353 | Discovering New Markets Through Real Conversations | with Shelley Gupta

Honest Ecommerce

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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