In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Ian Lopatin, co-founder of Of Course Sanctuary and co-founder and former CEO of Spiritual Gangster.

Ian shares his journey from entertainment law to building At One Yoga and ultimately turning a yoga studio T-shirt concept into Spiritual Gangster, a global wellness and lifestyle brand.

The conversation explores how validating customer demand can create the foundation for scalable growth, how community and culture can turn a product into a movement, and what it takes to build a brand beyond its original market.

Ian also discusses the personal side of entrepreneurship, including the relationship between achievement and stress, his decision to stop drinking, and the mindset shift that came from realizing that greater success does not always lead to greater fulfillment.

He explains how these experiences shaped his next chapter with Of Course Sanctuary, which focuses on meditation, mindfulness, connection, and helping high-performing people live with less stress and greater presence.

Of Course Sanctuary website: ⁠https://ofcoursesanctuary.com/

Support the show

There are a lot of "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

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#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Massiel interviews Misha Kuryla, founder of Misha’s Cupcakes.

Misha shares the story of building her dessert brand from a home kitchen in 2005 into a multi-location, multi-channel consumer business, offering an honest look at what it takes to scale while preserving the heart of a brand.

They explore the realities of rapid expansion, including managing multiple stores, maintaining product consistency, building the right team, and navigating the operational challenges that come with growth.

Misha also explains how COVID forced a major rethink of the business, leading to store closures, a stronger focus on wholesale, online ordering, and new distribution opportunities. Today, Misha’s Cupcakes continues to evolve through retail, wholesale, nationwide shipping, and new product opportunities, demonstrating how resilience and adaptability can help a consumer brand navigate major transitions.

Misha’s Cupcakes website: ⁠https://mishascupcakes.com/

Support the show

There are a lot of "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Layne Mayfield, owner of BBQ Outfitters.

Layne shares how he transitioned from a 12-year career in commercial real estate to entrepreneurship through acquisition, ultimately purchasing the established Texas barbecue retailer in 2021.

They explore the advantages of acquiring an existing business rather than starting from scratch, including the value of an established brand, customer base, and market awareness, as well as the operational challenges that come with scaling an established company.

Layne discusses how BBQ Outfitters consolidated disconnected systems, implemented an operating system to improve accountability and execution, and built a business capable of running without constant owner involvement.

BBQ Outfitters website: https://bbqoutfitters.com

Support the show

There are a lot of "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth