Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
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.
Latest episodes
Jan 11, 2024 • 27min
Ecommerce Ins and Outs for 2024
The podcast discusses current trends in the ecommerce industry, including the decline of the 'Head of Growth' role, the shift toward fixed fees for vendors, and the rise of the Chief Operating Officer. They also explore the potential decline of SaaS companies and the importance of a 13-week cash flow forecast. Additionally, they discuss the challenges and optimizations of studio production in the ecommerce industry.
Jan 4, 2024 • 33min
5 Predictions for 2024
In this podcast, Taylor and Richard discuss 5 critical ecommerce trends for 2024, including the rise of product influencer brands, the focus on contribution margin and profit growth, the prediction of the e-commerce SaaS bubble popping, the importance of balancing short-term objectives with long-term expectations, and their exciting plans for the podcast in 2024.
Dec 21, 2023 • 6min
Tactics with Taylor #3: How to Use LTV In Your Ecommerce Strategy [PREVIEW]
ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co
In this episode, Taylor breaks down one of the most crucial metrics in ecommerce: LTV. Watch to learn more about how to measure it, how it impacts different industries, and how to grow it into an elite level.
Dec 21, 2023 • 45min
The Prophit System, Part 5: Executing Against the Plan
In this final episode of our 5-part series on the Prophit system, Taylor and Richard get on the mic to wrap things up, explaining how all the elements of the system work together to deliver on a daily plan for predictable, profitable growth.
Show Notes:
Elevar is offering 50% off Expert Installation ($1000 value) with the purchase of a subscription (Essentials Plan or above) by January 19, 2024*. Please complete this short form to take advantage of the offer. *Offer available for new Elevar clients only
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.
Dec 14, 2023 • 31min
The Prophit System, Part 4: Building A Channel Specific Media Plan
What do you do when your Meta ads account is on fire? How about when you need more creative? And what do you do when the account is performing too well?
In this episode, Richard chats with Max Rosewater, Senior Paid Social Buyer at CTC, about the key parts of his decision-making process — and, how to translate your forecast into a day-to-day, channel-specific media plan.
Show Notes:
Elevar is offering 50% off Expert Installation ($1000 value) with the purchase of a subscription (Essentials Plan or above) by January 19, 2024*. Please complete this short form to take advantage of the offer. *Offer available for new Elevar clients only
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.
Dec 7, 2023 • 6min
Tactics with Taylor #3: How to Use LTV In Your Ecommerce Strategy [PREVIEW]
ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co
In this episode, Taylor breaks down one of the most crucial metrics in ecommerce: LTV. Watch to learn more about how to measure it, how it impacts different industries, and how to grow it into an elite level.
Dec 7, 2023 • 48min
The Prophit System, Part 3: Building a Creative System to Accomplish a Financial Goal
On this episode, Richard chats with Aileen McKenna, Director of Creative Strategy & Performance at CTC, about the creative aspect of our growth methodology: How to use your topline financial goals to operationalize your creative production, and how to come up with good creative ideas — quickly.
Show Notes:
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.
Nov 30, 2023 • 22min
BFCM 2023 Recap
On this episode of the podcast, Taylor and Richard discuss Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2023 — the good, the bad, and what this year’s business-as-usual BFCM means for the ecommerce landscape in 2024.
Show Notes:
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.
Nov 29, 2023 • 7min
Tactics with Taylor #2: How to Connect Creative Needs and Finance [PREVIEW]
ADmission members-only episode preview. Unlock full episodes at youradmission.co
In this episode, Taylor and Richard talk creative — but from an unexpected angle. Listen in as Taylor breaks down how to calculate creative needs by determining month-by-month Spend/aMER requirements.
Nov 24, 2023 • 6min
Black Friday Q&A w/Taylor (PREVIEW)
We're taking a break this week from our regular episodes for Black Friday. In the meantime, we're dropping a preview of Taylor's 2023 BFCM Q&A with ADmission members. To watch the entire episode, head over to youradmission.co to get started on an ADmission
