In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn sits down with Doug Miller, CEO of Wildcat Brothers Distillery, to explore a question every founder has asked:

How can a small business compete with companies that have vastly bigger budgets?

Doug's path to entrepreneurship wasn't conventional.

After nearly three decades trading electricity and natural gas, he left corporate life to acquire a struggling Louisiana distillery just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. What followed was the challenge of rebuilding a business from the ground up—creating a premium rum brand, growing an ecommerce presence, and competing in one of the world's most established consumer categories.

What makes this conversation particularly refreshing is Doug's honest approach to AI.

Rather than presenting himself as an expert, he shares what it's like to be a founder navigating the same questions many business owners face today: Where do you start? Which tools actually create value? And how can AI free up more time to focus on customers instead of administration?

Together, Bryan and Doug discuss practical ways small businesses can use AI to streamline operations, improve marketing, uncover customer insights, and compete more effectively—without needing enterprise-level resources.

You'll learn:

• Doug's transition from energy trading to entrepreneurship
• Building a premium spirits brand during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Growing an ecommerce business in a highly competitive industry
• Using customer data to uncover new growth opportunities
• Practical first steps for implementing AI in a small business
• How AI can reduce admin and give founders back valuable time
• Why independent brands should lean into authenticity—not scale
• Competing smarter instead of spending more

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and better decision-making are helping businesses grow faster, operate more efficiently, and compete in an increasingly complex world.

Connect with Doug Miller

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmillerenergy/

Learn more about Wildcat Brothers Distillery

https://wildcatbrothers.com/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn sits down with Henrik Hoffman Kraft, Co-Founder & CMO of DEMA, to challenge one of e-commerce's biggest assumptions:

What if the metrics you're optimising are the wrong ones?

Before founding DEMA, Henrik helped scale an international retail business to more than €120 million in revenue, managing multiple brands, countries, warehouses, and retail operations. Along the way, he became increasingly frustrated by how much of modern e-commerce revolves around vanity metrics like ROAS and topline revenue—while the decisions that truly drive profitability often remain hidden.

That experience became the foundation for DEMA.

The conversation explores why dashboards alone aren't enough, how fragmented data prevents better decision-making, and why the next generation of e-commerce businesses will rely on AI to move beyond reporting and towards real business intelligence.

Henrik also shares how DEMA is using AI internally to streamline communication, automate routine work, and reduce the cognitive load that prevents leaders from focusing on higher-value decisions.

The result isn't simply greater productivity.

It's greater clarity.

You'll learn:

• Why ROAS and revenue don't always reflect business health
• How connected data leads to better commercial decisions
• The limitations of traditional dashboards and reporting tools
• How AI is making advanced analytics accessible to every operator
• Why AI agents are becoming active business partners—not just reporting tools
• How AI reduces cognitive load and creates more time for strategic thinking
• What the future of e-commerce operating systems looks like

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and data are helping businesses make better decisions, operate more efficiently, and unlock sustainable growth.

Connect with Henrik Hoffman Kraft

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrikhoffman/

Learn more about DEMA

https://www.dema.ai/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn sits down with Heer Patel, Strategy & Growth Leader at 200OK Solutions, to answer one of the biggest questions facing businesses today:

Why do so many AI projects fail?

While AI promises dramatic productivity gains, many organisations struggle to move beyond experimentation. According to Heer, the problem isn't the technology—it's the business.

Drawing on years of experience helping companies modernise legacy systems and redesign operations, Heer explains why successful AI adoption starts long before the first AI tool is deployed. Strong processes, clean data, and clear operational foundations are what determine whether AI becomes a competitive advantage or an expensive distraction.

Together, Bryan and Heer explore what it really takes to prepare a business for the AI era—from modernising software architecture and improving workflows to embedding AI into day-to-day decision-making across the organisation.

If you're wondering where to begin with AI—or why your current initiatives aren't delivering the results you expected—this episode offers a practical roadmap grounded in real-world business transformation.

You'll learn:

• Why many AI initiatives fail to deliver meaningful ROI
• The importance of processes, data quality, and operational foundations
• How to modernise legacy systems for the AI era
• Where AI creates the greatest value across business operations
• Common mistakes leaders make when implementing AI
• Why AI should amplify strategy rather than replace it
• How software development and enterprise operations are evolving
• What organisations need to do to prepare for the next wave of AI innovation

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and data are transforming businesses—and how today's leaders are turning that transformation into lasting competitive advantage.

Connect with Heer Patel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heer-patel-b20b58222/

Learn more about 200OK Solutions

https://www.200oksolutions.com/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1