Operators

Runneth

Skio

Omnisend

Iris

https://9ops.co/iris

Operators Portal

Operators Newsletter

https://marketplace.walmart.com/operators

How Hulken Hit $50M Without Raising: Founder Alex Schinasi Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

“We didn’t actually choose them. They chose us.”

Can a bootstrapped brand enter Target and Costco while still growing DTC?

Alex Schinasi (Co-Founder & President, Hulken) joins Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) to unpack how a two-time SaaS founder built a ~$50M rolling tote brand without raising money.

She had raised $3M for a new SaaS when Hulken hit $1M a month. A year later she exited the startup, and now nine people run the business with AI chiefs of staff. She wants a brand that lasts decades, yet she still moves at software speed.

Walmart

Alia

https://hubs.la/Q04zdpBQ0

AfterShip

https://9ops.co/AfterShip

Podqi

https://9ops.co/7zz1ux

AppLovin

https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth

https://applovin.com/9operators

5 Things Every CMO Wishes CEOs Knew But Will Never Say to Your Face Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

“Some businesses aren’t ready for great CMOs.”

What do CMOs need from their CEOs but never say out loud?

MacCoy Merkley (CMO, Portland Leather Goods), Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Jason Panzer (President, HexClad), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) unpack 5 truths CMOs won’t say to the boss’s face, and what CEOs lose by ignoring them.

MacCoy took a $13K-a-year job off Craigslist and now leads marketing at a nearly $250M brand. HexClad still has no CMO, so Jason and its co-founders carry the role themselves. Hand the keys to the wrong hire, and the blame lands long before the results do.

Fulfil

Richpanel

https://9ops.co/northbeam

Northbeam

Saras Analytics

https://9ops.co/saras

Postscript

⁠https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators⁠

Aftersell

Operators Portal

Operators Newsletter

https://www.irisfinance.co/operators

10 Elements of a Winning Offer & How to Test Them: Operators Build (E9) Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

“A great offer makes the customer feel stupid for saying no.”

How do you know your offer is wrong before the market tells you?

Jordan Menard (Co-Founder, Instant Hydration) and Lina Fahizul (Chief Ovary Officer, Freelance) join this episode to put Winks’ pricing, promotion, and pitch on trial. The payoff is a 10-element offer playbook any DTC brand can steal.

1. Not just price or discounts

2. Fits how the product is used

3. One customer + one problem

4. Adds value before discounts

5. Tackles your top objections

6. Gives a reason to buy “now”

7. Priced right for your market

8. Your most-valuable customer

9. Built for orders 2, 3, 4, etc.

10. Profitable unit economics

It starts from a simple claim: Your discount gives away margin once. Jordan catches the founders without an answer for the CAC they can afford. Lina shows why making moms feel bad wins the click and loses the customer. Today's “winning” offer could lose money for months.

Iris

Omnisend

https://9ops.co/outersignal

OuterSignal

Richpanel

Runneth

Skio

Operators Portal

Operators Newsletter

How to Position Your Brand & Products: 5 Ways to Win Against “Better” Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

“Better is probably the worst word you could use in marketing.”

How can a DTC brand stand out in a category full of identical promises?

Matt Orlić (Co-Founder, Qure Skincare) joins Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) and Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) to break down why brand positioning beats a better product. Each story shows how a brand can win a crowded category without inventing anything new.

Qure’s water filters beat Jolie’s on technology and patents, yet Orlić can’t out-position them. Mike explains how Yeti took Thermos’s 1800s vacuum insulation and sold it for cold drinks. Once a position works, competitors move in, and the founders debate how to hold it.

Saras Analytics

https://9ops.co/saras

Postscript

https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators

Aftersell

Richpanel

Fulfil

https://9ops.co/northbeam

Northbeam

Operators Portal

Operators Newsletter

https://9ops.co/aftersell

Our Ecommerce Marketing Strategy vs. Real Data: Operators Build (E8) Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

“We know how to run ads. This is a playbook.”

How should you market a new DTC brand in its first six weeks?

Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi), Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty), and Curtis Christopherson (Chief Growth Officer, Ammortal) hold the Winks marketing plan up against the results since launch.

They built the brand for moms, yet men keep showing up to buy. Meta CPMs hit $800 until a free account fix and a smaller budget turned them around. Now creators and credible doctors have to bring CAC down to $100 before they scale.

Aftersell

Skio

Omnisend

https://9ops.co/outersignal

OuterSignal

Richpanel

Runneth

Operators Portal

Operators Newsletter

https://www.9operators.com/paid-growth

Away’s CEO & New DTC Playbook: Amazon, TikTok Shop, and 300% Over Plan Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

“It’s about closing the imagination gap, not what it can do.”

Jessica Schinazi (CEO, Away) joins Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Curtis Matsko (CEO, Portland Leather Goods) to break down how she took the reins of a decade-old DTC pioneer and opened it to new channels in 18 months.

Away builds luggage to last 7 to 10 years, which Jessica calls a horrible business model. She chases new buyers: Up to 9% of her Amazon category and a $400 suitcase sold out on TikTok Shop. Now she has to bring each customer home before a day-one startup steals them.

Podqi

https://9ops.co/podqi

AppLovin

https://applovin.com/9operators

Shoplift

https://shoplift.ai/operators

Shiphero

https://9ops.co/shiphero-titans

He Grew 4X as a Solo Founder. Now TJ Bongiorno (Outgoing Co) Has to Learn to Say No! Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

“You can have anything you want, but you can’t have it all at once.”

Should you raise money when your only problem is working capital?

Help an Operator Out (HAOO) is a series where real business owners join the podcast with live questions. In this episode, TJ Bongiorno (Founder, The Outgoing Co) brings two questions: when to raise capital and how to price the round. As a solo founder, he 4X’d the business to nearly $4M in a year.

Nearly 90% of TJ’s revenue comes from powder, yet his cans perform 100X better on TikTok Shop. The hosts push him to choose which product leads his pitch. Matt makes the case for a price where investors win easily. Caught between seed funds and VCs, TJ needs a deal the right investors will take.

Postscript

https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators

Aftersell

Richpanel

Fulfil

https://9ops.co/northbeam

Northbeam

Saras Analytics

https://9ops.co/saras

Operators Portal

Operators Newsletter

Every AI Tool We’re Using & 4 Pillars to Guide You: Operators Build (E7) Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

“They’re the most capable ever, but not trained on your business.”

What pillars should every AI-first brand build, and which one comes first?

Matt Bertulli (Founder, Pela Case & Lomi) and Cody Plofker (Advisor & fmr. CEO, Jones Road Beauty) open up the playbook behind Winks, a brand where AI does the grunt work and humans make the calls. Piece by piece, they break down the four components that make that split work.

1. Company brain: Context, memory, skills

2. Operating system (OS): Human interface

3. Software and tools: Existing tech, SaaS

4. Agents: Researcher, writer, analyst, etc.

The era of “prompt engineering” is over. Company context lets agents upload ads and match landing pages without being told twice. Yet AI tools still misread research, which leaves one question: How much can you trust them?

Richpanel

Runneth

Skio

Omnisend

https://9ops.co/tbarpartners

TBAR Partners

OuterSignal

https://9ops.co/outersignal

Operators Portal

Operators Newsletter

https://9ops.co/aftersell-operators

How to Create Buying Moments: Give People a Reason to Buy All Year Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

“You’re never gonna make a big impact on Black Friday.”

Should you worry if frequent promotions will hurt your brand equity?

Sean Frank (CEO, Ridge), Matt Bertulli (CEO, Pela Case and Lomi), and Mike Beckham (CEO, Simple Modern) break down how Ridge manufactures demand instead of waiting for it. A slow summer becomes an 8-figure-plus sales season, anchored by a Lamborghini sweepstakes with Tony Hawk.

Sean walks through how the campaign evolved from a $100K MVP into a five year, celebrity backed giveaway with a grand prize built in. He explains why a 45-day window beats trying to own a single day like Black Friday. The hosts continue to cover why a wider product catalog creates more natural sales peaks throughout the year.

Aftersell

Richpanel

Fulfil

https://www.northbeam.io/

Northbeam

Saras Analytics https://9ops.co/saras

Postscript