Building a successful eCommerce business is one thing. Building one that can grow without you is something else entirely.

That's easier said than done. Many founders eventually become the biggest bottleneck in their own business, making it harder to scale, step away, or create a valuable long-term asset.

In this episode of The Opportunity Podcast, Greg sits down with entrepreneur and investor Steve Rolle, whose businesses have generated more than $100 million in combined sales.

Steve shares the lessons he learned growing a side hustle into a thriving eCommerce business by solving real customer problems, building systems that scale, and creating repeatable processes instead of chasing the latest trends.

Steve explains why your day job can be the best training ground for entrepreneurship, how to know when you've become the bottleneck, and what it takes to build a team that can operate without the founder being involved in every decision.

He also shares the hard-earned lessons from acquiring an Amazon business through Empire Flippers, including why buyers need to look beyond the numbers and understand the knowledge and experience that often leave with the founder.

Whether you're thinking about starting an online business, growing the one you already have, or buying an existing company, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you build a business that's designed to last.

• 02:49 - Steve's journey from the military to over $100M in ecom sales
• 05:30 - How Steve grew his business to $100M
• 09:00 - Why your job can be the best apprenticeship for entrepreneurship
• 16:40 - Building systems instead of building founder dependency
• 21:57 - Why Steve chose not to sell his business and instead professionalized it
• 27:36 - Hiring leaders: growing talent vs. hiring experienced executives
• 38:08 - Lessons Steve learned through a failed business acquisition

• • • Empire Flippers Podcasts
    • Empire Flippers Marketplace
    • Create an Empire Flippers account
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
    • Steve's website
    • The Future You Choose by Steve Rolle

Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to build a scalable business that runs without the founder.

For years, growing an eCommerce business followed the same growth playbook: run ads, optimize your website, and send as much traffic to your store as possible.

But that's starting to change.

More and more shoppers are discovering products through creators rather than traditional ads, and platforms like TikTok Shop are changing the way people buy online. Instead of relying solely on paid advertising, brands now have the opportunity to get hundreds or even thousands of creators talking about and selling their products.

In this episode of the Opportunity Podcast, Greg sits down with Jordan West, founder of Social Commerce Club and host of the Unofficial TikTok Shop Podcast, to talk about why he believes social commerce is the next big thing in eCommerce.

Jordan breaks down how TikTok Shop works, why it's so different from Amazon and traditional Shopify stores, and how coordinated creator campaigns can create a powerful halo effect across Shopify stores, Amazon, and even retail.

Greg and Jordan also dive into what it takes to build a successful eCommerce business, from understanding your numbers and improving your margins to choosing the right growth channels and building a team that can scale with the business.

Whether you sell on TikTok Shop, Amazon, Shopify, or you're simply looking for your next growth opportunity, you'll walk away from this episode with practical ideas you can apply to your own business.

• 02:00 - From losing everything to finding success through social commerce
• 11:36 - The mechanics of how TikTok Shop actually works
• 16:18 - The "halo effect" and how TikTok Shop drives sales across Amazon and Shopify
• 20:12 - How brands find and work with creators
• 22:00 - Jordan's "Blitz Methodology" for launching products on TikTok Shop
• 37:41 - Social SEO is about to take off
• 41:28 - Affiliate commissions, incentives, and getting started on TikTok Shop
• 43:37 - The types of products that work on TikTok Shop
• 45:08 - Jordan's advice for doubling or tripling an eCommerce business
• 52:40 - Scaling an agency, hiring A-players, and building the right culture

• • • Empire Flippers Podcasts
    • Empire Flippers Marketplace
    • Create an Empire Flippers account
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
    • Social Commerce Club
    • Jordan's LinkedIn

Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to scale your ecommerce business using social commerce on TikTok Shop!

Entrepreneurship isn't a linear path.

Some entrepreneurs spend decades building a single business. Others buy, grow, and sell businesses repeatedly. Some focus on building a portfolio of businesses.

And then there are entrepreneurs who take it a step further.

After years of acquiring and operating online businesses, Mike Swigunski is now building Dividends, an investment platform designed to give everyday investors exposure to cash-flowing online businesses.

In this episode of the Opportunity Podcast, Mike joins Greg to discuss his journey from employee #4 at Empire Flippers to acquisition entrepreneur, investor, and now fund manager.

They explore how the online business acquisition market has evolved, what makes a business worth buying in today's environment, and why recurring revenue businesses continue to attract investor attention.

They also dive into AI's impact on acquisitions, the realities of operating a portfolio of businesses, and the opportunities Mike sees in making online business investing more accessible to a wider audience.

Whether you're thinking about buying a business, investing in digital assets, or simply curious about where the acquisition market is headed, this episode is packed with practical insights and lessons from someone who has spent years operating in the space.

• 02:14 - Mike's journey from Empire Flippers to starting his own fund
• 07:46 - How the online business acquisition market has changed over the last 10 years
• 12:25 - An overview of what Mike's AI investing platform does
• 20:12 - Why Mike created his own fund instead of privately acquiring businesses
• 33:07 - SaaS, AI, and building defensible business moats
• 37:11 - How Mike plans to manage the businesses in his fund
• 41:58 - How Mike is funding his acquisitions and deal structures
• 46:19 - Sourcing deals and building an acquisition pipeline
• 48:31 - Mike's exit strategy and what investors get when the businesses sell

• • • Empire Flippers Podcasts
    • Empire Flippers Marketplace
    • Create an Empire Flippers account
    • Subscribe to our newsletter
    • Dividends WeFunder page
    • Dividends Capital site

Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to invest in cash-flowing online businesses without having to buy one yourself.