Highland Style Co. co-founders share their playbook for scaling a men's grooming brand to eight figures with a lean team and just two SKUs. They reveal how obsessive focus on unit economics, early product validation, and a strategic content approach fueled their growth. This episode is a must-listen for DTC operators aiming for profitability and efficient scaling.
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupOn this episode, we speak with Boone & Ben, co‑founders of Highland Style Co., a clean‑ingredient men’s grooming brand that grew from kitchen‑experiments to eight figures in revenue. We dig into their growth journey: how they built performance products, retained customers, and scaled unit economics without losing the values that launched them.What you’ll learn in this episode:How to validate product performance early via professional channels (barbershops/salons) to build credibility.The importance of embedding unit economics (margins, payback period, LTV/CAC) from day one to ensure scalable growth.Three content pillars that moved the needle for Highland: founder storytelling, expert endorsements, and aspirational user content.Real tactics for retention: packaging, post‑purchase experience, SMS/email flows, and repeat products.Why staying lean in team & operations matters, and how to hire/contract strategically to keep agility.How clean beauty standards (ingredients, packaging) can coexist with performance and profitability.Timestamps00:00 The origins of Highland and solving a personal problem02:00 Early product development and validation with barbershops07:00 Bootstrapping, fundraising, and focus on profitability10:00 Building strong unit economics and targeting 80% margins12:00 Meta ads and founder-led storytelling that drove growth15:00 Evolving content strategy and leveraging industry experts18:00 Scaling to eight figures with only two SKUs21:00 Staying lean with a four-person team and efficient operations25:00 Merging marketing with finance and building a payback workbook28:00 Retention tactics and post-purchase experience