Customer Growth Sessions

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Brian Schmidt, co-founder of Hoop and former product leader at Trello and Atlassian. Brian shares his fascinating journey from working as a big law corporate litigator in New York City during the Madoff and housing crises to completely transitioning into the world of software development.

The core of the discussion centers on navigating startup pivots, understand...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Tino Dietrich, founder and CEO of SNYDER Golf USA, about his entrepreneurial journey from organizing local golf tournaments in Germany to expanding an international brand.

Tino shares lessons learned from scaling a business across global markets, adapting operations for different customer needs, and navigating the logistics challenges tha...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Meng Wang, founder of Our Little Treasures, about her innovative approach to sustainable baby clothing and building a purpose-driven brand.

Meng shares how the brand’s Trade-Up program encourages sustainability by giving parents a way to exchange outgrown baby clothes while reducing waste. She also discusses the logistics behind running the program, the challe...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Stefanie “Steffi” Schmidt, founder of Fig for Kids, about her journey from corporate lawyer to e-commerce entrepreneur.

Steffi shares how her mother’s cancer diagnosis led her family to rethink everyday products and ultimately inspired her to launch Fig for Kids, a children’s clothing brand focused on safer, thoughtfully made apparel. She als...

What if landing features in top-tier publications didn’t require a pricey PR agency? Pat Ahern reveals a smarter, more scalable approach to digital PR using expert commentary. Instead of chasing relationships, brands can earn consistent media coverage by identifying the citation sources that LLMs regularly pull from, such as industry publications and third-party review sites. By getting cited...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with James Kirkby from Kirkby Consulting to discuss the shift from Google and Amazon searches to conversational queries in LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini. James explains why establishing authority in these models now acts as a critical hedge against changing consumer behavior.

James breaks down the essential "levers" for LLM optimization, including the use of structure...

He built an $8.5M company in two years—then lost everything. Now he’s rebuilding from zero, on his own terms.

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Jeremy Petersen from Identity Pet Nutrition to discuss what it really takes to rebuild a company after failure—and why he’s choosing to do it without investors, big salaries, or shortcuts.

Jeremy shares the story behind his first c...

We welcome back Mason Duling for his second appearance to discuss the continued journey of building Almost Manic, a mental health-focused apparel brand rooted in storytelling and purpose. Mason shares insights from producing the *Beyond the Blur* docu-series, highlighting the connection between endurance racing and mental resilience.

He also touches on the realities of content creation, the value of strong creative partnerships, an...

What if landing features in top-tier publications didn’t require a pricey PR agency? 

Pat Ahern reveals a smarter, more scalable approach to digital PR using expert commentary. Instead of chasing relationships or relying on unpredictable traditional PR methods, brands can earn consistent media coverage by responding directly to journalists' requests. We explore how platforms like HARO, MentionMatch, and Qwoted unlock opp...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Krisztián Király

from OptiMonk to discuss how e-commerce brands can unlock more value from existing traffic through smarter conversion rate optimization.

Krisztián breaks down what CRO really means beyond surface-level tactics, emphasizing the importance of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis. He shares practical strategies for using tools like ...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Annemarie von Firley, founder and CEO of Adventuretown Toy Emporium, to discuss her innovative approach to building a thriving educational toy business.

Annemarie shares how she developed a unique internship system that allows her to effectively find, vet, and manage interns while creating meaningful real-world learning experiences for students. She also dives in...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Benjamin du Haÿs from Baumier to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and how he built a company around the principles of self-management.

Benjamin shares the story behind Baumier, a brand focused on thoughtfully designed bikes and a values-driven team culture. He explains the concept of a teal organization and how self-management empowers individuals to take owne...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, we sit down with Jonathan Spyralatos — better known as Jon the Freelancer — to unpack what it really takes to scale successfully with Meta ads.

Jonathan breaks down the most common growth plateaus businesses face when running paid social campaigns and explains why increasing Average Order Value (AOV) is often the key lever for unlocking sustainable scale.

He shares practical ...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Tricia Salcido, CEO of Softstar Shoes, to explore the company’s remarkable journey — and its recent transition to 100% employee ownership.

Tricia shares her personal background and the story behind Softstar Shoes, a values-driven footwear company known for its craftsmanship and community roots. She walks through the strategic and emotional considerati...

In this episode, Pat Ahern sits down with Luciano Hernandez, owner and co-founder of Spirit Fire. Luciano shares his entrepreneurial journey, reflecting on a recent injury and recovery that tested both his resilience and mindset. He discusses the founding of Spirit Fire, key lessons learned in building the brand, and the importance of adaptability in entrepreneurship.

The conversation explores effective marketing strategies, the po...

In this episode, Mason Duling, Managing Director of Almost Manic and co-founder of TruColour Products, shares his journey building and scaling consumer brands. He breaks down big-box retail, EDI and ERP systems, marketing strategies that drive sell-through, and his latest venture, Almost Manic—a mental health–focused performance wear brand.

To learn more about Mason Duling and his work at Almost Manic, visit the officia...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Aya Shimura, founder of A.Shimus, a women’s workwear brand specializing in petite designs made in Japan. Aya shares her journey of building the brand, the value of Japanese craftsmanship, and the process of finding the right manufacturing partners. She also breaks down key considerations for emerging businesses, including minimum order quantities, production l...

In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern talks with Amber Caro, founder of Marketbite, about launching successful e-commerce sites. Amber shares when Shopify is the right choice, when to consider alternatives, and how early-stage brands can approach DIY builds.

They also cover CRO, user experience, and when hiring an agency makes sense, plus how Marketbite supports growing brands with affordable, high-quality solution...