Making with Purpose

How You Can Leverage AI In Your E-commerce Business

Fresh off the Shop Talk e-commerce conference, John and Marc break down everything makers need to know about AI in 2026. The episode covers practical AI applications for inventory forecasting, product design, marketing copy, and customer service, while drawing a clear line between where AI helps and where it can hurt your brand. They also discuss agentic commerce, AI image and video ethics, environmental impact, and the future of AI regulation Timestamps: 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:48 Welcome and Episode Overview 00:03:49 AI Is Evolving Fast: Get on the Boat 00:06:53 AI for Inventory Forecasting: Predaco 00:10:21 AI for Product Launch Organization 00:13:23 Shop Talk Conference: What We Learned 00:14:19 What Is Agentic Commerce? 00:17:32 Buying Directly Through ChatGPT 00:21:42 What Makers Must Do to Be Found by AI 00:25:05 Website SEO vs. AEO and GEO Optimization 00:28:16 Using AI for Product Design and Ideation 00:37:03 AI for Marketing Copy and Ad Scripts 00:44:47 What AI Should Never Replace in Your Business 00:49:28 AI Images and Video: What's Real vs. Fake 00:55:42 Authenticity vs. AI: Where to Draw the Line 01:00:00 Environmental Impact and AI Regulation 01:05:53 MakerFlo's Mela AI Customer Service Agent 01:10:24 Outro Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/]MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/ [https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/]Our Website -makerflo.com [http://makerflo.com/]Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerflo [https://www.facebook.com/makerflo]TikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com [https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com]Join our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/] Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives [https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives]

As a Maker STOP Chasing Virality And Do This Instead

John and Marc continue with Brit Shane to tackle one of the most common misconceptions in social media: that going viral is the goal. Brit breaks down why consistency beats virality, how micro-influencers outperform large accounts in conversions, and why reposting winning content is a legitimate and effective strategy for product businesses. Timestamps00:00:00 Trailer00:00:15 Consistency vs. Virality: The Core Question00:01:46 Making a Million With Only 3,300 Followers00:02:22 Why Micro-Influencers Convert Better00:02:42 Virality vs. Consistency: The Gym Analogy00:03:55 Reward Consistency, Not Outcome00:04:22 Going Viral Pulls You Off Brand00:05:10 Allow Yourself to Be Bad at First00:06:05 Post First, Analyze Later00:06:24 Reposting Winning Content as a Strategy00:07:28 Outro Follow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - Brit Shane [https://www.britshane.com/]Instagram - Britni Shane (@brit_shane) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/brit_shane/?hl=en]Tiktok - TikTok - Make Your Day [https://www.tiktok.com/@houseofbrit] Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/]MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/ [https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/]Our Website -makerflo.com [http://makerflo.com/]Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerflo [https://www.facebook.com/makerflo]TikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com [https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com]Join our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/] Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives [https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives]

How To Make Content That Sells Your Products

John and Marc continue their conversation with Brit Shane, covering practical content ideas for makers just starting out on social media. The discussion moves into sales funnels, first-party data, affiliate marketing margins, and why getting customers off third-party platforms and onto your own website is critical for long-term business growth. Timestamps:00:00:00 Trailer00:00:16 What Content to Post When Starting Out00:04:13 Show Your Manufacturing and Assembly Process00:07:07 Everything Is Content: Just Start Filming00:10:09 How to Convert Viewers Into Buyers00:13:38 Platform Fees and Protecting Your Margins00:18:26 Building a Long-Term Funnel and Email Strategy00:20:08 OutroFollow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - https://www.britshane.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brit_shane/?hl=enTiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@houseofbritConnect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -http://makerflo.com/)Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

How Can Makers Use Social Media To Get Discovered Online

John and Marc sit down with Brit Shane, a social media expert with over a decade of experience across Instagram, TikTok, and beyond. The conversation covers platform strategy, content creation, personal branding, paid promotion, content batching, and the tools Brit uses to manage multiple brands. This episode is a practical guide for small business owners looking to turn social media into a real sales channel. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:19 Guest Introduction: Who Is Brit Shane? 00:03:00 How Social Media Algorithms Have Changed 00:05:10 Instagram vs. TikTok: Branding vs. Conversion 00:08:40 Social Media as a Discovery Engine 00:15:00 Should You Show Your Face on Camera? 00:29:10 Platform Strategy: Where to Start 00:31:40 Optimizing Your Profile and Bio 00:36:00 Pay to Play: When and How to Run Ads 00:43:30 Which Platform to Start With First 00:46:45 Content Batching and Posting Cadence 00:48:00 The Five Content Pillars Framework 00:50:00 Tools: CapCut, Descript, and Repurpose.io 00:58:25 Outro Follow Brit Shane:Brit’s Website - Brit Shane [https://www.britshane.com/]Instagram - Britni Shane (@brit_shane) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/brit_shane/?hl=en]Tiktok - TikTok - Make Your Day [https://www.tiktok.com/@houseofbrit] Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/]MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/ [https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/]Our Website -makerflo.com [http://makerflo.com/]Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerflo [https://www.facebook.com/makerflo]TikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com [https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com]Join our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/] Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives [https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives]

The Real Reason Most Makers Never Achieve Freedom

John and Marc sit down with Coach Tom Dougherty from ActionCoach to cover Step 6 of the business mastery framework: Freedom. The conversation explores what financial and personal freedom means for a business owner, why your "why" changes over time, and the different exit and growth paths available once a business reaches this stage. The episode closes with Coach Tom sharing where viewers can connect with him and get support. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer00:00:19 What Is Step 6: Freedom?00:01:45 Passive Income, Franchising, and Selling00:03:00 Defining Your "Why" as a Business Owner00:06:05 Freedom, Philanthropy, and Giving Back00:07:19 Replacing Yourself: The System Creator00:09:15 Where to Find Coach Tom00:10:00 Outro Follow Coach TomInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4 [https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4]LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1]Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/ [https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/] Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/]MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/ [https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/]Our Website -makerflo.com [http://makerflo.com/]Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerflo [https://www.facebook.com/makerflo]TikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com [https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com]Join our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/] Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives [https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives]