Building Independent Brands

Chris Koch is the founder and CEO of VO/D, a venture studio that partners with massive talent celebrities to build enduring CPG brands across DTC, e-commerce, and retail. With a background in sports, investment banking, and talent management, Chris brings deep experience in identifying consumer needs, pairing them with the right creators, and executing product-first brand launches.

In this episode of DTC Pod, Chris walks through Void’s venture model, emphasizing the importance of strong products over mere celebrity endorsement. He shares the inside story of 1Up Candy’s rapid national retail rollout and outlines key frameworks for structuring talent partnerships, screening for true product-market fit, and ensuring long-term profitability in the saturated creator-led brand space.

Interact with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack.

On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:
1. VO/D’s Venture Studio Model  
2. Partnering with Celebrities and Creators  
3. Product-First Versus Talent-First Approach  
4. Identifying Consumer Problems 
5. Selecting The Right Talent  
6. Talent as a Marketing Utility  
7. Challenges in Sourcing and Engaging Talent  
8. Social Following vs Purchase Influence  
9. Structuring Talent Partnerships  
10. Brand Launch Funding and Operations  
11. 1Up Candy Launch Story  
12. Retail Distribution Partnerships  
13. Inventory Financing and Cash Flow  
14. Creator-Led Marketing Strategies  
15. Legal and Contractual Safeguards  
16. Tips for Talent-Led Brands  
17. VO/D’s Future Direction 

Timestamps
00:00 Chris’s background & intro to VO/D
03:35 Why Void is product-first, not just talent-powered
05:04 An inside look at VO/D’s venture studio model
06:55 Talent as a utility & making brands that stand alone
10:31 Challenges matching creators to authentic product opportunities
11:28 Assessing conversion, reach, and fit in creator partners
13:40 How 1Up Candy with FaZe Rug came together
17:31 Disrupting candy with innovation and viral challenges
20:33 Breaking into 4,000 Walmart stores & key retail strategy
23:30 Operational realities of scaling fast (financing, supply chain, DTC vs. retail)
29:18 How to structure talent deals: equity, vesting, and incentives
35:17 Red flags and protective provisions in creator agreements
40:08 What’s next for VO/D: new categories, creator partners, and acquisition opportunities

Show notes powered by Castmagic

Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  

Additional episodes you might like:

• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth

• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content

• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views

• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands

• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook

• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands

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Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:
DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internet
Olivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplement
Castmagic - AI Workspace for Content

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Chris Koch - Founder of VO/D
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic