#265: Stephanie Kimel & Celia Lewis- Product Innovation: Personal Storage x Home Decor

DTC POD: How The Best Brands Are Built

Episode brought to you by Trend & Finaloop.

On this episode of DTC POD, Celia Lewis and Stephanie Kimmel discuss how they identified a market gap in the cannabis industry and built a brand around their innovative product that preserves and locks cannabis in a home decor piece. They reveal how they launched their product with a grassroots approach due to limited funds for marketing and discuss their successful product launch strategy. They touch on the challenges they faced due to federal regulations around cannabis and how they continue to adapt and grow.

3:00 - Stephanie and Celia Background

7:45 - The story behind Tulip's founding

12:50 - Branding and identity for Tulip

16:30 - Launch strategy and early traction

23:15 - Unique color strategy for Tulip

28:45 - Fulfillment and inventory management

32:30 - Adapting to sudden increase in demand

37:40 - Partnership with manufacturer

43:00 - Navigating federal regulations around cannabis

48:20 - Social media strategy for TikTok and Instagram

54:00 - Two-way dialog with customers

59:30 - Upcoming content series from Tulip

Here's some questions we answer on the show

1. How did the founders of Tulip identify a market gap in the cannabis industry, and what inspired them to create a product that preserves cannabis and also doubles as home decor?

2. What was the process behind developing the Tulip product, and what were some of the challenges faced along the way?

3. How did the founders build the Tulip brand around the authentic nature of how they got started with the product for personal use?

4. What were some of the early traction and product-market fit indicators that helped drive growth for Tulip in its early days?

5. What was the launch strategy for Tulip, and how did the company leverage personal networks to drive initial sales?

6. How has the company adapted to sudden increases in demand, such as those caused by viral social media videos?

7. How does Tulip approach manufacturing and production, and what role do personal relationships play in these processes?

8. What challenges has Tulip faced with marketing and social media due to federal regulations around cannabis, and how has the company adapted its content strategy?

9. What are the content pillars and upcoming content series for Tulip, and how does the company value customer feedback and participation?

10. How does Tulip's mission involve social change and awareness around the injustices that still exist today, and how does the company seek to destigmatize cannabis use?

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Episode brought to you by Finaloop, the real-time accounting service trusted by hundreds of DTC Brands. Try Finaloop free - no credit card required. Visit finaloop.com/dtcpod and get 14 days free and a 2-month P&L within 24 hours.

Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.

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• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands

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• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands

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Celia Lewis - Cofounder of Tulip

Stephanie Kimmel - Cofounder of Tulip
Ramon Berrios - CEO of Trend.io
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Seated