Episodios

  • #206 Non-Food Franchising: The Career Path AI Can’t Replace
    Nov 26 2025

    What if the safest path in an AI-driven economy isn’t climbing the corporate ladder, but owning a business that AI can’t automate?

    In this episode of High Voltage Business Builders, Neil Twa sits down with franchise expert Jon Ostenson, former President of ShelfGenie and founder of FranBridge Consulting, who has helped thousands of people transition from corporate jobs into business ownership.

    Jon shares how he left a Fortune 1000 VP role, took a pay cut, and stepped into franchising with zero industry experience. He breaks down why non-food franchises (home services, senior care, property services, fitness, pet care, and B2B services) are exploding in demand as AI reshapes the job market and accelerates corporate layoffs.

    In This Episode, We Cover:


    ✅ The difference between food and non-food franchises (and why non-food wins)
    ✅ What it costs to buy into a franchise and how royalties really work
    ✅ How much profit new franchise owners can expect in year one
    ✅ Semi-passive franchising models and how professionals keep their W2 while owning a business
    ✅ Why home services, senior care, and property services remain AI-resistant
    ✅ How to evaluate a franchise’s financials, support, and long-term viability

    📍 Chapters

    02:00 Taking a pay cut and jumping into entrepreneurship
    05:00 AI layoffs and why people are rushing into business ownership
    07:34 How much you can earn in year one with service-based territories
    12:00 How to hire operators and what makes a great candidate
    14:25 Funding, legal considerations, and evaluating franchise agreements
    15:51 Typical investment ranges and the $100K–$400K sweet spot
    18:00 New disruptions in franchising (junk removal, lawn care apps, etc.)

    Guest: Jon Ostenson
    Website: https://franbridgeconsulting.com
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-ostenson
    Book: Non-Food Franchising

    Follow Neil:
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/
    🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

    🎧 Like This Episode?

    ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders

    ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network

    ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    Ready to stop trading time for money and build almost automated income with FBA? Visit https://voltagedm.com to learn how you can buy back you freedom by building your very own ecommerce empire!

    Más Menos
    22 m
  • #205 Freight Is Down, Tariffs Shifted, TikTok Shop Is Exploding. Here’s What Matters | Friday Week in Review
    Nov 21 2025

    🚀 What should I sell next? Visit: gpt.caimandata.com to generate data-driven product ideas powered by Caiman Data’s AI engine.

    What matters for e-commerce going into 2026? Freight rates are dropping, tariffs just changed again, TikTok Shop is exploding, Amazon rolled out new updates, and factories in Asia are reporting eight straight months of contraction.

    In today’s Week in Review, you’ll learn what’s happening in global supply chains, how AI is reshaping buying behavior, what Amazon’s newest changes mean for sellers, and why 2026 is shaping up to be a major reset year for U.S. brands.

    In This Episode, We Cover:

    ✅ Freight updates and the rare moment of calm in global shipping

    ✅ The new tariff reduction on China imports and what it means for margins

    ✅ Why Asia’s eight months of contracting orders signal big changes for 2026

    ✅ How to secure production windows before the Chinese New Year hits

    ✅ Amazon is turning Black Friday into a 12-day event

    ✅ Sponsored product videos officially launching

    ✅ How Google’s AI Overviews are affecting shopping keyword rankings

    ✅ The collision of AI and margins and why speed is the new moat

    📍 Chapters

    01:02 Freight Update: Rates sliding again

    01:58 Asia’s eight months of contracting orders

    02:56 Why you need to lock in production windows now

    03:11 Amazon turns Black Friday into a 12-day event

    03:30 Amazon’s AI bot auto-purchasing products

    04:00 China cracks down on cross-border tax dodgers

    06:28 Sponsored product videos now available

    07:36 Walmart CEO steps down + Walmart partners with Voltage

    08:12 Multi-channel shipping from Amazon inventory

    08:38 Google AI Overviews affecting search

    08:52 Platforms, fees, and AI’s effect on discovery

    09:35 The collision of AI and margins

    Follow Neil:

    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/

    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/

    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/

    🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba

    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

    🎧 Like This Episode?

    ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders

    ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network

    ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    Ready to stop trading time for money and build almost automated income with FBA? Visit https://voltagedm.com to learn how you can buy back you freedom by building your very own ecommerce empire!

    Más Menos
    14 m
  • #204 From 0 Experience to 500K on Amazon. How Ashley Built Her Brand From Scratch
    Nov 19 2025

    What if you could take a single product idea and build a real business from it, even with zero e-commerce experience?

    In this episode of High Voltage Business Builders, Neil Twa sits down with community member and entrepreneur Ashley Klaus, who scaled a simple scar-care product into a fast-growing brand doing over half a million dollars in revenue.

    Ashley opens up about the real work behind launching on Amazon. The early mistakes. The plateau that almost made her quit. The inventory chaos that comes with rapid growth. And how mentorship helped her navigate every stage of the journey.

    If you’ve ever wondered whether an everyday idea can turn into a real business, this episode gives you a blueprint built on experience, patience, and smart execution.

    In This Episode, We Cover:

    ✅ How Ashley validated a product idea after her first attempt failed
    ✅ Why structure, support, and mentorship accelerated her success
    ✅ Managing growth from 40 units a day to 120+ units a day
    ✅ How cash flow planning changes when your product takes off
    ✅ Why focus beats chasing every new idea
    ✅ Building a brand vs competing in a price war
    ✅ Using Subscribe & Save to increase recurring revenue
    ✅ The mindset shift every new seller needs to reach seven figures
    ✅ How Ashley balances business, family, and creativity
    ✅ Why e-commerce offers unmatched flexibility for busy parents

    📍 Chapters

    01:06 The Scar-Care Idea and Why the First Launch Failed
    03:26 Learning the System Instead of Outsourcing Blindly
    05:20 Launching One Product and Focusing on a Core SKU
    09:30 Building a Premium Product in a Crowded Market
    14:30 Inventory Challenges When Growth Explodes
    17:00 Managing Cash Flow and Forecasting Like a Real Operator
    22:00 When to Add New Channels Like TikTok and Shopify
    25:00 Why Community and Mentorship Remove Risk
    28:00 Hiring for Your Weaknesses and Staying in Your Strengths
    36:00 Abundance Mindset and Understanding Market Size
    40:00 Pricing, Premium Branding, and Avoiding Price Wars
    44:00 Choosing Products With Barriers to Entry
    47:40 The Temptation to Quit and Why Ashley Pushed Through
    50:20 What Entrepreneurship Gave Her and What’s Next

    Follow Neil:
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/
    🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

    🎧 Like This Episode?

    ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders

    ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network

    ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    Ready to stop trading time for money and build almost automated income with FBA? Visit https://voltagedm.com to learn how you can buy back you freedom by building your very own ecommerce empire!

    Más Menos
    55 m
  • 203 Script: Where New Sellers Should Actually Start in 2025
    Nov 14 2025
    🚀 What should I sell next? Head to gpt.caimandata.com to generate data-driven product ideas powered by Caiman Data’s AI engine.

    Most new e-commerce sellers are starting in the wrong place.

    In 2025, the rules have changed. Tariffs are higher. Social commerce is exploding. Marketplaces dominate global sales. If you're still launching the old way, you're already behind.

    In this week’s Friday “Week in Review,” Neil breaks down the real starting point for new sellers. You’ll learn the five decisions that determine your success, how to validate products with data, how to choose the right channel, and the early metrics that matter.

    In This Episode, We Cover:

    ✅ Why most new sellers start in the wrong place
    ✅ The five decisions that determine your success in 2025
    ✅ How to validate product ideas without gambling
    ✅ How to budget your first ninety days and avoid common money traps
    ✅ Why pricing determines your survival in a tariff-heavy market

    📍 Chapters

    00:00 Most New Sellers Start Wrong in 2025
    00:54 The Five Decisions That Shape Your Success
    01:27 Marketplace First, Not Branding
    02:04 Validating Products With Real Data
    03:17 Pricing Determines Your Future Margin
    04:11 How New Sellers Fall Into the Growth Trap
    05:30 Find Winning Products With the $5 Product Research GPT

    Follow Neil:
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/
    🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

    🎧 Like This Episode?

    ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders

    ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network

    ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    Ready to stop trading time for money and build almost automated income with FBA? Visit https://voltagedm.com to learn how you can buy back you freedom by building your very own ecommerce empire!

    Más Menos
    7 m
  • #202 Can You Sell Your Amazon Account? Here’s How to Do It Legally
    Nov 12 2025

    What if that old Amazon store you stopped using is still worth thousands of dollars?

    Most people just walk away, but you can sell your account.

    In this episode of High Voltage Business Builders, Neil Twa sits down with long-time friend and eCommerce expert Aaron O'Sullivan to break down the real market for Amazon seller accounts. You’ll learn how to legally sell your store, what buyers are looking for, and how to protect yourself from account health pitfalls.

    If you’ve ever wondered whether your old store could be turned into real cash, this episode will show you exactly how the process works.

    💡Visit https://ecomstores.com/voltage and see if your account qualifies!

    In This Episode, We Cover:

    ✅ How to tell if your Amazon store is worth selling

    ✅ What makes an account valuable to buyers

    ✅ The legal process for transferring your store without breaking TOS

    ✅ How to protect your account’s health before selling

    ✅ Why focus and mentorship matter more than ever for long-term success

    ✅ The story behind Aaron’s new mission supporting children in the Philippines

    📍 Chapters
    00:00 Why Some Amazon Stores Still Have Hidden Value

    01:06 Can You Sell Your Amazon Account Legally?

    03:26 What Buyers Look For: Account Health, History, and Original Ownership

    05:20 How Much Are Stores Worth ($500 to $20,000+)

    06:29 Why You Should Sell Before Your Store Goes Dormant

    07:12 What Disqualifies an Account from Being Bought

    08:22 How the Sale Process Works from Escrow to Transfer

    10:06 Beyond Amazon: Can Shopify and TikTok Stores Be Sold Too

    12:17 The Mindset of Successful Sellers and Why Most Fail

    14:30 Lessons from Losing Millions and the Power of Focus

    17:19 Building Wealth Takes Time and the 10-Year Horizon

    19:32 Purpose Beyond Profit: Aaron’s Mission in the Philippines

    22:05 Why Every Seller Should Treat Their Store as an Asset

    Follow Neil:
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/
    🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

    🎧 Like This Episode?

    ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders

    ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network

    ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    Ready to stop trading time for money and build almost automated income with FBA? Visit https://voltagedm.com to learn how you can buy back you freedom by building your very own ecommerce empire!

    Más Menos
    24 m
  • #201 TikTok, Shopify, and Amazon Are Merging, Here’s How to Stay Ahead in 2026 | Friday Week in Review
    Nov 7 2025

    TikTok, Shopify, and Amazon are shifting fast. These updates will shape how you sell in 2026.

    In this week’s Friday “Week in Review,” Neil breaks down the latest data, platform changes, and pricing strategies helping sellers stay profitable as ad costs rise.

    You’ll learn how a small pricing shift turned into a major profit win, what TikTok’s new tools mean for real sales, and how AI-driven updates from Shopify and Meta are changing how brands grow online.

    🚀 What should I sell next? Visit gpt.caimandata.com to generate data-driven product ideas powered by Caiman Data’s AI engine.

    In This Episode, We Cover:
    ✅ Why raising prices can increase profits (and when to do it)
    ✅ How to cut wasted ad spend on Amazon and keep margins strong
    ✅ TikTok’s new Content Insights and Travel Ads and what they mean for discovery and conversions
    ✅ How Shopify and Meta are using AI to personalize stores and boost lifetime value
    ✅ Why the future belongs to sellers who connect Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify into one system

    📍 Chapters
    00:00 Why 2026 Will Reward Brands That Build Systems, Not Just Sales

    01:01 How a 10% Price Increase Led to Double the Daily Revenue

    02:21 Using TikTok’s New Tools to Drive Real Conversions, Not Just Views

    03:03 How Shopify’s AI and In-Chat Shopping Are Redefining Customer Experience

    04:03 The Three-Engine Strategy: Connecting Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify for Sustainable Growth

    05:01 Lessons From “Breaking” Amazon’s Ad System and Finding Its Hidden Limits

    05:39 Using the $5 Product Research GPT to Find Winning Ideas

    Follow Neil:
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/
    🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

    🎧 Like This Episode?

    ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders

    ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network

    ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    Ready to stop trading time for money and build almost automated income with FBA? Visit https://voltagedm.com to learn how you can buy back you freedom by building your very own ecommerce empire!

    Más Menos
    6 m
  • #200 Episode Special: I Interviewed 200 Entrepreneurs... Here’s Everything I Learned In 7 Minutes
    Nov 5 2025

    200 episodes. 5,000 minutes. 83 hours of real conversations with founders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs who’ve built something from the ground up.

    In this milestone episode, Neil reflects on what 200 interviews have revealed about what it really takes to build a successful business in today’s world, from systems and data to freedom and fulfillment.

    No theory. No hype. Just the unfiltered lessons that every business builder needs to hear.

    In This Episode, We Cover:
    ✅ The 5 biggest takeaways from 200 episodes of real entrepreneurship
    ✅ Why systems always beat hustle
    ✅ How data has become the ultimate competitive advantage
    ✅ The evolution of creativity in modern commerce
    ✅ Why retention now matters more than acquisition
    ✅ The most important shift every founder must make: business should fuel your life, not own it

    📍 Chapters
    [00:00:00] Welcome to Episode 200
    [00:00:51] The Vision Behind the Podcast
    [00:02:40] Systems Beat Hustle Every Time
    [00:03:18] Data Is Your Competitive Edge
    [00:03:41] Creativity Isn’t Dead—It’s Evolved
    [00:04:02] Retention Over Acquisition
    [00:04:21] Building a Business That Fuels Your Life
    [00:05:36] Honoring 200 Guests and Their Lessons
    [00:06:03] What’s Next for High Voltage Business Builders
    [00:07:00] Final Message to Founders and Entrepreneurs

    Follow Neil:
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/
    🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

    🎧 Like This Episode?

    ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders

    ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network

    ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    Ready to stop trading time for money and build almost automated income with FBA? Visit https://voltagedm.com to learn how you can buy back you freedom by building your very own ecommerce empire!

    Más Menos
    9 m
  • #199 How AI Is Changing Marketing Forever (and What It Means for Your Business)
    Oct 29 2025

    Data is the new competitive edge.

    Neil sits down with Courtney from Nimble Gravity to break down how AI, privacy changes, and Google Analytics 4 are redefining how brands track, measure, and grow online.

    They discuss what every e-commerce business needs to know to stay profitable in a world where targeting is fading, automation is rising, and smarter analytics now drive the biggest wins.

    In This Episode, We Cover:
    ✅ How GA4 changes data tracking for every online business
    ✅ The truth about AI-driven analytics and automated insights
    ✅ Why clean data matters more than ever in 2025
    ✅ How to identify your most profitable customers using web data
    ✅ The death of hyper-targeting and what’s replacing it
    ✅ The rise of modeled data and how it impacts marketing accuracy
    ✅ What globalization means for digital teams and collaboration

    📍 Chapters
    [00:01:00] Courtney’s Journey from Fashion to Fortune 150
    [00:03:30] Lessons in Scaling Analytics for E-Commerce
    [00:06:30] The Evolution of Data-Driven Marketing
    [00:09:00] Tools That Are Changing How We Analyze Data
    [00:11:00] How GA4 Impacts Your Website Tracking
    [00:13:00] Privacy Rules and the End of Hyper-Targeting
    [00:15:00] How AI Tools Are Simplifying Data Analysis
    [00:18:00] Will AI Replace Data Analysts?
    [00:20:00] Building and Leading Global Analytics Teams
    [00:22:00] The Next Wave of AI in Marketing Creativity

    Follow Courtney and Nimble Gravity:
    🌐 Website: https://nimblegravity.com
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nimblegravity

    Follow Neil:
    🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/
    🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

    🎧 Like This Episode?

    ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders

    ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network

    ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show

    Ready to stop trading time for money and build almost automated income with FBA? Visit https://voltagedm.com to learn how you can buy back you freedom by building your very own ecommerce empire!

    Más Menos
    27 m