Profits on Purpose

Nate Littlewood

Welcome to the Profits on Purpose Podcast! New episodes weekly.

  1. 4h ago

    I Fired a Billion-Dollar Customer. Here's Why | Spartan Logistics | Steve Harmon

    How Does Your 3PL Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template Steve Harmon, CEO of Spartan Logistics, brings over 30 years of logistics experience to help eCommerce and CPG founders make one of the highest stakes decisions in their business: choosing the right 3PL partner. Steve explains the warning signs that you've outgrown your current logistics provider, what founders need to know before requesting 3PL quotes, and why the cheapest provider is rarely the best choice. He also reveals why location and fit can drive logistics costs, why your local warehouse manager may matter more than technology, how AI is transforming logistics analysis, and why open communication can make or break a long term partnership. 🔹 How to Spot When Your 3PL Is Quietly Hurting Growth🔹 The Data Founders Need Before Requesting 3PL Quotes🔹 Why Location Can Beat Price in Logistics Costs🔹 The Local Manager Factor Behind 3PL Performance🔹 The Critical KPIs Every eCommerce Founder Should Demand🔹 How AI Is Reshaping 3PL Selection and Freight Analysis🔹 Why Open Communication Makes or Breaks 3PL Partnerships Connect with Steve Harmon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-harmon-04a7864/Spartan Logistics: https://www.spartanlogistics.com/ I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

  2. Aug 5

    He Launched His Product for $10,000 and Landed a Trader Joe's Deal | Land Lovers | Jon Gabayzadeh

    How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template Jon Gabayzadeh has spent over twenty years building his own CPG brands, most recently Simply Eggless, before stepping into a different kind of role this year: hired CEO of Land Lovers, a company he did not found. In this episode he breaks down the real difference between founder and CEO thinking, why he chose cash compensation over equity in this role, and how he consistently brings new products to market for less than ten thousand dollars. Jon walks through the zero to one process in detail: finding white space opportunities like the GLP-1 wave, the financing tools that let him retain equity instead of raising capital, and the high margin thresholds he looks for before committing to a product. He also shares the mistakes that taught him to watch margins above everything else, and why chasing volume without profitability is a recipe for disaster. Why Jon took a cash-only CEO role instead of holding equityHow to launch a CPG product for under $10,000The financing options that let founders avoid raising capitalWhat gross margin threshold Jon looks for before backing a productThe biggest mistake he sees founders make with cash flow Connect with Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-gabayzadehLand Lovers: www.lovelandlovers.com Want to know if your business is as profitable as it should be? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit. I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

  3. Jul 29

    Your Distributor Isn't Trying to Screw You. That's Actually the Problem | Socratic CPG | John Henry Behrens

    How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template John Henry Behrens spent years writing the deduction policies at KeHE, then had to live inside them once he moved to the brand side. In this episode he explains why your distributor should be understood as a bank rather than a box mover, why roughly nine and a half out of every ten deductions on a statement are legitimate, and how to tell the difference between a fee worth disputing and one worth leaving alone. He also shares how founders can turn a distributor's sales team into a free extension of their own, and a real example of a brand that grew a third of its business this way.Why your distributor should be treated as a bank, not a box moverThe real reason behind most deduction statement chargesHow to tell a legitimate deduction from one worth disputingTurning your distributor's sales team into a free extension of your own Connect with John Henry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhbehrensiii/ I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

  4. Jul 22

    Cost, Speed, Quality - Pick Two | Shah CPG Consulting | Somil Shah

    How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template For over a decade, today's guest worked inside Procter & Gamble and Reckitt, learning how the biggest names in consumer goods build products that hold their margin at scale. He now runs his own consulting business, helping founders de-risk product development before a single unit gets made.In this episode, Somil Shah, founder and CEO of Shah CPG Consulting, walks through a live role play with Nate, who plays a founder about to launch a new skincare line. Somil breaks down where gross margin is really won or lost, long before a contract manufacturer is ever briefed, and why the decisions founders skip early are the ones that come back to bite them. Why your margin is mostly decided before you speak to a single manufacturerThe difference between product margin and landed margin, and why tariffs make that gap dangerousWhat "clean" actually costs, and how to decide where to draw the line without wrecking your cost structureWhy adding more SKUs is often the wrong move for a growing brandWhat makes a contract manufacturer walk away from a founder, and what makes them go all in Somil Shah is the founder and CEO of Shah CPG Consulting.Website: https://shahcpgconsulting.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/somilshah/If you're building a CPG or e-commerce brand and want help getting your margins right before you launch, reach out to Somil directly through the links above. I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

  5. Jul 8

    Why Revenue Is the Wrong Number | ProfitPeak | Carla Penn-Kahn

    How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template Carla Penn-Kahn is the co-founder and CEO of ProfitPeak, an operating platform that gives eCommerce brands real-time visibility across advertising spend, inventory, and contribution margin. In this episode, Carla shares research conducted alongside James Hurman and Klaviyo showing that brands that discount most frequently grow the slowest — and reveals that 68% of discount orders go to existing customers who would have bought at full price anyway. She and Nate dig into inventory segmentation as a smarter alternative to blanket discounting, the marketing and operations disconnect that keeps most teams flying blind, and what agentic commerce means for eCommerce margins over the next two to three years. If you have ever pulled a discount to hit a monthly revenue number and wondered whether it actually worked, this episode has the data to answer that question. Connect with Carla here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-penn-kahn-0384b0a/Website: https://profitpeak.io I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. - Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit#missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy#impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinking Welcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tensionbetween a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit. I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

  6. Jun 17

    The Sales Tax Time Bomb Sitting in Your eCommerce Books | TaxHero | Lahari Neelapareddy

    Since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling, online sellers can owe sales tax in any US state where they cross a revenue threshold — even without a physical presence. Most eCommerce founders either don't know their exposure exists or assume they're too small to be a target. In this episode, Nate sits down with Lahari Neelapareddy, CPA and Founder of TaxHero, to break down what's actually happening with sales tax enforcement right now. They cover what a real audit looks like, why even well-resourced compliance tools can get this wrong, and the four questions every founder should be asking themselves today. For a free sales tax compliance assessment, mention Profits on Purpose when you book at taxhero.net. I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

  7. Jun 10

    He Spent $80,000 on B Corp Was It Worth It | Izipizi | Charles Brun

    How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template Charles Brun co-founded Izipizi in 2010 with two friends from high school, no capital, and no formal business background. Sixteen years later the brand is in 80 countries, employs 250 people, and is B Corp certified — and Charles is asking the question that most mission-led founders are afraid to answer honestly: is any of this actually worth it? In this episode, Nate and Charles get into the real cost of B Corp certification, what a carbon footprint accounting exercise actually involves, why the ROI of purpose-led credentials looks completely different in the US versus Europe, and what it has actually taken to stay profitable and bootstrapped across a 16-year journey. If you have ever wondered whether doing the right thing makes financial sense, this episode is the most honest answer you will find. Connect with Charles here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbrunWebsite: https://www.izipizi.com I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

  8. Jun 3

    Founder Turned Down Amazon Over 100 Times. Her Margins Will Tell You Why | dip | Kate Assaraf

    How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template Kate Assaraf built dip into a brand sold in 400 to 500 independent stores without spending a cent on advertising, and she's said no to Amazon more than a hundred times. She started with $40,000 and still owns 100% of the business. In this episode, Kate sits down with Nate to explain the thinking behind a go-to-market strategy that runs counter to almost everything other consumer brands do. She shares why selling through zero-waste stores, salons and surf shops protects both her retailers and her margins, and why putting dip on Amazon would undercut the relationships her whole business is built on. The conversation digs into the financial side too. When her contract manufacturer went bankrupt, Kate took the risk of building her own factory, which removed the distributor and co-manufacturer markups and gave her room to hold prices steady while others raised theirs. She talks through working capital, tiny MOQs, and why her inventory system is really just her team keeping an eye on the shelves. There's also a great section on what she does instead of paid ads: taking her top store owners on retreats to Morocco, the Dominican Republic, the Catskills and Tennessee, treating the people who actually sell her product as her most valuable marketing channel. To date she's redirected over $5 million into local economies through her independent retailers. Kate and Nate also get into greenwashing and why synthetic isn't automatically worse than natural, her grateful dead-stock packaging idea, why she'll never take on an investor or a business partner, and what's behind her decision to finally start advertising for the first time, mostly to drive customers into the independent stores she cares about. Find dip at https://www.dipalready.com and use the store locator to find a stockist near you. Connect with Kate on LinkedIn, and follow dip on Instagram and TikTok at @dipalready. I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Profits on Purpose Podcast! New episodes weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    Nate Littlewood
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Nate Littlewood

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