Business
In this episode of E-Coffee with Experts, our host Austin Willman sits down with Dave Carlson, President at Wildflower Cases, to unpack how a family-run ecommerce brand scaled globally by committing to one thing most businesses quit too early: consistent content creation.
Dave shares how Wildflower evolved from handmade phone cases into a culture-driven brand with loyal customers, viral collaborations, and organic growth fueled by social media, SEO, and brand storytelling. He explains why Wildflower sees itself as a content production company that happens to sell phone cases, and how that mindset has driven 14+ years of sustained growth.
The conversation also dives deep into:
- How AI is reshaping SEO and consumer behavior
- Why ChatGPT is becoming a new “search engine”
- What ecommerce brands must change post-Black Friday traffic shifts
- How collaborations drive backlinks, trust, and authority
- Why transparency matters more than ever in the AI era
- The danger of building businesses alone with AI
If you’re a founder, marketer, SEO, or agency owner navigating ecommerce, content marketing, organic search, or AI-driven discovery, this episode is a must-listen.
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In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 - 01:10: Introduction
01:10 - 03:30: What 30 years on the internet teaches marketers
03:30 - 05:10: From marketing agency to E-commerce brand
05:10 - 07:20: Why content has always been the key
07:20 - 09:10: Building Wildflower without outside funding
09:10 - 11:20: Treating the brand like a content company
11:20 - 13:40: Creating daily content without burning out
13:40 - 16:00: Using real life moments to create content
16:00 - 18:30: Expanding beyond phone cases
18:30 - 20:30: Building community through events and experiences
20:30 - 23:00: Launching a cookware brand with the same strategy
23:00 - 25:30: Why collaborations help brands grow faster
25:30 - 28:10: Managing influencers and creator partnerships
28:10 - 30:20: The risks of building alone with AI
30:20 - 33:10: How AI is changing search and SEO
33:10 - 36:10: What E-commerce brands must change for AI
36:10 - 38:30: Why backlinks and PR matter more than ever
38:30 - 39:59: Final advice for founders and marketers
Connect with Dave Carlson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandstrategist/
http://wildflowercases.com/
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