Limited Supply Nik Sharma & Moiz Ali

You wanted to hear from the top DTC founders, so Nik wrangled up one of the top minds he could find in the biz for you— Dianna Cohen, the mastermind behind Crown Affair.
Dianna breaks down what contributed to the massive success of her haircare company and chats with Nik about the importance of building a strong brand story. She explains how DTC success isn’t a big bang, but a slow burn. Have too many DTC founders traded in instant gratification for patience and slow growth?
She also chats about *that* Met Gala Doja Cat moment, and explains the value of great partnerships and distribution. Which celebrity brands does Dianna think are enough to give Crown Affair a run for their money? And why are patience and time the two secret ingredients for growing a successful DTC?
You won’t want to miss this jam-packed ep with one of the brightest minds in the industry. 

AfterSell empowers businesses to maximize their revenue potential with upsell, cross-sell, and post-purchase engagement solutions. Our data-driven tools and seamless integrations help you transform customer interactions and boost revenue effortlessly.
To learn more visit https://www.aftersell.com/limited.
 
00:01:53 - Founder of Crown Affair Shares Journey
00:10:09 - Crown Affair's Growth and Revenue
00:12:11 - Hair Care: A Skincare Approach
00:16:20 - Building Exceptional Hair Care Products
00:20:45 - Brand Pillars: Visual Literacy and Storytelling
00:26:22 - Brand Success Requires Patience and Time
00:30:57 - Brand Building Essentials
00:40:20 - Exclusive Sephora Partnership Drives Growth
00:43:38 - Navigating Retail Partnerships for Success
00:47:41 - Optimizing Reviews for Better Marketing
00:49:11 - Building Communities in the Beauty Industry
00:51:17 - Celebrity Brands: Success vs. Failure
00:54:27 - Underpriced Attention in Brand Marketing
00:57:45 - Diana Cohen's Free Mentorship Program
 
Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.
 
Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ
 
And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.
 
Follow Nik:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma
 

You ask the questions. We answer them.
It’s been a while, but Nik and Moiz are pulling out the Sorting Hat to pull out some of your juiciest, most pressing DTC questions. The guys reflect on some of the biggest mistakes DTC brands make (and they’ve seen plenty) and discuss why repeatable sales processes aren’t a nice thought— they’re an absolute necessity. What’s the one legal mistake that could be your DTC’s ultimate downfall?
And later the guys discuss where you should allocate your ad spend, how to acquire your first customer, and how to encourage customers to leave reviews (without resorting to flat-out bribery).
Which businesses will go bankrupt in 2024 (RIP Big Lots, and whatever it is you sold)? Nik and Moiz also reveal how another business’s bankruptcy might spell doom for fine breastaurant establishments everywhere. 
 
00:00:00 - Answering 50 Listener Questions
00:00:39 - Biggest Mistakes of New DTC Founders
00:05:45 - Biggest Mistakes Brands Make at $10M+
00:09:35 - Best Way to Acquire Customers in 2024
00:11:32 - Real Impacts of AI in Marketing
00:17:37 - Efficiency vs. Ad Spend Trade-off
00:20:27 - How to Get Customer Reviews
00:22:57 - Encouraging Social Media Reviews Effectively
00:29:12 - Predicting Retail Bankruptcies in 2024
00:31:56 - Switching from Amazon to DTC: Survival Tips
00:36:00 - Moiz’s Final Sign-Off
 
Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.
 
Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ
 
And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.
 
Follow Nik:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma
 
Follow Moiz:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Nik’s taken a breather for this ep, so you know what that means…
Time for Moiz to hound his latest guest with the questions Nik is too afraid to ask.
This week, he’s taking on Sharoon Thomas, CEO and founder of fulfil.io, to figure out WTF an ERP system is actually good for. More importantly, WTF is an ERP system?
Sharoon shares his insights into the complexities of running a software business and unravels the many challenges of ERP implementation. Why is it critical to integrate your ERP with other sales channels? And why is marketing the straw that can break any SaaS company's back?
Plus, find out why you should be considering Fulfil over big dogs like Netsuite (not that, uh... Sharoon’s biased or anything), and discover Sharoon’s plans for Fulfil’s future.
 
Fulfil is an ERP built for 8 and 9-figure brands focused on driving customer delight. With direct integrations and ops automation, we help you run a fast warehouse or streamline 3PL connections.
 
Visit fulfil.io to learn more.
 
00:01:48 - Building a Successful ERP System
00:04:59 - Why Businesses Use ERP Systems
00:13:51 - Building an Internal Feature Ecosystem
00:15:23 - Software for Managing Large Warehouses
00:15:58 - Building a Strong Engineering Team
00:26:08 - TikTok Shop Integration for Businesses
00:29:08 - Understanding Fulfillment in Business Operations
00:29:54 - Building an Efficient ERP System
00:37:35 - Understanding Churn Rates in Business
00:46:31 - Implementing Marketing Strategies for Success
00:57:00 - Stock Options: Long-Term Investment Strategy
00:58:31 - When to Raise Prices in Business
01:02:44 - Buying Shares Shows Business Discipline
 
Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.
 
Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ
 
And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.
 
Follow Nik:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma
 
Follow Moiz:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

You asked, we listened.
That’s right– you wanted to hear more about Open Store, so Nik pulled Trent Riggs (President of OpenStore) and Lukas Judodihardjo (Head of Operations at OpenStore) onto the pod to break down the ways that they’re revolutionizing the Shopify ecosystem. 
Trent and Lukas explain what it’s like to represent over 100,000 different Shopify brands– and what your DTC needs to know about how they view the little guys.
Together, they unpack their acquisition strategy, highlighting their adept use of generative AI for creative content and the tech they're building to keep up with their growing portfolio of 40+ brands and over 2 million customers.
What do two of the biggest pioneers in the DTC community have to say about succeeding in the increasingly competitive, community-driven e-commerce landscape? And what are their plans for sustaining growth OpenStore’s growth well into the future? 
Only Mr. Sharma can get the answers to the questions you’ve been dying to ask. 

Fulfil is an ERP built for 8 and 9-figure brands focused on driving customer delight. With direct integrations and ops automation, we help you run a fast warehouse or streamline 3PL connections. 
Visit fulfil.io to learn more.

00:00:40 - Quick Background on Lukas and Trenton’s Roles at OpenStore
00:04:33 - How OpenStore’s Mission Has Changed Over the Years
00:05:54 - How Does OpenStore’s Business Model Work?
00:08:47 - The Different Verticals of OpenStore
00:13:06 - What Makes a Business Enticing to OpenStore?
00:20:53 - Discoverability Strategies for Siloed Brands
00:25:54 - The Structure of Managing 50 Brands and 2 Million Customers
00:30:14 - Bulk Discounts Available for Openstore
00:36:41 - Why is The Average Brand Struggling With Growth?
00:39:33 - Building Technology for Brand Growth
00:42:58 - OpenStore's Approach to Testing and Validating New Tech
00:42:46 - Don't Forget Loyal Customers as You Scale
00:45:23 - Advice From Experiences Operating OpenStore

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ
And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.
Connect With Lukas Judodihardjo:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukasjudodihardjo/ 
Connect With Trent Riggs:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentonriggs/
Follow Nik:
Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma
Follow Moiz:
Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Goodbye, Shopify. See ya later, Etsy. Hasta la vista… Amazon???\
Yeah, we said it. Temu has the power to compete with Amazon. Has the Chinese drop shipping company grown too powerful to defeat? Or can our old-school favorites find a way to slay the DTC giant? Nik and Moiz discuss the looming threat of Temu to several major e-commerce retailers. What strategies do they need to stay relevant?
Plus, what would it take for Outdoor Voices to crawl out of the grave they dug themselves into? Hear us out— it’s definitely not impossible...
The guys also discuss the latest acquisition of Asian noodle company, Omsom, by DDC. What, if anything, does it mean for other Asian DTCs like immi, FLY BY Jing, and Sanzo?
And later in the episode, Nik declares arbitrage. When is it okay to use arbitrage in the DTC community, and are there any ethical concerns? Well, if we know anything… at the very least, we definitely know where Moiz stands on the issue.
 
Streamline your entire operations process, from accounting and order management to inventory and warehouse management, manufacturing production, and EDI integration. Providing a single source of truth for your business, Fulfil offers real-time insights, automates tedious tasks, and ensures you never miss a sale. Learn more at https://www.fulfil.io
 
Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.
 
Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ
 
And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.
 
Follow Nik:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma
 
Follow Moiz:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Welcome back, ya 88s.
Quit trying to make brick-and-mortar happen. It’s never going to happen. Or at least not like you think it will. Nik and Moiz break down the common pitfalls DTC businesses make when it comes to opening up retail stores. How many stores are too many? And are you thinking about staffing in a realistic manner?
Speaking of brick-and-mortar stores, why aren’t places like Outdoor Voices or Alo focusing more on that post-purchase follow-up? If Moiz just threw down $500 on yoga pants, he wants to feel like the prettiest, pretty princess of them all. After all, isn’t focusing on retaining high-spending customers far less expensive than acquiring new ones? Nik and Moiz go over some possible solutions to increase post-purchase satisfaction.
Then, the guys play devil’s advocate. Sure, they just told you to stop focusing so much on brick-and-mortar stores, but they sincerely hope that didn’t make you throw all your hopes into dot-com-only strategies. They explain the value of selling your product in-store and explain what kind of selling velocity you need to stay on Target’s shelves.

Streamline your entire operations process, from accounting and order management to inventory and warehouse management, manufacturing production, and EDI integration. Providing a single source of truth for your business, Fulfil offers real-time insights, automates tedious tasks, and ensures you never miss a sale. Learn more at https://www.fulfil.io

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.
Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ
 And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.
 
Follow Nik:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma
 
Follow Moiz:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali