The Truth About Social Ads

What happens when a custom t-shirt company starts treating its people like its best marketing channel? Julie Denton-Price, Co-Owner & Chief Revenue Officer of BlueCotton, went from customer in 2001, to employee, to buying into the company in 2022 — and she's helped build one of the most unusual workplace cultures in e-commerce. In this episode we get into: BlueCotton's accidental origin story: two college grads, 1,000 leftover t-shirts, and a credit card bill (1991) Julie's path from customer to employee to co-owner — and what each role taught her about revenue The Bitcoin Initiative: why BlueCotton mines Bitcoin and pays out employees who stay 5+ years — at zero risk to them Weekly personal development and personal finance classes — and how culture became their recruiting and retention engine How they made the Inc. 5000 list 8 times and were named a Best Place to Work in Kentucky What they're doing for marketing right now: working with specialized ad agencies, testing everything, and why they're diversifying beyond Meta The truth about agency relationships from a client who owns her numbers Guest: Julie Denton-Price — bluecotton.com | @bluecotton Host: Jason Smith — Spotlight Social Media Consulting, LLC | spotlightsocialadvertising.com

What do you do when your industry is one of the most restricted ad categories on Meta? Chris Porter, President & Co-founder of GOHUNT, built one of the most impressive brands in the outdoor space without leaning on the paid social playbook most brands take for granted. We get into how GOHUNT went from a 2013 idea to a full ecosystem — research tools, maps, gear, memberships, and original content — plus: Marketing lessons Chris brought over from Full Tilt Poker and online gaming Growing a brand when platforms restrict your ads Why the influencer landscape is shifting and what actually works with ambassadors now The membership-rewards flywheel that funds customer acquisition What GOHUNT's acquisition taught him about durable, community-first growth Guest: Chris Porter — gohunt.com | @gohunt Host: Jason Smith — Spotlight Social Media Consulting, LLC | spotlightsocialadvertising.com

Building a disruptive product brand takes more than a great idea. This episode explores entrepreneurship, podcast marketing, UFC sponsorships, and scaling a direct-to-consumer business through persistence and execution. ABOUT THE EPISODE ⸻ In this episode of The Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith sits down with Robert Patton, founder and CEO of Sheath Underwear, to unpack the unconventional journey behind one of the most recognizable pouch underwear brands in the market. Robert shares how the original concept for Sheath was born during his deployment in Iraq after struggling with discomfort in extreme heat conditions. What started as hand-drawn sketches and a military tailor prototype eventually evolved into a direct-to-consumer brand recognized among the fastest-growing veteran-owned companies in America. The conversation dives deep into the realities of entrepreneurship, including failed inventory launches, risking personal savings, podcast sponsorship marketing, UFC partnerships, influencer advertising, and the long-term persistence required to scale a product-based business. Jason and Robert also discuss attribution challenges in digital advertising, Meta ad tracking, podcast ROI, and why execution separates successful founders from everyone else. ABOUT THE GUEST ⸻ Robert Patton is the founder and CEO of Sheath Underwear, a direct-to-consumer apparel company known for pioneering pouch underwear technology. A U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq, Robert developed the original concept for Sheath while deployed overseas. Since launching the company, he has grown the brand through podcast sponsorships, influencer partnerships, UFC collaborations, and direct response marketing strategies. Sheath Underwear has been recognized among the fastest-growing veteran-owned companies in America.

Home improvement marketing is evolving as direct-to-consumer brands leverage social proof, digital advertising, and customer ownership to compete with major retailers and drive sustainable growth. ABOUT THE EPISODE ⸻ In this episode of The Truth About Social Ads, Jason Smith sits down with Lori Machiorlette, founder of Worth Home Products, to discuss what it takes to build and scale a patented consumer products business over more than two decades. Lori shares the story behind Worth Home Products, including the development of the Instant Pendant Lite and decorative AC vent covers that helped the company stand out in a competitive home improvement market. She also reflects on lessons learned from her beauty brand, BlendSmart, the challenges of selling through major retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, Sephora, and QVC, and the strategic shift from wholesale to direct-to-consumer sales. The conversation explores product innovation, customer retention, social proof, Amazon growth, agency partnerships, paid advertising, and the realities of scaling an e-commerce brand while maintaining profitability and long-term customer relationships. ABOUT THE GUEST ⸻ Lori Machiorlette is the founder of Worth Home Products, a home improvement company known for its patented Instant Pendant Lite recessed can conversion kits and decorative AC vent covers. With more than 20 years of experience in e-commerce, retail, and consumer products, Lori has successfully sold products through major retailers including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, Sephora, and QVC. She is also a co-founder of BlendSmart, the world’s first rotating makeup brush, which expanded internationally through major beauty retailers. Lori specializes in product innovation, direct-to-consumer growth, retail strategy, and customer-focused brand building.

Starting a supplement brand no longer requires massive inventory investments, warehouse space, or manufacturing expertise. This episode explores how entrepreneurs are launching and scaling supplement businesses with lower risk while focusing on growth and customer acquisition. ABOUT THE EPISODE ⸻ In this episode of The Truth About Social Ads, host Jason Smith sits down with Spencer Livingston, Sales Director at On Demand Fulfillment, to discuss how entrepreneurs can launch private-label supplement brands without traditional inventory commitments. Spencer breaks down On Demand Fulfillment’s zero minimum order quantity (MOQ) model, how dropship fulfillment works in the supplement industry, and why preserving cash flow can be more important than maximizing product margins. The conversation covers fulfillment logistics, subscription-based revenue, supplement quality standards, third-party testing, inventory forecasting, Amazon compliance, and the challenges brands face when scaling rapidly. Whether you’re an entrepreneur exploring eCommerce, an agency owner serving product-based businesses, or a brand looking to improve fulfillment operations, this episode provides practical insights into launching and growing a supplement company with reduced operational risk. ABOUT THE GUEST ⸻ Spencer Livingston is the Sales Director at On Demand Fulfillment, a white-label dropship fulfillment company specializing in supplement brands. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, On Demand Fulfillment operates alongside Vox Nutrition, a supplement contract manufacturer that produces and fulfills products from the same facility. Spencer works directly with entrepreneurs, eCommerce operators, and growing supplement brands to help them launch products with no inventory commitments while maintaining quality standards through FDA-registered manufacturing processes and third-party testing. He also helps established brands transition into custom formulations as they scale.