E-commerce is always shifting.

But one thing’s for sure, it’s no longer about growing at any cost. It’s about building a business that scales smartly and stays profitable.

In this episode of The Modern Supply Chain, Taylor Holiday, CEO of Common Thread Collective, shares how modern DTC brands are evolving with AI, optimizing their P&L, and taking a fresh approach to growth. Get ready for a discussion about the future of profitable e-commerce and what brands need to do to thrive today.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How AI is transforming everything from marketing to supply chains
• Why brands must focus on cash flow to ensure long-term success
• The critical role of flexible, agile supply chains in scaling profitably

Highlights:
(00:00) Meet Taylor Holiday

(01:26) The death of the “growth at all costs” mentality

(05:47) Prioritizing profitability over top-line growth

(13:12) Flexible supply chains are key to sustainable growth

(16:38) The game-changing role of AI in e-commerce

(27:29) Is the future of e-commerce deflationary?

(39:28) Predictions for e-commerce in the next 5 years

Resources:
Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/
Taylor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-holiday-a169b322/

Taylor’s X: https://x.com/TaylorHoliday

Common Thread Collective: https://commonthreadco.com/

Is your e-commerce brand ready to expand globally? It might be easier than you think.

In today’s episode of The Modern Supply Chain, we sit down with Darwish Gani, founder and CEO of OpenBorder, a platform that helps brands navigate the complexities of international tax, duties, and compliance. Darwish shares insights on simplifying global expansion, reducing overhead, and scaling your brand with minimal risk.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to make international sales a growth lever for your e-commerce brand
• The biggest mistakes e-commerce brands make when expanding globally
• The surprising benefits of simplifying cross-border logistics and compliance

Highlights:
(00:00) Meet Darwish Gani

(01:23) Darwish’s journey from e-commerce to OpenBorder

(04:02) The role of international sales in scaling your brand

(06:54) How to scale your business globally without increasing CAC

(10:34) The shift from traditional to digital-first global expansion

(13:11) Localization strategies for global brands

(17:22) How OpenBorder simplifies tax and regulatory compliance

(20:11) Why global expansion is essential for the future of e-commerce

(22:44) Darwish’s prediction for global e-commerce in the next five years

Resources:

Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/

Darwish Gani's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darwish-gani/

OpenBorder’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/openborderglobal/

Darwish Gani's E-mail: darwish@openborder.com

The world of direct-to-consumer brands is evolving rapidly. The question is no longer how to launch a brand, but how to scale one efficiently.

In today’s episode of The Modern Supply Chain, we sit down with Nik Sharma, founder and CEO of Sharma Brands and widely known as the “DTC Guy.” Nik shares how modern e-commerce brands are adapting to new realities around AI, lean teams, rising costs, and changing growth strategies.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How successful DTC brands scale from $1M to $100M
• Why performance marketing alone isn’t enough to grow in today’s market
• How AI and lean teams are reshaping the future of e-commerce

Highlights:
(00:00) Meet Nik Sharma
(01:34) How Nik became known as the “DTC Guy”
(05:49) The evolution of digital growth channels in e-commerce
(07:10) Why modern brands are becoming leaner and more efficient
(09:51) The hidden costs that destroy e-commerce profitability
(11:54) Why many brands struggle between $5M and $10M in revenue
(15:35) The shift from performance marketing to brand storytelling
(17:56) What “performance branding” means for modern brands
(23:11) How tariffs impacted brand operations
(31:29) Predictions for the future of e-commerce brands

Resources:
Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/
Nik Sharma’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrniksharma/
Nik Sharma on X: https://twitter.com/mrsharma
Sharma Brands: https://www.sharmabrands.com/

Logistics is deceptively simple until it breaks.

In this episode, Izzy Rosenzweig speaks with Matt Hertz, CEO & Founder at Third Person, a 3PL matchmaking business that connects brands with logistics providers. They dive into the trends shaping the logistics industry in 2026, the forces driving these changes, such as tariffs and regulations, and what the smartest brands are doing to find the right supply chain and logistics partners.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to choose the right 3PL partner to fuel your brand’s growth
• How the 3PL landscape has changed
• What sets brands apart from established players
• How to plan and future-proof your e-commerce brand

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Matt Hertz

(05:37) Choosing the right 3PL partner

(12:06) Smart brands and what helped them grow

(13:04) Trends to watch out for in the logistics landscape
(16:06) The future of logistics and 3PL

Resources:

Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/

Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hertz/

Third Person LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thirdpersonco/

Third Person website: https://www.thirdperson.co

Customer experience in the DTC space has evolved. By leveraging both AI precision and human care, CX can drive retention at scale.

In this episode, Izzy Rosenzweig speaks with Eli Weiss, VP for Advocacy at Yotpo and an experienced CX leader across various DTC brands, about what is currently driving results in customer experience. They break down how brands can leverage feedback to optimize their products, what e-commerce brands can learn about CX from the hospitality industry, and why the most valuable CX moments are often human, targeted, and rare.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to separate real customer signal from noise
• A strategic approach to creating memorable moments for customers
• How the best loyalty programs personalize and optimize customer behavior over time

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Eli Weiss

(05:30) Why brands need to look at their feedback loops

(09:58) How AI is transforming CX

(13:20) Unreasonable hospitality and the human touch

(20:27) Creating nuanced loyalty programs
(22:17) A strategic approach to balancing CAC and LTV

(27:09) Building an authentic brand that stands out

Resources:

Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/

Jeremy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliweisss/

Yotpo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yotpo/

Yotpo website: http://www.yotpo.com/

Every e-commerce owner wants to scale their business, with many hoping to eventually sell. But not everyone understands why their P&L is important to making their business sustainable and sellable.

In this episode, Izzy Rosenzweig sits down with Jeremy Horowitz, of Let's Buy a Biz!, to talk about financial literacy for DTC businesses. Jeremy shares the key elements of financial management that many e-commerce founders miss, especially when it comes to scaling from $1M to $10M. He breaks down how owners can keep their cash flow from getting stuck, how to do a thorough P&L report, and what buyers look for when acquiring a DTC business.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why business owners should start with just one hero product
• What growing DTC businesses should include in their P&L
• Why owners should look at their P&L before pulling money from the business

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Izzy Rosenzweig

(01:12) Meet Jeremy Horowitz
(02:35) What DTC owners need to know about planning their exit

(04:12) The key to scaling up to your first 10 million

(07:05) The importance of knowing your P&L inside out
(14:25) Growing your tech brand sustainably
(18:23) What business buyers want to see in your P&L

(19:48) A demonstration of a mock fashion brand’s P&L
(23:26) A cash flow model for the modern supply chain
(27:12) Comparing a traditional supply chain model and a modern supply chain model
(37:39) What global growth will look like for DTC brands in the next five years

Resources:

Izzy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-rosenzweig-13653846/

Jeremy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyhorowitz1/

Let’s Buy a Biz! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/let-s-buy-a-biz/

Let’s Buy a Biz! website: https://www.letsbuyabiz.xyz/

Jeremy’s sample P&L: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18yiRetZ4pJ4DwwOMx_KmmU2NElQdJIZ_LJutA6k1Vmg/edit?gid=0#gid=0

Traditional supply chain vs. modern supply chain model: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TjfI-A4-hPmLglrpKtvadFJ90yKT_PUD/edit?gid=1345608080#gid=1345608080

Over the last 50 years, supply chain logistics have transformed dramatically.

From local production and high manufacturing costs, the most successful brands have turned to tech-powered fulfillment solutions that respond to demand faster for much less. But not all businesses have unlocked the advantages of agile supply chains.

This is The Modern Supply Chain, the show where we break down the modern supply chain strategies that help e-commerce brands shift from struggling to meet revenue goals to growing their business fast.

Each episode, we’ll chat with industry experts who will help give you the tools and insights to take control of your supply chain.

Just smarter, faster ways to keep your business moving.