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

In this episode, you’ll learn from an entrepreneur who started a gift certificate program to help local businesses amid the current Covid-19 pandemicThe Cornwall Gift Certificate Program provides a gift certificate program where shoppers can purchase gift certificates from a slew of local businesses.For more on Cornwall Gift Certificate Program and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/cornwall-gift-certificate-pivotTune in to learn:How a local entrepreneur worked with local government to help businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemicWhat you should be focused on when launching a business on a tight timelineHow to prepare when meeting with local government officials especially when you are seeking their help and resources

In this special episode of Shopify Masters, we visit the office of Velasca, a direct to consumer brand specializing in Italian handcrafted shoes. Co-founder Enrico Casati shares how he left his banking career and launched a direct to consumer brand by connecting local craft-makers in Italy with a global customer base. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting entrepreneurs everywhere, some more than others. Velasca, based in an epicenter of the current outbreak, are working incredibly hard to stay connected with their community virtually and adapt to these uncertain times. This episode was recorded in late 2019, and Velasca’s journey is an impressive one to listen to. Send some love their way virtually by visiting them here. At Shopify, we're quickly building new resources to help independent businesses navigate the current situation. up resources to better help our community, Learn more about our response to COVID-19 here. For more on Velasca and the show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/velasca-dtcTune in to le

In this episode, you’ll learn from an entrepreneur who entered a saturated market and differentiated themselves from the mass marketYouth Sport Nutrition is the Developer of PRO-TEEN®, the world's first and only fortified recovery shake for active youths in sport.For more on Youth Sport Nutrition and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/youth-sport-nutrition-conversion Tune in to learnHow they grew from 150 pounds per month to 9,000 pounds per month on adsWhat changes they made to their site to improve their products perceived valueHow to sell a product when the buyer is a parent and the end-user is their child

In this episode, you'll learn from an entrepreneur the mindset required to scale your business to 7-figuresFUSED Hawaii designs timeless, functional swimwear for all body typesat all stages of life, so you feel comfortable, confident, and beautiful in your own skin again. For more on Fused Hawaii and show notes: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/fused-hawaii-mindsetTune in to learnHow she was able to finally break through the 7 figure markWhy it’s important not to be too attached to the highs or the lows of entrepreneurshipHow to generate sales from Facebook Lives inside Facebook Groups

In this episode, you'll learn from these two entrepreneurs how purposefully set a work-life balance between your personal life and business.NIU BODY is a female-founded beauty company that creates natural skincare at affordable prices.For more on NIU BODY and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/niu-body-contentTune in to learnWhat to look for in a co-founderHow going full time in their business led to $250,000 in salesWhich social media channel is the best to use to get press

In this episode, you’ll learn from an entrepreneur who validated her community through a hashtag campaign and then led her towards building her own businessMakeup For Melanin Girls is a direct-to-consumer beauty brand that leverages community feedback to develop cosmetics tailored to multiethnic beauty consumers. For more on MFMG Cosmetics and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/mfmgcosmetics-productsTune in to learnHow to turn a blog in to a businessWhy is a brand book important and what you should include inside your brand bookWhat she did after losing an Instagram account of 100,000 followers

In this episode, you’ll learn from a Chief Growth Officer how to drive growth to a social enterpriseSweet Beginnings makes the beelove® family of all-natural line of raw honey and honey-infused body care products. For more on Sweet Beginnings and show notes: www.shopify.com/blog/sweetbeginnings-growthTune in to learnHow does having an online store affect offline salesHow should Chief Growth Officer spend their timeWhat you get out of one-on-one customer interviews that you can’t get out of surveys

In this episode, you’ll learn from an entrepreneur who found a unique way of using their supply chain as a source for marketing, which data metrics played a big role in their successful marketing strategies, and how they disrupted the cookware industry. For more on Made In and the show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/madeincookware-disruptionTune in to learnWhat is involved in doing a whole redesign of an ecommerce siteWhat you should focus on when improving your product pageHow to use your suppliers and manufacturers as a source of your marketing

In this episode, you’ll learn from these two entrepreneurs who turned their class project into a 6-figure businessKanga invented and patented the world's first iceless cooler designed to fit around an entire case of 12 oz. beverages.For more on Kanga and the show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/kanga-sharktankTune in to learnHow to collect early feedback from your initial beta customersThe value of setting your pricepoint higher than what it’s currently worthWhat kind of retargeting photos work best for their ads

In this episode, you’ll learn form an entrepreneur who got well known in the planner community by posting content on Facebook GroupsChasing Planner Peace sells a range of refillable, customizable planners with the widest range of planner refillsFor more on Chasing Planner Peace and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/chasingplannerpeace-productTune in to learnHow you can build a customer base with custom work, but should quickly move to selling non-custom productsHow to promote your business in other people’s Facebook groupsHow to determine if people are actually going to pay for a product instead of just saying they would

While shopping for her daughter’s birthday, Rachel Huntington noticed the limited amount of designs for party supplies. Seeking out non-commercial and more creative partyware, Rachel started Bonjour Fete, a boutique for party goods, tableware, decor and all things event design. In this episode of Shopify Masters, Rachel shares her journey of launching online, operating two physical stores, and building relationships with return customers.For more on Bonjour Fete and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/bonjourfete-partyTune in to learnHow to use social media to contact vendors instead of spending lots of money to go to trade showsThe most important metrics to pay attention to when running a physical retail storeHow to create an Instagram feed that drives traffic to your product page

In this episode, you’ll learn from an entrepreneur on why and how to figure out WHY you are starting your businessSo Worth Loving is a lifestyle company bridging the gap between not talking about self worth and talking about it.Tune in to learnWhy and how to figure out your WHY when starting your businessHow to transition from your full time job to your own businessHow to manage entrepreneurship burnout

What started as a way to keep track of his day to day and combat ADHD, Ryder Carroll’s method of Bullet Journal gained a massive following online as he shared his journaling process. From a published book to a successive product, Ryder shares how his intention of solving a common problem led to a new direction in his life and career. The Bullet Journal is the analog system for the digital age that lets you track the past, organize the present, and plan your future. For more on Bullet Journal, Ryder Carroll, and the show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/bullet-journal-methodology Tune in to learnHow to showcase how your customers are using your productsWhy you should never be afraid of giving away too much free contentWhy they created a companion app for their products

Brothers Nadim and Rami Yahia grew up mixing together condiments and hot sauces to create their own concoctions. They turned this habitual sauce mixing into CustomHeats, a hot sauce business that allows customers to create their own sauces and labels by bridging the food industry with tech and data. In this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll hear from Nadim Yahia of CustomHeats on marketing with a low budget, developing hardware, and how their $100 bottle of hot sauce went viral. For more on CustomHeats and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blogcustomheats-viralTune in to learnThe challenges with creating a business that allows customers to fully customize their productHow to use a $100 marketing budget to get on big publicationsHow they used their Instagram content to validate their market 

David Dennis was showing some of his photography for a fundraiser when he discovered the complexities of ocean conservation and how surfboards can be made more sustainably. Together with partner Martijn Stiphout, David runs Ventana Surfboards, maker of boards handcrafted from upcycled and reclaimed material. In this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll hear how David Dennis balances his career at Microsoft while running Ventana Surfboards, the key components of running an impactful sustainable business, and how Instagram drives most of their sales. For more on Ventana Surfboards and show notes: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/ventanasurfboards-instagramTune in to learnHow to talk about your brand at a fair or trade showHow to collaborate with artists to turn their audience in to your customersHow they sold a $15,000 surfboard from a post on Instagram

In partnership with the late model and makeup artist Cindy Joseph, Ezra Firestone helped to build BOOM by Cindy Joseph, an age-positive cosmetic line for women of every generation. As an ecommerce growth expert, Ezra has been known to share insights on building brands that resonate with consumers and stand the test of time. In this episode of Shopify Masters, Ezra Firestone shares his life and business journey and the most important lessons he’s learned along the way. For more on BOOM by Cindy Joseph,  Ezra  Firestone, and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/boombycindyjoseph-brandTune in to learnWhat is the love, demo, love video and why is it such an effective marketing toolWhy you should not drive your traffic straight to a product page and where to drive it to insteadWhere to reinvest in your brand and company

Emma Cohen’s time in Thailand exposed her to the effects that single-use plastics had on the ocean. She spent most of her days there cleaning up the washed-up plastic waste on beaches. Emma was so moved by this experience that she returned to school and completed a Master’s in environmental management and sustainability from Harvard. After working for over five years in sustainability research, Emma poured herself into developing a collapsible and portable stainless steel straw and launched FinalStraw in 2017.For more on FinalStraw and show notes: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/finalstraw-causeTune in to learnHow you can use Amazon reviews to create a superior productWhat’s the best use of your time when preparing for a crowdfunding campaignHow to balance marketing your cause versus marketing your product

When Gamal Codner left corporate America he began to grow out his beard. What started as a symbolic lifestyle change to signify the start of his entrepreneurial journey sparked a new business idea. As his beard got longer, Gamal noticed how there were no grooming products designed for men of color and launched Fresh Heritage to address this unmet need in the market. For more on Fresh Heritage and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/fresh-heritage-validateTune in to learnWhy it’s important to invest in your educationWhy you do not need the best product, you just need to be differentHow to network with successful brands and get them to give you advice

The scent of a specialty soap from her honeymoon stayed with Danielle Vincent as she went back to work and each time she would smell it, she was transported back to those happy memories. This sensory experience prompted her to launch Outlaw Soaps with her husband Russ. Together, the couple created soaps that would smell like campfire, whiskey, and leather to meet the niche of specialty scents. In this episode of Shopify Masters, we’ll hear from Danielle Vincent of Outlaw Soaps on how they navigated production and why feedback from customers are crucial. For more on Outlaw Soaps and show notes: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/outlawsoaps-salesTune In To LearnWhat metric led them to 600% GrowthWhy content marketing and SEO are still worth it even though they take longer for resultsThe emails they sent to turn customers in to repeat buyers

Roller derby wasn’t just a workout for Micki Krimmel, it offered a sense of empowerment and community. The sport inspired Micki to start Superfit Hero, an inclusive and body-positive apparel line to make everyone feel welcomed in the fitness world. In this episode of Shopify Masters, Micki Krimmel of Superfit Hero shares her approach to building a community, how she shares inspiring and inclusive stories, and what has helped her to grow her business.For more on Superfit Hero and show notes:  https://www.shopify.ca/blog/superfithero-storytellingTune in to learnWhy they decided to start selling fitness apparel in the roller derby nicheHow non-product focused content turns prospects into customersWhy it’s important to release more products