BusinessEntrepreneurship

Operators

Sean Frank, Mike Beckham, Matt Bertulli, and Jason Panzer

In the world of ecommerce, a legendary text group is rumored to hold the secrets to unimaginable success. The catch? You must have nine figures in revenue to gain entry. The world’s biggest brands have denied its existence for years, until now. Four titans known as the “Operators” are leaking the secret contents in an effort to share its wealth of knowledge with people like you. Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) & Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case x Lomi).

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S2 · E26
Thursday · 1 hr 23 min
How Hulken Hit $50M Without Raising: Founder Alex Schinasi
“We didn’t actually choose them. They chose us.” Can a bootstrapped brand enter Target and Costco while still growing DTC? Alex Schinasi (Co-Founder & President, Hulken) joins Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) to unpack how a two-time SaaS founder built a ~$50M rolling tote brand without raising money. She had raised $3M for a new SaaS when Hulken hit $1M a month. A year later she exited the startup, and now nine people run the business with AI chiefs of staff. She wants a brand that lasts decades, yet she still moves at software speed. Powered By Walmart https://marketplace.walmart.com/operators Alia https://hubs.la/Q04zdpBQ0 AfterShip https://9ops.co/AfterShip Podqi https://9ops.co/7zz1ux AppLovin https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth https://applovin.com/9operators
#188
Wednesday · 1 hr 14 min
5 Things Every CMO Wishes CEOs Knew But Will Never Say to Your Face
“Some businesses aren’t ready for great CMOs.” What do CMOs need from their CEOs but never say out loud? MacCoy Merkley (CMO, Portland Leather Goods), Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) unpack 5 truths CMOs won’t say to the boss’s face, and what CEOs lose by ignoring them. MacCoy took a $13K-a-year job off Craigslist and now leads marketing at a nearly $250M brand. HexClad still has no CMO, so Jason and its co-founders carry the role themselves. Hand the keys to the wrong hire, and the blame lands long before the results do. Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://9ops.co/northbeam Saras Analytics https://9ops.co/saras Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Aftersell ⁠https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
S3 · E9
Monday · 1 hr 35 min
10 Elements of a Winning Offer & How to Test Them: Operators Build (E9)
“A great offer makes the customer feel stupid for saying no.” How do you know your offer is wrong before the market tells you? Jordan Menard (Co-Founder, Instant Hydration) and Lina Fahizul (Chief Ovary Officer, Freelance) join this episode to put Winks’ pricing, promotion, and pitch on trial. The payoff is a 10-element offer playbook any DTC brand can steal. 1. Not just price or discounts 2. Fits how the product is used 3. One customer + one problem 4. Adds value before discounts 5. Tackles your top objections 6. Gives a reason to buy “now” 7. Priced right for your market 8. Your most-valuable customer 9. Built for orders 2, 3, 4, etc. 10. Profitable unit economics It starts from a simple claim: Your discount gives away margin once. Jordan catches the founders without an answer for the CAC they can afford. Lina shows why making moms feel bad wins the click and loses the customer. Today's “winning” offer could lose money for months. Powered By Iris https://www.irisfinance.co/operators Omnisend https://9ops.co/omnisend OuterSignal https://9ops.co/outersignal Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Runneth https://9ops.co/motion-runneth Skio https://9ops.co/skio-9operators Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
#187
October 14 · 1 hr 6 min
How to Position Your Brand & Products: 5 Ways to Win Against “Better”
“Better is probably the worst word you could use in marketing.” How can a DTC brand stand out in a category full of identical promises? Matt Orlić (Co-Founder, Qure Skincare) joins Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) and Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) to break down why brand positioning beats a better product. Each story shows how a brand can win a crowded category without inventing anything new. Qure’s water filters beat Jolie’s on technology and patents, yet Orlić can’t out-position them. Mike explains how Yeti took Thermos’s 1800s vacuum insulation and sold it for cold drinks. Once a position works, competitors move in, and the founders debate how to hold it. Powered By Saras Analytics https://9ops.co/saras Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil Northbeam https://9ops.co/northbeam Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
October 12 · 56 min
Our Ecommerce Marketing Strategy vs. Real Data: Operators Build (E8)
“We know how to run ads. This is a playbook.” How should you market a new DTC brand in its first six weeks? Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty), and Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal) hold the Winks marketing plan up against the results since launch. They built the brand for moms, yet men keep showing up to buy. Meta CPMs hit $800 until a free account fix and a smaller budget turned them around. Now creators and credible doctors have to bring CAC down to $100 before they scale. Powered By Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell Skio https://9ops.co/skio-9operators Omnisend https://9ops.co/omnisend OuterSignal https://9ops.co/outersignal Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Runneth https://9ops.co/motion-runneth Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
S2 · E25
October 8 · 1 hr 29 min
Away’s CEO & New DTC Playbook: Amazon, TikTok Shop, and 300% Over Plan
“It’s about closing the imagination gap, not what it can do.” Jessica Schinazi (CEO, Away) joins Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) to break down how she took the reins of a decade-old DTC pioneer and opened it to new channels in 18 months. Away builds luggage to last 7 to 10 years, which Jessica calls a horrible business model. She chases new buyers: Up to 9% of her Amazon category and a $400 suitcase sold out on TikTok Shop. Now she has to bring each customer home before a day-one startup steals them. Powered by Podqi https://9ops.co/podqi AppLovin https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth https://applovin.com/9operators Shoplift https://shoplift.ai/operators Shiphero https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans
#186
October 7 · 1 hr
He Grew 4X as a Solo Founder. Now TJ Bongiorno (Outgoing Co) Has to Learn to Say No!
“You can have anything you want, but you can’t have it all at once.” Should you raise money when your only problem is working capital? Help an Operator Out (HAOO) is a series where real business owners join the podcast with live questions. In this episode, TJ Bongiorno (Founder, The Outgoing Co) brings two questions: when to raise capital and how to price the round. As a solo founder, he 4X’d the business to nearly $4M in a year. Nearly 90% of TJ’s revenue comes from powder, yet his cans perform 100X better on TikTok Shop. The hosts push him to choose which product leads his pitch. Matt makes the case for a price where investors win easily. Caught between seed funds and VCs, TJ needs a deal the right investors will take. Powered By Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil Northbeam https://9ops.co/northbeam Saras Analytics https://9ops.co/saras Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
S3 · E7
October 5 · 1 hr
Every AI Tool We’re Using & 4 Pillars to Guide You: Operators Build (E7)
“They’re the most capable ever, but not trained on your business.” What pillars should every AI-first brand build, and which one comes first? Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty) open up the playbook behind Winks, a brand where AI does the grunt work and humans make the calls. Piece by piece, they break down the four components that make that split work. 1. Company brain: Context, memory, skills 2. Operating system (OS): Human interface 3. Software and tools: Existing tech, SaaS 4. Agents: Researcher, writer, analyst, etc. The era of “prompt engineering” is over. Company context lets agents upload ads and match landing pages without being told twice. Yet AI tools still misread research, which leaves one question: How much can you trust them? Powered By Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Runneth https://9ops.co/motion-runneth Skio https://9ops.co/skio-9operators Omnisend https://9ops.co/omnisend TBAR Partners https://9ops.co/tbarpartners OuterSignal https://9ops.co/outersignal Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
#185
September 30 · 53 min
How to Create Buying Moments: Give People a Reason to Buy All Year
“You’re never gonna make a big impact on Black Friday.” Should you worry if frequent promotions will hurt your brand equity? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) break down how Ridge manufactures demand instead of waiting for it. A slow summer becomes an 8-figure-plus sales season, anchored by a Lamborghini sweepstakes with Tony Hawk. Sean walks through how the campaign evolved from a $100K MVP into a five year, celebrity backed giveaway with a grand prize built in. He explains why a 45-day window beats trying to own a single day like Black Friday. The hosts continue to cover why a wider product catalog creates more natural sales peaks throughout the year. Powered By Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://9ops.co/saras Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
September 28 · 1 hr 23 min
Ecommerce Subscription Playbook & Benchmarks: Operators Build (E6)
“You almost feel stupid buying the product as a one-time customer.” Why do some subscription brands retain customers and stack LTV while others lose them? Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela & Lomi) and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road) sit down with Aidan Thibodeaux (CEO, Skio) and Bernard Meyer (AI Operations Manager, Omnisend) to ask the questions every subscription brand needs answered. Aidan argues that the offer matters more than anything else. He pushes quarterly plans and free gifts over discounts. Discounts train customers to wait for deals. He sets targets of 65% or higher for subscription take rate, 80–90% retention into the second order, and 35% at six months. Bernard lays out the post-purchase basics, including a welcome email that sets expectations and check-ins after delivery. The group also debates when to ask for reviews, roasts Winks’ current buy box, then closes with quick skip buttons, subject line tests, and win back emails built on cancel flow data. The question every subscription company needs to answer: What exactly are you promising a subscriber with recurring orders? Powered By OuterSignal https://9ops.co/outersignal Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Runneth https://9ops.co/motion-runneth Skio https://9ops.co/skio-9operators Omnisend https://9ops.co/omnisend TBAR Partners https://9ops.co/tbarpartners Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
September 24 · 1 hr 22 min
How First Day’s Founder Alice Li Built a 9-Figure Kids Vitamins Brand From One SKU
How did First Day raise $1M and then build a 9-figure brand? Alice Li (Founder & CEO, First Day) joins Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Jason Panzer (President, HexClad) to unpack how she has sold over half a billion gummies and built a family wellness empire around kids’ vitamins. After years of turning down retailers, First Day launched nationwide and became the number one kids vitamin in the country. Powered By Podqi https://9ops.co/podqi AppLovin https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth https://applovin.com/9operators Shoplift https://shoplift.ai/operators Shiphero https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans SARAL ⁠https://www.getsaral.com/special-guided-walkthrough-for-operators⁠
#184
September 23 · 52 min
30+ Black Friday Tips to Win the Holidays Like a 9-Figure Ecommerce Brand
“The best Black Friday offers don’t just increase orders, they increase AOV.” Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case x Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) share the Black Friday & Cyber Monday tips they rely on every year. Every tactic comes from hard-won experience over decades of combined holiday wins and losses. They break down why every Black Friday deal needs a backup, sometimes even a worse one, ready to launch. Mike explains why spotlight bias makes old creative beat anything new. Matt shares the upsell that added a million dollars. Small moves like these are what separate a good quarter from a record one. Powered By Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
September 21 · 1 hr 24 min
Why the Hardest Part Starts After Launch: Operators Build (E5)
“The amount of effort that we put in to start does not have any meaningful correlation with the success at the end.” When you get delayed and deprioritized by your co-manufacturer, your timeline slips by almost a year, and you still have zero sales, what do you have to show for 18 months of work? Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela & Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal), and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road) reunite one month from launch to close the loop on everything that went wrong. Physical product is in hand. Five thousand units for their very first purchase order. Now, the hard part. Sean raises the question nobody wants to answer: is powder still the right format in 2026? Mike does the math on what 14,000 families means for a nine-figure exit. Cody challenges the team to hit $200 CAC in month one. Then drop it to $100. Powered by TBAR Partners ⁠https://9ops.co/tbarpartners⁠ Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-build Skio ⁠https://9ops.co/skio-9operators⁠ Runneth ⁠https://9ops.co/motion-runneth⁠ Omnisend ⁠https://9ops.co/omnisend⁠ Richpanel ⁠https://9ops.co/richpanel⁠ Operators Portal ⁠https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard⁠ Operators Newsletter ⁠https://9operators.com/⁠
#183
September 16 · 1 hr 3 min
Learning From Failure: 3 $100M+ Operators & Their Darkest Moments
“We were not going to make payroll next week.” How did three ecommerce CEOs turn rock bottom into their biggest lesson? Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) each share the darkest moment of their ecommerce careers. What came after built the self-awareness that changed how they lead. Curtis walks through the week Wells Fargo pulled a $20M line of credit after Silicon Valley Bank collapsed. Matt breaks down the hubris that nearly cost him payroll one Christmas. Mike shares the night a two-year venture fell apart. Their comebacks outweighed the crises, driven by a growth mindset none of them had before. Powered By Saras Analytics ⁠https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv⁠ Postscript ⁠https://9ops.co/postscript⁠ Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Fulfil ⁠https://9ops.co/fulfil⁠ Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Black Friday Resources https://www.9operators.com/black-friday Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
September 14 · 1 hr 29 min
How to Design Packaging for Ecommerce Brands: Operators Build (E4)
“They have just shown how packaging can be so much of a differentiator.” What does a professional DTC packaging design process look like in practice? Chris Ganz (Senior Creative Director, Trevi) sits down with the Winks team to tackle one of packaging’s hardest problems: standing out on a crowded shelf. The group debates naming, mascots, and color palettes before testing real designs on real families. Chris opens with a full competitor audit, sizing up Ollie, Vicks, and Beam. Three distinct concepts turn into five packaging directions, each with its own typography and color story. The team weighs a winking semicolon against a plush sleep monster, and one child’s smile carries real weight. Powered By Iris https://www.irisfinance.co/operators Skio https://9ops.co/skio-9operators Omnisend https://www.omnisend.com/9operators Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Runneth https://9ops.co/motion-runneth Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-build Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
#23
September 10 · 1 hr 28 min
Honeylove’s Betsie Larkin & Igor Lebovic: Building a $200M Company Together
What does it take for a married couple to build a $200 million brand together? Betsie Larkin (Founder & CEO, Honeylove) and Igor Lebovic (Co-CEO, Honeylove) sit down with Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi) and Jason Panzer (President, HexClad). The conversation traces an accidental idea, the crowdfunding math, and the founder instincts that shaped every expansion. Kickstarter only entered the DTC playbook after Betsie proved product market fit on tour. The brand’s sculpting body shapers and tummy control styles kept expanding the line. Betsie explains why a Kardashian-backed competitor helped the category instead of hurting it. Matt and Jason press on the mechanics of running a business with your spouse. Powered By Shoplift https://shoplift.ai/operators Shiphero https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans SARAL ⁠https://www.getsaral.com/special-guided-walkthrough-for-operators⁠ AppLovin https://applovin.com/9operators⁠ https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth
#182
September 9 · 55 min
Ecommerce Therapy: 3 Nine-Figure Operators on Focus & Passion
“I’ve always hated it. This year I made the decision to shut it down.” Can three nine-figure CEOs open up about their priorities, passions, and doubts? Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) sit down for an honest conversation about the pressure of scaling ecommerce brands. They cover decision making, staying passionate, and the whiplash of growing fast. Mike explains why organizations drift toward safe tasks instead of high impact work. Sean recalls shutting down a profitable business line while questioning his passion. Matt contrasts the rhythm of running a bigger company with the grind of building Winks from zero. Same stage of success, but three completely different struggles. Powered By Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Fulfil ⁠https://9ops.co/fulfil⁠ Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
#3
September 7 · 57 min
Starting & Formulating a Supplement Company: Operators Build (E3)
What separates a real supplement company from just a good idea? Dr. Todd A. Born (Chief Science Officer, 4POTENTIA) pulls back the curtain on how to enter the supplement industry, showing the Winks team what product development, private label, contract manufacturers, and regulatory compliance (FDA) look like in practice. More than a deep dive into custom formulation, hosts Sean Frank, Matt Bertulli, Mike Beckham, and Curtis Christopherson show you how to apply good manufacturing practices to everything from marketing strategies in health and wellness to minimum order quantities (MOQs) to protect profit margin. Powered By Aftersell ⁠https://9ops.co/aftersell-build⁠ Iris https://www.irisfinance.co/operators Skio https://9ops.co/skio-9operators Omnisend https://www.omnisend.com/9operators Richpanel https://www.richpanel.com/demo?utm_source=operators&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rp2-2026q3 Motion https://9ops.co/motion-runneth Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/
#181
September 2 · 1 hr
12 Lessons These Ecommerce Founders Wish They’d Learned Sooner
What are the secrets to winning in ecommerce that nobody talks about? Matthew Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) reveal 12 lessons for anyone building a brand from the ground up. This is what they’d tell their younger selves if they ever got one more shot. Secrets like why it takes a decade for your brand to earn its name and how walking away from weak products makes grit pay off. After that, cash gets a hard look because even strong margins can still starve your reserves. Also included are quick hits like customer obsession, copying your first product, hiring slow, and firing fast. Powered By Fulfil https://9ops.co/fulfil Aftersell https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠ Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Northbeam https://www.northbeam.io/ Saras Analytics https://bit.ly/4a3gzVv Postscript https://9ops.co/postscript Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com
#2
August 31 · 46 min
How to Create a Product From Prototype to Launch: Operators Build (E2)
What does a real product development process look like when 9-figure operators are betting their own money? Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern), Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), and Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal) sit down mid-build on Winks, a family sleep supplement, to make product decisions. Go behind the scenes on flavor count, purchase order size, pricing, sourcing, and the supply chain mistake from Trevi that cost hundreds of thousands to fix. This is an actual founder meeting. Recorded, unedited, and real money at stake. Mike breaks down the MOQ math behind every multi-SKU decision. Sean argues for the smallest possible capital bet. Curtis brings the manufacturer’s-eye view. It ends with one flavor, $75K inventory budget, and a purchase order due in two weeks. If you’re figuring out how to launch a new product from scratch, this episode was made for you. Powered By SARAL https://www.getsaral.com/special-guided-walkthrough-for-operators Shoplift https://shoplift.ai/operators Omnisend https://www.omnisend.com/9operators Richpanel https://9ops.co/richpanel Motion https://9ops.co/motion-runneth Skio https://9ops.co/skio-9operators Operators Portal https://portal.9operators.com/dashboard Operators Newsletter https://9operators.com/

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