The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Also available on YouTube: youtu.be/m9YTxRsosJA [https://youtu.be/m9YTxRsosJA] Meta just rewrote the Facebook ads playbook—and Shopify merchants need to catch up. In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, ad strategist Kurt Bullock (Produce Dept) breaks down how Meta’s new AI-driven ad system, Andromeda, is reshaping targeting, delivery, and scale. From embeddings and vectors to Advantage+ campaigns and creative testing, this is the update your ad strategy needs. Whether you’re running Facebook ads yourself or just trying to understand what your agency’s talking about, this episode gives you the clarity—and tactics—to keep up. Sponsors: * Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * Address Validator [https://www.addressvalidator.com/] – Reduce delivery address errors & costs Links & Resources: * Free Resource: Creative Angle Questions + Testing Framework [https://producedept.co/usp] * Kurt Bullock: @KurtBullock on Twitter [https://twitter.com/KurtBullock] * Produce Dept: https://www.producedept.co [https://www.producedept.co] * Kurt Elster: https://kurtelster.com [https://kurtelster.com] * Meta Ads Manager: https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/ads-manager [https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/ads-manager] * Shopify Meta Channel: https://www.shopify.com/facebook-instagram [https://www.shopify.com/facebook-instagram] Work with Kurt: * Apply to work with Kurt: https://ethercycle.com/apply [https://ethercycle.com/apply] * Join the newsletter: https://kurtelster.com [https://kurtelster.com]

Also available on YouTube: youtu.be/l8ANgFlZK0Y [https://youtu.be/l8ANgFlZK0Y] It started with a sock. A turtle sock. That led to a Shopify store, a wholesale boom, and—accidentally—an agency. In this episode, Lucy Jeffrey shares how she turned Bare Kind from a seasonal side hustle into one of Faire’s fastest-growing brands. She walks us through surviving seasonality, scaling through B2B, ditching paid ads, and launching a service business that helps other brands win on Faire. A story about survival, strategy, and what happens when your Q4 makes or breaks you. Topics Discussed: * Growing a DTC sock brand from scratch * Why Faire became a game changer * Turning content into a client acquisition machine * Balancing two businesses and one marriage * Why sustainability isn’t selling anymore—and what is * Turning off Meta ads (and doing better without them) Sponsors: * Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * Address Validator [https://www.addressvalidator.com/] – Reduce delivery address errors & costs Links: * Bare Kind [https://barekind.com] * Candid Founders [https://candidfounders.com] * Candid Founders YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNdtbnciJLQmWn317WzHxxA] * Faire on Shopify Help [https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-sales-channels/faire] * Faire Shopify App [https://apps.shopify.com/faire-buy-wholesale] * Lucy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-jeffrey]

Also available on YouTube: youtu.be/Pi20dFaHoVg [https://youtu.be/Pi20dFaHoVg] Ben Attwood left agency life to create a men’s skincare brand he actually wanted to use. With no investors, no marketing budget, and no prior product experience, he built Clubhouse Skin using TikTok, Shopify, and a lot of trial and error. In this episode, Ben shares how he: * Sold out his first product run—twice * Built a loyal customer base by building in public * Used Shopify Sidekick to find superfans and boost conversions * Leveraged AI to do what agencies charge thousands for * Landed in retail by rallying his TikTok followers Whether you're launching a product, bootstrapping a brand, or curious about real-world uses of AI in ecommerce, this one’s packed with practical takeaways. Show Links: Clubhouse Skin * Clubhouse Skin [https://clubhouseskin.com/] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@clubhouseskin] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clubhouse.skin/] Shopify * Shopify Magic [https://www.shopify.com/magic] * Getting started with Sidekick [https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-admin/productivity-tools/sidekick/set-up] * Shopify Newsroom: AI helped these founders fast-track their way to first sale [https://www.shopify.com/news/journey-to-first-sale] Sponsors: * Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * Boost AI Search & Filter [https://boostcommerce.net/] – Collection filtering + smart search Subscribe for weekly interviews with Shopify founders and experts.

Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXSr4Po30oY [https://youtu.be/XXSr4Po30oY] Paid ads are busted. SEO is back but weirder. Gen Z isn’t using Google. What now? VC Smriti Jayaraman pulls back the curtain on the Shopify brands building futuristic funnels today. We’re talking AI quizzes, voice search, digital oracles, and tech that reads your face to guess your shirt size. It’s strange. It’s smart. And it works. 💡 WHAT WE COVER: * Why AI search is reshaping ecommerce—and how to rank in it * How Shopify brands are using gamified funnels to capture attention * What to know about AI influencers, personalized merchandising, and site search * Why your brand needs to think like a membership club, not a subscription box * Real tech examples from Corazon Capital’s portfolio 💸 SPONSORS * Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * Viralsweep [https://www.viralsweep.com/] – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways 🔗 LINKS * Smriti Jayaraman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/smritijayaraman/] * BoldVoice [https://www.boldvoice.com] * iAsk.ai [https://iask.ai] * Laws of Motion [https://www.lawsofmotion.ai] * Perplexity [https://www.perplexity.ai] * Corazon Capital [https://corazon.com] 🎯 WORK WITH ME * Want me to grow your Shopify store? Apply here [https://ethercycle.com/apply] * See what we’ve done for other merchants: View portfolio [https://ethercycle.com/work] * Get my free newsletter for Shopify insights: Join here [https://kurtelster.com/] 🎧 The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster. Subscribe for weekly interviews with Shopify entrepreneurs and experts.

Her fans call her "The Queen of Air Fryers." She gave away recipes. Her fans demanded a cookbook. One $15 PDF later, Cathy Yoder had a 5-figure launch weekend—and she hasn't looked back. With over 700K subscribers, Cathy built a content-powered Shopify business that turns viewers into superfans (and customers). In this episode, Cathy breaks down: * How to use YouTube as your #1 lead-gen channel * Building products based on comment section gold * What flopped, what worked, and why done > perfect * Integrating YouTube with Shopify for seamless sales If you're a creator, a merchant, or both—this is the funnel playbook you've been waiting for. Sponsors: * Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * Boost AI Search & Filter [https://boostcommerce.net/] – AI-powered search that converts Work with Kurt: * Grow your Shopify store with me → ethercycle.com/apply [https://ethercycle.com/apply] * See how we help stores grow → ethercycle.com/work [https://ethercycle.com/work] * Get my Shopify newsletter → kurtelster.com [https://kurtelster.com/]