The World's Best Email and Retention Podcast

The DTC Podcast Network
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to The World's Best Email and Retention Podcast, or as we've been calling it, TWBERP. Dive into weekly episodes designed to help new and seasoned email and retention marketers make the most out of their email program. Get educated, get inspired, and get your notebook ready because you've got some work to do. Hosted by Pilothouse's Jordan Gordon on the DTC Podcast Network.

  1. 10H AGO

    Ep 73: 5 Retention Metrics I Track (And 1 I Ignore)

    Most brands track repeat rate. I don’t. In this episode, Jordan breaks down the five customer retention metrics he actually uses to judge whether an email and SMS program is driving real business results — and the one popular metric he ignores entirely. Because the truth is: strong retention programs don’t always make your email metrics look better. In fact, sometimes open rates and click rates go down while revenue goes up. This episode covers how to measure what actually matters, including: Why repeat rate can send the wrong signals How to track repeat buyers year over year A leading indicator for second purchases and funnel health How to measure reactivation from “stale” customers What your active repeat buyer base says about long-term growthThe one “master metric” that shows if retention is driving incremental revenue 00:00 — Introduction 03:25 — The metric I don’t track: repeat rate (and why) 04:54 — Metric #1: Repeat buyers year over year 06:20 — Metric #2: Same-quarter repeat (a leading indicator) 09:13 — Metric #3: Stale repeat buyers (95+ day gap) 12:35 — Metric #4: Active repeat buyers as a share of your base 15:31 — Metric #5: Repeat buyers as a share of incremental growth 19:26 — What happens when retention starts driving the business 21:19 — Final thoughts on measuring real retention impact Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠ Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

    22 min

  2. FEB 10

    Ep 72: How to Attribute Your Post-Click Ecosystem (Part 1)

    Attribution doesn’t stop at ads. In this episode, we walk through how to measure the full post-click ecosystem (from email and SMS to CRO and retention) and how these channels work together to drive low-cost revenue. Jordan shares a practical model for evaluating channel impact beyond standard multi-touch attribution, why some of your most important revenue drivers get under-credited, and how to identify opportunities to improve marketing efficiency without spending more. If you’re trying to understand where your real growth is coming from, this is a foundational episode. #ecommerce #emailmarketing #retentionmarketing #attribution #digitalmarketing #dtc #pilothouse #cro #smsmarketing #shopifymarketing 00:00 — Introduction 00:50 — Defining the post-click ecosystem and how to think about it 02:03 — What rising ad costs can reveal about your retention strategy 08:22 — How multi-touch attribution fits into the bigger measurement picture 19:03 — The 14-metric framework for evaluating your full ecosystem Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠ Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

    38 min

  3. FEB 3

    Ep 71: Predict Your 2026 Email Revenue

    Email is still the most predictable revenue channel in ecommerce—but most brands don’t forecast it correctly. In this episode, Jordan Gordon breaks down a simple, highly accurate system for predicting your 2026 email revenue before the year even starts. You’ll learn how to model email revenue using six core components of a healthy email program, including campaigns, welcome flows, post-purchase, reactivation, and abandonment—without relying on gut instinct or vague growth assumptions. Jordan walks through the exact metrics to pull from Klaviyo and Shopify, how to apply top-of-funnel vs list-growth factors correctly, and why email revenue is far more controllable than paid media. #emailmarketing #emailrevenue #retentionmarketing #ecommercegrowth #klaviyo #customerretention #lifecyclemarketing #dtc 00:00 Introduction 00:59 How to predict your 2026 email revenue 05:03 The two growth factors that drive email revenue 09:19 The six core components of an email program 12:43 Forecasting campaign revenue using revenue per email 18:05 Predicting welcome flow revenue 27:41 Modeling abandonment revenue from site sessions 31:36 Applying list growth vs top-of-funnel growth correctly Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠ Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

    35 min

  4. JAN 27

    Ep 70: Diagnosing a Drop in Email Revenue

    When email revenue drops, most teams guess. This episode shows how to diagnose it systematically. Jordan breaks down the two real drivers of email revenue decline: fewer emails sent and lower revenue per email sent — and walks through the exact hierarchy of metrics that explain what’s actually happening inside Klaviyo. You’ll learn how to: Identify whether the problem is frequency, send size, segmentation, or list healthUnderstand how segment mix and message mix impact revenueSeparate real performance issues from attribution noiseEvaluate inboxing, relevance, and engagement the right wayUse Shopify, Klaviyo, and attribution models to determine whether purchase behavior actually changed #EmailMarketing #Pilothouse #CustomerRetention #LifecycleMarketing #EmailAnalytics #Segmentation #MarketingAttribution #InboxDeliverability #EcommerceMarketing #DTC 00:00 — Introduction 01:00 — The only framework you need: emails sent vs revenue per email sent 03:12 — The real reasons email volume declines 05:33 — Segment mix: the silent lever behind performance 10:48 — Tune-out vs opt-out: what’s actually shrinking your list 15:40 — Why relevance and inboxing determine revenue per email 26:34 — Attribution reality: when revenue falls but growth improves Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠ Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

    32 min

  5. JAN 20

    Ep 69: Email Metrics and Reporting That Matter

    Most brands look at the wrong email metrics. In this episode, Jordan explains how to build a real retention engine in 2026 by focusing on the numbers that actually drive growth: clicks, inbox health, segment performance, and list quality. You’ll get a simple dashboard framework you can set up in minutes to see exactly what’s happening inside your email program — and stop getting fooled by misleading attribution. If email is a big part of your revenue (or should be), this is a must-listen. #EmailMarketing #RetentionMarketing #EcommerceGrowth #MarketingMetrics #CustomerRetention #EmailAnalytics #DTC #EmailDeliverability #DataDrivenMarketing #MarketingPodcast 00:00 – Introduction: Why Retention Beats Acquisition 03:04 – The First Metric to Check 06:52 – Start With Clicks, Not Revenue 10:16 – When Lower Metrics Are a Good Sign 14:08 – Tracking True List Growth 23:19 – Inbox Health by Domain 32:55 – Cleaning Up Underperforming Automations Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠ Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

    36 min

  6. JAN 13

    Ep 68: Inside DEWALT’s Post-Click Ecosystem

    Advertising gets people to your site... But your site is what actually makes you money. In this episode, Jordan breaks down DEWALT’s ecommerce ecosystem to show what really happens after someone clicks an ad, an email, or a retargeting link. He walks through how DEWALT structures its homepage, category pages, PDPs, email program, and product discovery to turn awareness into revenue, not just traffic. You’ll see how DEWALT balances brand and performance, how their Site Funnels actually work in practice, and where email, CRO, and on-site merchandising fit into a modern post-click revenue engine. #EmailMarketing #RetentionMarketing #Ecommerce #DTC #CRO #ConversionRateOptimization #PostClickMarketing #CustomerRetention #Klaviyo #ProductDiscovery #EmailStrategy #LifecycleMarketing #Shopify #EcommerceGrowth #MarketingPodcast #PerformanceMarketing #DigitalMarketing #BrandMarketing #EcommerceStrategy #CustomerExperience 00:00 – Introduction 01:00 – Why DEWALT’s ecosystem works 04:33 – The “car vs gas” model for ecommerce 09:23 – How DEWALT structures its homepage 12:16 – How DEWALT uses email for product discovery 18:00 – Why homepage order controls conversion 28:14 – Category pages that actually sell 33:02 – How PDPs should handle upsells and bundles 40:16 – Where DEWALT leaves money on the table 43:42 – DEWALT vs Makita: brand site vs ecommerce site 47:02 – What to steal for your own site Work with Pilothouse: ⁠⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast⁠ Subscribe to DTC: ⁠⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠⁠ Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

    49 min

  7. JAN 6

    Ep 67: Site Funnels 2.0: The Product Discovery Revenue System

    In Site Funnels 2.0, Jordan breaks down how product discovery actually works when you have hundreds, thousands, or even millions of SKUs. This episode is the follow-up to Site Funnels 1.0, shifting from hero-product funnels to the long-tail reality of mega-catalog brands. You’ll learn how to use email, dynamic merchandising, and just 12 digital assets to turn browsing into buying at scale, without spending more on ads. Jordan walks through two discovery funnels, how to use email as a shoppable landing page, and why most brands are massively underusing their biggest revenue engine: their existing traffic and subscribers. #EmailMarketing #EcommerceMarketing #RetentionMarketing #ProductDiscovery #PostClickOptimization #CustomerJourney #LifecycleMarketing #Klaviyo #Shopify #DTC #DirectToConsumer #DigitalMerchandising #ConversionRateOptimization #CRO #GrowthMarketing #RevenueGrowth #MarketingStrategy #CustomerRetention #LongTailEconomy #MarketingPodcast 00:00 — Introduction 01:00 — “Double your revenue with no ad cost” and the 12-asset funnel idea 03:10 — The difference between manageable-SKU brands and mega-SKU brands 05:31 — Low-intent vs high-intent traffic and how funnels are split 10:23 — How email triples your product discovery at-bats (with real brand data) 15:17 — Funnel 1: using five recommendation emails to power discovery 23:17 — Funnel 2: turning category browsing into high-intent revenue 41:39 — Why doubling conversion rate beats buying more traffic Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠ Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

    44 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    Ep 66: Site Funnels 1.0: The Post-Click Revenue System

    In this episode, Jordan breaks down Site Funnels 1.0, a post-click revenue system designed to turn traffic, email, and organic visitors into low-cost, compounding revenue. You’ll learn how the world’s best ecommerce teams think about funnels, choke points, and psychological progression across the site and why improving conversion rate is often the fastest way to grow without increasing ad spend. Jordan walks through how visitors move from homepage to category pages to product pages to checkout, how to identify the moments that control revenue, and how to design funnels for both qualified and unqualified traffic. Hashtags: #ecommerce #cro #conversionrateoptimization #dtc #shopify #emailmarketing #retentionmarketing #growthmarketing #onlinestore #digitalmarketing #funnelmarketing #performancecommerce #customerjourney #postclick #ecommercestrategy Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Why a 0.5% conversion rate destroys revenue 02:29 – Ads create awareness, websites create revenue 11:27 – The four stages every site must solve 20:15 – The two-minute rule for conversions 32:28 – The five site funnels that drive ecommerce revenue 49:41 – Why PDPs are the real revenue engine Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠ Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠ Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

    50 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to The World's Best Email and Retention Podcast, or as we've been calling it, TWBERP. Dive into weekly episodes designed to help new and seasoned email and retention marketers make the most out of their email program. Get educated, get inspired, and get your notebook ready because you've got some work to do. Hosted by Pilothouse's Jordan Gordon on the DTC Podcast Network.

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