Cody Cessna almost didn't do email marketing at all. He told me straight up he didn't want to be the brand that annoys people and gets unsubscribed. And honestly, that instinct made our job harder - because we had to build in more restraint and intention than we might have with another brand. But he came around, and it's actually paying off.
Cody is the founder of COE, a brand built for the active and working man who needs eyewear that can handle the job site without looking terrible doing it. He spent years as a lineman touching 16,000 volts every day, wearing safety glasses that were ugly and sunglasses that weren't actually rated for protection. So he built what didn't exist. No design background, no marketing background - he learned Shopify from YouTube videos.
What I really wanted to dig into with him was the marketing side: how a founder-first approach to ads, real world lifestyle photography, and a very intentional email strategy have all worked together to build a brand that customers come back to - fast. COE's average repurchase timeline is around 55 days, which is well ahead of the ecommerce average.
This one is worth listening to whether you're skeptical about email like Cody was, or just want to hear how a working-class founder with no marketing background figured it out.
✨ In this episode, you'll learn:
How Cody built COE from a real problem he lived every day on the job - and why that credibility still gives him an edge over bigger competitors
Why he almost didn't do email marketing - and what changed his mind
How he uses real world, on-the-job photography instead of polished studio shoots - and why it converts better
The fake podcast ad strategy that's been one of their best performing formats
Why founder storytelling has been COE's most consistent marketing asset from day one
How a 55-day repurchase cycle shapes their entire email flow strategy
The cross-sell and win back approach that keeps customers coming back for backup pairs, new colorways, and replacement lenses
What seven years of building an ecommerce brand actually taught him that he wishes he'd known sooner
When you love what you do, work doesn't feel like work. That's the energy of this whole conversation.
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