Ecommerce Masterplan: Interviews And Advice To Help Build Your Online Retail Business Faster

Frederica Watson is the Head of eCommerce at UK beauty brand Nip + Fab. Founded over 10 years ago, they sell via their Shopify store and wholesale, and the DTC eCommerce site has a 7-figure turnover.  Hit PLAY to hear:  

Brian Walmsley is the founder and CEO at ReBorn, the world’s first homewares brand made entirely from local waste. Founded in 2022 they now sell via wholesale, Amazon, and their Shopify store, and are doing £500,000 a year.  Hit PLAY to hear:  ♻️ How Brian turned local plastic waste into a £500K/year homewares brand 

What 10 Years of Hosting the eCommerce MasterPlan Podcast Taught Me with Chloë Thomas Ten years. 100s of episodes. Thousands of insights. As host of the eCommerce MasterPlan Podcast, Chloë Thomas has spent a decade uncovering what really works in eCommerce — and what’s just hype. In this special 10-year anniversary AMA, Chloë fields listener questions covering the past, present, and future of the industry. If you’re a founder, marketer, or eCommerce professional trying to cut through the noise, this episode is your shortcut to the lessons that actually last. Huge thanks to all the listeners who submitted questions –  Janis Thomas, Look Fabulous Forever Edward Scott-Finnigan, Webinar Connoisseur Jamie Huskisson, JH (The Breakthrough Agency) Tony Sousan, Fractional CTO Tamsin Burford, Winternational Ski Wear for Women Kelly A. Mahoney, KleerMail Olivia Staub, Yotpo  Hit PLAY to hear: What hasn’t changed in eCommerce (and still drives sales) The tech that rewired the industry (hint: not AI) Why retention starts

Mike Turner is the founder and MD of Bird & Blend Tea Co. Developing, producing and selling the UK’s largest range of unique and exciting tea blends. Founded in 2012 Bird & Blend are on track to drive sales of £20million in the next year. They are selling internationally via their Shopify store, and via their 25 high street stores in the UK.  Hit PLAY to hear:  

Renee Cizel & Giorgia Rossi from Possum Play, sellers of the play sofa that transforms into 100s of different configurations! Founded in 2021 they now sell internationally via their 3 country specific Shopify stores, with 40,000 happy families loving the product already.  Hit PLAY to hear:  

Ira Guha is the founder at Asan Cup who are on a mission to eradicate period poverty and tampon waste with their innovative reusable menstrual cup. Designed and patented whilst Ira was a graduate student at Harvard, the business launched in 2021 and now serve around 10,000 customers a month via their Shopify site, Amazon and Wholesale.  Hit PLAY to hear: 

Dan Bond is the VP of Marketing at RevLifter, software that drives intelligent offers to boost your bottom line. Dan joins us to reveal how smart, data-driven promotions can increase conversions, raise AOV, and protect your margins — all without blanket discounting. If you're tired of giving away profits and ready to make your offers work smarter, this episode is a must-watch! Hit PLAY to hear: 

Rachel Hanretty is the founder and CEO at Mademoiselle Macaron, sellers of handmade luxury French macarons. Rachel’s grown the business from a market stall in 2013 to a 7-figure business. They now sell via their Shopify store to both DTC and B2B customers, via marketplaces like Not on the High Street, and about 40% of turnover is B2B sales.  Hit PLAY to hear: Why skyrocketing rent pushed Rachel to shut her shop—and scale faster The Shopify setup mistake that nearly broke their backend How freezing macarons unlocked 7-figure fulfillment The agency breakup that every ecommerce founder should learn from What finally pushed them to stop waiting and start selling proactively How French flair (and flavor) became their brand’s superpower  Key timestamps to dive straight in: [03:51] Shift from Storefront to Online Sales [07:54] Customizable Macaron Packaging Options [12:48] Consolidating Services Led to Conflict [16:19] Testing Separate Agency Strategies [20:09] Embracing French Roots in Business [21:55] Listen to Ra

Johanna Preston is the co-founder and co-designer at Preston Zly, creators of beautiful, unique, and powerful footwear for women who embody these same qualities. They sell via their Shopify store and physical showroom. Founded over 20 years ago they now do around $350,000 a year.  Hit PLAY to hear: How Johanna's shift from retail to eCommerce skyrocketed her sales

Nick Reed is the founder of Neem London, a men’s fashion brand focused on making climate-conscious clothing. He also has a phenomenal background in men’s fashion buying – he was instrumental in taking Charles Tyrwhitt from £10m to £200m. He spent 4 years driving buying efficiency at Moss Bros. Neem London was founded in 2021, and sells via its Shopify store & London shop. They now are doing £400-£500,000 a year.  Hit PLAY to hear: 

Tom White is the owner of The Best Backyard, an Australian eCommerce store selling outdoor kids play equipment, furniture and other garden products. Founded in 2020 Tom bought the business in 2024 and in 12 months has rocketed sales to nearly $2million.  Hit PLAY to hear: 

Laura Davies is the Founder of The Kid Collective. A UK based toys and parenting business, with eCommerce stores on BluePark and Shopify. Founded in 2008 they now process over 10,000 orders a month.  Hit PLAY to hear: 

Leslie Roumilhac is the Creative Director at eCommerce agency Limesharp. She’s also obsessed with researching best-in-class sustainability initiatives in eCommerce.  Hit PLAY to hear: 

Jules Haines is the founder at The Haines Collection. An award-winning circular interior design business specialising in fabrics and wall paper. Founded in 2020 they have now rehomed over 37,000 meters of textiles.  Hit PLAY to hear: 

Louise Doyle is the co-founder and CEO of needi. Who are revolutionising corporate gift giving via their Shopify eCommerce site. The website launched in 2021 and to date they’ve done £1.5 million in sales.  Hit PLAY to hear: How a corporate gift can make or break a business relationship

Jane Firth is the Sustainability Manager at Vegetarian Express. A B Corp with a Shopify B2B eCommerce store selling the largest range of plant-based ingredients for foodservice in the UK. Trusted by thousands of chefs and caterers, they have been in business since 1987 and sell over 1,200 products. They now do £23million in sales each year, of which £1.2million is transactions via eCommerce and other online ordering platforms.  Hit PLAY to hear: 

Scott Leggo is the Founder & Managing Director of Scott Leggo Gallery, sellers of premium quality Australian artworks and gifts. They sell via their Shopify store and real world gallery. Founded 7 years ago, they now do over $1,000,000 a year with annual growth between 20 and 40%. PLUS they’ve won multiple sustainability awards including the Ministers award for leadership for sustainability for Scott efforts within the business and broader business community.  Hit PLAY to hear: ✅ How an Air Force officer became a 7-figure eCommerce entrepreneur ✅ The key business mistake most creatives make—and how to avoid it ✅ Scott’s 2 simple questions that drive consistent business growth ✅ Why saying no more often can skyrocket your success ✅ The surprising way sustainability can boost your bottom line ✅ How a jigsaw puzzle idea turned into a major sales win  Key timestamps to dive straight in: [05:25] Balancing creativity and business skills. [08:18] Experiencing Australia through photography. [11:35] Lifestyle-driv

Ash Pallet has just finished 8 years as Senior Digital and eCommerce Manager at Sarah Raven, one of the UK’s largest gardening brands. It’s a B Corp, founded in 1999, selling via catalogues and a BigCommerce store, they now do annual sales of £22 million.  Hit PLAY to hear: How Sarah Raven skyrocketed from £8M to £22M in sales

Jaimee Vilela is the Managing Director and Owner at Cooki Haircare. A D2C solid shampoo bar brand selling via their Shopify store and Wholesale. Founded in 2020 they grew 10x in 2024 from $170k to $1.1million, and are now on track to make 2025 their first $3million year.  Hit PLAY to hear: ✅ How Jamie scaled Cookie Hair Care from 4 sales a day to a 7-figure business ✅ The Meta ads strategy that skyrocketed her eCom growth ✅ Why rebranding (not more ads) was the secret to massive sales ✅ How she ran the business solo—and why she doesn’t recommend it ✅ How discovering her ideal customer—women embracing their gray hair—transformed her marketing strategy ✅ Why sustainability isn’t a selling point anymore—and what to focus on instead  Key timestamps to dive straight in: [03:40] From journalism to eCommerce entrepreneur. [06:47] Seamless eco-friendly haircare transformation. [11:56] "Betting on Rebrand Success". [15:03] Successful rebranding strategy insights. [18:31] Embracing gray: rebrand shift success. 

Andrew Kemp is the MD at Bare Kind, the animal saving bamboo sock company. Founded in 2017 and selling via Shopify and Faire they now do £700,000 a year, and sell into a 1,000 retailers.  Hit PLAY to hear: How Bare Kind grew from 0 to 1,000 retailers in just 2 years Why trade shows are fading—and what works better for B2B sales The #1 mistake brands make on Faire (and how to fix it) A surprising niche that became Bare Kind’s biggest customer base The secret to turning first-time buyers into repeat customers Why SEO matters just as much for B2B as it does for DTC  Key timestamps to dive straight in: [03:56] Lucy’s eco-friendly business success. [06:46] B2B growth via venture-funded platform. [09:43] Challenges of switching sales strategies. [13:48] Faire dominates B2B eCommerce. [18:12] Spring Fair attendance decline factors. [21:34] Decline in year two trade shows. [24:24] Listen to Andrew’s Top Tips! Sign Up Now to Faire Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/530..This podcast uses the following third-pa