Loud Speaker / Honest Ecommerce / Honest ECommerce | 320 | Turning Customers Into Your Best Marketers | with Brandon Horoho

Honest Ecommerce

Hosted ByChase Clymer

Honest Ecommerce is in the top 5% of podcasts and has been one of Shopify's picks for best business podcasts for years. Shopify Expert Chase Clymer and his guests provide online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.

Honest ECommerce | 320 | Turning Customers Into Your Best Marketers | with Brandon Horoho

Brandon Horoho is a brand builder, e-commerce strategist, and the driving force behind one of the most innovative American-made knife companies. As the Co-Founder, VP, and CMO of Montana Knife Company (MKC), he has transformed a niche product into a multi-million dollar brand with a cult following.

Before launching MKC, Brandon spent decades in e-commerce and product marketing, overseeing the launch of 1,500+ products across the outdoor and fitness industries. His expertise in community-driven marketing, scarcity-based sales models, and direct-to-consumer growth strategies has helped MKC scale rapidly—without relying on traditional advertising.

Today, Brandon is on a mission to redefine American-made manufacturing in the digital age. Under his leadership, MKC has built a passionate audience of hundreds of thousands, mastering sellout product drops, a unique VIP program, and customer-first engagement strategies. By focusing on transparency, quality, and people-first branding, he’s proving that DTC success isn’t just about sales—it’s about creating a movement.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

  • [00:41] Intro
  • [00:56] Exploring the evolution of product lines
  • [01:56] Building a brand during the COVID lockdowns
  • [05:05] Scaling from custom batches to forecasting demand
  • [08:48] Mentoring young talent to grow the business
  • [09:38] Using Instagram content to build brand recognition
  • [12:30] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
  • [15:42] Managing a high return customer rate challenge
  • [16:41] Turning loyal customers into brand ambassadors
  • [19:32] The power of surprise in building brand loyalty
  • [20:38] Scaling product drops with lean manufacturing
  • [22:36] Forecasting product drops 8 months ahead
  • [23:13] Avoiding pre-orders to build trust with customers
  • [24:35] Leveraging American-made for authentic marketing

Resources:

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