Connected Commerce

Hai Mag
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Connected Commerce is the podcast by Eva Commerce, featuring conversations with ecommerce leaders, Amazon experts, founders, and industry professionals sharing actionable insights to help brands grow.

  1. 1d ago

    If You Can't Train a Human, You Can't Train AI | Connected Commerce EP #14

    Amazon says you can't change your brand name. Faith Denniston changes them anyway. Faith worked at Amazon, then spent ten years on the seller and agency side. Today she co-runs ROI Renegades with Jason Mastromatteo, handling the account health cases most teams don't have time for: brand name changes, listing deactivations, and suspensions. Her method: know Amazon's help pages better than Amazon does, then quote them back. In this episode: - Why Faith starts with what she can't fix - The one issue Amazon almost never budges on - How AI-first seller support changes a case - If you can't train a human, you can't train AI - A simple decision log for ad changes - Talking to AI instead of typing Chapters 00:00 Intro: meet Faith Denniston 01:27 From Amazon employee to ROI Renegades 02:47 The brand name change playbook 04:57 Success rate and what can't be fixed 07:55 Hai's six-day suspension story 08:48 AI and Amazon seller support 13:29 If you can't train a human, you can't train AI 14:58 Story two: the decision log 17:56 Talking to AI instead of typing 20:05 Wrap-up Show notes and full transcript: https://eva.guru/podcasts/connected-commerce-episode-14-if-you-cant-train-a-human-you-cant-train-ai/ Host: Hai Mag, CEO of Eva Commerce Guest: Faith Denniston, Co-Founder of ROI Renegades Connect with ROI Renegades: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roi-renegades Follow Eva Commerce: Website: https://eva.guru LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eva-commerce-inc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_commerce/

  2. 6d ago

    Why Ecommerce Growth Is No Longer Just About ROAS | Connected Commerce EP #13

    Welcome to another episode of Connected Commerce, where we explore the strategies, experiences, and ideas shaping the future of ecommerce. In this episode, Hai Mag sits down with Abir Syed, CEO of UpCounting, to explore why marketing and finance need to work as one team for ecommerce brands to scale sustainably. Abir is a CPA who ran his own ecommerce brand and later built a performance marketing agency, managing eight figures in ad spend across Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Today, he runs a fractional CFO firm that approaches finance from a growth perspective. Hai and Abir discuss the classic tension between marketing and finance teams, and how a shared framework around target ROAS, CAC, cohort profitability, and cash flow helps both sides move in the same direction. They explore why brands should look beyond short-term ROAS toward forecasts and scenario planning, how to budget for harder-to-measure investments like brand and influencer campaigns, and why inventory planning must be part of the same roadmap when advertising can reach 30% of revenue. The conversation also covers AI in finance: how AI agents are making finance operations leaner, why client financial data calls for extra caution, and why anyone building custom tools with AI needs to understand the underlying processes well enough to validate the numbers. Abir also shares what his first 30 days with a new client look like, from a KPI deep dive to clean accounting, dashboards, and forecasts. And Hai closes with a lesson from Silicon Valley: most startups fail because they run out of cash. Host: Hai Mag, CEO of Eva Commerce Guest: Abir Syed, CEO of UpCounting Connect with Abir: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abir-syed/ UpCounting: https://upcounting.com UpCounting on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/up-counting Follow Eva Commerce: Website: https://eva.guru LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eva-commerce-inc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_commerce/

  3. Oct 15

    Why Cash Flow Is the Hidden Bottleneck to Ecommerce Growth | Connected Commerce EP #12

    In this episode of Connected Commerce, Hai Mag sits down with Clark Lindsey, CEO of Try Olina, to discuss why cash flow is one of the biggest challenges facing ecommerce brands and how smarter financial decisions can unlock faster, more sustainable growth. Clark shares his journey from selling phone cases in high school and launching a meal plan business, to working in venture capital, and eventually returning to ecommerce to solve the problem founders kept bringing up: cash flow. He explains how Try Olina helps brands replace large bills, including inventory, 3PL, logistics, and Meta invoices, with a single daily payment. Instead of saving up for a big bill at the end of the month, brands always know how much capital they have and can put the rest to work on advertising, inventory, and growth. Hai adds the brand owner's perspective: as a business scales, its operating cash needs grow with it, and that gap often becomes one of the biggest headaches for founders. The conversation then turns to one of the most important questions in ecommerce finance: when should a brand take on debt? Clark breaks down the difference between using debt to fix a timing problem and using debt to fund growth. When debt is used to cover timing gaps, such as waiting on marketplace payouts while a large bill comes due, it often leads to a "debt spiral," where strong businesses with great unit economics end up sending a significant share of every sale toward debt payments. They discuss how to recognize this pattern, why debt should be tied to a clear growth model, and practical alternatives like paying large bills early in smaller installments. The discussion then shifts to the growth side. Hai explains how Eva Commerce approaches advertising like a poker game: deciding where ad dollars should go across Meta, Google, and Amazon, and understanding competitors' pricing, inventory, and strategy to know when to attack, defend, or target new audiences. They also explore why cash constraints hold brands back. Advertising returns can take 30 to 60 days to arrive, and without enough cash on hand, founders hesitate, underinvest, and lose ground to faster competitors. At the center of the episode is a simple idea: sustainable ecommerce growth requires both healthy cash flow and a smart growth strategy, working together as one connected system. Host: Hai Mag, CEO of Eva Commerce Guest: Clark Lindsey, CEO of Try Olina Connect with Clark: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clark-lindsey-370565124/ Try Olina: https://tryolina.com Follow Eva Commerce: Website: https://eva.guru LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eva-commerce-inc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_commerce/

  4. Oct 8

    Why Amazon Growth Is No Longer Just About Ads | Connected Commerce EP #11

    In this episode of Connected Commerce, Hai Mag sits down with Yuliia Arsheniuk, Founder of White Label Agency, to discuss how AI is transforming Amazon product content and why advertising, inventory, and profitability need to work together for sustainable ecommerce growth. Yuliia shares her experience helping brands launch and scale across international marketplaces, explaining why Amazon sellers need to rethink how they create product listings in the age of AI-powered shopping. As Amazon evolves beyond traditional keyword search, attractive images and optimized keywords are no longer enough. Brands need clear, consistent product information that both customers and AI systems can understand. The conversation explores how Amazon's AI-powered shopping experiences are changing product discovery, why AI visibility and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) are becoming increasingly important, and how product images, A+ Content, brand storytelling, and product benefits must communicate a consistent message. Hai and Yuliia also discuss how conversational and multilingual searches are changing the way customers discover products, creating new challenges for brands trying to reach the right audiences. The discussion then shifts to the connection between PPC advertising and inventory management. Yuliia explains why increasing advertising spend without considering inventory availability can create serious problems for Amazon sellers. More traffic and higher sales velocity may look like growth, but they can quickly lead to stockouts, lost sales, and reduced profitability when inventory cannot keep up. They explore why PPC decisions should account for inventory levels, replenishment timelines, demand forecasting, and margins, and why advertising and inventory teams need to operate as part of one connected strategy. Sometimes, the right decision is not to spend more on advertising. It is to protect inventory, manage demand, and prepare for sustainable growth. At the center of the episode is a simple idea: Amazon growth is no longer just about better ads or better listings. It requires connecting AI visibility, customer experience, advertising, inventory, and profitability into one system. Host: Hai Mag, CEO of Eva Commerce Guest: Yuliia Arsheniuk, Founder of White Label Agency Connect with Yuliia: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliia-arshenyuk-537b8993/ White Label Agency: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wla-amazon/home/Follow Eva Commerce: Website: https://eva.guru LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eva-commerce-inc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_commerce/

  5. Oct 1

    Why AI Should Analyze, Not Decide | Connected Commerce EP #10

    In this episode of Connected Commerce, Hai Mag sits down with Ruben Alikhanyan, Founder of PAS Agency, to discuss how AI agents are changing ecommerce operations, Amazon strategy, and the way agencies manage brands. Ruben shares how PAS Agency uses AI to improve reporting, identify issues faster, analyze account performance, and uncover deeper insights across the brands they manage. But for Ruben, the real value of AI is not replacing the people making decisions. It is giving them more speed and more depth. The conversation explores why AI can be powerful for analysis while execution should still remain in human hands, how ecommerce teams should think about AI agents as they become more capable, and why blindly trusting automation can create new risks. Hai and Ruben also discuss Amazon's own AI agents and the limitations of relying on a marketplace to make decisions for your brand. They explore why agencies and internal teams may have an advantage by combining marketplace data with business context, brand goals, historical knowledge, and human judgment. The discussion then expands beyond Amazon into the broader connected commerce journey, where product discovery can happen across TikTok, ChatGPT, AI platforms, social commerce, and other channels before the transaction happens somewhere else. They also touch on AI-generated influencers, trust, Amazon compliance, and what happens as automation becomes increasingly embedded in ecommerce. At the center of the episode is a simple idea: AI can analyze faster and go deeper, but humans still need to make the decisions. Host: Hai Mag, CEO of Eva Commerce Guest: Ruben Alikhanyan, Founder of PAS Agency Connect with Ruben:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-alikhanyan/PAS Agency: https://pasagency.com/ Follow Eva Commerce:Website: https://eva.guruLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eva-commerce-inc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_commerce/

  6. Sep 24

    Connected Commerce Episode #9

    Welcome to another episode of Connected Commerce, where we explore the strategies, experiences, and ideas shaping the future of ecommerce. In this episode, Hai Mag sits down with Ritu Java, Founder and CEO of PPC Ninja, to explore how AI is changing ecommerce operations, advertising, and the way teams work. Ritu shares a simple rule that has shaped her approach to operations for years: if you repeat something more than three times and know you will need to do it again, automate it. In the AI era, that idea goes beyond traditional automation. The conversation explores how SOPs can evolve into AI-powered skills that combine data, structured workflows, automation, and human judgment. Ritu explains how PPC Ninja has built a library of more than 85 skills across its operations, supporting tasks such as Amazon advertising, keyword analysis, reporting, and listing optimization. She also walks through how AI can support negative keyword analysis, a process that traditionally requires specialists to manually review search terms, evaluate relevance, and make optimization decisions. But simply asking AI to handle everything is not enough. Ritu explains why strong AI workflows need structure, including calculations, statistics, rules, and contextual analysis. This helps reduce hallucinations and improve the quality and reliability of the output. Hai and Ritu also discuss why humans still need to remain in the loop. The goal is not to remove human expertise, but to reduce repetitive work and help specialists spend more time on decisions that require experience, context, and judgment. The conversation also explores the infrastructure behind AI-powered operations, including Google Apps Script, BigQuery, ecommerce data, data security, and the growing shift from keyword-based product discovery to conversational AI experiences. Finally, Ritu shares how PPC Ninja is using AI to improve quality and efficiency rather than reduce its team. With stronger systems in place, the same team can support more clients and deliver more value without constantly increasing headcount. At the center of the conversation is a simple idea: the future of ecommerce operations is about connecting data, automation, AI, and human expertise into better systems. In this episode: Moving from traditional SOPs to AI-powered skills How PPC Ninja built more than 85 operational skills Using AI to improve Amazon PPC workflows Automating negative keyword analysis Why AI needs structure, statistics, and human judgment Reducing hallucinations through better skill design Why humans still need to remain in the loop Connecting AI with Apps Script, BigQuery, and ecommerce data The shift from keywords to conversational product discovery Data security in AI-powered workflows Using AI to improve team quality and efficiency Whether you're an ecommerce founder, Amazon seller, PPC specialist, agency leader, marketer, or operator, this episode offers a practical look at how AI-powered systems are changing ecommerce operations. Host: Hai Mag, CEO of Eva Guest: Ritu Java, Founder and CEO of PPC Ninja Connect with Hai Mag:https://www.linkedin.com/in/growthjedi/ Connect with Ritu Java:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritujava/PPC Ninja: https://www.ppcninja.com Follow Eva Commerce:Website: https://eva.guruLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eva-commerce-inc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_commerce/ About Connected Commerce Connected Commerce is the podcast by Eva Commerce, featuring conversations with ecommerce leaders, founders, marketers, marketplace experts, and industry professionals sharing actionable insights to help brands grow across marketplaces and digital channels.

  7. Sep 17

    Connected Commerce Episode #8

    Welcome to another episode of Connected Commerce, where we explore the strategies, experiences, and ideas shaping the future of ecommerce. In this episode, Hai Mag sits down with Jon Ivanco, Co-Founder of Formtoro, to explore why collecting more customer data does not necessarily mean understanding your customers better. Jon argues that ecommerce brands have become too focused on collecting email addresses, phone numbers, and generic segments, while missing the context that actually drives purchase decisions. Why is someone visiting your store? What are they comparing you against? How do they perceive your pricing? And when are they actually ready to buy? The conversation starts with a challenge to one of ecommerce's most common playbooks: the standard discount pop-up. Jon explains why trading a 10% discount for an email address often creates very little real value, especially when brands may collect the same contact information during checkout anyway. They also unpack why gamified pop-ups can distort customer behavior and why better data collection starts with asking better questions. Hai and Jon then explore loyalty programs, subscriptions, and sales cycles, questioning whether these systems always create the customer behavior brands expect. Jon shares an alternative approach: instead of forcing every customer into the same promotional calendar, brands can think about delivering the right offer at the right moment in each customer's journey. The discussion also moves into segmentation, personalization, and the growing role of Shopify as a central source of customer data. Jon explains why marketers may be overcomplicating segmentation and why stronger messaging can sometimes matter more than creating endless customer personas. They also explore a less conventional idea: using physical merchandise as a marketing channel. From hats and shirts to branded products priced specifically to increase visibility, Jon shares how brands can rethink merchandise as a way to extend awareness beyond the original product itself. At the center of the conversation is a simple idea: ecommerce teams should stop assuming that industry best practices are automatically the best answer. If everyone is solving the same problem in the same way, it may be time to ask a different question. In this episode: Why collecting emails is not the same as understanding customersThe problem with traditional 10% off pop-upsWhy gamification can distort customer dataCollecting context instead of just contact informationRethinking loyalty programs and subscriptionsDelivering offers based on the customer journeyWhy brands may be overcomplicating segmentationShopify as a central source of customer dataCreating messaging that works across different customer typesTurning branded merchandise into a marketing channelWhy ecommerce teams should challenge established best practicesWhether you're an ecommerce founder, DTC brand operator, marketer, retention leader, or agency professional, this conversation offers a different way to think about customer data, personalization, loyalty, offers, and the decisions that shape the customer journey. Host: Hai Mag, CEO of EvaGuest: Jon Ivanco, Co-Founder of Formtoro Connect with Hai Mag:https://www.linkedin.com/in/growthjedi/ Connect with Jon Ivanco:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jivanco/Formtoro: https://formtoro.com/ Follow Eva Commerce:Website: https://eva.guruLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eva-commerce-inc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_commerce/ About Connected CommerceConnected Commerce is the podcast by Eva Commerce, featuring conversations with ecommerce leaders, founders, marketers, marketplace experts, and industry professionals sharing actionable insights to help brands grow across marketplaces and digital channels.

  8. Sep 10

    Connected Commerce Episode #7

    Welcome to another episode of Connected Commerce, where we explore the strategies, experiences, and ideas shaping the future of ecommerce. In this episode, Hai Mag sits down with Brandy Alexander, CEO of TandemTide, to explore why live shopping is beating AI-made content, and what that means for the future of video commerce. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in digital marketing and ecommerce, Brandy reflects on how video has become the biggest shift in the space, and why she built out a full live-stream shopping studio to help brands run live shopping directly from their own social channels. They discuss how every brand should think of itself as its own production studio, why live shopping performs like entertainment more than advertising, and how hosts (not influencers, just people comfortable on camera) are driving real engagement and real-time sales. But as AI-generated content becomes easier for everyone to create, Hai and Brandy explore why the opposite is also becoming more valuable: authenticity. Founder-led content, simple phone-recorded videos, real stories, and imperfect human moments are outperforming polished, AI-perfect creative. The conversation also goes beyond content. Brandy shares how AI is powering her agency's dashboards, pulling in data from Shopify, Amazon, and other platforms to generate actionable insights, while she remains intentional about keeping AI as "a tool in the toolbox" rather than a replacement for human-created content. In this episode: Why live shopping is outperforming AI-generated contentBuilding a live-stream shopping studio for brandsTreating every brand as its own production studioWhy live shopping works like entertainment, not just advertisingThe data behind authenticity and human-generated contentFounder-led, imperfect video vs. polished AI creativeUsing AI for dashboards, analytics, and actionable insightsWhy "you can't capture demand you haven't created"Keeping AI as a tool in the toolbox, not a content replacementWhether you're an ecommerce founder, DTC brand operator, performance marketer, or agency leader, this conversation offers practical perspectives on how brands can use AI without losing the human element that makes marketing work. Host: Hai Mag, CEO of EvaGuest: Brandy Alexander, CEO of TandemTide Connect with Hai Mag:https://www.linkedin.com/in/growthjedi/ Connect with Brandy Alexander:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandy3000TandemTide: https://tandemtide.com Follow Eva Commerce:Website: https://eva.guruLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eva-commerce-inc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_commerce/ About Connected CommerceConnected Commerce is the podcast by Eva Commerce, featuring conversations with ecommerce leaders, founders, marketers, marketplace experts, and industry professionals sharing actionable insights to help brands grow across marketplaces and digital channels.

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Connected Commerce is the podcast by Eva Commerce, featuring conversations with ecommerce leaders, Amazon experts, founders, and industry professionals sharing actionable insights to help brands grow.

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  • Creator
    Hai Mag
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Hai Mag
  • Show Website
    Connected Commerce