Also on YouTube: YouTube: youtu.be/p1PO9o9Se5o

"I'm not very good at success. That's something I learned as part of this. I actually think probably most of us aren't very good at success."

Jayden Clark thought he'd cracked the code on dropshipping success. Then his seven-figure business nearly broke him. We talked about why he sold for £500K instead of holding out for millions, the SEO and paid ad strategies that drove his rapid growth, and how a 90-minute massage changed everything.

Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
getswym.com/kurt

Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify
cleverific.com/unofficial

Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels
zipify.com/KURT

• Founders Clubhouse: https://foundersclubhouse.co.uk/kurt
• Woodlark Garden Luxury: http://woodlarkgardenluxury.co.uk/
• Ben Knegendorf's episode: https://unofficialshopifypodcast.com/episodes/ben-knegendorf-dropships-FLGufeLE

Apply for Shopify Help
ethercycle.com/apply

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ethercycle.com/work

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kurtelster.com

The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.

Also on YouTube: youtu.be/nckQhAvYA-Q

"We'll have done over 500 million in total sales. We'll do 310 million in the next 18 months."

Curtis Matsko went from art festivals to a top 50 Shopify store by doing everything conventional wisdom says not to do. His company controls every step from raw material procurement to customer delivery, achieving top 50 Shopify status while maintaining 50% repeat customer rates on non-consumable goods.

Today he owns the biggest leather factory in North America and has some very strong opinions about banking, business clichés, and why most Shopify owners are doing it wrong.

Most valuable insight: Meta doesn't know when you run out of inventory - they just think your ads stopped working and charge you more.

Listen now on The Unofficial Shopify Podcast.

• Swym – Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels

Guest:

• Curtis Matsko - LinkedIn
• Portland Leather Goods - Website
• Portland Leather Goods - Instagram

Work with Kurt:

• Apply
• Client Results
• Join the Newsletter

Also Available on YouTube: youtu.be/_nqN9HyOpxM

What happens when a 23-year-old refuses to play the ecommerce advertising game? Colby Stevens built Shine Supply into a $7M detailing brand using nothing but Instagram ASMR videos, authentic storytelling, and a "people over profit" philosophy.

No paid ads until last month. No Amazon. No selling out to scale.

Instead: 80,000 Instagram followers, hundreds of photo reviews, and a community that buys because they believe in the brand, not just the product.

Colby breaks down the exact strategies that grew their family's Shopify store - from Klaviyo automation that actually works to the review incentive system that drives social proof. Plus why they turned down millions in Amazon revenue to stay true to their dealers.

• How to build 80k Instagram followers organically
• The ASMR video strategy getting thousands of views
• Review incentive system that drives social proof
• Why they refused millions in Amazon revenue
• Klaviyo automation that actually converts
• Building authentic brand community on Shopify

Fair warning: you'll want to detail your car after this one.

Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
getswym.com/kurt

Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify
cleverific.com/unofficial

Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels
zipify.com/KURT

Shine Supply - Colby's detailing brand
shinesupply.com

Shine Supply Instagram - 80k followers, zero ads
instagram.com/shinesupply

Shopify - Ecommerce platform
shopify.com

Klaviyo - Email marketing automation
klaviyo.com

Loox Reviews - Photo review system
loox.app

Apply for Shopify Help
ethercycle.com/apply

See Our Results
ethercycle.com/work

Free Newsletter
kurtelster.com

The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.

Available on YouTube: [youtu.be/wDlijQtbLJo](https://youtu.be/wDlijQtbLJo)

What if your brand could sell a million orders before shipping a single product?

Bryant Garvin, marketing lead at Ozlo Sleep and former CMO of Groove Life, did exactly that. In this episode, he shares how performance branding, differentiated product, and a viral video formula helped Ozlo launch with massive traction. From his early work at Purple Mattress to Groove Life’s rise, Bryant breaks down what it takes to turn pre-orders into a brand-building machine.

Sponsors:

• Swym – Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels

Links & Resources:

• Bryant Garvin on LinkedIn
• Ozlo Sleep
• Purple Mattress
• Groove Life

Work with Kurt

• Work
• Apply
• Newsletter

Watch the video interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TMVqWfaddG8

Shopify store owners: what if one simple question could improve your ad spend, creative, and segmentation?

In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Matt Bahr, founder of Fairing, unpacks what 20 million post-purchase surveys taught him about attribution—and why most brands still get it wrong. Learn how to track what really works, identify new channels like AppLovin and CTV, and use surveys to improve more than just marketing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why last-click attribution is broken—and what to use instead
• The one survey question every brand should ask
• How Fairing’s data reveals the rise of AppLovin and CTV
• What zero-party data can do for your segmentation and CRO
• How top brands like Bombas and Thrive use surveys to drive action

Sponsors:

• Swym – Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels

Resources mentioned:

• Fairing
• Shopify App Listing
• LLM Benchmarks
• Matt Bahr on LinkedIn

Work with Kurt:

• Apply
• Client Results
• Join the Newsletter

Also on YouTube...

What’s really holding your Shopify store back? After 10,000 UX audits, Oddit co-founder Shaun Brandt has answers, and most stores are making the same 7 mistakes. Menus that bury the merch. Popups that hijack the screen. Product pages with zero context.

This episode is a takedown of bad ecommerce decisions, packed with fixes that actually make you more money. Whether you’re running a $50k side hustle or an eight-figure brand, the solutions are simple and the impact is real.

If your conversion rate’s stuck, this is your episode.

Sponsors:

• Swym – Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels

Links

• Oddit
• Shaun Brandt on LinkedIn
• Shopify Blog: What Is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?

Work With Kurt

• Apply
• Results
• Newsletter

Available on YouTube: youtu.be/qdpFmuFD8yE

Shopify merchants are getting pitched AI SEO “solutions” left and right—none of them proven. So I called Jason Berkowitz, an SEO who actually knows the game, to answer the real question: what should you actually do to rank in an AI-powered world? (Spoiler: most of it’s nonsense.) We break down what’s real, what’s trash, and why good SEO still wins—even in a sea of chatbots and grifters.

Sponsors

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Viralsweep – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways

Links

• Jason Berkowitz / Break the Web
• Shopify Global Product Catalog
• ChatGPT Product Search Beta

Work With Kurt

• Grow your Shopify store with me: https://ethercycle.com/apply
• See client results: https://ethercycle.com/work
• Join my newsletter for Shopify insights: https://kurtelster.com/

Sara Olsher started Mighty + Bright as a handmade calendar to help her toddler cope with divorce. A decade (and one breast cancer diagnosis) later, it’s a full-time Shopify business helping kids, adults, and neurodivergent folks navigate tough life stuff with visual structure. In this episode, Sara shares how she bootstrapped the brand, embraced customer feedback, and scaled with purpose—not just ad spend.

You’ll learn:

• How personal chaos sparked a viral product line
• Why bootstrapping kept her business healthy and profitable
• The power of customer-led product development
• How one TikTok collab outsold her entire kids’ line

Sponsors

• Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels
• Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify
• Address Validator – Reduce delivery address errors & costs

• Sara Olsher
• Mighty + Bright

Apps, Tools, & Services

• StoreHero – Profit-focused ad tracking and analytics
• Octane AI – Shop quizzes for Shopify
• Sensible Forecasting – Inventory planning
• Bundles.app – Inventory syncing for Shopify bundles
• iPaKey – Packing and fulfillment scanner tool

Work with Kurt:

→ Grow your Shopify store
→ See client success stories
→ Join Kurt’s newsletter