Be Brave: Merchant Stories By Brave the Skies

Brave the Skies

Be Brave is a podcast focused on merchant stories by Brave the Skies, a crew of Shopify Plus Experts who create immersive user experiences and best-in-class websites on the Shopify and Shopify Plus platforms. This podcast aims to showcase and celebrate Shopify merchant stories, find out about founders' motivation to start their business and allow them to tell their brand story and their ecommerce journey. Please, subscribe and leave us a review to let us know what you think.

Episodes

  1. 10/31/2023

    #4: Founder Stories: Ro&Zo

    Welcome to the Be Brave podcast brought to you by Brave the Skies.  This podcast showcases and celebrates ecommerce merchant stories to find out about founders' motivation to start their business and allow them to tell their brand story and their ecommerce journey. In this episode, we meet Rosie Bowden and Zoe de Abreu – Co-founders of Ro&Zo. For those who don't know, Ro&Zo is a female-founded fashion brand with a philosophy to make all women feel the best version of themselves. They design timeless feminine pieces with a sustainable approach. Tune in as we delve into their motivations for launching the business, how they've grown their community of Ro&Zo women, and, of course, we find out about their tech stack.   Learn key insights from Rosie and Zoe's story of bravely launching and growing an online brand.  Topics include: How Ro&Zo began Building a fashion business during the pandemic Being a sustainable & responsible brand Success in marketing & PR Launching on Shopify  The wider tech stack Being the faces of Ro&Zo Building an engaged community - the Ro&Zo woman The future for Ro&Zo Thank you to our guests, Rosie and Zoe, for sharing their stories. Hosted by Molly Smith, Head of Marketing, Brave the Skies

  2. 09/19/2023

    #3: Founder Stories: Faerly

    Welcome to another exciting episode of the Be Brave podcast by Brave the Skies! In this episode, we immerse ourselves in eCommerce and sustainability alongside James Byrne, co-founder of Faerly. James shares his entrepreneurial journey, from his diverse background and career experiences to the inspiration that fueled the creation of Faerly, an online store committed to offering sustainable and ethical products. We embark on a fascinating exploration of James' journey, from his earlier days in his family toy store to his venture into entrepreneurship. Tracing the eCommerce trajectory in Ireland, we unravel how challenges and experiences converged to give birth to Faerly. We shed light on vital aspects such as their tech stack and the role of Shopify, coupled with automation apps like Klayvio, in powering their business operations. We explore the complex marketing landscape for small businesses, including the pivotal roles of SEO and digital PR, while addressing the nuanced dynamics of social media advertising and email marketing. Delving into customer engagement and trust-building, we examine the utilisation of review platforms and unveil customer service strategies and operations vital for niche retailing. Join us for this enlightening conversation, where James candidly shares his journey, insights, and ambitious vision for a sustainable eCommerce venture. Stay brave, and keep listening! Topics include: Entrepreneurship, Family Business, and Career Evolution  Early eCommerce Days in Ireland, Business Ideas, and COVID-19 Impact  Sustainable Living and Ethical Product Sourcing Practices Prioritising Irish suppliers and meaningful product stories Sustainability in Ecommerce Operations  Shopify's Significance and Automation Apps. Marketing Channels and Strategies for a Small Business Importance of Reviews and Customer Engagement Technical Aspects and Business Growth  Sustainable Business Practices and Profitability  Visit: www.bravetheskies.com

  3. 08/16/2023

    #2: Founder Stories: Only Curls

    Welcome to the Be Brave podcast brought to you by Brave the Skies.  This podcast showcases and celebrates ecommerce merchant stories to find out about founders' motivation to start their business and allow them to tell their brand story and their ecommerce journey. In this episode, we meet Lizzie and Hugo Lewis, co-founders of Only Curls and husband and wife. For those who don't know, Only Curls is a passionate brand about people embracing their curls. Their styling products are packed with natural nourishing ingredients that penetrate and hydrate the hair, bringing curls back to life.  We delve into their motivations for launching the business and working together. How they've grown and engaged the curly-haired community of customers, and of course, we find out about their tech stack.   Learn key insights from Hugo and Lizzie and their story of being brave and launching and growing an online brand.  Topics include: How Only Curls began Starting a business with one single product Launching on Shopify  Jumping on the curly hair community on Instagram Sourcing a production manager and a product line Divide and conquering responsibilities  The tech stack  Klaviyo for email marketing Shopify Plus, an enabler for the business Customers turning into employees Wholesale and Shopify B2B Using TikTok as a customer-service platform International expansion post-Brexit The Only Curls app SMS and engaging with customers The future for Only Curls Thank you to our guests, Lizzie and Hugo, for sharing their story. Hosted by Stephen Kenealy, Managing Director, Brave the Skies

  4. 07/04/2023

    #1: Founder Stories: The Black Stuff

    Welcome to the very first Be Brave podcast brought to you by Brave the Skies. We're launching this podcast to showcase and celebrate ecommerce merchant stories, to find out about founders' motivation to start their business and allow them to tell their brand story and their ecommerce journey. In this episode, we meet John Larkin, founder of TheBlackStuff.com, a brand that sells handmade natural soap for men from Ireland and other male products. John discusses the experiments that brought him to find his first soap, discovering a new use for Guinness and the lightbulb idea for his brand name, The Black Stuff. We delve into his experiences launching the business, cracking the US market, and being a solopreneur, how marketing and ecommerce technology is helping him grow and realise his ambitions for The Black Stuff.  Learn key insights from John and learn about his story of being brave and launching an online brand.  Topics include: How 'The Black Stuff' began The first steps in launching a business Making soap from beer The light bulb moment of finding The Black Stuff's name Lab coats, ingredients, and a shed Selling internationally first, into the US market Finding a fulfilment partner Marketing strategy and tools How Tiktok is helping brands navigate the market. Turning the business inside out How Shopify has helped How email marketing has helped turn customers into advocates Biggest challenges and opportunities Thank you to our guest, John Larkin, for sharing his story. Hosted by Stephen Kenealy, Interim Managing Director, Brave the Skies Thank you for listening to the 'Be Brave' podcast by Brave the Skies. Please, subscribe and leave us a review.

    #1: Founder Stories: The Black Stuff
  • 4 Episodes

About

Be Brave is a podcast focused on merchant stories by Brave the Skies, a crew of Shopify Plus Experts who create immersive user experiences and best-in-class websites on the Shopify and Shopify Plus platforms. This podcast aims to showcase and celebrate Shopify merchant stories, find out about founders' motivation to start their business and allow them to tell their brand story and their ecommerce journey. Please, subscribe and leave us a review to let us know what you think.

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