Two ecommerce lads walk into Athlone and win the internet.

🎙️ EPISODE 4: "We don't have a computer says no approach." Two ecommerce lads walk into Athlone and win the internet. (Yes, it’s a 2-for-1. You’re welcome.)

On this week’s Struggle Bus, we’re joined by the Midlands’ finest:

Paul Heavin & Benjamin Hade of Topline Heavins & Euronics — the DIY, electronics, and ecommerce duo proving you don’t need a Dublin postcode or a VC war chest to win online.

You just need:

🧠 A sense of humour.

👟 Running shoes (ask about the vacuum thief).

📦 40 years of customer service obsession.

📲 A willingness to chase TikTok trends like they’re runaway deliveries.

🎧 What’s inside the episode?

What happens when your digital marketing team wears green jackets and pink shorts on purpose?

The secret sauce to converting local loyalty into national scale.

Why awards matter (and how to win one for “Most Trusted Website” in Ireland).

How to prioritise when you're drowning in ecommerce to-do lists.

The pros and cons of living smack bang in the middle of Ireland.

Why TikTok Shop isn’t just for Gen Z beauty hauls, it’s for power tools and paddling pools too.

And why one customer got their power banks hand-delivered from Galway to Donegal. In a van.

💬 Favourite quotes from the boys:

“We don’t have a ‘computer says no’ culture. We just say yes, then figure it out.”

“Customer service doesn’t stop because they’re 200km away.”

“You want margin on first sale. I want repeat business in five years. Let’s arm wrestle.”

Ben Hade has long been one of them marketers in Ireland I have been most interested in and he didn't disappoint. He and Paul would make ecommerce work in ANY company ANYWHERE in the world. No doubt.

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🧠 The Struggle Bus is still proudly powered by:

✔️ Burnout-as-a-service

✔️ Ecommerce team meetings that are 80% reprioritising and 20% regrets

✔️ Inbox zero as mythical folklore

✔️ And Omnisend — still our imaginary sponsor. Still delivering real emails. Let’s talk.

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👀 If you’ve ever:

Fought your corner at a boardroom table full of spreadsheets and “Q4 alignment”.

Carried a business on your back while juggling marketplace compliance and Facebook’s latest meltdown.

Lost sleep over one-star reviews... and lost your weekend rewriting the PDP.

Or won an award but still had to chase a vacuum thief the next day

…then climb aboard.

The Struggle is real. But so is the craic.

And with guests like this?

It’s standing room only.

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