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https://levelwear.com
Hyman Ngo, SVP of Product & Marketing at Levelwear, joins us to talk through the brand’s evolution from a behind-the-scenes apparel manufacturer to a powerhouse in wholesale and licensing — and now, their pivot into DTC.
For brand leaders scaling from golf, wholesale, or licensing into consumer channels.
What we cover:
- The real reason they acquired a customer’s brand — and how that changed their whole trajectory
- Why golf was the launchpad: how credibility in elite U.S. clubs unlocked growth back home
- How they scaled to 85 of the top 100 U.S. golf courses (and what that did for their reputation)
- The role of licensing (MLB, NHL, PGA) in adding growth and brand legitimacy
- How they finally built their brand narrative (“Team Over Everything” / “Who’s With You”) and why it’s now central to their DTC push
Who this is for: Brand operators in wholesale, licensing, or B2B looking to build emotional connection and consumer pull
What to steal:
- Build credibility in a “clean” market (no legacy baggage) and use it to reposition back home
- Treat brand story as an internal alignment tool — not just external marketing
- Use licensing as a bridge, but don’t lose sight of your brand equity
Unlock the BFCM Command Center: https://triplewhale.com/dtc
Timestamps
00:00 Transitioning from manufacturing to a brand
02:15 Buying Levelwear and early operational challenges
04:40 Breaking into retail and managing order volume
07:20 Slow early growth and breakthrough in the US golf market
10:05 How Levelwear entered top golf courses
12:40 Evolution of golf culture and apparel trends
14:00 Sponsoring pro golfers and athlete partnerships
16:00 Expanding into licensed sports apparel
18:05 Fanatics partnership and industry comparisons
20:00 Crafting Levelwear’s brand message and manifesto
22:30 Launching the "Who's With You" campaign
24:15 Using streaming ads for brand awareness
26:10 How the brand story aligns across sports
27:40 Message consistency in B2B and retail channels
29:00 Levelwear’s path toward nine-figure revenue
30:30 DTC ambitions and where the brand goes next
32:00 Expanding into international golf markets
33:00 The future of independent retail in golf
34:00 Closing thoughts and next steps for Levelwear
Hashtags
#dtcpodcast #levelwear #golfapparel #sportsbusiness #directtoconsumer #ecommercegrowth #brandbuilding #athleisure #golfindustry #sportsmarketing
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