We’re kicking things off with absolute chaos in AI world — Claude goes down and the internet panics.

What happens when your leverage depends on tools you don’t own? Are we entering the era of AI infrastructure wars?

Then Andrew Faris joins the show — every growth marketer’s favorite growth marketer.

We’re talking:

• Why he brought Patrick Coddou in as a partner at AJF Growth
• How AI is actually creating margin (and where it’s just hype)
• Whether media buyers are cooked
• And why he’s launching his own brand when he could just pick clients forever

From there we shift gears with 6x Ironman Ryan Dreyer — founder of Tribal Training and now building Maple Boost.

What does elite endurance teach you about entrepreneurship? Is the athlete mindset the ultimate unfair advantage in business?

We also break down:

• Casey’s — the “gas station” that might actually be one of America’s biggest pizza chains
• Burger King using AI to score employee friendliness
• Why Gen Z is bringing print books back (and how Coach turned that into culture)
• “The Last Year of Meaningful Work” — are we entering superhuman leverage or human irrelevance?
• A WhatNot & TikTok Shop reseller running out of a storage unit — scrappy genius or fragile arbitrage?

Plus insights on scaling creative, AI workflows, DTC margin, small-town dominance strategies, and what actually wins in 2026.

If you’re building in ecommerce, media, AI, or consumer brands — this one’s for you.

Live. Unfiltered. Operator-level thinking.

— — —

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

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We break down the hottest roles in ecommerce right now — from $225K commerce leadership at SKIMS to data strategy at Peter Millar, planning at G/FORE, lifecycle at Crocs, and CX leadership at Good Ranchers. The talent market is shifting… and it’s clear what brands value in 2026.Then we sit down with Dean Brennan to talk about:• Why the best DTC leaders are in the terminal building tools• Cashflow forecasting as a competitive advantage• What his team thought when he shipped an internal AI-powered tool• Culture as a force multiplier (yes, steaks included)• Why he’s bullish on primal health in 2026We also cover:• A CEO firing 40% of the company… and the stock going UP 20%• What that signals about the efficiency era we’re entering• The gritty reality of selling on WhatNot and live commerce• Why using AI on your resume might get you rejected• New Balance’s “Recovery Days” creative and lifestyle positioning• And the internet-native marketing energy brands can’t fakeIf you run a DTC brand, manage a team, hire talent, build culture, or care about where ecommerce is heading — this one’s for you.Live chat is open. Drop your takes.— — —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

Meta is reportedly restricting DTC brands from paying with credit cards. We break down what this means for cash flow, risk, and who wins (and loses) next.

Then we’re joined by John Roman (CEO of BattlBox) and Cameron Carrier (Director of Social Commerce) to talk about:

• Selling BattlBox… and buying it back
• Why round-two founders operate differently
• Building 50K+ followers on WhatNot
• Daily live commerce as a real revenue engine
• Turning socials into episodic programming (BattlGames)
• Why most brands still don’t understand Content → Commerce

Matthew Gattozzi, Founder of Goodo Studios, joins the show!

We also dive into:

• AppLovin’s new “Discovery” campaigns and what true net-new acquisition could mean
• AI in creative workflows with Matthew Gattozzi (Goodo Studios)
• Quality vs volume in paid creative
• Agent-led video editing tools like Wideframe
• Nostalgia marketing (Vacation x Pepsi)
• Espresso soda and the beverage experimentation era
• And… what exactly Apple is doing now

If you run a DTC brand, buy media, build creative, or care about where commerce is headed in 2026 — this episode is 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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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:
https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/

Made possible by:

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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. 🔥

— — —

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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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.

— — —

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:
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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:
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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