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Sean Frank, Mike Beckham, Matt Bertulli, and Jason Panzer

Operators

A Entrepreneurship and Business podcast

#67 in Entrepreneurship · 🇺🇸 #108 in Entrepreneurship · 🇲🇽
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About the show

In the world of ecommerce, a legendary text group is rumored to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures in revenue to gain entry. The world’s biggest brands have denied its existence for years, until now. Four titans known as the “Operators” are leaking the secret contents in an effort to share its wealth of knowledge with people like you. Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) & Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case x Lomi).

Newest episodes

Every DTC Brand Needs a Media Machine. Here’s How to Build Yours!

1 hr 9 min

“We need to think of ourselves as a media company.”  What does it take to turn an ecommerce brand into a content engine?  Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), Katy Mimari (CEO, Caden Lane), and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) show why paid ads only rent attention, and how owning your content builds a brand customers line up for.  HexClad films three times a week, and Caden Lane just turned the cameras on its own staff. Portland Leather Goods credits its fan group with $50M to $80M a year. None of it pencils out in days, but the brands that commit build what no competitor can copy.  Powered By  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://9ops.co/northbeam  Saras Analytics  https://9ops.co/saras  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Without This Number, Your DTC Brand Is Running on Hope

1 hr 23 min

“You’re going to set some money on fire before you ever get to flip these cards over.”  How much can you spend on a customer when the first order loses money?  Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) walks Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty) and Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal) through the profit model behind consumable brands, using Trevi’s retention data. He measures every customer three ways.  1. Lifetime Value: Profit per customer over 6 months 2. Net LTV: LTV minus what you paid to acquire them 3. Nominal LTV: Net LTV times customers acquired  Winks just pushed its CAC under $100. Mike shows why few brands earn $100 back from a customer in six months. Then the hosts split on forcing subscriptions, and Mike warns that longer paybacks have bankrupted brands.  Powered By  Runneth  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Omnisend  https://9ops.co/omnisend  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  TBAR Partners  https://9ops.co/tbarpartners  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/

How Cuts Hit $60M, Nearly Went Bankrupt & Came Back Stronger

1 hr 26 min

Why lower AOV and a disciplined P&L saved this brand from the brink. Steven Borrelli (Founder & CEO, Cuts), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) unpack how Cuts reached $60M without outside money, then nearly went under when tariffs hit 145%. Steven walks through the layoffs, the first raise, and the comeback that followed.  Selling 50K joggers sight unseen gave Cuts confidence it hadn’t earned. Steven explains how a lower AOV cut customer acquisition costs by 65%. Now Cuts is betting on elevated menswear priced below luxury labels, where winning products draw copycats.  Powered By  AppLovin  https://9ops.co/applovin  https://9ops.co/applovin-paid-growth  Alia  https://9ops.co/alia  Walmart  https://9ops.co/walmart  AfterShip  https://9ops.co/AfterShip 

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All episodes

The newest 50 of 234 episodes

Every DTC Brand Needs a Media Machine. Here’s How to Build Yours!

1 hr 9 min

“We need to think of ourselves as a media company.”  What does it take to turn an ecommerce brand into a content engine?  Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), Katy Mimari (CEO, Caden Lane), and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) show why paid ads only rent attention, and how owning your content builds a brand customers line up for.  HexClad films three times a week, and Caden Lane just turned the cameras on its own staff. Portland Leather Goods credits its fan group with $50M to $80M a year. None of it pencils out in days, but the brands that commit build what no competitor can copy.  Powered By  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://9ops.co/northbeam  Saras Analytics  https://9ops.co/saras  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Without This Number, Your DTC Brand Is Running on Hope

1 hr 23 min

“You’re going to set some money on fire before you ever get to flip these cards over.”  How much can you spend on a customer when the first order loses money?  Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) walks Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty) and Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal) through the profit model behind consumable brands, using Trevi’s retention data. He measures every customer three ways.  1. Lifetime Value: Profit per customer over 6 months 2. Net LTV: LTV minus what you paid to acquire them 3. Nominal LTV: Net LTV times customers acquired  Winks just pushed its CAC under $100. Mike shows why few brands earn $100 back from a customer in six months. Then the hosts split on forcing subscriptions, and Mike warns that longer paybacks have bankrupted brands.  Powered By  Runneth  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Omnisend  https://9ops.co/omnisend  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  TBAR Partners  https://9ops.co/tbarpartners  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/

How Cuts Hit $60M, Nearly Went Bankrupt & Came Back Stronger

1 hr 26 min

Why lower AOV and a disciplined P&L saved this brand from the brink. Steven Borrelli (Founder & CEO, Cuts), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) unpack how Cuts reached $60M without outside money, then nearly went under when tariffs hit 145%. Steven walks through the layoffs, the first raise, and the comeback that followed.  Selling 50K joggers sight unseen gave Cuts confidence it hadn’t earned. Steven explains how a lower AOV cut customer acquisition costs by 65%. Now Cuts is betting on elevated menswear priced below luxury labels, where winning products draw copycats.  Powered By  AppLovin  https://9ops.co/applovin  https://9ops.co/applovin-paid-growth  Alia  https://9ops.co/alia  Walmart  https://9ops.co/walmart  AfterShip  https://9ops.co/AfterShip 

5 Hard Questions for Building a Company Culture That Lasts

1 hr 7 min

How do you create a company culture that’s a competitive advantage?Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) build culture through deliberate choices, while most brands leave it to chance. They work through it in five hard questions:  1. Who should you let go?  2. How close should you get?  3. What won’t you tolerate?  4. Why are values a “trade”?  5. Where do leaders go next?  Matt has hired and fired hundreds, and no two exits looked alike. Mike surveyed his entire team, and 80% praised the same quality in him: transparency. As AI takes over the busywork, trust becomes the real advantage.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://9ops.co/northbeam  Saras Analytics  https://9ops.co/saras  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

6 CPG Funnels: How We Study Ads, Landers & Offers

1 hr 7 min

“It’s very easy to scrape an ad library, pull out concepts and then literally just duplicate the ad. That’s just a race to the bottom.”  How do you learn from other brands without copying them?  Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty) share their screens to walk through six consumables brands they’re learning from while building Winks. Each picked three, plus one bonus from outside DTC.  1. Nutrition Geeks: UK single-ingredient  2. Norse Organics: Natural acne care  3. Elavate: UK collagen for women  4. MarsMen: Testosterone support  5. Spoiled Child: Oddity’s brand  6. Boostcous: Gluten-free couscous  (Bonus) Wispr Flow: AI voice app  Matt and Cody trace each brand’s ads, landers and offers, including why long pages still convert. Some brands force subscriptions, others offer a choice, and a few lead with one-time bundles. Meanwhile, Winks is testing a no-subscription bundle of its own.  Powered By  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  TBAR Partners  https://9ops.co/tbarpartners  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Motion  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Omnisend  https://9ops.co/omnisend  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Amazon Playbook: 5 Things DTC Brands Must Get Right to Scale Profitably

1 hr 13 min

“If you don’t sell on Amazon, somebody else is gonna sell it.”  When should a DTC brand stop treating Amazon as an afterthought?  Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), and Katy Mimari (CEO, Caden Lane) break down the five things DTC brands must get right to scale on Amazon.  1. Always stay in stock 2. Executive ownership 3. Tailor your catalog 4. Protect your reviews 5. Pricing and promotion Amazon drives over half of Simple Modern’s contribution profit, yet Matt and Katy admit neglecting it. Mike’s fix covers five fronts: inventory, ownership, catalog, reviews, and pricing. Even HexClad is still learning, after underinvesting cost it millions this year.  Powered By  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://9ops.co/northbeam  Saras Analytics  https://9ops.co/saras  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Inside a New DTC Brand’s Ad Engine, Run in 6 Steps: Operators Build (E10)

1 hr 7 min

“Creative supply chain is the essential ingredient of demand.”  Get all the resources from this episode: https://9ops.co/abchwj ★ 6-step framework ★ Brief template ★ Hook training guide Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road) launched Winks with more ads than lessons. Now they walk through the six steps every ad faces, starting with the message.  1. Message  2. Source  3. Media Formats  4. Creative Approach  5. Funnel Role  6. Production Checks  More ads went live, but Cody still didn’t know what was working. The fix is research by hand, down to an Instagram feed trained to think like the buyer. With AI editing and uploading their ads, taste is the job left for people.  Powered By  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Runneth  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Omnisend  https://9ops.co/omnisend  Iris  https://9ops.co/iris  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/

How Hulken Hit $50M Without Raising: Founder Alex Schinasi

1 hr 23 min

“We didn’t actually choose them. They chose us.” Can a bootstrapped brand enter Target and Costco while still growing DTC?  Alex Schinasi (Co-Founder & President, Hulken) joins Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) to unpack how a two-time SaaS founder built a ~$50M rolling tote brand without raising money.  She had raised $3M for a new SaaS when Hulken hit $1M a month. A year later she exited the startup, and now nine people run the business with AI chiefs of staff. She wants a brand that lasts decades, yet she still moves at software speed.  Powered By  Walmart  https://marketplace.walmart.com/operators  Alia  https://hubs.la/Q04zdpBQ0  AfterShip  https://9ops.co/AfterShip  Podqi  https://9ops.co/7zz1ux AppLovin  https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth  https://applovin.com/9operators 

5 Things Every CMO Wishes CEOs Knew But Will Never Say to Your Face

1 hr 14 min

“Some businesses aren’t ready for great CMOs.”  What do CMOs need from their CEOs but never say out loud?  MacCoy Merkley (CMO, Portland Leather Goods), Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) unpack 5 truths CMOs won’t say to the boss’s face, and what CEOs lose by ignoring them.  MacCoy took a $13K-a-year job off Craigslist and now leads marketing at a nearly $250M brand. HexClad still has no CMO, so Jason and its co-founders carry the role themselves. Hand the keys to the wrong hire, and the blame lands long before the results do.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://9ops.co/northbeam  Saras Analytics  https://9ops.co/saras  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell  ⁠https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

10 Elements of a Winning Offer & How to Test Them: Operators Build (E9)

1 hr 35 min

“A great offer makes the customer feel stupid for saying no.”  How do you know your offer is wrong before the market tells you?  Jordan Menard (Co-Founder, Instant Hydration) and Lina Fahizul (Chief Ovary Officer, Freelance) join this episode to put Winks’ pricing, promotion, and pitch on trial. The payoff is a 10-element offer playbook any DTC brand can steal.  1. Not just price or discounts  2. Fits how the product is used  3. One customer + one problem  4. Adds value before discounts  5. Tackles your top objections  6. Gives a reason to buy “now”  7. Priced right for your market  8. Your most-valuable customer  9. Built for orders 2, 3, 4, etc.  10. Profitable unit economics   It starts from a simple claim: Your discount gives away margin once. Jordan catches the founders without an answer for the CAC they can afford. Lina shows why making moms feel bad wins the click and loses the customer. Today's “winning” offer could lose money for months.  Powered By  Iris  https://www.irisfinance.co/operators  Omnisend  https://9ops.co/omnisend  OuterSignal  https://9ops.co/outersignal  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Runneth  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

How to Position Your Brand & Products: 5 Ways to Win Against “Better”

1 hr 6 min

“Better is probably the worst word you could use in marketing.”  How can a DTC brand stand out in a category full of identical promises?  Matt Orlić (Co-Founder, Qure Skincare) joins Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) and Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) to break down why brand positioning beats a better product. Each story shows how a brand can win a crowded category without inventing anything new.  Qure’s water filters beat Jolie’s on technology and patents, yet Orlić can’t out-position them. Mike explains how Yeti took Thermos’s 1800s vacuum insulation and sold it for cold drinks. Once a position works, competitors move in, and the founders debate how to hold it.  Powered By  Saras Analytics  https://9ops.co/saras  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Northbeam  https://9ops.co/northbeam  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Our Ecommerce Marketing Strategy vs. Real Data: Operators Build (E8)

56 min

“We know how to run ads. This is a playbook.”  How should you market a new DTC brand in its first six weeks?  Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty), and Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal) hold the Winks marketing plan up against the results since launch.  They built the brand for moms, yet men keep showing up to buy. Meta CPMs hit $800 until a free account fix and a smaller budget turned them around. Now creators and credible doctors have to bring CAC down to $100 before they scale.  Powered By  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Omnisend  https://9ops.co/omnisend  OuterSignal  https://9ops.co/outersignal  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Runneth  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Away’s CEO & New DTC Playbook: Amazon, TikTok Shop, and 300% Over Plan

1 hr 29 min

“It’s about closing the imagination gap, not what it can do.”  Jessica Schinazi (CEO, Away) joins Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) to break down how she took the reins of a decade-old DTC pioneer and opened it to new channels in 18 months.  Away builds luggage to last 7 to 10 years, which Jessica calls a horrible business model. She chases new buyers: Up to 9% of her Amazon category and a $400 suitcase sold out on TikTok Shop. Now she has to bring each customer home before a day-one startup steals them.  Powered by  Podqi  https://9ops.co/podqi  AppLovin  https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth  https://applovin.com/9operators  Shoplift  https://shoplift.ai/operators  Shiphero  https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans 

He Grew 4X as a Solo Founder. Now TJ Bongiorno (Outgoing Co) Has to Learn to Say No!

1 hr 0 min

“You can have anything you want, but you can’t have it all at once.”  Should you raise money when your only problem is working capital?  Help an Operator Out (HAOO) is a series where real business owners join the podcast with live questions. In this episode, TJ Bongiorno (Founder, The Outgoing Co) brings two questions: when to raise capital and how to price the round. As a solo founder, he 4X’d the business to nearly $4M in a year.  Nearly 90% of TJ’s revenue comes from powder, yet his cans perform 100X better on TikTok Shop. The hosts push him to choose which product leads his pitch. Matt makes the case for a price where investors win easily. Caught between seed funds and VCs, TJ needs a deal the right investors will take.  Powered By  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Northbeam  https://9ops.co/northbeam  Saras Analytics  https://9ops.co/saras  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Every AI Tool We’re Using & 4 Pillars to Guide You: Operators Build (E7)

1 hr 0 min

“They’re the most capable ever, but not trained on your business.” What pillars should every AI-first brand build, and which one comes first?  Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty) open up the playbook behind Winks, a brand where AI does the grunt work and humans make the calls. Piece by piece, they break down the four components that make that split work.  1. Company brain: Context, memory, skills  2. Operating system (OS): Human interface  3. Software and tools: Existing tech, SaaS  4. Agents: Researcher, writer, analyst, etc.  The era of “prompt engineering” is over. Company context lets agents upload ads and match landing pages without being told twice. Yet AI tools still misread research, which leaves one question: How much can you trust them?  Powered By  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Runneth  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Omnisend  https://9ops.co/omnisend  TBAR Partners  https://9ops.co/tbarpartners  OuterSignal  https://9ops.co/outersignal  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

How to Create Buying Moments: Give People a Reason to Buy All Year

53 min

“You’re never gonna make a big impact on Black Friday.” Should you worry if frequent promotions will hurt your brand equity? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) break down how Ridge manufactures demand instead of waiting for it. A slow summer becomes an 8-figure-plus sales season, anchored by a Lamborghini sweepstakes with Tony Hawk.  Sean walks through how the campaign evolved from a $100K MVP into a five year, celebrity backed giveaway with a grand prize built in. He explains why a 45-day window beats trying to own a single day like Black Friday. The hosts continue to cover why a wider product catalog creates more natural sales peaks throughout the year.  Powered By  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Saras Analytics https://9ops.co/saras Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/

Ecommerce Subscription Playbook & Benchmarks: Operators Build (E6)

1 hr 23 min

“You almost feel stupid buying the product as a one-time customer.” Why do some subscription brands retain customers and stack LTV while others lose them? Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela & Lomi) and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road) sit down with Aidan Thibodeaux (CEO, Skio) and Bernard Meyer (AI Operations Manager, Omnisend) to ask the questions every subscription brand needs answered. Aidan argues that the offer matters more than anything else. He pushes quarterly plans and free gifts over discounts. Discounts train customers to wait for deals. He sets targets of 65% or higher for subscription take rate, 80–90% retention into the second order, and 35% at six months. Bernard lays out the post-purchase basics, including a welcome email that sets expectations and check-ins after delivery. The group also debates when to ask for reviews, roasts Winks’ current buy box, then closes with quick skip buttons, subject line tests, and win back emails built on cancel flow data. The question every subscription company needs to answer: What exactly are you promising a subscriber with recurring orders? Powered By  OuterSignal https://9ops.co/outersignal Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel Runneth  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Omnisend  https://9ops.co/omnisend TBAR Partners https://9ops.co/tbarpartners Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/

How First Day’s Founder Alice Li Built a 9-Figure Kids Vitamins Brand From One SKU

1 hr 22 min

How did First Day raise $1M and then build a 9-figure brand? Alice Li (Founder & CEO, First Day) joins Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Jason Panzer (President, HexClad) to unpack how she has sold over half a billion gummies and built a family wellness empire around kids’ vitamins. After years of turning down retailers, First Day launched nationwide and became the number one kids vitamin in the country. Powered By  Podqi  https://9ops.co/podqi  AppLovin https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth  https://applovin.com/9operators  Shoplift  https://shoplift.ai/operators  Shiphero  https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans  SARAL  ⁠https://www.getsaral.com/special-guided-walkthrough-for-operators⁠ 

30+ Black Friday Tips to Win the Holidays Like a 9-Figure Ecommerce Brand

52 min

“The best Black Friday offers don’t just increase orders, they increase AOV.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case x Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) share the Black Friday & Cyber Monday tips they rely on every year. Every tactic comes from hard-won experience over decades of combined holiday wins and losses. They break down why every Black Friday deal needs a backup, sometimes even a worse one, ready to launch. Mike explains why spotlight bias makes old creative beat anything new. Matt shares the upsell that added a million dollars. Small moves like these are what separate a good quarter from a record one.  Powered By  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Saras Analytics  https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/

Why the Hardest Part Starts After Launch: Operators Build (E5)

1 hr 24 min

“The amount of effort that we put in to start does not have any meaningful correlation with the success at the end.”  When you get delayed and deprioritized by your co-manufacturer, your timeline slips by almost a year, and you still have zero sales, what do you have to show for 18 months of work?  Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela & Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal), and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road) reunite one month from launch to close the loop on everything that went wrong.  Physical product is in hand. Five thousand units for their very first purchase order. Now, the hard part.  Sean raises the question nobody wants to answer: is powder still the right format in 2026? Mike does the math on what 14,000 families means for a nine-figure exit. Cody challenges the team to hit $200 CAC in month one. Then drop it to $100.  Powered by  TBAR Partners  ⁠https://9ops.co/tbarpartners⁠  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-build Skio  ⁠https://9ops.co/skio-9operators⁠  Runneth  ⁠https://9ops.co/motion-runneth⁠  Omnisend  ⁠https://9ops.co/omnisend⁠  Richpanel  ⁠https://9ops.co/richpanel⁠  Operators Portal  ⁠https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard⁠  Operators Newsletter  ⁠https://9operators.com/⁠ 

Learning From Failure: 3 $100M+ Operators & Their Darkest Moments

1 hr 3 min

“We were not going to make payroll next week.”  How did three ecommerce CEOs turn rock bottom into their biggest lesson?  Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) each share the darkest moment of their ecommerce careers. What came after built the self-awareness that changed how they lead.  Curtis walks through the week Wells Fargo pulled a $20M line of credit after Silicon Valley Bank collapsed. Matt breaks down the hubris that nearly cost him payroll one Christmas. Mike shares the night a two-year venture fell apart. Their comebacks outweighed the crises, driven by a growth mindset none of them had before.  Powered By  Saras Analytics  ⁠https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv⁠  Postscript  ⁠https://9ops.co/postscript⁠  Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Fulfil  ⁠https://9ops.co/fulfil⁠  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Black Friday Resources https://www.9operators.com/black-friday Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

How to Design Packaging for Ecommerce Brands: Operators Build (E4)

1 hr 29 min

“They have just shown how packaging can be so much of a differentiator.”  What does a professional DTC packaging design process look like in practice?  Chris Ganz (Senior Creative Director, Trevi) sits down with the Winks team to tackle one of packaging’s hardest problems: standing out on a crowded shelf. The group debates naming, mascots, and color palettes before testing real designs on real families.  Chris opens with a full competitor audit, sizing up Ollie, Vicks, and Beam. Three distinct concepts turn into five packaging directions, each with its own typography and color story. The team weighs a winking semicolon against a plush sleep monster, and one child’s smile carries real weight.  Powered By  Iris  https://www.irisfinance.co/operators  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Omnisend  https://www.omnisend.com/9operators  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Runneth  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-build Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Honeylove’s Betsie Larkin & Igor Lebovic: Building a $200M Company Together

1 hr 28 min

What does it take for a married couple to build a $200 million brand together?  Betsie Larkin (Founder & CEO, Honeylove) and Igor Lebovic (Co-CEO, Honeylove) sit down with Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Jason Panzer (President, HexClad). The conversation traces an accidental idea, the crowdfunding math, and the founder instincts that shaped every expansion.  Kickstarter only entered the DTC playbook after Betsie proved product market fit on tour. The brand’s sculpting body shapers and tummy control styles kept expanding the line. Betsie explains why a Kardashian-backed competitor helped the category instead of hurting it. Matt and Jason press on the mechanics of running a business with your spouse.  Powered By  Shoplift  https://shoplift.ai/operators  Shiphero  https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans  SARAL  ⁠https://www.getsaral.com/special-guided-walkthrough-for-operators⁠ AppLovin https://applovin.com/9operators⁠  https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth 

Ecommerce Therapy: 3 Nine-Figure Operators on Focus & Passion

55 min

“I’ve always hated it. This year I made the decision to shut it down.” Can three nine-figure CEOs open up about their priorities, passions, and doubts? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) sit down for an honest conversation about the pressure of scaling ecommerce brands. They cover decision making, staying passionate, and the whiplash of growing fast.  Mike explains why organizations drift toward safe tasks instead of high impact work. Sean recalls shutting down a profitable business line while questioning his passion. Matt contrasts the rhythm of running a bigger company with the grind of building Winks from zero. Same stage of success, but three completely different struggles.  Powered By  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics  https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv   Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Fulfil  ⁠https://9ops.co/fulfil⁠  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Starting & Formulating a Supplement Company: Operators Build (E3)

57 min

What separates a real supplement company from just a good idea?  Dr. Todd A. Born (Chief Science Officer, 4POTENTIA) pulls back the curtain on how to enter the supplement industry, showing the Winks team what product development, private label, contract manufacturers, and regulatory compliance (FDA) look like in practice.  More than a deep dive into custom formulation, hosts Sean Frank, Matt Bertulli, Mike Beckham, and Curtis Christopherson show you how to apply good manufacturing practices to everything from marketing strategies in health and wellness to minimum order quantities (MOQs) to protect profit margin. Powered By  Aftersell  ⁠https://9ops.co/aftersell-build⁠ Iris  https://www.irisfinance.co/operators  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Omnisend  https://www.omnisend.com/9operators  Richpanel  https://www.richpanel.com/demo?utm_source=operators&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rp2-2026q3  Motion  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

12 Lessons These Ecommerce Founders Wish They’d Learned Sooner

1 hr 0 min

What are the secrets to winning in ecommerce that nobody talks about? Matthew Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) reveal 12 lessons for anyone building a brand from the ground up. This is what they’d tell their younger selves if they ever got one more shot.  Secrets like why it takes a decade for your brand to earn its name and how walking away from weak products makes grit pay off. After that, cash gets a hard look because even strong margins can still starve your reserves. Also included are quick hits like customer obsession, copying your first product, hiring slow, and firing fast. Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Saras Analytics  https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com 

How to Create a Product From Prototype to Launch: Operators Build (E2)

46 min

What does a real product development process look like when 9-figure operators are betting their own money?  Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), and Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal) sit down mid-build on Winks, a family sleep supplement, to make product decisions. Go behind the scenes on flavor count, purchase order size, pricing, sourcing, and the supply chain mistake from Trevi that cost hundreds of thousands to fix.  This is an actual founder meeting. Recorded, unedited, and real money at stake.  Mike breaks down the MOQ math behind every multi-SKU decision. Sean argues for the smallest possible capital bet. Curtis brings the manufacturer’s-eye view. It ends with one flavor, $75K inventory budget, and a purchase order due in two weeks.  If you’re figuring out how to launch a new product from scratch, this episode was made for you.  Powered By  SARAL  https://www.getsaral.com/special-guided-walkthrough-for-operators  Shoplift  https://shoplift.ai/operators  Omnisend  https://www.omnisend.com/9operators  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Motion  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

eBay Resellers to 14M Pairs of Underwear: Shinesty’s Co-Founders

1 hr 36 min

How did two guys flipping “junk” build a brand that’s sold 14M pairs of underwear?  Jens Nicolaysen and Chris White (Co-Founders, Shinesty) join Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela & Lomi) and Katy Mimiari (CEO, Caden Lane) to unpack how their eBay account grew into Shinesty. The secret isn’t strategy. It’s personality.  They trace the jump from estate sales to beloved online retailer. One midnight email changed everything overnight. Fart blocking underwear and deviled egg prints became fan favorites. It’s proof that irreverent marketing keeps ecommerce customers opening every message.  Shiphero  https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans  Shoplift  ⁠https://shoplift.ai/operators⁠  SARAL  https://www.getsaral.com/special-guided-walkthrough-for-operators  Richpanel  ⁠https://9ops.co/richpanel⁠  AppLovin https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth  https://applovin.com/9operators

10 Best AI Use Cases for Ecommerce in 2026: Ranked by CEOs

1 hr 5 min

Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) rank the ten highest impact ways ecommerce brands are using AI in 2026. The four disagree loudly before landing on a group ranking none of them expected going in.  Sean says AI chatbots now handle nearly every routine support ticket. Mike takes it further with a model that predicts each customer’s next purchase and updates hourly.The pattern repeats in content, where generative AI now handles static images at Ridge and Pela for a fraction of the old cost.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Saras Analytics  https://9ops.co/saras Postscript  ⁠https://9ops.co/postscript⁠  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard

Every Step to Start an Ecommerce Business Revealed: Operators Build (E1)

1 hr 18 min

“We’ve done it before. Can we do it again?”  Five executives put half a million dollars on the line to start a new ecommerce brand. Operators Build follows every step, in public. You get the math, the disagreements, and the cost of launching an online business in 2026.  This is not dropshipping. We bought inventory, formed an LLC, and registered our domain name: https://getwinks.com The plan? Shopify and paid social (Meta) with online marketplaces like Amazon and new channels like TikTok added as the numbers earn it.  Powered By  Skio  https://9ops.co/skio-9operators  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Omnisend  https://www.omnisend.com/9operators  SARAL  https://calendly.com/maxx-getsaral/operators  Motion  https://9ops.co/motion-runneth  Shoplift  https://shoplift.ai/operators  Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/  Curtis covers the category and the year they spent on the product + inventory management (sourcing, co-manufacturer, 3PL). Sean frames subscriptions and the CAC goal. Cody runs email and social-media marketing with AI to keep OpEx low. Mike pushes for constraints while Matt argues for high conviction, one big bet.

Building Solo Past $1M in Only Year One: Help an Operator Out

1 hr 13 min

Help an Operator Out (HAOO) is a series where real business owners join the podcast with live questions. In this episode, Christopher Francis (Founder & CEO, Home Plunge) brings the hardest problem in year one: growing without doing every job himself. He turned a personal need into a $1.4 million business in a year and a half.  The conversation covers pricing and offer strategy. It also gets into Amazon, TikTok Shop affiliates, and AI support. Sean pushes for a sale structure built for a high-consideration purchase. Mike frames the manual support work as margin compression Christopher isn’t tracking. It’s the same problems most seven-figure founders eventually face.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Saras Analytics  https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv  More from the Operators Operators Portal  https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/

How Magic Mind Turned a Spreadsheet Into National Retail Domination

1 hr 41 min

“Everyone who said I was too early, they got on my investor updates.”  Can product market fit be created, or can you only position yourself to catch it?  William Hicks (Co-Founder & CEO, Magic Mind) joins Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) and Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) to unpack how a Silicon Valley spreadsheet of nootropics became a national retail brand. This episode gets into the real mechanics of product market fit at scale.  Raising a seed round took dozens of rejections. Hicks kept those investor relationships warm for years afterward. From there, DTC gave way to national retail distribution. Merchandising discipline mattered more than ad spend. Subscription retention gets a breakdown too, along with the honest math behind CAC payback and lifetime value.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  AppLovin  https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth https://applovin.com/9operators Shoplift  https://shoplift.ai/operators  SARAL  https://calendly.com/maxx-getsaral/operators  ShipHero https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans

Why People Buy: A Practical Guide to Consumer Behavior in Ecommerce

49 min

“People buy things to fill gaps in their life.”  Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) and Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) unpack consumer behavior in ecommerce. They cover the emotional triggers behind buying, the offers that convert, and the buying journeys online shopping takes today. The real driver of your marketing strategies is the offer itself, not the checkout experience.  People buy out of convenience, fear of loss, identity, and scarcity … long before logic enters the picture. Ridge’s expansion from wallets into rings shows how one brand layered new customer angles onto a single product. Influencer partnerships, social media, user-generated content (UGC), and paid ads each serve a different role in building trust.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/4i3bb5  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Saras Analytics  https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

How Ecommerce Founders Get Rich: Exits, Dividends, Debt & Salary

59 min

What are the five ways ecommerce owners actually get paid? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Curtis Mastko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) break down five real ways ecommerce operators get paid. Each path trades speed for risk, and none of them is easy money.  Valuation sets the ceiling, and buyers lean on EBITDA multiples to get there. Distributions are where most operators get paid, if they resist reinvesting too much. Debt speeds that timeline up, though it comes loaded with risk. The episode ends on salary, pitting one founder’s restraint against another’s ambition.  Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil  Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/

Inside the Affiliate Marketing Strategy Behind BK Beauty’s Growth

1 hr 22 min

“We ended up selling twenty-two thousand units that day.”  How did two founders build a multi-million-dollar brush brand without outside investors? Lisa Jauregui and Paul Jauregui, Co-Founders of BK Beauty, join Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi) and Katy Mimiari (CEO, Caden Lane) to break down the affiliate marketing strategy that took a makeup brush brand from a living room operation to millions in sales. No outside funding. No paid influencer deals.  Lisa built a beauty audience on YouTube for five years before BK Beauty launched. A brand focused entirely on brushes for years before expanding into new categories. That focus led the brand to handle twenty two thousand orders in a single day, all fulfilled in house. The conversation covers creator tiers inside TikTok Shop, and why margin matters more than almost anything else in ecommerce.  Operators Titans is brought to you by AppLovin and Fulfil.  Fulfil: The ERP built specifically for DTC and ecommerce brands, integrated with over 400 3PLs so your inventory, purchasing, and financials never fall out of sync. Ridge runs its entire operation on it. See why here: https://9ops.co/fulfil  AppLovin: Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits here: https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth. Or launch your ads today with our exclusive link: https://applovin.com/9operators. 

How to Build a $100M Brand: 8 Rules from Leaders Who Did

47 min

“The scale is not going to fix your problems.”  What separates a hundred million dollar ecommerce brand from the rest?  Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) break down the eight rules to build a hundred million dollar ecommerce brand in 2026. These are not theories: each host has built a brand at this exact scale.  Mike breaks down why Trevi chased profitable unit economics for a year before scaling. Sean calls reorder revenue the ultimate cheat code, and explains why he built Ridge around chasing it. Jason closes on hiring rigor, where a LinkedIn check now decides every offer.  Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil  Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/

Why Founders Have to Become Their Own Best Marketer

1 hr 11 min

Help an Operator Out (HAOO) is a series where real business owners join the podcast with live questions. In this episode, Elaine Tran (Founder & CEO, Dippin’ Daisy’s) brings the hardest problem in owning a factory: keeping the lines running without drowning in inventory.  The conversation covers owning a factory versus buying from suppliers, managing excess off-season capacity, and launching a new category without it flopping. Sean makes the case that contract manufacturing for other brands can keep the lines running without adding to her own glut. And everyone lands on the same fix nobody’s using: better ecommerce marketing + merchandising.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Saras Analytics  https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/4i3bb5  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

$450M, 6 Brands & 4 Countries: Why Sunil Agrawal Refuses to Stop

1 hr 11 min

“I feel this is bigger than dot com.”  How does a $450 million publicly traded jewelry brand build a live shopping empire that predates TikTok by nearly two decades?  Sunil Agrawal (Founder, ShopLC & VGL Group) sits down with Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi) and Katy Mimari (CEO, Caden Lane) to pull back the curtain on 46 years of building one of the most vertically integrated businesses in the world. He started as a gemstone lapidary and grew six retail brands without ever once considering an exit.  Sunil runs a live shopping operation most DTC operators have never seen. He launches 100 new products every day. His top customers generate $20,000 in lifetime value. He fired his robots when the ROI math didn’t hold. He moved four brands to Shopify in five months because AI did most of the coding. And he still measures the business not in dollars but in meals delivered.  Operators Titans is brought to you by AppLovin and Fulfil.  Fulfil: The ERP built specifically for DTC and ecommerce brands, integrated with over 400 3PLs so your inventory, purchasing, and financials never fall out of sync. Ridge runs its entire operation on it. See why here: https://9ops.co/fulfil  AppLovin: Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits here: https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth. Or skip the waitlist and launch your ads today with our Operators-exclusive link: http://applovin.com/9operators.

Roman Khan: The Ecommerce Logistics Play Worth $10 Billion

1 hr 17 min

“If someone can do the same revenue in 12 hours, basically out of nowhere, it does lower the value of brands.”  What does the collapse of traditional brand equity mean for founders still building toward an exit?  Roman Khan (Co-Founder & President, Peak21) joins Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) and Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi) to make one uncomfortable argument: the playbook for building and buying ecommerce brands is broken, and most founders haven’t figured that out yet. After three years acquiring DTC businesses, Roman stopped. The reason cuts to the heart of where dropshipping, ecommerce logistics, and brand valuation are all heading.  His Hong Kong summit surfaced the shift in real time: Meta partnership ads back at the top of the stack, Applovin minting operators spending six figures a day, and TikTok-first brands doing $12M months on skeleton crews. The conversation covers why dropshipping from China is nowhere near dead, how Quince is building the AWS of ecommerce logistics, and the one thing Roman tells every founder under $100M in revenue: take out dividends, stop waiting for a buyer, and get honest about what your company is worth.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/4i3bb5  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Saras Analytics  https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/ 

Help an Operator Out: 8-Figure Dog Brand That Needs a New Growth

1 hr 13 min

"You will not be happier at nine figures. I’ll just tell you that right now."  What does an operator do after building an 8-figure brand entirely on one dog breed?  Help an Operator Out (HAOO) is a new series where real business owners join the podcast with live questions. In this episode, Garrett Yamasaki (Founder & CEO, We Love Doodles) brings his crossroads: a bootstrapped, Amazon-heavy pet brand that crossed eight figures and needs to decide whether to go deeper in its niche or wider into new dog breeds. The answer is less obvious than it sounds. The conversation covers capital allocation, the difference between product-channel fit versus product-market fit, and why consumables change the LTV math entirely. Mike makes the case that moated niche distribution builds more durable enterprise value than any paid channel. And everyone lands on the same uncomfortable truth. The business you already built is the one most worth protecting.  Powered By Fulfil ⁠https://9ops.co/fulfil⁠  Aftersell ⁠https://9ops.co/4i3bb5⁠ Richpanel ⁠https://9ops.co/richpanel⁠ Northbeam ⁠https://www.northbeam.io/⁠ Saras Analytics ⁠https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv⁠ Postscript ⁠https://9ops.co/postscript⁠ Operators Newsletter ⁠https://9operators.com/⁠

100% Growth for 8 Years: IQBAR’s Will Nitze & Jess Greenwood

1 hr 36 min

“You are not trying if you’re not getting sued.”  How did IQBAR go from a $90k Kickstarter to a nine-figure retail, DTC, and Amazon giant?  Will Nitze (Founder & CEO) and Jessica Greenwood (CMO) join Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern). This is the product launch strategy and CPG marketing playbook they wish existed when they started.  Will and Jessica detail their early tactics and walk through every funding round: from $625K at a $4M valuation to $5.5M at $50M. They doubled revenue every year for eight years, kept the team at 15 people, and never dropped below 50% ownership. Mike and Matt close on what killed dozens of competing bar brands in 2022 and why IQ BAR survived.  Operators Titans is brought to you by AppLovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits here: https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth. Or launch your ads today with our exclusive link: https://applovin.com/9operators.

Opening Retail Stores vs. Going Wholesale: What the Numbers Say

1 hr 16 min

Should you open your own stores, or let the big retailers do the heavy lifting?  Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) go head to head on one of the biggest channel decisions a consumer brand will face.  Curtis went from a spite-signed lease to 16 owned stores, while Mike turned a $9 million Sam’s Club bet into 10,000 wholesale doors. This episode breaks down these two different paths and what each model actually costs you in competency, capital, and control, why the wrong channel for your product category is almost impossible to recover from, and what private equity is really looking for when they come knocking on an omnichannel brand.  Powered By  Fulfil  https://9ops.co/fulfil  Saras Analytics  https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc  Postscript  https://9ops.co/postscript  Richpanel  https://9ops.co/richpanel  Northbeam  https://www.northbeam.io/  Aftersell  https://9ops.co/4i3bb5  Operators Newsletter  https://9operators.com/

Our 2026 Ecommerce Audit: Wins, Mistakes, Lessons & What’s Next

1 hr 8 min

“Whoever can spend the most money is going to win.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) audit the first half of 2026. The focus is a sound ecommerce growth strategy for Q3 and Q4. No guests, no fluff. Just what worked, what blew up, and where they’re placing their bets.   Amazon leads the conversation, with Sean up over 100% year over year on full assortment parity and Mike beating Liquid IV on a $4 blended CAC. Wholesale gets a harder look, with Sean holding a big-three PO and an 18-month runway to shelf. The group then pulls apart margin profile as a competitive weapon, why most consumable brands are quietly heading toward a reckoning, and what it takes to set a spending floor competitors cannot match.   Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil  Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/

How a $1.5B Pet Brand Wins at Ecommerce Marketing: Whisker’s CEO

1 hr 35 min

“We built our iPhone before we built our Apple.” How do you scale a hardware brand from $7M to $1.5B without chasing cheap CPMs?   Jacob Zuppke (CEO, Whisker) joins Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) to break down how a self-cleaning litter box company became a $1.5B brand through US manufacturing, big creative swings, and a deliberate omnichannel strategy. Jacob breaks down the marketing that fueled a decade of growth, including how TV outperformed Meta for years, and why Whisker held off Amazon until branded search volume made the case impossible to ignore. He also gets into the Whisker app, which logs 4.7 million cat weigh-ins per day, and why that software layer is where the brand’s omnichannel strategy gets its deepest competitive teeth. Operators Titans is brought to you by AppLovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits here: https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth. Or launch your ads today with our exclusive link: https://applovin.com/9operators.

How Ridge’s Annual Revenue Hit +$250M & Sean Became a Dad

1 hr 8 min

What does Ridge’s annual revenue growth 2025–2026 look like when you launch three new categories at once?  Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) joins Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) to get into what it looks like when a founder goes all-in on ecommerce product expansion while navigating new fatherhood, a tough M&A market, and a company that had to reinvent its growth story.  Sean breaks down the Shark Ninja model. Ship fast, cut losers, never wait on a five-year roadmap. He walks through what made the Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) partnership succeed where a $4 million celebrity deal would have failed. Finally, he gets candid about fatherhood and the DTC acquisition market, where over 70% of deals since 2022 drew zero bids.  Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil  Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/

How to Pick a 3PL Without Getting Burned: Red Flags, Green Flags

1 hr 14 min

Is owning your own warehouse worth the headache? Or is it a siren song that will slow your growth?  Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) dig into two of the most expensive decisions in ecommerce. Should you own your warehouse or outsource fulfillment to a 3PL? Can a founder ever truly step back from the company they built?  They break down the owned warehouse versus 3PL debate, covering when flexibility beats cost savings, and why high-growth brands get burned by leases. From there, the conversation shifts to founder identity and succession, what Tim Cook’s Apple exit and Doug McMillon’s Walmart departure reveal about leadership transitions, and why the skills that built your company can quietly become the thing holding it back.  Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil  Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/

From $10K Losses a Day to an L Catterton Deal: Zach Stuck’s Full Story

1 hr 29 min

“We’ve never had anyone do four deals in 60 days.” How do you build two nine-figure brands with no outside investors and a Facebook ads background as your only real edge?  Zach Stuck, founder of Easy Street Brands and co-founder of Hollow and Mars Men, joins Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) to break down how he turned an agency into an eight-figure exit and cold-started two nine-figure brands in opposite categories.   Closing four deals in 60 days and an L Catterton round, Zach’s brand building decisions are laid on the table. He walks through nearly losing Homestead keeping Hollow alive, and lays out the ecommerce strategy for building from zero. He closes on what the holdco model requires to work and why most operators get it wrong. Operators Titans is brought to you by AppLovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits here: https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth. Or launch your ads today with our exclusive link: https://applovin.com/9operators.

How Incrementality Cuts Waste + What and Where to Test in Ecommerce

1 hr 12 min

Is your incrementality testing giving you accurate data or are you burning budget on a broken signal? Austin Harrison (CEO, Northbeam) joins Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) and Katy Mimari (CEO, Caden Lane) to challenge the most repeated advice in ecommerce measurement: that longer tests are always better, holdouts are interchangeable, and incrementality alone is enough to make media decisions. They break down when a growing brand needs incrementality versus MTA, and how running tests inside a noisy environment can produce weeks of data worth nothing. Sean pulls from Ridge’s own results to show how layering incrementality on top of MTA unlocked YouTube spend that in-platform data never would have justified, while Katy’s botched first test proves clean test conditions matter as much as the tool itself. They also dig into why moving up funnel on Meta is outperforming conversion campaigns at scale, and what separates the fastest-growing ecommerce brands in 2026 on creative.   Powered By Fulfil https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/

How Ecommerce CEOs Actually Pay Themselves (Real Answers)

1 hr 5 min

“The obtaining of money is a lot easier than stewarding that money well.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) dig into one of the most-requested topics from listeners: how do owner-operators pay themselves? And what should they be aiming for? The hosts walkthrough salary benchmarks, distribution strategies, and the honest math behind building long-term wealth in consumer.   The conversation goes deep on the tension between pulling money out now versus betting on the asset long-term, creating a business that outlasts you as CEO, and why chasing one big exit can be the very thing that ruins the deal. They also get personal by sharing what they’d tell their younger selves, the difference between financial security and financial freedom, and why the number you think you need is almost always wrong.   Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil  Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Aftersell https://9ops.co/4i3bb5 Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/

How Tim Doyle Built Eucalyptus to $450M in ARR & Sold It for $1.15B

1 hr 40 min

Tim Doyle, founder of Eucalyptus and incoming SVP International at Hims & Hers, joins hosts Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) for a wide-ranging conversation on building, scaling, and exiting one of the most ambitious DTC healthcare companies outside the US.  Tim traces his path from political media buying in Australia to launching a multi-brand telehealth platform across multiple continents and the hard lessons in between. The conversation covers Tim’s “salary cap” approach to talent building, how Eucalyptus turned clinical outcomes into its most powerful marketing asset, and why he believes bold creative scripts remain the most underrated lever in consumer marketing. Operators Titans is brought to you by AppLovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits here: https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth. Or launch your ads today with our exclusive link: http://applovin.com/9operators.

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