For a man whose company has the word “secrets” in its name, Martin V. is surprisingly unwilling to promise any. Ask him about the fastest way to make money on Amazon and he’ll steer the conversation toward supplier relationships, cash-flow planning and the purchase orders his team decides not to place.
That caution comes from experience. Martin started building online stores on Shopify in 2017 and moved into Amazon two years later. Since then he’s worked behind the scenes on hundreds of seller accounts, handling the operational work most people never see. As CEO of aSellingSecrets, he now runs an agency that manages that side of the business for its clients, with a heavy focus on wholesale and long-term purchasing relationships.
We sat down with Martin to hear what nearly a decade in e-commerce has taught him. He described Amazon selling as something much closer to running a distribution company than hunting for trending products. He also spoke openly about the harder parts of the job, like managing risk when the capital belongs to someone else and building a team that doesn’t need the CEO in every decision. Here’s what he had to say.
Martin, tell us about yourself and how you got started in e-commerce.
Martin V.:
I’m originally from North Macedonia, and my journey into e-commerce started in 2017 with Shopify. That was my first real experience building online businesses and understanding how e-commerce works from the ground up.
In 2019, I officially entered the Amazon space, initially focusing on Amazon FBA and FBM. As I became more involved, I started working across different areas of the business, including sourcing, wholesale, procurement, Seller Central operations, account management, and overall business strategy.
Over the years, I gained experience working with hundreds of Amazon businesses. Those experiences showed me both the incredible opportunities Amazon provides and the challenges sellers face when trying to scale. Eventually, that led me to create aSellingSecrets, with the goal of becoming a genuine long-term partner for Amazon entrepreneurs.
What inspired you to create aSellingSecrets?
Martin V.:
After years of working in e-commerce, I realized that many sellers don’t necessarily need another person simply telling them what to do. They need an experienced team that can actually help them execute.
I wanted to build an agency around that idea.
The vision behind aSellingSecrets is to help Amazon sellers establish a strong foundation, develop legitimate wholesale relationships, improve their procurement, identify better opportunities, and build a business that can grow over the long term.
For me, it’s about going beyond simply managing an Amazon store. It’s about helping build an actual business.
What does aSellingSecrets actually do for Amazon sellers?
Martin V.:
Our role is essentially to help Amazon sellers build and operate their businesses more professionally.
That can include sourcing and procurement, finding legitimate wholesale opportunities, developing supplier relationships, analyzing purchase orders, managing Amazon operations, and helping sellers build a stronger foundation for growth.
The biggest difference is that we don’t want to be viewed simply as an agency. We want to be the strategic partner behind the business.
What do you think most Amazon sellers misunderstand about building a successful business?
Martin V.:
I think many people focus too heavily on the product and not enough on the business behind the product.
Finding one profitable ASIN doesn’t necessarily create a business. You need reliable suppliers, repeatable purchasing, healthy margins, inventory management, cash-flow planning, and a strategy for scaling.
Amazon can give you access to an enormous customer base, but the foundation behind the account is what determines whether you can build something sustainable.
Why is wholesale such an important part of your strategy?
Martin V.:
Wholesale gives sellers the opportunity to build relationships with established brands and distributors rather than constantly searching for the next individual product opportunity.
For us, the objective isn’t simply to find something that looks profitable today. We look for opportunities that can potentially become repeatable purchasing relationships.
That’s a completely different mindset: we’re thinking about the business six, twelve, and twenty-four months from now, not just the next order.
What makes a good purchase order from your perspective?
Martin V.:
A good purchase order isn’t simply one with a high ROI percentage.
We look at the complete picture: sales history, competition, Buy Box behavior, brand restrictions, fees, inventory levels, estimated velocity, capital requirements, and the potential for repeat purchases.
Sometimes the best decision is actually to not place an order. If the numbers don’t make sense or the opportunity isn’t strong enough, we’d rather wait for something better than put our client’s capital at unnecessary risk.
What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a CEO?
Martin V.:
Scaling people and processes has probably been one of the biggest challenges.
When you’re small, you can personally oversee almost everything. As the company grows, that doesn’t work anymore. You need systems, accountability, specialized departments, and people who can make decisions without everything coming back to the CEO.
I’ve learned that growing a company isn’t only about acquiring more customers. It’s about building an organization capable of serving those customers at a consistently high level.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from working with so many Amazon sellers?
Martin V.:
Patience is incredibly important.
Amazon can create the impression that everything should happen immediately, open an account, find products, place an order, make money, and scale.
Real businesses don’t usually work that way.
Sometimes you have to spend weeks developing the right supplier relationship or wait for the right inventory opportunity. I’d rather build something correctly than create artificial growth that doesn’t last.
How do you approach risk when you’re dealing with your clients’ capital?
Martin V.:
Very carefully.
Every purchase decision has risk, and pretending otherwise would be irresponsible. Our job is to understand that risk before recommending an opportunity.
We analyze the numbers, the supplier, the product, the competition and the Amazon environment. We also have to consider the client’s available capital and overall strategy.
The goal isn’t to eliminate risk completely, that’s impossible. The goal is to make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary risk.
Amazon is constantly changing. How do you keep your agency ahead of those changes?
Martin V.:
We stay very close to the operational side of the business.
Policies change, competition changes, brands change their distribution strategies, and consumer behavior changes. Because we’re actively involved in Amazon businesses every day, we’re constantly seeing those changes in practice.
I also believe you can’t build a strategy around what worked three years ago. What worked yesterday isn’t automatically going to work tomorrow.
What separates a serious Amazon entrepreneur from someone simply trying Amazon as a side hustle?
Martin V.:
The mindset.
A serious entrepreneur thinks about systems, relationships, capital allocation, customer experience, and long-term profitability.
Someone testing Amazon might ask, “How much can I make this month?”
A business owner asks, “How can I build an operation that is stronger next year than it is today?”
That’s the mindset we try to develop with our clients.
What would you say to someone who is just starting their Amazon journey?
Martin V.:
Don’t rush.
Learn the fundamentals before putting significant capital at risk. Understand the economics of the business, understand Amazon’s policies, understand your numbers, and understand where your products are coming from.
And most importantly, don’t believe that there is a magic product or secret button that guarantees success.
Amazon is a real business. Treat it like one.
What are you most proud of about aSellingSecrets?
Martin V.:
I’m proud that we’ve built our philosophy around actually helping businesses rather than simply selling a service.
Our goal is to become deeply involved in the business and understand what the client is trying to accomplish.
When we can help someone move from simply having an Amazon account to having real supplier relationships, a purchasing strategy, repeatable operations and a scalable business model, that’s extremely rewarding.
Where do you see aSellingSecrets in the next few years?
Martin V.:
I want aSellingSecrets to become recognized as one of the most trusted operational partners for Amazon wholesale businesses.
We’re not trying to build a company that depends on one trend or one Amazon strategy. We want to build an organization with strong procurement, supplier relationships, operational expertise and technology behind it.
Long term, I see us supporting businesses at much larger scales and expanding the infrastructure we provide to sellers and partners.
Finally, Martin, what is your personal philosophy as a CEO?
Martin V.:
Build something you would be proud to put your name on.
I’ve always believed that reputation is more valuable than a short-term transaction. You can make money from one customer once, but building trust can create relationships that last for years.
That’s how I look at aSellingSecrets.
We’re not trying to simply help someone sell on Amazon. We’re trying to help them build a real business.
By the end of the conversation, the name of Martin’s company read a little differently. The only secret he seemed willing to share is that there isn’t one. What he described instead were habits most sellers already know they should have and few actually keep. He wants the numbers checked before an order goes out, and he’d rather build supplier relationships that still hold next year than chase a margin that disappears next month.
That approach won’t appeal to everyone, especially anyone hoping Amazon can be a quick side income, and Martin seems fine with that. He’s building aSellingSecrets for sellers who want to run something that lasts, and for someone who’d rather put his name on a reputation than a shortcut, that’s a pretty consistent place to land. Sellers who want to learn more about how the team works can visit the aSellingSecrets website.
