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Ecommerce Conversations is the long-running weekly podcast from Practical Ecommerce, hosted by ecommerce entrepreneur Eric Bandholz. •• Listen in as Eric interviews in-the-trenches founders and executives who address the essentials of launching, growing, and sustaining an online business. Hear their successes, mistakes, and plans — addressing customer acquisition, web traffic, marketing tactics, on-site conversion, shipping, favorite tools, funding, obstacles, and much more. •• New episodes ...
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eCommerce Insiders: The Journey To Success" dives into the heart of online business, unraveling the real stories behind successful direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands. Hosted by Chris Marrano, a seasoned expert in digital marketing and the founder of Blue Water Marketing, this podcast is a treasure trove of insights, strategies, and inspirational tales from the forefront of eCommerce. In each episode, Chris sits down with founders and visionaries who've navigated the complex waters of eCommerce ...
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Weston Jon Bouchér is a California-based menswear brand and the name of its founder. He launched the company in 2019 after a decade as a full-time apparel and lifestyle model. He initially sought a white-label supplier with like-minded quality standards. Unsuccessful, he opted instead for “cut-and-sew manufacturing.” The result is a network of glob…
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Mehtab Bhogal is the co-founder of Karta Ventures, a Canada-based acquirer of troubled ecommerce businesses. The firm seeks companies with "issues," such as unpaid taxes, regulatory problems, and founder disputes. He says buying distressed companies is like salvaging a crashed car. "What are the parts worth?" he asks. In this episode, he addresses …
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Josh Durham launched Aligned Growth Management, an influencer marketing agency, in 2020. He says the influencer industry has evolved from the halcyon days a decade ago when affiliate-based creators could generate 5x returns. Influencer marketing circa 2025, according to Josh, is a long-term play. Success depends on quality products, engaged creator…
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This episode continues my masterclass series on ecommerce entrepreneurship. Thus far in 2025 I've addressed branding and profitability. For this installment, I'll focus on hiring, specifically for marketing, operations, and product personnel. I launched Beadbrand over a decade ago and have hired plenty of employees. Mistakes can be hugely expensive…
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Ryan Rouse has a formula for scaling physical retail sales. First penetrate niche markets, he says, then leverage that success into mainstream chains. He does that with MALK Organics, an Austin, Texas-based plant milk provider. Ryan is MALK's president, having launched and exited a meal-delivery business and served in executive roles of other consu…
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Host Eric Bandholz continues his masterclass series on entrepreneurship. Last week he addressed tactics to increase ecommerce profits amid a slump for many businesses. This week he focuses on branding. He says most people think of branding as logos or design elements. But those items are components, not the essence. A brand is synonymous with a com…
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Margin Hacks for Cash-Strapped Ecom Stores
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Many ecommerce businesses are struggling. Profit margins are thin; cash is low. As the host of "Ecommerce Conversations," entrepreneur Eric Bandholz typically interviews other owners and executives. But he departs in this episode, sharing lessons from running Beardbrand, his company, for over a decade. What follows are Eric's tips for adding margin…
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Montana Knife Company launched in 2020 in a two-car garage near Missoula. One co-founder is a certified “Master Bladesmith” who has produced handmade knives since he was 11. The other, Brandon Horoho, is a seasoned digital marketer and ecommerce pro. Combined, the entrepreneurs prove the value of craftsmanship at scale marketed directly to consumer…
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Adapt to Survive, Says eCommerceFuel Founder
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Andrew Youderian launched eCommerceFuel in 2013 after stints in corporate finance and online selling. The vetted community consists of ecommerce owners whose businesses have $1 million or more in annual revenue. He says ecommerce in 2025 has matured. "Brands that adapt," he stated, "will survive in the next five to seven years." Host Eric Bandholz …
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Merchant Cuts Revenue 60%, Profit Rises 25%
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In 2023 Mathias Schrøder was stressed, burned out, and perplexed. He had scaled revenue on his Denmark-based clothing company, but bloated overhead meant little profit and even less free time. "I felt lost, unable to fix our predicament," he said, "until I realized I was trying to solve the wrong problem." His solution was to scale down. He fired e…
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AI Won't Replace Creativity, Says Studio Founder
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Matthew Gattozzi realizes creativity and efficiency often conflict. His firm, Goodo Studios, produces commercial content that attracts visitors and converts them into customers. It's a creative process with time and budget constraints. "It's a balancing act," he stated. "On the one hand, you need efficiency. On the other, creativity requires time a…
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Jesse Hanley is a self-taught developer and marketer from Australia who lives in Japan. He launched Bento, an email service provider, in 2018 after managing campaigns from his marketing agency. He says Bento is an artisanal provider, akin to a high-end coffee shop. He aims for self-funded growth and quality customers who seek excellent email delive…
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Northern Ireland Key to E.U., U.K. Fulfillment
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Before Brexit, merchants could sell cross-border into the U.K. and mainland Europe with relative ease. Both belonged to the E.U. It's now more complex and expensive, with separate customs and taxes for each region — unless the shipments come from Northern Ireland. Through a Brexit exception, fulfillment companies (and merchants) in Northern Ireland…
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Protein Bar Founder Thrives in a Crowded Field
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According to Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQBAR, success in a competitive market requires finding its uncompetitive niches. He did that with his flagship protein bar, which is plant-based, low-sugar, and plainly labeled. That was seven years ago when he launched the company with a $75,000 Kickstarter campaign. Fast forward to 2025, and IQBAR also…
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Shopify Pro on Themes, Upgrades, Ecosystem
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Kurt Elster launched his ecommerce agency in 2009 and his first Shopify store in 2011. His “Unofficial Shopify Podcast,” which he started in 2014, is now required listening for that community of merchants, developers, and vendors. He and I recently discussed the state of Shopify — themes, upgrades, user engagement, and the overall ecosystem. For an…
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Jeff Sheldon is a designer turned entrepreneur. He started Ugmonk, a Pennsylvania-based direct-to-consumer brand, in 2008 as a seller of graphic-inspired t-shirts. His desktop organizers, which he added in 2020, are seemingly unrelated until realizing he designed both — the t-shirt graphics and the desk tools. Jeff first appeared on the podcast in …
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Ugly Ads Perform Best, Marketer Says (Replay)
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This episode first aired in July 2024. Barry Hott is a longtime Facebook advertising consultant. He says first reactions to an ad largely determine its performance. He advises merchants to create ugly ads, those that people won't skip over. "I'm the Ugly Ads Guy," he stated. In this episode, Hott addresses key Facebook ad metrics, budgeting, testin…
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Jeff Oxford's initial attempt at ecommerce was selling dropshipped beer pong tables in 2013. The business, he says, didn't survive, but his love for optimizing organic search traffic did. Thus began his SEO career and the launch of 180 Marketing, his agency. Fast forward to 2024, and Jeff is an ecommerce SEO authority. Link building was on his mind…
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Roman Zrazhevskiy is a survivalist of a sort. His company, Mira Safety, sells protective gear for seemingly existential events such as nuclear attacks or chemical warfare. He calls the threat of such events "red alerts," when geopolitical crises prompt fear into consumers. Zrazhevskiy first appeared on the podcast in 2021. In this episode, he share…
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Eons Founder on Mushrooms and Mental Health
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Lawmakers worldwide are recognizing the medicinal benefits of natural compounds, such as those in cannabis and mushrooms. Once considered dangerous "drugs," both are now widely legal. And both are the focus of entrepreneur Alex Wolfe. He co-founded a cannabis business in 2017, built a 650,000 sq. ft. growing facility, and took the company public. H…
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Beardbrand Shifts to Growth, New Channels
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Host Eric Bandholz occasionally focuses an "Ecommerce Conversations" episode on Beardbrand, his business. He does that not to promote the company but to share challenges and successes in the hopes of helping others. In 2024 alone, he has addressed last year's sales decline, continued hurdles, and the hassle of changing fulfillment providers. He als…
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Brendan Marquardt knows the effect of entrepreneurship on a marriage. He's the co-owner of Lori Beds, a direct-to-consumer seller of Murphy beds, those that fold into a wall, and the now-divorced father of two children in grade school. Unlike most divorced entrepreneurs, Marquardt chooses to publicly share his experience in the hopes of helping oth…
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Kevin Dahlstrom once paid cash for a $211,000 Porsche. He was in his 30s, living in Texas, holding down high-powered corporate marketing jobs, such as with Mr. Cooper, a mortgage services company, and Elevate, a credit solutions firm. He says the Porsche created more stress than joy and started his practice of minimalism — letting go of material th…
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Health Crisis Drives $50 Million Supplement CEO
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Dean Brennan says a diet of beer, pizza, and fast food led to his ulcerative colitis. His doctors diagnosed it years ago in his twenties and told him he'd need medications for life. But Brennan decided otherwise. "I didn't want to take lifelong medication," he states. "It sparked my passion for health and led me to want to help others." Fast forwar…
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Patrick Coddou’s entrepreneurial journey is impressive. In 2015 he launched Supply, a direct-to-consumer seller of razors and shaving goods, and then sold the business in 2022. He conceived the idea, hired staff, scaled revenue, and exited profitably. His journey is incomplete, however. His talents apply to seemingly any industry, but his identity …
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