Welcome to the Million Dollar Sellers Podcast hosted by MDS Member Nick Shucet. In this podcast you’ll learn how these amazing E-Commerce entrepreneurs got started, the mistakes they made along the way, the wins they have celebrated and where they are now.

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Learning about Amazon changed Ephraim’s life. He moved from a dissatisfied 21 years-old employee who earned a paltry $12 an hour to a seven-figure seller of over 35,000 products within 6 weeks.

Key Takeaways
Ephraim will teach you the following vital lessons in this interview:

Utilize the power of keywords to scale on Amazon

Explore Amazon PPC if you desire growth in your eCommerce business

Venturing into new business terrains is a great risk that’s worth taking.

Knowing what others don’t know can set you apart from other businesses

Always prepare for the possibility of a congested port so you don’t completely risk your Q4

When Amazon gives you removal, they offer a free window period to send back that SKUs.

Ensure to belong to a business community that you can rely on for help like the Amazon family and MDS.

Learn how Ephraim explored Amazon 3PL to grow his logistics business.

Ephraim Ausch: The Power of Community in Growing an Amazon Business

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Mehran’s business sense dates back to making profit off candy he got from 7-Eleven as a kid. And with about 30% hit on his business during the pandemic, his next milestone is to get the business back to the numbers before COVID.

Key Takeaways
Things you’ll find out from this interview with Mehran Kamari

Ensure that you know everything you need to know before jumping into a business

You must shift from an employee mindset to a business owner’s mindset

The MDS community reshapes your idea of what friendship should be

Losing his father made Mehran realize that people can work all their lives and never enjoy freedom

Consider the risk involved in any path you choose to take

Community is often a big part of big decisions because of shared aspirations and challenges

People are more inclined to do business with you if they resonate with your experiences

If you don’t know what you want, you’ll get discouraged when you encounter obstacles

Leaving a well-paying job to focus on business can be very scary

Don’t be shabby with hiring

A relaxed environment can become a trap for your business

Mehran delegates most repetitive tasks to focus on building products

Even after finding success, Mehran likes to keep it lean. He views his business as a lifestyle.

Mehran Kamari: Optimize Your Business To Suit Your Lifestyle

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Shawn Cannon and his partner Becky began selling on Amazon merely as an alternative income source and have been able to bring in a seven-figure turnover yearly. 

Key Takeaways
In this interview Shawn will teach you these valuable lessons:

Arbitrage is one of the best ways to get into selling on Amazon for people with money

Consider every listing as a doorway to get into Amazon

Branding can greatly impact your Amazon sales turnover if done rightly

Challenges will come when venturing into arbitrage but do not quit. 

It’s advisable to have a thousand listings that sold one unit than one listing that sold a thousand.

It’s okay to try out different products before settling for the one with the most skews and demand.

Sticking to a brand is more rewarding than doing wholesale in the long run.

When it comes to running a business, focus on two things—what you love and what you’re great at.

Be willing to take blind leap of faith towards achieving your goals

Learn how Shawn got into Amazon through arbitrage.

Shawn Cannon: Leveraging Arbitrage to Get Into Amazon

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Kevin demonstrates how environment shapes mindset. Seeing his family do business as a kid, he was able to convince his mother to invest in his first business. However, oneness is something he constantly pursues.

Key Takeaways 
Things you’ll learn from this interview with Kevin Hundall: 

Having a relevant support system improves confidence in business

Identifying and maximizing opportunities in unpleasant situations 

How personal values shape a business 

Your passion fuels your commitment and dedication to your business

The MDS community embodies the value of a community

Seek opportunities in fun and interesting things 

Family members can build businesses together if they agree 

There’s no age limit in the pursuit of success

Learn how Kevin’s environment positioned him to do business and strive for oneness.

Kevin Hundal: Building on an Existing Infrastructure

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At Ecom CPA, simplicity is the keyword. So, they’re constantly working on building systems to break the silo that exist between the accounting and tax departments.
Since most of their clients are entrepreneurs who hate to repeat themselves, their solutions gather enough information to reduce such stress. Then goes further to help them understand their taxes and all they need to know about compliance. 

Key Takeaways
In this interview, you&#39;ll learn from Jeremy and Jason:

Some systems that neutralize the silo between the accounting and tax departments

Understand taxes and all the moving pieces from a compliance perspective

The best way to satisfy your client is to ask them what they want and listen

How Jason overcame his uncertainties about eCommerce

How they’re able to get more traction than their competitors

Why they only work with clients that are a good fit

Why Jeremy chose Jason for his current role

Learn how Ecom CPA eliminates the silo between the accounting and tax departments.

Jeremy and Jason: Building Processes That Simplify Customer Acquisition

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Mike shows how meditation can help leaders respect their staff and understand that everyone is a part of a bigger picture.

Key Takeaways
In this interview, you&#39;ll learn this from Mike:

How meditation helps to calm the monkey mind

To be calm even in the midst of your challenges

Meditation creates a space between any your response and any action

You’ll always ask the right questions and get faster results in a few tries

The practice increases emotional intelligence

People diagnosed with ADHD can 

Spending time meditating moves you away from negative mindset

Recognizing distraction is as precious as being focused

Learn How Mike Used Meditation To Prevent Conflict With Family And Business

Mike Engle: Learning Teamwork Through Meditation

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Although Hasan started out to be an accountant, his love for business and adventure was stronger. In this interview he shows how positioned his executives and customers to be part of the business success.

Key Takeaways
In this interview, you&#39;ll learn this from Hasan:

Expect failure the first time you start a business

Building a business around things you love increases your chances of success

Focus on one thing at a time

People are drawn to honesty

Encourage your customers to give feedback and let that reflect in your updates

Selling products that don’t expire tells customers that they’ll enjoy every penny they paid

Make it easy for your customers to order your product

Learn How Hasan Used Delegation And Feedback To Make His Business Run Efficiently In His Absence

Hasan Hasmani: Making Room for Other Passions Through Delegation

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Investors have poured $1 Billion into Amazon aggregators like Thrasio. John tells what it was like during Thrasio&#39;s beginnings or what he liked to call &#34;origin story&#34;. He explains why successful teams are not composed of just a single person&#39;s ideas. You&#39;ll also learn what it&#39;s like managing a team of 15,000 people and the processes that go along with it. Now that aggregators are becoming a thing, John tells you what makes Thrasio stand out from its competitors. He emphasizes the importance of creating a culture that doesn&#39;t restrict creative freedom.

In the end, Nick shares one valuable lesson he learned with John.

Key Takeaways

How to avoid being too obsessed with success

How to create a workplace culture that inspires creative freedom

How to be comfortable delegating

How to deal with disagreement

Find Out How Thrasio Reached A Billion-Dollar Valuation Managing 200+ Amazon Brands

John Hefter: How An Amazon Aggregator Scales Brands and Inspires Creative Freedom

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Craig entered the business world at age 21, building websites. He began SEO at first to help a family friend, and then discovered the importance of that million-dollar skill much later when he started selling on Amazon.

Key Takeaways
In this interview, you&#39;ll learn this from Craig:

Helping people is equivalent to helping yourself.

How to utilize google traffic to your advantage.

Customizing your keywords to match the season helps boost sales rapidly.

Communicate before taking some serious actions.

Be consistent.

Don&#39;t create antagonism in business.

Business is people, ensure to make it as personal as possible.

How To Run Your Business Without Fear Of Patent Infringement Issue

Craig Brockie: Handling Compliance or Patent Issues in Your Amazon Business

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Dave Stickland runs several Amazon businesses. He worked briefly in the corporate world before partnering with a friend to enter eCommerce. In this interview, Dave dishes on the value of connecting with the right people and having a singular direction.

Key Takeaways
In this interview with Dave, you’ll learn;

The value of connecting with the right people

How utilizing the right business model leads to success

How to avoid friction between business partners

How to set EOS measures to eliminate clashes

The importance of having a singular direction

To let go of some things and focus on the bigger picture

Delegation is key

How To Let Go of Repetitive Tasks To Focus On The Bigger Things

David Stickland: Finding the Right Path and Carving a Niche for Yourself and Business

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Robert and his brother, Tom, started a mail-order business in their basement while in high school. They sold baseball cards and advertised in trade publications in the 80’s. Their business model shifted to Ecommerce in early 2012, where they started on eBay, and later moved to Amazon.
In this interview, he talks about how to get your maximum ROI by focusing on Amazon.

Key Takeaways
In this interview you’ll learn these from Robert:

Ecommerce didn’t reinvent something that wasn&#39;t there. The difference was taking something from the analog world over to the digital world.

If something hasn’t worked for you, it doesn’t mean it won’t work for someone else. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t warn others of it.

Network with people who’ve gone ahead of you because you may not see the future , but they can.

Invest in a passive way that&#39;s “safe.” Where you don&#39;t have to worry about the management , collection, or operational end of it.

Don&#39;t think that since you were successful in Amazon, it must translate to every other business because e-commerce and Amazon are far different.

Ecommerce allows you to see if you’ll succeed in a business in a relatively quick period of time.

Each business has to look at their model and what they&#39;re selling and be aware of everything around them as much as possible.

When you own the customer, especially with selling online, you can do more down the line.

It’s extremely difficult and problematic to sell branded items on Walmart compared to Amazon because of the size and depth of their catalog.

The flat file contains some obsolete items that might confuse the a new seller, but you can customize it carefully and make your templates.

How To Move Your Business From Manual To Digital Operations

Robert Weisberg: ​​Getting More Out of Ecommerce With Your Own Customers

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John Chartier built a multimillion-dollar company on his journey to finding a better life for himself. He picked up vital life lessons such as tenacity, hard work, simplicity, and determination from the challenges of homelessness. Learn how John kept his head above water while dealing with his own personal challenges.
Key Takeaways
In this interview, you’ll learn the following from John: 

The profitability of dropshipping and wholesale compared to private label

The impact of cash flow

Experiences with Amazon loans

How to approach a tax issue

How to look at Amazon&#39;s consistently changing policies

How to move forward from your own personal struggles

How To Turn Your Bad Experiences Into Stepping Stones For Success

John Chartier: Embracing Your Challenges to Move Forward

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Elizabeth Grojean’s background has always been in marketing. But her sabbatical to Bali in 2017 was the start of her Ecommerce journey. Although her intention wasn’t to start a business, following the breadcrumbs led to it.

Key Takeaways
In this interview, you will learn this from Elizabeth’s story and experiences:

How passion can lead to a successful product on Amazon

The effects of having a marketing background as an Amazon seller

How important is PR for an Amazon business

The mistakes people make with PR agencies

When should you partner with a PR agency

How to find a good PR agency

How Passion Creates a Successful Business

Elizabeth Grojean: Finding Business Opportunities in Your Passion

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New York-based Amazon Best Seller, Mohammad, started off his e-commerce business at the age of 19. In 2018, his company won two recognitions for their 3500% revenue growth in three years, with a six-man team. Today, Mohammad owns 4 best-selling independent brands and ten acquired brands run by a team of 65 people. 
Key Takeaways

The first few steps to scaling an Amazon business

How a private label journey begins

The steps involved in building a brand from scratch

The results when hiring in-house compared to outsourcing

Which part of your Amazon business should you invest on

When to pursue markets outside of Amazon USA

How To Build Multiple Brands on Amazon and Other Marketplaces

Mohammad Usman on Building an Empire on Amazon and Other Marketplaces

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Leslie Pierson and her 11-year old son run a thriving game business on Amazon. From making a million dollars in the first year after the launch of their card games, the business has evolved tremendously with a whopping $3.5 million turnover in 2020.
Key Takeaways

The benefits of Kickstarter in starting and growing a business

What you need to get started on Kickstarter

How to come up with creative ideas from Kickstarter

How to use Kickstarter to develop an Amazon listing

How to improve on ideas from other brands to create your own

Why you should leverage Kickstarter for customer feedback

Find Out Leslie's Journey From Shark Tank To Kickstarter

Leslie Pierson: Launch on Kickstarter and Grow on Amazon

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Mike Perillo’s background in IT coupled with a passion for building and fixing computers has enabled him to build an automated business on Amazon. From surviving two flood incidents to going through a pandemic. Mike shares some of his biggest business lessons and future aspirations.

Key Takeaways
In this interview you’ll learn these from Mike:

What products can be personalized for print-on-demand

How print-on-demand can be used for existing Amazon products

The profit margins for print-on-demand businesses

Who to hire for automation tasks

How kids can start a business of their own

Why You Should Consider Print-On-Demand To Generate More Income

Mike Perillo on Automating Processes for Better Work-Life Balance

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Mendy is proof that the MDS community cares for you even when you choose to leave Amazon. Listen to find out how the lessons he learned from the MDS community helped him in his new business venture, Panther Public Adjusting.
In this interview you’ll learn hear about this from Mendy:

Amazon gives you the flexibility of doing your business anywhere so you have the freedom to choose your ideal environment.

You can take the lessons you get on Amazon into another business.

Don&#39;t worry about making money, worry about taking care of customers and money will come.

Don&#39;t ever let somebody who doesn’t have the power to say “Yes”, tell you “No.”

How Mendy Leverages Belonging To A Community of Successful Entrepreneurs

Mendy Lipszyc: How the MDS Community Helps Him Succeed in New Business Ventures

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Leo Limin started to play around with search engines and landing pages in the early 2000s. Although he doesn’t consider himself a good programmer, he learned HTML, JavaScript, and other coding languages. Meeting his partner, Johan helped him realize his dreams much faster. Some of the projects included Mexican yellow pages, Mexican Week, and even the Mexican Airbnb. Leo and Johan went into mobile games and applications that found their way into Disney. Leo got into Amazon with his product, a smart bulb, and learned all there is to know in the Amazon space.
In this interview you’ll learn these from Leo:

Why you should consider hiring talents from Mexico.

How the MDS community contributes to Leo and other members

Are Amazon software tools safe to use?

How to use QR codes for your business

How to build a team and create an enjoyable workplace

When and How to Use Delegating to Grow Your Business

Leo Limin: Knowing When to Build a Team and Step Back in Your Business

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As a veteran Amazon seller, Brandon faced unexpected challenges from selling outside the USA. He also discusses what it&#39;s like when the big players on Amazon use tactics to bring their competitors down.
When Brandon joined the MDS, he was able to solve challenges quickly by leveraging his community. This allowed him to overcome unique challenges quickly and compete with big players.
Key Takeaways
In this interview you’ll learn these from Brandon:

how to react when Amazon requests tax payments for replacement items

how he competed with a big Amazon player at double the price by grabbing 120+ sales a day from the competitors listing

how to find opportunities in niches with a big price gap in product variations

Facing unexpected challenges as an Amazon seller is undeniable proof that you need community.

Brandon Fuhrmann:  Leveraging Communities Like MDS to Compete with Big Amazon Players

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When asked about his guiding principles to success, James Edwards gave us an interesting and practical answer. He also shared how you can push yourself to learn and gain valuable experience in any business. In the end, we asked him what sets a successful Amazon Seller apart from an unsuccessful one. Is it about the processes, principles, or something else?

Key Takeaways

It’s okay for some product launches on Amazon to fail; be prepared to win some and lose some. 

Having fewer competition on Amazon usually translates to less reward

Amazon Canada doesn’t necessarily require rebates. Just PPC and you&#39;ll be fine

If you don’t know how to do something, just start and figure it out

When you find someone you really like when hiring, stick with them 

If you choose to sell your Amazon business, a share sale might offer you tax benefits compared to an asset sale. Make sure to understand the pros and cons of your Amazon business sale structure.

Gathering reviews from Amazon Canada before branching off to Amazon U.S can be really helpful in the launch

Don’t be heavily dependent on EOS and Processes because it stifles creativity