The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Description

NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY, SUBSCRIBE FOR UNBEATABLE ECOM RECON – Every Tuesday since 2014, host Kurt Elster shares the Shopify success stories that nobody tells you about, straight from the entrepreneurs living it. Subscribe for a raw look at what it really takes to succeed on Shopify.

Episodes

2025 / 4 / 22

How Smart Brands Win Top-of-Funnel in 2025

Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXSr4Po30oYPaid ads are busted. SEO is back but weirder. Gen Z isn’t using Google. What now?VC Smriti Jayaraman pulls back the curtain on the Shopify brands...

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2025 / 4 / 15

700K YouTube Subs to Shopify Sales

Her fans call her "The Queen of Air Fryers." She gave away recipes. Her fans demanded a cookbook. One $15 PDF later, Cathy Yoder had a 5-figure launch weekend—and she hasn't looked back. With over 700K...

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2025 / 4 / 8

Pit Viper: These Shades Print Money

Pit Viper isn’t for everyone. And that might be the secret to its success.It starts with a guy on a ski trip. His sunglasses break. So, naturally, he walks into a military surplus store, finds an old pair of...

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2025 / 4 / 1

Shopify Dev AMA: Store Spying, AI Tools, and Trends

Two Shopify Partners get real in an AMA packed with listener questions. Store spying tricks, AI fails, bold 2025 predictions, a garage full of jacked-up cars, and a sneak peek at their next app.What you’ll...

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2025 / 3 / 25

Lady Gaga’s on Shopify: Go Behind the Build

Lady Gaga has a new Shopify site. But this isn’t just a merch store. It’s a stage, a story, a digital home—built to evolve as fast as she does.Her team needed something different. A site that could change...

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2025 / 3 / 18

The Store That Won March Madness

Megan Smalley didn’t plan to build a powerhouse ecommerce brand. Scarlet & Gold started as a creative side project—until she got laid off.Fast forward 12 years, and Scarlet & Gold is one of the only...

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2025 / 3 / 11

10 Shopify Mistakes Killing Your Sales

Are you making one of these Shopify mistakes? If so, you’re losing sales. In this episode, The Unofficial Shopify Podcast host Kurt Elster teams up with Bold Commerce co-founder Jay Myers to reveal the top 10...

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2025 / 3 / 4

Fart-Proof Underwear? This Shopify Brand Says Yes

Imagine a world where your worst gas-related fears simply… disappear. No awkward moments, no subtle side-eye glances. Just peace, dignity, and activated carbon filters.That’s the world Collin White and his...

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2025 / 2 / 25

Obvi’s Ron Shah on Fails, Exits & Lessons Learned

"You start with ‘there’s no way this is me.’ Then you question everything. Then, eventually, you realize—this really could be me."Ron Shah built Obvi into a $100M+ powerhouse, with $40M in top-line revenue in...

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2025 / 2 / 18

How a Twitter Account Became a Thriving Shopify Brand

“Rainier Watch started as me shouting into the void about whether the mountain was out. Now, it’s a brand in REI. Didn’t see that coming.”David Lindahl started Rainier Watch as a simple Twitter account—just a...

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2025 / 2 / 11

Reinventing Oral Care: The Slate Flosser Story

In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Brynn Snyder, co-founder of Slate Flosser, shares how she and her dentist husband tackled one of the most overlooked aspects of health—flossing. Together,...

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2025 / 2 / 4

Building Frizz + Co: Haircare, Shopify, and Community

Building Frizz + Co: Haircare, Shopify, and CommunityDaphné Eastmond ditched the CPA grind to create Frizz + Co, a brand that says screw the stigma and celebrates textured hair. From her raw startup struggles...

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2025 / 1 / 28

Why Shopify’s Planet App is Good for Business (and the Earth)

“Why not try it? Planet is low-risk, easy to configure, and can have a meaningful impact on your brand and the planet.”Discover how Shopify Planet helps merchants make a positive environmental impact while...

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2025 / 1 / 21

Montana Knife Company: American-Made Knife Empire

What if your side hustle turned into an 8-figure brand selling out every week?Also on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DxGxZ20rfQIMontana Knife Company’s Brandon Horoho shares the journey from launching during COVID...

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2025 / 1 / 14

Growing a Supps Brand to $70M in 2.5 Years

Devyn Merklin, former CMO of Livingood Daily, shares the raw truth behind scaling a supplement brand to $70M in annual revenue. From relentless testing to mastering Shopify funnels, Devyn provides a...

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2025 / 1 / 7

Avoiding CRO myths

“Look, if you redesign your grocery store and I can’t find the chicken or checkout clerk I like, I’m shopping somewhere else.”How do you turn clicks into customers without falling for CRO myths? Oliver...

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2024 / 12 / 31

How This Athlete Built a $10M Sock Brand

"I wanted to create a product that could be the yoga pant for the foot."Rob Fraser, former pro cyclist and the founder of Outway, believes socks should do more than cover your feet. Drawing from his...

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2024 / 12 / 24

Why Mizzen+Main’s $100M Founder Left to Build a Baby Monitor

Kevin Lavelle’s got a knack for big ideas and starting fresh. First, he took on menswear with Mizzen+Main, bringing performance fabric to dress shirts and making them a hit with pro athletes and office rebels...

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2024 / 12 / 17

Turning Scratched Lenses into 8 Figures

“We’re doing about 1,500 pairs a day… we’re gonna hit eight figures this year, probably next year for sure.”You know that favorite pair of sunglasses you can’t throw away? Brandon Dill turned that frustration...

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2024 / 12 / 11

Shopify’s New Customer Accounts

Tired of logging into five different portals just to make a return? Shopify says enough. Patrick Millegan joins Kurt Elster to talk about the new customer account extensions, designed to simplify logins,...

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2024 / 12 / 10

Smart Marketer Live Recap

Mindset, AI, and ghost hunting— Smart Marketer Live wasn’t your typical marketing event. We break down the big ideas that got us thinking (and laughing) in Denver. You'll get an inside look at the conference,...

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2024 / 12 / 3

Building a Successful Shopify App & Community

Harshdeep Singh Hura didn’t just stumble into the Shopify partner community—he helped build it. In this episode, we meet the first-ever recipient of the Shopify Community Award, whose open-source projects now...

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2024 / 11 / 26

10,000 UX Audits Later: How Oddit Boosts Shopify Sales (Without Data or Meetings)

What if you could boost your Shopify sales without relying on data or endless meetings? Oddit's unconventional approach has turned heads—stripping away feedback loops, simplifying designs, and focusing on...

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2024 / 11 / 19

From $800K to $26M: Depesh Mandalia’s Facebook Ads Story

“It’s truly magic. That’s the word I use internally to describe what we’re doing here.”What if you could turn $800K into $26 million in just 18 months—using nothing but Facebook ads? That’s exactly what...

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2024 / 11 / 12

The Black Friday Email Guide for Real-World Brands

“Honestly, I think my best customers don’t even look at the discounts. They get the email, see the new pants, and just say, ‘I want them.’”Black Friday: the annual marketing frenzy brands prep for all year....

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2024 / 11 / 5

How Downpay Solves Payment Challenges | The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

"I can't stop talking about partial payment, apparently." – Diana BirsanCo-founder of Downpay and former Shopify Product Manager, Diana Birsan, joins us to break down how she built Downpay, the app that lets...

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2024 / 10 / 29

How Shopify Built a Financial Hub to Empower Entrepreneurs

“It’s truly magic. That’s the word I use internally to describe what we’re doing here.”We chat with Vikram Anreddy, Head of Product for Finance at Shopify, about how Shopify is making money management way...

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2024 / 10 / 22

TikTok Shop Made This Stationary Store Go Viral

“Most brands just send out samples and then it’s done. We go the extra mile that 99% of brands do not do.”Building a multi-million dollar business typically involves more than wedding invitations and viral...

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2024 / 10 / 15

PR Strategy for Shopify Stores

“PR is the highest leverage activity, and we’re not taught that because it’s easier to just create a reel and hope it goes viral.”In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, we meet Gloria Chou, a PR...

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2024 / 10 / 8

SHOP CAMPAIGNS: Deep Dive

Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/djnSFyBsB7MWe explore Shopify’s latest updates to simplify customer acquisition through its Shop Campaigns tool.Host Kurt Elster talks with Shopify's Andrius...

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2024 / 10 / 1

Meet $100M+ Chubbies Co-Founder Kyle Hency

“I’m a builder. I want to be building a team, building an exceptional product, and competing every day.”Kyle Hency had a simple goal: create a brand that speaks authentically to men like him. What started as...

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2024 / 9 / 24

Top Pickleball Creator's Video Content Strategy

"Our number one best-selling product… it’s called the Dink Master."Enhance Pickleball's Connor Hance shares his incredible journey from college tennis player to the leading content creator and entrepreneur in...

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2024 / 9 / 17

How a Reddit Post Led to a $5M Skincare Brand

Hear how Austin Beals hacked his way out of a chronic skin condition to create Dermazen, a skincare brand that’s bringing in $5 million a year. No investors, no BS— just one man’s obsessive quest to relieve...

