This is our 100th newsletter 🥳 And there’s only one reason why. Because you, dear reader, have continued to devour the lessons, stories, and insights we share each week. From all of us at The Operators … Thank you! 🤑 Sean Frank shares how to keep more money and make more customers happy 😘 Cody Plofker reveals the 32 tools that help drive his $100M+ beauty brand 🤓 Aaron Orendorff explains why you need a Cristofer ASAP (and how to get one) Plus, the top five headlines in DTC. Sean Frank CEO,...
8 days ago • 10 min read
🤑 Sean Frank shows you how to prep your brand for a sale in the next 2 years 😍 Connor MacDonald breaks down how Ridge cut its SaaS bill in half (one shift) 🤯 Derek Lauermann reveals 5 brands that busted through ”paper walls“ + won 🤖 Jason Panzer explains why your next hire might not be human, for data’s sake And, a sneak peek at our newest podcast about using AI to cut costs, expand margins, and scale faster. Connor MacDonald CMO, Ridge How We Cut Our Customer Service SaaS Bill in Half Ridge...
15 days ago • 11 min read
🤐 Krishna Poda reveals why AI is lying to you about your data (and how to fix it) 🚀 Matthew Bertulli shares the 34-tool tech stack that powers his growing brand 🥊 Jerel Blades wants to help you manage that “dopamine hit” from scaling ads Plus, this week’s top-five headlines from consumer news. But first … BONUS: Wild Roman Hiring Head of Growth Friend of the Operators, Sahil Bloom, is hiring a Head of Growth for Wild Roman, his fast-growing natural skincare brand for men. He’s looking for a...
22 days ago • 11 min read
Whose advice is most useful to grow … $0 → $1M $1M → $10M $10M → $100M Those who’ve done it? Or those who are doing it right now? The answer is in today’s newsletter. 😵 Matthew Bertulli argues that you shouldn’t listen to billionaires (look closer) 🤑 Avi Moskowitz shares how to optimize your checkout for conversion and margin 🏆 Mike Beckham reveals 4 leadership lessons from a hostess turned CEO of AG1 Plus, the top-five headlines in consumer and an invitation to spend more … profitably....
29 days ago • 9 min read
Last year, we shared the tech stacks behind five different $100M+ brands. And you, our lovely readers, devoured them. So we’re doing it again. Revised + updated for 2026. 🚀 Bryan Porter with the 16 tools that support Simple Modern’s +$250M brand. 😋 Derek Lauermann on how bev-brand, Cadence, builds (and sells) community. 📈 Top 5 headlines from consumer (DTC) news with links and executive summaries. Derek Lauermann Director of Paid Media, Grüns Ad Snack 🍬 How Cadence Converts Through Community...
about 1 month ago • 11 min read
The biggest threat to your brand isn’t a competitor. It’s your own mediocre, good-but-not-great products. And it might just be your mindset. 😵 Matt Bertulli provides five signals you should kill a product 🧠 Mike Beckham reveals the mindset that changed his life 🤖 Jason Panzer shares the tech that helped scale HexClad Plus, this week’s top-five headlines in consumer news with executive summaries. But First 👀 the Replays? If you couldn’t make last week’s live Growth Summit, or — if you could...
about 1 month ago • 13 min read
2026 is shaping up to be a banger. Not just because we’re perma-bulls on DTC. 💰 Sean Frank fires off 6 reasons why this year is going to “PRINT” for brands 🐻 Derek Lauermann shares 3 steps to diversify channels without losing signal 🚀 Matt Bertulli gives you a peek behind this Wednesday’s Growth Summit Plus, the top-five headlines in consumer news with executive summaries. Sean Frank CEO, Ridge Ignore the Bears: 2026 Will PRINT Everyone is freaking out. CACs up. Brutal competition. Building a...
about 2 months ago • 7 min read
Think all debt is created equal? It’s not. Finding a reliable guide to such a volatile subject is almost impossible. Today, we’ve got the most reliable, most battle-tested guide in all of ecommerce. 🔥 Mehtab Bhogal shares how to use debt to fuel growth without blowing it all up 💰 Cody Plofker gives HexClad three easy ways to carve out more AOV, CVR & RPO 🤩 Joanna Wallace invites you to our Growth Summit with 25+ DTC leaders Along with this week’s top-five headlines in consumer news and...
about 2 months ago • 9 min read
🏆 Matt Bertulli wants you to find out if your brand is winning 🤑 Cody Plofker audits Ridge’s funnel, Connor owes him a beer 💪 Derek Lauermann reveals how Grüns “compounds“ demand Plus, both Mike Beckham and Sean Frank unload their lessons from the first time these two titans have appeared together on a podcast. Ryan Bartlett and Ben Diamond — the founder and CEO of +$300M DTC monster, True Classic. We’ve also got the top-five headlines from this week in consumer news with summaries. Matt...
2 months ago • 9 min read