From Backyard Hobby to 18-Year Business

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down Jay Kinney, founder of WhyBars, a superfood snack brand built on ancient nutrition and unstoppable persistence. From sleeping in his car to landing on the shelves of Whole Foods and Kroger, Jay’s story is one of grit, creativity, and relentless optimism. We discussed:The origin story of WhyBars and its roots in ancient nutritionJay’s journey from culinary school and the Army to entrepreneurshipEarly experiments selling homemade bars door-to-doorHow local farmers markets helped build awareness and demandThe transition from kitchen production to large-scale retail distributionBuilding relationships with stores like Kroger, Whole Foods, and Fresh ThymeThe importance of public speaking and storytelling for foundersPersonal growth: overcoming homelessness, trauma, and reclaiming his identityThe difference between building a brand to sell vs. a forever businessStaying positive and resilient in the face of personal and business challengesThis episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Dr. Christine Colamonico, co-founder of Jope (Joy of Pets). Jope is a science-backed pet supplement brand created by two veterinarians on a mission to improve animal health. We discussed:The origin story of Jope and how her dog inspired the brandTransitioning from veterinary practice to entrepreneurshipBuilding a science-backed product in an unregulated supplement marketGrowing a DTC pet brand through Meta ads and customer loyaltyChallenges of scaling in a changing e-commerce landscapeWhy customer experience and education are at the core of Jope's retention strategyThe pros and cons of launching with one hero productExpanding from dogs to cats: product diversification and strategic timingThe power of calling customers and building genuine relationshipsLessons on patience, resilience, and staying authentic as a first-time founderThis episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul breaks down a simple but powerful way to find your next growth opportunities, by identifying your empty buckets. Instead of chasing the next Meta or Google Ads playbook, he explains how to zoom out and look at your business through a strategic lensWe discusssed:Why 7–8 figure brands hit plateaus and struggle to scaleThe Kodak story and what it teaches about perspectiveThe “four-quadrant” ad matrix: polished vs. lo-fi, image vs. videoHow to identify creative gaps in your ad accountThinking beyond tactics: the importance of zooming outRethinking “customer acquisition” as more than Meta adsBuilding layered growth systems with clear goals and actionsExpanding buckets: acquisition, customers, subscribers, affiliatesSpotting empty buckets to uncover new growth opportunitiesHow strategic structure compounds into recurring growthThis episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul shares a personal reflection sparked by an interview with a former Disney executive, one that challenged the traditional idea of “being the best”.We discusssed:Lessons from a former Disney executive on vision and successThe difference between being “the best” and being “the happiest”Why your vision doesn’t always have to involve being #1Defining success by your own metrics—not others’The trade-offs of building a massive companyFinding peace in building something sustainableWhy it’s okay to say “I’m fine where I am”How expectations shape our perception of successThe freedom of aligning your business with your lifestyleBuilding your version of success without guilt or comparisonThis episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Clay Banks, co-founder of Glorilight. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:Clay’s entrepreneurial journey through five venturesThe founding story of GloryLite and its fast launchLessons learned from HavenLock and complex manufacturingKey takeaways from Shark Tank and going viralHow to turn failures into lessons for the next ventureCustomer acquisition then vs. now: iOS14, Meta ads, tariffsThe importance of community and brand as a competitive moatCounterfeit competitors and the fight to protect IPBalancing CAC with LTV and the importance of retentionResiliency, uncertainty, and advice for entrepreneurs in 2025This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Stacey Feeley, co-founder of GoSili, to talk about the full arc of building a mission-driven brand. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:Founding GoSili to create safe, plastic-free products for kidsEarly days: inventing silicone sleeves and DIY drop testsBreaking into mass distribution after Canada’s plastic banCustomer acquisition before e-commerce and social mediaLessons from trade shows and retail partnershipsThe Target dream and why it didn’t meet expectationsSelling the company to Evenflo and the challenges that followedBuying back the company and rebuilding from the ground upLaunching recycling initiatives for silicone productsExpanding into new markets like hospitality with the DRYNK lineThis episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Adam Vernon, founder of Colorado Ski Chairs, a business that’s been transforming old skis and snowboards into handcrafted furniture for nearly 20 years.Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:Adam’s journey from ski racer to founder of Colorado Ski ChairsTurning old skis into furniture and the brand’s early daysHow the product line evolved over 18+ yearsBalancing custom projects with scalable productsShifting from B2C focus to more B2B and corporate clientsMarketing channels: brick-and-mortar, online, and social mediaThe role of video content and behind-the-scenes storytellingSustainability as a brand story vs. actual sales driverBuilding a team of multi-talented employees with no rigid titlesLooking ahead: the future of Colorado Ski Chairs and industry adaptationThis episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul sits down with Madhu Punjabi, co-founder and CEO of Lion Pose. Before building a skincare brand that landed in Sephora, Madhu held key roles at Google, Pinterest, and Meta—experiences that shaped how she builds today.Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:Madhu’s early career at Google, Pinterest, and MetaLessons from launching products at big tech companiesWhy she left to become a founder before having an ideaBuilding and selling her first company in infant formulaCo-founding Lion Pose and targeting Sephora from day oneThe “questions framework” she learned at Meta and still usesThe realities of being a founder vs. corporate lifeDefining passion in business and why it mattersChallenges of today’s DTC environment: rising costs, tougher acquisition, thinner marginsThe importance of retention, customer insights, and knowing your numbersFind more episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.--This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Brian Roisentul sits down with Margot Adams, co-founder of Luxeire, a mother-daughter clothing brand blending luxury, comfort, and performance, so you never have to choose between style and function.Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:The mother-daughter founding story of LuxeireEarly struggles turning a passion project into a real businessLaunching the hero product: the Classic Button-UpRunning Meta ads on a shoestring budget and finding product-market fitWhy Margot became the face of the brandCustomer service and the human touch in a lean businessCompeting in a crowded apparel space while manufacturing in NYCBalancing new customer acquisition with customer retentionOperational challenges and the importance of efficiencyWhat’s next for Luxeire: new fabrics, product categories, and pop-upsFind more episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.--This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul chats with Dinah Chapman, founder of Little Trouble, a fast-growing kidswear brand that’s on track to hit 8 figures. Dinah shares how she built the company from her garage while juggling motherhood and a demanding corporate job, why she resisted shortcuts in customer service, and how she turned customer feedback into a growth engine.Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:Moving abroad while running a U.S.-based businessStarting Little Trouble as a side hustle during corporate burnoutKnowing when a side hustle becomes a full-time businessStanding out in a crowded kids apparel marketChallenges across growth stages: 0–1M, 1–5M, and beyondOperating with a tiny team while scaling bigThe critical role of customer service and human connectionThe pitfalls of over-obsessing about attribution vs. focusing on fundamentalsLeveraging customer insights and zero-party data for growthWhat’s next: brand collaborations, wholesale, and product diversificationFind more episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠our website⁠⁠⁠⁠.--This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠BSR Digital⁠⁠⁠⁠ helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing.To learn more about BSR Digital, ⁠⁠⁠⁠visit their website⁠⁠⁠⁠ or book a call ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.