· By Jordan West
How This CMO Took a Leather Brand from $3.5M to 9 Figures (Without Overcomplicating Marketing) with MacCoy Merkley
Ever wonder what it takes to scale a brand from $3.5M to nine figures?
In this episode, I sit down with MacCoy Merkley, CMO of Portland Leather Goods, to break down exactly how they did it—without relying on overcomplicated marketing tactics.
MacCoy started at Portland Leather Goods seven years ago, back when they were just a small Etsy shop.
Fast forward to today, and they’re the largest leather bag manufacturer in North America.
We dive into:
- The wild Craigslist job interview that landed him the role
- How COVID-19 forced them to pivot—and ended up accelerating growth
- The single biggest driver of their success (hint: it’s not ads)
- Why discounting isn’t the enemy—and how they do it strategically
- The future of e-commerce in 2025 (and why great products win every time)
Meet MacCoy Merkley
- CMO of Portland Leather Goods
- Former wedding photographer who landed a marketing job through Craigslist
- Helped scale Portland Leather Goods from $3.5M to over $100M+ in revenue
- A big believer in great products > marketing hacks
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maccoy-merkley-95146815b
- Twitter: https://x.com/MacCoyMerkley
Key Takeaways from the Episode:
1. How MacCoy Landed a Marketing Job With No Resume
- Answered a Craigslist ad for a “Digital Media Specialist” role
2. Scaling from Etsy to Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)
- Curtis (the founder) started Portland Leather Goods by hand-making leather bags in his garage
3. How COVID Forced a Business Pivot (That Led to Explosive Growth)
- COVID-19 shut down their in-house production—forcing them to pause website sales
4. Why Product Quality is the #1 Growth Lever
- 30% of their new customers come from referrals—no ad spend needed
5. The Future of E-Commerce in 2025
- Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Ads still work—but only if you have a product worth talking about
6. Why Personal Branding Matters (Even for B2C Brands)
- MacCoy & Curtis post daily on LinkedIn & Twitter—keeping PLG top of mind
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