At A Glance

After running a successful Greek food truck during college, Dennis Mistrioty and his two friends turned their entrepreneurial drive toward creating a business that could truly improve people’s lives. In 2018, they co-founded Batch, a CBD E-Commerce brand. Their story is one of growth through authentic storytelling, transparency, and proactive customer experience – a formula that continues to fuel their success.

Who is Dennis?

Meet Dennis Mistrioty, Co-Founder of Batch!

About Batch‍

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Batch is an E-Commerce brand offering a diverse selection of CBD products that include gummies, tinctures, and topicals designed to enhance your daily routine.

Dennis’ Entrepreneurial Journey

Inspired by Shark Tank, Dennis Mistrioty and his two college roommates came up with the idea to start a business. Pooling together what little money they had, they launched Greek Street Food Truck, serving ethnic cuisine inspired by Dennis’ cultural heritage. They operated on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus during the summer, catering to students “It was a great first step into entrepreneurship for us. We learned a lot from the experience,” he says looking back. “The business lesson of you never know what to do, then you figure it out and know what to do. Then you move on to the next challenge – it trained that muscle for us at an early age.”

Realizing they wanted to pursue entrepreneurship further, the trio set their sights on building a business that could positively impact the world, their communities, and people’s lives. That opportunity came in 2018, when industrial hemp was legalized. “My two co-founders are chemical engineers, we live in an agricultural state, and we all have family members who’ve benefited from the therapeutic properties of CBD,” Dennis explains. To immerse themselves in the industry, they traveled west to study the market, visiting farms, extraction labs, testing facilities, and distributors. “We came back to Wisconsin with a mission of trying to make this industry as transparent as possible because we know that the product and the plant had real opportunity to help people in amazing ways.” What began as an industrial hemp service provider evolved into Batch, an independent direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, officially launched in late 2020.

The Team at Batch

Batch is made up of around 30 employees, with the core team based at the company’s headquarters in Wisconsin. To support operations and production, management partners with external agencies. “We developed the model out of necessity when we hit exponential growth and needed support in different aspects of the business,” Dennis explains. “Agencies were the quickest way to onboard – the structure is working really well for us right now.”

Business Growth and Revenue Strategies

Batch’s Key Booster of Growth: Brand Message and Storytelling

“The biggest driver of growth was being able to successfully communicate our brand in social media marketing,” Dennis shares. Initially, they were relying on affiliate marketing and SEO to increase brand visibility. While these strategies for engaging people already searching for CBD products, Dennis credits authentic brand messaging for attracting a larger hemp-curious audience. “It was being able to tell our story, what we do uniquely, and how we differentiate from what may seem like a commoditized industry that fueled exponential growth.”

Batch’s Marketing Strategy Breakthrough

After following a cookie-cutter approach to marketing and advertising, Dennis decided to take a different path. One day, he grabbed a microphone, stepped away from his desk, and filmed an unscripted tour of Batch’s facility, farm, and operations. “I just talked to the camera and explained who we are as a company, how we got here, and what we do.” They edited the footage, released it as a video, and it went viral. “I learned that speaking authentically about what we do here and where Batch’s products are coming from really resonated with people.”

How a CBD Company Prepares for Peak Season

Batch experiences major sales spikes during Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and April 20th (also known as 4/20). To prepare, the company has developed a strategy that offers VIP customers early access to sales. “This way, purchases from people who are buying for the sale are staggered over a longer period of time, so everything doesn’t all come in on the same day,” Dennis explains. The team knows what to expect during these high-demand times – it’s an all-hands-on-deck effort.

The Evolution of Batch’s CX Philosophy

The company’s Director of Customer Service oversees a team of remote agents. “Changing the definition from customer service to customer experience is really important,” Dennis explains. In the early days, the goal was simply to resolve issues and close tickets. “We now understand that every one of those inquiries is an opportunity to impress somebody, to create a walking billboard for the brand, and to exceed expectations,” he says. This mindset has become the foundation of Batch’s CX philosophy.

The Role of Customer Retention at Batch

Dennis believes that “customer retention is one of the pillars of growing an E-Commerce business.” Batch’s nighttime gummies are used regularly or semi-regularly by customers, making product quality and trust essential to driving repeat purchases and maintaining a strong customer lifetime value (LTV). Additionally, a subscription program discounts and benefits to encourage repeat sales is offered. “The stronger our customer retention is, the more we can grow,” Dennis explains, adding that this confidence empowers the team to pursue more targeted customer acquisition strategies.

Innovation and Adaptability

Dennis’ Key Priorities for Batch

Moving forward, Dennis aims to broaden his company’s audience. As a wellness-focused CBD brand, Batch currently resonates most with customers aged 40 and older. “Right now, we’re working on improving our communication with millennials, which is funny, because we are millennials ourselves,” he says. The team is experimenting with new products, such as a one-milligram mint and an alcohol alternative beverage, to attract younger consumers. “We’re trying to stay true to our brand, cater to our existing customers, and expand into new products and form factors.”

Dennis’ Advice for Aspiring E-Commerce Entrepreneurs

To anyone looking to break into the e-commerce space, Dennis offers this advice: “It’s okay – and important – to move slowly, to put one foot in front of the other. You can’t expect things to skyrocket in just a couple of months.” He emphasizes the importance of developing a strong product first. “Once you figure out what truly resonates with your target customers, you can start to slowly accelerate from there,” he says. “E-commerce is all about trial and error – you can go through this process while staying patient.”

Dennis believes it’s essential for business leaders to understand the ins and outs of their operations. Early on, he personally answered customer tickets, filled bottles with CBD oil, and fulfilled orders before handing those responsibilities off to employees. “Learning to do those things yourself allows you to delegate effectively and measure success in the person taking on that role,” he explains.