DTC Podcast

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“Any business problem can be solved with an acquisition.”
In Episode 1 of Agency Confidential, Jeff Shannon sits down with investor and operator Tom Shipley to break down how agencies actually use M&A as a growth lever—from buying businesses with limited capital to structuring deals that reduce risk.

Tom shares the stories behind his first acquisitions, the criteria he uses to identify potential deals, and why he sees growing opportunity for agency acquisitions amid AI disruption and market uncertainty.

If you’re an agency founder, operator, or leader thinking about growth beyond organic sales, this episode explores the mental models, deal structures, and real-world mechanics behind acquisition-led growth.

What you’ll learn:
Why acquisition can outperform organic growth at scale
How to define a “buy box” for acquisition targets
Why volume of seller conversations matters
The real purpose of due diligence
What integration looks like after an acquisition
How AI and uncertainty are influencing agency exits and deals

Chapters:
00:00 Any Business Problem Can Be Solved With an Acquisition
00:31 Meet Tom Shipley and His M&A Journey
01:57 Buying a Business When You’re Out of Cash
05:17 Using Acquisitions to Add Capability (Agency Examples)
08:03 Organic Growth vs Acquisition Growth (The Math)
12:18 Motivated Sellers and Creative Deal Structures
20:50 Due Diligence and Risk in Agency Acquisitions
24:33 Integration: What Actually Breaks Deals
30:11 AI, Market Uncertainty, and the Future of Agency M&A

Links & Resources:
DealCon: https://dealconlive.com
Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/
Agency (peer network): https://www.joinagency.co/?utm_source=podcast
Subscribe to the DTC Newsletter: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/

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Daniel Sendecki, VP of Brand + Performance at Pilothouse, joins us to explain why the old model of “persuasive creative” is dead—and what’s replacing it. In a post-Andromeda Meta world, the brands winning on paid social aren’t out-designing or out-targeting anyone. They’re out-resolving.

Role-Based Hook:
For DTC teams building creative that compounds—across Meta, search, and the full funnel.

Inside the episode:
Why creative isn’t about persuasion anymore—it’s about resolution
How Pilothouse mines Google queries to map real customer friction
What Meta’s Andromeda update means for targeting and creative structure
Why intent clusters matter more than personas
How to build a living creative library that scales

Who this is for:
DTC founders, brand leads, creative strategists, and media buyers navigating post-iOS Meta

What to steal:
Group customer questions into “psychological intent clusters”
Use creative to answer, not pitch
Build ad libraries like a searchable index of problems solved

Timestamps:
00:00 Creative is shifting from persuasion to resolution
02:05 Why interest-based targeting no longer works
04:55 Creative as answers to customer questions
07:05 Meta evolving into an intent-driven platform
09:15 Psychological intent clusters explained
12:10 Why idea variation matters more than asset tweaks
14:10 Funnel congruency in the Andromeda era
17:05 Creative as an operating system, not an output
19:40 Brand storytelling inside modern performance systems
21:10 Recognition hooks vs interruptive hooks
24:10 Blending brand and performance through intent
26:15 Avoiding AI-sounding creative outputs

Hashtags:
#DTCMarketing #CreativeStrategy #MetaAds #PerformanceCreative #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #PaidSocial #CreativeTesting #Andromeda #IntentMarketing #DigitalAdvertising #EcommerceMarketing #Pilothouse

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Fan Bi is the founder of The Hedgehog Company, where he acquires distressed DTC brands and helps get them profitable fast. He’s also the creator of In the Money, a must-follow podcast and content brand unpacking the capital side of consumer.

For DTC founders navigating exits, plateaus, or profitability hell...
What most founders still get wrong about valuations
How the buyer landscape has shifted post-Unilever & Walmart
Signs your bridge round is a bridge to nowhere
The trenches of sub-$20M exits, explained with examples
Why switching costs matter more than ever

Who this is for: Founders, operators, and investors trying to understand today’s DTC M&A landscape

What to steal:
20%+ post-marketing contribution as a key health metric
The 3-week test to know if your exit has traction
Realistic comps on $3M, $10M, $30M brand valuations

Timestamps
00:00 Real math behind DTC exits in today’s market
02:15 Why 3–5x revenue exits no longer exist
05:00 The real state of DTC profitability and acquisition costs
07:00 What makes a distressed DTC brand worth buying
09:00 Turning around Baboon to the Moon and fixing fundamentals
11:00 DTC exit trenches from $1M to $100M+ brands
15:00 What kills DTC acquisition deals fastest
17:00 Why bridge rounds often fail
19:00 DTC vs software and AI from an investor lens
22:00 Product market fit vs product channel fit
24:00 Categories that still work for DTC exits
26:00 What it takes to build a winning DTC brand today

Hashtags
#DTC #DirectToConsumer #DTCExits #Ecommerce #EcommercePodcast #StartupExits #MergersAndAcquisitions #BrandAcquisition #DTCBrands #EcommerceGrowth #FounderAdvice #ConsumerBrands #PrivateEquity #ShopifyBrands #BusinessPodcast

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In this episode, Pilothouse's Taylor Cain and Aves break down how to merge creative strategy with merchandising to win Q1. This is the planning season where smart brands lock in the building blocks for scalable growth—and avoid wasting paid budget.

For DTC marketers planning evergreen creative and site strategy in Q1...
Why Q1 is the time to de-risk creative investments
How to connect merch and creative across the entire funnel
What emotional truths are, and why they drive action
How to create merchandising that aligns with user intent (without sounding like a pitch deck)
The subtle difference between price-based and identity-based offers

Who this is for: Media buyers, growth leads, and brand-side marketers aiming to improve conversion and site experience

What to steal:
The linear structure Taylor uses to build conversion flows
Aves' 3-step audit for understanding persona behavior online
Why great PDPs start with emotion, not features

Timestamps:
00:00 Merchandising in ecommerce and cognitive competition
02:45 Why shoppers visit multiple brands before buying
05:10 Bringing the in-store experience into digital creative
07:20 Funnel congruency and full-funnel merchandising
09:40 Merchandising on social feeds beyond direct competitors
12:10 Information architecture and emotional storytelling on PDPs
14:05 Selling identity and ritual instead of product features
18:30 How Meta optimization and Andromeda affect merchandising
20:40 Practical merchandising spot checks for brands

Hashtags:
#ecommercemarketing #digitalmerchandising #dtcbrands #paidmedia #creativestrategy #conversionoptimization #brandstrategy #marketingfunnels #metamarketing #shopifybrands #performancecreative

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Thomas Robinson has helped build full‑funnel growth engines for brands like Tiege Henley and now Breath Death — where he’s turning chaotic traction into scalable funnels and converting creator buzz into sustainable growth.

For growth leaders scaling DTC with low‑AOV products.

In this episode, Thomas breaks down:
How YouTube influencer authenticity became a systematic funnel driver (not a one‑hit wonder).
Why TikTok Shop is the top strategic revenue channel — and how it boosts Amazon performance.
The three‑part funnel framework: Hook → Integration → CTA + cohesive landing page.
Why psychographics beat demographics in creative.
Omni‑channel retention: SMS, email, DM automations, WhatsApp.

Who this is for: D2C marketers scaling early‑growth brands, content and performance teams, founders wrestling with low‑AOV CAC.

What to steal:
Turn creator moments into evergreen assets for Meta, TikTok, and YouTube.
Build landing pages that mirror ad intent (don’t lose momentum).
Segment email/SMS flows by customer psychographic intent.

Timestamps
00:00 — Turning creator buzz into scalable growth
02:00 — Why Breath Death chose TikTok Shop as a core channel
04:00 — Gen Z targeting, nostalgia, and early audience signals
06:00 — Learning from Liquid Death’s polarizing brand strategy
08:00 — Turning influencer moments into evergreen funnels
10:00 — Structuring ads with hooks, integrations, and CTAs
12:00 — TikTok Shop, Amazon halo effects, and channel synergy
14:00 — Affiliate strategy from nano creators to macro partners
16:00 — Why YouTube influencers compound better than paid ads
18:00 — SEO, Reddit, and authority in AI-driven search
20:00 — Scaling low-AOV products on Meta ads
22:00 — Psychographics, motivations, and creative archetypes
26:00 — Q4 growth, LTV focus, and retention strategy
28:00 — Email, SMS, WhatsApp, and DM automation
31:00 — Long-term brand storytelling vs direct response
34:00 — Personalized landing pages and post-click experience

Hashtags
#dtcpodcast #dtcbrands #ecommercegrowth #tiktokshop #influencermarketing #creatorcommerce #brandstrategy #performanceads #youtubeinfluencers #affiliatemarketing #consumerbrands #foundermarketing #growthmarketing #directtoconsumer

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Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise
Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter
Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video