to loyalty programs, Okendo's comprehensive stack guarantees to deliver high-quality, actionable data that brands can use to thrive in the digital landscape.Matt chats up the upcoming Okendo World Tour Roadshow, where brands worldwide will share their customer marketing strategies, an invaluable resource for those looking to learn from the best. Whether you're a brand seeking to reduce your dependence on social media platforms for customer acquisition or are curious about how Okendo is helping brands maximize their customers' value, this episode is packed with insights!

Talking with marketing and communications advisor Mark Havenner who has worked with DRINKS and Electriq on thought leadership programs and who has worked on the production of Brandon's upcoming book "Think Z."  We talk about the world of business, fueled by the tenacity and resilience of the youngest generation of leaders. We take you through our journey, peppered with lessons learned and aha moments, as we highlight the significant role of customer retention and the value of deep-rooted relationships in a business's success path.We discuss the imminent launch of the "Think Z" book, which explores the immense power of the Gen Z mindset in business, what is uncovered in the book, highlights, and the journey of writing it.

Jonathan Snow, with the Snow Agency, takes us on his entrepreneurial journey. Drawing on his own experiences he built an affiliate marketing platform and launched a Shopify holding company, which later transformed into a cutting-edge performance marketing agency. This is a rare chance to glean practical insights from his experiences and learn how to strike the perfect balance between work and life.What does a modern-day agency look like? Jon discusses how public relations and paid media can synergize to create compelling narratives and the importance of scaling out these narratives to ensure they reach the right audience at the right time.  We also discuss the exciting realm of AI, as we explore how it is revolutionizing the alcohol industry. We discuss the pioneering work of the team at Electriq and DRINKS and how they are elevating their online sales process. 

Today I'm with co-founder of Postpilot, Michael Epstein and we unpack his journey from revamping an e-commerce brand to transforming direct mail for the new era. Michael reveals insider secrets on the role of Postpilot in making direct mail more efficient, automated, and user-friendly, and how it has changed the game for digitally native brands.Michael shares insights on these two technologies that are helping to convert potential customers and the nitty-gritty of lookalike modeling. We also peek into the future of Postpilot, discussing Klaviyo integrations, potential Shopify admin blocks, and the exciting plans Michael has for the second half of the year.I also pick his brain on data security, the importance of understanding customer pain points, and building an effective SaaS team. Plus, he lets us in on his experience in transitioning from the SaaS and agency world to the brand side, and the successful retention programs for D2C brands. 

Get a firsthand look into the world of start-ups and entrepreneurship from Roger Beaman, the founder of Novel, a successful e-commerce platform. We have the pleasure of hosting Roger for an enlightening chat about the rollercoaster ride that's entrepreneurship. We traverse through Roger's entrepreneurial journey, dwelling on the unexpected challenges and the inspiring moments. Together, we highlight the importance of forming a connection with customers and fostering loyalty.We dive into the realm of venturing into start-ups, discussing the motivation that fuels such ambition. Roger shares his insights on the differences between creating a novel product versus entering an existing market, and the challenges that come with attempting to make a dent in a well-established space. We also recount our venture business launch experiences, and how we faced up against multi-billion dollar enterprises. The conversation evolves further to unravel the challenges that ambitious projects bring along and the delicate balance of risk-taking and sticking to a defined path.To cap it off, Roger shares his nuggets of wisdom on surviving in the entrepreneurial world, emphasizing on the importance of faith in oneself, having a committed team, and the power of long-lasting relationships. We also explore the significance of embracing small innovations and how technology helps in the creation of a successful venture. Listen to this episode to understand the dynamics of start-ups and entrepreneurship from someone who's been there, done that.

Andrew Case, co-founder of Noonbrew, joins me to talk about its growth into a diverse brand offering popular products like their nighttime tea, Andrew shares an exclusive behind-the-scenes perspective. We talk about everything from the critical role of customer surveys in validating product effectiveness, to how the unexpected success of their nighttime tea has caused a stir in their sales charts.We also take you through the intricate process of product development. Hear about the pitfalls to avoid, and the significance of testing your product before heavy investment in branding. Andrew highlights the potential of cross-store selling apps and Shopify's shop app for a unified customer experience. But there's more; we dive into the art of delegation, scaling your team, and the thrills of entrepreneurship that come with its unique challenges.Finally, Andrew and I delve into the cutting-edge world of AI in e-commerce operations. Learn how AI is revolutionizing creative iteration, video production, and content creation at scale. Andrew offers his insights on Amazon's role in a business' channel mix, its impact on customer data and relationships, along with the importance of ideation. Stay tuned for our chat about effective retention strategies for e-commerce brands, including loyalty programs and 'surprise and delight' through merch kits.

Welcome back to the D2Z Podcast with your host, Brandon Amoroso. Today, we're joined by Patrick Pazos, the new Sales Manager of DRINKS.com and Electriq, to discuss the fascinating intersection of wine and e-commerce.We start by discussing the huge opportunity that wine producers have in the e-commerce space with Shopify. Patrick sheds light on why it's important for wineries to move away from traditional, legacy technology and embrace the advanced tech stacks and integrations offered by Shopify.The conversation then moves to the importance of a cohesive Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) system. It's surprising to see that even major, revenue-generating wine producers are still stuck using antiquated systems. Marketing, or the lack thereof, is a big topic too. We talk about the gap in market research within the wine industry and the potential improvements that can be made. Patrick stresses the crucial need for wineries to establish a direct relationship with their customers for long-term success.We also explore how businesses can go beyond the website to truly engage with customers. We talk about the vital role of branding and brand positioning in a saturated marketplace. Closing out our chat, we delve into the future role of AI. We talk about how AI is shaping the marketplace and where it might be particularly beneficial for wineries.Tune into this episode of the D2Z Podcast for a great conversation on digital strategy, marketing, and e-commerce. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button for more insights and discussions. Enjoy the show!

Tune in to my conversation with the former VP of Marketing at Dr Squatch and current head of revenue at Repeat, Cody Griffin. Cody shares his journey from management consulting to navigating the marketing world of smaller businesses. We cover everything from transforming one-time buyers into lifetime customers to developing a seamless customer experience across platforms.Cody offers his rich insights on the growth and challenges in the industry, including the saturation of the Shopify ecosystem and the fierce rivalry between Klaviyo and HubSpot. We discuss the art of extracting value from specialized products amidst resource limitations. Cody also delves into the shifting landscape of ecommerce and understanding current trends and hurdles.Also, we talk about aligning incentives with brands, streamlining post-purchase flows, and the role of partnerships in a brand's success, efficient collaboration to improve the ecosystem, minimizing outbound marketing, and leveraging referrals.Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonamoroso/ and https://brandonamoroso.com/.Find Cody Griffin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/codyevangriffin/ and https://getrepeat.io/.

In this episode of The D2Z Podcast, I'm speaking with Phil Sblendorio, the CRO at AMB Interactive. Phil uncovers the secret sauce behind building, growing, and scaling successful businesses. We share our firsthand experiences, highlighting the importance of brand experience, navigating market challenges, and the pros and cons of partnering in business. We'll also discuss the significance of celebrating milestones throughout your entrepreneurial journey.Scaling an agency requires assembling the right team, and Phil and I delve deep into effective hiring strategies. We explore the practicality of utilizing referrals and questionnaires to filter out unqualified candidates, and reveal how to incentivize team members for optimal performance. We also shed light on the importance of a unified reporting system and accurate data when working with clients. It's not just about the numbers; finding the right people and enabling their growth within the company is key.We discuss the financial implications of transitioning from juggling multiple jobs to focusing solely on your business. Additionally, we share our personal experiences on scaling our own businesses and the decision-making process behind transitioning certain roles from outsourcing to in-house operations. Join us for this jam-packed episode as we take your business to new heights! 🚀

In this episode of the D2Z podcast, we have an enlightening conversation with Aaron Roper from Rebuy, a leading platform in the Shopify ecosystem. We start by exploring the evolution of the Shopify ecosystem over time and how agencies have transformed into big conglomerates through mergers and acquisitions. Aaron sheds light on the changing dynamics and the impact it has on the industry as a whole.We then dive into how Rebuy collaborates with agencies and interacts with tech partners to deliver exceptional solutions. Aaron shares insights into how Rebuy empowers and facilitates agency partners, highlighting the important role they play in the success of tech solution providers.Certification programs have become increasingly crucial, and we discuss the significance of doing them well. Aaron shares his perspectives on how Rebuy ensures its certification programs meet the highest standards and deliver value to partners and customers alike.As the platform evolves, we explore what to expect from Rebuy in the future. Aaron provides exciting glimpses into upcoming developments and enhancements, giving listeners a sneak peek into the future of the platform.Lastly, we delve into the world of referral programs and their importance in driving growth and expanding customer reach. Aaron shares valuable insights on how businesses can leverage referral programs effectively to foster customer loyalty and generate new business opportunities.Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Aaron Roper at https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronroper/ and Rebuy at https://www.rebuyengine.com/.

In this episode of the D2Z podcast, I had an insightful conversation with Wyatt Shane, Partner Manager at Recharge, a leading subscription management platform. We began by discussing the latest product updates from Recharge and how agencies are playing a crucial role in testing new features for tech partners with their clients. Wyatt emphasized the importance of addressing client feedback and incorporating it into the development of tech solutions.We explored the delicate balance between introducing new features, considering client feedback, and staying aware of competitor roadmaps. The evolution of e-commerce technology was a key topic of discussion, highlighting the ever-changing landscape and the need for continuous innovation.Listening to customers is a vital aspect of product development, and Wyatt emphasized the significance of engaging with customers and understanding their needs. We touched on the collaborative nature of innovation and how it truly takes a village to drive meaningful progress.We then turned our attention to the relationship between subscriptions and memberships in the DTC space. Wyatt shared insights on how these models can work together to enhance customer experience and drive business growth.Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Wyatt Shane at https://www.linkedin.com/in/wyatt-shane and Recharge at https://rechargepayments.com/.

This episode of the D2Z Podcast is presented by Gorgias, the number one Shopify customer support platform, helping brands like BrüMate and 11,000 more turn their customer support into a profit center.In today's episode of the D2Z podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Marco Shinouda, Partnerships Manager at Gorgias, an e-commerce integrated Helpdesk platform.We kicked off the conversation by diving into the importance of integrations within the Shopify ecosystem. Marco shared insights on how Gorgias prioritizes which platforms to integrate with and how they collaborate with tech partners to create seamless integrations.One of the unique aspects of Gorgias is that it is specifically designed for e-commerce customer service. We explored the differences between Gorgias and legacy help desks like Zendesk, highlighting the features and functionalities that make Gorgias stand out.We then delved into a discussion comparing the Shopify ecosystem with other popular e-commerce platforms like BigCommerce and WooCommerce. Marco shared his perspectives on the strengths and benefits of the Shopify ecosystem for merchants.Customer service plays a crucial role in retention, so we explored how businesses can leverage it as a retention strategy. Marco shared best practices for customer support and highlighted the importance of automation in delivering efficient and personalized customer service.Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Marco Shinouda at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-shinouda/ and Gorgias at https://gorgias.grsm.io/brandon.

This episode of the D2Z Podcast is presented by Gorgias, the number one Shopify customer support platform, helping brands like BrüMate and 11,000 more turn their customer support into a profit center.In this episode, we welcome Adena Merabi, Partnerships Manager at Okendo, a leading customer reviews and marketing platform. We kick off the conversation by discussing the biggest changes in the e-commerce landscape in 2023, including macro trends and shifts in consumer behavior. Adena shares insights into the challenges merchants face with customer acquisition and how Okendo is addressing these challenges through their product offerings. We delve into the additional product lines that Okendo has developed to enhance customer experience, retention, and referrals, and how these solutions are evolving alongside the DTC industry. We also explore the expansion and integration of different platforms in the competitive market and the importance of quality tech offerings over tech bundling. Finally, we dive into the role of agencies in the DTC marketplace and how they contribute to the success of e-commerce brands. Adena shares her perspectives on the unique value agencies bring to the table and the symbiotic relationship between agencies and brands. Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Adena Merabi at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adena-merabi/ and Okendo at https://www.okendo.io/.

This episode of the D2Z Podcast is presented by Gorgias, the number one Shopify customer support platform, helping brands like BrüMate and 11,000 more turn their customer support into a profit center.In this episode, we have a special guest, Parker Amoroso, CEO and Co-founder of SCALIS found at scalis.ai. SCALIS is a fully integrated ATS and Job Board platform that aims to democratize hiring in the era of AI. We dive into the pressing issues surrounding hiring and the challenges of finding qualified candidates for job openings. Parker shares insights into the terrible experience of job hunting from both the candidate and employer perspectives. We discuss the limitations of traditional job boards and how they often fail to deliver effective results. Parker introduces SCALIS' tagline, "hiring shouldn't suck," and explains how the platform seeks to address these inefficiencies in the hiring process. Parker also shares the inspiration behind the idea for SCALIS and the journey they embarked on to launch the company. We explore the challenges they encountered along the way and the big inefficiencies they sought to tackle in the job market. Join us for an insightful conversation as we delve into the world of hiring, job boards, and the mission to revolutionize the hiring experience with SCALIS.Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Parker Amoroso on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkeramoroso/ and SCALIS at https://www.linkedin.com/company/scalis-ai/.

This episode of the D2Z Podcast is presented by Gorgias, the number one Shopify customer support platform, helping brands like BrüMate and 11,000 more turn their customer support into a profit center.In this episode, I'm joined by Jay Sethi, a Mid Market Account Executive at Shopify Plus. We discuss the new environment that merchants are navigating when it comes to customer acquisition and how it prompts their desire to explore Shopify as a solution. For all merchants, the challenge of driving traffic to their sites and boosting sales is always top of mind. We dive into the impact of changes, such as the iOS update, and the importance of improving site navigation to prevent drop-offs. One of the big trends we explore is the desire among merchants to simplify their tech stack, using fewer apps and custom-built solutions that require less management from development teams. Additionally, we discuss how businesses are adapting to new opportunities, whether they're transitioning from B2C to B2B or seeking to automate B2B processes for improved efficiency. As Shopify expands into new verticals, agencies are following suit, helping businesses simplify their tech stack. We highlight the low-hanging fruit in various industries and the excitement of witnessing merchants take off and grow. Lastly, we touch on the importance of repurposing content to work throughout the entire marketing profile, leveraging its potential for increased reach and impact. Tune in to this episode for insights into customer acquisition, tech stack simplification, industry trends, and the power of repurposing content.

Drew Owen, Shopify's PE & VC Practice lead, discusses global business development and partnerships, including DRINKS, and how Shopify seeks partnerships to open up access to new industries. He also shares insights into how Shopify supports companies when they move to the platform, building out their platform based on their needs and priorities.Drew emphasizes the importance of focusing on a retention strategy in the face of high acquisition costs, choosing the right tech partners for the right merchants, and utilizing customer engagement strategies. He also discusses macro trends in the Shopify ecosystem, the wine industry on Shopify, and the significance of content for brands.Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Drew Owen on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/owendrew/. 

In this episode of D2Z, we speak with Lindsey Rosenberg, a Fractional CMO and co-founder of Dryft Sleep.Lindsey discusses the role of a Fractional CMO and how it can benefit startups. She emphasizes the importance of branding and how it can help differentiate a company in today's market.We also delve into the effectiveness of ads and why authentic brand engagement is more important. Lindsey provides branding advice for founders and emphasizes the importance of content and building relationships with your community.The conversation also touches on what "brand" means and how it can be adapted and changed over time. Lindsey shares what goes into branding and how to measure its success with branding metrics.The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of putting the right effort into the right marketing activities, and how a fractional CMO can help startups make strategic decisions in this area.Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Lindsey Rosenberg on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseymrosenberg/ and at https://www.lindseyrosenberg.com/. Mentioned Duckbill: https://www.getduckbill.com/

🎙️ In this episode of D2Z, I had a great conversation with Nikki Kessler, Email and SMS Lead for Electriq, one of the company's first team members.Nikki shared her insights on the evolution of Electriq's processes from their early days of not knowing what to do to formalizing them. She also discussed the importance of having an open-door policy and collaboration, even in a big organization.We talked about the Electriq podcast and how it has helped the company, as well as the importance of continually learning.Nikki then went on to discuss Electriq's approach to email and SMS, and what it's like working at an agency and the agency culture.We also touched on Nikki's excitement for ChargeX and how it's a great opportunity to meet with other industry leaders and continue learning.Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Nikki Kessler on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-kessler/.

🎙️An amazing conversation with Wesley Magness, R&D Lead at Recharge, on the podcast! 🚀We talked about automating business retention processes for businesses, how to handle bundling and managing different apps with overlap, and how many Shopify apps are too many. 💻Wesley also shared insights on technology's tendency to complicate things, and the importance of keeping data in one place for seamless, frictionless distribution. 🌟We discussed his entrepreneurial journey with ElectricSMS, the concept of minessence, and how it describes Recharge Flows, his main focus for the past 9 months. Wesley also shared his thoughts on strategic acquisition processes and philosophical alignment, and how founder-led companies can be successful. 🔥We dove into the importance of retention and ease-of-use, and how they relate to bundling and consolidation. Wesley also shared his insights on the impact of macroeconomic headwinds. Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Wesley Magness on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleymagness/.  Find Recharge at  https://rechargepayments.com/. The Minessence Group: https://www.minessence.net/ LLM: https://github.com/promptslab/Awesome-Prompt-Engineering 

In this episode of the podcast, Brandon speaks with Arvind Krishnan, CEO of the shopper engagement platform Swym.  Arvind shares insights on how to capture what shoppers want and convert them to sell, emphasizing the importance of capturing as much information about the shopper as possible to create the best possible experience. The conversation also covers how Swym's integrations are driven by merchant requests for feedback and the strategic roadmap. They discuss the importance of improving conversion rates and how technology providers can make sure merchants are successful. Arvind also stresses the value of a customer support team for technology companies, as well as customer success for proactive service to ensure merchants are successful. The conversation concludes with a discussion on how ecommerce brands will navigate a competitive technology environment, and how agencies can bolster and power technology sales and growth. Arvind also shares key learnings from building and sustaining a software business for 10 years, and navigating the challenges of remote work. Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Arvind Krishnan on Twitter at https://twitter.com/arvindax and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvindkkrishnan/.  Find Swym at  https://swym.it/. 

In this episode, Brandon speaks with Adrian Alfieri, Founder of Verbatim, on the topic of e-commerce content marketing. Adrian shares valuable insights on what e-commerce companies need to focus on when it comes to content, and the logistics and production involved in creating content. The discussion centers around using content to generate revenue, and the importance of strategy on content distribution. Adrian discusses the production of content for on-site, social, and email marketing, and shares tips and strategies on converting customers using content. Listeners can expect to learn about the importance of social proof in leveraging networks, and how to report on content metrics and revenue to prove ROI. Adrian also shares insights on building a team for a fast-growing organization, and how to structure agency and client relations and account management. The conversation concludes with a discussion on building a team that can deliver and identifying points of contact. Tune in to learn from Adrian's expertise and take your content marketing to the next level. Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Adrian Alfieriat on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-alfieri/.  Find Verbatim at https://www.verbatimlabs.com/  

In this episode of the podcast, Brandon speaks with Megan Blissick from Retention.com. The discussion centers around partnership programs and how they operate within the ecommerce ecosystem. They also highlight Retention.com's unique approach is the use of tracking technology in ecommerce to capture potential customers with abandoned carts across devices. The conversation touches on the differences between working at a big company versus a growing startup, and the importance of building processes while navigating the sunk-cost bias. Megan also shares insights on leveraging partnerships for sales and business development, building mutual success and referrals, and educating partners on how to work with the product. Megan also shares tips and tricks on growing and scaling a team, including hiring tips and diversity. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the importance of putting dogs on websites.  Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Megan Blissick at on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganblissick/.  Find the behind-the-scenes YouTube series on Rentention.com here: https://www.youtube.com/@retentiondotcom  And the Ten Years In The Making Podcast: https://retention.com/podcast_episodes/ten-years-in-the-making-podcast/ 

In this special one-year anniversary episode of D2Z, Brandon is joined by Alissa Taggart, VP of Electriq, to discuss agency life and the story of Electriq. Alissa shares her experience of joining the team just before the company's acquisition and how Electriq has evolved over the past year. The conversation delves into the importance of having a strong team in an agency, and the significance of feedback and iteration. The discussion highlights key learnings from building effective and strong teams, including the importance of humility and the role of team leaders in embracing the growth of team members. Alissa stresses the importance of being real human beings and embracing work/life balance while also prioritizing business success. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the critical nature of focusing the agency and authentically having the team's interests at heart. Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Alissa Taggart at on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissataggart/. Alissa’s recommended book:  Good to Great Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't   

In this episode of The D2Z Podcast, Brandon speaks with Dan Deren, senior partnership manager at Klaviyo. Dan shares his insights on the importance of partnerships in ecommerce and the Shopify ecosystem, and how ecommerce businesses can get the true value of Klaviyo as a customer data platform through integrations. The conversation focuses on the post-purchase journey and the significance of personalization strategies in ecommerce. Dan also shares what a typical day looks like for a partnership manager, and how he keeps up with rapidly changing features and new opportunities in the industry. Listeners can expect to learn about the role of agencies when working with tech stacks, and how DTC technology companies can benefit from working with agencies. The discussion highlights the importance of collaboration in achieving success in ecommerce, and how strategic partnerships can help businesses achieve their goals. Links:  Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Dan Deren on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dderen/  and find Klaviyo at https://www.klaviyo.com/. 

