Jenn Harper is a beacon of innovation in beauty and philanthropy. She’s not just a name in the beauty industry; she's a revolution. An award-winning social entrepreneur and international speaker, Jenn is the trailblazing founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics—a brand that has gracefully painted the ideals of sustainability and inclusion onto a global canvas.

From its inception in 2015, Jenn has nurtured Cheekbone Beauty into a B. Corp Certified force, now gracing the shelves of Sephora Canada and 550 JCPenney locations across the USA.

Jenn's journey with Cheekbone began as a digitally native, direct-to-consumer brand that took pride in its commitment to reducing environmental impact and supporting Indigenous communities. Her formidable leadership made sure Cheekbone stood out not only for its stunning products but also for its ethical backbone—it became a symphony of transparency, philanthropy, and support for women and youth.

To date, over $250,000 have been donated to philanthropic causes, testament to Cheekbone's core values. Cheekbone's prestige has been hard-earned.

In 2019, Jenn Harper made a confident appearance on Canada's Dragon's Den, the nation's equivalency of Shark Tank. While she turned down offers, her unwavering resolution steered Cheekbone towards exponential growth.

Regularly sought after for her insights, Jenn weaves her narrative as both a woman and a representative of North America's Indigenous peoples, substantiating the importance of these values in today's business ecosystem.

In 2022, she was listed among the 100 Women of Influence by Entrepreneur Magazine—a list graced by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. And importantly, in 2023, Jenn was conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Goodman School of Business at Brock University. This honorary degree recognized her unwavering dedication to community betterment and adamant endeavors in championing sustainability.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [01:26] Shaping a business inspired by social impact
• [02:51] Navigating ecommerce highs of 2015 and 2016
• [03:55] Imperfect launches of chasing perfection
• [05:04] Balancing ideals with realistic beginnings
• [06:40] Validating ideas before building products
• [07:19] Growing customer loyalty with transparency
• [09:15] Shifting focus from story to product performance
• [10:08] Building customer trust through action
• [11:11] Connecting with communities for brand growth
• [13:07] Understanding customers for tailored messaging
• [15:35] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
• [18:47] Using media opportunities to boost Ecommerce
• [20:45] Focusing on local markets before expanding
• [21:56] Inspiration from great company success stories
• [22:47] Rewarding customers during the holiday season
• [24:04] Preparing for successful product launches ahead
• [25:10] Crafting authentic and digestible brand narratives
• [26:04] Creating exclusive bundles from customer insights
• [27:40] Connecting customers to ethical beauty choices

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Indigenous owned cosmetics brand cheekbonebeauty.com/
• Follow Jennifer Harper linkedin.com/in/jenn-harper-0b200a23/
• 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!

Scott Ohsman has been working with brands for over 29 years in retail, online and has launched over 200 brands on Amazon.

Owning his own sales and marketing agency in the Pacific NW, is now VP of Digital Commerce for Quickfire LLC.

Scott has been a featured speaker at national trade shows and has developed distribution strategies for many top brands.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:41] Intro
• [01:42] Managing new and old podcast equipment
• [02:34] Building an Amazon career from the ground up
• [03:51] Navigating retail shifts over 18 years
• [04:48] Managing business through Amazon’s complexities
• [05:49] Supporting small brands in a tough market
• [08:24] Recognizing signs to branch into Amazon
• [09:17] Pushing organic content to stay competitive
• [10:45] Debunking the myth of overnight success
• [11:47] Evaluating margins before jumping on Amazon
• [14:11] Navigating Amazon’s tough commodity landscape
• [15:11] Focusing on hero items for better visibility
• [16:37] Spending wisely to boost product discoverability
• [17:46] Avoiding common pitfalls on Amazon listings
• [19:04] Safeguarding against Amazon's listing restrictions
• [19:53] Mastering conversion rates and traffic insights
• [20:54] Understanding the impact of UPC errors on listings
• [22:47] Preventing issues with initial product setup
• [23:16] Exploring services at Quickfire
• [24:23] Hiring smart for different business models

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Digital commerce agency built brand first quickfirenow.com/
• A show that covers brands, retail, e-commerce, digital advertising, Amazon, and more podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/always-off-brand/id1560745895
• Follow Scott Ohsman linkedin.com/in/scott-ohsman-861196a6/

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!

Amanda is the Co-Founder and President of Dormify, the first to market retailer in the specialty dorm category. She founded Dormify as a college student after facing the challenges of trying to shop for her own college dorm room decor prior to her freshman year.

She and her mom, Karen, who’s also the co-founder, worked together to create what is now the largest retailer of college dorm and apartment essentials, with nearly 900 college and university partners across the country and a thriving community of 1,500+ student ambassadors.

Over the last ten years, Amanda has scaled Dormify with strategic funding rounds to grow her company and team of now 40 employees. Amanda continues to serve as the company's President and visionary leader driving product development, retail expansion, and brand/creative.

Amanda was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018 and has been featured on GMA, The New York Times, and many others. She is a member of YPO and lives with her husband in NYC.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:44] Intro
• [01:45] Discovering an unmet demand in a niche sector
• [02:41] Tackling the lack of one-stop dorm room essentials
• [03:11] A business from personal college move-in struggles
• [04:41] Organic blog growth for early product validation
• [07:15] Using creative posters to test early Ecomm ideas
• [08:07] From idea to business incorporation in two years
• [08:45] Turning blog readers into active brand advocates
• [09:33] Personalized engagements with customers directly
• [10:45] Learning from customers to improve product
• [11:48] Episode sponsor: StoreTester
• [13:04] Episode sponsor: Intelligems
• [15:00] Evolving from home shows to pop-up shops
• [16:41] The challenge of aging customer demographics
• [17:42] Forming early relationships for customer acquisition
• [18:39] Creating original content for lasting inspiration
• [19:38] Evolving strategies to connect with Gen Z shoppers
• [20:42] Managing high SKU counts with drop-ship solutions
• [21:35] Staying ahead by continuously innovating designs
• [22:07] Establishing criteria for product success evaluation
• [23:08] Topnotch consumer experience with one-stop shopping
• [24:09] Leaning into imperfection for creative freedom
• [26:03] Dormify for all your styling needs

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• A one-stop shop of bedding decorative accessories, wall decor, storage, and more dormify.com/
• Follow Amanda Zuckerman linkedin.com/in/amandapaigezuckerman/
• 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!