On this episode of Scouting For Growth, Sabine VdL speaks with Mark Stern, Founder & CEO of Custom Box Agency, an award-winning boutique that helps digital businesses create unforgettable customer journeys through high-impact offline box experiences. If you’ve ever launched a digital offer and thought, “Why does this feel so… forgettable?” — Mark has the answer: Digital gets attention. Physical creates emotion. And emotion drives action. The unboxing effect: turning customers into ambassadors Mark shares how his early project, Entrepreneur Elements, proved a powerful insight: when you blend physical with digital, people don’t just consume the product… they share it. Recipients started posting unboxing videos, creating organic traffic and turning customers into ambassadors — something a digital-only offer struggles to achieve. In a noisy market, the box becomes a stage. The pivot that changed everything During COVID, virtual events became brutally competitive overnight. Everyone suddenly became a “virtual event expert,” and differentiation disappeared fast. But Mark spotted an opportunity hiding in plain sight: the box was still a frontier. He went all-in — and the business scaled from zero to $1M in its first year, simply by focusing on a physical experience that delivered faster, more tangible results than screens alone. This isn’t swag. It’s product design. Mark is adamant: these boxes are not “SWAG” (Stuff Without A Goal). They’re engineered experiences designed to drive outcomes. Inside a great box isn’t random merch — it’s structure: a welcome note a “getting started” guide (his most powerful sales asset) a journey map showing the path to results tools and resources to reduce friction The goal is simple: help customers take the next step with clarity and momentum. Done beats perfect — but the customer always comes first Mark brings a blend of startup speed and corporate standards. His philosophy is sharp: in online business, done beats perfect — but only if the customer experience is intentional. His north star is customer-centricity: it’s not about you, it’s about what your customer needs to succeed. Feedback loops that improve the product (and retention) Mark also explains how he uses boxes to engineer smart feedback loops: when customers hit milestones, the experience prompts them to share insights. That enables two wins: customers feel celebrated the business gets real data to improve the offer It’s retention design disguised as delight. Why this episode matters For founders, growth leaders, and enterprise teams building digital products, this episode is a reminder that the next conversion lift might not come from another funnel tweak. It might come from adding the one thing digital can’t deliver: a tangible experience that makes progress feel real. Because when customers can touch the journey… they’re far more likely to stay on it.