Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXSr4Po30oY

Paid ads are busted. SEO is back but weirder. Gen Z isn’t using Google. What now?
VC Smriti Jayaraman pulls back the curtain on the Shopify brands building futuristic funnels today. We’re talking AI quizzes, voice search, digital oracles, and tech that reads your face to guess your shirt size. It’s strange. It’s smart. And it works.

• Why AI search is reshaping ecommerce—and how to rank in it
• How Shopify brands are using gamified funnels to capture attention
• What to know about AI influencers, personalized merchandising, and site search
• Why your brand needs to think like a membership club, not a subscription box
• Real tech examples from Corazon Capital’s portfolio

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways

• Smriti Jayaraman
• BoldVoice
• iAsk.ai
• Laws of Motion
• Perplexity
• Corazon Capital

• Want me to grow your Shopify store? Apply here
• See what we’ve done for other merchants: View portfolio
• Get my free newsletter for Shopify insights: Join here

🎧 The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster. Subscribe for weekly interviews with Shopify entrepreneurs and experts.

Her fans call her "The Queen of Air Fryers." She gave away recipes. Her fans demanded a cookbook. One $15 PDF later, Cathy Yoder had a 5-figure launch weekend—and she hasn't looked back. With over 700K subscribers, Cathy built a content-powered Shopify business that turns viewers into superfans (and customers).

In this episode, Cathy breaks down:

• How to use YouTube as your #1 lead-gen channel
• Building products based on comment section gold
• What flopped, what worked, and why done > perfect
• Integrating YouTube with Shopify for seamless sales

If you're a creator, a merchant, or both—this is the funnel playbook you've been waiting for.

Sponsors:

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Boost AI Search & Filter – AI-powered search that converts

Work with Kurt:

• Grow your Shopify store with me → ethercycle.com/apply
• See how we help stores grow → ethercycle.com/work
• Get my Shopify newsletter → kurtelster.com

Pit Viper isn’t for everyone. And that might be the secret to its success.

It starts with a guy on a ski trip. His sunglasses break. So, naturally, he walks into a military surplus store, finds an old pair of ballistic glasses from the early 90s, and thinks, these are perfect.

Fast forward a few years, and those surplus shades—once traded for beers and ski lifts—have turned into Pit Viper, a brand worth millions.

But here’s the question: how do you build a business that doesn’t just sell sunglasses, but sells attitude? A brand that’s loud, weird, and completely unignorable?

Today on the show: Chris Garcin, CEO of Pit Viper, explains how they took what should have been a joke and turned it into a cult phenomenon.

Links & Resources
🔗 Shop Pit Viper: www.pitviper.com
🎧 More stories like this: The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Work With Kurt
🚀 Want to grow your Shopify store? We help brands like yours increase conversions, improve UX, and drive more sales.
📩 Let’s talk: ethercycle.com/apply
🛠️ See how I’ve helped other brands: ethercycle.com/work
💡 Join my newsletter for no-BS ecommerce insights: kurtelster.com

Connect with Kurt:

• 💬 Twitter: @kurtinc
• 📩 Newsletter: kurtelster.com

Sponsors:

• 📈 Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• 🔥 Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• 📬 Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways.

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review on iTunes—it helps more Shopify merchants find the show!

Two Shopify Partners get real in an AMA packed with listener questions. Store spying tricks, AI fails, bold 2025 predictions, a garage full of jacked-up cars, and a sneak peek at their next app.

What you’ll learn:

• How to spy on Shopify stores using public endpoints and browser tools
• What’s broken (and what’s promising) in Shopify’s new AI tools
• How devs actually use ChatGPT to write Shopify code
• Email marketing best practices, including double opt-in insights
• A look behind the scenes at a new Shopify app in development

Sponsors:

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels: http://zipify.com/KURT
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify: https://cleverific.com/unofficial
• Viralsweep – Run sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways: https://www.viralsweep.com/

Show Links:

• Liquid Weekly: https://liquidweekly.com/
• Editions.dev: https://editions.dev/pages/editions-dev
• Tactical Baby Gear: https://tacticalbabygear.com/
• Shopify AI Store Setup Tool: https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/ai-store-generator-tool
• Copy All URLs Chrome Extension: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/copy-all-urls/djdmadneanknadilpjiknlnanaolmbfk?hl=en
• Store Leads: https://storeleads.app/reports/shopify

Work with Kurt:

• Grow your Shopify store with me → https://ethercycle.com/apply
• See our client results → https://ethercycle.com/work
• Join my newsletter → https://kurtelster.com/

Lady Gaga has a new Shopify site. But this isn’t just a merch store. It’s a stage, a story, a digital home—built to evolve as fast as she does.

