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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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