The Most Effective Growth Levers for Scaling an E-commerce Brand to an 8-Figure Valuation With Todd Bairstow

Ecomm Breakthrough

Todd is an English major who made good as an entrepreneur. He has founded and bootstrapped two companies into 8 figure valuations and is currently working on his eCommerce brand Finer Form. That brand focuses on at-home exercise equipment and is one of that category's top-selling brands on Amazon.

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> Here’s a glimpse of what you would learn….

• Explosive growth of Finer Form brand during COVID
• Strategies and levers used to scale the brand to eight-figure valuations and beyond
• Adapting to changing circumstances and managing inventory and supply chain challenges
• Importance of improvisation and quick decision-making in business
• Providing exceptional customer service and its impact on positive reviews and customer loyalty
• Impact of pricing strategies during the pandemic
• Cutting off negative reviews by formulating the product to be friendlier
• Importance of becoming a PPC expert and understanding advertising on Amazon
• Utilizing TikTok Shop for generating sales and influencer marketing
• Long-term business decisions, mindset shift in PPC management, and potential of TikTok Shop for e-commerce brands

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast, host Josh Hadley chats with Todd Bairstow, CEO of Finer Form, about the brand's impressive growth trajectory during the pandemic and the strategic moves that propelled them to eight-figure success. Todd shares how Finer Form preemptively tackled potential negative reviews by improving product design and assembly instructions, enhancing the customer experience. He also delves into the critical role of Amazon PPC expertise in their growth, emphasizing the importance of keyword specificity and campaign organization. Furthermore, Todd discusses the value of maintaining a white hat approach and building strong relationships with Amazon account managers. The episode also explores Finer Form's unexpected success on TikTok Shop, outperforming other sales channels, and the benefits of influencer marketing on the platform. Todd recommends "The Big Short" for diverse business perspectives, ChatGPT for productivity, and the "Odd Lots" podcast for global business insights. This episode is packed with actionable strategies for e-commerce entrepreneurs aiming to scale their businesses.

Here are the 3 action items that Josh identified from this episode:

Action Item #1: Embrace Adaptability and Strategic Decision-Making: Todd Bairstow's experience with Finer Form underscores the importance of adaptability in the face of unforeseen circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Action Item #2: Prioritize Exceptional Customer Service: Building a loyal customer base is crucial for sustained success in e-commerce.

Action Item #3: Master Amazon PPC and Explore Emerging Platforms: Post-COVID, the significance of Amazon PPC advertising has surged.

Resources & Links Section

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Josh Hadley on LinkedIn
• eComm Breakthrough Consulting
• eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• Email Josh Hadley: [e-mail]
• Finer Form
• ChatGPT
• "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
• Odd Lots Podcast
  
  

Special Mention(s):

• Adam “Heist” Runquist on LinkedIn
• Kevin King on LinkedIn
• Michael E. Gerber on LinkedIn

Related Episode(s):

• “Cracking the Amazon Code: Learn From Adam Heist’s Brand Scaling Secrets” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• “Kevin King’s Wicked-Smart Tips for Building an Audience of Raving Fans” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast
• “Unlocking Entrepreneurial Greatness | Insider Secrets With E-myth Author Michael Gerber” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast

Episode Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by eComm Breakthrough Consulting where I help seven-figure e-commerce owners grow to eight figures.

I started my business in 2015 and grew it to an eight-figure brand in seven years.

I made mistakes along the way that made the path to eight figures longer. At times I doubted whether our business could even survive and become a real brand. I wish I would have had a guide to help me grow faster and avoid the stumbling blocks.

If you’ve hit a plateau and want to know the next steps to take your business to the next level, then email me at [e-mail] and in your subject line say “strategy audit” for the chance to win a $10,000 comprehensive business strategy audit at no cost!

Transcript Area

Josh (00:00:00) - Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast. I'm your host, Josh Hadley, where I interview the top business leaders in e-commerce. Past guests include Kevin King, Michael E Gerber, author of The E-myth, and Matt Clark from ASM. Today I'm speaking with Todd Bairstow. He's the CEO of Finer Form, and he's going to be sharing his remarkable story of how his brand exploded during Covid and the specific growth levers he has been using to scale his brand to eight figure valuations and beyond. But in addition to that, you're also going to hear his strategies of how his TikTok shop sales are now surpassing Walmart.com sales. And he's going to dive into the details with us today. This episode is brought to you by Ecomm Breakthrough Consulting, where I help seven figure companies grow to eight figures and beyond. Listen, Todd, I started my business back in 2015 and I grew it to an eight figure brand in seven years, but I made a lot of mistakes along the way. That made the path of getting to eight figures take a lot longer than it needed to.

Josh (00:01:02) - At times, I made bad hiring decisions. I had to take money out of my personal account in order to fund...