Honest Ecommerce

Kris Dehnert is a serial entrepreneur and has been making money online since 2008. 

Having experience in multiple industries such as sports, hard goods, affiliate marketing, restaurants, apparel, consulting, cannabis, etc., Kris has a wealth of knowledge regarding business infrastructure, creative marketing, networking, and sales strategies. 

He is currently the CEO and co-founder of Dugout Mugs, which makes baseball bat barrels into collectible barware. 

Dugout is currently an Inc 5000 company for the past three years, surpassed $40 million in sales, distributed internationally, and is one of the fastest growing licensees in Major League Baseball.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:45] Intro
• [02:00] The man behind the idea of Dugout Mugs
• [03:16] Reaching out to a potential business partner
• [04:28] Let the audience see the product for themselves
• [05:08] Using relevance to pique people’s interests 
• [05:52] Catering to people’s behavior on social media
• [06:30] Partners don’t co-exist in the same lane
• [07:19] Showing what you can bring to the table as partner
• [08:33] Build to where you’re going
• [09:07] The importance of licensing for custom products
• [09:55] The power of networking
• [10:27] Cutting through the noise with paid ads
• [10:53] Getting & selling to as many customers as you can
• [11:28] Leveraging your email lists
• [12:15] Making the most out of UGC and reviews
• [16:57] Staying aligned with your morals and goals
• [17:54] The downside of being blinded by greed and money
• [18:19] Building and keeping a healthy work culture
• [19:47] Focusing on one task and outsourcing the rest
• [20:33] Reflecting on your skills & your role in the team
• [21:35] Doing what you like with the right people
• [22:24] Happiness over money 
• [23:10] Defining what success means to you
• [24:22] Reflection & alignment makes decision-making easier
• [24:58] Where to check out Dugout Mugs

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Personalized premium baseball bat-themed barware to enjoy the game dugoutmugs.com/
• Follow Kris Dehnert linkedin.com/in/krisdehnert/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you 

left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts

. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Chris Long is the VP of Marketing for the Go Fish Digital team. He works with unique problems and advanced search situations to help clients improve organic traffic through a deep understanding of Google's algorithm and web technology. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: (50 Characters)

• [00:45] Intro
• [01:07] ChatGPT for SEO
• [02:28] ChatGPT for more technical things
• [03:07] Utilizing ChatGPT for auditing
• [04:26] Setting up a Shopify site with the help of ChatGPT
• [06:00] Figuring out your category page strategy
• [07:16] Generating feedback from ChatGPT for page setup
• [08:08] ChatGPT for product reviews
• [08:55] Using ChatGPT to import third-party data
• [09:36] Prompting ChatGPT to create a visualization
• [10:47] Using ChatGPT for CRO and SEO
• [11:29] Embracing AI as marketers 
• [12:51] ChatGPT as a baseline for every marketer’s output
• [13:12] Marketers on ChatGPT as part of SEO workflow
• [13:56] ChatGPT vs a strong technical SEO
• [14:55] Weak mathematical functionality of ChatGPT
• [15:26] Verifying ChatGPT’s content accuracy & sensitivity
• [16:00] Checking information quality for health & finance 
• [16:34] Drawbacks of taking ChatGPT at face value
• [17:46] Technical skills made accessible by ChatGPT
• [19:01] AI tools help create new custom solutions
• [19:32] How to reach out to Go Fish Digital 

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Most-awarded, data-first digital agency in the United States by the Global Search Awards gofishdigital.com/
• Follow Chris Long on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/chris-long-marketing/
• Follow Chris Long on Twitter twitter.com/gofishchris

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you 

left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts

. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Caroline Cotto is the Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of Renewal Mill, a venture-backed startup creating a new circular economy of food by upcycling the byproducts of food manufacturing into ingredients. 

A food marketing and nutrition specialist, Caroline has experience at the UN World Food Programme in Cambodia, the White House (for Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative), Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, and HubSpot, where she ran the women’s diversity program globally. 

Caroline grew up in food, working for her family’s ice cream business in the town of Sandwich, MA. 

Caroline serves as the Board President of the Upcycled Food Association, and formerly served as a Fulbright Fellow in Taiwan.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

1. [00:00] Intro
2. [01:00] What is Renewal Mill?
3. [01:41] Validating the idea for Renewal Mill
4. [03:06] Renewal Mill’s first product
5. [04:32] Workarounds of introducing a new product
6. [05:04] Renewal Mill’s ideation process and timeline
7. [05:43] How Renewal Mill entered the Ecommerce space
8. [06:15] Driving awareness for upcycled food
9. [06:58] Renewal Mill’s B2B go-to market strategy
10. [07:50] Considering B2C to generate short-term revenue
11. [12:59] Challenges of being a new B2C business
12. [13:40] Two ways Renewal Mill overcame the challenges
13. [14:17] Driving traffic to their website through partnerships
14. [14:59] Partnerships are both a win and a challenge
15. [15:38] Finding ways to stand out from other brands
16. [16:00] Brand advocacies vs what consumers actually care about
17. [16:28] Tailor brand messages to appeal to customers
18. [16:57] Leveraging upcycling as their Unique Selling Point
19. [17:31] The power of interviewing your customers
20. [18:12] Know where customers live online and offline
21. [18:45] Staying in traditional retail for impulse buyers
22. [19:21] Limited offers to reel in loyal customers
23. [20:00] Where to support Renewal Mill

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Upcycled, crave-worthy, & climate-friendly food renewalmill.com
• Follow Caroline linkedin.com/in/carolinecotto/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
• Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Michael Hodgen is a visionary entrepreneur and the dynamic CEO of Freedom Rave Wear, a trailblazing company that designs and manufactures cutting-edge, sustainable festival clothing. 

Under Michael's leadership, Freedom Rave Wear has become a frontrunner in the festival fashion industry, known for its innovative designs, eco-friendly practices, and commitment to the community. 

Driven by a strong belief in sustainability and manufacturing, Michael has integrated environmentally friendly materials and processes into the company's operations. 

With his finger on the pulse of the latest Ecommerce trends, Michael has skillfully navigated the ever-evolving online marketplace, ensuring Freedom Rave Wear continues to thrive and expand. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:00] What is Freedom Rave Wear?
• [03:17] Validating the idea for FRW
• [04:46] Starting to grow the brand organically
• [05:53] How FRW became an online business
• [08:46] Evolving the manufacturing capacity
• [10:55] Why FRW choose to manufacture in-house
• [13:16] Production based on what the customer really wants
• [14:54] Minimums can be a limiting factor for your business
• [15:38] Apparel brands don’t have to manufacture in-house
• [16:46] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/connect
• [17:44] Sponsor: Shopify https://shopify.com/honest
• [19:26] Sponsor: Sendlane https://sendlane.com/honest
• [20:52] Cashflow advantages of not having deadstock
• [22:15] COVID was especially challenging for FRW
• [22:39] Pivoting to Fabric Punch
• [23:32] The advantages of having a micro factory
• [24:18] Having a close feedback loop with customers
• [25:40] Scaling up from “festival” customer acquisition
• [26:51] The innate synergy in FRW’s niche
• [27:57] When you should consider paid ads
• [28:42] How FRW does their paid ads
• [29:51] Where to support FRW

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Body positive, eco-friendly, & affordable reedomravewear.com
• Follow Michael linkedin.com/in/michaelhodgen
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Nik Sharma is widely known as “The DTC Guy,” a Forbes 30 Under 30 member, AdWeek’s Young & Influential, and a resource that brands and investors turn to for growth. 

Nik is the active CEO of Sharma Brands and HOOX, where clients include Feastables, Chamberlain Coffee, Roc Nation, Everlane, Jim Beam, Poo~Pourri, and more. 

Before entering the eCommerce world, Nik worked on social media strategies for A-list celebrities, including Pitbull, Priyanka Chopra, and MAGIC!, to natively increase distribution and increase fan interaction and engagement for the purpose of driving album sales.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:11] Nik’s timeline in Ecom
• [02:06] Landing pages and why you need them
• [04:27] Why brands don’t use landing pages
• [04:57] How you should approach landing pages
• [06:48] Higher conversion rates with landing pages
• [08:50] Landing pages are just one piece of the puzzle
• [09:19] The importance of a sales angle
• [12:02] The equal amounts of “push and pull sections”
• [13:23] It can take multiple CTAs to make customers act
• [13:47] Differentiating sales from conversion events
• [14:37] How conversion events help ad platforms
• [17:17] Scenario: Consulting a $1M brand to go 5 -10X
• [18:41] The Office’s definition of merchandising
• [20:31] Reduce the complexity of your offers
• [20:59] Landing pages for high AOV brands
• [21:55] Determining if email is for retention/acquisition
• [22:40] Parsing out content through different channels
• [23:24] The easiest trick for landing pages
• [24:13] Building out landing pages for mostly education
• [25:43] DIY landing pages and other platforms
• [27:52] How Nik got his passion from landing pages
• [29:38] The idea and model of HOOX
• [31:05] Where to find HOOX

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Branding services are designed to grow, operate, and advise DTC brands in the digital landscape to meet their full potential sharmabrands.com
• Landing pages that unlock more efficient advertising spend  hoox.co
• Follow Nik linkedin.com/in/mrniksharma
• Subscribe to Nik’s newsletter - nik.co/subscribe 
• Follow Nik on Twitter - @mrsharma
• The only landing page builder to combine 10 years of conversion data with the power of AI unbounce.com
• Shopify pages without the dev time replo.app

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Annie Slabotsky and Morgan Lerner are the co-founders of GoNanas, a women-owned, vegan, gluten-free, and top allergen-free banana bread company at the forefront of the #1 comfort food trend. 

Since the company's inception, Annie and Morgan have launched GoNanas into 2,000 retail locations globally, including Whole Foods and Target. 

They have also earned appearances on QVC, Good Morning America, and in Forbes, and USA Today.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:59] The types of products that GoNanas is selling
• [01:27] Where the idea of GoNanas came from
• [02:21] Shelf life of baked loaves vs bread mix
• [02:47] Was the pivot immediate or calculated?
• [03:39] Killing off the first product line
• [05:18] Capitalizing on the viral traction
• [06:17] The split between wholesale and retail channels
• [07:24] More tips for going to retail as a CPG brand
• [08:41] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [09:38] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest
• [11:04] How GoNanas gets customers for D2C
• [12:55] What GoNanas would have done before
• [14:02] You can never really be hands-off
• [15:39] How the wholesale part of GoNanas work with D2C
• [17:29] Innovation helps guide you to success
• [18:09] Always evaluate your strategy regularly
• [18:49] Create systems as you grow
• [19:26] Where to support GoNanas

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• #notyournanas banana bread eatgonanas.com
• Follow Annie linkedin.com/in/annieslabotsky
• Follow Morgan linkedin.com/in/morgan-lerner
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/hones

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Peter Reitano is a founder, operator, and investor with 15 + years of experience in the consumer brand and advertising world.

Deeply passionate about all things that enable meaningful connections & better health. 

In addition to leading several businesses through periods of high-growth and acquisition, Peter sits on multiple boards, has a successful fundraising track-record, international exposure and transaction experience.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:13] What are Mojo products?
• [02:04] How Peter got started in the industry
• [04:21] Next step: Acting on the idea you have
• [06:40] Mojo’s go-to-market strategy
• [08:16] Broad targeting vs narrow targeting
• [09:26] Copy and creative drives results
• [09:58] Budget allocation for customer acquisition
• [11:58] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [12:56] Sponsor: Shopify shopify.com/honest
• [14:38] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest
• [16:04] Blending paid and organic strategies
• [16:53] How PR helps in retargeting 
• [17:32] Mojo’s content play
• [18:27] Launching a brand in a “controlled” category
• [21:24] Challenges of CBD brands
• [22:42] Peter’s history in agencies and Academy
• [26:58] Agencies should at least try to launch a brand 
• [28:25] Where to support Mojo
• [28:47] Where to support Academy

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Mushroom gummies boosting focus, productivity, mood & energy mojo.shop
• Content agency built for strategic performance madebyacademy.com
• Provides psychedelic support to better the well through science, education, and products gwellamushrooms.com
• Connect with Peter linkedin.com/in/peterreitano
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

With over 20 years launching and operating high growth, high volume beauty and medical aesthetics businesses, Shay oversees a broad purview of business operations for her two businesses, including recruitment, training and education, sales, and employee relations. 

