Joris van Huët

Grow Your Boat

Still figuring out where your revenue comes from as a Fashion brand running on Shopify doing > 30K MRR? Read on 👇

We do this:

Connect your marketing data sources,
>>>
Ask questions,
>>>
Act upon clear and actionable insights.

We cure frustrated DTC brands of their inaccurate data analytics.

It's really that simple.

Founder & CEO

marketingupgrade.pro

People call me when their marketing broke or it's slowing down. We then have a fun call after which a usually equally fun follow-up meeting takes place. By then we've narrowed down what needs to be down and how much time will be needed to get there.

Owner - Performance marketeer - EN, FR & NL

Marketing Advisor - NL

Scaled DTC brands in the Netherlands doing 1Mio+ ARR.

- Paid Social performance marketing execution.
- Growth Manager of a performance marketing team (5).

Senior Growth Specialist - NL

Helped design, build and operate inbound - and outbound marketing systems.

Digital Marketeer - NL & EN

Helped validate and / or soft launch MVP's designed by R&D departments of AAA's in the F&B, GM/HBC and Financial Services industries.

Corporate Venture Marketeer - EN & FR

Helped with the definition, conception, implementation and execution of Marketing, PR and Sales strategies. Together we aim to further establish Briqwise as a global brand.

Chief Marketing Officer - Briqwise - NL & EN

Your tournament starts here.

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Helped Tournify with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing, PR and Sales strategies. Together we aim to further establish Tournify as a global brand.

Chief Marketing Officer - Tournify - EN, FR & NL

I worked as a research assistant for Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch executive agency for public works and water management. My main task was to conduct a research project on how to scale the use of second hand furniture in the Netherlands to bolster sustainability in the industry.

The research project involved:

- Reviewing the literature on the environmental and social benefits of second hand furniture, as well as the barriers and drivers for its adoption by consumers and businesses.

- Conducting interviews and surveys with various stakeholders, such as furniture manufacturers, retailers, resellers, refurbishers, NGOs, and customers.

- Analyzing the data and identifying the best practices, opportunities, and challenges for scaling the use of second hand furniture in the Netherlands.

- Developing recommendations and strategies for Rijkswaterstaat and other relevant actors to promote and facilitate the circular economy of furniture.

The research project was a valuable learning experience for me, as I gained insights into the complex and dynamic system of furniture production and consumption, and the potential for circular solutions to reduce waste and emissions, while creating social and economic value. I also improved my skills in research design, data collection and analysis, report writing, and stakeholder engagement.

I enjoyed working with a diverse and motivated team of researchers, consultants, and experts from Rijkswaterstaat and other organizations. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important and innovative project.

(a.i.) Marketing Advisor - Rijkswaterstaat

Whether it’s a card game for two players with battling animals, a tactics game for your PC or your favorite digital board game on mobile, Grumpy Owl Games wants to turn your game experience into something that puts a smile on your face.

Smiling is a lot easier if the game you’re playing is easy to understand, nice to look at and makes you come back for more. That is why we create beautiful, accessible and high-quality games for your screens and tabletop.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps Grumpy Owl Games with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing, PR and Sales strategies. Together we aim to further establish the Grumpy Owl Games brand worldwide.

(a.i.) Marketing - Grumpy Owl Games - EN, FR & NL

Huispedia aims to democratize the real estate industry and give the power back to whom it's all about: the homeowners.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps Huispedia further establish their brand among homeowners in the Netherlands.

(a.i.) Marketing Advisor - Huispedia - NL

INNOVATE is committed to finding and supporting the Most Innovative Student in the
Netherlands. The grand ideas of tomorrow should be given a stage today. That’s why
we are looking for students with either an idea or a functioning start-up, who aim
to solve social and environmental issues. Ideas that tackle macro problems and are
being worked on to produce a head-on solution. Social inequality, climate change, the
relationship between essential data and privacy: in order to face the societal challenges
of the future, we have a hunch you’re out there coming up with innovative solutions.

(a.i.) Marketing Manager @ Innovatiefste Student van Nederland - INNOVATE

INNOVATE has the power to inspire people, and to show that innovation is something you should do, especially when things go wrong. That is why INNOVATE was there in 2020. This time we mainly manifested ourselves digitally, and not in the form of all kinds of large physical events. We developed into an online platform where others can present themselves, and organized no fewer than 5 online (live) INNOVATE Meetups with dozens of innovative parties from the Arnhem, Nijmegen and Wageningen region. This formula provided connection, inspiration and activation. In 2021, we will continue to work from that online vision for the time being. There will also be a number of offline activities, where regulations allow.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps INNOVATE with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing, PR and Communication strategies. Together we aim to further establish the INNOVATE brand, mainly in the Netherlands.

(a.i.) Marketing Manager - INNOVATE

It is only logical to use existing materials and to produce locally with fair conditions and transparent payments while designing products that last. We see waste materials as a mountain full of potential, and by simply maximizing the lifespan of materials we aim to reduce the waste pile, one bag at a time.

Introducing our bag made out of banners, car seatbelts and inner tubes from bicycles. For every occasion, we got your bag!

Co-Founder - Het Nieuwe Logisch - EN & NL

The Bin creates products from waste. With us, any company in any industry can become part of the new economy. Simluator of the circular economy.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps The Bin with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing, PR and Sales strategies. Together we aim to further establish the The Bin brand, mainly in the Netherlands.

(.a.i.) Marketing Lead - The Bin

Health organizations and insitutes come to Amulet for custom eHealth platforms, (web)apps, portal and websites. Thanks to a broad range of clients we are familiair with a number of technologies and innovations, which we can apply in each industry. Our belief is that tech is a tool the bring joy to hard-working individuals.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps Amulet with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing, PR and Sales strategies. Together we aim to further establish the Amulet brand, mainly in the Netherlands.

(a.i.) Marketing Lead - Amulet

Start-up minded companies come to IGNE for platforms, (web)apps, portal and websites. Thanks to a broad range of clients we are familiair with a number of technologies and innovations, which we can apply in each industry. Our belief is that tech is a part of your team. When your tech starts to show it's limitations, it is like a team that is not performing well. How do you start optimising your tech? IGNE guides you towards the answer.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps IGNE with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing, PR and Sales strategies. Together we aim to further establish the IGNE brand, mainly in the Netherlands.

(a.i.) Marketing Lead - IGNE

An organization commited to helping children regain inner peace and calmness in an age of information overload.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps Stichting Glimlach in je Hoofd with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing, PR and Sales strategies. Together we aim to further establish the brand among Dutch schools.

(a.i.) Marketing Specialist - Stichting Glimlach In Je Hoofd

Scanfie lets your guests order quickly and easily.

Did you know that the biggest annoyance among visiting guests the long wait for service? Sometimes guests visiting a (dining) café even have to wait half an hour before they can place their first order.

Would you stcik around around after having your patience tested like this?

This summer there were even several beach tents, cafes and other catering companies that had to close off part of the terrace or drastically shorten their opening hours due to staff shortages. An unnecessarily big disappointment for your guests and an unnecessarily large impact on your turnover.

Avoidable, with Scanfie.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps Scanfie with the researching and realization of (new) strategic partnerships for Scanfie. Together we aim to further establish the Scanfie brand in the Netherlands.

(.a.i.) Business Development Manager - Scanfie - NL

Searious Business creates business solutions aimed at increasing sustainability and limiting plastic waste. To that end, Searious Business collaborates with companies to solve plastic waste.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps Searious Business with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing, PR and Sales strategies. Together we aim to further establish the Searious Business brand in Europe.

(a.i.) Chief Marketing Officer - Searious Business - EN, FR & NL

Positive change starts from education. The BD School believes that everyone deserves a chance to build the future of their dream. The mission is simple: to enable individuals and ambitious founders to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to leave their mark in society.

Anima Cloud Efflux helps The BD School with the definition, conception and execution of Marketing strategies. Together we aim to further establish the BD School brand around the globe.

(a.i.) Chief Marketing Officer -  The BD School - EN

Stichting Oogfonds Nederland

Het aantal mensen met een oogprobleem stijgt. De oplossing ligt in voorlichting, preventie en meer oogonderzoek. Het Oogfonds financiert wetenschappelijk oogonderzoek naar het voorkomen en behandelen van oogproblemen. En steunt patiëntenverenigingen in het verbeteren van de kwaliteit van leven voor mensen met een visuele beperking.

Senior Online Marketeer

internationovel

This projected was terminated. 

- Concept was successfully validated.
- Follow-through to expand operations was more arduous than expected.
- Will be repeated in the future!

The world is changing. The way we consume literature is changing. But our mission remains the same: to bring you the best stories, from the finest writers, every single day. Sign up now and receive our novel one page a day in your inbox for free.

The Writers

Our young writers were carefully selected to form an international team composed of vastly various backgrounds. Each playing an instrumental part in this project.By signing up, you'll get access to the novel for free! You'll receive one page a day directly in your inbox.In our messages, we'll give you opportunities to support our writers (should you become a fan of their work).

The Story

Each writer narrated the story of their own protagonist. Making it that they all come from different worlds (like in real life!)In this epic fantasy tale, five unlikely heroes are brought together by a shared touch of fate.Be it so remedy their own misery or to fight for something much bigger than themselves: their convergence was no coincidence.

Founder

Infi

Infi believes in the strength of long-term and balanced collaborations. Together with our customers, we seek out the most effective and efficient road to success. Their dreams become ours, as do their problems. "Growing together" defines us best. My mission within Infi takes form with the following tasks;

- Marketing strategy
- B2B community management
- Business development
- Developer community management
- Content & social media marketing
- Brand management
- Storytelling 
- Partnership management
- Event management

In a nutshell: Infi takes pride in building loved products with our awesome clients, by writing beautiful code with their team of amazing developers. Both in Utrecht, as in Amsterdam.

#infinl

Chief Marketing Officer - EN & NL

Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences

Topics within Online Marketing; 

- Consumer Behavior 
- Content Marketing
- Influencer Marketing
- Programmatic Marketing
- Social Media Marketing (B2C / B2B)
- Storytelling in Marketing

Guest Speaker - EN & NL

United Wardrobe

Tasked with the cultivation and and nurturing of United Wardrobe's presence in France.

- Business Development
- Campaign Data Processing & Analysis
- Content Production Management
- Imagineering
- Influencer Campaign Conception
- Influencer Campaign Management
- Influencer Partnership Management
- Multichannel Storytelling Strategy

Influencer Marketeer - BE & FR (directly contributed to EXIT)

Omnicom Media Group

Tasked with with the trafficking, set-up, optimalisation and evaluation of programmatic media trading campaigns. 

- Contribution to Content Marketing
- Contribution to Copywriting
- Contribution to Translations

Account(s): Bacardi, EasyJet, Levi's, Monsterboard, PepsiCo and Renault.

Programmatic Media Planner / - Buyer & AdOps Specalist (OMD NL) - BeNeLux

Publicis Groupe

Tasked with with the trafficking, set-up, optimalisation and evaluation of programmatic media trading campaigns. 

Account(s): L'Oréal & Film1.

Digital Executive (Zenith NL) - Programmatic Media Planner / - Buyer & AdOps Trainee - BeNeLux

WeTransfer

Tasked with the acquisition of new potential advertisers in designated regions, as well as the negotiations and management of branding campaigns.

- Account Management
- "Artvertising"
- Business Development
- Channel Management
- International Sales
- Key Account Management
- Media Trading
- Sales Process Optimization (Eastern Europe, APAC, GCC)

Sales Manager - APAC, EEU, FR & GCC

We cure frustrated DTC brands of their inaccurate marketing analytics. || Founder Grow Your Boat. || Freelance End-to-End DTC & SaaS Growth Strategist.

Let's be honest, most marketing tools are stuck in the past. 

You just want that helping hand to do your thing, but tools nowadays...

They give all the credit to the 'last click' like some kind of participation trophy. 

Who cares about the last pat on the back?

You need to see the whole customer journey, 
from the wide-eyed browsing to the 'buy now!' moment.

But those old-school tools? 

Blind to all that juicy data.

This means:

→ Hidden growth opportunities waving goodbye.

→ You waste money on ineffective marketing.

→ Your competitors get ahead with better data insights! 

We clearly don't want that, 
right?

Enough is enough, 
my friend. 

We get it. 

You deserve better.

That's where we come in. 

Grow Your Boat isn't your old-school marketing tool. 

We go beyond the limitations of those old school tools and help you to see the complete customer journey, 
identify hidden growth opportunities, 
and optimize your marketing spend.

All you need to do is connect your data, 
talk to it, 
get insights,  
act upon them and generate profitable growth. 

The result? 

We've seen our clients scale their marketing from 30k MRR to 500k MRR. 

Typical problems we solve entail questions such as;

"What are the consequences if I turn off Pinterest ads? The ROAS on other channels is much better, but is Pinterest perhaps contributing to those somehow?"

+7% renvenue growth in Q1 2024.

"My return rates are eating my margins, what customer segments should I be targeting per channel to reduce the liklihood of returns?"

+3% margin increase in Q1 2024.

See where I'm going with this?

You can throw any problem at Grow Your Boat and work it out together.

That's a clear advantage you can't afford to ignore.

Until then, ask yourself:

What are your customers REALLY telling you? 

Do you know what you DON'T know?

Book a free demo to find out. 

It's a no-brainer (probably the best decision of your week).

((yes, we truly think so.))

(((jump on a call with us and you'll hear our irresistible offer.)))

((((man, even I want to get on a call with us now.))))

The world is changing. The way we consume literature is changing. But our mission remains the same: to bring you the best stories, from the finest writers, every single day. Sign up now and receive our novel one page a day in your inbox for free.

The Writers

Our young writers were carefully selected to form an international team composed of vastly various backgrounds. Each playing an instrumental part in this project.By signing up, you'll get access to the novel for free! You'll receive one page a day directly in your inbox.In our messages, we'll give you opportunities to support our writers (should you become a fan of their work).

The Story

Each writer narrated the story of their own protagonist. Making it that they all come from different worlds (like in real life!)In this epic fantasy tale, five unlikely heroes are brought together by a shared touch of fate.Be it so remedy their own misery or to fight for something much bigger than themselves: their convergence was no coincidence.

Ciaran Finn

Your Glow Up

Managing Director at Your Glow Up, an award-winning DTC performance creative agency.

Lowering acquisition costs and scaling 8-9 figure DTC brands through performance ad creative.

Find out more at www.yourglowup.io.

Managing Director

Blue Finn Media

Founder & CEO of an award-winning performance marketing agency for eCommerce brands.

We partner with growth-focussed eCommerce brands, taking a CMO-based approach to hitting revenue goals through paid advertising, performance creative and growth consulting.

Learn more here: bluefinnmedia.com

scale & send

The DTC eCommerce events company that your agency tells you not to worry about.

Co-Founder

Kensington Media House

👉 Strategic Director at leading Retention Marketing Agency, Kensington Media House
👉 Regularly achieving 35%+ revenue driven through Email & SMS with no additional ad spend 
👉 Over $60 million generated with Email & SMS for clients across the US, UK, EU, & Asia

Strategic Director

Whilst at university, I founded and ran a lead generation business under the "Rank & Rent" model.

I created highly converting funnels for a specific business niche, focussing on the core pain points of their ideal customers. I'd then use SEO to begin driving traffic to my funnels and generating leads. 

From here I optimized in two ways:
1. Improved my SEO marketing to drive more traffic at a faster rate.
2. I increased the conversion rate of the funnels through landing page optimization and split-testing offers, angles, landers.

These leads were then tracked using call softwares and CRMs, and to monetize:
1. I sold leads on a cost-per-lead basis
2. Or I rented the entire funnel for a flat fee, allowing businesses to receive exclusivity on all leads that the funnels generated.

Despite having fun and learning a lot during this period, I realised I preferred the faster impact of paid advertising vs organic SEO. This led me to a career as a performance marketing consultant, and ultimately founding my next business, a performance marketing agency called Blue Finn Media.

Funnel Builder & SEO Expert

LeadX Ltd

After 2+ years working as an Account Manager part-time whilst at school, I'd finished school and was ready for a full-time role.
 
Within a few days of switching full-time as an Account Manager, I was offered to join the group's head office as a Talent Acquisition Executive, and within the first month I was promoted to the role of Talent Acquisition Consultant.

Here I was responsible for headhunting specific executive positions and strategic recruiting for team members across all departments, including organising 60+ person recruitment events and achieving company-wide recruitment and talent acquisition KPIs.

This was for all consumer brands under the LeadX Holding group, including digital marketing agencies such as Ropto, with 1000+ employees across the group.

This was a performance based role and my bonuses were tied to my team's performance, meaning I was regularly assisting and leading other team members to ensure we hit our bonuses as a team every month.

Talent Acquisition Consultant

Aged 16, I began working as an Outbound Sales Representative at LeadX.

Despite being part-time and still at school, I was quickly top of the team and was promoted to Account Manager.

My role was heavily commission based and involved lead management and sales on behalf of the company.

Account Manager

Helping DTC Brands Scale 5+ New Ad Creatives Every Week // $150M+ In Trackable eCom Sales // DM me CREATIVE and let’s chat

DTC Brands: Click the button in my featured section below 👇

Founder & CEO of an award-winning growth consulting and performance marketing agency for eCommerce brands.

We partner with growth-focussed eCommerce brands, taking a CMO-based approach to hitting revenue goals through paid advertising, performance creative and growth consulting.

Learn more here: bluefinnmedia.com

We produce 2000+ ad creatives every month.
 
 We wouldn’t be able to do it without this::
 
Every single video we produce goes through the same 17-point review process before it goes live.
 
This is our internal Editing Review Checklist.
 
It's the exact checklist our Performance Editors use daily to catch mistakes before they cost us money.
 
Here's what it covers:
 
→ Hook quality check - will it stop the scroll?
→ Pacing and cut frequency - keeping attention throughout
→ Text, transitions, and safe zone compliance
→ Audio - music fit, sound effects, engagement triggers
→ Visual dynamics - zoom, b-roll, split-screen opportunities
→ Storyline flow and end card accuracy
 
This process has taken us 3 years to build and refine.
 
It's why we catch 90% of issues before the first review - saving hours of back-and-forth and getting ads live faster.
 
And you can have it for free.
 
To get access:
 
1. Connect with me
2. Like this post and comment 'CHECKLIST' below
 
And I'll send the checklist straight over.
 
Ps. If you manage editors or review video ads yourself, this will save you hours every week ♻️

DTC Growth Expert // $700M+ In Trackable DTC Sales // Scaling 7-9 Figure DTC Brands

If you're outsourcing all your copywriting to ChatGPT
 
You're making a huge mistake.
 
LLMs don't have the marketing nuance to write good copy systematically.
 
That's why you need these copywriting frameworks to give it structure.
 
Here are 9 frameworks that changed how we produce winning ads:
 
1. AIDA
2. PAS
3. The 4 Ps
4. FAB
5. The 4 U's
6. BAB
7. STAR
8. PPP
9. The 5 C's
 
These frameworks have helped us produce thousands of winning ads every month.
 
They're the foundation behind $500M+ in trackable revenue for our clients.
 
If you want the full breakdown with examples and our internal ChatGPT prompts for ad scripting:
 
1. Connect with me
2. Comment 'COPY' below
 
And I'll send the Master Copywriting Bundle straight over + a few AI prompts that will make your copy a lot better.

Sometimes your ads aren’t the problem.
 
Your landing page is:
 
Most DTC brands obsess over increasing their ROAS.
 
What they fail to realize is that no amount of creative testing will fix a page that doesn't convert.
 
I've audited hundreds of ad accounts over the past 3 years.
 
Here’s the pattern I find with many brands:
 
→ Solid creative
→ Decent CTR
→ ROAS stuck below 2x
 
The bottleneck isn't the ads - It's the page.
 
Here's what separates a low CVR page from a landing page that prints money:
 
𝟭. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
 
Within 3 seconds, the visitor knows exactly what the product does and why it matters. No scrolling required.
 
𝟮. 𝗔𝗱-𝘁𝗼-𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
 
The promise in the ad matches the promise on the page.
 
𝟯. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳
 
Reviews and UGC placed where objections naturally arise - not buried in a testimonial section nobody reads.
 
𝟰. 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹
 
Every unnecessary click, scroll, or form field that doesn't lead directly to conversion gets cut.
 
The brands doing 9-figures treat their landing pages as sales conversations.
 
That’s why I've compiled 100+ high-performing landing pages from 9-figure DTC brands into a swipe file.
 
Connect with me and comment 'PAGES'
 
I'll send it over to you.

Here's everything you need to do to win with Meta's Andromeda update in 2026:
 
1. Prioritize creative diversity over volume
 
Andromeda's retrieval engine now pre-filters ads before they even enter the auction.
 
If your creatives look too similar, they get grouped as one ad and your CPMs climb.
 
The fix:
 
genuinely different concepts, formats, angles, and creator styles.
 
Meta's own data shows different motivators unlock new audiences 89% of the time.
 
Static images, raw video, founder content, polished production, carousels, memes.
 
The algorithm rewards variety.
 
2. Consolidate your account structure
 
Andromeda is built for consolidation.
 
Meta now explicitly recommends fewer campaigns, broader targeting, and more creative inputs per ad set. The algorithm performs best when it has room to learn across a larger pool of users and creatives.
 
Fragmented structures with tight audiences restrict the system. You're essentially telling the AI: "Don't learn. Stay in this box."
 
The shift: fewer ad sets, more creative variety within each one. Let the algorithm handle audience matching. That's what it's designed to do.
 
3. Fix your data quality
 
Andromeda is an AI system.
 
If your Match Quality score is below 8, your CAPI isn't properly integrated, or your pixel events are inconsistent, the algorithm can't find your buyers.
 
You'll see erratic ROAS swings that have nothing to do with creative performance.
 
Get these three right and you're ahead of most brands in 2026.

I run a mid 7-figure agency at 27.
We've worked with 250+ clients.

We set higher standards for ourselves internally than any client possibly can.

We have SOPs for everything, our operations are driven 100% by systems.

→ Onboarding
→ Communications
→ Client management
→ Forecasting

But the results we achieve?

They are driven by our team.

When you get to a certain level of business, you realize it's ALL about finding the best people, incentivizing them properly, and empowering them to succeed.

To deliver mediocre results and work with mediocre clients, you can get away with a mediocre team.

But to be the best, you have to work with the best.

I recently heard a quote that summarizes this well:

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴"

That captures it perfectly.

As a founder, my job is to find the best people and give them everything that they need to succeed.

This is one of the biggest learnings I've had in 2025.
And is something we'll be doubling down on in 2026.

Find the best people, incentivize them properly, and empower them to succeed.

I speak to 50+ DTC brand owners a month.

87% iterate on their ad creative the wrong way:

Most of the brands I speak to waste time iterating on losing ads.

They take a losing ad, slap a new hook on it, and expect it to be transformed into their next unicorn winner.

Here's why that doesn't work:

There are two types of Facebook ad metrics.

1. Hard metrics → CPA, ROAS etc.
2. Soft metrics → Hook Rate, Hold Rate, CTR etc.

Hard metrics are the ones that matter.

They tell you if an ad is working or not, and hence if it is worth iterating on.

Hard metrics help you differentiate the winners from the losers.

If an ad has bad hard metrics, it's not worth iterating on.

Soft metrics should only be used as a guide to help improve ads that already have strong hard metrics.

As changing the hook on a crappy ad far below target CPA, will still leave you with a crappy ad far below target CPA.

So if all of your ad creatives are bad, instead of creating iterations on bad ads do this instead:

→ Export all customer reviews from the last 6 months
→ Feed this data to an AI creative strategist
→ Analyze the data to uncover the 5 most common pain points
→ Use AI to ideate 3 new creative ideas for each pain point
→ Use AI to order these creative ideas in descending order of strength
→ Make 15 new ads starting at the top of the list and work your way down
→ Create 5 variations of each ad which will give you 75 ads in total
→ Create a testing campaign with an ad set for each pain point
→ Test with a budget suitable for your brand's AOV
→ Run for 5 - 7 days

You will be left with some winning ads and some losing ads based on your target CPA/ROAS.

