Tariff Survival Tactics — How to Protect Margins and Navigate U.S. Trade Policy with Luke Peters
Release Date: 07/03/2025
How to Grow Past $10 Million in Sales with a Fractional VP of Sales
The 8-Figure Product CEO
What if you could hire a VP of Sales—without the full-time salary? In this episode, I sat down with Richard Few, Founder of Sales Geek, to talk about how founders scale past $10M using fractional sales leadership. Richard launched Sales Geek in 2017 and built a global sales consultancy—bootstrapped, with $6M in revenue, 15 core staff, and 70+ franchisees worldwide. We unpack how fractional VPs help early-stage businesses fix what’s really blocking growth: no sales systems, unclear messaging, and poor hiring. If you’re a CEO still doing sales yourself—or you’ve hired reps without a...
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How to Turn a Hobby into a Million-Dollar Business
The 8-Figure Product CEO
What would it take to turn your craft into a real business? In this unique episode, Luke coaches Kevin, the founder of Summit Effects, live on how to transform his woodworking passion into a scalable product brand. Kevin’s been running his custom woodshop since 2001, with deep craftsmanship and a strong social media presence—but it hasn’t translated into growth. Luke guides Kevin through a strategic pivot: building a product line that’s shippable, high-margin, and tells a story. Together, they explore new hero products (like custom sushi boards and accessories), walk through...
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New Product Development - 5 Secrets from a Billion-Dollar President
The 8-Figure Product CEO
How do billion-dollar brands decide what products to launch—and which to kill? Daniel T. Siegel, President of Lifetime Brands, has spent over 30 years in the housewares industry and helped steer the portfolio past $1B in sales. In this episode, Dan joins Luke Peters to break down the exact filters, signals, and frameworks he uses to guide product innovation at scale. You’ll learn: Why channel fit and margin path matter more than market size slides The two data points that actually predict sell-through How to define a “kill rule” that stops losers before tooling When to build,...
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EPIC Whiskey Branding that Led to a Business Sale
The 8-Figure Product CEO
Paul Hletko — Founder, FEW Spirits (est. 2011, Evanston, IL). Grain-to-glass craft whiskey brand known for Chicago-style bourbon, distinctive flavor, and creative collabs. FEW became part of Samson & Surrey, now under Heaven Hill. Key Takeaways (quick hits) Position before production: FEW chose Chicago bourbon—distinct taste by design, not “safe.” Price = signal: Set as an affordable luxury (~$45–$50) to telegraph quality without scaring off trial. Give fans a story to repeat: Place: Evanston—birthplace of Prohibition—baked into the brand. Personal: Family...
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Turning a Sleep Idea Into a Patent-Protected $10M+ Brand — With No Funding
The 8-Figure Product CEO
Guest: Melissa Bamberg, Founder & CEO of Nodpod Episode theme: Creating a new product category, protecting it with IP, and scaling—debt-free. I just sat down with Melissa Bamberg, the founder behind Nodpod, the strap-free weighted sleep mask that basically invented its own category. She built this business without outside funding, carries no debt, and owns 100%—all while raising three kids. Today Nodpod is an eight-figure brand with defensible IP and real retail presence. What stood out Category creator: Melissa didn’t iterate—she invented the...
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How to Find Product-Market Fit on a Startup
The 8-Figure Product CEO
How Stuart Jenkins built a factory from scratch, faced rejection, and now is growing at 100% After 48 years in footwear, Stuart Jenkins didn’t retire—he built a factory in China from scratch to launch Blumaka. What started as a bold leap turned into a brand doing nearly $5M and growing 100% year over year. This episode is for any founder in the grind—Stuart breaks down: ✅ How he found product-market fit across 3 channels: OEM midsoles, direct-to-consumer insoles, and his own Fleks brand ✅ The toughest rejections that almost broke the business ✅ Why sustainability isn’t just...
