The DTC Insider

Ryan Lewis is the Founder and CEO of EarthHero, an e-commerce company that curates the best, most sustainable products onto one platform. Through a proprietary 5-Step Sourcing Methodology, they determine whether brands offer sustainably made goods before offering them to the consumer.

Living in Boulder, Colorado, Ryan was inspired by nature at an early age and knew he wanted to leave the world a better place. He left the restaurant industry to follow his passion and create an eco-friendly, sustainable company. He founded EarthHero to make it easy for people to shop and live in a more sustainable way.

In many industries, the idea of sustainability is not top of mind. Most manufacturers produce products without worrying about where they’ll end up and how they will impact the environment. Whether you're starting a business or you just want to do your part, what things can you do to live and think in a more sustainable way?

Ryan Lewis founded EarthHero to curate sustainable, eco-friendly products onto one platform to make it easier for people to find and use products that don’t harm the environment. He wanted to differentiate himself and his brand from other brands and defined a very clear vision for the company. If you're interested in living a lifestyle or starting a business that you're proud of and supports and protects the planet, listen to this episode to learn more.

Ryan Lewis, the Founder and CEO of EarthHero, joins Brian Roisentul in this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast to talk about building a mission-based, sustainable brand. Ryan shares his advice on identifying your brand’s voice, hiring employees aligned with company values, getting started with living a more sustainable lifestyle, and more.

Marta Miller is the Co-founder of Lefty Production Co., a one-stop shop development house and apparel and accessories manufacturer. She has worked with designers, fashion brands, and retailers of all types and sizes, including fashion icons like Matthew Williamson, Rosetta Getty, and Christian Siriano and retailers including Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Marta is also the Owner of Stitch Texas, a cut-and-sew development company offering made-in-America apparel and sewn products with in-house development services.

It's hard to start and grow a young business with many things to think about and consider, especially in the world of e-commerce and the fashion industry. These entrepreneurs face challenges that include sourcing materials, dealing with supply chain issues, managing costs, expenses, and profits, hiring employees, and packaging and shipping products.

Marta Miller is no stranger to these challenges, and it’s why she co-founded Lefty Production Co. — to help both new and established business owners in the fashion industry build their companies. Lefty Production Co. guides them through the startup process to navigate all the moving parts. From thinking through the typical costs incurred in the fashion industry, from consulting to product design, development and production, and branding, her teams are there to support you through the whole process. 

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul interviews Marta Miller, the Co-founder of Lefty Production Co., about how she supports and guides companies in the fashion industry. Marta talks about the challenges she faced in the early days of her business, her reasons for acquiring Stitch Texas, and discusses how the fashion industry has evolved over the years.

Kory Zelickson is the CEO and Co-founder of Vejii, an online marketplace that connects consumers with plant-based and sustainable-living products in a consolidated shopping experience. 

With over 15 years of experience in innovation and online marketing, Kory has grown multiple e-commerce and technology startup companies from the ground up. Kory is an engineer by trade focused on developing retail distribution within the plant-based and sustainable product categories.

Are you struggling with how you can reach national exposure in the plant-based industry? How can you connect with buyers that want your products?

Consumers today are more conscious of their environmental impact and their health. More than ever, they are focused on supporting sustainable brands and looking towards transitioning entirely towards plant-based diets. Creating a marketplace for plant-based and sustainable living products is on the rise, and consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable alternatives. It’s an excellent time to invest in the plant-based industry.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brain Roisentul is joined by Kory Zelickson, the CEO and Co-founder of Vejii, to discuss the growth process of Vejii and the plant-based industry. Kory explains the gaps he identified in the marketplace that pushed him to start Vejii, the challenges they faced launching and running Vejii, and why people should invest in the plant-based industry.

Tawny Ann De La Peña is a Conversion Copywriter and Creative Strategist. She uses her expertise in direct response and conversion copywriting, paired with more than 10 years of storytelling experience, to help her clients develop sustainable and scalable marketing strategies. Moreover, she uses strategies that focus on turning prospects into paying customers.

Tawny’s expertise applies to almost any industry, as evidenced by working with brands like Shapermint.com, Dunkin' Brands, Marriott International, and XQ Institute. She will be a speaker at the next Ad World Conference — the world’s largest online advertising event.

Do you really know what your customers want? Do you take the time to identify them, understand their needs, and create products that meet those needs? Do you listen to them?

Many advertisers and brands hurt the marketing industry with bad habits and sloppy strategies. According to Tawny Ann De La Peña, there are no shortcuts to effectively marketing and growing e-commerce businesses. Marketers need to build a solid foundation for their work, talk and listen to their customers, and come up with more effective ways of delivering ads to them by leveraging key customer data. 

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul interviews Tawny Ann De La Peña, a Conversion Copywriter and Creative Strategist, about her method for leveraging customer data to grow e-commerce brands. Tawny talks about the biggest e-commerce challenges brands face, what brands should do to find out what their customers want, and the five stages of customer awareness. Stay tuned.

Vance Morris is a Customer Service Speaker and a Service and Marketing Strategist at Deliver Service Now Institute, where he shares insider secrets on how the magic of customer and guest service is created and helps companies adopt the strategies he learned over the years. 

He is a Disney veteran, having spent more than a decade working at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Vance is the author of Systematic Magic: 7 Magic Keys to Disnify Any Business. He is also an established international speaker and a customer experience strategist and consultant.

Do you want more clients, money, and engaged employees? What makes Disney magical? Why do customers keep going back for more? What is Disney’s secret to success? 

According to Vance Morris, Disney enthusiasts enjoy visiting Disney World because they have magical experiences there. The company focuses on creating emotional connections and attachments with its customers, differentiating it from the competition. This experience is special and attractive to its target audience. So what can business owners do to build a company modeling the Disney magic?

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul interviews Vance Morris, a Customer Service Speaker and a Service and Marketing Strategist at Deliver Service Now Institute, about how businesses can use unique experiences to attract lifetime clients. Vance shares his strategies for providing exceptional customer service, talks about the benefits of documenting processes, and discusses the value of including employees in the decision-making process.

Ari Cheszes is the Director of eCommerce and Customer Experience at Overtime and oversees the apparel line part of the business. Overtime is a sports media company targeting Gen Z and generates sports content and deploys it across social media platforms. They are an innovative wholistic company that connects and merges anything they can relate back to sports.

Ari is originally from Argentina and moved to New York in 2014. He has a background in finance and consulting and a master’s degree in strategic management from the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University. Ari is experienced in launching and scaling e-commerce businesses through customer-centric focus, data-driven decisions, and team empowerment.

Brand collaborations are highly beneficial, especially in the e-commerce, fashion, and apparel industries. They offer significant opportunities for companies to connect and work together. One of the many benefits they provide is a way for organizations to learn about the successful and unsuccessful processes and strategies from inside or outside of their industry.

Ari Cheszes has worked on many collaborations with brands like Mikey Likes It Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club. He knows that collaborations can help build a bigger customer base by reaching new audiences, expand its geographical reach, and increase sales. There is a lot to be gained by working with other brands — reaching new audiences, generating incremental revenue, and creating a buzz to stay relevant. So, what should companies look out for when planning to enter into a brand collaboration?

Ari Cheszes, the Director of eCommerce and Customer Experience at Overtime, joins Brian Roisentul in this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast. Ari discusses best practices for brand collaborations. Ari talks about some of the collaborations and partnerships Overtime has entered into, shares strategies for increasing traffic and sales, and explains what e-commerce brand owners should do to get started. Stay tuned to hear about the surprising benefits collaborations can generate.

Andrew Chapman is the Executive Director of Business Development at Skyhawks Sports Academy. They offer traditional sports camps and clinics for kids from 18 months to 14 years in various sports. At Skyhawks, the team is committed to teaching life skills through sports, and it’s the country's leader in providing a safe, fun, and skill-based sports experience for kids.

Andrew has extensive knowledge and insight from his experience as one of the country’s top junior college soccer coaches, leading Peninsula College to three college championships. He has also been the GM and Head Coach of one of the top USL-PDL PRO teams, Kitsap Pumas, taking them to the 2014 PDL Championships.

Are you looking to go into franchising? Do you need strategies for finding the right partners? 

Building a successful business is not about having overnight success. You must take the time to create efficient systems, find the right team, and use the right strategies for growth. This is what Andrew Chapman has learned from his experience working with one of the country’s top kids’ sports clubs.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul sits down with Andrew Chapman, the Executive Director of Business Development at Skyhawks Sports Academy, to discuss strategies for accelerating growth in franchise businesses. They also talk about Skyhawks Sports Academy's franchise model, its e-commerce software, and Andrew's advice to new franchise businesses. Stay tuned.

Kaitie Sjostedt and Lisa Strandberg are the Co-founders and Creative Directors at THE SHORE LINE, a resort wear brand made to make women feel effortlessly chic from the beach to the street. The company was founded by the two sisters who grew up along the shorelines of Florida. 

Kaitie is also a Sales Planning Analyst at WarnerMedia, and before starting THE SHORE LINE, she studied fashion and worked at LVMH. Lisa was a Personal Stylist at Her Styled View, an Agent at Ford Models, and spent her teenage years as a model.

Do you need a particular product, but it’s difficult to find it in the marketplace? Maybe it’s a void that you can fill.

For Kaitie Sjostedt and Lisa Strandberg, having timeless fashion pieces in their wardrobe is a must. Having been brought up along the shorelines of Florida, they enjoyed spending time at the beach. But they found it difficult shopping for clothes they could wear to the beach and seamlessly transition to stylish off-the-beach wear. This gap in the market prompted them to find a solution, so they started their own clothing brand to fill the void.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul interviews Kaitie Sjostedt and Lisa Strandberg, the Co-founders and Creative Directors at THE SHORE LINE, to talk about their journey building a clothing brand. Kaitie and Lisa also describe their background in fashion, explain how social media helps them grow their brand, and discuss their future growth plans. Stay tuned.

Chris Osborn is the Director of Marketing at f-stop, a company that manufactures high-end camera bags and camera packs designed for serious photographers. The f-stop team’s mission is to provide the world's best camera bags and accessories by combining them with the best outdoor performance backpacks. Chris is a digital marketing expert and helps organizations develop marketing strategies that grow their business through lead generation, account-based marketing, content marketing or creation, digital strategies, and communications to prospective and existing clients.

Do you run a growing company and want the secret sauce for long-term success? Do you hope to become a market leader in your category?

Having worked with many companies in various industries, Chris Osborn knows the secret to build a successful consumer brand. He knows the importance of being determined to create a great corporate culture, being innovative, providing quality products, and making great connections with customers.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul interviews Chris Osborn, the Director of Marketing at f-stop, about his strategies for building a market-leading company. Chris shares his formula for long-term success, talks about the benefits of working with brand ambassadors, and explains why building a reputable brand is crucial. Stay tuned.

Brian Roisentul is the Founder of BSR Digital, a social media marketing agency focused on helping businesses grow through paid ads. He has worked with more than 1,000 e-commerce brands, including Orangetheory Fitness. Brian helps fitness brands implement both lead generations and e-commerce campaigns to grow their sales.

Before starting BSR Digital, Brian was the Co-founder of Agencia Pueblo, a marketing company based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also co-founded and was the CTO of ClientHabitue. Brian holds a degree in computer science from the University of Palermo, Argentina.

Past years have been challenging for everyone. The best thing we can do with the hardships we’ve endured is to not dwell on them but learn from them instead. 

Brian Roisentul reviews some of his past podcast episodes and shares inspiring and encouraging stories from guests he has had on the show. His purpose in this episode is to help people recognize that the world evolves and there will always be adversities. Still, it’s how you deal with the situation at hand that will determine your level of success.

On this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul, Founder of BSR Digital and host of the show, will be interviewed by Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Co-founder of Rise25 Media. They discuss why some past shows stood out to Brian and how health, mindset, technology, and having the right people can help you succeed in both your personal and professional life. Tune in and learn what other successful entrepreneurs are doing.