Episode 281 - 800% Growth in 4 Years While Quitting Amazon

eCommerce Evolution

We've all dreamed of quitting Amazon. And it's hard to argue with 800% growth in 4 years.

That's why I was so excited to sit down with Sean Reyes, founder of ShockSurplus.com. I wanted to discuss Sean's journey of growing his business by 800% in just four years, his decision to break up with Amazon despite it accounting for 70% of his revenue at the time, and the importance of thinking like a media company.

While most brands should NOT quit Amazon, some should. And his thoughts around margins and building content are valuable for all eComm brands.

Key topics and lessons from the episode:

-Sean's strategies for managing margins and advertising costs in a highly competitive environment with intense margin pressure.

-The value of creating authentic, informative content on YouTube to build trust and authority with customers.

-The decision to move away from Amazon due to high fees, lack of customer interaction, and increased competition on listings.

-The importance of thoroughly understanding sales tax nexus laws to avoid costly mistakes and legal issues.

-Sean's advice for eCommerce store owners looking to diversify their revenue streams and uncover new opportunities for growth.

Quotable moments from the episode:

"We've got to be more like a media company that sells parts rather than a parts company that does media. Because I always felt like once you have the experience of producing valuable content, you could direct it anywhere."

"You need to get behind the product, use it to drive proper recommendations, and create a customer experience that no one else can give."