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Hire or contract the wholesale role before you scale the channel, so retailer conversation does not kill product velocity.
$15,000
-a-month brand exploring wholesale
15-20 percent
of net wholesale revenue and let them own the…
90 days
hire the agent for
10 hours a week
at an hourly rate and raise the commission to
Solbari, a Melbourne-based UPF 50+ sun-protection apparel brand, opened a U.S. wholesale channel and appointed Grayson Davis as head of sales to drive retail partnerships, according to Business Wire. The move puts a dedicated sales executive in place before the brand scales distribution across specialty retailers.
Most DTC brands pitch wholesale backwards: founder sends a line sheet, lands one account, then scrambles to service it while still running email and fulfillment. Solbari inverted the sequence. The company appointed a full-time sales lead whose sole mandate is retail expansion, then began outreach. That means buyer meetings are run by someone who knows margin conversation, not someone toggling between Klaviyo and a retailer portal at midnight.
The mechanism is role clarity under growth pressure. A wholesale relationship requires different cadence than DTC: terms negotiation, minimum order quantities, co-op marketing budgets, charge-back reconciliation, and seasonal buy windows. When one person owns all of that and nothing else, the retailer gets faster answers and the founder keeps product development and brand messaging on track. Solbari's hire signals the company expects enough retail velocity to justify a dedicated salary before the first PO clears.
The steal for a small physical-product brand is to staff the channel part-time before you staff it full-time, but staff it as a distinct role. If you are a $15,000-a-month brand exploring wholesale, bring in a fractional sales rep or a commission-only agent who has existing retail relationships in your category. Pay them 15-20 percent of net wholesale revenue and let them own the pitch deck, the linesheet, the sample kit, and the follow-up cadence. You keep product, customer service, and brand. They keep retailer communication.
Start with three to five target accounts that match your brand's positioning and already carry adjacent products. The agent sends a one-page sell sheet with high-resolution product images, your UVP in one sentence, opening order minimums, and net wholesale pricing. Include a sample offer: send one unit at cost if the buyer wants to evaluate hand-feel and packaging. The agent follows up in five business days, books a call, and walks the buyer through margin, turn rate, and any exclusivity you are willing to offer in that region.
If the first two accounts convert and reorder within 90 days, hire the agent for 10 hours a week at an hourly rate and raise the commission to 20 percent for any account over a $3,000 opener. That contractor becomes your Grayson Davis equivalent: the voice retailers hear, the one who knows your minimums cold, and the one who keeps you out of the weeds while you run product.
Solbari's entry sequence — hire the role, then open the channel — shows the brand is betting on velocity, not testing. For a solo founder, the parallel is smaller but the principle holds: give someone else the retailer conversation before you drown in it.
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