How This Popular Gardening Blog Blossomed Into an Empire
Executive Summary
Shopify Masters episode in which the host talks with Kevin Espiritu, founder of Epic Gardening, about growing from a gardening blog and YouTube channel into an ecommerce business. The host says the store now accounts for about 90 percent of revenue. Kevin says that until 2019 he earned from ads, affiliate deals and brand deals, and decided that if brands wanted access to his audience he should offer something directly to it. He says he did not have to invent anything, because his audience pointed him to raised garden beds he found through a manufacturer after messaging them several times over a year. He says he set up his own Shopify store, used a third party logistics company and ShipStation at first, later brought warehousing in house, and shifted his executive assistant into customer support, with phone calls producing orders of a few thousand dollars. Shopify, which produces the show, is the sponsor named in the description. PARTIAL COVERAGE: the captions cover roughly the first 12 minutes of the 30 minute episode, so later topics such as acquiring another business are not summarized. All claims are Kevin's own and are not independently checked. Nothing here is financial, legal or business advice.
Key Takeaways
Offer something to your audience
Kevin says he decided to offer a product directly to the audience he had built instead of only taking brand deals.
Trust as an asset
He says the audience trusted him, so he asked why not try.
You do not have to invent
He says media creators do not have to invent anything and can follow what the audience points to.
Comments as a focus group
He says viewers kept asking about the raised beds in his yard, which led him to a manufacturer.
Persistence with a supplier
He says he messaged the manufacturer three or four times over a year before they said yes.
Use vendors first
He says he used a third party logistics company and ShipStation first and only later moved warehousing in house.
Phone support sells
He says a support person calling people produced routine orders of two to five thousand dollars.
The Conversation Breakdown
Offer something to your audience
⏱ Untimed topicKevin says he decided to offer a product directly to the audience he had built instead of only taking brand deals.
Trust as an asset
⏱ Untimed topicHe says the audience trusted him, so he asked why not try.
You do not have to invent
⏱ Untimed topicHe says media creators do not have to invent anything and can follow what the audience points to.
Comments as a focus group
⏱ Untimed topicHe says viewers kept asking about the raised beds in his yard, which led him to a manufacturer.
Persistence with a supplier
⏱ Untimed topicHe says he messaged the manufacturer three or four times over a year before they said yes.
Use vendors first
⏱ Untimed topicHe says he used a third party logistics company and ShipStation first and only later moved warehousing in house.
Phone support sells
⏱ Untimed topicHe says a support person calling people produced routine orders of two to five thousand dollars.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Audience as product guide - Kevin's method
Listen to comments for what people ask to buy.
Vendors before in-house - Kevin's approach
Start with specialists since you may not know the new world.
Offer before ads - Kevin's media to store idea
Sell directly to the audience you built.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Read your audience comments for repeated product questions.
- ✓Message a supplier more than once, as Kevin did over a year.
- ✓Use a third party logistics partner before building a warehouse.
- ✓Treat Kevin's results as his own, not business advice.
Notable Quotes
“why wouldn't I try at least to offer something directly to that audience”
“you don't have to invent anything if you don't want to”
“I was at least smart enough to know that I didn't know the world I was jumping into”
The One Thing to Remember
Kevin Espiritu says his gardening media brand turned into a store by offering products directly to an audience that already trusted him and told him what it wanted.