Chris Corridor is an ecommerce entrepreneur turned media operator. His new “Ecomm Cowboy” present broadcasts stay Monday via Friday on X and YouTube. The mission, he says, is twofold: ship every day information to sellers and provide companionship to these working alone.
Chris first appeared on the podcast in 2023 because the advertising and marketing head of a D2C model. On this our newest dialog, he addresses his targets for Ecomm Cowboy, manufacturing challenges, and, sure, the facility of AI instruments for one-person manufacturers.
Our whole audio is embedded beneath. The transcript is edited for size and readability.
Eric Bandholz: Who’re you and what do you do?
Chris Corridor: I’m the founding father of Ecomm Cowboy, a startup media firm broadcasting stay Monday via Friday on X and YouTube. We discuss concerning the present and future state of ecommerce so operators can survive and thrive. I launched the present a few month in the past.
I stumbled into ecommerce in 2014. I created one of many first subscription espresso manufacturers on the web.
After that, I labored for a advertising and marketing company after which with Bruce Bolt, the D2C athletic glove firm.
Bandholz: What are your targets for Ecomm Cowboy?
Corridor: I’ve contemplated the idea for years, with two missions.
First, ecommerce house owners are on the bleeding fringe of the ever-changing web. We cowl the highest information tales, retail developments, direct-to-consumer matters, synthetic intelligence — something associated to promoting on-line.
Second, working from a laptop computer at house is frequent within the ecommerce business, but it surely’s intensely lonely. For a lot of, it’s a dreadful expertise. So I hope Ecomm Cowboy can be a spot the place folks can have a companion of types and work together.
Bandholz: A every day present with company is a variety of work.
Corridor: Sure, it’s. We often have one visitor, however generally it’s two. Every present runs an hour. I hope to increase it will definitely to 2 hours.
I put together for 3 to 4 hours every day, masking all the pieces that’s occurred, who’s showing, and what to debate. Plus occasions happen in actual time that alter the plan.
After every present, there’s modifying, slicing, and posting to take advantage of the content material. So it’s a variety of vitality and time, however I find it irresistible.
I thrive on the strain. There’s a lot to do daily earlier than midday Central time, when the present goes stay.
It brings me again to my time enjoying soccer on the College of Texas, the place each follow I needed to be able to battle, mentally and bodily. Part of me nonetheless welcomes the problem. I get up excited daily due to it.
Bandholz: What’s the state of ecommerce?
Corridor: AI instruments are jaw-dropping. Six months in the past, we have been laughing at them, however no extra. AI can now carry out duties resembling advert creation, empowering what I name a one-person model.
Sean Frank of Ridge, the pockets maker, calls it Ecommerce 4.0. It’s a possibility for underdogs. One particular person, harnessing at present’s instruments, can do what took a complete crew 5 years in the past.
An excellent instance is Kive, an AI software that generates product specs immediately inside the picture. A current visitor, Bart Szaniewski from Dad Gang, a D2C hat vendor, described the software. He makes use of the pictures on his Instagram feed.
Bandholz: In the event you can’t talk in at present’s world, you can be left behind.
Corridor: That’s honest. Probably the most adept operators are speaking (in methods I’ve but to reap the benefits of) utilizing AI instruments that produce a voice, a video, a copywriting type.
I see two routes going ahead. There’s the anti-AI guess. One of the simplest ways to be anti-AI and construct belief is to be stay and in particular person. Be an precise human who’s making errors and producing one thing ok that folks will come again.
The second route is to remain on the forefront of AI expertise and grow to be knowledgeable on the instruments and strategies. In the event you can win guests in a approach that doesn’t deceive them, there’s a technique to enrich your self.
On a current present, we touched on an app known as DramaBox. It produces AI-generated TikTok-style mini dramas. Every episode is actually one minute lengthy. I’m informed the enterprise is booming from promoting entry to the exhibits. Viewers obtain the app, pay, after which eat the content material.
To me, it’s horrible for humanity, though I take advantage of an AI-powered video maker from ByteDance known as Seedance 2.0. A lot of well-liked movies use Seedance, resembling Ethan Hunt from Mission Not possible.
Many observers say Hollywood is out of date, a step behind. I don’t learn about that. However what I do know is that the capabilities are higher than ever.
And now it’s as much as us. How can we use the instruments to enhance what we discuss or resolve an issue for them?
Bandholz: The place can listeners watch your present, observe you, or get in contact?
Corridor: The present “Ecomm Cowboy” on X and YouTube. I’m additionally on X or LinkedIn.
