Retention.com

True marketers know the constant battle of fighting for budget approvals especially when time’s not on your side. But Justin Bomberowitz ?? absolutely crushed it with his Super Bowl recipe content featuring WILDE CHIPS. What’s even more impressive? This campaign wasn’t even part of the original budget. Justin and his team pulled it together in less than 20 days and delivered incredible results. Hundreds of thousands of impressions, thousands of clicks, and 400+ new subscriptions on their top two items. It’s a perfect example of why strong relationships with your creators, partners, and execs matter. The creativity and speed with which this campaign came together show that sometimes it’s all about seizing the moment, thinking outside the box, and staying agile. Big congrats to Justin and the team for proving that quick thinking and strong collaboration can lead to massive success. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

Sales can happen anywhere, as long as you're always in "sell mode." Take this story from Adam Lebowitz at Mugsy who sold a client while in a hot tub on a ski trip. I mean, who wouldn't want to talk sales while hanging out in a hottub, right!? But seriously, these random situations can actually lead to long-term sales. You never know when your next deal is going to close. ??

Almost three weeks ago, Founders Only had the privilege of hosting an unforgettable Charity Casino Night fundraiser to support those affected by the devastating LA wildfires and raised thousands for the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. Justin Silver, Taara Sajnani and I along with our amazing executive committee Ovadia Labaton Monica Warek Ola Kulynych Debbie Kemunto Pearce Daniel Nelson and Caroline Vincent brought together over 200 Ecommerce Founders and Executives for this magical night. A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors: Platinum sponsor Rivo, Gold sponsors Capacity, Retention.com Nostra AI and Silver sponsor Rho! ?? Highlights: Amazing casino games, including blackjack, roulette, and craps Donations from our attendees, sponsors and of course our winners! A shared commitment to helping those affected by the LA fires We couldn’t be prouder of the community we've built, support we received, and we’re grateful to everyone who attended and contributed. While the night was filled with fun, the true win was the impact we’re making together for those in need. #Foundersonly007 #Foundersonly #Casinonightfundraiser #Casinonight #Ecommercefounders #Commmunity https://lnkd.in/e6HuEYYe

The dust has settled on Retention.com's annual offsite. I just about avoided any Mexican sunburn and came away even more energized for whats in store for 2025! 4 days of fun: - Golf with Walker Stroud Jacquie Gray Eddie Jameson - Runs with Colin McLean Kyle Standaert Adam Robinson - Gym sessions with Jules Taylor and Ashai Londhe. - Whole company cycles, swims, boat trips, drinks, food and a bit of work.. Best of all I had the pleasure of promoting David Cimaglia to Head of SMB and Agency Sales! Massively deserved, DC is called the ?? for a reason! Until next year ????

Absolutely love this perspective on ROAS and growth from Preston ?? Rutherford Rutherford on the Chubbies Shorts’ IPO journey. I couldn’t agree more with the point about “the brand that gets remembered is the brand that gets bought.” It's such a crucial shift in mindset that too many marketers overlook. Focusing only on short-term efficiency metrics like ROAS can keep a brand small because it leads to chasing the immediate sale, rather than building lasting relationships. In the past, we've seen how vanity metrics can mislead us into making decisions that aren't truly driving long-term value. We've all been there. Getting caught up in the excitement of hitting high ROAS numbers, only to realize later that those numbers are built on over-harvesting existing customers. This not only limits growth but also harms our ability to acquire new customers and grow our businesses sustainably. Like you, I’ve been having more conversations with marketing leaders from many enterprise level brands, and it’s clear that many are still focused on short-term metrics like ROI, ROAS, and immediate returns. But those who are starting to look beyond those metrics and truly understand their customers' needs, investing in relationships and customer lifetime value (LTV), are the ones seeing real, sustainable growth. We need to step back from the instant-gratification model of marketing and start focusing on what truly builds lasting value: building genuine relationships with customers and creating memorable experiences that will keep them coming back. Here’s to making 2025 the year we prioritize long-term vision, customer trust, and building a brand that people remember! Thanks Preston, for the reminder.

In less than 10 years, I’ve taken startups $0-$10M ARR twice as the ONLY salesperson. And I’m doing it for a third time with RB2B.? Here are the 8 biggest pieces of advice I’d give to ANYBODY in startup sales: 1. Set Weekly Targets (not Monthly or Quarterly) Weekly targets will drive the right sales activities and behaviors from Monday-Friday.? You need to create urgency for yourself to get that ONE EXTRA meeting in or push that ONE EXTRA deal to close by Friday at 5pm.? 2. Put in the Manual Work YOURSELF You will learn a lot by hunting for your own leads on Linkedin and learning the landscape of your market. Book calls with others in the industry to learn, send the messages yourself to see responses, and ask for feedback when someone tells you no. DO NOT outsource this early stage work (to other humans or AI). It’s the foundation of your future growth.? 3. Hire a sales assistant before another sales person In addition to the above point, you must truly maximize the amount of work YOU can do prior to hiring more sales talent.? You need to continue to see the full picture and minimize hand offs. A sales assistant will handle the admin work so you can sell more. 4. Sales is a process- stick to it There will be ups and downs, good days and bad.? You will get the odd email of someone telling you to F OFF.? Stick to the process and you will never have 3 bad days in a row. 5. Track your success Create a dashboard that you and EVERYONE else at the company can check on at any time.? Hold yourself accountable and let others hold you accountable as well. 6. Less Talk / More Action Stop talking about the pitch and start doing it.? The real feedback will be in performance.? If you want to try a new position or pricing, don’t overthink it and just start pitching it and see if it lands. 7. Be Curious Every prospect, touchpoint and call is a learning opportunity and people like helping people.? Ask questions about your prospect’s? business and prepare questions for feedback on how they plan to utilize your product.? There is ALWAYS more to learn. 8. Figure out your Why What is it that YOU are building for? You need to have a WHY in sales as there will be a lot of hard days. For me, it was my kids. I had just gotten pregnant when we started Retention.com. For you, it could be money. A new house. To become the best version of yourself. But you need to find your WHY. Have any questions about startup sales? AMA anything in the comments ??

Sometimes, the simplest emails work the best. This one was timely, personalized based on what I was looking for, and short & sweet. No heavy creative, no flashy graphics—just a real person behind the message, not AI-generated fluff. Perfect remarketing effort. It got straight to the point and included a screenshot that felt authentic. Big shoutout to Marc-Anthony Santana or Nala Hanna (whoever was behind this idea) for making it happen. I added this to my Valentine's purchase without a second thought. Proof that sometimes, less is more. PS. Don't tell my wife and ruin the surprise.

Selling the wrong benefit can kill your brand. Take CELSIUS, for example. I’m sure you know their energy drinks—they're everywhere these days. However, before their billion-dollar success, they spent far too long repeating the same message over and over again: “BURN CALORIES!” But here’s the problem with that approach: 1 - Confusion: How does a drink actually burn calories? 2 - Embarrassment: Would you really want to carry that around? 3 - Sacrifice of flavor: The can said little about flavor, focusing solely on calorie burning. Essentially, Celsius only attracted those willing to sacrifice and diet instead of those looking to enjoy themselves and feel healthy. Those are two separate markets. So they changed their focus, and you can see this reflected in their new can: 1 - Enjoyment: Flavor now takes center stage. 2 - Pride: A premium design paired with the new “Live Fit” tagline. 3 - Health: Health claims are smaller and more refined. Think of it like a conversation. Celsius used to start with a bold health claim, which often turned people off. Now, they open with enjoyment and lifestyle first. Once people are intrigued, the health claims come into play, making them feel good about their choice. Fast forward to last year: Celsius netted a whopping $1.3 billion in revenue. SHOUTOUT to CMO Kyle Watson who was also named one of the year’s Most Innovative CMOs by Business Insider! So, don’t ask yourself, “What makes me unique?” Instead, ask, “Am I meeting people where they are?” That distinction is everything. Key Takeaways: - Focus on the benefits that resonate with your audience. - Design your messaging to encourage connection and engagement. - Adapt your approach to align with consumer desires and lifestyles. What changes have you made to better meet your audience where they are?

MacCoy Merkley, CMO of Portland Leather Goods, is 100% right when it comes to creative testing. Marketers often get caught up in small details like choosing between a blue or green CTA button. Sure, it’s important, but honestly, who cares about that as much as we think? The real focus should be creating experiences that truly resonate with your audience. Prioritize education, value, and making someone's life easier first. Think about how your content impacts your customers. Are you helping them? Are you providing real value? Understand your audience deeply. Don’t just guess. Interview them. Ask them if your content is providing the value they need or connecting with them in the way you intend. All the "visual testing" and tweaking will only matter after you’ve nailed the real heart of the customer experience. Get the fundamentals right, and the rest will follow.

The LA area has played such a crucial role in my journey, and I want to find ways to give back and help in any way I can. If anyone knows of any local charities in the LA area that are making a real impact, I’d love to hear your suggestions. I’m looking for organizations that need support right now. Mike Beckham, I’m tagging you here as I know you have a good sense of the local efforts happening. Please join me in keeping everyone in these impacted communities in your thoughts and hearts. They need support and will continue to benefit from all of us behind them as they recover from this unimaginable destruction.