Host:
Hello to everyone listening or viewing. On this episode, we’re joined by Jasim. Thank you so much for taking the time to be here. Could you start by letting everyone know where you’re from?
Jasim:
Sure. I’m based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, originally from Jordan/Palestine. Our headquarters are here in Minneapolis.
Host:
Fantastic. I’m really excited about today’s conversation because you’re managing an Amazon portfolio with a run rate of $100M per year. We’re going to unpack your history, what you’re working on now, the common pitfalls you face (and that other sellers probably do too), and the opportunities ahead.
I may have butchered the intro a little—so could you walk us through your background and where you are now?
Jasim:
Of course. We started selling on Amazon about a decade ago, around 2015–2016. Back then I was only 15 or 16. I got close to my college professors, and they started giving me their old textbooks. That’s how I started dabbling—buying and reselling textbooks on Amazon.
From there we moved into other categories, doing retail and online arbitrage. Eventually, we wanted something more long-term, so we began building and acquiring brands with the cash flow we had generated.
Today, we own and operate multiple brands, partner with others to grow them, and we’re on Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other marketplaces. We also acquire brands and manage them end-to-end.
Host:
Something unusual about your partnerships is that you don’t just manage the listings—you also buy the brand’s inventory upfront. Is that right?
Jasim:
Yes. We call it a buy–sell account management partnership. We purchase the brand’s inventory, sell it through our accounts (where we already have volume advantages), and handle everything end-to-end. Right now we manage around two dozen brands this way, across both U.S. and international marketplaces.
Host:
Let’s rewind to when you first started. You mentioned textbooks—could you walk us through those early days and the pitfalls you encountered?
Jasim:
Sure. Around 2016–2017 I was in a program called PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment). I was in community college while still in high school. Professors started giving me old textbooks for free. I listed them on Amazon and realized they were worth $100–$150 each. That’s when I got excited.
I started buying textbooks from students, then expanded into other categories. Eventually, we opened five warehouse locations across the U.S. so we could process and accept more inventory.
Our biggest pitfall was expanding too fast. We opened three locations in six months and signed warehouse deals that weren’t favorable. We lost money locking into bad terms.
Another challenge was hiring too quickly. We were doubling revenue year over year, and sometimes filled seats with the wrong people just to keep up. It hurt our culture. Now we’re much more careful about who joins the team.
Host:
Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently during that rapid growth phase?
Jasim:
Two things:
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Communication & Silos – Departments weren’t talking to each other. We’re fixing this with better project management tools, onboarding checklists, and ERP integration.
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Hiring – We’re much more selective now. Culture and fit matter more than just filling roles quickly.
Host:
What made you transition from selling, to acquiring brands, to now also partnering with them?
Jasim:
Up until the end of COVID, we were mainly resellers. We’d buy products and flip them. Then suppliers began offering us wholesale access. Some even gave us exclusive SKUs.
At that point, it made sense to invest in improving those listings. If we were going to sell the same SKU long term, why not grow it? That shift led to partnerships and acquisitions.
Around two years ago, we started acquiring brands directly. And now, with today’s market being a buyer’s market (multiples down from 6–8x to 2–3x), there are some great deals out there.
Host:
So what makes a brand attractive for you to acquire?
Jasim:
Our sweet spot is $1M–$20M revenue brands that are hungry for growth. They’re willing to invest in marketing and long-term brand building—not just looking for a quick cash grab.
We like brands open to multi-channel expansion—Walmart, international Amazon marketplaces, etc. Sustainability and growth mindset are key.
Host:
With 20,000+ SKUs under management, what are the biggest hurdles you’re facing now?
Jasim:
The biggest challenges are:
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Inventory management – Staying at a 97–98% in-stock rate. Spikes from social media or unexpected demand can wipe us out.
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Data management – With so many SKUs, we’ve bucketed them into categories: growth mode, maintenance mode, etc. Each gets a different level of attention.
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Supply chain costs – We’ve reduced per-unit shipping from $2 down to $0.90 by consolidating shipments, negotiating freight, and leveraging economies of scale.
Host:
And what about opportunities that others might be overlooking?
Jasim:
Two big ones:
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Logistics optimization – Most brands overspend here. Consolidation, smarter warehousing, and freight partnerships save massive amounts.
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Data benchmarking – With our large dataset, we know what “good” looks like in terms of CPCs, conversion rates, and more. That gives us an edge.
Host:
How does AI fit into your business right now?
Jasim:
It’s had a big impact.
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Communication – Better translations between our U.S. and Jordan offices. It reduces misunderstandings.
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SEO & Creative – AI helps us generate iterations for testing images, titles, and ad copy. We can run far more tests than before.
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Product Optimization – AI tools help us experiment with Subscribe & Save offers, coupon structures, and creative angles.
Overall, it makes our people more productive and effective.
Host:
You’re running a large team. What are the green flags you look for when hiring?
Jasim:
Some key signs someone is a great fit:
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They take things off your plate and give you time back.
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They run toward challenges, not away.
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They’re output-focused, not clock-watchers.
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They think like leaders, considering the company as a whole, not just their department.
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They’re always learning and growing, not complacent.
For warehouse roles, we usually know in 1–2 weeks if they’re a fit. For leadership roles, it can take 3–4 months to see results.
Host:
When you onboard a new brand, what are the mistakes you see again and again?
Jasim:
Three big ones:
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Supply Chain & Packaging – Wrong fulfillment tier classifications or oversized packaging costs brands money. Fixing this can save 30+ cents per unit.
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Creative – The main image is incredibly powerful. Testing variations often delivers exponential improvements in CTR and sales.
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Advertising – Blended branded and non-branded campaigns. We separate and manage them granularly for better insights and efficiency.
Host:
That’s huge. You mentioned main images—how do you approach testing those?
Jasim:
We use tools like PickFu pre-launch and Amazon Manage Your Experiments post-launch.
We usually start with slight variations rather than radical changes, especially if the product is already ranking well. We monitor closely and roll back if performance drops.
Host:
This has been packed with value already. Before we wrap up, is there anything I should have asked but didn’t?
Jasim:
One thing on my mind: Amazon’s relationship with manufacturers. Their priorities are price, selection, and trust. Sometimes they bypass brands and agencies to go directly to factories.
So we’re asking ourselves: what’s our role as agencies, resellers, or private label brands in that future? How do we make ourselves indispensable? That’s the big-picture question we’re thinking about.
Host:
That’s a fascinating point. We’ve noticed Amazon tends to give household-name brands a dedicated account team. For smaller and mid-sized brands, it often makes sense to outsource to experts like us. Hopefully that dynamic continues—it’s been great for agencies and sellers alike.
Jasim, thank you so much for joining us. If someone listening is in that $1M–$20M range and interested in partnering or selling their brand, what’s the best way to reach you?
Jasim:
You can reach us at ra.com, or find me on YouTube and LinkedIn. I share a lot of videos and content there, and it’s a good way to get a feel for how we work.
Host:
Perfect. Thank you again for your time, Jasim, and thanks to everyone listening. We’ll drop links in the description. See you on the next episode.
