Inside the Pivot That Helped This Family Business Hit Nearly $1 Million in Revenue

MiJa Books grew from a side project to a nearly $1M business by turning customer feedback into smart pivots, book fairs, and scalable systems.For more on MiJa Books and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

SET Active founder, Lindsey Carter has nailed a well-timed, high in demand, product drop. Now the team sells out millions worth of products in the matter of hours. In just seven years, she's built a celebrity-loved athletic wear brand that generates $1 million in under an hour and is on track to hit $30 million in annual revenue this year. Lindsey has yet to take on a dollar from investors and has no plans of slowing down any time soon. Lindsey shares the strategies behind building a brand that Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and thousands of loyal customers can't get enough of. She candidly opens up about building a community with 8,200+ super fans on Instagram, and leveraging AI tools that save her and her team hours every day. We’ll dive into the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, from placing risky second orders to keep momentum going, to learning hard lessons about hiring. For more on SET Active click here. In this episode you’ll learn: The exact strategy behind SET Active's $1M resort drop (and why location matters)How to build real community that drives sales (spoiler: you can't fake it)AI tools that turned 5-hour tasks into 5-minute winsWhy momentum is everything and how to maintain it across dropsSocial media secrets and why you should treat each platform like a different family memberSmart hiring practices and what makes employees buy into founder visionThe power of asking for help when you need it mostHow transparency and vulnerability create customer loyaltyWhat's next for Set Active…Four Seasons collabs, gorpcore, and 90s-inspired collectionsChapters:(Tips: use vague and general language that identifies what the next few minutes will talk about) 00:00 Introducing Lindsey Carter & Set Active2:20 The Lightning Strike Moment: How Lindsey Discovered Her Entrepreneurial Passion5:07 The Investor Advice Every Entrepreneur Needs to Hear 7:00 How to Build Momentum Early In Business (+ How to Keep it Going) 10:21 Core Challenges 7 Years into Set Active & How to Overcome Them14:45 Hitting Rock Bottom In Life/Business–How to Bounce Back from A Down Year 19:47 The $1M Resort Drop Strategy23:26 New Trends Coming Up: Gorpcore, a Four Seasons collab & more25:10 Why You Can’t Fake Community & Winning Social Media Strategies 27:09 AI Tools That Set Active Swears By35:29 The Secret to Consistent Wins: How Set Keeps Momentum Going  Guest: Lindsey CarterTitle: Founder & CEO Company: SET ACTIVE Industry: Fashion Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Beekman 1802’s founders turned crisis into opportunity, building a $92 million skin care brand by starting small, staying disciplined, and leading with heart.For more on Beekman 1802 and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Peak Design has raised over $60 million on Kickstarter across multiple campaigns, making them one of the most successful crowdfunding brands in history. Their most recent campaign alone generated $13.5 million. Founder Peter Dering shares the exact strategies, lessons, and controversial decisions behind building a $100M+ business entirely without venture capital.For more on Peak Design click here. In this episode, Peter reveals:The Kickstarter Strategy: Peak Design uses crowdfunding as a fundamental building block of their brand, not just a sales channel.The "Omnichannel Sandwich" Approach: For their $13.5M campaign, Peak Design launched in retail stores at full price before fulfilling all Kickstarter orders, despite the backlash, they'd do it again.Building Without Investors: Kickstarter's upfront payment model solved cashflow challenges and allowed Peak Design to stay completely investor-free while reaching $100M in revenue.The Origin Story: A four-month motorcycle trip through Southeast Asia sparked the idea for a camera clip. That idea would evolve into an entire ecosystem of gear for photographers and adventurers.Company Culture & Transparency: The stated purpose of Peak Design is for employees to live happy and meaningful lives, and Peter shares all financial figures with his team.The Climate Change Project: Peter co-founded the Change Climate Project, creating the most robust climate certification now used by over 300 companies including REI, with Peak Design spending $350,000 annually on carbon mitigation.Chapters:00:00 Introducing Peter Dering, Founder of Peak Design 3:13 How Peter Pivoted from Construction Engineering to Being His Own Boss 4:00 Where to Find Life & Business Inspiration 5:27 Peter’s First Invention: How to Bring a Product to Life 6:55 Breaking Down One of the Most Successful Kickstarter Campaigns Ever 8:28 The Steps for Scaling Sales From $700,000-$100M 10:22 The Best (Timeless) Kickstarter Tips  13:40 How Peak Design Hit Their Best Crowdfunding Campaign To Date: $13M17:00 Peter’s POV On VC Dollars  19:10 Company Culture: The Key to Team Building & Being a Successful, Meaningful Leader 24:20 The Impact of Climate Change & The Creation of The Change Climate Project 28:10 Peak Design’s Lifetime Warranty & How They Maintain High Customer Lifetime Value 30:00 Immersive Community Tactics That Create Value  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

How Haley Pavone turned a college injury into an eight-figure convertible footwear brand built on curiosity, grit, and smart, sustainable growth.For more on Pashion Footwear and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Rachel Hochhauser and Jena Wolfe didn’t quit their jobs to build Piecework Puzzles—and that’s exactly why it worked. The cofounders share how they turned a stormy weekend experiment into a multi-million dollar lifestyle brand, all while maintaining full-time careers. As VP of Marketing for Goop Kitchen, and renowned Author and creative agency owner, the duo are mastering the art of balancing everything, in real time. From starting with just four puzzle designs shot in Rachel’s grandmother’s garage, to spawning an entire aesthetic movement in the industry, Rachel and Jena have made their mark. They aren’t afraid to do things differently, constantly learning and iterating from production nightmares and successful campaign launches. Discover their unconventional approach to entrepreneurship, product development, and world building in this candid interview. They both reveal why bootstrapping gave them the creative freedom they craved, how they navigate being business partners and best friends, and the unexpected pivot that led to their viral cocktail napkin line.For more on Piecework Puzzles click here. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why NOT taking investor money gave them complete creative controlThe “advice tour” strategy that helped them solve business problemsHow they went from puzzles to viral tomato napkins (and why that shouldn’t have worked)What happened when their manufacturer dropped them during the pandemicWhy working with your best friend can actually be brilliantTheir approach to brand partnerships with everyone from Goop to Better Homes & Gardens Chapters:00:00 Introducing Piecework Puzzles and The Stormy Weekend That Started It All 3:30 How to Find Your Gap In the Market & Stand Out6:00 Design Philosophy 101: How to Create Products That People Connect With8:40 The Importance of Creative Freedom & How to Obtain It!10:45 How to Run a Successful Business with Your BFF13:50 Starting Cultural Moments: The Origins of The Tomato Craze16:20 The Product Expansion That Shouldn’t Have Worked (But Did)20:15 Advice for Overcoming Manufacturing Nightmares23:00 The “Advice Tour” Strategy That Has Saved Piecework Puzzles26:49 Brand Partnerships: From Goop to Broccoli Magazine29:15 Addressing Dupe Culture… 32:45 Leadership Tips For Building a Lean & Productive Team Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Discover the best Black Friday Cyber Monday strategies from 13 successful founders. Get actionable tips on sales, inventory, marketing, and more for 2025.For more on BFCM and show notes click here.  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Ridge scaled to $5M in revenue per employee using AI. CEO Sean Frank shares his tips on harnessing the power of AI to grow revenue.For more on Ridge and show notes click here.  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Bold Bean Co grew 250% by redefining beans as a premium, building community through storytelling, and scaling with purpose.For more on Bold Bean Co and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

One cold email landed Elavi in more than 50 Whole Foods Market stores. Learn the three-step pitch framework that gets buyers to respond in hours, not weeks.For more on Elavi and show notes click here.  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.