How Tariffs Affect Small Businesses w/Steven Borrelli From Cuts Clothing

A 145% tariff isn’t just a price hike—it’s a slow-motion business killer.

In this episode, the crew sits down with Cuts founder Steven Borrelli to talk about his viral open letter to Trump, the fallout from the latest tariffs, and how eCom brands can survive a 145% hit to their margins. We cover survival tactics, pricing strategies, manufacturer loopholes, and why most people on Twitter are getting it wrong.

In This Episode:
Why Steven’s tweet made it to Trump’s inner circle

The difference between a tariff and an embargo (and why this is the latter)

How brands are pulling revenue forward with “pre-tariff” sales

Should you raise prices or add a fee at checkout?

Underground strategies: bonded warehouses, vendor negotiations, offshore CX

Dad Gang’s Coachella moment + Cuts’ Super Bowl party

What actually works when you throw an IRL event

💬 Drop a comment:
Are you adjusting your pricing, your suppliers, or your strategy in response to the tariffs?
What are you seeing in your circle?

Sponsors:
Marpipe – https://www.marpipe.com
Heatmap.com – https://www.heatmap.com

⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & why this matters
07:45 – The Trump letter fallout
16:15 – Cart fees vs raising prices
25:30 – Customer trust & surveying
33:00 – Avoiding tariffs creatively
42:00 – What brands can actually do
50:00 – Pricing psychology & tradeoffs
57:00 – DTC Twitter & tariff fatigue
1:05:30 – In-person activations
1:13:00 – Building brand equity
1:17:30 – Wrap-up & follow Steven

Follow Our Hosts:
Nick Shackelford

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Zoe Kahn

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-kahn-5b61aa129/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/_zoekahn_

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ZoeKahn

Bart Szaniewski

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-szaniewski-374b1141/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TheSzef

John Coyle

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Twitter/X: https://x.com/johnjhcoyle

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-coyle-1bb231120/

Steven Borrelli

Twitter/X: https://x.com/stevenborrelli

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenborrelli/

Cuts Clothing: https://www.cutsclothing.com

Cuts Women: https://www.instagram.com/cutswomen/

How Tariffs Affect Small Businesses w/Steven Borrelli From Cuts Clothing

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