• How Shine Supply Hit $7M/yr Without Paid Ads
    Jul 29 2025

    Also Available on YouTube: youtu.be/_nqN9HyOpxM

    What happens when a 23-year-old refuses to play the ecommerce advertising game? Colby Stevens built Shine Supply into a $7M detailing brand using nothing but Instagram ASMR videos, authentic storytelling, and a "people over profit" philosophy.

    No paid ads until last month. No Amazon. No selling out to scale.

    Instead: 80,000 Instagram followers, hundreds of photo reviews, and a community that buys because they believe in the brand, not just the product.

    Colby breaks down the exact strategies that grew their family's Shopify store - from Klaviyo automation that actually works to the review incentive system that drives social proof. Plus why they turned down millions in Amazon revenue to stay true to their dealers.

    Key Takeaways:
    • How to build 80k Instagram followers organically
    • The ASMR video strategy getting thousands of views
    • Review incentive system that drives social proof
    • Why they refused millions in Amazon revenue
    • Klaviyo automation that actually converts
    • Building authentic brand community on Shopify

    Fair warning: you'll want to detail your car after this one.

    Sponsors:

    Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
    getswym.com/kurt

    Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify
    cleverific.com/unofficial

    Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels
    zipify.com/KURT

    Guest Links:

    Shine Supply - Colby's detailing brand
    shinesupply.com

    Shine Supply Instagram - 80k followers, zero ads
    instagram.com/shinesupply

    Mentioned Tools:

    Shopify - Ecommerce platform
    shopify.com

    Klaviyo - Email marketing automation
    klaviyo.com

    Loox Reviews - Photo review system
    loox.app

    Work With Kurt:

    Apply for Shopify Help
    ethercycle.com/apply

    See Our Results
    ethercycle.com/work

    Free Newsletter
    kurtelster.com

    The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.

    Show more Show less
    36 mins
  • Viral Mattress Ads & Crowdfunding
    Jul 22 2025

    Available on YouTube: [youtu.be/wDlijQtbLJo](https://youtu.be/wDlijQtbLJo)

    What if your brand could sell a million orders before shipping a single product?

    Bryant Garvin, marketing lead at Ozlo Sleep and former CMO of Groove Life, did exactly that. In this episode, he shares how performance branding, differentiated product, and a viral video formula helped Ozlo launch with massive traction. From his early work at Purple Mattress to Groove Life’s rise, Bryant breaks down what it takes to turn pre-orders into a brand-building machine.

    Sponsors:

    • Swym – Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
    • Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
    • Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels

    Links & Resources:

    • Bryant Garvin on LinkedIn
    • Ozlo Sleep
    • Purple Mattress
    • Groove Life

    Work with Kurt

    • Work
    • Apply
    • Newsletter
    Show more Show less
    48 mins
  • What 20M Shopify Surveys Reveal About Attribution
    Jul 15 2025

    Watch the video interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TMVqWfaddG8

    Shopify store owners: what if one simple question could improve your ad spend, creative, and segmentation?

    In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Matt Bahr, founder of Fairing, unpacks what 20 million post-purchase surveys taught him about attribution—and why most brands still get it wrong. Learn how to track what really works, identify new channels like AppLovin and CTV, and use surveys to improve more than just marketing.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • Why last-click attribution is broken—and what to use instead
    • The one survey question every brand should ask
    • How Fairing’s data reveals the rise of AppLovin and CTV
    • What zero-party data can do for your segmentation and CRO
    • How top brands like Bombas and Thrive use surveys to drive action

    Sponsors:

    • Swym – Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
    • Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
    • Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels

    Resources mentioned:

    • Fairing
    • Shopify App Listing
    • LLM Benchmarks
    • Matt Bahr on LinkedIn

    Work with Kurt:

    • Apply
    • Client Results
    • Join the Newsletter
    Show more Show less
    43 mins
  • Top Shopify Conversion Mistakes
    Jul 8 2025

    Also on YouTube...

    What’s really holding your Shopify store back? After 10,000 UX audits, Oddit co-founder Shaun Brandt has answers, and most stores are making the same 7 mistakes. Menus that bury the merch. Popups that hijack the screen. Product pages with zero context.

    This episode is a takedown of bad ecommerce decisions, packed with fixes that actually make you more money. Whether you’re running a $50k side hustle or an eight-figure brand, the solutions are simple and the impact is real.

    If your conversion rate’s stuck, this is your episode.

    Sponsors:

    • Swym – Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
    • Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
    • Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels

    Links

    • Oddit
    • Shaun Brandt on LinkedIn
    • Shopify Blog: What Is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?

    Work With Kurt

    • Apply
    • Results
    • Newsletter
    Show more Show less
    48 mins
  • SEO for AI: What Works, What’s Snake Oil
    Jul 1 2025

    Available on YouTube: youtu.be/qdpFmuFD8yE

    Shopify merchants are getting pitched AI SEO “solutions” left and right—none of them proven. So I called Jason Berkowitz, an SEO who actually knows the game, to answer the real question: what should you actually do to rank in an AI-powered world? (Spoiler: most of it’s nonsense.) We break down what’s real, what’s trash, and why good SEO still wins—even in a sea of chatbots and grifters.

    Sponsors

    • Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
    • Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
    • Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways

    Links

    • Jason Berkowitz / Break the Web
    • Shopify Global Product Catalog
    • ChatGPT Product Search Beta

    Work With Kurt

    • Grow your Shopify store with me: https://ethercycle.com/apply
    • See client results: https://ethercycle.com/work
    • Join my newsletter for Shopify insights: https://kurtelster.com/
    Show more Show less
    43 mins
  • How Divorce, Cancer, and TikTok Built a Shopify Brand
    Jun 24 2025

    Sara Olsher started Mighty + Bright as a handmade calendar to help her toddler cope with divorce. A decade (and one breast cancer diagnosis) later, it’s a full-time Shopify business helping kids, adults, and neurodivergent folks navigate tough life stuff with visual structure. In this episode, Sara shares how she bootstrapped the brand, embraced customer feedback, and scaled with purpose—not just ad spend.

    You’ll learn:

    • How personal chaos sparked a viral product line
    • Why bootstrapping kept her business healthy and profitable
    • The power of customer-led product development
    • How one TikTok collab outsold her entire kids’ line

    Sponsors

    • Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
    • Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
    • Address Validator – Reduce delivery address errors & costs
    Links and Resources:
    • Sara Olsher
    • Mighty + Bright

    Apps, Tools, & Services

    • StoreHero – Profit-focused ad tracking and analytics
    • Octane AI – Shop quizzes for Shopify
    • Sensible Forecasting – Inventory planning
    • Bundles.app – Inventory syncing for Shopify bundles
    • iPaKey – Packing and fulfillment scanner tool

    Work with Kurt:

    → Grow your Shopify store
    → See client success stories
    → Join Kurt’s newsletter

    Show more Show less
    49 mins
  • Shopify POS V10: What’s New?
    Jun 17 2025

    Also on YouTube: youtu.be/4lOLw1k4ocA

    Shopify VP of Retail, Ray Reddy, joins to walk through what’s new in POS V10.

    • Faster checkouts
    • Split fulfillment
    • Custom branding
    • Better search

    If you sell in person, this episode is for you.

    Show Links
    • Shopify POS
    • Shopify Editions (Summer 2025)
    • Ray Reddy on LinkedIn
    Sponsors
    • Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
    • Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
    • Boost AI Search & Filter – Frictionless Product Discovery with AI
    Work with Kurt
    • Grow your Shopify store with me
    • See our recent client wins
    • Join my newsletter
    Show more Show less
    39 mins
  • Inside Shopify Editions.dev 2025
    Jun 10 2025

    Watch on YouTube

    Shopify unveiled a sweeping AI-first vision at Editions.dev 2025, and it's got their partners buzzing. In this episode, we go beyond the keynote to bring you on-the-ground reactions from developers, partners, and skeptics alike.

    Featuring interviews with:

    • Anne Thomas (Design Packs)
    • Ezra Firestone (Zipify)
    • Jamil Bhuya (Otherhalf Studio)
    • Karl Meisterheim (Liquid Weekly)

    We dig into:

    • Horizon's AI-generated blocks
    • Shopify’s global product catalog push
    • The looming idea of a multi-store global cart

    Some call it the future of commerce. We call it required listening.

    Sponsors
    • Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
    • Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
    • Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways
    Links
    • Shopify Editions Summer '25
    • Editions.dev

    Related Resources

    • Will Premium Themes Get Horizon Blocks? (ed.codes)
    • TUSP Facebook Group Post
    • Understanding Shopify Catalog API (Sherocommerce)
    • Liquid Weekly

    For more unfiltered Shopify wisdom:

    • kurtelster.com
    • paulreda.com
    • ethercycle.com
    Help the show
    • Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
    • Leave a review
    • Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
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    1 hr