DTC Podcast Episode 529: Chub Rub to 2M+ Units Sold – The Lean Growth Story of Thigh Society

Release Date: July 28, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 529 of the DTC Podcast, host Eric Dick engages in an in-depth conversation with Marnie, the founder of Thigh Society. The discussion delves into Marnie's entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of building a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand, effective marketing strategies, and the significant milestones that led Thigh Society to sell over two million units. The episode provides invaluable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and established brands alike.

Marnie’s Entrepreneurial Journey

From Corporate to Founder

Marnie begins by recounting her transition from a government job to founding Thigh Society. Her inspiration stemmed from a personal struggle with chub rub—a common yet often overlooked discomfort.

• Personal Catalyst: At [00:36], Marnie describes a pivotal moment in 2008 when she experienced severe thigh chafing while wearing a dress without her usual long leg underwear. This discomfort led her to seek a better solution.

  "I shook my fist in the air and thought, there has to be a better way." ([02:14])

• Initial Research and Prototype Development: Over the next two months, Marnie researched and canvassed friends to understand the demand for women's long leg underwear. Discovering a gap in the market, she decided to create her own product, leading to the founding of Thigh Society.

  "I decided that, that I had to invent it myself." ([04:00])

• Early Challenges: Balancing her corporate responsibilities with her startup efforts, Marnie emphasizes the importance of not quitting her day job too soon.

  "I recommend for people to not quit their day jobs when you have an idea because it is possible to do both at the same time." ([09:30])

Full-Time Commitment and Growth

In August 2016, after eight years of balancing her job and business, Marnie made the decisive move to focus entirely on Thigh Society.

• Revenue Milestone: At the time of going full-time, the company had generated approximately half a million Canadian dollars in revenue, largely through organic growth strategies.

  "When I quit my job, we were somewhere around half a million dollars Canadian in revenue and I had grown the business to about $350,000 organically." ([11:41])

Product Development and Differentiation

Identifying the Market Gap

Thigh Society was founded to provide a comfortable, non-shapewear solution for thigh chafing, a need that existing products like shapewear and baby powder did not adequately address.

• Product Features: Marnie highlights the importance of creating lightweight, seamless, breathable, and moisture-wicking long leg underwear tailored for women.

  "I wanted a pair of underwear that was lightweight, seamless, breathable, cooling and invisible under my clothes." ([04:20])

Expanding the Product Line

Over the years, Thigh Society expanded its offerings to include five distinct products, each catering to different use cases such as hot sleepers, modesty for teachers, and comfort for those experiencing hot flashes.

• Customer-Centric Design: The products are designed to solve various issues beyond chub rub, making them versatile for a wide range of customers.

  "Our products all solve for chub rub. They are all a solution to thigh sweat, butt sweat, crotch sweat..." ([15:01])

Marketing Strategies and Growth

Leveraging Organic Growth and Influencer Marketing

Initially, Thigh Society relied heavily on organic growth by sending products to bloggers, long before "influencer marketing" became a mainstream strategy.

• Influencer Collaboration: Marnie notes that influencer marketing was instrumental in their early growth.

  "We were growing organically by literally sending product to bloggers." ([11:57])

Adoption of Facebook (Meta) Ads

The introduction of Facebook Ads marked a significant turning point for Thigh Society, allowing for scalable growth and targeted marketing.

• ROI with Instant: Eric Dick introduces Instant, a tool that helped brands like Thigh Society recover lost revenue by identifying anonymous visitors, leading to a substantial ROI.

  "Liquid IV, TRX, and Truly Beauty. These are all massive stores that use Instant to see an average ROI of 21.7x." ([00:51])

Content Marketing and Founder Content

Marnie emphasizes the effectiveness of founder-driven content in resonating with audiences, especially in building authenticity and trust.

• Authentic Storytelling: Showcasing the founder's story and the brand's origin fosters a deeper connection with customers.

  "We're leaning heavily into content from creators, founder content which always resonates." ([00:36])

Effective Use of SEO and PR

SEO Strategy

Thigh Society has invested significantly in SEO over the past few years, resulting in top rankings for keywords related to thigh chafing and related conditions.

• Organic Search Dominance: Marnie attributes their high ranking on search engines to intentional SEO strategies and focused content creation.

  "We have been focusing more on SEO strategy in the last few years, mainly with blog writing around different content pieces." ([37:30])

Public Relations through Advertising

Instead of traditional PR, Thigh Society leverages their advertising efforts to generate organic PR, including features on prominent platforms like the Today Show and New York Times Wirecutter.

• Ad-Driven PR Success: Marnie explains how effective advertising has organically led to significant PR opportunities.

  "Everything starts with an ad... this was free PR. We got organic placement on the Today show... Oprah Daily." ([32:48])

Customer Engagement and Retention

High Returning Customer Rate

Thigh Society boasts a strong returning customer base, with many customers purchasing multiple pairs for various use cases.

• Customer Loyalty: Customers return to buy more colors and for different scenarios, enhancing lifetime value.

  "We have a great returning customer rate... she'll come back year over year to refresh her underwear drawer and buy new colors." ([23:38])

Word-of-Mouth and Referrals

While not utilizing a formal referral program, Thigh Society benefits from strong word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers.

• Natural Referrals: Marnie notes that organic word-of-mouth has been more effective than structured referral programs.

  "I think that those [referrals] are working for us better than referrals." ([25:18])

Challenges and Resilience

Facing Skepticism

Throughout her journey, Marnie encountered skepticism about the demand for women's long leg underwear, even from her male manufacturing partners.

• Overcoming Doubts: She remained steadfast in her belief, ultimately proving the demand by selling over two million pairs.

  "I turned twice to start Thigh Society. And over 2 million pairs sold. You know, they are." ([31:53])

Turning Down Opportunities

Marnie shares her experience of turning down opportunities like Dragon's Den, prioritizing her professional reputation and personal readiness over immediate growth.

• Strategic Decisions: Choosing not to pursue Dragon's Den allowed her to focus on building the business on her own terms.

  "I turned down an opportunity to pitch the Dragon's Den because I was petrified of what would happen if I bombed." ([29:17])

Future Plans and Closing Remarks

Exploring Wholesale Channels

While primarily a DTC brand, Thigh Society is considering expanding into wholesale, having received passive interest from about two dozen wholesalers.

• Selective Expansion: Marnie expresses caution, wanting to maintain a lean team and focus on core strengths before expanding into wholesale.

  "We're looking right now into expanding our wholesale program... keep it simple, stupid." ([26:34])

Upcoming Events and Engagements

Marnie mentions her involvement in upcoming events like Ecom X and Ecom North, highlighting her continuous engagement with the entrepreneurial community.

• Community Involvement: Active participation in industry events helps in networking and staying updated with market trends.

  "This Friday I'll be speaking at an event, Ecom X with some other great founders." ([39:21])

Maintaining Authenticity and Focus

Marnie reiterates the importance of staying true to the brand's mission and maintaining authenticity in all marketing efforts.

"Everything starts with an ad... authenticity... let's destigmatize these totally normal skin conditions." ([34:47], [37:18])

Notable Quotes

• On Building a Brand:

  "There are a lot of sexy stories out there that the media loves overnight successes. But the reality is most businesses take a decade plus to hit their tipping point." ([02:29])

• On Product Importance:

  "We wanted to be really good at what we do and we want to be a household name for anti chafe lip shorts for women." ([20:45])

• On Marketing Strategy:

  "If you can get and scale your meta ads, you have to remember that the editors of big time magazines, TV shows, publications, they're social media users like you and I, they're scrolling on their phone." ([34:30])

Conclusion

Episode 529 of the DTC Podcast offers a comprehensive look into the resilience, strategic thinking, and customer-centric approach that propelled Thigh Society from a personal need to a multi-million-unit selling brand. Marnie's story underscores the importance of patience, authenticity, and focused marketing in building a successful DTC brand. Aspiring entrepreneurs can draw valuable lessons from her journey, particularly the significance of understanding and addressing genuine customer pain points.

For more insights and detailed tactical strategies, consider subscribing to the DTC Newsletter and Podcast.

To follow Marnie’s entrepreneurial journey, connect with her on LinkedIn and stay updated on Thigh Society’s latest developments by visiting thighsociety.com.