Best Common Thread Collective Podcasts (2025)

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Why Your 2026 Financial Plan Needs 3 Scenarios (Not 1) 23:21

Play Pause

3h ago23:21

23:21

Most brands are building their 2026 plan all wrong. In this episode, Taylor breaks down why you can’t walk into the new year with one financial forecast — and why the smartest brands plan three: Board, Budget, and Bonus. You’ll learn how to: Build scenario plans that align finance and marketing Forecast existing and new customer revenue with confid…

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How to Optimize Ad Spend in Real Time During Black Friday 31:55

2d ago31:55

31:55

Black Friday isn’t won by guessing, it’s won hour by hour. In this episode of the Podcast, Richard and Luke break down how top DTC brands use real-time ad spend optimization to hit — and even exceed — their Black Friday and Cyber Monday targets. You’ll learn how hourly tracking transforms decision making during the biggest shopping weekend of the y…

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Is Ecommerce Finally Rebounding? Here’s What the Data Says. 22:11

7d ago22:11

22:11

After months of mixed signals, new data from the DTC Index shows ecommerce revenue is up 10% year over year — but consumer confidence is heading in the opposite direction. In this episode, host Richard sits down with Steve, CTC’s Chief Data Scientist, to unpack what’s really happening in the numbers. They dig into the latest data from our DTC Index…

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How to Plan Hour-by-Hour Spend for Black Friday & Cyber Monday 32:37

10d ago32:37

32:37

Want to stop guessing when to spend your Meta budget during Black Friday and Cyber Monday? This episode breaks down exactly how to plan your ad spend hour by hour so you can hit your revenue goals without wasting a single dollar. Taylor Holiday and Luke Austin walk through the real data behind BFCM revenue flow, showing when sales actually spike, w…

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DTC Hotline: How would you identify and fill your Q4 revenue gaps? 30:25

13d ago30:25

30:25

This is a special Friday episode feature of CTC's DTC Hotline: Most brands talk about hitting their Q4 goals — but few have a system to identify and close revenue gaps before they happen. In this episode of The DTC Hotline, Tony, Luke, and Richard break down how to spot and fill revenue shortfalls during the holidays, using the same daily framework…

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Solving Meta Ad Creative, eCom Monopolies, and Agency Partnerships 1:12:41

15d ago1:12:41

1:12:41

In this special episode of the Random Show, Taylor Holiday and Andrew Faris unpack a wide-ranging conversation—from AI’s potential to predict creative performance before launch, to the messy truth about equity splits, competition, and why most brands misunderstand “growth.” They debate: Whether LLMs could replace creative testing entirely How to de…

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From JP Morgan to DTC: How Ondo Built a Better Sock Brand 32:16

16d ago32:16

32:16

He left JP Morgan to build a sock brand and it worked. In this episode of podcast, Taylor sits down with Daniel Shim, founder of Ondo, the DTC brand reinventing no-show socks. They dig into how a finance background helped build a profitable ecommerce business, what it takes to stand out in a crowded category, and why growth isn’t just about scale —…

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Why Retention Starts at Acquisition: A New Approach to LTV Growth 41:49

21d ago41:49

41:49

Most brands treat retention and acquisition as separate strategies and that’s the problem. In this episode, we reveal why retention actually begins at acquisition and how understanding your customer lifecycle from day zero can unlock massive LTV growth. Josh Tay joins Richard to unpack how our Global Accelerator program integrates growth and lifecy…

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The Modern Media Playbook 50:21

23d ago50:21

50:21

In this episode of the podcast, Taylor and Luke take you inside the system Common Thread Collective has built to define what modern media management really looks like in 2025. Media buying has evolved - incrementality, experimentation, MMM, and FP&A can’t live in silos anymore. Taylor and Luke break down how to turn these complex ideas into one coh…

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The Thread of Burning Out Before We Change 30:34

24d ago30:34

30:34

OUR COLLECTIVE THREADS EPISODE 1: The Thread of Burning Out Before We Change Trauma-informed mental health podcast host, Kelly Rhyne (they/she) LMSW, MDIV, dives into the complex relationship between burnout, dissociation, and emotional exhaustion. Why do we push ourselves to the brink before making meaningful changes? Kelly, a trauma and grief the…

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TRAILER - Our Collective Threads 1:23

24d ago1:23

1:23

What if the struggles we carry aren't just personal, but shared across invisible threads that bind us? Our Collective Threads is a podcast that explores the quiet, powerful patterns running through our collective experience in hopes that we can recognize that we may have more in common than we do apart. Each episode unravels one common thread — a r…

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Blueprint for Impact - Keresey Pearl 46:46

28d ago46:46

46:46

Landmark Difference Makers Interview Series: Keresey Pearl – Blueprint for Impact We’re honored to have Keresey Pearl, an award-winning filmmaker, cinematographer, and seasoned fundraiser, whose passion lies in crafting compelling visual narratives that drive real-world change. As Co‑Founder of Blueprint for Impact, she collaborates with multidisci…

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How to Win Q4 with Data, Not Guesswork 35:13

28d ago35:13

35:13

Stop guessing — start scaling. In this episode of Podcast, Richard and Luke break down how one eight-figure brand completely rewrote its Q4 plan using the Profit System’s Spend Power Model and Creative Demand Model. You’ll see exactly how reallocating ad spend, optimizing contribution margin, and forecasting creative volume can unlock immediate pro…

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Stop Wasting Your Q4 Budget on Holiday UGC 25:56

1M ago25:56

25:56

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How to Craft the Best BFCM Offer this Year 26:31

1M ago26:31

26:31

As Q4 kicks off, one of the biggest levers brands can pull is their offer strategy. In this episode, Richard Gaffin (Director of Digital Product Strategy) and Taylor Holiday (CEO) break down how to design offers that maximize both new customer acquisition and retention during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. They walk through insights from CTC’s Black Fr…

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eCommerce Is About to Evolve - Taylor Holiday's Keynote @ Stord Summit 48:46

1M ago48:46

48:46

In this special episode, we share Taylor Holiday’s keynote from Stord’s Summit. (https://www.stord.com/) He unpacks the four eras of DTC—COVID’s boom, the lean “Ozempic era,” and what he calls the “Flow Era.” Drawing from CTC’s dataset, client stories, and industry benchmarks, Taylor explains why 2025 could mark the strongest period in DTC history.…

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Founder of Your Future Stakeholders (YFS) and The Angel Moms Collective: Tiffany Smith 41:33

1M ago41:33

41:33

Landmark Difference Makers Interview Series: Tiffany Smith – Founder of Your Future Stakeholders (YFS) and The Angel Moms CollectiveWe’re honored to have Tiffany Smith, founder of the non-profit Your Future Stakeholders (YFS) and the Angel Moms Collective.After the heartbreaking loss of her 15-year-old son to gun violence, Tiffany channeled her gr…

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The Measurement Roadmap: How it Works 30:45

1M ago30:45

30:45

In this episode of the E-Commerce Playbook, Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin dig into the Measurement Roadmap—CTC’s framework for deciding what to test, when to test it, and why it matters. They unpack why incrementality testing is so crucial, the massive swings it can reveal in platform reporting, and how brands can use repeated tests to progress…

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Is AppLovin making a comeback? 26:08

1M ago26:08

26:08

Most brands rush into new ad platforms before they’re ready. In this episode, Richard and Tony break down why channel expansion is less about “good or bad” and more about timing and fuel. They revisit the core sequence—master Meta, then Google—before adding channels like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, or Pinterest. And they go deep on why CTC is bullis…

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The Best (& Worst) Creative Demand Scores We’ve Seen for Brands 38:33

2M ago38:33

38:33

As Q4 approaches, creative demand becomes one of the biggest challenges for brands looking to scale efficiently. In this episode, Richard Gaffin (Director of Digital Product Strategy at CTC) sits down with Luke Austin (VP of E-Commerce Strategy) to unpack CTC’s new Creative Demand Model—a framework that quantifies exactly how much creative output b…

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How a CTC Client Unlocked 40% YoY Growth 40:35

2M ago40:35

40:35

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Filmmaker and Advocate for the Homeless - AJ Lovewins [Part II] 38:53

2M ago38:53

38:53

AJ Lovewins is a filmmaker, activist, and founder of Our People Rise, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underrepresented communities through storytelling and transformational education. After overcoming homelessness and addiction, AJ has devoted his life to sharing stories of resilience and recovery, inspiring hope and demonstrating the power of …

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How 2 top-tier strategists actually forecast client growth 47:08

2M ago47:08

47:08

In this special episode of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Luke Austin takes the reins and brings in two of CTC’s top-performing growth strategists—Lacie Geary and Brian Sakansky—for a deep dive into what it takes to build and execute a forecast with precision. You’ll get a rare look under the hood at CTC’s Profit System, including how we: Set and …

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Understanding the Seasonality of Media Buying by Month & Day 39:51

2M ago39:51

39:51

When should you really be spending more? Which days of the week drive the most revenue—for your brand? In this episode, Richard is joined by Luke Austin (VP of Growth at Common Thread Collective) to walk through real client data and uncover just how different day-of-week and month-over-month effects can be across brands, even within the same vertic…

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Your Marginal Frontier Will Determine Your Q4 28:44

2M ago28:44

28:44

In this episode of The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin and Taylor Holiday dig deeper into the Spending Power Model—breaking down why the next dollar you spend doesn’t always produce the same return. They explore concepts like the marginal frontier (the moment your next dollar becomes unprofitable), spending power, and how to balance shor…

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What's the best (and worst) e-Commerce niche right now? 36:43

2M ago36:43

36:43

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Filmmaker and Advocate for the Homeless - AJ Lovewins [Part I] 35:57

2M ago35:57

35:57

AJ Lovewins is a filmmaker, activist, and founder of Our People Rise, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underrepresented communities through storytelling and transformational education. After overcoming homelessness and addiction, AJ has devoted his life to sharing stories of resilience and recovery, inspiring hope and demonstrating the power of …

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A Live Demo of How to Forecast Your Q4 Against Tariffs 27:54

2M ago27:54

27:54

In this episode of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin and Taylor Holiday dive deep into the practical use cases of Spend & aMER forecasting models—powerful tools that help brands set budgets with clarity, not guesswork. Taylor walks through real examples, showing how these models adjust for changing costs (like tariffs) and how gross ma…

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Why Forecasts are Bottlenecked by Creative Diversity 40:20

2M ago40:20

40:20

In this episode of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin and Taylor Holiday unpack the critical connection between forecasting models and creative production. Forecasting isn’t just about predicting numbers … it’s about building a marketing and creative plan that can actually deliver them.Taylor explains why most forecasts fail: brands tre…

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The Forecasting Framework Every Brand Needs Before Q4 25:43

2M ago25:43

25:43

In this episode of The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin and Taylor Holiday unpack why forecasting isn’t just about models—it’s about execution. They explore how the best brands combine data, marketing calendars, and disciplined ownership to create forecasts that actually hold up in the real world. Drawing from billions in client data, Tay…

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Building a Business to Make a Difference - Jack Licata 37:08

3M ago37:08

37:08

Jack Licata is a former U.S. Air Force Captain and the innovative founder of BagUps a social enterprise company that makes eco-friendly trash bag solutions while providing employment opportunities for veterans and individuals with disabilities. In this interview we will follow Jack’s journey from military service to entrepreneurship, and delve into…

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Why right now is the best time to dial in your spend vs. aMER 27:35

3M ago27:35

27:35

In this episode of The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin and Taylor Holiday break down why so many e-commerce leaders rely on guesswork and ambition instead of reality—and how forecasting models like Spend & aMER can change that.Taylor compares these models to a DEXA scan: a clear, data-driven look at your business health. Together, they e…

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How Do I Pitch My Boss on Cost Caps? on DTC Hotline Ep. 2 35:38

3M ago35:38

35:38

In this week’s episode of The DTC Hotline, Richard Gaffin is joined once again by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy) to take real questions from eComm operators and Admission members—no fluff, just clear, hard-earned answers. They tackle: • What to do when “nothing works” on Meta …

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Understanding Spend vs. aMER, and Spending Power 36:49

3M ago36:49

36:49

In this episode of the E-Commerce Playbook Podcast, Richard Gaffin is joined by Luke Austin (VP of E-Commerce Strategy at CTC) and Steve Rekuc (Director of Data) to unpack one of CTC’s most powerful forecasting tools: the Spend & aMER Model. This model reveals whether your brand is overspending past the point of profitability—or underspending and l…

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CTC Summit '25: An inside look at CTC’s exact client growth strategy 23:29

3M ago23:29

23:29

Get an exclusive look behind the curtain with our VP of Strategy, Luke, as he breaks down how CTC is transforming profit-driven growth through clarity, measurement, and scalable systems. Discover how our incrementality tool, daily forecasting workflows, and creative growth frameworks come together in the “prism”—our metaphor for the integrated deci…

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Causing a Thriving and Livable Planet - Randy McNamara 44:42

3M ago44:42

44:42

Randy McNamara is a retired Landmark Forum Leader who has spent decades empowering people to live lives of possibility. Now, in his retirement, Randy is once again choosing to stand for others by dedicating himself to impacting climate change. Randy’s mission is to empower and enable people, organizations, and governments to produce miraculous resu…

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What is the future of eCom? on DTC Hotline Episode 1 37:21

3M ago37:21

37:21

In the debut of The DTC Hotline, Richard Gaffin is joined by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy) to take real questions from eComm operators and Admission members—no fluff, just unfiltered answers. They tackle: • Why your Meta cost caps aren’t spending (and what to do about it) • H…

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The Secret That Prepares Accelerator Brands for 8-Figure Success 47:49

3M ago47:49

47:49

As brands approach the $1M–$10M revenue range, they often find themselves stuck—still hustling, but with slower growth and rising costs. That’s where CTC’s Global Accelerator comes in. In this episode, Richard Gaffin is joined by Joy Sharma and Jan Almuni to share the blueprint for how seven-figure brands break through to eight.They reveal the step…

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Last Week’s Podcast Crushed on X—Here’s Why It Did 33:39

3M ago33:39

33:39

In this episode of the E-Commerce Playbook Podcast, Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin unpack the surprising success of last week’s episode—and explore what it reveals about content that actually resonates.What about the convo with Taylor and Andrew led to such a positive response?Turns out, the answer has less to do with tactics—and everything to d…

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Competing in Marathons with MS - Carolyn Cannistraro 41:45

3M ago41:45

41:45

Carolyn Cannistraro has been living with multiple sclerosis for over two decades. Despite the hurdles, Carolyn has completed multiple marathons and is an active member of the “Run A Myelin My Shoes” team. Her inspiring journey has been featured in Women’s Running, MS News Today, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and she has shared her story in televisio…

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We Ran Incrementality Tests... Meta’s Tool Didn’t Win 20:15

3M ago20:15

20:15

After months of speculation, testing, and internal debate, CTC put Meta’s new Incremental Attribution Tool to the test—three times. In this episode, Richard Gaffin sits down with VP of Paid Media Tony Chopp to break down what really happened across those tests, including a final geo holdout study using actual Shopify revenue. The result? You’ll lea…

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Lessons from 11 Years of Building an Agency — and What Happened After 1:53:35

3M ago1:53:35

1:53:35

In this episode of The Random Show, Taylor Holiday and Andrew Faris sit down for a moment of focus—because something big just happened.Common Thread Collective has a new growth partner. Taylor breaks down what the deal really means, why it isn’t a retirement plan, and how private equity views agencies differently than eComm brands.• Why service bus…

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Summit Recap: Lessons You Only Learn From Talking with Clients In Person 22:29

4M ago22:29

22:29

At CTC’s recent Client Summit, Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin sat down to unpack what happens when you get out from behind Zoom and into a room with the people you work with. The result? Honest conversations, unexpected insights, and a clearer picture of what brands really need right now. From creative volume challenges to leadership struggles, …

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CTC Summit: Why 2025 eCom Is a Tale of Two Cities: Winners & Losers 1:05:48

4M ago1:05:48

1:05:48

The Tale of Two Cities in E-Commerce: Winners and Losers in 2025At CTC’s Client Summit, Taylor Holiday shares an unfiltered perspective on where the economy, the world, and the e-commerce landscape are headed—and why the future will be defined by a sharp divide between winners and losers.From macroeconomic pressures to changing consumer behavior, T…

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14 Days, $1.28M: We CRUSHED Our Million-Dollar Challenge! 24:16

4M ago24:16

24:16

Can you turn 14 days into $1.28 million? We did—and we're breaking down exactly how we crushed our million-dollar challenge! In this episode, join Richard and Luke as they unpack the intense 14-day journey that led to massive revenue success. You'll learn: How we strategically turned a critical marketing moment into explosive growth. The day-by-day…

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Inside CTC’s New Strategic Partnership: What's Next? 30:46

4M ago30:46

30:46

Discover the next chapter in Common Thread Collective’s story as Taylor Holiday takes you behind the scenes of our 12-year journey from a tiny IKEA furnished office and our first Facebook ad experiments with QALO, to the seismic shifts of COVID and our reinvention as a “profit agency.” In this special episode of the podcast, you’ll hear: How CTC ev…

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Meta's Attribution Settings Don't Matter Anymore 17:38

4M ago17:38

17:38

In this episode of the podcast, we dismantle the old school attribution windows holding your ad strategy hostage and reveal a simple framework for measuring true incremental ROAS. What you’ll discover: Why standard “7-day click” and “1-day view” settings both mislead you How to run a zero cost geo holdout test for real incremental data When to stic…

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3 Moves to Save Your Brand From Financial Collapse 18:45

4M ago18:45

18:45

Is your brand feeling the squeeze? You’re not alone. In today’s episode, we break down three essential moves every DTC and ecommerce brand must make to survive—and thrive—amid rising bankruptcy rates and tightening capital markets. You’ll learn: Why capital constraints are killing growth—and how to turn your supplier into a lender How to generate o…

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Are Ecommerce Brands Suddenly Failing? 45:24

4M ago45:24

45:24

Ecommerce brands are quietly shutting their doors, but what's really behind this sudden wave of closures? In this episode, we dive deep into exclusive industry data, consumer trends, and expert analysis to uncover what's truly happening behind the scenes in the ecommerce space.Join our panel of industry experts as we reveal: Why more brands than ev…