Cloud Cat

Building a DTC e-commerce brand from scratch is one of the most demanding creative and operational challenges there is. There is no team to delegate to, no existing playbook to follow, and no safety net when things go wrong. Every decision from product selection and pricing, to marketing strategy and customer experience falls on one person. Add the complexity of operating in a heavily regulated industry where advertising restrictions, platform policies, and legal requirements shift constantly, the challenge becomes significantly harder.

Cloud Cat was built in that environment, from nothing, and grew into a fully functioning DTC operation with nearly 1,000 SKUs, a loyal customer base, and measurable results across every function of the business.

Cloud Cat is an online head shop offering a wide range of glass and smoking accessories, novelty items, games, and pet toys, all wrapped in a brand built for cannabis lovers who appreciate bright colors, bold style, and love cats. The brand has a clear visual identity, a distinct voice, and a personality that is entirely its own. Every element was developed in-house, including the logo and full visual identity, brand guidelines, product photography, lifestyle photography, packaging concepts, social media presence, email marketing program, blog content, and educational video content. Even free downloadable cannabis-themed coloring pages were created for customers to enjoy. Every touchpoint was built with intention and 100% of proceeds from every pet toy sold went directly to animal shelters.

Running Cloud Cat meant owning every function of a DTC e-commerce business simultaneously and continuously.

Product curation was one of the most critical and ongoing responsibilities. Working with multiple distributors, I curated and managed an assortment of nearly 1,000 SKUs, constantly monitoring market trends, customer behavior, and sales performance to identify high-demand products before they peaked and cycled out underperformers before they became dead stock. Every product on the site was a deliberate choice.

Site operations ran on Shopify, where I managed everything from product listings, collections, and product detail page optimization to promotional planning, pricing strategy, discount logic, and checkout flow. I applied a working knowledge of Shopify's template system and HTML and CSS to execute site customizations and improvements, leveraging developer support when needed for more complex implementations. I also developed and maintained an extensive FAQ section to proactively address customer questions, reduce support inquiries, and improve the overall site experience.

Inventory management involved monthly reconciliation across 989+ SKUs, coordinating with 24 distributors to maintain availability, forecasting demand based on historical sales data and seasonality, and managing the full product lifecycle from sourcing through sell-through.

Fulfillment and shipping operations were managed entirely in-house, including carrier selection, rate configuration, packaging decisions, order processing, and customer communications around tracking and delivery. Returns and exchanges were handled directly, with clear policies maintained on the site to ensure a transparent post-purchase experience.

Email marketing was built and managed using Shopify Email and Seguno, growing from zero to a 6,000-subscriber list. Campaigns were planned, written, designed, and analyzed entirely in-house, with ongoing A/B testing of subject lines and content to optimize performance.

SEO was a constant and evolving effort using SEMrush, covering keyword research, PDP optimization, metadata, blog content strategy, backlink audits, and technical site improvements to drive organic visibility and traffic acquisition.

Analytics and reporting were handled through GA4, Google Search Console, Google Data Studio, Shopify Analytics, and SEMrush monitoring traffic, conversion performance, customer behavior, and campaign results for ongoing decisions across every function of the business.

Operating in the cannabis accessories space meant marketing strategies had to evolve constantly. Cannabis-related businesses face unique restrictions across advertising platforms, social media, and payment processing, and the rules were always changing. I navigated shadow bans, shifting platform policies, and evolving state and federal regulations without ever losing an account or a platform, adapting quickly and finding creative solutions every time the landscape shifted.

An average order value that grew from $30 to $75 through strategic merchandising, bundling, and promotional planning. A 6,000-subscriber email list with a 33% open rate. 989+ SKUs managed across 24 distributor relationships. 

A brand built entirely from scratch by one person, across every function, in one of the most challenging retail environments available.