Podcast: DTC War Stories: What COVID Taught Us About eComm
Episode Summary
In this episode of the Free to Grow CFO Podcast, Jon Blair is joined by Nate Littlewood, founder and fractional CFO at Future Ready, to share their e-commerce war stories, focusing on the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss the impact on their businesses, lessons learned, and strategies for navigating supply chain disruptions and financial challenges.
Episode Links
Jon Blair - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathon-albert-blair/
Nate Littlewood - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/
Free to Grow CFO - https://freetogrowcfo.com/
Future Ready - https://www.getfutureready.co/
Key Highlights:
A deep dive into Guardian Bikes' pivot from brakes to premium bikes
Importance of focusing on the long term in business decisions
Managing supply chain disruptions and increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic
Financial modeling and strategic pivots for
direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands
Meet Nate Littlewood
Nate Littlewood helps early stage founders navigate their toughest business decisions by providing insights and financial analysis catered to their individual needs. He is the founder of Future Ready, a fractional CFO business, as well as a Lead Mentor with the Food Future Co startup accelerator program. What really sets Nate apart from other fCFOs is his past operating experience as the founder of a 7-figure eComm brand of his own, plus his decade-long global career working on Wall St.
Transcript
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00:00:41 - Introduction and Background of Nate Littlewood
00:02:07 - Transition to Ecom War Stories
00:02:23 - Nate's Background and Journey to Starting Future Ready
00:07:35 - John's Background and Journey to Starting Guardian Bikes
00:08:13 - Guardian Bikes' Pivot Story
00:14:57 - Guardian Bikes' Experience During COVID
00:20:19 - Urban Leaf's Experience During COVID
00:25:22 - Lessons Learned from COVID Experiences
00:38:06 - Negotiating and Leveraging Relationships
00:43:37 - The Impact of Stocking Out vs Overstocking
00:46:08 - The Power of Differentiation
00:56:16 - The Fabled COVID Santa Story
01:01:39 - Final Thoughts
