MORE STAFFING
Reduce your OpEx and create more leverage in your company with financial forecasting, AI, and offshore talent by visiting https://morestaffing.co/af.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
Alistair Roome is the founder and CEO of HD London Art (https://hdlondonart.com).
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
MOVE SUPPLY CHAIN
Reduce your OpEx and create more leverage in your company with financial forecasting, AI, and offshore talent by visiting https://morestaffing.co/af.
Patrick Coddou is my COO and (soon) partner at AJF Growth. Follow him on X at @soundslikecanoe.
MORE STAFFING
Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting https://morestaffing.co/af.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
BEHIND THE SCENES STUDIO
Work with the same Meta Ads creative production team that Andrew does with Behind The Scenes Studio, a More Staffing sister company: https://www.btsstudio.co/.
ZATO MARKETING
Get excellent Google Ads management from the same boutique agency that I regularly partner with for my clients at https://zatomarketing.com.
Nasrin Jafari is the founder and CEO of Mixed By Nasrin, a 7-figure fashion brand. Shop her store at www.mixedbynasrin.com and follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nasrinharumi/.
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
MOVE SUPPLY CHAIN
Pay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://movesupplychain.com.
GET MORE FROM ALEX GREIFELD
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
Fan Bi is the CEO of The Hedgehog Company. Email him at fan@thehedgehogcompany.com. Follow Fan on X at https://x.com/lifeofbi. Listen to his podcast and follow the rest of his content at https://intothemoneyhq.com.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
BEHIND THE SCENES STUDIO
Work with the same Meta Ads creative production team that Andrew does with Behind The Scenes Studio, a More Staffing sister company: https://www.btsstudio.co/.
WORKSPACE6
Workspace6 is a private community for 7, 8 & 9 figure+ eCommerce operators and executives. Join for just $1 for your first month and no annual commitments at https://workspace6.io.
FOLLOW UP WITH LARA
Lara Guevara is the CEO of Move Supply Chain, a Philippines-based supply chain agency that can help you develop new products, reduce COGS, speed up lead times, get better payment terms, and more. Schedule a call with Lara and her team at www.movesupplychain.com.
Schedule time with Lara and Move Supply Chain at https://calendly.com/hello-movesupplychain/move-supply-chain-discovery-call?month=2025-11.
Join Move's "Supply Chain Lounge" Slack group to get your questions answered: https://tinyurl.com/move-supplychain-lounge
ALSO REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE
Explore working with the designer who designed my brand and packaging at https://aronsoncreative.com/
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
Patrick Coddou is my business partner and the COO at AJF Growth. Follow him on X at @soundslikecanoe. Formerly he founded, ran, and exited his ecommerce brand, Supply.
MORE STAFFING
Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting https://morestaffing.co/af.
ZATO MARKETING
Get excellent Google Ads management from the same boutique agency that I regularly partner with for my clients at https://zatomarketing.com.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
Katy Mimari is the founder and CEO of Caden Lane, a 9-figure baby gifts and apparel brand. Learn more and shop for yourself at www.cadenlane.com.
MOVE SUPPLY CHAIN
Pay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://movesupplychain.com.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
Visit www.btsstudio.co to work with Behind The Scenes Studio.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
WORKSPACE6
Workspace6 is a private community for 7, 8 & 9 figure+ eCommerce operators and executives. Join for just $1 for your first month and no annual commitments at https://workspace6.io.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
Tal Moore is the CEO and Co-Founder and Dave Stickland is the President and Co-Founder of Popsmith. Follow Tal on Instagram at @TalMoore and Dave Stickland at @stickland_dave.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
MORE STAFFING
Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting https://morestaffing.co/af.
Michael Ting is the Head of Revenue at Jaxxon, a large and growing men's jewelry ecommerce business. Reach out to Michael on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltinggt/ and on X at https://x.com/michaelandeggie.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
Jordan Menard is the co-founder of Instant Hydration (https://instanthydration.com). Watch Jordan argue with me on X at https://x.com/jordanhaswings.
Link to "Natural CAC" episode referenced here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2AixptvPq3abChpFIjiYos?si=HTFHAYnLRpa-xHbToIPXeA
ADMISSION
Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
X: https://x.com/andrewjfaris
Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.com
Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com
WORKSPACE6
Workspace6 is a private community for 7, 8 & 9 figure+ eCommerce operators and executives. Join for just $1 for your first month and no annual commitments at https://workspace6.io.
MORE STAFFING
Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting https://morestaffing.co/af.
Edward Wimmer IV is the CEO of RoadID Brands. Visit his brands at https://roadid.com and https://dogid.com, and soon, https://rackrabbit.com. Use the code AndrewFaris20 for 20% off at RoadID and DogID.
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
WORKSPACE6
Workspace6 is a private community for 7, 8 & 9 figure+ eCommerce operators and executives. Join for just $1 for your first month and no annual commitments at https://workspace6.io.
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
MOVE SUPPLY CHAIN
Pay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://movesupplychain.com.
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
//
Most eCommerce founders are being sold a fantasy about AI — instant efficiency, zero friction, unlimited growth. The truth? For most operators, implementing AI creates new layers of complexity before it delivers real results.
In this episode, Andrew Faris breaks down how his agency, AJF Growth, is actually integrating AI into their creative process — from scripting and ad generation to process design and client delivery. You’ll hear the unfiltered reality of what’s working, what’s breaking, and what every operator should know before betting their systems on automation.
If you lead a 7–9 figure brand or agency and are trying to scale profitably in the age of AI, this conversation will save you months of frustration. Learn how to think like an engineer about context, process, and adoption — so you can turn AI from a shiny object into a real advantage.
//
CHAPTER TITLES:
00:01:11 - The Complications of A.I.
00:04:10 - AI First Processes
00:08:41 - Using The Tools To Scale Creatives
00:12:48 - A.I. Tool Updates & Changing Brands
00:18:56 - How To Get People To Use AI Properly
00:21:14 - Adoption of AI Long Term
//
SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!
//
ADMISSION
Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast
//
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
X: https://x.com/andrewjfaris
Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.com
Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
//
Kareem Elgendy is the CEO of Veiled, a multiple 8-figure apparel brand running at 15% EBITDA selling modest clothing primarily for Muslim women. If you're interested in working with Kareem's incubator and/or 3PL, visit https://ynkincubator.com.
//
Most eCommerce brands plateau at $1-3M because they chase growth without fixing unit economics. Kareem L. Gendi, CEO of Veiled, did the opposite — and now runs an 8-figure brand with a 10.68 MER and 40% penetration of his target market. In this episode, you'll learn how a bootstrapped modest apparel brand cracked profitability at scale through ruthless focus on contribution margin, supply chain innovation (including 90-day payment terms from Chinese manufacturers), and strategic retail expansion.
This isn't theory — it's the playbook from a founder who survived crushing inventory debt and emerged with a business throwing off real profit.
If you're stuck between growth and cash flow, this conversation will rewire how you think about scaling. Kareem breaks down the exact moment they stopped relying on gut and started using data to drive merchandising decisions, how they negotiated payment terms that changed their cash position overnight, and why GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the next frontier for DTC brands. You'll also hear about their 3PL and incubator model for operators who want to leverage Veiled's infrastructure. This is essential listening for founders running 7-9 figure brands who are tired of burning cash to hit revenue targets that don't matter.
Key Takeaways:
- Market penetration strategies for niche audiences
- Unit economics that actually drive profitability
- Supply chain negotiation tactics
- How to scale bootstrapped brands without dilution
- Retail expansion done right
- GEO and the future of search optimization
//
CHAPTER TITLES:
00:01:07 - What Is Veiled?
00:04:11 - Product Variability
00:07:55 - Cultural Values & Marketing Strategy
00:10:34 - Veiled IS A Profit Monster
00:16:45 - Investing In OpEx
00:20:21 - Veiled’s Top Notch Logistics Strategy
00:23:33 - Looking Into The Data
00:31:57 - Outsourcing Marketing Needs
00:36:14 - Lowering Shipping Costs
00:40:13 - Profitability Hacks
00:46:50 - Wins & Losses With Supply Chain
//
SUBSCRIBE TO MY PODCAST FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!
//
ADMISSION
Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast
//
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
X: https://x.com/andrewjfaris
Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.com
Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com
MORE STAFFING
Recruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting https://morestaffing.co/af.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
FERMAT
Create funnels the same way you create ads with FERMAT by visiting https://fermatcommerce.com/af
//
Taylor Holiday is the Founder and CEO at Common Thread Collective. Follow Taylor on X at https://x.com/taylorholiday.
//
This episode is a candid operator-to-operator breakdown with Taylor Holiday: how to structure a real partnership (50/50 vs 51/49), when and why to keep control, and the practical protections that matter: buyback rights, vesting, and incentive design. We cover how equity should reflect the actual working relationship and why “growth is the CEO’s job” when profit requires coordinating revenue, margin, inventory, and media (not just a “head of growth”).
We also dig into today’s Meta reality: marketplace CAC, spend/efficiency cliffs, and why bid caps exist (and when they don’t solve strategy). We contrast “explore vs expand” as a creative system, discuss whether LLMs can pre-score ad winners, and map org design so new lines (e.g., women’s) don’t get starved by near-term KPIs. Plus: why LinkedIn may print more B2B money than Twitter, and how to build a differentiated “coaching tree” instead of copy-paste agency positioning.
If you’re an eCommerce operator under margin pressure who still needs to grow, this is a sharp hour on equity, incentives, and scalable acquisition.
//
CHAPTER TITLES:
00:01:09 - Taylor Coaches Andrew On His Equity Deal
00:03:43 - Measuring A Partners Value In A Business
00:09:09 - Common Concerns From Taylor
00:20:14 - Hot Take On Peter Thiel & Creating A Monopoly
00:25:43 - Growth Strategy Discussion - Market Taker
00:34:36 - Competing With The Big Dogs In Paid Ads
00:38:15 - Type of Team At CTC
00:44:04 - The Parenting Metaphor
00:59:08 - Bound Maximizers With Ads
//
SUBSCRIBE TO MY PODCAST FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!
//
ADMISSION
Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast
//
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
X: https://x.com/andrewjfaris
Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.com
Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com
INTELLIGEMS
Intelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
//
Sunil Agrawal is the founder and CEO of VGL Group, a $400 million holding company that includes Shop LC, a $240 million/year brand. Reach out to Sunil at sunil@vglgroup.com if you want to work with him.
//
How do you scale a publicly traded, $400M holding company while keeping margins healthy and brand trust intact?
Sunil Agrawal (CEO, VGL Group / Shop LC) breaks down the real playbook: a “deep discount” value strategy that doesn’t nuke brand equity, a vertical advantage with 60% in-house manufacturing in India, and a TV-first engine transitioning to DTC with disciplined Meta and OTT investment. We get specific on pricing architecture (e.g., “everything under $10” days), how value perception feeds LTV, and when a premium assortment can coexist with promotion without eroding positioning.
For operators, this episode is a masterclass in scale mechanics and leadership: setting a goal of $500k–$1M/month per brand on Meta (and how to learn enough to hire well), allocating ~$250k/month to OTT while TV still performs, and building an org that executes—RSUs for 250 leaders, formal training hours, succession planning, and a bureaucracy-free culture built on continual learning. If you’re wrestling with profitable growth, discount anxiety, or the TV to DTC bridge, this is an hour that will sharpen your roadmap.
//
CHAPTER TITLES:
00:01:47 - Breaking Down Shop LC
00:05:45 - Setting The Right Expectations For A $400M Holding Company
00:08:24 - Significance of a “TV First” Brand
00:09:36 - Deep Discount Model
00:17:05 - Marketing Strategy For All Shop LC Brands
00:24:28 - Importance of Owning The Manufacturing & Sourcing
00:25:57 - Sunil Pinpoints This Key To Success
00:36:55 - Learning Opportunities & Work Conferences
00:39:35 - Importance of Learning & Information
00:42:16 - Goal Setting For Each Brand
00:45:41 - Why DTC Didn’t Work At First
00:47:02 - Successful Team = Successful Business
//
SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!
//
ADMISSION
Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast
//
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
X: https://x.com/andrewjfaris
Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.com
Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com
MOVE SUPPLY CHAIN
Pay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://movesupplychain.com.
RICHPANEL
Cut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.
//
What if the biggest risk to your brand isn’t competition or CPMs - it's how you define success?
In this episode, Andrew walks through a practical framework for setting reasonable, operator-grade goals using EOS (10-year → 3-year → 1-year → quarterly), then pressure-testing those goals against your real constraints: product pipeline, supply chain, hiring, onboarding, and P&L design. We dig into why “rocket ship” thinking so often creates chaos: over-hiring, over-buying inventory, and chasing vanity targets - and how durable brands actually grow: methodically, with clear success criteria and a bias toward profitability.
You’ll learn how to translate vision into numbers; why returning-customer mix lowers CAC% over time; how to engineer margin through supplier work (terms, lead times, BOM interrogation); and when to seize moments without over-leveraging. Real operator cases—Born Primitive, Simple Modern, Natural Dog Company, CTC—illustrate why steady compounding beats aggressive targets that break systems. If you want a calmer calendar and a fatter P&L, this is the playbook.
//
CHAPTER TITLES:
00:01:06 - Using EOS As a Framework
00:04:10 - What Is Motivating You & Your Goals (For Your Business)
00:07:42 - How Can Your Vision Be A Constraint?
00:09:01 - Examples of Great Brands
00:16:16 - Andrew defines a Rocketship Business
00:19:10 - Good Businesses Build Steady Overtime
00:25:31 - The Secret Sauce Brands Are Using To Grow
00:28:33 - Maximizing Key Moments
00:30:34 - P&L Design
00:32:53 - Don’t Let The Promise of A.I. Fool You
00:34:49 - Goals for AJF Growth
//
SUBSCRIBE TO MY PODCAST FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!
//
ADMISSION
Get the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast
//
FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW
X: https://x.com/andrewjfaris
Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.com
Work with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com