Robert Khachatryan is the founder and CEO of Freight Right Global Logistics, a Los Angeles–based international freight forwarder. A lifelong entrepreneur, Robert began his business journey at age nine selling newspapers on the streets of Yerevan.

A member of the Board of Advisors at USC’s Randall R. Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute, Robert founded Freight Right in 2007 during the global financial crisis with a vision to modernize freight forwarding through technology and execution excellence.

Today, Freight Right is recognized as a leading innovator in logistics and a trusted launch partner for emerging supply chain technologies. Robert’s insights have been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, the Journal of Commerce, FreightWaves, and the Los Angeles Times, and he has spoken at leading industry events including TPM, FreightTech, and the USC Supply Chain Summit.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:08] Taking the leap during economic uncertainty
• [03:45] Eliminating shipping delays that kill buyer intent
• [09:04] Building Ecommerce solution around freight hurdles
• [11:05] Callouts
• [11:16] Bridging commercial freight and ecommerce needs
• [13:29] Identifying hidden customer pain points early
• [15:45] Building an MVP from customer feedback
• [18:00] Rethinking traditional processes to reduce cost
• [20:41] Unlocking new markets with minimal effort

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• International Freight Forwarder freightright.com/
• Follow Robert Khachatryan linkedin.com/in/khachatryanrobert

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!

Dima Zelikman is the Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder of Unbound Merino, where he leads brand strategy, growth marketing, and creative direction.

With a focus on simplicity, versatility, and performance, he has helped shape Unbound Merino into a global travel clothing brand trusted by customers in over 100 countries.

As CMO, Dima drives the vision of the “Pack Less. Experience More.” movement. Building a brand that inspires and empowers travelers to live and explore with freedom.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:00] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:55] Positioning products around customer lifestyles
• [03:33] Turning personal travel pain into a business idea
• [07:27] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [08:40] Creating business momentum before quitting a job
• [10:37] Prioritizing early traction for repeatable growth
• [13:04] Testing campaigns with minimum budgets
• [14:50] Callout
• [15:00] Scaling communication through relevant topics
• [21:00] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [22:10] Creating a feedback loop through data analysis
• [23:01] Identifying unmet needs in your market
• [25:32] Prioritizing product quality over everything
• [27:26] Driving conversions before perfecting visuals

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Merino Wool Clothing & Apparel unboundmerino.com/
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

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!

Kendal McMullen is passionate and data-driven with a knack for turning insights into impactful omnichannel strategies. From analyzing consumer behavior to optimizing cross-channel marketing, she thrives on making data work to connect authentically at scale.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:42] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:56] Scaling wellness brands with quality focus
• [03:35] Solving roadblocks through focused one-on-ones
• [05:07] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [06:21] Building a career with portfolios, not degrees
• [08:13] Turning self-taught experience into full-time roles
• [09:28] Accessing knowledge freely on the internet
• [11:15] Callouts
• [11:25] Leveraging zero-cost opportunities in 2025
• [13:24] Building a portfolio for reliable visibility
• [15:10] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [16:17] Understanding P&L steady long-term margins
• [21:06] Optimizing AI to expand team capacity
• [24:17] Hands on hiring management ensure culture fit
• [27:03] Caring for your work to strengthen brand understanding

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Vegan organic vitamins and supplements globalhealing.com/
• Follow Kendal McMullen linkedin.com/in/kendal-mcmullen
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

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!

Anna Brakefield’s story begins on her family’s cotton farm in North Alabama, where she grew up surrounded by the rhythms of agriculture and the values of hard work, stewardship, and tradition.

Her father, Mark Yeager, instilled in her a deep appreciation for the land and the premium cotton it produced—lessons that would later inspire a business built on craftsmanship and sustainability.

After earning a degree in graphic design and marketing from Auburn University, Anna pursued a career in advertising in New York and Nashville. Though she thrived in the corporate world, her roots kept calling her back home, planting the seed for what would become Red Land Cotton.

In 2016, Anna and her father launched Red Land Cotton with a mission to bring American-made, farm-to-home textiles to market. Armed with her marketing expertise and a passion for storytelling, she shaped the company’s identity, ensuring that each product—crafted from the cotton grown on their farm—embodied quality, authenticity, and Southern heritage.

As Red Land Cotton continues to flourish, Anna balances entrepreneurship with family life, finding inspiration in the land that started it all. Her journey is a testament to the power of honoring one’s roots while embracing the possibilities of growth and innovation.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:39] Sponsor: Taboola
• [02:24] Building new ventures from existing resources
• [05:08] Turning constraints into strategic clarity
• [07:25] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [08:38] Validating demand while building in public
• [10:21] Callouts
• [10:32] Blogging company journey for early engagement
• [12:03] Teasing progress to convert followers into buyers
• [13:48] Meeting customers where they are
• [17:15] Experimenting with traditional advertising
• [20:10] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [21:19] Sponsor: Freight Fright
• [23:22] Investing in skills when hiring isn’t an option
• [25:18] Balancing creativity with marketing strategy
• [26:57] Matching products to the right channels
• [28:46] Leveraging cross-channel marketing effectively
• [30:09] Leading with purpose beyond just making money

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Luxury American-Made Bedding & Towels redlandcotton.com/
• Follow Anna Brakefield linkedin.com/in/anna-brakefield-94389734
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest

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!

Andrew is a self-proclaimed tragic sneaker fan and proven brand builder. After nearly a decade of leading multiple marketing functions at Google, Andrew and two of his colleagues embarked on a mission to build the world’s fairest hype commerce platform.

As CEO, Andrew leverages his marketing expertise and first-hand fandom experience to drive this mission forward. After launching just over a year ago, EQL has managed more than 10,000 high-heat launches in 15 markets.

When not helping culture-making brands get their goods into the hands of real fans, Andrew can be found spending time with his wife and three children, and dressing younger than he should.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [03:51] Crafting launches that reward real customers
• [06:06] Callouts
• [06:16] Streamlining experiences through integrations
• [07:51] Adding connection where generic tools fall short
• [10:25] Designing pre, in, and post-launch strategies
• [13:29] Connecting with audiences in launch moments
• [19:32] Partnering with experts for better launches

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Better launches for in-demand products eql.com/
• Andrew Lipp au.linkedin.com/in/andrew-lipp-7b291722

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!

Dan Abel Jr. is the Chief Chocolate Officer of two beloved St. Louis-based companies: Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company and Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier. Dan occasionally goes by another nickname: “Willy Wonka of the Midwest.”

But no matter what you call him, he’ll never forget his roots. Dan is a 2nd Generation Chocolatier & son of the founder of Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company. Along with his two siblings, Dan oversees the operations of both Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company and Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier. Manufacturing, distribution, national sales channel and product development are the key areas to Dan’s focus.

Currently the Abel family is expanding its manufacturing facility, adding a bar and a café – and Dan is very instrumental in the construction management and development of both concepts while continuing to push growth. Dan is married with three children –enjoys playing golf, gardening with his young children and spending time with his family.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:32] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:48] Growing ventures through deep personal ties
• [03:01] Finding purpose through early hands-on work
• [04:29] Optimizing small resources for maximum impact
• [05:53] Building presence through hands-on outreach
• [07:56] Leveraging sampling to win customer trust
• [09:00] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [10:12] Creating impact with hands-on marketing
• [15:18] Callouts
• [15:28] Attending trade shows to drive direct sales
• [16:35] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [17:44] Sponsor: Freight Fright
• [19:44] Acquiring companies to accelerate growth
• [26:11] Delivering customer value despite COVID pressure
• [30:25] Creating connection through thoughtful service
• [31:41] Reinvesting in technology to enhance experience
• [34:34] Experimenting with old and new strategies
• [35:25] Solving problems through direct involvement

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Handcrafted Artisan Chocolates chocolatechocolate.com/
• Handcrafted Chocolatier bissingers.com/
• Follow Dan Abel Jr. linkedin.com/in/dan-abel-jr-15541765
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest

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!

Christine Monaghan is a builder of growth engines and a weaver of stories, helping brands scale from startup chaos to sustainable success. She blends storytelling with systems, tech with brand, and strategy with hands-on execution to deliver results that last.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:33] Sponsor: Taboola
• [01:49] Building brands through storytelling
• [04:34] Tracing the roots of storytelling
• [06:23] Sponsor: Next Insurance
• [07:36] Evaluating early-stage customer signals
• [10:09] Testing assumptions about customers
• [12:22] Callouts
• [12:32] Surveying customers to validate assumptions
• [14:55] Leveraging insights to improve messaging
• [18:15] Testing media to find what converts
• [21:28] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [22:33] Sponsor: Freight Right
• [24:36] Connecting blogs to nurture discovery
• [27:15] Targeting platforms where customers exist
• [28:58] Optimizing ads for long-term growth
• [34:48] Understanding top-of-funnel users

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• The modern way to drink milk almondcow.co/
• Follow Christine Monaghan linkedin.com/in/christine-monaghan
• Reach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/
• Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest

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!

Michelle Songy is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder of Press Hook, a platform that helps brands get media coverage through a hybrid model of earned, affiliate, and paid press opportunities. Prior to Press Hook, Michelle founded and sold Cake Technologies to American Express.

She’s passionate about making PR more accessible and transparent for small businesses, especially mission-driven consumer brands. Press Hook is used by 1,000+ companies— from early-stage startups to category leaders— to connect directly with journalists, newsletters, and podcasts that drive real product discovery.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [00:56] Realizing the need to master your own PR
• [02:36] Understanding why generic pitching fails
• [05:21] Boosting discovery via trusted publishers
• [08:06] Navigating earned, paid, and affiliate media
• [11:26] Callouts
• [11:40] Standing out with visuals and clarity
• [15:26] Adapting strategies to decentralized media
• [18:58] Enhancing discoverability in crowded markets
• [20:57] Building systems before scaling PR

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• AI-driven media relations and PR pantform presshook.com/
• Follow Michelle Songy linkedin.com/in/michellesongy

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!