“We had no idea writing the word “SHITI” on a napkin and taping it to an old cooler would have such a following behind it”

In 2016, Trevor and Austin Zacny founded SHITI® Coolers with a basic mission: To keep using that same damn Coleman with the rusted lid and squeaky hinges in hope there were more people out there just like them. A simple SHITI sticker was enough to represent the lifestyle they had been living for years.

This is the journey of a brand that started wiuth $400 in parody stickers back in 2016 and by 2019 had grown into a seven-figure lifestyle brand.

Show Links

• SHITI Coolers - (Use code UNOFFICIAL10 for 10% off.)
• App: BACK IN STOCK
• Backpack Cooler
• @shiti_coolers

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In today's listener Q&A episode, you asked, we answered:

• Should you advertise on Pinterest?
• What's the deal with financing apps?
• Remarketing strategies with a new store
• What is the best sales funnel for a high ticket item?
• How to launch into another market
• SEO for products with variants

...and more.

• Sezzle - Use referral code SZXRLQJ to get one month free, no strings attached.
• WorkMacro
• Bold Returns Manager

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• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

Jake Starr, a former firefighter, started Recycled Firefighter in 2013 when he noticed decommissioned fire hoses being thrown into the landfill, took some home, and turned it into an iPad case he sold on Etsy. "I feel bad for whoever bought it."

Today, Jake's Shopify Plus store has sold thousands of wallets, backpacks, tool rolls and more made from recycled canvas fire hose material. He owes his success in part to the Every Day Carry community on Instagram where he has nearly 100,000 followers.

In this candid interview, Jake joins us in studio to discuss his journey, what he's learned, and why he's chosen to keep his business intentionally small, bootstrapped, and fun.

• RecycledFirefighter.com
• IG:@RecycledFirefighter
• Snapseed
• Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage
• Four Hour Work Week
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
• Company of One

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• See our recent work at Ethercycle
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• Get powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platform
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

Last Spring, a listener invited me to lunch with the Courtrights, a couple who ran a business that invested in Shopify stores– hundreds of Shopify stores– and offered a guaranteed rate of return to investors.

On January 14th, the SEC announced that, "it filed an emergency enforcement action and obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freeze against Illinois resident Kenneth D. Courtright, III and his company, Todays Growth Consultant Inc., in connection with an alleged Ponzi-like scheme that raised at least $75 million from more than 500 investors throughout the United States and abroad."

Let's unpack that.

• SEC Statement
• Chicago Tribune: SEC freezes assets of suburban owner of The Income Store, allegedly a $75 million Ponzi-like website investment scheme

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• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

• Get powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platform
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

Our guest today is Thomas "Tommy" Tartaglia, the self-described World's Okayest Exerciser, who sold more than $100k in t-shirts with "World's Okayest Exerciser" printed on it last year on Shopify.

Thomas Tartaglia has a bunch of degree's from various colleges, a significant amount of time in the Military, and a handful of years trying to figure out E-Commerce. He relies on other people to make himself look good.

Tune in for more details!

In this Listener Q&A episode, we talk:

• Post-purchase email marketing
• Content strategies when you can't run ads
• Migrating sales from Amazon to Shopify

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

• Get powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platform
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

One of the hardest parts of ecommerce entrepreneurship is manufacturing your first product, but as retail and technology has changed, it's also become easier than ever. Today we'll pull back the curtain on finding a manufacturer with a man who has decades of experience.

Our guest today, Charles Kaliman, has helped big box retail stores launch new brands and find manufacturing supply chains. He collaborated in launching brands such as I.N.C., Structure, Everlast, and Gant.

You'll hear:

• Finding the right factory partner
• Mistakes to avoid
• How to vet a factory
• Why a great factory can help you finance
• How digitization and changing retail has disrupted and democratized manufacturing
• Why you should work backwards
• What we can learn from Kim Kardashian's shapewear line

Charles has been in leadership positions holding operational responsibility at major retailers and brands. Charles’ international experience has provided him with a deep understanding of a dynamic and ever-changing global manufacturing base. He developed relationships with leading global vendors and travelled extensively to factories in Asia, India, Bangladesh, Central America and the USA.

• Kaliman Consulting
• MAGIC Trade Show
• National Retail Federation

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings & reviews help, and I read each one.
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Take a ride with Kurt on YouTube
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

• Try Bold Product Upsell free for 90 days
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager
• Outsource your Shopify customer service with Simplr

Emily Jaime is the designer and founder of YIREH. She started the brand early in 2014 (when she was 22 years old!), without a background in fashion or business. She has built her online boutique with the desire to not only design functional and easy to wear clothing for women, but to also empower and encourage them to live their best lives.

Today's guest has twenty years of ecommerce experience and believes that "You can't survive as a commodity dropship retailer. You have to differentiate or Amazon will eat your lunch. If not today, then tomorrow."

In this episode, he'll tell us how he differentiated Karmaloop and more.

You'll hear:

• Lessons learned running a nine-figure brand acquired from AutoZone
• The simple strategies that Drew used to save KarmaLoop from extinction
• How to easily leverage direct mail to grow your business

In 2013, Drew founded his first company, DesignPublic.com, with $500 cash. Today he's the CEO of nine-figure vertically integrated brand AutoAnything. In between, he's saved Karmaloop, got Teamwork to eight figures, and built a variety of software and retail businesses.

• AutoAnything.com
• Traction
• 80/20 Rule
• Karmaloop
• Kettle & Fire
• Teamwork
• Ecommerce is a Bear
• PostPilot - Get 15% off your first purchase with code KURT15
• Nerd Marketing

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings & reviews help, and I read each one.
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

• Try Bold Product Upsell free for 90 days
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager