On this episode of DTC pod, Peter joins Blaine to share lessons from building Floof, as well as some tricks and growth levers from his time in the manufacturing & design business. We cover: - Prioritizing branding before product development. - Conducting focus groups and analyzing consumer data. - Exploring opportunities to partner with platforms like Kindred. - Identifying a gap in the market for accessible high-end pillows. - Utilizing out-of-the-box methods to grab attention and optimize mark...
Aug 31, 2023•43 min•Ep 290•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . Join 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter ! On this episode of DTC pod, Jordan & Victor join Blaine & Ramon to discuss everything about building a top tier CPG brand from the ground up. In this episode of DTC POD, Mina joins Blaine to dive into the world of Amazon and what it takes to be successful as a brand on the platform. From setting up a seller account to optimizing list...
Aug 24, 2023•56 min•Ep 290•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . Join 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter ! On this episode of DTC pod, Jordan & Victor join Blaine & Ramon to discuss everything about building a top tier CPG brand from the ground up. We cover: 1. Overcoming obstacles, fundraising struggles, scaling strategies. 2. Agua fresca innovation, commercialization process. 3. Cultural representation, Working Assembly partnership, Lot...
Aug 17, 2023•48 min•Ep 289•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC pod, Jess joins Blaine & Ramon to discuss everything about building a top tier talent agency, and what it takes to be successful for brands to collaborate with top tier talent. We cover: 1. Connecting creators, brands, and agencies for successful collaborations. 2. Focusing on sustained partnerships for effectiveness. 3. Creating special products/services with influencers to address audience needs. 4. Utilizing traditional platforms to amplify influencer reach. 5. Addressi...
Aug 10, 2023•54 min•Ep 288•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC pod, Meghan joins Blaine & Ramon to discuss her move from the finance world to becoming one of the world's best operators and brand builders in the direct-to-consumer space. With her background in investing and a passion for consumer products, Megan noticed a gap in the market for innovative slip-on footwear and saw an opportunity to create something new. We cover: 1. Gap in Slide Sandal Market 2. Background in Finance and Investing 3. Key Insights as An Operator 4. Unique...
Aug 03, 2023•53 min•Ep 287•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . Join 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter ! We cover: 1. Threads Strategy For Consumer Brands 2. Slow and consistent growth for Threads. 3. Potential opportunities for brands on Threads. 4. Liquid Death's rapid growth and IPO plans. 5. Creative marketing's impact on building brands. 6. Niagara Water's pivot to enterprise bottling services. 7. Beverage industry's boom and major...
Jul 27, 2023•36 min•Ep 286•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD, join hosts Blaine Bolus and Ramon Berrios as they chat with Mike Xhaxho, creator of Waterboy, a popular TikTok account and brand. Mike shares his unexpected journey from starting a personal TikTok account to gaining millions of views and launching a successful product. We chat about the power of storytelling in his videos and the importance of using the right strategies to establish your brand online. We also talk about partnering with creators in consumer businesses,...
Jul 20, 2023•44 min•Ep 285•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of DTC POD, Blaine and Jordan talk about how to grow e-commerce brands through paid performance. They talk about Facebook's tracking methods, insight platforms, customer psychology, setting up tools for effective ads, combating ad fatigue, using images vs videos, alternative opportunities, Facebook groups, Performance Max, SEO strategies, Apple's privacy measures, AI tools, starting with ads, and engaging with customers. We cover: 1. Tracking and Attribution 2. Understanding Cust...
Jul 13, 2023•39 min•Ep 283•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD Liz Giorgia joins Blaine & Ramon to cover all things content as well as the big news of Trend's acquisition by soona. We cover how shopping will become integrated into all aspects of the internet, the diverse landscape of content like user-generated content, reviews, product photography, custom content, and more. We chat about how to build a great business, aligning incentives, Liz's entrepreneurial journey, the growth of soona, and how AI will fold into the product ph...
Jul 06, 2023•53 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC Pod, Blaine chats with Robbie Salter, one of the founding partners of Jupiter. Robbie shares his journey of creating innovative products and addressing the needs of both men and women. They discuss how to build a brand, starting from scratch, navigating supply chain issues to inventory management, building a CX flywheel, and the importance of having a mission greater than your product. We cover: 1. Haircare innovation and product development 2. Supply chain challenges and ...
Jun 28, 2023•51 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC POD, Blaine and Ramon discuss the latest trends in commerce, including issues with leakage, coupon codes, and overpaying on affiliate commissions. They also talk about the success of DTC brands and how consumers prioritize products. The conversation also touches on the challenges of product manufacturing stages in China and the bankruptcy of Instant Brands. Finally, the discussion turns to fashion and streetwear brands like Supr...
Jun 22, 2023•41 min•Ep 280•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD, hosts Blaine Bolus and Ramon Berrios bring on guest Adam Robinson to discuss a range of topics, including email marketing tactics, legal and ethical concerns around pixel retargeting, and the growth of Robinson's company Retention. Robinson shares how his company has developed a free product for server-side tracking and is beta-testing a disruptive B2B product. He also discusses the importance of a founder-led mentality and the frustration of successful, but stagnant ...
Jun 14, 2023•59 min•Ep 279•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC POD, Frank joins blaine to chat about how e-commerce companies can use AI models to personalize the shopping experience for each individual shopper. They talk about how ML automation and AI can enrich the product side by considering factors such as color, category, and weight to predict the behavior of shoppers in real time. They discuss the importance of having good data management and collecting as much non-PII customer event ...
Jun 07, 2023•49 min•Ep 278•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD, Dylan Menter shares his journey from building literal rockets to bootstrapping his own CPG business. We discuss the challenges, research, and scaling up production of his product. We cover everything from patents, to manufacturing, to bootstrapping, to purchase orders, to branding on this info packed episode. Here's a few more key themes we'll dive into: 1. Building in saturated markets 2. Creating a unique product 3. Research and collaboration with professionals 4. S...
May 31, 2023•47 min•Ep 277•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD, the Kippenbergers join Blaine & Ramon to talk about turning a $1000 magazine about powerboating and avante garde transportation into a lifestyle brand of choice for billionaires. They've done everything from having a race boat team, a rally car team, to furniture collaborations with Ligne Roset and selling the most expensive cold brew coffee in the world. They discuss their brand's values and approach to collaborations over industry gatekeepers, and the risks involved...
May 24, 2023•49 min•Ep 276•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD, Tui joins Blaine & Ramon to talk about transforming traditional financing options for brands in the CPG space. Her focus at Ampla is creating purpose-built financial products that prioritize trust, partnership, simplicity, and speed/innovation. Tui discusses the importance of aligning around a company's mission and vision and the need to be intentional about channels required to scale and achieve success. We cover: Customer empathy and market understanding Omnichannel...
May 16, 2023•46 min•Ep 275•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC POD, we dive into the fundamentals of launching a product across different types of companies. We discuss why internal marketing and communication are vital, and how a lack thereof can lead to a failed launch. Derek explains how launches involve more than just a checklist of tasks, encompassing planning, coordination, and support. We learn the importance of building a centralized repository of knowledge and automating processes ...
May 09, 2023•40 min•Ep 274•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD, dive into the art of content creation, Philip joins Blaine to share his insights on defining content pillars and optimizing for views and followers. They discuss the importance of hyper-testing and copying when starting out, as well as the power law of content distribution. They chat about what makes unique and memorable content, and how content differs for B2B and D2C brands. They also touch upon the importance of content ROI and share case studies of successful star...
May 02, 2023•50 min•Ep 273•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD, Scout joins Blaine to dive into the world of branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship. We talk about Katy Perry's involvement in building her flagship non-alcoholic beverage brand, as well as exploring the lasting trend of health and wellness driving consumer behavior, the importance of social media presence, and the impact of beverage sales in-store. We learn about De Soi's scrappy approach to working with brand ambassadors, finding product-market fit in their direc...
Apr 25, 2023•48 min•Ep 272•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC POD, Sydney Sykes of Lightspeed Venture Partners joins Blaine & Ramon to talk about the current state of direct-to-consumer brands and e-commerce. Sydney shares her experience in venture capital and growing direct-to-consumer brands, and offers advice for founders seeking investment. We also dive into various topics including circular fashion to generative AI and SEO, and how they are transforming the modern e-commerce landscape...
Apr 20, 2023•46 min•Ep 271•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC Pod, We dive into the challenges of building a product that combines traditional accounting, finance, and tax with the progressive world of DTC, and the importance of financial statements, tax-saving opportunities, and inventory management. We also explore the impact of integrating real-time cost of goods sold data, the importance of understanding profit, financing, and cash flow, and the potential of measuring return on net profit. Finally, we talk about ways to identify ...
Apr 13, 2023•55 min•Ep 270•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC Pod, Izzy Joins Blaine to lead a masterclass on saving on shipping. 1. What are the most common mistakes when negotiating shipping rates? 2. What surcharges and hidden fees most commonly drain shipping budget? 3. What are the most common overlooked details that make brands lose money on shipping? 4. What type of shipping carrier is best for my store? shownotes powered by castmagic 00:04:28 - Shipping costs = 10% of revenue 00:09...
Apr 11, 2023•54 min•Ep 269•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC Pod, Athan joins Blaine for a deep dive in what it takes to launch one of the fastest growing travel brands. Here's a few of the questions we answer on the show: 1. How did July create the world's lightest carry-on luggage? 2. How did they find market validation before even talking to one customer? 3. What is July's biggest secret to rapid growth? 4. How is retail driving the brand forward in 2023? 5. How many product iterations...
Apr 04, 2023•58 min•Ep 268•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC POD, we delve into the world of product development and supply chain management. We look at the success story of Canopy, a company that created a beauty-focused category-defining humidifier. We also cover the challenges faced in bringing new products to market, the value of validating demand, and the importance of a shored-up supply chain. Here's 5 key questions we'll answer on this episode: 1. What is the pain point with tradit...
Mar 28, 2023•47 min•Ep 267•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC POD, Marshall joins Blaine to dive into the world of affiliate marketing. Here's what you'll learn: Strategies in setting up an effective affiliate program, including identifying target customers, partners, and commission rates and networking options. Common mistakes made in affiliate marketing, the right partner mix, and low-value publishers who can negatively impact the program. The role of influencers in affiliate marketing, ...
Mar 23, 2023•42 min•Ep 266•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC POD, Celia Lewis and Stephanie Kimmel discuss how they identified a market gap in the cannabis industry and built a brand around their innovative product that preserves and locks cannabis in a home decor piece. They reveal how they launched their product with a grassroots approach due to limited funds for marketing and discuss their successful product launch strategy. They touch on the challenges they faced due to federal regula...
Mar 21, 2023•55 min•Ep 265•Transcript available on Metacast Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop . On this episode of DTC Pod, Jonathan joins blaine to talk about Automating fulfillment process with 3PL, Specialized Shopify developers, Starting a Shopify store, Balancing presence on, Shopify and Amazon, Customizing Shopify apps, Local delivery/pickup, Customizing Shopify Plus, Headless Shopify, Shopify's features, and more. [ 00:03:09 ] Start Shopify store with no code; buy theme, get product design on Fiverr; focus on sales and marketing. [ 00:05:...
Mar 14, 2023•44 min•Ep 264•Transcript available on Metacast When she and her colleague Melissa Duren Conner hit a crossroads in their careers, they decided to join forces and create their own agency, Jennifer Bett Communications (JBC). Jennifer and Melissa wanted to create an agency that approached media relations in a strategic and creative way, focusing on meaningful storytelling and more intellectual PR. Since then, JBC has helped launch some of the top names in consumer brands, including Parachute, Magic Spoon, Recess, Cuyana, Andie, Knix, July, M.Ge...
Mar 07, 2023•43 min•Ep 263•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC Pod, Nathan joins Blaine to talk about how to work with manufacturing partners to bring a product to life. They cover lessons from working with over 1000s of factories in several countries, avoiding the biggest pitfalls of manufacturing, building software to streamline the process, moving from CEO to the board, frameworks for building companies, new projects he's excited about, AI and it's application to CX, finding scale, and more. Timestamps: [00:03:01] Bringing a produc...
Feb 28, 2023•42 min•Ep 262•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of DTC POD, Ramon & Jenn dive into the ins and outs of content creation. They discuss the categories and pillars of content creation, common mistakes brands make when creating a brief and how to provide specific instructions to avoid frustration. They also cover revisions, the cost of additional assets and how to handle it. Timestamps [00:01:13] California native transitions from healthcare to creating content for CPG brands, using Trend for UGC content. [00:05:17] Filming weddin...
Feb 23, 2023•39 min•Ep 261•Transcript available on Metacast 
