The Story of a Brand Show BattlBox - Surviving and Thriving in the Subscription Game
When I sat down with John Roman, it was clear this wasn’t just a story about subscription boxes—it was a story about grit, evolution, and building a brand that speaks directly to a passionate community.
As the Co-founder & CEO of BattlBox, John has transformed a niche outdoor and survival subscription into a DTC powerhouse, boasting millions of YouTube views and a hit Netflix show to boot.
But behind the curated gear and rugged packaging is a founder who deeply understands performance marketing, customer acquisition, and what it takes to scale through constant change. In this episode, John opens up about lessons learned, bets that paid off, and how BattlBox continues to thrive by listening to its community and leaning into its identity.
Here are a few key moments from our conversation:
* The “aha moment” that turned a hobby into a full-fledged business
* How a loyal Facebook group became a strategic growth lever
* Why BattlBox scaled back from 30+ employees to a lean, high-performing team
* The story behind the Netflix show and its unexpected impact
* How John approaches data, storytelling, and building real brand loyalty
Join me, Ramon Vela, in listening to the episode to hear how one brand embraced its niche, built a community of superfans, and turned survival gear into a DTC success story.
For more on BattlBox, visit: https://www.battlbox.com/
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave The Story of a Brand Show a rating and review.
Plus, don’t forget to follow us on Apple and Spotify.
Your support helps us bring you more content like this!
*
Today’s Sponsors:
Workspace6 - Private Community for 7, 8, 9-figure Brands: https://www.workspace6.io/
Workspace6 is a private community where over 950 seven, eight, and nine-figure brand operators trade insights, solve problems, and shortcut growth. It's the anti-fluff operator's room, and for your first 30 days, it's just $1. Get real answers and skip the trial and error.
Saral - The Influencer OS: https://www.getsaral.com/demo
SARAL is the all-in-one influencer platform that finds brand-aligned creators, automates outreach, and manages everything in one place. Request a live demo today. Let the SARAL team know you're a The Story of a Brand Show podcast listener to get an extended free trial! Visit the link above.