How Bay Smokes Scaled to Eight Figures Without Traditional Advertising With William Goodall
Release Date: 03/26/2025
Minds of Ecommerce
Liza Roeser is the Founder and CEO of FiftyFlowers, an innovative online floral retailer that delivers farm-fresh flowers directly to customers across the US. Her journey began in the early 1990s with the Peace Corps in Ecuador, where she developed a passion for the floral industry and later spent over a decade building relationships with sustainable farms worldwide. Under her leadership, FiftyFlowers has grown into a multimillion-dollar business with over a million orders delivered. A serial entrepreneur, Liza also founded Flower Fix, Farm Exports, Inc., and The Flower CEO, where she shares...
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Kareem Elgendy is the Chief Executive Officer of Veiled, an eight-figure fashion brand for Muslim women. Under his leadership, Veiled has achieved impressive growth, with consistent revenue increases and a strong emphasis on analytics to optimize the company’s ecommerce strategy. Kareem previously served as a Senior Marketing Strategist at Baked Bouquet and held project management roles at Frank Seta & Associates. His multifaceted background, including roles as a sustainability expert, software engineer, and unit manager in banking, adds a unique perspective to his approach in the...
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Justin Soleimani is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Tumble, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in machine-washable, spillproof rugs designed for modern living. Before establishing Tumble in 2021, he worked as a consultant at Bain & Company, advising clients across various industries. Justin holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics from Emory University, where he met his Co-founder, Zach Dannett. Under their leadership, Tumble has grown significantly, scaling to high eight-figures in revenue within four years. Zach Dannett is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Tumble....
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Matt Johnson is the Co-founder and CEO of Omnia Fishing, an innovative ecommerce platform that personalizes tackle shopping through map-based technology and community engagement. In 2010, he co-founded Contour Innovations, developing the lake mapping platform Insight Genesis, which was acquired by Lowrance in 2014. Matt also co-founded Able Seedhouse and Brewery in Northeast Minneapolis. An avid angler, he has fished globally, from lake trout in Lake Superior's Apostle Islands to yellowtail kingfish in New Zealand. In this episode… Choosing the right product online can feel...
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William Goodall is the Founder of Bay Smokes, a national cannabis company specializing in high-quality smokable hemp products. Under his leadership, Bay Smokes has expanded its product line to include THC, CBD, Delta-8, and other plant-based medicines, gaining a significant following on social media platforms. William studied biomedical engineering at Arizona State University before leaving to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. His innovative approach to marketing and product development has positioned Bay Smokes as a prominent brand in the evolving cannabis industry. In this episode… How do...
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Kyle Ewing is the Founder and CEO of TerraSlate Paper, a company specializing in high-quality waterproof and rip-proof paper products. After leaving the corporate world in 2014, he launched Guerrilla Tags ID Systems, which experienced rapid growth and was acquired in 2015. Building on his entrepreneurial success, Kyle established TerraSlate in 2015, growing it into a multimillion-dollar company serving clients in over 85 countries. A serial entrepreneur with ventures across multiple industries, he is also the Chairman of Windward Equity and Owner of Big Island Honey Co. In this episode… Many...
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Myriam Belzile-Maguire is the Founder and Designer at Maguire Shoes, an independent fashion footwear and accessories brand based in Montreal, Canada. Co-owned by Myriam and her sister, Romy, the award-winning brand has built a strategic presence in digital and physical marketplaces. Under Myriam’s leadership, Maguire Shoes operates boutiques in Montreal, Toronto, and New York and was honored with the Emerging Talent Award in Accessories at the 2022 Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards. Before founding Maguire, Myriam designed for dozens of renowned brands, such as Opening Ceremony, and held...
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Cherene Aubert is the VP of Digital and Ecommerce at ILIA Beauty, an LA-based cosmetics brand, where she leads the charge in digital innovation and sales transformation. With a history of driving growth for over 100 DTC brands and managing nearly $300 million in media spend, Cherene's expertise spans from Series A startups to established companies post-acquisition. Her strategic mind was pivotal at Bobby, a DTC brand that soared to nine figures in revenue in just two years. Specializing in offer testing, Cherene's approach to marketing is data-driven, customer-focused, and geared toward...
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Justin Silver is the Co-founder of AAVRANI, an Ayurvedic beauty brand focusing on skin and hair care. Ranked in Mintoiro's Top 100 Trending Skincare Brands in January 2014, the brand has expanded globally. Justin started his career in investment banking and private equity before venturing into investing in consumer goods and partnering with businesses in the food, beauty, and beverage niches. He is an investor turned entrepreneur with experience growing digital-first luxury brands through ecommerce, retail, and wholesale. A Wharton Business School alumnus, Justin imparts industry knowledge as...
info_outlineWilliam Goodall is the Founder of Bay Smokes, a national cannabis company specializing in high-quality smokable hemp products. Under his leadership, Bay Smokes has expanded its product line to include THC, CBD, Delta-8, and other plant-based medicines, gaining a significant following on social media platforms. William studied biomedical engineering at Arizona State University before leaving to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. His innovative approach to marketing and product development has positioned Bay Smokes as a prominent brand in the evolving cannabis industry.
In this episode…
How do you grow a brand when traditional marketing channels are off-limits? For companies in highly regulated industries, scaling without access to Meta Ads, Google, or standard influencer strategies can feel nearly impossible. What’s the secret to building momentum — and maintaining it — when your best growth tools keep getting shut down?
William Goodall, an expert in social-first marketing strategies, uses his cannabis venture as a compelling case study for navigating and succeeding in a restrictive advertising environment. William began by creating viral, humorous video content and distributing it through meme pages during a time of lax social media moderation. When platforms cracked down and accounts were deleted, he pivoted — experimenting with new social trends, empowering team members to own acquisition channels, and forming profit-sharing partnerships with celebrities to access fresh audiences. William emphasizes the value of rapid testing, staying agile as rules shift, and the need for tight budget oversight when scaling rapidly.
In this episode of the Minds of Ecommerce podcast, Raphael Paulin-Daigle interviews William Goodall, Founder of Bay Smokes, about growing a cannabis brand without relying on traditional advertising. William explores alternative acquisition strategies, building “closed-loop” systems, and learning from marketing missteps. Tune in for insights on managing influencer partnerships, leveraging social trends, aligning team structure with growth, and keeping business partners motivated.