In The Money: eCommerce, DTC, and CPG

In The Money: eCommerce, DTC, and CPG
  • 0.0(0개의 평가)
  • 비즈니스
  • 매주 업데이트

A podcast about the real economics of ecommerce, DTC, and CPG. Hosted by Fan Bi, In The Money features honest convos with the people building, growing, and investing in modern consumer brands.

  1. 1일 전

    From Fads to Foundations: Amanda Schutzbank on the New Era of Consumer Investing

    In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Schutzbank, Co-Founder and General Partner at Willow Growth Partners, one of the most thesis-driven and disciplined early-stage consumer funds in the market. Willow specializes in backing health, wellness, and essential-category brands in the $2m–5m revenue range, often before they’re household names. Their portfolio includes hits like Coterie, Goodles, Bubble, Parallel, and others that have since become category leaders. Amanda breaks down: How consumer investing has shifted from peak 2020–2021 froth to today’s slow, selective, fundamentals-first environment. What a “truly great asset” looks like: strong margins, authentic emotional resonance, real product differentiation, and the seeds of a platform brand. Why community is the ultimate moat, from micro-influencers to insider Facebook groups to immersive IRL experiences. The difference between venture-backable brands and “great but non-VC” lifestyle businesses and how founders should think about which path they’re really on. How Willow evaluates founders: clear vision, ruthless execution, decisiveness, and the ability to hire an A-team early. The consumer trends she’s most excited about: Gen Alpha, longevity, GLP-1 impacts, next-gen science-based VMS, and the next wave of cultural-led brands. Why Amazon, TikTok Shop, and AI-enabled lean teams are changing early-stage consumer building forever. What founders should prioritize heading into 2026 and why timeless fundamentals still separate enduring brands from “flash-in-the-pan” plays. She closes with a call-to-action: Willow just closed its second fund and is actively looking for high-margin, high-repeat, health & wellness-aligned consumer brands raising their first institutional round.

    35분

  2. 11월 24일

    From Frozen Bread to Fresh Profits: The Wildgrain Playbook for Lean, Durable Growth

    How Wildgrain Built a Profitable, High 8-Figure Food Brand With Just 18 Employees In this episode, I sit down with Ismail Salhi, co-founder & CEO of Wildgrain, one of the most impressive subscription food businesses of the last decade; profitable, high eight figures in revenue, and run by a shockingly lean team. Ismail breaks down how Wildgrain escaped the classic DTC plateaus at $3M, $10M, and $30M+ by combining:- Subscription economics that smooth CAC volatility- Channel-by-channel marketing arbitrage (some channels only work two months a year)- Constant 1–2% improvements in AOV, COGS, retention, and pricing- Aggressive product innovation (e.g., gluten-free launch = massive CAC unlock)- A tech-first mindset; building internal tools for forecasting, CX, merchandising, shipping, and more- A ruthlessly lean team (just 18 people + automation + AI everywhere) If you’re building a CPG or subscription brand or want a masterclass in resourceful, operationally excellent, AI-enabled eCommerce this one is a must-watch.

    36분

  3. 11월 16일

    Focus, Moats, and the New Consumer Playbook with Drew Skolnik of KarpReilly

    The consumer investing landscape has shifted and few people have a better view of that evolution than Drew Skolnik, Partner at KarpReilly, one of the most respected growth equity investors in consumer, retail, and CPG. In this episode, Drew breaks down how capital discipline, focus, and brand fundamentals have become the new edge in consumer investing. We cover: How investor expectations have changed since the 2021 boom Why sustainable growth now beats blitzscaling The “hand-to-mouth tax” founders pay for undercapitalization How KarpReilly evaluates brands between $20M–$100M in revenue Case studies like Boxycharm, Spindrift, and Made In Why protein is a durable macro trend and what GLP-1 drugs mean for food and beverage The rising role of AI in portfolio operations and marketing Drew also shares what he looks for in founders, the importance of execution as a moat, and why the best businesses are often built in tough environments.

    41분

  4. 11월 8일

    From Red Antler to Habitat: Building the Next Generation of Consumer Venture

    What happens when one of the most iconic brand-building agencies in the world spins out its own venture capital business? In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Faierman, Partner at Habitat Partners, the venture firm incubated out of Red Antler, the brand and creative powerhouse behind breakout names like Allbirds, Hims, and Casper. We talk about how Habitat approaches investing at the intersection of brand, behavior, and capital, what they’ve learned from years of shaping cultural category leaders, and why today’s best early-stage consumer bets often blur the line between product and narrative. Key topics we cover: How Red Antler’s DNA shaped Habitat’s investment philosophy The shift from brand-led to insight-led investing What early signals make a founder or concept stand out in 2025 Why “brand is distribution” is no longer just a slogan, it’s a moat Where the next wave of breakout consumer companies will come from 🎧 Tune in for a masterclass on how brand-first investing is evolving for the next decade.

    34분

  5. 10월 31일

    Every Point of Profit Cuts into Health: Kevin Lee on Scaling Immi Without Compromise

    Kevin Lee, co-founder of Immi, joins In The Money to talk about how he and his co-founder took one of the world’s most iconic comfort foods, instant ramen, and rebuilt it for modern consumers. From tech to CPG, Kevin shares what surprised him about running a food brand, how Immi evolved from “healthy ramen” to a taste-first protein brand, and what he’s learned about navigating product innovation, retail expansion, and celebrity partnerships. We go deep on: How Immi pivoted its brand identity to feel authentic and founder-led Why food brands must “live long enough to catch a trend” What most founders misunderstand about food margins and channel mix How Immi raised from top VCs and landed investors like Naomi Osaka and Usher Why diversification beyond China was their biggest operational win If you’re building in food, CPG, or modern consumer goods, this episode is a masterclass in brand building, discipline, and timing.

    49분

  6. 10월 27일

    From Overlevered to Profitable: How &Collar Turned Debt into Discipline

    In this episode of In The Money, we sit down with Ben Perkins, Founder of &Collar, the fast-growing direct-to-consumer menswear brand known for reinventing the classic white dress shirt.Ben shares how &Collar went from being overlevered and on the brink, with $10M in revenue and $2M in debt, to becoming a profitable, eight-figure business growing double digits year-over-year. He talks candidly about:- The painful lessons of taking expensive MCA debt and refinancing through an SBA-backed bank loan- How he drove accountability by assigning every employee a personal P&L- The discipline of cutting Meta spend by 35% and still growing revenue- Unlocking new growth through wholesale and Amazon while holding the DTC line- Building a “rule of 40” business, growth plus profit, instead of chasing unicorn outcomes- The art of focusing on your “white shirt” equivalent and scaling the product that truly drives profitBen’s story is a masterclass in turning around a consumer brand, from financial literacy to capital discipline to smart channel expansion. If you run a $5–25M consumer brand and are looking to build something durable and profitable, this one’s for you.

    45분

  7. 10월 19일

    Global eCommerce After De Minimis: Passport CEO on Tariffs and the Future of Cross-Border Brands

    In this episode, I sit down with Alex Yancher, Co-founder and CEO of Passport Global, the logistics platform powering cross-border commerce for some of the world’s fastest-growing brands.Alex breaks down the new rules of international eCommerce as the U.S. ends the de minimis exemption and tariffs rise globally. He explains how brands can turn geopolitical risk into strategic advantage through localized operations, better contribution modeling, and thoughtful channel expansion.You’ll learn:🌎 What the end of the de minimis exemption means for global DTC brands📦 Why U.S. brands must rethink fulfillment, tariffs, and landed cost modeling📊 The “laddering” framework to scale from 1% to 30% of sales internationally💰 How to think about P&L resilience and contribution margin in a volatile trade worldWhether you’re a founder, operator, or investor, this episode is a masterclass in navigating global eCommerce in 2025.

    44분

  8. 10월 12일

    From $0 to Mid–Eight Figures: Vital Plus and the Discipline Behind Explosive Growth

    In this episode, I sit down with Cam Mehr, Founder of Vital Plus, one of the fastest-scaling wellness hardware brands redefining the cold plunge category.Cam shares how he built an eight-figure eCommerce business with no outside capital and a lean team, proving that focus, efficiency, and operational discipline can beat headcount and hype.We cover:⚙️ How to run an ultra-lean DTC company that punches above its weight📊 Why reporting is a low-value task and what to do instead💡 How deep founder-level understanding of every function creates “alpha” in operations📈 The mechanics behind scaling cold plunge products globally, across four regions🌏 What Australian founders get right about entering the U.S. market🤖 How AI literacy is now a must-have in every new hireCam also explains his philosophy of “engineering the P&L,” reinvesting every operational efficiency back into growth and why staying small and obsessed with your category can be a superpower in consumer wellness.

    34분
모두 보기(31개)

소개

A podcast about the real economics of ecommerce, DTC, and CPG. Hosted by Fan Bi, In The Money features honest convos with the people building, growing, and investing in modern consumer brands.

정보

  • 제작진
    In The Money: eCommerce, DTC, and CPG
  • 방송 연도
    2025년
  • 에피소드
    31
  • 등급
    전체 연령 사용가
  • 저작권
    © In The Money: eCommerce, DTC, and CPG
  • 웹사이트 보기
    In The Money: eCommerce, DTC, and CPG

좋아할 만한 다른 항목