Rebellious Times Podcast

ASP7: Solving Amazon for the Hardest Categories: Inside the Avenue7 Playbook

Jason Boyce is the Founder and CEO of Avenue7Media, a leading e-commerce agency that helps brands grow on Amazon, Walmart Marketplace, and other online retail channels. As one of the early Amazon sellers, he has firsthand experience building and scaling businesses in the evolving world of e-commerce. Today, Jason leads a global team focused on helping brands navigate marketplace complexity through strategic planning, operational excellence, and his proprietary Seven Avenues framework. His expertise spans product development, marketplace growth, competitive analysis, and emerging technologies such as AI.

S&L7: A 21-Year-Old Taking on the 3PL Industry – Building a Logistics Company in College

Luca Conner is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Pack'N, a third-party logistics company focused on direct-to-consumer fulfillment for e-commerce brands. After beginning his entrepreneurial journey as a teenager selling products online, Luca co-founded Pack'N while attending college and has helped grow the company into a rapidly expanding logistics operation serving brands across multiple industries. Passionate about entrepreneurship, technology, and operational excellence, Luca represents a new generation of founders who are embracing risk, innovation, and continuous learning. Alongside building Pack'N, he continues his studies while developing a long-term vision for transforming the post-purchase experience in e-commerce.

Episode 49: Building the future from a dorm room – The Mindset of a 20-Year-Old Founder

Ameen Raisi is the Co-Founder and COO of What2Do, a social discovery platform designed to help people connect through real-world experiences. While studying molecular and cellular biology and public health at Johns Hopkins University, he is helping build a startup focused on reducing loneliness and increasing social engagement among young adults. Beyond What2Do, Ameen is an accomplished content creator who has built a large Pittsburgh Steelers community online. His work reflects a passion for entrepreneurship, community building, and creating meaningful connections both online and offline.

ASP6: Crowdfunding as a capital alternative: How Smart Startups Win when VCs say no

Justin Starbird, CEO of The Aebli Group, discusses crowdfunding for startups, alternative capital strategies, founder engagement, and building communities that drive growth.

ASP5: Why the Best Customer Experiences Still Feel Physical

WHY THE BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES STILL FEEL PHYSICAL In this episode of the Rebellious Times Podcast [https://www.rebelcommercesolutions.com/startup-podcast/], I sat down with John Petri, CEO of Fuel BMC, to discuss entrepreneurship, sports culture, branding, resilience, and what it takes to build a successful sports branding agency. “The rise of the analog is here.” That line from Mark Stern perfectly captures a shift many businesses are starting to feel. In this episode of the Rebellious Times Podcast [https://www.rebelcommercesolutions.com/startup-podcast/], I sat down with Mark Stern, CEO of Custom Box Agency, to discuss entrepreneurship, customer experience marketing, physical product engagement, health transformation, and why human connection matters more than ever in the AI era. This episode fits both our Austin Startup Series and Agency Spotlight Series because Mark is building something genuinely different inside the marketing world. FROM CORPORATE CONSULTING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP Mark’s story starts far away from entrepreneurship. He grew up in Alabama believing success followed a very traditional path: * college * graduate school * corporate career * financial security That mindset eventually led him into management consulting at Deloitte after earning his MBA at Duke University. On paper, everything looked successful. In reality, the lifestyle became exhausting. For six years, Mark lived the “road warrior” consulting life: * constant flights * endless travel * high pressure * little personal balance Eventually, he hit a point where he realized: “This can’t be it.” That moment became the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey. THE PROBLEM THAT CREATED CUSTOM BOX AGENCY One of the things I appreciated most about this conversation was how practical the origin story was. Custom Box Agency did not start because Mark wanted to launch an agency. It started because he became frustrated buying expensive digital products, masterminds, and programs that still left customers confused and overwhelmed. His thought was simple: “Why not physically send people everything they need to succeed?” That insight eventually evolved into Custom Box Agency. Today, the company helps businesses create physical onboarding and customer experience campaigns designed to: * improve engagement * increase retention * streamline onboarding * enhance customer success EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Mark Stern and Custom Box Agency 03:02 Mark’s Journey from Corporate to Entrepreneurship 06:06 Understanding Custom Box Agency’s Offerings 09:07 The Importance of Physical Experiences in a Digital World 11:59 Differentiation and Positioning in the Market 14:50 Health Transformation and Its Impact on Business 23:51 Conclusion and Call to Action Mark Stern headshot [https://rebel-commerce-solutions-v1781542829.websitepro-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/mark_stern_headshot-300x300.jpeg] WHY PHYSICAL EXPERIENCES MATTER MORE IN THE AI ERA This was probably the strongest theme of the entire episode. As AI-generated content explodes, Mark believes people are increasingly craving: * physical experiences * authenticity * human connection * trust He described it as: “digital distrust.” That idea really resonated with me. As more interactions become automated, physical experiences become more memorable because they feel real. That creates a huge opportunity for businesses willing to think differently. IT’S NOT ABOUT SWAG One thing Mark emphasized repeatedly: Custom Box Agency is not simply shipping branded merchandise. Instead, they engineer experiences. That includes: * onboarding systems * journey maps * printed resources * physical tools * gamified customer journeys * retention campaigns The goal is to help customers achieve outcomes faster while creating stronger emotional connection along the way. THE UNEXPECTED HEALTH CONVERSATION One of the most interesting parts of this episode came unexpectedly. Mark shared his personal health transformation journey after realizing he had reached a breaking point physically during COVID. At one stage, he reached 250 pounds and began questioning how sustainable his lifestyle really was. What followed was a complete shift in: * fitness * nutrition * accountability * sleep * energy management The deeper insight was powerful: If your health becomes the weakest link, eventually your business suffers too. That part of the conversation felt especially relevant for founders and agency owners. ENTREPRENEURSHIP, IDENTITY, AND REINVENTION Underneath the agency discussion, this episode was really about reinvention. Mark walked away from the traditional definition of success to build something more aligned with: * creativity * freedom * fulfillment * human connection That tension is something many entrepreneurs quietly wrestle with. And honestly, I think that’s why this conversation resonated with me personally. JOHN PETRI LINKS: fuelbmc.com [https://www.fuelbmc.com/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnapetri/]