We’re breaking down the biggest shifts happening right now across AI, media, ecommerce, and culture — from unexpected breakout brands to platform power plays that will shape the next decade.On this episode, we cover:• How Willie Nelson quietly built an $80M beverage brand — and why it’s being positioned as the Olipop of the category• A single brand doing $75M in 2025 using Snap Ads while everyone else ignores the channel?• Why DTC AI healthcare feels inevitable — and terrifying at the same time• The rise of continuous hormone tracking and what it unlocks (and risks)• Spotify selling physical books (yes, really) — and what it says about platforms becoming tastemakers• Meta testing a standalone app for AI‑generated “vibes” content• YouTube quietly dominating all of streaming with $60B in revenue in 2025 — and why brands still underinvest• A deep interview with Patrick Barnes, CEO of AMP, on dashboards, LTV myths, and what healthy ecommerce businesses actually look like• Why “teaching the algorithm” matters more than blaming it — and how clarity compounds over timeThis is a fast‑moving, opinionated episode about where leverage is shifting — in distribution, branding, technology, and consumer trust.— — —Weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/Made possible by:Postscript - https://postscript.io/sms-benchmarks?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboyAMP - ⁠https://postscript.io/sms-benchmarks?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboySeguno - https://www.seguno.com/?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboyFollow Ecomm Cowboy:https://x.com/ecommcowboyhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ecommcowboyhttps://www.instagram.com/ecommcowboy/https://www.tiktok.com/@ecommcowboyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0q1Pp0rW8j6cehXToNTeJchttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecomm-cowboy/id1761749693

We’re covering the ideas behind the headlines — where platforms are going, why certain brands are winning quietly, and what founders and operators need to understand before the shift is obvious.Today’s topics include:- Anthropic vs. OpenAI — two AI companies, two completely different worldviews, and why this fight is about values, not just models- The social distribution playbook emerging from builders like Nikita Bier and others- Why MBA logic breaks down in e‑commerce (and what actually works instead)- Goodwill’s record‑breaking year and what resale teaches DTC brands about value- “Teach the Algorithm” — how creators and brands accidentally train platforms the wrong way- Shopify’s cultural positioning through athletes and creators- Legacy brands collapsing under irrelevance- The rise of DTC AI healthcare and why it’s both exciting and unsettlingA conversation with Bart, co‑founder of DadGang, on modern fatherhood, the one‑man brand, and building a movement instead of a logoAlong the way, we’ll unpack:- Where attention is actually compounding right now- Why speed and taste beat strategy decks- How AI is changing teams, agencies, and solo founders- What winning brands understand about identity, mission, and distribution— — —Weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/Made possible by:Postscript - https://postscript.io/sms-benchmarks?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboyAMP - ⁠https://postscript.io/sms-benchmarks?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboySeguno - https://www.seguno.com/?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboyFollow Ecomm Cowboy:https://x.com/ecommcowboyhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ecommcowboyhttps://www.instagram.com/ecommcowboy/https://www.tiktok.com/@ecommcowboyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0q1Pp0rW8j6cehXToNTeJchttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecomm-cowboy/id1761749693

We’re breaking down the biggest marketing stories, creative plays, and platform shifts shaping 2026 — with real talk, real examples, and zero fluff.From Gen Z culture shifts to TikTok performance data, AI‑native agencies, and why “no ads are coming” is never true, this episode is all about what actually matters if you’re building, marketing, or scaling a brand today.On today’s show:- Gen Z “In’s” vs “Outs” — what brands are finally getting wrong (and right)- TikTok’s latest report on which ad formats actually drive results- A one‑shot UGC ad that outperformed full creative pipelines- Why AI‑native agencies (“Agentcy” / SEANs) are emerging fast- AI creative in ad accounts: where it helps, where it hurts- The rise of “Meat Tasks” and agents managing humans- Claude’s “no ads are coming” claim — and why history says otherwise- ElevenLabs’ $500M raise and why voice is becoming infrastructure- Mission‑driven brands, having an “enemy,” and why VanMan leans into itCan a restaurant become a better marketing engine than the product itself?— — —Weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/Made possible by:Postscript - https://postscript.io/sms-benchmarks?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboyAMP - ⁠https://postscript.io/sms-benchmarks?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboySeguno - https://www.seguno.com/?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboyFollow Ecomm Cowboy:https://x.com/ecommcowboyhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ecommcowboyhttps://www.instagram.com/ecommcowboy/https://www.tiktok.com/@ecommcowboyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0q1Pp0rW8j6cehXToNTeJchttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecomm-cowboy/id1761749693

Welcome to DTC’s Daily Show, where we cut through the noise and talk about what’s now and next in e‑commerce, marketing, and the internet economy.Today’s show is packed.We’re digging into hidden channel arbitrage, brand moments that beat Super Bowl ads, why some teams retain talent while everyone else churns, and the rise of convenience‑driven “liquid food” in the Ozempic era. Plus, a few internet curveballs you probably didn’t see coming.On today’s show:• Is Bing the arbitrage no one’s talking about? While everyone fights over Meta and Google, we break down why Bing (and Microsoft’s ecosystem) might be quietly printing ROI for the right brands.• Agency retention that actually works — Jess from FireTeam joins us to unpack how they’re pulling off a 21.8‑month average tenure (unheard of) and what focus, creative, and culture have to do with it.• Heinz KegChup: owning the moment without a Super Bowl ad. Heinz proves you don’t need an $8M media buy to win the Big Game — you need a product people want to talk about.• The rise of “Liquid Salad” and convenience culture. From Fiber Daddy TikTok to GLP‑1 behavior shifts, we explore why streamlined nutrition is exploding — and what it signals for future food brands.• OpenAI’s rumored biometric social network. A bot‑free internet powered by “proof of personhood”? We break down what OpenAI might be building — and why it’s both fascinating and terrifying.• Fanatics’ Super Bowl product stumble. When distribution is massive, mistakes scale too. We talk expectations, execution, and brand trust.— — —Weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/Made possible by:Postscript - https://postscript.io/sms-benchmarks?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboyAMP - ⁠https://postscript.io/sms-benchmarks?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboySeguno - https://www.seguno.com/?utm_source=Ecomm+Cowboy+Show&utm_medium=Show&utm_campaign=Ad+Read&utm_id=Ecomm+CowboyFollow Ecomm Cowboy:https://x.com/ecommcowboyhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ecommcowboyhttps://www.instagram.com/ecommcowboy/https://www.tiktok.com/@ecommcowboyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0q1Pp0rW8j6cehXToNTeJchttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecomm-cowboy/id1761749693

We start with a look at AI entering the social graph, including Moltbook and the rise of agent‑driven content, plus reactions from builders and thinkers across X. If attention is the new currency, this is the next frontier.

Then we’re joined by Kyle Yeoman, President of Groove Life, to break down how the brand has evolved since 2019 — from Kickstarter roots to Bass Pro, Cabela’s, and NFL athletes.

Next up, London Spilker (HexClad) joins us to talk paid media at real scale — what managing spend actually looks like, why forecasting beats reacting, and whether the “Gordon Ramsay bump” is real when it comes to CTR and watch time. Plus, the spreadsheet that’s saved millions in wasted spend.

We also break down the biggest stories in the ecosystem:

• OpenAI’s new ad product and why buyers are hesitant
• Allbirds closing nearly all U.S. stores — and what it says about retail
• Costco x Nike, Dr. Squatch apologies, and brands doing the thing they swore they’d never do
• And we close with a bigger question: Can retail be fun again — or did it lose the plot?

— — — 

Welcome to DTC's daily show — what's now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecomm-cowboy/id1761749693

CHAPTERS

0:00:29 - Moltbook: AI Agents, Internet Meltdowns & “Is This the Terminator?”

0:02:52 - Are AI Agents Actually Useful—or Just a Shiny Object?

0:12:05 - Kyle Yeoman (Groove Life) Joins — Bootstrapped & Profitable

0:15:15 - First‑Purchase Profitability vs LTV (Hot Take)

0:19:12 - Marketing to Men (and Their Wives): What Actually Works

0:24:38 - Subscriptions, LTV Myths & “Lazy Marketing”

0:29:02 - If Meta Stops Working: Kyle’s Advice to Founders

0:39:48 - London Spilker (HexClad) Joins — Running Paid Media at Scale

0:43:11 - Paid Media Channels That Matter in 2026 (YouTube, CTV, Sports)

0:46:02 - Why HexClad Brought Creative & Production In‑House

0:47:17 - Gordon Ramsay vs Micro‑Creators (The “Gordon Bump”)

0:53:18 - The “Mother of All Spreadsheets” for Forecasting & Media Mix

1:00:25 - “We’re So Sorry” Ads, Hacks & What Actually Converts

1:02:53 - Costco x Nike Collab — Smart Move or Desperation?

1:05:02 - Allbirds Closing Stores — The End of Millennial‑Core Brands?

1:08:17 - Can Department Stores Be Fun Again? (Retail’s Future)

1:12:12 - Final Takeaways + What’s Coming Next

We kick things off with Hot Jobs Friday, breaking down some of the most interesting roles in e-commerce right now — from paid social and TikTok Shop to agency growth roles and CPG opportunities hiding in plain sight.

Then we’re joined by Maddie Martin, Head of Marketing at Cadence, to answer a deceptively simple question: Can electrolytes be luxury?

We dig into:

• Building a luxury performance brand in a commoditized category
• Why Cadence focused on runners and endurance athletes first
• How lean teams can still scale aggressively
• Channels Cadence is betting on in 2026
• Designing for shareability, not just views
• Why first-principles branding still wins

We close out with:

• A live Outty taste test
• Standout brand moments from Hims, Huawei, Absolut x Tabasco
• What AI UGC means for creators and marketers

If you’re a founder, marketer, or operator trying to stay ahead of what’s actually working — this episode is for you.

DTC’s daily show — what’s now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.

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CHAPTERS

• 0:00 What’s on Today’s Show
• 2:22 Hot Jobs Friday
• 13:14 Maddie Martin Joins
• 14:47 Can Electrolytes Be Luxury?
• 18:09 Channels for 2026
• 32:26 Lean Teams, Big Outcomes
• 41:34 Live Taste Test
• 49:02 Hims Super Bowl Breakdown
• 58:48 Absolut x Tabasco
• 1:02 AI UGC
• 1:05 Final Thoughts

From learning how to sell to women the right way, to why trust, clarity, and creativity matter more than hacks — this episode goes deep on what’s actually working in DTC right now.

We cover:

• Why most brands misunderstand female buying psychology
• How great brands evolve beyond their original product category
• The difference between credibility and hype in wellness & fitness
• Why creators, IRL experiences, and authenticity are winning again
• Hard lessons from real operators (including expensive mistakes)
• What founders need to focus on as AI changes everything

A deep dive with Eric Bandholz (Beardbrand) on brand evolution and identity in DTC — plus insights from Max Grantham on running an email marketing agency in 2026.

DTC’s daily show — what’s now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.

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We cover why Sydney Sweeney’s SYRN is getting dragged on the internet (and why it may not matter whatsoever), how Liquid Death keeps winning by making fun of advertising itself, and why brands that rely on one platform are playing a dangerous game.

Also in this episode:

• Why resale (ReRhone) is becoming a margin recovery strategy, not just a sustainability play
• What Gen Z’s changing relationship with work means for brands and teams
• Why “anti-ads,” culture, and creative throughput matter more than ever
• How B2B ecommerce looks different from DTC — and what DTC operators can learn from it

We’re joined by Isaiah Bollinger, host of The Hard Truth About B2B Ecommerce and SVP at Zaelab, to talk manufacturing, distribution, destination events, and how real commerce actually works behind the scenes.

DTC’s daily show — what’s now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.

Weekly newsletter:
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Made possible by:

• Postscript — Link
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We’re digging into why TikTok users are deleting the app, what the sudden rise of alternatives like Skylight really signals (and what it doesn’t), and why moments like the Lego × Crocs collab show how culture now moves faster than media plans.

We’re also sitting down with Colin McGuire to talk real operator lessons — building BOOMN, mentoring next-gen founders, choosing hard categories on purpose, and how he already hit his 2026 business goals by going all-in on execution.

CHAPTERS

• 0:01 Intro + today’s rundown
• 0:04 Lego x Crocs: why weird sells
• 0:10 TikTok uninstalls + Skylight surge
• 0:13 Sponsor: AMP (Lifetimely)
• 0:14 Colin McGuire joins + BOOMN origin
• 0:20 CAC → LTV economics + brick & click
• 0:24 Retail reality check
• 0:28 Influencers as long-term assets
• 0:31 Honest Company exits DTC
• 0:39 Post-interview recap
• 0:46 Sponsor: Seguno
• 0:48 Tecovas Super Bowl ad reaction
• 0:58 Claude as creative strategist
• 1:01 Sponsor: Postscript
• 1:03 Glassdoor as culture signal
• 1:06 Nike automation layoffs breakdown
• 1:10 Nate Lagos whiskey content loop
• 1:12 Wrap + sign-off

DTC’s daily show — what’s now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.

Weekly newsletter:
https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/

Made possible by:

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We start with TikTok’s new ownership getting off to a rocky start — and why creator + advertiser confidence matters more than “competition.” Even small moments of uncertainty can fracture momentum inside the most influential culture engine on the internet.

From there, we dig into the State of Email in 2026 with Jimmy Kim — what Gmail’s AI inbox means for deliverability, relevance, and retention, and why email isn’t dying… it’s getting filtered harder than ever. The brands that survive aren’t louder — they’re clearer.

We then break down OpenAI’s emerging ad model — paying for impressions instead of clicks — and why this signals a shift away from performance mechanics toward presence, trust, and context inside AI-native environments. If AI becomes the thinking layer, what does attribution even mean anymore?

Other stories we cover:

• Why Valentine’s Day is no longer just for couples (self-gifting + platonic spending are now core behavior)
• YouTube’s Demand Gen drop, shoppable CTV, and dynamic QR codes — the big screen is quietly becoming a checkout lane
• What Paramount+ topping the App Store says about comfort content + attention fatigue
• Why 2026 feels like 2016 again: Gen Z nostalgia, simpler aesthetics, fewer platforms, and a desire for a more human internet

Throughout the show, we connect the dots between automation, monetization, and culture — and why brands that keep optimizing for clicks may panic, while brands that earn trust quietly compound.

DTC’s daily show — what’s now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.

Weekly newsletter:
https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/

Made possible by:

• Postscript — Link
• AMP — Link
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