1. Iterate on the winning ads
2. Double down on the angles in your winning ads in your next creative round
3. Take learnings from the losing ads
4. Do more of what works, stop doing what doesn't work

Simple, but not easy.

3 ad creative shifts separating the brands scaling on Meta in 2026 from the ones stuck:
 
1. Platform-native creative
 
The highest-performing ads don't look like ads anymore.
 
Meta's algorithm rewards content that feels native to the feed with lower CPMs. We've seen costs drop significantly when creative mirrors the look and feel of organic content.
 
The best creative teams in 2026 are studying what's already working organically in their niche and reverse-engineering it for paid.
 
2. Format diversity over volume
 
Andromeda changed how Meta evaluates creative.
 
Minor variations like headline swaps & background color changes no longer move the needle. The algorithm groups visually similar ads together and limits their reach.
 
The accounts scaling are feeding the algorithm genuinely different formats:
 
→ Video
→ Statics
→ GIFs
→ Carousels
 
Each unlocks different placements and resonates with different buyer types. This isn't about producing more. It's about producing different.
 
3. Algorithmic creative optimization
 
The brands winning in 2026 are feeding Meta 15-20 diverse inputs and letting the system find the optimal combinations per user.
 
The media buyer's role has shifted.
 
Less time tweaking manual settings - more time on creative strategy, input quality, and week-over-week iteration.
 
To win in 2026:

study native content in your niche, prioritize genuine creative diversity, and trust the algorithm to optimize.
 
Get these three right and you're ahead of most brands still running the old playbook.

The most productive thing I do each day takes 20 minutes:

And it happens after all the work is done.
 
Every evening, I spend 20 minutes preparing for the next day.
 
→ I review my calendar.
→ I identify my top 3 priorities
→ I write down exactly what I'll work on during my first deep work block.
 
By the time I sit down the next morning, there's zero thinking required.
 
No "what should I focus on today?" No scanning through emails to find direction.

No wasted mental energy deciding where to begin.

I just start.
 
This sounds simple. But most people do the opposite.
 
They wake up, check their inbox, and let other people's priorities hijack their day before it even starts.
 
Then they wonder why they're busy but not productive.
 
Here's what I've learned:
 
Mornings are for execution, not planning.

Your best mental energy shouldn't be spent figuring out what to do.
 
It should be spent doing the work that actually moves the needle.
 
So I front-load the thinking to the night before, when the stakes are lower and my mind can process without pressure.
 
20 minutes of planning the night before.

Hours of focused output the next day.
 
It’s a small habit that will compound your output like nothing else.

Decisions that feel hard today will feel impossible in 6 months.
 
This is something all founders learn in due time.
 
The hire that isn't working out.
 
The client relationship that's draining resources.
 
The strategy that's no longer serving you.
 
You already know what needs to happen.
 
But it's uncomfortable - so you wait.
 
"Maybe it'll fix itself."
"I'll deal with it next quarter."
"It's not that urgent."
 
Meanwhile, the problem compounds.
 
This is called management debt.
 
Think of it like technical debt in programming.

Shortcuts now, compounding problems later.
 
Every week you delay the tough call, interest accrues.
 
The conversation gets harder.

The stakes get higher.

The options get fewer.
 
What could have been a difficult conversation becomes a full-blown crisis.
 
The best operators I know share one trait:
 
They act while the decision is still hard, not impossible.
 
They move with enough information to make a good call, knowing that speed matters more than perfection.
 
Whether it's restructuring a team, ending a partnership, or killing a project that's bleeding time and money.
 
The cost of waiting almost always exceeds the cost of acting.

My family taught me many things

But one thing always stuck with me...

Stuck with me so much that it now defines the way I live my life.

"𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁"

As a kid, I took this as "stop being so messy and start tidying up after yourself"

(And rightly so, I was one hell of a messy child)

But as I got older, I realised this not only applied to places, but also to people.

→ Leave some feeling inspired
→ Leave most feeling important
→ Leave everyone with a smile

It doesn't matter who they are, or how your day has been.

If you can leave someone smiling after meeting you.

Then you've won the day.

After after that, you should wear your own smile with pride.

Nothing will determine your success more than your ability to focus.

Not your ideas. Not your connections. Not your work ethic.
 
I used to think "busy" meant productive. Turns out I was just moving fast in circles.
 
The real breakthroughs in my business never came from doing more things.
 
They came from doing one thing at a time, for longer than felt comfortable.
 
This meant:
 
→ Deep work blocks
→ Phone in another room
→ Notifications silenced.
 
It’s uncomfortable.
 
Because sitting with one task for 90 minutes without distraction feels like torture in a world designed to steal your attention every 30 seconds.
 
But here's what I've noticed:
 
The people building real things are never glued to their inbox.
 
They're locked in for hours on tasks that move the needle.
 
Your ability to sit with discomfort and stay locked on a single problem is the competitive advantage nobody talks about.
 
Intelligence is common.
 
Ideas are everywhere.
 
But the discipline to protect your attention is a skill thats extremely rate.

Last month I spoke with five 8-figure DTC brand owners that missed their BFCM targets.
 
After auditing their accounts these same patterns kept showing up:
 
𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝟰 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.
 
Black Friday doesn't fix broken ads. It amplifies them.
 
The brands that crushed it had their winning angles locked in by October.
 
They used November to scale what was already working.
 
Everyone else scrambled to "figure it out" while CPMs were at their peak.
 
𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
 
Many brands celebrated 4x platform ROAS while their bank accounts told a different story.
 
7-day click + 1-day view attribution in Q4 is a fantasy.
 
Winners were tracking MER, running post-purchase surveys, and making decisions based on actual cash collected.
 
𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝟰 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿.
 
The biggest wins came from brands that were already scaling profitably in September.
 
Q4 was jet fuel for their existing momentum.
 
𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝗽.
 
Winning ads fatigue faster during peak season.
 
The brands hitting record numbers were launching new iterations weekly.
 
Most were too slow to make the right changes by the time their winners burned out.
 
If you underperformed in Q4, remember Q1 is the reset.
 
CPMs drop. Competition pulls back.
 
The window to build your foundation for 2026 is now.

What do the best DTC brands have in common with elite fighters?
 
They study their opponents obsessively.
 
Before a big fight, a champion will watch hours of tape.
 
Analyzing footwork. Spotting patterns. Finding weaknesses.
 
They know exactly what's coming before they step into the ring.
 
The best DTC marketers operate the same way.
 
They're inside their competitors' ad libraries every single week.
 
Not to copy - to understand.
 
What angles are they pushing?
 
What hooks keep running?
 
What offers are they testing?
 
Here's what to look for:
 
→ Longest-running ads (these are likely winners)
→ New creatives launched in the last 30 days
→ Shifts in messaging or offer structure
→ Formats they're doubling down on
→ Design / offer changes on their landing pages.
 
Do this weekly and you'll start seeing patterns before they become trends.
 
You'll spot opportunities your competitors missed.
 
And you'll stop wasting budget on angles that have already been tested to death.

This time last year I didn't take a single day off.

Here's why this year things are different:

There's a Japanese philosophy called Kaizen.
 
It means "continuous improvement."
 
The idea is simple:
 
Small, consistent improvements compound into massive results over time.
 
But here's what most people miss about Kaizen:
 
Rest and reflection are part of the process.
 
You can't improve what you don't assess.
 
For years, I treated the holidays like an obstacle.
 
Something to push through so I could "get back to work."
 
I was wrong.
 
The holidays aren't a pause from progress.
 
They 𝘢𝘳𝘦 progress.
 
This is the one time of year where you can step back and ask:
 
→ What worked this year?
→ What didn't?
→ What do I need to stop doing?
→ What do I need to double down on?
 
These aren't soft questions.
 
They're the foundation of every strategic decision you'll make in Q1.
 
The brands that win don't just work harder.
 
They reflect on what they've done and where they can maximize
 
Because the goal isn't to start January in December.
 
It's to start January running in the right direction.

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Joris van Huët

Ciaran Finn

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