Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

Common Thread Collective

2020 transformed the world of ecommerce forever. For the modern DTC brand, the rewards have never been greater. But the waters have also never been choppier, and the way forward has never been more uncertain. So how do you navigate this dangerous new reality? No matter how you do it, you’d better not do it alone. That’s where the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast comes in — join Common Thread Collective’s Taylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin as they bring you guiding insights from across CTC’s portfolio of growing DTC businesses. Whether you need a clear view on the macro issues affecting the world of ecommerce, or want to reorient your business around groundbreaking new big-picture strategies, Taylor & Richard are here to help answer the tough questions about what it takes to scale — and sustain — an ecommerce business.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Best (& Worst) Creative Demand Scores We’ve Seen for Brands

    As Q4 approaches, creative demand becomes one of the biggest challenges for brands looking to scale efficiently. In this episode, Richard Gaffin (Director of Digital Product Strategy at CTC) sits down with Luke Austin (VP of E-Commerce Strategy) to unpack CTC’s new Creative Demand Model—a framework that quantifies exactly how much creative output brands need in order to hit their revenue and spend goals. They walk through real examples from CTC’s dataset, breaking down what separates the highest creative scores from the lowest, and why top brands are still producing hundreds of ads each month to sustain growth. You’ll learn: The five key metrics behind the Creative Demand Score (zero spend rate, ad concentration, ROAS degradation, spend degradation, and evergreen share). How creative volume directly ties into forecasting models like spend and MER. Why troubleshooting CTR or hook rate in isolation often misses the bigger picture. Practical recommendations for balancing evergreen content, rapid testing, and scaling winning ads. How creator-driven content and AI-enabled creative are making high-volume production more cost-effective. If you’ve ever wondered whether your brand needs 20 ads—or 200—to compete in Q4, this episode provides the clarity and direction to plan with confidence. Show Notes: Ready to stop gambling on unreliable contractors?  Check out AllStars and Book Your Strategy Call:  https://www.hireallstars.com/contact Explore the Prophit System: https://www.prophitsystem.com Explore our Creator Content Packages: https://www.commonthreadco.com/pages/creative-production The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of eCom.

    39 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    How a CTC Client Unlocked 40% YoY Growth

    In this week’s episode of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Luke Austin (VP of Ecommerce Strategy at CTC) sits down with Mike McVerry, SVP of Ecommerce & International Sales at Urban Armor Gear (UAG) to unpack how the brand unlocked 40% YoY revenue growth and 43% contribution margin growth in 2025 … despite a shrinking market.Together, they break down:- Why “spend more to grow more” wasn’t working for UAG- How the Profit System bridged the gap between finance and marketing- The role of contribution margin in setting smarter media budgets- Scaling creative volume nearly 4x year over year- How to break through a “glass ceiling” of growth with financial clarity- Lessons on inventory, marketing calendars, and collaboration that fueled profitabilityThis is a real-world case study in building sustainable DTC growth by aligning finance, marketing, and creative execution.Show Notes:Ready to solve your influencer strategy?Book Your Strategy Demo at https://www.getsaral.comExplore the Prophit System: https://www.prophitsystem.comThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

    41 min

  3. 11 SEPT

    How 2 top-tier strategists actually forecast client growth

    In this special episode of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Luke Austin takes the reins and brings in two of CTC’s top-performing growth strategists—Lacie Geary and Brian Sakansky—for a deep dive into what it takes to build and execute a forecast with precision. You’ll get a rare look under the hood at CTC’s Profit System, including how we: Set and execute daily client-level forecasts for revenue, spend, and contribution margin Think about tradeoffs between efficiency vs. volume Use planning tools like the Spend aMER Model, Day-of-Week Effect, and Creative Demand Model Track forecast accuracy by strategist, with Lacie and Brian leading the way Identify and respond to signals in real-time that influence media allocation Use product-level reporting to guide decisions at the SKU and creative level You’ll hear specific client examples from the home goods and apparel space, plus commentary on how inventory, product mix, and creator content factor into hitting (and sometimes beating) forecasted targets. Show Notes: Ready to earn trust, convert shoppers, and inspire customer loyalty? Check out Yotpo: https://www.yotpo.com/?utm_source=CommonThreadCollective&utm_medium=comarketing&utm_term=podcast Explore the Prophit System: https://prophitsystem.com Have a question for the podcast?Email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com

    47 min

  4. 9 SEPT

    Understanding the Seasonality of Media Buying by Month & Day

    When should you really be spending more? Which days of the week drive the most revenue—for your brand? In this episode, Richard is joined by Luke Austin (VP of Growth at Common Thread Collective) to walk through real client data and uncover just how different day-of-week and month-over-month effects can be across brands, even within the same vertical. You’ll learn: Why blindly scaling spend in Q4 might be a mistake How day-of-week effects can swing revenue potential by over 30% Why trying to “fix” bad days isn’t always worth it What most brands miss when planning their BFCM budget How to think like a portfolio manager when allocating ad spend Whether you’re a home goods brand, fitness apparel company, or in personal care, Luke shows how the Spend > aMER model can give you a quantifiable edge in media buying and forecasting. Plus, learn why Fridays might be gold—or garbage—depending on your category. Show Notes: Ready to earn trust, convert shoppers, and inspire customer loyalty? Check out Yotpo: https://www.yotpo.com/?utm_source=CommonThreadCollective&utm_medium=comarketing&utm_term=podcast Explore the Prophit System: https://prophitsystem.com Have a question for the podcast? Email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com

    40 min

  5. 4 SEPT

    Your Marginal Frontier Will Determine Your Q4

    In this episode of The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin and Taylor Holiday dig deeper into the Spending Power Model—breaking down why the next dollar you spend doesn’t always produce the same return. They explore concepts like the marginal frontier (the moment your next dollar becomes unprofitable), spending power, and how to balance short-term profitability with long-term growth. Taylor shows how to evaluate whether to optimize for revenue, contribution margin, or lifetime contribution—and why these decisions always tie back to your financial goals. You’ll learn: What the “marginal frontier” really means for your ad spend Why not all dollars in create the same dollars out How to use spending power as a scale metric for your brand The tradeoffs between maximizing revenue vs. profitability How this framework helps align boardroom strategy with media buying decisions Show Notes: Ready to earn trust, convert shoppers, and inspire customer loyalty? Check out Yotpo: https://www.yotpo.com/?utm_source=Com... Explore the Prophit System: https://prophitsystem.comHave a question for the podcast?Email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com

    29 min

  6. 2 SEPT

    What's the best (and worst) e-Commerce niche right now?

    In place of this week's Tuesday ECPP episode, we're featuring CTC's newest podcast: The DTC Hotline.In this week’s episode of The DTC Hotline, Richard Gaffin is joined once again by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy) to field real questions from operators and listeners—offering hot takes, cold truths, and unfiltered answers.They tackle:- What to do when your historically strong Meta campaign suddenly stops working- The “3 Ps” framework—payment, policy, pixel—when diagnosing sharp performance drops- How to push back when brand standards block creative diversity- Whether top-of-funnel campaigns (like add-to-cart optimization) really work- The products and niches they’d actually pursue—or avoid—if starting an eComm brand todayThis is where your eCommerce questions get answered—practical, direct, and straight from the operators’ desk.Call or text us your question: 866-DTC-2263Ready to earn trust, convert shoppers, and inspire customer loyalty? Check out Yotpo: https://www.yotpo.com/?utm_source=CommonThreadCollective&utm_medium=comarketing&utm_term=podcastExplore the Prophit System:https://www.prophitsystem.com

    37 min

  7. 28 AUG

    A Live Demo of How to Forecast Your Q4 Against Tariffs

    In this episode of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin and Taylor Holiday dive deep into the practical use cases of Spend & aMER forecasting models—powerful tools that help brands set budgets with clarity, not guesswork. Taylor walks through real examples, showing how these models adjust for changing costs (like tariffs) and how gross margin shifts ripple through your entire P&L, media plan, and growth strategy. They also unpack why Black Friday/Cyber Monday cohorts often underperform long-term, and how understanding lifetime value can help you spend smarter, not harder. You’ll learn: • Why changing gross margins completely alter your revenue potential • How to reset budgets when tariffs or duties impact COGS • The surprising long-term weakness of Black Friday customer cohorts • How to model incremental spend and know when every new dollar turns negative • Why forecasting isn’t about prediction—it’s about clarity and action Show Notes: - Ready to stop gambling on unreliable contractors? Check out AllStars. Book Your Strategy Call https://www.hireallstars.com/contacthttps://calendly.com/amzallstars/discovery-call?month=2025-09 - Explore the Prophit System: https://www.prophitsystem.com - The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

    28 min

  8. 26 AUG

    Why Forecasts are Bottlenecked by Creative Diversity

    In this episode of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin and Taylor Holiday unpack the critical connection between forecasting models and creative production. Forecasting isn’t just about predicting numbers … it’s about building a marketing and creative plan that can actually deliver them.Taylor explains why most forecasts fail: brands treat them like predictions instead of action plans. The team breaks down how to bridge that gap by tying financial models to the marketing calendar, identifying offer opportunities, and planning campaigns with excess creative capacity so you’re never scrambling when results fall short.You’ll learn:- Why every forecast depends on your creative pipeline- How to identify bottlenecks that kill forecasting accuracy- The role of growth strategists vs. creative strategists in building clarity- Why true diversity in creative comes from multiple production sources, not one overworked designer- How UGC and creator networks unlock scale and resilienceThe conversation closes with a segment featuring Yosh Chavan of Saral, who explains how to build predictable influencer systems that fuel the creative diversity today’s ad ecosystem demands.Show Notes:- Ready to solve your influencer strategy? Book Your Strategy Demo at https://getsaral.com- Explore our Creator Content Packages: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/creative-production- The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

    40 min
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About

2020 transformed the world of ecommerce forever. For the modern DTC brand, the rewards have never been greater. But the waters have also never been choppier, and the way forward has never been more uncertain. So how do you navigate this dangerous new reality? No matter how you do it, you’d better not do it alone. That’s where the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast comes in — join Common Thread Collective’s Taylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin as they bring you guiding insights from across CTC’s portfolio of growing DTC businesses. Whether you need a clear view on the macro issues affecting the world of ecommerce, or want to reorient your business around groundbreaking new big-picture strategies, Taylor & Richard are here to help answer the tough questions about what it takes to scale — and sustain — an ecommerce business.

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