Summary
CHALLENGE
- As the brand’s main content creator, founder Trevor Silva carried the constant pressure of producing content that drove sales.
- The team preferred to avoid heavy spending on large advertising platforms.
- They wanted a way to reward the community that already loved their products.
SOLUTION
- Built an affiliate program on UpPromote with a residual-income structure: 15% up front and 10% of every order for 365 days.
- Enabled a multi-level structure so supporters can grow their earnings by inviting others.
- Vetted every applicant for authenticity and added a 25-sale threshold before sending free product.
RESULTS
- Launched the formal program in January 2026 and is on track to break even by August.
- Reduced its agency retainer from $4,000 to $2,000 a month as the team took on more work in-house.
- Freed Trevor from constant sales-first content by routing promotion through aligned partners.
LESSONS
- Design commissions for the long game so partners have a reason to stay.
- Screen hard for authenticity. Not every applicant is the right fit.
- Ask affiliates to invest in themselves before handing out free product.
My Cluck Hut is an artisan soap company that makes eco-friendly, sustainable bath and body products. Trevor Silva co-founded the brand in 2020 with his wife, Jennifer, a scientist who created the original soap formula.
The company built a large, engaged following across social media: roughly 205,000 followers on Instagram, 153,000 on Facebook, and 104,000 on TikTok. That audience became the foundation for a different kind of growth engine.
Rather than pour budget into paid ads, My Cluck Hut decided to put that money into the pockets of the people who already championed the brand.
Why did My Cluck Hut choose affiliate marketing over more ads?
As the brand’s primary content creator, Trevor felt the weight of having to constantly market. Nearly every sale seemed to depend on him producing more.
He also preferred not to spend heavily on large advertising platforms. An affiliate program offered a way to grow while sharing the upside with supporters instead.
We’ve got all these people that love our products. They love the ideology. They love the community that we’ve built. Why not offer them an opportunity to be a part of that?
Trevor Silva, Co-Founder at My Cluck Hut
As the brand leaned on platforms like Facebook that had no built-in affiliate tools, Trevor went looking for a dedicated solution. He landed on UpPromote.
Once I researched it and looked through it, it just seemed like the right fit. It simplified and made everything more approachable.
Trevor Silva, Co-Founder at My Cluck Hut
With the tool in place, Trevor turned to the part he cared about most: designing a program that would actually put money in his community’s hands.
How does My Cluck Hut’s program reward its community?
My Cluck Hut designed its commissions around long-term, residual earning rather than one-off payouts.
Affiliates earn 15% up front on referrals. On top of that, they earn 10% of every order for a full 365 days, giving supporters a way to build recurring income over time.
The brand also uses UpPromote’s multi-level marketing structure, which lets an affiliate add a level beneath them and earn from the partners they bring in.
The whole point was to help supporters earn something lasting.
…a little bit higher percentage rate for sales, and then with the 365 days where they can make 10% of every order to try to help people build some residual income.
Trevor Silva, Co-Founder at My Cluck Hut
To support new partners, the team runs a recurring affiliate hangout where members can learn how to promote effectively. The goal is a group where everyone is part of the mission, not just a list of links.
How does My Cluck Hut keep its affiliate program authentic?
Growth for My Cluck Hut is not about volume. The brand turns away applicants who do not match its standards.
Its marketing partner, GoFish Digital, reviews every application and checks that creators are genuine rather than churning out low-effort, AI-generated content.
We deny a bunch if they don’t fit our brand standard. This is more about finding people that are authentic, that believe in what we’re doing.
Trevor Silva, Co-Founder at My Cluck Hut
The 25-sale rule
The team recently added a requirement: affiliates must reach 25 sales before receiving any free product or samples.
The logic is simple. My Cluck Hut already offers a generous residual structure, so it asks partners to show commitment first.
Before you get any product in hand, any free samples, you have to reach 25 sales. That way, people invest in themselves.
Trevor Silva, Co-Founder at My Cluck Hut
My Cluck Hut also runs two separate programs: an open program for the wider community, and an inner circle for larger, closely aligned creators the brand already knows and trusts.
What results has My Cluck Hut seen so far?
The clearest early results are structural. By moving promotion to a network of aligned partners, Trevor lifted some of the constant pressure to sell.
The beauty of affiliate marketing is that it takes some of the pressure off of me.
Trevor Silva, Co-Founder at My Cluck Hut
The business is trending the right way, too. My Cluck Hut launched its formal program in January 2026 and is on track to break even by August, roughly seven months later.
Part of that progress came from working leaner. As the team absorbed more of the work in-house, it reduced its agency retainer from $4,000 to $2,000 a month.
My Cluck Hut runs its program on UpPromote’s Professional plan. The team currently pays affiliates through PayPal, and plans to set up automatic PayPal payouts to remove the manual work from each cycle.
