High Voltage Business Builders Podcast

Neil Twa
  • 5.0 (52)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Top 2.5% Global Show, High Voltage Business Builders Podcast, features weekly interviews with successful entrepreneurs building and scaling e-commerce businesses, Amazon FBA brands, real estate portfolios, and online businesses beyond Wall Street. Hosted by Neil Twa since 2021, the podcast delivers proven strategies for digital marketing, product launches, brand building, and business automation. Grounded in the 5 F’s, faith, family, friends, freedom, + fun, this podcast equips entrepreneurs with practical blueprints to build wealth and long-term independence on their own terms.

  1. 1D AGO

    #231 Walmart Just Declared War on Amazon | What It Means for Amazon Sellers

    Walmart (the largest retailer in history) just put an eCommerce and supply chain executive in charge of a $500 billion business with 4,600 physical stores. If more than 70% of your revenue comes from Amazon, listen to this. In this episode of the High Voltage Business Builders Podcast, Neil breaks down Walmart’s AI-first transformation, its ChatGPT and Google Gemini integrations, the $2.3B Vizio acquisition, and why Amazon-only strategies are now a massive platform risk. 🚀 Dominant is a 12-week live cohort for serious operators launching their first Amazon product. Work directly with the Voltage team through product discovery, validation, and launch, with the goal of reaching 25 sales per day. Text INTERESTED to 417-765-0412 or email neil@voltagedm.com to apply. In This Episode, We Cover: ✅ Why Walmart putting an eCommerce executive in charge changes everything ✅ What Walmart’s AI pivot means for the future of retail ✅ How ChatGPT and Google Gemini now enable native Walmart checkout ✅ Why Walmart’s 95% 3-hour delivery coverage is a structural advantage ✅ How Vizio gives Walmart a closed-loop advertising ecosystem ✅ Why single-channel Amazon strategies are now platform risk ✅ The operator playbook for diversifying before the window closes 🚀 What should I sell next? Visit: gpt.caimandata.com to generate data-driven product ideas powered by Caiman Data’s AI engine. 🚀 Want help expanding beyond Amazon and building a real omnichannel eCommerce business? Visit: voltagedm.com to explore consulting, implementation programs, and operator-level support. 📍 Chapters 00:00 Walmart just declared war 02:00 The leadership shift that changes retail 03:00 Why this appointment would have been unthinkable five years ago05:00 Walmart as an AI-first tech company 06:00 ChatGPT and Gemini integrations explained 07:30 The $2.3B Vizio acquisition and connected TV advertising 09:00 Walmart’s trillion-dollar market cap moment 10:30 Why Amazon-only brands are exposed 12:00 Walmart’s fulfillment advantage Amazon cannot replicate 14:00 The operator diversification playbook 16:00 Where eCommerce is actually going in 2026 Follow Neil: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/ 🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders 🎧 Like This Episode? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or operator who needs to hear it ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    19 min

