S14 E7: The Truth About DTC and Distribution (with Gulshan Kumar, CEO + Co-founder of Swishables)

What if the secret to building a billion-dollar CPG brand isn’t ads or influencers…but distribution? Nik sits down with Gulshan Kumar, CEO and Co-founder of Swishables, to break down how he turned a boring category like mouthwash into a confidence business. Gulshan shares how to find white space in crowded markets, build a brand moat before copycats show up, and scale through channels nobody else is looking at.  They get into: > How to think distribution-first instead of DTC-only > Why real scalability comes from where you sell, not what you sell > Turning a basic product into an emotional outcome people crave> How to win in retail without burning money > The metric founders should obsess over instead of ROAS This episode is a blueprint for founders who actually want to build a CPG business that scales, lasts, and makes consumers feel something. What’s Instant? They’re the secret weapon to triple your email revenue with AI-powered flows. Instead of blasting the same cart reminders to everyone, Instant ensure every shopper gets a unique email experience: Copy, products, and offers that adapt to your shopper’s behavior in real time. Emails sent at the exact moment that shopper is most likely to buy. 11+ abandonment flows live in minutes. Book a demo by Nov. 28 to get 50% off your first 60 days. Make this BFCM your biggest one yet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instant.one/limited⁠ Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma