Brick

A Paid Ad & Creative agency helping DTC brands scale using Paid Ads, Creative & CRO behind $400m in revenue for your favourite DTC brands.

We're data nerds who live and breathe e-commerce growth, and our only goal is to help you grow in the most efficient and robust way possible.

Some of our brand partners include:

Patch Plants, Bougie Bakes, SHITI Coolers, Brooklyn Brew Shop, Moto 360, Kodak Smart Home, Paddywax Candles, PetFusion and many other excellent brands.

We typically work with e-commerce businesses who want:

✔ A partner who takes a holistic approach to growth marketing and does all the heavy lifting so you don't have to
✔ To achieve sustainable growth whilst building unshakeable foundations that last
✔ A team of experts that support you through thick & thin and tell you exactly how it is. No sugar-coated BS or pulling the wool over your eyes

To see if your business is eligible, schedule a quick call using the link below:

https://bricksocial.typeform.com/to/xKBNuhvf

Some things we’re proud of:

→ $400,000,000+ profitable ad revenue generated for our partners
→ Dozens of 5⭐️ reviews from our partners on Clutch.co
→ Featured in industry publications talking about e-commerce growth 
→ Client retention 1.8+ years

If you want to learn more about how we do this, you can either:

→ GO HERE: https://www.growwithbrick.com/

→ EMAIL HERE: toby@bricksocial.co.uk

→ APPLY HERE: https://bricksocial.typeform.com/to/xKBNuhvf

Co-Founder @ Brick | Meta & Google Ads For Ecommerce Brands

Apple

Connecting businesses and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. Introducing Apple solutions, technology, and services and strategically deploying Apple equipment across a range of businesses. Engaging with businesses to build successful, long lasting relationships.

Sales & Marketing

Mimecast

Working closely with marketing, channel and different sales teams to develop new business. The role also entailed working at events and being involved in partner sales environments, speaking directly with end customers and articulating the benefits of the Mimecast platform.

Marketing Development Specialist

Managing Partner @ Brick | Ads & Creative for 100+ DTC brands - $300m+ in sales | I write content about paid ads, performance creative & e-commerce

We scale 7 to 9-figure DTC brands using a creative-first, full-funnel approach that blends paid ads, landing pages, and performance-driven creative.

Brick isn’t a bloated agency juggling 50 clients. 

We’re a boutique team of senior strategists, creatives, and media buyers working closely with a small group of brands we genuinely believe in.

Everything we do is grounded in research, strategy, and execution. No juniors, no handoffs, no fluff.

We’ve driven over $400M in trackable revenue for some of the fastest-growing DTC brands. Our work has been featured in Entrepreneur, Social Media Examiner, and other leading publications. More importantly, 92% of the brands we work with hit all-time revenue highs in under 90 days.

If you're spending on ads but not seeing consistent growth, we can help. 

We focus on fixing the bottlenecks that are holding your brand back—whether it's creative fatigue, poor landing page performance, or inefficient account structure.

Message me “GROWTH” or check the link in my featured section to see how we work.

Toby W.

My creative team told me NOT to share this…

But here we are.

I just dropped our complete AI-powered creative multiplication system that we use to turn ONE winning ad into 20+ platform-specific variations.

This is the exact 6-step framework we use with our 8-figure clients - complete with every prompt, tool, and workflow we use internally at Brick.

Most brands are stuck in the "creative treadmill"... constantly producing new ads from scratch while their best performers collect dust.

This system changes that. Forever.

For the next 48 hours, it's yours.

Like this post + Comment "AI" and I'll send it over.

(We MUST be connected)

Toby Waller

Boutique growth team for ambitious eCom brands | Paid Ads & Creative | $450M+ revenue driven for brands like Leica, Moto, Drake, Shiti Coolers & 200+ more.

Most brands burn money on promo campaigns because they:

🚫 Launch ads too late
🚫 Use the wrong creative strategy
🚫 Scale budgets inefficiently

This Meta Ads Playbook fixes all of that

So you can run promos that actually drive revenue, not just clicks.

Drop ‘PLAYBOOK’ and I’ll DM it over.

Over 150 Meta accounts audited this year. 

The same 4 structural problems in 90% of them 👇🏼

These aren't tactical errors. 

They're strategic blindspots that cap your spend capacity and waste budget on inefficiency.

Let's dive in 👇🏼

1. You're micro-managing the algorithm:

20 interest stacks. Placement exclusions. 1% lookalikes segmented by behavior.

You think you're optimizing. You're strangling learning.

Meta's algorithm finds cheap conversions better than your targeting guesses. 

But it needs volume and breadth to learn.

What works: Broad targeting + all placements as default. Only add constraints when there's a creative or compliance reason - not because you "feel" an audience is better.

2. Testing and scaling live in the same campaign

When new ads compete with proven winners for budget:

Tests get buried under $200 spend and killed too early

Scaling budget bleeds into unproven creative

You can't tell what's working

The fix: Separate testing from scaling. Different campaigns, different goals.

Testing campaign: Small budgets, high rotation, disposable 
Scaling campaign: Proven winners only, stable budget allocation

Don't mix exploration with exploitation.

3. You don't know who you're actually reaching

If existing customers, engaged visitors, and cold traffic all live in the same audience, you'll never know:

How much budget hits true prospects vs repeat buyers

Whether your ROAS is real or inflated by people who were buying anyway

The fix: Define audience segments clearly:

Existing = past purchasers
Engaged = site visitors, engagers
New = everyone else

4. Your creative is format-locked

All video or all static accounts leave Meta blind.

Different placements respond to different formats. If you're only testing one, you're capping reach and driving up CPMs.

Repurpose your best performers across formats. That winning video hook? Test it as a static. Your top static? Turn it into a 15-second video.

Bottom line:
Scaling Meta in 2025 isn't about hacks or secret tactics.

It's about:
> Letting the algorithm learn (stop micromanaging)
> Clear campaign architecture (testing vs scaling)
> Defined audience strategy (know who you're reaching)
> Creative diversity (format mix, not format monopoly)

Most accounts are capped by structure, not by spend capacity.

If you want a full audit of your Meta account, campaign structure, audience strategy, creative portfolio, and scaling roadmap...

reply with AUDIT and I'll send over details.

Why do some brands scale past 7-figure months while others flatline at 6? 
Similar product. Same starting point.
✅ Different creative strategy.

We’ve helped 200+ 7 and 8-figure brands smash through plateaus using our data-first creative strategy.

And for the first time, I’m giving you the process we use to analyse ad creative that has been responsible for over $400m in revenue.

This free guide breaks down:

✅ How to create ads that actually resonate with your target audience

✅ The key metrics that drive creative decisions (and how to track them)

✅ How to use data to consistently improve and scale your ad creative

✅ The step-by-step strategy that has helped e-commerce brands triple their revenue

Want a copy? 

👉 Connect with me 
👉 Like this post 
👉 Comment "CREATIVE" and I’ll DM it to you

I've seen brands with 100+ ads live struggle to break $500K monthly.

And brands with 50 ads scale past $5M.

The difference? 

One is making more ads. The other is testing more angles.

Going into 2026, Creative strategy isn't about volume. 

It's about angular diversity.

Here's what that means:

Most brands think they need "more creative." So they brief their team: 
"Make 10 new ads this month."

What they get back: 10 variations of the same concept. Different hooks, different B-roll, maybe different talent. But fundamentally the same psychological approach.

That's not 10 ads. That's one angle with 10 executions.

An angle is the core strategic premise. The "why should I care" that everything else hangs on.

"This product solves [specific pain point]" = one angle 

"This product delivers [aspirational outcome]" = different angle 

"This product works differently than [expected solution]" = different angle 

"You're already doing [behavior], this makes it better" = different angle 

"Everyone else is wrong about [belief]" = different angle

Each angle appeals to different psychology, performs in different audiences, and fatigues independently.

What I see working at scale:

The brands spending $500K+ monthly have 8-12 distinct angles in rotation simultaneously. 

Each angle might have 2-3 executions, but the strategic diversity is in the angles, not the ads.

They're not asking "Can we make more content?" 

They're asking "What angles haven't we tested?"

Pain point vs aspiration. Social proof vs founder story. Education vs entertainment. Problem-unaware vs solution-aware.

When one angle fatigues, the others keep performing because they're reaching fundamentally different audience psychology.

The brands stuck at $200K are making their 47th iteration of their winning ad.

The brands at $3M are testing their 9th completely different strategic approach.

Your creative production bottleneck isn't volume. It's your angle diversity.

You don't need 50 ads a month. You need 5 genuinely different angles, each executed 2-3 ways.

Stop counting ads. Start counting angles.

Everyone’s chasing UGC… 

But static ads still print the money.

The best-performing ads right now don’t move.

They’re clean, effective static ads - built on clarity, contrast, and credibility.

While everyone’s chasing UGC and “motion-first” creative, these brands are scaling with simplicity.

Here are 6 static ads worth studying and why they convert 👇

1️⃣ DEUX Donut Holes

🧠 Principle: Newness + appetite

“3x sold out. Now in chocolate.”

Scarcity + novelty + irresistible close-up.

💡 Takeaway: Use visual appetite cues before your copy does the work.

2️⃣ Hush

🧠 Principle: Product confidence

“Our coldest pillow yet.” Short. Direct. Calm.

No hype, just a confident product-led promise.

💡 Takeaway: Premium brands don’t need noise - they need authority.

3️⃣ Conzuri

🧠 Principle: Transformation without shame

“+2.4 inch height boost.”

Empowering, measurable, human. Handwritten notes make it feel honest.

💡 Takeaway: Sell confidence, not correction.

4️⃣ Misfits

🧠 Principle: Borrowed belief

“The best vegan protein bars in thirty years of searching.”

The review is the headline. Nothing sells like a real human endorsement.

💡 Takeaway: Turn your best testimonial into your next hook.

5️⃣ Bamboo Ave

🧠 Principle: Scarcity + simplicity

“They’re back. But not for long.”

Conversational urgency > corporate FOMO.

💡 Takeaway: Short scarcity lines feel more trustworthy than countdown timers.

6️⃣ Grüns

🧠 Principle: Contrast + humor

Side-by-side storytelling (pain vs relief) with raw, relatable emotion.

You understand the transformation in one glance.

💡 Takeaway: Show emotional before/after moments - not just product benefits.

Why static ads still work:

✅ They communicate one big promise in 3 seconds
✅ They show proof visually, not verbally
✅ They build belief, not just attention

Clarity > clever.
Message > motion.
Emotion > production.

LinkedIn

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #cro, #ecommerce, #googleads, #copywriting, and #facebookadvertising

Static Ads

Ivy Villezas

This brand joined us 6 months ago.

Today? They just broke $4M/month 🤯

Here's the exact playbook we used 👇

In May 2025, this established apparel brand came to us with a problem.

Strong product. Loyal community. But their growth had stagnated.

They knew there was untapped potential... their existing team just didn't know how to break through.

6 months later, we're scaling profitably with momentum.

📈 The Results: 

→ Monthly revenue: $4.3M and continuing to grow
→ +85% month-over-month growth 
→ Blended ROAS: 4x+ 
→ AOV: +12% 
→ 2.5x increase in creative testing volume

🔍 Step 1: Deep Research First

Before touching the ad account:

Customer review and CS ticket mining to extract objections, pain points, and use cases

Post-purchase survey analysis

Competitor review scrapes

Meta & Google creative audits

PDP + heatmap analysis to ID CRO gaps

🚀 Step 2: Media Buying Structure

Meta: 
→ Minor ad account restructure 
→ Clear Test / Scale framework 
→ Tighter exclusions to manage prospecting frequency 
→ UTM tracking implementation 
→ Influencer whitelisting rollout

Google: 
→ Expanded PMax with new asset groups 
→ Generic Search campaign based on real queries 
→ Cleaned branded search campaigns 
→ Retargeting display focused on objections

YouTube: 
→ Targeted in-market, competitor & keyword-based intent audiences

🎨 Step 3: 

Creative Strategy 
→ Weekly creative testing cadence 
→ UGC, statics, testimonials, BTS & founder content 
→ Built avatars + mapped angles to awareness stages 
→ Fed winning data back into briefs weekly 
→ Thumbnail testing from top statics 
→ Unified messaging across channels

🏦 Step 4: 

LPs & Offers 
→ Tested % off vs $ off vs non-discounted bundles 
→ Introduced in-cart + post-purchase upsells 
→ Improved mobile & desktop speed 
→ Built avatar-specific landers vs generic PDPs

💡 Key Takeaways:

→ Scaling isn't just about spending more. It's about knowing what levers to pull and spending smarter. 

→ No creative iteration = creative system failure. Build feedback loops. 

→ Avatar-specific landers > generic PDPs 

→ Alignment between media buying, creative, retention and CRO is essential

Want similar results?

We'll build a free 70+ page audit that shows: 

→ What's causing your brand to stagnate 
→ Where your next $1M/month is hiding 
→ How to fix it across ads, creative & landing pages

👇 Drop "GROWTH" or DM me.

Brands don’t crash after BFCM because demand for their product dies.

They crash because they don’t plan for what comes after the weekend.

December has a rhythm that most teams completely miss

And that’s why their numbers fall off a cliff while others keep climbing.

I put together a quick carousel breaking down the real sequence we see inside accounts every year...

The dip, the mistakes, the pivots, and the plays that actually keep you profitable through December.

Carousel below 👇

BFCM

It’s never the sexy stuff that drives scale.

It’s the unsexy operational fixes that unlock the biggest efficiency gains.

Here are the unsexy optimisations driving the fastest scale for our brands right now 👇

1️⃣ Testing + scaling in the same campaign = chaos

When winners and tests fight for budget, you get:
 • False fatigue
 • Learning resets
 • No attribution clarity

Split them.
Testing = rotation + fast kills.
Scaling = stability + proven assets.
 
This single change unlocks more scale than most creative breakthroughs.

2️⃣ Authenticity > production value

Overproduced ads are losing to iPhone content daily.

Raw founder stories, lo-fi demos & native UGC consistently win.

And stop scripting creators to death - you’re paying for their authenticity.

Bonus: bold text overlays improve clarity AND help the algo understand your offer.

3️⃣ Your offer is limiting scale

Running the same offer for 6+ months? 

You're leaving money on the table.

 Top performers test:
 • BOGO
 • Bundles
 • Threshold incentives
 • Bonus value > discounts

 Small offer shifts often beat new creative entirely.

4️⃣ Operators win by watching the right metrics

Break-even ROAS should be non-negotiable.

Don’t let campaigns sit below it for 48 hours.

Look for timing patterns (best days/hours) and shift budgets accordingly.

And use placement breakdowns to decide which formats to make more of.

5️⃣ Scale comes from stacking small wins - not one magic tactic:

 +12% from better structure
 +15% from clearer hooks
 +10% from offer tests
 –18% wasted spend from exclusions

One optimisation is nothing.

Ten optimisations = compounding scale.

Bottom line:

The brands scaling into 2026 aren’t chasing quick wins - they’re tightening structure, simplifying creative, testing offers, and analysing performance daily.

Hitting $2M/month isn’t the hard part.
Breaking past it is.
And almost every brand fails for the exact same reason.

We recently took a brand from $2.1M → $3.3M/month (+57%), and it didn’t happen by “working harder” or “launching more ads.”

It happened because we removed the bottlenecks that were choking scale.
Here’s the breakdown:

1. Creative wasn’t the issue. Creative variety was.

They were launching hundreds of ads… all built around the same 2–3 concepts.

High output. Low intent. Zero range.

We installed a data-backed creative engine that forced variety:

 • Deep performance + competitor analysis
 • Weekly structured ideation
 • Full-spectrum creative testing (raw, polished, education-first, outcome-first, problem-agitate, lifestyle, all of it)

Winners stopped being luck. They became predictable.

2. Their account structure couldn’t support scale.

Testing + scaling mixed together. No clean learnings. No signal.

Frequency issues. Attribution chaos.

We rebuilt it around a simple flow:

Test → Graduate → Scale
Clean insights → faster decisions → consistent results.

3. Post-click was killing efficiency.

Great ads were sending everyone to the same PDP.

No angle alignment. No objection handling. No awareness matching.

We rebuilt landing pages around:

 • Specific personas
 • Specific pain points
 • Specific ad angles

Conversion rate lifted. CAC dropped. LTV improved.

The lesson:

What gets you to $2M/month won’t get you to $3M/month.

Scaling at this level isn’t about more spend or more ads.

It’s about systems that eliminate bottlenecks and compound small wins.

If you’re pushing harder without seeing movement, the issue usually isn’t effort.

It’s the system you’re pushing into.

Came across 3 eCom landing pages that I felt compelled to redesign:

→ Atlas

Added a navigation bar separator

The hero image blended in with the nav bar beforehand.

To me, it’s too connected. The elements need to be distinct.

So, we made them distinct.

Tidied up the upper-mid action of the site.

Moved their headline up.

Lightened the background to make the text pop.

Added a new line of copy to affirm Atlas’s mission:
To build incredible dog gear.

Added in benefit badges
“Handmade in Colorado”
“Buy it for life guarantee”

Can’t hurt & gives customers more reason to stay & click through.

New CTA button

Your site visitors won’t know what to do next without a CTA.

So we added in an on-brand button to keep visitors moving along.

Essential & goes beyond design.

It’s functionality.

→ anese

Cleaned up the navigation bar

The upper section of the site looked messy.

Too much going on.

So we cleaned up the top bar & made it look uniform.

Less buttons = less decision fatigue for customers.

Downscaled the hero image

Was too big before.

Took up too much space which took away from the site.

So we shrunk the image + added in their “8,000 reviews” social proof.

Revised the copy

We enlarged some of the previous copywriting.

We added in new text to tease anese’s come up story.

Much cleaner.

Added a highly visible CTA button + a “featured in” section.

The CTA button makes it easier to move the prospect towards buying.

The “featured in” section boosts anese’s status.

Both elements encourage sales & were missing entirely before.

→ Fast Growing Trees

Decluttered the navigation bar.

Too many buttons.

Too many options.

This confuses site visitors.

So we streamlined the bar to a general menu button, logo, and cart.

Added a reel showcasing multiple tree pictures

Visitors are on this page to shop for… trees.

So we added more pictures & upped the visuals.

Included more purchase options.

We made it clear that you can buy through Klarna with interest-free payments.

Or purchase 100% upfront.

No-nonsense when it comes to pricing & numbers.

Benefit badges

The purpose of these is to ease the reader & collect more sales.

They’re worries that customers have before buying.

So we tackle them upfront (shipping time, warranties etc).

Clear buyer’s journey

We introduced a size button.

We added a quantity option.

All tied together with an add to cart CTA.

Each element works in unison.

Landing Pages

November was absolutely insane.

Pretty much every brand we work with just hit lifetime record months.

Highest volume and efficiency they've ever achieved.

I'm watching my team execute at a level I didn't think was possible. The media buyers, the creative strategists, the account leads – everyone firing on all cylinders.

This is what happens when you get the right people rowing in the same direction 🔥

This apparel brand's best month ever was $3.2M.
Last 30 days? $6.5M.
Here's what changed in 8 months of working together.

When they came to us, they were stuck in the $2M-$3M range.

Decent business. But they'd hit a ceiling.

They had blinders on. 
US-only. 
Limited creative angles. 
Generic landing pages. 
No influencer partnerships. 
Same offer since launch.

They weren't doing anything wrong. They just weren't pulling enough levers.

Classic symptom: running a decent operation that's nowhere near optimized.

Here's what we fixed:

1. Launched whitelisted ads
They'd never run whitelisted content before. We partnered with creators in their niche and ran ads directly from their profiles immediately. 

The trust transfer was immediate. Lower CPAs, higher engagement, and access to audiences that were fatigued by the brand's own account.

2. Optimized their site (where 90% of traffic was going)

They were driving traffic to generic product pages with zero optimization for cold traffic.

We rebuilt the landing experience: faster load times, clearer value props, social proof above the fold, and offer-specific landing pages that matched ad messaging.

Site conversion rate jumped nicely.

3. Unlocked creative variety with our Creative Variety Matrix

They were leaning into 1-2 types of creative on repeat. 

Polished product shots and basic UGC.

We mapped their entire creative library and identified 12+ untested angles sitting in blind spots.

Within 60 days, we had founder content, problem-aware ads, comparison angles, and testimonial mashups all working simultaneously.

More variety = more scale.

4. Expanded into international markets

They were 100% US-focused while sitting on margins that could handle international shipping.

We tested Canada, UK, and Australia in prospecting campaigns.

Meta's inventory was cheaper in these markets. Same creative. Same offers. Different CPMs.

5. Authenticity beat production value

They were overproducing everything. Professional shoots. Scripted UGC. Polished brand content.

All of it getting crushed by raw iPhone footage.

We shifted to: authentic founder content, real customer testimonials, and benefit-first messaging with bold text overlays.

6. Tested offers like a media buying variable

They'd been running the same 20% off since launch.

We tested BOGO structures, threshold offers, and bundles that increased perceived value without destroying margins.

One bundle offer lifted AOV while keeping customers happier than a straight discount ever did.

This isn't an exhaustive list.... just some of the key levers we pulled over 8 months.

The results:
→ $6.1M in revenue last 30 days 
→ Daily revenue now consistently $200K+ 

This wasn't a creative breakthrough or a hack you don't have access to.

It was fixing the foundation and stacking optimizations month after month.

The unsexy stuff that actually compounds.

Our brands' spending $500K+ monthly don't refresh creatives. 

Here's what they do instead.

Everyone's obsessed with creative refresh schedules. 

"Rotate new ads every 2 weeks." "Refresh before fatigue hits." "Keep it fresh."

Wrong problem.

Here's what I see at scale:

The brands that scale don't refresh creatives. They maintain creative diversity from day one.

The difference matters more than most people realize.

Refresh thinking says: Run your winners until they fatigue, then replace them. 

You're constantly chasing performance with new creative, trying to recapture what worked.

Diversity thinking says: Run 15-20 distinct concepts simultaneously. Some will work this week. Others will work next month. 

Different creatives fatigue at different rates in different audiences. You're never dependent on any single winner.

What this actually looks like:

Your creative briefs aren't "make another version of the winner." They're "give me 5 completely different psychological approaches to the same outcome."

You have ads performing at 1.5X ROAS that you keep running because they're reaching different audiences at scale, while other brands would have killed them for "underperforming."

You're testing constantly, but you're not in panic mode when something drops off. Because you have coverage.

The brands that approach us talking about "creative fatigue" are running 4-6 ads. The brands that don't mention it are running 20+.

It's not a production problem. It's a strategy problem.

Most brands batch-produce creative once a month because they're thinking in refresh cycles. 

They should be producing 3-5 new concepts weekly because they're thinking in portfolio diversity.

When you have true diversity, individual creative performance becomes less critical. Your account doesn't swing wildly when one ad dies. You're not scrambling for a replacement winner.

You're just running a diversified system that smooths out the inevitable performance variance.

The question isn't "when should we refresh?"

It's "why aren't we diverse enough that it doesn't matter?"

After 6 months, we took this brand from ~$90K to ~$185K+ per day.

And it had nothing to do with better ads.

Here's the framework that unlocked $5.5M in monthly revenue:

✅ Research Before Spend

We analyzed 18 months of support tickets, had leadership call 50+ customers, and audited every creative that had ever run.

What we found: They'd been speaking to their smallest, noisiest audience while ignoring the segment doing the bulk of the buying.

Their messaging was dialed in for enthusiasts who cared about specs and features. 

But their actual growth was coming from people who just wanted something that worked without the learning curve.

The audience they'd been ignoring was 3x larger, converted better, and had significantly higher LTV. But every ad, every landing page, every product description was written for the wrong person.

Once we repositioned around what their best customers actually cared about, the entire funnel opened up.

✅ Separate Testing From Scaling

Here's where most brands break: they try to test and scale in the same place.

When you mix testing budget with scaling budget, you create chaos. 

Performance drops, and you can't tell if it's because your winner fatigued, your new tests are dragging down the average, or the budget increase triggered a learning phase.

But there was a deeper issue: their account was a mess. 47 active campaigns, overlapping audiences, campaigns with conflicting goals competing against each other for the same user.

We separated testing environments from scaling environments. New creative proved itself or died quickly in dedicated testing budgets. Winners graduated to scaling campaigns optimized for efficiency, not learning.

The simplification unlocked more efficient spend before we changed a single creative.

Top performers scaled from initial tests to meaningful daily spend without the performance degradation that kills most growth attempts.

✅ Authenticity Over Production

Raw founder content on iPhone outperformed polished brand content every time.

Short-form video generated 35% higher engagement and 28% lower CPA than statics.

✅ Geographic Expansion

By testing Canada, UK, and Australia, we increased total spend by 30% while maintaining efficiency. 

✅ Offer Testing Over Discounting

Instead of "20% off," we tested: 
→ BOGO structures 
→ Bundles that boosted AOV 
→ Threshold offers

A $100 product with $20 of bonus items feels better than the same product at $80. But your margin stays healthier.

✅ Post-click That Compounds

Desktop speed: 32 → 96
Mobile speed: 13 → 66
Advertorial landing pages converted 18% better
Global CVR hit 2.8%

The Result: $5.5M in 30 days.

We didn't chase breakthroughs. We stacked optimizations.

Better structure, authentic creative, smarter offers = better efficiency = more scale.

Research isn't sexy. 

But it's the difference between growth that scales and growth that stalls.

I've audited 150+ Meta Ad accounts this year.

These 5 critical structural issues appeared in almost EVERY account:

1. 𝗡𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: 
→ Changes being made to campaigns already driving revenue 
→ Multiple large changes implemented simultaneously 
→ No isolation of variables to determine what's actually working

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 
→ 80/20 split between scaling and testing campaigns 
→ Clear promotion criteria for moving creatives from testing to scaling 
→ Scheduled testing cycles that don't disrupt scaling campaigns

2. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: 
→ Over-reliance on one creative format (usually testimonial/UGC) 
→ Similar messaging angles across all creatives 
→ No testing of different creative formats by placement

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 
→ Balance of creative formats (UGC, lifestyle, educational, product-focused) 
→ Different hooks and angles mapped to audience segments 
→ Placement-specific creative (Stories vs. Feed vs. Reels)

3. 𝗔𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: 
→ Unanswered questions in comments 
→ Negative sentiment not being addressed 
→ Missing valuable feedback that could inform future creative

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 
→ Comment monitoring and response protocol 
→ Comment sentiment analysis to inform creative strategy 
→ Leveraging positive comments as social proof

4. 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: 
→ Traffic sent directly to PDPs
→ No alignment between ad messaging and landing experience 
→ One-size-fits-all landing pages regardless of ad angle

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 
→ Custom landing pages aligned with specific ad angles 
→ Problem/solution pages for problem-focused ads 
→ Comparison pages for competitor-focused ads

5. 𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗢𝗩 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: 
→ No upsell/cross-sell system in place 
→ No offer testing beyond occasional discounts

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 
→ Strategic bundle creation based on purchase patterns 
→ Post-purchase upsell flows 
→ Subscription offers with appropriate incentives

The uncomfortable truth:

Most brands will never scale beyond 6 figure im monthly spend because they focus on tactics (bidding, new platforms, audiences) rather than fixing these fundamental structural issues.

Are you making any of these mistakes?

3 growth levers separate brands doing $2M from brands doing $20M. 

Here's what the winners obsess over:

1. Offer Architecture

Your offer is your multiplier. A great product with a weak offer converts at 2%.

The same product with an irresistible offer converts at 5%.

What works:

>Starter bundles - "Try all 3 scents for $39" (vs. $19 each)
>Threshold offers - "Spend $75, get free product X" (increases AOV 40-60%)
>Risk reversal - "90-day guarantee + free returns" (kills the main objection)

Don't just discount. Make the value undeniable.

2. Conversion Rate Optimization

Most brands are leaving 2-3x revenue on the table from traffic they already have.

Install Microsoft Clarity today (free heatmap tool). 

You'll immediately spot where people get confused and bail.

Then run this test: Have someone unfamiliar with your brand complete a task while thinking out loud. "Find and buy women's blue leggings."

Watch where they hesitate. That's your friction.

The 3 pages killing your conversions:

Homepage - Answer these in 5 seconds: 
→ What makes you different? 
→ Why choose you over competitors? 
→ Why someone needs this now?

Navigation - Keep it simple: 
→ 5-7 main categories MAX 
→ Highest priority left, lowest right 
→ No jargon or clever names

Product pages - Kill objections before they ask: 
→ Clear specs (size, materials, quantity, weight) 
→ 5+ photo types (studio, lifestyle, UGC, close-ups, comparison) 
→ Visible returns/shipping/guarantees above the fold

3. Product Iteration

The brands hitting 8 figures don't launch and forget.

They obsessively collect feedback, then ship version 2.0, 3.0, 4.0.

Your customer feedback loop:

→ Post-purchase surveys (what almost stopped you from buying?)
→ Review mining (what do 1-star and 5-star reviews say?)
→ Support ticket analysis (what questions come up repeatedly?)
→ Interview your customers (yes - on the phone) 

Then iterate. Better packaging. Improved sizing. New colorways. Upgraded materials, etc...

Customers reward brands that listen with repeat purchases and word-of-mouth.

The pattern: 

Brands stuck at $2-5M fix one thing. 
Brands scaling to 8 figures fix all three.

Start with CRO, dial in your offer, then iterate your products based on what's working.

P.S. - If you want a fresh set of eyes on your entire acquisition ecosystem, DM me. We love finding bottlenecks 💪🏼

Here's a pattern I see constantly:

Brand finds a winning ad → Scales the budget → Performance flops

The problem? 

They're trying to test and scale in the same place.

This is just one of the structural bottlenecks that quietly kills scale.

In this week's newsletter, I'm sharing 5 tactical optimizations that most brands miss:

→ Why your account structure is limiting your scale 
→ Why authentic content beats production value every time 
→ The offer testing framework brands use to break $3M monthly 
→ The 4-5 metrics that actually matter (and the dozens that don't) 
→ How small wins compound into massive scale

These aren't the flashy strategies everyone talks about.

They're the unsexy, operational improvements that compound into 40-60% performance lifts over 90 days.

View newsletter: Brick-by-Brick Newsletter

Welcome back to The Brick-by-Brick Newsletter - where 7-8 figure brands learn how to scale efficiently. Before we dive into today's edition, a quick a

Open article: Unsexy optimizations that unlock 40%+ growth by Toby Waller • 6 min read

Unsexy optimizations that unlock 40%+ growth

Most brands think December is about extending their BFCM sale.
Wrong.
Here's what happens on December 1st that changes everything:

Consumer psychology shifts completely.

Black Friday → People buying for themselves 
December → People buying for others

Your creative strategy needs to reflect this, or you're leaving money on the table.

Stop selling products. Start selling the pride of giving a great gift.

Don't just say "this is the best product." 

Reframe it: How does giving this make them look thoughtful? 

What emotion does unwrapping create?

People want to feel proud when they hand over a gift. Tap into that.

The Gift Guide Play

Showcase multiple SKUs organized by recipient:

"For the coffee obsessed"
"For the skincare fanatic"
"For the person who has everything"

These ads perform exceptionally well through mid-December (or your last shipping day - typically Dec 15-20).

Two Critical Moves After Your Shipping Deadline:

Be brutally transparent about cutoffs. An angry customer who didn't get their gift before Christmas costs you more than a lost sale.

Switch to gift cards immediately after. There's still a segment of last-minute shoppers with budget and zero ideas. Solve their problem.

But the brands that understand this shift? 

They maintain profitability while everyone else goes dark.

December isn't about sustaining Black Friday numbers. I

t's about strategic positioning when the market cools down.

Most brands flopped BFCM in 2024. 

The winners did 3 things differently:

1. They tested in October, scaled in November

BFCM isn't for testing. 

Top brands locked in their winning creative and offer structures 6 weeks early, then went all-in on what converted.

While competitors scrambled with new concepts during peak CPMs, the winners were printing money on validated playbooks.

2. They engineered offers for retention, not just conversion

Bundles weren't about moving inventory - they were about creating customers who reorder. One brand built a "starter system" that paired their hero product with complementary SKUs.

The goal wasn't just higher AOV. It was higher LTV through product adoption.

3. They front-loaded revenue before the chaos

VIP early access 72 hours before BFCM captured revenue with clean attribution before Friday's pixel carnage.

Thursday night isn't early anymore. Wednesday is.

The 2025 shift:

Stop optimizing for GMV during BFCM. 

Optimize for contribution margin per customer acquired.

Your Black Friday offer should be your Trojan horse for Q1 retention, not a race to the bottom on CPA.

CFO Expertise

Founder

DTC Wealth

DTC Wealth – the unique fractional CFO agency that's all about guiding Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands on a clear path to profitable growth. Here, we don't just crunch numbers; we connect marketing metrics to strategic financial performance, illuminating the road to your brand's success.

Michael Hyatt & Company

Golf Tailor LLC

Eve Bit Sales Inc

Develop tools and systems to track critical financial and operational information.  Oversee budgetary planning to maximize cash flow.  Prepare and execute analysis of various business initiatives.

Director of Finance and Operations

JPMorgan Chase

I help small businesses in my community improve efficiency by providing deposit and cash management services, payment solutions, and a broad array of lending products to gain access to capital needs.

Business Banker - Assistant Vice President

Mathena

Analyzed current controls and established processes to streamline our inventory supply and control.  Created fleet management program and maintained DOT compliance.

Inventory and Fleet Director

Hometown Values Magazine

Hometown Values Magazine is the most recognized direct mail publication in the Fresno market.  We strive hard to produce a publication that grabs the readers attention and drives business through our clients doors.

Owner

Fresno Truck Center

Compiled packages of clients financial data to submit to major credit institutions to get deals approved.  Analyzed credit reports to decision clientele financing needs on new and used, full to mid-sized diesel trucks.  Tracked clients payment schedules and maintained contact to fulfill future needs of their business.

Assistant Finance Manager

Fractional CFO : Scaling E-commerce Brands from 7 to 8 figures through Financial & Data Analytics : Husband & Father x4 : Former Semi-Pro Soccer Player : Lover of Olives

Hey! Thanks for visiting. I’m Jarrod Souza, Founder of CFO Expertise, a fractional CFO agency for 7-8 figure Ecommerce & D2C brands.

I’ve been a CFO for 15+ years working with big names like Michael Hyatt. 

Today, I work with 25+ Ecom brands as their fractional CFO. We don’t just crunch numbers…we connect marketing metrics to strategic financial performance, illuminating the road to your brand’s success.

As a founder, you know that navigating the financial landscape of your D2C brand is crucial for success. But what if you had a strategic partner who not only understood the numbers but also had a deep appreciation for the power of customer data and marketing?

Enter CFO Expertise.
I’ve always been fascinated by the power of customer data. I love diving into the non-financial metrics that drive success and using those insights to create actionable strategies.

Whether it’s holding ad agencies accountable or leveraging attribution software, we have the knowledge and connections to help you make informed decisions that fuel growth.

What truly sets us apart from other fractional financial firms is the ability to provide actionable context.
By tying together all the metrics that matter to your business, we create a comprehensive roadmap for your success. And my journey is as diverse as my skill set. 

As a former semi-pro soccer player who was called up to train with the LA Galaxy, I started a direct-mail magazine, worked in the oil-field services industry, and immersed myself in the world of Ecommerce. With experience establishing manufacturing relationships in Israel, Mexico, and China, I bring a global perspective to your brand.

But it’s not just about business. I’m also a family man who married my college sweetheart, adopted twins within four days of their birth and have two biological children. 

I’ve faced challenges head-on, from surviving a near-death experience on a water rope swing to working with prominent coaches like Michael Hyatt.

If you’re a founder who doesn’t need a full-time dedicated CFO but knows you need more than just a number-cruncher, we could be the strategic partner you’ve been looking for.

We will help you eliminate anxiety around cash flow, optimize your supply chain, and make data-driven decisions that propel your brand to new heights.

Ready to see if we’re a good fit for your growing Ecom brand?

Book a call & let’s chat: https://calendly.com/cfoexpertise/cfo-expertise-intro

Jarrod Souza

Your holiday sales are booming—but your bank account is empty. Here’s why👇🏻

It’s the most profitable time of the year…until you check your bank balance.

Most Ecommerce founders miss:

High revenue doesn't necessarily mean healthy cash.

Let me explain.

1/ You spent cash 60–90 days ago on inventory, freight, and creative. 
- The revenue is just catching up now.
- You’re collecting sales after paying suppliers.
- Your margins look great on paper—but your bank account disagrees.

2/ Ad costs spike during peak season.
-  You’re competing with every brand on Meta and TikTok.
- Ad platforms charge you immediately while payouts from Shopify and Amazon lag.

3/ Returns are coming.
- January will claw back a chunk of December’s revenue.
- If you’re using cash accounting, you can'y rely on your P&L.

4/ Delayed payouts mean an invisible lag.
- Shopify and Amazon don’t pay instantly.
- That delay can create a “phantom profit” gap of 3–10 days on high volume.

---

Here's how I advise my clients to tackle the holiday slump:

Map your cash flow, not your sales.

Forecast payouts vs. expenses weekly.

Know your cash conversion cycle cold.

Protect Q1 liquidity before Q4 ends.

Why? Profit "on paper" doesn't pay the bills. Cash does.

---

What’s your biggest cash flow pain during Q4?

♻️ Repost this if a founder you know is about to hit a “broke at record sales” moment.

P.S. Need help building a 13-week cash flow plan before Q1 hits? Let's make it happen → https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

CFO for 7-8 figure Ecommerce & D2C brands. Book a call & let’s talk finances.

Most Ecommerce founders track revenue.

Few actually understand what drives it.

(Sharing this gem I found by Nathan Hirsch 👇🏻)

The difference between growth and burnout?

Financial clarity.

This is exactly what helped me Scale and Exit Freeup.

Here is a breakdown of the metrics that actually matter:

1. Core Financial Metrics
→ AOV, CAC, LTV, Conversion Rate, Refund Rate.
→ Know your ratios; not just your revenue.

️2. Inventory & Product Health
→ GMROI > 3 means your inventory is working.
→ Dead stock = silent profit killer.
→ Sell-through above 80%? You’re running lean.

️3. Profitability Deep Dive
→ Gross margin below 50%? Red flag.
→ ROAS ≥ 4:1 keeps you scalable.
→ Track Net Profit Margin; aim for 10–20%.

4. Marketing Efficiency
→ Compare CAC + ROAS by channel.
→ Don’t trust last-click; use multi-touch attribution.

5. Operations & Fulfillment
→ Shipping costs <10% of revenue.
→ Accuracy >99%.
→ Low CSAT often = fulfillment issues.

6. Cash Flow Management
→ Know your Cash Conversion Cycle.
→ Track burn rate and supplier terms.
→ Cash is oxygen — protect it.

7. Advanced Metrics
→ CLV:CAC ratio ≥ 3:1 = healthy.
→ < 12-month payback period = sustainable.
→ Cohorts reveal what averages hide.

8. Quick Fixes
→ Declining AOV? Add upsells.
→ High CAC? Retarget smarter.
→ Low retention? Improve post-purchase experience.

Ecommerce isn’t just marketing.

It’s finance, operations, and foresight.

Track. Analyze. Optimize. Repeat.

---

Follow me and Nathan for more Ecommerce finance advice.

Founder: "How is a CFO different from a bookkeeper or accountant?" 

Jarrod: "Simple—bookkeepers and accountants record the past. CFOs plan the future.” 👇

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿: 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱.
- Enters transactions, reconciles accounts.
- Keeps your books clean.
- Think: “Recorder of history.”

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱.
- Prepares statements and taxes.
- Ensures compliance and accuracy.
- Think: “Reporter of history.”

𝗖𝗙𝗢: 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁.
- Builds financial strategy for growth.
- Analyzes profit drivers, cash flow, forecasting.
- Think: “Architect of your financial future.”

Most founders stop at bookkeeping and accounting. 

Which is fine until your business hits real scale.

At that point, the question shifts from “What happened?” to “What should we do next?”

That’s where a CFO steps in. Not to look back, but to look forward.

We help you see the path to higher profits, cleaner cash flow, and smarter decisions.

---

In short:

Bookkeeper = data entry.

Accountant = compliance.

CFO = strategy + growth.

If you’re growing fast and still relying only on your accountant…you’re making decisions with just half the picture.

When you understand what each role brings, you’ll stop overpaying for reports and start investing in strategy.

A CFO isn’t an expense—it’s your growth partner in disguise.

---

Founders, what’s one financial decision you wish you had better data for?

Hit repost (♻️) so another founder doesn’t confuse bookkeeping with strategy.

P.S. If you’re scaling and want to see what working with a CFO actually looks like, grab a free intro call here ➜ https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

Founder: "What kind of reporting or dashboards should a CFO build for me?"

Jarrod: "The financial dashboards your CFO creates should be extremely helpful..." 

The way I build CFO dashboards for my clients, their numbers speak to them, not complicate finance.

Here are specific metrics you'll see on your custom Ecommerce CFO dashboard when you work with me:

1/ Profitability 
- Revenue → COGS → Contribution Margin → Net Margin
- Breaks out freight-in, platform fees, fulfillment, and ad spend
- Shows you where profit leaks—not just if you made money

2/ Marketing Efficiency
- CAC, LTV, LTV:CAC, and payback period
- Channel-level ROAS that ties back to actual P&L impact
- Not “Facebook says,” but “Your bank account says”

3/ Cash Flow 
- 13-week rolling view—when cash comes in and when it leaves
- Predicts inventory timing and major expenses
- Keeps you from the “profitable but broke” trap

4/ Email + Retention 
- % of revenue from flows vs campaigns
- Revenue per recipient, open rate, click rate
- Shows if you’re building brand equity or burning lists

---

Every dashboard should answer the question:

“Are we scaling profitably this month?”

But I take it even further—

I build CFO dashboards that connect the dots between finance, data analytics, and marketing.

This way, you can make stronger, growth-focused decisions across every aspect of business that matters.

---

What’s one metric you wish you could see more clearly?

♻️ Repost this so another founder stops guessing and starts knowing.

P.S. Want a custom Ecommerce CFO dashboard for your  brand? Book a free CFO review here → https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

How to Optimize Profits in the Holiday Season: 

The holidays aren’t just about selling more.

They’re about keeping more of what you sell.

Here’s how to protect your profit while sales surge:

𝟭/ 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿.
If you don’t know your lowest profitable discount, you’re guessing, not managing.

𝟮/ 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀.
Bundles lift AOV and protect margin. Blanket discounts don’t.

𝟯/ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆.
Holiday ad costs climb fast. Double down on what’s converting, cut what’s not.

𝟰/ 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆.
Stockouts kill sales. Overstock kills cash. Forecast tightly and adjust often.

𝟱/ 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆.
The holidays eat cash. Know when it’s coming in, when it’s going out, and plan beyond December.

---

Profit optimization isn’t about cutting.

It’s about controlling:

Your margin, inventory, and cash.

That’s how you make this season actually pay off.

---

What’s your biggest holiday profit challenge right now?


♻️ Repost this if another founder could use it.

P.S. Want help tightening your margins before Q4 wraps?
Book a quick call here ➜ https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

5 finance terms every Ecommerce founder should actually understand: 

Most founders don’t need to be accountants.

But if you’re running an Ecommerce business, you do need to understand these 5 terms.

𝟭/ 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻
- Your revenue minus cost of goods sold (COGS).
- It tells you how much profit you make before expenses.
- If your margin’s low, you’re working hard for scraps.

𝟮/ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻
- Your revenue minus variable costs (like shipping, fulfillment, transaction fees).
- This tells you what’s left to cover fixed costs—and still make a profit.

𝟯/ 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲
- How long it takes for $1 spent on inventory to turn back into $1 in your bank.
- The shorter this is, the less cash you tie up.

𝟰/ 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸-𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁
- When your total revenue equals your total costs.
- Past this line, every sale is pure profit.
- Know this number like you know your ad ROAS.

𝟱/ 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲
- How fast you’re spending cash each month.
- Even a profitable business can run out of cash if this gets ignored.

---

Understanding these five terms helps you:

- Make smarter pricing + ad spend decisions.

- Spot problems in your margins before they sink profit.

- Build a business that’s cash-efficient, not cash-hungry.

- Plan growth with real financial clarity.

- Talk to investors and lenders like you actually speak finance.

---

What’s one finance term you thought you understood but didn’t, until someone explained it?

Repost this so another founder doesn’t learn these the hard way ♻️ 

P.S. If you want help making sense of your Ecommerce financials, we should talk: https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

5 finance terms every Ecommerce founder should understand

Here’s what your accountant means when they say “accrual accounting":

Think of accrual accounting as thinking in terms of "timing", instead of "cash".

So if you sold a product today, and you got paid today...
That doesn't mean you're recording revenue today, too.

Here's an example from one of my clients at CFO Expertise:

They're running a $10M/year Shopify brand with ~20% net margins.
One of their best months is November, selling like crazy during BFCM.
Since they're using accrual, here's what their accounting looks like:

1/ Revenue is recorded when it's earned, not when their payout hits their bank account.
- They pre-sold 5,000 units for December delivery, but that isn't counted as revenue in November.
- Those orders aren't fulfilled yet. That's revenue for December.

2/ Expenses are recorded when they’re incurred, not when they’re paid.
- Their supplier shipped $400K of inventory in October, but they paid the invoice in December.
- Accrual still recognizes the cost in October because that’s when they received the goods.

3/ P&L reflects true margins.
- Their November “record profit” looked lower on accrual.
- That's because December inventory landed earlier than their cash payments.

---

Accrual is less about money and more about matching reality:

Revenue lines up with related expenses so you see your true margins.

For a $10M brand, that “timing correction” can swing your monthly profit by hundreds of thousands.

It shows you accurate numbers—product by product, channel by channel—so you can make decisions based on data, not gut feel about your financials.

---

Are you still using cash-based accounting? Or are you ready to see the full picture with accrual?

If this was helpful, give it a share or repost it ♻️ so another founder doesn’t misread their numbers this month.

P.S. If you want help getting your books truly accrual-ready, schedule a call with me here →
https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

Here’s what “accrual accounting" means

Steal my Ultimate Black Friday Cyber Monday Cheatsheet:

Most Ecom brands are leaving 30% of their BFCM revenue on the table.

(30% of revenue—that's wild! Sharing with you this post by Nathan Hirsch.)

Stop competing on price. Start competing on strategy.

The busiest shopping weekend demands more than just discounts.

It requires a battle-tested system to maximize every visit.

This is your ultimate playbook for 2025. 

1. Pre-BFCM: Audit & Fortify
→ Analyze last year's data to double down on what worked. 
→ Ensure your site can handle traffic spikes and mobile users. 

2. Marketing: Build Anticipation
→ Tease deals early to build a VIP waiting list. 
→ Use AI-assisted segmentation for hyper-targeted messaging. 

3. Conversion: Engineer Urgency 
→ Use countdown timers and gamification to boost conversions. 
→ Streamline checkout with guest options and multiple payments.

4. The Omnisend Advantage
→ Get done-for-you migration to be campaign-ready day one. 
→ Leverage automations that drive 30% of November email orders.

This year, your tech stack should be your #1 advantage.

Follow me and Nathan Hirsch for more Ecommerce Finance advice.

My Favorite 7 ChatGPT Prompts for Understanding Your Business Finances: 

You don’t need to be a finance nerd to understand your numbers.

You just need to ask the right questions.

Here are 7 ChatGPT prompts I use (and share with clients) to analyze monthly financials 👇

𝟭/ “𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿.”
- Get a simple breakdown of what’s driving profit or loss. No jargon, just clarity.

𝟮/ “𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟯 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝘀. 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵.”
- Great for spotting creeping costs early.

𝟯/ “𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.”
- Cash flow issues don’t show up on your P&L until it’s too late.

𝟰/ “𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝘀. 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲?”
- Find hidden cost shifts (ad spend, shipping, discounts, etc.).

𝟱/ “𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵?”
- Turns balance sheets into insights instead of spreadsheets.

𝟲/ “𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗦 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆?”
- Because high ROAS ≠ high profit (ask me how I know).

𝟳/ “𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝟯 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮.”
- Better questions → better strategy.

---

When you use AI with financial reports, you don’t replace your CFO.

You power up your decision-making.

It’s like turning your numbers into a conversation that finally makes sense.

These prompts help you:

✓ Find insights faster

✓ Understand what’s really happening

✓ Make smarter, faster decisions

---

What’s one finance-related question you’d love ChatGPT to simplify for you? 

Know a founder who’d find these prompts helpful? Repost this to let them know ♻️ 

P.S. Want to turn your monthly financials into strategic insights (with or without ChatGPT)?
We need to chat ➜ https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

My Favorite 7 ChatGPT Prompts for Business Finances

AI won’t replace your CFO. But your CFO should know how to use AI. My thoughts:

If your CFO is treating AI like a trend that will pass…you might as well be doing your books on a stone tablet.

AI isn’t here to take over your finance department.

It's here to make your CFO 10x faster, sharper, and more accurate.

Here are a few ways I use ChatGPT to improve finance processes for my clients:

1/ Tightening scenario planning
- Instead of starting from scratch, AI helps me model multiple outcomes in minutes, so founders can carefully weigh their options and make smarter decisions.

2/ Summarizing messy data
- I feed in exports, AI spots patterns, anomalies, and risks instantly. This alone saves me hours.

3/ Drafting clear financial explanations
- AI helps me simplify complex cash flow or COGS issues for founders who want understandable insights, not wade through jargon.

4/ QA on financial assumptions
- Having a second set of “AI eyes” helps me stress-test my projections.

5/ Building SOPs and repeatable processes
- Faster documentation means smoother finance operations and fewer fires for you to put out.

---
.
AI can't replace CFOs.

No tool can outmatch expert judgment, experience, or strategic thinking.

But AI can push CFOs to work smarter.

Founders should be working with a CFO who understands the AI world—not one who's stuck in the stone age.

Because let's face it: AI is here to stay.

---

What’s your take—does your finance team use AI yet? Why or why not?

If you found this helpful, ♻️ repost it so another founder sees it before hiring a CFO stuck in 1998.

P.S. If you want a CFO who understands both finance and AI, grab a call with me here →
https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

7 Ways to Add Ecommerce Profit (w/out spending another dollar on ads): 

You don’t always need more sales to make more money.
Sometimes, you just need to find where cash is leaking and stop it.

Here are 7 ways to boost profit without touching your ad budget:

𝟭/ 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆
- Don’t undercharge out of fear—test price elasticity.
- Bundle products to raise average order value (AOV).
- Example: A skincare brand raises prices 10% → sales hold steady → profit up 12%.

𝟮/ 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀
- Ask for volume discounts or early payment deals.
- Compare suppliers every 6 months.
- Example: Ecom brands can save $25K/yr just renegotiating packaging costs.

𝟯/ 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗢𝗚𝗦 (𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗱)
- Review product packaging, shipping, and materials quarterly.
- Consolidate SKUs to get bulk production savings.
- Example: Cutting 10 low-margin SKUs adds 4% to total profit.

𝟰/ 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀
- Audit your 3PL (they love hidden fees).
- Compare rates across carriers.
- Example: Switching from air to ground for non-urgent orders saves $8/order.

𝟱/ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
- Use data, not gut feeling, to forecast.
- Avoid overstock (dead cash) and stockouts (lost sales).
- Example: A brand frees $60K in cash flow by trimming overstocked SKUs.

𝟲/ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀
- Review software subscriptions every quarter.
- Cut what doesn’t directly move the needle.
- Example: Founder cuts $1,200/month in unused SaaS tools.

𝟳/ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
- Focus on email/SMS reactivation before chasing cold traffic.
- Add post-purchase upsells or loyalty perks.
- Example: A 5% lift in repeat purchases = 25% more profit.

---

Profit isn’t just made in ads. It’s made in efficiency.

Small tweaks in pricing, costs, and operations can add serious cash to your bottom line.

Before you chase the next campaign, check where your profits are quietly slipping away.

Remember: Optimization is the real power move.

---

Which of these profit levers could make the biggest difference in your business right now?

♻️ Repost this if you know a founder who could use a few extra percentage points in profit—without spending another cent.

P.S. Want to see how much profit your business is actually leaving on the table?
Book a free call here ➜ https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

7 Ways to Add Ecommerce Profit

5 Ways your Ecommerce Brand is Overspending Right Now: 

You don’t need a bigger ad budget. You need a sharper one.

Here are 5 places I see 8-figure Ecommerce brands quietly burning profit every month 👇

1. Ad Fatigue
ROAS is dropping but you keep spending because “it’s worked before.”

Fix: Reallocate 10–20% of your ad spend toward testing new creatives weekly. Fresh content beats tired targeting.

2. Overlapping Discounts
Sitewide promos stacked with influencer codes = accidental 30–40% off.

Fix: Audit every discount rule. Set a strict hierarchy in your checkout logic.

3. Bloated Tech Stack
You’re paying for 20 SaaS tools, half of which overlap in features.

Fix: Consolidate. One good analytics or inventory tool > 3 half-used ones.

4. Dead Inventory
You’ve got cash sitting in products that haven’t moved in 90+ days.

Fix: Build an aging report. Run targeted clearance campaigns before the next buying cycle.

5. Agency Creep
Retainers grow, deliverables shrink—and no one questions it.

Fix: Review every agency agreement quarterly. If you wouldn’t hire them today, you shouldn’t still be paying them.

---

Most Ecommerce brands don’t fail because of poor sales.

They fail because profit leaks go unnoticed.

Plug these 5 leaks, and you’ll feel the cash flow lift in 60 days.

Cleaner books. Smarter spending. Better sleep.

That’s the CFO difference.

---

Which one of these 5 overspends hits closest to home for your brand?

♻️ Repost this if another founder could use a quick financial gut check.

P.S. If you’re curious where your brand is overspending, book a quick audit call here—I’ll walk you through it ➜ https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

5 Ways your Ecommerce Brand is Overspending Right Now

4 places I find "hidden margin" inside 8-figure DTC brands: 

Every 8-figure Ecommerce brand has hidden margin. 

You just have to know where to look.

Here are 4 places Ecommerce businesses can unlock new profits:

1/ Bloated 3PL fees
- Most brands negotiate 3PL pricing once…then never revisit it.
- Renegotiating or re-bidding your 3PL alone can unlock 2–4 extra margin points.

2/ Paid ads that don’t pay
- When CAC outpaces AOV, the business is no longer scaling efficiently—it's eroding margins to fund acquisition.
- Smart attribution + tighter audiences is the way to take your margin back.

3/ Underperforming SKUs
- Most 8-figure stores carry 10–25% of SKUs that barely move.
- Killing underperformers instantly improves working capital and gross margin.

4/ Stagnant supplier costs 
- Your suppliers aren’t lowering prices unless you ask.
- Annual renegotiations, MOQ adjustments, packaging tweaks, and freight optimizations  shave 5–12% off landed costs. 

---

Hidden margin is everywhere.

Your P&L will tell you exactly where those profit leaks are if you read it correctly.

The best part is you only need to make small, "boring" tweaks.

Each adjustment creates compounding effects on your profitability without you having to spend on new revenue streams.

---

Hey, I'm curious—what’s the biggest margin leak you’re dealing with right now?

If this helped, ♻️ repost this so another founder can plug their profit leaks too.

P.S. If you want me to take a look under the hood and show you where your hidden margin is, book a call here → https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

4 places I find "hidden margin" in 8-figure DTC brands

We’re opening up a Partner Program at CFO Expertise built for win-wins. Here’s the deal 👇

If you work with Ecommerce founders—as an agency, consultant, or finance pro—and want to boost your clients’ financial performance...

We want to team up.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀:

➜ We collaborate on content together to build mutual awareness. 

➜ Directory exchanges, newsletter swaps, social media posts, etc.

➜ You refer Ecommerce founders who need CFO-level help & we do the same.

➜ We deliver the financial clarity, profit insights, and growth strategy they’ve been missing.

➜ You get rewarded for every successful referral—while your clients get stronger financial results.

➜ You service our Ecom clients in areas we don't offer services as well. 

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀:

- Agencies serving 7-8 figure Ecommerce brands

- Accountants or bookkeepers who want deeper finance support for their clients

- Operators or advisors looking to expand value (without adding more work to their plate)

We’re not just looking for anyone.

We’re looking for people who care about helping founders actually understand and scale their numbers.

A true win-win relationship where we both benefit in the long run. 

---

At CFO Expertise, we believe partnerships should add value, not complexity.

That's why our Partner Program is simple, transparent, and mutually profitable.

When founders win, we all do.

If that’s your kind of partnership, we should talk.

Let’s make Ecommerce finance a strength, not a stressor.

---

Would you or someone you know be a great partner for CFO Expertise?

♻️ Repost this if you know a founder, agency, or finance pro who’d want in.

P.S. If you want to chat about becoming a partner (or just see how it works), grab a time with me here: https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

The CFO Expertise Weekly Newsletter is Live!

If you run an Ecommerce brand and want more profit, less chaos, this one’s for you.

Every Thursday, I’ll be sending out The CFO Expertise Weekly:

Short, practical finance insights for founders who actually want to understand their numbers (and make more money because of it).

No jargon. No MBA-speak. Just straight talk on how to:

- Spot leaks in your P&L

- Improve cash flow without new debt

- Use your numbers to make smarter marketing and ops decisions

It’s the kind of stuff I share with $10M+ brands every day—now in your inbox every week.

---

Here’s why you’ll want in:

- See what’s really driving your profit (or killing it).

- Save hours of “what happened this month?” confusion.

- Get CFO-level clarity, without the CFO-level cost.

- Make confident, data-backed decisions.

It’s 5 minutes that can add 5 figures to your bottom line.

---

What’s one financial topic you wish someone explained without all the fluff? Drop it below, and I might cover it in an upcoming issue.

📣 Share the news for other founders who could use a little more profit clarity.

P.S. If you’d rather talk through your numbers 1:1, book a quick call here: https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR.

I’ll show you how to make your financials start working for you, not against you.

My Story as an Ecommerce CFO and Founder: 

I didn't plan on building a fractional CFO business...it happened one messy P&L at a time.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻:

I've been a CFO for 15+ years, working across industries and with leaders like Michael Hyatt. 

But there were a few things that frustrated me about finance in the Ecom market: 

- Most businesses did not have systems in place, which resulted in chaos and double the amount of work to get their financials on track.

- Founders were drowning in data, yet had no idea if they were actually profitable.

𝗠𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵:

I've always been fascinated by customer data and how non-finance metrics connect with cash flow and margins.

Then came my lightbulb moment—

I can use metrics like CAC, LTV, and contribution margins to draw a holistic financial strategy.

𝗖𝗙𝗢 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻:

So, 5 years ago, I took the leap.

I built CFO Expertise, a fractional CFO with a unique financial outlook:

I tie marketing, finance, and operations together to help founders gain a clear, comprehensive roadmap for growth.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆:

My first clients were Ecom businesses on survival mode. 

Their financials were messy, they were bleeding profits everywhere, and they had no idea how to go beyond break-even.

It's now been 5 years since I launched CFO Expertise.

I've helped 50+ brands hit 7 to 8 figures—and they continue to grow profitably.

---

Looking back, it's even clearer to me that founders don't just need financial advice.

They need a financial partner who can connect the dots, get creative about growth, and optimize results with reliable systems.

I'm happy to be the CFO my clients grow with.

And I'm just getting started!

---

Tell me about your founder story—what was your lightbulb moment?

If you know an Ecom founder deep in survival mode, share my journey with them ♻️

Better yet, connect them with me. I can be the guy who pulls them out of the trenches → https://lnkd.in/eZ9cu5vR

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