DTC Podcast Ep 537: How Dugout Mugs Scaled to $55M with Authentic Branding and Smart Partnerships
Aug 25, 2025
Kris Dehnert, CEO of Dugout Mugs, transformed baseball bat barrels into a $55M brand. He discusses the importance of authentic branding and partnerships, revealing how transparency fuels modern businesses. Kris reflects on his journey from Facebook pages to impactful deal-making while emphasizing the dangers of vanity metrics. He also shares insights on using AI to enhance e-commerce efficiency and the significance of balancing seasonal sales with corporate gifting. His practical tips are invaluable for both aspiring and established brands.
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Episode notes
Start Fast, Optimize Later
- Kris Dehnert emphasizes starting fast, measuring results, and pivoting rather than waiting for perfection.
- He prioritizes bottom-line profit and authentic, engaged audiences over vanity metrics.
From Fan Pages To $20M In T-Shirts
- Kris recounts building massive Facebook fan pages and selling $20M in T-shirts via early social leverage and Teespring.
- That experience taught him one-to-many engagement and set up his e‑commerce instincts.
A Health Crisis Led To Dugout Mugs
- While recovering from a ruptured appendix, Kris met Randall who invented the bat-barrel mug concept.
- That meeting led to launching Dugout Mugs in 2017 and $55M+ in sales.