From Google Sheets to a scalable, Shopify-native operating system

Hollow Socks did not slow down to fix operations. They fixed operations so they could keep growing.

With revenue doubling year over year, a rapidly expanding SKU catalog, and new wholesale demand from major partners like Scheels, Hollow reached the point every high-growth Shopify brand eventually hits: spreadsheets could no longer keep up.

This is the story of how a two-person operations team replaced Google Sheets and manual process with a modern operating system, without taking on the cost, complexity, or drag of a legacy ERP.

Hollow is a premium performance sock brand built on an uncommon foundation. Every product is made with alpaca fiber sourced from Peru and manufactured domestically in the United States. That vertical integration gives Hollow control over quality, but it also introduces operational complexity most brands do not face until much later.

And yet, Hollow kept growing.

Doubling every year until the systems broke

By 2025, Hollow had:

• Doubled revenue yet again
• Doubled its SKU count to more than 100 SKUs
• Scaled wholesale through a major national retail partner
• Continued strong growth across DTC and Amazon

All of this was being managed by two operators: Caitlin Mahadik, VP of Operations, and Gabi Lacayo, Operations Associate.

The problem was not effort or talent. It was infrastructure. Everything ran through Shopify and Google Sheets.

Before GoodDay: operating in spreadsheets strained with rapid growth

As Hollow expanded across channels, operational cracks started to show.

The core challenges

• No centralized system: Inventory, purchasing, and operations data lived across Shopify, spreadsheets, and partner systems.
• Inventory spread across partners: With inventory moving between suppliers, warehouses, and sales channels, maintaining a consistent picture of stock levels required constant reconciliation.
• Multi-channel allocation complexity: DTC, wholesale, and Amazon all needed access to the same inventory pool without a system designed to manage those tradeoffs.
• Manual PO tracking: Weekly inbound shipments required cross-checking spreadsheets, warehouse reports, and manufacturer updates.
• Fragmented data visibility: Even simple operational questions often required pulling information from multiple sources.

I genuinely couldn’t answer questions for the team about where inventory was at because there were just adjustments being made constantly
— Caitlin Mahadik, VP of Operations

Spreadsheets played an important role in Hollow’s early growth. But as the company expanded across more SKUs, channels, and partners, the team began looking for a centralized system that could support the next phase of scale.

The breaking point

The tipping point came from three forces converging at once:

• A rapidly expanding SKU catalog
• Growing wholesale demand from Scheels
• A transition period with their fulfillment partners that added operational complexity

Spreadsheets were no longer just inefficient. They were becoming a liability.

Evaluating legacy ERP options

Caitlin had previously been involved in implementing a legacy ERP at another company, which gave her helpful context on how traditional ERP rollouts typically work.

Those systems can be powerful, but they often come with significant time, cost, and implementation overhead.

Hollow did not need an old-school “enterprise” ERP. They needed a clean, centralized operating system that fit how they actually worked. GoodDay delivered that without the bloat.

The most impressive thing to me about GoodDay is that y’all have been able to update an industry that feels so stagnant and old school. That’s just not how things work anymore
— Caitlin Mahadik, VP of Operations

Implementing GoodDay with a two-person team

Because Hollow’s operations team was lean, change management was straightforward. Even so, implementing a new system while managing day-to-day operations required close collaboration and hands-on support.

GoodDay’s team worked closely with Hollow throughout the process to ensure a smooth rollout:

• Hands-on onboarding led by a dedicated operator
• Flexible implementation tailored to the team’s workflow
• Tactical guidance and vetted operational recommendations
• Ongoing support as the team established new processes

Our merchant success manager almost feels like an extension of our team.

GoodDay was not just software. It was operational support when Hollow needed it most.

What made GoodDay different

Embedded, operator-led support

GoodDay’s onboarding did not stop at configuration. The team actively helped Hollow navigate real operational decisions, including a 3PL transition.

Flexibility through chaos

When external dependencies stalled progress, GoodDay gave Hollow breathing room instead of forcing timelines.

Fast, responsive help

Questions were answered quickly. Issues were investigated and escalated when needed.

To have that support through changing 3PLs, implementing an ERP, and launching wholesale order management all at once was invaluable.
— Caitlin Mahadik, VP of Operations

From “where’s our inventory?” to a source of truth

Time saved on manual work

One of the biggest wins was eliminating the weekly PO reconciliation grind. What used to require cross-checking multiple spreadsheets, warehouse reports, and vendor confirmations now lives in one system.

Cleaning up that process alone has been monumental.
— Caitlin Mahadik, VP of Operations

Accurate, trusted inventory data

For the first time, Hollow’s team trusts their inventory numbers. Data is centralized, accurate, and easy to export without manual compilation.

Knowing the data is accurate instead of tracking down each individual shipment is really nice.
— Gabi Lacayo, Operations Associate

A clean daily workflow

GoodDay now powers Hollow’s daily operations:

• Inventory reconciliation
• Purchase order updates
• Receiving inbound inventory
• Wholesale order management
• Real-time sync with their WMS

Now that we’re further into it, it’s so nice to just know it’s accurate.
— Gabi Lacayo, Operations Associate

A foundational year for the next phase of growth

With GoodDay in place, Hollow finally has the operational backbone to support continued growth without adding unnecessary headcount or complexity.

I’ve been calling this past year a foundational year. We finally put the things in place we need to propel forward.
— Caitlin Mahadik, VP of Operations

Watch the full conversation

Hear directly from Caitlin and Gabi about:

• Transitioning off spreadsheets
• Managing DTC, wholesale, and Amazon inventory with a lean team
• Why GoodDay was the right ERP alternative for Hollow

We knew we needed a real source of truth, but we didn’t need a massive, overbuilt ERP to get there. GoodDay Software gave us structure and confidence without slowing us down, which is exactly what a fast-growing brand needs.
— Caitlin Mahadik, VP of Operations

Before GoodDay, a lot of my day was spent double-checking numbers and reconciling spreadsheets. Now I trust the data, everything connects, and I can actually focus on moving the business forward instead of cleaning things up.
— Gabi Lacayo, Operations Associate

Ready to scale your operations without the chaos?