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Lukas Pakter filmed his bank account and posted it to the internet: $80,000 in debt, $100 to his name, an activewear brand quietly dying. A year and a half later he’s doing over $250,000 a day, on track for $70-80 million this year, and has turned his growth playbook into Tribe - a creator-sales platform now used by over 16,000 brands. The shift that changed everything was a single realisation: making other people money makes you more money. Instead of being the one guy filming TikTok Shop videos, he turned his best customers into an army of sellers - and built the software to run it.
In this interview, Lukas breaks down the creator playbook he learned from his mentor Hudson, why he placed a single purchase order bigger than every PO in his company’s history combined, and the counterintuitive reason older creators are quietly outselling 23-year-olds.
What you’ll learn in this interview:
If you’re building a DTC brand, trying to crack creator-led or affiliate sales, or wrestling with how to grow fast without burning cash, this conversation will fundamentally change how you think about risk, creators, and what it actually takes to scale from near-bankrupt to nine figures.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
GET UP TO $10K IN MATCHED AD CREDITS ON APPLOVIN Scale your DTC brand beyond Meta and Google with up to $10,000 in matched ad credits, plus $1,000 free to test AppLovin. Start here → https://applovin.com/foundr
Website → https://www.lukaspakter.com/
Trybe → https://jointrybe.com/
Haus → https://gohaus.com/
I do a lot of enrollment calls for Foundr Operators, and I keep seeing the same pattern. A founder gets on a call doing a 5 or 6x return, literally printing money, and they will not scale. They are terrified to spend more. And if I had understood the principle behind this ten years ago, I would have made tens of millions of dollars more. That is a big claim, so hear me out.
Here is what is actually happening: these founders are not bad at business. They are sharp, with great products. But they are making decisions on how they feel and whether they made money on the first purchase. And the fastest growing DTC brands are often the ones losing money on that first sale, scaling aggressively, because they know their back end numbers cold.
In this episode, I break down why a profitable ad account stays small, the numbers you need to know to scale with confidence, and the mindset shift that separates reckless from confident.
Here's what you'll take away:
• Why the real reason you are not scaling is not your ads, your algorithm, or your creative, it is that you do not trust your numbers enough to act on them
If you are sitting on a profitable ad account and not scaling, this episode will show you exactly why, and the four things to work on so you can spend with confidence instead of fear.
If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at [email protected] — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
GET UP TO $10K IN MATCHED AD CREDITS ON APPLOVIN Scale your DTC brand beyond Meta and Google with up to $10,000 in matched ad credits, plus $1,000 free to test AppLovin. Start here → https://applovin.com/foundr
WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → https://www.foundr.com
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/
Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
Three best friends put in $250 each - $750 total - printed 100 hats in a garage, and sold out in 36 hours. No following. No ads. No business plan. Four and a half years later, Dad Gang has done over $40 million in revenue selling hats built around one idea: dads deserve better than goofy, frumpy products that make fatherhood a punchline. The craziest part? Grant, Bart and Ejay still run the entire thing with zero employees, a private Facebook group of 15,000 dads, and an equity partnership with Gary Vaynerchuk - and they're deliberately building it as a lifestyle business, not a rocket ship.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
GET UP TO $10K IN MATCHED AD CREDITS ON APPLOVIN Scale your DTC brand beyond Meta and Google with up to $10,000 in matched ad credits, plus $1,000 free to test AppLovin. Start here → https://applovin.com/foundr
Website → https://www.dadgang.co/
Bart's Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/theszef/
Ejay's Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/ejayodonnell/
Grant's Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/geastey/
Ryan Thompson ran a restaurant for 25 years, sold a couple of quick-serve spots, built a financial services company, and even ran a motel before he noticed the craft distillery movement taking off and decided someone in Vail, Colorado ought to start one - so it might as well be him. He went to Moonshine University in Kentucky, learned distilling from A to Z, wrote a business plan, and scraped together every dollar he could. Thirteen years later, 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Company makes seven spirits, runs two tasting rooms, and donates to military nonprofits - named in honour of the historic 10th Mountain Division that helped start American skiing (and, as it happens, Nike).
In this episode, Ryan is candid about the unglamorous reality of scaling a spirits brand online: the genuinely bizarre regulatory maze of shipping alcohol across state lines, why his growth has never looked like a hockey stick, and the brick-by-brick philosophy that's quietly doubled his monthly sales.
What you'll learn in this interview:
If you're building in a highly regulated or "unsexy" category - or you're frustrated that your growth looks like a slow climb instead of a rocket ship - this episode is for you. Ryan's story is a grounded reminder that steady, compounding improvements and deep conviction in your brand's purpose can build something durable, even when every rule in your industry seems designed to slow you down.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
GET UP TO $10K IN MATCHED AD CREDITS ON APPLOVIN Scale your DTC brand beyond Meta and Google with up to $10,000 in matched ad credits, plus $1,000 free to test AppLovin. Start here → https://applovin.com/foundr
WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
Hiring is tough, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. But I was reflecting on this past year, and I have had a much better strike rate lately because of one basic shift. And sometimes it is the basic stuff that is easiest to forget.
Here is what hit me on a recent call with a sharp young founder: every contractor on his team came from a referral. Every single one, all proven, all delivering. And when I looked back at my own best hires at Foundr, the pattern was identical. Every person who moved the needle came from a trusted source.
In this episode, I break down why I now only hire referrals or people from our community, why referrals work at a level nothing else can, and how to tap your network even if you do not think you have one.
Here's what you'll take away:
• Why the usual hiring process, job post, 200 applications, interviews, test project, so often ends in a bad hire anyway
If you have been burned by a bad hire or you are about to start the whole job board process again, this episode will give you a simpler rule that has genuinely improved my hiring, and remind you that the best people are almost never the ones applying.
If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at [email protected] — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
GET UP TO $10K IN MATCHED AD CREDITS ON APPLOVIN Scale your DTC brand beyond Meta and Google with up to $10,000 in matched ad credits, plus $1,000 free to test AppLovin. Start here → https://applovin.com/foundr
WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → https://www.foundr.com
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/
Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
Marc Lore walked into his boss's office with a newborn at home, a huge salary, and no business idea - and quit anyway to become an entrepreneur. That instinct built one of the great modern track records in commerce. He sold diapers.com to Amazon, turned a pitch deck into a $3.3 billion Walmart acquisition in under two years, became Walmart's e-commerce CEO, bought the Minnesota Timberwolves, launched a next-gen restaurant company called Wonder, and is now building Telosa - a city from scratch for 5 million people in the desert. All from a kid who told his grandma he wanted to be a farmer because farmers "grow stuff from nothing."
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
GET UP TO $10K IN MATCHED AD CREDITS ON APPLOVIN Scale your DTC brand beyond Meta and Google with up to $10,000 in matched ad credits, plus $1,000 free to test AppLovin. Start here → https://applovin.com/foundr
We are all gearing up for Black Friday Cyber Monday, and if you have not started planning yet, you need to. Here is a story that will stop you in your tracks: a founder in our community did $1 million over Black Friday Cyber Monday a few years ago and barely broke even. Not an exaggeration. A million dollars in revenue and almost nothing to show for it.
Here is the trap: you have a massive sales month and it looks incredible, but nobody models what that revenue actually cost. Peak November ad prices, your deepest discount of the year, cogs, shipping, returns, platform fees. Most founders plan the sale but never plan the profit.
In this episode, I break down what actually happened last year with real data, the three clocks that are already running before Black Friday, and the exact framework we shared with our Foundr Operators members at our in-person event.
Here's what you'll take away:
• The three clocks running right now, attention, inventory, and shipping, and why by November the biggest decisions have already been made for you
If you are planning your biggest sales period of the year right now, this episode will help you plan for profit instead of just revenue, and build the audience that will actually be waiting to buy when CPMs double.
Quick heads up: this episode mentions our partners at Omnisend for email and SMS, and there is a special offer for listeners at omnisend.com/foundr.
If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at [email protected] — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
GET UP TO $10K IN MATCHED AD CREDITS ON APPLOVIN
Scale your DTC brand beyond Meta and Google with up to $10,000 in matched ad credits, plus $1,000 free to test AppLovin.
Start here → https://applovin.com/foundr
WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → https://www.foundr.com
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/
Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
Matt Pohlson was clinically dead for four and a half minutes. His heart had stopped, the doctor had already called it, and 40 ICU staff had gathered at the window like a silent choir when his mother refused to let them stop fighting.
He came back - and the clarity from that experience reshaped his entire company. Omaze, the platform he co-founded to raise money for charity by giving everyday people the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences, has sent people to be mentored by Michelle Obama, ride a tank with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and win a Lamborghini handed over by the Pope. After Matt's near-death experience, he made the hard decision to kill the parts of the business he loved most - and grew revenue over 500% while increasing headcount just 10%.
In this interview, Matt breaks down the counterintuitive focus decision that unlocked Omaze's explosive growth, the controversial charity philosophy of chasing dollars over percentages, and what flatlining taught him about fear, decisions, and building a company that scales optimism.
What you'll learn in this interview:
If you're building a mission-driven business, wrestling with whether to focus or diversify, or trying to lead through the kind of pressure that breaks most founders, this conversation will fundamentally change how you think about fear, focus, and building something that genuinely scales good in the world.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
GET UP TO $10K IN MATCHED AD CREDITS ON APPLOVIN
Scale your DTC brand beyond Meta and Google with up to $10,000 in matched ad credits, plus $1,000 free to test AppLovin.
Start here → https://applovin.com/foundr
Natasha was on maternity leave with a newborn who cried until he was five months old, permanently thirsty, and completely fed up that the one drink bottle she owned had grown mould. She switched to drinking from a glass - hardly practical with two small kids - and mentioned to a friend, in passing, that she needed to find something better. Three or four weeks later that friend circled back: "That drink bottle thing you mentioned - are you still doing it?" That one question convinced Natasha there were more people like her out there. She launched Mode & Opal in late 2025 with a background in graphic design and corporate management, but zero e-commerce experience.
In this episode, Natasha gets tactical about the moves that actually moved the needle: mining competitor reviews to design her offer, taking a product almost straight off the shelf to launch fast, and the single $3,900 press release that generated an estimated $400,000 in PR value and roughly 9 million views.
What you'll learn in this interview:
If you come from a creative or corporate background and assume e-commerce is a closed world you could never break into, this episode is for you. Natasha's story is a sharp, practical reminder that deep customer empathy, a well-built offer, and one well-placed PR bet can do more than a big budget - and that you can build something real in the margins of a busy life with young kids.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
Over 12 years of interviewing more than 100 billionaires, I started asking every one of them the same question: if you lost everything tomorrow, the money, the brand, the team, and you had to start completely from scratch, what would you do first? Richard Branson, Mark Cuban, Drew Houston, Kendra Scott, people who built billion dollar companies from nothing.
Here is what struck me: ten billionaires, ten different industries, ten completely different answers on the surface. But underneath every single one was the exact same thing, and it is probably not what you would expect.
In this episode, I share all ten answers, from Kendra Scott turning $500 into a billion dollar empire to Jamie Kern Lima betting on the thing everyone saw as her weakness, and the one pattern that connects them all.
Here's what you'll take away:
• Why Richard Branson's instant answer was "find the right people," and how that is exactly how Virgin was built across a hundred industries
If you are stuck on funnels, tools, and tactics right now, this episode will reframe where your real starting line actually is, because the answer is almost never another tool. It is always another person.
If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at [email protected] — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
SAVE 95% ON XERO FOR 6 MONTHS
WANT TO GROW YOUR BRAND WITH META ADS?
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → https://www.foundr.com
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/
Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
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