POPULARITY
Every leader knows how to have conversations. Far fewer know how to lead them. In this episode, Bart Egnal speaks with Sandra Bekas, Senior Learning and Development Manager at The Humphrey Group, about why conversations have become one of the most important leadership skills in today's workplace and how THG helps leaders prepare for and excel in these critical communication moments. Drawing on her background in language, rhetoric, cognitive science, and leadership development, Sandra shares insights into why conversations are where influence happens and why those moments have become more complex than ever. Sandra explains why conversations have become more frequent, more candid, and often more challenging as employees increasingly expect leaders to be more present, more transparent, and more accessible than ever before. She discusses the difference between routine and high-stakes conversations, why framing a conversation is critical to creating clarity and trust, and how leaders can guide discussions without becoming overly directive. The conversation also explores practical tools from The Humphrey Group's Art of Conversation program, including the ARC framework (Acknowledge, Refocus, Catalyze) for getting derailed conversations back on track. Whether you're navigating everyday discussions or pivotal leadership moments, this episode offers practical tools for communicating with greater confidence, clarity, and influence. Show Notes: 00:58 Introducing Sandra Bekas 01:41 Introducing the topic of conversations 02:37 What led you to this role? 02:50 Love of language 03:14 Thinking and language and emotion and how that shapes reality 03:37 Moving to Japan 04:14 Japanese different language structure 04:22 Maybe trim/cut this section? 05:52 Moved back to Canada - Canadian publishing 06:15 Majority of career in instructional design... 06:35 Joining HG 07:26 How have conversations reached this inflection point? 08:00 Post-COVID interactions 08:24 In-person and digital accessibility 09:10 Leadership conversations are now more fraught 10:18 COVID level-set us 10:45 Insert: the three A's 12:47 What is the new THG program? 13:14 The Art of Conversation program 13:25 The ability to dynamically influence others 13:49 Routine conversations vs. high-stakes conversations 14:15 Corporate conversations where you want to move the needle 14:43 How you present in the moment 15:01 How to exert your influence 15:42 What is framing and why is it important? 16:01 What is the purpose of this conversation? 16:33 Example: giving a poor performance review 17:44 Example: letting down people who didn't get the promotion 20:01 Summarizing 20:48 Introducing clarity in a meeting 21:22 Bart presents a challenging example of a situation that is hard to summarize 23:36 Getting derailed conversations back on track 24:56 A.R.C. 26:06 A: acknowledge 26:17 R: refocus 26:28 C: catalyzing question 30:16 You cannot script these moments 31:04 You can still be authentic when using these tools! 32:26 Where can people find out more?
Google's new AI-powered Shopping ads can now decide which of your products wins the click — and it's optimizing for the user, not for your margin, your brand, or your strategy. This Gemini-built format writes its own product descriptions and may re-rank which product gets shown, beyond your bid. Mike Ryan and Chris dig into what that means for retailers who suddenly have less control over what gets pushed. Plus: ChatGPT is finally bringing Product Listing Ads (PLAs) to its results — a solid first step, or a Bing-style copycat play?The real story: "more relevant to the user" is not the same as "best for the retailer." As automated channels get more aggressive at matching products to searches, advertisers risk quietly losing control of which products actually get sold.In this episode:→ What Google's AI-powered Shopping ads actually are — a new format inside AI Max for Shopping, not an umbrella term → "Intelligent product identification": how Gemini may re-rank which product is shown, beyond the bid → The retailer's blind spot — Google optimizes for click-through rate; you optimize for the business → The coffee-machine problem: when the highest-converting product isn't the one you need to sell → Why the best Google Ads outcome isn't always the best business outcome → ChatGPT's PLAs: a solid, feed-based first step — or a Bing-style copycat play? → What OpenAI's $100B ad ambition means for what comes nextThe throughline: AI executes, but only you know what your business needs to achieve. The retailers who win are the ones who keep translating business goals — margin, brand priority, profitability — into the channel, instead of letting the platform decide.
Welcome back tributes! This week we continuied our SotR reread with chapter 11. Then we discussed some of the latest merch in THG fandom from Youtooz and Out of Print!Tune in LIVE on YouTube Monday nights to listen and comment along at 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET and be sure to follow us on social media @intothearenapodcast for show updates!Voices on this week:Emily @hungergamesvaultJerry @HGfanboyAJ @thehungergamescollectorRonnie @ronnielauthChase
The EU is finally using its teeth on Chinese e-commerce — and the auction landscape is already shifting. Mike and Chris break down what falling CPCs in Europe mean for your accounts, why the July 1st customs change could matter more than any fine, and the playbook for grabbing market share before the window closes.Then: a major Google Marketing Live feature almost nobody is talking about. Google's new AI Performance Insights and the "Share of Voice" metric in Merchant Center finally show your product visibility inside AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini — across both organic and paid. We cover what it does, where it lives, and the one big gap Google still leaves wide open.In this episode: • Why the EU crackdown on Temu, Shein & AliExpress is a sign of what's coming • Average CPCs dropped ~2.3% in May 2026 — and up to 5% in some categories • The July 1st customs exemption change and what it does to Chinese sellers' margins • The playbook: tROAS as a signal, AI Max search, demand-led growth & smart bidding exploration • JoyBuy — the unregulated Chinese player to watch • Google's new AI Performance Insights & Share of Voice metric in Merchant Center • The black box that still remains: campaign-level dataGrowing Ecommerce is brought to you by smec (Smarter Ecommerce). Learn more at smarterecommerce.com.
