The Secret Behind Building Brands with CX Data featuring Lindsay Kolinsky
This week on Above The Fold, I sat down with Lindsay Kolinsky, Director of Marketing at Okendo, while I was in New York (the only city that rivals my love for Chicago). We covered a lot—from the overlooked power of post-checkout surveys to the real meaning of community-led growth.
If you're building a consumer brand, especially one on Shopify, this episode is basically your cheat sheet for understanding your audience better, collecting smarter data, and turning customers into super fans.
Let’s get into it.
Most brands stop at reviews—and that’s the problem
When I first used Okendo, I thought I was just getting a reviews platform. But once I started digging in, I realized it could do so much more—surveys, loyalty programs, quizzes, referrals. It’s a whole ecosystem. And the truth is, if you’re only using customer reviews for social proof, you’re leaving so much valuable insight untapped.
Reviews are just one slice. Real understanding comes from all the little moments that happen across the customer journey. You need to look at the full picture if you want your marketing to actually resonate and convert.
Why early-stage brands need to get curious, not cute
Lindsay and I talked about how brand builders tend to over-index on launch energy—positioning, packaging, the big reveal—and then immediately shift into growth mode. Paid ads, website tests, maybe some influencer plays. All good things. But if you’re not collecting feedback from those early customers, you’re guessing.
The people who buy from you in those early days are trying to tell you something. Why did they choose your brand? What hooked them? What’s working and what’s not? If you ask the right questions at the right time, you don’t have to burn time or budget testing things that could’ve been obvious.
And no, Google Analytics isn’t going to tell you they found you through a podcast or that their cousin told them to try it. That’s why direct insights matter.
The secret weapon: post-checkout surveys
Let’s talk about the one tool I wish more brands took seriously. Post-checkout surveys aren’t just for acquisition source questions. They’re an opportunity to get real context about your customers while they’re still in the moment.
At Feastables, we asked things like who the customer was buying for, what their household looked like, and how they intended to use the product. It wasn’t long or overwhelming. These are just quick questions that helped us understand psychographics and behaviors in a way that traditional analytics could not.
You do have to walk the line, though. Stay within privacy limits. Keep it under 5 to 7 questions max. Make it feel conversational, not like a DMV form. The magic is in the micro-surveys—those small tasks that add up to something powerful.
NPS isn’t just for SaaS, and yes, you should be using it
I’ve said this before, but I’m gonna keep saying it louder: ecommerce brands should be using NPS. Even if you don’t know what to do with it at first, it gives you a gut check on the customer experience. And once you segment your promoters, passives, and detractors, there’s so much you can do.
You can follow up with promoters and ask them to refer a friend. You can invite them into your loyalty program or nudge them to leave a review. On the other side, if someone’s unhappy, you have a chance to reach out and make it right. That one action can turn a bad experience into long-term trust.
Personally, I also like using NPS to evaluate the digital experience—things like website flow, fulfillment, and customer service. You’re not always going to get detailed responses, but with a smart logic flow, you can figure out where your CX is breaking down.
Stop surveying like you’re running a census
One of the mistakes I see a lot is marketers dropping these long, multi-question surveys via email and expecting high-quality feedback. People don’t want to spend ten minutes answering questions in exchange for a 15% discount. It feels transactional and out of touch.
Surveys should be embedded naturally throughout the journey. Keep them quick and relevant. You don’t need to collect everything at once. Spread it out across reviews, post-checkout, quizzes, even loyalty program interactions. You’ll get better data and your customer won’t feel like they’re being interrogated.
Personalization isn’t “Hi, [First Name]”
Real personalization isn’t about variable tags or fake familiarity. It’s about making your customers feel like they’re being seen. When you know I live in New York and it’s dry as hell in February, send me tips on skincare or filter refills. When you know I buy for a family of four, don’t hit me with a single-serve product ad.
It also means showing me things I didn’t know I needed. Canopy’s filter subscription is a great example—they surprised me with essential oils I wasn’t planning to buy but now can’t live without. It made the whole experience feel thoughtful, not pushy.
That’s the line. Personalization should feel natural, not forced.
Your customers are your best influencers—treat them that way
Lindsay shared a story about how Skims found some of their top customers who were getting married and sent them the same PR boxes they were sending influencers. That’s how you build loyalty. Not with points. Not with flashy IG stories. But with moments that make someone feel part of something bigger.
If someone loves your brand, they’re already telling their friends and family. You don’t need a million-follower creator when you have 100 loyal customers who talk about you every day.
That’s what customer-led acquisition actually looks like.
You can stop hiding your bad reviews now
Here’s your permission slip. Let go of the obsession with a perfect 5.0 rating. No one believes it anyway. The sweet spot is somewhere between 4.2 and 4.7. It feels real, and it builds trust.
More importantly, respond to the reviews publicly. Especially the one- and two-star ones. Not only does it show that you care, it tells every potential customer that you stand behind your product. If someone has a bad experience, own it. Fix it. And let others see that you did.
That’s CX 101.
Don’t put all your chips on social
If TikTok’s situation has taught us anything, it’s this: own your audience. Channels will change. Algorithms will break. Communities will scatter. You need a home base.
Your email list, your loyalty program, your SMS flow—those are assets. Not just tactics. Use them to tell stories, build connections, and keep your people close, even if every social app goes down tomorrow.
The future isn’t just “multi-channel”—it’s relationship-based.
This is a flywheel, not a funnel
Everything we’re talking about—surveys, reviews, personalization, loyalty, community—it’s not linear. It’s a cycle. A flywheel. One thing feeds the next.
A product quiz leads to better first impressions. A review creates social proof and gives you new insight. That insight feeds into smarter emails, building trust, increasing loyalty, earning referrals, and bringing in new people. And the cycle repeats.
The brands that win are the ones who design for this—not just to sell more, but to understand more.
Until next time,
Jess
