Scalable Way To Build A Thriving Shopify Business Through Instagram Stories

Show Notes

Today’s episode is brought to you by HiConversion Recommend. Get real-time personalization to spark your Shopify store's growth. Algorithmically launch product recommendations based on the same machine learning technology used at Amazon.com.

Your Business Is A Journey. Invest In Yourself Today.

Being an entrepreneur is a life of learning, implementing, and iterating. All it would take is a new idea, a strategy, a Shopify app, or a marketing platform to be the next thing you need to improve efficiencies, drive more revenue, and build lifetime customer loyalty for your Shopify brand.

In today’s episode, my guest is Sam Malone the CEO and Co-Founder of Guru Club. They are a Shopify app that helps customers tell stories for brands in exchange for rewards.

What You Will Learn Today

• Why there is a loss of trust and authenticity with some advertising and influencer marketing campaigns.
• Why everyday consumers have much more influence over their peers than any celebrity, influencer, or athlete.
• How to automate word-of-mouth marketing through Instagram Stories.

Links And Resources Mentioned

• Guru Club
• Guru Club Shopify App
• Get 200 Free Custom Promo Cards + 10 Free Instagram Stories From Your Customers - Thanks Sam!

Thank You For Listening

I really appreciate your choosing to listen to the show and for supporting the podcast and its sponsors. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

I would also be so grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show on iTunes. They’re extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our entrepreneurial audience, and I read each and every one personally!

Growth Mindset?

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Episode Sponsor: HiConversion Recommend

Today’s episode is brought to you by HiConversion Recommend powered by Amazon Personalize – product recommendations with the same AI used on Amazon.

With a 5-star rating on the Shopify App Store, HiConversion Recommend helps time-poor ecommerce teams to drive more new revenue from their existing web traffic. One-click Shopify integration, dozens of ready-to-go recommendation templates, effortless reporting, and a hands-free 7-day Product Recommendation Challenge, make it easy to put Amazon’s own AI to the test on your storefront.

Do you have 50+ products and $1M+ in online sales? If so, learn how to claim your seat and start your 7-Day Product Recommendation Challenge for Shopify.

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What is eCommerce Fastlane: Shopify Growth Strategies—Where AI Efficiency Meets Human Connection?

Running a Shopify store? You already know success isn't about finding the right app—it's about knowing which strategies actually work at your specific stage of growth.

I'm Steve Hutt, and I've lived every level of the ecommerce journey. From eBay Power Seller shipping products from my garage, to co-founding and scaling VisionPros.com (an optical DTC startup) through to a successful exit, then spending 6+ years as a Shopify Merchant Success Manager helping 100+ brands from startup to enterprise scale, including working with teams at Tentree, Dr. Squatch, Bulletproof Coffee, Salt & Straw Ice Cream, MUD/WTR, Bokksu, and many more.

Here's what makes this podcast different: I've been on both sides of the table.

6+ years working inside Shopify gave me access to what's coming before most merchants know it exists. Building, scaling, and successfully exiting my own ecommerce businesses taught me what actually works when your money and reputation are on the line. That combination of insider access plus real operator experience gives you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

Since 2018, eCommerce Fastlane has delivered over 430 episodes and more than 2 million downloads to ambitious Shopify founders and marketers. Every week, I chat with operators, developers, and experts who share what's actually moving the needle right now—not theory, but patterns I've seen work consistently across dozens of brands at multiple stages.

Whether you're launching your first store or scaling past seven figures, every episode gives you stage-aware strategies you can implement this week. We cover Shopify apps and best practices, digital marketing and retention tactics, AI and automation tools, as well as operations and logistics that reduce overwhelm while building lasting customer loyalty.

You'll learn how to leverage emerging tech without losing what makes your brand unique. You'll also hear real founder stories, including lessons from my own journey building and exiting a DTC brand, plus insights from 430+ industry leaders who've been exactly where you are.

This isn't content for content's sake. It's the insight you'd get sitting at a mastermind table with someone who's succeeded at every level, helped hundreds of others do the same, and has the pattern recognition to show you what actually works at your current stage.

Ready to grow smarter, not just faster? Join thousands of founders and marketers in the eCommerce Fastlane community through our podcast, newsletter, blog, and forthcoming book "Thriving with Shopify."

Steve Hutt
DTC Founder | Podcast Host

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