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Inside the Growth of Pins and Aces: Scaling a Golf Lifestyle Brand with Nicklaus Mertz
Today on the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Nicklaus Mertz, founder of Pins and Aces, a golf brand that grew from a side project to a $25M+ powerhouse. Nick shares the step-by-step tactics that fueled their expansion, including limited-edition drops, a focus on profitability, live selling innovations, and the acquisition of Edel Golf.
Key Moments:
How Pins and Aces started with $6K and a headcover idea
Building a brand beyond Alibaba sourcing
Launching viral products like the Beer Sleeve and Liquor Stick
Omnichannel expansion: Retail + DTC synergy
Growing without raising outside capital
Leveraging community feedback to design new products
Acquiring Edel Golf to move into hardware
Takeaways for Entrepreneurs:
Start small, iterate fast, and evolve from customer feedback
Community building beats traditional influencer marketing
Drops are a sustainable engine for long-term growth
Data-informed product development with tools like Particle
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Timestamps
00:00 – How Pins and Aces Started from a $6K Side Hustle
02:00 – Turning a DIY Golf Product into a Real Business
08:00 – Building a Brand vs. Drop Shipping Products
14:00 – Collaborations with South Park and Hey Dude Shoes
19:00 – The Bud Light Collab That Changed Everything
22:00 – Drops, Content Strategy, and Creating Community
26:00 – Exploring Live Selling and Whatnot Platform
31:00 – Scaling the Brand While Maintaining Profitability
35:00 – Exit Strategy and Potential Strategic Buyers
38:00 – Using Particle to Track Competitor Performance
Hashtags
#dtcpodcast #pinsandaces #ecommercegrowth #golfbrand #founderstory #productdrops #liveshopping #influencermarketing #dtcmarketing #brandcollabs
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