Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin from Common Thread Collective host one of the most data-driven ecommerce podcasts out there. The Ecommerce Playbook pulls from CTC's portfolio of DTC brands to deliver insights that are backed by real numbers, not just vibes. If you've ever wanted a peek behind the curtain of an agency managing millions in ad spend across multiple brands, this is your show. The dynamic between Taylor and Richard works well. Taylor is the big-picture strategist who gets fired up about forecasting models and financial frameworks, while Richard keeps the conversation grounded and accessible. Their back-and-forth feels natural, like you're sitting in on an internal strategy meeting that happens to be recorded. Episodes drop weekly and tend to be timely. When Meta changes its algorithm, they're talking about it. When a new shopping season approaches, they're laying out planning frameworks. The show really shines during peak retail periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when Taylor and Richard share real-time data from their client portfolio about what's working and what's falling flat. The focus is squarely on DTC brands running paid media, particularly on Meta and Google. If that's your world, this podcast is incredibly valuable. The hosts aren't afraid to challenge conventional wisdom or call out strategies they think are overhyped. It's opinionated in the best way -- you'll disagree sometimes, but you'll always think harder about your own approach afterward.