Hot or Not eCom Edition: Live Shopping, Sustainability, Influencers, and More
In this live episode from Commerce Roundtable San Diego, hosts Jimmy Kim (CEO of eCom Email Marketer, formally Founder of Sendlane), John Roman (CEO of BattlBox), Amer Grozdanic (CEO of Praella), and Bryan MacDonald (Director of eCommerce at Oma’s Pride) kick things off with a round of “Hot or Not: eCom Edition” before diving into the biggest debates in DTC.
They tackle owning vs. renting customers, sustainability vs. convenience, and the evolving world of influencers, affiliates, and creator-driven content, and live shopping.
The conversation gets real about profitability, EBITDA, and smart exit strategies, all while keeping the energy high and the laughs coming (yes, including a nod to Bryan MacDonald’s self-made fan club).
If you missed San Diego, this episode captures the energy, insights, and fun of the event, live from the pier.
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/
Kintsugi — AI that monitors, files, and optimizes sales tax for you. Eliminate your tax headaches forever. Mention ASOM for 3 months free at https://www.TryKintsugi.com
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00:00 Introduction
01:04 Welcome to the ASOM Podcast
01:56 Meet the Hosts
03:41 Hot or Not: Ecom Edition
04:27 Debate: Owning vs. Renting Customers
09:48 Sustainability vs. Convenience
13:14 Future of Influencers vs. Affiliates
13:34 The Evolving Landscape of Influencers and Affiliates
13:51 TikTok Shop: Empowering Creators
14:59 Blurring Lines Between Influencers and Affiliates
15:31 The Rise of Consumer-Generated Content
16:51 The Future of Free Content Creation
20:21 Exit Strategies in D2C
22:58 The Importance of EBITDA and Unit Economics
28:56 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up