INTELLIGEMS

Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.

RICHPANEL

Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.

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Bill D'Alessandro, founder of Natural Dog Company, just sold his brand to a private equity firm backed by Morgan Stanley. In this episode, Andrew Faris dives deep with Bill to unpack the entire journey—from building the business, to working with an investment bank, to negotiating and closing a deal with a strategic buyer.

If you're running a 7–9 figure eCommerce brand, this episode is pure gold. You'll learn:

- What makes a DTC brand actually attractive to strategic buyers

- The #1 mistake founders make when approaching an exit- Why contribution margin is still king in 2025

- How Bill built operational talent that scaled with the business

- The difference between “just another Shopify brand” vs. a sellable brand

- Why omnichannel distribution is critical to valuation

- Why most subscription businesses are really financing problems in disguise

- The emotional aftermath of exiting your company

//

CHAPTER TITLES:

00:01:18 - Who is Bill D'Allessandro?

00:03:00 - The Scope of Natural Dog Co Acquisition

00:09:01 - Investment Banking During A Buyout

00:22:55 - People Management Is The Hardest With Business

00:31:35 - Why Not All Subscription Models Are Great

00:42:46 - How Meta Dependency Could Harm Your Business

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Bill D'Alessandro is the former of CEO of Natural Dog Co and Elements Brand and current Head of M&A at Food Science, a portfolio company backed by Morgan Stanley. Follow Bill on X at https://x.com/billda and listen to Acquisitions Anonymous by visiting https://www.acquanon.com/.

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ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast

⁠//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠

Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com

RICHPANEL

Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=youtube.

FERMAT

Create funnels the same way you create ads with FERMAT by visiting ⁠⁠https://fermatcommerce.com/af

//

AI is changing how we make ad creative—but not in the way you’ve been told.In this episode, Andrew Faris shares his contrarian take on AI’s role in creative strategy, why the “endless AI content” model is flawed, and how smart DTC brands will win by thinking more, not producing more.Whether you’re an operator, performance marketer, or founder trying to scale profitably, this episode unpacks:

– Why the best brands aren’t just using AI—they’re thinking better

– How Meta’s ad platform is caught between volume and learning

– What actually raises the quality bar in the AI era

– Why good creative thinkers are more valuable than ever

– How AJF Growth is building AI-powered creative systems that scalePlus, hear how brands are turning AI speed into operational hiring—not layoffs.

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CHAPTER TITLES:

00:01:23 - The Misconception Of A.I. For Creatives

00:04:26 - Quantity Over Quality With Ads?

00:14:03 - Targeting Specific Customer Profiles

00:21:18 - Creating the Craziest Ads with A.I.

00:26:53 - A.I. Will Not Replace Your Strategy For Ads

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SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

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ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast⁠

//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris

⁠Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

RICHPANEL

Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.

FERMAT

Create funnels the same way you create ads with FERMAT by visiting ⁠⁠https://fermatcommerce.com/af

//

In this tactical solo episode, Andrew Faris breaks down 7 updated Meta ad buying strategies that are shaping how top brands scale in 2025. Based on personal account data, Meta Performance Summit insights, and conversations with reps, Andrew shares what’s actually working—including why he’s now running 15–20 ads per ad set, how he’s avoiding the learning phase trap, and his new take on creative testing campaigns.

Whether you're managing $5K or $500K/month in spend, this episode is packed with non-obvious tactics that can unlock growth and reduce wasted spend.

Topics Covered:

- How many ads to run per ad set

- Why learning phase really matters now

- The truth about creative testing campaigns

- Manual bidding vs automated budgets

- How to relaunch an underperforming ad (Thumbnail Trick)

- Why iterative creative is dead (and what to do instead)

- Data quality, Elevar, and pixel hygiene tips

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CHAPTER TITLES:

00:01:21 - Machine Learning & Meta Ads

00:05:56 - Get Your Ads Out of Learning Phase

00:14:22 - Wasting Money On Test Ads

00:22:26 - Creative Testing Campaign

00:35:57 - Importance of Thumbnails & Creative Swap Outs

//

SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

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ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast⁠

//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠

Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

MORE STAFFING

Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting ⁠https://morestaffing.co/af⁠.

INTELLIGEMS

Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.

//

In this deeply reflective episode, Andrew Faris sits down with Matt Bertulli—founder of Pela and Lomi, host of the Operators Podcast, and a seasoned eCommerce entrepreneur with a successful exit under his belt—to unpack a deceptively simple tweet:

"Building a business is a spiritual process disguised as a financial one."

What follows is an unfiltered, vulnerable conversation about why so many high-performing founders experience emptiness despite outward success. They explore questions that every 7–9 figure operator eventually faces:

- What’s the real point of building a business?

- How do you stay motivated after you've “made it”?

- What does meaningful success look like beyond dollars?

- Why personal growth and company growth are linked—and why ignoring one undermines the other.

This is not your typical episode about margin optimization or scaling tactics—though Matt and Andrew touch on those. Instead, it’s about why we build in the first place. It’s for the founder who’s already successful, but feels stuck or unsatisfied.If you’ve ever stared at a dashboard full of green numbers and still asked yourself, “What now?” — this conversation is for you.

Actionable insight: Align your values and motivations early. Building without intention leads to burnout, not fulfillment.

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CHAPTER TITLES:

00:01:26 - What Is The Point of Business?

00:03:27 - Work Life Balance Explained

00:09:14 - The Importance of Writing For Clarity

00:19:29 - Does Money Equal Joy?

00:35:17 - YPO Membership

00:48:01 - Spiritual Discipline In Business

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Matt Bertulli is the CEO and Co-Founder of Pela and Lomi and one of the hosts of The Operators Podcast. Listen to The Operators at https://www.9operators.com/.

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SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

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ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast

⁠//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠

Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

MOVE SUPPLY CHAIN

Pay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://⁠movesupplychain.com⁠.

INTELLIGEMS

Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.

//

Andrew sits down with Chad Carlton, CEO of Good Company, a 3PL that ships over 3 million orders annually for fewer than 20 clients. In this tactical deep dive, they walk through every step of the fulfillment journey—from the moment your product hits the warehouse to when it lands at your customer’s door.

You’ll learn:

- Why most brands treat their 3PLs wrong—and how to fix it
- The real cost structure behind pick, pack, and postage
- When it makes sense to fulfill in-house vs outsource
- How to reduce returns and increase resellable inventory
- What "alignment of incentives" really looks like in logistics

Real numbers, strategic decisions, and operational leverage that can drive profitability are candidly explored—especially in a margin-compressed environment.

Whether you're considering switching 3PLs, scaling to multiple warehouses, or fixing your supply chain slippage, this episode gives you the framework to make better, more profitable decisions.

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CHAPTER TITLES:
00:01:46 - Chad's Calling To Start a 3PL Business
00:08:39 - Why Your Business Should Use A 3PL
00:19:09 - Demanding The Right Price From A 3PL Partner
00:40:44 - The Process
00:53:38 - Midwest Is The Best Location For Shipping

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Chad Carleton is the founder and CEO of The Good Company, a 3PL based in Springfield, MO that will ship 3,000,000shipments across less than 20 clients in 2025. Visit The Good Company's website at https://www.goodcompanyships.com/ and follow him on X at https://x.com/ChadCarleton.

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SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

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ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast⁠

//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠ Email: [email protected] Work with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

RICHPANEL

Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify

FERMAT

Create funnels the same way you create ads with FERMAT by visiting ⁠⁠https://fermatcommerce.com/af

//

What are Meta’s top advertisers learning directly from the source? In this episode, I break down 5 key takeaways from Meta’s exclusive Performance Marketing Summit — a behind-the-scenes look at where the platform is headed and what that means for 7–9 figure eCommerce brands.

You’ll learn:

- Why incrementality is replacing ROAS as the gold standard of ad measurement

- How Meta’s new tools aim to optimize for profit, not just revenue

- Why data quality is your new competitive edge

- What Meta’s push for creative variety means for your internal content systems

- How reels and creators are central to Meta’s growth strategy

Plus: The surprising future of “ads that interact with you” — and what that means for your landing pages.If you’re scaling profitably in today’s ad ecosystem, this is the inside track.//CHAPTER TITLES:

1:50 - Hold Out Tests For Meta Ads

3:52 - Incrementality Tests

7:01 - Importance of Quality of your Data

13:13 - Creative Supply Chain

23:00 - A.I In Your Meta Ads

//

SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

//

ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast

⁠//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠

Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

MORE STAFFING

Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting ⁠https://morestaffing.co/af⁠.

INTELLIGEMS

Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.

//

Bear Handlon, CEO of Born Primitive, went from $5.5M in profit to just $200K in a single year — and then back again. In this Profit Monsters episode, Bear breaks down exactly what caused the collapse, how they rebuilt, and what they're doing now to scale into $100M+.

We cover:

- How chasing top-line growth killed margins

- Why flash sales damaged LTV

- The power of product category expansion (tactical, hunting, footwear)

- The real ROI of brand authenticity and military credibility

- How Bear negotiates net-90 terms — and why that matters

- The exact moment they cut spending, changed exclusions, and stabilized Meta ROAS

- Why product quality — not hype — is the greatest unlock

Whether you’re a founder stuck in growth mode, a brand leader trying to protect profit, or an operator navigating platform volatility, this episode will sharpen your instincts and show you how serious operators recover — and win.

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CHAPTER TITLES:

1:50: The Dark Times of Born Primitive

11:50: Customer Acquisition Strategy

20:27: Product Categories

46:25 - Product Features + Customer Experience

56:22 - Proper Communication Channels For Marketing Apparel

//

SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

//

ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast⁠

//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠

Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

RICHPANEL

Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.

FERMAT Create funnels the same way you create ads with FERMAT by visiting ⁠⁠https://fermatcommerce.com/af

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In this episode, we does something rare — I get to break down the real P&L of a $5 million DTC brand and show exactly how to think about cost of delivery, fixed overhead, and ad spend efficiency.

You’ll learn:

Why a brand with great product margins can still lose money

How in-house manufacturing + fulfillment can kill your profitability

When to cut salaries, outsource ops, and lean into paid acquisition

The framework I use to analyze any eCommerce P&L

If you run a 7–9 figure eCommerce business and want practical, honest insight into what’s really driving (or killing) profitability, this episode is a must-watch.

CHAPTER TITLES:

1:28 - Intro To A P&L

5:00 - Descriptions of a P&L

10:17 - Analyzing Sales

17:31 - Digital Ad Spend

49:53 - Customer Cohort Analysis

//

SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

//

ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast

//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris

Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

MORE STAFFING

Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting ⁠https://morestaffing.co/af⁠.

INTELLIGEMS

Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.

RICHPANEL

Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at https://www.richpanel.com/.

//

Taylor Holiday is the Founder and CEO of Common Thread Collective. Learn more about working with CTC at https://www.commonthreadco.com. Follow Taylor on X at https://x.com/taylorholiday and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-holiday-a169b322/.

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Taylor Holiday says your eCommerce business doesn’t stand a chance—and he means it. In this episode, Taylor (CEO of Common Thread Collective) and Andrew go head-to-head over whether eCommerce is still a viable, scalable business model. The conversation pulls no punches and goes deep into the real pain points 7–9 figure brand operators are dealing with right now: margin compression, CAC volatility, platform shifts, and the myth of infinite scale.

You’ll also hear how ChatGPT is already changing buyer behavior, why most brands are failing at storytelling, and what it really takes to build a sustainable DTC brand in 2025.

Beyond eCom, the episode explores parenting, fitness, and the psychology behind founder burnout.

Whether you agree or disagree with Taylor’s take, this is an unfiltered look into what separates surviving brands from thriving ones.

CHAPTER TITLES:

1:40 - Andrew The E-Commerce Optimist

8:20 - Is Competition A Bad Thing In E Commerce?

16:12 - What Optimization Setting To Use With Your Ads

43:36 - The Growth of Retail

1:22:00 - This Could Wipe Out Your DTC Business

1:32:00 - Meal Planning & Fitness

//

SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

//

ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast

//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris

Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

MORE STAFFING

Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting ⁠https://morestaffing.co/af⁠.

MOVE SUPPLY CHAIN

Pay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://⁠movesupplychain.com⁠.

//

Dave Spandorfer is the co-founder & CEO of Janji, an 8-figure running apparel brand. Shop Janji's products at www.janji.com.

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If you think profitable DTC growth is dead, think again.In this episode, Dave Spandorfer—co-founder and CEO of Janji, a running apparel brand—explains how his company grew to 8 figures without chasing broad TAM or burning VC money. You'll learn why narrowing your focus on a niche customer can be your greatest growth lever, how to build a mission-led brand without leading with your mission, and the specific tactics Janji used to run lean—from fulfillment redesign to offshore hiring to renegotiating with factories during tariff spikes.

What you’ll learn:

- How Janji grew faster in year 13 than in year 3

- Why experiential niches outperform generalized DTC

- Operational frameworks for margin expansion

- How to preserve brand soul and scale profitably

- What the “tip of the spear” strategy means for your product roadmap

This episode is a must-watch for 7–9 figure eCommerce founders under margin pressure, looking to grow leaner, smarter, and with more brand clarity.

CHAPTER TITLES:

1:25 - Taking Your Passion & Starting A Business

4:36 - The Mission of Janji

11:40 - How To Evolve Your Business With A Changing Market

20:20 - Longterm Growth is Stable Growth

30:50 - Keeping Your Targeted Customer & Products Narrow

//

SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!

//

ADMISSION

Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast

//

FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris

Email: [email protected]

Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