We were lucky to catch up with Marissa Rodriguez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marissa , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

My company is called Through Experience because in the end, it is in going through our experience that we learn, evolve, and develop mastery in what we do. When I decided to really get involved in eCommerce and specifically in DTC (direct to consumer), which means working with businesses that only sell via their own website, there were not a lot of people focusing on this. There were no mentors or coaches for me to model against. That means that it took me longer to figure things out. I made so many mistakes. I tried so many things. And I kept going. I didn’t give up. Over time, I started to recognize patterns, I became smarter at identifying talent, I created processes and systems that I have since been able to replicate successfully for different businesses, and I developed my own methodology for eCommerce growth. The truth is that it was messy, chaotic, and quite a ride! In my case, one of the elements that differentiates me from many people is that I have launched so many businesses from day zero. I have been forced to be incredibly thoughtful due to limited resources (people, money, time, and energy). Through that process, I developed discipline that still carries me today.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I spent the last 2 decades building brands across wholesale, retail, and eCommerce.

I’ve generated over $200,000,000 in sales, and over the past 9 years, +$100,000,000 of that has been in eCommerce-only revenue for businesses that do not sell anywhere else (no Amazon, retail, or wholesale).

I am so proud of the fact that I have helped regular people launch and scale brands and businesses that today are doing 7-8-and almost 9 figures in annual revenue. I love that the DTC (direct to consumer) ecosystem gives brands the power and the tools to learn how to be self-sufficient and not have to rely on anyone else to grow their business. I absolutely love that in 2025, I can choose to live in Greece, while my clients and their businesses are located primarily in North America. We are living in a moment of history where we have unbelievable access to people, and can choose to build and structure our lives in a way that increases our personal agency and freedom.

I work with founders, business owners, intrapreneurs, and solopreneurs who all share a common goal of growth via eCommerce and value time and location freedom. I have built a mentorship program and other programs so that I can teach, guide, and show everything that I know through experience. It’s so rewarding having the opportunity to teach others how to master eCommerce so they achieve their own freedom and success.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

January 5th, 2015, the company that I worked for abruptly shut down, and overnight we all lost our jobs. It was the first time in my adult life that I found myself unemployed, and I was single and completely on my own. It was a really scary moment for me but having that space for the first time also gave me a moment to think about my life and what I was inspired to have in my career and in my life. What I realized was that I was actually not very happy in my corporate life, and the more I was interviewing the more apparent it became to me. I was not excited about what I was doing or the path that I was on. This experience turned into one of the greatest blessings for me on a personal level. I realized that I wanted to start my own business, become a consultant and fractional CMO and COO, and dive fully into the world of eCommerce and DTC. In essence, it was not just a pivot, it was a complete re-design of my life, my priorities, and re-alignment with myself. In the end, I am so grateful for that experience that brought me to where I am now.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Yes! I read a lot, and I make it a point to read at least 10 pages per day.

Some of the books that impacted me the most in regards to management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy are:

The Almanak of Naval Rakivant by Eric Jorgensen
The Big Leap by Guy Hendricks
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
The 38 Letters from J.D. Rockefeller To His Son by J.D. Rockefeller
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday

Each of these books shifted something deep inside of me, almost like opening up a new paradigm to thoughts, ideas, and possibilities that I couldn’t see before. They have stuck with me as having been incredibly influential for my life because they sparked an internal conversation that I did not have in my awareness before them. This is precisely why reading is so powerful because often, we do not have the personal network around us that can inspire us, motivate us, or create such game changing realizations for us. In my case, I have found that in books. They stimulate me in ways that I am forever grateful for. I’ve even read them all more than once! I think I’ve read The Almanack of Naval Rakivant a total of 4 times at this point!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://throughexperience.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/throughexperienceofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThroughExperienceOfficial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-rodriguez-6192b327/