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Should You Outsource Your Supply Chain? Here’s What Happens If You Get It Wrong
The 8-Figure Product CEO
Warehousing mistakes don’t just slow you down—they bleed cash. Adrian Stoch has seen it all. As CEO of Hai Robotics (Americas) and a Former Exec at Target and GXO, he’s lived the automation nightmares most founders don’t talk about. In this episode, we dig into: ✅ 3 costly automation mistakes that kill warehouse margins ✅ How to choose the right 3PL (most get this dead wrong) ✅ What small brands should automate now—not later ✅ Why outsourcing too early can break your customer promise ✅ How fast-growth brands can scale warehousing without chaos Founders—if you're stuck...
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How to Make the Startup Grind Work – The Small Business CEO Roadmap
The 8-Figure Product CEO
How Daniel Graves Bootstrapped a Bold Vodka Brand in a Crowded Market Daniel Graves is the CEO of Dirty Dill—a pickle-flavored vodka brand disrupting the spirits world from the inside. With just four employees and no outside funding, he’s built a cult following and national momentum. In this episode, Daniel shares how he made the startup grind work—from bottling in-house to raising capital the hard way. You’ll learn: How Dirty Dill bootstrapped and stayed profitable before raising capital How to structure a lean team when scaling with under 5 people Why branding beyond the...
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From Family Business to $100M+ Sales: Randy Covington on Building a Legacy Brand
The 8-Figure Product CEO
Randy Covington has been building businesses the old-fashioned way—through grit, long-term thinking, and putting people first. In this episode, we dive into his journey scaling a multi-generational family business into a $100M+ sales machine. Randy shares what it takes to transition leadership across generations, how to keep culture alive while growing, and why staying patient can often beat chasing shortcuts. You’ll hear about: 🟡 The lessons from decades in consumer goods 🟡 How to manage family dynamics without killing the business 🟡 Why clarity and patience are often underrated...
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From Flipping 100+ Homes to Building a 7-Figure Empire (with Credit)
The 8-Figure Product CEO
🚨 From Flipping 100+ Homes to Building a 7-Figure Empire (with Credit) 🚨 Most people see credit as debt. Brandon Elliott sees it as leverage. He didn’t start with money. He didn’t have investors. But he’s flipped over 100 homes, scaled a real estate portfolio across 4 states, and built a 7-figure brand helping others break free from financial stress. In this episode, Brandon breaks down: ✅ How he used credit to fund real estate deals (without hard money) ✅ The “velocity strategy” that turns flips into cash flow and long-term wealth ✅ Why most founders build too...
info_outlineIn this special episode recorded live with the International Housewares Association (IHA), business advisor and 20-year product industry veteran Luke Peters breaks down how U.S. importers can legally reduce tariffs and keep their profits intact—even with rising trade pressures.
Luke grew his own product company, NewAir, and exited to private equity in 2021. He’s been in the trenches dealing with global shipping, customs, and rising tariffs—and now helps other CEOs do the same.
In this session, you’ll learn:
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How companies are getting hit with 55%+ tariffs and what to do about it
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What the First Sale Rule really means—and how it can lower your tariff bill
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Why some importers are using DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) and what red flags to watch for
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How unbundling products and shipping in parts (instead of full sets) can save you money
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What tariff engineering is—and how small changes in product design can make a big difference
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Why getting a binding ruling from U.S. Customs can protect you and reduce risk
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When and how to move your supply chain to other countries like Vietnam, Mexico, or India
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Real examples from companies like SharkNinja, Yeti, and others that are already doing this
This episode is packed with clear, practical advice for importers, founders, and operations teams looking to stay competitive—without cutting corners.
You’ll also hear about:
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The risks of shady practices like false DDP deals or mislabeling products
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The role of brokers, legal help, and customs audits
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How to use tools and experts to check if you’re overpaying on tariffs
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What smaller companies can do to keep up with big brands who’ve already adapted
If your business imports products, sells on Amazon, or relies on global manufacturing—this is the deep dive you need to avoid losing margin in today’s trade environment.
Note: These are proven strategies, not legal advice. Always work with your broker or legal team to make sure everything is done right.