Threading The Needle

Welcome back to another insightful episode of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast! In this interview episode, we sit down with Cherene Aubert, the VP of Digital and Ecommerce at ILIA Beauty, a powerhouse beauty brand with a GQ score of 221.  Cherene shares her expertise in decoding growth strategies, dissecting the DNA of successful ecommerce giants, and navigating the nuanced world of cosmetics and skincare. Join us as Cherene delves into ILIA Beauty's journey, from its roots in skincare to its focus on clean and performance-driven cosmetics. Learn how Cherene applies her extensive experience in growth strategy to elevate brands, drawing from her impactful roles at CTC and Bobbie. Show Notes: Grapevine’s partnering with Common Thread Collective to offer listeners a discount on their first campaign. Click here to book a demo with Grapevine today! The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co In this episode, CTC Director of Growth Strategy Luke Austin takes a turn on the mic, demonstrating how to forecast revenue for the most important, predictable source of revenue: Email.

aylor recently set off a firestorm on DTC Twitter/X by claiming that “top-of-funnel” platforms — those that claim to raise brand awareness without any clear path to conversion lift — is essentially a scam.  On this episode, Taylor and Richard dig into the thinking behind that clickbait headline, breaking down exactly why channels like TV are a dangerous temptation to ecommerce operators. Show Notes: Get started with CTC’s Prophit System here. View Taylor’s tweet here. The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

In today's episode, we interview Dave Huffman, CMO of Ancestral Supplements, a unique and rapidly growing brand with a GQ score of over 397. Discover their market positioning, the power of community, and their innovative approach to product development. Join us for insights into health trends, effective marketing, and the success story of Ancestral Supplements.  Show Notes: Want an easier way to source UGC? Streamline your process with SARAL’s chrome extension: ⁠http://getsaral.com/champions/ctc The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co It’s a common question: Where is the biggest opportunity for me to spend my advertising dollars? In this episode, Taylor lays out exactly where the vast majority of smaller businesses should be allocating their marketing budget.

On this episode of the podcast, CTC Director of Growth Strategy Luke Austin sits down with Richard to identify the key characteristics of the brands that are best set up to thrive in 2024’s profit-first environment. Show Notes: Get started with CTC’s Prophit System here. The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

Welcome to the first episode of a new series on the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast! In this series, we step aside from the usual interviews and dive into the world of brand operators, exploring successful brands through the lens of their GQ score (Growth Quotient). To kick off the series, we interview Dave Rekuc, President of Bambu Earth, our own brand with a GQ score of 119.7. Explore the strengths and weaknesses of this middle-market bootstrap ecommerce brand that's expected to hit $12 million in 2023. From high LTV to low carrying costs, discover the key attributes that make Bambu Earth a successful skincare brand. Show Notes: Grapevine’s partnering with Common Thread Collective to offer listeners a discount on their first campaign. Click here to book a demo with Grapevine today! https://qc0fgbadvc8.typeform.com/to/qwVSYUqV?utm_campaign=CTC&typeform-source=email The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of

ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co As the post-holiday slump hits, many brands are facing a dreaded “revenue valley” — a down moment where people just aren’t buying. In this episode, Taylor unpacks the tactics you need to survive any post-peak revenue hangover.

On this episode of the podcast, Taylor and Richard shift focus from long-term 2024 predictions to the most important trends happening right now — the decline of the “Head of Growth” role, the shift toward fixed fees for vendors, the rise of the Chief Operating Officer, and more.  Show Notes: Get 30 free days of Toki’s cutting-edge customer loyalty platform (including cashback and paid membership programs) at buildwithtoki.com/ctc. See Taylor’s Ecommerce Ins and Outs tweet here. The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

As we enter a new year, Taylor and Richard walk through 5 critical ecommerce trends that we expect to take off in 2024. 1. The rise of the product influencer brands2. Less, better stuff trend3. The ***** grift comes to an end4. Contribution margin shows up in Shopify Dash5. ****** bubble pops Gotta listen to fill in the blanks... Show Notes: The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co In this episode, Taylor breaks down one of the most crucial metrics in ecommerce: LTV. Watch to learn more about how to measure it, how it impacts different industries, and how to grow it into an elite level.

In this final episode of our 5-part series on the Prophit system, Taylor and Richard get on the mic to wrap things up, explaining how all the elements of the system work together to deliver on a daily plan for predictable, profitable growth. Show Notes: Elevar is offering 50% off Expert Installation ($1000 value) with the purchase of a subscription (Essentials Plan or above) by January 19, 2024*. Please complete this short form to take advantage of the offer. *Offer available for new Elevar clients only The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

What do you do when your Meta ads account is on fire? How about when you need more creative? And what do you do when the account is performing too well? In this episode, Richard chats with Max Rosewater, Senior Paid Social Buyer at CTC, about the key parts of his decision-making process — and, how to translate your forecast into a day-to-day, channel-specific media plan. Show Notes: Elevar is offering 50% off Expert Installation ($1000 value) with the purchase of a subscription (Essentials Plan or above) by January 19, 2024*. Please complete this short form to take advantage of the offer. *Offer available for new Elevar clients only The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co In this episode, Taylor breaks down one of the most crucial metrics in ecommerce: LTV. Watch to learn more about how to measure it, how it impacts different industries, and how to grow it into an elite level.

On this episode, Richard chats with Aileen McKenna, Director of Creative Strategy & Performance at CTC, about the creative aspect of our growth methodology: How to use your topline financial goals to operationalize your creative production, and how to come up with good creative ideas — quickly. ⁠Show Notes: The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

On this episode of the podcast, Taylor and Richard discuss Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2023 — the good, the bad, and what this year’s business-as-usual BFCM means for the ecommerce landscape in 2024.   ⁠Show Notes: The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co In this episode, Taylor and Richard talk creative — but from an unexpected angle. Listen in as Taylor breaks down how to calculate creative needs by determining month-by-month Spend/aMER requirements.

We're taking a break this week from our regular episodes for Black Friday. In the meantime, we're dropping a preview of Taylor's 2023 BFCM Q&A with ADmission members. To watch the entire episode, head over to youradmission.co to get started on an ADmission

On this episode of the podcast, Richard chats with Luke Austin, Directory of Growth Strategy at CTC about part 2 of our growth methodology: how to build a forecasting model that ladders up to your business goals and provides clear marching orders for your creative and paid media efforts. ⁠Show Notes: The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm.

ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co In this first episode of our brand-new bonus series, Taylor and Richard sit down to talk everything Cost Caps — why you should be using them, when to use cost caps vs min ROAS bidding, and how to set up your cost cap campaigns in Meta Ads manager. Then, they discuss the biggest barrier to Cost Caps success — creative volume — and how to make sure you have the creative you need to support your desired spend.