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DTC POD
#346 - Scaling Sourdough: How Wildgrain Baked Up 80K+ Subscribers
Speaker
Blaine Bolus
Speaker
Ismail Salhi
Ismael Salhi, Wildgrain's CEO, reveals how his sourdough subscription box grew to 80,000+ subscribers by innovating frozen bread delivery amidst a pandemic. They transformed home baking into a national operation with tech-driven logistics, revolutionizing direct-to-consumer artisanal bread experiences in the US.
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Highlights
“This is a space exclusively for D2C founders and operators to connect, share ideas, ask questions and support each other.”
“It's super intuitive, powerful and customizable. Plus the whole thing is powered by AI so your teams can spend less time on tedious time consuming stuff and more time on developing relationships.”
“And so part of what we've been doing over the last four years is building this basically tech layer over a 3 PL layer over a last mile carrier network layer that allows us to ship boxes in great shape, fully frozen, delivered to your door, in any temperature, with any carrier, with any three pl on time and in a great shape.”
“Now we have a system where you enter the order number that failed and it will generate a replacement right away. You can in 2, 3 clicks make sure that it has more dry ice that it's arrived. Like shipping with a different carrier if the first one failed and then press a button and it goes away and we save, you know, three to four minutes to that agent to place a replacement. And we're obsessed with this across every vertical of the business. We do it for marketing, we do it for product, we do it for customer support, we do it for operations.”
“We need this 20 to 30 second to explain why we're better than everybody else and why it's going to really be game changing for you and your home.”
Timeline
How it unfolded
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Full transcript
It's super intuitive, powerful and customizable. Plus the whole thing is powered by AI so your teams can spend less time on tedious time consuming stuff and more time on developing relationships. Also, no one likes a clunky platform that takes months to onboard onto. But getting set up on SalesHub is really quick and easy. It's free to get started. The pricing will scale with your business and with more than 1300 integrations and add ons you can tune it to your exact needs. Visit HubSpot.com sales to start selling with salesh. What is going on DTC pod today we have the pleasure of speaking with Ismael Salhi who is the co founder and CEO of Wildgrain.
So Ismail, I'll let you kick us off. You guys have a really, really interesting business, business model, product that you're selling and way that you've scaled really fast over the last couple of years. So yeah, why don't, why don't you kick us off, tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and wild grain.
Yeah, no problem. Thanks for having me. So I'm a computer scientist by training. Started my previous business when I was in Paris. Long story short, spent six years, a lot of blood, sweat and tears building it up. Hardware business pretty hard. Raised a bunch of money from VCs here in Boston. Long story short, pandemic killed it.
After that my wife and I, who was the co founder of my previous business as well, wanted to keep working together and going at it again. We had this idea of launching a subscription box. We didn't know exactly which what should be that box. And one time she was in Germany baking. She's German baking bread with a friend Sent me a picture of the bread, and I was like, this is it. We should do a subscription box for bread because it's a commodity that people eat very often, so it's prime for a subscription. But also the bread you find in the U.S. no offense, compared to Europe, is not as good.
And so we, we thought, oh, this could be a good idea. Started working on it in 2019 as a side hustle. And then when our previous company failed, we went to a VC here in Boston and we pitched them and we brought some bread and pastries to the pitch meeting. And they liked it. And a few meetings later, they invested $700,000 in the company. And we were super pumped to keep working together. Started designing the business, built a website, started shipping a few boxes to friends and family, improved the product, and then decided to go at it. The whole thing was, okay, we're not going to spend another six years trying to make this work.
So we're just going to spend as little money as possible on Facebook ads and influencer campaigns, get boxes in people's hands and get feedback and improve the product until we're ready. And that's what we did in 2020. We had our first son. So we had a newborn, a new company and some money in the bank, and we went out and started selling the products. And, um, now we're 10 people doing eight figures, selling to more than 80,000 subscribers in the country.
Wow. So super exciting. Congrats on all the growth. Um, it's. It's a crazy story, but why don't you walk us through a little bit about, like, that brand inception, Right? You said your first thing you want to do was, like, create a solid product. Walk us through that. What did that look like? Right, like you identified something in the market in the US you said, okay, the bread here sucks. Let's fix it.
Let's go direct. We've got a product that people want. But what were the first things? Were you guys baking the bread or like, how are you thinking about? Yeah, how are you going to do it?
Right. So it stemmed from the trauma of the previous business. The previous business was VC backed a lot of cash. It was hardware, required a lot of cash. And so because it didn't work, I was like, I need this new business to be quick, go to market. It needs to have a product that sticks and that people reorder very often. And we need to have something specific about the product. And so we started baking sourdough bread.
This was pre pandemic sourdough crepe. My wife started learning about sourdough. We started making this amazing bread at home. And we stumbled upon this thing where making 10 loaves of bread or making one takes the same time. It's just different quantities. But then if you make 10, you don't know what to do with them. You can stick them in the fridge, they go bad. And so we tried to put them in the freezer when they were half baked and then finished baking them straight off the freezer.
And it worked perfectly. You couldn't even tell that it was frozen. And that was kind of the aha moment of like, okay, we have a product that can be cool. Because most people, when they buy bread here in the US it's not warm. It's not a. You know, the smell of warm bread in your house is a pretty specific and. And strong thing. And we started baking stuff in our own house.
So the box has fresh bread, fresh pasta, and fresh pastries. And so we were making all of that at home. Keep in mind, this was early pandemic. There's a lockdown. And so we. If you remember, in 2020, there is a shortage of everything, including flourish. And so my wife and I hop into the car and go buy all the flour we can find, stock it in our baby's room, because we didn't have. We were worried we couldn't go to market.
And we started baking bread every morning. We wake up, bake bread, and then fulfill the orders from our apartment. And we. A few. A few weeks after that, we moved into a commercial kitchen here in Boston, started making same thing, same bread and pastries every day. And then we couldn't keep up with the demand. It was just crazy. We started buying equipment.
The equipment would break, we would buy new equipment, it would delay orders. People get upset, Keep doing it, Keep doing it. But people love the product, which is the good. The good part. And so one day we were just. With a new baby, you couldn't hire anyone because it was locked down. And just the grind of doing it ourselves was taking a huge toll on us. So I grabbed the phone and it called all the bakeries around the area.
And I was like, hey, you guys just lost some business because you're close, most likely. Do you want to help us out and make our own par baked bread? This half baked bread. Most of them said no. A few of them said yes. And the ones who said yes are still our partners now. And now we're bigger buyers than Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Wow.
So why don't you walk us through that process. So what does the actual product look like today? Right when, if I want to check out wild grain, like, I want to, you know, buy the product as a customer, what does my customer experience look like? What am I getting? You know, am I. Am I getting the bread? Am I baking it? Like, how does it work?
You go to the website, you pick the items you want. So there's breads, rolls, pastries, pasta. We ship them to you frozen with dry ice in a box. It arrives to your door in usually one or two days. You put it in your freezer, and then when you're in the mood for bread, you grab a loaf of bread, you put it in your oven, you wait 20 minutes, and then you have fresh, warm, artisanal, sourdough bread on your table. Same thing. We have this promo. It's free croissants for life.
So for the lifetime of your subscription, every time you order, we'll give you four free croissants. And they're as good as the ones you can find in Paris, and people go crazy for them. So, same thing. You pop them in the oven. Eighteen minutes later, you have warm, crispy, flaky croissants that you have ready for your coffee.
Damn, I'm. I'm on a diet. But this sounds really, really good. Um, so. So walk me through, you know, working with the other partners. What were you having them do? Were they doing that first bake that you were saying, and then packaging up and selling it out? Was that helping you kind of scale or how are you thinking about, like, working with these partners? As Covid happened?
Yeah, it changed the business entirely. So at the beginning, we thought we would vertically integrate and make our own products and build a bakery. But as I said, you know, the pandemic shut down all hiring, and so we couldn't find people to just come help us at the. At the bakery. And what we did, we started using these bakers, and at first, they were baking par. Baking the bread, so half baking it, shipping it to us in cases, and then we grab these cases, we bag it. We bag them in our packaging, we flash freeze them and put them in a large freezer for storage. And then we ship them the day after.
And after that, we start improving on that process. We started sending them packaging so they can package them directly for them, freezing directly at their location. And now we have a network of five distribution centers across the country, and regional bakeries across the country sending products directly to the distribution centers.
Well, and that's really interesting because, you know, We've had multiple, you know, we've done a couple episodes on DTC pod with people who work with, you know, food. Food goods. Right. That are going direct to consumer. So we've had mila dumplings on frozen dumpling, frozen soup dumpling. We've talked to, you know, butcher box and even 3pls that deal with this. And it seems like one of the difficult things when you're dealing with a food product like this is the logistics.
Right.
So why don't you just talk about like what an unlock that is being able to be distributed in that way when it comes to like shipping in the requirements of delivering a, you know, frozen product to a doorstep.
Yeah, it's, it's one of the only business verticals where ops impacts customer experience so heavily. And when you think about it, it makes sense if you're a butcher box customer or a wild grain customer. You order, you spend, I don't know, $100 on a box. It shows up to your door, it's all mushy and thawed and warm. You're not going to sign up again. You're not going to. Even if they have a great, you know, return policy, it's, it's not, it's not a happy moment. So it's crucial for us to keep ops as performant as possible.
And so part of what we've been doing over the last four years is building this basically tech layer over a 3 PL layer over a last mile carrier network layer that allows us to ship boxes in great shape, fully frozen, delivered to your door, in any temperature, with any carrier, with any three pl on time and in a great shape. And part of it comes from my background in tech. I built a lot of the tech on top of it. So we, let's say it's 110 degrees in Miami right now. We wouldn't ship your box. We would hold it a couple of days until the temperature drops and then ship it with dry ice because we know the chances of it failing are pretty high. We opened the fulfillment center in Jacksonville because we know Florida is very important. We have a baby boomer, you know, a demographic, a huge part of our demographic, our baby boomers.
And they. Florida is super warm. And so we, we had to make sure that these orders arrive on time and in great shape. And because we're a retention business, we're a subscription. You know, the first two boxes don't really, we don't make a lot of money on them. We really make money when we make, when you really take it into your daily life and use Wildgrain regularly. And so we're, our goal is long term and make you super happy. And so we spent on an example is if your first bor arrived a little bit iffy and you didn't like the delivery, you can talk to our customer support team and they are able to add more dry ice to your box next time directly from Gorgias which is the software we use for customer support.
So we built all of these tools to kind of provide the best in class customer experience that allows ops to perform and that there's a ton of work on vetting their regional carriers. We work with 3pls and monitoring them all the time using tax. So we have dashboards that are fed directly from our customer support team to see what are the thaws, what are the mispicks, what our products are breaking, what packaging is ripping. And then we keep improving all the time until we get to you know, a churn number that's healthy and happy and that makes the business sustainable.
That's crazy. That's a lot of, that's a lot of tech that you need to build, huh?
Oh yeah, we, I joke that we're, we've built an operating system for frozen DTC and yeah, literally you need, you.
Need another venture scaled business. There's your business.
I don't know how many customers we would have but basically we built like for example our customer support team has a tool, you know, if you're, if you're a DTC nerd. Replacing a replacement order from a customer support agent takes between two and three minutes, maybe four minutes to you know, create the address, make sure the order looks good. Now we have a system where you enter the order number that failed and it will generate a replacement right away. You can in 2, 3 clicks make sure that it has more dry ice that it's arrived. Like shipping with a different carrier if the first one failed and then press a button and it goes away and we save, you know, three to four minutes to that agent to place a replacement. And we're obsessed with this across every vertical of the business. We do it for marketing, we do it for product, we do it for customer support, we do it for operations. I joke that I'm not because I'm the tech, I'm the CTO too.
And so I'm not. I'm the boss of nobody. I'm the boss of nobody. Everybody's my boss. Because every day there's a team member that comes in and say hey, it would be amazing. It would Save us a lot of time if we did this new software that will help us do that and we, we build it for them as quickly as possible.
Yeah, that's, that's so, so good. Just in the way of like thinking. Right. I think it's so important. A lot of brands like as they're scaling up, sometimes you miss the opportunities and like the leverage that you can build in with tech with the right processes that really make your life a lot easier. So the fact that, you know, every replacement order you can save three or four minutes, like that's a big deal. And the fact that you make it easy and you're, they're not going to mess up the address and all this sort of stuff that's really big and just adopting that, thinking through all the different processes because like you're saying it applies to marketing, it applies to tech, it applies to all the different core competencies of the business. So why don't you walk me through, let's talk a little bit about know, marketing and growth and how you built this.
Right.
Because you're introducing effectively a new product into the market. Not something that's like very common. It's a new habit for people. Right. Like people are used to either getting bread like from the market, like fully done or you know, maybe baking it themselves but like you kind of have this in the middle solution. So what did customer acquisition look like for you guys in the early days? Like once you got past the fact that like people are like, oh, we like your bread. Right. You know, when you started to scale, when you started to get new customers.
Walk me through that phase of the business, how you acquired company customers, how you got them to, you know, fall in love with the product and stick around for, for a subscription.
Yeah, it's a very interesting topic because, you know, we are, as you said, we're a subscription box for bread, pasta and pastries is a kind of new product surge. For example, doesn't work at all for us. If we try to put a box in any. If you're looking for bread, it doesn't, you're not looking for what we're making. If you're looking for pasta and we you our box, it's not going to work. And so what we realized very quickly is we need this 20 to 30 second to explain why we're better than everybody else and why it's going to really be game changing for you and your home. And meta and influencers were kind of the two best ways for us to do this. And so we would Go on your story reel or in your Instagram feed or in your Facebook feed and we'll show you videos of, you know, us versus them.
If you buy a croissant from, you know, the famous brand where you open the croissant from the fridge and put it in your oven and we do the same thing with our croissant and you see the difference. And the difference is night and day. You can see it, you don't even need to speak. You just cut it and you see the flakiness and all of that. We did a lot of ed, you know, education on why our bread is better. Sourdough is a lot healthier for you than what you find at the grocery store because it has live yeast, wide yeast and wild yeast. You know, to give you an order of magnitude a Wonder bread takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish hours take 25 hours. And so all that fermentation is super good for your gut health, it's good for your blood sugar, it's good for a lot of things.
And it's all like old school things that people know because I joke that we sell the oldest product on earth or just bread. And so the ads were a lot of educational stuff to explain the health benefits of sourdough. The convenience is just pop it in the oven and see a loaf brown in your oven and have that delicious warm bread come out of the oven is super cool. And so we did a lot of that. We relied on a lot of influencers at the beginning to showcase the product and that took off real quickly. And the fact that we're subscription allowed us to absorb, you know, the cost of marketing and explaining because it's more expensive to spend, get the attention of someone for 20 seconds than to just so show up in a display ad in search, for example.
Yeah, no, I mean, I think, I think that's such an important insight. Like you just said, you're like, wait a minute, if people are searching for bread, they're not really searching for us. And so you're not able to target the search traffic. So you have to create your own demand, which is, which is really exciting because I think a lot of entrepreneurs, especially in the consumer space, like you come up with an idea, it's something that's obviously new and different, but there are certain things that are obvious and there's other things that might take a little bit more education. Right. Something new, like bread in a box subscription pasta too, like, what's going on here? Um, so I think, I think that's really fascinating in terms of, like, how you were thinking about saying, wait a minute, you know, even if CAC is maybe a little bit higher, we've got our product, we've got our op sorted out, and, you know, it is a new product. So we would just want to get our product in the hands of people and make sure that they understand as opposed to, you know, targeting bread on Google Ads. And, you know, the people don't really get get it and are like, oh, this isn't the bread that I'm looking for.
And Google's like, we're driving you clicks. But yeah, it's a totally different funnel.
Totally.
So super interesting. So tell me a little bit about your product mix. Right, you, you've got this box, like you said, you've got pasta, you've got pastries, you've got croissants, you've got bread. Like what? You know, was it always like that or did you start to introduce more products? What do you see from customers? Do they select their products? Like, how does that, how does that work from a product mix point of view?
Yeah, the product mix changed over the years. So at first we were a curated box. So you get whatever we give you. We give you a loaf of plain sourdough, a loaf of rye, a loaf of walnut, and maybe two cuts of pasta, and one pastry of the month, which would be chocolate croissants, for example, plus the free croissants for life. And we send you that, and the following month we'll do something different. And whether you liked it or not, that's what we sent you. And we got feedback from customers that they wanted more choice and being able to select different things based on their diet and based on what they eat and what they don't eat. And so we started expanding and allowing people to substitute some items in the curated box.
Then we expanded more products and then we switched to custom box, which is you pick your own. And it changes your business when you do that, because before you could really forecast inventory very accurately. But when you choose to, hey, choose your own adventure and you have 40 SKUs of different products, people pick different things. And so you have some inventory challenges that you didn't have before. And now I think we have, I think close to 60 different products from bread rolls. We're launching pita, we're launching, we did pizza, we have bagels, we have all sorts of things in the bread side. We have, I think seven or eight cuts of pasta. We're launching more ravioli and filled pasta from Italy.
And we're launching. And we just launched donuts, apple cider donuts from New England. We just launched pumpkin cinnamon biscuits for October and November. And we'll try to add more seasonal items every time of the year so you'll always have something new and fresh to try out. And obviously the staples. We just launched butter from this small dairy farm in France. It's a hundred year old dairy farm with incredibly good butter and it's flying. People are buying it like crazy and it again, changing the business in a way because we realize, oh, we're not just limited to the carbs category.
People who like us trust us to make other choices of products for them and the butter is really successful. So we're working on bringing more products like that to our customer base.
That's awesome. It's actually funny you mention it because I was in, I was in Paris last week and, and there, like you said, the bread is just, it's different and the butter is totally different. And I'm like on this diet and I came back from my trip and I like, I, I went in the right direction. Like it wasn't like I put on weight. Which is just so crazy how like the, when you have the right breads and the right butters and all of this sort of stuff that like it, it's healthy. It's not like, you know, it's, it's very different than just like eating a loaf of wonder bread which is like, yeah, super processed and like absolutely horrible for you. So it's just cool to, to see that. I'm excited for the butter.
That's cool.
And in part to go back to the product mix. What we just did recently is to add now our, our, our goal is to be America's favorite bakery, inclusive of all diets. And so if you're gluten free now, we just launched a gluten free custom box just for you so you can customize different artisanal breads, pasta and pastries that are all gluten free, that you can eat, that you can reheat in your own oven. We have the same thing for vegan and plant based. And we're launching dairy free and we're launching nut free. And so we're launching different things for different diets. And in 2025 we're launching a high, a low carb, high protein line of products as well. And so the idea for us is to be, you know, regardless of how your household looks like, we know now in the US some people in the household are plant based, some people are you know, gluten free, some people want keto, and we want to accommodate everybody.
And, you know, it's more convenient that way because you can get a box of the items that everybody loves.
So tell me about kind of where you guys are at from an ops perspective in the business. It sounds like you guys are really aggressively starting to scale, like your products use, how do you scale that? How do you manage it? I know you said you've got like this distributed network, you know, of bakeries that you do, you maybe have some of your own facilities. So, like, when you're launching all these like new products with new, like, how do you, how do you bring that scalability to a domestic market?
Yeah, it's. It's hard. So part of it, again, it comes back to. So our overall strategy for solving problems is, hey, automate it. If you can't automate it, outsource it. If you can't outsource it, let's hire for it. So that's what allowed us to stay super small and tight. So we're a team of 10 right now.
And part of any product launch, it goes starts with products. The product team is working, trying, sampling, improving the recipe, removing ingredients that we don't like and that don't fit the health claims that we make. Then when it's ready, we work on packaging, what packaging will work best for this product to ship in a box, frozen. And then we work on, okay, palletization and what the case count and all of that. And then, okay, now what is the production schedule? What, what is, how many do we need to fill a truck? When does that truck go to the distribution center? What is the split between each distribution center? And then once we did that for a product, and it's very successful, we actually work with different bakeries to make the same product at different locations. And so we have some products that are high velocity that a single bakery cannot make themselves for the entire country. What we do is we get different bakeries, one maybe in the west, one in the east. So we reduce trucking.
It comes from something close to you and they're shipping into your distribution center. Once it's at the distribution center, when you place an order, we go, we pick it for you and we give it to UPS, FedEx or others and it's shipped to your, to your door.
We are really excited to announce that DTCpod is officially part of the HubSpot Podcast Network. The HubSpot Podcast Network is the audio destination for business professionals. And we're really excited about being Part of the network because we're going to be able to keep growing the show, bringing you guys amazing guests and obviously helping you guys learn from the best founders, marketers, and builders of the most successful consumer brands. So anyway, keep listening to DTC Pod and more shows like us on the HubSpot podcast network@HubSpot.com podcast network. Got it. So you basically have this model where you've got the different bakeries you can produce, it comes to the distribution center and then they're able to assemble it and get it out the door to you based on whatever carrier you need. And just curious, what have you seen from a carrier perspective? Like, who, like what works? What do you, who do you guys use? It's a different sort of product.
Right.
So like, how, how do, how does it work? How do you guys approach that?
Yeah, we, when we started, we only exclusively shipped with ups, and now I think we shipped with six or seven different carriers, depending on location, the quality of network, the weather and where you live. And so basically we have tech that, you know, most companies like, you're a customer, you're going to always have the same carriership to you. In our case, it's not going to be the same. We're all auctioning your zip code every time you get a box to different carriers and see who is performing well that week, what's the temperature, what's the speed of the delivery, all of that. And then we make a decision to allocate you to your carrier. So we do that with software to decide, because as, you know, like frozen, if it arrives two days late, it's gone. We need to reship the entire box.
Wait, is that something you built or you guys just leverage software to do that?
We built some of it and we partner with a software company, a local Boston. Actually, it's a mix between Boston and Miami.
Yeah. Is it Grip?
It's Grip, yeah. Nice.
Yeah, we, we, we've chatted with them. They've been on the pod.
Well, they've been. So it's cool.
Yeah, Juan's been on the, been on the pod, so. Small world. That's cool. That's, that's awesome to see. And then as we think about, like the next year, like where you, where you kind of want to take the business, it sounds like, you know, you guys are growing aggressively in terms of like the ops and the product offerings. But as you think about, like scaling customers, how do you, you know, have you run into any headwinds with, with growth? Has growth been sort of consistent like how, how do you think about, you know, customer growth and customer acquisition?
Yeah, our growth is aggressive but seasonal. So it's an interesting thing. Once you learn it, it's very informative on how to manage your spend and your marketing dollars over the year. And so we have a very strong Q3, Q4 and Q1. So Q4 is the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, all the holidays. And people who want to host, want to serve meals to their families. And bread is a classic piece of that.
And so we are grow pretty significantly during that phase. Then January, February and March is actually our peak growth. We grow really big during that period. And between Q1 and Q4 we usually almost double the business, which is pretty crazy. It breaks everything, as you probably know. And so the idea is during the slow season, or what we call the slow season, we grow, but not super strong because acquisition costs are pretty high and we focus on retention. So getting revenue from our existing customers, servicing them and not over investing in acquisition. And then the good season comes in and we start spending most of our marketing dollars.
So I think, to give you an order of magnitude, I think we spend 70% of our marketing budget in Q4 and Q1.
And do you attribute that just to, you know, people are maybe moving around more in the summer or like, you know, what, how, why do you. Or is people like, like bread during the holidays? Like, how do you think about it?
The way I think more is the cold season is like the midi Covid, a MIDI lockdown. You're home more often, it's nighttime earlier. People want to cozy up at home. They like hearty, more hearty foods. They don't focus as much on their diet during that time and they're home more often. And the more home, the more at home you are, the more you're going to eat at home. And so they, I think they eat more at home and they need more help with that during the winter. And then summer comes in and they're all, everybody's, you know, going out, traveling and not really in the mood for.
I think there's different macro things happening. One is people. I, I don't have data on this. I would love to have data on this. But I bet people are less on social media during the summer than on in the winter. I would love to be proven wrong, but I, I have that theory on the back of my mind. I think people eat more at home during winter than in the summer, which makes kind of intuitive sense. And I think the cold weather calls for warm stuff.
You know, sounds good to me. The, the last topic that I wanted to get into with you is you work with your wife. Your wife's your co founder. You guys have worked on several businesses together. How is that? How do you guys manage the relationship? What are you responsible for versus what is she responsible for? What's the working dynamic like and how has everything been?
Yeah, the good thing I think is that we were partners at work before we became partners in life and we learned how to work together before that. So we weren't dating or anything at first. We were just co founders. We learned how to work. She has a background in product and industrial design, I have a computer science background. So we complement each other pretty well. And then even at home she, I'm the cook, she's the baker, so we have pretty specific roles. And at the company I'm, you know, tech marketing and E commerce basically.
And she's product procurement and some operations and so we're pretty split. And she's very good at products. She's extremely good at finding and identifying good products and working with people to get that product to market. Even if the place is small or looks like not is not going to scale, she can manage to make them scale. And I'm more on the efficiency, automation, finance, get things done. And so we, we complement each other pretty well. Obviously I wouldn't recommend starting a business the week your son or daughter was born. Um, which put a lot of strain on both of us physically.
We were just exhausted when Walgreens started. We were just, you know, she would wake up, nurse the baby at 4am and then go straight to the bakery, start making croissant until 7pm, go back home, pass out, start again. And that was insane for like six months.
I mean that's, that's crazy. That's the, that's. The other question is how do you manage just from like a time and a lifestyle management perspective, how are you able to. What was it like starting the business like with the kid? I think a lot of the times, like I see a lot of entrepreneurs who are like, you know, they've started businesses maybe before the kid or after the kid, but like having the baby right as you're doing the business, working together, what was that like?
In a way it was very hard because you're sleep deprived. You're really like trying to deal. And it was pandemic. So it was even more mayhem than we, than a normal situation because there's no daycare, nothing. So we were with the baby at the office every day for years and then we had A second baby a year and a half later. So it wasn't like it was simple, but then it kind of helps you focus because one, you're, you're less. This is less. When I started as a founder, I was just reading the blogs, drinking the Kool Aid, like raising money was the goal.
It wasn't really like fighting a business model. But then when you're, when you're a parent, you know, there's a kid on the line. You can't just, you need a business that works. You can't just raise money for two years and then think about it in, when the two years end, you need to be, you know, 100% sure this is going to work for you and your kids. And that's what I think drove a lot of focus for us and drove our decision making to be, you know, you, it helped us go get help when we needed to get help and not, you know, grind through it unnecessarily because we, you know, we had to feed them at 6 and we had to put them to bed and we had to work. But I still wouldn't recommend it to people who are about to have a baby. I would be like, hey, wait until they're a year old or a year and a half or two years to start a startup. Because it's, I mean, there is literally no paternity or maternity leave.
We, we worked at the hospital, which is not great.
That's, that's wild. But yeah, I mean, it sounds like, you know, it's an amazing thing that you guys have together now with the family and being a good forcing function also for, you know, I think a lot of startup founders have been through it where you're just like driving yourself into the ground almost unnecessarily when there are other ways. And that becomes kind of like it draws the line for you and you're like, no, like figure something else out. So kind of gives you, gives you boundaries so it doesn't become all encompassing. Ismail, as we wrap up here, really cool business. Love how you guys have thought about building it. Very complex, but it's clearly a very exciting space that you guys have been in and found a lot of success. As we wrap up here, you know, are there any like reflections or final tips that you would have for other people who are like starting their businesses now that you've been through it, you've been through it with startup that has failed.
You've raised venture, you've, you know, scaled this eight figures plus up revenue. Like, what would your like, key Takeaways be for other founders who are launching brands in the, in the consumer space.
My most common advice, there's a couple. The first one is if you can make it a subscription, make it a subscription is very important. It, it, it will change your business in ways you don't even think of when you start. The second thing is go to market as quick as possible. And then by as quick as possible is really, really. Don't hire an agency to build a website. If you can build one quickly and just go to market. Get your first customers, whatever shape or form you can do it with friends and family, with referrals.
