EP57: From Navy Vet to Burned-Out CEO: Scaling from $0 to $50M in 2 Years

In this episode of the ASOM Pod, hosts John Roman (CEO of BattlBox) and Bryan MacDonald (Direct of eCommerce at Oma’s Pride) sit down with Ryan Hogan, founder of Hunt A Killer and CEO of Talent Harbor for a no BS conversation about what it really takes to build a community-first DTC brand. From failed mud runs to million-dollar subscription boxes, Hogan breaks down the wins, pivots, and painful lessons that shaped his journey.What you’ll learn in this episode:How a failed race sparked a subscription box empire.Why Hunt A Killer turned checkout into a community moment.The brand-building strategy that drove exponential growth.Navigating rising CAC and adapting to a post-tracking world.Why multiple sales channels saved the business.Behind the scenes of raising capital and choosing the right partners.How to restructure leadership and scale without burning out.This one’s packed with real stories and tactical gems for anyone building a brand people rally behind. _____Big shoutout to our sponsors who make this podcast possible!Omnisend — With 125,000+ eCommerce merchants, Omnisend is the all-in-one email & SMS marketing platform built to deliver seamless, personalized experiences via email and sms with ease. Learn more at https://www.omnisend.com/LiveRecover — Live Agents for eCommerce — Get more out of your revenue strategy with real-time SMS engagement and sales recovery for higher ROI. Learn more at https://www.LiveRecover.comKintsugi — AI that monitors, files, and optimizes sales tax for you. Eliminate your tax headaches forever. Mention ASOM for 3 months free at https://www.TryKintsugi.comSubscribe to our newsletter! We drop weekly hot takes, totally unfiltered. Join us at https://asompod.comCome hang out with us IRL - https://commerceroundtable.com