[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Unpacking The Digital Shelf, where we explore brand manufacturing in the digital age.
[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_01]: It is a constant mix of testing, learning and scaling modes.
[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_01]: AJ Patel had a career at Unilever spanning those skills and modes, and he has now leapt to the start-up world at U Beauty.
[00:00:52] [SPEAKER_01]: He joined Lauren Levi Gilbert in me to share some of those learnings and how he and his team are applying those in a start-up context across every shopable moment.
[00:01:03] [SPEAKER_01]: AJ, welcome to the podcast, we are so delighted to have you on thank you.
[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.
[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's great to talk to you particularly because you've been in commerce in e-commerce.
[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_01]: You've been on the front lines for a while, and you've seen a lot of the changes and how e-commerce is changed going to Omni Channel, et cetera.
[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I've been at large scale brands, smaller scale brands. And so you kind of seen it all.
[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And then now you sit in a growth role at U Beauty. So we'd love to for you to tell us how you got to this role and what your responsibilities are.
[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah. So I started my career at Beauty at Unilever work there for eight years.
[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_02]: Started in the analytics space and data science and really understanding what was driving direct consumer growth for brands in portfolio.
[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_02]: And kind of transitioned away from that a little bit into my career into more of a commercial role started managing some of immediate channels, and then to cover one of the brands e-commerce core functions and
[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_02]: was global head of e-commerce for one of the brands with an unilever prestige portfolio for a few years.
[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_02]: And then this opportunity with the U Beauty came I think it was kind of accidental to be honest, wasn't really looking for a new position or new role.
[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_02]: But felt that the brand was showing a really strong growth trajectory saw that there was really some strong legs and that there was a lot of potential within the brand.
[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_02]: And decided that it would be a great step.
[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Would be a great opportunity for me to take a chance and risk kind of joining a startup and U Beauty seemed like the best opportunity for me.
[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_01]: I love the path that you've taken, you know by starting out in analytics in some ways you're tackling the hardest part of it at all.
[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Like trying to understand what works, what does it, how do you communicate that out?
[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_01]: How do you act on it, you know, providing that advice and then through media and then sort of took on okay now all of the how does all of this actually get to market so it seems like a great training ground for understanding how to
[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_01]: drive performance which which is is your own now and just did feel that way at the time.
[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, how much of it was sort of oh, I'm going to I want to do that so I'm going to do these things or was it more just kind of happen stance and you did a great job and they're like hey try this is you know what was what was that path like.
[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think that first off kind of shifting from analytics to more of a commercial is very cool.
[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I think that there's probably a handful of people that I've spoken to that have kind of taken that especially as deep into analytics as I was at the time have taken that path forward.
[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_02]: But I think that for me, you know truly understanding the data has really been invaluable as I look to grow business and and look to kind of scale you beauty and I think that.
[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Obviously there, there's a creative aspect any kind of commercial role in the commerce space but having that poor fundamentals of analytics down and really understanding what's happening within the data has proved super valuable.
[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_02]: And as we look to kind of the multiple channels and look at understanding what is driving and fueling the growth of the brand.
[00:04:54] [SPEAKER_00]: And I feel like AJ a growth role is actually a new type of role that may not have existed previously it used to be just like head of e-com or head of sales or head of marketing and this growth kind of title is a new type of role that we're seeing evolve one I think is very necessary but can you talk a little bit about how maybe that combines all of those different elements of that role into your growth role.
[00:05:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Right, yeah I think that growth is number one any brand which is not what we're just doing something severely wrong but.
[00:05:29] [SPEAKER_02]: But, and mentally I think that when you think about growth it's it's really an encapsulation of all of us functions right before you used to have.
[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_02]: The site metrics and maybe was doing more like the development side and then you had this other person who was doing.
[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_02]: And marketing and was really doing paid media investment and they really didn't speak well with one another so.
[00:05:59] [SPEAKER_02]: This growth role is encompassing both of us and really trying to understand what is driving and moving the new one scaling.
[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Brands growth so I think fundamentally that's that's what what this role is and you know it's it's been great because I've been able to apply not only my need media knowledge and understanding of media KPIs and metrics but also leverage you know the understanding of onsite metrics to help fuel absolutely the growth.
[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And in that role with visibility to both in store and on like what are you seeing as like the big changes in the industry or things you're really kind of paying paying attention to right now.
[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think one of the shifts is obviously you know there's been a lot of changes with privacy and it's becoming more and more difficult to target the correct consumer.
[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_02]: You know it's almost like you have to throw a bunch of spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks sometimes that's the way that it feels but.
[00:07:03] [SPEAKER_02]: You know the shift I think is really looking more holisticly at growth right I think that previously everyone was just looking at row as and really the CPAs and.
[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_02]: You know thumb stop pretty is something which is really really important you know we look at a lot more we take a lot more value in looking at the CTR about advertising to right we want to deliver you know a one plus percent CTR on any ad that we're delivering to a consumer.
[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_02]: And I think also you know looking at customer acquisition cost list is really important to whereas you know previously it was very much channel siloed now it's important to look at your investment across you know meta Google tick talk all these different.
[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Media channels to truly understand what is driving that kind from an MTA perspective having the correct tools and places really valuable for any grant.
[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_02]: So you know utilizing the rocker box triple whale north beams of the world to to understand what is your first channel touch point and what is driving you know really the conversion because you can't just look at the in platform KPIs anymore I think that's.
[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_02]: You have to take it with a grain of salt there's over attribution in some channels is under attribution in others and also I mean when you look at it from an omnipotent perspective looking at the impact that you media plays on Amazon and retail and other you know third party channels outside of you can web is really important to.
[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_01]: You know AJ might be just useful for our audience to just you give us a your classic elevator pitch for you beauty like well what what what what what what your audience is where do you play might be helpful too.
[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah so you need the luxury skincare brand that will start it almost five years ago now it's it's four and a half by Tina Craig and Katie board Gacy Katie has background in.
[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Skincare and has launched a number of brands and Tina is well known for her.
[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_02]: In blue or Instagram back stop blog and you know other media activities she's known as like the influences influencer but the brands key value proposition is this technology that was developed.
[00:09:47] [SPEAKER_02]: In Italy called time capsule technology and it's it's really a different way of thinking about skincare whereas traditionally brands used to think about you know high level of active and and consumers to I would say.
[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Equals more effectiveness we've actually developed the technology to where the capsule is being attracted or drawing in the problem areas of the skin so you think about it kind of like your yard.
[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_02]: You really don't want to target areas of healthy law when you're doing kind of weed killing activities right you're using the weed killer in the only areas where there's problems.
[00:10:30] [SPEAKER_02]: Same thing fundamentally applies to the certain capital technology it's really utilizing it across the entirety of your face with much level lower level of active versus traditional skincare but it's truly only going to impact the areas where there are problems with skin.
[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean I love the.
[00:10:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I would imagine as a as the marketer and addition to this person figuring out how to communicate that value through all the different channels that you have since now the consumer is shopping everywhere you know and you talked about thumb stop and things like that.
[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_01]: What are your I just love a little sense of your opportunity to be able to really tell that story efficiently.
[00:11:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Or is it you you thumbs to help them with something that then allows you the opportunity to tell that story because that's a it's a.
[00:11:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Fascinating and complex way of thinking about your skincare I would imagine.
[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah yeah and clear you know really I think it's an evolving kind of piece of content that we're developing to really truly.
[00:11:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Better tell that story it is a complex story and your traditional consumer isn't immediately going to understand that but you know we we utilize different kind of.
[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Ideas to explain the the the concept of the consumer whether that be like utilizing a magnet to kind of explain how it attracts the free radicals and.
[00:12:04] [SPEAKER_02]: And problem areas within your skin to the siren capsule that there's just so many different ways and you know I think.
[00:12:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And he's also super important for us to really explain them and you know we're also always testing more longer form content too because I think that's that's definitely an area where there's.
[00:12:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Opportunity further explain the product of the consumer too and from your role you know you own both the direct to consumer in the Amazon side of the business.
[00:12:34] [SPEAKER_01]: How do you.
[00:12:35] [SPEAKER_01]: How do you balance those channels how do you think about them in relation to one another and and and you know how do you sort of drive towards the omni channel success and the.
[00:12:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And the cross you know what where you sort of own your story where your story is more influence I think it's a fascinating thing to try to balance all of that.
[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, definitely and I and I think you know looking at like they said media holistically and looking at the impact that it has on your Amazon business is super important I think that oftentimes.
[00:13:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Brands get lost in the fact that you know their their TTC sales may not be going up as quickly as our media investment but fundamentally Amazon is now or the 2025 is supposed to be the largest market place for beauty.
[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_02]: So from that perspective it really is an area which you need to play and you know we do look at overlap with the TTC and Amazon audiences through MC to truly understand.
[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_02]: You know what level of acquisition would drive in holistically so I think from that perspective it's it's it's not just looking at you know the growth of Amazon and the growth of dot com and silo.
[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_02]: And I think the person in my position really has to look at that and say you know is is the true media strategy driving growth across all parts.
[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And as a luxury beauty brand what do you see is the difference between someone who buys on Amazon versus buying on the direct consumer site like is there a very stark difference between the kind of consumer you're targeting.
[00:14:18] [SPEAKER_02]: I think they're pretty similar I think fundamentally Amazon at this point as really figured out operations right like they they have prime and that's really an incentive for consumers to purchase on Amazon it's easy purchase easy returns and you know this they built a lot of trust with the consumer so.
[00:14:40] [SPEAKER_02]: A lot of our customers customer based being more affluent utilize this prime and and utilize as Amazon on a regular cadence we just want to be where that consumer is.
[00:14:54] [SPEAKER_02]: In terms of demographic profiles is not a huge difference between the Amazon consumer and our dot com consumer I mean they're they're still you know fitting very similar demographic profiles.
[00:15:08] [SPEAKER_02]: But I think that there is some level of difference around what the consumer finds is a key value proposition right we don't typically offer.
[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_02]: Very much in terms of discounts or GWP is or anything on Amazon so that consumers really really.
[00:15:30] [SPEAKER_02]: purchasing the product either because they're they're a prime member and they want to have the ease of access of the product and immediate kind of shipment to their home or.
[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_02]: And mentally they don't really care about price and they're not super price sensitive so I think that that's that's kind of a little bit of a difference between the two.
[00:15:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And age it you know these days you know there was a I don't know if it was a golden moment I was about to say that but I'm not sure but certainly there's a time indeed to see where.
[00:16:04] [SPEAKER_01]: You know growth at all costs Ben spends Ben just get him in the door and it was all about acquisition and I wonder for your profitability to be achieved.
[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Is it in your interest to try and get your consumers over to D to C or do you think about it in that way or you're managing towards that and also I would imagine you know customers lifetime value becomes very important to you.
[00:16:31] [SPEAKER_01]: When you want about and is this true that acquisition is one thing but now there's a greater focus on loyalty to help achieve that more profitable customer.
[00:16:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Is any of that making any sense and yeah how do you think about it.
[00:16:45] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah I think I think profitability now for any dot com or or any new business is paramount right.
[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Money is getting more expensive you know with interest rates going up and another coming down a little bit but it's still very expensive for any new brand.
[00:17:04] [SPEAKER_02]: To to get cash and so you know when when we look at the dot com business and Amazon business yes we would love for all of our consumers to come through.
[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_02]: DTC and we do try to drive for a business through dot com so you know wherever there's an opportunity to drive consumer to have dot com versus Amazon will definitely do that but.
[00:17:30] [SPEAKER_02]: And you know and we want to control the message I think that that's another difference between dot com and Amazon right we're able to directly can communicate with a consumer via email SMS etc.
[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_02]: But fundamentally I think profitability any business which is not focused on that is it's not necessarily poised to success in the long term because at the end of a day you know peas and.
[00:18:00] [SPEAKER_02]: You know acquiring brands are really looking for profitability and it's it's truly I mean I think at the end of a day it's kind of a healthy business without it I mean if you're showing.
[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Super strong top line growth but no profitability the fundamentals of your business don't make sense I haven't been proven yeah yeah for sure.
[00:18:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And it you mentioned AMC and you come from an analytic background and I'm sure data is a huge driver to inform everything that you do can you talk a little bit about how.
[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_00]: You're creating different customer cohorts and specific strategies around your Amazon and DTC channels based on either your first party data or the data that you're getting from Amazon.
[00:18:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah yeah so I mean I think we've developed various different person is in this various different messaging that resonates with each different type of person that we try to target whether that be more of an affluent consumer.
[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Who's going to purchase you know the full regimen of you beauty or maybe it's a different person for a high low consumer and each one of us consumers is going to really.
[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Different types of messaging is going to resonate differently for each one of those consumers and I think that.
[00:19:21] [SPEAKER_02]: What we found is that we have to really tailor and personalize a content and even the acquisition strategy for each different type of person is so for example.
[00:19:32] [SPEAKER_02]: We sell some products which are 700 dollars those products are great entry points for the high low consumer whereas you know for our more affluent consumer we can immediately sell them.
[00:19:46] [SPEAKER_02]: You know our to hundred and twenty eight dollar resurfacing compound and that's going to resonate with them and and they're not going to bat in the eyelid it's spending that much.
[00:19:57] [SPEAKER_02]: So I think from an acquisition perspective you know we have we've grown out product sort of in a little bit I mean it's still not huge compared to other brands.
[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_02]: I think we have around probably 15 different course views but each one of those provides a different opportunity and different type of consumers attract to each one of us products up.
[00:20:23] [SPEAKER_02]: We definitely do person amapping and we look at what's resonating in terms of content types across the different audiences to.
[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_02]: In terms of looking at you know third party demographics we do that quite frequently and tie those demographics back to the individual customer order so.
[00:20:47] [SPEAKER_02]: We can build out for their understanding of what's truly driving growth within a particular co-worker of consumers.
[00:20:55] [SPEAKER_02]: And you know from an AMC perspective you know we've done a ton of work looking at the overlap of the consumer base and and looking at the profile of that Amazon consumer versus our dot com consumer and really refining the messaging.
[00:21:12] [SPEAKER_02]: That we're putting forward with the various different consumers and you know we're testing Amazon TV and things like that now to.
[00:21:23] [SPEAKER_02]: And seeing how that kind of resonates I think you know previously a lot of the focus of all these DTC brand tools meta unfortunately you know the time of low CPAs and low CAX just really being driven by meta is a thing of a past and brands really need to look at alternative channels and diversifying their media mix a little bit more.
[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_01]: The gosh of the complexity of it is fascinating and scary to me.
[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I think of the amount of analysis that you must have to do at a high rate of speed to be able to take advantage of those opportunities test and learn it must just be a constant.
[00:22:09] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know do you have to think of it as a.
[00:22:12] [SPEAKER_01]: A fun game to me.
[00:22:14] [SPEAKER_01]: What are the kinds of people that you need to have around you that can play with that combination of creativity and empathy but also really strict view of the numbers like what are the skill sets that you're hiring to be able to.
[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_01]: To be that sort of agile and aggressive.
[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean from my perspective obviously coming from the analytics background any of my team members that joins the team really has to have.
[00:22:48] [SPEAKER_02]: A core understanding of analytics and really be willing to test I think.
[00:22:54] [SPEAKER_02]: Testing is super undervalued and and a lot of brands think that they know what the consumer wants.
[00:22:59] [SPEAKER_02]: But truly they tell and they they kind of restrict themselves by not doing testing and learn learning from those tests and so you know we have a media buying came in the atlas and I've fantastic team here at U Beauty which.
[00:23:17] [SPEAKER_02]: You know, I think is probably one of the best in a business and I love working with them each and every day whether that be the creative team who is producing some of this content and assets or if it's you know the media buying team who's.
[00:23:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Interating on all these tests that we're running on the regular cadence or even the analytics team who's really understanding you know truly what is driving and feeling the growth of a business I think that.
[00:23:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Each one of us, each one of the teams at U Beauty has has a really important piece to driving and facilitating the growth that we've seen.
[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'd love to sort of to close out without you obviously exposing any secrets that you know willing to share with the world but so much of what you're talking about is finding new ways to interact with the consumer to get their attention to to educate them to have fun I would imagine like what are the what are some of the kind of experiences that you are creating.
[00:24:24] [SPEAKER_01]: That are that are that are driving new opportunities for growth.
[00:24:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean I think that that we're always willing to test its new channels and and I think that there's fundamentally a first mover advantage sometimes which which is under appreciated.
[00:24:42] [SPEAKER_02]: And so you know obviously we want to make sure that it's brand right and brand fit but we will we will always look at new channels and tactics and look at what other brands are doing in the space and and you know have have we have a really good.
[00:25:03] [SPEAKER_02]: And we have a really good relationship with a lot of other partners in the space and you know influencers is definitely a channel that we've seen some success with obviously Tina being an influencer herself.
[00:25:18] [SPEAKER_02]: You know we had the protocol aberration with tanks recently which was super impactful and drove a ton of awareness for us.
[00:25:29] [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's testing and learning is really.
[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_02]: I guess the name of the game at this point and and really iterating and scaling where we see you know these pockets of opportunity as we're looking at the data after a test in the learn.
[00:25:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Can you talk a little bit about the activation with tanks like what what did you do was it like an eye to Google who that was also after our initial job so I'm going to age myself here.
[00:25:59] [SPEAKER_00]: But can you talk a bit about like was it a product activation was it like an unboxing like and what did it what do you think it drove for your consumers.
[00:26:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah yeah so tanks is an influencer she has a super large presence on tech talk and and.
[00:26:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Scram is she has super engaged audience.
[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_02]: So we partnered with her on creating a new lip tint so we have a platinum compound which is a skincare treatment first and foremost but we have different shades that we've developed over time.
[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_02]: And so we collaborated with her on creating her own personalized skin tint with that product and you know we did.
[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_02]: Really kind of an on the channel approach with that so we did not just met ads we also did, you know activations in person we had a really great press event we had really great press coming.
[00:27:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Robably from you know media publications and obviously she herself was promoting the product on on Instagram.
[00:27:12] [SPEAKER_02]: I think that that really helped fuel and facilitate awareness for the brand as well as bottom line sales.
[00:27:21] [SPEAKER_02]: So activations like that where you're going more narrow indeed for super valuable for any brand I think that the days of just paying an influencer you know 10 to 15 thousand dollars.
[00:27:34] [SPEAKER_02]: For a post is kind of dead because consumers can see you know the realness of or lack there of yeah most of sponsored post and and you know that they're they're becoming less and less effective and in fact they're becoming more and more.
[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Expensive for for brand so so having these kind of narrow deep partnerships is super valuable.
[00:28:01] [SPEAKER_01]: And I would also imagine when you're when you're careful with it, it's a way of pushing the edges of your brand.
[00:28:10] [SPEAKER_01]: In that that to your point you are talking about the number of sort of cohorts and personas that you have you can probably edge those out I would imagine and and discover ones or tap into some even if you weren't intending to that you then can add to your.
[00:28:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Sort of arsenal of who you can target is that does that with some of these more more ambitious programs can do.
