S4 E12: True Classic’s CEO on Company Culture, Creativity, and Going Viral

You know that little feeling in the back of your throat that makes you feel emotions towards someone else?  Yeah— it’s called empathy, and True Classic’s CEO, Ryan Bartlett, is here to explain why it's the one thing that will distinguish your D2C brand from the rest of the crowd.  Nik and Moiz talk to Ryan about the importance of empathy in company culture, how he fosters that mindset daily within the walls of True Classic Tees, and why hiring emotionally intelligent people is critical to negating workplace toxicity.  Ryan also unveils his playbook for hiring powerhouse players— and spoiler alert— it doesn’t involve recruiters or running ads. So, lay off the LinkedIn for a bit, bucko, because, according to him, the best employees probably aren’t even looking for jobs. Time to go poach some Grade A eggs! Plus, find out why growth and valuation are simply a high-stakes game of EBIDTA and retention, and what True Classic is doing to perfect their model.   0:00 Guess That Business 12:00 True Classic & Ben 19:52 Creating a Great Culture 33:30 Becoming More Creative 40:15 Going Viral 42:00 The Hiring Process 53:00 Mr. Sharma’s Hiring Process 1:00:00 Growth and Valuation 1:10:31 Mobile App Metrics Check Out True Classic Tees:  Website: https://www.trueclassictees.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueclassic/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@trueclassic Follow Ryan:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbtct/ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali This episode was brought to you by Tapcart: Mobile Apps for Shopify. If you are looking to improve your store’s mobile revenue performance, then check out Tapcart and get your first 2 months free at https://tapcart.com/limited Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

Om Podcasten

So many DTC brands think nice PR is more important than honesty. But that’s not us. I'm Nik, and I'm tired of all the hot air in our industry. This podcast is the behind-the-scenes conversation that gets to the heart of what DTC is really like. Nik Sharma founded Sharma Brands - and has no reason not to call people out, and share his spicy takes. Joined by the most experienced names in the industry, these are the conversations you won’t hear anywhere else. We’ll be diving deep into industry moves, autopsies on failed brands, and why we’re investing in certain companies. Episodes drop every Wednesday. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.