Is DTC easy?
How about building a consumer brand? What if you’re a nine-figure, celebrity-backed behemoth?
Then it has to be easy, right?
And today’s newsletter proves it …
Plus, we’ve also got tactics, breaking news, and a bonus “leak” you don’t want to miss.
💪 Jason Panzer reveals 10 lessons on “really hard” things
📚 Cody Plofker with a step-by-step optimization playbook
🗞️ 5 biggest stories from this week’s consumer headlines
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Cody Plofker
Jones Road Beauty, CEO
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Your Checkout Is About to Get Much Better
Even though we sell very different products, there are at least three common tactics BRĒZ, Obvi, and Jones Road Beauty use to optimize our checkouts + increase AOV:
- Free shipping incentives
- Trust badges and reviews
- Fully branded experiences
Because Jones Road doesn’t offer discounts, our free-shipping threshold paired with specific upsells is even more important — both in the cart and especially during checkout.
In fact, there’s a ton more tactics from a ton more brands that AfterSell put into its 82-page Upsell Playbook.
I contributed to it. So did Ronak Shah (Obvi), Nick Shackelford (BRĒZ), and so many others.
Checkout isn’t just a transaction point.
It’s where you can simultaneously boost revenue and enhance the customer experience.
Want the full playbook? Get it from AfterSell right here.
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Jason Panzer
President, HexClad
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Editor’s Note: This is the seventh in a series centered on two questions we put to each of the Operators.
What’s your biggest lesson from 2024? And your biggest strategy for the year ahead?
It was quite a year. After monster growth in 2022 and 2023, I went into 2024 expecting to ride the momentum.
Instead, we faced the same headwinds the rest of our industry faced. And a few that were specific to our stage and size.
Did we grow? Yes. Was it easy? No.
So here are my …
10 Takeaways from 2024 → 2025
1️⃣ People management becomes the number one priority once you exceed 25 employees.
We added 92 FTEs last year. HexClad went from a small, internal team assisted by quality agencies to a larger team doing most of the work in-house.
I called them FTEs. But really, I should call them humans — humans with personalities, emotions, and biases.
As a senior leader at a consumer brand, I needed to learn this.
Growing up in investment banking and big law, people’s feelings didn’t matter much. You got the job done, or you were gone.
That’s really not the case anymore.
Getting the most out of your people requires you to invest your time and effort to keep people on track.
2️⃣ Communication will make or break your organization, leadership, and life.
The amount and speed of communication today is absolutely insane — Slack, email, DMs on Twitter and Instagram (I don’t really enjoy TikTok or Facebook as much), texting, and phone calls.
To avoid drowning, I set a priority list for how I would respond to people and tried to let them know …
Call me, and there’s a 99% chance I’ll call you back — unless I don’t know you. Text is 95%. If you DM through Instagram or Twitter, solid odds at 90%.
Through email, there’s an 80% chance of getting a response. But only if it’s directed to me; unlikely if it’s just a CC (and I probably won’t read it unless it’s clearly an important topic to me).
On Slack, your chances plummet to 65%. It’ll also be delayed because I choose not to live in Slack anymore.
- Phone call: 99%
- Text message: 90%
- Social DM: 90%
- Direct email: 80%
- Slack: 65%
This hierarchy allows me to be efficient and effective while not getting bogged down in the morass.
3️⃣ Your network is your net worth.
Your network is your net worth, and the relationships you build can open doors that skills alone cannot.
Invest time in meeting people, cultivating genuine connections, and making friends without expecting anything in return. Focus on being approachable, presentable, and a good listener.
It’s not just about what you know or even who you know, but also about how you make others feel.
A strong, authentic network is built on mutual respect and trust. Over time, it becomes one of your most valuable assets.
4️⃣ Be careful what you commit to — you will run out of time.
Time, like money, must be carefully managed.
You can always make more money. You can never make more time. Ask yourself, “Do I really need this? Will this make a difference?”
Only once you have completed those five tasks should you consider moving to a new set of tasks.
You want a short list, not a shopping list, of actionable items.
5️⃣ Question everything.
Questioning everything is critical to staying competitive and innovative. There’s nothing wrong with “how” or “why.”
Curiosity will not kill this cat, trust me.
Questioning everything is a powerful approach to life and learning.
Get in the habit, nurture your own resilience, and equip your staff to adapt and solve problems in a constantly evolving, minute-by-minute industry.
6️⃣ Plenty of people possess knowledge; not many possess wisdom.
Knowledge is essential, but it’s only the starting point.
Truth be told, my kids are smarter than me. I sent them to one of the finest public schools in the US and now top 50 universities.
But I have something they lack … wisdom.
You can only gain wisdom through experience.
Be patient; sometimes, the journey is more important than the result. Even when you fail.
7️⃣ Relentless pursuit of excellence may rub people the wrong way.
Commitment to excellence — and refusing to settle for anything less — is a double-edged sword in business. Pushing for perfection, you’re bound to ruffle some feathers.
Challenging “good enough” will shake things up, especially for those who prefer the comfort of the usual way.
While your heart aims to elevate everyone’s performance, balancing the pursuit of excellence with maintaining positive, supportive relationships becomes crucial.
Striking that balance means not just aiming for high marks but also bringing everyone along on the journey
8️⃣ DTC is really hard.
I’ve said it many times, but it still bears repeating …
There are no shortcuts or hacks.
Product-market fit and acceptable unit economics are the starting point. With those in place, if the competitive environment doesn’t kill you, you may have something.
Online, competition is fierce — lots of smart people have great product and GTM ideas. Even if those products hit the market well with unit economics, survival is tough.
9️⃣ Building a consumer brand is really hard.
Building a consumer brand like HexClad Cookware really tests your mettle. You start with a spark — an idea that you believe can stand out in the crowded cookware market.
But transforming that spark into a product that connects with customers means diving deep into research and pushing the boundaries of innovation.
Scaling up to meet demand without dropping the ball on quality means you’re constantly fine-tuning the supply chain, preserving a tight grip on quality control, and smoothly navigating the twists and turns of regulations.
Keeping the financial wheels turning without a hitch requires smart budgeting and sharp forecasting, ensuring profitability doesn’t slip through the cracks.
At the heart of all this are the people.
Building a brand goes beyond just selling products; it’s about making your mark on customers’ lives, blending strategic savvy with heartfelt passion and a steadfast commitment to quality.
That’s the challenge.
Honestly, it’s what keeps us driven.
🔟 Golf is the most beautiful game on earth.
If you know me, you know I fell in love with golf a couple of years ago. Why? Because my journey with golf continues to test both my body and my brain.
Getting good (i.e., not sucking) has so many parallels to being successful in business. It requires tremendous focus, dedication, persistence … and failure.
I’ve also made a ton of great contacts and friends through golf. Find your golf.
To quote Arnold Palmer:
“Success in this game depends less on strength of body than strength of mind and character.”
Managing High-Performance Teams with Cherene Aubert
Hiring: How To Build and Structure Your Team For Success
Curated by the editor of CPG Wire, this week’s five biggest consumer-news headlines.
1. Ferrero Group Acquires Power Crunch: PR Newswire
Ferrero Group, the privately held confectionery giant, is expanding its better-for-you snack portfolio by acquiring Power Crunch, an Irvine, California-based protein bar maker.
Founded in 1996, Power Crunch has seen strong growth lately due to its popular wafer protein bar line. Ferrero Group will always be, first and foremost, a confectionery company. Based on its recent Power Crunch and FULFIL Nutrition acquisitions, it’s eager to tap into high-protein snacking trends.
2. EIGHT Brewing Secures $26M: Twitter
Troy Aikman’s light beer brand EIGHT Brewing Co. grabbed $26M in equity funding from undisclosed investors. The NFL legend launched the light beer brand in 2022 with a number of beverage industry veterans.
Thus far, EIGHT Brewing has focused entirely on distribution in Texas and Oklahoma. Now, nationwide expansion seems imminent. The global light beer market is worth well over $300B.
3. Pete & Gerry’s Buys Competitor: Business Wire
Pete & Gerry’s, a leading producer of premium eggs, has acquired Farmers Hen House, an Iowa-based purveyor of ethically produced eggs. By acquiring Farmers Hen House, Pete & Gerry’s adds 90 partner family farms to its network, bringing its total count to nearly 300.
Even before forced market conditions, consumers had been opting for pricier eggs. The biggest beneficiary of this shift has been Vital Farms, whose market cap surged to nearly $2B.
4. Silas Capital Backs DAMDAM: Instagram
Japanese beauty brand DAMDAM secured $3M in a seed funding round led by Silas Capital. Other investors include Habitat Partners, Joyance Partners, and Top Knot Ventures. DAMDAM was co-founded by Giselle Go and Philippe Terrien in 2019. The brand recently made its debut at Sephora in the U.S. Silas Capital has built an impressive beauty portfolio.
5. Molson Coors Buys Stake in Fever-Tree: Reuters
Molson Coors expanded its non-alc portfolio by acquiring an 8.5% stake in Fever-Tree for $88M. Founded in 2004 and based in London, Fever-Tree is a leading producer of premium mixers. In 2023, Fever-Tree posted revenue of £364M and adjusted EBITDA of £30.5M. Moving forward, Molson Coors will be responsible for production, marketing, sales, and distribution in the US.
BONUS 🏈 HexClad’s Big Game-Day Plans “Leaked”
Last June, Jason Panzer shared on episode 60 about the nascent possibilities of a HexClad Super Bowl commercial. A couple months later — here in the newsletter — he wrote …
Question: I still don’t know
If the potential brand awareness and “cool factor” from a Super Bowl ad makes sense for Hex. Let me know what you think — shoot me an email at jason@hexclad.com
Well, one of you must have shot him a banger. On Friday, HexClad’s “Unidentified Frying Object” hit the internet.
First shared by Gordon Ramsay himself, mainstream media quickly picked it up, followed by Jason and masterful breakdowns by Alexa Kilroy + Connor Rolain.
Next week, we’re finishing up our 2024 → 2025 series with something truly special …
Portland Leather Goods’ CEO, Curtis Matsko, unpacks what it means to be a “marketing first” brand.
The twist? He also just happens to own the largest leather manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere.
Finally, the 9 Operators Podcast is planning a special episode later this week to address the new US tariffs.
Hit reply, and I’ll pass it along!
With thanks and anticipation,
Aaron Orendorff 🤓 Executive Editor
PS (Disclaimer): Special thanks to AfterSell for sponsoring this week’s newsletter.