Peter Sivas, Floof - Prioritizing branding before product development, conducting focus groups, exploring partnerships with platforms, identifying a gap in the market, utilizing out-of-the-box marketing methods, designing for packaging, staying focused on brand goals, healthy profit margins, streamlined purchasing, empowering consumers as designers, discounts from designers and trade shows, communicating brand value, focus on social proof and partnerships.

Mina Elias, expert in Amazon and successful brand building, joins the podcast to discuss setting up and navigating Amazon's seller central account, optimizing listings with SEO keywords and effective product images, using customer feedback and reviews to improve products and branding, understanding and navigating Amazon's complex advertising and marketing strategies, managing inventory and avoiding stockouts for sales performance, the importance of aggressive marketing and traffic generation on Amazon, and strategic pricing and profitability considerations.

Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop.Join 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter! On this episode of DTC pod, Jordan & Victor join Blaine & Ramon to discuss everything about building a top tier CPG brand from the ground up.We cover:1. Overcoming obstacles, fundraising struggles, scaling strategies.2. Agua fresca innovation, commercialization process.3. Cultural representation, Working Assembly partnership, Lotteria card motif.4. Sprouts and Safeway partnerships, focus on Texas and California.5. Raising capital, following up with investors, breakthrough investment.6. Hiring and delegating, scaling systems and operations.7. Farmers market success, pandemic challenges, post-college jobs.Timestamps:04:42 Bawi's progression from soda stream to cans.06:39 Product market validation and self-funding.13:19 Timing, friendship, and opportunities for growth.17:58 Salesmanship and persistence in business.21:11 Initial unfamiliarity with fundraising led to success.26:47 Involvement of agencies, food scientist, commercialization.29:25 Fundraising ease with a single check.34:01 Focus on branding, package design, and cultural representation.38:14 Feedback leading to branding adjustments.41:25 Expansion to stores, focus on Texas, California.45:10 Rapid scaling, easy fundraising, system building.Shownotes 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-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter hereFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTok Victor Guardiola and Jordan Hicks - Co-founders of BawiRamon Berrios - CEO of Trend.ioBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Seated

On this episode of DTC pod, Jess joins Blaine & Ramon to discuss everything about building a top tier talent agency, and what it takes to be successful for brands to collaborate with top tier talent.We cover:1. Connecting creators, brands, and agencies for successful collaborations.2. Focusing on sustained partnerships for effectiveness.3. Creating special products/services with influencers to address audience needs.4. Utilizing traditional platforms to amplify influencer reach.5. Addressing the industry's lack of creator tools6. Strategies to handle delays and maintain communication with talent and brands.7. Building long-term relationships based on transparency and audience knowledge.Timestamps:03:08 PR agency rebranded to Shine Talent Group; problem-solving focus.08:16 Evolution and creativity in influencer marketing.12:14 Mindset change leads to startup success.16:19 Importance of balancing work and creativity.18:11 Support for talent in workload, contracts management.21:20 Autonomy and diversity in talent representation.25:08 Working with consumer brands in influencer relations.27:48 Trust and collaboration as success keys.31:31 Accepting initial brand push; testing audience crucial.38:38 Content challenges; importance of communication, organization.41:13 Advantages of working with talent agency.44:43 Preference for long-term campaigns with multiple influencers.49:59 Industry needs CRM, project management tools.52:36 Shine's extensive presence on social media.Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop.Join 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter!Shownotes 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-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter hereFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTok Jess Hunichen - Co-founder of Shine Talent GroupRamon Berrios - CEO of Trend.ioBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Seated

On this episode of DTC pod, Meghan joins Blaine & Ramon to discuss her move from the finance world to becoming one of the world's best operators and brand builders in the direct-to-consumer space. With her background in investing and a passion for consumer products, Megan noticed a gap in the market for innovative slip-on footwear and saw an opportunity to create something new.We cover:1. Gap in Slide Sandal Market2. Background in Finance and Investing3. Key Insights as An Operator4. Unique Angel Investor and Evergreen Fund5. True Botanicals Experience and Success6. Building Direct-to-Consumer First7. Utilizing Influencer Relationships for GrowthEpisode Timestamps:04:01 Meghan Higney's transition from finance to brand building.06:46 Discussing angel investor's support and focus on longevity.09:25 True Botanicals' success and marketing strategy evolution.15:01 Meghan's transition from finance to footwear passion.20:24 Key to success: growth, creativity, people operations.23:33 Comparing beauty and food industries' supply chain challenges.29:04 Journey to build best performance sandals.37:26 Discussing footwear production in Porto, Portugal.42:48 Reflecting on financial investments and business growth.48:17 Aiming for sustainable profitability and strategic growth.51:59 Anticipating brand's growth and requesting social media info.Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop.Join 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter!Shownotes 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-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter hereFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTok Meghan Higney - Founder of MessageRamon Berrios - CEO of Trend.ioBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Seated

Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop. Join 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter! We cover:1. Threads Strategy For Consumer Brands2. Slow and consistent growth for Threads.3. Potential opportunities for brands on Threads.4. Liquid Death's rapid growth and IPO plans.5. Creative marketing's impact on building brands.6. Niagara Water's pivot to enterprise bottling services.7. Beverage industry's boom and major exits.[00:03:24] Quick migration to Threads; Twitter 'X'. TikTokText.[00:07:28] Niagara: from private label to bottling giant.[00:10:36] Celsius booming, rapper lawsuit, Pepsi's high stake.[00:12:54] Key takeaways for beverage brands and creators.[00:17:16] Winning DTC strategy for bev cpg[00:20:04] Leveraging opportunities to level up in business.[00:24:31] How founders can leverage strengths[00:27:37] The makings of the next Redbull[00:31:34] Expensive coffee made from civet poop[00:34:50] More tips and news in the newsletterShownotes 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-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter hereFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTokRamon Berrios - CEO of Trend.ioBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Seated

