Jimmy Kim

eCom Email Marketer

Newsletter: Your dose of retention strategy, actionable insights, & exclusive industry news with Chase Dimond.

We help b2b saas technology companies leverage the community playbook to create the word of mouth to drive leads and awareness through social media, podcasts, newsletters, and events.

CEO & Co-Founder

Commerce Roundtable

Started as an internal event at Sendlane, built for the community. I acquired the event in Oct 2024.

Our vision is to become the foremost event for eCommerce and digital marketing professionals by delivering valuable insights, actionable strategies, and building long-term relationships among participants while delivering the best customer experience.

A community-focused event - with the community, for the community.

CEO & Founder

ASOM

ASOM Pod is the only video first e-commerce podcast that offers four different unique perspectives: A(gency) S(aaS) O(perator) M(arketer). Our goal is to provide a holistic view of the e-commerce industry by sharing four perspectives. 

Find us on YouTube or your favorite streaming service, just search "ASOM"

A Commerce Roundtable Production.

Co Host & Moderator

Send It! Podcast

The SendIt Podcast, hosted by email marketing experts and veterans Jimmy Kim and Chase Dimond, is your go-to for leveling up your retention game. Jimmy, Founder and mastermind behind Sendlane, brings over 15 years of hands-on experience in building successful SaaS companies, along with valuable experience growing a DTC brand. Chase, Partner at Structured, has driven over $200 million in email-attributable revenue and is named the #1 influencer to follow in eCommerce.

Together, this power duo breaks down the art and science of retention marketing into bite-sized, actionable tactics that you can put to work immediately. Whether you’re trying to drive customer loyalty, fine-tune your email and SMS campaigns, or master customer segmentation, the SendIt Podcast is your reliable resource for all things retention. 

Each episode is packed with the latest tools, strategies, and real-world insights to help you crush your marketing goals, increase lifetime value, and grow your brand sustainably. In today’s competitive landscape, this is the cheat code you’ve been waiting for!

Co Host

eCom Email Certified

A community and certification program for retention marketers (email & sms marketing) for eCommerce.

Join 325+ Retention Marketers at https://www.ecomemailcertified.com/join-community

Community Co-Founder & Certification Instructor

MentorPass

Mentorships on Startup, Email Marketing, Retention marketing, Growth, Business, Life...

Mentor

Sendlane

Chief Innovation Officer

Started as an internal tool in 2013…became a business in Aug 2017. Unified email, sms, and  Reviews for eCommerce. Series A, B, B1, C & C1

Founder & CEO

Vonage

Americas Customer Advisory Board

Knyew

Men's Streetwear Brand. Investor turned Managing Partner. Sold & Exited Partnership in Aug 2017.

COO & Partner

Snaptactix

Doodly.com, ClickPerfect.com, PixelStudioFX.com. Acquired Aug 2017.

Founder @ Sendlane, Co-Host of ASOM Pod

Do shit you love.

Email Marketer, Content Creator, Retention lover, Builder of startups, business and events. 

I also do podcasts and newsletters.

Fueling B2B eCom SaaS growth with alternative media

Started as an internal tool in 2013…became a business in Aug 2017.

Unified email & sms (soon Reviews!) for eCommerce

Remote Company. Backed by Five Elms Capital (Series A & B) and Zing Capital (seed) 

Five Guys gives you way too many fries.

You order a regular. 

They fill the cup, then dump another scoop in the bag. 

Every time.

Cost to Five Guys? About $0.80. Money they could save by just filling the cup.

But customers post photos of overflowing bags with captions like “Five Guys always hooks it up”.

That’s free advertising, worth far more than $0.80. And it makes people feel like they won.

The fries aren’t extra. They’re the marketing budget disguised as generosity.

Why it works:

If they advertised “20% more fries”, no one would care.

But when you *see* it, right in front of you, it feels personal. “They didn’t have to do that”.

And the timing is genius: the extra scoop happens at pickup, after you’ve paid. A surprise, not a promise.

Apply this idea:

What’s your “extra scoop” that costs little but feels big?

For coffee: 11 bags in a "10 pack" (one extra, shrink wrapped to look intentional)
For protein powder: 31 servings in a "30 day supply" (costs you 3% more, feels like a bonus day)
For candles: Fill them 5% higher than the label (looks generous, costs pennies)

The pattern is:

1. Identify something you can overfill or add without breaking your margins
2. Make it visible (they need to notice the extra)
3. Don't announce it upfront (ruins the surprise)
4. Make it consistent (every order, not random)

Five Guys could save $12 million a year by portioning fries correctly.

But they'd lose $40 million in word of mouth advertising from people posting overflowing bags.

The $0.80 in extra fries generates $3.50 in free marketing per order.

What can you overfill that turns your product into a story customers want to share?

Marketer of 17+ Years, 4x Founder. Former DTC/Retailer & SaaS Founder. Newsletter. Host of ASOM & Send it! Podcast. DTC Event: Commerce Roundtable

Netflix has 18,000 titles.
Disney+ has 2000 titles.

Netflix has 270 million subscribers.
Disney+ has 150 million subscribers.

But here's what's interesting:

Average time to choose something on Netflix: 13 minutes.
Average time to choose something on Disney+: 4 minutes.

Disney+ users start watching 3.25× faster with 1/9th the content.

The reason?

Too many choices creates decision paralysis, even when the product is entertainment.

On Netflix, you scroll for 13 minutes, pick something, watch 10 minutes, decide you hate it, scroll for another 10 minutes.

On Disney+, you see 6 Marvel movies, 8 Star Wars shows, and 20 Pixar films. You pick one. You're done.

A digital course platform tested this:

Before: Course library with 140 courses across 12 categories, all available immediately after signup
Average course completion rate: 8%
Average customer lifetime: 2.3 months
"Overwhelmed" mentioned in cancellation surveys: 67% of responses

After: Curated learning path with 12 courses unlocked progressively based on completion
Average course completion rate: 41%
Average customer lifetime: 7.1 months
"Overwhelmed" in cancellations: 19%

They gave people less access and people stayed longer.

Because they had a clear next step.

If you sell access to a library, a membership, or a content platform, don't dump everything on people at once.

Guide them. 

Give them a path. 

Unlock things as they progress.

Marketer of 17+ Years, 4x Founder. Former DTC/Retailer & SaaS Founder. Inboox.ai Newsletter. Host of ASOM & Send it! Podcast. DTC Event: Commerce Roundtable

IKEA's restaurant loses money on purpose.

$1 hot dogs. $2 breakfast. $5 meatballs.

Food cost is 60% of retail price. Labor and overhead push them negative.

Last year: $40 million loss on food.

But here's what the data shows: Customers who eat at IKEA spend 35% more on furniture.

And they stay 2 hours longer.

The restaurant isn't a service. It's a retention mechanism.

When you walk into IKEA hungry, you last 45 minutes before your brain screams "get me out of here".

When you eat first, you reset. Now you have another 90 minutes of shopping stamina.

But the real genius is the placement.

Restaurant is in the middle of the store. Not the end.

You eat at the halfway point, then you keep shopping.

If it was at the exit, you'd eat and leave.

Now apply this to your store:

What's the "meal" that keeps people browsing?

For online furniture stores, it's not food. It's room visualizers.

For fashion brands, it's styling quizzes.

For supplements, it's "Build Your Stack" calculators.

For home goods, it's "How Much Do You Need?" estimators.

The pattern:

1. Identify when people abandon (time on site, scroll depth, exit pages)
2. Place an interactive tool right before that drop-off point
3. Make the tool valuable independent of purchase (no "sign up to see results")
4, Use it to reset their mental state, not pitch products

IKEA could make their restaurant profitable tomorrow. Raise prices to $8 meatballs.

But then people would skip it. And spend 35% less on furniture.

The meatballs fund the couches.

What's your version of cheap meatballs that makes people spend more on the expensive stuff?

RXBAR put the entire ingredient list on the front of the package.

"3 Egg Whites. 6 Almonds. 4 Cashews. 2 Dates. No B.S."

That’s it. That’s the whole front label.

It looked strange. It broke every design rule. It wasn’t fancy.

And it helped them sell the company to Kellogg’s for $600 million.

Here’s why it worked:

The protein bar aisle is a mess. Every brand is yelling about protein counts, flavors, and which athlete likes them.

RXBAR just answered the question everyone really cares about:

“What’s actually in this thing?”

By putting the ingredients right up front, they did two smart things:

1. Made decisions easy: if you don’t like what’s in it, you move on.
2. Built trust: nothing hidden, nothing to worry about.

Here’s how you can use the same idea:

Stop hiding the important stuff at the bottom of the page or in the fine print.

Put it where people can see it right away.

Examples:

“Made in Ohio” (not hidden in the footer)
“Restocks every Tuesday at 2 p.m.” (not buried in a blog post)
“Takes 6 weeks to ship” (not revealed at checkout)
“Won’t work if you have X condition” (not in fine print)

The takeaway:

People always have one key question that decides whether they buy or not.

Figure out what that question is and answer it before they have to dig for it.

The faster they get their answer, the faster they’ll trust you (and buy).

Why people pay $150 for an Ember Mug but not $10 for a regular one?

Let me explain it to you:

It’s not about keeping coffee warm.

It’s about removing an invisible pain point most people didn’t even know they had.

Nobody thought: “I need a Bluetooth mug”

But they did think: “Ugh, my coffee gets cold too fast”

Here’s how Ember turned a basic product into a premium brand:

- They made the solution feel high tech
- They solved an annoyance people tolerated
- They positioned it as a lifestyle upgrade, not just a mug

Most DTC brands fail because they try to sell features.

The best ones sell problems people didn’t know they could fix.

Black Friday 2011.

Patagonia took out a full page ad in The New York Times.

The headline: "Don't Buy This Jacket"

They explained that making the jacket used up 135 liters of water, released 20 pounds of carbon, and created waste.

Then they told people: only buy it if you really need it.

People thought they were insane.

But sales went UP 30% the next year.

Why?

Because when a company tells you not to buy something, it feels real.

You start to trust them. It shows they care about more than just making money.

When people trust you, they actually buy more.

So here’s the idea for anyone selling online:

Stop trying to get everyone to buy.

Start being clear about who shouldn’t.

You could even put a section on your product page that says: “This isn’t for you if…”

"Skip this course if you're not ready to do the work"
“Don’t get this camera if your phone photos make you happy”
“Don’t get this planner if you never use the ones you already buy”

It feels risky. But it's filtering.

And filters build trust.

The people who DO buy will be more confident. 

They'll keep it longer. 

They'll tell others.

Email Marketer of 17+ Years, 4x Founder. Former DTC/Retailer & SaaS Founder. Newsletter. Host of ASOM & Send it! Podcast. DTC Event: Commerce Roundtable

Trader Joe's has 4,000 SKUs.
Walmart has 120,000.

Trader Joe's does $14 billion in revenue with 608 stores.
Walmart does $681 billion with 5,200 stores.

But here's the crazy part:

Trader Joe's makes $2,400 per square foot
Walmart makes $460 per square foot

Trader Joe's is 5x more efficient with 30x fewer products.

The reason?

Decision fatigue is real, and it's costing you sales.

A study by Columbia University found that when shoppers were shown 24 jam varieties, only 3% bought something.

When they were shown 6 varieties, 30% bought something.

That's a 10x difference.

For your store, this means:

- If you have 40 SKUs, you're probably losing sales to brands with 12
- If you have 8 variations of the same product, cut it to 3
- If your navigation has 7 categories, drop it to 4

A coffee subscription brand tested this:

Before: 28 different blends across 5 roast levels
Average order value: $42
Conversion rate: 2.1%

After: 12 blends across 3 roast levels (kept only the top sellers and most distinct flavors)
Average order value: $51
Conversion rate: 3.4%

They made more money with fewer products.

Because fewer choices = less anxiety = more action.

Your customers don't want more options.

They want confidence in the option they pick.

Tesla doesn't advertise. $0 ad spend. Ever.

Ford spent $2.6 billion on advertising in 2022!

Yet Tesla sells more EVs than anyone else.

How?

They turned their customers into the ad.

Here's the strategy:

Step 1: Make the product impossible to miss

- Cybertruck looks like nothing else on the road
- Falcon wing doors on Model X
- Plaid mode that launches 0-60 in 1.9 seconds

Every feature is designed to start conversations.

Step 2: Give customers content to share
- Software updates that add features overnight
- "Fart mode" and Easter eggs
- Autopilot clips that go viral

Step 3: Make the founder the story

- Elon tweets and the internet talks about it
- Free press coverage worth billions

Result?

Tesla spent $0 on ads and sold 1.8 million cars in 2023.

Ford spent $2.6 billion and sold 1.9 million total vehicles (most not EVs).

Ask yourself:

What feature makes people text their friends?
What part of my product ends up in group chats?
What would make someone post an unboxing without being asked?

Your best marketing channel isn't paid or owned.

It's borrowed attention from your customers' social feeds.

Build for that first.

Advertise second.

Who pays $70 a day for salad?

Sakara Life charges $349 for 5 days of salads.

That's $70 per day for food you didn't cook.

For people who don't want to think.

