eCom Hot or Not: Retail, Organic Growth, Live Shopping and Profits - Live from SubSummit 2025
In this episode of the ASOM Pod, hosts Jimmy Kim (CEO of eCom Email Marketer, formally Founder of Sendlane), John Roman (CEO of BattlBox), Amer Grozdanic (CEO of Praella), Bryan MacDonald (Direct of eCommerce at Oma’s Pride) come in hot—unpacking what’s actually working in eCommerce right now… and what’s just noise.
We’re talking community-building, live shopping wins (and fails), the end of boring product posts, and why chasing top-line growth without real profit is the fastest way to implode your brand.
What you'll learn in this episode:
- Content over Catalog: Why showing your product isn’t enough—and how entertaining, valuable content is what actually drives conversion.
- Community = Currency: How brands are ditching transactional mindsets and using loyal communities to power sustainable, long-term growth.
- Live Shopping Breakdown: What’s working, what’s not, and how to stand out in an increasingly crowded space.
- Beyond the Vanity Metrics: Why chasing top-line revenue can put your brand at risk—and how to build a healthier bottom line instead.
- Organic Growth Playbook: Real strategies from brands winning without paid ads (yes, it’s possible—and profitable).
- Retail Isn’t Dead… But It’s Evolving: A no-BS look at how retail fits into today’s DTC world—and where it still wins.
If you’re building an eCommerce brand and want the playbook for community, content, and conversion in today’s landscape—you’ll want to hit play on this one.
Big shoutout to our sponsors who make this podcast possible!
Omnisend — With 125,000+ eCommerce merchants, Omnisend is the all-in-one email & SMS marketing platform built to deliver seamless, personalized experiences via email and sms with ease. Learn more at https://www.omnisend.com/
Alia — An app that is revolutionizing how brands turn website visitors into loyal customers. With some of the highest performing pop ups in eCommerce, Alia is helping brands ditch traditional webforms and double down on education, personalization and conversion. We highly recommend you check out: https://www.alialearn.com/
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00:00 Teaser Trailer
00:23 The Importance of Community in Branding
00:54 TikTok Shop and Other Sales Channels
01:49 Podcast Introduction and Host Introductions
04:15 Retail Discussion
14:01 Community and Organic Growth
21:47 The Power of Community in B2B
22:17 The Importance of Organic Conversations
24:31 Live Shopping: The Next Big Thing
25:45 Success Stories and Strategies in Live Shopping
36:19 Top Line Growth vs. Bottom Line Optimization
44:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts