Episode 622

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Published on:

19th Feb 2025

Scaling A Luxury Watch Business to $90M with Eugene Tutunikov

How did Eugene Tutunikov grow SwissWatchExpo from a local storefront to a $90M+ e-commerce business?

In this episode, Bill talks with the CEO of SwissWatchExpo, a retailer of certified authentic luxury Swiss watches, about how he scaled his family business. Eugene shares insights on the importance of timing, customer experience, and focusing on sustainable growth. The conversation dives into lessons learned from pivoting careers, working with family, and navigating market disruptions.


Eugene Tutunikov (pronounced “Too-Too-Nikoff”) is a former Wall Street pro who traded spreadsheets for Swiss watches. 


Topics explored in this episode: 


- The pivotal role of timing in scaling a luxury e-commerce business.


- Offering a personalized, video-based shopping experience.


- Building trust through in-house authentication and servicing of watches.


- Why compounding growth is more sustainable than hyper-growth.


- The impact of super-fake watches on the luxury market and how SwissWatchExpo counters it.


- Why focusing on one business model can lead to stronger, long-term success.


Chapters in this episode: 


(01:23) Eugene's Journey from Wall Street to Watches

(09:55) The Immigrant Experience and the American Dream

(15:19) Lucky Breaks 

(23:06) Standing Out in a Competitive Market

(29:05) Trends in Luxury Watches

(34:49) Advice for Scaling Up


Thanks to Eugene Tutunikov for being on the show! 


Connect with Eugene on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenetutunikov/ 

Learn more about the Swiss Watch Expo: http://Swisswatchexpo.com 


Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. 


Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop 

Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/BillGall

Bill on YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/@BillGallagherScalingCoach 


Visit https://ScalingUp.com to learn more about Verne Harnish, our team of Scaling Up Coaches, and the Scaling Up Performance Platform, which includes coaching, learning, software, and summit. We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed where so many others fail. We help leadership teams with the biggest decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash so that they can scale up successfully and beat the odds of business growth. 

 

Did you enjoy today’s episode? If so, then please leave a review! Help other business leaders discover Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher so they, too, can benefit from the ideas shared in these podcasts.


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Bill on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billgall/ 

Bill on Twitter/X: https://x.com/billgall 


This episode was produced by Story On Media & Marketing: https://www.successwithstories.com 

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About the Podcast

Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher
Do you dream of an easier way to scale and grow your business? Do you wish you didn’t have to work so hard and put in as many hours? Do you find growth too slow, or hard to sustain?

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A message from your host: “I’ve been in your shoes as a founder, CEO, and executive leader. I’ve coached and trained many leaders just like you over more than 15 years to grow their businesses successfully and profitably. But more than that, I’ve helped give them their time and sanity back. My core strength is making the growth process easier, faster, and way more fun.”

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