Scaling an Amazon-First Brand: Joey’z Journey to $10M with Charles Chakkalo (episode 560)
Charles Chakkalo is the Founding partner of Joey’z, an Amazon-first homewares brand. Since 2010, he’s been building a lean, everything-in-house Amazon operation focused on practical, everyday consumer goods. They also now sell across Walmart and eBay and even have a Shopify store too. In total, annual sales are now over $10million with growth at 20% year on year.
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Dive in:
[05:22] “AI Boom Reflects Shifting Focus”
[08:46] “Addicted to Amazon’s Ease”
[12:20] Outsource Advertising and Software
[13:53] DTC Brand Growth Challenges
[17:19] Pivot to Private Label Products
[21:35] “Outsource Ops, In-House Amazon Fulfillment”
[24:32] Listen to Charles’ Top Tips!
Amazon Makes Growth Easy—But It Can Hold You Back
Charles explains that Amazon’s ecosystem makes selling straightforward. You don’t need to create ads, build content, or worry about fulfillment. But this ease can make sellers overly dependent on the platform. When you try to expand into DTC, you suddenly face skills Amazon never forced you to learn, like creative marketing and email funnels. The lesson is clear: don’t let the simplicity of Amazon stop you from building long-term business muscles.
In-House Control Can Be a Big Advantage
Joey’z runs almost everything in-house—from warehousing to labeling to logistics. This gives them more control, reduces costs, and avoids problems with unreliable 3PLs. Owning their own warehouses even turned into a smart real estate investment. While outsourcing is often attractive, Charles shows that keeping operations tight and internal can be a growth advantage. It’s about choosing the right balance between control and efficiency.
Retail Arbitrage Alone Isn’t Sustainable
The business began with reselling other brands’ products. That model worked well for years but is getting harder as big brands take control of their supply chains. Charles points out that this creates risk, since Amazon can cut off sellers without warning. To reduce that risk, Joey’z invested in private label products to gain stability and ownership. The lesson: arbitrage can get you started, but owning your own brand secures the future.
Logistics Mastery Is a Hidden Growth Lever
Charles credits much of their success to logistics expertise. His brother knows Amazon’s fulfillment system better than most, ensuring shipments get the best rates and reach warehouses on time. They also avoid 3PL headaches by owning and managing their warehouses. This combination gives them a smoother, more cost-effective supply chain. For eCommerce brands, mastering logistics can unlock big advantages that competitors overlook.
The Next Step Is Building a Brand Story
Even with $10M in sales, Charles admits Joey’z hasn’t fully built a strong brand identity. Their focus was always volume and logistics, but they now see the need for storytelling and emotional connection. A brand story is what powers DTC growth and helps you move beyond Amazon. Charles is now working on developing a unique value proposition to fuel long-term success. The key takeaway: operational strength can take you far, but brand-building takes you further.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
- The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security by Scott Galloway
- Talk: A Novel by Michael A. Smerconish
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Redirect customer support to your own website. By handling returns and issues directly, you control the narrative, reduce margin losses, and even turn unhappy buyers into repeat customers.
Tool Top Tip
- Hubstaff – keeps the team in sync on projects and even tracks VA productivity.
- Helium 10 or Jungle Scout – essential tools for Amazon sellers to research, track, and optimize products.
- Feedvisor – a go-to repricing tool to stay competitive on Amazon
Carbon Top Tip
- Maximize packing efficiency. Stack pallets higher to use all available trailer space, cut wasted fuel, lower transport costs per unit, and reduce environmental impact.
Interview links
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- Why Focus is Wunderbrow’s Key Growth Strategy with Diego Mandelbaum (episode 524)
- From Local Waste to John Lewis Shelves: The ReBorn Growth Story with Brian Walmsley (episode 548)
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