In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn sits down with Doug Miller, CEO of Wildcat Brothers Distillery, to explore a question every founder has asked:

How can a small business compete with companies that have vastly bigger budgets?

Doug's path to entrepreneurship wasn't conventional.

After nearly three decades trading electricity and natural gas, he left corporate life to acquire a struggling Louisiana distillery just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. What followed was the challenge of rebuilding a business from the ground up—creating a premium rum brand, growing an ecommerce presence, and competing in one of the world's most established consumer categories.

What makes this conversation particularly refreshing is Doug's honest approach to AI.

Rather than presenting himself as an expert, he shares what it's like to be a founder navigating the same questions many business owners face today: Where do you start? Which tools actually create value? And how can AI free up more time to focus on customers instead of administration?

Together, Bryan and Doug discuss practical ways small businesses can use AI to streamline operations, improve marketing, uncover customer insights, and compete more effectively—without needing enterprise-level resources.

You'll learn:

• Doug's transition from energy trading to entrepreneurship
• Building a premium spirits brand during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Growing an ecommerce business in a highly competitive industry
• Using customer data to uncover new growth opportunities
• Practical first steps for implementing AI in a small business
• How AI can reduce admin and give founders back valuable time
• Why independent brands should lean into authenticity—not scale
• Competing smarter instead of spending more

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and better decision-making are helping businesses grow faster, operate more efficiently, and compete in an increasingly complex world.

Connect with Doug Miller

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougmillerenergy/

Learn more about Wildcat Brothers Distillery

https://wildcatbrothers.com/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn sits down with Henrik Hoffman Kraft, Co-Founder & CMO of DEMA, to challenge one of e-commerce's biggest assumptions:

What if the metrics you're optimising are the wrong ones?

Before founding DEMA, Henrik helped scale an international retail business to more than €120 million in revenue, managing multiple brands, countries, warehouses, and retail operations. Along the way, he became increasingly frustrated by how much of modern e-commerce revolves around vanity metrics like ROAS and topline revenue—while the decisions that truly drive profitability often remain hidden.

That experience became the foundation for DEMA.

The conversation explores why dashboards alone aren't enough, how fragmented data prevents better decision-making, and why the next generation of e-commerce businesses will rely on AI to move beyond reporting and towards real business intelligence.

Henrik also shares how DEMA is using AI internally to streamline communication, automate routine work, and reduce the cognitive load that prevents leaders from focusing on higher-value decisions.

The result isn't simply greater productivity.

It's greater clarity.

You'll learn:

• Why ROAS and revenue don't always reflect business health
• How connected data leads to better commercial decisions
• The limitations of traditional dashboards and reporting tools
• How AI is making advanced analytics accessible to every operator
• Why AI agents are becoming active business partners—not just reporting tools
• How AI reduces cognitive load and creates more time for strategic thinking
• What the future of e-commerce operating systems looks like

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and data are helping businesses make better decisions, operate more efficiently, and unlock sustainable growth.

Connect with Henrik Hoffman Kraft

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrikhoffman/

Learn more about DEMA

https://www.dema.ai/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn sits down with Heer Patel, Strategy & Growth Leader at 200OK Solutions, to answer one of the biggest questions facing businesses today:

Why do so many AI projects fail?

While AI promises dramatic productivity gains, many organisations struggle to move beyond experimentation. According to Heer, the problem isn't the technology—it's the business.

Drawing on years of experience helping companies modernise legacy systems and redesign operations, Heer explains why successful AI adoption starts long before the first AI tool is deployed. Strong processes, clean data, and clear operational foundations are what determine whether AI becomes a competitive advantage or an expensive distraction.

Together, Bryan and Heer explore what it really takes to prepare a business for the AI era—from modernising software architecture and improving workflows to embedding AI into day-to-day decision-making across the organisation.

If you're wondering where to begin with AI—or why your current initiatives aren't delivering the results you expected—this episode offers a practical roadmap grounded in real-world business transformation.

You'll learn:

• Why many AI initiatives fail to deliver meaningful ROI
• The importance of processes, data quality, and operational foundations
• How to modernise legacy systems for the AI era
• Where AI creates the greatest value across business operations
• Common mistakes leaders make when implementing AI
• Why AI should amplify strategy rather than replace it
• How software development and enterprise operations are evolving
• What organisations need to do to prepare for the next wave of AI innovation

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and data are transforming businesses—and how today's leaders are turning that transformation into lasting competitive advantage.

Connect with Heer Patel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heer-patel-b20b58222/

Learn more about 200OK Solutions

https://www.200oksolutions.com/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn and Eric Bidinger sit down with Jennifer Van Wart, Founder & CEO of Twigs, to explore one of the biggest questions facing founder-led businesses today:

Can AI help you scale without hiring an army of people?

Jennifer's journey began far from fashion.

After a successful career as a money trader at Citibank, she left Wall Street following 9/11, returned to the Midwest, and built Twigs into one of Wisconsin's most respected luxury fashion retailers.

Now, after 25 years of growth, she's preparing for the next chapter—expanding both physical stores and ecommerce while embracing AI across the business.

This conversation goes beyond the usual AI headlines.

Jennifer shares the real operational challenges behind running a modern fashion retailer—from buying thousands of SKUs and forecasting demand to managing inventory, digital marketing, customer acquisition, and protecting the curated experience that customers love.

One of the most thought-provoking moments comes when Jennifer explains why she's increasingly placing more trust in AI-driven insights than expensive retail consultants.

For founder-led businesses, AI isn't just reducing costs.

It's becoming a trusted decision-making partner.

You'll learn:

• Jennifer's journey from Wall Street to building a 25-year retail brand
• Why fashion buying is one of retail's most complex operational challenges
• Using AI to improve inventory planning, merchandising, and forecasting
• How AI can optimise marketing spend and customer acquisition
• Why Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) could become the next evolution of SEO
• Scaling a founder-led business without dramatically increasing headcount
• Maintaining brand taste and customer experience while embracing AI
• Preparing a retail business for long-term growth and eventual exit

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and changing consumer behaviour are reshaping business—and how today's leaders are making smarter decisions to stay ahead.

Connect with Jennifer Van Wart

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-van-wart-31423735/

Learn more about Twigs

https://shoptwigs.com/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn sits down with Sam Colwill, Founder of Bathrooms By Design, and Vince Gunn, the company's CEO, to explore how one retailer is reinventing one of e-commerce's most complex customer journeys.

Buying a bathroom isn't like buying a T-shirt.

Customers have to navigate thousands of products, measurements, layouts, finishes, budgets, and installation decisions—making it one of the most complicated purchases in retail.

So how do you make that experience feel simple?

For Bathrooms By Design, the answer has been building their own technology.

What began nearly two decades ago as a small eBay business selling clearance bathroom stock has evolved into a luxury omnichannel retailer powered by proprietary design software, immersive VR experiences, exclusive product ranges, and AI woven throughout the business.

Sam and Vince explain how AI is transforming everything from software development and merchandising to customer support and personalised shopping experiences, while sharing why technology should enhance human expertise—not replace it.

One of the standout ideas from this conversation is Vince's description of AI as moving businesses from a high-performance sports car to a rocket ship.

The advantage isn't simply automation.

It's dramatically faster learning, better decisions, and the ability to solve problems that previously required entire teams.

You'll learn:

• How Bathrooms By Design evolved from an eBay startup into a luxury omnichannel retailer
• Why complex buying journeys create opportunities for innovation
• Building proprietary software instead of relying on off-the-shelf tools
• Using VR and AI to personalise the customer experience
• Applying AI across software development, merchandising, SEO, and customer support
• Why operational systems become a competitive advantage as businesses scale
• How AI amplifies teams rather than replacing them
• What the future of home improvement retail looks like in an AI-first world

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the next generation of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and changing consumer behaviour are reshaping businesses—and how today's leaders are staying ahead.

Connect with Vince Gunn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vince-gunn/

Learn more about Bathrooms By Design

https://bathroomsbydesign.com/

Connect with Sam Colwill

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-colwill/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn sits down with Laura McCann, Founder & CEO of AuraTherapy, to explore how one founder turned burnout into a fast-growing wellness business that blends technology, retail, community, and human connection.

Laura didn't set out to build a wellness company.

After years working in the fast-paced fashion industry, founder burnout pushed her to search for something deeper—healing practices that felt grounded, measurable, and accessible rather than purely intuitive.

That journey became AuraTherapy.

Today, the business combines aura readings, energy analysis, aromatherapy, e-commerce, retail experiences, practitioner training, and live wellness events to create a modern brand at the intersection of technology and spirituality.

A central theme of the conversation is one of the biggest questions facing founders today:

As AI becomes increasingly capable, what becomes more valuable about being human?

Laura shares why she embraced AI early, how it's transforming the way she runs her business, and why she believes the future doesn't belong to brands that replace human connection—but to those that strengthen it.

Together, Bryan and Laura explore the evolving relationship between AI, wellness, authenticity, and consumer trust, and why technology should help people understand themselves—not disconnect from themselves.

You'll learn:

• How founder burnout led to the creation of Aura Therapy
• Building a wellness brand across e-commerce, retail, events, and education
• Using AI to improve creativity, operations, and decision-making
• Why some younger generations are becoming more sceptical of AI
• The intersection of wellness, biohacking, longevity, and technology
• Creating data-informed healing experiences without losing the human element
• Why authenticity and community are becoming powerful competitive advantages
• What the future of consumer brands looks like in an AI-first world

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the next generation of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, technology, and changing consumer behaviour are reshaping businesses—and how today's leaders are navigating that transformation.

Connect with Laura McCann

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauramccann31/

Learn more about AuraTherapy

https://auratherapylife.com/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Eric Bidinger sits down with Deb Farnworth-Wood, CEO of Issada Cosmeceuticals, to explore what it really takes to build and scale a modern e-commerce business without compromising on quality, ethics, or customer trust.

Deb's path to e-commerce is anything but conventional. After leading businesses across healthcare, retail, and a 61-clinic franchise network, she acquired Issada in 2020—at a time when the brand had no online presence. Within just two weeks, she launched its first e-commerce store, generating an entire year's worth of previous telephone sales in the very first month.

Today, Issada operates a highly integrated business spanning e-commerce, wholesale, retail stores, and in-house manufacturing. That end-to-end model gives the company greater control, but also creates significant operational complexity.

The conversation explores how AI is helping businesses navigate that complexity. Deb shares how AI is transforming everything from forecasting and inventory planning to operational analysis, enabling decisions that once took months to be made in minutes.

But she also offers an important perspective on the future of retail: while AI can dramatically improve speed and efficiency, authenticity remains a brand's greatest asset. For Issada, that means embracing AI where it adds value—while deliberately choosing not to use AI-generated faces or imagery that could undermine customer trust.

If you're leading an e-commerce business and wondering how to balance AI adoption with brand integrity, this episode offers practical lessons from a leader who believes technology should enhance human judgment, not replace it.

You'll learn:

• How Issada launched e-commerce in just two weeks
• What it takes to manage a business across online, retail, wholesale, and manufacturing
• Why fragmented systems create major operational challenges
• How AI accelerates forecasting, reporting, and business decision-making
• Building a culture where teams embrace AI rather than fear it
• Why authenticity will become even more valuable in the age of AI
• The importance of protecting data, intellectual property, and customer trust while adopting new technologies

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, automation, and data are transforming the way businesses grow—and how today's leaders are creating lasting competitive advantage.

Connect with Deb Farnworth-Wood

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debfarnworthwood/

Learn more about Issada Cosmeceuticals

https://issada.com/

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1

In this episode of the Luca Ecommerce Leader Series, Bryan Kinghorn and Eric Bidinger sit down with Anthony Mink, Founder & CEO of Live Bearded, to explore how one of the fastest-growing men's grooming brands is entering its next chapter with AI at the centre of every major business decision.

Anthony shares the journey from launching with just 500 units to building a business generating more than $1 million in monthly revenue, driven by community, exceptional customer relationships, and relentless execution. But the conversation quickly moves beyond the origin story to explore how AI is fundamentally changing the way he operates the company.

One of the biggest revelations came from letting AI analyse the business end-to-end. The data uncovered an unexpected insight: the strongest predictor of customer lifetime value wasn't purchase frequency or average order value—it was product category diversity. That single discovery is now reshaping Live Bearded's retention strategy, post-purchase experience, and customer journeys.

Anthony also shares how he's building his own AI co-founder—training AI on his business context, leadership style, and decision-making framework to accelerate strategy, marketing, and execution across the organisation.

If you've been wondering how AI moves beyond content generation and becomes a true operating advantage, this conversation offers a practical blueprint from a founder already putting it into practice.

You'll learn:

• How Live Bearded scaled from a startup to a $1M/month e-commerce brand
• Why customer acquisition alone is no longer enough for sustainable growth
• The surprising metric that had the biggest impact on customer lifetime value
• How AI uncovered hidden growth opportunities inside the business
• How to redesign post-purchase experiences using AI-driven insights
• What it takes to build an AI co-founder trained on your business
• How AI is helping founders make faster, better decisions across every function

The Luca Ecommerce Leader Series features conversations with founders and operators building the future of commerce. Each episode explores how AI, automation, and data are changing the way businesses grow—and how today's leaders are creating the next generation of competitive advantage.

Connect with Anthony Mink

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonymink/

Learn more about Live Bearded

https://livebearded.com

Connect with Luca

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ask_Luca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asklucaai/

Website: https://ask-luca.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askluca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/askluca1