Advice Line with Michael Dubin of Dollar Shave Club

Key Takeaways

Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin has pivoted to screenwriting, investing, and advisory roles.
Effective marketing for new products emphasizes simplifying consumer adoption and extensive direct sampling.
Fostering employee ownership through equity and a strong service culture can boost engagement and pride.
Niche businesses can scale by attracting investment capital and broadening their market vision beyond initial offerings.

Post-Unilever acquisition, Michael Dubin works as an investor and advisor, including for Liquid Death.
He is currently writing a screenplay based on his personal and professional experiences, with hopes of production.
Dubin is also exploring new company ideas for potential future ventures.

Benita from New Jersey is launching Casbo's Middle Eastern Kitchen in 2026, starting with Syrian cheese.
The business idea originated in 2017 while working with Syrian refugees, leading to full-time development during the pandemic.
Syrian cheese is a cow's milk cheese with mahleb, known for its salty flavor, slightly sweet center, and good melting properties.

Michael Dubin advises Benita to simplify consumer understanding of Syrian cheese through easy pairing ideas, like pizza or sandwiches.
He suggests leveraging recipe cards and QR codes linking to videos demonstrating uses with items like bagels or pita bread with mint and olive oil.
Creative marketing ideas include sampling events with simple accompaniments like honey on a cracker and a humorous campaign featuring 'angry French cheese connoisseurs'.

Brandon Davis from Vista, California, operates Pars Mobile Mini Golf, providing mobile courses for events.
His business, which started in Utah before moving to San Diego, is projected to achieve over $200,000 in revenue this year.
Brandon sought advice on fostering emotional investment among his employees to enhance customer experience.

Michael Dubin suggests creating an equity pool for employees to instill a sense of ownership and pride.
He recommends investing in employee development by highlighting transferable skills gained from their roles.
Dubin advises creating a 'customer service manifesto' or 'brand Bible' to outline service standards and hiring for positive attitudes.

The guest suggests developing a separate product line for home-use mini golf kits, distinct from the rental service.
A marketing strategy involves establishing a themed, permanent mini golf course in a location like a botanical garden or warehouse showroom.
This permanent setup could serve to attract new customers and promote the mobile rental service.
Michael Dubin offers to review Brandon's packaging design and marketing strategies for his mobile mini golf company.

Bria Fleming's Incidental Wildland LLC manufactures custom uniforms for wildland firefighters, a 9-year-old bootstrapped business.
She identified a need for better-fitting uniforms, especially for women, addressing issues with ill-fitting, loose-fitting standard gear.
The uniforms are made from flame and heat-resistant Nomex and Kevlar materials, with demand currently exceeding production capacity.

Michael Dubin sees potential for Bria's business to scale beyond firefighting apparel, drawing parallels to brands like Figs that began with medical scrubs.
Bria faces production and margin challenges due to high material costs and a desire to keep prices accessible.
The discussion explores options for higher-margin accessories and Bria's openness to fundraising, which she has not yet pursued.

Michael Dubin advises Bria to seek investment capital, noting the potential for both for-profit and nonprofit funding due to the public good aspect of her work.
He suggests broadening her business vision beyond firefighter uniforms to include other workwear categories to attract investors.
Dubin highlights Bria's personal story as a 13% female wildland firefighter as a compelling asset for fundraising.
Exploring overseas ethical sourcing is suggested as a method to potentially lower costs and improve profitability.