The 2026 eCom Trends Report
Top Report Findings: This is our sixth Trends Report with 300 owners representing $3.5...
Ever wondered how a former dishwasher could build a multi-million dollar eCommerce business? In this episode, I sit down with Santiago Roa, the founder of Culiau.com, as he shares his incredible journey. From humble beginnings and learning English while washing dishes to innovating a unique engraving pen that completely revolutionized his sector, Santiago has an amazing story you don’t want to miss.
Listen in as he discusses the challenges and milestones of scaling a business from scratch, his commitment to world-class mentorship at all costs, and the strategies that led to his explosive annual growth. He also dives into the pivotal failures and lessons learned along the way, particularly in managing people and setting objectives that align with ambitious business goals.
You’ll learn:
- How Santiago transitioned from manual labor to mastering eCommerce and product innovation. (4:30)
- Strategies for scaling business operations and the role of high expectations in business growth. (14:30)
- The importance of mentorship and investing in learning from industry leaders. (20:25)
- Effective management techniques and the evolution of Santiago’s approach to team objectives and key results. (30:00)
- Personal insights on leadership and the continuous pursuit of personal and professional development. (41:20)
(With your host Andrew Youderian of eCommerceFuel.com and Santiago Roa of Culiau.com)
What Was Mentioned
- Santiago Roa: Website
- The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. by Robin Sharma
- 10x Is Easier than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Dan Sullivan
- Entrepreneurial Operating System
- MentorPass
- GrowthMentor
- Zipify Pages
- One Click Upsell – Increase Sales 15%+ with Pre-and Post-purchase Upsells. (On average, Shopify users increase sales 15% immediately after installing the app!)
Ideas Worth Sharing:
"Dream so big that you feel you're being delusional, but then slowly, you kind of move that threshold." - Santiago Roa Tweet this "It's often easier to solve problems with a 10x mentality than just trying to duplicate your company." - Santiago Roa Tweet this "If you want to build a company with a billion dollars in annual revenue in 10 years, you need to start doing something better for the world." - Santiago Roa Tweet this
Post by Andrew Youderian
Founder and Chief Instigator, eComFuel
Andrew quit an early finance job to sell CB radios online — an admittedly unorthodox career path. It set him on a course to found and sell multiple businesses, host a decade-running podcast, lecture at Harvard Business School and create eComFuel, the leading community for 7- and 8-figure online business owners. Andrew is fascinated with branding, AI, building community, investing and growing meaningful businesses that don't require sacrificing what truly matters.