In this episode of the Inspire Podcast, Bart Egnal speaks with Rachel Cossar, co-founder and CEO of Virtual Sapiens, about how AI is transforming leadership communication training. Drawing on her own journey from the professional world of ballet to expert in non-verbal communication, Rachel explains how her experience in performance and body awareness led to the creation of an AI-powered communication coaching platform. Together, Bart and Rachel explore why AI can be such a powerful complement to facilitated training and executive coaching, especially when it comes to practice, repetition, feedback, and accountability. They discuss their collaboration with The Humphrey Group, including how THG has trained the platform on their own IP and is integrating AI coaching into their programs to help participants build confidence and measure improvement over time. The conversation also examines the limits of AI, why human facilitation remains essential, and how the future of communication training will combine technology with human connection. A fascinating look at the evolving role of AI in helping people become more effective, authentic, and inspiring communicators. Learn more at https://www.virtualsapiens.co/ Show Notes: 00:19 Show intro 00:57 Introducing Rachel and Virtual Sapiens 02:29 Rachel's background 02:48 Started off in ballet 03:17 Body awareness and presence 04:21 What dance training made her realize about office life 05:04 Starting her new career 05:26 Consulting with the hospitality industry 06:34 The “always on” nature of hospitality 07:23 Silent service 08:36 How this applies to executive and leadership development 09:06 How the COVID disruption changed her work and business 09:28 The idea for Virtual Sapiens 09:49 How do you take training and truly make it muscle memory? 10:55 Rapid adoption of video during COVID changed things 12:57 How did Virtual Sapiens come to be? 13:30 Initial product: a video sidekick coach 15:02 How did people respond to AI feedback? 15:53 People now have overly high expectations of AI 16:53 The complexities of video avatars 17:55 Why Virtual Sapiens was a natural fit for coaching firms 18:31 The asynchronous practice tool 19:26 How Virtual Sapiens fits with The Humphrey Group 19:47 The Humphrey Group's “ELI” tool 20:13 Learners can see measurable improvements 20:49 Where is AI used best in facilitation and training? 21:44 Designing programs with more longevity 23:59 Scalable and concurrent learning 24:36 Why people find AI to be a safe space to practice 25:03 The fear of being judged 25:41 Why people prefer first reps with AI 26:23 Built-in accountability for learners 27:15 Post-facilitation tools and practice 29:36 Do people use it? 29:50 Why getting people on early is key 31:52 What is the future of Virtual Sapiens? 32:40 More task-specific LLMs 33:29 Where can people learn more
Meta has overtaken Google in ad budgets - and for ecommerce advertisers, that changes everything.It means Google is on the offensive. It means the pressure to split your budget between platforms is about to intensify. And it means that if you're not set up correctly on Google's AI surfaces right now, you're already losing ground to competitors who are.In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan (smec's Head of Ecommerce Insights) and Chris share firsthand takeaways from GML 2026 — both the San Francisco and Dublin events — with unfiltered takes on what actually matters for your campaigns.What we cover:→ Google vs. Meta: The "War of the Titans" and why Google's messaging to advertisers is getting aggressive→ AI Max for Shopping: Why standard shopping campaigns may have limited eligibility in AI surfaces→ New AI-native ad formats: Conversational discovery ads, feed-based text ads, and why the line between shopping and search is collapsing→ Ask Advisor: A great idea — but oversold to an irresponsible degree (Mike's take)→ Universal Cart: Multi-retailer, cross-platform checkout — and Google's Amazon moment→ What the shift to agentic commerce means for how you monetize clicksCut through the hype. Know what to act on.
Google just dropped a PMax special — and there's a lot to unpack.In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan and Chris break down three major updates reshaping how ecommerce advertisers run Performance Max and Shopping campaigns in 2025:1. Network exclusions for PMax: You can now opt out of Search Partner Network AND Google Display Network directly inside PMax. Years in the making, and a massive lever for both performance and brand safety. We walk through why it matters, when to use it, and how to check your own data first.2. Shopping Performance View: A new level of product-level reporting coming to PMax and Demand Gen campaigns via the Google Ads API. See performance by brand, category, product type, and item ID — the same parity you get in standard Shopping. Huge for anyone who's tried and failed to understand feed performance inside Max.3. AI Max for Shopping: The biggest one. Google is rolling out an optional AI layer for standard Shopping campaigns with three features:- Text customization: Google rewrites your product titles dynamically per query- Final URL expansion (FUE): Google picks landing pages from your site — including category pages- Optimal format selection: Text ads can now appear inside your Shopping campaignsWe discuss what this means for advertisers who run standard Shopping for control, whether there's real redundancy with Search and PMax, the campaign overlap and CPC escalation risk, and why Mike thinks this is actually bigger than AI Max for Search.Standard Shopping: confirmed not dead. Google is investing in it.Growing Ecommerce is brought to you by smarter ecommerce (smec) — helping online retailers optimize paid search through AI-powered software and human PPC expertise.#PerformanceMax #PMax #GoogleShopping #AIMaxForShopping #GoogleAds #EcommerceMarketing #PPC #SearchPartnerNetwork #GoogleAdsUpdates #PaidSearchAbout Smarter Ecommerce (smec):Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control.The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution.As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport.Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
Welcome back tributes! On this week's show we wrap Part 1 of our SotR reread with chapter 9.Our favorite THG professor Dr. Tom Paradis joins us for our reread as well as some THG stage play discussion!Find Dr. Paradis and his books at https://worldofpanem.orgTune in LIVE on YouTube Monday nights to listen and comment along at 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET and be sure to follow us on social media @intothearenapodcast for show updates!Voices on this week:Emily @hungergamesvaultAJ @thehungergamescollectorJerry @HGfanboyGabby @sunriseonthereapingfanRonnie @ronnielauthChase
In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan and Chris Scharmueller dive into the much-anticipated updates to the OpenAI ads platform and break down Google's staggering Q1 earnings report.While OpenAI has finally transitioned their ad platform from a primitive Excel spreadsheet to a proper User Interface, their highly publicized shift to a CPC model is raising major red flags. We break down the math behind their highly constrained $3 to $5 max CPC range, revealing how it mathematically equates to the exact same astronomical $60 effective CPM they originally launched with. We discuss why advertisers should demand more transparency and control before shifting their performance budgets to ChatGPT.We also unpack Google's unstoppable Q1 momentum. With a massive $110 billion in revenue and an 80% spike in earnings per share, Google is silencing the "death of Search" narrative. We explore their impressive 19% core Search growth, the staggering 63% surge in Google Cloud that is heavily outpacing AWS and Azure, and why Google's massive $180 billion CapEx guidance for 2026 solidifies their dominance in the AI arms race.Key Takeaways:• The OpenAI Ad Trap: Don't be fooled by OpenAI's new CPC bidding model. By forcing advertisers into a strict $3 to $5 CPC range, the platform is essentially maintaining its premium $60 effective CPM under a disguise. Advertisers should hold off on shifting performance budgets until real incrementality and transparency are proven.• Search is Still Thriving: Despite the ongoing narrative that AI will kill traditional search engines, Google's core Search product grew by 19% year-over-year. The search giant's core advertising flywheel remains the most reliable engine for ecommerce growth.• Google Cloud is Winning the AI War: Google Cloud (GCS) achieved a staggering 63% year-over-year growth, heavily outpacing Amazon AWS (28%) and Microsoft Azure (39%). Powered by deep Gemini integration and proprietary TPUs, Google's vertical integration puts them in a unique position to dominate the next decade.Resources & Links:• Access all our webinars, reports, and playbooks in our Knowledge Hub: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/knowledge-hub/ • How is your industry stacking up in the market? Find out with smec's Google Ads Benchmarks: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/smec-market-observer/About Smarter Ecommerce (smec):Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control.The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution.As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport.Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
In this episode of Growing E-commerce, Mike Ryan and Chris Scharmueller dive into the end of an era: Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) are officially dying.While Google's new AI Max for Search currently sits at a tiny 1.5-2% adoption rate, the mandatory migration of all DSA campaigns by September will trigger an instant hockey-stick growth curve. We explain exactly what you need to expect from this sunset, how the auto-migration handles broad match and URL expansion by default, and why advertisers need to start testing AI Max immediately before the Q4 holiday crunch.We also unpack the diverging automation strategies of the tech giants and the catastrophic drop in Meta Advantage+ adoption. After peaking at 40%, its cost share has nosedived to a concerning 20%. We discuss why this downward trend calls Mark Zuckerberg's "fully automated" vision into question. Plus, we explore the latest Meta Pixel updates and why Meta wants a feed-less future while Google doubles down on structured data.Key Takeaways:The AI Max Hockey Stick: Do not be fooled by the current low adoption rate of AI Max for Search. Once the legacy DSA campaigns (which currently hold about 15% cost share) are auto-migrated in September, AI Max will become a dominant and highly relevant campaign type overnight.Meta's Automation Problem: Advantage+ adoption is on a multi-quarter decline, dropping to just 20% cost share. Without substantial product improvements, Meta will struggle to achieve the fully automated, hands-off advertising ecosystem it envisioned.The Feed vs. Feed-less Divide: Meta is attempting to offload feed management by using AI to scrape landing page data directly via the Meta Pixel. Conversely, Google relies heavily on detailed data feeds to ground its AI and maintain quality control.Resources & Links:Access all our webinars, reports, and playbooks in our Knowledge Hub: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/knowledge-hub/How is your industry stacking up in the market? Find out with smec's Google Ads Benchmarks:https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/smec-market-observer/ About Smarter Ecommerce (smec):Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control.The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution.As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport.Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan and Chris Scharmueller break down the latest shifts in the battle for AI dominance and the future of online shopping.We analyze the quiet death of OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP). With major tech giants—including ACP co-founder Stripe, as well as Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon—joining Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) Tech Council, we explore what this consensus means for the future of e-commerce standards and why these companies chose to back Google's infrastructure over ChatGPT.We also look at where ChatGPT's outbound traffic is actually going. With 20% of its e-commerce referrals landing on Amazon—and roughly 30% of its overall referrals directing users right back to Google or YouTube—we question the long-term impact on user experience and whether OpenAI is just feeding the monopolies it is trying to disrupt.Plus, we cover Google's rollout of "AI mode" to Chrome users in the US, featuring a new side-by-side browsing experience, and discuss the looming threat of mass arbitration facing Google in the wake of its 2024 antitrust loss.Resources & Links:Access all our webinars, reports, and playbooks in our Knowledge Hub: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/knowledge-hub/How is your industry stacking up in the market? Find out with smec's Google Ads Benchmarks:https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/smec-market-observer/ About Smarter Ecommerce (smec):Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control.The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution.As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport.Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
Business is not a spectator sport…although shouldn't you be curious why THG Nutrition just delivered its strongest start to a year since 2021? THG (aka the company formerly known as The Hut Group) recently updated the public markets by releasing its Q1 2026 trading statement. I'll be utilizing all available publicly disclosed information to obviously update you on the recent performance of THG Nutrition division, which includes the world's largest online sports nutrition brand MyProtein, but also utilize everything as the contextual backdrop for my expanded strategic commentary around global sports nutrition market dynamics and trends. Additionally, due to the THG Ingenuity demerger action occurring at the end of 2024, the up-to-date THG portfolio configuration now would be described as a global, cash generative, health and wellness consumer brands group. During the first quarter of 2026, THG Nutrition revenue was approximately $217 million, which increased 8.8% YoY. THG Nutrition delivered its fifth consecutive quarter of revenue growth. Moreover, momentum was said to be broad-based across categories outside of the core protein range, especially in activewear and creatine. But I'll dive into several strategic decisions impacting MyProtein including its global digital sales channel strategy, offline retail expansion efforts, product licensing strategy, and let's just say A LOT is riding on the success of the MyProtein global rebrand that started its initial staggered market rollout two years ago. Myprotein maintained its leading position as the largest UK sports nutrition brand. THG Nutrition still mainly deploys a global digital-first commerce strategy, with around 80% of its total revenue coming from direct-to-consumer, online marketplaces, and social commerce…but MyProtein has continued to invest in offline retail partnerships where it places a limited (or exclusive) SKU range as part of a bigger demand generation strategy. Although the most highlighted commercial strategy (utilized for offline retail expansion) continues to surround the development of MyProtein products that are sold under licensing arrangements. When done correctly, these types of retail partnerships boost customer touchpoints and broaden brand appeal. Nonetheless, this ambitious level of offline retail expansion globally will undoubtedly help drive a more diversified retail mix over the next few years. Equally, MyProtein continues to lean heavily into international product collaborations. And obviously, while that includes THG Nutrition recently expanding successful dietary supplement categorical examples (like with global confectionary giant Mars Incorporated), I'd rather mention the recent launch of the Myprotein x Champion collaboration, as MP activewear is reportedly continuing to deliver exceptional growth, with annualized run-rate sales fast approaching $140 million. Yet, it's the margin accretive aspect of MP activewear that's maybe most helpful right now, as THG Nutrition attempts to mitigate elevated whey protein input prices.
Jamie Drake describes his aesthetic in a single sentence as "urbane, sophisticated, energetic, visually intriguing, and always has a touch of wit". His professional philosophy is driven by a balance between his creative and entrepreneurial sides, ensuring he remains a "chameleon" who can adapt to changing trends—from the vibrant, saturated colors he was first known for to the more neutral, gray palettes favored by clients in the last decade.Tactically, Jamie designs rooms to include "visual exclamation points". He believes that when entering a space, your eye should immediately land on a strong, bold, or tall piece at the far end. From there, the composition should guide the eye to discover additional interesting elements throughout the room, creating an experiential narrative. He emphasizes that spaces need "room to breathe," and he carefully guides clients in selecting art with composition and balance in mind.This process extends beyond interiors and into product design for furniture, lighting, and carpets. Jamie explains that while product design is simpler in focus—creating a single object—it comes with unique manufacturing limitations and high setup costs compared to interior decoration. Whether he is designing a bathroom faucet for THG or a sprawling oceanfront property, his work is guided by core principles of scale, texture, and program.
Google just quietly won the agentic commerce war — and most ecommerce retailers haven't even noticed. In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan and Chris break down the three UCP (Universal Commerce Protocol) updates Google just shipped, why OpenAI's ACP is already falling behind, and the structural advantages that make Google's lead almost impossible to catch.If you run Performance Max campaigns, sell on Google Shopping, or want to understand where ecommerce is headed in the AI era — this is the episode that connects the dots.Inside this episode:The 3 new UCP capabilities that just went live: cart building, catalog capability, and identity linking — and why "boring" updates matter more than hypeWhy OpenAI's ACP dropped to single-item checkout while Google moved aheadThe Walmart Sparky chatbot inside ChatGPT — the workaround that proves OpenAI's pipeline is brokenHow Google Pay and Google Wallet quietly lock retailers into a walled gardenGoogle's flywheel: how the shopping graph + audience graph + structured knowledge graph data create a moat LLMs can't replicateWhy this time is different from Buy on Google's 2018 failure — and what changed in Google's leverage over retailersWhy pipeline-based agents (UCP) will win over browser-based agents — and how this is really the logical endpoint of headless commerceThe only thing that could realistically stop Google: regulatorsTopics covered: UCP, Universal Commerce Protocol, agentic commerce, Performance Max, PMax, Google Shopping, AI mode, ChatGPT shopping, OpenAI ACP, agentic checkout, Google Pay, Google Wallet, headless commerce, Merchant Center, knowledge graph, shopping graph, Walmart Sparky, AI overviews, conversational attributes.About Smarter Ecommerce (smec):Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control.The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution.As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport.Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
In Episode 491 tauchen die beiden Wirtschaftsjournalisten Dietmar Deffner und Holger Zschäpitz tief in die Welt der Finanzen und persönlichen Prägungen ein – von Lurchis „Kostnix-Comics“ bis hin zu knallharten Marktanalysen. Im Mittelpunkt steht der große Broker-Vergleich: Die beiden Hosts teilen ihre individuellen Erfahrungen mit Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, Smartbroker & Co. Wer bietet die besten Zinsen, wo ist der Kundenservice wirklich „human“ und welcher Anbieter punktet bei Effektenkrediten für mutige Anleger? Außerdem in dieser Folge: Geopolitischer Nervenkrieg: Wie die Lage an der Straße von Hormuz den Ölpreis und die globalen Märkte beeinflusst. Bullen & Bären: Holger präsentiert mit THG eine Aktie mit „Furz-Faktor“ und erklärt das Potenzial hinter dem Nutrition-Trend. Dietmar analysiert den Tencent-Einstieg bei der Super-App Kaspi und warnt beim Fahrdienst Grab vor geopolitischem Gegenwind Staatskritik & Reformstau: Eine deutliche Abrechnung mit dem „Tankrabatt“ und dem ausufernden Sozialhaushalt. Apple im Wandel: Was der Chefwechsel für die Hardware-Strategie des Tech-Riesen bedeutet. Egal ob Basisinvestment oder Zockerdepot – hier erfahrt Ihr, wie Ihr Euer Leben finanziell selbst in die Hand nehmt. DEFFNER & ZSCHÄPITZ sind wie das wahre Leben. Wie Optimist und Pessimist. Im wöchentlichen WELT-Podcast diskutieren und streiten die Journalisten Dietmar Deffner und Holger Zschäpitz über die wichtigen Wirtschaftsthemen des Alltags. Schreiben Sie uns an: wirtschaftspodcast@welt.de Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutzerklärung: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html
In this episode of Growing E-commerce, Mike Ryan and Chris Scharmueller unpack two massive stories highlighting the current realities—and potential delusions—of the tech and retail sectors.First, we discuss the quiet and staggering fall of Allbirds. Once a Silicon Valley staple and D2C darling valued at a massive $4 billion, the sustainable shoe company has reportedly sold for a fraction of that cost. We explore what their trajectory tells us about the overestimation of the D2C model and why the fundamentals of traditional retail still matter.Then, we dive back into the OpenAI ad platform. OpenAI recently released a bullish projection: they expect their ad business to cross $100 billion in revenue by 2030. We take a critical look at the current state of their ad interface—which currently resembles Google Ads from a decade ago—and discuss why hitting that revenue target will require an unprecedented, disruptive evolution of their product.Key Takeaways:The D2C Reality Check: Allbirds' massive devaluation highlights a broader trend: many D2C brands were valued as high-growth tech companies rather than traditional retailers. As market conditions shift, the core competencies of traditional retail—and the value of retail middlemen—are becoming apparent again.OpenAI's Steep Climb: While OpenAI projects a massive $100 billion ad business by 2030, their current platform is rudimentary. It operates on a flight-based approach with a fixed $60 CPM and relies on basic keyword matching, limiting its appeal primarily to large brand advertisers rather than the performance-focused mass market needed for that scale of growth.The Comparability Problem: OpenAI's ad platform will inevitably be compared to highly sophisticated, always-on ecosystems like Google Ads and Meta. To capture significant market share and reach their revenue goals, OpenAI must evolve beyond a basic UI and deliver a product that proves strong incrementality and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).Resources & Links:Access all our webinars, reports, and playbooks in our Knowledge Hub: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/knowledge-hub/How is your industry stacking up in the market? Find out with smec's Google Ads Benchmarks:https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/smec-market-observer/ About Smarter Ecommerce (smec):Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control.The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution.As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport.Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
Is the “Zero-Click” shopping era finally here, and are European retailers ready for a three-way war between Amazon, Temu, and JD.com's Joybuy?In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan and Chris Scharmueller unpack a huge week in e-commerce. First: Meta's new Stripe partnership for in-app checkout. With OpenAI and Google both struggling to make native checkout work, can Meta finally crack the “zero-click” model and keep shoppers fully inside its platform?Then comes the real clash of the titans. JD.com has launched Joybuy in Europe, going straight after Amazon and Temu. We share exclusive Google Ads data showing how aggressively Joybuy is already outranking incumbents. But unlike Temu, Joybuy isn't just burning cash for growth. It's building a sustainable base and investing in local logistics, making it a serious hybrid threat.Finally, Mike shares updated market penetration numbers for Amazon and Temu across Europe. The picture is clear: Amazon dominates wealthy Western European markets, while Temu has seized the Central and Eastern European markets Amazon largely ignored.
Season 7 Episode 28 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Time to Digest" with Tim Braun, Nathan Cima, and Nathaniel Brose who has been covering Michigan Tech under the Yooper Scoop banner this season for Tech Hockey GuideMitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes.
OpenAI is facing a projected $25 billion shortfall, and their attempt to monetize ecommerce is already falling apart.In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan and Chris Scharmüller ask the billion-dollar question: Is the dream of "agentic commerce" already dead on arrival? While the media celebrates OpenAI's early $100 million in ad revenue, the math tells a much darker story. Their projected 2026 burn rate sits between $14 and $25 billion. To survive, they need a massive, highly profitable ad network—but their recent retail experiments are failing the test.We break down why ChatGPT quietly killed off its new "Shopping Research" feature (hint: consumers won't wait minutes for an AI to fetch product recommendations). We also reveal the shocking data from Walmart's early checkout test within ChatGPT, where in-app conversions were three times lower than standard website traffic.If ChatGPT wants to steal budget from Google Ads and Meta, they have to prove they can actually drive profitable sales. Right now, the data suggests users simply aren't ready to let an AI agent do their shopping.Key Takeaways & SEO Insights:The Revenue Reality: Generating $100M in two months is impressive, but with Capital Expenditures (CapEx) skyrocketing to compete with Google and Microsoft, OpenAI's projected losses are staggering. Advertising is their most obvious path to close that gap.Speed vs. Quality in E-commerce: OpenAI shut down its specialized post-trained shopping model because generating deep product analyses took too long. In retail, friction kills adoption.The Conversion Crisis: Early tests with major retailers like Walmart showed that instant checkouts within ChatGPT converted at a rate 3x lower than traditional website traffic. If they can't drive efficiency, advertisers won't shift their budgets.The Scraping Band-Aid: OpenAI's reliance on scraping Google Shopping data for product recommendations shows they are still heavily dependent on their biggest competitor to power their agentic commerce dreams.Resources & Links:Access all our webinars, reports, and playbooks in our Knowledge Hub: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/knowledge-hub/How is your industry stacking up in the market? Find out with smec's Google Ads Benchmarks:https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/smec-market-observer/ About Smarter Ecommerce (smec):Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control.The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution.As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport.Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
Season 7 Episode 27 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "At the Club" with Tim Braun, Nathan Cima, and Nathaniel Brose who has been covering Michigan Tech under the Yooper Scoop banner this season for Tech Hockey GuideMitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 87 minutes.
Ever wonder what the biggest e-commerce brands are discussing behind closed doors? We are opening up the vault.
Is the "clash of the titans" coming for your profit margins, and is Google about to take away your website traffic? In this episode of Growing E-commerce, Mike Ryan and Chris Sharma tackle two massive, existential shifts threatening the traditional online retail playbook.First, we dive into the aggressive European expansion of Chinese e-commerce giants. While JD.com (Joybuy) and SHEIN are making aggressive moves, Temu is completely taking over. We break down the official monthly active user data, revealing that Temu now commands a 40% overall market share in Europe – including a staggering 71.1% market share in Poland and 44% in Germany. Are European retailers simply becoming collateral damage in this war of attrition?Then, we unpack a recently granted Google patent that sounds like a sci-fi nightmare for marketers. The patent outlines a system where Google evaluates your landing page, and if it doesn't meet their qualitative standards, they will generate an AI replacement landing page within the ad ecosystem. We discuss what this means for the loss of your tracking data, zero-click purchases, and the ultimate "PMax-ification" of Google Ads.
Why did OpenAI quietly kill its shopping feature, and what does it mean for the future of Google Ads?
Season 7 Episode 26 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Gold Out" with Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath, Nathan Cima, Matt Cavender, and Alex Micheletti who represents Minnesota State in the CCHA Power Rankings.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 87 minutes.
If you want to know how your peers are actually handling the grind, the Google Ads updates, and the "AI takeover," this episode is a must-watch. We recorded a special edition of Growing Ecommerce live from SMX Munich! Host Mike Ryan is joined by Wijnand Meijer (Co-founder & CEO at TrueClicks) and Frederick Vallaeys (CEO at Optmyzr) to dive deep into the freshly released Global State of PPC 2026 Report.This isn't just another PDF to gather dust in your downloads folder. Driven by the team at TrueClicks and supported by top industry partners, it's an unfiltered reality check for the entire paid search industry. With 1,300+ respondents spilling the tea across 60+ charts and 14,000 words, we unpack the hard insights on agency billing, Performance Max workarounds, and why AI isn't saving us as much time as the tech bros promised.The Complexity Struggle: 53% of practitioners say managing PPC is harder than it was two years ago.Agency Operations: Agencies managing over $1M/month are doing so with 20% fewer people. Yet, 1 in 5 agencies still charge by billable hours (with heavy geographical differences: only 4-12% in the US/AUS vs. 25% in Europe).The PMax Paradox: 48% complain about a lack of granular control, leading to workarounds like standard shopping hybrids (37%) and feed-only builds (17%). Despite this, 65% are satisfied with their PMax results.The AI Elephant in the Room: On average, professionals report saving only 5.2 hours a week using AI. Furthermore, 70% state that quality and accuracy (hallucinations) are their biggest AI hurdles.The Tool Stack: Surprisingly, 62% of respondents don't use paid third-party tools for analysis or optimization, relying entirely on native interfaces and spreadsheets.Resources & Links:Read the full, unfiltered report for free at: www.ppcsurvey.comA massive thank you to Wijnand Meijer and the TrueClicks team for driving this monumental effort.Shoutout to all the fellow partners for making this happen: DataFeedWatch by Cart.com, God Tier Ads, Hero Conf, Optmyzr, Producthero, SMX Advanced Europe, Swydo, TrueClicks, and Smarter E-commerce (smec).Learn more about Smarter E-commerce: smarter-ecommerce.comAbout Smarter Ecommerce (smec):Smarter Ecommerce (smec) empowers e-commerce brands with AI-driven PPC automation that optimizes for profit and business outcomes while maintaining strategic control.The platform activates first-party data - profit margins, customer lifetime value, and key business metrics - to automate campaign optimization toward goals like profitability and efficient growth, while detailed campaign insights provide full transparency and enable PPC teams to focus on strategic oversight rather than manual execution.As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages over €500 million in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport.Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
In this episode of Growing E-commerce, Mike Ryan and Chris from Smarter Ecommerce (smec) tackle the massive news that DSA's time on Earth is limited. With DSA going the way of the dinosaurs, Google is pushing advertisers toward AI Max for Search. But is it actually a worthy replacement?To find out, Mike breaks down the findings from his brand-new 18-page report, The Ultimate Guide to AI Max. After analyzing 1 year of data across more than 600 Google Ads search campaigns, the numbers tell a nuanced story about incrementality versus efficiency.We cover exactly what AI Max is, how it overlaps with PMax and Broad Match, and the real cost of those "incremental" conversions. If you are a heavy DSA user, this is the exact data you need to start planning your migration strategy!
Season 7 Episode 24 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Due Some Justice" with Tim Braun and Nathan Cima joined Harrison Watt.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. This week's extended version was over 73 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 24 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "I'm Wrong A Lot" with Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath, Nathan Cima and Matt Cavender were joined Jared Rubado from the Bemidji Pioneer.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. This week's extended version was over 89 minutes.
Is ROAS a flawed metric for Google Ads? According to acclaimed ecommerce experts Mike Ryan and Christian Scharmüller, using Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) as your primary "North Star" metric creates a dangerous "Revenue Trap." Because ROAS measures revenue rather than actual margin, it creates an "air gap" that ignores the law of diminishing returns, ultimately hurting the profitability of mature Google Ads campaigns.In this episode of Growing eCommerce, the hosts break down how to properly use ROAS as a bidding signal and explore the latest transparency updates to Google's Performance Max (PMax) campaigns.The Problem with ROAS as a Profit Proxy: Many advertisers use ROAS as a stand-in for profit. However, as campaigns scale, incremental returns flatten out. A 600% ROAS does not guarantee your next ad dollar will yield the same profit margin.ROAS is a Communication Vessel, Not Just a Goal: Setting a blanket ROAS target across multiple campaigns is a strategic mistake. ROAS is actually your primary bidding signal and pacing tool to steer Google's algorithms.Dynamic vs. Static Targeting: Advertisers should move away from adjusting ROAS based on "gut feeling" and adopt a scientific, data-driven approach based on specific campaign constraints.Resources & Expert LinksFREE smec Advanced Channel Report Script: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/google-ads-scripts/pmax-channel-insights/About Mike Ryan:Based in Austria and originally from Boston, Mike Ryan is the Head of Ecommerce Insights at Smarter Ecommerce (smec) with over ten years of experience in retail and PPC landscape. With a robust background spanning retail operations, product management, and digital ads, Mike leverages his multidisciplinary expertise to drive data-informed strategies that help online retailers optimize their performance in an increasingly competitive market.About Christian Scharmueller:As a seasoned veteran in the PPC and Ecommerce space, Christian Scharmüller serves as the CCO & Managing Director of Smarter Ecommerce. With over 12 years of experience at the forefront of ad tech, Christian is a sought-after speaker at major industry events, including SMX and OMR, where he shares insights on high-level e-commerce strategy and the future of retail media.About Smarter Ecommerce (smec) Smarter Ecommerce (smec) helps e-commerce brands scale profitably with AI-driven PPC automation—optimizing for business outcomes while keeping strategic control in the hands of marketers. The platform activates first-party data (e.g., margins, CLV, core business metrics) to automate campaign optimization toward profitability and efficient growth, with transparent insights that reduce manual work and free teams for strategic oversight. As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages €500M+ in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients, including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport. Follow smec for performance marketing insights: Website: smarter-ecommerce.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbh Newsletter: smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/ Instagram: instagram.com/smarterecommerce
In this episode of Growing eCommerce, Mike Ryan and Chris debunk three persistent myths that are still holding retailers back in 2026. While everyone is distracted by the hype of UCP and Agentic Commerce, many accounts are bleeding efficiency due to outdated structures like the "Heroes & Zombies" matrix and one-dimensional margin buckets.We break down why these old-school tactics create self-fulfilling prophecies of failure and share what sophisticated retailers are doing instead to balance volume, margin, and the new reality of AI-driven search.In this episode, we cover:The "Zero Click" Wake-Up Call: Why the shift to walled gardens means you need to fix your tactical basics now before the ecosystem changes forever.Myth #1: Heroes & Zombies: Why classifying low-volume products as "zombies" is a logical flaw that starves your potential growth engines. We explain the danger of using historical data to doom new products.Myth #2: Margin Buckets: Why segmenting campaigns by gross margin % (e.g., 0-5%, 5-10%) is dangerous. Mike shares data showing how this ignores conversion volume and pricing strategies, leading to "death by optimization."Myth #3: PMax vs. Standard Shopping: It's no longer an either/or decision. We discuss the rise of hybrid setups and why Standard Shopping is actually gaining cost share again.Key Takeaways:Don't rely on single-dimensional data: Grouping products solely by ROAS or Margin % ignores critical context like seasonality, price competitiveness, and absolute profit.Standard Shopping isn't dead: Even Google is now advocating for hybrid use cases, such as using Standard Shopping for query filtering or specific inventory control.+1The "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy": If you put a new product in a "zombie" campaign with low budget because it has no data, it will never get data. You need a multi-dimensional scoring strategy.About Mike RyanBased in Austria and originally from Boston, Mike Ryan is Head of Ecommerce Insights at Smarter Ecommerce (smec). With 10+ years in retail and PPC, and experience across retail operations, product management, and digital advertising, he helps online retailers turn data into strategies that improve performance in a highly competitive market.About Christian ScharmüllerChristian Scharmüller is CCO & Managing Director at Smarter Ecommerce and a long-time expert in PPC and e-commerce. With 12+ years in ad tech, he's a regular speaker at major industry events such as SMX and OMR, sharing insights on e-commerce strategy and the future of retail media.About Smarter Ecommerce (smec) Smarter Ecommerce (smec) helps e-commerce brands scale profitably with AI-driven PPC automation—optimizing for business outcomes while keeping strategic control in the hands of marketers. The platform activates first-party data (e.g., margins, CLV, core business metrics) to automate campaign optimization toward profitability and efficient growth, with transparent insights that reduce manual work and free teams for strategic oversight. As a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, smec manages €500M+ in ad spend and drives €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue for 350+ global retail clients, including THG, Snipes, REWE, and Intersport. Follow smec for performance marketing insights: Website: smarter-ecommerce.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbh Newsletter: smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/ Instagram: instagram.com/smarterecommerce
Season 7 Bonus Episode 3 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Matriarch (REPLAY)" This week Tim Braun and Rob Gilreath sat down with the matriarch of Michigan Tech Hockey, Jerry MacInnes in her home in Houghton, Michigan to hear her stories of how she met John, how they ended up in Houghton, why she's still there and so many other wonderful stories about Michigan Tech Hockey, the players and the community. This episode was originally recorded in October 2023 and published in December 2023.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group, Livonia Technical Services, and Fiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday and Mike Anleitner's Old Dog in Texas column every Wednesday (you should definitely read this week's column). Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. As always, special thanks to our patron saint Doc McResin for his generous donation to get this thing running, we hope you enjoy. Also, thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comRAW AUDIO: This post is for patrons at the Silver Level ($25/ mo) or above which includes unedited audio and usually drops the night the podcast is recorded or on Sundays.RAW VIDEO: This post is for patrons at the Gold Level ($10/mo) or above which includes unedited video and usually drops the morning after the podcast is record or on Mondays.EXTENDED AUDIO: This post is for patrons at the Black Level ($5/mo) or above which includes extended audio content and usually drops the day before the public podcast on Tuesdays.PUBLIC PODCAST: For additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we canafford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes.
Season 7 Episode 23 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Next Man Up" with Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath and Matt Cavender were joined by current Michigan Tech Assistant Tyler Shelast.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. This week's extended version was over 110 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 22 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Full Matt Cavender" with Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath, Nathan Cima, and Matt Cavender. We talk the second half, winter carnival and preview the LSSU series.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. This week's extended version was over 110 minutes.
UCP (Universal Context Protocol) is a new infrastructure layer aiming to standardize “agentic commerce.” It breaks ecommerce into modular capabilities (“Lego bricks”) so AI agents can negotiate tasks like product discovery, checkout, and payments across platforms.This has become an infrastructure war: Google is pushing UCP as an open-source standard versus OpenAI's ACP (Agentic Commerce Protocol) and Anthropic's MCP (Model Context Protocol). Big retailers such as Walmart and Zalando are already experimenting with UCP right now.In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike Ryan and Christian Scharmüller unpack what “Agentic Commerce” means as AI shifts from generating text to taking actions in online shops—and what that implies for your data feed strategy.In this episode, we cover:• The Rise of UCP: how agents “negotiate” capabilities like discovery and checkout—similar to early standards wars (e.g., electricity).• Adoption Reality Check: will consumers let AI buy their sneakers? Mike forecasts ~10% of UCP-based transactions within 2 years; Chris estimates ~5%.• The Protocol War: how partnerships with giants (Walmart, Zalando) help Google try to win the standard.• New Merchant Responsibilities: to reduce hallucinations, Google plans 10–12 new feeds/attributes, pushing more structured-data work back to retailers.About the hosts:Mike Ryan (Austria; originally Boston) is Head of Ecommerce Insights at Smarter Ecommerce (smec), with 10+ years in retail and PPC.Christian Scharmüller is CCO & Managing Director at smec, a long-time PPC/ecommerce leader and frequent speaker (e.g., SMX, OMR).Smarter Ecommerce (smec) helps e-commerce brands optimize PPC with AI-driven automation focused on profit and business outcomes, leveraging first-party data like margins and LTV.Follow smec for more performance marketing insights:LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbhSubscribe for more actionable eCommerce insights!#eCommerce #GoogleAds #UCP #AgenticCommerce #AI #DigitalMarketing #RetailTrends #GoogleMerchantCentersmec is a Google Premier Partner and three-time Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year, managing €500M+ in ad spend and driving €5B+ in annual e-commerce revenue across 350+ global retail clients (incl. THG, Snipes, REWE, Intersport).More:Website: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.comNewsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/Why it matters: if agents become the new storefront, whoever sets the protocol shapes access to customers, data standards, and product visibility—so feed quality and structured attributes really matter.About smec (Smarter Ecommerce): At smec - Smarter Ecommerce, we specialize in transforming business goals into optimized ad campaigns. With over 16 years of experience in Google & Microsoft Ads, our intelligent software and expert services help retailers achieve superior results. We're committed to giving you the tools and insights needed to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of digital advertising. Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights: smec - Smarter Ecommerce: https://www.smarter-ecommerce.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/smarter-ecommerce-gmbh Newsletter: https://smarter-ecommerce.com/en/newsletter/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarterecommerce/
Season 7 Episode 21 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Angry Beavers" with Tim Braun, Matt Cavender and Trent Singer from Sioux Falls Live and the CCHA Reporters Corner.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. This week's extended version was over 111 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 20 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Between the Mountains" with Tim Braun, Matt Cavender joined by former husky and current HIFK player, Tristan Ashbrook and Perry Laskaris who was essentially SID for the US College Selects team at the Spengler Cup.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. This week's extended version was over 84minutes.
Season 7 Episode 19 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Full Court Press" with Tim Braun and Matt Cavender.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. This week's extended version was over 84 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 18 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Paul Let's Talk" with Tim Braun, Matt Cavender and former Minnesota Golden Gopher Paul Martin as we discuss Paul's career, mental health and his Shine a Ligh7 Foundation.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. This week's extended version was over 76 minutes.
If you focus on what you can do, what you cannot do will diminish in size. As THG CEO Matthew Moulding recently stated, “we can't control commodities or currencies.” After more than a decade of marketplace stability, MyProtein faced a “Great Shutdown” era spike in whey input costs and the Japanese Yen collapse (impacting its second largest market). And these two external factors almost entirely wiped-out profitability delivered by MyProtein in 2019 (which would be the last annual results prior to THG IPO'ing in September 2020). But THG must stay focused on what it can control like continuing to diversify territories, sales channels, and product category mix to reflect the record global consumer demand for protein…along with making deliberate trading decisions to protect margins and retain market share while whey commodity prices remain elevated. THG (aka the company formerly known as The Hut Group) recently updated the public markets by releasing its 2025 Q4 trading statement. I'll be utilizing that financial information, along with notes I took listening to the earnings conference call, and any relevant publicly disclosed information to obviously update you on the recent performance of THG Nutrition division, which includes the world's largest online sports nutrition brand MyProtein, but also utilize everything as the contextual backdrop for my expanded strategic commentary around global sports nutrition market dynamics and trends. Additionally, for those unfamiliar with the up-to-date THG portfolio configuration…due to the THG Ingenuity demerger action occurring at the end of 2024, it now would be described as a global, cash generative, health and wellness consumer brands group. During the fourth quarter of 2025, THG Nutrition revenue was approximately $211 million, which increased 8.5% YoY. Also, THG Nutrition reported generating full-year 2025 revenue of approximately $816 million, which increased 6.2% YoY. THG Nutrition delivered its fourth consecutive quarter of revenue growth, driven by average selling prices recovering to pre-rebrand levels. Moreover, momentum was said to be broad-based across categories outside of the core protein range, especially in activewear and creatine. But I'll dive into several strategic decisions impacting MyProtein including its global digital sales channel strategy, offline retail expansion efforts, product licensing strategy, and let's just say A LOT is riding on the success of the MyProtein global rebrand that started its initial staggered market rollout two years ago. Myprotein maintained its leading position (holding a 25% share of the UK online sports nutrition market). THG Nutrition still mainly deploys a global digital-first commerce strategy, with around 80% of its total revenue in the full-year of 2025 coming from direct-to-consumer, online marketplaces, and social commerce…but MyProtein has continued to invest in offline retail partnerships where it places a limited (or exclusive) SKU range as part of a bigger demand generation strategy. Nonetheless, this ambitious level of offline retail expansion globally will undoubtedly help drive a more diversified retail mix over the next few years.
Season 7 Episode 17 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Burn the Tape" with Tim Braun, Nathan Cima, and Jared Rubado.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 71 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 16 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Burn the Tape" with Tim Braun, Nathan Cima, Rob Gilreath, and Jack Hittinger. Check out Jack's article on CHL to CCHA movement.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 71 minutes.
Chris and Britt respond to the final batch of SOTR listener questions! They discuss what SOTR and BoSaS Easter eggs they'd put in a remake of THG films and what their personal headcanons are on for Lucy Gray, Magno, Drusilla, and beyond. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! If you really enjoy our content, become one of our amazing patrons to get more of it for just $1 per month here: https://www.patreon.com/geekbetweenthelines Every dollar helps keep the podcast going! You can also buy us a ko-fi for one-time support here: https://ko-fi.com/geekbetweenthelines Please follow us on social media, too: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/geekbetweenthelines Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/geekbetweenthelines Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/geekbetweenthelines Twitter : https://twitter.com/geekbetween Website: https://geekbetweenthelines.wixsite.com/podcast Logo artist: https://www.lacelit.com
Natalia Chappell is the founder of Natalia Chappell & Co, a UK-based consultancy helping luxury and lifestyle brands scale sustainably. Previously, she led marketing for THG's luxury division, working with brands like Coach and Ralph Lauren across price points from hundreds to thousands of pounds.In this episode of DTC Pod, Natalia breaks down what it really takes for US brands to win in the UK—and why so many get it wrong. She shares the full-funnel mistakes she sees premium brands make over and over, why some household US names thrived in Britain while others quietly retreated, and what's actually driving results on Meta right now. She also gets into how to connect with younger consumers who think differently about spending, and why the old playbook of polished content isn't cutting it anymore. Plus, her journey from corporate marketing leader to female founder, and what she wishes more people understood about building a business as a woman.Episode brought to you by StordInteract with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack.On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:1. Lessons from high-growth UK e-commerce brands 2. Creating sustainable, holistic marketing strategies3. Using data and analytics to drive channel mix decisions4. Optimizing for paid and organic synergy5. Landing page and website audit best practices6. UGC, influencer, and creator partnership frameworks7. Onboarding and managing creators for conversion and brand fit8. Navigating UK logistics, customs, and local expectations9. How to adapt brand voice and content for UK consumer10. UK cultural moments and how to plan campaigns around them11. Success stories (Drunk Elephant, Ralph Lauren, Coach) and why some US brands flop12. Digital-first approaches to brand building13. Upcoming trends—partnership ads, authentic content, and Gen Z consumers14. Supporting and growing as a female founder in e-commerceTimestamps00:00 Introduction to DTC POD and episode with Natalia Chappell01:18 Natalia's background: fashion, digital marketing, luxury brand experience03:26 Lessons learned building luxury and beauty e-commerce teams05:16 Becoming a female founder and launching Natalia Chappell & Co07:22 The type and scale of brands Natalia's agency works with09:07 Optimizing paid-to-organic mix for sustainable growth12:12 Data, analytics, and the importance of first-party data integrity13:33 Why understanding inventory and offer depth matters before scaling ads16:26 Building a marketing flywheel that feeds itself18:50 Audience segmentation, CRM, and conversion optimization20:08 Attribution modeling and keeping data integrations clean22:29 Organic growth: auditing website, SEO, landing pages, and reviews24:03 Content strategy: authentic UGC, influencers, and the UK market26:58 Equipping creators for conversion, not just reach29:25 Structuring affiliate and creator programs, commissioning vs. flat fees33:01 Logistics: Warehousing, customs, and UK delivery expectations36:54 Adapting voice, copy, and calendar to resonate in the UK38:34 Brand case studies: Drunk Elephant, Coach, Ralph Lauren41:09 Why some US brands struggle in the UK (Forever 21, etc.)44:21 Trends to watch: partnership ads, content authenticity, Gen Z targeting47:25 Where to find and connect with Natalia ChappellShow notes powered by CastmagicPast guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more. Additional episodes you might like:• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook• #243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here.Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internetOlivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplementCastmagic - AI Workspace for ContentFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTokNatalia Chappell - Founder of Natalia Chappell & Co.Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of CastmagicRamon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Season 7 Episode 12 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "The Game within the Game" with Tim Braun, Nathan Cima, Matt Cavender, and Michigan Tech Assistant Coach, LJ Scarpace.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 85 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 11 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Wonderfully Ugly Mascot" with Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath, Matt Cavender, and CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 69 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 10 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Drawing the Short Stick" with Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath, Matt Cavender, and Alex Micheletti who represents Minnesota State in the CCHA Power Rankings.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 59 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 9 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "That's My Job" with Tim BraunRob Gilreath, Matt Cavender, and Jared Rubado from the Bemidji Pioneer and co-host of the Reporters Corner on the CCHA Show.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 107 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 8 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "That's My Job" with Rob Gilreath, Nathan Cima, Matt Cavender, and the CCHA Director of Officials, Marco Hunt.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 68 minutes.
Season 7 Episode 7 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide, "Left Shark" with Tim Braun, Rob Gilreath, and Matt Cavender.Mitch's Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we'll read your review on the podcast and thanks to all our sponsors, Arcadia Insurance Group,Livonia Technical Services,PsychoBobTB andFiebke Dental in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod and you can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review which will help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites series previews every Friday. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles on Tuesdays. Thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today's episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.comFor additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week's extended version was over 57 minutes.