Beyond The Cart

About Beyond The Cart

Beyond the Cart is a podcast for eCommerce founders, operators, and marketers building scalable systems for growth. Hosted by Kyle Hamar of OmniRocket, the show covers paid media strategy, customer acquisition, media buying, referral growth, and performance marketing across Shopify, Amazon, and DTC brands. Hear insights from agency partners, SaaS operators, and brand leaders on what’s working, and what’s not, in today’s eCommerce landscape.

Publisher

Beyond The Cart

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Jul 2025

Latest episode

22 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

35 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Oct 2026

   Why Owner-Operated Brands Have an Edge in an AI World

   In this episode of Beyond the Cart, Kyle Hamar, CEO of OmniRocket, sits down with Mark Gilliam, Founder and CEO of Kyoto Botanicals, to explore why owner-operated brands may have a competitive advantage in an AI-driven world. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in consumer packaged goods, including brand management at Nestlé, Mark explains how the processes that help large corporations succeed can sometimes slow smaller businesses down. He shares how staying independent, making decisions quickly, and using AI to accelerate execution have helped him build and grow Kyoto Botanicals. The conversation explores why direct customer relationships remain one of a brand’s most valuable assets, from gaining unique customer insights to turning problems into lasting loyalty. Mark discusses his hands-on approach to customer service, learning SEO and applying AI to improve content and search visibility, and the importance of keeping key business functions in-house to preserve a brand’s voice and identity. Kyle and Mark also examine how founders can decide what to own, automate, delegate, or outsource, why meaningful measurement matters more than raw website traffic, and how human connection and authenticity could become even more important as AI-powered shopping grows. Main Topics Covered: Why owner-operated brands have an advantage in an AI world How direct customer relationships create a competitive edge Why keeping your brand in-house matters as you grow Connect with Mark Gillilam Website: https://kyotobotanicals.com (https://kyotobotanicals.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-g-9280264/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-g-9280264/) Kyoto Botanicals LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kyotobotanicals/home/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/kyotobotanicals/home/) Follow Omnirocket to stay updated on upcoming episodes Website: ⁠https://www.omnirocket.com⁠ (https://www.omnirocket.com/) YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@omnirocketofficial⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@omnirocketofficial%E2%81%A0) LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/omnirocket/⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/omnirocket/%E2%81%A0)

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Who's in Control When AI Starts Buying?

   Looking for smarter ways to grow your ecommerce business? Connect with OmniRocket for insights, strategies, and solutions designed to help brands grow: https://www.omnirocket.com/ In this episode of Beyond the Cart, Kyle Hamar, CEO of OmniRocket, sits down with John McDonnell, Chief Strategy Officer and Chairman at Wink, to explore what happens when AI agents move from helping consumers shop to actually making purchases on their behalf. As agentic commerce develops, traditional assumptions around identity, authorization, liability, fraud, and the customer relationship are being challenged. John shares his perspective from more than twenty-five years in fintech and payments and explains why the industry needs new infrastructure for identifying and authorizing AI agents. The conversation explores how biometric identity, programmable payment credentials, and new approaches to trust could help establish that an AI agent is legitimately acting on behalf of a person or organization. Kyle and John also discuss the changing role of friction in checkout, the potential for brands to become stronger or weaker depending on how they adapt to agent-driven shopping, and why merchants need to make their product catalogs more accessible to AI agents. As AI increasingly discovers, compares, decides, and transacts for consumers, the conversation highlights why agentic commerce is becoming an infrastructure, identity, risk, and brand strategy challenge—not simply a new way to complete checkout. Main Topics Covered: Identity and control in agent-driven commerce Building trust infrastructure beyond the checkout Managing risk and performance in AI-led decisions Connect with John McDonnell Website: https://wink.cloud (https://wink.cloud/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcdonnell3/?isSelfProfile=false (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcdonnell3/?isSelfProfile=false) Wink LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/winkinc/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/winkinc/) Follow OmniRocket to stay updated on upcoming episodes Website: https://www.omnirocket.com (https://www.omnirocket.com/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omnirocketofficial (https://www.youtube.com/@omnirocketofficial) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/omnirocket/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/omnirocket/)

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   From Sebago Lake to Store Shelves: Building mainelove

   In this episode of Beyond the Cart, Kyle Hamar, CEO of OmniRocket, sits down with John Violette, Co-Founder and Head of Sales at mainelove, to discuss how a growing beverage brand can build strong distribution relationships and create new opportunities through in-person marketing. John shares insights into developing successful distributor partnerships, expanding a brand through events, and the value of creating meaningful connections with customers and retail partners. The conversation also explores how mainelove approaches growth while staying connected to its Maine roots and brand identity. John and Kyle also dive into the opportunity for custom canned water within the hospitality industry. From branded events to hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality settings, custom cans can provide businesses with a way to put their brand directly into customers’ hands while creating an additional touchpoint for brand awareness. Together, they explore how partnerships, face-to-face marketing, and customized products can contribute to sustainable growth in the beverage and eCommerce landscape. Main Topics Covered Building Successful Distributor Partnerships Growing Through Events and In-Person Marketing Custom Cans: A Hospitality Growth Opportunity Connect with John Violette Website: https://mainelove.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpviolette/?isSelfProfile=false (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpviolette/?isSelfProfile=false) mainelove LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mainelove/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mainelove/) Follow Omnirocket to stay updated on upcoming episodes Website: ⁠https://www.omnirocket.com⁠ (https://www.omnirocket.com/) YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@omnirocketofficial⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@omnirocketofficial%E2%81%A0) LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/omnirocket/⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/omnirocket/%E2%81%A0)

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.