Currently, she functions as Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Kucumber Skin Lounge, a leading multi location medical spa in the Pacific Northwest, and Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Viktor Michael, a new pre and post injection Recovery Care Collection proven to defy downtime by up to 50%.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:54] What are Viktor Michael products?
• [01:17] Where the idea for Viktor Michael come from
• [03:41] The 4 ingredients that they started on
• [04:54] Meeting chemists and formulation
• [08:06] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [09:03] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest
• [10:29] How long from concept to version 1.0?
• [11:16] Branching out from brick and mortar customers
• [13:41] Being chosen for Bridge Mentorship for TBV
• [14:48] Don’t be afraid to stop
• [16:36] Where to find and support Viktor Michael

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Luxury Pre & Post Injection Recovery Care viktormichael.com
• Connect with Shay linkedin.com/in/shay-sim-4579ba260
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Gina is a long-time operator and advisor in the consumer industry. 

She started her career in Email and Content Management and has since emerged as one of the industry’s most pronounced thought leaders on all things customer experience and retention. 

5 years ago, she and her co-founder, Pierson Krass, set out to start a different kind of agency. 

Lunar Solar Group was built on the idea that technology empowers e-commerce brands to scale. 

Gina has worked on launching and scaling brands like Olipop, Super Coffee, Lemon Perfect, and many other leading e-commerce brands that you all know and love. 

Most recently, Gina co-founded Stay Ai which is the subscription platform for modern e-commerce brands where she currently operates the company’s CEO.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:54] What is Stay Ai and what does it solve?
• [02:07] How Gina became passionate about subscriptions
• [03:59] Lunar Solar Group: Clients, solutions, evolution
• [05:18] Building and selling KnoCommerce
• [07:50] From an agency to building an app
• [09:42] Where Stay Ai came from
• [11:54] Acquiring Retention Engine
• [15:21] The advantage of being specific in your outcome
• [15:55] Always have an exit strategy
• [17:04] No one has gone public in the Shopify ecosystem
• [17:37] The sign of a mature entrepreneur
• [18:40] The 3 things that make Stay Ai unique
• [21:40] Subscription tips and tricks
• [22:49] Where to support Stay Ai

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Connect with Gina linkedin.com/in/ginaperrelli
• Providing revolutionary subscription management software stay.ai
• Providing Ecommerce and digital marketing services that drive transformational growth for our clients lunarsolargroup.com
• The customer survey platform built for Ecommerce brands /knocommerce.com

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Ravi Kurani has dedicated his career to water safety. From his early days as a pool boy for his father's pool and spa business to the founder of Sutro, Ravi has always wondered why everyone can’t have clean water. 

This feeling solidified when he was in India with First Light Ventures Fund and Village Capital. 

He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Riverside, MBA in International Finance from Middlebury College, and a Certificate from Stanford University in Renewable Energy Systems. 

He believes that being an entrepreneur is an honor he must earn daily since it gives him the ability to solve problems that not only make money but help society.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:01] What are Sutro’s products?
• [01:59] Where the idea of Sutro came from
• [03:22] The gap in the market and the first prototype
• [05:35] The next step after building the prototype
• [07:52] Finding the first customers to test the product
• [09:31] Removing the “human element”
• [11:38] Changing the business model due to the pandemic
• [13:09] Getting the product into customers’ eyes
• [14:35] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [15:32] Sponsor: Shopify shopify.com/honest
• [17:14] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest
• [18:54] Find the right people
• [20:10] Understand that the world is always changing
• [21:36] Strategy vs Tactics
• [22:32] Where to find Sutro

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The world's leading water testing device mysutro.com
• A podcast about water through the lens of business, technology, and policy liquidassets.cc
• Connect with Ravi linkedin.com/in/kuraniravi
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Take your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honest
  Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period
• Schedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honest

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!