Beyond The Now
Inside the minds behind today's fastest-growing eCommerce brands with Liam Millward, Instant CEO & Co-Founder.
Episodes
The Secret Marketing Strategy Liquid Death, Hermes, and Apple Have in Common
In this episode of Beyond the Now, Louis Monoyudis, Harvard mythology graduate and 5x CMO, sits down with Liam Millward to break down why the brands winning long-term aren't competing on features, price, or even creative. They're competing on belief.They dive into:Why leading with features and benefits is a race to the bottomWhat Liquid Death, Hermes, and Apple understand that most brands don'tHow
How Cuts Survived Every DTC Cycle with COO Sean Christman
Sean Christman has been at Cuts since almost day one, joining after buying one of the brand’s very first Kickstarter t-shirts and eventually becoming COO.In this episode of Beyond the Now, Sean sits down with Liam Millward to break down what it actually takes to survive nearly a decade in ecommerce through every major cycle: the golden age of DTC, iOS 14, the COVID-era, and now the rise of AI.They
How Windsor Is Preparing for AI to Change eCommerce
AI is rapidly changing how people discover and shop for products online.In this episode, we sit down with Freya Seeger, Sr. Director of Ecommerce at Windsor Fashions, to discuss how one of the top fashion brands in the U.S. is preparing for the shift toward AI-driven commerce.Freya shares her experience leading ecommerce across Zalando SE, UNITED NUDE, and now Windsor, where she oversees global ec
How the #1 Beauty Brand on TikTok Shop Drove Explosive Growth
Most brands are still treating TikTok like a content channel.The best ones are turning it into a revenue engine.In this episode, Liam sits down with Emela Husic, who helped scale goPure into the #1 Beauty Brand on TikTok Shop, to break down exactly how TikTok Shop drove explosive growth.We get into:How one viral video changed the trajectory of the companyHow to turn TikTok Shop into a full-funnel
How Liquid I.V. Went From Unknown to a $1 Billion Brand
How does a brand go from something no one understands… to a $1B category leader?Domonique Brown had a front-row seat. She joined Liquid I.V. as employee #12, when the brand was doing under $20M in revenue. Today, she’s the most tenured employee, having helped scale the company through hypergrowth, acquisition by Unilever, and global expansion.In this episode, we break down what it actually takes t
What High Price Point Brands Get Right About Growth (Most Brands Don’t)
Most brands are chasing growth the wrong way.They’re optimizing for quick wins, cheap clicks, and short-term conversions.But when you’re selling a high price point product, that doesn’t work.In this episode, Chelsea Schulz (Former Head of Digital Marketing at Lancer Skincare) breaks down growth strategies that actually work for premium brands.We get into why high-ticket products require longer buy
How the Co-Founder of Nomad Built a Premium Brand in a Sea of Cheap Tech Accessories
Most tech accessories are a race to the bottom with cheap materials, copycat products, competing on price. But Nomad Goods took a different approach.In this episode, CEO and Co-Founder Noah Dentzel breaks down how Nomad built a premium brand in a category flooded with cheap alternatives.Noah & Liam get into:Nomad’s early Kickstarter journeyBuilding a product-first culture that actually lastsTh
Lessons from Mejuri & The RealReal: What Most DTC Brands Get Wrong About Retail
Courtney Hawkins has spent 20+ years building and scaling retail at brands like Mejuri, The RealReal, Bath & Body Works, and Gap, and now building her own advisory group, CH Retail Group.Right now, many DTC brands are moving into physical retail. In this episode, we break down what actually makes retail work and why it’s far more complex than just opening stores.Courtney and Liam get into:Why
How This Builder Used AI to Grow a “Sleepy” Business to $12M
In this episode of Beyond the Now, Liam sits down with Jonathan Shroyer from Linda’s to break down how he scaled a “sleepy” ecommerce business from $2M to $12M in just two years.Jonathan shares how he identified a $6B market opportunity, and how AI became the unlock for rapid growth, driving 25% of revenue through automated, personalized marketing.They dive into:Why “boring” industries are some of
How Patagonia Grows Without Making You Buy More, with former Digital VP Angela Clark
Patagonia is one of the most respected brands in the world.But their approach to growth breaks almost every traditional marketing playbook.Angela Clark, former VP of Digital at Patagonia, joins the podcast to talk about what it actually means to grow a business when your mission is to reduce consumption, not drive it.We get into:How Patagonia balances revenue growth with sustainabilityWhy they avo
The Real Reason Most eCommerce Brands Don’t Scale (and What the CEO of Blenders Does Differently)
Most eCommerce brands don’t fail because of tactics. They fail because they never get clear on who they are.In this episode, the CEO of Blenders breaks down what actually separates brands that scale from those that stall.After 13 years at Adidas and now leading Blenders, Jack shares a different perspective on growth, AI, and what it really takes to build a brand that lasts.We get into:Why most bra
Cuyana CMO Max Lishansky on AI, Brand Growth, & What Actually Works in Modern Marketing
In this episode, Liam sits down with Max Lishansky, CMO at Cuyana, to talk about what actually drives growth for modern brands.Max has spent nearly a decade as a CMO across direct-to-consumer companies. Earlier in his career, Max shares insights on aggressive brand growth, how companies can stand out in a crowded DTC landscape, and why many marketing “best practices” no longer work. The discussion
How ANTA and Kyrie Irving Are Shaking Up the U.S. Sneaker Market
ANTA is making waves in the U.S., and we go behind the scenes to show how. From signing NBA stars like Kyrie Irving to opening their first Beverly Hills store, ANTA is redefining sports marketing, community engagement, and global expansion.In this episode, hear from Christian Laursen, ANTA’s U.S. Head of Marketing, as he shares:* How ANTA went from 0 to 100 in just 90 days in the U.S.* The strateg
AI Is Rewriting Retention Marketing (And Growth Teams Aren't Ready)
Retention marketing is changing faster than most brands realize.In this episode, Liam sits down with Eli Weiss, VP of Retention Advocacy at Yotpo, to talk about how AI is reshaping the future of eCommerce growth. Eli shares why he believes “growth marketing is dead,” why brands may soon never need to log into Klaviyo again, and how AI is transforming personalization, experimentation, and customer
Why You’re Already Behind if You’re Not Using AI in eCommerce
In this episode, Liam sits down with Laura, former partner at Moustache Republic and one of the most influential voices in Australian eCommerce, to unpack what really drives growth for modern brands.Laura shares her journey from fashion design and eBay’s early marketplace days to scaling one of the region’s most respected Shopify agencies, and why she chose to step away to focus on advisory, board
Why Brand Still Wins in eCom (Despite our Metrics Obsession)
In this episode, we’re joined by Mal Chia, fractional CMO and co-founder of Ecom Nation, to unpack why brand still wins in eCommerce, even in a world obsessed with metrics.After years in the trenches scaling seven-figure ecom brands, Mal breaks down what the fastest-growing companies actually get right: operational discipline, deep customer understanding, and clear brand foundations that guide eve
Customers Are The New Influencers: Carmel Zein’s Bold New Strategy
Founders rarely talk honestly about the emotional grind, the pressure, and the strange mix of resilience and chaos required to survive in ecommerce. In this episode, Carmel breaks down the real story of building community, experimenting without fear and navigating rapid industry shifts while staying anchored to personal values. Listeners learn how to build relationships that genuinely matter, how
Stop Relying on Meta: Chantel Brayley Reveals the 360° Strategy You Need
With 17 years in e-commerce, Chantel shares her journey from blogging and early influencer campaigns to leading growth at brands like Petal & Pup and Naked Harvest.Chantel dives into what draws her to work with certain brands—purpose-driven, scrappy, and mission-focused companies that value agility and community. She shares her approach to building teams, aligning leadership, and creating cult
Why 99% of Founders Get Rejected: Max Meyer on "Wild Heart" Ambition
This episode dives into the messy middle of building a startup, the sharp experiments, the tough board conversations and the moment a team chooses revenue over runway. Listeners learn how early product choices, tiny outbound tweaks and tight hiring decisions work together to create momentum that actually scales, along with practical steps to reduce churn when growth gets chaotic.Max explains how B
How Shaun Polovin’s Brand Outsmarted a Billion-Dollar Monopoly
Colour contact lenses might not be the first product that comes to mind when you think about a breakout global beauty brand, but this episode reveals why that assumption is changing fast. Listeners will learn how one founder spotted a pattern inside a slow and overlooked category, questioned the true value of the subscription model, and uncovered a major opportunity hidden in a corner of the marke
The risks that made PUSHAS co-founder Justin Truong millions
Building a high growth marketplace is challenging, especially in a space driven by hype, scarcity, and fast changing trends. This episode walks listeners through the story of how Pushas navigated explosive demand, painful downturns, and a global expansion that required careful experimentation and sharp execution. It explains how to build repeat customers, how to understand your numbers deeply, and
How Anaita Sarkar Built a Multi-Million Dollar Brand From Her Living Room
When Hero Packaging nearly collapsed, founder Anaita Sarkar was faced with an impossible choice, walk away from the brand she built, or risk everything to bring it back to life. In this powerful episode, she breaks down the story of losing millions, betting on a $250,000 machine, and rebuilding a sustainable brand from the ground up.Listeners will learn how Hero Packaging moved from manufacturing
Nik Sharma Shares Why 90% of Brands Fail Before Their First Thousand Customers
If you’re launching a brand in 2025, this is your cheat sheet.In this episode of Beyond the Now, Liam Millward sits down with Nik Sharma, founder of Sharma Brands and widely known as “The DTC Guy.” Together they explore how modern founders are scaling smarter, not just harder.Nik unpacks his early journey from running social for Pitbull to helping launch beverage giant Lemon Perfect, and how that
How a $35k Bet Made Annabel Hay the Most Talked About Founder in Fashion
From nightclub embarrassment to national retail shelves, this episode dives deep into how Annabel Hay, Founder & CEO of CLUTCH Glue, turned an awkward moment into a global movement. After spending four years inventing and patenting a world-first sweat-resistant, water-soluble clothing adhesive, she launched in late 2022 and sold out in one night thanks to viral TikTok traction.Annabel shares t
The Hidden Story Behind THE ICONIC’s $800M Rise with Jere Calmes
What happens when a CEO treats e-commerce like an Olympic sport?In this episode of Beyond The Now, Liam sits down with Jere Calmes, CEO of THE ICONIC, one of Australia’s most influential e-commerce brands. With over $800M in annual revenue and millions of loyal customers, THE ICONIC has become the benchmark for fast, customer-first online retail. But as Jere reveals, maintaining that leadership me
