Up Arrow Podcast

Katie Richardson founded Puj, an internationally successful multimillion-dollar company with distribution across thousands of stores and numerous countries. Her innovative work has graced popular shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Today Show, and the Rachael Ray Show and has landed her on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine. As an executive business coach, Katie empowers founders and CEOs by teaching essential mindsets, skills, and tools for robust business operations and purposeful living. A highly creative individual, she shares tactics for business growth, effective branding, and the importance of personal development for comprehensive success. In this episode… Have you ever tried to fulfill your potential while being pulled in different directions? You can turn this dilemma into a compelling brand narrative that connects with people worldwide. Today’s guest’s story demonstrates how balancing life's dimensions with strategic thinking opens doors to unexpected opportunities. So how did she pull this off? After her company experienced explosive growth and became featured in national television shows, design and leadership expert Katie Richardson struggled to be all things to all people. To solve her multifaceted entrepreneurial dilemma and meet customers’ needs, she created products that resonated with consumers emotionally. She maintains that infusing human values into every aspect of your company personalizes your brand, fosters customer loyalty, and leads to organic PR opportunities. Additionally, Katie says to shift your business model to prioritize personal development and wellness, ensuring you can sustain the demands of entrepreneurship. In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris talks with Katie Richardson, the Founder of Puj, about weaving resilience and savvy branding into business growth. Katie illustrates the profound impact of storytelling through product experiences, the courage needed to reinvent oneself, and the empowering shift from a single-goal focus to a multifaceted approach to life and business.

Matt Bertulli, Co-founder and CEO of Pela Case and Lomi, discusses DTC success strategies including strong leadership, inventory management, and diversified advertising channels. He emphasizes curiosity and communication as key traits for CEOs to build valuable relationships and surpass competition by focusing on specialties. The podcast covers topics such as acquisition strategies, offline recommendations, inventory management, mental health breaks, and celebrity influencers.

Shani Bocian is the Co-founder and CEO of Allermi, a personalized DTC allergy medicine. She founded the company with her father, an Allergy and Immunology Professor at Stanford University, who had been developing a comprehensive allergy medication. Since Allermi’s launch, Shani has raised over $4.7 million and grew the company over 1,000% in 2023. In this episode… Millions of people suffer from allergies, yet many medications only target one symptom, and consumers must browse an open market to determine the most effective treatment for their symptoms. Personalized DTC medicine has emerged as an alternative to traditional treatments, allowing consumers more autonomy over their healthcare journeys. How can DTC healthcare companies target customers with precision? After suffering from chronic allergies for years, DTC entrepreneur Shani Bocian recognized a more effective way to treat symptoms and achieve long-term relief. By developing a single formula that incorporates multiple medications, companies can target customers with diverse needs. When building a consumer base, Shani says to differentiate yourself from mass-market brands by showcasing credibility and emphasizing customization. Customer retention and loyalty are integral to sustaining a DTC medicine brand, so you can offer free trials and employ subscription models and referral programs to drive sales and growth.  In today’s Up Arrow Podcast episode, William Harris hosts Shani Bocian, the Co-founder and CEO of Allermi, to talk about the rise of DTC medicine. Shani explains how she built a nine-figure e-commerce store, how Allermi provides personalized and accessible healthcare, and the obstacles she faced scaling her brand.

Josh Behr is the Founder and CEO of AMB Interactive, a leading email and SMS marketing agency enabling e-commerce businesses to grow their revenue and customer loyalty. With over nine years of digital marketing experience, he has worked with the world’s most renowned apparel brands managing email lists, launching viral campaigns, and generating millions of dollars in sales. Josh is a Klaviyo elite partner and a speaker at various industry events, sharing the latest trends and best practices in email and SMS marketing. In this episode… If your email list has more than a few hundred thousand contacts, you should probably consider segmenting it. Many of these users have never engaged beyond merely visiting your website and are hurting your profitability. How can you personalize your emails to target repeat customers? Josh Behr, an email marketing thought leader, segmented his email list from two million after receiving thousands of customer service complaints with each email sent. He recommends segmenting lists based on viewing and purchasing habits and personalizing emails by mentioning recently viewed products in the subject lines. You can also collect customer profile information based on their purchases, including size and color, further curating the experience. Rather than focusing exclusively on open and click rates, export your email campaigns periodically to assess viewed product and checkout rates.  In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris joins Josh Behr, the Founder and CEO of AMB Interactive, who shares email personalization tactics. Josh explains why you shouldn’t rely on anonymous user tracking, contact enrichment for B2C companies, and the significance of email designs.

Jonathan Sorkenn is the Senior Vice President of Evergreen Trading, a media investment agency powered by trade. In his role, he originates, executes, and manages corporate trade partnerships and oversees the company’s real estate practice. With over 10 years of corporate trading transactional experience, Jonathan has been involved in numerous pioneering trade transactions, creating innovative structures for the corporate trade industry. As a licensed real estate broker, he has more than 25 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, having served as the Director of Real Estate Capital Markets and Investment Banking at PricewatershouseCoopers Securities LLC. In this episode… Inflation and other economic pressures are building up, and e-commerce brands are facing supply chain disruptions, forcing them to liquidate excess inventory and other assets. Rather than relinquishing merchandise and confronting major financial losses, brands can trade their assets for media. So what’s involved in this process, and how can brands maximize asset value? Media trading and investing involves selling unusable assets to media buyers who exchange additional ad spend for a discounted cost. Through this method, brands receive media credits of equal value to their unused inventory, eliminating the loss that occurs from wholesaling those assets. While this seems like a straightforward option, many brands are hesitant since they often outsource media buying to an ad agency. Yet this presents a greater risk and yields less of a return, so trade partnership facilitator Jonathan Sorkenn recommends partnering with independent trade agencies to optimize your supply chain and save money on media ads. These corporations collaborate with marketing and finance departments to enhance value. In this Up Arrow Podcast episode, William Harris sits down with Jonathan Sorkenn, the Senior Vice President of Evergreen Trading, to talk about how to convert your assets to media. Jonathan discusses the ideal candidates for media trading, how he facilitated a triple-win for a customer, and how to buy and sell media effectively.

Chase Mohseni is the Chief Marketing Officer at Heatmap.com, which provides revenue attribution and AI insights. In his role, he constructs innovative CRO software. Chase has built various B2B SaaS companies, including Creative OS and Pencil, where he was the Head of Marketing and Growth. In this episode… If you’re trying to increase conversions, there are a few statistics you should know. 70% of your traffic will leave your website in under three seconds, and 75% of these people don’t scroll past 30% of the first page. Given these staggering facts, it’s crucial to develop engagement tactics above the fold of your website. How can you optimize conversion rates without your consumers having to scroll? Above-the-fold engagement efforts incentivize users to take action beyond the first page. Conversion attribution frontrunner Chase Mohseni has determined seven fundamental standards for above-the-fold conversion rate optimization. 80% of website traffic originates from mobile devices, so he suggests designing your website for these first to ensure a seamless user experience. You should also include a CTA that provides value for your consumers and facilitates the next step of their journey. Similarly, any announcement pop-ups should include a hyperlinked offer, and they must appear on the page long enough to capture the user. While text blocks should never exceed three lines, the font should be at least 14 px to accommodate mobile users. Your above-the-fold page can also include social proof or testimonials, encouraging consumers to make an eventual purchase.  Join William Harris in today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast as he welcomes Chase Mohseni, the CMO of Heatmap.com, to talk about above-the-fold CRO. He shares the CRO metrics brands should track, why building software is like baking a cake, how nostalgia drives conversions, and the most detrimental CRO mistakes.

Nicholas Weiksner is the CEO and Founding Partner of South Col, an accelerator fund partnering with e-commerce brands to maximize sale value. With experience in venture capital and private equity, his skills include finance, negotiation, business planning, and mergers and acquisitions. Before South Col, Nicholas served as the CFO for SellersFunding, a global fintech company, and worked as an Investment Banker for Thomas Weisel Partners and Bear Stearns. He also held operational roles at fast-growing tech companies and for the San Francisco 49ers, where he managed sales for their $1.2 billion stadium. In this episode… Many people with eCommerce companies that reach the $10-30 million mark consider selling or exiting. This can be a valuable opportunity for founders looking to kickstart their next endeavors. What should you know about getting acquired, and how can you position your business as an attractive option to potential buyers? eCommerce M&A facilitator Nicholas Weiksner maintains that your numbers are the most valuable aspect of your business. While finances and accounting aren’t sexy, you must gain visibility into each transaction and expense to identify inconsistencies and modify your processes. Eliminating products, services, or processes that stunt growth optimizes profitability for a sale. Additionally, potential buyers evaluate your multiples, so by aligning your metrics with current market trends, you can increase them. This may involve accelerating customer engagement tactics to drive additional sales, developing models like subscriptions to generate recurring revenue, or expanding your top-line products. Aside from knowing your numbers, Nicholas encourages founders to establish a few objectives and focus solely on accomplishing them to advance acquisition prospects. Join William Harris in today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast as he invites Nicholas Weiksner, the CEO and Founding Partner of South Col, to speak about preparing your e-commerce brand for an acquisition. Nicholas talks about forecasting your brand’s future, his market projections for 2024, and how his friend happened to date Jerry Seinfeld.

Kristian Hansen is the Founder and CEO of the sl∅ fashion company, which produces sustainable, functional, and handcrafted made-to-order denim. Having generated a $360,000 precede, a 100,000-person waitlist, and $10 million of projected revenue, Kristian and his team have redefined building companies through community. He grew the company from a single TikTok post to a community igniting the slow fashion revolution. In this episode… In recent decades, the fashion industry has relied on mass production, with thousands of garments manufactured daily, leading to massive amounts of waste and environmental deterioration. Additionally, the fast fashion model only allows for standardized sizes, limiting consumers’ choices. Slow fashion has emerged to counteract this trend, addressing sustainability and availability concerns. How can fashion brands leverage this model to expand their customer base and grow their businesses? Fast fashion companies aim to fit as many consumers as possible into a single sizing set. By allowing customers to select their ideal size, fit, and fabric, fashion brands can offer made-to-order, tailored garments that expand accessibility while reducing potential waste from unworn products. While this model is more expensive and takes time, the products are of higher quality and last longer, saving consumers money in the long run. As an early pioneer of slow fashion, Kristian Hansen has built a loyal community and generated widespread engagement through organic TikTok content. He notes that remaining transparent and authentic about the unethical practices of traditional fashion is imperative in facilitating education and gaining valuable feedback to scale. In today’s Up Arrow Podcast episode, William Harris chats with Kristian Hansen, the Founder and CEO of the sl∅ fashion company, about revolutionizing slow and sustainable fashion. Kristian describes how he generates a consistent feedback loop, the challenges he faced launching his brand, and the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry.

David Brier is the President and Creative Director of DBD International, Ltd., a branding consultancy that helps design and build global, regional, and local brands. As a branding expert, he is the recipient of over 330 international industry awards in branding, rebrands, design, and brand strategy. He received the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship medallion and has been featured in Adweek, Forbes, Inc., Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and numerous podcasts. David is also the author of the award-winning book Brand Intervention: 33 Steps to Transform the Brand You Have into the Brand You Need. In this episode… Branding involves more than simply developing a clever name and eye-catching packaging to drive repeat sales. You must generate loyalty through post-purchase efforts and differentiate yourself from the competition. Yet 95% of brands ignore post-sale branding, blending in with the millions of other brands in their category. How can you rise above the noise to assert your dominance in the market? Branding interventionist David Brier urges brands not to be tentative in their efforts. Instead, communicate your values, mission, and personality with a sense of conviction and be bold in your endeavors. To differentiate yourself authentically, evaluate your competitors, look ahead into the future, and pivot based on the insights you’ve gathered. When it comes to generating lifetime value, you must provide customers with compelling reasons to engage with your brand post-sale. Rather than spamming them with countless emails promoting similar products, reimagine how your brand can function in consumers’ lives beyond the initial purchase.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, David Brier, the President and Creative Director of DBD International, Ltd., joins William Harris to reveal revolutionary brand-building strategies. David shares when you should consider a brand intervention, how to develop a recognizable brand, and how to obtain buy-in from senior executives.

Stephanie Pugliese is a seasoned executive, board member, and the former President of the Americas at Under Armour. With over 30 years of retail experience, she has led high-growth international and multichannel brands. Before Under Armour, Stephanie was the CEO and President of Duluth Trading, where she grew the brand from a privately held entrepreneurial small business to an IPO. In this episode… The life and role of a CEO is no cakewalk. When you’re tasked with managing an entire organization’s growth, it can feel almost impossible to prioritize your endeavors, foster team trust, and balance your personal life simultaneously. How can you optimize your leadership to achieve goals for the company and yourself? Having grown acclaimed brands and companies from the private to the public eye, experienced CEO Stephanie Pugliese has established herself as a respected and versatile leader. When undertaking considerable leadership endeavors, you must be committed to your goals and maintain optimal effort to achieve them. Yet even when trying your hardest, Stephanie says you can’t always give 100% of yourself, but you can make progress by showing up and remaining authentic. Additionally, building rapport with your team is crucial, so consider fostering genuine conversations to create personal connections and demonstrating your professional skills to gain respect. On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Stephanie Pugliese, the former President of the Americas at Under Armour, to talk about how she became a respected CEO. Stephanie shares how to scale past $100 million in annual revenue, the role of authenticity in corporate settings, and how she balances her personal and professional life.