DTC Podcast

DTC Newsletter and Podcast
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED DAILY

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

  1. Ep 597: How Jon Bond Built a $90M Agency with 27% Margins (and the “Tip of the Spear” Playbook)

    4 HR AGO

    Ep 597: How Jon Bond Built a $90M Agency with 27% Margins (and the “Tip of the Spear” Playbook)

    Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup JoinAgency.co Jon Bond has been in the agency game since the 1980s. He co-built Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners (K/B/B) from “two guys in New York” into one of the most talked-about independent agencies in the U.S., with peak scale hitting $90M revenue and 27% margins, and over $1B in billings (per the episode). In this conversation, Jon breaks down what actually drives agency growth when you’re past the scrappy phase and trying to scale without turning into a “we do everything” shop. Role-based hook: For agency founders scaling from $5–20M who want clearer positioning, better margins, and a path to bigger clients without chaos. What we get into: The “tip of the spear” framework: why clients don’t hire you for everything you can do, they hire you for the one thing you’re known for (then expand scope after trust is built)How they moved from low single-digit profit to 27% margins with discipline, forecasts, and real consequences (without killing culture)Culture as an actual growth lever: why “acceptance” made the agency sticky and hard to replicateWord of mouth at scale: the difference between “what you want people to say” and “what makes people talk”Building marketing assets that regenerate (vs renting attention that dies the second you stop paying) Who this is for: Agency owners and operators who feel stuck in “full-service mush,” want to land bigger clients, and want a smarter way to expand scope without blowing up delivery. What to steal: A simple positioning test: can you name the 1–2 things you do better than anyone, in one sentence, without listing services?A profitability rule that forces clarity: “If we invest X, what revenue shows up by month Y, and what gets cut if it doesn’t?”A growth path that doesn’t whiplash your team: expand one step away from your current strength, ideally funded by the client Timestamps 00:00 Agency Confidential preview 03:00 Jon Bond on starting young 06:00 Faking it till you make it 08:00 Making the agency feel hot 12:00 Culture built the agency 17:00 Word of mouth that scales 22:00 Growing with real margins 27:00 Hiring people built for change 30:00 Make your agency the top client 33:00 The near future advantage 37:00 Find your tip of the spear 39:00 Why agencies still win Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF597 Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

    43 min
  2. Ep 596: 3 Shopify Hot-Fixes for AI Shopping: Kurt Elster on UCP, ChatGPT Referrals, and TikTok Shop

    4 DAYS AGO

    Ep 596: 3 Shopify Hot-Fixes for AI Shopping: Kurt Elster on UCP, ChatGPT Referrals, and TikTok Shop

    Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Kurt Elster is back to talk about what Shopify brands should actually be doing right now as AI starts influencing search, product discovery, and ecommerce workflows. For Shopify operators, DTC founders, and ecommerce marketers trying to stay ahead of rising CAC and AI-driven product discovery. This episode covers the stuff that’s easy to ignore until it’s suddenly important: Shopify category fields, structured data, AI referrals, TikTok Shop growth, and how vibe coding is already changing the SaaS and app ecosystem. We get into: Why Shopify category fields and category metafields matter more than most merchants realizeWhat ChatGPT referral traffic looks like todayHow structured data can help brands show up in answer enginesWhy TikTok Shop is becoming a real growth channel for some brandsWhat AI means for app sprawl, custom builds, and leaner ecommerce teamsKurt’s thinking on free gift with purchase and the app he built, Promo Party Pro Timestamps: 00:00 Ads Feel Broken Right Now (Here’s Why) 01:17 The Shopify Feature Everyone Ignored 02:14 This Powers AI Shopping (No One Realized) 05:08 Why In-App Checkout Keeps Failing 07:05 The Easiest Growth Lever You’re Missing 09:28 SEO Is Dead. This Replaces It 12:22 How AI Chooses Which Products Win 16:15 The AI Mistake Breaking Your Builds 26:01 Why CAC Keeps Getting Worse 28:22 The Real TikTok Shop Playbook 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

    41 min
  3. Ep 595: Where Will Your Growth Come From This Year? The 5-Message Creative System for Scaling DTC Strategically

    20 MAR

    Ep 595: Where Will Your Growth Come From This Year? The 5-Message Creative System for Scaling DTC Strategically

    Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Duncan Ferguson, Strategy Lead at Pilothouse, breaks down why so many DTC brands are stuck in the tactical spin cycle, always testing, tweaking, and “optimizing” without a clear answer for where growth will actually come from. This episode gets into the difference between platform-centric marketing and a real growth system built around the customer journey, message sequencing, and repeatable creative. For DTC founders, CMOs, and heads of growth who are tired of channel optimization masquerading as strategy. In this episode, we get into: The simplest question that exposes whether your brand has a strategy or just a pile of channel tasksWhy Meta, Google, email, and landing pages should work as a coordinated customer journey, not separate departmentsHow to identify the 3 to 5 messages a customer needs to hear before they buyWhy brands should stop doing light work on 300 ads and start doing real work on 5 to 10How a creative system makes scaling new channels, collections, and audiences way more repeatable Who this is for: DTC founders, ecommerce CMOs, retention leads, media buyers, and creative strategists trying to scale past the easy wins. What to steal: Ask your team: “Where will growth come from this year?” If nobody can answer it cleanly, you’ve got a strategy problem.Build creative around customer journey stages, not around whatever ad format the team feels like making this week.Create a 5-message creative system you can reuse across channels, audiences, and product lines. Timestamps: 0:00 Why growth hacks stop working 2:00 What a real brand growth system is 4:00 Building customer journeys and message maps 6:00 Inspiration not iteration in creative 8:00 Finding objections that block purchase 10:00 How channels work together in the journey 12:00 Why most brands are stuck in the tactical spin cycle 14:00 The question every founder should ask 16:00 Customer-centric vs platform-centric growth 18:00 Why optimization alone is limited 20:00 How to find the right growth opportunity 24:00 What a creative system actually looks like 26:00 The five-message framework for conversion Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF595 Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

    29 min
  4. Ep 594: How Odd Pieces Hit $500K on Kickstarter by Reinventing the Puzzle Category

    16 MAR

    Ep 594: How Odd Pieces Hit $500K on Kickstarter by Reinventing the Puzzle Category

    Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Ginny Lo is the co-founder of Odd Pieces, a story-driven puzzle brand that took a tired category and made it feel fresh again. Instead of selling just another image-in-a-box, Odd Pieces built puzzles with narrative, hidden clues, comic-style storytelling, and reveal mechanics that make customers want the next one as soon as they finish the first. For DTC founders building an original physical product with limited capital, this episode is a real look at category creation, Kickstarter validation, and early repeat purchase. In this conversation, Ginny breaks down how Odd Pieces started in a 400-square-foot apartment, why they skipped the big research deck and built from instinct, how they launched on Kickstarter with less than $10K, and what they’ve learned from scaling across DTC, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and repeat Kickstarter launches. You’ll hear about: How a cheap COVID date night turned into a new product categoryWhy the first Odd Pieces prototype took 8+ months to get rightWhat actually makes Kickstarter work, and what agencies can’t do for youHow the first campaign hit $500K and nearly 10,000 backersWhy product design, not just marketing, is doing the heavy lifting on retention Who this is for: DTC founders, consumer product operators, Kickstarter creators, and marketers trying to build something people actually come back for. What to steal: Build surprise and progression into the product itself so repeat purchase feels naturalUse playtesting to watch customer behavior, not just collect polite feedbackTreat Kickstarter as a distinct channel with its own customer psychology, creative, and conversion strategy Timestamps: 00:00 Odd Pieces intro 02:02 Why they started Odd Pieces 04:14 Turning puzzles into story experiences 06:58 Building without formal market research 09:00 Making the first prototype 11:23 Working with artists and storyboards 15:08 Launch costs and early funding 18:06 Pricing and repeat customers 23:12 Tony Yu’s role in the business 27:22 How Kickstarter really works 31:00 First launch results and lessons 35:17 Kickstarter creatives that convert 38:24 The controversy that drove traffic 43:17 Shopify, Amazon and retail growth 47:14 Who they would hire next 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

    51 min
  5. Ep 593: 3 Rules for Culturally Relevant DTC Ads That Still Convert on Meta

    13 MAR

    Ep 593: 3 Rules for Culturally Relevant DTC Ads That Still Convert on Meta

    Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Aves and Daniel Sendecki get into a problem a lot of brands still haven’t solved: how do you make ads feel culturally relevant without making them cringe, tone deaf, or useless in performance channels? This episode breaks down why “brand voice” alone no longer carries paid social, how algorithmic feeds reward relevance over cleverness, and why the best creative now has to do two jobs at once: feel native and resolve intent. For DTC founders, growth marketers, and creative strategists trying to make Meta and TikTok ads feel native without losing conversion intent. In this episode, we cover: Why brand voice was built for an older distribution model, and why that model doesn’t dominate anymoreHow to “cooperate with culture” instead of awkwardly borrowing itWhy great paid social creative now needs both cultural cues and problem-solution clarityHow generational context shapes what kind of humor, references, and framing actually landWhat Super Bowl ads, street interviews, and creator-style content reveal about where attention is moving Who this is for: DTC operators, paid social teams, creative strategists, and founders who want better-performing ads without sounding like every other brand online. What to steal: Build ads that use native visual language from the feed, not polished brand-world aestheticsUse cultural references as permission to speak, not as the entire messageMatch creative tone to the audience’s deeper context, not just surface-level trends Timestamps: 00:00 Cultural elements in ads that actually work 02:00 Cooperating with culture vs co-opting culture 04:01 Why brand voice works differently now 06:04 Generational marketing and millennial humor 08:58 Relevance, intent, and permission to speak 11:07 Why ads need to feel native and authentic 13:14 Ad examples that build cultural relevance 17:18 Creative systems and authentic brand messaging 19:02 McDonald’s, Burger King, and authenticity in ads 23:03 Why Super Bowl ads missed the mark 27:08 Where the best ads are happening now Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF593 Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

    29 min
  6. Bonus: 26% of Brands Reply in Real Time: The Conversational SMS Playbook That Wins More Orders

    11 MAR

    Bonus: 26% of Brands Reply in Real Time: The Conversational SMS Playbook That Wins More Orders

    Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup We co-authored The Conversational Report with Postscript to understand one simple question: when shoppers text brands back, what happens next? The punchline is uncomfortable. Customers treat texting like a real conversation, but most brands treat replies like a support inbox, or ignore them entirely. That gap is where a lot of abandoned carts live. Role-based hook: For DTC founders and operators scaling past $1M who want SMS to do more than broadcast promos, and want replies to turn into revenue plus better creative and PDPs. Mike Manheimer from Postscript joins to break down what the data says, why brands struggle operationally, and how AI changes the economics of responding quickly. What we get into: Why brands misread replies as “support,” and why that kills revenueThe consumer expectation gap, plus why 26% real time reply rate is a gift for anyone who executesThe easiest way to start: add one question to your welcome flow and watch what comes backTurning reply data into a weekly insight loop for PDP, creative angles, and offer clarityWhat a real playbook looks like beyond “send more promos” Who this is for: Retention, growth, CX, and founders who know SMS works, but feel like it has not matured into what it should be. What to steal: The “question mark” strategy for welcome and abandoned cart flowsA reply triage model that does not require headcount explosionsA simple way to turn conversations into segments you can act on Postscript Mike Report Timestamps 00:00 Why brands are wasting SMS potential 02:00 The gap between brand assumptions and shopper behavior 04:14 Why SMS should be treated like sales, not support 06:00 The staffing problem behind slow SMS replies 08:10 How Postscript’s conversational AI actually works 11:20 Why fast replies create a better buying experience 13:05 The LTV upside of real SMS relationships 15:10 How to write SMS flows that get real responses 18:12 The revenue and ROI from conversational SMS 21:35 Why PDPs cannot answer every shopper question 25:05 How SMS conversations create better customer insights 31:20 The best conversational SMS playbook for brands 37:45 Why one-way SMS is becoming obsolete 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

    42 min
  7. Ep 592: $250K Kickstarter to West Elm: How Bearaby Built a Weighted Blanket Category (Without Early Meta Spend)

    9 MAR

    Ep 592: $250K Kickstarter to West Elm: How Bearaby Built a Weighted Blanket Category (Without Early Meta Spend)

    Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Dr. Kathrin Hamm (PhD Economics) didn’t set out to be a founder. She just wanted to sleep. One ugly “medical” weighted blanket fixed her insomnia… then made her realize the whole category was stuck in 30-year-old design, plastic beads, and overheating. So she rebuilt it from scratch with a chunky-knit, breathable form factor that looks like home decor, not a pharmacy product. Role-based hook: For DTC founders building a new category (or trying to escape the “Meta-only” trap) and scaling from early traction into real distribution. In this episode we get tactical on: Why Bearaby launched on Kickstarter to bypass “what even is this?” cold traffic frictionHow the product design (breathable chunky knit) became the marketingThe early growth engine: gifting + press + interior design circles, before paidA surprisingly underrated channel: TV/Netflix set placements as free cultural reachWhat changed on Meta: why creative strategists + creative diversity is now non-negotiableEurope expansion lessons: language, sleep habits, visuals, and humor are not transferable Who this is for: founders + marketers selling anything that requires education (sleep, wellness, new formats, “never seen this before” products). What to steal: Launch new categories where early adopters already are (Kickstarter) so you can teach before you sellBuild an earned pipeline (editors, designers, set decorators) that compounds for yearsTreat each country like its own market: copy, visuals, and cultural jokes included Timestamps 00:00 Bearaby origin story 02:08 Discovering weighted blankets for sleep 04:18 Why old weighted blankets failed 08:05 Selling out the first 800 blankets 10:10 Turning weighted blankets into a lifestyle brand 14:20 Why Kickstarter and gifting worked 18:15 Getting Bearaby onto Netflix sets 20:45 Scaling through DTC, Amazon and retail 24:45 Expanding Bearaby into Europe 29:05 Germany launch and viral egg hats 32:20 How Meta creative changed 34:35 Dealing with copycats 37:35 New product innovation beyond blankets 42:00 Where Bearaby is headed 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

    43 min
  8. Ep 591: Meta Andromeda: 3 New Tools (CASC, AI Assistant, Creative Testing) to Improve DTC Performance

    6 MAR

    Ep 591: Meta Andromeda: 3 New Tools (CASC, AI Assistant, Creative Testing) to Improve DTC Performance

    Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Jacob (Head of Meta at Pilothouse) joins Eric to break down what Meta’s actually rolling out right now, what’s hype, and what’s worth testing. They get into CASC (combined awareness + sales), Meta’s new AI “business assistant,” and a super practical creative testing feature that can even help you split-test landing pages without nuking social proof. For DTC founders + performance marketers scaling spend who need creative variety and cleaner measurement in Meta. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why most accounts are trending video-heavy (think ~70/30 video/static), and where statics still make sense (hint: retargeting).What CASC is trying to solve (awareness + sales in one campaign) and who’s most likely to get access first.How Meta’s AI assistant can speed up reporting… and why you still need to fact-check it.How to use Meta’s ad-level creative testing to quickly find winning hooks (and kill losers fast).A sneaky use case: split-test URLs (homepage vs PDP vs collection vs presell) using the same ad. Who this is for: Operators managing Meta at $50K+/mo who are feeling the “Andromeda” shift and need more creative throughput without turning the account into spaghetti. What to steal: Run 5-hook tests on one hero concept before you film 10 more “new” creatives.Use ad-level creative testing to test landing pages while keeping comments/likes intact.Treat AI insights as a junior analyst: fast drafts, then human verification. Timestamps: 00:00 CASC explained and why Meta is combining awareness with sales 02:05 Why consolidation and bigger budgets matter more in the Andromeda era 04:05 Who CASC is for and when it makes sense to test 05:10 Creative strategy for upper funnel: intent buckets and first 2 seconds 08:05 Meta AI Business Assistant: what it can answer inside Ads Manager 11:25 Creative Testing at the ad level: how the new feature works 13:55 Using Creative Testing to split test landing pages without losing social proof 16:10 Attribution changes: engaged views and Meta taking less credit 18:25 Rollout notes and how to start using these updates Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF591 Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

    20 min
See All (719)

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    DTC Newsletter and Podcast
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    719
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 352487
  • Show Website
    DTC Podcast

You Might Also Like