Bitesized: Marketing | Entrepreneurship | Brand Building

In the latest episode of Bitesized, I sat down with Davin Gentry is founder of Diet Starts Monday, an LA based fashion brand that emphasizes the importance of taking action today not waiting for tomorrow.Born and raised in Kentucky, Davin's entrepreneurial journey began with hand painting t-shirts to create unique pieces for himself due to a lack of options in his small town. Davin studied graphic design before starting his journey in the fashion industry with jewelry brand Premium Co, before launching Diet Starts Monday in 2016.We dived into the challenges of being from a small town with big ambitions, how Davin stays connected to his roots with a focus on giving back, the trends he is seeing in the fashion industry, his entrepreneurial journey, and what it's taught him about himself, his creative process & approach to brand building and so much more.

Aaron Nosbisch, serial entrepreneur and the founder of Brez, a microdosed herbal social tonic brand, shares his groundbreaking journey in the beverage industry. We explore how his innovative mindset helped him navigate complex advertising landscapes and disrupt traditional alcohol markets with plant-based, functional beverages.Covered in the Episode:- Aaron's early career in e-commerce and influencer marketing from the MySpace era.- Founding Luycd and overcoming challenges in cannabis advertising.- The creation and rapid success of Brez, with revenue growth from $2.5M to $25M in just over a year.- Why breaking industry norms leads to outsized returns.- Strategies for advertising cannabis and CBD products in a restrictive environment.- The concept of "functional drinking" as a healthier alternative to alcohol.- How Brez aims to create positive, social experiences without the downsides of alcohol.- The challenges and opportunities in launching a brand in an emerging market.- Aaron's approach to innovation: following the rules creatively and building on top of them.- Insights on the future of alcohol alternatives and the potential for disruption.- Aaron's views on consumer behavior and the evolving perceptions around alcohol.+ So much more!

Michael Chernow is a serial entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and the founder of Kreatures of Habit, a brand dedicated to helping people build positive daily routines through nutrition and lifestyle. We dived into Michael's personal journey of overcoming personal struggles, including substance abuse, transforming his life through positive habits, and how he's shaping the future of wellness.Covered in the Episode:Michael Chernow's journey as an entrepreneur, from his early days in New York to building successful restaurants.The power of building a business culture from the inside out.The transition from restaurant business to D2C with Kreatures of Habit.The importance of self-awareness and surrounding yourself with the right team.How entrepreneurship is about getting back up after failure.Managing a personal brand alongside building businesses.How Michael's morning routine and habits shaped his life and business.Why it's essential to have a clear vision and timeline for success.Overcoming personal struggles, including substance abuse, and transforming through positive habits.The role of community and personal connection in business growth. Long-term plans for Kreatures of Habit, including new product development and an acquisition target for 2028.Michael's views on the glamorization of entrepreneurship and the reality of navigating ups and downs.Legacy as a person who does what he says and the value of keeping your word. + so much more.

Jake Karls is co-founder & rainmaker of Mid-Day Squares, Forbes 30 under 30, EY entrepreneur of the year finalist 2024, and the only guy I've seen post videos of him dancing with customers & partners on LinkedIn. Jake is the epitome of how building a personal brand, leading with authenticity and vulnerability is a powerful way brands and brand founders can connect with consumers. We dived into effective storytelling for brands, why traditional marketing no longer works and explored Jake's journey from being lost and without direction, to joining Mid-Day squares, selling over 40 Million Bars of Chocolate and the highs and lows throughout that journey.Covered in the Episode:The power & importance of your mindset & self awareness.WTH is a rainmaker? And why do we need more of them in businesses?De-stigmatizing therapy.What led to Jake needing to make a change in his life.Effective storytelling for brands.Selling more chocolate bars than the population of Canada: what drove Mid-Day Squares success.The truth about entrepreneurship: how to navigate the ups and downs.Why traditional marketing tactics don't work.

Dan is Founder & CEO of Create, the first modern creatine brand, hitting a $25M run rate in 19 months.With Create, Dan is looking to de-stigmatize and modernize creatine usage and has been able to scale the business fast based on a re-framing of the benefits, through a gummy vs the traditional powder intake, leaning heavily into a subscription model - the holy grail for CPG.Covered in the full Episode:How his background in finance led to founding Create: and what it taught him about the DTC model.Modernizing and de-stigmatizing Creatine usage.Building and scaling a successful Subscription model for CPG.Marketing tactics used to scale the brand to $25M run rate in 19 months, without an internal team.How coming from a family of entrepreneurs shaped his thinking.The journey of expanding from DTC to Retail / omni channel.Product expansion and navigating FDA.2024 DTC predictions.+ much much more

Conor Begley is Chief Strategy Officer at CreatorIQ, an Influencer and creator platform that works with some of the worlds biggest brands including Nike, Disney, Estee Lauder & more.Many brands try and fail at influencer marketing. Why?In this episode we dive into how brands have scaled successfully off the back of effective influencer marketing, what smaller brands can learn from the likes of Gymshark and Skims, the explosion of the creator economy and shifts in how platforms like Meta, TikTok and YouTube are supporting enhanced opportunities for brands to drive brand awareness and growth through influencer and creator partnerships.

This week's guest is Noah Tucker, founder and CEO of Social Snowball, an affiliate & referral marketing platform for eCommerce. Their modern and automated affiliate programs drive millions in revenue for over 2,000 leading brands such as Solawave, Obvi, and Javy Coffee.Covered in the Episode:Noah's entrepreneurial journey and what sparked Noah to build Social Snowball, catered to DTC and eCommerce brandsThe ‘murky' world of affiliate marketing, and how its evolved over time to what Noah calls ‘modern affiliates'The different types of Affiliates, from influencers, creators, customers and moreTurning customers into AffiliatesThe power of owning your affiliate customer acquisition channelUsing performance incentives to drive effective affiliate partnershipsHow to win with affiliate marketing, from discovery, content to affiliate agreementsThe Do's and Don'ts of building a revenue driving affiliate and referral programIt's an affiliate 101 master class on how to set up, scale and drive revenue for your brand through affiliate marketing.

Dave Rekuc is President of skincare brand Bambu Earth, and a 15 year veteran in e-commerce, initially starting by helping his dad sell backpacks online in 2007. Bit by the concept of modeling out the math behind marketing, it kickstarted Dave's journey that saw him lead marketing at several companies both agency side and brand side.Bambu Earth is a primarily DTC natural skincare brand & Dave gave incredible, detailed insight into what it takes to scale brands from sub $100k in annual revenue and how whats needed to scale a brand changes as you move through the gears of growth.It's a consumer mindset, tactical marketing heavy episode, that goes into great detail on how Dave has helped scale Bambu to 8-figures, with many lessons and takeaways that other brand founders and marketers can apply to their business.Covered in the Episode:Tactics used to scale Bambu Earth to an 8-figure brandWhy working at agencies gives you a leg-up to work at brands later in your careerMarketing advice for brands at different levels of scaleSelling benefits vs features (is it that black and white?)How to have fewer competitors as a brand and battle a transient consumer mindset, especially within beauty.When it's time to diversify your marketing channelsFixed costs vs distribution: e-commerce brand financials 101How to get consumers to purchase products at higher price pointsHis take on authentic customer reviews and market researchCGC vs UGC content (and AGC!)Aligning funnels to different products and how that led to growth for BambuBambu Earth's digital marketing strategy for the next 2-3 years

Collin is the founder and CEO of Llovesick, an LA based fashion brand that's bringing meaning to brand building. We dived into Collins youth in Ohio, how losing his way in life & chasing money doing medical sales ultimately led him to starting the brand.Covered in the Episode:Finding his purpose: from medical sales to founding the brand with personal meaning: "I don't know if it's gonna make me money, but I think it's gonna make me happy."The meaning behind the name "Llovesick" and what's with the L's?.Getting product on MBA, NFL, UFC stars as a launchpad for the brand.How he leant into Gorilla marketing and social media, lessons from Jerry Lorenzo & the power of word of mouth marketing.The marketing tactics and focus on content marketing used to drive rapid growth.Advice if you are feeling stuck in a job or career you have no passion for.How social media has skewed what ‘success' truly means.Collin's advice to people wanting or in early stages of starting a brand.Why he believes entrepreneurship is a blessing and a curse.How he deals with failure: "Discipline gets you through anything."

What has the rise of the creator conomy meant for creators, consumers and brands?Former Puma Marketing Director and founder of Unmtchd.Brands, Oana Leonte gives her take.If you liked the episode, please subscribe, like, share and leave a review. Thank you for the support!

Brand Loyalty Is DEADOana is a former Marketing Director at PUMA, founder and host of The Unmtchd. Podcast and recently launched Unmtchd Brands, a brand evolution lab dedicated to helping consumer brands evolve and scale at the pace of today, specializing in brand and marketing strategy & IP / tech integration.Oana brings a great perspective to brand marketing. How all marketing is to drive sales. How brands should be thinking about and using storytelling in their marketing & how the shifts in consumerism has has changed how brands need to be thinking about driving and fostering brand loyalty. Oana is a wealth of brand marketing and consumer psychology knowledge, it's a must listen episode!Covered in the Episode:Career story and lessons learnt: from the world of entertainment, fashion and entrepreneurship.What working at Disney, Paramount, Puma taught her about brand & performance marketing.How brands should be thinking about influencers and creators.Why brand loyalty is dead. And what brands should do about it.The fallacy of ‘consumer first' marketing.How brands can win with storytelling.The growth and future of Celebrity brands.“We don't need more brands, we need better brands”.+ way, way more.

Dan is Founder & CEO of Create, the first modern creatine brand, hitting a $25M run rate in 19 months.With Create, Dan is looking to de-stigmatize and modernize creatine usage and has been able to scale the business fast based on a re-framing of the benefits, through a gummy vs the traditional powder intake, leaning heavily into a subscription model - the holy grail for CPG.Covered in the Episode:How his background in finance led to founding Create: and what it taught him about the DTC model.Modernizing and de-stigmatizing Creatine usage.Building and scaling a successful Subscription model for CPG.Marketing tactics used to scale the brand to $25M run rate in 19 months, without an internal team.How coming from a family of entrepreneurs shaped his thinking.The journey of expanding from DTC to Retail / omni channel.Product expansion and navigating FDA.2024 DTC predictions.+ much much moreFull Episode is available NOW on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.If you liked the episode, please subscribe, like, share and leave a review. Thank you for the support!Episode Links: https://linktr.ee/BITESIZED.Podcast

The truth about entrepreneurship!Jess is founder and CEO at Longplay, a retention and lifecycle marketing agency and Backbone, an email strategy and automation tool for e-commerce brands. Had such a blast having Jess on the pod, and loved the honesty with which she spoke about entrepreneurship as well as getting super tactical on how brands should be thinking about retention and lifecycle marketing for the now. If you are an entrepreneur, a retention or lifecycle marketer, building SaaS, you will want to listen to this episode.Covered in the Episode:From running an agency to launching a software company - Jess's entrepreneurial journeyThe emotional hurdles with running a service based companyThe importance of separating your identity from your businessJess's key learnings on hiring, operations, scalingFrom start up to scaling - how to navigate the seasons of business growthA 101 on Retention Marketing for DTC brands - and what so many get wrong!The importance of understanding consumer psychology to be the best marketerWhat companies should be focused on at different stages of scaleJess's take on using platforms to support retention marketing and how that changes at different levels of scale+ much much moreFull Episode is available NOW on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.If you liked the episode, please subscribe, like, share and leave a review. Thank you for the support!

'Creative is your targeting'.... but why?It's not just because of data loss.Platforms are feeding you content, relevant to your interests.If its not immediately compelling and relevant, 'your ads are TOAST'Its not just about attention, its about RELEVANT attention.Barry Hott and I talk through how to win with advertising on social platforms in 2024.Listen to the full episode: HERENeed help understanding your ad performance? MOTION is the only platform that breaks down your ad creative performance, by funnel stage in customizable and easy to interpret reporting. It's helped my agency ship thousands of winning ads across over $40M in Social Ad Spend in the last 12 months. Check it out and get a free demo HERE

Barry Hott is a growth marketing consultant with over 20 years experience, top advertising voice on LinkedIn and starter of the #makeuglyads movement. I've followed Barry for some time and we share many of the same philosophies on marketing and with similar career durations we've both seen the many ecosystem shifts that have demanded brands and marketers to adapt. New platforms, the ever changing consumer, the impact data changes have had on effective online marketing, there was alot to unpack! Love the conversation, so many great takeaways, already lining up a round 2.Episode includes:How to win with social media ads in 2024Media buying vs creative strategyWhy media buyers shouldn't wear the finance hatOrganic social and the role it plays in growth marketingThe interplay between Brand & Performance marketingWhy marketing should influence product developmentThe differences for growth teams being agency side / brand sideThe ultimate conversion funnel for ecommerce growthBarry's 2024 predictions for contentWatch Bitesized on YouTube HEREFollow Daniel on LinkedIn: HEREFollow Daniel on Twitter: HEREFollow Barry on LinkedIn: HEREMotion is the world's best performance-creative analytics tool.If you are spending on META or TikTok Ads, effective creative analytics is a must.At Flight Performance we use motion across every brand we work with and it has allowed us to scale more winning ads across the $40M in META ad spend in 2023. Their visualized reporting breaks down the funnel stage of each creative from Thumbstop, CTR, ROAS in a customizable and visualized reporting dashboard meaning you know exactly where to focus your creative efforts - taking the guesswork out of producing creative that converts.Start shipping more winning ads HERESubscribe to the Bitesized Newsletter: HEREGet weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.

In 2024, amidst a sea of digital noise and fleeting trends, building a robust community around your brand isn't just beneficial – it's essential. In an era where authenticity reigns supreme and consumer trust is hard-won, fostering a loyal community cultivates a stronghold of support, advocacy, and longevity for your brand. This community becomes the heartbeat of your brand, driving innovation, providing invaluable feedback, and amplifying your message through brand advocacy.Moreover, in an age where social connection is more virtual than ever, nurturing a genuine community offers a sense of belonging and shared purpose, creating lasting relationships that transcend transactions. In 2024, the brands that thrive are those that prioritize building authentic connection with their consumers, recognizing that community isn't just a strategy – it's the cornerstone of sustainable success.Ross Mackay, founder of Cadence and Daring Foods gives his take on why brand and community matters and how to develop and cultivate this within your brand.

In the first of the NEW in-person 'Extra Bite' formats of Bitesized Podcast I had the pleasure of taking to Ross Mackay - founder of Daring Foods, Co-Founder Cadence & one of the most inspirational founders I've met.The episode is packed full of insight into Ross entrepreneurial journey. I was inspired and motivated talking to him about his approach to business, entrepreneurship, fitness, leadership & for anyone starting or even like me, some way down the path of building teams and companies, it's a must listen.Episode Includes:- Moving to the US from Scotland fueled by a dream- Starting his first company in a competitive, nascent space- Raising Capital- Building a brand and a community- The 'new era' of entrepreneurship - the anti hustle culture- The highs and lows of entrepreneurship and how he's navigated his way through it- The role fitness plays in his life and how it supports his business ventures+ so so much moreRoss has also just launched his new hydration brand, Cadence, with George Heaton, founder of fashion brand Represent - learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g6PcHgM6Follow Ross on Instagram: HEREFollow Ross on YouTube: HEREFollow Daniel on LinkedIn: HEREFollow Daniel on Instagram: HERESubscribe to the Bitesized Newsletter: https://bitesized.beehiiv.com/subscribe Get weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.

Chris Johnson is the Chief Strategy Officer of Flight Performance, and oversees our entire client and product portfolio. With 10+ years of advertising experience he has collaborated with brands like Wilson, Hyperice, APL, Native, Liquid Death, Loft, 47 Brand, Puma, Ghost Golf, Represent Clo and Outside Magazine. Previously, he was a board member and the Director of Strategy at Common Thread Collective.In this episode we dove deep into 2023 takeaways and 2024 predictions and hot takes, Including:Chris's journey from non profits to agencies and working with 300+ brandsThe biggest takeaways for ecomm & growth marketing in 2023The agency landscape shift: from executional partners to strategic partnersShifts in core platforms last year: the year of AIThe keys to customer acquisition successThe agency / in-house dynamic: how to winHow to utilize consumer insights to inform strategyBFCM 2023 takeaways and predictions for BFCM 2024 Chris's rapid fire thoughts on: YT Shorts, TT Shop & the metrics that matter#1 advice for brands under $10M in 2024Predictions, emerging trends and hot takes for 2024Motion is the world's best performance-creative analytics tool. If you are spending on META or TikTok Ads, effective creative analytics is a must.At Flight Performance we use motion across every brand we work with and it has allowed us to scale more winning ads across the $30M in META ad spend alone in 2023. Their visualized reporting breaks down the funnel stage of each creative from Thumbstop, CTR, ROAS in a customizable and visualized reporting dashboard meaning you know exactly where to focus your creative efforts - taking the guesswork out of producing creative that converts.They also recently launched their newsletter Thumbstop - a weekly newsletter covering the art and science of creating winning ads across Meta., TikTok and YouTube.Check it out: HERESubscribe to the Bitesized Newsletter: HEREGet weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.Follow Daniel on LinkedIn: HERE

Online advertising for offline sales presents a challenge for many brands / marketers: how do you measure it?What cant be denied though is the part digital and social media play in consumer discovery.For CPG brands, outside of in-store marketing efforts, social media is a key part of growing awareness and driving in-store sales.Nick Guillen , co-founder of TRUFF Sauce dives into how growing the brand online first, how it helped superpower their retail expansion, how they measure online to offline and LOADS more in this episode.A must listen for every CPG brand marketer.Motion is the world's best performance-creative analytics tool. If you are spending on META or TikTok Ads, effective creative analytics is a must.At Flight Performance we use motion across every brand we work with and it has allowed us to scale more winning ads across the $30M in META ad spend alone in 2023. Their visualized reporting breaks down the funnel stage of each creative from Thumbstop, CTR, ROAS in a customizable and visualized reporting dashboard meaning you know exactly where to focus your creative efforts - taking the guesswork out of producing creative that converts.They also recently launched their newsletter Thumbstop - a weekly newsletter covering the art and science of creating winning ads across Meta., TikTok and YouTube.Check it out: HERESubscribe to the Bitesized Newsletter: HEREGet weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.

‘Be ok making imperfect decisions!'Dillon is Co-Founder and CEO of the better for you PB&J brand Chubby Snacks. Coming from a digital marketing background, Chubby Snacks came from humble beginnings; with Dillon and his co-founders making and shipping PB&J snacks from their kitchens and has grown into a truly disruptive brand in the better for you snack space.Check Out Chubby Snacks HEREMotion is the world's best performance-creative analytics tool. If you are spending on META or TikTok Ads, effective creative analytics is a must.At Flight Performance we use motion across every brand we work with and it has allowed us to scale more winning ads across the $30M in META ad spend alone in 2023. Their visualized reporting breaks down the funnel stage of each creative from Thumbstop, CTR, ROAS in a customizable and visualized reporting dashboard meaning you know exactly where to focus your creative efforts - taking the guesswork out of producing creative that converts.They also recently launched their newsletter Thumbstop - a weekly newsletter covering the art and science of creating winning ads across Meta., TikTok and YouTube.Check it out: HERESubscribe to the Bitesized Newsletter: HEREGet weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.

Evan Lee breaks down the 7-step process for creating more winning Ads.Motion is the world's best performance-creative analytics tool. If you are spending on META or TikTok Ads, effective creative analytics is a must.At Flight Performance we use motion across every brand we work with and it has allowed us to scale more winning ads across the $30M in META ad spend alone in 2023. Their visualized reporting breaks down the funnel stage of each creative from Thumstop, CTR, ROAS in a customizable and visualized reporting dashboard meaning you know exactly where to focus your creative efforts - taking the guesswork out of producing creative that converts.They also recently launched their newsletter Thumbstop - a weekly newsletter covering the art and science of creating winning ads across Meta., TikTok and YouTube.Check it out: HERESubscribe to the Bitesized Newsletter: HEREGet weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.

‘Be ok making imperfect decisions!'Dillon is Co-Founder and CEO of the better for you PB&J brand Chubby Snacks. Coming from a digital marketing background, Chubby Snacks came from humble beginnings; with Dillon and his co-founders making and shipping PB&J snacks from their kitchens and has grown into a truly disruptive brand in the better for you snack space. I've known Dillon for a decade, first meeting at Golds Gym in Venice & connecting over our passion for fitness, digital marketing & actually working together for a brief time. Dillon talks through his digital background and transition to brand founder, the challenges of building a CPG brand, fundraising, why PBJ, and the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. Included in the episode:From digital marketer to brand founder: the differences between service based and product based businessesWhy PB&J snacks? The opportunity he saw to disrupt the major players in the spaceAdvice for people trying to get into CPGThe importance for surrounding yourself with smart peopleRaising $50 - $100k per month: the world of fundraisingSeparating yourself from the success of your businessUsing agencies for marketing vs. hiring an in-house personThe opportunity within brand partnershipsHow to build loyalty with your customersBeing ok with making imperfect decisionsThe importance of being vulnerable and having someone to talk to when things are toughMuch much moreFollow Dillon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-ceglio/Fill your cupboards with Chubby Snacks: https://www.chubbysnacks.co/Follow Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljamesgraham/Daniel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/foodog85Subscribe to the Bitesized Newsletter: https://bitesized.beehiiv.com/subscribe Get weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.Ship more winning Ads with MotionMotion is the world's best performance-creative analytics tool. If you are spending on META or TikTok Ads, effective creative analytics is a must.At Flight Performance we use motion across every brand we work with and it has allowed us to scale hundreds of winning ads to scale our brands. Their visualized reporting breaks down the funnel stage of each creative from Thumbstop, CTR, ROAS in a customizable and visualized reporting dashboard meaning you know exactly where to focus your creative efforts - taking the guesswork out of producing creative that converts.They also recently launched their newsletter Thumbstop - a weekly newsletter covering the art and science of creating winning ads across Meta., TikTok and YouTube.Check it out: https://tinyurl.com/motioncreative

Danil is co-founder and CEO of Insense, a Creator Marketplace for sourcing and producing UGC & Branded Content Ads at scale. In this episode we dive into the evolution of influencer marketing, the rise and fall of UGC, and what the future for influencer and creator marketing looks like for brands and marketers.Included in the episode:Is UGC Dead?The evolution of influencer marketing. The differences between Influencers and CreatorsHow to produce the best performing influencer and creator contentHow to effectively track influencer performanceOrganic vs Paid strategies for influencers and creatorsWhere does automation come into playWhat does the future of Influencer and Creator marketing look like, and how can brands and marketers stay at the forefront?Follow Danil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danil-saliukov-467a8037/Learn more about Insense: https://insense.proFollow Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljamesgraham/Follow Daniel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr_daniel_james/Follow Daniel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/foodog85---------------Motion is the world's best performance-creative analytics tool. If you are spending on META or TikTok Ads, effective creative analytics is a must.At Flight Performance we use motion across every brand we work with and it has allowed us to scale more winning ads across the $30M in META ad spend alone in 2023. Their visualized reporting breaks down the funnel stage of each creative from Thumstop, CTR, ROAS in a customizable and visualized reporting dashboard meaning you know exactly where to focus your creative efforts - taking the guesswork out of producing creative that converts.They also recently launched their newsletter Thumbstop - a weekly newsletter covering the art and science of creating winning ads across Meta., TikTok and YouTube.Check it out: https://tinyurl.com/motioncreative------------------Enjoy the podcast and want more content like this? Check out our weekly newsletter.Weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.Join the list: https://bitesized.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Zach Murray: "Telling a really cohesive brand story is the future of creative"Previously Creative Director for TripleWhale, Zach Murray is aiming to empower marketers and creatives with the complete ad creative workflow. Foreplay allows you to save ads and build briefs to produce high converting META and TikTok Ads through Ad Inspo Swipe files and AI powered brief writing.Foreplay was originally a service agency producing video creative for SaaS companies before pivoting to a SaaS company itself, to solve a pain point Zach recognized within his own company.We've all been there: scrolling your feed for ad inspo, looking at Facebook Ads Library; foreplay is the one stop shop for creative inspiration.In the episode we dive into:How a bad accident led to Zach's journey into marketingBeing an early employee at Triple WhaleWhat sparked the change of Foreplay going from an agency to a SaaS company and the differences in the two businessesThe differences between building a service and SaaS companyThe specific pain points Foreplay is solving for and how it can help you streamline creative workflowsWhat ad creative stage is where brands struggle the mostWhat is the future of performance creative?Check out Foreplay:https://www.foreplay.co/Follow Zach:Twitter: https://twitter.com/foreplayzachLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-murray/Follow Daniel:Twitter: https://twitter.com/foodog85LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljamesgraham/Supercharge your creative performance with Motion - the world's best performance-creative analytics tool.If you are spending on META or TikTok Ads, effective creative analytics is a must.At Flight Performance we use motion across every brand we work with and it has allowed us to scale more winning ads across the $30M in META ad spend alone in 2023. Their visualized reporting breaks down the funnel stage of each creative from Thumbstop, CTR, ROAS in a customizable and visualized reporting dashboard meaning you know exactly where to focus your creative efforts - taking the guesswork out of producing creative that converts, at scale.They also recently launched their newsletter Thumbstop - a weekly newsletter covering the art and science of creating winning ads across Meta., TikTok and YouTube.Check it out: https://tinyurl.com/motioncreativeCheck out the Bitesized Newsletter >>Get weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights, analysis and tips delivered straight to your inbox: actionable takeaways you can apply today.https://bitesized.beehiiv.com/subscribe

“The state of B2B marketing is fundamentally broken”Recently named Forbes 30 under 30 Adrian Alfieri, Founder and CEO of Verbatim is changing the game in B2B Content Engines. From VC to starting Verbatim, a company helping companies create content engines to generate demand, with clients including Novel, Parker, Open Store and more.What is content marketing?Why does your company need to care?How does effective content marketing drive leads and customer acquisition?We covered all of this and more in this episode with Adrian who, with Verbatim, is looking to fix the issue.Covered in the episode:What is a content engine and why do companies need them?From VC to Entrepreneur: Adrians journeyThe origins of Verbatim: based on demand and market opportunityThe cost difference in having in-house marking vs working with an agencyThe pillars of an effective content engineThe importance of tailoring content to the corresponding distribution channelTaking Verbatim from freelance work to a fully fledged agencyEntrepreneurship: the good, the bad, the uglyMuch more!Follow Adrian on LinkedInLearn more about Verbatim--------------------Supercharge your team's workflow to bridge the gap between media buyers and creatives.Want to get better creative performance, drive more profitable ad spend and arm your team with the most powerful creative reporting possible? Check out Motion. Motion has been a game changer the agency and our clients:Visual and customizable creative reporting: get to the insights quickerEasy to understand metrics, mapped to the consumer funnel stage: know where to optimizeEstimated 2 days per week of time saved from manual data pulling and reporting: more time for creative strategy and executionSupercharge your creative performance and team workflows HERE---------------------Join hundreds of brand founders, ecommerce operators and growth marketers getting weekly analysis, insights and actionable tips you can apply to your business today with my weekly Bitesized newsletter.Join the list HERE

The United States is grappling with a mental health crisis.According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately one in five adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness in a given year, translating to over 51 million people.The prevalence of major depressive episodes among adults has risen steadily, with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reporting a 17% increase from 2019 to 2020 alone.These statistics underscore the growing urgency to address mental health concerns on a national scale.As demand for mental health services surges, there is a pressing need for comprehensive and accessible mental health resources, as well as destigmatization efforts to encourage individuals to seek help without fear of judgment.Leon Mueller is CEO and Co-founder of Bloom, an app that teaches you to be your own therapist with self-guided video classes that help you learn and practice therapy tools & techniques designed by leading therapists with a mission to help 1 billion people improve their mental health.Covered in the episode:Leon's journey from moving to America, learning graphic design and launching BloomWhat motivated Leon to get into the mental health spaceA billion people suffer from mental health issues but can't afford or can't find a therapistWhy and how CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) was a game-changer for starting BloomHow Bloom is making therapy accessible, on their quest to help 1 billion people improve their mental healthThe destigmatization of mental health.How Bloom became When to raise capital and what to do with that moneyThe most effective marketing strategies used to grow BloomThe importance of listening to your consumers and nurturing them to keep them coming backWhy your consumers experience is everythingHow Bloom is incorporating AI into their app and how Leon sees AI changing in the future+ much more.Supercharge your team's workflow to bridge the gap between media buyers and creatives: CLICK HERESubscribe to our newsletter read by hundreds of entrepreneurs, brand builders and marketers: CLICK HERE#BrandBuilding #MarketingStrategies #MentalHealthAwareness #Businessmindset #Creators #Marketing #EntrepreneurLife #MarketingTips #BrandSuccess #MindfulMarketing #WellnessInBusiness #BusinessLeadership #PersonalDevelopment #MarketingMindset #BrandStrategy #SelfCareInBusiness #DigitalMarketing #HealthyEntrepreneur #BusinessWellbeing #MarketingInsights #EmotionalWellness #BrandIdentity

Avoiding lawsuits with ecom and advertising attorney Robert Freund.Marketing isn't all just high converting creatives, killer partnerships and driving off the chart ROI.Perhaps the less ‘sexy' side of marketing, but a really important part of making sure you don't fall foul to the multitude of rules and regulations that have done for many and can trip you up!If you work in the world of digital and social media marketing, Robert has built a sizable social presence for being the go-to resource for knowing what you can, and cannot do to avoid that very event happening.Content is shared and repurposed constantly across social media platforms and AI deep fakes are on the rise. Knowing what you can and cannot do and say is something you don't want to take a chance on.We've all seen the ‘best coffee in the world' signs outside the empty local diner. Unless substantiated, that could be a false advertising lawsuit! (please don't try that one - you get the point).Covered in the episode:How Robert started his firm - helping creators and clients keep their money!Growing his Instagram to be the ‘go to' legal voice for ecommerce and social media advertisingCommon themes of litigation in businessHierarchy of policies - FTV vs policies from platform / service providersDo you have the rights? Know the rules and regulations around content sharing and repurposing.The most outrageous lawsuits Robert's seen and worked onHow to stay compliant without the legal billsAI and what the future of policies might look like around itAnd loads more…Connect with Robert on InstagramConnect with Robert on TwitterSupercharge your team's creative workflows with Motion.Supercharge your team's workflow to bridge the gap between media buyers and creatives.Motion has been a game changer the agency and our clients:Visual and customizable creative reporting: get to the insights quickerEasy to understand metrics, mapped to the consumer funnel stage: know where to optimizeEstimated 2 days per week of time saved from manual data pulling and reporting: more time for creative strategy and executionCheck it out HERESubscribe to the Bitesized newsletter: Weekly growth marketing, ecommerce and entrepreneurship insights delivered straight to your inbox.Join hundreds of other Marketers by joining the list HERE

Creative is the variable.Evan Lee is now Head of Partnerships at Motion after previously leading Creative Strategy.Motion is a creative analytics platform, so Evan is as close as anyone to seeing what works, what doesn't and how important creative is in achieving marketing success. If anyone is qualified to talk about the importance of creative, how to develop killer creative briefs, how to analyze and iterate on creative performance… it's Evan!This is a must listen for every brand owner, marketer, creative strategist...anyone in marketing!Highlights from the episode:Creative is the Variable: With data loss, creative is the new targeting. How brands and marketers need to think differently about their creative strategy and production.How to structure your creative and media buying teams for the most successful results.How Motion helps creative strategists and media buyers with visualized and customizable reporting with easy metrics broken down by funnel stage, making it easy to understand what creative is working, what's not and how to iterate.Research and personas: The creative strategy process starts with thorough research to understand the target audience and target personas.How to craft high converting creative: from hooks to CTAs, optimizing for Thumbstop ratio, with the help of Motion Metrics: individual creative reporting by funnel stageThe importance of a killer creative brief, and how to develop them for maximum results.The creative strategy flywheel: A consistent process of research, ideation, briefing, content creation, evaluation, launch, and creative analytics forms a creative strategy flywheel for ongoing success.Making "ugly" modular ads: Iteration and modification of creative elements can lead to improved performance, even if the initial creative is working well. Experimenting with different thumbnails, first three seconds, CTAs, and more to optimize creative content.What role will AI play in enhancing various aspects of the creative strategy - without replacing human creativity and decision-making.Supercharge your team's workflow to bridge the gap between media buyers and creatives: https://tinyurl.com/motioncreativeFollow Evan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanlee14/

‘Chop wood, Carry water'Charles is founder and CEO of Humantra, on a mission to bring effective electrolytes and hydration to the masses.Charles used a quote that I absolutely loved: ‘Chop wood, Carry water' The natural highs and lows of any entrepreneur can be extremely taxing on your health and so often people associate happiness with a destination. Loved how Charles uses this quote as a framework to stay focussed on your daily inputs and enjoy the journey. Not only is Charles building an exceptional business and brand with Humantra: his philosophies in doing so are great takeaways and reminders for any entrepreneur at any stage of their journey.Really appreciate the level of candor throughout the episode. Highlights from the episode:Charlie's journey from law to the corporate to entrepreneurshipWhy passion for what you're building is imperativeDemystifying hydration… its more than just waterLiving and building in DubaiBiggest lessons come from failures: how he used failures to ultimately succeedHow to hire effectively to support business growthThe positives of getting VC funding & the hurdles, both professionally & personally, it takes to start a businessThe marketing formula used to gain market share for HumantraStarting in ecomm & how that's great for brand story buildingWhy every brand should be listening to consumers, knowing what they want & being authenticHow Humantra's collab with Represent came to be4am workouts and not breaking commitments to yourself. How to build disciplineWhat's next for Humantra and thinking how he can keep doing "cool shit with cool people"If you found value in the episode, please like, subscribe and leave a comment!

Co-Founder & CEO of FEAT Clothing, "The best account to follow on LinkedIn" Forbes 30 under 30, Featured in NY Times, Entrepreneur, Forbes: Taylor Offer knows a thing or two about building a personal and consumer brand.This is a must listen for any entrepreneur. Taylor talks, with a level of transparency most don't, about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. The challenges of disconnecting business success from personal happiness. Other highlights from the episode:How being a fan of the LA Clippers & not fitting into the ways of traditional schooling led Taylor into his entrepreneur journeyFrom finance and a corporate internship to starting his entrepreneurial journeyWhat it is to be "sensory sensitive" to clothing Going from 5K to 130K followers on LInkedIn & how that growth helped scale FeatThe importance of building trust within your audienceThe impact iOS14 had on Feat - from flying to survivingHalf naked billboards throughout LA: what drives his marketing philosophiesSeparating yourself from your business to protect your mental healthThe importance of energy & tone as a leader How transparency attracts the right kind of people in your lifeLeaning into your uniqueness

Disrupting a billion dollar industry.Jimmy Kim is founder and CEO of Sendlane, a unified email, sms and reviews platform that places tech consolidation and consumer journeys at the center of how they think about retention marketing.I loved this quote from Jimmy when he spoke about why he built Sendlane and what drives his vision for the platform:“Im solving for the marketer”Fragmentation, silod execution, data loss - these are all challenges marketers face, Jimmy aims to solve that.Highlights from the episodeJimmy's journey from car sales to in-house brand partner, to founding sendlaneHow Sendlane was born out of an internal need & tool created for his own companiesWhy Sendlane? solving data delays & creating one unified, consolidated systemEmail first, then SMS & now reviews, but they're still building.. what informs how they build?Why UX/UI and customer service is a key focusThe mindset of an entrepreneur that gave Jimmy the confidence to launch Sendlane and take on billion dollar companiesAvoiding shiny object syndromeThe problems within marketing: audience management, overcomplication & lack of being able to move forwardWhat does the future hold for email and sms marketing for marketers and tech providersHow to build a community and where email and sms come into playHis desire to change the way the world thinks about marketing

What do Depop, Deliveroo and Nude all have in common?Yoann Pavy.Yoann is currently CMO at Nude, a fintech app that helps people start building their first home deposit.Prior to Nude, Yoann was head of paid social at Deliveroo (one of Europe's fastest growing startups!) and Head of Growth at Depop, overseeing the global remit for digital marketing across brand awareness, acquisition and retention.One thing really stood out to me in our conversation: simplicity. Growth marketing is complex, especially at scale. Avoiding unnecessary complexity is a theme that ran throughout the conversion. Highlights:What sparked the career change from engineer to media buyerMarketing fulfilled both his analytical brain & creative sideApp marketing vs ecomm marketing & how to customize your approachThe evolution of a CMOThe challenges, and opportunities, of bringing brand & performance marketing teams togetherWhat he does first to develop a businesses growth strategyHow to find and hire great marketing talentThe myth of channel diversificationThe three things needed to drive great conversion ratesWhy he started his podcast "In Growth We Trust"

This week I was joined by Aaron Spivak, Co-Founder and CEO of sleep improvement company Hush: selling what's now considered to be the world's most popular and reviewed weighted blanket. Highlights:The journey from starting a business with his family at 18, to selling his first products online, to launching HushInnovation through Iteration: Aarons thesis to making products that exist, better, and servicing demand.Why weighted blankets? How Hush came to life through market and product researchHyper growth lessons, what took Hush from $900k to $10M in 12 months and $48M in 48 monthsEffective marketing for DTC and Omni Channel growthThe misconceptions of entrepreneurship and selling a companyThe importance of choosing the right partners and investors; what to look out forRemote, hybrid, in-office: why Hush is fully in personWhat the future holds for Aaron and Hush

Ben is a serial entrepreneur and founder / ceo of mens skincare brand Disco. I've known Ben for a few years and his approach to brand building, focus on product, effective performance marketing and team building.Included in this episode:Ben's motivations & considerations when launching DiscoThe differences in launching a DTC brand before & after COVID/economic changesConsiderations for entering retail as a DTC brandHow Disco's marketing strategies have changed from launch to todayWhat paid media channels to focus on & the future of channels like TikTokThe challenges around acquiring & retaining customers in a subscription service modelFollow Ben on TwitterLearn More about DiscoKeep In Touch with Daniel on LinkedIn, Threads

Caleb is founder and CEO of Haven Athletic: organized gym bags for athletes. Included in this episode:Caleb's career journey to the moment that started Haven AthleticChallenges the company faced from early days of starting the business to nowThe power of networking & not giving upHaven's approach to marketing & how they're thinking about product developmentBenefits of starting out in DTC vs. retailHavens approach to marketing for growth stage e-com brandsFollow Caleb on TwitterCheck out Haven AthleticsStay in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn

Mike is a seasoned entrepreneur having built music licensing powerhouse Mibe Music.In this episode I had the opportunity to talk with Mike about his new brand Indelible: bringing fashion and tattoo culture together through Web2 and Web3.Episode Includes:What is Web3, what are the opportunities for brands?Mike's entry point to Web3 and NFTsThe Indelible lowdown: bringing tattoo and fashion culture alive through Web2 and Web3Core considerations for people looking to build consumer experiences in Web3First mover advantages and disadvantagesReally appreciate Mike for the conversation.Follow Mike on InstagramLearn more about IndelibleKeep in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn

Nick Guillen is co-founder of Truff, Forbes 30U30 and recently featured as AdAges Founder of the year along with Co-Founder Nick Aljuni. I'm a huge fan of the brand: not only the quality products but the way Nick has built the brand. If you are building a brand, thinking of launching a brand… this is a must listen.Nick's journey to starting TruffWhy product quality matters and is core to the Truff philosophyBuilding brand awareness & community online during the early years of TruffWhat drove the decision to expand from DTC into retailWhat his approach would be if he launched Truff Sauce todayHow to measure marketing efforts & success in retailThe importance of listening to your customers to develop & expand product offeringsFollow Nick on LinkedInCheck out TruffStay in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn

Parker is the Founder and CEO of eyewear brand Kiaura. He has built Kiaura in to a 7 figure brand from $0 - kick started by product testing on TikTok.Really enjoyed talking to Parker about all things brand building, TikTok, Personal Branding & more:Why DTC isnt a business modelThe creative strategy behind going viralWhy he's the face of the brand - and is it sustainableThe importance of understanding dataWhen to hire expertsThe number 1 thing that builds customer loyaltyConnect with Parker on TikTokCheck out KiauraStay in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn

In this episode of Bitesized I sat down with Neal Goyal who leads key accounts at TapCart. We discussed:Why brands should have a mobile appBuilding customer loyalty/community and acquiring customer data/behavior through appMost effective ways of communicating with customers through multiple channelsCommon misconceptions around building an appConnect with Neal on LinkedIn Learn more about Tapcart Keep in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn

In this weeks episode of Bitesized I got the lowdown on post purchase surveys from KnoCommerce CEO Jeremiah Prummer.We discussed:Understanding your customers: who they are & what motivates themRise of 3rd party attribution after 2021 iOS data/privacy changesFocus shift from scale/acquisition to customer insights/retentionThe benefits of using post-purchase surveysConnect with Jeremiah on LinkedInLearn more about KnoCommerceKeep in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn

In this episode of Bitesized I sat down with Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQ Bar, the #1 brain + body nutrition company! We discussed:Will's thoughts on 'building in public'Is DTC a business model or a channel?How to think through true omnichannel scaling and how to measure success?IQ Bars biggest marketing ROIHow brands should be thinking about customer loyaltyConnect with Will on LinkedIn Learn more about IQ BarKeep in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn

In this weeks episode of Bitesized I sat down with creative director Hannah Culver-Zawislak & content creator/creator manager at mint to get the lowdown on UGC Ads.We discussed:Influencers & Creators - whats the difference?What makes a great performing piece of UGC Ad content?How to set yourself up for success?Tips for creatorsKeep in touch with Daniel: LinkedIn

Jordyn has lead marketing at companies including Buck Mason, New Republic and currently haircare brand Crown Affair. On this episode we discuss building brand loyalty, omni channel marketing strategies, brand and performance, online and offline and the challenges around attribution.Connect with Jordyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordyncasaus/Crown Affair: https://www.crownaffair.com/Keep in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn

"For Audio Ads, Frequency is your Friend" - Jeromy Sonne Founder & CEO of Audio Ads platform Decibel Ads breaks down:

Chris Johnson, ex Common Thread Collective, Fractional CMO and currently Growth Strategist at Mint talks through Growth Marketing for e-commerce brands, where he sees opportunities for brands in 2023 and more.