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1 day ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
Shakil Prasla once owned 12 ecommerce consumer brands generating $50 million in combined annual revenue with 50 employees. But he grew wary of the fluctuating revenue and non-stop marketing, so he pivoted during Covid to wholesale personal protective equipment. That’s when he and I last spoke. The PPE business, Gloves.com, had misgauged demand and lost, initially, a whopping $6 million. He has since recovered and pivoted again, this time to real estate and convenience-store gas stations.
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1 week ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
Michael Simpson is a New Mexico-based father of seven and a National Guard veteran. Returning from a 2021 deployment, he sought a business to acquire, hoping to avoid his previous job. A listing from Quiet Light, the business brokerage, caught his attention. Discount Catholic Products had launched in 2003 and was for sale. The company’s mission appealed to Michael. Plus it was not reliant on Amazon or a single product or imports from China — all key requirements. He purchased the business.
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2 weeks ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
We often frame selling a business as “exiting.” But it’s a decision to walk away, to quit. That’s not negative, but it’s important to examine your reasons. Some are valid, others less so, and many fall into a gray area that deserves deeper thought. Ideally, founders build a business they love, one that enhances their life. Business is, to me, one of life’s greatest gifts. It offers freedom, wealth, connection, and the ability to serve, create, and leave a mark on the world.
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3 weeks ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
For years Jack Oswald was a touring tennis professional. He aimed for top worldwide rankings, the key to serious earnings. The rankings never came, but constant travel exposed a nagging problem: his tennis bags kept breaking. Thus began his passion for designing a better bag for athletes on the go. And that led to Cancha, a direct-to-consumer seller of sport and travel bags, which he launched in 2019 from his base in the U.K.Jack and I recently spoke.
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4 weeks ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
Sally Wilson is a lawyer turned craft entrepreneur. She’s also an involved mother who shares her business and passions with two kids. She says being a great mom doesn’t mean sacrificing who you are. Sally launched Caterpillar Cross Stitch a decade ago from her home in England. Fast forward to 2025, and her company has 12 employees, selling cross-stitch supplies, courses, and events to customers worldwide.
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1 month ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
As a kid, Brett Curry was fascinated by TV commercials. Now the owner of OMG Commerce, an ecommerce marketing agency, he says YouTube ads are similar. “A good TV ad often makes a good YouTube ad,” he told me. I asked for details. What’s a good YouTube ad strategy for ecommerce? How much should an advertiser spend? Which products work the best? Brett addressed those questions and more in our recent conversation. Our entire audio is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.
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1 month ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
Instead of interviewing a guest for this week’s “Ecommerce Conversations,” I’m offering another master class on entrepreneurship. It’s my fourth this year, following episodes on hiring, branding, and profit-building. My goal is to help other existing and future entrepreneurs based on operating Beardbrand, my direct-to-consumer company, for a decade now. This installment is my most important master class to date. It’s about stepping back and setting priorities for business and life.
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1 month ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
Raphael Schneider launched Gentleman’s Gazette in 2010 as a blog for men’s style and apparel. He added his own product line in 2013, selling menswear and accessories. He emphasizes quality in clothing and content. His YouTube channel, launched in 2015, remains essential for traffic and conversions, owing, he says, to the quality of the videos. “Ten years from now, someone can still benefit from a video we produce today,” he told me. Raphael first appeared on the podcast in 2018.
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1 month ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
For $60, Bob DeMars’s company, Blind Barrel, will ship a package of four craft-distilled whiskey samples, unmarked, with a tasting glass. Recipients can then try them and guess the whiskey type, age, and proof. It’s a game using Blind Barrel’s app, preferably with friends. Participants can purchase entire bottles at discounted prices. Bob launched the business in 2021 from his base in California. In our recent conversation, he addressed the company’s growth, marketing tactics, legalities, and more.
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2 months ago | 
practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz
Weston Jon Bouchér is a California-based menswear brand and the name of its founder. He launched the company in 2019 after a decade as a full-time apparel and lifestyle model. He initially sought a white-label supplier with like-minded quality standards. Unsuccessful, he opted instead for “cut-and-sew manufacturing.” The result is a network of global manufacturers, all producing apparel to Weston’s designs and specifications, and sold entirely from his Shopify site.
