The Margin Room

Shopé
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Marketing

The Margin Room is a podcast for early-stage DTC founders building from zero to seven figures. These are raw, operator-to-operator conversations about retention, revenue, systems, mistakes, and the real decisions that shape a business long before it looks “successful.” You’ll hear from founders who are a few steps ahead - not nine-figure operators far removed from the early grind. We talk profitability, cashflow, owned channels, delegation, and the personal stakes behind building a brand under pressure. This is not the place for fluff or gurus.  Just honest conversations from inside the work. Hosted by Shopé, Co-founder of ALTAR Aesthetics Company and Founder of Building Block Digital. Connect with Shopé: Instagram: http://instagram.com/allofshope LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosope-adeyemi-b5418a14b/ The Margin Room is presented by Building Block Digital, a world-class retention agency for 6-8 figure brands. 📔 Join the FREE Skool community to get the entire Email/SMS playbook we use for our existing 6, 7, and 8 figure brand clients; https://www.skool.com/emailsms-marketing-mastery-6619/about?ref=3095ac343f15469fb691fa62857d2f5e

Episodes

  1. Sep 1

    $200K in 3 Months: The Skincare Brand He Built for His Own Birthmark (Matthias De Potter)

    Matthias De Potter is the founder of Aspilon Cosmetics, a Belgian beauty brand built for people with skin differences: port wine stains, vitiligo, rosacea, burn scars. He was born with a port wine stain and spent over a decade looking for makeup that would cover it without wrecking his skin. It didn't exist, so he built it with Dr. Barbara Geusens, a bio-engineer with a PhD in dermatology. Three months in, the brand is tracking towards $200K in annual revenue off 20-30 million TikTok views in a single 30-day window. It is also, in his own words, not profitable yet. This is an unusually candid conversation about what that stage really looks like. Matthias walks through the 15,000-20,000 person email list he built before launch using surveys that doubled as market validation, why email and SMS still drive only 5-10% of revenue, the in-house shade matcher and face scan built to convert cold traffic, and the manufacturing lead times that had customers waiting months. He also explains the mistake that cost him: skipping pre-production samples and ordering more than 10,000 units in the wrong colour. The middle of the episode goes somewhere else. Matthias talks about being stared at every day, about going to bed hoping he'd wake up and it would be gone. One in four people with a facial skin difference suffers clinical anxiety or depression. That's the market he serves, and he's a member of it. If you're building a brand where you are the proof of concept, this one is worth your time. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Cold open 00:09 Intro: The Margin Room 01:32 Meet Matthias De Potter, founder of Aspilon Cosmetics 03:06 30M TikTok views vs bootstrapped cash flow 04:42 What feels earned, what feels fragile 07:13 Personal account vs brand account 10:05 "What if TikTok stops working tomorrow?" 11:56 Off-platform community: associations and hospitals 13:31 Traffic that doesn't buy the first time 15:56 The email and SMS infrastructure, flow by flow 17:43 The email list: 15,000-20,000 people 18:05 Building the list before launch 19:31 Email and SMS: 5-10% of revenue 21:22 "Are you profitable?" "Not yet." 22:09 Answering the "he's just covering it up" comments 26:20 How he found his scientific co-founder 28:19 The crash that ended cycling 29:45 "What are you good at versus what do you love?" 32:01 The bullying, and what it costs 34:20 The mirror, in full 37:09 Fear as fuel 41:49 The two real bottlenecks 43:54 Where an extra $10K a month would go 45:04 10,000 units in the wrong colour 46:20 Where to find Matthias 🔗 Connect with Matthias: Website: aspiloncosmetics.com | Instagram: @aspiloncosmetics | TikTok: @aspiloncosmetics 🔗 Connect with Shopé: Instagram: @allofshope | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosope-adeyemi-b5418a14b/ The Margin Room is an ecommerce podcast for early-stage DTC founders building from zero to seven figures, presented by Building Block Digital, a world-class retention agency for 6-8 figure brands. 💰 Make your first $100,000 from your Shopify Store. Join my FREE Skool community, Email/SMS Foundation; https://www.skool.com/emailsms-marketing-mastery-6619/about?ref=3095ac343f15469fb691fa62857d2f5e #shopify #dtc #ecom #emailmarketing

  2. Aug 7

    From Wall Street to 500 Stores: The Beef Tallow Brand Running 90% Margins (Harri Magaldi)

    Harri Magaldi is the founder of My Neighbors, a regenerative skincare brand built on beef tallow, seven ingredients or fewer, and single-origin sourcing from Hudson Valley farms. She was a derivatives trader at Morgan Stanley and UBS — the only woman on a desk of 13 men — until she left after maternity leave. Her daughter's eczema is the reason the company exists. She started in her kitchen, launched at the Hudson farmers market as "the cancellation girl," and made $4,000 on her first morning. An Anthropologie buyer found her there. Two and a half years later she's in roughly 500 stores and forecasting over a thousand. This one is unusually open about the numbers: margins in the nineties, a 28–32% six-week reorder rate against a beauty average of 20, $13–22 CAC, $109 AOV, and why she's deliberately unprofitable. We get into why she still manufactures in-house, the by-product loop that pays her local farmers twice, the $45,000 Oprah box that got a no, the 534-door deal that vanished, and the six-figure Black Friday that let her write herself a paycheck for the first time. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open 00:12 — Intro: The Margin Room 01:33 — Meet Harri Magaldi, founder of My Neighbors 02:31 — Why beef tallow, and why the timing worked 03:41 — What's quietly stressing her out 05:54 — Why manufacturing stays in-house 06:48 — The by-product loop that pays farmers twice 09:13 — Her daughter's eczema and leaving Wall Street 12:34 — Business plan or desperate mom? 14:17 — "The cancellation girl": $4,000 on day one 16:26 — The dark horse: getting hired at Morgan Stanley 19:56 — How a derivatives brain runs a skincare brand 21:48 — Metrics-driven growth vs a community-led brand 24:55 — Margins in the nineties 26:59 — Price accessibility and "girl math" 31:38 — Building their own subscriptions instead of paying $24k a year 33:17 — The numbers: reorder rate, CAC, AOV, LTV 34:41 — Three full-timers, equity, and a fractional C-suite 35:45 — $2M this year, forecasting $15M in 2027 37:19 — The 534-door deal that vanished 39:58 — Where she's still the bottleneck 47:25 — Snail mail at a 98% open rate 50:12 — The $45,000 Oprah box 53:26 — Showing up in person: the Texas road trip 58:00 — The fear underneath it all 1:00:43 — What she'd do differently 1:01:54 — Where to find Harri 🔗 Connect with Harri: Website: myneighbors.co | Instagram: @myneighbors.co | TikTok: @myneighbors.co 🔗 Connect with Shopé: Instagram: @allofshope | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosope-adeyemi-b5418a14b/ The Margin Room is an ecommerce podcast for early-stage DTC founders building from zero to seven figures, presented by Building Block Digital, a world-class retention agency for 6-8 figure brands. 💰 Make your first $100,000 from your Shopify Store. Join my FREE Skool community, Email/SMS Foundation; https://www.skool.com/emailsms-marketing-mastery-6619/about?ref=3095ac343f15469fb691fa62857d2f5e #shopify #dtc #ecom #emailmarketing

  3. Jun 23

    A Supplement Brand on Education Alone - 83% of Customers Come Back (Scott Schwab)

    Scott Schwab is the founder of Met Naturals and Met Wellness — CBD, functional nutrition, and data-driven health. His path into entrepreneurship started with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a serious neurological illness that led him to discover the endocannabinoid system and the real science behind CBD. In this episode, Scott shares the mechanics behind a brand doing 83% YTD repeat purchase rate, 70.96% all-time, and a 64% email open rate on 16,000 engaged subscribers. We get into: education as the primary marketing engine, why he pulled fulfillment back in-house after 3PL costs climbed 30–35% a year, the sampling strategy converting 70% to full-price buyers, and his vision for a future where genetic data and blood panels tell you exactly what your body needs. If you're building in wellness, health, or any category where trust is the product — this is the playbook. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open01:00 — Intro: The Margin Room02:02 — Meet Scott Schwab, founder of Met Naturals & Met Wellness03:50 — The health crisis that started it all: Guillain-Barré & CBD06:32 — How CBD works: the endocannabinoid system explained09:35 — Using your personal story as a marketing engine11:11 — CBD vs. marijuana: dispelling the myths14:04 — Product lineup: gels, gummies, tinctures, hemp protein & reds17:40 — The perfect amino: why whey + hemp is the formula22:26 — Building trust in a skeptical category25:00 — Where margins get squeezed in wellness27:55 — 64% open rate, 16,000 engaged subscribers29:44 — 70% of samples convert to full-price buyers32:40 — Team of 12: hiring for autonomy33:17 — Why they left their 3PL and brought fulfillment in-house37:38 — Met Naturals vs. Met Wellness: two stores explained41:19 — The future: genetic testing + blood panels = personalized supplements46:38 — Why Scott is really building this47:28 — Where to find Scott & Met 🔗 Connect with Scott: Website: metnaturals.com | metwellness.com Social: @metnaturals | @metwellness 🔗 Connect with Shopé: Instagram: @allofshope LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosope-adeyemi-b5418a14b/ The Margin Room is an ecommerce podcast for early-stage DTC founders building from zero to seven figures, presented by Building Block Digital, a world-class retention agency for 6-8 figure brands. 💰 Make your first $100,000 from your Shopify Store. Join my FREE Skool community, Email/SMS Foundation; https://www.skool.com/emailsms-marketing-mastery-6619/about?ref=3095ac343f15469fb691fa62857d2f5e #shopify #dtc #ecom #emailmarketing

    A Supplement Brand on Education Alone - 83% of Customers Come Back (Scott Schwab)

  4. May 7

    He Built a Running Brand on Culture Alone - What That Actually Costs (Terrance Diggs)

    Terrance Diggs is the founder of D17, a sports lifestyle brand built around running culture and community. From brand ambassador work with ASICS and New Balance to driving 700 miles to sell two things at a pop-up — Terrance shares the real cost of building community-first. We get into: how a TikTok with 3.5M likes moved almost no product, the 200-hoodie order placed before losing a Complex contest, why email and SMS are the real retention engine for DTC brands, and what Terrance would do with an extra $30K tomorrow. Honest, tactical, and genuinely inspiring. This one's for any founder building something with culture at the centre. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open01:19 — Intro: The Margin Room02:00 — Meet Terrance Diggs, founder of D1705:52 — Brand partnerships: New Balance, ASICS & Smartwater10:08 — Removing the founder as the brand's bottleneck15:41 — What's working vs. what's stressing him out19:21 — The soccer sponsorship reality check26:30 — Community first or clothing first?32:38 — Identity, culture & why people wear the gear35:22 — 700 miles, 2 sales & why it was still the right move41:04 — DTC vs. retail: the 80/20 plan42:46 — Email, SMS, Strava & community communication48:42 — Is D17 profitable? Honest answer51:17 — The biggest mistake: Complex, 200 hoodies & a 3.5M TikTok01:03:42 — Why Terrance is really building D1701:14:18 — Where $30K would go tomorrow01:17:30 — Where to find Terrance & D17 🔗 Connect with Terrance: Instagram / LinkedIn / TikTok / Substack / Twitch: @d17terrance 🔗 Connect with Shopé: Instagram: @allofshope LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosope-adeyemi-b5418a14b/ The Margin Room is an ecommerce podcast for early-stage DTC founders building from zero to seven figures, presented by Building Block Digital, a world-class retention agency for 6-8 figure brands. 💰 Make your first $100,000 from your Shopify Store. Join my FREE Skool community, Email/SMS Foundation; https://www.skool.com/emailsms-marketing-mastery-6619/about?ref=3095ac343f15469fb691fa62857d2f5e #shopify #dtc #ecom #emailmarketing

    He Built a Running Brand on Culture Alone - What That Actually Costs (Terrance Diggs)

  5. Mar 13

    Why Most DTC Founders Misread Their Numbers with Sebastian Valiente

    Most founders say they want growth. But a lot of them are reading the wrong numbers, chasing the wrong targets, and building ceilings into the business without realizing it. In this episode of The Margin Room, Shopé sits down with Sebastian Valiente, founder of Growth Pod, to break down what actually matters when you’re trying to scale a DTC brand profitably. They unpack contribution margin, MER, AMER, profit per new customer, and the difference between profit, EBITDA, and cash flow. Sebastian explains why many founders rely too heavily on relative metrics, how to think more clearly about paid media, and why product is still the biggest lever in scaling. They also get into when Meta ads are the wrong move, how AI is changing agency operations, and why founders need to understand their real bottleneck before trying to grow. If you’re building a Shopify brand and trying to go from six figures to seven, this episode will sharpen how you think. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open: the scoreboard is profit00:32 — Intro to The Margin Room01:22 — Meet Sebastian Valiente02:46 — What’s working across brands right now04:16 — Plateaued ad spend and new angles06:02 — Why growth needs ops visibility07:18 — From media buyer to growth strategist10:58 — The profitability mistake founders make12:20 — Relative vs absolute metrics15:13 — Contribution margin dollars vs %17:08 — Challenging arbitrary business rules19:31 — Thinking about growth stages21:10 — Why content and paid are merging23:08 — Sebastian’s North Star metrics25:04 — Why profit per new customer matters26:30 — When brands start modeling with LTV28:00 — Profit today vs room to grow tomorrow29:11 — Tools and dashboards he uses30:56 — Mistakes that cost founders money32:20 — Profit vs cash flow34:15 — What Sebastian changed his mind about35:41 — Why product matters more than marketing37:08 — Hard founder conversations38:54 — Why some brands shouldn’t start with Meta41:57 — Why goals should shape strategy43:15 — How Sebastian uses AI46:42 — Building internal tools with AI50:33 — One actionable piece of advice51:44 — Final takeaway: verify your bottleneck52:31 — Where to find Sebastian 🔗 Connect with Sebastian: LinkedIn: Sebstian Valiente X / Twitter: @sebastian_dtc Website: growthpod.ca  🔗 Connect with Shopé: Instagram: @allofshope LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosope-adeyemi-b5418a14b/ The Margin Room is an ecommerce podcast for early-stage DTC founders building from zero to seven figures, presented by Building Block Digital, a world-class retention agency for 6-8 figure brands. 💰 Make your first $100,000 from your Shopify Store. Join my FREE Skool community, Email/SMS Foundation; https://www.skool.com/emailsms-marketing-mastery-6619/about?ref=3095ac343f15469fb691fa62857d2f5e #shopify #dtc #ecom #emailmarketing

    Why Most DTC Founders Misread Their Numbers with Sebastian Valiente

  6. Mar 6

    Headed to 8 figures by focusing on only 2 metrics (Ryan Carter)

    Ryan Carter is a CMO, creative director, and multi-brand builder operating at the intersection of creativity and ecommerce. In this episode, we go deep on what it actually takes to scale a bootstrapped DTC brand - the wins, the pressure, and the hard lessons nobody talks about. Ryan pulls back the curtain on PurePlank, his flagship fitness brand, and gets honest about COGS pressure, trade war impacts, why he's saying no to investors, and what two metrics he looks at every single week to run a seven-figure operation. If you're an early-stage founder trying to cut through the noise, this one's for you. ⏱️ Timestamps - 00:00 — Cold open: Torn Achilles & why Ryan's building now - 04:09 — Intro: What is The Margin Room? - 05:37 — Meet Ryan Carter: CMO & multi-brand builder - 06:52 — What's going well & what's quietly stressing him out - 09:18 — The COGS problem threatening scale - 11:35 — Did you have a cushion for tariffs? - 12:22 — Is PurePlank actually profitable right now? - 13:32 — What is PurePlank? The one-sentence pitch - 14:02 — Acquisition vs. retention for a one-time purchase product - 18:51 — What Ryan measures every week (and what he ignores) - 20:39 — Why simplicity wins: cash & MER as North Star metrics - 24:05 — The lean tech stack behind a 7-figure brand - 27:56 — How to get a sub-1% return rate (hint: it starts with the product) - 29:43 — Version 2 decisions & protecting the customer experience - 31:52 — Why Ryan builds: creativity, purpose & the kid from a third world country - 36:28 — One actionable piece of advice for early-stage DTC founders - 39:24 — Where to find Ryan & PurePlank --- 🔗 Connect with Ryan: Instagram: @cartеrlikejimmy Website: gopureplank.com 🔗 Connect with Shopé: Instagram: @allofshope LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosope-adeyemi-b5418a14b/ --- The Margin Room is an ecommerce podcast for early-stage DTC founders building from zero to seven figures, presented by Building Block Digital, a world-class retention agency for 6-8 figure brands. 💰 Make your first $100,000 from your Shopify Store. Join the FREE Skool community, Email/SMS Foundation; https://www.skool.com/emailsms-marketing-mastery-6619/about?ref=3095ac343f15469fb691fa62857d2f5e #shopify #dtc #ecom #emailmarketing

    Headed to 8 figures by focusing on only 2 metrics (Ryan Carter)
  • 6 Episodes

About

The Margin Room is a podcast for early-stage DTC founders building from zero to seven figures. These are raw, operator-to-operator conversations about retention, revenue, systems, mistakes, and the real decisions that shape a business long before it looks “successful.” You’ll hear from founders who are a few steps ahead - not nine-figure operators far removed from the early grind. We talk profitability, cashflow, owned channels, delegation, and the personal stakes behind building a brand under pressure. This is not the place for fluff or gurus.  Just honest conversations from inside the work. Hosted by Shopé, Co-founder of ALTAR Aesthetics Company and Founder of Building Block Digital. Connect with Shopé: Instagram: http://instagram.com/allofshope LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosope-adeyemi-b5418a14b/ The Margin Room is presented by Building Block Digital, a world-class retention agency for 6-8 figure brands. 📔 Join the FREE Skool community to get the entire Email/SMS playbook we use for our existing 6, 7, and 8 figure brand clients; https://www.skool.com/emailsms-marketing-mastery-6619/about?ref=3095ac343f15469fb691fa62857d2f5e

Information

  • Creator
    Shopé
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Shopé
  • Show Website
    The Margin Room