Ecommerce Innovators Podcast
Episode 3: Charlie Ninegar, VP Sales at Nixon
Topic: Innovation Through Marketplace Control
Join us for Ecommerce Innovators, a podcast that brings together the brightest minds in the industry to explore innovative strategies and trends in global ecommerce. We’ll analyze what top brands are doing to accelerate their online success and you’ll hear from influential executives who are changing the game for their organizations. Our host is John LeBaron, Chief Revenue Officer at Pattern—the premier partner for global ecommerce acceleration.
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In this conversation, Charlie Ninegar, VP of Sales at Nixon, talks about his professional downfalls and successes, how Nixon maintains a competitive edge, and the many benefits of taking control of your marketplace presence. Hear about Charlie’s involvement with innovative startups, the importance of distribution and brand control, what new brands should prioritize, and some misconceptions about ecommerce.
Ecommerce Innovators Episode Synopsis
01:02 Charlie’s background
02:34 Nixon
04:22 Startups and innovation
10:54 Charlie’s career: lessons learned and successes
15:26 The importance of distribution and brand control
19:05 The benefits of taking marketplace control
23:48 Maintaining an edge
29:53 Important considerations for new brands
34:46 Ecommerce misconceptions
Here are 3 takeaways from our conversation with Charlie Ninegar:
- Know what you do well and where you need really good partners. There is so much going on in ecommerce, it is overwhelming and you can’t do it all alone. Charlie points out that as he works with startups, he often feels like ecommerce is a giant. However, this feeling doesn’t go away when the brand gets larger. The bigger a company gets, more competencies are developed, but also more realization occurs where else to grow online. All in all, you need to do a little better each day, and eventually you will achieve success with the right partners.
- Here’s the reality: no one needs a watch, so how do you sell? Charlie pointed out that smartphones have taken over the need for a watch, but that doesn’t stop them from selling watches. Nixon sells millions of watches each year by understanding customers, telling the story of its brand, and publishing powerful content. In order to be profitable, Nixon meets customers where they are – style, functionality, fashion, information, etc. Bring new energy into your company with unique ideas, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
- You have to be bold sometimes. You can’t be bold with every decision to support your company (and if you are able to, please tell us your secret). However, Charlie explained that sometimes you need to try a crazy idea or “invest in that Ferrari to see if it works”. Along with being bold in select decisions, you also need to be bold in conversations. No one likes hard conversations, but often hard conversations bring learning and growth in your business. Take a step forward and be bold.
Listen to the full episode for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
