S3 EP21: Saving Subscriptions + Pivoting Your Business with Brian Schmidt from Hoop

S3 EP21: Saving Subscriptions + Pivoting Your Business with Brian Schmidt from Hoop

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Brian Schmidt, co-founder of Hoop and former product leader at Trello and Atlassian. Brian shares his fascinating journey from working as a big law corporate litigator in New York City during the Madoff and housing crises to completely transitioning into the world of software development. The core of the discussion centers on navigating startup pivots, understanding unit economics, and managing subscription-based customer retention. Brian breaks down the strategic indicators that signal when a business model must change, how to communicate those high-stakes shifts transparently to happy customers, and how Hoop ultimately evolved into an AI-driven agent designed to help e-commerce brands execute customer saving playbooks right inside their existing help desks.   Links & Resources Mentioned * Our Guest's Company: Visit the official Hoop [https://hoop.app] website to see how their AI agents optimize customer retention. * Pivoting Framework Article: Read the deep dive on How to Know It's Time to Pivot Your Startup [https://every.to/p/how-to-know-it-s-time-to-pivot-your-startup], written by Brian’s co-founder at Hoop, Stella Garber. * Brian's Book Recommendation: Learn more about the strategic frameworks discussed by reading Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke [https://www.amazon.com/Quit-Power-Knowing-When-Walk/dp/B09PVR6YK5/]. * Previous Episode Mentioned: Watch the recording of our 100th episode milestone on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oabmW5Z7Hzc] featuring Steffi Schmidt, founder of Fig for Kids, as she discusses thinking like a lawyer as an early-stage founder. * Connect with Brian Schmidt: Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) [https://x.com/donnniegoat] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-schmidt-276a915/]. * Connect with Hoop: Follow the company's updates on X (formerly Twitter) [https://x.com/hoopdotapp] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/hoopinc/].   Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to be the first to hear about future episodes, and leave us a review on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0KB5vRursRGiPY6WWkInmq] or Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/customer-growth-sessions/id1714470823]!   Interested in seeing how Intergrowth could help you grow your business? Head over to https://intergrowth.com/cgs [https://intergrowth.com/cgs] to book a complimentary strategy session with our team.

S3 EP20: Balancing Agility and Process in Business Operations with Tino Dietrich from SNYDER Golf USA

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Tino Dietrich, founder and CEO of SNYDER Golf USA, about his entrepreneurial journey from organizing local golf tournaments in Germany to expanding an international brand. Tino shares lessons learned from scaling a business across global markets, adapting operations for different customer needs, and navigating the logistics challenges that come with rapid growth. He also discusses the importance of building scalable systems, staying agile in changing markets, and creating operational structures that support long-term success. Pat and Tino also discuss leadership, delegation, and the value of empowering teams to take ownership as companies grow. During the conversation, Pat recommends the book Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet as a valuable resource for leaders looking to become more effective at delegating responsibility and building stronger teams. Want to know more about SNYDER Golf USA? Visit the official website at SNYDER Golf USA [https://snydergolfusa.com] and follow the company on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/snydergolfusa/] Interested in Pat’s leadership book recommendation? Learn more about Turn the Ship Around! here: Turn the Ship Around! by L. David Marquet [https://davidmarquet.com/books/turn-the-ship-around-book]. Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to be the first to hear about future episodes, and leave us a review on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0KB5vRursRGiPY6WWkInmq] or Apple Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/customer-growth-sessions/id1714470823]! Interested in seeing how Intergrowth could help you grow your business? Head over to intergrowth.com/cgs [https://intergrowth.com/cgs] to book a complimentary strategy session with our team.

S3 EP19: Trade Ins and Things That Don’t Scale with Meng Wang from Our Little Treasures

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Meng Wang, founder of Our Little Treasures [https://ourlittletreasures.com/], about her innovative approach to sustainable baby clothing and building a purpose-driven brand. Meng shares how the brand’s Trade-Up program encourages sustainability by giving parents a way to exchange outgrown baby clothes while reducing waste. She also discusses the logistics behind running the program, the challenges of scaling customer-focused initiatives, and why investing in “non-scalable” activities can create long-term value for both brands and customers. Want to know more about Our Little Treasures? To learn more about Our Little Treasures [https://ourlittletreasures.com/] and follow the brand’s latest updates, visit the official website, follow the brand on Instagram [https://instagram.com/ourlittletreasuresinc], and check out their TikTok [https://tiktok.com/@ourlittletreasuresinc]. Learn more about the Trade-Up program [https://ourlittletreasures.com/trade-up].   Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to be the first to hear about future episodes. Interested in seeing how Intergrowth could help you grow your business? Head over to intergrowth.com/cgs [https://intergrowth.com/cgs] to book a complimentary strategy session with our team.

Episode 100: Thinking Like a Lawyer for Ecommerce Success with Steffi Schmidt from Fig for Kids

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Stefanie “Steffi” Schmidt, founder of Fig for Kids, about her journey from corporate lawyer to e-commerce entrepreneur. Steffi shares how her mother’s cancer diagnosis led her family to rethink everyday products and ultimately inspired her to launch Fig for Kids, a children’s clothing brand focused on safer, thoughtfully made apparel. She also offers practical legal advice for founders, including tips on trademarks, contracts, and protecting your brand in the early stages of building a business. Want to know more about Fig for Kids? To learn more about Fig for Kids and follow the brand’s latest updates, visit the official Fig for Kids website [https://figforkids.com/] and follow the brand on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/figforkids/]. Connect with Steffi on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanieschmidt/]. Resources Steffi recommends for additional legal guidance: Search Y Combinator [https://www.ycombinator.com/] for a wide range of free templates. Visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) [https://www.uspto.gov/]. Learn more about TaxCloud [https://taxcloud.com/].   Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to be the first to hear about future episodes. Interested in seeing how Intergrowth could help you grow your business? Head over to intergrowth.com/cgs [https://intergrowth.com/cgs] to book a complimentary strategy session with our team.

S3 EP17: SEO Shorts - AEO Means Doing SEO Better

What if landing features in top-tier publications didn’t require a pricey PR agency? Pat Ahern reveals a smarter, more scalable approach to digital PR using expert commentary. Instead of chasing relationships, brands can earn consistent media coverage by identifying the citation sources that LLMs regularly pull from, such as industry publications and third-party review sites. By getting cited in these reputable outlets, you influence both LLM recommendations and traditional search engine rankings. Pat also shares realistic expectations around using tools like SparkToro to identify where your target demographic is most active, allowing you to prioritize the right communities—like Reddit or LinkedIn—for maximum impact. Resources Mentioned * Read the Original Article: AEO: Doing SEO Better [https://intergrowth.com/aeo-doing-seo-better/] * Deep Dive on Positioning: Positioning in the AI Era [https://intergrowth.com/positioning/] * Audience Research Tool: SparkToro [https://sparktoro.com/] Connect with Pat Ahern * LinkedIn: pahern [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pahern/] * Instagram: @pahern1 [https://www.instagram.com/pahern1/] Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to be the first to hear about future episodes. Interested in seeing how Intergrowth could help you grow your business? Head over to https://intergrowth.com/cgs [https://intergrowth.com/cgs] to book a complimentary strategy session with our team.