From Kitchen Side Hustle to Sephora: How Harlem Candle Co. Hit Millions Without Investors

How Tom Aulet built Ergatta into a profitable fitness brand with $35M raised, gamified workouts, and lean, cost-effective growth.For more on Ergatta and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Canyon Coffee grew into a seven-figure brand by selling outside traditional coffee channels. This is how a design-first retail strategy shaped a more sustainable business.For more on Canyon coffee click here.  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

How Scarlett Chase grew 300% by reinventing footwear with expert design, bold focus, and a product that keeps 50% of customers coming back.For more on Scarlett Chase and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Jeff Eyser, Joe Myers and Joe Kuntz turned their pinball obsession into LA's premier "Nerd Bodega" by opening Revenge Of as a safe haven for all fandoms. Today, the brand has expanded into a community hub that's hit 7-figures, while operating online in addition to opening two physical locations. After spending decades in television production, including 15 seasons on Bad Girls Club, the trio learned how to create a brand of their own with a dedicated community. For more on Revenge Of click here. Chapters:00:00 – The Pinball Obsession That Became LA’s Ultimate Fandom Hub00:55 – Can You Build a Seven-Figure Brand Without Investors?01:56 – How Three Co-Founders (Not Just One!) Made It Work03:09 – Turning a Pinball Collection Into a Booming Business04:48 – From Hollywood to Nerd Culture: Leveraging TV Skills in Retail06:37 – The Art of Community Building: Analog vs. Digital11:30 – The “Give It Away, Make More” Event Strategy12:40 – The 36-Month Profitability Roadmap16:30 – The Power of Synergy: Combining Retail, Design Studios, and Coffee24:00 – Building Brand Cohesiveness Across Every Channel28:00 – Creating Viral FOMO and Scarcity Online33:00– Collaboration Wins: Landing Apple, Netflix, Scott Pilgrim, and Kid Cudi Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Founder Lulu Ge turned personal pain into purpose with Elix, an herbal wellness brand rooted in Chinese medicine with 90% repeat customers.For more on Elix and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Nima Jalali built SALT & STONE out of his apartment into a $100M+ brand. After an ACL injury redirected his path, he created something he desperately wanted but didn't exist, a high quality, clean deodorant, that actually performs. SALT & STONE has now become one of the fastest growing brands in the space to-date by doing things differently.For more on Salt & Stone click here. You’ll Learn: Why going through 5+ product iterations beats launching "good enough"The digital excellence strategy that makes retailers chase you (not the other way around)How to build legacy brand positioning even as a one-person startupWhy getting a "no" from retailers too early can kill your momentumThe mindset shift from solo athlete to team builderThe key to building a digital identity that inspires & attracts customersCHAPTERS: 00:00 Introducing Nima Jalali, Founder & CEO of SALT & STONE3:00 Transitioning from Pro Snowboarder to Business Owner 4:55 The 5 Generations of Product Perfection6:45 How to Think Like Nike When You're a Solo Founder8:13 What Nima Did to Build a Brand Sephora NEEDS to Have10:09 Steps to Achieve Digital Excellence 12:39 SALT & STONE’S Philosophy on: Ingredient Sourcing, Product Development & Testing 19:06 How to Set Your Business Up to Grow Into a Legacy Brand From Day 1  22:07 The Retail Strategy That Never Fails 28:35 Tackling Global Expansion & Managing Expectations as a Founder   29:55 Single Most Impactful Thing NIma Did in The First 6 Months That Made SALT & STONE Successful  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Harlem Candle Company founder Teri Johnson started pouring candles in her Harlem kitchen with no budget and no team—just a clear sense of purpose. That focus helped her turn handmade gifts into a nationally recognized brand rooted in culture, design, and storytelling. In this episode, she shares how she validated demand early, built trust online without samples, and made tough decisions to protect her peace and profits.For more on Harlem Candle Co and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Actively Black didn’t start with a product—it started with a community. By building a 23,000-person audience before launch, founder Lanny Smith turned purpose-driven storytelling into a $55,000 first day and a $2 million first year. His journey shows aspiring entrepreneurs why demand-first thinking, authentic mission, and smart list-building can change everything.For more on Actively Black click hereYou'll Learn:Why Actively Black built community before developing a productThe email + SMS strategy that led to $55K in sales on launch dayHow to sell $2M+ in your first year—even with constant stockoutsWhy fast growth can be just as dangerous as no growthHow to use storytelling and cultural pride to create brand resonanceWhat it takes to build long-term customer trust without discountingHow Lanny structured partnerships with Marvel, Disney, and iconic estatesThe real math behind inventory planning at scale (and why it’s so hard)How to align investors with your vision, not just your bottom lineWhy purpose is more powerful than product in competitive industriesHow Lanny’s personal values fuel every decision—from pricing to hiringChapters:00:00 Introducing Lanny Smith, Founder of Actively Black01:02 How a Career Pivot Sparked a $2M Vision01:27 Building 10K Followers Before Launching a Product03:31 Why Purpose-Driven Branding Fueled $55K on Day One06:54 What Selling Out in 3 Weeks Taught Us About Manufacturing10:30 How Actively Black Landed Partnerships with Marvel, Disney & More17:52 The Traits Behind Scaling to 8 Figures and Beyond18:48 What to Know Before Entering the $1.5T Apparel Market19:54 From “No” to $2M: How to Power Through Rejection21:43 Turning a Personal Setback Into Multi-Million Dollar Growth25:35 Why Actively Black Is More Than Just Merch (And Why That Matters)29:04 How Mission and Authenticity Drive Repeat Purchases Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Taza Chocolate didn’t follow trends—it built a lasting brand by doubling down on its differences. Founders Alex Whitmore and Kathleen Fulton share how staying true to their product, owning their manufacturing, and leading with purpose helped them weather crises and grow a resilient business.For more on Taza Chocolate and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

While the bike helmet industry screamed "you need this for safety!", Gloria Hwang did the opposite. She made helmets so beautiful that 25% of Thousand customers are wearing helmets for the first time ever. Thousand now offers helmet and bike accessories in 20+ countries with financial backing from REI and the Clif Bar Family Office. Gloria talks all things customer loyalty, business branding, and nailing your product roadmap for maximum impact. She intimately shares how a personal tragedy inspired a mission to save 1,000 lives, and how that number grew to 1,300+ through their lifetime crash replacement guarantee. You’ll learn the counterintuitive strategy that made safety cool, and why Thousand wins with culture instead of competing on tech features. For more on Thousand click here. You’ll learn: Why fear-based marketing fails and what works insteadThe psychology insight that built a $10M+ brand across 20+ countriesHow 25% of customers are first-time helmet wearersTransitioning from maker to manager over 10 yearsTaking back the product roadmap to return to core differentiationWhy solving customer problems beats chasing growth at all costsChapters:00:00 Introducing Gloria Hwang, Founder & CEO of Thousand1:30 How to Change Customer Behaviors 4:11 The Personal Tragedy That Started Thousand & The Design Philosophy That Wins Every Time5:15 Why 25% of Customers Are First-Time Helmet Wearers7:30 Steps to Get Further Differentiated & Beat Out The Competition 9:55 Strategies for Collecting High-Quality Customer Insights 16:00 Expanding to 20+ Countries & Quality Standards19:50 The BEST Advice Gloria Has Ever Gotten 24:30 The Hardest Transition Gloria Went Through & How to Tackle People Problems 29:20 What to Ask for When Pitching Investors (Surprise, it’s NOT Money)  32:48 How Motherhood Changed Her Approach to Business Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.