The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Jake Mellman, the founder of Troop and Silly Goose, shares his journey in creating functional mushroom gummies and non-alcoholic beverages. He unveils the critical lessons from Troop's launch, emphasizing the necessity of smart marketing and using Meta ads for success. The discussion dives into KPIs that drive growth, the complexities of THC regulations, and scaling challenges. Jake explores how he positions Silly Goose to appeal to drinkers looking for healthier options and reveals aggressive revenue targets while navigating operational hurdles.

Bill Staley, founder of Food Social, shares insights on his revolutionary platform, which combines over 10,000 shoppable recipes with Shopify's Shop app. He reveals how recipes transform shopping into an engaging experience and explains the power of personalization in suggesting recipes based on users' purchase histories. The conversation delves into the potential of Shop as a marketplace, ways to simplify brand onboarding, and the future of intent-based shopping. Bill highlights why creators and brands benefit from this innovative integration.

Dr. Monica Williams, a physician and co-founder of Scarlet by RedDrop, and Dana Roberts, a former teacher and co-founder, share their journey of creating a period-care brand tailored for school-age girls. They discuss the challenges of tackling an antiquated industry, how personal experiences ignited their mission, and the brutal realities of bootstrapping a startup. Their breakthrough moment came when they won a $1 million pitch from Pharrell Williams. They also explore smart marketing strategies to destigmatize periods, product innovations, and their rapid rebrand for retail success.

Christian Erthel, a serial ecommerce entrepreneur, shares his journey from launching Meller sunglasses to orchestrating HelloBody's massive €330M exit. He discusses the cultural quirks that challenge US brands in Europe, emphasizing the importance of local payment preferences like cash on delivery in Italy. With over 3,500 A/B tests under his belt, Christian reveals surprising insights on ad creative, such as the effectiveness of bold visuals and the advantage of collection pages. His strategies offer invaluable lessons for scaling ecommerce brands across diverse markets.

Brandon Horoho, co-founder of Montana Knife Company, shares how they achieved a staggering $1.7 million over Black Friday without discounts. He reveals the secret sauce: five targeted product drops for distinct buyer personas and an aggressive email cadence. Surprisingly, he's excited when his repeat customer rate dips, highlighting his focus on attracting new buyers. Brandon also discusses VIP gifts that delight customers and the unique marketing strategies that set them apart, like curated gift boxes and rapid product launches.

Aaron Glazer, Product Lead at Shopify, shares insights on two groundbreaking features for merchants: Rollouts and SimGym. Rollouts allows for native split testing directly in the Shopify admin, empowering merchants with data-driven decisions. SimGym employs AI to simulate shopper behavior, identifying usability issues before they impact real customers. Glazer emphasizes the importance of bold testing and offers practical advice on how to leverage these tools for effective store optimization.

Shopify's latest updates are game-changers for store owners. Native A/B testing now allows for easy split testing and scheduling changes. The new SimGym can simulate user behavior to enhance conversion. Excitingly, the Product Network lets users earn commissions easily, with one earning $1,400 in just 30 days. Plus, the Shop App has soared in popularity, ranking #1 over BFCM. Learn how to leverage these tools for your business success and make the most out of the latest features.

Nehal Kazim, Founder and CEO of Ad Pros, is a seasoned performance marketer with a knack for profitability-first acquisition strategies. In this discussion, Nehal dives into the chaos sparked by Meta's Andromeda update, highlighting the costly trend of overproducing creatives. He shares insights on tracking daily new-customer margins and matching creative output to budget, emphasizing smart acquisition strategies. Plus, he reveals why focusing on high-LTV customer cohorts can optimize profits and challenges businesses to align their actions with true customer acquisition goals.

Kate Assaraf, founder of DIP Haircare and former beauty industry veteran, shares her remarkable journey of creating a million-dollar, plastic-free shampoo bar business. She discusses her decision to avoid Amazon and influencer marketing in favor of building strong local retail partnerships. Kate reveals how she built her own manufacturing facility after a partner went under, all while focusing on sustainable practices. Her unique approach highlights the power of community and ethical decision-making in a market driven by growth hacks.

Cara Marin, an e-commerce product expert at Seguno, shares groundbreaking insights from analyzing 162,000 discount code sets. She reveals that successful brands discount more intelligently with unique codes and segmentation, preserving their value while boosting sales. Surprisingly, a 10% discount can be almost as effective as 20%. Cara also discusses strategies like gift-with-purchase offers, avoiding public discounts, and the power of unique codes for tracking affiliate success. Her data-driven approach turns traditional discount strategies on their head, making this a must-listen for retailers.