The Story of a Brand Show

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

“BigCommerce is an eCommerce platform that helps the world's brand create extraordinary eCommerce sites so that they can put their best brand and user experience forward, serve their consumers and, and grow through eCommerce,” says Brent Bellm.

In today’s episode, we interview Brent Bellm, CEO and Sharon Gee, Vice President, Revenue Growth and GM Omnichannel Partnerships at BigCommerce. We discuss everything from their biggest differentiator to their headless commerce initiative to how they are helping brands sell more through 3rd party channels.

In our wide-ranging interview, we discuss a variety of topics, including:

20:49 - Brent’s gratitude toward a customer (New Chapter) 23:36 - Sharon’s gratitude for the career opportunities for woman at BigCommerce 26:03 - BigCommerce’s culture of diversity and opportunity 28:58 - How they help brands present the best version of themselves (with examples) 30:47 - The BigCommerce Differentiator: Open Commerce 33:41 - How BigCommerce supports brands of all sizes, including small brands 35:48 - BigCommerce on Headless Commerce 39:42 - BigCommerce on Multi-storefront Inventory 43:43 - Two problems BigCommerce Solves with Multi-Location Inventory 46:18 - The unique advantage of Omnichannel brands that work with BigCommerce 49:15 - The secret sauce of Omnichannel brands 50:59 - How BigCommerce facilitates more sales, revenue and data from 3rd Party Ad sites 53:13 - How BigCommerce partners with Amazon to help brands Part 1 54:55 - How BigCommerce partners with Amazon to help brands Part 2 56:55 - How to determine your personality type as an Omnichannel brand 59:58 - Examples of omnichannel brand personalities 1:02:31 - BigCommerce end-of-year plans and beyond 1:05:48 - Thoughts on recession, B2B, B2C, and e-commerce revenue data

Join Ramon Vela and Brent Bellm and Sharon Gee as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on BigCommerce, visit: https://www.bigcommerce.com/ 

Subscribe and listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

Alright, guys, here’s the deal: I have a gift for you from our primary Sponsor — Sendlane. They’re giving away their online course eCommerce Academy - Email & SMS Marketing!

This course gives you the step-by-step playbook to drive more revenue and retention with email & SMS. This is typically a $500 package, but for our listeners, it’s entirely FREE when you get started with your FREE 14-day trial of Sendlane.

When you do, chat with their support team and let them know you’re one of our listeners to get full access to hours of course content that will help you make email marketing your #1 growth engine.

Visit https://storybrandgift.com to get the details, sign up for a free trial and get your gift!

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Clay Alexander says, “I feel like all majorly successful entrepreneurs would not be where they are without help along the way. It's just not possible. You need advice and guidance. When I was building Ember, and Ember is now one of the fastest growing companies in the world, it was just an idea in my head. I was running up against brick wall after brick wall of like, wait a minute, how do I get past this hurdle?”

Today’s episode is a roller coaster ride-like discussion of how Clay Alexander, Founder & CEO of Ember Technologies, grew Ember from zero to over $100 million in revenues in less than five years. The interview encompasses hard-won entrepreneurial lessons and a guided tour of why the Ember products are so beloved.

We discussed:

19:08 - Clay’s gratefulness for his mentor, Norman Kahn 23:22 - Successful entrepreneurs' network to find the help they need 26:26 - Founders must realize their strengths and weaknesses 27:57 - How to use networking to attract influencers and celebrities to your mission 32:14 - Clay’s trade secret: always involve family 34:21 - The amazing results of direct mail 36:08 - Inspired by Beats by Dre 38:42 - Getting the designer of Beats by Dre to work with Ember 40:45 - Product invention - It all started with scrambled eggs 45:03 - Bootstrapping a software & hardware product takes millions 46:05 - How he raised Ember’s first Series A funds 47:26 - Formula for making a new product cool 49:52 - How to identify a market and product opportunity 53:26 - How Clay and team got into Starbucks 58:43 - The single biggest needle mover for Ember and any brand 1:01:12 - How to hire and interview at a fast-growing consumer brand 1:03:05 - Your job as a founder during the hiring process 1:06:09 - Learn to pull back as a founder and trust the people you hire 1:08:34 - Using the Ember Temperature Control technology in healthcare to save lives 1:14:49 - The words first warming baby bottle 1:20:02 - The big Ember value proposition 1:21:47 - Ember: So simple your grandmother could work it

Join Ramon Vela and Clay Alexander as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on Ember Technologies, visit: https://ember.com/ 

Subscribe and listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Rising acquisition costs and the return to in-store shopping have eCommerce marketers double-clicking on their retention strategy.

Now more than ever, brands need to focus on lifetime value. Yotpo is proud to announce Yotpo Subscriptions on Shopify, making retention easy and affordable for growing brands.

Take 8 minutes or less to add a recurring revenue channel to your business.

Download Yotpo Subscriptions from the Shopify App Store today https://apps.shopify.com/yotpo-subscription 

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Shouldn't a breast pump be as elegant as an iPhone and quiet as a Prius? This questions both angered Samantha and motivated her. She also thought, “why hadn’t someone already invented this?”

For the unfamiliar, breast pumps are loud and bulky. It basically forces women to hide if they're lucky in a lactation room, but more often in a bathroom or a supply closet.

Samantha explains, “there is a tell - tell noise that it makes. They are essentially a hard plastic funnel connected to a baby bottle that hangs off the breast.” And she reminds us, "it’s based on technology that was used for dairy cows that is decades old."

In today's episode, we interview Samantha Rudolph, Co-founder and CEO of Babyation. Babyation creates a space where women can navigate breastfeeding and pumping with care, support, and products designed for their holistic needs. The pumps feature sound reduction, data logging, mobile device integration, and breast shields.

We have discussed topic such as

* Grateful for an early review from a customer which helped in validating her 6 years of hard work and dedication in bringing the product to market * How the little things in business help validate the purpose of the brand. * What does Babyation do? * The pressures, stigma, and prejudices that mothers face in our society * Why the lack of innovation for breast pumps? * Why no one has created this before? * How did this product actually come into the market? * Advice for entrepreneurs * What’s better a software or hardware business * How the app works and why it’s so cool * The special features of the Babyation products? * Innovation: You can lie down when you use the breast pump! * What did other breast pumps fail to do? * The ultimate result of Babyation: liberating women * Their give back program

Join Ramon Vela and Samantha Rudolph as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on Babyation, visit: https://babyation.com/ 

Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Rising acquisition costs and the return to in-store shopping have eCommerce marketers double-clicking on their retention strategy.

Now more than ever, brands need to focus on lifetime value. Yotpo is proud to announce Yotpo Subscriptions on Shopify, making retention easy and affordable for growing brands.

Take 8 minutes or less to add a recurring revenue channel to your business.

Download Yotpo Subscriptions from the Shopify App Store today https://apps.shopify.com/yotpo-subscription 

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

Where do you go to find a female plumber? That was the “aha” moment when the founders of Matriarchy Build thought, “wouldn’t it be cool to create a community and a resource for people looking for female plumbers, electricians and contractors?” They figured if this was something they wanted, perhaps other women might want this too.

In today’s episode, we interview Gabriella Ainslie and Lacey Soslow, Co-founders of Matriarchy Build. Matriarchy Build creates a space to talk with a diverse group of women about renovation, design and DIY projects. Think of it as “telehealth but for DIY” where women (and everyone else) could get honest advice and feedback and feel empowered to get their home project done.

In today's episode, we discussed:

* Gratefulness for experiencing the tough moments of their life, because those experiences have turned into some great unforgettable lesson which empowered them later on * How they got the idea for the brand and why the brand exists * How Lacey and Gabriella met * How networking, in the beginning, was challenging * How this company is not just selling a particular service,they are selling trust * What were the most challenging parts for them before establishing this brand? * Their advice for their younger selves? * How a consumer uses their service and platform * How a pro applies to work on the platform * Their future vision * What projects they handle?

Join Ramon Vela and Gabriella Ainslie and Lacey Soslow, Co-Founders of Matriarchy Build as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on Matriarchy Build, visit: https://matriarchybuild.com/ 

Subscribe and listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

Alright, guys, here’s the deal: I have a gift for you from our primary Sponsor — Sendlane. They’re giving away their online course eCommerce Academy - Email & SMS Marketing!

This course gives you the step-by-step playbook to drive more revenue and retention with email & SMS. This is typically a $500 package, but for our listeners, it’s entirely FREE when you get started with your FREE 14-day trial of Sendlane.

When you do, chat with their support team and let them know you’re one of our listeners to get full access to hours of course content that will help you make email marketing your #1 growth engine.

Visit https://storybrandgift.com to get the details, sign up for a free trial and get your gift!

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

As Darian Khosravi Says, you are an accumulation of all good and bad decisions you have made. Some will give you prosperity and some lead you to failure. He’s a firm believer that if he’s going to fail, he’s going to fail fast and often because he knows it’s going to get him closer to the solution.

In today's episode, we interview Darian Khosravi, President and CEO of Kosmo’s Q as he explains his vision behind his Barbeque brand, Kosmo’s Q. Kosmo’s Q is recreating the food we eat at home by enhancing the flavor it already has. Darian or Kosmo, as his friends call him, strongly asserts that “What you’re gonna learn by eating a steak with Kosmo's Q is that it will ruin your experience of eating steak made with anything else.”

We have discussed different topics in today's episode these are-

* How he is grateful to a lady at the hospital who has always shown him love, compassion and kindness toward Darian in a certain period of his life, when he had nothing much to be grateful for * His spiritual experience behind the decision to start the brand * What the Kosmo's Q brand is all about * What is Competition Barbeque? * His view on leadership * How he discovered his superpower and how it changed his life * How the company started with two products * How he risked his own money * How, in the beginning, other people saw him as a threat * How if you want to learn about barbeque jump on the Kosmo's Q youtube channel * What is the meaning behind the brand name ‘Kosmo's Q * The Three F’s in life (Family, Finances and Freedom) * Why you have to make your dreams a reality (or at least try) * The best gift items on Kosmo’s Q website

Join Ramon Vela and Darian Khosravi, CEO of Kosmo’s Q as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on Kosmo’s Q, visit: https://kosmosq.com/ 

Subscribe and listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

Alright, guys, here’s the deal: I have a gift for you from our primary Sponsor — Sendlane. They’re giving away their online course eCommerce Academy - Email & SMS Marketing!

This course gives you the step-by-step playbook to drive more revenue and retention with email & SMS. This is typically a $500 package, but for our listeners, it’s entirely FREE when you get started with your FREE 14-day trial of Sendlane.

When you do, chat with their support team and let them know you’re one of our listeners to get full access to hours of course content that will help you make email marketing your #1 growth engine.

Visit https://storybrandgift.com to get the details, sign up for a free trial and get your gift!

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

As Mukurima Muriuki says, “as long as you have the willpower and then you get the opportunity, then you can always make your dreams come true.”

Farming is a noble profession, but unfortunately, many farmers who grow the coffee that we so much enjoy do not get fairly compensated. As Mukurima contends, this is really shameful in our society that the people who are feeding us are not getting enough simply because they don't have enough power and opportunity in our society.

In today's episode Mukurima Muriuki, Co-founder of African Coffee Club. African Coffee Club is a renowned coffee brand, ensuring that coffee farmers in Africa get their fair share of the profits. This brand’s focus isn’t ensuring optimal profits, instead, they are working to develop a system where the farmers can get fairly paid for their services.

In our interview, we discussed many topics:

* Grateful to Country America, how this country is providing opportunity to immigrants, so that can pursue their dream. * How a single crop of coffee generates millions of revenue worldwide. * Why African Coffee Club brand was established? * History behind coffee production and how they striving to overcome the challenges rooted in norms and values of the society. * What happens in a traditional auction process and how African Coffee Club changed the system for farmer’s good * How people's behavior and philosophy about coffee has changed over the years. * How buying African Coffee Club can directly help the farmers. * How every region of Africa produces coffee with different flavors. * How this brand helps the children of farmers in Africa find their future purpose in life. * The best products African Coffee Club * The meaning behind the name ‘Kenya’ * The gift sets and how they contain coffees from 8 different regions * How you can choose coffees based on morning, afternoon or evening time. * The perks of being a subscriber * Future vision of the brand. * Message for women listeners

Join Ramon Vela and Mukurima Muriuki as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on African Coffee Club, visit: https://www.africancoffeeclub.com/ 

Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Rising acquisition costs and the return to in-store shopping have eCommerce marketers double-clicking on their retention strategy.

Now more than ever, brands need to focus on lifetime value. Yotpo is proud to announce Yotpo Subscriptions on Shopify, making retention easy and affordable for growing brands.

Take 8 minutes or less to add a recurring revenue channel to your business.

Download Yotpo Subscriptions from the Shopify App Store today https://apps.shopify.com/yotpo-subscription 

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

As Cody and Julian say, “The oral microbiome is the second largest in the body and it's all about the balance of good and bad bacteria. It's about a homeostatic environment. And the reason for that is that the mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body.”

In today’s episode, we interview Cody Levine and Julian Levine, Co-Founders of Twice. TWICE is a holistic oral health system that combines cutting-edge science and clean ingredients for better mouth body balance.

We discussed numerous topics, all of which are fascinating:

* Gratefulness for a dental mission that propelled their lives in a new direction * Why the smile is so powerful * How their mission came before the products * How does Twice help the oral microbiome, explanation * Advice for entrepreneurs * How Lenny Kravitz works with the brand * Do the products individually or as a system or platform * The future and how Twice is bringing the next frontier of holistic health and wellness

Join Ramon Vela and Cody Levine and Julian Levine, Co-Founders of Twice as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on Twice, visit: https://www.smiletwice.com/ 

Subscribe and listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

Alright, guys, here’s the deal: I have a gift for you from our primary Sponsor — Sendlane. They’re giving away their online course eCommerce Academy - Email & SMS Marketing!

This course gives you the step-by-step playbook to drive more revenue and retention with email & SMS. This is typically a $500 package, but for our listeners, it’s entirely FREE when you get started with your FREE 14-day trial of Sendlane.

When you do, chat with their support team and let them know you’re one of our listeners to get full access to hours of course content that will help you make email marketing your #1 growth engine.

Visit https://storybrandgift.com to get the details, sign up for a free trial and get your gift!

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

When asked, “what’s the secret of success for Branzio,” Ronnie says, “I'll reply with the quote that's been on my mind since my school days and it’s three words: NEVER GIVE IN. And I'll take you through a couple of scenarios where the business almost folded and when I say folded, it was basically, there was no way I was able to come out of it.”

This is the struggle that every entrepreneur goes through and it takes its toll. Ronnie shares how he took his stress and anxiety out through alcohol. And how he now credits his sobriety, physical health, and mental health to the changes he made. “I have clarity like never before,” says Ronnie,

In today’s episode, we interview Ronnie Teja, Founder of Branzio, an eight-figure, bootstrapped, cash-profitable watch brand that designs various styles as well as color schemes, to be worn all day, every day, regardless of the situation.

We discuss numerous topics both personal and business topics all of which are fascinating.

* His gratefulness for his mother and for winning the “golden ticket” * The difference in mentality, entrepreneurship, and opportunity in other countries * What is the tall poppy syndrome * Who is Branzio Watches * Why founders should expect to grow their brands for at least 10 years * The keys to success * Two stories of when the business almost went under * What sobriety has done for him * How he escaped the emotional roller coaster of anxiety and stress * An overview of Branzio Watches and what makes them special

Join Ramon Vela and Ronnie Teja as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on Branzio, visit: https://branzio.com/ 

Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.

Alright, guys, here’s the deal: I have a gift for you from our primary Sponsor — Sendlane. They’re giving away their online course eCommerce Academy - Email & SMS Marketing!

This course gives you the step-by-step playbook to drive more revenue and retention with email & SMS. This is typically a $500 package, but for our listeners, it’s entirely FREE when you get started with your FREE 14-day trial of Sendlane.

When you do, chat with their support team and let them know you’re one of our listeners to get full access to hours of course content that will help you make email marketing your #1 growth engine.

Visit https://storybrandgift.com to get the details, sign up for a free trial and get your gift!

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Chris Salgardo says, “So for me, it started with creating the right formulas, creating a packaging journey that would make it easy for him and picking the right partners, where he can find the product, his proximity is important. And then just making sure that these products are gonna deliver.”

In today’s interview, we talk to Chris Salgardo, Founder & CEO of ATWATER. ATWATER avoids harsh, abrasive treatments by making products that are clean, non-toxic formulas with powerful active ingredients that promote healthier skin day after day.

ATWATER also meets clean beauty standards in formulations, the skincare products are fragrance-free, and the brand is made in the USA from globally sourced materials.

In this episode, we discuss a wide range of topics. We discuss:

* His gratitude for a mentor that changed his life * The Catalyst for starting ATWATER * Why the concept of putting customers at the center and not products have served him well in his career * Why brightening is at the foundation of ATWATER formulations * Advice for entrepreneurs like why this is the hardest gig of his life, staying focused, and why there are no free lunches * Product line overview * How to use the products * Future products and where to buy

Join Ramon Vela and Chris Salgardo as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on ATWATER, visit: https://www.atwaterskin.com/ 

Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Rising acquisition costs and the return to in-store shopping have eCommerce marketers double-clicking on their retention strategy.

Now more than ever, brands need to focus on lifetime value. Yotpo is proud to announce Yotpo Subscriptions on Shopify, making retention easy and affordable for growing brands.

Take 8 minutes or less to add a recurring revenue channel to your business.

Download Yotpo Subscriptions from the Shopify App Store today https://apps.shopify.com/yotpo-subscription 

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Daniel says, “I don't want to create a brand, slap a logo on it, create an aesthetic, and then sell it. I wanted to create a product that was much better than what was available on the market by solving all the common problems that guys have. And then see if I could offer it at a much more accessible price point. That was the Genesis of all citizens.”

In today’s interview, we talk to Daniel Charbonnet, Founder of All Citizens, a direct consumer menswear brand with a mission to democratize comfort, durability, and high performance at an accessible price point.

In this interview, we cover a wide range of topics. We discuss:

* Gratitude toward his wife for supporting his entrepreneurial journey * What type of underwear do men wear most? * Men’s everyday problems with underwear * Why finding the right underwear is life-changing for men? * What are the three categories for consumers * Advice for entrepreneurs * How he made and sold his first pair of underwear to a stranger * Why it’s more than just business for Daniel as he describes the All Citizen’s charitable initiatives * And so much more.

Join Ramon Vela and Daniel Charbonnet as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

For more on All Citizens, visit: https://allcitizens.com/ 

Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand,” or click here to listen on your favorite podcast player: Listen now.

*

This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

Rising acquisition costs and the return to in-store shopping have eCommerce marketers double-clicking on their retention strategy.

Now more than ever, brands need to focus on lifetime value. Yotpo is proud to announce Yotpo Subscriptions on Shopify, making retention easy and affordable for growing brands.

Take 8 minutes or less to add a recurring revenue channel to your business.

Download Yotpo Subscriptions from the Shopify App Store today https://apps.shopify.com/yotpo-subscription