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279 | The Impact of Word of Mouth for Product Growth | with Kevin Lavelle

Honest Ecommerce
Honest Ecommerce
Episode • May 27, 2024 • 29m

Kevin Lavelle is the CEO and Co-Founder of Harbor. He brings a wealth of experience from his role as the Founder and Chairman of Mizzen+Main, having invented the world’s first performance fabric dress shirt. 

With a successful growth round raised from L Catterton, partnerships with world-renowned athletes like Phil Mickelson and JJ Watt, and a background in omnichannel retail, Kevin is not only a dedicated entrepreneur but also a loving husband and father of two.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

  • [00:44] Intro
  • [00:55] Building a secure and reliable baby monitor
  • [02:24] Creating a performance-fabric dress shirt
  • [03:23] Debunking "if you build it, they will come"
  • [04:11] Seeking technology to enhance family life
  • [05:01] The unreliability of phone apps for monitoring
  • [05:54] Striving to improve early parenting years
  • [06:39] Improving novel ideas into successful products
  • [07:16] Validating demand through actual sales efforts
  • [08:48] Generating awareness with creative marketing
  • [09:41] Building customer bonds with thoughtful gestures
  • [10:33] Navigating incorrect assumptions confidently
  • [11:04] Electric Eye: Your true Shopify expert
  • [12:01] Finding customers where they are
  • [12:38] Acknowledging the flaws of initial products
  • [13:14] Valuing friends' early support in business
  • [14:15] Benefits of membership-based relationships
  • [15:57] The cost of building quality products
  • [17:56] Prioritizing innovation and customer experience
  • [18:42] Marketing challenges of one vs. multiple products
  • [19:36] The constant influx of new customers
  • [20:59] The power of parent-to-parent endorsements
  • [22:16] The evolution of influencer marketing
  • [24:53] Engaging with celebrity moms and influencers
  • [25:36] Acknowledging the value of wholesale partners
  • [26:29] Maintaining organic audience engagement
  • [27:37] Cutting through the noise with authentic content
  • [28:45] Connecting with Kevin and Harbor

Resources:

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