Offcuts

On this episode I’m talking about brand loyalty in a hyper personalised AI world with Emily Gray, Founding Partner of Untangld: an international Strategy Studio defining how businesses win. We get into what loyalty really means today, from communities and connection to the risk of over optimised personalisation, and why Emily believes true loyalty is earned through relevance, not reliance. We talk...

On this episode I’m breaking down Shopify’s Summer Editions 2025 with Ben Homer, Senior Solutions Engineer at Shopify. We cover Shopify’s new AI-powered Horizon theme and what it means for design freedom, explore the interplay between consumer- and merchant-facing AI, and dig into standout updates—from Sidekick’s new voice and screen-sharing capabilities, to split fulfilment via Ship and Carry Out...

On this episode I’m talking about investing in creator brands with CJ Daniel-Nield, co-founder of Planes Studio. We unpack why creator-led businesses are booming, the shift from personal brand to product ecosystem, and why CJ believes creators have already solved the hardest part of building a business: distribution. We dive into projects like Skin Rocks and Mila, explore the challenges around LTV...

In this episode, I’m joined by Matty to talk about his journey from studying marketing to shaping some of the most well-known brands in the DTC space. We go back to his days at MyProtein and Represent, where he cut his teeth in SEO and digital PR, learning first-hand how community building can and should be the core of a modern brand proposition. Now at Cadence, Matty shares how the brand has evol...

On this episode I’m chatting with Hamish McKay, co founder of Order Editing, and we’re discussing what it’s like to build a $20m app in public. We discuss how the origins of Order Editing, the moat they’ve built by building in public, the realities and exhaustion that comes from building in public, his personal branding framework, the importance of vulnerability, why they encourage their team to b...

On this episode I’m chatting with the Jeremy Horowitz, managing partner at Because Ventures and writer of the very excellent newsletter - Let’s Buy A Biz!, and we’re debating whether buying a business is the the best business in 2025? We start by exploring why buying a business has become popularised by social media and retiring baby boomers, why understanding financial statements is crucial for a...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder of Commerce thinking and high cohesion and we’re re-exploring a subject we discussed a few weeks back - the technology state of play. We start with the impact of tariffs on backend operations and tech choices, the demand for low code solutions, the likelihood and shape of consolidation for the rest of the year, who the commerce platform winner...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder of Commerce thinking and high cohesion and we’re debating whether system design is a luxury or a necessity for modern brands? Before jumping into it, we touch on how TikTok is becoming the battleground for Trump’s trade tariffs and whether Strava buying Runna is a playbook for running brands acquiring niche running clubs. Then we get into syst...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder of Commerce thinking and high cohesion and we’re discussing New Product Development 101. Before jumping into it, we recap on last week’s episode and bring you up to speed with Trump’s tariffs. We also explore what we’re hearing on the ground from brands who are trying to navigate this new trade normal. Then we get into New Product Development...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder of Commerce thinking and high cohesion and we’re discussing how to navigate Trumpenomics. Maybe some would argue, Trumpageaddon. This was a big one. And I’ll preface the conversation with the fact that we are not economists. But we started by focusing on the impact of the recent tariff changes on brands and the broader economic landscape. Then...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder of Commerce thinking and high cohesion and we’re discussing whether stock management is your secret marketing weapon. Before we kick off we quickly discuss H&M announcing that they’ll be using AI models and Napster’s recent sale for $200m. Yes, Napster just got sold for $200m. Then we get into the meat of the conversation and debate whethe...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder of Commerce thinking and high cohesion and we’re discussing going global! Before we kick off we quickly discuss the Gary Stevenson Diary of CEO debate, Magento’s move to the cloud and Klarna teaming up with Door dash. Then we get into the meat of the conversation. We discuss why brands go global in the first place, what they need to consider t...

On this episode I’m chatting with with Ed Whelpton Co founder of Bold Bean Co and we’re discussing why the world should eat more beans. We start with Ed’s journey and obsession with food operations, the idea and early stages of Bold Bean Co, their D2C versus trade strategy and why D2C is so important, the power of community and how it can shape ones new product development, where Bold Bean will be...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder at Commerce Thinking and High Cohesion and we’re tackling some hot commerce and business news - including Pretty Little Thing’s rebrand, Tala’s retail expansion and Bryan Johnson (the bloke who won’t die) staring a religion. We then dive into a discussion about how to budget for a big digital transformation project. We cover the complexities o...

On this episode I’m chatting with David Franks, co-founder of Kick Game and building Zelph, and we’re discussing whether D2C exits are back. Which is topical as VGC just bought a controlling stake in Kick Game. We rewind and get a sense of those early days of Kick Game, the power of celebrity collaborations, why they bucked the trend during COVID and pushed hard on their bricks and mortar strategy...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder at Commerce Thinking and High Cohesion and we’re tackling some hot commerce news - including the demise of the Humane AI pin, and Skims and Nike teaming up - then diving into a discussion about digital transformation projects. We define what a digital transformation project is, the reasons for embarking on one, how to approach such a project a...

On this episode we’re exploring whether new media is redefining the way we consume business news, with Sammi Cohen, Consumer Expert & Founder of Social Currency. I first came across Sammi via TikTok and was immediately impressed with her ability to distill interesting business topics. So I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk to her about how new media is reshaping the consumption o...

On this episode I’m chatting with James Collier - a Nutritionist, Author and Co-Founder & Chief Sustainable Nutrition Officer at Huel. On the back of his new book, Well Fed, we’re discussing whether we need to change the way we eat. We discuss the complexities of the food system, the ethical considerations of food choices, the importance of consumer education, the challenges of overconsumption...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder at Commerce Thinking and High Cohesion and we’re discussing his recent time in LA. We touch on the dynamics of operating in the US, the challenges and opportunities for brands and services providers in LA, the investment landscape compared to the UK, the cultural perceptions between the US and here and a side detour of reflections on the UK go...

On this special live podcast, I sit down with Rosie Duffy (Head of Customer Care, ME+EM) and Hannah Bennett (Head of Digital, Paul Smith) to discuss whether post-purchase is your secret CLTV weapon? What did we chat about? how effective post-purchase communication can unlock retention the internal resources you need to craft excellent post purchase experience the interplay between loyalty and post...

On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder at Commerce Thinking and High Cohesion and we’re discussing his recent time in LA. We touch on the dynamics of operating in the US, the challenges and opportunities for brands and services providers in LA, the investment landscape compared to the UK, the cultural perceptions between the US and here and a side detour of reflections on the UK go...

On this episode I’m chatting with Olly Hudson - D2C Growth expert, Founder of Soar With Us & For You Advertising, CMO of JAQ Group - and we’re discussing whether disrupter brands are dead. We start by exploring Olly’s journey to consumer, what it’s like to run an agency and work inside a brand. Then get into the meat of the conversation where we define what a modern disrupter brand looks like,...

On this episode I’m back with my co conspirator and regular guest Luke Hodgson - co founder of Commerce Thinking and High Cohesion. Today we’re discussing the week’s most interesting commerce news. Which are: Klevu and Searchspring’s partnership, Yotpo sunsetting subscriptions and Adanol’s collab with Kendal Jenner. We then deep dive on Operator Experience. What is it and should it be your number...

On this episode I’m back with my co conspirator and regular guest Luke Hodgson - co founder of Commerce Thinking and High Cohesion. Today we’re discussing the 2025 predictions report we (Factory) released last week. The report was a bit of a big dog, so we decided to tackle a few but not all subjects. However, I highly recommend you go and check out the full blog at Factory-digital.com So what did...

On this episode I’m chatting with Rob Watkiss, CTO at Sungod and we’re discussing whether composable stack’s are the future of commerce? We touch on Rob's journey from aerospace engineering to consumer, Sungod’s transition from monolithic to composable, why choosing the right stack is crucial for scalability, how internal resources can be both a strength and a challenge, the power of composable ar...