Just start shipping products as soon as you get. Especially in food. It doesn't require a lot of, you know, tech or engineering beforehand and you learn so much and it will save you a lot of time later on in the business because you don't need to raise $5 million to start a food business. You don't need, you just need to go to market, find your customers, make sure that they love it and they reorder it often and they, and then it's just amazing.
Awesome. No, I totally agree with that. Just start right, like don't, don't wait around.
But selling is, I'm not, you know, I'm a tech guy, so I didn't have that, that reflex. And people used to tell and tell me this and I was, I was more of like, if you build it, they will come kind of attitude. And it was one of the dumbest thing I did in my previous startup is to really be product, product focus versus customer focus. And I think going to the customer, talking to them, selling to, you know, someone who pulled their credit card and paid for your product is very different than talking to just, you know, surveys and market analysis and things like that.
Actually, that's funny that you mention it because like, you know, the company, one of the companies I'm working on right now, we're, we're fully bootstrapped. We've scaled it up. But even getting it off the ground, you know, before our first reaction and reflex was oh, let's put a deck together and go find investors for it. Whereas this one, we don't even have a deck. We're doing, you know, millions in revenue and it was, we were spending all our time just talking to our customers and developing the product. So that's something that I definitely resonate with and I think is like super, super spot on. So for anyone who's tuning in that wants to like, learn more about Wildgrain, connect with you. Are you guys on? You know, where do we find socials for yourself as well as the company?
The company is wildgrain.com so it's very easy and you can look me in LinkedIn. Usually you'll find me on LinkedIn and I'm pretty responsive if you're not a bot.
Awesome. Well Ismael, thanks so much for coming on the pod. It was a blast. We learned a lot and excited to see you guys keep growing and I'm going to try out some bread and croissants definitely. So appreciate it.
Thank you for having me.
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love your support. A rating and review would go a long way as we continue to host the best bill builders in DTC and beyond. Follow and subscribe to the show and make sure to check out our show notes where you can find our socials and weekly newsletter. Visit us on dtcpod. Com to join our founder community and access resources from every episode. We'll see you on the next podcast.
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More from this recording
DTC Pod Linkedin
@Ismail Salhi, co-founder and CEO of @Wildgrain, joins @blaine on this week's episode of DTC Pod to share his journey from computer scientist to subscription box entrepreneur.
Inspired by his wife's baking during the pandemic, Ismail launched Wildgrain, offering a curated selection of artisanal bread, pasta, and pastries delivered frozen to customers' doorsteps.
Ismail discusses the challenges of balancing a growing business with a newborn, scaling production through partnerships with local bakeries, and leveraging technology to optimize logistics and enhance customer experience.
We explore subscription-based business models, efficient growth strategies, and the importance of adaptability in the face of unexpected challenges.
Full episode here: [Spotify Link]
#dtcpod #entrepreneurship #subscriptionbusiness #foodtech #logisticsoptimization #customerexperience #startupgrowth
1️⃣ One Sentence Summary
Bread subscription box grows rapidly with automation and customer focus.
Interview Breakdown
In this episode, Blaine Bolus interviews Ismail Salhi, co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, a bread subscription box company. Ismail shares his entrepreneurial journey, from the inception of Wildgrain to navigating the challenges of growing a business during the pandemic.
Today, we'll cover:
Wildgrain's unique subscription model and product offerings
Scaling production through partnerships with local bakeries
Leveraging technology to enhance logistics and customer experience
Balancing family life and startup demands in the early stages
Key business advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
🔑 7 Key Themes
Here are 7 key themes discussed in the episode, each summarized in 7 words or less:
New Slack community for D2C founders
HubSpot's Sales Hub for revenue boost
Wildgrain: bread subscription box startup journey
Pandemic-driven business model pivot and growth
Tech-optimized logistics for frozen product delivery
Efficient operations through automation and outsourcing
Subscription model benefits and marketing strategies
💬 Keywords
D2C founders
Slack community
Hubspot Sales Hub
Wildgrain
Subscription box
Bread subscription
Frozen baked goods
Startup journey
Pandemic business
Product development
Manufacturing scaling
Customer experience
Subscription offer
COVID-19 business impact
Distribution network
Logistics optimization
Tech integration
Customer-centric approach
Subscription business model
Customer acquisition
Automation strategy
Outsourcing
Product launch process
Carrier selection software
Seasonal growth
Marketing spend
Consumer behavior
Co-founding with spouse
Educational marketing
Dietary inclusivity
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Announcing a Slack community for D2C founders/operators to connect, pending a 150-member waitlist. Also, consider HubSpot's Sales Hub for enhanced sales processes and reporting.
05:13 Discovered efficient sourdough baking; stored excess loaves by freezing half-baked, finished later.
09:10 The pandemic shifted our business from vertical integration to outsourcing baking and packaging frozen bread for distribution.
11:22 Developed a tech-driven logistics system to ensure on-time, quality frozen deliveries tailored to varying conditions and demographics.
13:58 Streamlined processes save time across all business areas, notably making replacement orders quicker for customer support.
18:59 Create demand for unique products by educating consumers instead of targeting irrelevant search traffic.
22:47 Paris trip diet success: healthier bread and butter.
25:14 Product launch involves development, packaging, logistics, and multiple production sites for efficient distribution.
26:32 DTCpod joins the HubSpot Podcast Network to grow and feature top business guests.
29:33 Significant growth in Q1; focus on retention in slow season, then invest heavily in marketing during peak.
34:44 Starting a business with a newborn is challenging; wait until the child is older due to lack of parental leave.
35:45 Startup lessons: avoid burnout, set boundaries, and learn from failures.
39:35 Support by rating, reviewing, subscribing, and visiting dtcpod.com.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Join our D2C Slack community waitlist now.
05:13 Pre-pandemic sourdough adventure: freezer finish technique.
09:10 Pandemic forced outsourcing bread production process.
11:22 Tech-enhanced logistics for reliable frozen deliveries.
13:58 Streamlining processes saves time across business operations.
18:59 Create demand for new products; educate customers.
22:47 Parisian bread and butter healthier, didn't gain weight.
25:14 Product development, packaging, logistics, distribution, multiple bakeries.
26:32 DTCpod joins HubSpot Podcast Network for growth.
29:33 Peak growth in early year; double business.
34:44 Parenting requires focus; delay starting a business.
35:45 Entrepreneurship: Family-driven boundaries enhance startup success.
39:35 Support us by rating, reviewing, and subscribing.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Launch Announcement
New Slack community for D2C founders and operators
Waitlist and membership goal
Tool Recommendation
HubSpot's Sales Hub for managing sales processes and boosting revenue
Features and benefits
Guest Introduction
Ismail Salhi, co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain
Background and previous business experience
Wildgrain Background
Founding story and inspiration
Subscription model rationale
Start-up Journey
Founding date and initial operations
Investment and early marketing strategies
Company Growth
Balancing personal life and business growth
Team expansion and revenue milestones
Product Offerings
Subscription box contents
Shipping and preparation process
Manufacturing and Scaling
Pandemic-related challenges and adaptations
Partnerships with local bakeries
Customer Experience
Product selection and delivery process
Promotions and offers
Business Evolution During COVID-19
Pivoting from vertical integration to partnerships
Streamlining production and packaging processes
Distribution Network
Establishing regional distribution centers
Partnering with local bakeries for supply
Logistics and Customer Experience
Importance of efficient operations for customer retention
Adapting delivery strategies for product integrity
Tech Integration in Operations
Leveraging technology for operational efficiency
Simplifying customer support processes
Customer-Centric Approach
Focusing on customer experience and feedback
Continuous process refinement
Business Model Focus
Prioritizing long-term customer satisfaction and retention
Subscription-based profitability
Marketing and Customer Acquisition
Introducing an innovative product
Focusing on customer growth and retention
Automation and Outsourcing Strategy
Staying small and efficient through automation and outsourcing
Hiring only when essential
Product Launch Process
Product development and refinement
Collaboration with regional bakeries
Distribution and Shipping
Utilizing multiple carriers based on various criteria
Optimizing carrier selection with software
Growth and Marketing Strategy
Seasonal demand and marketing spend concentration
Leveraging consumer behavior during peak periods
Co-Founding with Spouse
Complementary skill sets and professional dynamics
Balancing work and personal relationships
Roles and Responsibilities
Division of focus areas between co-founders
Reflecting work dynamics in personal life
Educational Marketing
Differentiating products through consumer education
Highlighting health benefits of sourdough
Subscription Model Benefits
Managing marketing costs effectively
Capturing consumer attention
Product Customization
Shifting from curated boxes to customizable options
Responding to customer feedback
Product Range Expansion
Variety of breads, pastas, and seasonal items
Introducing high-quality non-carb products
Inclusivity and Dietary Needs
Offering gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and nut-free options
Planning a low carb, high protein product line
Scaling Operations
Efficient expansion through distributed bakery networks
Potential ownership of production facilities
Co-Founder Dynamics
Distinct roles and strengths
Challenges of starting a business with a newborn
Startup Advice
Avoiding starting a business immediately after having a child
Focusing on a subscription-based business model for growth
Business Launch Insights
Prioritizing customer focus over product focus
Learning from real customer feedback rather than investor pitches
Closing Remarks
Wildgrain's website and Ismail Salhi's LinkedIn profile
Blaine Bolus's related bootstrapping experience
✏️ Custom Newsletter
Subject: 🍞 Fresh Out of the Oven: DTC POD's Latest Episode with Ismail Salhi! 🥐
Hey there, podcast lovers! 👋
We've got a treat for you today – and it's not just the mouthwatering bread and pastries we're talking about! 🥖 The DTC POD just dropped a brand new episode featuring Ismail Salhi, the co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain. 🎉
In this episode, Blaine and Ismail dish out some serious entrepreneurial wisdom while exploring the world of subscription-based bakery goodness. 🧑🍳 Here are five key takeaways you won't want to miss:
📈 Discover how Wildgrain's subscription model helped them navigate the challenges of the pandemic and achieve impressive growth.
🌐 Learn about their innovative distribution network and the tech-driven logistics system that keeps their products fresh and frozen. ❄️
👥 Get insights into Wildgrain's customer-centric approach and how they continuously refine their processes based on feedback.
🧩 Understand the importance of automation and outsourcing in staying small and efficient as a business.
💑 Hear about Ismail's experience co-founding the company with his wife and balancing family life with entrepreneurship.
Fun Fact: 🥐 Wildgrain offers a promotion where customers can get free croissants for life! These croissants are said to rival those found in Paris. 🇫🇷 Talk about a sweet deal!
So, grab a cup of coffee ☕, sit back, and enjoy this engaging conversation between Blaine and Ismail. You might just find yourself craving some artisanal bread by the end of it! 🍞
Don't forget to check out Wildgrain at wildgrain.com and connect with Ismail on LinkedIn. 🤝 And if you haven't already, make sure to join the waitlist for DTC POD's new Slack community for D2C founders and operators. Trust us; you won't want to miss out on this! 🚀
Happy listening! 🎧
The DTC POD Team
🐦 Business Lesson Tweet Thread
1/ Starting a business right after having a baby? Absolutely brutal. But that's exactly what Ismail Salhi of @wildgrain did.
2/ Newborn at home, pandemic raging outside, no daycare. Ismail and his wife took turns between diaper changes and investor calls.
3/ How'd they make it work? Relentless focus. Honed in on a subscription model for their bread box concept. Got to market ASAP for real feedback.
4/ "Don't wait for perfection to launch," Ismail says. Refine the product based on actual customer interactions, not a pitch deck.
5/ Today, @wildgrain's got 80k+ subscribers and 8-figure revenue. Proof that grit and customer obsession can overcome any obstacle.
6/ For more wisdom from the trenches of entrepreneurship, catch my full convo with Ismail Salhi on the latest @dtcpod episode.
🎓 Lessons Learned
Here are 10 key lessons from the podcast episode with Ismail Salhi, each with a 5-word title and 20-word description:
Title: Launch Quickly, Refine Later
Description: Don't wait for perfection to launch. Get your product to market fast and improve based on feedback.Title: Subscription Model Enables Growth
Description: Offering products via subscription helps manage marketing costs effectively and supports sustained business growth.Title: Adapt Based on Customer Feedback
Description: Initially offered curated boxes, but pivoted to customization options after listening to customer preferences.Title: Cater to Diverse Dietary Needs
Description: Provide inclusive options like gluten-free and vegan to accommodate various dietary requirements within households.Title: Scale Efficiently with Partnerships
Description: Partner with regional bakeries and use a distributed network to efficiently scale production and distribution.Title: Divide Roles with Co-Founder
Description: Clearly define responsibilities with your co-founder based on individual strengths for effective collaboration.Title: Prioritize Family Over Fundraising
Description: Focus on a sustainable business model that supports your family rather than just chasing investor money.Title: Learn from Real Customer Interactions
Description: Gain valuable insights by going directly to market and learning from actual customer feedback.Title: Utilize Storytelling in Marketing
Description: Educate consumers about product benefits through compelling stories to differentiate from traditional offerings.Title: Think Twice About Newborn Entrepreneurship
Description: Starting a business right after having a baby is challenging due to intense demands and responsibilities.
💎 Maxims
Here is a list of maxims to live by based on the key concepts and advice shared in the DTC POD episode featuring Ismail Salhi, co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain:
Pursue your passions, even if it means pivoting from your current path.
Let customer feedback guide your product development and business strategy.
Embrace a subscription-based business model for sustained growth and predictable revenue.
Launch quickly and refine based on real market feedback instead of striving for perfection.
Focus on customer needs and experience above all else.
Play to you and your co-founder's individual strengths to divide responsibilities effectively.
Automate and outsource wherever possible to maintain efficiency with a lean team.
Diversify your product offerings to cater to a wider range of customer preferences and needs.
Adapt your logistics, packaging and carriers continuously to ensure optimal product quality upon delivery.
Concentrate marketing efforts during peak seasonal demand to maximize ROI.
Educate consumers on your product benefits to differentiate yourself in the market.
Allow for product customization and choice to improve the customer experience.
Plan for efficient operational scaling as you grow, utilizing strategies like distributed manufacturing.
Avoid starting a business immediately after having a child due to competing demands.
Define a focused business model centered around real market needs versus fundraising alone.
🌟 3 Fun Facts
Here are 3 fun facts from the episode:
Ismail Salhi's wife inspired the idea for Wildgrain while baking bread in Germany during the pandemic.
Wildgrain offers a unique "free croissants for life" promotion to customers.
Ismail and his wife, who is also his co-founder, had to bring their newborn baby to the office during Wildgrain's startup phase due to a lack of daycare during the pandemic.
📓 Blog Post
Title: From Passion to Profit: Lessons from Wildgrain's Subscription-Based Success
Subheader: Ismail Salhi shares his journey of turning a home-baking hobby into a thriving D2C business
Introduction:
In a recent episode of the DTC POD, host Blaine Bolus sat down with Ismail Salhi, co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, to discuss the company's remarkable growth and the lessons learned along the way. Wildgrain, a subscription-based business offering artisanal bread, pasta, and pastries, has captured the attention of consumers seeking high-quality, convenient baked goods.
The Inception of Wildgrain:
Salhi's entrepreneurial journey began in 2019 when his wife's passion for baking inspired the idea of a bread subscription box. Recognizing the potential of a subscription model for a staple commodity like bread, the couple decided to turn their side project into a full-fledged business. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Wildgrain secured a $700,000 investment and launched quickly using Facebook ads and influencer marketing.
Scaling Production and Distribution:
As demand grew, Wildgrain had to adapt its manufacturing process. Initially home-based due to pandemic constraints, the company later moved to a commercial kitchen and partnered with local bakeries to scale production. To ensure efficient distribution, Wildgrain established a network of five distribution centers across the country, with regional bakeries supplying directly to these centers.
Customer Experience at the Forefront:
Wildgrain's success relies heavily on customer satisfaction and retention. To maintain product quality during transit, the company developed a tech-driven logistics system that ensures products remain fully frozen. They also continuously refine their delivery strategies, such as holding shipments during high temperatures and using dry ice, based on customer feedback. Salhi's background in computer science has been instrumental in creating a technology layer over third-party logistics and last-mile carriers, enhancing operational efficiency and customer support processes.
Marketing and Customer Acquisition:
Introducing a unique product that bridges the gap between market-bought and home-baked goods, Wildgrain aims to instill a new habit for consumers. The company's marketing efforts focus on educating customers about the benefits of their products, such as the health advantages of sourdough, through meta platforms and influencer collaborations. As a subscription-based business, Wildgrain concentrates its marketing spend during peak demand periods, particularly Q3, Q4, and Q1, when people are more likely to stay home and consume baked goods.
Expanding Product Offerings:
In response to customer feedback, Wildgrain has expanded its product range to include various breads, pastas, and seasonal items. The company also started offering high-quality non-carb products, such as butter from a small dairy farm in France, which has been well-received by customers. With a goal of inclusivity, Wildgrain plans to introduce gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and nut-free options, as well as a low carb, high protein product line by 2025.
Balancing Family and Business:
Salhi and his wife, who is also his co-founder, have learned to balance their personal and professional lives while growing Wildgrain. They complement each other with their distinct skill sets, with Salhi focusing on technology, marketing, and eCommerce, while his partner excels in product procurement and market scaling. Despite the challenges of starting a business right after the birth of their child, the couple has successfully navigated the demands of parenthood and entrepreneurship.
Conclusion:
Ismail Salhi's journey with Wildgrain demonstrates the power of passion, perseverance, and customer-centricity in building a successful D2C business. By focusing on product quality, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction, Wildgrain has grown from a home-based passion project to a thriving subscription-based business. Salhi's advice to aspiring entrepreneurs emphasizes the importance of a focused business model, quick market launches, and learning from customer interactions. As Wildgrain continues to expand its offerings and cater to diverse dietary preferences, the company is poised for continued success in the artisanal baked goods market.
🎤 Voiceover Script
Launching a subscription-based bakery business during a pandemic with a newborn? Sounds impossible, right? But Ismail Salhi, co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, did just that.
In this episode, Ismail shares his journey of turning a side project into a thriving eight-figure company. He reveals:
-How they adapted their business model to overcome pandemic challenges.
-The importance of focusing on customer experience and product quality.
-Strategies for efficient scaling through automation and outsourcing.
-Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on launching quickly and learning from customers.
Tune in to learn how Wildgrain is revolutionizing the baked goods industry, one sourdough loaf at a time.
🔘 Best Practices Guide
Best Practices for Launching a Subscription-Based Business
Develop a focused business model driven by customer needs and real-world constraints.
Launch quickly with a minimum viable product to gather customer feedback early.
Prioritize customer experience over product perfection.
Use subscription models for sustained growth and predictable revenue.
Leverage automation and outsourcing to operate efficiently with a small team.
Adapt products and operations based on customer feedback and seasonal demand.
Invest in educational marketing to highlight product benefits and differentiation.
Offer diverse options to cater to various dietary preferences and needs.
Plan for scaling by establishing a distributed production and distribution network.
Clearly define co-founder roles and responsibilities based on individual strengths.
Consider personal and family commitments when starting a business.
Learn from direct customer interactions rather than relying solely on investor pitches.
🎆 Social Carousel: Do's/Don'ts
Here is a "Don't do this, instead do this" LinkedIn carousel for retention marketing tips based on the Ismail Salhi episode of the DTC POD podcast:
Cover Slide:
10 Retention Marketing Musts from Wildgrain's CEO
Slide 1:
Title: Seek Perfection
Don't wait for the perfect product. Launch quickly and iterate based on real customer feedback.
Slide 2:
Title: Product-First Focus
Prioritize customer needs over product features. Adapt your offerings to solve their problems.
Slide 3:
Title: Short-Term Thinking
Build for long-term retention, not just initial sales. Subscriptions promote sustained growth.
Slide 4:
Title: In-House Everything
Outsource strategically to stay efficient. Automate where possible and hire only when essential.
Slide 5:
Title: Limit Options
Offer choice and customization. Allow customers to select products that fit their preferences.
Slide 6:
Title: One-Size-Fits-All
Cater to diverse needs. Provide options for different diets, like gluten-free and vegan.
Slide 7:
Title: Set-and-Forget Logistics
Continuously monitor and adjust shipping for quality. Adapt packaging and carriers as needed.
Slide 8:
Title: Skimp on Tech
Leverage technology to streamline ops. Automate customer support and optimize fulfillment.
Slide 9:
Title: Spray-and-Pray Marketing
Educate customers on product benefits. Highlight health advantages and unique qualities.
Slide 10:
Title: Neglect Experience
Prioritize customer satisfaction to drive retention. Product quality and service drive long-term success.
🎠 Social Carousel
Here is a 10-slide LinkedIn/Instagram carousel featuring maxims learned in the DTC Pod episode with Ismail Salhi:
Slide 1:
10 Insights Every D2C Founder Needs
From Wildgrain's CEO Ismail Salhi
Slide 2:
Launch Quickly
Don't wait for perfection. Get real customer feedback fast.
Slide 3:
Subscription Sustains Growth
Make products subscription-based for consistent revenue and customer loyalty.
Slide 4:
Customers Over Product
Focus on solving customer needs rather than just product development.
Slide 5:
Efficient Scaling
Automate, outsource, and hire only when essential to stay lean.
Slide 6:
Multi-Carrier Shipping
Use software to optimize carrier selection based on location, weather, and network.
Slide 7:
Inclusive Product Range
Offer options for diverse dietary needs to cater to whole households.
Slide 8:
Complement Co-Founders
Partner with someone who has different yet complementary skills.
Slide 9:
Plan for Parenthood
Avoid starting a business right after having a child.
Slide 10:
Connect with Ismail
Learn more from Wildgrain's CEO on LinkedIn. Link in bio.
One Off Tweets
A new Slack community for D2C founders and operators is here.
Join the waitlist now and be part of an exclusive group of like-minded entrepreneurs.
Apply through the link in the description.Looking to boost your sales revenue?
Check out HubSpot's new Sales Hub.
Powerful, customizable, AI-powered tools with quick setup.
Manage your sales processes like a pro.From computer scientist to bread subscription box CEO.
Ismail Salhi's unconventional journey proves that great ideas can come from unexpected places.
Embrace your unique background and let it fuel your entrepreneurial spirit.Wildgrain was born out of the pandemic's challenges.
A simple idea inspired by home baking turned into a thriving subscription business.
When life gives you lemons, make bread.Growing a business while raising a newborn?
Ismail Salhi and his wife balanced an 8-figure company and a new baby in 2020.
Proof that with determination, you can have it all.Forget the bakery.
Wildgrain brings artisanal bread, pasta, and pastries right to your doorstep.
Frozen for freshness, ready to bake at home.
Elevate your meals with convenience.Scaling production doesn't always mean doing it alone.
Wildgrain partnered with local bakeries to meet demand.
Collaborate strategically to grow your business without compromising quality.Free croissants for life?
That's the power of a compelling customer promotion.
Wildgrain knows how to sweeten the deal.
Create offers your customers can't refuse.Efficiency is key when your product's quality depends on it.
Wildgrain's tech-driven logistics ensure frozen goods stay fresh in transit.
Invest in systems that prioritize your customers' experience.Profitability in subscription-based businesses relies on long-term customer satisfaction.
Focus on retention over short-term gains.
Wildgrain's customer-centric approach is a masterclass in building loyalty.
Twitter Post 1
Wildgrain's subscription includes 4 free croissants for life with every order.
Buttery, flaky pastries - just like you'd find in a Parisian bakery!
Mindsets
If you're looking to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset that can help drive your startup's success, consider making these perspective shifts inspired by Ismail Salhi's journey with Wildgrain:
💭 Embrace a customer-centric approach over a product-centric one. By prioritizing your customers' needs and actively seeking their feedback, you can refine your offerings and build a loyal subscriber base that will support your business's growth.
💭 Launch quickly and iterate based on real-world insights. Rather than striving for perfection before entering the market, focus on getting your product in front of customers and learning from their interactions. This agile approach allows you to adapt and improve based on actual data rather than assumptions.
💭 View challenges as opportunities for innovation. When faced with obstacles like the pandemic or supply chain issues, look for creative solutions that can streamline your operations and enhance your customer experience. Leveraging technology and strategic partnerships can help you navigate these hurdles and emerge stronger.
For more inspiring stories and valuable insights from successful D2C founders, be sure to check out the DTC POD, available wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Don't forget to join the waitlist for our exclusive Slack community, where you can connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and access additional resources to support your startup journey.
Tactics
5 Strategies to Boost Your D2C Business Based on Insights from Ismail Salhi, Co-Founder of Wildgrain:
🍞 Leverage the power of subscription-based models. By offering a recurring product or service, you can better manage marketing costs, predict revenue, and foster long-term customer relationships. Consider how you can adapt your offerings to fit a subscription format that provides value and convenience to your target audience.
📦 Prioritize customer experience and feedback. Continuously monitor and refine your processes to ensure top-notch product quality and customer satisfaction. Implement systems to streamline customer support, such as automating replacement orders, and actively seek customer input to guide product development and improvements.
🤝 Build strategic partnerships to scale efficiently. Rather than trying to do everything in-house, explore collaborations with specialized partners who can help you expand production, distribution, and logistics capabilities. Focus on your core competencies while leveraging the expertise of others to grow your business without overextending your resources.
📊 Embrace technology to optimize operations. Develop or integrate software solutions to enhance efficiency across various aspects of your business, such as carrier selection for shipping, inventory management, and customer data analysis. By automating processes and leveraging data-driven insights, you can make informed decisions and allocate resources more effectively.
🎯 Educate your audience to differentiate your products. Instead of solely promoting features, focus your marketing efforts on highlighting the unique benefits and value proposition of your offerings. Use storytelling and educational content to help consumers understand how your products stand out from traditional alternatives and align with their needs and preferences.
In Depth Thread
Overrated: Launching with the perfect product.
Perfectionism stalls progress.
Underrated: Getting real customer feedback ASAP.
Wildgrain launched quickly with a home-based operation, using platforms like FB ads and influencer marketing. They iterated based on actual customer insights.
5 Key Wildgrain Facts
Founded: 2019
Initial investment: $700K
2020 subscribers: 80,000+
2020 revenue: 8-figures
2020 team size: 10
Artisanal Baked Goods Delivered
Subscription box with premium bread, pasta and pastries - shipped frozen, baked fresh at home. Bridging the gap between store-bought and homemade.
Market potential: Rising demand for high-quality, convenient home-baked goods.
"Bringing the bakery to your doorstep."
Wildgrain delivers artisanal baked goods nationwide, making it easy to enjoy fresh, wholesome bread, pasta and pastries at home.
Tech-Driven Logistics
Optimized operations with a proprietary software system for carrier selection, ensuring products stay fully frozen in transit. Continuously refining based on data and feedback.
Flexible Subscription Model
Launched with a curated box, evolved to customizable options based on customer preferences. Expanded range includes gluten-free, vegan, and more specialty products.
Scaling Strategy
Partnered with regional bakeries for production, established a network of distribution centers. Balancing vertical integration with outsourcing for efficient growth.
Founder-Market Fit
Co-founders Ismail and Johanna Salhi:
Ismail: Tech, marketing, finance
Johanna: Product and partnerships
Personal passion for artisanal food
3 P's of WildgrainPeople: Lean, skilled team of 10
Process: Customer-centric, data-driven
Product: Premium quality, innovative
Proven traction, poised to scale the future of home baking.
New Idea
Idea #1: Balancing Business and Family Life
Balancing business and family responsibilities can be challenging, especially when starting a new venture. Evidence from the podcast includes:
Simultaneous Business Launch and Newborn: Ismail Salhi and his wife started their business, Wildgrain, right after the birth of their child. Managing a newborn's needs while handling business duties proved to be physically and mentally exhausting.
Pandemic Complications: The startup phase coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant no access to daycare. The couple had to bring their baby to the office, further complicating the balance between work and family.
Focused Business Model for Family Support: Ismail emphasizes the importance of having a focused business model driven by the need to support a family, rather than just fundraising. This mindset helps prioritize family obligations alongside business growth.
Tweet thread on learnings
Here is a tweet thread based on the key takeaways and learnings from the podcast episode with Ismail Salhi, co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain:
Tweet 1:
🍞 Fascinating convo with @IsmailSalhi, co-founder & CEO of @wildgrain, a subscription biz for artisanal bread, pasta & pastries.
Some key takeaways on building a successful DTC brand in a competitive market: 🧵👇
Tweet 2:
Educate consumers through marketing 📚
Differentiate by highlighting unique product benefits.
For Wildgrain, it's the health advantages of slow-fermented sourdough bread vs. traditional bread.
Lean into educational content to stand out in a crowded space.
Tweet 3:
Adapt based on customer feedback 🗣️
Wildgrain initially offered a fixed-item subscription box.
But customers wanted more choice & customization.
Listening to feedback led to expanding options & allowing subscribers to personalize their selections.
Tweet 4:
Cater to diverse dietary needs 🥗
Aim for inclusivity by providing options for various preferences:
Gluten-free
Vegan
Dairy-free
Nut-free
Make it easy for households with different diets to find something for everyone.
Tweet 5:
Scale efficiently through partnerships 🤝
As you grow, consider a distributed network of suppliers vs. doing it all in-house.
Wildgrain partners with regional bakeries to optimize production and reduce shipping times as they expand.
Look for ways to scale smart, not just fast.
Tweet 6:
Leverage your strengths as co-founders 💪
@IsmailSalhi and his wife/co-founder have clear swim lanes:
He tackles tech, marketing, finance
She owns product & partnerships
Know your superpowers & divide responsibilities to operate efficiently as a team.
Tweet 7:
Focus on the customer over the product 🎯
Don't get tunnel vision on just perfecting the product.
Prioritize solving real customer problems. Go to market quickly to get actual user feedback.
Continuously improve based on how customers are engaging with your offering.
Tweet 8:
Build for long-term customer retention 🔄
For a subscription biz, true profitability comes from keeping customers happy for the long haul.
Wildgrain invests heavily in the post-purchase experience - from how products are shipped to how issues get resolved.
Play the long game.
Tweet 9:
💭 Lots more tactical insights in the full episode with @IsmailSalhi!
Tune in to hear the Wildgrain story and lessons on:
Balancing family & startup life
Bootstrapping vs. VC funding
Managing inventory & logistics
Check it out 👉 [link to episode]
LinkedIN - Start from Scratch
If I were building a subscription-based bread company like Wildgrain, here's the marketing playbook I'd use:
(This is the exact strategy Ismail Salhi used to scale Wildgrain to 80,000+ subscribers)
To turn strangers into subscribers (and subscribers into brand evangelists), you need marketing that:
• Educates people on your product
• Differentiates you from competitors
• Inspires consumer habit change
So...
How do you create marketing that informs, persuades, and converts?
By using the Educational Marketing Framework.
Educational marketing has 3 parts:
• Product benefits (WHAT)
• Competitive advantages (WHY)
• Usage occasions (WHEN)
WHAT content explains product benefits.
It highlights key features that improve consumers' lives.
WHY content positions you as the superior choice.
It directly compares you to alternatives in the market.
WHEN content shows how to incorporate the product into routines.
Recipes, pairings, usage ideas, etc.
The key is to address each piece:
• Clearly explain WHAT makes your product great
• Convince consumers WHY to choose you
• Demonstrate WHEN to use your product
Most brands go wrong by only focusing on WHAT.
They tout product features without giving consumers a reason to believe or change habits.
The solution?
Develop content that spans the full educational journey from WHAT to WHY to WHEN.
Then layer in social proof to build credibility and drive action.
So how can you implement educational marketing for a bread subscription?
Step 1: Lean into product benefits
Highlight health advantages (e.g. sourdough & gut health)
Showcase ingredient quality and sourcing
Stress the convenience of frozen, ready-to-bake items
Step 2: Differentiate from the status quo
Compare to store-bought alternatives
Contrast to time/effort of baking from scratch
Position as an elevated, artisanal experience
Step 3: Suggest usage occasions
Share recipes that incorporate products
Recommend themed boxes for holidays/events
Curate pairings (e.g. butter, jams, dips)
The biggest takeaway?
Marketing, like baking, has key ingredients.
Include them all for the perfect mix.
What other food/bev brands have you seen nail this?
Would love to hear it.
--
Check out the full convo with Ismail here:
bit.ly/DTCPOD
And learn more about Wildgrain's bread subscription at wildgrain.com
Future State, 6 reasons post
In 2 years, Ismail Salhi grew Wildgrain to over 80,000 subscribers and 8-figure revenue. As a D2C founder, he's discovered a winning formula for subscription-based businesses. But many entrepreneurs struggle to replicate this success. Here are 6 strategies that, if applied, can unlock sustainable growth and profitability:
BACKGROUND:
Forget one-time purchases or short-term gains; the future belongs to subscription-based models that prioritize long-term customer satisfaction and retention.
Subscriptions allow businesses to manage marketing costs effectively, build predictable revenue streams, and focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences.
If founders pay attention, they can transform their D2C ventures into thriving, profitable enterprises that not only acquire customers but also retain them for the long haul.
Old D2C Model:
Reliance on one-time purchases
High customer acquisition costs
Short-term focus on quick profits
Inconsistent revenue streams
New D2C Model:
Subscription-based offerings
Emphasis on customer retention
Long-term focus on satisfaction
Predictable, recurring revenue
At Wildgrain, Ismail and his team are generating consistent revenue, fostering a loyal customer base, and scaling efficiently - all while maintaining a lean team of just ten people. It's hard to achieve this level of success with traditional D2C models.
HOWEVER...
Many entrepreneurs struggle to implement subscription-based models effectively. They often focus too much on product development and not enough on customer experience. Founders should consider adopting these six strategies to build a successful subscription-based D2C business:
Identify a staple commodity that lends itself well to subscription (e.g., bread, razors, pet food) and create a convenient, high-quality offering around it.
Invest in educational marketing to highlight the unique benefits of your products and differentiate them from traditional alternatives.
Leverage automation and outsourcing to keep your team lean and efficient, hiring only when absolutely necessary.
Continuously refine your products and processes based on customer feedback, focusing on enhancing the overall experience.
Develop a robust logistics system to ensure timely, reliable delivery and maintain product quality throughout the supply chain.
Offer customization options and cater to diverse customer preferences to maximize inclusivity and broaden your target market.
I believe that by adopting a subscription-based model and prioritizing customer satisfaction, D2C businesses can unlock tremendous growth potential and build enduring brands.
Subscriptions have the power to transform the D2C landscape, enabling entrepreneurs to create sustainable, profitable ventures that deliver value to customers year after year.
P.S.
What strategies have you found effective in building a successful subscription-based D2C business?
Do you think subscriptions are the key to long-term success in the D2C space, or are there other models worth exploring?
About the Episode
Ismail Salhi is the co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, a subscription-based company offering artisanal breads, pastas, and pastries that can be easily prepared at home. With a background in computer science and experience running a hardware business, Ismail brings a unique perspective to the food industry.
In this episode of DTC POD, Ismail shares insights into Wildgrain's journey from a pandemic-born side project to a thriving business with over 80,000 subscribers and eight-figure revenue. He discusses the challenges of scaling production through partnerships with local bakeries, ensuring product quality during shipping, and leveraging technology to optimize logistics and customer experience.
Ismail emphasizes the importance of a customer-centric approach, focusing on long-term satisfaction and retention rather than short-term profits. He also shares Wildgrain's marketing strategies, which include educating consumers about the benefits of their products and targeting seasonal demand peaks.
Throughout the conversation, Ismail touches on the advantages and challenges of co-founding a business with his spouse, the company's plans for expanding its product range to cater to diverse dietary needs, and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, such as launching quickly and prioritizing customer feedback over investor pitches.
Episode Summary
Ismail Salhi is the co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, a subscription-based bakery that delivers artisanal bread, pasta, and pastries directly to consumers. With a background in computer science and entrepreneurship, Ismail has successfully scaled the business to over 80,000 subscribers.
In this episode of DTC Pod, Ismail shares his startup journey, from the initial idea inspired by his wife's baking in Germany to the challenges of launching and growing the business during the pandemic with a newborn. He discusses the company's focus on product quality, customer experience, and operational efficiency, as well as their marketing strategies and plans for future expansion.
Success Strategies
Here are 3 strategies for DTC success based on insights from Ismail Salhi:
Launch quickly and iterate based on customer feedback
Wildgrain's journey demonstrates the importance of getting to market fast. Rather than waiting for the perfect product, Ismail advises launching as soon as you have something viable.
By putting your offering in front of real customers early on, you can gather invaluable feedback to refine and improve. This approach allows you to make data-driven decisions and pivot quickly if needed.
Focus on delivering value to your initial customer base, then iterate and expand your product line based on their input and evolving needs.
Leverage automation and outsourcing to operate efficiently
As a startup, resources are often limited. To scale effectively without breaking the bank, look for opportunities to automate processes and outsource strategically.
Wildgrain's team of just ten people manages an impressive operation by employing smart automation. They've built tech solutions to streamline everything from order processing to customer support. When needed, they partner with external providers for key functions like manufacturing and shipping.
By staying lean and efficient, you can allocate more resources to areas that directly impact the customer experience and drive growth.
Adapt your marketing spend to seasonal demand patterns
Understand how seasonal factors influence your target audience's purchasing behavior, then adjust your marketing strategy and budget accordingly.
Wildgrain sees peak demand during the colder months of Q3, Q4, and Q1. More people are inclined to eat at home and potentially spend more time on social media during this period. In response, they concentrate their marketing efforts and ad spend to capitalize on this seasonality.
Analyze your own business's demand patterns and identify the times of year when your customers are most likely to buy. Double down on marketing during those key periods to maximize your ROI.
Castmagic LinkedIn Post
Bread-lovers rejoice! 🍞 There's a new subscription box in town that's bringing artisan bread, pasta, and pastries straight to your doorstep. 📦
In this episode of DTC Pod, Ismail Salhi, co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, joins Blaine Bolus to share the story behind his fast-growing subscription business.
With a background in computer science and experience running a hardware business in Paris, Ismail and his wife launched Wildgrain in 2019, inspired by the idea of a bread subscription box.
We unpack the journey from side project to securing a $700K investment, the challenges of scaling production during a pandemic, and the tech-driven logistics system that ensures optimal product quality.
Ismail also shares his marketing strategy, automation and outsourcing approach, and the importance of a customer-centric focus in a subscription-based business.
Listen to the full episode here: [link]
hashtag#subscriptionbox hashtag#artisanbread hashtag#dtcfood hashtag#ecommerce hashtag#shopify
IG Reel Vids
Ismail Salhi, the computer scientist turned bread subscription box entrepreneur, started Wildgrain with his wife in 2019. Their pandemic-born idea was inspired by a breadmaking hobby and grew to 80,000 subscribers and 8-figure revenue in just a year. Here's the kicker, they did it all while caring for a newborn baby. Ismail's tech background helped streamline operations, automate processes, and optimize the customer experience. Wildgrain's focus on high-quality, health-conscious products, and their ability to adapt to customer needs have made them a rising star in the D2C food subscription space.
IG Video
Wildgrain, a bread subscription box company, has skyrocketed to eight-figure revenue with over 80,000 subscribers, all while being run by a team of just 10 people. The company was co-founded by Ismail Salhi and his wife, who came up with the idea while baking bread in Germany during the pandemic.
Their subscription model offers a convenient way to enjoy artisanal baked goods at home. Customers receive frozen products, like sourdough bread and croissants, ready to be baked fresh in their own kitchens.
Wildgrain's success lies in their ability to adapt and innovate. They partnered with local bakeries to scale production and developed a tech-driven logistics system to ensure products stay frozen during shipping.
By focusing on customer experience and continuously refining their processes, Wildgrain has cultivated a loyal subscriber base. Their story showcases the power of a strong product concept combined with efficient operations and a customer-centric approach.
📢 Short VO
A founder's journey is often filled with unexpected challenges and opportunities. Let me share an example.
I recently had Ismail Salhi on the podcast. He's the co-founder and CEO of Wildgrain, a subscription-based company offering artisanal bread, pasta, and pastries delivered frozen to customers' doorsteps. In the episode, Ismail discusses how he and his wife launched the business as a side project in 2019, right after the birth of their child, and grew it to over 80,000 subscribers and eight-figure revenue within a year, all while navigating the challenges of the pandemic. Ismail also shares insights on their unique manufacturing and distribution model, their tech-driven approach to logistics and customer experience, and their marketing strategy focused on educating consumers about the benefits of their products. It's episode [number] on the podcast. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
Success Strategies
Alright, let's dive a bit deeper into these strategies for DTC success, drawing from the wealth of insights Ismail Salhi shared about his experience with Wildgrain.
First up, let's talk about the importance of launching quickly and iterating based on customer feedback. Wildgrain's story is a testament to this approach. When you're just starting out, it's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of perfection. You want everything to be just right before you put your product out there. But here's the thing: you can't really know what "just right" looks like until you get your offering in front of real customers.
That's why Ismail advises launching as soon as you have something viable, even if it's not flawless. This way, you can start gathering that invaluable feedback from actual users. They'll tell you what they love, what they don't, and what they wish your product could do. Armed with these insights, you can refine and improve much more effectively than if you were just guessing in a vacuum.
The key is to focus on delivering real value to your initial customer base. Once you've nailed that, you can start iterating and expanding your product line based on their input and evolving needs. It's a process of continuous improvement, and it all starts with taking that leap and getting to market quickly.
Next, let's consider the power of leveraging automation and outsourcing to operate efficiently. As a startup, you're often working with limited resources. You can't afford to throw money at every challenge or hire a massive team right off the bat. So, how do you scale effectively without breaking the bank? Take a page from Wildgrain's book.
With a team of just ten people, they've managed to build an impressive operation by being smart about automation. They've invested in developing tech solutions to streamline all sorts of processes, from order processing to customer support. This allows them to handle a high volume of business without getting bogged down in manual tasks.
But automation isn't the only way to stay lean and efficient. Wildgrain also strategically partners with external providers for key functions like manufacturing and shipping. By outsourcing these aspects, they can tap into the expertise and infrastructure of specialists without having to build it all in-house.
The lesson here is to always be on the lookout for opportunities to automate and outsource. By doing so, you can free up your resources to focus on the areas that truly matter – the ones that directly impact the customer experience and drive growth.
Finally, let's examine the importance of adapting your marketing spend to seasonal demand patterns. Not all months are created equal when it comes to consumer behavior. Depending on your industry and target audience, there are likely to be certain times of the year when people are more inclined to buy what you're selling.
For Wildgrain, they've observed that demand peaks during the colder months of Q3, Q4, and Q1. It makes sense – more people are apt to eat at home and potentially spend more time on social media during this period. They're in the right mindset to be receptive to Wildgrain's offerings.
Recognizing this pattern, Wildgrain strategically concentrates their marketing efforts and ad spend during these key months. They know that this is when they're likely to get the most bang for their buck in terms of customer acquisition and sales.
The takeaway here is to really dig into your own business's demand patterns. Look at your sales data, talk to your customers, and identify the times of year when they're most likely to buy. Then, double down on your marketing during those critical periods. By aligning your marketing spend with your audience's seasonal behavior, you can maximize your ROI and drive growth more effectively.
Of course, these are just a few of the many strategies that can contribute to DTC success. But based on Ismail Salhi's experience with Wildgrain, they're certainly worth considering as you navigate your own entrepreneurial journey.
Success Strategies
Launching Quickly and Iterating Based on Customer Feedback
Alright, let's dive a bit deeper into these strategies for DTC success, drawing from the wealth of insights Ismail Salhi shared about his experience with Wildgrain.
First up, let's talk about the importance of launching quickly and iterating based on customer feedback. Wildgrain's story is a testament to this approach. When you're just starting out, it's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of perfection. You want everything to be just right before you put your product out there. But here's the thing: you can't really know what "just right" looks like until you get your offering in front of real customers.
That's why Ismail advises launching as soon as you have something viable, even if it's not flawless. This way, you can start gathering that invaluable feedback from actual users. They'll tell you what they love, what they don't, and what they wish your product could do. Armed with these insights, you can refine and improve much more effectively than if you were just guessing in a vacuum.
The key is to focus on delivering real value to your initial customer base. Once you've nailed that, you can start iterating and expanding your product line based on their input and evolving needs. It's a process of continuous improvement, and it all starts with taking that leap and getting to market quickly.
Leveraging Automation and Outsourcing for Efficiency
Next, let's consider the power of leveraging automation and outsourcing to operate efficiently. As a startup, you're often working with limited resources. You can't afford to throw money at every challenge or hire a massive team right off the bat. So, how do you scale effectively without breaking the bank? Take a page from Wildgrain's book.
With a team of just ten people, they've managed to build an impressive operation by being smart about automation. They've invested in developing tech solutions to streamline all sorts of processes, from order processing to customer support. This allows them to handle a high volume of business without getting bogged down in manual tasks.
But automation isn't the only way to stay lean and efficient. Wildgrain also strategically partners with external providers for key functions like manufacturing and shipping. By outsourcing these aspects, they can tap into the expertise and infrastructure of specialists without having to build it all in-house.
The lesson here is to always be on the lookout for opportunities to automate and outsource. By doing so, you can free up your resources to focus on the areas that truly matter – the ones that directly impact the customer experience and drive growth.
Adapting Marketing Spend to Seasonal Demand
Finally, let's examine the importance of adapting your marketing spend to seasonal demand patterns. Not all months are created equal when it comes to consumer behavior. Depending on your industry and target audience, there are likely to be certain times of the year when people are more inclined to buy what you're selling.
For Wildgrain, they've observed that demand peaks during the colder months of Q3, Q4, and Q1. It makes sense – more people are apt to eat at home and potentially spend more time on social media during this period. They're in the right mindset to be receptive to Wildgrain's offerings.
Recognizing this pattern, Wildgrain strategically concentrates their marketing efforts and ad spend during these key months. They know that this is when they're likely to get the most bang for their buck in terms of customer acquisition and sales.
The takeaway here is to really dig into your own business's demand patterns. Look at your sales data, talk to your customers, and identify the times of year when they're most likely to buy. Then, double down on your marketing during those critical periods. By aligning your marketing spend with your audience's seasonal behavior, you can maximize your ROI and drive growth more effectively.
Conclusion
Of course, these are just a few of the many strategies that can contribute to DTC success. But based on Ismail Salhi's experience with Wildgrain, they're certainly worth considering as you navigate your own entrepreneurial journey.
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