Honest Ecommerce

Mike Beckham is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Simple Modern, a leading producer of premium drinkware and lifestyle products. 

Founded in 2015 and based in Oklahoma, Simple Modern currently generates a nine-figure annual revenue and is committed to generosity, donating at least 10% of annual profits to nonprofit organizations. 

Under Mike’s leadership, the company has grown into a category leader for Amazon, Target, and Sam’s Club. 

In addition, Simple Modern will be launching in Walmart stores nationwide in spring 2022. Prior to founding Simple Modern, Mike spent over a decade working for the worldwide Christian ministry CRU. 

Equipped with a deep understanding of the nonprofit sector, Mike transitioned into the business world and helped found and operate several e-commerce businesses, which cumulatively generated more than $1 billion in revenue. 

Mike graduated with a degree from the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business, where he currently serves as the senior entrepreneur-in-residence.

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] What brought Mike to the Ecom game
• [05:09] Accepting that Amazon wins the Ecom fight
• [07:12] D2C brands transitioning into traditional retail
• [08:43] Make your brand indispensable to platforms
• [09:25] Brands reaching “escape velocity”
• [10:48] The newer value props for D2C
• [14:12] 2 ways to position a D2C brand to customers
• [15:34] Reasons to invest in domestic manufacturing
• [17:56] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [18:16] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [19:04] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [19:57] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [20:44] From the starting phase to the scaling phase
• [21:59] Moving into the enterprise level
• [23:09] 2 Ecom things that catch people off-guard
• [24:48] Ecommerce can make you age fast
• [25:40] Mistakes Mike wants you to avoid
• [26:41] You have to have a learning mindset
• [27:29] Process-driven mindset vs results-driven mindset
• [29:11] Entrepreneurship doesn’t start with novelty
• [30:45] Trying is what makes people great
• [32:26] Being a net positive brand/business
• [34:15] Where to find Simple Modern

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Connect with Mike linkedin.com/in/mikebeckhamsm
• Stylish water bottles, travel mugs, food storage, and backpacks simplemodern.com
• 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!

R.T. Custer is a Serial Entrepreneur specializing in story-based marketing for consumer product companies. 

He started Vortic Watch Company with his friend Tyler in college and grew it to a nationally recognized 7 figure luxury brand that’s now expanding into an 8,000 sq ft facility in downtown Fort Collins. 

In 2020 R.T. spun off the expert team of marketers helping with Vortic to create a marketing agency that soon after joined forces with fellow agency entrepreneur and friend, Jim Carter, resulting in Carter & Custer. 

R.T.’s goal is to change the lives of other entrepreneurs by helping them tell the world about what they have to share. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [02:08] Why R.T. chose watches
• [04:35] How was Vortic Watch growing their customer base
• [06:16] Paid ads tend to be harder with luxury products
• [08:53] Email is the key to marketing high-priced products
• [10:08] Personalization vs making it personal
• [11:37] Biggest learning experience from Vortic Watch Co.
• [13:48] The expensive lesson of winning a lawsuit
• [15:25] 2 books that helped Vortic Watch Co.
• [17:02] Having a story-based email strategy
• [17:36] Pivoting hard because of the pandemic
• [21:24] R.T.’s 3rd business venture, technically
• [24:10] Masterminds will change your life
• [27:11] Joining masterminds to “buy friends”
• [28:43] Where to find R.T. and Vortic

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A small batch, custom, watch manufacturing and vintage restoration company located in Northern Colorado vorticwatches.com
• The best business mastermind + community for entrepreneurs fastfoundations.com
• A purpose-driven, referral only agency. carterandcuster.com
• Connect with R.T. Custer linkedin.com/in/rtcuster

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!

From selling handmade leather belts and wallets out the back of his Chevy Station Wagon to becoming one of the top businesses for handmade leather hats, it’s safe to say Gary Watrous (our founder) doesn’t mess around. 

He’s been perfecting his expertise for nearly 50 years and with the help of his son Garth, his daughter-in-law Hannah, his wife Merry-Lee, and several other family members who have been integrated into the business, he has been able to take American Hat Makers to new heights. 

