chase clymer

Tim Swindle is an entrepreneur and investor, helping build and exit multiple companies. 

As an early investor and employee at PointDrive, a Chicago-based sales software company, he had roles leading sales, marketing, and operations before the company was acquired in 2016 by LinkedIn. 

During this time, Tim created Utter Nonsense, an entertaining card game that was quickly carried by several retailers and ultimately within all 1,800 Target stores. Utter Nonsense was acquired in 2017 by private equity backed PlayMonster. 

In 2018 Tim co- founded Playtacular, a boutique publishing company that designs and creates innovative toys and games. 

In addition to this, Tim is a Managing Member of Hubbard Street Capital, an early stage venture investing firm. Tim lives in Nashville, with his wife, daughter and very good boy, Tucker. 

Scott Brown is the co-founder of Marbles: The Brain Store, a retail concept focused on building better brains through play, which eventually grew to 40 stores, a website, a catalog business and a proprietary product division. 

While there, he headed the curation of all store products and formed Marbles: Brain Workshop, overseeing the creation of more than 150 proprietary products. In early 2017 the Marbles brand was acquired by Spin Master. 

For the past three years, Scott has served as VP of Creative over Games at Spin Master, helping bring dozens more games to market. 

Beginning in January 2020, Scott will be leaving Spin Master to form an independent game publishing studio. Scott lives in Utah along with his wife and four daughters.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:03] What is PaddleSmash?
• [02:23] How Tim got started in the game space
• [04:05] How Scott and Tim met and formed PaddleSmash
• [06:50] Where the idea of PaddleSmash came from
• [08:08] How to come up with ideas or be inspired
• [10:29] Look for opportunities, make it unique
• [11:53] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/connect
• [12:49] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO https://jsonld.app
• [14:14] Joe Bingham’s backstory
• [15:47] 2 routes you can go in the toys and games space
• [17:13] What royalty contracts look like?
• [18:47] The upsides and downsides to licensing your idea
• [21:33] What happened after licensing PaddleSmash?
• [24:47] PaddleSmash is on the testing and learning phase
• [25:56] The inherent virality to outdoor games
• [28:29] Increasing the surface area of luck
• [29:11] Picking an audience from a hybrid
• [30:13] Where to find PaddleSmash products?
• [30:54] Sell the products that you love
• [32:05] Get feedback and just jump in with your product

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A new outdoor game that combines the best elements of Pickleball and Spikeball into a fun, and easy-to-learn game paddlesmash.com
• Connect with Tim linkedin.com/in/timswindle
• Connect with linkedin.com/in/thescottbrown
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app

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

After working in finance at Goldman Sachs and sharpening her operational skills at consumer technology start-up FanVision, Jennifer Ross co-founded Swoon, where she oversees product development, operations, and finance. 

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

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

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

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

Resources:

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

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

The foundation of OWL Venice is founder, Lindsey Erin’s, personal journey to health. When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, Lindsey committed to living a healthier lifestyle. 

It was this event that began her research on wellness, nutrition, and intuitive eating, and would eventually lead to the creation of OWL Venice.

Initially, Lindsey began experimenting with an organic, plant-based diet that limited meat and processed foods, and found that she was still experiencing constant allergy symptoms, digestive issues, and acne. 

In an attempt to resolve these issues, Lindsey began a diet geared to treat GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) which incorporated bone broth as a healing agent. 

After struggling to find pre-made broth that was void of common allergens, Lindsey began making her own bone broth with locally-sourced bones and an array of herbs and veggies. 

Through months of testing and development, she created a broth recipe that tasted more like a tea than a traditional stock, OWL’s signature flagship product. 

OWL currently offers chicken, turkey, beef, bison, and vegan mineral Broth Elixirs that are sold throughout LA county, a 4, 6, and 8 day Reset cleanse program to heal and seal the gut, and an organic, oil-based skincare line. 

OWL also offers health coaching services with flexible sessions to fit your schedule and budget. 

As more people discover the benefits of using OWL products, Lindsey & the OWL family will continue innovating, exploring, and sharing new ways to live better with those looking to transform their health and overall wellness. 

