Shopify Masters

From Kitchen Side Hustle to Sephora: How Harlem Candle Co. Hit Millions Without Investors

Harlem Candle Company founder Teri Johnson started pouring candles in her Harlem kitchen with no budget and no team—just a clear sense of purpose. That focus helped her turn handmade gifts into a nationally recognized brand rooted in culture, design, and storytelling. In this episode, she shares how she validated demand early, built trust online without samples, and made tough decisions to protect her peace and profits. For more on Harlem Candle Co and show notes click here [https://www.shopify.com/blog/harlem-candle-co-scent-of-success?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcast] Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube! [https://www.youtube.com/@shopifymasters] Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here. [https://utm.io/yt_podcast_trial]

How Purpose and Strategy Powered Actively Black’s Rise to $2 Million in 12 Months

Actively Black didn’t start with a product—it started with a community. By building a 23,000-person audience before launch, founder Lanny Smith turned purpose-driven storytelling into a $55,000 first day and a $2 million first year. His journey shows aspiring entrepreneurs why demand-first thinking, authentic mission, and smart list-building can change everything. For more on Actively Black click here [https://www.shopify.com/blog/actively-black-breakdown-for-building-a-brand?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcast] You'll Learn: * Why Actively Black built community before developing a product * The email + SMS strategy that led to $55K in sales on launch day * How to sell $2M+ in your first year—even with constant stockouts * Why fast growth can be just as dangerous as no growth * How to use storytelling and cultural pride to create brand resonance * What it takes to build long-term customer trust without discounting * How Lanny structured partnerships with Marvel, Disney, and iconic estates * The real math behind inventory planning at scale (and why it’s so hard) * How to align investors with your vision, not just your bottom line * Why purpose is more powerful than product in competitive industries * How Lanny’s personal values fuel every decision—from pricing to hiring Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Lanny Smith, Founder of Actively Black 01:02 How a Career Pivot Sparked a $2M Vision 01:27 Building 10K Followers Before Launching a Product 03:31 Why Purpose-Driven Branding Fueled $55K on Day One 06:54 What Selling Out in 3 Weeks Taught Us About Manufacturing 10:30 How Actively Black Landed Partnerships with Marvel, Disney & More 17:52 The Traits Behind Scaling to 8 Figures and Beyond 18:48 What to Know Before Entering the $1.5T Apparel Market 19:54 From “No” to $2M: How to Power Through Rejection 21:43 Turning a Personal Setback Into Multi-Million Dollar Growth 25:35 Why Actively Black Is More Than Just Merch (And Why That Matters) 29:04 How Mission and Authenticity Drive Repeat Purchases Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube! [https://www.youtube.com/@shopifymasters] Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here. [https://utm.io/yt_podcast_trial]

From Farmers Markets to 5,000 Stores: How Taza Chocolate Stayed True and Grew

Taza Chocolate didn’t follow trends—it built a lasting brand by doubling down on its differences. Founders Alex Whitmore and Kathleen Fulton share how staying true to their product, owning their manufacturing, and leading with purpose helped them weather crises and grow a resilient business. For more on Taza Chocolate and show notes click here [https://www.shopify.com/blog//taza-chocolate-successfully-going-against-the-grain?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcast] Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube! [https://www.youtube.com/@shopifymasters] Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here. [https://utm.io/yt_podcast_trial]

How to Save Lives & Build a Brand

While the bike helmet industry screamed "you need this for safety!", Gloria Hwang did the opposite. She made helmets so beautiful that 25% of Thousand customers are wearing helmets for the first time ever. Thousand now offers helmet and bike accessories in 20+ countries with financial backing from REI and the Clif Bar Family Office.  Gloria talks all things customer loyalty, business branding, and nailing your product roadmap for maximum impact. She intimately shares how a personal tragedy inspired a mission to save 1,000 lives, and how that number grew to 1,300+ through their lifetime crash replacement guarantee. You’ll learn the counterintuitive strategy that made safety cool, and why Thousand wins with culture instead of competing on tech features.  For more on Thousand click here.  [https://www.shopify.com/blog/thousand-helmet-beating-on-the-competition?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcast ] You’ll learn:  * Why fear-based marketing fails and what works instead * The psychology insight that built a $10M+ brand across 20+ countries * How 25% of customers are first-time helmet wearers * Transitioning from maker to manager over 10 years * Taking back the product roadmap to return to core differentiation * Why solving customer problems beats chasing growth at all costs Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Gloria Hwang, Founder & CEO of Thousand 1:30 How to Change Customer Behaviors  4:11 The Personal Tragedy That Started Thousand & The Design Philosophy That Wins Every Time 5:15 Why 25% of Customers Are First-Time Helmet Wearers 7:30 Steps to Get Further Differentiated & Beat Out The Competition  9:55 Strategies for Collecting High-Quality Customer Insights  16:00 Expanding to 20+ Countries & Quality Standards 19:50 The BEST Advice Gloria Has Ever Gotten  24:30 The Hardest Transition Gloria Went Through & How to Tackle People Problems  29:20 What to Ask for When Pitching Investors (Surprise, it’s NOT Money)   32:48 How Motherhood Changed Her Approach to Business Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube! [https://www.youtube.com/@shopifymasters] Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here. [https://utm.io/yt_podcast_trial]

How One TikTok Creator Built a Brand That Sells Out on Repeat

How founder Catherine Lockhart built Shelter Skin through deliberate growth, in-house manufacturing, and radical transparency. For more on Shelter Skin and show notes click here [https://www.shopify.com/blog/shelter-skin-scaling-naturally-for-success?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcast] Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube! [https://www.youtube.com/@shopifymasters] Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here. [https://utm.io/yt_podcast_trial]