Not everyone starts off at an advantageous position in life, but does that really mean there's no chance to move beyond the circumstances we find ourselves in? Certainly not. In this edition of Going Global with The Magnitude Group, Simo talks to Arnas, a successful entrepreneur and growth hacker with Sugatan. From his humble beginnings in Lithuania, Arnas has a wealth of unique experiences to share that contributed greatly to his successes later in life.

After years working through 15 different jobs, Arnas earned US$1,000 in a week after diving into ecom himself. He eventually pivoted fully into eCommerce.

One of the most insightful discussions revolves around the biggest challenge that he faced with Sugatan, with clients losing money, he was challenged to focus and growth hack in order to make their clients more money. He succeeded and uncovered a great ecom secret in the process: following trends early is how to make it big.

Taking a unique departure from most podcasts, Simo and Arnas have an extended discussion on their relative experiences with psychedelics and how they have helped to illuminate their respective journeys to enlightenment.

Key talking points: 

03:44 – Smarts isn’t everything if it doesn’t bring you success—check out the very early struggles of Arnas.

05:03 – Just having a job doesn’t give you the freedom you want as was discovered the hard way.

08:41 – Discovered through organising tournaments that he loved connecting people.

09:38 – Signed professional football contract in Lithuania at 17.

11:35 – Started entrepreneurial journey before starting University.

13:06 – Found that university didn’t actually teach marketing, etc.

16:13 – Many of the systems that comfort us don’t really do anything effective.

21:50 – You can’t get anywhere just by being the best student. You need a network.

22:59 – Research is vital if you want to get somewhere.

28:11 – Studying all aspects carefully allows you to have a strong approach to life and business.

30:07 – The desire to make money online was his initial motivation. Earned US$1,000 in a week after 15 different jobs.

33:03 – Pivoted fully to ecom after losing a football job and started investing more time into it.

35:57 – Worked in sprints and mix in educating himself.

37:39 – Be somewhere you know where you thrive.

39:57 – Make sure you enjoy what you’re doing - or at least are challenged by it.

43:02 – Adversity while growth hacking a client for Sugatan taught him the value of persistence.

45:13 – There’s one common thing among hugely successful ecom stores - it’s the trend. If you’re late to the party, you miss out on the chance to earn big.

46:35 – When you catch a trend, you have to push it hard and keep on growing. 

48:22 – Arnas talks about the future of ecom.

48:49 – The next generations of agencies will build brands around influencers.

49:51 – People will gravitate towards influencers to determine a brand’s worth. The future is social.

52:05 – Arnas weighs in on the iOS 14 update and how it impacts ecom.

55:51 – Arnas and Simo talk about just how deeply social media and the data they have on you has a powerful influence on you.

57:11 – Status matters because we all look for a pleasurable “high” from all we do. It’s natural, biological, and neurologically founded.

1:04:09 – Arnas recommends trends that are worth following and building on if you want to make money today. Should you go into crypto? Find out!

1:07:09 – Never let people know how invested you are in things but keep on learning and studying.

1:10:31 – Always be honest about what you’re capable of, what you know, and what you’re knowledgeable about.

1:14:49 – Did you know that Google considers having experienced psychedelics… an advantage? Arnas shares his amazing experiences.

Shopify has seen a boom with many people diving into eCommerce to offset the restrictions of the recent pandemic. 

In this edition of Going Global with The Magnitude Group, Simo talks to Julian Bartram, Community Manager for Shopify and a small business owner himself. Julian is responsible for helping small business owners maximise their Shopify experience, which he often does so via workshops and webinars. With his experience in the job, he has developed an empathy for business owners that he leverages into a desire to help.

A key to success that he illustrates well is "ridiculously aggressive customer service." It's all about the customer experience. That, coupled with a great offer, ensures that you're moving units and making bank!

Finally, both Simo and Julian emphasize the importance of having a sound plan from the get-go. At the very least, one should be able to answer the "why" of the business. Much of this plan should involve careful and comprehensive market research to understand your audience. 

There's a lot to learn from Julian, and this podcast pulls out some intriguing numbers that many business owners would benefit from knowing. 

You can connect with Julian on LinkedIn

Key talking points:
00:59 – Julian Bartram, Community Manager for Shopify and small business owner, tells us his story.
05:32 – Julian and his wife carved out their success in a very, very specific niche. Here’s how they do it.
09:45 – These two things will make you stand out immediately with your customer base.
13:38 – In the long game, it’s all about the passion - not just about a winning product.
15:24 – Julian talks about how they got into more products to sell.
17:44 – By being open to possibilities, Julian uncovers a new industry worth jumping into.
18:19 – Being innovative and trying things out works to your advantage in your business.
20:06 – Do a little bit less but when you’ve got things pinned down, start looking for that pivot.
22:29 – You should be in your business for as long as you’re alive.
22:50 – Not every idea is a million-dollar idea, but you can make something out of what you’re passionate about.
25:07 – A warning against get-rich-quick schemes and how it pressures you to succeed immediately.
30:02 – Ecommerce platforms helped recovery during the COVID-19 lockdown.
31:04 – You have to be more unique with so many competitors out there. You need to also look after your customers.
34:02 – Snap My Snaps Facebook Group and the value of community groups.
36:52 – What Julian does as a Community Manager at Shopify.
38:23 – What most people get wrong when it comes to eCommerce is they don’t have a solid plan in place, and they also don’t work out their “why”.
40:06 – Some people think that launching a website is the end plan, it isn’t. You need to have a plan.
41:06 – Do a lot of market research. Especially into what succeeds abroad that might not be affordable locally.
47:13 – While working in the business, you should never forget to work on the business.
49:59 – How effective a Shopify/Glass Elephant event was in the raw numbers.
56:04 – Plan but start before it’s perfect, get feedback, and use that to inform the direction that you’re going.
57:22 – Fear of failure is a muscle that you need to strengthen real quickly.
1:03:47 – Julian’s biggest win on a simple webinar netted them 3.9M views.
1:07:44 – What are the elements to global success? Simo and Julian have the answers.
1:09:33 – Make sure you’re consistently collecting email addresses and then provide them with lifetime value.
1:13:52 – Even before you start a store, especially if you don’t have a big budget, create the community, build the following.

Email marketing. Some swear by it; others just can't figure it out. Simo sits down with Pete Devkota, founder of Email Optimize, to uncover the secrets to success with the platform. 

Email Optimize helps its B2C clients leverage their databases and existing traffic to improve profit margins. Pete attributes much of his success, and the success of Email Optimize with a shift in perspective. When you lead with value, he says, the money will come, advising businesses to focus on providing value for their clients.

So what do companies need to succeed in their email marketing?

Take a listen and join in on the conversation. You can also connect with Pete on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rukhpam

Key talking points: 

03:03 – Pete details his story from his first start to his big move to Australia and all his misadventures in between
08:03 – Pete discovers his passion, joins an agency, and works to become the best at what he does.
10:17 – There’s a lot of correlation between engineering and ecomm. Engineering plays a part, for example, in manufacturing a lot of products sold.
10:54 – Pete starts his agency to help B2C leverage databases and existing traffic via Email to improve profit margins.
12:40 – “All failures contribute to the knowledge that eventually leads to success.”
13:13 – You got to have perseverance, persistence, and the willingness to keep getting up. But you need to have a plan and the vehicle to ride onto success. It takes you to this flow state where every part falls into its proper place.
16:19 – “When you lead with value, the money will come. How can I serve others? How can I solve their problems?”
18:21 – If you want to turn something into a business, stick with Klaviyo. It’s designed for e-commerce stores; it’s intuitive, gathers critical data, and has a lot of crucial automation.
21:14 – “People rarely see the value of Email. Not only is Email predictable, it’s a stable platform, and the profit margins are higher—you’ve already profited from the people that you’re reaching out to.”
23:56 – Pete walks us through some of their top success stories.
24:19 – Find out what goes on behind the scenes of Email Optimize and how they work their magic.
27:38 – Segmentation, nurturing, and the offer are keys to success with Email.
27:55 – Everyone likes to be presented an offer - not sold it. We want to feel special, exclusive, unique but not being sold to. So, it’s the right offer to the right person at the right time - easier said than done.
28:42 – Email is just one component of your eCommerce machine. You want to focus on things that directly impact a customer - like shipping times, and a great product. You want them to have a great experience overall.
33:04 – Pete talks shop with Simo and zeroes in on segmentation and frequency - and the secrets to getting them working in your favour.
44:42 – Even if you have a one-product store with low frequency, you can always explore other products that compliment your product. A good way is to leverage your database to uncover these products.
48:08 – Intrigued by Email? Just starting out? Here’s what you need to know.
50:23 – What you need to set up on Klaviyo. The best advice for start-ups and smaller businesses.
51:51 – Key advice for bigger businesses.
54:07 – Most of the regrets people have is too much focus on the business and not on family and other things that matter more.
55:34 – Work to live, don’t live to work: what you need to do to balance work and life, including great tips for scheduling your work.
1:00:41 – If you’re not thinking, you’re just following consequences rather than directing the flow of things.
1:02:45 – You have to be prepared to fail. You have to keep trying things.
1:04:14 – Try to make things easier for you. Find your direction. Float, don’t swim.

In many ways, it's easy to draw parallels between business and sports. Both require a firm grasp on "the rules of the game" to succeed, both need a grand strategy to guide the implementation of tactics day-to-day, and without a strong team who have a firm grasp of their roles and expertise, you can't win in neither. In this podcast, Simo talks to the nominee for World Rugby Player of the Year, flanker for the Hurricanes, and All-Black, Ardie Savea.
Ardie is unique among professional athletes in that he started his brand of motivational tees rather than go the route of big brand endorsements. He continues to find success in both rugby and business and has a lot to share about his experiences navigating the fields of both endeavours. From standing tall when others don't believe in you and rising to the challenges with the right mentality, there's much to gain from unpacking the lessons Ardie has learned.

Key talking points: 

• 01:58 Ardies story and all the sacrifices made by his family made him grateful for his upbringing.
• 05:10 The drive to push yourself, be better, and move beyond your comfort zone are keys to success.
• 08:10 Ardie began working at a very young age, and you would be surprised to find out where...
• 09:30 When people doubted him, Ardie worked to prove them wrong - with one compelling motivator.
• 10:13 Ever face negativity in your life? Here's how to turn it around.
• 13:14 Lucky to have made the NZ7 squad straight out of college then was contracted to Wellington Lions, then The Hurricanes, but he had to grow up quickly in the limelight.
• 21:56 The first step is always the hardest - there are many lessons to be learned from the mistakes made.
• 23:00 Building a strong culture helps teams work cohesively and united towards a goal.
• 23:37 Business is just a group of people who come together, get trained on a sure thing, have a specific culture, and achieve an objective and goal - like a sports team.
• 25:30 Ardie's journey into his fashion brand, he learned a lot from YouTube, talking to people and understands that growing a business is a continuous learning journey.
• 27:43 You need a purpose for your business. If your company has a goal, you can look back to that as an anchor point as you continue your journey.
• 28:46 When your world comes crumbling down from a high, you find yourself needing to re-adapt and pick yourself up from a dark place.
• 32:36 When you focus on the money, it slips through your fingers. When you focus on building something that works, you focus on creating something substantial.
• 36:51 Unique, limited edition items create scarcity and hype — people like to get something unique.
• 37:36 Focus on what you're good at and let others around you do what they're experts in.
• 39:45 Learn the proper formulas to be able to price your products well enough to cover your margins.
• 46:45 Everyone today has their own channel, and everyone should be allowed to communicate their brands into the world.
• 49:04 Next Moment Mentality: shake off/flush away failure and focus on what's the next thing that needs to be done on the field to find success.
• 54:08 Structure and a plan in place are necessary to chart the growth and evolution of any business for it to find success.
• 01:01:01 It's all about the long game. Maybe not winning now but taking the critical steps to win big down the line. It's all about being strategic.
• 01:01:55 You do need people who are, with their skillsets, able to do critical actions in the now.
• 01:03:15 Team members focus on what they need to do - doing their job. Team leaders need to take stock of the bigger picture.

Who hasn’t struggled with consistency in their lives? One moment, you’re pumped and ready to dive into your crucial work tasks; the next, it’s like you’ve taken a dive and can’t drag yourself out of bed.

In a world where everything is fast-paced, maintaining a consistently high-performing pace seems like a pipe dream. In this podcast, Simo talks to personal coach Kilian Markert, a forerunner of The Consistent Performance System, about what it takes to achieve consistency.

Listen in to find out how to bring  consistency in your life, and for even more discussions on the Consistent Performance Mindset, make sure to check out Kilian Markert’s website or add him on Facebook - Kilian

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In this candid first podcast, Simon Phillips and Brad Lindsay talk about where they started. For Simo, his starting point was one many of us can’t relate to. 

From starting a million-dollar business in his 20s to ending up $200,000 in debt and moving back in with his parents. He had to pick himself up and restart from rock bottom. 

Brad’s story isn’t quite as turbulent, but he did have to rely on his network and integrity to get Supply Chain Solutions off the ground. 

While perhaps not as dramatic, it’s nonetheless very relatable. The meeting between Brad and Simo turned out to be very fortuitous, but how did they get there? That’s the question everyone wants to know.
 ______________________________________________

Key talking points: 

01:06 What makes The Magnitude Group unique

03:14 Brad talks about his introduction to third-party logistics and how he started Supply Chain Solutions

04:26 Understand how supply chain management firms are a step up from traditional 3PL solutions.

06:39 Meet Simo and hear his story of frustration being a young entrepreneur that had it all and lost it all!

09:55 SCS’ big break!

13:52 There’s a real lack of integrity. But why does that matter?

14:50 What really are your most significant assets?

15:37 The world is finding that underperforming 3PLs can cost businesses a lot. Finding a great logistics partner is a significant challenge many companies don’t realise they need to overcome.

17:21 The final piece of the puzzle - creativity - comes into play.

21:40 A crucial tie-up made all the difference in Utah

24:25 How to test what markets to move into without leaving much to chance and open up your reach to a potential 850 million OECD consumers. 

31:00 How do you build the optimal brand?

38:29 Feel like things are getting tough? Do. This. One. Thing. Today.

39:40 Integrity is the answer to everything.

46:54 If you don’t start in a good position, all the activities you pursue suffer accordingly in business and life.

48:19 Discipline is key to setting yourself up for success.

51:51 Due diligence matters when looking for a 3PL; Brad details all that you need to do.

58:10 Trust your agencies to define your ROI’s realistically based on data but make sure they have a firm grasp on all necessary aspects - content, the funnel, landing pages, etc.

60:24 When building a brand, don’t tighten your hold on your brand - don’t fall in love with it. Be willing to shift, change, and adapt to what works - what’s true to you and your customers - even when it might be off-brand. Step outside the box.

61:25 Katy Perry branding example and why her authenticity makes her popular.

62:25 Get customers first - THEN focus on beautifying your brands.

63:55 The best way to sell your brand is to have them experience your product/service.

64:35 Authentic brands produce stronger connections

Supply Chain Solutions
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