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On this episode of the DTC Podcast, Eric sits down with Dean Krowitz, Co-Founder of Blend‑AI, to unpack what happens when you stop managing channels in silos and start automating your entire media mix. If Meta’s efficiency is dropping and your cross-channel budget is vibes-based… this is your fix.

blend-ai.com

What You’ll Learn:

• Why composite funnels matter more than platform-specific attribution
• How Blend automates budget shifts based on live conversion data
• Why humans shouldn’t manage five channels manually anymore
• What most brands get wrong with creative distribution
• How underused channels (like Microsoft) quietly drive results
• How to launch campaigns in October — not November — for peak BFCM gains
• Sync audiences across channels to reduce over-saturation
• Analyze top, middle, and bottom funnel cross-platform, not in silos

If you’re a media buyer, growth lead, or a DTC founder trying to scale performance without losing your mind, this episode is your new best friend.

Hashtags:

#ecommerce #dtc #mediabuying #performancemarketing #paidmedia #digitalmarketing #aimarketing #martech #adtech #marketingautomation #omnichannel #fullfunnel #growthmarketing #customeracquisition #conversionrateoptimization #cro #marketingmix #crosschannel #attribution #metaads #googleads #tiktokads #youtubeads #shopify #ecommercegrowth #d2cpodcast

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction. Why overspending on one channel kills growth

04:22 – The “who, what, where” framework behind Blend’s composite funnel

10:00 – How AI launches full-funnel ads across every major platform

15:18 – Why Microsoft Ads is the most ignored growth channel

21:40 – Why Meta’s algorithm starves most of your creative

29:15 – How one brand tripled revenue with 20% less ad spend

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When Amy joined Wildfang, she was running a storefront in Portland. 10 years later, she’s the President of a vertically-integrated DTC brand pulling $200 AOVs, 25% of revenue from extended sizing, and partnerships that drive CAC down by 50%.

She also made a major paid media pivot — bringing on Pilothouse to reset their entire growth engine.

For DTC founders scaling from $5–50M who are thinking about verticalization, performance marketing, or brand-led growth.

🔍 Inside this episode:

• How going vertical changed everything — from cashflow to creative
• Why extended sizing drives 25% of Wildfang’s revenue (and what it took to get there)
• The “90/10” Meta strategy that crushed Black Friday with Pilothouse
• The ROI of Debbie Harry and Taco Bell collabs (hint: it wasn’t just vibes)
• How to restructure ops, finance, and paid when profitability becomes the priority

👀 Who this is for:

• Brand founders, VP Growths, operators, and marketers building modern DTC brands

💥 What to steal:

• Pilothouse’s ad architecture playbook: reuse, reframe, retest
• A partnership model that blends licensing, NIL, and white-labeling
• How to spot “overthink” in your performance strategy — and simplify for scale

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In this BFCM 2025 breakdown, Eric chats with Pilothouse's Head of Ecom Grayson Rudzki and Lead Strategist Abby to unpack what actually worked, what flopped, and how smarter strategy beat brute-force ad spend.

For DTC marketers running paid, creative, or lifecycle retention

• How Pilothouse beat Meta's creative fatigue warnings
• What "targeting with creative" really means in 2025
• Why retention—not acquisition—won this year
• Tactics for using AI without generating slop
• Real BFCM ads that moved the needle (with examples)

Who this is for: Founders, brand-side marketers, and media buyers looking to de-risk spend and boost lifetime value

What to steal:

• The "persona-led Christmas card ad" concept that crushed
• How to diversify creative for open targeting without burning out
• Simple Rebuy tweaks that doubled items per order

Timestamps

00:00 AI reshaping BFCM strategy and creative testing

02:00 Record BFCM performance numbers and key takeaways

04:00 Why retention, baseline revenue, and loyalty mattered most

06:00 Real examples of AI workflows that saved teams time

08:00 Outdated playbooks vs the need for real strategists

10:00 Meta Andromeda, creative fatigue, and targeting with creative

12:00 Persona-driven creative example that drove conversions

14:00 Humor, culture, and relevance in winning ad creative

16:00 Diversified creative performance and lowered CPMs

18:00 The new state of UGC and authenticity on Meta

20:00 Post-click strategy, bundles, and conversion wins

22:00 2026 resolutions: intuition, creativity, and human strategy

24:00 Hero apps of the year: Rebuy, Triple Whale, and results

Hashtags

#BFCM #Ecommerce #EcommerceMarketing #DTC #MetaAds #FacebookAds #PerformanceMarketing #AIinMarketing #BlackFriday #CyberMonday #MarketingStrategy #CreativeStrategy #AdBuying #TripleWhale #Rebuy

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Matthew Gohl took over the family business, Santevia, and turned it into a DTC powerhouse. In this episode, he breaks down how they scaled Amazon 2X, rebuilt their Meta ads strategy from the ground up, and landed a killer deal on Dragon’s Den.

For DTC operators scaling beyond $5M and navigating Meta + Amazon growth channels:

• Why switching from Vendor Central to Seller Central was worth the 16-month headache
• How a $25 hero product failed on Meta, and why their $320 glass system now crushes
• The role of creative strategy in hitting $100K+ weekly spend without tanking ROAS
• How they prepped their brand for Dragon’s Den—and doubled baseline sales after
• The case for launching refillable, eco-focused SKUs in 2026

Who this is for: DTC operators, marketers, and founders looking to scale with lean teams and high-margin SKUs.

What to steal:

• Creative briefing process that reduces wasted ad spend
• Why Meta sees "different creators" as "same ad" (and how to fix it)
• How to make a high-ticket product actually work in cold acquisition

Timestamps:

00:00 Why creative diversity (not campaign complexity) is the real Meta unlock

03:05 Buying the family business and shifting from retail-first to DTC

06:48 Revenue dips, imposter syndrome, and trusting the long-term strategy

09:15 From 1 video every 2 weeks to 60 creatives by Friday (creative velocity shift)

13:02 Why hero products with higher AOV unlock profitable Meta spend

16:19 Meta’s Andromeda explained: aggregation + creative volume wins

30:34 Dragon’s Den moment: “I own that one” and why endorsements change everything

Hashtags:

#DTC #Ecommerce #MetaAds #CreativeStrategy #BrandBuilding #PerformanceMarketing #DirectToConsumer #PaidSocial #AdCreative #MarketingPodcast #EcommerceGrowth #ScalingBrands #FounderStory #Dragon’sDen #BFCM #RetailStrategy

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This one’s for the Amazon operators. Eric's joined by Pilothouse's Amazon leads Tyler and Takai for a tactical BFCM debrief: how one brand 3x'd in November, and the optimizations that separated the winners from the stalled-out.

For Amazon brands prepping for deal season 2026...

• Why adjusting bids every few hours on BFCM isn't overkill, it's table stakes
• How Buddha Board used Q1 seasonal keyword campaigns to dominate Q4
• Why not discounting your hero product can kill your momentum—and rank
• What to watch: Buy Box battles, billing failures, and inventory stockouts

Who this is for: Brands selling on Amazon, agencies running client accounts, operators trying to scale beyond ad-only growth

What to steal:

• Search Query Performance Report: find keywords you're under-targeting with high conversion potential
• Deal discount strategy: 20% minimum, monitor competitor offers in real time
• Build keyword rank 6–12 months out from your key season

Timestamps

00:00 Amazon BFCM optimization mindset

02:10 Why frequent bid and budget changes matter

04:00 How aggressive Amazon bid adjustments get during BFCM

07:00 Building Amazon keyword ranking before Q4

11:00 Buddha Board case study and seasonal keyword strategy

15:00 How early planning led to 3x November growth

17:00 Amazon buy box explained and reseller risks

23:30 Common BFCM pitfalls: billing, inventory, hero SKUs

28:00 What actually worked in Amazon BFCM 2025

29:50 The discount levels that moved buyers

Hashtags

#AmazonFBA #AmazonAdvertising #BFCMRecap #BlackFridayStrategy #CyberMonday #AmazonPPC #EcommerceMarketing #DTCBrands #AmazonBuyBox #AmazonGrowth #EcommercePodcast #Q4Strategy #AmazonCaseStudy #RetailMedia #Pilothouse

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In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we have Josip Begic, CEO and Co-Founder of Lebesgue, to answer the one question every DTC CEO asks: what’s actually working right now? With $4B in ad data and insights from 25,000+ brands, Henry AI cuts through the noise to pinpoint the exact levers that drive revenue up (or down).

Get started with Henri AI inside Lebesgue–plans start at $79/month.

This episode breaks down:

• Why conversion tanked 25% after a "small" discount code tweak
• How AI visibility (e.g. ChatGPT referrals) is becoming the new SEO
• Where Meta's AI (Andromeda) really works—and where it doesn't
• The biggest mistake DTCs are making with email segmentation
• Why attribution models need game theory (yes, really)
• If you’re a DTC founder scaling from $5M–20M, brand owner, growth lead, or a marketer who wants a smarter way to spot performance issues, this episode is a must listen.

