Shows / Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
2020 transformed the world of ecommerce forever. For the modern DTC brand, the rewards have never been greater. But the waters have also never been choppier, and the way forward has never been more uncertain. So how do you navigate this dangerous new reality? No matter how you do it, you’d better not do it alone. That’s where the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast comes in — join Common Thread Collective’s Taylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin as they bring you guiding insights from across CTC’s portfolio of…
Episodes
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Compass Explained: The Next Evolution in Creative Strategy
Struggling to connect your creative strategy with financial planning? Meet Compass, the tool that automates and streamlines ad creative planning like never…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Introducing Compass: The AI-Powered System for Smarter Ads
Struggling to scale your ecommerce ads? Spending too much time guessing what works? MeetCompass – the creative operating system designed to take the guesswork…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Margins Are Shrinking, Debt Is Rising – What’s Next for Ecom?
Margins are shrinking, debt is rising, and ecommerce brands are feeling the squeeze. In this episode of the Podcast, we dive deep into the financial realities…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Why Ecommerce Is About to Get Even Harder (Here’s How to Survive)
Ecommerce is facing major challenges in 2025—rising ad costs, AI disruptions, and now, new tariffs. If you’re running a brand, you need to know what’s coming…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
2024 Was About Surviving – 2025 Is About Winning
2024 was all about getting the fundamentals right—fixing tracking, managing costs, and ensuring brands could survive in a tough market. But 2025? It’s time to…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
The Truth About Incrementality: Are You Measuring Your Ads Wrong?
Are you really measuring your ads the right way? In this episode we dive deep into the world of incrementality testing—what it is, why it’s so important, and…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Secrets to Scaling Big: Inside Born Primitive
In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the incredible growth story of Born Primitive, the ecommerce brand that has redefined what it takes to succeed in…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
The Missing Link in Your Ad Strategy: Creator Content That Works
Discover the key to transforming your ad strategy with creator-driven content that delivers real results. In this episode, Richard and Adrianne reveal how…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Say Goodbye to TikTok? The Truth About the Possible Ban
Is TikTok on the verge of being banned in the United States? In this episode of the Podcast, we dive into the Supreme Court hearing that could determine…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
How We Forecast Millions in Revenue for DTC Brands
Discover the step-by-step process behind CTC’s Prophit System, our proven method used to forecast millions in revenue for leading DTC brands. In this video, we…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Why Product Development is the Future of Ecommerce Growth
Discover why product development is the ultimate growth engine for ecommerce brands in today’s competitive market. In this episode of the Podcast, we talk how…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Brands That Win in 2025 Will Do THIS (Are You Ready?)
What separates the brands that thrive from the ones that struggle in 2025? It all comes down to one thing—strategy. In this video, we dive deep into the key…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
25 Predictions for Ecommerce in 2025
Get ready for 2025 with 25 bold predictions for the future of ecommerce! From the rise of AI in media buying to the transformation of product development into…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
2025 Ecom Planning: The Framework That Could 10x Your Profit
This episode is brought to you by: Finaloop: https://www.finaloop.com/ Are you ready to crush your 2025 ecommerce goals? In this video, we reveal the PROPHIT…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Meet PAM: The Profit Allocation Model Revolutionizing Ad Budgets
Discover the ultimate tool for optimizing your ecommerce ad budgets! In this episode, we introduce PAM—the Profit Allocation Model—a game-changing framework…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Unlocking Profit: The Hardest (But Most Important) Part of Scaling
Scaling your ecommerce business is exciting—but are you unknowingly leaving profit on the table? In this episode of the Playbook Podcast, Richard and Taylor…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
2025 Starts Here + BFCM Data You Need to See
Get the inside scoop on the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) trends and what they mean for the future of ecommerce! In this episode of the podcast…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
FINAL WARNING: Your Black Friday Strategy is Missing THIS!
Are you ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Time is running out, and your Q4 success depends on taking action NOW. In this episode, we reveal the 5 MUST…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
The Truth About AppLovin: Should You Shift Your Budget NOW?
Is AppLovin the ecommerce advertising breakthrough we’ve all been waiting for? With claims that it’s almost as good as Facebook Ads—if not better—this mobile…
Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & GrowthIs This the Beginning of a DTC Comeback?: State of the Industry
Dive into the latest insights from the ecommerce industry with our October State of Industry Report! Join Taylor, Steve, Jeremiah, and Yarden as they break…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
How to Turn Amazon Into a DTC Profit Powerhouse
Struggling to balance your Amazon sales with your DTC (direct-to-consumer) growth? In this episode, we reveal how to transform Amazon from a competitor into a…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
How We Went from 5 to 30 Clients in 4 Months - We Need More Talent
Welcome back to the Podcast! On this episode Taylor is joined by Joy Sharma, to discuss the explosive rise of the CTC Global Accelerator – scaling from 5 to 30…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
What Finance Got Wrong About Revenue Forecasting (and How Marketers Can Fix It!)
Get the Prophit System: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/ecommerce-strategy In this episode of the podcast, we explore the critical disconnect between…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
The Black Friday Budget Mistake That Could Tank Your Monthly Sales
Are you making the critical Black Friday budget mistake that could sabotage your entire month’s revenue? In this episode of the Podcast, we talk about why…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
WARNING: Election Week Could Sink Your Ad Performance!
In this special Halloween episode Taylor and host Richard dive into the spooky truth behind Election Week’s impact on ad campaigns. With an unprecedented wave…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Want Profits? Here Are the Exact Steps to Ecommerce Success
Are you struggling to keep your ecommerce business profitable? In this episode of the podcast, we dive deep into Common Thread Collective’s Profit System—the…
Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & GrowthAre Political Ads Killing Sales?: State of the Industry
In this month's State of the Industry, we tackle some of the biggest questions facing ecommerce brands in 2024. Why are 7-figure stores seeing a slowdown in…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
5 Must Do Ecommerce Strategies to CRUSH Black Friday Sales
Want to dominate this Black Friday and Cyber Monday? In this episode Richard and Luke reveal the top 5 essential strategies that will supercharge your sales…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Taylor's Biggest Critique of Cost Controls
In this episode, Taylor shares his biggest critique of cost controls in digital advertising. Join Richard and Taylor as they explore the limitations of cost…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Holiday SEO Tips for 2024: Maximize Organic Traffic and Revenue
Get ready for the holiday season with expert SEO insights designed to help you maximize organic traffic and boost revenue! In this episode Richard sits down…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Truths We Learned from 67+ Eight Figure Brands That Actually Produced Profit in 2024
In 2024, working with over 67 eight-figure ecommerce brands gave us an insider view of what it really takes to produce sustainable profit in today’s…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Transforming Company Culture: From Employee-Centric to Standards-Centric
In this episode, we look at the cultural transformation that took place at Common Thread Collective, shifting from an employee-centric approach to a…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Boost Your Holiday Sales with These Email and SMS Strategies
Looking to boost your holiday sales? In this episode, Richard and Tommy Lamb, Director of Email and SMS at Common Thread Collective, break down the key email…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
The Addiction to Growth: Why Entrepreneurs Avoid Paying Themselves
In this episode Richard and Taylor, dive deep into the often overlooked challenge of business goal setting and shareholder value. Why do so many entrepreneurs…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Maximizing Black Friday Sales: Data-Driven Discounting Strategies
In this episode, we're diving deep into the latest Black Friday trends for 2024. Join Richard and Taylor as they break down the key data from our Black…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
What Founders Struggle With Most: Human Connection Over Data
In this episode, Richard and Taylor discuss one of the biggest challenges founders face: the balance between human connection and data driven decision making…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Creative Strategy for the Holidays: Rollercoasters, Peaks, and Valleys
In this episode, Richard sits down with Aileen McKenna, Director of Creative Strategy and Performance, to discuss the ultimate creative strategy for the 2024…
Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & GrowthAugust Insights & What to Expect for Q4: State of the Industry
In this month’s edition of the DTC Index, we take a comprehensive look at the state of ecommerce as we recap August's performance and prepare for the crucial…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Building Trust and Authority: A Guide for Change Agents
In this episode, Richard and Taylor explore what it truly means to be a change agent within an organization. Drawing from their experiences at Common Thread…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Turn Your Accountant Into An Asset
In this episode, Richard and Taylor dive into a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of business success: the relationship between entrepreneurs and their…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Meet CTC's First AI Bot: A New Era in Ecommerce Creativity
This episode is unlike any other — we’re excited to introduce you to CTC's first ever AI bot guest! Join Taylor as he sits down with Jacob Posel, who is a real…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
6 Essential Google Ads Strategies for a Profitable Holiday Season
Get ready for the holiday season with essential Google Ads strategies that will help you maximize your sales and profitability! In this episode, Richard is…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
How to De-Stress a Distressed Business
In this episode, Richard and Taylor discuss how to navigate the complexities of a distressed business. They dive into three critical steps for de-stressing a…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
The 7 C’s of Media Buying: How to Win in the Holiday Season
In this episode, Richard is joined by Tony Chopp, CTC’s VP of Paid Media, to talk holiday media buying strategies for Q4. They discuss the critical role of…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
The Most Consequential Meta Update of All Time
In this episode, we talk about what could be the most consequential Meta update of all time. Richard and Taylor break down Meta's latest ad optimization…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
3 Reasons This Q4 is Different: How to Prepare for the 2024 Holiday Season
Welcome to the official kickoff of the 2024 holiday season! In this video, we're diving into what's shaping up to be a weird and challenging Q4 for ecommerce…
Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & GrowthThe Impact of Political Spending on DTC: July State of the Industry Podcast
Welcome to the July edition of the State of the Industry podcast. In this episode, we talk about the influence of political spending on direct to consumer…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Insights from a Google Ads Liaison
In this episode of the podcast, we’re thrilled to welcome a special guest from the Google empire, Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison. With years of experience in…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Spending More, Making the Same? Here's Why
In this episode Richard and Taylor discuss a common challenge faced by ecommerce brands today: spending more to acquire the same number of customers. Taylor…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Growing Profitability ft. Josh Shapiro and Bill Rom of Baseball Lifestyle 101
This episode is a blend of Taylor's passions: baseball and ecommerce. We're joined by Josh Shapiro and Bill Rom of Baseball Lifestyle 101, two legends who have…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
The Secret to Smarter Budget Allocation
In this episode, Richard and Luke Austin go deep into the concept of incrementality. They discuss how CTC helps brands answer three critical questions for a…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Boost Your Sales With Incrementality
In this episode, we are thrilled to have Nick Stoltz, Chief Strategy Officer at Measured, as our guest. Join us as we jump into the world of ecommerce…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
25 Hottest Ecommerce Takes
In this episode of the podcast, Richard and Taylor jump into some of the hottest topics in ecommerce right now. Fresh off the July 4th weekend tweet, Taylor…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
From Tweet to Transformation: Introducing the CTC Global Accelerator Program
Welcome back to the eCommerce Playbook Podcast! This episode is extra special because we’re revealing something groundbreaking. Back in January, Taylor tweeted…
Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & GrowthState of the Industry - First Half of 2024 Recap
Welcome back to the eCommerce Playbook Podcast, State of the Industry edition! This special biannual mega episode dives deep into the first half of 2024…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Revisiting: How to Build a Map to Profitable Growth
Hey everyone, Richard here! While Taylor is out of town, we're diving back into an insightful episode from October of last year titled "How to Build a Map to…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Half Time Health Check
With Q2 officially in the books, Taylor and Richard pause to reflect on the first half of the year and give advice on how to readjust expectations for the…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Ryan Reynolds Hates Iterative Creative Testing
On this episode, Taylor and Richard sit down to further unpack what we mean when we talk about being “against” creative testing. Topics of discussion include…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Growing Profitability ft. Marshall Morris of HomeLife Brands
Welcome back to another episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast! Today, we're joined by Marshall Morris, the co-founder and president of HomeLife Brands…
- Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Three Reasons Google is Losing to Meta
On this episode of the podcast, CTC Director of Growth Strategy Luke Austin sits down with Richard to break down a phenomenon we noted in our most recent…