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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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Ep 515: How Shiti Coolers Turned a Joke Into a $320K Sticker Business and Built the First Party Cooler Brand

DTC Podcast