Journey To An 8-Figure E-Commerce Business Emmanuel Eleyae

Join host Emmanuel Eleyae as he chats with Alex Back from Couch.com about the pitfalls of traditional SEO in e-commerce and alternative strategies for success. Alex shares his entrepreneurial journey, discussing challenges like domain acquisition and the unpredictable nature of SEO. Discover valuable insights on motivation, marketing tactics for content sites, and the importance of playing to your strengths. Tune in as Alex reflects on setting realistic goals and creating sellable businesses, while emphasizing the significance of individualized definitions of success. Gain valuable lessons on navigating the e-commerce terrain and building sustainable ventures from this insightful conversation. 

Key Points:


(0:00) Introduction and Background
(3:12) Starting a New Business
(7:35) The Problem and Solution
(12:42) Funding and Domain Acquisition
(21:36) The Wild West of Domain Pricing
(23:00) The Hurdles of Starting a New Business
(24:57) Finding Motivation and Small Wins
(26:45) Marketing Strategies for an SEO-Focused Content Site
(29:58) The Challenges of Running a Business
(31:01) The Drive to Start and Succeed in Business
(32:52) Finding Comfort in Different Business Ventures
(34:44) The Why Behind Entrepreneurship
(35:54) The Upside and Control of Owning a Business
(38:08) Differentiating from Wayfair
(41:09) Wayfair’s Success and Strategies
(43:55) The Cost and Time Investment of SEO
(47:20) Considering Marketing Mix and Organic Opportunities
(51:02) The Challenges of Waiting for SEO Results
(54:03) Choosing a Content Site After E-Commerce Success
(57:45) Focusing on Strengths and Delegating
(59:34) Lessons From Building an E-Commerce Brand
(1:02:34) Sticking to What Works
(1:05:06) Building a Sellable Business
(1:07:16) Setting Realistic Goals
(1:08:39) Finding Buyers for Your Business
(1:10:02) Building a Profitable Furniture Company
(1:11:26) The Importance of Systems
(1:12:46) Building a Content Site on Shopify
(1:16:10) Defining Success

Resources: 

Connect with Alex Back:


Website: Couch.com
Personal Website: alexback.com
LinkedIn: Alex Back
Instagram: @thebackmobile

Grow Your Business With Us: 


E-Commerce Email Bundle: Elevate your email marketing game and drive sales. Get Bundle
Create Cashflow and Predictable Profits Course: Unlock the secrets to financial success in e-commerce. Learn More
1-on-1 Strategy Session with Emmanuel: Turbocharge your business with personalized guidance. Book Now

FREE Resources:


Shopify Training: Master the essentials with our comprehensive guide. Watch Now
Klaviyo Training: Optimize your email marketing with expert tips. Watch Now

Join host Emmanuel Eleyae as he chats with Neil Twa from Voltage Digital Marketing about the secrets to building a blooming Amazon FBA business, guaranteed to hit 7 figures annually. From mastering Amazon’s algorithms to expanding product lines and leveraging platforms like TikTok Shop, Neil shares essential strategies for success. Discover the power of organic SEO, user-generated content, and even direct mail in this fast paced e-commerce landscape. Throughout, Neil emphasizes the importance of perseverance, community, and networking. Tune in to learn how to take your e-commerce venture to the next level with Neil’s expert insights. 

Key Points:


(0:00) Introduction and Background
(1:10) Starting with Amazon
(3:24) The Power of Amazon for Product Visibility
(6:17) The Importance of Selling and Marketing
(10:19) The Role of SEO in Amazon and Other Platforms
(12:25) The Modern Approach to SEO
(15:02) Calculating Customer Lifetime Value
(19:07) Understanding Amazon’s Fees and Profitability
(20:57) Expanding the Product Line for Brand Growth
(23:42) Reaching the Top 1% on Amazon
(26:23) Succeeding on Amazon with No Competitors
(29:50) Launching a First-to-Market Product on Amazon
(34:17) Using Brand Discovery Platforms
(34:55) Introduction to TikTok Shop and Direct Mail
(35:49) Benefits of TikTok Shop for Brand Discovery
(36:48) Organic SEO and Growth Opportunities on TikTok Shop
(38:13) Utilizing Affiliates on TikTok Shop
(39:07) The Power of User-Generated Content on TikTok Shop
(40:59) Building a Creator Network on TikTok Shop
(41:59) Expanding to Own Shops and Dropshipping on TikTok Shop
(44:46) Leveraging TikTok Shop for Shopify Sellers
(47:35) Using Direct Mail as an Additional Channel
(50:56) The Importance of Multi Channel Approach
(53:42) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Prioritizing Family
(56:18) Permission-Based Marketing With Direct Mail
(1:00:36) Digging Deeper into TikTok Shop
(1:02:48) Neil’s Journey and Mentoring Approach
(1:07:02) Overcoming Challenges and Perseverance in Business
(1:08:16) Joining the Voltage Community
(1:08:35) The Importance of Networking and Knowledge
(1:10:18) Joining the Community
(1:11:23) Working With Neil @ Voltage
(1:13:53) Evaluating Product Demand
(1:15:05) Where to Find Neil @ Voltage

