DTC Podcast

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We co-authored The Conversational Report with Postscript to understand one simple question: when shoppers text brands back, what happens next? The punchline is uncomfortable. Customers treat texting like a real conversation, but most brands treat replies like a support inbox, or ignore them entirely. That gap is where a lot of abandoned carts live.

Role-based hook: For DTC founders and operators scaling past $1M who want SMS to do more than broadcast promos, and want replies to turn into revenue plus better creative and PDPs.

Mike Manheimer from Postscript joins to break down what the data says, why brands struggle operationally, and how AI changes the economics of responding quickly.

What we get into:
Why brands misread replies as “support,” and why that kills revenue
The consumer expectation gap, plus why 26% real time reply rate is a gift for anyone who executes
The easiest way to start: add one question to your welcome flow and watch what comes back
Turning reply data into a weekly insight loop for PDP, creative angles, and offer clarity
What a real playbook looks like beyond “send more promos”

Who this is for: Retention, growth, CX, and founders who know SMS works, but feel like it has not matured into what it should be.

What to steal:
The “question mark” strategy for welcome and abandoned cart flows
A reply triage model that does not require headcount explosions
A simple way to turn conversations into segments you can act on

Postscript
Mike
Report

Timestamps
00:00 Why brands are wasting SMS potential
02:00 The gap between brand assumptions and shopper behavior
04:14 Why SMS should be treated like sales, not support
06:00 The staffing problem behind slow SMS replies
08:10 How Postscript’s conversational AI actually works
11:20 Why fast replies create a better buying experience
13:05 The LTV upside of real SMS relationships
15:10 How to write SMS flows that get real responses
18:12 The revenue and ROI from conversational SMS
21:35 Why PDPs cannot answer every shopper question
25:05 How SMS conversations create better customer insights
31:20 The best conversational SMS playbook for brands
37:45 Why one-way SMS is becoming obsolete

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Dr. Kathrin Hamm (PhD Economics) didn’t set out to be a founder. She just wanted to sleep. One ugly “medical” weighted blanket fixed her insomnia… then made her realize the whole category was stuck in 30-year-old design, plastic beads, and overheating. So she rebuilt it from scratch with a chunky-knit, breathable form factor that looks like home decor, not a pharmacy product.

Role-based hook: For DTC founders building a new category (or trying to escape the “Meta-only” trap) and scaling from early traction into real distribution.

In this episode we get tactical on:
Why Bearaby launched on Kickstarter to bypass “what even is this?” cold traffic friction
How the product design (breathable chunky knit) became the marketing
The early growth engine: gifting + press + interior design circles, before paid
A surprisingly underrated channel: TV/Netflix set placements as free cultural reach
What changed on Meta: why creative strategists + creative diversity is now non-negotiable
Europe expansion lessons: language, sleep habits, visuals, and humor are not transferable

Who this is for: founders + marketers selling anything that requires education (sleep, wellness, new formats, “never seen this before” products).

What to steal:
Launch new categories where early adopters already are (Kickstarter) so you can teach before you sell
Build an earned pipeline (editors, designers, set decorators) that compounds for years
Treat each country like its own market: copy, visuals, and cultural jokes included

Timestamps
00:00 Bearaby origin story
02:08 Discovering weighted blankets for sleep
04:18 Why old weighted blankets failed
08:05 Selling out the first 800 blankets
10:10 Turning weighted blankets into a lifestyle brand
14:20 Why Kickstarter and gifting worked
18:15 Getting Bearaby onto Netflix sets
20:45 Scaling through DTC, Amazon and retail
24:45 Expanding Bearaby into Europe
29:05 Germany launch and viral egg hats
32:20 How Meta creative changed
34:35 Dealing with copycats
37:35 New product innovation beyond blankets
42:00 Where Bearaby is headed

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Jacob (Head of Meta at Pilothouse) joins Eric to break down what Meta’s actually rolling out right now, what’s hype, and what’s worth testing. They get into CASC (combined awareness + sales), Meta’s new AI “business assistant,” and a super practical creative testing feature that can even help you split-test landing pages without nuking social proof.

For DTC founders + performance marketers scaling spend who need creative variety and cleaner measurement in Meta.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why most accounts are trending video-heavy (think ~70/30 video/static), and where statics still make sense (hint: retargeting).
What CASC is trying to solve (awareness + sales in one campaign) and who’s most likely to get access first.
How Meta’s AI assistant can speed up reporting… and why you still need to fact-check it.
How to use Meta’s ad-level creative testing to quickly find winning hooks (and kill losers fast).
A sneaky use case: split-test URLs (homepage vs PDP vs collection vs presell) using the same ad.

Who this is for:
Operators managing Meta at $50K+/mo who are feeling the “Andromeda” shift and need more creative throughput without turning the account into spaghetti.

What to steal:
Run 5-hook tests on one hero concept before you film 10 more “new” creatives.
Use ad-level creative testing to test landing pages while keeping comments/likes intact.
Treat AI insights as a junior analyst: fast drafts, then human verification.

Timestamps:
00:00 CASC explained and why Meta is combining awareness with sales
02:05 Why consolidation and bigger budgets matter more in the Andromeda era
04:05 Who CASC is for and when it makes sense to test
05:10 Creative strategy for upper funnel: intent buckets and first 2 seconds
08:05 Meta AI Business Assistant: what it can answer inside Ads Manager
11:25 Creative Testing at the ad level: how the new feature works
13:55 Using Creative Testing to split test landing pages without losing social proof
16:10 Attribution changes: engaged views and Meta taking less credit
18:25 Rollout notes and how to start using these updates

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On this episode of the DTC Podcast, Eric sits down with Josh Suggs, founder of StreetTalk, and they break down how “Conversation Creative” is helping consumer brands appeal to today's audience preferences for raw, unscripted authenticity in their social feeds, while combatting headwinds brought on by Meta's Andromeda update. We talk frameworks, question design, editing loops, and why StreetTalk interviews drive KPI improvements across the full-funnel in under 45 seconds.

Visit StreetTalk.com to get your brand out of the boardroom and into the streets!

In this episode, we get into:
How StreetTalk interviews can move someone from awareness → consideration → conversion in ~45 seconds
The difference between “random reactions” and direct response street ads (problem/solution, value props, use case)
How StreetTalk briefs, shoots, edits, and tests concepts across major cities
Where this fits inside an ad account (creative pillars + authenticity as a needed lane)
What stops brands from doing it themselves (systems, reps, data, consistency)

If you’re a brand with product-market fit already, running UGC, and looking to scale with creative diversity on Meta/TikTok/YouTube, this episode is a must-listen

Timestamps
0:00 Street Talk sells authenticity with street interview ads
2:00 Josh’s origin story: Tabs Chocolate to first street reviews
4:00 Building Street Talk fast with referrals (80 brands in a summer)
6:00 Why man-on-the-street ads convert (full funnel in 45 seconds)
8:00 Making street interviews direct response (hooks, pain points, value props)
10:00 Where this fits in your ad account (creative diversity + authenticity)
12:00 Results and wins (PrizePicks, ROAS improvements, scaling spend)
14:00 Pricing, who it’s for, and why brands can’t easily DIY it
16:00 The operational machine behind Street Talk (hosts, training, logistics)
18:00 Platform playbook: Meta, TikTok, YouTube, TV, and repurposing clips

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Vida Delrahim (ex-Nike marketing leader) built WeNatal after two miscarriages, zero satisfying answers, and a pretty wild realization: fertility isn’t just “a women’s problem,” and the market was full of either overpriced clinic-only options or low-dose “pretty” prenatals that don’t move the needle.

This episode is about two things: the product gap (his + hers fertility support, done like adults) and the go-to-market gap (how you grow a sensitive health brand without playing the paid media arms race).

Role-based hook: For DTC founders building trust-heavy products (supplements, wellness, personal care) who can’t or won’t outspend VC brands.

Tactical takeaways:
Why WeNatal built around a medical board + research transparency instead of influencer “seeding”
The doctor + midwife + doula channel as the real “creator engine”
How premium packaging accidentally became UGC bait (and drove organic sharing)
Why paid media flopped for them, and what worked better: education, SEO, panels, masterclasses, email
What “small batch, no fillers” actually means operationally (and why most brands avoid it)

Who this is for:
Founders/marketers in regulated or trust-sensitive categories who need compounding growth, not a one-time launch pop.

What to steal:
Build a lead magnet that’s actually useful (their free fertility masterclass model) → then nurture with email
Go win practitioner trust one office at a time (and let that credibility cascade into PR + podcasts + referrals)
Make your packaging something people want on the counter (compliance = retention)

Timestamps
00:00 Why WeNatal exists
02:00 Miscarriage, Hashimoto’s, and the wake-up call
05:00 Men’s role in fertility and what the research says
07:00 Treating fertility like a team sport
11:00 The fertility crisis and why it’s tied to overall health
16:00 Building the product: medical board, formulation, manufacturing
18:00 How WeNatal grew without paid ads
23:00 Pre, during, and postnatal use and retention
26:00 Education-led growth: blogs, masterclass, panels, email
30:00 Integrity vs hype in the supplement industry
34:00 What’s next: Protein Plus and 2026 product bets
37:00 Outro

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