Today, Garth has assumed command and is shaping a new direction for the hat company as we know it. In 2017, Garth was elected president of the Headwear Association and has used this position to impact the worldwide hat industry. 

Also known as Monterey Bay Hats, Head’N Home, American Hat Company, and American Hats, the American Hat Makers continue to bring the most durable, high-quality, handmade hats to the market. 

And when we say there’s a hat for any occasion, we mean it. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:14] How Garth got started on the hat business
• [02:17] Experiencing the start of the internet and COVID
• [06:18] After trying multiple websites, what made it work?
• [08:12] The “Field of Dreams” approach is not realistic
• [10:33] American Hat Makers’ numbers
• [12:20] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [12:40] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [13:28] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [13:59] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [14:46] Chase’s perspective on LTV
• [15:56] How American Hat Makers improved AOV
• [16:59] Customers adding more to their cart
• [17:42] Hotjar and its invaluable data
• [18:48] Mobile compatible vs mobile first websites
• [19:39] How American Hat Makers got expert help
• [20:50] Don’t be afraid of failure
• [21:57] Learning marketing was not enough
• [23:02] Garth’s approach on delegation
• [25:03] The “50-year old startup”
• [25:56] The other side of being an entrepreneur
• [28:22] Family still matters at the end of the day
• [29:47] Where to find American Hat Makers

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Proudly handcrafting hats in the U.S.A. for over 40 years americanhatmakers.com
• Connect with Garth linkedin.com/in/garth-watrous-30378731
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• 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!

Shai Eisenman is the founder and CEO of Bubble Skincare. As the first skincare brand created for young skin, Bubble sets a new skincare standard while truly listening to what its customers want and need. 

Today, the Bubble line consists of seven products that work together to create a complete routine from face cleansers to face masks. It’s available on hellobubble.com, in 3,800 Walmart stores nationwide and on Walmart.com. 

Prior to starting Bubble in 2018, Eisenman started her B.A. at 15, and began her career in business at 16 years old. 

While in university, she worked for an up-and-coming high-tech security start-up, Bullet Plate, where she was responsible for new business development. 

Eisenman then wanted to take her experience to the tech world, where she managed compliance and Business Development for Babylon.com, a company in the AdTech world. 

Then, at 21, She then moved to Playtech, the world’s largest online gaming software supplier traded on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market where she was the CEO of a B2C subsidiary of over ~90 employees. 

Shai is currently 29 years old, resides in New York, and has a five year old daughter. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:19] Where Shai came up with the idea of Bubble
• [02:58] From idea to business
• [03:39] Finding people to test out your product
• [05:02] Bubble’s all-out launch strategy
• [07:06] Do non-scalable things at the start
• [07:30] Focus groups don’t give 100% accurate info
• [09:12] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [09:11] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [10:55] Sponsor: Loop loopreturns.com/honest
• [11:25] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [12:01] Understanding the market deeply
• [14:09] Data gave Bubbles the leverage
• [15:28] Contacting CEOs for raw materials
• [17:15] Research and try to understand the consumer
• [17:50] Where to find Bubble

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The first skincare brand created for young skin hellobubble.com
• Connect with Shai linkedin.com/in/shaipenn
• 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!

Arguably the most sought-after authority in men’s grooming, Vaughn did not find success by accident. 

The son of a barber, his interest in hair piqued at an early age, and he gave his first haircut as a teenager in 1976. 

Vaughn’s client list includes some of the most well-known names in the world—Bruce Springsteen, Richard Gere, Daniel Day Lewis, Tom Brady, President Bill Clinton, Jeff Gordon, Ashton Kutcher and Al Pacino—as well as everyday guys who do anything but fade into the background.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:29] How Vaughn had the idea of going to beauty school
• [02:41] Vaughn’s music background
• [03:39] Vaughn’s modeling opportunity
• [05:24] The return to hairdressing and grooming
• [07:45] What grooming means for Vaughn
• [08:45] Vaughn’s involvement in luxury beauty brands
• [09:52] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [10:11] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [10:55] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [11:25] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [12:13] LBP and Vaughn’s partnership with them
• [13:23] How Covid and the internet affected hairdressing
• [15:04] Targeting a niche and preparing for dry spells
• [17:08] Partnerships and buying the group of brands
• [18:25] Men and women shop differently
• [19:44] Make sure your products are in stock
• [22:02] Trust your hands
• [22:53] Men are not vocal but looks are important to them
• [23:31] Where to find V76 products

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Follow Vaughn on Instagram @vaughnnewyork
• American-made products for the well-groomed man v76.com
• 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!

Dave Rodenbaugh is the founder of Recapture.io, an abandoned cart and SMS/email marketing service for WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, Easy Digital Downloads, Restrict Content Pro and more. 

Founded in 2015, Recapture has processed over 1.9 billion in gross merchant volume (GMV) and recovered over $190,000,000 for stores worldwide. 

Email is Dave's middle name. 

Dave is also the co-host of the RogueStartups podcast and the WP Minute Ecommerce show. He now works exclusively on ecommerce and has a passion for making merchants of all kinds more successful with their stores. 

He truly loves email, dark beer, lifestyle businesses and his family. Not necessarily in that order. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:15] What is Recapture?
• [02:14] How Recapture recovered almost $200 million
• [03:10] The Ecommerce Email Playbook
• [05:14] No excuse to having no email strats
• [08:36] Biggest fear that merchants have about email
• [09:30] You’re not annoying your customers
• [11:01] Big brands are not perfect, especially in strategy
• [11:47] Why you should sign up on newsletters
• [12:48] Just send the emails
• [13:49] Dave’s Email Ladder Strategy
• [15:41] Solutions for “not knowing what to say”
• [16:19] Solutions for busy founders
• [17:11] Unsubscribes are actually a good thing
• [17:54] Start with default emails provided by platforms
• [18:49] When “good enough” is enough to send
• [19:51] Mistakes can work the best or be fun
• [20:17] Alternate ways to give value aside from discounts
• [24:04] Where to find Dave and Recapture

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Try out Recapture 60 days for free! recapture.io/honest-ecommerce-special
• Follow Dave on Twitter @daverodenbaugh
• If you want help with email strategy, email Dave [email protected]
• Get inspired with the best showcase of email design and resources on the web reallygoodemails.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!

Wylie Robinson is the founder and CEO of Rumpl, a company that's on a mission to introduce the world to better blankets. 

Robinson started as a designer (architecture degree) and worked in many creative fields including graphic design, architecture, branding, illustration, music. 

Robinson is also a former professional mountain biker and avid surfer, skier, climber. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:27] Why blankets?
• [02:28] How Wylie thought of the idea of blankets
• [04:37] Pivoting from Kickstarter to a brand
• [06:31] When or when not to release on Kickstarter
• [07:22] Acquiring new customers post-Kickstarter
• [08:30] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [09:34] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [10:22] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [10:37] Experiencing co-founder separation
• [13:18] How Wylie’s role at Rumpl changed over the years
• [14:35] Wylie’s advice for delegation
• [16:34] Build a product that you understand yourself
• [17:51] Where to find Rumpl
• [18:17] Why Rumpl’s product selection in Amazon different

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Outdoor blankets that are inspired by nature and the outdoors and crafted with modern materials and technologies rumpl.com
• Connect with Wylie linkedin.com/in/wylierobinson
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• Level up your customer support gorgias.grsm.io/honest
• 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!

John Sheldon, Chief Marketing Officer, SmileDirectClub John Sheldon is the Chief Marketing Officer at SmileDirectClub. 

In this role, he focuses on delivering the best possible experience to customers in order to continue growing SmileDirectClub and reach more people searching for affordable access to a straighter and more confident smile. 

As the Chief Marketing Officer, John oversees all digital media, paid media, creative development, social media, communication tactics, and experiential initiatives for the brand. 

As a results-driven marketing leader, John continually builds a track-record of success and is a champion for creating strategic plans based on key insights. 

John has a strong background in digital transformation and innovation across a range of industries. 

He previously served as Chief Revenue Officer of Fresh Direct, a food tech company and the Northeast's leading online fresh food grocer. 

He was also the Senior Vice President of Innovation Portfolios for Mastercard driving innovation globally for the company, and the Head of Strategy at eBay Enterprises Marketing Solutions. 

He has launched and worked with dozens of digital-first brands and led the strategy to bring many great brands into the digital ecosystem. 

John earned a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:10] A C-suite position at a well-known D2C brand
• [04:02] Is grass greener at an agency or at a client?
• [05:57] Learning through agencies and starting a business
• [06:50] The podcast is based in the entrepreneurial spirit
• [07:17] It’s the best time to start a business
• [07:45] How far along was SmileDirectClub when John joined
• [08:57] How the pandemic “helped” SmileDirectClub
• [11:34] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [11:54] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [12:38] Sponsor: Rewind rewind.com/honestecommerce
• [13:08] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [13:56] Chase also invested in his teeth
• [14:30] How SmileDirectClub moved on from COVID 
• [15:50] The shift in customer demands
• [17:43] Importance of customer lifetime value
• [18:28] Effects of iOS 14 to SmileDirect Club
• [20:23] Things to note when diversifying your channels
• [21:28] How SDC does attribution
• [22:36] Embracing being a brand challenger
• [24:06] It’s very fulfilling to start a brand and succeed

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Connect with John linkedin.com/in/johnsheldon
• An oral care company that exists to help more people realize the life-changing potential of their smiles smiledirectclub.com
• Subscribe to Smile Direct Club youtube.com/c/SmileDirectClub
• 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!

Michael Epstein has been in ecommerce for over 20 years, starting an online retailer and existing in 2013 to private equity. 

He has served as a private equity operating partner and CMO for numerous 8 & 9 figure PE-owned Ecom brands. 

He is currently co-founder & co-CEO of PostPilot, a direct mail automation platform built for ecommerce and direct to consumer brands. 

In This Conversation We Discuss: 

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:23] The elevator pitch for PostPilot
• [02:56] Being the “Klaviyo for Y”
• [03:55] Applying common email flows to postcards
• [06:29] How does attribution work for PostPilot?
• [07:51] The advantage of unique codes
• [09:13] Pricing for PostPilot
• [10:54] The “godfather” offer
• [11:38] Can you customize your own designs?
• [12:53] Most brands prefer PostPilot to handle designs
• [13:50] PostPilot’s brand new announcement!
• [15:58] Mixing technology and strategy 
• [16:43] Examples of how PostPilot helped big brands
• [18:49] Where to start with PostPilot

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• PostPilot’s “Godfather” offer. An offer you can’t refuse postpilot.com/gfo

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!

Nate Axvig grew up in frigid North Dakota and moved to sunny Colorado after graduating from law school. 

He practiced as a litigator for 16 years before moving to Oslo, Norway with his wife Leslie (also a litigator) and their two kids- Luke and Bekah. 

While living in Norway and pursuing an advanced degree in Communications and Technology Law, Nate and Leslie discovered the world class quality of Scandinavian clothing. 

That planted a seed which sprouted into aktivstyle.com, their business that brings Scandinavian clothing into the United States. 

Since its inception in 2018, Aktiv has steadily grown and expanded into a traditional brick and mortar setting at Stanley Marketplace in Denver's eastern metro area. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:26] The products that Aktiv offers
• [02:53] From idea to market
• [04:59] Cold outreach to manufacturers
• [07:17] Advantages/disadvantages of selling existing goods
• [09:23] Being mindful of different markets
• [10:19] Customer acquisition for a new market introduction
• [13:48] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io
• [14:08] Sponsor: Mesa apps.shopify.com/mesa
• [14:52] Sponsor: Klaviyo klaviyo.com/honest
• [15:39] Branching out into brick-and-mortar
• [17:50] Why Aktiv did it “a little backwards”
• [19:24] Providing a more personal experience
• [21:08] Where to find Aktiv

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Scale your business with electriceye.io
• Download Mesa at the Shopify App Store apps.shopify.com/mesa
• 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!