344 | Building Community Buzz Before Pitching Investors | with John Clark

John Clark is the founder of Modern Shelving and Tandm Surf, two brands born from a simple idea: if he could sell it, his wife, an engineer, could build it. What started as a family-run shelving business evolved into a global Ecommerce company, while a day on the water with his daughter inspired an inflatable tandem surfboard that would later appear on Shark Tank. John’s journey blends practicality with creativity. From solving everyday pain points with shelving to creating a patented surfboard that makes riding waves accessible to anyone, he’s built businesses that reflect both lifestyle and innovation. Along the way, he’s navigated the challenges of pitching on national TV, scaling niche products in the DTC market, and balancing multiple ventures without losing his entrepreneurial spark. Whether you’re running a growing ecommerce brand or looking to turn family values into scalable business, John offers an honest look at what it takes to transform passion into products people love and companies that last. In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:37] Intro[01:21] Launching new products to fuel business growth[03:14] Adopting Google Adwords to drive early sales[04:00] Turning family traditions into a business idea[05:39] Making surfing accessible to everyone[07:07] Sharing prototypes at the beach for feedback[08:00] Pitching novelty ideas that capture attention[09:28] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Grow[12:40] Answering what really happens after the deal[14:29] Leveraging the Shark Tank bump for growth[17:56] Using events to build brand visibility[19:06] Finding the right partner for long-term success[19:40] Patenting inflatable boards for portability[20:45] Building community beyond physical products[23:01] Encouraging entrepreneurs to think globally Resources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeVersatile designs + unique storage solutions for any space modernshelving.com/Shark Tark approved Tandem bodyboards and pool saddles tandmsurf.com/Follow John Clark linkedin.com/in/johngclarkSchedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connectClear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization heatmap.com/honestThe Premier Conference for Ecommerce Operators joingrow.com 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!