D2C Diaries

Loukas Hambi and Olly Hudson
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  • MARKETING

Join Olly Hudson and Loukas Hambi in a laid-back yet insightful podcast, where we dive into the heart of D2C and e-commerce. With a combined experience of managing over £150 million in ad spend across Meta and TikTok and helping scale over 200 brands, we bring you a digestible blend of performance, operational, and creative wisdom.

  1. 1D AGO

    Meta Algorithm Update: How to Adjust Your Organic and Paid Media Strategy

    🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your growth roadmap: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0rw0Jc0 From the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: http://www.soarwithus.co/ In this episode, we break down Meta’s latest algorithm updates — including UTIs and the next phase of Andromeda and what they actually mean for reach, creative strategy, and performance. We explore why Meta is moving away from engagement-led optimisation toward interest alignment, how organic content is increasingly training paid delivery, and why generic, broad hooks are losing effectiveness. The conversation digs into creative diversity, persona depth, and how brands should rethink both organic and paid as part of the same system. We also share how we’re experimenting with Claude Skills, Co-worker, and Claude Code inside our creative strategy team, moving from prompt engineering to codified inputs, context-driven workflows, and structured delegation. This is a practical, operator-level discussion on how platforms are changing, how strategy needs to evolve, and where AI genuinely creates leverage without the hype. Read Olly's Meta GEM article here: https://x.com/oliverwhudson/status/2016142894504047008 You can download Olly's Partnership ads guide here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0rw5St0 Follow Olly: https://linktr.ee/ollyhudson Follow Joe: https://linktr.ee/joe_marston Follow Loukas: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B / https://x.com/LoukasHambi Follow Liam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-dean-a11a43152/ Follow D2C Diaries: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diaries / https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

    1 hr

  2. JAN 29

    The 2026 Meta Playbook: Creative Formats, Personas & Scaleable Structures

    In this episode, we break down what’s actually driving Meta performance right now and why the brands scaling in 2026 aren’t chasing more creative, but building smarter systems around personas and AI. We go deep into how top-performing accounts are reusing existing assets, structuring creative by persona, and using AI to unlock speed, diversity, and incremental reach... without burning teams out or inflating creative costs. We also cover what’s next for high-production creative, why emotional authenticity still beats AI in key moments, and how founders and teams should be thinking about context, not prompts, as AI becomes embedded in everyday work. If you’re a founder, head of growth, or creative leader trying to scale Meta in a world where targeting is gone and AI is everywhere, this episode will reset how you think about creative strategy. Deep research AI guide here: https://kylepoyar.substack.com/p/deep-research-for-gtm?r=10j51v&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true From the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: http://www.soarwithus.co/ 🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your growth roadmap: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0rls0q0 00:00 Intro 01:15 Creative formats we're using right now 11:20 Next evolution of AI generated content 15:30 Creative testing strategy (ABO vs. CBO vs. ASC) 17:40 Criteria for deeming a scalable ad 19:40 ASC by persona scaling campaigns 22:40 The "Bidcap Graveyard" hack 24:20 Exclusions in ad setup 25:50 Intentional persona mapping 30:50 Post-purchase surveys for purchase triggers 34:10 AI-powered customer interviews  35:20 Do not turn off winning ads 36:50 Importance of AI experimentation 39:00 Claude Skills and Co-worker 42:15 Context engineering over prompt engineering 44:20 Building a Claude Skill for script writing 51:45 The rise of vibe coding Follow Olly: https://linktr.ee/ollyhudson Follow Joe: https://linktr.ee/joe_marston Follow Loukas: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B / https://x.com/LoukasHambi Follow Liam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-dean-a11a43152/ Follow D2C Diaries: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diaries / https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

    55 min

  3. JAN 23

    How to Hire (or Create) Elite Creative Strategists for DTC Brands | Meta Ads & Creative Strategy

    How we’re solving the biggest hiring bottleneck in DTC (and why Meta’s backing it). There’s a shortage of world-class creative strategists and it’s slowing down growth for agencies and brands alike. You can apply for the incubator here: Apply here: https://apply.workable.com/soar-with-us/j/F587A37B6F/ You can find more information on the opportunity here: https://www.notion.so/soarwithus/Are-you-ready-to-launch-your-career-in-performance-marketing-2e611884e3c980589a44cb0d73c6bfb8 In this episode, Olly and Loukas break down how Soar/Hambi are solving the problem from the inside out… by launching the UK’s first Creative Strategist Incubator. Whether you're hiring for this role or trying to be the hire, this episode covers: — Why great creative strategists are so hard to find (and even harder to train) — The exact soft skills to screen for if you're hiring — How we built a system to turn generalists into high-performance strategists fast — What Meta told us about upcoming creative similarity changes and why they're backing this programme — Who this is for, how to apply, and what’s actually included Applications for the first 5-person cohort are now open.This is not a junior marketing role. This is the MBA for creative strategy.  Apply here: https://apply.workable.com/soar-with-us/j/F587A37B6F/ Chris’s newsletter (featured in the episode): https://copychris.substack.com/ Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 01:16 The shortage of great creative strategists 03:50 What makes a great CS: baseline traits + transferable skills 07:53 Incubator announcement 12:01 9–12 month pathway to Creative Strategist role 14:51 Why CS is hard to train 15:56 Training method + modules 21:48 Scriptwriting focus: train hardest first 27:58 Gold Standard scorecard 34:18 Why people leave companies: managers, progression, culture 45:24 What’s next: course content + apply link From the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: www.soarwithus.co Follow Loukas on socials:  LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B  Twitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambi Follow Olly on socials:  LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO  Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson Follow D2C Diaries on socials  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diaries  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

    45 min

  4. JAN 15

    How IM8 Hit $120M in 11 Months | Danny Yeung on Scaling the World’s Fastest Growing Supplement Brand

    IM8 went from $0 to a $120M run rate in just 11 months and they’re targeting $300M by the end of 2026. In this episode of D2C Diaries, Olly sits down with Danny Yeung, CEO and co-founder of IM8 Health, to unpack how he built one of the fastest-growing supplement brands in the world. From bringing on David Beckham as co-founder, to replacing 16 supplements with one clinically-backed daily drink, to assembling a scientific board with experts from NASA, UFC and Mayo Clinic, Danny shares the full playbook behind IM8’s explosive growth. You can watch our IM8 breakdown here: https://youtu.be/FSO_kiGOVu8 Download the IM8 funnel resource here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0q_2-h0

    55 min

  5. JAN 8

    Dan Murray on the £25M Brain Health Brand Celebrities Swear By

    🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your growth roadmap: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0qMvq60 What does it take to scale a wellness brand to £25M+ after your first startup crashes, your health collapses, and you’re told sleeping pills are the only way out? In this episode, Dan Murray-Serter, co-founder of Heights, breaks down the unfiltered journey of building one of the UK’s fastest-growing brain health brands. From startup failure and burnout-induced insomnia to founding a category-defining company used by real celebrity customers, Dan shares the mindset shifts, health breakdowns, and bold brand decisions that fuelled Heights’ rise. We talk: How burnout and gut issues led to a £25M brandWhy Heights rejected nootropics hype and built around boring fundamentalsHow they landed celebrity endorsements Why real customer obsession beats clever marketingThis one’s part growth playbook, part founder therapy. Raw, honest, and genuinely useful for any DTC operator or founder building through the pain. Follow Dan on socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmurrays/ X: https://x.com/danmurrays Follow Olly on socials: LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO X: https://x.com/oliverwhudson Follow Loukas on socials: LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B X: https://x.com/LoukasHambi Follow D2C Diaries on socials TikTok: / d2c.diaries Instagram: / d2c_diaries

    1h 19m

  6. 12/23/2025

    The Ecommerce Playbook for 2026: Strategy, Trends, and Lessons from 2025

    If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your growth roadmap: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0qBQFh0 In this episode of D2C Diaries, Olly and Loukas break down the biggest lessons from 2025 and what they believe will be the single biggest changes shaping e-commerce in 2026. They recap a huge Black Friday (nearly $40M spent on Meta in November), explain why Q5 (Boxing Day → early January) is the most underutilised growth window of the year, and share a clear creative framework for capturing short-lived New Year motivation without defaulting to lazy discounting. The conversation also goes deep on leadership and operating lessons from scaling Soar - feedback loops, urgency, prioritisation, process mistakes - before closing with the D2C Diaries Awards, standout brands and campaigns, and predictions for where channels, creative, and acquisitions are heading next. If you’re a founder, operator, or marketer planning for January and beyond, this episode is essential listening. 00:00 Intro 01:48 Black Friday recap: $40M spend & what actually worked 04:18 Why brands forget to analyse BFCM cohorts 06:17 What this episode covers 07:15 What is Q5 (and why it matters)? 08:10 Why CPMs drop after Christmas 09:17 The “flash in the pan” New Year motivation window 10:25 Q5 creative framework: TOF vs BOF mistakes 13:05 Why brands go too bottom-of-funnel 14:00 Creative mix for Q5 (TOF / MOF / BOF) 16:03 Outcome-led offers that outperform discounts 17:14 What was happening in Jan 2025 19:12 Biggest leadership lessons from 2025 23:42 Prioritisation, planning & time-blocking 27:45 Process rollouts & buy-in mistakes 29:41 Why urgency compounds growth 32:01 D2C Diaries Awards 40:11 New brand of the year: IM8 41:24 DTC dominator of the year 48:31 Most viral campaign of 2025 56:11 Predictions for e-commerce in 2026 1:02:47 Brands to watch in 2026 1:04:03 Outro Follow Olly on socials:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-hudson/ Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson  Follow Loukas on socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loukas-hambi-388067152/ Twitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambi Follow D2C Diaries on socials TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c_diaries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

    1h 5m

  7. 11/27/2025

    SEO Playbook for Ranking in ChatGPT & AI Search in 2026 | Thomas Phillips

    🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your growth audit here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0p-Mxb0 SEO made £13.9M. ChatGPT made £175K. So why is everyone chasing AI? In this episode, Olly sits down with Thomas Phillips, founder of DTC SEO Agency and a veteran of 17 brand exits, to cut through the noise around AI SEO. Tom breaks down how one of their clients generated £175K in revenue from ChatGPT at a 19.7% conversion rate, yet that same brand made £13.9M from traditional SEO in the same 90-day window. The kicker? The strategy behind both is almost identical. From backlinks and content depth to digital PR and entity trust, Tom explains why the fundamentals of ranking haven’t changed. AI has just added a shiny new label. If you're chasing AI visibility without nailing your SEO baseline, you’re prioritising tactics over foundations. --- We're excited to share that we are hiring creative strategists to join the UK's number one independent meta-agency, as recognised by Meta. Our team is known for being curious, innovative, and fast-growing, and we work with leading D2C brands like Heights, Mindful Chef, and Space Good 47 Skin. If you're interested in being part of our dynamic team, please send me an email loukas@hambimedia.co.uk From the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: http://www.soarwithus.co/ 00:00:00 Intro to Thomas Phillips  00:04:30 The journey to 17 brand exits using SEO 00:07:50 Starting the DTC SEO agency 00:09:20 The rise of AI SEO and how to track it 00:14:00 AEO vs GEO: The 2 types of AI SEO 00:15:55 How to rank in Google’s AI Overviews 00:18:00 Why long-tail, question-based content still wins 00:22:35 How brands are ranking in AI search 00:25:45 How to get unbiased ChatGPT rankings 00:27:15 An increase in branded searches 00:28:40 Shopify X ChatGPT integration 00:30:10 How to rank long-term in AI search 00:32:00 Link building and credibility still drives SEO 00:42:20 SEO fundamentals top brands are doing 00:45:15 Where newer brands should start with search 00:49:10 The future of AI search + DTC landscape 00:57:25 AI usage across content 01:00:35 Key takeaways of AI SEO Follow Tom: https://www.instagram.com/thomasmrphillips https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomphillipsofficial/ https://x.com/thomasmrp https://www.dtcseoagency.com/ Follow Olly on socials: LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson Follow D2C Diaries on socials TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diaries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

    1h 4m

  8. 11/20/2025

    The 2025 Growth Blueprint: How Soar With Us Rebuilt Culture, Operations & Forecasting to Scale

    🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your free audit here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0pQjYt0 In this episode of D2C Diaries, Olly and Loukas sit down with Matt Lewis, Managing Director of Soar Group and the very first hire in the business, to break down the real operating system behind Soar’s growth. The rebuilds, the mistakes, the hard lessons, and the frameworks that turned 2025 into Soar’s strongest year yet. If you’re a founder, operator, agency owner, or business leader, this is one of the most valuable conversations we’ve recorded. It’s a deep dive into culture, leadership, operations, forecasting, talent density, and how fast-growing companies actually scale from the inside. Matt has been part of Soar from day one and has scaled the group to nearly 80 people. His perspective is rare, tactical, and brutally transparent. Perfect for anyone building a team, scaling an organisation, or trying to create a high-performance culture. --- D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Wayflyer They’re offering $25,000 in upfront capital for just $1,800 to help you ramp up your efforts leading into Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This funding can be crucial for covering unexpected costs and ensuring you can double down on your best-performing ads while staying stocked. Timing is everything, so don’t miss out! https://kntn.ly/55cfeeff From the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: http://www.soarwithus.co/ Follow Matt Lewis:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-d-lewis/ Follow Olly on socials: LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson Follow Loukas on socials: LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B Twitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambi Follow D2C Diaries on socials TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diaries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

    1h 10m
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About

Join Olly Hudson and Loukas Hambi in a laid-back yet insightful podcast, where we dive into the heart of D2C and e-commerce. With a combined experience of managing over £150 million in ad spend across Meta and TikTok and helping scale over 200 brands, we bring you a digestible blend of performance, operational, and creative wisdom.

Information

  • Creator
    Loukas Hambi and Olly Hudson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    65
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 D2C Diaries
  • Show Website
    D2C Diaries

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