Recorded live at Smart Marketer Mentor Tables in Nashville, this is Kurt's full talk on why most people are bad at AI and what to do about it. The pitch was that AI would let you do less work and produce better output. What actually happened: everyone is producing more slop, faster.

Inside: the RTF framework that fixes any prompt in 30 seconds, the 10 AI tools Kurt actually uses every day (not the ones he gets paid to recommend), and why Claude Cowork is the single tool worth your attention in 2026.

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

Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify
cleverific.com

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

• Smart Marketer: https://smartmarketer.com
• Microsoft Clarity: https://clarity.microsoft.com
• Topaz Labs: https://www.topazlabs.com
• Adobe Enhance: https://podcast.adobe.com
• WhisperFlow: https://wisprflow.ai
• Whisper Transcription (Mac app): https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/whisper-transcription
• Adobe Firefly: https://firefly.adobe.com
• Nano Banana (Google): https://gemini.google.com
• Grok: https://grok.com
• Claude Code: https://claude.com/claude-code
• Claude Cowork: https://claude.com
• Crisp Chat: https://crisp.chat
• Tidio: https://www.tidio.com
• Matrixify: https://matrixify.app

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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.

This is a memorial republish. Casey Bard, founder of Tacticalories Seasoning Co., died in early April 2026 after a three-year fight with Stage 4 colorectal cancer. Casey told the people close to him that when he was gone, he wanted them to tell stories about him. This is Casey in his own words, recorded in March 2021.

Casey started Tacticalories with $500 and mixed his first batch in his bathtub. By 2020 the company had grown 4x. We talked about building a brand around a personal Venn diagram of interests, why he drops one product at a time instead of seasonal collections, the 2020 manufacturing chaos, and why he refused to dropship, refused coupon codes, and refused to take outside money.

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/casey-is-choosing-to-continue-the-fight

• Tacticalories: https://tacticalories.com
• Casey Bard: https://caseybard.com
• GoFundMe (supporting Casey's family): https://www.gofundme.com/f/casey-is-choosing-to-continue-the-fight
• Struggle Well (documentary about Casey's story): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=908HdjZFyjk

Shopify just opened up its foundational B2B features to all paid plans, not just Plus. Samir Pradhan, VP of Product at Shopify, joins the show to break down what merchants actually get: company profiles, up to three custom catalogs, quantity rules, ACH payments, vaulted credit cards, and 50+ features total, at no additional cost. We walk through the setup, talk about what stays Plus-only, and dig into why B2B was consistently a top three merchant request. Plus, 96% GMV growth for merchants already using these tools. If you've been avoiding wholesale or duct-taping workarounds, this is the episode.

• Shopify B2B Newsroom Post: https://www.shopify.com/news/b2b-for-all
• Shopify B2B Help Docs: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/b2b
• Samir Pradhan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-pradhan-71978120

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

Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify
cleverific.com

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

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.