Along with OWL’s mission to heal the body, OWL is also committed to healing the environment. 

This is why they maintain a minimal waste policy that requires the mylkshakes are made-to-order and the broths are pressure canned. 

All of OWL’s goods are packaged in glass, which is not only 100% recyclable, it is free of chemicals that could negatively impact the flavor and aroma of their products.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:22] What products does OWL Venice offer?
• [01:43] Where the idea of OWL Venice came from
• [02:22] From solving a personal need to a market idea
• [03:26] Her personal solution becoming a full-time job
• [03:51] Shifting to a traditional direct-to-consumer model
• [04:42] Lindsey’s initial growth strategy
• [06:47] Creating a jump-off point for new customers
• [08:08] Mistakes are learning opportunities
• [09:59] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [10:56] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [12:10] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [13:31] OWL Venice’s current marketing strategy
• [16:06] Where to find OWL Venice’s Bone Elixirs?

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Organic Bone Broth & Cleanses owlvenice.com
• Connect with Lindsey linkedin.com/in/lindseyerinwilson
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/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!

Along with his 3 best friends and co-founders, they left the financial industry to pursue a problem they all had: terrible underwear. From underwear, socks, t-shirts and soap their mission is to provide men with quality essentials men need, without the BS they don't.

Anthony Ciavirella is the co-founder at Manmade, the most comfortable boxer brief ever.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] Why Anthony decide to create a boxers company
• [02:37] How the co-founders decided on a business idea
• [06:03] From idea to a product in 10 months
• [09:37] Manmade’s go-to-market strategy
• [12:33] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [13:29] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [14:44] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [15:47] Mistakes Anthony wants you to avoid
• [17:47] Overcoming that fear of failure
• [19:29] Launching a brand bootstrapped
• [21:39] Anthony’s framework for manifesting goals
• [23:27] Where to find Manmade boxers

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The boxer brief that delivers more crotch area comfort manmadebrand.com
• Connect with Anthony linkedin.com/in/anthony-ciavirella-a6621835
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/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!

Xebec is a laptop accessories brand for the mobile workplace, focused on empowering people to let their life dictate their work as opposed to the other way around. 

After developing the Xebec Tri-Screen, the original triple-screen laptop attachment, the brand launched the Xebec Airstand along with the Xebec Keyboard and Mouse. 

Paired with the newly refined Tri-Screen 2, these products allow anyone to take their office with them and increase their productivity on the go. 

Alex Levine (CEO) & Trevor Russo (COO) founded Xebec with aspirations to change the way we think about the modern workplace. 

As life-long friends who both worked as traveling consultants, they recognized the need for a solution to remain productive on the road.

After both graduated from the University of Texas, Alex worked as a Digital Technology Consultant at Accenture and a Technical Product Manager at Komply, while Trevor worked as a Risk & Compliance Consultant at Protiviti and a Strategy & Operations Consultant at Deloitte.

They then joined back up in their hometown of Austin, TX in 2019 to launch Xebec and enable everyone to experience the freedom of the modern, mobile workplace.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:07] What are Xebec’s products?
• [01:43] The “genesis” of Xebec
• [03:37] From the idea of Xebec to prototype
• [04:43] Trevor remembering the first Xebec prototype
• [05:42] From prototyping to releasing the final product
• [08:01] Xebec’s slow but certain growth amidst COVID
• [09:56] How Xebec used paid ads for growth
• [11:58] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [12:55] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [14:09] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [15:13] Logistics challenges during COVID
• [16:42] Migrating from Wix to Shopify
• [18:25] Don’t get caught up with the what ifs
• [21:12] Balancing different co-founder ideologies
• [23:14] Continued evolution of Xebec’s story
• [25:02] Where to find Xebec products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The Xebec Tri-Screen is a laptop attachment that adds two additional screens to any laptop, instantly boosting your productivity by over 50% thexebec.com
• Connect with Alex linkedin.com/in/alex-levine-b479b163
• Connect with Trevor linkedin.com/in/trevorlrusso
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/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!

Rahul Khatri is the CXO and Co-Founder of Stoggles where he leads brand growth and the end-to-end management of all their social marketing efforts as well as managing their in-house Customer Happiness team. 

Together with his co-founder Max Greenberg, the pair are building Stoggles into a globally recognized and trusted brand that offers a product unlike any other in the marketplace today. 

Prior to Stoggles, Rahul was Creative Director and Partner at ROAV Inc., a DTC sunglasses company.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:05] What are Stoggle’s products
• [02:26] Why Rahul started on Eyewear
• [05:28] Stoggles was a marketing play for ROAV
• [06:43] Crowdfunding as a go-to-market strategy
• [08:26] Niching down to a more specialized product
• [11:06] The realization of customizable safety wear
• [12:17] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [13:14] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [14:29] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [15:32] Shifting the focus from ROAV to Stoggles
• [18:24] Niches are where the money is
• [20:44] Having a “test-and-learn” mindset
• [22:01] The new types of customers for Stoggles 
• [23:28] Bringing people together to the Ecom community
• [24:11] Connections gives a greater brand impact
• [24:56] Where to find Stoggles

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Prescription safety glasses that do everything for people who do everything stoggles.com
• Connect with Rahul linkedin.com/in/rahul-khatri-080a84b0
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/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!

Margaret Wishingrad is the Co-Founder and CEO of Three Wishes, a healthy-while-delicious cereal. 

Before founding Three Wishes, Margaret was Chief of Staff at BigEyedWish, an ad-agency based in New York. 

While at the agency, Margaret worked with Fortune 100 to seed-round startup businesses. 

She and her Husband and Co-Founder welcomed their first son, Ellis, in 2017 inspiring Three Wishes' genesis. 

While feeding Ellis, Margaret realized the white space in the market for a cereal she wanted to feed him nutritionally, but also enjoyed eating herself. 

Margaret has grown Three Wishes from conception to a national brand, with retailers including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, and many more in addition to a strong DTC arm.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:00] What are the products of Three Wishes?
• [03:21] From an agency to a brand
• [04:32] The services of Margaret’s agency
• [05:20] Translating client knowledge into your own brand
• [06:35] The inherent advantage of working at agencies
• [07:04] The R&D Process of Three Wishes
• [09:41] Go-to-market strat: Going into retail
• [10:30] Challenges and lessons of the retail channel
• [12:36] How Three Wishes’ D2C channel came about
• [14:39] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [15:36] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [16:50] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [17:53] Three Wishes’ drive thru taste test story
• [20:17] Releasing a new flavor in the midst of the pandemic
• [21:50] The little things that move the needle
• [22:36] Be nimble and be ready to pivot
• [24:13] Problems are a normal part of a business
• [25:15] Where to find Three Wishes

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• High-protein, low-sugar, grain-free breakfast cereal, that tastes like the cereals of your childhood, made with modern day clean ingredients threewishescereal.com
• Connect with Margaret linkedin.com/in/margaretwishingrad/
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/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!

Seeking an alternative from her previous adoption to coffee culture as a means to get through ambitious goals and to-do lists, over consumption and lack of focus on general wellbeing left Sheena Brady with various challenges including anxiety, digestion troubles, and insomnia. 

Along her ambitious career journey in hospitality, Sheena was tasked with building Toronto’s largest tea program at the renowned Shangri-La hotel. 

Plot twist: She didn’t even drink tea at the time. It was then she decided to become a certified Tea Sommelier, to better understand the world of tea and botanical ingredients. 

What she did not expect was to fall completely in love with this world, and learn how each botanical ingredient could actually be a puzzle piece into leading and living a more balanced life holistically. 

It wasn’t long before most of Sheena’s challenges were supported through tea, which became the catalyst behind launching Tease. 

Tease believes wellness rituals shouldn’t be complicated. Formulated by a Tea Sommelier & Herbalist, Tease creates all-natural, tea and botanical based tea blends and beauty staples to support your everyday rituals without compromising convenience, sustainability & impact. 

This includes having recently launched the world's first fully biodegradable and refillable wellness tea collection. 

Since the launch of this collection along with its diversification of tea infused beauty products, Tease has partnered with over 200 new retailers in the past year. 

In 2019, Tease amplified its social impact mission of investing in women, to create more equity amongst diverse women founders. 

Through their Founders Fund program, Tease has contributed & raised over $200,000 in small business micro-grants and mentorship programming to over 500 women and non-binary entrepreneurs, largely throughout the pandemic. 

Tease is proud to be a certified benefit corporation, meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental impact. Tease is proud to be a certified benefit corporation, meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental impact.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:23] What are Tease’s products?
• [02:15] Where the tea love came from
• [06:10] Sheena wasn’t fit to start a business before
• [07:15] Tease’s most cringy influencer moment
• [07:47] Being a social enterprise from the get-go
• [08:31] Getting the first round of customers
• [09:11] Investing really early in PR
• [10:37] When Sheena went all-in on Tease
• [12:37] Learning through the service side of business
• [12:57] Going full-time needs sacrifice
• [13:21] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [14:29] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [14:29] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [17:33] The reason that made Sheena go full-time
• [19:19] The tools that help Tease to scale aside from PR
• [21:09] Customer feedback will help you fix things
• [22:00] Done is better than perfect
• [24:29] The importance of omnichannel strategy
• [25:36] Where to find Tease products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Blends that support you to live and lead consciously teasewellness.com
• Connect with Sheena linkedin.com/in/sheenabrady
• A Canadian 4-month digital program created by Tease Tea that provides women access to funding and mentorship foundersfund.ca
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/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!

BBQ brings people together no matter the weather. Kosmos Q started as a passion project to encourage people to spend more time with friends & family.

Kosmos Q sold their first product, The Original Beef Brisket Injection, out of a linen cabinet. 

Today, they ship over 30 different products to grill masters and fans around the world. Kosmos Q has nearly doubled in size over the last year after our products brought home the 2015 World Steak Championship and the 2015 World BBQ Championship.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:15] Kosmo’s Q products
• [01:49] Where the idea of Kosmo’s Q came from
• [05:43] Where the name Kosmo came from
• [08:01] From hobby, to semi-pro, to business
• [08:53] How Kosmo built their first website
• [11:28] When Kosmo realized he’s onto something
• [14:50] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [15:11] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [15:59] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [17:11] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [18:04] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [18:51] How long before Kosmo went full time?
• [20:41] Financial freedom vs wealth
• [21:01] Avoid regret and try it out
• [22:06] Kosmo’s advice to potential founders
• [23:24] Does Kosmo regret not starting sooner?
• [24:41] The easier and harder aspects of ecom nowadays
• [26:43] Kosmo Q’s sales mix
• [29:04] How Kosmo “locked down” their Amazon efforts
• [31:34] Shopify is not a get-rich quick scheme
• [31:55] You have to be willing to do the boring stuff
• [32:46] Everybody has a filter that obscures the truth
• [33:44] Where to find Kosmo Q’s products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Follow Kosmo on Instagram @kosmounfiltered
• Get award-winning BBQ rubs and sauces from a world champion! kosmosq.com
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• Transform your returns into exchanges loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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

Kelsey started her first brand, Sweat CBD in 2018 which she grew using affiliate marketing. 

She then went on to freelance her affiliate marketing services and eventually built a full service agency called BossBoxx. 

Lori started her career on Wall Street and then went on to launch a brand called Unicreamer and also take her experience to the agency world. 

Lori and Kelsey were introduced by Chris Harder after both joining his mastermind. 

Shortly after they started working together they realized that they had very similar goals and interests and both had a passion for helping brands. 

They decided to join forces and work together to help product based businesses start, launch & scale. 

After about a year of working together, they started to realize that affiliate marketing was bringing their clients the best results. 

They had a dream to help brands large and small build organic affiliate marketing programs that could help them scale the way affiliates helped both of their brands in the past, and Rexxy was born. 

Rexxy is an affiliate marketing hub where companies of all sizes can find tools and resources to design, launch, and scale a high-converting affiliate marketing program. 

While they continue to grow their agency, the Rexxy team is also gearing up to design and launch an affiliate tracking software in 2023.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:31] Clients that Rexxy works with
• [02:40] Affiliate marketing vs influencer marketing
• [04:08] How Kelsey & Lori started with affiliate marketing
• [06:25] Is Kelsey’s CBD brand still around?
• [07:26] Pivoting 101
• [08:16] Niching down and adding value
• [09:01] Rexxy’s self-implementation option
• [10:29] Why Rexxy created their playbook
• [11:02] The evolution to an enterprise option
• [12:18] Affiliate and paid media is a hard comparison
• [12:53] How Rexxy works
• [13:52] Returns on affiliate marketing is brand dependent
• [15:05] The similarities between FB ads & Rexxy’s approach
• [16:10] Sales vs personalized brand awareness
• [17:56] The future of affiliate marketing
• [19:30] Good offer doesn’t always mean more money
• [20:14] How Rexxy makes a unique offer
• [21:41] Where to find Rexxy

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Making it easy & affordable to build & scale a revenue-generating affiliate program for your business rexxy.co
• Join Rexxy’s community for free members.rexxy.co
• The all-in-one system to design, launch & scale a high-performance affiliate program for your company rexxy.co/playbook
• Connect with Kelsey linkedin.com/in/kelsey-eyers-b120291b4
• Connect with Lori linkedin.com/in/lori-lefcourt-68139229

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!

Charley has spent over 10 years in the Digital Marketing industry. 

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

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

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

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

In This Conversation We Discuss:

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

Resources:

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

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

As a company born at the beach and endlessly inspired by the outdoors, taking care of the planet is close to our heart. 

85% of our styles are made of sustainable materials and 100% of our swim is made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Each swimsuit keeps 5 plastic bottles out of a landfill and we've pioneered the use of sustainable materials through the creation of our Coconut Balsa™and FlyWeight™ fabrics. 

It all began on a surf trip to San Pancho, Mexico for two friends, Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester. 

As we lounged in a hammock waiting for the waves to roll back in, we lamented how hard it was to find boardshorts that could keep up with us – real women with real bodies and a real passion for adventure. 

And just like that, Carve Designs was born. Carve Designs styles represent our spirit: fun-loving, hardworking, confident, and inclined to get where we want to go. 

Carve Designs began as a surf apparel company selling rash guards and board shorts in 2003, and has grown into a complete beach lifestyle brand, offering surf, swim, and lifestyle clothing. 

We are dedicated to providing effortless feminine clothing that actually fit real women while keeping us connected to the calm content feeling that inspires us at the beach. 

The women of Carve Designs are determined to push the boundaries of everyday apparel and prove that functionality can be fashionable and well-fitting. 

The clothes are designed to be as inspirational and versatile as the women who wear them. 

We continue to stay true to the vision we created over 18 years ago, providing stylish apparel targeted to women actively engaged in the outdoor world.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:41] Where the idea of Carve Designs came from
• [02:28] How long from idea to sample
• [03:54] Launching with the wholesale model in mind
• [04:39] When did Carve Designs go D2C
• [05:45] Getting the first sales online
• [06:05] The future for Carve Designs
• [06:56] Carve Designs’ marketing strategy
• [09:24] The resurgence of traditional marketing
• [10:27] Marketing vs advertising
• [10:52] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [11:12] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [12:00] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [13:13] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [13:43] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [14:31] The smaller the funnel, the easier to track
• [15:21] Mistakes are essential for learning
• [15:48] Invest in IP rights before starting your business
• [16:13] Start your business with a team
• [17:28] Is entrepreneurship fun?
• [19:46] Where to find Carve Designs

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Women's sustainable swimsuits and clothing carvedesigns.com
• Connect with Jen linkedin.com/in/jen-hinton-2735b513a
• Connect with Thayer linkedin.com/in/thayer-sylvester-436296
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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

Jimmy MacDonald is the Co-Founder of Authenticity50, which he launched with his wife Stephanie MacDonald. 

Prior to Authenticity50 he worked in the Hedge Fund industry in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Tokyo, Japan. 

When he, rarely, has free time he loves to cave dive and train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] The products that Authenticity 50 offers
• [01:59] Where the idea of Authenticity 50 came from
• [05:01] Transitioning from Kickstarter to D2C
• [07:20] Mistakes Jimmy wants you to avoid
• [09:19] The 100,000 Masks Project
• [12:11] Domestic supply chain issues
• [13:03] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [13:24] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [14:11] Sponsor: Wayflyer wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• [15:24] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [16:17] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [17:04] Authenticity50’s marketing mix
• [19:34] From investing in SEO to reaping its benefits
• [21:33] Authenticity50’s ratio of organic and paid
• [23:39] Banking on lifetime value
• [24:38] The connection between cave diving and Ecom
• [28:25] Invest in building a great team
• [28:59] Diversify your sources of traffic
• [29:53] Where to find Authenticity50

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Sheets, pillows, comforters, and towels honestly-made in the USA authenticity50.com
• Connect with Jimmy linkedin.com/in/jimmy-macdonald-598871
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Funding a better way wayflyer.com/ecomm/honest
• Transform your returns into exchanges loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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

Prior to Pureboost, Gillian has 15 years of brand and digital marketing experience in consumer products. 

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

All while balancing the art of building a meaningful brand.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

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

Resources:

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

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

Born in Colombia, raised in Mexico, and college-educated in the United States, Mike Abadi comes from 4 generations of textile industry experts. 

Abadi began his career as a New York investment banker, before realizing his passion was in entrepreneurship. 

Various ventures led to his first major success as co-founder of tailored suits brand Arden Reed (now Hive & Colony), before launching D2C bedding brand Sunday Citizen alongside his wife of 6 years, with whom he has 3 children. 

Since its creation in 2019, Sunday Citizen has grown rapidly to serve several home categories, with multiple collections and 3,000+ 5-star reviews; in 2021, company sales grew by 400%. Abadi speaks English, Spanish, and basic Chinese. 

4 years spent living in China and 10+ years working with Chinese providers has earned him an in-depth understanding of factory processes and product sourcing. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:11] From investment banking to entrepreneurship
• [02:20] Mike’s experience in his first ventures
• [05:22] Why did Mike not give up?
• [07:27] The value in unsuccessful ventures
• [08:13] Where the idea of Sunday Citizen came from
• [12:24] Sunday Citizen’s go-to-market strategy
• [15:23] Expectations for marketing ad spend
• [17:11] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [17:32] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [18:15] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [19:42] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [20:12] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [21:00] The relationship dynamics between C-Suite spouses
• [22:48] How Mike got lucky to leave China before the pandemic
• [23:27] Sunday Citizen expanding their product line up
• [25:10] Sunday Citizen products are more than just decorative
• [26:08] 2 problems that Sunday Citizen faced
• [27:10] iOS 14.5 leveled the playing field
• [28:01] Building a “true brand” through connections
• [29:05] Where to find Sunday Citizen

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Developing the world's softest home products sundaycitizen.co
• Connect with Mike linkedin.com/in/mikeabadi
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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

Elie Robinson is the CEO and founder of Under 5'10, a brand that makes clothing for shorter men.

His background is in financial operations, and spent over 15 years in the telecommunications & Ecommerce. 

But like millions of other men in America, he was fed up with clothing manufacturers neglecting to make clothes tailored for shorter men. 

He founded Under 5’10 in 2017 and has enabled short guys around the world find a place where they can buy perfectly fitting jeans, joggers, shirts, and more made just for them. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:07] What does Under 5’10 offer
• [02:02] The origin and tackling the shorter guys’ needs
• [03:02] How Elie came up with the idea
• [04:08] Under 5’10’s go-to-market strategy
• [06:26] Crowdfunding as proof of concept
• [07:02] Transitioning from Kickstarter to Ecom
• [08:20] Setting up Ecom in Shopify
• [09:45] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [10:05] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [10:49] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [12:15] Sponsor: BeProfit beprofit.co
• [13:46] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [14:43] Believe in the results that you made
• [15:52] Where Elie got his boost of confidence
• [16:39] Learning from others and teaching to others
• [17:53] Under 5’10’s biggest challenge
• [20:27] Why Elie is insistent on staying D2C
• [25:09] Elie’s SEO advice: Create content
• [25:53] You can’t scale without content creation
• [28:06] Balancing validation and reality
• [29:38] Just doing it better can be a basis for a business
• [31:49] Where to find Under 5’10

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Find Men's Jeans, Chinos, Joggers, Sweatpants, & More in Shorter Sizes & From 24" to 28" under510.com
• Connect with Elie linkedin.com/in/elie-robinson-4b93baa1
• A podcast for short men, by short men under510.com/pages/living-under-510-a-show-for-short-men
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Visit beprofit.co and use code HONEST15 to get an exclusive 15% off any plan for the lifetime of your plan
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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

Laurie O’Hara is the Founder and CEO of OLITA, a San Rafael, CA based brand of eco-friendly, healthy sun care. 

In the market since 2015, Laurie has grown OLITA from its original Beach Be Gone product line, expanding to REEF SAFE mineral sunscreens, soothing SPF lip balms and nourishing After Sun body serums. 

OLITA’s mission is to create clean products that are safe on skin and safe on the planet. 

Prior to launching OLITA, Laurie had over 20 years experience in marketing and acquisitions of credit products and microloans, having worked as a Director for JPMorgan Chase and Citibank in New York City and a Bay Area CDFI. 

She holds an MBA from the American Graduate School of International Management and a BA from the University of Colorado. 

Laurie lives with her husband and four children in Marin County. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:16] OLITA’s product assortment
• [02:04] Where OLITA’s idea came from
• [04:03] How long from OLITA’s inception to selling
• [06:46] OLITA’s go-to-market strategy
• [08:01] Establishing B2B relationships
• [08:57] From beach-side stores to D2C
• [10:10] Why won’t a startup hire experts from the start?
• [12:13] Paid is expensive, sell products yourself
• [12:59] OLITA’s customers are their perfect demographic
• [14:34] Loved ones won’t give you good feedback
• [16:01] Start early and delegate early
• [16:50] Work with performance-based partners
• [17:58] Laurie loves going to trade shows
• [18:40] Make sure invest pays for itself
• [19:22] The sign of a great entrepreneur
• [19:30] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io
• [19:50] Sponsor: Mesa https://apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [20:34] Sponsor: Gorgias https://gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [22:01] Sponsor: Rewind https:/rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [22:31] Sponsor: Klaviyo http://klaviyo.com/honest
• [23:19] Laurie’s favorite Shopify apps
• [24:37] Shopify has a great community
• [26:07] Competitors are great assets
• [27:57] The meaning of OLITA
• [28:43] OLITA’s partnership with the Coral Reef Alliance
• [29:31] Where to find OLITA

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The natural and organic skincare brand we all need for sun safe skin and planet protection olitashop.com
• Connect with Laurie linkedin.com/in/laurie-o-hara-022880a
• Support Olita’s crowdfunding campaign wefunder.com/olitainc
• Sell products from other top US stores without inventory apps.shopify.com/carro
• Save the world’s coral reefs coral.org/en
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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

Paul Orlando has led startup accelerators on three continents. 

He runs USC’s on-campus Incubator for businesses founded by students, alumni and faculty and is Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship, teaching growth hacking and venture initiation. 

He is a former startup founder and was a winner at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon. His book about unit economics is called Growth Units. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:51] Intro
• [01:47] Paul’s journey on USC
• [05:01] Chase’s interest in the educational field
• [05:37] Tactics change, but strategies don’t
• [07:47] The importance of lifetime value
• [10:38] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [10:58] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [11:41] Sponsor: Gorgias gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [13:08] Sponsor: BeProfit beprofit.co
• [14:39] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:26] There are many ways to calculate LTV
• [17:06] Calculating “time of return”
• [19:19] Segmenting CAC and LTV
• [23:03] The relationship between CAC and LTV
• [25:23] Lessons learned from traditional/old brands
• [29:24] The other topics in Paul’s book
• [31:55] Where to buy the Growth Units book
• [32:18] Segmented data for KPIs is the next level

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Helping companies move faster through intensive workshops, rapid experimentation, and consulting startupsunplugged.com/
• Connect with Paul linkedin.com/in/porlando
• Paul’s book about Lifetime Value, Customer Acquisition Cost, and why businesses behave the way they do amazon.com/Growth-Units-Calculate-Acquisition-Businesses-ebook/dp/B08GJVV8RJ
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Visit beprofit.co and use code HONEST15 to get an exclusive 15% off any plan for the lifetime of your plan
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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

Nik Hall is a follower of Christ, husband to the best wife, and the co-founder of vitafive, an emerging gummy vitamin brand with high quality ingredients and eco-friendly packaging. 

The humble beginnings of vitafive were started in founders Garrett Adair and Nik Hall’s 800 square foot house when they were Juniors at TCU. 

Since the beginning, the goals have been to help consumers find an easier way to be healthy, to be profitable, and to enjoy the life they have been given. 

While the road hasn’t been easy, it has always been worth it. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:05] Nik’s early interest in entrepreneurship
• [03:41] The interest in money making and CEOs
• [04:52] Benefits and considerations for co-founders
• [08:26] “Breaking up” with co-founders
• [11:09] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/
• [11:29] Sponsor: Mesa https://apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [12:13] Sponsor: Gorgias https://gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• [13:39] Sponsor: BeProfit https://beprofit.co/
• [15:10] Sponsor: Klaviyo http://klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:57] vitafive’s inception
• [17:28] Success was fast but was not immediate
• [18:55] vitafive’s biggest mistakes
• [20:46] The wild west of Facebook ads
• [21:30] Could startups still use Facebook marketing now?
• [22:41] The effect of IOS 14 and 15 to marketers
• [24:32] Don’t fully invest on just Facebook ads
• [25:04] How vitafive deals with the IOS 14 and 15 updates
• [26:47] Learn constantly or be a pioneer
• [28:09] Keep it simple and easy for customers
• [28:40] Where to find vitafive

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The low sugar gummies you've been begging for delivered in the most beautiful way vitafive.com
• Connect with Nik linkedin.com/in/nikhall
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• Visit beprofit.co and use code HONEST15 to get an exclusive 15% off any plan for the lifetime of your plan
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.com/honest

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

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:41] How AJ used to run ads before Triple Whale
• [02:52] The health of your business depends on blended ROAS
• [03:23] Clarification about IOS 14
• [03:46] Performance degraded because FB lacks customer info
• [04:08] What made the FB platform better
• [04:42] FB is challenging to run for brands
• [05:41] Why AJ founded an attribution company
• [06:10] Triple Whale tries to provide the lost visibility from FB
• [06:32] The Triple Whale Pixel is not yet the be-all, end-all
• [07:33] What is Pixel and why does your business need it?
• [08:36] Why is Triple Whale different from Facebook?
• [10:06] The Pixel is good but not simple
• [10:45] How Electric Eye uses Triple Whale
• [11:20] The Forecasting Calculator
• [13:00] ROAS, CPA, and AOV on the Summary Page
• [15:16] The Triple Whale Pixel
• [15:46] Taking advantage of the Channel Overlap
• [17:00] Inventory management dictates paid ad spend
• [18:39] Client compatibility through Triple Whale
• [19:19] The misalignment in attribution causes distrust
• [20:47] How Facebook can get away with messy attribution
• [21:37] Attribution Model Comparison
• [23:01] Other features that are coming to Triple Whale
• [23:54] The Customer Journey feature
• [24:24] Web domain shenanigans
• [24:45] Triple Whale’s Mobile App
• [25:56] What differentiates Electric Eye from other agencies
• [27:16] Electric Eye’s Brand Scaling Framework
• [28:18] Scaling is achieved through harmony in teams

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Electric Eye provides Shopify-powered sales machines to suit your strategic design, development, and marketing needs
• Triple Whale is the central source of truth for your Ecommerce store Use code ELECTRICEYE for a discount!
• Listen to another bonus episode about Electric Eye’s Brand Scaling Framework
• Connect with Chase
• Connect with Ryan
• Connect with AJ
• Connect with Rabah