Ep 560: Levelwear’s Pivot to DTC: From Golf Courses to Nine-Figure Wholesale to a Brand-First Ecommerce Play
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signuphttps://levelwear.comHyman Ngo, SVP of Product & Marketing at Levelwear, joins us to talk through the brand’s evolution from a behind-the-scenes apparel manufacturer to a powerhouse in wholesale and licensing — and now, their pivot into DTC.For brand leaders scaling from golf, wholesale, or licensing into consumer channels.What we cover:The real reason they acquired a customer’s brand — and how that changed their whole trajectoryWhy golf was the launchpad: how credibility in elite U.S. clubs unlocked growth back homeHow they scaled to 85 of the top 100 U.S. golf courses (and what that did for their reputation)The role of licensing (MLB, NHL, PGA) in adding growth and brand legitimacyHow they finally built their brand narrative (“Team Over Everything” / “Who’s With You”) and why it’s now central to their DTC pushWho this is for: Brand operators in wholesale, licensing, or B2B looking to build emotional connection and consumer pullWhat to steal:Build credibility in a “clean” market (no legacy baggage) and use it to reposition back homeTreat brand story as an internal alignment tool — not just external marketingUse licensing as a bridge, but don’t lose sight of your brand equityUnlock the BFCM Command Center: https://triplewhale.com/dtcTimestamps00:00 Transitioning from manufacturing to a brand02:15 Buying Levelwear and early operational challenges04:40 Breaking into retail and managing order volume07:20 Slow early growth and breakthrough in the US golf market10:05 How Levelwear entered top golf courses12:40 Evolution of golf culture and apparel trends14:00 Sponsoring pro golfers and athlete partnerships16:00 Expanding into licensed sports apparel18:05 Fanatics partnership and industry comparisons20:00 Crafting Levelwear’s brand message and manifesto22:30 Launching the "Who's With You" campaign24:15 Using streaming ads for brand awareness26:10 How the brand story aligns across sports27:40 Message consistency in B2B and retail channels29:00 Levelwear’s path toward nine-figure revenue30:30 DTC ambitions and where the brand goes next32:00 Expanding into international golf markets33:00 The future of independent retail in golf34:00 Closing thoughts and next steps for LevelwearHashtags#dtcpodcast #levelwear #golfapparel #sportsbusiness #directtoconsumer #ecommercegrowth #brandbuilding #athleisure #golfindustry #sportsmarketing 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
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Ep 559: 3 High‑Leverage CRO Moves Before Black Friday – with Jordan Gordon
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupWelcome to the episode: we’ve got Jordan Gordon back on the mic — the guy leading email, retention and CRO at Pilot House, with 25 years in ecommerce under his belt.Role‑Based Hook (for DTC growth/marketing audience):For DTC founders & growth marketers scaling from $5M–100M in revenue, this is your CRO check‑list for Q4.Here’s what we dig into:Why your headline conversion rate is a shaky metric — and why “direct conversion” gives you better signal.The one page type (your top product page) you can fix in time for Black Friday to move the needle.How to push “bundling and recommendations” tools to unlock +8–30% lift in AOV with zero extra ad spend.The eight choke‑points across homepage → category → PDP → cart/checkout you must optimize right now.Real copy & button tips: How a tiny phrase (“Feel organic again”) can flip the homepage from meh to go‑time.Who this is for: DTC brand leads, ecommerce CRO/optimization folks, retention & growth marketers who already run advertising and now need to tighten the funnel.What to steal:Run quick benchmark: Are you hitting 5‑7% Add‑to‑Cart, ~2% conversion, ~1.25% direct conversion in Shopify?Pick your top 3‑5 PDPs and make them ultra‑fast (under 3s load) using a tool/tech stack like Niche.Install a bundling/recommendation engine (like Rebuy) across the site and measure +8% lift in AOV by pushing “people like you bought this + add it” flows.Timestamps00:00 Highest Leverage CRO Insights for Q402:10 Benchmarking Add-to-Cart and Conversion Rates04:45 Why Direct Conversion Is a Better Signal07:00 Speeding Up PDPs with Niche for Instant Wins10:05 Boosting AOV with Rebuy Bundling13:00 The 8 Critical Website Choke Points15:45 Optimizing Copy Around Key Conversion Areas18:20 Homepage Strategy for High-Volume Traffic21:40 What Big Brands Get Right on Their Homepages24:30 Final Q4 CRO Checklist and Fast WinsHashtags#dtcpodcast #q4ecommerce #cro #conversionrateoptimization #ecommercetips #shopifygrowth #blackfridayprep #aov #d2cbrands #onlinescaling Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF559Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video
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Bonus: The Future Is Human: How to Scale Your Creator Marketing Program (Without Losing Trust)
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupWelcome to the DTC Podcast. Today we’re joined by Donatas Smailys, Co‑Founder & CEO of Billo, a creator‑marketing platform that helps DTC brands turn authentic creator videos into high‑performing ads. Explore Billo We dive into how brands can build a repeatable creator/content engine that integrates with ad funnels, why follower‑counts are becoming less relevant, how to brief creators with performance in mind, and why AI should support—not replace—human creators.Key TakeawaysWhy creator marketing must be treated as a systematic channel, not ad‑hoc influencer blastsHow to identify and match creators based on performance metrics (hook rate, CTR, ROAS) rather than follower sizeThe role of AI and data in briefing creators, generating content variants, and feeding back into ad performanceHow brands at the $3‑M‑$10‑M revenue stage can structure the first 90 days of creator‑led campaignsWhy authenticity still matters: synthetic avatar creators may work short‑term but risk long‑term trust and accountabilityThe emerging concept of “Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)” and how creator/social assets feed into future search ecosystemsWhether you’re a DTC brand marketer responsible for scaling ads, or a founder looking to build long‑term acquisition engines, this episode gives you a clear blueprint for building creator marketing into your growth stack.Timestamps00:00 AI brief generator and purchase data02:05 Why Billo started content at scale04:15 Creator marketing as a system06:20 Andromeda and creative diversity08:25 Segmenting by the why10:30 Let creators experiment and avoid fatigue12:35 AI influencers vs authenticity14:40 Meta partnership ads and Spark ads16:45 Answer Engine Optimization AEO18:50 Future of authenticity and human only20:55 First three months on Billo plan23:00 Performance backed creator selection25:05 Pricing and ad volume cadence27:10 Data loops AI variations and reuse29:30 Scaling creator content into paidHashtags#DTCPodcast #CreatorMarketing #InfluencerMarketing #UGC #EcommerceMarketing #PaidSocial #MetaAds #PartnershipAds #SparkAds #Andromeda #PerformanceCreative #AnswerEngineOptimization #AEO #Whitelisting #TikTokMarketing #AdCreative #CustomerAcquisition #DirectToConsumer #BilloApp #MarketingPodcast 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
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Ep 559: How Nate Lagos Quadrupled Original Grain’s Growth Using Persona-Based CRO
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupNate Lagos just wrapped his first week as CMO of Adapt Naturals after a breakout run that saw him quadruple Original Grain’s revenue. In this episode, Nate joins Eric Dyck for whiskey and wisdom on persona-driven marketing, CRO as a growth engine, and why you don’t need 100 ads a week to win on Meta.For DTC founders and marketers optimizing for LTV and profitable scale in 2025.How to uncover true customer motivations and build actionable personasCRO testing frameworks that compound results across ads, email, and retentionThe “Better Than Black Friday” offer that boosted LTV by 30%Creative volume vs. creative quality — where the real lever isBuilding bundles and pricing for high-AOV buyersWho this is for: DTC founders, growth marketers, and CMOs looking to turn creative and CRO into profit levers.What to steal:Persona-based landing pages mapped to Meta ad anglesBetter Than BFCM: discount + gift card offer structureThe “one thing remarkably well” mindset for scalingTimestamps00:00 Better-than-Black-Friday offer boosts LTV02:10 Nate’s path into DTC and giftable wood products04:30 Scaling Original Grain with Meta and partnerships06:50 Persona marketing before Andromeda09:10 Landing pages and CRO for each persona11:40 Split testing with Intelligems on Shopify13:50 Creative volume vs quality debate16:10 CMO at Adapt Naturals and LTV mindset18:40 Pre-BFCM $50 voucher play21:00 Raising prices and premium bundles to lift AOV23:20 New channels, influencers, and offer testing25:40 Remote leadership and alignment28:00 Why marketers spot patterns and conspiracies30:20 Copywriting rituals and research workflow32:30 Do one thing remarkably wellHashtags#DTCPodcast #DTC #Ecommerce #BFCM #PreBlackFriday #LTV #MetaAds #CreativeStrategy #Andromeda #CRO #SplitTesting #Shopify #AOV #Bundles #OfferTesting #InfluencerMarketing #AdaptNaturals #OriginalGrain #Intelligems #MarketingPodcast 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
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Ep 558: Creative Strategy in the Andromeda Era: What Actually Works on Meta Now
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode, we sit down with Aves, Creative Lead & Partnerships at Pilothouse Digital, to unpack how DTC brands must rethink their creative strategy in the age of Meta’s Andromeda algorithm.For performance marketers and DTC founders scaling from $5–20M+.Tactical Takeaways:Why the “one winner ad” model no longer works in Meta’s current landscapeHow to identify customer motivations (not just demographics) and map them to creativeA practical framework for testing hooks: swap visuals first, not just voiceovers or copyHow to build a full creative range — from low-effort UGC to high-budget studio work — for each personaWhat creative audits should look like heading into Q4 and how to avoid “noise” in your ad accountWho this is for: DTC brand founders, heads of creative, performance marketersWhat to steal:Steal the “motivation-based segmentation” mindset in your ad strategySteal the 3–5 second visual hook test framework (visual first, audio later)Steal the creative range checklist (iPhone shot → studio shot) to audit your account this weekTimestamps00:00 Understanding Motivations and Creative Diversity02:00 How Meta’s Andromeda Update Changed Creative Strategy05:00 Building a Full Creative Range from UGC to Studio Content07:00 Why Niching Down Helps You Scale Up09:00 Moving Beyond “Winner” Ads and Budget Distribution11:00 How to Research Audiences Using Reddit and Reviews13:00 Avery’s Hook Testing Framework and Meta Insights17:00 Common Creative Mistakes and Noise in Ad Accounts19:00 How to Audit Creative Diversity for Q4 Success21:00 Creative Audits, Partnerships, and Avery’s Process23:00 Lessons from Hosting the Ad-Venturous PodcastHashtags#DTCpodcast #AdVenturous #CreativeStrategy #MetaAds #AndromedaEra #PerformanceMarketing #AdCreative #Pilothouse #EcommerceGrowth #DigitalMarketing #CreativeTesting #AdOptimization #MarketingStrategy #UGC #AgencyLife Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF558Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video
Weekly discussions between disruptive direct to consumer ecommerce brands and our amazing team about marketing, funnels, and everything scaling related. Subscribe to our newsletter for highlights and step by step tactical insights 👉🏻 📦 directtoconsumer.co
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