OPERATORS

OPERATORS
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In the world of eCommerce, a legendary WhatsApp group is rumoured to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures in revenue to gain entry. The worlds biggest brands have denied its existence for years, until now. Three titans known as "Operators" are leaking the secret contents in an effort to share its wealth of knowledge with people like you.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    E139: The future is members only fashion brands.

    Jon Buscemi joins the podcast to discuss his journey from trend forecasting at DC Shoes to founding his iconic luxury sneaker brand. He shares the inside story of selling his brand to private equity and how their strategy to create an attainable luxury diffusion line was the "kiss of death", violating the rules of luxury pricing. Buscemi argues that fashion's monoculture is dead, replaced by micro-communities, and that social media has killed the discovery aspect of fashion. He details how his new members-only golf brand Redan, is built on scarcity and community, predicting that this "members-only" model is the future trend for fashion. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:31 - The $1000 Sneaker 00:18:00 - From DC Shoes to Tribal Fashion Trends 00:33:17 - Selling to Private Equity 00:45:14 - Networking, Signaling, & The "Members-Only" Brand 00:59:11 - Can a Monoculture Brand Still Be Built Today? Powered By: Fulfil.io. https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam. https://www.northbeam.io/ Postscript. https://postscript.io/ Richpanel. https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Saras. https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc Subscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperators Subscribe to The Finance Operators here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 12m

  2. 5 NOV

    E138: Why Winners Go Broke

    Cash is king, period. In this episode, the operators get real about why cash flow matters more than your P&L, EBITDA, or vanity revenue numbers. They share their worst "cash crunch" war stories, like pushing payroll or having to choose between buying inventory and paying taxes. To prove a hard lesson: even profitable businesses go bankrupt all the time. You'll learn the backward-sounding truth of e-commerce: rapid growth bleeds cash, while slowing down can actually fill your bank account. They get into the weeds on risky trend-based inventory, and how to get your suppliers to finance your growth by trading margin for better terms. They also cover the real cost of equity (why you should probably just take the money) and why you need a serious finance team and audits long before you ever think about selling. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:07 - Worst Cash Crunch Moments 00:18:26 - How Growth & Inventory Type Affect Cash Flow 00:34:50 - Tactical Ways to Protect Cash 00:46:26 - The Truth About Equity Financing 01:03:27 - Partnership, Paranoia, and Playing the Leverage Game Powered By: Fulfil.io. https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam. https://www.northbeam.io/ Richpanel. https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Saras. https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc Rivo. https://www.rivo.io/operators Subscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperators Subscribe to The Finance Operators here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 17m

  3. 30 OCT

    Operators Titans E006: MAËLYS (With Co-Founder & CMO Yariv Citron)

    Brought to you by Applovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits. https://9ops.co/channels Join hosts Matt Bertulli and Jason Panzer to experience the journey of Yariv Citron, Co-Founder & CMO of MAËLYS. After leaving law school, Yariv faced the crushing decision to shut down his first business. Yet, he emerged resilient, venturing into the fiercely competitive beauty industry with a bold vision to “break the feed” and redefine body care. Born from a hero product, the Booty Lift and Firm Mask, Yariv and his co-founders took a daring leap, securing personal loans to fund their dream and launch MAËLYS with a mega-influencer campaign centered on Khloe Kardashian. This bold move not only expanded their audience but also solidified MAËLYS as a brand that challenges norms and empowers women with innovative, clinically proven solutions. Today, the company is on track to achieve $150-200 million in annual revenue while maintaining profitability. Discover how personal setbacks became the foundation for extraordinary success, and learn the tactics behind MAËLYS’ rapid growth. This episode is essential listening for anyone looking to understand the grit, innovation, and determination required to build a disruptive brand.

    1h 26m

  4. 29 OCT

    E137: Wholesale has the potential to ruin your business

    In this episode, the Operators dive deep into omnichannel strategy, starting with the lingering debate: should your brand be on Amazon? The hosts break down the pros of incrementality and meeting customers where they are. Versus the cons of price wars, channel conflict, and the platform's brand-unfriendly nature. The discussion then shifts to the high-stakes game of wholesale, weighing the relative safety of the "Big Three" (Costco, Target, Walmart) against the serious financial risks of smaller retailers going bankrupt. Finally, the squad debates the ultimate omnichannel play: opening your own physical stores. They explore the potential for unique customer experiences and domestic supply chain advantages versus the immense complexity, high costs, and low success rate for digitally-native brands. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:16:55 - "Is it Good For My Brand?" Amazon Debate 00:33:30 - The Risks of Wholesale 00:43:45 - Is Being in Big Stores Worth It? 00:56:51 - The Case for Owned Retail Powered By: Fulfil.io. https://bit.ly/3pAp2vuThe Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam. https://www.northbeam.io/ Postscript. https://postscript.io/ Richpanel. https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Saras. https://bit.ly/9OP-Ytdesc Subscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperators Subscribe to The Finance Operators here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 8m

  5. 23 OCT

    Operators Titans E005: Peak 21 (with President Roman Khan)

    Brought to you by Applovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits. https://9operators.com/applovin Founder anxiety. Sleepless nights. Standing on the brink of bankruptcy. Anyone who’s put their own chip on the table knows just how painful leading a brand can be. What if it wasn’t just one brand, but a portfolio of companies? Join hosts Matthew Bertulli and Jason Panzer as they explore Roman Khan’s journey from staring into the abyss to building a holdco of multiple +$100M brands as the president of Peak 21. Discover the challenges + triumphs of entrepreneurship, the importance of distribution over product, and Roman’s unique approach to scaling brands like Raycon, Linjer, Nutrition Kitchen, and more. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business leader, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and brutally honest inspiration. 00:00 – The Titanic Moment: Facing Bankruptcy 02:46 – Learning From Failure and Founder Anxiety 04:20 – From Finance to Rocket Internet 06:09 – Starting Linjer: The $20K Kickstarter Gamble 07:56 – Pivoting to Jewelry and Early Wins 11:25 – Turning 40: Wealth, Purpose & Gratitude 15:26 – The Raycon Story: A $14M Playbook for Growth 25:55 – How to Buy and Scale Companies the Smart Way 39:00 – Leading Teams: Radical Accountability & Execution 47:00 – Marketing Deep Dive: Meta, AppLovin & the Future of Growth 01:05:00 – AI, Creativity & The Next Era of E-commerce 01:22:00 – TITANS 10: Rapid-Fire Founder Insights

    1h 26m

  6. 22 OCT

    E136: What Top CEOs Do When They Miss Their Numbers

    In this episode, the Operators dive deep into the realities of business planning and what happens when things inevitably go off track. They discuss the necessity of formalizing operations as you scale, using frameworks like EOS for quarterly planning and setting OKRs. The hosts share tough lessons on why forecasts are always wrong , the three main reasons plans fail (bad goals, poor execution, or market forces), and the critical growth levers for scaling: brand awareness, new products, and international expansion. They also cover the intense financial discipline required when taking on bank debt and managing covenants , the importance of managing shareholder expectations versus reality , and the best strategies for communicating bad news to your team—like "going ugly early" while always providing hope. Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:19:49 Breaking Down Our Quarterly Planning Process 00:33:40 Top Down vs Bottoms Up Strategy 00:49:09 A Tough Lesson in Tripping Bank Covenants 01:03:53 How to Deliver Bad News Powered By: Fulfil.io. https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam. https://www.northbeam.io/ Postscript. https://postscript.io/ Richpanel. https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Saras. https://saras-analytics.typeform.com/to/T8jpuAEb?utm_source=9operator_lp&utm_medium=find_out_more Subscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperators Subscribe to The Finance Operators here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 15m

  7. 15 OCT

    E135: Operators X Baseball Lifestyle

    In this episode, we sit down with Bill and Josh from Baseball Lifestyle to unpack their incredible growth story, from a high school Instagram account to a projected $150 million business. They share the secrets behind their success, including the power of niching down in a passionate community and the relentless consistency of posting content for years to build an audience. We dive deep into their bootstrapped financing strategy, leveraging first-order profitability and revenue-based financing to scale inventory and marketing. Bill and Josh also discuss the critical operational challenges of hyper-growth, the importance of their unique founder partnership, and how their high-frequency product drop model fuels an impressive customer LTV. Discover how they successfully balanced their DTC roots with a massive wholesale expansion into retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, turning their brand into a nine-figure behemoth. Chapters: 00:03:50 - Introduction 00:22:35 - Power of a Great Business Duo 00:41:44 - North Star Metric for Your Business 00:57:21 - Painful Reality of Hyper-Growth 01:18:15 - How to Balance Wholesale and E-commerce Powered By: Fulfil.io. https://bit.ly/3pAp2vu The Only Cloud ERP Designed to Efficiently Scale 8 and 9-Figure Brands. Northbeam. https://www.northbeam.io/ Postscript. https://postscript.io/ Richpanel. https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=9O&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Saras. https://saras-analytics.typeform.com/to/T8jpuAEb?utm_source=9operator_lp&utm_medium=find_out_more Subscribe to The Marketing Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingOperators Subscribe to The Finance Operators here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 28m

  8. 9 OCT

    Operators Titans E003: Musely (with CEO Jack Jia)

    Brought to you by Applovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits. https://9operators.com/applovin Jack Gia shares his expansive journey from enterprise technology to investing to founding Muesly, a prescription skincare brand with over one million customers and $100M in annual revenue. Along with hosts Matt Bertulli and Mike Beckham, they discuss the importance of innovation, learning from failures, and the challenges of building a telehealth platform. Jack emphasizes the significance of community engagement and real customer stories in marketing, as well as the core ethos of DIY. He offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs — a calculated yet action-oriented approach to business.

    1h 20m
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About

In the world of eCommerce, a legendary WhatsApp group is rumoured to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures in revenue to gain entry. The worlds biggest brands have denied its existence for years, until now. Three titans known as "Operators" are leaking the secret contents in an effort to share its wealth of knowledge with people like you.

Information

  • Creator
    OPERATORS
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    147
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © OPERATORS
  • Show Website
    OPERATORS

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