How One Bad Manager Sparked A $100M Journey Artwork

Inside the Speakeasy Podcast - Your Key to Hidden Strategies & Success Stories from Top Entrepreneurs

Welcome to Inside the Speakeasy—the entrepreneur podcast that hands you the keys to rooms most never get access to.

Hosted by Eric Berman, this show is for founders, startup builders, marketers, and empire-minded creators who are done with surface-level noise and ready to unlock the hidden strategies, pivotal success stories, and raw truths behind elite business growth.

This is your key to the real game—the unfiltered conversations happening behind closed doors, at mastermind retreats, in late-night deal rooms, and during the “what the hell do I do now?” breakdowns that never make it to LinkedIn.

You’ll hear from the scrappiest, boldest, most unreasonably driven entrepreneurs in the U.S.—the ones who are scaling to 7–8 figures, failing forward, innovating under pressure, and rewriting the rules of success while no one’s watching.

No recycled advice. No fake “10X hacks.” Just what’s actually working right now—from people actually doing it.

Because let’s be honest:

You’re doing well.

You’re sharp.

But deep down… you know you’re still playing small.

So stop chasing comfort.

You’re not here for safe.

You’re here to evolve.

This is Inside the Speakeasy.

And once you’re in…

You don’t go back.

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Inside the Speakeasy Podcast - Your Key to Hidden Strategies & Success Stories from Top Entrepreneurs

How One Bad Manager Sparked A $100M Journey

September 16, 2025 • Speakeasy Mastermind • Season 1 • Episode 21

E-commerce has created more millionaires in the past two decades than almost any other industry, but scaling profitably isn’t as simple as it looks. That’s exactly what Josh Marsden, CEO of ARM5™ Formula Co., has lived through while helping entrepreneurs and investors grow profitable online businesses. Since 2013, he’s generated over $100M in sales and now focuses on acquiring and scaling brands in ways that actually stick. In our conversation, he shares the wins, the setbacks, and the real talk behind building wealth in this space.

Josh opens up about his journey, starting at the University of Phoenix, launching his own agency, and eventually moving into acquisitions. He explains how his ARM5 Formula came to be and why authority, reciprocity, and monetization are at the heart of every thriving e-commerce brand. We also get into how to spot a business worth buying, what to watch out for, and why the struggles often teach more than the wins. It’s practical, eye-opening, and surprisingly relatable if you’ve ever tried to grow something online.

What makes this conversation extra special is Josh’s willingness to share the personal side, too. He talks about the challenges of entrepreneurship, a recent setback that reshaped his outlook, and even a powerful ayahuasca experience that connected to the birth of his daughter. It’s raw, it’s inspiring, and it shows the human side of running businesses most people don’t talk about. If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to make e-commerce work, this is one you’ll want to sit with.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction.

[00:01:17] E-commerce growth strategies.

[00:04:14] Backing into the entrepreneurship journey.

[00:07:51] ARM5 formula for business success.

[00:12:06] Customer retention in e-commerce.

[00:14:02] Delegating control in business.

[00:16:12] Agency to e-com acquisition shift.

[00:21:03] E-commerce acquisition success.

[00:24:30] Emotional resilience in entrepreneurship.

[00:27:40] Acquisition strategy insights.

[00:30:40] Ayahuasca retreat experience.