"Built to Scale" eCommerce Show

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A few years ago we were broke university students. Living in a place of Eastern Europe nobody knows - Lithuania. Fast forward a few years, we’re founders of AdKings Agency. An industry-leading boutique eCommerce growth agency responsible for one of the fastest-growing US eCommerce brands and taking it from $0.5M to $26M in a single year without any external funding. Now we’re working on helping to grow and scale a dozen other eCommerce businesses to 8 or 9-figures. Managing over $18M in paid media ad spend a year and delving deep into sophisticated eCommerce exits, investments, and acquisitions world. Our world is intense, crazy, ever-changing, and challenging. This podcast is simple. Every week we, Darius, and Justin are going to open up our & our agency lives. We’re going to share behind the scenes insights about what makes our clients' businesses grow at the speed they are growing. We’re going to share our best-learned marketing methods, channel insights, and growth hacks that took us millions of dollars to figure out. And we’re going to open up insights from our client's business development strategies from operations management to raising capital that supported this growth. Nothing held back to help you transform your business into an 8 or even 9-figure powerhouse. Are you ready to click play? - Darius Kunca & Justin Gecevicius 👉 We're releasing new episodes every Monday, Wednesday & occasionally Friday.

Episodes

Wednesday Mar 24, 2021

Secret to a Massive Growth: Aligning Your eCom Business & Team Goals

Wednesday Mar 24, 2021

Let's say you’ve already started your eCommerce business - you’ve hired your team, and your business is growing, but one person left your business last month.

At that time, it seems they could have moved on for any reason, and then another person leaves. Noticing a trend, you decide to investigate. This episode uncovers what is likely happening underneath the surface of this situation, and what you can do about it. We’ll explain promoting team alignment through the use of a business vision and a business mission.

On this episode:

What you should do if you notice a trend of people leaving your business.
How there can be different expectations in a business.
Why does your business need a vision and mission?
How our team personally went about creating these.
The secret to building a strong team.
The difference between a mission and a vision.
How these influence team members.
An example of what a vision and mission could sound like.
How to create your own business mission and vision.
Why you should create this personally before creating one for your business.
How being aligned supports new hires.
How having a mission can help your brand stand out for clients.

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➤ www.adkings.agency/intro - Want us personally to help to grow your eCommerce business to 8 or even 9-figures? Then check out our Boutique eCommerce Specialized Facebook Ads & Omni-channel Funnels Growth Agency - AdKings.

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Our Other Resources:

www.adkings.agency/memos - Exclusive AdKings Memos Newsletter. Our best case studies, real test results, and bi-weekly actionable insights on what is working RIGHT NOW for our clients in their journey to 8 & 9-figures. Curated for business owners, CEO's, CMO's and delivered straight to your inbox. Must join if you love our content on the podcast!

www.adkings.agency/community - Free eCommerce Community With 2000+ Members. Would love to chat, ask us some questions, or maybe even help us decide the next podcast topic? Join our free Facebook community of over 2000+ other eCom Entrepreneurs, CEO's, CMO's, and marketers.

www.adkings.agency/careers - Are you living and breathing everything marketing & FB advertising? Extremely ambitious in driving tremendous results, love challenges, and want to help manage a portfolio of 7 & 8-figure eCommerce clients? Apply now.

Monday Mar 22, 2021

How Frequently You Should Run Sales for eCom Business?

Monday Mar 22, 2021

We will discuss one of the most frequently asked questions: “How often should our eCommerce business run a sale?” This question brings up a lot to consider, including type of sale, amount of discount, and timing or frequency of sales.

There are different strategies you can implement, depending on what your brand offers. This all comes down to the discount amount, timing, consistency, as well as the consideration of bundling or using the free item tactic.

On this episode:

Why the answer to this question will vary from one business to another.
How discounts can impact sales.
The decrease in conversion rates without discounts.
Particular importance for “unbrandable” businesses.
How often you should have sales.
How sales help target previous customers to return.
Why timing with sales can make or break the campaign.
Sales percentages that are popular for luxury and non-luxury brands.
The psychological component of discounts.
How the bundle/free item tactic works.
When it works to have larger discounts less often (twice per year).
A recommendation to have a sale every 6-8 weeks.
Buy 2, Get 1 Free and other bundle incentives.
Quantity upsells for individual products.

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Friday Mar 19, 2021

Single Best eCom Advise : This is How You Can Become a 7-Figure eCom Business Owner

Friday Mar 19, 2021

This episode is all about helping you become a 7-figure eCommerce business owner. Whether you are just starting your eCommerce business journey or you are nearing 6-figures, you will get some great advice on for making the leap.

This one single piece of advice is based on our conversations with hundreds of eCommerce business owners. We’ll be telling you what the most important thing you need to focus on is, the benefits of making these changes, and at what stage these changes should be implemented.

On this episode:

What matters more than business strategies for growth.
Stories of two business owners who struggled to grow and why.
The one thing that is vital to help you get to 7-figures.
What will provide you with the biggest leap in your business?
Why it’s important to make these changes.
The benefit of having support when other issues arise.
How having others designated to other areas of the business helps you.
What you can do to support your business with the additional time you have.
At what stage your business should put this advice into practice.
Why some 7-figure businesses still need to change their priorities too.

