**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Attentive, and Gorgias**   In the second half, Maisa Mumtaz-Cassidy, Founder and CEO of Consciously, begins with the challenges of launching amid a pandemic. There were multiple delays as the supply chain was shut down or operating unpredictably. Tough choices had to be made, but that challenge ultimately became an advantage because it helped Consciously focus on the details. Maisa says that Consciously has sustainability criteria of eight values of fair trade, vegan, handwork, transparent, women-owned, BIPOC owned, small-batch, and eco friendly. Brands should align with at least two out of the eight values of Consciously. She heartily mentions that most of the brands at Consciously align with at least four values. Currently, there are about 50 brands on the Consciously website. The focus is on fashion, but Maisa says the company plans to launch several new categories - possibly beauty and home goods. The next big launch will be menswear. In part 2, Maisa talks about: * The challenges of product shortages and supply-chain chaos during the pandemic. * The strategy of getting the word out for her business and the success of influencer marketing. * The need to constantly test and evaluate how to reach customers. * Why the brand's website focused on inclusivity. * What product lines will be launched next? Join Ramon Vela and Maisa Mumtaz-Cassidy as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Consciously, visit: https://wearconsciously.co/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Listeners can also search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * This episode was brought to you by MuteSix. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world’s most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: mutesix.com/storyofabrand * This episode was brought to you by Attentive. How do the most innovative companies reach mobile consumers? Meet Attentive, the text messaging solution trusted by innovative retail & e-commerce brands like CB2, Coach, and thousands of Shopify brands. On average, Attentive customers see 25x ROI and 18.5% of online revenue driven by SMS. Ready for SMS to become one of your top three revenue channels? Learn how to get started with your free trial by requesting a demo at attentivemobile.com * This episode is also brought to you by Gorgias. Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shopper? That's why exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. I recommend using Gorgias. Gorgias combines all your communication channels, including email, SMS, social media, live chat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. Go to gorgias.com to book a demo and mention the Story of a Brand podcast for two months free.