What if the best acquirers never even see your business because you started too late?

In episode #15 of The Retention Edge, we go deep with Emmett Kilduff, co-founder of The Fortia Group, to demystify the M&A process for DTC brands and agencies. With $20B in deals behind him and a rare mix of Wall Street and eCommerce expertise, Emmett shares the hard lessons founders usually learn too late.

From why 80% of brands never close a deal to how to reverse-engineer your business for acquirers, this is a masterclass in how to think like a buyer and build accordingly.

We get into:

- How to make buyers chase you (instead of the other way around)

- The red flags that kill 8-figure exits before they start

- Why DTC aggregators collapsed and which ones are still quietly thriving

- The $10M+ retention signals acquirers actually look for

- How deal dynamics, timing, and fatigue can override your financials

Whether you're planning an exit in 3 years or just getting started, this episode will change how you build. Because M&A isn't just about metrics., it's about momentum, trust, and timing.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gopeesingh/

Connect with Emmett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmettkilduff/

Your Q4 offer might be strong. But if your planning starts in November, you're already behind.

In episode #14 of The Retention Edge, we sit down with Ben Zettler, founder of Zettler Digital and Klaviyo Elite Partner, to unpack the most common mistakes brands make heading into Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

With over 12 years of BFCM experience and 50+ active ecommerce clients, Ben shares tactical, firsthand insights on when to start planning, how to simplify your offers, and why many loyalty tools quietly reduce margin instead of building it.

We dive into:

- What your BFCM timeline should actually look like (hint: it starts in August)

- How to use early access pages and opt-ins to build intent before November hits

- Why some brands are removing loyalty programs instead of adding more tools

- What the new Texas SMS law means for your holiday marketing

- How to simplify your tech stack with lighter, more integrated tools that don't create friction

Whether you're leading growth, retention, or operations, this episode offers a clear playbook for Q4 success without last-minute chaos.

Because margin isn't won in November. It's built in October.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gopeesingh/

Connect with Patrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benzettler/

What does retention look like when you actually know your customers? For MASC, it means handwritten thank-you notes, one-on-one recommendations, and repeat orders from customers they've never met in person.

In episode #13 of the Retention Edge, Patrick Levesque, co-founder of MASC, shares how they’ve built an 18-year men’s skincare and grooming business by focusing on service, trust, and personalized care. No trends, no hype, just systems that help people feel seen and supported.

From launching their online store in 2007 to evolving their app experience for faster checkout and easier access, Patrick walks through the core elements that keep customers loyal. After switching to MobiLoud, MASC was able to mirror their in-store experience more closely, leading to faster conversions and stronger engagement from their most frequent buyers.

We dive into:

- Why MASC launched both a physical and online store from the start

- How conversations and personal touch drive better product recommendations

- What makes their loyalty program effective, especially during double-points events

- The decision to move away from another app builder and improve app functionality

- How the app supports faster checkout and ongoing retention

- Why push notifications work best when used with intention

If you're building a brand with long-term growth in mind, this episode is full of practical ideas for turning everyday service into lasting loyalty.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gopeesingh/

Connect with Patrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levesquepatrick/

If retention is an art, Yon-Ka Paris has it down to a science.

In this episode of The Retention Edge, we’re joined by Raphael Faccarello, Global E-commerce Director at Yon-Ka Paris, who shares how the heritage French skincare brand built a 50% repeat purchase rate without relying on discounts or race-to-the-bottom tactics.

From loyalty tiers and app-based rewards to full-size gifts during Black Friday, Raphaël explains how Yon-Ka turned retention into its most effective growth strategy. He breaks down how they rebuilt their email program, introduced mobile push and SMS, and used targeted incentives to bring 20% of customers into the app.

Their mobile app, developed with MobiLoud, has played a key role in boosting conversions and creating a direct communication channel that complements email and SMS.

Inside the episode:

- How Yon-Ka structured loyalty tiers to increase repeat orders

- Why app users convert better and stay engaged longer

- How sending fewer emails led to four times more revenue

- Why gifting full-size products is more effective than discounting

- How Klaviyo and SMS are used to build loyalty from the first order

- How Yon-Ka balances push notifications with a non-intrusive experience

If you're leading ecommerce or retention at a premium brand, or trying to protect margins in a high-CAC market, this episode offers a retention playbook grounded in real numbers and tested strategy.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gopeesingh/

Connect with Raphael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaël-faccarello/

You don’t need a dev team or a huge budget to build a retention engine that works across DTC, wholesale, and mobile.

In episode #11 of The Retention Edge, Isaac from Country Life Natural Foods shares how his team drove 17% YoY growth by simplifying what actually drives results across DTC, wholesale, and mobile.

From rebuilding a banned Facebook Ads account to launching a mobile app customers had been asking for, Isaac breaks down the steps that made the biggest impact. To build the app, his team worked with MobiLoud to quickly turn their Shopify site into a fully functional mobile experience without needing to hire devs or change their backend. That app now supports key parts of their retention engine, from higher repeat purchase rates to their growing Country Life Plus membership.

We dive into:

- How their GoHighLevel and Shopify setup brings in consistent wholesale leads

- What made MobiLoud the fastest path to launch an app without rebuilding their site

- What made push notifications outperform email in engagement and timing

- How their Country Life Plus program drives $40K+ in recurring revenue

- The lean app launch that stayed within their existing stack and team

- Isaac’s approach to testing simply and building for long-term behavior

If you're scaling a DTC brand and want grounded ideas on how to strengthen retention without adding complexity, this episode is worth a listen.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gopeesingh/

Connect with Isaac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-lewin/

What do Forbes, Men’s Health, and The New York Times have in common?

They all link to brands that show up with real expertise, not AI spam or low-value SEO tricks.

In episode #10 of The Retention Edge, Chris Panteli, co-founder of Linkifi, shares how he went from running a fish and chip shop to helping eCommerce brands earn backlinks from tier-one media by pitching journalists the right way.

From using platforms like HARO and Qwoted to building About pages that journalists trust, Chris outlines a practical and scalable approach to digital PR that works for founders, marketers, and SEO leads alike.

We cover:

- How to get quoted by journalists without cold outreach

- Why you need a real expert, not your SEO manager, as the spokesperson

- Tools like HARO, SOS, and Qwoted to find daily media requests

- How to build trust with journalists through your site’s About page and LinkedIn

- Why links from trusted publications boost both SEO and customer conversions

- How Reddit mentions and LLMs are shaping brand discovery

- Why tracking your mentions wins 40% more backlinks through follow-ups

If you're preparing for BFCM or want long-term visibility without shady tactics, this episode gives you a clear path to build authority and brand trust with earned media.

Because link building isn't just for Google. It's for reputation, retention, and real growth.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gopeesingh/

Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-panteli/

Everyone's chasing revenue in Q4. But the best brands? They're playing for retention.

In episode #9 of The Retention Edge, we sit down with Andrew Maff, founder of BlueTuskr, to unpack why steep BFCM discounts often backfire and what to do instead if you care about actual profit and long-term brand health.

From loyalty systems that don't implode margins, to smart subscription tactics and underrated post-purchase plays, Andrew shares what your Q4 strategy should look like in 2025.

Here’s what we cover:

- Why Q4 should be your acquisition engine for Q1, not a discount bloodbath

- Tactics for converting gift givers into loyal customers

- How to structure tiered promotions that preserve margin

- The overlooked retention power of product inserts and direct mail

- What makes loyalty programs work (and what makes them flop)

- How to rethink CAC using lifetime value, not just AOV

- Why your BFCM strategy should be built by September, not when pumpkin spice hits shelves

If you run growth, retention, or CX for a DTC brand, this episode will give you the mindset and tactics to win Q4 without burning your brand down.

Because the truth is, long-term brands don’t chase discounts, they engineer loyalty.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gopeesingh/

Connect with Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmaff/

What if scaling to $50M isn’t about spending more on ads but about building better relationships with your customers?

In episode #8 of the Retention Edge, we sit down with Devyn Merklin, CEO of Xscale and one of the key operators behind Livingood Daily’s $50M growth story. Devyn shares how focusing on retention early, simplifying your offers, and building flexible systems helped his team scale faster than most agencies thought possible.

This is not theory, it is the exact playbook that took a brand from coffee shop brainstorming sessions to managing $2M a month in subscription revenue.

We dive into:

If you are running growth, trying to scale your brand, or stuck in an acquisition-only mindset, this episode will change how you think about long-term eCommerce success.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gopeesingh/

Connect with Devyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devyn-merklin-b9b776121/

Most brands think of fulfillment as a back-office function. But what if your 3PL is silently sabotaging your customer experience?

In episode #7 of the Retention Edge, we sit down with John Heenan, CEO of The Distribution Solution, to unpack the real cost of poor fulfillment and how it can erode trust, increase churn, and destroy customer lifetime value before you've even noticed.

🚚 From a £60,000 lost inventory disaster to unsellable dog bowls and a surprising Brexit logistics advantage, John shares 20+ years of hard-won lessons that every CX and ops leader should hear.

We dive deep into:

- Why many brands don’t *actually* own their customer experience

- The hidden fulfillment mistakes that hurt retention

- What a great 3PL partnership should really look like

- How to stress-test your logistics before peak season hits

If you lead operations, retention, or customer experience at a DTC brand, or if you're scaling and starting to outsource fulfillment, this episode will change how you evaluate your backend. Because in eCommerce, logistics is the brand.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter: https://retentionedge.co/

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app: https://www.mobiloud.com/

Most ecommerce brands are pouring money into paid ads and influencers, while completely overlooking their most powerful growth channel: their own customers.

In episode #6 we sit down with Alonzo Nieves, Gen Z founder of Flywheel, to unpack how smart brands are flipping the script on traditional acquisition and using retention marketing to fuel scalable, authentic growth.

Instead of relying on expensive influencer campaigns or unreliable referral links, Flywheel taps into user-generated content (UGC) and real customer advocacy to build a high-impact word-of-mouth strategy that actually converts.

Alonzo explains why most referral programs fail, how ego and incentives drive sharing behavior, and why lifecycle marketing shouldn’t stop at post-purchase nurturing - it should be a tool for customer acquisition.

He shares insights on what kinds of rewards create action (hint: it’s not a 10% discount), how Flywheel integrates with platforms like Klaviyo and Shopify, and why understanding psychographics over demographics is the secret to building brand loyalty at scale.

If you're working in DTC ecommerce, leading a customer retention strategy, or looking for ways to drive growth without depending on rising ad costs, this episode will give you a fresh, tactical perspective on how to unlock your most underused channel.

📜 Subscribe to the Retention Edge Newsletter.

📱 Get a free preview of your brand’s mobile app.