What is the name of your business?

Future Commerce

how long have you been a 1909 member?

3 Years

in a nutshell, what is IT that you do for a living?

We do research on the modern consumer and we break that research down into fun and digestible pieces of media! We focus on the retail and eCommerce industries, and we publish reports, podcasts, and newsletters that serve over 50,000 people worldwide.

What is your why? How did you get to where you are today?

Let's face it - retail is boring. Research? BORING. We want to fix that. So often data and insights in our industry are bent and twisted to tell a particular story. As veterans in the retail and eCommerce industry, we want the data to serve the stories, and help people to grow their businesses in an equitable way that balances the needs of the consumer, the business, and the world, in a fair way.

What are some challenges you've had to overcome while running (or starting) your business?

Getting people's attention is harder than ever. It's not enough to merely exist as a podcast anymore, you have to be entertaining and constantly experimenting with the format. It's also increasingly difficult to get people's attention in a work from home environment — there's so much more distraction! The eCommerce professional has too much content to wade through, so we need to distill it down to the one or two ideas that are worth you having spent your time consuming.That's the key, and it's what makes us unique.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone starting out on this Business Owner path?

Overnight successes don't happen overnight. It took us 4.5 years of publishing content, consistently, every single week, before we got picked up by major publications like GQ and WWD.It takes grit and determination to build anything; but especially so as a bootstrapped media business.

What is your favorite life lesson?

Any strength, when overextended, becomes a weakness.In this light, balance becomes the goal: "Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes." Ecclesiastes 7:18

Why is 1909 important to you?

Being part of 1909 has surrounded me with both peers and mentors. I literally would not be the person that I am without 1909 to support my growth — both as an individual, and as a founder.

You're grabbing lunch in Downtown WPB - Where are you going and what are you getting?

Subculture for a pour-over and an acai bowl.

If you could change one thing about West Palm Beach - what would it be? why?

I wish West Palm were friendlier to cyclists. More pedestrian and bike infrastructure would transform this city.

How can we see your work or get in touch with you?

Subscribe to our newsletter futurecommerce.com/subscribe or drop me an email: phillip@futurecommerce.com

Psst…

Future Commerce is hiring many roles right now. We're in need of a head of growth, a production designer, a research assistant, and a social media manager. If you'd like a job req or you're interested in applying, drop us a line at hello@futurecommerce.fm

MEET phillip jackson