Honest Ecommerce

Michael Kuech Michael is half of the powerhouse team behind Your Super, one of the biggest superfood brands in the U.S. and Europe. 

In just over 8 years, Your Super transformed from zero to hero, with a whopping $200 million in revenue and a successful exit in October 2022. But this wasn't an ordinary business venture. 

This was personal. Michael's cancer diagnosis at age 24 inspired him to consider the power of food as medicine. 

After his recovery, he started experimenting with superfood mixes to boost his immunity and, with the help of his partner and now wife, Kristel de Groot, they created Your Super. 

From humble beginnings in Amsterdam, Michael led the company as CEO to quickly spread across six continents, 60+ countries and was named the fastest-growing Food & Beverage company in 2021 by Inc. Magazine. 

With headquarters in the U.S., Your Super has helped millions of people to change their lifestyles and feel better with the power of plants. Formerly employed by big names like Accenture and Deutsche Bank, Michael is today a sought-after industry leader, CEO, speaker, author, and e-commerce expert and is regularly featured in Forbes, TED, Inc., Cheddar TV, Good Day L.A., and The Doctors. 

Kristel and Michael recently published their newest book Your Super Life, and you can keep up with them on the top-ranking Your Super Life Podcast, their site kristelandmichael.com, and on social @kristelandmichael.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:53] What are Your Super’s products?
• [01:31] Why Your Super is personal for Michael
• [04:17] Personal solution to business potential
• [05:50] Michael’s advice to someone scared to start 
• [06:38] How Your Super got its first customers
• [08:06] Feedback becoming a crucial factor for Your Super
• [10:42] The importance of emotional connection
• [12:17] Focus on simplicity and what you’re good at
• [13:26] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [14:22] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO jsonld.app
• [15:40] Sponsor: Retention.com retention.com/honest
• [16:31] Max out your working channels before expanding
• [18:17] The channels that Your Super was focused on
• [19:35] Michael’s book: Your Super Life
• [20:49] Find your passion, build your business around it

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Get the Your Super Life book at your favorite book store: Barnes & Noble, Booksamllion, Target, Amazon, Walmart, etc 
• Follow them on IG on @kristelandmichael and @yoursuperfoods
• Learn more on kristelandmichael.com and yoursuper.com
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.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 is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully invested in and launched eight businesses, two of which have been acquired. 

As one of the creators of the wildly popular and recently acquired Gentleman's Box, a high-end subscription box for men, Chris has spoken to aspiring entrepreneurs and established industry professionals at events like Digital Summit, SubSummit and several academic institutions such as Columbia Business School and George Washington University. 

His strong business acumen and understanding of the role of marketing and branding solidify him as a leading force in the realm of entrepreneurs. 

Propelled by the notion that you can always give back, Chris regularly supports emerging brands by investing in and mentoring individuals and companies that lead with purpose over profit.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:51] What is SubSummit?
• [01:22] The start of Chris’s entrepreneurial journey
• [02:32] The tech they used for Gentleman’s Box
• [03:10] Launching own brand vs launching on a marketplace
• [04:20] Relationships and experiences before platforms
• [05:19] Amazon is always your competitor online
• [06:19] 3 things you should provide as a subscription
• [06:44] Finding the initial customers for Gentleman’s Box
• [07:45] Identifying the customer most likely to purchase
• [08:27] Figuring out where your customers attention is
• [09:17] Being “obsessed “ at your customer
• [09:47] Entrepreneurs should ask what the customers want
• [10:38] The point where you let the customers decide
• [11:51] How to implement a recurring revenue model
• [13:21] Example: subscription for a streetwear brand
• [13:53] An example from the customer’s perspective
• [14:39] Things to look forward to SubSummit 2023
• [15:50] SubSummit’s Hosted Buyer Program
• [17:05] Learn all about subscription models in SubSummit
• [17:54] There are so many resources to help you grow
• [18:19] Sometimes, the only barrier you have is yourself

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The world’s largest meetup of subscription, membership, & recurring revenue brands subsummit.com
• Get your Tickets to SubSummit subsummit.com/tickets
• Connect with Chris linkedin.com/in/chrisgcertified

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!

Corey Hackett started working in retail at 14. He started guerrilla marketing for Top of the World at 19.

He went back to school for marketing and advertising at 21 to try and figure out exactly what he was doing.

After school, he worked at traditional marketing agencies for 10 years while helping Top of the World advance their brand on the side.

