Honest Ecommerce

Tim Wilson is the Head of Solutions at facts & feelings, a consultancy focused on helping organizations put their data to productive use through clear thinking, aligned teams, and actionable insights. A seasoned analytics leader, Tim brings over two decades of experience across enterprise BI, agency strategy, and digital analytics to help brands translate complexity into clarity. Before co-founding facts & feelings, Tim led analytics practices at multiple agencies, advised Fortune 500 companies on digital data strategy, and built out BI infrastructure at a $500M B2B tech firm. He’s also the co-author of Analytics the Right Way: A Business Leader’s Guide to Putting Data to Productive Use and co-host of the long-running Analytics Power Hour podcast. Whether clarifying what “success” really looks like before a new feature launch or helping teams choose the right level of analytical rigor for a given decision, Tim focuses on making data work for the business, not the other way around. He offers a practical framework for leaders overwhelmed by dashboards, and a philosophy for analysts who want to be more than just report generators. In This Conversation We Discuss:  * [00:39] Intro * [01:15] Shifting from in-house roles to agency work * [02:16] Highlighting the cost of overbuilding tech stacks * [04:36] Pushing back on data-only decision making * [07:13] Avoiding narrow ad metrics that mislead growth * [10:08] Using AI to scale low-effort interactions smartly * [12:38] Translating ideas into testable hypotheses * [19:02] Differentiating high-credibility opinions in UX * [20:00] Using split tests to validate costly changes * [21:14] Skipping tests for clear conversion blockers * [23:32] Filtering user recordings for CRO opportunities * [26:13] Using logic when data can’t prove causality * [29:39] Measuring what actually matters in performance Resources: * Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1] to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube * Intelligent business consultancy obsessed with less and better factsandfeelings.io/ [https://www.factsandfeelings.io/] * Data and analytics podcast analyticshour.io/ [https://analyticshour.io/] * Follow Tim Wilson linkedin.com/in/tgwilson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tgwilson] If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts [http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1447700156]. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Samantha Rose is the founder of Endless Commerce, a commerce enablement platform designed to help multi-channel consumer brands scale more efficiently through better infrastructure. A multi-exit founder and investor, Samantha brings deep operational experience across design, technology, and logistics to build systems that support sustainable, scalable growth. Before launching Endless Commerce, Samantha built and exited several consumer ventures, including GIR, an acclaimed kitchenware brand acquired in 2021, and Mvnifest, a full-stack operations and 3PL partner acquired in 2024. Alongside running Endless Commerce, she leads Hologram Capital, where she specializes in turning around distressed consumer brands with strong fundamentals but structural challenges. Whether rebuilding underperforming brands or designing the tech stack she wished existed, Samantha focuses on enabling commerce teams to grow beyond DTC into wholesale, retail, and omnichannel with confidence. She offers a playbook for founders who want to scale without losing operational grip, and a framework for tech partners who want to plug into brands at pivotal moments of inflection. In This Conversation We Discuss: * [00:42] Intro * [00:59] Building software from firsthand founder struggle * [01:45] Solving problems with curiosity and play * [03:13] Validating ideas with zero market research * [06:42] Executing better instead of chasing new ideas * [07:45] Turning demand into a real business plan * [09:26] Developing software to solve real-life habits * [10:24] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp * [16:46] Differentiating in a commodity-driven market * [17:23] Building with no modern Ecommerce tools * [19:11] Navigating growth without today’s tech stack * [19:45] Going omnichannel to build retail resilience * [23:31] Boosting perceived value with smart bundles * [24:12] Shifting from operator to tech builder post-exit * [25:31] Reinvesting in brands that need a second life * [27:30] Building features from real-world friction * [29:28] Avoiding early over-specialization in teams * [33:47] Explaining the rebundling era of commerce stacks Resources: * Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1] to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube * Modular, AI-powered commerceOS endlesscommerce.com/ [https://www.endlesscommerce.com/] * Follow Samantha Rose samantharose.co/ [https://www.samantharose.co/]   * Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect [https://electriceye.io/connect] * Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest [https://socialsnowball.io/honest] * Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/ [https://www.portless.com/] * Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest [https://withreach.com/honest]   * Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest [https://zamp.com/honest] If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts [http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1447700156]. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Derrick Emsley is the co-founder and CEO of Tentree, a purpose-driven lifestyle apparel brand that plants ten trees for every product sold. With a background in environmental stewardship, carbon markets, and sustainable business strategy, Derrick leads Tentree’s mission to make regeneration scalable through consumer action. Since launching Tentree in 2012, Derrick has grown the brand into a category leader in sustainable apparel, helping plant nearly 100 million trees worldwide. Without relying heavily on paid media, his scaled impact through values-aligned partnerships, product storytelling, and community-powered growth. In 2021, he co-founded Veritree, a technology platform built to verify, monitor, and audit global reforestation with end-to-end transparency. Grounded in climate impact and systems thinking, Derrick focuses on building businesses that convert everyday consumption into measurable environmental good. Whether guiding Tentree’s brand vision or driving tech innovation with Veritree, he offers a blueprint for founders' scaling mission with integrity, traceability, and long-term environmental ROI. In This Conversation We Discuss: * [00:48] Intro * [00:58] Naming the brand after the mission itself * [01:55] Pivoting purpose into a consumer brand * [03:54] Partnering with retailers to gain early traction * [05:49] Running mission ops while scaling the brand * [06:22] Building tech to verify real-world impact * [08:22] Responding to unexpected product demand * [10:10] Connecting funders to verified outcomes * [11:35] Embedding impact to boost DTC performance * [12:53] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp * [20:15] Building a global supply chain from scratch * [23:21] Balancing co-founder strengths from day one * [24:10] Creating decision fatigue with too much choice * [27:33] Leveraging impact as a growth advantage Resources: * Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1] to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube * Earth-First, sustainably made apparel that plant trees tentree.com/ [https://www.tentree.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooyLdanyoZ0T0LiiAJH3vceYq8x4S2MiPXHtlSKRVgfslpYOARC] * Verified reforestation projects for your business veritree.com/tree-planting [https://www.veritree.com/tree-planting] * Follow Derrick Emsley linkedin.com/in/derrickemsley [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/derrickemsley] * Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect [https://electriceye.io/connect] * Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest [https://socialsnowball.io/honest] * Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/ [https://www.portless.com/] * Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest [https://withreach.com/honest]   * Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.com/honest [https://zamp.com/honest] If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts [http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1447700156]. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Celeste Hilling is the founder and CEO of Skin Authority, a direct-to-consumer skin health technology brand focused on merging cosmetic performance with immune-boosting skincare. With a background in research, marketing, and tech, Celeste leads the development of biotech-powered formulations that deliver visible results while strengthening skin’s natural defenses. Since launching Skin Authority, Celeste has scaled the brand without paid media or a PR agency, leveraging strategic collaborations, emotional brand storytelling, and a rabid customer base to drive growth across North America and Europe. Her work has been featured on MSNBC, ABC, FOX, and in wellness circles as a fresh voice redefining beauty as part of whole-person health. Rooted in a science-backed, customer-led model, Celeste focuses on building high-retention product experiences powered by habit, transformation, and trust. Whether mentoring female founders or licensing next-gen skincare IP, she brings a playbook for scaling with authenticity, resilience, and long-term brand equity. In This Conversation We Discuss: * [00:42] Intro * [00:54] Exploring wellness through skin health * [01:18] Bringing science into a vanity-driven space * [02:06] Educating consumers with purpose and clarity * [03:09] Reframing wellness as a real market need * [07:06] Estimating costs and timelines realistically * [10:27] Building momentum through word of mouth * [11:58] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, & Reach * [17:02] Bootstrapping growth with strategic partners * [18:41] Investing in backend infrastructure early * [20:18] Launching Ecommerce from day one * [23:19] Collaborating early to build awareness Resources: * Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1] to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube * Best Skin Care Products for All Skin Types skinauthority.com/ [https://www.skinauthority.com/] * Follow Celeste Hilling linkedin.com/in/celeste-hilling-8735a64 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/celeste-hilling-8735a64] * Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect [https://electriceye.io/connect] * Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest [https://socialsnowball.io/honest] * Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/ [https://www.portless.com/] * Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest [https://withreach.com/honest] If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts [http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1447700156]. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Izzy Rosenzweig is the founder and CEO of Portless, a supply chain platform helping ecommerce and DTC brands fulfill customer orders directly from China, cutting delivery times and unlocking cash flow through tax deferment and tariff optimization. A 10-year DTC veteran, Izzy first launched Browze in 2012, shipping over 2.5 million home and kitchen products globally. After building a China-based fulfillment center to improve customer experience, he saw an opportunity to help other brands bypass traditional U.S. warehouses, leading to the creation of Portless. Portless enables brands to ship faster, avoid upfront taxes, and reclaim working capital, transforming how modern operators manage logistics. Izzy's deep experience in cross-border fulfillment, HS code strategy, and tariff engineering gives him a unique lens into how ecommerce brands can survive regulatory shifts and thrive under pressure. With a margin-first, speed-to-cash mindset, Izzy helps brands reimagine global operations to win in today's volatile landscape, efficiently, legally, and profitably. In This Conversation We Discuss:  * [00:43] Intro * [00:56] Understanding the De Minimis model * [02:36] Revealing the new customs entry methods * [07:35] Clarifying tariffs vs. import taxes * [08:25] Comparing global manufacturing options * [09:30] Recognizing China’s manufacturing edge * [10:36] Separating security from supply chains * [12:24] Predicting the next tariff move * [13:39] Balancing tariffs with tax reform * [15:18] Pausing growth without clear policy * [16:00] Deferring taxes to boost cash flow * [20:02] Migrating platforms to save cash Resources: * Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1] to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube * Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/ [http://portless.com/] * Follow Izzy Rosenzweig linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846 [https://ca.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846] If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts [http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1447700156]. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!