DTC Pod: Jeff Byers Unveils Momentous' Growth from $2M to $36M in 18 Months + DTC News

DECEMBER 15th 2023

Hey DTC Pod! This week we bring you a chat with Jeff Byers, the Co-Founder and CEO of supplement brand Momentous. From his background as a pro football player to rapidly scaling Momentous, we explore Jeff's keys to explosive growth.

We unpack:
- Scaling revenue over $36M in just 18 months
- Product and Trust Building strategy
- Overcoming operational challenges when scaling rapidly
- Collaborating with leading scientists like Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Andy Galpin & More

Plus, Youthforia expands its executive team for faster growth, Vuori opens a new NYC store and more top DTC news. Reply with your thoughts and reach out anytime!

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This Week’s DTC Pod Guest

#301 - Jeff Byers, Momentous - Scaling DTC $2M - $36M in 18 Months

In this episode of DTC Pod, we sit down with Jeff Byers, Co-Founder and CEO at Momentous, a science-backed human performance brand. With a background as a professional football player, Jeff is deeply passionate about health optimization and shares invaluable insights from Momentous’ rapid growth.

Join us as Jeff explains the growth of Momentous, highlighting their achievement in increasing revenues to over $36M in just 18 months. Jeff also explores the important factors in building trust in the supplement industry and discusses the operational challenges of rapidly scaling DTC.

NEWS

👉🏻 Youthforia Expands Executive Team

Seeking to scale rapidly, clean beauty brand Youthforia brought on Tina Shim as VP of marketing and KC Giddings as VP of sales. (3 minute read)

Both hires will focus on expanding digital and retail presence. Youthforia made its first major executive hires as the brand formalizes operations across marketing and sales functions.

Read more here 🔗

👉🏻 Vuori Opens Second NYC Store

California athleticwear maker Vuori continues its expansion by opening a new 3,200 square foot store on the Upper East Side. (2 minute read)

The location follows a 5,000 square foot SoHo flagship store launched in October 2022. The brand aims to launch 20-25 stores annually as it works toward a 2026 goal of 100 locations nationwide.

Read more here 🔗

👉🏻 Monica + Andy Expands Walmart Wholesale Deal

Monica + Andy, known for their success in selling baby clothes, is strengthening its connection with Walmart by launching a co-designed maternity collection online. (3 minute read)

The brand's transition from a pure DTC model to omnichannel growth has resulted in wholesale partnerships now making up a significant share. The ongoing support from Walmart helps in developing new styles.

Read more here 🔗

Other News + Resources

👉🏻 Mejuri Introduces Lab-Grown Diamond Collection (2 minute read)
Mejuri, the fine jewelry maker, has unveiled its first line of lab-grown diamonds, aiming for sustainability and affordability. Strong customer response to past lab-grown collections encouraged expanded offering. Joining other brands, Mejuri aims to offer quality manufactured diamonds to a wider audience of consumers. (link)

👉🏻 Torrid Sales Drop 8%, Gross Margins Decline (4 minute read) Torrid, a plus-size retailer, had an 8.3% sales drop in Q3 2023 amid inventory glut pressures. Performance was somewhat stable but below expectations. The company continues working to align costs and supply with unpredictable consumer spending patterns. (link)

👉🏻 Pet Brands Face Tougher Reality (4 minute read) Chewy's stock dropped by 49%, while Petco's fell by 64% in 2023. These declines were driven by reduced pet adoptions and increased prices, leading people to cut back on non-essential pet purchases. Amid these market challenges, Petco introduced value brands for budget shoppers while Chewy's subscription model drives share gains. (link)

👉🏻 SmileDirectClub Shuts Down (3 minute read)
SmileDirectClub, the at-home teeth aligner seller, stopped operating after filing Chapter 11, as partners didn't provide necessary capital. This closure left customers in a difficult situation with canceled orders, complicating refunds and SmilePay financing. (link)

X of The Week

DTC Brands Face Challenges Scaling

This week's tweet is from growth expert Jess Chan (@jjesschan), who shares her wisdom on why retention marketing is essential for DTC brands in 2023.

This thread lays out the key reasons why brands need to focus on retaining customers for DTC brands looking to cut through the noise and scale, retention marketing is the key to driving LTV, word of mouth and long-term growth.

PS - we have an episode coming up with Jess next month that you won’t want to miss!

Tool of the Week

Want to rapidly scale, but capital constraints holding you back? Say hello to 8fig.

Meet your eCommerce growth engine. This platform delivers dynamic funding tailored to match your supply chain needs, so you can scale smarter and faster.

DTC Event

National Retail Federation Retail’s Big Show- January 13-16, 2024

This New York City-based conference is one of the largest retail conferences in the world. A perfect opportunity for professionals wanting to stay ahead of retail and ecommerce trends.

The event features 170 sessions, 450 speakers, and 1,000 exhibitors over 3 days. Attendees can expect to see the latest innovations in retail technology, opportunities to network, and insights from top retail executives.

DTC Job Positions

Join Adidas as Manager to Lead Head Office Direct-to-Consumer Marketing

Adidas seeks a manager for their Head Office direct-to-consumer marketing team in Portland, Oregon. You'll support the VP of DTC Marketing on special projects, presentations, strategic alignment, team operations and culture-building. Ideal candidates have 4+ years of marketing experience. Hybrid remote work available.

Join Bose as VP of Direct-to-Consumer

Bose seeks an innovative VP to lead ecommerce strategy and the digital experience. You'll set the vision to elevate storytelling and drive sales growth for Bose.com and apps. If you have 20+ years in digital commerce and experience building high-performing teams, this is your chance to make an impact.

Join Rust-Oleum as Direct-to-Consumer eCommerce Manager

Rust-Oleum seeks an ecommerce leader to develop and execute DTC revenue growth strategies. You'll optimize web experience, improve customer journey, analyze data, and manage operations. Ideal candidates have 5+ years DTC ecommerce experience, with expertise in CRO, analytics tools and leadership skills. The role offers competitive salary and benefits at a leading paint and coatings company based in Vernon Hills, IL.

That wraps up this week’s newsletter!

As always, reply any time with thoughts, reactions or ideas for future issues. And don’t forget to subscribe to unlock new episodes of DTC Pod each week!

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