From Lemonade Stand to $100Million+ eCommerce Giant: The Bill Martlink Story 🚀

🎤 Meet Bill Martlink

Before he became the #1 seller on eBay by transaction volume, before he built a company that was sold for millions, Bill was just a curious kid selling lemonade.

At 6 or 7 years old, he put a stand on the street corner, sold his first cup—and something clicked. That transaction, he says, “lit a fire inside me.” That spark of entrepreneurship never went out. In fact, it led to a decades-long journey through bartering, book selling, seven-figure failures, and eight-figure exits.

This conversation dives deep into that journey—and delivers powerful insights for Amazon sellers, eBay flippers, and digital entrepreneurs alike.

💡 10 Biggest Takeaways from Bill’s Journey

1. Failing is the Blueprint to Winning

Bill's journey wasn’t a straight line. “Fail, fail, fail, succeed. Then fail again,” he laughed. The biggest moments of growth came from mistakes—like the time his team mistakenly sent newly listed Amazon inventory to a cash book event… and sold £20–£30 books for £2–£3 each.

“It was one of those mistakes that nearly broke the business. Amazon froze our account, held our funds, and it could’ve all ended right there.”

Instead of folding, he used the lesson to build bulletproof warehouse systems.
Every setback became a stepping stone.

2. The Power of the Right Partnership

Bill didn’t scale to $108M on his own. He partnered with Glen, the founder of Sell Back Your Book—a technical, introverted genius—and combined forces.

• Glen built the systems.

• Bill built the growth engine.

• Together, they were unstoppable.

When Bill joined, Sell Back Your Book was doing $18M a year. In under 4 years, they grew it to $108M.

“He’ll tell you it was all me. I’ll tell you it was all him. The truth is, it only worked because we did it together.”

This synergy later made the company attractive enough to be acquired by World of Books, a global leader in sustainable eCommerce.

3. How to Build a Business That Gets Acquired

Acquisitions don’t happen by accident. Bill didn’t go looking to sell—but he was always building something valuable and defensible.

So when World of Books came knocking, it was a win-win.

What made the company acquirable?

• Proven scalability (10x growth)

• A team with complementary strengths

• Exclusive relationships and supply contracts

• Proprietary systems, data, and infrastructure

“They could have built what we had. But they couldn’t build me or us. We were the package.”

4. From Seller Conference to Meeting Jeff Bezos

One of the stories Bill shares with pride is meeting Jeff Bezos in Amazon’s early days. Back in 2006–2007, he attended a grassroots Amazon seller conference in Seattle—before Amazon started taking third-party sellers seriously.

He and a group were invited to tour Amazon HQ, still based in a hospital building overlooking the city. After a day of meetings and whispers—“Jeff might stop by”—the door finally opened.

“He walked in, bellowing laugh, commanding presence. Everyone sat up straighter.”

Bill didn’t leave without a photo.

What he took from that moment was even bigger: a realization that milestones matter—and that even the giants like Amazon document their growth step by step.

5. Play the Long Game. Always.

Bill echoed a philosophy many successful entrepreneurs share: Think long term.

“I don’t do partnerships for a quick win. I want to work with you for years.”

Just like Bezos once told Wall Street he wouldn’t be profitable for 7–10 years, Bill believes in planting seeds, building trust, and staying consistent over time.

In fact, he often reflects on his own journey:

• Built his first company in 2006

• Added a second in 2009

• Acquired a third, bundled them all together

• Helped grow and exit a nine-figure company

• Now works inside World of Books, learning how to scale to even bigger levels

6. Time Management: Protect Your Mornings, Protect Your Kids

Bill’s routine isn’t strict, but it’s intentional:

• Mornings = high priority focus time

• Afternoons = calls, meetings, admin

• Evenings = family time, no phones

He sleeps 5–6 hours most nights and thrives as a night owl—but guards his presence at home fiercely.

“The business can wait. My kids are only young once.”

7. The True Values of a Great Partner or Teammate

If you want to work with Bill, these are the traits he looks for:

• Curiosity – Always asking “why?”

• Relentlessness – Push forward even when it’s hard

• Calm under pressure – Don't panic when things go wrong

• Perspective – Celebrate success but stay humble

• Kindness – No room for jerks

• Anti-laziness – Stay active, stay building

“You get one spin on this planet. Don’t waste it being lazy.”

8. AI Will Change Everything—But Needs the Right Hands

Bill is excited about AI, but cautious too.

“AI gives you scale. But it still needs human values.”

He sees AI already improving:

• Forecasting book demand

• Optimizing warehouse routing

• Enhancing pricing and buyback offers

And he sees a future where AI lets them plug their offers into every scanner, POS system, and app in the world.

“Anytime someone scans a book, I want our offer to be there.”

9. What Makes a Business Truly Valuable?

Bill’s advice to smaller sellers:

• Don’t just flip—build something no one else can copy

• Secure exclusive supply (libraries, charities, etc.)

• Make yourself a system, not just a seller

• Offer more than money—solve problems for people

He calls books "bags of cash"—but only if you treat them that way.

10. Celebrate the Journey

Bill still laughs about the disasters, still talks to his team like friends, and still doesn’t introduce himself as “the #1 eBay seller.”

“I’ve met people on vacation who had no idea what I do for years.”

But make no mistake—he’s still building, still learning, and still showing up every day.

🛠 Bonus Insight: What Would Bill Do With Infinite AI?

Asked what he’d scale instantly if AI could do anything, Bill offered three sharp priorities:

1. Improve fulfilment efficiency – Better routing, less downtime in warehouses.

2. More competitive buyback pricing – Scan the market in real time and react instantly.

3. Ubiquitous offer visibility – Be present on every platform where books are scanned or sold.

In other words? More scale, more speed, more reach.

📚 Final Words from Bill:

“Stay curious. Stay kind. Keep failing forward. And build something worth remembering.”

Follow Bill on Instagram @billmartlink for real-time thoughts, behind-the-scenes updates, and future content.