Bert van Son is the founder at MUD Jeans, the first and only circular jeans company in the world. Founded in 2012 they’ve been a BCorp since 2013. Selling via their Shopify store, their own store in Amsterdam, and over 250 stockists across Europe.

In this episode, Bert shares how MUD Jeans is redefining what it means to be a sustainable fashion brand — from leasing jeans to turning old denim into new. Get ready to learn how circular design, smart eCommerce strategy, and genuine purpose can work together to build a brand that lasts.

Hit PLAY to hear:

• 👖 How Mud Jeans turns old denim into brand-new jeans — and makes it profitable
• 🌍 Why sustainability alone won’t sell (and what really drives customers to buy)
• 🔄 The smart circular model that keeps customers coming back
• 💡 How mindset-based segmentation helps Mud Jeans target the right audience
• ⚙️ The surprising tool helping them sell secondhand jeans online
• 🚫 Why ultra-fast fashion is hurting us all — and what eCommerce brands can do differently

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[03:51] "Intern Turnover and Inspiration"

[08:22] Leisure Jeans: A Global Sensation

[13:23] Customer Sustainability Segments

[15:55] Fast Fashion's Economic Impact

[17:21] Tech Hubris & Brexit Concerns

[18:44] Listen to Bert’s Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/567

Janis Thomas is an eCommerce & Subscriptions Expert, recently named in the Top 100 UK Marketing Influencers list.

In this episode of the special WWYD? (What Would You Do?) series, Janis answers the big question:

What would you do as a Head of eCommerce tasked with massively improving operational efficiency — especially when growth at your brand has stalled?

Hit PLAY to hear:

• 🚨 Why stalled growth is actually a wake-up call for your eCommerce brand
• 🧾 The ruthless audit every Head of eCom should do on costs, teams & tech
• ⚡ Quick wins that free up cash and time to spark new growth
• ⏳ How to stop wasting hours on admin & turn time into your secret weapon
• 🤖 The smart way to use AI for creative output (without losing your brand DNA)
• 🎯 Why an inspiring vision — not cost-cutting fear — gets teams on board with change

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[04:42] Streamline and Audit for Growth

[07:19] Evolving Design and Business Practices

[12:31] Strategic Prioritization for Quick Impact

[15:46] Experimentation Drives Business Improvement

[19:18] Team Meetings: Encouraging Experiments

[22:28] Focus on Brand Consistency

[26:22] AI Design Needs Specificity

[28:17] Listen to Janis’ Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/566

Andrew Steel is the eCommerce Director at Charles Bentley. Founded 160 years ago as manufacturer of chimney sweeping brushes, they now balance selling brushes and cleaning products via wholesale and dropshipping to some of the UK’s largest retailers and running their own home and garden eCommerce store. Annual Sales are now at around £30million across the group.

In this episode, Andrew shares the hard-won lessons behind managing 20+ sales channels, mastering stock control, and scaling a heritage brand in today’s competitive eCommerce landscape.

Hit PLAY to hear:

• 🎯 How Charles Bentley sells on 20+ channels (without going crazy)
• 📦 The clever stock-splitting system that prevents overselling nightmares
• 🧹 Why cutting SKUs from 1,300 to 600 actually boosted growth
• 📊 How Andrew uses data, weather trends & search terms to forecast sales
• 💸 The truth about price scraping & keeping prices consistent across marketplaces
• 🤝 Why fractional experts can be your secret weapon for eCommerce scaling

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[03:57] Optimizing Retail Channels for Growth

[07:44] Stock Management and Channel Optimization

[12:08] Challenges in Retail Price Control

[16:00] Evolving Expertise Through Technology Partnership

[16:57] Longstanding Trusted Business Partnership

[23:16] eCommerce Challenges and Recovery

[24:54] Expanding Charles Bentley's European Market

[25:35] Listen to Andrew’s Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/565

James Rutter is the Chief Strategy Officer at COOK, home of award-winning frozen meals and puddings. Founded in 1997, and a BCorp since 2013! COOK now sell via their bespoke website, 111 shops across the UK, and via wholesale. And in the last 15 years they’ve grown from £30million to being on track for £150million in annual sales this year, of which about 1/5 are online.

In this episode, James reveals the three pillars that power COOK’s incredible growth — and how you can apply them to your business.

Hit PLAY to hear:

• 💡 Why culture is the ultimate competitive advantage in eCommerce
• 📝 James’ 7 Laws of Strategy (and why your strategy must fit on ONE page)
• 🛠️ How to make every team member feel like an “insider”
• 👥 Cook’s bold hiring program that brings in talent others overlook — and why it works
• 📈 The simple rhythm Cook uses to keep strategy, budgeting, and execution aligned
• 🔥 How to turn internal culture into external brand energy that customers love

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[03:57] "Vertically Integrated Retail Food Chain"

[08:18] "Empowering People in Business"

[12:54] "Balancing Recruitment with Social Impact"

[15:55] Simplifying Strategy for Clarity

[18:57] Painful Choices Ensure Strategic Clarity

[21:21] Annual Strategic Planning Process

[24:14] Cultivating Authentic Brand Connection

[26:50] Confronting Brutal Facts

[29:27] Listen to James’ Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/564

Jeremy McCarty is the Chief Subscription and Content Officer of iFIT, a global leader in connected fitness via their NordicTrack, Pro-form, and Freemotion brands.

In this episode, Jeremy shares his proven 4-bucket framework for building and scaling subscription businesses — from attracting the right customers to keeping them engaged and loyal — so you can turn one-time buyers into long-term brand advocates.

Hit PLAY to hear:

• 🎯 The exact 4-bucket framework Jeremy uses to grow iFIT’s subscription business.
• 🚀 Why retention is the real growth driver (and how to stop churn before it starts).
• 🏃 How “magical firsts” can keep new customers hooked from day one.
• 🌍 The bold content strategy that makes iFIT stand out from every other fitness brand.
• 🤖 How AI personalizes the user experience — and why it matters for engagement.
• 💡 The simple mindset shift every eCommerce brand needs to build loyal subscribers.

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[03:05] Building Long-Term Customer Relationships

[06:42] "Start with the Customer"

[12:44] Expanding Fitness Innovations to All

[16:26] Effective Audience Acquisition Strategies

[17:55] "Delivering Value in First Impressions"

[23:27] Listen to Jeremy’s Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/563

Abhishek Chandra is the Chief Revenue Officer at GoKwik. Founded in 2020 their focus is on helping eCommerce brands unlock their growth by solving crucial challenges across the eCommerce funnel. Which is exactly what he’s here to help us all with in this episode!

Listen to discover why WhatsApp is the future of eCommerce — and how to use it to boost sales before your competitors catch on!

Hit PLAY to hear:

• 💬 What conversational commerce really means (and why it’s a game-changer for DTC brands)
• 📲 How WhatsApp can take customers from “Hi” to “Buy” in under 2 minutes
• 🚀 Why now is the perfect time to get on WhatsApp before BFCM
• 🔑 The 30–40 day “warm-up” strategy that turns customers into eager buyers
• 📊 Real-life results (including how one brand made £1M in a single day!)
• 🛠️ Abhishek’s top tips for setting up WhatsApp marketing quickly & effectively

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[03:14] GoKwik: Empowering DTC Against Marketplaces

[08:32] India's First E-Wallet Pioneer

[12:06] Conversational Commerce Boosts Quick Sales

[14:23] WhatsApp-Integrated Shopify Checkout Process

[18:20] WhatsApp: Essential for DTC Brands

[23:06] WhatsApp's Innovation and Growth

[24:53] Streamlining WhatsApp Marketing Setup

[28:48] Listen to Abhishek’s Top Tips!

[32:09] Get 25% off GoKwik’s annual subscription with the code MASTERCLASS https://www.gokwik.co/

Episode sponsored by GoKwik. Use the code MASTERCLASS to get 25% off their annual subscription. https://www.gokwik.co/

Ian Leslie is an eCommerce CMO who’s also done stints in SaaS marketing, journalism, and education. Probably best known for his 10 years driving 15x eCommerce revenue growth at B2B eCommerce furniture brand Industry West, where (as regular listeners to this show will know) he was always up to something different with his marketing budget – that usually paid off!

WWYD is a brand new format for the show - where we ask some of our favourite and most knowledgable eCommerce friends... "What would you do?".

In this new WWYD? episode, Ian shares his roadmap for scaling fast—bootstrapped growth, nonstop testing, lean operations, and breaking the beliefs that hold brands back.

Hit PLAY to hear:

• 🚀 Ian’s playbook for driving hockey stick growth in a $10–25M ecommerce brand
• 🧪 Why constant testing across the funnel is the real growth engine
• 💸 How cutting overheads frees up cash to fuel marketing and product
• 🧠 The limiting beliefs holding back ecommerce businesses (and how to break them)
• 🤝 How to balance agency support with in-house agility for faster results

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[05:52] "Pragmatic Growth in SaaS Marketing"

[07:52] Always Be Testing and Optimizing

[12:08] Reevaluate Post-Retheme Testing Practices

[13:03] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Testing

[18:08] Dynamic Testing: Leadership's Role

[19:19] Listen to Ian’s Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/561

Charles Chakkalo is the Founding partner of Joey’z, an Amazon-first homewares brand. Since 2010, he’s been building a lean, everything-in-house Amazon operation focused on practical, everyday consumer goods. They also now sell across Walmart and eBay and even have a Shopify store too. In total, annual sales are now over $10million with growth at 20% year on year.

In this episode, Charles shares the real behind-the-scenes of scaling on Amazon—covering the wins, the struggles, and the lessons every eCommerce owner can use to grow smarter and faster.

Hit PLAY to hear:

• How Joey’s grew into a $10M Amazon-first brand with 20% YoY growth 🚀
• Why Amazon makes life easy—but also traps sellers in dependency
• The pros and cons of keeping warehousing and logistics in-house 🏭
• Why retail arbitrage is fading and how private label builds stability
• The hidden role of logistics mastery in beating competitors
• What Charles sees as the next big growth move for Joey’s 🔑

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[05:22] "AI Boom Reflects Shifting Focus"

[08:46] "Addicted to Amazon's Ease"

[12:20] Outsource Advertising and Software

[13:53] DTC Brand Growth Challenges

[17:19] Pivot to Private Label Products

[21:35] "Outsource Ops, In-House Amazon Fulfillment"

[24:32] Listen to Charles’ Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/560