We're in the thick of Q4 chaos—juggling marketing, inventory delays, and algorithms that just don't hit like they used to. In this episode, we get real about burnout, the crumbling attention economy, and why survival might be the most underrated strategy in ecommerce. Plus, Jack introduces a new business philosophy: be the cactus 🌵. Just stay alive.
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In this episode, we dive deep into what’s working (and what’s definitely not) in Facebook ads right now, from ASC vs ABO to product-market fit, flash sale testing, and why some campaigns randomly tank. It's a real-time look at rebuilding ad strategy during this tumultuous time of year.
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Q4 is make-or-break for most brands, but it’s not just about Black Friday. In this episode, Jack and David share how they’re approaching Q4 strategy, from high-level planning and product angles to managing cash flow and staying sane during the chaos. If you're an operator in the trenches, this one’s for you.
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In this episode of the Underdog Ecom Podcast, Jack and David dive into how creativity can be a form of capital, especially when you're cash-strapped. From pre-funding tactics and supplier negotiation tips to smart cash conversion cycle hacks, this one's all about doing more with less and making your creativity work like cash.
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If we could rewind the clock and start our ecom journeys over, what would we actually change? While far from experts, we've both been in the game for several years now, with the battle scars to prove it. In this episode, we dive into what we'd do differently if we could start it all again: from product and marketing choices to financial decisions and team-building lessons. Whether you're just starting out or deep in the grind, this one's packed with the kind of advice we wish someone gave us when we started.
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Jack went all in on bid caps—and in this episode, we break down what’s actually happening inside the ad account. Are they finally working? David and Jack dig into the data, what’s changed, and what this could mean for other scrappy brands testing Meta ads.
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In this episode, we break down the apps we can’t live without—the ones that quietly power our stores and would leave us scrambling if they vanished. From managing finances to boosting conversions and staying sane operationally, we’re sharing our real MVPs. If you're feeling app fatigue and wondering what’s actually worth the cost, this one’s for you.
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How do you run a sale that actually boosts your bottom line—and not just your stress levels? This week, we break down the thinking, execution, and outcomes of their latest sales strategies, including tiered discounts, gift card incentives, and how to track what actually worked. Real talk on margins, inventory, and learning by doing.
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This week, we dive deep into the power of collabs—brand, creator, and retail—and how they can drive growth without relying solely on paid ads. From custom merch drops to brand partnerships, they unpack their own wins, misses, and lessons learned trying to make collabs actually work.
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Jack and David pull back the curtain on how they actually use email marketing inside their brands—what's working, what's not, and all the stuff they’ve stopped wasting time on. From flows and pop-ups to why copy matters more than design, it’s a real convo about figuring email out without overcomplicating it.
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In this episode, Jack and David dive into the financial ups and downs of running an ecom brand — from battling cash flow crunches and navigating debt traps to rethinking channel dependencies like wholesale. David shares his candid story of turning things around with a strategic line of credit, while both hosts explore emerging traffic sources and the real potential (and pitfalls) of TikTok Shop and YouTube for ecommerce.
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In this episode, we dive into our recent experiments with Facebook bid caps—what’s working, what’s not, and all the frustrating in-betweens. From campaign structures to profitability tradeoffs and whether small brands like ours can really thrive with cost-controlled ad strategies, we break down what it’s really like trying to make Meta ads work when every dollar counts.
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In Episode 12, Jack and David dive deep into the gritty reality of shipping—comparing in-house fulfillment vs. 3PLs. They unpack their personal setups, the hidden costs, control trade-offs, horror stories, and why neither path is as simple as it seems. Whether you're taping boxes in your garage or ready to outsource, this convo hits home.
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In this episode, we dive into the "Profit First" mindset; what it is, why it’s hard to implement in the unpredictable cash-hungry world of ecom, and how it’s helped us along the way. From frozen Amex cards to tax surprises, we explore how to manage cash flow when inventory eats your capital, and what it takes to build a business that funds itself - without chasing vanity revenue.
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In this episode, we unpack why product—not just ads—is at the heart of everything. From launch cadence and customer feedback to staying on-brand (or not), we share what’s been working, what hasn’t, and how we’re both thinking about product development heading into the next stage of our brands. A practical, honest chat from two founders still figuring it out.
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I​​n Episode 9 (wow, how did we get here already!), we’re getting real about Meta ads: the good, the bad, and the painfully expensive. We talk through what’s working (finally), what’s not, and all the messy lessons we’ve learned running our own ad accounts without big budgets or fancy agencies.
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In this episode, Jack and David go deep on the real behind-the-scenes of product design, sourcing, and packaging—when you don’t have a big team or massive budgets. From hiring designers to leveraging suppliers, and from poly mailers to box regrets, this one’s packed with practical tips for scrappy founders figuring it out as they go.
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From pro tennis tours to Pacific Northwest pop-ups—Jack and David share how they stumbled into the world of e-commerce and built their brands from scratch. In this episode, they dive into the unexpected twists, early mistakes, and the wins that shaped their journeys, all while keeping it real about what it actually takes to build something from nothing.
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In this episode, Jack picks David’s brain on all things B2B and wholesale—from getting stocked in REI and airport gift shops to building a Shopify-powered wholesale channel from scratch. They dive into tools like Faire, SparkLayer, and Trunk, discuss margins, outreach tactics, and what makes wholesale a viable (and sometimes brutal) growth lever for DTC brands. Plus, a quick detour into how new AI tools are shaking up creative workflows and initial ecom community reactions.Â
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In this one, David breaks down how he pulled off a mystery box sale to move excess inventory—VA hacks, ops chaos, and way better ROAS than expected. Jack’s deep in stockouts throughout a sale, wrestling with whether to open up pre-orders… We get into the real trade-offs of crowdfunding, cash flow pressure, and why sometimes it’s better to just wait—even when customers are begging to buy.
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