William Harris is the Founder and CEO of Elumynt, an e-commerce growth agency focused on profit through hyper-scaling. Elumynt has been featured in Inc. Magazine as an Inc. 5000 Winner and Best Workplace Winner. William has helped acquire 13 companies, including one that sold to GoDaddy. He’s also published over 200 articles on the topic of e-commerce in Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Shopify, and more.

Scaling an e-commerce brand from $10 to $100 million requires forward-thinking strategies and adaptability. Many companies rely too heavily on what worked during earlier growth stages, underinvest in systems, and fail to evolve leadership. In a rapidly shifting market flooded with noise, how can brands future-proof their strategy and leverage AI without losing their human touch?

As an AI chatbot developed by xAI, Grok outlines a detailed 12-month growth playbook rooted in strategic diversification, operational upgrades, and smarter hiring. Grok emphasizes the importance of accurate attribution when expanding marketing channels, leveraging AI for hyper-personalized customer journeys, and setting strict performance benchmarks to know when to pivot or cut tactics. However, AI is not a silver bullet; if a brand lacks a compelling product or clear value proposition, no algorithm can compensate. AI should act as a strategic enhancer rather than a crutch.

In today’s exclusive episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris interviews Grok, created by xAI, about using AI to scale e-commerce brands. Grok shares what an AI-first brand will look like in 2030, whether AI can become truly conscious, and the ethical concerns about its rapid development.

Caitlin Choate is the Global Head of Marketing at Boatsetter, a peer-to-peer boat rental platform. With nearly 15 years of experience building disruptive brands, she has led marketing efforts at companies like TOMS, Google’s Nest, Airbnb, and Yumi. Caitlin’s work has been recognized by Cannes Lions and the Webby Awards for innovation and storytelling.

Marketing isn’t just transactional; it requires building emotional resonance with customers through memorable experiences with a brand. It’s easy to sell a product, but how do you sell a lifestyle, a sense of identity, or even a community? How can companies balance bold creativity with performance and data-driven ROI?

Brand builder and creative marketer Caitlin Choate believes that connecting with customers emotionally begins by designing marketing that mirrors real-life human experiences. She recommends leveraging user-generated visuals, generating stories that emphasize emotional connection over product specs, and integrating creative, data, and performance teams. Caitlin also highlights the value of running measurable, high-reward experiments to foster brand growth and category domination.

In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris converses with Caitlin Choate, Global Head of Marketing at Boatsetter, about turning product transactions into lifestyle-driven brand movements. Caitlin discusses brand versus performance alignment, using PR and influencers as a storytelling medium, and why cultivating serendipity can catalyze unexpected career opportunities.

Jesse Allouf is the Chief Marketing Officer at Tire Agent, an online tire and wheel retailer. He previously served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing, leading the brand through a growth curve by focusing on first-click signals and fintech data. With over 15 years of experience in marketing and e-commerce, Jesse has held leadership roles at companies like Knot Standard, YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP, and Alpargatas S.A.

Which customer signals drive growth? Many e-commerce companies focus on lagging growth indicators, like conversions or revenue, when they should optimize for intentions rather than outcomes. How can businesses shift their focus to leading indicators that reveal customer intent and drive sustainable growth?

Data-driven growth expert Jesse Allouf encourages brands to shift their focus to first-click signals and on-site behaviors to unlock results. He recommends building a solid data foundation, identifying less obvious behavioral patterns — like wishlist activity or account creation — and working cross-functionally with data science and development teams. By gradually testing changes and aligning leadership around data-backed insights, e-commerce companies can optimize marketing spend and increase customer lifetime value.

Join William Harris in this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast as he welcomes Jesse Allouf, Chief Marketing Officer at Tire Agent, to discuss optimizing e-commerce growth through data insights. Jesse explains the importance of consistent messaging, how to align marketing efforts with finance and leadership, and the fundamentals of e-commerce growth.