Built by a founder who’s spent years scaling DTC brands 

And still remembers what it felt like to Google every answer.

Hi, I’m Suze.

I didn’t plan to be an entrepreneur. I followed my curiosity and kept solving problems I genuinely cared about. That path took me from a small town in South Australia to New York City, where I became a partner at Gin Lane and helped build brands like Harry’s, Hims, Bonobos, and Sweetgreen.
In 2018, I co-founded Pattern Brands, a portfolio of home and lifestyle companies built around the idea of helping people enjoy daily life a little more. Along the way, we incubated new brands, acquired others, and scaled across multiple channels while navigating everything from tariff changes to market upheaval.
Alongside that work, I’ve always had a personal passion for sharing what I’ve learned with other founders and operators—the lessons that rarely make it into textbooks but matter enormously when you’re actually building a business.

AND THROUGH IT ALL, I KEPT COMING BACK TO ONE QUESTION:

Why isn’t there a clear, no-nonsense guide for founders figuring it out in real time?  

WHY I CREATED THE DTC OPERATOR

Because most founders are doing five jobs at once.


Because mistakes cost time, money, and momentum.


Because it’s hard—and often lonely—to figure it out as you go.

And most of us didn’t go to business school. 

The DTC Operator is everything I wish I had

A place to get the tools, context, and clarity to make better decisions. Not just “what to do,” but how to think through it. Not advice from the sidelines—but insight from someone still operating today.
This isn’t content. It’s a survival kit. It’s what I wish I had when things got hard—and what will help you stay in it when they do.

What you’ll find

01
Frameworks that help you zoom out and make smarter, more strategic calls
02
Playbooks that take you from insight to execution
03
Editable tools and templates your team can actually use
04
Experience-backed guidance—not theory, not ego, never condescending

Whether you’re launching your first product or trying to fix your margins, debating your next hire or deciding whether to outsource—we’ve been there. And we’re here to help you move forward, faster.

SHOP PLAYBOOKS

WHAT I BELIEVE

"The trick is to stay alive long enough to find the win."

An investor once said that to me—and it stuck. Because most of us don’t have infinite time or capital. 
We’re trying to build something real while navigating paid media volatility, cash flow gaps, customer expectations, and team dynamics—all at once.
I’ve had investor support. I’ve had room to experiment. I’ve had a team. But I know most founders don’t. And I have deep respect for that.
That’s why The DTC Operator exists: to give more founders a real shot—not just at launching, but at staying in the game long enough to grow something meaningful, that lasts.

Who it’s for

Founders building from scratch,
without a blueprint
VC-backed teams under
pressure to scale—profitably
Operators who want real tools,
not recycled advice and platitudes
Anyone tired of guessing,
Googling, and going it alone
EXPLORE THE PLAYBOOKS
If you’re in the thick of it - overwhelmed, uncertain, or exhausted - you’re not doing it wrong. You’re doing it. And if The DTC Operator helps even one founder stay the course, keep going, or find their footing a little faster - then this will have been worth it.
Let’s build the future. Together.