They ran their best vitamin ad on Grindr; they launch 4,000 ads every month, and they routinely push compliance to find the edges, all while turning losses into lessons. Join us in this SubSummit episode as Direct Meds’ Adam Pivko reveals how risky creative, relentless testing, and an AI‑driven engine of experiments deliver massive growth in healthcare, and why playing it safe might be the riskiest move of all.In this episode, Doug and Adam Pivko discuss:Performance marketing as data acquisition, not just revenue generationHigh-velocity creative testing: 4,000+ ads monthly for insightsBalancing provocative creative with compliance in healthcare advertisingFull-funnel optimization: CPA vs LTV and last-click attribution focusAI and internal tooling powering creative scale and customer experience Key Takeaways:Treat media buying as data acquisition and learn more from failed ads than occasional early successes.Run thousands of inexpensive static ad variants rapidly across platforms to identify winning creative angles before investing in expensive productions and scaling.Balance bold creative with legal collaboration to push boundaries while staying compliant safely and ethically.Focus on CPA relative to LTV using last click attribution for immediate performance signals while investing in customer service, product delivery, operational excellence, and retention strategies to convert acquisitions into patients who maximize lifetime value.Build internal AI tooling and orchestration to scale creative production and insights while retaining human agents for empathetic, high-complexity healthcare customer care interactions.“One of our best performing ad campaigns of all time for a personalized vitamin brand was on Grindr. We ran: “put something healthy in your mouth for once,” and it like blew up.” - Adam PivkoAbout the guest, Adam Pivko, and Direct Meds:Adam Pivko is the Chief Marketing Officer at Direct Meds and a long-time operator in the recurring revenue and subscription space. At Direct Meds, he focuses on building and scaling high-volume, high-value creative engines, leveraging a “creative ladder” framework to systematically test and improve ad performance. His company is Direct Meds.Adam’s company, Direct Meds LLC, bridges the gap between customers and affordable, convenient telemedicine prescriptions. Their streamlined platform offers access to a robust network of board-certified doctors and a dedicated nursing layer, providing personalized support to help you achieve your health goals.Complete a quick medical questionnaire, receive approval from Direct Meds’ healthcare team, and have your prescriptions shipped directly to your door—all without the need for insurance.Connect with Adam Pivko:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampivko/ Company: https://www.tryautumn.com/ | https://directmeds.com/ SubSummit will be at Nashville City Center from June 21- 23, 2027. Join the waitlist HERE: https://subsummit.com/#waitlist Book your meeting with Christopher George from SubSummit here: https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris3306/linkedin-profile?uuid=0c103e97-4adc-4c16-bbe6-794c92ab9c61 About SubSummit:SubSummit brings together thousands of executives and operators from established enterprises, direct-to-consumer, fast-growing startups, innovative tech companies, active investors, and more. These pioneers come from across a broad range of industries, including e-commerce, media, publishing, retail, streaming, SaaS, digital, automotive, and beyond.From FabFitFun to Walmart+ to MasterClass, the world’s leading brands leverage SubSummit to remain catalysts in consumer engagement and product experiences.Website: https://subsummit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/subsummit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sub_summit/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel AlvarezAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Want to know how Dollar Shave Club turned a one-product gimmick into a multi-product routine that sticks? Tune in as Melanie Fox spills the lifecycle playbook, recency–frequency–monetary flows, churn scoring, trial swaps, and the exact moments they nudge customers from blades to a full bathroom routine.In this episode, Doug Sandler and Melanie Fox discuss:Full grooming routine expansionPlatform migrations and scalingData-driven personalization and split testingEmail-led retention and one-click actionsRecency–frequency–monetary flows and churn scoring for segmentation Key Takeaways:Dollar Shave Club evolved from a single-product razor delivery into a multi-category brand by expanding product lines, targeting household adoption, and emphasizing routines to boost loyalty and lifetime value sustainably.Email remains the fastest channel for testing and learning customer behaviors at scale.Implementing recency–frequency–monetary flows and churn scoring enables precise lifecycle segmentation, letting teams tailor retention tactics and avoid gifting promotions to at-risk customers.Trial sizes and surprise samples drive trials, lowering friction to adoption and increasing chances of subscription add-ons.Full Story and behavioral analytics reveal real customer journeys, uncovering friction points and informing targeted product placement on account pages.“Something that brands should look more into is additive subscriptions... if you have someone that has two or more products with you, they've developed some type of routine.” - Melanie FoxAbout Melanie Fox and Dollar Shave Club:Melanie Fox is the director of lifecycle marketing at Dollar Shave Club, bringing hands-on experience scaling retention programs, lifecycle strategy, and multi-channel messaging for a category-defining subscription brand. At Dollar Shave Club, she leads email and text messaging initiatives, drives personalization through behavioral data and split testing, and uses recency, frequency, and monetary flows along with churn scoring to precisely segment and retain subscribers. Under Melanie’s guidance, Dollar Shave Club evolved from a single-product razor delivery into a multi-category routine brand focused on household adoption and additive subscriptions. Melanie’s playbook emphasizes understanding real customer journeys with tools like FullStory, minimizing churn with targeted lifecycle flows, and leveraging product trials and household-focused assortment, including a new women’s line and an electric razor line, to deepen routines and increase long-term retention.Dollar Shave Club website: https://us.dollarshaveclub.com/Connect with Melanie Fox:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-fox-15494511b/ SubSummit will be at Nashville City Center from June 21- 23, 2027. Join the waitlist HERE: https://subsummit.com/#waitlist Book your meeting with Christopher George from SubSummit here: https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris3306/linkedin-profile?uuid=0c103e97-4adc-4c16-bbe6-794c92ab9c61 About SubSummit:SubSummit brings together thousands of executives and operators from established enterprises, direct-to-consumer, fast-growing startups, innovative tech companies, active investors, and more. These pioneers come from across a broad range of industries, including e-commerce, media, publishing, retail, streaming, SaaS, digital, automotive, and beyond.From FabFitFun to Walmart+ to MasterClass, the world’s leading brands leverage SubSummit to remain catalysts in consumer engagement and product experiences.Website: https://subsummit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/subsummit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sub_summit/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel AlvarezAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Bill McHenry breaks down why modern brands must treat operations as a growth lever, not just marketing, while navigating tariffs, cash-flow pressure, and the lightning-fast demands of social commerce. Expect practical lessons on vendor relationships, inventory strategy, and moving faster without breaking the business.In this episode, Doug Sandler and Bill McHenry discuss:Tariffs, duties, and upfront cash impactVendor relationships and communicationInventory strategy and demand validationSocial commerce (TikTok) and product velocityE‑commerce costs and packaging/fulfillment realities Key Takeaways:Upfront tariffs and duties can drain working capital, thus only import inventory with confirmed demand or built-in financing to avoid crippling cash-flow gaps.Deep, proactive vendor relationships and direct communication unlock flexible terms, prioritized production, and collaborative problem-solving when supply shocks hit.Viral social commerce can produce sudden, massive demand that outpaces lead times and cash cycles.Rising per-order costs for shipping, packaging, and fulfillment are compressing margins, requiring immediate unit-economics recalculations and tests of pricing, bundling, or minimum-order thresholds.Integrity turns service recovery into a competitive advantage that preserves retailer trust and long-term revenue.“The only other promise I'll make is I have integrity, and we'll follow up and follow through.” - Bill McHenryAbout Bill McHenry and Widgeteer Inc:Bill McHenry is an innovative leader in the world of sales and marketing with over 25 years of extensive corporate and entrepreneurial experience. As a creative and energetic problem solver, Bill has helped launch a number of exciting new products and companies, building them from the ground up, including Widgeteer. As the founder and President of Widgeteer, Bill uses his comprehensive industry experience to bring innovative European housewares brands to North America. As the company has grown, he has been able to grow the logistics part of the business, creating a bridge between international factories and retailers in North America. Throughout his noteworthy career, Bill has served in key capacities for a number of varied and high-profile companies, including Carnation, a division of Nestle Corporation, 3M, and North American Philips in upper executive positions in sales, marketing, and business development sectors. Widgeteer Inc website: https://www.audible.com/about Connect with Bill McHenry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billmchenry/ Email: bmchenry@widgeteerinc.com SubSummit will be at Nashville City Center from June 21- 23, 2027. Join the waitlist HERE: https://subsummit.com/#waitlistBook your meeting with Christopher George from SubSummit here: https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris3306/linkedin-profile?uuid=0c103e97-4adc-4c16-bbe6-794c92ab9c61 About SubSummit:SubSummit brings together thousands of executives and operators from established enterprises, direct-to-consumer, fast-growing startups, innovative tech companies, active investors, and more. These pioneers come from across a broad range of industries, including e-commerce, media, publishing, retail, streaming, SaaS, digital, automotive, and beyond.From FabFitFun to Walmart+ to MasterClass, the world’s leading brands leverage SubSummit to remain catalysts in consumer engagement and product experiences.Website: https://subsummit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/subsummit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sub_summit/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel AlvarezAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Bolong Li explains how AI slashes time-to-market for international launches while arguing that human judgment and local relevance remain the decisive advantages for building trust in new markets. Learn the three-phase playbook Audible used to expand globally and practical guidance on when to automate and when to localize.In this episode, Doug Sandler and Bolong Li discuss:AI-driven efficiency vs. human judgmentLocalization vs. globalization trade-offsMarket entry sequencing (phase-based approach)Cultural behavior and channel differencesPricing, offers, and willingness-to-pay variations Key Takeaways:AI helps with repetitive tasks, but rarely replaces brand-level taste and judgment.Treat market entry as phased experiments: start with similar markets, then add language localization, then tackle fundamentally different markets.Local channels, partners, and trust mechanisms (e.g., KOLs, messaging apps) determine how customers discover and adopt brands.Offers and pricing must reflect market maturity and customer familiarity.Use AI for synthesis and insight (e.g., reviews, SEO, app store optimization) to prioritize fixes, then apply local human oversight to craft culturally relevant campaigns.“AI is actually raising the floor for a lot of the operations, but it doesn't necessarily raise the ceiling.” - Bolong LiAbout Bolong Li and Amazon Audible:Bolong Li is Amazon Audible's Head of Global Acquisition and Core Retention, leading the company's end-to-end membership growth strategy. Audible, an Amazon company, is a leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals to millions of listeners worldwide.Since joining Audible in 2013, Bolong has built expertise across customer retention and acquisition, helping shape how audiences discover and enjoy audio content. Recognized by Forbes as one of the Outstanding Chinese leaders in North America, he believes great leadership is measured not only by business results, but also by continuous learning, compassion, and personal growth.Amazon Audible website: https://www.audible.com/about Connect with Bolong Li:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bolongli/ Audible Profile: https://www.audiblecareers.com/Meet-Bolong-Li SubSummit will be at Nashville City Center from June 21- 23, 2027. Join the waitlist HERE: https://subsummit.com/#waitlist Book your meeting with Christopher George from SubSummit here: https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris3306/linkedin-profile?uuid=0c103e97-4adc-4c16-bbe6-794c92ab9c61 About SubSummit:SubSummit brings together thousands of executives and operators from established enterprises, direct-to-consumer, fast-growing startups, innovative tech companies, active investors, and more. These pioneers come from across a broad range of industries, including e-commerce, media, publishing, retail, streaming, SaaS, digital, automotive, and beyond.From FabFitFun to Walmart+ to MasterClass, the world’s leading brands leverage SubSummit to remain catalysts in consumer engagement and product experiences.Website: https://subsummit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/subsummit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sub_summit/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel AlvarezAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
Building a product people love isn't always enough, especially if they never need to buy it again. Eric shares why he shifted from durable grooming tools to replenishable oral care, and how embracing constant experimentation helped him uncover bigger opportunities.In this episode, Host of E-Commerce Conversations Eric Bandholz and CEO of Ollie Eric Steckling discuss:Building durable vs. essential consumable product businessesThe "at-bats" approach to product innovationRecognizing distractions versus real opportunitiesUsing customer behavior to validate ideasScaling through subscriptions, content, and retail Key Takeaways:A durable product can become a growth challenge when customers rarely need to buy it again.Treat every product launch as an affordable experiment, giving yourself more chances to discover what truly resonates with customers.Customer opinions are valuable, but purchases are the ultimate measure of demand.Knowing when to walk away from an idea can be just as important as knowing when to keep improving it.The strongest brands don't rely on a single growth channel; they build momentum by combining great products, compelling content, subscriptions, paid acquisition, and eventually retail.“As long as you're making changes, as long as you know what to do next, then I think you need to keep going.” - Eric StecklingAbout Eric Steckling and Ollie:Eric Steckling is a bootstrapped direct-to-consumer founder behind Brio, a men’s grooming brand known for durable trimmers, and Ollie, an oral care brand focused on high-performance, everyday essentials like toothpaste, mouthwash, and whitening strips. He’s obsessed with product development, creative marketing (especially short-form video), and using constant “at-bats” to turn ideas into hero products that drive real customer lifetime value.Connect with Eric Steckling and Ollie:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-steckling-95955131/ Website: https://olliesmile.com/Connect with Eric Bandholz, host of ECommerce Conversations:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericbandholz/?hl=en Website: https://www.bandholz.com Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecommerce-conversations/id874457373 Join our newsletter: https://wwspodcast.com/ SubSummit will be at Nashville City Center from June 21- 23, 2027. Join the waitlist HERE: https://subsummit.com/#waitlist Book your meeting with Christopher George from SubSummit here: https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris3306/linkedin-profile?uuid=0c103e97-4adc-4c16-bbe6-794c92ab9c61 About SubSummit:SubSummit brings together thousands of executives and operators from established enterprises, direct-to-consumer, fast-growing startups, innovative tech companies, active investors, and more. These pioneers come from across a broad range of industries, including e-commerce, media, publishing, retail, streaming, SaaS, digital, automotive, and beyond.From FabFitFun to Walmart+ to MasterClass, the world’s leading brands leverage SubSummit to remain catalysts in consumer engagement and product experiences.Website: https://subsummit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/subsummit/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sub_summit/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel AlvarezAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.