Mark recorded this video from his car in the rain in Dallas after attending Podcamp Dallas, where he met Gary Leland from FastPitch.tv. Gary's story completely flipped the usual narrative about online and offline business.<\/p>\n
Usually when you meet someone in online marketing who has a physical store, the story goes like this: they had a brick-and-mortar shop and went online to expand revenue. Gary Leland's story was the opposite.<\/p>\n
Gary built an online store selling softball equipment first. The store became so successful that people started tracking down his physical address — where the domain was registered and where he warehoused products — and showing up at the door wanting to buy things. His online business got so big that he had to open a physical store to handle the demand.<\/p>\n
That is what success looks like. When customers are literally beating a path to your door, you know you are doing something right.<\/p>\n
Online businesses can drive offline demand.<\/strong> Gary's experience demonstrated that a well-built online presence does not just generate clicks and orders — it can create such strong demand that it spills into the physical world. This is the ultimate validation of an e-commerce business.<\/p>\n Attend meetups and events in your niche.<\/strong> Mark strongly encourages listeners to attend local meetups, whether for podcasting, internet marketing, or whatever their focus area is. You can find relevant groups on Meetup.com. The connections and stories you encounter — like Gary's — provide both inspiration and practical business insights you will not find online.<\/p>\n Mark published this in October 2013.<\/p>\n The online-to-offline commerce pattern has become common.<\/strong> In 2026, direct-to-consumer brands launching physical retail locations is a well-established trend. Companies like Warby Parker, Allbirds, and Glossier all started online and expanded to physical stores when demand justified it. Gary Leland was early to a pattern that became mainstream.<\/p>\n Gary Leland's FastPitch.tv continued to grow<\/strong> as a resource for softball and fastpitch communities, demonstrating the longevity possible when you build around genuine passion and expertise in a niche.<\/p>\n Podcamp Dallas and similar unconferences<\/strong> represented a wave of grassroots tech and media events that have evolved into larger creator conferences, virtual summits, and community-led events in 2026.<\/p>\n Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts<\/a> or subscribe at latenightim.com\/internet-marketing-podcast\/<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhat Has Changed Since This Post<\/h2>\n
Listen and Subscribe<\/h2>\n