D2C Diaries

In this episode, we sit down with Sam Matanle, co-founder of Batch LDN, the made-to-order menswear brand disrupting fashion’s broken model. Sam breaks down how Batch scaled 2.2x YoY, with 75% of revenue from one physical store and zero reliance on paid media or held stock. We cover: 1. Why fast fashion is financially broken and what works instead 2. The decision to bet big on retail instead of per...

How do you handle it when your kitchen-table beauty brand suddenly pulls in £60K before lunch — and you’re still counting stock by hand? In this episode of D2C Diaries, we sit down with Ellie Carlile, the unstoppable founder behind By Ellie, the brand born from a personal skin struggle, a £2,000 investment, and a makeshift label operation in her mum’s garage.  Ellie shares the raw, real journey of...

Kristian Hansen (AKA, The Jeans Guy) didn’t plan to build a fashion brand. But after accidentally buying a pair of women’s jeans, he posted a TikTok asking, “Is this really what women deal with every day?” and woke up to 3 million views.  Welcome to the story behind slø, a custom denim brand that’s rewriting every rule in DTC fashion. In this episode of DTC Diaries, Kristian takes us behind the sc...

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Levinger, one of the most sought-after minds in consumer insights and behavioural strategy, to unpack the mental models behind performance creative. From understanding generational buying behaviour to why storytelling is outperforming old frameworks, Sarah shares a fresh perspective on what today’s top-performing DTC brands are doing differently. We cover: -...

What do snoods, Amazon, and Sunday League football have in common? They were the unlikely start of Frankie Thorogood’s DTC journey, one that turned a £100 Alibaba order into a 7-figure exit. In this episode, Frankie breaks down how he built not one, but THREE brands from the ground up, including Pott’d, now an 8-figure business.  We dive into what most founders get wrong about scaling, the power o...

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Triple Whale. Triple Whale is our north star when it comes to data-driven decisions. Whether you're just starting out or running a 9-figure brand, this is the tool that will help you and your team see around corners and move faster. Visit www.triplewhale.com/d2cdiaries to learn more. What does it really take to build a 6-figure TikTok Live?  In this episode...

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Triple Whale. Triple Whale is our north star when it comes to data-driven decisions. Whether you're just starting out or running a 9-figure brand, this is the tool that will help you and your team see around corners and move faster. Visit www.triplewhale.com/d2cdiaries to learn more. Rejected by all 6 Dragons, then hit £4.5M in sales. Lucie Macleod walked i...

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Triple Whale. Triple Whale is our north star when it comes to data-driven decisions. Whether you're just starting out or running a 9-figure brand, this is the tool that will help you and your team see around corners and move faster. Visit www.triplewhale.com/d2cdiaries to learn more. In this episode, Olly and Loukas break down the exact AI systems they’re u...

In this solo deep-dive, Olly and Loukas unpack the full launch strategy behind IM8, David Beckham’s new wellness brand, and break down why it’s one of the most intentional DTC rollouts they’ve seen in a while. From aggressive “us vs them” positioning to a hyper-consistent funnel experience, IM8 is throwing punches directly at AG1 and doing a lot right in the process. But not everything’s perfect....

Mark Rushmore didn’t just co-found one of the most disruptive brands in oral care,  he’s engineered a masterclass in sustainable DTC growth. In this episode, we unpack the wild journey from managing Pringles at P&G to building SURI, the electric toothbrush brand doing £24M+ in just over two years. Mark shares how a list of life goals, a chance meeting on a speedboat, and a bet on sustainabilit...

TikTok Shop is the most powerful growth levers in DTC right now. In this episode, Olly and Loukas sit down with Liam Dean, Co-Founder of For You Advertising (the UK’s top TikTok agency who spent £20M on ads in 2024 alone), to unpack the full strategy behind what’s actually working on TikTok Shop right now. They break down how UK brands are driving millions in GMV through affiliate creators, storyt...

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Foreplay. Foreplay is the must-have tool for monitoring competitors, curating endless ad inspiration, and finding that one winning ad that can scale your business. Get 20% off FOR LIFE with code “D2CDIARIES” at Foreplay here https://shorturl.at/LEzzZ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

On 25th March 2025, a new era of DTC marketing began... In this game-changing episode of D2C Diaries, we dive into how AI and organic-first creative strategies are unlocking ridiculous growth for brands—like helping one client hit a record-breaking £200K day from a single batch of ads. Want the exact AI prompts used to build those creatives? 👉 Comment PROMPT on the YouTube episode, subscribe, and...

🚀 YOUTUBE GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚀 Head to Youtube and subscribe to our channel.  Comment “swipe file” on the video to get exclusive access to: ✅ Zach’s Ultimate Foreplay Board: A curated collection of ad creatives that inspire him. ✅ Soar & Hambi’s Best Performers: Our top-winning ads from the past few months. Don’t miss out, drop “swipe file” in the comments and we’ll send it your way! ---------...

When marketing doesn’t let you have a day off… Even on holiday, we’re back with a new episode, this time, with a spatula as a mic. In this episode, we dive into how TikTok-style creatives are driving serious results on Meta and how brands can repurpose them for better performance. We cover: 1️⃣ Why TikTok Shop-style ads are dominating and how to leverage them 2️⃣ How to fuse high-production (HP) c...

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Motion. If you’re ready to learn how the best DTC and ecommerce brands use Motion to ship winning Meta, TikTok, and YouTube ads, book a demo today, or create a free account here - http://bit.ly/3Q7Kkdt  Get 50% off your first month when you mention “The D2C Diaries” podcast to Motion’s sales team.  The best-performing ads don’t feel like ads, they feel like stor...

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Motion. If you’re ready to learn how the best DTC and ecommerce brands use Motion to ship winning Meta, TikTok, and YouTube ads, book a demo today, or create a free account here - http://bit.ly/3Q7Kkdt  Get 50% off your first month when you mention “The D2C Diaries” podcast to Motion’s sales team.  Most DTC brands launch with a product and hope people care. Club...

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Motion. If you’re ready to learn how the best DTC and ecommerce brands use Motion to ship winning Meta, TikTok, and YouTube ads, book a demo today, or create a free account here - http://bit.ly/3Q7Kkdt  Get 50% off your first month when you mention “The D2C Diaries” podcast to Motion’s sales team.  Most DTC founders obsess over paid ads, but what if PR is the mi...

D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Motion. If you’re ready to learn how the best DTC and ecommerce brands use Motion to ship winning Meta, TikTok, and YouTube ads, book a demo today, or create a free account at http://bit.ly/3Q7Kkdt Get 50% off your first month when you mention “The D2C Diaries” podcast to Motion’s sales team.  What will winning ecom brands look like in 2025? In this episode, we...

In this episode of the D2C Diaries, Matt Holland, Managing Director of Holland’s Country Clothing, shares the story of how the 50-year-old family-run retailer successfully adapted to the world of DTC and e-commerce.  With over four decades of experience, Matt provides insights into navigating the shifting retail landscape, the importance of technology adoption, and how a family legacy can thrive i...

In this episode of The D2C Diaries, we sit down with Jack, co-founder of D.Louise, a UK founder led jewellery brand.  Jack shares the inspiring journey behind D.Louise, from its humble beginnings to becoming an 8-figure powerhouse driven by a relentless focus on founder-led content and storytelling. We dive into: 1. The role of founder-led content in driving organic and paid growth and the early i...

In this episode, we dive into how we're leveraging Reddit to create authentic, high-performing ads that truly resonate with audiences.  From mining Reddit threads for real customer insights to crafting ad scripts that speak directly to consumer pain points, we're breaking down the exact strategies we use to turn raw, unfiltered data into creative gold. We explore: 1️⃣ Why Reddit is an un...

In this episode of The D2C Diaries, we’re joined by Danil Saliukov, CEO and co-founder of Incense, the leading UGC creator platform. Danil takes us behind the scenes of the UGC revolution, sharing insider insights on TikTok Shop, the future of AI in content creation, and what it takes to craft winning creator strategies. We dive into: 1️⃣ Why the term "UGC" is overused and how it’s evolv...

In this episode of The D2C Diaries, we’re joined by Dan Temm, COO of Puresport, to uncover how they’ve built one of the most authentic and powerful fitness communities in the UK - and turned it into a growth engine for their DTC brand. What started as a simple lunchtime run with 4 friends has evolved into flagship run clubs in London, Manchester, and Glasgow, with 100+ community leaders and thousa...

What does it really take to leave a corporate career behind and build a thriving DTC brand with no experience?  In this episode, we sit down with Arjun Sofat, founder of Free Soul, to dive into his incredible journey. From learning e-commerce on YouTube to managing his own ad accounts and taking bold bets on TikTok Shop, Arjun shares the highs, lows, and lessons of building a brand that’s reshapin...