Rattlesnake Cable Company is a premium cable manufacturer based in Missoula, Montana, crafting high-end instrument, power, speaker, and microphone cables for musicians across the globe.
What began as a personal passion project has grown into a globally loved brand, trusted by players on stages and in studios everywhere.
But while Rattlesnake is known for its uncompromising product quality, what truly sets the business apart is something harder to manufacture at scale: genuine human connection.
From Musician to Maker
Rattlesnake’s story starts with co-founder Hank Donovan.
A lifelong musician with a love for electronics, Hank spent years working in web development and server administration before feeling a growing pull toward building something tangible - something musicians could actually plug in and play.
The very first cable was made for himself.
Then his bandmates asked for one.
Then friends.
Then friends of friends.
Word spread quickly - first around Missoula, then across Montana, and eventually worldwide.
From the beginning, Hank’s partner Amy was right there alongside him. Together, they made the leap to run Rattlesnake full-time - trading keyboards and servers for soldering irons and shipping labels.
And early on, they learned something important:
A great product gets attention, but relationships build a brand.
Growing Through Challenge
Like most small businesses, Rattlesnake’s journey hasn’t been smooth sailing.
In 2019, Hank and Amy made a bold move. They shut down their web development business, hired their first full-time employee, and committed fully to growing Rattlesnake Cable Company.
They even secured a booth at Winter NAMM 2020 - a huge milestone for any music brand.
Then, just weeks later, COVID hit.
What followed was a relentless stretch of uncertainty: supply chain disruptions, copper price spikes, tariffs, and inflation; one challenge after another.
But something remarkable happened.
Their team pulled together.
Their customers showed up.
Some even bought merch simply to support the business during tough periods.
Instead of shrinking, Rattlesnake adapted, and kept growing.
Through it all, one thing remained constant: their commitment to treating customers like real people, not order numbers.
Discovering Bonjoro on a Mountain Hike
In August 2020, Hank was out on one of his regular seven-mile mountain hikes - clearing his head, sweating it out, and listening to marketing podcasts.
That’s when he first heard Bonjoro mentioned by its founder, Matt Barnett, on an ecommerce podcast, talking about the power of thanking customers with short personal videos after purchase.
The idea immediately caught his attention.
At Rattlesnake, fast, personal communication was already a priority. Hank personally replied to emails, chats, and messages as quickly as possible - because he believed responsiveness showed customers they mattered.
So the concept of sending a personal video thank-you felt different.
More human.
More aligned with what they already believed in.
When he got home, Hank visited the site and signed up for a Bonjoro free trial - not entirely sure how he’d use it yet, but intrigued.
The next day, he received his first Bonjoro video. The sender was someone named Grant.
Hank expected a generic welcome message. Instead, Grant said his name, mentioned Montana, and spoke directly to him.
It wasn’t automated.
It wasn’t scripted.
It was real.
That moment stopped Hank in his tracks.
He later described it as surprisingly emotional - not because of what was said, but because of how it made him feel.
Seen.
Acknowledged.
Valued.
That’s when everything clicked.
Turning Thank-Yous into a Daily Ritual
Hank immediately began using Bonjoro to send personal thank-you videos to Rattlesnake customers.
The impact was instant.
Customers replied - often with surprise and genuine delight. Many mentioned the videos in reviews and testimonials, saying things like: “He recorded a video just to thank me - who does that?”
It wasn’t about flashy marketing metrics. It was about closing the emotional gap between an online order and the people behind the brand.
Over time, Bonjoro became something deeper than a tool. It became a habit. A ritual.
Something Hank does before his first cup of coffee each morning.
Six years later, he’s still doing it.
To date, Hank has recorded over 11,000 personal thank-you videos.
Not outsourced.
Not templated.
Not automated.
Just one human thanking another.
The Results: Connection That Compounds
While Rattlesnake doesn’t measure success purely in clicks or conversions, the impact of Bonjoro has been clear.
- Higher engagement: Customers regularly reply to videos, starting real conversations.
- Stronger reviews: Many customers explicitly mention the personal thank-you video in testimonials.
- Deeper loyalty: Buyers feel connected not just to the product, but to the people behind it.
- Sustained consistency: Bonjoro has remained part of their workflow for over six years.
Most importantly, it reinforces what Rattlesnake believes at its core:
You can’t fake genuine connection - but you can show up consistently.
Advice for Other Businesses
Hank is quick to point out that Bonjoro isn’t magic on its own. What matters is intention.
His advice to other founders is simple:
- Decide why you’re using it.
- Build it into a system you can maintain.
- Be natural, not scripted.
- Say their name.
- Talk like a human.
Bonjoro works best when it feels exactly like what it is: one person taking a moment to acknowledge another.
That’s what made his first video from Grant so powerful - and that’s what he aims to recreate every day for his customers.
Want to Create This Kind of Connection with Your Customers?
Rattlesnake Cable Company didn’t grow by sending more emails or adding more automation.
They grew by showing up, consistently, with small, meaningful moments that made customers feel seen.
Bonjoro helps you do the same.
Whether you’re running an ecommerce store, selling products as a creator, or building a brand from the ground up, personal video gives you a simple way to stand out after the sale and turn customers into long-term fans.
If you’d like to see how it works for your business, you can try Bonjoro for free.
Record your first personal thank-you video.
Send it to a real customer.
And see the reaction for yourself.
