Overdose & Chill: Live: Recent Episodes
Overdose Digital
Overdose presents "Overdose & Chill: Live"Bringing you a diverse series of genuine business & commerce chats, with no ‘sales pitch’ or ‘hard sell’ BS. Tune in weekly for fresh interviews with the innovators, leaders and drivers behind successful brands known for disrupting their industries and leveraging technology, data and insight to drive their businesses to new heights through connected customer-centric commerce experiences.
Wrap up your week by joining Adam Ellington as he connects with Jamie Cairns, Chief Strategy Officer at Fluent Commerce, an inventory and order management pioneer.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Jamie has watched the ever-evolving shape of global commerce change over the years and together he and Todd will dive into chats around the transformative power of customer-centric data, the rise of omnichannel strategies and the latest innovations in commerce and delivery.
Jamie will also shed light and provide his first-hand insights on managing customer expectations and the journey of Fluent Commerce in redefining the retail landscape.
Join us to hear Jamie's expert advice and discover how to stay ahead in the dynamic world of retail in 2024!
This weeks ep is for those ready to dive head first into omnichannel retail 🤓
Todd Welling, the visionary behind Overdose. will be joined by Ash Virgo, the dynamic Head of Retail Sales at Shopify, for an engaging session on all things Shopify POS, a game-changing system for today’s modern retailers.
You'll see the actual device and discover how Shopify POS works through a live demo, including insights into its unique apparel features and functionality.
Together, they'll share how merchants have successfully integrated Shopify POS and the impressive results they've achieved. Understand the benefits of offering in-store clienteling services and how to integrate them into your POS system. Explore advanced omnichannel extensions for POS and the tech you should consider to elevate your in-store experience.
If you've been curious and considering taking your retail experience to the next level, these chats will reveal how Shopify POS can transform your business, enhance customer experience, and streamline your operations!
Join Leslie, our SEO guru host and Nikki, the E-commerce Manager at STIHL NZ, a leading retailer of outdoor power equipment in New Zealand.
Nikki will be sharing the journey story of STHIL’s experience as they revamped their website and achieved significant results through organic search.
Together, they'll discuss the challenges of shifting to online sales while maintaining a strong local presence and how SEO plays such a crucial role in digital commerce today.
Tune in to learn valuable insights on SEO implementation, data-driven decision-making, and how you can leverage the power of organic search to drive sales for your business. 💥
Reduce time, frustration and give your customers control over their orders... No brainer, right?
Join Ryan Delaney, our CXO, as he chats to the mastermind behind Order Editing - a revolutionary self-service platform that allows your customers edit their address post purchase, swap products and even apply discounts, all on their own. 🤯
In this ep, Hamish the founder at Order Editing will break down what its all about, what inspired him to fill this major gap in the market, the challenges he conquered along the way and how transformative Order Editing has been for major brands today.
If you need to boost sales, this one is it!
Goodbye endless aisles. It's about hyper personalised shopping! 🛍️
This week on Chill, we're geeking out with James Taylor, the mastermind behind Particular Audience (CEO and founder). Hear about AI-powered websites that show you exactly what you want, when you want it.
Hosted by Ryan, Overdose. Chief Experience Officer and Co-Founder, they'll dive into James' entrepreneurial journey, the future of AI in eCommerce, and share some golden advice for aspiring tech entrepreneurs. This will be one of those golden nugget episodes so get it in the calendar and have your notepad at the ready 📝
This week on Chill, a sneak peek into revolutionary plans for New Zealand tourism.
Todd Welling is joined by Scott McNab, Chief Revenue Officer at RealNZ, where they'll dive into Scott's inspiring career journey in driving revenue growth and spearheading marketing initiatives for a brand dedicated to sustainable tourism. With a passion for empowering teams and exceeding expectations, Scott will share his purpose and role in shaping a culture of success at RealNZ.
This is one adventure story you won't want to miss!
Join our New Zealand Technical Director, Andrew Kett, as he partners up for a fascinating chat with Erwin Hofman, a wiz in the world of page speed consulting for eCom brands and agencies, as the CTO, Lead Developer and consultant of RUMvision.
Together they’ll delve into how Erwin drives improvements for brands, with in-house knowledge via audits and training sessions. Find out all the ins and outs of Erwin’s impressive journey on how he turned his consultancy into a product.
Learn about all things page speed in 2024, key concepts behind Core Web Vitals(CWV) and hear some intel on a few big changes happening this year and what this means for your business.
Our Overdose. Chief Experience Officer and Co-Founder, Ryan Delaney, will be joined by Tama Toki, the founder and CEO of Aotea Made, a range of herbal and wellness remedies inspired by traditional Maori health practices.
Join Ryan to hear Tama's founder's story as he shares his passion for using these proven and backed ingredients and how Māori culture is reflected in the brand's philosophy and products. We'll also explore how the brand bridges the gap between tradition and science to create effective skincare solutions.
Headphones on and ready? Together, they'll unravel the fascinating story and business strategies behind Aotea Made and share guidance for brands seeking to embrace diversity and inclusivity.
Join our APAC Marking Director, Vincent, as he teams up for an engaging conversation with Rob, a trailblazing innovator in eCommerce and marketing currently serving as the CEO and Founder of Lasoo marketplace and the CMO of @ivegroupltd.
Learn about Lasoo, Australia's fastest-growing eCommerce marketplace and gain insights into Rob's journey, challenges faced, and remarkable victories.
Together, they'll explore the technology behind Lasoo, including @Marketplacer_, the app, and loyalty programs. Uncover the current landscape of marketplaces in Australia and discover how customers and retailers are responding.
Join our Group CEO, Paul Pritchard, as he connects for an episode with Connor Archbold, Founder and Co-CEO of Tracksuit.
As an energising and optimistic force, Connor prioritises team success and happiness while excelling as a strategic thinker and creative problem solver. Connor's business, Tracksuit, offers radically affordable and accessible brand tracking solutions for modern consumer brands.
Hosted by Paul, they'll explore how innovative technology and creative ideas can shape the future of brand marketing and drive long-term commercial success.
This will be a goodie. Think, the intersections of technology. Creativity. Brand building.
This week on Chill, our Digital Design Lead, Dexter, is joined by Catherine from Algolia, to dive into the world of conversion rate optimisation (CRO).
Discover the impact of user experience on CRO, the secrets behind Algolia's advanced onsite search solutions and AI-driven personalisation and hear valuable insights on optimising user experience and boosting conversion rates.
An epic episode with one of the industry's dynamic leaders, join our Chief Experience Officer and Overdose. Co-Founder, Ryan Delaney, as he welcomes Gracie MacKinlay, the Chief Gorilla (CEO) of MightyApe!
Together, they'll explore Mighty Ape's origin story, Gracie's transformative journey with the company and the pivotal role of customer-centric eCommerce in their success. Discover Mighty Ape's innovative strides, from initiatives like Jungle Express to embracing new technologies for scalability
Alita is the Founder of MI Academy, a customised eCommerce training provider and is the brains behind HackGames 2024, APAC's exclusive retail hackathon experience.
It's the Ultimate Retail Innovation Showdown! Retail teams join forces with industry legends, thought leaders and visionaries for a single-day epic challenge, where innovation meets retail in the most electrifying way possible.
Tomorrow, join Raven Addei and Alita as they reveal the secrets behind cultivating collaborative cultures, building innovation skills, discovering award-winning frameworks and unleashing the power of applied learning with HackGames. 🚀
Join us for an exclusive 2023 wrap-up with the Chiefs of each Overdose. Digital discipline.
Each of our legendary Chiefs will drop in to join Raven Addei to discuss crucial insights and challenges, reflect on 2023 and hypothesise 2024 predictions specific their craft.
Reintroducing the weapons:
Creative & Design | Ryan Delaney
SEO | Jason Mun
Digital Marketing | Sam Sherson
Technology | Nikolai Mouraviev
Data & Analytics | Kaustubh Joshi
Strategy | Todd Welling
Any burning questions for the crew? Ask away!
This week's episode takes us on an eCommerce odyssey with Martin Cox, Technical Director at Overdose. joined by Brendan Ridge, the Head Of Innovation and technology at EHP Holdings.
With an established partnership spanning more than five fruitful years, Marty and Brendan delve into what makes a lasting collaboration, how to navigate tough conversations and the art of staying agile and innovative as a business scales.
Together, they'll uncover how Shopify has revolutionised the way EHP Labs do business, provide insights into their collaborations, the efficient strategies behind managing over 15 Shopify stores and explore the role of mobile app strategy in driving growth.
What exactly is a Customer Data Platform (CDP)? Is it just another complex CRM system? And, more importantly, is it a necessity for your business? Can you find an affordable solution that doesn't break the bank?
In this episode, Alexandria Charslund, General Manager of Overdose. New Zealand, dives deep into the world of CDPs with Kat Ramos, Account Executive for Customer Growth at Klaviyo. Together, they unravel the mysteries surrounding CDPs, exploring what this trending term truly means, how to assess if your business requires it and the realistic costs involved.
Join them for a candid conversation aimed at demystifying CDPs and helping businesses better comprehend their relevance and potential impact on future growth. It's time to bridge the gap between data, insights and actionable strategies.
Join our Chief Data Officer, KJ, for a conversation with Avik Dalal and Shashank Kapur from Meta as we dive into the evolving advertising measurement landscape.
From Apple iOS updates to privacy shifts, they'll explore how these changes affect targeting, audience enrichment and conversion measurement. Discover Meta's strategies, including the Conversions API and gain insights on performance improvements.
Whether you're a seasoned marketer or new to the game, this session will be packed with valuable advice from industry experts. Catch the latest advertising trends and insights from Meta, right here with Overdose. !
Step into the fascinating world of Thailand's top contact lens retailer, Ta-To. They're your go-to source for all major international brands like Johnson & Johnson, Ciba Vision, Bausch & Lomb and more. With over 50,000 loyal members in Thailand, they're making waves in the industry.
In this episode, you'll meet Russell Davis, the Business Development Director at Ta-To Contacts Co., Ltd. He'll be sitting down with Tammie L., General Manager at Overdose. Asia, where they'll explore the unique and ever-evolving Contact Llensenses industry, share their experiences in doing business in Thailand and unveil the exciting eCommerce journey that Ta-To embarked on with Overdose. Asia.
This week's episode is extra spicy. We have our EPIC Agency Partner Lead @ Shopify, Hannah Udina hosting with our guest, Tom Melenhorst, the Digital Marketing and eCommerce Manager at Remedy Drinks!
Together, Hannah and Tom will discuss the innovative strides Remedy has taken in the digital realm, a dynamic exploration of how their highly anticipated launch of Remedy's new Shopify website aligns with Remedy's vision, enhances user experience, and impacts the way we engage in online shopping.
Join two dynamic leaders in the industry, Jenny Mesdag, CEO, AMERICAS at Overdose., and Susan Beermann, Chief Marketing Officer at Contentstack. Together, they'll unpack the latest trends propelling digital transformation and share invaluable insights into the strategies and technologies that empower brands to not only adapt but thrive in today's rapidly evolving landscape.
Tune in as Jenny and Susan shed light on how brands can harness the intricacies of digital transformation changes to gain a competitive edge with a robust return on investment.
Our epic partners at Shopify have released their latest ’Editions’!
Simon Forrest, our Head of SaaS Delivery will be joined by Shopifys own Agency Partnerships Manager, Elias, to pull apart the Editions toolbox and pick out the best bits of kit.
You can expect;
Editions Highlights: Discover the coolest and most game-changing features that'll we think you should know about.
Stuff We've Already Started Using: Get an exclusive sneak peek at the tools we've already integrated and how they've supercharged our processes.
Current Limitations & Roadblocks: We'll keep it real and tell you about the challenges we've faced, along with the strategies to overcome them.
No tech intensity, we promise! This one is all about learning together and getting the answers to your burning questions.
Mark your calendar, spread the word and let's make this one for the books!
This week features two industry maestros who have extensive, hands-on experience in revolutionising the way businesses operate in the digital landscape.
Our guest, Brad Austin is the Vice President APAC & EMEA at Marketplacer and has 13 years in the IT industry. Brad's expertise lies in the eCom technology sector, where he spent a decade working exclusively in Australia for well-established organisations like SAP and Salesforce. Holding various regional director and account executive positions, he is quickly becoming known as one of Australia's leading voices on online marketplace strategy and implementation. He'll share how his insights have enabled businesses to transform and thrive in the rapidly expanding Social Commerce environment.
This episode is hosted by Overdose.'s Technical Director Australia, Martin Cox. A seasoned eCom aficionado, with a background in Shopify. From crafting his first store in 2013 to establishing a team capable of delivering groundbreaking projects on the platform, Marty has become one of the region's most experienced minds in all things Shopify. With a passion for creating SaaS ecosystems that foster growth and operational efficiency for clients.
Together, they'll share the secrets behind building successful online marketplaces and leveraging the power of Shopify and uncover the strategies, experiences, and innovations that have reshaped the eCommerce landscape.
Join Overdose.'s Chief Experience Officer and Co-founder Ryan Delaney, and Mohammed Farid Bin Salam, Creative Director, Asia, as they openly discuss Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and best practices in improving the user experience for new and returning customers through personalisation.
Nick is the Senior Solution Engineer at Contentful, technical leader who brings his problem-solving prowess to the conversation.
Join Nick and Shane Newman as they come together to explore the intersection of technical expertise and strategic vision in building exceptional enterprise digital experiences. Drawing from their respective experiences, they delve into the challenges, opportunities and best practices for achieving digital success in today's dynamic business landscape.
Together they'll touch on topics such as customer experience, digital transformation, fluid funnel strategies and the delicate balance between ROI, brand building and commerce.
Amy is the Head of Digital Natives, Australia and New Zealand at Stripe, the company aiming to increase the GDP of the internet.
Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies—from the world’s largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups—use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities.
Join Overdose.'s Founder, Todd Welling as he and Amy come together to explore the exciting landscape of innovation in the industry. With their diverse backgrounds and deep knowledge, they dive into the future of payments, disruptive technologies and the role of companies like Stripe in driving the evolution of the financial landscape. Together, they'll shed light on simplifying the complexity of payments and empowering businesses to thrive in the digital economy.
Join us as we dive into the world of Specialized, a company driven by performance and fuelled by innovation. Specialized's unwavering focus is on the needs of the rider, catering to everyone from seasoned professionals to weekend warriors, kids, and even commuters. If you ride, Specialized is for you.
In this episode, Sam Teo will have a captivating discussion with Gino Abano, the Marketing Director for Asia at Specialized Bicycle Components. Gino brings with him six years of invaluable experience at Specialized and a rich background in leading sales and consumer marketing across various food and beverage categories at Nestle.
Together, they delve into strategic marketing questions that revolve around brand building, the challenges posed by the current economic slowdown, and the perennial question of whether to keep the marketing function in-house or outsource.
With a wealth of experience in growing companies through innovation and strategic acquisitions, hear about Sarah's role in integrating successful companies to form a market-leading health and well-being company, with a remarkable turnover of NZ$185 million. From managing a NZ$1 billion Rural Retail Division to overseeing a global research and innovation portfolio worth $100 million, Sarah's insights provide valuable lessons for entrepreneurial success.
Join Todd and Sarah as they delve into discussions centered around driving innovation, strategic acquisitions, and the pursuit of health and well-being.
This week, Overdose. America's eCommerce User Experience Director, Andrea Gonzalez and Jordan Hunter, Technical Director, as they dive into the world of website redesign projects. Together, they discuss the benefits of starting with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) while establishing a user experience strategy and gradually expanding the scope to an optimized website.
Discover the advantages of a phased approach to website redesign as Andrea and Jordan share insights on MVP development, user experience strategy, and iterative optimization.
Tune in for the opportunity to gain valuable insights and be inspired by the stories behind APG & Co., the home to iconic Australian fashion brands Sportscraft, SABA and JAG.
Overdose.'s Sam Elliott and Carina delve into the captivating world of Australian fashion, retail, eCommerce, and technology. Together, they'll explore the art of balancing heritage and contemporary expression in Australian fashion. Hear them share their insider knowledge, personal experiences and practical advice, offering a unique perspective on the convergence of retail, eCommerce and technology in fashion.
Tyson has sold sophisticated enterprise commerce, marketing and analytics solutions to the world’s leading brands for over a decade, focusing on the future and helping high-impact businesses that are good for humanity, grow fast and prosper.
Overdose.'s Chief Composable Officer, Daniel Gray and Tyson, two industry experts, delve into the exciting landscape of commerce in the 2020s. With their extensive experience in enterprise technology sales and eCommerce solutions, they explore the convergence of cutting-edge technologies and its impact on businesses worldwide.
Healthy Options is the first and largest all-natural and organic products retailer in the Philippines, with 33 physical retail stores and an online shop specializing in natural food and health products.
Sean Sia is Head of Omnichannel and has pivoted Healthy Options around the complexities brought about by COVID-19 to set up the eCommerce platforms and continue to improve the customer experience across all channels for the Healthy Options Group.
Xiu-Juin, General Manager at Overdose. Asia joins Sean to discuss the brand's vision of bringing healthier food to the people in the Philippines, which started 28 years ago. They will be talking about the evolution of the business and how Healthy Options has been able to navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic to continue to bring healthier options to more people in the Philippines.
Get ready to raise a glass with Emily Fischer, the co-founder of Terry Beverages, the New Zealand-based alcohol company that's shaking up the ready-to-drink game. With their beautifully branded products and authentic partnerships, Terry is redefining what it means to drink leisurely.
Join Tegan Evans and Emily as they dive into Emily's journey as a young entrepreneur, discussing the challenges she's faced while crafting a cohesive and genuine brand experience for Terry's customers, no matter where they are. Cheers to Terry!
Jacinda is the Customer Success Lead, APAC at Searchsping. Essentially, she's just an eCommerce Specialist on a mission to give merchandisers superpowers! Searchspring delivers the ultimate shopping experience, enabling brands to get the right product, to the right person, at the right time.
In today's evolving digital landscape, Client Success is more important than ever to help drive growth across eCommerce businesses. With increased competition and constantly changing market trends, understanding and adapting to the needs and preferences of clients is essential for long-term success. Lex Duncan and Jacinda will be exploring the latest market trends, sharing best practices for delivering exceptional client experiences and discussing strategies for optimising eCommerce businesses for success.
Join Overdose. Asia's Partnerships Director and General Manager for a fireside chat. Together they will discuss women in leadership, growth across SEA and nuances of how Asian businesses leverage commerce technologies.
Nick is the Business Development Manager at Brittain Wynyard & Co Ltd., New Zealand's distributor of the world’s leading sports, outdoor and lifestyle brands since 1923.
Tune in to hear Kate Kennedy, Overdose.'s Marketing Director for New Zealand, to share insights with Nick on how to approach business growth incrementally and build a sustainable and resilient business over time. Together they will discuss a range of topics, including the current state of the economy, the importance of building sustainability and resilience into your business strategy, and how to plan for long-term success.
As we look towards the future, we can't help but notice that email is becoming an increasingly important tool in the world of customer acquisition. In fact, many businesses are adopting a customer-centric growth strategy that relies heavily on the power of email automation.
But fear not, for we have an expert on hand to guide us through this exciting and rapidly evolving landscape. Lauren, our email automation overlord, will be sharing her top tips for building a successful customer-centric growth strategy through the use of automation.
With her years of experience and her finger on the pulse of the latest industry trends, Lauren is geared up to help us get up to speed on the latest strategies and techniques.
Cynthia. io is an AI (cognitive search) platform, that delivers custom Artificial Intelligence solutions, on demand. They provide clients with web service APIs and turnkey solutions that deliver immediate and near-effortless business value.
David is the CTO and Founder of Cynthia. io and creator of Cynthia, the Synthetic Intelligent Agent™. He has over 20 years of experience working in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning across various industries including financial services, hardware diagnostics, online marketing and supply chain management.
Doug is the CEO and self-proclaimed "least fashionable person at Incu" st INCU, where he has been for almost 16 years.
"It's been so long that I can’t imagine being anywhere else as we seem to be constantly evolving, from opening stores in new locations, opening the first A.P.C. and rag & bone stores in Australia, to always looking to improve our company culture."
Overdose. Australia's General Manager, Cezwan Ceron and Doug discuss INCU and it’s rise from being a small retail concept to a firm fixture in the Australian retail landscape as a multifaceted fashion and lifestyle business.
Overdose.’s Auckland and Singapore Client Success Director, Charlotte Pecover joins Kaitlin and Ella-Maree to discuss the day-to-day life of running a busy marketing and eCommerce team for two of New Zealand’s iconic footwear brands as well as a hint as to what’s in store for the omnichannel retailer in 2023.
Overdose.'s North Australian General Manager, Cezwan and Justin will discuss the once powerhouse e-Commerce agency Netstarter and its impact on the market.
Join Todd, our Founder and Paul Yuen, Commercial Director of Hong Kong, as they delve into the crucial considerations for clients in Asia in this episode.
Sweden-born and raised Carl Jonsson is the North American Distributor of a Lithium Battery Manufacturer out of Queensland, Australia, called Deep Cycle Systems (DCS). DCS is known for being the first Lithium battery designed for engine bay installation, the first lithium battery capable of winching applications, and the smallest 180Ah battery on the market.
"After 21 years of developing products and with a passion for innovation, I have a very keen intuition for future product opportunities, so I knew rather quickly that I was onto something".
Carl is an adventurer at heart, foundational in how he's approached his business. Jonsson is an experienced innovator, entrepreneur, and business founder currently living in Portland, Oregon.
Carl will be talking with Jenny Mesdag, Managing Director of Overdose. Americas, about the path he's taken in his career to get him where he is today and discuss how not all paths to success come in the shape of a straight line.
We invite you to join Vinny, Digital Marketing Director and Zinta, Client Success Director, Melbourne. 🇦🇺
Zinta has an extensive performance marketing background and is a data-driven digital strategist who thrives in a collaborative environment. She is committed to supporting her team to achieve positive outcomes for clients, helping to exceed their business goals and scale activity.
Vincent is a results-driven Digital Marketing expert who loves that special place where science and art collide. Having started his career in research science, Vincent is fond of data and enjoys experimenting with creative solutions to drive improved business outcomes.
Zinta and Vincent will recap on Overdose.'s best Cyber week ever, covering the trading strategies, marketing approaches and prep we used to generate over $50M in Cyber week sales for our clients.
We invite you to join Farid, Creative Director Singapore and Darren, SEO Manager, based in Taiwan. 🇸🇬🇹🇼
Farid’s experience at Overdose. spans ten years, designing beautiful digital platforms for key clients, including GIC, Samsung, Prudential, and UOB. With a keen eye for detail, Farid delights in bringing great UX to life and shaping a visual personality through design. He seamlessly pairs the aesthetic with user engagement by weaving in UX with UI.
Darren is a seasoned SEO professional with a solid data-driven mindset and working experience in-house and agency. In addition to his primary job functions, Darren was recognised as a Google Top Contributor for his extraordinary commitment to Google Webmaster Help Forum.
Farid and Darren will discuss how SEO and UX Design inform each other and share real examples of how they've helped clients achieve tangible results by improving their strategies and approach. You'll also get a peek into the work and lives of the team at Overdose Asia.
We invite you to join Jodi, Managing Director & APAC Operations Director and Laura, Managing Director & CEO Australia, where they explore the paths they have taken to reach success, acknowledging the characteristics that create a great leader and what it actually means to lead by example. Jodi and Laura are women in positions of strength, influence and capability and together, they will share what has become the most critical parts of the business to them and the most significant lessons learnt along the way.
Additionally, they’ll explore their beliefs and ways to connect with people, being authentic and vulnerable, and reveal how they continue to be transparent with their employees.
This week on Chill, we chat to Jamie Whiting, the Managing Director Barkers Men's Clothing + Max!
As the managing director of Barkers, Jamie knows a thing or two about appealing to the masses. Whiting’s background includes years at Hallenstein Brothers where he started aged 17, and worked his way up from the shop floor to general manager. Later he progressed to running sister company GLASSONS LTD, after which he became the MD at Max before taking the Barkers’ position in 2010. At the time, he wasn’t shy about identifying the brand as “generic” and needing fresh ideas.
"I love the challenge of setting big goals and dreams, then setting about putting strategies in place to execute and achieve these goals. I don’t like sitting still waiting for things to happen, you have to get out there and make it happen yourself. Retail is such a dynamic and exciting industry — it never stops, and there is always a new challenge, new opportunity or something that needs sorting out."
This week, we chat with Vered Levy-Ron, the CEO @ Syte!
Syte is the world’s first product discovery platform. Leading brands and retailers partner with Syte to provide on-demand, hyper-personalized experiences that drive conversion, increase average order value, and spark lifelong loyalty.
Vered is a seasoned executive with extensive business development and general management experience; formerly Vice President and General Manager of Taboola News at Taboola (NASDAQ:TBLA), Vice President Business Development at nanotechnology incubator Landa Labs, CEO of HumanEyes Technologies, CEO of Yalicoo and Vice President Prepaid Products Group at IDT Telecom (NYSE:IDT). Vered holds an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.A. in economics and French literature from Tel Aviv University.
In her tenure at Syte, Vered is answering the market need for an efficient product discovery platform and social discovery experiences that power the world’s leading brands and retailers. For many of Syte’s customers, such as Prada Group, FARFETCH, Fashion Nova, SIGNET JEWELERS BRANDS LIMITED, Walmart, Lord and Taylor and Altr'd State — visual search, automated product tagging and personalized recommendation carousels boost the customer experience, improve key e-commerce metrics, and build long-term customer loyalty.
This week, we chat with Chantele Gibson, VP of Sales and Partnerships @ Searchspring! 🔍
Searchspring gives eCommerce teams search and merch superpowers but provides enhanced solutions on native eCommerce platforms for on-site search, merchandising personalization, insights, and more.
They help your online store grow by making it easier for shoppers to find the products they’re looking for. By automating and simplifying complex business processes, from analytics to merchandising, they make it easier to run your business and save you time and money.
Teams search and merch superpowers but provide enhanced solutions on native eCommerce platforms for on-site search, merchandising personalization, insights, and more. They help your online store grow by making it easier for shoppers to find the products they’re looking for. By automating and simplifying complex business processes, from analytics to merchandising, they make it easier to run your business and save you time and money.
Chantele has been with Searchspring since its early days, working in roles spanning sales and partnerships. Having led and developed their partner program, she has built strategic alliances with tech, agency and platform partners across the globe.
Overdose. Americas Commercial Director Victoria Clark and Chantelle will discuss Searchspring's rise to prominence, what it takes to build long-lasting relationships, and why working for a boss and team that you love is key to a successful business.
This week on Chill, we chat with Andrew Forman, CEO & Co-Founder @ Givz!
Givz is an eCommerce marketing platform that helps Shopify merchants use donation incentives vs. discounts, grows sales, creates social impact and reduces discount dependency. Givz allows merchants to convert discounts into donations, adding a tangible value of purpose and meaning to every sale, Givz is more cost-effective than discount campaigns; consumers can support organizations and causes close to their heart, while charities receive the funding they would otherwise not get.
Prior to Givz, Andrew spent six years in finance (mergers and acquisitions investment banking), was the treasurer of a nonprofit with the mission of enhancing literacy in Africa and loved playing any sport/game available. Andrew received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his BA in mathematics and economics from Hamilton College.
Overdose. Americas, Sebastian Brown Glad, speaks with Andrew to discuss online discounts, long-term profitability for businesses and how brands are embracing the move towards social good.
This week on Chill, we speak to Trixie Khong, Founder & CEO @ By Invite Only Jewellery! ✨
Founded in 2009, By Invite Only is an omnichannel jewellery brand with the vision of being the leading jewellery brand and company in Singapore and around the region. Their mission is to create clean, non-toxic 'Jewellery for every invite' that does not cost the earth. The brand is also accountable and ethical in our supply chain and only uses BSCI-certified suppliers.
Filled with passionate, down-to-earth, hardworking individuals who take pride in their work, the company is working towards the goal of being a highly effective and performing team but at the same time not forgetting to have fun and build meaningful relationships.
With the vision of being the leading jewellery brand in Singapore and the region, Trixie has built her brand from the ground up, handling all aspects from designing, sourcing, marketing and promotion, sales and retail. She is passionate about new technologies, changing consumer behaviour, especially during these uncertain times, while prioritizing and devoting herself to people and nurturing her team.
Overdose. Southeast Asia's Managing Director, Iestyn Keyes and Trixie will discuss leadership, resilience and entrepreneurship
This week on Chill, Overdose. Performance Marketing and succeeding in peak season.
2022 peak season will start earlier than ever, advertising will be more expensive than last year, and consumers will be more savvy and careful with their dollars. So how should we prepare?
Sam Sherson (Chief Marketing Officer) and Vincent Corneille (Digital Marketing Director, APAC) will run through the latest online shopper insights and share our four key themes for merchants to succeed this peak season and beyond.
This week on Chill, we chat to Shiran Faast @ Aqua Gardening! 🍃
Shiran, the co-owner and CEO of Aqua Gardening, is focused on driving the company to become Australia’s largest online retail store for successful gardening.
Shiran is quickly establishing herself as a leader in the eCommerce space, bringing a traditional concept of gardening online to achieve Aqua Gardening’s mission of empowering people to master their health by making gardening accessible, sustainable, prosperous and easy.
Aqua Gardening’s core mission aligns well with Shiran’s own values of being passionate about self-growth, learning, balance, self-honesty, and health, which she has applied as she has grown the company from its original bricks-and-mortar store to a showroom, with a large eCommerce presence. Aqua Gardening now supports growers across the techniques of aquaponic, hydroponic, pond and soil gardening, with a wide variety of products and learning support available in-store and online.
Shiran believes Aqua Gardening has been successful through its elevation of the term, ‘service eCommerce’ describing the complete offering the company provides to customers. Customers can access a great range of products while being supported by a Customer Success Team through consultations and advice. This transformation of creating a holistic retail presence and experience led Aqua Gardening to win the best ‘Brand Transformation’ at the 2020 National Retail Awards.
Overdose. Brisbane’s Managing Director, Elliot Schoemaker and Shiran will discuss the Aqua story, combining passion with business, the realities of running a family business and how everyone can grow their own food, regardless of where you live and your experience.
This week we chat with Karen Baker, the Founder & CEO of ShipperHQ!
Karen is the founder of 2 great products - WebShopApps and ShipperHQ. They specialise in Shipping Rate calculation and manipulation, specifically around the eCommerce space pre-order.
Infamous for doing things differently, questioning red tape and heavy processes, Karen tries to instil in her staff the belief that they can achieve great things with a little ambition and a lot of hard smart work. Quality, service and content is what is important to Karen. She believes you need all 3 to make a great product and a great company. Plus a tiny bit of hard work and passion ;)
Overdose. America's Commercial Director, Victoria Clark and Karen will discuss the Texas Tech scene, being a female founder in the industry, and what you could find Karen doing on an actual day off (if those ever exist😉).
This week on Chill, we chat with David Klassen @ Animates Vetcare NZ! 🐶
The team at Animates are passionate about providing the best pet supplies, pet products, pet care, advice and services for pets at their stores across New Zealand.
At Animates, they understand the joy when your dog greets you at the door or the comfort of your cat curled up on your lap. They understand the unconditional love that pets bring to our lives, each and every day.
They’ve dedicated themselves to creating an awesome experience for people and their pets; to provide their customers with everything they need to become great pet parents, whether it is products; services and advice that they need. It’s what has made Animates, New Zealand’s leading pet retailer.
Overdose. New Zealand's General Manager, Alexandria Charslund and David will discuss how they entered into the world of eCommerce and the various projects they've worked on together for the Animates brand.
This week on Chill, Overdose.’s Chief Data Officer, Kaustubh Joshi and Samantha Cheah, Overdose.’s Data & Analytics Project Lead, unpack the multiple layers of a great first-party data strategy! 📊
KJ and Samantha will discuss key trends in consumer privacy, how they've been impacting the ecosystem and the various actionable levers that a business should be controlling to get the most out of their customer data.
This week on Chill, we chat to Jeremy Meltzer, CEO and Founder iEqualChange (i=Change)! 💚
Jeremy is a social entrepreneur and inspiring voice for women’s rights globally. He created i=Change to help accelerate the impact of extraordinary development projects, focused. A thought-provoking leader, who designed a sustainable solution that’s having a positive impact on the lives of over half a million people in communities within Australia and 14 countries around the world.
i=Change is a technology platform that makes it simple for online retailers to give back with every sale to charity projects and receive a measurable return. They have created a user experience that is added to a retailer’s site, such as Cherrichella, so they can build purpose into their brand experience and into the customer journey to communicate their commitment to being a force for good as a business.
Overdose.'s Partnerships & Brand Lead, Raven Addei and Jeremy discuss how the not-for-profit and private sectors can help us address the global challenges we face and how investing in women and girls will be one of the greatest drivers of growth.
This week we on Chill, we chat to Jo Mackie, Founder & Operations Director @ Asset Factory! 📸
Historically, retailers would take days or even weeks to produce content. In order to compete in the local and global marketplace, New Zealand needed a solution. Asset Factory was established in 2016 by Jo and Andy Mackie and since, Asset Factory has become New Zealand’s #1 eCommerce and content creation studio.
Their in-depth knowledge of digital commerce and creativity, paired with the benefits of the world’s most advanced fully automated photography machines, enables their clients to produce more content, faster, more consistently and at a lower cost.
Asset Factory work with brands from small startups to iconic kiwi brands. Spanning fashion, homewares, FMCG, health and beauty, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage and more.
Jo has the deep technical experience and an intimate knowledge of the operating aspects of their automated technology, which combined with her leadership make her the ideal person to lead the overall management of the Asset Factory ship.
Overdose. Chief Marketing Officer, Sam Sherson speaks with Jo to discuss how automation in content and marketing is rapidly converging and the opportunities this brings for the data-driven retailer.
This week we chat to Rad Mitic, Head Of Partnerships @ Yotpo!
Rad is a well-recognised communicator, relationship builder and influencer in both B2B and B2C sectors, who thrives in environments where his skill set brings out the best results in the performance teams he works with. Drawing from extensive experience building and leading high-performance teams who operate in competitive markets, Rad is authentic in his approach and strives to over-deliver on expectations.
Rad is the Head of Partnerships at Yotpo, an eCommerce marketing platform offering solutions for Reviews, SMS, Loyalty & Referrals, Subscriptions and Visual UGC. Yotpo empowers brands to grow their DTC business through captivating experiences that spark and sustain lasting customer loyalty.
Overdose. Melbourne's Managing Director, Laura Jackson and Rad will discuss, the current economic struggles and preventative and preparatory strategies merchants can adopt to safeguard themselves.
This week we chat to Michael Tomchin, Co-Founder Cycology Clothing! 🚲
Established on Sydney's Northern Beaches in 2011, Cycology Clothing is a creative brand inspired by our passion (some say obsession) with cycling.
The creative force behind Cycology is an artist & designer who would rather be a full-time athlete - but due to lack of talent, balance & the inability to keeping the rubber side down….. stuck to their day job. Many 1000’s of kms of running, riding bikes, paddling, ocean swimming and any other sport that provided the endorphins and adrenaline led to 1000’s of scribbling’s about Cycling and "Cycology".
Training and racing with other mad & gifted athletes with great senses of humour often leads to inspiration for unique graphics. Some of these have eventually make it onto our clothing which we hope will also inspire our customers to buy and wear their passion for sport on their sleeves… or chests. While still based in Australia, Cycology is now selling to over 80 countries worldwide.
Overdose. Sydney's Managing Director, Sam Elliott speaks with Michael to discuss staying relevant in changing times.
This week on Chill , we chat with Rupert Dyer, the Commercial Director, APAC @ WhatIF Foods!
WhatIF Foods offers an authentic, nutritious basket of regenerative foods – foods that replenish the nutrients we need throughout our active day; foods that regenerate land and reconnect us with our values and communities; foods that appreciate the interdependence of our well-being because we need nature in cities, life in food, and a purpose in communities. WhatIF Foods aren’t designed for baby boomers, Gen X, Millennials, or Gen Z – but for the ReGeneration.
Rupert is a well-rounded senior executive offering a long-term track record of establishing a vision, developing strategy and delivering growth. Entrepreneurial, resourceful, and execution-oriented with a clear focus on stakeholder value, with demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity across multiple disciplines, geographies, industries and governments.
Overdose. SEA Managing Director, Iestyn Keyes and Rupert discuss cross-border trade, post-pandemic supply chains and sustainability.
This week on Chill, we chat to Nathan Bush at eSuite!
Nathan's primary focus is as the Co-Founder and Director of the eCommerce talent agency, eSuite. They connect fast-growing retailers with the best Australian eCommerce talent. Servicing all of Australia with recruitment, consulting and training, they want to help retailers develop their eCommerce capabilities and develop high-growth teams.
Nathan has a long background in eCommerce across people, marketing and technology and in a variety of roles. Some planned, some discovered. Previously, he was Group Digital Manager at Super Retail Group and was placed in the Top 50 People in E-commerce four years in a row. Now, Nathan runs his own consultancy and leads strategies across a number of clients.
Overdose. CEO, Paul Pritchard and Nathan will discuss the adventures that lead to the creation of eSuite and how this business is helping shape the next generation of eCommerce stars.
This week on Chill, we chat with @Stevie Rogers, Part Owner, Head Buyer and Head of Marketing at @Rogers Sporting Goods!
We love a good story. When we think of Rogers Sporting Goods we think of authenticity and authority in the outdoor space.
Rogers Sporting Goods is an industry icon in the hunting and fishing industry. Passed down from generation to generation, the company has grown from just selling fishing lures to now being a leader in their industry as a fishing and hunting outfitter. Jim Rogers, the progenitor of Rogers Sporting Goods, conceptualized the business by selling fishing lures and competing as a professional fisherman in 1957. By 1980’s Rogers Sporting Goods was Missouri's largest retailer for hunting and fishing performance gear. They expanded to an online webstore in the early 2000’s. Suddenly their brick-and-mortar store was reaching customers all over the country. Demand heavily increased, and they began planning and preparing for an increase in assets.
Rogers Sporting Goods is a family-owned and family-run business. They are proud of that. Their family ideals are what make them the giant they are today.
Overdose. America’s Director of Strategy, Van Schlichting speaks with Stevie Rogers and hears the story first-hand. Join us and listen in on what it takes to run a great outdoor company and what their plans for the future are.
This week on Chill , we chat to Harvey S. Kanter, President and CEO @ DXL Group! 👔
They provide one of the most extensive assortments of XL men's clothing and shoes around. From value-priced labels to high-end designer brands, there's something to fit every taste and every budget.
Published Author of Choosing to Lead, Harvey is an inspirational leader with career success in transformational turnaround and high-growth environments who possesses a rare blend of business leadership and humility that inspires confidence and commitment across the organization. He successfully balances business intelligence, ambiguity and learning agility to manage complexity by creating simple, operational narratives that can be readily understood and embraced by the total organization.
Overdose. Americas Managing Director, Jenny Mesdag and Harvey discuss the value of leadership in the ever-changing retail environment and discuss best practices as it relates to achieving business goals while bringing out the best in your team.
This week on Chill, we chat to Odette Barry [she/her] @ Odette and Co! 📞
Odette is a storyteller who loves nothing more than helping businesses share their stories through traditional media. She is a publicist, PR mentor and founder of Odette & Co - a micro PR agency based out of Byron Bay.
Odette Barry is a headline-winning PR mentor, who designed and teaches the popular Hack Your Own PR program, an intimate program designed for small business owners because she knows that every business has a story to tell.
Since establishing the consultancy arm of Odette & Co, she has worked with small and enterprise businesses across Australia and New Zealand spanning the technology, design, education, beauty, wellness, health and fashion sectors (to name just a few). This diverse portfolio of experience means she has a broad range of experience to support just about any communications challenge.
Overdose. Melbourne's General Manager, Sophie Sing and Odette will discuss taking the leap to start your own business, generating meaningful content and where to invest, as well as how PR can have positive impacts on SEO.
This week on Chill, we chat to Darryn Soper, Technical Partner Advocate at Shopify!🛍️
This week's episode is going to be massive, as Shopify announced and released Shopify Editions: Summer ‘22 - a collection of 100+ product updates that they have launched in the past 6 months across all of Shopify. It's time to get you in the know with new Shopify features - we'll be covering B2B, Stackable discounts, ShopPay, Shopify Markets & Hydrogen & Oxygen.
Based in Wanaka, New Zealand, Darryn has been working in-and-around Shopify for most of his career. Previously at a Shopify Agency as a Theme Developer, and then within Shopify in the Plus Front End Development space as both a crafter and Lead. Darryn has most recently moved into a role as a Technical Partner Advocate where he gets to "nerd out with some of the best Shopify Partners in the region about the cool things they are building."
Overdose. Australia's Technical Director, Martin Cox and Gabrielle Rea, Lead Shopify Developer, Melbourne, chat with Darryn about the all-new Shopify Editions, a deep dive into B2B and they'll discuss "Shopify gems", the little things that were announced that will make life easier for merchants or developers.
This week on Chill, we chat with Jonathan Ballesteros, Founder & CEO @ Geyser Systems! ♨️
The team at Geyser Systems believe in staying fearless about getting dirty. Their hot, portable showers use less than 1 gallon of water. This allows you to stay hot, clean, and off-the-grid for longer periods of time with limited water resources. Their vision is to make water abundant for the 2.3 billion people who live in water-stressed regions of the world.
Overdose. AMERICA's Managing Director, Jenny Mesdag chats with Jonathan and Eric Nunn and are discussing how Geyser Systems was born, what challenges and opportunities they have faced along the way and what the future looks like for this rapidly growing brand.
This week on Chill, we chat to Christine Rodrigues, Board Member and Ambassador @girlsintech.global!👩💻
Girls in Tech (GIT) is a global non-profit focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology. Their aim is to accelerate the growth of innovative women who are entering the high-tech industry and building successful startups.
As the woman behind @Adobe Commerce's Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations, Christine believes in boosting the Tech ecosystem, working and collaborating with a range of partners to deliver meaningful outcomes for all involved.
She aims to empower businesses to overcome their existing challenges through the transition and adoption of emerging technologies, all while specialising in B2B Lead Generation and Acquisition strategies, Partner and Channel Engagement and building Thought Leadership Content programs.
Overdose. Australia's Managing Director Sam Elliott and Lena Swoboda, Performance Marketing Director, Sydney, chat with Christine and will discuss why it's important for all businesses to have more women in their technology teams.
This week on Chill, we chat with Jason Daniel, Founder and CEO @ LSKD!💪
With 10 + years of experience in the action sports and lifestyle fashion industry, Daniel is highly skilled in all aspects of business development and maintains a strong appetite to always learn and grow.
An Australian-owned and operated brand that prides itself in producing high-quality functional sportswear with a street aesthetic. Ever since their formation in 2007, they’ve never been content settling for the norm; they’re constantly evolving and challenging the status quo, inspired by the restless few who influence style, shape the future and chase the vibe. LSKD strongly value the community they’ve created that live their daily lives within our 3 pillars of sport, fitness and adventure.
Overdose. APAC's Commercial Director, Shane Newman and Daniel will discuss the transition of LSKD from a retail-focused brand, to an e-commerce powerhouse.
This week on chill, Overdose.’s Chief SEO Officer, Jason Mun and Daniel Hogben, Overdose.’s Head of SEO discuss the Top 10 eCommerce SEO Tips!
This week on Chill, we chat with Paul Greenberg @nora_network, National Online Retailers Association! 💪
Jam Pad Investments is Paul’s portfolio of directorships, advisory roles, associations, invested companies and charities. Jam Pad invests in people with similar values, with a strong focus on the retail technology sector. Their goal is to facilitate and encourage positive change, to leave behind something better for future generations.
Paul is also the Chair of the National Online Retailers Association (NORA) which he founded in 2013. The NORA Network is Australia’s leading business network connecting the retail ecosystem. With over 22,000 senior-level members, NORA serves as a catalyst for collaboration in this dynamic and exciting sector. NORA connects and ignites opportunities through its high impact short-form formats, engagements and activities.
Overdose.’s Founder, Todd Welling and Paul will discuss the current retail market dynamics & digital investment strategies.
This week on Chill, we chat with Fiona Scrymgeour, Head Of Marketing & Chelsea Dunwoodie, Digital & eCommerce Manager, @ VUSH!💗
A sexual wellness brand that wants you to love loving yourself. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, whoever you love; you’re welcomed with Vush, just as you are. They’re for the beginners, for the nervous, for the curious, for the brave. For anyone who was made to feel shame about their body.
Their range is a combination of everything they’ve always wanted sex toys and intimate care to be: inclusive, empowering, high quality, fun to use, and aesthetically beautiful.
Overdose. Melbourne's, Managing Director, Laura Jackson, Fiona and Chelsea will the exciting expansion of the sexual wellness industry and the challenges associated with paid spend in this space.
This week on Chill, we chat with Gavin Ballard @ Disco Labs! 🕺
A good friend of Overdose., Gavin is the founder and CEO of Disco Labs, an agency which helps Shopify merchants solve problems and increase their bottom line. He’s the author of The Definitive Guide to Shopify Themes, a number of popular Shopify frameworks like Bootstrap for Shopify and Cart.js, and numerous articles for publications like net magazine.
Gavin can often be seen popping up on Shopify podcasts and blogs across the internet, or in-person speaking at meetups and conferences around the world.
Disco Labs is a world-leading agency specialising in custom software for Shopify Plus merchants. Their core product is Submarine - a unified platform powering products across subscriptions, memberships, pre-sales, crowdfunding and more.
Overdose.’s Technical Director, Australia, Martin Cox and Gavin catch up and discuss all things Shopify.
This week on Chill with Dustin Winegardner, the Partner and Managing Director @ Arvin Goods! 🧦
Arvin Goods is a Seattle-based apparel accessories company with an uncommon core value. They foster and lead impact reduction by making low-impact basics that never compromise on performance, comfort, quality — or ethics.
Refreshingly clean basics — Arvin Goods is the only brand using discarded fabric scraps to create the softest, best-fitting, most responsibly made apparel accessories. We’re tailored to your unique tastes and actively aligning with your motivations to improve the world.
"The root meaning of our brand ‘Arvin’ says it all: Friend of the people. Without this community connection, our name means nothing. With great urgency, we must protect everyone’s future."
Overdose.’s Commercial Director, AMERICAS, Victoria Clark and Dustin will discuss the evolution of Arvin, how they have scaled consciously, their vision for the future and e-commerce and the brands they've admired.
This week on Chill, Overdose.'s Chief Experience Officer, Ryan Delaney and Shantelle Johnson, Overdose.'s Creative Director, chat through all things digital design and experience!
Ryan and Shan will discuss the common mistakes and solutions with eCommerce UX.
This week on Chill, we chat with Sean J. Rezel @ Specialized Bicycle Components! 🚲
Founded on the principle of performance and fueled by innovation, their focus is on the rider and their needs is the constant. From seasoned pros and weekend warriors to kids and commuters—if you ride, Specialized are for you. The passionate and creative teammates at Specialized have designed and manufactured the world's most innovative bikes and gear since 1974.
Sean is a highly experienced, passionate eCommerce digital marketing leader & strategist that has a proven track record in driving B2C and B2B revenue for large multi-national corporations from FMCG, Retail and Recruitment industries operating eCommerce websites in the Asia Pacific region. His ability to develop an eCommerce strategy using different digital marketing channels to fit different countries in the region is his core strength, complemented by his expertise in crunching numbers analytically & understanding what they mean so as to improve the internet strategy as an insight to decision making.
Overdose.’s Managing Director, Singapore, Iestyn Keyes and Sean will discuss all things digital marketing, data and scaling ecommerce in the ASEAN region (and maybe guitars if they have time).
This week on Chill, we chat with Jason Wyatt @ Marketplacer! 🛍️
Jason, co-founded Marketplacer in 2016 with the lofty goal of becoming the most famous, and trusted, connected commerce technology on the planet. Now, he is the Executive Chair of Marketplacer, a world-leading global technology Platform as a Service (PaaS) company that builds successful and scalable online marketplaces.
After working with some of the world’s biggest corporates including KPMG, Reuters and General Motors and co-founding the original online marketplace, BikeExchange (ASX: BEX), with his childhood friend, Sam Salter, Jason could see infinite opportunities in the rapidly expanding Unified Commerce environment.
Five years in and they’ve raised over $100 million in capital, expanded into the US and global markets and helped over 90 businesses to execute their own successful marketplace strategies, connecting over 20,000 businesses worldwide including corporations like MYER, Woolworths Group and Qantas. And they’ve only just begun.
This week on Chill, we chat with Sarah West & Simon Rees @ Australian Sports Nutrition!
Since opening their doors in 2002, Australian Sports Nutrition (ASN) have paved the way as a premium sport and health supplement supplier across Australia. They’ve proudly earned a reputation for providing quality supplements at affordable prices, met by unrivalled customer care. ASN's core purpose is to support you achieving your health and fitness goals, to empower you to transform your life.
Teaming up with Simon Rees, the Managing Director of ASN, is Sarah West, General Manager who has worked closely with ASN’s founders since 2017 on a portfolio of projects for ASN businesses including ASN USA, Evolve Nutrition, FIT Nutrition and RCN Nutrition. Initially ASN’s People and Performance Manager, Sarah was quickly promoted to her current role, working to transform ASN’s culture, brand, supplier relationships and retention rates.
Overdose.'s Brisbane Managing Director, Elliot Schoemaker, joins Sarah and Simon to discuss omnichannel strategy, building an enduring brand, ASN’s origins and tackling the future of retail in health and fitness.
This week on Chill, we chat with Kristy Malik, The VP of Customer Success Lexer!
Lexer is a SaaS customer data platform helping customer-first enterprise businesses put data to work, to genuinely understand and engage their current and future customers.
With 17 years of marketing and advertising communications experience, specialising in CRM, customer engagement, direct and digital, Kristy is a customer advocate with a passion for delivering a greater synergy between data and creativity and the output this can deliver; from product or service to different ways of talking to, and interacting with customers and consumers, as well as helping to manage and reduce business risk.
Overdose.’s Chief Data Officer, Kaustubh and Kristy will discuss why a CDP needs to be on the roadmap for every customer-focused business, along with the nitty gritties involved to ensure ongoing success, customer delight, and return on investment.
This week on Chill, Overdose's Chief Marketing Officer, Sam Sherson and Shaun Motu, Overdose.'s Digital Marketing Strategy Lead chat all things marketing in 2022!
Sam and Shaun will discuss how a new generation of online shoppers and how a rapidly evolving ad ecosystem demands a fresh view of digital marketing for eCommerce brands. A perfect storm of changes in consumer buying behaviour, increasing privacy regulations and social shopping trends makes for plenty to talk about!
This week on Chill, we chat with Phil McPhee, The Digital Manager @ Blundstone, Australia!
Rewind to 1870. Blundstone footwear was born and bred tough to weather the untamed terrain called home – Tasmania, Australia. Since then, they’ve put boots on Aussie soldiers and Everest expeditioners, miners and musicians. They’ve helped footballers and farmers, tap dancers and Olympic athletes to put their best foot forward.
Best known for their line of laceless, elastic-sided, ankle-length boots, pull them on and off up to 10,000 times. Mess them up. Dress them down – or the other way around. Blundstone boots will be up for it.
Overdose. Melbourne’s Managing Director, Laura Jackson and Phil will discuss the rich history of the 150-year-old Australian brand, Blundstone and dive into how their digital transformation has opened their quality footwear to new markets, not only in Australia but globally.
This week on Chill, Overdose.’s Founder, Todd Welling chats with @Nick Raushenbush, the Cofounder @ Shogun!
Shogun is an eCommerce experience platform empowering brands to drive higher conversions, revenue, and brand loyalty. Their Shogun Page Builder and Shogun Frontend help teams build and optimise their online stores to deliver exceptional experiences. Integrating with eCommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, their 18,000 customers include Leesa, MVMT, Timbuk2, and Chubbies. Nick’s mentality is focused on continuing to build the best e-commerce experience platform.
His aim is to drive innovation in the headless commerce space and make that more accessible to brands by further packaging complex technology components in low-code software and tools. He firmly believes we will see more and more customers adopting headless commerce with Shogun products. His goal, at the end of the day, is to continue to lower the barriers for brands to build more unique storefronts, empower them to deliver exceptional experiences, and drive results through higher revenues and loyalty.
This week on Chill, we chat with David Hughes, the eCommerce Director & Programme Manager @ Hunting & Fishing New Zealand!
Opening their first store in Palmerston North in 1986, they were quick to join forces with other leading outdoor specialist retailers, starting the growth which now sees 40 great stores and is recognised as the leading authority for hunting, fishing, camping, and tramping information and equipment.
With 20+ years of experience across a number of retail and technology businesses, Dave has developed a broad capability and has a proven track record of results. He believes that business is about people and this remains a priority to me. With his passion for data – Dave enjoys the ability to generate insight, learn and transform business. Using insights has allowed him to develop the breadth of business disciplines and deliver results.
Overdose’s Group Commercial VP, Adam Ellington and Dave will discuss how to advocate change and win over stakeholders in support of major digital transformation journeys, and talk about tips for other teams seeking to increase the likelihood that their digital investments will deliver returns.
@Dave Hughes
https://www.evolvebusiness.co.nz/
This week on Chill, we chat with Antonia Cox @ POTTBURRI.
Antonia is the co-founder of POTTBURRI, a company that has declared the fight against the conventional plastic container for plants and therefore plastic waste with their sustainable alternative made of sunflower shells and is now revolutionising the green industry!
A plant startup at the same time belongs to the second trickiest category in online business after the food industry.
Overdose.’s DACH Managing Director, Stephan Grad and Antonia Cox talk about why she chose the plant startup, what challenges there were in establishing the company in the e-commerce ecosystem and what long-term goals the company is pursuing. In addition, they exchange views on the topic of sustainability. Thanks to the sustainable alternative pots, this is an essential part of POTTBURRI’s business. How does the communication or content creation work here?
NB: This episode is in German. 🇩🇪
This week on Chill, we chat with Joe Fox at Fast !
Joe is the Head of Partnerships at Fast, ANZ. Fast is empowering agencies and SI’s to help E-commerce merchants remove friction, increase conversions and AOV with the Worlds Fastest and only one-click checkout. Zero hassle. Sign up in a minute, check out in a second.
Joe draws from his experience spanning over 10 years in digital marketing and management to help build high-performing teams to assist multinational enterprises, agencies, brands, and government institutions improve their revenue exponentially.
Overdose’s Managing Director, Brisbane, Elliot Schoemaker and Joe discuss the ever-evolving eCommerce space, working in digital and the growing Brisbane industry.
This week on Chill, we chat with Moritz Weisbrodt from Alaiko!
Moritz is the founder and CEO of Alaiko – Europe’s leading fulfillment-as-a-service platform that enables online shops to scale their operations without friction. They’re rapidly growing e-commerce brands and their customers benefit from state-of-the-art warehousing, operational excellence as well as automated process control through Alaiko’s Logistics Operating System®.
Overdose. DACH, Managing Director, Stephan Grad and Mortiz discuss how the start-up of a logistics company has worked and where the biggest challenges have been found. Furthermore, they will talk about how the logistics industry has changed in the last 2 years and personal insights such as self-motivation and hiring process challenges.
NB: This event is spoken in German
This week on Chill, we chat with Jethro Marks @ The Nile Group
Jethro is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Nile Group. One of Australia & New Zealand’s leading Online Retail businesses, The Nile Group features a range of over 40 million products, they operate a range of websites aimed at providing customers with an exceptional buying experience.
Pragmatic, reliable, friendly, and just damn good value – this is The Nile. We are a family-and-friends-led enterprise that started in a living room with two guys and a computer. We have grown to become an employer of over 80 people in the fields of customer service, logistics, marketing, and creative design.
Jethro and Co-Founder Mark Taylor witnessed the dawn of online retail and withstood its tests of time. They are now beyond 15 years of online retail experience and that is not their collective experience. 15 years is how long together Jethro and Mark have been contending with the challenges of the online marketplace, while flourishing, to guide The Nile to the place it is today.
Overdose.’s CEO, Todd Welling and Jethro will discuss all things digital commerce.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with @Kilian Kaminski @refurbed!
Kilian is one of the three founders of refurbed – the fastest-growing #marketplace for renewed products in German-speaking countries.
Thanks to the company, used smartphones, laptops or tablets are qualitatively remanufactured and then marketed via the platform. This way, the company provides a sustainable and safe alternative to new and used goods.
Overdose DACH’s Managing Director, Stephan Grad and Killian will discuss digital solutions, look back to the inception of refurbed and the journey into the marketplace universe, given that in the royal league of e-commerce – the start is definitely not an easy one. In addition, topics such as #internationalisation and #sustainability are on the agenda!
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Tristan Miller @ Shopify Plus.
Tristan is the Partner Manager at Shopify Plus and firmly backs that “Shopify has changed the game, but Shopify Plus takes it to a whole new level!“
From mobile-ready online stores to record-breaking pop-ups to wholesale made easy, Shopify Plus provides businesses with unmatched scalability, reliability, and flexibility. Powering the world’s fastest-growing businesses, from high-volume brands to Fortune 500, they were the first to sell on social, make commerce conversational, and partner with global innovators like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Buzzfeed.
Proud to be working with the talented Shopify Plus Partners, Tristan is stretching the possibilities of Commerce.
Overdose’s Managing Director, Melbourne, Laura Jackson and Tristan will discuss digital solutions, potential growth opportunities that were seized, and talk around the ways Shopify Plus has quickly adapted to accommodate in the marketplace.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with George Lloyd @ Whiskers N Paws.
George is the Chief Operations Officer at Whiskers N Paws.
Located in Hong Kong, Whiskers N Paws is a pet shop with a mission, rooted in the belief that animals make us better people. They teach us mindfulness; Remind us to be compassionate; Show us the importance of having fun; They open our hearts and help us connect as humans to one another without barriers.
Given how important pets are to their owner’s happiness and well-being, Whiskers N Paws takes their job seriously. “We study every product to make sure they are free from harmful ingredients, safe to play with, and are wholesome to nibble. By partnering with like-minded suppliers, we make sure products are made with love, handled with care, and stored properly en route to you,” – Vada Chung, founder of Whiskers N Paws.
Overdose’s Managing Director, Singapore, Iestyn Keyes and George will discuss what makes them more than just a pet store and the strategies and digital solutions implemented to achieve their dream of connecting millions of people through the love of animals in Hong Kong and beyond!
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Sean Flaherty @ USCutter!
Sean is the Marketing Manager for USCutter.
USCutter is a growing online retailer of sign-making equipment and supplies that caters to both the casual user as well as the sign professional. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, USCutter began in 2005 by debuting a low-cost, high-quality vinyl cutter to the market and they’ve been known for value ever since. Over the ensuing years, USCutter has introduced vinyl cutting to thousands of startups, existing businesses, and hobbyists. They steadily built their product line so that today it offers the largest and deepest selection of vinyl cutters anywhere in the industry, while also striving to be the lowest cost sign supply supplier anywhere.
As a seasoned marketing and communications professional with over 15 years of multidisciplinary experience in both agency and in-house roles, Sean specialises in developing, executing, and tracking creative marketing programs and campaigns that effectively drive business objectives. With experience spanning numerous industries and clients including B2C/B2B, CPG, retail technology, and finance – Sean also brings his natural flair and energy as an experienced public speaker and presenter.
Overdose. Strategic Director, Americas, Keith Karlick and Sean will discuss digital solutions, continual innovation and expansion, Ecommerce strategies, and we’d be lying if we didn’t tell you some humorous quips are to be expected with these two together.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Akash Ahluwalia GAICD @ Tupperware Brands.
Akash is the Managing Director Australia & New Zealand for Tupperware Brands, which operates in more than 120 countries worldwide with a global sales force exceeding 1.2 million.
Tupperware is about more than just great kitchen storage, cookware, and bakeware products that set new standards in quality and design. It’s also about changing people’s lives through entrepreneurship, determination, and personal development.
A finalist for this year's AFR BOSS Young Executive of the year award, Akash is an accomplished Managing Director and Senior Finance Executive, with an established track record of recognising opportunity, growing, and improving businesses.
Overdose’s Managing Director, Melbourne, Laura Jackson and Akash will discuss digital solutions and the challenges and successes of entering Tupperware’s first foray into selling directly to loyal customers. Their new venture ensures the sales consultant role while adjusting to meet the impact of the pandemic on the renowned Tupperware parties and the strategies implemented for continued success in the new world of lockdowns.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Anna Samkova @ The PAS Group Limited.
Anna is the Group General Manager for Digital at The PAS Group. Established in 2004, the group has progressively acquired a diversified portfolio of well-established retail and wholesale brands as part of its growth strategy. As a result, they are one of Australia’s largest apparel businesses with a well-established business model and platform providing significant scale, infrastructure, and capability to maximise opportunities. Covering both the retail and wholesale segments of the market and having a rapidly growing online business, The PAS Group currently have 200+ retail stores across Australia and New Zealand.
Overdose’s CEO, Todd Welling and Anna will discuss growth challenges & successes, eCommerce & marketing strategy, digital solutions, and the strategic ways The PAS Group has navigated through the difficulties the pandemic has posed.
This week on Chill, we chat with Stephen Wright @ Crate & Barrel.
Crate & Barrel Country Manager for Singapore and Malaysia, Stephen has been immersed in this global brand for the past 14 years. Beginning his C&B career in 2001 representing the Greater Atlanta Area, he has since relocated to Singapore, where he heads up the region’s operations.
Overdose’s Iestyn Keyes and Stephen will discuss growth, global expansion, the challenges of entering new markets, the impact of the pandemic on the homewares space, and strategies for success in the new global commerce landscape.
On this session of Chill, we’ll chat with the great Lindsay Moore @ Marketplacer. Lindsay is Vice President of Partnerships & Customer Success at Marketplacer, a leading ecommerce marketplace platform. Having spent time at SAP, Salesforce, and Zmags, Lindsay has deep industry experience and expertise across the tech and commerce ecosystem.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Lindsay will discuss growth & global expansion, the commerce & marketplace landscape, the impact of the pandemic, and what role marketplaces will have going forward.https://overdose.digital/chill/056-lindsay-moore-marketplacer/
On this episode of Chill, we’ll chat with legend Ryan Powell @ Whiplash Fulfillment (formerly Port Logistics Group). Senior Vice President of eCommerce at Whiplash, Ryan is a logistics powerhouse with a wealth of knowledge in the space.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Ryan will discuss checkout/fulfilment tech, 3PLs, last-mile, free delivery, next/2nd day delivery, and the value-add services that are on the rise.
On this episode of Chill, we chat with the venerable Jim Lofgren from Nosto. Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Jim discuss his journey to becoming CEO of commerce experience platform Nosto, growth, the ecomm/tech landscape, personalisation, post-pandemic trends, and the recent acquisition of UGC platform Stackla.
Now, in his fourth year as CEO of Nosto, Jim is a veteran ecommerce journeyman and recently also took on the role of Chairman of NES – Ecommerce Summit.
Nosto
When its three Finnish founders saw the limitations existing around customer experience, they boldly set out to revolutionise the whole ecommerce experience. They created Nosto and built it on the premise that every shopping experience can, and should, be personal.
They onboarded a team of top class ecommerce experts from around the world and created their game-changing platform in 2011. Nosto today, is powered by AI machine learning and extensive shopper behavioural data which gives retailers the ability to deploy fully dynamic, personalised shopping experiences and engage customers in a way never seen before.
Jim Lofgren
Jim Lofgren always thought he’d be an investment banker. Disrupting those intentions, was the boss of French ecommerce giant La Redoute, who convinced Jim (who was an intern at the time) to “stick around and do some proper work.” So, he did just that—he stuck around and ended up doing 10 years in retail ecommerce, and never became a banker.
During the earlier, merchant-side phase of his career, Jim spent a couple of years at Ellos, the largest online retail group in the Nordic countries. He ran their ecommerce business and grew online sales by over 60% between 2006 and 2008.
Then, he jumped back on with La Redoute as CEO of their Nordics operation. He was 28.
A few years later, in 2010, he went stateside to the US to run OneStopPlus, the world’s largest online plus-size retailer (later rebranded to Fullbeauty.com). At the time, it was a $40 million business and Jim says they built out the marketplace using ChannelAdvisor and CommerceHub to source suppliers. The business grew to $100 million in two and a half years.
When the group was sold to private equity, Jim went into tech. He joined CommerceHub, which was primarily a drop-ship ecommerce SaaS platform based in Upstate New York.
A few years later, and now a prized Fintech leader, Jim became CEO of Klarna, North America, in 2015. The Swedish startup had only entered the US market the year before but globally was already on course to become one of the most disruptive and promising of its breed in the explosive buy-now-pay-later space.
But, in those early days, Jim explains, buy-now-pay-later products hadn’t come yet to the US, “so we were really just trying to use credit instruments to optimize and improve the checkout conversion.”
Jim initially ran a team from San Francisco managing large global accounts—multinationals like H&M, IKEA, and Ticketmaster. “We built this product where they could integrate with Klarna once but get access to 10 markets of credit issuing and that was very attractive from a large multinational perspective, so we saw huge traction with that.”
Two years later, Jim also became CEO of Klarna’s North American division and it was at this time he says they had to pivot—when they saw what was going on in Australia with Afterpay. Klarna started building out the ‘Pay in 4’ product.
It was in midst of its product launch when Jim first met with Nostos’ three co-founders at Shoptalk. They kept calling him, and by mid-2018, Jim had transitioned from CEO of Klarna, North America to CEO of Nosto.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with legend Stacey Head @ she wear—an Australian company specialising in safety, work, and fashion footwear designed to fit women correctly and comfortably.
As Founder and Managing Director, Stacey oversees company operations including design, research & development, manufacturing, importing & exporting, wholesale, retail (ecommerce & brick & mortar stores), sales & marketing, and business operations.
Overdose’s Elliot Schoemaker and Stacey will discuss entrepreneurship, growth challenges & successes, digital solutions, and ecomm trends & strategies through pandemic recovery.
she wear
she wear is Australia’s only functional work footwear company focusing solely on the needs of women. Founded by Stacey Head after a nail-in-the-foot incident made her question why there were no suitable safety boots in the marketplace to keep her protected while she worked. It was 2011, and she was on the tools in her property development business. The only boots available were unisex, and consequently, heavy and ill-fitting.
Within a couple of years, Stacey had stepped in and created she wear, bucking the industry standard where women were forced into men’s shoes. She started small, literally on a shoe-string, offering just two styles in three colours, but they took off and she ran out of stock.
The concept in place, it was then onto the hard yards—research, due diligence, customer feedback, and design development—all the layers needed to grow the business; all dedicated to the presiding mission to ensure women have correctly fitted, safe, and comfortable workwear.
Now, she wear is a fully-fledged, burgeoning business with a growing catalogue retailing a large range of workwear and PPE for women across countless industries—health, retail, education, hospitality, trades, mining, and so forth.
As founder and managing director, Stacey oversees company operations including design, R&D, manufacturing, importing, exporting, wholesale, retail, sales and marketing, and business operations.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Mandy Tomlinson @ Laybuy.
Mandy is the General Manager of Laybuy, a global leader in Buy Now, Pay Later payments technology. Launched in May 2017, Laybuy has grown to be used in thousands of stores across the UK, New Zealand & Australia, with shoppers around the world using the platform every day.
As a passionate executive and retailer, Mandy thrives in supporting both brands and customers to drive significant growth across all platforms. An advocate for women in leadership through mentoring, growing, and fostering talent, Mandy enjoys working with the teams and executives at Laybuy to deliver strategic objectives.
Overdose’s Managing Director Jodi Irving and Mandy will discuss continual innovation and expansion, and the position of a global leader in deferred payment technology.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Jakomina Vidakovic, the eCommerce and Marketing Manager at Ceres Tag.
Ceres Tag is the ultimate solution for serious livestock producers seeking reliable and profitable livestock management. The world’s first animal monitoring information platform with direct to satellite capability through a proprietary smart ear tag. This innovative technology is at the helm of scalable monitoring of biosecurity, health, welfare, performance, and traceability provenance of the supply chain network, including theft detection.
A creative problem solver, with an instinctive entrepreneurial spirit, seeking innovation and opportunity to drive business strategy, Jakomina is passionate about digital, creative branding and customer journey. With experience managing three teams, she maintains a level-headed approach whilst executing major software mergers and migrations to exceed revenue and sales targets and improve autonomy and workflow.
Overdose’s Managing Director, Brisbane, Elliot Schoemaker and Jakomina will discuss digital solutions, Ceres Tag’s new technology platform and the challenges as a startup and the strategies implemented for success.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Neel Bhatt @ Shopify Plus. Now Head of Partnerships, Southeast Asia, Neel is an industry veteran, having spent time at PayPal, Lazada, Easyship, Neteven, and Rakuten. Overdose’s Iestyn Keyes and Neel will discuss ecommerce tech ecosystems, Shopify updates, growth challenges & successes, digital solutions, and ecomm trends & strategies through pandemic recovery.
On this episode of Chill, we’ll chat with the great Nick Lyford @ Rembrandt Menswear. Rembradt has been in the menswear business since 1946, helping folks make a smart choice from ready-to-wear, made-to-measure, suit hire, and alteration services.
Now Marketing Manager at Rembrandt, Nick has spent time at Fishbrain, Kin, Humankind, and Rembrandt Suits. Overdose’s Jodi Irving and Nick will discuss, growth, challenges and successes, digital solutions, and ecomm trends and strategies through pandemic recovery.
On this episode of Chill, we’ll chat with the great Hilary Murdock @ Threekit 3D & Augmented Reality. As Senior Director & Head of Product Marketing at Threekit, Hilary is an industry veteran who brings a wealth of knowledge to a very exciting space.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Hilary will discuss Customer Experience (CX), 3D/Configurators, Augmented Reality (AR), personalization, and industry trends.
In this Chill episode, Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and ecomm legend Ali Afzalirad will discuss BigCommerce’s growth and roadmap, the rise of headless/composable solutions, ecomm trends and strategies, and more.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a world-leading open-SaaS ecommerce platform used by merchants of all sizes to conduct their businesses online. With sophisticated enterprise-grade functionality, customisation, and performance, it’s lauded for its simplicity, ease of use, and scalability. Headquartered in Austin, BigCommerce has offices in San Francisco, Sydney, and London.
BigCommerce has been an Overdose partner since 2018.
Ali Afzalirad
Ali Afzalirad is without a doubt a stalwart of ecommerce. His career almost spans the entire tech industry’s evolution, beginning back in the dark ages some twenty years ago. It’s a trajectory that has seen him dabble in everything from deep tech, to early applications, to agency, and onto SaaS—the space where he happily sits now as VP Enterprise Sales at BigCommerce.
He cut his teeth, back in the day, working for a company licensing software technology to device manufacturers. It was software development and a lot of source code. He was in sales, but there was nothing to demo.
“We sold real-time operating systems and protocol stacks to companies that were making devices.” There was all manner of devices: early cellphones, set-top boxes, digital cameras, and personal assistant devices (remember Palm Pilot?). Also networking equipment, like routers and switches, and avionics, such as ground proximity radar warning systems.
Then, one day, he heard about this thing called ecommerce.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with the great David Janovic @ RJ Living. Recently named one of the Top 50 People in Ecommerce by Joomag, Inc., David is the Founder and Managing Director of RJ Living, an innovative Australia-based furniture brand that thoughtfully creates urban and modern designs that enhance a home’s natural beauty. Overdose Melbourne’s Laura Jackson and David will discuss entrepreneurship, growth challenges & successes, ecommerce & marketing strategy, digital solutions, trends & approaches through pandemic recovery.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Megan Blissick @ Signifyd.
Megan is a Senior Partner Manager at Signifyd, a leading “eCommerce Protection” platform (fraud prevention, chargeback protection, and shipping/delivery insurance), Megan has deep industry experience, ranging from brand management to digital marketing and advertising, in addition to building partnerships throughout the SaaS ecosystem.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Megan will discuss growth, global expansion, the impact of the pandemic on the fraud and shipping/delivery space, and protection strategies for the holiday season.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with legend Lina Calabria @ Bellroy.
Lina is Co-Founder & COO of Bellroy, a premium Australian accessories brand. Having spent the last 11 years filling her days working to grow and nurture Bellroy’s sales and operations, Lina is passionate about the useful tools of lean thinking and the theory of constraints, which she applies through Bellroy and wherever else she can.
With a strong background in business strategy, Lina has a forward-thinking and innovative approach, coupled with responsible business practices and sustainable manufacturing principles.
Overdose. CEO Todd Welling and Lina will discuss entrepreneurship, growth, challenges, the impact of the pandemic on the accessories space, and strategies for success in the new global commerce landscape.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with the great Sonal Puri @ Webscale Networks.
CEO at Webscale for the last 6+ years, Sonal has been in the digital space for over 20 years across a variety of leadership and advisor roles with the likes of Teridion, Veriflow (Acquired by VMWare), Cedexis, Aryaka Networks, Akamai Technologies, Speedera Networks, Inktomi Corporation, and now Webscale. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.
Webscale is a Cloud Platform for Modern Commerce, offering security, scalability, performance, and automation for global brands. The Webscale SaaS platform leverages automation and DevOps protocols to simplify the deployment, management, and maintenance of infrastructure in multi-cloud environments, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure. Webscale powers thousands of B2C, B2B, and B2E ecommerce storefronts in twelve countries and eight of the Fortune 1000 businesses.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Sonal will discuss growth, continual innovation and expansion, the evolution of the commerce landscape, challenges & successes, and strategies to scale successfully.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with the indefatigable Kelly Goetsch @ commercetools.
Chief Product Officer at commercetools, Kelly is responsible for product/strategy, design, and integrations. He is involved with M&A, strategic partnerships, fundraising, and other corporate development-related areas. He has been in the digital space for over 15 years across various roles with the MACH Alliance (Co-Founder & current Chairman), National Retail Federation, Oracle, Art Technology Group, Walmart (Chief ATG Consultant), Foot Locker, and commercetools.
commercetools is a next-generation software technology that offers a true cloud commerce platform, providing the building blocks for the new digital commerce age. Their leading-edge API approach helps retailers create brand value by empowering commerce teams to design unique and engaging digital commerce experiences everywhere.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Kelly will discuss headless & composable commerce, continual innovation and expansion, the evolution of the commerce landscape, challenges & successes, and strategies for successful growth.
In this episode of Chill, we chat with Jonny Blake, Channel Account Manager @ BigCommerce. Overdose’s Strategy Director for North America, Keith Karlick, and Jonny discuss ecommerce tech ecosystems, BigCommerce updates, growth challenges and successes, digital solutions, and ecomm trends and strategies through pandemic recovery.
Jonny Blake
Jonny Blake was brand new to ecommerce when he joined BigCommerce in 2018; within two weeks of him taking his seat, the ecomm behemoth received a massive $65 million private equity cash injection, and he’s had to buckle in for a fast ride.
Now, as BigCommerce’s Regional Channel Account Manager for the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain Southwest, Jonny oversees everything from onboarding, training, enablement, certifications, and all the blocking and tackling that comes with building out a BigCommerce practice.
BigCommerce
Those first big rounds of capital raising in 2018 were followed by an IPO in August 2020, and it’s been an era of meteoric growth for BigCommerce. They’ve released a lot of new functionality and have hired over one hundred employees globally.
Keith, who’s been in the agency ecosystem for five years (starting at Mercutio, which merged into the Overdose family in June 2021), says BigCommerce initially came along and filled a gap in the market—a need for a SaaS platform that worked across both mid-market and enterprise clients. Other providers weren’t really looking at B2B; manufacturers selling at the mid-market company level were left high and dry—they were maybe too large or too complex for industry go-to, Shopify. And they weren’t being looked after by the top end of town—the true enterprise platforms. BigCommerce stepped in as a really good solution for that mid-market service.
Fast-forward to today, and BigCommerce is considered one of the top players within the industry across most sectors.
In this episode of Chill, we chat with the indefatigable Sam Penny @ Cheese Therapy. Now “Cheesemonger” at Cheese Therapy, Sam is an entrepreneur, extreme swimmer, public speaker, and Ambassador for Just Like Jack. Prior to Cheese Therapy, Sam spent many years in the beauty space and then turned his attention to growing Elementa 5. Since 2015, however, Sam has been on a mission to bring the world of delicious, artisanal cheese directly from the makers to Australians’ front doors.
Overdose Brisbane’s Elliot Schoemaker and Sam discuss entrepreneurship, growth challenges & successes, ecommerce & marketing strategy, digital solutions, ecomm trends & approaches through pandemic recovery, and their mutual passion for all things cheese.
Sam Penny
Sam Penny is the type of person who can’t sit still. He’s achieved a lot of things: he’s been in the army, he’s a civil engineer by trade, and he’s into mad swimming adventures (like swimming an ‘ice mile’ in 3.9-degree water; and being the first person in the world to attempt to swim the English Channel in winter). His greatest skill, he says, is pure grit—he is driven to push himself further than most would dare to.
He helps others to strive too: as Ambassador for Just Like Jack—an organisation dedicated to helping kids with disabilities participate in events that most people take for granted.
Not surprisingly, on the business front, Sam is relentless. A passionate entrepreneur, he’s set up entrepreneur networks for Queensland University of Technology; he’s had a successful medical device company; he’s had a chain of not-so-successful hair salons—“My biggest mistake was a chain of hair salons,” he confesses.
He learned, moved on, and found his entrepreneurial utopia; for the past four years, he’s been mongering cheese. “Everything has seemed to have culminated in this great business that my partner Helen and I have created, called Cheese Therapy.”
Cheese Therapy
With his can’t-sit-still nature, it’s no surprise to learn that the Cheese Therapy idea was conceived during a time when he was meant to be relaxing on holiday in the Pacific island of Vanuatu. Instead of letting thoughts and ideas float by like clouds in the tropical sky, Sam’s mind was churning away, formulating his next business idea.
Sam and his partner, Helen, had been shopping at Vanuatu’s main supermarket, French-owned Au Bon Marche, and were blown away by the massive cheese counter bursting with French cheeses, terrines, and foie gras—cheeses and epicurean produce they hadn’t seen back in Australia. Here they were, in a little undeveloped island, with an abundance of foreign delicacies. “It made me realise we’ve lost our deli scene in Australia. We’re now served up some pretty bland, homogenised products in our major supermarkets, where it’s all about margins and there’s not a lot of heart and soul in many of the items that you see on a shelf.”
So, they decided they would go home and start a cheese club. Sam says they wanted to get their hands on some great cheese and figured if they could get enough people in the club, they could fly cheese in from abroad. “That was the limit of our market research, it was based on what we wanted, but I think many great ideas come out of passion, and then it’s just down to the numbers. Can we find 100 people? Can we find 200, a thousand people to be part of this cheese club?”
Cheese Therapy was launched; for the first four years as a small-scale operation with Sam and Helen doing it all—cutting, wrapping, packing, and sending the cheese. Then, an event in January 2020 changed the course of the business: Australia’s devastating bush fires.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with veteran tech entrepreneur Thomas Gottheil @ Frontastic.
Co-Founder of Frontastic, Thomas has been immersed in the tech space for much of his career. After spending time at ARKTIS GmbH, he went on to found and lead SHOPMACHER eCommerce GmbH & Co. KG. Thomas and Frontastic are now leading the Headless/Composable commerce & FaaS space.
Frontastic is a Commerce Frontend Platform that enables fast-growing brands to build amazing websites easy and fast on top of headless by removing the complexity for developers and giving business teams autonomy and flexibility
Overdose EMEA’s Daniel Höhnke and Thomas will discuss the rise of Headless & Composable commerce, entrepreneurship, growth challenges & successes, ecommerce & marketing strategy, digital solutions, trends & approaches through pandemic recovery.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Rabi Hasnabi @ Bata Group.
Rabi Hasnabi is the Country Manager at Bata Singapore & Philippines. One of the worlds leading manufacturers and retailers of quality footwear. Founded in 1894, the company has consistently demonstrated its commitment to responsible and innovative business models in the belief that capital is not just money, buildings or technology, but, more importantly, people, knowledge and core values.
With a career spanning across more than 15 years, Rabi is an energetic, ambitious and results-oriented Retail Executive, experienced in positioning solutions as drivers to accelerate revenues, market share, and profitability. Responsible for managing Bata’s overall countries operations, making sure all aspects of the business operate smoothly. Implementing Brand Strategies, developing new business and ensuring profitability.
Overdose’s Managing Director, Southeast Asia Iestyn Keyes and Rabi Hasnabi will discuss the ways Bata has quickly adapted to changes in the marketplace, seized potential growth opportunities and talk around some of the challenges & successes Bata has experienced over the past year.
This week on Chill, we’ll chat with Jennie Leng, General Manager of Digital @ Bendon Group.
Bendon is a global leader in intimate apparel. Founded in 1947, the company revolutionised the lingerie industry through its dedication to quality and innovation, creating a design philosophy that has grown stronger throughout the company’s 70-year history.
Headquartered in Auckland, Bendon Lingerie’s quality brands include the likes of Bendon, Pleasure State, me. By Bendon, Fayreform, Lovable, Bendon Man, and Davenport. Distributing globally through over 4,000 doors, across 34 countries, they are also confidently a growing network of 60 company-owned Bendon retail and outlet stores in Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
As a specialist in using business and customer insight to shape products, services, and experiences, Jennie is passionate about effortless design and “just right” solutions. Her experience in retail, telecommunications, finance, and travel spans a well-established career.
Overdose’s Managing Director, New Zealand, Jodi Irving and Jennie will discuss digital solutions, the strategies implemented for success, and growth focussed on the customer.
Today on Chill, we’ll chat with the indefatigable Ben Marks @Shopware. An absolute legend in the ecommerce ecosystem, Ben recently joined Shopware to head up their global growth initiative as Director of Global Market Development.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Ben will chat about growth, international expansion, ecosystem, composable/headless commerce, omnichennel, and much more…
ShopwareShopware is a leading ecommerce system used by some of the largest European brands, retailers, and manufacturers across B2C and B2B industries. As a trendsetting open source solution, Shopware gives retailers the freedom to quickly and easily realise their growth potential – with more flexibility and less complexity. Today, more than 100,000 companies rely on a Shopware solution, with all retailers – from start-ups to enterprise – generating a combined turnover of 7.6 billion euros in 2019.
From its headquarters in Schöppingen, Germany, Shopware employs 250 people and relies on a global network of 1,200 sales, technology, and solution partners. A community with hundreds of thousands of members gives customers access to over 4,000 extensions and certified professional support. 100% equity-financed, Shopware is completely independent; and through high investments in research and development, is the leading driver of innovation in European ecommerce.
Today on Chill, we’ll chat with ecom pioneer Derrick Dinglasan @ OPTE.
With over 20 years experience in ecommerce, mobile, and digital strategy for consumer products ranging from beauty, health & wellness, fashion, and electronics, Derrick is Founder and Chief Product & Growth Officer at Procter & Gamble-backed beauty technology brand, OPTE, the innovative, first-of-its-kind digital precision skincare system that offers a new disruptive solution to hyperpigmentation.
Prior to OPTE, Derrick spent time driving strategy and growth @ Manduka, The Honest Company, Five Four Club, New Republic, and Jaanuu.
Overdose’s Albert Liu and Derrick will chat about startups, digital experience and transformation, DTC & Wholesale strategy, CPG, and the digital landscape for beauty/health/wellness brands.
Today on Chill, we’ll chat with the wonderful Lindy Crea from ReCharge Payments.
After spending 4 years in Global Partnerships with Swedish FinTech behemoth Klarna, Lindy is now Director of Strategic Partnerships at ReCharge – a leading SaaS subscriptions solution.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz will chat with Lindy about the accelerated rise of subscription during Covid, rolling out subscription offerings, Shopify’s new integrated checkout, and more…
About ReCharge Payments
Since 2014, ReCharge has helped over 15,000 merchants launch and scale their subscription business. Be it a curated monthly box, recurring necessities or access to exclusive perks, ReCharge powers billions of dollars in annual processing for nearly 30 million consumers.
The ReCharge team of 250+ is building the future of subscription commerce, set on their mission to connect and empower the world through payments.
Today on Chill, we’ll chat with legend Meghan Stabler of BigCommerce.
Vice President of Global Product Marketing & Communications, Meghan has had a storied career in the tech space and continues to drive innovation in the industry.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz will chat with Meghan about Product Marketing, growth, innovation, and how BigCommerce is changing the way tech works with partners and clients as they grow their global footprint.
About BigCommerce
BigCommerce is the world’s leading cloud ecommerce platform for established and rapidly-growing businesses. Combining enterprise functionality, an open architecture and app ecosystem, and market-leading performance, BigCommerce enables businesses to grow online sales with 80% less cost, time, and complexity than on-premise software.
BigCommerce powers B2B and B2C ecommerce for more than 60,000 SMBs, 2,000+ mid-market businesses, more than 25 Fortune 1000 companies, and industry-leading brands including Assurant, Ben & Jerry’s, and Gibson. BigCommerce’s mission is to help merchants sell more at every stage of business growth. Simply put, we are: built for growth so merchants can realize their visions without compromise; designed for powerful performance to enable businesses to scale seamlessly with technology they can trust; efficient in both time and cost.
BigCommerce supports thousands of retailers around the world from its offices in San Francisco, Austin, London, and Sydney. For more information, view our BigCommerce Partner page here.
Today on Chill, we’ll chat with the wonderful Curt Carpenter, Co-Founder and Principal @ Lekker Home
From tailblock grinds to dovetail joints, we’ll cover Curt’s rise from rad suburban skater, to purveyor of modern design.
Since its founding in 2002, Lekker Home has grown from an idea into an innovator in the world of furniture and decor. They specialize in Mid-Century Modern classics and European Design icons, curating brands they believe in – both aesthetically and ethically.
Overdose’s Gary Benerofe and Curt will discuss entrepreneurship, digital transformation, growth, omnichannel & B2C/B2B commerce, and adapting & evolving approach to successfully navigate the challenging brick-and-click landscape.
Today on Chill, we’ll chat with the great Mate Prgin of Enzuzo.
Founder & CEO of Enzuzo, Mate is leading the charge to simplify and streamline Data Privacy compliance.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz will chat with Mate about Data Privacy, GDPR, CCPA, and how to get compliant and protect your brand.
About enzuzo
CCPA and GDPR compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. Enzuzo automates data privacy request tracking, reporting, data gathering, and the data deletion workflow. Ensure you are compliant, secure, and avoid penalties due to late or missed responses.
Whether you are a small Shopify store or a large enterprise company, Enzuzo helps automate information gathering and deletion requests, so you can focus your time on revenue-generating activities.
In this episode of Chill, we chat with the great Dov Kaufmann from Tolstoy. The Co-Founder and CEO of Tolstoy, Dov spent 7+ years as VP of Business Development at Yotpo before embarking on this new venture in 2020.
One of the coolest techs we’ve seen in quite a while, Tolstoy is “next level” when it comes to on-site engagement. Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Dov discuss entrepreneurship, growth, engagement, video journeys, guided selling, and more…
Tolstoy
Video has been a popular play for marketers for a while, but now an even more powerful and persuasive option is becoming the hero: interactive video. Interactive video enables hyper-personalised face-to-face communication, without actually being in person.
A fresh, innovative start-up, Tolstoy, is leading the charge in this ‘next level’ engagement tech space by creating a sophisticated, yet simple and easy-to-use video builder.
The crux of the tech is the fusing of interactive and linear video to create video branching: viewers respond to the Tolstoy video message with clickable on-screen choices which take them on a customer journey based on their needs. The tailored messaging steers viewers to the right content for them.
Described as a chatbot on steroids, a Tolstoy not only grabs user attention, but guides, educates, and qualifies potential customers. It’s cost-effective, technically easy to deploy, and can be embedded in a business’s website, landing page, emails, or used in social media. It sends out a notification to you whenever someone engages with your video, so you can reach out immediately.
To top it all off, Tolstoy enables businesses to collect critical data they would miss with traditional video—providing truly comprehensive marketing intel.
Dov Kaufmann
Dov was employee number nine or ten at Yotpo when it was just getting off the ground. He started in support, then quickly moved into managing events, and then managing business development and starting up the partner team.
By nature of being a people-heavy organisation, Dov says Yotpo was difficult to scale up. “It becomes very, very difficult to manage at scale, and a lot of things, especially in a SaaS company, end up being very repetitive and you’re just having the same conversations with partners.”
The Tolstoy idea came from the pains Dov experienced at Yotpo. He had been thinking for years about whether there was a way to provide the benefit of face-to-face communication in a self-service asynchronous video platform.
Eventually, he made it happen—he jumped out of Yotpo, teamed up with his Tolstoy co-founder, and together, they built the platform to answer those pains. Yotpo became one of Tolstoy’s earliest customers.
This week on Chill, we chat with Michele Landis @ Accessible360. The co-founder of A360, Michele is an industry authority on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), WCAG, and myriad other digital compliance initiatives.
Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz and Michele discuss ADA, WCAG, threat letters, legal action, and how to make websites compliant.
About Accessible360
If you are a business owner in the U.S., you need to adhere to a law that specifies businesses cannot discriminate against customers on the basis of a disability. For a brick and mortar store, this means physical measures like door and aisle minimum widths, signage readability, counter and basin heights, and other such things that enable access to your store for people with disabilities.
The same principle applies to a website or other digital property. In digital terms, accessibility may be ‘alt text’ for images, or screen readers, or alternative options for online forms.
Many people are unaware of what is required, and often, it’s not until they are faced with a lawsuit that they are spurred into action.
Whether a business’s response is reactive or proactive, there are companies which specialise in assisting with the process of making sure your digital property is suitably accessible and legally compliant; Accessible360 is one of these.
Accessible360 background
Michele Landis and her co-founders started Accessible360 (A360, for short) with a resolute vision: a digital world that is accessible to all. Their mission is equally steadfast: create and maintain digital environments which offer equal access.
Their passion for inclusivity and accessibility comes from the core: co-founder Aaron Cannon was born blind and became a software engineer. As a full-stack web developer working at an agency, Aaron could code in a ton of different languages.
A360 has a team of auditors—some are blind, some are sighted—all with a technical background. Michele explains what they do is reconcile the experience of a physically-able user with that of a user with a disability. They follow an auditing process and cover four disabilities: visual, physical, cognitive, and auditory.
They work across many organisations and industries including ecommerce, education, financial, healthcare, government, law firms, and real estate.
In this episode of Chill, we chat with digital passionista Suzie Young at the Australian B2B brand Signet. As Head of Digital and Direct Marketing, Suzie drives growth through digital strategy, ecommerce, and data-driven digital and direct marketing.
Suzie and Overdose Melbourne MD Laura Jackson discuss B2B commerce, using an innovative tech-stack to drive personalised experiences, and the challenges of maintaining corporate culture in 2021.
Signet
From its humble, family-owned business beginnings 50-odd years ago, Signet, a supplier of packaging and industrial products, now sits comfortably as one of the top 100 private companies in Queensland. With a current staff of around 300, and an extensive nationwide distribution network supplying the biggest retail and FMCG manufacturers in the country, it’s still a family-owned business. Their global brands include 3M, Velcro, Tesa, and Uvex; and they manufacture their ‘Signet’s Own’ brand—a range including stretch films and plastics, marking paints, inks and aerosols, and labels and signage.
Signet and their sister company, Insignia, a label manufacturer and distributor of top international thermal printing and coding solutions, together make up the Winson Group.
Suzie Young
Suzie says she’s one of those rare species of people that’s been with the same group for her whole corporate career. She started at Insignia in B2B sales and says what she loved most in that role was learning about the businesses and the inspiring brands she worked with.
It was 2001 when Suzie joined the Winson Group and, in the past 20 years, she says she’s seen the business double in size, twice. With growth comes opportunity, and Suzie has never been afraid to run with the bulls.
Her career pivoted when she returned from maternity leave and was asked to spearhead a project to look at integrating a new CRM across both Insignia and Signet. She jumped in and worked closely with the IT team to select and implement the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform across the group’s sales and customer experience teams. Simultaneously, they executed marketing automation across the call centers.
Later, she worked on a digital transformation project with Insignia’s field service and technical service departments. They went from using dockets and very manual triple, or quadruple, key-in processes, to re-platforming (Microsoft 365) and automating texts with mobile apps.
She became Head of Customer Experience and worked steadily on website and digital marketing, which was quickly becoming the number one lead source. As that channel grew, she was heavily involved in SEO and paid search—an area of her role she especially loved.
Just when Suzie was realising she wanted digital to be her specialty, some divine timing occurred—the group’s MD approached her with an opportunity over at Signet to head up the Digital and Direct Marketing team. “Our GM of Signet is Matt Henry, who is really well known and regarded as a great digital guy in the Australian industry and has an awesome management team of people who are quite specialised in their field. I was like, okay, I’ll jump brands and go work for Signet.”
In this Chill episode, Overdose’s Brisbane MD, Elliot Schoemaker, chats with Adobe’s illustrious Head of Customer Strategy, Kevin Wordon, discussing growth, challenges, successes, marketing channels, marketing automation, and key strategies for 2021.
About Adobe
We all know about Adobe’s genius when it comes to software in the creative space–its flagship suites Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign have reigned supreme in desktop-publishing for some 40 years—but recently it’s boosted into the digital marketing management software arena. In 2018, Adobe acquired ecommerce services provider Magento Commerce; later the same year it acquired Marketo, a marketing automation software company; and in late 2020, it acquired Workfront, a provider of marketing collaboration software.
These were major acquisitions which bolstered Adobe’s offerings to provide businesses with their digital foundations—customer journey management systems, market automation, commerce engines, content management systems, asset management, personalisation, and analytics, to name a few.
Now, armed with a wide gamut of ecommerce solutions, Adobe is a key player in the world of digital marketing.
The Interview
Kevin Wordon lives and works at his Queensland ‘acreage’—a mini-farm where there are chickens to feed and llamas to entertain. It wasn’t Covid that drove him to his bucolic hideaway; he chose this lifestyle for his young family and because of his love of animals.
Adobe has long supported its remote workforce—well before the pandemic began closing office doors—and you can easily get a sense of the benefits of work-life balance as we chat with Kevin (in between his trots down to the hen house); he’s a super-chill guy.
As Adobe’s Head of Customer Strategy for the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region, Kevin explains his role is about helping customers on their digital transformational journey. This involves things like addressing customers’ pain-points objectives and navigating their marketing automation landscape or commerce landscape.
Today on Chill, we’re chatting with legend John-David Klausner from Yotpo.
As Director of Partnerships, JD has overseen some epic growth with Yotpo in the ecomm ecosystem over the last few years.
We talk UGC, growth, ecomm ecosystem, partnerships, challenges, successes, and key strategies for 2021.
This week on Chill, Daniel Höhnke, Overdose’s MD in Berlin, chats with Alin Vlad, CMO at Otter Distribution, covering growth, omnichannel commerce, the evolution of marketing in Covid, and what we’ll see in 2021.
In this Chill episode, Overdose Auckland MD Jodi Irving chats with Dylan Brennan, eCommerce & Digital Marketing Manager @ Kitchen Things, covering growth, omnichannel marketing, the evolution of marketing in Covid, and what we can expect to see in 2021.
Kitchen Things
Kitchen Things is a nationally recognised New Zealand kitchen appliance retailer, specialising in premium European brands. They are 100% family-owned by the long-standing Jones Family Business and have grown to a network of 19 retail stores throughout the country. They are New Zealand’s exclusive supplier of Smeg and Asko and represent premium brands including Miele, Bosch, Gaggenau, Neff, and Samsung.
Kitchen Things recently implemented a digital transformation to meet customer needs, strengthen engagement, and focus on the customer experience. It’s an omnichannel approach providing ‘The Kitchen Things Experience’—expert knowledge, service, sales, and aftersales support.
Getting to know Dylan Brennan
Dylan launched into his adulthood studying robotics to appease his logical, data-driven mind. But, starting a family at a young age meant he never finished his study; instead his analytical mind ended up in the appliance industry (appliances are machines and so are robots so we can see the segue there).
His career was largely founded during a phase at Fisher & Paykel, an iconic New Zealand born-and-bred appliance maker, where he worked on their direct-to-market digital strategy in the UK. A few years later, he was recruited into the Jones Family Business, starting as a Digital Marketing Specialist, before progressing to be the eCommerce and Digital Marketing Manager.
Quitting the nine-to-five grind to chase a dream is the story on which the legendary apparel maker Vineyard Vines built its brand—and it’s an authentic one, not one woven by a marketing department.
Vineyard Vines’ success story began humbly after its two founders, brothers Shep and Ian Murray, tossed in their uninspiring desk jobs to recreate the ‘good life’—the happy and carefree days of their childhood summers spent on the iconic New England coastal island of Martha’s Vineyard. They started making ties so they didn’t have to wear them.
The original designs for the ties were fun and quirky, symbolising the ‘good life’ so that while people were at work, they would be reminded of the cool stuff they did on their vacations or the fun they had on their weekends. A noble notion that grew into a full range of apparel for men, women, and kids.
How did they pull it off and how hard was it to realise (or rather, “realize”) this American dream?
The Interview
Overdose Americas MD Gary Benerofe chills and chats with Vineyard Vines’ Vice President of Creative Strategy, Jory Benerofe (yes, same name—they are cousins), to discuss the brand’s strategy, and its successes and challenges along the way.
Jory joined Vineyard Vines in the early days when it was merely four to five guys in a two-bedroom pseudo-office—the modest beginnings of a big dream. Jory had fortuitously met one of the founders who hired him on the spot because he knew a bit about Photoshop.
Fast-forward two decades and Jory has transitioned from tie designer to overseeing a team of 28 including designers, copywriters, content creators, photographers, videographers, social media content developers, print editors, and digital editors—the full spectrum as everything is done in-house.
Although much of the brand’s creative success can be accredited to Jory and his team, he humbly suggests it boils down to the authenticity of the founders’ story and the fact the company has always stayed true to their beliefs.
Today on Chill, we’ll be chewing the fat with Nick Macey in Singapore, Founder of Uncharted.
Uncharted is a global insurtech with a SaaS platform powering innovative underwriting and distribution. They enable the market to easily transition their legacy core and distribution capabilities to a suite of scalable, cloud-native platforms, and compete head-on in the evolving digital economy.
Today on Chill, we’ll be joined by Tink Taylor of dotdigital. A luminary in the MarTech space and a fixture in the ecommerce ecosystem, Tink is the Founder & President of dotdigital, a robust omnichannel ecommerce marketing automation platform that always manages to stay ahead of the curve in what has become a crowded space.
Please join us as Overdose’s Director or Global Partnerships Andrew Potkewitz chats with Tink about MarTech, the ecommerce ecosystem, growth, tech challenges & successes, market trends, and holiday prep.
Today on Chill, we’ll be joined by Hagen Meischner of Shopify.
(Please note: Broadcast is in German.)
Overdose DACH’s Managing Director Daniel Höhnke will chat with Hagen about the ecommerce ecosystem, growth, tech challenges & successes, market trends, and holiday prep.
Today on Chill, Andrew Potkewitz, Jason Mun, and Vincent Corneille are catching up with Mike Halligan at Scratch to break down Scratch’s SEO & digital marketing strategies for driving competitive outcomes in the premium pet food space. These will be rapid-fire knowledge bombs from Jason and Vincent, so have your pens at the ready!
Today on Chill, Mikal Gilliat, Design Director at Trusted Media Brands, Inc., will be joining us.
From its roots in the 1920s with Readers Digest, TMBI has grown into a huge depth of content & digital assets and touched more lives than we can think of.
Today on Chill, in our last Live Audit for the year, we’re catching up with Chris & Tamsin George from Mildred & Co Ltd, breaking down their lovingly-curated premium gift store.
Jason & Vincent will be dropping some knowledge, and no doubt there will be some actionable insights for all store owners.
On Chill today, we’ll chat with Kevin B. Small, President & Digital Quarterback at BGA Media Group.
An ecommerce rainmaker, Kevin is the strategic mind behind the digital successes of many iconic brands.
In this Chill episode, Overdose’s Andrew Potkewitz chats with ecommerce powerhouse Alicia Radabaugh, covering growth, digital transformation, marketing, operations, the partner ecosystem, and what’s on tap for 2021.
Getting to know Alicia Radabaugh
Alicia works across multiple brands—she’s Head of Commerce at both 11 Honoré and Thirteen Lune and is Founding Partner at City Shoppe. A collaborator and a connector, Alicia does what she does always with a sense of purpose.
When Alicia tells Andrew a bit of her backstory, particularly her career progression which has seen her rise from waitress, to bookkeeper, to total legend in the ecommerce world, we see how she gravitates towards conscience-led commerce—the new breed of business where breaking barriers, inclusivity, and a sense of duty are what matters.
Today on Chill, we’ll be joined by Elizabeth Pilkington, Vice President of Ecommerce at J.McLaughlin.
Founded in 1977, J.McLaughlin had a mission to create a new American sportswear brand that offers two key components: classic clothes with current relevance, and a retail environment with a neighborhood feel. Their clothing is rooted in the tradition of sport, work, and play. It taps into the iconic legacy of true American sportswear.
Please join us as Overdose’s Managing Director for the Americas Gary Benerofe chats with Elizabeth about adapting to the current retail landscape, “brick-to-click” challenges & successes, market trends, and holiday prep.
Today on Chill, we’ll be joined by Martyn Boddy of Shopify Plus. A legend in the ecosystem with one of the most strategic minds in the space, Martyn is the Head of Partnerships at Shopify Plus, the fast-growing ecommerce platform taking the world by storm.
Please join us as Overdose’s Director or Global Partnerships Andrew Potkewitz chats with Martyn about growth, tech challenges & successes, market trends, the ecommerce ecosystem, holiday prep, and what we can expect to see in 2021.
This week on Chill, we’ll be delivering live actionable insights for Cygnet Perfumery.
Overdose digital strategy leaders Todd Welling, Jason Mun, and Vincent Corneille are catching up with Patrick Beggs of Pur Production to break down Cygnet’s SEO & digital marketing strategies for driving competitive outcomes in the scent & skincare space. These will be rapid-fire, data-driven insights from Todd, Jason, Vincent, so be ready for some great takeaways!
Today on Chill, we are joined by the great Heiko Eckert.
(Please note: Broadcast is in German.)
Heiko is the Head of Digital Marketing at CYBEX—an innovative leader in car seats, baby carriers, kids furniture, and strollers that enable parents to keep their little ones safe in style. CYBEX has become not just a leader in child safety but is also an innovative lifestyle and fashion brand for parents.
Today on Chill, we are joined by the incredible Brianne West.
Brianne is a pioneering Kiwi entrepreneur and the founder of Ethique – the world’s first zero-waste, full-range beauty & lifestyle brand.
Today on Chill, we’re being joined by Lachlan Bradford and exploring the lad's epic journey on the Funny Business Podcast, driving engagement, hustling LinkedIn, learnings from some of the legends they’ve interviewed… and general good chats.
Today on Chill, we will be joined by Jamie Sutton of Omnisend.
An absolute legend in the ecommerce tech ecosystem, Jamie is the General Manager of the Americas at Omnisend, an all-in-one omnichannel ecommerce marketing automation platform that is disrupting the status quo in the space.
Please join us as Overdose’s Director or Global Partnerships Andrew Potkewitz chats with Jamie about the ecommerce ecosystem, growth, tech challenges & successes, market trends, and holiday prep.
Today on Chill, we will be joined by the illustrious Lee Bissonnette of Marc Fisher Footwear.
Lee is Vice President, E-Commerce at Marc Fisher Footwear, Easy Spirit, and Nine West. Marc Fisher Footwear is a leading designer and marketer of fashion footwear with a legacy of expertise. They have a nimble, customer-oriented culture fueled by passionate people and hard work.
Please join us as Overdose’s Managing Director of the Americas Gary Benerofe chats with Lee about merchant challenges & successes, market trends, and holiday prep.
Today on Chill, we’re kicking off pushing out live across LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube with John Ball at Google, Managing Director ANZ of Customer Solutions.
John is an intrepid explorer as well as a digital savant, and he will be sharing some life stories, and his insights around digital acceleration, resilience, and leveraging the Google product suite.
Today on Overdose & Chill, our CEO, Todd, will catch up with Alex Cleary, Founder & Director of Alpha60. They discuss some epic insights on growing a market-resilient fashion brand, some great digital pivots, and watch out for their virtual in-store treasure hunt soon.
Today on Overdose & Chill, we’re catching up with Emma Mcilroy, CEO of Wildfang.
Emma walks us through her incredible story around purpose-driven brands, consumer connections, earned media, uniforms, finding 20k customers in your first 30 days, and our favourite new quote, “high potential bandaids.” One of the best.
WILDFANG is a US-based women’s apparel company featuring clothing that offers menswear inspired styling, breaking gender norms in fashion and society. The company was founded in 2012 by Emma Mcilroy, Taralyn Thuot, and Julia Parsley, who previously worked at Nike, Inc.
WILDFANG began in a studio apartment in Portland, OR. With equal parts nerve and naivety, the founders cashed in their savings and quit their corporate day jobs to build the now successful brand. The team had grown tired of asking “Are real pockets revolutionary?,” “Is it too much to ask for a button up without boob gap?,” and “Why is the fashion industry still clinging to outdated gender norms that serve no one?”
In answering these questions, WILDFANG was born, and ever since, the brand has been on a mission to rethink gender norms and how they show up in fashion. The brand embraces masculine, feminine, and everything-in-between.
Since WILDFANG started, they’ve given back over $500k to admirable causes and learned how to make some damn fine blazers. (With real pockets!)
You can visit them online or swing by one of their stores in PDX or LA.
In the ninth of our Overdose & Chill live Instagram interviews, our CEO, Todd Welling, chats with Kellie Burbidge, General Manager at Eat My Lunch, about her journey, the challenges of scaling a business, managing change, and what’s on the horizon for the enterprise.
Eat My Lunch
Eat My Lunch’s mission statement is “to ensure that no child at school goes hungry, starting with kids right here in our own backyard,” and the idea was conceived in response to 28% of Kiwi kids living in poverty and thousands going to school every day without food. For every lunch bought, this Social Enterprise gives a lunch to a Kiwi kid in need. With a good lunch in their tummies, the kids do better in so many ways, from being better focused on learning to simply just putting a smile on their faces.
As a direct result of not kids going hungry, 62% of schools saw improved attendance, 69% saw improved behavior, and 89% saw an improvement in student health & wellbeing. June this year marked Eat My Lunch’s 5th birthday, and they are proud to have given away over 1.5million lunches to Kiwi kids in need to date.
The Eat My Lunch team believes that clever business solutions can help solve social issues, so they created an innovative business model that intrinsically links a social objective into the heart of a for-profit business. The model is sustainable, scalable, and enables Kiwis to help other Kiwis. With the help of award-winning chef Michael Meredith, Eat My Lunch offers individuals and workplaces fresh, healthy lunches delivered across Auckland, Wellington, and Hamilton combined with the knowledge that they are helping to make a difference locally.
Kellie Burbidge
Before joining the Eat My Lunch team, Kellie had gained a myriad of valuable management experiences across the corporate world and in corporate banking. After taking some time to improve her work/life balance, Kellie found her current role at Eat My Lunch, which speaks to her social conscience, allows her to share her experience in supporting small enterprises, and integrates her passion for kids and making a difference.
This week, we’re chatting with Emma Mearns from the Brittain Wynyard & Co Ltd group, who has brought some killer brands to market in New Zealand including: Timberlands, Asics, Toms, Birkenstock, and more.
We will be discussing the revolution of D2C ecommerce in their business, leveraging channels, working with global brands, and activating new markets.
Brittain Wynyard & Co. is a family-owned distributor of sporting and outdoor equipment, footwear, and apparel. They represent leading international brands including: Asics, Wilson Sports, Daiwa, Timberland, Birkenstock, Esky, and many others, operating with a strong focus on the best quality and technology to support the active New Zealand lifestyle.
Leveraging our highly-regarded global digital expertise in a country that has the largest economy in Europe and almost 5% share of the entire global economy, Overdose’s ongoing expansion is led by Managing Director DACH, Daniel Höhnke. Daniel supports a rapidly growing portfolio of European and global brands by establishing a local team of senior project management, development, CX, and marketing specialists to expand the global Overdose offering into the European market.
The Interview
In the latest of our live Overdose & Chill Instagram interviews, our Group CEO, Todd Welling, chats with Daniel about the central European eCommerce market, its differences, challenges, and opportunities.
Daniel Höhnke
Daniel has spent 15 years working in German ecommerce and has run his own Agency for the past 9 years. He is pleased to be joining the OD team to spearhead its introduction to the German, Austrian, and Swiss (DACH) digital marketplace.
In the next of our live Instagram Overdose & Chill interviews, our CEO Todd Welling talks with Dan Fertig, Head of Partnerships at BigCommerce, about his background, the BigCommerce journey to IPO, and what the future of SaaS Commerce looks like from the platform side.
BigCommerce is a public technology company that provides a SaaS ecommerce platform. The company was founded in 2009 by Australians Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper and has since grown to 600+ employees with headquarters in Austin, Texas. In July 2020, BigCommerce successfully launched on the stock market by way of an IPO.
BigCommerce
The company’s website markets it as “one platform to run your online business” that can help retailers to “save time and money with a platform designed for the functionality that SME & Enterprise businesses need. With more built-in features than other leading platforms, BigCommerce gives you the power to grow your business from day one.”
Dan Fertig
Dan believes there is a real market opportunity to get ecommerce users to believe in software as a service by developing relationships and building trust with merchants who are already thinking about how to maximise product mix, back-office processes, market places, and channels, and he expresses the ever-important need for businesses to develop online stores to complement their brick-and-mortar offerings.
Brent Bellm, CEO of BigCommerce had a vision of developing BigCommerce’s product to cater to more sophisticated, mid-market customers and soon realised that it would need to build strong and successful partnerships in order to do so.
The combination of market opportunity and a belief in CEO Brent Bellm’s future strategy appealed to Dan’s “challenger mindset,” and he moved from Oracle to BigCommerce 4 years ago, relocating from New York to Austin in the process.
Today on Chill, we talk to Victor Castro, soon-to-be Vice President of Growth & Digital Product at Bonafide Health, about the brand’s journey, the “big” conversation, and how they manage to maintain traction.
Bonafide Health LLC is a North American healthcare provider that aims to provide powerful natural remedies for the common symptoms that often impact women’s lives, “from PMS to Menopause and everything else along the way.” Bonafide’s vitamins and minerals, which are also available as supplements to the key products, are marketed as “all the essentials for feeling good without compromise.”
The Bonafide product range is advertised as “safe and hormone-free” and “is backed by experts with experience in medical drug discovery, clinical research, and patient advocacy.”
Essentially, the company’s unique selling point is that it has started a candid conversation globally about women’s health issues, which is long overdue.
The Chat
In a world where it feels like we are bombarded daily by information about everything, everyone, and every place, PMS, menopause, and their various symptoms are surprisingly still very much taboo subjects. Bonafide plans to expand the conversation with determination: it is determined not to sugar-coat the symptoms, products, or solutions; it is determined not to use euphemisms; and it is determined to challenge the fact that female sex organs are forbidden SEO keywords, filtered to block their use in marketing information not only on the internet but also on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook!
Bonafide isn’t the only company facing this barrier to marketing content. It could well be joined by brands that sell sex toys and feminine products in lobbying the digital platform providers to change their current processes and allow adults to have grown-up conversations, information, and choices, all while ensuring children are still protected from seeing age-inappropriate information.
Bonafide does not want to be pushed into a private group to continue this very important conversation. This brand has the courage of its convictions and wants to provide its growing audience with a safe space for communication, a trusted resource for education, and an environment where people can talk about their symptoms freely.
In the fourth episode of our Overdose & Chill Live, we talk to Andy Mackie about how Asset Factory can help retailers of all sizes to maximise their online marketing, and he gives us an insight into the four key photography machines that create the magic.
Asset Factory was established in Kingsland, Auckland in 2016 after LookDepot founder Andy Mackie recognised the growing link between digital capability and overall business success through content production timelines.
The company has paired its in-depth knowledge of digital commerce with the benefits of the world’s most advanced fully automated photography machines to create a solution that enables quality content to be created quickly and cost-effectively by businesses of all sizes.
Now New Zealand’s leading ecommerce and social content creation agency, the Asset Factory team works with brands from all over the country. Their clients range from small start-ups to established iconic brands spanning fashion, homewares, FMCG, health and beauty, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals.
This week on Chill, we chat with Matt Jones the Co-Founder of Four Pillars.
Four Pillars Gin was born in 2013 when three friends and wine industry veterans decided to embark on their next adventure producing gin. Six years later, Four Pillars was named by the IWSC in London as the world’s leading gin producer. Four Pillars prides itself on being a modern Australian maker who produces awarded and unique craft gins right here in Australia. The brand is centred on combining intense creativity around gin with a huge passion for hospitality and fun.
Overdose's CEO, Todd Welling talks with Matt Jones about the Four Pillars journey, their modern Australian product, market challenges, and how they maximize their consumer experience.
This week on Chill, we chat with Dion Roosenbrand, the Founder and CEO of NZ Muscle. Overdose's CEO, Todd Welling talks with Dion about NZ Muscle's growth, risk-taking, the impact of Covid-19, the role of influencers in the marketing arena, and how to achieve a good work/life balance.
NZ Muscle retails high-quality nutritional supplements, health foods, vitamins, weight loss products, clothing, accessories, and sports equipment; all sourced from across the globe and available from a gym, four retail stores located across Auckland, and via an online shop to consumers throughout New Zealand. The company caters to male and female customers of all shapes and sizes; from the hardcore bodybuilder to the everyday gym-goer, and is proud to be an organic New Zealand retailer.
When Dion Roosenbrand was a student and spending a lot of his time working out at the gym with friends, he realised that there was a limited choice of sports supplements available locally. From sourcing international products for his own personal use, the idea grew that the NZ gym community might also be interested in a better choice of products. He was right, and the company that he started operating out of his parent’s garage in 2006 has since grown to be the NZ Muscle brand that we know today with four stores across Auckland.
In the first of our Overdose & Chill: Live Instagram interviews, we talk to Tom Franey, Head of Ecommerce @ Scotch & Soda Australia, about his journey, what makes the brand unique, the impact of Covid-19, and how the company is managing customer retention.
From his initial job in sales on a shop floor, Tom quickly took up an opportunity to train and gain experience in retail marketing and online content. He joined Scotch & Soda in 2019 to lead their digital transformation and omnichannel retail strategy across Australia and New Zealand.
Scotch & SodaScotch & Soda designs, manufactures, and sells eclectic, modern, luxury clothing for men, women, and kids. Its clothing range is supplemented by denim, footwear, and accessories, such as fragrances and eyewear, which continue to cement Scotch & Soda as a brand for discerning shoppers who consciously choose a lifestyle of freedom and choice.
From its humble beginnings in Amsterdam, the past 35 years have seen Scotch & Soda expand from a menswear-only brand to the all-inclusive global offering it is today. Its designs can now be found at over 7,000 selected retailers and in 247 standalone stores worldwide. Customers in over 70 countries can avail themselves of its growing online service.
The Brand
With a tagline of “Amsterdam Couture,” Scotch & Soda is a luxury European brand aimed at discerning consumers who demand style and quality in both wardrobe staples and statement pieces.
Speaking of the company’s emphasis on the importance of each customer’s in-store experience, Tom describes the impact of “the smell, the touch of the products… the brass and the gold finishings throughout the store” to the Fashion Hosts and Stylists whose priority it is to make a one-to-one connection with each customer who comes through the door, regardless of how busy the store is.
With Tom at the helm, Scotch & Soda has put its Australia/New Zealand digital transformation and omnichannel retail strategy in very good hands.
Overdose + Scotch & Soda
In order to help Scotch & Soda meet its desired business outcomes, Overdose has been working with Tom and his team to integrate launch a new Magento 2 Commerce Cloud website, integrated with its Apparel 21 ERP via Comestri middleware. The utilization of Comestri allows for bi-directional transfer of product, order fulfillment, shipping, and accounting functions whilst allowing the company to syndicate products to their additional channels.
Scotch & Soda has created a way of thinking that has helped shape today’s global brand. Its passion for original thinking and rejecting the normal and mundane has opened the way for its clothing styles to be seen as a key indicator of the wearer’s beliefs and an outward symbol of belonging to a distinct subculture and movement. This ongoing journey with Overdose and Magento will further enhance the digitization of the customer experience to grow and shape this global brand in the future and to amplify the retailing of its distinctive brand of shirts, sweaters, suits, outerwear, shoes, and accessories to individuals around the world who want to make a statement.
View the Scotch & Soda Case Study here.
This week on Chill, we chat with the great Matt Porter @ Kokatat.
Matt is Product Manager at Kokatat, an innovative, world-renowned paddle sports gear and apparel brand based in California. With over 15 years at Kokatat, Matt has been an integral part of the brand's success and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise across digital commerce. (He also knows a thing or two about paddle sports.)
Keith Karlick, Overdose Seattle’s Director of Strategy and Matt discuss continual innovation and expansion, the evolution of the commerce landscape, challenges and successes and strategies for successful growth.