Customer Growth Sessions
Welcome to Customer Growth Sessions, presented by Intergrowth. Join host Pat Ahern, Managing Partner at Intergrowth, as we discuss techniques to build and scale systems that boost profitability for up-and-coming ecommerce businesses.
Episodes
"You just gotta keep going and you gotta not be afraid of change, 'cause things change... You just kinda gotta go with it." — Bill McHenry
In this episode, Bill McHenry, Founder and CEO of Widgeteer, shares a practical framework for e-commerce and housewares brands looking to navigate two decades of product ideation, evolution, and scaling without getting trapped by costly supply chain and currency pitfalls. Bill explains wh...
What does it really take to stand out in today's crowded online marketplaces? In this episode, Ilya Perov, E-commerce Executive at Aquacadabra, shares the strategies behind building marketplace listings that don't just rank, but convert. From choosing between Amazon, eBay, and emerging marketplaces to creating product listings that sell an experience rather than just a product, Ilya breaks down the practical frameworks brands can u...
In this episode, Brenden Delarua, Co-Founder of Stella, shares a practical framework for e-commerce brands looking to scale their paid acquisition without burning capital on non-incremental ad spend. Brenden explains why relying solely on traditional metrics like ROAS or CPA can misrepresent true business health, introducing the "food truck analogy" to differentiate between marketing that actually d...
In this episode, Donald (Joe) Jacobsen, Founder and CEO of Knight Eagle Consulting (KECS), shares a practical framework for businesses looking to expand into international markets without making costly mistakes. Joe explains why successful global expansion starts with understanding market viability, cultural differences, customer demand, and operational readiness rather than simply choosing a new country to...
In this episode, Alex Dean, Founder of Adhere To, shares the journey of building a sustainable outerwear brand that combines technical performance, modern design, and ethical manufacturing. Drawing from her experience in product development, Alex explains how she identified a gap in the market and set out to create premium rainwear and outerwear that delivers both functionality and style without compromising environmental responsib...
In this episode, Carla Titus, Founder of Wealth and Worth Within, breaks down the financial fundamentals every e-commerce business owner should understand to build a more profitable and sustainable company. Using a simplified financial model, Carla walks through the key metrics behind scaling from $100,000 to $750,000 in annual revenue, explaining how founders can improve margins, negotiate better supplier pricing, manage operating...
In this episode, Michael McRae, co-founder of Two Dudes, shares how the brand is redefining men's skincare by challenging outdated stereotypes and making self-care more approachable through humor, authenticity, and purpose-driven branding. He discusses the strategies that helped Two Dudes stand out in a crowded market, from building a memorable brand identity to creating meaningful connect...
AI is changing the way consumers discover products online.
In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern, Managing Partner at Intergrowth, shares practical strategies for helping ecommerce brands improve their visibility in Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI-powered search experiences. As more consumers turn to tools like ChatGPT for product recommendations, businesses need to ensure their websites provide the information...
Building a successful brand starts with understanding your audience.
In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Noah Arias, CEO and co-founder of Bloomers, to discuss how the company has built a loyal customer base by serving an often-overlooked demographic with products focused on comfort, confidence, and inclusivity.
Noah shares insights on marketing to older consumers, building community-driven loyalty...
Breaking into a tradition-bound industry requires more than just a great product; it demands the right business model. In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Brian Ellwood, the CFO and COO of Apex Ski Boots, to discuss the company’s dramatic evolution from a wholesale-reliant brand to a direct-to-consumer (D2C) hybrid success story.
Brian opens up about stepping into ...
What happens when a deeply personal family crisis meets a massive demographic shift? In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Jimmy Zollo, Co-Founder and CEO of Joe & Bella, to discuss how he pivoted from a successful career at Grubhub to building a purpose-driven adaptive apparel brand that is changing how we care for our aging loved ones.
In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Brian Schmidt, co-founder of Hoop and former product leader at Trello and Atlassian. Brian shares his fascinating journey from working as a big law corporate litigator in New York City during the Madoff and housing crises to completely transitioning into the world of software development.
The core of the discussion centers on navigating startup pivots, understand...
In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Tino Dietrich, founder and CEO of SNYDER Golf USA, about his entrepreneurial journey from organizing local golf tournaments in Germany to expanding an international brand.
Tino shares lessons learned from scaling a business across global markets, adapting operations for different customer needs, and navigating the logistics challenges tha...
In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Meng Wang, founder of Our Little Treasures, about her innovative approach to sustainable baby clothing and building a purpose-driven brand.
Meng shares how the brand’s Trade-Up program encourages sustainability by giving parents a way to exchange outgrown baby clothes while reducing waste. She also discusses the logistics behind running the program, the challe...
In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern speaks with Stefanie “Steffi” Schmidt, founder of Fig for Kids, about her journey from corporate lawyer to e-commerce entrepreneur.
Steffi shares how her mother’s cancer diagnosis led her family to rethink everyday products and ultimately inspired her to launch Fig for Kids, a children’s clothing brand focused on safer, thoughtfully made apparel. She als...
What if landing features in top-tier publications didn’t require a pricey PR agency? Pat Ahern reveals a smarter, more scalable approach to digital PR using expert commentary. Instead of chasing relationships, brands can earn consistent media coverage by identifying the citation sources that LLMs regularly pull from, such as industry publications and third-party review sites. By getting cited...
In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with James Kirkby from Kirkby Consulting to discuss the shift from Google and Amazon searches to conversational queries in LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini. James explains why establishing authority in these models now acts as a critical hedge against changing consumer behavior.
James breaks down the essential "levers" for LLM optimization, including the use of structure...
He built an $8.5M company in two years—then lost everything. Now he’s rebuilding from zero, on his own terms.
In this episode of Customer Growth Sessions, Pat Ahern sits down with Jeremy Petersen from Identity Pet Nutrition to discuss what it really takes to rebuild a company after failure—and why he’s choosing to do it without investors, big salaries, or shortcuts.
Jeremy shares the story behind his first c...
We welcome back Mason Duling for his second appearance to discuss the continued journey of building Almost Manic, a mental health-focused apparel brand rooted in storytelling and purpose. Mason shares insights from producing the *Beyond the Blur* docu-series, highlighting the connection between endurance racing and mental resilience.
He also touches on the realities of content creation, the value of strong creative partnerships, an...
What if landing features in top-tier publications didn’t require a pricey PR agency?
Pat Ahern reveals a smarter, more scalable approach to digital PR using expert commentary. Instead of chasing relationships or relying on unpredictable traditional PR methods, brands can earn consistent media coverage by responding directly to journalists' requests. We explore how platforms like HARO, MentionMatch, and Qwoted unlock opp...
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