How to Build Retail Demand Before You're On a Single Shelf

Jason Wong bought the factory that makes your packaging in China. He's 29, tracking for 9 figures, and making boxes for the fastest-growing DTC brands out there.He spent 13 years building ecom brands. Then he realized every product in the world needs packaging, walked into the factory making his own, and offered to buy them out. Today Paking Duck runs 4 locations in China, gets 100 to 200 inquiries a week from TikTok content, and has never sent an outbound email.Jason sits down with Monish Sabnani at the Studio in Hong Kong to break down the deal, the content engine, and the AI running inside the factory. We also get into the 30+ companies he's invested in, why he's borrowing his five-year plan from Hilton and Marriott, the near-bankruptcy, how to do business in China like a local, and why he'd start with dropshipping today.Everything from this episode, structured into a free playbook: https://www.elevatorgoods.com/talks/jason-wongFollow Jason Wong:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pug/X: https://x.com/eggroliLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imjasonwong/Website: https://www.jasonwong.co/Paking Duck: https://www.pakingduck.com/Follow Elevator:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoods/X: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevatorgoodsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elevator-goods/Website: https://www.elevatorgoods.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fCirPyNlzTxT4hOOH0tVCApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevator-talks/id1896325680Follow Monish Sabnani (Host):Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93/X: https://x.com/msabnani93Chapters:00:00 Meet Jason Wong: starting businesses as a teenager05:36 From building brands to sourcing and packaging07:20 The deal that turned his supplier into his next business09:28 The world of Elevator Goods10:57 The hidden costs in your packaging supply chain13:17 Expanding from one factory to four14:15 Running Chinese factories from New York17:00 Competing in the factory business20:31 Lower costs and a different approach to content21:59 AI in production, operations, and content25:31 Why he moved deeper into the supply chain28:48 How business actually gets done in China33:02 Why you never negotiate at the dinner table34:11 Hong Kong as a gateway to doing business in China34:34 Borrowing the hotel model for packaging factories37:10 Turning excess demand into a factory network39:53 Coming close to bankruptcy twice41:59 Why he'd start with dropshipping today45:45 Building an investment portfolio through an audience51:52 Why he favors software and invests in his own clients54:04 Why AI makes creativity more valuable55:31 Finding business ideas in other industries59:17 Rapid fire: packaging, founders, and tools1:00:15 How Lark changed his team's workflow1:01:58 Hiring operations and staying connected to the team1:03:33 Why meetings should be for discussions, not reportsSubscribe for more conversations about growing brands.#ecommerce #elevatorgoods #elevatortalks #manufacturing #businessinchina

Shaun Eng has helped more than 50 online brand owners reach $100K days. He works with founders on their ads and teams. In this episode, he joins Monish Sabnani in Hong Kong to unpack the decisions behind that growth.What do you change when making more ads stops working? How do you turn a failed test into a useful next move? And why does hiring more people sometimes leave you with just as much work?We work through how to learn from a failed ad, when to hire your best creator full time, and how to develop a team that can make decisions without bringing every edit back to you.Everything from this episode, structured into a free playbook: https://www.elevatorgoods.com/talks/shaun-engFollow Shaun:X: https://x.com/shaunengInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shauneng/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shauneng_Offers & resources: https://offers.shauneng.com/Evolve, a community for growing online brands: https://www.skool.com/evolve-8484/aboutFollow Elevator:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoods/X: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevatorgoodsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elevator-goods/Website: https://www.elevatorgoods.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fCirPyNlzTxT4hOOH0tVCApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevator-talks/id1896325680Follow Monish Sabnani (Host):Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93/X: https://x.com/msabnani93Subscribe for more conversations about growing brands.#ecommerce #elevatorgoods #elevatortalks #creativestrategy #metaads

Kiki Couchman left private equity to build Sourmilk - a gut-health yogurt brand that sold 8,000 yogurts hand-to-hand before landing on a single retail shelf.We break down how Sourmilk built demand before distribution, used building in public as a growth channel, turned customers into leverage with retail buyers, and why Kiki is choosing to dominate New York before scaling nationally.Follow Kiki & SourmilkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/couchwoman/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getsourmilk/Follow Elevator:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoods/X: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsFollow Monish:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93/X: https://x.com/msabnani93Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:00 Leaving private equity to build Sourmilk04:30 Why yogurt was the opportunity12:27 Why Sourmilk is retail-first14:21 The economics of a perishable product17:26 Customers before retail buyers18:10 Building demand before distribution18:31 Selling 8,000 yogurts on the streets of NYC20:00 Turning customers into retail leverage23:04 Bootstrapping Sourmilk with two founders24:52 The real value of trade shows28:00 Why they’re not going national yet30:21 When to raise institutional capital33:30 Learning social media from zero36:44 The inspiration behind building in public39:47 Should every founder build in public?41:56 Why content alone isn’t enough46:24 The first hire Sourmilk needs47:57 A day in the life building Sourmilk

Lukas is the co-founder of Trybe, the platform powering the creator sales forces behind the fastest-scaling DTC brands right now. He's uploading over 5,500 ads a month and turning everyday creators into a sales force that outsells traditional UGC, influencers, and agencies combined.In this episode he gives the unfiltered playbook:- Why you don't find great creators, you train them- How to structure retainers and commissions so creators actually work harder (and the one ratio most brands get wrong)- How he ran 3,500 ads a month by himself in two hours a day- How to protect your ad account while testing thousands of videos- Why creator retention, not recruitment, is the real moatIf TikTok Shop or Meta is anywhere on your roadmap, this is the one to watch.Lukas: https://www.instagram.com/lukaspakter/Trybe: https://jointrybe.com/Elevator Goods: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoods/Host (Monish Sabnani): https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93/Timestamps:00:00 The Creator Sales Force Playbook01:13 Trybe: TikTok Shop for Meta09:08 Is Your Brand Ready?13:15 You Train Great Creators19:51 The Creator Retainer Framework24:50 Shift UGC From “I” to “You”31:54 Why 5,500 Ads a Month Works34:17 Build the Team From Your Creators38:30 Why Waiting Will Cost You42:14 Why 1,000 Ads Still Failed45:55 From $0 to $79K a Month51:08 Founder-Led Creator Retention58:31 How to Test 40,000 Ads on Meta

Moiz Ali built Native and sold it to P&G for $100M in just two and a half years.Today, he spends his time investing in, advising, and studying e-commerce businesses, giving him a unique view into what separates long lasting brands from businesses that are simply growing fast.In this conversation, Moiz shares what he is seeing across the space in 2026, including why most founders should focus on building a strong product before trying to manufacture a brand, why repeat purchase rate is one of the most important numbers in e-commerce, how to stay lean while scaling, and what makes a business genuinely investable.We also talk about Meta volatility, healthy profit margins, testing products before committing too much time or capital, hiring exceptional people, and what life looks like after a major exit.Download the free Moiz Ali playbook here, the entire episode distilled into one PDF: https://www.elevatorgoods.com/talks/moiz-aliWe are hiring. View open positions at: https://www.elevatorgoods.com/careersConnect with Moiz:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moiz.r.ali/X: https://x.com/moizaliConnect with Monish:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93/X: https://x.com/msabnani93Connect with Elevator Goods:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoods/X: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsSubscribe for bi-weekly conversations with operators building real brands.What we cover in this episode:00:05:30 — Life After the Exit00:11:00 — The Power of Having a Chip on Your Shoulder00:18:45 — Inside Meta and Why It's So Volatile00:22:10 — What Makes a Brand Truly Investable?00:26:45 — What Is a Healthy Profit Margin?00:30:00 — Brand vs. Product: What Matters More?00:38:30 — How to Test Products Before Scaling00:51:00 — What's the End Game?01:00:30 — Hiring Exceptional People01:05:30 — What Keeps You Up at Night?01:11:30 — Rapid-Fire Questions

Sabrina is the co-founder of 4AM, the skincare brand that built an entire routine into a single wipe. She built it while still in medical school - performing surgeries by day and posting on TikTok at night - and grew it all with a 2-3 person team into Target nationwide.In this episode she breaks down:- How she spotted the hero product that became 95% of her sales- The TikTok Shop strategy that turns 5,000 organic views into 500,000- Why brand story beats the discount game every time- How they kept investors on the hook and went nationwide on a tiny teamIf you're building a brand from nothing, with limited capital, this is the playbook for you.Everything from this episode, structured into a free playbook:https://www.elevatorgoods.com/talks/sabrina-sadeConnect with Sabrina & 4AM:4AM: https://4amskin.com/Sabrina on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sabsadeSabrina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabsade/Follow Elevator:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoodsX: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsWebsite: https://www.elevatorgoods.comFollow Monish Sabnani (Host):Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93/X: https://x.com/msabnani93Chapters:00:00 Intro06:00 Why starting skincare felt delusional08:00 The whiteboard: an entire routine in one wipe08:30 Going all in on a $300 bank account20:00 The accidental pivot (and Target's call)27:30 The TikTok that hit 3M views32:00 Why TikTok Shop is still whitespace40:00 Brand story beats the discount game43:00 How to keep VCs on the hook1:00:00 Does a VC actually add value?1:05:00 Ecommerce vs wholesale1:10:00 Demand planning in retail1:13:00 Surgeries by day, TikTok at 1AM1:20:00 Advice: there's no formula

Austin Harrison is the CEO of Northbeam, the marketing analytics platform that measures over $31 billion in ad spend across the top DTC brands in the world. He doesn't see what works for one brand. He sees what works across the entire industry.In this episode he breaks down:- What the brands that explode do to grow this fast- The one metric most operators completely ignore (and why it predicts your next three months)- How small founders can beat big ad budgets with authentic contentIf you run or want to build an e-commerce brand, this is the closest you'll get to seeing the whole game from above.Connect with Austin & Northbeam:Northbeam: https://www.northbeam.io/ Austin on X: https://x.com/MAustinHarrison Austin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maustinharrison/Follow Elevator:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevatorgoodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoodsX: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fCirPyNlzTxT4hOOH0tVCApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevator-talks/Website: https://elevatorgoods.com/Chapters:00:00 Intro01:10 What Northbeam actually does04:30 The origin story06:08 Building with AI before ChatGPT11:10 Has AI killed the moat?16:46 The tailwind behind clean data24:47 What winning brands do differently29:31 How small brands can win too31:28 Spending big on ads without going broke35:44 The metric most operators ignore43:00 Early signs of a slowdown46:00 The new breed of founder55:04 The most overrated metric in e-commerce57:35 Why hiring fast is a trap59:10 The channel everyone underrates1:02:14 The truth about being a founder1:03:58 The real job of a CEO#ecommerce #elevatorgoods #dtc

Most founders burn out chasing more. Alex Ikonn did the opposite.He built Luxy Hair into one of the first ecommerce brands built almost entirely on YouTube: 500M+ views, 3M subscribers, millions in annual cash flow, two employees.Then he sold it, because the success left him empty. He went on to build Intelligent Change, the company behind the Five Minute Journal, into a business he's run for over a decade without burning out.His whole approach comes down to one idea: stop doing the work that drains you, and protect your peace in a world built to keep you anxious and online.In this episode he breaks down:  - Why working on something you don't love is what actually burns you out  - How he stays calm while everyone else drowns in productivity anxiety  - The morning system he uses to start the day on offense, not on his phone  - Why he plays long-term games and leaves money on the table on purpose  - How he sold the business without selling himselfEverything from this episode, structured into a free playbook: https://www.elevatorgoods.com/talks/alex-ikonnFollow Elevator:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoodsX: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsWebsite: https://www.elevatorgoods.comFollow Monish Sabnani (Host):Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93/X: https://x.com/msabnani93Follow Alex Ikonn:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexikonn/X: https://x.com/AlexIkonnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexikonn/Intelligent Change: https://www.instagram.com/intelligentchange/  Chapters  00:00 Intro  00:24 Selling flowers at 11, then getting fired from the bank in 2008  02:28 Gary Vee, Tim Ferriss, and starting Luxy Hair in 2010  03:07 Why hair extensions, and doubling the product the factories said was crazy  05:00 Building a DTC brand on YouTube before Instagram existed  06:51 The void after success, and deciding to exit  09:34 How Intelligent Change and the Five Minute Journal began  13:33 Selling the system, not the founder (Traction / EOS)  15:30 Visionary vs integrator  17:10 Be careful with your bankers  18:26 Patience, leverage, and a 40% higher offer  19:07 Starting a business today vs 16 years ago  21:25 Knowing your number and the productivity-anxiety bubble  27:46 The Intelligent Change system: a toothbrush for your mind  33:21 Eat the frog: the one task that matters  35:05 Why he's optimistic about AI and being more human  37:39 Burnout, ikigai, and working on something you love  41:59 His full morning routine  51:15 Running the Five Minute Journal as a business  54:00 Leaving money on the table on purpose  56:00 Prompt yourself: the Life Designer  59:16 Why he named the company Intelligent Change  01:00:00 The next big market: real-world community  01:01:00 The loneliness epidemic and the return to being human  01:02:19 On kids, time, and being present  ---  #ecommerce #dtc #brandbuilding #entrepreneurship #burnout #fiveminutejournal #intelligentchange  #mentalhealth

Alvaro Gellings co-founded Day One with Arda Saatci, Germany's largest creator, 2.5 years ago. They launched with the Cyborg Season campaign: Arda ran 3,000 km from Berlin to New York, generated over 1 billion organic views, and hit seven-figure revenue on launch day. No paid media at launch. Day One is now an 8-figure business growing 400-500% year over year.Everything from this episode, structured into a free playbook:https://www.elevatorgoods.com/talks/alvaro-gellingsFollow Elevator:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoodsX: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsWebsite: https://www.elevatorgoods.comFollow Monish Sabnani (Host):Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93/X: https://x.com/msabnani93Follow Alvaro Gellings:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alvaro.gellings/X: https://x.com/GellingsAlvaroYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alvarogellingsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvaro-gellings-495692230/Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:47 What is Day One and the Cyborg Season launch04:55 Why Alvaro started building in public09:00 How he started14:10 What building in public actually gave Day One16:39 500-2,000 job applications from a single Instagram Story17:30 Network effects: founders and billionaires reaching out20:28 The satisfaction of showing what it actually takes28:09 Where Day One is now: 8 figures, 400-500% YoY33:13 International expansion and the athlete partnership model37:25 The 43,000-person WhatsApp community39:37 Org chart, key hires, and the COO hire44:39 The three hires Alvaro would make today47:51 Leadership style and who he wants to become51:33 Advice for new entrepreneurs in 20261:01:29 How to start with almost nothing: the ad validation tactic1:06:53 Rapid fire round1:13:56 The building in public trap: the biggest mistake first-time founders make1:17:08 Best investment ever made in the company#ecommerce #dtc #brandbuilding #entrepreneurship #dayone #sportswear #buildingbrands

Ryan Babenzien sold Greats, the first D2C footwear brand, to Steve Madden. Then he built Jolie into the #1 filtering shower brand in the world. $50M in revenue, profitable for 15 of 17 quarters, with Meta at just 25% of the total marketing budget. This is the full anti-paid playbook.Everything from this episode, structured into a free playbook:https://www.elevatorgoods.com/talks/ryan-babenzienIn this episode:- How to set a hard cap on Meta spend before it owns your margin, and what to put in the rest of the mix instead- Why Ryan's North Star is first purchase profitability, not ROAS, and how that one decision changed every other number in the business- The pre-launch brand playbook: how Jolie seeded brand in New York before the product existed, using curated events, oysters, and zero paid media- The question every founder must answer before launch: what do you actually want out of this business, and what does the exit look like?---Follow Elevator:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatorgoodsX: https://x.com/elevatorgoodsWebsite: https://www.elevatorgoods.comFollow Monish Sabnani (Host):Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msabnani93X: https://x.com/msabnani93Follow Ryan Babenzien:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanbbabenzienLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanbabenzien/Follow Jolie:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jolieskincoWebsite: https://jolieskinco.com/