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Trevor Zacny from Shiti Coolers joins the DTC Podcast to share how he and his brothers transformed a napkin joke into a viral sticker business, and then into the world’s first party cooler brand. This episode dives deep into humor-led branding, event-based growth, and the transition from parody to premium product.
Shiticoolers.com
You’ll learn:
Why humor can be a powerful differentiator in product categories saturated with status and performance brands
How Shiti Coolers went from $0 to $320K in sticker sales in year one
How events like NASCAR and country music festivals became revenue powerhouses
The importance of maintaining product quality in a humor-first brand
Building community through social, SMS, and in-person events
Lessons on cash flow, capital allocation, and surviving growing pains
Why storytelling and founder-led content is their next big opportunity
If you’re thinking about growing a lifestyle brand, building a loyal following, or just want to learn how to make funny marketing actually drive revenue, this one’s for you.
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Timestamps
00:00 - How Shiti Coolers Made $320K from Stickers
02:00 - From Festival Joke to Full Lifestyle Brand
05:00 - Launching the First Party Cooler
07:00 - Lessons from the First Cooler Launch
10:00 - Balancing Humor and Product Quality
12:00 - Competing with Yeti Without Copying It
15:00 - Building the Community Through Events and Social
17:00 - In-Person Events vs. Paid Media Growth
20:00 - Collaborations with Kid Rock, Realtree, and Bill Murray
23:00 - Navigating Tariffs and Global Manufacturing
25:00 - Working with Family as Co-Founders
27:00 - Hitting a Cash Wall and Finding Strategic Investors
30:00 - How They Choose the Right Events
32:00 - Storytelling as a Growth Opportunity
34:00 - Wholesale, Seasonality, and Global Expansion Plans
Hashtags
#shiticoolers
#dtcpodcast
#founderstory
#ecommercebranding
#lifestylebrand
#productlaunch
#d2cmarketing
#familybusiness
#retailstrategy
#tariffs
#brandcommunity
#humorinmarketing
#eventmarketing
#wholesalestrategy
#coolerbrand
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