Jeff Webb is the Founder and President of the International Cheer Union (ICU), the world governing body for cheerleading. Under his leadership, the ICU has grown to represent over 116 national federations and achieved recognition by the International Olympic Committee. Jeff also founded the Universal Cheerleading Association and Varsity Brands (formerly Varsity Spirit), where he elevated cheerleading into a global sport before selling the company for $2.5 billion.

Cheerleading has become a widely recognized global sport, but scaling it into a multibillion-dollar category was no easy feat. From undercapitalization to supplier failures and resistance from industry leaders, it required resilience, creativity, and bold leadership. How did the king of cheerleading transform his niche passion into a worldwide movement recognized by the Olympic Committee?

Modern cheerleading pioneer Jeff Webb reinvented team uniforms to match athletic performance and created competitions that captured TV audiences. He emphasizes the importance of staying close to the field, practicing continuous improvement, and cultivating a strong culture through rigorous hiring and leadership standards. By treating cheerleading like other popular global sports, Jeff scaled it into a distinct category.

Join William Harris in today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast as he chats with Jeff Webb, Founder and President of the International Cheer Union (ICU), about how he built cheerleading into a global sport. Jeff discusses how he created a new market through innovation and shares leadership philosophies and hiring practices.

Rishabh Jain is the Co-founder and CEO of FERMÀT, the leading e-commerce experience platform. Before co-founding FERMÀT, he held leadership roles at LiveRamp, where he launched and scaled three new ventures, including a multimillion-dollar healthcare business. Rishabh also co-founded startups in solar energy and laboratory data sharing.

Mid-market e-commerce brands are feeling the strain as tariffs raise costs and acquiring new customers becomes more expensive. With CACs climbing on major ad platforms and inventory risks increasing, many operators face tough trade-offs between growth and operational stability. How can they adapt strategies to maintain margins during economic uncertainty?

According to e-commerce growth strategist Rishabh Jain, brands are adapting by investing in channels like email and SMS to maximize existing customers. He warns against relying too heavily on multi-touch attribution and instead recommends using multiple data sources, monitoring cash flow closely, and aligning on-site experiences with each audience segment. Rishabh also advises expanding into new audience cohorts, designing purposeful bundles, and gradually adding products to support long-term growth.

Join William Harris in the latest episode of the Up Arrow Podcast as he chats with Rishabh Jain, Co-founder and CEO of FERMÀT, about practical strategies for scaling e-commerce brands in a volatile market. Rishabh explains how mid-market brands can survive market pressure, replace flawed measurement with practical insights, and adapt site experiences for various audiences.

Erik Christiansen is the Co-founder and CEO of Justuno, a conversion optimization SaaS platform. With over 20 years of experience in e-commerce and tech, he specializes in sustainable growth and product development. Before co-founding Justuno, Erik scaled Sierra Snowboard from $0 to over $20 million in annual revenue.

Many website visitors leave without purchasing, and abandoned carts represent millions in lost revenue for e-commerce brands. Even as traffic and ad spend grow, conversion rates often stagnate, and customer acquisition costs continue to rise. How can online retailers capture more value from existing website traffic?

According to e-commerce expert and entrepreneur Erik Christiansen, improving on-site conversions can unlock immediate revenue gains. His three-step revenue approach, which includes capturing, identifying, and converting leads, prioritizes real-time engagement, visitor segmentation, and actionable promotions. Additionally, techniques like cart abandonment campaigns, shopper preference pop-ups, and high-quality SMS collections boost conversions and strengthen margins by maximizing the lifetime value of each visitor.

In this week’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris chats with Erik Christiansen, Co-founder and CEO of Justuno, about driving revenue through smarter on-site conversions. Erik also discusses creative cart abandonment strategies, the difference between vanity metrics and meaningful KPIs, and why hands-on entrepreneurship builds resilience.