In this episode, Brandon talks with Noah Rahimzadeh, partnerships at Malomo, a platform that specializes in post-purchase and customer journey solutions. The discussion focuses on improving the order tracking experience to enhance customer lifetime value and retention, and the importance of upselling opportunities on the order tracking page.The conversation also delves into the significance of enhancing the overall customer experience to increase customer loyalty. Noah and Brandon discuss how an agency can leverage a tool like Malomo to help ecommerce businesses achieve their goals, the importance of strategic partnerships in business, and building the ideal ecomm tech stack to achieve optimal results.They also share their insights on navigating the Shopify ecosystem, choosing the right apps, and making the most of integrations.  Links: Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com. Find Noah Rahimzadeh at on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-rahimzadeh-91667bb1/  and find Malomo at https://gomalomo.com/ 

Brandon talks with Tyler Grech with data as a service company Daasity. They talk about Tyler’s experience in the Shopify ecosystem, how to align with partners to go to market with technology, and leveraging ecosystems like Shopify, as well as DTC technology trends. They go into the importance of data-driven customer communication, retention strategies, and the power of data in marketing. They also discuss overall DTC business trends around social media, building and managing teams, and the importance of process-building and iteration. Links:  Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Tyler Grech on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylergrech/?originalSubdomain=ca  and find Daasity at https://www.daasity.com/. 

Brandon talks with Kevin Kline, Director of Agency Partners at Recharge, a recurring payments and retention optimization company. They talk about the recent Shopify Editions report which dives into Shopify solutions for merchants, creating strong communications after the sale, and how to optimize every part of the ecommerce journey. They go into the psychology of today’s customers and their ecommerce expectations, reducing friction with the customer experience, and focusing on lifetime value. They also talk about technology integrations in the Shopify ecosystem and the importance of partnerships within the industry, as well as the role of agencies in the ecommerce space, and how to measure success with your content in new channels like TikTok. Links:  Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Kevin Kline on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-kline-a327341b/and find Recharge at https://rechargepayments.com/. Find more information on EEE at https://eeemiami.com/. 

Brandon talks with Roman Yoffe, Founder and CEO of Absolute Web, a digital commerce agency. They talk about creating and sustaining a founding team for start-ups, specialization and the importance of focusing your practice, and recent DTC platform trends. They go into the business of Shopify, what to expect with the tech companies in the Shopify ecosystem, and how to make companies resilient during economic uncertainty. They also discuss the EEE eCommerce event hosted by Absolute Web and what to expect from this exclusive event, including a keynote by Kevin O’Leary.  Links:  Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Roman Yoffe at on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/romanyoffe and find Absolute Web at https://www.absoluteweb.com/. Find more information on EEE at https://eeemiami.com/. 

Brandon talks with Benjamin Mitchell the founder and CEO of Privé Creative, a performance marketing creative agency and studio for digitally native DTC brands. They talk about building a founding team and start-ups, scaling businesses, and the importance of honing your practice so you can be confident with your service offering. They also discuss entrepreneurship, taking the plunge into creating your own business and seizing opportunities. They go into how to build empowered teams and structured processes so you can scale easier, and dive into performance marketing and conversion strategies. Links:  Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Benjamin Mitchell on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmitchell1/  and find Privé Creative at https://www.privedesign.co/. 

Brandon talks with Michael Charleston, Sr. eCommerce Product Manager at Nordic Naturals, an award-winning omega-3 fish oil and other foundational nutrients company committed to delivering the world’s safest, most effective nutrients essential to health. They talk about the technological side of building a strong omnichannel brand at various levels of development and maturity. From the front-end focus of start-ups, where the focus is on launching products and customer acquisition, towards growing an established brand with equity where activity expands to increasing subscriptions and building retention, finding the right software integrations for the entire customer journey is key. They explore the value of investing in customer service as a vital part of brand experience and the importance of transparency and simplicity to drive a return and strengthen relationships for high lifetime value with the company. They discuss collaborative team empowerment as key to creating long-term success in a company, with the perspective of delegating business objectives with full strategic and operative ownership to get the best out of your team.  Links:   Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.   Find Michael Charleston on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcharleston/ and find Nordic Naturals at https://www.nordic.com/ 

