Nick Shackelford
Company: BRĒZ
LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/in/nickshackelford](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickshackelford)
Location: Orange, CA, United States
Executive Role & Responsibilities
Nick Shackelford serves as Partner – Head of Retention and Subscription at BRĒZ, a rapidly growing beverage company specializing in cannabis-infused seltzers. BRĒZ is recognized for offering healthier alternatives to alcoholic beverages, targeting consumers seeking enhanced wellness and social experiences. Shackelford co-founded BRĒZ alongside Aaron Nosbisch, leveraging a unique blend of expertise in cannabis advertising and product-launch strategies. His primary responsibilities include oversight of customer retention strategies, direct-to-consumer (DTC) initiatives, and subscription model optimization.
In addition to his role at BRĒZ, Shackelford holds leadership or founding positions at several high-growth marketing and e-commerce entities, notably as Co-Founder & CRO of Konstant Kreative and Structured Social (an 8-figure scaling-focused paid social agency), as well as GeekOut Events. His portfolio includes investment activity as an angel in digital commerce platforms such as Triple Whale, Motion (Creative Analytics), PostPilot, Via, Insense, and Carro. This indicates deep engagement across the e-commerce, DTC, and digital marketing technology spaces.
Company Performance & Strategic Insights
BRĒZ operates on the Shopify Plus platform, targeting the food and beverage industry with a focus on next-generation, wellness-driven consumable products. The company's innovative approach has achieved notable outcomes:
- Average Order Value (AOV) post-upsell implementation: $85 (2x higher than base variant)
- Upsell conversion rate: 12%
- Downsell conversion rate: 5%
- Revenue per order: $8.41
- Reported conversion rate: 12%
Shackelford and the leadership team identified post-purchase upsells (via the AfterSell platform) as a critical lever for revenue optimization. This resulted in a consistent 30% increase in sales, primarily by converting first-time buyers into higher-value customers with bundled and discounted offers. The strategic focus has been on sustaining growth despite high customer acquisition costs (CAC) and significant shipping expenses; Shackelford's operational tactics emphasize margin preservation while scaling customer lifetime value (LTV) via subscription and retention mechanics.
Notably, Shackelford's skill set in executing DTC-first strategies is frequently cited; he has shared in public interviews and case studies that BRĒZ prioritized scalable methods for increasing AOV, reducing dependence on volatile paid advertising, and building a loyal subscriber base.
Professional Background
- Structured Social [Co-Founder & CRO]: Premier e-commerce growth agency specializing in paid social at scale; clientele includes legacy brands such as Pepsico and Apple.
- Konstant Kreative [Co-Founder & CRO]: High-performing ad design and creative studio.
- GeekOut Events [Co-Founder]: Education event series for the performance marketing community.
- Angel Investor: Triple Whale, Motion (Creative Analytics), PostPilot, Via, Insense, Carro.
- Prior Experience: Pro soccer player; performance marketing consultant.
- Education:
- Saint Louis University: Bachelor of Arts, Communication Strategy & Media Studies (2011–2013)
- UC Berkeley: Studied Journalism (2010–2011)
- Villa Park High School: (2005–2009)
Notable Achievements & Media Exposure
- Proven record of scaling social campaigns beyond 8-figures for household brands.
- Launched and scaled multiple e-commerce brands and agencies with a strong performance focus.
- Frequent industry speaker and thought leader—featured on podcasts and YouTube (e.g., This CBD Drink Made Him $2.8M In Under 2 Years).
- Actively engages in community-building and knowledge-sharing within the direct-to-consumer and digital marketing sectors.
Key Platforms & Interests
- Industry focus: DTC, e-commerce, food and beverage, wellness, digital advertising, SaaS for marketing automation.
- Platform expertise: Shopify Plus, Facebook/Meta Ads, performance creative, retention marketing technology.
- Professional presence: Highly active on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) for industry networking, thought leadership, and timely market observations.
Contextual Insights
Nick Shackelford is deeply embedded in the DTC growth and retention ecosystem, positioning BRĒZ as a benchmark for "better-for-you" CPG innovation. His analytical approach to profit optimization (AOV, CAC management, subscriber LTV) and his influence in both the technology and operational spheres of e-commerce make him a critical decision-maker and innovator. His geographic base in Orange County, CA, further anchors him in a major U.S. commerce and wellness product hub.
Actionable focus for engaging with Shackelford should center around solutions for customer retention, growth scalability, DTC optimization, and innovative performance marketing technologies aligned with high-velocity, wellness-oriented CPG brands.
