S14 E1: How Affiliates and Creators Are Redefining Brand Marketing (with Aaron Paul, Co-founder of Paul Street)

What if the secret to scaling your brand wasn’t Facebook ads or a viral TikTok—but an underground network of affiliates driving thousands of sales a day? Nik sits down with Aaron Paul, co-founder of Paul Street, to pull back the curtain on the hidden world of affiliates, PR, and media buyers that power some of today’s fastest-growing consumer brands. They explore how Aaron helped generate over $500M in affiliate revenue, why old-school PR is dying, and how social proof has become the new currency of growth. Plus, Nik and Aaron break down when brands should launch affiliate programs and the deal structures that keep top partners loyal. Why is PR now a sprint-based tool for credibility rather than discovery? Aaron breaks it down from an agency standpoint. From TikTok Shop to celebrity partnerships, listicles, and the secret funnels that scaled brands like Goalie and Onnit, this conversation is packed with insights on building trust, driving sales, and mastering the future of performance marketing. Whether you’re new to Brand, Performance, and Affiliate, or a seasoned marketer, this episode is for YOU. What’s Instant? They’re the secret weapon to triple your email revenue with AI-powered flows. Instead of blasting the same cart reminders to everyone, Instant ensure every shopper gets a unique email experience: -Copy, products, and offers that adapt to your shopper’s behavior in real time. -Emails sent at the exact moment that shopper is most likely to buy. -11+ abandonment flows live in minutes. Book a demo by Dec. 31 to get 50% off your first 60 days. Make this BFCM your biggest one yet: instant.one/limited Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma