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. 1 DAY AGO

    Why Retention Starts at Acquisition: A New Approach to LTV Growth

    Most brands treat retention and acquisition as separate strategies and that’s the problem. In this episode, we reveal why retention actually begins at acquisition and how understanding your customer lifecycle from day zero can unlock massive LTV growth. Josh Tay joins Richard to unpack how our Global Accelerator program integrates growth and lifecycle strategy into one unified system. From front-loading LTV to designing retention programs that fuel acquisition, this conversation shows how the best brands build for long-term profitability — not just quick wins. You’ll learn: Why most retention strategies fail before the first purchase How to connect your acquisition data to lifecycle marketing Real examples of how integrated retention drives profitability The retention frameworks used inside CTC’s Global Accelerator program If you’re a 7- or early-8-figure brand looking to increase repeat revenue, this one’s for you. Show Notes: Head to portless.com today to get your free quote, and see how direct fulfillment can transform your business.Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com Learn more about the Global Accelerator: commonthreadco.com/accelerator 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

    42 min

  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    The Modern Media Playbook

    In this episode of the podcast, Taylor and Luke take you inside the system Common Thread Collective has built to define what modern media management really looks like in 2025. Media buying has evolved - incrementality, experimentation, MMM, and FP&A can’t live in silos anymore. Taylor and Luke break down how to turn these complex ideas into one cohesive, profit-first workflow that drives real business results. You’ll learn: Why data integrity is the foundation of profitable decision-making How to set smarter budgets with the Spending Power Model How to allocate across channels using incrementality benchmarks How to operationalize measurement, testing, and optimization in one system Why IRoAS > ROAS (and how to make that shift inside your team) This is the exact system CTC uses to manage media for hundreds of DTC brands.. Show Notes: Head to portless.com today to get your free quote, and see how direct fulfillment can transform your business.Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com Read the blog: https://commonthreadco.com/blogs/coachs-corner/building-useful-measurements-for-profitability 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

    50 min

  3. 9 OCT

    How to Win Q4 with Data, Not Guesswork

    Stop guessing — start scaling. In this episode of Podcast, Richard and Luke break down how one eight-figure brand completely rewrote its Q4 plan using the Profit System’s Spend Power Model and Creative Demand Model. You’ll see exactly how reallocating ad spend, optimizing contribution margin, and forecasting creative volume can unlock immediate profit gains in the next 30 days — without guessing or overspending. What you’ll learn: How to identify overspending using the Spend Power Model Why cutting ad spend can increase contribution margin How to forecast creative volume with the Creative Demand Model The immediate actions to take for Q4 profitability How one brand uncovered $400K in incremental profit Whether you’re planning your Q4 media budget or mapping your 2026 growth strategy, this episode gives you the playbook for winning with data, not intuition.. Show Notes: Head to portless.com today to get your free quote, and see how direct fulfillment can transform your business.Explore the PROPHIT System: 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

    35 min

  4. 7 OCT

    Stop Wasting Your Q4 Budget on Holiday UGC

    Most brands blow their Q4 creator budget on one thing: holiday only content. In this episode of thPodcast, Richard sits down with Adrianne, Director of Creator Content, to break down why that’s a mistake and what to do instead. Learn CTC’s full framework for sourcing and scaling creator content that actually performs through Q4 and beyond. From building evergreen briefs to managing creator timelines, Adrianne walks through the exact checklist, examples, and ad structures her team uses to keep pipelines full, ads optimized, and budgets profitable. What you’ll learn: Why holiday focused UGC is a budget trap How to build evergreen creator briefs that scale The ideal timeline for sourcing, editing, and launching UGC in Q4 The one still image format that outperformed every video How to repurpose creator content across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest & more Show Notes: Go to https://bit.ly/4mFOWa1 to get 20% off your first 3 months of Omnisend with code CTC20.Explore the PROPHIT System: 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

