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For four years, entrepreneur Eric Steckling has successfully steered the growth of two distinct direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, each with its own unique market dynamics and challenges. Brio, his initial venture founded in 2014, focuses on men’s grooming essentials, primarily beard trimmers and related accessories. In 2022, Steckling expanded his portfolio by acquiring Ollie, a company then known for its teeth-whitening strips, which has since broadened its offerings to include a comprehensive range of oral care products. This strategic diversification has presented Steckling with a fascinating case study in brand management, particularly the inherent differences between selling durable goods and fast-moving consumables.
In a recent conversation, Steckling elaborated on the distinct hurdles and opportunities presented by each brand. Brio, while offering high-quality, long-lasting products, faces the inherent challenge of customer acquisition and retention in a market where repeat purchases are infrequent. Conversely, Ollie thrives on the predictable consumption patterns of its oral care products, creating a more robust foundation for sustained customer lifetime value and marketing efficiency.
The Longevity Dilemma: Brio’s Durable Goods Challenge
Brio’s flagship product, the beard trimmer, is engineered for durability. This quality, a key selling point and a testament to the brand’s commitment to excellence, simultaneously poses a significant challenge for ongoing sales. "The problem with Brio is that our main product, a beard trimmer, lasts forever," Steckling explained. "It’s one of the reasons why I’ve focused on Ollie recently." While Brio benefits from a strong initial order value and customer satisfaction, the infrequent need for replacement means that cultivating long-term customer value requires a strategic shift beyond the core product.
Although Brio offers complementary items such as replacement blades, beard dryers, and other grooming tools, Steckling acknowledges that these accessories have not consistently driven the high long-term value the brand seeks. "We also sell blades, dryers, and other tools, but we’ve learned our customers do not provide high long-term value. That’s been our challenge for the brand." This reality underscores a fundamental difference in customer behavior between durable goods and consumable products. The initial purchase of a high-quality trimmer represents a significant investment for the consumer, leading to extended periods between potential repeat purchases.
The Consumable Advantage: Ollie’s Opportunity in Oral Care
In stark contrast, Ollie’s product line, featuring toothpaste, mouthwash, and whitening strips, operates within the realm of daily necessities. These are replenishable items that consumers use multiple times a day, creating a natural demand for regular repurchase. "Ollie does not have those problems with its toothpaste, mouthwash, and whitening strips. All are replenishable products that folks use daily," Steckling stated. This inherent consumption cycle makes it significantly easier for Ollie to target and achieve a higher customer lifetime value, which in turn optimizes the effectiveness of marketing investments and fosters a more predictable revenue stream.
The consistent usage of Ollie’s products creates a fertile ground for subscription models. Unlike a beard trimmer that might be purchased once every few years, toothpaste and mouthwash are likely to be repurchased every few weeks or months. This regular cadence is ideal for subscription services, which provide convenience for the customer and predictable revenue for the business.
Navigating Product Development and Market Responsiveness
A critical aspect of managing and growing DTC brands involves discerning between a product’s inherent market appeal and the effectiveness of its marketing. Steckling shared his approach to this challenge: "As long as we’re making changes and trying new approaches, we keep going. But if we get to a point where we don’t know what to change, maybe it’s time to stop." This iterative process of experimentation and adaptation is crucial in the dynamic DTC landscape.
Product development and iteration also present their own set of complexities. Steckling recounted an experience with Ollie’s toothpaste: "For example, we rolled out a toothpaste with a new formula. It received more initial traction than we had planned, but many customers requested that we remove the fluoride." This situation highlights the delicate balance between innovation and customer demand. Steckling’s decision to pivot and develop a fluoride-free option, despite initial uncertainty, ultimately proved to be the right move. "Ultimately, we did make the product fluoride-free because that is where the market was. Then the product took off." This anecdote underscores the paramount importance of customer feedback in shaping product strategy. "So listening to customers is key because they’ll generally tell you what direction to go, although there are exceptions."
Subscription Strategy and Churn Minimization
Ollie’s embrace of subscription models is a strategic move to leverage the consumable nature of its products. Minimizing churn, the rate at which customers cancel their subscriptions, is a key performance indicator for subscription businesses. Steckling attributes Ollie’s success in this area to a two-pronged approach: the inherent product category and the quality of the offerings.
"It goes back to the product line. Ollie sells items that folks use multiple times per day, perfect for a fixed delivery cycle." This fundamental alignment between product usage and subscription frequency sets a strong foundation. Beyond that, Steckling emphasizes the non-negotiable importance of product excellence. "From there, we minimize churn by offering really good products. You’ve said Beardbrand doesn’t need many subscribers, so long as customers love the product and buy repeatedly. I’m on board with that approach, too. Minimize churn and elevate repeat sales with superior goods." This philosophy echoes the sentiment that customer loyalty is earned through consistent delivery of value and superior product quality, a principle applicable across all DTC models, whether subscription-based or not.
The Future of Distribution: Beyond Direct-to-Consumer
While the DTC model offers significant advantages, including direct customer relationships and higher margins, scaling often necessitates exploring broader distribution channels. Steckling acknowledged this reality for his brands. "One of the challenges of being D2C is relying on our website and Amazon. At some point, to scale, we’ll probably go wholesale for the retail shelf exposure." This strategic consideration reflects a common evolutionary path for successful DTC brands, where expanding into brick-and-mortar retail can significantly increase reach and brand visibility.
The Bootstrapped Path: Speed vs. Scale
Both Eric Steckling and Eric Bandholz, the podcast host and founder of Beardbrand, operate bootstrapped businesses. This means they have grown their companies organically, relying on internal profits rather than external investment from venture capitalists or private equity firms. This path offers independence and control but can sometimes mean sacrificing the potential for hyper-growth that external funding can enable.
"You and I both run bootstrapped businesses. We don’t have to deal with investors, but the trade-off might be passing up on a billion-dollar brand," Bandholz observed. Steckling concurred, elaborating on the trade-offs: "It’s a good point. It mostly has to do with speed: how quickly do we get there? I’m not sure having investors would scale our D2C revenue any faster."
For Ollie, Steckling sees significant untapped potential within existing marketing channels and through emerging platforms. "At Ollie, we’ve got a lot of room to grow with Meta, for example, as our primary customer acquisition channel." He also highlighted upcoming initiatives: "We have two other promising products: enzyme-based whitening strips and a mouthwash. And a priority is building an army of TikTok Shop affiliates." These strategies reflect a focus on optimizing current resources and leveraging new digital avenues before considering more capital-intensive expansion strategies. "All of those are better for us now than brick-and-mortar."
The Evolution of Ollie: From Acquisition to Innovation
The acquisition of Ollie from Aaron Marino, a mutual acquaintance and a prominent figure in the men’s grooming space, marked a significant pivot for Steckling. Initially, he explored integrating Ollie into Brio’s existing website, a decision he now views as strategically flawed. "Yes, it is. Aaron’s business was whitening strips. At the time, Brio, our men’s grooming brand, sold Sonic toothbrushes alongside our beard trimmers. So I had a familiarity with the oral care space. I initially tried to merge Ollie with Brio on the same website. Looking back, it makes no sense to combine those. Eventually I split them apart, with the whitening strip as Ollie’s core product."
This strategic separation allowed each brand to develop its own distinct identity and target audience, a crucial step in maximizing their respective growth potentials. The oral care market, in particular, offers substantial opportunities, especially with innovative products like enzyme-based whitening strips. "Whitening is a big space. We’re not doing a good job of exploiting the opportunity, however. We have a unique, innovative product with enzyme-based whitening."
Steckling also offered a candid perspective on the often-unplanned nature of entrepreneurial journeys. "But I had no grand vision when we purchased the company. The more I learn about other entrepreneurs, the more I realize that few know what they’re doing at the start. You’re making decisions month-by-month and year-by-year of what seems right at the time." This sentiment suggests that adaptability and a willingness to learn and adjust are more critical than having a rigid, long-term vision from the outset. The entrepreneurial landscape is rarely linear, and successful founders often evolve their strategies as they gain market insights and experience.
Where to Find Brio and Ollie Products
Consumers interested in exploring the product lines of Eric Steckling’s ventures can find them online. For oral care products, including toothpaste, mouthwash, and whitening strips, the brand’s direct-to-consumer website is OllieSmile.com. Men’s grooming tools, such as beard trimmers and accessories from Brio, are available at Brio4life.com. Steckling also maintains a professional presence on LinkedIn, where he shares insights and engages with the business community.
The dual-brand strategy employed by Eric Steckling offers a compelling look into the challenges and rewards of managing diverse DTC businesses. By leveraging the consumable advantage of Ollie to offset the long-term product cycle of Brio, Steckling is building a resilient and adaptable portfolio, demonstrating a keen understanding of market segmentation and customer-centric product development. The ongoing evolution of both brands, from strategic acquisitions to iterative product enhancements and exploration of new marketing channels, highlights the dynamic and often surprising nature of building successful consumer brands in the digital age.