On this episode of DTC POD, join hosts Blaine Bolus and Ramon Berrios as they chat with Mike Xhaxho, creator of Waterboy, a popular TikTok account and brand. Mike shares his unexpected journey from starting a personal TikTok account to gaining millions of views and launching a successful product. We chat about the power of storytelling in his videos and the importance of using the right strategies to establish your brand online. We also talk about partnering with creators in consumer businesses, testing before scaling, and how to run effective pre-sales and product drops.We cover:1. Viral TikTok to launch brand2. Building a brand and community3. Creator as a Co-Founder4. Product development and variety5. TikTok, Meta, and Amazon for sales and growth6. Transparency & Authenticity with customers7. Retail expansion plansTimestamps02:13 Entrepreneur journey: finance, fitness, Amazon.05:06 TikTok success to product launch.10:01 Shopify site, simple SMS-targeted page.12:22 First successful video: personal story.15:43 Packaging issues, flavor change, delays.19:10 Similar background, variable metrics, creator role.23:02 TikTok, Meta ads, Amazon reliance.27:52 Ignored algorithm, focused on engagement.31:21 Hero product lacked variety, differentiation.33:17 Transparency, mistakes, cautious growth.36:18 Over-involved in sourcing, logistics.39:54 Product expansion, brand building, retail success.43:35 Waterboy.com bought after six-month pivot.Shownotes powered by CastmagicP.S. Join 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter! 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-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter hereFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTok Mike Xhaxho - Co-Founder of WaterboyRamon Berrios - CEO of Trend.ioBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Seated

In this episode of DTC POD, Blaine and Jordan talk about how to grow e-commerce brands through paid performance. They talk about Facebook's tracking methods, insight platforms, customer psychology, setting up tools for effective ads, combating ad fatigue, using images vs videos, alternative opportunities, Facebook groups, Performance Max, SEO strategies, Apple's privacy measures, AI tools, starting with ads, and engaging with customers.We cover:1. Tracking and Attribution2. Understanding Customer Psychology3. Tools and Platforms4. Creative Content5. Engaging with Online Communities6. Testing and Optimization7. SEO and Organic TrafficTimestamps01:35 - From video production to founding Suna.05:12 - Learn ads before hiring. Find customers on search platforms. Performance Max and Advantage Plus need data. Start with unpaid methods.08:53 - Essential Google Analytics, Tag Manager, Facebook Pixel setups.13:59 - Tracking customer behavior with various tools.16:56 - Understand customer psychology beyond price. Uncover barriers to purchasing.21:26 - YouTube for retargeting, Performance Max for Google.24:45 - Testing crucial for effective strategies.28:53 - Rank for buyer intent, blogs for expertise. SEO drives organic traffic.31:35 - Performance Max: untapped opportunity, perpetual creative engine. Image creative highly effective, ad fatigue.33:50 - Fresh and engaging ads, images convey more. Shownotes powered by CastmagicP.S. Get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter! 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-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter hereFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTok Jordan West - upGrowth CommerceRamon Berrios - CEO of Trend.ioBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Seated

Liz Giorgi, co-founder of soona, joins the podcast to discuss the future of content for consumer brands. They cover topics like ecommerce content creation, the role of AI in creative content, and the value of storytelling and unique brand identity. Liz also shares her entrepreneurial journey, the growth of soona, and strategies for customer engagement.

On this episode of DTC Pod, Blaine chats with Robbie Salter, one of the founding partners of Jupiter. Robbie shares his journey of creating innovative products and addressing the needs of both men and women. They discuss how to build a brand, starting from scratch, navigating supply chain issues to inventory management, building a CX flywheel, and the importance of having a mission greater than your product.We cover:1. Haircare innovation and product development2. Supply chain challenges and inventory management3. Building a brand strategy consultancy4. Investing in venture capital and startups5. Entrepreneurship and asking questions6. Customer experience and packaging7. Mental health advocacy and giving backTimestamps[00:05:40] Finding a problem worth solving[00:10:01] Developing dandruff care products[00:12:17] Embracing curiosity[00:16:00] Finding manufacturers[00:18:18] Decisions on product ingredients[00:22:56] Packaging vs product quality[00:26:57] Importance of customer experience, female perspective[00:33:09] Overcoming supply chain issues, prioritizing customers[00:36:56] Honesty and transparency[00:40:51] Focus on mental health[00:44:11] Nights and Weekends brand consultancy[00:47:53] Importance of trust in a partnershipRevolutionizing the Haircare Market:"We knew that better was possible. Something that felt a little bit more elevated. When you looked across the category, other categories, and you saw there was innovation being done, both from a packaging perspective, a formulation perspective, a messaging perspective."The Importance of Products Over Packaging:"At the end of the day, I don't think people really care about the package that they received... We knew that we had made the right decisions and that we were on to something good."Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur:"I think what makes a good entrepreneur, one of the qualities that makes a good entrepreneur is a great level of comfort looking stupid when asking questions, right?"Shownotes powered by CastmagicP.S. Get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter!Episode brought to you by Finaloop, the real-time accounting service trusted by hundreds of DTC Brands. Try Finaloop free - no credit card required. Visit finaloop.com/dtcpod and get 14 days free and a 2-month P&L within 24 hours. 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-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter hereFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTokRobbie Salter - Co-CEO and Co-founder of Jupiter Ramon Berrios - CEO of Trend.ioBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Seated