Delivered to your door. 
Pre-made. 
Just eat them.

They did $150 million in revenue last year.

Here's what Sakara figured out:

People don't have a food problem. 
They have a decision problem.

Every meal is a decision:

- What should I eat?
- Is this healthy?
- Did I get enough protein?
- Am I eating too many carbs?
- Should I skip this meal?

It's exhausting.

Sakara removes every decision.

You wake up. There's breakfast. You eat it.
Lunch shows up. You eat it.
Dinner shows up. You eat it.

No thinking. No guilt. No apps to track macros.

And here's the psychology:

They don't call it a meal plan. They call it a nutrition program.

Programs sound medical. Scientific. Legitimate.

Meal plans sound like diets. And diets feel like punishment.

But here's the real genius:

The food comes in beautiful packaging.

Glass jars. 
Cloth bags. 
Wooden utensils.

It looks like a gift.

So when it shows up at your office, everyone sees it.

"What is that?"
"Oh, it's my Sakara"

Now you're not just eating healthy. You're signaling that you can afford to eat healthy.

The packaging is the marketing.

Their customer:
Not someone trying to lose weight.

Someone trying to project that they have their life together.

For your brand:

What decision can you remove entirely, not just make easier?
How do you make your product feel like a luxury service, not a consumer product?
What does the packaging say when someone else sees it?

Sakara doesn't sell food.

They sell not having to think about food.

Apple sells around 20 core product lines.
Samsung sells over 200 across phones, TVs, and appliances.

Apple does $383 billion in revenue.
Samsung does $244 billion.

But here's the crazy part:

Apple's profit margin is 26%.
Samsung's is 11%.

Apple's R&D budget is $30 billion (8% of revenue).
Samsung's is $22 billion (9% of revenue).

Apple makes 57% more revenue with 92% fewer products and better margins.

The reason?

Every product you add splits your focus and your marketing budget.

A Bain & Company study found that companies with streamlined product portfolios had 40% higher marketing ROI.

Why? Because they could afford to perfect the story for fewer things.

For your store, this means:

- If you're spending $5k/month on ads but promoting 30 products, you're invisible
- If you have 8 email flows running but weak performance across all of them, kill 5 and perfect 3
- If your Instagram highlights 15 different products per week, no one remembers any of them

Master one great product, tell one great story, and build one great experience around it.

Because people fall in love with the thing that makes you unforgettable.

Cards Against Humanity spent $100,000 digging a hole in 2016.

Not for construction. Not for planting. Just a hole.

They called it the "Holiday Hole" and charged people $5 to make it bigger.

They raised $100,000. Dug a hole. Filled it back in.

Stupidest marketing stunt ever, right?

Wrong.

That hole generated 3 million social impressions and 470,000 new email signups.

Cost per email: $0.21 Industry average: $2.40

But here's what actually happened:

They didn't sell a hole. 

They sold a story people wanted to be part of.

Every person who donated got to tell their friends "I paid to dig a hole to nowhere".

It became an identity marker: "I'm the kind of person who gets the joke".

The formula:

Make something absurd + Make people complicit + Give them bragging rights

Now look at your abandoned cart emails.

Standard approach: "You left something behind! Here's 10% off."

The CAH approach: "We noticed you looked at [product] for 4 minutes but didn't buy it. We're not gonna beg. But we are curious: what stopped you? Hit reply."

The lesson?

Your abandoned cart isn’t a failure.

It’s a chance to learn what people are thinking, if you bother to ask.

You think you lost the sale because your price was too high.

Wrong.

They didn’t bounce because of the $89 price tag.

They left because they weren’t confident in the decision.

Here’s the thing .. customers don’t just need to want your product. 

They need to trust the purchase won’t blow up in their face.

The real reasons they abandoned:

Uncertainty: “Will this actually work for me?” 
Fear of hassle: “What if I hate it and returns are a nightmare?” 
Lack of control: “I’m locking myself into something I can’t undo”

So instead of slashing prices, lower the perceived risk:

Add micro-guarantees that remove friction: 
“If it doesn’t fit, exchanges are free & instant” 
“Try it for 30 days. Love it or return it, no questions asked”

Show real-world context: 
“Here’s how it looks in a small apartment” 
“This is how it fits different body types”

Use reversibility framing: 
“The only thing permanent is how good you’ll look” 
“Don’t overthink it. Returns take 2 clicks.”

The reality is this:
Discounts solve price objections. 
Guarantees solve trust objections.

Most brands have a trust problem, not a price problem.

Reduce friction, not price.

Tracksmith sells running shorts for $68.
Nike sells shorts for $30.

Both are polyester. 
Both have pockets. 
Both come in navy.

Tracksmith does $50M a year.

How?

They sell to people who want to be the kind of person who runs.

Here’s the difference:

Nike shows pros running 4 minute miles.

Tracksmith shows a 38 year old getting in 6 miles before work because it’s the only hour he has to himself.

Their emails don’t say “Run faster”.

They say:

“The morning run is where you figure things out”
“This is the hour that makes the other 23 possible”
“Running isn’t training. It’s thinking”

Suddenly the $68 shorts aren’t about fabric.

They’re about the person who values that morning hour enough to invest in it.

And here’s the genius part:

Tracksmith doesn’t sell on Amazon. 
No paid ads. 
No marathon sponsorships.

They built a media company disguised as a running brand:

A quarterly print magazine
A podcast about why people run
Essays about the relationship between life and running

Half their content doesn’t mention products.

Readers of the magazine spend 3x more than those who don’t.

Apply this to your men’s brand:

Men don’t buy products. They buy membership in a club.

The pattern:

1. Define what your product represents
2. Build content around that identity
3. Make it valuable even if they never buy
3. Add a physical component (print > digital for men)

Tracksmith could cut prices to $35, sell on Amazon, and triple revenue.

But then they’d be Nike, and there’s already a Nike.

The ritual funds the premium.

What’s your version of the $68 shorts that aren’t about running, but about the kind of man who runs?

Apple just released a $150 pouch for the iPhone last week..

It’s basically a knitted fabric pocket made by ISSEY MIYAKE.

It holds your phone, can stretch to fit a few other things, and comes in eight colors.

That’s it. A fabric pouch for $150.

A lot of people are calling it overpriced. “It’s just a phone case!”

But here’s the thing:

Apple isn’t really selling phone protection. They’re selling the idea of a fashion piece.

This pouch exists because Apple teamed up with ISSEY MIYAKE. It has a single 3D knitted design made in Japan.

And Apple is placing it next to clothing from ISSEY MIYAKE.

It didn’t cost Apple much to develop. 
They didn’t need new tech. 

They just worked with a fashion brand that already had its own style and following.

Now the product shows up in fashion stores, fashion conversations, and fashion Instagram posts.

In a way, it’s a $150 marketing move that happens to be a real product.

So what can brands take from this?

When you team up with someone outside your usual world, you’re stepping into their world…

Into their audience, their style, and their ability to charge higher prices.

Apple could have made a simple $40 phone case on their own.

But by working with ISSEY MIYAKE, they get to:

- Charge $150
- Get attention from fashion magazines
- Reach people who might never visit an Apple Store

This kind of collaboration isn’t about improving the object.

It’s about changing who the customer feels like when they buy it.

What artist, designer, or style focused brand could you team up with to reach a totally different crowd?

Yeti coolers are famously tough.

But their marketing focuses on the T-Rex latch, tested and certified to be bear proof.

Think about that. How many people actually need to stop a grizzly bear from stealing their groceries? Almost none.

So why feature it?

It's a "Proof Signal". It's a feature so extreme and over engineered that it makes all the normal benefits feel undeniable.

- If it can survive a bear, it can definitely survive your kid kicking it.
- If it can keep a bear out, it will definitely keep the weekend's heat in.

The takeaway for you: What's your "Bear Proof Latch"?

What over the top, almost unnecessary proof can you showcase that makes your core benefit unquestionable?

Extreme proof makes everyday benefits feel like a given.

Jocko Fuel sells protein powder for about $55 a tub
Optimum Nutrition sells theirs for $30

Same manufacturer. 
Same protein source (whey isolate). 
Same serving size.

The difference?

The guy on the label.

Jocko Willink is a former Navy SEAL.

And that military background is the entire margin.

Here's how it works:

When you buy Jocko Fuel, the product is secondary.

You're purchasing proximity to someone who has more discipline than you.

And that feeling is worth $25 extra.

But here's the system behind it:

Jocko posts a photo of his watch every single morning at 4:45am.

No caption. Just the time.

He's done this for 8 years. Never missed a day.

That consistency creates a permission structure:

"If he can wake up at 4:45am after 20 years of combat, I can drink this protein shake"

The product becomes evidence of your own discipline.

Now here's where it gets interesting:

Jocko doesn't pay for ads.

He just has a podcast where he occasionally mentions his supplements.

"Yeah, I had my protein this morning. The strawberry one"

That offhand mention converts better than a $50K influencer campaign.

Because it's accidental authenticity.

The results:
- $100M+ revenue
- 0 paid advertising
- 71% repeat purchase rate (double category average)

For your brand:

Can your founder be the product?

What personal discipline can you borrow credibility from?

How do you make your product evidence of identity, not just a purchase?

Jocko Fuel made protein for people who wish they were SEALs.

Most brands think email and SMS compete

They don't. They cover for each other 💡

Here's what I mean:
-  Email gets ignored in the morning rush
- SMS gets ignored during deep work
- Email is better for storytelling
- SMS is better for urgency

The best brands use both, but they don't send the same message twice.

Here's the workflow that actually works:

Scenario: Flash sale at 10am

9:55am: Send SMS: "Sale starts in 5 minutes. Link in your email"
10:00am : Send email with the full story, product grid, and details

Why this works:

- SMS creates the alert. Email delivers the context
- People who don't check email get the SMS
- People who hate SMS just check their inbox
- You're not annoying anyone twice with the same pitch

Scenario: Abandoned cart

Hour 1: Email: "Still thinking about it?"
Hour 6 (if no open) SMS: "Your cart's waiting. Need help deciding?"

The SMS is a backup for people who missed the email.

Scenario: Order shipped

Immediately: Email with tracking link and delivery window
Day of delivery: SMS: "Your package arrives today between 2-5pm"

People want shipping updates fast. 

Email gives them the details. 
SMS gives them the alert.

Here's the problem:

Most brands either go all in on one channel or blast both at the same time.

The magic is in the sequencing.

And the sequencing only works if your platform connects email and SMS in the same workflow, not as separate campaigns you're trying to time manually.

We've been running this in Omnisend because it's built for exactly this. 

One automation that triggers both channels based on behavior, not guesswork.

If you're running email and SMS in separate tools, you're making it harder than it needs to be.  

That's why I recommend you look at: https://omnisend.com

Email. SMS. and even PUSH notifications!

I'm a proud partner of Omnisend and these use cases can be performed on their platform with ease, with great customer support and more!

Most brands don’t realize their best converting email… was never opened.

No click. No open.

Still converted.

Here’s how:

Customer read the subject line
Went back to their browser tab
Completed the checkout they were already considering

It happens more than you think.

Because some emails don’t sell. They remind.

Which is why testing subject lines is more than clickbait tricks.

Try these types:

The “mirror": call out their action: “Still thinking about the blue tote?”

The “memory jog”: just mention the product: “About your weekend trip…”

The “gentle poke” — no brand, just frictionless cue: “You left something open”

If your subject line can bypass the click and push the user to act, it’s worth more than 100 witty headlines that get opens but no buys.

The inbox isn’t just a channel.

It’s a behavioral nudge.

Costco’s gas stations lose money on every gallon.

They price gas 20-30 cents below market, making maybe $0.03-$0.05 profit per gallon after costs.

Some locations even lose money once labor and maintenance are included.

Last year: $150M loss on fuel.

But here’s the key insight: members who buy gas visit the warehouse 3x more often and spend $200 more per visit.

Gas is a visit trigger.

When you need fuel, you have to stop somewhere. If Costco saves you $8 and is on your route, you choose them.

Now you’re already in the lot, so you grab paper towels or a rotisserie chicken.

The real genius? You need a membership to buy gas.

Non members see the price but can’t access it. That creates urgency to join. And once you’re paying $60/year, you justify it by shopping more.

Now apply this to your business:

What’s your “gas station” that drives repeat visits?

Coffee brands: free shipping over $30
Pet supplies: auto ship discounts that beat Amazon
Beauty: monthly point multiplier days
Apparel: early access to restocks for past buyers

The pattern:

1. Pick something customers need regularly
2. Price it below market even at breakeven
3. Require an account/membership to access it
4. Use it to expose customers to higher margin products

Costco could charge market rates tomorrow and make $300M more on fuel.

But those members would just go to Shell and Costco would lose billions in warehouse sales.

The gas funds the chickens and TVs.

So what’s your version of cheap gas that keeps people coming back?

Dan Melnick

Zing

I’ve been in the e-commerce world since 2011, first building my own brands, then helping others grow theirs. In 2019, I expanded into software development, creating the tools and systems founders need to scale.

In 2022, I launched Zing with a simple vision: to help brands scale by providing the marketing and software development support they need. Flexible, results driven, and truly collaborative.

Since then, we’ve helped brands like:

Ferguson Farms, achieved 100 percent growth in just one year

Joeydolls, boosted ROAS by 500 percent in four months

Eight Hours, increased ROAS by 69 percent in four months

Worked alongside Noah Kagan at AppSumo

Our clients say it best:

“I was impressed. I almost never make these testimonials, but Dan and Zing are the team I will keep recommending.” – Noah Kagan, AppSumo

“It works really well to have an in-house team we can scale up and down with.” – Daniel Black, Glass Media

“With Zing, it’s good news all around and above all else we’ve got happy customers.” – Mike Ferguson, Ferguson Farms

We also host a podcast, Think Big with Dan and Qasim, where we share insights on business, growth, and building something bigger. Check it out on YouTube.

If you’re looking to scale your brand, I’d love to connect and explore how we can help you grow.

I oversee a portfolio of mid-term furnished rentals in Fort Worth. I handle everything from staging and guest turnover to maintenance and revenue optimization.

Property Manager

Avoras (Acquired by PwC)

At Avoras, I led large-scale software projects for Fortune 500 biotech companies that were generating tens of billions in annual revenue. These were complex, mission-critical initiatives in highly regulated environments, focused on streamlining operations, ensuring compliance, and driving scalable growth.

The success of these projects wasn’t just about delivering software. It was about helping these companies achieve strategic, high-impact outcomes. Our work at Avoras helped position the firm as a leader in the biotech consulting space, ultimately leading to Avoras’ acquisition by PwC.

It was a formative experience that taught me the power of vision, execution, and solving big problems at scale.

Consultant

PCG | PREDICTABLE BUSINESS AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

At PCG, I led nationwide software implementations for a Fortune 1000 manufacturing company generating billions in annual revenue. My role was to drive end-to-end project delivery across multiple warehouse locations, ensuring seamless adoption of complex manufacturing software systems critical to the company’s operations.

These projects were high stakes, with a focus on optimizing supply chain efficiency, standardizing processes, and enabling better data-driven decision making across the organization. From stakeholder alignment to hands-on execution, I helped ensure the software delivered real operational impact by improving speed, accuracy, and scalability across the company’s warehouse network.

It was an experience that deepened my understanding of large-scale enterprise software rollouts, operational excellence, and the challenges of digital transformation in a complex industry.

Senior Consultant

Smith+Nephew

I played a vital role supporting supply chain planning and operations for a multi-billion dollar company throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. During a time of unprecedented disruption, I helped navigate complex challenges such as supply shortages, fluctuating demand, and logistical constraints.

By developing agile inventory and distribution strategies, I ensured continued product availability and operational stability. My collaboration with cross-functional teams and external partners helped mitigate risks and maintain efficiency, enabling the company to sustain business continuity and meet customer expectations during a highly volatile period.

This experience reinforced my ability to deliver resilient, scalable supply chain solutions that drive performance even under extreme pressure.

Supply Chain Planning Specialist

The Execu|Search Group

I played a critical role in managing inventory planning and supply chain operations for a nine-figure education company during the COVID-19 pandemic. Navigating unprecedented disruptions, I adapted strategies to maintain product availability amid shifting demand and supply challenges.

By closely monitoring supply chain risks and collaborating cross-functionally, I helped the company sustain operational continuity and support the delivery of essential educational products during a highly volatile period. My efforts ensured that schools and educators continued to receive the resources they needed despite widespread uncertainty.

This experience sharpened my ability to lead inventory management and logistics under pressure, driving resilience and efficiency for high-growth companies in challenging environments.

Supply Chain Analyst

The Workout Pros

In 2019, I launched The Workout Pros, a fitness app designed to connect trainers with clients for personalized coaching and workout plans. It was my first deep dive into the world of software, sparking my passion for technology and building solutions that help people.

I had to learn fast. Everything from managing development teams to understanding user experience, backend systems, and the iterative process of launching and scaling an app. It was a crash course in the full software development lifecycle, from idea to wireframes, development sprints, testing, and deployment.

During that journey, I hired a freelance developer named Qasim Masud. He quickly became more than just a contractor. He was a true partner in bringing the app to life. Our collaboration was so strong that we eventually decided to team up and start a company together. That partnership became the foundation for what is now Zing.

Through The Workout Pros, I experienced firsthand the challenges founders face when building a product from scratch and how the right technology combined with a strong strategy can turn a vision into a successful business.

That experience deeply shaped how I approach building products and teams today.

Excel Partners, Inc.

I successfully supported an 8-figure brand through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to navigate supply chain disruptions, shifting consumer demands, and operational hurdles. By adapting strategies and maintaining strong communication, I ensured continued growth and stability during a turbulent period.

Simultaneously, I worked directly with major Fortune 100 customers, including industry leaders like Walmart, Target, and Amazon, managing inventory planning and logistics for a multi-billion dollar company similar to Reynolds Consumer Products. This experience required precise coordination to meet the scale, speed, and complexity of Fortune 100 retail operations.

My combined experience with high-growth brands and top-tier retail partners has sharpened my ability to deliver resilient, scalable supply chain solutions that drive business success, even in the most challenging environments.

Inventory Manager

Reynolds Consumer Products

I played a key role in managing inventory planning for a multi-billion dollar company, working directly with major Fortune 100 customers such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic.

Navigating unprecedented supply chain disruptions, fluctuating demand, and logistics constraints, I successfully adapted inventory strategies to maintain product availability and support these high-profile retail partners. My efforts helped minimize stockouts and excess inventory while ensuring smooth operations in an unpredictable environment.

By collaborating closely with internal teams and Fortune 100 stakeholders, I drove efficient supply chain solutions that contributed to revenue growth and strong customer satisfaction even during one of the most volatile periods in recent history.

Supply Planner

Chicago’s Memorabilia eBay Store

I built Chicago’s Memorabilia from the ground up, scaling it into a six-figure brand through smart sourcing, customer service, and a deep understanding of what collectors want. My focus was on autographed memorabilia from Chicago sports legends and entertainment icons, and I worked hard to build relationships that allowed me to source the most in-demand items.

Through hustle and dedication, I became an eBay PowerSeller, consistently ranking among the top 1 percent of sellers on the platform. The brand earned a loyal following of collectors across the country, and after several years of growth and success, I sold the company in 2020 and exited the business, leaving it in a stronger position than when I started.

It was an incredible journey that taught me the value of focus, relationships, and delivering a great product to the right audience.

Chief Executive Officer

We partner with your brand and help you increase profit margins by 25% with personalized AI and Blockchain solutions.

If I could talk to my younger self as a founder, I’d keep it simple.

Most of the things that actually mattered weren’t the hacks. They were the habits.

Here are the lessons I wish I had learned earlier.

CEO & Co-Founder @ Zing | 100+ Brands Scaled | Marketing + Dev That Unlocks Growth Systems

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My first business was flipping memorabilia on eBay.

One of my favorite flips ever was a signed Tiger Woods hat.
Not because it was rare… but because it carried status, story, and weight.

You don’t need a brand-new product to win.
You just need a better angle than everyone else selling it.

Big plans don’t pay off overnight.

Most of the wins that look sudden are years of staying focused when nothing was moving.

If the plan is big, the patience has to match it.

Most wins start with a clear head. I’ve learned that pressure isn’t the real problem. A crowded mind is.

When you actually give yourself a moment to think, the path forward becomes obvious.

If you’re stuck, step back. Clarity usually shows up when you’re not chasing it.

Your best opportunities won’t show up fully formed. They show up when you move.

I’ve had wins that surprised me and failures that humbled me. My first company took off when I was 17 and clueless. Years later, a “failed” app introduced me to a co-founder who’s now part of everything I build at Zing.

Every step teaches you something. Every attempt opens a door.

Stop waiting to know everything. Start building so you can learn what matters.

Everything gets easier when you take the time to understand the need behind the purchase.

The moment you identify the real need, your offer becomes obvious and the conversation shifts from convincing to helping.

Listen first. Sell second.

Great read featuring C.J. Watson!

It’s been great to get to know him and follow his journey.

Open article: Is C.J. Watson Building a Modern Day Berkshire Hathaway? by open.substack.com

Is C.J. Watson Building a Modern Day Berkshire Hathaway?

If your offer isn’t converting, it’s probably because you’re selling the thing instead of the outcome.

Buyers are never chasing the bottle, the app, or the tool. They’re chasing the result it creates. The best founders understand how to translate a product into a transformation.

Don’t pitch the item. Pitch the impact.

When people see the outcome, the product becomes the obvious choice.

taplio

The Battle

Jimmy Kim

Dan Melnick

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Performance ScoreJimmy Kim's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreDan Melnick's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Jimmy Kim

Dan Melnick

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jimmy Kim's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreDan Melnick's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreJimmy Kim's LinkedIn Performance