In today’s episode, I sat down with Nikki Lindgren, founder of Pennock Digital, and we took a deep dive into the real ins and outs of growing a successful e-commerce brand—especially in the beauty world. Nikki shared her journey from in-house marketer to agency leader, explained what brands get wrong (and right!) about launching and scaling, and gave some honest advice for creators looking to make their mark. We got into paid ads, the magic of earned media, testing creative on a budget, and when it’s actually time to turn ad spend up or down. My hope? That you walk away with a clearer sense of what success really looks like for digital brands and some practical next steps—whether you’re just launching or looking to scale. Thanks for listening and keep chasing that wisdom on your own journey!

Connect with Nikki Lindgren

Website: https://www.pennock.co/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilindgren/

I’m building an online business in public — sharing every win, setback, and “I can’t believe that happened” moment along the way. If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like to start from scratch, come along for the ride. Join the journey at https://wisdom.beehiiv.com/

Chapters & Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Welcome
00:00:42 – Nikki’s Background: In-House to Agency Life
00:03:38 – Early Client Work & Agency Approach
00:04:26 – What Drew Nikki to E-commerce and Digital Marketing
00:05:35 – Finding a Niche: Focusing on Beauty Brands
00:06:57 – Defining Success for Digital Brands in 2025
00:08:01 – Client Types: Large vs. Emerging Brands
00:09:26 – Biggest Mistakes When Launching an E-commerce Product
00:11:48 – When to Start Running Paid Ads
00:13:22 – Requirements for Achieving ROI on Paid Ads
00:15:08 – Low-Risk Testing of E-commerce Product Ideas
00:17:24 – What is Earned Media?
00:19:39 – Leveraging Existing Content for Paid & Organic
00:22:14 – Favorite Paid Ad Platforms & Why
00:24:38 – Budgeting for Paid Ads as a Beginner
00:26:06 – What Makes a Successful Ad Creative
00:28:32 – How to Test Ad Creatives Cost-Effectively
00:30:14 – Customer Success Stories & Case Studies
00:33:00 – Scaling Challenges & Agency/Brand Collaboration
00:35:14 – Small Brand Growth Stories
00:37:06 – Underutilized Growth Levers
00:38:36 – Deciding When to Scale Ad Spend Up or Down
00:39:42 – Key Tools & AI in Agency Operations
00:41:39 – Nikki’s Key Business Advice
00:43:01 – Where to Find Nikki & Learn More
00:43:28 – Nikki’s Podcast: The Pennock Knockdown
00:44:08 – Outro & Closing Remarks