Operators

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

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

5 Hard Questions for Building a Company Culture That Lasts

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

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

“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 bran

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

“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), Jas

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

“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

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

“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, Hulk

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

“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 (

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

“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 Hydr

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

“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 S

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

“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 (A

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

“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, Portl

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

“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

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

“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,

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

“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 (C

Ecommerce Subscription Playbook & Benchmarks: Operators Build (E6)

“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 Bertul

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

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,

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

“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

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

“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-m

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

“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 Be

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

“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 (Seni