In today’s fast-paced world of eCommerce, staying ahead of the game is essential. And in this realm, one trend has emerged as a game-changer: live selling.
It’s time to unleash the power of this revolutionary approach and take your eCommerce business to new heights. Live selling is a phenomenon rapidly gaining traction in the US and China, with a market value already estimated at a staggering $40 billion. Imagine a world where you can connect with potential customers in real-time, showcase your products, and engage with them.
On a recent episode of the B2B Breakthrough podcast, Carlos Alvarez, Founder and CMO of Wizards of Ecom, joins host Sharon Gai. With over 15 years of experience on Amazon, Carlos has grown his brands to nine figures in online revenue. In this podcast, he shares his journey from side hustles to eBay to breeding and selling live insects.
Carlos also discusses the importance of building a supportive community and the need for a multichannel selling approach by exploring platforms beyond Amazon. Sharon Gai and Carlos explore the growing trend of live selling in the US and China, the impact of AI on eCommerce, and offer valuable advice for newcomers in the industry.
Carlos shares his journey from working full-time jobs to finding side hustles that eventually led him to sell on eBay. He talks about his early eBay days, where he would go to garage sales and flea markets to find products that he could resell for a profit. He then transitioned to sourcing products from Alibaba and selling them on eBay.
Here are some highlights from the episode.
Table of Contents
Breeding and selling insects online
Building an online community to help ecommerce owners
The PL-wholesale hybrid selling model
Adopting a multichannel selling approach
A few words about Carlos Alvarez
Breeding and selling insects online
Carlos started breeding and selling insects online, initially catering to owners who kept reptiles like snakes and bearded dragons as pets and needed food for their pets. However, he soon began noticing larger orders from poultry farmers buying in bulk. This realization led him to pivot his business strategy. Eventually, his insect breeding business grew significantly and attracted a purchase offer of over a million dollars, which surprised him as he hadn’t fully realized the potential of his business.
Building an online community to help ecommerce owners
Carlos explains how he met weekly with friends about 11-12 years ago to discuss eCommerce. Initially, his goal was financial independence. Over time, their discussions became repetitive, so he sought new ideas. Since Carlos had experience creating meet-up groups to start brands, he was encouraged to start one for Amazon sellers. Despite a slow start, it eventually grew into a large community. The motivation was the difficulty of working alone and the secrecy in eCommerce. Carlos aimed to create a supportive, free community where members help each other grow their businesses, and he feels that he has achieved that.
The PL-wholesale hybrid selling model
The PL (private label) wholesale hybrid model combines private labeling and wholesale elements. While starting a private label brand today involves significant logistics challenges and high initial costs; this hybrid approach offers a more accessible entry point. It allows sellers to leverage established brands to gain visibility and credibility while promoting their branded products. By partnering with well-known brands and incorporating their products into listings, sellers can benefit from the brand’s existing search traffic and social proof, thereby reducing the financial and logistical barriers to entry.
Adopting a multichannel selling approach
Carlos emphasizes the importance of content-rich niches and leveraging existing brands to jumpstart one’s brand. Carlos mentions his experience selling on various platforms, including Overstock, Walmart, eBay, and big-box retail stores. He regrets not diversifying sooner and acknowledges the rising cost of advertising on Amazon as a challenge for sellers. He emphasizes the need for brands to be multichannel and explore other platforms to maintain profitability.
Carlos is optimistic about the future of eCommerce and encourages sellers to adapt and explore new opportunities.
A few words about Carlos Alvarez
Carlos is the founder and CMO of Wizards of Ecom, an Ecom Academy based in Miami, Florida. He is passionate about creating a safe and eCommerce-rich learning environment for brands and entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of selling on Amazon. With the motto of #SellersHelpingSellers, Carlos aims to empower, teach, and help his clients and students achieve greater financial independence and grow their businesses.
Carlos has been selling on Amazon for over 15 years and has grown his brands into nine figures a year in gross revenues. He has also been running Blue Bird Marketing Solutions, a digital marketing agency specializing in product sourcing, brand building, Amazon vendor management, PPC, and lead generation. Carlos leverages his expertise in online marketing, social networking, and new business development to help his clients succeed in the competitive and dynamic Amazon marketplace. He is also an avid meetup organizer, hosting events on various topics related to eCommerce, self-publishing, advertising, and selling on Amazon.
You can listen to the full episode with the links below:
