This episode of Scalability School explores how DTC founders can leverage debt as a strategic growth tool rather than a dangerous crutch. Zach, Brad, and Andrew walk through the math every media buyer should understand before scaling (EPCs, conversion rates, AOVs, margins), highlight why inventory-backed debt can be the smartest use of capital, and break down how to model financials in a way that impresses lenders. The episode blends media buying fundamentals (math, margins, bundling strategy) with financial strategy (when and how to use debt, what lenders look for, and how to avoid financial “fuckups”).

Key Takeaways:

• The math (CPCs, CVRs, AOVs) you need to know before spending a single dollar on Facebook ads

• Understanding the hidden costs that will erode your true margins and must be worked into your modeling

• The importance of negotiating everything to improve margins before raising prices?

• How building out this team offshore can be one of the highest-ROI scaling moves for your brand

• The one thing that convinced Hollow’s founders that debt was a better option than raising equity

• How to you convince lenders to fund a young, $1M brand (and the data they really want to see).

• The big reason robust financial models essential even for early-stage brands

• Are you using debt this way? 3 of the most dangerous ways brands misuse debt

• The #1 rule when working with lenders

This episode is sponsored by Wayflyer, a smarter way to use debt for growth. To learn more about them and how they may be able to help your brand grow head here to learn more.

To connect with Andrew Foxwell send an email Andrew@foxwelldigital.com

To connect with Brad Ploch send him a DM.

To connect with Zach Stuck send him a DM

Learn More about the Foxwell Founders Community head here to learn more.

Episode 9 speed-runs the biggest retention levers brands can pull to increase revenue growth and improve order volume. They debunk deliverability myths (image–text ratios, why adding real text helps), along with comparing the differences of plain-text vs image-heavy emails. Jacob Sappington also clarifies Klaviyo vs GA vs ad platform attribution and how Klaviyo’s new active-profile enforcement curbs old billing “hacks."

Key Takeaways:

• The single change to a pop-up that can spike opt-ins and orders immediately
• Why you should change the pop-up and not your flows first
• Offer vs build vs creative: how should you weight each for mobile pop-ups
• Why this one thing is likely killing your Landing Page's performance to convert.
• How your traffic source may be affecting your conversion rate
• The easy setup mistakes that are likely throttling the performance of your email flows
• The magic number of how often 7- and 8-figure brands should email and text without burning the list
• Are third-party identity tools worth the risk and which safer paths exist

To learn more about the Scalability School Podcast or listen to other episodes head to https://scalabilityschool.com

To Connect with Jacob Sappington send him a DM at https://x.com/jsappington

To connect with Andrew Foxwell send an email Andrew@foxwelldigital.com

To connect with Brad Ploch send him a DM at https://x.com/brad_ploch

To connect with Zach Stuck send him a DM at https://x.com/zachmstuck

Learn More about the Foxwell Founders Community at https://foxwellfounders.com/

This episode breaks down actionable strategies and growth frameworks used by successful e-commerce brands to scale from zero to eight figures in revenue. It dives into high-impact marketing tactics, team building for growth, and the mindset shifts required to operate at scale. The conversation highlights key levers for media buyers, including creative testing, audience segmentation, and ROI optimization, alongside operational insights for e-commerce operators on process, culture, and technology that support scaling effectively.

• How media buyers optimize creative testing to scale faster.

• Why audience segmentation strategies hve proven to deliver the highest ROI at scale.

• The KPIs that are critical for measuring success beyond just ROAS during rapid growth.

• How organizational culture plays into sustaining e-commerce scale and growth.

• They key ways operators balance automation with personalization in customer experience.

• The number 1 pitfall brands face when scaling paid media, and how it can be avoided

• How team structure evolves as an e-commerce brand grows from startup to multi-million dollar revenue.

Learn more about the Scalability School Podcast or listen to other episodes head to https://scalabilityschool.com

To connect with Andrew Foxwell send an email Andrew@foxwelldigital.com

To connect with Brad Ploch send him a DM at https://x.com/brad_ploch

To connect with Zach Stuck send him a DM at https://x.com/zachmstuck

Learn More about the Foxwell Founders Community at https://foxwellfounders.com/