D2C Diaries

Back by popular demand, this solo episode is loaded with behind-the-scenes insights on what’s working right now in the DTC performance space.Olly and Loukas get brutally honest about what it actually takes to scale creative, fix performance plateaus, and build a winning system inside a high-growth agency. From a UGC format that’s driving £1M+ in spend, to the playbooks reshaping TikTok Shop and Meta, this one’s a deep dive into what’s moving the needle.They also unpack what’s really going on with platform policy changes, the biggest brand power moves in CPG, and how Soar is levelling up systems, team, and strategy to hit new scale.If you're a founder, operator, or growth marketer looking for clarity on what works now, this is your edge.🚨 Download our Whitelisting guide here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0lNw9l00:00 We're so back1:10 Congratulations are in order...3:20 UGC deep dive: what's working10:10 Which static ads are converting14:00 High-performing high-prod ads17:40 Onomatopoeia in ads18:42 Whitelisting quick wins22:45 David Protein lawsuit30:28 Creatine scandal 2.038:55 High AOV brands on TikTok Shop46:05 Agency group operations51:25 Our creative framework database54:00 Hiring for drive57:47 What's coming nextFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

In this episode of D2C Diaries, Loukas is joined by Ash Melwani, CMO and co-founder of Obvi, one of the most transparent and battle-tested operators in DTC. Ash breaks down the exact Meta strategy that took Obvi to $1M/month in revenue, and the moment it all fell apart.You’ll learn:- The Meta playbook Obvi used to scale with static ads- Why Meta performance collapsed overnight (and what they missed)- How Andromeda and health category crackdowns hit hard- Their pivot to creative volume, video-first strategies, and cross-channel diversification- What’s working right now and why you can’t rely on Meta alone anymoreFrom $50M in spend to platform restrictions and a creative overhaul, Ash shares the raw lessons and tactical pivots every brand needs to hear in 2025.00:00 Obvi’s origin story and early creative focus02:50 Why Ash shares everything publicly05:30 The 2024 strategy that drove $1M/month in spend08:00 Business manager restrictions10:15 Diversifying content and channels12:00 Meta over-reliance 14:15 Building an organic foundation before running paid15:16 TikTok for awareness + testing23:55 Learnings from retail 32:00 IRL events = retention + golden cohort36:25 Full creative mix40:00 AI content should look intentionally AI42:45 Strategic volume on Meta45:11 Why engagement matters more than ever49:50 Ash’s tech stack & tools he uses weekly54:12 His thoughts on exit55:10 What Ash would build next if he started overFollow  @AshvinMelwani :https://x.com/ashvinmelwanihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ashvinmelwani/Follow  @myobvi  https://myobvi.com/https://www.facebook.com/myObvi/https://www.instagram.com/obvihttps://www.tiktok.com/@obviFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

In this episode, we sit down with Sam Matanle, co-founder of Batch LDN, the made-to-order menswear brand disrupting fashion’s broken model. Sam breaks down how Batch scaled 2.2x YoY, with 75% of revenue from one physical store and zero reliance on paid media or held stock.We cover:1. Why fast fashion is financially broken and what works instead2. The decision to bet big on retail instead of performance marketing3. What happened when their Covent Garden store got robbed at 5am4. Why 70% of fittings convert and 25% of customers repurchase within a year5. How Batch London is rewiring the buying journey and turning a suit into a lifestyleThis one’s packed with founder truths, sustainable growth insights, and proof that product + experience OVER flashy funnels.00:00 Background + early years07:00 Starting Batch LDN with co-founder13:55 Early product development18:00 Why fast fashion is broken23:19 Managing customer expectations27:01 Post-purchase journey, behind-the-scenes content28:40 Maintaining focus on made-to-order model31:00 Acquisition drivers + retail strategy34:10 Events strategy + brand community42:50 Website traffic down but revenue up45:22 Content strategy (organic storytelling)48:50 Store break-in + how they turned it into a viral campaign55:20 Hardest part of running a business + burnout59:50 Using journaling and tracking burnout signalsFollow Sam:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-matanle/https://www.instagram.com/samuelmatanle/Follow By Batch LDNhttps://www.instagram.com/batch.ldn/https://www.tiktok.com/@batch.ldnFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

How do you handle it when your kitchen-table beauty brand suddenly pulls in £60K before lunch — and you’re still counting stock by hand?In this episode of D2C Diaries, we sit down with Ellie Carlile, the unstoppable founder behind By Ellie, the brand born from a personal skin struggle, a £2,000 investment, and a makeshift label operation in her mum’s garage. Ellie shares the raw, real journey of building a beauty brand that now sells every 10 minutes, is stocked in Sephora, and runs multi-market TikTok Shop operations across the UK and EU.We unpack:- How she turned product reviews into a content engine- The 30M-view TikTok that changed everything- Why staying founder-led was the secret to community-led growth- The chaos (and learnings) behind overselling thousands of units in one hour- The frameworks she uses to scale with focus, from TED values to product simplicityThis is one for any founder navigating content overwhelm, platform changes, and the pressure to scale while staying true to their brand.00:00 Starting the business03:57 First launch mistakes06:18 Growth strategy08:40 Why raw content wins11:20 Bottlenecks in the business12:30 Handling virality14:45 Entering paid media17:37 Building a brand beyond the founder22:20 The reality of scaling a team24:50 Core values in the team27:05 Staying focused while scaling28:10 Landing Sephora32:50 TikTok Shop strategy37:40 The US Tariff crisis40:40 Being transparent with customers42:45 Working with TikTok affiliates47:40 Growing as a founderFollow Ellie:https://www.instagram.com/elliecarlile_/https://www.tiktok.com/@ellie.n.cFollow By Ellie Beautyhttps://www.instagram.com/byelliebeauty/https://www.tiktok.com/@byelliebeautyFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

Kristian Hansen (AKA, The Jeans Guy) didn’t plan to build a fashion brand. But after accidentally buying a pair of women’s jeans, he posted a TikTok asking, “Is this really what women deal with every day?” and woke up to 3 million views. Welcome to the story behind slø, a custom denim brand that’s rewriting every rule in DTC fashion.In this episode of DTC Diaries, Kristian takes us behind the scenes of a business that:- Offers 1170 sizes and manages over 900,000 SKUs- Sold $400,000 worth of jeans in its first hour, completely organically- Grew a waitlist of over 200,000 customers from TikTok and community alone- Built a factory from scratch in Turkey after every supplier failed to deliver- Runs a 1.5% return rate in one of the highest-return industries on earth- Ships custom-fit jeans in under 21 days with a factory-powered SaaS stackKristian doesn’t just talk about product or performance, he shows what it takes to build a real moat in DTC: full control, radical transparency, and obsession with customer experience.If you’re a founder, operator, or marketer trying to scale without shortcuts, this episode is for you. 00:00 The viral TikTok that started it all03:00 The $400k launch that went wrong05:00 Supply chain failures + learning curve10:45 Why they chose accessibility over premium pricing12:30 Customer commitment 16:00 Complexity of SKUs & 1.5% return rate21:50 Building a supply chain SaaS24:07 Custom built business model29:18 Being "The Jeans Guy"31:30 Community building and customer service40:00 Slo’s product roadmap42:00 Future vision44:40 Lessons learned & what the future holdsFollow Kristianhttps://www.slo.co/https://www.tiktok.com/@thejeansguyFollow Joe on socials:Linkedn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-marston/Twitter: https://x.com/JoeJMarstonFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Levinger, one of the most sought-after minds in consumer insights and behavioural strategy, to unpack the mental models behind performance creative. From understanding generational buying behaviour to why storytelling is outperforming old frameworks, Sarah shares a fresh perspective on what today’s top-performing DTC brands are doing differently.We cover:- Why “hook, body, CTA” is losing effectiveness- The 4 ad types every brand should be running (but most aren’t)- How AI is changing static ad creation and why psychology matters more than ever- Using emotional insights to improve ad resonance and attribution- What’s coming next for DTC brands in the next 12–18 monthsWhether you’re a founder, CMO, or performance lead, this one’s packed with insights that’ll challenge how you think about creative.00:00 – Intro05:45 – The death of hook-body-CTA08:30 – Brand vs performance: finding the balance13:12 – What actually drives people to buy17:46 – Why top-of-funnel strategy is broken22:51 – The power of brand voice from day one26:20 – Speaking like your customer (without losing your voice)31:45 – Why your post-purchase surveys are lying35:38 – Gen Z vs Gen X: how different audiences respond40:15 – Creative testing in 2025: less iteration, more impact44:02 – Sarah’s creative audit process47:33 – What’s next for DTCFollow Sarah:tetherinsights.iohttps://x.com/SarahLevingerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/Follow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

What do snoods, Amazon, and Sunday League football have in common?They were the unlikely start of Frankie Thorogood’s DTC journey, one that turned a £100 Alibaba order into a 7-figure exit.In this episode, Frankie breaks down how he built not one, but THREE brands from the ground up, including Pott’d, now an 8-figure business. We dive into what most founders get wrong about scaling, the power of Amazon, how to build a brand around your life (not the other way around), and why most “marketing advice” online is complete noise.This one’s packed with brutal honesty, underrated strategies, and founder-first perspective you won’t hear anywhere else.If you’re building in the trenches, listen to this before your next product launch.00:00 The Snood Guy08:45 The First Big Brand: TCA13:42 Starting Pott’d20: 28 Amazon vs DTC22:45 Pott’d Growth: Hitting 8 Figures24:10 Delegation, Hiring & Letting Go34:50 Great Products First37:20 Cutting Through The Noise39:33 Perfection Kills Progress42:00 The future of Pott'd44:15 The Product Development Advantage46:30 Building a Community49:25 Exit goals + Becoming a Household Name51:30 Ecom PredicitonsFollow Frankie:www.linkedin.com/in/frankiethorogood/https://www.instagram.com/theurbanartist/https://www.instagram.com/frankiethorogood/https://www.frankie.co.uk/Follow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Triple Whale.Triple Whale is our north star when it comes to data-driven decisions. Whether you're just starting out or running a 9-figure brand, this is the tool that will help you and your team see around corners and move faster.Visit www.triplewhale.com/d2cdiaries to learn more.What does it really take to build a 6-figure TikTok Live? In this episode, we're joined by Daisy, founder of Glow For It, a brand that’s become one of the biggest breakout successes on TikTok Shop.Daisy breaks down the exact strategy behind their record-breaking 6-figure live stream, how she built a cult-like community from a personal story, and why TikTok isn’t just a social platform, it’s a full-blown sales engine. From raw founder realities to structured launch playbooks, we go deep on everything from affiliate creators, to why TikTok Live is still one of the most underused channels in DTC.If you’re a founder, marketer, or creator looking to unlock scale on TikTok, this is the blueprint you’ve been waiting for.We cover:- The behind-the-scenes of Glow For It’s 6-figure live stream- Turning personal pain into brand purpose (and loyal customers)- TikTok Shop affiliate strategies that actually drive volume- How Daisy went from packing orders in her mum’s kitchen to landing in Boots- Launch tactics: teasing, timing, and flooding the algorithmThis is one of the most actionable TikTok deep dives we’ve ever recorded.00:00 Daisy’s Backstory08:35 Spotting the Market Gap10:01 Laying the Early Brand Foundations13:16 The Viral Video That Changed Everything14:33 Getting Over Fear18:50 Advice For Founders 21:10 Transitioning From Founder-led to Team-led Brand Presence22:46 Treating TikTok as a Primary Sales Channel26:47 Launch Playbook on TikTok32:49 Deep Dive into the 12-hour Live that did 6-Figures42:58  What’s next: retail growth, US expansion, and new hero SKUs46:56 Daisy’s TikTok predictions for the next 12–24 monthsFollow Glow For It on SocialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@glowforitshop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glowforitshop/Follow Daisy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisy-kelly-ba2085231Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daisymaykelly_/Follow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Triple Whale.Triple Whale is our north star when it comes to data-driven decisions. Whether you're just starting out or running a 9-figure brand, this is the tool that will help you and your team see around corners and move faster.Visit www.triplewhale.com/d2cdiaries to learn more.Rejected by all 6 Dragons, then hit £4.5M in sales.Lucie Macleod walked into the Dragon’s Den asking for £190k.She left with zero offers… and the internet on her side.In this episode, the founder of Hair Syrup breaks down how she turned a side hustle into a multi-channel beauty brand, why she leaned into public rejection on Dragon’s Den, and how she continues to dominate TikTok without relying on affiliates.She unpacks:▫️The brutal reality of pitching for 3.5 hours with cameras rolling▫️How she used the rejection to fuel record-breaking sales▫️What most founders get wrong about visibility, brand story, and virality▫️Her playbook for converting TikTok attention into long-term customers▫️The content system she uses to publish daily, without a big team▫️And the unfiltered truth of running a fast-growing brand at 24This one’s for every founder who's been underestimated and made it work anyway.00:00 Viral Brand Origin & Early Growth04:30 Authentic Founders Story05:49 Re-defining Natural Haircare07:50 Lucie’s Entrepreneurial Traits11:50 Starting on TikTok18:35 Content Strategy31:33 Dragon’s Den: The Full Story37:45 Struggles Within The Business39:41 BTS of Dragons Den44:35 The Controversial Offer54:28 Impact & Strategic Execution01:02:40 The Downside of Personal Branding.Follow Hair Syrup on SocialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hairsyrupInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hairsyrup/Follow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Triple Whale.Triple Whale is our north star when it comes to data-driven decisions. Whether you're just starting out or running a 9-figure brand, this is the tool that will help you and your team see around corners and move faster.Visit www.triplewhale.com/d2cdiaries to learn more.In this episode, Olly and Loukas break down the exact AI systems they’re using across creative, strategy, operations, and personal systems designed to reduce cognitive load, streamline decision-making, and drive compounding returns across strategy, operations, and execution.You’ll learn:* Why most brands fail with AI (and how to fix it)* How Loukas built a CFO bot to analyse P&Ls and spot overspend in seconds* Using AI for SOP creation, meeting notes, personal CRM, and even calendar audits* The tools they’re using for deep research, content repurposing, and performance feedback loops (e.g. Fixer, Lindy, Poppy, Claude, Triple Whale agents)This is practical, not theoretical.If you're still prompting ChatGPT like it’s Google, this episode will change the game.Ideal for: Brand operators, marketers, and growth leads who want to use AI for impact, not just efficiency.00:00 Intro03:53 Feeding GPT Personal/Business Data08:50 SOP’s13:45 Fixer + Airtable: A Personal CRM17:00 LindyAI: Multi-Agent Workflows20:52 Chat-GPT Deep Research22:55 Lindy AI: Calendar Audit Agents24:35 Shopify x ChatGPT Checkout Integration 26:20 Triple Whale AI Agents30:00 Full Creative Tech StackFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/