Retention Chronicles

Mariah Parsons hosts Raelina Krikston, co-founder of Fun Fact Co, a company specializing in educational trivia games and posters. Raelina shares her background in design and the company's inception, focusing on early childhood education. They discuss their initial product, the Party Mix Trivia deck, which covers diverse topics like space, math, and death, and their expansion into home decor posters. Raelina emphasizes the importance of slow, steady growth and community building. They plan a pop-up shop for the holiday season and aim to target adult customers more effectively. Raelina highlights the value of following personal interests and the importance of balancing work with personal life.

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Episode Timestamps:

• 0:00 Meeting at Shop Talk and Introduction to Fun Fact Co

• Mariah and Raylena reminisce about their first meeting at Shop Talk Fall, a networking event for women.

• 3:13 Concept and Creation of Fun Fact Co

• Raylena describes the initial idea behind Fun Fact Co, which aimed to create fun and educational content for kids.

• The company started with trivia decks, focusing on bite-sized pieces of information to cater to children's shorter attention spans.

• The first deck, Party Mix Trivia, included five different topics: death, space, math, animals, and humans.

• Raylena emphasizes the multiple-choice format of the trivia, making it accessible and enjoyable for both kids and adults.

• 5:45 Expansion into Home Decor and Emotional Wellness

• 8:19 Challenges and Strategies in Customer Acquisition

• Raylena discusses the slow but steady growth of Fun Fact Co and the importance of acknowledging the reality of building a business.

• The company has found success with boutiques and bookstores, particularly as a sideline item in bookstores.

• Fun Fact Co has diversified its online presence through platforms like Etsy and Amazon, though their own website still needs improvement.

• Raylena emphasizes the importance of strategic blog posts and attending events like Shop Talk to connect with potential retailers.

• 24:43 Balancing Growth and Personal Life

• Raylena and her co-founder, Chrisman, have consciously decided to keep the company small, avoiding the stress of managing employees.

• This approach allows them to be flexible in scaling production to meet demand from larger retailers like Target.

• Raylena reflects on the importance of balance and not letting the business consume their personal lives.

• Mariah and Raylena discuss the challenges of self-compassion and the importance of celebrating small wins.

• 24:59 Applications and Future Plans for Fun Fact Co

• Raylena sees potential applications for Fun Fact Co products in various settings, including classrooms, doctors' offices, and teachers' rooms.

• The company is focused on social-emotional wellness and creating content that is both attractive and useful for children.

• Raylena mentions plans to launch a new line of posters focused on social-emotional wellness, informed by feedback from educators.

• The company aims to build a community around their interests and passions, rather than relying solely on customer feedback.

• 27:53 Retention Strategies and Community Building

• Raylena discusses the importance of posters in retention, as they are personal purchases and have a faster turnaround than decks.

• The company plans to focus on adult models for marketing campaigns to target a broader audience.

• Raylena emphasizes the importance of following their passions and interests in creating new products.

Mariah Parsons hosts a Retention Chronicles episode with Mara Smith, the founder and CEO of Inspiro Tequila. Mara shares her journey from a corporate lawyer to founding Inspiro Tequila in February 2020, highlighting the challenges of balancing work and life, especially during the pandemic. She discusses the inspiration behind the brand, focusing on female consumers and creating a clean, additive-free tequila. Mara emphasizes the importance of representation and intentionality in funding women-owned businesses. She also explains distribution strategies, customer retention challenges, and the significance of events and community engagement in building brand awareness. Looking ahead, Mara is excited about launching in California and personal milestones in 2025.

Episode Timestamps:

• 2:31 Challenges and Surprises in Founding Inspiro Tequila

• Mara talks about the unexpected workload and lack of work-life balance in founding a company.

• Mariah recalls meeting Mara at a female founders collective event and highlights the benefits of smaller, intimate events.

• Mara emphasizes the importance of engaging, smaller events for networking and building relationships.

• Mariah and Mara discuss the significance of female purchasing power and the challenges women face in getting funding for their businesses.

• 4:56 Consumer-Centric Approach and Market Opportunities

• Mara explains her motivation for starting Inspiro Tequila, focusing on the female consumer and the lack of representation in the tequila market.

• Mara highlights the importance of creating a clean, additive-free tequila that resonates with discerning female consumers.

• Mariah and Mara discuss the potential of using Inspiro Tequila's branding for home decor and the importance of packaging in consumer perception.

• Mara shares insights on the buying power of households and the need for representation on store shelves for diverse consumers.

• 9:06 Navigating the World of Venture Capital and Investing

• Mara discusses the challenges women face in getting funding and the importance of having women in investment decision-making roles.

• Mara emphasizes the need for intentionality in supporting women-owned businesses and the role of women investors in growing the ecosystem.

• Mariah and Mara talk about the barriers women face in investing and the importance of education and opportunities for women to learn about investing.

• Mara highlights the need for more women to invest at all levels, including in bonds and securities, to grow their wealth.

• 20:42 Manufacturing and Production Challenges

• Mara shares her research process for finding the right distillery and master distiller for Inspiro Tequila.

• Mara discusses the importance of understanding the regulations and production methods in the spirits industry.

• Mara talks about the challenges of starting a new venture and the need for extensive research and legwork.

• Mara emphasizes the importance of building a community and network of support, especially for female founders.

• 27:00 Distribution and Retail Strategy

• Mara explains the three-tier distribution system in the alcohol industry and the importance of having distributor partners.

• Mara discusses the different marketing strategies for off-premise and on-premise accounts and the need for point-of-sale materials.

• Mara highlights the importance of building brand awareness with consumers and the role of events and demos in reaching potential customers.

• Mara shares her approach to using other people's audiences and collaborating with other women-owned brands to increase visibility.

• 30:51 Customer Retention and Data Challenges

• Mariah and Mara discuss the challenges of customer retention in a retail-focused business and the lack of direct customer data.

• Mara emphasizes the importance of customer loyalty and the need for feedback from consumer-facing events.

• Mara talks about the limitations of data available to small brands and the reliance on social media and in-person interactions for insights.

Mariah Parsons hosts Daphne Benzaquen, Founder of the E-commerce lifestyle brand daph, inspired by her Peruvian heritage. Daphne started daph eight years ago, learning design and manufacturing herself. The brand has been featured in Forbes and Buzzfeed, and Daphne later founded an agency to help other small brands. Daphne emphasizes the importance of customer experience, using sensory branding like scents, recipes, and playlists to immerse customers in Peruvian culture. She values authenticity, community, and intentionality in her marketing strategies, including personalized emails and storytelling. Daphne also relies on her community and podcasts for support and learning.

Mariah Parsons hosts Daphne Benzaquen, Founder of the E-commerce lifestyle brand daph, inspired by her Peruvian heritage. Daphne started daph eight years ago, learning design and manufacturing herself. The brand has been featured in Forbes and Buzzfeed, and Daphne later founded an agency to help other small brands. Daphne emphasizes the importance of customer experience, using sensory branding like scents, recipes, and playlists to immerse customers in Peruvian culture. She values authenticity, community, and intentionality in her marketing strategies, including personalized emails and storytelling. Daphne also relies on her community and podcasts for support and learning.

Podcast website: retentionchroniclespodcast.com

Sponsor website: gomalomo.com

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - 01:07 | Introduction

Host Mariah Parsons introduces the podcast and guest, Daphne Benzaquen.

Brief background on how they met at ShopTalk.

01:07 - 06:07 | Daphne’s Background & Founding daph

Daphne’s journey from pre-med to business school and eventually launching daph, a lifestyle brand inspired by her Peruvian heritage.

Teaching herself design and working with Peruvian artisans to create her first product collection.

06:07 - 10:56 | Learning Design & Manufacturing Process

How she approached design from a business mindset.

The process of finding manufacturing partners in Peru and learning through hands-on experience.

10:56 - 15:50 | Expanding from Accessories to Apparel

Starting with leather accessories and evolving into alpaca fleece apparel.

The importance of customer feedback and adapting to demand.

How unisex and one-size-fits-most apparel helped reduce inventory risks.

15:50 - 19:34 | Pivoting to Home Fragrance During COVID

Supply chain disruptions led to the launch of a home fragrance line.

Creating scents inspired by different regions of Peru.

How customer demand shaped product expansion.

19:34 - 26:33 | Enhancing the Customer Experience

Developing a multisensory brand experience with scent, music, and Peruvian recipes.

Running a “Scent Soirée” event to collect customer feedback on fragrance selections.

Personalizing the unboxing experience with a postcard, playlist, and cultural touchpoints.

26:33 - 32:05 | Customer Retention Strategies

Personalized post-purchase emails thanking repeat customers.

Offering exclusive early access and special perks.

The power of storytelling in emails and social media to build an emotional connection with customers.

32:05 - 37:51 | Community, Learning, & Growth as a Founder

The importance of authenticity and transparency in e-commerce.

Balancing entrepreneurship with self-care.

Leveraging founder networks, industry podcasts, and journaling for growth.

37:51 - 40:51 | Closing Thoughts & Final Takeaways

Daphne’s advice: “Jealousy is the thief of joy”—focus on collaboration over competition.

Shout-out to Malomo, a Shopify order-tracking platform, as the episode’s sponsor.

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John Morgan joins Mariah Parsons on Retention Chronicles. John transitioned to e-commerce by co-founding Seed Health, inspired by the microbiome's potential. He later founded Venice Ventures, an incubator for e-commerce, software, and services. John now leads Pelagic, a supply chain service aimed at brand builders. He discussed the challenges of supply chain management, emphasizing the importance of asking hard questions and avoiding over-bundling. John highlighted the impact of tariffs and AI on procurement, and stressed the need for transparency and sustainability. He also noted that stockouts and recalls can harm customer retention, advocating for proactive quality controls.

Episode Timestamps

Podcast website: retentionchroniclespodcast.com

Sponsor website: gomalomo.com

Rochelle Thielen is the dynamic CEO of Traject Data, where she champions the vital role of data aggregation in driving transformative advancements in AI, machine learning, and software development. Obtaining clean, granular data is a major challenge for many companies, as data can be outdated, inconsistent, or siloed across different systems. This makes it difficult to make informed business decisions, especially when using AI and machine learning. Traject Data helps clients set up API feeds to get real-time data updates on things like product availability, pricing changes, and where their products are being sold across channels. This enables them to make faster, more accurate decisions. The data Traject provides can be used for a variety of use cases, like preventing fraud and unauthorized reselling, as well as optimizing SEO and marketing strategies as search and shopping behaviors evolve. Maintaining a consistent, high-quality customer experience across all touchpoints is critical for retention. Leveraging the right data can help brands predict customer needs and serve them more relevant content and offers. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, as brands need to balance data-driven personalization with respecting customer privacy. Ongoing testing and adjustment is required as consumer expectations continue to shift.

Episode Timestamps:

2:00 - Rochelle's background and introduction to Traject Data

5:00 - The challenges of working with messy, outdated data

10:00 - Using real-time data to prevent issues like unfulfilled orders

15:00 - Leveraging data to combat fraud and unauthorized reselling

20:00 - How data and AI are changing SEO and marketing strategies

25:00 - Balancing data-driven personalization with customer privacy

30:00 - The importance of clean data for improving the customer journey

On this episode of Retention Chronicles, Mariah Parsons is joined by Nectar Social Co-Founders Misbah Uraizee and Farah Uraizee. Nectar Social is an AI-powered social CX, influencer, and lead gen platform helping brands nurture community and drive more revenue from DMs. They discuss how brands can unlock sales and lower customer acquisition costs (CAC) across platforms like Meta, TikTok Shops and YouTube. Their solution is being used by fashion, food, and beauty brands, including skincare technology company Solawave, and others in the Ulta Beauty and Sephora ecosystem.

We discussed questions like: 

Podcast Website: retentionchroniclespodcast.com

Sponsor Website: gomalomo.com

Mariah Parsons, Host of Retention Chronicles and Head of Marketing at Malomo, hosts Jordi Vermeeri, VP of Revenue at Channel Engine. They discuss customer retention strategies in e-commerce and how online sellers should navigate online marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart. Jordi explains the shift from traditional ERP systems to marketplace integration, highlighting the importance of both first-party (1P) and third-party (3P) selling models. He notes that 60% of e-commerce sales occur on third-party marketplaces, emphasizing the necessity for brands to be present on platforms like Amazon and Walmart. Jordi also discusses strategies for optimizing listings, such as virtual bundling and repricing, and the challenges of customer retention on marketplaces. He advises brands to focus on profitability, operational efficiency, and leveraging data to improve customer engagement and retention.

Podcast Website: RetentionChroniclesPodcast.com

Sponsor Website: GoMalomo.com

Episode Timestamps:

Casey Chroust, Chief Operating Officer at Optoro, joins Mariah Parsons to discuss the evolution of returns management in retail. He highlighted that returns are a $750 billion problem in the US, emphasizing the need for technology to streamline the process. Chroust noted that high returners often are the best shoppers and advocated for personalized returns policies. He introduced trends like wardrobing and bracketing, where shoppers buy multiple sizes or items with the intention to return. Chroust also stressed the importance of instant exchanges and frictionless returns to enhance customer experience and drive sales. He concluded by underscoring the environmental benefits of efficient returns management.

Optoro 2024 Returns Unwrapped Report: https://4771362.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4771362/Optoros%202024%20Returns%20Unwrapped%20Report.pdf

Podcast Website: RetentionChroniclesPodcast.com

Malomo Website: GoMalomo.com

Episode Timestamps:

Mariah Parsons, host of Retention Chronicles, has guest Jill Putnam, the Founder & CEO of Red Sprite Hats, on Retention Chronicles. Jill transitioned from corporate finance to entrepreneurship, driven by the desire for flexibility and control over her time. She developed Red Sprite Hats, which are designed to work with hair that is already in an up-do, and patented the product. Jill successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter in 2020 to fund inventory and patent costs. Jill emphasizes building customer trust and loyalty through high-quality products, personalized packaging, and engaging content. She plans to enhance customer retention with additional emails and styling tips.

Episode Timestamps:

Mariah Parsons hosts Rebecca 'Becca' Mijares, Founder of Romp Stomp, a brand that creates easy-to-wear shoes for toddlers. Becca shares her entrepreneurial journey, starting with a crappy website and Facebook ads during the early COVID-19 days. She discusses the rebranding from Memoir Kids to Romp Stomp, emphasizing bold colors and fun designs. Becca highlights the importance of customer feedback, especially via Instagram DMs, and the role of email and SMS marketing in retention. She also mentions the challenge of expanding their product line to serve customers longer. Becca recommends resources like Twitter and in-person networking for founders.

Episode Timestamps: