Sean Frank, Mike Beckham, Matt Bertulli, and Jason Panzer
Operators
In the world of ecommerce, a legendary text group is rumored to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures in revenue to gain entry. The world’s biggest brands have denied its existence for years, until now. Four titans known as the “Operators” are leaking the secret contents in an effort to share its wealth of knowledge with people like you. Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) & Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case x Lomi).
Author
Sean Frank, Mike Beckham, Matt Bertulli, and Jason Panzer
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 8, 2026
Where to listen?
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Episodes
E067: Taylor Holiday - Part 1 31.07.2024 56:01
00:00 Introduction and Overview 03:22 The Impact of Cap Tables on the Organization 05:17 Equity as a Tool for Employee Retention08:38 The Power Dynamics of Board Control 23:21 The Importance of Trust in Equity Allocation 26:46 Reflecting on Past Decisions: What Would You Change? 27:41 Navigating the Challenges of Equity and Ownership 38:02 The Importance of Open Communication and Fairness 45:17 Un...
E066: Special guest episode with the founder & CEO of Flexport Ryan Petersen 24.07.2024 1:08:43
00:00 Introduction 03:18 Overview of Flexport and its Services 08:09 Differences between Flexport and Shopify in Fulfillment 10:04 Utilizing Real-Time Data for Supply Chain Planning 14:47 The Importance of Visibility and Communication in Logistics 17:56 Challenges in the Freight Forwarding Industry 18:25 Choosing the Hardest Businesses and the Value of Simplifying to Amplify 23:33 Expanding into O...
E065: Capital, Investment & Politics 17.07.2024 1:08:42
00:00 Introduction 03:12 Weekend Recap and Discussion on Aging 06:26 Transitioning from Fluid Intelligence to Wisdom 09:20 The Political Landscape and the Biden Presidency 13:41 The Importance of Privacy and Anonymity on Social Media 15:30 The Influence of Generational Shifts on Institutions 18:12 The Role of Swing Voters in Elections 20:53 The Need for Competent and Moderate Leadership 22:22 The...
E064: Manage your time like a 9-figure CEO 10.07.2024 55:53
00:00 Introduction 03:09 The Role of an Executive Assistant 06:06 Finding and Trusting an EA 08:49 When to Hire an EA 10:15 Different Perspectives on Having an EA 20:21 Balancing Personal and Work Tasks 23:12 Avoiding Lifestyle Creep 26:34 The Lumpy Nature of Needing an EA 30:21 Finding Time as a CEO 43:28 Aligning Personal and Business Finances 48:31 Optimizing Processes and Priorities Operators...
E063: Part 2: How to build resiliency into your business 03.07.2024 51:56
00:00 Introduction 00:31 Understanding the Challenges of Inventory Management and Fulfillment 06:32 Building a Resilient Business through Channel and Market Diversity 10:39 The Importance of Sustainable Competitive Advantages and Modes 13:50 Productive Paranoia and Risk Mitigation for Long-Term Success 23:40 The Strategy of Sharing Information and Fortifying the Business 26:28 Building in Public 2...
E062: Special Guest Episode: Growth Marketing Ft. Sarah Carusona 26.06.2024 1:02:55
00:00 Introduction 08:09 Navigating the Agency Landscape and the Role of ERPs in E-commerce 14:51 Segmenting Advertising Strategies for New and Returning Customers 24:21 Challenges in Measuring Customer Acquisition Costs 27:08 Utilizing Data Warehouses and Technologies for Customer Analysis 31:51 Tracking and Attributing Customer Data 41:18 The Power Law Distribution of Customer Behavior 49:26 TV...
E061: Part 1: How to build resiliency into your business 19.06.2024 57:46
00:00 Introduction 03:18 Building Resilience: Lessons from the Meta Summit 08:59 Diversification: Mitigating Risks in a Platform-Driven World 24:10 The Evolving Role of AI in Marketing 27:30 Investing in Resilience: Strategies for Long-Term Success 28:57 The Challenges of the E-commerce Ecosystem 29:55 The Risks of Relying on Algorithms 31:19 Transitioning from the Marketplace to 1P 34:35 The Impo...
E060: Defending Your Time, Standing for Something, HexClad Super Bowl Ad & More! 12.06.2024 58:49
00:00 Introduction and Overview of Topics 01:20 The Impact of ERP Systems on Inventory Management 05:32 The Influence of Social Media on Public Discourse 07:02 The Disruption of Traditional Media and Commerce by Digital Platforms 13:26 The Relevance of Super Bowl Ads in the Current Media Landscape 32:15 The Cost and Value of Working with Creative Agencies 37:32 The Impact of Brand Equity and Brand...
E059: Meta, Consumer Sentiment & Be a Cockroach! 05.06.2024 1:07:30
00:00 Introduction 08:34 Understanding Consumer Sentiment and Advertising Strategies 15:23 The Impact of Meta on Business Performance 33:36 E-Commerce Strategies and Customer Acquisition 47:43 Brand Expansion and Product Lines 59:33 Brand Equity and Category Expansion 01:03:24 The Challenge of Hubris in Business Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-20pd2e...
E058: The Secret to Ecommerce Success? The Human Factor 29.05.2024 57:09
00:00 The Business of People: Navigating Hiring Challenges 10:22 Organizational Culture and Leadership Impact 29:02 Navigating the Challenges of Hiring and Building Leadership 35:00 The Impact of Growth on Organizational Dynamics 49:48 Executive Roles and Leadership Structure Operators Exclusive Slack: https://9operators.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA#/shared-i...
E057: Operators in Session with Cherene Aubert 22.05.2024 1:13:08
00:00 Introduction 03:41 Chaurene's Career Journey and Leaving Bobby 08:06 Growth and Challenges at ILIA Beauty 14:17 Lessons from Bobby and the Importance of Customer Obsession 22:07 Skills and Insights from the Agency World 27:25 Remote Work and Managing High-Performing Teams 34:22 Generating Sustainable Growth 36:38 Building an Organic Customer Acquisition Baseline 37:38 Alternative Growth...
E056: 9-Figure Brand Health Check 15.05.2024 1:00:12
00:00 Introduction 00:32 International Expansion and Diversification 01:28 Streamlining Logistics and Inventory Management 11:31 The Challenges of Launching New Products 12:55 The Benefits of Planning Product Launches in Advance 28:26 The Impact of Digital Marketing on Sales 30:24 Paid Ads and Physical Retail 40:27 Challenges of Scaling a Business 45:39 Building a Positive Work Culture 54:56 The I...
E055: The AI Takeover, Formal Education Decline, Ecom Tech Disruptions & The Future of Employment 08.05.2024 55:15
00:00 Introduction: Outsourcing, AI, and the Future of College Education 03:44 The Impact of Remote Work on American Workers 06:30 The Rise of the Global Workforce 26:41 Reevaluating the Concept of Equity in a Global Economy 27:39 The Rise of Robotics and AI in the Workforce 29:07 Remaining Competitive in a Changing Job Market 31:32 The Future of Credentialing 35:09 The Gig Economy and the Freelan...
E054: TikTok and Cool Brands 01.05.2024 52:37
00:00 Government Bureaucracy and Productivity 07:05 Enforcement of Intellectual Property 14:37 The Speed of Government Action 30:45 The Impact on Brands and Creators 41:04 Innovative Brands: Malbon Golf and Rude 53:29 Challenges of Growing a Fashion Brand Operators Exclusive Slack: https://9operators.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA#/shared-invite/email Powere...
E053: Temu & Politics 24.04.2024 1:01:36
00:00 Introduction and Overview 08:10 The Impact of Taxes on Entrepreneurship 15:20 The Rapid Growth of Temu 33:18 Adding Value, Building Brands, and Operational Excellence in Ecommerce 41:02 Creating Sustainable Competitive Advantages and Protecting Intellectual Property 52:04 Being Proactive and Vigilant in Protecting Your Business Operators Exclusive Slack: https://9operators.slack.com/join/...
E052: Connor Rolain: Marketing Tactics, Product Expansion, Creative Operations, Growth Team & More 17.04.2024 1:10:47
00:00 Introduction 08:02 Transitioning from Agency to In-House 30:34 Unlocking New Levels of Growth 37:26 Expanding into Consumables and Higher-End Appliances 46:29 Segmenting Ad Sets for New Product Categories 57:37 Measuring and Comparing Creative Metrics 01:08:28 Maximizing Potential through Editing Existing Creative Operators Exclusive Slack: https://9operators.slack.com/join/shared_invite/...
E051: Workload Strategy, Personal Finance, Q1 Recap, Liquidity & More 10.04.2024 1:17:11
00:00 Introduction and Overview 09:04 Personalized Investing 16:33 Growing your brand is hard 27:50 Managing Illiquid Assets 38:32 Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) 50:31 Investing in Growth Before It's Needed 58:00 HexClad and Amazon 01:09:24 Q1 Recap at Simple Modern Operators Exclusive Slack: https://9operators.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA#/shared-...
E050: Cody Plofker: Marketing Strategies, Meta Advertising, Maximising Contribution, International Market Expansion 03.04.2024 1:02:05
00:00 Introduction 03:09 Panzerism: Trust No One 04:06 Termination of Relationship with an Agency 07:53 Success, Failure, and Overvaluing Contributions 09:46 Building Trust and Hiring Practices 13:32 Challenges with Meta Advertising 15:00 Diversification into Other Channels 25:17 Transitioning to Other Channels 27:40 The Importance of Profitability and Knowing Your Numbers 30:01 Dealing with Meta...
E049: Connor from Ridge: Artificial Newness, Channel Activation, Content Planning, Pricing Strategy 27.03.2024 1:00:40
02:00 Preparing for Father's Day 07:14 Content Planning and Pricing Strategy 11:11 Media Mix and Channel Activation 29:45 Channel Diversification and Crop Rotation 32:39 Initial Wins and Marketing Strategy 33:36 Challenges with Meta Platforms 35:09 Identifying Issues and Taking Action 36:08 Reallocating Budgets and Measuring Incremental Lift 38:47 The Importance of CPM and Channel Diversificat...
E048: Roman Khan: Buying and Growing DTC Companies 20.03.2024 1:05:12
00:00 Introduction and Background to Roman 06:05 Roman's Journey and Current Ventures 10:14 Lessons from Rocket Internet 13:29 Communication Platforms and Future Plans 24:32 The Importance of Supply Chain Management 31:02 Building Strong Relationships with Suppliers 32:21 Using Factories as Financing Partners 32:55 Negative Cash Conversion Cycles and Negotiation 35:14 Building Transparent and...
E047: DTC Hardships, Amazon Fees, Klaviyo Agency Move & More 13.03.2024 1:03:59
00:00 Introduction and Market Update 07:39 D2C Apocalypse: Meta Issues 33:02 The Challenges of Being an Amazon Seller 34:21 The Importance of a Differentiated Value Proposition 35:07 The Evolution of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Brands 36:01 The Role of Product and Brand in Retail 37:28 The Potential Ban of TikTok 38:13 Regulatory Concerns and Potential Buyers for TikTok 40:14 The Uncertainty of TikTo...
E046: Ridge Retreat, Measuring Brand Awareness, The Rising Cost of Advertising & More. 06.03.2024 58:29
00:00 Ridge Retreat 03:12 Off-Site Team Building 06:08 Challenges of Hosting Retreats 07:36 New Product Launch: Hexclad Pizza Steel 11:51 Measuring Brand Awareness13:18 Aided and Unaided Awareness 15:21 Actionable Insights from Brand Awareness Data 20:59 Awareness vs Competitors 25:11 The Size of the Market 29:14 Expanding the TAM 31:05 Brand Awareness vs Brand Affinity 33:01 Building Market Share...
The Ridge X Marques Brownlee Partnership: A Deep Dive 28.02.2024 46:10
In this episode, the Operators discuss Ridge's recent announcement that they've partnered with Marques Brownlee, the number one tech YouTuber. The decision to bring in Marques as an investor, advisor, and board member is driven by the belief that creator-led brands are the future. Sean explains that the skills that made Ridge successful in the past, such as digital marketing, are no longer...
E044: January retail sales, Yeti’s earnings, Shopify’s Q4 & More 21.02.2024 1:06:57
03:42 Discussion on January Retail Sales 24:07 Analysis of Shopify's GMV in Q4 33:09 Panzerism of the week 41:49 Creating a Fun Work Environment 44:00 Yeti's Earnings and Expansion into Cookware 54:00 Challenges in the Bag Industry 01:05:23 The Importance of Gross Margin in Business Growth Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/s... Powered By: Fulfil.io. https://bi...
E043: Shopify's price increase, Tapestry's earnings, TikTok as a marketing platform & more 14.02.2024 1:06:44
00:00 Introduction and Random Conversations 06:00 Review of Tapestry's Earnings 20:16 Discussion on Amer Sports IPO 28:17 Analysis of Shopify's Price Increase 42:16 Exploring TikTok as a Marketing Platform 46:34 Sean's Bearish View on TikTok 48:29 Overspending on Amazon Advertising 53:24 Evaluation of TikTok 57:13 Assessing TikTok's Audience Trust 59:07 Complexity and Uncertainty i...
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