Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

In this episode of The Random Show, Taylor Holiday and Andrew Faris sit down for a moment of focus—because something big just happened. Common Thread Collective has a new growth partner. Taylor breaks down what the deal really means, why it isn’t a retirement plan, and how private equity views agencies differently than eComm brands.• Why service businesses generate more cash (and get better multip...

At CTC’s recent Client Summit, Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin sat down to unpack what happens when you get out from behind Zoom and into a room with the people you work with. The result? Honest conversations, unexpected insights, and a clearer picture of what brands really need right now. From creative volume challenges to leadership struggles, this episode explores the unspoken truths that sur...

The Tale of Two Cities in E-Commerce: Winners and Losers in 2025At CTC’s Client Summit, Taylor Holiday shares an unfiltered perspective on where the economy, the world, and the e-commerce landscape are headed—and why the future will be defined by a sharp divide between winners and losers. From macroeconomic pressures to changing consumer behavior, Taylor explains why the current environment isn’t...

Can you turn 14 days into $1.28 million? We did—and we're breaking down exactly how we crushed our million-dollar challenge! In this episode, join Richard and Luke as they unpack the intense 14-day journey that led to massive revenue success.  You'll learn: How we strategically turned a critical marketing moment into explosive growth. The day-by-day breakdown of how we overcame a nearly ha...

Discover the next chapter in Common Thread Collective’s story as Taylor Holiday takes you behind the scenes of our 12-year journey from a tiny IKEA furnished office and our first Facebook ad experiments with QALO, to the seismic shifts of COVID and our reinvention as a “profit agency.”  In this special episode of the podcast, you’ll hear: How CTC evolved from a passion project into a mission-drive...

In this episode of the podcast, we dismantle the old school attribution windows holding your ad strategy hostage and reveal a simple framework for measuring true incremental ROAS. What you’ll discover: Why standard “7-day click” and “1-day view” settings both mislead you How to run a zero cost geo holdout test for real incremental data When to stick with your current settings and how to apply a co...

Is your brand feeling the squeeze? You’re not alone. In today’s episode, we break down three essential moves every DTC and ecommerce brand must make to survive—and thrive—amid rising bankruptcy rates and tightening capital markets. You’ll learn: Why capital constraints are killing growth—and how to turn your supplier into a lender How to generate organic demand by tapping into pop culture and comm...

Ecommerce brands are quietly shutting their doors, but what's really behind this sudden wave of closures? In this episode, we dive deep into exclusive industry data, consumer trends, and expert analysis to uncover what's truly happening behind the scenes in the ecommerce space. Join our panel of industry experts as we reveal: Why more brands than ever are filing for bankruptcy. The surpris...

Are you building a resilient brand or just delaying the inevitable? In this episode of the Podcast, we tackle six hard hitting questions every founder and operator needs to answer right now. From survival mode decision making to brand building under pressure, we break down what separates strong, adaptable brands from those on the edge of collapse. Topics We Cover: When to cut (and when to protect)...

We’re $423K into our 14-day, $1M revenue challenge—and the pressure is mounting. With just 6 days left, we’re $577K short of our goal. In this episode, Luke Austin breaks down: What’s working (returning customers are showing up) What’s not (new customer revenue is lagging) Why our efficiency is solid, but volume is the problem The high-stakes brand collab launching on June 26th that could make or...

What’s next for Meta ads? We just got back from Meta’s Performance Summit, and the future is clear: incrementality, AI tuning, creative velocity, and less button pushing, more strategy.  In this episode of the Podcast, VP of Paid Media, Tony Chopp, shares an exclusive insider recap of what Meta’s top brass revealed about the evolving ad platform and what it means for performance marketers. You’ll...

Meta just rolled out a brand new attribution setting called Incremental Attribution and we put it to the test. In this episode of the Podcast, Richard is joined by Tony and McCay to break down the results of a real A/B test comparing Meta’s new setting vs. standard 7-day click attribution. The outcome? An 18% lift in conversion value—from the exact same ads and budget. We’ll cover: What Incrementa...

We’re attempting something BIG. Over the next two weeks, our VP of Ecommerce Strategy, Luke Austin, is taking on a real-time challenge to generate an additional $1,000,000 in revenue profitably for one of our clients. Every day, we’ll document the actions, strategy shifts, wins, and losses required to hit this massive goal. No fluff. No filters. Just real execution and behind-the-scenes access to...

How did our clients perform in May against their forecasted targets? In this episode, we analyze the latest client report card—detailing key insights from over 60 brands we manage. We dive into: How we managed to underspend budget but still exceeded contribution margin forecasts. Real examples of price testing and rapid flash sale strategies. Actionable insights from our growth strategists on driv...

Is your marketing stuck between creating meaningful stories and pumping out endless ad variations? This episode of Podcast breaks down the critical tension between creative storytelling and the high volume ads required for success on platforms like Meta. Join Richard and Taylor as they discuss: How the best DTC brands successfully balance creative depth with ad volume. Why two distinct marketing r...

In this episode, Tara Austin, founder and CEO of Ruthie Grace, reveals the raw and honest story of how she nearly lost her seven figure ecommerce business—and exactly what she did to turn it around. From facing a payroll crisis that nearly shut her doors, to completely transforming her team's culture and operating systems, Tara shares powerful lessons on leadership, communication, and resilien...

In this episode of The Random Show, Taylor Holiday and Andrew Faris are back—new set, same chaos. They dive into the uncomfortable truths of e-commerce: zero barriers to entry, infinite competition, and the creative treadmill that never stops. If you’ve ever felt like you’re sprinting just to stay in place, you’re not alone.  Why ecom profits get competed down to zero  How “just take a thousand sh...

Meta just dropped a game changing attribution feature, and it could completely upend how you measure ad performance. In this episode of the Podcast, CTC’s VP of Paid Media Tony Chopp and Paid Social Manager McCay Rasmussen join Richard to break down Meta’s new incremental attribution setting—a behind-the-scenes update that uses continuous holdout testing to determine true incremental conversions i...

In this solo episode of the Podcast, Taylor shares a powerful lesson from Cozy Earth’s CMO, who broke free from the measurement rabbit hole to create a viral TikTok challenge that earned 10M+ impressions over Memorial Day weekend. If you’re a CMO, marketing leader, or operator stuck in the endless loop of attribution models and incrementality debates, this episode is your permission slip to zoom o...

Is your brand truly set up for growth? Or just treading water? In this episode of the Podcast, Taylor and Richard introduce CTC’s brand new Strategic Growth Scorecard—a 7-metric framework designed to help you quickly assess the strength of your growth engine. You’ll learn: Why we replaced ROAS with IMR (Incremental Marginal Return) The key metrics behind sustainable, efficient growth How to identi...

95% of ecommerce brands are worth ZERO. Why? In this episode, we unpack the harsh reality behind most DTC businesses, why logical decisions don’t drive entrepreneurship—and what actually does. Taylor and Richard dive deep into: The real odds of building a valuable brand Why success in ecommerce is often delusional by design How to align your business model with your personal financial goals The tr...

Are you obsessively tweaking your ad campaigns only to see flat results? In this episode of the Podcast, Richard sits down with Luke Austin, to expose why daily bid and budget changes are wasting your time and money. They dive into the root issue behind inconsistent performance: a lack of belief in the data. Luke shares the system CTC uses to align teams, set targets with confidence, and stop the...

Ever wonder how $10M+ ecommerce brands make their next move? In this episode of the Podcast, Taylor and Richard walk through a real world growth scenario pulled directly from CTC’s work with a 9-figure brand. Using live data from our proprietary platform, Statlas, we break down exactly how our team evaluates performance, spots hidden opportunities, and decides what to do next. What You’ll Learn: W...

We just did something radical: we killed the Growth Map—CTC’s signature media buying tool used for years across hundreds of ecommerce brands. Why? Because AI changed the game. In this episode of the Podcast, we break down why our old system no longer works, how AI is reshaping the future of media buying, and what we’re building to replace human limitations with 24/7 omnipresence. Learn about: Why...

Most brands think they have a growth problem—but what they really have is a DOING problem. In this episode, we break down why volume of action is the single greatest predictor of business growth—and how to build a system that trains this muscle every day. From 400+ ads to 52 product launches a year, we’ll show you what it takes to build momentum, create consistently, and generate real results. You...