The DTC Insider

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul sat down with Pauline Koningsveld and Sarah Litt, co-founders of Livi Beauty, to discuss their journey of creating an innovative at-home gel manicure system.

• The inspiration behind Livi Beauty and its unique features

• How Pauline and Sarah transitioned from idea to product development

• The challenges and successes of launching a DTC brand

• Insights into their go-to-market strategy and target audience

• The importance of customer feedback and retention strategies

• How Livi Beauty empowers women by saving time and providing convenience

• The role of founder-led content in building brand authenticity

• Lessons learned from customer interactions and surprising feedback

• The impact of being featured on Good Morning America

• Future plans for Livi Beauty, including sustainability and product improvements

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk!

With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you - so your cash always moves faster than your costs.

✅ Defer tariffs until orders ship (no upfront costs)

✅ Free up working capital for growth

✅ Sell smarter - turn inventory into cash faster

Stop letting tariffs tie up your cash - sell smarter with Portless.

Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today.

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul discusses effective strategies for direct-to-consumer brands, focusing on the importance of identifying sales peaks, planning product launches strategically, and setting manageable goals.

He emphasizes the need for brands to plan ahead and break down their annual goals into actionable quarterly objectives to drive growth and success.

• How successful brands engineer their own sales peaks

• The importance of identifying seasonal trends for smarter planning

• Using strategic product launches to boost low-revenue periods

• Why timing matters when bringing products to market

• Common pitfalls: lack of long-term planning

• Breaking down annual goals into manageable quarterly targets

• Aligning high-level initiatives with clear quarterly objectives

• Creating actionable task lists for each strategic initiative

• The role of research and decision-making in effective execution

• When and how expert support can help brands push past plateaus

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 interviews Samantha Diamond, co-founder and CEO of Bird & Be, a company focused on improving fertility education and products. Samantha shares her journey from the beauty industry to addressing the gaps in fertility health, emphasizing the importance of professional guidance and sensitive communication.

The conversation explores how Bird & Be leverages social media for education, the significance of clinical studies in product validation, and the challenges of marketing non-impulse purchases. Samantha also highlights the impact of customer stories and the company's commitment to continuous product development.

• From Beauty to Fertility: Samantha Diamond’s Career Pivot and Purpose

• Identifying and Filling Gaps in Fertility Education and Customer Experience

• Communicating with Sensitivity in a Deeply Personal Health Space

• The Role of Professional Guidance in Building Product Credibility and Trust

• Using Social Media to Educate, Support, and Build a Fertility-Focused Community

• Backing Products with Clinical Studies: A Non-Negotiable for Trust

• Marketing for Non-Impulse Products: Lessons from the Fertility Space

• Harnessing Customer Testimonials as a Source of Insight and Motivation

• Guiding Customers Through Personalized Quizzes and Educational Tools

• Iterating Through Feedback: The Continuous Development Behind Bird and Bee’s Products

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk!

With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you - so your cash always moves faster than your costs.

✅ Defer tariffs until orders ship (no upfront costs)

✅ Free up working capital for growth

✅ Sell smarter - turn inventory into cash faster

Stop letting tariffs tie up your cash - sell smarter with Portless.

Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today.

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul discusses effective growth marketing strategies, focusing on the importance of understanding customer journeys and addressing subscription churn. He emphasizes the need for brands to map out their customer journeys, identify points of churn, and implement proactive strategies to retain subscribers and enhance their lifetime value. Through real client examples, he illustrates how to generate revenue by adding value to customer experiences and engaging them effectively.

• Why growth and marketing strategies still matter in 2025

• The importance of mapping the full customer journey

• Common pitfalls: focusing on details too early in the process

• Gaining clarity on how your brand actually generates revenue

• Balancing acquisition and retention: new vs. returning customers

• Accepting churn as part of the journey—and how to prepare for it

• Implementing proactive tactics to minimize churn

• Leveraging customer feedback to guide improvements

• Finding meaningful ways to add value and build loyalty

• Using engagement strategies to boost customer lifetime value

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 sat down with Izzy Rosensweig, founder of Portless, about the evolving landscape of tariffs and supply chain management.

They discuss Portless's innovative approach to optimizing cash flow and inventory management, the implications of the de minimis rule, and the impact of trade wars on brands.

Izzy shares insights on pricing strategies, the importance of trade lawyers, and the future of manufacturing concerning China and Vietnam. The conversation emphasizes the need for brands to adapt and optimize in a fluid market environment.

• How Portless helps brands delay tariff payments until orders ship

• The importance of cash flow management for brand sustainability

• The phase-out of the de minimis rule for China and Hong Kong

• Strategies for optimizing supply chains to reduce operational costs

• The impact of trade wars on global logistics and sourcing

• Adapting pricing strategies in response to shifting economic conditions

• Exploring tariff engineering as a method to lower import costs

• How the country of origin influences tariff obligations

• The pros and cons of manufacturing in Vietnam versus China

• Why brands should optimize their current operations before major supply chain shifts

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk!

With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you - so your cash always moves faster than your costs.

✅ Defer tariffs until orders ship (no upfront costs)

✅ Free up working capital for growth

✅ Sell smarter - turn inventory into cash faster

Stop letting tariffs tie up your cash - sell smarter with Portless.

Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today.

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul sat down with Victoria Melnyk, co-founder of Sunbabe Hair.

Launched in 2018 with her sister, Sunbabe offers women a natural, gradual approach to hair lightening, inspired by their own teenage experiences with bleaching. Frustrated by the damaging and costly salon processes, Victoria sought a healthier alternative to achieve sun-kissed highlights.

Emphasizing beauty as a reflection of lifestyle, Sunbabe has grown to serve over 200,000 customers. Victoria also leads the brand's art direction, focusing on visual storytelling to communicate Sunbabe's essence. Today, we'll explore her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of scaling a lean team, and her vision for the future of haircare.

• Turning personal passion and curiosity into a successful beauty brand

• How creating for yourself can foster deeper customer connection

• The power of transformation stories in branding and marketing

• Why branding is about meaning, not just products

• Using the hero’s journey to create compelling customer narratives

• Building community to strengthen brand loyalty

• Understanding your customer’s needs to drive effective marketing

• The importance of a clear, focused message in brand communication

• Structuring ad creation to improve performance

• Embracing continuous learning for long-term growth

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 sat down with Paola Shah, founder of Tucketts.

When Paola Shah moved from London to the U.S., she found herself in a new place with no network. A friend asked for help researching a Pilates studio, and part of that research focused on socks—specifically, grip socks that were required for class.

But none of them felt quite right. So, Paola spent three years developing a new kind of sock—one that provides grip and absorbs sweat while maintaining a full sensory connection to the floor. That idea turned into a patented product and a sustainable business that manufactures in Colombia with a strong focus on social and environmental impact.

In this episode, we talk about her journey from market research to manufacturing, how she became part of the 1.9% of women-owned businesses to cross $1M in revenue, and the challenges of staying profitable as costs rise.

• The evolution of Tucketts from concept to market over three years.

• The importance of validating product-market fit before launching.

• How cultural influences shape product design and branding.

• The impact of sustainable manufacturing on communities and the environment.

• The role of patents in protecting innovative product designs.

• How organic influencer marketing drives authentic brand growth.

• Overcoming manufacturing challenges through perseverance and problem-solving.

• Effective communication with manufacturers for better product outcomes.

• The power of user-generated content over traditional influencer promotions.

• Enhancing workouts through barefoot training and improved foot sensation.

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 sat down with Mallory Ottariano, founder of Youer.

Mallory Ottariano launched her brand on Etsy in 2012 as a side hustle. Before she knew it, it was matching her full-time income, and she decided to go all in.

Fast forward, and she’s built a 7-figure clothing brand without paid ads (until recently).

How did she do it? Let’s find out!

• The importance of community engagement in building a brand.

• How storytelling helps create deeper connections with customers.

• Using events to drive word-of-mouth marketing and brand loyalty.

• The strategic transition from organic growth to paid advertising.

• Effective inventory management as a key factor in scaling.

• The impact of a resale market on customer loyalty and sustainability.

• Challenges and opportunities of manufacturing in the US.

• The role of detailed tech packs in ensuring smooth production.

• Educating customers on pricing to address cost concerns.

• The power of authenticity in strengthening brand relationships.

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 sat down with Brandon Horoho, co-founder of Montana Knife Company, a 30-year overnight success—that’s how this company’s explosive growth story begins.

Brandon and his co-founder, Josh, launched the company in 2020, but Josh had been crafting custom knives since he was 11. The idea? Mass-produce high-quality knives that could reach a wider audience while still maintaining craftsmanship.

The results? From low 7 figures in 2021 to 8 figures in 2024.

Their products sell out in minutes. They’ve built an email list of over 1 million customers. And now, they’re focused on becoming a household name—expanding beyond their niche with paid TV ads, podcasts, and influencers.

• The founding of Montana Knife Company and its rapid growth.

• Josh’s journey to becoming the youngest master bladesmith at 19.

• The role of quality craftsmanship in customer loyalty and retention.

• Building direct customer relationships and owning their data.

• Leveraging organic social media to grow without paid ads initially.

• The first knife drop selling out in 14 minutes and what it revealed about demand.

• The impact of email marketing as a core strategy with high engagement.

• The VIP program and how it strengthens customer loyalty.

• The focus on building a long-term legacy brand over short-term gains.

• Expanding manufacturing capabilities to support continued growth.

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 sat down with Aaron Nosbisch, founder & CEO of BRĒZ, the fastest-growing cannabis beverage in the market.

In just a short time, Aaron has propelled his brand to rapid success, leveraging cutting-edge marketing strategies, creative compliance solutions, and a relentless focus on product experience. Aaron shares the story behind his brand’s meteoric rise, the innovative tactics that have driven its success, and his predictions and best practices for the future.

Whether you're a founder, CMO, or marketer in e-commerce, you'll gain invaluable insights into scaling a brand in a highly regulated and competitive market.

• Introduction to BRĒZ and Its Growth

• The Product Development Journey

• Building in Public: The Philosophy Behind Transparency

• Competition vs. Collaboration in the Cannabis Space

• Key Lessons Learned in Business Growth

• Team Dynamics and Hiring A-Players

• Retail Growth and D2C Strategy

• Key Metrics for Business Success

• Channel Diversification in Advertising

• Personal Insights and Recommendations

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.