Up Arrow Podcast

Casey Armstrong is the CMO of ShipBob, a global omni-fulfillment platform providing businesses access to the best-in-class supply chain and fulfillment capabilities. Over the past five years, Casey has overseen the marketing, partnership, and growth teams. Before joining ShipBob, he was the VP of Marketing at BigCommerce, where he led the digital, content and SEO, growth and CRO, and other marketing and operations teams. Casey is passionate about helping startup companies establish growth and marketing strategies. In this episode… eCommerce has become an increasingly competitive market — prompting the need for innovative marketing strategies. In efforts to scale their companies, some e-commerce brands have invested resources in delivering their products to a global market, partnering with popular retail stores, and prioritizing a personalized experience for consumers. What strategies can you implement to scale quickly while increasing your profit margin?  Brand originality is a valuable currency in the e-commerce industry. Your marketing strategy must captivate and compel your target audience to purchase your product over competitors. But in a saturated market, novel marketing tactics are rare. Rather than spending marketing dollars on reinventing the wheel, Casey Armstrong advises e-commerce brands to borrow strategies from influential brands to inspire their marketing approaches. As your brand grows in popularity, partnering with a third-party logistics (3PL) company relieves you of fulfillment duties — allowing you to focus solely on growing your business. On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Casey Armstrong, CMO of ShipBob, to discuss trending e-commerce marketing strategies and the benefits of incorporating 3PL into your business model. Casey shares how borrowing influential brands’ strategies can maximize your profit margins and explains why simplifying your goals makes business decisions effortless.

Raphael Paulin-Daigle is the Founder and CEO of SplitBase, a conversion optimization and landing page agency helping e-commerce companies increase conversion rates and profit margins. As a digital marketing consultant, Raphael has helped leading brands add millions to their bottom line, including Dr. Squatch, Hyperice, and L’Oréal. He is also the host of the Minds of Ecommerce Podcast, where he interviews e-commerce brand executives on top growth strategies. In this episode… The ascent of e-commerce requires companies to compile user data to determine effective marketing strategies that resonate with their target audiences. Brands who understand their customer base can anticipate the user journey and control the narrative, leading to an increase in conversion rates. Which strategies can you implement to yield favorable conversion rates? CRO converts brand consumers into lifetime customers. There are numerous tests brands can implement to increase their conversion rates — some more favorable than others. Platforms like Twitter provide inspiration when assembling CRO tactics, but developing a promising strategy begins with customer research. Raphael Paulin-Daigle refers to this method as conversion research. While other companies prioritize trending test strategies, directly asking customers qualitative questions provides them with an optimal user experience.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Raphael Paulin-Daigle, Founder and CEO of SplitBase, to discuss the particulars of CRO and the best strategies for optimal conversion results. Raphael shares the purpose of CRO, which testing strategies to avoid, CRO strategies worth pursuing, and why asking the right questions provides better insights than trending tests.

Alexandra (Alex) Greifeld is the Founder of No Best Practices, a website dedicated to helping marketers drive profitable growth by understanding consumer behavior. Alex has over a decade of experience in the e-commerce and digital marketing industries at Fortune 500 media brands, bootstrapped companies, and global names like Coach and Kate Spade. She is passionate about helping brands leverage the relationship between their customer and merchandise to break through growth plateaus. In this episode… Thought leaders inundate marketers with best practices for scaling businesses — without having hands-on experience in e-commerce. While valuable, this advice is not always applicable or beneficial. What strategies are worth pursuing if popular practices are irrelevant to authentic business growth?  It’s unrealistic to assume applying universal marketing strategies to all businesses will reap the same reward. Differing missions, values, and goals require unique methods to reflect a business’ purpose. Alex Greifeld, an expert in the e-commerce and marketing industries, discredits widespread marketing tactics. Her alternative perspective provides brands with an understanding of how to market themselves to their customer base. On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Alex Greifeld, Founder of No Best Practices, to discuss why brands can’t rely solely on best practices for business growth. Alex explains how feedback loops between ads and merchandising help drive profitability. She also shares why wholesalers struggle in the e-commerce space and advises brands to prioritize their marketing strategies.

Kunle Campbell is the Co-founder of Octillion Capital Partners, a value-driven, digital native consumer brand platform acquiring, operating, and growing an ecosystem of brands in the health, beauty, and food and beverage industries. As an outsourced e-commerce CMO and advisor for DTC product businesses, Kunle coaches retail teams to unlock growth through acquisition, CLV, and UX optimization. Kunle is also an international speaker, author, and the host of the 2X eCommerce podcast, where he has interviewed over 450 e-commerce leaders on industry insights. In this episode… One of the benefits of being a business owner is having the freedom to grow your brand using in-house resources — saving you money as the company gains traction. Maintaining momentum requires you to revisit your current business strategy and make calculated adjustments to achieve the next milestone. What actions can you take to scale your business today?  Businesses can only grow so much without outside reinforcement from marketing and brand specialists. E-commerce advisor Kunle Campbell wrote E-Commerce Growth Strategy to provide entrepreneurs with a resource to kickstart their growth journey. His emphasis on customer-centric strategies educates entrepreneurs on how creating a brand persona influences consumer behavior — which is quantifiable for data collection.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Kunle Campbell, Co-founder of Octillion Capital Partners, to discuss how to take your e-commerce business to the next level. Kunle provides a synopsis of the six core pillars highlighted in his book and dissects the three most critical to brand growth. Tune in to learn how to cultivate your company’s narrative, use data discipline to attract consumers, and leverage human psychology in your marketing strategy.

Karan Jassar is the Founder and CEO of Socioh, a digital advertising platform for e-commerce brands to create and run profitable ads on Facebook and Instagram. Karan is the technical architect of the company’s first-party pixel and branded catalog and consults eight and nine-figure brands on improving meta-ad performance. With 17 years of experience in the technology industry, he has in-depth knowledge of advertising and ad optimization with a specialization in AI. Before founding Socioh, Karan was a Senior Manager at Yahoo, where he helped create its new search optimization engine. In this episode… Evolving regulations on social platforms directly affect how e-commerce brands manage marketing campaigns and conduct business. While major platforms like Facebook are leading the branding revolution, improvements must be made to prioritize building customer relationships. What are the downfalls of these upcoming developments, and how can you discern the most efficient ad campaign strategies?  By 2024, it’s estimated brands advertising on Facebook will be required to set up a shop through the platform. A one-stop shop is strategic from a business perspective, but until the user experience improves, e-commerce brands are hindered from building customer relationships. Karan Jassar, an e-commerce branding expert, explains Facebook’s strategy is ideal for attracting new customers, but lacks in providing brands with essential customer data. He recommends reviewing campaign performance to determine which channels are yielding desirable results.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Karan Jassar, Founder and CEO of Socioh, to discuss how ad campaigns contribute to brand success. Karan shares how pixels affect ad campaigns, Facebook’s influence on the marketing industry, and the differences between cash and accrual-based accounting. He also advises how long a campaign should run and strategies to produce a successful ad.

Chris Carey is the Co-founder of Modern Automotive Performance (MAP), a high-growth e-commerce manufacturing company serving the automotive industry. In 2006, Chris launched the company using a bedroom closet to store inventory, and by 2011, MAP ranked #403 on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing privately held companies in the US. He sold MAP to Enthusiast Enterprises in 2020, generating $44 million in revenue.  His thoughts regarding entrepreneurship, e-commerce, and leadership development have been published in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. magazine, and Minnesota Business. Chris is a General Partner at Traction Capital, where he adds value to portfolio companies, assists with acquisition initiatives, and furthers his knowledge of venture capital and private equity. In this episode… The process of building and launching a business takes such an emotional, physical, and mental toll that most early-stage entrepreneurs wouldn’t dream of selling their company. As the years go by, it’s inevitable for business owners to consider the next phase for themselves and their organization. If selling your business is in your best interest, how can you prepare for a seamless transition?  Entrepreneurs are advised to begin the exit process well in advance to ensure the company is prepared and ready to hand off to the succeeding owner. Chris Carey, a post-exit entrepreneur, didn’t hesitate to begin his due diligence upon recognizing his company’s valuation had peaked and he was ready for a new challenge. In doing so, he gave himself adequate time to increase revenue and reduce overhead before burning out. Chris attributes his graceful business exit to a structured EOS and a supportive peer group through EO — and he recommends fellow entrepreneurs take advantage of these resources.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Chris Carey, the former Co-founder of Modern Automotive Performance (MAP), to discuss the resources that helped him prepare for his exit from MAP. Chris delves into MAP’s origin story, the motivation behind creating a product line, and how his role as an executive affected his physical health. He also explains why establishing an EOS and joining EO is beneficial for entrepreneurial success.

Brad Sorock is the Founder and Owner of Returns For Sale, a universal marketplace designed to list and monetize returned products. Since his debut in the e-commerce industry in 1999, Brad has helped launch over 50 websites and is knowledgeable in distribution, internet strategy, SEO, and fulfillment. He is also the Founder and Owner of Loftopia, a lifestyle entrepreneurial business, and the Owner of Kestrel AU, a company importing, marketing, and distributing weather meters to Australia and New Zealand. In this episode... Entrepreneurs are known for their dedication to innovation. A hard work ethic is commendable but can be dangerous without instilling personal boundaries. How can you balance your schedule to make time for professional deadlines and personal interests?  Pivotal life events compel us to contemplate where we spend our time and energy — and if we use our precious time wisely. Brad Sorock, an entrepreneur in the e-commerce industry, learned what practicing gratitude meant after a near-death experience resulting from contracting COVID-19. After doctors confirmed he had hours to live, he could do nothing except embrace a positive mindset. He lives to tell the tale of how his inevitable mortality has conjured a desire to live life to the fullest. As hustle culture threatens mental and emotional health, Brad encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to create structure and balance in their personal and professional lives.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Brad Sorock, Founder and Owner of Returns For Sale, who shares how his near-death experience from COVID-19 positively impacted his perspective on life. This is an in-depth discussion on the lifestyle changes Brad made post-recovery, how positive thinking impacts the human psyche, the value of exercising compassion, and practical ways to avoid hustle culture that motivate you to rethink your priorities.

Allen Burt is the Founder and CEO of Blue Stout, a conversion rate optimization (CRO) platform helping eight-figure brands increase conversion rates, revenue, and profit through A/B testing and site optimization on Shopify Plus. In 12 months, Allen’s clients averaged a 25% increase in conversion rates, over $1 million in additional revenue, and more than 20 times ROI through his services. As a serial entrepreneur, he has co-founded several startups and e-commerce brands, including Executor.org and Offmap. In this episode… Owning a business goes far beyond leadership ability and attention to detail. To grow your brand, you have to develop and optimize marketing strategies. Businesses can implement any marketing strategy at their leisure, but without conversion rate optimization (CRO), their efforts won’t reflect in their ROI. What should you know about CRO, and how can you implement this strategy to boost profits?  Unlike other marketing strategies where your budget is spent appealing to a new audience, CRO increases revenue by focusing on your current consumers. Allen Burt, a CRO expert, recommends businesses pull back on ad spending and transfer those marketing dollars to CRO strategies. By implementing CRO, brands will spend the same amount of money to understand their audience and increase overall profits.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Allen Burt, Founder and CEO of Blue Stout, to discuss leveraging CRO testing for maximum revenue increase. Allen details why CRO is the most profitable marketing investment, how to leverage buyer psychology in the testing stage, and the efficiency of prioritizing incremental wins using CRO strategies. He also explains how to balance gut-driven decision-making with data-driven methods and his philosophy on work ethic.

Katharine McKee is the Founder of Morphology Consulting, a digital commerce consultancy relying on algorithmic structure to optimize company strategies, increasing profitability and growth. As a Fortune 500 e-commerce strategist, startup advisor, and digital commerce expert, Katharine specializes in data and analytics. She has spent 15 years building digital commerce capabilities for leading CPG and luxury brands. Katharine has contributed her thoughts on e-commerce and retail-related topics to Forbes, Business Insider, and Authority Magazine. In 2022, she was recognized in Forbes Next 1000 and ranked #30 among the Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers by Retail Technology Innovation Hub. In this episode… The evolution of marketing has made brand promotion easily accessible and convenient for company use. However, in some instances, quick marketing strategies can be a detriment to your business. Which strategies work against your marketing goals, and which are worth pursuing?  It’s easy to opt for quick marketing solutions, such as paying for ads on other platforms. In the short-term, these efforts seem like the best option. The caveat to these solutions are that you spend valuable marketing dollars trying to convince an audience to purchase your product. Katharine McKee, an e-commerce expert and startup advisor, has mentored brands on furthering their influence by focusing on manageable business aspects. She recommends removing large images from your website, targeting your intended audience, and considering your marketing efforts from the consumer’s perspective.  On this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Katharine McKee, Founder of Morphology Consulting, to discuss how businesses can improve their marketing efforts. Katharine shares inefficient marketing processes to avoid and provides valuable methods with proven success. She also explains why information is more valuable than product images.

Cindy Marshall is the Founder and CEO of SHINE Strategy, a strategic consulting company committed to helping brands drive profit and ROI. She is also the Chief Digital Officer at Jane, a curated marketplace with more than 2,000 shops. As an accomplished chief marketing officer, Cindy has developed working relationships with over 50 well-known brands, including Vera Bradley, Performance Bicycle, Strand Bookstore, Annie Selke, and LL Bean. Beyond her efforts as a company head, Cindy serves as a board member of the Women in Retail Leadership Circle, an elite women’s society of executives at leading retailers and brands. In this episode… Direct-to-consumer (DTC) is an e-commerce marketing strategy where brands sell products directly to consumers. In addition to benefiting manufacturers, the DTC model offers consumers advantages like higher lifetime values, improved relationships, and effortless omnichannel experiences. Despite the many pros of DTC marketing, the model also presents several cons. The DTC e-commerce industry experiences widespread complications with marketing strategies such as paid search, feed optimization, and performance max campaigns. However, marketing strategists like Cindy Marshall provide solutions through the use of a roadmap. Roadmaps are campaign evaluations offering insights on brand logistics and the changes needed for business growth. The process includes strategic and content planning, data management integration, and talent solutions. In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Cindy Marshall, Founder and CEO of SHINE Strategy, to talk about DTC marketing strategies. Cindy discusses the SHINE roadmap, common challenges in the retail industry, and universal e-commerce branding advice.