Welcome to this issue of The DTC Insider newsletter. 👋

This week, I’m on vacation with my family since it’s Spring Break here in Argentina (where I live). 

We came to the beach to disconnect, but I didn’t want to skip writing this newsletter...so here I am!

If you enjoy reading this newsletter, it'd mean the world to me if you could leave a review here.

Let's dive in!

Topics we'll cover today:
💠 Devil Revenue is in the Details
💠 Some Good Habits Don't Get Old
💠 From Backyard Hobby to 18-Year Business

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I often repeat this: efficiency is everything for brands.

Let me share a fresh client story that proves the point.

Earlier this year, we worked with a coffee brand on improving their subscription program. Our suggestion: add small tweaks to the site to make subscribing easier.

They did.

But they also decided to add more subscription replenishment frequencies:
→ 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks.

And they set the default at… 1 week.

The moment we saw it, we told them: “That’s too aggressive.”
But they wanted to test it anyway.

Here’s what happened:
✅ Subscription take rate went up.
✅ Churn didn’t increase overall.

But when we sliced the data by frequency, we saw the truth:

That 1-week default was a disaster. 😱
→ 79% churn within the first month.

So yes, people wanted to subscribe.
But they definitely didn’t want fresh coffee arriving every single week.

The lesson?

👉 Test your hypotheses.
👉 Measure results.
👉 Iterate fast…

…before your customers iterate on you. 

--
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We overlay your customer purchase behavior with all your marketing touchpoints (ads, email flows, offers, website) to uncover revenue you’re currently leaving on the table.

It’s not guesswork. It’s your customers literally telling you what they want.

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The other day, I interviewed a founder who started her brand in 2006.

As you can imagine, back then e-commerce was almost non-existent, so getting orders meant doing "offline" actions.

And it got me thinking 🤔

That mindset of going beyond the storefront is something I've identify as a common pattern in most successful brands, even in 2025.

If you own or work for a brand, don't hide behind your online storefront.

Instead:
➝ Get involved in your community.
➝ Align your mission with their actions.
➝ Go beyond any other brand in your space. 

It's the difference between being seen as "an apparel brand" and "a valuable member of my community".

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Follow me on LinkedIn for more growth marketing content in the e-commerce space.

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Most DTC brands I interview are a few years old.
Some are already hitting 8 or 9 figures.

But staying in business for almost 20 years?
That’s a whole different game. 

This week on The DTC Insider, Adam Vernon shares:
✨ How Colorado Ski Chairs evolved from Adirondack chairs to ski lifts
✨ Why B2B has become a major growth channel
✨ The role of sustainability, storytelling, and originality in staying relevant

A masterclass in building something timeless.

Check it out 👇

We discussed:
👉 Adam’s journey from ski racer to founder of Colorado Ski Chairs
👉 Turning old skis into furniture and the brand’s early days
👉 How the product line evolved over 18+ years
👉 Balancing custom projects with scalable products
👉 Shifting from B2C focus to more B2B and corporate clients
👉 Marketing channels: brick-and-mortar, online, and social media
👉 The role of video content and behind-the-scenes storytelling
👉 Sustainability as a brand story vs. actual sales driver
👉 Building a team of multi-talented employees with no rigid titles
👉 Looking ahead: the future of Colorado Ski Chairs and industry adaptation

Tune in:
📺 YouTube
🎙️ Spotify
🍏 Apple
🌎 Website

More episodes our listeners love: 

💎 From Garage to $400 Million: The Portland Leather Goods Story with Curtis Matsko
💎 How Black Rifle Coffee Hit $400M with Donny Jensen
💎 How BRĒZ is Disrupting the Beverage Industry with Aaron Nosbisch
💎 Bootstrapping a $100M E-Commerce Empire with Bear Handlon
💎 The Secret Sauce Behind BattlBox's Success with John Roman

📰 Pinterest Highlights Rising Summer Search Trends
📰 Reddit Highlights Opportunity for Healthcare Brands
📰 Google Launches New Ad Tools for Retailers

If you found this interesting, please leave us a review. It’d mean the world to me.

Brian Roisentul is the founder & CEO of BSR Digital, a growth marketing agency he started in 2013 to help e-commerce brands unlock hidden revenue by identifying misalignments between their marketing and customer behavior. He is also the host of The DTC Insider podcast, where he interviews thought leaders, founders, and directors in the e-commerce space.