The Founders Forum

Oliver Kenyon, co-founder of ConversionWise, a fully qualified chef who has spent over 20 years working online, and has built the largest affiliate community in the world! With a team of 60+ members, this powerhouse CEO is leading ConversionWise to generate $400-500k in MRR while working with over 3,500 brands globally. In this episode you'll learn from one of the the best (literally) in the industry regarding conversion strategies, landing page design, and affiliate marketing. Oliver specifically shares his thoughts on conversion rate optimization (CRO) and the importance of focusing on revenue per session rather than just conversion rate. He also discusses the challenges of benchmarking CRO results, as it varies depending on factors such as price points and brand uniqueness. Key Takeaways: The importance of focusing on revenue per session How to avoid doing this 1 thing without testing first Why this testing is crucial for identifying and removing conversion funnel distractions. How a trust policy bar can showcase trust indicators and a testimonial to handle objections your brand may encounter  Why Social proof, is essential for increasing conversions.  How the use of countdown timers, inventory timers, and seasonality can rapidly drive sales.  Why you should prioritize quality over quantity when running A/B tests To learn more about Oliver and his team at Conversion Wise head here: www.cnvrsn.co/conversionwise  To connect with Oliver follow him here on X: https://x.com/oliverkenyon To lean more about the Foxwell Founders Community head here: www.Foxwelldigital.com/membership

In this conversation, Danil Saliukov, CEO of Incense, joins Edwin & Tris to explore the evolving landscape of User Generated Content (UGC). They discuss the impact of Gen.AI on UGC creation, the differences between UGC and influencer content, and the importance of finding the right creators. The conversation also delves into the performance of UGC across various verticals, the significance of creative briefing, common pitfalls in UGC campaigns, and how to measure success and ROI. Daniel emphasizes that UGC is evolving and that a well-structured creative strategy is essential for effective campaigns. Key Takeaways: How UGC is evolving and remains a vital part of marketing. How Gen.AI can enhance the creative process for UGC. Why Differentiating between UGC and influencer content is crucial. Why finding the right creators requires a clear understanding of objectives. Why UGC performs best for these types of products. The one thing to not sacrifice just to save money on ad creatives Why knowing this one thing will help you effectively target your ads How soon results can be seen from a UGC campaign How this one thing can significantly enhance ad performance. How this platform shop is revolutionizing e-commerce by unlocking new audiences. The reason your UGC might not be working Why you should be focusing on social commerce in 2025 Book a 1-2-1 strategy call by Nov 8 and get $200 for your first UGC campaign To get Insense's Ultimate eBook for A Successful Q4 head here:  To learn more about Danil and his team at Insense head here:  To learn more about the Foxwell Founders community: https://Foxwelldigital.com/membership

In this conversation, Abir from UpAccounting.com discuss the key financial metrics that e-commerce brands should focus on. He highlights the importance of contribution margin ( the money left over after deducting variable expenses from revenue) along with emphasizing the significance of operating cash flow as the ultimate measure of a business's financial health. The conversation shift to the challenges of forecasting revenue for events like Black Friday and provides advice on managing cash flow and inventory during peak seasons. Abir also cautions against common financial pitfalls, such as over-investing in fixed expenses and not maintaining financial discipline during periods of success. Lastly, he highlights the significance of robust historical data and reliable revenue projections as a brand (or agency) prepare for an exit. Key Takeaways:  The 4 key financial metrics for e-commerce brands  The importance of forecasting revenue for events like Black Friday How to avoid common financial pitfalls, such as over-investing in fixed expenses Why accurate historical data and strong retention numbers are crucial for businesses The importance of NOT relying solely on first-order profitability How different acquisition channels can impact customer retention Why you need to understand your numbers and build good relationships with banks What to consider with revolving lines of credit for scaling businesses To learn more about Abir and the UpAccounting team head here: https://upcounting.com/ To learn more about the Foxwell Founders community or to join, head here: https://www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

Rahul Issar, head of paid digital at Reach, shares his experiences as a serial entrepreneur and discusses his current venture in the menopause supplement industry. He talks about his previous ventures in dropshipping and print-on-demand, including the challenges he faced in building customer personas, conducting market research and the impact of COVID-19. Rahul goes on to discusses the process of testing different offers for brands and the importance of creative strategies in driving revenue. He explains how they analyze cart analysis and customer behavior to identify product bundles and determine the gross margin. Rahul also shares the offers that have worked well for their clients, such as discounts, buy one get one, and subscription offers. Key Takeaways Why entrepreneurs should have backup suppliers and manufacturers to mitigate risks. How selling a business can become a complex process How business valuations have been affected by COVID-19 Why customer personas should go beyond demographics How market research can be conducted through platforms like Listener and other feedback platforms The one thing that is crucial for optimizing customer acquisition costs Being able to add this one service to your agency can play a significant role in client retention and revenue growth. To connect with Rahul, you can head here: https://linktr.ee/therahulissar To learn more about the Founders community or to join you can head here: https://www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

In this episode of the Founders Forum, the "big cheese" himself, Andrew Foxwell, sits down post Founders meet-up with Edwin and Tris to talk through his thoughts about Q4/BFCM and trends he's seeing in our industry. The guys share on some of their most favorite takeaways during the educational presentations held at the Amsterdam Founders meet-up and highlight the value of having the right offer for success. (IE 20% off might not cut it this year). They round out the episode with a few hot takes and while Andrew doesn't quite call them "Twitter beefs" he shares on what might be truly holding us back when it comes to learning and growing in the DTC community.   Want to learn more about the Foxwell Founders or become a member? Head here.

Molly Nutt, founder of Acorn Digital Strategy, discusses her experience in serving e-commerce brands and the importance of email marketing. She emphasizes the need for a comprehensive email strategy and dispels some of the bad advice many brands have been given about email marketing. Molly highlights the 4 essential flows for e-commerce brands before getting into the nitty gritty of what's changed for email marketing with the recent iOS changes.   Key Takeaways: The importance of having a comprehensive email strategy The 4 essential flows for e-commerce brands How recent iOS changes have impacted email marketing Why email warming and using a branded sending domain are now more important for brands What you benchmarks for measuring the success of email marketing should include Why you should be implementing a list cleaning strategy to remove unengaged users from your lists How you can grow your email list faster by optimizing these specific conversion rates. How you should be segmenting your email list to send targeted and personalized content   If you'd like to connect with Molly and her team at Acorn Digital Strategy, you can find them here: https://acorndigitalstrategynw.com/ To learn more about the Foxwell Founders Membership, head here: www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

Kanika Misra, owner of bedabedagrowth.com joins the podcast to discuss and debunk some common misconceptions regarding conversion rate optimization (CRO) Kanika emphasizes that there is no universal target conversion rate stresses the importance of focusing on the post-click experience and ensuring that the website is functioning properly. The conversation shifts to what to look out for and what to avoid when looking for a CRO specialist along with actionable advice for fashion and apparel brands to improve their CRO.  Key Takeaways: Why a universal target conversion rate does not exist How focusing on the post-click experience is one of the most important things for CRO. How Analyzing user behavior can help identify areas for improvement. How using different-sized models can help customers feel more confident in their purchasing decisions. Why copywriting plays a significant role in CRO. The value setting up quality tests over a quantity of tests Why it is so important to use caution before venturing on a site redesign If you'd like to connect with Kanika and the Beda Beda Growth team, you can find them here: https://bedabedagrowth.com/ To learn more about the Foxwell Founders Membership, head here: www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

Josh Durham, owner of Aligned Growth Management, an agency dedicated to helping brands source and develop relationships with influencers, joins the podcast to chat on finding micro-influencers, how to properly vet them and the pay structures that have worked for their clients.  The conversation also shifts to discussing brand spending, KPIs, and the challenges of measuring ROI. Key takeaways: The core metrics influencer marketing focuses on How to properly negotiate influencer rates Why agency revenue models for influencer marketing include fixed retainers and increased rates for larger campaigns. Why it's so important to set KPIs before diving into influencer marketing If you'd like to connect with Josh and the Aligned Growth Management team, you can find them here: alignedgrowthmanagement.com To learn more about the Foxwell Founders Membership, head here: www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

In this conversation, Will Sartorius, CEO of Selfmade, discusses the recent AI update by Meta along with how AI personas are generated and used for performance creatives on Meta and TikTok. Will shares on how AI personas have improved their hit rate and provided guidance for their strategists. He also goes in on the prompts used to generate AI personas and how it's still very important to have a human strategists in the AI process. Key Takeaways: - How Meta's AI update allows users to optimize images and test different headlines and descriptions. Why AI personas have improved SelfMade's hit rate for generating effective creatives. The specific prompts Will and his team use to generate AI personas without any outside data Why AI personas can be so valuable in guiding the ad creation process Why testing new personas is important, even if clients may be resistant to trying something new. Will's top five AI tools for ad creation and content optimization How AI can streamline the production process and empower offshore teams to become effective strategists. To learn more about Will and the team at SelfMade head here: Want to learn more about the Foxwell Founders Membership? Head here.

In this conversation, Brad Ploch, Owner WRK Marketing discusses the importance of contribution margin and other key metrics in direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing. Brad emphasizes the need to focus on new customer acquisition and repeat customers, as well as setting realistic goals for contribution margin. He also cautions against relying solely on metrics like ROAS and click-through rates, as they can be misleading. Key Takeaways:   Why contribution margin is a paramount for measuring profitability in DTC marketing. How new customer acquisition and repeat customers are crucial for maintaining a positive contribution margin. How metrics like ROAS and click-through rates can be misleading when trying to scale your accounts The importance of setting realistic goals for contribution margin and consistently measuring against them. If you'd like to connect with Brad and the WRK Marketing team you can find them here:  Want to learn more about the Foxwell Founders Membership? Head here: 

Phil Kiel, the managing director at Hello Earth Agency, shares his insights on troubleshooting and improving performance in digital advertising. He emphasizes the importance of understanding seasonality, analyzing key performance metrics like revenue, CPA, ROAS, and conversion rate, and making data-driven decisions. Hosts, Edwin & Tristram question Phil on the role of creative strategy in driving performance and the need for collaboration between media buyers and creatives. Phil also highlights the significance of effective communication and building trust with clients during challenging times. Takeaways: Why its so important to understand seasonality and compare current performance to previous periods to gain insights. The 4 metrics you should focus on when making account decisions. When its important to reduce the number of live campaigns, ad sets, and ads in an account Why it's so important to collaborate closely between media buyers and creatives The one thing you must do to have client support during challenging times. Two campaigns to consider running before retargeting. To learn more about Phil and The Hello Earth Agency head here:  If you'd like to learn more about the Founders Community or want to become a member you can do so here.

In this conversation, Tris and Edwin interview Jess Bachman, the Creative Strategy Director at Fireteam, about effective creative strategies for advertising. They discuss the use of ASMR-style videos as a successful format across different clients, the importance of testing and iterating on creative, and the need for brands to differentiate themselves in their ads. Jess also shares insights on benchmark metrics for click-through rates and thumb stop rates, as well as the process of sourcing creative when resources are limited. Key Takeaways How ASMR-style videos can be an effective format for introducing new users to brand. Why testing and iterating on creative is crucial for producing successful ads campaigns. How differentiating a brand and articulating its unique selling points are essential for successful advertising. The benchmark metrics for click-through rates and thumb stop you should be considering based on your target audience. How sourcing creative can vary wildly from reaching out to influencers to simply using post-it notes in ads. To learn more about Jess Bachman and the Fire Team head to: https://www.fireteam.is If you'd like to learn more about the Founders Community or want to become a member you can do so here.

Akvile DeFazio, owner of Akvertise.com discusses the role of AI in media buying and its impact on workflow. She believes that AI will enhance, rather than replace, human creativity. Akvile shares her experience with AI tools and how they have helped her team create concise summaries, import data for reporting and overall improve efficiencies in managing client accounts. She also highlights the importance of documenting processes and using AI to refine them. Key Takeaways How AI is allowing for more efficient account management Why AI is helping to improve communication skills How handing over tasks to AI can allow more time for more strategic work Why documenting processes and using AI to refine them is a most for any agency To learn more about Akvile DeFazio and her team you can and head to: https://www.akvertise.com/ If you'd like to learn more about the Founders Community or want to become a member you can do so here: www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

In this episode of the Foxwell Founders podcast, Brett Fish, founder of Tag Hero, discusses the importance of tracking and technology in e-commerce. He addresses the question of whether third-party tracking services provide an edge over Shopify's built-in server-side pixel implementation and provides insights into the perfect tracking setup.   Key Takeaways: Who third-party tracking services are most beneficial for. Why Shopify's pixel implementation may be just right for you When its best suited to move to a third-party tracking service The 3 things the best tracking set-ups all have The importance of regular testing pixel events Why Brett believes the founders membership is so valuable To learn more about Brett Fish and TagHero you can head to: www.taghero.io If you'd like to learn more about the Founders Community or want to become a member you can do so here: www.foxwelldigital.com/membership  

Jenni-Lyn, the owner of a Snarky Tea, joins Edwin and Tristram to discuss her experience managing the supply chain and inventory for her business. She shares insights on sourcing suppliers, building relationships, and dealing with difficult partners(she landed a deal on Shark Tank). She emphasizes the importance of inventory management as a strategic differentiator and explains how her company creates excitement by offering limited edition products. She even walks through her strategy for these new product drops. She also shares the value of building a community of superfans and creating a safe space for customers. Key Takeaways: How building strong relationships with suppliers is crucial for a successful supply chain. How her willingness to take on different roles helped her overcome challenges in the business and improved efficiency. Why inventory management can be a strategic differentiator, allowing businesses to create excitement and cater to specific customer preferences. How limited edition products can generate excitement and loyalty among customers. The importance of balancing new customer acquisition with serving existing customers for long-term success. When to accurately use product drops and revenue generation events to maintain cash flow and drive sales. Why AI can be a useful tool in certain areas, but can lack the human experience that is essential for branding. The one thing Jenni-lyn leaned into to create simplicity with her inventory management. To learn more about Jenni-lyn and Snarky Tea you can follow her here  If you'd like to learn more about the Founders Community or want to become a member you can do so here.

In this conversation, Jeff Bekavac, CRO of Swiftstart, shares his expertise on selling on Amazon. He discusses the challenges of dealing with Amazon, the benefits of selling on the platform, and the importance of Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). Jeff also provides insights on inventory management, standing out in a crowded marketplace, and optimizing product images and titles. Key Takeaways: How selling on Amazon can provide additional revenue and brand awareness. Why he recommends Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). The amount of inventory you should be sending to Amazon. The 3 things you need when dealing with Amazon's challenges. How you should be utilizing Amazon's tools to improve your product listings. Why you should never bait or encourage fake reviews on Amazon. The margins you can expect to gain selling on Amazon. Why Amazon Ads take time, especially for new listings. The best ways to differentiate your brand on Amazon vs. your website Why product discovery is so valuable on Amazon. To connect With Geoff reach out to him here: geoff@swiftstart.com If you'd like to learn more about the Founders Community or want to become a member you can do so here: www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

In this conversation, Tristram and Edwin chat with, Foxwell Founders very own, Courtney Fritts, to discuss the success of TikTok Shops and how it is working for different brands. She emphasizes the importance of having the right products for TikTok Shops and the need for a content flow to support the platform. They also discuss the intricacies of advertising on TikTok, specifically focusing on TikTok Shops and they explore the importance of on-platform data in a cookieless world. Courtney also shares some of the challenges and nuances of TikTok ads, emphasizing the need to be a student of the platform and understand consumer behavior.  Key Takeaways: How TikTok Shops can be successful for brands with specific products that are well-suited for impulse buys and quick conversions. The importance of content flow and consistency in posting on TikTok before starting on TikTok Shops. Why both value and conversion-based campaigns can work on TikTok Shops. Why collecting data and having a pixel on your site is crucial for TikTok ad performance, especially as we head into a cookie-less ecosystem. Why testing different targeting strategies and content formats is crucial to finding success on TikTok. How TikTok ads can have a significant impact on Amazon sales. Why it's so important to consider branded/non-branded search as well as overall lift in sales when defining TikTok Ad success. Why being a student of the platform and understanding consumer psychology is key to creating effective TikTok ads. To Connect With Courtney follow her here: https://twitter.com/courtfritts If you'd like to learn more about the Founders Community or want to become a member you can do so here: www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

In this conversation, Collin Slattery, owner of Taikun Digital explains the differences between Facebook and Google and how each is king when it comes to its specific use case when it comes to customer acquisition. Collin emphasizes the importance of optimizing product feeds for Google and the potential of non-branded search ads for e-commerce. He shares insights on scaling landing pages, leveraging YouTube Shorts for advertising, and the impact of AI on Google Search. Collin wraps up the conversation discussing agency management with Tristram and Edwin and how he's achieving healthy margins in his agency. Key Takeaways: Why Facebook is great for demand generation, while Google is better for demand capture. How optimizing product feeds is crucial for success on Google. How YouTube Shorts can be a game changer for advertisers, especially when leveraging existing creative. Why AI poses an existential threat to Google's search business. How to effectively achieve healthy margins in your agency through effective management and optimization. Choosing the right billing model and why it should align with both the agency's and the client's goals. How processes and automations play a crucial role in agency management, allowing for scalability and efficiency. Why tracking time and profitability is essential for understanding the agency's financial health. To learn more about Collin Slattery check him and his team out at https://www.taikundigital.com/ If you'd like to learn more about the Founders Community or want to become a member you can do so here: www.foxwelldigital.com/membership

Edwin and Tristram get together with the host of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Kurt Elster, to discuss conversion rate optimization (CRO) and one of the biggest tool most Shopify agencies have been sleeping on (Shop Cash) and its potential benefits for clients. Kurt then moves into the importance of CRO and the role of landing pages in improving conversion rates. He also shares on how apparel brands can overcoming size and fit obstacles. along with highlighting the value of qualitative data in CRO and discusses the use of AI for generating product descriptions. Key Takeaways: How Shop Cash can be a valuable tool for increasing sales and customer engagement in e-commerce. Why landing pages play a crucial role in conversion rate optimization, especially for targeted advertising campaigns. How apparel and fashion brands can Overcoming size and fit obstacles to improve customer satisfaction and conversion rates. Why qualitative data is often more valuable than quantitative data in CRO How AI can be used to generate effective product descriptions along with optimizing conversion rates. Why the future of CRO may involve AI-driven ideation, automated testing, and implementation. To connect with Kurt you can head to his website here: https://ethercycle.com/ To learn more and join the Foxwell Founders Community head here: https://foxwelldigital.com/membership

In this episode Edwin Hermawan and Tristram Dyer meet with Sebastian Vogue, owner of Vogg Media a TikTok first agency, to discuss the power of TikTok for performance marketing. Sebastian shares insights on attribution models, the importance of understanding the platform's metrics along with a few strategies for scaling campaigns on TikTok. He emphasizes the significance of content creation/testing and the need for a diverse range of content and the role of in-house creators. The guys discuss the structure of campaigns for both small and large businesses and how to target specific age groups on TikTok (particularly those in the 21 to 24 age range). This also includes how you can create premium audiences through the use of custom audiences to reach you desired demographic. Sebastian follows this up with the importance of performance content and the need to avoid high-polished branding content on TikTok. He suggests using passion pages and user-generated content (UGC) to promote brands effectively. Sebastian also shares insights on managing content in-house and the benefits of the Foxwell Founders community.  Key Takeaways: How TikTok can be a powerful platform for performance marketing and how it can even outperform platforms like Facebook.  How to understand attribution models and metrics on TikTok to improve campaign optimization. Why scaling campaigns on TikTok requires a combination of manual adjustments and creative content production.  Why starting with simple setups and gradually expanding works on TikTok regardless of the size of your brand. Why performance content is crucial on TikTok, and high-polished branding may not resonate with the audience. (Authentic and relatable content tends to perform better.) How passion pages and user-generated content (UGC) can be effective ways to promote brands on TikTok without associating directly with the brand. If you'd like to learn more about Sebastian and his TikTok first agency you can learn more here: https://voggs.net/en/ If you'd like to connect with Sebastian and his team you can reach out to them here. If you'd like join or learn more about the Foxwell Founders Community you can do so here.