Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

Common Thread Collective
  • 4.9 (73)
  • Business
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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. 1d ago

    What a Profit Engineer Does Every Day at CTC

    Most agencies promise results. Few can show you the system behind them. In this episode, Randall Thompson sits down with Jar, a Profit Engineer at CTC who previously built and scaled a multi-7-figure apparel brand, to break down exactly what the Profit Engineer role looks like day to day. From daily contribution margin targets inside Statlas to the 4 levers that actually move paid media performance, this is an inside look at how CTC drives predictable, profitable growth across 7-figure and 8-figure ecommerce brands. Topics covered: What a Profit Engineer does every morning (and why contribution margin comes first) The 3 forecasting models inside Statlas: Spending Power, Retention, and Event Effect How to diagnose a volume problem vs. an efficiency problem The 4 levers of paid media: Creative, Offers, CRO, and Marketing Moments How Statlas Jams work and why collective knowledge across 170+ brands matters Base plans vs. stretch goals and how to beat the model What separates CTC from agencies that promise big and deliver small CTC stat: $3B in GMV managed, within 3% of forecast target, 40%+ contribution margin growth, 30%+ revenue growth (2025). Show Notes: Q4 waits for no one. AppLovin is offering $5K ad credit when you spend $5K. Go to https://applovin.com/en/ad-experience?referralCode=CTC to set up your first campaign Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engine The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

  2. 2d ago

    Why Your Email Strategy Is Not a Content Calendar

    In this episode Luke breaks down the complete CTC email methodology as part of the Canon series. This is the framework CTC uses to build email programs that generate a median of 22% of total store revenue, with the scaffolding to push well beyond that for brands operating at the highest level. What you will learn: Why an email plan is a revenue forecast commitment, not a content calendar The three-act framework: hit the forecast, expand volume, add segmentation All 10 core flows and how to tier them by priority The 4 campaign types CTC uses and when to deploy each Moment orchestration across standard days, promo days, launch days, and sales events Why revenue per recipient decays with volume but total profit keeps growing Engagement and lifecycle segmentation dimensions and how to combine them Attribution settings: 3-day click, exclude opens The Statlas Email Plan and how it connects email to the revenue forecast Key stat: Email delivers 22% of total store revenue (median) across CTC-managed brands, with range from sub-10% all the way to 65%. Show Notes: Visit eCapital  to see how much working capital you may qualify for: https://bit.ly/4xO3VDd Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engine The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

  3. Aug 27

    Diversify Now: The 6-Week Q4 Window Closing Fast

    Richard and Luke (newly promoted President at CTC) break down why channel diversification is no longer optional for 8-figure ecommerce brands heading into Q4 and what creative diversification actually means when you need 1,000-plus ads per month from 100-plus creators. This episode covers the exact tools, platforms, and testing frameworks that changed CTC's position on scaling beyond Meta and Google. What we cover: Why CTC reversed its position on channel diversification How Statlas automation now pushes thousands of ads per month Why geo holdout incrementality testing is now in-house at CTC Creative diversification as production source diversity, not format diversity The 3-4 production source minimum before Q4 Why 3% of ads drive 80-plus percent of spend Finding your top 20-30 creators before the September window closes AppLovin, TikTok GMV Max, and YouTube Demand Gen entering Q4 CTC's Mountain partnership for Connected TV geo holdout testing Key stat: 3% of ads drive more than 80% of spend. Find your outliers before Q4 locks in. Show Notes: Go to http://outersignal.com/thread to get 50% off your first two months Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engine The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

  4. Aug 25

    We Analyzed $1.5 Billion in Meta Spend. Here's What We Found.

    We connected Claude to our Statlas database and analyzed $1.5 billion in Meta spend across 320 accounts and $100 million in Google spend across 134 stores. The question: do platform bid controls actually deliver what they promise? Tony Chopp, CTC's VP of Media Investment, walks through what we found — and what it means for how you build your paid media foundation. Min ROAS hits its target. Cost per result does not. On Meta, cost per result goal achieved its target less than half the time. On Google, tROAS ran above target at 1.3x. tCPA ran below at 0.8x. ROAS-based bidding gives the algorithm more flexibility to find high-value buyers. TikTok's GMV Max budget scaling solves the liquidity vs. predictability tension. The brands willing to spend the most to acquire a customer win the auction. The takeaway: build your paid media foundation on ROAS-based bidding. Not because it's a rule — because the data says it gives you the best chance to thread the needle between maximum investment and margin protection. Show Notes: Go to https://bit.ly/4cbihFx to Claim $25,000 in Lutiq platform credits Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engine The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

  5. Aug 20

    Ecommerce Growth With a Money-Back Guarantee

    Our newest ecommerce growth offer comes with a money-back guarantee and a data advantage built in: visibility into what competitors in the same industry are actually bidding and converting at. In this episode, Taylor Holiday and Joy Sharma, who runs this offer for CTC's seven-figure clients, break down what's included: unlimited landing pages and creative tested until they beat CTC's own conversion-rate benchmark data, exclusive access to a top-tier creator network at no added cost, and a guarantee that ties CTC's own accountability directly to the outcome. Tune in if you've ever wondered what your competitors are actually paying to acquire a customer, or wanted an agency willing to put its own money on the line. In this episode, we cover:  Why CTC ties this offer to a money-back guarantee instead of just a strategy handoff How CTC's data shows exactly what competitors are bidding and converting at What's included in CTC's newest offer for seven-figure ecommerce brands How unlimited landing page testing works against real conversion-rate benchmarks Why the exclusive Refunnel creator network comes at no added cost Why CTC believes strategy and production can't stay separate anymore Want CTC to guarantee your growth the same way? Visit www.commonthreadco.com  Show Notes: Axon is offering $5K ad credit when you spend $5K. Go to https://axon.ai/en/ctc to set up your first campaign.Get 20% more Meta Growth https://commonthreadco-global.com/ytThe 7-Figure Growth Workshop https://commonthreadco.com/pages/sept-26-eventExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

  6. Aug 18

    Ecommerce Growth: The 3-Pillar Framework We Use

    Our President, Luke Austin, just got back from a 3-day fishing trip in Sitka, Alaska: 90 lbs of salmon, halibut, and black cod, with orcas circling the boat the whole time. But the real story is what it taught him about growing ecommerce brands. In this episode, he breaks down the three things that have to be true for any ecommerce brand to know if it's actually winning: a single reliable source of truth for your data, a shared definition of success across your team, and relentless execution against the plan. It's the same framework CTC uses with every brand we partner with, and the standard we just recommitted to internally for H2. In this episode, we cover:  Why most ecommerce brands can't clearly answer if they're winning or losing Building a single source of truth for your financial, marketing, and order data Why a shared definition of success matters more than more dashboards How contribution margin and daily targets keep teams aligned What relentless execution actually looks like: ad plans, email plans, creative testing, MMM, and incrementality Why brands skip straight to execution, and what it costs them Want help building this system for your brand? Visit www.commonthreadco.com  Show Notes: Visit eCapital  to see how much working capital you may qualify for: https://bit.ly/4xO3VDd The 7-Figure Growth Workshop https://commonthreadco.com/pages/sept-26-event Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engine The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

  7. Aug 13

    Do This to Scale Your CPG Brand — Guaranteed

    Joy Sharma, CTC's Director of Accelerator, walks through a brand-new CPG growth offer backed by a 20% uplift guarantee — or your money back. The strategy combines hourly API-based budget scaling (via a Meta managed service most brands don't know exists) with industry CAC benchmarking from Statlas, full-stack creative and landing page support, and an exclusive influencer whitelist through Refunnel. In this episode: What "hourly API scaling" actually means and why it drives 20–30% compounding spend growth The Meta managed service that gives CTC budget-scaling access no other agency has How Statlas industry CAC data lets CPG brands "cheat" the auction Real results: $856/day to $20K/day in 90 days at 0.9 ROAS Why "extreme accountability" means CTC puts everything on the line, not just your brand How Refunnel's top-performing influencer community removes the whitelist bottleneck The 3-brand invite-only launch: two slots with 20% guarantee, one with 40% This offer is currently invite-only for 3 CPG brands doing $3M–$5M+ annually who want to reach 9 figures as fast as possible. Apply via the link in the show notes. Show Notes: Get 20% more Meta Growth https://commonthreadco-global.com/yt What Hourly API Scaling is actually worth https://commonthreadco-global.com/case-study The 7-Figure Growth Workshop https://commonthreadco.com/pages/sept-26-event Go to http://outersignal.com/thread to get 50% off your first two months Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engine The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

  8. Aug 10

    Why 8-Figure Brands Waste Days Finger-Pointing When Results Miss (And the Fix)

    When results miss at an 8-figure or 9-figure ecommerce brand, a familiar pattern kicks in. Someone asks "why did we miss?" There is no clear owner. Every team points somewhere else. Days pass before anyone agrees on what happened, let alone what to fix. Brian Sakansky, Profit Engine Manager at CTC, calls this the finger-pointing problem. It is not a personality issue. It is a structural one. And the structure most agencies use, where performance is measured by channel KPIs like ROAS or CPM, is exactly what creates it. In this episode, Brian walks through how CTC's Prophit Engine eliminates blame cycles entirely by tying the agency contract to business outcomes, specifically contribution margin, not channel metrics. When CTC is accountable to the brand's P&L rather than Meta performance, CTC is no longer defending the ad account. They are solving for the business. Brian also explains how Statlas gives brands a daily green/red view of whether each channel hit its expected target, how Profit Engineers pull the right levers when a channel misses, and what brands can do right now if they are not yet on the Prophit Engine. Show Notes: Your free LTV audit is waiting at smile.io: https://bit.ly/4bKlMCv Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engine The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

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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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