In this episode, we sit down with Bill and Josh from Baseball Lifestyle to unpack their incredible growth story, from a high school Instagram account to a projected $150 million business. They share the secrets behind their success, including the power of niching down in a passionate community and the relentless consistency of posting content for years to build an audience. We dive deep into their bootstrapped financing strategy, leveraging first-order profitability and revenue-based financing to scale inventory and marketing. Bill and Josh also discuss the critical operational challenges of hyper-growth, the importance of their unique founder partnership, and how their high-frequency product drop model fuels an impressive customer LTV. Discover how they successfully balanced their DTC roots with a massive wholesale expansion into retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, turning their brand into a nine-figure behemoth.Chapters:00:03:50 - Introduction00:22:35 - Power of a Great Business Duo00:41:44 - North Star Metric for Your Business00:57:21 - Painful Reality of Hyper-Growth01:18:15 - How to Balance Wholesale and E-commercePowered By:Fulfil.io.https://bit.ly/3pAp2vuThe Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam.https://www.northbeam.io/Postscript.https://postscript.io/Richpanel.https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdescSaras.https://saras-analytics.typeform.com/to/T8jpuAEb?utm_source=9operator_lp&utm_medium=find_out_moreSubscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperatorsSubscribe to The Finance Operators here:https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPSSign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here:https://9operators.com/
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1:28:00
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1:28:00
Operators Titans E003: Musely (with CEO Jack Jia)
Brought to you by Applovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits.https://9operators.com/applovinJack Gia shares his expansive journey from enterprise technology to investing to founding Muesly, a prescription skincare brand with over one million customers and $100M in annual revenue.Along with hosts Matt Bertulli and Mike Beckham, they discuss the importance of innovation, learning from failures, and the challenges of building a telehealth platform. Jack emphasizes the significance of community engagement and real customer stories in marketing, as well as the core ethos of DIY. He offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs — a calculated yet action-oriented approach to business.
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1:19:47
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1:19:47
E134: Thrasio: The Truth, with co-founder John Hefter
What's it like to build the fastest-growing company in American history... and then watch it all come crashing down? We sat down with John Hefter, co-founder of the legendary Amazon aggregator Thrasio, for a brutally honest conversation about the company's wild ride from a multi-billion dollar unicorn to bankruptcy.John takes us from the very beginning, launching from a co-founder's basement with a simple Google search to raising nearly $3.5 billion and reaching a staggering $9 billion valuation. He shares the incredible inside story of "Angry Orange," the pet deodorizer brand that became the "smell of gold" and proved their model could work on a massive scale.But with insane growth came chaos. John pulls back the curtain on the dark side of the Amazon marketplace, battling black-hat sellers and the operational nightmare of acquiring four companies in a single week. He reveals the surreal moment he knew the dream was over, standing at a lavish party in Cabo when he got the call about a single, catastrophic $450 million inventory mistake.This isn't just a business story; it's a cautionary tale about the real cost of moving too fast. Tune in to hear John's unfiltered take on the future of Amazon FBA, his hard-won advice for founders, and what comes after surviving the unicorn rollercoaster.Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction00:05:10 - How Thrasio Started in a Basement00:19:11 - Insane Pre-COVID Growth00:23:18 - Beginning of the End00:41:39 - The Moment It All Blew Up00:53:57 - Future of Amazon FBAPowered By:Fulfil.io.https://bit.ly/3pAp2vuThe Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam.https://www.northbeam.io/Postscript.https://postscript.io/Richpanel.https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdescSaras.https://saras-analytics.typeform.com/to/T8jpuAEb?utm_source=9operator_lp&utm_medium=find_out_moreSubscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperatorsSubscribe to The Finance Operators here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/
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1:04:47
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1:04:47
E133: Goodbye Websites. Hello AI Commerce.
What is the future of e-commerce? In this episode, the Operators tackle the biggest questions facing brands today. We explore the rise of "Agentic Commerce" and the concept of the "Me Store". A future where personal AI assistants curate and conduct our shopping, potentially replacing the traditional e-commerce storefront as we know it.The conversation then dives deep into one of the most critical topics for any founder: brand. How do you distinguish between building an enduring brand versus chasing a fleeting trend? We break down the Stanley cup phenomenon as a case study and debate the best ways to measure true brand power. Is it about pricing power and repeat purchase rates, or is brand evangelism the ultimate metric? Finally, we explore different strategies for brand growth and category expansion, looking at how to stay true to a core customer while still finding new avenues for growth. Join us for a forward-looking discussion on the threats, opportunities, and strategic pivots required to win in the next era of commerce.Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction00:06:15 - Stealing Marketing Ideas from 50 Years Ago00:17:47 - How AI Will Change E-Commerce Forever00:36:44 - How Do You Actually Measure "Brand"?00:49:30 - Analyzing Post-Purchase Survey Data00:56:52 - Brand vs. TrendPowered By:Fulfil.io.https://bit.ly/3pAp2vuThe Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam.https://www.northbeam.io/Postscript.https://postscript.io/Richpanel.https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdescSaras.https://saras-analytics.typeform.com/to/T8jpuAEb?utm_source=9operator_lp&utm_medium=find_out_moreSubscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperatorsSubscribe to The Finance Operators here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/
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1:23:57
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1:23:57
Operators Titans E001: Caden Lane (with CEO Katy Mimari)
Brought to you by Applovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits.https://9ops.co/channelsHosts Matthew Bertulli and Sean Frank go behind-the-scenes with Katy Mimari, founder and CEO of +$100M baby brand Caden Lane. Katy shares her 21-year entrepreneurial journey, detailing the motivations behind starting her company, the challenges faced during economic downturns, and her pivotal decision to transition into DTC.She discusses the importance of product expansion, compassionate leadership, and the lessons learned throughout her journey. Katy reflects on the decision not to sell her company along with the personal growth that has come from navigating the complexities of business ownership, going from single mother to blended family, and life.Chapters00:00 The Genesis of Caden Lane09:20 Navigating Challenges and Growth17:46 The Transition to Direct-to-Consumer25:50 Rebuilding and Expanding Product Lines37:06 The Decision Not to Sell: A Personal Journey56:37 Lessons Learned and Future Aspirations
In the world of eCommerce, a legendary WhatsApp group is rumoured to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures in revenue to gain entry. The worlds biggest brands have denied its existence for years, until now. Three titans known as "Operators" are leaking the secret contents in an effort to share its wealth of knowledge with people like you.
USA