S3 EP23: Rebuilding a Struggling Business from Retail to DTC with Brian Ellwood from APEX Ski Boots

S3 EP23: Rebuilding a Struggling Business from Retail to DTC with Brian Ellwood from APEX Ski Boots

Breaking into a tradition-bound industry requires more than just a great product; it demands the right business model. In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Brian Ellwood, the CFO and COO of Apex Ski Boots, to discuss the company’s dramatic evolution from a wholesale-reliant brand to a direct-to-consumer (D2C) hybrid success story. Brian opens up about stepping into the company during a period of operational turmoil and cash flow challenges, navigating the high costs of a flat wholesale channel, and the necessity of launching a D2C model for an innovative ski-snowboard hybrid boot. He shares powerful operational insights on shifting resources away from an expensive road sales force to build a high-touch, hyper-personalized customer service center in Golden, Colorado. From cutting overhead liabilities like company vehicles to auditing internal infrastructure, Brian outlines exactly how Apex built leverage, reclaimed its line of communication with consumers, and turned their big-box retail relationships into a complementary, trust-building asset.   Want to know more about Apex Ski Boots? Visit the official website at Apex Ski Boots [https://www.apexskiboots.com/] to explore their current product line, and follow the company on social media via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/apex_ski_boots/].   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 Podcasts [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://www.google.com/search?q=https://intergrowth.com/cgs] to book a complimentary strategy session with our team.

S3 EP22: Aspirational Marketing + Helping Baby Boomers with Jimmy Zollo from Joe & Bella

What happens when a deeply personal family crisis meets a massive demographic shift? In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Jimmy Zollo, Co-Founder and CEO of Joe & Bella, to discuss how he pivoted from a successful career at Grubhub to building a purpose-driven adaptive apparel brand that is changing how we care for our aging loved ones. Jimmy shares key insights on navigating a unique B2C market where 70% of buyers are the daughters or wives of the end user, rather than the individuals wearing the clothes. He breaks down how to balance deep consumer research with actionable data, the nuances of "aspirational marketing," and how to properly segment e-commerce email campaigns to provide real utility to caregivers. They also discuss strategies for auditing your Shopify tech stack to eliminate bloat, protect site speed, and maintain a clear source of truth for data. Want to know more about Joe & Bella? Visit the official website at Joe & Bella [https://joeandbella.com/] to browse the apparel line or sign up for their newsletter, check out their store on Amazon, and follow the company on social media via Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/hellojoeandbella], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/HelloJoeandBella], and Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/ShopJoeandBella/]. You can also connect with Jimmy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-zollo-25668622/]. 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 Podcasts [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://calendly.com/patahern/customer-growth-sessions-consultation] to book a complimentary strategy session with our team.

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.