In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down Jay Kinney, founder of WhyBars, a superfood snack brand built on ancient nutrition and unstoppable persistence. From sleeping in his car to landing on the shelves of Whole Foods and Kroger, Jay’s story is one of grit, creativity, and relentless optimism.

We discussed:

• The origin story of WhyBars and its roots in ancient nutrition

• Jay’s journey from culinary school and the Army to entrepreneurship

• Early experiments selling homemade bars door-to-door

• How local farmers markets helped build awareness and demand

• The transition from kitchen production to large-scale retail distribution

• Building relationships with stores like Kroger, Whole Foods, and Fresh Thyme

• The importance of public speaking and storytelling for founders

• Personal growth: overcoming homelessness, trauma, and reclaiming his identity

• The difference between building a brand to sell vs. a forever business

• Staying positive and resilient in the face of personal and business challenges

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Dr. Christine Colamonico, co-founder of Jope (Joy of Pets). Jope is a science-backed pet supplement brand created by two veterinarians on a mission to improve animal health.

We discussed:

• The origin story of Jope and how her dog inspired the brand

• Transitioning from veterinary practice to entrepreneurship

• Building a science-backed product in an unregulated supplement market

• Growing a DTC pet brand through Meta ads and customer loyalty

• Challenges of scaling in a changing e-commerce landscape

• Why customer experience and education are at the core of Jope's retention strategy

• The pros and cons of launching with one hero product

• Expanding from dogs to cats: product diversification and strategic timing

• The power of calling customers and building genuine relationships

• Lessons on patience, resilience, and staying authentic as a first-time founder

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.

To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul breaks down a simple but powerful way to find your next growth opportunities, by identifying your empty buckets. Instead of chasing the next Meta or Google Ads playbook, he explains how to zoom out and look at your business through a strategic lens

We discusssed:

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.

To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul shares a personal reflection sparked by an interview with a former Disney executive, one that challenged the traditional idea of “being the best”.

We discusssed:

• Lessons from a former Disney executive on vision and success

• The difference between being “the best” and being “the happiest”

• Why your vision doesn’t always have to involve being #1

• Defining success by your own metrics—not others’

• The trade-offs of building a massive company

• Finding peace in building something sustainable

• Why it’s okay to say “I’m fine where I am”

• How expectations shape our perception of success

• The freedom of aligning your business with your lifestyle

• Building your version of success without guilt or comparison

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.

To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Clay Banks, co-founder of Glorilight.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• Clay’s entrepreneurial journey through five ventures

• The founding story of GloryLite and its fast launch

• Lessons learned from HavenLock and complex manufacturing

• Key takeaways from Shark Tank and going viral

• How to turn failures into lessons for the next venture

• Customer acquisition then vs. now: iOS14, Meta ads, tariffs

• The importance of community and brand as a competitive moat

• Counterfeit competitors and the fight to protect IP

• Balancing CAC with LTV and the importance of retention

• Resiliency, uncertainty, and advice for entrepreneurs in 2025

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.

To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Stacey Feeley, co-founder of GoSili, to talk about the full arc of building a mission-driven brand.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• Founding GoSili to create safe, plastic-free products for kids

• Early days: inventing silicone sleeves and DIY drop tests

• Breaking into mass distribution after Canada’s plastic ban

• Customer acquisition before e-commerce and social media

• Lessons from trade shows and retail partnerships

• The Target dream and why it didn’t meet expectations

• Selling the company to Evenflo and the challenges that followed

• Buying back the company and rebuilding from the ground up

• Launching recycling initiatives for silicone products

• Expanding into new markets like hospitality with the DRYNK line

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.

To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Adam Vernon, founder of Colorado Ski Chairs, a business that’s been transforming old skis and snowboards into handcrafted furniture for nearly 20 years.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• Adam’s journey from ski racer to founder of Colorado Ski Chairs

• Turning old skis into furniture and the brand’s early days

• How the product line evolved over 18+ years

• Balancing custom projects with scalable products

• Shifting from B2C focus to more B2B and corporate clients

• Marketing channels: brick-and-mortar, online, and social media

• The role of video content and behind-the-scenes storytelling

• Sustainability as a brand story vs. actual sales driver

• Building a team of multi-talented employees with no rigid titles

• Looking ahead: the future of Colorado Ski Chairs and industry adaptation

This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.

To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul sits down with Madhu Punjabi, co-founder and CEO of Lion Pose. Before building a skincare brand that landed in Sephora, Madhu held key roles at Google, Pinterest, and Meta—experiences that shaped how she builds today.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• Madhu’s early career at Google, Pinterest, and Meta

• Lessons from launching products at big tech companies

• Why she left to become a founder before having an idea

• Building and selling her first company in infant formula

• Co-founding Lion Pose and targeting Sephora from day one

• The “questions framework” she learned at Meta and still uses

• The realities of being a founder vs. corporate life

• Defining passion in business and why it matters

• Challenges of today’s DTC environment: rising costs, tougher acquisition, thinner margins

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Margot Adams, co-founder of Luxeire, a mother-daughter clothing brand blending luxury, comfort, and performance, so you never have to choose between style and function.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• The mother-daughter founding story of Luxeire

• Early struggles turning a passion project into a real business

• Launching the hero product: the Classic Button-Up

• Running Meta ads on a shoestring budget and finding product-market fit

• Why Margot became the face of the brand

• Customer service and the human touch in a lean business

• Competing in a crowded apparel space while manufacturing in NYC

• Balancing new customer acquisition with customer retention

• Operational challenges and the importance of efficiency

• What’s next for Luxeire: new fabrics, product categories, and pop-ups

Find more episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.

To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul chats with Dinah Chapman, founder of Little Trouble, a fast-growing kidswear brand that’s on track to hit 8 figures. Dinah shares how she built the company from her garage while juggling motherhood and a demanding corporate job, why she resisted shortcuts in customer service, and how she turned customer feedback into a growth engine.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• Moving abroad while running a U.S.-based business

• Starting Little Trouble as a side hustle during corporate burnout

• Knowing when a side hustle becomes a full-time business

• Standing out in a crowded kids apparel market

• Challenges across growth stages: 0–1M, 1–5M, and beyond

• Operating with a tiny team while scaling big

• The critical role of customer service and human connection

• The pitfalls of over-obsessing about attribution vs. focusing on fundamentals

• Leveraging customer insights and zero-party data for growth

• What’s next: brand collaborations, wholesale, and product diversification

Find more episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠our website⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.

To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.