OPERATORS

E079: The Pro’s and Con’s of being a CEO

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 06:01 Engagement with Sports Teams 09:49 Understanding Sports Audience Demographics 12:07 The Challenges of Sponsorships 15:49 Navi...

E078: Going Global

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 02:57 Leadership Retreats and Team Dynamics 05:53 Traveling for Business: The China Experience 09:04 Consumer Behavior Insights fro...

E077: In Conversation with the Candy King

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 06:06 From Swords to Candy: The Pivot 12:49 Innovating in the Candy Market 20:55 Challenges of Retail vs. DTC 29:52 Navigating Cash...

E076: Ecommerce Comeback

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 02:26 Understanding System One and System Two Thinking 18:28 The E-commerce Landscape: Current State and Future Predictions 39:31 S...

E075: Purpose Driven Business

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 01:25 The Power of Purpose in Attracting and Retaining Talent 08:04 Creating Focus and Guiding Decision-Making with Mission and Pu...

E074: Growth hacking profit with Mehtab

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 02:04 Optimizing Supply Chain for Increased Profitability 08:01 Reducing Fulfillment Costs with a Better 3PL 10:51 Re-engineering ...

E073: How to Manage Your Wealth

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 07:24 The Viral Tweet and Perspectives on Wealth Advisors 15:21 Promise 1: Control 16:14 Promise 2: Exclusive Access to Investment ...

E072: Why You Shouldn’t Run a Sweepstakes, Holiday Season Advertising, Temu’s Earnings & More

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 02:18 The Pros and Cons of Running Sweepstakes 10:09 The Impact of Sweepstakes on Revenue and Customer Engagement 13:30 Q4 Planning...

E071: Catching up with Austin

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 03:32 The Value of Time and Convenience 07:49 Bias to Impact and Velocity in Work 13:29 Leadership Styles and Kindness vs. Gentlene...

E070: The Risks and Rewards of Hypergrowth

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

07:41 The Importance of Making Low-Impact Decisions 09:36 The Role of Leadership in Decision-Making 11:25 Learning from Mistakes and Allowing the Tea...

E069: How to run sales like a 9-figure brand

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 03:24 Discussion on Personal Networks and Investment Opportunities 06:46 Investing in Unique Business Opportunities 09:12 Balancing...

E068: Taylor Holiday - Part 2

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction & The Reality of E-commerce Growth 31:26 Disparity in E-commerce Growth 33:20 Challenging the Perception of E-commerce 35:08 Ch...

E067: Taylor Holiday - Part 1

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Overview 03:22 The Impact of Cap Tables on the Organization 05:17 Equity as a Tool for Employee Retention08:38 The Power Dynami...

E066: Special guest episode with the founder & CEO of Flexport Ryan Petersen

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 03:18 Overview of Flexport and its Services 08:09 Differences between Flexport and Shopify in Fulfillment 10:04 Utilizing Real-Time...

E065: Capital, Investment & Politics

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 03:12 Weekend Recap and Discussion on Aging 06:26 Transitioning from Fluid Intelligence to Wisdom 09:20 The Political Landscape and...

E064: Manage your time like a 9-figure CEO

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 03:09 The Role of an Executive Assistant 06:06 Finding and Trusting an EA 08:49 When to Hire an EA 10:15 Different Perspectives on ...

E063: Part 2: How to build resiliency into your business

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 00:31 Understanding the Challenges of Inventory Management and Fulfillment 06:32 Building a Resilient Business through Channel and...

E062: Special Guest Episode: Growth Marketing Ft. Sarah Carusona

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 08:09 Navigating the Agency Landscape and the Role of ERPs in E-commerce 14:51 Segmenting Advertising Strategies for New and Return...

E061: Part 1: How to build resiliency into your business

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 03:18 Building Resilience: Lessons from the Meta Summit 08:59 Diversification: Mitigating Risks in a Platform-Driven World 24:10 Th...

E060: Defending Your Time, Standing for Something, HexClad Super Bowl Ad & More!

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Overview of Topics 01:20 The Impact of ERP Systems on Inventory Management 05:32 The Influence of Social Media on Public Discou...

E059: Meta, Consumer Sentiment & Be a Cockroach!

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 08:34 Understanding Consumer Sentiment and Advertising Strategies 15:23 The Impact of Meta on Business Performance 33:36 E-Commerce...

E058: The Secret to Ecommerce Success? The Human Factor

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 The Business of People: Navigating Hiring Challenges 10:22 Organizational Culture and Leadership Impact 29:02 Navigating the Challenges of Hirin...

E057: Operators in Session with Cherene Aubert

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 03:41 Chaurene's Career Journey and Leaving Bobby 08:06 Growth and Challenges at ILIA Beauty 14:17 Lessons from Bobby and the ...

E056: 9-Figure Brand Health Check

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 00:32 International Expansion and Diversification 01:28 Streamlining Logistics and Inventory Management 11:31 The Challenges of Lau...

E055: The AI Takeover, Formal Education Decline, Ecom Tech Disruptions & The Future of Employment

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction: Outsourcing, AI, and the Future of College Education 03:44 The Impact of Remote Work on American Workers 06:30 The Rise of the Glo...

E054: TikTok and Cool Brands

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Government Bureaucracy and Productivity 07:05 Enforcement of Intellectual Property 14:37 The Speed of Government Action 30:45 The Impact on Bran...

E053: Temu & Politics

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Overview 08:10 The Impact of Taxes on Entrepreneurship 15:20 The Rapid Growth of Temu 33:18 Adding Value, Building Brands, and ...

E052: Connor Rolain: Marketing Tactics, Product Expansion, Creative Operations, Growth Team & More

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 08:02 Transitioning from Agency to In-House 30:34 Unlocking New Levels of Growth 37:26 Expanding into Consumables and Higher-End Ap...

E051: Workload Strategy, Personal Finance, Q1 Recap, Liquidity & More

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Overview 09:04 Personalized Investing 16:33 Growing your brand is hard 27:50 Managing Illiquid Assets 38:32 Employee Stock Owne...

E050: Cody Plofker: Marketing Strategies, Meta Advertising, Maximising Contribution, International Market Expansion

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction 03:09 Panzerism: Trust No One 04:06 Termination of Relationship with an Agency 07:53 Success, Failure, and Overvaluing Contributi...

E049: Connor from Ridge: Artificial Newness, Channel Activation, Content Planning, Pricing Strategy

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

02:00 Preparing for Father's Day 07:14 Content Planning and Pricing Strategy 11:11 Media Mix and Channel Activation 29:45 Channel Diversification ...

E048: Roman Khan: Buying and Growing DTC Companies

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Background to Roman 06:05 Roman's Journey and Current Ventures 10:14 Lessons from Rocket Internet 13:29 Communication Platf...

E047: DTC Hardships, Amazon Fees, Klaviyo Agency Move & More

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Market Update 07:39 D2C Apocalypse: Meta Issues 33:02 The Challenges of Being an Amazon Seller 34:21 The Importance of a Differ...

E046: Ridge Retreat, Measuring Brand Awareness, The Rising Cost of Advertising & More.

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Ridge Retreat 03:12 Off-Site Team Building 06:08 Challenges of Hosting Retreats 07:36 New Product Launch: Hexclad Pizza Steel 11:51 Measuring Br...

The Ridge X Marques Brownlee Partnership: A Deep Dive

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, the Operators discuss Ridge's recent announcement that they've partnered with Marques Brownlee, the number one tech YouTuber....

E044: January retail sales, Yeti’s earnings, Shopify’s Q4 & More

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

03:42 Discussion on January Retail Sales 24:07 Analysis of Shopify's GMV in Q4 33:09 Panzerism of the week 41:49 Creating a Fun Work Environment 4...

E043: Shopify's price increase, Tapestry's earnings, TikTok as a marketing platform & more

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Random Conversations 06:00 Review of Tapestry's Earnings 20:16 Discussion on Amer Sports IPO 28:17 Analysis of Shopify'...

E042: January Performance, International Thoughts, Sean's Challenge, Conditioning Customers & More

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 January Performance 03:06 International Expansion 06:23 Competitor Challenges 11:31 The Rise and Fall of Brands 19:01 Surprising January Results...

E041: Competitors, Avoiding Imitation, Red Ocean Strategy, Timing Expansion, Hero Products & More

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 41 Summary The Operators discuss the topic of competition and how entrepreneurs think about their competitors. They explore the importance of...

E040: Merchandising Deep Dive

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Enhancing customer experience through digital merchandising planning. 10:44 Seasonal merchandise crucial for successful wholesale strategy. 12:5...

E039: Creative, Top Of Funnel, Productivity Hacks, Delegation, Brand Performance & More.

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 The Importance of Taking Time Off 03:27 The Productivity Hack of Taking Space 05:05 Defining Productivity for Different Roles 10:18 The Lion Wor...

E038: The Inventory Deep Dive.

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Importance of Inventory Management 01:24 The Complexity of Inventory Management 03:20 Factors Affecting Inventory Risk 05:27 Ti...

Operators Bonus Episode - The Sendlane Panel Event

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Operators Bonus Episode

E037: 2024 Planning, How Ridge Launched Watches, Move Back To Bootstrapping, CEOs Just Write & More

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and New Year's Celebration 01:29 Annual Planning and Quarterly Execution 03:17 Purpose and Use of Reporting 08:36 The Role of C...

E036: The Big Debate: Remote or Office? Featuring Steven CEO of Cuts Clothing VS Sean CEO of Ridge.

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special unreleased episode. The third show ever recorded by the Operators. (00:00) Introduction and Appreciation (01:57) The Effectiveness ...

E035: 2024 Marketing Predictions, December Sales Check, Marketing Mix, US Economy & More

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

December Pulse Check Peak Gift Giving Period Measurement of ROAS & MER Marketing Spend and Meta Ads Cost Caps Media Mix and Advertising Platforms...

E034: Seans Skill Tree Framework, Personal Finance, Ad Efficiency at Scale, Avoiding Emotional bias

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates 01:22 Twitter Game and Ecommerce Metrics 04:18 Using Logos on Websites 06:05 Opinions and Authenticity on Twit...

E033: Cyber Monday Results, Contract Manufacturing, Global Commerce Dynamics, Market Competition.

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Exciting holiday sales followed by January slowdown. 04:32 Demand pulled forward during sales? 06:47 Embrace competition; it's a lever. 15:3...

E032: Black Friday Results Show, Q5 Planning, Maximising December, Market Trends, OOH Ads & More

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 Efficient preparations ease BFCM stress. 09:06 Focusing on DTC, working with retailers. Exciting results. 13:18 Inventory shortage, long lead ti...

E031: Black Friday Special: Deals, Customer Experience, Operations, Success Metrics, Trends & More

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

03:28 Cautious optimism as sales already exceed expectations. 09:44 Group learning is valuable; spending and believing. 13:28 Late ad start, YouTube T...

E030: Amazon & Meta Join, Authentic Brands Group Welcome Shein, Ridge Launch Travel, Q4 Pulse Check.

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

25 listeners get 25% off the new Ridge travel range. First come first serve 25 only. Use code: operatorspod 02:12 Apple EU regulation of its App sto...

E029: DSC Acquisition, ERP, Strategy, BFCM Tips. Plus Operators Are Joined by Sharoon CEO of Fulfil.

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:02:32] Non-disclosure of data indicates intentional misdirection. [00:03:17] Shopify dominating the e-commerce industry confidently. [00:09:51] Un...

E028: Future of Chinese Manufacturing, Hello Bello Breakdown, Celebrities as Partners, Luxury Brands

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:02:48] China: diversifying manufacturing class. [00:03:47] China diversifying manufacturing location. [00:08:52] HexClad considering steel require...

E027: Building Houses, Price Sensitivity, Amazing Tech, Growth Teams, Strategic Planning & More

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:06:00] House building [00:08:52] Price insensitive Canadians eagerly buy everything; friends seek bargains. [00:10:05] Consumerism's paradox: ...

E026: Consumer Takeovers, AI VS VC, Zuck's Digital & Physical Infusion, Q4, Alo IPO & More

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:02:20] Impending influx of consumer company takeovers. [00:05:42] VC, SAAS: Destroyed by AI. [00:11:35] Zuck: merging of physical and digital wor...

E025: Q3 Results, Global Growth, Scaling 1-10, Consumer Landscape Speculation, Interest Rates & More

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:04:00] Q3 recap. [00:15:45] HexClad expected to dominate Q4. [00:26:51] 1-10M business growth. [00:29:51] Scaling requires process, system, team, ...

E024: Aggregator Models Thrasio, Diversification, Ecom Acquisitions, Brand Value Longevity & More

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:03:09] Discussion on Thrasio and holdco model. [00:03:42] Thrasio's business model: acquisition, consolidation, profit. [00:07:36] Flawed aggr...

E023: Cashback Tactics, Growing Categories, Taking on Incumbents, 2024 Ecom Headwinds & More

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

00:02:58 Amex loyalty, payment issues, scaling challenges summarized. 00:07:50 Scaling business, focus on enterprise value. 00:13:18 Recommended credi...

E022: Full House of Operators. Growth Targets, Differentiation, Role of a CEO, Trending News & More

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:05:17] Setting growth target, big partnerships, HexClad, expanding customer base [00:10:38] Mayhem, slow hiring, key hires, delegating. Getting th...

E021: Operators Q&A: International Expansion, Pivoting & Adaptability, Organic Content & More

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:00:00] Unexpected encounter leads to golf opportunity. [00:10:11] Perceived limit low, raising organic reach cap. [00:14:41] Organic versus paid s...

Episode 020: Mastering The Art of Product Licensing. A Deep Dive Conversation With The Operators.

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:02:56] Licensing: Mickey Mouse, NFL, big IPs. Structured how? [00:04:29] Territories, channels, products, royalties: Licensing essentials. [00:07:...

E019: Building Business Moats: Strategies, IP, Competitive Advantages, Knowledge, Patents & More

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

00:02:22 Consumer businesses need competitive advantages for success. Building scale and expanding into new categories give companies an edge. Limited...

E018: How To Price Your Products. A Deep Dive Special.

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:02:23] Close relationship with Callaway and Travis Matthew. Topgolf is future of company. [00:05:54] Late to market, focused on value. [00:08:33]...

E017: How Do You Build Brand Equity? A Deep Dive Special With The Operators.

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

00:01:44 Trade show booth laughter fuels brand motivation. 00:03:57 HexClad's successful brand building and growth. 00:11:02 TAM size: average; ac...

E016: Ridge's CMO Connor Joins, Using Agencies, Launching Products, Monetising Your Audience & More

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:03:57] Questioning the relevance of the media spend model. [00:10:23] Innovative ad agency with flexible payment plans. [00:13:23] Amazon advertis...

E015: Kitsch's COO Jeremy Thurswell Joins, Omnichannel Deep Dive, Retail Masterclass & More

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

https://www.mykitsch.com/ Jeremy: https://twitter.com/JeremyThurswell?s=20 [00:03:12] Kitsch backstory [00:12:14] Unintentional business success, Fai...

E014: The Operators Focus on Culture. Hiring Unconventionally, Paying Top Talent, Meetings, Values.

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:02:59] Unconventional hiring strategy: trust-based recruitment success. [00:05:11] CEO Jeff runs the business day-to-day, while the Matt focuses o...

E013: Prime Results, Hiring Execs, China, Ecommerce Health, Investing, Panzerism & More.

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

00:02:17 Amazon's Prime Day exceeded expectations, with some sellers reporting significant increases in sales compared to normal days. 00:25:47 Fa...

E012: Twitter vs Threads, Prime Day Deal/No Deal, Definitive COGS, Margins, Profit Per Day & More

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

00:02:53 Bet against Zuckerberg? No. Killed Snapchat and Twitter. Sean is bummed about rebuilding social graph on threads. 00:06:58 Twitter's ali...

E011: Choosing The Right Business, Communication, AI Commerce, Entrepreneurial Experience & More

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

[00:04:45] Returns fraud website exposed fraudulent refund practices. [00:09:19] NetSuite as a fulfillment solution didn't work for us. We chose F...

E010: Katy Mimari Founder & CEO of Caden Lane in Conversation With The Operators & More

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Katy’s incredible story, Caden Lane. (02:16) The problems with wholesale retail. (18:50) Growing to 30m as the only executive. (23:30) The C word bu...

E009: Mehtab Karta, META Cheat Codes, Financing, Panzerism, Covid, 13-week Cash Flow Model & More.

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How to not pay your META creditors? (01.11) Mehtab intro (02.27) Financing eCommerce (17.40) Was Covid actually good for business (37.57) Value propos...

E008: Meta Summit Recap, Marketing Complexity, Perfectionism, Action vs. Inaction Bias, & More

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of eCommerce, a legendary WhatsApp group is rumoured to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures i...

E007: Luck & Timing, Our Worst Investments, Product Diversification, Facebook Conspiracy & More

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

(01:15) The role of luck in success (04:25) Time in the game matters (08:45) Worst things we've done as a business (09:30) Sean- It got legal (10:...

E006: Marty Wholesome Goods, De-Risking Talent, Data & Testing, Gamers, Panzerism, Prime Day & More.

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marty Sullens. Managing Partner at Wholesome Goods. Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sumohax0r (03:20) Intro (04:16) Marty Story (09:35) Wholesome Goods ...

E005: Attribution Modeling, Branding, Panzerism, Company Acquisition, Ridge Regrets & More.

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Attribution modelling (MER, mixed media) (03:30) Branding (Simple Modern) (19:00) Klaviyo (25:00) Panzerism (35:00) How most brands are sold (38:00) R...

E004: Organisational Structure, Taking Vacations, Panzerism, Negotiation, TV Advertising & More. (Listen until the end, it's worth it).

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Powered By Northbeam. https://www.northbeam.io/ Each of the 9 figure operators use Northbeam to measure everything and scale everywhere. Show Breakdo...

E003: People Cost, Panzerism, Asymmetric Risk, Shopify Layoffs, Flexport & More.

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

(2:13) Operators intro (5:15) Revenue and People Cost (18:00) Panzerism - work hard (26:15) Asymmetric Risk (40:18) Shopify Layoffs (52:00) Flexport ...

E002: Should consumer brands be public, Strategy for 2023, When to use 3PL, Being a CEO & more

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

(3:00) Strategy at HexClad for 2023 (7:00) Ridge. Are you pushing for growth or preparing for growth (10:00) HexClad. What is your future of fulfilmen...

E001: Welcome to The Show, Bootstrapped VS Venture, Salary & Distributions, How Much Lawyers Make, The Value of Bankers, Sharing is Powerful. Featuring Our Fourth Host Mike Beckham.

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of eCommerce, a legendary WhatsApp group is rumoured to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures i...

OPERATORS (Trailer)

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas