Josh Durham is the Founder of Aligned Growth, an agency that helps DTC brands scale through influencer partnerships and performance-driven user-generated content. Before establishing Aligned Growth, he co-founded Weighting Comforts, a weighted blanket company that he grew to over $6 million in annual revenue before selling it in 2019. Josh also served as the Head of Growth at Groove Life, where he managed sizable advertising budgets.

Influencer marketing has become a popular tactic for brand awareness, yet many advertisers misunderstand its role and expect direct-response outcomes similar to paid social ads. How can brands leverage influencer partnerships to drive long-term growth and brand awareness?

While influencer marketing can generate sales, its primary function is to create brand interactions and organic content at an efficient CPM. Instead of relying solely on paid partnerships, brands can start with product gifting to build relationships with influencers and generate authentic content. This approach allows brands to test products on various creators while keeping costs low. Having led influencer growth initiatives for major brands, Josh Durham suggests combining product gifting with strategic paid influencer collaborations, ensuring a mix of organic and sponsored content for maximum reach. He also emphasizes prioritizing audience fit over follower count, advising brands to target influencers whose content aligns naturally with their brand rather than chasing big-name endorsements.

In the latest episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris talks with Josh Durham, the Founder of Aligned Growth, about scaling influencer partnerships. Josh shares his experience working with celebrity influencers like Tony Hawk, how to measure influencer marketing effectively, and how brand interactions drive purchase decisions.

Preston Rutherford is the Co-founder of Marathon Data, which measures revenue from brand-building efforts. He also co-founded Chubbies Shorts, a men’s apparel brand, and Loop, a software company that streamlines the returns and exchanges process for e-commerce brands. Before exiting Chubbies, Preston grew the brand to $100 million, drove over one billion video views, garnered four million social media followers, and became the most-viewed men’s apparel brand on social media.

Performance marketing is a useful strategy for generating and measuring initial clicks, leads, and conversions, but it doesn’t foster audience engagement or retain consumers long-term. Similarly, while ROAS measures efficiency from these ad campaigns, it fails to measure their engagement across channels. What metrics should brands track, and how can they shift from direct response and performance marketing to brand engagement?

Multimillion-dollar brand builder Preston Rutherford warns that focusing solely on ROAS stunts long-term goals; instead, brands should track effectiveness metrics that measure customer lifetime value. You can acquire and retain customers through brand-building and awareness campaigns that leverage engagement-driven content. Each content piece you produce or share establishes your reputation, so you should create campaigns intentionally to build a resonant brand story.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Up Arrow Podcast as William Harris chats with Preston Rutherford, the Co-founder of Marathon Data, about creating brand marketing content. Preston explains the 95 rule, how he recovered his brand from bankruptcy, and his engaging text and email marketing approach.

Andrew Youderian is the Founder of eCommerceFuel, a vetted community of seven- and eight-figure sellers. Having launched and sold several e-commerce stores, he has experience in SEO, organic and content marketing, and community building. Andrew also hosts The eCommerceFuel Podcast, which features e-commerce thought leaders.

Many entrepreneurs believe that achieving a nine-figure exit is the ultimate goal, but the pursuit often comes with significant trade-offs. The relentless focus on scaling at all costs can lead to burnout, strained personal relationships, and an imbalance between work and life. How can you build a winning e-commerce brand without sacrificing your time and energy?

As an eCommerce business builder, Andrew Youderian argues that financial freedom should be about achieving a fulfilling and balanced life rather than simply accumulating wealth. Building a durable and resilient e-commerce brand requires focusing on high-quality products, exceptional customer service, and authentic brand connections. Entrepreneurs who prioritize these elements can create sustainable businesses that thrive, even in highly competitive markets. Andrew also highlights the importance of operational efficiency, recommending that business owners stay lean and avoid unnecessary overhead that can hinder long-term growth.

In today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris hosts Andrew Youderian, the Founder of eCommerceFuel, to discuss building strong e-commerce stores to achieve financial freedom. Andrew explores AI’s potential to enhance e-commerce websites, the importance of maintaining conviction in your efforts, and allocating efforts throughout various areas of your life.

Sarah Carusona is a Fractional CMO and Head of Growth at MentorPass, which matches startups with vetted mentors who have launched and scaled consumer product companies. As an e-commerce leader, she has driven profitable growth by overseeing $200 million in media across performance and traditional channels, managing holistic retention programs, and spearheading website merchandising and CRO. Before MentorPass, Sarah was the Director of eCommerce at OluKai, an eCommerce Growth Strategist at Common Thread Collective, and the Director of Media Buying at Tier 11.

When managing digital advertising, businesses often rely on outdated strategies like tweaking campaign settings in hopes of driving results. However, this approach overlooks the role of content quality and product strategy in achieving sustainable growth. So how can businesses effectively scale beyond the limits of traditional media buying tactics?

E-commerce consultant Sarah Carusona explains that modern growth relies on a combination of innovative product launches and compelling storytelling. Brands must focus on creating excitement through consistent new product releases and engaging narratives that capture consumer interest. By shifting their efforts from micromanaging ad accounts to developing robust marketing calendars and creative strategies, companies can build long-term success. Sarah also stresses the importance of moving beyond short-term fixes and reactive problem-solving toward proactive planning for future growth.

In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris chats with Sarah Carusona, a Fractional CMO and Head of Growth at MentorPass, about strategies for profitable brand growth. Sarah explains how to obtain founder buy-in for content strategies, why you shouldn’t rely solely on UGC and TikTok Shop, and her attribution system for content-driven sales.

Brad Hoos is the CEO of The Outloud Group, a global influencer marketing agency. Brad and his team have worked with hundreds of eight- and nine-figure brands, including Athletic Greens, NerdWallet, and SimpliSafe. As a former management consultant and business builder, he has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Forbes.

When working with influencers, brands either select a single influencer to create content on one platform or choose creators who advocate for any brand without consistent loyalty. This can compromise brand integrity and consumer trust, leading companies to believe influencer marketing isn’t worth the investment. How can you capitalize on influencers who will promote and advocate for your brand?

Influencer marketing specialist Brad Hoos maintains that low-quality influencers ruin a brand’s reputation, especially when targeting consumers on social media. He says to identify creators who have invested in their audience’s interests to establish a loyal following. These influencers understand how to create content that adds value and positions your products as top performers in the market. You can also select creators by evaluating their CPA and performance metrics in specific categories.

In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris sits down with Brad Hoos, the CEO of The Outloud Group, to discuss influencer marketing strategies to promote your brand. Brad explains the difference between brand advocacy and voice, how to expand into new markets using adjacent targeting, and AI’s role in the influencer marketing space.

Curtis Matsko is the Founder and CEO of Portland Leather Goods, a DTC high-quality leather goods company. He built the brand out of his garage, scaling it from zero to over $100 million in yearly revenue. As a serial entrepreneur and digital marketing expert, Curtis has worked in design production, marketing, and customer service.

When scaling your business, it’s essential to recognize that what got you from zero to $10 million won’t get you from $10 to $100 million. Significant revenue jumps entail higher costs and larger operations, so relying on your previous successes will only hinder you. How can you break through the glass ceilings of growth?

As a self-proclaimed e-commerce genius, Curtis Matsko launched his brand out of his garage and scaled it to $150 million. He maintains that steady growth begins with in-house production to create high-quality products that drive sales and foster customer loyalty. As your customer base grows, you can build products that generate customer lifetime value and acquire new customers. Another aspect of profitable growth involves building a team that can grow with your business. This requires hiring candidates whose personal and professional goals align with desired positions by conducting thorough interviews that emphasize key personality traits and experiences.

In today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Curtis Matsko, the Founder and CEO of Portland Leather Goods, to talk about creating a foundation for profitable long-term growth. Curtis explains how to build a solid customer retention cycle, how he created Craigslist ads to acquire talent, and how overcoming alcohol addiction influenced his growth and decision-making mindset.

Jimmy Slagle is the Co-founder of EVA, an AI creative strategist for e-commerce brands. He is also the Co-founder and CEO of generAI, which helps businesses implement AI-powered strategies. As an expert in creating and scaling ads for Fortune 500 companies, Jimmy began his career scaling Instagram accounts before founding a TikTok agency and working with major clients like Amazon and Lyft.

Creators in e-commerce companies often select a single AI tool for their ads or content and are met with limited or recycled outputs. As AI becomes a trend that can hinder or accelerate business growth, how can you harness this technology to gain a competitive edge?

According to AI developer Jimmy Slagle, AI tools must be trained to produce founder- and creator-led content that advances creativity. You can leverage various AI-driven tools to develop a cohesive output and strategy. For instance, Google AI Studio allows you to upload video files to create high-performing ads customized to your brand strategy by mimicking your creative process. This tool can also identify areas for improvement in each campaign. Additionally, Claude provides tips for creating viral social media content and measuring it against competitors.

In today’s episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris chats with Jimmy Slagle, the Co-founder of EVA, about strategic methods for leveraging AI in e-commerce. Jimmy shares ethical and unethical uses of AI, how to create AI-powered UGC, and how he scaled and flipped Instagram accounts in high school.

Christian Limon is the former Chief Growth Officer at Wish, which was the top spending advertiser on Google and Facebook. He was also the Chief Growth Officer at Tubi and Gemini. Throughout his career, Christian has achieved five exits and $28 billion in IPO and M&A proceeds. He has launched 20 apps and led 33 more apps on growth and monetization.

Data-driven marketing and advertising has become a trend, with advertisers misunderstanding information and leveraging surface-level data to fit their narratives. How can companies implement data effectively to become top performers on high-traffic platforms?

While algorithms on platforms like Meta and Google can help generate ideas, you shouldn’t use them to structure your entire campaign. For instance, you may notice your algorithms targeting one audience group while your sales rates suggest higher engagement levels among another audience group. Having led one of the top advertisers on Meta and Google, Christian Limon suggests identifying the micro and macro factors impacting your campaign, like the economy, consumer preferences, and platform popularity, to match demand.

In the latest episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris chats with Christian Limon about advertising on Meta and Google beyond leveraging data-driven insights. Christian shares his experience scaling multiple brands, the latest investment and Bitcoin trends, and common advertising misconceptions.