Claim OwnershipDragonproof Ecommerce
Subscribed: 5Played: 27
Subscribe
© 2021 Miva Inc.
Description
Ecommerce strategy, news commentary, and leadership inspiration for the post-2020 online economy. Rick Wilson, C.E.O. of Miva Inc., leads a freewheeling bi-monthly discussion with ecommerce professionals from every corner of the business. From SMB to enterprise, entrepreneurial startup to 100,000 SKU manufacturer-brand... Rick and guests explore the core concepts which drive success for all sellers.
67 Episodes
Reverse
Your data is worth obsessing over. This week, Rick is joined by Keifer Hunniford, Miva’s Senior Director of Product Integrations, to discuss the inherent challenges of integrating sophisticated software for complex businesses. Why is the dialogue between the many software systems which drive a business so important?
Can you run your business in 225 work days per year or less? Study after study show the emotional, mental, and physical benefits of taking “downtime” from work life, but for many entrepreneurs, slowing down feels like failure. In fact, downtime is a wellspring for creative inspiration, innovation, and increased productivity. Rick explores why building “off” days into a busy yearly schedule is crucial for sustaining long-term success.
Take a peek inside an internal business development talk exploring how Miva’s product, employee, and ownership history set the stage for the perfect customer relationship. Rick connects the dots between major milestones of the company’s development and the process of developing bullseye products for the exact right customer.
Is there an overall breakdown in the quality of customer service? With millions of workers leaving the labor pool, consumer demand surging, and a rise in abusive customers, many customer support systems are strained to the breaking point. As we move towards a permanently hybrid workforce, what issues are arising in year 3 of our new reality which are only revealing themselves now? Rick welcomes Rich Rauscher, PhD, Executive Vice President of Miva and information systems expert.
In-person industry trade shows are back, led by the retail extravaganza ShopTalk. What trends are dominating the room in 2022? Rick identifies the hot topics being discussed at this year’s event, but suggests the real value of trade shows lies in the ability to leverage time and evaluate potential partners, moving past the latest shiny things to true collaboration.
Human-centric decision-making can create incredible tailwinds for a business - and the opposite is also true. Rick examines the downstream effects of values-based leadership decisions, and how to harness them for the best results.
The invasion of Ukraine is a global crisis with far-reaching geopolitical consequences, including unknown impacts upon the U.S. economy. For business leaders just emerging from the challenges of the Covid era, this event will require a recommitment to values and work modalities which inspire confidence and hope. Rick suggests that the best course of action for US businesses is neither panic nor obliviousness, but instead a sober situational awareness relative to the unique context of every company. Most importantly, leaders need to focus on elements they can control, while staying connected to the “north star” of their core mission.
What is the nature of happiness? A rapidly shifting digital economy and once-in-a-generation stresses demand that employers support an emotionally balanced workplace - starting with themselves. This week, Rick and Rich unpack the factors that drive happiness, how personal joy can ripple through an organization, and why choices that prioritize emotional health align with company goals.
Rick and Scott dig in to how in a remote-first world you can no longer manage your team and gauge the emotional temperature by leaning on pony walls and observing while people work. The pandemic has now instituted a permanent sea-change in the tools required to emotionally support and manage your staff - but the ultimate goal of a psychologically safe work environment is still of utmost importance for your business.
Coming back strong from the extremely uncertain conditions of spring 2020, Maya Jewelry drew upon the power of its community and network of artisans to build an outstanding new chapter for the brand. Owner Corey Lolley joins Rick Wilson to discuss some of the intangibles which factor into sustainable business, starting with investing humanity into every step of the decision-making process.
The key to building a soulful business which sustains in all seasons often comes down to expressing an optimistic, passionate, and nuanced point of view - and then translating that stance into a trustworthy shopping experience. In this episode, Rick Wilson sets the table for a very successful 2022 by encouraging business to foreground their most valuable asset: soul.
Getting your business over the finish line after 2021 has been an endurance challenge - but for many leaders, personal self-care is the first thing to be sacrificed. As Rick Wilson explores in this episode, self-care is integral to good leadership. Rick connects his personal wellness journey to the unique challenges our industry faced this year, including how to deal with success and failure, how to model good behavior for workers, and the organizational dividends that come from good health and mental balance.
Every time a brand places an ad, issues a statement, or sends an email, it is entering a complex environment of culture, opinion, and the pressure to take a stand on everything. Finding a sustainable way to use that voice requires true awareness of a specific business’ role in society, with an emphasis on what’s directly relevant for worker and customers. In this episode, Rick Wilson identifies key concepts which support successful modern business communication.
Auto shoppers visiting dealer lots in 2021 found low inventory and substantial upcharges on whatever was left. The reason was a microchip shortage, fueled in large part by sellers’ failure to adapt to Covid demand volatility in the first half of 2020. Rick Wilson unpacks how the relationship between car dealers and semiconductor fabs illustrates smart tactical decisions around supply chain. Complex tactics & decision-making skills like these are required in every business, every industry.
The best businesses have absolutely no daylight between their core purpose, their sales strategy, and their internal structure. In this episode, Rick Wilson highlights why alignment is the key principle for any business, with examples of brands that get it exactly right. Why you make your products, the way you make them, and how you sell them are all spokes of the same wheel.
Everything from product pricing to brand voice on Twitter relies on one key concept: situational awareness. Businesses must continually weigh every internal decision against a clear-eyed look at external conditions, even when those conditions are uncontrollable. In this episode, Rick Wilson explores the principles and practices brands need to foster intentional, marketplace-aware strategy.
Sensationalistic headlines about labor, GDP, or the Dow have far less to do with the success of independent business than most sellers think. In this episode, Rick Wilson describes how to sidestep an obsession with macro economics, and figure out the correct timescale to analyze progress.
The dust has somewhat settled after the U.S. business community’s dramatic shift to remote work last year, and for now, it is clear that the changes have stuck. In this episode, Rick Wilson connects the concept of healthy internal work culture to the viability of that business in a constantly changing external world. Part 4 of his series exploring principle-driven business strategies for the modern entrepreneur.
The silver bullet of ecommerce strategy is simple: Figure out what problem you’re solving, and then make sure you have people to solve it for. The trick, as Rick Wilson argues on this episode of the Dragonproof Pod, is to have personal, principled passion for both. Whether you are trailblazing new products or refining existing projects, your choices must be dictated by more than market research. 3rd in a series of “Dragonproof Principles” for entrepreneurs.
The nature of entrepreneurship in the digital era is a story of nonstop change. Industry legends and business modalities from just a few years ago are already dated, as the currency of the online economy has moved from logistics to attention to influence. Yet there are core principles and drives which transcend the trends of the day for any true entrepreneur. Rick Wilson describes what it takes to successfully launch a business and shepherd it through inevitable ups and downs on the way to sustainable success.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States