  2. 3D AGO

    #230 Sell On The Way Up: How Smart Owners Exit at Peak Value

    Every business owner exits eventually.But will you do it voluntarily, at peak value, or reactively because you had to? Marvin Karlow focuses on helping founders get maximum market value for their businesses before burnout, bankruptcy, partner disputes, or life events force their hand. In this episode, we break down how business valuation actually works, why most deals die in due diligence, and what it really takes to build a company that buyers compete for. In This Episode, We Cover ✅ What Your Business Is Really Worth We break down EBITDA vs SDE, valuation ranges, and how multiples are determined. You can’t control market conditions, but you can control where you fall within the range. ✅ Are You Selling a Business… Or a Job? If the company depends on you, buyers discount the multiple. The litmus test? Can you leave for a month without the business breaking. ✅ Operational Readiness Drives Valuation It’s not just profit. It’s systems, KPIs, team structure, brand equity, and how attractive your operation looks to a buyer. ✅ Why Most Deals Die in Due Diligence LOI is not the finish line. Due diligence is designed to uncover problems. Marvin explains why preparing upfront prevents deals from collapsing. ✅ Sell on the Way Up Holding too long often destroys value. Peak performance, strong projections, and upward momentum create the most attractive exit environment. 📍 Chapters 02:30 What an M&A Advisor Actually Does 05:00 Always Have Your Business Ready to Sell 08:30 EBITDA, SDE, and Valuation Multiples 10:00 Financial Due Diligence and Clean Books 12:00 Building a Business That Runs Without You 17:00 KPIs, Systems, and Operational Discipline 23:00 How Competitive Auctions Increase Price 26:00 Why Deals Die After LOI 29:00 Seller Notes, Rolled Equity, and Skin in the Game 🔗 Learn More About Marvin and RaincatcherWebsite: https://raincatcher.com Follow Neil:  🔗 LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/⁠  📸 Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/⁠  📘 Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/⁠  🐦 X/Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/voltagefba⁠  🎵 TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders⁠ 🎧 Like This Episode? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    37 min

  3. FEB 13

    #229 Is The Sales Funnel Dead? Zero-Click Commerce is the Future of Buying

    What if your website... doesn't matter anymore? This is called “Zero Click Commerce”  In this episode of the High Voltage Business Builders Podcast, Neil breaks down the shift from keyword search to conversational buying. Customers are completing purchases inside ChatGPT, TikTok Shop, Instagram, and Google’s AI environments without ever touching your website. If you are still optimizing only for traffic, funnels, and on-site conversions, you may be improving a system that customers are bypassing entirely. 🚀 Dominant is a 12-week live cohort for serious operators launching their first Amazon product. Work directly with the Voltage team through product discovery, validation, and launch, with the goal of reaching 25 sales per day.Text INTERESTED to 417-765-0412 or email neil@voltagedm.com to apply. In This Episode, We Cover: ✅ What Zero Click Commerce actually is and how transactions now close inside ChatGPT and TikTok ✅ Why website traffic is no longer the primary KPI ✅ How conversational queries replace traditional keyword SEO ✅ Why clean, structured product data determines whether AI recommends you ✅ The five-step operator playbook for adapting in 2026 🚀 What should I sell next? Visit: gpt.caimandata.com to generate data-driven product ideas powered by Caiman Data’s AI engine. 🚀 Want help building a real eCommerce business with systems, margins, and attribution clarity? Visit: voltagedm.com to explore consulting, implementation programs, and operator-level support. 📍 Chapters 00:00 What if your website doesn’t matter anymore? 02:00 Why BNPL tracking still matters and recap from last week 02:36 What Zero Click Commerce actually looks like in practice04:00 Is the funnel dead?05:00 Conversational discovery vs keyword search 05:45 Why website traffic is no longer the goal 06:00 Product data as the new SEO 07:00 AI agents as gatekeepers 08:00 The five-step operator playbook 10:00 Repositioning your website as a brand hub 10:30 Owning the post-purchase experience 12:00 Why single-channel strategies are over 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/ 🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or operator who needs to hear it ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    16 min

  4. FEB 11

    #228 He Created The ‘Tinder for 3PLs’ And It’s Changing E-Commerce

    Finding the right 3PL is one of the most important decisions an e-commerce brand will make. It is also one of the hardest. With over 10,000 warehouses in the United States alone, most founders rely on referrals, Google searches, and guesswork. Matt built Third Person to change that. In this episode, Matt shares how he went from leading operations at early-stage startups like Rent the Runway and Birchbox to building a 3PL marketplace powered by AI. What started as a profitable consulting firm evolved into a scalable software platform designed to intelligently match brands with qualified fulfillment partners. In This Episode, We Cover ✅ The Real Problem With 3PL Selection There are thousands of fulfillment providers. Most brands do not know how to filter them. Matt explains why this decision has become more complex, not easier, over the past decade. ✅ From Consulting to Scalable Software Matt and his partner were running a profitable consulting firm helping brands source 3PLs. They shut it down to build technology that could do the job better and at scale. ✅ The “Dating App” Model for Fulfillment Third Person uses AI-driven scoring to match brands with top-fit 3PLs based on real operational needs. Brands see ranked matches and choose who to connect with directly. ✅ Founder-Product Fit vs Product-Market Fit Matt shares the difference between knowing you are the right founder for the problem and proving the market wants your solution at scale. ✅ Building Value Without Charging Brands The platform is free for brands. Third Person earns referral fees from 3PLs by delivering qualified, high-intent leads. 📍 Chapters 03:30 What Third Person Actually Does 06:00 The Marketplace Model for 3PL Matching 08:45 From Rent the Runway to Supply Chain Consulting 10:00 Shutting Down a Profitable Business 13:00 Founder-Product Fit vs Product-Market Fit 15:00 How Third Person Makes Money 17:00 Scaling a Real Marketplace in Logistics 🔗 If you are scaling an e-commerce brand and need fulfillment support, you can explore Third Person for free. 👉 Get started at https://thirdperson.co Connect with Matt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hertz/ Follow Neil:  🔗 LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/⁠  📸 Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/⁠  📘 Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/⁠  🐦 X/Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/voltagefba⁠  🎵 TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders⁠ 🎧 Like This Episode? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    19 min

  5. FEB 6

    #227 Buy Now, Pay Later Is About to Blow Up (What This Means for eCommerce)

    Buy Now, Pay Later is boosting conversions, but quietly destroying margins.  Buy Now, Pay Later looks like a conversion cheat code. Higher AOV. More checkouts. Fewer abandoned carts. But beneath the surface, BNPL is quietly bleeding eCommerce businesses dry. In this episode of the High Voltage Business Builders Podcast, Neil breaks down what most sellers are missing. BNPL customers return products more often, cost more to serve, and come with higher transaction fees than credit cards. When payments fail, merchants still eat the fees, the shipping, and the inventory risk. You’ll learn why BNPL is not free money, how it impacts margins and cash flow, and what serious operators must track right now to avoid letting a payment method quietly destroy profitability. If BNPL drives a meaningful portion of your conversions, this episode is your wake-up call. 🚀 Dominant is a 12-week live cohort for serious operators launching their first Amazon product. Work directly with the Voltage team through product discovery, validation, and launch, with the goal of reaching 25 sales per day. Text INTERESTED to 417-765-0412 or email neil@voltagedm.com to apply. In This Episode, We Cover: ✅ Why merchants eat the cost when BNPL payments fail ✅ How BNPL changes cash flow timing and inventory risk ✅ What upcoming regulation means for approval rates and conversions ✅ How operators should track BNPL separately to protect profitability 🚀 What should I sell next? Visit: gpt.caimandata.com to generate data-driven product ideas powered by Caiman Data’s AI engine. 🚀 Want help building a real eCommerce business with systems, margins, and attribution clarity? Visit: voltagedm.com to explore consulting, implementation programs, and operator-level support. 📍 Chapters 00:00 BNPL holiday spending hits $20B and why that headline is misleading 02:36 How BNPL increases conversions but erodes margin 03:18 Missed payments, buyer regret, and rising return rates 07:02 Why BNPL buyers behave differently than credit card buyers 10:12 Incoming BNPL regulation in the US, UK, and Australia 11:52 Why BNPL must be tracked separately in analytics 13:34 Cash flow volatility and the need for buffers 14:22 Why BNPL return rates must be monitored independently 15:06 BNPL as infrastructure, not a competitive advantage Follow Neil: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/ 🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders 🎧 Like This Episode? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or operator who needs to hear it ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    18 min

  6. FEB 4

    #226 From Lawn Mowing to 300,000 Weekly Users. Building GreenPal Without VC Money

    Building a real business is not about chasing hype. It is about solving real problems, executing consistently, and staying in the game long enough for the flywheel to turn. GreenPal founder Bryan Clayton shares how he bootstrapped the Uber for lawn care to 300,000 weekly users without venture capital. A candid conversation on AI as a force multiplier, organic SEO growth, building a marketplace, and scaling a real business the hard way. In This Episode, We Cover ✅ AI as a Force Multiplier, Not a Replacement Bryan explains why AI works best as a right-hand tool. It helps teams move faster, think clearer, and close execution gaps, but it does not replace judgment, creativity, or real-world experience. ✅ Bootstrapping GreenPal From Day One GreenPal was built entirely off its own revenue. Bryan breaks down how self-funding forced efficiency, focus, and better product decisions while VC-backed competitors burned capital and disappeared. ✅ Recurring Revenue and Marketplace Discipline The platform focuses on routine lawn maintenance, not one-off jobs. Repeat transactions created stability for customers, vendors, and the business itself. ✅ Organic SEO and the Long-Term Flywheel Most GreenPal users find the platform through organic search. Bryan explains why betting on SEO took years to pay off, but now compounds every day. ✅ Tracking One Number That Matters In the early days, Bryan focused on one metric. Weekly transactions. From 10 to 100 to 300,000. That single number told him whether the business was alive or not. 📍 Chapters 01:00 Is AI Helping Us or Replacing Us 05:00 Bootstrapping Without Venture Capital 06:15 From Landscaping Business to Marketplace Idea 08:45 Recurring Revenue and Routine Services 11:30 Scaling to 300,000 Weekly Users 14:30 Reinvesting Profits and Early Sacrifice 18:00 Tracking One Metric That Matters 19:00 Why Founders Have Not Missed AI 20:00 The Long-Term Vision for GreenPal 🔗If you’re a homeowner who wants lawn care handled as easily as pushing a button, or a lawn care professional looking to grow your business with consistent customers, check out GreenPal. 👉 Get started at GreenPal.com Find Bryan on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton-a96b33214/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryanmclayton/ Follow Neil:  🔗 LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/⁠  📸 Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/⁠  📘 Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/⁠  🐦 X/Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/voltagefba⁠  🎵 TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders⁠ 🎧 Like This Episode? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    21 min

  7. JAN 30

    #225 TikTok is NOT Amazon’s Replacement… It’s a Demand Engine (The Halo Effect Explained)

    TikTok was never meant to replace Amazon or Shopify. And treating it like a checkout channel is the fastest way to MISS OUT on massive opportunity. In this episode, Neil explains the TikTok halo effect, why off-platform conversions matter, how TikTok drives Amazon and Shopify sales, and how operators should measure real eCommerce performance. If you are evaluating TikTok based only on TikTok Shop sales, you are missing the bigger picture. This episode explains what TikTok is actually doing for your business and how to use it correctly before the next wave of adoption hits. 🚀 Dominant is a 12-week live cohort for serious operators launching their first Amazon product. Work directly with the Voltage team through product discovery, validation, and launch, with the goal of reaching 25 sales per day. Text INTERESTED to 417-765-0412 or email neil@voltagedm.com to apply. In This Episode, We Cover: ✅ Why TikTok is not a replacement for Amazon or Shopify, but a demand creation engine ✅ The TikTok halo effect and how off-platform sales actually happen ✅ Real data showing TikTok-driven revenue flowing to Amazon and DTC sites ✅ Why last-click attribution fails discovery platforms like TikTok ✅ How serious operators are reallocating capital instead of chasing dashboards 🚀 What should I sell next? Visit: gpt.caimandata.com to generate data-driven product ideas powered by Caiman Data’s AI engine. 🚀 Want help building a real eCommerce business with systems, margins, and attribution clarity? Visit: voltagedm.com to explore consulting, implementation programs, and operator-level support. 📍 Chapters 01:12 Why TikTok is misunderstood by most sellers 02:05 The difference between demand creation and demand capture 03:01 What the TikTok halo effect actually means 04:12 New TikTok offsite performance tracking explained 05:04 Real account data showing off-platform conversions 06:18 Why TikTok ROAS looks wrong on paper 07:02 How TikTok feeds Amazon and Shopify sales 08:21 Why last-click attribution breaks discovery platforms 09:44 TikTok’s push toward serious brands and operators 11:06 Why treating TikTok like a side channel is a mistake 13:48 How operators should think about TikTok moving forward 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/ 🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or operator who needs to hear it ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show Follow Neil:🎧 Like This Episode?

    17 min

  8. JAN 28

    #224 Retail Isn’t Dead. Amazon Sellers Are Ignoring a Market 3x Bigger

    Amazon and Shopify are NOT the whole market. If you’re only selling online, you’re competing inside roughly 15% of the total retail opportunity while ignoring a market that’s several times larger. In this episode, we break down why that blind spot is costing brands serious revenue and how sellers can expand beyond ecommerce without guessing or blowing up their margins. Talor Ofer, a retail strategist with over 25 years of experience helping physical product brands get placed in major retail channels. In this conversation, Talor breaks down how retail really works behind the scenes and why brands that understand the retail language have a major advantage going into 2026. In this Episode:  ✅ Ecommerce Brands Are Competing in the Smallest Part of the Market Online sales feel dominant, but they represent a fraction of total retail. Brands that only sell on Amazon or Shopify are fighting harder for a smaller slice of demand while ignoring a much larger offline opportunity. ✅ Retail Isn’t Complicated. Most sellers avoid retail because they don’t understand buyers, pricing, or expectations. Once you know what buyers want to see and how to present your brand, retail becomes simpler than dealing with ecommerce platforms and algorithms. ✅ Not All Retail Channels Are Equal Off-price retailers, retailer dot-coms, and subscription boxes each offer different advantages. Some channels are easier entry points, while others deliver massive volume and exposure when used strategically. ✅ 2026 Timing Matters More Than Most Sellers Realize Retailers are buying aggressively due to tariffs, supply chain pressure, and future price uncertainty. Brands prepared now have an advantage while others wait and miss the window. 📍Chapters  01:05 Why Online Sales Only Represent a Small Share of Retail 02:10 Amazon and Shopify Are Fighting Over the Same Buyers 03:05 Why Retail Feels Like a Black Box to Ecommerce Sellers 03:55 How Retail Buyers Are Actually Found 05:25 What Retail Buyers Want to See First 06:10 MSRP, Wholesale Pricing, and the Retail Math Explained 08:00 Retail Is Often Easier Than Amazon Algorithms 10:05 Why Six Retailers Can Outperform Thousands of Online Customers 12:35 How Retail Pricing Negotiations Really Work 16:10 Retailer Dot-Coms and Unexpected Ecommerce Scale 18:20 Why Retailers Are Buying Aggressively Right Now 19:45 Tariffs, Supply Chain Risk, and 2026 Planning 21:10 Why Brands Prepared for Retail Win Long-Term 🔗 Learn more about Talor Ofer and Retail Empire: www.linkedin.com/in/talor-ofer-876b4a113  Follow Neil:  🔗 LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/⁠  📸 Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/⁠  📘 Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/⁠  🐦 X/Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/voltagefba⁠  🎵 TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders⁠ 🎧 Like This Episode? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    26 min
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5
out of 5
52 Ratings

About

The Top 2.5% Global Show, High Voltage Business Builders Podcast, features weekly interviews with successful entrepreneurs building and scaling e-commerce businesses, Amazon FBA brands, real estate portfolios, and online businesses beyond Wall Street. Hosted by Neil Twa since 2021, the podcast delivers proven strategies for digital marketing, product launches, brand building, and business automation. Grounded in the 5 F’s, faith, family, friends, freedom, + fun, this podcast equips entrepreneurs with practical blueprints to build wealth and long-term independence on their own terms.

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