avatar

312 | Maximizing ROI on Your Best Product | with Wes Horbatuck & Greg Orfe

Honest Ecommerce
Honest Ecommerce
Episode • Jan 13, • 36m

Wes Horbatuck and Greg Orfe bring entrepreneurial passion and innovation to the world of watersport apparel and ecommerce. 

As founders, Wes and Greg have navigated the high barriers of entry in the apparel industry, scaling Driftline from concept to a Shark Tank-featured brand recognized in Forbes, Outside, and The Inertia. Wes brings expertise in guerrilla marketing and brand growth, while Greg specializes in operations and supply chain optimization, making them a dynamic duo in ecommerce innovation.

With a commitment to helping athletes "meet their moment," they’ve crafted efficient ecommerce strategies, streamlined their Shopify-powered website, and built a brand focused on resilience, quality, and performance. Their story reflects a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, inspiring others to take bold steps toward success in a competitive landscape.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

  • [00:39] Intro
  • [01:23] Testing prototypes and validation
  • [02:29] Realizing the product’s potential beyond surfing
  • [03:57] Creating a product for the location
  • [05:24] Dealing with manufacturing challenges
  • [07:36] E-Commerce and website setup challenges
  • [09:04] The market of the Two-in-One Short Concept
  • [12:18] Turning an idea into protected innovation 
  • [14:02] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
  • [18:52] Balancing organic sales with Shark Tank
  • [20:41] Reflecting on the Shark Tank experience
  • [25:48] Managing cash flow and spending Post-Shark Tank
  • [27:14] Partnering with better manufacturers
  • [31:15] Building trust with differing roles & perspectives
  • [32:16] Choosing between product expansion & niche focus

Resources:

If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Simplecast Summary

On this episode of Honest Ecommerce, we have Wes Horbatuck and Greg Orfe, founders of Driftline, a watersport apparel brand featured on Shark Tank that’s transforming performance wear with their patented wetsuit-lined boardshorts, Drifties™.

We talk about the challenges of breaking into the apparel industry, Ecommerce strategies for driving website traffic, tips for streamlining your online store, and so much more!