Brandon talks with Pranay Prakash, Founder & CEO at Windsor, an AI video-marketing platform that helps D2C brands acquire, grow, and retain customers through an AI video-personalization tool that enables brands to level-up customer communication from email to mass personalized video at scale. Using their tech, a founder or marketer can record a single video and send out millions of personalized copies to their customers in seconds. They talk about the fundraising component of entrepreneurship with a venture-backed technology innovation company, and the value of the age-old advice that the best way to learn how to swim is by jumping in. They explore how to balance the skill sets and roles of being a creator (operations, team curation and product development), a financial manager (securing capital, managing spend, and reporting to investors), and salesperson of your vision, culture and product across customer, employee and investor contexts. They discuss the opportunities for app developers to grow in the Shopify business model, which goes beyond the product platform into investment in Shopify-app development, contributing to entrepreneurial innovation and increasing the value of Shopify for everyone.  Links:  Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Pranay Prakash on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranaygp/ and find Windsor at https://www.windsor.io/ 

This week D2Z Podcast producer Mark Havenner puts Brandon in the hot seat so we can all learn more about him and his journey. They talk about what “the Gen Z” mindset means, Brandon’s approach to business and building teams, and the story of Electriq. They also reveal Brandon is working on a book about his journey as a Gen Z entrepreneur.Links: Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com  and https://www.electriqmarketing.com. 

Brandon talks with Richie Jones, CEO & Owner at vvast, a B Corp certifying D2C at vvast scale, where he blends his agency and brand side experience by bringing a market disruption approach for lifestyle, retail and action sports brands seeking low capital EMEA market entry. They talk about the vvast direct to consumer marketing playbook that delivers a comprehensive framework and strategy to scale brands globally. They explore the differences and similarities between the North American and European markets in terms of thought leadership best practices of localization of sales when expanding geographically. They discuss the power of leveraging cultural context and linguistic nuances, and the importance of translation, to reach and connect with consumers in smart and innovative ways in specific markets.   Links:  Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Richie Jones on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richiejones/ and find vvast at https://vvast.net/  

Brandon talks with Josh Fonger, CEO & Owner at WTS Enterprises, a business operations consultancy that helps ambitious business owners develop and implement systematic solutions that optimize operations, enabling them to break free from the day-to-day and generate powerful growth.  They talk about the power of systemizing business operations into a collection of streamlined processes and standardized procedures, enabling delegation, automation, consistency, efficiency, quality, and ultimately, the foundational momentum and clarity to scale. Developing infrastructure through segmentation and documentation extracts the foundational intelligence from the founder, allowing them to mentally elevate above and separate from their business operations, repositioning them to plan, innovate and grow. They discuss the power of coordinating strategic objectives, general operating principles and culture, and systemized operations to attain success. They explore best practices on how to work with teams as a consultant, integrating leadership goals with your plan of action, and including all team members in the process. Links: Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com. Find Josh Fonger on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshfonger/ and find WTS Enterprises at https://wtsenterprises.com  

Brandon talks with Emilio Di Marco, CEO & Founder at Aument, the eCommerce toolbox to get new sales easily by providing customers with the best practice, product and experience. They talk about simplifying communications tools for small brands and solo-founders to help them make the most of their resources with omnichannel marketing automations, personalizations through email/SMS campaigns, and leverage data, through deliverability, strategy and design solutions. They discuss the importance of customer education, as being key to enable the use of a tool to its fullest capacity, in order to extract the full ROI it can provide. With regards to growth and development, they highlight the value of understanding marketplace pain points and staying focused on solving a problem, and determining how to balance your internal roadmap and objectives with prioritizing customer feedback. They explore the urgency for start-ups to let go of perfectionism and get a product to market, when to scale and hire, as well as the opportunity and challenge of remote work environments.  Links: Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com  and https://www.electriqmarketing.com. Find Emilio Di Marco at on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emiliodimarco/ and find Aument at https://aument.io/ 

Brandon talks with Monica Sharma-Patnekar, a Brand and Growth Strategy Consultant/Coach at Business with Monica, who helps conscious and creative D2C companies with a clear and focused vision know how to communicate and connect with their real audience in order to grow and scale. They talk about the power of purpose-driven brand strategies to establish loyalty, build trust, create growth and foster longevity. They explore the value of understanding your real customer through empathy and the intimate insights that may be gained with conversation-led market research, with applications to emotional marketing. They discuss caring about the 5 Ps of business principles, niching down, as well as using clear and defined brand purpose as an internal and external tool to attract and align people around meaning and add value to their lives.   Links: Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com  and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find Monica at https://www.businesswithmonica.com/ and at @businesswithmonica, or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicasharmapatnekar/  Download “Desires over Demographics” to find the 4 types of questions to ask your customers to reveal their true needs, wants and desires here: https://www.businesswithmonica.com/resources/ 

Brandon talks with Christine Russo, Principal and Founder of Retail Creative & Consulting Agency, a Retail Technology B2B Communications Consultancy, Sales and Marketing agency.  They talk about the challenges and opportunities of creating a tightly integrated shopping experience for customers, regardless of where they purchase, whether digitally through your website or mobile app, or at your physical location. An optimized UE across each of your company’s assets is accomplished by creating a seamless rather than disconnected online and in-store experience through eCommerce and POS integrations, which improves everything from real-time inventory, product knowledge, CRM, UE, shipping, and the accuracy of sales data tracking and insight. While technological innovation is expanding in all directions in the eCommerce space, many retailers operate these systems separately due to interface issues, migration challenges, and overwhelm in determining the best solution in an ecosystem of endless choices. They explore differentiation factors to consider when selecting software to solve or support the fragmentation problem such as quality and integration level - from omnichannel platforms, plug-in applications and tech stack tools, or custom design. They also discuss tactics to blend the UE between digital and physical structures by leveraging tech developments for acquisition, engagement, and retention. And finally, if it’s all about meeting the customer where they’re at, let’s all consider getting into the metaverse sooner than later. Links: Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com and https://www.electriqmarketing.com. Find Christine Russo at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-russo-3684604/ and www.russochristine.com. Check out her video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DdDLHi3YI4BfHnnNXWxLg Connect with Christine directly at RCCA at https://rccagency.com/nail-that-meeting/ 

Brandon talks with Andrea Popova, CEO of CPGD, an investor-backed community of 5,000 founders, creators, and investors in the DTC industry.  They talk about how emerging consumer brands can get off the ground with the right marketing and operations resources to build them. In matching brands and agencies, brands are enabled to amplify their digital footprint and, build effective relationships between their founder, their audience, and generate community. With the right tech stack tools, brands can bypass technical hurdles in their sales journey. They explore strategic integration trends to unlock growth and opportunity in the physical marketplace and the digital marketspace for client discovery, acquisition, and retention. They discuss the potential of creating and leveraging synergistic market flows by providing in-person experiences in retail, pop-ups and events, followed by nurturing sales and loyalty through e-commerce channels. Links: Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com  and https://www.electriqmarketing.com.  Find CPDG at https://www.cpgd.xyz/ and @cpdg.xyz.  Find Andrea Popova at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-popova/ and https://www.andreapopova.com/ 

Brandon talks with Philip Portman, CEO of Textdrip, a text-focused business growth platform. They talk about the power of text drip campaigns, keeping up on SMS/Text compliance, and how the text will help growth through automation. They also go into changing old-school mindsets to address business problems, the Gen Z mindset, business culture, how to be innovative, imposter syndrome, and more.Links:Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com andhttps://www.electriqmarketing.comFind Philip Portman at https://www.linkedin.com/in/philportman/ andhttps://philportman.com/

Brandon talks with Kausambi Manjita, Founder of Mason, an e-commerce conversion platform. They talk about the nuances of building a technology company, the need for conversion services for e-commerce brands, and solving the customer acquisition cost problem. They explore making effective promotions,  helping the customer as a driver of promotions, and missed opportunities for customer conversions. Links:Find Brandon Amoroso at https://www.brandonamoroso.com  and https://www.electriqmarketing.com. Find Kausambi Manjita at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmanjita/ and Mason at  https://getmason.io/.

Brandon talks with Alexej Pikovsky, CEO & Co-Founder of Alphawell Brands and NUOPTIMA (formerly the Alphagreen Group), a global health and wellness e-commerce platform. They talk about building health and wellness brands online, how to determine what brands to acquire or pursue, the anatomy of product supply chain and distribution channels, and Health and Wellness trends. They explore authentic brands, social proof, and building a business. Links: Find Brandon Amoroso at  https://www.brandonamoroso.com and  https://www.electriqmarketing.com. Find Alexej Pikovsky at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexej-pikovsky-9743701/ and Alphawell Brands at https://www.alphawellbrands.com/.