Shows / Operators
Operators
In the world of ecommerce, a legendary text group is rumored to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures in revenue to gain entry. The world’s biggest brands have denied its existence for years, until now. Four titans known as the “Operators” are leaking the secret contents in an effort to share its wealth of knowledge with people like you. Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) & Matt Bertulli…
Episodes
- Operators
How Cuts Hit $60M, Nearly Went Bankrupt & Came Back Stronger
Why lower AOV and a disciplined P&L saved this brand from the brink. Steven Borrelli (Founder & CEO, Cuts), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Matt…
- Operators
5 Hard Questions for Building a Company Culture That Lasts
How do you create a company culture that’s a competitive advantage? Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) build…
- Operators
6 CPG Funnels: How We Study Ads, Landers & Offers
“It’s very easy to scrape an ad library, pull out concepts and then literally just duplicate the ad. That’s just a race to the bottom.” How do you learn from…
- Operators
Amazon Playbook: 5 Things DTC Brands Must Get Right to Scale Profitably
“If you don’t sell on Amazon, somebody else is gonna sell it.” When should a DTC brand stop treating Amazon as an afterthought? Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple…
- Operators
Inside a New DTC Brand’s Ad Engine, Run in 6 Steps: Operators Build (E10)
“Creative supply chain is the essential ingredient of demand.” Get all the resources from this episode: https://9ops.co/abchwj ★ 6-step framework ★ Brief…
- Operators
How Hulken Hit $50M Without Raising: Founder Alex Schinasi
“We didn’t actually choose them. They chose us.” Can a bootstrapped brand enter Target and Costco while still growing DTC? Alex Schinasi (Co-Founder &…
- Operators
5 Things Every CMO Wishes CEOs Knew But Will Never Say to Your Face
“Some businesses aren’t ready for great CMOs.” What do CMOs need from their CEOs but never say out loud? MacCoy Merkley (CMO, Portland Leather Goods), Matt…
- Operators
10 Elements of a Winning Offer & How to Test Them: Operators Build (E9)
“A great offer makes the customer feel stupid for saying no.” How do you know your offer is wrong before the market tells you? Jordan Menard (Co-Founder…
- Operators
How to Position Your Brand & Products: 5 Ways to Win Against “Better”
“Better is probably the worst word you could use in marketing.” How can a DTC brand stand out in a category full of identical promises? Matt Orlić (Co-Founder…
- Operators
Our Ecommerce Marketing Strategy vs. Real Data: Operators Build (E8)
“We know how to run ads. This is a playbook.” How should you market a new DTC brand in its first six weeks? Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Cody…
- Operators
Away’s CEO & New DTC Playbook: Amazon, TikTok Shop, and 300% Over Plan
“It’s about closing the imagination gap, not what it can do.” Jessica Schinazi (CEO, Away) joins Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Curtis Matsko…
- Operators
He Grew 4X as a Solo Founder. Now TJ Bongiorno (Outgoing Co) Has to Learn to Say No!
“You can have anything you want, but you can’t have it all at once.” Should you raise money when your only problem is working capital? Help an Operator Out…
- Operators
Every AI Tool We’re Using & 4 Pillars to Guide You: Operators Build (E7)
“They’re the most capable ever, but not trained on your business.” What pillars should every AI-first brand build, and which one comes first? Matt Bertulli…
- Operators
How to Create Buying Moments: Give People a Reason to Buy All Year
“You’re never gonna make a big impact on Black Friday.” Should you worry if frequent promotions will hurt your brand equity? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt…
- Operators
Ecommerce Subscription Playbook & Benchmarks: Operators Build (E6)
“You almost feel stupid buying the product as a one-time customer.” Why do some subscription brands retain customers and stack LTV while others lose them? Matt…
- Operators
How First Day’s Founder Alice Li Built a 9-Figure Kids Vitamins Brand From One SKU
How did First Day raise $1M and then build a 9-figure brand? Alice Li (Founder & CEO, First Day) joins Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Jason Panzer…
- Operators
30+ Black Friday Tips to Win the Holidays Like a 9-Figure Ecommerce Brand
“The best Black Friday offers don’t just increase orders, they increase AOV.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case x Lomi), Jason Panzer…
- Operators
Why the Hardest Part Starts After Launch: Operators Build (E5)
“The amount of effort that we put in to start does not have any meaningful correlation with the success at the end.” When you get delayed and deprioritized by…
- Operators
Learning From Failure: 3 $100M+ Operators & Their Darkest Moments
“We were not going to make payroll next week.” How did three ecommerce CEOs turn rock bottom into their biggest lesson? Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi)…
- Operators
How to Design Packaging for Ecommerce Brands: Operators Build (E4)
“They have just shown how packaging can be so much of a differentiator.” What does a professional DTC packaging design process look like in practice? Chris…
- Operators
Honeylove’s Betsie Larkin & Igor Lebovic: Building a $200M Company Together
What does it take for a married couple to build a $200 million brand together? Betsie Larkin (Founder & CEO, Honeylove) and Igor Lebovic (Co-CEO, Honeylove)…
- Operators
Ecommerce Therapy: 3 Nine-Figure Operators on Focus & Passion
“I’ve always hated it. This year I made the decision to shut it down.” Can three nine-figure CEOs open up about their priorities, passions, and doubts? Sean…
- Operators
Starting & Formulating a Supplement Company: Operators Build (E3)
What separates a real supplement company from just a good idea? Dr. Todd A. Born (Chief Science Officer, 4POTENTIA) pulls back the curtain on how to enter the…
- Operators
12 Lessons These Ecommerce Founders Wish They’d Learned Sooner
What are the secrets to winning in ecommerce that nobody talks about? Matthew Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike…
- Operators
How to Create a Product From Prototype to Launch: Operators Build (E2)
What does a real product development process look like when 9-figure operators are betting their own money? Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), Sean Frank (CEO…
- Operators
eBay Resellers to 14M Pairs of Underwear: Shinesty’s Co-Founders
How did two guys flipping “junk” build a brand that’s sold 14M pairs of underwear? Jens Nicolaysen and Chris White (Co-Founders, Shinesty) join Matt Bertulli…
- Operators
10 Best AI Use Cases for Ecommerce in 2026: Ranked by CEOs
Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) rank the ten highest…
- Operators
Every Step to Start an Ecommerce Business Revealed: Operators Build (E1)
“We’ve done it before. Can we do it again?” Five executives put half a million dollars on the line to start a new ecommerce brand. Operators Build follows…
- Operators
Building Solo Past $1M in Only Year One: Help an Operator Out
Help an Operator Out (HAOO) is a series where real business owners join the podcast with live questions. In this episode, Christopher Francis (Founder & CEO…
- Operators
How Magic Mind Turned a Spreadsheet Into National Retail Domination
“Everyone who said I was too early, they got on my investor updates.” Can product market fit be created, or can you only position yourself to catch it? William…
- Operators
Why People Buy: A Practical Guide to Consumer Behavior in Ecommerce
“People buy things to fill gaps in their life.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) and Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) unpack consumer behavior in ecommerce. They…
- Operators
How Ecommerce Founders Get Rich: Exits, Dividends, Debt & Salary
What are the five ways ecommerce owners actually get paid? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern)…
- Operators
Inside the Affiliate Marketing Strategy Behind BK Beauty’s Growth
“We ended up selling twenty-two thousand units that day.” How did two founders build a multi-million-dollar brush brand without outside investors? Lisa…
- Operators
How to Build a $100M Brand: 8 Rules from Leaders Who Did
“The scale is not going to fix your problems.” What separates a hundred million dollar ecommerce brand from the rest? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli…
- Operators
Why Founders Have to Become Their Own Best Marketer
Help an Operator Out (HAOO) is a series where real business owners join the podcast with live questions. In this episode, Elaine Tran (Founder & CEO, Dippin’…
- Operators
$450M, 6 Brands & 4 Countries: Why Sunil Agrawal Refuses to Stop
“I feel this is bigger than dot com.” How does a $450 million publicly traded jewelry brand build a live shopping empire that predates TikTok by nearly two…
- Operators
Roman Khan: The Ecommerce Logistics Play Worth $10 Billion
“If someone can do the same revenue in 12 hours, basically out of nowhere, it does lower the value of brands.” What does the collapse of traditional brand…
- Operators
Help an Operator Out: 8-Figure Dog Brand That Needs a New Growth
"You will not be happier at nine figures. I’ll just tell you that right now." What does an operator do after building an 8-figure brand entirely on one dog…
- Operators
100% Growth for 8 Years: IQBAR’s Will Nitze & Jess Greenwood
“You are not trying if you’re not getting sued.” How did IQBAR go from a $90k Kickstarter to a nine-figure retail, DTC, and Amazon giant? Will Nitze (Founder &…
- Operators
Opening Retail Stores vs. Going Wholesale: What the Numbers Say
Should you open your own stores, or let the big retailers do the heavy lifting? Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case &…
- Operators
Our 2026 Ecommerce Audit: Wins, Mistakes, Lessons & What’s Next
“Whoever can spend the most money is going to win.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike…
- Operators
How a $1.5B Pet Brand Wins at Ecommerce Marketing: Whisker’s CEO
“We built our iPhone before we built our Apple.” How do you scale a hardware brand from $7M to $1.5B without chasing cheap CPMs? Jacob Zuppke (CEO, Whisker)…
- Operators
How Ridge’s Annual Revenue Hit +$250M & Sean Became a Dad
What does Ridge’s annual revenue growth 2025–2026 look like when you launch three new categories at once? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) joins Matt Bertulli (CEO…
- Operators
How to Pick a 3PL Without Getting Burned: Red Flags, Green Flags
Is owning your own warehouse worth the headache? Or is it a siren song that will slow your growth? Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO…
- Operators
From $10K Losses a Day to an L Catterton Deal: Zach Stuck’s Full Story
“We’ve never had anyone do four deals in 60 days.” How do you build two nine-figure brands with no outside investors and a Facebook ads background as your only…
- Operators
How Incrementality Cuts Waste + What and Where to Test in Ecommerce
Is your incrementality testing giving you accurate data or are you burning budget on a broken signal? Austin Harrison (CEO, Northbeam) joins Sean Frank (CEO…
- Operators
How Ecommerce CEOs Actually Pay Themselves (Real Answers)
“The obtaining of money is a lot easier than stewarding that money well.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Matt Bertulli (CEO…
- Operators
How Tim Doyle Built Eucalyptus to $450M in ARR & Sold It for $1.15B
Tim Doyle, founder of Eucalyptus and incoming SVP International at Hims & Hers, joins hosts Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple…
- Operators
How to Hire the 5 Ecommerce Roles That Will Make or Break Your Brand
“The right person does nothing but print money.” Sean Frank, Matt Bertulli, Curtis Matsko, and Katy Mimari get into a heated debate on the hardest roles to…
- Operators
Trends Shaping Health & Wellness in Ecommerce: GLP-1s & Beyond
What happens in ecommerce when obesity is cured? Sean Frank (CEO of Ridge) and Matt Bertulli (CEO of Pela Case x Lomi) dig into one of the biggest…
- Operators
Ecommerce Founder’s Guide to Owning Your Manufacturing & Factory
Could one bad supplier decision bring your entire ecommerce brand down? Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) joins hosts Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case &…
- Operators
New Product Launch Playbook Behind 9-Figure Ecommerce Brands
“Marketing’s job gets a lot easier when they have new products to sell.” Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) and Katy Mimari (CEO, Caden Lane) join…
- Operators
How Ecommerce Brands Can Fund Growth: Winning DTC Math
What happens when your bank promises you $20 million, strings you along for a year, and then rips it all away the same week you need it most? Sean Frank (CEO…
- Operators
Mike’s Story, From Yeti Knockoff to Building New Brands
What do you do when you’ve already won, and still can’t stop building? Sean Frank and Matthew Bertulli sit down with Mike Beckham, (CEO of Simple Modern and…
- Operators
Billions in Ecommerce Deals & How to Build a Brand Worth Buying
Special episode on what billions in recent ecommerce exits, raises, and M&A mean for your brand. Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) joins hosts Matt…
- Operators
Marketer to President: Posh Peanuts’ Jenna Habayeb on Growth & Data
“If you become really good at harnessing that data, AI can let you not only predict the future, but create it.” Jenna Habayeb (President of Posh Peanut) sits…
- Operators
“It Was So Hard”: Operationalizing Scale With Spot & Tango’s Founder
“We had no cash, no supply chain, high product market fit, and low CAC. There was this giant button flashing: hyper growth.” What does it take to build a…
- Operators
How The Woobles Built a Cult Brand: Product, Not Marketing
Can you build a beloved consumer brand around the joy of making something with your hands? Matt Bertulli and Mike Beckham sit down with Justine Tiu and Adrian…
- Operators
Why This CEO Is Building His Own SaaS Killer: Amit RG (RichPanel)
What happens when the founder of a software company admits his own product is a sinking ship — and doubles down anyway? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge) and Matt…
- Operators
How Matt Orlić Lost It All, Built a Skincare Empire & Found Meaning
“The difference between authentic money and inauthentic money is that it has some kind of inherent meaning to it.” Sean Frank (CEO of Ridge) and Matt Bertulli…