577: An Inside Look at Our Content & Ecommerce Masterplan For 2025

Summary

Podcast Summary: Episode 577 – "An Inside Look at Our Content & Ecommerce Masterplan For 2025"

The My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast With Steve Chou

Episode Details:

• Title: An Inside Look at Our Content & Ecommerce Masterplan For 2025
• Host: Steve Chou
• Guest: Tony
• Release Date: February 11, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 577 of The My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast, host Steve Chou and guest Tony delve into their strategic plans for content creation and ecommerce ventures in 2025. Despite initial delays in releasing the episode due to an abundance of recent developments, the conversation remains timely and pertinent, addressing the evolving landscape of online business.

Navigating Uncertainty in 2025

The episode opens with both Steve and Tony expressing excitement and a degree of uncertainty about their plans for the upcoming year.

• Tony (01:55): “Neither of us really quite have nailed down what we're doing in 2025. Except for 2025 is like four weeks away.”

They discuss the macroeconomic and geopolitical factors influencing their strategies, including the impact of a new U.S. President, increased tariffs, changes in China’s trade policies, and Amazon’s evolving business practices.

• Steve (02:06): “There's just going to be so much uncertainty. Right. So we got a new president who's going to change a lot of things, increase tariffs.”

The Decline of Blogging and Shifts in Content Consumption

Tony highlights a trend where bloggers, especially in the lifestyle niche, are struggling with declining traffic, reduced ad revenue, and challenges with affiliate marketing, leading many to abandon blogging for more stable income sources.

• Tony (02:25): “A lot of people are like, I've got to go get a W2, right? Which I think is okay.”

This decline in traditional blogging platforms has sparked Tony’s contemplation of acquiring existing blogs to repurpose their content for video production, particularly focusing on practical how-to videos that resonate with audiences.

• Tony (03:40): “I could use them as like, video content. Right. Whether it's recipes or DIY or things like that, I could just make the video about it.”

Future of Search Engines and Content Strategy

Steve and Tony discuss the anticipated decline of traditional Google search in favor of AI-driven search methods. Despite this shift, they acknowledge the enduring value of blogs for SEO, especially as AI integrates existing blog content into search results.

• Steve (05:18): “I don't think Google's gonna die, but like, I think their search business is gonna take a big hit.”

Tony observes that certain topics, such as travel, still rely heavily on blog content, leading them to assess whether traditional blogging will see a resurgence or if it remains a necessary foundation for AI-enhanced searches.

• Tony (07:55): “Is certain stuff making a comeback, like certain topics? Or did these topics never, like, disappear?”

Content Creation: Embracing Video Platforms

The conversation shifts to the importance of video content in 2025, with platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram becoming primary channels for engagement. Both Steve and Tony recognize the necessity of adapting to video-centric content strategies.

• Steve (10:23): “Absolutely the right move. Yeah, I am doing that too, as we speak, actually. You know, video is my primary platform now.”

They explore the balance between professional editing and authenticity, noting that high-quality edits can enhance channel growth, but consistent, genuine content remains crucial.

• Tony (13:54): “Either one, if you do have editing skills or two, if you want to hire someone overseas, it'll be very easy for someone overseas to do this for you.”

Branding Strategies Amidst Market Saturation

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the power of branding in differentiating products in a saturated market. Steve shares personal anecdotes about purchasing genuine Uggs versus knockoffs, emphasizing the value consumers place on authentic brands despite identical product functionality.

• Steve (26:49): “And so when I... I have bought probably six pairs of slippers to, like, replace this pair.”

They discuss the challenges of competing with knockoff products on platforms like Amazon, where brand authenticity and consumer trust become critical differentiators.

• Tony (27:12): “For our products. So anything we can personalize with the printer is super easy because it's all done in Photoshop.”

Ecommerce Masterplan: Personalization and Digital Printing

Steve outlines his ecommerce strategy pivoting towards digital printing and personalized products. By leveraging digital tools like Photoshop, Steve aims to offer customized merchandise that stands out in the market, reducing the risk of being undercut by low-cost knockoffs.

• Steve (27:35): “And that way we don't actually have to carry a variety of that much inventory because we're printing on the same substrates.”

Tony applauds this approach, highlighting the barriers to entry it creates against potential competitors.

• Tony (28:42): “I think that's a way to sort of tariff proof, regime change, proof, whatever you want to call it, like your business.”

Mitigating Tariff Impacts and Supplier Challenges

Addressing concerns about potential increases in tariffs under the new presidency, Steve reassures that the impact on ecommerce businesses may be manageable. He notes that most tariffs are unlikely to force significant price hikes, especially for businesses with robust supply chains.

• Steve (21:16): “So, I don't think from a vendor point of view, it's going to be that big of a deal even if he raises it to 60, which I don't think he will.”

However, Tony points out that sellers on platforms like Amazon, who operate on thinner margins, may face more significant challenges in absorbing additional costs without jeopardizing competitiveness.

• Tony (22:01): “I would say if you have your own store... you're in a much better position than if you sell on Amazon.”

Content and Branding: The Path to Ecommerce Success

The duo collectively emphasizes that the key to thriving in 2025's ecommerce landscape lies in selecting products that are difficult to replicate and investing in strong, authentic content creation. They argue that effective branding combined with strategic content can create a unique value proposition that withstands market fluctuations and competitive pressures.

• Steve (38:11): “Pick a product that isn't easily replicated and do content. That's pretty much the formula for 2025.”

They also discuss the evolving nature of advertising platforms, noting the increasing competitiveness of Google and Meta ads, which further underscores the importance of organic, engaging content on social media platforms.

Conclusion

Episode 577 provides valuable insights into navigating the complexities of the 2025 ecommerce and content creation landscape. Steve Chou and Tony offer a roadmap that prioritizes adaptability, authentic branding, and strategic content planning to overcome market uncertainties and capitalize on emerging trends. Their conversation underscores the importance of evolving with technological advancements and consumer behavior shifts to sustain and grow online businesses successfully.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tony (01:55): “Neither of us really quite have nailed down what we're doing in 2025. Except for 2025 is like four weeks away.”

• Steve (02:06): “There's just going to be so much uncertainty. Right. So we got a new president who's going to change a lot of things, increase tariffs.”

• Tony (03:40): “I could use them as like, video content. Right. Whether it's recipes or DIY or things like that, I could just make the video about it.”

• Steve (05:18): “I don't think Google's gonna die, but like, I think their search business is gonna take a big hit.”

• Tony (07:55): “Is certain stuff making a comeback, like certain topics? Or did these topics never, like, disappear?”

• Steve (10:23): “Absolutely the right move. Yeah, I am doing that too, as we speak, actually. You know, video is my primary platform now.”

• Tony (13:54): “Either one, if you do have editing skills or two, if you want to hire someone overseas, it'll be very easy for someone overseas to do this for you.”

• Steve (26:49): “And so when I... I have bought probably six pairs of slippers to, like, replace this pair.”

• Tony (28:42): “I think that's a way to sort of tariff proof, regime change, proof, whatever you want to call it, like your business.”

• Steve (38:11): “Pick a product that isn't easily replicated and do content. That's pretty much the formula for 2025.”

End of Summary

Transcript

[A]

Welcome back to the podcast, the show where I cover all of the latest strategies and current events related to e commerce and online business. This episode was supposed to be published at the beginning of the year, but there's been so much happening that we never got the chance. In this episode, Tony and I talk about our strategies for both content and e Commerce for 2025. But before we begin, I wanted to let you know that tickets are now on sale for Seller Summit 2025 [e-mail] the Seller Summit is the conference that I hold every year that specifically targets e commerce entrepreneurs selling physical products online. Unlike other events that focus on inspirational stories and high level advice, mine is a curriculum based conference where you will leave with practical and actionable strategies specifically for an e commerce business. Every speaker I invite is deep in the trenches of their e commerce business. Entrepreneurs who are importing large quantities of physical goods and not some high level guys who are overseeing their companies at 50,000ft. I personally hate large events, so the Sellers Summit is always small and intimate. Every year we cut off ticket sales at around 200 people. So tickets sell out fast and we've sold out every single year for the past eight years. If you are an e commerce entrepreneur making more than $250,000 or $1 million per year, we also offer an exclusive mastermind experience with other top sellers. The Seller Summit is going to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from May 6th to May 8th. Right now, this is the cheapest the tickets will ever be. So head on over to sellersummit.com and grab your ticket. Now onto the show. Welcome to the My Wife Quitter Job podcast. Today we're going to talk about what's going to happen in 2025 and what our strategies are going to be on both the content side and the E commerce side.

[B]

I'm excited.

[A]

You sound really excited.

[B]

I know. Well, both of us were chatting right before this about. Neither of us really quite have nailed down what we're doing in 2025. Except for 2025 is like four weeks away.

[A]

Well, there's just going to be so much uncertainty. Right. So we got a new president who's going to change a lot of things, increase tariffs. China is changing too. Their policies as a trade war. Even Amazon is copying places like T. Lots of stuff going on and lots of digest here.

[B]

Yeah, well, so I would say I think the uncertainty with everything, I see that impacting a lot of different things. I see a lot of people in the blogger space wanting to sell their blogs. I don't know if you've seen this as much. I'm in, like, a lot of the, like, lifestyle type blogger groups. A lot of people are like, this is it. I'm done. It's been several years of, like, Google issues, low traffic, you know, ad revenue going down, getting screwed by affiliates. You know, it's like the variety of things, right? And people are like, they've already either moved on to another thing, right? So they've kept their blog, but they're doing something else, or they're like, I just can't do this anymore. I've got to go get a W2, right? Which I think is okay. So it's funny, right? As someone who has been like, a serial entrepreneur, I feel sad, right? I feel sad because some of these people, like, I feel like I grew up with, like, a lot of these people started blogging shortly after I did. So they've been at this for 15 years. To see them just shut down is hard, right? But the other part of me is like, ooh, should I, like, buy up some blogs?

[A]

I don't know if I would do that.

[B]

No, I know. If it's like, to me, it's like, should I buy up the content? Right? Like, because my biggest thing, like, when I think about 2025, and of course, like, I'm in the middle of, like, a massive home renovation, which has thrown a lot of wrenches into some stuff that I wanted to do this year just because that's pretty much not only has it taken up all of my extra time, but, like, I don't have places to make videos, right? Like, my office is still under construction. My house is under construction. I want to start making these videos. But I've realized that, like, I actually need to have. I'm not like you, who can make a video with a backdrop and not that you. Yeah. And most of my videos that I've realized, like, after doing a lot of video last year and putting stuff out and seeing what hits, my videos do well when I'm showing people how to do things right? So I need to have a space, like, inside my house, primarily the kitchen where I can film. And my kitchen is still. It's. It's done. Ish, right? So. So that's my first hurdle that I had this year, which will be fixed, right? The kitchen will be finished. It's not like it's not going to happen. But the other thing is, like, I need content, right? I need content to film. And obviously I have Happy Housewife, which has a ton of content. But to Me, it's like you can never have enough. You can never have too much content to make videos about. And I was like, well, if I bought some of these properties, I would own the content. And not that I would necessarily use them for blog content, but I could use them as like, video content. Right. Whether it's recipes or DIY or things like that, I could just make the video about it. So anyway, just seeing all that happening right now has got me, has got the wheels spinning.

[A]

You know what? So blogging, I think Google's gonna die in the next two or three years. The traditional search method. But I still think the blog is valuable. I don't know if I would start one as a business today, but ranking, like, if you search GPT or Perplexity, there's going to be links to popular blog posts. And just all the stuff that you've done for Google so far will help for AI search going forward. So I don't think there's. If you have a blog, I mean, selling would be, I think, kind of dumb. Unless you're just going to drop it because you're just going to get pennies on the dollar. Yeah, right. When in fact it is valuable.

[B]

Yeah. You know.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What I think is interesting because I know we've talked, we've done a lot of episodes on Google and just sort of getting into the search issues really quickly. One thing I have noticed is that. So I'm going on a trip next week and I've been doing a lot of Googling. And like I said, we've talked about this before, I don't Google a lot of things. I usually look on Pinterest or I just ask to ChatGPT. But I have been Googling, like, for example, yesterday, where can I go on a reindeer ride? Right. Like, and what I have noticed is when it comes to that travel space, like, what ferry should I take from this place to this place? It's all blogs coming up in search. There's no Reddit threads, there's no Quora, there's very little AI. You know, normally now you get the AI at the top of the search. You get that a little bit, but it's pretty much like, visit Finland, whatever. Like all these blogs that are coming up at the top of search. So that got me thinking too. Like, is certain stuff making a comeback, like certain topics? Or did these topics never, like, disappear? It's just I hadn't been searching them previously.

[A]

Well, there was a November update.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I actually haven't read up on what the November Update the effects of it so far. But the trend right now is to start your search on AI and then verify with Google.

[B]

Yeah. Right. So something like travel, I don't want to start on AI because I want to know if these places, like, do they still exist? Are they open, you know, do they have a phone number kind of thing.

[A]

Yeah. For businesses and business search, maybe Google will become like the old yellow pages.

[B]

Oh, I would like that.

[A]

Yeah. Because you know, Google is still well regarded as like having accurate information, especially for businesses. And that's why, you know, I still think it's probably worthwhile to, to blog for an E commerce store or if you have a place of business.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So you can show up higher in the search results there. I, I don't think so. Google's not gonna die, but like, I think their search business is gonna take a big hit. Especially when the doj kind of, they were talking about brain breaking apart Chrome and I think if they do that, that'll hurt. Like if Google is not the default search engine for Chrome, that's going to change things.

[B]

Yeah. So just piggybacking on what you said, that is where I see there's probably still a big opportunity for businesses. So if you have a local business, and I'm thinking about actually someone in our course that sells the wooden flowers where her flowers are in retail stores now, she doesn't own that store. Right. But like those local businesses I think can really still win with Google search. Because like when I was looking for stuff like in local areas, there's not a lot of competition. Right. The people that have even a basic website with a link to book or a phone number and pictures really were dominating. Right. And it was a very minimal effort as far as, like, it wasn't this complex website put together. You know, it was pretty simplistic. And so I think if you do own a business, that's still a really viable option for you to get traffic.

[A]

Yeah. And just because Google might lose market share, that market share is going to get picked up by someone else and chances are they're going to use similar metrics to rank or show up.

[B]

Yeah. But someone like me who does not have a local business, one trend that I've noticed that I feel like, okay, what should I do with this? Is that. So there are people on TikTok right now who are literally putting their entire Thanksgiving dinner recipes on TikTok. So they're literally doing like, okay, this is what I'm making for Thanksgiving. And then each recipe has its own video. Like here's how I'm making the turkey. Here's how I make the Mac and cheese. Here's how I make this. Just this morning, my daughter and I were watching this, like, scalloped potato recipe where she's like, please, please, please, will you please make this, please? And my. Literally my entire phone is text. Text messages between me and my girls sending back TikToks of like, well, no, let's make it this way. Let's do this. So I'm wondering, because I have like, a whole Thanksgiving, like, I have that on my blog. Right. So is. Is the trend for 2025 or is the next logical move to put those recipes in, like, basically lists, right? On TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, whatever.

[A]

Absolutely the right move. Yeah, I am doing that too, as we speak, actually. You know, video is my primary platform now.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so that bumblebee linen strategy for next year, it's gonna happen.

[B]

Yeah. You heard it here first for the 15th time.

[A]

Well, you know why I. I decided to. To de. Emphasize tick Tock for my wife quit and just create them out of my YouTube videos and then only focus my efforts on tick tock for Bumblebee. Chinese guy is gonna be a face of a hanky company.

[B]

It's okay.

[A]

It's the way it's gotta be.

[B]

Yeah. So it's. It's been fascinating, though, to sort of watch the shift as someone who's been putting up recipes before you even used photos. Yeah, I mean, I probably still have recipes on my site without photos. I mean, I think I've. I think I've updated them all. But there's very. It's very possible. I mean, I have 700 recipes, so there's definitely one or two that snuck through. But I'm like, that's a really interesting strategy to. With any topic. I mean, obviously I'm in the recipe space, but if you're redecorating a room, right, like, make a video for each. Like, make an overview video. So it's kind of like the old school. Like, that's your pillar post. And then you can branch off and do like, individual posts based on, you know, well, this is how we redid the fireplace mantle or whatever. So, yeah, I definitely think that is the strategy I need to have moving forward. You know, those videos are hard to make. Cooking videos are hard.

[A]

I know, I know. But I see that as a good thing. Less people are gonna do it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So.

[B]

And I've seen all levels of edits. Right. Like, I've seen some people who have really Great editing and real like they're using a really. Like you can just tell, right? They've got like a full professional setup. But I also see people that don't have that level. In fact, there was one girl that I watched this video where she was making. I think it was the Mac and cheese recipe. We're gonn. And she's like, I bought this. I can never think of what it's called. It's like the. The boom. It like hangs your camera so it's can film from the top. I can.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[B]

Bill always has to tell me what that's the swing arm or whatever, right?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Anyway, every time we do this on our course, Bill's like, it's called this. And I'm like, I will never remember that. Anyway, so she's like, I got this new tool so I can show you from the top. And she films like four steps using that. And she's like, I don't like this at all. And then she put her camera back to where she's like in the video. So even in her own video, she's trying out things and being very transparent about it, right? And the video's got like a million plus views. It's not like it's hurting her. So anyway, I think that, I don't think that for people listening, like the quality doesn't have to be absolute professional editing level. I think just making sure that it's the same things we always talk about. Clear, good sound, easy to follow kind of thing.

[A]

I mean, these bumblebee tiktoks are not going to be professional. It's just gonna be me at the office just talking about what's going on. And hopefully I won't drive my wife crazy too much.

[B]

Which I think brings up a point because you were like, I'm all in on video. I need to be all in on video. I do think. And we get on our friend Kevin about this, right? Because he makes videos for YouTube and he does a ridiculous level of editing, hours and hours worth. And we were always like, Kevin, you don't need to do all that. But I will say that like, if you can do cool edits, that's actually a way to grow your channel. And I don't know if you see we are in such different TikTok algorithms. Every time I say something, I'm like, he's not gonna know what I'm talking about.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Have you seen lady in the bathroom? No, on Tick Tock. Okay, so she basically lip syncs to just like absolute any genre of music in her bathroom. Right. And she kind of got, she tried, they tried to cancel her for dumb reasons and whatever. Like, you know, so she's, she kind of went through a little controversy, but because she went through this controversy, everybody's talking about her, right? And everyone's like, well, she got popular because of her awesome edits. And I, she always appears on my feed and so I watch like four or five of her videos, like just for the purpose of like research. And her edits are really good. Like, and it's just how she's cutting the clips. It's real. Like she doesn't have any text over relations of anything. It's just how she's literally editing the movement and it's, it's really good. So I'm like, either one, if you do have editing skills or two, if you want to hire someone overseas, it'll be very easy for someone overseas to do this for you. And you're looking for like the angle that could be the angle for you.

[A]

Bottom line. If you just put out stuff that's interesting or if you're interesting, it's going to do okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I just hope I don't tarnish the Bumblebee linens brand as Jen sees it. That's my.

[B]

You. You will, 100% guaranteed.

[A]

Because I want to say some stupid stuff, you know. You know, just whatever comes to mind. I always stick my foot in my mouth.

[B]

So like with the Bumble. I'm curious about this because I feel like we've been talking about this for years.

[A]

Oh, it hasn't been years. It's been. I have a bunch stored. I don't know if you know this. I have, I don't 15 to 20 videos stored, but I'm not sure if I like them. So I've never published them.

[B]

Interesting. What are they?

[A]

They're just. We had our employees film like three videos a day just on what they're doing. And then I just had MJ compile them into videos. But they feel like they feel like sales videos in a way, you know.

[B]

Yeah, I think that's what you've got to fix.

[A]

And they, they're just like, you know, showing the merchandise and whatever. I can't see that drawing any interest. So that's why I've never published them.

[B]

Yeah, so I'm gonna use that same.

[A]

Footage and just kind of narrate what's going on. Like, oh man, for some reason it's slow this year. Or wow, you know, we just got, I don't know, just make it a behind the scenes look at actually running the business.

[B]

Yeah. I think one that you could easily do and do it like once a week is pack a box with me.

[A]

Yeah, we have one of those, actually. That. That's one of the ones that are keepers.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. People love seeing that. And also, like, another fun thing you can do is, like, as you're packing the box, add in something extra. Being like, Anna in Massachusetts, you're getting a little surprised, you know, and like, because people. No, but, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, I think that, like, for the cost that it takes for what it costs you. Right. To do something like that is very minimal. But the excitement of, like, people are like, oh, I'm gonna watch this. I want to hear my name called out. Right. I want to see, like, I think those are actually really effective.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I've also seen things like that where people are like, tagging their friends named Anna. Like, Anna, did you order from this company? You know what I mean? Like, it has a really nice virality to it. And like, we've talked before about, like, sales and discounts. It's a way to build a brand and, like, get engagement without paying. Right. I mean, you're paying like two bucks, whatever, three bucks maybe tops for something like that.

[A]

Less than that, actually. But.

[B]

Yeah, but I didn't want to give away your secrets, so.

[A]

Yeah. And that's why the personalization, like highlighting personalized merchandise is actually really important. And we'll just like announce their first name and maybe on off chance someone will see it. Or we'll pick the funniest ones. I already have a collection of those, actually, so I have all the raw materials. It just needs to get to something that I'd be happy with and something that I can sustain with very little energy. That's the key here, very little energy.

[B]

Okay, so that's my question for you, is how are you going to do this with. With as little energy as you have?

[A]

Well, no, I just hop into work and I film myself talking about what's going on. And then I already have all these clips, which I'm still going to have the employees film. And then you just mash it all together.

[B]

Yeah. What's your goal for, like, how many a week do you want to put out?

[A]

I'm going to start by doing three a week.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

With the goal of going five a week.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But I need to get into a flow. That's the hardest part about all this. Once I'm in the flow, going to 5 should not be a problem.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So when you think when you go down there to film, are you gonna film like a week's worth of content?

[A]

I'm gonna do, yes, a week's worth of content. Or if I'm just inspired by all the hankies and linens around, I'll just get it all over with. Because in theory, it should be a lot easier than filming a long form YouTube video for me.

[B]

Right?

[A]

It's hours of prep for me on a YouTube video.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. I just wanted to take a moment to tell you about a free resource that I offer on my website that you may not be aware of. If you are interested in starting your own online store. I put together a comprehensive six day mini course on how to get started in ecommerce that you should all check out. It contains both video and text based tutorials that go over the entire process of finding products to sell all the way to getting your first sales online. Now, this course is free and can be [e-mail] free. Just sign up right there on the front page via email and I'll send you the course right away. Once again, that's mywifequitterjob.com free. Now back to the show.

[B]

I have an idea for you.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Just throw some hankies on the floor and lay down and make like a snow angel and have your employees be throwing hankies on you and you could like have White Christmas playing in the background. That's a, a winner. That's a winner.

[A]

I like that one.

[B]

I got all sorts of ideas for you.

[A]

That's funny that, that one's funny.

[B]

Also, if you're ever at a Warriors game, you should have one to dry your tears of happiness.

[A]

It's not happiness last night. All right, let's switch gears and talk about the new president that's coming in and its effect on E commerce. Because I've been getting a lot of questions about this. The number one thing I just have to say about all this is we've been here before.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like when Trump was president in 2016, he announced 45 tariffs across the board. But that was not the case. That's not what ended up happening. Most of the tariffs were at 7 and a half percent, all the way up to 25%. Most of our stuff fell into the 7, 7 and a half percent. Like most of the staples and everyday goods fell into like the lower, lower bracket. But here's the other thing. I don't remember us raising prices that much to account for the tariffs because if you think about it, the tariffs aren't that big of a deal. Like, let's say you have a 25. Let's say you sell something for a buck and there's a 25 tariff. And typically you sell that stuff for four bucks. Right. So 25 tariff. So that means it's going to cost you a buck 25. So if you were to even pass that cost to the consumer, you would charge $4 and 25 cents.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Right. You wouldn't charge 4x that amount. And so I, I don't think from a, from a vendor point of view, it's going to be that big of a deal even if he raises it to 60, which I don't think he will. But even if you do decide to get suppliers outside China, all the, all the Chinese factories are actually moving to Mexico. So I'm not sure how it's going to work. Or they're moving to Vietnam and they're owned by the same owners in China. They're just physically located somewhere else. So I, I'm not terribly worried about the tariffs.

[B]

Okay, who should be worried? Anybody who should be worried?

[A]

I guess if you're a Chinese supplier, if, or if your supplier doesn't, doesn't do that and you have to pay the tariffs, I mean, I don't know. See, there's a lot of things that China can do also. They can like, devalue their currency and make it more attractive. So I don't know how this is all going to play out, but I guess the consumer is the one who's going to pay.

[B]

Yes. I mean, that's, yeah, that's kind of the issue. Right. I would say if you are, if you have your own store. Right. You're selling on Shopify, BigCommerce, whatever, you're in a much better position than if you sell on Amazon.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I think the Amazon sellers are the ones that need to really be paying attention because I feel like, like I think about some of my clients and, and what they charge and like, adding an extra 25 cents to something is negligible. Right. Like, even if you do have to, you know, maybe you sell something for $10, now you sell it for 11. That's really a, not a huge price jump. Right, Right. But when you're on Amazon and you're already like fighting those margins, I mean, we know a lot of people on Amazon that their margins are like 10, 15%. Right. When it's all said and done. And to me, that's where I would start to get worried about Some of these extra because it's just another fee that you're going to be paying. And on Amazon you can't always pass that along to the customer because you're constantly in a price war.

[A]

That is the problem. Yeah. Amazon's prices aren't that elastic because. So let's say you raised it to like $4 and 25 cents. That might put you over some guy who's selling it at four bucks and then. Yeah, because branding isn't that big of deal on Amazon. They're gonna probably pay for the $4 buy. The $4 $1.

[B]

Yeah. In fact, just speaking of branding on Amazon, I went to buy a turkey roaster this weekend because I. Because I need one for Thanksgiving. Okay. And I was shocked, like I was looking for. And I don't want to say it's like a US brand because it's. I mean, they're probably all manufactured overseas. Right. So I, I'm not like pretending that I think that if you buy like a Black and Decker or something that's manufactured in Ohio. But I was surprised that I could only find two brands that I had heard of before. And like, in the kitchen space, I've heard of a lot of brands. Right. So it's like I could only find two turkey roasters that were like, Hamilton beach was one and I can't remember the other one. And every other brand was clearly like a brand that you'd never. You know, those brands that are like, this is zing.

[A]

Alphabet soup is what the.

[B]

Yeah, Alphabet soup. Yeah, it was 100%. And I was like, so are, are brands like, you know, Oster or KitchenAid. Right. Are. I mean, they still sell KitchenAid mixers. Mixers on Amazon, things like that. But like, are they moving stuff off? You know what I mean? Are they just relying on their retail presence? And here's what's going on.

[A]

You know, these Chinese companies are actually opening up multiple. Multiple accounts.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And selling the same stuff under different brands. So they flood all the listings, same stuff, pushing everyone else down. And I don't know how to really police that. I don't know how. Amazon, they clearly haven't done a good job.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But this flood method from the same company works. Yeah, well, that's why you're not seeing it.

[B]

And that's the other crazy thing is like, you know, there were roasters that were like $109. Right. But then there were like multiple ones that were 35 the exact same roaster. Right. Or basically like there was no additional features or anything like that. So it's kind of like not only are they opening multiple brands and flooding, they're also dropping the price so drastically. Like, how can you compete? Like, especially when you think of something like a roaster. Right. It's a real, like, the box is huge. Showed up yesterday. Yeah. You're just pushing people out, and then they can raise the price. Right. When they're the only sellers. And anyway, that'll be interesting to see what. But all that leads to, you know, people just don't have the same play with pricing as you do if you have your own brand. Like, I mean, you. You try to buy a pair of Uggs on Amazon, good luck. Right.

[A]

Like, I've never tried.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Can you get Uggs on Amazon?

[B]

You can, but, like, you're paying Uggs pricing or more because someone's arbitraging it. Right. Like, no one's. No one's out, you know, because Uggs is a known brand. Same with, like, Nike tennis shoes or anything that is, you know, an actual known brand. Like, that's where I think that becomes so important as we continue moving forward.

[A]

You brought up Uggs and did I. Do we have this conversation? We actually just bought my wife a pair of Uggs.

[B]

No, we didn't.

[A]

Birthday.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And Uggs are expensive.

[B]

Yes, they are.

[A]

And so when I. I was looking at. I was just going to shoe stores. There's a lot of Uggs knockoffs. But we ended up getting the Uggs because she wanted the Uggs, Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so that just demonstrates the power of the brand. This is a great segue, by the way, to what my strategy. I think I probably announced it on this podcast before, but we're going straight into digital printing.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

For our products. So anything we can personalize with the printer is super easy because it's all done in Photoshop. We're also doing, you know, we've done custom embroidery for many years now, but we're also going to do handwriting embroidery going forward because people. I. I didn't even know this was a thing, but you sign something and you want that in a hanger for your wedding.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that coupled with digital printing. I think it was in office hours that I said this, but basically every special occasion under the sun, we're going to have images and personalized stuff for.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And that way we don't actually have to carry a variety of that much inventory because we're printing on the same substrates. And that's going to be, I think, our strategy going forward in the long run.

[B]

I think that's a genius strategy, Right. Because you're basically providing something where there's a huge barrier to entry. Right. You have to have one of these printers and. Or some kind of printer, which you have said many times, it's a very big pain in the butt to make.

[A]

It is a pain in the ass. Yes.

[B]

But yeah, it. Well, in, like. So I feel like just, you know, the average Joe isn't going to go buy one of these printers and start a linen embroidery business. Right. Or print. A digital printing business. So I think that's a way to sort of tariff proof, regime change, proof, whatever you want to call it, like your business, because you're providing something that is very difficult for people to get anywhere else.

[A]

I wouldn't say it's difficult, but there's certain barriers to it, right? Like one, the price, the cost of the printer. You still have to import stuff to get the cheapest stuff. And then. Yeah, just maintaining that thing. Like, people listening to this don't know, but I got a DTF printer last year and it has broken down multiple times just because of user error. Actually, I didn't know what I was getting into.

[B]

Yeah, because.

[A]

Cause the thing worked great for like the first six months. And then I started having clog problems and clean. I've taken apart that machine almost like bare bones.

[B]

I feel like it's monthly. You have to take it apart.

[A]

Well, now I'm just trying to figure out the system to do it, and I think I've finally got it. Thank God. So. But anyway, people aren't going to want to go through that.

[B]

But I. But in that I think there's. Yes. It's not like people can get these things, but like, it's hard for someone else to start this business. Like, you're not just gonna go outlay all this capital to buy the printer and the inventory and like train somebody how to do it, Right. Cause there's the other issue of, like, how do you actually use this thing? Right? Like, that's. That's a whole barrier to entry. And it reminds me of like, okay, so why did these. And obviously we're talking about huge brands, right? Like, Uggs is a giant brand, but like, there's something about Uggs, right, where your wife didn't want the knockoff and I actually have a pair of Uggs. Well, my daughter. Of course I don't. My daughter does. Just like, I'm wearing Old Navy and she's wearing Lululemon. But, like, she's got a pair of Uggs and a pair of Knockoff Uggs from Emma Lou's boutique. Right. Probably made in the exact same factory, right? I've put both of them on my feet now. She has a smaller foot than I do, so, like, I can't fully wear them, but, like, they feel exactly the same. Exactly the same. Like, there is, yeah, very little difference. Small differences in, like, the actual appearance. Right. The stitching's a little bit different kind of thing, but, like, as far as, like, comfort, no difference at all.

[A]

Are they called Eggs, by any chance?

[B]

Yeah, they're called eggs. No, no.

[A]

I'm not even joking. I found this brand called Eggs.

[B]

Yes. There's a couple knockoffs that basically are like this. Almost the same as Uggs, but, like, Jen still wanted Uggs, which I totally understand. I actually just bought a pair of slippers. So I had a pair of LAN slippers that I bought, like, 20 plus years ago last year. They were literally 20 years old. And they're moccasin slippers, so you can wear them outside, you know, and stuff like that. And they were literally disgusting. Like, they were so gross. The whole bottom, like, I'm pretty sure there was, like, gum and dog poop and, like. And Brian was like, those need to go. Like, you cannot keep wearing them. They're absolutely disgusting. And so I threw them out. Worst decision of my life. I've missed them all year, right? And so I have bought probably six pairs of slippers to, like, replace this pair. And I keep returning them because they're not. They don't make this kind. They don't make the kind that I threw out. So anyway, like, you create that brand where it's like, I need the Uggs, right? I need this experience. I need the stitching, the comfort, the whatever they use on the inside material. It's the same thing. Like, once again, you don't see this on TikTok, but there's like, the Hermes lady who people bring in their purses, and she like, you know, oh, this is a palladium, blah, blah, blah. And this color is. And it's like Hermes has created this thing where, like, they don't even let you buy their stuff, right? Like, they're. It's like. It's like you have to wait till March of 2026 to come in our store and buy a bag, right? So, like. But I think that creating a brand that does something similar, right, where you create this experience, this difficulty, whatever it is, to, like, Ugg sells out, right? The Tasman. I've been trying to get Tasmans for, like, two Years for Quora can't find them anywhere. They get in stock, they sell out in like 10 minutes. And it's like if you can do that with your brand. Right. So you figured out how to do that with Bumblebee, where you're putting, you know, they can get a Mother's Day or they can get a Valentine's Day or they can get someone's name handwritten. That's pretty cool. Like, I think if you had like someone special pass away, like having their signature on a handkerchief would be really cool. Right. Gift to give somebody.

[A]

The point of all this is these are things that are hard for someone, you know, thousands of miles away to replicate. Yeah, right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so that's what you have to think about because there's services like Temu. Shein just announced earnings. They had a 68% increase. Sheen is this knockoff clothing place. Like they literally take high end brands and create the same thing and sell it for like 10% the cost.

[B]

Yeah. It's so cheap, it's ridiculous.

[A]

Your kids shop there.

[B]

Oh, yeah. I hate that they shop there.

