123: Use Creators Not Influencers To Drive Growth At Every Stage Of Your Customers Journey

Show Notes

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.

My guest in today’s episode is Bryan Gold the Co-founder and CEO from #paid. They are a creator marketing platform that helps Shopify brands grow faster with creators. It’s an important and timely conversation. Unlike influencers, creators build awareness with the right audience, drive ROAS, and greatly assist with lifetime customer loyalty.

What You Will Learn Today

• The significant difference between influencers and creators.
• Why a marketplace of potential influencers is a potential path of failure.
• The best way to work with creators to grow your Shopify business.
• How to turn creator's content into paid social ads using the creator's handle.

Links And Resources Mentioned

• #paid
• $500 of free assets towards your next campaign - Exclusive bonus for podcast listeners!
• Company Of One - Paul Jarvis

Thank You For Listening

I really appreciate you choosing to listen to the show and for supporting the podcast and it’s 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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Today's Amazing Episode Sponsor: GRIN

Grow an Authentic DTC Brand with the #1 Influencer Marketing Software Platform for Creating Genuine, Direct Relationships with Influencers.

GRIN is the only influencer marketing software built specifically for eCommerce. From discovery & outreach to relationship management & campaigns, product seeding, discount codes & affiliate links, content tracking & rights management, sales tracking & deep analytics - GRIN’s software helps with the tenure influencer marketing workflow. Top DTC brands trust GRIN as their influencer marketing platform for rapid growth and scale.

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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 dig into Shopify apps, digital marketing, retention tactics, AI tools, and the operational stuff that actually reduces overwhelm—while building customer loyalty that lasts.

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 guests across 430+ episodes who've been exactly where you are.

This isn't content for content's sake. It's what you'd get sitting at a mastermind table with someone who's built, scaled, and exited—and helped hundreds of others do the same.

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

Find Us Online
Website: eCommerceFastlane.com
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