Timestamps

00:00 Lebesgue’s AI approach to ecommerce analytics

02:05 Why better measurement changes marketing decisions

04:00 How AI uncovered a hidden conversion rate issue

06:10 Correlation vs causation in attribution modeling

08:00 ChatGPT as a high-converting traffic source

10:05 Optimizing ecommerce sites for AI discovery

13:00 Why fundamentals still matter more than advanced AI

18:30 Common email marketing mistakes during peak periods

21:00 Using competitor data to find growth gaps

23:30 What CEOs see first when using Henry AI

27:00 Where AI agents and ecommerce are heading

31:00 AI visibility as the next growth battleground

33:00 Getting started with Lebesgue and pricing

Hashtags

#DTC #Ecommerce #AIinMarketing #MarketingAnalytics #Attribution #ChatGPT #AIDiscovery #MetaAds #GoogleAds #EmailMarketing #ConversionOptimization #FounderInsights #MarTech

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Priyanka Ganjoo didn’t see herself in beauty, so she built the brand she always needed. Kulfi Beauty was born from a cultural gap in representation and a product gap in shades that actually worked for South Asian skin tones. Four years later? They’re in every Sephora in the US and Canada.

For DTC founders scaling from organic roots into omnichannel retail...

• Why Priyanka started with zero ads and leaned all-in on community and cultural storytelling
• What she learned launching in Sephora (hint: velocity is everything)
• The unexpected go-to-market power of a $500 Central Park picnic
• How DTC creates halo effect on retail shelves (and vice versa)
• Why Kulfi still handpicks every creator they work with

Who this is for: Founders navigating retail, community-led brands, and anyone building for an underrepresented audience

What to steal:

• Use FB groups and 1:1 convos to validate early product ideas
• Build an ambassador program that turns into your model roster
• Don’t try to script creators—let their authentic POV fuel your ads

Timestamps:

00:00 Why Community Is the Real Growth Engine

02:16 Why Priyanka Built Kulfi Beauty

03:40 The Product and Emotional Gap in South Asian Beauty

09:14 Building Community Before Spending on Ads

14:11 How Kulfi Got Discovered and Scaled With Sephora

18:46 Velocity Is the Only Retail Metric That Matters

21:58 Why UGC Powers Almost All of Their Meta Ads

Hashtags:

#DTC #DTCPodcast #BeautyBrands #BeautyFounders #Sephora #UGCMarketing #CreatorEconomy #MetaAds #TikTokForBrands #RetailStrategy #FounderStory #SouthAsianFounders

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Meta's latest update wasn’t just noise. Pilothouse strategist Taylor Cain breaks down how Andromeda’s smarter delivery system let them consolidate campaigns, increase CTRs, and scale cleaner than ever this BFCM.

For CMOs optimizing Meta spend across brands or business units...

• 30% YoY CTR lift through creative-persona alignment + fewer campaigns
• Why campaign consolidation is outperforming classic testing structures
• Partnership ads: how Pilothouse uses Meta’s dynamic features to drive both reach + retargeting
• How to rethink frequency, offer alignment, and creative iterations mid-campaign
• What MTA tools like Triple Whale unlocked when real-time tracking mattered most

Who this is for: CMOs, paid media directors, and growth leads navigating platform complexity

What to steal:

• Test in your best campaign, not in isolation (if the creative is ready)
• Meme-style statics backed by real offers = full-funnel magic
• Let performance inform your campaign segmentation — not the other way around

Timestamps:

00:00 Meta’s Shift Away From Traditional Testing

01:08 What Actually Drove BFCM Winners

02:56 Andromeda’s Real Impact on Performance

04:22 Why CTR Jumped During BFCM

05:47 Consolidation Is Beating Fragmentation

07:37 How Creative Is Fed Into Winning Campaigns

11:00 Why Partnership Ads Took Off This Year

23:52 The Email + Paid Connection That Mattered Most

Hashtags:

#ecommerce #dtc #digitalmarketing #paidmedia #metads #andromeda #adcreative #performancemarketing #bfcmmarketing #q4marketing #retentionmarketing #emailmarketing #attribution #triplewhale #marketingstrategy #growthmarketing #ugcads #creatorads #partnershipads

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This episode of the DTC Podcast is a triple threat: Meta’s Jake Bailey returns to unpack the Cyber 5 data, Hungryroot’s Adam Weber shares how they scaled partnership ads to 50%+ of spend, and adMixt’s Kevin Simonson drops a masterclass on testing, attribution, and scenario planning.

https://hungryroot.com

https://admixt.com

https://meta.com

What’s inside:

• Why Cyber Monday hit softer — and which brands still crushed
• The shift from segment-based targeting to real personas (with matching creators)
• Why partnership ads are outperforming UGC — and how Hungryroot scaled them
• Meta’s new catalog + partnership ad combo (early tests: +20% performance)
• Q5 lead gen strategy: when volume spikes, competition drops

If you’re running paid on Meta, an agency managing $500K+ budgets, or a brand that needs a serious Q5 plan, this episode is a must listen.

Timestamps

00:00 Creative diversification and the rise of partnership ads

02:00 Hungryroot’s personalization model and marketing approach

04:00 Cyber Five performance trends and consumer behavior

08:00 Why partnership ads outperformed traditional UGC

12:00 How Hungryroot uses creators to reach distinct customer avatars

16:00 Evolution of whitelisting to partnership ads and catalog formats

20:00 How creator deal structures work in practice

24:00 The importance of agility and rapid pivots during Cyber Five

28:00 Q5: Why January is Hungryroot’s biggest moment

32:00 Campaign structure, testing, and Meta’s automation shift

37:00 Organic content, measurement, and 2026 predictions

Hashtags

#metaads #blackfridaymarketing #cybermondaystrategy #partnershipads #ugcads #ecommercemarketing #d2cpodcast #hungryroot #admixt #creativediversification

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When Sarah Carusona showed up to a DTC event last year, she didn’t know it would spark her first client. That client’s still with her. Today she runs BA Commerce, where her team drops into brands and drives growth from the inside.

For DTC founders scaling from $5M to $20M who need strategy and execution in one package.

What you’ll learn:

• Why fractional CMOs often fall short and what brands really need instead
• How to drop in a trained operator who owns growth from top to bottom
• The key metrics Sarah watches before touching a budget: contribution margin, AMER, LTV, and the “organic ratio”
• Why most influencer budgets are broken and what happens when you tie pay to performance
• How to focus your team’s time when there’s no room for fluff

Who this is for:

Founders and growth leads who are tired of hiring gaps, agency fluff, and shiny-object distractions

What to steal:

• Rebuild your org chart around execution, not job titles
• Structure your influencer deals like paid media, not PR
• Get obsessed with contribution margin and work backward from there

Timestamps

00:00 Why micro-iterations waste ad spend

02:00 Sarah’s global move and early consulting leap

04:00 Building BA Commerce and the growth operator model

09:00 How Sarah evaluates brands and sets growth metrics

12:00 Creative fatigue, Andromeda, and persona-driven ads

15:00 Creator partnerships and a tiered influencer program

17:00 Why organic content still drives the biggest wins

19:00 Modern Meta account structure and testing philosophy

21:00 The biggest mistakes high-growth brands make

23:00 Why product quality drives everything in growth

25:00 Attribution, incrementality, and Sarah’s forecasting model

27:00 How Sarah uses AI and where she draws the line

Hashtags

#dtcpodcast #ecommerce #dtcbrands #mediabuying #growthmarketing #metaads #ugcads #influencermarketing #digitalstrategy #founderstories #shopifybrands #emailmarketing #smsmarketing #marketingpodcast #directtoconsumer

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Jacob and Jocelyn from the Pilothouse Meta team break down what actually moved the needle for Meta advertisers this Black Friday/Cyber Monday. The biggest unlock? Being scrappy. The brands that crushed it weren’t over-optimized, they were just fast. Fast to tweak offers. Fast to drop weird creative. Fast to kill what wasn’t working.

For DTC marketers managing Meta ads during promo periods.

• Why classic percentage-off offers still worked best
• What BOGO and free shipping offers actually drove performance
• How scrappy creative (think stick figures and UGC) outperformed polished ads
• Why lighter audience exclusions won this year
• Which account structures flopped and what replaced them

Who this is for: Growth leads, ad buyers, DTC founders gearing up for Q1

What to steal:

• Shift back to shorter promo windows and preserve spend for tentpole days
• Run weird, low-fi creative without abandoning your personas
• Use lighter exclusions to let Meta optimize delivery more freely

Timestamps

00:00 Black Friday performance trends and buying intent

02:00 Why brands with flexible offers won

04:00 Creative pivots and scrappy content outperforming polished ads

06:00 Best offers of the season and what actually moved customers

08:00 Millennial-targeted creative and why variety mattered

10:00 Meta delivery updates and lighter exclusion strategies

12:00 Dayparting, lifetime budgets and what stopped working

14:00 Post-click learnings and which landing pages converted

16:00 Emerging channels like AppLovin and Pinterest

18:00 How top brands are approaching post-BFCM and holiday scaling

Hashtags

#DTC #MetaAds #BFCM2025 #EcommerceMarketing #CreativeStrategy #PerformanceMarketing #PaidSocial #AppLovin #PinterestAds #BlackFridayInsights #CyberMondayMarketing #DigitalAdvertising

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Eric sits down with Anthony DelPizzo, Director of Product Marketing at Triple Whale, to unpack what actually happened across $2.9B in tracked revenue and $607M in ad spend. This episode is your shortcut to what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2025 is in the books — and Triple Whale tracked every click, conversion, and creative that moved the needle.

View the Report: triplewhale.com

What’s inside:

• Why new customers made up 48% of BFCM revenue — and what that means for retention now
• TikTok’s surge: ROAS up 28%, CPMs down 30% — here's why brands shifted
• Google and Meta platform breakdown: who won, who lost, and who overcharged
• What Triple Whale’s real-time BFCM Live dashboard revealed in seconds
• How Mobi AI became the virtual teammate nearly 50,000 brands relied on mid-sale

If you’re a DTC marketer, growth lead, media buyer, retention strategists, or anyone planning for 2026 Q4, this episode is a must listen.

Timestamps

00:00 BFCM early surge and overall sales performance

02:00 New vs returning customer trends and major revenue drivers

04:00 Rising ad costs and platform efficiency shifts

06:00 TikTok, AppLovin and alternative channels gaining traction

08:00 Email and SMS insights from post-purchase data

10:00 Meta and Google cost changes and ROAS movement

12:00 Diversification and placement performance on major platforms

14:00 Category winners and unit economics

16:00 Shopify outage and real-time data advantages

18:00 How brands used Moby AI for BFCM decision-making

20:00 Top lessons for brands heading into 2026

Hashtags

#DTC #TripleWhale #BFCM2025 #EcommerceMarketing #DigitalAdvertising #MetaAds #GoogleAds #TikTokAds #Attribution #MarketingData #AIForMarketing #MobyAI #Shopify #PerformanceMarketing #OmnichannelMarketing

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In this episode, Nik Sharma (founder of Sharma Brands) returns to the pod to dig into how DTC brands should be thinking right now: simple, tested offers for Black Friday/Cyber Week, and how to turn those one‑time buyers into repeat customers.

For DTC operators scaling from ~$50 M to $500 M:

• What makes a Black Friday offer work (hint: simple, tested, clear).
• Why retention after the sale is your leverage — and how to bake it into flows, creative and post‑purchase experience.
• The internal creative strategist role: why brands who won the recent platform updates had strong in‑house creative ideation, not just an agency doing the work.
• The “two‑layer strategy” to ads: first who, then why — and how that applies to landing pages, creatives and funnels.
• Why many brands still get tracking/events wrong on landing pages and why that kills scale.

Who this is for: Founders, growth leads and performance marketers in DTC brands who are heading into Q4 and want to both hit a big seasonal number and build playbooks for 2025.

What to steal:

• A plain‑text thank‑you email from the founder that goes out post‑purchase (low cost, high emotional return).
• Structure your Black Friday/Cyber Week offer now: test ahead, keep it simple, and communicate what’s included vs not.
• Build the “creative strategist” role internally: someone whose job is crafting hooks, angles and formats for your brand (not just delegating to the agency).

Timestamps

00:00 Retention mindset after Black Friday

02:00 Building simple and effective BFCM offers

04:00 Why most Black Friday customers don't return

06:00 Creative strategy and the Andromeda update

08:00 Why brands need an internal creative strategist

10:00 Going deeper on avatars and buyer psychology

12:00 Marpipe and the importance of better DPAs

14:00 Rethinking top-of-funnel in 2025

16:00 Cutting through the noise with creators and TikTok

18:00 Pharmacy trends, GLP-1s, peptides, and affiliates

20:00 Supplements, problem-solution marketing, and AI prompts

22:00 How Nik uses AI for reporting and creative inputs

24:00 Sharma Brands acquisition and team evolution

26:00 Sleep optimization and Q4 habits

28:00 Landing page fundamentals and data accuracy

Hashtags

#dtcpodcast #niksharma #sharmabrands #ecommercegrowth #bfcm2025 #blackfridaystrategy #d2cpodcast #directtoconsumer #marketingstrategy #facebookads #retentionmarketing #creativestrategy #andromeda #paidmedia #landingpages #marpipe #tiktokmarketing

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Jocelyn from Pilothouse breaks down how their team stays aggressive, adapts fast, and helps clients scale efficiently—even on the actual day of Black Friday.

For media buyers and growth teams optimizing in real-time...

• What to do when your CPMs and CACs spike day-of
• Why legacy evergreen might outperform your BFCM creative
• The one Canva trick Jocelyn uses to refresh high-cost ads fast
• What Rebuy is and how it helped one brand double YoY revenue
• How Pilothouse pushes Meta’s algorithm before it catches trend shifts

Who this is for: DTC brands, marketers, and performance teams deep in BFCM trench warfare

What to steal:

• Canva border hack to make organic product shots pop for BFCM
• Simplify site UX: static banners, one clear offer, above-the-fold CTA
• Don’t trust one dashboard—use the data triangle: Shopify, Meta, Triple Whale

Timestamps

00:00 Black Friday PPC shifts and customer acquisition

02:05 Scrappy creatives that cut CPMs and boost conversions

04:20 Top of funnel focus and new customer strategies

06:30 Website optimizations to increase conversion rate today

08:50 How one brand hit 100 percent year over year growth

11:10 Dealing with delayed attribution and platform discrepancies

13:15 How Rebuy boosts AOV and top line revenue

15:20 Guiding the algorithm and deep audience persona testing

17:35 Wellness category trends and emerging demo shifts

18:55 Healthier on-platform metrics through segmentation

Hashtags

#dtcpodcast #blackfridaymarketing #ecommercetips #pilothouse #metaads #googleads #paidmedia #shopifybrands #rebuy #conversionrateoptimization #ecomstrategy #digitalmarketingtips

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Connor Swegle co-founded Priority Bicycles to build bikes that look good, ride great, and don’t require you to be a mechanic. From a Kickstarter that sold 1,500 bikes to 25,000/year today, he’s grown a DTC brand that rides differently — literally and strategically.

For DTC founders scaling from ~$5–50M looking to tighten marketing funnels, reduce wasted spend, and build real community.

Launched with a $565K Kickstarter campaign that validated product and story

• Built a brand around low-maintenance belt drive bikes — a real differentiator in a crowded market
• Why they ignore most attribution data and focus on 3 things: product views → add to cart → purchases
• Slimmed down Meta spend and saw ROAS increase by tightening targeting
• How community-led R&D helped launch the Bruiser with built-in demand

Who this is for: founders and marketers growing DTC product brands with real AOV

What to steal:

• Don’t run campaigns unless your audience is already in a buying mindset
• Measure funnel performance with just 3 steps: view → add → buy
• Involve customers in product development, but don’t let them pick the color

Timestamps

00:00 Why Priority Cycles was created

03:00 Launching on Kickstarter and early traction

06:00 The low-maintenance bike differentiator

09:00 Building DTC trust through customer service

12:00 Simplifying brand positioning and wayfinding

15:00 Crowdsourcing product ideas and community involvement

18:00 Using customer insight vs platform data

21:00 Meta downshifts and rethinking paid efficiency

24:00 Incrementality, ROAS traps, and smarter funnel design

27:00 Understanding real customer motivations and tradeoffs

30:00 Entering the mountain bike market

33:00 Working with creators to co-develop products

35:00 Growth outlook and category expansion

Hashtags

#dtcpodcast #prioritybicycles #ecommercegrowth #marketingstrategy #dtcbrands #digitalmarketing #customeracquisition #growthmarketing #brandstrategy #directtoconsumer #bicycleindustry

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Most DTC brands aren’t short on effort — they’re stuck in the tactical spin cycle: chasing hacks, optimizing in circles, burning time and team on things that used to work.

In this episode, Dave Steele (CEO) and Duncan Ferguson (Strategy Lead) unpack how Pilothouse breaks that loop — and why a proper strategy isn’t optional once you pass $5M.

For DTC brands trying to scale past tactics and actually build leverage.

What’s inside:

• What the “tactical spin cycle” really is — and how to get out
• The 3 parts of real strategy: diagnosis, how-we-win, cohesive execution
• Why your team’s “best practices” might be killing growth
• How to unify Meta, Google, Email + more into a single system
• When to stop optimizing and start repositioning

👀 What to steal:

• Use data to find your core challenge — not just a list of problems
• Write a “how we win” statement that shapes every channel
• Strategy = focus. If you're doing everything, you're doing nothing.

Unlock the BFCM Command Center: https://triplewhale.com/dtc

Timestamps

00:00 The shift in DTC and why strategy matters

03:00 The Tactical Spin Cycle and how brands get stuck

06:00 When optimizations stop working and market dynamics change

09:00 Product strategy vs growth strategy in modern DTC

12:00 What strategy actually means for brands

15:00 Identifying the core challenge before jumping into tactics

18:00 How “How We Win” statements align every channel

21:00 Good strategy vs bad strategy and finding leverage

24:00 Creating cross-channel coherence that compounds results

27:00 Avoiding promo dependency and algorithmic traps

Hashtags

#dtcpodcast #pilothouse #ecommercegrowth #marketingstrategy #dtcbrands #digitalmarketing #growthmarketing #brandstrategy #metaads #googleads #customeracquisition

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Nate Lagos just wrapped his first week as CMO of Adapt Naturals after a breakout run that saw him quadruple Original Grain’s revenue. In this episode, Nate joins Eric Dyck for whiskey and wisdom on persona-driven marketing, CRO as a growth engine, and why you don’t need 100 ads a week to win on Meta.

For DTC founders and marketers optimizing for LTV and profitable scale in 2025.

How to uncover true customer motivations and build actionable personas

CRO testing frameworks that compound results across ads, email, and retention

The “Better Than Black Friday” offer that boosted LTV by 30%

Creative volume vs. creative quality — where the real lever is

Building bundles and pricing for high-AOV buyers

If you’re a DTC founder, growth marketer, or a CMO looking to turn creative and CRO into profit levers, this episode is for you.

Timestamps

00:00 Better Than Black Friday Offer Strategy

02:00 Nate’s DTC Journey and Early Career

04:00 Scaling Original Grain and Persona Marketing

06:00 Creative Targeting and Sub-Persona Strategy

09:00 CRO Lessons and Split Testing Wins

12:00 The Creative Volume vs. Quality Debate

15:00 Why Customers Really Buy and Competitor Frames

17:00 Moving From Watches to Supplements

19:00 Best-Ever Offer and LTV Impact

22:00 Pricing Power, Inflation, and High-Ticket Bundles

24:00 New Channels, Offers, and Team Leadership

27:00 Remote Work, Management Style, and Alignment

29:00 Nate’s Creative Process and Mindset

31:00 Advice to Marketers: Do One Thing Exceptionally Well

33:00 Tactical and Practical Podcast Overview

Hashtags

#dtcpodcast #ecommerce #dtcmarketing #cromarketing #offerstrategy #lifetimevalue #metads #directtoconsumer #performancecreative #shopifybrands

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https://levelwear.com

Hyman Ngo, SVP of Product & Marketing at Levelwear, joins us to talk through the brand’s evolution from a behind-the-scenes apparel manufacturer to a powerhouse in wholesale and licensing — and now, their pivot into DTC.

For brand leaders scaling from golf, wholesale, or licensing into consumer channels.

What we cover:

• The real reason they acquired a customer’s brand — and how that changed their whole trajectory
• Why golf was the launchpad: how credibility in elite U.S. clubs unlocked growth back home
• How they scaled to 85 of the top 100 U.S. golf courses (and what that did for their reputation)
• The role of licensing (MLB, NHL, PGA) in adding growth and brand legitimacy
• How they finally built their brand narrative (“Team Over Everything” / “Who’s With You”) and why it’s now central to their DTC push

Who this is for: Brand operators in wholesale, licensing, or B2B looking to build emotional connection and consumer pull

What to steal:

• Build credibility in a “clean” market (no legacy baggage) and use it to reposition back home
• Treat brand story as an internal alignment tool — not just external marketing
• Use licensing as a bridge, but don’t lose sight of your brand equity

Unlock the BFCM Command Center: https://triplewhale.com/dtc

Timestamps

00:00 Transitioning from manufacturing to a brand

02:15 Buying Levelwear and early operational challenges

04:40 Breaking into retail and managing order volume

07:20 Slow early growth and breakthrough in the US golf market

10:05 How Levelwear entered top golf courses

12:40 Evolution of golf culture and apparel trends

14:00 Sponsoring pro golfers and athlete partnerships

16:00 Expanding into licensed sports apparel

18:05 Fanatics partnership and industry comparisons

20:00 Crafting Levelwear’s brand message and manifesto

22:30 Launching the "Who's With You" campaign

24:15 Using streaming ads for brand awareness

26:10 How the brand story aligns across sports

27:40 Message consistency in B2B and retail channels

29:00 Levelwear’s path toward nine-figure revenue

30:30 DTC ambitions and where the brand goes next

32:00 Expanding into international golf markets

33:00 The future of independent retail in golf

34:00 Closing thoughts and next steps for Levelwear

Hashtags

#dtcpodcast #levelwear #golfapparel #sportsbusiness #directtoconsumer #ecommercegrowth #brandbuilding #athleisure #golfindustry #sportsmarketing

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Welcome to the episode: we’ve got Jordan Gordon back on the mic — the guy leading email, retention and CRO at Pilot House, with 25 years in ecommerce under his belt.

Role‑Based Hook (for DTC growth/marketing audience):

For DTC founders & growth marketers scaling from $5M–100M in revenue, this is your CRO check‑list for Q4.

Here’s what we dig into:

• Why your headline conversion rate is a shaky metric — and why “direct conversion” gives you better signal.
• The one page type (your top product page) you can fix in time for Black Friday to move the needle.
• How to push “bundling and recommendations” tools to unlock +8–30% lift in AOV with zero extra ad spend.
• The eight choke‑points across homepage → category → PDP → cart/checkout you must optimize right now.
• Real copy & button tips: How a tiny phrase (“Feel organic again”) can flip the homepage from meh to go‑time.

Who this is for: DTC brand leads, ecommerce CRO/optimization folks, retention & growth marketers who already run advertising and now need to tighten the funnel.

What to steal:

• Run quick benchmark: Are you hitting 5‑7% Add‑to‑Cart, ~2% conversion, ~1.25% direct conversion in Shopify?
• Pick your top 3‑5 PDPs and make them ultra‑fast (under 3s load) using a tool/tech stack like Niche.
• Install a bundling/recommendation engine (like Rebuy) across the site and measure +8% lift in AOV by pushing “people like you bought this + add it” flows.

Timestamps

00:00 Highest Leverage CRO Insights for Q4

02:10 Benchmarking Add-to-Cart and Conversion Rates

04:45 Why Direct Conversion Is a Better Signal

07:00 Speeding Up PDPs with Niche for Instant Wins

10:05 Boosting AOV with Rebuy Bundling

13:00 The 8 Critical Website Choke Points

15:45 Optimizing Copy Around Key Conversion Areas

18:20 Homepage Strategy for High-Volume Traffic

21:40 What Big Brands Get Right on Their Homepages

24:30 Final Q4 CRO Checklist and Fast Wins

Hashtags

#dtcpodcast #q4ecommerce #cro #conversionrateoptimization #ecommercetips #shopifygrowth #blackfridayprep #aov #d2cbrands #onlinescaling

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Welcome to the DTC Podcast. Today we’re joined by Donatas Smailys, Co‑Founder & CEO of Billo, a creator‑marketing platform that helps DTC brands turn authentic creator videos into high‑performing ads.

Explore Billo

We dive into how brands can build a repeatable creator/content engine that integrates with ad funnels, why follower‑counts are becoming less relevant, how to brief creators with performance in mind, and why AI should support—not replace—human creators.

Key Takeaways

• Why creator marketing must be treated as a systematic channel, not ad‑hoc influencer blasts
• How to identify and match creators based on performance metrics (hook rate, CTR, ROAS) rather than follower size
• The role of AI and data in briefing creators, generating content variants, and feeding back into ad performance
• How brands at the $3‑M‑$10‑M revenue stage can structure the first 90 days of creator‑led campaigns
• Why authenticity still matters: synthetic avatar creators may work short‑term but risk long‑term trust and accountability
• The emerging concept of “Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)” and how creator/social assets feed into future search ecosystems

Whether you’re a DTC brand marketer responsible for scaling ads, or a founder looking to build long‑term acquisition engines, this episode gives you a clear blueprint for building creator marketing into your growth stack.

Timestamps

00:00 AI brief generator and purchase data

02:05 Why Billo started content at scale

04:15 Creator marketing as a system

06:20 Andromeda and creative diversity

08:25 Segmenting by the why

10:30 Let creators experiment and avoid fatigue

12:35 AI influencers vs authenticity

14:40 Meta partnership ads and Spark ads

16:45 Answer Engine Optimization AEO

18:50 Future of authenticity and human only

20:55 First three months on Billo plan

23:00 Performance backed creator selection

25:05 Pricing and ad volume cadence

27:10 Data loops AI variations and reuse

29:30 Scaling creator content into paid

Hashtags

#DTCPodcast #CreatorMarketing #InfluencerMarketing #UGC #EcommerceMarketing #PaidSocial #MetaAds #PartnershipAds #SparkAds #Andromeda #PerformanceCreative #AnswerEngineOptimization #AEO #Whitelisting #TikTokMarketing #AdCreative #CustomerAcquisition #DirectToConsumer #BilloApp #MarketingPodcast

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