[A]

Yeah. But the stuff is fast fashion. It's cheap, but it looks pretty similar to the real thing.

[B]

Yeah, very much so.

[A]

And then you have knockoffs like temu. Amazon just announced their Temu clone. Amazon haul. It's terrible, by the way. Did you try it yet?

[B]

No. No.

[A]

Here's the problem. Like in the example I use in my YouTube video, I was in the market for jump rope, so I looked on Amazon, it was seven dollars. The exact same thing was on haul for three bucks.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And then the exact same thing was on Teemu for 250.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So where am I gonna buy it from? Right. Amazon's hurting themselves.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

By having it. And I think they're in a rock and a hard place because they can't do too well on hall because it'll eat into their main Amazon businesses, which is their bread and butter.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

So the product selection sucks.

[B]

Yeah, it's.

[A]

It's not going to be around them, I'm pretty sure.

[B]

Yeah. So where'd you buy it? Did you buy it on TEMU or Hall?

[A]

I ended up buying it on Amazon because I wanted it the next day.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Whereas hall and Tumu. It takes one to two weeks for stuff to arrive. Yeah. And I didn't get the cheapest one either. Ended up getting one with the weight on it.

[B]

You got one that jumps for you. You just stand there. It comes with two people to turn it.

[A]

But my point is, is that if you're just selling something that you can get anywhere. Yeah, it's probably going to get knocked off. Like, if it's clothing, it's probably going to get knocked off on sheen. If it's like a regular everyday object, it's probably going to get knocked off on teu.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

So really, you gotta think of something that, you know that's better or makes you stand out or you start a brand or you do content like we talked about earlier.

[B]

Well, and I think the brands that are doing content, like, are the ones that are able to get that experience. Like, I'm never buying an Hermes bag. Like, let's just be real. I couldn't. I can't spend that much money on a purse when I could have a car. Right. But, like, and I like purses.

[A]

I was just gonna say, you have some pricey purses.

[B]

I have some nice purses. No, they're not. But, like, they've created that experience, that exclusivity and, and their, their content creation that they're doing now is just skyrocketing their, their brand. Right. It's just pushing it to like, another level of like, exclusivity. And, and you know, you're seeing. So they're doing a great job of taking what was something that was already like, they were probably doing just fine to taking it to a whole nother level with social media and creating the content. We talked about this, I think, a couple weeks ago. You know, Chili's, my daughter works at Chili's. They were actually struggling. Right. Financially as a business. And a TikToker posted their. They have this great deal that's like three. You get chips, an entree, and a Coke for like 1099. Right. And she posted how great it's. It's been responsible for like a 40% growth in their profits. Right? So, like, it's insane, right? Like, yeah, but like, I think if you are in any kind of brand, but like specifically in E commerce, like doing something that creates that value for the customer outside of just the buying experience, right? The. The content creation, like, it works. Like, we joke about, like, the old school commercials and things like that, but, like, those worked too. Like, it was just in a different medium. Like back in the day you only had television commercials, right. To like, convey the message, but now you can do it in so many different ways. And what's nice for like, smaller E commerce brands is you don't need a television budget. Right. Um, you. You can do this on social media. In fact, one of the supplement companies that I Buy from is now doing TV ads and I'm like, oh, now I'm not gonna buy from anymore. They're too successful. Like if you have TV money, I, I don't want to buy from you.

[A]

I want, I want that tv. They're hurting, right?

[B]

True, true. I'm like, I want the brands with podcast money. Like that's the. But like that's exciting as a brand because you can, you can get leverage this for so much less than you could 15 years ago when the only thing was to like you know, remember like back in the day when like someone would do a Super bowl commercial and it would be like this huge deal, right? Like oh, like godaddy. I think godaddy did a Super bowl commercial one year, one of those like type sites and everyone was like what? Like they've arrived now anyone can do anything, you know, with social media exposure. Yeah, yeah. Because you could get more exposure if your video goes viral.

[A]

So I guess that's the moral of the story here. So pick a product that isn't easily replicated and do content. That's pretty much the formula for 2025. I think all these ad platforms are getting more and more competitive also. So like Google Ads have just been on this decline for, for a while actually ever since AI they've kind of been on this decline. And meta ads are pretty competitive these days too. So you know, social media is free. You can even use TikTok shop in the, in the way where you're just listing your products and you get affiliates to promote it. Yeah, right. Affiliate influencer marketing is still a pretty good thing provided that your product is, is reasonably interesting.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I think that's the way going forward for 2025. Hope you enjoyed this episode. What's your plan for 2025? Let me know in the comments. For more information and resources go to My wife quit her job.com Episode 577 Once again, tickets to the Seller Summit 2025 are now on sale over at sellers summit.com if you want to hang out in person in a small intimate setting, develop real relationships with like minded entrepreneurs and learn a ton, then come to my event. Go to sellersummit.com and if you're interested in starting your own e commerce store, head on over to my wife quitherjob.com and sign up for my free 6 day mini course. Just type in your email and I'll send the course right away via email.