Building a successful direct-to-consumer brand requires more than just a great product—it demands strategic thinking, disciplined growth, and genuine customer connection. Bobby DeMars, founder and CEO of Blind Barrels, scaled his whiskey subscription business using five key principles that any entrepreneur can apply to their venture.
Step 1: Identify an Underserved Consumer Gap
Before launching any DTC brand, entrepreneurs should ask themselves: Where is there a genuine need that isn’t being met? DeMars discovered his gap during COVID when he couldn’t find blind whiskey tastings anywhere, despite loving the unbiased discovery experience.
Founders should look for experiences or products that they personally want but can’t find. If they’re frustrated by this gap, chances are others are too. Smart entrepreneurs avoid oversaturated markets and instead find the white space where consumer needs aren’t being fulfilled.
Step 2: Create an Experience, Not Just a Product
Blind Barrels doesn’t just ship whiskey samples—they’ve built an entire discovery experience. Each shipment includes QR codes leading to detailed reveal pages, gamified tasting challenges, and direct access to purchase full bottles at distillery prices.
Successful brands think beyond their core product. They consider how to add layers of engagement, education, or entertainment that make their offering shareable and interactive. Their goal is creating anticipation for what comes next, not just satisfaction with what they’ve delivered.
Step 3: Plan a Financial Foundation
Many businesses fail because they don’t properly calculate their true costs or growth requirements. DeMars emphasizes understanding not just product costs, but overhead, packaging, fulfillment, and marketing expenses. Then determine what growth rate covers these costs while leaving room for reinvestment.
Entrepreneurs must create detailed financial projections that account for all their fixed and variable costs—not just product expenses, but overhead, packaging, fulfillment, and marketing. Once they understand their true costs, they should identify the minimum growth rate needed to sustain operations and the maximum rate their infrastructure can handle.
Step 4: Set Smart Growth Targets
Blind Barrels targets 15% quarterly growth, which it finds is enough to cover expenses and fuel expansion, but not so aggressive as to overwhelm its supply chain. The team has also set a 30% maximum growth ceiling to prevent operational breakdown.
Companies should establish both minimum and maximum growth targets from the start. Growing too fast can be as dangerous as growing too slowly. Supply chains, customer service, and quality control all need time to scale properly. Founders should set boundaries that protect their operational integrity.
Step 5: Build Community Through Personal Connection
The real secret to Blind Barrels’ low churn rate is genuine community building. DeMars personally handles customer service calls, conducts live tastings, and remains accessible to members, creating loyalty that transcends the product itself.
Business owners need to make themselves accessible to their customers. Whether through social media, live events, or direct customer service, personal connection builds the kind of loyalty that sustains long-term growth. They should treat their customers as community members, not transactions.
Successful DTC scaling requires businesses to identify real gaps, create engaging experiences, plan sustainable growth, and build authentic relationships. Following these five steps gives companies the foundation to build a loyal, growing customer base without relying on debt or outside funding.
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