It has been one of those weeks. Heatwaves, kids home from school, a trip to Peppa Pig World that I am not ashamed to say I thoroughly enjoyed, and the ongoing reality of running a business where something drastic gets thrown your way, you tick the box and move on, and then something else lands. That is 2026 for you.
This week I'm joined by Amazon FBA veteran Ricky Martin, who shares the incredible story of how a €500 investment turned into a seven-figure Amazon business. We dive into the highs, the setbacks, and the lessons learned over more than a decade of selling online, proving that success comes from taking action, adapting to change and never giving up.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your Amazon business, Ricky's story is packed with inspiration and practical lessons you can apply today.

Key Highlights

• How Ricky turned a €500 investment into a £1.2 million Amazon business.
• Why taking imperfect action beats waiting for the perfect plan.
• Surviving Brexit, COVID and constant changes in the Amazon marketplace.
• The power of Retail Arbitrage and why it's still a brilliant way to start.
• Lessons learned from building systems, growing a team and thinking like a business owner.

Guest Spotlight

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin has been selling on Amazon FBA for over 10 years, building a successful international business while living in Spain. Today he runs a multi-person team, coaches aspiring Amazon sellers and helps others create long-term businesses through Amazon.

If you've enjoyed this episode, make sure you subscribe to The Goodbye Poor, Hello Rich Podcast so you never miss an episode. If Ricky's story inspired you, please leave a review and share this episode with someone who's ready to start building their own online income.

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Part two of the catch up with Jason Hoy, and this one goes everywhere.

We get into the money mindset shift that neither of us planned for, the point where you stop treating money like a scarce resource and start treating it like a tool. We talk about what it felt like for Jason when his business crossed a million in revenue last year, why he still buys his clothes at Costco, and why he gave his hardest working team member a fifteen thousand dollar bonus out of nowhere just because.

We get into AI in a way that actually makes sense. Not the vibe coding grifters telling you to DM them for a ten grand passive income program. The real stuff. What it actually takes to build something useful, why the output is only as good as the prompter, and how a 24 year old on Jason's team with no coding experience built an AI Amazon listing tool from scratch that made eight grand in its first month.

We also get into service businesses, a kid doing fifty grand a month picking up dog poop, another doing thirty grand a month cutting trees, why trades are AI proof, and why there is a legitimate business sitting in your phone right now if you are willing to build websites for tradespeople in your area.

And we talk about what is next. For Jason, for me, and for a space that is moving faster than either of us can keep up with. Which is exactly why we should be keeping up with it together.

Two civil servants from different sides of the Atlantic. Three years in. Still figuring it out. Still loving it.

Jason's Vanguard services:

Purple Fig AI listing creation: Sign up through the link and you automatically get enrolled in the VIP programme, getting an extra 10% tokens on your subscription every month, plus 25 free tokens on sign up to test all the tools before you spend a penny.

LaunchFast Amazon product research tool: Use code VANGUARD (all caps) for a 3 day free trial, no commitment.

Legacy X FBA programme, AI Prompt Bundle, Amazon storefront management and consulting: All links in the show notes.

Full landing page: www.vanguardfba.com

Register for the NEXT Social Commerce LIVE in Manchester - 9th October:
https://socialcommercelive.com/early-access

Sponsored by SellerAMP SAS
Seller Amp: http://selleramp.com/hellorich
Use code: HELLORICH_SAS for 50% discount on month 1 or HELLORICH_SAS_ANNUAL for 5% discount on year 1

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This week I'm pausing the Jason interview. Part two is coming, and it's worth the wait. But right now, with Social Commerce Live in Manchester two days away, I needed to record this one.

This episode is the full story of how we got here. From the first Amazon seller event I ever walked into, where complete strangers came up to me and thanked me for changing their lives and I didn't know where to put myself, all the way through Brighton, Manchester, Leeds, and now this. Four events. Four completely different versions of me standing on that stage. Four completely different businesses behind me each time.

I talk about why I started doing these events in the first place, why I will never do them to make money, and why public speaking is the single best thing you can do for your business if you are brave enough to try it. I talk about the woman I saw crying after Brighton, the six figure deal that got done before the doors even opened, the biggest Amazon seller in the country turning up at one of my events and knowing exactly who I was, and what all of that taught me about visibility, community, and why hiding behind a screen is quietly killing your opportunities.

And I talk about what TikTok calling themselves a roadshow partner for this one actually means, and why I think this Manchester event is going to be the best one yet.

One conversation can change everything. I sat down with Chris Grimes in Leeds and here we are.

Social Commerce LIVE in Manchester:
https://des-hamilton.co.uk/social-commerce-live-manchester/

Sponsored by SellerAMP SAS
Seller Amp: http://selleramp.com/hellorich
Use code: HELLORICH_SAS for 50% discount on month 1 or HELLORICH_SAS_ANNUAL for 5% discount on year 1

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