How to Build a Viral Brand Online ft. @blogilates

Youtube URL: https://youtu.be/4jqrK-hUicQ

Host(s): Marina Mogilko (Silicon Valley Girl)

Guest(s): Cassey Ho (Founder, Blogilates; CEO and Head Designer, POPFLEX)

Podcast Overview and Key Segments

Overall Summary

Cassey Ho shares how she scaled two fashion brands—POPFLEX (DTC) and Blogilates (retail-exclusive at Target)—using organic content, community-led design, and relentless IP protection. She breaks down a major Target apparel launch (1.1M units), a Taylor Swift-driven viral spike (16,000 pre-orders in hours), and why 99%+ of revenue now comes from product, not ads or brand deals. Cassey details her end-to-end content workflow (one 60-second video takes ~9 hours), the power of TikTok Live and micro-creators, and her “content house” approach to inclusive try-ons. She also explains the real costs of fighting dupes across platforms and large retailers, her nuanced stance on AI, and how she protects joy by shifting from fitness to fashion content. Core threads: authenticity, storytelling, operations at scale, platform risk, and building a legacy brand beyond the founder.

Reference

• DTC (Direct-to-Consumer): Selling products directly to customers online without retail middlemen.
• Design Patent: Legal protection for a product’s unique visual design (issued by the USPTO).
• Technical Designer: Apparel role focused on fit, patterns, specs—think “architecture of clothing.”
• Content House: A shoot day bringing multiple creators/customers together to film content.
• TikTok Shop: TikTok’s in-app commerce platform for selling products.
• UGC (User-Generated Content): Content made by customers or creators, often used in ads.
• Meta Ads: Paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
• Pre-order/Pre-sale: Selling items before they’re in stock; orders ship later.
• Skort: A skirt with built-in shorts. Cassey’s viral product is the POPFLEX Pirouette Skort.

Key Topics

Dual-Brand Strategy: POPFLEX vs. Blogilates at Target

Cassey runs two brands with clear roles. POPFLEX is her DTC brand focused on innovation, performance, and premium pricing. Blogilates is retail-exclusive at Target, at a lower price point. She prototypes and tests new designs under POPFLEX, then adapts best-sellers for Target with redesigned specs to hit cost targets. Despite fears of cannibalization, the Target launch boosted POPFLEX revenue due to massive visibility and credibility. Tags on Target products point back to POPFLEX, helping funnel discovery. The mix also addresses price accessibility while preserving innovation at POPFLEX.

Target Apparel Launch: Scale and Operations

Blogilates apparel launched in all 1,800 Target stores, producing 1.1 million units in under a year. Cassey’s team was the vendor (not licensing), so they owned manufacturing and sold wholesale to Target. Three styles hit 90% sell-through in three days. This required tight supply chain coordination, fabric weaving, dyeing, and cut-and-sew timelines. Cassey highlights operational pressure, cross-functional fits, and the “retail Super Bowl” effect of front-gateway placement. The deal also runs in parallel with a separate licensing arrangement for fitness gear (mats, dumbbells), which pays royalties.

Revenue Mix: 99%+ From Product, Not Ads

Less than 1% of revenue now comes from AdSense or brand deals. Cassey stopped brand deals to reduce friction and to focus on owned brands. 70% of current sales come from organic content (mostly on her @blogilates channels), with the rest supported by POPFLEX brand channels, SMS, and email. This is atypical for DTC, which often relies on heavy paid spend. The result: higher margin capture, more control over messaging, and a stronger brand moat built on trust and consistent storytelling.

Content That Sells: Deep Product Storytelling

Cassey’s short-form videos walk through the “why” behind each design: the problem, sketches, prototypes, failed samples, and final details. One 60-second video takes ~9 hours to make; she edits herself in CapCut/InShot to preserve voice and joy. This transparency drives sales and brand love. On the POPFLEX side, “content house” try-ons across nine sizes help buyers see fit on bodies like theirs. These organic formats outperform typical DTC ads for the brand and create durable community trust.

TikTok Live and Micro-Creators

A creator with only ~1,900 followers ran a TikTok Live for 5–6 hours wearing the Pirouette Skort and answering questions, driving a major sales spike. Cassey notes rising consumer trust in “normal” creators who feel more candid and less scripted than large influencers. Live formats build real-time engagement and conversion. The takeaway: viewers value authenticity and access over polish. Long live sessions around a single product can outperform large one-off influencer posts.

The Taylor Swift Effect

When Taylor Swift wore the POPFLEX Pirouette Skort, the product sold out in one hour. After Swift’s styling account confirmed it, sales across all colors surged. POPFLEX opened pre-orders that night and took ~16,000 orders for that color. The team then scaled production under tight lead times. Cassey did not seed the product; Taylor bought it herself. Beyond revenue, the moment cemented brand credibility with a massive new audience and validated Cassey’s design ethos.

IP Theft, Dupes, and Platform Whack-a-Mole

Cassey holds design patents, yet faces rampant copying across TikTok Shop, Amazon, Temu, AliExpress, and even major U.S. retailers. Enforcement is costly and slow. She files takedowns constantly; one week she found 200+ dupe listings for one skort on TikTok Shop alone. Dupes dilute brand value, confuse customers, and cause support headaches when buyers of fakes complain to POPFLEX. Large companies turn enforcement into a money game with lawyers. Cassey refuses to accept this as “normal” and continues to fight on principle.

AI: Ethics vs. Utility

Cassey dislikes AI that trains on original art without consent and pay. She argues for built-in royalties if prompts use specific artists, similar to how she protects patented designs. She’s warming to AI for everyday tasks (travel, simple search), and sees potential in technical design support and pattern-making given the talent gap. She also faces AI-enabled scams where her face is swapped to endorse fake products. Platforms remain slow to act, fueling harm to creators and customers.

From Fitness to Fashion Content

Cassey started posting Pilates videos in 2009. Over time, body-shaming comments hurt her mental health. She shifted to fashion and product content, which brought back joy and stopped most body attacks. The pivot also better matched her day-to-day reality as a designer and CEO. Email/SMS now provide stability beyond platforms. She sees POPFLEX growing into a legacy brand, separate from her persona, with systems and community that outlast any algorithm change.

Team, Hiring, and Burnout

The company runs lean with ~30 people across two brands. Growth outpaces hiring by design, to protect culture after past toxic-team scars. But it causes stress fractures and exhaustion. Cassey takes on product, content, and leadership. She balances speed with careful, values-based hiring. She also shoulders team emotions as a leader. Despite fatigue, she chooses the hard path to build something enduring and good.

Key Themes

Authenticity and Story-First Marketing

Cassey’s marketing works because it is personal, transparent, and useful. She shows the full design journey, not just finished products. She keeps editing herself to maintain voice. Inclusive try-ons and behind-the-scenes earn trust. Viewers buy from people, not faceless brands. The result is outsized organic conversion without heavy ad spend. It is slower to build, but more durable and cheaper over time. Quotes:

• “One 60-second video takes about 9 hours to make.”
• “You do not grow a brand… without being truly authentic.”

Platform Risk and Channel Diversity

TikTok, IG, and YouTube drive reach, but are unpredictable. Cassey builds email and SMS as safety nets. POPFLEX has its own channels beyond @blogilates to detach sales from a single personality. Retail placement at Target adds offline discovery. This layered approach reduces risk if an algorithm changes or a platform fades. Quotes:

• “Is TikTok going to be here in the next 90 days? I don’t know.”
• “Our SMS and newsletter do really, really well.”

Operations at Scale and Retail Strategy

The Target rollout demanded vendor-level manufacturing, logistics, and rapid replenishment. Cassey developed a playbook: innovate at POPFLEX, then redesign for Target’s price point. Wholesale economics differ from licensing and DTC; she uses all three models across categories to expand reach and margin intelligently. Quotes:

• “We had to figure out how to produce 1.1 million units in under a year.”
• “Apparel was fully manufactured by us… selling wholesale to Target.”

IP Protection in the Creator Economy

Design patents help but are not self-enforcing. Takedowns are constant, costly, and reactive. AI makes scams faster and more convincing. Major retailers are not immune from selling dupes. Brand owners must build legal readiness, monitoring, and rapid response, while educating customers on how to spot fakes. Quotes:

• “It’s a game of whack-a-mole.”
• “They copied my marketing… even the angles where I film.”

Ethical AI and Future of Apparel Tech

Cassey supports AI that pays original creators and sees potential in technical design support to fill talent gaps. She opposes unlicensed training and deepfake misuse. The near-term value is in simple productivity gains; the longer-term promise is in pattern-making and fit optimization if built with consent and compensation. Quotes:

• “There needs to be some type of royalty built in.”
• “I absolutely hate AI when it comes to stealing from original artwork.”

Key Actionable Advise

Key Problem

Launching a lower-priced retail line without cannibalizing your premium DTC brand

• Solution Use DTC as an innovation lab; adapt proven winners for retail at a new price point.
• How to Implement Prototype and test on DTC. Redesign materials/construction to hit retail targets. Add clear storytelling tags that link back to your premium brand.
• Risks to be aware of Quality drift, brand dilution, and channel conflict. Monitor reviews and return rates closely.

Key Problem

Driving sales without paid ads

• Solution Invest in deep product storytelling and inclusive try-ons. Use micro-creators and TikTok Live.
• How to Implement Create 60–90s videos showing problem, sketch, trials, and final product. Host content house days. Partner with small creators for long live sessions.
• Risks to be aware of Founder time bottlenecks. Plan a content calendar and batch production.

Key Problem

Converting viral moments into sustained revenue

• Solution Enable instant pre-orders and fast-track production when demand spikes.
• How to Implement Set up pre-order infrastructure in your e-commerce stack. Align suppliers for rapid fabric ordering and cut-and-sew. Communicate timelines clearly.
• Risks to be aware of Overpromising ship dates, quality slippage, and customer frustration.

Key Problem

Handling dupes and IP theft across platforms and retailers

• Solution Build a repeatable enforcement playbook and educate customers.
• How to Implement Register trademarks/design patents. Use automated monitoring. File takedowns daily. Create a “How to spot fakes” page. Watermark key assets.
• Risks to be aware of Legal costs, whack-a-mole fatigue, and reputational harm from customer confusion.

Key Problem

Maintaining culture while scaling a lean team

• Solution Hire slowly for culture add, not just skills. Protect focus.
• How to Implement Define values and role scorecards. Use trial projects. Centralize decision rights. Prioritize ops roles that remove bottlenecks.
• Risks to be aware of Team burnout and growth ceilings if hiring lags demand.

Key Problem

Over-reliance on one platform

• Solution Build owned channels (email, SMS) and brand channels independent of the founder.
• How to Implement Grow lists with pop-ups, incentives, and strong content. Segment and personalize. Launch a brand handle with its own content cadence.
• Risks to be aware of List fatigue. Respect frequency caps and deliver value in every send.

Key Problem

Shifting content verticals without losing the audience

• Solution Pivot to formats that bring you joy and match your day-to-day work.
• How to Implement Test new series that reveal your craft and process. Track engagement and sales lift. Sunset old formats gradually.
• Risks to be aware of Short-term view dips. Communicate the “why” to your community.

Noteworthy Observations and Unique Perspective

• Organic video can drive 70% of revenue at scale when storytelling is deep and authentic.
• Target retail presence boosted DTC sales by adding legitimacy and reach.
• Micro-creators on TikTok Live can outperform big influencers due to perceived trust.
• The biggest brand threat may be confusion from dupes, not just lost revenue.
• Cassey edits her own videos to preserve joy and voice—a rare choice at her scale. Quotes:
• “Over 99% of our revenue comes from the apparel businesses.”
• “Sometimes a video goes viral and the thing can sell out within a few hours.”

Companies, Tool and Entities Mentioned

• POPFLEX, Blogilates, Target
• Shopify
• TikTok, TikTok Shop, Instagram, YouTube, Meta ads
• CapCut, InShot
• Omnisend (email/SMS platform)
• Amazon, Temu, AliExpress
• Shein
• Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Kohl’s, JCPenney, Victoria’s Secret Pink
• USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office)
• Taylor Swift (and Swifties)
• ChatGPT

Linkedin Ideas

1. Title: The Playbook: Using DTC to Fuel a Successful Retail Launch

• Main Point: Innovate on DTC, then adapt winners for retail price points.
• Core Argument: Testing on DTC de-risks retail and preserves brand integrity.
• Quotes: “We take what works really well with POPFLEX and I redesign it so that it can hit a lower price point.”

2. Title: How One 60-Second Video Can Sell Out a Product

• Main Point: Deep storytelling beats polished ads for conversion.
• Core Argument: Show the problem, process, and prototypes to earn trust.
• Quotes: “One 60-second video takes about 9 hours to make.”

3. Title: Why I Stopped Brand Deals and Grew Faster

• Main Point: Focus on product revenue over ad revenue for control and margin.
• Core Argument: Authentic content + owned brands > brand-deal treadmill.
• Quotes: “Over 99% of our revenue comes from the apparel businesses.”

4. Title: Micro-Creators and TikTok Live: The New Path to Trust

• Main Point: Small creators can drive big spikes through long live sessions.
• Core Argument: Real-time Q&A builds credibility and sales.
• Quotes: “She had 1,900 followers… and brought a huge spike that day.”

5. Title: Fighting Dupes Is Not Optional—It’s Brand Defense

• Main Point: Dupes erode brand equity and confuse customers.
• Core Argument: Build an IP enforcement system and educate your audience.
• Quotes: “It’s a game of whack-a-mole… they copied my marketing, too.”

Blog Ideas

1. Title: The Inside Story of a 1.1M-Unit Retail Launch

• Main Point: Vendor-led manufacturing, timelines, and sell-through at Target.
• Core Argument: Operational excellence turns opportunity into velocity.
• Quotes: “We had to figure out how to produce 1.1 million units in under a year.”

2. Title: From Fitness to Fashion: Redefining Content to Protect Joy

• Main Point: Pivot your content to align with your evolving work and values.
• Core Argument: Joy and authenticity sustain long-term creation and sales.
• Quotes: “It brought the joy back into editing for me.”

3. Title: IP Theft in the Creator Economy: Costs, Tactics, and Reality

• Main Point: Legal, platform, and education strategies that actually help.
• Core Argument: Patents matter, but enforcement is a process you must own.
• Quotes: “Do I have any type of police helping me enforce this patent? No.”

4. Title: Building a Brand Beyond the Founder

• Main Point: Separate brand channels, email/SMS, and retail as moats.
• Core Argument: Reduce platform risk and personality dependency to scale.
• Quotes: “My goal is for POPFLEX to become a legacy brand.”

5. Title: The New ROI of Organic Content

• Main Point: Why organic can drive 70% of sales when done right.
• Core Argument: Depth, inclusion, and live interactions beat generic UGC.
• Quotes: “UGC… feels too produced now. Team and community content sells for us.”