Today on the show we’ve got a very special guest, one of the OGs of ecommerce, Ezra Firestone.

He’s been around forever, running brands like Boom by Cindy Joseph, building software companies like Zipify, and creating training businesses like Smart Marketer, all while staying hands-on in the game as the DTC landscape keeps evolving.

We get into how he went from top wig drop-shipper to building and exiting nine-figure brands, and how that journey shaped the way he thinks about marketing today. Ezra breaks down the creative frameworks and persona funnels he’s using to scale - building tailored journeys that speak directly to specific customer mindsets and motivations - and why a one-size-fits-all approach no longer cuts it in today’s performance landscape.

He also shares why most brands are underusing Amazon and Shop App, how to approach them as full-funnel growth channels, and what it looks like to prepare your brand for AI-native discovery through structured data and platform-level optimization. Plus, we get into Meta ad theory, challenger brand tactics and how Ezra’s role has evolved from hands-on operator to long-term strategist focused on sustainable growth, supporting great teams, and staying aligned with what actually matters.

If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

09:07 The Drop Shipping Business Model Explained

19:26 The Shift from Drop Shipping to Brand Ownership

29:21 Content as a Core Strategy in E-Commerce

39:18 Storytelling and Engagement in Marketing

45:04 Maximizing Amazon and Shop App Opportunities

56:07 The Rise of LLMs and SEO Strategies

59:20 Optimizing E-commerce Operations for Success

01:00:13 Transitioning from Operator to Navigator

01:06:32 The Importance of Strategic Thinking in Business

01:14:08 Evaluating Business Models: E-commerce vs. Agency vs. Software

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⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Haus.

http://Haus.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

Today we’re joined by Connor Dault, CMO of Grüns, to talk about his move into the company, how he got up to speed, and the steps he took to work effectively with a team that was already performing at a high level.

We cover his onboarding approach, how he finds quick wins without disrupting existing success, and how Grüns spots opportunities by pairing customer feedback with cultural trends. Connor breaks down their persona-based marketing strategy, balancing cohesive messaging with high testing velocity, and deciding when to quietly test versus go all-in on a new idea.

He also shares the approaches that drove early growth, from Meta advertising to retention-focused customer experience, and the channels now driving scale, including CTV, YouTube, influencer partnerships, and closer cross-team alignment.

Want to submit your own DTC or ecommerce marketing question? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out Episode 49 when Connor Dault was first on the show - How Digital Product Fuels DTC Growth with Connor Dault

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

07:22 Onboarding and Team Dynamics in Marketing

15:15 Building Cohesion Across Marketing Strategies

23:12 Navigating Brand Messaging and Consumer Engagement

35:09 Tactical Approaches to Marketing Campaigns

38:15 Strategic Hook Development

41:47 Testing and Personalization Strategies

44:41 Seasonal Marketing and Campaign Planning

48:31 Growth Strategies and Revenue Bands

51:51 Unlocking New Marketing Channels

01:04:52 Innovative Projects and Measurement

01:10:23 Leadership and Feedback Culture

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Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Rivo.

https://www.rivo.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

Today, we’re kicking things off by sharing how we’re structuring our content teams - from hiring in-house roles to building systems around freelancers - and how that supports creative that performs across both brand and paid.

Next we dive into how we’re iterating on some of the biggest campaigns we run at our brands: the sweepstakes. We talk through what’s changing this year, how we’re using influencer content in new ways, and how we’re optimizing campaigns across Meta, YouTube, and TV.

We also get into what we’re testing right now, from comment-to-enter flows to view content objectives and engagement-first creative, and how we use those signals to improve each round.

To wrap up, we look at a product page from Fellow as an example of strong direct response storytelling and share how we’re applying those same principles to our own landing pages.

If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

03:58 Insights on AI in Creative Strategy

07:16 Behind the Scenes of Content Production

11:06 The Evolution of Internal Content Production

15:18 The Importance of Incrementality Testing

19:18 Planning for Sweepstakes and Major Changes

28:35 Execution Strategies for Sweepstakes Campaigns

38:28 Leveraging Influencer Content for Marketing Success

40:48 Innovative Ad Strategies and Content Creation

44:24 Expanding Marketing Channels and Engagement Metrics

47:31 Understanding Sweepstakes Performance and Audience Engagement

59:20 Cash vs. Experience: The Sweepstakes Dilemma

01:04:19 Building Anticipation for New Campaigns

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Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Haus.

http://Haus.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

Today we’re getting into how acquisition offers - particularly in pop-ups - can do much more than drive opt-ins. The type of offer you lead with shapes who you acquire, how much they spend, and future LTV. We share examples from the offers we run on our brands, comparing blanket discounts with offers like cashback and second-order incentives, and how those choices impacted retention, AOV, and customer lifetime value.

We also discuss why some offers that looked successful on the surface ended up hurting long-term performance or creating poor customer experiences, and how simple changes led to big lifts in repeat purchase rate. We also touch on whywhy very few teams are testing their pop-ups rigorously, what makes offer testing difficult, and how to build an approach that’s aligned with long-term goals - not just short-term wins.

We also dig into Meta’s recent performance trends, using the latest data from the Haus report. We share what they’re seeing across ASC and manual campaigns, how different optimization strategies are playing out, and why it's getting harder to rely on Meta as a consistent acquisition engine.

Want to submit your own DTC or ecommerce marketing question? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Operators Podcast Episode 123: The Meta Incrementality Report: Lessons from 640 Haus Experiments

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:34 The Power of Cash Back Offers

05:28 Data-Driven Insights on Pop-Up Offers

08:19 Retention Metrics and Customer Engagement

11:06 Testing Methodologies for Pop-Up Offers

14:19 Holistic Approaches to Customer Acquisition

17:14 Innovative Second Order Offers

20:05 Challenges in Optimizing First Touch Points

26:10 Future Trends in E-commerce Offers

35:43 Optimizing Data Reporting and Analysis

38:00 Evolving Marketing Strategies and Cash Back Offers

41:05 Insights from Meta's Campaign Performance Report

44:52 Understanding Incrementality in Marketing

49:04 Navigating Meta's Advertising Changes

54:43 Leveraging Bundle Builders for Increased Conversions

Finance Operators Episode: How CashBack beats discount codes & More with Dan Glazer

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Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Rivo.

https://www.rivo.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

In today’s episode, we’re talking channel expansion and diversifying our media mix - when to think about launching on new channels, what to test, and how to approach those decisions with more clarity.

We break down our current media mixes, the journeys that got us here, and the mental frameworks we use to decide what to try next.

We’re also joined by Austin Santino, Client Development Manager at Tatari, who shares his perspective on how DTC brands are approaching TV. He breaks down what it really takes to get started with TV advertising, why it’s more accessible than most brands think, and how Tatari is helping brands treat TV more like a performance channel. We talk about starting budgets, creative expectations, how attribution actually works, and what kinds of brands should (and shouldn’t) be thinking about TV right now.

If you’re thinking about where to go next with your paid strategy, or how to evolve your channel mix beyond Meta, this episode will help you sense-check your timing, avoid wasted spend, and expand with more confidence.

If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

00:00 Introduction

04:14 Exploring Channel Expansion and Diversification

07:01 Current Media Mix and Strategies

17:16 The Evolution of Media Mix Over Time

25:50 Testing New Channels and Creative Strategies

36:23 Insights from the Media Mix Journey

42:06 Testing and Scaling Ad Strategies

49:15 Creative Diversity and Measurement in Advertising

01:01:04 Navigating TV Advertising: Insights and Strategies

01:12:07 The Evolution of TV Creative: UGC vs. High Production

01:21:25 Final Thoughts on TV Advertising and Measurement

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Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Haus.

http://Haus.io/operators

Tatari.

https://www.tatari.tv/?utm_campaign=16263599-Marketing%20Operators%20July&utm_source=marketing%20operators&utm_medium=podcast

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

When we heard Eric Seufert talk at the Meta Summit we knew we had to have him on the show.

Eric is the founder of Mobile Dev Memo and partner at Heracles Capital, and he joins us today for a deep dive into how today’s smartest marketers approach measurement. We unpack the difference between deterministic and probabilistic attribution, why incrementality testing beats last-click reporting, and how to make sense of CAC, LTV, and payback periods across different business models. Eric shares insights on Meta’s evolving AI infrastructure, signal loss, and platform opacity, explaining why a single tool can’t give you the full picture, and why the greatest marketers are the ones that think like data scientists. He also introduces the concept of signal engineering: how to guide automated ad platforms by sending higher-quality signals and intent data.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please hit the subscribe button, comment, share and like - it helps us reach more people, get more great guests on the show and keep bringing these episodes to you every week.

Want to submit your own DTC or ecommerce marketing question? ⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠.

00:00 Introduction

06:42 The Role of Discord in Gaming Advertising

09:21 Eric's Journey in the Gaming Industry

19:04 Understanding Freemium Models in Mobile Gaming

26:08 Incentivized Advertising in Gaming

29:55 Understanding Measurement Tools in Advertising

30:24 Deterministic vs. Probabilistic Measurement

33:14 Attribution Models and Measurement Tools

39:16 Geo Lift Studies and Their Application

43:03 Common Sense in Marketing Measurement

54:10 Operationalizing Incrementality Testing

56:25 Understanding Incrementality and Testing Strategies

01:00:33 Navigating the Meta Ecosystem and AI Changes

01:06:40 Signal Engineering and Optimizing for Conversions

01:09:44 Radical Experimentation in Creative Strategies

01:21:55 Breaking Out of Targeting Loops

Meta's AI advertising playbook (with Matt Steiner):

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/season-5-episode-23-metas-ai-advertising-playbook-with/id1423753783?i=1000711081020

Powered by:

Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Haus.

http://Haus.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

Today, we dig into the Meta performance issues we’ve been seeing firsthand - where spend is up, reach is down and performance isn’t tracking the way it used to. We unpack what’s been going wrong, and share the tactical changes we’ve tested to get better results.

We get into where we’ve historically over-invested or moved too slowly, how we’re thinking about creative and spend caps right now, and why simplifying account structure might be more powerful than layering on more campaigns. We also discuss where performance has started to turn around as a result of strategic shifts and tests.

We also touch our amazon prime day results so far, recent product drops and more.

If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

00:00 introduction05:16 Event Insights and Networking

08:06 Product Launch Challenges

11:30 Marketing Strategy and Tier Systems

13:56 AI Automation in Marketing

17:14 Prime Day Performance Analysis

20:04 Meta Advertising Roadmap

26:07 Channel Diversification Strategies

29:04 New Product Launches and Incrementality

31:50 Funnel Diagnostics and Performance Metrics

34:36 Creative Strategies for Different Audiences

37:42 Testing and Optimizing Campaigns

40:35 Leveraging Partnership Ads

43:51 Final Thoughts on Meta and Future Strategies

Powered by:

Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Rivo.

https://www.rivo.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

In this episode, we’re joined by James from Boring Marketing to dig into how smart DTC marketers are actually using AI - not just to move faster, but to build more efficient systems and workflows.

We talk about how AI can support content systems and internal processes, the difference between prompting and system-building, and why using AI just to generate content won’t drive results on its own. James shares how he’s using MCPs to improve creative output, how agents differ from real workflows today, and how to get more out of your team by designing AI to work alongside them.

James also walks us through how he’s thinking about building repeatable content frameworks using AI, and later breaks down a Shopify product page to show how vague, vibe-based copy, often the result of poor AI implementation, can fall flat.

To wrap up, James shares his take on what the biggest implementation of AI in the second half of 2025 will be, and what marketers should be paying attention to now.

Want to submit your own DTC or ecommerce marketing question? ⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠.

00:00 Introduction

04:33 The Evolution of Boring Marketer

08:41 Understanding Agents vs. Workflows

12:50 The Year of Efficiency in AI

17:40 Getting Started with AI Workflows

21:27 Research and Analysis with AI

28:46 Vibe Coding vs. Traditional Automation

36:25 Tactical Approaches to Creative Generation

42:32 Scraping Ads and Analyzing Competitors

46:19 Building a Unique Marketing Brief

48:16 Learning to Use AI Tools Effectively

50:08 The Future of AI in Marketing

58:59 Creating a Brand Analysis

01:01:00 The Future of AI Tools in E-commerce

01:05:09 Closing the Loop with AI Workflows

01:11:31 Building a Shopify Site with AI

01:22:45 The Future of Media Buying with AI

Powered by:

Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Aftersell.

https://www.aftersell.com/operators

Haus.

http://Haus.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/