Jetset - Most Brands Ignore Their Best Growth Lever
Release Date: 03/03/2026
PawCo & Genius Dog - Your Dog is Like Family. Feed them Like it.
The Story of a Brand Show
sits down with , PhD, Founder & CEO of , for a conversation that's as much about love and purpose as it is about pet nutrition. Mahsa didn't set out to disrupt the pet food industry — she set out to take better care of her dog, Paco. What follows is a story of science, conviction, and a growing movement of pet parents who believe their dogs deserve a whole lot more than a bowl of kibble. * A founder story that starts with a dog named Paco. After her PhD in nanoscience and time as an early scientist at Impossible Foods, Mahsa couldn't find a single pet food she felt good about. ...
info_outline
Cloud Water Filters - Clean Water Isn't a Given Anymore
The Story of a Brand Show
, CEO of and co-host of , sits down with , Founder & CEO of , for a conversation that cuts right to the heart of one of the most overlooked categories in consumer wellness. isn't just a better water filter, it's a second-act founder's bet that the water sitting quietly under your kitchen sink is the next major frontier in the modern health-conscious home. * A second-act founder who chose harder, on purpose. After selling to , Ben applied everything he learned about recurring revenue and brand trust to tackle a far bigger, more complex problem: a water filtration category that...
info_outline
Acely - He Scaled AllTrails. Now He's Coming for the SAT.
The Story of a Brand Show
sits down with , CEO of , for a conversation that spans two decades of startup building, a category-defining exit, and a brand-new mission to help high school students conquer the SAT and ACT. Ron is the kind of founder who doesn't just build companies he transforms categories. From scaling from a six-person team to a household name, to launching with his daughter as his first inspiration, this is a story about pattern recognition, relentless optimism, and knowing when it's time to go again. * AllTrails: the pivot that changed everything. Ron took over a struggling six-person app in...
info_outline
Naturepedic - What's Inside Your Mattress and Why You Probably Don't Want to Know
The Story of a Brand Show
Ramon Vela sits down with , Chief Growth Officer at , to dig into one of the most quietly compelling brand stories in the sleep and wellness space. isn't just another wellness brand riding the organic wave — it's a company built from genuine conviction, founded by engineers who refused to compromise long before "clean" was cool. From a river that caught on fire in 1969 to one of the most trusted names in organic sleep, this is a brand story worth knowing. * Origin story rooted in purpose. was born in 2003 when co-founder Barry — an environmental engineer — went to buy a crib mattress...
info_outline
Dutch Pet, Inc. - Pet Healthcare Is Broken. Dutch is Rebuilding it
The Story of a Brand Show
Scaling a company is hard. Changing behavior is harder—and that’s exactly what this business is doing. In this episode of , host , CEO of , sits down with , Founder and CEO of , for a fascinating conversation about building not just a company—but a completely new consumer behavior. Joe had already built a billion-dollar company with . But instead of staying, he chose to start over—this time in pet healthcare. What he’s building with isn’t just scale—it’s a shift in how pet parents access care, think about affordability, and engage with veterinarians. Key moments from the...
info_outline
Aware House - What Etsy Got Wrong and How She's Fixing It
The Story of a Brand Show
In this episode, sits down with , Founder and CEO of — a curated online marketplace built exclusively to support independent, small-batch makers. shares how frustration with overcrowded platforms like Etsy led her to build something better: a discovery destination where quality, craftsmanship, and transparency come first. * From frustration to founder. After watching get flooded with factory drop-shipped knockoffs, Lauren saw a gap and built Aware House to fill it — launching in 2023 with one clear mission: make shopping small easy and enjoyable. * Curation is everything....
info_outline
SATHI - Affiliate marketing is broken, Yash Chavan built the fix
The Story of a Brand Show
Returning guest , Founder and CEO of , joins Ramon Vela to announce the launch of (mysathi.io) — a new affiliate marketing platform designed to eliminate the fraud, attribution failures, and operational chaos that quietly kill brand affiliate programs. * The recruitment treadmill is real. Last-click attribution ignores every affiliate who nurtured and introduced customers — leaving top performers uncompensated and brands stuck constantly recruiting replacements. * Multi-touch + cookie-less tracking. reveals the full customer journey across every affiliate touchpoint and tracks...
info_outline
A-Frame Brands - Why Getting Into Retail Might Be Your Biggest Mistake
The Story of a Brand Show
Most Brands Don't Fail Because They Can't Get Into Retail — They Fail Because They Got There Too Soon. In this episode of , host sits down with , Founder & CEO of — the strategic operator behind multiple consumer brands built across 10,000+ retail doors. Ari has spent his career building brands from the inside out, and this conversation pulls back the curtain on what really happens after you land that big retail moment — and why that moment might be the beginning of your biggest problem. * Retail isn't the finish line — it's the test. Getting into 3,000 stores sounds...
info_outline
Vitaminis - The Problem With Vitamins No One Talks About
The Story of a Brand Show
Building a brand in the wellness space is one thing—reimagining how consumers experience vitamins entirely is another. In this episode of , sits down with , Founder at , to explore how she’s doing exactly that. From challenging traditional formats to creating a more joyful, design-forward approach to daily health, Leslie shares how is carving out a unique position in a crowded market. The conversation highlights the intersection of product innovation, brand storytelling, and consumer connection—all through the lens of building something truly different. * Leslie Danford shares...
info_outline
Dame - Building a Brand in a Taboo Industry
The Story of a Brand Show
What if one of the biggest barriers to building a successful brand isn’t the product—but the stigma around it? In this episode, I sit down with , Founder and CEO of , for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about building a brand in a taboo category, challenging societal norms, and redefining what leadership and wellness can look like. What stood out to me most is how Alexandra blends conviction with vulnerability—sharing both the mission behind and the real, often difficult journey of building a business in a space that still faces systemic barriers. Key Moments from...
info_outlineIn this episode, I sit down with Forest Bronzan, CEO of Jetset, someone I truly consider a pioneer in the DTC and retention space. We revisit his journey from building and scaling Email Aptitude—one of the earliest agencies dedicated solely to retention and email—to launching Jetset in a completely different economic and technological landscape.
What struck me most is how his conviction around retention hasn’t changed—but how the strategy has evolved dramatically.
We go deep into why customer experience—not just customer support—is becoming the real differentiator for brands. Forest shares how Jetset is redefining CRM by integrating sentiment analysis, proactive outreach, and immersive brand experiences to build long-term loyalty. In a world obsessed with acquisition, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the real gold is in the customers you’ve already earned
Key Moments from the Episode:
* Forest reflects on launching Email Aptitude in the early days of DTC and how retention was once a niche focus—long before it became table stakes.
* Why “customer support” is not the same as “customer experience”—and how most brands are missing the bigger opportunity.
* The introduction of Jetset’s internal framework, Sentiment IQ, which aggregates signals like NPS, engagement, reviews, and support data to proactively manage retention.
* How brands can identify high-value detractors and intervene before churn happens—turning frustration into loyalty.
* Why authentic surprise-and-delight moments, curated experiences, and deeper listening will define the next era of retention.
Join me, Ramon Vela, in listening to this thoughtful and strategic conversation about loyalty, customer experience, and what it truly takes to build a brand that wins long-term. If you care about sustainable growth, this episode is one you won’t want to miss.
For more on Jetset, visit: https://jetset.io/
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave The Story of a Brand Show a rating and review.
Plus, don’t forget to follow us on Apple and Spotify.
Your support helps us bring you more content like this!
*
Today’s Sponsors:
Saral - The Influencer OS: https://www.getsaral.com/demo
SARAL is the all-in-one influencer platform that finds brand-aligned creators, automates outreach, and manages everything in one place. Request a live demo today. Let the SARAL team know you're a The Story of a Brand Show podcast listener to get an extended free trial! Visit the link above.