EP68: 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 (Direct 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.

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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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Come hang out with us IRL - https://commerceroundtable.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

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Follow Jimmy Kim at:

X: https://www.twitter.com/yojimmykim

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yojimmykim

IG: https://www.instagram.com/@yojimmykim

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yojimmykim

Follow Bryan MacDonald at:

X: https://www.twitter.com/bryanomaspride

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-macdonald-ct

IG: https://www.instagram.com/@anythingbutasalad

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anythingbutasalad

Follow John Roman at:

X: https://www.twitter.com/@JohnMRoman

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-roman/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/@johnnyromes

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmroman

Follow Amer Grozdanic at:a

X: https://www.twitter.com/@AmerGrozdanic

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amer-grozdanic

IG: https://www.instagram.com/@amergrozdanic

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amergrozdanic

Contact us at hello@asompod.com for sponsorships, appearance requests, interviews, or general information!

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