Ecommerce coach · 1-2-1 mentoring for founders
The trusted advisor founders hire to unlock their brand’s true potential.
Your partner on the road to real ecommerce growth. 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring for founders and ecommerce leaders, from early-growth DTC brands to those preparing a £10M exit.
Your strategic filter
Most ecommerce brands aren’t short on tactics. They’re short on filters.
In today’s ecommerce landscape, there’s no shortage of:
- Agencies promising 10x ROAS with rocket-ship emojis
- AI tools claiming to automate your entire growth strategy
- Gurus pushing the latest ad hack
Growth doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing what actually matters, at the right time, in the right order and with the right resources.
As a founder, your job isn’t to chase every opportunity. It’s to choose the right ones. I act as the strategic filter between your brand and the noise of ecommerce, helping you:
- Identify what’s actually holding you back
- Prioritise your next three moves (not thirty)
- Align your time, team and budget toward growth that compounds
Ian Rhodes
Ecommerce growth coach and mentor
“Working with Ian is probably the best thing that has happened to us in the last 6 years. Ian has managed to help us turn a corner by training up our team immensely.”
Rivki Stoll · Private White V.C.
Sound familiar?
The 3 signs you’re operating without a filter.
01
You’re spending more, but not growing faster
You’re increasing ad spend and testing new tools, but conversion rate, LTV and profit aren’t improving.
02
Everyone’s busy, but unfocused
You, your team or your agency are executing, but there’s no clear strategic roadmap guiding the work.
03
High-stakes decisions in the dark
New SKUs, new markets, new acquisition channels: you’re guessing, not planning.
Imagine having a filter for every key decision.
These are the decisions I help you get right before you spend the money, hire the agency or take the next big risk.
- Is this channel actually profitable?
- Are we margin-healthy at scale?
- Should we build retention, ops or acquisition next?
- Are we investor-ready, or just revenue-rich and valuation-poor?
What the founders I work with call me
“An ecommerce therapist.”
Sure, I’m there to listen and give advice from 28 years of growing ecommerce brands. I’m also there to question: to bring clarity to how you grow your business, so you do the work with more focus, more confidence and less hesitancy.
I’ve been there too. I built my own ecommerce brand from scratch: the supply issues, the warehouse, the staff, the continual growth conundrum. You don’t get it until you’ve done it.
Who I coach
Founder-led brands, serious about building for the long haul.
I advise and mentor founder teams at ecommerce stores, from startups to 8-figure brands. You’ll learn how to build and systemise your growth strategy across paid and organic channels, and build lean, making the best use of the technology available to you. No playbook. No 10x growth plans that guarantee success. This is the real work.
Markets
A diverse bunch. In a good way.
Startups to 8-figure brand owners, and pretty much everything in between: people who know there are better, smarter ways to grow.
Platforms
Mostly Shopify and Shopify Plus.
Sometimes Magento 2 / Adobe Commerce, and on the odd occasion WooCommerce.
Not a good match
Dropshippers, general retailers, Amazon and eBay sellers.
Or anyone with the desire to get rich quick. The easy route doesn’t exist.
Where do we start?
Your trusted advisor across every part of ecommerce growth.
With a big old chat about where you’re at right now, how you got there and where you want to head. Our first meaningful task is to prioritise the work. We get granular with the data. We get slightly nerdy adopting the tech. We get creative across your product pages, email sequences and comms. And I’ll give you access to insight direct from your customers, using Voice of the Customer data to focus on where the growth opportunity really is.
You’ll have questions. A lot of questions. Here are some of the ones we work through together:
On the performance side
- Which numbers matter, and how do I track them?
- Do I focus on acquisition or retention?
- Do I hire or outsource? Which role, and when?
- How do we use AI to streamline processes?
- Which channels should work best for us?
- What pricing strategy suits us? Do I discount?
On the brand side
- How do I get people to buy into what my brand is about?
- How do I differentiate from similar products?
- Do I even need to be running Meta ads?
- Can I really build my business organically?
- What’s my approach to video if I’m uncomfortable on camera?
- Should we be on YouTube?
On the practical side
- How do we measure customer lifetime value?
- Which Klaviyo flows and segments should we build?
- What content should we be creating?
- How do we get more (and better) reviews?
- How can we develop our loyalty programme?
- Which apps should we use, on what budget?
The ecommerce coaching programme
AKA: what do you get for your money?
01
Regular coaching calls
Weekly, fortnightly or monthly: your time, your decision. Usually 30 minutes to an hour on Zoom or the phone, reviewing the work, discussing challenges and planning what’s next.
02
Support between calls
We use Slack, email and WhatsApp. I’m here to answer questions and give you all the insight I can throughout our work together.
03
Customer insight in the background
I’m discovering and sharing customer insights from within your business, and showing you how to use that data to prioritise. Real, practical advice. Not generic motivational content.
04
No long-term contract
My objective is to provide value, not to lock you in. This is all I do now: I learn, I coach, I teach. If it’s not working for you, we part ways.
What founders say
The mentor you want in your corner.
“If you’re serious about building something that stands the test of time and is future-proofed against the inevitable rise in ad costs, Ian is the mentor you want in your corner. His guidance is strategic, actionable, and always rooted in long-term success.”
Anton · Founder, LutherBennett.com
“He truly has become an essential part of the business and continues to exceed my high expectations in every way. Ian’s also very fun to work with, which is an added bonus!”
Keri-Ann · Founder, women’s luxury fashion retailer
“I have no hesitation in recommending Ian to any start up business owner no matter how small your niche, he is truly outstanding.”
Sharon Demmery · Founder, Demmerys.com
Your initial questions, answered
Ecommerce coaching FAQs.
Do you offer one-off coaching calls?
Yes. Most of my coaching takes place over a number of months, but if you want to discuss a specific element of ecommerce, I’m happy to schedule a call. Use the form below to explain how I can help.
I’m time-stretched. So who does the work?
This isn’t just me telling you what to do. I get my fingers dirty too. If we’re introducing new technology, I’ll help implement it. If we need external developers or specialists, I’ll recommend them.
Can you coach my team too?
Yes. I’ll help them master the skills, strategies and processes of elite marketers, building their knowledge and confidence so you get the best out of those around you.
How much does your coaching cost?
I’ll outline coaching costs on our introductory call. As a guide, coaching fees generally start from £650 a month, depending on the size of your team, how often we meet and the volume of SKUs.
Do you have a lengthy contract?
No. We work month by month. If you’re not seeing a return, it’s silly for me to keep invoicing. It’s my job to make sure our work has a positive impact on your business.
What if we’re not using Shopify?
No problem. I’ve worked across platforms including WooCommerce and Magento. If you’re considering replatforming, I can advise on the process too.
What if I’m not based in the UK?
I take on coaching clients from the UK, Europe and North America.
How soon can we start?
I like to make sure you don’t wait more than 4 weeks before our work together starts. We often work intensively for the first few months, then my role shifts to a more advisory capacity as your confidence and results grow. Long term, I want you to control your own marketing.
I’m not clued up on technology…
You don’t need to be. You’ve got a business to run. I’ll show you how to get the best out of the tools that are relevant to growing your business.
What size businesses do you work with?
Startups who are serious about growing an ecommerce business, and brands turning over 6–7 figures a year, or on the road to it.
We need help with one specific area, like Klaviyo. Can you still help?
Yes, though the most effective route to growth is a holistic one. Ads, email, CRO and SEO all work together, so we’ll look at how the components of your growth connect.
Book your introductory call
Ready to grow a thriving ecommerce business?
Use the form, or email me at ian@ecommercegrowth.com. I’ll be in touch to answer your questions, learn more about your brand and discuss how I can help it grow.
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