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2024 / 9 / 10

Inside the Shadowy World of Returns Fraud

Tackle the increasingly troubling issue of returns fraud in the e-commerce world. As return fraud rises, this once-overlooked issue is now a major concern for online retailers. You'll learn how fraudsters are...

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2024 / 9 / 3

Boost Conversions with Build Grow Scale’s CRO Tips

“Most Shopify themes are built by developers to create an online store catalog, not a converting funnel.”In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Kurt Elster talks with Matthew Stafford, the CEO of...

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2024 / 8 / 27

Goodsellas: Why Movie Spoof Ads are Total Genius

Step into the rebellious side of marketing with this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Molly Pittman from Smart Marketer joins to rip up the rulebook on conventional advertising. We dive into the...

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2024 / 8 / 20

Insider Tips on Buying & Selling Shopify Stores

"Buying a business is so much faster than building one and so much safer if you buy big enough."Also on YouTube: youtu.be/BuDtoDsC4tAGet the inside scoop on buying and selling Shopify stores from Gregory...

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2024 / 8 / 13

Inside Shopify’s Major Checkout Upgrade

Also on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fIDw3fvPPgIUnpack the intricacies of Shopify's Checkout Extensibility— a feature poised to revolutionize online commerce.Michael Elmgreen, Shopify's Product Director,...

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2024 / 8 / 6

Building a Sustainable Activewear Brand from Scratch

Reprise Activewear founder Mary Bemis takes us through her incredible journey from launching a Kickstarter campaign to building a sustainable activewear brand that has caught the attention of Self Magazine...

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2024 / 7 / 30

The Declining Churn Fallacy

Get ready for a deep dive into what really makes customers stick around or peace out. Professor Daniel McCarthy unravels the myths around churn rates and why a low number isn't always a high-five moment for...

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2024 / 7 / 23

How Dapper Boi is Smashing Fashion's Gender Limits

Vicky Pasche, a Shark Tank alum and co-founder of Dapper Boi, reveals how a personal quest for authenticity led to the creation of a groundbreaking apparel line.Dapper Boi's innovative apparel line challenges...

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2024 / 7 / 16

Unlocking Shopify Flow

Unlocking Shopify Flow: Automation Insights with Paul Nuschke & Matti PihlainenIn this bonus episode we dive deep into the world of Shopify Flow with two remarkable guests. Paul Nuschke, the Senior Product...

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2024 / 7 / 12

Chalet Nursery’s Shopify POS Implementation

Also on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DcptOEqEACwJoin Kurt Elster, host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, as he sits down with Lawson Thalmann, CTO of Chalet Nursery, to discuss how they’ve transformed their...

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2024 / 7 / 9

Mastering Shopify App Development

Sit down with the insightful Mat De Sousa, a trailblazing Shopify app developer whose creations, Wide Bundle and Wide Review, have generated enviable annual recurring revenues. His story is a testament to the...

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2024 / 7 / 5

Shopify Magic Media Editor

Mary Bemis, the founder of Reprise Activewear, shares her experience using Shopify’s Magic Media Editor and its AI features.Guest Background: Mary Bemis founded Reprise Activewear six years ago, starting with...

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2024 / 7 / 2

Editions.dev 2024 Trip Report

Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mi3iKmZBxREWe’ve got all the highlights from the Shopify Editions.dev conference in Toronto. With exclusive insights from Harley Finkelstein, Shopify's president,...

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2024 / 6 / 25

Is Faire is a Must-Have for Wholesale?

"Faire really helps us connect and buy wholesale merchandise, and it's cheaper than trade shows."Discover how 'FAIRE really helps us connect and buy wholesale merchandise,' as Emily Grey of Flourish Market...

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2024 / 6 / 18

Affiliate Marketing's New Content Code

Get the inside scoop on how to revolutionize your affiliate content game. It's not just about what you say, but how you say it. Dive into the strategies that are setting today's affiliate marketers apart from...

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2024 / 6 / 11

Slumberkins: From Craft Fairs to Shark Tank

Also available with video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/-qxIqPtAYhEJoin us as we explore the journey of Kelly Oriard and Kaylee Christensen, founders of Slumberkins, an emotional wellness brand dedicated to...

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2024 / 6 / 4

Shopify & SEO Tactics

Join us with SEO expert Jason Berkowitz as we dissect e-commerce SEO. We're cutting through the noise of AI content and zeroing in on standout strategies. It's all about making your site visible online,...

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