Brent Vartan is Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Bullish, a hybrid branding agency and early-stage venture fund that backs some of the DTC’s most recognizable names, including Peloton, Warby Parker, Casper, Harry’s, Hu, Nom Nom, Bubble, and more. In this episode of DTC Pod, Brent discusses the DNA of world-class DTC brands, why foundational brand strategy matters more than ever, and how Bullish works alongside founders to create lasting, acquisition-worthy brands.

Apoorva Govind is the founder and CEO of Bestever, a platform that helps brands analyze and generate ad creatives using AI. With a deep technical background from her previous roles at Uber, Apple, and Nvidia, Apoorva brings a data-driven approach to creative strategy and performance marketing. In this episode of DTC Pod, Apoorva discusses how AI is reshaping the creative process for e-commerce brands. She explains the importance of strategy and data in generating ads that convert, offers advice for early-stage brands on scaling creative, and shares her vision for the future of AI-powered content and workflow automation in marketing.

Chris Koch is the founder and CEO of VO/D, a venture studio that partners with major talent to build CPG brands in DTC, e-commerce, and retail. In this episode of DTC Pod, Chris shares how VO/D identifies product opportunities, vets creator partners, and structures deals for long-term growth, using the success of 1Up Candy as a case study.

Aaron Nosbisch is the founder and CEO of BRĒZ, one of the fastest-scaling CPG cannabis beverage brands, generating over $50 million in annual revenue—80% of that through DTC. In this episode of DTC Pod, Aaron unpacks everything from finding product-market fit, to assembling the right team, creative launch strategies, understanding unit economics for food and beverage DTC, leveraging organic and paid media, and building a durable flywheel by combining DTC and retail.

Marin Ištvanić, a partner at Inspire Agency, has extensive experience scaling brands through paid social advertising, having personally spent over $150 million on Facebook ads. In this episode, Marin shares his insights on growing brands through paid social advertising. He discusses the importance of product-market fit, compelling offers, optimized landing pages, and data-driven creative strategies that resonate with target audiences.

Justin Sherlock is the co-founder and CEO of Caspian, an AI-native duty drawback platform designed to help brands navigate complex global trade and tariff environments. Prior to Caspian, Justin led Flexport Capital. In this episode, Justin breaks down the rapidly changing landscape of tariffs, duties, and global supply chains—especially relevant amid recent policy moves and volatile trade relations.

Peter Czepiga is the founder of Flighted, an agency that scales advertising for DTC brands. He also runs his own brand, Ando. In this episode, Peter shares his tactics for profitable Meta ad campaigns, including testing product-market fit, winning creative strategies, audience targeting, the impact of AI on ad production, and how DTC ad tactics apply to SaaS.

Irene Chen and Matthew Grenby are the married co-founders of the luxury handbag and accessories brand Parker Thatch. In this episode of DTC Pod, Irene and Matt share their 20+ year entrepreneurial journey of bootstrapping their business to 8 figures in revenue. They discuss the ups and downs, key decisions, and lessons learned along the way that helped them achieve sustainable growth and longevity.

Caleb Alvarez is the founder of Shadow Light Studios, a content creation agency that specializes in short-form content for top-tier creators, entrepreneurs, and brands. In this episode, Caleb shares his insights on creating high-converting founder-led content that drives attention and revenue for DTC brands. He breaks down his tried-and-true content strategy framework that has helped scale brands from idea stage to millions in revenue.

Ben Matthews is a general partner at Night Ventures, a seed fund focused on consumer, creator, and culture sectors. In this episode of DTC Pod, Ben shares his approach to incubating successful creator-led brands. He discusses key considerations when selecting talent, identifying market opportunities, and executing effectively. Ben also shares insights on the future of TikTok, the potential of "dark data" for creators, and the evolving landscape of the creator economy.

Isabel Mendez is the founder and design director of the design studio Antara. In this episode of DTC Pod, Isabel discusses the importance of brand storytelling and cohesion amidst ever-changing design trends. She also shares her approach to creating a brand identity for clients, from research and ideation to design.

John Sampogna is the co-founder and CEO of the modern advertising agency Wondersauce. In this episode of DTC Pod, John shares strategic insights on impactful brand storytelling. He highlights the importance of audience understanding, the 3-3-3 rule of content, balancing brand-building with performance marketing, and the potential of undervalued channels like connected TV for modern ad campaigns.

Haley Weidenbaum is an interior designer and the co-founder and CEO of the window treatment company Everhem. In this episode of DTC Pod, Haley shares Everhem's journey from launch to growth, highlighting their focus on providing exceptional customer service and building authentic partnerships.

Ismail Salhi is the co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, a DTC bread, pasta, and pastry subscription box company. In this episode of DTC Pod, Ismail shares how Wildgrain rapidly scaled to over 80,000 subscribers by focusing on product quality, customer experience, and efficient operations. He discusses key decisions like outsourcing to local bakeries, investing in logistics tech, and using education marketing strategies to acquire customers.

Christian Rivera is the founder of The Ecommerce Accountants, a niche accounting firm serving e-commerce businesses. In this episode of DTC Pod, Christian shares his best tips for e-commerce accounting, from tax filing and inventory financing to maximizing profits through proper tax planning and tax optimization strategies.

Zach Ranen is the co-founder of David, a protein bar brand with products containing the highest protein-to-calorie ratio in the market. In this episode of DTC Pod, Zach shares insights on David’s R&D process, the importance of product-led growth, their pre-launch and launch strategies, their plans for retail expansion, and more.

Ariana Farahani is the founder and CEO of the clean energy drink startup Plant Press. In this episode of DTC Pod, Ariana discusses the rapid growth of Plant Press, fueled by strategic retail partnerships, effective field marketing strategies, and a focus on product development based on consumer feedback. She shares insights on navigating the challenges of scaling production, securing seed funding, and adapting to evolving market preferences in the functional beverage space.

Shri Kanase is the founder of Yoru Marketing, a Google Ads e-commerce agency recognized by Clutch. In this episode of DTC Pod, Shri shares his insights on developing effective Google Ads strategies for e-commerce brands. He unpacks strategies for keyword targeting, budgeting, bidding, ad placement, creatives, and more.

Sam Lee is the Vice President of Amazon DSP at Trivium. His background spans Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Amazon PPC, and building successful Amazon DSP teams. In this episode of DTC Pod, Sam breaks down Amazon DSP advertising, discussing its functionality, suitability for brands at different stages, strategies for effective implementation, and the importance of a cohesive marketing approach across Amazon and other channels.

Aurelian Lis is the CEO of Dermalogica, a global skincare brand rooted in skin treatment expertise. Under his leadership, the business has more than doubled in size. In this episode of DTC Pod, Aurelian shares his experience driving innovation and growth at Dermalogica while maintaining the brand's core values. He discusses the company's organizational structure, emphasis on employee empowerment, and the integration of AI tech across various functions. Aurelian also highlights the importance of their tribe of skincare therapists and how AI enhances personalized consumer experiences.