Your biggest advantage in e-commerce is being a founder who refuses to get knocked out.

In this episode of High Voltage Business Builders, Neil Twa sits down with Dan Demsky, CEO and co-founder of Unbound Merino, an 8-figure DTC apparel brand built on nearly a decade of grit, adaptation, and relentless reinvention.

Dan opens up about the real challenges DTC operators are facing today: tariffs slashing margins overnight, supply chain volatility, rising acquisition costs, and the pressure to stay profitable while scaling. He explains how his team survived by tightening cash flow, cutting waste, and becoming sharper operators instead of panicking or raising prices too quickly.

If you’re building in ecommerce and want to understand what’s actually happening on the ground, how high-AOV brands survive acquisition costs, or what retail expansion really looks like this episode is a masterclass in real-world leadership and long-term DTC growth.

In This Episode, We Cover:

✅ Why survival comes down to “don’t get knocked out” and strong cash-flow discipline

✅ How to audit spending, tighten costs, and become a sharper operator

✅ Why high AOV is critical when acquisition costs hit $50+ per customer

✅ Surviving COVID, freight spikes, and now tariffs as a long-term founder

✅ What retail expansion actually requires: timelines, risk, buybacks, and buyers

📍 Chapters

02:12 What tariffs actually do to margins and operations

04:24 Cutting costs, tightening cash flow, and becoming a better operator

08:44 The founder mindset: “just don’t die” and keep surviving

13:00 High AOV, acquisition costs, and the profitability game

17:50 Preparing for Black Friday and Q4 uncertainty

19:45 Why profitability beats revenue vanity every time

23:10 Using AI for leadership, planning, and business coaching

30:10 What retail really requires: inventory, buybacks, timelines, and patience

Guest: Dan Demsky

CEO & Co-Founder, Unbound Merino

Website: https://unboundmerino.com 

Follow Neil: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiltwa/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiltwa/ 🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/voltagefba 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbabusinessbuilders

In This Episode, We Cover:
🎧 Like This Episode? ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with real founders ✅ Share this with a brand owner or marketer in your network ✅ Drop a review to help others discover the show