Shopify Masters

David Dennis was showing some of his photography for a fundraiser when he discovered the complexities of ocean conservation and how surfboards can be made more sustainably. Together with partner Martijn Stiphout, David runs Ventana Surfboards, maker of boards handcrafted from upcycled and reclaimed material. In this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll hear how David Dennis balances his career at Microsoft while running Ventana Surfboards, the key components of running an impactful sustainable business, and how Instagram drives most of their sales. For more on Ventana Surfboards and show notes: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/ventanasurfboards-instagramTune in to learnHow to talk about your brand at a fair or trade showHow to collaborate with artists to turn their audience in to your customersHow they sold a $15,000 surfboard from a post on Instagram Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

In partnership with the late model and makeup artist Cindy Joseph, Ezra Firestone helped to build BOOM by Cindy Joseph, an age-positive cosmetic line for women of every generation. As an ecommerce growth expert, Ezra has been known to share insights on building brands that resonate with consumers and stand the test of time. In this episode of Shopify Masters, Ezra Firestone shares his life and business journey and the most important lessons he’s learned along the way. For more on BOOM by Cindy Joseph,  Ezra  Firestone, and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/boombycindyjoseph-brandTune in to learnWhat is the love, demo, love video and why is it such an effective marketing toolWhy you should not drive your traffic straight to a product page and where to drive it to insteadWhere to reinvest in your brand and company Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Emma Cohen’s time in Thailand exposed her to the effects that single-use plastics had on the ocean. She spent most of her days there cleaning up the washed-up plastic waste on beaches. Emma was so moved by this experience that she returned to school and completed a Master’s in environmental management and sustainability from Harvard. After working for over five years in sustainability research, Emma poured herself into developing a collapsible and portable stainless steel straw and launched FinalStraw in 2017.For more on FinalStraw and show notes: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/finalstraw-causeTune in to learnHow you can use Amazon reviews to create a superior productWhat’s the best use of your time when preparing for a crowdfunding campaignHow to balance marketing your cause versus marketing your product Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

When Gamal Codner left corporate America he began to grow out his beard. What started as a symbolic lifestyle change to signify the start of his entrepreneurial journey sparked a new business idea. As his beard got longer, Gamal noticed how there were no grooming products designed for men of color and launched Fresh Heritage to address this unmet need in the market. For more on Fresh Heritage and show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/fresh-heritage-validateTune in to learnWhy it’s important to invest in your educationWhy you do not need the best product, you just need to be differentHow to network with successful brands and get them to give you advice Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

The scent of a specialty soap from her honeymoon stayed with Danielle Vincent as she went back to work and each time she would smell it, she was transported back to those happy memories. This sensory experience prompted her to launch Outlaw Soaps with her husband Russ. Together, the couple created soaps that would smell like campfire, whiskey, and leather to meet the niche of specialty scents. In this episode of Shopify Masters, we’ll hear from Danielle Vincent of Outlaw Soaps on how they navigated production and why feedback from customers are crucial. For more on Outlaw Soaps and show notes: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/outlawsoaps-salesTune In To LearnWhat metric led them to 600% GrowthWhy content marketing and SEO are still worth it even though they take longer for resultsThe emails they sent to turn customers in to repeat buyers Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Roller derby wasn’t just a workout for Micki Krimmel, it offered a sense of empowerment and community. The sport inspired Micki to start Superfit Hero, an inclusive and body-positive apparel line to make everyone feel welcomed in the fitness world. In this episode of Shopify Masters, Micki Krimmel of Superfit Hero shares her approach to building a community, how she shares inspiring and inclusive stories, and what has helped her to grow her business.For more on Superfit Hero and show notes:  https://www.shopify.ca/blog/superfithero-storytellingTune in to learnWhy they decided to start selling fitness apparel in the roller derby nicheHow non-product focused content turns prospects into customersWhy it’s important to release more products Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Cars fascinated Chris Carey, so much so that he left his full-time job to start Modern Automotive Performance, a business focused on manufacturing and selling automotive performance products. Initially starting with a physical and service location, Modern Automotive Performance expanded to selling products online and grew to generate over $27 million in annual revenue.In today’s episode of Shopify Masters, Chris Carey shares how they moved past stagnant sales, which resources changed his way of thinking, and why they closed down their original service business to focus on ecommerce.For more on Modern Automotive Performance and show notes: https://www.shopify.ca/blog/maperformance-scaleTune in to learnHow to use forums to get your first customersThe key to great customer service that will give you organic growthWhat is an Entrepreneurial Operating System Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Known as a biohacker and lifestyle guru, Dave Asprey has gained a notable reputation within the health and wellness space. With a bold claim of aiming to live until 180 years old and having published five books on his diet and lifestyle approaches, it was no surprise that Dave decided to launch his own line of nutrition products.Under the brand name Bulletproof, consumers can include coffee, proteins, and supplements that Dave personally uses into their routines. Despite Dave’s reputation, building a notable brand within the consumer packaged goods space takes a village and scaling it is no easy feat.In this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll hear from Karen Huh, the VP of Product Management and Strategy and Bulletproof. Karen grew her team from one direct report into three teams of five to six employees, and she looks after everything from research and development to creatives.For more from Bulletproof and the show notes: www.shopify.com/blog/ bulletproof-brandingTune in to LearnHow to get clarity on your brandWhy it’s important to simplify your brand messaging and how to do itHow to increase your speed to get things done Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Josh Elizetxe has been a serial entrepreneur ever since he was a teenager. Having a knack for building websites, SEO, and managing ad dollars, Josh managed sites for an array of businesses when he was still in school. Despite the early success, it wasn't until Josh befriended his dentists through multiple braces treatments and jaw surgery that he found his calling. Josh was intrigued by the dental industry and invested his own savings to research an at-home whitening system to disrupt the stagnant market by starting Snow Teeth Whitening. In this episode of Shopify Masters, you'll hear from Josh Elizetxe of Snow on how he found his interest within the dental industry and why it's important to pace yourself in the entrepreneurship journey. For more on Josh Elizetxe, Snow, and the show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/snow-market-disruptionTune in to learnHow they’ve stepped up influencer marketing to work with celebritiesWhy he invested millions of dollars of his own money into his companyWhy all his retail partners are calling him to stock his productHow to think of entrepreneurship as a marathon and not a sprint Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Three Nashville proud friends, Sam Davidson, Stephen Moseley, and Rob Williams, had the idea to start Batch, a gift company curating items made by artisans from their beloved city.   Initially starting off selling subscription boxes in 2013, Batch switched gears to be a gift company and grew to have its own retail space while generating $1.8 million in sales annually.  In this episode of Shopify Masters, you'll hear from Sam Davidson of Batch on how they validated the concept, work with local makers, and switched their business focus. For more on Batch and the show notes: https://www.shopify.com/blog/batch-growthTune in to learnHow they used a landing page to validate their business ideaThe customer feedback the convinced them to open a physical retail storeThe most important questions you should ask your existing customers  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.