In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:13 Discussing the accounting brand
• 01:34 How the guest entered the ecommerce tax niche
• 03:09 The hidden Shopify fee for international sellers
• 04:13 Do you need a US LLC: Plus plan vs sales split
• 06:36 Revenue threshold for opening a US LLC
• 08:00 Step-by-step process to set up a US LLC
• 10:22 The costly mistake of naming yourself as owner
• 12:30 Do US brands need a Canadian setup too
• 13:56 The $25,000 penalty for missing Form 5472
• 15:38 Why proper bookkeeping matters for ecommerce brands
• 17:57 How monthly books help you save on taxes
• 19:33 The risk of hiring a cheap bookkeeper
• 22:00 Where to learn more and get help
• 23:43 Returning Questions to a Fellow Host
  

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• CPA Tax Accounting and Bookkeeping Firm salaccounting.ca/ 
• Follow M. Salman salaccounting.ca/author/salmansalat00/ 

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

What started as a bootstrap idea fueled by a $5,000 insurance check and a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013 has grown into a globally recognized brand selling to customers in over 120 countries. SHEATH is the first ever Official Underwear Partner of the UFC — a milestone Robert built without taking on outside investors.

A daily meditator, lifelong student of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, and relentless entrepreneur, Robert's story is a testament to grit, reinvention, and the power of solving a real problem the world didn't know it had.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:02 What an elite underwear makes
• 01:56 The Iraq deployment origin story
• 04:20 Building the first underwear prototype
• 07:32 Sponsor: Klaviyo
• 09:47 Early prototypes and finding a manufacturer
• 15:12 Launching the first Kickstarter campaign
• 17:06 Sponsor: Intelligems 
• 18:33 A botched production and near giving up
• 21:03 The second Kickstarter and revenue growth
• 22:58 Using AI to speed up product design
• 24:12 Sponsor: eFulfillment Service 
• 25:58 Finding customers beyond Kickstarter
• 26:57 The comedian throw stunt
• 28:18 Sponsoring comedians and podcast hosts
• 30:43 Famous names and loyal ad partners
• 35:04 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
• 38:14 Where to buy underwear for legends

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Men's pouch underwear sheathunderwear.com/ 
• Follow Robert Patton linkedin.com/in/robert-patton-b675273b    
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect 
• Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honest 
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/ 
• Lower scale costs today eFulfillmentService.com/honest
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect     

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

• Rishi Rawat LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rawatrishi
• Rishi Rawat's Weekly Newsletter: https://www.frictionless-commerce.com/join/
• Website: https://www.frictionless-commerce.com/

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group

http://honestecommerce.co/

Before founding Orita, Aaron built a $1M+ watch brand on Shopify, co-founded Passport Shipping to simplify international logistics, and served as the president of Loop Returns, helping brands optimize their post-purchase experience. His hands-on experience across shipping, returns, and AI-driven customer insights makes him a trusted expert in the DTC space.

Today, as the founder of Orita, Aaron is on a mission to help brands unlock the power of their customer data. Orita uses AI to analyze millions of data points, enabling brands to make smarter, more profitable marketing and retention decisions. By focusing on machine learning-driven personalization, Aaron is helping DTC brands move beyond guesswork and into data-backed growth strategies.

With degrees from Columbia and UC Berkeley Haas, Aaron brings both academic rigor and real-world experience to the table. When he’s not revolutionizing the Ecommerce industry, he’s a dedicated father of two—and pretty funny when he’s not in business mode.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:42] Intro
• [00:56] Building smarter customer insights with AI
• [02:48] Switching from brand to SaaS
• [05:18] Focusing on customers before scaling up
• [07:04] Solving data problems for brands
• [08:41] Using machine learning to predict customer behavior
• [11:04] Updating customer data daily for better marketing
• [14:18] Investing in AI-powered customer insights
• [16:33] Filtering out the wrong customers
• [17:12] Using AI to boost retention
• [18:34] Finding hidden revenue in your email list

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Grow sales from existing customers with AI optimization orita.ai/
• Follow Aaron Schwartz linkedin.com/in/aaroncharlesschwartz

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

If you are a designer in any kind of organization, or if you run an organization that hires designers, this book is a must-read. It’ll help you understand how a designer proves their worth, turning design from a qualitative concept that you just feel to a quantitative business element that we can measure and experiment with to improve business metrics.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

• Draft's website: draft.nu
• Nick'sTwitter: @nickd
• Draft's 2 books: Value-Based Design and Cadence & Slang
• Check out UserTesting.com
• Heat maps: hotjar.com

With 15+ years of experience at fast-growing consumer brands, Aaron brings a sharp operator’s mindset to every marketing challenge. His work centers on sustainable value creation, balancing customer acquisition with deep retention, brand storytelling with data-driven execution. Outside of Full Glass, he’s also an active advisor and investor in consumer startups, with a passion for enhancing customer experience at every touchpoint.

Whether unpacking how to manage marketing across multiple brands, sharing what he looks for in standout talent, or reflecting on the role of skill vs. luck in his career, Aaron offers a grounded, thoughtful take on what it really takes to lead modern marketing teams.

He shares what it means to scale without shortcuts, how to build teams that compound over time, and why marketing today is more about connection than ever before.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:41] Intro
• [00:59] Investing in your professional network
• [01:47] Navigating job loss during economic downturns
• [03:09] Scaling DTC through subscription experience
• [06:03] Building expert teams in a startup portfolio
• [07:04] Transferring insights across brand portfolios
• [08:47] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp
• [15:08] Specializing before expanding your skillset
• [18:07] Aligning teams around shared outcomes
• [19:41] Focusing on customer quality over quantity
• [23:16] Balancing tools with firsthand market knowledge

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Redefining the fragmented DTC wine market by building a multi-brand platform, delivering curated wines fullglass.wine/
• Follow Aaron Magness linkedin.com/in/aaronmagness
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest  
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Leveraging his expertise in content, audience engagement, and digital commerce, Jamie helped scale BreakingT from a side project to an 8-figure business by turning trending sports moments into must-own fan gear, often within hours of a game-changing play.

Guided by the belief that fan excitement is the most powerful demand signal, Jamie has led BreakingT through rapid growth by building a responsive supply chain, refining its segmentation and outreach engine, and expanding across DTC, wholesale, and Amazon.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:00] Creating products from real-time trends
• [01:26] Applying media skills to Ecommerce growth
• [02:33] Focusing on traction over profitability
• [02:57] Spotting viral moments fans want to wear
• [05:29] Launching with digital mockups to test demand
• [07:21] Fulfilling retail orders faster with screen print
• [08:49] Combining paid, organic, and affiliate for scale
• [12:12] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless & Reach
• [17:17] Balancing speed between Ecommerce and wholesale
• [20:30] Pushing retail to move faster than seasonal cycles
• [21:22] Navigating approvals in licensed product drops
• [23:05] Realizing Amazon serves a different customer
• [23:56] Balancing marketplace growth with brand control
• [26:08] Choosing platforms based on product urgency
• [28:16] Turning social signals into merch decisions

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Real-time licensed sports fan gear, apparel, and t-shirts breakingt.com/
• Follow Jamie Mottram linkedin.com/in/jamiemottram
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest. 

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Russell was inspired by his dog, Jack, to create the company, which now has over $100+ million in annual revenue and has sold over 120 million meals since inception. Prior to Spot & Tango, Russell worked in private equity and held leadership positions at BerchWood Partners, Zephyr Management, and Nash & Co Capital in London. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:43] Starting a venture as a side gig first
• [03:55] Sponsor: Migrate
• [05:54] Using free channels to find first users
• [06:56] Iterating platforms as the business grows
• [08:24] Starting local before scaling distribution
• [10:47] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [12:47] Failing fast to find what actually works
• [15:06] Aligning growth speed to profitability goals
• [18:08] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [19:17] Building innovative products to scale
• [21:39] Callouts
• [21:48] Learning scaling operations the hard way
• [23:38] Recognizing that success is never a one-man show

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Healthy, fresh dog food delivery service spotandtango.com/
• Follow Russell Breuer linkedin.com/in/russell-breuer-0b3b57
• Migrate and grow more klaviyo.com/honest 
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect  

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Robinson started as a designer (architecture degree) and worked in many creative fields including graphic design, architecture, branding, illustration, music. 

Robinson is also a former professional mountain biker and avid surfer, skier, climber. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:27] Why blankets?
• [02:28] How Wylie thought of the idea of blankets
• [04:37] Pivoting from Kickstarter to a brand
• [06:31] When or when not to release on Kickstarter
• [07:22] Acquiring new customers post-Kickstarter
• [08:30] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [09:34] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [10:22] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [10:37] Experiencing co-founder separation
• [13:18] How Wylie’s role at Rumpl changed over the years
• [14:35] Wylie’s advice for delegation
• [16:34] Build a product that you understand yourself
• [17:51] Where to find Rumpl
• [18:17] Why Rumpl’s product selection in Amazon different

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Outdoor blankets that are inspired by nature and the outdoors and crafted with modern materials and technologies rumpl.com
• Connect with Wylie linkedin.com/in/wylierobinson
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

When not immersed in the world of eCommerce conferences, she calls Queens home, sharing her space with her cat Wednesday. 

Kristin Schoenstein has been a Program Director at Worldwide Business Research since 2010 and has been producing events since 2004. She currently specializes in the retail and eCommerce sector where she is the Portfolio Director for eTail, which includes producing eTail Boston and co-producing eTail Palm Springs. 

In her free time, Kristin lives on the East End of Long Island where she enjoys boating, yoga, running and days at the beach with her husband and three daughters.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:49] Intro
• [01:21] Being a program director for industry conferences
• [02:28] Trend #1: the role of AI in retail businesses
• [03:09] Trend #2: Social commerce and live shopping
• [03:32] Trend #3: Launching partnerships to expand reach
• [05:04] Conferences bring like-minded people together
• [06:10] Creating opportunities for people to network
• [07:21] Curating relevant content from outstanding speakers
• [08:22] Inviting panels across different fields
• [09:12] eTail’s 25th anniversary: walk down the memory lane
• [09:56] A fun time for both attendees and staff members
• [10:40] Don’t do everything, divide and conquer

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A community of retailers launching industry conferences etailwest.wbresearch.com/
• Follow Kristin Schoenstein linkedin.com/in/kristin-paulick-schoenstein-0a7aa95/
• Follow Elizabeth Robillard linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-robillard-a3141150/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:37] Discovering ecommerce as the growth engine
• [05:38] Solving a personal problem to spark a product
• [07:18] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [09:24] Leading a category by entering early
• [10:29] Choosing Ecommerce to accelerate growth
• [12:10] Callouts
• [12:20] Bootstrapping growth with early revenue
• [13:57] Sponsor: Intelligems 
• [15:56] Validating demand through review data
• [18:02] Listening to customers to improve goods
• [22:03] Engaging customers to co-create the brand
• [23:47] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [24:55] Learning while building the business
• [26:28] Accepting mistakes as part of the journey

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Healthy and natural peanut butter dog treats barkbistro.com/
• Follow Tamara Coleman linkedin.com/in/tamara-coleman-07578a23/
• Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honest
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

As a therapist, school counselor, and mother, Oriard is passionate about changing how we support mental and emotional wellbeing for children and families. 

As the author behind the character storylines at Slumberkins, Kelly is changing the way children and families can access the content and strategies, usually found in a family therapy session, in a fun, easy-to-use way that creates healing and brings meaningful moments of connection that make a lifelong impact on the emotional health of children. 

Callie Christensen is the co-founder and Chief Community Officer at Slumberkins, a children’s education and emotional wellness brand. Callie holds a master’s in teaching elementary education and special education. 

As a mother and educator turned entrepreneur, she’s on a mission to use her educational background to create an accessible, meaningful, and purposeful brand that is useful in every home and school to help support families and communities on their journeys of emotional health. 

Slumberkins is at the forefront of brand building online as they expand into children’s entertainment by bringing the characters to life in a preschool television series produced by The Jim Henson Company. 

They just launched the first-ever music album for kids & families: Together We Shine, Vol. 1. Debuted as #1 kids album on iTunes https://orcd.co/slumberkinstws 

They also just launched a New Affirmation App on iTunes that's free for kids and families https://apps.apple.com/us/app/slumberkins/id1627118113 

Slumberkins children's show streaming now on Apple TV+ https://tv.apple.com/us/show/slumberkins/umc.cmc.4r9fjly8gp831gqkfe8ft1xrb 

They are making as many tools and resources available to families so they can easily integrate moments of connection and social emotional learning into every day.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:45] Intro
• [01:53] A business idea for children’s mental health
• [03:00] From side hustle to full-time success
• [04:02] Continuing the momentum online
• [04:53] Doing your best in research and storytelling
• [05:30] Experiencing organic growth from social media
• [06:15] Achieving BHAG with the right manufacturer
• [07:21] Building good relationships with business partners
• [09:21] Establishing Slumberkins' online presence
• [11:00] The Shark Tank push to be full-time entrepreneurs
• [12:46] Low salaries for long-term business hains
• [15:04] A transformative experience with Shark Tank
• [16:40] Connecting authentically with your community
• [18:22] Episode sponsors
• [23:36] Bringing Slumberkins to the screen
• [25:37] Authentic relationships do the magic
• [26:16] The sales surge post-Slumberkins TV debut
• [27:22] Community feedback is marketing itself
• [28:20] How landing a TV series elevates a business
• [29:08] Seizing omni-channel opportunities
• [29:46] Extending parent-child connection with an app
• [31:12] Navigating the continuous evolution of Ecomm
• [33:19] Embracing the endless rollercoaster ride

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Educational and emotional learning products for children slumberkins.com/
• Follow Callie Christensen linkedin.com/in/callie-christensen-146b48148/
• Follow Kelly Oriard linkedin.com/in/kelly-oriard-149b48148/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Before joining Newton, Aaron led international Ecommerce for Teleflora, managing growth across global markets and navigating the complexity of seasonal retail cycles and cross-border logistics. Today, he applies that same analytical rigor to the world of baby and juvenile goods where trust, conversion, and retention all hinge on deeply personalized journeys.

Aaron shares how finance-trained marketers bring discipline to growth forecasting, why he encourages his team to challenge attribution models, and how incrementality testing has become central to his media mix. He also unpacks the pitfalls of over-indexing on Meta, why Pinterest deserves more spend, and how to onboard new marketing hires with the right mental models from day one.

Whether he's explaining why some site visitors can’t be influenced or why channel diversification is more urgent than ever, Aaron delivers a clear-eyed, tactical view into what’s working in DTC marketing today.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:13] Finding opportunity through internal mobility
• [02:34] Building with seasoned tech entrepreneurs
• [03:09] Keeping connections that open future doors
• [03:53] Auditing channel mix to unlock growth
• [04:50] Applying stats to improve ad performance
• [05:54] Selling off-site and skewing test results
• [08:00] Optimizing upstream metrics with caution
• [09:00] Driving sales with offer and positioning
• [10:19] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye & Zamp
• [12:44] Relying on incrementality to guide spend
• [14:20] Backing bold ideas with leadership support
• [15:31] Humanizing luxury to boost relatability
• [17:01] Turning off losers without ending the test
• [20:14] Feeding AI tools to stay effective
• [21:11] Measuring performance with GeoLift tests

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• #1 rated baby crib mattress newtonbaby.com/
• Follow Aaron Zagha linkedin.com/in/aaronzagha
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Founded in 2015, Recapture has processed over 1.9 billion in gross merchant volume (GMV) and recovered over $190,000,000 for stores worldwide. 

Email is Dave's middle name. 

Dave is also the co-host of the RogueStartups podcast and the WP Minute Ecommerce show. He now works exclusively on ecommerce and has a passion for making merchants of all kinds more successful with their stores. 

He truly loves email, dark beer, lifestyle businesses and his family. Not necessarily in that order. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:15] What is Recapture?
• [02:14] How Recapture recovered almost $200 million
• [03:10] The Ecommerce Email Playbook
• [05:14] No excuse to having no email strats
• [08:36] Biggest fear that merchants have about email
• [09:30] You’re not annoying your customers
• [11:01] Big brands are not perfect, especially in strategy
• [11:47] Why you should sign up on newsletters
• [12:48] Just send the emails
• [13:49] Dave’s Email Ladder Strategy
• [15:41] Solutions for “not knowing what to say”
• [16:19] Solutions for busy founders
• [17:11] Unsubscribes are actually a good thing
• [17:54] Start with default emails provided by platforms
• [18:49] When “good enough” is enough to send
• [19:51] Mistakes can work the best or be fun
• [20:17] Alternate ways to give value aside from discounts
• [24:04] Where to find Dave and Recapture

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Try out Recapture 60 days for free! recapture.io/honest-ecommerce-special
• Follow Dave on Twitter @daverodenbaugh
• If you want help with email strategy, email Dave david@recapture.io
• Get inspired with the best showcase of email design and resources on the web reallygoodemails.com

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Kinn offers a range of fine jewelry all made with 100% solid and recycled gold. All materials are sourced locally in Los Angeles. 

Previously employee #1 at Casetify, Jennie dived into the jewelry industry after her family's home was robbed and all heirlooms stolen. 

In seeking to replace some of her parents' precious heirlooms, she learned the jewelry industry was one that lacked transparency and had deep markups. 

Through Kinn, she sought a transparent solution that cut out the middleman and left consumers with modern heirlooms they can keep for years to come.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:09] What are Kinn’s products
• [01:37] Where the idea of Kinn started
• [04:00] From passion project to a business
• [05:31] Jennie’s Ecom background helping her
• [06:15] Learn Ecom before starting a company?
• [07:49] You can never know unless you try
• [08:52] How Kinn moved out from contacts to marketing
• [11:53] The offer they had for the Refinery29 piece
• [13:21] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [13:42] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [14:29] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [15:42] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [16:35] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [17:24] Kinn’s avenues for retention and acquisition
• [19:49] Starting on paid ads later in the journey
• [21:02] Take guidebooks with a grain of salt
• [22:58] Looking at competitors might not be productive
• [23:10] Be honest to why you exist as a brand
• [25:33] Find good people to work with
• [26:22] Don’t cut corners
• [26:47] Hire experienced people when starting out
• [27:22] Where to find Kinn products?

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Modern heirlooms, made to last a lifetime kinnstudio.com
• Follow Kinn on Instagram @kinnstudio
• Connect with Jennie linkedin.com/in/yoonicorn
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• Transform your returns into exchanges loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Her work focuses primarily on Black culture in relation to fashion, travel, music, visual arts, and social justice. Amira is also a passionate Black history scholar. For her undergraduate education, she attended Rutgers University, where she received a B.A. in African American and African Studies. 

She later earned a Master of Philosophy in African Studies from the University of Cape Town, and whilst studying saw the whitespace in the market for diverse brands that inspired her to launch The Folklore at just 22 years old! In 2023, Amira was honored as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 2024 and Vogue Business 100 Next-gen Entrepreneurs and Agitators.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:43] Intro
• [02:12] Building community for independent brand founders
• [03:15] Solving access issues for emerging global brands
• [04:09] Pivoting and returning to consumer roots
• [04:58] Empowering brands with resources and education
• [05:56] Supporting entrepreneurs outside core fashion cities
• [07:08] Creating workshops for local entrepreneurs to grow
• [07:43] Driving growth via accessible business resources
• [09:07] Simplifying sales with line sheet generators
• [10:16] Tailored solutions for brands at different stages
• [11:18] Pivoting to find the right formula for brand growth
• [12:25] Connecting with other new brands for mutual growth
• [13:34] Reaching beyond local markets to scale your brand
• [14:52] Building access to the fashion industry
• [16:38] The Folklore: opportunities for brands and retailers

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The membership community for independent brand owners thefolklore.com/
• Follow Amira Rasool linkedin.com/in/amira-rasool/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Lovesac is publicly traded on Nasdaq, ticker “LOVE,” and is projected to exceed $1 Billion in annual sales over the next few years leveraging its rapidly growing fleet of more than 270 Lovesac branded retail locations. 

From humble beginnings, Shawn founded Lovesac in 1998, making Sacs by hand for neighbors and friends while in college. He graduated from the University of Utah in 2001 with a BA in Mandarin Chinese before opening Lovesac’s first retail location in his hometown of Salt Lake City shortly after graduation. 

In 2005 Shawn won a million-dollar investment from Richard Branson on his prime time hit reality TV show, The Rebel Billionaire, and was named acting President of Virgin Worldwide for a time. 

Shawn later achieved his Master’s degree in Strategic Design and Management at the world famous Parsons, The New School for Design in New York City and continued on as an instructor there for a few years teaching courses on Sustainable Business Models, Leadership, and Innovation. 

Shawn now holds over 50 issued patents across multiple product categories with dozens more pending. The majority of Lovesac’s sales today are driven by the ever-expanding product platform called “Sactionals,” the world’s most versatile couch and myriad Sactionals product extensions including embedded technology.

 Shawn’s recent book, “Let Me Save You 25 Years,” celebrates Lovesac’s colorful history, and the many “mistakes, miracles, and lessons” learned along the way. 

Shawn lives in St. George, Utah with his wife, Tiffany, and their 4 kids, 2 cats, and 1 crazy dog. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:42] Intro
• [01:35] A business idea right at home
• [03:05] Learning from direct customer feedback
• [04:13] Taking the last gamble and it worked
• [06:21] From side hustle to full-time business
• [07:22] Managing first store and franchising
• [08:16] Leveraging TV fame for VC investment
• [09:04] Competing in Branson's reality show
• [10:12] Staying grounded amidst financial highs and lows
• [11:00] Electric Eye: your true Shopify expert 
• [11:56] Plan and DO something
• [13:31] Playing along the journey
• [15:09] Resilience through COVID and other setbacks
• [16:47] Patience is key to long-term growth
• [17:42] Defining your own success and timeline
• [19:27] Sharing 25 years of mistakes and miracles
• [21:01] Knowing when to pivot and when to persist
• [22:53] Thriving in uncertainty as an entrepreneur
• [24:13] Big outcomes require hard decisions
• [25:21] Get inspired with Shawn and Lovesac's journey

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Modern couches, sactionals and bean bags lovesac.com/
• Follow Shawn D. Nelson linkedin.com/in/shawndnelson/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He also has a French bulldog named Spotted Humphrey who has over 150k followers across all social platforms. 

He and his wife launched a dog boutique called Spotted By Humphrey with Humphrey as Chief Barking Officer. 

Yong-Soo also recently launched a new podcast called First Class Founders where he shares his entrepreneurial experiences as a 3X Founder. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:51] Talking about Spotted Humphrey
• [02:20] What Yong-Soo is up to these days
• [05:28] The idea and genesis of Urban EDC
• [07:28] Validating an idea if it’s viable as a business
• [08:34] Realizing that the business is scalable
• [10:33] Traditional vs the “drop” model
• [12:47] How getting banned on FB ads became an asset
• [14:12] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [15:09] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO jsonld.app
• [16:26] Sponsor: Retention.com retention.com/honest
• [17:18] The greatest asset for Urban EDC: Email list
• [18:18] Urban EDC’s series of email flows
• [20:18] Yamato Club: Urban EC’s paid membership
• [24:29] First Class Founders: Yong-Soo’s podcast
• [25:33] Don’t waste resources on something tractionless
• [26:00] Consistency is really important
• [26:40] Where to find Yong-Soo and Urban EDC

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A purveyor of artisan crafted everyday carry gear urbanedcsupply.com
• Grow your Ecommerce business without sacrificing the planet growthjet.com
• Learn proven strategies to start & grow your online business each week firstclassfounders.com
• Connect with Yong-Soo @YongSooChung
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

A 10-year DTC veteran, Izzy first launched Browze in 2012, shipping over 2.5 million home and kitchen products globally. After building a China-based fulfillment center to improve customer experience, he saw an opportunity to help other brands bypass traditional U.S. warehouses, leading to the creation of Portless.

Portless enables brands to ship faster, avoid upfront taxes, and reclaim working capital, transforming how modern operators manage logistics. Izzy's deep experience in cross-border fulfillment, HS code strategy, and tariff engineering gives him a unique lens into how ecommerce brands can survive regulatory shifts and thrive under pressure.

With a margin-first, speed-to-cash mindset, Izzy helps brands reimagine global operations to win in today's volatile landscape, efficiently, legally, and profitably.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:43] Intro
• [00:56] Understanding the De Minimis model
• [02:36] Revealing the new customs entry methods
• [07:35] Clarifying tariffs vs. import taxes
• [08:25] Comparing global manufacturing options
• [09:30] Recognizing China’s manufacturing edge
• [10:36] Separating security from supply chains
• [12:24] Predicting the next tariff move
• [13:39] Balancing tariffs with tax reform
• [15:18] Pausing growth without clear policy
• [16:00] Deferring taxes to boost cash flow
• [20:02] Migrating platforms to save cash

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Follow Izzy Rosenzweig linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Drawing from his deep expertise in search intent, content optimization, and store-level messaging, Kai equips Shopify brands with the tools they need to boost organic revenue, refine collection and product pages, and convert more traffic without overwhelming shoppers.

Kai helps merchants rethink underperforming pages, optimize seasonal campaigns, and build resilient marketing systems, so they can grow more by working less.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:14] Introducing what drives real SEO results
• [02:46] Building pages around real search demand
• [05:44] Starting SEO with product-type collections
• [07:22] Using conversational copy to boost SEO
• [08:37] Filtering keyword data by page type
• [10:43] Recognizing when a term is too competitive
• [11:49] Understanding why products convert lower
• [13:56] Training custom GPTs for brand-aligned content
• [16:29] Drafting faster without losing quality
• [17:19] Exporting product data to scale AI writing
• [17:53] Building tools to surface keyword insights
• [19:54] Understanding your funnel before traffic drops
• [22:08] Optimizing for AI-driven shopping behavior
• [24:11] Offering hands-on SEO help for time-strapped teams
• [25:28] Focusing on what actually moves SEO rankings

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• SEO Services for DTC Shopify Stores doubleyourecommerce.com/
• Follow Kai Davis linkedin.com/in/kaisdavis

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He and Drew Marconi started Intelligems 3 years ago after spending 4 years building dynamic pricing in the ride sharing industry in order to bring that level of sophistication around pricing and economics to DTC ecommerce. 

Intelligems today enables brands to A/B test content, pages, discounts, shipping fees, and prices on their storefronts. It also enable brands to build tailored experiences and personalizations informed by the learnings of those tests.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [01:12] Intro
• [02:04] Transitioning from ridesharing to Ecommerce
• [03:09] Testing product prices for big impact
• [04:41] Benefiting from Google's unexpected move
• [05:44] Gaining traction with early adopters
• [06:44] Clarifying CRO basics and misconceptions
• [08:04] Balancing conversion rate and AOV
• [10:04] Adopting a testing mindset
• [11:56] Exploring test win rates and client mindset
• [13:45] Iterating quickly after test failures
• [14:36] Trusting data over intuition
• [15:55] Embracing non-winning test results
• [16:33] Assessing business lifecycle impact
• [17:10] Balancing orders with profit margins
• [19:18] Understanding statistical significance basics
• [21:04] Evaluating probabilities in test outcomes
• [22:23] Considering risks in statistical test outcomes
• [23:16] Moving on when tests reach clear results
• [24:52] Balancing creativity and analytics in a CRO
• [25:44] Psychological insights to optimize conversions
• [27:24] Leveraging psychology in Ecommerce strategies
• [28:18] Consumer behavior with key readings
• [29:04] Testing price strategies for bigger impact
• [30:24] Integrating brand education into conversion tactics
• [31:50] Optimizing landing pages for high traffic
• [33:20] Prioritizing first impressions on landing pages
• [34:06] Running advanced tests with Intelligems

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Price A/B testing for Ecommerce intelligems.io/
• Follow Adam Kitain linkedin.com/in/adamkitain/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Lynn has expertise in transforming organizations from top to bottom – including capabilities, organizational structure, talent and culture. 

She recently left the big agency world to launch two brands: MASAMI, a premium clean hair care brand which launched in February 2020 and Isle de Nature, bee-powered home fragrance which launched in September 2020. 

Prior to her entrepreneurial move, Lynn was CEO of J. Walter Thompson NY, responsible for the flagship office of WPP’s $1.5B iconic agency (the oldest advertising agency in the world). 

Throughout her career, Lynn has had the great fortune of working on some of the world’s most well-known brands including: LISTERINE, American Express, Clinique, Hershey’s, Pizza Hut and Wild Turkey. 

Lynn believes that business success relies on building a team that respects and nurtures ideas as well as the people who create them. 

She believes in moving at the speed of culture, eliminating barriers and helping women find their voices.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:53] MASAMI and Isle De Nature
• [01:56] Lynn’s cool history in Ecommerce
• [03:49] How Lynn justifies having no degree
• [04:32] Agency background = brand success?
• [07:24] The boring side of the business is crucial
• [08:04] Will the go-to-market strat years ago work today?
• [10:27] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [11:23] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [12:38] Tactics that weren’t worth the hassle
• [13:47] Facebook is a difficult and expensive route
• [14:50] Advertising is like gasoline
• [16:18] Pros and cons of naivete in business
• [17:25] There are not tricks or silver bullets
• [18:01] The fun in business is figuring stuff out
• [19:30] Consumer impatience is a big factor
• [19:59] Black Friday and beyond for Lynn’s brands
• [22:07] Where the Conscious Beauty Collective came from
• [24:45] Connect with Lynn if you have further question

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Premium hair care line designed for superior hydration, texture, and shine lovemasami.com
• Bee-powered home fragrance with the belief that nature is luxury isledenature.com
• Connect with Lynn linkedin.com/in/lynn-power-02b8904
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Ray has founded, mentored and invested in many digital commerce startups over a period of 20 years; including Hostelworld, Skyscanner and Ding.com. 

Ray founded eDesk after seeing friends running a high margin eCommerce business and struggling with operational efficiencies and profitable scaling. 

Today eDesk powers thousands of merchants around the world, using AI to help them provide faster and more personalized support to their customers.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:44] Intro
• [02:36] Knowing what your competitors are up to
• [03:27] Building key differentiators from competitors
• [04:10] Using AI to simplify customer support processes
• [05:33] Learning to refine your interactions with AI tools
• [06:19] How AI helps in ideating and outlining
• [07:20] Incorporating AI in your workflow
• [08:19] Maximizing AI for things you’re not adept with
• [08:56] Experimenting with the add-ons
• [09:09] ChatGPT and the convenience it brings
• [11:25] Synopsizing ticket history using AI tools
• [12:41] AI giving a more streamlined customer support
• [14:23] The importance of continuity in customer support
• [15:37] Chatbots and SLAs in the Ecommerce space
• [16:22] Leveraging ChatGPT to categorize tickets
• [18:01] Advantages of hands-free replies
• [18:23] Proof that AI still needs human assistance
• [19:55] Outsourcing mundane elements to AI-assisted houses
• [20:50] Customers expecting faster response times
• [21:16] Delivering expected support fast is the key
• [22:01] What eDesk offers

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Faster, smarter customer support for Ecommerce https://www.edesk.com/
• Follow Ray Nolan https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranolan/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

The product was invented by Brynn’s husband, Dr. Snyder, after recognizing the need to help his patients become more preventative-focused in their oral health. Brynn’s entrepreneurial journey began at age 13 when she started her first business, and she has since built a career in product design and health-focused startups. 

With a BFA in product design from Brigham Young University and experience working with companies like Johnson & Johnson, she’s an expert in creating and scaling innovative products. Under her leadership, Slate has achieved impressive growth and is on a mission to make oral health accessible to everyone. 

Originally from Alberta, Canada, Brynn now lives in Spokane, WA, with her husband and five children, balancing family life with her passion for building a company that empowers people to take charge of their health.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:44] Intro
• [01:03] How a dentist turned anxiety into a product 
• [03:05] Getting expert feedback before launching
• [03:41] Fast-tracking innovation with personal knowledge
• [04:46] Why product validation was key before launch
• [06:17] The fear and reality of investing before revenue
• [07:30] Asking the right questions to refine your product
• [08:36] Building consumer awareness through targeted ads
• [10:00] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [13:12] Two buyer personas: consumers vs. professionals
• [14:09] Credibility through word-of-mouth endorsements
• [15:24] Using awareness to break through a crowded market
• [17:46] Adapting strategies to connect with audiences
• [18:43] Failing fast and doubling down on what works
• [19:45] Why real customer stories resonate the most
• [20:24] Why patience & long-term vision matter in business
• [22:06] Slate: electric flosser approved by experts

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Electric flosser for dental care and oral hygiene slateflosser.com/
• Follow Brynn Snyder linkedin.com/in/brynn-maclennan-snyder-50a7103/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Over the last decade, Brian has led brands like AG1, Delsey Luggage, MELT Method, and 2XU, while also advising companies such as Pvolve, Moji, and Connecticut Cannabis Company. His leadership has helped generate hundreds of millions in revenue and multiple successful exits.

Rooted in a hands-on, operator-first mindset, Brian partners with founders to level up strategy, streamline operations, and build teams that can scale. Whether he’s stepping in full-time or advising from the sidelines, Brian brings a clear playbook for helping founder-led companies hit the next stage of growth, efficiently, profitably, and with the endgame in mind.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:09] Focusing on wellness-driven consumer brands
• [03:03] Balancing product, ops, and financial reality
• [06:05] Delegating better at larger revenue stages
• [08:29] Mentoring weak spots before replacing them
• [10:22] Licensing major brands to grow fitness revenue
• [12:27] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, & Reach
• [17:34] Building credibility through past outcomes
• [18:47] Partnering with founders instead of leading solo
• [21:25] Positioning your company for a clean exit
• [24:08] Guiding founders through the exit process
• [26:48] Creating deal structures where everyone wins
• [28:43] Getting fractional help without full-time cost

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Follow Brian Anderson linkedin.com/in/smallpondgroup
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest. 

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Prior to eStreamly, Nicolas was a sales leader at Naturex, a company supporting CPGs & brands transitioning to Natural Foods. 

Citizen of the world, he had the opportunity to work and live across several continents. Passionate about Innovation & Commerce, he loves exploring, learning and having a positive impact on people's lives.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:54] How eStreamly produces high conversion rates
• [02:22] Live shopping culture in China vs US
• [03:14] Live shopping as a marketing and sales channel
• [04:07] eStreamly also produces less returns
• [04:38] eStreamly is not a “plug and play” solution
• [06:41] Influencers can be expensive
• [07:31] Best marketing strat alongside live shopping
• [07:52] Have compelling reasons for audiences to tune in
• [08:53] SMS is a powerful tool for live shopping
• [09:20] No marketing strat can be “one and done”
• [10:31] Any skill can be learned so don’t be scared
• [11:15] Approach any strategy with a “channel mindset”
• [12:01] Event marketing principles to D2C
• [13:02] The scarcity and timing aspect of livestreams
• [14:13] Important things that happen after livestreams
• [15:57] Recycling content from a livestream
• [17:34] Pre-publishing content before the livestream
• [18:03] Take advantage of the live shopping hype
• [18:58] Optimal livestream duration
• [20:14] Social media is made for discovery
• [20:36] eStreamly integrations on D2C platforms
• [22:23] More info about eStreamly & where to find Nicolas
• [23:02] Why you should try live shopping now

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Connect with Nicolas linkedin.com/in/nicolas-bailliache-854a3022
• Shoppable livestream and video estreamly.com

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He has taught Fortune 500 companies how to build and leverage new businesses, has combined culture with management theory through his writing, and believes that innovation provides a new path to personal and global empowerment. 

Vladimir is the CEO and Co-founder of Better & Better—a company that develops and sells personal care products that are fundamentally better for our health and for our environment. 

Prior to co-founding Better & Better, Vladimir was the Co-founder of two successful startups, each acquired. 

The most recent, Meural—a platform that combines software and hardware to make art universally accessible—where he was also the CEO, was acquired in 2018 by NETGEAR. 

And prior to that, Vladimir’s first venture as Co-founder and CTO was RocketHub—a crowdfunding platform that helped thousands of entrepreneurs, artists, and scientists raise millions of dollars. RocketHub was acquired in 2015 by EFactor. 

Vladimir is an active supporter of various non-profit organizations—currently a board member of Theatre Within, and previously a board member of the New York Foundation for the Arts. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:11] What are Better & Better products?
• [02:01] Vladimir’s Ecom journey
• [05:07] Having co-founders or a team is a benefit
• [06:01] Observe where the market is heading
• [07:27] Look for investors that fit your brand
• [08:00] From idea to a product development
• [09:39] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [09:59] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [10:49] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [11:19] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [12:12] Producing the first batch of products
• [13:59] Vladimir’s impatience paying off
• [15:25] 3 levels to target and build credibility
• [17:30] LTV approach to combat low AOV
• [18:49] Initial paid marketing budget for startups
• [19:32] 3 marketing angles that Better & Better tried
• [20:39] Paid is expensive; Better start organic
• [21:59] Where to find Better & Better

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Premium toothpaste that's better for your health and better for the planet betterandbetter.com
• Connect with Vladimir linkedin.com/in/vukicevic
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

SeaMonster Studios have delivered over 1500 websites to clients over the last 18 years. They are a proud Shopify Plus partner and have become a top-tier partner with several app developers within the Shopify ecosystem.

Wes started out in the trenches, designing and building websites before a small screen had ever been considered and have continued to champion and pioneer skills in the web and ecommerce fields that gave him a start in this industry.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:49] Intro
• [01:50] From early ecommerce venture to a thriving agency
• [03:19] Navigating the gray areas of ADA & WCAG guidelines
• [04:48] Balancing site compliance with brand aesthetics
• [06:06] Compliance as a continuous improvement process
• [08:08] Accessibility from different user perspectives
• [09:28] Starting accessibility with thorough site reviews
• [10:05] Preventing lawsuits with digital accessibility
• [11:25] Improving awareness on accessibility issues
• [12:19] Directing legal threats to small Ecommerce sites
• [14:02] The financial dynamics behind lawsuits
• [15:29] Parallels between tech fixes & construction audits
• [16:21] Addressing agency flaws by reviewing past work
• [17:14] Understanding varying WCAG compliance across states
• [18:34] Balancing agency & business’ responsibility
• [19:47] Exploring limitations in automated accessibility 
• [21:01] Managing compliance when stacking Shopify apps
• [22:07] Shopify's limits on compliance control
• [23:56] Using Shopify's flexibility while avoiding pitfalls
• [25:39] Combining AI tools and human testing for site fixes
• [27:26] Accessible Web for efficient compliance scanning
• [28:39] Restraints in plug-and-play accessibility tools
• [29:25] Critiquing overlay tools for accessibility issues
• [30:33] Image descriptions for better user navigation
• [31:56] Setting standards for product compliance & SEO
• [33:22] Free site review from SeaMonster Studios

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Friendly, full-service digital agency offering data-driven strategy and development seamonsterstudios.com/
• Follow Wes Buckwalter linkedin.com/in/seamonsterwes/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Matthew Grenby is the Partner and Co-Founder of Parker Thatch, a position he has held for over 24 years. His expertise lies in Strategy, Start-ups, and Entrepreneurship. Prior to Parker Thatch, he was a Vice President at Castling Group, where he led UX and design to launch online divisions for major brands, and a Data Scientist at Intel, developing novel data visualizations. 

He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MS from the M.I.T. Media Lab , an MS in Graphic Design from ArtCenter College of Design , and an AB in English from Harvard University. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:56] Bootstrapping growth through cash flow
• [03:23] Turning local talent into a luxury launchpad
• [07:45] Sponsor: Klaviyo 
• [09:52] Applying corporate training to startups
• [12:31] Challenging traditional production paths
• [18:48] Sponsor: Intelligems 
• [20:48] Standardizing core products for efficiency
• [24:47] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [25:56] Persisting through daily business doubt
• [29:40] Callouts
• [29:50] Reinventing challenges for better outcomes
• [31:34] Leveraging community for business insights
• [32:02] Maintaining connections for future opportunities
• [36:03] Rebranding for clarity and customer reach

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Luxury products for everyday ease and elegance parkerthatch.com/
• Follow Irene Chen linkedin.com/in/irene-chen-16b16823/
• Follow Matthew Grenby linkedin.com/in/matthewgrenby/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free demo https://www.klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

A specialist in design, Shawn has worked with the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap Inc, Nike, Homage and Only NY. His time in the retail industry, from digital experience to product design, has exposed him to many facets within the business. 

This has given him an undeniable ability to identify his clients’ needs; guaranteed to provide a unique experience and to deliver increased engagement across all channels of your business.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:50] Intro
• [01:19] Evaluating if your business needs a refresh
• [02:45] Simplifying transitions with the right tools
• [04:01] Creating checklists for seamless projects
• [05:21] Streamlining operations with Shopify’s tools
• [06:43] Addressing website failures with solid solutions
• [07:23] Rebranding & redesigning during platform migration
• [08:57] Redesigning for better performance and results
• [11:19] Boosting efficiency with modern solutions
• [12:15] Auditing performance to fix slow-loading stores
• [14:08] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [17:20] Building high-converting landing pages
• [19:23] Improving conversions with flagship landing pages
• [20:56] Refining user experiences with detailed testing
• [21:41] Duplicating templates for faster scalability
• [22:41] Exploring advanced tools for scalability
• [24:07] Deciding if Shopify Plus is the right investment
• [25:10] Leveraging new customer accounts 
• [26:10] Utilizing new features to stay competitive
• [26:44] Electric Eye diagnostics for better store insights

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Shopify expert design and development agency electriceye.io/
• A brand studio where art meets commerce feel.studio/
• Follow Shawn Khemsurov linkedin.com/in/shawnkhemsurov/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In just over 8 years, Your Super transformed from zero to hero, with a whopping $200 million in revenue and a successful exit in October 2022. But this wasn't an ordinary business venture. 

This was personal. Michael's cancer diagnosis at age 24 inspired him to consider the power of food as medicine. 

After his recovery, he started experimenting with superfood mixes to boost his immunity and, with the help of his partner and now wife, Kristel de Groot, they created Your Super. 

From humble beginnings in Amsterdam, Michael led the company as CEO to quickly spread across six continents, 60+ countries and was named the fastest-growing Food & Beverage company in 2021 by Inc. Magazine. 

With headquarters in the U.S., Your Super has helped millions of people to change their lifestyles and feel better with the power of plants. Formerly employed by big names like Accenture and Deutsche Bank, Michael is today a sought-after industry leader, CEO, speaker, author, and e-commerce expert and is regularly featured in Forbes, TED, Inc., Cheddar TV, Good Day L.A., and The Doctors. 

Kristel and Michael recently published their newest book Your Super Life, and you can keep up with them on the top-ranking Your Super Life Podcast, their site kristelandmichael.com, and on social @kristelandmichael.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:53] What are Your Super’s products?
• [01:31] Why Your Super is personal for Michael
• [04:17] Personal solution to business potential
• [05:50] Michael’s advice to someone scared to start 
• [06:38] How Your Super got its first customers
• [08:06] Feedback becoming a crucial factor for Your Super
• [10:42] The importance of emotional connection
• [12:17] Focus on simplicity and what you’re good at
• [13:26] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [14:22] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO jsonld.app
• [15:40] Sponsor: Retention.com retention.com/honest
• [16:31] Max out your working channels before expanding
• [18:17] The channels that Your Super was focused on
• [19:35] Michael’s book: Your Super Life
• [20:49] Find your passion, build your business around it

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Get the Your Super Life book at your favorite book store: Barnes & Noble, Booksamllion, Target, Amazon, Walmart, etc 
• Follow them on IG on @kristelandmichael and @yoursuperfoods
• Learn more on kristelandmichael.com and yoursuper.com
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:23] How Andrew end up in Ecom
• [02:53] Chase automated himself out of a job
• [03:36] Andrew tried to save his dad’s company
• [04:21] The factors that Andrew is currently focusing on
• [04:53] BlueTuskr’s approach to omnichannel strategy
• [05:39] Raising budgets does not affect just one channel
• [07:11] Amazon’s “Buy with Prime” button
• [08:01] Andrew already implemented “Buy with Prime” before
• [09:33] Let your customers shop how they want to shop
• [10:57] A big gap between Amazon and your own website
• [13:18] How Bluetuskr approaches Amazon to Ecom
• [15:02] Don’t “half-ass” your website
• [16:45] Attribution across multiple platforms
• [18:23] Looking at budget and revenue holistically
• [19:19] Explaining the ad performance to clients
• [20:11] Determining ad spend through MER & ROAS
• [21:15] Proper budget allocation makes stuff fluid
• [22:43] Where to find Andrew and BlueTuskr

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Marketing company for e-commerce sellers ready to accelerate their growth with robust omnichannel strategies, targeted media-buying, & data-driven analysis bluetuskr.com
• The latest industry news, strategies, tips, and advice to help grow your business ecommshow.bluetuskr.com
• Connect with Andrew linkedin.com/in/andrewmaff
• Chase’s guest episode on The E-Comm Show ecommshow.bluetuskr.com/how-to-scale-your-shopify-brand-through-effective-web-design-electric-eye

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Before launching Lndn Gray in 2023, Tyler held leadership roles at high-growth companies including Blade, Bird, and Gametime, where he became known for cross-functional operations paired with strong creative and brand vision. With a background spanning a breadth of industries and roles- including premium lifestyle brands, aviation, live events, celebrity/influencer partnerships, and more- Tyler gained an understanding of brand building, creative partnerships, and rapid scaling with early-stage consumer product ventures and founder-led businesses.

As Co-Founder of Lndn Gray, Tyler oversees business development, operations, partnerships, creative direction, and artist curation. Under his leadership, the platform has become known for championing independent and emerging artists worldwide, with a focus on originality, cultural relevance, and accessible contemporary art.

Tyler was based in Los Angeles for over a decade and will be spending the next year travelling and working across the globe.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:40] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [00:53] Finding niche business ideas in art markets
• [05:40] Balancing life and business boundaries
• [08:10] Building transparency with business partners 
• [13:59] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [15:57] Dividing new business duties with founders
• [18:44] Callouts
• [18:54] Balancing art product quality and pricing
• [22:45] Expanding markets with product tests
• [27:27] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [28:53] Owning up to your customer service gaps
• [33:47] Sponsor: eFulfillment Service
• [34:57] Reinvesting revenue back into creative ads
• [38:18] Hiring expert leaders to scale your brand
• [40:58] Leading and empowering team members
• [00:00] Overcoming industry misconceptions

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Art for the bold and fearless lndngray.com/
• Follow Tyler Straub linkedin.com/in/tyler-straub
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Migrate and grow more klaviyo.com/honest
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Lower scale cost today eFulfillmentService.com/honest   

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Jordan’s unique experience in the home goods industry as well as his commitment to non-toxic, design-forward, color-rich products allow Caraway to set the standard for quality cookware and design. As a data-driven entrepreneur, Jordan is passionate about letting social-listening drive new product innovations for the brand to expand beyond the kitchen. 

Jordan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Colby College in Consumer Psychology and was awarded Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:30] Learning concrete business operations on the job
• [04:10] Navigating the challenges of corporate ownership
• [06:54] Callouts
• [07:04] Transitioning from employee to solo founder
• [08:30] Reframing rejection to strategic referrals
• [11:28] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [13:34] Recruiting top-tier talent to an early-stage idea
• [16:42] Targeting alternative lifestyle niches for growth
• [18:48] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [20:17] Expanding into new digital sales channels
• [22:26] Prioritizing customer convenience for store platforms
• [23:57] Sponsor: eFulfillment
• [24:55] Building business momentum around retail cycles
• [25:49] Designing Ecommerce for lasting profitability

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Ceramic non-stick cookware carawayhome.com/
• Follow Jordan Nathan linkedin.com/in/jordannathanprofile
• Migrate and grow more klaviyo.com/honest
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Lower your shipping cost today efulfillmentservice.com/honest/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

His agency, Raindrop, has generated billions in campaign sales for powerhouse brands like Dr. Squatch, Native and Grüns and insurgent brands like Good Culture, Hello Panda, Magic Spoon and more. Raindrop’s creative force has been showcased by their work on three Super Bowl campaigns and their recent execution of the largest brand launch in Procter & Gamble history for Spruce.

As a champion for the next generation of disruptive companies, Jacques serves as a strategic advisor to high-growth CPG brands that Raindrop Ventures has uniquely helped launch and invested in, including Grüns, Laundry Sauce, ForAll, VitaWild, Maeva and Magic Mind.

With a trophy case boasting over 50 advertising awards, Jacques’ work is consistently recognized for its rare blend of viral creativity and massive ROI. His insights have been featured in Forbes, AdAge, and Entrepreneur Magazine. 

He was recently named one of the “most influential people in San Diego” by the San Diego Business Journal and one of “California’s most visionary CEOs” by the Los Angeles Times, who noted: “Raindrop’s creative success and results have put San Diego on the map for creative work across the country.”

In addition to his work in advertising, Spitzer helped produce the full-length documentary Wampler’s Ascent, which won over 38 international film festival awards.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:43] Scaling Ecommerce through storytelling 
• [04:41] Maximizing current growth channels first 
• [08:14] Managing multiple priorities as a founder
• [10:11] Shifting from product to customer worth
• [15:26] Callouts
• [15:36] Overcoming a leader’s limiting beliefs 
• [24:03] Taking balanced risks to protect equity 
• [25:17] Combining math with strategic stories

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Marketing that people love raindrop.agency/   
• Follow Jacques Spitzer linkedin.com/in/jspitzer5/   

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Matt serves as Senior Director of Engineering, Ecommerce at Hanna Andersson which is a leading direct-to-consumer premium children's apparel and lifestyle brand. Prior to joining Hanna Andersson, he led digital at Pet Supermarket with oversight of product and engineering. 

Additionally he served as Director of Functional Architecture and Director of PMO at RafterOne (f/k/a PixelMedia) with operational oversight of teams working with iconic brands like Skechers and LL Bean. Matt also served in progressive leadership roles at Accenture, Merkle (f/k/a LiveArea) and several startups working with hundreds of global brands like Uniqlo, Disney, Revlon, Tapestry and many more. 

Matt brings to retailers and DTC brands a deep expertise in developing and implementing diverse end-to-end commerce strategies. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:24] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:41] Connecting tech decisions to business growth
• [04:36] Comparing agency and brand-side perspectives
• [07:24] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [08:37] Delivering progress customers can feel
• [09:58] Choosing platforms based on business maturity
• [13:03] Callouts
• [13:13] Auditing tech to recover lost conversions
• [15:31] Reducing redundancy to improve performance
• [17:47] Evaluating third-party tools for value
• [19:36] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [20:44] Improving conversion with UX and engineering
• [22:25] Augmenting team expertise with AI tools
• [27:46] Balancing speed with long-term scalability

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Kids clothes from playtime to bedtime hannaandersson.com/
• Follow Matt Ezyk linkedin.com/in/mezyk
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Rob is also co-founder of Ro, the DTC health platform, and employee #7 + former VP of Growth at Bark, where he helped grow the company from $0 to a $100M in run rate. He started his career in healthcare consulting, helping hospitals transition to digital EMRs. 

Rob then started a daily deal company called What’s the Deal that he sold to kgb, where he transitioned to his career in marketing and user acquisition. 

To date, Rob has snagged domains for Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Lyft co-founder John Zimmer, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, ex-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, Pinterest co-founder Ben Silberman, Capser co-founder Philip Krim, and many more.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:49] Intro
• [01:38] Pivoting from healthcare tech to digital marketing
• [02:33] Entering growth marketing with Bark in 2012
• [03:13] Navigating early paid search and social channels
• [04:03] Learning from early Facebook ad strategy mistakes
• [04:45] Tapping into Instagram communities for traction
• [05:33] Priorities that led to a new startup journey
• [06:23] Meeting co-founders with complementary skills
• [07:57] Starting Ro with a mission to break taboos
• [09:42] Adapting proven strategies to new health market
• [11:04] Overcoming hurdles with Google & Meta ad policies
• [12:37] Balancing confidence with product market challenges
• [13:54] Episode sponsors
• [17:07] Overcoming privacy policies in healthcare startups
• [19:23] Transitioning to domain expertise with Snagged
• [21:52] Establishing trust with high-value domain names
• [22:51] Balancing domain costs with business stage
• [24:03] Flexible domain deal structures and outcomes
• [26:14] Creative domain acquisition strategies with Rob

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Industry leading domain services snagged.com/
• Follow Rob Schutz linkedin.com/in/robschutz/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

A specialist in design, Shawn has worked with the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap Inc, Nike, Homage and Only NY. His time in the retail industry, from digital experience to product design, has exposed him to many facets within the business. 

This has given him an undeniable ability to identify his clients’ needs; guaranteed to provide a unique experience and to deliver increased engagement across all channels of your business.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:44] Intro
• [01:07] Overseeing design and development excellence
• [02:01] Prioritize impactful changes before Black Friday
• [04:07] Avoid site relaunch from hurting holiday sales
• [05:26] Straightforward discounts for holiday sales
• [06:33] Maintain clarity with daily Black Friday deals
• [07:19] Optimize gift cards for efficient holiday gifting
• [09:00] Offer direct gift sending for Q4 sales
• [10:41] Use data to craft effective product bundles
• [13:31] Create custom landing pages for holiday marketing
• [15:33] AIDA formula for landing page optimization
• [17:10] Episode Sponsors
• [20:23] Boosting revenue with upsells and cross-sells
• [22:14] Avoid overkill with subtle upsell placements
• [23:22] Strategize pre and post-purchase upsells effectively
• [25:05] Maximizing upsell tools within your theme
• [25:43] Implement app-based discounts for big sales
• [26:24] Refine image optimization and code efficiency
• [28:35] Improve mobile navigation and usability 
• [31:00] Gaining insights from real users' interactions
• [32:47] Optimize sales with early split tests and feedback
• [34:24] Confirm remarketing pixels and data flow
• [35:22] Electric Eye’s expertise for Black Friday prep

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Shopify expert design and development agency electriceye.io/
• A brand studio where art meets commerce feel.studio/
• Follow Shawn Khemsurov linkedin.com/in/shawnkhemsurov/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Karina currently serves as Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Pvolve, an omnichannel fitness company that in 2023 announced a strategic partnership with Jennifer Aniston. 

Karina has spent two decades working at the intersections of innovation and marketing with prior roles as CMO of Oura, SVP & Global Head of Product Marketing at Peloton, and SVP of Digital Media and Products at WarnerMedia. 

Karina also holds board and advisory posts at Jackpot.com, FightCamp, among others. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:46] Intro
• [02:19] Growing an omnichannel fitness brand
• [03:02] Reflecting on career journey to Pvolve
• [04:25] Jennifer Aniston's organic connection to Pvolve
• [06:28] Authenticity in brand-talent partnerships
• [07:21] Trend: celebrity collaborations in consumer brands
• [10:22] Electric Eye: your true Shopify experts
• [11:20] How functional fitness became the solution
• [12:59] Building strength and flexibility using Pvolve
• [13:49] Bringing on key team members to drive growth
• [14:54] Collaborating with agencies and vendors
• [15:42] Combining home workouts and in-person studios
• [16:43] The diverse responsibilities of a CMO
• [18:15] Stay relevant: the value of continuous learning
• [19:36] Strategic resource allocation for maximum ROI
• [20:41] Leveraging networking & relationships as startups
• [22:02] Tap into functional fitness with Pvolve

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Functional and omnichannel fitness with resistance equipment pvolve.com/
• Follow Karina Kogan linkedin.com/in/kogankarina/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In the past, he’s held management positions in fortune 500 companies in the US & abroad. 

He currently runs jijamas®, a high-end sleepwear brand that he founded several years ago to help women unwind & relax from their busy lifestyles. 

He loves all things related to e-commerce and working with international markets.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:42] Intro
• [01:20] Finding the right business idea
• [03:23] Identifying a gap in sleepwear market for adults
• [04:38] Creating pajamas you want to be seen in
• [05:39] Tweaking existing ideas for success
• [07:29] The importance of consultative partnerships
• [09:49] Proving concept and establishing supply chain
• [11:11] Committing to full-time entrepreneurship
• [12:24] Customer acquisition beyond friends & family
• [14:07] Gaining confidence from continuous improvement
• [15:26] Electric Eye: your true Shopify experts
• [16:23] Prioritizing profitability over rapid scaling
• [18:28] Leveraging platforms to reach wider audiences
• [20:18] Achieving growth through strategic scaling
• [21:09] Thriving amidst the pandemic surge
• [21:48] The power of product quality and reviews
• [23:01 Luxury sleepwear from jijamas

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Luxury sleepwear and comfy pajamas for men & women jijamas.com/
• Follow Gustavo Sanchez linkedin.com/in/gustavo-sanchez-8083a86/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In addition to working with startups, scale-ups, and large enterprises, Disco Labs has released numerous open-source projects, and written detailed courses teaching others how to successfully build custom and public applications on Shopify. 

From Disco Labs came Submarine. After over a decade working with leading ecommerce merchants and solving complex challenges for them, we saw the need for better building blocks for merchants, agencies and developers when it comes to customer experiences that go beyond the transactional. 

Originally built as an internal tool to deliver those experiences, Submarine’s now a constantly-evolving platform accessible to all and tasked with making innovative commerce experiences possible for the world’s leading brands. 

Gavin is also the author of The Definitive Guide to Shopify Themes, a slew of popular Shopify frameworks like Bootstrap for Shopify and Cart.js, and numerous articles for publications like net magazine. 

He can often be seen popping up on Shopify podcasts and blogs across the internet, or in person speaking at meetups and conferences around the world.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:49] Intro
• [01:14] Start of the journey on the Shopify ecosystem
• [02:54] Witnessing the evolution of Shopify
• [03:46] The transition from freelancing to running an agency
• [04:45] Being a niche in the early years of Shopify
• [05:55] Agencies aren’t all one size
• [07:18] The contrast between functions and specializations
• [08:24] Custom apps require specific skill sets
• [09:29] New functions & extensions on Shopify products
• [10:16] A platform built for customization requests 
• [11:29] Visible capabilities get people’s attention
• [12:01] Flexibility & accessibility for all merchants
• [12:56] The transition from an agency to a product
• [14:04] Challenges in running two different businesses
• [14:34] The defining moment that motivated the shift
• [15:09] Deciding what’s the top priority
• [16:41] Accepting suggestions from the audience
• [17:55] Seeing your hard work paying off
• [19:07] Shoehorning your business is a sign you need help
• [20:25] Submarine’s approach to different business needs
• [21:06] What Submarine has to offer
• [22:02] The cost of trying to do things on your own
• [22:39] Managing overly complex customization requests
• [23:47] Keeping it simple and applying flexibility
• [25:10] How Submarine can help your business

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Flexible commerce that connects with customers getsubmarine.com/
• Follow Gavin Ballard linkedin.com/in/gavinballard/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

She comes from a family business in beauty. At OffCourt, she does all product development and operations. 

Jonathan is a co-founder of OffCourt - he comes from management consulting background and real estate development and finance. 

At OffCourt, he is in charge of finance, strategy and branding. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [01:11] Intro
• [01:53] The idea behind OffCourt
• [02:22] Testing the waters and taking risks
• [04:11] Establishing OffCourt’s branding
• [04:33] Prioritizing product development
• [05:19] Finding people to work with
• [06:03] Social media presence for a new business
• [06:28] Tying in with manufacturers early on 
• [06:53] Venturing the market of fragrances
• [07:27] Importance of communication as a team
• [08:08] Launching products and managing expectations
• [08:34] The power of PR for a new business
• [09:46] The pressure of being new to the business
• [11:10] Success takes time and consistent efforts
• [12:54] Raising money and self-funding as a start
• [18:55] Testing out different PR strategies
• [19:48] Knowing when and how much to invest in marketing
• [20:43] Using customer’s touch points to sell your products
• [22:36] Finalizing things and reaching out to retailers
• [23:45] Pushing through to land a breakthrough
• [24:32] Facing the ambiguity of retailer’s conditions
• [26:50] Business don’t always go as planned
• [27:32] Having different mindsets in different situations
• [28:51] Keeping an open mind after every rejection
• [29:20] The importance of finding a good rep firm
• [30:40] Having the conviction to change plans when needed
• [30:53] Where to check out OffCourt
• [31:09] Discount code: honestcommerce15

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Functional, personal care company for active people offcourt.com/
• Follow Bani Bahari linkedin.com/in/bani-bahari/
• Follow Jonathan Lawrence linkedin.com/in/jonathan-lawrence-177ab133/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
• Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you 

left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts

. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Deeply passionate about all things that enable meaningful connections & better health. 

In addition to leading several businesses through periods of high-growth and acquisition, Peter sits on multiple boards, has a successful fundraising track-record, international exposure and transaction experience.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:13] What are Mojo products?
• [02:04] How Peter got started in the industry
• [04:21] Next step: Acting on the idea you have
• [06:40] Mojo’s go-to-market strategy
• [08:16] Broad targeting vs narrow targeting
• [09:26] Copy and creative drives results
• [09:58] Budget allocation for customer acquisition
• [11:58] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [12:56] Sponsor: Shopify shopify.com/honest
• [14:38] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest
• [16:04] Blending paid and organic strategies
• [16:53] How PR helps in retargeting 
• [17:32] Mojo’s content play
• [18:27] Launching a brand in a “controlled” category
• [21:24] Challenges of CBD brands
• [22:42] Peter’s history in agencies and Academy
• [26:58] Agencies should at least try to launch a brand 
• [28:25] Where to support Mojo
• [28:47] Where to support Academy

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Mushroom gummies boosting focus, productivity, mood & energy mojo.shop
• Content agency built for strategic performance madebyacademy.com
• Provides psychedelic support to better the well through science, education, and products gwellamushrooms.com
• Connect with Peter linkedin.com/in/peterreitano
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

T is for Tot’s carefully crafted subscription kits provide parents with a stress-free way to support their child's academic growth through fun, play-based activities.

Each T is for Tot Kit is designed to nurture a love for learning and ensure that your child is not only prepared for kindergarten but also set up for a lifetime of learning success.

Meghan Foster is a mom of 2 boys, taught kindergarten for close to a decade before starting T is for Tot, I have my master's degree in elementary education as well as a business degree. 

T is for Tot kits are all-encompassing and delivered each month with everything included for play-based learning fun. 

The goal of T is for Tot l is to make it easy for parents to give their child Pinterest-like activities, while teaching them in a developmentally appropriate way at the same time. 

T is for Tot includes essential fundamentals in every kit, taught in a way that is fun and developmentally appropriate. 

There's ample early childhood research that states the importance of starting learning early, and it needs to be a play-based approach that engages the child and leads the child to eventually be motivated in his/her own learning.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:50] What are Learn and Play Kits?
• [01:27] Where the idea of T is for Tot come from
• [02:37] What comes with a typical kit?
• [03:25] From a creative outlet to a business
• [04:04] Developing the brand and subscriptions
• [05:22] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [06:16] Sponsor: Shopify shopify.com/honest
• [08:01] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest
• [09:28] Getting the product in front of customers’ hands
• [10:13] From friends and family to real customers
• [11:06] Did T is for Tot experience growing pains?
• [12:00] Manufacturing and fulfillment still in-house
• [12:10] Meghan’s advice for people who want to start
• [12:59] Where to support T is for Tot

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Play-based activities to inspire a lifelong love of learning, delivered every month tisfortot.shop
• Connect with Meghan linkedin.com/in/meghan-foster-78589840
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

She started her career in Email and Content Management and has since emerged as one of the industry’s most pronounced thought leaders on all things customer experience and retention. 

5 years ago, she and her co-founder, Pierson Krass, set out to start a different kind of agency. 

Lunar Solar Group was built on the idea that technology empowers e-commerce brands to scale. 

Gina has worked on launching and scaling brands like Olipop, Super Coffee, Lemon Perfect, and many other leading e-commerce brands that you all know and love. 

Most recently, Gina co-founded Stay Ai which is the subscription platform for modern e-commerce brands where she currently operates the company’s CEO.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:54] What is Stay Ai and what does it solve?
• [02:07] How Gina became passionate about subscriptions
• [03:59] Lunar Solar Group: Clients, solutions, evolution
• [05:18] Building and selling KnoCommerce
• [07:50] From an agency to building an app
• [09:42] Where Stay Ai came from
• [11:54] Acquiring Retention Engine
• [15:21] The advantage of being specific in your outcome
• [15:55] Always have an exit strategy
• [17:04] No one has gone public in the Shopify ecosystem
• [17:37] The sign of a mature entrepreneur
• [18:40] The 3 things that make Stay Ai unique
• [21:40] Subscription tips and tricks
• [22:49] Where to support Stay Ai

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Connect with Gina linkedin.com/in/ginaperrelli
• Providing revolutionary subscription management software stay.ai
• Providing Ecommerce and digital marketing services that drive transformational growth for our clients lunarsolargroup.com
• The customer survey platform built for Ecommerce brands /knocommerce.com

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

This feeling solidified when he was in India with First Light Ventures Fund and Village Capital. 

He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Riverside, MBA in International Finance from Middlebury College, and a Certificate from Stanford University in Renewable Energy Systems. 

He believes that being an entrepreneur is an honor he must earn daily since it gives him the ability to solve problems that not only make money but help society.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:01] What are Sutro’s products?
• [01:59] Where the idea of Sutro came from
• [03:22] The gap in the market and the first prototype
• [05:35] The next step after building the prototype
• [07:52] Finding the first customers to test the product
• [09:31] Removing the “human element”
• [11:38] Changing the business model due to the pandemic
• [13:09] Getting the product into customers’ eyes
• [14:35] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [15:32] Sponsor: Shopify shopify.com/honest
• [17:14] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest
• [18:54] Find the right people
• [20:10] Understand that the world is always changing
• [21:36] Strategy vs Tactics
• [22:32] Where to find Sutro

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The world's leading water testing device mysutro.com
• A podcast about water through the lens of business, technology, and policy liquidassets.cc
• Connect with Ravi linkedin.com/in/kuraniravi
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

After graduating, they entered the concept of SoaPen to the UNICEF Wearables for Good Challenge. 

SoaPen teaches kid's personal hygiene habits through their fun and innovative products. 

She has been featured on Shark Tank and is a listmaker on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:03] Where the idea of SoaPen came from
• [02:26] Explaining how SoaPen works
• [03:32] What’s next after winning the UNICEF competition?
• [05:22] The first marketing strategies for SoaPen
• [06:50] Realizing that SoaPen has a market
• [07:34] Having traction before the pandemic
• [09:37] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/connect
• [10:34] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO https://jsonld.app
• [11:49] The main channels for SoaPen
• [12:07] Amanat was apprehensive to go to Shark Tank
• [13:11] What’s different about the Shark Tank process
• [14:10] The Shark Tank bump in sales
• [14:54] What has changed since Shark Tank?
• [16:07] Where to find SoaPen

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Soap-filled pen that kids can draw with before scrubbing up! soapen.com
  Use code HONEST20 at checkout to get a 20% off coupon.
• Connect with Amanat linkedin.com/in/amanatanand
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

The common threads from his deep experience includes transforming complex problems into tangible plans and deliverables, building effective teams that execute at a high level, and creating products / services that make a difference. 

Chris is fully dedicated to realizing the mission and vision of Monday: Monday Boilerplate. 

Founded in 2019 by six San Diego based entrepreneurs and friends, Monday was created to serve people proper adult beverages without the alcohol. 

Their flagship products are Monday Gin - a London Dry, juniper forward spirit and Monday Whiskey - an American style spirit created by an award winning Bourbon maker. 

Monday’s spirits provide the look, feel, and most importantly - taste - of a top-shelf cocktail minus the alcohol many are increasingly trying to avoid. 

Monday’s spirits are not only alcohol-free, but support a wide variety of healthy lifestyles with its zero-calorie, no carbs, 0 sugar, Vegan, gluten-free, and Big-8 allergen-free profile. 

Monday’s spirits were created with the mindset that products should delight, not displease - made for those who want an adult beverage experience with zero downside. Monday pleases your palate and squashes social stressors, even on a Monday. 

It’s the option to enjoy when you want to take on life how you see fit, with no barriers and no excuses. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: (50 Characters)

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:18] What are Monday’s products
• [03:08] Why Chris went non-alcoholic
• [04:23] The start of founding Monday
• [05:45] Executing on the idea
• [07:32] The adventure of the first 85 phone calls
• [08:57] Forming a “super team of founders”
• [09:50] Formulating and tasting the first batch
• [10:38] Proving the concept through crowdfunding
• [11:43] Launching in the midst of the pandemic
• [13:31] Idea to taste test to final formula
• [14:31] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [14:51] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [15:40] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [16:33] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [17:20] Customer acquisition after Kickstarter
• [18:31] Did Monday get labeled as a “vice product”?
• [20:24] The experience of working with 6 co-founders
• [24:16] Ecom is fraught with challenges
• [26:24] Where to find Monday’s products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A great foundation to a highly flavorful cocktail alternative drinkmonday.co
• Connect with Chris linkedin.com/in/christopherlboyd
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Transform your returns into exchanges loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He practiced as a litigator for 16 years before moving to Oslo, Norway with his wife Leslie (also a litigator) and their two kids- Luke and Bekah. 

While living in Norway and pursuing an advanced degree in Communications and Technology Law, Nate and Leslie discovered the world class quality of Scandinavian clothing. 

That planted a seed which sprouted into aktivstyle.com, their business that brings Scandinavian clothing into the United States. 

Since its inception in 2018, Aktiv has steadily grown and expanded into a traditional brick and mortar setting at Stanley Marketplace in Denver's eastern metro area. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:26] The products that Aktiv offers
• [02:53] From idea to market
• [04:59] Cold outreach to manufacturers
• [07:17] Advantages/disadvantages of selling existing goods
• [09:23] Being mindful of different markets
• [10:19] Customer acquisition for a new market introduction
• [13:48] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [14:08] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [14:52] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:39] Branching out into brick-and-mortar
• [17:50] Why Aktiv did it “a little backwards”
• [19:24] Providing a more personal experience
• [21:08] Where to find Aktiv

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

We saw boring, repetitive designs churned out year after year. We saw watches that didn't provide for individual expression. 

There was a blatant lack of uniqueness of style and colorways. 

Plus, we saw brands that did not connect directly with the people who were wearing their products. There was a significant disconnect.

The market was ready for something new and different. A watch brand that would connect to its fans, one that would form and sustain real relationships. 

A brand that would involve the people who bought their watches in the process of product development. 

A brand that would continually aim to create distinctive limited edition watches screaming attitude and nonconformity. 

Perfect timepieces for the watch lover looking for something different to add to his or her collection. We saw the need and created LIV Watches. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:56] Tongue twisters and ad copies
• [01:33] LIV’s founding story
• [03:25] The benefit of Chaz’s background
• [04:51] How LIV got their unique designs
• [06:46] The crowdfunding go-to-market strategy
• [08:32] The benefits of successful Kickstarters
• [09:50] Look to challenge traditional approaches 
• [11:31] Reinforcing the “no budget” motto
• [12:08] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [12:28] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [13:13] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.io/honest
• [14:39] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [15:12] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:59] The prospecting and retargeting process
• [16:56] Relationships and having the last word
• [18:01] From crowdfunding to DTC
• [21:00] Building their custom crowdfunding platform
• [23:06] Backing games on Kickstarter
• [23:44] Cons of using Kickstarter
• [25:31] Be careful with data and feedback
• [26:50] Lifetime value and cost per acquisition
• [28:05] Where to find LIV Watches

Resources:

• Fine Swiss watches from a brand that really cares about you and your collection  livwatches.com
• Connect with Chaz @Chazanow
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

On this podcast, we talk about how to be competitive against established stores in your industry, building trust to get customers, combining brick-and-mortar and Ecom principles, and so much more!

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Scandinavian hardwood floors made easy stugastudio.com/
• Connect with Marc linkedin.com/in/marc-bacher-1563215
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

• Sam Mundell's LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/samanthamundell
• Website: https://www.shopify.com

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group

http://honestecommerce.co/

SATHI is his team's newest product: a Shopify-only affiliate platform built around two breakthroughs: cookieless tracking and multi-touch attribution. 

Yash is running every SATHI demo personally for a limited time exclusively for Honest Ecommerce listeners. Book your slot by visiting mysathi.io/demo and let them know we sent you.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:31] Stumbling Into a New Ecommerce Venture
• [05:34] Sunsetting a Brand to Focus on a New One
• [07:05] Learning User Needs Through Manual Work
• [08:54] Matching The Products to Customer Needs 
• [10:30] Paying for Actual Sales Instead of Ad Clicks 
• [13:03] Callouts
• [13:10] Doing The Actual Work To See Business Results
• [16:10] Prioritizing Active Partners Over Volume 
• [19:30] Setting Margins for Marketing Expenses
• [21:37] Targeting Smaller Partners For Better Deals

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Marketing Platform for Affiliate Brands mysathi.io
• Influencer Marketing Platform getsaral.com/
• Follow Yash Chavan linkedin.com/in/yctheman

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Catherine began her career as a Registered Dietitian, giving her a unique perspective at the intersection of healthcare, nutrition, and consumer behavior. Today, she leads brand strategy, commercial growth, innovation, and integration across both healthcare and consumer channels.

Kate Farms was founded to solve a deeply personal problem. After being diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age five, Kate struggled to tolerate existing nutrition formulas and relied on a feeding tube for nourishment. What began as a solution for one child has since grown into a company that has nourished more than 600,000 people.

In this episode, Catherine shares how Kate Farms evolved from a healthcare-focused company into a high-growth Ecommerce and omnichannel brand, including lessons on building DTC alongside Amazon, uncovering customer insights that reshaped the business, and expanding awareness and access without sacrificing growth.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:29] Intro
• [01:42] Serving customers across every life stage
• [02:02] Scaling impact from one success story
• [03:36] Validating demand before scaling
• [05:48] Episode Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [07:55] Learning complex channels through partnerships
• [10:36] Balancing trust with Ecommerce growth
• [12:32] Episode Sponsor: Intelligems
• [14:32] Using customer insights to guide strategy
• [17:40] Connecting brand awareness to conversions
• [19:13] Expanding reach while maintaining growth
• [22:13] Episode Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [23:20] Creating loyalty beyond product discounts
• [26:45] Winning customers through better products
• [27:17] Callout
• [27:27] Making great products easier to access

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Plant-based tube feeding formulas and shakes katefarms.com/
• Follow Catherine Hayden linkedin.com/in/catherine-hayden-28233816
• Migrate and grow more klaviyo.com/honest 
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Their entrepreneurial journey has been shaped by creating products that solve real consumer problems while building emotionally resonant brands. After Bob experienced hearing damage and persistent tinnitus from loud music, the pair became increasingly aware of the global problem of noise-induced hearing loss and the lack of earplugs people actually wanted to wear. Existing products compromised sound quality, looked unattractive, and failed to fit seamlessly into modern lifestyles.

Driven by that personal frustration, Bob and Nick spent 1.5 years researching and developing Hears from scratch, investing in patented filter technology and an award-winning heart-shaped design focused on preserving natural sound while protecting hearing. Since launching in 2024, Hears has generated $7M in first-year revenue, won the Red Dot Design Award, and partnered with globally recognized brands and venues including Yves Saint Laurent and Pacha Ibiza.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:32] Intro
• [00:58] Launching products with clear positioning 
• [01:31] Solving everyday problems through Ecommerce 
• [03:14] Leveraging past mistakes to scale faster 
• [06:33] Episode Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [08:32] Finding product ideas through personal pain 
• [09:49] Testing creatives to accelerate growth 
• [11:01] Balancing brand building with direct sales 
• [11:57] Leveraging organic content before paid scaling 
• [13:51] Episode Sponsor: Intelligems
• [15:52] Optimizing products for global scalability 
• [19:14] Episode Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [20:23] Designing products customers instantly notice 
• [22:20] Protecting products through patented innovation 
• [23:25] Callout
• [23:34] Using social proof to increase conversions 

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Engineered for maximum sound blocking, reduce disruptive noise, helping you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up fully rested hears.com/
• Follow Bob Verlaat linkedin.com/in/bobverlaat/
• Follow Nick Nijhof https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicknijhof/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Migrate and grow more klaviyo.com/honest 
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Under his leadership, the company achieved distribution across North America and beyond, brought the business to six figures in 2025, and earned multiple Best in Show awards at Superzoo and Global Pet Expo. 

Ethan is credited as a key inventor on Happy Habitats’ Halo and Roam products, which are protected by U.S. utility patents #12,219,927 and #12,465,021, and he is launching a new product with a major big-box retailer next month. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:49] Identifying niches with stagnant innovation 
• [04:10] Partnering with experienced agencies 
• [04:56] Sponsor: Migrate
• [06:54] Scaling into national retail chains 
• [09:08] Finding the right marketplace partner 
• [10:20] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [12:18] Shifting ad spend to marketplace advertising 
• [14:00] Starting complementary product ecosystems
• [15:01] Callouts
• [15:11] Persisting through buyer objections 
• [16:29] Maximizing cost efficiency in product design
• [17:08] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [00:00] Maximizing cost efficiency in product design 

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Walk Your Hamster Anywhere happyhabitats.net/
• Follow Ethan Haber linkedin.com/in/ethan-haber-124040168/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Migrate and grow more klaviyo.com/honest
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

During the dot-com boom, Scott was the youngest member of the cybersecurity board, working directly with the Attorney General to navigate the rapidly changing early years of the internet. He is a graduate of the University of Rochester and resides in Buffalo, NY where Azuna is based. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:47] Tripling revenue by solving everyday problems 
• [03:00] Reinvesting profits to outlast competitions
• [05:25] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [07:32] Learning from mistakes at every stage 
• [12:23] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [14:23] Building LTV when first orders barely profit
• [17:02] Grinding to millions without ever going viral
• [20:14] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [21:22] Learning when to keep things in-house 
• [23:27] Calllouts
• [23:37] Building equity culture across your whole team 
• [23:05] Creating a team culture people refuse to leave 

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Naturally effective odor eliminators azunafresh.com/
• Follow Scott Dancy linkedin.com/in/scott-dancy-189542200
• Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honest
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

She was inspired to leave the corporate world and start Barrière to offer a chic, yet medically-effective masking option to customers during the global pandemic. This led her and Alexa to expanding the brand into transdermal supplement patches, as inspired by her own issues with nutritional deficiencies. 

Before starting Barrière, Cleo’s most recent professional roles included Brand Manager at Moda Operandi and Director of Special Projects at Saks Fifth Avenue, where she led brand, marketing, and e-commerce strategy for these top fashion destinations. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:19] Finding inspiration from personal pain points
• [05:04] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [07:03] Setting your own standards when regulations fall short
• [10:26] Avoiding the one-size-fits-all trap in product design
• [12:16] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [14:15] Seeding products to spark word-of-mouth online
• [16:18] Choosing product confidence over paid promotion
• [18:35] Measuring the long-term return on free samples
• [20:07] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [21:16] Thinking creatively when marketing funds run dry 
• [22:48] Callouts
• [22:58] Owning customer relationships through websites 

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Wear your vitamins mybarriere.com/
• Follow Cleo Davis-Urman linkedin.com/in/cleo-davis-urman-91928322/
• Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honest
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews.

Under his leadership, Magiktea has grown from a small independent startup into a nationally recognized wellness brand, now available in over 1,000 health food stores nationwide. 

Passionate about natural remedies and sustainability, Julian started Magiktea with the mission to share sustainably sourced palo azul so that everyone can enjoy Mother Nature's most magical tea. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:06] Spotting an opportunity from personal experience
• [02:56] Starting a business through personal readings
• [05:06] Prioritizing retail over DTC for early traction
• [06:53] Offering consignment as visibility strategy 
• [10:31] Callouts
• [10:41] Embracing rejection as early sales training
• [14:43] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [16:49] Learning advertisement tactics from founders
• [18:41] Optimizing website to support conversions
• [26:46] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [25:46] Improving listings to outshine competitors
• [29:26] Leveraging Amazon for exposure and sales
• [33:25] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [34:31] Analyzing your brand for the winning message

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Fluorescent alkaline palo azul tea magiktea.com/
• Follow Julian Tcherassi linkedin.com/in/julian-serrano-tcherassi-97a891156/
• Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honest
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:42] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:56] Scaling wellness brands with quality focus
• [03:35] Solving roadblocks through focused one-on-ones
• [05:07] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [06:21] Building a career with portfolios, not degrees
• [08:13] Turning self-taught experience into full-time roles
• [09:28] Accessing knowledge freely on the internet
• [11:15] Callouts
• [11:25] Leveraging zero-cost opportunities in 2025
• [13:24] Building a portfolio for reliable visibility 
• [15:10] Sponsor: Electric Eye 
• [16:17] Understanding P&L steady long-term margins
• [21:06] Optimizing AI to expand team capacity
• [24:17] Hands on hiring management ensure culture fit
• [27:03] Caring for your work to strengthen brand understanding

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Vegan organic vitamins and supplements globalhealing.com/
• Follow Kendal McMullen linkedin.com/in/kendal-mcmullen
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/ 
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Her father, Mark Yeager, instilled in her a deep appreciation for the land and the premium cotton it produced—lessons that would later inspire a business built on craftsmanship and sustainability.

After earning a degree in graphic design and marketing from Auburn University, Anna pursued a career in advertising in New York and Nashville. Though she thrived in the corporate world, her roots kept calling her back home, planting the seed for what would become Red Land Cotton.

In 2016, Anna and her father launched Red Land Cotton with a mission to bring American-made, farm-to-home textiles to market. Armed with her marketing expertise and a passion for storytelling, she shaped the company’s identity, ensuring that each product—crafted from the cotton grown on their farm—embodied quality, authenticity, and Southern heritage.

As Red Land Cotton continues to flourish, Anna balances entrepreneurship with family life, finding inspiration in the land that started it all. Her journey is a testament to the power of honoring one’s roots while embracing the possibilities of growth and innovation.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:39] Sponsor: Taboola
• [02:24] Building new ventures from existing resources
• [05:08] Turning constraints into strategic clarity
• [07:25] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [08:38] Validating demand while building in public
• [10:21] Callouts
• [10:32] Blogging company journey for early engagement
• [12:03] Teasing progress to convert followers into buyers
• [13:48] Meeting customers where they are
• [17:15] Experimenting with traditional advertising
• [20:10] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [21:19] Sponsor: Freight Fright
• [23:22] Investing in skills when hiring isn’t an option
• [25:18] Balancing creativity with marketing strategy
• [26:57] Matching products to the right channels
• [28:46] Leveraging cross-channel marketing effectively
• [30:09] Leading with purpose beyond just making money

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Luxury American-Made Bedding & Towels redlandcotton.com/
• Follow Anna Brakefield linkedin.com/in/anna-brakefield-94389734
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

But no matter what you call him, he’ll never forget his roots. Dan is a 2nd Generation Chocolatier & son of the founder of Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company. Along with his two siblings, Dan oversees the operations of both Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company and Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier. Manufacturing, distribution, national sales channel and product development are the key areas to Dan’s focus. 

Currently the Abel family is expanding its manufacturing facility, adding a bar and a café – and Dan is very instrumental in the construction management and development of both concepts while continuing to push growth. Dan is married with three children –enjoys playing golf, gardening with his young children and spending time with his family. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:32] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:48] Growing ventures through deep personal ties
• [03:01] Finding purpose through early hands-on work
• [04:29] Optimizing small resources for maximum impact
• [05:53] Building presence through hands-on outreach
• [07:56] Leveraging sampling to win customer trust
• [09:00] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [10:12] Creating impact with hands-on marketing
• [15:18] Callouts
• [15:28] Attending trade shows to drive direct sales
• [16:35] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [17:44] Sponsor: Freight Fright
• [19:44] Acquiring companies to accelerate growth
• [26:11] Delivering customer value despite COVID pressure
• [30:25] Creating connection through thoughtful service
• [31:41] Reinvesting in technology to enhance experience
• [34:34] Experimenting with old and new strategies 
• [35:25] Solving problems through direct involvement

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Handcrafted Artisan Chocolates chocolatechocolate.com/
• Handcrafted Chocolatier  bissingers.com/
• Follow Dan Abel Jr. linkedin.com/in/dan-abel-jr-15541765
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:33] Sponsor: Taboola 
• [01:49] Building brands through storytelling
• [04:34] Tracing the roots of storytelling
• [06:23] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [07:36] Evaluating early-stage customer signals
• [10:09] Testing assumptions about customers
• [12:22] Callouts
• [12:32] Surveying customers to validate assumptions
• [14:55] Leveraging insights to improve messaging
• [18:15] Testing media to find what converts
• [21:28] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [22:33] Sponsor: Freight Right
• [24:36] Connecting blogs to nurture discovery
• [27:15] Targeting platforms where customers exist
• [28:58] Optimizing ads for long-term growth
• [34:48] Understanding top-of-funnel users 

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The modern way to drink milk almondcow.co/
• Follow Christine Monaghan linkedin.com/in/christine-monaghan
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

After leaving a stable four-day tech career to pursue purpose over comfort, Kirsten built Rebel Cheese from a six-bottle wine fridge experiment into a nationally recognized brand featured by The New York Times. From launching DTC overnight during COVID to scaling through broken shipments and real-time customer feedback, her journey reveals what it takes to grow authentically while staying true to your values.

Whether you’re building a mission-driven CPG company or refining your feedback loop before scaling, Kirsten shares a masterclass in transforming curiosity and conviction into sustainable growth.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:03] Intro
• [00:55] Bringing tradition into modern food innovation
• [01:30] Turning passion for food into a scalable concept
• [02:34] Validating a product through emotional connection
• [03:33] Turning crisis into new growth channels
• [04:44] Fixing packaging with help from early partners
• [06:03] Shipping curated boxes to customers’ doors
• [07:00] Selling out with zero ads or paid marketing
• [08:00] Turning online orders into lasting connections
• [08:58] Delaying advertising to protect cash flow
• [10:21] Stay updated with new episodes
• [10:31] Learning to sustain momentum after viral moments
• [12:24] Studying investor dynamics before pitching
• [12:53] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye & Heatmap
• [15:32] Launching fast to gather real customer feedback
• [18:01] Leveraging AI agents to save time and money

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Plant-based cheese you'll actually love rebelcheese.com/
• Follow Kirsten Maitland linkedin.com/in/kirstenmaitland
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

What started as a boredom-fueled kitchen experiment during COVID: blending cashews, cocoa, and dates in her Vitamix, quickly evolved into a business. A chance brunch in Las Vegas with old poker friends turned into a pre-seed round when investors tried and liked her “ChocoMilk”. Soon, big names like Ninja and Steve Aoki came on board, and an ops expert from Mezcla Bars helped Joelle scale.

Joelle’s path blends relentless scrappiness with an instinct for spotting white space in crowded categories. From shelving the idea when no co-packers picked up the phone, to saying yes when opportunity appeared in unexpected rooms, to relaunching her formula based on real customer feedback, she’s showing how a so-called “nutcase” idea can capture the market’s imagination.

Whether you’re trying to break into CPG, find your first investors, or take a product from Instagram post to retail shelf, Joelle shares a candid look at how to move fast, embrace serendipity, and build a brand people are proud to carry.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:42] Intro
• [00:57] Launching nostalgia as a premium product
• [01:24] Testing a concept with friends at brunch
• [07:02] Highlighting the power of simple ideas
• [08:13] Running small tests before scaling up
• [09:10] Connecting with ops partners through luck
• [12:46] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Grow
• [15:59] Meeting investors at random events
• [17:23] Building trust with passion and clarity
• [18:23] Raising a pre-seed with friends
• [22:18] Asking founders for advice directly
• [25:04] Reducing friction in early startups
• [26:55] Gathering feedback to guide reformulation

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Delicious, healthy and nostalgic cashew milk https://drinknutcase.com/
• Follow Joelle Weinand https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelled
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts https://electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization https://www.heatmap.com/honest
• The Premier Conference for Ecommerce Operators https://www.joingrow.com

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

The spark came from Yoav’s own frustration: landing on ecommerce sites where he was ready to buy but stuck with eight pages of product copy and no one to answer his questions. Call centers felt broken. Chatbots felt generic. Out of that gap came Rep,  short for “representative”: an AI sales assistant trained to step in at the exact right moment, with the context of everything a shopper has clicked, viewed, or abandoned.

Yoav isn’t building alone. Alongside him is Shauli Mizrahi, Rep’s CTO and co-founder, who brings years of experience in behavioral AI. Together, they’ve built a tool that doesn’t just cut support costs: it upsells, converts hesitant browsers, and helps brands maximize the traffic they’ve already paid to bring in.

Their story blends SaaS know-how with ecommerce scrappiness: from proving AI could act like a real salesperson, to showing how conversational data can optimize entire funnels, to scaling integrations that slot into any brand’s existing stack.

Whether you’re running a DTC store, trying to push up average order value, or rethinking how AI fits into your tech stack, Yoav shares a candid look at why the ecommerce funnel is broken and how Rep AI is working to fix it.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:48] Intro
• [01:22] Sharing career paths before entrepreneurship
• [03:23] Bridging gaps between chatbots and consumers
• [07:01] Shifting mindset from support to revenue
• [08:33] Training AI with millions of conversations
• [12:55] Optimizing websites beyond guesswork
• [15:41] Creating experiences that drive purchases
• [17:16] Personalizing offers beyond discounts
• [18:11] Customizing tone of voice for every brand

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• eCommerce shopping AI agent www.hellorep.ai/
• Follow Yoav Oz linkedin.com/in/yoavoz
• Follow Shauli Mizrahi linkedin.com/in/shaulimizrachy

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

After years of working directly with contract law, consumer protection, and international privacy regulations, Donata saw firsthand how fragmented, outdated, and risky privacy compliance had become for Ecommerce websites. What started as manual legal work soon evolved into an automated solution that identifies which privacy laws apply to a business and generates up-to-date, accurate website policies in minutes—not weeks.

Donata brings a legal insider’s perspective to the realities of online selling, breaking down complex regulations into practical steps for founders. From helping brands avoid FTC fines on subscription renewals, to clarifying why state privacy laws apply to your store, Donata explains the hidden legal pitfalls that quietly erode Ecommerce growth and how to protect against them.

Whether sharing how generic privacy templates leave stores exposed, why recurring billing pages are the newest legal battleground, or how to future-proof your policies against incoming U.S. state laws, Donata delivers a tactical, no-nonsense playbook for reducing legal risk and building customer trust.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:42] Intro
• [01:04] Breaking down contract laws for entrepreneurs
• [02:02] Explaining why Shopify won’t cover your compliance
• [03:57] Breaking down real costs of ignoring privacy laws
• [06:53] Clarifying why location won’t shield your store
• [08:10] Highlighting false refund claims that trigger fines
• [11:54] Identifying which privacy laws apply to you
• [13:36] Turning repetitive legal work into automation
• [14:55] Updating policies before laws take effect
• [16:29] Receiving automatic updates without extra effort
• [17:15] Saving weeks of legal work with automation
• [18:12] Staying compliant as privacy laws keep changing

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Protects business from fines and lawsuits termageddon.com/
• Follow Donata Stroink-Skillrud linkedin.com/in/donata-stroink-skillrud

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

After spending years deeply connected to BodyBio’s practitioner roots, Jess stepped into a leadership role during a pivotal shift: moving the business from B2B-only to a thriving DTC brand. What began as a family legacy focused on scientific excellence evolved into a broader mission of education, access, and brand storytelling, bringing cellular health out of the doctor’s office and into everyday routines.

Though she didn’t come from a traditional DTC background, Jess brings strategic clarity to every stage of growth, navigating channel tradeoffs, building dual B2B and DTC ecosystems, and balancing hyper-targeted paid media with high-trust organic growth.

Whether discussing how BodyBio fixed its reliance on branded traffic, why affiliate funnels outperformed typical influencer playbooks, or how brand guidelines helped unify internal teams and external agencies, Jess offers a transparent and tactical perspective on scaling a modern wellness brand without sacrificing trust.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:52] Rebuilding websites to unlock conversions
• [03:16] Growing brand awareness through omnichannel
• [04:26] Bootstrapping marketing with a two-person team
• [05:40] Managing fulfillment while scaling DTC
• [07:18] Finding new customers through authority partners
• [09:31] Testing creative angles to convert cold traffic
• [11:34] Leading growth through transparency and story
• [12:21] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Reach & Zamp
• [15:52] Defining brand guidelines before scaling online
• [17:52] Testing incrementality before scaling Amazon
• [18:48] Skipping short-term wins for long-term brand health
• [20:48] Preparing for shoppable AI disrupting search

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Supplements Made From Science https://bodybio.com/
• Follow Jess Berman https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesshkane
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest  
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Before joining Bajio, Julie spent nearly two decades in Ecommerce and digital marketing, scaling brands across home goods, pet supplements, fashion, and accessories. Her background in mass communications gave her a sharp instinct for message-market fit, one she’s since sharpened into a full-funnel skillset spanning email, SMS, SEO, and paid acquisition. At Bajio, she joined when the brand had little to no Ecommerce presence, and has since built a high-performing revenue channel from the ground up.

Whether breaking down how to tell product stories that resonate with niche audiences, mapping customer journeys from first click to long-term loyalty, or translating brand values into conversion-focused creative, Julie brings a tactical yet brand-led perspective to Ecommerce strategy. She shares what it takes to grow when you're starting from zero, why not all anglers are created equal, and how to build sustainable foundations that scale with authenticity.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:38] Intro
• [00:49] Focusing on a passionate niche audience
• [02:19] Building a scalable foundation for growth
• [04:31] Learning early that data drives everything
• [06:32] Repositioning a brand beyond wholesale
• [07:54] Tailoring messages to regional fishing niches
• [10:00] Hiring guides instead of paid influencers
• [11:18] Separating community from ad creative
• [12:37] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp
• [18:59] Contributing to a mission-led product story
• [20:53] Scaling small brands with real impact
• [22:23] Balancing SKU simplicity with flexibility
• [25:03] Responding to viral demand with local supply
• [25:53] Forecasting smarter with predictive analytics

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Florida-based polarized sunglasses for fishing https://bajiosunglasses.com/
• Follow Julie De Angulo https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianadeangulo
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Before launching Endless Commerce, Samantha built and exited several consumer ventures, including GIR, an acclaimed kitchenware brand acquired in 2021, and Mvnifest, a full-stack operations and 3PL partner acquired in 2024. Alongside running Endless Commerce, she leads Hologram Capital, where she specializes in turning around distressed consumer brands with strong fundamentals but structural challenges.

Whether rebuilding underperforming brands or designing the tech stack she wished existed, Samantha focuses on enabling commerce teams to grow beyond DTC into wholesale, retail, and omnichannel with confidence. She offers a playbook for founders who want to scale without losing operational grip, and a framework for tech partners who want to plug into brands at pivotal moments of inflection.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:42] Intro
• [00:59] Building software from firsthand founder struggle
• [01:45] Solving problems with curiosity and play
• [03:13] Validating ideas with zero market research
• [06:42] Executing better instead of chasing new ideas
• [07:45] Turning demand into a real business plan
• [09:26] Developing software to solve real-life habits
• [10:24] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp
• [16:46] Differentiating in a commodity-driven market
• [17:23] Building with no modern Ecommerce tools
• [19:11] Navigating growth without today’s tech stack
• [19:45] Going omnichannel to build retail resilience
• [23:31] Boosting perceived value with smart bundles
• [24:12] Shifting from operator to tech builder post-exit
• [25:31] Reinvesting in brands that need a second life
• [27:30] Building features from real-world friction
• [29:28] Avoiding early over-specialization in teams
• [33:47] Explaining the rebundling era of commerce stacks

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Modular, AI-powered commerceOS endlesscommerce.com/
• Follow Samantha Rose samantharose.co/  
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest  
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Before launching either company, Lucy worked in banking and began experimenting with ecommerce by selling reusable straws, t-shirts, and other sustainable products. Her viral turtle-themed content and strong brand mission helped Bare Kind stand out in the crowded DTC space and grow into a seasonal powerhouse, with 70% of revenue landing in Q4. But with a growing team and cash flow challenges, Lucy co-founded Candid Founders to help other brands succeed on Faire while smoothing Bare Kind’s revenue curve.

Whether scaling to 1,000+ retail accounts, turning her backend team into a profitable service business, or shutting off paid Meta ads to improve profit margins, Lucy brings a sharp, experimental mindset to Ecommerce. She shares insights on building sustainable DTC brands, making wholesale work, and running two businesses with her husband without relying on outside capital or paid ads. Her story is a masterclass in founder adaptability.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [00:55] Launching with purpose before product clarity
• [02:50] Choosing a name that allows you to pivot
• [03:40] Starting with dropshipping to test demand
• [05:37] Hiring help before scaling ad spend
• [08:09] Comparing traction between early SKUs
• [10:07] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp
• [16:29] Avoiding traps in commoditized markets
• [18:48] Educating retailers to build trust fast
• [22:25] Listening to demand before launching services
• [24:07] Turning internal wins into client services
• [26:22] Plugging the DTC and wholesale channels

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Faire growth agency that helps brands thrive candidfounders.com/
• Comfy, vibrant animal socks that save the world’s animals barekind.co.uk/
• Follow Lucy Jeffrey linkedin.com/in/lucy-jeffrey
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest  
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Since launching in 2010, Mark has served over 500,000 customers, quadrupled his customer base, expanded into new categories like seafood appetizers and select beef, and acquired Maine Lobster Direct to deepen fulfillment capabilities. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Rachael Ray, ESPN, and national campaigns for Chase Bank, alongside collaborations with Momofuku and Geoffrey Zakarian.

Rooted in a customer-first, margin-focused mindset, Mark builds brands that balance growth with sustainability. Whether scaling operations or evolving brand experiences, he brings a clear playbook for turning fresh products into loyal communities, efficiently, profitably, and with staying power.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:45] Intro
• [01:32] Highlighting specialty items for customers
• [02:44] Starting a business from personal experience
• [03:50] Delivering higher quality through logistics
• [04:59] Pitching new ideas with simple outreach
• [05:51] Adapting CRM systems for operations
• [06:39] Managing growth with limited capacity
• [07:47] Balancing two businesses during early growth
• [09:07] Surveying customers beyond product feedback
• [10:36] Aligning brand identity with buyer emotions
• [11:36] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, & Reach
• [16:41] Taking risks when the signs are undeniable
• [18:43] Launching internal marketing after early growth
• [20:21] Redesigning operations for more agility
• [22:48] Realizing early sales hide margin problems
• [27:26] Blending creativity with structured thinking
• [28:29] Building resilience through daily habits

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• #1 Lobster Delivery Service From Dock To Doorstep getmainelobster.com/
• Premium Maine lobster and seafood across the U.S. and Canada blackpointseafood.com/
• Follow Mark Murrell linkedin.com/in/mainelobster
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest. 

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

• [00:40] Intro
• [00:54] Jumping into Business Without Hesitation
• [01:51] Launching a Brand from a Simple Idea
• [05:26] Reinventing How Fragrances Are Sold
• [08:36] Turning a Vision into a Real Product
• [11:13] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [14:26] Turning Free Samples into Sales
• [16:21] Using Starter Kits to Boost Conversions
• [19:58] Balancing a Startup and a Full-Time Job
• [22:03] Why Overcomplicating Business Holds You Back
• [24:44] Finding Success in What You Love

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Award-winning colognes and candles guyfox.com/
• Follow Liam Eriksson linkedin.com/in/liameriksson
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Jim helped build Charm.io to acquisition in 2022. He was a Former Leadership Team at Ritual responsible for the Midwest Region of the US market 0->$40M revenue. He also served a tenure at Ritual including launching the US market with Chicago as the company's first expansion city in 2016. 

Prior to Ritual, Jim co-founded Fooda ($34M raised) & was on the founding team at HighGround (acq. July 18').

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:19] Discovering a revolutionary product
• [02:44] How D2C insights sparked a new venture
• [04:14] Finding the right supplier for your product
• [06:03] The black box of contract manufacturing 
• [07:16] Learning Meta ads to drive initial sales
• [08:04] Launching subscriptions for wider reach
• [09:09] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [12:22] The power of networking at industry events
• [12:55] Overcoming a life-threatening health challenge
• [14:42] Deciding to go all-in after a life-altering event
• [15:54] Discovering your true customers through feedback
• [17:28] Using data over ego to make better decisions
• [18:32] How customer interactions shape your brand
• [19:31] How to stay resilient through business challenges
• [20:22] Solving growth challenges with the right strategy
• [21:12] Graymatter for better focus and productivity

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The first drinkable ADHD supplement https://trygraymatter.com/
• Follow Jim Phillips https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-phillips-5978827/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

A visionary entrepreneur, Dario Markovic is also the founder of multiple companies, including a SaaS platform designed to help businesses grow organically. 

Dario Markovic's innovative leadership and strategic foresight have consistently driven growth and success across diverse ventures.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:45] Intro
• [01:38] From retail to online survival during COVID
• [04:26] PR success into a business-saving opportunity
• [05:45] Implementing rapid ad strategies for fast wins
• [07:03] Slow, steady transitions to re-build online presence
• [08:17] Boosting sales by moving from Magento to Shopify
• [09:38] Testing digital ad strategies during the pandemic
• [10:54] Maximizing minimal ad budgets for major results
• [12:53] Episode sponsors
• [16:06] Doubling down on PR and affiliate marketing
• [18:16] Navigating challenges of rapid growth and scaling
• [20:31] Managing cash flow impacts during scaling 
• [23:44] Considering logistics strategies for global reach
• [26:20] Navigating challenges of scaling advertising efforts
• [27:10] Starting anywhere to build your expertise
• [29:14] Explore luxury hats at Eric Javits

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Women’s designer hats, bags, and shoes ericjavits.com/
• Follow Dario Markovic linkedin.com/in/dario-markovic-2a326aa9/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

After amassing all the marketing skills needed to scale brands, he found great success in email and SMS marketing, which is what he specializes in today! 

Now after working with over 100+ DTC brands, having the knowledge behind all marketing channels, but sticking with email as his bread and butter, Nikita has a unique perspective on how to get the most out of a brand's retention channels.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:41] Intro
• [01:12] Transitioning from retail to agency building
• [02:49] Transforming solutions into paid expertise
• [03:27] Learning vs paying to get things done
• [04:26] Implementing DKIM & DMARC for email security
• [06:01] Maintaining deliverability with record updates
• [06:51] Steep learning curves in email configuration
• [08:04] Navigating DNS zone editor for email verification
• [09:47] Understanding dynamic and static domain settings
• [10:51] Navigating edge cases in complex DNS setups
• [11:46] Creating DMARC records for Shopify and Klaviyo
• [13:15] Adding DMARC & DKIM to improve email reach
• [15:07] Suppressing email addresses for better deliverability
• [17:54] Remove unengaged emails for domain reputation
• [19:11] Implementing effective list cleaning strategies
• [20:10] Focusing on email & SMS services across platforms
• [21:30] Signs you need to seek email marketing help
• [22:43] ASPEKT: Free audit for your email strategy
• [23:42] Keep track of your email open rates consistently

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Email marketing agency for Ecom and DTC brands aspektagency.com/
• Secure your domain dmarcian.com/  
• Follow Nikita Vakhrushev linkedin.com/in/nikita-v/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He is responsible for leading the company’s overall operations, with direct oversight of sales, marketing, professional services, research, development and strategy.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:53] Intro
• [01:40] Understanding backend commerce operations
• [02:43] Leveraging Linnworks for marketplace connections
• [03:44] Integrating business processes with marketplaces
• [04:12] Tapping into multi-channel growth opportunities
• [06:13] Adapting strategies to business size and growth
• [07:43] Exploring MVPs on established marketplaces
• [08:56] Understanding customer personas through Amazon
• [10:17] Evolving with customers as they scale globally
• [11:32] Building a recognizable brand from ecommerce roots
• [12:23] Managing costs & scaling with automated solutions
• [14:02] From manual processes to scalable systems
• [15:07] Simplifying multi-marketplace management processes
• [16:07] Suggesting optimal marketplaces through analytics
• [16:45] Managing inventory with legal pads vs. software
• [18:26] Balancing vision with practical financial tracking
• [19:45] Customer relationships as part of brand ethos
• [21:03] Monitoring shifting customer buying experiences
• [22:26] Explore Linnworks with a demo request

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Optimizing how Ecommerce works linnworks.com/
• Follow Chris Timmer linkedin.com/in/chris-timmer-019996/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

His professional journey took off at American Airlines' Leadership Development Program, fresh from earning an MBA from the University of Utah. 

While maintaining his corporate career, Josh and his wife co-founded a custom wedding invitation business, leveraging their unique skill sets in the evenings. Recognizing an opportunity in the Amazon marketplace, they strategically pivoted their venture to create a stationery empire, growing their portfolio to over 1,300 products. 

Josh relishes the rewarding challenge of balancing business growth with family life in Dallas Texas. 

Raising three children while building a successful venture with his wife, he exemplifies the possibility of harmonizing personal fulfillment with professional success.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [01:10] Discussing actionable ecommerce strategies
• [02:18] Reflecting on early entrepreneurial spirit
• [03:15] Inspiring innovative business ideas in college
• [03:48] Transforming a hobby into a thriving business
• [04:58] Experimenting with early Facebook Ads
• [05:33] Confronting scalability challenges
• [07:00] Adapting and evolving in Amazon
• [08:17] Developing entrepreneurial intuition
• [10:11] Advantages of using Amazon
• [11:55] Cons of Amazon
• [12:41] Navigating rising Amazon fees
• [14:04] Understanding revenue dynamics on Amazon
• [15:27] Leveraging Amazon's logistics efficiency
• [16:01] Testing product ideas on Amazon
• [18:06] Strategizing growth with proven Amazon products
• [18:42] Balancing Amazon and off-platform strategies
• [21:28] Tracking multi-channel ad performance
• [23:43] Active management in Amazon business
• [25:09] Learning tips from Amazon gurus
• [26:48] Testing on Amazon: fast and cost-effective
• [29:09] Quickly assessing success with Amazon data
• [29:48] Unique skill sets of Amazon and Shopify
• [31:50] Expanding beyond Amazon: preparing for future growth
• [33:40] Learn more from Josh Hadley

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Strategies to scale to 8 figures and beyond ecommbreakthrough.com/
• Education, calendar, and reward prints hadleydesigns.com/
• Follow Josh Hadley linkedin.com/in/joshhadley/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

After 7 years in “the business” the transition into married life marked a significant turning point, prompting Nick to navigate towards the startup ecosystem in search of a more balanced schedule. As the third hire at an emerging startup, he was instrumental in expanding the company to a powerhouse of 40 dedicated employees, steering it towards remarkable growth and success. 

Nick's professional narrative is highlighted by his key role in establishing major partnerships with entertainment juggernauts such as Disney, Paramount, and CBS. Through his expertise in negotiation, innovative merchandising, and strategic market introductions, Nick masterfully brought extensive collections to the forefront of the industry. 

Currently, Nick is channeling his profound experience in startups to aid The Felina Group in its quest to dominate the direct-to-consumer (DTC) sector. His mission is to fortify customer relationships and spearhead the established B2B company's dive into new, uncharted waters, promising groundbreaking opportunities and growth. 

When he's not revolutionizing business strategies or leading his team to new heights, Nick cherishes driving through the serene Malibu canyons or sharing the magic of Disneyland with his daughter, finding balance and joy in these precious moments away from the hustle and bustle of work.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:42] Intro
• [01:33] Shifting from wholesale to direct consumer sales
• [02:47] Blending direct sales with drop ships
• [04:03] Starting in the television industry
• [05:08] Discovering a knack for product development
• [06:22] Finding a high-growth fit at Felina
• [07:55] Recognizing smart hiring decisions
• [09:33] Handling high-pressure situations with ease
• [10:45] Making choices and failing fast in startups
• [11:33] Electric Eye: your true Shopify expert
• [12:30] Cutting unnecessary expenses from P&L
• [14:22] Implementing immediate impact initiatives
• [15:55] Optimizing bottom-of-funnel retention
• [17:45] Navigating internal KPI complexities
• [19:26] Optimizing retention strategies
• [20:47] Volatility in paid media performance
• [22:08] Ecommerce for customer relationship ownership
• [22:55] Prioritizing organic growth initiatives 
• [24:03] Organic and paid media for scalable growth
• [25:55] Customer feedback through post-purchase surveys
• [27:43] Transforming product value into online appeal
• [29:49] Building brand value beyond price
• [31:04] Aligning product value and pricing 
• [33:55] Identifying and fixing cracks in the funnel
• [34:47] Testing and learning from failures

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Women’s loungewear and intimate apparel felina.com/
• Follow Nicholas Hernandez linkedin.com/in/nicholasfhernandez/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

With a successful growth round raised from L Catterton, partnerships with world-renowned athletes like Phil Mickelson and JJ Watt, and a background in omnichannel retail, Kevin is not only a dedicated entrepreneur but also a loving husband and father of two.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:44] Intro
• [00:55] Building a secure and reliable baby monitor
• [02:24] Creating a performance-fabric dress shirt
• [03:23] Debunking "if you build it, they will come"
• [04:11] Seeking technology to enhance family life
• [05:01] The unreliability of phone apps for monitoring
• [05:54] Striving to improve early parenting years
• [06:39] Improving novel ideas into successful products
• [07:16] Validating demand through actual sales efforts
• [08:48] Generating awareness with creative marketing
• [09:41] Building customer bonds with thoughtful gestures
• [10:33] Navigating incorrect assumptions confidently
• [11:04] Electric Eye: Your true Shopify expert
• [12:01] Finding customers where they are
• [12:38] Acknowledging the flaws of initial products
• [13:14] Valuing friends' early support in business
• [14:15] Benefits of membership-based relationships
• [15:57] The cost of building quality products
• [17:56] Prioritizing innovation and customer experience
• [18:42] Marketing challenges of one vs. multiple products
• [19:36] The constant influx of new customers
• [20:59] The power of parent-to-parent endorsements
• [22:16] The evolution of influencer marketing
• [24:53] Engaging with celebrity moms and influencers
• [25:36] Acknowledging the value of wholesale partners
• [26:29] Maintaining organic audience engagement
• [27:37] Cutting through the noise with authentic content
• [28:45] Connecting with Kevin and Harbor

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Reliable baby monitoring system harbor.co/
• Follow Harbor on socials instagram.com/harborsleep/
• Follow Kevin Lavelle on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/kevinlavelle/
• Follow Kevin Lavelle on X x.com/kevinslavelle
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

As the founder of BigC Experts and Cronix, he excels in building high-performing teams and delivering complex web projects for businesses of all sizes. 

Amandeep's expertise spans the entire web development lifecycle, from strategic planning to flawless execution, ensuring client projects consistently exceed expectations. 

He is a trusted leader with a demonstrated ability to guide both small businesses and Fortune 100 companies through the complexities of the digital landscape.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:46] Intro
• [01:46] Exploring SaaS trends with BigCommerce
• [02:40] Providing extensive BigCommerce training
• [04:13] Expanding the BigCommerce ecosystem
• [05:07] Understanding B2B functionality differences
• [06:31] Leveraging built-in tools for additional product costs
• [07:06] Comparing theme ecosystems: BigCommerce vs. Shopify
• [08:36] Using premium themes for easy store setup
• [09:05] Managing ssl and hosting with BigCommerce
• [10:14] Setting up payment gateways in bigcommerce
• [11:00] Exploring BigCommerce's default features
• [12:51] Simplifying tech stacks to save costs
• [15:34] Simplifying complex e-commerce setups
• [16:50] Avoiding unnecessary headless solutions
• [18:32] Manage Ecommerce data efficiently with BigCommerce
• [19:26] Reducing logins and documentation overhead
• [20:07] Setting expectations for replatforming projects
• [20:55] Considering URL strategies in platform selection
• [22:08] Preventing indexing issues during site migration
• [23:19] Establishing a comprehensive migration checklist
• [24:31] Fixing things right the first time
• [25:03] Challenges with B2B clients and data migration
• [25:44] Enhancing productivity with useful tools
• [26:44] Using AI in e-commerce data management
• [27:50] Automating SEO optimization with AI-powered tools
• [28:57] AI-driven solutions for B2B product discovery
• [29:26] A nuanced approach to platform selection
• [29:59] BigCommerce support and assistance from Cronix

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Full service digital and eCommerce agency cronixweb.com/
• Find vetted expert BigCommerce developers & consultants bigcexperts.com/
• Follow Amandeep Singh linkedin.com/in/amandeepsinghvirdi/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He created the visual direction for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s children’s line with The Magic Tea House, and his children’s illustrations have traveled across museums throughout the United States. 

He has been featured on NBC for his large-scale guerilla pieces, the New York Times for his mural work, and in TIME magazine, Slash Film, Forbes, Huffington Post, Men's Health, GameRant, Vice, and NPR for his films. 

As a martial artist, Kentaro competed internationally, fighting Muay Thai at Pattaya Stadium in Thailand and training with Judo Olympians at the Kodokan and the Japanese royal guards within the Imperial Palace. He currently remains one of the cultural ambassadors for the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics. 

In 2015, he co-founded Neuro - a functional confectionary brand revolutionizing the consumable supplement space. With over 50 million pieces sold since Neuro’s successful Indiegogo campaign, the company has been featured in TIME magazine, Dr. Oz, Forbes 30 Under 30, The New Yorker, Buzzfeed, Shark Tank, The Joe Rogan Podcast, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur magazine. It can now be found in over 12,000 retail locations nationwide including Walmart, Whole Foods, Erewhon, Bristol Farms, Wynn hotels and Jet Blue. 

Alongside his ventures, Kentaro currently paints large scale murals as both a freelance artist and a qualified muralist through the Department of Cultural Affairs. As an experiential artist, he co-designed the immersive retail experience CAMP in New York, The Sixth Collection for Jerry Lorenzo's streetwear brand Fear of God, Britney Spears’ The Zone, and Diddy’s 50th Birthday through okidoki, an experiential design agency he co-founded in 2018. 

In the digital space, he has worked alongside Clubhouse and Crypto.com to do their first NFT drop and most recently finished two 2500SQFT murals in Downtown Los Angeles celebrating Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut in space.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:04] Redefining gum and mints with supplements
• [02:33] From athletes to innovators: crafting a vision
• [03:48] Finding a co-manufacturer in the confectionery space
• [04:40] From concept to creation: the R&D journey
• [05:51] Challenges of defining a new product category
• [07:43] Adding value to existing products
• [09:34] Seizing momentum & harnessing community support
• [11:36] Bootstrapping triumph: the crowdfunding journey
• [12:13] Building genuine community connection on Reddit
• [14:16] Electric Eye: Your true Shopify experts
• [15:13] Strategic outreach: The PR hustle
• [16:19] Catalyzing success: from GearDiary to Time Magazine
• [16:52] Authenticity in action: Sustaining the original vision
• [18:18] Accelerating growth by investing in talent
• [19:33] Prioritizing progress over perfection in hiring
• [20:42] Adapting to demand & managing hiring complexities
• [21:44] Branching out & transitioning to omnichannel
• [23:04] Get Neuro functional gum and mints

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Neuro functional gum and mints neurogum.com/
• Follow Kent Yoshimura linkedin.com/in/kentyoshimura/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Throughout his career, Brent has been a serial entrepreneur, a keynote speaker, and a fervent advocate for outstanding e-commerce solutions. He started his first eCommerce website in 1995 and later co-founded and led Wagento, a top Adobe Commerce Agency in the Americas. He has also been recognized as a Magento Master for five consecutive years for mentoring the Magento community and delivering exceptional projects. 

As a podcast host and a global speaker, He shares insights and best practices on various topics related to e-commerce development, project management, and customer experience.

He is also an active Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) member and a passionate endurance athlete. 27 Marathon, 1 Ultra Marathon, 6 Majors, and one Ironman.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:41] Intro
• [01:08] Exploring Ecommerce platforms
• [02:31] Talk Commerce's immersive podcast world
• [03:07] Crafting human-centered content solutions
• [04:58] Customizing solutions: AI for specific needs
• [05:57] Data-driven strategies: leveraging sales insights
• [08:06] Refining AI output for accuracy in content
• [10:12] Experimental success via testing SEO strategies
• [13:14] Evolving SEO: Beyond keyword stuffing
• [14:58] Establishing authority through content expertise
• [16:19] Addressing key concerns across platforms
• [17:57] Finding your USP and thinking outside the box
• [18:49] Tracking new and lost keywords
• [20:21] Staying ahead & doubling down on niches
• [21:10] Diversifying content: exploring audio & video
• [22:25] Exploring AI in podcasts
• [24:03] Exploring creativity beyond content creation
• [25:15] Get in touch with Talk Commerce & Content Basis

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Empowering entrepreneurs and marketers for success talk-commerce.com/
• Unique solution that combines advanced technology and human talent contentbasis.io/
• Follow Brent Peterson linkedin.com/in/brentwpeterson/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Out of desperation, her mother took things into her own hands and created a scalp oil to stimulate growth, which is now the company's #1 best selling product and a viral sensation. 

Shaina, who is also a licensed Nurse Practitioner, helped her mother perfect the formulations and ensure that the ingredients were all natural and safe. 

In addition to running the now 8-figure company, Shaina is a mother, fiancee and real estate investor.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:53] The origin story of a hair care breakthrough
• [02:55] Harnessing homemade remedy to restore hair health
• [03:45] Using Instagram to validate potential market
• [04:34] Building a brand story and launching with impact
• [06:01] Scaling followers using strategic collaborations
• [06:33] Finding relevant pages to reach a wider audience 
• [07:46] Prioritizing organic reach across platforms
• [08:06] Workplace struggles as driving force to full-time CEO
• [10:20] Doubling revenue through full-time entrepreneurship
• [11:10] Episode Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [12:07] Ensuring business stability before going full-time
• [13:26] Harnessing Facebook Pixel for ad success
• [14:49] Finding an agency dedicated to the business
• [15:26] Reflecting on team dynamics in decision-making
• [16:50] Outsourcing warehouse operations for efficiency
• [18:44] Valuing passion and grit before skills when hiring
• [20:53] How to get products from Bask & Lather Co.

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Prevent hair loss with hair growth products baskandlatherco.com/
• Follow Shaina Rainford linkedin.com/in/shaina-rainford-ms-rn-fnp-c-27b241113/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

The company produces the Don Pablo, Pablo's Pride, and Subtle Earth Organic coffee brands, in addition to private label brands for third party CPG companies. Its own brands are sold in Costco, Walmart/Sam's Club, Kroger, and other brick and mortar locations, as well as online. 

Darron has always been entrepreneurial, starting various businesses, but immediately before becoming "Don Pablo," Darron taught Entrepreneurship at an inner-city Miami High School for four years.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:46] Intro
• [01:55] The 20-year journey of a novel coffee brand
• [02:56] Exploring coffee farms as a curious entrepreneur
• [04:19] Pushing through against the discouragement
• [05:37] The upside of naivety as a startup business
• [06:34] Persistence pays: from garage to Costco
• [07:36] Leveraging roadshows to gain exposure
• [08:47] Reaching out to different demographics
• [09:41] Building momentum pre-digital advertising era
• [10:14] Hopping on to the digital marketing surge
• [11:09] The pressure that comes with the first order
• [12:35] Being resourceful in the midst of pressure
• [13:24] Building success, one cup at a time
• [15:26] Episode sponsors
• [17:28] The value of giving out free samples
• [19:12] Utilizing modern Ecommerce strategies
• [20:52] From supply chain issues to scaling success online
• [22:02] Balancing retail channels
• [23:14] Maximizing market reach via cross-channel synergy
• [24:32] Unlocking private label profit
• [25:53] Streamlined private labeling
• [26:55] Adding value beyond product
• [28:17] Check out Don Pablo Coffee

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Whole Bean Coffee, Ground Coffee, and K-Cups from Don Pablo donpablocoffee.com/
• Follow Darron "Don Pablo" Burke linkedin.com/in/darron-don-pablo-burke/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

As a Female Founder, Sam’s passions supporting Women’s Rights, inclusivity, sustainability, and self-acceptance are the foundation of Flaus’ brand mission and personality.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:44] Intro
• [01:16] Flossing frustration sparks business idea
• [02:44] From concept to data validation
• [03:39] DIY-ing the first prototype
• [04:39] The power of surveys and data-driven validation
• [06:25] Discovering the target audience already existed
• [08:25] Navigating crowdfunding campaigns
• [09:38] Managing crowdfunding expectations  
• [10:42] Partnering with crowdfunding agencies
• [12:27] Harnessing email list & pre-campaign momentum
• [15:27] Understanding crowdfunding realities
• [16:16] Episode sponsors
• [20:30] Learning the essentials before the actual launch
• [22:11] Strategic investor partnerships
• [23:10] Optimizing customer acquisition
• [24:09] Discovering diverse customer audiences
• [25:30] Focusing and improving what works
• [26:55] Stay the course, avoid over-expansion
• [28:10] Thriving in challenging times
• [29:47] Check out Flaus products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The world’s first eco-friendly, electric flosser goflaus.com/
• Follow Samantha Coxe linkedin.com/in/samanthacoxe/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Walter has more than 12 years in the fitness industry, and is currently pursuing his Masters in Human Nutrition And Functional Medicine.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:14] A business idea from a personal dilemma
• [02:16] Taking the jump to build a startup business
• [02:42] Giving the actual clinical doses customers expect 
• [03:06] Providing full transparency and labeling
• [04:02] Starting with less but gaining more along the way
• [05:03] Taking calculated risks and strategic investments
• [05:42] Challenges push business owners to persevere
• [06:29] Doing your best for anything and everything
• [06:54] Episode sponsors
• [10:18] You are ought to hustle your way up
• [11:40] Exerting efforts to grow your business
• [12:10] Believing in yourself & knowing success takes time
• [13:15] Content is King, Traffic is God
• [14:22] Regularly releasing content to keep the momentum
• [15:04] Gradual Change, Continuous Efforts
• [16:15] Targeting people already connected with the brand
• [17:11] Optimizing content marketing through SEO 
• [18:09] Get performance supplements from Swolverine

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scientifically proven performance supplements swolverine.com/
• Follow Walter Hinchman linkedin.com/in/walterhinchman/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He loves building partner ecosystems, channel sales programs (via agencies, consultants and technology partners) that drive revenue impact across all GTM functions and solving corporate challenges with strategic partnerships that unlock new revenue streams. 

JD’s mantra is to lead with energy, creativity, clarity, and empathy. When he’s not hard at work with Loop, you can find JD spending quality time with his three kids in Miami.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:20] JD’s journey towards Loop
• [03:12] Always prepare big for the peak season 
• [04:32] Look for opportunities to decrease expenses
• [05:02] Build cost-effective returns flows
• [06:00] Be on the lookout even after success
• [06:46] Diversify carrier strategy to save shipping costs
• [08:14] Use automated rate shopping
• [08:45] Get pre-negotiated rates with carriers
• [09:10] Leverage return vendors for discounted rates
• [10:00] Communicate with 3PLs and warehouses
• [11:07] Optimize supply chain and logistics operation
• [11:48] It's all about the customer experience
• [12:43] Improve customer satisfaction & its lifetime value
• [13:13] Balancing shipping costs and inventory
• [13:55] In-person return bars vs at-home pickups 
• [15:13] Eliminate the cost of the reverse logistics flow
• [16:23] Approach business, sales and returns strategically
• [17:28] Deliver convenience & flexibility for the customer
• [19:10] Reduce returns and abuse with integrated RMS
• [21:40] Be wise with return products and their costs
• [22:47] Item grading and dispositioning with Loop
• [24:01] Make shopping easy & seamless for customers
• [24:27] Helping brands solve returns and limit impact
• [24:47] Sustainability with resellers/recommerce partners
• [25:16] Check out resources from JD and Loop

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Return management platform that grows with brands loopreturns.com/
• Seamless returns management solution, book a demo at loopreturns.com/book-a-demo-today/
• How to Optimize Your Reverse Logistics During Peak Season loopreturns.com/how-to-optimize-your-reverse-logistics-during-peak-season/
• Peak season content on Loop website loopreturns.com/peak-season/
• Follow John-David Klausner linkedin.com/in/johndavidklausner/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Suzie is also passionate about empowering women in business, evidenced by her podcast, Women Powering Ecommerce. 

Suzie's drive and dedication to excellence make her an excellent recommendation for her expertise in entrepreneurship and commitment to empowering others.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:46] Intro
• [01:17] Homeopathy remedies for pet parents
• [01:51] Optimizing shipping costs for businesses
• [03:20] Building a business you can vouch for
• [04:50] Switching gears to know what works
• [05:32] Taking risks once the potential is in sight
• [06:42] The journey from ideation to actual product making
• [07:20] Mistakes and tryouts along the way
• [07:53] Learning the hard way means learning more things
• [09:31] Interviewing people to build backlinks
• [10:20] Investing on paid ads
• [10:55] Accepting mediocrity and going up from there
• [12:30] Doing outsourcing with the right mindset
• [12:54] Podcast sponsors
• [18:03] Seeing gradual but effective SEO results
• [18:27] Leveraging email marketing to gain more revenue
• [19:32] Challenges arise from expensive shipping costs
• [20:35] Solving shipping issues with proactive tracking
• [21:57] Assigning employees for efficient invoice checks
• [22:54] Save shipping costs by working with your carriers
• [24:11] Delegating tasks to manage both businesses
• [25:15] Evaluate what important tasks only you can do
• [25:58] Organize and stick to your calendar
• [26:54] Running EOS and learning from experts
• [28:06] Decide when to automate or delete tasks
• [28:33] Suzie’s podcast aims to empower entrepreneurs
• [30:01] Where to check out Zumalka and Buster Fetcher

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Natural and homeopathic remedies for pets zumalka.com/
• Providing optimized solutions for shipping costs busterfetcher.com/en/
• Follow Suzie Cyrenne linkedin.com/in/suzie-cyrenne/
• Listen to Women Powering Ecommerce podcast youtube.com/channel/UC0usS1mUnpBZH5hApECG9Bg
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

She currently specializes in the retail and eCommerce sector where she heads up the eTail US portfolio. 

She also successfully launched and grew WBR’s customer experience portfolio. In her role, she is responsible for market research, content creation and speaker faculty management for each event. 

Prior to WBR, she produced events in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector, and got her start organizing educational programming for physicians. 

Kristin lives on the North Fork of Long Island with her husband and three daughters.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:12] What are eTail conferences?
• [01:47] Other conferences from WBR
• [02:25] What you will experience at eTail
• [04:36] Does brand size matter to benefit from eTail?
• [05:36] eTail is also for apps, specialists, and vendors
• [06:22] Networking is a huge benefit to conferences
• [06:49] Why next year is a special year for eTail
• [07:51] Tips for first-timers at eTail
• [09:07] Don’t overwhelm yourself, take breaks and plan
• [09:35] eTail discount code for Honest Ecommerce listeners

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Pre-register for eTail Boston 2023

etaileast.wbresearch.com/srspricing
Use HONESTECOMMERCE20 to get a 20% discount

• Pre-register for eTail Palm Springs 2024 etailwest.wbresearch.com/downloads/pre-register
  Use HONESTECOMMERCE20 to get a 20% discount
• Connect with Kristin linkedin.com/in/kristin-paulick-schoenstein-0a7aa95

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Previously a designer for Motion Water Sports with a specialty in wakeboard design, Scott found parents in his life frustrated with the poor performance of strollers and other family gear. 

Before even becoming a parent himself, Scott teamed up with fellow designers Asa Giffin and Reed Schmidt in 2009 to bring Guava Family to life with the mission to make gear more efficient, simple, and elegant to meet their needs and the needs of people like them, particularly those with active lifestyles. 

Guava Family's products are loved by active parents across the country, and have received prestigious innovations awards such as TIME Best Inventions, Fast Company's Innovation by Design, and a Red Dot. 

Scott holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS Mechanical Engineering from Santa Clara University. 

He holds several patents in the Action Sports and Juvenile Products industry. 

He lives with his wife and 3 kids in Carlsbad, CA where, when not working, he loves spending time in the ocean, and teaching his little ones to surf and ski.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:01] What are Guava Family’s products?
• [01:30] Where the idea of Guava Family came from
• [03:07] Getting the first customers and initial sales
• [04:50] Guava Family’s first platform on 2013
• [05:27] Experiencing Ecom at its “infancy”
• [06:28] Guava Family’s marketing platforms and channels
• [07:38] How Scott balances Amazon and D2C
• [08:07] Guava Family’s customer service ethos
• [09:31] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [10:28] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest
• [11:55] Scaling a business without taking capital
• [13:09] Word-of-mouth marketing in the baby industry
• [15:49] Determining if a product line is worth doing
• [16:45] Selling commodity product online might be harder
• [17:35] Know what your business model is and stick to it
• [18:21] Where to find Guava Family products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Award-winning, portable travel cribs guavafamily.com
• Connect with Scott linkedin.com/in/scottcrumrine
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Through Khierstyn’s work, she’s helped launch and scale multiple 7-figure brands such as Jamstack.io, Aberlite.com, CeresChill.com, and many others. 

Khierstyn believes in empowering online product creators to build a business that gives them the freedom to fund and create the lifestyle they want to live on their terms.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:58] What Launch and Scale™ does
• [01:31] Launch and Scale is the question Chase always asks
• [01:55] How Khierstyn ended up launching her own business
• [04:47] The crowdfunding landscape is very different today
• [05:19] From crowdfunding to pre-orders/Shopify launches
• [05:58] Clarifying that “Kickstarter” means crowdfunding
• [06:29] Why is product validation important?
• [07:27] Validate products before crowdfunding
• [08:23] Product validation: Small runs
• [09:34] Product validation: VIP programs
• [10:56] The duality of interviewing podcast hosts
• [11:21] Shopify vs Kickstarter on product validation
• [12:04] Weighing in on Shopify and Kickstarter
• [13:11] The downside of Kickstarter being popular
• [15:50] Shopify provides a more controlled launch
• [16:16] Breaking down the expenses on Kickstarter
• [17:37] You essentially run 2 campaigns on Kickstarter
• [17:55] If Khierstyn would choose, is it just Shopify?
• [18:47] Don’t use the Kickstarter model on Shopify
• [20:13] Kickstarter is viable, just know the risks
• [20:39] When should you reach out when you have an idea?
• [21:38] Where to find Khierstyn

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Subscribe to Launch and Scale™ @LaunchAndScale
• Connect with Khierstyn linkedin.com/in/khierstyn
• Using a proven growth system to quickly test, launch, and scale your product through Kickstarter and Shopify, profitably launchandscale.co

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:59] Pros and cons of consulting vs app development
• [03:26] Using structured data to produce rich results
• [04:25] Themes have structured data but are incomplete
• [05:30] Is JSON-LD updated with Google’s algorithms?
• [06:18] The full process of structured data
• [07:41] Structured data is like a cheat sheet
• [08:50] Does structured data affect Merchant Center?
• [10:25] Google search enhancements to benefit from JSON-LD
• [11:15] Rich results vs featured snippets
• [12:40] Does your Shopify store need to be technical?
• [14:07] Similar apps but not as updated
• [15:03] Connect with Ilana if you have questions
• [16:05] Where to find more info about the topic & JSON-LD

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Connect with Ilana support@ilanadavis.com
• Learn more about rich results and structured data ilanadavis.com/blogs/articles
• Safely & effectively earn qualified traffic to boost conversions jsonld.app

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

A longtime advocate for the advancement of diabetes research and a supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), in high school, she founded and organized Rock the Cure, a concert to benefit JDRF, which raised over $200,000. 

Swoon, a zero sugar take on nostalgic beverages like lemonade and iced tea, is her latest way to make an impact. Swoon is now sold nationally and is on track to take one billion grams of sugar out of the supply chain.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:04] Products that Swoon offer
• [01:18] What Swoon uses to replace sugar
• [01:50] Monk fruit vs other sweetener alternatives
• [02:21] Where did the idea of Swoon come from?
• [03:36] From idea to product sample
• [06:10] Pivot to an “accidental” adjacent product
• [06:34] Go-to-market strategy in the middle of the COVID
• [07:23] How to stand out in a competitive market
• [08:17] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [09:14] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [10:28] How Swoon strategizes to become a national brand
• [11:54] Buying on the online store, checking out on Amazon
• [13:46] Pairing marketing with distribution
• [15:28] PR, in-store marketing, and paid advertising
• [16:07] Where to find Swoon’s teas and lemonades

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Zero sugar drinks for happier & healthier hydration tasteswoon.com
• Connect with Jennifer linkedin.com/in/jenniferfross
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Before starting her company, Linda spent 11 years in fashion merchandising, the training shaped her gusty instincts for spotting trends. 

Her interest in skincare stemmed from an ongoing struggle since childhood with allergies, rashes, and eczema. 

As an adult, her focus sharpened on resolving this deeply personal issue since it affects so many others around the world. 

She launched Karuna in 2009, sensing these revolutionary time-saving masks would be a hit among American beauty aficionados. 

The sharply-packaged retail line has gained the interests of beauty giants like Sephora, Ulta, etc. 

From her years of training as a buyer and knowing how trends work, in 2017, she launched her second brand Avatara, inspired by her teenage nieces by offering fun, quality, clean, and affordable skincare products launched in Target stores nationwide. 

During the last 12 years of building both brands, Linda encountered her share of challenges; increased competition, the explosion of interest in fast beauty, and the rise of more store brands entering the category. 

In 2018, the Karuna brand faced hardship as the sheet mask category became commoditized, and in response, she pivoted and created the Balancing Collection, a daily topical skin care line now available at Whole Foods Market nationwide. 

Sister brand, Avatara has also seen tremendous growth with Target, and anticipating more national doors rollout this year. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:13] Types of products that Linda’s brands have
• [01:50] Linda’s first experience with sheet mask
• [03:10] Linda’s brands’ idea came from her childhood
• [04:52] From idea to the first physical product
• [06:09] The initial challenges as a smaller brand
• [06:50] Limiting SKUs for an initial launch
• [07:51] Linda’s go-to-market strategy
• [09:31] Marketing from a pre-social media perspective
• [10:23] New brand vs new product line
• [11:53] CPG brands target multiple specific price points
• [13:58] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [14:18] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [15:07] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [15:37] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [16:25] How has D2C changed over the years?
• [18:01] How Maslow’s hierarchy of needs became an asset
• [19:27] Linda’s advice to up and coming entrepreneurs
• [20:46] Founders/CEOs’ to-do lists does not shrink
• [21:33] Take a gamble and start your own business
• [22:01] Where to find Linda’s products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Skincare inspired by compassion karunaskin.com
• A fun, grab-and-go skincare line for people who love to try new products and trends avataraskin.com
• Connect with Linda linkedin.com/in/linda-wang-049b5b
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Enter Windmill - the first company to bring "sexy" "convenient" and "air conditioner" together in a sentence - reimagining the next generation of ye olde ACs for today's modern customer with covet-worthy designs, smart (energy-efficient) technology, and an exceptional experience. 

In just a few short years, Mike has scaled his business by more than 5,000%, raised $14M in capital from top VCs all over the world, and inked retail partnerships with big box stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and PC Richard & Son (thanks to a long list of relentless cold calls). 

Next week, Mike and his team will launch a first-of-its-kind program to customers that rewards them for smarter energy use during times of peak heat - potentially curtailing tens of thousands of kW of energy this summer to help prevent blackouts, lower energy bills, and stop the use of dirty power plants. 

This visionary approach to combining hardware and software is the breath of fresh air the AC biz has so desperately needed to clean up its act, and it can't come soon enough - as the EPA projects that the number of 90 degree days in NYC alone could triple in the next 30 years, putting the city's energy grid at major risk.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:16] Products that Windmill offers
• [01:35] Having the “entrepreneurial bug” at a young age
• [03:09] Where the idea of Windmill came from
• [05:09] The difficulties of air-conditioning in New York
• [05:38] Looking up to see users of Windmill products
• [06:21] Getting a factory to work with Windmill
• [07:58] How long has Windmill worked on their prototype?
• [08:53] Prototyping wasn’t an easy experience
• [09:39] Windmill’s go-to-market strategy
• [11:19] The “SaaS” approach to products
• [12:20] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [12:40] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [13:29] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [14:00] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [14:57] A disaster of a demo
• [15:46] Windmill’s crazy one week pivot
• [16:09] How Windmill got its first customers at launch
• [17:18] Media and PR marketing for Windmill
• [18:03] PR is an overlooked strategy
• [18:54] Reflecting on success and looking to the future
• [20:46] Don't sleep on retail channels
• [21:38] Where to find Windmill ACs

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Powerful, quiet, eco-friendly window ACs windmillair.com
• Connect with Mike linkedin.com/in/mikmayer
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

She takes a data-informed approach to all things marketing, even those that aren't traditionally thought of as "performance marketing tactics." 

All while balancing the art of building a meaningful brand.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:19] What Pureboost has to offer
• [02:16] The genesis of Pureboost
• [04:16] Visualizing your competitors
• [04:53] Why Pureboost needed to be unique
• [05:27] From ideation to having a sample
• [06:13] How Pureboost managed to produce a sample fast
• [07:20] Pureboost’s similarities to The Lean Startup
• [08:23] Launching an Amazon-first brand
• [09:21] The biggest pivot that Pureboost had
• [11:01] Starting on Amazon vs starting on Shopify
• [12:34] Gillian’s advice transitioning from Amazon to D2C
• [15:02] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [15:22] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [16:10] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [17:23] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [17:53] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [18:41] Pureboost’s marketing stack
• [20:33] Why not make more product SKUs?
• [22:55] The challenge in maintaining focus
• [24:12] How Traction helped Chase to focus
• [24:47] Most business books have so much fluff
• [25:10] Where to find Pureboost products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• A healthy antioxidant energy drink mix containing no sugar, no sucralose and no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives pureboost.com
• Connect with Gillian linkedin.com/in/gillianmager
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He has personally managed the spend of hundreds of millions of dollars, and his clients and brands have done well over $1B in revenue. 

He was a founding member of the Facebook Disrupter Group, while helping 310 Nutrition grow to a 9-figure brand. 

His Facebook Ads MBA Program has many dozens of students from around the world, and Disrupter School has helped thousands of people over the last 5 years. 

He has devoted his work to helping others achieve success, and ultimately disrupt, and potentially displace, the existing digital marketing advertising agency industry as a whole.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:21] Charley’s very rough start
• [03:52] The beginning of Charley’s FB expertise
• [07:39] Charley focusing on educating people about FB
• [10:20] Why people fail to learn about FB
• [11:15] How Charley’s FB Ads MBA Program works
• [12:16] Working with amazing bosses
• [12:50] What makes businesses successful
• [13:28] Charley’s biggest focus right now
• [14:24] Charley’s philosophy of success in FB
• [15:14] Receiving life changing stuff everyday
• [15:59] The famous person is not the smartest person
• [16:30] Turning yourself into a software
• [16:49] Charley’s framework for his Disrupter Schools
• [17:57] The middling agency model is obsolete
• [19:45] Empowering freelancers and client’s lives
• [21:59] Turning day job people into serial entrepreneurs
• [23:27] Sharing the success to everybody
• [24:54] Where to find Charley
• [26:48] Charley is 2 years ahead
• [27:50] You might just be held back by your own people
• [29:30] Internet strangers and meeting in-person
• [30:36] Meet and talk to people face-to-face

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Get the E-books, sign up for consulting & join the Mastermind slack group facebookdisrupter.com
• Digital marketing made easy disrupterschool.com
• Connect with Charles linkedin.com/in/charleytichenoriv
• Follow Charles on Twitter @FBDisrupter

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Graham has spent the last 3+ years as an entrepreneur in the startup community. Prior to this, he worked in the financial industry for over 12 years, where he led cross-sector financings for middle market businesses across Europe. 

Notable investments include Liberty London (a historic London department store), where he also served as a board member. 

Graham graduated cum laude from USC Marshall School of Business in 2005 with a B.S. in Accounting. 

Graham likes all things fitness, cooking, photography and exploring the world. 

Zain Pirani is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of No, Thank You. 

Zain has 3+ years of experience in developing and launching various consumer product brands across multiple industries, including supplements, food, beverage and most recently in the cannabinoid industry. 

Prior to this, she worked in marketing and fundraising in the financial industry for over 14 years. 

Zain graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in Finance and Management Information Systems in 2003. 

In her free time, Zain likes to read, enjoy a good cycling class, dabble in cooking and charcoal drawings. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:23] Emphasizing the efficacy of CBD
• [02:36] How No, Thank You started
• [06:04] Why NTY focuses on the products and ingredients
• [07:36] Duration from idea to products
• [09:07] The importance of customer feedback
• [09:54] Go out and let people test your products
• [11:06] Where the name “No, Thank You” comes from
• [12:48] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [13:07] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [13:56] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [14:26] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:14] NTY and HEC are kindred spirits
• [15:32] The downsides of launching CBD brand
• [18:12] Rebuilding the broken trust in the industry
• [19:54] The CBD industry requires at least twice the effort
• [20:24] What makes NTY show up every day
• [20:58] How NTY got their first customers
• [23:07] Making your target audience as your Northstar
• [23:52] Struggling at first but making emails work
• [25:23] Employment is only sustainable for a time
• [26:41] Pick good people to have a business with
• [27:24] Prepare for a “divorce” if it happens
• [27:44] Where to find No, Thank You
• [28:07] Be informed about CBD products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The best full-spectrum CBD + CBDa skin care and body care products scientifically formulated to help with anti-inflammatory and anti-aging concerns nty.co
• Visit the Science section of the NTY website to be informed about CBD nty.co/pages/science
• Connect with Graham linkedin.com/in/graham-smith-726b971
• Connect with Zain linkedin.com/in/zain-pirani-5309801b
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

He leads the Commerce Practice Eminence initiative. He brings more than 25 years of experience in strategy, consulting, technology, and digital transformation. 

Paul has led some of the world’s largest and most innovative e-commerce initiatives. He is a frequent speaker at Digital/Ecommerce events as well has been featured as an Ecommerce subject matter expert on many publications. 

He has served such companies as Target, Foot Locker, Hyatt , Victoria Secret, General Electric and Siemens, and many more driving commerce and digital transformations. 

He is a frequent speaker at Digital/Ecommerce events as well has been featured as an Ecommerce subject matter expert on many publications. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] The connection between Ohio and commerce
• [01:39] Paul’s history with Ecommerce
• [03:23] The earliest Ecom platforms’ M&A
• [06:49] The biggest Ecom project Paul was a part of
• [09:42] Target’s Ecom implementation is still impressive
• [10:48] Ecom vs the national spend
• [13:52] Growth naturally slows down
• [14:37] There are various factors affecting Ecom growth
• [16:53] What is Deloitte Digital?
• [18:14] The challenges that enterprise brands face
• [20:43] Transitioning enterprise-level brands is complex
• [22:27] The difference between SMBs and Enterprise
• [23:09] The upcoming opportunity to B2B
• [26:38] Don’t ignore marketplaces
• [28:04] Where to find Paul

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Creating new growth by elevating the human experience—with connected ideas, technology, and talent deloittedigital.com
• Connect with Paul linkedin.com/in/pauldoforno
• Follow Paul @dofornop

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Founded in 2015 and based in Oklahoma, Simple Modern currently generates a nine-figure annual revenue and is committed to generosity, donating at least 10% of annual profits to nonprofit organizations. 

Under Mike’s leadership, the company has grown into a category leader for Amazon, Target, and Sam’s Club. 

In addition, Simple Modern will be launching in Walmart stores nationwide in spring 2022. Prior to founding Simple Modern, Mike spent over a decade working for the worldwide Christian ministry CRU. 

Equipped with a deep understanding of the nonprofit sector, Mike transitioned into the business world and helped found and operate several e-commerce businesses, which cumulatively generated more than $1 billion in revenue. 

Mike graduated with a degree from the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business, where he currently serves as the senior entrepreneur-in-residence.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] What brought Mike to the Ecom game
• [05:09] Accepting that Amazon wins the Ecom fight
• [07:12] D2C brands transitioning into traditional retail
• [08:43] Make your brand indispensable to platforms
• [09:25] Brands reaching “escape velocity”
• [10:48] The newer value props for D2C
• [14:12] 2 ways to position a D2C brand to customers
• [15:34] Reasons to invest in domestic manufacturing
• [17:56] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [18:16] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [19:04] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [19:57] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [20:44] From the starting phase to the scaling phase
• [21:59] Moving into the enterprise level
• [23:09] 2 Ecom things that catch people off-guard
• [24:48] Ecommerce can make you age fast
• [25:40] Mistakes Mike wants you to avoid
• [26:41] You have to have a learning mindset
• [27:29] Process-driven mindset vs results-driven mindset
• [29:11] Entrepreneurship doesn’t start with novelty
• [30:45] Trying is what makes people great
• [32:26] Being a net positive brand/business
• [34:15] Where to find Simple Modern

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Connect with Mike linkedin.com/in/mikebeckhamsm
• Stylish water bottles, travel mugs, food storage, and backpacks simplemodern.com
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Transform your returns into exchanges loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Growing up, Noah’s family joked that he got his love of spicy food from his mom’s mom. The family lived in Austin, Texas in the 50s and legend tells about a time his grandmother went to buy a garland of dried chilis for cooking. 

The grocer tried to talk her out of it, saying they were too hot for her, but she told him she knew what she was doing. 

He said if she ate one of the chilis right then and there, he'd pay for her whole basket of groceries. Groceries were on him that week! 

She and Noah are the only members of the family with red hair, and the only two to love spicy food. Coincidence, or connection? 

As he grew older, Noah found he enjoyed cooking after experimenting with his first grill. At 17, he interviewed for a job at an Outback Steakhouse that opened in town (South Burlington, Vermont). 

Most of his friends interviewing were made dishwashers or busboys, but somehow Noah was put on the line cooking. He loved the heat of it, and ended up working in kitchens for the next six years. 

While studying at Concordia University in Montreal, Noah had the chance to open his first food business: a breakfast and lunch counter inside of an MMA training facility. He named it Callaloo after the healthy Caribbean leafy green, and it was all about positive nutrition. 

It developed a real following with the trainers and their athlete clients. After graduating in 2007, Noah moved to New York City to get his business degree. 

After working in digital marketing for years, Noah began sharing his hot sauce passion with coworkers and friends, and the rest is history! 

He returned to his entrepreneurial and food-focused roots and launched the hot sauce tasting mobile in NYC in 2013 and opened the hot sauce tasting room in Brooklyn in 2015. 

Today, Noah splits time between Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Livingston Manor, NY, where he is working to establish the HEATONIST chili farm. Stay tuned for HEATONIST Catskills, coming soon! 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:07] Where the idea of Heatonist started
• [04:03] From a push cart to online, to brick and mortar
• [04:43] When Noah went full-time into hot sauces
• [05:42] How Noah got customers online
• [06:59] Moving into warehouses after initial success
• [07:51] The best investments to drive traffic
• [08:10] Focus on experience vs growth
• [08:41] Sourcing and producing hot sauces
• [09:29] Where the Heatonist name started
• [11:07] Hot sauce making is a great and loving community
• [11:48] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [12:08] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [12:52] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [14:18] Sponsor: BeProfit beprofit.co
• [15:49] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [16:37] How Hot Ones came into the picture
• [19:02] Learn to delegate early on
• [19:53] Logistics can be difficult
• [21:32] Why Heatonist stopped running their own warehouse
• [22:12] When should a founder move to a 3PL?
• [24:16] Partnering with the Shopify Fulfillment Network
• [24:55] Which hot sauce would Noah recommend?

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Purveyors of fine hot sauces, as featured on Hot Ones heatonist.com
• Connect with Noah linkedin.com/in/noahchaimberg
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Visit beprofit.co and use code HONEST15 to get an exclusive 15% off any plan for the lifetime of your plan
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Armed with her own hand-drawn sketch and the savings from her summer jobs, Megan Grassell set out to make her younger sister, along with tween girls everywhere, an age-appropriate bra. 

In 2013, at age 17, she founded Yellowberry. With funding from a successful Kickstarter campaign, Megan created colorful, comfortable and supportive bras for young girls along with a promise to help them feel more confident about wearing bras for the first time. 

Today, Yellowberry offers a full collection of bras, underwear, lounge and activewear exclusively for girls with an extra boost of encouragement to dream big and feel supported to do anything in the world. 

In 2014 she was on TIME Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Teens and included on Huffington Post’s list of 14 Most Fearless Teens. 

In 2015, Megan was named one of the 24 Millennials to Watch by Yahoo. 

In 2016, Megan was selected as one of Forbes 30 Under 30. She has been featured in countless media outlets including The TODAY Show, The New York Times, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Forbes Magazine, Seventeen and Teen Vogue, among others. 

In addition to serving as an active company founder, Megan served as a member of the first-ever Barbie Global Advisory Board for Mattel. 

She is an active member of the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club as well as of Pulse, the newly created St. John’s Youth Hospital Board. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:39] Being an influential teen entrepreneur
• [03:10] Where the idea of Yellowberry came from
• [06:30] From a good idea to a good business idea
• [07:40] The challenge in transitioning from crowdfunding 
• [11:02] Yellowberry’s previous and current software
• [12:43] Inventory forecasting and cash flow tips
• [14:20] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [14:40] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [16:51] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [17:21] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [17:14] Build relationships across your supply chain
• [18:41] Yellowberry’s marketing stack
• [20:04] What helped Megan as a young founder
• [21:13] The previous guests’ experience about COVID
• [22:32] Yellowberry’s COVID experience
• [25:40] Launching Yellowberry’s Basics Collection
• [27:16] The struggles as a young female entrepreneur
• [30:27] Yellowberry had to work for Megan
• [32:27] Did pitching multiple times make Megan better?
• [33:13] Where to find Yellowberry

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The original by girls, for girls brand that’s changing the bra industry for girls yellowberrycompany.com
• Connect with Megan linkedin.com/in/megangrassell
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

“I wanted to protect the environment from the horrors of plastic waste,” he says, “and my experience in hospitality led me to identify one of the most egregious culprits: straws made from oil-based plastic.” 

Hand- selecting straw from small farms, cutting it, washing it, and packaging it in eco-friendly boxes revealed a natural solution to a dire modern problem. 

As he embraces the HAY! brand and its mission of reducing plastic pollution, Arellano also builds a strong, devoted team. Banking on their individual commitments to the cause, Arellano harnesses the powerful energy that comes with making a difference. 

“Rather than micro-manage, I choose to empower people,” he explains. While growing up in Lima, Peru, Arellano longed to start his own business after observing his father, who owned a clothing factory. 

Arellano spent plenty of time around his father’s business before they relocated to California when he was 14. There, he worked with hospitality, beverage, and tech brands. 

Arellano received his education from the University of California, Santa Barbara in the form of an international studies B.A. 

He also studied abroad at Delhi University and, in 2014, earned his Advanced Level Three certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, which aided him later on when he served as a sommelier. 

While pursuing his WSET certification, Arellano worked for Jardesca California Aperitiva, a Northern California-based producer. 

As market manager, he led the growth of the drink throughout the region, promoting it as an alternative to traditional European aperitifs. 

He then brought his expertise in expanding brand footprints to Allset, a pre-order and prepay restaurant reservation portal, at which he worked with now- business partner Alexey Savin. 

Arellano’s first advent into the sustainable product space—alongside Savin—came in 2015 in the form of a toothbrush, one that stands up on its own and sources only eco-friendly, biodegradable materials. 

MABLE’s commitment to supporting children’s education through toothbrush profits also became a core tenet of Arellano’s business practices. 

Arellano brought on Emma Grose, who he met while traveling through Vietnam, as the head of social media, photography, and website design. 

A strong thread of eco-friendliness began to take root in Arellano’s career as he lived out his appreciation for the Earth and its fruits through his work with wine and in sustainable product design. 

He soon learned just how much he could contribute to the planet by combining and applying his skill sets strategically. 

A few years after MABLE’s launch, Arellano continued to innovate by taking on the hospitality industry with his and Savin’s alternative to plastic straws, the HAY! Straw. 

With the help of Grose and Savin, Arellano brought the straw-made-from-straw to market in 2018 and started a revolution in earth-friendly products. 

To date, the team has helped replace more than 50 million plastic straws with HAY! straws. Arellano recently moved to Austin and can be found cycling, playing soccer, reading and traveling the world. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:03] Where Gil got the idea of alternative straws
• [02:48] How Gil got into sustainability
• [05:03] Timing is really important
• [05:58] The avenues that HAY! Straws targeted
• [07:32] Cold emails as a strategy
• [09:11] The difference in approaching cold emails
• [10:03] HAY! Straws’ email strat may not work for everyone
• [11:18] How to stand out in cold emails
• [12:25] Focusing on B2B for now
• [14:20] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [14:40] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [15:24] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [16:51] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [17:21] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [18:08] Most challenging parts of a straw business
• [20:32] D2C approach for a B2B audience
• [23:34] Did HAY! Straws get pushback from going online?
• [24:48] What platform does HAY! Straws use?
• [26:39] Diversify your customer base
• [27:37] Things will go wrong so be prepared
• [28:46] Where to find HAY! Straws

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Compostable drinking straws that don’t suck haystraws.com
• Connect with Gil linkedin.com/in/gilmar-arellano-513a03aa
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In 2015 he founded his first startup Fathomd to bring interactive business games into MBA coursework. 

In 2020 Brendan launched NxTSTOP to outfit world explorers with functional sustainable travel apparel and scaled it to a multimillion dollar business in just one year. 

He is a graduate of Stanford and received his MBA from MIT Sloan.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:17] Travleisure® and the IPs of NxTSTOP
• [01:45] What is NxTSTOP
• [02:07] Coming up with the idea of NxTSTOP
• [03:26] What made NxTSTOP explode
• [05:20] Pivoting to face masks saved the business
• [06:57] Dealing with non ideal customers
• [08:52] Acquiring “new” customers
• [11:52] Customer feedback is valuable
• [13:36] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [13:56] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [14:39] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [16:06] Sponsor: BeProfit beprofit.co
• [17:37] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [18:24] Being on Shopify vs being on Amazon
• [22:04] Did Amazon produce economies of scale?
• [23:15] Other channels that NxTSTOP uses
• [24:38] The importance of domain authority
• [25:38] NxTSTOP’s SEO play
• [26:40] SEO for D2C Brands
• [27:46] SEO has great ROI
• [28:06] Brendan warns against agencies
• [29:48] Chase’s perspective on Brendan’s statement
• [30:09] Brendan clarifies to be careful of big agencies
• [30:57] Chase’s restaurant analogy
• [31:12] Build a “dream team”
• [32:44] Dealing with the iOS 14 update
• [35:22] How Chase analyzes brands for Electric Eye
• [36:25] Brendan tries out Chase’s technique
• [37:00] Triple Whale and other first party pixels
• [38:33] Where to find NxTSTOP

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Functional, eco-friendly, stylish travel clothing and accessories thenxtstop.com
• Connect with Brendan linkedin.com/in/brendanmkennedy
• The central source of truth for your Ecommerce store trytriplewhale.com
• Honest Ecommerce Bonus Episode with Triple Whale youtube.com/watch?v=W4Ant6ytppg
• Email Chase chase@electriceye.io and ask for the Triple Whale discount code
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

It took some twists and turns to succeed but now, SodaPup is turning out toys that are FDA compliant, all made in the USA. 

Baker is not only Head Dog in SodaPup, he’s the toy designer, social media and marketing manager (that means he sits in bed at 11:30 at night and posts to Instagram), janitor (occasionally dragging the vacuum cleaner from home in to clean the office carpet), packaging designer, photographer, and jack-of-all trades.

SodaPup manufactures durable natural rubber dog toys in the USA. SodaPup uses natural, sustainable, FDA compliant and non-toxic materials in their products. 

Because SodaPup products are made in the USA, they are made in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:17] Where the idea of dog toys come from
• [03:17] Pivoting early on and finding a manufacturer 
• [05:04] SodaPup’s early go-to-market strategy/sales model
• [09:27] Blending the branding in subscription boxes
• [12:32] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [12:52] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [13:36] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [15:03] Sponsor: BeProfit beprofit.co
• [16:34] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [17:21] SodaPup going strong amidst decline in sub boxes 
• [19:00] Figuring out how to sell their own products
• [19:51] Instagram opened the brand to a global audience
• [20:42] The emergence of digital selling platforms
• [23:13] SodaPup still owns the customer
• [24:16] Adam’s love-hate relationship with Amazon
• [26:27] Selling on Amazon is a different skill set
• [27:57] What makes SodaPup different
• [31:44] Entrepreneur vs executive skill set
• [33:00] Where to find SodaPup

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A veteran-owned business that makes tough dog toys in America sodapup.com
• Follow SodaPup on Instagram @sodapupdogtoys
• Connect with Adam linkedin.com/in/adam-baker-b9235311
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Visit beprofit.co and use code HONEST15 to get an exclusive 15% off any plan for the lifetime of your plan
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Her solid understanding of biology and being able to apply complex analyses have led to innovative projects in the healthcare space. 

In 2017, Dr. Divaraniya chose to pivot her career as a data scientist and devote herself to improving women’s healthcare. 

After facing her own struggles with conceiving her son, Dr. Divaraniya decided to build a solution to help women having difficulty getting pregnant. 

Today, she and her team have built the first at-home test, Oova, that measures multiple hormones through urine samples and provides personalized results and insights on a woman’s fertility. 

As a response to COVID-19, Oova has done an early release of their product. Oova has resonated with many women and clinicians and is now being adopted by fertility clinics and hospitals across the country. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:39] The idea of building a brand
• [03:23] Finding a solution and a market
• [03:49] Removing stigma by providing data
• [05:30] From idea to prototype
• [07:40] Passionate in solving the problem
• [08:41] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [09:01] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [09:45] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [11:12] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.io/honest
• [11:44] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [12:31] The pandemic changed Oova’s business model
• [14:48] The B2B2C approach is similar to using influencers
• [15:07] Going the organic route
• [15:54] Educating people about new products/new vertical
• [17:14] Oova’s unique marketing mix
• [18:38] What would Dr. Amy tell herself
• [19:57] The value in smart people
• [20:40] Truly believe in what you’re making
• [21:22] Where to find Oova

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The fertility translator that fully illuminates your fertility, giving you the clearest steps to conception. oova.life
• Connect with Dr. Amy linkedin.com/in/aparna-amy-divaraniya
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Emily founded La Vaca Designhouse in 2012 and launched MINNIDIP in 2017 as the first modern inflatable “adult kiddie” pool on the market. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:03] Emily’s history and experience in design
• [01:57] When Emily decided to go out on her own
• [02:56] From agency work to launching a brand
• [05:34] What is MINNIDIP?
• [06:15] The confidence to go D2C
• [09:04] From inception to first sales
• [12:34] MINNIDIP’s customer acquisition strategy
• [14:27] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/
• [14:47] Sponsor: Mesa https://apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [15:31] Sponsor: Gorgias: https://gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [16:58] Sponsor: BeProfit https://beprofit.co/
• [18:29] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [19:16] Influencer seeding can be challenging
• [22:34] Relationships over transactions
• [23:17] Dealing with the risk of your idea getting stolen
• [26:05] The toy industry is very competitive
• [26:42] Starting on Squarespace, moving to Shopify
• [29:58] Where to find MINNIDIP

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A creative lifestyle brand and design house that specializes in product design, content, styling and branding. lavaca.com
• The original, first-ever modern inflatable pool minnidip.com
• Follow MINNIDIP on Instagram @MINNIDIP
• Connect with Emily linkedin.com/in/emilyvaca
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Visit beprofit.co and use code HONEST15 to get an exclusive 15% off any plan for the lifetime of your plan
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

As a co-founder, Spector was instrumental in its success of helping millions of people; in fact, he built Hims national telemedicine and doctor network, set up the initial pharmacy supply chain, and launched wholesale partnerships. 

He holds a BS from the Haas School of Business at University of California at Berkeley, and an MBA from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. 

He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, three children and a corgi named Edgar. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:10] Startups are both easy and hard at the same time
• [02:39] The “scrappiness” of startups 
• [04:04] Silicon Valley show vs reality
• [05:20] Startups require “nerves of steel”
• [06:15] Joe’s Hims story
• [09:03] The names before Hims
• [09:46] Importance of startup names 
• [10:40] Skills that Joe brought to Hims
• [12:30] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [12:50] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [13:34] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [15:00] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.io/honest
• [15:33] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [16:20] Product that makes people happy
• [17:51] Eight-figure brand vs nine-figure brand
• [18:57] From Hims to launching Dutch
• [20:45] Dutch working with Shopify’s “limitations”
• [23:12] Dutch’s sales process using Shopify
• [25:48] Chase analyzes what Dutch is doing
• [27:30] Make a choice, start a business
• [29:37] It’s about how fast you pivot
• [30:15] Understand the types of your consumers

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Online vet care and visits with licensed veterinarians dutch.com
• Connect with Joe linkedin.com/in/joespector
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Sando’s company, Rancho Gordo, grows, imports, and promotes heirloom and heritage varieties while working directly with consumers and chefs like Thomas Keller, Deborah Madison, Paula Wolfert, and David Kinch. 

Sando’s seed saving, bean production, and marketing efforts provide professional and home chefs with heirloom beans that would otherwise have been lost to history. 

The beans, along with corn, chiles, and tomatoes, have become key ingredients in the new American food revolution centered in Sando’s native San Francisco Bay Area. 

In fact, Sando and Rancho Gordo were named number two on Saveur Magazine’s “The Saveur 100 list for 2008.” 

Bon Appetit magazine declared Sando one of the Hot 10 in the food world of 2009. 

Food + Wine magazine placed Steve “at the forefront of the current seed-saving movement.” 

Steve’s three books are Heirloom Beans (Chronicle, 2008) (with Vanessa Barrington), The Rancho Gordo Bean Growers Guide (Timber 2011) and Supper at Rancho Gordo (Rancho Gordo Books 2014). Heirloom Beans is in its fourth printing. 

Steve Sando came to agriculture not from the 4H club but from the grocery store. As a frustrated home cook, he decided to grow the ingredients he wanted in his kitchen. 

At the forefront of neglected ingredients were beans. Although they are an indigenous product of the Americas, the only beans available commercially to most home cooks were pintos, navys, and kidneys. 

Discovering heirloom beans to be as rich and varied as heirloom tomatoes, Sando almost singlehandedly created the market for these unique and worthwhile legumes. 

He now grows more than 25 varieties in California and works with small indigenous farmers in Mexico to import their heirloom beans for the U.S. market. He lives in Napa and travels frequently throughout the Americas. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:38] Why beans?
• [02:15] Rancho Gordo’s first Ecom platform
• [03:24] Why Steve had to hire
• [04:07] How Rancho Gordo got its first customers
• [05:13] The moment Steve took it seriously
• [06:51] Shopify’s evolution throughout the years
• [07:19] Email marketing and product-market fit
• [09:04] You don’t have to be an expert
• [09:31] Competition based on talent, not budget
• [10:17] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [10:37] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [11:22] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [12:49] Sponsor: BeProfit beprofit.co
• [14:20] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:07] Scaling Rancho Gordo’s email list
• [16:11] What helped RG have consistent growth?
• [18:27] Having a niche produces passionate people
• [19:26] Steve’s political leanings actually help
• [20:59] Business and politics
• [21:31] Better sales vs better experience
• [22:59] The reality of lifestyle businesses
• [23:15] The heirloom difference
• [23:53] Supply chain difficulties
• [24:41] Black Friday without discounts?
• [25:30] Passionate marketplace + good product
• [25:53] Know and please your customers

Resources:

• Continue the New World traditional culture and try out heirloom beans ranchogordo.com
• Connect with Steve linkedin.com/in/stevesando
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Visit beprofit.co and use code HONEST15 to get an exclusive 15% off any plan for the lifetime of your plan
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

About 5 years ago, he built a successful eCommerce growth agency and worked with a bunch of brands you’ve probably heard of like MVMT Watches, Pura Vida Bracelets, Blenders Eyewear, Kettle & Fire, Tecovas, and Four Sigmatic. 

He has an intimate knowledge of what it looks like in the trenches of fast-growing DTC brands. 

He also has an inside perspective on all the ways business owners sabotage themselves from building the lives they want — because he's done it to himself in the past. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:25] Chase and Austin had similar Ecom starts
• [02:08] Austin’s Ecommerce journey
• [04:27] Early marketing automation software
• [05:07] Brands that Austin worked with
• [07:39] Any automation is beneficial and profitable
• [09:23] Owned and retention vs paid and rented
• [10:01] Pushing to grow vs knowing what makes you grow
• [12:46] Being first is not enough
• [13:35] Negativity hurts your success
• [16:21] Mindset makes it easier or harder to work
• [17:07] A day in the life of Austin
• [19:56] Learning through books and other founders
• [21:16] Relationships and timelines
• [23:03] The 3 business lifecycle stages
• [24:38] Think like marketers, not manufacturers
• [25:47] Think first before outsourcing creative work
• [26:41] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [27:01] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [27:46] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [29:12] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.io/honest
• [29:45] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [30:32] The Effortless Growth Operating System
• [33:51] The EGO System is accessible through membership
• [35:00] Determining what you really want
• [36:03] Grow your business to a point 
• [37:33] Making your growth simple
• [38:26] Ask better questions
• [39:07] Paint a clear picture of where you want to go
• [40:34] Focus on one goal at a time
• [41:14] Assemble your championship squad
• [42:33] Sticking to your philosophy
• [43:47] Circumventing processes lead to bad people
• [47:08] Raise the floor
• [48:00] Run an agency or an Ecom business?
• [49:04] Books that changed Austin’s life
• [50:41] Reverse testimonials
• [52:19] Where to find Austin

Resources:

• Unlock massive growth in your business without burning out brandgrowthexperts.com
• Convert more visitors into paying customers ecommerceinfluence.com
• Connect with Austin austinbrawner.com linkedin.com/in/austinbrawner
• Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first
• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business eosworldwide.com/traction-book
• Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future cameronherold.com/vivid-vision
• Who: The A Method for Hiring whothebook.com
• Double Your Profits: In Six Months or Less (Packaging May Vary) amazon.com/Double-Your-Profits-Months-Less/dp/088730740X
• Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits simplenumbers.me/the-books
• The Brain Audit psychotactics.com/products/the-brain-audit-32-marketing-strategy-and-structure
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest
• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube 

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

On this podcast, we talk about the 3 KPIs that you should focus on, how your brand reflects your personality, why you should not compare conversion rates, and so much more!

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Buy long-lasting, contemporary clothing with luxury essentials that embody the modern California lifestyle. michaelstars.com
• Help support the vision of creating an equal world where women feel confident and empowered to use their voice michaelstars.com/pages/foundation
• Connect with Suzanne linkedin.com/in/suzannelerner
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Get a 14-day free trial at getmesa.com/honest
• Get 1 month of automated Shopify backups for free at rewind.io/honest
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Get a free trial at klaviyo.com/honest

On this podcast, we talk about the malleability of the LTV formula, the tolerances of customers before leaving a website, why conversion rate sometimes doesn’t matter, and so much more!

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Optimise & improve your customer values with customerswhoclick.com
• Connect with Will linkedin.com/in/willlaurenson
• Quiz, pop-ups, messenger, SMS for Shopify octaneai.com
• Analyzes your customers' behavior across multiple channels apps.shopify.com/reveal
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Get a free trial at klaviyo.com/honest
• Get a 14-day free trial at getmesa.com/honest
• Get 1 month of automated Shopify backups for free at rewind.io/honest

On this podcast, we talk about the passion in the people of Ecommerce, why you should avoid getting too much in the weeds, the importance of patience in your online store, and so much more!

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Visit Bearbottom clothing bearbottomclothing.com
• Visit Josh’s website: joshfirestone.com
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Get a free trial at klaviyo.com/honest
• Find out how your business can be sales tax ready at avalara.com/honest 
• Get 1 month of automated Shopify backups for free at rewind.io/honest

Well, you’re in luck! Because today we’re talking to Adrienne Dorison, who co-founded Run Like Clockwork™ with Mike Michalowicz, author of the show-favorite book Profit First and Clockwork.

Their goal is to help CEOs design a business and team that can run itself, as the name suggests, like clockwork.

Adrienne and the Run Like Clockwork team have created the most simplistic approach to making your business ultra-efficient, drawing on her 10+ years studying big business efficiency principles and figuring out how to adapt them for the small business world.

Because of these efficiency tools and concepts, her clients have been able to experience explosive company growth, all while removing themselves from the day-to-day operation.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Check out runlikeclockwork.com
• Listen: runlikeclockwork.com/podcast
• Instagram: @adriennedorison
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennedorison
• Twitter: @adriennedorison
• Read: Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself by Mike Michalowicz
• Read: Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz
• Are you a maker, crafter, or small manufacturer on Shopify? Get easier production scheduling & inventory management with Katana. You can try it for free, and you use code HONEST to get 30% off your first 3 months, at www.katanamrp.com!

Xavier Armand is the co-founder of Order Bump, a checkout upsell tool for Shopify Plus, and The Vaan Group, an e-commerce agency. 

To learn more, visit: honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Xavier’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/xavierarmand
• Xavier’s agency: vaangroup.com
• Xavier’s checkout upsell tool for Shopify Plus: orderbump.io
• For merchants on the Advanced Shopify plan, enter for a chance to win a free year of Shopify Plus: orderbumpsweepstakes.carrd.co
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your 2nd month with Gorgias free!
• Visit klaviyo.com/honest to schedule a demo!
• Visit postscript.io/install for a free 30-day trial! 

• Osa Gaius' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/osagaius
• Website: https://parrotmob.com/

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group

http://honestecommerce.co/

• Ross Allchorn LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/webdesignconsultant
• Ross’s website: http://www.allchorn.com/
• ShopCreatify’s Website: https://shopcreatify.com/
• ShopCreatify’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopcreatify
• ShopCreatify’s LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/company/shopcreatify
• ShopCreatify’s Facebook: http://facebook.com/ShopCreatify
• ShopCreatify’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopcreatif...

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group

http://honestecommerce.co/

On this episode, we talk about the difference between productivity and efficiency, managing your time as a solopreneur, keeping the human touch in productivity, and so much more!

Resources:

• Theresa’s website: https://thefieryfeather.com/ 
• Theresa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-m-ward-she-her-0564651/
• Use The Eisenhower Matrix to arrange your tasks: https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/
• Read Essentialism to help set your priorities straight: https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382
• Test out the 4 Tendencies quiz: https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your 2nd month with Gorgias free!
• Visit klaviyo.com/honest to get a free trial!
• Visit avalara.com/honest to find out how your business can be sales tax ready!
• Visit rewind.com/honest and enter your email to get your first month absolutely free!

On this episode, we talk about Prashant’s humble beginnings, the growth of his business, his advocacy of giving back to the community, and so much more!

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Conscious Step’s website: consciousstep.com
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your 2nd month with Gorgias free!
• Visit klaviyo.com/honest to get a free trial!
• Visit avalara.com/honest to find out how your business can be sales tax ready!
• Visit rewind.com/honest and enter your email to get your first month absolutely free!

Vivian is the Founder & CEO of KinkyCurlyYaki, a Business Empowerment Coach, a Shopify Expert, and an all around dope lady.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Vivian’s website: viviankaye.com
• Vivian’s Twitter: @itsviviankaye
• Vivian’s Instagram: @itsviviankaye
• KinkyCurlyYaki’s website: kinkycurlyyaki.com
• Get live interactive workshops to help you setup, manage, launch and scale your shopify store without paid ads on Vivian’s Shopify Prep School. Sign up for the waitlist now! viviankaye.ck.page/496d33fe34
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your 2nd month with Gorgias free!
• Visit klaviyo.com/honest to get a free trial!
• Visit avalara.com/honest to find out how your business can be sales tax ready!
• Visit rewind.com/honest and enter your email to get your first month absolutely free!

On this podcast, we talk about the complexities of taxes, what are the considerations to keep in mind aside from sales taxes, when should store owners think about tax automation, and so much more!

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Liz’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/liz-armbruester-a7034a5
• Avalara AvaTax for Shopify Plus: avalara.com/us/en/products/integrations/shopify-plus.html
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your 2nd month with Gorgias free!
• Visit klaviyo.com/honest to get a free trial!
• Visit avalara.com/honest to find out how your business can be sales tax ready!
• Visit rewind.com/honest and enter your email to get your first month absolutely free!

Jeff Couret is a digital marketing expert, SEOak company president, and a social media influencer. 

• Jeff Couret’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-couret
• Jeff Couret’s email: jeff@seoak.co
• Jeff Couret’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffcouret
• Website: https://seoak.co/

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group.

http://honestecommerce.co/

Adam Siegel is an entrepreneur building a more sustainable e-commerce model by enabling product resale directly on brands' sites.

• Adam Siegel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammsiegel
• Adam Siegel’s Email: adam@recurate.com
• Website: https://www.recurate.com/

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group

http://honestecommerce.co/

Tim Peckover is the Content Manager at Smile, helping over 30,000 businesses turn customers into brand advocates. Tim's a proud father of two and when he has spare time, you can usually find him in a good book accompanied by a strong cup of coffee.

• Tim Peckover’s LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/timpeckover
• Tim Peckover’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/timothypeckover
• Smile Email: help@smile.io

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group

http://honestecommerce.co/

In this podcast, we talk about the importance of looking beyond the list and remembering the human behind the email segments, providing a great email experience, and how to prevent your brand feeling like a vending machine.

To learn more, visit: honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Val Geisler’s website valgeisler.com
• Fix My Churn’s website fixmychurn.com/
• Fix My Churn’s The Dinner Party Strategy fixmychurn.com/tdps/
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your second month free.

On this podcast, we talk about Ashley’s crazy launch story, learning the language of your industry, why successful virality is the anomaly and not the norm, and so much more!

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Luxury sleepwear for the modern woman lunya.co
• Sleepwear for the modern man lahgo.co
• Follow Ashley @ashley__merrill
• The Hedgehog Concept jimcollins.com/concepts/the-hedgehog-concept.html
• Read an article derived from Good to Great straight from Jim Collin’s blog jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html
• Download a free chapter of the Small Giants book smallgiants.org/chapter-download
• Buy the Who: The A Method for Hiring book whothebook.com
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Get a free trial at klaviyo.com/honest
• Find out how your business can be sales tax ready at avalara.com/honest 
• Get 1 month of automated Shopify backups for free at rewind.io/honest

• Alex Zachman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-zachman-8b8532181
• Alex Zachman Website: https://www.onc.design/

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group

http://honestecommerce.co/

On this podcast, we talk about educational background and if it’s requisite to success as an entrepreneur, startup ideas and talking about them, how to get it right from the start, focusing on small growths, and much more! 

To learn more, visit: honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Marnie’s LinkedIn page: linkedin.com/in/marnieconsky
• Thigh Society’s website: thighsociety.com
• Thigh Society’s Facebook page: facebook.com/thighsociety
• Thigh Society’s Instagram page: @thighsociety
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your second month free.

• Kurt Bullock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtbullock
• Kurt Bullock Website: http://kurtbullock.com/
• ProduceDebt Website: https://www.producedept.co/

Honest Ecommerce is a weekly podcast, community & educational resource providing online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

If you like our podcast, consider subscribing & joining our FREE Facebook group

http://honestecommerce.co/

On this podcast, we talk about the best ad copy framework, strategies for creative, Facebook CBO, social proofing your ads, and much more!

To learn more, visit: honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• If you have questions, guest requests or topic requests for the podcast, email Chase at chase@electriceye.io
• Kurt’s Twitter: @kurtbullock
• Produce Department website: producedept.co
• Ryan Deiss’s Before & After Grid digitalmarketer.com/blog/customer-value-optimization/
• Facebook Ad Library facebook.com/ads/library/
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your 2nd month with Gorgias free!

In this podcast, we talk about turning bad experiences into good experiences, the journey of selling a business to being an investor, and the best mindset for businesses.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Intelligent Change Website intelligentchange.com
• Alex’s Instagram @alexikonn
• Alex’s YouTube Channel Alex Ikonn
• Visit https://gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your second month free.
• Visit simplr.ai/honest to start your free seven-day trial.

In the past, Nathan has brought dozens of products to market, ran three ecommerce companies (sold one), and has been a part of projects on Kickstarter that raised over seven figures.

He writes for media outlets like Entrepreneur, The Next Web, Business.com, and more. Nathan also used to live in China and speaks Mandarin.

Nathan’s goal with Sourcify is to bring a level of transparency to sourcing that makes it clear what you are paying for your product and simple to use.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Learn more at: sourcify.com
• Blog: sourcify.com/blog
• Facebook: facebook.com/nathan.resnick8
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nathanresnick/
• Start a Simplr free trial: simplr.ai/honest

She also contributes to publications like Glossy and Fast Company and is the co-teacher of the Creative Class (a course on the business side of freelancing) with Paul Jarvis.

Today, she gives us a little insight into the process of creating blog content for Ecommerce platforms and how the practice has evolved over the past five years.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Learn more at kaleighmoore.com/newsletter
• Twitter: @kaleighf
• How to make your writing sell stuff: kaleighmoore.com/blog/2017/11/28/how-to-make-your-writing-sell-stuff
• Gary Vee’s content strategy: garyvaynerchuk.com/the-garyvee-content-strategy-how-to-grow-and-distribute-your-brands-social-media-content/
• Start a Simplr free trial: simplr.ai/honest
• Are you a maker, crafter, or small manufacturer on Shopify? Get easier production scheduling & inventory management with Katana. You can try it free for 14 days. By using the promo code “HONEST” you'll get 30% off your first 3 months of paid subscription! Sign up at Katana’s website here: katanamrp.com.

It can already feel like you’re drowning in data when you’re running an online store, so you might be wondering why you’d ever want MORE data – and the simple answer is that the data you currently have from Shopify and is incomplete.

However, Littledata’s Shopify integration will give you more accurate data from Google, which can help you make better decisions for your store.

To learn more, visit: https://electriceye.io/podcast

Resources:

• Learn more at littledata.io/shopify
• Twitter: @arimesser
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/arimesser/
• Start a Simplr free trial: simplr.ai/honest
• Are you a maker, crafter, or small manufacturer on Shopify? Get easier production scheduling & inventory management with Katana. You can try it free for 14 days. By using the promo code “HONEST” you'll get 30% off your first 3 months of paid subscription! Sign up at Katana’s website here: katanamrp.com.

If you’re enjoying the show, we also ask that you please click here to leave Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts today.

It really does make a huge impact and we love reading every one!

Shibo runs us through a quick and dirty Affiliate Marketing 101 course today, teaching us how to set ourselves up for success and and use affiliate marketing and influencers to add revenue to our Shopify stores.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Learn more at refersion.com/ (Use coupon code HONESTECOMMERCE or ELECTRICEYE for a discount)
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shibo/
• Twitter: @shiboxu
• Start a Simplr free trial: simplr.ai/honest
• Are you a maker, crafter, or small manufacturer on Shopify? Get easier production scheduling & inventory management with Katana. You can try it free for 14 days. By using the promo code “HONEST” you'll get 30% off your first 3 months of paid subscription! Sign up at Katana’s website here: www.katanamrp.com.

Philippe previously operated an 8-figure Ecommerce company as a co-founder and worked at Google and Microsoft in various sales and operations positions. 

