Welcome to this issue of The DTC Insider newsletter. 👋

We’re a few weeks away from BFCM, the most intense (and revealing) moment of the year for most brands.

It’s when systems, strategy, and sanity all get tested at once.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need a huge team or endless resources to win.

You just need clarity, structure, and the right checklist.

Let’s get you there.

Topics we'll cover today:
💠 Running BFCM Without a Big Team? Read This
💠 Your BFCM Checklist
💠 How Jope Is Changing the Game for Pet Health and Mobility

Not every brand goes into BFCM with a full team, a war chest, and a perfect plan.

In fact, most 7-figure founders I talk to don’t have in-house departments or big agency stacks. They have one or two reliable people… sometimes just themselves.

And that’s okay.

Because BFCM isn’t about having everything.
It’s about using what you have, intentionally.

The truth is, BFCM doesn’t reward size.
It rewards clarity, efficiency, and focus under pressure.

So here’s how to make the most of whatever setup you have right now 👇

If you have a small team → focus on clarity.

You can’t afford confusion.

Cut the fluff and pick one priority metric everyone owns (revenue, profit, conversion rate, whatever matters most).

Write it down.
Make it visible.
And make sure every task ladders up to it.

Then simplify communication.
One daily sync, one reporting view, one clear decision-maker.

Small teams move fast when they know exactly what “winning” looks like.

If you have no team → focus on automation.

You can’t do it all, and you shouldn’t try.
Set your systems to do the heavy lifting before BFCM hits.

Prep your email and SMS flows.
Double-check your automations and triggers.
Pre-schedule your campaigns and content.

Automation isn’t just about saving time, it’s about protecting your focus.
The more you can run on rails, the more you can stay strategic when the chaos starts.

If you have a big team → focus on alignment.

More people doesn’t mean more output.
It means more potential for misalignment.

Clarity beats volume every time.
Make sure everyone knows the plan, the metrics, and who owns what.
Set up one “command center” (Slack channel, dashboard, or daily meeting) to keep everyone connected.

Because during BFCM, confusion is expensive, and alignment is profit.

If you have limited budget → focus on efficiency.

Forget new channels or untested tactics.
Your best ROI will always come from what’s already working.

Pull your last 30 days of data and double down on your top performers:
→ Your best-selling SKUs
→ Your highest-converting creative
→ Your most responsive audiences

Resource constraints are just focus in disguise.
Lean into them.

Here’s the mindset shift:

BFCM isn’t a competition of who can do more.
It’s a test of who can do what matters most, better.

You don’t need a massive operation to win.
You need clarity, resourcefulness, and systems that let you stay calm in the chaos.

Because every great brand you admire?

They didn’t start with a team of twenty or a million-dollar budget.
They started at a kitchen table, with a spreadsheet, a few late nights… and a lot of intention.

So play the hand you have, and play it well.
That’s how big wins start small.

PS: in the section below, you’ll find an actionable BFCM Marketing Checklist to help you plan and pressure-test your setup. Make sure to check it out.

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Black Friday is less than a month away. 😱

And while some brands are already firing up their promos…

most are still hoping they didn’t forget anything.

Here’s the thing: BFCM doesn’t fail because of big mistakes.

It fails because of the small stuff no one checked.

So I built a quick BFCM Marketing Checklist you can copy and use today.

Use it to find blind spots, tighten your systems, and head into BFCM with confidence.

Because calm operators win the chaos.

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

You know how I always say: “knowing your customers isn’t optional?”

This week’s podcast guest takes that idea to a whole new level.

Dr. Christine Colamonico, co-founder of Jope (Joy of Pets), literally picks up the phone to call customers, even the unhappy ones.

Sometimes, on a Saturday night.

And here’s the “crazy” part:

Those calls often turn angry customers into advocates. 🙌

In this episode of The DTC Insider, Christine shares:
🐾 How her dog inspired Jope’s first science-backed supplement
📉 The real challenges of scaling a DTC brand in 2025
💬 Why calling customers has become their secret retention strategy
📦 The lessons of staying focused with one hero product 

It’s one of those conversations that reminds you why we do what we do, to actually help people (and pets), not just sell stuff.

Check it out 👇️

We discussed:
👉 The origin story of Jope and how her dog inspired the brand
👉 Transitioning from veterinary practice to entrepreneurship
👉 Building a science-backed product in an unregulated supplement market
👉 Growing a DTC pet brand through Meta ads and customer loyalty
👉 Challenges of scaling in a changing e-commerce landscape
👉 Why customer experience and education are at the core of Jope's retention strategy
👉 The pros and cons of launching with one hero product
👉 Expanding from dogs to cats: product diversification and strategic timing
👉 The power of calling customers and building genuine relationships
👉 Lessons on patience, resilience, and staying authentic as a first-time founder

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

📰 US Treasury's Bessent says China has approved TikTok transfer deal
📰 U.S. Holiday Shopping Season to Cross $250 Billion
📰 Google Shares the Top Trending Products of 2025

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.

Want to talk shop?
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