DTC Podcast

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupMatthew Gohl took over the family business, Santevia, and turned it into a DTC powerhouse. In this episode, he breaks down how they scaled Amazon 2X, rebuilt their Meta ads strategy from the ground up, and landed a killer deal on Dragon’s Den.For DTC operators scaling beyond $5M and navigating Meta + Amazon growth channels:Why switching from Vendor Central to Seller Central was worth the 16-month headacheHow a $25 hero product failed on Meta, and why their $320 glass system now crushesThe role of creative strategy in hitting $100K+ weekly spend without tanking ROASHow they prepped their brand for Dragon’s Den—and doubled baseline sales afterThe case for launching refillable, eco-focused SKUs in 2026Who this is for: DTC operators, marketers, and founders looking to scale with lean teams and high-margin SKUs.What to steal:Creative briefing process that reduces wasted ad spendWhy Meta sees "different creators" as "same ad" (and how to fix it)How to make a high-ticket product actually work in cold acquisitionTimestamps:00:00 Why creative diversity (not campaign complexity) is the real Meta unlock03:05 Buying the family business and shifting from retail-first to DTC06:48 Revenue dips, imposter syndrome, and trusting the long-term strategy09:15 From 1 video every 2 weeks to 60 creatives by Friday (creative velocity shift)13:02 Why hero products with higher AOV unlock profitable Meta spend16:19 Meta’s Andromeda explained: aggregation + creative volume wins30:34 Dragon’s Den moment: “I own that one” and why endorsements change everythingHashtags:#DTC #Ecommerce #MetaAds #CreativeStrategy #BrandBuilding #PerformanceMarketing #DirectToConsumer #PaidSocial #AdCreative #MarketingPodcast #EcommerceGrowth #ScalingBrands #FounderStory #Dragon’sDen #BFCM #RetailStrategySubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupThis one’s for the Amazon operators. Eric's joined by Pilothouse's Amazon leads Tyler and Takai for a tactical BFCM debrief: how one brand 3x'd in November, and the optimizations that separated the winners from the stalled-out.For Amazon brands prepping for deal season 2026...Why adjusting bids every few hours on BFCM isn't overkill, it's table stakesHow Buddha Board used Q1 seasonal keyword campaigns to dominate Q4Why not discounting your hero product can kill your momentum—and rankWhat to watch: Buy Box battles, billing failures, and inventory stockoutsWho this is for: Brands selling on Amazon, agencies running client accounts, operators trying to scale beyond ad-only growthWhat to steal:Search Query Performance Report: find keywords you're under-targeting with high conversion potentialDeal discount strategy: 20% minimum, monitor competitor offers in real timeBuild keyword rank 6–12 months out from your key seasonTimestamps00:00 Amazon BFCM optimization mindset02:10 Why frequent bid and budget changes matter04:00 How aggressive Amazon bid adjustments get during BFCM07:00 Building Amazon keyword ranking before Q411:00 Buddha Board case study and seasonal keyword strategy15:00 How early planning led to 3x November growth17:00 Amazon buy box explained and reseller risks23:30 Common BFCM pitfalls: billing, inventory, hero SKUs28:00 What actually worked in Amazon BFCM 202529:50 The discount levels that moved buyersHashtags#AmazonFBA #AmazonAdvertising #BFCMRecap #BlackFridayStrategy #CyberMonday #AmazonPPC #EcommerceMarketing #DTCBrands #AmazonBuyBox #AmazonGrowth #EcommercePodcast #Q4Strategy #AmazonCaseStudy #RetailMedia #Pilothouse Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF569Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode of the DTC Podcast, we have Josip Begic, CEO and Co-Founder of Lebesgue, to answer the one question every DTC CEO asks: what’s actually working right now? With $4B in ad data and insights from 25,000+ brands, Henry AI cuts through the noise to pinpoint the exact levers that drive revenue up (or down).Get started with Henri AI inside Lebesgue–plans start at $79/month. This episode breaks down:Why conversion tanked 25% after a "small" discount code tweakHow AI visibility (e.g. ChatGPT referrals) is becoming the new SEOWhere Meta's AI (Andromeda) really works—and where it doesn'tThe biggest mistake DTCs are making with email segmentationWhy attribution models need game theory (yes, really)If you’re a DTC founder scaling from $5M–20M, brand owner, growth lead, or a marketer who wants a smarter way to spot performance issues, this episode is a must listen.Timestamps00:00 Lebesgue’s AI approach to ecommerce analytics02:05 Why better measurement changes marketing decisions04:00 How AI uncovered a hidden conversion rate issue06:10 Correlation vs causation in attribution modeling08:00 ChatGPT as a high-converting traffic source10:05 Optimizing ecommerce sites for AI discovery13:00 Why fundamentals still matter more than advanced AI18:30 Common email marketing mistakes during peak periods21:00 Using competitor data to find growth gaps23:30 What CEOs see first when using Henry AI27:00 Where AI agents and ecommerce are heading31:00 AI visibility as the next growth battleground33:00 Getting started with Lebesgue and pricingHashtags#DTC #Ecommerce #AIinMarketing #MarketingAnalytics #Attribution #ChatGPT #AIDiscovery #MetaAds #GoogleAds #EmailMarketing #ConversionOptimization #FounderInsights #MarTech Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupPriyanka Ganjoo didn’t see herself in beauty, so she built the brand she always needed. Kulfi Beauty was born from a cultural gap in representation and a product gap in shades that actually worked for South Asian skin tones. Four years later? They’re in every Sephora in the US and Canada.For DTC founders scaling from organic roots into omnichannel retail...Why Priyanka started with zero ads and leaned all-in on community and cultural storytellingWhat she learned launching in Sephora (hint: velocity is everything)The unexpected go-to-market power of a $500 Central Park picnicHow DTC creates halo effect on retail shelves (and vice versa)Why Kulfi still handpicks every creator they work withWho this is for: Founders navigating retail, community-led brands, and anyone building for an underrepresented audienceWhat to steal:Use FB groups and 1:1 convos to validate early product ideasBuild an ambassador program that turns into your model rosterDon’t try to script creators—let their authentic POV fuel your adsTimestamps:00:00 Why Community Is the Real Growth Engine02:16 Why Priyanka Built Kulfi Beauty03:40 The Product and Emotional Gap in South Asian Beauty09:14 Building Community Before Spending on Ads14:11 How Kulfi Got Discovered and Scaled With Sephora18:46 Velocity Is the Only Retail Metric That Matters21:58 Why UGC Powers Almost All of Their Meta AdsHashtags:#DTC #DTCPodcast #BeautyBrands #BeautyFounders #Sephora #UGCMarketing #CreatorEconomy #MetaAds #TikTokForBrands #RetailStrategy #FounderStory #SouthAsianFoundersSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - ⁠https://dtcnews.link/signupMeta's latest update wasn’t just noise. Pilothouse strategist Taylor Cain breaks down how Andromeda’s smarter delivery system let them consolidate campaigns, increase CTRs, and scale cleaner than ever this BFCM.For CMOs optimizing Meta spend across brands or business units...30% YoY CTR lift through creative-persona alignment + fewer campaignsWhy campaign consolidation is outperforming classic testing structuresPartnership ads: how Pilothouse uses Meta’s dynamic features to drive both reach + retargetingHow to rethink frequency, offer alignment, and creative iterations mid-campaignWhat MTA tools like Triple Whale unlocked when real-time tracking mattered mostWho this is for: CMOs, paid media directors, and growth leads navigating platform complexityWhat to steal:Test in your best campaign, not in isolation (if the creative is ready)Meme-style statics backed by real offers = full-funnel magicLet performance inform your campaign segmentation — not the other way aroundTimestamps:00:00 Meta’s Shift Away From Traditional Testing01:08 What Actually Drove BFCM Winners02:56 Andromeda’s Real Impact on Performance04:22 Why CTR Jumped During BFCM05:47 Consolidation Is Beating Fragmentation07:37 How Creative Is Fed Into Winning Campaigns11:00 Why Partnership Ads Took Off This Year23:52 The Email + Paid Connection That Mattered MostHashtags:#ecommerce #dtc #digitalmarketing #paidmedia #metads #andromeda #adcreative #performancemarketing #bfcmmarketing #q4marketing #retentionmarketing #emailmarketing #attribution #triplewhale #marketingstrategy #growthmarketing #ugcads #creatorads #partnershipads Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF567Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter