Honest Ecommerce

Vladimir Vukicevic is an entrepreneur and expert in the world of consumer products. 

He has taught Fortune 500 companies how to build and leverage new businesses, has combined culture with management theory through his writing, and believes that innovation provides a new path to personal and global empowerment. 

Vladimir is the CEO and Co-founder of Better & Better—a company that develops and sells personal care products that are fundamentally better for our health and for our environment. 

Prior to co-founding Better & Better, Vladimir was the Co-founder of two successful startups, each acquired. 

The most recent, Meural—a platform that combines software and hardware to make art universally accessible—where he was also the CEO, was acquired in 2018 by NETGEAR. 

And prior to that, Vladimir’s first venture as Co-founder and CTO was RocketHub—a crowdfunding platform that helped thousands of entrepreneurs, artists, and scientists raise millions of dollars. RocketHub was acquired in 2015 by EFactor. 

Vladimir is an active supporter of various non-profit organizations—currently a board member of Theatre Within, and previously a board member of the New York Foundation for the Arts. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:11] What are Better & Better products?
• [02:01] Vladimir’s Ecom journey
• [05:07] Having co-founders or a team is a benefit
• [06:01] Observe where the market is heading
• [07:27] Look for investors that fit your brand
• [08:00] From idea to a product development
• [09:39] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [09:59] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [10:49] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [11:19] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [12:12] Producing the first batch of products
• [13:59] Vladimir’s impatience paying off
• [15:25] 3 levels to target and build credibility
• [17:30] LTV approach to combat low AOV
• [18:49] Initial paid marketing budget for startups
• [19:32] 3 marketing angles that Better & Better tried
• [20:39] Paid is expensive; Better start organic
• [21:59] Where to find Better & Better

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Premium toothpaste that's better for your health and better for the planet betterandbetter.com
• Connect with Vladimir linkedin.com/in/vukicevic
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.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!

Nish Samantray is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Arrae, a wellness brand that creates all natural solutions for your wellbeing. 

Samantray led Arrae to achieving $1M in sales during their first year and a projected revenue of over $10M last year. 

He has a formal education in engineering and strong background in entrepreneurship, sports and volunteerism. 

Before launching Arrae in 2019, Samantray was a Principal Product Manager at Paytm, Lead Product Manager at Freshii, and Technical Product Manager at Scotiabank. 

He is a creative, big picture thinker, energized by new challenges, devoted to analytical investigation and structured thinking as a foundation for unbridled creativity. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:15] What are Arrae products?
• [01:33] How the idea of Arrae came up
• [03:13] From idea to a product
• [05:42] How Arrae found their customer
• [07:29] Knowing the branding before launching
• [08:57] Arrae’s Go-to-market strategy
• [10:30] Why Nish decided to focus on just one channel
• [11:45] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [12:05] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [12:53] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [13:46] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [14:34] How much was Arrae gifting to influencers
• [14:56] Why Nish decided to commit to influencers
• [16:43] Did Arrae change its strategy after its success?
• [18:39] Arrae’s scaling phase strategies
• [20:24] Customer service and sales
• [21:29] Using data to your advantage
• [22:46] Arrae’s marketing mix
• [24:16] The marketing strats need to work together
• [25:25] Nish’s thoughts on last touch attribution
• [26:30] Things going wrong is a sign of success
• [27:28] Building a business is always difficult
• [28:14] Where to find Arrae

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A 100% natural wellness brand which empowers women to feel their best so they can be their best arrae.com
• Connect with Nish linkedin.com/in/nishantsamantray
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.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!

Paul is a leading subject matter expert in Ecommerce. He is Managing Director at Deloitte Digital, one of the leaders in the US Commerce practice. 

He leads the Commerce Practice Eminence initiative. He brings more than 25 years of experience in strategy, consulting, technology, and digital transformation. 

Paul has led some of the world’s largest and most innovative e-commerce initiatives. He is a frequent speaker at Digital/Ecommerce events as well has been featured as an Ecommerce subject matter expert on many publications. 

He has served such companies as Target, Foot Locker, Hyatt , Victoria Secret, General Electric and Siemens, and many more driving commerce and digital transformations. 

He is a frequent speaker at Digital/Ecommerce events as well has been featured as an Ecommerce subject matter expert on many publications. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] The connection between Ohio and commerce
• [01:39] Paul’s history with Ecommerce
• [03:23] The earliest Ecom platforms’ M&A
• [06:49] The biggest Ecom project Paul was a part of
• [09:42] Target’s Ecom implementation is still impressive
• [10:48] Ecom vs the national spend
• [13:52] Growth naturally slows down
• [14:37] There are various factors affecting Ecom growth
• [16:53] What is Deloitte Digital?
• [18:14] The challenges that enterprise brands face
• [20:43] Transitioning enterprise-level brands is complex
• [22:27] The difference between SMBs and Enterprise
• [23:09] The upcoming opportunity to B2B
• [26:38] Don’t ignore marketplaces
• [28:04] Where to find Paul

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Creating new growth by elevating the human experience—with connected ideas, technology, and talent deloittedigital.com
• Connect with Paul linkedin.com/in/pauldoforno
• Follow Paul @dofornop

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!

Graham Smith is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of No, Thank You. 

Graham has spent the last 3+ years as an entrepreneur in the startup community. Prior to this, he worked in the financial industry for over 12 years, where he led cross-sector financings for middle market businesses across Europe. 

Notable investments include Liberty London (a historic London department store), where he also served as a board member. 

Graham graduated cum laude from USC Marshall School of Business in 2005 with a B.S. in Accounting. 

Graham likes all things fitness, cooking, photography and exploring the world. 

Zain Pirani is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of No, Thank You. 

Zain has 3+ years of experience in developing and launching various consumer product brands across multiple industries, including supplements, food, beverage and most recently in the cannabinoid industry. 

Prior to this, she worked in marketing and fundraising in the financial industry for over 14 years. 

Zain graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in Finance and Management Information Systems in 2003. 

In her free time, Zain likes to read, enjoy a good cycling class, dabble in cooking and charcoal drawings. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:23] Emphasizing the efficacy of CBD
• [02:36] How No, Thank You started
• [06:04] Why NTY focuses on the products and ingredients
• [07:36] Duration from idea to products
• [09:07] The importance of customer feedback
• [09:54] Go out and let people test your products
• [11:06] Where the name “No, Thank You” comes from
• [12:48] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [13:07] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [13:56] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [14:26] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:14] NTY and HEC are kindred spirits
• [15:32] The downsides of launching CBD brand
• [18:12] Rebuilding the broken trust in the industry
• [19:54] The CBD industry requires at least twice the effort
• [20:24] What makes NTY show up every day
• [20:58] How NTY got their first customers
• [23:07] Making your target audience as your Northstar
• [23:52] Struggling at first but making emails work
• [25:23] Employment is only sustainable for a time
• [26:41] Pick good people to have a business with
• [27:24] Prepare for a “divorce” if it happens
• [27:44] Where to find No, Thank You
• [28:07] Be informed about CBD products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The best full-spectrum CBD + CBDa skin care and body care products scientifically formulated to help with anti-inflammatory and anti-aging concerns nty.co
• Visit the Science section of the NTY website to be informed about CBD nty.co/pages/science
• Connect with Graham linkedin.com/in/graham-smith-726b971
• Connect with Zain linkedin.com/in/zain-pirani-5309801b
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.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!

Angelina Ly founded her own company, Fireflyslime, at the age of 14 and is now celebrating her 5th year of business. 

She single-handedly operates all aspects of her business while being a full-time college student. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:31] What is Fireflyslime and its target audience
• [02:14] From a hobby to explosive growth
• [04:29] Angelina’s social media/organic tips
• [05:44] Platform specific strategies or reusing strategies
• [06:41] Etsy vs Shopify
• [08:35] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/
• [08:56] Sponsor: Mesa https://apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [09:54] Sponsor: Loop https://loopreturns.com/honest
• [10:37] Sponsor: Klaviyo https://klaviyo.com/honest
• [11:24] Day in the life of a full-time student solopreneur
• [13:09] Take control of your inventory
• [13:58] What does the future hold for Fireflyslime
• [15:05] When Angelina got support from her family
• [16:50] Where to find Fireflyslime

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Experience the joy of slime during playtime or to wind down after a stressful day fireflyslime.com
• Connect with Angelina linkedin.com/in/angelina-ly
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Transform your returns into exchanges loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.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!

Amit is the co-founder and CEO of Richpanel - customer service platform for DTC brands on Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce. 

Richpanel helps Ecommerce brands scale customer service without hiring more agents by automating more than 50% tickets through self-service. 

The platform enables the CS team to become true revenue enablers and not just a back-end system. 

Before co-founding Richpanel, Amit was operating a full-service E-commerce agency focussed on enterprise brands. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:04] Amit explains Richpanel
• [02:41] How Richpanel was born
• [03:39] Minimum viable product of Richpanel
• [05:37] How Richpanel works for brands
• [06:54] Thought leaders that helped Amit
• [07:48] Make mistakes, learn from them fast
• [08:44] One of the biggest problems that founders have
• [09:16] Worry more about inaction rather than mistakes
• [10:20] The bad aspects of being focused on the solution
• [11:57] Brand stage that works best with Richpanel
• [13:47] Not enough founders focus on customer service
• [15:45] How Richpanel solves for customers
• [17:14] Solving problems before the customers call
• [18:40] The importance of providing customer service
• [19:29] Respect the time of your valued customers
• [20:19] Where to find Richpanel

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A purpose-built CRM and customer support platform for E-commerce and DTC brands richpanel.com
• Connect with Amit linkedin.com/in/amit-rg

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!

Anouck Gotlib was born in Antwerp, Belgium, and studied Fashion Design at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Israel. 

She moved to New York to pursue a career in fashion—first at Zac Posen and later at Donna Morgan. 

Anouck would return from long days on Fashion Ave to spend nights and evenings working on Belgian Boys' graphics, branding, packaging, and marketing, and she ultimately decided to step away from the fashion world and into entrepreneurship with her husband Greg. 

Today, Anouck is the CEO at Belgian Boys and serves on the advisory council of the Belgium Chambres of Commerce. 

Recently, Anouck was named to the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2021. 

She lives in Brooklyn with her husband Greg and two sons. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] Why Anouck decided to start Belgian Boys
• [03:23] How Belgian Boys was going before Anouck joined
• [04:36] Using feedback to make the brand better
• [06:24] Sponsor: Electric Eye https://electriceye.io/
• [06:44] Sponsor: Mesa https://apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [07:32] Sponsor: Rewind https://rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [08:03] Sponsor: Klaviyo https://klaviyo.com/honest
• [08:50] Resilience is the key for platform challenges
• [10:56] Being surrounded by a great team
• [11:40] Tips for hiring freelancers/team members
• [13:14] Mistakes Anouck wants you to avoid
• [14:32] Don’t be swayed by naysayers
• [16:54] Where to find Belgian Boys

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Waffles, breakfast, desserts & cookies Non-GMO, made in Europe belgianboys.com
• Connect with Anouck linkedin.com/in/anouck-gotlib-82b96b2b
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.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!

David Hayford is the Founder of Tether Tug, a unique interactive dog toy company. 

The Tether Tug people are dog fanatics who passionately create interactive and interchangeable products to improve the overall well-being of dogs through physical exercise and mental stimulation. 

Tether Tug’s mission is to help make it easy for pet owners to keep their dogs playing and having fun while helping to improve behavior and promote the loving bond between pets and people. 

Remember, dogs unite us! 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:15] From healthcare to dog toys
• [03:37] Producing a product with no experience
• [04:54] How Tether Tug got its first sales
• [06:30] Don’t just follow the money
• [07:42] Protecting the brand on Amazon
• [09:06] Marketing expertise is very platform dependent
• [10:15] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [10:35] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [11:33] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [12:16] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [13:03] Amazon is a “necessary evil”
• [13:27] Consumers and brands need protection
• [14:16] Good ideas need appropriate action
• [15:34] Failure at something is inevitable yet invaluable
• [16:25] Store owners should love what they do
• [17:33] Visiting websites just to analyze how it works
• [18:04] Ecommerce is constantly changing
• [18:23] Embracing the culture of your industry
• [19:51] Where to find Tether Tug

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Durable, interactive dog toy system designed for active dogs of all breeds and sizes tethertug.com
• Connect with David linkedin.com/in/david-hayford-7b815621
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Transform your returns into exchanges https://loopreturns.com/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.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!

Joe Moriarty previously worked in technology investing in Austin, San Francisco, and New York prior to creating Modern Mammals. 

He has experience with both fundraising and buying other businesses, and spends time helping other founders now as well. 

He's from a town near Rochester NY, studied economics at the University of Chicago and did his MBA at Harvard Business School. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:10] Where the idea Modern Mammals came from
• [02:19] Why there are no shampoo/conditioner replacements
• [03:07] The hoops that Modern Mammals had to jump
• [04:01] How long from conception to production?
• [05:13] Going to market in the pandemic
• [06:22] Modern Mammals’ go-to-market plan
• [07:42] Influencer-led vs customer-led
• [08:52] The customer’s obsession with Modern Mammals
• [10:54] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [11:14] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [12:02] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [12:33] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [13:20] A specific problem for a specific customer
• [14:47] Creating a flywheel of social proof
• [15:57] Making the brand better through feedback
• [17:30] Working on “Joe’s List”
• [19:16] Where to find Modern Mammals

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A great alternative to shampoo designed for guys modernmammals.com
• Connect with Joe linkedin.com/in/joe-moriarty
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Respond to any of Rewind’s welcome emails and mention HONEST ECOMMERCE to get 1 month free rewind.io/honest
• Get started with a free account at klaviyo.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!

Kyle is the founder and CEO of Win Brands Group, an omnichannel retail platform that buys and builds category-defining brands. 

Win’s enviable stable of brands includes Homesick (scented candles and home fragrance), QALO (silicone wedding rings and accessories), Gravity (the original weighted blanket), and Love Your Melon (mission-driven outerwear). 

Kyle has spent over a decade honing the art of consumer-focused venture capital and brand building, raising millions of dollars, and building businesses responsible for employing hundreds of people in the process. 

His background includes working side-by-side with billionaire serial entrepreneur and branding guru J. Christopher Burch, as well as founding multiple best-in-class investment and marketing operations in the US and abroad. 

Kyle holds a B.S. degree in accounting and finance from the School of Management at Syracuse University. 

He and his wife split their time between New York and Sag Harbor, with their young sons, and beloved dog Gibson. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:11] What led Kyle into Ecommerce
• [02:19] How Win Brands Group work
• [03:21] Having a holdco approach to produce scale
• [04:20] Combining great use of resources and talent
• [05:58] The first brand that Win Brands Group acquired
• [07:15] The stories of other brands acquired by WBG
• [09:49] It’s hard to create a good team
• [10:04] People are the Win Brands Group’s business
• [11:17] Success is getting more and more specific
• [12:05] Why Amazon is a part of the omnichannel strategy
• [14:40] How to make Shopify stores appealing to WBG
• [16:24] Startup strategies vs scaling strategies
• [18:34] The entrepreneurial behavior
• [19:00] Delegation tips from Kyle
• [20:43] Don’t cheap out on talent
• [23:17] Just keep swinging
• [24:42] Focus on your “superpower”
• [26:15] Shouting out WBG brands
• [27:45] Where to find Kyle

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Connect with Kyle [email protected]
• Leveraging best in class technology partners to build and scale the most innovative customer-first brands in the world winbg.com
• Natural soy wax blend scented candles homesick.com
• Silicone bands & silicone engagement rings qalo.com
• Weighted blankets, throws, robes + accessories gravityblankets.com
• Buy hats, beanies & apparel - fight cancer loveyourmelon.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!