Today we are joined by Zach Stuck, founder of the growth marketing agency Homestead. He shares his insights on acquiring and launching brands, how to identify market trends, when's the right time to diversify into different ad channels, running a lean team, and he shares his advice on the key tactics for driving growth at each revenue band. One not to miss.

00:00 Introduction

06:04 Transitioning from Agency to Brand Ownership

12:12 Identifying Trends and Market Opportunities

18:06 The Importance of Product Development and Marketing Alignment

24:07 Navigating Financial Challenges in E-commerce

29:59 Future Trends and Innovations in E-commerce

34:06 Understanding Financial Growth in DTC Brands

39:50 Revenue Bands: Strategies for Scaling Brands

50:02 Channel Diversification and Its Impact on Growth

59:55 Building a Lean and Effective Team for Growth

If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-2tdfu426r-TepSHJP~evAyDfR29U2qUw

Powered by:

Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠

Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Haus.

http://Haus.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

We’ve got a special guest today, David Herrmann is back, our first ever second time guest. We’re talking about what channels we’re scaling as we head into Q4, we talk about ad account builds, creating a memorable brand, we get deep into meta media buying and creative diversification and what that means for your ad account and lots more.

00:00 Introduction

06:04 Channel Diversification Strategies

11:52 Creative Approaches in Advertising

17:46 Measuring Marketing Effectiveness

24:05 Balancing Brand and Performance Marketing

34:00 Building Memorable Brands

39:07 The Challenge of DTC Marketing

44:13 Optimizing Meta Ads for Performance

51:47 Creative Diversity in Advertising

56:05 Adapting to New Platforms: Reels vs. Feed

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA

David's first appearance on the podcast:

YouTube - https://youtu.be/ostjzdP7y2U

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Ep75J0weFLw8umy3hzpJ6?si=ac6a3dbd8af64018

Powered by:

Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠

Prescient AI.

⁠⁠⁠https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.

⁠⁠⁠https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

First up today, we’re checking in on Cody’s recent product drop and talking about some of the tactics and thinking behind the success of the drop so far, and then we get into Q4 production and what we’re working on right now to get ready for the biggest time of the year and ensure a successful BFCM. We also get into our first MOperators Hotline question so stay tuned for that. If you’d like to submit your question or current DTC challenge for a chance for it to be discussed on the show, click this link to apply: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

00:00 Introduction

11:27 Jones Road Beauty's New Product Launch

27:04 Preparing for BFCM: Strategies and Insights

38:31 Inventory Management and Marketing Collaboration

42:46 Product Launch Strategies and Team Dynamics

47:23 Innovative Approaches for Black Friday Campaigns

52:33 Direct Mail and Retention Strategies

56:41 Web UX and Team Collaboration

01:01:11 Service-Based Business Marketing Insights

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA

Powered by:

Motion.

⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠

Prescient AI.

⁠⁠⁠https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.

⁠⁠⁠https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Haus.

http://Haus.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

This week we are joined by Reza Khadjavi, Founder and CEO at Motion, our premier sponsor. We’re talking the evolution of performance creative and the importance of creative strategy in DTC marketing, and Reza shares his insights on the rise of the creative strategist role, the impact of AI on creative workflows, the future of creative strategy and his advice for brands who are just starting to venture into performance marketing, his contrarian views on marketing and much more.

00:00 Introduction

06:08 The Rise of the Creative Strategist Role

08:59 Navigating the Shift from Audience Targeting to Creative

12:13 The Importance of Data in Creative Workflows

15:03 Future Predictions for Creative Strategy and AI

17:57 Building a Command Center for Creative Strategists

20:49 The Role of Research in Creative Development

23:45 The Future of Performance Creative

40:12 The Importance of Research in Creative Strategy

43:40 AI's Role in Creative Workflows

46:32 Navigating Capital and Growth Strategies

50:16 Investing in Product Development and Team Growth

53:03 Measuring Marketing Effectiveness

55:43 Leveraging AI for Creative Processes

01:02:25 Building Core Competencies in Performance Creative

01:11:50 Contrarian Views on DTC Marketing

MOperators Hotline:

To be in with a chance to have your question answered on the show, click the link below to apply: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA

Powered by:

Motion.⁠⁠⁠

https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads

⁠⁠⁠Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

As we head into October and execute on Q4, we’re also setting our sights on 2025. In today’s episode, we’re talking about how we’re planning for the upcoming year - we discuss each of our approaches, the delineation of strategies versus tactics, delegating and communicating ownership to the team, knowing what to focus on and when to pivot and much more. We also touch on Q4 and review how Hexclad and Ridge’s sweepstakes have gone and how this plays into expectations for BFCM.

00:00 Introduction

18:47 Sweepstakes Performance and Learnings

26:48 Post-Sweepstakes Analysis and Future Strategies

28:43 The Impact of Sweepstakes on Conversion Rates

33:22 Upper Funnel Investment and Media Mix Modeling

35:31 Planning for 2025: Balancing Q4 Execution and Future Goals

40:41 The Importance of Strategy vs. Tactics in Business

52:06 Empowering Teams: Delegation and Accountability in Strategy

58:29 Understanding Competing Strategies in Business

01:01:14 Aligning Marketing and Finance for Success

01:04:30 Navigating Tactics and Strategies Effectively

01:07:51 Balancing Revenue Growth and Brand Equity

01:10:38 The Importance of Constraints in Strategy

01:12:56 Iterative Approaches to Strategy Execution

01:15:34 Communicating Strategies Clearly to Teams

01:18:54 Learning from Strategy Failures

01:21:47 Continuous Improvement and Efficiency in Operations

MOperators Hotline:

To be in with a chance to have your question answered on the show, click the link below to apply: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA

Powered by:

Motion.⁠⁠⁠

https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads

⁠⁠⁠Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.prescientai.com/operators

Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠

https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc

Haus. http://Haus.io/operators

Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:

https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9

Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

In today’s episode we are introducing the MOperators Hotline!! We’re answering some of your questions and sharing our advice on your growth and marketing questions, queries and challenges. We cover how to set targets in the lead up to BFCM to fill the funnel, what to be spending on marketing as a percentage of revenue, strategies to boost rolling reach, what to focus on when moving into DTC from Amazon, and lots more.

To be in with a chance to have yours used on the show, click the link below to apply:

MOPERATORS HOTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:56 Ad Creative Strategies for Black Friday

05:47 Exploring New Analytics Tools

09:00 Innovative Advertising Channels

11:49 Setting Expectations for BFCM Spend

17:59 Understanding Marketing Spend as a Percentage of Revenue

20:54 Building a DTC Business from Amazon

34:47 Creative Diversity and Audience Engagement

Sean's sensitivity table:

https://x.com/SeanEcom/status/1707573084243513700

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA Powered by: Motion. ⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠ Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

00:00 Introduction 01:36 E-commerce Trends and Personal Updates 06:10 Marketing Strategies and Media Mix 17:28 Forecasting and Setting KPIs 52:09 Testing and Measuring Incrementality Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA Powered by: Motion. ⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠ Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Haus. http://Haus.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

This week we have the Shopify President Harley Finkelstein joining the squad. This is one not to miss - we’re talking founder mode, getting rid of chaos monkeys, how to stay focused on the most important thing, having a growth mindset in business, the future of Shopify and much more.

00:00 Introduction to Shopify and Harley's Journey

04:09 Founder Mode: Insights and Experiences

23:13 The Importance of Being in the Details

34:01 Chaos Monkey: Streamlining Operations

49:52 The Future of Shopify: A Retail Operating System

Operators Exclusive Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/9operators/shared_invite/zt-20pd2eq4n-UVM6oTQkdltEwLINwkCWIA Powered by: Motion. ⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠ Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Haus. http://Haus.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/