Bob DeMars is the founder of Blind Barrels, a blind whiskey tasting subscription disrupting the industry’s current distribution model by showcasing American craft distilleries, ones which rarely get the shelf space they deserve.

The recent quarantine brought about blind whiskey tastings with friends, and DeMars saw an opportunity for a startup unlike any other in the alcohol industry.

These blind tastings are all about discovery, education, removing brand bias, and, of course, supporting smaller distillers that are making some amazing handmade products.

Each quarter, subscribers get to test their senses by tasting and discovering hard-to-try-or-find craft whiskey brands - ones that deserve to be discovered.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [01:17] Intro
• [02:16] Understanding the appeal of whiskey samples
• [03:12] Exploring the stages of whiskey tasting
• [05:13] Navigating the three-tier system regulations
• [06:49] Raising funds through friends and family
• [07:49] Handling startup stress and responsibility
• [09:00] Leveraging influencer partnerships effectively
• [10:46] Learning PR pitfalls and self-promotion
• [12:08] Launching the business & attracting subscribers
• [13:23] Overcoming initial tech hurdles
• [14:20] Learning the tasks before delegating
• [16:28] Multi-channel touches for brand conversion
• [18:08] Episode sponsors
• [21:21] Focusing on qualified traffic before CRO efforts
• [22:19] Avoiding affiliate fees with strategic gift codes
• [23:27] Unexplained SEO boosts in industry niches
• [24:34] Micro influencers for brand saturation & sales
• [25:36] Evaluating micro influencers by genuine engagement
• [27:38] Managing inquiries directly for brand credibility
• [28:28] Creating connections with whiskey box shipments
• [29:20] Hosting events with interactive whiskey giveaways
• [31:30] Finding joy in simple whiskey moments
• [32:02] Discover Blind Barrels & support local distillers
• [33:18] Balancing sales with community building online
• [34:01] Keeping investor energy through consistent updates
• [35:47] Valuing hard lessons during difficult times

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Blind whiskey tasting subscription blindbarrels.com/
• Follow Bob DeMars linkedin.com/in/bob-demars-975bba5
• 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!

Adam is the founder and CTO of Intelligems, a profit optimization engine for ecommerce brands.

He and Drew Marconi started Intelligems 3 years ago after spending 4 years building dynamic pricing in the ride sharing industry in order to bring that level of sophistication around pricing and economics to DTC ecommerce.

Intelligems today enables brands to A/B test content, pages, discounts, shipping fees, and prices on their storefronts. It also enable brands to build tailored experiences and personalizations informed by the learnings of those tests.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [01:12] Intro
• [02:04] Transitioning from ridesharing to Ecommerce
• [03:09] Testing product prices for big impact
• [04:41] Benefiting from Google's unexpected move
• [05:44] Gaining traction with early adopters
• [06:44] Clarifying CRO basics and misconceptions
• [08:04] Balancing conversion rate and AOV
• [10:04] Adopting a testing mindset
• [11:56] Exploring test win rates and client mindset
• [13:45] Iterating quickly after test failures
• [14:36] Trusting data over intuition
• [15:55] Embracing non-winning test results
• [16:33] Assessing business lifecycle impact
• [17:10] Balancing orders with profit margins
• [19:18] Understanding statistical significance basics
• [21:04] Evaluating probabilities in test outcomes
• [22:23] Considering risks in statistical test outcomes
• [23:16] Moving on when tests reach clear results
• [24:52] Balancing creativity and analytics in a CRO
• [25:44] Psychological insights to optimize conversions
• [27:24] Leveraging psychology in Ecommerce strategies
• [28:18] Consumer behavior with key readings
• [29:04] Testing price strategies for bigger impact
• [30:24] Integrating brand education into conversion tactics
• [31:50] Optimizing landing pages for high traffic
• [33:20] Prioritizing first impressions on landing pages
• [34:06] Running advanced tests with Intelligems

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Price A/B testing for Ecommerce intelligems.io/
• Follow Adam Kitain linkedin.com/in/adamkitain/

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!

Tanya Mykhaylova is the Director of E-Commerce at Casa Di Luce, a premier designer lighting and home decor brand based in Toronto, Canada.

For two decades, Casa Di Luce has been a cornerstone of Toronto's design scene, embodying family values and entrepreneurial spirit. Operating multiple showrooms throughout the city, the company eventually established a firm presence in Toronto's design district by inaugurating a spacious flagship showroom.

Five years ago, Tanya made the decision to leave her corporate consulting job and join Casa Di Luce full-time, driven by a desire to leverage her expertise and propel her family business into the digital age. Tanya has adeptly stayed ahead of the latest e-commerce trends, guiding Casa Di Luce through the dynamic online marketplace to sustain growth and expansion.

Today, the company carries over 200 brands and ships to customers across North America.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:51] Intro
• [01:27] Operating a managed marketplace
• [02:18] Joining the family business strategically
• [03:34] Gaining helpful skills for website development
• [04:30] Transforming outdated ecommerce platform
• [05:57] Handling ecomm migration during covid boom
• [07:36] Learning from UX: failing fast and iterating
• [09:47] Overcoming setbacks for future growth
• [10:49] Episode sponsors
• [14:01] Avoiding unnecessary custom solutions
• [16:04] Growing pains of increased online presence
• [17:51] Building custom features based on feedback
• [19:11] Refining site navigation through feedback
• [21:06] Outpacing competitors through agile innovation
• [22:25] Pioneering untested innovations in industry
• [23:38] Challenging client beliefs with data
• [24:23] Taking action and testing ideas in real-time
• [25:19] Get your modern and design lighting at Casa Di Luce

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Modern lighting and design lighting Canada www.casadiluce.ca/
• Follow Tanya Mykhaylova linkedin.com/in/tanyamykhaylova/
• 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!