He took over ownership of Top of the World in 2011.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:59] What products does TotW offer
• [01:43] Having been around for quite some time
• [03:02] Corey’s retail background and education
• [04:12] How Corey transitioned into owning TotW 
• [05:33] Envisioning owning the place someday
• [06:54] Buying TotW vs starting over
• [08:09] Advantages of buying an established brand
• [09:45] Opportunities to improve in TotW
• [12:51] The big projects in Corey’s first year owning TotW
• [14:30] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [15:27] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO jsonld.app
• [16:44] Sponsor: Retention.com retention.com/honest
• [17:36] Being at talks with the early days of Shopify
• [18:18] Corey has met Tobi before adopting Shopify for TotW
• [19:55] What happened after launching TotW’s Shopify site
• [21:35] Becoming an unofficial QA for Shopify
• [22:00] Finally transitioning to Shopify
• [23:13] Experiencing the weird era of online ads
• [24:00] Being an early adopter of Instagram
• [25:17] Witnessing and realizing the habit of “pre-shopping”
• [28:02] Before starting and going all-in, have an end goal
• [28:48] Where to find Top of the World

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Ottawa's oldest and largest independent skate and snow shop topoftheworld.com
• Follow Top of The World Skate and Snow on Instagram @totw
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.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!

Yong-Soo is the Founder & CEO of Urban EDC and GrowthJet, a climate-neutral certified 3PL for fast-growing e-commerce brands. 

He also has a French bulldog named Spotted Humphrey who has over 150k followers across all social platforms. 

He and his wife launched a dog boutique called Spotted By Humphrey with Humphrey as Chief Barking Officer. 

Yong-Soo also recently launched a new podcast called First Class Founders where he shares his entrepreneurial experiences as a 3X Founder. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:51] Talking about Spotted Humphrey
• [02:20] What Yong-Soo is up to these days
• [05:28] The idea and genesis of Urban EDC
• [07:28] Validating an idea if it’s viable as a business
• [08:34] Realizing that the business is scalable
• [10:33] Traditional vs the “drop” model
• [12:47] How getting banned on FB ads became an asset
• [14:12] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [15:09] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO jsonld.app
• [16:26] Sponsor: Retention.com retention.com/honest
• [17:18] The greatest asset for Urban EDC: Email list
• [18:18] Urban EDC’s series of email flows
• [20:18] Yamato Club: Urban EC’s paid membership
• [24:29] First Class Founders: Yong-Soo’s podcast
• [25:33] Don’t waste resources on something tractionless
• [26:00] Consistency is really important
• [26:40] Where to find Yong-Soo and Urban EDC

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A purveyor of artisan crafted everyday carry gear urbanedcsupply.com
• Grow your Ecommerce business without sacrificing the planet growthjet.com
• Learn proven strategies to start & grow your online business each week firstclassfounders.com
• Connect with Yong-Soo @YongSooChung
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.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!

Henry Murray is the co-founder and CMO of waterdrop. With an impressive educational background, Henry is waterdrop’s resident jack of all trades. 

After working for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Henry joined his brother, Martin Donald Murray, and friend, Christoph Hermann, to co-found the beverage-industry disrupting company, earning him a spot on Forbes prestigious 30 under 30 list. 

Henry is currently in charge of overseeing waterdrop’s global expansion, with a focus on the U.S. Murray holds a Master of Science from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), an exchange semester in Business Administration and Management, General from Seoul National University, and a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration from WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business). 

waterdrop, the fast-growing hydration brand based in Vienna, has been shaking up the beverage industry since 2016 with its innovative waterdrop® Microdrink and global hydration platform. 

The company's mission is to encourage people to drink more water in a more sustainable way. Its sugar-free, flavored cubes, which dissolve in water and enrich it with natural fruit & plant extracts and valuable vitamins, have been praised by consumers for supporting them to Drink More Water. 

waterdrop significantly reduces plastic use and CO2 emissions. The 98% saving in plastic compared to traditional bottled drinks is achieved through the individual recyclable packaging of each cube: the plastic contained in a single cap of a traditional bottle is equivalent to 10 Microdrinks. 

In partnership with Plastic Bank, waterdrop pledges to collect one plastic bottle for every 12-pack sold, meaning consumers can not only drink more sustainably, but they can also support waterdrop's cause for a better environmental future. 

Now established for six years, the company has grown to having more than 2 million online customers and over 300 employees, as well as product listings in over 20,000 retail outlets and more than 40 waterdrop stores in Europe, America and Singapore.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:00] The products of waterdrop
• [03:46] The R&D process and the initial launch
• [05:00] How the team validated the product
• [06:05] The duration from R&D to product launch
• [07:01] Launching a CPG is quite a process
• [08:21] Acquiring new customers for waterdrop
• [10:11] The budget range to move the needle
• [11:20] Limiting your budget is a limiting belief
• [12:07] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [13:04] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO jsonld.app
• [14:21] Sponsor: Retention.com retention.com/honest
• [15:12] Why did waterdrop chose tennis specifically?
• [17:24] waterdrop’s innovative hydration bench
• [17:58] Why waterdrop chose top-tier tennis athletes
• [18:59] US vs EU markets
• [21:48] The perspective of an EU brand coming to the US
• [24:07] Where to find waterdrop

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Helping you drink more water with bursts of delicious flavors made from real fruit and plant extracts — anytime, anywhere waterdrop.com
• Connect with Henry linkedin.com/in/thomas-henry-murray-00578a55
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.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!

Mroue is a self-taught marketer that learned through trial and error. He learned the ins and outs of customer service, email marketing, product marketing, content creation, video editing, advertising, data analytics, web design, and shipping and logistics. 

After a few failed business attempts, Mroue launched his first successful ecommerce business in September of 2020, generating $150,000+ in sales in a little over a year.

In April of 2022, Mroue started a new brand—Cloudsharks. In less than a year they've gone from zero to multi-seven figures in revenue and continue to grow month over month.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:57] What are cloudsharks?
• [01:34] Where the idea of cloudsharks come from
• [02:21] Trying to find a product that works and sells
• [03:18] Launching a product with no proof of concept
• [04:04] From feeling a winning product to selling it
• [05:08] Can anybody mimic Rayan’s success?
• [06:10] Getting the product into people’s hands
• [07:29] Differentiating from similarly sourced products
• [09:10] cloudsharks’ TikTok budget
• [10:23] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/connect
• [11:20] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO https://jsonld.app
• [12:37] Sponsor: Retention.com https://retention.com/honest
• [13:28] Would Rayan’s strategy work today?
• [15:00] Keeping up with finances when scaling too fast
• [17:09] What’s next for cloudsharks?
• [18:45] Be on top of your operating expenses
• [22:27] Great product + good marketing = growth
• [23:00] Community and networking

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The shark slides made for comfort and style cloudsharks.co
• Connect with Rayan linkedin.com/in/rayanmroue
• The best community for 7, 8 & 9+ figure Ecommerce operators workspace6.io
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.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!

Tiffany Joachim is the Owner and Co-Founder of Celeste Sol Jewelry. 

She began her career as a Buyer, working in Dallas and New York City for big box retailers such as, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, and Ross Stores for 10 years. 

When needing to relocate to Miami for her husband’s work, she decided to take the opportunity to use her knowledge as a merchant to revive and rebrand a 60+ year old family owned jewelry store located in Puerto Rico. 

Launched in 2019, Celeste Sol is a fashion jewelry brand that strives to connect community, culture, and fashion, all at affordable price points. 

As a first generation Dominican, Tiffany’s deep commitment to supporting and empowering Women of Color is visible in Celeste Sol, with a portion of all sales going towards their charitable partners that share in her mission.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:00] The types of products Celeste Sol offers
• [01:32] The journey to selling jewelry
• [03:57] Reviving the heart and soul of the business
• [04:49] From D2C to brick and mortar
• [05:55] Celeste Sol’s go-to-market strategy
• [08:02] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [08:59] Sponsor: JSON-LD For SEO jsonld.app
• [10:16] Sponsor: Retention.com retention.com/honest
• [11:07] Confirming the timelines
• [11:30] Finding customers outside friends and family
• [13:38] The message and the target as the USP
• [14:30] The white space of Latin-Hispanic audiences
• [15:47] Feeling the authenticity of the community
• [17:17] Where to find Celeste Sol products
• [17:57] Live stream selling is a growing channel
• [18:56] The ShopShops app for livestream selling

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Bridging the gap between fashion and culture celestesol.com
  Use promo code HONEST25 at checkout to get 25% off your first purchase
• Connect with Tiffany linkedin.com/in/tiffany-joachim-a277a418
• A global shopping app that mimics the fun of in-person shopping through the magic of livestream video shopshopslive.com
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.app
• Book your demo today and get 20% off the annual commitment fee retention.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!

Justin is a seasoned entrepreneur that's launched multiple consumer product ventures over the past decade. 

As the founder & CEO of Doris Dev, the award winning global product development firm, Justin has worked on the development of category defining products in beauty, housewares, connected hardware and everything in between. 

Justin is the co-founder & co-CEO of Canopy, the innovative beauty products company that introduced the game changing humidifier and waterless aroma diffuser. 

Justin also co-founded Factored Quality, a quality control technology platform being used by consumer product brands around the globe.

 Justin is a proud New York transplant currently residing in Austin, TX.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:01] What are Canopy’s products
• [01:42] Where the idea of Canopy came from
• [04:17] How Justin’s product background helped in R&D
• [06:32] Setting up your product for supply chain
• [07:38] Determining if your product will have demand
• [08:53] Finding product-market fit, going from 0 to 1
• [10:21] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [11:18] The types of merchants that Canopy interfaced with
• [12:14] Finding someone with an expertise in beauty
• [14:20] Leaning into editorial and earned media
• [16:02] Investing in a PR firm that specializes in beauty
• [16:58] Unlocking a newer segment in beauty
• [17:57] Aspects to look for in a co-founder
• [19:29] Bringing in a third co-founder
• [20:14] Don’t find a co-founder with same skills as you
• [20:42] The successful subscription model of Canopy
• [25:33] How Doris Dev helped with Canopy
• [26:45] How Doris Dev helped with Factored Quality
• [28:33] Where to find Justin and all his brands

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Connect with Justin linkedin.com/in/justin-seidenfeld
• Send Justin an email [email protected] [email protected]
• A New York and Hong Kong-based product development agency with a proven track record of developing category leading consumer products doris.dev
• The world's cleanest humidifier and the absolute best humidifier for beauty and skincare getcanopy.co
• A digital quality control platform for modern E-Commerce and CPG brands factoredquality.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!

Umaimah Mendhro is the Founder of VIDA, a global platform offering unique, sustainable, and beautifully design-driven products that aim to positively impact people's lives and overall well-being. 

Umaimah grew up in rural Pakistan and Saudi Arabia - with no access to formal education most of her life - but a deep passion for design and art and a drive to make a difference in the world. 

She paved her way to Cornell University and later Harvard Business School, and built a career in technology, working with a highly select portfolio of game-changing tech companies and managing and growing million dollar businesses. 

Umaimah is also the Founder of thedreamfly.org, a global initiative connecting communities in conflict around common causes with presence across four countries touching over 5,000 lives. 

dreamfly kickstarts seed initiatives that are 100% financially sustainable within one year.

Currently, Umaimah is the Founder and President of One League, a global education institution connecting the world’s highest potential talent with the world’s best opportunities by offering an Ivy League Plus quality education, irrespective of financial means. 

Umaimah has an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a Baker Scholar, and a BSc from Cornell University in Human Development with coursework in Computer Science.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:04] The types of products Vida brings to market
• [02:15] The idea of VIDA goes way back
• [02:56] Creating her own products initially
• [03:58] Noticing the divide between creators and brands
• [05:04] The impetus of VIDA
• [06:16] How Umaimah got started with VIDA
• [08:25] How VIDA achieved product-market fit
• [10:01] How VIDA takes advantage of economies of scale
• [11:34] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect
• [12:30] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO jsonld.app
• [14:15] How VIDA does “digital manufacturing”
• [15:02] Getting customers for VIDA’s designers
• [15:55] COVID affecting VIDA’s manufacturing process
• [18:25] VIDA pivoting to health care because of COVID
• [19:30] Other health-related products developed during COVID
• [21:25] How VIDA products evolved over time
• [22:45] Investing in education and empowerment

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A collaboration between designers and makers around the world that brings original, inspiring apparel and accessories to you - creating beauty every step of the way shopvida.com
• Connect with Umaimah linkedin.com/in/umaimah
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.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!

Amanat Anand grew up in New Delhi, India and met her co-founder while pursuing her undergraduate degrees in Industrial Design at the Parsons School of Design in New York. 

After graduating, they entered the concept of SoaPen to the UNICEF Wearables for Good Challenge. 

SoaPen teaches kid's personal hygiene habits through their fun and innovative products. 

She has been featured on Shark Tank and is a listmaker on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:03] Where the idea of SoaPen came from
• [02:26] Explaining how SoaPen works
• [03:32] What’s next after winning the UNICEF competition?
• [05:22] The first marketing strategies for SoaPen
• [06:50] Realizing that SoaPen has a market
• [07:34] Having traction before the pandemic
• [09:37] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/connect
• [10:34] Sponsor: JSON-LD for SEO https://jsonld.app
• [11:49] The main channels for SoaPen
• [12:07] Amanat was apprehensive to go to Shark Tank
• [13:11] What’s different about the Shark Tank process
• [14:10] The Shark Tank bump in sales
• [14:54] What has changed since Shark Tank?
• [16:07] Where to find SoaPen

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Soap-filled pen that kids can draw with before scrubbing up! soapen.com
  Use code HONEST20 at checkout to get a 20% off coupon.
• Connect with Amanat linkedin.com/in/amanatanand
• Take the first step towards Shopify success electriceye.io/connect
• Get your free structured data audit for your store jsonld.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!