How to Make Retailers Chase Your Brand

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. Even right now, every 60 seconds a SALT & STONE deodorant is bought.  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.

How founder Catherine Lockhart built Shelter Skin through deliberate growth, in-house manufacturing, and radical transparency.For more on Shelter Skin and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Matthew Burrows didn't start Plant Material with a big budget, but through strategic inventory management and real-time tracking, he's built a three-location business growing 50% year-over-year. Today, the business competes against giants like Home Depot and Lowe's, taking pride as the #1 search result on Google. In this heartfelt conversation Matthew shares the exact systems that allow him to never overstock, eliminate waste, and maintain the illusion of endless inventory. All while operating with a lean team and minimal capital! Plant Material acts a safe-haven for community gatherings as they offer California-native and regionally appropriate plants, gardening tools, and other art objects in three different Los Angeles nurseries. You’ll learn the ins and outs of merchandising, plant nursery management, and the inventory technique that saves Matthew 6-figures in revenue.   For more on Plant Material click here. You’ll Learn:How Matthew uses mobile inventory tracking to buy only what he needs in real-timeWhy strong grower relationships allow ultra-lean operationsThe forecasting method that predicts seasonal demand with precisionHow to make a small retail operation appear much larger than it isWhy online showcasing (not just selling) drives foot trafficThe SEO strategies that help Plant Material compete without ad spendChapters:00:00 Introducing Matthew Burrows, Cofounder of Plant Material 1:08 How to Achieve 50% Year-Over-Year Growth (Despite Challenges) 2:44 Defining Your Mission– The Do’s & Don’ts3:34 Why to View Competition As A Good Thing (Even Home Depot)5:25 The Best Tips From 15 Years Of Retail Experience 7:30 How to Scale Brick-And-Mortar First, Online Second8:15 How Shopify Showcases Real-Time Inventory to Save Plant Material 6 Figures12:17 Build an Efficient Supply Chain + Inventory Management Systems Tools 17:55 Steps to Prepare for Seasonality In Business  20:23 Building Gardens for The Community + Events That Make An Impact23:42 The Key to Appearing Bigger Than You Are (The SEO Secret)  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

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.