Podcasts about mutesix

JuHee Kim, president of ad agency MuteSix, joins host Matthew Schwartz to discuss some of the key questions marketers need to ask when they want to align their brand with a cultural moment (or movement) and why serendipity may play a bigger part in such activations than brand managers appreciate.

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you'll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- This week on The Exit: Steve Weiss, founder of MuteSix, a creative digital marketing agency he sold to Dentsu, shares his tumultuous journey from troubled youth to successful entrepreneur. After being robbed at gunpoint, Steve decided to make a major pivot in his life and dedicated himself to business, programming, and digital marketing. MuteSix began when Steve, pursuing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles, started running Facebook ads to promote comedy shows. This turned into a full-fledged agency, growing from 20 to over 500 employees in just four years. The company's success stemmed from integrating creative and paid media services, a novel approach at the time. In 2019, Dentsu reached out via LinkedIn, leading to MuteSix's acquisition after an 8-9 month process. Steve discusses the challenges of maintaining business growth during due diligence and emphasizes the importance of proper accounting, HR practices, and legal counsel in preparing for an exit. Steve advises entrepreneurs to plan for life after selling their business. Money doesn't provide purpose, so it's important to find the thing that does. -- Steve Weiss started MuteSix in 2013, where he saw that the structure of building integrated media teams was broken and needed to evolve rapidly. MuteSix sat at the intersection of creative, media buying, and data with a goal of disrupting the status quo and being an all inclusive growth solution. Their goal was to give leading native “Direct to Consumer” eCommerce brands the unfair advantage in quickly taking market share from leading enterprise competitors. As CEO along with his incredible team of 450+ MuteSix'ers, they were able to grow the company 25%+ every single year. This led to an acquisition by iProspect in 2019. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevejweiss/ Check Out Flippa's Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You'll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

On this episode of Investors & Operators, Jordan sits down with Steve Weiss, Founder of MuteSix. Steve began his entrepreneurial journey when he was just 17 years old. In this podcast, Steve guides us through his journey of founding and selling MuteSix to Dentsu Aegis Network in 2019. Together, they discuss:How he made his first dollarGrowing up and overcoming anxiety The mortgage business: making millions and losing it all...and so much more.Top TakeawaysJust experiment. Start first, figure it out later. Steve explains that when starting a business, there's a solution to every problem. You just have to be willing to take the time to experiment and figure it out.Face your fears head-on. From standup comedy, to traveling the world, to re-entering the extreme volatility of entrepreneurship, Steve shares how the only way to overcome your anxiety is to do everything that scares you. The journey is more impactful than the destination. Steve shares that the journey of testing yourself, your own resolve, the way you react, is the most impactful journey that you'll go through as a professional.

Sarah Grosz is an influencer marketing expert. She led the influencer marketing team at MuteSix, a leading marketing agency based in LA and is now the founder of goodCPG, a community and marketplace for emerging CPG brands. In this conversation we discuss: The types of influencer marketing How to scale your influencer outreach Best practices for paid & free collaborations How to filter for the right influencers Cross-promotion with other brands Setting up an ambassador program And more Learn more about goodCPG on Instagram here & join Sarah's community at goodCPG here

LinksSteve Weiss LinkedInMuteSix WebsiteDaniel Rutberg LinkedIn

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix and Yotpo**   “To help brands and small businesses grow” that's the mission of Carro. In part 2, David Perry, Founder and CEO of Carro, posits that in a way, brands are influencers, and influencers are brands. David has a background in engineering and the video gaming industry. He believes that there's room for innovation in every industry. To him, the business world is filled with friction. He mentions their cross-brand bundling offering that helps make a bundle of products from different brands. Later, he also mentions that PayPal is an investor and why companies like PayPal invest: Carro is helping businesses grow. Brands can apply to Carro as a supplier as well as a retailer. He discusses: * Cross brand bundling * What made him stop and think * Room for innovation * Business friction * Investors and commerce enablement * Betting on Shopify * How to get started with Carro * Supporting customers * Words of wisdom Join Ramon Vela and David Perry as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Carro, Visit: https://getcarro.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for” “The Story of a Brand” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://www.mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, and Yotpo**   It's easier to continue when you have conviction around a social goal, says Laurence. In part 2, Laurence Girard, Founder & CEO of Fruit Street, talks about his conviction in scientific concepts and desire to pursue the business through its various iterations. According to him, sometimes, when a business fails, it's not the team or the product or you, but instead, it's the timing that matters in business. Laurence then speaks about their program where they offer 26 classes that cover different topics such as diet, sleep, cooking, bad food choices, etc. He remarks that their program is more like a lifestyle improvement program. Fruit Street relies on 3 different channels: the employer's health plan, consumers, and treating patients in the physician network. He talked about: * What kept him going * Timing matters too * How to get started with Fruit Street * Their 3 different channels * Lifestyle improvement program * Joining the program Join Ramon Vela and Laurence Girard as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Fruit Street, visit: https://fruitstreet.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, and Yotpo**   “The most powerful thing you can do is maintain a healthy diet” that's what Laurence recommends. In part 1, we have Laurence Girard, Founder & CEO of Fruit Street, a developer of digital diabetes prevention and weight loss programs. During a college internship at a healthcare facility, Laurence had an intense experience with an overweight diabetic patient who passed away. This experience led him to Fruit Street. Fruit Street's program is designed to help people with pre-diabetes avoid developing type two diabetes. According to Laurence, approximately 88 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 84% don't know they have it. That's why he advises taking their risk quiz and then a blood test along with a hemoglobin A1C test. There's a need to raise awareness amongst the public and physicians. He discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the company * How to identify pre-diabetes * Challenges around pre-diabetes * His motivation behind the brand * Impact of diet & lifestyle * Dean Ornish's books * What's different about Fruit Street * Being CDC endorsed Join Ramon Vela and Laurence Girard as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Fruit Street, visit: https://fruitstreet.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix and Yotpo**   “Sell more together,” that's the tagline as well as the idea behind Carro. In part 1, we have David Perry, Founder and CEO of Carro, a brand that helps other brands build out their offering. David is originally from Northern Ireland. He explains that collaboration between brands and between brands and influencers leads to more traffic and attention. According to him, influencers make the mistake of not reading the marketplace. He advises that they must own their stores, customers and build their collection. Carro is a company that fulfills the needs of the actual shoppers. To Carro, influencers should be considered a retailer who sells products. He also believes that influencers and brands can be tastemakers in their markets. In part 1, he discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * Who's an influencer 2.0 * How Carro technology works * Collaboration, curating, and marketplace * Affiliate links these days * Tastemaker influencers Join Ramon Vela and David Perry as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Carro, Visit: https://getcarro.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for” “The Story of a Brand” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://www.mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix and Sendlane**   “We support small-batch artisans, local businesses, and a sustainable economy,” that's what makes Bestowe Gifting unique. In part 1, we have Catherine Weis, Founder of Bestowe Gifting, a high-end curated gifting brand that makes gifting effortless. Catherine had a background in graphic design. She had been in marketing and e-commerce for over 20 years. She was always a content creator who loved helping others. That's why ten years ago, she started a blog along with her friends to support local artisans. Later, the blog's success led her to launch her brand, Bestowe Gifting. She offers customized gifting for individuals and businesses. She discusses: * Gratefulness * Who is Bestowe Gifting * What motivated her * Her background and blog * Her passion for creating * The rabbit hole of her business * Putting together a gifting box * Shift during the pandemic * Their criteria for choosing Artisans Join Ramon Vela and Catherine Weis as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Bestowe Gifting, visit: https://bestowegifting.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix and Sendlane**   “Giving gifts is important” that's the reminder from Bestowe Gifting to people and corporations. In part 2, Catherine Weis, Founder of Bestowe Gifting, says that giving gifts reminds people that someone is looking out for them. Since her childhood, Catherine has been into artisanship. According to her, Artisans gravitate towards visual mediums like Pinterest and Instagram, so they also have a featured artisan page on their site.  She partners with event planners and companies like Forbes, Google, Netflix, and others. They provide gifting services for baby showers, weddings, homes, holidays, wellness, thank you's, and employees. She discusses: * Traits she looks for in Artisans * What artisans gravitate towards * Their artisan page * Their custom gifting service * Partnership with event planners * Bestowe Gifting's collection * Being sustainable Join Ramon Vela and Catherine Weis as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Bestowe Gifting, visit: https://bestowegifting.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, and Ordergroove**   “Happiness is within you,” that's a life lesson Dinesh has learned. In part 1, we have Dinesh Tadepalli, Co-Founder of incrEDIBLE eats, a brand on a mission to reduce and replace single-use plastic cutlery with edible cutlery. Dinesh came to the US in 2007 to do a master's in electrical engineering at the University of Southern California. After visiting an ice cream shop, Dinesh was appalled when he noticed a trash can container filled with plastic spoons used once and thrown away. This was when he decided to study alternatives for plastic, and he soon came across edible spoons. His passion and concern for people and the planet grew seeds of entrepreneurship in his mind, and he decided to launch incrEdible Eats. His brand makes edible cutlery that is natural and GMO-free. It can stay up to 30 minutes in a hot soup or cold dessert. He talked about: * Gratefulness * Overview of the company * His background * His light bulb moment * How we intake microplastics * Compostable cutlery cycle * Machinery for edible cutlery * Challenges besides technology * 3 C's of a product Join Ramon Vela and Dinesh Tadepalli as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on incrEDIBLE Eats, visit: https://incrediblespoon.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, and Ordergroove**   “We have to be the change that we want to see,” says Dinesh. In part 2, Dinesh Tadepalli, Co-Founder of incrEDIBLE Eats, remarks on the value of happiness instead of valuing success. He mentions that he does not fear failure because he enjoys his journey. It is the passion that keeps him going and not the money. Dinesh then tells of his trick of diverting his fears when he thinks about spending money in place of making money. Dinesh doesn't believe in the concept of quick sales or quick money. According to him, steady growth is a perfect fit if you have long-term goals. His brand also has a goal of replacing 100 million cutlery by 2050. He discussed: * Happiness and success * Fear of failure * His indirect help * Making product gluten-free * The vicious cycle between company and people * Their products * Introducing Sporks * Partnerships * The Brand's goal Join Ramon Vela and Dinesh Tadepalli as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on incrEDIBLE eats, visit: https://incrediblespoon.com/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, and Sendlane**   Something for everybody - that's the ambition of Waterdrop. In part 2, Martin Donald Murray, Founder and CEO of Waterdrop, talks about raising money. According to Martin, it's essential to be careful while spending marketing money when you are short on budget. He believes there's always more than one way of doing things. The brand's core products include micro drinks extracted from fruits and plants. Their products have no sugar, have great ingredients, and are a great way to drink more water. They are not a supplement but use the benefits of fruit instead. Waterdrop is trying to broaden its product portfolio to cater to a broader audience. The company will continue to launch in the states, bigger cities and venture into new technology. He talked about: * How he did the funding * Values that Waterdrop had * Waterdrop products and development * Benefits of Waterdrop * Who is their primary customer * Upcoming plans Join Ramon Vela, and Martin Donald Murray as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Waterdrop, visit: https://www.waterdrop.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, and Yotpo**   “To help women find confidence in their true selves,” that's the mission behind Auralie. In part 1, we have Tessa Jennifer, Founder of Auralie, a multi-brand retailer. Tessa worked in fast fashion but soon realized the harm that fast fashion had on the environment and other areas. According to her, most people don't understand what damage is caused by fast fashion. So Tessa launched a platform where women can choose clothing from slow fashion brands. She carefully chooses brands. Tessa checks the source, quality, and treatment of employees of the brands she carries before deciding to carry them. She is inclined to support women-owned brands. She discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * Fast fashion and slow fashion * Lack of knowledge * Her criteria for brands Join Ramon Vela and Tessa Jennifer as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Auralie, visit: https://auraliestudio.com/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, and Yotpo**   “Curate what people want” that's the Auralie goal. In part 2, Tessa Jennifer, Founder of Aurelie tells you can never be 100% sure in her job but learning from mistakes makes you better. She studies brands and picks individual styles beforehand. Tessa shares stories about customers who come to them not just because of clothes but also their values. Auralie's blog also features creative people in the industry. She suggests going to the new arrivals section of their website for fresh styles. They also have a list of designers and best-selling collections for every week. Auralie started with clothing and jewelry. Right now, they are expanding to shoes, too. Being on social channels like Instagram and Pinterest helped them reach more customers. Here she talked about: * How she chooses cloth pieces * Auralie's values * Building a community * Opportunity to expand * How she got the word out at the start Join Ramon Vela and Tessa Jennifer as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Auralie, visit: https://auraliestudio.com/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix and Yotpo**   “Fast, flexible funding to e-commerce businesses” that's what Uncapped provides. In part 1, Asher Ismail, Co-Founder of Uncapped, a revenue-based finance provider. Asher has a background in startups. This gave him first-hand experience of startups' challenges with business funding. Uncapped is founder-friendly and doesn't think founders should give up equity to fund their growth. Their service is not just fast but fair and transparent. Currently, Uncapped is available in 22 countries around the world. They provide equity and interest-free investments from 10K up to 5 million. According to him, real success as an entrepreneur is building a profitable business. As an exercise, he advises entrepreneurs to think about how they would grow their business without money. He talked about: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * His experience with funding * Advice for entrepreneurs raising money * His first business * Being entrepreneurial Join Ramon Vela and Asher Ismail as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Uncapped, Visit: https://www.weareuncapped.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for” “The Story of a Brand” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://www.mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix and Yotpo**   “To be the smartest money that a founder could get” that's an Uncapped goal. In part 2, Asher Ismail, Co-Founder of Uncapped, mentions that they look for the right data and story on a brand. Uncapped is a perfect fit if a company has 10K sales per month and has been around for six months. The brand works in many categories, focusing on e-commerce fashion brands. Asher gave the example of a brand called Hunter & Gather, which reached new heights with the right funding. According to him, the pandemic has accelerated e-commerce penetration and the shifting buying habits among consumers. It has become easier to open an e-commerce shop, but it's challenging to find a unique space in the market. He talked about: * What customers can expect * Uncapped revenue & category criteria * Hunter and gather case study * Where they work * New trends * Fundraising preparation Join Ramon Vela and Asher Ismail as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Uncapped, Visit: https://www.weareuncapped.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for” “The Story of a Brand” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://www.mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, and Sendlane**   “Change the way we consume beverages” that's the Waterdrop mission. In part 1, we have Martin Donald Murray, Founder and CEO of Waterdrop, a Vienna-based beverage company. Martin believes drinking more water and refraining from buying bottled drinks is the simplest way to a healthy life. He had always found the beverage industry compelling. But what drove him to quit his management consulting career: changing the way consumers consume and purchase beverages. Martin began working on Waterdrop around 2016 after he completed his MBA in Singapore. According to him, an entrepreneur should be rational and not be bothered by what other people think. In his opinion, it's better to make an amazing product and be proud of it. In the first part, he talked about: * Gratefulness * Overview of the company * His background and motivation for the brand * Production timeline * Conviction for business * Customer feedback Join Ramon Vela, and Martin Donald Murray as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Waterdrop, visit: https://www.waterdrop.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, CartText, and Ordergroove**   “Respiratory protection that is safe, effective, reusable, and tough” that's what OCTO creates. In part 1, we have Natasha Duwin and Tobias Franoszek, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of OCTO, a safety device brand. Both Natasha and Tobias had experience starting, building, and selling companies in the software space. They saw an opportunity for OCTO respiratory masks (ORM) after coming across the government's initiative for the SARS outbreak. They initially planned to launch their first product in 2020, but the pandemic pushed their product prototype timeline to 2021. Undeterred, they found a way to manufacture masks themselves. OCTO gives a significant discount to frontline workers, janitors, delivery drivers, and many more. OCTO Respiratory Mask's reuse aspect makes them different from other brands. They discussed: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * Their background * Why OCTO * Feedback during pandemic * Supply chain issues * Similarities to Software Development * Lessons learned Join Ramon Vela, Natasha Duwin, and Tobias Franoszek as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on OCTO, visit: https://octosafety.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/  * This episode is also brought to you by CartText. Are you interested in improving your Abandoned Cart Recovery rates? Cart Text is Powered by real people, not bots, not AI, real people. Cart Text will contact & engage with your customers in real-time to make the sales you missed. One by one, CartText will convert your abandoned carts, churned subscriptions, and billing-related issues using live agents + SMS. Real people, getting the job done. To learn more, visit https://carttext.com/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, CartText, and Ordergroove**   “Truly a GameChanger,” says Natasha about their newest product. In part 2, Natasha Duwin and Tobias Franoszek, Co-Founders and CEO of OCTO, tell us that safety, effectiveness, and reusability are the main focus areas for OCTO. According to Natasha, a fundamentally good mask will be necessary for everybody into the foreseeable future. With current masks, people face difficulty breathing, communicating, and many more problems. Therefore, having a mask that addresses these problems and can be worn daily will be essential. They mention their latest product innovation called Halo is extremely comfortable, weightless, and necessary in the coming times. They talked about: * What's unique about OCTO * Issues their products solve * Thoughts on the need for better masks * Masks for athletic activities * Where to find OCTO * Product innovation Join Ramon Vela, Natasha Duwin, and Tobias Franoszek as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on OCTO, visit: https://octosafety.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/  * This episode is also brought to you by CartText. Are you interested in improving your Abandoned Cart Recovery rates? Cart Text is Powered by real people, not bots, not AI, real people. Cart Text will contact & engage with your customers in real-time to make the sales you missed. One by one, CartText will convert your abandoned carts, churned subscriptions, and billing-related issues using live agents + SMS. Real people, getting the job done. To learn more, visit https://carttext.com/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Yotpo, and Ordergroove**   “Democratizing music education” that's the mission of TrueFire Studios. In part 1, we have Owen Grover, CEO of TrueFire Studios, an alliance of the world's leading online music education companies. Owen has been focused on the intersection of music and technology for over 20 years. Today, TrueFire Studios makes it convenient for students, musicians/educators, and their partners in the musical instruments and manufacturing space. They provide anytime, anywhere, and affordable access to music education. He discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * Music and the self-actualization business * Helping musicians monetize * Convenience wins * Their four platforms and portfolio Join Ramon Vela and Owen Grover as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on TrueFire Studios, visit: https://www.truefirestudios.com/brands  Only for our listeners: STORY50 for 50% off your first purchase at TrueFire.com Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers. * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Yotpo, and Ordergroove**   “Rigidity is the enemy of creativity,” tells Owen. In part 2, Owen Grover, CEO of TrueFire Studios, mentions the essential differences between their YouTube presence and their education platforms. TrueFire Studio's educators are introduced through word of mouth or referral. They have a team dedicated to artist relations as well. According to Owen, the key to TrueFire's success is showing up every day, doing right by artists, doing right by students, and having a passion for helping. He discusses: * Artist work landing pages * YouTube solution * Brand constellation strategy * Sense of sweet spot * How musicians can start working * Who's potentially a good teacher * Marketing activities Join Ramon Vela and Owen Grover as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on TrueFire Studios, visit: https://www.truefirestudios.com/brands  Only for our listeners: STORY50 for 50% off your first purchase at TrueFire.com Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers. * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Yotpo, and, Sendlane**   “Celebrate your progress.” In part 2, Stacey Kohler, CEO and Founder of Kiddy Crawler, tells about the history and re-launch of the Crawligator. According to her, if you have the idea, passion, and determination, you can make anything happen. The revived Crawligator now has a utility patent and an improved design as per safety standards. Her research and testing for the Crawligator toy took almost three years. When launching a new business or product, she usually gets the idea after identifying a problem, like Crawligator's case. Stacey advises joining an industry or product association when starting your business. Kiddy Crawler is already selling in 13 countries now. All overwhelmingly great feedback from parents and doctors helps her keep going. She talked about: * History of Crawligator * Patent and original name * Research around Crawligator * Her inspiration * Product and awards * Their angel investor * Feedback from parents * Sub-categories Join Ramon Vela, and Stacey Kohler as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Kiddy Crawler, visit: https://www.thecrawligator.com/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers. * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Yotpo, and, Sendlane**   “Enhances healthy infant development” that's what the “Crawligator” from Kiddy Crawler does. In part 1, we have Stacey Kohler, CEO and Founder of Kiddy Crawler, an infant development toymaker. As a teen, Stacey had started her first business in the earthmoving business, where she worked in heavy equipment operations and material processing applications. To her, experience is priceless. And she used this experience in earthmoving and an inventor's mentality to invent the first sandbag machine that was invaluable during floods. Stacey feels she always had a creative ability. After becoming a grandma, she noticed that her grandchild (and other kids) were not getting enough tummy and crawling time crucial to a child's development. She remembered a developmental mobility device for infants called the Crawligator from the 60s and 70s. Stacey went on a search for the Crawligator to help her granddaughter. This search eventually led her to revive the Crawligator and relaunch it for a new generation of children. In the first part, she talked about: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * Her background * What motivated her to start dirt business * Her sandbag machine * Reviving Crawligator Join Ramon Vela and Stacey Kohler as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Kiddy Crawler, visit: https://www.thecrawligator.com/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers. * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Ordergroove, and CartText**   “Rid the world of bad customer experiences” that's the LTVplus mission. In part 1, we have GQ Fu, Co-Founder of LTVplus, a fully remote customer service outsourcing company. GQ lives in Ukraine. He worked as a customer success manager for two SaaS companies before LTVplus. He and David Henzel, his Co-Founder, came up with the idea for a live chat outsourcing business. That business gradually evolved to what LTVplus is today; built out of the needs of their clients. LTVplus started as a remote startup because the company wanted the ability to hire talents from around the globe. It supports SaaS and E-commerce brands. According to GQ, having an already remote setup helped them during the pandemic. In the first part, he talked about: * Gratefulness * Brand Overview * Benefits of working remotely * His background * Their motivation * Focus on Brands and Saas businesses * Live person & personalization Join Ramon Vela and GQ Fu as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on LTVplus, visit: https://www.ltvplus.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/  * This episode is also brought to you by CartText. Are you interested in improving your Abandoned Cart Recovery rates? Cart Text is Powered by real people, not bots, not AI, real people. Cart Text will contact & engage with your customers in real-time to make the sales you missed. One by one, CartText will convert your abandoned carts, churned subscriptions, and billing-related issues using live agents + SMS. Real people, getting the job done. To learn more, visit https://carttext.com/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Ordergroove, and CartText**   In part 2, GQ Fu, Co-Founder of LTVplus mentions that the “quality of customer interaction” matters more than quantity. According to him, technology can help in speeding things up but it doesn't necessarily enhance quality. He suggested that companies should go for a personalized recovery approach, especially for subscriptions. Collating trends and capturing customer feedback insights has helped provide more value to LTVplus clients. Omnichannel customer outsourcing and failed payment recovery service are two main services offered by LTVplus. The company is in the process of catering to different kinds of brands. LTVplus's onboarding process lasts up to a month to ensure quality. GQ discusses: * Trends around customer interaction * Personalized recovery approach * Working with brands * Criteria for brands * Onboarding process at LTVplus * Key insights and trends * Upcoming events Join Ramon Vela and GQ Fu as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on LTVplus, visit: https://www.ltvplus.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/  * This episode is also brought to you by CartText. Are you interested in improving your Abandoned Cart Recovery rates? Cart Text is Powered by real people, not bots, not AI, real people. Cart Text will contact & engage with your customers in real-time to make the sales you missed. One by one, CartText will convert your abandoned carts, churned subscriptions, and billing-related issues using live agents + SMS. Real people, getting the job done. To learn more, visit https://carttext.com/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Sendlane, StoreYa, and Justuno**   “To create a blue zone in every household” that's Kosterina's mission. In part 1, we have Katina Mountanos, Founder and CEO of Kosterina, a multi-faceted wellness brand. Katina started her career in investment banking and then went to graduate school for business. She worked at L'Oreal, two different e-commerce startups, and then launched her first startup. Katina's family is from Greece, where one of the most popular Greek extra virgin olive oil varieties is produced. She was frustrated that she couldn't find great-tasting olive oil in the United States, like in Greece. So she decided to educate consumers on how great olive oil should taste by launching Kosterina. The brand is centered around the blue zone lifestyle such as health, longevity, community, and stress-free life. Their products have high antioxidant extra virgin olive oil from Greece. She believes holding on to conviction is essential. She discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the company * Concept of blue zone * Tips for a lifestyle change * Her background * Launching Kosterina * Work experience * Challenges and the biggest lessons * Being a parent Join Ramon Vela and Katina Mountanos as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Kosterina, visit: https://www.kosterina.