GOLD! The Chronicles Of DDall - A Progress/Execution Thread (Damn $3Mg/$700Knet!)

[putinwork]

Hey @ddall awesome journey so far! Curious to know what % of sales you get on Amazon vs your own ecommerce store (assuming you have one).

Seems like you mainly talk about Amazon so wondering how you are going to generate more sales on your own channel rather than on Amazon's playground so you have more diversity in sales.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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[Mal0ni]

Thanks for the thread @ddall ! I'm in Toronto and embarking on a similar journey so I can't say how valuable this thread has been as I am about to confirm my first trial order of 300 units!

 

[Aristan]

First day on the forum and a great read to get me even more pumped. Well done on your successes - long may they continue.

 

[Ing]

@ddall , lovely story! are you still fine?

 

[ddall]

A quick update, it has been quite some time...

Firstly, the reason for the massive space between posts:
1. I'm insanely busy - business, family (3 kids now!), learning, health
2. Part of the natural evolution of this journey has been attaining higher and higher levels of learning and understanding within the world of entrepreneurship. With my limited time, I tend to focus on more exclusive masterminds with others further along in the journey. This is an amazing forum, and truly helped set me in the right mindset, the foundation from which to grow. Being so short on time, I try to maximize my learning time with highest ROI initiatives. I do believe this is why many seasoned entrepreneurs in the heart of their journey eventually go quiet on the forum. One day I will return to share more of the journey with individuals at the starting line. For now, this brief update I hope will serve further encouragement.

The team has grown to 25 give or take some contractors, sales approximately $1.5-$2M/month, predicting 4X during Q4, depending on where things go with the economy. Covid-19 initially caused series issues, but we have adapted and are now thriving thanks to being e-com.

Many lessons learned in the time since, my role has constantly evolved, and I've enjoyed the process. Management, hiring and nurturing talent, and generally migrating from a band of pirates to well oiled and disciplined navy (as per Reid Hoffman's quote) have been some of the biggest changes. I've removed myself from the logistics, accounting and much of the marketing details I once was so occupied in previously, and this has been replaced with optimizing the leverage I can exert in the business via talented team members, and more time planning and strategizing the brand and business as a whole.

So many ups and downs, which is to be expected...supplier issues, trademark issues, tax and VAT issue, competitive changes...bloating bureaucracy and relentless downwards pressure on margins...suspended accounts (FB, Amazon), letting underperformers go, product disasters. These are all challenges to overcome in the name of progress.

I'm trying to think how I can quickly add value to anyone here without spending hours going into more specifics.... I do not think that is an easy feat. I will leave some books and podcast I like or have recently listened/read and enjoyed..

Classic Wisdom on Wealth, Philosophy, History
Naval Podcast

View: https://youtu.be/1-TZqOsVCNM

3.5 hours of the basics, timeless concepts

The Wisdom Of Success

Audiobooks & Original Audio Shows - Get More from Audible

Listen to 3 audiobooks/month for $14.95/month: 1 Audiobook + 2 Audible Originals. Exclusive fitness & wellness programs. Try Audible FREE for 30 days.

www.audible.ca

Interview with Andrew Carnegie, the basis of which formed 'Think and Grow Rich' ... timeless, I don't know why this is not more popular.. Pure wisdom

How to Think Like A Roman Emperor

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

The life-changing principles of Stoicism taught through the story of its most famous proponent.Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was the fina...

www.goodreads.com

Beautifully written deep dive into stoicism and Marcus Aurelius

The Lessons of History

The Lessons of History

In this illuminating and thoughtful book, Will and Ariel Durant have succeeded in distilling for the reader the accumulated store of know...

www.goodreads.com

History repeats... Great book, classic, not long.

High Output Management

High Output Management

The essential skill of creating and maintaining new businesses—the art of the entrepreneur—can be summed up in a single word: managing. I...

www.goodreads.com

Not so useful early in my journey, but fundamental concepts on management as I grow

Other Books:
The Winners Laws
Scale
What It Takes
The Ride of A Lifetime
That Will Never Work
Excellence WinsSuccess Through a Positive Mental Attitude
Team of Teams
Unlocking the Customer Value Chain
Billion Dollar Brand Club
Shoedog (may have posted this one before, but its so good)
The Infinite Game
Alchemy - Rory Sutherland
Blitzscaling
There's a customer born every minute..
... Honestly I am going through a list I have and just too many, will have to leave it at this for now

A Few of My Favourite Podcasts In No Order
Exit Strategy
Business Wars
Masters of Scale
James Altucher
How I built This
Tim Ferris Show
The Portal
Artificial Intelligence
The Knowledge Project
Naval Podcast


Hope some of these sources help you

 

[DCDeuce]

A quick update, it has been quite some time...

Firstly, the reason for the massive space between posts:
1. I'm insanely busy - business, family (3 kids now!), learning, health
2. Part of the natural evolution of this journey has been attaining higher and higher levels of learning and understanding within the world of entrepreneurship. With my limited time, I tend to focus on more exclusive masterminds with others further along in the journey. This is an amazing forum, and truly helped set me in the right mindset, the foundation from which to grow. Being so short on time, I try to maximize my learning time with highest ROI initiatives. I do believe this is why many seasoned entrepreneurs in the heart of their journey eventually go quiet on the forum. One day I will return to share more of the journey with individuals at the starting line. For now, this brief update I hope will serve further encouragement.

The team has grown to 25 give or take some contractors, sales approximately $1.5-$2M/month, predicting 4X during Q4, depending on where things go with the economy. Covid-19 initially caused series issues, but we have adapted and are now thriving thanks to being e-com.

Many lessons learned in the time since, my role has constantly evolved, and I've enjoyed the process. Management, hiring and nurturing talent, and generally migrating from a band of pirates to well oiled and disciplined navy (as per Reid Hoffman's quote) have been some of the biggest changes. I've removed myself from the logistics, accounting and much of the marketing details I once was so occupied in previously, and this has been replaced with optimizing the leverage I can exert in the business via talented team members, and more time planning and strategizing the brand and business as a whole.

So many ups and downs, which is to be expected...supplier issues, trademark issues, tax and VAT issue, competitive changes...bloating bureaucracy and relentless downwards pressure on margins...suspended accounts (FB, Amazon), letting underperformers go, product disasters. These are all challenges to overcome in the name of progress.

I'm trying to think how I can quickly add value to anyone here without spending hours going into more specifics.... I do not think that is an easy feat. I will leave some books and podcast I like or have recently listened/read and enjoyed..

Classic Wisdom on Wealth, Philosophy, History
Naval Podcast

View: https://youtu.be/1-TZqOsVCNM

3.5 hours of the basics, timeless concepts

The Wisdom Of Success

Audiobooks & Original Audio Shows - Get More from Audible

Listen to 3 audiobooks/month for $14.95/month: 1 Audiobook + 2 Audible Originals. Exclusive fitness & wellness programs. Try Audible FREE for 30 days.

www.audible.ca

Interview with Andrew Carnegie, the basis of which formed 'Think and Grow Rich' ... timeless, I don't know why this is not more popular.. Pure wisdom

How to Think Like A Roman Emperor

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

The life-changing principles of Stoicism taught through the story of its most famous proponent.Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was the fina...

www.goodreads.com

Beautifully written deep dive into stoicism and Marcus Aurelius

The Lessons of History

The Lessons of History

In this illuminating and thoughtful book, Will and Ariel Durant have succeeded in distilling for the reader the accumulated store of know...

www.goodreads.com

History repeats... Great book, classic, not long.

High Output Management

High Output Management

The essential skill of creating and maintaining new businesses—the art of the entrepreneur—can be summed up in a single word: managing. I...

www.goodreads.com

Not so useful early in my journey, but fundamental concepts on management as I grow

Other Books:
The Winners Laws
Scale
What It Takes
The Ride of A Lifetime
That Will Never Work
Excellence WinsSuccess Through a Positive Mental Attitude
Team of Teams
Unlocking the Customer Value Chain
Billion Dollar Brand Club
Shoedog (may have posted this one before, but its so good)
The Infinite Game
Alchemy - Rory Sutherland
Blitzscaling
There's a customer born every minute..
... Honestly I am going through a list I have and just too many, will have to leave it at this for now

A Few of My Favourite Podcasts In No Order
Exit Strategy
Business Wars
Masters of Scale
James Altucher
How I built This
Tim Ferris Show
The Portal
Artificial Intelligence
The Knowledge Project
Naval Podcast


Hope some of these sources help you

Thanks for the update @ddall Congrats on your continued success and thanks for dropping more knowledge and the podcast.