Ecom Accelerator

The Origin of Ecom Accelerator

From 2020 - 2024 I worked head-down, trying to figure out our business. I was brand new to the business world and had no idea what I was doing.

See - I stepped into the General Manager role at EcoShip directly out of college at the tender age of 19. My parents were slightly crazy and decided I was trustworthy enough to oversee an operation of ~10 adults shipping a couple thousand orders/month.

But here’s the wild part - I still had enough of my teenage, totally-unearned confidence hanging around to believe I knew what I was doing. I kept my head down, worked hard, tried to figure all our problems out on my own.

And here’s the thing - I got far! I transitioned us to a true warehouse management system (what runs the whole business), learned how to code to use it more effectively, I hired people, fired people, sold new business, retained current business, opened a second warehouse, and moved the entire warehouse.

But then 2024 comes around

…and I’m getting my butt kicked. Client satisfaction is starting to dip; I’m feeling frustrated; our business growth has stagnated; profit was down. I’m just feeling… stuck. And didn’t know how to get unstuck.

At the same time - I’m newly married (got married 8 months into the job). So in 2024 I’m 4 years into marriage. Plus, Molly and I are working together. Folks, if you’ve never worked with your spouse - it is the most rewarding, hardest work you’ll ever do. Extremely high highs and extremely low lows.

After all, who are you going to go home and complain to about your coworker who's driving you insane when you live with them?

So I got to a point in life where I was feeling stuck - in work, in my marriage and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t read, research, or think my way out.

So I did the unthinkable

I began reaching out to other people to help me with my problems.

I joined a local business peer group and began telling them about my problems and learn from them too.

I joined a group of older men at my church who like to talk about their marriages and began to learn from them.

And the incredible happened - I began to get unstuck. They could look at where I was at and tell me where I could go.

Because what I really needed was a clear vision of what could be and it was in the presence of other people that I got unstuck in my life and leadership.

So I now deeply believe in the power of other people to help us get unstuck in our business.

But what stopped me?

For years, I had heard about peer groups and their value. I knew it’s probably a good idea to join one…

But I always avoided them because I hate showing up to a room and being the dumbest, youngest person there.

But then I came to learn - The dumbest person in the room is actually the one who learns the most.

I realized that if I walk into every room as an expert, I will never learn, I will never grow, and I will always remain stuck.

Now my personal and business goal is to intentionally seek out rooms where I am the dumbest, youngest person (even though I still hate it), because I know growth comes from those rooms.

It’s why I started Ecom Accelerator - because I believe that when we have the humility to bring our stuck-ness to our peers, we get unstuck.

When you’re surrounded by smart people, you get smarter.

If I’m resonating with you right now, great. It’s exactly why we meet and help each other. People get unstuck together, not alone.

What it looks like

Once a month we bring in an expert on a topic the group is wrestling with - pricing, retail expansion, retention, operations, promotion - and open it up for Q&A and real conversation.

It's free to join. The only requirement is that you show up and contribute.

Who it's for

Founders and operators running ecom brands - early stage or established DTC. If you're serious about the work and willing to be honest about what you don't know, you'll fit in :)

I hope you’ll consider joining us for a monthly session. It’s free and always on the first Thursday of the month.

If you’d like to hear more about the group or chat about your story, happy to talk.

-Jake

A group of ecom founders and operators helping each other get unstuck.

Running an ecom brand can be isolating. You know this. Getting to know people who are working through the same problems as you and who aren’t crazy is such a win.

It’s why we made Ecom Accelerator - we’re a peer group for founders and operators who are past the basics and want to keep growing. We get together monthly to have a guest expert, a real conversation, and a room full of people who've been where you are or are figuring it out alongside you.

Interested?

After you submit - Jake will follow up with you to see if there’s a good fit.

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