Janis Thomas is ex-Birchbox and the eCommerce and Marketing Director at Look Fabulous Forever, the innovative cosmetics and skincare brand designed to meet the needs of older women. They’re a UK DTC brand selling globally to customer base often ignored by the DTC world, who they’re serving via a Magento site. Founded in 2013, Janis has been driving the growth strategy for just over 2 years, they’re currently doing millions a year, and working towards double figure millions. We talk through her 5...
Sep 19, 2022•39 min•Ep. 404
Samuel Leroux is co-founder at SOLIOS Watches a disruptive DTC brand selling high quality, elegant and eco-friendly solar powered watches. Founded in 2018 they were the first watch company to become a B Corp, and have been at least doubling every year which is super impressive when you consider they’re bootstrapping, that means they now have over 10,000 customers and this year should hit over $2million via their Shopify store. Listen to be inspired by: - The SOLIOS watches founder story - How SO...
Sep 12, 2022•44 min•Ep. 403
Lucy Jeffrey is the Founder and CEO at Bare Kind – seller of bamboo socks that save endangered animals. Bare Kind are based in the UK and sell globally via Shopify and wholesale platform Faire. Founded in 2018, last year they hit £200,000. Lucy is sharing a heap of in-depth advice, including: - how she's grown their wholesale channel to 6 figures using Faire - how she's built her remote team, and makes it work really well - how she's overcome lots of accounting hurdles - how to recognise an eCom...
Sep 05, 2022•32 min•Ep. 402
Kristina Smith is the Head of DTC at Big Island Coffee Roasters. A multi award-winning coffee business with sustainability at its core, founded seven years ago they launched a DTC Shopify site 3 years ago and are aiming to double sales both this year and next. We're chatting about - how to hit the ground running in a new job - subscriptions for success - selling luxury coffee and a lot more (of course!) Checkout AppSumo >> https://ecmp.info/appsumo Download our new ebook... https://ecmp.in...
Aug 29, 2022•38 min•Ep. 401
Well.. not quite! But for our 400th episode, we're squeezing the best advice on how to deal with this hugely frustrating issue. Thanks to our expert guests for their tips on how to minimise the impact of the supply chain crisis on your eCommerce store. Hear tips from: - Ian Hammersley, The Hammersley Brothers - Kelly Barner, Dial P for Procurement Podcast - Martin Heubel, Consulterce - Gavin Warwick, SmartFreight - Sara Arthrell, BrightPearl and Inventory Planner PLUS host Chloe Thomas summarise...
Aug 22, 2022•41 min•Ep. 400
Helen Lord is co-director and founder at family business Used Kitchen Exchange, the UK’s number one kitchen reseller, and proud recipients of the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. Founded in 2014 they now sell around £5.5m in product a year. We're chatting about building a recommerce business (selling used goods), and how it opens doors in existing markets. How getting to know the customer has been crucial to their success, How and why they've decided to shift to eCommerc...
Aug 15, 2022•38 min•Ep. 399
Olivier Momma is the creative director at Ekster Wallets. Olivier has recently been named as one of Forbes 30 under 30, and he’s taken Ekster from crowdfunding in 2016 to over $25million in sales. Throughout that time sustainability has been a big part of their mission, in 2021 they became climate neutral, and they are working on that again in 2022. Listen for lots of tips on team, marketing, net zero, growth and more. Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com This po...
Aug 08, 2022•32 min•Ep. 398
I’m really excited to bring you today’s guest because they’re really shifting consumer behaviour on the sustainability front. It’s not a retailer as such, it’s a travel company – inspiring us all to ditch the flights, and enjoy the journey! Cat Jones is the founder and CEO at Byway, a travel company that creates flight-free “Slow travel” holidays for its customers. Founded in 2020 they have grown so fast they’re having to turn off their marketing, and over 200 people a month are enjoying their t...
Aug 01, 2022•39 min•Ep. 397
Guy Blaskey is the founder and CEO at Pooch and Mutt, creators and suppliers of health food for dogs selling single orders and subscriptions via their Shopify store. Founded in 2007 they now do £ 12 million just over 1/3 DTC, 1/3 Amazon, 1/3 Retail. We're discussing how he got the business there, plus lots of founder tips, marketing tips, and sustainable packaging advice. Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com This podcast uses the following third-party services fo...
Jul 25, 2022•39 min•Ep. 396
Doug Heifetz is the artist, owner & metal smith at Lost & Forged, an upcycled jewellery business selling on Shopify, Etsy and at in person shows. Founded in 2016 they now do six figures a year. As well as sharing the story of how he came up with his upcycled jewellery designs, Doug is also sharing lots of tips around blogging, SEO, in person events, email capture and more. Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com This podcast uses the following third-party se...
Jul 18, 2022•33 min•Ep. 395
Frank Laws is the director and owner of Frankly Delicious, artisan chocolate makers on a mission to change the world with Chocolate! Founded in 2018, re-launched in 2020 they sell on Shopify, run kickstarters, and last year hit £50k. Yes, we're covering Chocolate 2 weeks running! Why - because these businesses demonstrate just how differently businesses can tackle similar problems. In this episode learn about the ups and downs of startup life, solving cashflow and manufacturing problems AND get ...
Jul 11, 2022•35 min•Ep. 394
James Le Compte is the CEO at To'ak Chocolate. A luxury chocolate brand, where sharing the origin story is everything. Founded in 2013, with their first product available in 2014 they are a Shopify merchant, and are growing DTC at 50% year on year. Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/...
Jul 04, 2022•41 min•Ep. 393
This is a must-listen-twice episode. Kresse Wesling CBE is the co-founder at Elvis and Kresse, the designers, manufacturers, and sellers of their range of sustainable and ethically produced luxury accessories and homewares. Founded in 2005 they now sell via Shopify. They donate 50% of their profits to charity – and last year they donated over £100,000 AND saved over 14 tonnes of materials from landfill. Kresse shares the inspiring story of how she has founded and grown Elvis and Kresse to be a s...
Jun 27, 2022•40 min•Ep. 392
Thomas Panton & Hugo Douglas-Deane are the co-founders at Canopey (which at the time of recording was called Greenr). They’re building the UK’s most accessible and comprehensive sustainable shopping marketplace. We're discussing how they're vetting their products, and LOTS about the best way to win new customers for a sustainable brand (or marketplace!) Download our new ebook... https://ecmp.info/ebook 500 Tips to Increase Your Profits Get all the links and resources we mention & join ou...
Jun 20, 2022•39 min•Ep. 391
Mike Stevens is the author of the brand new book “The Direct to Consumer Playbook: The Stories and Strategies of the Brands that Wrote the DTC Rules”. And one could say he was one of the DTC pioneers with 8 years at Innocent Drinks back in the 2000s, and then founding good-for-you confectionery brand Peppersmith which over 10 years he scaled all the way to exit in 2018. Mike now helps start ups and challenger brands scale through various mentoring schemes, as a consultant via Stevens.Earth and v...
Jun 13, 2022•37 min•Ep. 390
Charys Caldarella is the CEO and founder of Styelle Swim, a sustainable swimwear fashion brand. Founded in 2016 they are now on track to hit €1 million this year. The growth is coming from DTC sales AND their extensive global wholesale network - including marketplaces and retailers like Zalando. We explore how she's achieving all this whilst also making the whole business carbon negative. Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com Check out Brightpearl https://ecmp.inf...
Jun 06, 2022•34 min•Ep. 389
Helen Rankin is the founder and general dogsbody at Cheeky Wipes, a simple reusables brand who have been leading the charge since 2008. Selling reusable baby wipes, period products, nappies and more. They’re now a multi awarding winning business with 35 staff, and sales of over £5m a year. We're discussing how she's grown the business, customer service and customer experience, the power of reviews, email marketing and much much more! Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterP...
May 30, 2022•35 min•Ep. 388
In this episode… we’re doing something a little different- I don’t have a retailer for you this week, instead my guest is sharing the lessons from the Brightpearl Lightning 50 list. Where they’ve not only identified the fastest growth eCommerce stores – they’ve also looked across them to find what they have in common. So you can think of this as the episode where we share the recipe for fast eCommerce growth. My guest is Sara Arthrell, the CMO at Brightpearl, and she’s joining us to share the in...
May 23, 2022•35 min•Ep. 387
Rob Harrison-Plastow is the Chief Marketing Officer of eCommerce store The Moon Phase Studio. The studio exists to empower its customers to become more attuned to the moon through art, books, and rituals. It was founded in November 2020 and they went from zero to £200k sales in just 8 weeks! Listen to hear tips on how constraint creates creativity Facebook Ads SEO, CRO, and customer research! Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com Check out Brightpearl https://ecmp...
May 16, 2022•40 min•Ep. 386
Krisha Kotak is the founder at Tula + Tye, a Shopify loungewear brand responsibly made from recycled and organic materials, hand-dyed with eco-friendly dyes, and packaged in recycled and reusable bags. Founded in 2020 they attracted over 600 customers in the first year. Krisha has achieved remarkable things in her first year - and shares some of the amazing plans she has for 2022 and beyond. Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com Check out Brightpearl https://ecmp....
May 09, 2022•39 min•Ep. 385
I got VERY excited when I saw some consumer research by Klaviyo that gets into consumers buying choices, and identifies the big opportunities we can take advantage of with our marketing. There is a HUGE marketing opportunity in sustainability – the customers want it. But it’s our job to help them work out how to BE more sustainable. In this episode… we're discussing that research and what it means for your business with the author of the research, Aubrey Harper. Aubrey is a Content Strategist at...
May 02, 2022•36 min•Ep. 384
Our brand new eCommerce MasterPlan Virtual Summit is live NOW. Catch ALL the replays for FREE now at eCMP.info/summit --- In this episode, Chloe gives us a rundown of one top tip from each of the 10 expert sessions within the summit. So get ready for the perfect Email, Facebook Ads, SMS, etc marketing advice to help you ride the wave of eCommerce success this year. Including tips from: Neil Forrest, Gorgias Ben Parr, Octane AI Derric Haynie, eCommerce Tech Rob Harrison-Plastow, Time Agency Steve...
Apr 25, 2022•32 min•Ep. 383
Leslie Fong has been in eCommerce since 2009, and in 2018 took the leap into founding her own fashion brand. VENIM launched with a super successful kickstarter in 2019, has been awarded grants by Spanx, SIA Scotch, and Facebook, AND been nominated in FGI’s Rising Star Awards. Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/...
Apr 18, 2022•32 min•Ep. 382
Cally Russell is a Forbes 30 under 30, a Drapers 30 under 30, has been on Dragons Den (that’s the UK’s shark tank). Since 2013 Cally has been changing the fashion industry, and since 2020 that change has been highly focused on using data to remove waste and change lives. His current project is This is Unfolded, a fashion brand doing amazing things on many fronts! Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysi...
Apr 11, 2022•36 min•Ep. 381
Joe Darwen is the founder of Veo – Europe’s most sustainable online shopping destination. It’s a marketplace with over 200 independent brands selling over 50,000 unique products across Fashion, Beauty, Food, Drink and Home! Started in 2019 they’ve been perfecting their model and the technology that powers it, and re-launched the ‘final’ version in September 2021 and are growing 30% month on month. Get all the links and resources we mention at eCommerceMasterPlan.com This podcast uses the followi...
Apr 04, 2022•33 min•Ep. 380
Chloe's been busy researching how to make an eCommerce business more sustainable, including reducing carbon usage and offsetting. During her research, she's found a LOT of ways you can very easily take the first step on the path to net-zero. AND found a lot of tools that will also improve your marketing AND help your customers make better buying decisions. So.... she's pulled the best 10 of them together in this episode for you. Listen to find 10 easy ways to quickly make your business more sust...
Mar 28, 2022•42 min•Ep. 379
Neil Park is the Head of eCommerce at Jarrold’s Department Store. The store was founded in 1770 and is a shopping, beauty and dining destination in its home town of Norwich. They’ve had an eCommerce store for 10 years, that really came into its own during the last 2 pandemic years pushing sales up 250%, and leading to 3.8 million visitors a year online. As well as discussing what it's like to balance the needs of a historic, regionally famous store with an eCommerce store, we're focusing in on k...
Mar 21, 2022•38 min•Ep. 378
This bonus episode is our response to what’s happening in Ukraine. It’s VERY low-fi – no jingles, no ads, and edited by Chloe!!! Because I wanted to get it out fast (this is hitting the airwaves a mere 2 hours after we recorded it), because we’re putting it out on multiple podcasts AND because it just feels totally wrong to put ads in an episode like this. So what’s this episode about? Earlier this week Matteo reached out to see if I’d be up for sharing what he and his team are doing to help in ...
Mar 17, 2022•36 min
Jennie Perry is the Chief Marketing Officer at Grove Collaborative, an eCommerce store that crafts and curates earth-changing products for the home with over 2 million customers. Jennie’s been marketing products and retailer stores (on and offline) for over 25 years including Old Navy, Stride Rite, Amazon Fashion & Amazon Prime. Wow! We're chatting about how they run their marketing to recruit new customers, and every tactic she shares is something even the smallest eCommerce brand can do......
Mar 14, 2022•33 min•Ep. 377
Aisling Byrne is the founder and CEO at Nuw, a fashion exchange app for preloved highstreet, vintage, and designer fashion labels. Founded in 2018, the app went live in 2020 already has a 4.5 star rating and in 2021 they facilitated 20,000 item exchanges! As you know we’re now on a mission to help you embrace the path to net zero, make your business and your products more sustainable AND help educate consumers to make better buying decisions. One of the worst industries – one that contributes mo...
Mar 07, 2022•39 min•Ep. 376
