Why lower AOV and a disciplined P&L saved this brand from the brink.
Steven Borrelli (Founder & CEO, Cuts), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) unpack how Cuts reached $60M without outside money, then nearly went under when tariffs hit at 145%. Steven walks through the layoffs, the first raise, and the comeback that followed.
Selling 50K joggers sight unseen gave Cuts confidence it hadn’t earned. Steven explains how a lower AOV cut customer acquisition costs by 65%. Now Cuts is betting on elevated menswear priced below luxury labels, where winning products draw copycats.
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AppLovin
https://9ops.co/applovin-paid-growth
Alia
Walmart
AfterShip
Chapters
00:00:00 Old P&L Mistakes
00:03:04 How to Read a P&L
00:05:59 Cutting From 65 to 6
00:18:13 How Cuts Started
00:28:21 One Fabric to $40M
00:34:27 50K Joggers Unseen
00:44:26 When Ego Took Over
00:51:54 $600K a Week in Tariffs
00:56:59 Going Viral, Then $6M+
01:05:09 Right Foot, Left Foot
01:14:03 Taking Names in 2026
01:22:19 Titan 10 Questions
Can Cuts Survive Its Own Success? Steven Borrelli’s Plan to Win Again (Titans E027)
E190: Loyalty Alone Isn’t a Growth Plan: 5 Company Culture Rules for Founders
