#511 - Entrepreneurship Isn’t Freedom. It’s a Trade.

Video is the closest thing to a cheat code left on Amazon. The only question is whether you’ll actually use it before your competitors catch up.   If you want a custom set of action steps for your brand, my team at Weavos is doing free Amazon Brand Audits right now, we’ll tell you exactly where you’re leaving money on the table.   Just head to www.weavos.io and fill out the quick form.   For all my content and resources head to www.andyisom.com    

Entrepreneurship isn’t freedom - it’s a trade. In this episode of Built by Business with Andy Isom, I break down the truth behind the entrepreneurial dream, why absolute freedom is a myth, and what trade-offs every founder has to make.   You’ll learn how to:   Spot the hidden costs of chasing “freedom.” Redefine freedom around systems and choices, not hours worked. Build a business that serves your life instead of stealing it.   Entrepreneurship will always be a trade. The key is making sure you’re trading for the right things.   For a free Amazon Brand Audit, head to www.weavos.io and get 3 custom action steps to grow profitably.  

Amazon Accelerate 2025 brought some of the biggest updates sellers have seen in years. In this recap, I break down the major announcements, from Amazon’s new AI Seller Assistant and Opportunity Explorer upgrades, to the end of commingling, to long-awaited catalog fixes and expanded access to Amazon Marketing Cloud.   You’ll hear not just what Amazon announced, but why it matters for your business, plus my personal takeaways from being at Accelerate in person.   If you sell on Amazon or plan to this episode will help you understand what’s changing, where the opportunities are, and what steps you should take now to stay ahead.   For a free custom audit of your Amazon brand, visit https://www.weavos.io Mandeep Kaur IG: https://www.instagram.com/mandeepkaurecommerce/ Trevin Peterson IG: https://www.instagram.com/trevinpeterson/   My trip this year was sponsored by Amazon.

Stop bleeding profit. Most Amazon sellers obsess over ads and keywords, but logistics is the silent factor that decides whether you keep your margins — or hand them over to Amazon in fees. Try SteadyStock for free at: https://www.steadystock.io/   In this episode of Built by Business with Andy Isom, Andy breaks down why storage, shipping, and fulfillment fees quietly eat into profits, and how optimizing logistics can have a bigger impact on your bottom line than tweaking your PPC strategy.   You’ll learn how to:   Identify hidden Amazon fees (storage utilization, placement service, low-inventory). Optimize inbound, storage, and fulfillment for lower costs. Treat logistics like PPC — a process you manage weekly.   Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash is king. And logistics is where you protect it.   For a free Amazon Brand Audit, head to www.weavos.io and get 3 custom action steps to grow profitably.  

Your brand isn’t an ad account but most Amazon and e-commerce sellers treat it like one. In this episode of Built by Business with Andy Isom, Andy explains why over-dependence on ads is the silent killer of e-commerce brands, how rising CPCs are exposing fragile businesses, and what separates brands that survive from those that collapse the moment ad spend stops.   You’ll learn how to:   Spot if you’re treating your brand like an ad account. Build organic flywheels with reviews, content, and community. Balance ad spend with long-term brand equity.   Ads should fuel your growth not be your entire business model. Listen in to learn how to shift from rented growth to owned growth.   For a free Amazon Brand Audit, head to www.weavos.io and get 3 custom action steps to grow your brand profitably.  

I got to go out to Amazon Ads Headquarters in NYC last week. Here's a little bit about that experience... Including a top secret project coming soon! All my resources: www.andyisom.com  

Amazon SEO in 2025 is no longer about keyword stuffing. If you want to rank on Amazon, you need to understand the signals Amazon actually rewards: profitability, conversion rate, external traffic, and brand trust.   In Episode #506 of Built by Business with Andy Isom, we break down why keywords alone won’t rank your product anymore and what to do instead. You’ll learn how Amazon’s A9 → A10 algorithm shift changed the rules, why profitability is now as important as visibility, and the specific ranking signals you can optimize today.   This episode covers sales velocity, PPC efficiency, brand content upgrades, and external traffic strategies that boost organic rank. Whether you’re a new seller or scaling brand, you’ll walk away knowing exactly how to adapt your Amazon SEO for 2025 and beyond. Get a FREE Brand Audit: https://www.weavos.io  

Coasting kills e-commerce brands. In this episode of Built by Business with Andy Isom, we break down why standing still is the fastest way to lose ground on Amazon and in e-commerce.   You’ll learn how to spot the signs of market maturity, why the product life cycle applies to every SKU you launch, and what “investing in growth” actually looks like in today’s competitive landscape. From new product lines to better brand assets to customer retention strategies, Andy shares how successful founders stay ahead of decline.   We’ll also cover why Amazon’s algorithm punishes inactivity, how competitors exploit complacency, and the exact steps to break free from stagnation before your top seller flatlines.   All my resources here: www.andyisom.com  

The latest U.S.–China tariff update just dropped, and it could have major implications for e-commerce sellers, sourcing strategies, and global supply chains.   In this episode, I break down what the new extension means, how it might impact Amazon and DTC brand owners, and what you should be thinking about if your products come from China.   Plus, I’m pulling back the curtain on my own content plans moving forward what’s changing, what’s staying, and how I’m approaching the next phase of growth for the podcast, YouTube, and beyond.   If you want to stay ahead on trade news and get a behind-the-scenes look at where my content is headed, this one’s worth the listen.   All my resources: www.andyisom.com  

In this episode of Built by Business, I break down two powerful (but underrated) Amazon PPC features that most sellers still aren’t using: Bid Performance Estimates and Keyword Groups. These tools can help you make smarter bidding decisions and unlock better keyword targeting in 2025. You’ll hear a couple behind the scenes clips of real consulting calls with brand owners facing common concerns that advertisers have on Amazon.   Whether you're brand new to Amazon Ads or already scaling a brand, you'll learn how to:   Predict impressions before you bid using Bid Performance Estimates Quickly launch high-performing keyword campaigns with Keyword Groups Avoid common mistakes that raise ACOS and burn budget Shift your mindset from ACOS-chasing to long-term TACOS improvement   This episode is sponsored by the Amazon Ads team. #Ad #AmazonAds