"We were close to closing the company two or three times. Every winter was like, okay, that's it. Goodbye company."
Chris Erthel built Meller sunglasses from a Spanish side project into a brand that sells a pair every 28 seconds. Along the way, he helped scale HelloBody from €30M to €107M as fractional CMO before its €330M exit to Henkel. We talked about why US brands fail in Europe, the cultural quirks that kill conversions in Germany, and why Italy requires cash on delivery or you're dead on arrival.
GUEST LINKS
- Meller Brand: mellerbrand.com (Discount Code: CHRISERTHEL)
- Weavy AI: weavy.ai
- Chris Erthel LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chriserthel
SPONSORS
- Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
- Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify
- Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels
WORK WITH KURT
- Apply for Shopify Help: ethercycle.com/apply
- See Our Results: ethercycle.com/work
- Free Newsletter: kurtelster.com
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.
