Innovating Subscription Boxes: From Curated Selections to Custom Choices

Ismail Salhi is the co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, a fast-growing DTC subscription service that delivers artisanal breads, pastries, and pasta directly to customers' doorsteps. 

In this episode of DTC Pod, Ismail shares his journey of rapidly scaling Wildgrain to over 80,000 subscribers since launching during the pandemic in 2020. He shares the key strategies that have driven Wildgrain's success: focusing on product quality, customer experience, and efficient operations.

Ismail discusses their decision to outsource baking to local bakeries—a move that  positioned them as a larger buyer than Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in some markets.

He also emphasizes the importance of investing in logistics tech to optimize product delivery and streamline processes. This focus on tech integration across all business areas has been crucial to their ability to scale effectively.

We also explore Wildgrain's customer acquisition strategies, which involve education marketing, meta, and influencers.

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. Business Model and Sustainability
2. Entrepreneurial Advice
3. Logistics and Distribution
4. Customer Support Tools and Efficiency
5. Customer Acquisition and Retention
6. Product Development and Market Introduction
7. Tech and Operations Partnership
8. Seasonal Growth and Marketing
9. Consumer Behavior Dynamics
10. Marketing and Product Differentiation
11. Consumer Engagement and Customization
12. Scalability and Operational Management
13. Market Insights and Future Plans

Timestamps
00:00 Ismail Salhi’s background; Wildgrain’s founding story
04:24 From starting a home bakery to outsourcing production
07:23 Wildgrain’s product and customer experience
08:56 Working with partner bakeries and distribution centers
10:08 Building tech for reliable, temperature-sensitive deliveries
13:58 Automated system streamlines tasks across all departments
15:47 Initial customer acquisition, education marketing, influencers
20:06 Product mix and how it affects inventory 
23:07 Creating different custom boxes to cater to different diets
24:28 Optimizing product operations, automating, outsourcing
27:06 Shipping carriers, tech for allocating orders
28:42 Seasonal growth and effects on marketing spend
31:50 Ismail Salhi on running the business with his wife
33:41 Time and lifestyle management as a parent entrepreneur
36:14 Ismail Salhi’s advice for DTC founders

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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Ismail Salhi - Co-Founder and CEO of Wildgrain
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic