The Steve Jobs of Leather: Growing a DTC Brand to $150M With Curtis Matsko

Up Arrow Podcast

Curtis Matsko is the Founder and CEO of Portland Leather Goods, a DTC high-quality leather goods company. He built the brand out of his garage, scaling it from zero to over $100 million in yearly revenue. As a serial entrepreneur and digital marketing expert, Curtis has worked in design production, marketing, and customer service.

In this episode…

When scaling your business, it’s essential to recognize that what got you from zero to $10 million won’t get you from $10 to $100 million. Significant revenue jumps entail higher costs and larger operations, so relying on your previous successes will only hinder you. How can you break through the glass ceilings of growth?

As a self-proclaimed e-commerce genius, Curtis Matsko launched his brand out of his garage and scaled it to $150 million. He maintains that steady growth begins with in-house production to create high-quality products that drive sales and foster customer loyalty. As your customer base grows, you can build products that generate customer lifetime value and acquire new customers. Another aspect of profitable growth involves building a team that can grow with your business. This requires hiring candidates whose personal and professional goals align with desired positions by conducting thorough interviews that emphasize key personality traits and experiences.

In today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Curtis Matsko, the Founder and CEO of Portland Leather Goods, to talk about creating a foundation for profitable long-term growth. Curtis explains how to build a solid customer retention cycle, how he created Craigslist ads to acquire talent, and how overcoming alcohol addiction influenced his growth and decision-making mindset.