Ep 620: How This CMO Took a Leather Brand from $3.5M to 9 Figures (Without Overcomplicating Marketing) with MacCoy Merkley

Send us a textEver wonder what it takes to scale a brand from $3.5M to nine figures? In this episode, I sit down with MacCoy Merkley, CMO of Portland Leather Goods, to break down exactly how they did it—without relying on overcomplicated marketing tactics.MacCoy started at Portland Leather Goods seven years ago, back when they were just a small Etsy shop. Fast forward to today, and they’re the largest leather bag manufacturer in North America. We dive into:The wild Craigslist job interview that landed him the roleHow COVID-19 forced them to pivot—and ended up accelerating growthThe single biggest driver of their success (hint: it’s not ads)Why discounting isn’t the enemy—and how they do it strategicallyThe future of e-commerce in 2025 (and why great products win every time) Meet MacCoy MerkleyCMO of Portland Leather GoodsFormer wedding photographer who landed a marketing job through CraigslistHelped scale Portland Leather Goods from $3.5M to over $100M+ in revenueA big believer in great products > marketing hacksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maccoy-merkley-95146815bTwitter: https://x.com/MacCoyMerkley Key Takeaways from the Episode: 1. How MacCoy Landed a Marketing Job With No ResumeAnswered a Craigslist ad for a “Digital Media Specialist” role2. Scaling from Etsy to Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)Curtis (the founder) started Portland Leather Goods by hand-making leather bags in his garage3. How COVID Forced a Business Pivot (That Led to Explosive Growth)COVID-19 shut down their in-house production—forcing them to pause website sales4. Why Product Quality is the #1 Growth Lever30% of their new customers come from referrals—no ad spend needed5. The Future of E-Commerce in 2025Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Ads still work—but only if you have a product worth talking about6. Why Personal Branding Matters (Even for B2C Brands)MacCoy & Curtis post daily on LinkedIn & Twitter—keeping PLG top of mindGrowth Plan: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growGet 5 Offers for 2 Products (10 in total) along with 10 highly engaging tried and true creatives, 30 captivating headlines, descriptions, and ad texts sent to you for only $99. Go to https://www.upgrowthcommerce.com/offer and order now - this offer is only available for a limited time.We love our podcast community and listeners so much that we have decided to offer a free eCommerce Growth Plan for your brand! To learn more and how we can help, click here: upgrowthcommerce.com/growJoin our community and connect with other eCommerce brand owners and marketers!https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstoscalingpodcast