The Andrew Faris Podcast

Nasrin Jafari, the founder and CEO of Mixed By Nasrin, shares her incredible journey of growing a seven-figure fashion brand. She reveals the dramatic highs of achieving $40k days, followed by unexpected downturns. Nasrin discusses the impact of long-form explainer ads and innovative product strategies, including her million-dollar birthday sale. She emphasizes the importance of community-sourced models and effective cost management, all while boosting confidence and mastering her business operations.

In this engaging conversation, Fan Bi, CEO of The Hedgehog Company, shares his expertise in rescuing distressed e-commerce brands. He discusses the pitfalls of declining ad efficiency and high fixed costs that lead to cash crunches. Fan explores the importance of cleaning up balance sheets to make businesses appealing to buyers. The duo examines the risky behaviors of struggling founders, likening them to gamblers. They emphasize that successful e-commerce brands focus on disciplined growth and the right product-market fit.

Dive into the dynamic world of Meta Ads with insights on partnership ads that leverage real creators over fake ones. Discover the power of flexible ads and how they can optimize performance. Learn the importance of daily account spend limits to avoid overspending. Andrew sheds light on value optimization for targeting high-value customers. Plus, don’t miss his tips on testing website enhancements and embracing AI for creative improvements. Tune in for a fresh perspective on maximizing your advertising strategy!

Lara Guevara, CEO of Move Supply Chain, shares her insights after visiting 28 manufacturers for 15 brands in China. She highlights the importance of building relationships and negotiating favorable payment terms, revealing how in-person meetings unlock new product opportunities. Lara discusses the rapid changes in Chinese manufacturing over the past year, including technology improvements and efficient sourcing strategies. With upcoming partnerships and resources for DTC brands, she emphasizes how her agency simplifies the supply chain process.

Patrick Coddou, COO at AJF Growth and former ecommerce founder, joins to discuss the innovative use of AI in ad creative. He introduces Prometheus, an AI co-writer that streamlines creative operations and prioritizes message over format. They explore the importance of human oversight in AI workflows and how Prometheus aids in generating brand plans and analyzing winning ads. The conversation highlights operational efficiency and how Claude excels at creative writing, transforming ad production and giving teams more time for strategic thinking.

Katy Mimari, founder and CEO of Caden Lane, shares her inspiring journey of building a 9-figure baby gifts and apparel brand. She delves into evolving from wholesale to e-commerce, emphasizing customer-centric product development. Katy reveals how expanding product categories tripled customer lifetime value and details her rapid four-month launch cycle. With a focus on design differentiation and learning from operational mistakes, she underscores the importance of leadership development in her growing business. A true success story of adaptability and innovation!

Dive into the world of creative metrics as Andrew reveals unique insights from Behind the Scenes Studio's performance dashboard. Discover the significance of first-pass approval rates and how they relate to briefing quality. Learn about the advantages of operationalizing metrics in agencies versus in-house teams. The discussion also covers the creative supply chain, emphasizing the importance of tracking complexity and revisions for optimization. Andrew categorizes creative production strategies into 'explore' and 'expand', shedding light on data-driven approaches.

Tal Moore and Dave Stickland, co-founders of Popsmith, take listeners on a rollercoaster ride through their near-bankruptcy saga. They reveal the emotional toll of their financial crisis and the grace that kept their partnership intact. The duo details the game-changing moment when a cold pitch to Oprah led to unimaginable sales and a brand resurgence. From tactical marketing strategies to prioritizing personal mental health, they share invaluable lessons for founders navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

Michael Ting, Head of Revenue at Jaxxon, brings his data-driven expertise to the table. He dives into why Jaxxon focuses on cost-per-lead as a core metric, detailing its impact on timing seasonal spending. Michael discusses leveraging low-cost opportunities during volatile market moments and the varying values of leads based on timing. He emphasizes the importance of predictions in refining marketing strategies and urges businesses to balance risk with decision-making. The conversation balances long-term growth with tactical spending in the competitive DTC landscape.

Jordan Menard, co-founder of Instant Hydration, shares his expertise in scaling DTC brands and media buying. He dives into the nuances of creative testing, describing how to organize and scale winning campaigns effectively. Jordan emphasizes the need for high-volume, high-quality creative while debating the impact of manual bidding in Meta’s ecosystem. He argues that successful scaling blends creative strategies with solid unit economics, stressing the evolving landscape where agency founders are transitioning to brand operators.