Shopify Masters | The Ecommerce Business And Marketing Podcast For Ambitious Entrepreneurs

Hearth Display needed to prove to investors that people would pay for a digital solution to family management. Here’s how the company used beta testing, extensive customer research, and a pre-order campaign to raise $2.8 million in institutional funding for a product aimed at mothers.For more on Hearth Display and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/hearth-display-pre-launch

Transformer Table is an innovative company creating multifunctional space-saving furniture that adapts to your needs. Discover the PR and influencer marketing strategies that garnered it the most-watched product video in the history of Instagram. For more on Transformer Table and show notes click here

Starface grew its brand on an unconventional premise: You should highlight your imperfections. President Kara Brothers promotes a healthy work culture that’s inspired her team to sell more than 77 million star-shaped acne patches to date. The brand also has launched collections with properties like Hello Kitty and SpongeBob SquarePants, and has been embraced by stars like Justin Bieber and Florence Pugh.For more on Starface and show notes click here 

Mackage's founder and chief creative officer,  Eran Elfassy combined function and fashion, European and North American styles, and wool and leather to create this powerhouse outerwear brand. He shares how his company continues to push the boundaries of fashion and fabric, lessons he's learned negotiating with international suppliers, and how his designs has won the hearts of Madonna, Meghan Markle, and Gwyneth Paltrow. For more on Mackage and show notes, read the full story.   

There is so much excitement right now surrounding AI. And so you might be wondering how you can use artificial intelligence to improve your business? Good thing there’s an entire team thinking about this at Shopify. Director of Product Miqdad Jaffer and his staff have built AI directly into the Shopify platform and they call this suite of features, Shopify Magic. Listen to this episode as we walk you through some of the latest innovations from Shopify and answer those AI questions you're afraid to ask. To learn more about Shopify Magic - and more than 100+ new product updates - check out Shopify Editions Summer '23.

Creativity is the secret ingredient for Daniel Lamarre’s two-decade run as Cirque du Soleil’s CEO. Under Daniel’s management, Cirque du Soleil went from a budding circus company to a global media empire. In this special episode of Shopify On Location, Daniel shares how to balance creativity with profitability and take any business to new heights. For more on Cirque du Soleil and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/cirque-du-soleil-creativity?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcast

Shopify On Location is back with a brand new miniseries from Montreal. Join Benjamin Gottlieb and Shuang Esther Shan as they sit down with some of Montreal's top entrepreneurs. Episodes drop each Thursday for the next couple of months. If you enjoy the conversations and would like to hear more in-person interviews - make sure to subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. For full catalog of episodes, check out Shopify Masters here: https://www.shopify.com/blog/topics/podcasts

Mad Rabbit co-founder Selom Agbitor started Mad Rabbit, a tattoo aftercare company, while he was still in college, with the money he made from dropshipping one summer. Now, Mad Rabbit is valued at more than $56 million and secured investment from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank.For more about Mad Rabbit and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/mad-rabbit-college-entrepreneur

Bokksu, a company that started with subscription boxes full of Japanese snacks, has grown into a $100 million business — all while continuing to help support family businesses and assist small makers in Japan access global distribution.To learn more about Bokksu and for show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/bokksu-global-distribution

Ashwinn Krishnaswamy is a DTC expert, founder and TikTok personality. He shares his thoughts on the state of DTC in 2023 and what brands need to do to position themselves against competitors.To learn more about Ashwinn and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/ashwinn-krishnaswamy-brand-positioning

Ghia founder Melanie Masarin sought to redefine drinking and introduce customers and restaurateurs to an emerging category: non-alcoholic spirits.For more on Ghia and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/ghia-emerging-category

Fellow creates high-quality equipment to properly brew coffee and tea. It sells kettles, grinders, French presses, mugs, and a seasonal selection of exclusive, limited release coffee. Founder Jake Miller shares how to grow a business that prioritizes design over everything else.For more on Fellow and show notes, click here.Download our FREE product development worksheet so you can ensure you’re creating a product that meets your customers’ needs, and sells well: https://bit.ly/40T6rrf

The GLD Shop is a lifestyle jewelry brand on a mission to inspire others to innovate, work hard, and change the game. Through collaborations with iconic brands like Marvel Comics and major sports leagues like the NBA and NFL, it’s become a brand endorsed by some of the biggest celebrities and household names.For more on The GLD Shop and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/the-gld-shop-celebrity-endorsements-licensing-agreements?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcastDownload a FREE brand positioning template to discover your ideal market and separate yourself from the competition: https://bit.ly/3niv0QH

Verve Coffee was founded with the goal of sourcing the finest coffees in the world and sharing them with their community in Northern California. Discover the brand’s sourcing guidelines and how it became the go-to coffee for Silicon Valley tech giants like Google and Facebook. For more on Verve Coffee and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/verve-coffee-sourcing-tech-expansion?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcastDownload this FREE sourcing and manufacturing template and find the perfect partners to work with. https://bit.ly/40WG2c4

Bookishly owner Louise Verity switched her company to a four-day work week. In this episode, she shares some tips for finding the right schedule and becoming more efficient, plus finding her classic books niche.For more on Bookishly and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/bookishly-4-day-work-week

Todd Masonis had already sold a tech company before his chocolate-making hobby turned into a full-fledged business. Here are some of the startup learnings he’s applied to Dandelion Chocolate.To learn more about Dandelion Chocolate and show notes:  https://www.shopify.com/blog/dandelion-chocolate-startup-learnings

Babylist has reinvented itself several times in the past decade. What started as an online baby registry became a media company and now a retailer. CEO and founder Natalie Gordon explains why evolution is key to serving the audience.To learn more about Babylist and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/babylist-evolution

An affordable, luxury fashion and home goods line designed for the modern woman is changing the way brands think about customer loyalty. In this Shopify Masters episode, you’ll hear how Modern Citizen generated nearly 50% of its 2022 sales from returning customers.For more on Modern Citizen & show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/modern-citizen-customer-loyalty?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcastDownload our FREE buyer persona template to learn more about what your customers enjoy and where they spend their time online: https://bit.ly/44nMMlV  

Neil Hoyne serves as the chief strategist for data and measurement at Google. In his Shopify Masters interview he shares the data-driven ways you can win your customers’ hearts.For more on Neil Hoyne and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/neil-hoyne-data-driven-way-to-win-customers%20?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcastUse this FREE template to learn more about your customers and where they spend their time online: https://bit.ly/44nMMlV

San Francisco chief economist Ted Egan busts the myths surrounding the state of business in the city, and explains why startups that buy retail or office space in SF now are poised for growth.For more from Ted Egan and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/ted-egan-sf-economy