Podcasts about roas

In this episode, Laura Cantor shares key takeaways from her experience at Vendors in Partnership, including emerging trends in retail, the growing importance of meaningful partnerships, and how brands can cut through the noise in a tech-saturated landscape.  She dives into why people—and the partnerships they build—are still the foundation of innovation and growth, even as AI continues to transform the industry.  Laura also highlights tactical approaches that are driving real results today, including insights on high-impact ecommerce solutions like AfterSell, a platform helping brands maximize revenue through post-purchase optimization.  In This Conversation We Discuss: [00:00] Intro [02:38] Learning the value of brand building [06:20] Sponsor: Migrate [08:19] Prioritizing learning over job titles [12:46] Sponsor: Intelligems [14:46] Overcoming organizational status quo [17:08] Streamlining operations for future tech [21:06] Sponsor: Electric eye [22:14] Optimizing brands for agentic AI search [23:43] Monetizing traffic through retail networks [25:34] Callouts [25:44] Leveraging partnerships for mutual wins [28:00] Emphasizing human strategy alongside AI  Resources: Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube Women's apparel specialty retailer nyandcompany.com/ Follow Laura Cantor linkedin.com/in/lauracantor/ Migrate and grow more klaviyo.com/honest Book a demo today at intelligems.io/ Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Etsy just rolled out one of the biggest changes to Etsy Ads in years, and most sellers are missing what it actually means. In this episode, I break down Etsy's new listing-level ad controls and show you how to use Efficient Spending, Greater Visibility, and Lower Cost Per Click strategically instead of applying a one-size-fits-all approach to your entire ad account. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IZeN9MeJdHU You'll learn: • When to use each Etsy ad optimization setting • Why "Lower Cost Per Click" isn't always the best choice • How to stop one listing from eating your entire ad budget • Ways to push more traffic toward underperforming listings • What your ad account can reveal about the overall health of your Etsy shop • How to identify hidden conversion problems through ad performance • Practical experiments you can run right now to improve ROAS If you're spending more than $25/day on Etsy Ads and want more control over where your advertising dollars go, this episode will give you actionable strategies to test immediately. Whether you're trying to scale a winning product, revive a struggling listing, or simply get more from your ad budget, this update opens up opportunities Etsy sellers haven't had before.

Cem Atik is the co-founder and CMO of Harucon Ventures, a firm that acquires minority and majority equity stakes in e-commerce and SaaS businesses doing between one and ten million in annual revenue. Rather than operating as an agency or consultancy, Cem and his team get in with capital, take operational control of marketing and finance, and work to make the businesses they partner with structurally profitable.Most e-commerce brands that come to Harucon Ventures have the same underlying problem: they are optimizing for the wrong things. Revenue looks healthy. ROAS looks acceptable. But unit economics are broken, overhead is bloated, and the margin structure makes scaling impossible.In this conversation, Cem walks through exactly how his team diagnoses and fixes that. From cutting ad spend by 1.7 million euros in a single month to replacing a fulfillment provider that was silently overcharging a brand shipping 25,000 packages a day, the fixes are rarely glamorous but consistently high-impact. The conversation also covers his four-engine growth framework: acquisition, retention, conversion, and profit-first optimization, and why founders who lead with ROAS are measuring the wrong thing entirely.Cem also breaks down channel mix strategy, including why Pinterest and Bing Ads are consistently underused, why TikTok affiliate is one of the highest-leverage growth levers available right now, and why the real money in e-commerce is almost always made in retention, not acquisition.Founders who are scaling but not compounding, or growing revenue while watching margins compress, will find this episode unusually direct and useful.Website: https://www.vimmi.net Email us: info@vimmi.net Podcast website: https://vimmi.net/commerce-untold/ Eitan Koter's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eitankoter/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VimmiVideoCommerce/featured Guest: Cem Atik, Co-Founder & CMO, Harucon Ventures Cem Atik's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cem-atikHarucon-Ventures: https://harucon-ventures.com/Key Takeaways: • If a founder cannot state their customer acquisition cost in under 15 seconds, the business does not have a real financial foundation yet. • ROAS tells you how much revenue you generated per dollar spent. It tells you nothing about whether that dollar was profitable. Optimizing for profit on ad spend (POAS) gives you actual control. • Gross margin under 65% makes scaling structurally difficult in the US and UK markets. The margin problem cannot be fixed with better ads. • Agencies are typically three times cheaper than hiring in-house at early stages. Outsource acquisition first, learn from the partner, then bring it in-house once systems are proven. • TikTok affiliate is one of the most capital-efficient acquisition channels available: commission-based, creator-generated content, and scalable without a large internal team. • Pinterest is consistently overlooked despite an audience skewing 25 to 45 years old with average household incomes above $100K, and ROAS between four and six even at modest spend levels.Chapters:[00:00] Introduction: Cem Atik and the Harucon Ventures Model[01:27] The Founders Harucon Typically Partners With[03:45] The Post-Acquisition Audit: First 72 Hours[07:45] Cutting 1.7M Euros in Ad Spend: A Case Study[09:16] Why Gross Margin Under 65% Makes Scaling Nearly Impossible[13:51] The KPIs That Actually Matter: CAC, CLV, MER, EBITDA[18:35] The Four Engines: Acquisition, Retention, Conversion, Profit[24:00] Why ROAS Misleads and POAS Gives Real Control[25:41] Channel Mix: TikTok, Pinterest, Bing, and What Gets Overlooked

Ekaterina Gamsriegler, former Head of Growth and Marketing at MyGroove and longtime advisor across music, education, and health apps, joins Apptivate to discuss why sustainable growth depends on systems rather than isolated wins. The conversation explores the nature of modern growth funnels, how creative strategy impacts retention and churn downstream, and why many teams optimize acquisition while misunderstanding activation and long-term value. Ekaterina and Taylor also discuss localization as a full-funnel growth lever, pricing strategy during high-intent seasonal periods, the realities of founder-led and offline growth channels, and how mapping the complete user journey can uncover hidden bottlenecks that data alone often misses. Questions addressed in this episode Why does Ekaterina compare growth systems to a house of cards? How do creative strategies affect retention and subscriber churn? What mistakes do apps make during seasonal growth periods like Q5? How should marketers evaluate long-term value instead of short-term ROAS? Why can localization improve the entire growth funnel? How did MyGroove grow paying subscribers 10x in one year? What role should brand, PR, and offline channels play in app growth? How should teams define activation properly? What should marketers focus on during their first 90 days at a company? How can apps balance credibility with accessibility for beginners? Timestamps 0:12 — Introduction to Ekaterina Gamsriegler and MyGroove 0:52 — MyGroove's global launch and mission 1:41 — Growth as a "house of cards" rather than a puzzle 3:18 — Diagnosing funnels and identifying hidden bottlenecks 4:42 — How creatives shape retention and churn downstream 6:56 — Credibility, UGC, and "fake podcast" creative concepts 7:51 — Why acquisition mistakes appear 60–90 days later 9:43 — Planning for Q5 and evaluating long-term value 11:25 — Pricing strategy, willingness to pay, and cancellations 12:52 — Localization as a full-funnel growth lever 15:23 — Founder-led growth, PR, and offline channels at MyGroove 18:23 — The biggest unlock behind 10x subscriber growth 20:38 — Mapping the user journey and identifying bottlenecks 23:08 — Activation metrics and offline user behavior 25:56 — Personalization and contextual onboarding examples 29:48 — Rapid-fire questions begin 31:08 — Norway, Iceland, and travel recommendations 31:33 — Vienna recommendations and closing remarks Quotes (2:22)  “Growth feels more like a house of cards because just one little change can completely ruin the whole system.” (4:59) “What I see happening sometimes is a mismatch between the product, the user experience and the people who are being targeted with creatives.” (22:38) “Build a user journey by mapping every single step from ad impression to renewal to purchase. This allows you to see where the bottlenecks are in your journey.” Mentioned in this episode MyGroove Ekaterina on Linkedin

Not all rewarded users are the same — and treating them as one audience is exactly why so many rewarded UA campaigns underperform. Recorded live on Day 2 of MAU Vegas, this conversation breaks down how Tyr Ads segments rewarded traffic into three distinct personas and engineers profitability around the mix.Matej Lančarič sits down with Zino, CEO of Tyr Ads (and the Try Rewards consumer product), to unpack the year's changes: a brand-new in-house platform built specifically for rewarded (because third-party tracking simply isn't built for it), AI-driven user labeling that sorts players into reward hunters, casual/social users, and gamblers, and an A/B testing and LiveOps system that targets each segment with different reward funnels. They get into why too many gamblers will actually lose you money, how the day-7-to-day-30 curve drives faster ROI and more aggressive bidding, the new Nordeus exclusive offerwall deal, why Tyr is betting on gaming supply over reward apps, and where rewarded UA is heading — segmentation, recommendation models, and a full shift to ROAS-based campaigns.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 Cold open — the day-7-to-day-30 curve and faster ROI01:30 Tyr Ads intro and what changed this year02:54 The new in-house platform and audience segmentation03:30 The three personas — reward hunter, social, gambler05:40 Why too many gamblers loses you money09:25 How the recommendation models hit day-7 targets15:55 A 50/50 IAP/ads game — where to start21:08 The Nordeus exclusive deal and the gaming-supply bet26:46 Where rewarded UA is heading — ROAS and 2027

Also available on YouTube "It was a mind and body brokenness. I'll just say like depression." By 39, Chris Lang was running 10 businesses and falling apart. He killed most of them and bet everything on Fresh Chile, his bootstrapped Shopify chili brand from Hatch, New Mexico. It cracked the top 1% of Shopify and 8 figures in revenue, but didn't turn a profit until Q1 of year six. Inside: why he started publishing his real ROAS on LinkedIn when the numbers were ugly, the 80% Meta cut that finally flipped him profitable, and how a 250K-follower organic community out-engages Heinz, Tabasco, and Sriracha combined. SPONSORS Swym — Wishlists, back-in-stock alerts, and moregetswym.com/kurt Ecommerce Alley — Is it your ads, or is Meta having a bad day? Check it atecommercealley.com/bad Zipify — Build high-converting sales funnelszipify.com/KURT LINKS Fresh Chile: https://freshchileco.com/ Chris Lang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislangsocial/ Chris Lang on X: https://x.com/chrislangsocial WORK WITH KURT Apply for Shopify Help ethercycle.com/apply See Our Results ethercycle.com/work Free Newsletter kurtelster.com The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.

