Velocity Sellers Podcast

Returns are not just a cost of doing business on Amazon, they are a system you can design to recover revenue and protect your brand. We talk with JD Sass, CEO of Axiom Return Solutions, about what really happens after a customer sends a product back and why reverse logistics is becoming a serious advantage for sellers who want higher profitability. We get into the Amazon-specific changes that are reshaping returns management: removal versus disposal costs, the tradeoffs of Amazon’s grade and resell program, and how returnless refunds can sometimes be the smartest move. JD also explains why brand control matters, including chain of custody, where inventory ends up, and how “good enough” grading can still lead to missing pieces, unhappy customers, and reviews that tank a listing. Then we go practical. We break down how reimbursement claims work in Seller Central, why the timeline is tighter than it used to be, and what documentation actually drives successful claims. JD shares simple, high-impact fixes like adding photos of every component to your listing, using replaceable inserts, and placing tamper-proof seals on every opening to reduce fraud and prevent used items from re-entering sellable stock. If you sell on FBA, Shopify, or other ecommerce channels, this is a blueprint for turning return data into better packaging, better listings, and better margins. Subscribe for more Amazon operations deep dives, share this with a seller who is drowning in returns, and leave a review with your biggest returns challenge so we can cover it next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Amazon is telling sellers something with its actions, not its press releases: external traffic that converts matters more than ever. We bring on Greg Potts, Senior Director of Partnerships at Levanta, to dig into how affiliate marketing and creator-led content can send high-intent shoppers to your listings and trigger the kind of conversion signals that support organic ranking, visibility, and Best Seller Rank.We talk about the affiliate “halo effect” and why the real win is often bigger than a single tracked sale. A shopper clicks a creator link, lands on one ASIN, then browses your storefront, discovers your other products, and buys more. That blend of performance-based marketing and brand awareness is why Amazon affiliate marketing is becoming a serious lever for modern Amazon brands. Greg also breaks down what actually converts today: authentic partners, not endless one-off posts. Think micro-influencers, publisher listicles, newsletters, and other affiliate types that audiences genuinely trust.If you are planning for Prime Day, we get specific about timing and execution. Affiliate programs are not a last-minute switch, so we cover realistic lead times, how affiliates frame urgency around Prime Day deals, and why paying for conversions can complement PPC when ad costs climb. We also walk through the KPIs that matter most, including the click-to-cart funnel that exposes where your listing or messaging is leaking sales.If you found this useful, subscribe for more Amazon growth playbooks, share the episode with a seller friend, and leave a review so more brands can find it. What part of your marketing mix needs the biggest rethink right now?Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Seller Central can make you feel like the answer is always three exports away. I sit down with Tempest from Seller Labs to talk about a smarter path: using AI integrations and large language models to turn messy Amazon seller data into clear, usable decisions without living in spreadsheets.We get into why old-school dashboards start to break down when you need real-time visibility across thousands of SKUs, shifting fees, and fast-moving performance signals. Tempest explains how Seller Labs is working on an MCP that connects directly to Seller Labs and Amazon data, then plugs into Claude so you can ask plain-English questions like “What changed?” and “Where is profit leaking?” and get a direct, data-backed answer. One story hit hard: a seller used a few prompts to uncover a better shipping solution and reportedly saved around $200,000 per year while staying competitive on price.We also talk Amazon PPC strategy and how ACOS and TACoS can quietly drift while you’re busy running the business. Instead of manual checks, MCP-style automation can monitor campaigns and send alerts when ad performance starts dragging total profitability down. Then we widen the lens to customer experience: reviews, feedback loops, and the hidden margin damage from returns and return fees that can make a “winning” product look far better than it really is.If you’re searching for Amazon AI tools, profitability analytics, advertising optimization, and a realistic view of where humans still add value, this conversation will give you practical angles to test immediately. Subscribe for more, share this with a seller friend, and leave a review so more brands can find it. What would you want AI to monitor in your account first?Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Amazon is in a quiet standoff with some of the biggest brands in the world, and the cracks are starting to show in product selection. We dig into the reports of major names dialing back what they sell on Amazon after disputes over wholesale pricing, as tariffs and fuel costs climb. If nearly 40% of e-commerce runs through one marketplace, even “small” pullbacks can ripple through categories, shopper choice, and every seller’s margin math. We also talk through the uncomfortable question: if huge brands struggle to absorb costs, what does that say about the smaller sellers trying to survive on thinner margins?From there, we shift to a real tactical update for marketplace diversification. eBay is rolling out video ads inside Promoted Listings Priority, letting sellers run up to 45-second videos on a cost-per-click model in markets like the US, Germany, and Canada. For brands and agencies looking for options beyond Amazon advertising, better creative tools on a viable marketplace can change the testing roadmap, especially when competition and fees keep climbing elsewhere.On the AI and tech side, we unpack why Anthropic’s growing share of enterprise LLM API spend matters, plus what it signals about the enterprise AI race with OpenAI. We also cover Anthropic’s move into biotech AI and end with Gartner’s projection that AI agents will spread across business apps by 2026. That future could supercharge AI-powered bid management, inventory forecasting, and customer service automation, but it also raises the hard topics: auditability, oversight, and liability when an agent makes a costly decision. If this helped you think differently about e-commerce strategy and AI risk, subscribe, share it with a teammate, and leave a review. What marketplace or AI shift are you watching closest right now?Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Most Amazon businesses don’t fail because the idea is bad they fail because the foundation is missing. We sit down with Ian Roland Barry from AMZ Expand to talk through the unglamorous work that determines whether an Amazon FBA launch has a real chance: picking the right niche, structuring an offer that can actually compete, and matching your ambitions to the capital required to survive the ramp.We get specific on the details that quietly break brands. Ian explains why GS1 barcodes and clean GTIN and UPC setup matter, how gray-market codes create a product identity mess, and why relying only on an Amazon FNSKU can limit you when you want to sell in retail or other ecommerce channels. From sourcing and supplier negotiation to logistics, we zoom out to show how early operational choices affect ranking, conversion, and long-term scale.Then we tackle the uncomfortable truth about growth: in competitive categories like supplements, beauty, and pet, established sellers will spend aggressively on Amazon advertising because they understand lifetime value. If you try to protect short-term margins, you may never reach the review and sales velocity needed to unlock organic placement. Ian shares a clearer way to think about proof of concept, review accumulation, and “feeding the algorithm” before expecting consistent profit.If you’re building an Amazon brand and want fewer surprises, subscribe, share this with a founder friend, and leave a review with the one part of your launch plan you’re most unsure about.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Most e-commerce people don’t have an information problem. They have a signal problem. We talk with Nick Penev, co-founder behind Extreme Power Brands and a builder of one of the more unusual operator networks in the space, about how he engineers signal on purpose through a free WhatsApp community, a partnerships agency, and a growing newsletter media business.Nick breaks down the one rule that keeps his WhatsApp group useful: he meets every potential member first. That simple filter changes everything. The room stays full of decision makers like Amazon agency owners, Shopify agency founders, SaaS operators, and partnership leaders who can actually act on ideas. We get into why he avoids over-moderation, how introductions and self-promotion can work without turning into spam, and how consistent value creates referrals that compound.Then we shift into a concrete LinkedIn lead generation play: lead magnet posts that trigger comments, drive reach, and convert into newsletter sign-ups, emails, and booked meetings. Nick shares how to structure the hook, what to ask people to comment, why you should connect before sending the asset, and how consistency beats chasing viral wins. We close with his five-minute webinar hack series model, where multiple operators share tactics in rapid succession and the audience votes on the best hack, creating a win for attendees, speakers, and sponsors.If you care about ecommerce community building, B2B lead gen on LinkedIn, newsletter growth, partnerships, and repeatable marketing systems for Amazon and DTC brands, you’ll walk away with a playbook you can test immediately. Subscribe, share this with a founder friend, and leave a review with the one tactic you’re going to try next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Your Amazon listing has seconds to win the click and even less time to win trust. We sit down with Kamal, founder and CEO of AMZ One Step, to get ruthlessly practical about Amazon conversion rate optimization using creative that actually sells. If you’ve been tweaking bids, blaming price, or wondering why traffic doesn’t turn into orders, this conversation reframes the problem around what shoppers see, feel, and understand the moment they land on your product detail page.We unpack the real job of the image stack: the main image stops the scroll, but the secondary images close the sale. Kamal breaks down “visual references,” a simple way to show proof instead of claims, plus how to build a sequence that speaks to a clear customer avatar rather than generic buzzwords like “BPA-free” or “durable.” We also dig into mobile conversion rate killers, the “time to value” mindset, and why you need to sell the buyer before a notification pulls them away.Then we go deep on Amazon video strategy across categories, from UGC videos that can shine in supplements to how-to/assembly videos for technical products, and brand videos in crowded niches. Finally, we tackle the uncomfortable question: as AI-generated images and A+ content get more common, will shoppers start rewarding authentic, human-looking creative instead of perfect polish?If you found this useful, subscribe, share the episode with another seller, and leave a quick review so more brands can build listings that convert.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Logistic shutdowns don’t just slow factories; they expose every weak link in an e-commerce supply chain. When ports clog, check-ins drag, and carriers slip on delivery times, the real question becomes painfully simple: do you actually control your logistics and margins, or are you letting someone else run your business?We sit down with Burak Yolga, VP of Sales and co-founder at ForceGet, to talk through the decisions Amazon sellers are wrestling with right now: AGL and AWD convenience versus visibility, how fee changes and misclassification can quietly destroy profitability, and why “I think I’m making money” is not a strategy. Burak shares what he’s seeing on the ground during peak disruption, plus practical ways to reduce risk: fewer disconnected vendors, better inventory management, and a clearer view of landed cost by SKU so you can spot where profit is really coming from.We also dig into what the future looks like as omnichannel becomes the default. That includes expanding beyond Amazon to Walmart, Shopify, TikTok Shop, and international marketplaces, and structuring fulfillment to match that plan. Burak explains why two-coast inventory placement can cut last-mile shipping cost and delivery time, why Seller Fulfilled Prime is gaining momentum as FBA fees rise, and how AI forecasting tools can help brands time reorders, handle seasonality, and react when competitors go out of stock.If you’re trying to protect cash flow, avoid stockouts, and build a resilient logistics plan for 2026, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a seller friend, and leave a review with the one supply chain problem you want solved next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

