Julie De Angulo is the VP of Ecommerce and Digital at Bajio Sunglasses, a premium polarized fishing eyewear brand purpose-built for serious anglers, from saltwater flats to bass tournaments. Bajio combines patented LAPIS lens technology with hyper-targeted storytelling to serve one of the most gear-obsessed subcultures in outdoor retail. Julie leads the charge in turning that product obsession into a scalable digital channel, anchored in retention, merchandising, and cultural fluency.

Before joining Bajio, Julie spent nearly two decades in Ecommerce and digital marketing, scaling brands across home goods, pet supplements, fashion, and accessories. Her background in mass communications gave her a sharp instinct for message-market fit, one she’s since sharpened into a full-funnel skillset spanning email, SMS, SEO, and paid acquisition. At Bajio, she joined when the brand had little to no Ecommerce presence, and has since built a high-performing revenue channel from the ground up.

Whether breaking down how to tell product stories that resonate with niche audiences, mapping customer journeys from first click to long-term loyalty, or translating brand values into conversion-focused creative, Julie brings a tactical yet brand-led perspective to Ecommerce strategy. She shares what it takes to grow when you're starting from zero, why not all anglers are created equal, and how to build sustainable foundations that scale with authenticity.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:38] Intro
• [00:49] Focusing on a passionate niche audience
• [02:19] Building a scalable foundation for growth
• [04:31] Learning early that data drives everything
• [06:32] Repositioning a brand beyond wholesale
• [07:54] Tailoring messages to regional fishing niches
• [10:00] Hiring guides instead of paid influencers
• [11:18] Separating community from ad creative
• [12:37] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp
• [18:59] Contributing to a mission-led product story
• [20:53] Scaling small brands with real impact
• [22:23] Balancing SKU simplicity with flexibility
• [25:03] Responding to viral demand with local supply
• [25:53] Forecasting smarter with predictive analytics

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Florida-based polarized sunglasses for fishing https://bajiosunglasses.com/
• Follow Julie De Angulo https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianadeangulo
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.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!

Jeremy Horowitz is the Managing Partner of Because Ventures and the creator of Let’s Buy a Biz!, a media brand and private equity-backed content engine built to make ecommerce M&A more transparent, data-driven, and founder-friendly. Because Ventures is a private equity search fund focused on acquiring and scaling Shopify brands and apps, while Let’s Buy a Biz! documents what it actually takes to grow Top 1% ecommerce businesses.

Before launching either venture, Jeremy worked across every layer of the Shopify ecosystem from scaling high-growth DTC brands like Lumi, to leading growth at top-performing Shopify apps like Gorgias. His on-the-ground experience gave him a front-row seat to what really drives retention, profit, and valuation. Now, through Because Ventures, Jeremy applies that knowledge to acquire and operate ecommerce businesses with sustainable margins and focused stacks.

Whether debunking the myth that “every brand needs subscriptions,” tracking the 84% adoption rate of email/SMS across $1M+ stores, or predicting which app categories will consolidate over the next five years, Jeremy brings a deep analytical lens to ecommerce strategy. He shares insights from crawling 103,000 Shopify stores, explains why most loyalty programs fail, and urges founders to simplify their tech stack before adding complexity. His story is a masterclass in using real data, not hype to guide business decisions.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [00:55] Scaling DTC brands to eight figures
• [02:03] Expanding beyond Shopify Plus assumptions
• [04:18] Filtering out inactive and duplicate stores
• [05:05] Highlighting the top 10 most used apps
• [09:08] Focusing on what actually drives growth
• [10:56] Comparing native vs third-party app adoption
• [12:23] Spotting analytics as a breakout category
• [14:11] Explaining why real CRO starts at $5M+
• [16:49] Spotting support as an underused category
• [18:29] Unpacking the subscription model myth
• [22:47] Auditing app stacks to save thousands

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Ecommerce Social Impact Fund because.ventures/index.html
• Insider analysis of the largest Ecommerce brands’ financials letsbuyabiz.xyz/
• Follow Jeremy Horowitz linkedin.com/in/jeremyhorowitz1

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!

Lucy Jeffrey is the founder of Bare Kind and Candid Founders, two purpose-driven brands built from a mission to make commerce more meaningful. Bare Kind is a bamboo sock company that donates 10% of profits to save the animal featured on each sock, while Candid Founders is both a YouTube channel and growth agency helping consumer brands scale on Faire, a leading B2B wholesale marketplace.

Before launching either company, Lucy worked in banking and began experimenting with ecommerce by selling reusable straws, t-shirts, and other sustainable products. Her viral turtle-themed content and strong brand mission helped Bare Kind stand out in the crowded DTC space and grow into a seasonal powerhouse, with 70% of revenue landing in Q4. But with a growing team and cash flow challenges, Lucy co-founded Candid Founders to help other brands succeed on Faire while smoothing Bare Kind’s revenue curve.

Whether scaling to 1,000+ retail accounts, turning her backend team into a profitable service business, or shutting off paid Meta ads to improve profit margins, Lucy brings a sharp, experimental mindset to Ecommerce. She shares insights on building sustainable DTC brands, making wholesale work, and running two businesses with her husband without relying on outside capital or paid ads. Her story is a masterclass in founder adaptability.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:40] Intro
• [00:55] Launching with purpose before product clarity
• [02:50] Choosing a name that allows you to pivot
• [03:40] Starting with dropshipping to test demand
• [05:37] Hiring help before scaling ad spend
• [08:09] Comparing traction between early SKUs
• [10:07] Electric Eye, Social Snowball, Portless, Reach & Zamp
• [16:29] Avoiding traps in commoditized markets
• [18:48] Educating retailers to build trust fast
• [22:25] Listening to demand before launching services
• [24:07] Turning internal wins into client services
• [26:22] Plugging the DTC and wholesale channels

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Faire growth agency that helps brands thrive candidfounders.com/
• Comfy, vibrant animal socks that save the world’s animals barekind.co.uk/
• Follow Lucy Jeffrey linkedin.com/in/lucy-jeffrey
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
• Drive revenue through affiliates & referrals socialsnowball.io/honest
• Revolutionize your inventory and fulfillment process portless.com/
• Level up your global sales withreach.com/honest
• Fully managed sales tax solution for Ecommerce brands zamp.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!