Before she was a brand founder, @suzedowling ran an agency that launched 50+ of the most recognizable DTC brands of the last decade.
So when she tells you how to hire, brief, and manage an agency… she's not guessing. She's been on both sides of that table.
This episode of Unfinished Business with Suze will save you a bad agency engagement. Maybe a few.
Full episode with Suze is live everywhere 💌
Curiosity is the #1 trait that @suzedowling looks for when she’s hiring new employees.
Here’s the thing: curious people are low ego… and they always admit they don’t know everything (which is SO important in your team in order to grow).
At @hulkenbag , we do something similar. We put a BIG emphasis on finding the truth, whatever that truth may be.
If you’re curious and you find that truth, it will lead you in the right direction!
Full episode with Suze is live everywhere!!!
Profitability was NOT a sexy word a decade ago.
@suzedowling bet on it anyway. Now she runs five DTC brands under one roof, all profitable.
Her rule: build something structurally sound enough to survive the plot twists. And there will be plot twists.
New episode of Unfinished Business with Suze is live everywhere!!!
Most founders stop talking to customers the moment they start scaling. @suzedowling thinks that's one of the most expensive habits in DTC.
She's been in the details of 50+ brands. The pattern she keeps seeing: brands that drift from their customer lose something in their product, their messaging, their loyalty… and they don't realize it until the numbers start to dip.
The fix is embarrassingly simple. She explains how she does it across 7 brands.
Full episode with Suze is live everywhere 💌
She helped build $15 billion in market share. Then she decided to run the brands herself.
@suzedowling co-founded Gin Lane: the agency behind Harry's, Hims & Hers, Sweetgreen, Warby Parker, Everlane, Quip, and 46 other brands you've definitely bought from. Then she turned around and built @patternbrands : a house of 7 consumer brands (Open Spaces, @onsentowel , @gir , Letterfolk, Poketo, @miracle.brand & Yield) run by one team.
She's one of the most practical DTC operators alive. And she came to Unfinished Business with RECEIPTS.
In this episode, we get into:
- The DTC math most founders avoid (and why it usually catches them off guard)
- Why talking to your customers directly is your most underrated growth lever
- What she really thinks about working with agencies… coming from someone who built one of the best
- How she's actually using AI to run 7 brands with one team
- Why curiosity is the skill she screens for in every single hire
This one is packed with so much value for early-stage DTC founders.
New episode with Suze Dowling is live everywhere 💌
Beautiful,durable, practical and functional. I love and own everything @gir makes and I can’t recommend them enough. Also, this colander doubles as a steamer!!!!!! #professionalorganizer #lifeorganized
keep it simple and let the plants do their thing 🌱🔋
my living room is where i spend most of my time so i wanted it to feel calm, balanced, and alive without overdoing it
so with that, i had to be intentional with placement and light
if you’re styling your space with plants:
• start with one bigger plant to set the tone
• mix different heights so everything doesn’t feel flat
• and make sure your plants are actually getting good light
most of these are low maintenance and work really well in a living room setup
I’m located in the Los Angeles area if you need help styling your space with plants + home decor 🪴
#livingroom #homedecor #midcenturydecor #plantdecor #cozylivingroom
Just back from a few days at IHA Chicago with @patternbrands (featuring @gir@onsentowel & @miracle.brand products)
Trade shows are a lot. Long days on your feet, thousands of conversations, and somehow turning crates and boxes into a booth overnight.
But they’re also one of the few places where you get to watch someone experience a product in real life.
One of my favorite moments is when someone picks up one of our tools for the first time. They squeeze the silicone, turn it over in their hands, and you can see the moment it clicks.
A huge thank you to Alexis, Anum, and Lawrence who were on the ground with me all week. Spending ten-plus hours a day together at a trade show is a pretty good way to see what a team is made of. This was our best IHA yet.
Also a highlight: handing out our custom Tony’s Chocolonely × GIR chocolate bars, which turned out to be very necessary mid-afternoon fuel.
Now comes the follow-up on all the conversations we started this week.
Very proud of this team. Grateful for the week.
Emmett Shine, founder of Little Plains, Pattern Brands, and Gin Lane, joined SVA MFA Design to peel back the curtain and give an inside look at how Little Plains uses advanced AI tools and deep human expertise to shape brand strategy and creative direction.
