Chris Wichert is an investment banker turned direct-to-consumer entrepreneur. His luxury shoe brand, Koio, launched in 2015 and quickly scaled. Then the pandemic hit. By late 2022, he says, the D2C hype and funding had collapsed. He slashed costs, stabilized cash flow, and successfully exited the company. In our recent conversation, he shared his story of boom, bust, and survival. Our entire audio is embedded below. The transcript is edited for clarity and length. Eric Bandholz: Give us the rundown. Chris Wichert: I co-founded Koio, a luxury footwear brand, in 2015. We exited the brand six months ago, and I helped with the transition. I’m now advising other consumer brands on how to reach profitability and stay there. I’m from Germany. I started my career in investment banking, then moved to the U.S. for my Wharton MBA, where I met my Koio co-founder. I live in Brooklyn, New York. Bandholz: Did Wharton help with the launch?…