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Wednesday Mar 17, 2021

eCommerce Advertorial Funnels: Boost Up Your ROAS by 30-40% & Unlock Next Level of Scale

Wednesday Mar 17, 2021

We are touching on the controversial topic of advertorials and How they can get you an easy 30-40% boost.

We’ll be talking about what exactly they are and why they are surrounded by controversy.

Also, we’ll be discussing the best way to implement advertorials and what kind of results you can expect by utilizing them as a part of your eCommerce business marketing strategy.

On this episode:

Why advertorials are seen as controversial in marketing.
What an advertorial is, and what the data says about them.
The return on advertising spend (ROAS) you can expect by using advertorials.
In what type of businesses they have seen this strategy be most effective.
What kind of products does this strategy work for?
The average order value you need to make this worthwhile.
How you can bundle products in conjunction with advertorials.
The most common types of advertorials.
Advertorial hooks that work.
How to use scientific data or articles as advertorials.
Brands that are currently using this strategy successfully.
How advertorials help you sell to new audiences.
How to drive traffic through an advertorial.
The importance of experimentation and tweaking when implementing them.

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Monday Mar 15, 2021

How eCommerce Businesses Fall, Catching Trends & Balancing the Growth with Darius & Justin

Monday Mar 15, 2021

Strange things are happening in the market, and one of our biggest clients is really struggling right now. This all stems from one error. We’ll talk about how this error happened, how it impacted the business, and what is working in the market right now. We’ll also share why we’re focusing on organizational structure this year in our agency.

On this episode:

The negative experience one of our biggest clients had last year.
How this negative experience impacted the client’s business.
Why it’s not always healthy to grow as fast as possible.
The lessons that can be taken away from this error.
The stages of growth we recommend for our clients.
The good and bad of jumping on eCommerce trends.
What practice is heavily influencing the market?
Why and how eCommerce is going to change over the next few years.
How to use advertorials to sell your product.
The benefit of being adaptable to quick market changes.
When it makes sense to outsource or to have someone in-house.
Why you want your team members to have a sense of ownership.
Why we are prioritizing the optimization of our organizational structure to perfection.
The second most common reason why an eCommerce business shuts down.
The benefit of creating a self-sustaining operation.
When we’ll be onboarding clients next.
Why we want to remain a boutique agency with a small team.

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Friday Mar 12, 2021

Everything About Post-Purchase Upsells with Ariyeh Even Haim, Co-Founder, ReConvert

Friday Mar 12, 2021

On today’s episode of the Built to Scale eCommerce Show we’re joined by Ariyeh Even Haim, Co-Founder of ReConvert. The discussion on this episode revolves around post-purchase marketing and offers. Ariyeh will also be sharing the best way to optimize your post-purchase and thank you pages to extract the most value out of each buyer you get.

On this episode:

[1:38] How he became an expert in this industry.
[2:56] The one-click upsell apps he tried that didn’t work and what this experience inspired.
[3:52] Ariyeh's educational background and why it’s unconventional in his field.
[5:20] How Ariyeh's marketing skills shine through ReConvert.
[6:25] What merchants look for in their apps.
[7:58] What characteristics separate ReConvert from their competitors?
[10:03] Average increases in conversions across stores that use the app.
[11:31] The best discount you can provide to promote more conversions.
[12:21] The benefit of providing various discounts at once to the customer.
[13:29] The biggest takeaway of best practices for reconversions.
[14:02] How the magic design feature of the app works.
[14:33] How the tools in the app work across industries.
[15:10] The type of client support offered by ReConvert.
[15:45] What practices work best for one-product stores?
[17:35] Results they found in testing that surprised Ariyeh.
[19:27] The simple goal of ReConvert and what their place in your business is.
[20:09] The mindset that gets Ariyeh through the entrepreneurial ups and downs.
[21:21] Where you can find ReConvert.

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Wednesday Mar 10, 2021

How to Make Better Decisions in eCommerce Business That Results in Less Failures & Faster Growth

Wednesday Mar 10, 2021

In this episode of the Built to Scale eCommerce Show, we are discussing how to make better decisions. Do you remember the last time you felt lost in your business, and you weren’t sure what to focus on? Or perhaps in the past you’ve been procrastinating on a decision you had to make.

Today’s episode is all about the most important aspects of decision making as well as a strategy that you can use to help you make decisions better.

On this episode:

What is more important than making the right decision?
How procrastination can harm your decision making.
A personal analogy related to decision making, and how a final decision was made.
The book “Get Things Done” by David Allen and how it can help.
What our head is and isn’t good for.
A written strategy you can use to help you.
How we can use being visual individuals to our advantage.
Why the best decision you can make is a quick decision.
How overthinking can limit you.

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Monday Mar 08, 2021

7-Steps Marketing Strategy : Get to $30-$50M a Year with Your eCommerce Business

Monday Mar 08, 2021

In this episode of the Built to Scale eCommerce Show, we’re covering the 7-Step marketing strategy you can use to generate a higher revenue for your business. Most eCommerce businesses could be getting up to $30-$50 million each year if they just solved two things.

This episode is about one of those crucial aspects, which is having the right marketing strategy and mindset. It took us a few years to figure out what that path to $50 million each year looks like, but now we can confidently say that even smaller businesses can get there.

