What You’ll Learn About eCommerce Growth and Selling on Amazon in This Episode

Joshua Lee, founder of First Light Studios, manages over $100 million in revenue helping legacy brands build profitable Amazon and eCommerce businesses. In this episode, he shares the exact frameworks his Seattle-based agency uses to take established brands from brick-and-mortar shelves to multimillion-dollar online channels, without compromising the values that made them successful in the first place.

Here is what this episode covers:

• Why Amazon owns 40% of the $1.2 trillion US eCommerce market and why that number matters for every brand owner right now
• The three foundational layers every entrepreneur must get right before spending a dollar on ads
• How to evaluate whether your product will actually be profitable on Amazon after fees, shipping, and advertising costs
• Why discipline around one business model beats chasing multiple opportunities, and when to know you’ve earned the right to expand
• The faith, fatherhood, and leadership principles that shaped how Joshua builds and runs his company

Expert Insights on Amazon eCommerce, Brand Building, and Entrepreneurship

Why Legacy Brands Can No Longer Ignore Amazon (00:00)

“The US eCommerce market is $1.2 trillion and Amazon owns a little over 40% of that.” – Joshua Lee

Brick-and-mortar retail now represents 80% of total commerce, but that number is flat or declining while eCommerce grows year over year. For established brands still relying solely on physical retail, the window to act is narrowing fast. Joshua’s team specializes in helping brands already on the shelves of REI, Walgreens, and CVS make that transition without losing what built their reputation.

The Profitability Checklist Every Seller Needs First (06:50)

“Not every product will actually make money online, so you have to run through that first part.” – Joshua Lee

Amazon charges 15% in referral fees. Add FBA fulfillment costs, shipping, and advertising (typically another 15-25% of the selling price) and you can quickly find yourself underwater without a clear-eyed look at the numbers upfront. Joshua recommends running every product through a full profitability model before committing to any channel strategy.

Where to Sell First: Amazon and TikTok Shop (07:30)

“We always recommend these days Amazon and TikTok Shop. Those are where the customers are at right now.” – Joshua Lee

For brands new to direct-to-consumer selling, channel selection matters. Joshua explains why Amazon and TikTok Shop currently offer the lowest cost to reach buyers actively searching for products, and why advertising is non-negotiable for growth at any stage.

What It Means to Be Retail Ready on Amazon (28:20)

“61% of customers start their product search on Amazon. If you’re not on there right now, just start.” – Joshua Lee

First Light Studios released a retail readiness checklist designed for brands preparing to launch or scale on Amazon. It covers exactly what needs to be in place before investing in paid advertising. DM Joshua on Instagram the keyword Q4 at @onejoshualee to receive the checklist and a 50+ page launch playbook his team uses in-house.

Why Doing One Thing Well Beats Chasing Every Opportunity (23:30)

“Staying disciplined in one lane, doing one thing well, until you can achieve 1.5 or 2 million a year in that one thing, then moving on to the next.” – Joshua Lee

This is one of the most direct pieces of entrepreneur advice in the episode. Joshua is candid that he spent years as a self-described “side hustle dude” before recognizing that the compounding power of focus is what separates seven-figure operators from people who stay stuck. Nothing is easy money. Results come from work done before dawn and after midnight that nobody on social media ever sees.

Faith, Fatherhood, and Leading Yourself First (12:00)

“Leadership is the number one driver to making transformational change in your organization, your family, and within any personal relationship. And it starts with yourself as a leader.” – Joshua Lee

Joshua shares the personal work behind his professional success, including growing up in a traditional Korean household where feelings were never discussed, learning to express emotion as a husband and father, and using a 10-year legacy roadmap to orient his daily decisions. His framework for building a values-driven company starts with the question: what do you want to be known for at your last birthday party?

About Our Expert: Joshua Lee, Amazon eCommerce Strategist and Founder

Founder and CEO of First Light Studios

Joshua Lee built his eCommerce instincts early, buying and flipping broken electronics on eBay through middle school, high school, and college. After careers in angel investment and software product management, he launched First Light Studios following a personal decision to bet on himself as an entrepreneur. Eight years in, his Seattle-based agency manages over $100 million in revenue for legacy brands navigating the shift to online commerce. His team draws on direct Amazon experience to help brand owners move from flat growth to seven and eight-figure eCommerce businesses.

Key Takeaways: Amazon eCommerce and Entrepreneur Advice for Legacy Brand Owners

1. Run the numbers before you run ads. Profitability modeling, not marketing, is step one. Amazon fees, FBA costs, and advertising spend can easily erase margins if you haven’t mapped your unit economics first.
2. Start now, not later. Brands that are not online are losing customers to competitors who are. Getting retail-ready on Amazon takes three to six months with the right process in place.
3. Discipline over diversification. Reaching $1.5-2 million in one channel before expanding is the operating principle Joshua uses both with clients and in his own business.
4. Lead yourself first. The same communication and self-awareness work that makes a better spouse and parent makes a better founder. Personal growth and business growth run on the same fuel.