How We Evolved
From the very start, Give More, Get More, has defined our ethos. We require our members to have a highly active engagement to stay in our community. In addition, we've always had a strict policy of no info-marketers and no gurus.
Due to the rapidly growing stature and size of the community, the core MDS team required expansion to support even more value to their members. MDS is now managed by the founder, Ian Sells, and senior partners Eugene Khayman and Frank Farina. Along with a robust leadership team of top seller members, MDS places even more emphasis on community and connection alongside continued business development.
Due to the rapidly growing stature and size of the community, the core MDS team required expansion to support even more value to their members. MDS is now managed by the founder, Ian Sells, and senior partners Eugene Khayman and Frank Farina. Along with a robust leadership team of top seller members, MDS places even more emphasis on community and connection alongside continued business development.
How We Grow
Our mission forward is simple: bring together the smartest, most supportive, fastest-growing eCommerce sellers that share the same core values. Currently, we represent over 7 billion in sales in 2022, across nearly 500 members. It’s our goal to continue to be the strongest community of thought leaders and proven eCommerce entrepreneurs in the entire industry.
Leadership Team
Ian Sells
Chief Executive Officer
I am a serial entrepreneur and the founder of MDS. I love connecting people and testing new ideas. I sold 2 multi million dollar amazon brands and am now still launching more products while building MDS and two software companies (RebateKey & Elite Seller).
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Eugene Khayman
Chief Operating Officer
I founded my first brand, Eparé, in 2012, it was my way of expressing my joy of cooking & entertaining. I joined MDS in 2017, I went from being a founding member, to pioneering MDS conferences, to now being the organizations COO. I continue to spread my passions in this role while also operating Eparé & other ecommerce brand as a limited partner.
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Franky Farina
Chief Marketing Officer
I’ve been scaling and operating ecommerce businesses for 20 years but found my true calling within the MDS community. My passion for connecting people together and helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses is on full display inside MDS. I find great joy in watching each member succeed in both their personal and professional lives and aim to serve in any way I can.
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Advisory Council
Lee Assoulin
MDS Council Chairman
Member since 2016. I got started on Amazon by mistake. I bought equity in a company with all the money I had to my name, launched the website and sales trickled in slowly. I then started selling on Amazon and boom went the dynamite. Sold my equity 4 years ago and have been doing Amazon Agency work ever since, working with some major brands. I'm as good as the people I work with- I find that my clients and employees are all partners in one way or another and my job is to ensure that we're all succeeding together. Just launched my own product in the game space with some folks/friends in MDS. Super fun.
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Jon Spektor
Council Member
Member Since November 2016. I have been building and running online businesses for just over 20 years. I started selling fake bags from the flea market on ebay and over the years have built a number of SaaS business as well as ecommerce brands. I have sold about 6 different businesses over the years and 3 Amazon Specific 7 and 8 figure brands. I'm actively building and growing 3 other ecommerce brand that I am working to be more omnichannel. I have been a member of MDS since about 2016.
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Bin Yu
Council Member
Member Since July 2018. Giving back to the community is deeply important to me, and I like to make my business reflect that. My company Hitlights gives internship opportunities to LSU Fellowship (Entrepreneur) Program every year, and we sponsor the 2nd and 3rd LSU Student Incubator's annual Venture Challenge. I do this to support the spirit of entrepreneurship as small businesses provide more than half the jobs n the market and are responsible for two-thirds of the new jobs being created.
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Kayleigh Graham
Council Member
Member Since December 2016 &Prior Council Member. Launched my Amazon business in 2014 after discovering the ASM course. Our own brand is in the beauty niche but we recently acquired a small baby business and plan to invest in other Amazon brands. Before Amazon I managed social media for some of the UK's biggest brands including Burberry, Selfridges and Mothercare.
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Etienne Ameil
Council Member
Member Since April 2022. I don't consider myself just an "Amazon seller", but an entrepreneur who chose ecom and Amazon as my 1st channel, for now... French married to a German woman, happy father of 2 young sons, living in Switzerland; fun fact: I love swimming in ice water, and diving without air. I would say I am good at: learning quickly, connecting people, "raising the bar" and sharing beers
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Craig Brockie
Council Member
Member Since May 2019. Been marketing online since 1996. Ran an SEO firm for ten years. On Amazon since 2015. SEO, sales and hiring/motivating great people are my strengths. I do a lot of jet skiing, water skiing and love playing hockey.
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Leslie Pierson
Council Member
Member Since November 2020 & Prior Council Member. I'm a serial entrepreneur and I currently runs 2 different companies primarily focused on Amazon. The have experience with getting free exposure, creating relationships within Amazon and the media, and selling into big box stores. Our card game company was formed around a card game my son created when he was 7 called Taco vs Burrito.
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Dimitri Vorona
Council Member
Member Since November 2020. I'm a serial entrepreneur who has built, bootstrapped, and sold many online ventures. I'm good at: Amazon FBA, E-commerce, brand building, patents and love playing lead guitar in a Grunge cover band. Prior accomplishments include:
- Developing the first crowd sourced traffic system in 2006 and later selling the patent portfolio to Apple.
- Building one of the first Internet Service Providers in NYC (1994) and after explosive growth, selling it to Earthlink.
- Creating a Web Development / Hosting company in the US that produced many well known online brands, and helped many fortune 500 companies launch their online presence.
- Creating an online pet brand which quickly achieved 7 figures in sales and was sold to a large consolidator in late 2020.
- Developing the first crowd sourced traffic system in 2006 and later selling the patent portfolio to Apple.
- Building one of the first Internet Service Providers in NYC (1994) and after explosive growth, selling it to Earthlink.
- Creating a Web Development / Hosting company in the US that produced many well known online brands, and helped many fortune 500 companies launch their online presence.
- Creating an online pet brand which quickly achieved 7 figures in sales and was sold to a large consolidator in late 2020.
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Why We Are Different
A curated & highly engaged online community
Strict policy on pitching & self promotion
Accessibility to premier network of services, contacts and offers
Our Core Values
Give More, Get More
To unlock the maximum potential of MDS, our members must be highly engaged and highly generous with their knowledge. The result is an incredible community filled with a wealth of information, support, and experience to help each other reach new heights.
What Would Mom Say?
We make sure that “Mom” would approve of how we conduct ourselves within the MDS community and our businesses. We are ethical, kind, respectful of others, and treat member contributions with confidentiality.
Like-Minded & Driven
Surrounding yourself with like-minded peers helps us connect on a deep level. We understand each other and help each other grow because we fight the same fight and enjoy life together in similar ways. Always working hard and playing hard.
The Group Comes First
We are stronger when unified and when we leverage the power of the group, we all share in the rewards. We understand the value of our reputation and why it needs to be prioritized.
Proven
There is a reason we are all here. We have already accomplished so much in our own right and we trust that those who have a seat at the table have earned their place.
Show Up
Be present. Be here. Nurture the relationships that can break open a facet of your business or life that was untapped. When you make efforts to be present in the virtual groups, the video calls, and face-to-face meetups, you maximize the full value of MDS.
Membership FAQ
DTC Expansion
We bring members in once a month and our process can take 2-3 months to gain access. You must first pay the annual dues, complete an application, and pass interviews to either be approved or denied. Your dues will be refunded if denied. Your renewal period will be tied to the date that you gained access.
Who qualifies for the MDS community?
You must be engaged and show up. We monitor member engagement in multiple facets. If you do not bring value to other members in the community you will be first notified with a reminder and then removed.
What are the requirements once I am in the community?
You must be engaged and show up. We monitor member engagement in multiple facets. If you do not bring value to other members in the community you will be first notified with a reminder and then removed.
How much does membership cost?
Our membership fee is $599/mo. We have a 60 day risk free trial and you can cancel anytime. We also have annual plants that offer more savings. If you are interested in our annual plan please contact us.
Is admission into the group guaranteed?
No, in addition to verifying your business and your revenue you will have to go through a series of interviews which are designed to identify that you match our core values. We add a limited number of members per month and once verified you will be placed in a queue to gain group access.
What is included in the membership dues?
Access to the membership site which is constantly being improved and filled with tons of rich & relevant content to help your business succeed. Access to all of our sub groups which are run on Facebook Groups. Access to events, some of which are included in your dues.
Why our members love
this community
I don't know another group where you could get the caliber of sellers who are willing to share such actionable information.It's a testament to how the group is structured that everyone feels compelled to share what they know and help others. I feel completely lucky to have found this group and I feel like I have a vision for how my business can grow 10 fold.
Leslie Pierson
Member since 2020
I don't know another group where you could get the caliber of sellers who are willing to share such actionable information.It's a testament to how the group is structured that everyone feels compelled to share what they know and help others. I feel completely lucky to have found this group and I feel like I have a vision for how my business can grow 10 fold.
Lee Assoulin
Member since 2020
I don't know another group where you could get the caliber of sellers who are willing to share such actionable information.It's a testament to how the group is structured that everyone feels compelled to share what they know and help others. I feel completely lucky to have found this group and I feel like I have a vision for how my business can grow 10 fold.
Frank Goldsmith
Member since 2020
I don't know another group where you could get the caliber of sellers who are willing to share such actionable information.It's a testament to how the group is structured that everyone feels compelled to share what they know and help others. I feel completely lucky to have found this group and I feel like I have a vision for how my business can grow 10 fold.
Nick Shucet
Member since 2020