Founder Files

From addiction to purpose-driven entrepreneur, Zach Schubert breaks down the research-first lead-gen system that scales high-ticket offers.

In this episode, Zach shares how to validate offers with real audience language, build book-a-call funnels that qualify buyers, scale Meta/Facebook ads without guesswork, and install sales frameworks you can measure, repeat, and delegate. If you run an agency, coaching, info, or any high-ticket business, this is your playbook for predictable pipeline and profit, without becoming a slave to the grind.

What you’ll learn:

- Audience research that makes paid traffic convert (FB Groups, Reddit, micro-tests)

- When to use DM ads, book-a-call funnels, VSLs, webinars, challenges, and low-ticket tripwires

- How the most successful brands leverage their networks to win big

- Offer OVER vehicle: copy the customer’s words to lower CPL and raise close rate

- How to scale creatives, segment by niche, and add new offers when data shows the ceiling

- Sales systems and SOPs that turn one-off wins into a repeatable quota engine

- Purpose over profit: design a business that funds your life, not the other way around

Chapters:

00:00:00 Partying → Purpose

00:02:08 Meet Zack

00:02:32 Nonprofit Roots

00:03:22 Pandemic Pivot

00:04:18 Business as Mission

00:05:24 Faith Becomes Personal

00:06:31 Addiction & Emptiness

00:08:54 Refocus: Marriage & Mission

00:12:55 Legacy over Hustle (Taxi Story)

00:17:26 Mentors & Network

00:20:38 Starting Cara

00:21:01 SEO & Drop-Servicing

00:22:47 First $1M Profit

00:26:11 Lead Gen: Upwork → Ads

00:29:30 Funnel Playbook

00:34:50 Research-Driven Offers

00:41:37 ROAS, LTV & Economics

00:43:14 Scaling Playbook

00:58:56 Brand & Positioning

01:14:08 Work with Zack

From $0 to $40M in 4 years — that’s the growth Cody and his team unlocked at Kalo, the silicone wedding ring brand that pioneered influencer marketing before it became mainstream.

In this episode, Cody shares the exact influencer seeding playbook that helped land names like Steph Curry and LeBron James, why small creators outperform big celebrities in 2025, and how his agency Kinship now helps 7–8 figure ecommerce brands scale with creative systems, forecasting, and cost-controlled ad buying.

We break down:

✅ The real ROI of influencer marketing in ecommerce

✅ How to turn free product seeding into 100+ ad assets every month

✅ Why micro influencers drive more revenue than celebrities

✅ Cody’s system for forecasting P&Ls and setting realistic growth targets

✅ How to scale creative volume while keeping costs down

✅ Offer testing, landing pages & why simplicity converts

✅ The new balance between profitability vs. growth for DTC brands in 2025

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

00:05 – From Qalo to $40M: Cody’s Background

01:05 – Starting With Product Seeding

02:02 – Building Up to Big Names

02:33 – DMs vs Agents for Influencers

03:05 – Why Outreach Should Stay Human

03:59 – Mistakes Brands Make With Influencers

05:12 – The Power of Giving First

05:37 – Small Creators vs Celebrities

06:33 – How Influencer Marketing Has Evolved

07:25 – Paying for Posts vs Seeding

08:03 – Kinship’s Approach Today

09:12 – Seeding as a Content Engine

10:25 – The Numbers Behind Seeding

10:57 – Why Raw Content Outperforms AI

11:31 – Branded vs Whitelisted Ads

12:17 – Choosing the Right Influencers

12:50 – Kinship’s Growth System

15:00 – P&L Mistakes Brands Make

17:52 – Why Forecasting Monthly Matters

18:13 – Balancing Growth and Profit

22:00 – Thoughts on Funding & Capital

22:37 – UGC vs CGC Content

25:36 – Video-First Content

25:54 – Static Ads & AI Tools

27:00 – Mixing Creative Pipelines

27:30 – Ad Spend vs Creative Volume

28:52 – Why More Creative Wins

29:58 – Using Cost Controls in Ads

30:58 – Search vs Social Ads

31:51 – TikTok Ads Today

32:15 – How to Build Winning Offers

33:14 – What an Offer Really Is

33:40 – Examples of Strong Offers

34:30 – Measuring Offer Performance

35:00 – Optimising Landing Pages

35:52 – Do Small Tweaks Matter?

35:57 – Wrap Up & How to Connect

Whether you’re running a $3M brand or pushing past $75M, Cody reveals the system, not services approach that keeps Kinship’s clients profitable while scaling across Meta, Google, TikTok, and beyond.

If you want to grow your DTC brand with smarter influencer marketing, UGC pipelines, and real financial discipline — this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

What if the future of eCommerce wasn’t Facebook Ads or Amazon… but TikTok Shop?

In this episode, I sit down with Nav’i Singh, a TikTok Shop and influencer marketing expert who has helped brands like eBay, Sephora, HubSpot, and Wish scale through social commerce and affiliate campaigns. Now she’s on a mission to show founders how to take their TikTok Shop from zero to millions in GMV with proven playbooks.

We dive deep into:

- How to know if your brand is ready for TikTok Shop

- Why margins matter more than hype

- Building a winning affiliate network and product seeding strategy

- The rise of live shopping and how creators are cashing in

- Common mistakes brands make on TikTok Shop (and how to avoid them)

- What’s next for influencer marketing as TikTok Shop matures

Whether you’re an eCommerce founder, DTC marketer, or just curious about where social commerce is heading, this episode is packed with insights that can help you get ahead of the competition.

📌 Watch until the end to learn Nav’i’s roadmap for scaling profitably on TikTok Shop.

Chapter:

00:00 – Intro: The future of eCom beyond Facebook & Amazon

01:53 – Guest intro: Nav’i Singh’s background

02:04 – How did you get into influencer & affiliate marketing?

03:18 – What does creative operations actually mean?

04:39 – Early work with influencers at eBay, HubSpot & Wish

05:26 – How did you manage 1,000+ creators at Wish?

07:10 – Where does your learning mindset come from?

08:04 – Transition from traditional influencer marketing → TikTok Shop

09:36 – Why start SOA, your TikTok Shop agency?

10:45 – Moving from freelancing to agency ownership

12:12 – Was now the right time to launch?

13:16 – For brands considering TikTok Shop, where should they start?

14:30 – What margin profile works best?

15:20 – How to pick a “hero” SKU for TikTok Shop

16:26 – Should brands focus on high-ticket or low-ticket items?

17:47 – Is TikTok Shop only for $20–30 products?

19:02 – What categories or demographics don’t work on TikTok Shop?

20:23 – Sampling strategy: how many products to send out?

22:59 – How to educate & brief creators effectively

23:43 – Optimizing creator content & scaling what works

25:55 – Segmenting top creators & building relationships

27:53 – Scaling by finding the right niche & doubling down

32:07 – How many samples should new brands start with?

33:18 – What’s the timeline for results & profitability?

34:44 – How do you know if TikTok Shop isn’t working?

36:54 – What are the secondary benefits (halo effect, UGC, brand lift)?

39:06 – Should brands join TikTok Shop if competitors are/not there?

40:01 – Tips for creators: reverse-engineering virality

41:57 – Posting balance: commercial vs lifestyle content

44:12 – How should creators evaluate which brands to work with?

45:41 – Why top creators focus on 4–5 “money maker” products

46:40 – Building SOA’s creator community & support

48:15 – Beyond affiliates: ads & live shopping strategy

50:40 – TikTok Ads: how GMV Max works

53:02 – Live shopping: how it works & why it matters

55:25 – What does a successful live shopping session look like?

59:53 – What kind of results should brands expect from lives?

01:02:10 – Should TikTok Shop replace traditional influencer deals?

01:04:16 – Where is TikTok Shop headed in the next 12–24 months?

01:05:12 – What SOA does for brands end-to-end

01:06:04 – The agency’s mission: supporting both enterprises & mom-and-pop brands

01:09:03 – SOA’s team structure & scaling challenges

01:12:08 – How do you balance delivery vs growth as an agency owner?

01:13:13 – What’s working for SOA in lead generation?

01:14:01 – Do you prefer enterprise or small business clients?

01:15:43 – Will you offer training or an incubator program for small brands?

01:16:54 – Client mix & who SOA serves today

01:17:45 – What’s your vision for the agency long-term?

01:19:13 – What advice do you have for new agency owners?

01:21:01 – Where can people find you & SOA?

01:21:38 – Outro

From management consultancy, building an 8 figure info product business, to now becoming the go-to headhunter for high growth eCommerce brands, Ugis has seen (and DONE) it all.

In this episode, we break down how to scale an eCommerce brand by building world class teams. If you’ve ever wondered when to hire, who to hire, and how to avoid the “I’ll just do it myself” trap, this conversation is packed with insights you can use today.

👉 What you’ll learn:

- The playbook for building high performing eCommerce teams

- Must-have hires at 7, 8, and 9 figures in revenue

- How to spot bottlenecks and make the right hire to unlock growth

- Why creative strategy is the #1 lever for scaling brands right now

- International hiring: where to find top talent for eCommerce roles

- Onboarding, culture, and retaining A players

- How AI is reshaping roles like media buying, customer support, and creative strategy

Whether you’re running a Shopify brand, DTC startup, or fast growing agency, understanding how to recruit and manage top talent could be the difference between stalling at 7 figures or scaling to 9.

Chapter:

00:00 – From Funnels to Headhunting

01:17 – Breaking the “I’ll Just Do It Myself” Trap

02:09 – Getting Started in Online Business

03:13 – Escaping Corporate Consulting

04:11 – Entering the Info Product Boom

05:16 – Scaling to 8 Figures on Low-Ticket Offers

06:50 – Building the Team Behind the Growth

07:54 – Exiting the Business

08:59 – Mini Retirement & Rediscovering Purpose

10:55 – Lessons From Building Teams

13:52 – Director-Level Talent Explained

14:49 – Helping Founders Let Go

15:48 – Spotting the Key Levers for Scale

17:19 – Team Structures at 7, 8, and 9 Figures

19:12 – Avoiding Bureaucracy With Senior Hires

20:05 – Must-Have Roles at Each Stage

22:06 – Who Owns Product & Brand?

22:36 – The Rise of New Roles (AI & Retention)

24:03 – Agency vs In-House: Which Is Better?

27:38 – Agency Red Flags to Watch For

29:04 – Why Creative Strategists Are in Demand

30:34 – What Makes a Great Creative Strategist?

32:07 – Hiring Process That Works

36:04 – Why Job Boards Don’t Work for Top Talent

39:35 – Evaluating Candidates Beyond Skills

43:26 – Designing Great Test Tasks

46:22 – Filtering for ChatGPT-Generated Work

48:17 – Red Flags in Interviews

49:12 – Onboarding That Actually Works

51:08 – First 30 Days for New Hires

54:20 – Diagnosing Bottlenecks

56:48 – The Global Shift in Hiring

59:00 – Top Regions for eCom Talent

01:01:05 – Building Culture Across Borders

01:05:01 – Promoting Internally vs Hiring Externally

01:06:00 – AI’s Impact on Ecom Teams

01:09:04 – Who Ugis Works With

📈 If you’re serious about scaling your eCommerce business, this episode gives you the inside track on how to hire leaders that drive growth and avoid costly mistakes.

ecommerce hiring, ecommerce recruitment, scaling ecommerce brand, build ecommerce team, ecommerce headhunter, DTC hiring strategy, Shopify hiring, 7 figure ecommerce, 8 figure ecommerce, 9 figure ecommerce, creative strategist ecommerce, ecommerce team structure, ecommerce recruiting agency, ecommerce growth strategy, scaling DTC brand

🚀 How to Scale Your Ecom Brand with Lean China Fulfillment | Supply Chain Optimization, Global Shipping & Factory Sourcing

Most DTC & eCommerce founders obsess over ads, CPMs, and click-through rates… but the real profits happen before the click. In this episode, Simon from EcomOps shares how fast-growing brands scale internationally by mastering China fulfillment, building direct factory relationships, and running a global supply chain with just two weeks of inventory.

We cover:

✅ How to cut lead times from 30+ days to just 5–10 days

✅ The costly factory mistakes eCommerce brands keep making (and how to avoid them)

✅ Inventory planning strategies for Q4 & peak seasons

✅ Navigating US import tariffs & customs compliance

✅ Scaling to new markets like the UK, Australia, Canada & Southeast Asia

✅ When to choose air freight vs. sea freight vs. rail freight

✅ Cash flow management & batch ordering

✅ How to future-proof your supply chain while keeping ops lean

If you run a DTC brand manufacturing in China and want faster shipping, higher margins, and fewer operational headaches, this episode is a masterclass in eCommerce logistics, supply chain strategy, and fulfillment optimization.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly eCommerce growth tips, founder interviews, and behind-the-scenes strategies from top operators.

Most eCommerce brands think scaling to $1M/month means better Facebook ads or media buying tricks. But the truth is, scaling a 7-figure DTC brand comes down to creative strategy, high-converting landing pages, and a UGC content system built to drive ROAS.

If you're stuck at 6 or 7 figures and want to scale profitably, it's time to stop obsessing over ad platforms and start building a performance engine powered by content, offers, and conversion.

In this episode, we sit down with Spencer Pawliw, founder of EZA Media and Evolve, the fastest-growing DTC consulting community on School. Spencer unpacks the exact system his agency uses to help DTC brands scale from 7 to 8 figures—with deep dives into performance loops, offer testing, AI-powered ad strategy, and his UGC creator engine.

🔎 What You’ll Learn:

The 3 scaling levers behind $1M+/month ad accounts

How Spencer turned a media buying agency into a consulting rocketship

Why UGC is dead—and what’s replacing it

How to structure winning offers that boost AOV + conversion rate

Landing pages vs. websites (and why top brands obsess over LPs)

How to use AI to engineer performance creative (with real prompts)

The rise of TikTok Shop and the new UGC economy

Spencer’s plan to build an 8-figure brand live inside Evolve 2.0

CHAPTERS

00:00 - The 3 Levers That Actually Scale Brands

02:05 - How Spencer Went from Freelancer to 8-Figure Operator

06:19 - How Their Agency Offer Evolved Over Time

09:47 - Why Media Buying Isn’t the Growth Engine Anymore

10:33 - Creative, Content, Landers: The Real Growth Stack

11:25 - What Makes an Offer “Good”?

14:42 - Offers That Convert: What to Test First

17:34 - Do Digital Bonuses Work in Bundles?

19:45 - 3 Killer Offers You Can Steal

21:30 - How Often Should You Test New Offers?

22:48 - What High-Converting Landing Pages Actually Have

26:05 - UGC vs Creative Strategy: What’s the Difference?

31:09 - Inside Their UGC System for Content at Scale

35:05 - How They Build Winning Ads Every Week

39:07 - Testing Creative: Big Swings vs Small Tweaks

43:13 - Why Research Beats Guesswork Every Time

45:17 - The 3-Step Creative Testing Framework

47:26 - Do Tiny Creative Tweaks Really Matter?

49:15 - Think Bigger: Why Micro Tweaks Won’t Move the Needle

50:06 - How They Actually Use AI (Not Just Talk About It)

54:31 - Why Knowing What “Good” Looks Like Is Everything

58:25 - Evolve: The DTC Community Built for Real Operators

1:00:02 - How the Agency + Community Flywheel Works

1:03:00 - Are They Launching Their Own Brand?

1:05:24 - Meet Sean: The Twitter Genius Behind Evolve

1:09:40 - How They Blew Up on Twitter & YouTube

1:14:18 - Final Advice: Give Value, Stay Real, Do Cool Sh*t

💡 If you’re a founder, growth marketer, or creative strategist scaling a DTC brand—this is a masterclass.

From GaryVee's Content Machine to Building Personal Brands

What’s it really like behind the scenes at GaryVee’s Content Empire? Meet Jason, the creative force behind the DailyVee, and now founder of Steal Jason, a creative consultancy helping entrepreneurs and artists build content systems that scale.

In this in-depth interview, we dive into Jason’s 5-year journey working directly with Gary Vaynerchuk, how he helped scale a world-class content team, and what it takes to run a brand at internet speed. You'll learn the exact creative systems, video workflows, and content repurposing strategies Jason used to generate hundreds of millions of views, plus how he’s now applying those lessons to help CEOs, artists, and thought leaders turn personal stories into powerful content engines.

🚀 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

- What it’s really like to film, edit, and build content for Gary Vee

- How to scale a lean content team for personal brand growth

- Systems for short-form video, repurposing, and platform distribution

- Why conversational content beats scripted videos in 2025

- How to transition from creator to creative strategist

- Lessons on burnout, work-life balance, and moving to Europe to rebuild

- How to build an audience without being a “guru”

- Behind the scenes of launching his agency, Steal Jason

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - The Man Behind the DailyVee

00:46 - Snowstorms to Storytelling

01:38 - Early Passion & Picking Up a GoPro

03:00 - First Client Break & Real-World Validation

05:30 - Mini GaryVee for a Kickboxing Gym

07:50 - Creating Momentum & Going All In

10:36 - Gary Vee Notices — And Steals Jason

13:46 - Inside Team Gary: Structure, Chaos & Execution

17:34 - Operational Lessons from Gary Vee

20:00 - Can’t Fake the Pace: Passion-Driven Teams

23:10 - The VeeFriends Shift & Creative Flexibility

25:35 - Operational Systems: From Chaos to Structure

28:48 - Brand KPIs: The ‘Airport Metric’

31:36 - Moving to Europe: Recharging & Reframing

34:30 - Joining Mike Posner: Rebuilding a Brand

38:31 - Storytelling Strategy: Vulnerability to Viral

42:32 - Building the Content Engine

47:55 - Script vs. Conversation: Finding Your Format

51:34 - Finding What Resonates: Deep Comments as KPI

55:45 - From Brand Builder to Business Owner

58:29 - What Is “Steal Jason”?

01:01:23 - Content Formats, Channels & Flow

01:07:20 - Who Should Hire Jason

01:10:00 - Reclaiming the Filmmaker Identity

01:13:25 - Final Thoughts & What’s Next

Whether you're a founder, creator, or marketer, this is a masterclass in creative execution and personal branding.

#GaryVee #ContentStrategy #PersonalBranding #CreatorEconomy #CreativeDirector #StillJason #BrandBuilding #EcommerceMarketing #ShortFormVideo #YouTubePodcast

In this episode, we dive deep with Dan, founder of everambr Eyewear and now Head of Community at Wayflyer — one of the most innovative funding platforms for eCommerce brands.

From building a 6-figure DTC brand out of his kitchen to helping thousands of founders scale with capital, Dan shares the hard-earned lessons, cash flow mistakes, and capital strategies that every eCom operator needs to hear.

You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how Wayflyer thinks about inventory financing, alternative lending models, LTV-driven funding decisions, and why brands succeed or fail in 2025’s economic climate.

We cover:

✅ How Dan built everambr from a tiny launch to $100K+/mo

✅ The cash flow mistakes that nearly killed the business

✅ Why inventory is your biggest threat and opportunity

✅ How Wayflyer helps brands fund growth without giving up equity

✅ The best and worst capital strategies eCom founders use

✅ New financing models for omnichannel, Amazon, and subscription brands

✅ Why cult brands are winning — and how to build one

✅ The rise of organic-led content & founder-led community models

Whether you're a DTC operator, CMO, or founder managing rapid growth, this episode will change the way you think about funding, forecasting, and brand building.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro

02:06 – Dan’s Unusual Office Setup

03:10 – How Dan Got Into eCommerce

05:18 – First Launch Success

06:53 – COVID Boom: 5X Growth Overnight

08:04 – The Post-COVID Crash

09:50 – The Inventory Trap

11:02 – Why Needing Capital Doesn’t Mean You’re Failing

12:15 – Why Inventory Ties Up So Much Cash

13:18 – Common Inventory Planning Mistake: Overordering

15:56 – Inventory Management Advice

16:57 – Dan’s Role at Wayflyer: Founder Community & Content

18:31 – What Size Brands Does Wayflyer Fund?

20:49 – How Wayflyer Beats Traditional Banks

21:37 – Why Alternative Financing Isn’t “Too Expensive”

23:36 – Viral Moment? Wayflyer Steps In

25:16 – 4 Data Sources Wayflyer Connects To

27:54 – How These Metrics Affect Financing Terms

30:24 – Addressing Debt Fear Among Smaller Brands

32:13 – Avoiding Low LTV Pitfalls

34:06 – Market Capture Mindset

35:46 – A Big Advantage of Wayflyer Financing

37:44 – Market Expansion: Wayflyer’s Global Reach

40:04 – Global eCom Headwinds: Tariffs, Inflation, and Uncertainty

42:15 – Mistake: Charging Tariffs as Line Item at Checkout

43:09 – Capital Strategy: Be Cautious With Performance Ad Spend

44:33 – Can You Copy Winning Brands? Kinda...

45:31 – Example: Pride (Pet Food Brand Using Comedy)

46:44 – Every Brand Needs a Media Arm

48:49 – Real-World Community Building

50:08 – Why Drop Models Work So Well

51:08 – The Rise of Founder-Led Brands

52:17 – WFAR’s Focus for the Year: From Transactional to Community

53:21 – Building an Engaged Online Platform

54:54 – Advice to eCom Founders Thinking About Funding in 2025

56:07 – Final Wrap-Up & Contact Info

Scaling Your Ecom Brand Beyond Meta: The Rise of Native Ads & AppLovin – with Val Shah

Still scaling with just Facebook and Google? You're leaving money on the table.

In this episode, I sit down with Val Shah, one of the top media buyers in the game, to break down how eCommerce brands are scaling outside the Meta-Google duopoly—using native advertising platforms like Taboola, Outbrain, Revcontent, MGID, and the explosive rise of AppLovin, the mobile in-app ad network dominating in 2025.

Val shares:

✅ His exact testing strategy for native ads

✅ The realistic benchmarks for ROI and why most brands give up too early

✅ How to structure high-converting advertorial funnels

✅ The truth about AppLovin's $10K ad credit and who qualifies

✅ Geo-scaling tips (Canada, UK, Germany, LatAm)

✅ VSLs vs. advertorials in performance marketing

✅ Why native ads are the biggest untapped traffic source for eCommerce in 2025

✅ What brands like Ridge Wallet are doing right

This is the ultimate guide to scaling with native ads, from beginner to advanced.

🎯 If you're spending $1K+/day on Facebook and want to scale smarter, this is your blueprint to omnichannel growth.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro – Why Native Ads Are 2025’s Biggest Opportunity

02:06 Val’s Background: How He Got Into Media Buying

05:29 From Tech Jobs to Launching a Native-Ads Agency

06:39 What Exactly Are Publishers & Native Widgets?

10:15 How Much Traffic Do Yahoo, AOL & Other Majors Deliver?

12:07 Native vs. Facebook: Better for Lead-Gen or E-Com?

13:52 How Big Can You Scale on Native in Q4?

15:08 What Skills Give You an Edge in Media Buying?

16:06 Choosing the Right Native Platform for Your Offer

18:18 Testing Budgets: Taboola/Outbrain vs. Revcontent/MGID

19:28 Beginner Pitfalls & Why You Need a Rep

20:33 When Should Brands Add Native After Meta & Google?

21:50 Building High-Converting Ad + Advertorial Funnels

22:52 What If the Offer Is Already Saturated?

23:48 Which Geos Perform Best Right Now?

26:17 Localising Creatives for International Scaling

28:23 Why Pre-Sale Advertorials Are Mandatory on Native

29:31 The –50 % ROI Benchmark: Does Your Offer Have Legs?

31:47 Are VSL Funnels Still Dominating Health & Nutra?

33:27 Where to Find Killer VSL Examples

35:03 Best Ad-Spy Tools for Native & App Campaigns

36:05 Yahoo × Taboola 30-Year Deal Explained

37:15 What Is AppLovin & How Is It Different from Native?

40:18 MoPub Acquisition: AppLovin’s Targeting Edge

42:29 Who Qualifies for AppLovin’s $10K Ad Credit?

44:14 Winning Products & Impulse Buys on AppLovin

45:51 Funnel Structures & Compliance on AppLovin

47:54 Hooking Gamers: Creative Best Practices

49:22 First Tests & Optimisations on AppLovin

49:55 Is Omnichannel Marketing the Future of E-Com?

51:31 The Modern Media-Buying Stack in 2025

52:07 Where to Follow Val & Join the Native Hub Community

53:12 Outro & Subscribe for Weekly Growth Insights

🔗 Subscribe for weekly episodes breaking down modern media buying, DTC growth, and advanced acquisition strategies.

In this episode, we go behind the scenes with one of the internets most powerful personal brands, Cody Sanchez. Join us as we interview Tanner Walter, the operator who helped scale it from 3M to 9M+ followers and 100M+ views.

Tanner shares the exact systems, team structure, and content strategy that turned Cody’s content machine into an 8-figure empire. From building a high-output video team to managing a remote crew and optimizing platform growth, this is the ultimate blueprint for creators, founders, and CMOs who want to turn content into serious revenue.

We cover:

✅ How Tanner structured Cody’s content team

✅ The YouTube + newsletter strategy that drove exponential growth

✅ Repurposing frameworks for omnichannel distribution

✅ Monetization through ads, courses, and community

✅ His "content Chipotle" framework for scalable creation

✅ The real role of a Head of Content or Creative Director

✅ Why the "creator’s dilemma" is killing growth—and how to solve it

Whether you're building a media business or trying to scale your brand presence, this episode is packed with creator economy insights, real-world examples, and tactical playbooks you can steal.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 - Codie’s Content Empire: The Strategy Behind the Growth

01:32 - From Aerospace Dreams to Media Operator

02:28 - Finding Purpose Through Creative Work

05:02 - Breaking into Content: The First Big Break

08:12 - Lessons from Joe Rogan, Aubrey Marcus, and Early Content Models

08:46 - How Tanner Joined Codie’s Team

10:41 - The First Pitch: What Got Him the Role

12:57 - Codie’s Mission and Why It Mattered for Content

14:22 - Creating a Mission That Drives Your Team

15:27 - Platform Strategy: YouTube, Newsletter & More

17:03 - Cross-Pollinating Content Across Channels

18:14 - What Content Formats Perform Best

19:13 - Going Viral: What Drove 100M+ Views

21:07 - Shorts vs Long-Form: How They Work Together

22:50 - Inside Codie’s Team Structure

24:33 - How the Machine Makes Money

26:04 - Top Monetization Mistakes Creators Make

27:14 - Getting Started: What Founders Should Focus On

28:57 - Picking a Niche: Passion, Demand, or Trend?

30:12 - Hook - Value - Avatar: The Framework Explained

31:31 - Why Omnipresence is a Must in 2025

33:18 - The Role of AI in Scaling Creators

34:52 - Choosing the Right Platform for Your Skills

36:29 - Setting Content Goals That Actually Work

38:01 - Building a Real Viewer Avatar

39:41 - Walk With Your Viewer, Don’t Talk at Them

41:06 - The Staircase to Scaling a Creator Business

42:34 - When to Hire & How to Structure Your Team

44:09 - Backend Systems That Power High Output

45:37 - Repurposing: The Hardest but Most Critical Step

47:24 - How the Talent Balances Business + Content

48:56 - What Creative Directors Really Get Paid

50:24 - Content is a Sales Engine — Here's Why

52:06 - Getting Through the Cringe Stage

53:50 - Influencer vs Leader: Why the Difference Matters

55:23 - Creator or Curator: Which One Wins?

56:37 - Rare Air Story: The Power of Collaboration

58:29 - The “Content Chipotle” System Explained

01:00:00 - Emotional vs Logical vs Entertaining Triggers

01:01:24 - Building Content That Gets Shared

01:02:54 - The Creator’s Dilemma

01:04:35 - Affiliate Networks: The Underrated Growth Lever

01:06:20 - Why Tanner’s Going Public With His Own Brand

01:07:48 - Why YouTube is the Platform of Choice

01:09:12 - The Simple Content Strategy That Prints Money

01:10:41 - How to Work With Tanner

01:12:28 - Where to Find Tanner Online

01:13:39 - Who Tanner Thinks Should Be on This Podcast Next

01:15:00 - Final Reflections: Vision, Systems, and What's Next

01:17:30 - Real Talk: Burnout, Balance & Long-Term Creativity

01:20:15 - How to Build Resilient Media Systems That Last

01:23:10 - Why Content Is Still the Best Sales Tool

01:26:45 - Tactical Advice for Scaling Without Burnout

01:30:00 - Founder Branding vs Founder Replacement

01:34:22 - Growing a Media Team Without Losing Control

01:37:08 - Why Content Strategy Is More Important Than Ever

01:39:00 - Closing Thoughts + Final Takeaways

01:41:00 - Where Tanner Is Heading Next