In this episode of the Ecommerce Growth Map Podcast, we break down one of the most misunderstood — and most important — concepts in e-commerce: first-order profitability.

First-order profitability means your very first sale generates enough revenue to cover product costs, fulfillment, and customer acquisition. Without it, brands rely on future purchases, outside capital, or hope — and that’s why so many businesses fail before they ever scale.

We walk through why first-order profit matters more than ROAS, why some brands can survive without it (and most can’t), and how to calculate whether a product or campaign is actually viable.
We also explain the danger of negative contribution margin, how rising CAC destroys weak business models, and why investors prioritize businesses that make money on every transaction.

If you’re an e-commerce founder, operator, or marketer trying to build a scalable, sustainable business, this episode will change how you think about growth, advertising, and profitability.

In this episode of The Ecommerce Growth Map Podcast, we break down a clear, repeatable framework for forecasting media dollars and return on ad spend (ROAS) across Meta and Google.

Instead of guessing budgets or reacting emotionally to performance, this episode shows how to plan paid media using real data, daily averages, historical returns, and marketing calendars. We walk through how to allocate media dollars across platforms, decide when to scale or pull back spend, and set realistic ROAS targets based on business goals and past performance.

Using real examples from peak shopping periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we show how to adjust forecasts as performance changes and how to compare projections against actual results to make better decisions in real time.

If you’re a DTC founder, marketer, or operator looking for a smarter way to plan and control ad spend across Meta and Google, this episode gives you a system you can use year-round — not just during holidays.

In this episode of The Ecommerce Growth Map Podcast, we walk through the real Black Friday results from multiple DTC clients. You’ll see exactly what worked, what didn’t, and how we generated massive revenue across Meta, Google, and email during the biggest shopping weekend of the year.

We break down how one brand hit $28,993 in gross sales, how another drove $116,553 from Meta ads alone, what led to 460%–563% ROAS, and how inventory issues affected spend efficiency across accounts. You’ll also hear how our Google PMAX campaigns hit 349% and 375% ROI, why evergreen campaigns were paused, and how we pivoted into Cyber Monday messaging.

If you want real numbers, real strategy, and real lessons from BFCM, this episode gives you the full picture.

In this episode of The Ecommerce Growth Map Podcast, we break down the complete Google Ads strategy your brand needs to dominate Black Friday and Cyber Monday. From structuring your PMAX campaigns to building landing pages that actually convert, this episode shows you exactly how to prepare for the biggest shopping weekend of the year.

We cover how Google captures existing demand from high-intent shoppers, how Performance Max learns and optimizes your spend, and why your landing page experience is just as important as your ads during BFCM.

You’ll learn how to set up a PMAX campaign with dedicated BFCM asset groups, when to pause and relaunch for profitability, how to aggressively test video creatives, and why listicle-style landing pages consistently outperform standard product pages.

If you’re planning your Black Friday campaigns, this episode gives you a clear and proven blueprint to maximize conversions and return on ad spend.

In this episode, we break down the exact BFCM budget allocation and planning strategy DTC brands should use to maximize revenue during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

You’ll learn how to structure budgets across channels, when to ramp spend, how to preserve learning, and how to stay profitable while scaling into the biggest shopping days of the year.

What We Cover:

Smart Budget Allocation
How to prioritize top-performing channels and reserve a portion of your spend for testing and fast scaling once winners emerge.

Scaling Into Peak Days
Why you should ramp spending into peak buying days instead of blowing budget too early.

Preserve Learning With Creative Swaps
Instead of launching new campaigns that reset learning, simply replace creatives inside your best-performing campaigns.

Set Clear ROAS & CPA Targets
The importance of aligning your budgeting strategy with performance goals and margin constraints.

Align Inventory & Promotions
How inventory levels, shipping deadlines, and promotions should drive your ad spend plan.

Forecasting vs. Actuals
Why your November and BFCM forecast should include projected spend vs. actuals so you can adjust daily.

This episode gives you a simple, tactical BFCM framework that protects your budget, preserves learning, and maximizes results across Meta, Google, and other paid channels.

In this episode, we break down a simple and effective Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) Meta ads strategy that helps brands scale spend from $50/day to $1,000/day while keeping ROAS strong.

We cover the exact campaign setup, budget scaling plan, creative testing process, and retargeting structure that e-commerce brands can use to win during Q4.

What you’ll learn:

• How to safely scale Meta ads from $250/day to $1,000/day during Black Friday
• The best campaign structure: one campaign, one ad set, one broad audience
• Why an early access sale helps you capture buyers before BFCM
• How to test 10–20 creatives to find winning ads fast
• A simple retargeting strategy using DPA + DABA ads
• Why warming your audience early leads to cheaper conversions on Black Friday

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Visit us at www.lionmediads.com for more strategies and DTC growth ideas.

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