What I Learned From Losing $17K

Hey Fearless Friend!

Today on Stay Fearless or Die Trying😀 

• The Connecticut Dating events are July 26th and August 30th. If you weren’t invited, don’t fret: you’ll be on the next one!

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• Chief Swag Officer premiered at Vidcon and it was CRAZY cool! I just applied for Shark Tank too…what’s next?

My favorite newsletter at the moment: especially if you’re looking to get involved in stocks/investing and have no idea where to start.

Last Week Was Insane. I almost lost $17,000.

Building Chief Swag Officer has pushed me to limits I didn’t even know were possible.

E-commerce is so different than building a personal brand. I’m not a numbers girl and I find myself having to force myself to sit through hours of understating inventory, SKU numbers, POS systems, and so much more.

Out of the blue, we got a purchase order request from a massive university. Close to 72 hours of negotiating back and forth, and something wasn’t sitting right with me. After some investigating and CHATgpt’ing - we came to the decision that entire order was fake.

Get this: if we had shipped this “university” 20 microphones and 25 + microphone covers, we’d have lost $20,000. Their original email is below for you to see how slick this purchase order was.

What I learned:

1. I had no idea what a purchase order was before we got an order, so I can at least be happy that I now know what a purchase order is

2. Universities and government organizations do use net-15 or net-30 for purchases

3. I know who to ask for money now that I thought I needed $17,000 last week (SUNY was planning to do a net-15)

   Reply to this email with what else I should know about purchase orders and invoices and I’ll send you a custom mic cover on the house.

In today’s digital world, almost anyone can launch a brand. But the road you take depends entirely on what kind of brand you’re building—and whether you're the face of it or the engine behind it.

While personal brands and e-commerce brands can overlap, they serve different purposes, require different strategies, and come with very different challenges. If you’re deciding where to invest your time and energy (or trying to balance both), here’s what you need to know.

1. Face vs. Product: Who (or What) Is the Brand?

Personal brand: You are the product. Your face, voice, opinions, and values are what people are buying into. Whether you’re a coach, influencer, speaker, or content creator, your audience is here for you.

eCommerce brand: The product stands on its own. You're selling physical or digital goods, and your goal is to build trust and loyalty around the function, aesthetic, or result of the product—not necessarily your personality.

2. Trust Is Built Differently

With a personal brand, people trust you because they know you. They follow your journey, relate to your story, and value your perspective.

With an eCommerce brand, trust has to be built through:

• Strong branding

• Clear product benefits

• User reviews

• Customer service
  People need to believe your product works—without necessarily knowing who you are.

3. Scalability

Personal brands often face a scalability ceiling. You’re the brand, so your time, energy, and availability are limited. You might hire a team, but people still expect you.

eCommerce brands are inherently more scalable. Once you have a system for product development, fulfillment, and marketing, you can grow far beyond yourself.

4. Marketing Strategies

Personal brand: Relies heavily on organic content, storytelling, and direct engagement with your audience (like Instagram, podcasts, or newsletters).

eCommerce brand: Leans on performance marketing (ads), SEO, email flows, influencer partnerships, and visual branding.

A personal brand grows best when people feel connected to you. An eCommerce brand grows when people believe in the product.

5. Longevity & Exit Potential

Personal brands can burn out if you don’t evolve. It’s hard to “sell” or pass down a personal brand—it’s deeply tied to you.

eCommerce brands are more transferable. With strong systems and a loyal customer base, they can eventually be sold, licensed, or passed on.

So, Which One Should You Build?

That depends on your goals.

• Want to build something scalable, sellable, and product-focused? Start with an eCommerce brand.

• Want to create a business rooted in your unique story, personality, or voice? Focus on your personal brand.

• Or, do both: build a personal brand that powers your eCommerce business. (This is a common hybrid strategy among influencers and founders.)

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Stay Fearless or Die Trying,
 💌 Alexa Curtis