Resources:

Connect with Neil Twa:


Website: www.Voltagedm.com
Free Training: Business Builders
LinkedIn: Neil Twa
Instagram: @neiltwa
YouTube: @NeilTwavoltage

Grow Your Business With Us:


1-on-1 Strategy Session with Emmanuel: Elevate your business with personalized guidance. Book Now
Building Predictable Profits Monthly Membership: Join our community and unlock consistent growth. Explore Membership
The Growth Optimization Audit Package: Fine-tune your strategies for maximum impact. Learn More

FREE Resources:


Shopify Training: Master the essentials with our comprehensive guide. Watch Now
Klaviyo Training: Optimize your email marketing with expert tips. Watch Now

In this episode, your hosts Emmanuel Eleyae and Grace Eleyae talk with Cory and Nicol Varona - co-founders of OCOA Beauty. They talk about their background and why they wanted to start a hair care brand. They also talk about what it’s like being sisters and running a business together. You’ll also hear about the story of OCOA, from finding their first manufacturer to their rebrand and relaunch this year. In the Founder Rounder, they talk about how to build brand awareness and give some tips for building a community online. 

Timestamps:

Cory & Nicol’s Background/Why They Started OCOA


(0:48) Cory explains what OCOA does and why they started their business. They were looking for clean quality hair products for curly hair.
(3:02) Emmanuel asks if they feel successful and Cory talks about how they rebranded this year and how the growth has been really successful.
(4:38) Nicol talks about how their personal transformations fueled their inspiration for OCOA. They both decided to stop straightening their hair and started experimenting with new products for their curly hair.
(6:55) Nicol talks about how Cory learned how to be a natural hair formulator and started creating products for a simplified routine. This led them to create their formulas and test their products but they weren’t focused on the branding. 
(8:25) Nicol talks about what they did before OCOA - they both went to business school, Cory did finance and Nicol did marketing and management, which helped them some but the beauty industry is not what they thought it would be.

Family Dynamics in Business


(9:51) Cory talks about what it’s been like doing business with her sister. There were some hiccups in the beginning but they’ve been able to focus on their own strengths and improve their systems.
(12:59) Nicol gives her perspective on doing business with her sister. SHe also says they have gotten a lot better at managing the dynamic. She also says it’s important to trust whoever you go into business with.
(14:23) Emmanuel talks about why he thinks going into business with family is a bad idea, and the importance of having boundaries. 
(15:46) Nicol talks about some of the conflicts they’ve experienced - they would both be putting too much energy into fixing the same issue instead of trusting the other to get it done, as well as working on setting more boundaries. She also talked about how being more efficient helped.
(18:02) Cory talks about how her and Nicol were very close growing up so they don’t really fight. They have a lot of trust for each other. 
(19:40) Emmanuel talks about the positives of having family in business - they understand the wins and are able to celebrate with you.

Hiring Employees, Finding a Manufacturer, and Rebranding


(20:32) Nicol talks about how they are in the process of hiring their first employee - a social media/community manager. Emmanuel talks about the importance of building a community.
(22:45) Cory talks about how important their community is to them.
(23:36) Emmanuel gives advice for hiring - plan out their first 90 days and give them a map of things they need to do to be successful.
(24:52) Nicol says she still has a full-time job, but Cory does OCOA full time. Emmanuel and Grace talk about how that is very common for entrepreneurs in the first years of business.
(25:53) Cory talks about how they found a manufacturer for their products - they talked to a lot of people and were persistent. 
(29:20) Cory talks about how they still do fulfillment from her basement with the help of family and friends.
(30:20) Nicol talks about their old branding and why they changed it.
(31:21) Nicol talks about the journey from 2018 to now with manufacturing issues and rebranding. They wanted to launch 5 products but ended up just doing the curl cream to test the market.
(33:00) Nicol explains why they wanted to rebrand - the customers loved the product but not the branding, and they felt that it didn’t express what the

In this episode, your hosts Emmanuel Eleyae and Grace Eleyae talk with Bubba Albrecht - co-founder and CEO of Give’r. He talks about how they got started, experimenting with different products, and how they built a community of supporters. He also talks about his mission and philosophy for Give’r and how he used self discipline to grow and sustain the business. You’ll also hear about how frugal he is even though his business has hit the seven figure mark, and his reasoning for that. In the Founder Rounder, Emmanuel talks about how changing technology has affected advertising, and to focus on things that have always worked, like building an organic community and creating quality content and copy.

Timestamps:

The Beginning of Give’r 


(0:56) Bubba explains the origins of Give’r and how he got started - he made hats for a camping trip with friends and people would ask where he got them so he made hats and t-shirts to test out selling.
(3:37) Bubba talks about success - imposter syndrome and why it’s important to define success on your own terms, as well as the importance of his team and the community they’ve built.
(7:22) Bubba talks about some of the snags when they first launched - shipping was expensive, Shopify was still new and had it’s own problems, but they still wanted to get something up and running.
(10:37) Bubba talks about how they wanted to expand and create new products, and how the optimization process was slow.
(12:26) Bubba talks about how they started experimenting with leather gloves and saw that there was a high demand for them. They were buying the gloves from hardware stores initially and kept moving up the supply chain to find a manufacturer. They expanded based on customer feedback.
(15:19) Bubba talks about their Kickstarter campaign in 2016 and how they had already tested the product and refined it. The campaign raised over $200,000 and they were able to manufacture. 
(18:23) Bubba talks about how their goal was to deliver their product to everyone who supported them during their kickstarter campaign, and through this they learned a lot about the systems and operations.
(19:43) Bubba explains the term ‘give’r’ - it’s Canadian and means to give it your all.

Give’r’s Mission and Business Philosophy


(21:55) Bubba talks about the brand’s mission and philosophy. He also talks about learning balance and how to manage a team, the importance of taking chances and risks, and asking people like Emmanuel for advice when needed.
(26:13) Bubba talks about the importance of delivering to loyal customers and how more mistakes happened when they tried to grow quickly.
(27:32) Bubba talks about how important it is to make sure there’s actually a market for your product as early as possible and that people will actually pay for your product.
(29:17) Bubba talks about balancing growth and capacity and how he turned down retailers because he would not compromise his loyal customers.

Discipline


(30:27) Emmanuel talks about the importance of discipline and how it’s better to focus on building an organic audience before running ads because everything works better when you have an organic audience to fall back on.
(32:13) Bubba talks about how his decision to not run ads was because they didn’t have the money for it, and it forced them to look at other options. He also talks about the importance of talking to customers and getting their feedback.
(33:44) Bubba talks about how building slowly worked for them. He worked 2 other jobs during the first 3 years of Give’r and that allowed him to not have to worry about paying rent or other financial strain, and it also allowed him to have breaks from the business.
(36:28) Grace and Bubba talk about the importance of discipline, and Bubba gives an example of a time they took on more than they could handle and it didn’t work out.
(38:42) Bubba talks about the importance of stability and how working other jobs gave him a better chance

In this episode your hosts Emmanuel Eleyae and Grace Eleyae talk with Jacquelyn Rodgers - founder and CEO of Greentop Gifts. She talks about her background and why she wanted to start Greentop Gifts. She talks about how she got her first customers and how she is able to work with her husband. You’ll also hear her talk about what it’s like going into retail and all the struggles that come along with that. In the Founder Rounder, they talk about struggles all business owners are facing right now and some ways to cut costs, as well as some tips for new customer acquisition. At the end, Jacquelyn talks about some of the lessons she’s learned, advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and why representation is important to her.

Timestamps:

Jacquelyn’s Background/How She Started Greentop Gifts


(0:37) Jacquelyn explains her business and why she started it - she wanted her son to have a black Santa. She also talks about what she did before Greentop Gifts - she worked in corporate for a candy company.
(2:57) Jacquelyn talks about how she found her first manufacturer and had her first batch of wrapping paper delivered to her house. She would work all day then come home and package orders in the evenings.
(6:06) Jacquelyn explains how she got her first customers - her friend filmed an “about us” video that was posted on social media and a lot of people saw it and started visiting their website.
(7:27) Jacquelyn talks about how Greentop Gifts was her side hustle for the first 4 years and how she managed working full time and running a business. She realized that for the business to grow she needed to commit to it full time so she quit her job in 2020. 
(9:17) Jacquelyn talks about being in business with her husband - they have different personalities when it comes to business and they balance each other out.
(10:38) Jacquelyn talks about boundaries with her husband - they have learned when and where to talk about work-related things.

Struggles in Retail


(12:27) Jacquelyn talks about how getting into retail was not what she expected - there was a lot she didn’t know about and it’s very expensive but it was worth it for her product because most people want it the same day.
(15:10) Jacquelyn explains how being in retail is seen as a sign of legitimacy for businesses and it can be rewarding for some businesses if done right.
(17:40) Grace talks about how going into retail makes sense for some businesses because that’s where the most customers are, but it might not make sense for other brands with products that people don’t mind waiting on.
(18:29) Emmanuel talks about why he hates retail - it does give legitimacy but it is also very costly and can kill a small brand that’s not ready for it. 
(19:30) Grace and Jacquelyn talk about how tricky retail can be - once your product is on their shelf you still have to get people to go and buy your product, because if it doesn’t sell, they will take it off their shelves.
(21:56) Grace and Jacquelyn talk about how intention and sacrifice are important when going into retail and how it can be a big hit to your cashflow with chargebacks and fees and the time it takes to actually see the profit from sales.
(25:09) Jacquelyn and Emmanuel discuss how intention is important - if you go into retail to make a lot of money, it’s not going to work. It’s better to be able to say no or just go into a few stores to get that legitimacy.

Founder Rounder


(26:54) Jacquelyn asks about ways to get more customers. Emmanuel talks about how that has been every founder rounder question and something that all businesses are struggling with.
(29:12) Grace talks about how new customer acquisition was really easy during the pandemic but now we’re in an economic downturn and it’s gotten harder. She says not to compare current numbers to 2020 numbers, instead compare it to your startup numbers and you’ll see that there is still life in the business.
(31:01) Emmanuel talks about cutting cost

In this episode, your hosts Emmanuel Eleyae and Grace Eleyae talk with Trina Small - founder and CEO of Supermom Culture. She talks about how she started with her blog and built a community that supported her when she created Supermom Culture. She also talks about being on Good Morning America and having to get 10,000 shirts. You’ll also hear her talk about lessons she’s learned being in business and some tips from her about building a community. In the Founder Rounder, Emmanuel talks about different ways to cut costs and keep your business afloat in the current economic climate. 

Timestamps:

Trina’s Background/Starting Supermom


(0:54) Trina talks about how she started Supermom Culture - she had a blog and built a community, posted a picture in her shirt and people wanted them.
(2:27) Trina talks about how things really took off during the pandemic - they went viral and even ended up on Good Morning America.
(4:10) Trina talks about what she did before Supermom - she has a background in marketing and logistics and worked in corporate until she quit her job to be a stay at home mom and started her blog.

How Trina Scaled for GMA


(6:55) Trina talks about how she started with her shirts. She did a lot of Googling and asking around. She bought a few shirts, sold them, then used that money to buy more shirts.
(8:42) Trina talks about how she tried selling different products like bags and aprons, but the real demand was for her t-shirts.
(11:02) Trina talks about being on Good Morning America for the first time - they contacted her and asked if she could make 10,000 shirts but she was still pressing them herself in her home so she had to figure out how to scale.
(13:20) Trina talks about how she got those 10,000 shirts - she had already saved the money from her previous sales so she had enough to purchase the inventory and she had a friend who did screen printing to help her. 

Lessons Learned/Building a Community


(14:57) Trina talks about the biggest lessons she’s learned so far - be prepared, don’t be afraid to ask people for help, and make sure you do your research.
(15:57) Trina talks about the most difficult parts for her - having to learn as you go, being a one-man band, and not knowing about finance.
(18:22) Trina talks about the importance of building a community first.
(21:29) Trina talks about how she built trust within her community - authenticity and engaging with people.

Founder Rounder


(22:17) Emmanuel asks for advice on building a community. Trina says to join lives with people who have a similar audience and to engage with people on social media.
(26:06) Emmanuel asks for advice for people who are introverted and trying to build a community. Trina says to get over it and put yourself out there. 
(29:49) Trina asks about how to navigate the current economic climate. Emmanuel says to lower expectations because sales were artificially high during the pandemic and things will not be the same as they were at that time. 
(31:56) Emmanuel says to focus now on bottom line growth and cutting costs. 
(33:36) Grace talks about how as long as there’s revenue coming in, there’s life in the business.
(35:14) Trina talks about how she’s been downsizing and cutting costs and some of the struggles she’s had.
(36:19) Emmanuel talks about his cashflow course and other effective ways to cut costs in business.
(43:16) Trina talks about ways to support her and what’s next for Supermom.

Resources:

Website: supermomculture.com 

Facebook: supermomculture

Instagram: @supermomculture

Trina’s Instagram: @heytrinasmall

 

Ecommerce Email Bundle

Create Cashflow and Predictable Profits Course

Growth Optimization Audit Package

Predictable Profits Membership