I’m sitting in my store right now, and I’m thinking about what Simon told me last week. So in this Part 2, we were talking about growth, and he said something that made me put my pen down: “You don’t need another channel. You need an engine.”

And I realized: that’s exactly what I’ve been building.

For years, I felt like I had to be everywhere. TikTok was hot, so I tried it. Instagram Reels were trending, so I invested in those. Pinterest was the “new thing,” so I set up an account. Amazon had opportunities, so I explored that.

And you know what? I was exhausted. My team was confused. I was throwing money at channels without a foundation, and nothing stuck.

Then Simon explained the Evergreen Engine, and something clicked.

The Evergreen Engine: What It Actually Is

Here’s what I finally understood: a business with an evergreen engine is one where your first three pillars work so consistently that everything else becomes optional.

Think about it like this:

Now You Have an Engine.

And once that engine is running smoothly? Everything else is fuel.

Simon said: “Everything now becomes an experiment where if it works, amazing. It’s gonna be part of our machine. If it doesn’t work, all good. We still have our evergreen engine churning out customers every single day.”

That hit me hard.

Because it means I can try TikTok Shop, and if it doesn’t work, I’m not panicking. My engine is still running. I’m not relying on one viral post to save my quarter. I’m not dependent on algorithm changes.

I have a machine.

The Channel Chasing Trap (And How I Fell Into It)

I asked Simon: “How did you figure this out?”

And he told me about his own journey. He was a channel chaser. He’d build a business with clients in all different industries. Hotels. Steel fabricators. Anyone who would pay him.

But there was no foundation. No consistency. He was learning new tools constantly, and every time an algorithm changed or a platform shifted, he’d scramble.

Then the pandemic hit.

In two days, he lost 1/3 of his business. Clients’ physical stores closed. They couldn’t afford his services anymore.

But here’s what happened next: as soon as he started to panic, emails started coming in.

“I just got laid off. I need to figure out e-commerce. I heard you’re the Shopify guy.”

“My brick-and-mortar just closed. We need to go online.”

And Simon thought: This is my chance to get it right.

He tried the traditional agency model: “Here’s the cost. Give us money. We’ll do our best.”

It failed miserably.

Clients weren’t succeeding. His team was depressed. And Simon realized something crucial: you can’t outsource entrepreneurship.

The merchant is the one with passion. The merchant is the one who knows their business. The merchant is the most qualified person to figure out how to sell their own stuff.

So instead of trying to fix everything for people, he started teaching them.

And that’s when Merchant Mastery was born.

Why You Should Start Q4 Planning in July (Not October)

I have to tell you, when Simon told me this, I felt a little sick.

Because I had just started thinking about Black Friday. In September.

“You’re too late,” he said.

Here’s the data: 83-86% of people who buy from you in Q4 were already “hovering around” you in Q3.

That means right now, in July and August, people are researching. They’re browsing. They’re thinking about what they want for the holidays. They’re following brands. They’re getting on your email list.

And if you’re not in their awareness in July, you can’t capture them in November.

Simon told me: “You can’t start this stuff in October or November and expect anything significant to happen on Black Friday. You have to start now. In August. In July. Because that’s when all this potential energy is winding up kind of behind the scenes.”

So here’s what I’m doing differently:

Instead of cramming Black Friday prep into September and October, I’m thinking about Q4 strategy right now.

I’m strengthening my email list. I’m telling better stories. I’m preparing my website for the holiday season.

And here’s the beautiful part: if this is your first year really going all-in on Q4, you might not see an explosive November. But Simon told me something that changed everything:

“If you keep your foot on the gas throughout the rest of the next year, that Black Friday’s gonna be explosive. And come March and April, your baseline is going to be above last year’s.”

So if I’m doing $40K a month consistently this year, next March I could be doing $60-70K. Not because of one massive month, but because the system compounds.

That’s the Compounding Promo Principle.

The Work Becomes Addictive

I asked Simon: “Doesn’t this get boring? Constantly sending emails? Constantly tweaking your website? Constantly running ads?”

And he said something I’ve been thinking about all week:

“We’re focusing on the things that work. So the work becomes fun. In fact it becomes addictive. Like right, like w I have constant messages.”

Because when you have a system that works, every small win compounds. You see the data. You understand what’s happening. You can tweak it and see immediate results.

It’s not random. It’s not hoping something goes viral. It’s strategic. And strategic work is fun because you know it’s working.

That’s the opposite of channel chasing. When you’re chasing every new platform, nothing feels like it’s working. Everything feels desperate.

But when you lock in your engine and then strategically test new channels? That’s a different energy entirely.

Why Community Accelerates Everything

One of the reasons Simon’s Merchant Mastery program works is because of community.

He has 12 coaches. He runs 4 live group calls a day. Merchants share their ad accounts, their numbers, their struggles.

And he told me: “Seeing other people out there doing these things and having it work is the most inspiring thing for merchants.”

What takes 6 months alone takes 1 month with the right community.

DIY? That takes 3 years.

But when you’re in a room (even a virtual room) with other merchants who are doing the work, who are struggling, who are winning? That changes everything.

You’re not alone in your doubt. You’re not alone in your questions. And you’re surrounded by proof that this actually works.

Your Millie Moment: Do These Three Things This Week

Here’s What I Know About You

You’re tired of chasing trends.

You’re tired of learning new platforms. You’re tired of feeling like you have to be everywhere.

And you’re starting to realize that the magic isn’t in finding the next hot channel. It’s in building something that works so consistently that you can sleep at night.

That’s the evergreen engine.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not sexy. It’s not going to make you an overnight success story.

But it’s going to make you consistent. Predictable. And eventually, unstoppable.

Because while everyone else is chasing TikTok and Instagram Reels, you’re going to be quietly compounding.

You’re going to have a baseline revenue that keeps increasing. You’re going to have a Q4 that’s bigger than last year’s. You’re going to have the freedom to experiment because your foundation is solid.

That’s not just a business. That’s a legacy.

Resources & Links 

💚 Remember: You don’t need another channel. You don’t need another strategy. You need an engine. And the beautiful part? You probably already have everything you need to build it. You just need to lock in your positioning, strengthen your website, own your email list, and then everything else becomes fuel. That’s when the magic happens. That’s when you stop being busy and start being unstoppable.