#352 - Building a Profitable Timeless Brand: 20 Years, 8 Figures, 100% Bootstrapped with Parker Thatch
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Irene Chen and Matthew Grenby are the co-founders of Parker Thatch, a luxury handbag and accessories brand they bootstrapped to 8-figures over the course of 20 years. Matt’s expertise spans tech, design, and marketing, while Irene brings deep fashion industry knowledge from working with powerhouse brands like Donna Karan and Calvin Klein.

In this episode of DTC Pod, Matt and Irene share how they navigated the shift from an e-stationery startup to eventually finding product-market fit with their signature luxury bags. They discuss key lessons learned in bootstrapping—the importance of market timing, how to manage inventory risks, and why flexibility and systems are critical when growing a brand.

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**On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:**1. Founding and Evolution of Parker Thatch2. Initial Business Concepts and Pivots3. Strategies for Managing and Allocating Inventory4. Importance of Flexibility in Business Operations5. Bootstrapping and Capital Allocation6. Building Systems for Scalability7. Marketing and Demand Generation Strategies8. Community and Customer Engagement

Timestamps00:00 Matt and Irene's backgrounds before Parker Thatch 06:55 Starting an e-stationery business in 200007:43 Pivoting to selling physical stationery and home goods 9:00 Lessons on market timing and pivoting when starting a business11:51 Changing company name from iomoi to Parker Thatch13:52 Creating Parker Thatch's debut handbag18:19 Bootstrapping, capital allocation, inventory decisions22:08 Why early business success depends on flexibility and testing25:53 Introducing leather bags and streamlining production29:10 Why small businesses fail without systems32:29 Shifting to systems thinking to enable business growth35:07 Marketing strategies to drive customer demand37:01 Building community and brand identity around "functional luxury"42:34 Relationship dynamics as husband and wife co-founders45:55 Key focuses for 2025 and beyond with PTTV 47:48 Where to find and connect with Parker Thatch

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Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  

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• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands

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• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands

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Irene Chen)** and Matthew Grenby) -  Co-Founders of **Parker Thatch)Blaine Bolus) - Co-Founder of Castmagic)Ramon Berrios) - Co-Founder of Castmagic)