The Page 1 Podcast

What sort of important data can a brand gain from working with a Reverse Logistics company? How can you lower your return rate and improve customer satisfaction? In this episode, you will hear about how Reverse Logistics can improve your business with help the environment with a focus on sustainability, getting products back into the market for second use or recycling.

Amazon 3P Marketplace Strategy with John Holby 

In this episode of the Page 1 Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with John Holby on how to better optimize on Amazon and scale your sales with 3P listings. John is the CEO of CPG.IO where they offer eCommerce logistics strategies, eRetail integrations, and optimization services to fast-growing brands.

Listen in to learn why 3P might be a better business model than 1P and how to approach it. You will also learn the advantages of having a Shopify site for your business and why you need to utilize it even as you use Amazon.  

Key Takeaways:

• How to ensure your 3P listings are driving business
• The future plans of Amazon and how we can plan around them
• How to maximize the benefits of Shopify in your business even as you use Amazon.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:46] Get to know John Holby and how they help clients with direct-to-consumer sales at CPG.IO.
• [10:44] How using influencers and social marketing is helping them get more reviews on Amazon.
• [12:58] The different ways they work with Walmart and how each of them works.
• [15:43] The difference between 1P listings and 3P listings and how to approach it.
• [17:52] The unfair ‘competition’ going on Amazon right now.
• [20:31] Why 3P is increasingly becoming a better business model for some brands.
• [22:14] All about Prime one day and why it’s challenging for businesses.
• [24:06] The benefits of having a Shopify site and how CPG.IO helps clients maximize them.
• [27:58] John explains CPG.IO’s other services and their future growth strategy.

How did your business navigate the Covid crisis? Did you learn new innovative ways that grew the business, or did you stagnate in the same old models? To navigate a huge crisis and still grow as a business calls for adopting new models or products that fit in that particular time and moment.

In this episode of the Page 1 Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Atul Vir on how his business navigated the 2020 pandemic through innovation after 30 years of operation. Atul Vir is a hands-on CEO, seasoned entrepreneur, inventor, and author. He started his business Equator Advanced Appliances in 1991 which he operates on the principles of strong ethics and superior customer service.

Listen in to learn how Atul and his team were able to reimagine and reengineer his company to a favorable and growth position during the pandemic. You will also learn the importance of staying prepared and flexible as a business in any phase of the economy.

Key Takeaways:

• How to focus your business specialization on what the customer needs and wants.
• The importance of having the product inventory in advance to keep growing a business during a crisis.
• Why businesses should stay prepared and flexible even after the pandemic.
• How to use empathy to anticipate customer needs when developing products.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:49] Atul describes the innovative products they sell at Equator Appliances and their focus.
• [5:00] How they reimagined and reengineered the company during the 2020 pandemic to make it their best year in 30 years.
• [8:20] The steps and risks they took to overcome the Covid challenges and stay in business.
• [11:51] How the pandemic taught them to plan for product inventory in advance to avoid delays.
• [14:48] How they navigated cost increases by introducing newer models that fit in a new selling price.
• [17:53] Why it’s uncertain whether the cost of production will continue being high or not after the pandemic.
• [21:02] The innovative outdoor refrigerator and air conditioner Atul came up with, in 2020.
• [23:11] How Atul has learned to understand the customer needs and wants to innovate products.
• [25:16] The different markets Equator Appliances has been able to support during the pandemic.
• [30:22] How some businesses failed during Covid plus how the appliances market will proceed post-pandemic.
• [33:54] The engagement and support Atul and his team are offering to Covid victims in India.

Quotes:

• “Empathy starts by showing concern for not yourself but your customers.”- Atul [24:41]

How to Properly Launch A Product into The Market with Massive Success

Do you have a dream or the goal of successfully launching your product into the market? Have you set up the right strategy to ensure everything works even better than planned? Listen, many elements need to fall into place to ensure that you have a unique product, a ready market for it, and a launching plan set in advice.

That’s why, in this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Helen Thomas, she has just helped DMAI successfully launch an artificial intelligence product. Helen is the CEO of DMAI, which is a global general artificial intelligence company. She has for many years grown businesses in the technology, digital media, and now artificial intelligence industries.

Listen in to learn the importance of building a community even before the product launch to ensure there is a ready market for it. You will also learn the importance of preparing for the launch in advance, plus simple ways to get you good product reviews.

Key Takeaways:

• How to build a community as part of the marketing campaign during your product’s pre-launch stage.
• Utilizing consistent earned media to support your paid media to keep your Facebook campaign fresh and results-yielding.
• How to prepare for your product launch in advance to ensure its success.
• The importance of adding a human touch to your customer service to ensure good reviews.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:26] Get to know Helen and what they do at DMAI.
• [2:52] She describes the Virtual Preschool System, Animal Island Learning Adventure they launched.
• [5:21] DMAI’s scope of operation, the size of their team, and how they were affected by the pandemic.
• [7:03] The journey of formulating a strategy to create AILA, which became the starting point.
• [9:31] How they invested heavily to produce their software and hardware original content.
• [12:37] She explains how they approached the marketing of the product before launching to build its root in the market.
• [15:56] How to approach Facebook paid and earned media with consistency to see results.
• [19:10] The type of audience they target for AILA online, especially during the pandemic.
• [22:08] Why they only direct their traffic to one place which is their website.
• [25:08] Factors to look into to compliment your business website to be as good in sales as Amazon.
• [29:39] Helen on how she successfully led the preparation for the product launch.
• [32:17] The features that make AILA unique, better, and to perform excellently in the market.
• [35:11] The three simple and guaranteed ways to get you good reviews.
• [38:02] The importance of creating content based on what you care about to attract and build a community.

Quotes:

• “Dream big and execute day by day, you will get there.”- Helen [41:11]

How to Approach Selling on Amazon in 2021

How are you approaching your selling on Amazon strategy? Have you diversified your channels or are you solely relying on Amazon? Diversifying your channels as a business is very important instead of solely depending on Amazon. It is also important to first focus on differentiating the product before diversifying the channels.

 In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters interviews Brian Beck, eCommerce expert advisor and author of the Billion Dollar B2B Ecommerce book. He has 20+ years of experience in eCommerce and specializes in creating eCommerce strategies worth hundreds of millions to clients.

Listen in to learn the importance of directing outside traffic to your Amazon site rather than your website at the beginning of your marketing campaign. You will also learn why you need to first differentiate your product rather than selling channels.

Key Takeaways:

• How to succeed by expanding your business to multiple channels and not just rely on Amazon.
• How to increase your visibility on your Amazon site by directing traffic from outside Amazon.
• How Amazon is working to get rid of fake reviews’ sites that negatively affect businesses.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:14] Brian’s background in the eCommerce sector for the last 22 years.
• [2:40] How they help businesses grow with Amazon at Enceiba.
• [4:31] How they help well-established brands navigate Amazon fit into their overall picture.
• [7:26] Why most businesses are shifting to 3P selling on Amazon over 1P.
• [10:42] The importance of expanding your retail and distribution channels without solely relying on Amazon.
• [17:47] How to build your positive reviews using Amazon tools and work to remove the bad ones.
• [24:20] The advantages of directing traffic to your Amazon site to kickstart your marketing campaign.
• [29:15] The different software tools that Enceiba has built to help clients navigate Amazon.
• [34:12] Brian narrates how they helped a certain company transform their Amazon image for the better.

Quotes:

• “At the end of the day, a manufacturer needs to differentiate on product, not on channel.”- Brian [12:47]

3 HAG WAY: How to Develop a Plan and Build a Confident Team to Succeed in Business

Imagine having a business strategy that’s a well-thought-out plan and a culturally strong team to help you succeed. Having a prescriptive framework like the 3 HAG WAY to help you take the guesswork out of your business strategy and to lead your team with confidence.

in this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Shannon Susko talk about the 3 HAG WAY methodology and how it helped businesses grow during the pandemic. Shannon has more than twenty years of experience building and leading high-growth technology companies in the financial services industry. She currently serves as a corporate director and a leadership coach helping CEOs and top executives in a variety of industries keep their companies on the path to growth and predictable profit.

Listen in to learn how to stop making assumption mistakes and instead adopt the habit of doing market research for facts. You will also learn the vitality of growing a confident team to help you be a confident leader and take your business to the next level.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of having the patience to build the execution plan and the team.
• How to collect information and do market research regularly to always have facts, not assumptions.
• How to have a thought-out plan to reach business success by utilizing a crisis like the pandemic.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:53] How to execute the 3 HAG WAY methodology in business during the pandemic.
• [5:29] How to wrap all the systems around the strategy by executing the plan and growing the team.
• [10:49] How the 3 HAG WAY aligns the team with the business’s plan and makes things more objective.
• [13:27] The mistake of assumptions that many businesses make instead of focusing on the facts.
• [18:00] The benefits of having thorough and regular market research to have facts in your business.
• [20:25] How companies using the 3 HAG WAY became proactive in projecting and managing the expectations of stakeholders during the pandemic.
• [27:08] Shannon talks about her involvement with the Milo's Tea Company and how she helped turn it around during the pandemic.
• [35:28] The importance of planning and committing to growing your team to achieve your business goals.

Quotes:

• “Assumptions come from not doing the research in the market that we need to.”- Shannon [18:03]

How to Increase the Chances of your Amazon Business Getting Acquired

Have you been thinking of exiting your eCommerce business but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you don’t know whether your business is in the right position to attract good buyers? How about positioning your eCommerce business rightly and taking it to the next level, especially now during the eCommerce high?

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters interviews Sarah Dajani, the Vice President of Operations at Boosted Commerce. She’s a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Princeton University and has a Master’s in Business Administration from Stanford University. She explains the lessons of being a good student and the value of staying connected that she learned from Princeton and Stanford.

Listen in to learn the importance of trusting the entrepreneurial process and learning as you grow, to succeed. You will also learn how companies like Boosted Commercial are changing the eCommerce business dynamic.

Key Takeaways:

• How to achieve your set goals and excel by putting in the work and trying more than once.
• The impact of the pandemic on eCommerce, especially on Amazon.
• The power of having access to knowledge, people, and institution to understand the economy and find success.

Episode Timeline:

• [3:27] Sarah explains how to trust the entrepreneurial process and learn as you grow.
• [6:16] How she put in the work to get into Princeton and Stanford plus get a job with Bain.
• [8:15] The lessons of being a good student and the importance of staying connected she learned from Princeton and Stanford.
• [11:34] How Boosted Commerce buys and grows eCommerce businesses.
• [15:39] How she works with brand managers at Boosted to grow and maintain those brands.
• [17:56] The relationship that Boosted aims to build with eCommerce business owners during and after purchasing their businesses.
• [20:31] The importance of positioning your eCommerce business to the next level to prepare for exit.
• [22:44] Why the valuation of eCommerce businesses has changed over time.
• [26:44] Understanding what Amazon will and will not become over the long term.
• [31:27] She explains why companies like Boosted are here to grow businesses on Amazon and not chase them away.
• [35:21] The different ways to have access to knowledge, the right education, and the right network.

Quotes:

“What Amazon’s system rewards companies for is bringing additional traffic to the platform.”- Sarah [31:56]

Built to Sell: How to Exit in Private Equity

Have you been thinking of selling your business but don’t understand how to go about it? The process of selling a business is a complex one that can take up to several months and in some cases end up not happening.

That is why in this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Sean Belnick to share how he successfully exited his business after growing it from $0 to $300 million in value. Sean founded Belnick, Inc in 2001 and successfully completed an exit in early 2017, and transitioned to a full-time board member in 2019. Belnick, Inc continues to remain one of the largest distributors of furniture to internet-enabled retailers and services tens of thousands of customers nationwide.

Listen in to understand the process of successfully selling a business without jeopardizing its values and objectives. You will also learn why selling to the highest bidder isn’t necessarily the best thing for your business.

Key Takeaways:

• Why it is challenging to sell a business that requires large working capital.
• The importance of ensuring you and the investors see things the same way before creating a purchase agreement.
• Why selling your business value is not the most critical part of the selling process.
• How to be successful in business by staying true to your values and focusing on customer needs.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:55] Sean describes what Belnick Inc. does, which is to primarily distribute office furniture.
• [4:49] The benefits of starting a West Coast office as an East Coast distribution company.
• [7:00] How he scaled Belnick Inc. from $0 to $300 million from 2001 to 2021.
• [9:01] Why it was difficult to sell Belnick Inc. over the years and how they improved to appeal to investors.
• [13:06] Things to pay close attention to, to sell your business at the right time and for what it’s worth.
• [16:07] The process of going to market, how they approached the purchase agreement, and the challenges they encountered.
• [20:12] Making sure your business values and objectives are in alignment with those you sell your business to.
• [22:14] Sean describes the time consumption and hurdles they faced during the sale process.
• [28:17] The long-term equity versus making more profits perspectives that Sean and his buyers had.  
• [30:59] He explains how he transitioned from a CEO to a full-time board member.
• [33:20] The importance of working hard and solving a customer’s problems to create a successful brand.
• [37:49] He talks about his latest passion for helping small business owners and people with ideas.

Quotes:

“The person who invents the idea isn’t necessarily the one who monetizes it the best way.”- Sean Belnick [36:28]

Dr. Robin Gaster: How to Approach Selling on Amazon for Business Success

Is it time for you to make the exclusive brands’ partnership program with Amazon? How will having a deal with Amazon to market your brand on their marketplace benefit your brand? Is it worth it or even smart to completely leave it to Amazon to handle your brand on their platform?

