Ten Years In The Making

By: Adam Robinson
  • Summary

  • Welcome to Ten Years Years In The Making - a podcast for operating founders who want to learn how to successfully build and scale a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business. I’m your host, Adam Robinson, Founder and CEO of Retention.com. Over the past 2.5 years, my company has gone from $0-$14M ARR with 6 people and zero funding. Prior to that, I bootstrapped Robly Email Marketing to an 8 figure exit. For over 10 years, I’ve been starting, scaling, and selling companies, and through this podcast, I plan to help others do the same. Join me, as I interview operating Founders of high-growth direct-to-consumer eCommerce companies, mainly in the Shopify Plus ecosystem, about how they got to where they are today, what their endgame is, and how YOU can model their success. In each interview, we’ll discuss origin stories, bootstrapping vs VC funding, acquisition strategy, deal structure, and how to successfully lead an eCommerce business to a future exit. For more information, visit https://retention.com/
    © Retention.com. All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • 031: Helping DTC Brands Boost Conversions & Improve Customer Experience with Oren Harnevo
    Jun 29 2023

    As AI dominates headlines, eCommerce brands are hard at work trying to figure out how to employ cutting-edge technology to improve their bottom line. 

    For Oren Harnevo’s Feel, however, human touch has been the secret to driving incremental revenue for eCommerce companies.

    Feel builds 24/7 live sales teams for online businesses, allowing customers to connect with experts at all hours of the day. On average, Feel has increased AOVs by 50% and conversions by 35%, while decreasing product returns by 11x for its consumers. 

    Today, I’m sitting down with Oren to discuss how Feel is able to consistently build expert sales teams despite serving businesses across multiple niches. How do you find, hire and train great salespeople? And is it repeatable for other businesses?

    You’ll also hear about how AI can help online eCommerce sales teams scale, how to implement video into online sales, and why brands must clearly distinguish the difference between sales messaging and support messaging.

    Key Takeaways with Oren Harnevo

    • How does Feel help 7, 8 and 9-figure brands make more sales? 
    • Pricing a service in a way that attracts DTC brands. 
    • How to quickly train a sales team to be experts on a specific brand or niche. 
    • Building a 24/7 sales team to accommodate customers in all time zones. 
    • The effect work-from-home has had on formality in the workplace — and how it affects businesses of different sizes.
    • Why would a company not be a good fit to work with Feel? 
    • Balancing the high conversion potential of video sales with customer engagement preferences. 
    • The importance of distinguishing between sales and support messaging when interacting with customers online. 
    • What impact with AI have on conversational eCommerce? 

    Want the Full Show Notes?

    To get access to the full show notes, including audio, transcripts, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit Retention.com/31

    Rate & Review
    If you enjoyed today’s episode of Ten Years In The Making, hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so future episodes are automatically downloaded directly to your device.

    Connect with Adam Robinson:
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtalksemail/ 

    Get The Podcast on:

    • APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/10-years-in-the-making/id1656993308
    • SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LPWNrljdXFv0caHvfQUIv?si=qiHzoPUdR-6TSgUJOiwyrw
    • YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBJe-176R0xRyfb9eBk80Yg?sub_confirmation=1 
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    34 mins
  • 030: Surviving the Third-Party Cookie Apocalypse
    Jun 22 2023

    We’re doing things a little differently in this episode as I join Drew Sanocki and Michael Epstein on the Nerd Marketing Ecommerce podcast to discuss what life will look like for DTC companies in a cookieless future.

    As giants like Google and Apple relay their plans to limit the collection of third-party cookies, eCommerce companies will be forced to tap dance to come up with ways to continue personalized ad targeting. But while some people think these changes will be fatal for DTC companies, I see a few ways companies can adjust to the new normal. 

    As the founder and CEO of Retention.com, I’m constantly involved in the nuances of effective customer tracking. In this episode, you’ll hear Drew and Michael ask me important questions about ad targeting, customer retention and data collection.

    You’ll also hear about the important differences between server-side and client-side tracking, how Retention’s technology works, and what part of marketing you should optimize to increase sales.

    Key Takeaways with Drew Sanocki & Michael Epstein

    • How can brands prepare for the upcoming deprecation of third-party cookies? 
    • Server-side tracking helps websites collect user data at the server level instead of on the client’s device. What are the long-term risks associated with it?
    • The fine line between privacy and ad targeting that companies like Retention.com navigate — and why the business model has a capped ceiling. 
    • The differences in data collection laws between the U.S. and Europe.
    • A crash course in misconceptions and realities behind the legal nuances that affect email marketing. 
    • Should Ecommerce stores be A/B testing abandoned cart flows or newsletters?
    • Is it possible to maintain business consistency when experiencing rapid growth? 

    Want the Full Show Notes?

    To get access to the full show notes, including audio, transcripts, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit Retention.com/30

    Rate & Review
    If you enjoyed today’s episode of Ten Years In The Making, hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so future episodes are automatically downloaded directly to your device.

    Connect with Adam Robinson:
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtalksemail/ 

    Get The Podcast on:

    • APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/10-years-in-the-making/id1656993308
    • SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LPWNrljdXFv0caHvfQUIv?si=qiHzoPUdR-6TSgUJOiwyrw
    • YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBJe-176R0xRyfb9eBk80Yg?sub_confirmation=1 
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    28 mins
  • 029: How Bloom’s Greg LaVecchia Built a 9-Figure Supplement Brand
    Jun 15 2023

    For many DTC brands, cracking the big-box retailer code can be a challenge. 

    But for Greg LaVecchia and Bloom, placement on Target and Walmart shelves has been rocket fuel on their way to 9-figure sales in just their 4th year of business. 

    Greg is a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and the CEO of Bloom, a DTC supplement company. Along with his wife and co-founder Mari, Greg has grown Bloom to become Target’s top-selling SKU in the wellness OTC vitamins, minerals and supplement department over the past 12 months. 

    Today, Greg sits down with me to share how he solved the puzzle of going from DTC darling to retail behemoth.

    You’ll also hear Greg discuss Bloom’s influencer marketing program that generates more than 500K social media views per month, how he handles digital advertising when focusing on retail sales, and how to handle product innovation needs with major retailers. 

    Key Takeaways with Greg LaVecchia

    • How Bloom became the No.1-selling SKU in Target's wellness OTC vitamins, minerals and supplements department over the past 52 weeks
    • The backstory of Bloom’s founding and how you can build upon one simple idea. 
    • Creating an in-house agency of TikTok and Instagram influencers to generate over 500M views per month as a top-of-funnel strategy.
    • When do you know it’s time to chase expansion for your brand? 
    • Busting the myth that DTC brands don’t do well in big-box retailers like Target and Walmart.
    • The nuances of using digital marketing ads to send consumers into retail stores to buy your products.
    • The need to think further ahead with product development when selling in retail vs. selling online.
    • The difference between a retail broker and a distributor, and why working with distributors can hurt product control.
    • The importance of focusing on the day-to-day instead of dreaming over a future exit. 

    Want the Full Show Notes?

    To get access to the full show notes, including audio, transcripts, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit Retention.com/29

    Rate & Review
    If you enjoyed today’s episode of Ten Years In The Making, hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, so future episodes are automatically downloaded directly to your device.

    Connect with Adam Robinson:
    LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtalksemail/ 

    Get The Podcast on:

    • APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/10-years-in-the-making/id1656993308
    • SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LPWNrljdXFv0caHvfQUIv?si=qiHzoPUdR-6TSgUJOiwyrw
    • YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBJe-176R0xRyfb9eBk80Yg?sub_confirmation=1 
    Show more Show less
    33 mins

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