In this talk at AppsFler MAMA SF 2026, Steve P. Young breaks down the latest app monetization strategies that are actually working in 2026, including onboarding paywalls, paid intro offers, reverse trials, hard paywalls, discount pricing psychology, and subscription optimization.Drawing from real app case studies and experiments, Steve shares actionable tactics that have helped apps dramatically increase trial activations, trial-to-paid conversion rates, retention, and overall revenue.If you're building a subscription app, SaaS app, AI app, or mobile startup, this session is packed with practical insights you can implement immediately.You'll Learn:✅ Why your paywall should be inside onboarding✅ The “3 Screen Paywall” strategy is increasing trials by 56%+✅ Paid intro offers vs free trials✅ Reverse trials that boosted conversions 10X✅ Discount pricing psychology that increases revenue✅ Real monetization experiments from top appsWhether you're focused on ASO, user acquisition, subscriptions, retention, or app growth, these monetization insights can help you scale faster.

What if your biggest mattress sale strategy is actually scaring away Gen X buyers with the most money? The data says it's true. Here's why.Are your mattress marketing tactics stuck in the past? In this episode, Mark Kinsley sits down with Nicole Bergen of Elevate—one of the sleep industry's top consumer research experts—to reveal the hidden disconnect between what retailers think works and what actually matters to today's most powerful buyers: Gen X.Nicole shares eye-opening data from thousands of consumer interviews, exposing why relentless discounting and “NASCAR” promos don't work on shoppers aged 45-55. Instead, assurance and trust—like comfort guarantees and real customer reviews—win the sale. You'll learn why most brands overlook Gen X, despite their massive buying power, and how failing to update your playbook means losing sales to online giants.Ever wondered why your brand awareness is high but conversions are low? Nicole decodes the essential marketing funnel—attention, education, offer—and reveals the number one mistake retailers make (and how you can fix it with a simple brand health “timeout”).If you've ever struggled to connect with skeptical, research-driven customers or feared you're wasting ad dollars, this episode gives you the playbook to pivot. Plus: actionable tips for leveraging data, optimizing for generative AI, and turning happy buyers into raving ambassadors.Timestamps:- 01:35 – The hidden problem with mattress marketing: why Gen X tunes out- 04:30 – How relentless promos are killing in-store joy (and trust)- 06:58 – The power of assurance: Why guarantees beat discounts for big-ticket buyers- 09:40 – “Top of funnel” secrets: What attracts attention in 2024- 12:50 – Why your ad recall is broken (and how to fix it)- 17:55 – The market-by-market myth: Why what works in Cincinnati fails in Houston- 21:15 – The “Timeout Playbook” for brand clarity (and avoiding costly mistakes)- 27:40 – Data traps: The ROAS lie and how to spot media waste- 31:20 – Unlocking Gen X: Winning strategies for the new power buyer- 36:45 – Problem-agitate-solution: Messaging that turns skeptics into buyersConnect with The FAM Podcast:

Block Out by Grand Games is scaling to $300K/day — and it doesn't even have an Android version yet. It's about to become Grand Games' biggest title, overtaking Magic Sword, and the whole thing is a masterclass in perfect execution over original innovation.Matej Lančarič, Jakub Remiar, and Felix Braberg break down Block Out, the deterministic sort puzzler that's quietly become one of the most aggressive scalers in mobile. The conversation covers how Block Out's iteration is now out-earning the game it borrowed from (Color Block Jam), the level-design difference that makes it more casual and more approachable, the UA upgrade that Jakub estimates at 500%+ over Grand's earlier games, the iOS-only / US-only / single-AppLovin-campaign soft launch playbook (the same one Pixel Flow used), the blended-ROAS interstitial strategy driving 32-36% ad revenue, and the 1,000+ creatives and 260 playables now powering the scale. Plus the bigger Grand Games story: a $70M raise, $105M+ total funding, and a template machine that takes proven concepts and executes them better than anyone.The thesis, straight from the episode: Grand Games doesn't do giant innovation. They do perfect execution.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 the 500% UA upgrade03:50 The numbers — $300K/day, 140K downloads/day, iOS only06:40 The Grand Games template — perfect execution, not innovation10:25 What a deterministic sort puzzler actually is13:25 Block Out vs Color Block Jam — the level design difference20:50 The soft launch playbook — one AppLovin campaign, US only21:45 The ad question — blended ROAS and 32-36% ad revenue26:30 The UA breakdown — Mintegral, 1,000 creatives, 260 playables--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-3bckldvr8-8PXvzciMWdheOzED9hq0SA---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

Episode 301WTB WoodworkingCheck out WTBwoodworking.com for all your woodworking needs! In store specials, Giveaways, custom wood milling, and more!Huntingdon Valley PA Store now open!Enter the giveaway by going to:https://www.wtbwoodworking.com/giveaway Gorilla GlueA trusted brand with decades of experience! From glue, to woodfiller, to workshop floor kits, they have everything you need for your next project. Check out their new products along with great deals on all your trusted favorites at: www.gorillatough.com/AWP Sign up for Patreon for Early access, and special Patreon-only content:https://www.patreon.com/anotherwoodshoppodcastPATREON GIVEAWAY!Donate to Maker's For St. JudeEvery $5 earns you an extra entry in the Patreon Giveaway (Paid Patrons Only)https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=8679481&fr_id=134326&pg=personal Whats on our bench:

Why do so many ecommerce brands struggle with their ROAS? Neil Twa and Cem Atik dive into the top three mistakes that can tank your return on ad spend and the key metrics you need to track. Cem, founder of Harucon Ventures, shares his insights from scaling brands to eight figures and flipping them like real estate. They discuss why channel diversity is crucial and how a single platform dependency can cripple your business. Cem reveals his strategy for identifying distressed assets and turning them into profitable ventures. Whether you're just starting out or managing a $10M+ brand, this episode offers actionable insights on improving your ROAS and building a sustainable ecommerce business. Ready to audit your AI readiness? Take the free 5-question assessment: voltagedm.com/aiquiz?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep289

2026 ist das Jahr, in dem AI im E-Commerce vom Buzzword zum echten Wettbewerbsvorteil wird, aber nur für die Shops, die wissen, an welchen Stellen sie wirklich einen Hebel hat. In diesem Vortrag zeigt Dr. Sebastian Decker, wie Onlineshops einen AI-gestützten Stack aus Google Full-Funnel-Kampagnen, intelligenten Funnels und Offerpages aufbauen, der bei niedrigen CPCs gleichzeitig AOVs deutlich erhöht und Conversion-Rates planbar nach oben zieht. Das Ergebnis: ein besserer ROAS und POAS, und das nicht nur über PMax, sondern auch über YouTube- und Display-Kampagnen für Onlineshops. Grundlage ist die Erfahrung aus über 300 Shop-Projekten und Multimillionen € an monatlichem Adspend bei EVOLVE Digital. Du bekommst kein theoretisches Modell, sondern konkrete Frameworks: Wie du Demand Gen vom Test- zum Profit-Channel entwickelst, wie du informative Keywords mit 8 %+ CVR und 5er-ROAS erschließt und wie du den Traffic auf eine hochkonvertierende Landingpage führst, mit der du deinen aktuellen AOV um 30 bis 100 % und deine Conversion Rate um bis zu 100 % schlagen kannst. Folgendes hast Du nach dem Webinar gelernt: - Wie du als Onlineshop Google zum größten Neukundenakquisitionskanal machst und damit Meta schlägst - Welche Landingpage- und Offerpage-Typen für deine Branche funktionieren - Wo AI in der Konzeption von Angeboten, Offerpages und Funnels einen 5–10x Speed-Vorteil bringt — und wo sie Conversion zerstört - Wie du Angebote psychologisch so konstruierst, dass AOV, CVR und DB2 in deinem Shop gleichzeitig steigen - Welches Setup aus Kampagnen, Angeboten und Landingpages bei 4–5-stelligen Tages-Adspends stabil skalieren Zielgruppe: - Onlinehändler und D2C-Brands zwischen 1 – 30 Mio. EUR Jahresumsatz - Brands, die 10.000 EUR und mehr monatlichen AdSpend bei Meta haben und unabhängiger von Meta sein wollen

There are two ways to scale an ecommerce business: logical and exponential. One client went from $4,000 a month to over $100,000 a month in under a year, and he got there by subtracting, not adding. Most founders are doing the opposite and wondering why they feel stuck.In this audio-exclusive episode, Josh breaks down logical versus exponential scale and the simple equation that forces real growth instead of the safe, predictable kind. Here's what he covers:The difference between logical and exponential goals (and why being 85% certain you'll hit your number is a warning sign, not a good one)The equation Josh runs with clients: Exponential Goal × Time Constraint = Ruthless StandardsWhy "scale through subtraction" beats stacking on more ad platforms, more SKUs, and more monthly product launchesParkinson's Law and the deadline trick that finally forced Josh to hand off a role he'd been "quitting" for five years straightHow one client grew to $14 million in sales using only Meta ads and email (no TikTok, no daily posting, no three-platform circus)The quarterly "energy audit" his whole team runs to find the red-light tasks quietly killing their momentumMaintenance tasks vs. compounding tasks, and the one question that tells you which fires are okay to let burnThe towel brand running a 3 ROAS that keeps stalling out (and the cash-flow trap hiding inside its monthly launches)This isn't about working harder or bolting on another channel. It's about getting ruthless enough to grow into a number you can't even picture yet, by doing less than you're doing right now.

This week on the Hammersley Brothers Ecommerce Podcast, we dive into one of the most overlooked parts of scaling an ecommerce business properly: stock forecasting. Most founders think forecasting is just spreadsheets and guesswork. In reality, it's one of the biggest drivers of growth, cashflow, profitability, and momentum. In this episode, we discuss: Why stock forecasting feels like gambling for most ecommerce owners The hidden danger of understocking your best sellers Why running out of stock destroys your ROAS and growth How long lead times completely change your business model Why some brands intentionally choose lower margins for faster stock rotation The importance of focusing on hero products instead of too many SKUs How to improve your odds when ordering stock The relationship between stock levels, Meta ads, and Google Ads Why trending products can destroy forecasting models How to identify winning products before scaling harder The “yo-yo” effect that traps many ecommerce brands How great forecasting creates confidence to scale aggressively If you've ever struggled with stock, cashflow, forecasting, or scaling profitably, this episode will completely change how you think about ecommerce growth.   P.S. Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:     1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleybrothers.com/scheduleuk-ant   2. Grab a copy of our book - https://gohigh.hammersleybrothers.com/get-the-book 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786

Is the relentless pursuit of measurable ROAS fundamentally at odds with building long-term customer trust in a privacy-first world?Agility requires marketers to move beyond legacy attribution models and embrace a more dynamic approach to measurement and monetization. This is especially true in the rapidly evolving mobile ecosystem, where the rules of engagement are constantly being rewritten.Today, we're going to talk about the new playbook for performance marketing in the mobile app ecosystem. We'll explore how to drive growth and measure return on ad spend in an environment defined by signal loss, look at the innovative ad formats that are capturing user attention, and discuss the role of AI in balancing automation with creative effectiveness.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Phoena Pang, Vice President of Sales and Global Partnerships at Mintegral. About Phoena Pang Phoena Pang is the Vice President of Sales and Global Partnerships at Mintegral, a leading global mobile advertising platform. Based in the US, Phoena brings deep expertise in mobile advertising, strategic partnerships, and business development to drive Mintegral's go-to-market growth and operational excellence across global markets. Phoena has held senior roles at top-tier technology companies including Google, Moloco, Vungle, and Chartboost. At Moloco, she led product go-to-market strategy and partnerships for mobile performance marketing. During her time at Google, she served as Global Product Lead and Strategic Partner Lead, where she spearheaded global gaming ads solutions and scaled high-impact partnerships worldwide. At Mintegral, Phoena focuses on optimizing operational performance and cultivating strong, strategic partnerships with advertisers and publishers, reinforcing Mintegral's leadership in programmatic mobile advertising solutions. Phoena Pang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phpang/ ---------- Resources ---------- Mintegral: https://www.mintegral.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Write a Week of Client-Getting Content in 30 Minutes Using AIUsing AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT but still not creating content that attracts, connects, and converts? In this episode, Beverley breaks down how to make AI sound like you, by training it on your own IP, so you can produce a full week of client-getting content in about 30 minutes. She walks through the five levels of AI output, the doctrines and skills that separate real content from AI slop, and the exact prompt to generate a week of attract-nurture-invite content.What You'll Discover:• Why most coaches' AI content sounds generic, and the real reason it's not the prompt• How to tell your brain, the AI's brain, and true co-creation apart• The five levels of AI output, from raw search-bar prompts to full automation• What "doctrines" and "skills" (SOPs) are and how to build them• How to assemble a second brain from your transcripts, frameworks, and lessons• The four numbers every coach should track: cost per lead, earnings per lead, ROAS, and cost per acquisition• The exact prompt for seven days of conversion contentTimestamps00:00 — Are you using AI but still not converting?00:29 — Who is Beverley Simpson01:19 — Why most people prompt AI like a search bar01:50 — What AI slop actually looks like04:46 — Beyond prompting: training your AI model (why Claude)06:18 — Your brain vs. the AI's brain vs. co-creation08:22 — The truth about AI "memory"09:19 — The 5 levels of AI output12:48 — Level 3: building doctrines13:50 — Level 4: skills and SOPs14:41 — Building your second brain22:48 — Level 5: automation23:14 — Automating the daily sales ritual24:16 — The numbers that matter25:25 — Step-by-step: train your AI brain26:26 — The doctrines you'll need28:26 — The conversion framework29:39 — The prompt for 7 days of content30:28 — Connect with Beverley + free toolsResources Mentioned• Claude (Anthropic)• ChatGPT / Perplexity / Gemini• Fathom, Zoom, Google Drive, Slack (knowledge sources)• The Conversion Club (Beverley's program)• Follow Beverley on Instagram: @bsimpsonfitnessReady to go deeper? Join the PT Profit Accelerator and learn to build this for yourself at ptprofitformula.com.Resources & Links MentionedWant more client leads on Instagram™?  Grab lifetime access to 90- Days Done for You that Converts: https://ptprofitformula.com/content

In this episode, Scott Carpenter and Andy “Boy” Miller break down one of the biggest marketing mistakes fitness business owners make: choosing between short-term marketing and long-term brand building instead of using both together.Short-term marketing is direct response — ads, offers, lead forms, consultations, and campaigns designed to get someone to take action now.Long-term marketing is your brand — your reputation, your content, your website, your social media presence, your personal brand, your authority, and the trust you build over time.Scott and Andy explain why direct response can bring in leads now, but can become expensive if your audience is cold and your brand has no foundation. They also explain why brand marketing may not always create immediate sales, but it can dramatically improve your conversions, reduce your acquisition costs, and make people more likely to buy when they are ready.They also cover key marketing numbers every fitness business owner needs to know, including customer acquisition cost, return on ad spend, lifetime customer value, and front-end cash flow.This episode is especially valuable for gym owners, online coaches, chiropractors, and fitness entrepreneurs who want to stop guessing with marketing and start building a strategy that creates both immediate opportunities and long-term growth.Need help building out your marketing plan? Book a 1-on-1 consultation here: https://ptlegends.com/30minadvisorcallKey Takeaways:Direct response marketing gets people to take action now.Brand marketing builds trust, recognition, and long-term demand.Cold traffic is harder to convert when people don't know your brand.Your content, website, and social media help people decide whether they trust you.Personal branding can create more reach than business pages alone.Knowing your CAC, CPA, ROAS, and LTV helps you scale marketing with confidence.Brand marketing and direct response marketing should feed each other.Organic content can create high-ticket opportunities without ad spend.Awareness ads can help grow your audience affordably.The best marketing strategy uses both immediate sales activity and long-term brand building.Like, subscribe, and share this episode with a fitness business owner who needs a better marketing strategy.

Direct response ads are written to take the customer from Attention to Interest to Desire to Action in a single encounter.Direct marketers have a product or a service to sell. They don't have a brand to protect.This is why ROAS is the perfect analytical tool for them.ROAS is the acronym for Return On Ad Spend.In other words, it is the Return On Investment of your ad budget.You can:measure lead generation with ROAS.compare the effectiveness of media with ROAS.track sales attribution with ROAS.But you will never build a brand with ROAS.In fact, the measurement of ROAS will always – without exception – lead to the disintegration of your brand.Here's why:To produce an impressive result in a short period of time, your ad must contain a degree of urgency.Urgency is not sustainable, nor is it scalable.The longer you run urgent ads, the less well they work.ROAS always looks great on paper for about a year, sometimes even 18 months.But then the wheels fall off and you can never put those wheels back on again. Your brand will never be more than a shadow of its former self.Consider this:A successful Going Out of Business sale is simply a massive extraction of the stored value in a brand. This “stored value” is the reputation of the company and the trust of its customers.These are variables that determine the success of every Going Out of Business Sale:Has this company routinely advertised a Sale or offered a discount?How highly do people esteem this brand?How credible is the urgency contained in the ad copy?ROAS always leads to short-term thinking because ROAS rewards ads that extract the largest amount of stored value from the brand.Have you built a brand?Do people feel a connection to your brand?The day that you begin using ROAS to determine which ads work best, you will have launched a Going Out of Business Sale whether you intended to or not.Roy H. WilliamsOne in every five American adults is the customer of a family that you have never heard of. Their company generates more than $32 billion in annual revenue. And the $17 trillion in customer accounts and investment funds it manages exceeds the gross domestic products of Germany, Japan, and India combined. Despite the enormous influence of Fidelity Investments, relatively little is known about the singular family behind the Boston-based multinational financial services giant.Justin Baer, the deputy markets editor at The Wall Street Journal, reveals the dramatic three-generation saga of the fiercely private Johnson family in his new book. He also explains how they helped transform American investing.Listen and be amazed as Baer shares with roving reporter Rotbart the behind-the-scenes story of Fidelity's success. You will also gain insights from Fidelity's rise in leadership, their marketing, their innovation, and their succession planning. The story begins the moment you arrive at MondayMorningRadio.com

This Podcast is sponsored by Team Simmer Go to TeamSimmer and use the coupon code DEVIATE for 10% on individual course purchases. The Technical Marketing Handbook provides a comprehensive journey through technical marketing principles. (Getting an update soon) Sign up to the Simmer Newsletter for the latest news in Technical Marketing. NEW SIMMER COURSE ALERT!  - Data Analysis with R - taught by Arben Kqiku Latest content from Simo Ahava Add IPv6 Support To Your Server-side GTM Load Balancer Latest content from Juliana Jackson Your data will never match 1:1 across platforms, and that's fine. (subscribe to the newsletter for more amazing content) Article is written in collaboration with Stape.io Mentioned in the episode: Stape Jeff Sauer MeasureU Measure Summit Connect with Alina Popa Linkedin Her website This podcast is brought to you by Juliana Jackson and Simo Ahava.

Most D2C brands have tried YouTube ads. Almost none of them are getting credit for what those ads are actually doing. Brett Curry, CEO of OMG Commerce and the guy behind YouTube growth for brands like Native, Arctic, and Dude Wipes, makes the case that in-platform reporting is under-counting YouTube's real impact by roughly 70% — and that the brands leaning in right now are about to widen the gap on everyone still dabbling.This one goes deep: incrementality testing, omnichannel attribution, creative frameworks, and why your Meta winners almost certainly won't survive on YouTube.Inside the episode:Why a 1.0 in-platform ROAS on YouTube is probably a 3.4 in reality — and the 190-test incrementality study behind that numberHow Arctic drove a 25% Walmart sales lift (and 230% branded search lift) by running YouTube in select markets — measured scientifically against matched control marketsThe three creative types that actually work on YouTube: hero/brand films, single-creator UGC, and the specific criteria your Meta winners need to meet before you bother testing themHow to diagnose a broken YouTube ad using just three metrics: view rate, click-through rate, and average watch time per impression — and what each one tells you to fixWhy campaign structure for retail lift looks completely different than for D2C sales — and how to set up for both at once—Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today!—‍Chapters:[0:00] Introduction: Why Most Brands Still Suck at YouTube[1:51] Audience Poll: Who's Actually Winning on YouTube?[3:15] The Core Problem: Bringing a Meta Mindset to YouTube[4:05] YouTube as Trust: Creators, TV, and Time Spent[8:14] Incrementality 101: Measuring the Real Impact of Your Ads[11:22] How Incremental Is YouTube? The 3.4x ROAS Reality[15:28] Going Omnichannel: Using YouTube to Drive Retail and Amazon Sales[19:13] Arctic Case Study: Measuring YouTube's Impact on Walmart Sales[24:09] Creative Diversity: The Essential Elements of a YouTube Ad[27:16] Creative Breakdown: Single Influencer, Hero, and Mashup Ad Examples[38:05] Creative Story Arc: How to Hook Viewers and Drive Action[40:24] Creative Feedback Loops: What Data to Watch and Why[46:09] Campaign Structure: How to Buy Media Based on Your Goals[51:56] Measure, Model, Maximize: The Trifecta of YouTube Measurement—Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contactPast guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

A Max Profits Mentorship client followed AI's recommendations on their Meta ads campaign and watched their revenue drop from $268K to $196K in a single month. Ad spend % climbed from 30% to 40%. $72,000 gone.In this audio-exclusive episode, Dylan breaks down exactly what went wrong and the one rule that would've saved this client $72K in revenue. Here's what he covers:The AI-generated report that looked flawless on the surface: charts, CPAs, audience breakdowns, the works (and the one thing nobody thought to double-check)Why the CPA numbers in the report were 25–50% off from what Meta was actually reportingThe single decision that tanked the campaign from a 2.67 ROAS down to 1.8 and $23 CPA to $34The difference between using AI to analyze your ads vs. optimize your ads (and why the second one will burn you)The AI hallucination problem nobody talks about and the context AI will never have about your businessThis isn't an anti-AI episode. We use AI every single day at The Ecommerce Alley. But there's one thing you should never hand the reins to and this $72K mistake is exactly why.---

Every retail media network gives brands another way to reach the consumer. But more opportunity also means more complexity.In this episode, Laura Pattison joins Destaney to talk about what brands need to understand before adding new RMNs into their media mix. They cover targeting differences, creative opportunities, auction models, data access, attribution windows, in-store attribution, and why measuring everything against the same ROAS benchmark can lead brands in the wrong direction.Connect with Laura on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/laurajpattisonConnect with Destaney on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/destaney-wishon

MAU Vegas 2026 is over, the biggest booths in mobile gaming, and a single conversation dominating every panel and corridor: AI. Specifically, what happens when AI creatives cut your CPI in half.Matej Lančarič and Jakub Remiar catch Felix Braberg up on what he missed while taking care of his baby. The 2.5 Gamers Gaming Summit kicked off Tuesday with ~100 attendees (roughly 10x the next-biggest competing summit), Christina Larionova from the Last War / Whiteout Survival team shared CPI and ROAS data showing AI creatives are literally half the cost of human-made ones, AppLovin had the biggest booth and announced Pixel Portal, UA financing went fully mainstream (per Jeff at PVX Partners), CTV is exploding, and retention is now openly being talked about as "the new UA" — partly thanks to Mistplay's Mychips acquisition.If you couldn't make it to Vegas, this is the catch-up. And if you weren't already planning Bellagio 2027 (May 4-6), make yourself available.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 Cold open — Bellagio 2027, why you have to be there02:32 Felix missed MAU + the 2.5 Gamers Summit's 10x outperformance04:31 "MAU is the new GDC" — Jeff from PVX nailed the framing06:23 The standout talks: Nebo, Christina, Marion, Katja08:55 AI is everywhere — 70% of creatives are now AI-generated13:24 AppLovin's biggest booth + Pixel Portal announcement15:38 CTV explosion: TV Scientific, Vibe, Roku, Pinterest20:01 Bellagio 2027 + closing thoughts on what's coming━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

What happens when a mother-daughter duo combines entrepreneurship, authenticity, and community? In this episode, Ashley sits down with Karen Monroe and Erin Pisani of K Marie Boutique to talk about how they built a thriving boutique brand through live selling, intentional customer connection, and creative in-store experiences. From starting in Karen's house during COVID to building a warehouse storefront from the ground up, they share the behind-the-scenes reality of growing a successful boutique while balancing family, motherhood, and business together. You'll learn: How live selling transformed their business Why consistency and authenticity matter more than perfection Hosting viral in-store events like Mahjong and needlepoint nights Using Boutique Hub Black and ads to grow both online and local traffic This episode is packed with practical boutique strategies, marketing insights, and a powerful reminder that the best brands are built through real relationships. Join The Boutique Hub Summer School   Karen Monroe & Erin Pisani with K Marie Boutique Instagram:@shopkmarieboutique Website: shopkmarieboutique.com                                              ____________________________ Ashley Alderson: Instagram     The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

We've all heard the classic business cliché: "You have to spend money to make money." But honestly? I've never really loved that phrase. It leaves out the most crucial part of the equation. What if we rephrased it to: You have to spend money to make money, but you also need to know if the money you're spending is actually working. In this episode, I'm challenging product-based business owners to stop looking at Return on Investment (ROI) purely through the lens of digital ad spend. The truth is, every single dollar that leaves your business is an investment, and every investment deserves a return. From hiring team members to investing in photography, copywriters, and coaching programs, I break down how you might be flying blind with your capital and how to start tracking profit metrics instead of vanity metrics. I also share a simple, three-question audit you can start using today to ensure every dollar has a job and is doing it well. Key Takeaways The ROI Reframe: ROI isn't just a marketing metric. If cash is flowing out of your business in a dozen different directions, you need to measure what is coming back in return for every single one of those streams. The Danger of Raw Ad Metrics: Generating $3,000 in sales from a $1,000 ad spend sounds great on paper (a 3x ROAS). But when you factor in a 50% cost of goods ($1,500), agency fees, fulfillment labor, and shipping, you might actually be paying to run yourself out of business. Measuring the Unmeasurable (Employees): Hiring feels like growth, but without tracking output, it's just added overhead. Employees don't always generate direct revenue, but they must generate a measurable return—whether that's freeing up your time to bring in new accounts or increasing production speed. Learning vs. Implementation: Buying a coaching program, course, or mastermind and only implementing 20% of it means you are losing money. Learning is not a return on investment; implementation is the return. The Secret of Profitable Businesses: The most profitable product-based businesses aren't necessarily the ones with the highest revenue. They are the ones with the fewest dollars going out the door that don't serve a clear purpose. The 3-Question ROI Audit To keep yourself from flying blind, I want you to perform this quick audit this month on any expense—whether it's a software subscription, a new piece of equipment, an employee, or a mastermind: What did it cost me? (Be sure to include your time, not just your money). What specific outcome was I expecting from it? (Name a tangible, concrete result). Did I get that outcome? (Yes, partially, or not at all). My Advice: Once you have your answers, act on them immediately. Double down on what's working, fix or re-engineer what is underperforming, and ruthlessly cut what isn't producing. Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe

We've all heard the classic business cliché: "You have to spend money to make money." But honestly? I've never really loved that phrase. It leaves out the most crucial part of the equation. What if we rephrased it to: You have to spend money to make money, but you also need to know if the money you're spending is actually working. In this episode, I'm challenging product-based business owners to stop looking at Return on Investment (ROI) purely through the lens of digital ad spend. The truth is, every single dollar that leaves your business is an investment, and every investment deserves a return. From hiring team members to investing in photography, copywriters, and coaching programs, I break down how you might be flying blind with your capital and how to start tracking profit metrics instead of vanity metrics. I also share a simple, three-question audit you can start using today to ensure every dollar has a job and is doing it well. Key Takeaways The ROI Reframe: ROI isn't just a marketing metric. If cash is flowing out of your business in a dozen different directions, you need to measure what is coming back in return for every single one of those streams. The Danger of Raw Ad Metrics: Generating $3,000 in sales from a $1,000 ad spend sounds great on paper (a 3x ROAS). But when you factor in a 50% cost of goods ($1,500), agency fees, fulfillment labor, and shipping, you might actually be paying to run yourself out of business. Measuring the Unmeasurable (Employees): Hiring feels like growth, but without tracking output, it's just added overhead. Employees don't always generate direct revenue, but they must generate a measurable return—whether that's freeing up your time to bring in new accounts or increasing production speed. Learning vs. Implementation: Buying a coaching program, course, or mastermind and only implementing 20% of it means you are losing money. Learning is not a return on investment; implementation is the return. The Secret of Profitable Businesses: The most profitable product-based businesses aren't necessarily the ones with the highest revenue. They are the ones with the fewest dollars going out the door that don't serve a clear purpose. The 3-Question ROI Audit To keep yourself from flying blind, I want you to perform this quick audit this month on any expense—whether it's a software subscription, a new piece of equipment, an employee, or a mastermind: What did it cost me? (Be sure to include your time, not just your money). What specific outcome was I expecting from it? (Name a tangible, concrete result). Did I get that outcome? (Yes, partially, or not at all). My Advice: Once you have your answers, act on them immediately. Double down on what's working, fix or re-engineer what is underperforming, and ruthlessly cut what isn't producing. Work with Me - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/work-with-meVisit the Bookstore - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstoreSign Up for Free Weekly Tips and Trainings - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/subscribe

Send us Fan MailEddie van Dongen spent years doing what most musicians dream of. Touring Europe, playing 200-show theater runs, recording, performing. And then COVID hit, and overnight there was nothing. No gigs, no income, no plan.That moment forced him to ask a question he'd never had to ask before: what would it look like to actually build a business, not just be a freelancer hoping the phone rings?Eddie is a professional drummer from Rotterdam, endorsed by major brands and featured on Dutch national TV. But what makes his story genuinely interesting is how he got from that COVID wake-up call to running Eddie's Drum Academy, an online platform built around a completely different way of teaching drums. Not fill packs, not lick libraries, but a creative framework that teaches drummers how to think.In this conversation, Eddie and I got into a lot. His burnout at music college and how studying meditation changed not just his playing but his whole approach to business. Why he believes you have to be okay with being ignored if you're building something real. His Meta ads funnel selling a 37-euro ebook with a 2.5 to 3.5 ROAS. How his order bumps are converting around 40%. And what he's working toward next.He's honest, thoughtful, and clearly someone who built this from scratch with no marketing background. I think you'll really enjoy this one.Check out Eddie's work:

Manchmal läuft es im Business nicht nur ein bisschen schief, sondern so richtig. Ich mache heute die Türen zu meinem Backstage-Bereich ganz weit auf und teile ungeschönt eine Wahrheit mit dir, die viele lieber verschweigen: Ich habe in diesem Jahr bereits 19k Euro Anzeigenbudget in den Sand gesetzt und zwei krachend gescheiterte Launches hinter mich gebracht. Ich saß mit Herzrasen und Tränen im Wald und dachte: „Ich kann mein Business schließen.“ Doch genau jetzt, wo ich diese Folge aufnehme, komme ich aus meinem erfolgreichsten Launch des Jahres heraus – mit einem phänomenalen ROAS von 5 (1 Euro vorne rein, 5 Euro hinten raus). Wie schafft man diesen extremen Shift, wenn man emotional am Boden liegt und der Kopf nur noch „Bullshit-Bingo“ spielt? In dieser außergewöhnlich intimen Folge erfährst du, warum das Geheimnis hinter dem Durchbruch niemals in einer neuen Marketing-Taktik liegt, sondern an einem Ort, den die meisten Unternehmerinnen komplett ignorieren: in deinem Nervensystem. In der heutigen Folge teile ich mit dir: - Der Punkt kurz vor dem Durchbruch: Warum die meisten selbstständigen Frauen genau dann aufgeben, wenn sie Millimeter vor ihrem größten Erfolg stehen — und welcher blinde Fleck sie davon abhält, es rechtzeitig zu merken. - Strategie ist nicht alles: Warum echtes Dranbleiben absolut nichts mit Logik, Disziplin oder Taktik zu tun hat — und alles mit einer tiefen, emotionalen und körperlichen Regulation, die du für dein Business-Wachstum brauchst. - Der Rettungsanker für dunkle Business-Momente: Was ich konkret getan habe, als im Januar und Februar alles kollabierte, um meine Kreativität zurückzuholen, den Funnel zu optimieren und im Mai in nur fünf Tagen ein früheres Jahresgehalt zu generieren. Hör hin, erlaube dir deine Tränen, nimm deine Pippi Langstrumpf an die Hand und lerne, warum Dranbleiben die wertvollste Business-Strategie deines Lebens ist.

In this episode, we dive into the challenge of rising customer acquisition costs and how smart online brands use first-party data to stay competitive. Tiago Costa, CEO of clustie.ai, shares how his platform uses artificial intelligence to predict high-value buyers and automatically improve ad results on Facebook and Meta channels. He is joined by brand owner Raphael Tomé, who explains how he used this tech to cut his ad costs, boost his profits, and quickly scale his e-commerce business. Topics discussed in this episode:  How AI simplifies building and launching online stores today. What metrics to fix before you try to scale ad spend.Why single-product shops are growing quickly in the US.Why traditional marketing agencies fail to scale ad results.How audience intelligence tools lower customer acquisition costs.What problems occur when running too many active ad campaigns.How syncing Shopify data with Meta improves targeting precision.Why human support remains critical alongside AI software tools.What product-audience matching does for specific item sales.How to scale products internationally using predictive data models.Links & ResourcesWebsite: https://clustie.ai/Shopify App Store: https://apps.shopify.com/clustie-ai-marketing-segmentsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fullvenueai/Get access to more free resources by visiting the show notes at https://tinyurl.com/56sr2z44I'd love your feedback. Tap the the link to send me a text. ______________________________________________________LOVE THE SHOW? HERE ARE THE NEXT STEPS!Follow the podcast to get every bonus episode. Tap follow now and don't miss out!   Rate & Review: Help others discover the show by rating the show on Apple Podcasts at https://tinyurl.com/ecb-apple-podcasts   Join our Free Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommercecoffeebreak.com/   Support The Show On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EcommerceCoffeeBreak   Partner with us: https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/partner-with-us/

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Ever feel like Meta ads are just sucking your time, energy, and bank account? In this episode I'm kicking off a brand new six-part series where I break down exactly how to run profitable Meta ads in 2026 using my proprietary PROFIT Method. Because Facebook and Instagram ads are not a magic wand. They won't save a sinking ship business. But when you understand how ads work, how to stop wasting money on poor strategy, and how to use ads as an amplifier for profitable growth, they can completely change the trajectory of your business.  Learn more about working with Lume Marketing The next 8-week mentoring program where you'll learn to run Meta ads like a pro is opening soon. Apply now. Hire us to run your ads Learn how to run your own ads I talk about why so many businesses are still struggling with Meta ads, despite all the noise online about "hacking the algorithm" or finding some secret formula. I explain why the algorithm didn't suddenly change overnight, why creative has always mattered, and why the best Meta ads strategy for small business owners is usually much simpler than people think.  We discuss the difference between search and discovery marketing, why Meta ads are a discovery tool, and why ads should sit inside a bigger marketing ecosystem rather than carrying the entire weight of your growth strategy. If you've ever wondered why your ads aren't converting, why your ROAS feels inconsistent, or whether you should hire a Meta ads agency or learn to run ads yourself, this episode will help you think about ads differently.  I also walk you through the six steps of the PROFIT Method including planning to win, refining your offer, understanding your audience, fixing conversion leaks, implementing an uncomplicated ads setup, and learning how to test, measure and optimise properly. This episode is packed with practical advice for ecommerce brands, founders, service businesses and purpose-led brands who want profitable Meta ads without the overwhelm, or guru nonsense. Because ads are an amplifier. They will either amplify profit or amplify loss. And I want you using Meta ads for sustainable business growth, not burnout.  What's one thing you've found frustrating about Facebook or Instagram ads lately? Come tell us over on Instagram and let's chat. Connect with us on Instagram @lume marketing Contact details mentioned: Connect with Lume Marketing on Instagram, Facebook of via our website Megan Winter on LinkedIn Loved the pod?  Leave a review and you may just find yourself getting a shoutout on the pod, just like Miss Chardy did. She is @miss.chardy on Instagram.  Resources Should you run your own ads or partner with an agency? Take the quiz here to find out. 10 most common Meta ads red flags, and how to avoid them. Download for free here.

Authenticity in the Algorithmic Age: Maximizing Paid Ad Performance with Jeremy YangIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Jeremy Yang, the Founder and Tech Lead of Digital Goliath, to break down the seismic shifts currently reshaping the global digital advertising landscape. Operating from Sydney, Australia, Jeremy brings a performance-focused, technical perspective to paid traffic, dismantling the over-automated, "plug-and-play" strategies that cause modern ad spend to bleed cash. This conversation provides an essential strategic overview for established business owners and enterprise leaders who are currently running Google or Meta campaigns but find themselves battling rising acquisition costs, algorithmic fatigue, and the quiet erosion of consumer trust in an AI-saturated market.The Architecture of Conversion: Blending Algorithmic Optimization with Raw Human ConnectionThe rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence has fundamentally disrupted the digital ad ecosystem, precipitating an unprecedented wave of content saturation across search results and social feeds alike. Jeremy Yang explains that while advanced machine learning models excel at routine administrative tasks—such as rapidly spinning up creative iterations, adjusting real-time bidding parameters, and optimizing platform placement—they have simultaneously triggered a massive wave of consumer ad blindness. Audiences have grown exceptionally savvy at identifying synthetic avatars, overly polished deepfakes, and generic AI-scripted copy, which ultimately erodes brand authority and diminishes campaign ROI. True scalable performance is achieved not by replacing the human element with complete automation, but by treating AI strictly as a backend optimization coworker while fiercely keeping a real, authentic face and localized presence at the center of client-facing ad creative.To break through the competitive noise on modern ad networks, brands must pivot heavily toward direct-response, face-to-camera video assets that function as the new high-yield currency of visual search. Rather than exhausting valuable corporate capital on hyper-produced studio commercials or rigid, clinical scripts, founders see far higher engagement by executing raw, unscripted "walk-and-talk" videos or behind-the-scenes operational content recorded directly on a smartphone. This style of marketing functions as an immediate trust builder, creating a visceral human connection that synthetic assets simply cannot replicate. For local and service-based enterprises, leaning into this transparent media delivery is a critical differentiator; it signals immediate credibility to a prospect and establishes a definitive baseline of authority long before they enter the sales pipeline.However, scaling ad spend predictably requires strict alignment with an organization's actual operational readiness and market validation. A common failure point for small-to-medium businesses is deploying heavy capital into paid acquisition channels before securing true product-market fit or establishing a clear, documented value proposition. Jeremy cautions that paid traffic functions exclusively as an amplifier; if an offer suffers from confusing messaging or lacks organic traction, scaling ad spend will merely accelerate capital loss and operational strain. By implementing data-driven diagnostics, such as comprehensive campaign audits and predictive ROI calculators, companies can transition from speculative testing to strict accountability. This ensures that every dollar deployed on Google or Meta is mathematically anchored to drive enterprise value, clear financial margins, and sustainable brand equity.About Jeremy YangJeremy Yang is the Founder and Tech Lead of Digital Goliath and a premier authority in digital ad systems architecture. Drawing from a diverse background in community leadership and youth athletic coaching, Jeremy infuses a people-first, high-accountability philosophy into the data-driven world of paid media. He specializes in helping mid-market companies audit their traffic channels, optimize their conversion funnels, and construct high-performance advertising frameworks across the Google and Meta ecosystems.About Digital GoliathDigital Goliath is a premier, performance-driven digital advertising agency based in Australia, serving an international clientele of established businesses. The firm bypasses generic marketing vanity metrics to focus exclusively on scalable client acquisition, transparent data tracking, and measurable return on ad spend (ROAS). Through rigorous technical audits, fortnightly collaboration with founders, and specialized video ad development pipelines, Digital Goliath enables organizations to eliminate operational waste and predictably scale their digital ad footprints.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeDigital Goliath Official Website: digitalgoliath.com.auJeremy Yang on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yangKey Episode HighlightsThe AI Saturation Trap: Navigating consumer ad blindness by understanding why generic, machine-generated ad copy diminishes long-term brand authority.The Power of smartphone Video Asset Production: Why raw, unscripted face-to-camera videos consistently out-convert hyper-polished studio ad production.The Traffic Amplification Mandate: Validating core messaging and operational capacity through organic channels before scaling capital deployment on Meta or Google.Shadow Advertising Metrics vs. Real ROAS: Eliminating agency vanity metrics by anchoring campaign evaluation in transparent financial reporting and audits.Visual Search Currency: Capitalizing on Google's evolving AI search overviews by shifting from traditional text layouts to video-heavy digital real estate.ConclusionThe conversation with Jeremy Yang reinforces that long-term mastery over paid digital ad ecosystems requires a balanced synthesis of technical governance and un-copyable human authenticity. By leveraging platform automation for backend data optimization while anchoring customer-facing ad creative in transparent storytelling, brands can build deep consumer trust that commands premium market authority.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

What actually separates brands that grow from brands that slowly disappear, even after spending heavily on digital marketing?In this episode of The Proven Entrepreneur Show, Don Williams sits down with Brooke Shepard, founder of Mason Interactive, for a candid conversation about the reality behind modern business growth, digital advertising, customer acquisition, and performance marketing.Brooke has spent nearly two decades helping brands scale through search, social media advertising, SEO, programmatic campaigns, ecommerce strategy, lead generation, and growth marketing. From startup founders to global consumer brands, he has seen what works when companies are trying to grow under pressure, shrinking budgets, investor expectations, and changing digital platforms.The conversation moves beyond surface-level marketing talk and gets into the mindset behind scaling a company in today's economy. Don Williams and Brooke Shepard discuss why many businesses become obsessed with ROAS, efficiency metrics, and short-term wins while quietly damaging long-term growth potential. They also unpack the difference between cheap leads and profitable customers, the pressure private equity creates inside businesses, and why so many companies continue chasing marketing “growth hacks” that rarely last.Listeners will also hear conversations around AI in marketing, agency leadership, brand trust, company culture, customer loyalty, subscription business models, data-driven advertising, and the balance between automation and human experience.This episode featuring Brooke Shepard and Mason Interactive gives entrepreneurs, CEOs, founders, marketers, agencies, and ecommerce brands an inside look at how real business growth decisions are made behind the scenes.If you are interested in entrepreneurship, digital marketing, business strategy, advertising psychology, scaling brands, or customer acquisition, this is an episode worth adding to your playlist.

In this episode, host Josh interviews entrepreneur Rolando Rosas about his journey from office technology to Amazon selling and founding Circuit Com. Rolando shares his advanced PPC strategy, using a year's worth of sales data and heat maps to optimize Amazon ad scheduling for better ROAS. He offers practical tips for sellers: enhance product images, respond to customer questions with videos, and use data tools like Seller Labs Data Hub to identify peak buying times. Rolando encourages starting small with data-driven ad adjustments to boost efficiency and sales.Chapters:Introduction to Rolando Rosas and His Journey (00:00:00)Josh introduces Rolando, his entrepreneurial background, and the founding of Global Tech Worldwide and Circuit Com.Podcast Sound Effects and Stream Deck Tips (00:01:15)Rolando shares his experience setting up podcast sound effects and encourages using a stream deck.Introduction to Innovative Amazon PPC Strategy (00:01:38)Josh prompts Rolando to share his unique PPC strategy, setting the stage for the main discussion.Data-Driven Ad Scheduling and Heat Maps (00:02:13)Rolando explains using 12 months of order data and Seller Labs Data Hub to create heat maps for ad scheduling.Key Insights from Data: Golden Hours and Days (00:02:59)Discovery of optimal times and days for ads, including patterns like low Friday evening and weekend sales.Challenging Weekend Ad Spend Myths (00:04:12)Rolando debunks the idea that weekends are best for ads, showing most sales occur Monday–Friday.Impact on ROAS and Sales Performance (00:06:03)Discussion of improved ROAS and sales by focusing ad spend on high-performing days and times.Layering Day Parting and Low Bid Strategies (00:07:02)Exploring advanced ad scheduling, including low bid strategies during off-peak hours.Manual vs. Automated Campaign Management (00:08:31)Rolando discusses the manual nature of their current process and the use of portfolio grouping for easier management.Leveraging Seller Labs Data Hub for Insights (00:09:36)How to use Seller Labs Data Hub for actionable business insights, even for non-data experts.The Importance of Data Science and AI for Sellers (00:10:53)Emphasizing the future role of data analytics and AI in Amazon selling success.Three Actionable Takeaways for Amazon Sellers (00:11:56)Josh summarizes three key takeaways: main image optimization, customer Q&A engagement, and data-driven ad scheduling.Encouragement to Start Small and Test Strategies (00:15:20)Advice to implement changes gradually, testing on a few campaigns or SKUs before scaling.Closing Remarks and Appreciation (00:16:18)Josh and Rolando wrap up the episode, express mutual appreciation, and end the conversation.Links and Mentions:Tools and Websites"Global Teck Worldwide": "00:00:00""Seller Labs Data Hub": "00:02:59""Google Sheets": "00:10:08"Strategies and Concepts"Day Parting": "00:02:13""Heat Map": "00:02:59"Actionable Takeaways"Adjust Main Images": "00:11:56""Respond to Customer Questions": "00:12:07"Transcript:Josh 00:00:00  Today I'm super excited to introduce you all to Rolando Rosas. Rolando never could have predicted that a college computer, a printer, and an old school wall phone in his kitchen would lead him down the path of entrepreneurship. But that's exactly how it happened. In 2002, he founded Global Tech Worldwide with the goal of making it easy for businesses to use the right office technologies for better and frictionless customer interactions that help businesses elevate their customer interactions and turn them into rich, meaningful discussions. Fast forward to today, and after spending ten years selling on Amazon, he is on his third startup circuit. Com because he was frustrated with the lack of transparency and outdated methods of buying broadband, wireless and fiber internet for small and medium sized businesses. So with that introduction, welcome to the show, Rolando.Rolando 00:00:53  Woo! Woo woo woo woo. Woo woo. Let me try. Let me try.Josh 00:00:56  Hey, there you go. Hey.Rolando 00:00:57  There we go.Josh 00:00:58  You got the audio work?Rolando 00:00:59  I got it, I got it I got him to work.Josh 00:01:02  Rolando has his own podcast and we recorded an episode last week I was on, I was in the reverse side. I was the guest there. And that I told you, Rolando, I love the sound effects that you have going on in your podcast.Rolando 00:01:15  You know what? I'm here. You know what? Go get a stream deck, go get it and call me, and I'll help you set it up. Because it took me a while. I left it in the box for quite some time before I actually started using it, because I was a little intimidated. I'm not an Avi guy or anything like that, but, you know, I was like, all right, let me add one, two, three. And I was like, ooh. And now I've got a couple of those buttons set up for it.Josh 00:01:38  I love it, I love it. All right, Rolando, there's another really wicked smart strategy that I want you to share with our audience that you shared with me prior to hitting the record button.Josh 00:01:48  And this is your amazing PPC strategy that I have never heard anybody else talk about this other than yourself. everybody's always heard of de parting, right? And that's kind of the new hot PPC term, but this isn't Dave Harding. This is something, I think, even more intelligent than what De parting is. So I've laid out the red carpet for you there, Rolando. Give us the gold nugget.Rolando 00:02:13  Yeah, right. So de parting is just simply ad scheduling. You know, run an ad on a schedule. Nothing new there. But what if. Chad. Chad, I was just talking to Chad. What if Josh. We could map or have ads show up when we have our ideal customers on Amazon? How can we do that? Can we pull it off? And can we save money while we're doing that? That's really what we wanted to find out. Turns out there is a way to do it. Not easy, not clean. But there was. So we went and pulled data from our orders for 12 months, and we used, Seller Labs product that they have or service that's called Data Hub.Rolando 00:02:59  and it pulled in all that data, right? It's our own data. So we didn't have to do all these crazy reports from Amazon. Pulled it all in. Once they pulled that in I said, wait a minute, guys. I'm not a mathematician here. This is just a spreadsheet with a bunch of numbers. Can we do something better? So then we put together something that anybody could easily use in the organization. We put together a heat map so that you can visually see the data. And, you know, dark green means good, red is bad. And guess what? We found golden hours every day of the week. Also golden months also patterns within those months. For example summertime for our products which are mostly office related products. After 4 p.m. on a Friday, we've virtually had no orders on the summer months. So if I'm a betting man, Why would I run PPC after 4 p.m. if we're not getting any orders? Another one was when? on the weekends, you hear people say this all the time.Rolando 00:04:12  And now that I have the data for our stuff, I know it's totally wrong. You got to run ads on Saturday and Sunday because people browse Saturday and Sunday and buy on Monday. The evidence does not hold that up in our case, because in our case, most of our activity, nearly 85 to 90% of the purchases c...

