** The newsletter for actionable insights and brand growth
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** THE BRIGHT SIDE OF DTC
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** Hey everyone,
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Welcome back to the second edition of The Bright Side of DTC - our monthly deep dive into the stories, strategies, and systems powering the best brands in our community.
We all dream of going viral. We chase the algorithm, we film the TikToks, and we pray for that one video to hit 10 million views.
But have you ever stopped to ask: What happens if it actually works?
This month, we’re looking at Dan-O’s Seasoning, (https://danosseasoning.com/) a brand that went from local farmers’ markets to a viral sensation overnight, and how they had to completely rebuild their backend to keep the dream from turning into an operational nightmare.
** What happens when you actually go viral? A lesson in scaling
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The brand started small. They sold their unique seasoning blend at trade shows and farmers’ markets in Kentucky. It was a grind, but it was manageable.
Then the pandemic hit. The markets closed. So, the founder took a gamble on a relatively new app called TikTok.
It worked. His catchphrase and cooking videos exploded. He racked up millions of views, and suddenly, the orders were flooding in. The brand rocketed to $10M in revenue.
** Manual Processes Couldn't Keep Up
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On the surface, it was the DTC dream. Behind the scenes, the sheer volume of orders exposed the cracks in their foundation.
Despite doing $10M, the business was running on 100% manual processes.
* Spreadsheets: They were hiring people just to plug numbers into spreadsheets all day.
* Financial Visibility: They had to wait weeks for the month to close just to know if they were making money.
* Shipping: Every order required manual data entry before it could be shipped.
As Sean Bowman, VP of Finance, put it:
"We had a revenue of $10M but we were a 100% manual business – that wasn't sustainable. It didn't make sense to keep hiring people to plug numbers into a spreadsheet."
** Automating Operations
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They knew they couldn't hire their way out of this. They needed a stable, reliable system that could handle the viral spikes without needing a human to touch every order.
They chose Brightpearl (https://www.brightpearl.com/) because they needed a Retail-First ERP that was agile enough to implement fast (90 days), providing the operational backbone they lacked.
** Result: Saving Time and Scaling to $30M
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By switching to an automated ERP, the impact was immediate:
* 7 Hires Saved: Sean estimates automation saved them from hiring seven full-time staff just for data entry.
* Zero-Touch Shipping: Orders now flow from the website directly to their 3PL warehouse. No one touches them.
* Real-Time Cash Flow: Instead of waiting weeks, they know their financial position daily.
Today, Dan-O’s isn't just a $10M viral trend; they are a $30M+ retail brand selling in Kroger, Walmart, and online, with the reliability to handle whatever comes next.
"We've been able to keep our team lean by automating, which has meant we have more money to invest in marketing and growth strategies."
- Sean Bowman, VP of Finance
** THE BRIGHT SIDE OF DTC
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** The Takeaway
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Don't Hire for Data Entry
If you are hiring smart people just to move data from Shopify to Excel, you are wasting talent. Automate the boring stuff so your team can focus on growth.
Build for Agility
You might be one TikTok away from 10,000 orders. If your current system can't flex to handle that volume without breaking, you are betting against your own success.
Reliability is Revenue
You cannot scale if you don't know where your money is. Waiting until the end of the month to see your profit margins is a dangerous game in 2026.
Read more (https://www.brightpearl.com/customer-stories/danoseasoning)
https://2aahovc9gzu.typeform.com/to/irKeSTwP
** Join the conversation about everything eCom!
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We’re opening up the conversation inside the DTC Live Community Slack, sponsored by Brightpearl by Sage. Share what’s slowing you down and how you’re handling it, whether it’s inventory, reporting, fulfillment, or finance.
Sign Up Now (https://2aahovc9gzu.typeform.com/to/irKeSTwP)
** About Our Partner
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Brightpearl by Sage (https://www.brightpearl.com/) is a Retail Operating System built for fast-growing eCommerce and omnichannel brands. It connects everything from Shopify and marketplaces to warehouses, accounting tools, and 3PLs, so orders, inventory, and finances all run from one place.
It’s designed to flex as you grow, whether that’s adding new sales channels, expanding internationally, or handling peak trading without things breaking.
On average, retailers using Brightpearl’s automation engine save 352 hours a year (that’s two months of work!), reduce human errors by 65%, and cut labor costs by 50%.
As part of the Sage group and a founding Shopify ERP partner, Brightpearl powers millions of orders every month for brands that need their operations to keep up with their growth.
Explore more (https://www.brightpearl.com/dtc-live-ecommerce-inventory-management-software)
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