Actively Black didn’t start with a product—it started with a community. By building a 23,000-person audience before launch, founder Lanny Smith turned purpose-driven storytelling into a $55,000 first day and a $2 million first year. His journey shows aspiring entrepreneurs why demand-first thinking, authentic mission, and smart list-building can change everything. For more on Actively Black click here You'll Learn: Why Actively Black built community before developing a product The email + SMS strategy that led to $55K in sales on launch day How to sell $2M+ in your first year—even with constant stockouts Why fast growth can be just as dangerous as no growth How to use storytelling and cultural pride to create brand resonance What it takes to build long-term customer trust without discounting How Lanny structured partnerships with Marvel, Disney, and iconic estates The real math behind inventory planning at scale (and why it’s so hard) How to align investors with your vision, not just your bottom line Why purpose is more powerful than product in competitive industries How Lanny’s personal values fuel every decision—from pricing to hiring Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Lanny Smith, Founder of Actively Black 01:02 How a Career Pivot Sparked a $2M Vision 01:27 Building 10K Followers Before Launching a Product 03:31 Why Purpose-Driven Branding Fueled $55K on Day One 06:54 What Selling Out in 3 Weeks Taught Us About Manufacturing 10:30 How Actively Black Landed Partnerships with Marvel, Disney & More 17:52 The Traits Behind Scaling to 8 Figures and Beyond 18:48 What to Know Before Entering the $1.5T Apparel Market 19:54 From “No” to $2M: How to Power Through Rejection 21:43 Turning a Personal Setback Into Multi-Million Dollar Growth 25:35 Why Actively Black Is More Than Just Merch (And Why That Matters) 29:04 How Mission and Authenticity Drive Repeat Purchases Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube! Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.