    26 min

  5. 2 OCT

    How to Craft the Best BFCM Offer this Year

    As Q4 kicks off, one of the biggest levers brands can pull is their offer strategy. In this episode, Richard Gaffin (Director of Digital Product Strategy) and Taylor Holiday (CEO) break down how to design offers that maximize both new customer acquisition and retention during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. They walk through insights from CTC’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday Offer Database—a collection of 679+ offers from top eComm brands—and explain how to tailor messaging across channels like paid social, email, and SMS. You’ll learn: Why BFCM is the biggest new customer acquisition moment of the year How to balance broad sitewide discounts with segmented offers for VIPs or inventory clearance The trade-offs between discount depth, inventory availability, and timing across the holiday season Common pitfalls brands face (like over/under-spending and missing the true margin math) Why transparency about your actual market position matters when setting offer expectations If you want to build an offer strategy that actually maps to your numbers—and not just guesswork—this episode will get you there. Show Notes: Go to https://bit.ly/4mFOWa1 to get 20% off your first 3 months of Omnisend with code CTC20. Join over 15,000 merchants protecting their revenue with Chargeflow. Use our promo code CF30 and start saving money, time, and sanity today: https://app.chargeflow.io/auth/sign-in?utm_source=ctc+hotline%2C+podcast&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CTC+Hotline+%26+Chargeflow&utm_id=CTC+Hotline Explore the PROPHIT System: 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 eCom

    27 min

  6. 30 SEPT

    eCommerce Is About to Evolve - Taylor Holiday's Keynote @ Stord Summit

    In this special episode, we share Taylor Holiday’s keynote from Stord’s Summit. (https://www.stord.com/)  He unpacks the four eras of DTC—COVID’s boom, the lean “Ozempic era,” and what he calls the “Flow Era.” Drawing from CTC’s dataset, client stories, and industry benchmarks, Taylor explains why 2025 could mark the strongest period in DTC history. You’ll learn: Why the excess of capital and demand during COVID was both logical and unsustainable. How the “Ozempic era” forced brands to get lean—and why that was necessary for survival. The financial mechanics that quietly cap growth when brands self-fund. How product-led growth, compelling stories, and supplier financing separate the winners. Why natural selection in e-commerce has created a stronger species of brands ready for what’s next. If you want a clear picture of how we got here—and why the brands that remain are better positioned than ever—this keynote is essential listening. 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 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.

    49 min

  7. 25 SEPT

    The Measurement Roadmap: How it Works

    In this episode of the E-Commerce Playbook, Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin dig into the Measurement Roadmap—CTC’s framework for deciding what to test, when to test it, and why it matters. They unpack why incrementality testing is so crucial, the massive swings it can reveal in platform reporting, and how brands can use repeated tests to progressively “shrink the error bars” around decision-making. From Meta’s 20% under-reporting benchmark to surprising Amazon lift results, Taylor shares concrete examples of how measurement gaps can change behavior, creative strategy, and even channel prioritization. The conversation highlights a hard but liberating truth: marketers don’t need perfect certainty—they need enough clarity to make confident decisions anchored in contribution margin. 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 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 Get expert, 1:1 advice from our team:https://www.YourAdmission.co/bookctc

    31 min

  8. 23 SEPT

    Is AppLovin making a comeback?

    Most brands rush into new ad platforms before they’re ready. In this episode, Richard and Tony break down why channel expansion is less about “good or bad” and more about timing and fuel. They revisit the core sequence—master Meta, then Google—before adding channels like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, or Pinterest. And they go deep on why CTC is bullish on AppLovin, the mobile gaming ad platform that’s driving genuinely incremental growth for select brands. You’ll learn: The prerequisites for channel expansion (creative system + incrementality measurement) How AppLovin differs from Meta & Google—and why it’s working now The scale opportunity CTC sees as the platform opens up Oct 1 Why CTC approaches channels as investments, not experiments If you’ve nailed your core channels and want to know when (and how) to expand, this episode is your playbook. Show Notes: Ready to solve your influencer strategy? Book Your Strategy Demo at https://www.getsaral.com/demo 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 eCom

    26 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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