

DTC Podcast
DTC Newsletter and Podcast
Weekly discussions between disruptive direct to consumer ecommerce brands and our amazing team about marketing, funnels, and everything scaling related. Subscribe to our newsletter for highlights and step by step tactical insights 👉🏻 📦 directtoconsumer.co
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 20, 2020 • 51min
Ep 29: Napkin Sketch to $100 Million In Sales with Keranique's Tom Shipley
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
This week, we interviewed Tom Shipley who took Keranique Hair Regrowth from a napkin sketch to $100,000,000 in sales in 18 months.
Some of the ear-nuggets you’ll find in this interview include:
📦How to maximize the lifetime value of a customer at each step of the funnel
📦 How to build a team that will crush your competitors
📦 The DTC blue ocean of merging product with content (hot product + great offer + story = next level of growth)
📦 What Tom considers to be the most important entrepreneurial skill
📦The “Simple Exponential Math” to increase your bottom line by 50%
Speaking of the bottom line, our favorite quote from Tom was this: “I don’t give a shit about 10X-ing my top-line. I want to successfully 10x my bottom line while I’m delighting my customers. That’s the formula for long-term success.”
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Aug 13, 2020 • 49min
Ep 28: Scaling Knives to 8 Figures: Advanced Funnels for Ecommerce with Bokashi Steel
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
What happens when two funnel loving brothers join forces with a fifty million dollar iconic brand, that has never really advertised?
This week on DTC podcast we jumped on with Jordan and Oliver Lamb from Bokashi Steel Knives to discuss their funnels, as well as their new partnership with OG DTC Icon Big Green Egg bbq.
🔵 High end ClickFunnels + Shopify setups
🔵 Use digital incentives for ecommerce lead gen (think knife skills)
🔵 Referral programs and post purchase flows using reversion
🔵 $100K in sales with ZERO Ads with this “Collection Box” strategy
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Aug 6, 2020 • 58min
Ep 27: DTC's Most Intimate Connection - JustWears, Alex Walsh
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
🛑 This Just Wears DTC podcast is rated NSFW for irreverent underwear related copy like "palace for your fallus", and "Let your gonads be nomads" 🛑
The DTC movement sometimes feels like a religion, or even a cult (a really awesome one)
But that's only because a lot of very vibrant and intelligent people, engaged in meaningful work with disruptive startups and multinational CPG companies, all recognize a core aspect about how commerce is evolving.
At its core, DTC is about connection and about how, by going direct, you can create a new kind of customer relationship that's more personal, dynamic and valuable long term.
Alex Walsh Cofounder/CFO of JustWears is the PERFECT person to chat with about why DTC is such a big deal, and HOW to build a a brand with intimate connections in mind.
In this cast Alex gives a masterclass on DTC core principles, while Pilothouse team members Raven Dixon and Liam Robinson go deep on some of the copy and content marketing tactics that have helped them grow 5X in the last year.
In this cast you'll find
📦 The JustWears story
📦 What does DTC really mean?
📦 Alex's advice on Kickstarter
📦 Overview of Underwear - Afterthought product for Big Brands
📦 Establishing Brand voice with Humor
📦 How to clear the content bottleneck and keep your feeds fed
📦 Why Alex still replies to comments on his ads
📦 Dragons' Den Experience (and how to leverage it in ads)
📦 How to let success pull you rather than pushing so hard
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Jul 29, 2020 • 47min
Ep 26: Supplements in 2020: Stand Out, Scale Up, and Save the Bees with Microbe Formulas' Dave Huffman
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Going from $15M to $50M, and from 1 - 15 in a marketing department is a tall order for any marketer. After turning down the job multiple times Dave Huffman came up with a plan.
This podcast with Dave Huffman from Microbe Formulas answers 2 MASSIVE questions for any entrepreneur.
① How to truly differentiate within your niche?
② How to structure your highest level strategy in a way that auto-manages your team?
🐝Bonus: How Microbe might just be able to save the. bees
Any real ones, know these are big ones. This cast is full of massive valuebombs along with these
📦 Free plus shipping still killing
📦 Sitewide promo strategy
📦 Growing from 1-15 employees in 3 months.
📦 Marketing the delivery mechanism as a differentiator
📦 Registration path traffic
📦 Best video editing software
📦 Podcasts as Flux Capacitor for your content marketing
📦 The strategic formula that sorts your team out
📦 KOLBE Assessment for team building based on action taking
This cast was just insanely valuable. I can't wait to break it down further in an upcoming DTC Newsletter.
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Jul 24, 2020 • 36min
Ep 25: Pilothouse Principles Return to AKNF! 💥 UTM Lookalikes, Upsell Blueprint, Tai Lopez Buys Pier One
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
It was great to sit back down with the Pilothouse founders and friends to discuss some hot button issues happening right now in our space and on the front lines of our agency.
📦 Tai Lopez is buying Pier One Imports
📦 Sketchy store closing ads
📦 Boomer Businesses
📦 How is CCPA affecting our lead gen campaigns? (and how we're recovering)
📦 DCT (Dynamic Creative) built more for scaling than testing
For the ultimate, full-stack digital marketing agency experience, consider pilothouse.co
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Jul 24, 2020 • 47min
Ep 24: $5K - $10M - Scaling Watches with Google Shopping with Branzio's Ronnie Teja
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
With his last $5000 dollars Ronnie Teja flew to a watch fair in China secured the inventory to sell his first watches. He sold those profitably, and has never looked back, scaling three different men's accessory brands across 77 countries, with each reaching $10M in sales, in just the last 4 years.
In this cast:
📦Google Shopping bidding strategy
📦Acquisition of affiliate content sites
📦YouTube killing for Mens Accessories
📦Installing E.O.S. in your business to raise your game
Ronnie and I go way back in the affiliate game, so it was awesome to connect about all the ways he's grown as a marketer and as a business owner.
In this cast we talk about how to get the most mileage from Google Shopping with your bidding strategies, how to find and aquire organic affiliate content sites, how YouTube is blowing up for men's accessories, and most importantly, how to install an Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS) extract yourself from the day to day grind of your business.
All that and some cricket 🏏
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Jul 17, 2020 • 54min
Ep 23: DTC 1 - Scaling Streetwear with Ambassador Ads - FRONTRVNNERS Joshua Jackai
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
👋🏻 Today marks the first ever DTC podcast! Technically, this is a continuation of the Hot Seat series we've been doing with @Pilothouse but today's marks the transition to our own brand! 🎉🚀📦
This episode has it all: first touch ambassador ads, selling masks PRE-covid, investing in influencers, streetwear brand building, low key spirituality, and even SOP flexes by Alex Stiehl
It was amazing to sit down and riff with Joshua Jackai on his journey building a high integrity streetwear up to solid figures a month and scaling, using an interesting ambassador tactic that recruits an army of micro-influencers to buy a product, be part of the brand and recruit others.
This episode has it all!
This Ad driven ambassador plan is only possible because he's built a brand and a message that resonates with his audience. His message? That's for you to figure out but we really vibed with the brand's low key spirituality and Joshua's super hungry appetite to grow this thing.
Dan Norcia and Eric Dyck provide some solid funnel feedback about how to make small differences to see big improvements.
📦 Joshua’s brand story with Frontrvnners streetwear
📦 What’s Joshua’s background with streetwear (BAPE, Diamond)
📦 How to create apparel that resonates with streetwear consumers
📦 Brand Ambassador + Customer acquisition in a single campaign (unique funnel)
📦 How are your brand ambassador campaigns structured on Facebook?
📦 The numbers on Joshua’s brand ambassador campaigns
📦 Targeting true micro influencers who want to be influencers
📦 Why this approach works in the streetwear niche
📦 Started running masks with a Direct marketing approach
📦 How has selling masks worked (ahead of the curve selling 2 years ago)
📦 Streetwear and influencers. How he Joshua got started in Vancouver
📦 Book recommendation “Grouped” how to infiltrate actual social groups with your brand
📦 Dan suggests product inserts to create more ambassadors
📦 Eric suggests using Typeform rather than google sheets to extend the brand experience
📦 $50K investment question: where would you put it? Talent, consultants.
📦 What are the key aspects to your mindset that are helping you succeed? (integrity)
📦 Spiritual vibe to the brand (low key Christianity) Low Key Christianity is the next wave (eric’s prediction)
📦 Joshua edits diversity into all his images. Important theme. Subtle progressivism.
📦 Adaptability and surveillance
📦 Joshua’s approach to automated systems (big evolution of the biz)
📦 Weird power flex by Alex Stiehl hundreds of SOPs
📦 Eric’s CRO advice for Ambassador funnel
📦 The Power of Facebook Groups
📦 Joshua asks what Pilothouse is: “relentless iteration”
📦 How to use SMS deftly in Frontrvnners funnel (eric)
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Jul 17, 2020 • 34min
Ep 22: Quadrupling Conversion Rate: Contrast Testing for Ads and Content (AKNF #9)
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
It's true...testing is not the sexiest topic in digital marketing.
HOWEVER we at Pilothouse hold it to be self-evident that...
...Iterative, structured testing is the key to high performance creatives and funnels.
Today we gathered two high performance team members Jacob Geary and Taylor Cain , both with an amazing track record of building out structured tests of creative and presales content and improving clients CRO performance 4X.
Today we answer the questions:
🔵What are the structures and tools to use to find winners (angles, pages, ads) when you’re rapidly iterating
🔵What goes into project management when you’re testing so many things?
🔵What CRO metrics are your biggest levers in this process?
🔵What level of resolution is possible and optimal when it comes to CRO data
🔵What is Rubix and How Does it Change the Game for Tracking Funnels
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Jul 10, 2020 • 35min
Ep 21: Building Trust with Email Marketing for Ecom and Lead Gen (AKNF #11) with Julien Normand and Brett Turner
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
A wise meme once said 💁🏻♂️ "It's Free Real Estate."
I don't think they were talking about email marketing, but they could have been.
Pilothouse has been building our team for the past few months, sniping expert @Julien Normand to lead the charge. We're now trailblazing with several of our brands on the ecommerce and lead generation side.
Today we dove deep with @pilothouse head of email @Julien Normand on email for ecommerce AND lead gen, with in-house lead gen expert @Brett Turner
📧Julien’s basic ecom email philosophy strategy
📧Building education into your email flow 30-40% promo 60-40% educational
📧We see brands using soft CTA to just get the email
📧It’s ok to give an offer right away in email, but the focus should be building trust and
📧Which ESPs are preferred (different on Ecom and Lead Gen)
📧Multi-touch point email campaign for lead gen example. Touch points increase conversion!
📧HTML vs Plain Text in Email
📧Headlines for Open Rate vs Click Rate (Does Clickbait work?)
📧Julien talks about headlines and open rates
📧Email marketing segmentation - How much is enough?
📧Post purchase flow for best LTV
📧Where and how to use emojis for best results
📧Julien’s final words on Email marketing “Do Better!” (*stinger potential)
📧Sunset Flows, or manual list scrubs are a must!
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Jul 9, 2020 • 39min
Ep 20: Facebook Ads for Food and Beverage - Slate Milk - Manny Lubin
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Slate Chocolate Milk has reinvented chocolate milk and repositioned it for adults, with more protein, less sugar, and minimal, ethical packaging. Find out how they're driving 50% of their sales on DTC on FB and Instagram (and find out how they could 10X with Pilothouse advice).
Manny Lubin, as the DTC marketing focused founder within a duo, goes deep on his Facebook and Instagram strategy for Food and Beverage and Pilothouse opens up about exactly how to use 3rd party publicity like Shark Tank in your funnels to create engagement GOLD and big increases in AOV, EPC, and LTV.
We discuss:
🟤 How covid has made them 50/50 DTC vs Retail, but how they want to be 20/80 with a focus on grocery
🟤 How they took milk back to the drawing board to reinvent this childhood staple
🟤 How their Shark Tank experience went south, but still had a massive positive impact.
🟤 How to use Shark Tank in your funnels for DTC Marketing as well as WHY using third party publicity in your presales works
🟤 Why ITERATION is the key when it comes to testing audiences and creative
🟤 How to increase "first moment of truth sales" and the Old Spice problem (better retargeting campaigns).
🟤 Slate's Post Purchase email flow
🟤 Slate's testing methodology when it comes to discounts and promos
🟤 Pilothouse squad sells Manny on Presales content...WHY does it work? Widen out your funnel
🟤 Relentless Iteration and third party brands
🟤 20x apparel company with Shark Tank 3rd party validation
🟤 How Apparel for chocolate milk supports the vision
🟤 $50K Grant - Love to see it - Would go RIGHT into DTC digital marketing
🟤 What's slowing Slate from Scaling RIGHT NOW?
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup
Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video