He is now helping dozens of leading Ecommerce brands become more successful through improving customer experience. 

Want to give Gorgias a try? Head over to gorgias.io/electriceye for a second free month + white glove onboarding!

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Learn more at gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/philipperoireau/

Before Socioh, Karan was with Yahoo for 6 years and had the opportunity to work on all of their advertising systems, starting in their display ads team and later transitioning to building their search marketing system (think Adwords but for Yahoo/Bing search).  

That experience gave Karan in depth technical knowledge of advertising and how it works on the inside, once you ad goes to Facebook, Google, or Yahoo. Now he leverages this knowledge to help online store owners be successful with their advertising efforts.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Learn more at socioh.com (use code “honestcommerce” for concierge onboarding & feedback)
• Twitter: @Karanjassar

Shogun is a powerful page builder that seamlessly integrates into platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. This allows anyone to easily build out their store with a drag and drop editor, no code required.

Nick is also generous is enough to share a a special discount for podcast listeners using Shopify: 20% off any Shogun plan for life! To get the discount, just use this link: https://getshogun.com/d/electric-eye-podcast-20.

To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• Learn more at nickraushenbush.com
• Get 20% off any Shogun plan for life: getshogun.com/d/electric-eye-podcast-20
• BrowserStack mobile & desktop site testing: browserstack.com
• Heatmaps & visitor recordings: fullstory.com | hotjar.com
• User testing: usertesting.com | lookback.io
• Assess website performance: thinkwithgoogle.com | pingdom.com
• Image optimization and compression: compressor.io

Before launching Outer in 2018, Jiake built his career in tech and software engineering at Riot Games, where he honed his expertise in problem-solving and user experience. Now, as an angel investor and founder, he’s leveraging technology, sustainability, and consumer-first innovation to redefine how people connect with their outdoor spaces.

In 2025, Jiake is taking Outer beyond furniture with Outer Spaces—a proprietary solution designed to convert vacant backyards into fully functional outdoor living spaces, from wellness retreats and dining areas to personal gyms.

Under his leadership, Outer is reshaping the way we think about outdoor living—proving that sustainability, design, and convenience can coexist seamlessly in Ecommerce.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [01:06] Intro
• [01:48] Introducing a new way to sell products
• [03:40] Finding the right investors for growth
• [05:10] Pitching a better product to investors
• [07:38] Building a brand through viral marketing
• [08:35] Building brand trust through storytelling
• [09:43] Validating ideas with ad mockups
• [10:13] Talking to customers before launching
• [11:14] Staying connected with customers post-purchase
• [11:57] Inventing solutions before customers ask for them
• [14:06] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [17:19] Building trust with real product experiences
• [19:58] Turning media buzz into big opportunities
• [22:22] Mastering numbers before raising capital
• [23:27] Building outdoor spaces in one day

Want more insights from top Ecommerce leaders? Our episode guest was a featured speaker at eTail Palm Springs 2025, sharing insights with top Ecommerce minds. If you want to be part of the next big discussions, join eTail Boston in August 2025 and/or eTail Palm Springs in February 2026!

Learn more at eTail’s official sites: 
https://etaileast.wbresearch.com/
https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The Perfect Outdoor Sofa is Now Within Reach liveouter.com/
• Follow Jiake Liu linkedin.com/in/jiakeliu
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

She worked in David Brainard’s visual neuroscience lab for 3 years and published 4 papers and supplementary materials on illumination discrimination (color perception). After Penn, she was selected as one of ten Americans to be a Ventures Fellow in the Excel Ventures incubator program in Tel Aviv, and continued on to be the inaugural member, and later program lead, of the US Associate Product Manager Program at Atlassian. 

She worked as a product manager at Atlassian for 5 years, ultimately as Head of Confluence Editions & Admin Experience where she launched Confluence Premium & Free into multi-million dollar product offerings with 2M+ users. She hired & managed two PMs and lead a team of over 30 developers. 

Prior to founding Jones, she and Caroline founded Cozier together, a sleep & loungewear brand designing ethical, effortlessly chic garments for every/body. Hilary started vaping casually in 2017 when the JUUL seemed relatively harmless and fun. 

When the world went on lockdown in 2020, her casual vaping habit became a daily crutch for coping with stress and working from home. After over a year of unsuccessful cold-turkey quit attempts, she finally kicked her vaping habit in 2022 when Caroline suggested she try NRT. 

Outside of work, Hilary loves hiking, backcountry skiing, trying to find the best burger in NYC, and playing with other people’s dogs.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:34] Creating products from personal pain points
• [06:52] Sponsor: Klaviyo 
• [08:59] Meeting potential customers where they are
• [10:47] Adapting products based on user feedback
• [13:48] Testing market demand with waitlists
• [16:02] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [17:10] Maximizing personal networks for growth
• [18:34] Gathering behavioral data in early days
• [19:52] Callouts
• [20:02] Launching a product to engaged audiences 
• [22:09] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [24:09] Pivoting marketing to bridge early limitations
• [26:24] Driving organic traffic with relatable content 
• [30:33] Adding modern value to traditional products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Nicotime mints and social app to quit vaping quitwithjones.com/
• Follow Hilary Dubin linkedin.com/in/hilary-dubin-374156b4/
• Follow Caroline Vasquez Huber linkedin.com/in/caroline-vasquez-huber
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

After a few failed business attempts, Mroue launched his first successful ecommerce business in September of 2020, generating $150,000+ in sales in a little over a year.

In April of 2022, Mroue started a new brand—Cloudsharks. In less than a year they've gone from zero to multi-seven figures in revenue and continue to grow month over month.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:57] What are cloudsharks?
• [01:34] Where the idea of cloudsharks come from
• [02:21] Trying to find a product that works and sells
• [03:18] Launching a product with no proof of concept
• [04:04] From feeling a winning product to selling it
• [05:08] Can anybody mimic Rayan’s success?
• [06:10] Getting the product into people’s hands
• [07:29] Differentiating from similarly sourced products
• [09:10] cloudsharks’ TikTok budget
• [10:23] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/connect
• [11:20] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO https://jsonld.app
• [12:37] Sponsor: Retention.com https://retention.com/honest
• [13:28] Would Rayan’s strategy work today?
• [15:00] Keeping up with finances when scaling too fast
• [17:09] What’s next for cloudsharks?
• [18:45] Be on top of your operating expenses
• [22:27] Great product + good marketing = growth
• [23:00] Community and networking

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The shark slides made for comfort and style cloudsharks.co
• Connect with Rayan linkedin.com/in/rayanmroue
• The best community for 7, 8 & 9+ figure Ecommerce operators workspace6.io
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Before launching Kombucha Kamp, Hannah was a language teacher and aspiring actress who stumbled into kombucha at a raw food restaurant in San Francisco. A single sip turned into a full-blown obsession, leading her to teach local brewing classes out of her apartment, blog about the gut microbiome, and ship SCOBYs from her kitchen table before launching a full Ecommerce operation.

Hannah shares how she followed inbound demand signals to grow from DIY educator to industry leader, why homemade kombucha is different from store-bought, and how she scaled without outside capital. She also unpacks how COVID reshaped her business overnight, why she walked away from a quarter-million-dollar facility, and what she's learned about managing people without formal training.

Whether she’s explaining what it means to be a “bacteria farmer” or how her belief in gut health intersects with spiritual wellness, Hannah offers a candid look at what it takes to build a mission-driven CPG brand from scratch.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:15] Selling starter kits not just products
• [02:34] Discovering a product by total accident
• [04:56] Blogging to fix misinformation online
• [06:16] Podcasting early to build brand authority
• [09:05] Reclaiming gut health through real food
• [10:44] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Zamp
• [14:42] Protecting tradition through policy advocacy
• [18:51] Rebuilding ops with a lighter footprint
• [21:30] Outsourcing production for better margins
• [23:02] Building loyalty with rewards that convert

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Providing free information and education about Kombucha kombuchakamp.com
• Follow Hannah Ruhamah Crum linkedin.com/in/hannahcrumla
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Shawn’s journey started in retail, where he immersed himself in the many facets of the industry: from visual merchandising to customer experience, giving him an ability to understand exactly what his clients need. He combines this insight with design expertise to create unique, engaging experiences that drive sales and build brand loyalty.

Whether you’re running an Ecommerce brand or building your first Shopify store, Shawn offers a candid, insider look at what it takes to create digital experiences that sell and delight customers.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:44] Intro
• [01:18] Avoiding hiring the wrong designer
• [02:34] Identifying gaps in specialized expertise
• [03:39] Assessing designs for sales potential
• [04:29] Evaluating expertise before hiring partners
• [05:06] Balancing creativity with usability
• [09:02] Providing consulting upfront for clarity
• [11:19] Avoiding overloading the homepage
• [14:42] Focusing on what users actually see
• [15:26] Choosing the right theme upfront
• [16:38] Collaborating with competent developers
• [17:29] Balancing custom design and Shopify

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Brand studio and creative partner feel.studio/work
• Follow Shawn Khemsurov linkedin.com/in/shawnkhemsurov/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

With a focus on the digital retail space, NetElixir uses proprietary technology, strategic growth models, and expert campaign management services to deliver exceptional results for their 600+ retail clients worldwide. 

Udayan's determination has earned NetElixir partnerships with industry leaders like UPS, Google, and Bing. 

Udayan is also a regular lecturer at top universities and has been featured in prestigious online journals such as The New York Times, Forbes, AdWeek, and more.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:44] Intro
• [02:01] Recounting early success with first innovation
• [02:33] The power of the internet through experimentation
• [03:25] Helping retail Ecommerce brands grow predictably
• [04:58] Making search work with mathematical precision
• [06:33] Meeting key players in ecommerce success
• [07:45] Building strong client partnerships
• [08:23] Recalling Google's milestone with Google Shopping
• [09:35] Envisioning the future with generative AI
• [11:24] Strategizing amid changing data landscapes
• [12:33] Adapting to the new era of restricted data sharing
• [13:13] Strategizing with limited data access
• [14:25] Walled gardens for integrated social commerce
• [15:49] The era of retail media networks
• [17:14] Exploring AI's role in future data access
• [18:11] Preparing for diminished data availability
• [18:57] Mastering rapid adaptive experimentation
• [20:15] Leveraging AI for predictive customer insights
• [21:22] Democratizing SEO and SEM with free tools
• [23:06] Supporting SMBs with innovative solutions
• [24:50] Discovering who links to your site
• [25:35] Humbling moments: OpenAI's impact on tech giants
• [27:03] The impact of disruptive innovation
• [28:19] ChatGPT's impact on business strategies
• [29:49] Crafting effective prompts for ChatGPT
• [30:34] Leveraging AI skills for competitive advantage
• [31:31] Navigating the age of abundance with AI

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Ecommerce digital marketing agency in Princeton, New Jersey netelixir.com/
• Follow Udayan Bose linkedin.com/in/netelixirudayanbose/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Her employment history includes medical devices, b2b electro-mechanical and cpg companies. 

This mosaic of experience set the stage for her to be able to start out with her own founder's story.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:48] Intro
• [02:26] Seizing the opportunity to start a business
• [04:10] Considering the working class in product designs
• [04:52] Researching the supply chain with trusted network
• [06:25] Negotiating for MOQs & prioritizing customer needs
• [07:50] Having someone that pushes you and believes in you
• [08:26] Talking to people means building a relationship
• [09:48] Doing your research and creating a strategy
• [10:33] Offering something new & investing on ads 
• [11:26] Gaining traction quickly after the first 100 orders
• [12:02] Investing in ads for customer acquisition
• [12:47] From a side hustle to working full time
• [13:44] Seeing the business grow over the years 
• [14:46] Pushing through amid doubts & mental blocks
• [15:15] What CEOs need to learn and accept
• [16:09] Success is not just one thing
• [17:03] Finding out what you’re good and not good at 
• [17:43] Be honest and reach out to your network
• [18:35] having the best product is not enough
• [19:17] Finding balance in every tenet of your business
• [20:14] Where to get high-quality heated apparel

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• 100% female owned heated apparel company gobiheat.com/
• Follow Gobi Heat on LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/gobi-heat/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

On this podcast, we talk about the history of Handwrytten and its competitors, standing out from the competition, the difference between expense and investment, proof on Handwrytten’s effectiveness, and so much more!

To learn more, visit: honestecommerce.co

Resources:

• David’s LinkedIn Page: linkedin.com/in/davidwachs
• Handwrytten’s website: handwrytten.com
• Create an account and signup on Handwrytten with code HONEST to get a $5 credit! Note: Signing up using Google and Facebook will not give you the chance to enter the code.
• Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your second month free.

Hilary built her career in the consumer products and retail industry, most recently as Head of Strategy & Finance at Jetblack, a Walmart-incubated startup, with prior experience at The Wonderful Company and Credit Suisse Investment Banking. 

At Hilma, she is focused on building the direct-to-consumer and Ecommerce channels, as well as leading growth marketing and financing. 

Hilary holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and BA from Columbia University. She lives and works in New York. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:52] What led to the founding of Hilma
• [05:09] Determining if “natural” is worthing investing in
• [07:50] From idea to having an Ecom store
• [09:16] What makes Hilma different
• [11:37] Hilma’s go-to-market strategy
• [14:06] The ease-of-use of the Shopify ecosystem
• [15:12] It’s easier and more preferable to just start now
• [15:38] Mistakes Hilary wants you to avoid
• [15:47] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [16:07] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [16:52] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [18:18] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.io/honest
• [18:50] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [19:38] The first step is the hardest
• [21:32] Picking which channels to focus
• [24:18] Omnichannel benefits both retail and Ecom sides
• [25:17] Why Hilma chose to also go with Amazon
• [27:27] Can Hilma now invest back into its business?

Resources:

• Get natural remedies backed by science hilma.co  - Use code HONEST10 to get 10% off your first purchase
• Connect with Hilary linkedin.com/in/hilary-quartner-04a64127
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

On the manufacturing side, he was traveling to China by the time he was 15 years old to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to work with partners overseas. In wholesale he was attending major markets as a teenager to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to sell to major retailers both nationally and internationally. 

He was fortunate enough to know at that very young that he would be following in his family's footsteps. While attending college at San Diego State University he was the President of the nationally ranked SDSU Surf Team. His role there allowed him to work with many notable brands like Red Bull, Rip Curl and TOMS as he obtained sponsorship from each of these businesses. 

After years of building campus rep programs with these brands he learned the importance of both social media marketing along with social enterprise. The partnership with TOMS shoes was his motivation to build a business that gave back, and it became his dream to start a sunglasses brand that could help change the world. After graduating from SDSU he met his business partners. 

Together they began selling sunglasses at electronic music festivals across the country. It was here that they realized there was a massive void in the eyewear industry that they knew they could fill. Eager to disrupt the monopolized eyewear industry they founded DIFF with a mission to create affordable designer eyewear that gives back. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:50] Blending value and mission to drive impact
• [04:00] Partnering purpose with product
• [06:09] Leveraging past experiences for team balance
• [08:56] Nurturing partnerships for smarter growth
• [11:44] Stay updated with new episodes
• [11:55] Embedding responsibility into brand DNA
• [14:11] Sponsors
• [19:43] Influencer partnerships for early marketing strategy
• [22:54] Prioritizing finance to avoid early pitfalls
• [24:57] Understanding finances for loss prevention
• [26:06] Highlighting first products for brick and mortar
• [28:42] Following your why to create impact

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1
• Charitable designer sunglasses that give back www.diffeyewear.com/
• Follow Chad Dime www.linkedin.com/in/chad-dime-59550258
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business www.nextinsurance.com/honest/  
• Turn your domestic business into an international business www.freightright.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you 

left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts

. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

After working for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Henry joined his brother, Martin Donald Murray, and friend, Christoph Hermann, to co-found the beverage-industry disrupting company, earning him a spot on Forbes prestigious 30 under 30 list. 

Henry is currently in charge of overseeing waterdrop’s global expansion, with a focus on the U.S. Murray holds a Master of Science from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), an exchange semester in Business Administration and Management, General from Seoul National University, and a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration from WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business). 

waterdrop, the fast-growing hydration brand based in Vienna, has been shaking up the beverage industry since 2016 with its innovative waterdrop® Microdrink and global hydration platform. 

The company's mission is to encourage people to drink more water in a more sustainable way. Its sugar-free, flavored cubes, which dissolve in water and enrich it with natural fruit & plant extracts and valuable vitamins, have been praised by consumers for supporting them to Drink More Water. 

waterdrop significantly reduces plastic use and CO2 emissions. The 98% saving in plastic compared to traditional bottled drinks is achieved through the individual recyclable packaging of each cube: the plastic contained in a single cap of a traditional bottle is equivalent to 10 Microdrinks. 

In partnership with Plastic Bank, waterdrop pledges to collect one plastic bottle for every 12-pack sold, meaning consumers can not only drink more sustainably, but they can also support waterdrop's cause for a better environmental future. 

Now established for six years, the company has grown to having more than 2 million online customers and over 300 employees, as well as product listings in over 20,000 retail outlets and more than 40 waterdrop stores in Europe, America and Singapore.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:00] The products of waterdrop
• [03:46] The R&D process and the initial launch
• [05:00] How the team validated the product
• [06:05] The duration from R&D to product launch
• [07:01] Launching a CPG is quite a process
• [08:21] Acquiring new customers for waterdrop
• [10:11] The budget range to move the needle
• [11:20] Limiting your budget is a limiting belief
• [12:07] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [13:04] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO jsonld.app
• [14:21] Sponsor: Retention.com retention.com/honest
• [15:12] Why did waterdrop chose tennis specifically?
• [17:24] waterdrop’s innovative hydration bench
• [17:58] Why waterdrop chose top-tier tennis athletes
• [18:59] US vs EU markets
• [21:48] The perspective of an EU brand coming to the US
• [24:07] Where to find waterdrop

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Helping you drink more water with bursts of delicious flavors made from real fruit and plant extracts — anytime, anywhere waterdrop.com
• Connect with Henry linkedin.com/in/thomas-henry-murray-00578a55
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Charbonnet realized that guys really only have 3 options for underwear; bargain big box retailers, expensive designer labels, or new online brands with designer label prices. 

This led him to ask himself “why can’t I get a whole week’s worth of great underwear for under $100?” This question sparked the idea for him to create a new category in menswear - premium, performance-based apparel at an exceptional value. 

Charbonnet started All Citizens with $3,000 and no design, retail, fashion or ecommerce background, but the outsider’s view enabled me to build a brand that is truly customer first without the baggage of the traditional retail model. 

Although I started with boxer briefs, We’ve expanded to offer everything from performance dress shirts to adventure-ready sunglasses under the singular mission of democratizing comfort. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] How All Citizens democratize comfort
• [02:00] Danny’s realization with men’s underwear
• [03:34] The question that sparked All Citizens
• [04:04] Addressing men’s underwear pain points
• [05:47] Creating a product with no background
• [06:34] The struggle between price and quality
• [07:25] Danny’s last hope for manufacturing
• [08:14] Negotiating as a smaller brand
• [09:39] The first years of the brand are the easiest
• [10:03] Still working with the factory on the story
• [10:22] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [10:42] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [11:42] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [12:24] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [13:28] The reverse go-to-market strategy
• [14:00] Messaging and product over growth
• [15:04] All Citizens’ sudden growth spikes
• [16:45] Virality isn’t a good strategy
• [17:21] Providing the best sets you up for success
• [18:33] Chasing virality is unproductive and unrealistic
• [19:02] Why All Citizens doesn’t sell on Amazon
• [21:07] All Citizens’ current marketing mix
• [23:52] Not capitalizing on the golden age of FB ads
• [24:31] Marketing and ad agencies have high churn rates
• [24:52] Marketing strategy is about balancing channels
• [29:08] Find All Citizens and their other products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Better apparel, fewer dollars allcitizens.com
• Connect with Danny linkedin.com/in/dfcharbonnet
• Follow All Citizens on Instagram @allcitizens
• Follow All Citizens on TikTok @allcitizens
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Transform your returns into exchanges loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

With a track record of 20 years in old-school sales, Mischa marries tried-and-true strategies with the cutting-edge tools of the digital era. He has made over a million phone calls, run massive flier campaigns, and pounded the pavement door-to-door and business-to-business. 

Mischa and his team generated over 1.5 billion dollars in loans funded. After a brief retirement to guide his two boys through high school and enlighten others through yoga teaching, Mischa's now back in the game and his superpower is building influence.

As the founder of the "Influence Army" and host of the “Table Rush Talk Show”, he's all about sharing his expertise and inspiring others to put their voice out there in a big way. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:49] Intro
• [02:17] Building business on a budget using earned media
• [03:58] Using podcast tours in brand promotion
• [05:50] Tapping into diverse podcast audiences
• [07:15] Leveraging CTAs and catchy URLs
• [08:44] Crafting impressions for host recommendations
• [09:53] Enriching your network through podcast
• [10:57] Leveraging podcasts for collaborations
• [12:00] Podcasts as platforms for affiliate partnerships
• [12:59] Exploring joint offers and revenue sharing
• [14:00] Repurposing content for maximum impact
• [14:43] The multifaceted power of podcasting
• [15:39] Video transcription tools for seamless editing
• [17:12] The branding benefits of podcasting
• [18:25] The impact of podcasting in exposure and authority
• [21:00] Finding and targeting niche audiences
• [22:26] Refining podcast search strategies with AI 
• [23:22] Tapping into speaker lists for opportunities
• [24:20] Using tools to track competitors’ appearances
• [26:20] Efficient outreach with RSS feed finders
• [27:32] Hunting for podcast contacts
• [28:55] Proven templates for podcast guest outreach
• [30:38] Handling various replies to guest requests
• [32:53] Leveraging no responses for second pitches
• [34:34] Garnering interest for further discussion
• [35:48] Prioritizing conversations with interested leads
• [37:54] The power of follow-up in podcast guesting
• [39:34] Using LinkedIn to expand your network
• [40:16] Quick, simple, and value-added messages
• [41:17] Navigating positive and unexpected replies
• [42:07] Asking questions for smooth guest onboarding
• [43:05] Addressing production costs with guests
• [46:38] Responding strategically to feedback
• [47:26] Amplify your voice with The Influence Army

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Amplify your voice with a tribe of heart-centered entrepreneurs theinfluencearmy.com/mifge
• Start a profitable podcast tour theinfluencearmy.com/guide
• Valuable insights on strategic marketing podcasts.apple.com/ng/podcast/table-rush-talk-show/id1541515693
• Follow Mischa Zvegintzov linkedin.com/in/mischaz/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

In this role, he focuses on delivering the best possible experience to customers in order to continue growing SmileDirectClub and reach more people searching for affordable access to a straighter and more confident smile. 

As the Chief Marketing Officer, John oversees all digital media, paid media, creative development, social media, communication tactics, and experiential initiatives for the brand. 

As a results-driven marketing leader, John continually builds a track-record of success and is a champion for creating strategic plans based on key insights. 

John has a strong background in digital transformation and innovation across a range of industries. 

He previously served as Chief Revenue Officer of Fresh Direct, a food tech company and the Northeast's leading online fresh food grocer. 

He was also the Senior Vice President of Innovation Portfolios for Mastercard driving innovation globally for the company, and the Head of Strategy at eBay Enterprises Marketing Solutions. 

He has launched and worked with dozens of digital-first brands and led the strategy to bring many great brands into the digital ecosystem. 

John earned a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:10] A C-suite position at a well-known D2C brand
• [04:02] Is grass greener at an agency or at a client?
• [05:57] Learning through agencies and starting a business
• [06:50] The podcast is based in the entrepreneurial spirit
• [07:17] It’s the best time to start a business
• [07:45] How far along was SmileDirectClub when John joined
• [08:57] How the pandemic “helped” SmileDirectClub
• [11:34] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [11:54] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [12:38] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [13:08] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [13:56] Chase also invested in his teeth
• [14:30] How SmileDirectClub moved on from COVID 
• [15:50] The shift in customer demands
• [17:43] Importance of customer lifetime value
• [18:28] Effects of iOS 14 to SmileDirect Club
• [20:23] Things to note when diversifying your channels
• [21:28] How SDC does attribution
• [22:36] Embracing being a brand challenger
• [24:06] It’s very fulfilling to start a brand and succeed

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Connect with John linkedin.com/in/johnsheldon
• An oral care company that exists to help more people realize the life-changing potential of their smiles smiledirectclub.com
• Subscribe to Smile Direct Club youtube.com/c/SmileDirectClub
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Fresh off the memories of the "dot com bubble" and unknowingly walking towards the '08 Financial Crisis, Sam was continuously warned by family and friends that the internet and body jewelry are fads and won't be around forever. 

15 years later it seems wild that anyone ever doubted the Ecommerce future, but Sam saw the writing on the wall. 

With hundreds of thousands of customers, Plug Your Holes now ships 8-12k orders per month and employs over 2 dozen people in their Kansas City headquarters. 

Sam is now looking to the future of PYH, his family and his other endeavors. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:59] Sam’s journey to Ecom
• [02:33] The idea of selling body jewelry
• [03:38] The genre and aesthetics are misaligned
• [04:34] Inherent go-to-market strategy from bands
• [06:14] The Vans Warped Tour Experience
• [08:13] How the Tour helped Plug Your Holes
• [09:39] 2000’s Ecom vs now
• [11:47] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [12:07] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [12:58] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [14:18] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.io/honest
• [14:51] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:38] Social media approach to awareness
• [18:19] Mistakes Sam wants you to avoid
• [20:26] What you start with doesn’t really matter
• [21:10] Determining what you are really doing
• [22:01] Concert goers and body jewelry customers
• [23:19] Culture, acceptance, and employment crisis
• [24:34] Take the first step
• [25:25] Pushing your minimum viable product

Resources:

• Plug Your Holes plugyourholes.com
• Connect with Sam @Sam_Dean
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest