eCommerce Conversations | Faith, Family, and Ecommerce

Michael Simpson is a New Mexico-based father of seven and a National Guard veteran. Returning from a 2021 deployment, he sought a business to acquire, hoping to avoid his previous job. A listing from a brokerage caught his attention.
Discount Catholic Products had launched in 2003 and was for sale. The company's mission appealed to Michael. Plus it was not reliant on Amazon or a single product or imports from China — all key requirements. He purchased the business.
Fast forward to 2025, and the retailer perseveres. Michael's role has evolved to part-time oversight. A single employee, his sister-in-law, runs daily operations with help from his kids.
In this conversation, he shares financing the acquisition, cash flow challenges, marketing tactics, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/faith-family-and-ecommerce
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
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The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com