Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

As brands approach the $1M–$10M revenue range, they often find themselves stuck—still hustling, but with slower growth and rising costs. That’s where CTC’s Global Accelerator comes in. In this episode, Richard Gaffin is joined by Joy Sharma and Jan Almuni to share the blueprint for how seven-figure brands break through to eight.They reveal the step-by-step playbook used across dozens of brands in the Accelerator program—and why the...

In this episode of the E-Commerce Playbook Podcast, Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin unpack the surprising success of last week’s episode—and explore what it reveals about content that actually resonates.What about the convo with Taylor and Andrew led to such a positive response?Turns out, the answer has less to do with tactics—and everything to do with time, unique perspective, and story.If you’re trying to build content that las...

After months of speculation, testing, and internal debate, CTC put Meta’s new Incremental Attribution Tool to the test—three times.

In this episode, Richard Gaffin sits down with VP of Paid Media Tony Chopp to break down what really happened across those tests, including a final geo holdout study using actual Shopify revenue. The result?

You’ll learn:

- What CTC’s 3 incrementality tests revealed about Meta’s new attribution tool

-...

In this episode of The Random Show, Taylor Holiday and Andrew Faris sit down for a moment of focus—because something big just happened.Common Thread Collective has a new growth partner. Taylor breaks down what the deal really means, why it isn’t a retirement plan, and how private equity views agencies differently than eComm brands.• Why service businesses generate more cash (and get better multiples)• How CTC nearly collapsed—and w...

In this episode of The Random Show, Taylor Holiday and Andrew Faris sit down for a moment of focus—because something big just happened.Common Thread Collective has a new growth partner. Taylor breaks down what the deal really means, why it isn’t a retirement plan, and how private equity views agencies differently than eComm brands.• Why service businesses generate more cash (and get better multiples)• How CTC nearly collapsed—and w...

At CTC’s recent Client Summit, Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin sat down to unpack what happens when you get out from behind Zoom and into a room with the people you work with. The result? Honest conversations, unexpected insights, and a clearer picture of what brands really need right now.

From creative volume challenges to leadership struggles, this episode explores the unspoken truths that surface when vendors and clients share ...

The Tale of Two Cities in E-Commerce: Winners and Losers in 2025At CTC’s Client Summit, Taylor Holiday shares an unfiltered perspective on where the economy, the world, and the e-commerce landscape are headed—and why the future will be defined by a sharp divide between winners and losers.From macroeconomic pressures to changing consumer behavior, Taylor explains why the current environment isn’t creating a level playing field—and w...

Can you turn 14 days into $1.28 million? We did—and we're breaking down exactly how we crushed our million-dollar challenge!

In this episode, join Richard and Luke as they unpack the intense 14-day journey that led to massive revenue success. 

You'll learn:

• How we strategically turned a critical marketing moment into explosive growth.

• The day-by-day breakdown of how we overcame a nearly half-million-dollar gap in just four ...

Discover the next chapter in Common Thread Collective’s story as Taylor Holiday takes you behind the scenes of our 12-year journey from a tiny IKEA furnished office and our first Facebook ad experiments with QALO, to the seismic shifts of COVID and our reinvention as a “profit agency.” 

In this special episode of the podcast, you’ll hear:

• How CTC evolved from a passion project into a mission-driven agency focused on connecting ma...

In this episode of the podcast, we dismantle the old school attribution windows holding your ad strategy hostage and reveal a simple framework for measuring true incremental ROAS.

What you’ll discover:

• Why standard “7-day click” and “1-day view” settings both mislead you

• How to run a zero cost geo holdout test for real incremental data

• When to stick with your current settings and how to apply a correction factor

• What Meta’s new incr...

Is your brand feeling the squeeze? You’re not alone.

In today’s episode, we break down three essential moves every DTC and ecommerce brand must make to survive—and thrive—amid rising bankruptcy rates and tightening capital markets.

You’ll learn:

• Why capital constraints are killing growth—and how to turn your supplier into a lender

• How to generate organic demand by tapping into pop culture and community

• The critical Q4 inventory plan...

Ecommerce brands are quietly shutting their doors, but what's really behind this sudden wave of closures?

In this episode, we dive deep into exclusive industry data, consumer trends, and expert analysis to uncover what's truly happening behind the scenes in the ecommerce space.Join our panel of industry experts as we reveal:

• Why more brands than ever are filing for bankruptcy.
• The surprising trends impacting consumer ...

Are you building a resilient brand or just delaying the inevitable?

In this episode of the Podcast, we tackle six hard hitting questions every founder and operator needs to answer right now. From survival mode decision making to brand building under pressure, we break down what separates strong, adaptable brands from those on the edge of collapse.

Topics We Cover:

• When to cut (and when to protect) your marketing spend

• How to justif...

We’re $423K into our 14-day, $1M revenue challenge—and the pressure is mounting. With just 6 days left, we’re $577K short of our goal.

In this episode, Luke Austin breaks down:

• What’s working (returning customers are showing up)

• What’s not (new customer revenue is lagging)

• Why our efficiency is solid, but volume is the problem

• The high-stakes brand collab launching on June 26th that could make or break the challenge

Can we still...

What’s next for Meta ads? We just got back from Meta’s Performance Summit, and the future is clear: incrementality, AI tuning, creative velocity, and less button pushing, more strategy. 

In this episode of the Podcast, VP of Paid Media, Tony Chopp, shares an exclusive insider recap of what Meta’s top brass revealed about the evolving ad platform and what it means for performance marketers.

You’ll learn:

• Why Meta is obsessed with i...

Meta just rolled out a brand new attribution setting called Incremental Attribution and we put it to the test.

In this episode of the Podcast, Richard is joined by Tony and McCay to break down the results of a real A/B test comparing Meta’s new setting vs. standard 7-day click attribution. The outcome? An 18% lift in conversion value—from the exact same ads and budget.

We’ll cover:

• What Incremental Attribution actually is

• Why it mi...

We’re attempting something BIG. Over the next two weeks, our VP of Ecommerce Strategy, Luke Austin, is taking on a real-time challenge to generate an additional $1,000,000 in revenue profitably for one of our clients.

Every day, we’ll document the actions, strategy shifts, wins, and losses required to hit this massive goal. No fluff. No filters. Just real execution and behind-the-scenes access to how we actually grow brands at scale...

How did our clients perform in May against their forecasted targets? In this episode, we analyze the latest client report card—detailing key insights from over 60 brands we manage.

We dive into:

• How we managed to underspend budget but still exceeded contribution margin forecasts.

• Real examples of price testing and rapid flash sale strategies.

• Actionable insights from our growth strategists on driving profit despite revenue misses.

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Is your marketing stuck between creating meaningful stories and pumping out endless ad variations? This episode of Podcast breaks down the critical tension between creative storytelling and the high volume ads required for success on platforms like Meta.

Join Richard and Taylor as they discuss:

• How the best DTC brands successfully balance creative depth with ad volume.

• Why two distinct marketing rhythms are essential to growing yo...