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Dr. Robin Gaster to discuss Amazon’s exclusive brands, 3P vs. 1P, and Amazon’s private label. He’s the CEO of Incumetrics, a data and analytics firm focused primarily on innovation, and a visiting scholar at George Washington University. He has a master’s degree in philosophy and a PhD in political science from Berkeley.

Listen in to learn why you should focus on building and strengthening your brand outside of Amazon to become successful. You will also learn why going 3P on Amazon will lead to more success in your business than selling 1P.

Key Takeaways:

• Why you shouldn’t rely on Amazon to build your brand.
• How to avoid the risk of 1P on Amazon by making 3P successful for your business.
• Why the possibility of Amazon’s private-label going away is high leaving it a marketplace only.
• The importance of building and owning your brand outside of Amazon.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:35] Robin describes the strategy and data evaluation work he does for government agencies.
• [5:53] Understanding why Amazon is building exclusive brand partnerships.
• [10:50] The disadvantage of Chinese manufacturers selling directly to US consumers through Amazon.
• [16:38] Why the idea of Amazon’s idea of building exclusive brand partnerships will not benefit your business.
• [26:40] Why Amazon is pushing companies from 1P to 3P and why you should make your 3P successful.
• [29:58] Amazon’s private-label business and its difference from the exclusive brands’ program.
• [33:23] Why Amazon’s exclusive brand partnerships are more of Amazon’s business rather than building brands.
• [39:20] Why Amazon’s private label isn’t significantly growing due to its low unit price.
• [42:17] Dr. Robin explains why there’s no possibility of a worthy Amazon competitor now and in the future.
• [43:42] Why Amazon should focus on healthcare in the next 5 years.
• [45:03] Dr. Robin talks about his book and how it explores the topic of Amazon.

Quotes:

“Make sure you got the right team and don’t try and overpower the team as the founder.”- Robin [4:19]

How to be a Good CEO That Succeeds in Business Growth – with Jim Schleckser

Are you a good CEO or just an average CEO? Do you look for the point of constraint in the business or just sit around not understanding what the job is? Great CEOs are effective and don’t work crazy hours to meet their goals; they instead look for constraints and work towards untying them to continue growing the business.

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, we have Jim Schleckser, he helps leaders grow companies. He and his team at the Inc. CEO Project work with over 100 CEOs of high growth companies to identify and obliterate the things that stand between them and continued organizational success. Jim has over 30 years of leadership in business strategy, technology businesses, process improvement, organizational development, mergers and acquisitions, engineering, and sales and marketing.

Listen in to learn how to find ‘kinks’ or constraints in your business as the CEO and work towards untying them together with your team. You will also learn the power of crafting a great customer experience for your business to succeed in the eCommerce space.

Key Takeaways:

• Why you shouldn’t share all your vision points with your team at once.
• How to be a good communicator to your team by meeting them where they are and framing your message how they’ll understand.
• How to be flexible with your planning and not be bound by annual planning.
• How to build a surprising and fun quality to differentiate your business online and offline.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:52] Jim shares his experience climbing Kilimanjaro.
• [5:19] The difference between good CEOs and average CEOs in problem-solving and effectiveness.
• [7:54] A story of a CEO who pivoted and continued to grow the business during the pandemic.
• [11:47] How not to make the mistake of sharing your vision points with the team all at one go.
• [16:20] How to effectively communicate as a leader by meeting your message receiver where they are.
• [21:22] How to approach new ideas with the team by either shifting or adding the talent.
• [26:38] How to craft your customer experience to perform great in eCommerce.
• [37:21] Jim explains why they spend most of their time driving for business growth.
• [38:48] The importance of innovating and improving your business model to continue growing your business.
• [42:17] He talks about his new book Professional Drinking, which is about networking confidently.

Quotes:

“Great leaders are thoughtful about their audience, and they frame and share the message in a way that their audience can receive it.”- Jim [18:43]

Why You Should Build A Business Around Your Passions

Thinking of starting a business, how about starting one that aligns with your passion? The truth is that you’re more likely to succeed in what you enjoy doing than in something you don’t.

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Malcolm Fontier, an industrial designer environmentalist and the founder of Pakt & SeaHive. Pakt creates thoughtfully designed and responsibly sourced travel accessories, while SeaHive helps prevent plastic waste from entering the oceans. Malcolm explains the lessons he learned from a failed business and then designed a business built around his passions.

Listen in to learn the importance of a work-life balance to ensure you remain efficient and productive in both areas. You will also learn why having fewer options in your business will make it easier for you to operate it successfully.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of developing a work-life balance to ensure efficiency and forward progress.
• Understanding how having fewer options in your business make running things easier and efficient.
• How to create a brand that is more human and is focused on creating great relations with its customers.
• The power of optimizing and delegating to be productive, not just busy.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:46] Malcolm explains the travel products his business produces, plus the direct-to-consumer business strategy they use.
• [4:16] He describes his small team and the tech tools they utilize to run the business.
• [6:10] How they give priority to profit margins, sales margins, and producing quality products as their three main KPIs.
• [9:00] Malcolm narrates what led to the failure of his first business and how it contributed to him venturing into sustainable travel bag production.
• [14:58] How Malcolm balances his work and life by giving his all to both.
• [17:18] Why he doesn’t think of his business as a lifestyle business but as something they can build and hopefully sell in the future.
• [19:37] Malcolm explains the few options that have made business operations easier for him.
• [21:59] How to establish a community of customers around good and long-term relationships.
• [26:18] He explains why they focus on being profitable on the first order and breaks down the conversion rate of their products.
• [30:59] Why you should pursue a business that aligns with your passion, plus work smart to free up your time.

Quotes:

• “Whatever business you’re going to pursue, make sure that the core business activity aligns you’re your strengths and interests.”- Malcolm [31:01]

Coming to America: What You Need to Know About Expanding Your Business to the US Market

Have you been thinking of expanding your business to the US market? Different markets operate differently due to different trade regulations and consumer behaviors. It is important to have the right information and support when entering the US market to ensure success.

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Fernando Cariello about the dos and don’ts when penetrating the US business market. Fernando has 29 years of international experience, 23 years in High Tech, and 16 years supporting IT companies to establish operations in the US. He’s a partner of the incubator CuboStart, under the lean startup concept, and co-founder of Base Miami, an accelerator supporting technology companies to develop business globally using Miami as a platform. He’s also a mentor and investor in technology-based companies, with 9 current portfolio companies, and 4 exits.

Listen in to learn how and why some businesses fail and others succeed in the US market. You will also learn about the common mistakes you should avoid when entering the US market to avoid failure at first glance.

Key Takeaways:

• How to understand the difference between your country and the US market and consumer behaviors.
• How to use your creativity and start a business in an unpopular niche that makes more money than the popular niches.
• The importance of having financial capabilities when expanding your business to the US market.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:31] He explains how they help overseas companies that want to operate in the US.
• [4:48] How overseas businesses fail in the US for not understanding their market or adopting the US way of doing business.
• [7:52] He explains how a Brazilian tech company succeeded in the US market doubling its profits and size.
• [9:52] Understanding the difference between your country’s market and the US market, plus the Americans purchasing behaviors.
• [13:50] The impact of how trade laws, regulations, and restrictions work in different countries like Brazil and how they work in the US.
• [17:54] The importance of starting a business in an unpopular niche since that is where the money is, plus an example in the food business.
• [21:56] How to start your business with a business model canvas to help guide you.
• [24:45] Fernando explains the common mistakes that businesses make when expanding to the US market.
• [27:56] He advises on the importance of maintaining good relationships with the people who closely relate to your business.

Quotes:

“Americans don’t buy based on pricing; they buy based on value and risk assessment.”- Fernando [10:41]

How to Pitch Products to Major Retailers Plus Surviving the Impacts of the Pandemic

How did the pandemic transform your business’s operations and sales efforts? We have to admit that even with the many challenges we faced during the pandemic, many businesses have adapted through the adversity to become even better in their operations. 

In this episode of Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Matt Damman about the positive and the negative impacts of the pandemic on the newly transformed Commando Lock. Matt is the CEO of Commando Lock company in Michigan, a growing manufacture of military-grade padlocks and security systems, and an entrepreneur.

Listen in to learn how the increase in the cost of raw materials and challenges with labor is affecting production processes. You will also learn the different ways you can pitch your product to major retailers.

Key Takeaways:

• How to successfully pitch your products to different retailers
• The impact of the raw materials like brass and steel cost increase
• The uncertainty in sales performance for most businesses caused by the current world inflation
• How challenging times force you to refine your product and become more efficient in what you do

Episode Timeline:

• [2:10] Matt describes what they do at Commando Lock, which is manufacturing military-grade locks.
• [3:57] He talks about the delays and sales growth they experienced during the pandemic.
• [6:40] The big companies they have been able to pitch to over the last several months.
• [9:14] He explains how to pitch products to major retailers through cold calling and presentation.
• [14:19] How their sales have been performing on different platforms plus how they were shut down on Google.
• [20:36] The raw materials cost increase and labor challenges that Commando Lock has experienced since the pandemic.
• [27:31] Why Commando Lock is highly contemplating cost increases to cover the production cost.
• [29:55] Matt explains their funding through credit and private investors to keep them afloat.
• [32:37] How they’ve been forced by the pandemic to become more efficient in manufacturing.
• [35:14] Matt explains their plans of getting into Home Depot and not taking out the competition.

Quotes:

 “Our products were well packaged. Retail quality packaging. We had UPCs. We were able to walk in and say that we were EDI compliant.”

Ken Kline: How to Adapt to Changes to achieve a more Profitable Business (From Traditional to Online)

How do you handle changes from a business perspective? How does it affect your goal in achieving a profitable marketplace?

In this episode, Luke Peters speaks with Ken Kline about how his business burned down and resurrected it from the ashes. Ken Kline, is helping clients at all retail levels to maximize their business model while operating with best practice in VHC Brands, Inc. He enjoys working with all levels of the business but has a particular emphasis on Product Development, Sales, and Creative/Marketing.

Learn the value of using mass retail marketplaces instead of traditional, curated retailers. The importance of moving forward despite the big impact of certain problems, its effects in the business, and how to adjust with the changes that needs to be done. The importance of being resilient and being able to find ways to stand out.

Key Takeaways:

• How important to implement profit and how you expand your contributors.
• How to leverage the major marketplace platforms to become a leader in the field.
• The importance of building core data.

Episode Timeline:

• [1:52] He describes the types of products that they create and sell.
• [2:18] He talks about their biggest customers that they work with, footprint, location, and the number of team members.
• [3:23] Talked about the private label in Amazon
• [4:16] Talking about if it is a consignment or taking full ownership
• [5:26] About square footage and number of team members
• [6:12] About where their imports come from
• [7:28] The marginal goal that they went and how they set it up
• [11:05] Deciding which customers they were contributing the most profit
• [14:56] Talks about the price increases, biggest contributors
• [16:33] Net margin points gained
• [17:36] Talked about the give and take why they moved over
• [18:22] Talked about their bottleneck
• [22:11] About the core Netsuite
• [25:42] NetSuite and managing international warehouses
• [33:52] His decision as to why he made the changes and what were the results
• [37:04] if there were problems they encounter about jack up prices.
• [41:24] How the future looks like and they are in full control
• [46:52] What he learned the most that he can share with business owners & Key Business Takeaway

Quotes:

 “So, my first piece of advice is if anyone had come out of a business in 2020, not thinking they need some kind of planning, please get a plan.” [48:52]

Achieving Authentic Business Growth During the Pandemic

What is the strategy to successfully growing a privately owned and funded business, especially during COVID? Hiring the right people as part of your team and striving for authenticity make all the difference in growing a business. 

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Jeff Thiessen on massive business growth and hiring right during the pandemic. Jeff is the President and International Sales Manager for Dansons Inc. He has held various positions within a hearth distribution company and spent several years learning all aspects of the hearth and BBQ industry, including sales, transportation, and distribution.

Listen in to learn the importance of acquiring and retaining highly valuable people to drive the growth of your company. You will also learn how to approach effective and authentic marketing strategies.

Key Takeaways:

• How COVID taught businesses to plan ahead to be prepared for any possible crisis.
• The importance of having the right team to help manage things when planning ahead.
• How to strategically grow a family-owned and funded business.
• The value of hiring leaders and teams for their teachable attitude and skillsets and not their academic achievements.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:53] Jeff explains how things worked out for Dansons months after COVID started.
• [4:51] How advance planning with suppliers worked out for Dansons during the pandemic.
• [7:59] How to expand your bandwidth to handle a business’s demand and supply.
• [9:44] He explains how they have been able to strategically manage the business as a family business without any outside funding.
• [13:24] How Dansons have grown on socials with influencers and association with other brands over the last year.
• [16:09] He explains how they approach in-house marketing to maintain the business’s authenticity.
• [18:54] How they strategically market their products not to compete with their retailers.
• [21:46] How they highly depend on great leaders and teams to run things smoothly plus prayer.
• [24:52] Jeff explains their growth goals, offering the best without focusing on the competitors.
• [29:40] The key strategic hires that Dansons has done over the last year as they continue to expand.
• [37:11] The importance of hiring people according to their skillsets and the right attitude, not their academic qualifications.
• [40:03] Jeff describes how COVID has changed his perspective both professionally and personally.

Quotes:

• “Other companies look at their businesses as financial instruments to just make money, we just like making great products so people can interact with.”- Jeff [12:29]
• “There’s no fancy software that’s going to help you overcome not having great people.”- Jeff [23:03]

How to Successfully Turnaround A Failing Business

How do you effectively turnaround a failing business? Many elements including less profits, bad leadership, and a crisis like Coronavirus can lead to a business failure- and it requires a strategic plan, objectives, and goals to complete a successful turnaround effort.

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Andy Bailen on how to successfully turnaround a failing business. Andy founded 3Pe Consulting in 2009 and is an accomplished retail and consumer products senior C-level executive. He has an outstanding record of achievement in multi-billion-dollar companies as well as start-up businesses. Andy’s highly experienced in P&L management, strategic planning, business development, product development, global sourcing, finance, private equity, franchising, etc.

Listen in to learn the importance of involving all business stakeholders in the turnaround process for it to be successful. You will also learn the value of having great people working for you as part of your trusted team.

Key Takeaways:

• How a company’s leadership perspective can either make and break the turnaround efforts.
• The importance of talking to business stakeholders during the turnaround process, to help formulate the holistic view of a business existence then and now.
• The value of a robust balance sheet in a business for support during a crisis.
• The roles of a business’s leadership, teams, and departments in effecting a successful turnaround.
• How to use OKRs to measure goal effectiveness and teams’ performance accountability during the turnaround process.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:10] Andy explains how they work in turnaround, temporary retailing, and franchising development.
• [3:19] He names some of the big companies they’ve worked with like Blockbuster, KB Toys, etc.
• [4:36] How he turned around Party City’s bordering bankruptcy situation to a success story.
• [7:29] How growth for the sake of growth instead of profitable growth ruins businesses.
• [9:45] He explains how the leadership of a company impacts the turnaround efforts of a business.
• [12:03] The steps that Andy and his team take into account during the first week of the turnaround process.
• [15:23] Why cash is the biggest concern for businesses to raise a turnaround flag, and not the other metrics.
• [17:18] Andy mentions all the KPIs they use, leading with profits and revenue margins.
• [22:14] Why businesses failed during the pandemic due to lack of sufficient working capital.
• [24:03] How a business leadership contributes to its failure and what needs to be done to have a successful turnaround.
• [29:40] Andy explains in detail how they use OKRs to drive for goal effectiveness and teams’ performance accountability.
• [35:29] How not to overwhelm the team with many goals and instead start with the high return goals.
• [39:55] Andy advises business owners to hire great people and allow them to work.

Quotes:

1. “In many cases, I found that leadership of a business just simply won’t face the reality that their business is either struggling or even failing.”- Andy [10:14]
2. “Seventy percent of the time or so the companies are truly in trouble in losing money and burning through cash.”- Andy [14:40]
3. “Many times, that senior leadership needs to change over to truly effect the successful turnaround.”- Andy [25:22]
4. “You want to set goals around each element that goes into achieving the high-level goal.”- Andy [33:35]
5. “You get much greater buy-in to the go-forward plan when you go to this turnaround effort collaboratively.”- Andy [34:25]
6. “The one element of OKRs that I’ve seen people misunderstand from time to time is putting in immeasurable objectives.”- Andy [38:16]
7. “Hire great people and let them do the work.”- Andy [39:55]

Joe Fisch: How to Turnaround a Failing Business into a Thriving Business

How do you turnaround a failing business into a thriving business? How about improving the customer experience and adopting a great team strategy? Gaining back the trust of your customers by putting them first is a great way to turnaround a business.

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Joe Fisch on how he and his team turned around Wine Access to a trusted brand. Joe is the CEO of Wine Access, a leading direct-to-consumer online wine retailer offering exclusive curated wines from around the world. He’s the former Vice President of Finance and Administration in the same company and has a background in finance, having served in other organizations.

Listen in to learn the importance of focusing on a customer experience strategy when turning around a company. You will also learn the importance of having great personal and professional support to perform at your best as a leader.

Key Takeaways:

• How to transform a failing business into a successful one by focusing on pain points and customer experience.
• The importance of having a great management team to help the business move in the right way.
• How to let go of control as a leader and trust your team to utilize their expertise.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:44] Joe explains how they source the best wine bottles in the world and market through storytelling.
• [5:08] He talks about their team size and their KPIs which are focused on customer experience.
• [8:09] How they shifted their focus to the customer experience at Wine Access after losing their business pillars for 2 years.
• [12:21] How he improved their wine supply by hiring right to make the process smooth.
• [14:37] How they improved the website by focusing on the pain points and upgrading the user experience.
• [16:37] The value of a great team in changing and driving the business forward.
• [18:00] Joe explains how they used their past failures to customers to straighten things out.
• [20:46] The importance of having personal and professional support to help you perform excellently as a leader.
• [23:09] How they’ve been taking more swings to encourage growth without unrealistic expectations.
• [24:53] The infrastructure challenge plus the tools they’re using to help improve operations.
• [27:00] The tools and products they use to manage the financial side of the business.
• [28:08] How Joe transitioned from financial language to understanding all departments’ languages.
• [30:55] Why you should spend more time with people to give you ideas on how to improve your business.
• [32:06] Joe advises maintaining the culture of not getting too high or getting too low.

Quotes:

1. “We’re going to be hyper-focused on what really drives the customer experience and anything that’s not really in that realm we’re going to push aside.”- Joe [11:12]

Patricia Osorio: How to Use Customer Reviews to Guide Your Business Strategy

Did you know that you can use customer reviews to improve your product? Reviews give a great deal of consumer data that you can use to improve communication or product to fulfill customer needs.

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Patricia Osorio, the cofounder of Birdie. Birdie is a SaaS company with a powerful AI platform that captures customer feedback from multiple sources. She is also the co-founder of GVAngels, an angel investor group that invested more than $5 million in several startups, and an active angel investor. Patricia has a background experience with Marketing, Product Management, and Business Development.

Listen in to learn how customer reviews can help you understand the improvements needed in your business. You will also learn why you should first understand consumer problems when dealing with negative reviews before taking major actions.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of consumer reviews in encouraging validation economy and collecting consumer behavior data.
• Understanding the consumer data you can get or not get from consumer reviews.
• How to monitor, moderate, and reply to customer reviews through a system of engagement.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:46] Patricia explains how Birdie helps companies understand their customers’ needs in a constant and deep way.
• [3:49] How Birdie focuses on getting feedback where conversations about a brand’s product are happening online.
• [5:20] She talks about her education and entrepreneurial background plus how Birdie was started.
• [7:02] She describes Birdie’s key metrics that include a healthy pipeline for revenue generation and ensuring proper product engagement.
• [9:49] Why consumers require reviews before buying and the importance of reviews for a company.
• [11:25] Patricia mentions some interesting sources where consumers are having conversations that are beneficial for your product.
• [14:14] She describes some of the things your brand can do to improve your customer reviews.
• [16:23] She mentions some interesting insights Birdie’s customers were able to pull out of their campaigns.
• [19:27] The type of data you can’t get from consumer reviews and need to combine other strategies.
• [21:42] Why you should first try to understand customer problems before acting on a negative review.
• [25:04] The three-step process you need to follow to measure KPIs and take action to improve customer reviews.
• [29:41] Patricia explains the opportunities they had with their first customer.
• [32:02] How to approach hiring talent by showing them your vision and dreams so they can help you get there.
• [35:21] The importance of focusing on one thing at a time as an entrepreneur to get the chance to grow.

Quotes:

“If you look at every opportunity at once, you will never get to the first place that you planned to get.”- Patricia [35:45]

Lauren Picasso: How to Develop an MVP and Raise Capital for a Startup

Thinking of launching a new product into the market? How about formulating an MVP to first test the market? This not only ensures feedback for your product before launching but also helps you understand what to invest in the business.

In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Lauren Picasso, the CEO, and founder of Cure Hydration, an electrolyte beverage that comes in powder form. She has a background in e-commerce and marketing, having worked in startups like Jet.com.

Listen in to learn the importance of raising capital for your startup at the right time. You will also learn the process of formulating and developing an MVP to experiment with your product before launching.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of sharpening your skills in business before starting one.
• The value of having in your team when starting out, someone who’s already done it before.
• Why you should prioritize hiring for the roles where you have the least experience.
• How to create value for a startup and waiting for the appropriate time to raise money.

Episode Timeline:

• [2:08] She explains what Cure Hydration is which is an organic electrolyte mix for oral hydration.
• [5:04] She explains how they’re using the LTV metric as the core KPI driver at Cure Hydration.
• [7:25] She talks about her background in e-commerce and marketing in retail background.
• [8:47] The Grassroot marketing they did when they first started and are continuing to do for their product.
• [11:12] Why she started Cure Hydration which is an effective product for active people.
• [12:49] The process that Lauren used to formulate and develop an MVP.
• [18:07] How they bootstrapped the Cure Hydration brand before launching a pilot based on feedback and engaging investors.
• [20:38] Lauren describes the titles of the team that forms Cure Hydration and the roles they each perform.
• [22:24] How they’re differentiating themselves by being the only organic product in their category, plus their initial sales strategy before approaching retailers.
• [24:38] How investors cared about profitability and cash efficiency during the pandemic.
• [27:54] Lauren advises founders to have a mindset of experimentation and creativity.
• [29:07] She explains how she was inspired by her father’s entrepreneurial spirit.
• [30:41] What Lauren looks for in an entrepreneur before investing.

Quotes:

• “What makes really a good entrepreneur is resilience, being able to handle rejection, and believes in their ideas.”- Lauren [30:56]