Imagine turning a sketch into a sellable product without begging a factory for a slot or wiring cash for a risky MOQ. That’s the promise of CNC: computer-controlled cutting that gives you precision, repeatability, and creative freedom on your own schedule. We sit down with mechanical-engineer-turned-creator Winston Moy to unpack what CNC milling really is, how the workflow works, and why you don’t need an engineering degree to get real results.

We start with first principles: CAD for design, CAM for toolpaths, and hands-on setup for safe, accurate cuts. Winston explains what a capable $3k–$5k machine can do with wood, plastics, composites, and aluminum, and how clear product ideas shorten the learning curve and speed up ROI. We talk through the practical economics—paying off a machine in months, launching with ten units instead of a thousand, and using your shop as a prototype and pilot plant. When a product pops, you can outsource batches and keep your spindle focused on the next winner.

Support and community make the difference between tinkering and shipping. We highlight Carbide 3D’s training, cross-trained staff, and a “mistakes are on us” window that lowers fear and accelerates learning. Then we bridge art and engineering: choosing materials, toolpaths, and finishes that serve both function and feel. Winston also shares how storytelling turns process into marketing, from behind-the-scenes builds to niche product drops that customers can’t help but share.

We zoom out to the future of digital fabrication, where CNC lives alongside 3D printing and fast-turn services to erase friction between imagination and inventory. If you’re tired of long lead times, high MOQs, and guesswork, this conversation gives you a clear roadmap: pick one product, learn the minimal workflow, ship a small batch, gather feedback, iterate, and scale with confidence.

Enjoy the episode? Follow the show, share it with a maker friend, and leave a quick review—what would you build first with a CNC?

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If Amazon ads now feel like a maze of rising CPCs, endless keywords, and dashboards that never sleep, you’re not imagining it. The platform has shifted from organic-first to pay to play—and the only sustainable response is smarter execution that blends learning systems with human strategy.

We sit down with the CEO of Ava Commerce to unpack what “AI-driven” should actually mean for Amazon and D2C brands. Instead of black-box promises, we explore a configurable approach: let AI learn from your data across campaign creation, bid optimization, dayparting, and keyword negation, but keep owners and PPC leads in control with rules at the store, product, and campaign levels. You’ll hear how to tag products into portfolios with different TACOS goals, automate keyword isolation, and sunset underperformers quickly—freeing 65% of the grunt work so humans can focus on decisions that move margin.

Context still wins. We break down when to push for top-of-search visibility over strict ACOS, how to pair ads with pricing and promotions to lift conversion, and why creative and SEO matter more than ever for CTR and CVR. We also dig into audience strategy for DSP, where human insight crafts timing and intent—like targeting competitor buyers when they are most likely to repurchase—while AI handles the execution. Beyond ads, we touch on cash discipline through FBA reimbursements and vendor funds recovery, and why unlimited strategic support helps teams turn software into outcomes.

If you’re ready to scale profit, not just spend, this conversation offers a clear playbook: align creative with conversion, reclaim lost dollars, and deploy configurable AI that learns while you lead. Subscribe, share with a fellow seller who needs a smarter PPC plan, and leave a review with the one lever you’re automating first.

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What happens when you sell your company, then buy it back to take it private again? We sit down with John Roman, CEO of Battle Brands, to unpack the bold moves behind Battle Box’s rise—from a Facebook-fueled launch to an eight-figure portfolio, a high-profile acquisition, and a decisive buyback that reset the roadmap on his terms.

John walks us through the early grind, the moment he left a comfortable corporate path, and the hard choices that unlocked growth: firing a non-performing partner, recruiting a top creator in-house, and making content the engine rather than a side project. We dig into why human storytelling beats hard selling, how raw behind-the-scenes moments build trust, and why community is the most defensible moat in e-commerce. If you’re aiming to reduce churn and raise LTV, you’ll hear how reframing “subscription” as “membership” unlocks recurring revenue with real perks, belonging, and out-of-box value that customers actually feel.

Then we go deep on live shopping. After years of hype, John explains why the U.S. market is finally ready, how Whatnot differs from doomscrolling on TikTok, and what it takes to scale from a 10-hour test to 45 hours of weekly programming with multiple hosts and show runners. The playbook is fast, vertical, and emotionally driven—short attention spans, quick decisions, and high intent. We connect the dots between creator-led content, membership benefits, retention strategy, and live shopping as an always-on touchpoint that turns fans into customers and customers into advocates.

If you’re building an e-commerce brand, this conversation delivers practical ideas on content strategy, community building, membership design, retention levers, and the live commerce stack. Subscribe, share this with a founder who needs a push, and leave a review with the one tactic you’ll test next.

Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call. https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon

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