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Bushbalm co-founder David Gaylord returns for his third appearance on the pod — and he brought receipts.
The brand just pulled off one of the most impressive growth runs in DTC:
- 70% YoY revenue growth
- 18,000+ waxing salon accounts (up from 2,000 in 2023)
- Expanded shelf space at Ulta Beauty
- Focused DTC growth (+25%) while spending less on Meta
We unpack how they’ve built a growth machine that’s lean, durable, and built on word of mouth — not channel sprawl.
For DTC brands thinking bigger than Meta ads.
- Why their pro channel is the ultimate word-of-mouth flywheel
- How they invest $200K+ into retail the right way
- What goes into planning a product launch 2 years out
- Why pulling back on Meta actually helped retention
- How exclusivity (not everywhere all at once) became their moat
Who this is for: Brands navigating retail, trade marketing, or B2B scale
What to steal:
- How to anchor your retail bet on ONE whale by building deep
- Build demand from the pros outward
- Treat your best partners like real channels (with loyalty perks + exclusive SKUs)
Timestamps
00:00 Bushbalm’s 70% growth and shift to profitability
02:30 Why retail and the pro channel now drive the business
06:20 Going deep with one key retailer instead of many
09:40 How trade marketing and in-store displays impact sales
12:30 DTC growth, Meta ads, and changing channel priorities
18:00 Launching exclusive products through the pro channel
22:00 Simplifying DTC assortments to improve performance
25:00 Category rewiring in hair removal and skincare
31:40 Expanding shelf space versus adding new retailers
37:00 Building a sustainable, profitable growth engine
Hashtags
#DTCPodcast #Bushbalm #DavidGaylord #DTC #Ecommerce #RetailStrategy #BeautyBrand #FounderJourney #RetailMarketing #ProChannel #UltaBeauty #BrandGrowth #Omnichannel
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