On this episode:

What role trial and error plays in figuring out how to generate this revenue.
Limiting beliefs in marketing that big tier businesses don’t have.
The tools used to educate clients on these steps.
Why it’s important that this growth happens in steps, and not all at once.
Why your marketing channels need to be synchronized.
When it’s okay to go down in return on ad spend (ROAS).
How market research is underrated and undervalued.
The most impactful marketing channel right now.
Why you should not diversify too early.
The benefit of using A/B testing and quantifiable data.
What happens when you scale even further with Facebook ads?
The influence of strong branding and community on customer retention.
The benefit of having optimized marketing funnels.
One important key to extracting the most revenue out of a customer.
What can happen if you implement influencer marketing correctly?
The approach that all marketing channels must have a common goal.

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Friday Mar 05, 2021

Everything About Creating the Product, Prototyping & Manufacturing With Jason Wong, Managing Partner of Wonghaus Ventures

Friday Mar 05, 2021

In this episode we’re proud to introduce Jason Wong, a Managing Partner at Wonghaus Ventures. There, he has helped dozens of successful brands with the modern fast to market, fast to sell approach. We will be covering quite a few topics today, including how eCommerce businesses should source their products, how to get the best pricing from the manufacturer, and how to manage quality control to ensure your product meets your specifications.

On this episode:

[0:43] Jason introduces himself and describes what he does.
[1:21] How Jason got into eCommerce.
[2:15] The best way approach building a product from scratch.
[4:28] The influence the internet has had on testing products.
[6:24] What is the best way to go about building a prototype?
[8:16] Tips on finding suppliers for a new product.
[10:58] How to avoid being scammed by a supplier.
[12:46] What you can do to find the right supplier for you.
[14:50] When it’s best to find a local sourcing agent.
[18:48] How to balance quality and price when choosing a supplier.
[20:42] How can you get a discount from a supplier?
[22:01] The other aspects of your deal that can be negotiated.
[22:49] Managing quality control in the manufacturing process of your product.
[24:48] How to find Jason’s sourcing agency.
[26:24] What can you do if your product does not come out correctly?
[28:01] Examples of product defects Jason has encountered in the past.
[33:26] What countries Wonghaus Ventures sources products with.

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Wednesday Mar 03, 2021

Your eCom Business is Dead if You Don't Use ICE Scoring Framework

Wednesday Mar 03, 2021

If you’re a business owner, you’ve probably got a to-do list. Today, we’ll share how to best tackle your to-do list. Before you can effectively tackle your tasks, you have to prioritize them. While this subject is generally relevant, it is even more important for an eCommerce business owner. During this episode we will be revealing the method that we use for productivity and also explain how it can be helpful for you.

On this episode:

Using prioritization as a business owner.
Why working all the time is not necessarily a good thing.
How can you free up more time for yourself?
Why you’re not meeting your goals and how to fix it.
Why not prioritizing will leave you unsatisfied with your business.
Where the ICE scoring framework originated.
What does ICE stand for and how does it work?
How to apply ICE scoring to your weekly tasks.
Applying this to your business generally as well as with your clients.
Adjusting the ICE score to find better results.
What can using this framework help you accomplish?

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Monday Mar 01, 2021

eCom Growthhacking - Develop an Unfair Market Advantage in 1-Year

Monday Mar 01, 2021

Today we’re getting into everything about 'Conversion Rate Optimization' (CRO) and growth-hacking. What if instead of making $2.50 on each customer who visits your site, you made $7.50? How would that change your business? We helped one of our customers do exactly that by going 3X with their business last year, and we were able to do this through CRO alone.

Listen in to learn about what CRO is, why you should do it, and how you should do it. The information shared in this episode will help give your business the competitive edge and lead to even further growth.

On this episode:

What is conversion rate optimization?
Why you should be using software dedicated to CRO.
The strategies you can implement to get real data.
How can upsells be promoted?
What growthhacking is and how it relates to CRO.
What kinds of bundles and upsells tend to work best.
How this can influence Facebook marketing.
How small tweaks start to really add up.
The advantages of focusing on CRO.
Why making more money per visitor helps your competitive advantage.

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Friday Feb 26, 2021

How to Fund eCommerce Growth: Advice From Clearbanc, The Biggest eCom Investor In the World

Friday Feb 26, 2021

This time, let’s welcome Daniel Rodic. He is a Forbes Top 30 Under 30 member and the Head of Marketing at Clearbanc. In this episode we’ll be diving deep into how eCommerce businesses should be funding their growth, covering their marketing expenses, and scaling their business to the next level.

On this episode:

[1:19] A bit about Daniel and his previous work experience.
[5:30] How his previous business grew over time through partnerships and pitching.
[8:14] How Daniel came to join Clearbanc.
[9:58] The types of funding offered by Clearbanc and when to consider funding.
[11:49] What makes funding from Clearbanc different from their competitors.
[13:44] What type of businesses does Clearbanc work?
[14:55] The criteria they use to decide who they will work with and who they won’t.
[16:29] Average time offers for capital advances and how long it takes to get access.
[17:10] When Daniel would recommend a different kind of financing than what they offer.
[19:21] About annual subscriptions and the cash conversion cycle.
[21:18] What another business implemented instead of a subscription that worked well.
[24:38] Examples of how some other businesses manage their cash conversion cycle.
[25:40] What smart businesses do with the capital they get.
[26:25] Why do Facebook and Google dominate in marketing?
[29:14] How running a lean operation can benefit you and your business in the long run.
[30:58] Overlooked areas of your business that deserve more investment.
[33:33] Where to learn more about Clearbanc.

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Wednesday Feb 24, 2021

The 3X Rule : How to Price Your Product for Paid Acquisition

Wednesday Feb 24, 2021

In this episode we’re getting into the 3X rule, and how to price your product for paid acquisition. We often get a lot of questions about pricing, so we want to give you some guidance on how to do this the right way. Some of our most successful clients have prices over 3X, and many have 85-90% profit margin. We’re going to be sharing some tips on pricing your products appropriately.

On this episode:

The expected ROAS (return on ad spend) depending on product price.
What advertising will cost versus your return.
Deductions you will need to keep in mind when deciding on pricing.
What profit margin do the most successful clients have?
Understanding the difference between selling on Amazon versus elsewhere.
The biggest challenges of selling on Amazon.
How reviews can work to your advantage.
Why it’s important to understand your competitors.
Using quizzes, videos, A/B testing, and other tools.
The challenges clients have moving from selling on Amazon to Facebook.
Other common obstacles customers face selling outside of Amazon.
Why you should consider lowering product cost.
What challenges does pricing at 2X present?
What to do with your resources if your profit margin is lower.

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Monday Feb 22, 2021

Exotic Way to Drastically Increase Your eCom Store ROAS & Profits

Monday Feb 22, 2021

This time on the Built to Scale eCommerce Show, we’ll be sharing one of the best hacks to leverage for your physical product eCommerce business. This is really an exotic way that you can increase your return on advertising spend (ROAS) and average order value with very little cost on the back end. Of course, it’ll have a substantial effect on your profits as well.

On this episode:

Why this is an underutilized strategy in the physical product space.
Combining physical products that require skill with digital information tools.
An example of how this lucrative strategy can be implemented.
Under what circumstances should you consider utilizing digital products?
Using digital courses as an entry offer.
How to integrate your products into the course.
How can digital courses influence return on advertising spend?
Different types of digital course styles that you can test out.
Why you don’t need to create the course right away.
How this strategy will help you collect email addresses.
How influencers can play a role in promoting your digital product.
Linking your digital product with a post-purchase upsell.
The biggest benefit of creating a digital course.

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Friday Feb 19, 2021

AdKings 2020 Review: Our Wins, Failures & Lessons From Growing 7-Figure eCom Agency With Darius & Justin

Friday Feb 19, 2021

On this episode of the Built to Scale eCommerce Show, both Darius and Justin are here to chat together. Even though they talk every day, it’s rare for them to join one another on the podcast. They are taking this opportunity to reflect on the last year and discuss performance findings, business breakthroughs, and the highs and lows of the year.

On this episode:

[1:15] The growth their business experienced this past year.
[2:14] Why many eCommerce businesses struggled with growth last year.
[4:25] Why fulfillment is always discussed in initial meetings with their clients.
[6:50] The value of team culture and how they maintain a positive team culture.
[12:34] The varying types of ad managers and their strengths.
[14:45] How standard operating procedures (SOPs) support performance.
[16:15] Implementing planning systems and other highlights from last year.
[21:26] The challenges that they had in 2020 and what they learned.
[24:42] What is being done differently in 2021?
[28:07] The secret to the success of their performance team.
[30:37] What happened when Darius and Justin started wearing too many hats at once.
[31:30] What they are putting more effort into this year and why.
[33:21] The qualities they now look for in their new hires.
[33:58] What are some issues that can come up when clients monitor their ads?
[37:55] Why they want to focus on operations and self-sustainable business practices.
[39:39] Creating a next-level team experience by treating the team like clients.
[41:35] Why they implemented an ongoing recruitment process.
[45:02] Reflecting on last year and how they plan to make changes going forward.
[46:33] The theme of 2020 and how they are using past struggles to their advantage.

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Wednesday Feb 17, 2021

$0 Investment to Increase Your eCommerce Business Profits

Wednesday Feb 17, 2021

On this episode of the Built to Scale eCommerce Show, we cover one of the most important areas of business: investment and profitability. In order to fully understand these concepts, it is vital that you monitor your finances. Making educated decisions requires you to comprehend and know your numbers. Today, we will give you recommendations on what to do, how to do it, and what to focus on to increase your eCommerce business’ profits.

On this episode:

Why monitoring your financials is extremely important.
Read “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz.
The financial perception of an accountant versus the perception of the entrepreneur.
Recommendations on how to best manage financials as an eCommerce business.
The benefits of tracking daily profit as opposed to monthly profit.
Numbers, data, and KPIs that should be tracked frequently.
Types of variable fees and fixed fees and how these play into the calculations.
How calculating operational profits benefits the business owner.
Covering fixed fees and what’s left afterwards.
Apps in Shopify that can be helpful in monitoring finances.
Custom fees and costs are entered manually.
A formula that allows day-to-day profit to be tracked.
Ad spend and ROAS (return on advertising spend) on various platforms.
A sophisticated process which clients are usually interested in.
Practical planning and theoretical planning.
Where and how to adjust ad spend if needed.
Learn more to change your financial mindset and benefit.

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Monday Feb 15, 2021

My Best Biohacking & Productivity Tips from 3 Years of Experimentation

Monday Feb 15, 2021

There are tips for productivity and biohacking galore in this episode of Built to Scale. This information is based on personal experimentation and trying different strategies over the years. Productivity is really the key to a balanced life because it allows you to have a more efficient output and work better, not more. It can take some trial and error to figure out what works for you, but this episode will give you some ideas of where you can start.

On this episode:

What should you focus on to achieve better productivity?
How diet plays a role in productivity.
Reasons why you should reduce your daily sugar intake.
Different ways you can manipulate carbohydrate intake.
The benefits of fasting for productivity.
How inflammation impacts the body.
What are the benefits to maximizing sleep?
Why you should manage blue light exposure before bedtime.
Tools you can use to promote a healthy sleep routine.
How to wake up easier and more consistently.
Effective supplements that biohackers love for productivity.
Basic supplements and others that are worth spending more on.
Buying supplements based on your goals and needs.
Why you should consider taking L-theanine with caffeine.
What you can do to reduce stress.
How using 5HTP can support healthy neurotransmission and help with stress.
The benefit of blocking apps and noise cancelling headphones.

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Friday Feb 12, 2021

Competing in Oversaturated Markets, Raising Funds, Acquisitions & Innovations with Trevor Crotts, President of Buddy Brands

Friday Feb 12, 2021

Let’s welcome Trevor Crotts, an eCommerce entrepreneur and President of Buddy Brands. Buddy Brands is known for disrupting the pet industry with award winning products. During this episode, you will learn more about dominating oversaturated niches, how to increase your conversions, and the new, emerging technologies in the eCommerce space that are about to revolutionize shopping.

On this episode:

[1:15] The inspiration for Buddy Brands and how the business started.
[3:00] How this went from an idea to a business.
[5:28] Trevor’s experience with developers and why he moved to Shopify.
[7:02] How the company grew from just a dog bed business to what it is now.
[8:28] Why should small companies also explore acquisitions?
[9:32] Why Trevor recommends using your own funds and not raising capital right away.
[12:07] New features and technology that Trevor is excited about.
[13:58] What you absolutely need to invest in to increase your conversion rates.
[15:02] The importance of authenticity and trust in your eCommerce business.
[17:27] How new technology is going to impact the eCommerce user experience.
[19:18] Trevor’s tips on standing out in an oversaturated market.
[21:37] Why should you be relational with your customers not transactional?
[23:23] The one thing that Trevor says has never changed in sales.
[24:14] The adjustments that Trevor has made in branding over time.
[26:52] Why innovation is a core value at Buddy Brands.
[28:40] How they come up with ideas for new products.
[29:43] How Trevor manages the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
[31:30] Where to get in touch with Trevor.

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Wednesday Feb 10, 2021

How to Overcome the Biggest Hiring Challenge in Typical eCommerce Business

Wednesday Feb 10, 2021

Every business owner will face challenges in hiring the right person at the right time. You may even end up having more work than your team can take on, especially in the initial stages of working with a new client. In this episode, we will be discussing the benefit of creating a hiring pipeline and how we go about hiring for our own business. This information will help you overcome the plentiful hiring challenges in your business.

On this episode:

How to create a hiring pipeline and why you should do it.
Determining the positions you need to fill beforehand.
Why you should always advertise open positions on your website.
The benefit of inactively hiring all the time.
Are lengthy questionnaires ideal when screening candidates?
How to tell if a candidate is very interested in the position.
What to do if the right person comes along at the wrong time.
What strategies are potential candidates most receptive to?
The benefit of a “culture fit” call.
How to explain ongoing hiring to potential candidates.
The benefit of having candidate information available in advance.
How a hiring pipeline can ensure you have the right people when you need them.

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Monday Feb 08, 2021

Why You Need PR Strategy for Your eCom Biz & How to 10x Its Impact With Paid Ads

Monday Feb 08, 2021

This time, we’re discussing a controversial topic: whether or not you need PR (public relations). We’ve seen with our clients first-hand just how important having a PR team and strategy can be. Every business does, in fact need PR. If you are wondering about the benefits of PR and how your business could be impacted with or without it, this and more will be uncovered during this episode.

On this episode:

At what point in your business you should implement PR.
Understanding how PR alters ROIs (return on investments).
The core benefits of PR and how this supports your business.
Why are brands that have more PR better established?
How can a PR strategy give you a competitive edge?
How public relations impacts ROAS (return on advertising spend).
The way in which PR can also protect your brand.
An example of how the lack of PR impacted a client.
Why you are falling behind if you are not investing in PR.
What about utilizing influencer marketing and leveraging celebrities for PR?
The first ways in which you should utilize PR, and the following steps.
How you should be using Facebook ads.
The importance of building up a social profile.
The role PR plays in building trust between your brand and potential customers.
Utilizing Instagram influencer stories as a part of your PR strategy.
How this kind of PR strategy influences ROI.

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Friday Feb 05, 2021

Exact Marketing Strategy Behind the Fastest Growing eCom Brand in Germany with John Hagan

Friday Feb 05, 2021

John Hagan is our guest in this episode. He is the Director of Performance Marketing at Purelei, which is one of the fastest growing eCommerce brands in Germany. Today’s episode is all about marketing strategy and how this should evolve during business growth. We’ll be covering topics such as influencer marketing, underutilized marketing strategies, and how to maximize the utilization of Facebook ads and email marketing.

On this episode:

[0:48] How John got into digital marketing and ended up at Purelei.
[4:47] The importance of branding in combating copycats within your industry.
[5:46] Innovative strategies that have been implemented at Purelei.
[7:09] Why is influencer marketing so important to consider?
[8:06] The benefits John has experienced by reaching out to people he admires.
[10:08] How the marketing strategy has changed during growth phases at Purelei.
[14:13] The people you hire and their influence on business growth.
[15:40] What dark posting is and the selling points.
[19:35] What qualities John looks for in an influencer.
[22:13] Why John emphasizes the ecosystem of collaboration.
[23:12] The results that John has seen and created utilizing the dark posting strategy.
[26:20] Aggression and bravery and their role in business growth.
[28:31] Tips on coping with stress in entrepreneurship.
[29:55] Why it’s important to maintain a calm demeanor as a business owner.
[31:49] The number-one secret John uses to remain sane in the eCommerce business.
[32:33] Why you should be able to step back from your business and how having the right team can help you with this.
[34:15] What slow-motion multitasking is and how you can use it as a tool for inspiration.

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Wednesday Feb 03, 2021

How I’m Maximizing My Productivity & Keeping Sanity When Growing a Business (Part 2)

Wednesday Feb 03, 2021

We’re continuing our chat about how you can maximize your productivity, while also managing your stress and keeping your sanity, in the second of this 2-part episode. Today focuses on daily tasks and biohacking to manage productivity on a smaller scale. If you have struggled in the past with time-management and could use some tips on how to utilize the time you have more effectively, these tips are for you.

On this episode:

Get in the habit of planning your week before the week starts.
Figure out what needs to get done, and then allocate specific timeframes accordingly.
Create focus windows of 3-4 hours.
Monday is a great day to start this planning.
Tackle your most important tasks early in the week.
Outsource whenever possible or necessary.
Prioritize learning and self-improvement.
Block out rest periods, for instance, over lunch.
Set aside the second half of the day for less important tasks.
Prioritize tasks and divide the day between difficult and easy things to do.
Utilize apps like FocusMe or other blocking software.
How sound-cancelling headphones can be a useful tool.
These headphones can deter other people from distracting you.
Small things can be more distracting than you realize.
More biohacking tips coming soon.

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Tuesday Feb 02, 2021

How I’m Maximizing My Productivity & Keeping Sanity When Growing a Business (Part 1)

Tuesday Feb 02, 2021

This episode is all about how you can maximize your productivity while also managing your stress and keeping your sanity. We’re sharing tips that can take some time to implement, but do know that this is all about figuring out what works best for you. This episode is part 1 of 2 and focuses specifically on larger tasks and bigger-picture goals. If your work requires a lot of attention and you need to balance the bigger picture with daily productivity, this information will be valuable to you.

On this episode:

Do not try to implement too many changes at once.
Take 2-3 habits and focus on those first.
Layer on positive changes quarterly.
It’s very important to set yearly goals.
Divide your goals into different areas and prioritize them within these areas.
Narrow your focus down to individual goals.
Create your goals around the SMART criteria.
This should include business goals as well as personal goals.
Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.
Know your goal and what you will gain from accomplishing that goal.
Create time-bound milestones to keep you on track.
Anticipate internal and external obstacles and manage your routine around these.
Revisit bigger goals monthly to assess achievements.
Don’t be afraid to adjust your daily schedule if it helps you.
It’s all about trial and error and finding out what works for you.
Reflect on what made you happy and how you can focus on that more.
Journaling can help with this reflection.
It can take years to figure out how this best works for you.
This groundwork makes day-to-day productivity much easier.

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Monday Feb 01, 2021

Overworked? Here is How You Can Easily Free Up Your Time as a Business Owner

Monday Feb 01, 2021

Let’s get into a topic today that pretty much every business owner is eager to do and sometimes struggles with: freeing up time. We’ll be talking about SOPs (standard operating procedures) and how you can utilize these to free up time for yourself, while also ensuring your business operates efficiently and with consistent quality.

On this episode:

An example of SOP in onboarding a new client or even a new staff member.
How can creating a standard operating procedure can make this easier?
The many different pillars of your business that can be standardized.
What forms can SOPs be in?
The best format for SOPs that are subject to occasional change.
How your preferences can cause SOPs to vary, which may be advantageous.
Can other team members contribute to creating SOPs?
Helping the onboarding process by use of a knowledge base.
Efficiency benefits of great SOPs that can be seen in the long-term.
Saving time and ensuring consistent quality in your business.
Creating a template for the structure of SOPs.
When is the best time to create SOPs in a business?
Different stages of SOPs, right down to streamlining the process of handing files to your clients.

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Sunday Jan 31, 2021

eCommerce Exits: How to Get Up to 12x Multiplier & Exit for Over $100M+

Sunday Jan 31, 2021

Today’s episode of the Build to Scale eCommerce Show is all about exiting your business. How can you strategize and move forward in your exit systematically? A lot of business owners dream of building up their business so that they can exit to their financial benefit. The discussion in this episode revolves around how you can extract the most value out of your business, whether you are planning to sell now or at some point in the future.

On this episode:

Key learning points about eCommerce exits.
Looking at profits, assets, and product stock.
The numbers you need to know to properly evaluate your business.
Determining the best equation for your business evaluation.
How having a CEO or COO encourages business growth.
Growth rates with the support of professional management.
Selling to private investors versus private equity firms.
The profit and revenue required to reach the third level category.
Looking into acquisitions and consolidations with different brands.
Determining your best exit strategy based on your business.
What to expect when getting paid out.
The majority of deals are structured with partial payment upfront, not a lump sum.
Ideal and secure ways to structure your deal.
What it means to do a partial exit.
The benefits of a partial exit for you and the buyer.
Check out Roland Frasier, who is an expert on this topic, for more.

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Saturday Jan 30, 2021

Shark Tank, Kickstarter & Building a Leading eCom Brand with Max Kislevitz

Saturday Jan 30, 2021

Kislevitz, Co-Founder of Bala, is our guest in this episode. Bala is known for their minimalist weight bands and for creating functional fitness accessories with a strong focus on design. Bala has made millions of dollars without any paid advertising, and they also successfully secured funding on Shark Tank. Today, we’ll be discussing product development, the importance of branding and brand image, along with branding strategy.

On this episode:

[0:31] Max introduces himself and how he got into eCommerce.
[1:24] Where did the idea for Bala come from?
[3:17] How long it took Max to get from idea to execution.
[4:25] Why they utilized Kickstarter for the initial production run.
[5:42] What they didn’t know about Kickstarter when they started.
[7:10] Their experience with production and prototypes.
[8:40] How can expectations best be managed post-crowdfunding?
[9:47] A description of the Bala brand from Max.
[11:46] How they came up with the brand vision and mission.
[13:40] What differentiates Bala from competitive brands?
[15:03] The relation between consistent brand messaging and Bala’s success.
[19:07] Max’s thoughts on his Shark Tank experience looking back years later.
[19:58] How his Shark Tank investors have contributed to the business.
[21:47] The influence of product insight on their public relations strategy and press.
[23:32] Max’s tips for managing the ups and downs of business.
[24:43] Why perfect is the enemy of good.
[25:06] Where to learn more about Bala as well as where you can connect with Max.

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Friday Jan 29, 2021

3 Most Important Metrics That Every eCommerce Owner Should Care About

Friday Jan 29, 2021

On today’s episode of the Built to Scale eCommerce Show, we’re covering the 3 most important metrics that every eCommerce store owner should monitor. While there are many different metrics that should be evaluated within your eCommerce business, knowing the 3 most important metrics can help ensure that your business is successful for years and years to come.

On this episode:

Important Metric 1: Profit Margin.
Transitioning from Amazon to Shopify and how this impacts profit margins.
The typical profit margin on Amazon.
What profit margin should you aim for in your own eCommerce store?
Comparing your profit margin to the cost of gods sold.
Fulfillment, other variable costs, and why they are subject to variation.
Why profit margin should be the first metric to examine.
Important Metric 2: Average Order Value.
What can cause high profit margins yet low average order values?
The issue with a lower average order value.
How can you generate a higher profit overall on Amazon by monitoring average order value?
A good target for average order value.
Bundling options and utilizing email campaigns to help with average order value.
Important Metric 3: Shop ROAS (Return On Advertising Spend).
Why you should use applications to track ROAS and monitor end profitability daily and weekly

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Thursday Jan 28, 2021

Real Talk How We've Scaled eCom Business from $0.5M to $26M in Just 1-Year Part 2

Thursday Jan 28, 2021

Welcome to part 2 of what it takes to build a fast-growing eCommerce business in just one year. Businesses can undergo a substantial transformation in a year, and we have experienced this type of growth with our clients before. In one year of working with us, our client went from $0.5M to $26M. In this second part, we are focusing on how marketing and testing can influence scaling and growth.

On this episode:

How unforeseeable circumstances like a pandemic can impact business growth.
The benefits of experimenting with different marketing channels.
The importance of patience in reaching breakthrough points.
Why you should disregard Facebook ad tracking and what to use instead.
How to apply your knowledge with rapid experimentation.
The benefit of knowing your audience through ad testing.
Utilizing both Facebook ads and Google ads in a cumulative effort.
How will testing different website designs influence growth?
Why you have to test in marketing and figure out what sticks.
The role that email marketing plays in acquiring customers and increasing sales.
Why you shouldn’t underestimate email marketing.
Why shouldn’t you expect linear growth with your eCommerce business?
When a drop in profit is acceptable.

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Wednesday Jan 27, 2021

Real Talk How We've Scaled eCom Business from $0.5M to $26M in Just 1-Year Part 1

Wednesday Jan 27, 2021

Today’s episode of the Built to Scale eCommerce Show is about what it takes to build a fast-growing eCommerce business in just one year. Businesses can undergo a substantial transformation in a year, and we have experienced this type of growth with our clients before. In one year of working with us, one particular client went from $0.5M to $26M. This episode is Part 1 of 2, and today we are focusing on how the business owner mindset and experience influences scaling and growth.

On this episode:

Details of a previous situation where a client experienced exponential growth.
How previous experience plays a role in scaling.
Why it’s important to have mentors and focus on learning.
How having a quick and efficient supply chain supports growth.
What kind of supply chain changes can you make to be more agile?
The importance of having investors ready if needed.
The biggest bottleneck that fast-growing businesses experience.
Why you need to embrace a drop in profit for a certain period of time.
How being aggressive can pay off when scaling and investing.
What amount of profit should you aim for when focusing on growth?
Delaying gratification to achieve higher growth.
Listen to Part 2 to learn the role that marketing plays in scaling.

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Tuesday Jan 26, 2021

How to Prevent a Reason Why 82% of eCommerce Businesses Fail

Tuesday Jan 26, 2021

How can you continue working if your business has lost all revenue? Don’t worry, we’ll show you how in this episode. Remember, you never know what can happen with your business. It can be difficult to anticipate changes in the market, with your team, or with your clients. Many businesses last 2, 5, or even 10 years, but very few attain true longevity. This episode is all about the best strategy you can use to stay afloat during these times.

On this episode:

Why it’s important to think about this now as opposed to when you need this cash flow.
Recommendations from financial consultants.
How much should you have set aside to keep your business going?
Why you may not want to put aside more than is necessary.
Highlighting why this strategy is important.
Why cash is king for an eCommerce business.
How the book “Profit First” can help with planning and managing this.
Why you should start saving from the very start of your business.
Similarities in managing personal finances and business finances.
The benefit of separating your finances.
The security this strategy provides for your business and employees.
How you can use this additional cash flow during low revenue periods.

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Tuesday Jan 19, 2021

"Built to Scale" eCommerce Show Trailer

Tuesday Jan 19, 2021

A few years ago we were broke university students. Living in a place of Eastern Europe nobody knows - Lithuania.

Fast forward a few years, we’re founders of AdKings Agency. An industry-leading boutique eCommerce growth agency responsible for one of the fastest-growing US eCommerce brands and taking it from $0.5M to $26M in a single year without any external funding.

Now we’re working on helping to grow and scale a dozen other eCommerce businesses to 8 or 9-figures. Managing over $18M in paid media ad spend a year and delving deep into sophisticated eCommerce exits, investments, and acquisitions world.

Our world is intense, crazy, ever-changing, and challenging.

This podcast is simple. Every week we, Darius, and Justin are going to open up our & our agency lives. We’re going to share behind the scenes insights about what makes our clients’ businesses grow at the speed they are growing.

We’re going to share our best-learned marketing methods, channel insights, and growth hacks that took us millions of dollars to figure out.

And we’re going to open up insights from our client’s business development strategies from operations management to raising capital that supported this growth.

Nothing held back to help you transform your business into an 8 or even 9-figure powerhouse.

Are you ready to click play?

- Darius Kunca & Justin Gecevicius

👉 We’re releasing new episodes every Monday, Wednesday & occasionally Friday.

Thursday Jan 14, 2021

How We’re Spending Up to $100K a Day On Facebook Ads For One eCommerce Business

Thursday Jan 14, 2021

Let’s dive into how we are getting up to $100k daily ad spends on Facebook for one of our eCommerce clients. To a small business, this can seem like a large amount to spend on advertising. For this reason, it’s important to implement mindset changes and tricks that can help you change the way you approach scaling up. I’m going to talk about them here.

On this episode:

Advertising and long-term brand vision.
Profit overall versus profit from advertising.
When to focus on direct-to-consumer advertising.
Why sometimes it’s okay to run ads and break even.
What to expect on ROAS (return on advertising spend).
How to get the maximum value from your customers.
The importance of email and SMS marketing to encourage repeat customers.
How to extract the most value out of each customer.
Why it’s important not to panic when bumping up your advertising budget.
Do not limit yourself with performance rules early on.
Delayed attribution with Facebook ads.
Creating different iterations of ads for varying potential customers.
The benefit of creating various landing pages for the same product.
The most important piece of advice to take from this podcast: advanced tracking software.
Facebook analytics are imperfect and why the numbers can be off.
How to balance your ads with broad targeting campaigns.
Misconceptions about how to best utilize Facebook ads.
Advertising videos and how to use them effectively.
How this video strategy extracts value from the working creatives.
The benefit of creating dedicated videos for holidays.

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Thursday Jan 14, 2021

The Best Way to Plan & Hit 100% of Your Goals

Thursday Jan 14, 2021

We often set goals, but less often do we actually attain them. That’s what we’re getting into on this episode. You may come to the end of the quarter or the end of the year, look back, and wonder why you failed to accomplish your goals. If this sounds familiar to you, it may be time to implement a different approach. Listen in to learn about a better way to plan that will help you reach your goals more effectively moving forward.

On this episode:

Why it’s not helpful to set the goal from your current position.
Reflecting upon your last process in approaching your goals.
How can your mindset play into the setting of goals?
The better approach to goal setting and how this method works.
Different aspects to keep in mind while using this approach.
The way in which this approach helps you to consider operational changes.
How you can apply this approach to your business in different ways.
Understanding the step-by-step changes to attain your goal.
How do other planning strategies facilitate failure?
Why wanting something doesn’t guarantee it will happen.
The importance of setting realistic goals.
What not hitting your goals often comes down to.

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