[00:28:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, no absolutely absolutely and you know it's it's it's new audiences that we're unlocking each and every time that we do any of these activations with influencer so.
[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_02]: And then we we kind of see what how we can scaling grow.
[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Those core that cohort of consumers and make them more profitable from a lifetime value perspective by cross-selling complimentary products and you know.
[00:29:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Understanding what resonates with that person in the group so yeah I think that it's it's not just you know unlocking more of the same it's unlocking new audiences is super important there to.
[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I think the piece that was interesting to is that you co-created the product with the influencer I'm seeing a lot more of that I've been hearing people call it the kind of like multiplayer dynamic of commerce where.
[00:29:30] [SPEAKER_00]: The consumer and or the like the target audiences being involved in the creation of the product I think that's a really interesting approach because then it's not just coming from you as the brand right like.
[00:29:44] [SPEAKER_00]: You have a trusted influencer advisor expert who's also participating in this and then I think it makes the consumer feel like.
[00:29:53] [SPEAKER_00]: They're a part of the conversation because someone like them is involved in the creation of the product was that a part of the reason why you did that.
[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and definitely and you know I think that have just having her product on the name.
[00:30:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Yes resonated super well with her audience and you know she's so well known in the space and and her authority.
[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_02]: You know really helped facilitate and drive sales for the brand.
[00:30:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Well AJ we you're so grateful that you joined us to kind of walk us through the the path that you've been on and just I'm going to go back on my initial saying to close out because I'd like to ask you one sort of last question.
[00:30:44] [SPEAKER_01]: The.
[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Now that you've been at at you beauty for a bit how do you think about the.
[00:30:53] [SPEAKER_01]: The battle of the brands between the unilevers of world and sort of the big companies that can sort of move markets with with their decisions and their things and then the scrappiness and the ability to really target and innovate.
[00:31:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Do you do you.
[00:31:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Are you find you're able to combine some of the two or do you feel like when you're battling it out you know sort of what world are you finding yourself sort of more.
[00:31:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Interested in at that and how do you think about the differences between the two.
[00:31:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, obviously it was a big step from from.
[00:31:38] [SPEAKER_02]: CPG powerhouse and in nearly ever to a small you know scrappier brand, but I think that there's been a lot of learning said I've applied from from me the labor.
[00:31:52] [SPEAKER_02]: From a process standpoint in particular to you beauty.
[00:31:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Just get get us a little bit more organized and you know we like I said we have a really really great team here.
[00:32:05] [SPEAKER_02]: You help support that too, but you know I think I think I've really really loved working and innovating and testing and and you know moving quickly I think has been been the biggest.
[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's a different difference for me you know where where it used to take you know two months for a new channel to get launched you know we can do that in a couple of days now.
[00:32:33] [SPEAKER_02]: And you know having the agility of being a smaller brand it's really been super exciting and and we'll you know learning a lot around what other brands are doing and testing and and being having that ability and you know being able to drive that impact I think has been for me the most.
[00:33:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Exciting thing about being part of this brand and being part of this journey and seeing that growth that we've seen versus you know having more of a stagnant and mature I guess growth mindset.
[00:33:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah well I mean just throughout this conversation I can kind of tell that you're having a blast which is you know I'm sure it's stressful and and oh my god and all those and overwhelming at times but I can tell that it comes across you just enjoy sort of figuring this out and and being in the in this fight which and with really.
[00:33:46] [SPEAKER_01]: With products that build consumer loyalty that you know you know you know your consumer and it sounds like you love your consumer and that's really it's cool that's a great journey.
[00:33:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah absolutely absolutely yeah yeah thank you so much for sharing with us we really appreciate it.
[00:34:03] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah thank you for having me on it's been it's been a wonderful conversation.
[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks again to AJ for his sharing his e-commerce adventures with us.
[00:34:12] [SPEAKER_01]: For more on all things e-commerce please stop by digital shelvins who dot org and become a member thanks for being part of our community.