301: How Pokoloko Is Profitably Transitioning From Wholesale to Direct to Consumer

The right marketing strategy + the right team members to execute = DTC success.  “A little crazy” is what Ecuadorian artisans called Case Bakker after he requested order after order of handmade blankets to sell to boutiques all over the Ottawa Valley. Rooted in a mission to give back, Pokoloko started off as a wholesale brand dedicated to bringing global inspiration to people's homes and directly supporting artisans all over South America, Turkey, Morocco, and Indonesia. I met Case, Pokoloko’s CEO and co-founder, about a year ago when he reached out with one goal in mind: transition from wholesale to DTC eCommerce. Since then, we’ve worked together inside the Coalition and Intentional Wealth, and his team has made incredible progress. Case joins us today to tell us how. Tune in for a candid talk about how Pokoloko generated their first $100k in sales, what marketing strategies move the needle, the hires that have been essential to their success, and leadership lessons he’s picked up along the way. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 3:51 How Pokoloko was first created 6:23 How Pokoloko generated their first $100,000 9:19 The biggest difference between running wholesale vs direct to consumer 11:02 Three major initiatives that moved the needle when switching to online sales 13:32 Critical hires when growing a B2C business  15:28 Marketing initiatives with a high ROI 19:01 How transitioning to B2C affects wholesale  20:28 Leaderships lessons Case wishes he knew years ago 24:20 What Case is most excited about Links and Resources: Pokoloko Pokoloko on Instagram Case Bakker on LinkedIn Shoe Dog by Phil Knight The Coalition Intentional Wealth @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes