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[LWN] 🚨 Confidential: My Top 13 AI Tools...

[LWN] 🚨 Confidential: My Top 13 AI Tools...

Lunch With Norm's Weekly Newsletter - Low Inventory Level Fees, Amazon Ads, and Favorite AI Tools

April 08, 2024 • Estimated Read Time: 13 minutes

😱 The Night a Pistol-Whipping Robber Crashed My Family Vacation

A family summer getaway takes a harrowing turn in a hotel room in the south of Montreal…

What you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

🔦 The Night a Pistol-Whipping Robber Crashed My Family Vacation [True Story]
🗞️ Latest Amazon News & Updates
🩸 Is Your Amazon Ads Budget Bleeding Money?
✅ My Top 13 AI Tools and Software
🎙️ What You Missed Last Week
😬 The Listing Optimization Opportunity Almost All Sellers Miss

Did you enjoy my Aprils Fools prank this year? A big, thanks to Abe Chomali for being the “Beard Guy” for the day. Happy Monday Beardos.

😱 The Night a Pistol-Whipping Robber Crashed My Family Vacation [True Story]

Back in the nineties, my parents moved to Maine.

Every summer, we'd drop the kids off at their grandparents' place for a week of vacation.

The kids loved it.

To make the exchange, we'd meet halfway between Toronto and Maine, which usually meant spending a weekend in Montreal.

My son, Hayden, was just two years old.

On our way to pick him up, they stayed the night at a motel in the south of Montreal.

Little did we know, they were in for a terrifying ordeal.

Early in the morning, my dad got up to grab some water. To his horror, he saw a man slithering in through the window.

The intruder immediately pistol-whipped my dad and dragged him back to the bed beside my mom.

They were both wide awake, with two-year-old Hayden sleeping in the other room.

The robber took everything they had.

However, my quick-thinking mom managed to slip her wedding ring off and hide it under the pillow. 💍

Before leaving the room, he gave them a chilling warning:

"Do not move for 10 minutes. I'll be back. If you've moved, I'll shoot you both.”

They didn't dare to move a muscle; luckily, they did not.

The cops came and took a description of the robber.

When we met up later that day, my dad’s head was swollen from the pistol whip. You could actually see the imprint of the barrel.

Everyone was shaken up for days.

Hayden had no idea what was going on. I asked him nonchalantly if he remembered anything about that day.

What he told me next was pretty wild…

He started describing another man at the window - there was apparently a second robber that my parents never saw!

Hayden was even able to give details about the brown car they drove.

In the end, everyone was safe, and my dad's injury healed.

But one thing's for sure... my parents will never stay on the first floor of a hotel ever again.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

— Norm

What was the most shocking part of this week's story?

🗞️ AMAZON NEWS & UPDATES 🗞️

What’s happening in the world of Amazon today…

💰 The Low-Inventory Cost Coverage Fee (Pan-EU), was implemented for standard-size products on April 1, 2024 - Read More
⏰ The new FBA Low-Inventory-Level Fee is now in effect. Certain sellers and products are exempt from this fee, including new sellers to the Pan-European FBA program, new product listings, and products with low sales volume - Read More
🧐 Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ AI Tech Was ‘Actually 1000+ Indians’ Who Remotely Tracked Shoppers - Read More
🚢 U.S. to Crack Down on Trade ‘Loophole’ Used for China Apparel Shipments - Read More
🚨 Amazon lays off several hundred workers in cloud computing unit - Read More

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE BEARDED GUY?

Can you find Norm in the picture below? Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see the answer!

TIRED OF FEELING LIKE YOUR AMAZON ADS BUDGET IS BLEEDING MONEY?

This Tip is Courtesy of Adspert

Navigating Amazon ads without the right tools is like trying to sail the open sea without a compass.

Some sellers swear by manually optimizing their ads where you control every knob and lever. But, let’s be real, who’s got the time? 🤷‍♂️

Consider using a PPC optimization software—your AI-powered sidekick!

It's like having a PPC guru optimizing your ads while you sleep AND making every cent count. 🚀

👉 The best part? A bidding algorithm can analyze tons of data points in split seconds and make informed decisions – not something any human can do.

“Cool. But I’d like to see for myself if this really works…”

I have you covered.

Try Adspert, a premium PPC optimization software to help you grow your eCommerce profit. ⬇️⬇️

🚨 Exclusive 30-day free trial AND 100€ Adspert credit for Lunch With Norm Subscribers: → HERE

WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK

👇 Highlights from last week’s Lunch With Norm podcast episodes👇

Behind the Beard - Norm’s Story

Watch the full episode here

Main Takeaways:

In this April Fool’s episode, we hear my back story!
Jumping in with Both Feet 🌊 Take calculated risks and commit fully to each venture
Build and Leverage Relationships 🛠️ Norm's ability to negotiate and maintain positive relationships with suppliers, partners, and stakeholders has been crucial
Learn from Failures 👨‍🏫 Setbacks are part of the entrepreneurial journey. Embracing failures as learning opportunities can pave the way for future success

My Favorite AI Tools and Software 2024

Watch the full episode here

Here’s the list of my favorite AI apps:

SOPbox: Streamlines the process of creating and managing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), enhancing organizational efficiency
EcomContent: Specializes in creating AI-driven e-commerce content, including product descriptions and SEO-optimized texts
IMG Creator: A tool for generating high-quality images, useful for creating engaging visual content for online stores
NexTech3D.ai: Provides 3D rendering of products, enhancing the online shopping experience with lifelike product visuals
OpusClip and Pictory (also Runway, Synthesia, Savvy): These platforms offer solutions for creating engaging video content, ranging from product demonstrations to marketing videos
Adobe Podcast: Enhances audio quality for podcasts and videos, improving the listening experience for audiences
Frequently.ai: AI-powered tools that help navigate and understand the Terms of Service of various platforms, reducing legal risks
Perci: Comprehensive toolsets designed to assist Amazon sellers with research, listing optimization, and competitive analysis
Canva: A graphic design platform that now includes AI-driven features for creating custom content quickly and efficiently
Grammarly: A writing assistant that offers suggestions to improve grammar, clarity, and tone, now enhanced with AI for more intuitive suggestions
Briskine: An email template and automation tool that speeds up email communication by providing customizable templates for various purposes
Max AI: An AI tool that summarizes content, compares insights across different AI models, and assists with content creation and optimization

Diversification Within The Supply Chain

Watch the full episode here

Main Takeaways:

Diversify Supply Chain 🌎 Diversify manufacturing beyond China to mitigate risks such as political tensions, tariffs, and supply chain disruptions. Look at Vietnam, India, and Mexico
Vet Alternative Manufacturing Countries 🔍 Vet these alternative countries based on their manufacturing strengths, infrastructure, and the specific needs of your product category
Carefully Transition Production to New Countries ⛔️ Steven suggests a phased transition to test the new supply chain's capabilities without fully cutting off the current one. Maintain transparency with your existing suppliers to safeguard relationships and potentially negotiate better terms
Watch Steve on Shark Tank

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

Private Label Legion, 2021📍

Tim Jordan and I came up with some awesome unique content for the Private Label Legion. It was a great time with a very engaged community. Fun times!

THREE UPCOMING PODCASTS

You can watch all episodes on YouTube or on my Facebook page at 12 pm ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!

**Guests and topics are subject to change**

Monday - How to Use AI for Video Creation & Editing

Vikram Chalana - Founder of Pictory
- Use the link for 20% off^
Engineer turned serial entrepreneur
Creates highly engaging videos in minutes using the power of AI

Watch LIVE 👉 Sign up here

AI Wednesday - How To Prompt Like a Pro

Britton Upchurch - Founder of Perci
- Use BEARD10 for 10% off
5 years ago, he taught himself AI and coding
Built Perci, an advanced AI Amazon listing tool on the market, and builds the next generation of Amazon selling tools

Watch LIVE 👉 Sign up here