Building a Brand Through Scarcity

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, Brian Roisentul sat down with Brandon Horoho, co-founder of Montana Knife Company, a 30-year overnight success—that’s how this company’s explosive growth story begins. Brandon and his co-founder, Josh, launched the company in 2020, but Josh had been crafting custom knives since he was 11. The idea? Mass-produce high-quality knives that could reach a wider audience while still maintaining craftsmanship. The results? From low 7 figures in 2021 to 8 figures in 2024. Their products sell out in minutes. They’ve built an email list of over 1 million customers. And now, they’re focused on becoming a household name—expanding beyond their niche with paid TV ads, podcasts, and influencers. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The founding of Montana Knife Company and its rapid growth. Josh’s journey to becoming the youngest master bladesmith at 19. The role of quality craftsmanship in customer loyalty and retention. Building direct customer relationships and owning their data. Leveraging organic social media to grow without paid ads initially. The first knife drop selling out in 14 minutes and what it revealed about demand. The impact of email marketing as a core strategy with high engagement. The VIP program and how it strengthens customer loyalty. The focus on building a long-term legacy brand over short-term gains. Expanding manufacturing capabilities to support continued growth. Sponsor for this episode: This episode is brought to you by BSR Digital. BSR Digital helps e-commerce brands that want to scale their business to the next level through paid ads & email marketing. To learn more about BSR Digital, visit their website or book a call here.