Her team needed something different. A site that could change overnight and feel as immersive as her albums. So they went headless, partnering with Commerce-UI, a Shopify agency known for pushing boundaries.

In this episode, Shopify Partner Michal Klim takes us inside the build:

• How Hydrogen and Oxygen power a site that never stands still.
• Why merch sales weren’t the top priority—and what was.
• Why a “conversion-first” mindset wouldn’t work here—and what did.

It’s a story about what happens when a global superstar takes Shopify beyond ecommerce best practices.

🎧 Listen now on The Unofficial Shopify Podcast.

The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is made by possible by our sponsors:

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Address Validator – Reduce delivery address errors & costs

Special thanks to our friends at Shopify and to our listeners.

Show Links

• Lady Gaga’s Shopify Store – See the site in action
• Abracadabra! Building Lady Gaga's magical storefront experience on Hydrogen - Shopify Newsroom article
• Commerce-UI – The agency behind Lady Gaga’s Shopify site
• Shopify Hydrogen – Build headless commerce experiences
• Shopify Oxygen – Deploy Hydrogen storefronts on Shopify’s infrastructure
• Sanity CMS – Headless CMS used for editorial content

Work with Kurt

Want to optimize your Shopify store and grow your business? I help Shopify merchants like you increase conversions, streamline operations, and build standout online experiences.

Apply to work with me: Ethercycle
See how I’ve helped other brands: Recent Client Successes
Get my best Shopify insights: Join My Newsletter

Let’s make your Shopify store better, faster, and more profitable.

Megan Smalley didn’t plan to build a powerhouse ecommerce brand. Scarlet & Gold started as a creative side project—until she got laid off.

Fast forward 12 years, and Scarlet & Gold is one of the only women-owned businesses licensed for NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) merch on Shopify. This March, their Shopify sales are up 74.2% year-over-year—with over 53.6% of those sales tied to March Madness merchandise.

And here’s the kicker: 69.5% of their basketball sales come from just two NIL deals.

So how did she do it? What makes NIL merch so powerful? And what’s it really like running an ecommerce business that lives and dies by game-day hype?

That’s what we’re talking about today.

👉 Read more from Shopify’s newsroom: shopify.com/news/march-madness-entrepreneurs

🔗 Check out Scarlet & Gold → scarletandgoldshop.com
🔗 Need custom merch? → scarletandgoldcustom.com

📌 Sponsors:

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Address Validator – Reduce delivery errors & costs

🎧 Enjoyed this episode?
Subscribe & leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

💡 Want to grow your Shopify store? Work with Kurt:

• Apply for a strategy session → ethercycle.com/apply
• See what we’ve built → ethercycle.com/work
• Get my best Shopify insights → kurtelster.com

👥 Join Our Private Facebook Group:
Connect with other Shopify entrepreneurs → facebook.com/groups/UnofficialShopifyPodcast

This is a story about ecommerce, sports, and the weird world of NIL merch.
It’s about how one Shopify store turned athlete partnerships into real growth.
And it’s about what happens when you take a risk—and it actually works.

Are you making one of these Shopify mistakes? If so, you’re losing sales. In this episode, The Unofficial Shopify Podcast host Kurt Elster teams up with Bold Commerce co-founder Jay Myers to reveal the top 10 mistakes that Shopify merchants make—some of which even big brands get wrong. From neglected checkouts to bloated main menus, they share simple, actionable fixes that can boost conversions and keep customers coming back. 

What You’ll Learn:

• The #1 checkout mistake that kills trust (and how to fix it in 60 seconds)
• Why most subscription models fail—and the secret to making them work
• The overlooked product page changes that increase add-to-cart rates
• Why your main menu is confusing customers (and how to fix it)
• How to stop relying on paid ads and build a business that lasts

Links & Resources:

• Bold Commerce – Shopify apps for subscriptions, upsells, and more
• Subscription Death Curve – Jay Myers' SubSummit Keynote
• Shopify Markets – Sell globally from a single store
• Shopify Checkout Customization – How to brand your checkout
• Klaviyo – Email & SMS marketing for e-commerce
• Master & Dynamic – Premium headphones with long-form product pages
• Timbuk2 – Example of great product pages for bags
• Tactical Baby Gear – Niche brand with strong storytelling
• Clubhouse – Audio platform that rose to pandemic fame
• “Jobs to Be Done” (JTBD) – Product innovation concept by Clayton Christensen
• Seth Godin’s Blog – Marketing insights from Seth Godin

Connect with Kurt:

• 💬 Twitter: @kurtinc
• 📩 Newsletter: kurtelster.com
• 🚀 Work with Kurt: ethercycle.com/apply

Sponsors:

• 📈 Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• 🔥 Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• 📬 Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways.

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review on iTunes—it helps more Shopify merchants find the show!

Imagine a world where your worst gas-related fears simply… disappear. No awkward moments, no subtle side-eye glances. Just peace, dignity, and activated carbon filters.

That’s the world Collin White and his father set out to create when they launched Tootles, a Shopify store selling flatulence-filtering underwear. At first, people laughed. But then, they listened. Because for people with digestive issues, this isn’t a joke—it’s a solution.

Today on The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Collin joins Kurt to talk about building a business in a deeply niche market, convincing manufacturers that fart-proof underwear is, in fact, a real thing, and finding customers who need his product (but don’t necessarily want to talk about it).

✔️ How Collin and his dad took Tootles from idea to reality
✔️ The science behind fart filtration (yes, it works)
✔️ Marketing a taboo product without making it a joke
✔️ How Tootles increases AOV with clever bundling
✔️ Why subscriptions aren’t always the answer for consumable products

Farts are funny. Business is serious. And somewhere in the middle, there’s a Shopify success story worth listening to.

🔗 Tootles Website: WearTootles.com
🔗 Kurt’s Shopify Agency: Ethercycle.com
🔗 Judge.me (Review App Used by Tootles): Judge.me

🔗 Cleverific: cleverific.com/unofficial
🔗 Zipify: zipify.com/KURT
🔗 ViralSweep: apps.shopify.com/viralsweep

"You start with ‘there’s no way this is me.’ Then you question everything. Then, eventually, you realize—this really could be me."

Ron Shah built Obvi into a $100M+ powerhouse, with $40M in top-line revenue in 2024. But not every business he touched turned to gold. Today, Ron gets brutally honest about two brands he started—Coffee Over Cardio and Paw Rangers—that didn’t go as planned.

This isn’t your typical success story. Ron shares:

• Why success in one business doesn’t guarantee success in another
• The emotional toll of failure and the ego traps that cost him money
• How to know when to walk away, pivot, or double down
• What he’d do differently if he launched these brands today

Most founders only share their wins. Ron is sharing his losses. And why, in hindsight, they might be even more valuable.

• Follow Ron on Twitter: @obviceo
• Check out Obvi: myobvi.com
• Listen to Ron’s podcast, Chew On This: Listen here
• coffeeovercardio
• pawrangers.com

• Cleverific: https://cleverific.com/unofficial
• Zipify: http://zipify.com/KURT
• Address Validator: https://www.addressvalidator.com/

• Grow your Shopify store with me: ethercycle.com/apply
• Join my newsletter for Shopify insights: kurtelster.com

📩 Enjoyed the episode? Leave a review and let us know what you think!

“Rainier Watch started as me shouting into the void about whether the mountain was out. Now, it’s a brand in REI. Didn’t see that coming.”

David Lindahl started Rainier Watch as a simple Twitter account—just a guy posting updates on whether Mount Rainier was visible that day. No business plan, no grand vision. Just a love for the mountain.

But then people started following. They started asking for stickers. And suddenly, David found himself running an e-commerce brand. What began as a hobby turned into a business selling apparel, getting into retail stores like REI, and building a loyal community of outdoor enthusiasts.

This week, we follow David’s journey—from side project to full-time business. How he scaled his Shopify store, navigated wholesale partnerships, and made every mistake possible before finally getting it right. Along the way, we look at what happens when an entrepreneur outgrows their own operation, the challenges of building a brand rooted in a specific place, and what it really takes to turn a passion into a sustainable business.

🛍 Shop Rainier Watch: https://shop.rainierwatch.com/

💡 Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify: https://cleverific.com/unofficial
🚀 Zipify – Optimize your Shopify store with Zipify: http://zipify.com/KURT
📍 Address Validator – Prevent shipping mistakes before they happen: https://www.addressvalidator.com/

🔹 Grow your Shopify store with me: https://ethercycle.com/apply
📈 See our recent client successes: https://ethercycle.com/work