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story  * This episode is also brought to you by StoreYa. If managing your ads drives you crazy, and you're all about automating your ecom business, then you have to give StoreYa a try! StoreYa will Launch, Optimize & Scale your ads on Google, Facebook & Instagram...WITHOUT YOU having to do ANYTHING Their powerful AI will optimize your campaigns 24/7, delivering the best ads to the right customers... They are a Google & Facebook Partner that supports over 400,000 merchants! To get started and enjoy a 33% discount for the first month, simply visit https://www.storeya.com/Story  * This episode is also brought to you by Justuno. Worried about hitting your revenue goals this month? Make the most of your website traffic with Justuno - the #1 CRO tool for thriving e-commerce sites. Grow your email and SMS lists, show smart product recommendations to increase your average order value, improve return on ad spend, and so much more. Justuno helps you convert more website visitors into sales. Visit https://www.justuno.com/ramon/ for a free 14-day trial, one-click install on Shopify, and 15% off with the code RAMON.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Sendlane, StoreYa, and Justuno**   “Health and beauty from the inside and out” that's what Kosterina is all about, says Katina Mountanos, Founder and CEO of Kosterina. Here are some things Katina shares in part 2 of this feature: consuming dark chocolate and olive oil together can amplify antioxidant properties. Sauces and olive oil are great for those looking to incorporate more vegetables. Kosterina plans to continue building its four main categories: olive oil and vinegar, dark chocolate, freshly baked goods, and skincare. Katina says that extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest oil. The brand sees vegetable and canola oil as its enemy because it's highly processed, causes inflammation, and can bring harm to the body. She discusses: * Olive oil flavors * Dark chocolate balsamic vinegar * Their product lines * Enhancing the plant-based diet * What's coming next * New product category * Marketing standpoint * Problems with vegetable oil * Global supply chain Join Ramon Vela and Katina Mountanos as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Kosterina, visit: https://www.kosterina.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story  * This episode is also brought to you by StoreYa. If managing your ads drives you crazy, and you're all about automating your ecom business, then you have to give StoreYa a try! StoreYa will Launch, Optimize & Scale your ads on Google, Facebook & Instagram...WITHOUT YOU having to do ANYTHING Their powerful AI will optimize your campaigns 24/7, delivering the best ads to the right customers... They are a Google & Facebook Partner that supports over 400,000 merchants! To get started and enjoy a 33% discount for the first month, simply visit https://www.storeya.com/Story  * This episode is also brought to you by Justuno. Worried about hitting your revenue goals this month? Make the most of your website traffic with Justuno - the #1 CRO tool for thriving e-commerce sites. Grow your email and SMS lists, show smart product recommendations to increase your average order value, improve return on ad spend, and so much more. Justuno helps you convert more website visitors into sales. Visit https://www.justuno.com/ramon/ for a free 14-day trial, one-click install on Shopify, and 15% off with the code RAMON.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Ordergroove, Repeat, and CartText**   “Helping brands bring customers back to purchase again and again” that's the Yotpo goal. In part 1, we have Rosa Hu, Vice-President of Product Marketing for Yotpo, an e-commerce marketing platform. Rosa comes from a first-generation immigrant family. She grew up inspired by her father doing different jobs and running his own business. She graduated from Wellesley College and then got into tech and start-ups. She started pursuing her passion in marketing tech and worked with multiple large e-commerce platforms. Rosa worked at SAP for six years before Yotpo. To Rosa, it's all about “the people around you.” She says that Yotpo helps strengthen relationships between brands and consumers through engagement, community advocacy, and retention. Their values of diversity and inclusion align with her and with their customers. She discusses: * Gratefulness * Company Overview * Her background * Work experience * Career advice * Being raised by immigrant parents Join Ramon Vela and Rosa Hu as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Yotpo, visit: https://www.yotpo.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand   * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/  * This episode is also brought to you by CartText. Are you interested in improving your Abandoned Cart Recovery rates? Cart Text is Powered by real people, not bots, not AI, real people. Cart Text will contact & engage with your customers in real-time to make the sales you missed. One by one, CartText will convert your abandoned carts, churned subscriptions, and billing-related issues using live agents + SMS. Real people, getting the job done. To learn more, visit https://carttext.com/  * This episode was brought to you by Repeat. Repeat is the easiest way for your customers to reorder products they love. Repeat will automate a frictionless reordering experience for the most significant part of a CPG brand's customer base: The non-subscriber. Repeat uses machine learning to analyze one-time shopper behavior, automates reorder notifications, and delivers personalized replenishment carts that aid in up-sell and cross-sell efforts. The result? Higher LTV, better margins, and more insights on your best customers. To learn more, visit https://signup.getrepeat.io/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Ordergoove, Repeat, and CartText**   “No one knows what they're doing; they're all just figuring it out,” that's the best career advice Rosa has ever received. In part 2, Rosa Hu, Vice President of Product Marketing for Yotpo, mentions their Amazing Women in E-Commerce program that recognizes visionary women in the industry. Rosa has learned to be fearless. She advises people to go for their dream job, connect with people, be persistent, leave toxicity and find the right people to work and grow with. Yotpo specializes in strengthening and retaining relationships between a brand and its customers. The company believes customers' loyalty is earned and reviewers are a brand's best value differentiator. She discusses: * Yotpo's amazing women in e-commerce program * Lessons learned * Yotpo's offerings * Example of reviewers * Products that work together * Retaining relationships with customers * Customer criteria * What onboarding looks like * What's next Join Ramon Vela and Rosa Hu as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Yotpo, visit: https://www.yotpo.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand   * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/  * This episode is also brought to you by CartText. Are you interested in improving your Abandoned Cart Recovery rates? Cart Text is Powered by real people, not bots, not AI, real people. Cart Text will contact & engage with your customers in real-time to make the sales you missed. One by one, CartText will convert your abandoned carts, churned subscriptions, and billing-related issues using live agents + SMS. Real people, getting the job done. To learn more, visit https://carttext.com/  * This episode was brought to you by Repeat. Repeat is the easiest way for your customers to reorder products they love. Repeat will automate a frictionless reordering experience for the most significant part of a CPG brand's customer base: The non-subscriber. Repeat uses machine learning to analyze one-time shopper behavior, automates reorder notifications, and delivers personalized replenishment carts that aid in up-sell and cross-sell efforts. The result? Higher LTV, better margins, and more insights on your best customers. To learn more, visit https://signup.getrepeat.io/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Sendlane, StoreYa, and Justuno**   “Finding new plants that hydrate, nourish, and help skin flourish” is what sets Alpyn Beauty apart from others. In part 2, Kendra Kolb Butler, Founder of Alpyn Beauty, continues talking about their ingredients. As per Kendra, hydration is the key to good skin, and that's why everyone should start with a good moisturizer. She advises that going from thinnest to thickest when using skincare products is suitable for the skin. According to her, great skincare products can be fun because you can see the difference right away. The brand's skincare products are built for rough environments. During the pandemic, Shutting down stores helped Kendra focus on the brand's products more. She also suggests that it's hard to find balance in life, and it's worth it to follow your dreams and passion. She talked about: * Baseline for skin * Shutting stores down * Alpyn Beauty products * Introducing new plants * Educating customers * Balancing life Join Ramon Vela and Kendra Kolb Butler as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Alpyn Beauty, visit: https://alpynbeauty.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story  * This episode is also brought to you by StoreYa. If managing your ads drives you crazy, and you're all about automating your ecom business, then you have to give StoreYa a try! StoreYa will Launch, Optimize & Scale your ads on Google, Facebook & Instagram...WITHOUT YOU having to do ANYTHING Their powerful AI will optimize your campaigns 24/7, delivering the best ads to the right customers... They are a Google & Facebook Partner that supports over 400,000 merchants! To get started and enjoy a 33% discount for the first month, simply visit https://www.storeya.com/Story  * This episode is also brought to you by Justuno. Worried about hitting your revenue goals this month? Make the most of your website traffic with Justuno - the #1 CRO tool for thriving e-commerce sites. Grow your email and SMS lists, show smart product recommendations to increase your average order value, improve return on ad spend, and so much more. Justuno helps you convert more website visitors into sales. Visit https://www.justuno.com/ramon/ for a free 14-day trial, one-click install on Shopify, and 15% off with the code RAMON.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Yotpo, Gorgias, and Attentive**   In part 2, CEO Tisha Thompson mentions that LYS Beauty is a cruelty-free brand. She also mentions that LYS Beauty is the first African-American Clean Beauty Brand sold on Sephora. The brand has an average price point of $20, whereas most clean brands charge double or more. Tisha's experience has been a tremendous help in launching her clean beauty brand. The company goes extra steps to respect the skin and provide the best ingredients. They include ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, and Ashwagandha. Tisha mentions that they have won the Allure Best of Beauty Award this year. She discusses: * Generational wealth gap & access * Affordability of products * Making clean products is a choice * Company's philosophy * LYS Beauty products * Allure Best of Beauty Award Join Ramon Vela and Tisha Thompson as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on LYS Beauty, visit: https://lysbeauty.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Listeners can also search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * This episode was brought to you by MuteSix. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode was brought to you by Attentive. How do the most innovative companies reach mobile consumers? Meet Attentive, the text messaging solution trusted by innovative retail & e-commerce brands like CB2, Coach, and thousands of Shopify brands. On average, Attentive customers see 25x ROI and 18.5% of online revenue driven by SMS. Ready for SMS to become one of your top three revenue channels? Learn how to get started with your free trial by requesting a demo at https://www.attentivemobile.com/ * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers. * This episode is also brought to you by Gorgias. Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shoppers? That's why exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. I recommend using Gorgias. Gorgias combines all your communication channels, including email, SMS, social media, live chat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. Go to https://www.gorgias.com/ to book a demo and mention the Story of a Brand podcast for two months free.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Sendlane, StoreYa, and Justuno**   “Listen to your inner voice,” advises Kendra. In part 1, we have Kendra Kolb Butler, Founder of Alpyn Beauty, a sustainable, plant-based skincare brand. Kendra has a 20-year long beauty industry career. She moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from New York six years ago. Initially, she started a store in the town to keep herself abreast of the skincare space. She soon realized that the climate dried people's skin, hers included. Despite having products from big brands, customers kept having dry skin issues. That was when she noticed that some local plants seem to flourish and look nourished and hydrated even in the dry climate. Kendra began learning about these wild plants, and now, these plants have become the special sauce for Alpyn Beauty and its customers. She discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the company * Why she started * Her background * Not feeling fulfilled * Her advice for founders * Putting products together * Her ingredients Join Ramon Vela and Kendra Kolb Butler as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Alpyn Beauty, visit: https://alpynbeauty.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by Sendlane. If all DTC companies were forced to turn off Facebook ads, they'd be dead on arrival. Why is that? They over-invest in paid acquisition and under-invest in retention. Luckily, Sendlane makes it easy to solve this problem. Sendlane is an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform helping hundreds of DTC brands to tighten their existing customer relationships. Sendlane automates personalized customer experiences through Welcome and Abandoned Cart workflows, SMS, Deep Data Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, multi-store functionality, and much more. Plus, they don't stand for lazy customer support. Their San-Diego-based team has an average 1-minute response time from a live human, making sure you never get stuck in a chat queue ever again. Curious about how Sendlane can help your DTC brand grow? Schedule a demo with a Specialist. Visit https://www.sendlane.com/story  * This episode is also brought to you by StoreYa. If managing your ads drives you crazy, and you're all about automating your ecom business, then you have to give StoreYa a try! StoreYa will Launch, Optimize & Scale your ads on Google, Facebook & Instagram...WITHOUT YOU having to do ANYTHING Their powerful AI will optimize your campaigns 24/7, delivering the best ads to the right customers... They are a Google & Facebook Partner that supports over 400,000 merchants! To get started and enjoy a 33% discount for the first month, simply visit https://www.storeya.com/Story  * This episode is also brought to you by Justuno. Worried about hitting your revenue goals this month? Make the most of your website traffic with Justuno - the #1 CRO tool for thriving e-commerce sites. Grow your email and SMS lists, show smart product recommendations to increase your average order value, improve return on ad spend, and so much more. Justuno helps you convert more website visitors into sales. Visit https://www.justuno.com/ramon/ for a free 14-day trial, one-click install on Shopify, and 15% off with the code RAMON.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Yotpo, Gorgias, and Attentive**   “Love yourself” that's what the LYS in LYS Beauty stands for. In part 1, we have Tisha Thompson, CEO of LYS Beauty, a clean beauty brand. Tisha has loved makeup since a young age. She went to college and studied accounting to make her parents proud. But her passion was makeup & beauty products. Coincidentally she started working in the accounting department of a beauty company where she found herself more drawn towards the marketing side of things. She also felt frustrated due to a lack of representation in the industry. Tisha wanted to diversify the clean beauty space, so she created LYS Beauty early in 2019. According to her, it's important to embrace yourself, collaborate, be good to others, and your confidence should come without compromise. She discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * Her background * Her motivation drivers Join Ramon Vela and Tisha Thompson as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on LYS Beauty, visit: https://lysbeauty.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Listeners can also search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * This episode was brought to you by MuteSix. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode was brought to you by Attentive. How do the most innovative companies reach mobile consumers? Meet Attentive, the text messaging solution trusted by innovative retail & e-commerce brands like CB2, Coach, and thousands of Shopify brands. On average, Attentive customers see 25x ROI and 18.5% of online revenue driven by SMS. Ready for SMS to become one of your top three revenue channels? Learn how to get started with your free trial by requesting a demo at https://www.attentivemobile.com/ * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers. * This episode is also brought to you by Gorgias. Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shoppers? That's why exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. I recommend using Gorgias. Gorgias combines all your communication channels, including email, SMS, social media, live chat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. Go to https://www.gorgias.com/ to book a demo and mention the Story of a Brand podcast for two months free.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Yotpo, FenixCommerce, and EcoCart**   ”A massive category growth opportunity” that's what ReserveBar's technology and platform is creating. In part 2, Derek Correia, President of ReserveBar, and Lindsay Held, CEO and Co-Founder of ReserveBar, mentions the brand serves the consumers in a very logical and frictionless fashion. According to Derek, having better control over a branded experience from beginning to end is powerful for the industry and retail partners. Retailers benefit from ReserveBar because things are easier. Plus, they help bring revenue into retailers. The ReserveBar platform provides sales to retailers and brands and offers valuable data while connecting consumers to the brand. ReserveBar is also a route to market for emerging brands such as craft brands and brands coming from marginalized communities. To be an agent of change is exciting to them. Content and education are great strategies that will continue. They discussed: * How ReserveBar works * Highlights from the brand * Game changer for consumers * Route to market for ReserveBar * Proliferation of ideas * Message for customers Join Ramon Vela, Derek Correia, and Lindsay Held as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Reservebar, visit: https://www.reservebar.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers. * This episode is also brought to you by Fenix Commerce. Folks, we all know delivery and shipping are a major pain. Fortunately, with FenixCommerce, you can now deliver a better customer experience AND improve conversions up to 14% by providing personalized actual delivery dates and options directly on your Webstore. And post-purchase, stay on top of things with Fenix proactive delivery alerts. Retailers, brands, and online merchants big and small trust FenixCommerce to optimize the entire order, shipping, and delivery experience, so why not you. For more details, check out https://fenixcommerce.com/. * This episode is also brought to you by EcoCart. EcoCart is an e-commerce plugin that encourages checkout by allowing your customers to shop carbon neutral with you. And we all know that Sustainability is now a driving factor in consumers' purchasing decisions. That's why the 1,500+ brands that use EcoCart like APL, BarkBox, Ancient Nutrition, and OLIPOP are seeing a massive boost to customer loyalty and engagement as well as up to 20% increase in cart conversion rates. Get started today. Go to https://ecocart.io/sob/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Yotpo, FenixCommerce, and EcoCart**   In part 1, we have Derek Correia, President of ReserveBar and Lindsay Held, CEO and Co-Founder of ReserveBar, an eCommerce leader in rare, luxury, and ultra-premium spirits, specializing in customization, personalization, and innovative gifting. Derek was a struggling entrepreneur when he met Lindsay. Lindsay brought him on to ReserveBar because of his great ideas and perspective. Derek is not just fueled by problem-solving but passion as well. It kept him going in his previous business failed. When things were at their worst, Lindsay fell into a deep depression but relying on his brother, Co-Founder, and support network helped him. According to Lindsay, people don't fail; businesses fail, that's why it should not be taken personally. ReserveBar was started when Diageo, the largest producer in the spirit industry, looked for a marketing partner to create an eCommerce website around 2011. The brand successfully pitched to Diageo and got its first partnership signed. And the rest is history. In the first half, they talked about: * Gratefulness * Experiences that brought them together * Derek's mindset * Lindsay's recommendation to founders * How they started ReserveBar Join Ramon Vela, Derek Correia, and Lindsay Held as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Reservebar, visit: https://www.reservebar.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty. As I'm sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again. Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand  And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers. * This episode is also brought to you by Fenix Commerce. Folks, we all know delivery and shipping are a major pain. Fortunately, with FenixCommerce, you can now deliver a better customer experience AND improve conversions up to 14% by providing personalized actual delivery dates and options directly on your Webstore. And post-purchase, stay on top of things with Fenix proactive delivery alerts. Retailers, brands, and online merchants big and small trust FenixCommerce to optimize the entire order, shipping, and delivery experience, so why not you. For more details, check out https://fenixcommerce.com/.  * This episode is also brought to you by EcoCart. EcoCart is an e-commerce plugin that encourages checkout by allowing your customers to shop carbon neutral with you. And we all know that Sustainability is now a driving factor in consumers' purchasing decisions. That's why the 1,500+ brands that use EcoCart like APL, BarkBox, Ancient Nutrition, and OLIPOP are seeing a massive boost to customer loyalty and engagement as well as up to 20% increase in cart conversion rates. Get started today. Go to https://ecocart.io/sob/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, DRVE, ShoppingGives, and CartLoop**   “Customer service is one of our Superpowers,” says Jimmy. In part 2, Jimmy Kim, CEO and Co-Founder of Sendlane, says debt is not horrible when used to save a brand from giving away control. Brands need to figure out their customers' interests. People interested in the brand's mission will continue to engage even though they may not be making a purchase. According to him, today, customers want to know about the story, see content, and be in a community. He advises brands to test and try many creative things to retain and acquire customers while staying committed. Making sure the right emails to the right people are sent is important. Providing brands the ability to have several store instances (base feature), having a great customer success team, easy use, and building out their infrastructure are Sendlane's Superpowers. He discusses: * Advise around debt * Recommendation for growth * About Sendlane * Sendlane Superpowers * Their ideal customer Join Ramon Vela and Jimmy Kim as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Sendlane, Visit: https://www.sendlane.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for “The Story of a Brand” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://www.mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is brought to you by DRVE. Why not amplify your sales with up to fifty thousand dollars per day in ad spend and a team of experts to optimize each paid marketing campaign. Sound good? Let me introduce you to DRVE. DRVE invests and manages paid marketing for e-commerce brands around the world. They have a unique offer of capital, expertise, and data-driven systems to scale online sales. For more information, visit https://drve.com/pod/  * This episode is also brought to you by ShoppingGives. Looking for an easy way to engage conscious consumers through social impact? ShoppingGives has you covered. Working with brands like Steve Madden and Kenneth Cole, ShoppingGives is helping brands of all sizes give back while boosting customer loyalty and lifetime value. Get access to native integrations, exclusive donation data, and a fully managed donation process so you can do good while doing well. To get started on your social impact journey, visit https://shoppinggives.com/sb.  * This episode is brought to you by Cartloop. If you are looking to grow your Shopify brand beyond automated blasts, you're going to love Cartloop. Cartloop is the conversational SMS platform built for Shopify and loved by millions of shoppers. They help hundreds of brands like ShineOn, Schoolyard Snacks, and GoodieCo recover more abandoned carts, convert website visitors into shoppers, and build customer loyalty, so they come back again and again. Create a radically better SMS marketing experience, drive more revenue, and start building your SMS community in minutes. Only for my listeners, get started with Cartloop today and get your first two months for free at Cartloop.io/story. That's right. 2 entire months to try conversational SMS marketing for free. Head to https://www.cartloop.io/story today

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Ordergoove, Repeat, and CartText**   “Fresh whole food plant-based products direct to customers nationwide” that's what MamaSezz delivers to customers. In part 1, we have Meg Donahue, Co-Founder of MamaSezz, a whole food plant-based meal delivery company. Meg began studying heart diseases when her mother suffered congestive heart failure. She came across a whole food plant-based diet. Following such a diet helped her mother recover from her illness. Meg herself started following the same diet and noticed positive impacts for herself. Meg's partner Lisa had a large food company in the past. This background helped them with MamaSezz. Healing people and the planet has always been the company's mission. They had a detox program, and they also have a donation program. The brand provides whole food, plant-based fresh meals of the highest quality. She discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the company * How the brand started * Aligning with values in business Join Ramon Vela and Meg Donahue as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on MamaSezz, visit: https://www.mamasezz.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://www.mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove. It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering... That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue. From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story. Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/  * This episode is also brought to you by CartText. Are you interested in improving your Abandoned Cart Recovery rates? Cart Text is Powered by real people, not bots, not AI, real people. Cart Text will contact & engage with your customers in real-time to make the sales you missed. One by one, CartText will convert your abandoned carts, churned subscriptions, and billing-related issues using live agents + SMS. Real people, getting the job done. To learn more, visit https://carttext.com/  * This episode was brought to you by Repeat. Repeat is the easiest way for your customers to reorder products they love. Repeat will automate a frictionless reordering experience for the most significant part of a CPG brand's customer base: The non-subscriber. Repeat uses machine learning to analyze one-time shopper behavior, automates reorder notifications, and delivers personalized replenishment carts that aid in up-sell and cross-sell efforts. The result? Higher LTV, better margins, and more insights on your best customers. To learn more, visit https://signup.getrepeat.io/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Ordergoove, Repeat, and CartText**       “To help take the stress out of eating plant-based” that's the goal of MamaSezz. In part 2, Meg Donahue, Co-Founder of MamaSezz, gives more insights into the brand. MamaSezz does high-level manufacturing and designs its products itself.    Meg's past experiences enabled her to build an efficient economic model. They have great relationships with suppliers, farmers, vendors, and customers. The brand wants to make replacing unhealthy diets with plant-based diets easier for buyers. It aims to help people at an affordable price.   The company yearns to give people life energy while reducing pressure on the environment. MamaSezz is ready to launch its two new no sugar cookies and superfoods in the coming months.    She discusses:   * How products are made * Need for consistency  * MamaSezz programs  * Their cookies and superfood    Join Ramon Vela and Meg Donahue as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.   For more on MamaSezz, visit: https://www.mamasezz.com/    Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Simply search for “The Story of a Brand.” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify.   *   OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX.    MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing.   They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel.   They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit.   Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance.   The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO.   For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://www.mutesix.com/storyofabrand     *   This episode is brought to you by Ordergroove.   It's time to let your customers enjoy the products they love without the friction of reordering...   That's why innovative brands like Peet's Coffee and Il Makiage rely on Ordergroove's subscription solution to build long-lasting relationships that drive recurring revenue.   From enrollment incentives to churn-fighting AI, Ordergroove gives your business the tools it needs to be a subscription success story.    Book a demo today and receive 2-months off your contract. Visit https://www.ordergroove.com/story/      *   This episode is also brought to you by CartText.   Are you interested in improving your Abandoned Cart Recovery rates?   Cart Text is Powered by real people, not bots, not AI, real people. Cart Text will contact & engage with your customers in real-time to make the sales you missed.   One by one, CartText will convert your abandoned carts, churned subscriptions, and billing-related issues using live agents + SMS. Real people, getting the job done.    To learn more, visit https://carttext.com/    *   This episode was brought to you by Repeat.   Repeat is the easiest way for your customers to reorder products they love.   Repeat will automate a frictionless reordering experience for the most significant part of a CPG brand's customer base: The non-subscriber.   Repeat uses machine learning to analyze one-time shopper behavior, automates reorder notifications, and delivers personalized replenishment carts that aid in up-sell and cross-sell efforts.    The result? Higher LTV, better margins, and more insights on your best customers.   To learn more, visit https://signup.getrepeat.io/ 

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, ShoppingGives, DRIVE, and CartLoop**   “Help drive great customer experiences for our customers” that's Sendlane. In part 1, we have Jimmy Kim, CEO and Co-Founder of Sendlane, an E-Commerce Customer Experience Platform that helps hundreds of DTC brands tighten their existing customer relationships. Jimmy grew up watching and being inspired by his entrepreneurial father. He started his career in a car business where he learned about finance, sales, and running a team. He pivoted to digital marketing around 2008 with the help of a friend. Then he started his first company which was focused on content creation. Jimmy sees helping create a great customer experience as his mission. He advises brands to find what works for them with the right people. As for other advice for brands, Jimmy suggests that brands should think about raising money after they know exactly how they are going to scale their business. Here he talked about: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * Family background * His career before Sendlane * Recommendation for making the shift * Criteria for raising funds Join Ramon Vela and Jimmy Kim as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Sendlane, Visit: https://www.sendlane.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for“The Story of a Brand” Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://www.mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by ShoppingGives. Looking for an easy way to engage conscious consumers through social impact? ShoppingGives has you covered. Working with brands like Steve Madden and Kenneth Cole, ShoppingGives is helping brands of all sizes give back while boosting customer loyalty and lifetime value. Get access to native integrations, exclusive donation data, and a fully managed donation process so you can do good while doing well. To get started on your social impact journey, visit https://shoppinggives.com/sb. * This episode is brought to you by DRVE. Why not amplify your sales with up to fifty thousand dollars per day in ad spend and a team of experts to optimize each paid marketing campaign. Sound good? Let me introduce you to DRVE. DRVE invests and manages paid marketing for e-commerce brands around the world. They have a unique offer of capital, expertise, and data-driven systems to scale online sales. For more information, visit https://drve.com/pod/  * This episode is brought to you by Cartloop. If you are looking to grow your Shopify brand beyond automated blasts, you're going to love Cartloop. Cartloop is the conversational SMS platform built for Shopify and loved by millions of shoppers. They help hundreds of brands like ShineOn, Schoolyard Snacks, and GoodieCo recover more abandoned carts, convert website visitors into shoppers, and build customer loyalty, so they come back again and again. Create a radically better SMS marketing experience, drive more revenue, and start building your SMS community in minutes. Only for my listeners, get started with Cartloop today and get your first two months for free at Cartloop.io/story. That's right. 2 entire months to try conversational SMS marketing for free. Head to https://www.cartloop.io/story today

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Gorgias, and Attentive**   “The game is to be sold, not to be told” remarks Hadiyah while talking about her experiences seeking out mentors. In part 2, Hadiyah Daché, Founder and CEO of Fairy Glow Mother mentioned that business can be hard for people of color when lacking the access to resources. The approach of reading a lot of trade publications, skincare research, and figuring out who the “behind-the-scenes people” are and reaching out have proved beneficial for her. As for products she focuses on results instead of just selling products. Most beauty businesses fail within 18 months, and the majority don't even see more than fifty thousand dollars annual revenue. According to her, it's all about math. Hadiyah calculated everything at the beginning which kept her going. She advises people to do the math and find a local mentor. She talked about: * Being a founder and person of color * What was her approach * Her advice for businesses * Successful people * Favorite rappers * Products Join Ramon Vela and Hadiyah Daché as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Fairy Glow Mother, visit: https://fairyglowmother.com/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Listeners can also search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * This episode was brought to you by MuteSix. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode was brought to you by Attentive. How do the most innovative companies reach mobile consumers? Meet Attentive, the text messaging solution trusted by innovative retail & e-commerce brands like CB2, Coach, and thousands of Shopify brands. On average, Attentive customers see 25x ROI and 18.5% of online revenue driven by SMS. Ready for SMS to become one of your top three revenue channels? Learn how to get started with your free trial by requesting a demo at https://www.attentivemobile.com/  * This episode is also brought to you by Gorgias. Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shoppers? That's why exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. I recommend using Gorgias. Gorgias combines all your communication channels, including email, SMS, social media, live chat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. Go to https://www.gorgias.com/ to book a demo and mention the Story of a Brand podcast for two months free.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Gorgias, and Attentive**   “Good fortune to your skin,” that's what Fairy Glow Mother does to your skin. In part 1, we have Hadiyah Daché, Founder and CEO of Fairy Glow Mother, a budding skincare empire based in Oakland, California. Hadiyah had worked in tech and marketing in the past, but she felt bored. She got on to the beauty industry by starting a part-time skincare studio in 2018. Her studio specializes in treating acne, hyperpigmentation, and transition. But in 2020, the pandemic led her to quit her full-time job and take her beauty services studio as a full-time job. The name 'Fairy Glow Mother' came to her randomly in the middle of the night. While the pandemic is tragic, she feels it provided the motivation and environment to get her skincare products jumpstarted. She discusses: * Gratefulness * Overview of the brand * Her motivation * Becoming a business owner * Building community * How she named the brand Join Ramon Vela and Hadiyah Daché as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Fairy Glow Mother, visit: https://fairyglowmother.com/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Listeners can also search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * This episode was brought to you by MuteSix. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode was brought to you by Attentive. How do the most innovative companies reach mobile consumers? Meet Attentive, the text messaging solution trusted by innovative retail & e-commerce brands like CB2, Coach, and thousands of Shopify brands. On average, Attentive customers see 25x ROI and 18.5% of online revenue driven by SMS. Ready for SMS to become one of your top three revenue channels? Learn how to get started with your free trial by requesting a demo at https://www.attentivemobile.com/  * This episode is also brought to you by Gorgias. Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shopper? That's why exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. I recommend using Gorgias. Gorgias combines all your communication channels, including email, SMS, social media, live chat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. Go to https://www.gorgias.com/ to book a demo and mention the Story of a Brand podcast for two months free.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, FenixCommerce, and EcoCart**   “Surround yourself with people that believe in possibility,” says Sandra Velasquez, Founder of Nopalera. In part 2, she suggests that small brands should believe in their value and the value of their product and not worry about high pricing. Sandra advises founders and potential founders not to take advice from people who are not attempting to live out their dreams. She also mentions her association with Credo Beauty. She had to follow strict rules to be one of the clean beauty brands they carry. She wanted to avoid using too many ingredients and be environment-conscious while making her products. Presently, the brand has three cactus-based soaps and a unique package design that has helped spread its message. She discusses: * Undervaluing oneself * Plus equal minus * Partnering with Credo Beauty * Helping the community * Nopalera products * Their unique package design * What's next Join Ramon Vela and Sandra Velasquez as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Nopalera, visit: https://nopalera.co/  Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Just search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF MUTESIX. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand  * This episode is also brought to you by Fenix Commerce. Folks, we all know delivery and shipping are a major pain. Fortunately, with FenixCommerce, you can now deliver a better customer experience AND improve conversions up to 14% by providing personalized actual delivery dates and options directly on your Webstore. And post-purchase, stay on top of things with Fenix proactive delivery alerts. Retailers, brands, and online merchants big and small trust FenixCommerce to optimize the entire order, shipping, and delivery experience, so why not you. For more details, check out https://fenixcommerce.com/. * This episode is also brought to you by EcoCart. EcoCart is an e-commerce plugin that encourages checkout by allowing your customers to shop carbon neutral with you. And we all know that Sustainability is now a driving factor in consumers' purchasing decisions. That's why the 1,500+ brands that use EcoCart like APL, BarkBox, Ancient Nutrition, and OLIPOP are seeing a massive boost to customer loyalty and engagement as well as up to 20% increase in cart conversion rates. Get started today. Go to https://ecocart.io/sob/ 

#71 Looking to the Future of Ecommerce: What to Expect  Ecommerce has never just been about selling. With ever-evolving digital technology, emerging social platforms, and changes in data privacy, ecommerce has always been about adaptability.  Casey Roeder is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skylab Media, an omnichannel marketing agency that looks to the future of ecommerce. Skylab media not only covers lifecycle marketing, SMS, paid social, and paid search, it strategizes crypto advertising campaigns, NFT marketing, podcast marketing, and more.  Tune in to hear Casey and our podcast host and CEO Daniel Budai discuss:  ✔️ Casey's Journey into Entrepreneurship ✔️ Casey's Business Approach ✔️ New and Emerging Marketing Channels  ✔️ The Future of Ecommerce  ✔️ Casey's Tips for Q4 Casey's Journey into Entrepreneurship  Casey began working in marketing in 2013. In 2016-2027, Casey worked at Hawke Media, one of the biggest names in D2C (direct to consumer) marketing. Casey and his team oversaw Hawke Media's growth into the company it is today.   At the forefront of management services and advertising, Casey worked in email, paid search, SMS, and collaboration with Octane AI for Facebook Messenger Marketing.  Fast forward to three years later, Casey was working at MuteSix when he was approached by another agency on LinkedIn with a VP Marketing job offer in Hollywood. At that time, Casey was watching a lot of Dave Ramsey videos on getting rid of debt, developing financial literacy skills, and learning how to be financially independent. One of Ramsey's pieces of advice was to ask for a raise and/or get a second job if you're not making as much as you'd want to. Casey, however, didn't want to leave his job at MuteSix, so offered to become VP of Marketing only on a freelance basis. Over the course of the following year and a half, Casey dived into the hustle. One of his co-workers said that he was surprised that Casey wasn't running his own business.  “That's where the wheels started turning. I'm like, maybe I can do this. Because in order to be an entrepreneur, you have to have the hustle, you have to be able to work under pressure, you need that grind.” Having that foundation and skillset, Casey took a leap of faith and founded Skylab Media. Two years later, Skylab Media is thriving as an omnichannel marketing agency that offers futuristic services in NFT, cryptocurrency, and podcast marketing. Casey's Business Approach   So now that Casey's running an entire agency, what's his approach?  In terms of the hiring process, Casey is all about transparency. He makes it very clear that his employees and potential employees shouldn't expect an average 9 - 5 workday. But hard work will be rewarded.  The most important thing for Casey is not entry or senior levels, it's about who's willing to put in the work.  New and Emerging Marketing Channels   Social search, lifestyle, and influencer marketing are what Casey describes as the “new age” of print and TV marketing.  Skylab Media offers services in paid socials, paid search, SMS Marketing, and Email Marketing. But what sets Skylab Media apart from its competitors lies in its services in newer (and very hot) markets: cryptocurrency, NFT, podcast marketing, Spotify. Well beyond what your average DTC agency provides.  “It's cool, it's new, it's something that people aren't doing. And it's really fun. And why not enter that market as one of the leaders?” A lot of investors right now know that cryptocurrency is something that should be taken very seriously, especially when we think about the rollout of 5G and new technologies.  Casey believes that most marketing agencies also aren't thinking about AR, VR, and Oculus. When these innovations become increasingly present in our everyday lives over the next couple of decades, customers will want to bring them into their digital experiences. Casey is already thinking about this - pointing out that AR and VR will give so many more opportunities for brand-customer interaction than the 2D realm.   The Future of Ecommerce  So what does Casey expect to see in the future of ecommerce? As many of us know, the iOS15 update is taking a huge hit on many small business owners. Enterprise accounts are not as affected because they have an entire plethora of different services going for them. It's really hitting home for those who are just starting out and mid-sized agencies that rely on advertising longer than a seven-day window period. Casey advises diving into TikTok, influencer email marketing, and SMS marketing. When done well, these should offset the dip in performance on longer attribution window cycles that used to be available on Facebook and Instagram. SMS Marketing especially, Casey assures, is your “best friend”. What other advertising platform can reach the palm of your customer's hand with a 90 open rate and a return on average greater than 10x? Nothing other than SMS has the ability to do that.   And TikTok?   TikTok is a fantastic platform for going viral - you're more likely to go viral on TikTok than Facebook and Instagram. TikTok isn't as moderated and CPM rates (cost per mille - price of 1000 advertisement impressions) are under $3 on average. TikTok is also rolling out a lot of advertising features very similar to Facebook, such as a storefront and tagging your products for sales.  A lot of big players are now advertising on TikTok. If you're not on it, Casey advises, to hop right on it. Its algorithm is fantastic and you can get returns from day one. Just make sure that you are as organic as possible and stay very mindful of how you portray your brand. Brand loyalty, identity, and perception on TikTok are very different from how they are on Facebook and Instagram. The two main demographics on TikTok are Gen Z and millennials. The way Gen Z will interact with a brand is completely different from that of any other demographic, including older millennials. As for other advertising avenues?  Casey says that Snapchat is a very underrated platform and well worth exploring.  Podcast marketing is key to building and growing a dedicated audience that will listen to your brand. In terms of influencer marketing, getting your ads on podcasts you know your audience would be interested in is a fantastic way to get through to them.  Casey's Tips for Q4   Plan ahead. You don't want to be scrambling at the last minute to approve Adsense or creatives. If you're a small to midsize business, make sure all your Black Friday plans are planned by October.  If you're a Gen Z brand, consider donating some of your profits to a charity or a cause - your audience will really gravitate towards that.  Take a holistic approach: what platforms are going to work for your brand? If you don't have the budget for a huge omnichannel marketing venture, think outside the box. Can you give influencers a product in exchange for content? How can you encourage UGC?  Whatever you do, don't miss the opportunity. November and December will be your best time for profit.  TL;DR: Look to the future of ecommerce. Use TikTok and SMS marketing, prepare, prepare, and prepare some more for Q4.  Visit Skylab Media or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to take your advertising light years ahead of everyone else.  Connect with Casey on LinkedIn for all things startups, growth, and omnichannel marketing.  Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn  Daniel's Facebook 

Today we rebroadcast our conversation with Steve Weiss, the Founder of MuteSix - a growth agency focused on Facebook. Prior to his current role, Steve worked for companies such as PaeDae, AffNet, and HD Publishing Group. In today's episode, we get an inside view into the lessons learned throughout the various stops on his career. Show NotesConnect With: Steve Weiss: MuteSix // Linkedin // Twitter The MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you tackle multiple crises at once? How do you find opportunities for growth? And how do we look silly (but not stupid) on TikTok? I talk about these and other topics with Steve Weiss, the CEO of MuteSix.

On episode 8, John speaks with Steve Weiss, Founder & CEO of MuteSix. Their conversation explores the changing landscape of DTC eCommerce marketing due to COVID-19. They talk about how consumer ideology has shifted from aspirational to survival and how brands can pivot their messaging to better relate to customers. They also discuss how digital ad spend has changed and what that means for eCommerce. This episode includes a number of new opportunities brands can leverage to connect with new and existing customers through DTC and other digital channels. About the Guest: Steve is a lifelong entrepreneur, marketer, and the Founder and CEO of MuteSix, an iProspect Company, and an award-winning, full-funnel digital and creative studio founded in 2014. He is responsible for the overall vision, strategic leadership, service delivery, culture, and growth of the creative agency that has generated over a billion dollars in trackable revenue for its clients. Learn more about MuteSix Connect with Steve ----- Connect with John Ghiorso Connect with Orca Pacific on LinkedIn Learn more about Orca Pacific

Steve is the Founder and CEO of MuteSix, a data-led, full funnel digital and creative studio founded in 2014. He is responsible for the overall vision, strategic leadership, service delivery, culture, and growth of the creative agency leading to a billion in trackable revenue for clients. Under Steve's direction, MuteSix has earned the distinction as most awarded Facebook social advertising agency with more Facebook & Instagram marketing case studies than any other agency. MuteSix has grown into a comprehensive and integrated global marketing agency with prominent clients across all major industry B2B/B2C sectors, including leading brands in retail, e-commerce, luxury, nonprofit, technology, sports, publishing, and financial services. Steve is a frequent speaker at industry events and is regularly quoted in business and tech publications.

Today we get an inside view into the lessons learned from a great marketer throughout the various stops on his career. Joining us for career day is Steve Weiss, the founder of MuteSix - a growth agency focused on Facebook. Prior to his current role, Steve worked for companies such as PaeDae, AffNet, and HD Publishing Group. Show NotesConnect With: Steve Weiss - MuteSix // Linkedin // Twitter The MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.