Hi – I’m Oz. I help early-stage founders master their Inner CEO to unlock outer success so they can confidently scale from $500K to $5M+ with ease.

Oz Merchant

My Story in Three Acts

ACT ONE:

With a degree in production management (basically how to run a factory and manage supply chain), I spent many years in retail helping open up two different retail stores and even expanding one into wholesale selling apparel across the US. I started dabbling in ecommerce in the early 2000’s, initially with eBay, then Amazon, and then Bigcommerce and Shopify. We were selling now selling the retail products online.

I had also spent 3 years getting a Coaching certification and had begun a journey into personal and professional development training with the best in the industry learning the most cutting-edge transformational tools. So I immediately started working with coaching clients on the side.

ACT TWO:

Enter the world of high-tech SaaS, of course it was still the ASP days so no one knew what SaaS or the cloud was yet.

I spent the next 20 years helping build and scale B2B SaaS companies. This led me travel all around the world and live overseas again. Of those 6 startups, 3 had successful exits.

Over those years, I helped raise $147.2M in venture capital, build out go-to-market strategies, build and scale sales teams from scratch, implement way too many CRMs, and really all the key GTM playbooks a rapidly growing successful B2B SaaS company needs to thrive.

ACT THREE:

Act 3 has been a culmination of the last 2.5 decades worth of experience.

Over the last few years, I’ve moved into ecommerce again with the launch of startup number 7 called ecomsellersHQ.

I work 1:1 on with early-stage (Seed, Series A, or bootstrapped) CEOs helping them with clarity, accountability, leadership, scalability, and resilience—empowering them to achieve extraordinary results, inspire their teams, and enjoy the journey of leadership.

I am writing extensively along with speaking and running workshops. See what my clients are saying.

For the last 3 years, I’ve been helping founders prepare to pitch investors, so I’ll be releasing an online pitch course soon. I am the Program Director of Founder Institute NC where I run a startup tech accelerator for budding founders.

I help many CEOs with their pitch decks to secure their next round of funding.

I serve as a Board Advisor to a few companies:

  • MasRefund – AI based tax filing app for the Hispanic community (singles and married couples filing jointly without dependents).
  • Seed2Table – Our mission is to help innovative startups and investors cut through the noise so they can have meaningful conversations about unique opportunities with one another over amazing dinners in great venues.
  • SentiVest – Helping day traders get AI-driven insights, real-time news analysis, and actionable data to save time, make better decisions, and gain a competitive edge resulting in more profitable trades.

Topics

I write about five topics to help you scale your business.

Leadership Growth and Peak Performance

Become the leader your team needs by fostering trust, alignment, and high performance at every level of your organization. Develop emotional intelligence, address blind spots, and create a thriving culture where great ideas and collaboration flourish.

Dive into growth.

Vision and Strategic Planning

Define your organization’s future with a clear, actionable vision and strategic roadmap that align your goals, inspire your team, and drive sustainable growth. Discover how to turn big ideas into measurable outcomes by prioritizing what truly matters for long-term success.

Scaling and Customer Success

Master the art of scaling your business while maintaining operational integrity and delivering unparalleled value to your customers. Learn strategies to optimize acquisition, retention, and service delivery, ensuring your growth is both profitable and sustainable.

Financial Leadership and Accountability

Stay on top of your numbers and make data-driven decisions that propel your business forward with confidence. From managing cash flow to setting financial goals, elevate your role as a strategic financial leader while building a business that thrives.

Execution and Team Dynamics

Your strategy is only as strong as your team’s ability to execute. Align your people, eliminate bottlenecks, and turn bold visions into measurable outcomes. It’s about driving results while building a culture of seamless collaboration.

Focus Areas

Coaching and Consulting

I work with CEOs to help them gain traction and scale their businesses in several key ways.

AREAS OF FOCUS
IDEATION
LAUNCH
SCALE
SaaS
Talking to Potential Customers
Planning the Sales Strategy
Scaling up a Sales Methodology
Prepping for a Pitch
Defining Marketing Strategies
Implementing a Tech Stack for Scale
Reviewing Biz Models & GTM
Building Success & Support Systems
Creating Playbooks for New Hires
AREAS OF FOCUS
IDEATION
LAUNCH
SCALE
Ecommerce
Discussing Ecommerce Models
Understanding Cash Conversion Cycles
Sourcing New Suppliers
Planning the Investment
Accessing Capital
Defining SOPs
Building a CEO Mindset
Forming a Team
Building Systems

In The Media

Selling on Giants

Launching, scaling, and exiting your ecommerce brand

Elevate eCommerce

CEO Mindsets, omni-channel selling, and more

Hacking the Patriarchy

Global visions: How to scale your business internationally

Monetizing Your Mental Capital

Mastering marketplaces and the ecommerce journey

Ecomm Insiders Podcast

Strategies for scaling amazon business and maintaining cash flow

The Ecommerce Lab

Learn how to identify the best service providers for your business

FinTech Confidential Podcast

Scale your ecommerce business with capital management

Mind Workshop Podcast

Hack your mind to design your happiness

Ecommerce Coffee Break Podcast

Ecommerce funding made Simple for more sales

The Deal Closers Podcast

A funding solution for ecommerce scaling as you think about exiting

Mastering Cashflow

Don’t let your lack of cash flow knowledge derail your business.

Unveiling the Wizardry

From venture capital to working capital to business planning

Scaling E-Commerce

Staying ahead in the competitive Amazon marketplace

Sellernomics Podcast

Exploring funding options for your amazon business

How to Use Outside Capital

When to say no and when to say yes to scale with outside capital.

If you would like to have me on as a guest on your podcast, please reach out to discuss.

Got Questions?

FAQs

Who is your ideal SaaS client?

My ideal SaaS CEO client is an earlier stage SaaS company building a high-growth business. I typically define this business as having ACVs (average contract values) of $50K or less and sales cycles of less than 90 days. I prefer them to have at least $50K in MRR, though it isn’t a specific requirement. Their business can be either bootstrapped or venture backed.

Who is your ideal Ecommerce client?

My ideal ecommerce CEO client is a private label brand owner or scaling online wholesale reseller doing at least $500K in sales per year. You should be in business 6 months if rapidly growing or ideally 12 months.

How many clients do you work with?

I keep my coaching business relatively small. I typically work with no more than 4-6 CEOs at one time. Because of this, I require a discovery call before working together. The purpose of the discovery call is to assess mutual fit, and not to sell you on my coaching services.

How long does an coaching engagement last?

Most of my engagements last between 3-4 quarters, but that is not a requirement. My minimum commitment is for at least one quarter together. I always work with companies and CEOs that I believe will be a good fit long term.

Do you have a coaching "system"?

While I love frameworks and incorporate many. I do not promote any specific one. I believe that each relationship requires something very different given the age of the business, the CEO, product, team, etc. My goal is not to come in and give “one-size-fits-all” advice. My goal is to listen, learn, and collect as much context as possible before making a recommendation of any sort.

How do we start the relationship?

Once we have a discovery session and believe there is a mutual fit, I simply require the first month’s payment before getting started. Once that payment is complete, we schedule an initial 1-hour session to do a deeper dive into your business, set expectations, learn about specific challenges, etc.

How often do we meet?

I meet with CEOs either weekly or bi-weekly based on the package selected. The benefit of our coaching relationship is that you can text or email me at your convenience. I will typically respond right away, but I also guarantee a 24-hour response. If you find yourself in a situation where you need immediate guidance and believe a meeting is the best forum, I will always work to schedule something as soon as possible.

Do you do in-person meetings?

As of right now, all of my sessions are virtual through Google Meet. If you’d prefer a phone call vs. Meet, that’s absolutely fine.

How long is a session?

Coaching sessions typically last 60 minutes. However, there are times when a CEO might need to speak with me for just 10 minutes, and other times a challenge may require the full 60 minutes. I don’t run a “pay-per-minute” type of service. My goal is to provide valuable advice to my CEOs.

How often should I reach out?

You should reach out as often as possible. The point of our relationship is for me to provide strategic guidance when you need it. Some clients reach out once per week, while others reach out once per day. Don’t be shy to text or call me.

When are you available?

I typically make myself available between 10am and 5pm ET Monday through Friday. If you need me outside of those hours, I will always do my best to free up some time to connect.

How do we schedule our sessions?

Sessions are held Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. I prefer to have them repeated at the same time each day of the week to maintain consistency for you and me. Exceptions can be made as needed.

How else do you help between sessions?

I can help in countless ways. On the SaaS front, we can review a plan, talk through a decision, discuss GTM strategies, pitch deck review and prep, sales and customer success playbooks, review forecasting and projections, etc.

On the ecommerce front, we can also discuss new product launches, exploring new manufacturers, cutting costs in the supply chain, plan for cash flow, discuss bookkeeping and exit planning, explore other channels and global markets, etc.

I also have a network of capital and funding options. I can help you find the right funding provider and assess the offers to make sure you are getting good ROI on the capital.

Plus, I have several M&A partners who buy and sell ecommerce and SaaS businesses.

Whether you need a microloan, invoice or revenue financing, short-term working capital, term loans, or a line of credit, I have a contact for you.

I can help make introductions to my large network of operators and individual contributors. I can send interesting and useful articles, podcasts, and webinars that I believe are high quality, and much more.

If I need something in between sessions, how quickly can you respond?

I always try to have a 24 hour response time. If something requires a faster response, the best way to reach out is via text.

How can I provide you direct feedback?

You can provide feedback at any time throughout our relationship. I prefer candid, direct feedback to make sure we are working together as effectively as possible.

How much time do I have to make a decision to move forward or not?

As much as you need. There is no urgency for you to make a decision to work with me. I prefer the right CEO and the right company at the right time.

What is your rate?

I offer two packages: Weekly meetings are $3,000 per month, and bi-weekly meetings are $2,000 per month. All packages come with access via phone, email, and text 10am to 5pm ET, Monday through Friday. (Note: If your MRR is less than $50K or less than $500K in gross sales talk to me, in some cases, I can offer a scaled rate.)

How do I set up a call to learn more?

To get the process started, you can schedule a time to discuss your objectives with the calendar link below.

Time to Take Charge of Your Journey

Great leadership isn’t just about achieving results—it’s about how you get there. Let’s align your vision, goals, and mindset to create lasting impact for you and your organization.

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