Honest Ecommerce

Julian Tcherassi is the founder of Magiktea, the first USDA Organic & Wildlife Friendly certified palo azul tea brand in the world. 

Under his leadership, Magiktea has grown from a small independent startup into a nationally recognized wellness brand, now available in over 1,000 health food stores nationwide. 

Passionate about natural remedies and sustainability, Julian started Magiktea with the mission to share sustainably sourced palo azul so that everyone can enjoy Mother Nature's most magical tea. 

In This Conversation We Discuss:

[00:00] Intro

[02:06] Spotting an opportunity from personal experience

[02:56] Starting a business through personal readings

[05:06] Prioritizing retail over DTC for early traction

[06:53] Offering consignment as visibility strategy 

[10:31] Callouts

[10:41] Embracing rejection as early sales training

[14:43] Sponsor: Klaviyo

[16:49] Learning advertisement tactics from founders

[18:41] Optimizing website to support conversions

[26:46] Sponsor: Intelligems

[25:46] Improving listings to outshine competitors

[29:26] Leveraging Amazon for exposure and sales

[33:25] Sponsor: Electric Eye

[34:31] Analyzing your brand for the winning message

Resources:

Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube

Fluorescent alkaline palo azul tea magiktea.com/

Follow Julian Tcherassi linkedin.com/in/julian-serrano-tcherassi-97a891156/

Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honest

Book a demo today at intelligems.io/

Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Eliah Thanhauser is the Co-Founder and CEO of North Spore, a company dedicated to making mushroom cultivation accessible to all. Since its inception in 2014, they’ve grown from a small operation in a garage in Maine to a vertically integrated manufacturer and a national leader in mycological supplies. 

Eliah’s journey began with a passion for sustainable agriculture and a desire to empower individuals to grow their own food. At North Spore, Eliah and his team provide high-quality mushroom cultivation products and education, supporting everyone from home growers to commercial farmers.​ 

Beyond business, he’s committed to environmental stewardship, advocating for better public access to Maine's shorelands and exploring innovative ways to integrate fungi into sustainable practices.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

[00:00] Intro

[02:10] Launching North Spore from a tiny garage

[05:47] Callouts

[05:57] Embracing ecommerce before it was crowded

[07:16] Creating educational content to attract buyers

[09:05] Sponsor: Electric Eye

[10:22] Putting in the work to earn attention

[11:47] Building trust in a skeptical market

[15:55] Avoiding direct competition with giants

[17:31] Sponsor: Intelligems

[19:31] Focusing on one core product first

[23:15] Sponsor: Migrate

[25:13] Persisting through economic challenges

Resources:

Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube

Mushroom log spawns and supplies northspore.com/

Follow Eliah Thanhauser linkedin.com/in/eliah-thanhauser/

Book a demo today at intelligems.io/

Done-for-you conversion rate optimization service storetester.com/

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Irene Chen is the Co-Founder and Partner at Parker Thatch, a role she has held for over 24 years. Her top skills include Brand Development, Fashion, and Social Media. Before co-founding Parker Thatch, Irene served as the Director of Product Development for Donna Karan. She is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. 
Matthew Grenby is the Partner and Co-Founder of Parker Thatch, a position he has held for over 24 years. His expertise lies in Strategy, Start-ups, and Entrepreneurship. Prior to Parker Thatch, he was a Vice President at Castling Group, where he led UX and design to launch online divisions for major brands, and a Data Scientist at Intel, developing novel data visualizations. 
He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MS from the M.I.T. Media Lab , an MS in Graphic Design from ArtCenter College of Design , and an AB in English from Harvard University. 
In This Conversation We Discuss:
[00:00] Intro
[00:56] Bootstrapping growth through cash flow
[03:23] Turning local talent into a luxury launchpad
[07:45] Sponsor: Klaviyo 
[09:52] Applying corporate training to startups
[12:31] Challenging traditional production paths
[18:48] Sponsor: Intelligems 
[20:48] Standardizing core products for efficiency
[24:47] Sponsor: Electric Eye
[25:56] Persisting through daily business doubt
[29:40] Callouts
[29:50] Reinventing challenges for better outcomes
[31:34] Leveraging community for business insights
[32:02] Maintaining connections for future opportunities
[36:03] Rebranding for clarity and customer reach
Resources:
Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
Luxury products for everyday ease and elegance parkerthatch.com/
Follow Irene Chen linkedin.com/in/irene-chen-16b16823/
Follow Matthew Grenby linkedin.com/in/matthewgrenby/
Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
Get your free demo https://www.klaviyo.com/honest
If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Kate Voyten is a seasoned business leader with over 20 years of experience revitalizing small brands and stagnant businesses. She started her career at Procter & Gamble, working first in operations and eventually moving into brand management, where she ran businesses across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. 
Her consumer-centric approach to innovation and commercial strategies, combined with her operational expertise, has helped transform businesses across consumer goods, automotive, and healthcare categories. 
Some of her favorite challenges include relaunching the iconic $500 million Herbal Essences brand and returning it to profitable growth, spearheading the digital transformation and omnichannel strategy for the Hertz loyalty program, and building the OneTouch diabetes business in retail and e-commerce. 
Today, Kate is the Chief Commercial Officer at Cadence OTC, where she is leading the effort to bring the next generation of oral contraceptives over the counter—expanding access to safe, affordable birth control for millions of women across the U.S. Kate is passionate about developing people and building partnerships that deliver meaningful business transformations. 
She earned both her BS and MS from Carnegie Mellon University. 
In This Conversation We Discuss:
[00:00] Intro
[01:24] Meeting customers’ urgent health needs
[08:03] Focusing on signals that show real intent
[11:33] Callouts
[11:42] Turning urgent needs into long-term loyalty
[13:32] Navigating advertising in regulated industries
[16:04] Investing upfront to avoid costly rework
[19:02] Sponsor: Electric Eye
[20:10] Leveraging AI to uncover customer insights
[24:22] Providing clarity through educated communication
Resources:
Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
Affordable emergency contraception, convenient access cadenceotc.com/
Follow Kate Voyten LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/katherine-voyten
Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Laura Andersen is the owner and managing director of AlumiTubs. Made to handle it all, AlumiTubs is made to last for generations. Obsessively designed to outperform and outlast, it's the classic cedar hot tub, upgraded for a lifetime of performance.
AlumiTubs is 100% Canadian handcrafted from materials made to stand the test of time. It’s perfect for the backcountry or the backyard, with flex heating for 365 days of use, wherever you find your escape. 
With 1000s in the wild since 2001, AlumiTubs are home to Canada, now available for properties across the globe. Where artistry, craftsmanship, and considered design intersect, the AlumiTubs wood fired, electric and hybrid hot tubs come in 3 sizes with endless heat options, advanced filtration for at-home use, a 50% bigger firebox and 3 layers of insulation for less smoke, less water, and nothing wasted along the way.
It is not an average hot tub, AlumiTubs is guaranteed to get hot and stay hot, no matter how cold it is outside. Bringing people and those they share it with, closer to nature. AlumiTubs was made for more of the good stuff.
In This Conversation We Discuss:
[00:00] Intro
[00:40] Sponsor: Taboola
[01:53] Spotting demand beyond your original offer
[03:14] Balancing careers while building a startup
[06:04] Bringing an offline product to the internet
[08:55] Sponsor: Next Insurance
[10:08] Applying career skills to a new venture
[13:49] Letting users shape your marketing message
[15:40] Optimizing basic SEO for discovery
[17:55] Sponsor: Electric Eye
[19:03] Balancing capacity with customer trust
[23:17] Complementing skills to build longevity
[26:00] Building a business on a great product
[28:46] Callouts
[28:56] Hedging bets while testing business ideas
[31:10] Adding value without reinventing the wheel
Resources:
Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
Wood-fired & electric cedar hot tubs alumitubs.com/
Follow Laura Andersen linkedin.com/in/lauraandersendigitalmarketing/  
Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest
Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!