If AI sent you twice the traffic tomorrow, would sales rise or stall? We dig into that uncomfortable question with Amy Wess, a veteran Amazon seller, product developer, and conversion-focused strategist who believes the fastest path to growth is simple: fix what convinces a human before you feed what recommends by algorithm.We start with the reality check every seller feels right now—rising Amazon fees, stricter reimbursement rules, and fewer safety nets. Amy lays out the math behind SKU economics and shows why monthly contribution margins beat annual P&Ls for real decisions. From there, we map a pragmatic omnichannel plan: launch where the shoppers are, but build presence on TikTok Shop, Walmart, and a lean Shopify site, using small test lots, third-party warehousing, and creator seeding to spark demand without overextending.Then we go deep on AI-era discovery. Tools like Amazon’s Rufus and Cosmo expose what buyers actually ask before they add to cart. Amy shares two sharp case studies: a phone case brand missing obvious buyer priorities like grip texture, pocket fit, and lifetime warranty, and a foot roller marketed to athletes even though nurses and retail workers drive demand and want medical credibility. The fix is a benefits-first rebuild—lead images that telegraph the core promise, bullets that answer objections in plain language, and A+ content that mirrors the real use case. Only after conversion elements are dialed in should you layer AI-friendly structure and conversational copy.Speed becomes your advantage. Amy breaks down “vibe coding” with tools like Buildy and Replit to ship apps, funnels, and landing pages in hours. By crafting meta-prompts in ChatGPT to minimize token costs, you can iterate UI, embed tools on your site, and validate offers with creators fast. It’s a scrappy loop: research with AI, build quickly, test on the right channel, measure weekly, and compound the wins.The final takeaway is bigger than tactics. Brands that think like asset builders, not listing operators, will ride the next wave. Know your numbers, follow the customer, diversify your channels, and let AI compress the time between idea and live test. If this conversation sparked a plan, share it with a friend who needs the nudge, hit follow, and leave a review with the one metric you’ll track weekly.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

What happens when shoppers stop typing keywords and start asking an AI for exactly what they need? We dive into the future of Amazon advertising with Neha Bhuchar, co-founder and CEO of Atom11, to map the shift from keyword-centric playbooks to prompt-led discovery, retail-aware automation, and guardrailed execution. The conversation moves from first principles—why control beats black-box tools—to the practical systems that free up your week and sharpen your strategy.Neha breaks down Atom11's three AI pillars. Ask AI explains performance swings and distills massive datasets into crisp priorities. Task AI acts like a custom agent, chaining checks across inventory, price, and ad signals before adjusting bids—and re-evaluating results a week later. Consult AI turns objectives like profitability or ACOS targets into step-by-step guidance at the campaign and ASIN level. Together, they can remove most execution time from your calendar while keeping you firmly in control.We also examine Amazon’s own AI moves. Rufus is lifting conversion by reducing friction and could soon drive a majority of shopping entry points, making prompt relevance and product clarity essential. On the practitioner side, Amazon’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) connects Ads APIs to tools like Claude for conversational analytics and, soon, bulk actions. That power demands guardrails: forecasting impact, validating constraints, and blocking risky commands before they burn budget or inventory. Finally, we look ahead to DSP and audience targeting as key pillars of a resilient, full-funnel plan that thrives in a world where chat and voice lead discovery.If you’re ready to evolve beyond keyword-only thinking and build systems that are fast, safe, and scalable, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share this with your team, and leave a review telling us the first ad task you’d automate next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

The creator landscape on TikTok isn’t a gold rush anymore—it’s a discipline. We sit down with Jordyn Levine from Yuka to break down how brands can actually find the right creators, send messages that get answered, and turn top-of-funnel discovery into measurable sales across TikTok Shop, Amazon, and Shopify. If you’ve felt the shift from deal-shouting videos to engaging demos and storytelling, this conversation gives you the playbook to catch up—and then get ahead.We dig into Yuka’s AI-powered creator search that lets you filter for the exact traits that matter, from “women with red hair who speak Spanish” to visually signaled audiences like “moms with babies.” Jordyn shows why ultra-specific targeting makes outreach irresistible and how better briefs yield better content. Then we zoom out: TikTok is your living billboard. Unlike a highway ad, you can test hooks, angles, and formats daily—and now you can measure the cross-channel halo with dashboards that finally prove when a viral moment lifts Amazon conversion.Logistics is strategy, too. TikTok’s fulfillment push and label requirements have 3PLs scrambling, but faster shipping wins impulse decisions. We talk through Fulfilled By TikTok, Carrier By TikTok, ERP label compatibility, and why three-day delivery meaningfully boosts conversion. On the creative front, we tackle AI-generated videos versus human emotion—where synthetic content helps scale and where real faces, textures, and reactions still close the sale. Category-wise, health and personal care thrived by being demonstratable, and women’s apparel is surging for the same reason. If your product shows a visible transformation in seconds, creators can make it pop.Finally, we look at the bigger shift: shopping is moving from search to discovery. Personalized feeds are becoming storefronts where the right products find the right people. To thrive, brands need precise creator recruiting, clear demos, fast fulfillment, and halo-aware analytics—plus smart Amazon tactics around GEO, Rufus, and conversion-first creative. If that’s the roadmap you’ve been hunting for, you’ll leave with concrete steps to execute.If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review—what’s one creator outreach tweak you’ll test this week?Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Want to stop renting your Amazon customers and start building real retention? We sat down with Andrew Smith to unpack a practical system that captures first-party data ethically from marketplace buyers using QR-led, post-purchase journeys—no gimmicks, no review manipulation, and no forced channel hopping. If you’ve felt the squeeze of higher acquisition costs and shrinking attention, this conversation maps out a smarter path.We trace how buying behavior shifted after 2020, why marketplaces now win attention, and what most brands miss about repeat purchases on Amazon. Andrew explains how to design compliant inserts, deliver unique Amazon-specific incentives, and personalize flows by scan count so the second interaction feels new, relevant, and rewarding. Instead of pushing people off-platform, we show how to retain them where they actually like to shop, then layer in education over time to deepen brand loyalty.You’ll learn why awareness plays like billboards rarely convert, how lifecycle-timed emails outperform generic review requests, and the simple cadence that can double repeat rates without heavy ad spend. For new sellers, we lay out a launch strategy that uses Amazon velocity to seed an owned list, bypassing the “Meta tax” while keeping budgets sane. Throughout, we stay grounded in first-party data ethics, clear compliance guardrails, and tool choices that align pricing with real outcomes.If you’re ready to turn one-time buyers into loyal fans with straightforward, human-first retention, this episode delivers the blueprint. Subscribe, share with a fellow seller, and leave a quick review to tell us the next retention topic you want us to tackle.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Your next conversion lift might not come from new ad creative or a fancy A+ module. It’s hiding in your reviews—what customers love, what frustrates them, and which negatives never should have been there in the first place. We sit down with Sean to map a practical playbook for Amazon review defense: identifying clear policy violations, reporting them through the paths that actually work, and building a reliable tracker so removals stick instead of quietly reappearing.We get specific about what crosses the line. Pricing mentions and off-platform comparisons often slip past automated filters but are among the fastest to remove. Subjective taste is usually fair game, yet reviews that nudge shoppers to competitors or misstate use can be challenged. You’ll hear why the “compensated review” form frequently yields higher success against fake or coordinated review bombs, how to document verified vs. unverified claims, and why multiple tickets with tighter evidence can make the difference with Amazon support.But cleanup is only half the equation. With only about 10% of buyers writing reviews, every written comment carries outsized weight in rankings, ads performance, and AI-driven recommendations. Sean shows how to turn review data into a product roadmap: fix packaging pain, clarify instructions, address compatibility issues, and surface features customers feel are missing. We also compare Amazon’s native review analysis with deeper two-year sentiment tracking, and share simple ways solo sellers can stay proactive—like using targeted alerts or hiring a focused VA to manage submissions and weekly insights.If you sell on Amazon, this conversation is a blueprint for protecting your listing and improving your product at the same time. Subscribe for more seller-first strategies, share this with a founder who needs a review win, and leave a quick rating to tell us what topic you want next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

VAT can feel like a wall between your store and European growth, but the reality is far more manageable when you follow a focused plan. We walk through exactly where to start, why you don’t need to register in every country, and how to use Amazon’s systems and modern VAT tools to stay compliant while protecting cash flow.We begin with market selection. For many U.S. sellers, the UK is a smart first step thanks to shared language, straightforward rules, and easier labeling. From there, Germany and France become natural additions—especially with Amazon programs that simplify cross-border logistics. We lay out when a VAT number is required, the documents authorities actually review, and how to avoid month-long delays by submitting strong applications that anticipate follow-up requests.We also get real about product-specific rules. VAT itself is product-agnostic, but EU safety laws are not. High-risk categories like cosmetics, supplements, and infant toys often require an EU Authorized Representative and distinct certifications before your listings can go live. On the money side, we explain how Amazon often remits VAT on your behalf as a deemed supplier, why your filings may show zero payable VAT, and where the real cash sits: import VAT refunds. Learn when to import via the UK, France, Germany, or the Netherlands, how reverse charge mechanisms ease cash flow, and why the “best” route depends on your sales mix and storage plan.Rounding it out, we unpack OSS and the EU’s upcoming VIDA initiative, both aimed at streamlining cross-border VAT for multichannel sellers. If you’re using Shopify or a 3PL alongside Amazon, OSS can help you charge the right destination VAT rate and file quarterly without juggling multiple registrations. The big takeaway: adopt a proactive VAT strategy powered by software that pulls data from Amazon, automates filings, tracks refunds, and stands up to audits—so you can scale without fear.Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe, share with a fellow seller eyeing Europe, and leave a quick review with your top VAT question—we’ll tackle it next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Searching for your place on the digital shelf while the aisle stretches to infinity? We sit down with Rob Hahn, CEO of Pattern and former Amazon leader, to unpack what actually drives marketplace growth when loyalty is fading and choice is exploding. The answer isn’t louder ads—it’s the pairing of a genuinely great product with operational speed that turns clicks into carts.We trace Rob’s journey from early, robot-free Amazon warehouses to launching robotics sites, then to scaling brands globally at Pattern. Along the way, we break down why algorithms reward conversion, low return rates, and strong reviews above brand narratives, and how Prime, one-day shipping, and inventory proximity now act as silent salespeople. Rob explains the one-to-ten leap: master both selling and moving stuff. That means in-stock discipline, listing health, and logistics strategy that shortens delivery windows and lifts rank.We also dive into brand identity on platforms with very different discovery patterns. TikTok Shop, Amazon Search, and Walmart demand distinct creative and pricing choices without eroding equity. Rob makes the case for data over opinions, revealing how first-party insights across hundreds of thousands of SKUs guide spend, forecast demand, and spot profitability leaks. On AI, we cut through hype: it’s powerful for rapid testing and classification, but only as good as the inputs. High-integrity assets and human oversight keep details right where accuracy matters most.Looking ahead, Rob leans on a durable truth: shoppers will always want better products, lower prices, and faster, often free, delivery. Social commerce may spike, AI may normalize, but those fundamentals won’t budge. If you align around quality, speed, and cost—and let data lead—you’ll keep winning shelf space the algorithms can’t ignore. Subscribe, share with a teammate who owns marketplace growth, and drop a review with your biggest bottleneck—we’ll tackle it on a future show.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Record Q4 sales can hide a painful truth: without clean books, you may be celebrating revenue while bleeding profit. We sit down with ConnectBooks CEO Nachman Lieser to unpack a simple but powerful idea—your books are the story of your business, and the clearer the story, the smarter your decisions.We start with the real shocks sellers faced this year, from tariffs to rising storage costs, and show how to see their impact on margins instead of guessing. Nachman explains why comparison reports matter on big promo days, and how to allocate returns and storage fees to the correct months so December’s P&L reflects reality. That single shift often exposes loss-making SKUs masked by flashy sales. We also dig into landed cost, overhead, and category splits so you can know your true break-even by product type and stop relying on gut feel.Cash flow takes center stage as we explore inventory age and turnover. If monthly COGS is $300k, why is $2.5M tied up on the shelves? Learn simple thresholds to right-size inventory, reduce carrying costs, and improve liquidity. Nachman highlights how Costco wins with roughly 3,800 SKUs and high turns—and how that mindset can guide smarter purchasing, forecasting, and pricing in your own catalog. The payoff: fewer heroics, more control, and a bank balance that matches your effort.If you want a clearer P&L, healthier cash flow, and a calm plan for Q4 and beyond, this conversation maps the path. Subscribe, share with a seller who needs a margin wake-up, and leave a review with the one metric you’ll track differently this week.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

What if your biggest growth unlock isn’t a new channel, but how you use the ones you already have? Two seasoned operators go head-to-head on the smart way to apply AI, the real winners for 2026 ad spend, and the first hire that sets your brand’s trajectory. The conversation gets specific fast: why letting AI write your SEO is a trap without data, how compliance hallucinations can quietly nuke revenue, and where “amplify, don’t replace” turns AI into a creative force multiplier for images and short-form video.We weigh “Amazonia” against TikTok’s momentum and land on a pragmatic view: Amazon remains the backbone for scalable, exit-worthy revenue, while TikTok and Reddit create edge opportunities when matched to the right ICP and creative. The hire debate splits the room—growth manager to push demand and break bottlenecks vs COO to build processes first—but both paths win when you commit to testing and clear goals. On wasted spend, we call out untargeted brand campaigns and untested products, then offer a tighter loop: prototype, measure, iterate, scale.Expect actionable channel strategy. Treat Instagram and Facebook as distinct ecosystems inside Meta. Explore Reddit for efficient, context-rich placements that meet buyers inside candid communities. Max out branded and high-intent search on Google and Amazon to catch ready demand. For the customer journey, we frame friction as price and choice: price must tell a value story, and choice overload demands sharper positioning, clean comparisons, and a single, obvious job-to-be-done. Retention flows from product truth and experience—memorable unboxing, useful follow-ups, and a product that simply works.We close by showing where AI truly shines right now: accelerating creative. Generate lifestyle images and believable video seconds, then polish with human editing to ship more winning variants across PDPs and feeds. If you want to grow faster without burning cash, this showdown delivers the blueprint. If you learned something useful, follow the show, share with a teammate, and leave a quick review—what tactic are you betting on for 2026?Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

The past year didn’t just test margins—it rewired how smart sellers plan, create, and scale. We sit down with Abe Chomali to unpack the two forces that defined 2025—tariffs and AI—and get tactical about what actually moved the needle and how to turn those lessons into a winning 2026 strategy.We start with the tariff squeeze and why the brands that treated it as a finance problem, not a marketing problem, came out ahead. Abe breaks down contribution margin in plain terms and shows how earlier inventory bets, disciplined pricing, and forecasting turned pressure into profit. Then we shift to AI: not the hype around shiny shopping features, but the real gains from spinning up dozens of video and image variations, testing them ruthlessly, and pairing results with AMC insights. If you’ve wondered whether a 2% conversion lift matters, Abe explains why at scale it can equal a house.We also explore how Amazon’s search experience is quietly evolving—answering nuanced questions, reducing returns, and rewarding detail-rich listings that anticipate buyer needs. Abe shares why 2026 success will belong to sellers who combine differentiated products with rigorous operations and own demand beyond ads. Think Amazon Creator Connections, TikTok, and community-driven awareness that primes shoppers before they ever type a keyword.If you’re launching next year or leveling up, this conversation doubles as a playbook: build something truly better, run your numbers like a pro, and let AI accelerate creative and analysis rather than replace judgment. Subscribe, share this with a fellow seller, and leave a review to tell us the first test you’re running this week.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Headlines moved fast this quarter, but the throughline is unmistakable: AI now sits at the center of e‑commerce strategy. We dig into Amazon’s shift toward agentic AI that actually does the work—fixing listings, launching campaigns, and resolving account issues—then follow the ripple on the shopper side as Rufus becomes a core shopping layer. When customers type “best drain cleaner for old pipes,” the assistant doesn’t just find keywords; it selects solutions. That’s why GEO—optimization built for how AI understands goals, entities, and outcomes—now beats traditional SEO.We also unpack TikTok Shop’s growing pains and progress. Counterfeiters tried to ride generative tools to fake reviews and visuals; TikTok answered with a combined AI and human crackdown that removed tens of millions of listings and hundreds of thousands of sellers. The message is clear: trust is the moat. Meanwhile, Walmart tested a premium pivot, chasing higher-end assortments. The opportunity is real, but shopper expectations and merchandising still lag. Premium brands should enter with care, protect price architecture, and watch for improvements in content modules, ads, and service SLAs before scaling.Numbers tell the rest of the story. Cyber Monday hit a record $14.25B, Black Friday reached $11.8B, and total Cyber Week spend landed at $44.2B. Mobile accounted for 57% of Black Friday purchases, and AI-assisted shoppers were 38% more likely to convert—proof that the path to purchase runs through a small screen and a smart agent. Looking forward, AWS is pushing custom silicon to cut AI costs, and TikTok is preparing a U.S. data migration by March 2026 alongside stricter AI labeling. Our takeaways are simple: build mobile-first content, structure product pages so assistants can parse real outcomes, invest in authentic creator proof, and price for promotion-heavy peaks.If this breakdown helps you plan 2026, tap follow, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review so more sellers can find the show.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Bad reviews aren’t just bruising your ego—they’re taxing your rank, spiking your PPC, and scaring off retail buyers. We sat down with Shane Barker, CEO and co-founder of TraceFuse, to unpack how to remove violating Amazon reviews the right way and protect your most important ASINs without risking your account.We get specific about what Amazon actually prohibits: exact price mentions, competitor callouts, profanity, and FBA-related complaints that blame the product for shipping failures. Shane explains why only written reviews can be removed, how his team builds compliant cases, and why going “faster” isn’t worth the risk. We also explore how review averages influence conversion and CPCs, why small dips in star ratings snowball into bigger costs, and how attackers target high-LTV categories like supplements, beauty, and pet with copy-paste tactics.You’ll learn how to spot fraud patterns such as sudden bursts of one-star reviews or repeated phrasing across accounts, and how to separate product issues from fulfillment issues so you’re measuring the right signals. Shane shares a free Amazon Review Checker that flags likely violations in your recent reviews and a new ROI calculator that models the revenue lift from removing critical reviews, so you can prioritize which ASINs to defend first. It’s a practical, white-hat playbook for cleaning up your listings, stabilizing ads, and restoring trust without shortcuts.If you care about rank, profitability, and future retail partnerships, this conversation will change how you manage reviews. Subscribe, share with a fellow seller, and leave a rating to tell us which review tactic you want Amazon to crack down on next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

What if someone else registered your business name tomorrow—and could prove it before you could? We dig into the uncomfortable reality that a brand isn’t truly yours until you can defend it, using the Slim Shady vs Swim Shady dust-up to explain how “fame of the mark” can stretch protection far beyond product categories. It’s a sharp reminder that trademark strategy isn’t just legal housekeeping; it’s risk management, platform access, and long-term brand equity rolled into one.With trademark attorney Tiffany in the chair, we walk through a clean, founder-friendly playbook: research, register, and police. Research means clearing multiple naming options before you fall in love with one that can’t be protected. Registration turns your claim into third-party verifiable proof—the kind Amazon, TikTok, and ad platforms trust when you need features, takedowns, or to settle a dispute fast. Then comes policing: monitoring marketplaces, shutting down lookalikes, and stopping dilution so your mark doesn’t become a free-for-all as your product gains traction.We also talk about the messy parts—why rebrands feel embarrassing yet can be powerful customer touchpoints, why distinctive made-up words often pass more easily than everyday terms, and how crowded categories like supplements and pet products raise the bar on originality. Finally, we look ahead to AI’s role in naming and clearance. While today’s tools can help brainstorm and screen, true end-to-end clearance still needs expert judgment. The upside? Pressure from AI may push the USPTO toward clearer, more consistent outcomes, reducing guesswork for founders.If you’re gearing up for growth, don’t leave ownership to chance. Subscribe for more brand-building strategies, share this with a founder who needs to hear it, and leave a review to tell us which step—research, registration, or policing—you’re tackling next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Q4 doesn’t just stress your warehouse—it stress‑tests your finance. We sat down with Sourabh Nolkha to unpack why the busiest season creates both record sales and record leakage, and how to build the finance stack that keeps more of what you earn. From pre‑season prep to real‑time dashboards, we map the exact systems that let you track inventory, reconcile revenue across channels, and stop variable costs from swallowing your margins.We start where most teams stumble: revenue visibility. Multi‑channel selling blurs the line between orders and actual cash, especially when commissions, shipping fees, returns, and settlement timing differ by channel. Sourabh breaks down the biggest blind spots—40–60% variable costs and an avoidable 3–5% revenue leakage—and explains how automated reconciliation and exception tracking recover money that would otherwise vanish. As companies scale, finance is often the first team to strain. We share practical signals your close is slipping, why “revenue minus cost ≠ cash” is a red flag, and how to fix it with better data flows and targeted automation.Then we get tactical with AI. Clean, contextual data is the prerequisite; once that’s in place, AI can spot anomalies, trigger alerts on return spikes, and answer high‑value questions like last‑seven‑day profitability by category. Saurabh opens the hood on Zen Statement’s AI stack: intelligent data capture when APIs are missing, self‑serve reconciliation to link new sources, conversational analytics for decision speed, and the next frontier—a dispute management agent that turns detection into recovery. Finally, we reframe forecasting. Demand prediction is only half the story; true cash forecasting bakes in cost structures and payout schedules by channel so you can plan inventory, marketing, and working capital with confidence.If you want Q4 to fund your growth rather than drain your bank account, this conversation gives you the blueprint: unify your data, model your costs, monitor in real time, and let AI guard your margins. Enjoyed the episode? Follow, share with a fellow operator, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Think you know what your customer is thinking? We put that belief to the test with consumer behavior specialist Peter Paul Mann, who shows how smarter research uncovers the real motivations behind clicks and conversions. We dig into the practical differences between launch prep and optimizing an existing listing, why some A/B tests quietly mislead, and how to frame polls that surface true buying triggers instead of defaulting to “more for money.”We walk through a simple system for crafting a sales story that stops the scroll: lead with the problem that matters, hook fast, explain why it’s for the shopper, and land a clear differentiator. Peter Paul explains how to turn review themes and pain points into testable concepts, why isolating creative variables beats chasing tool trends, and how a famous “six‑in‑one” shower rod example proves that versatility claims can distract from what buyers actually value. You’ll hear how to target the right respondents, design realistic scenarios, and simulate safely before making changes that could risk revenue.We also explore white‑glove research support, segmented product sample videos that reveal tactile truths, and a pricing approach using the Gabor Granger method to map demand drop‑offs and price elasticity. Finally, we unpack a new SQP sales dashboard connected to Amazon’s API that highlights share of clicks versus share of conversions by keyword and models the ROI of small conversion lifts. The takeaway is crisp: ask better questions, test with context, and let real consumer insight guide your creative, pricing, and roadmap.If this helped you think differently about research and optimization, follow the show, share it with a colleague who needs better data, and leave a quick review to tell us the one change you’ll test this week.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Fresh from Innovate 2025 in New York, we sat down with founders, operators, and agency leaders to ask the questions sellers care about most: which categories are worth launching now, how AI actually drives profit instead of noise, and what Amazon could change to help brands grow. The answers are bold, specific, and grounded in real P&L pressure—not theory.We dig into the case for recurring revenue—beauty, supplements, consumables, pets, and baby—along with a contrarian stance to avoid high-risk verticals until you have capital and chops. Guests make the design-first argument too: pick any niche where you can truly improve the product and packaging, then use TikTok-friendly, demonstrable content to fuel demand. On the operations side, AI transforms the workflow: listing overhauls in seconds, campaign copilots surfacing first-party insights, CTR and CVR image audits across entire niches, and creative flywheels that turn out high-quality photos and video at scale. The pattern is clear—teams that train VAs on modern AI tools and measure outcomes with contribution profit outpace those chasing hacks or vanity ACOS.We also press on fees, support, and seller experience. Referral fees, storage, and inbound placement fees draw heat for crushing margins, while newcomers struggle with complex FBA onboarding and fragmented internal communication. Guests call for better agency partnerships and, yes, more real humans in support. Tactic-wise, we separate signal from hype: DSP without attribution, sloppy AI images, and broad conquesting burn cash; sponsor brand video with aggressive creative testing, disciplined negative matching on autos, and price–ad spend harmonization unlock profit. Myths fall quickly: Amazon isn’t passive, it isn’t “too late,” and hacks don’t scale. As for 2026 acquisition, the room splits—TikTok’s algorithm and low CAC versus Amazon’s purchase intent and smoother path to checkout—hinting that channel mastery, not platform loyalty, will win.If these insights help sharpen your strategy, follow the show, leave a quick review, and share this episode with a founder who needs a clearer path to profit.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Headlines rarely change how we shop overnight—this week might be the exception. We unpack Amazon’s $2.5B settlement over alleged dark patterns, why $1.5B is earmarked for affected customers, and what this signals for consent, cancellations, and customer trust across e‑commerce. Then we pivot to the logistics chessboard: Amazon extends Prime‑speed delivery beyond its own site with multi‑channel fulfillment for Shopify, Walmart, and Shein, hinting at a future where the fulfillment network matters more than the marketplace logo.On the other side of the board, Walmart doubles down on convenience and reach. With a new OpenAI partnership, shoppers at Walmart and Sam’s Club can use ChatGPT to find and buy products conversationally, inching toward an ambient commerce world where AI anticipates needs and orders before you ask. Pair that with Walmart’s bold claim to deliver to 95% of U.S. households in under three hours by year end, and the stakes around inventory accuracy, store‑as‑node fulfillment, and last‑mile orchestration have never been higher. We explore the benefits and the real risks—privacy, mistaken purchases, and the ethics of AI choice architecture.Finally, TikTok tightens the marketplace: clearer negative balance thresholds give sellers earlier warning before perks and withdrawals vanish, while a crackdown on repetitive, face‑less, text‑to‑speech‑heavy videos pushes creators toward authentic, human content that actually converts. Expect less engagement farming and more useful stories that earn trust. Throughout, we share pragmatic takeaways for brands: design consent that’s obvious, diversify fulfillment without losing your customer data, and build short, honest videos that show people solving real problems.Join us, subscribe for weekly e‑commerce intelligence, and tell us what you think: is AI‑assisted shopping a convenience win or a step too far? If you found this useful, share it with a teammate and leave a quick review—it helps more builders find the show.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

E‑commerce moved fast this year, and we’re unpacking the plays that actually work when Amazon ads get pricey and shopper behavior shifts. We bring back Vincenzo from eComsi to talk about the power of TikTok for demand generation, how to turn creator content into higher Amazon conversion, and why external traffic can be your most efficient path to rank and revenue. If you’ve felt the squeeze from rising CPCs, this conversation offers a clear route to healthier unit economics.We also dive into the logistics chessboard. Walmart’s footprint makes the “king of logistics” debate real, while Amazon’s Buy with Prime now lets you fulfill social orders using FBA inventory. That unlocks social commerce without 3PL headaches. Then we tackle tariffs head-on: how they alter pricing strategy, why Prime Day discounts can backfire, and what to do instead. You’ll hear practical tactics like HS code optimization, diversifying manufacturing to Vietnam, India, Mexico, and Eastern Europe, and expanding proven listings into Europe and the Middle East with proper localization.AI is the other tectonic shift. Amazon’s Rufus and the Cosmo engine increasingly match products to intent based on images, text, and lifestyle context. Keywords still matter for indexing, but creative now signals fitness for purpose. We share a blueprint to align titles, bullets, and visuals to real personas, and we show how Amazon Marketing Cloud helps you build smarter audiences, map cross-channel journeys, and eliminate wasted spend. The throughline is simple: creators for demand, logistics for trust, and AI for relevance.If you’re preparing for Q4 or planning next year’s playbook, this episode gives you concrete steps to protect margin and grow rank: rebalance spend toward external traffic, repurpose creator content across ads and listings, tighten sourcing and HS codes, and use AMC to personalize at scale. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow, share with a teammate, and leave a quick review to help more sellers find the show.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Profits don’t appear by accident—especially when tariffs rise, fees stack up, and ads get pricier. We sit down with CapForge’s Matt Ramuzzi to pull back the curtain on e‑commerce accounting that actually drives growth. The conversation is blunt, practical, and focused on what matters: knowing exactly which SKUs make money, which channels deserve your time, and how to protect margin when costs jump.We start by challenging the “sales are up” narrative and unpack why clean, e‑commerce‑specific books are the only way to see true unit economics. Matt shares a real client story: over 100 active SKUs with 30 losing money before ads—cutting them freed enough cash to absorb new tariff costs. From there, we get tactical about catalog triage, SKU‑level P&L, and reallocating ad spend toward products with real pricing power. If Amazon is 95% of your revenue, we question the myth of diversification and explain why small channels can be costly distractions unless they contribute meaningful, profitable volume.The heart of the episode is differentiation. Competing with undifferentiated products is a race to zero; building bundles, features, or brand loyalty creates the pricing power that withstands tariff shocks and ad inflation. We zoom out to the post‑COVID market: normalization, manufacturers going direct, and tighter margins that demand intent, not guesswork. You’ll hear clear guidance on modeling landed costs with tariffs, deciding when to raise prices or exit SKUs, and using accounting as an operating system for growth—not just tax time.If you’re ready to replace gut feels with data and steer your business through Q4 and beyond, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a founder who needs a reality check, and leave a review with the one SKU you plan to cut—or double down on—after listening.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

If 60% of e-commerce lives beyond Amazon, why are so many brands still waiting on the sidelines? We sat down with Seth Hurd of Brand Expand to map a clear path into the channels that actually fit your products—and to separate hype from traction across Walmart, TikTok Shop, Shopify, and niche marketplaces. From review dynamics and margins to logistics and speed, we unpack where early movers are winning now and what will matter most in 2026.We get tactical about Walmart’s latent logistics advantage and why its online growth rate may outpace Amazon’s mix shift over the next few years. Seth explains how to pick platforms based on category and price point, not fear of missing out—think Chewy for pets, Etsy for handmade, and specialty retail where your buyer already shops. We also dig into TikTok Shop’s low-friction onboarding and creator engine that makes it the most effective launch booster of 2025, often seeding repeat orders that migrate to Shopify, Amazon, or Walmart where reordering is habitual.AI threads through everything here. On the practical side, it compresses content creation, improves listing quality, and turns messy customer feedback into clear product and UX fixes that lift conversion rates. On the strategic side, it rewires discovery. GEO—generative engine optimization—will decide which products appear when a shopper asks an assistant for “the best leakproof bottle under $25.” We lay out how to make your brand legible to these systems with clean specs, authentic reviews, rich media, and a defensible value story. And because Q4 waits for no one, we share the unglamorous moves that protect growth: order inventory early, build relevancy weeks before peak, and avoid the annual bottlenecks that quietly erase momentum.If you’re serious about expanding beyond Amazon, protecting margin, and staying visible as AI reshapes search and reordering, this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a founder who needs it, and leave a review with the channel you plan to test next.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Shoppers are about to enter peak buying mode—and the platforms know it. We break down the new Q4 map: Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days locked for October 7–8, Target stretching Target Circle Week to October 5–11, and Walmart running deals from October 7–12. That calendar collision can be a gift if you plan it right, or a margin trap if you don’t.We unpack the operational punch behind the headlines, starting with Amazon’s decision to end FBA prep and labeling services in the US come January. Combined with inbound placement fees and stricter inventory rules, the cost pressure keeps shifting to sellers. We share concrete ways to protect contribution margin: stand up reliable prep workflows, recalibrate landed cost per unit, and let clean numbers set your promo depths and ad bids. Then we turn to TikTok Shop’s commission hikes—now pushing into the mid-to-high teens—which means creator-led sales need real unit economics, not vanity metrics. You’ll hear how to structure blended creator deals, use live shopping to move inventory, and design bundles that lift AOV while staying profitable.Target’s loyalty play gets a closer look too. With Target Circle and the paid Circle 360 offering early access, exclusive drops, and same-day delivery, there’s a smart way to sequence offers: seed members with timed coupons, pair hero SKUs with cart-threshold add‑ons, and serve proof‑rich creative to bottom‑funnel shoppers. Finally, we tackle Walmart’s marketplace headaches—fake storefronts, stolen seller IDs, and counterfeit goods—and lay out a fast-response brand protection checklist so you can escalate issues with evidence and keep trust intact.If you’re aiming to turn overlapping deal weeks into real growth, this is your field guide to pricing, inventory, and creative that survive rising fees. Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a review with the one Q4 tactic you’re betting on this year.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Billions sold and we’re still just getting started. We sat down with Jordan Levine to unpack how AI and creators are reshaping TikTok Shop—from finding the right affiliates to building a repeatable UGC engine that lifts Amazon and D2C sales. The headline shift: creator spend is the new ad spend. Instead of pushing budgets into traditional ads, smart brands invest in the right creators, the right hooks, and the right audiences—and then use AI to scale what works without burning hours on manual outreach.We dig into the practical playbook. Jordan breaks down how AI tools filter affiliates by category fit, post-fulfillment rate, engagement quality, and last-month GMV, then automate thousands of targeted invites and messages per day. We also explore social intelligence that scrapes TikTok Shop to surface top products, winning hooks, and proven creators, so you can reverse-engineer success for your niche. With proper usage rights, the best UGC becomes omnichannel fuel: Spark ads, Instagram Reels, Amazon PDP videos, and retail media. The result isn’t just TikTok revenue—it’s a measurable halo on Amazon, where trust and Prime do the heavy lifting.We also look ahead. Will AI-generated video rival human creators? How should brands balance infinite content scale with the emotional nuance that sells? Expect lives, auctions, and AI content to evolve fast, but the fundamentals remain: audience fit, creative testing, and relentless iteration. Treat TikTok as your fast insight lab, then bring the winners to Amazon and beyond.If you’re building a TikTok Shop strategy—or wondering how to turn creator content into a true growth flywheel—this conversation is your blueprint. Subscribe for more deep dives, share with a teammate who needs the playbook, and leave a review with your biggest TikTok KPI—what matters most to you?Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

The e-commerce landscape is transforming at breakneck speed, and the most successful brands are embracing an "everybody eats" philosophy. This powerful approach, as our guest explains, means being present wherever your customers want to buy rather than forcing them into your preferred sales channel.For brands heading into Q4 2025, strategic inventory forecasting and capital allocation remain critical factors for omnichannel success. The decisions you make about where to place your "chips" across Amazon, TikTok, Shopify, and other platforms can dramatically impact your growth trajectory. Our discussion reveals how brands should evaluate their channel priorities and why maintaining momentum on key platforms sometimes requires difficult inventory decisions.The relationship between digital success and physical retail has completely reversed in recent years. While brands once established retail presence before expanding online, today's standout companies grow digitally first, then leverage their online success to secure coveted shelf space. When you can approach a major retailer with evidence of massive TikTok following and millions in digital sales, those once-difficult retail conversations become remarkably easier.We also explore Amazon's Buy with Prime program and its evolution into a powerful tool for increasing customer confidence on direct-to-consumer sites. For smaller brands especially, this integration offers valuable social proof through Amazon's trusted reviews and fulfillment capabilities—often the missing element that pushes hesitant buyers to convert.Looking ahead to 2026, artificial intelligence promises to fundamentally reshape how consumers discover and purchase products. Are you prepared for a world where AI assistants shop based on customer preferences, sizes, and price points? The shift from traditional search to "generative engine optimization" requires forward-thinking strategies that many brands haven't yet considered.Ready to expand your brand's reach? The time to plan your next channel expansion isn't after the holiday rush—it's now. Connect with experts who understand each platform's unique requirements, foster communication between your channel teams, and position your brand for omnichannel success in the coming year.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

The countdown to AI dominance has begun, but there's still time to position your e-commerce business for success in this brave new world. Former Google executive Mo Gawdat warns we're just months away from AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio cautions that "global collapse is coming." But what does this mean for entrepreneurs today?Amy shares jaw-dropping examples of how quickly AI is transforming business operations. One CEO slashed his workforce from 500 to 160 employees in just three months through automation. Google's Nano Banana now allows anyone to create professional product videos in minutes, eliminating entire creative workflows. Even high-level business strategy that once required expensive consultants can now be generated in minutes by combining multiple AI tools.Despite these sobering realities, there's hope for forward-thinking entrepreneurs. While service-based businesses face significant disruption, product-based brands remain valuable assets. The key lies in understanding your customer avatar deeply and creating meaningful brand experiences that AI can enhance but not replace. Amy demonstrates how she leverages AI for competitive analysis, website optimization, and even patent filings—tasks that previously required specialized professionals and weeks of work.The most powerful strategy combines human expertise with AI capabilities. Understanding color psychology in branding, recognizing emotional connections with customers, and identifying unique market opportunities are areas where human insight still provides an edge when augmented by AI tools. As Amy notes, "One thing that is not going to change is human connection."Ready to future-proof your business? Visit amazingathome.com and use the "Ask Amy" feature for personalized advice on applying these powerful AI tools to your specific challenges. The robots may be coming, but with the right approach, your brand can still thrive.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

The digital marketing landscape has undergone a profound transformation, with authenticity now reigning supreme over polished production. Donatas Smiles, CEO and co-founder of Billo, joins us to unpack why 92% of consumers trust recommendations from real people over brand-created content, and how this shift is revolutionizing e-commerce sales strategies.Donatas shares his journey from micro-influencer marketing to creating a platform that connects brands with UGC creators who may not have massive followings but can create authentic, conversion-driving content. The conversation reveals how the psychology of relatability plays a crucial role in consumer trust—when we see someone similar to ourselves genuinely enjoying a product, we're significantly more likely to purchase it ourselves.We explore the fascinating emergence of "ugly ads" and why content that breaks from polished standards often performs better in today's saturated media environment. As Donatas explains, "The beauty of it is that the more authentic a person is, the better it vibes with the audience." This authenticity isn't just about aesthetics—it's about creating genuine connections that algorithms reward with visibility and consumers reward with purchases.The discussion also ventures into the evolving relationship between AI and UGC, with Donatas offering a thoughtful perspective on where to draw ethical lines. While AI can enhance strategies and scale testing, Billo has made a moral decision against creating "fake UGC" by cloning real creators, recognizing the potential damage to brand trust.For brands preparing for the competitive Q4 season, Donatas offers practical wisdom: approach creator content as "a separate marketing channel with separate budgets and a very systematic approach." The brands that succeed will be those that plan strategically, test continuously, and harness the power of authentic human connections in their marketing.Curious about implementing UGC for your brand? This episode provides both the strategic foundation and tactical tips to get started, regardless of your company's size or budget. Subscribe now for more insights that will keep you ahead in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Q4 selling season is approaching fast, and savvy Amazon sellers are already mapping their strategy for the cascade of shopping events ahead. In our latest episode, we dive deep into what you need to know about Prime Big Deal Days, the October sales event that kicks off the holiday shopping season.While speculation swirls about whether this October event will span the traditional two days or extend to four like July's Prime Day, one thing is certain: preparation time is running short. Our panel of experts confirms that inventory should already be en route to Amazon's fulfillment centers, and promotional planning should be complete. For those who've fallen behind, we offer actionable last-minute optimization strategies that won't disrupt your listing's search ranking.This October marks the first Prime promotional period featuring Amazon's restructured fee system, with coupon costs jumping from a flat 60 cents to a 2.5% commission and lightning deal fees potentially reaching $1,000. We break down the math on these promotions, helping you determine when they're worth the investment and when they're simply margin-killers. You'll learn which discount thresholds trigger additional Amazon placement benefits and how to leverage A+ Content comparison charts to boost average order value without additional promotional costs.Looking beyond October, we explore the extended Black Friday/Cyber Monday period that now spans up to ten days, and Amazon's extended holiday return window that runs through January. Our experts share proven strategies to minimize costly returns by optimizing product details, addressing common customer questions, and analyzing Voice of Customer data. We also reveal how to use brand tailored promotions to recapture abandoned carts with higher-value offers after the main event ends.Ready to maximize your Q4 sales while protecting your margins? Subscribe now for weekly insights that will keep you ahead of the competition during this critical selling season. Your future self will thank you when January's profit reports arrive!Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Step into the world of social commerce as we explore the rapidly evolving TikTok Shop ecosystem with Bryan, Head of Partnerships at Uptick. This eye-opening conversation reveals how the creator economy is reshaping e-commerce and providing unprecedented opportunities for brands and influencers alike.TikTok Shop has transformed from a dancing video app into a powerful sales channel that doubled its GMV to approximately $5.8 billion in just the first half of 2023. But success on the platform isn't automatic – it requires strategic navigation of what Bryan calls "the black box" of affiliate marketing. With approximately 80% of TikTok Shop sales driven by creators, building and managing these relationships has become the critical factor in scaling from a few thousand dollars to six figures monthly.We dive deep into how Uptick's specialized tools are changing the game, particularly for brands in the challenging cold-start phase. The conversation explores cutting-edge features like AI-powered creator search, which allows brands to target affiliates with remarkable precision based on demographics and performance metrics. Rather than blindly sending samples, brands can now create strategic creator briefs and build ongoing relationships that drive consistent results.The most fascinating insights come when discussing the future of social commerce. We're witnessing a fundamental shift from one-off sponsored content to deeper brand-creator relationships, with many influencers evolving into brands themselves. Even for established sellers from Amazon or retail, TikTok Shop offers a powerful discovery engine that creates a "halo effect" across all sales channels.Whether you're already selling on TikTok Shop or still wondering if the platform is right for your brand, this episode provides a roadmap for navigating what Bryan calls "Amazon Year 3" – an ecosystem still in its early stages but filled with untapped potential for those willing to lean into the creator economy revolution.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

The e-commerce landscape is transforming before our eyes, with industry titans making bold moves that challenge conventional retail boundaries. Walmart surprises everyone with a remarkable 22% growth in their digital sales for 2025, now setting their sights on an unexpected demographic: high-income online shoppers. Can the budget-friendly giant successfully pivot to selling premium merchandise and luxury goods? Their strategic expansion raises fascinating questions about brand elasticity and consumer perception in the digital marketplace.TikTok continues its e-commerce domination by reviving a familiar concept with a modern twist. Their new countdown bidding feature for pre-owned luxury items essentially recreates eBay's auction model for the social media generation. Available only to select sellers, this live commerce initiative further cements TikTok's status as the must-have platform for serious e-commerce entrepreneurs in 2025. Yet this growth comes amid troubling developments, including staff layoffs and a massive cybersecurity breach involving 15,000 fake domains targeting TikTok Shop users.Perhaps most consequential is Amazon's accelerating push toward automation. After announcing the deployment of their millionth warehouse robot, they're now testing humanoid delivery machines on the streets of San Francisco. These Tesla-inspired robots aim to handle the final leg of delivery, navigating everyday obstacles like steps and doorways. Supporting this mechanical workforce is "Deep Fleet," a new generative AI system coordinating robot traffic throughout Amazon's facilities. While CEO Andy Jassy claims these innovations make jobs "more enjoyable by freeing employees from repetitive tasks," sellers are asking a more practical question: if robots are replacing humans and reducing overhead costs, shouldn't FBA fees decrease accordingly?Subscribe to our newsletter for these headlines in written form, and check out our other shows including the Velocity Sellers podcast and our new debate format, Velocity Sellers Showdown. What automation developments do you think will most impact e-commerce in the coming year?Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

What happens when the brightest minds in retail gather to tackle our industry's biggest challenges? Magic. eTail 2025 isn't just another conference—it's the beating heart of a year-round retail community experience that brings together innovative brands, tech pioneers, and passionate retailers who are defining what comes next.This year's Boston event (August 11-14) features an exceptional speaker lineup from brands including Pepper, Little Sleepies, Lowe's, Nuts.com, and Slumberkins. They're tackling the questions keeping you up at night: Is SEO dead in the age of generative AI? How are successful brands mastering TikTok when content demands seem impossible? What strategies are working right now for balancing multi-channel advertising budgets?What truly sets eTail apart are the connections you'll make. The consistently praised roundtable discussions cut through superficial networking, allowing you to dive straight into specific challenges with peers facing identical obstacles. As Lena Moriarty, Head of Marketing at eTail, powerfully states: "How many emails have you gotten today? There is nothing like shaking someone's hand and looking someone in the eyes, face to face. You don't form relationships over email and you never will."New this year is the revamped eTail Visionary Awards celebrating industry trailblazers, plus the "Retail First Timers" initiative helping newcomers integrate seamlessly into the community. And for those planning ahead, mark your calendars for eTail Palm Springs 2026 in Q1, which will feature expanded roundtable formats to continue the conversations started in Boston.In an increasingly uncertain retail landscape, eTail provides the human connections, strategic insights, and collaborative problem-solving that email threads and video calls simply cannot replicate. Join the retail family that's collectively shaping our industry's future—we're saving you a seat at the table.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

The holiday shopping season is rapidly approaching, and Amazon sellers who aren't prepared will miss crucial revenue opportunities. In this strategic planning session, we dive deep into everything you need to know to maximize your Q4 success with insights from our Amazon experts.Timing is everything when preparing for Q4. While ideally you should begin analyzing the previous year's performance immediately after it ends, our experts recommend focusing your strategic planning right after July's Prime Day. This schedule gives you enough runway to handle inventory planning, deal submissions, and listing optimization before October's Deal Days kickoff the extended holiday shopping season.Your pricing strategy requires particular attention. Many sellers make the critical mistake of raising prices just before promotional events, then offering "discounts" that savvy shoppers can easily spot as manipulative using price tracking tools. Instead, establish pricing increases well in advance—ideally January—so your Q4 discounts represent genuine value. If adjusting pricing now, remember Amazon needs approximately 60 days for proper indexing before recognizing your discount percentages correctly.During key shopping events, consider temporarily reducing your margins to capture maximum market share. While you might operate at 30-40% margins throughout the year, our experts suggest a tactical reduction to around 15% during the biggest shopping days. These promotional periods represent only about 14 selling days annually, making temporary margin adjustments a strategic growth investment rather than a long-term sacrifice.Don't overlook the inevitable January returns that follow successful holiday sales. Analyze your Voice of Customer data to identify common return reasons, then update listings with enhanced product descriptions, improved imagery, size charts for apparel, and instructional videos for complex products. Consider including QR-coded product inserts that link to setup instructions to further reduce return rates.The foundation of Q4 success ultimately comes down to brand authenticity and quality content. Stay true to your mission rather than chasing trends, and invest in professional product photography that clearly communicates your value proposition. Remember that even the most aggressive advertising cannot compensate for poor listing content or unclear product images.With just 30-45 days remaining before the Q4 rush begins, the time to optimize your listings is now. Subscribe to our podcast for more strategic insights that will help your Amazon business thrive during the most competitive—and profitable—selling season of the year.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Ready to transform how your Amazon business adapts to AI? Ritu Java, CEO of PPC Ninja, pulls back the curtain on the revolutionary shift happening in e-commerce that most sellers aren't prepared for.With a fascinating background spanning India, Japan, and Canada, Ritu brings a global perspective to the challenges facing today's Amazon sellers. She reveals why the traditional approach to listings and PPC is quickly becoming obsolete as shoppers abandon keyword searches in favor of conversational interactions with AI assistants like Rufus."People are no longer making the effort to come up with the right keywords," Ritu explains. "They're having conversations with LLMs, typing complex queries that need answers beyond just keywords." This fundamental change requires completely rethinking how we create and optimize product listings.Beyond strategic insights, Ritu shares practical tools her team has developed, including sophisticated anomaly detection systems that monitor advertising performance 24/7. By pulling data from multiple sources and automatically flagging concerning trends, these systems prevent expensive PPC disasters before they happen. Her breakdown of which AI tools excel at different tasks (Claude for coding, ChatGPT for general work) provides an actionable roadmap for incorporating AI into your workflow.Perhaps most eye-opening is Ritu's assessment of how Chinese sellers have transformed the marketplace with approaches like live shopping and influencer marketing at scales Western brands struggle to match. Combined with Amazon's increasing fees, this has created unprecedented challenges for traditional sellers.Discover how to future-proof your Amazon business by embracing AI not just as a tool for efficiency but as a fundamental reshaper of how consumers find and purchase products. Those who adapt their listings, advertising strategies, and operational models to this new reality will thrive while others fall behind.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

We break down the results from Amazon's extended four-day Prime Day event, which generated $24 billion in sales despite mixed reactions from sellers and shoppers. The extended format diluted the excitement, with approximately one-third of total spending occurring on day one alone.• Amazon Prime Day reached $24 billion in sales, a 30% increase over last year• The four-day format felt different, with less urgency and excitement than previous two-day events• Competitors like Target, Walmart, and even Michaels ran concurrent sales events to capitalize on the shopping momentum• TikTok Shop is expanding to Japan, Brazil, and parts of Europe• Cultural adaptation is crucial when entering new marketplaces – strategies that work in one country may fail in another• Amazon is expanding delivery capacity for Q4 2026, offering free same-day delivery for Prime members on orders over $25• Now is the time to prepare for Q4 with inventory planning and promotional strategiesSubscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on all e-commerce news and insights. Like and subscribe to catch our biweekly E-tail Reports and emergency updates on breaking e-commerce news.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Navigating the complex world of Amazon selling requires accurate data and powerful analytical tools. In this eye-opening conversation with Jonathan D'Ambrosio from Viral Launch, we pull back the curtain on how serious Amazon sellers use market intelligence to make informed decisions that drive growth and profitability.The discussion centers on Viral Launch's Market Intelligence tool, widely praised for its unparalleled data accuracy. Jonathan walks us through the platform's extensive capabilities, revealing how sellers can access crucial competitor metrics including pricing, sales volumes, review counts, and historical trends. What truly sets this tool apart is not just the wealth of information it provides, but the ability to customize your view, focusing only on the metrics that matter most to your specific business needs.Perhaps most valuable is the deep dive into Viral Launch's Product Discovery features, which allow sellers to identify promising niches based on opportunity scores, category maturity, and competition levels. For anyone who has ever wondered why some Amazon products soar while others flounder, this segment provides critical insights into the data-driven approach successful sellers employ.With major shopping events like Prime Day approaching, Jonathan shares strategic advice on how to leverage Viral Launch's tools for competitor monitoring, keyword optimization, and PPC campaign refinement. The platform's ability to show "monthly sales needed to rank" for specific keywords proves particularly valuable for sellers aiming to climb search rankings during high-traffic periods.Looking toward the future, we explore Viral Launch's recent acquisitions, including BidX for PPC automation and DataHawk for omnichannel analytics, signaling the company's commitment to providing comprehensive e-commerce solutions beyond Amazon alone.Whether you're just starting your Amazon journey or looking to scale an existing business, this conversation offers invaluable insights into the power of data-driven decision making. Download the Viral Launch Chrome extension today and experience firsthand how accurate market intelligence can transform your approach to Amazon selling.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

What's holding back your e-commerce business? For many brands, the invisible barrier to growth isn't their products or marketing—it's the complex challenge of managing product data across dozens of digital channels. Chris John, CEO and co-founder of Syndic8, pulls back the curtain on how cutting-edge data management is transforming e-commerce operations. The numbers tell a compelling story: digital sales have surged from 8-12% pre-pandemic to 35-40% today, with projections reaching 60% in coming years. Yet many brands still struggle with outdated, manual processes that leave 8% of their products with errors—potentially representing 15% of their potential sales.Syndic8's approach flips traditional thinking by working "right to left"—focusing first on where the data needs to go and ensuring it meets each channel's unique requirements. Their "pre-flight" validation system catches errors before submission, drastically reducing the time products take to reach digital shelves. For brands operating on tight seasonal timelines, this capability transforms their ability to compete.The conversation explores how today's e-commerce brands face growing pressure to expand internationally while maintaining data accuracy across an ever-growing network of sales channels. Chris shares how AI is revolutionizing these processes, enabling instant translations and content optimization that were impossible just a few years ago. Looking ahead, Syndic8 is expanding into order capture functionality, creating a streamlined path from product listing to wholesale ordering. For brands battling inefficient data processes, the message is clear: modernizing your approach to product information management isn't just about operational efficiency—it's becoming essential to competitive survival in the evolving digital marketplace.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

01:51 - Q01 - Is Amazon good for small businesses?04:59 - Q02 - You only have inventory for one platform - Where do you put it: Amazon or your own website?07:15 - Q03 - Is it ever worth losing money on a product on Amazon?09:40 - Q04 - When is the best time to expand internationally, at the beginning of the growth, maxed out your growth, or never?12:59 - Q05 - Premium Branding vs. Value Branding: Should emerging brands position themselves as high-end to boost ASP (average selling price), or compete on price to win market share?17:10 - Q06 - Which is more important: Great products or great marketing strategies?21:20 - Q07 - Bad images or Bad SEO - Which one is worse?24:10 - Q08 - Will 4 Days of Prime be better than 2?The battle lines are drawn as Velocity Sellers launches its exciting new debate series with a showdown between two Amazon experts, Eric Peterson and James D, moderated by Pete "Velocity Pete" Sims. This premiere episode dives deep into today's most pressing Amazon marketplace questions, offering invaluable insights whether you're just starting your e-commerce journey or looking to scale your established business.Our experts tackle fundamental questions like whether Amazon remains beneficial for small businesses in 2025, with fascinating perspectives on the balance between opportunity and competition. You'll discover why both experts unanimously recommend launching on Amazon before building your own website, especially when resources are limited. They share practical wisdom about strategic loss leaders, explaining how short-term product losses can generate long-term gains through improved visibility and customer acquisition.The debate heats up around international expansion timing, with both experts warning against premature global ventures that can cannibalize inventory and dilute focus. Perhaps most surprisingly, they agree that marketing strategy ultimately trumps product quality for Amazon success, sharing real-world examples of how powerful positioning and imagery drive conversions more effectively than specifications or features.When it comes to listing optimization, discover why compelling images consistently outperform even the most meticulously crafted SEO, and why "people buy images" in the e-commerce environment. The episode concludes with thought-provoking predictions about Amazon's extended Prime Day events and whether they truly benefit sellers or simply create customer fatigue.Throughout this lively exchange, both experts provide actionable strategies you can implement immediately to improve your Amazon business. Whether you're wrestling with branding decisions, expansion timing, or marketing priorities, this episode delivers expert guidance wrapped in an engaging, sometimes humorous debate format that makes complex e-commerce concepts accessible and applicable.Ready to transform your Amazon selling approach? Subscribe to the Velocity Sellers podcast and reach out to [email protected] if you'd like to participate in a future Showdown episode!Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Remember when TikTok was just a place for dance trends and comedy skits? That era is officially over. Today, TikTok has transformed into a powerhouse of social commerce where creators can sell $40 serums in 20-second videos, and brands are running 24-hour livestreams for six consecutive days.Neil Tanna, Brand Partnerships Manager at TikTok, pulls back the curtain on how major CPG brands are navigating this new frontier. With experience at P&G and Amazon before joining TikTok, Tanna brings a unique perspective on the evolution of e-commerce and what makes TikTok's approach distinctly powerful. The secret? Forget what you know about traditional marketing. Those polished TV commercials and keyword-focused Amazon strategies won't translate here.The most successful brands on TikTok understand that community comes before commerce. While users spend an average of 90+ minutes daily on the platform (equivalent to a feature film!), they're there for entertainment, not shopping—at least initially. Tanna reveals that for major brands, the majority of sales come not from their own posts but from affiliates who create authentic content about their products. This represents a fundamental shift in strategy that many established brands struggle to embrace.Search functionality has emerged as another game-changer, with TikTok increasingly becoming the new search engine of choice for product discovery and authentic reviews. Meanwhile, TikTok's AI tools like GMV Max and Symphony AI are revolutionizing how brands can optimize advertising and even generate creative content, though Tanna cautions that authenticity remains essential even as AI capabilities expand.Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just beginning your TikTok journey, Tanna's advice is refreshingly straightforward: start creating without overthinking, persevere through the noise, and leverage the analytics tools available to inform your strategy. The future of social commerce is already here—and it belongs to those who can build genuine connections while strategically embracing what makes TikTok tick.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Amazon's Prime Day is evolving in a major way for 2025, expanding from two to four full days of deals running July 8-11. This unprecedented extension creates both exciting opportunities and complex challenges for sellers looking to maximize their performance during the e-commerce giant's biggest shopping event.The extended format raises fascinating questions about consumer behavior patterns. Will shoppers maintain their enthusiasm across all four days? Will we see traditional first-day spikes followed by declining interest, or perhaps a resurgence on Friday when many receive paychecks? Without historical data to guide us, sellers must prepare flexible strategies that can adapt to emerging patterns during the event.Smart preparation begins with inventory management – having enough stock to capitalize on four days of increased demand without selling out prematurely and sacrificing valuable Best Seller Rank positions. The discount strategy becomes equally crucial, with decisions about whether to meet the minimum 20% threshold for Prime exclusive deals or go deeper with 30-40% discounts to stand out from competitors playing it safe.The pre-Prime "window shopping" phenomenon deserves special attention. With dates now public, many consumers will research and fill carts without completing purchases until official discounts activate. This period typically shows increased clicks with decreased conversions – a pattern sellers should anticipate rather than panic over. Some may even capitalize by offering pre-Prime promotions to capture early sales before competitors can react.Don't overlook the post-Prime opportunity. Implementing brand-tailored promotions targeting cart abandoners after the official event can extend sales momentum significantly. Testing different discount tiers in the weeks following Prime Day provides valuable data for future promotional strategies while capturing consumers who missed the main event due to the "I'll get to it later" mindset many shoppers experience.The weeks before Prime Day represent your ideal window to polish listings, correct inconsistencies, improve image quality, and ensure product detail accuracy. When driving increased traffic through discounts and advertising, having optimized conversion elements becomes even more critical. Remember: your Amazon listing speaks for your brand when you're not in the room.Ready to level up your Prime Day strategy? Book a discovery call with our experienced team today and position yourself for success during this expanded shopping extravaganza!Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Something exciting is brewing at Velocity Sellers! After 75 episodes of bringing you valuable Amazon selling insights through traditional interviews, we're revolutionizing our approach with the launch of "The Velocity Sellers Showdown" – a dynamic debate format designed to challenge perspectives and deepen your understanding of e-commerce strategies.The Velocity Sellers Showdown will feature two experts with contrasting viewpoints facing off on critical Amazon and e-commerce topics. Why the change? We believe that the most valuable insights often emerge when different perspectives collide in thoughtful discussion. By witnessing these debates, you'll gain a more nuanced understanding of complex selling strategies and be better equipped to make informed decisions for your own business.Imagine hearing passionate arguments from both sides of controversial Amazon selling topics: Is chasing the Buy Box always worth it? Should new sellers focus on private label or wholesale? Is Amazon advertising essential or overrated? These debates will move beyond surface-level advice to explore the deeper reasoning behind different approaches, helping you develop a more sophisticated understanding of what might work best for your unique situation.We're actively seeking debate participants who are passionate about Amazon and e-commerce topics. If you have expertise or strong opinions you're willing to defend while sharing the stage with someone who disagrees, we want to hear from you! Send an email to [email protected] with your topic ideas, or watch our LinkedIn profiles for announcements about upcoming debate topics.The e-commerce landscape is too complex for one-size-fits-all answers. By bringing together diverse perspectives in a respectful yet challenging format, we aim to create content that truly advances the conversation. Stay tuned for our first Showdown – your Amazon selling strategy may never be the same!Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Navigating the complex world of Amazon selling can feel like traversing a maze blindfolded. What happens when your account hits a roadblock that threatens your entire business? Where do you turn when Amazon support keeps saying "that's not possible"?Meet Ula, the Amazon problem-solving expert who refuses to take no for an answer. With over five years of experience managing European marketplaces and handling more than 150 ASINs, she's developed a reputation for solving the "unsolvable" through sheer persistence and creative approaches."Never take a no for a no," Ula emphasizes throughout our conversation. This mindset has helped her tackle everything from complex rebranding challenges (including saving a cosmetics brand from losing nearly one million euros in sales and 3,000+ reviews) to navigating the labyrinth of Amazon's support system.We explore the most common problems sellers face – from document rejections during account creation to mysterious ASIN blocks and the notoriously difficult task of changing brand names. Through real examples and practical advice, Ula reveals her multi-pronged approach: opening multiple support cases, working through different marketplaces when one refuses changes, and utilizing flat files in creative ways to implement solutions.Perhaps most reassuringly, Ula notes that Amazon typically gives sellers time to resolve issues rather than immediately blocking accounts. "If you're doing the right thing, if you're careful, if you accept what Amazon says at the beginning when uploading ASINs and documents, I think you won't have a lot of issues," she advises.Whether you're struggling with an immediate Amazon crisis or simply want to prepare yourself for future challenges, this episode offers both tactical solutions and a refreshing message of hope: with persistence and the right approach, every Amazon problem is solvable.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

Dive into the trenches of Amazon selling with agency owner Nick as he shares candid insights from years of navigating the e-commerce battlefield. This conversation offers a refreshing break from celebrity experts to deliver practical wisdom from someone doing the daily work with real brands.Nick reveals his unexpected path into e-commerce through customer service at Jet (later acquired by Walmart) before transitioning to Amazon agencies. What started as problem-solving for customers evolved into a passion for the data-rich environment of Amazon, where he could directly measure the impact of his strategies on brand performance.The discussion tackles the perfect storm currently hitting Amazon sellers: Chinese import tariffs, continuous fee increases, and the shocking news of Amazon Basics shutting down operations. When Amazon itself is unwilling to absorb these additional costs, what hope do smaller sellers have? Nick offers practical strategies for weathering these challenges, emphasizing efficiency and selectivity over broad product assortments.You'll discover why brick-and-mortar retail might make a surprising comeback as consumer spending becomes more cautious, and why the potential Amazon-TikTok integration could revolutionize product discovery and purchasing. Nick also shares his biggest regret in the industry – not focusing enough on content and SEO optimization earlier in his career – a valuable lesson for sellers at any stage.Throughout the conversation, Nick emphasizes the mindset needed to succeed in the ever-shifting Amazon landscape: transparency with clients, realistic expectations, and the ability to "roll with the punches." Connect with him to learn more about navigating these choppy e-commerce waters with confidence.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit! 

The landscape of e-commerce is shifting dramatically. With rising Amazon fees and new tariffs creating profit challenges, sellers need strategies beyond just listing products across multiple platforms. But what separates thriving brands from struggling ones in this new environment?Shannon Curley, former marketing director at Carbon6 and brand expert with experience at Thrasio and Hasbro, reveals the foundation of successful omnichannel expansion: your brand reputation. "You have a brand whether you built it or not," Shannon explains. The question is whether you're controlling that narrative or letting it develop without direction.Shannon introduces her "Faces in Places" approach that helped create the perception of omnipresence for her companies. This strategy becomes particularly vital during economic uncertainty when consumers become more selective with their purchases. The brands that survive aren't necessarily those with the most advanced products but those that have built the strongest trust with their audience.When expanding beyond Amazon, Shannon cautions against treating all platforms identically. "Your brand should be consistent, but it doesn't mean it's going to operate exactly the same across different platforms." Each marketplace expansion should be treated as a mini brand launch with careful consideration of platform-specific audience needs and behaviors.The role of AI in brand building creates both opportunities and pitfalls. While Shannon recommends using AI for content repurposing and efficiency, she notes AI-generated content "is never bad, but it's never great"—a crucial distinction for brands aiming for excellence rather than adequacy. She shares a practical hack: recording voice memos of ideas and having AI distill them into actionable content plans.Looking ahead, Shannon predicts Walmart's emergence as Amazon's primary competitor and a surprising return to brick-and-mortar shopping experiences as consumers seek more tangible interactions before making purchase decisions in uncertain economic times. This evolving landscape rewards brands that maintain flexibility while staying true to their core identity.Ready to build a brand that thrives across multiple channels? Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn to follow her insights on brand strategy in the ever-changing e-commerce landscape.Learn more about Velocity Sellers!Check us out on YouTube!Book a FREE Amazon Audit!