Bright Minds of eCommerce Podcast

I sit down with Mary from Mary Grace this week, and we get into how she turned her own skin sensitivities into a full beauty and home fragrance brand, why she ditched the picture perfect approach to branding, and how that decision ended up building her the most loyal customer community. We also talk about the chaos of accidentally going viral, what she's learned from having actors and authors comm...

Why has marketing gotten so boring lately? In this episode I'm unpacking why so many eCommerce brands feel the same, and why having a personality, yours or a deliberately built one, might be the biggest competitive advantage you're not using. I look at brands like Duolingo, Frank Body and Who Gives a Crap who've nailed this, share why trying to get everyone to love you is a losing game, and give y...

Jodie Minto joins me this week to talk about the marketing mistakes she sees eCommerce founders make on repeat, from relying too heavily on organic social in the early days, to going all in on paid ads and forgetting everything else. We get into product pages that leave customers with more questions than answers, what conversion rate you should actually be aiming for, and why the money you think y...

Is your Meta ads account structure actually built for your goals, or just built? In this episode I break down the two types of advertisers I see all the time, the set and forget crowd and the constant tinkerers, and why both approaches can quietly cost you growth. I share a real client story where solid sales were masking a serious growth problem, talk about when to hand control back to Meta and w...

Jaimie from Bloom Money joins me to talk numbers, the kind most eCommerce owners avoid until tax time forces their hand. We get into why Shopify and Xero never seem to agree, the GST mistake that once cost a business three hundred grand in ad spend, and how to actually plan a Black Friday sale using real figures instead of a guess and a prayer.

Sixteen years ago I started Bright Red Marketing with no idea what I was doing. In this episode I'm sharing the sixteen lessons that stuck, from learning I'm not for every client, to why chasing the algorithm makes you a worse advertiser, to the accountant conversation that changed everything. Some of it's about business, some of it's about boundaries, and one of it is about why a logo is not a br...

In this episode, Lauren McBean from Kuddly Kids shares the messy, honest reality of buying and building a business from scratch, from the stock she's still clearing five years later, to burning out before she finally let go of control. She also shares how she is learning how to show up online when it terrified her, the gut feeling she ignored and why trusting your instincts might be the most under...

I'm talking about the thing I think a lot of marketers are getting quietly wrong right now, optimising so hard for numbers that they've stopped actually connecting with people. I share the story of a client ad with a goal ROAS of zero that went on to get a 22x ROAS, break down what "more human" content actually looks like in a Meta ads context, and explain why founder content, UGC, and even a well...

Running an eCommerce business while stuck in a mountain of emails and admin tasks? Jess Whatman from AgentSync joins me to talk about how to actually figure out what to hand off, the difference between a VA, an OBM, and an executive assistant, and why the real risk is staying stuck doing everything yourself. We also get into how AI and automation are changing what offshore support looks like, and...

In this episode, I take you through my step-by-step Meta ads account audit, the exact process I use to find what's working, what's not, and where budget is quietly disappearing. From dashboard setup to audience segments, funnel metrics, creative performance, and the breakdown tool, this is a practical look inside how to actually read your account instead of just hoping the numbers make sense.

Nikki Parkinson has been a content creator and influencer for nearly 18 years, and in this episode she's sharing everything brands need to know about making influencer partnerships actually work. We talk about why follower count is a trap, how to vet creators properly, why long-term relationships beat one-off campaigns every time, and how creator content is becoming one of the most powerful assets...

Scaling your Meta ads is one of the most misunderstood parts of running paid ads for your eCommerce store. In this episode, Dahna breaks down horizontal vs vertical scaling, what's changed with Advantage Plus, and the practical strategies that let you grow your ad account without blowing up what's already working.

AI is everywhere right now, but most people are starting with it completely wrong. Em Gee joins me to break down exactly where to begin if you want AI to actually save you time in your eCommerce business, how to train it to sound like you, and why the human in the loop is still the most important part of the process. Whether you've been dabbling with AI for a while or still haven't really gotten i...

Your product photos are doing more selling than you think, and if they're not up to scratch, your ads don't stand a chance. In this episode, Dahna chats with Peita from Bloom Creative about strategic product photography, why trust is the real thing you're selling online, and how to build a shot list that actually works for your eCommerce business. They also get into UGC, AI images, and the moment...

Charlie Pond from The Guideliner took a car ride complaint, a vague memory of childhood tattoos, and a Cricut machine, and turned it into a million-dollar beauty brand in just 18 months. In this episode, she shares exactly how she did it and what she'd do differently. From product development and sustainable packaging to going viral without warning and navigating the million-dollar swamp, this one...

Every week someone's telling you funnels are dead, Advantage Plus is the only way, and you need to try this new strategy ASAP. But what if all that trend-chasing is actually making your results worse? In this episode, I break down why knowing your own business data beats following the gurus every time, how to use Meta's Audience Segments tool to see where your money's actually going, and why the b...

Emma from Sparo Studios is here to tell you that your logo is not your brand, and your pretty website might be the reason your ads aren't converting. In this episode, Emma and I dig into why brand positioning and UX are the two non-negotiables for eCommerce success, what to look for when your site isn't performing, and how to make sure your ads and your website are actually working together instea...

Lauren from Our Earth Life shares how she built her nature play business from side hustle to family operation. We talk staying debt-free, working with your spouse, Black Friday wins, stock management, and why designing products you're proud of changes everything.

Sophie from Better Brow joins me to share how she went from beauty frustration to founder of a simple at-home brow waxing brand. We talk product development, protecting your idea, TikTok marketing, and why launching before you're ready might be the best thing you can do.

Priya from Flow Butler joins me to share why email marketing is your best bet for retention in 2025. We talk email flows that actually convert, smart segmentation, creative campaigns that build relationships, and where AI fits in your strategy without losing the human touch.

Today we go into why your Meta ads aren't bringing in new customers, and the simple fixes that'll change that. We cover audience segment setup, using the breakdown tool properly, and the creative shifts you need to win over people who've never heard of your brand.

In this episode, we're talking to Christine Innes from the Corporate Escapists about her journey from the corporate world to entrepreneurship. Christine shares insights on the importance of storytelling, mindset, and authenticity in business. We also chat about the power of having a supportive community, adapting to change, and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs. Tune into this fantastic c...

In this episode of the Bright Minds of E-Commerce Podcast, Dahna is joined by Catherine Abe from Collabarts to chat about maximising your eComm photography. Catherine emphasises the importance of consistency in branding and the significance of aligning your photography with your brand's identity to communicate the desired message effectively to your audience. Tune in for some tips on photography,...

In this solo episode, I am breaking down Meta's Advantage Plus suite. This suite aims to streamline the process of running ads through automation and improved AI algorithms. It comprises five main components: Advantage Plus shopping, Advantage campaign budget, Advantage Plus audiences, Advantage Plus placements, and Advantage Plus creative. I'll talk you through the pros and cons of each and the i...

Joining me in this episode is Debbie Hatumale-Uy, founder of Only the Sweet Stuff. Debbie shares her journey from a creative outlet to a thriving crafting business and how she blended her marketing and crafting expertise to transition into coaching for e-commerce success. We had a fantastic conversation about leveraging social media, niche targeting, and analysing metrics as well as tips on work-l...