Named the #1 small business PR expert by ChatGPT and Al search, she's leading the charge in helping overlooked founders dominate visibility—not just in the press, but in Al search results that drive discovery and trust. 

Is there a guest (or two!) that you'd like to hear on our podcast in the future? Will think about this and let you know!

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:00] Navigating the shift from old SEO
• [02:37] Discovering free brand featuring ways
• [06:21] Understanding why PR tips a trust signal
• [09:34] Callouts
• [10:44] Seeing how backlinks offer great publicity
• [12:29] Repurposing wins into long-term content
• [16:11] Using 3 prompts for an effective pitch
• [19:10] Writing subject lines that journalists open
• [23:20] Building PR foundations before competitors 

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Be found for the work you do gloriachoupr.com/
• Follow Gloria Chou linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou

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
• [01:31] Turning a diagnosis into a mission
• [03:23] Becoming your product's success story
• [04:44] Callouts
• [04:54] Finding focus groups with limited budgets
• [07:37] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [09:44] Letting research reverse product roadmaps
• [13:41] Building trust through science-backed content 
• [15:12] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [17:12] Sharing vulnerable stories for customer loyalty
• [18:36] Tapping nice creators to amplify early content
• [21:41] Seeing early signals of product-market fit
• [23:49] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [25:00] Letting word of mouth unlock B2B strategies
• [27:17] Allowing your data do the selling for you
• [30:16] Expanding impact to underserved customers

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Doctor-formulated prenatals, fertility supplements, & tests birdandbe.com/
• Follow Sam Diamond ca.linkedin.com/in/samantha-diamond-1484a718
• Follow Breanna Hughes ca.linkedin.com/in/breannahughes
• 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!

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!

She personally reads every customer review, using those insights to shape product development and build Uresta's highly engaged community. Under her leadership, Uresta has become an eight-figure business serving over 30,000 women. 

What is Uresta? Uresta is revolutionizing bladder control with the first self-managed bladder support designed specifically for modern women, with no prescription or doctor visits required. Unlike traditional solutions, Uresta addresses leaks at their source, providing immediate all-day protection during physical activities like exercise, laughing, sneezing, and coughing. 

With 97% effectiveness and 90% continued use after 12 months, Uresta restores confidence, spontaneity, and dignity to millions of women.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:35] Addressing a gap in women's health
• [02:19] Leaving a career to chase an idea
• [06:28] Callouts
• [06:38] Finding success as an operator
• [08:40] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [10:47] Validating a market before scaling up
• [14:50] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [17:05] Building early trust through creators
• [19:45] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [20:54] Setting realistic budgets for paid ads
• [22:04] Using social proof for different markets
• [24:52] Marketing a product people deny

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Bladder support for women https://uresta.com/  
• Follow Lauren Barker https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-barker/  
• Follow Uresta https://www.instagram.com/myuresta/?g=5  
• Get your free demo https://www.klaviyo.com/honest
• Book a demo today at https://www.intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts https://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 spring 2025, Alissa turned her proprietary Seabiotics™ technology into the star ingredient for OoMee -- the functional beverage bringing the wellness benefits of agar-agar to America's beverage aisle.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:58] Pioneering a niche in an untapped market
• [03:43] Using cultural roots to drive innovation
• [06:51] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [08:52] Sizing up categories before committing
• [10:57] Callouts
• [11:07] Using competitor research as winning edge
• [14:25] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [16:23] Letting the product do the talking
• [19:44] Knowing when to launch and building
• [21:51] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [23:00] Using intellectual property for passive income
• [25:43] Turning disadvantages into entrepreneurial fuel

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Marine plant-based company https://aquatheon.com/en
• Marine-powered functional beverage https://oomee.life/
• Follow Alissa Miky https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissa-miky-21a8673b
• Migrate and grow more https://www.klaviyo.com/honest 
• Book a demo today at https://www.intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts https://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
• [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!

Rooted in sustainability, Waiākea is setting a new standard for CPG, blending exceptional taste with conscious practices. From their certified B Corp status and proprietary 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, OceanPlast®, to their community-driven Kōkua Initiative nonprofit, Waiākea is changing the way we hydrate.

Inspired by the founders' long-standing work with clean water and education non-profits, the concept for Waiākea was to move away from singular profit and towards a triple bottom line model (circular packaging, sustainable sourcing, and commitment to the community). 

Their water embodies that mission with an experience that’s natural alkaline pH, 100% BPA & PFA Free, packed with electrolytes & minerals, light, crisp, and refreshingly clean.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:25] Turning sustainability into an advantage
• [03:28] Starting without industry experience
• [05:49] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [07:00] Building a business from a class project
• [09:45] Self-distributing to reach early customers
• [11:57] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [13:56] Building trust through consignment
• [15:12] Scaling distributions with good relationships
• [17:06] Callouts
• [17:16] Adjusting strategy based on performance
• [20:47] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [22:47] Managing supply chains for heavy goods
• [25:01] Balancing risk with growth opportunities

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Alkaline Hawaiian Volcanic Water waiakea.com/
• Follow Ryan Emmons linkedin.com/in/ryan-emmons-8709871b/
• 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, 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!

Eliah’s journey began with a passion for sustainable agriculture and a desire to empower individuals to grow their own food. At North Spore, Eliah and his team provide high-quality mushroom cultivation products and education, supporting everyone from home growers to commercial farmers.​ 

Beyond business, he’s committed to environmental stewardship, advocating for better public access to Maine's shorelands and exploring innovative ways to integrate fungi into sustainable practices.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:10] Launching North Spore from a tiny garage
• [05:47] Callouts
• [05:57] Embracing ecommerce before it was crowded
• [07:16] Creating educational content to attract buyers
• [09:05] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [10:22] Putting in the work to earn attention
• [11:47] Building trust in a skeptical market
• [15:55] Avoiding direct competition with giants
• [17:31] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [19:31] Focusing on one core product first
• [23:15] Sponsor: Migrate
• [25:13] Persisting through economic challenges

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Mushroom log spawns and supplies northspore.com/
• Follow Eliah Thanhauser linkedin.com/in/eliah-thanhauser/
• 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!

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!

Her consumer-centric approach to innovation and commercial strategies, combined with her operational expertise, has helped transform businesses across consumer goods, automotive, and healthcare categories. 

Some of her favorite challenges include relaunching the iconic $500 million Herbal Essences brand and returning it to profitable growth, spearheading the digital transformation and omnichannel strategy for the Hertz loyalty program, and building the OneTouch diabetes business in retail and e-commerce. 

Today, Kate is the Chief Commercial Officer at Cadence OTC, where she is leading the effort to bring the next generation of oral contraceptives over the counter—expanding access to safe, affordable birth control for millions of women across the U.S. Kate is passionate about developing people and building partnerships that deliver meaningful business transformations. 

She earned both her BS and MS from Carnegie Mellon University. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:24] Meeting customers’ urgent health needs
• [08:03] Focusing on signals that show real intent
• [11:33] Callouts
• [11:42] Turning urgent needs into long-term loyalty
• [13:32] Navigating advertising in regulated industries
• [16:04] Investing upfront to avoid costly rework
• [19:02] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [20:10] Leveraging AI to uncover customer insights
• [24:22] Providing clarity through educated communication

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Affordable emergency contraception, convenient access cadenceotc.com/
• Follow Kate Voyten LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/katherine-voyten
• 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!

AlumiTubs is 100% Canadian handcrafted from materials made to stand the test of time. It’s perfect for the backcountry or the backyard, with flex heating for 365 days of use, wherever you find your escape. 

With 1000s in the wild since 2001, AlumiTubs are home to Canada, now available for properties across the globe. Where artistry, craftsmanship, and considered design intersect, the AlumiTubs wood fired, electric and hybrid hot tubs come in 3 sizes with endless heat options, advanced filtration for at-home use, a 50% bigger firebox and 3 layers of insulation for less smoke, less water, and nothing wasted along the way.

It is not an average hot tub, AlumiTubs is guaranteed to get hot and stay hot, no matter how cold it is outside. Bringing people and those they share it with, closer to nature. AlumiTubs was made for more of the good stuff.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:40] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:53] Spotting demand beyond your original offer
• [03:14] Balancing careers while building a startup
• [06:04] Bringing an offline product to the internet
• [08:55] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [10:08] Applying career skills to a new venture
• [13:49] Letting users shape your marketing message
• [15:40] Optimizing basic SEO for discovery
• [17:55] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [19:03] Balancing capacity with customer trust
• [23:17] Complementing skills to build longevity
• [26:00] Building a business on a great product
• [28:46] Callouts
• [28:56] Hedging bets while testing business ideas
• [31:10] Adding value without reinventing the wheel

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Wood-fired & electric cedar hot tubs alumitubs.com/
• Follow Laura Andersen linkedin.com/in/lauraandersendigitalmarketing/  
• 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!

With a background in user engagement, Rima brings a deep understanding of audience behavior and conversion optimization—experience that shapes her approach to helping marketers scale efficiently across channels. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:09] Getting to know the new product, Realize 
• [02:33] Facing rising ad costs across platforms
• [04:22] Launching before peak season to save costs
• [07:10] Questioning the myth that more budget wins
• [09:31] Challenging the idea that AI replaces strategy
• [11:30] Callouts
• [11:40] Unlocking incremental growth on the open web
• [14:16] Testing new channels with wise budgets
• [15:17] Running quarterly moonshot experiments

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Performance beyond search and social taboola.com/
• The performance built for advertisers realize.com/
• Follow Rima Sherman Mattok linkedin.com/in/rima-sherman-mattok-93282739/

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 eponymous label was founded in 2004 by Designer and Chief Creative Officer Monica Rich Kosann–member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America–as an extension of her passion for fine art photography and storytelling. She runs the company with her husband Rod, who serves as CEO.

A Certified B Corporation working to meet the highest standards of quality and excellence, Monica Rich Kosann crafts sustainable heritage pieces that are made ethically and responsibly. The brand is sold in over 120 retailers across the country, has three free standing stores - two in New York and one at Somerset Collection in Troy, a shop at Bergdorf Goodman and a robust direct-to-consumer business. 

Designed using 18K Yellow Gold and Sterling Silver, Monica Rich Kosann designs precious gemstones and diamonds to ensure quality that lasts from generation-to-generation as modern heirlooms. 

A favorite with celebrities, Monica Rich Kosann pieces have been worn by incredible women throughout the years including Kelly Clarkson, Allison Williams, Sarah Jessica Parker and Gisele Bundchen.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:37] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:54] Inspiring growth through authentic vision
• [06:58] Persisting through early business rejection
• [10:11] Building momentum through supportive communities
• [11:10] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [12:41] Diversifying channels to reach more customers
• [16:32] Callouts
• [16:42]  Enhancing products through storytelling
• [21:00] Strengthening brands through right partnerships 
• [24:02] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [25:10] Building dedicated teams that enjoy their craft
• [26:19] Focusing business principles around your “Why”
• [28:02] Finding your unique approach and sticking with it

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1
• Lockets, fine jewelry, and luxury gifts monicarichkosann.com
• Follow Monica Rich Kosann linkedin.com/company/monica-rich-kosann
• Follow Rod Kosann linkedin.com/in/rodkosann
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest  
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business www.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!

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!

A member of the Board of Advisors at USC’s Randall R. Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute, Robert founded Freight Right in 2007 during the global financial crisis with a vision to modernize freight forwarding through technology and execution excellence. 

Today, Freight Right is recognized as a leading innovator in logistics and a trusted launch partner for emerging supply chain technologies. Robert’s insights have been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, the Journal of Commerce, FreightWaves, and the Los Angeles Times, and he has spoken at leading industry events including TPM, FreightTech, and the USC Supply Chain Summit. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] Taking the leap during economic uncertainty
• [03:45] Eliminating shipping delays that kill buyer intent
• [09:04] Building Ecommerce solution around freight hurdles
• [11:05] Callouts
• [11:16] Bridging commercial freight and ecommerce needs
• [13:29] Identifying hidden customer pain points early
• [15:45] Building an MVP from customer feedback
• [18:00] Rethinking traditional processes to reduce cost
• [20:41] Unlocking new markets with minimal effort

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• International Freight Forwarder freightright.com/
• Follow Robert Khachatryan linkedin.com/in/khachatryanrobert

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 simplicity, versatility, and performance, he has helped shape Unbound Merino into a global travel clothing brand trusted by customers in over 100 countries. 

As CMO, Dima drives the vision of the “Pack Less. Experience More.” movement. Building a brand that inspires and empowers travelers to live and explore with freedom. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:00] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:55] Positioning products around customer lifestyles
• [03:33] Turning personal travel pain into a business idea
• [07:27] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [08:40] Creating business momentum before quitting a job
• [10:37] Prioritizing early traction for repeatable growth
• [13:04] Testing campaigns with minimum budgets
• [14:50] Callout
• [15:00] Scaling communication through relevant topics
• [21:00] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [22:10] Creating a feedback loop through data analysis
• [23:01] Identifying unmet needs in your market
• [25:32] Prioritizing product quality over everything
• [27:26] Driving conversions before perfecting visuals

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Merino Wool Clothing & Apparel unboundmerino.com/
• 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!

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

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As CEO, Andrew leverages his marketing expertise and first-hand fandom experience to drive this mission forward. After launching just over a year ago, EQL has managed more than 10,000 high-heat launches in 15 markets. 

When not helping culture-making brands get their goods into the hands of real fans, Andrew can be found spending time with his wife and three children, and dressing younger than he should.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [03:51] Crafting launches that reward real customers
• [06:06] Callouts
• [06:16] Streamlining experiences through integrations
• [07:51] Adding connection where generic tools fall short
• [10:25] Designing pre, in, and post-launch strategies
• [13:29] Connecting with audiences in launch moments
• [19:32] Partnering with experts for better launches

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Better launches for in-demand products eql.com/
• Andrew Lipp au.linkedin.com/in/andrew-lipp-7b291722

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!

She’s passionate about making PR more accessible and transparent for small businesses, especially mission-driven consumer brands. Press Hook is used by 1,000+ companies— from early-stage startups to category leaders— to connect directly with journalists, newsletters, and podcasts that drive real product discovery. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:56] Realizing the need to master your own PR
• [02:36] Understanding why generic pitching fails
• [05:21] Boosting discovery via trusted publishers
• [08:06] Navigating earned, paid, and affiliate media
• [11:26] Callouts
• [11:40] Standing out with visuals and clarity
• [15:26] Adapting strategies to decentralized media
• [18:58] Enhancing discoverability in crowded markets
• [20:57] Building systems before scaling PR

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• AI-driven media relations and PR pantform presshook.com/
• Follow Michelle Songy linkedin.com/in/michellesongy

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!

Elina scaled fast by focusing on niche product-market fit, building a raving fan base, and using scrappy organic marketing to drive Amazon and TikTok Shop growth. Now, she helps other founders grow and scale their eCommerce brands profitably by building a brand that serves a specific group of people. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:34] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:44] Building products around customer pain points
• [02:53] Identifying problems through community research
• [05:19] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [06:32] Balancing product creation with marketing
• [06:48] Building trust through storytelling
• [09:15] Collecting feedback to shape products
• [10:50] Creating scarcity to drive excitement
• [12:38] Identifying niches with specific pain points
• [13:47] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [14:56] Sponsor: Freight Right
• [16:56] Collecting reviews to build credibility
• [18:37] Training mindset to handle uncertainty
• [21:59] Discovering entrepreneurial instincts early
• [22:29] Focusing on one channel before diversifying  
• [25:34] Leveraging micro-influencers for growth

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Creating Healthy Happy Lives for Doodles doodwoof.com/
• Follow Elina Panteleyeva instagram.com/doodwoofco/?hl=en
• 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!

Her expertise includes advanced Martech ecosystems, customer data platforms (CDPs), marketing automation, and ensuring compliance with global privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Jennifer’s skills span web development, UX/UI design, inventory management, logistics, and omni-channel retailing. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:39] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:58] Solving customer needs with simplicity
• [04:05] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [05:19] Leveraging cross-brand learnings for growth
• [08:37] Using D2C as a customer learning engine
• [12:00] Callouts
• [12:11] Evaluating tools that streamline operations
• [13:37] Reviving traditional marketing with modern tech
• [16:52] Sponsor: Electric Eye & Freight Fright
• [20:01] Testing unconventional marketing strategies
• [21:19] Balancing responsibility with limited control
• [24:58] Focusing on product value over flashy design

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Olly Vitamins and Supplements olly.com/
• Follow Jennifer Peters linkedin.com/in/jennifer-peters-3bbb6220
• 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!

He’s the creator of the 5 Forces System, a proven framework that turns messy marketing data into clear, confident decisions. Before Wicked Reports, Scott led and consulted on database and process management applications at Motorola, Quest Diagnostics, Breck Shampoo, Ovaltine, the Hong Kong 911 department, and Apartments.com. 

When not leading Wicked Reports, Scott can be found in Marblehead Massachusetts playing pickleball, meditating, or on the boat with the family. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:37] Questioning attribution in marketing
• [06:44] The truth about “more is better” marketing 
• [07:36] Choosing channels for first campaigns
• [09:34] Starting funnels with small spend
• [11:16] Debunking marketing ROI lies
• [14:24] Navigating attribution for customer journeys
• [16:51] Distinguishing case studies from reality
• [19:07] Exploring the Five Forces framework
• [27:24] Seeing emotional spending on paid ads
• [27:50] Recording client interaction for accountability 
• [28:53] Highlighting effective AI campaign analysis 
• [31:21] Streamlining insights for effective decisions

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Multitouch marketing attribution software www.wickedreports.com/
• Follow Scott Desgrosseilliers www.linkedin.com/in/scottd71/

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!

In 2015, he left his job in finance to join his wife’s sticker subscription company, Pipsticks. Within a year, Pipsticks had thousands of subscribers in over 50 countries. As CEO of Pipsticks, Nathan now manages the company’s growing business in the subscription, E-Commerce, wholesale, and licensing markets. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and four kids.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:23] Balancing creativity with business logic
• [05:43] Learning by doing and adapting fast
• [08:21] Growing an organic customer base
• [09:57] Stay updated with new episodes
• [10:06] Finding spending balance for growth
• [12:38] Seizing opportunities during market shifts
• [14:29] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Freight Right, Taboola, Next Insurance
• [20:00] Scaling your brand through audience feedback
• [24:10] Focusing on one thing at a time
• [26:32] Expanding a product to wholesale 
• [28:25] Learning from early B2B mistakes
• [30:07] Measuring break-even for smart spending
• [33:04] Aligning resources with marketing strategy
• [34:29] Targeting break-even timelines strategically

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1
• Cute stickers for kids, crafters, anyone www.pipsticks.com/
• Stickers + stationery that say what you wish you could www.theswearjar.com/
• Follow Nathaniel Vazquez www.linkedin.com/in/nathaniel-vazquez-5b663222/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business www.freightright.com/honest
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.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 work today centers on solving one of the biggest problems in early-stage startups: the gap between building and growing. He's quietly building something new to bridge that gap.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:19] Learning ecommerce by evolving with companies
• [02:50] Avoiding guesswork through real user engagement
• [04:57] Avoiding costly guesses in early channels
• [07:24] Finding people who match your avatar
• [08:23] Returning to basics for direction clarity
• [08:51] Distinguishing buyers from friendly critics
• [11:29] Starting small when validating ideas
• [14:36] Simplifying business ideas through existing tools
• [15:29] Stay updated with new episodes
• [15:40] Capturing insights for go-to-market
• [17:36] Separating problem discovery from solutions
• [19:55] Going where the market is active
• [21:10] Introducing payments only after solutions
• [22:24] Digesting conversations into ICP
• [23:17] Pulling branding assets from real conversations
• [24:56] Testing organically before paid ads
• [27:04] Building a brand as key differentiator

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Digital products for entrepreneurs and business leaders: altar.io/us/
• Follow Filipe Castro Matos linkedin.com/in/filipecastromatos

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:

• [00:28] Intro
• [00:53] Learning the fundamentals of consumer marketing
• [02:01] Climbing the ladder one title at a time
• [02:17] Pivoting a century-old business online
• [04:01] Transitioning from wholesale to direct-to-consumer
• [07:33] Balancing wholesale partners with D2C growth
• [10:08] Stay updated with new episodes
• [10:18] Investing ahead for scalable D2C growth
• [13:43] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Freight, Taboola, Next Insurance
• [19:16] Collecting data before knowing how to use it
• [20:25] Leveraging legacy brand recognition online
• [23:05] Relying on product quality to drive loyalty
• [24:08] Driving growth through actionable data insights

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1
• Plus size bras & lingeries for full-figured women glamorise.com/
• Follow Jon Pundyk linkedin.com/in/jrpundyk
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest
• Performance beyond Search and Social discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Tailored business insurance. Zero hassle. Big savings nextinsurance.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!

Nebu was born from frustration, products that changed for the sake of change, colors that blended into landscapes but not the spirit of adventure, and fits that never quite fit. Nate set out to fix that by building apparel that feels great, performs hard, and actually looks good.

In this episode, Nate shares how he rebuilt his Shopify site from scratch in 36 hours after a crash, how he found the right manufacturing partners through hands-on trial and error, and how he defines success by community and craftsmanship, not scale alone.

Whether you’re an ecommerce founder navigating supply chain complexity or a brand builder chasing quality over quantity, Nate’s story is a masterclass in learning fast, leading with purpose, and finding fulfillment beyond revenue.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:26] Intro
• [01:09] Building products that solve real use problems
• [03:16] Turning frustration into a product opportunity
• [05:46] Building intuition through contrast and visits
• [10:25] Selling through friends before running paid ads
• [14:53] Stay updated with new episodes
• [15:03] Building profitability through paid learning
• [15:43] Turning events and emails into ad leverage
• [17:14] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap & Freight Right
• [21:50] Balancing goodwill with measurable profit
• [22:28] Moving fulfillment from warehouse to garage
• [27:01] Choosing product ideas by improving what exists
• [32:54] Redefining success beyond scale and revenue
• [36:42] Connecting community through personal support

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Everyday active apparel nebuclothing.com/
• Follow Nate Davenport linkedin.com/in/nathan-davenport-327483186
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest
• 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!

Blending creativity with financial rigor, Shelley turned a casual conversation with a homeschooling parent into a breakthrough channel, now approved as an official curriculum in 14 states. In this episode, she shares how that discovery reshaped her subscription strategy, why flexibility beats lock-in for retention, and how understanding the real buyer (not just the user) transformed her business.

Whether you’re an ecommerce founder rethinking your subscription model or a CPG operator looking for smarter customer acquisition paths, Shelley’s story is a lesson in listening deeply, iterating fast, and staying true to your mission.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:24] Intro
• [00:49] Building community through shared passions
• [02:20] Transforming baking into an educational tool
• [03:41] Launching early versions to test real demand
• [04:32] Reaching first customers through organic channels
• [05:24] Applying to accelerators as a product founder
• [06:00] Differentiating users from true buyers
• [06:52] Rebranding to serve a clearer customer base
• [07:48] Testing niche ideas before fully committing
• [08:56] Stay updated with new episodes
• [09:07] Turning chance encounters into growth channels
• [10:17] Building growth through genuine relationships
• [10:53] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap & Freight Right
• [15:31] Designing subscriptions with built-in flexibility
• [16:44] Expanding marketing beyond paid social
• [18:19] Understanding customer complexity and fatigue
• [20:41] Leveraging creative roots to build a brand

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• STEM Baking Kits for Curious Kids bakitbox.com/
• Follow Shelley Gupta linkedin.com/in/shelley-gupta
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest
• 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 landing in retention by accident as a German-speaking marketer, Sonja discovered her passion for understanding why customers buy, not just what they buy. Her global perspective and analytical mindset help founders identify churn before it happens, build smarter lifecycle flows, and create experiences that keep customers coming back.

Whether you’re a CPG founder tired of chasing acquisition or an operator ready to make retention your growth engine, Sonja shares a masterclass in turning customer behavior into predictable, sustainable revenue.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:33] Intro
• [01:05] Helping brands turn retention into revenue
• [01:30] Connecting communication to customer longevity
• [02:08] Identifying patterns behind consumable success
• [02:55] Leveraging analytical thinking for stronger retention
• [04:00] Educating first-time buyers before selling again
• [05:25] Helping buyers at their exact stage of the journey
• [07:11] Designing flows that nurture interest into action
• [07:45] Applying retention rules across every direct channel
• [08:18] Stay updated with new episodes
• [08:29] Spotting churn before customers disappear
• [10:19] Timing recovery emails before customers drift away
• [11:39] Resolving customer issues before they walk away
• [12:27] Setting triggers that match real customer behavior
• [14:16] Focusing on results-driven storytelling for CPG
• [15:26] Evaluating why memberships don’t always translate
• [16:36] Building loyalty from your first 100 buyers
• [17:07] Layering time data to reveal true retention health
• [19:08] Applying psychology to make retention truly work

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Helps Ecommerce brands with retention marketing retentiontheory.com/
• Follow Sonja Grasser linkedin.com/in/sonjagrasser

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!

After a lab accident exposed the flaws in traditional PPE, Beau built AmorSui to bridge the gap between safety, comfort, and sustainability: offering PFAS-free, recyclable, and biobased alternatives trusted by global brands like Thermo Fisher Scientific and Benco Dental.

Whether you’re building a mission-driven ecommerce brand or rethinking your product’s lifecycle, Beau shares a masterclass in turning real-world problems into scalable innovation, proving that circular design and commercial growth can coexist.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:30] Intro
• [01:01] Building comfort and safety into every product
• [01:46] Creating a business from personal experience
• [04:37] Designing products people actually reuse
• [06:10] Validating ideas through real user stories
• [08:12] Raising capital before manufacturing begins
• [08:47] Allocating funds beyond first production run
• [09:45] Navigating minimum order quantity realities
• [10:32] Launching pre-sales with finished prototypes
• [11:04] Stay updated with new episodes
• [11:14] Balancing safety standards with speed to market
• [12:37] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye & Heatmap
• [15:18] Marketing through word-of-mouth momentum
• [17:01] Refining targeting through early experiments
• [19:00] Discovering growth through customer feedback
• [21:34] Testing demand before building logistics
• [23:17] Learning quickly by shipping imperfect products
• [24:09] Focusing every decision on the end user

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Modern PPE brand that protects people and the planet amorsui.com/
• Follow Beau Wangtrakuldee linkedin.com/in/beauwangtrakuldee
• 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!

With decades of combined experience across SaaS, analytics, and brand strategy, Bradley and Justin are redefining how marketers plan, forecast, and invest. Instead of treating marketing as a cost center, they help brands model “what if” scenarios, forecasting how every incremental dollar drives revenue across channels.

Whether you’re scaling a fast-growing brand or managing a multimillion-dollar marketing budget, Bradley and Justin offer a masterclass in using data to make confident, forward-looking decisions that compound over time.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:38] Intro
• [01:12] Measuring how marketing spend drives growth
• [02:29] Building models that adapt to brand maturity
• [04:35] Balancing brand building with performance spend
• [07:24] Shifting focus from capturing to creating demand
• [08:41] Driving demand to boost bottom-funnel returns
• [09:34] Breaking growth limits with data-driven planning
• [12:49] Connecting viral moments to sustain momentum
• [14:50] Building brands that go beyond ad optimization
• [15:30] Stay updated with new episodes
• [15:43] Simplifying setup for data-heavy marketing tools
• [18:44] Designing analytics tools for marketing teams
• [20:23] Updating models fast to learn and adapt quicker
• [22:42] Using data to balance old and new media spend

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Marketing mix modeling powered by AI keends.com/
• Follow Bradley Keefer linkedin.com/in/bradley-keefer
• Follow Justin Jefferson linkedin.com/in/justin-a-jefferson

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!

From the early days of the internet to scaling a global Ecommerce operation, Eugene has built a career at the intersection of creativity, data, and operational excellence. Before joining BikesOnline, he led digital transformation as Chief Digital Officer at J. Walter Thompson (WPP) and served as Greater China Regional Head at Lion (Kirin).

At BikesOnline, Eugene and his team are redefining what it means to sell complex, logistics-heavy products online. From solving “dirty freight” challenges to perfecting the post-purchase experience, he’s proving that operational rigor and creative problem-solving can turn friction into a competitive moat.

Beyond Ecommerce, Eugene is also an avid cyclist, gardener, and tea enthusiast — running Tea Urchin, his aged tea business that reflects his love for craftsmanship and detail.

Whether you’re scaling a DTC brand, optimizing supply chains, or navigating global expansion with a lean team, Eugene offers an inside look at how to balance creativity, data, and discipline to build a sustainable business that lasts.

This episode also mentions insights from Izzy Rosenzweig of Portless on rethinking global fulfillment, and Kyle Hency of GoodDay Software on building better systems for modern Shopify brands.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:38] Intro
• [01:36] Naming a brand that stands the test of time
• [02:09] Predicting automation in ad buying early on
• [05:01] Learning innovation from China’s all-in-one model
• [06:01] Balancing innovation with Western logistics limits
• [08:55] Recognizing the shift toward direct brand work
• [10:12] Shifting from service work to physical operations
• [11:50] Managing cash flow under market uncertainty
• [12:31] Stay updated with new episodes
• [12:41] Helping founders scale beyond day-to-day ops
• [13:27] Finding opportunity in a pandemic-era pivot
• [14:01] Designing packaging that simplifies assembly
• [15:30] Diversifying suppliers to reduce risk exposure
• [17:48] Protecting margins from tariff and fraud risks
• [19:01] Choosing Shopify for flexibility and speed
• [22:36] Hiring agencies to guide complex migrations
• [25:05] Training teams before adding new integrations
• [27:18] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye & Heatmap
• [29:59] Partnering with experts where specialization wins
• [31:58] Gaining perspective from cross-industry learnings
• [34:27] Avoiding costly trial-and-error learning
• [36:34] Prioritizing projects with impact and simplicity
• [41:20] Managing cost challenges in global logistics
• [44:50] Preparing for tariffs with flexible strategies

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Premium bikes at unbeatable prices, direct from manufacturers bikesonline.com/
• Follow Eugene Chew linkedin.com/in/eugenechew
• Mentioned episode with Izzy Rosenzweig of Portless: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpbeHvv3_1Q
• Mentioned episode with Kyle Hency of GoodDay Software: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQNsUfgl9E4
• 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!

With Murphy Door, Jeremy is redefining what it means to blend utility, aesthetics, and engineering. What started as a bold idea, turning bookcases into fully functional hidden doors has scaled into a multi-million-dollar business recognized nationwide. By combining product innovation with viral social media, Murphy Door has grown from scrappy startup to household name.

Jeremy’s story blends grit with vision. From serving as a firefighter and paramedic, to living out of his car while learning how to face failure head-on, to now running one of America’s most innovative companies, he’s proof that persistence and transparency can turn customers into lifelong advocates.

Whether you’re scaling a DTC brand, looking to harness social media for growth, or exploring how AI and software can reshape customer experience, Jeremy offers an unfiltered look at what it takes to build with purpose and why owning mistakes early is the fastest path to building trust.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:16] Turning bold ideas into real products
• [02:04] Growing sales with early Facebook ads
• [07:05] Securing patents to gain attention
• [09:32] Stay updated with new episodes
• [09:42] Turning mistakes into loyal fans
• [14:56] Managing expectations with transparency
• [17:08] Simplifying processes to prevent confusion
• [19:00] Owning mistakes to improve clients’ trust
• [20:11] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye & Heatmap
• [22:52] Leveraging partnerships to fuel growth
• [24:01] Empowering customers to tell stories
• [26:42] Rewarding referrals with revenue share
• [31:12] Learning to test before scaling spend
• [34:53] Preventing conflicts with partner clarity

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Custom-built, multi-purpose hideaway doors murphydoor.com/
• Follow Jeremy Barker linkedin.com/in/jeremy-barker-02007648
• 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!

With Raleon, Nathan is reimagining retention for Ecommerce. Instead of bloated teams or endless manual work, Raleon acts like a teammate, helping DTC brands and agencies handle retention 50% faster while driving more revenue. From campaign planning to segmentation, it automates the tactical grind so marketers can focus on strategy and growth.

Nathan’s story blends technical expertise with market-shaping vision. From scaling nCino into a public company, to investing as an active angel, to now tackling one of Ecommerce’s biggest pain points, retention, he’s seen how AI can accelerate results but still requires human pilots to go beyond “average” output.

Whether you’re building a lean DTC team, rethinking retention marketing, or trying to cut through the hype of AI, Nathan offers a grounded look at how to combine automation, brand taste, and strategy to drive the next era of Ecommerce growth.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:22] Intro
• [00:46] Building expertise in workflow automation
• [01:46] Experimenting with LLMs in workflows
• [03:18] Comparing AI models for DTC marketing
• [04:01] Starting email AI with copywriting
• [05:08] Fine-tuning prompts for better outputs
• [06:40] Elevating outputs with better context setting
• [08:08] Analyzing past campaigns to guide outputs
• [09:50] Stay updated with new episodes
• [10:02] Automating segmentation and copy at once
• [11:57] Recognizing AI delivers average by default
• [13:38] Editing outputs instead of chasing perfect prompts
• [15:20] Connecting Klaviyo and Shopify for campaigns
• [17:41] Automating learning cycles across campaigns
• [19:14] Guiding systems instead of replacing teams

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Automate DTC retention marketing with AI raleon.io/
• Follow Nathan Snell linkedin.com/in/nathansnell

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 personal pain point, wanting activewear that reflected her own lifestyle has scaled into a playbook for how to turn authenticity into category-defining brands. With TYB, Ty is now helping consumer companies reimagine loyalty, moving beyond points and email blasts into gamified, multi-brand ecosystems where fans prove their status, earn rewards, and build daily habits with the brands they love.

Ty’s story blends personal insight with category innovation. From turning Outdoor Voices into a movement brand, to navigating the challenges of inventory-heavy DTC, to now building a software platform that redefines how brands grow, she’s seen the ups, downs, and pivots that come with scaling in Ecommerce.

Whether you’re building a DTC brand, rethinking customer loyalty, or searching for new ways to deepen community engagement, Ty offers an unfiltered look at what it takes to transform personal pain points into platforms that fuel the next era of growth.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:24] Intro
• [01:08] Starting a brand from personal pain points
• [02:34] Expanding offerings while simplifying choice
• [04:40] Focusing on product before scaling
• [06:17] Building go-to-market around community
• [07:36] Stay updated with new episodes
• [07:48] Building momentum with early funding
• [08:27] Pioneering UGC early on Instagram
• [10:06] Challenging the direct-to-consumer thesis
• [12:16] Building TYB from hard-earned lessons
• [13:21] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Grow
• [16:30] Starting new ventures after stepping away
• [17:33] Building TYB as a rewards platform
• [18:56] Expanding into Target and Erewhon retail
• [20:51] Scaling community commerce into growth
• [23:21] Expanding loyalty into daily engagement
• [27:47] Inviting brands to build fan channels

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Technical apparel for recreation outdoorvoices.com/
• Plant-based steady energy supplements getjoggy.com/
• Community rewards platform, where community engagement pays off tyb.xyz/
• Follow Ty Haney linkedin.com/in/ty-haney-a4b1561a
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest
• The Premier Conference for Ecommerce Operators 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!

What started with Brad taping boxes in his kitchen after getting tired of eating hot pockets every day has grown into a $29M ARR brand in just 18 months. Along the way, Gardencup scaled to nearly 2 million salads shipped a year, fueled by organic Instagram buzz and influencers before a single dollar was spent on ads.

Brad’s story blends scrappy bootstrapping with rapid execution. From migrating to Shopify and building a custom tech stack, to juggling ecommerce, operations, and logistics under one roof, to solving retention challenges like menu fatigue, he’s learned what it really takes to scale a food subscription at breakneck speed.

Whether you’re building a DTC subscription, navigating operational “puberty problems,” or looking for ways to blend convenience with customer loyalty, Brad offers an unfiltered look at the grind, the pivots, and the lessons behind turning fresh salads into one of Shopify’s fastest-growing brands.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:20] Intro
• [01:04] Creating a product from personal need
• [02:55] Solving churn through menu rotation
• [05:44] Migrating to Shopify for growth
• [09:44] Gaining traction from influencer posts
• [11:06] Driving adoption through daily habits
• [11:28] Stay updated with new episodes
• [11:39] Testing content angles and audiences
• [12:50] Finding right partners at each stage
• [14:49] Scaling ads without huge capital
• [15:12] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Grow
• [18:27] Collecting revenue before vendor bills
• [20:00] Leveraging Facebook’s feedback loop
• [21:15] Gaining strength from co-founders

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Delicious chef-crafted meals at your door gardencup.com/
• Follow Bradley Savage linkedin.com/in/savagebradley
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest
• The Premier Conference for Ecommerce Operators 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!

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!

What started as a project in an MIT prototyping competition turned into a 12-year journey building a hardware company from scratch. Along the way, Sam and his co-founders grew Embr Labs to 200,000+ units sold, $50M+ in lifetime revenue, and $66M in venture funding. A $100K Kickstarter goal became $630K in sales, powered by a loyal community they engaged long before launch.

Sam’s path blends technical innovation with customer-driven growth. From proving the science behind their product, to surviving on $2K a month while raising capital, to pivoting into a hardware subscription model, he’s learned what it really takes to scale an ecommerce hardware brand.

Whether you’re building a DTC product, validating a new idea, or evolving your business model to better serve customers, Sam offers an unfiltered look at the grind, the pivots, and the lessons behind turning a student prototype into a category-defining company.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:42] Intro
• [01:03] Sharing early lessons in subscription
• [01:34] Connecting through founder communities
• [02:26] Brainstorming solutions to real pain points
• [03:21] Receiving thousands of customer emails
• [03:58] Deciding to sell when demand was clear
• [04:52] Realizing experience changes decisions
• [05:14] Understanding the customer segments
• [06:34] Raising angel and pre-seed funding
• [07:41] Building community through early feedback
• [08:53] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Grow
• [12:05] Preparing manufacturing before crowdfunding
• [14:10] Adapting playbooks as channels change
• [15:36] Spotting misalignment in value capture
• [18:00] Screening customers to limit fraud
• [19:08] Partnering with experts on subscriptions
• [19:51] Highlighting temperature as a daily pain point
• [21:32] Showing value instantly on first try

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Personal temperature control embrlabs.com/
• Follow Sam Shames linkedin.com/in/samshames
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest
• The Premier Conference for Ecommerce Operators 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!

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!

John’s journey blends practicality with creativity. From solving everyday pain points with shelving to creating a patented surfboard that makes riding waves accessible to anyone, he’s built businesses that reflect both lifestyle and innovation. Along the way, he’s navigated the challenges of pitching on national TV, scaling niche products in the DTC market, and balancing multiple ventures without losing his entrepreneurial spark.

Whether you’re running a growing ecommerce brand or looking to turn family values into scalable business, John offers an honest look at what it takes to transform passion into products people love and companies that last.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:37] Intro
• [01:21] Launching new products to fuel business growth
• [03:14] Adopting Google Adwords to drive early sales
• [04:00] Turning family traditions into a business idea
• [05:39] Making surfing accessible to everyone
• [07:07] Sharing prototypes at the beach for feedback
• [08:00] Pitching novelty ideas that capture attention
• [09:28] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Grow
• [12:40] Answering what really happens after the deal
• [14:29] Leveraging the Shark Tank bump for growth
• [17:56] Using events to build brand visibility
• [19:06] Finding the right partner for long-term success
• [19:40] Patenting inflatable boards for portability
• [20:45] Building community beyond physical products
• [23:01] Encouraging entrepreneurs to think globally

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Versatile designs + unique storage solutions for any space modernshelving.com/
• Shark Tark approved Tandem bodyboards and pool saddles tandmsurf.com/
• Follow John Clark linkedin.com/in/johngclark
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest
• The Premier Conference for Ecommerce Operators 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!

Lauren brings nearly two decades of sales, business development, investor relations, and design expertise from leading roles at Virgin Galactic, Uber, and Douglas Elliman, along with a BS in Culture & Communications from NYU and a Sustainability Certification from Cambridge University’s Judge School of Business.

Before launching Juliet, Allison built a career leading brand strategy, design, and storytelling for premium products, earning a reputation for transforming overlooked categories into high-value lifestyle experiences. Lauren honed her skills in building relationships, scaling sales, and translating brand vision into tangible growth. Together, they’ve created a brand that blends “affordable luxury” with modern consumer expectations and a design-first approach that stands apart from traditional boxed wine.

In this episode, Allison and Lauren share how they spotted an opportunity to reimagine boxed wine, why they launched DTC first to prove product-market fit, and how they tested seven price points to find the sweet spot before expanding to retail. They also reveal how early customer data shaped their go-to-market strategy and helped secure high-quality retail partners who understood Juliet’s unique value.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:07] Highlighting sustainability as a core advantage
• [01:58] Reimagining a category for modern consumers
• [03:46] Meeting evolving consumer demands head-on
• [05:21] Sourcing partners to match product vision
• [06:55] Reframing consumer perceptions of boxed wine
• [09:03] Prototyping early to speed market entry
• [09:20] Testing multiple price points before scaling
• [11:47] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Zamp
• [15:44] Adjusting pricing after early market feedback
• [17:33] Making decisions to drive progress forward
• [19:21] Proving product-market fit to win distributors
• [20:48] Proving demand before pitching big retailers
• [21:10] Meeting online customers where they are 
• [22:38] Boosting AOV with strategic bundles

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Eco-friendly and delicious luxury boxed wine drinkjuliet.com/
• Follow Allison Luvera linkedin.com/in/allisonluvera
• Follow Lauren De Niro Pipher linkedin.com/in/iamldp
• 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!

Before taking the helm at Shoptalk’s content strategy, Marielle built a career telling stories that resonate: across print, digital, video, and live events, earning a reputation for translating trends into actionable insights. That lens now drives how she programs Shoptalk, ensuring attendees walk away with strategies they can implement immediately.

Marielle shares what’s different about Shoptalk Fall this year compared to year one, the genesis of the brand-new Leadership track, and why now is the moment for retail leaders to think differently about org design, planning, and agility. She also reveals which sessions ecommerce store owners and DTC brands can’t afford to miss, plus how her editorial background influences the way she curates content for maximum impact.

Whether she’s explaining how to navigate a packed agenda or uncovering the most relevant themes for today’s volatile retail landscape, Marielle offers a candid look at how great content can transform an industry event into a growth engine.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:01] Exploring global event series for innovators
• [02:05] Kicking off with immersive retail experiences
• [04:13] Planning your conference strategy in advance
• [06:20] Recapping key learnings before the show ends
• [09:50] Learning from leading retail and DTC brands
• [11:51] Finding solutions through casual conversations
• [12:58] Highlighting brick-and-mortar’s role in Ecommerce

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Organizing retail’s industry’s very best events shoptalk.com/
• Providing senior execs workshops, strategy sessions, Chicago retail tours, insights from 130+ leaders, and targeted connections fall.shoptalk.com/
• Follow Marielle Bobo linkedin.com/in/marielle-bobo

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!

Before launching NULASTIN, Leah built a successful career in broadcast journalism and sports media, covering professional bull riding for CBS and competing internationally in mountain biking. That same tenacity shows up in how she scaled NULASTIN to $17.5M in revenue before hiring her first employee, bootstrapping the brand through direct response marketing, Indiegogo campaigns, and scrappy user-generated content.

Leah shares why she shifted from a crowded skincare category to focus on brows and lashes, how “less polished” creative outperformed high-production assets, and why authenticity still drives her best-performing ads. She also breaks down her product development process, the metrics she tracks most closely, and how she’s approaching influencer and affiliate marketing now that the brand has scaled.

Whether she’s explaining why awkward websites sometimes convert better or why prestige branding can alienate loyal buyers, Leah offers a no-BS look at building a beauty brand that lasts without relying on glossy tactics or VC backing.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:43] Intro
• [01:20] Launching niche beauty products with clear focus
• [02:00] Identifying a personal need in the market
• [03:20] Investing early in a science-backed idea
• [04:30] Taking control after early business loss
• [05:36] Accepting risk when investing your own money
• [06:53] Bootstrapping with decks, debt, and side hustles
• [09:22] Trusting instinct over validation frameworks
• [10:38] Learning from regulatory arrogance
• [12:55] Leveraging infomercial skills for DTC
• [14:46] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap & Zamp
• [18:43] Focusing early on user generated content
• [20:42] Understanding the tradeoffs of premium branding
• [22:30] Selling before customers hit the website
• [23:20] Learning from infomercial-driven growth
• [27:29] Blending legacy service with modern tech

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Elastin-based hair and skincare nulastin.com/
• Follow Leah Garcia linkedin.com/in/leah-garcia-592988
• 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!

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!

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!

After exploring multiple career paths and feeling unfulfilled, Stephanie came across a book on mushrooms that sparked a complete shift in direction. What started as a personal fascination with neuroplasticity and brain health quickly evolved into a product mission grounded in education, quality, and access. At Troop, Stephanie leads everything from product development to brand storytelling, helping bridge the gap between skepticism and belief in a growing wellness category.

Though she entered CPG without a traditional background, Stephanie brings a founder’s resilience and clarity to each challenge, navigating go-to-market tradeoffs, scaling digital alongside strategic wholesale, and building emotional alignment with customers and cofounders alike.

Whether discussing how Troop approached product sampling and what didn’t work, why the mushroom industry is just getting started, or how therapy strengthened her cofounder partnership, Stephanie offers a candid and insightful perspective on building a brand with both purpose and endurance.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:39] Intro
• [00:54] Turning personal curiosity into a company
• [03:43] Brainstorming product formats in the kitchen
• [04:19] Navigating the nightmare of early production
• [06:23] Finding backup production in a crisis
• [08:02] Pivoting from tasting to paid acquisition
• [09:31] Expanding across DTC, Amazon, and retail
• [11:19] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Reach & Zamp
• [14:38] Focusing efforts instead of chasing channels
• [16:28] Looping back to what worked all along
• [18:27] Writing down ideas to filter later
• [21:08] Bringing on experts to avoid missteps
• [22:32] Growing stronger through personal challenges

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Premium daily mushroom supplements trytroop.com/
• Follow Stephanie Moyal linkedin.com/in/stephanie-moyal-95a4bb60
• 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!

Today, Sabir leads growth across a wide range of eCommerce verticals, helping founders break through revenue plateaus with precision systems and operational clarity. His work is grounded in execution: simplifying tech stacks, identifying bottlenecks, and unlocking 2X results without chasing shiny tactics. In 2024 alone, his Rapid 2X program delivered a 108% average lift across 29 brands in just 21 days.

Whether he’s unpacking the real reasons most brands stall, breaking down why resumes don’t equal results, or showing how to grow without over-relying on Meta ads, Sabir brings a direct, operator-first mindset to the conversation.

He shares what it takes to scale in today’s crowded DTC space without gambling on paid, blindly outsourcing growth, or losing sight of what truly moves the needle.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:39] Intro
• [01:23] Learning marketing like a software upgrade
• [08:53] Improving CTR with daily copy experiments
• [14:55] Centralizing KPIs to drive clear decisions
• [19:11] Knowing your numbers without excuses
• [21:47] Segmenting real buyers from email signups
• [23:35] Testing ideas before scaling campaigns
• [28:32] Repositioning your product to fix weak growth
• [31:03] Aligning your whole team on brand growth
• [40:30] Avoiding the agency swap loop for growth

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Turning Promising Ecom Brands Into Profitable Winners https://growthbysabir.com/
• Follow Sabir Semerkant https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabirsemerkant

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 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!

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 either venture, Jeremy worked across every layer of the Shopify ecosystem from scaling high-growth DTC brands like Lumi, to leading growth at top-performing Shopify apps like Gorgias. His on-the-ground experience gave him a front-row seat to what really drives retention, profit, and valuation. Now, through Because Ventures, Jeremy applies that knowledge to acquire and operate ecommerce businesses with sustainable margins and focused stacks.

Whether debunking the myth that “every brand needs subscriptions,” tracking the 84% adoption rate of email/SMS across $1M+ stores, or predicting which app categories will consolidate over the next five years, Jeremy brings a deep analytical lens to ecommerce strategy. He shares insights from crawling 103,000 Shopify stores, explains why most loyalty programs fail, and urges founders to simplify their tech stack before adding complexity. His story is a masterclass in using real data, not hype to guide business decisions.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:40] Intro
• [00:55] Scaling DTC brands to eight figures
• [02:03] Expanding beyond Shopify Plus assumptions
• [04:18] Filtering out inactive and duplicate stores
• [05:05] Highlighting the top 10 most used apps
• [09:08] Focusing on what actually drives growth
• [10:56] Comparing native vs third-party app adoption
• [12:23] Spotting analytics as a breakout category
• [14:11] Explaining why real CRO starts at $5M+
• [16:49] Spotting support as an underused category
• [18:29] Unpacking the subscription model myth
• [22:47] Auditing app stacks to save thousands

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Ecommerce Social Impact Fund because.ventures/index.html
• Insider analysis of the largest Ecommerce brands’ financials letsbuyabiz.xyz/
• Follow Jeremy Horowitz linkedin.com/in/jeremyhorowitz1

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!

Before launching Elevate Sports, Tyler was a Division I college athlete and worked at a lacrosse equipment company. With no prior experience in product development or ecommerce, he started by building a lacrosse training aid from scratch. That early prototype sparked a journey into consumer products, culminating in the launch of BucketGolf, a category-defining game that hit $1 million in revenue before Tyler hired his first full-time employee.

Whether turning a homemade backyard game into a seven-figure business or figuring out paid media strategy through trial and error, Tyler brings a scrappy, product-first lens to brand building. He shares insights on launching without a playbook, designing products that go viral on video, and bootstrapping high-growth businesses without outside capital. His story is proof that you don’t need a perfect plan, you just need to start.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:37] Intro
• [00:53] Launching products that bring people together
• [01:46] Validating demand with zero research
• [03:53] Making mistakes instead of waiting
• [05:47] Building momentum before it’s perfect
• [06:44] Choosing action over endless planning
• [08:09] Learning to sell before scaling up
• [12:05] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp
• [18:27] Learning paid media through trial and error
• [20:21] Boosting what already works organically
• [21:30] Standing out in a saturated market
• [25:27] Pushing through constant setbacks

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Elevate Sports for Lacrosse Training Gear elevatesportsequipment.com/
• The Ultimate Backyard Golf Game bucketgolfgame.com/
• Follow Tyler Simmons linkedin.com/in/tyler-simmons-771b5718a
• 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 co-founding facts & feelings, Tim led analytics practices at multiple agencies, advised Fortune 500 companies on digital data strategy, and built out BI infrastructure at a $500M B2B tech firm. He’s also the co-author of Analytics the Right Way: A Business Leader’s Guide to Putting Data to Productive Use and co-host of the long-running Analytics Power Hour podcast.

Whether clarifying what “success” really looks like before a new feature launch or helping teams choose the right level of analytical rigor for a given decision, Tim focuses on making data work for the business, not the other way around. He offers a practical framework for leaders overwhelmed by dashboards, and a philosophy for analysts who want to be more than just report generators.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:39] Intro
• [01:15] Shifting from in-house roles to agency work
• [02:16] Highlighting the cost of overbuilding tech stacks
• [04:36] Pushing back on data-only decision making
• [07:13] Avoiding narrow ad metrics that mislead growth
• [10:08] Using AI to scale low-effort interactions smartly
• [12:38] Translating ideas into testable hypotheses
• [19:02] Differentiating high-credibility opinions in UX
• [20:00] Using split tests to validate costly changes
• [21:14] Skipping tests for clear conversion blockers
• [23:32] Filtering user recordings for CRO opportunities
• [26:13] Using logic when data can’t prove causality
• [29:39] Measuring what actually matters in performance

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Intelligent business consultancy obsessed with less and better factsandfeelings.io/
• Data and analytics podcast analyticshour.io/
• Follow Tim Wilson linkedin.com/in/tgwilson

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!

Since launching Tentree in 2012, Derrick has grown the brand into a category leader in sustainable apparel, helping plant nearly 100 million trees worldwide. Without relying heavily on paid media, his scaled impact through values-aligned partnerships, product storytelling, and community-powered growth. In 2021, he co-founded Veritree, a technology platform built to verify, monitor, and audit global reforestation with end-to-end transparency.

Grounded in climate impact and systems thinking, Derrick focuses on building businesses that convert everyday consumption into measurable environmental good. Whether guiding Tentree’s brand vision or driving tech innovation with Veritree, he offers a blueprint for founders' scaling mission with integrity, traceability, and long-term environmental ROI.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:48] Intro
• [00:58] Naming the brand after the mission itself
• [01:55] Pivoting purpose into a consumer brand
• [03:54] Partnering with retailers to gain early traction
• [05:49] Running mission ops while scaling the brand
• [06:22] Building tech to verify real-world impact
• [08:22] Responding to unexpected product demand
• [10:10] Connecting funders to verified outcomes
• [11:35] Embedding impact to boost DTC performance
• [12:53] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp
• [20:15] Building a global supply chain from scratch
• [23:21] Balancing co-founder strengths from day one
• [24:10] Creating decision fatigue with too much choice
• [27:33] Leveraging impact as a growth advantage

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Earth-First, sustainably made apparel that plant trees tentree.com/
• Verified reforestation projects for your business veritree.com/tree-planting
• Follow Derrick Emsley linkedin.com/in/derrickemsley
• 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 Skin Authority, Celeste has scaled the brand without paid media or a PR agency, leveraging strategic collaborations, emotional brand storytelling, and a rabid customer base to drive growth across North America and Europe. Her work has been featured on MSNBC, ABC, FOX, and in wellness circles as a fresh voice redefining beauty as part of whole-person health.

Rooted in a science-backed, customer-led model, Celeste focuses on building high-retention product experiences powered by habit, transformation, and trust. Whether mentoring female founders or licensing next-gen skincare IP, she brings a playbook for scaling with authenticity, resilience, and long-term brand equity.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:42] Intro
• [00:54] Exploring wellness through skin health
• [01:18] Bringing science into a vanity-driven space
• [02:06] Educating consumers with purpose and clarity
• [03:09] Reframing wellness as a real market need
• [07:06] Estimating costs and timelines realistically
• [10:27] Building momentum through word of mouth
• [11:58] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, & Reach
• [17:02] Bootstrapping growth with strategic partners
• [18:41] Investing in backend infrastructure early
• [20:18] Launching Ecommerce from day one
• [23:19] Collaborating early to build awareness

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Best Skin Care Products for All Skin Types skinauthority.com/
• Follow Celeste Hilling linkedin.com/in/celeste-hilling-8735a64
• 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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Driven by the belief that lasting brands are built on quality and meaningful customer connections, JM has led La Matera through a new chapter of growth, refining its identity, strengthening its supply chain, and balancing digital expansion with a commitment to craftsmanship. Under his leadership, La Matera continues to deliver timeless products that honor tradition while thriving in a modern DTC landscape.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:42] Intro
• [01:09] Building networks through unexpected paths
• [04:37] Finding hidden value in early teams
• [05:18] Building momentum with new platforms
• [06:50] Learning supply chain under real pressure
• [09:35] Choosing brands with personal connection
• [12:15] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Snowball & Portless
• [16:18] Balancing trust and strategy with sellers
• [17:48] Answering every deal email immediately
• [18:40] Backing deals with personal guarantees
• [20:29] Buying businesses to create opportunities
• [21:39] Rebuilding brand soul through founder voice
• [25:20] Tapping networks to solve real problems
• [27:20] Choosing tenacity over easy wins

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Collection of meticulously handcrafted leather belts and accessories lamaterashop.com/
• Follow Jon-Mark Craddock linkedin.com/in/jonmarkcraddock
• 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/

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!

Driven by the belief that brand growth stems from authentic community engagement, Erin has steered Mad Rabbit's shift from a purely consumer-first brand to one that deeply integrates pro artist voices. Under her leadership, the brand has launched ambassador programs, refined its identity, and executed a digital-first yet retail-savvy strategy that connects across multiple touchpoints.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [00:56] Recognizing emerging consumer needs
• [01:26] Scaling brands before the market exists
• [03:15] Growing communities that drive revenue
• [04:13] Bringing in fractional experts early
• [05:44] Pivoting strategy with real consumer data
• [08:56] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Snowball, and Portless
• [12:58] Testing channels before doubling down
• [16:08] Driving foot traffic after landing retail
• [18:16] Thinking beyond direct response marketing
• [18:59] Scaling brands with a holistic mindset
• [20:36] Expanding products to fit customer journeys
• [22:05] Building brands without losing core buyers
• [22:53] Refining brand identity for new markets

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Mad Rabbit is your easy tattoo care solution from soothing new ink to reviving & protecting current ones madrabbit.com/
• Follow Erin Murray linkedin.com/in/airynn00
• 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/

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!

Driven by the belief that subscriptions are more than a billing model, Paul helped transform SubSummit from a small founder meetup into a global ecosystem, connecting thousands of brands each year. The event fuses tactical content with curated networking and is designed to help ecommerce teams grow beyond one-off purchases and into long-lasting customer relationships.

Each year, Paul and his lean team develop a thematic roadmap for the event, guiding DTC operators through the shifting landscape of loyalty, retention, and membership. From Walmart+ to Amazon Prime to True Classic’s hybrid models, Paul studies the movements of top brands and distills them into actionable lessons for growing recurring revenue.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:42] Intro
• [00:54] Navigating business partner dynamics
• [02:31] Connecting DTC brands through events
• [03:08] Starting with a founder-first vision
• [04:30] Learning big lessons from small niches
• [06:05] Rebranding to reflect the vision
• [06:59] Investing upfront in long-term value
• [10:15] Improving how people connect
• [12:42] Balancing virtual and in-person events
• [14:17] Designing curated table conversations
• [15:48] Making events affordable for founders

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Leading subscription commerce conference subsummit.com/
• Follow Paul Chambers linkedin.com/in/paulcchambers

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!

Bootstrapped from scratch, 12th Tribe reflects Demi’s hands-on leadership across every function, from designing product drops to building workflows that streamline team execution. She’s driven by a mission to not only create beautiful apparel, but to curate a lifestyle rooted in confidence, freedom, and community.

Demi is also a systems thinker, embracing AI and automation to scale brand voice, streamline content, and optimize customer journeys. She’s trained ChatGPT to mirror her own copy style, implemented AI-driven SMS segmentation, and continues to experiment with tools that bring brand and tech closer together.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:00] Building a site before Shopify blew up
• [03:34] Testing demand without inventory risk
• [05:06] Leveraging organic social growth
• [07:09] Responding quickly to market shifts
• [08:57] Episode Sponsors: Intelligems & Electric Eye
• [12:01] Refocusing on your core customer
• [14:10] Scaling brand voice using AI

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:

etaileast.wbresearch.com/

etailwest.wbresearch.com/

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Your online vibe director + stylist 12thtribe.com/
• Follow Demi Marchese linkedin.com/in/demimarchese
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.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!

Before launching Laundry Sauce, Robert founded multiple consumer businesses and now leads Give Ventures, a nonprofit teaching entrepreneurship to underserved youth in Central and South America. His work spans brand development, manufacturing operations, investor storytelling, and go-to-market execution—giving him rare end-to-end insight into what it takes to launch premium products in commoditized categories.

In 2021, Robert and his co-founders made a $40,000 investment in a single anchor video—before making a single sale. That video helped legitimize their vision and raise millions in capital, setting the stage for their early DTC success. By skipping Amazon, obsessing over product-market fit, and treating customer feedback as gospel, Robert and his team built a brand people actually love in a category no one cared about.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:39] Intro
• [01:22] Positioning beyond generic options
• [02:18] Differentiating in legacy categories
• [04:05] Asking why they’d buy your product
• [07:04] Iterating through multiple brands
• [08:45] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [11:57] Partnering with top creatives
• [13:18] Launching with paid media first
• [15:33] Hiring experts for each channel
• [17:21] Growing with mostly organic traffic
• [18:10] Getting DTC focus right first
• [20:05] Surveying customers to guide R&D

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:

etaileast.wbresearch.com/

etailwest.wbresearch.com/

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1
• The World’s Best Smelling Detergent https://laundrysauce.com/
• Follow Robert Cardiff https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcardiff
• Book a demo today at https://www.intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service https://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!

Review Link: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1447700156

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. Visit http://honestecommerce.co/ for more information.

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With a passion for developer education and community building, Sia organizes the Eleventy Meetup, Durham Social Hack Night, and a new global web performance meetup, connecting engineers around the world to share real-world tactics and tools. She’s also a frequent international speaker and writer, known for making complex topics like Core Web Vitals and JavaScript performance approachable and actionable.

In 2024, Sia launched ThemeVitals, a tool that benchmarks Shopify themes using real user data—not lab simulations to uncover which themes actually perform well across the devices your customers use. It’s a mission rooted in impact: helping merchants and theme developers make smarter, faster decisions that drive conversion and long-term growth.

Through her work, Sia is redefining how ecommerce teams think about performance, showing that real user data, smart defaults, and community-driven tooling can transform the way we build the web.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:00] Focusing on real-world site speed fixes
• [02:39] Improving performance metrics for merchants
• [04:22] Translating Google metrics for merchants
• [04:56] Understanding how Core Web Vitals work
• [07:34] Balancing traffic vs technical optimization
• [10:36] Shifting focus from speed to sales
• [13:16] Balancing performance with product experience
• [15:26] Highlighting global device performance gaps
• [16:54] Uploading giant images the wrong way
• [21:04] Auditing your tech stack regularly
• [21:53] Comparing Shopify themes with real data
• [24:11] Balancing features vs speed in theme choice
• [26:00] Avoiding minimalist themes that lack function
• [28:08] Encouraging feedback for future improvements

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Explore real-world Core Web Vitals performance data for popular Shopify themes themevitals.com/
• Web Developer & Performance Engineer sia.codes/
• Follow Sia Karamalegos linkedin.com/in/karamalegos

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 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!

With 25+ years in Ecommerce and direct selling, Michael transformed PlushBeds into a market leader, becoming one of the largest importers of organic latex in the U.S. His expertise spans product innovation, supply chain mastery, and direct-to-consumer growth strategies, allowing him to scale without sacrificing quality.

Today, Michael is on a mission to redefine luxury sleep, ensuring that health-conscious consumers don’t have to choose between comfort and sustainability. PlushBeds continues to set new standards in organic sleep solutions, proving that a commitment to quality and purpose-driven business can drive long-term success.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:38] Intro
• [01:16] Introducing your brand to new audiences
• [01:49] Pivoting from finance to Ecommerce
• [06:47] Naming the brand with a simple idea
• [07:33] Studying competitors to find market gaps
• [11:44] Asking the right growth questions
• [12:32] Driving traffic with paid search & SEO
• [13:11] Testing orders before realizing it was real
• [14:36] Rebuilding after a devastating setback
• [15:30] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [18:42] Analyzing competitors to stay ahead
• [19:39] Adopting AI but not mastering it yet
• [20:14] Adapting to an AI-native generation
• [21:03] Building a custom mattress-making machine
• [28:20] Listening to feedback to improve products

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
• Organic latex mattresses offer superior comfort & support plushbeds.com/
• Follow Michael Hughes linkedin.com/in/michael-hughes-plushbeds
• 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!

Before joining Shopper Approved, DJ built his career across marketing, advertising, sales, and PR, leading companies to exponential growth—including scaling revenue from $7M to $54M in just four years. With over 35 years of experience and nearly 70 professional certifications, he applies behavioral science principles and ethical influence strategies to help Ecommerce brands win more customers through trust.

Today, DJ is on a mission to redefine reputation management for online sellers. Under his leadership, Shopper Approved has become a Google review partner and the world’s first Diamond Cialdini Certified Marketing Agency, setting new standards in verified reviews, social proof, and search engine dominance. As the digital landscape evolves, DJ is proving that trust isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of ecommerce success.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:42] Intro
• [01:08] Displaying social proof to boost conversions
• [02:47] Dominating search results with positive reviews
• [03:45] Getting more credibility in Google Shopping
• [05:48] Why trust is the key to first-time buyers
• [09:25] The limits of review distribution
• [10:50] Balancing review collection across platforms
• [12:50] Common mistakes killing your online reputation
• [19:39] Real data on how reviews boost conversions

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• More reviews, traffic, and conversions shopperapproved.com/
• YOUR REPUTATION. NEXT LEVEL reputationking.com/
• Follow DJ Sprague linkedin.com/in/duanesprague

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Before launching the Ministry of Supply, Aman built his career in management consulting at Deloitte and TechnoServe, developing a sharp eye for problem-solving and operational efficiency. Armed with a BSIE from Georgia Tech and an MBA from MIT, he turned his passion for performance-driven fashion into a thriving brand that has earned recognition from Fast Company, NASA, and Guinness World Records.

Today, Aman is on a mission to engineer the future of apparel. Under his leadership, Ministry of Supply has perfected the balance between comfort and performance, pushing the boundaries of wearable technology, supply chain innovation, and customer-first branding. As the retail landscape shifts, he’s proving that science-driven design isn’t just a trend—it’s the future of fashion.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:39] Intro
• [01:18] Turning DIY fixes into a scalable business
• [02:58] Launching a Kickstarter to validate demand
• [03:36] Refining the product through 14 iterations
• [04:19] Struggling with a supply chain built for 30K
• [04:56] Handling the chaos of rapid demand
• [05:53] Prioritizing backers over new sales
• [06:51] Embracing feedback to improve the product
• [08:01] Building a website before Shopify took over
• [08:59] Regretting early diversification too soon
• [10:12] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [13:25] Defining what makes fashion timeless
• [15:22] Lessons from switching platforms
• [16:13] Optimizing analog strategies for digital growth
• [18:00] Why great products outlast trends
• [19:42] How supply chain strategy drives growth
• [21:12] Balancing art and science in retail
• [21:47] Why personalization is the next big shift

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
• Performance Clothes for Work ministryofsupply.com/
• Follow Aman Advani linkedin.com/in/amanadvani
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

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Before launching MKC, Brandon spent decades in e-commerce and product marketing, overseeing the launch of 1,500+ products across the outdoor and fitness industries. His expertise in community-driven marketing, scarcity-based sales models, and direct-to-consumer growth strategies has helped MKC scale rapidly—without relying on traditional advertising.

Today, Brandon is on a mission to redefine American-made manufacturing in the digital age. Under his leadership, MKC has built a passionate audience of hundreds of thousands, mastering sellout product drops, a unique VIP program, and customer-first engagement strategies. By focusing on transparency, quality, and people-first branding, he’s proving that DTC success isn’t just about sales—it’s about creating a movement.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:41] Intro
• [00:56] Exploring the evolution of product lines
• [01:56] Building a brand during the COVID lockdowns
• [05:05] Scaling from custom batches to forecasting demand
• [08:48] Mentoring young talent to grow the business
• [09:38] Using Instagram content to build brand recognition
• [12:30] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [15:42] Managing a high return customer rate challenge
• [16:41] Turning loyal customers into brand ambassadors
• [19:32] The power of surprise in building brand loyalty
• [20:38] Scaling product drops with lean manufacturing
• [22:36] Forecasting product drops 8 months ahead
• [23:13] Avoiding pre-orders to build trust with customers
• [24:35] Leveraging American-made for authentic marketing

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Working Knives For Working People montanaknifecompany.com/
• Follow Brandon Horoho linkedin.com/in/brandonhoroho/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

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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!

Before launching Aug11 Co, Johnny ran service-based businesses but always dreamed of creating a product-driven brand. After a transformative personal journey, he found inspiration in honoring a pivotal moment in his life, leading to the creation of Aug11 Co. His commitment to quality, authenticity, and relationship-driven growth has shaped a brand that resonates with customers beyond just the product.

Today, Aug11 Co is known for its "quality hats that fit perfectly—guaranteed" promise, ensuring every customer gets the perfect fit or their money back. By leveraging a mix of paid media, organic social, and direct outreach, Johnny has grown Aug11 Co into a brand built on community, trust, and craftsmanship.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• 00:39] Intro
• [01:16] Pivoting from services to product-based business
• [06:35] Scaling sales faster than expected
• [07:58 Learning every part of the business first
• [10:31] Hiring the right team starts with you
• [11:52] Soft launching with a password-protected store
• [12:41] Scaling ad spend from $50 to $500/day
• [14:00] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [17:12] Leveraging social media for customer acquisition
• [18:09] Testing Snapchat ads for new customers
• [19:32] Scaling customer reach with strategic gifting
• [20:33] Treating influencer outreach as an investment
• [22:23] Focusing on recognition over short-term profit
• [23:15] How a simple email boosted retention
• [25:38] Turning rock bottom into a brand mission

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Quality Hats That Fit Perfect, Guaranteed aug11.co/
• Follow Johnny Person linkedin.com/in/johnnyperson
• 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!

• [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!

Before joining Storetasker, Tim founded and sold 1-800-D2C, a go-to platform that helped Ecommerce operators discover the best software solutions. His expertise in building marketplaces and curating specialized talent has made him a sought-after voice in the future of hiring and the evolution of freelance networks in Ecommerce.

Passionate about the intersection of talent and technology, Tim continues to shape the way brands access expert freelancers, ensuring that Storetasker remains the trusted hub for Shopify’s growing ecosystem.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:46] Intro
• [01:04] Connecting brands with top talent
• [02:33] Targeting specific pain points
• [04:36] Expanding services strategically
• [08:20] Finding the right DTC marketer
• [09:31] Matching talent by industry
• [10:19] Avoiding marketplace dilution
• [12:52] Building brand equity first
• [13:50] Balancing full-time and freelance
• [17:40] Running lean without full-time hires

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Connect With The Best Shopify Experts storetasker.com/
• Follow Tim Masek linkedin.com/in/timmasek
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After facing her own battle with skin cancer, Brandi launched Melan with a mission to change the way people think about sunscreen. Under her leadership, Melan has combined high-performance formulas with transparency and purpose, ensuring that every product not only protects but also supports melanoma awareness and research. A passionate advocate for self-care, wellness, and community, Brandi continues to push the boundaries of the sun care industry, making sunscreen a daily essential for all.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:45] Intro
• [01:07] Advocating for better product standards
• [05:17] Investing in product education before launching
• [06:54] Researching before committing to a business
• [07:36] Defining brand identity before launch
• [09:00] Launching new products based on demand
• [10:28] Using trade shows for brand awareness
• [11:29] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [14:41] Learning the complexities of retail barcodes
• [16:57] Testing the new brand with customers
• [19:11] Building community through live events

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Melan | Protect Your Rind melansuncare.com/
• Follow Brandi Corbello linkedin.com/in/brandicorbello
• Book a demo today at https://www.intelligems.io/
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service https://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!

After acquiring Dragonwing in 2022, Allison relaunched the brand in Denver, transforming it into a leading name in girls' activewear. Under her leadership, Dragonwing has redefined comfort and style, ensuring that every girl feels empowered—whether she's at the dance studio, on the field, or hanging out with friends. A seasoned expert in apparel manufacturing, sourcing, and merchandising, Allison continues to innovate, bringing functional and stylish activewear to the next generation.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:37] Intro
• [01:16] Updating legacy products for growth
• [02:15] Finding the perfect business fit
• [03:25] Designing activewear for all sizes
• [04:21] Growing through brand ambassadors
• [05:56] Diversifying product mix for growth
• [07:51] Expanding into retail partnerships
• [08:40] Leveraging social for brand awareness
• [09:48] Expanding brand reach through events
• [10:30] Networking for business growth
• [10:53] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [14:05] Learning from costly branding mistakes
• [15:55] Tailoring product mix for retailers
• [16:38] Finding the right people to support growth
• [17:42] Launching products beyond seasonal drops
• [19:37] Building a mission-driven brand

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Activewear and dancewear that's anything but ordinary dragonwing.com/
• Follow Allison Herman linkedin.com/company/dragonwing
• 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!

Nick founded Spec Digital, a leading PPC & SEO consultancy, in 2011 and has since worked with over 1,500 brands across various industries. His expertise has even influenced changes in how major search engines operate. Before Spec, he launched and successfully sold TrueLine Marketing to the Collider Group in 2013.

With a deep understanding of Google & Bing advertising, website optimization, and revenue growth, Nick’s insights help businesses maximize their lead generation and ecommerce success. On Winning With Shopify, he shares actionable strategies, interviews top industry experts, and dives into the latest trends shaping digital commerce.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:09] Intro
• [01:29] Scaling from local to global brands
• [04:27] Turning an unexpected role into success
• [05:10] Building a business beyond a podcast
• [06:12] Making decisions with outdated data
• [08:40] Navigating post-COVID economic realities
• [12:13] Optimizing margins through smart supply chains
• [16:29] Maximizing ROI without increasing ad spend
• [19:11] Creating collections that actually convert
• [22:49] Investing in tools but never using them
• [25:40] Knowing your strengths in business growth
• [26:57] Testing before launching new features
• [29:40] Analyzing conversion rates vs. order value
• [32:02] Standing out beyond basic discounts
• [34:03] Forecasting demand with creative strategies

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Digital Marketing Agency in Surrey spec.digital/
• It's Time To Win, With Our Shopify Podcast wwspodcast.com/
• Follow Nick Trueman uk.linkedin.com/in/ntrueman

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 her leadership, Desert Harvest has transformed pelvic healthcare, funding medical research, launching science-backed products, and advocating for those suffering in silence. As a pelvic health specialist and "Sexpert," Heather shares her expertise globally, speaking on panels and at conferences to raise awareness about chronic pelvic health issues.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:14] Intro
• [01:09] Developing products that align with brand mission
• [01:30] Identifying market gaps through personal experience
• [03:26] Building a business where people find their niche
• [04:53] Following Ecommerce industry shifts to stay ahead
• [06:45] Partnering with nonprofits for awareness 
• [08:57] Evolving a brand’s online presence over decades
• [10:35] Selling online before Ecommerce platforms existed
• [12:00] Struggling with early web design tools 
• [13:59] Navigating regulatory changes in Ecommerce
• [15:28] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems 
• [18:40] Using AI for customer acquisition & targeting
• [20:18] Optimizing for AI-driven recommendations
• [21:10] Adapting to AI-driven consumer research
• [25:41] Building consumer trust through education
• [27:01] Creating a brand connection that lasts

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scientifically studied, all-natural supplements and skincare desertharvest.com/
• Follow Heather Florio linkedin.com/in/heather-florio-468822a4
• 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 2018, she and her husband Adam self-funded Everhem to offer an easy online solution for consumers and interior designers. Today, Everhem is a multi-million-dollar business with a less than 1% mistake rate, serving top designers and A-list clients like Amber Valetta, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Nacho + Blanca Figueras.

Everhem has thrived beyond the pandemic boom, blending trend insights with exceptional craftsmanship, with every order still hand-sewn in Los Angeles. Haley’s expertise in design and entrepreneurship offers invaluable lessons for building customer-first businesses.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:46] Intro
• [01:05] Understanding niche product offerings
• [01:37] Recognizing customer pain points
• [04:48] Building a brand from scratch
• [05:35] Hiring for sustainable growth
• [07:04] Turning ideas into execution
• [07:51] Creating a seamless user experience
• [10:38] Partnering with designers and influencers
• [14:03] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [17:13] Finding product-market fit organically
• [18:52] Standing out with craftsmanship
• [21:56] Balancing trade and consumer needs
• [23:28] Launching products from feedback
• [25:15] Streamlining the customer journey

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Where warmth meets sophistication. everhem.com/    
• Follow Haley Weidenbaum linkedin.com/in/haley-weidenbaum-85974b12   
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/   
• Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

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For 26+ years, eTail has been more than a conference, it’s a community where executives from DTC startups to Fortune 500 brands connect, share strategies, and drive real growth. Under Leo’s leadership, eTail continues to evolve, covering AI-driven personalization, omnichannel innovation, and next-gen customer experiences.

Leo’s expertise in networking, trend-spotting, and facilitating valuable discussions keeps eTail a must-attend event for retail leaders looking to stay ahead.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:41] Intro
• [02:00] Identifying trends to guide industry conversations
• [03:19] Featuring insights from e-commerce and marketing leaders
• [04:15] Highlighting professional development and industry trends
• [06:17] Connecting digital marketing pros with industry insights
• [08:08] Identifying sessions and networking goals
• [00:39] Scheduling downtime to avoid burnout at events
• [11:06] Evolving with the industry through challenges and change

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Changing the Face of Retail Since 1999 etailwest.wbresearch.com/
• Follow Leo Martinez linkedin.com/in/leucepe-alexander-m-1a712a14/

 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!

From its Kickstarter beginnings to national recognition on platforms like Shark Tank, CBS Morning News, and the OUT100 2023 list, Dapper Boi has become a seven-figure business driven by authenticity and confidence.

Vicky brings expertise in community-building through creative marketing and navigating investment challenges, while her co-founder and wife, Charisse Pasche, focuses on developing inclusivity and purpose in every product. 

Together, they’ve crafted efficient pre-order strategies, expanded their Shopify-powered store, and built a loyal customer base inspired by shared values. 

With a vision to redefine fashion for every body type, Vicky’s story reflects resilience, innovation, and a commitment to inspiring others to embrace bold steps toward creating purpose-driven brands in a competitive landscape.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [01:07] Intro
• [01:29] Understanding the value of aligned investors
• [02:37] Starting a brand to solve personal fashion challenges
• [04:07] Expanding from jeans to a full everyday wardrobe
• [05:10] Turning scrappy beginnings into a successful campaign
• [06:46] Building excitement with data-driven pre-order strategies
• [09:12] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [12:24] Simplifying pre-orders with a basic store setup
• [12:58] Transitioning from organic reach to expert ad management
• [13:34] Learning ROAS and profit strategies over time
• [14:19] Using pre-orders to streamline product launches
• [15:16] Sharing a purpose-driven vision with a mainstream audience
• [17:16] Balancing loyalty with new customer acquisition goals
• [17:48] Building authentic connections with aligned investors

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Clothes that fit you. Inside and out dapperboi.com/
• Follow Vicky Pasche linkedin.com/in/vickypasche
• 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!