The DTC Insider

Lou Lentine is the Founder and CEO of Echelon Fitness Multimedia, a fitness company that manufactures fitness equipment and streams fitness classes. For many years, Lou has appeared on TV and various shopping channels, including HSN, The Shopping Channel Canada, QVC USA, QVC UK, QVC GERMANY, Shop TV Japan, and many others worldwide. He has also appeared in numerous globally aired commercials for products he has developed or co-developed. 

Lou is also the Chairman of Viatek Consumer Products Group and an on-air guest on The Shopping Channel. He holds a degree in Marketing from the University of Central Florida.

Having a community of loyal customers and supporters for your business is an excellent way of learning more about your customers, their pain points, their needs, and collecting feedback about your company's products. It is also a great way of marketing a brand and promoting customer retention.

While building Echelon Fitness Multimedia, Lou Lentine leveraged support from his community of loyal customers and fitness instructors, which helped build the brand. He listened to their opinions and feedback about products, and through this was able to expand his product offering to include app development and content generation. It also gave him the opportunity to collaborate with other brands and celebrities, which has helped to increase his brand's value.

In this episode of the Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul interviews Lou Lentine, the Founder and CEO of Echelon Fitness Multimedia, about the value of leveraging your community to build a thriving business. Lou talks about collaborating with other brands and celebrities, his strategies for driving traffic, growing sales, and retaining customers, and his advice on pivoting a business. Stay tuned.

Gary Goldberg is the Founder and CEO of SquadLocker, a company that created software that allows decision-makers like coaches, teachers, and league administrators to design apparel for their communities and then manufacture and ship the products to the community. He is a third-generation textile scientist specializing in technical textile applications designed to improve the well-being and comfort of consumers.

Gary is also the CEO of CleanBrands, a company that designs, develops, and manufactures the world’s most scientifically advanced, technically superior sleep hygiene and bedding protection products marketed under the CleanRest and Healthyzzz brand names. He is also the host of the On the Whistle Podcast.

Advancements in technology have made it easier and faster for entrepreneurs to design, develop, and manufacture new products to meet customers' needs. In recent years, the growth of e-commerce has made it easier for sellers to grow their businesses at lower costs as consumers enjoy the convenience of online purchases.

However, not all types of businesses have embraced such technology, and the result is businesses that have been providing products to consumers in the same way for years. Frustrated by this and the constant delays this caused, Gary Goldberg decided to start an apparel design and manufacturing business to provide better products to consumers like him. He has since been using technology to improve his processes and communicate more efficiently with his customers and provide better user experiences to them, which has helped his business grow faster.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul interviews Gary Goldberg, the Founder and CEO of SquadLocker, about how he uses technology to improve existing business processes and provide better products to consumers. Gary explains what his company does, talks about his marketing strategies, and shares the key milestones he has achieved in the business. Stay tuned.

Louisa Egido is the E-Commerce Director at Jon Josef Shoes, a company that sells footwear to women that are handcrafted in Spain. Louisa manages and oversees all aspects of digital marketing and e-commerce development across the brand’s owned, earned, and paid media channels. She is a marketing leader with a strong business acumen and 15-plus years of experience working with clients in both large and small organizations.

Due to the rapid growth of e-commerce, many brick-and-mortar businesses have been forced to start selling online to grow sales and stay competitive. However, the transition has not been easy for everyone, and many companies have been facing many challenges.

For the team at Jon Josef Shoes, changing from a wholesale business model to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model started with revamping their website and online store. Since 2014, they have been experiencing increased sales and higher profits, which provided the opportunity for scaling the business.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul interviews Louisa Egido, the E-Commerce Director at Jon Josef Shoes, about the shoe brand’s strategies to transition from a wholesale business model to a direct-to-consumer model. Louisa also talks about the challenges they faced during the transition, the top Shopify apps she uses in her business, and the strategies they have been using to increase sales and profit. Stay tuned.

Shaahin Cheyene is the Creator of Herbal Ecstasy, the nootropic pill that sparked the smart drug movement. At the age of 15, Shaahin started his business and made millions producing and selling the pill. More recently, Shaahin started an Amazon marketing and advertising agency, Accelerated Intelligence, in 2009. He is also the author of Billion: How I Became King Of The Thrill Pill Cult.

Having started a successful business at the age of 15, Shaahin Cheyene learned how important it is to have a vision, be resilient, and put relentless effort into the success you desire. In addition, you have to be ruthless in your tact and be willing to do what it takes to achieve your objectives, regardless of the objections you face from others. 

As a teenager, Shaahin had already started learning the importance of these values. He faced a lot of rejections, but because of his determination, he found ways to keep himself motivated. He wouldn't let anyone or any obstacles stop him or take away his confidence. He was relentless and believed in himself, and in the long run, this helped him create a billion-dollar business.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul joins Shaahin Cheyene, the Creator of Herbal Ecstasy and Founder of Accelerated Intelligence, to talk about Shaahin's experience starting a successful drug-making business as a teenager and scaling it to millions in revenue. They also talk about the importance of being resilient and relentless when building a business, how to deal with rejections, and how to work with mentors. Stay tuned.

Garret Akerson is the Co-founder and President of Kindred Bravely, a breastfeeding and maternity apparel brand. He has directly built and designed high-impact digital campaigns for brands from $5M to $60M-plus and has taken part in three founding teams, one merger, and one successful exit.

Garret is an adventure-seeker, brand-builder, and father of two boys. Among other things, Garret provides leadership coaching and strategic fundraising support. After co-founding Kindred Bravery in 2015, just two years later, their company won the Shopify Build a BIGGER Business Competition as one of the fastest-growing online retailers.

Building a successful business is not about relying on good luck — it requires hard work, commitment, and strategic decisions. It starts with how you create your products, the hiring process you use to build your team, and how you communicate with your customers. 

When Garret Akerson and his wife, Deeanne Akerson, started Kindred Bravely, they knew what products the market needed because they were the target users for those products. They did not rely on luck or random facts. They worked hard, made smart decisions, made unique products, and went on to build a thriving business made up of 80 employees working remotely.

In this episode of the Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Riosentul interviews Garret Akerson, the President of Kindred Bravely, about his unique hiring process and how he built an 8-figure business by concentrating on the needs of his customers. Garret talks about the challenges he faces getting validation for his products, his reasons to start selling on Amazon, and his strategies for hiring remote and executive-level employees. Stay tuned.

Craig Ballantyne is the Co-owner of EarlyToRise.com, which delivers science-based systems and structures to help people achieve a higher level of performance. Craig has built five seven-figure businesses across five industries, and in 2018 was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as a “Business Titan” and “Social Media Guru.” He has helped more than 260 entrepreneurs become millionaires through the same self-mastery and business growth skills he used to build his businesses and fix his life.

Craig is the author of The Perfect Day Formula, The Perfect Week Formula, and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Unstoppable. He holds a Master's in Exercise Physiology from McMaster University.

Some common things that hold people back from going after their dreams are fear of competition, thinking of themselves as unworthy or incapable of getting what they want, procrastination, and bad time management.

While working with business owners, Craig Ballantyne advises them to be confident with their ideas and put them out there without fear. You cannot afford to waste your time on social media or by doing other unnecessary things that steal your time. You have to own your time, schedule activities, learn how to manage time well, and make time to do the things that really matter.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul is joined by Craig Ballantyne, the Co-owner of EarlyToRise.com, to discuss how business owners can make time to do the things that really matter. Craig explains how he helps freelancers become the CEOs of their businesses, shares his strategies for maximizing time and making every day count, and talks about why saying “no” is essential. Stay tuned.

Sue Izzo is the Founder and CEO of Sue Izzo, a brand that provides business consulting services to entrepreneurs, small business owners, and people of influence who are looking to create and amplify their brand message. Sue is also the Co-founder of The Sports Management Mastermind. She is a former female Jerry McGuire who evolved into a marketing and brand strategist for business owners, entrepreneurs, personal brands, and professional athletes. She has represented top Olympic athletes, X-Game medalists, World Champion surfers, ESPY winners, and television personalities.

With a strong focus on marketing, building brand awareness, processes, productivity, and accountability, Sue helps small business owners, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and personal brands identify what they want to be known for and create a strategy to amplify that message. As a keynote speaker, she educates and inspires audiences by creating unique marketing that emotionally connects with them. She is originally from the East Coast of Connecticut but is currently based in Encinitas, California.

Having spent many years representing athletes as a sports agent and helping them with their branding, Sue Izzo learned how important it is to find and work with top performers. She learned how to increase athletes' value and make them more attractive to potential sponsors, which helped set her apart from her competitors.

The same case applies in the business world. As a business owner, you have to think about making your business attractive to customers. You have to think about your customers' needs, the types of products that will meet those needs, and how you plan to market them. You also have to think about what you want to achieve in order to build a great business. 

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul is joined by Sue Izzo, the Co-founder and CEO of The Sports Management Mastermind, to talk about helping high-performance athletes and entrepreneurs build better brands. Sue shares her experience representing top athletes, her advice on nurturing clients, and explains how she helps entrepreneurs build better businesses.

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 generation 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 ClienteHabitue. Brian holds a degree in computer science from the University of Palermo, Argentina.

Growing an e-commerce brand is not just about building an e-commerce website, adding products, and expecting customers to show up in droves and buy products. Brand owners have to invest their time, money, and human resources in marketing their products, driving traffic to their websites, and converting leads into sales. 

If you have an e-commerce brand using the Shopify platform, you can use many apps and plugins to help achieve your business goals. These include email marketing apps, plugins for creating great-looking landing pages, apps for getting customer reviews, and apps for driving upsells. 

In this episode of the Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul, host of the show and Founder of BSR Digital, is interviewed by Dr. Jeremy Weisz from Rise25 Media about the Shopify apps for email marketing, landing pages, and getting customer reviews. They discuss the importance of building email sequences, how reviews and social proof help build e-commerce brands, and how brands can incorporate customer reviews into their paid ads. 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 generation 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 ClienteHabitue. Brian holds a degree in computer science from the University of Palermo, Argentina.

Every entrepreneur's goal is to build a thriving business that can grow and scale over time. This means ensuring they know the right strategies to attract and market to their target customers, win them over, sell them products, and make recurring sales.

However, as the business grows, a business owner must consider critical factors before scaling ad campaigns to increase Return On Ad Spend (ROAS). These include having a solid business foundation, evaluating current and expected sales targets, knowing and understanding customers, and crafting the right marketing messages.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul, host of the show and the Founder of BSR Digital, gets interviewed by Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Co-founder of Rise25 Media, about his strategies for scaling up ad campaigns to increase sales and ROAS. He also talks about finding a good business partner, working with experts, three levers every business should concentrate on, and optimizing ad campaigns. 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 generation 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 ClienteHabitue. Brian holds a degree in computer science from the University of Palermo, Argentina.

Brands with multiple locations serve audiences from different demographics with different needs, even if they provide the same products in all areas. Each location has its own set of problems and, therefore, requires its own set of solutions — what may work in one may not work in another. In such cases, brands have to be innovative and develop efficient strategies for lead generation to attract and convert customers in each of these locations. 

When Orangetheory Fitness approached Brian Roisentul to help them with their lead generation strategies, he knew that he had to focus on its target audiences and their unique needs. He gathered information about the audience demographics, their behavior, the different environments, and each location's needs. He then used that information to develop different plans for each location, crafted unique messages that resonated with particular audiences, and helped the brand increase sales and scale.

In this episode of The Fit Growth Machine Podcast, Brian Roisentul, host of the show and the Founder of BSR Digital, gets interviewed by Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Co-founder of Rise25 Media. They discuss the lead generation strategies Brian used to help Orangetheory Fitness increase its sales.