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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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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

Who this is for: DTC founders, growth marketers, and CMOs looking to turn creative and CRO into profit levers.

What to steal:

• Persona-based landing pages mapped to Meta ad angles
• Better Than BFCM: discount + gift card offer structure
• The “one thing remarkably well” mindset for scaling

Timestamps

00:00 Better-than-Black-Friday offer boosts LTV

02:10 Nate’s path into DTC and giftable wood products

04:30 Scaling Original Grain with Meta and partnerships

06:50 Persona marketing before Andromeda

09:10 Landing pages and CRO for each persona

11:40 Split testing with Intelligems on Shopify

13:50 Creative volume vs quality debate

16:10 CMO at Adapt Naturals and LTV mindset

18:40 Pre-BFCM $50 voucher play

21:00 Raising prices and premium bundles to lift AOV

23:20 New channels, influencers, and offer testing

25:40 Remote leadership and alignment

28:00 Why marketers spot patterns and conspiracies

30:20 Copywriting rituals and research workflow

32:30 Do one thing remarkably well

Hashtags

#DTCPodcast #DTC #Ecommerce #BFCM #PreBlackFriday #LTV #MetaAds #CreativeStrategy #Andromeda #CRO #SplitTesting #Shopify #AOV #Bundles #OfferTesting #InfluencerMarketing #AdaptNaturals #OriginalGrain #Intelligems #MarketingPodcast

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In this episode, we sit down with Aves, Creative Lead & Partnerships at Pilothouse Digital, to unpack how DTC brands must rethink their creative strategy in the age of Meta’s Andromeda algorithm.

For performance marketers and DTC founders scaling from $5–20M+.

Tactical Takeaways:

• Why the “one winner ad” model no longer works in Meta’s current landscape
• How to identify customer motivations (not just demographics) and map them to creative
• A practical framework for testing hooks: swap visuals first, not just voiceovers or copy
• How to build a full creative range — from low-effort UGC to high-budget studio work — for each persona
• What creative audits should look like heading into Q4 and how to avoid “noise” in your ad account
• Who this is for: DTC brand founders, heads of creative, performance marketers

What to steal:

• Steal the “motivation-based segmentation” mindset in your ad strategy
• Steal the 3–5 second visual hook test framework (visual first, audio later)
• Steal the creative range checklist (iPhone shot → studio shot) to audit your account this week

Timestamps

00:00 Understanding Motivations and Creative Diversity

02:00 How Meta’s Andromeda Update Changed Creative Strategy

05:00 Building a Full Creative Range from UGC to Studio Content

07:00 Why Niching Down Helps You Scale Up

09:00 Moving Beyond “Winner” Ads and Budget Distribution

11:00 How to Research Audiences Using Reddit and Reviews

13:00 Avery’s Hook Testing Framework and Meta Insights

17:00 Common Creative Mistakes and Noise in Ad Accounts

19:00 How to Audit Creative Diversity for Q4 Success

21:00 Creative Audits, Partnerships, and Avery’s Process

23:00 Lessons from Hosting the Ad-Venturous Podcast

Hashtags

#DTCpodcast #AdVenturous #CreativeStrategy #MetaAds #AndromedaEra #PerformanceMarketing #AdCreative #Pilothouse #EcommerceGrowth #DigitalMarketing #CreativeTesting #AdOptimization #MarketingStrategy #UGC #AgencyLife

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