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353 | Discovering New Markets Through Real Conversations | with Shelley Gupta
Episode 353
Shelley Gupta is the Founder & CEO of BāKIT Box, a STEM-based baking kit bringing global flavors and cultural traditions into homes across America. Her path to CPG began far from the kitchen as a recording artist signed to EMI Music before earning her CFA, an MBA from Chicago Booth, and leading strategy work at Accenture.
Blending creativity with financial rigor, Shelley turned a casual conversation with a homeschooling parent into a breakthrough channel, now approved as an official curriculum in 14 states. In this episode, she shares how that discovery reshaped her subscription strategy, why flexibility beats lock-in for retention, and how understanding the real buyer (not just the user) transformed her business.
Whether you’re an ecommerce founder rethinking your subscription model or a CPG operator looking for smarter customer acquisition paths, Shelley’s story is a lesson in listening deeply, iterating fast, and staying true to your mission.
In This Conversation We Discuss:
- [00:24] Intro
- [00:49] Building community through shared passions
- [02:20] Transforming baking into an educational tool
- [03:41] Launching early versions to test real demand
- [04:32] Reaching first customers through organic channels
- [05:24] Applying to accelerators as a product founder
- [06:00] Differentiating users from true buyers
- [06:52] Rebranding to serve a clearer customer base
- [07:48] Testing niche ideas before fully committing
- [08:56] Stay updated with new episodes
- [09:07] Turning chance encounters into growth channels
- [10:17] Building growth through genuine relationships
- [10:53] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap & Freight Right
- [15:31] Designing subscriptions with built-in flexibility
- [16:44] Expanding marketing beyond paid social
- [18:19] Understanding customer complexity and fatigue
- [20:41] Leveraging creative roots to build a brand
Resources:
- Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
- STEM Baking Kits for Curious Kids bakitbox.com/
- Follow Shelley Gupta linkedin.com/in/shelley-gupta
- Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect
- Clear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honest
- Turn your domestic business into an international business freightright.com/honest
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Published on 2 weeks, 3 days ago