Why do some DTC brands scale profitably while others burn through ad budgets chasing misleading metrics?

Many ecommerce brands rely heavily on platform-reported ROAS to make growth decisions. But the brands that scale sustainably understand that true profitability comes from focusing on unit economics, contribution margin, and overall business performance—not vanity metrics.

In Episode 85 of the Agency Operators Podcast, we're joined by Landon Gartner, Founder of Vanspec Marketing, a performance marketing agency helping DTC ecommerce brands build profitable Meta acquisition systems.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✅ Why MER is a more reliable growth metric than platform ROAS

✅ The critical unit economics check every DTC brand should run before increasing ad spend

✅ How smaller brands can build a profitable Meta acquisition engine before reaching $1M in revenue

✅ Practical strategies for making smarter scaling decisions without sacrificing profitability

Packed with actionable strategies and real-world insights, this episode will help ecommerce founders and marketers build a stronger foundation for sustainable growth.

About Landon Gartner:

Landon Gartner is the Founder of Vanspec Marketing, a performance marketing agency specializing in Meta-led paid acquisition for DTC ecommerce brands. He works with brands generating between $1M and $8M in annual revenue, helping them improve profitability through stronger unit economics, customer acquisition strategies, and scalable growth systems.

"DTC brands are scaling on a metric that's lying to them, and most don't know it yet."

Connect with Landon Gartner:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/landongartner/

Key Discussion Topics 

• Why MER is a better north star than platform ROAS

• The unit economics framework every DTC brand should understand

• How to build a profitable Meta acquisition engine before reaching $1M

• Scaling ad spend without sacrificing profitability

Why You Should Tune In 

If you're investing in Meta advertising and wondering whether your growth is truly profitable, this episode is for you. Landon breaks down the metrics that matter, the financial checks brands often overlook, and the systems required to scale customer acquisition sustainably. Whether you're an ecommerce founder, operator, or marketer, you'll walk away with practical frameworks you can apply immediately to make smarter growth decisions.

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

What if the biggest conversion lever on Amazon today isn’t your ad strategy—but how your product is experienced?

As eCommerce competition increases, brands are starting to realize that static images limit how customers interact with products. Attention and engagement are becoming the real differentiators in conversion performance.

In this episode of the Agency Operators Podcast, we’re joined by Ganesh Singh, Co-founder and COO of 3Dimages.ai. Ganesh began his entrepreneurial journey at 19 building eCommerce brands, later moving into AI and SaaS for Amazon sellers. Today, he is focused on helping brands adopt 3D technology to create more interactive shopping experiences.

We explore how immersive product visualization is shifting buyer behavior and what this means for brands competing on Amazon and beyond.

About Ganesh Singh:

Ganesh Singh is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of 3Dimages.ai, based in London. He started his career building eCommerce businesses before transitioning into AI-driven SaaS solutions for Amazon sellers. His current focus is enabling brands to integrate 3D product experiences at scale and prepare for the next evolution of digital commerce.

“Engagement is becoming the new currency of conversion — and 3D is one of the most direct ways to increase it.”

Connect Links

Connect with Ganesh Singh:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ganesh-singh-157565169/
Company: https://www.3dimages.ai/
LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3dimages/

Key Discussion Topics 

• The behavioral shift in how customers evaluate products online
• Where 3D and AR fit into modern eCommerce infrastructure
• How platforms like Amazon are experimenting with interactive listings
• What early adoption of immersive assets means for brand differentiation

Why You Should Tune In

This episode is for operators who want to understand where eCommerce is heading—not just what’s working today. You’ll walk away with a clearer view of how customer interaction is evolving and why visual experience is becoming a competitive advantage in conversion performance.

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

Host: Pasha Knish - CEO @ AMZ Optimized

Speakers:

Gabriela Yero - Founding BD officer @ AVASK

Jérôme de Guigné - Group CEO @ eComas

Stephanie Khalikyar  - Strategic Partnerships Manager @Uncapped

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

Most brands don’t have an agency problem.
They have a visibility problem.

They hire agencies without defining operational ownership, performance expectations, or accountability systems. Then they wonder why revenue grows while margin and cash flow deteriorate.

In Episode 83 of the Agency Operators Podcast, Drew Hart joins us to discuss how brands should actually work with Amazon agencies — from vetting partners properly to creating systems that keep performance measurable and operationally aligned.

In this episode, we cover:
— How to identify the right projects for agencies
— Why testing agencies on focused operational tasks matters
— The importance of outside audits and performance pressure
— How founder-led and PE-backed brands should evaluate Amazon partners

Packed with practical insights for operators who want Amazon to function like a real business unit — not just a collection of disconnected tactics.

About Drew Hart:
Drew Hart is the Founder & CEO of Vinculum Services, an Amazon-focused firm helping brands improve advertising performance, conversion, and marketplace operations through commerce intelligence and structured execution.

Before founding Vinculum, Drew spent 10 years in a Fortune 500 management rotation program across finance, marketing, operations, and strategy before building and exiting two Amazon brands in 2024.

“Amazon is a profitable platform, but only with the right partners.”

Connect with Drew Hart:
https://linkedin.com/in/drewhart

Key Discussion Topics

• Identifying the right projects for agencies
• Testing agencies through focused operational work
• Building a list of qualified agency partners
• Using outside audits to improve accountability and performance

Why You Should Tune In

This episode is especially relevant for founders, ecommerce directors, and operators managing growing Amazon businesses with increasing operational complexity.

Drew breaks down how strong brands structure agency relationships to improve visibility across advertising, conversion, inventory, and profitability — while avoiding the common trap of outsourcing responsibility without operational oversight.

If you want Amazon performance tied closer to revenue quality, margin health, and cash flow efficiency, this conversation delivers practical frameworks worth paying attention to.

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

What makes some acquisitions actually work… while others fall apart after the deal is signed?

Most teams obsess over strategy.
Very few are prepared for the operational reality that follows.

In this episode, Jessica Wright — CEO of AO2 — shares what it really takes to navigate acquisitions successfully after going through two in just two years.

We cover:

• Why execution—not strategy—determines acquisition success
• How culture influences decisions more than most leaders expect
• What it takes to maintain client continuity during transitions
• The operational blind spots that quietly derail growth

Packed with real-world lessons and practical insights—this is a conversation for anyone thinking about scaling through acquisition.

About Jessica Wright:
Jessica Wright is the CEO of AO2, a full-service Amazon agency helping brands grow profitably while protecting long-term value. With nearly two decades of experience across brand leadership, partnerships, and agency operations, she brings a grounded, operator-first perspective to eCommerce.

Connect with Jessica Wright:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-rene-wright/

Key Discussion Topics
• Why acquisitions succeed or fail in operations—not strategy
• The role of culture in post-acquisition decisions
• How to maintain client trust and continuity
• Lessons from navigating two acquisitions in two years

Why You Should Tune In

If you’re considering an acquisition—or currently in the middle of one—this episode gives you a clearer picture of what actually drives success after the deal closes. Jessica breaks down the operational realities most teams overlook, from aligning culture to protecting client relationships. You’ll walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately, whether you’re scaling an agency or managing complex transitions.

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

What’s actually slowing your agency down—and why can’t you spot it?

Many agency owners assume growth problems come from weak sales or inconsistent marketing. But more often, the real issue sits inside operations—hidden in unclear systems, broken processes, and blind spots no one’s tracking.

In this episode, Tiara Tragas, Founder of Tragas Consulting, shares how agencies can uncover and fix the operational gaps that quietly limit growth.

You’ll learn how to identify inefficiencies, simplify your internal systems, and build operations that actually support scale—not slow it down.

Packed with practical insights you can apply immediately to run a more efficient, scalable agency.

About Tiara Tragas:
Tiara Tragas is the Founder of Tragas Consulting, where she helps agencies improve their internal operations and streamline processes for growth. She’s known for identifying operational blind spots and building systems that make teams more efficient and scalable.

“You don’t know what you don’t know when it comes to operations.”

Connect with Tiara Tragas:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiara-tragas-55158b1b4/

Key Discussion Topics

• Why agencies misdiagnose their growth challenges
• The most common operational blind spots
• How to simplify systems without creating more complexity

Why You Should Tune In

If your agency feels harder to run than it should, this episode will help you pinpoint why. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of how operations impact growth—and what to fix first to create a smoother, more scalable business.

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

Why do some brands get remembered, while others get skipped?

In this episode, I sit down with Jack Connor, CEO of Almery Group, to talk about how brands are showing up differently by becoming part of the content people already watch.

This isn’t about better ads. It’s about a different approach to visibility.

We’ll cover:

• What narrative marketing actually looks like in practice
• How brands are getting placed inside entertainment and media
• Why traditional marketing is losing attention
• Where storytelling fits into modern brand strategy

Packed with practical examples on how brands are getting seen without relying on interruption.

About the Guest

About Jack Connor:
 Jack Connor is the CEO of Almery Group, with a background in tech and film. He works with brands to help them break into entertainment and build visibility through storytelling instead of traditional advertising.

“If you want to be seen you need to be in the entertainment, not an interruption to it.”

Connect with Jack Connor:
 linkedin.com/in/jackconnor

Key Discussion Topics

• Narrative marketing and what it means for brands today
• How brands are entering entertainment and media
• Why interruption-based marketing is losing effectiveness

Why You Should Tune In 

Most brands are still competing for attention in the same places. Ads, feeds, short windows to capture interest. This episode breaks down a different path. One where brands show up inside the content people already choose to watch. If you’re thinking about how to stay relevant as attention shifts, this conversation gives you a more practical direction.

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

What actually holds most Amazon brands back—lack of capital, or how they use it?

In Episode 79, we sit down with Stephanie Khalikyar, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Uncapped, who brings over a decade of experience across e-commerce M&A, agency operations, partnerships, and brand growth—with both wins and hard lessons from failures.

This conversation goes beyond the usual “raise more money” narrative and gets into the real decision-making behind capital.

We cover:

• When capital is the right lever for growth—and when it isn’t
• How margin constraints quietly limit scale more than budget
• The most common financing mistakes that hurt long-term growth
• How to think strategically before taking on funding

If you’re considering capital to scale your brand, this episode will challenge how you think about it.

Packed with practical insights for operators who want to grow profitably, not just faster.

About the Guest

About Stephanie Khalikyar:

Stephanie is the Strategic Partnerships Manager at Uncapped, with 10 years of experience in e-commerce spanning M&A, agency sales and operations, mentorship, and partnerships. She’s worked closely with brands at different growth stages and is known for her practical, experience-driven perspective shaped by both successful exits and real-world failures.

“You can’t fail if you bet on yourself.”

Connect with Stephanie Khalikyar:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-khalikyar/

Key Discussion Topics

• When capital is the right choice for your brand
• When your margins—not your budget—are the real bottleneck
• Common financing mistakes that hurt future growth

Why You Should Tune In (Persuasive Paragraph)

Most brands assume more capital will fix their growth problems—but that’s rarely the full story. This episode breaks down how to evaluate capital decisions with clarity, avoid costly mistakes, and focus on what actually drives sustainable growth. If you're an Amazon operator, ecommerce leader, or founder thinking about funding, this conversation will help you make smarter, more strategic decisions. 

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

Host: Pasha Knish - CEO @ AMZ Optimized

Speakers:

Chelsea Cohen - Co-Founder @ SoStocked

Shane Barker - Owner @ TraceFuse

David Seybert - GTM @ Swapt

Noah Wickham - VP of Sales & Marketing @ My Amazon Guy

Ganesh Singh - Co-Founder & COO @ 3dimages.ai

Chris McCabe - Owner & Founder @ ecommerceChris

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.

Why do some brands stay busy with marketing… but still struggle to grow?

It’s not a lack of effort—it’s a lack of alignment.

In this episode, Mari-Liis Vaher, Founder and CEO of Powerful Marketers and author of The Greatest Marketer, shares how founders and teams can move from scattered activities to clear, aligned strategies that actually drive results.

You’ll learn:
— What “aligned marketing” really means in practice
— A simple 5-pillar framework to connect marketing to business goals
— How to improve collaboration between founders, marketers, and agencies
— Practical ways to create clarity, reduce burnout, and make growth more predictable

Packed with actionable strategies you can apply immediately.

About Mari-Liis Vaher:

Mari-Liis Vaher is the Founder and CEO of Powerful Marketers and author of The Greatest Marketer. With over 20 years in marketing and 15+ years as an entrepreneur, she helps founders and teams move from disconnected marketing efforts to clear, aligned strategies that support sustainable business growth.

“No one wins alone. When marketing is aligned, everyone grows.”

Connect with Mari-Liis Vaher:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vahermariliis/

Key Discussion Topics

• What “aligned marketing” really looks like beyond theory
• The 5-pillar framework: Mindset, Strategy, Marketing, Communication, Leadership
• How to create better collaboration between founders, teams, and agencies

Why You Should Tune In 

If your marketing feels busy but disconnected, this episode will help you fix the root problem. You’ll walk away with a clear framework to align your strategy, improve team collaboration, and turn your marketing into a system that drives consistent, predictable growth—not just more activity.

This podcast is tailor-made to provide valuable insights to our community of exceptional operators who have been through a lot in their efforts to foster brand growth and positively impact lives. Whether you’re a marketer yourself or want to get into the industry this is a great opportunity to learn from agency owners who know the successful tactics to implement.