Profits don’t appear by accident—especially when tariffs rise, fees stack up, and ads get pricier. We sit down with CapForge’s Matt Ramuzzi to pull back the curtain on e‑commerce accounting that actually drives growth. The conversation is blunt, practical, and focused on what matters: knowing exactly which SKUs make money, which channels deserve your time, and how to protect margin when costs jump.

We start by challenging the “sales are up” narrative and unpack why clean, e‑commerce‑specific books are the only way to see true unit economics. Matt shares a real client story: over 100 active SKUs with 30 losing money before ads—cutting them freed enough cash to absorb new tariff costs. From there, we get tactical about catalog triage, SKU‑level P&L, and reallocating ad spend toward products with real pricing power. If Amazon is 95% of your revenue, we question the myth of diversification and explain why small channels can be costly distractions unless they contribute meaningful, profitable volume.

The heart of the episode is differentiation. Competing with undifferentiated products is a race to zero; building bundles, features, or brand loyalty creates the pricing power that withstands tariff shocks and ad inflation. We zoom out to the post‑COVID market: normalization, manufacturers going direct, and tighter margins that demand intent, not guesswork. You’ll hear clear guidance on modeling landed costs with tariffs, deciding when to raise prices or exit SKUs, and using accounting as an operating system for growth—not just tax time.

If you’re ready to replace gut feels with data and steer your business through Q4 and beyond, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a founder who needs a reality check, and leave a review with the one SKU you plan to cut—or double down on—after listening.

Learn more about Velocity Sellers!

Check us out on YouTube!

Book a FREE Amazon Audit!

If 60% of e-commerce lives beyond Amazon, why are so many brands still waiting on the sidelines? We sat down with Seth Hurd of Brand Expand to map a clear path into the channels that actually fit your products—and to separate hype from traction across Walmart, TikTok Shop, Shopify, and niche marketplaces. From review dynamics and margins to logistics and speed, we unpack where early movers are winning now and what will matter most in 2026.

We get tactical about Walmart’s latent logistics advantage and why its online growth rate may outpace Amazon’s mix shift over the next few years. Seth explains how to pick platforms based on category and price point, not fear of missing out—think Chewy for pets, Etsy for handmade, and specialty retail where your buyer already shops. We also dig into TikTok Shop’s low-friction onboarding and creator engine that makes it the most effective launch booster of 2025, often seeding repeat orders that migrate to Shopify, Amazon, or Walmart where reordering is habitual.

AI threads through everything here. On the practical side, it compresses content creation, improves listing quality, and turns messy customer feedback into clear product and UX fixes that lift conversion rates. On the strategic side, it rewires discovery. GEO—generative engine optimization—will decide which products appear when a shopper asks an assistant for “the best leakproof bottle under $25.” We lay out how to make your brand legible to these systems with clean specs, authentic reviews, rich media, and a defensible value story. And because Q4 waits for no one, we share the unglamorous moves that protect growth: order inventory early, build relevancy weeks before peak, and avoid the annual bottlenecks that quietly erase momentum.

If you’re serious about expanding beyond Amazon, protecting margin, and staying visible as AI reshapes search and reordering, this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a founder who needs it, and leave a review with the channel you plan to test next.

Learn more about Velocity Sellers!

Check us out on YouTube!

Book a FREE Amazon Audit!

Shoppers are about to enter peak buying mode—and the platforms know it. We break down the new Q4 map: Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days locked for October 7–8, Target stretching Target Circle Week to October 5–11, and Walmart running deals from October 7–12. That calendar collision can be a gift if you plan it right, or a margin trap if you don’t.

We unpack the operational punch behind the headlines, starting with Amazon’s decision to end FBA prep and labeling services in the US come January. Combined with inbound placement fees and stricter inventory rules, the cost pressure keeps shifting to sellers. We share concrete ways to protect contribution margin: stand up reliable prep workflows, recalibrate landed cost per unit, and let clean numbers set your promo depths and ad bids. Then we turn to TikTok Shop’s commission hikes—now pushing into the mid-to-high teens—which means creator-led sales need real unit economics, not vanity metrics. You’ll hear how to structure blended creator deals, use live shopping to move inventory, and design bundles that lift AOV while staying profitable.

Target’s loyalty play gets a closer look too. With Target Circle and the paid Circle 360 offering early access, exclusive drops, and same-day delivery, there’s a smart way to sequence offers: seed members with timed coupons, pair hero SKUs with cart-threshold add‑ons, and serve proof‑rich creative to bottom‑funnel shoppers. Finally, we tackle Walmart’s marketplace headaches—fake storefronts, stolen seller IDs, and counterfeit goods—and lay out a fast-response brand protection checklist so you can escalate issues with evidence and keep trust intact.

If you’re aiming to turn overlapping deal weeks into real growth, this is your field guide to pricing, inventory, and creative that survive rising fees. Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a review with the one Q4 tactic you’re betting on this year.

Learn more about Velocity Sellers!

Check us out on YouTube!

Book a FREE Amazon Audit!