The Art of Starting: Danielle Mead on Passionate Pursuits (The Water Trough Podcast)

In that conversation, we talked about how I tend to dive into projects purely for the joy of creating — whether or not they ever turn into a business. For me, starting something new is a creative outlet and a learning process. I love solving problems, building systems, and exploring new ideas just to see where they go.

Of course, not everything I start comes to fruition. I have a habit of getting obsessed with a project for a while and then burning out once the initial excitement fades. But every so often, one of those “small weekend ideas” sticks around long enough to become a finished product.

This month, one of those ideas became real: my first Android app, Fruit & Veg Nutrition Guide, is officially live on Google Play.

It’s a simple, practical app that helps you quickly check vitamin, mineral, and seasonal information for popular fruits and vegetables.

Want to increase your potassium intake? You can see which produce has the most per serving — hint: it’s not bananas. Trying to shop more sustainably? You can check what’s in season now and avoid out-of-season imports that require extra energy and shipping.

The idea actually came from two digital downloads I created a few years ago for my Etsy store — one was a chart of nutritional information for common produce, and the other was a seasonal guide for fruits and vegetables. They both turned out to be surprisingly popular, so I decided to combine them into an easy-to-use app.

I built the app using Adalo, a no-code tool that made it possible to design, test, and launch everything myself. It was a learning curve, but a satisfying one. There’s something incredibly motivating about seeing a small idea — one that started as a couple of printable charts — turn into a functioning app that people can download and use.

It’s also a reminder that not every project has to be massive to be meaningful. Sometimes finishing something small can reignite that creative momentum and prove that “serial starting” isn’t necessarily a flaw — it’s just the way I’m wired to explore.

Want to check out the app?

The post From Serial Starter to App Creator: The Story Behind Fruit & Veg Nutrition Guide appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.

Vendorland, a globally recognized B2B marketplace and review platform, annually evaluates hundreds of service providers to spotlight those that consistently deliver exceptional results, technical expertise, and client satisfaction across digital and software services. Duck Soup E-Commerce earned its spot in the 2025 ranking based on several key criteria, including project success rates, client testimonials, innovation in BigCommerce implementations, and overall impact on business performance.

“As a one-woman agency, this recognition means a lot. I put a tremendous amount of care and hands-on attention into every project, so being named one of the top BigCommerce developers by Vendorland is both humbling and motivating,” said Danielle Mead, Founder of Duck Soup E-Commerce. “BigCommerce gives merchants the flexibility and power to grow without being boxed in, and my role is to help them get the most out of the platform — not just technically, but strategically. I’m grateful to be included alongside such talented peers.”

Founded with the vision of helping businesses establish and scale successful online stores, Duck Soup E-Commerce has grown into a trusted name in the e-commerce development community. The company has completed dozens of BigCommerce projects for a wide range of clients — from ambitious startups to well-established brands — offering services that include:

• Custom BigCommerce theme design and development
• Complete online store launches
• Store migrations to BigCommerce
• Performance and UX optimization
• Ongoing maintenance and support
  

What sets Duck Soup E-Commerce apart is its client-first approach: every solution is tailored to meet unique business goals, whether the focus is on increasing conversion rates, improving operational efficiency, or enhancing the online shopping experience.

In today’s competitive digital environment, having a reliable and forward-thinking development partner is more critical than ever. Duck Soup E-Commerce’s inclusion in Vendorland’s 2025 list highlights its reputation as a company that not only understands the BigCommerce platform inside and out, but also knows how to drive real, measurable success for clients.

For more information about Duck Soup E-Commerce and how it helps businesses grow through expert BigCommerce development, visit ducksoupecommerce.com.

About Duck Soup E-Commerce
Duck Soup E-Commerce is a full-service e-commerce development agency with deep expertise in the BigCommerce platform. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including custom design, development, migration, optimization, and support — all tailored to help businesses build scalable, high-performance online stores. Duck Soup E-Commerce combines strategic thinking with technical excellence to deliver powerful, user-centric e-commerce experiences.

About Vendorland
Vendorland is a leading B2B platform that connects businesses with top IT service providers around the world. Its annual rankings are based on an in-depth evaluation of market presence, client feedback, service quality, and proven success across multiple domains including software development, cloud services, data analytics, and e-commerce platforms like BigCommerce. Learn more: https://vendorland.com/

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Cornucopia Popcorn Custom Website Design

First up is Cornucopia Popcorn, which was of course fun because of the products! Who knew that someone could make so many amazing flavors of popcorn? Cornucopia Popcorn was also one of my favorite projects because it’s the epitome of a true local business. Based in Austin, TX, it’s clear just from reading their reviews that Cornucopia Popcorn is a beloved member of their community. They also give back with donations and sponsorships to local nonprofits.

For their custom BigCommerce theme, the Cornucopia website features a bright color palette that we used to draw attention to key buttons, headings and graphical elements. The sticky header shrinks when you scroll down, even the multi-color band that runs through their logo. For some reason, watching it get bigger and smaller always makes me smile! We also utilized BigCommerce’s custom fields feature to highlight important ingredient notes for each product, such as gluten-free, vegan and nuts.

Woodlore Custom Redesign

I’ve been working with the team at Woodlore for quite a few years now, and their current custom BigCommerce theme is the second one I’ve built for them. Even though they’re part of the publicly-traded Caleres company, Woodlore’s team still has the feel of a small business. They’re very customer-focused and passionate about their products, most of which are designed using USA grown cedar.

Collaborating with their marketing consultant, we gave the website a more upscale design featuring oversized photography, new fonts, bold headlines and more accessible content about the benefits of cedar. The end result was a much more modern looking website that really highlights the beauty and advantages of their products. If you want to keep those favorite shoes in like-new condition, I highly recommend their Combination Shoe Trees for men and women!

Marc Defang Theme Customization

Unlike the previous two websites, Marc Defang’s new design utilizes a stock theme rather than a custom one built on Cornerstone. We chose the Covent Garden theme because of its flexible layout options and built-in merchandising features, then customized the header to overlap the homepage carousel among other changes. The end result was a high-end design that showcases Marc Defang’s gorgeous special occasion shoes, handbags and apparel.

I love working with Marc because he’s a great example of a small business that competes with the big players. His passion for design and his strong connections to the pageant community has truly made him a brand to watch.

Patricia Shoppe Migration & Custom Theme

Occasionally I work with clients who bring their own designers and mockups. Patricia Shoppe was one of those projects. Owner Erin had a website design in mind and we worked together to bring it to life as part of her BigCommerce migration. As the e-commerce arm of Patricia Shoppe’s Ann Arbor, Michigan boutique, it was important to maintain the store’s personality, just in online form.

The custom design includes oversized product images and classic background images reminiscent of the original Chicago Patricia Shoppe owned by Erin’s great-grandmother. We utilized the BigCommerce Page Builder to build the custom homepage layout so that images can easily be changed seasonally or to highlight new apparel and accessories. Working with another designer or a client with strong design ideas can sometimes require compromises, but it’s always a great learning experience for me. I think the final design came out beautiful!

The post Highlighting Some Favorite BigCommerce Website Designs for #PortfolioDay appeared first on Duck Soup E-Commerce.