Ecomm Cowboy

We’re breaking down Kim Kardashian’s new paraxanthine-powered energy drink, what it signals about the future of wellness, and why “biohacking baddies” might be the next billion-dollar consumer segment.

Then we go deep with Matt Schroeder, co-founder of Tidalwave (Twitter’s favorite 3PL), on:

• Why fulfillment nightmares happen
• When outsourcing is actually cheaper than in-house
• What founders get wrong about 3PLs
• Building operational leverage in DTC
• The future of vertically integrated print + fulfillment

After that, we talk with Mister Civ (Kenny Cox) — the #1 Madden/CFB coach online — about:

• Turning content into a real business
• Working with EA Sports and major brands
• Why creators are becoming media companies
• Whether brands should hire creators full-time
• Building a real community (not just saying you have one)

We’re also covering:

• Truff’s redesign — glow up or dilution?
• Graza going NASCAR — genius distribution or off-brand?
• Apple manufacturing Mac Minis in Houston
• Ad vs. Ad breakdown
• And what this all means for modern operators

If you’re building a DTC brand, working with creators, or trying to future-proof your edge in 2026 and beyond — this one’s for you.

Live chat is open. Bring your takes.

— — —

Welcome to DTC's daily — what's now and next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.

Weekly newsletter:
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Today we’re breaking down the biggest shifts happening in marketing, ecommerce, and consumer behavior — and what they mean for operators who want to stay ahead.

• Is Dove’s “brutally honest” Reddit campaign the future of advertising — or just recycled UGC?
• James Camp joins us to talk about AI as infrastructure — not just a personal assistant.
• How $50K in revenue was added in 10 hours using AI.
• Are we entering the era of the one-person brand and the “superman marketer”?
• What 8-figure ecommerce brands are missing when it comes to AI implementation.
• Why Topo Chico might disappear until Q3 — and what scarcity does to premium brands.
• The DoorDash driver who built a 100M impression brand with a flyer.
• A new better-for-you sweetener (Poca) that’s leaning into indulgence instead of optimization — is this where wellness is headed?
• And finally — how to not get replaced by AI.

This episode is about leverage.

Operators who win over the next 12–24 months won’t just use AI — they’ll redesign their systems around it. They’ll understand distribution. They’ll understand psychology. They’ll understand focus.

If you're building, scaling, or trying to future-proof your career — this one’s for you.

Live chat is open. Bring your takes. 🔥

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Welcome to DTC's daily — what's now and next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.

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

Made possible by:

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Are performance marketing roles collapsing into 1–2 operators? Is AI quietly building bigger baskets than your best CRO test? And is Meta about to charge you based on where your customers live?

Today we’re breaking down the biggest conversations happening in commerce right now:

• Why elite performance teams may soon only need 1–2 high-agency killers
• The leading indicator of where the marketing job market is headed
• Walmart’s AI shoppers spending 35% more (and what that means for your AOV)
• Consumer psychology trends heading into 2026
• Costco somehow becoming the cheapest store in America… while charging membership
• Why it might be time to build your own ad network
• Meta potentially introducing location-based fees
• Shopify going down — and what that exposed
• Meme of the weekend

This is not surface-level commentary.

We’re talking:

• Role convergence
• The death of the button pusher
• Intent-driven commerce
• Owned distribution vs rented reach
• AI as a basket builder
• Psychological precision in marketing
• Platform risk
• The future of operator-led growth

Join us live, bring your takes, and let’s unpack where commerce is actually headed.

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Welcome to DTC's daily — what's now and next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.

Weekly newsletter:
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Made possible by:

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Today we’re breaking down the future of ecommerce operators, creative strategy, and paid media — and what it actually takes to win in an AI-accelerated world.

HOT JOBS: The New Operator Economy

We’re reviewing some of the most interesting ecommerce roles on the market right now — including:

• Growth Strategist at Kynship (profit-first, $1M+/mo budgets)
• Ecommerce Manager at Salt & Stone
• Head of Duolingo Store (first ecomm hire, $150–230K)
• Ecommerce Generalist at Yeti
• CX role at Ramp

Interview: Sarah Levinger

We go deep on buyer psychology and creative strategy:

• Why people don’t always buy the “best” product
• What a creative strategist actually does
• The concept of “teaching the algorithm”
• How to land 8–9 figure brands without connections
• Building skill through community vs chasing tactics

If you run ads, build brands, or write copy — this one is dense.

Interview: Phil Kiel

Health & wellness brands are feeling a “category tax” on Meta. We unpack:

• What’s happening to supplement brands on the platform
• Why CPMs doubling can break your math
• The truth about reach compression
• Common structural mistakes found in ad account audits
• Why media buyers are really treasury managers

If you’re spending serious money on Meta, this is required viewing.

— — —

Welcome to DTC's daily — what's now and next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.

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

Made possible by:

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Resale is going mainstream. Meta ads are still a mystery. Amazon is killing robots. And Chubbies just launched a women’s swim brand the right way.

Today we break down one of the most interesting brand expansions in DTC: Chubbies launching Cheekies, a standalone women’s swimwear brand built by an all-women team. Is this how mature ecommerce brands should expand?

Then we sit down with Rok Hladnik for a no-BS conversation about paid media in 2026:

• Why Meta’s Audience Network might be hurting your account
• The most common technical mistakes inside ad accounts
• Why media buyers should think like treasury managers
• How AI is changing agencies, creators, and capital allocation

We also cover:

• eBay acquiring Depop for $1.2B and why “Thriftmas” could unlock resale as a gifting category
• Chili’s Margarita of the Month Club and what restaurants can teach DTC about retention
• Amazon halting its Blue Jay robotics project while doubling down on agentic AI
• A viral $200K credit card arbitrage story and what it says about risk
• Ollie’s $600M acquisition and the continued dominance of premium pet

If you’re building, buying media, or thinking about the future of ecommerce — this episode is packed with operator-level insights.

— — —

Welcome to DTC's daily — what's now and next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.

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

Made possible by:

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AI isn’t replacing marketers, yet — but it is raising the bar.We break down the AdWeek report that says AI isn’t cutting jobs at scale… but it is compressing timelines, increasing expectations, and creating what some are calling “quality debt” in creative.Are marketers empowered — or just squeezed?Then we sit down with Chris Geiss, founder of Seguno, to talk about the evolution of ecommerce email, what AI (and Gmail summaries) mean for operators, and why building entirely inside Shopify might be the future of SaaS. We dive into:• How email marketing has evolved over the last decade• Whether open rates still matter• Why duct‑taped tech stacks are killing attribution• The rise of the “one‑man brand” and lean marketing teams• Canva integrations and reducing creative friction• Brands crushing retention right now• Is software doomed in the age of AI?We also cover:- TikTok Shop halting its plan to end independent seller shipping after backlash- Dick’s Sporting Goods building a creator “Varsity Team” ecosystem- Why brands should bring back the jingle- Bing launching AI visibility reporting (and what that means for SEO)- And the broader shift toward DTC models in unexpected industriesIf you’re building in ecommerce in 2026 — this is a must-watch.Subscribe for weekly operator-level breakdowns, founder interviews, and real conversations about where ecommerce is headed.— — —Welcome to DTC's daily—what's now/next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.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 one of the smartest retail creator strategies in the game, going deep on the subscription playbook with one of ecommerce’s most focused operators, and unpacking the cultural shifts shaping the next wave of brands.Here’s what we’re covering:• American Eagle’s Creator Program — what they’re doing differently to win Gen Z, and what DTC brands can steal immediately• Subscription mastery with Matthew Holman (Subscription Doc) — offers, retention psychology, post-purchase leverage, and the biggest mistakes brands keep making• The new luxury status symbol (hint: it’s not a watch)• Why Gen Z is gravitating toward “boring” content — and what that means for brand building• $200 in tools → $50K in revenue — real leverage or Twitter math?• Meta’s new patented AI tech and what it means for advertisersIf you care about ecommerce, subscriptions, media buying, cultural trends, or where AI is pushing the market next — this one’s for you.— — —Welcome to DTC's daily—what's now/next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.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

Today we’re talking custom menswear, founder scar tissue, influencer economics, AI chaos, and whether your ads are actually good — or just expensive.Ray Li, CEO of Sene, has built one of the most interesting menswear brands on the internet — starting with custom suits you can order online (yes, really) and expanding into what might be the perfect T‑shirt.We’re digging into:- How Sene made online custom clothing actually work (fit, sizing, returns — the hard stuff)- The war stories: showrooms, wholesale attempts, retail bets that didn’t pan out- Panic attacks, cash crunches, and what survival really looks like- Why the “perfect tee” is such a powerful category in menswear- How luxury brands and Michelin-star restaurants accidentally turned Sene into a uniform supplier- What Ray is bullish on heading into 2026If you care about building durable brands (not just running ads), this one’s for you.Weekend Roundup of News:- The AppLovin debate — cheat code or risky dependency?- AI hallucinating company data (and why that should scare you)- OpenAI talent moves, Anthropic stumbles, and Meta’s always-on agents- How marketing teams are now using AI tools like Claude Code- “Truman Show” brands and the rise of performative brand-building- The shift back to IRL brands and physical activationsIf you’re building in ecommerce, experimenting with AI, testing ads, or trying to survive retail and DTC in 2026 — this livestream is for you.Subscribe, drop your questions in the chat, and let’s get into it.— — —Welcome to DTC's daily—what's now/next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.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 shifts happening across ecommerce, creator marketing, and modern retail — plus a deep dive on why human influence may be more valuable than ever.We start with HOT JOBS — the roles brands are hiring for right now and what that tells us about where the market is headed. What skills are actually in demand? Where are operators placing their bets in 2026? If you’re building a team (or trying to become more valuable), this segment is for you.Then we sit down with Josh Durham to tackle a big question: In a world flooded with AI-generated content, do human influencers still matter?We cover:- Why human creators may be more important, not less, as AI content improves- Whether certain products are guaranteed influencer wins — or if every brand is a unique puzzle- How to think about pricing, ad usage rights, and creator negotiations- Real-world case studies, including moving product at retail and executing in tight launch windowsNext, we dig into major platform and retail news:- TikTok Nearby has launched — what does this mean for local discovery and brick-and-mortar brands? Are we watching social platforms evolve into search engines for physical retail?- Amazon is rolling out 60-minute grocery delivery in the UK. Is speed becoming the ultimate competitive moat in modern retail? What does this mean for everyone not named Amazon?- Shopify’s B2B business is growing faster than its consumer segment. Are we underestimating wholesale and B2B as the next big ecommerce unlock?We also discuss:- “Zuck’s Rule” and what it means for founders navigating platform dependency- Builder Beware: the risks of building too heavily on borrowed distributionIf you’re a founder, operator, marketer, or creator trying to make sense of what’s actually changing (and what’s just noise), this episode is packed with strategy, perspective, and practical takeaways.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss future livestreams.— — —Welcome to DTC's daily—what's now/next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.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 kick things off with Johnny Hickey — former CMO of Perfectwhitetee, founder of Delfina, current CMO of Sunny Somewhere NY, and the force behind DTC Growth Summit. How does he make running an agency, launching brands, and hosting national events look effortless? We break down the systems, mindset, and strategy behind scaling women’s apparel, building community-first brands, and creating events that operators actually want to attend.Then we zoom out into culture.Is the new luxury… wasting time? We unpack the rise of “neo‑leisure,” conspicuous grinding, and whether effortless living has replaced hustle culture as the ultimate flex. From performative offlineness and viral “Brick” devices to the question of whether we’re enjoying life or performing it for algorithms, we explore what status really looks like now.We also cover:• McDonald’s McNugget Caviar and irony marketing• Founder-core authenticity vs absurdist brand plays• AI-generated shows and the future of content• DJ Khaled x Wegovy and the macro impact of GLP-1 drugs• OpenAI’s vision for fully automated media buying inside ChatGPT• What happens to agencies and performance marketers in an AI-led ad ecosystemThis episode is about autonomy — over your time, your brand, your marketing, and your attention.The real luxury in 2026 might not be money.It might be control.— — —Welcome to DTC's daily—what's now/next in ecommerce so founders, marketers, and operators can survive and thrive.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