Marketing agencies are one of those things founders know they need, but often end up navigating with little visibility into what's actually working, where money is leaking, or who's truly accountable for growth.In this episode of Uncomplicate It, I sit down with Ivan Janku, CEO of Digital Rocket, to talk about what really happens behind high-performing marketing systems and why so many businesses still struggle with wasted ad spend, weak funnels, poor attribution, and disconnected customer journeys.Ivan shares how he built Digital Rocket after seeing agencies avoid accountability, hide behind vanity metrics, and prioritize retainers over real business outcomes. His philosophy is refreshingly direct: cut the BS, show the math, and focus on what actually drives profitable growth.From Meta ads and email marketing to mobile-first websites, conversion strategy, and AI, this conversation breaks down what modern marketing really requires in 2026 and why most businesses are still skipping the fundamentals.His perspective is clear: scaling isn't about spending more money, it's about fixing the leaks before you pour more traffic into the system.We talk about why most founders misunderstand ROAS, how attribution has become one of the biggest blind spots in marketing, and why agencies that only focus on one channel are often missing the bigger picture entirely.We also get into:Why most businesses scale ads before fixing their foundationsThe biggest mistakes founders make when hiring agenciesWhy transparency and accountability matter more than flashy reportingHow poor websites quietly destroy conversionsWhy mobile-first design is now essentialThe truth about attribution, ROAS, and cross-channel marketingWhy email marketing is still massively underratedThe hidden psychology behind trust and buying behaviorHow AI is improving marketing and where it's making things worseWhy “UGC” is quickly losing authenticityThe importance of customer journey thinking instead of channel obsessionHow businesses can increase profitability without increasing ad spendWhy data matters, but strategy still matters moreTakeaways:Great marketing starts with trust and clarityMost businesses have profit leaks they don't seeScaling traffic into broken systems wastes moneyData is only valuable if you know how to interpret itAI can improve execution, but not replace human strategyThe best agencies act like partners, not vendorsMulti-channel marketing matters more than everCustomer experience drives long-term growthIf you've ever questioned whether your marketing is actually working, felt burned by agencies, or struggled to understand where your growth is breaking down, this conversation will completely change how you think about scaling a business.Connect with Ivan;Linkedin: https:www.linkedin.com/in/ivanjankuWebsite: https://digitalrocketads.com/Follow Us:

In this episode, we explore the common struggle of growing sales without seeing a matching increase in profit. Misha Druzhinin, Co-founder and CEO of Finsi.ai, explains why many brands fail to track their margins and how focusing only on immediate returns can hurt long-term growth. He shares how his AI platform helps business owners simplify complex data to find hidden waste and improve customer value.You will learn how to move away from constant discounting, reduce customer churn, and use smart data to spend more effectively on ads while staying profitable. Topics discussed in this episode:  How failing to own profit margins stalls growth. Why relying on ROAS limits long-term brand success. What warning signs indicate your scaling is failing. How AI identifies high-value customer behavior patterns. What role qualitative data plays in reducing churn. Why "Smart Brevity" in data helps managers focus. How unit-level analysis uncovers hidden product waste. What retention architecture does for repeat purchases. How demographic data shifts modern marketing strategy. Why operational limits often signal a winning flywheel. Links & ResourcesWebsite: https://www.finsi.ai/Shopify App Store: https://www.finsi.ai/integrations/ecommerce/shopifyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdruzhinin/Get access to more free resources by visiting the show notes at https://tinyurl.com/yc3v2d8cI'd love your feedback. Tap the the link to send me a text. ______________________________________________________LOVE THE SHOW? HERE ARE THE NEXT STEPS!Follow the podcast to get every bonus episode. Tap follow now and don't miss out!   Rate & Review: Help others discover the show by rating the show on Apple Podcasts at https://tinyurl.com/ecb-apple-podcasts   Join our Free Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommercecoffeebreak.com/   Support The Show On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EcommerceCoffeeBreak   Partner with us: https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/partner-with-us/

This episode is sponsored by Brook Shepard and Mason Interactive.Welcome to another episode of Mojo: The Meaning of Life and Business. Today, Jennifer Glass sits down with Brook Shepard, founder and CEO of Mason Interactive, a leading digital marketing agency renowned for blending data, design, and strategy to drive stellar results. With over a decade of experience, Brook Shepard shares his journey—from his early days in art and an uninspiring stint on Wall Street, through the challenges of building and redefining his role in the agency world, to leading a team that helps businesses stand out in crowded, commoditized markets.In this conversation, you'll hear candid insights about the real drivers behind effective marketing today, why creative strategy matters more than ever, and how understanding the value of new customers can make or break your growth. Jennifer Glass and Brook Shepard also explore how major shifts in technology and AI are reshaping the marketing landscape, what business owners should prioritize to sustain success, and how true differentiation comes from emphasizing value and benefits over price and features.Whether you're just launching a business or looking to scale, this episode is packed with strategic takeaways to help you navigate an ever-changing market and build stability for the long term.About my guest: Brook Shepard is the founder and CEO of Mason Interactive, a premier digital marketing agency known for delivering exceptional results through a blend of data, design, and strategy. With over a decade of experience, Mr. Shepard has established himself as a trusted thought leader, guiding clients in diverse sectors from e-commerce to healthcare. His expertise lies in crafting bespoke marketing strategies that drive sustainable growth and a strong ROI. Connect with Brook on the web at http://masoninteractive.com/Keywords: SWOT analysis, business growth, marketing opportunities, threats in business, digital marketing agency, data-driven marketing, marketing strategy, sustainable growth, return on investment, creative marketing, performance marketing, Google account management, AI in marketing, commoditization of marketing, client acquisition, new customers, return on ad spend (ROAS), customer retention, value-based selling, features vs benefits, video marketing, Google search changes, AI snapshots, top of funnel advertising, bottom of funnel marketing, customer lifetime value, attribution solutions, brand differentiation, budget allocation, blended marketing metrics, small business marketing

In this episode, we break down the difference between old-school Facebook advertising strategies and the way Meta ads actually work in 2026. A lot of advertisers are still trying to control every part of their ad account with heavy targeting, endless tweaks, and complicated setups, but the platform has changed dramatically. We discuss why traditional Facebook Ads tactics are becoming less effective, how Meta's algorithm and AI-driven optimisation now play a much bigger role, and what modern advertisers need to focus on instead.The conversation also covers common mistakes businesses make when scaling Meta ads, why many advertisers panic when performance fluctuates, and how to properly interpret Facebook Ads metrics like CTR, CPC, ROAS, CPA, and conversion data. We explore the shift away from manual media buying and towards simpler, more stable advertising strategies that allow Meta to optimise more effectively.If you run e-commerce ads, lead generation campaigns or paid social advertising for clients, this episode will help you better understand how Facebook advertising is evolving and what you need to change to stay profitable with Meta ads moving forward.BUT THERE'S MORE...Follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest hacks: @nickboddington You can now watch the episode on Youtube!

Digital ad fraud is one of the biggest hidden costs in modern marketing — and many companies do not realize how much of their advertising budget is being wasted on fake clicks, bot traffic, fraudulent accounts, and misleading campaign data. In this episode of Grownlearn, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Rich Kahn, CEO of Anura, a digital ad fraud prevention platform protecting more than 2 million websites. Rich has over 31 years of experience in digital marketing and has built five self-funded multimillion-dollar internet companies. Rich explains how digital advertising fraud works across platforms such as Facebook, Google, partner networks, affiliate traffic, and programmatic advertising. He also shares why certain channels carry higher fraud risk, how AI-driven bots are changing the fraud landscape, and why clean traffic matters for marketing ROI, ROAS, and long-term business growth. We discuss how Anura detects fraudulent traffic in real time by collecting more than 800 data points, why companies often discover fraud only after performance starts to break down, and what founders, marketers, agencies, SaaS companies, eCommerce brands, and investors should understand before scaling paid advertising. Beyond ad fraud prevention, Rich also shares his entrepreneurial journey: building multiple companies without outside funding, scaling through product-driven growth, developing enterprise relationships, and why face-to-face business development through trade shows still works. This episode is especially relevant for founders, marketers, agencies, eCommerce businesses, SaaS companies, investors, and anyone spending money on digital advertising. Guest: Rich Kahn, CEO of Anura Host: Zorina Dimitrova, Strategic Growth & Capital Advisor and host of Grownlearn Listen to more episodes: Grownlearn Podcast: https://grownlearn.onpodium.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1bUIDGbSQl4BlHeNeeJfva Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/grownlearn/id1515759956 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/grownlearn Learn more about Grownlearn: https://grownlearn.org/ Episode Chapters 00:00 – Podcast Intro & Why Digital Ad Fraud Matters 01:15 – Rich Kahn's Entrepreneurial Journey 03:50 – How Digital Ad Fraud Works Across Facebook, Google & Partner Networks 08:17 – What Advertisers Should Ask Agencies About Fraud Detection 10:39 – Inside Anura's Fraud Detection Platform 16:10 – AI Bots, Fake Traffic & the New Era of Ad Fraud 19:49 – Product-Driven Growth & Building Through Relationships 22:49 – Scaling a Self-Funded Company 25:21 – Trade Shows vs Digital Marketing 27:00 – The $160B Fraud Problem & the Future of Clean Traffic

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAbby and Taylor from Pilothouse settle the loudest debate in media buying right now: does velocity equal strategy?Short answer: no. Long answer: this whole episode.Inside, Abby (art) and Taylor (science) break down what a real creative system looks like under Andromeda, how to spot AI slop in an ad library at a glance, and why the squint test is still the fastest way to audit your output. They get into the frequency spike that hit when one apparel brand over-segmented celebrity drops, why Taylor still runs legacy Advantage+ Shopping campaigns three years later, and how a Nick DiGiovanni partnership ran at 0.5 ROAS on platform but pulled a 6 ROAS once Northbeam's 60-day window kicked in.Plus: why gifting ads should still target women, three exercises to run on your ad account before Q4, and the difference between feeding the algorithm and spamming the button.If you're making 50 ads a week and not sure any of them are doing a job, this one's for you.Catch the Pilothouse and DTC crew at The Whalies May 19 in LA, and our DTC operator dinner May 20.Timestamps:0:00 Why velocity isn't strategy2:38 The problem with endless ad variations5:12 Best Meta account structures today8:07 How to audit creative quality14:08 Building a real creative systemSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF611Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Why Most Affiliate Networks Are Built for the Brand, Not the PartnerDorin Boerescu has been in this industry since 2009. He started as an affiliate, bought a network that was turning over next to nothing, and has since facilitated more than 828 million euros in GMV. But the number that matters most to him is not the revenue figure. It is the question nobody asked when they built every traditional network before his: who actually has the right to decide how the marketing budget gets spent?What followed that question is Business League, a full-transparency affiliate ecosystem built around one metric, the number of sales. No branded traffic allowed. No hidden rankings. No six-month approval chains. Just a live leaderboard, gamified performance tiers, and a platform that treats affiliates like the traders they actually are.Lee-Ann sat down with Dorin to find out how a concept born in Romania is now live in Ireland, why complete transparency makes programs stronger rather than more vulnerable, and what happens when you build an affiliate network from the affiliate's point of view rather than the advertiser's.Talking Points IncludeWhy affiliates are traders, not content creators and why the best performers in Business League have never read a Kotler textbookThe leaderboard that embarrassed a client who thought he was number one and why seeing the real ranking changed how he ran his program from that day forwardFull transparency as a fraud deterrent and why making all data visible to everyone keeps bad actors out and drives up quality across the entire ecosystemHow gamification goes beyond commission from speed contests to conversion rate competitions, and why affiliates compete even when the prize money is only 25 eurosThe case against budget caps in performance marketing and why capping spend in a cost-per-sale model is one of the most counterproductive things a brand can doListen to Find Out More AboutHow Dorin went from selling his agency shares in 2009 to building a network that outperforms traditional media channels on ROASWhy Business League launched in Ireland first, what he found when he got there, and which market is nextHow a branded traffic ban is enforced technically and what happens to affiliates who try to get around itThe five performance tiers from freelancer to unicorn and what it actually takes to move between themWhy Dorin would have dinner with Jeff Bezos and what Amazon's affiliate program did for this entire industryWhat an ROAS of 11.9 from non-branded traffic looks like in practice across 900 e-shops and 5,700 affiliatesKey Segments and Where to Tune In[10:25] The Business League model explained: Premier League for marketing, 28-day rounds, five tiers, and why the only metric that matters is the number of sales[19:10] Full transparency as a competitive moat: why showing everyone the data keeps fraud out, makes brands better, and builds genuine respect between partners at different levels[24:30] Gamification in depth: the First 100 speed contest, conversion rate competitions, and why Dorin used the same system on his kids to get them to brush their teeth[33:20] Rapid fire round: affiliate marketing in three words, the one thing e-commerce brands get wrong when they launch a program, and who Dorin would have dinner withSend me a text with your questions

At RBC Capital Markets' Private Tech Conference, Dan Nathan interviews RBC analysts Brad Erickson, Rishi Jaluria, Matt Swanson, and Matt Hedberg on Q1 earnings and AI's impact across internet and software. Erickson says demand is solid, hyperscalers are raising CapEx as cloud ROI improves, and explains why Meta's higher spend hurt the stock versus Google/Amazon's accelerating cloud revenue and margins; he ranks Amazon over Google over Meta and discusses Uber's AV positioning versus Waymo. Jaluria is bullish on Microsoft's broad AI opportunities, notes Copilot's growing paid users, and discusses multimodel strategy, small/medium models, and Oracle's controversial OpenAI-linked data center build and financing. Swanson covers ad/martech, highlighting Adobe's “orchestration” narrative, Trade Desk's holding-company tensions, and AppLovin's ROAS-driven model. Hedberg argues cyber and infrastructure need “more, not less” security post-Anthropic's Mythos, cites capitulation in software sentiment, favors consolidators like CrowdStrike, Palo Alto, Snowflake, Datadog, and ServiceNow, and notes AI-driven efficiency and layoffs as potential catalysts amid continued volatility. —FOLLOW USYouTube: @RiskReversalMediaInstagram: @riskreversalmediaTwitter: @RiskReversalLinkedIn: RiskReversal Media

A stalled ad account. A two-year pause. Then, a rebuild that turned careful testing into a record quarter. In this episode, Optidge Paid Media Specialist Sara Reinhold walks through how we revived paid media for FamilyTreeDna by stripping back to intent, stabilizing with a feed-only Performance Max strategy, and expanding product availability to give the algorithm room to win. We chat about how we made adjustments along the way, setting a realistic ROAS floor, pausing underperforming channels, and rebuilding search around present-day demand rather than yesterday's assumptions.The result? By choosing time over speed and prioritizing reliable conversion signals, the Optidge team was able to validate their structure and prove the value of their advice, ultimately extending the partnership and increasing loyalty. An Optidge "Office Hours" EpisodeOur Office Hours episodes are your go-to for details, case studies, how-to's, and advice on specific marketing topics. Join our fellow Optidge team members, partners, and sometimes even 1:1 teachings from Danny himself, in these shorter, marketing-focused episodes. Get ready to get marketing!Episode Highlights:This case study example illustrated how just because something worked in the past doesn't mean it works now, as market conditions, platform algorithms, and auction dynamics shift constantly.Patience in scaling compounds trust. By choosing six months over three, Optidge rebuilt reliable conversion signals and created the foundation for a 5.7x budget increase.Budget pacing is as important as budget size. Aggressive spending without a validated structure wastes money; sustainable scaling with clear milestones delivers results.Full-funnel thinking measures the whole system, not just the middle click. Upper-funnel awareness (YouTube, Demand Gen) feeds lower-funnel conversion (search). This case proves that long-term partnerships outperform short-term wins. The 2.59 ROAS and 100% client satisfaction came from working through highs and lows together, not from a single tactic or campaign. Episode Links:Episode 084: From NICU Nurse to PPC Pro: A Career Pivot Story with Sara Strickland (Office Hours)Sara Reinhold on LinkedInThe Digital Marketing MentorThe DM Mentor on InstagramOptidge Paid Media Services Send us Fan MailFollow The Digital Marketing Mentor:Website and Blog: thedmmentor.comInstagram: @thedmmentorLinkedin: @thedmmentorYouTube: @thedmmentorInterested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family:Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations.ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business's digital marketing strategy.

Brandi Dugal is the Founder and CEO of The Fidget Game, a company that creates curriculum-aligned learning games to make reading and literacy practice effective and fun. The company's resources are used in more than 50,000 schools. A former teacher with classroom experience in multiple countries, Brandi developed The Fidget Game after working with students who were struggling to read. Through the Fidget Forward program, she makes educational tools more accessible to classrooms and families in need. In this episode… Scaling an e-commerce brand often requires a counterintuitive move: letting go of the metrics you once used to measure growth. Yet when growth stalls, how do you know whether to pull back or push harder? Brandi Dugal's answer is to zoom out, measure the whole business, and keep testing until the system reveals what works. As an educator-turned-e-commerce founder, she recommends looking beyond platform-level ROAS and using marketing efficiency ratios (MERs) to assess overall marketing efficiency. Brandi also suggests separating campaigns by product, tagging ad angles carefully, testing high volumes of creative, and staying close to customers through real conversations, feedback loops, and founder-led storytelling. Sustainable growth comes from pairing disciplined measurement with authentic, customer-informed creative. In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris chats with Brandi Dugal, Founder and CEO of The Fidget Game, about scaling through creative testing and whole-business measurement. Brandi shares how MER changed her Meta strategy, why authentic founder-led ads outperform polished UGC, and how gamified classroom insights shaped her product development.

Are you spending more on traffic than you're actually making and calling that “growth”? Business owners often chase scale, obsess over ROAS, and completely miss the bigger picture. Most of them don't have a traffic problem but a strategy problem. And if you don't fix it, you're just working for Meta, Google, or whoever owns your traffic source.Today, we revisit a conversation we had with Kasim Aslam. He breaks down a hard truth about scaling: diminishing returns are still returns, but most businesses quit too early. We explain why entrepreneurs stop at the peak of performance instead of riding the full curve, how margin obsession kills growth, and why doubling down on what's already working beats chasing every new platform or tactic. We get into what's actually happening with AI, automation, and why “scalable” might be the most dangerous word in your business right now. We also unpack what really drives sustainable business growth and why the future belongs to those willing to do what doesn't scale.In This Episode:- Why traffic sometimes costs more than profit- Doubling down on what works- Riding the bell curve of ad performance- Margin vs net profit- Incalculable business advantages- The flip-and-exit mentality- How AI is killing easy business modelsMentioned in the Episode:Apply to Work With Tier 11's Marketing Experts: https://www.tiereleven.com/apply Previous episodes on the law of inverse profitability: https://perpetualtraffic.com/?s=inverse+profitability Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Podcast Channel:Follow and listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-traffic/id1022441491 Follow and listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/59lhtIWHw1XXsRmT5HBAuK Subscribe and watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@perpetual_traffic?sub_confirmation=1We Appreciate Your Support!Visit our website: https://perpetualtraffic.com/ Follow us on X: https://x.com/perpetualtraf Connect with Kasim Aslam:Website: https://kasimaslam.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasimaslam Connect with Ralph Burns: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphburns Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ralphhburns/ Hire Tier11 - https://www.tiereleven.com/apply-now Mentioned in this episode:https://perpetualtraffic.com/advertise-with-us/Apply for an ad spot on Perpetual Traffic for Q1 or Q2. Visit www.perpetualtraffic.com today to secure your spot!We're opening up sponsorship spots for Q1 and Q2! Apply now by visiting www.perpetualtraffic.com https://perpetualtraffic.com/advertise-with-us/