The Scaling Lab

Stop Blaming CPM—This 1 Formula Tells You If You Can Scale

Do you know what you can afford to pay for a click?  Most brands that scale on ROAS or CPA miss the one formula that determines whether scaling is profitable or just looks good on paper. You might be hitting your targets while quietly losing money on every visitor. Or worse, losing out on profit by playing too conservatively. In this episode of The Scaling Lab, Jairet breaks down Allowable CPC (ACPC) and how it reframes scaling decisions through unit economics instead of surface-level metrics. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of where your growth ceiling actually is and what needs to change to scale. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Understand if scaling is actually viable for your brand. * Learn the formulas behind calculating what you can afford to pay per click * Improve your ability to compete in ad auctions by increasing your economic ceiling * Discover why optimizing toward ROAS or CPA alone can hide unprofitable growth * Unpack the difference between AOV-based and LTV-based decision making * Explore why conversion rate and AOV are the real levers behind scalable growth * Build a clearer framework for prioritizing optimization efforts across your funnel CONNECT * Book a strategy consultation with Jairet: https://triedandtruemedia.com/book-consultation/ [https://triedandtruemedia.com/book-consultation/]

Creative Diversity Explained: The Who/What/How Triangle Driving Our Top Scaling Ads

Do you know why your winning ads actually work? Most creative teams pump out variations without understanding what they're really testing. They rely on "proven frameworks" and intuition, but when stakeholders ask why a creative decision was made, the answer is often "because it worked before" or "it felt right." You might be hitting your targets while missing the deeper strategic insights that could unlock your next level of scale. Or worse, training your team to be order-takers instead of strategic thinkers. In this episode of The Scaling Lab, Jairet and Kira sit down with John Belkewitch, one of TNT's top creative strategists, to break down the Creative Strategy Triangle—a framework that transforms how you think about creative diversity, testing methodology, and strategic decision-making in the post-Andromeda world. You'll walk away with a clear system for building creative variations that actually teach you something, plus insights into how AI is reshaping both creative development and the future of advertising. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Learn what creative diversity really means beyond surface-level iterations * Understand why asking "why" at every creative decision point unlocks better strategy * Discover the Creative Strategy Triangle framework for systematic creative development * Explore how AI tools can amplify strategic thinking instead of replacing it * Build a testing methodology that generates actionable insights, not just winning ads * Unpack why teaching frameworks beats relying on creative intuition for scalable teams * Get John's perspective on the future of AI-to-AI advertising interactions CONNECT * Book a strategy consultation with Jairet: https://triedandtruemedia.com/book-consultation/ [https://triedandtruemedia.com/book-consultation/] Sign up for our Scaling Secrets newsletter: https://triedandtruemedia.com/newsletter-lp/ [https://triedandtruemedia.com/newsletter-lp/]

Your Winning Meta Ad Will FAIL on YouTube Unless You Do This

Many DTC advertisers embraced AI to scale production and reduce creative bottlenecks, only for outputs to fall flat.  If different departments are feeding different prompts to different bots, the issue is not the technology- it’s the system.  In this episode of The Scaling Lab, Jairet Crum walks through the exact workflow for creating and deploying a series of custom GPTs that move you from raw research to finished ad sets in under 15 minutes.  Instead of guessing what to prompt next, you’ll have the exact tools and structures to move from idea to faster, sharper, cohesive performance creative.  KEY TAKEAWAYS * Structure multiple custom GPTs into a single creative workflow  * Learn why clear instructions and guardrails matter more than chasing perfect prompts * Transform customer research into high-performing creative strategy and briefs  * Develop reliable formats, angles, hooks, and visuals that connect * Move faster with a repeatable system that supports scale.

Create Winning Video Ads in 15 Minutes (My Custom GPT Workflow)

Many DTC advertisers embraced AI to scale production and reduce creative bottlenecks, only for outputs to fall flat.  If different departments are feeding different prompts to different bots, the issue is not the technology- it’s the system.  In this episode of The Scaling Lab, Jairet Crum walks through the exact workflow for creating and deploying a series of custom GPTs that move you from raw research to finished ad sets in under 15 minutes.  Instead of guessing what to prompt next, you’ll have the exact tools and structures to move from idea to faster, sharper, cohesive performance creative.  Get the free resource with the GPT instruction sets and workflow assets: https://triedandtruemedia.com/build-ads-in-15-minutes-with-this-ai-workflow-guide/ [https://triedandtruemedia.com/build-ads-in-15-minutes-with-this-ai-workflow-guide/] KEY TAKEAWAYS * Structure multiple custom GPTs into a single creative workflow  * Learn why clear instructions and guardrails matter more than chasing perfect prompts * Transform customer research into high-performing creative strategy and briefs  * Develop reliable formats, angles, hooks, and visuals that connect * Move faster with a repeatable system that supports scale. CONNECT Want help building a creative system that scales without sacrificing quality? Book a strategy consultation with Jairet: https://triedandtruemedia.com/book-consultation/ [https://triedandtruemedia.com/book-consultation/]

Only 1% of Businesses Know Their LTV (Are You Guessing Your CAC?)

Direct response founders think they know their numbers, yet many can’t answer the only question that matters most: How much can you actually afford to spend to acquire a customer… for each offer, channel, and day in the journey? Founder & CEO of LTV Numbers, Tyler Ryan, joins The Scaling Lab to explain why brand LTV (lifetime value) isn’t one simple metric you can quote in a Slack thread. Instead, it’s a curve shaped by refunds, backend sales, fulfillment costs, and time. If your metrics don’t account for these shifts, you’re making million-dollar CAC decisions on incomplete data. Backed by $2.3 billion in revenue, Tyler transforms LTV from a vague metric into a clear, decision-driving system—so you can set smarter CAC targets, reduce refund losses, scale with confidence, and build a more resilient, profit-first business. Learn how LTV is transforming 2026 VSL funnels in this recent episode with Jairet: https://youtu.be/oxCoypxzEKg?si=cTKoG3Kuj8Y3yXKr [https://youtu.be/oxCoypxzEKg?si=cTKoG3Kuj8Y3yXKr] KEY TAKEAWAYS * Unpack the value of LTV that is time-based and segment-specific * Learn the dangerous impact of refunds on your front-end economics  * Discover crucial insights that come with post-purchase data * Build brand resilience by improving profit per customer * Scale strategically with clear CAC targets based on where you can afford it CONNECT Connect with Tyler on Instagram: @tyler_ltvnumbers Learn more about LTV Numbers: https://ltvnumbers.com/ [https://ltvnumbers.com/] Sign up for our Scaling Secrets newsletter: https://triedandtruemedia.com/newsletter-lp/ [https://triedandtruemedia.com/newsletter-lp/] Book a strategy call with Jairet: https://triedandtruemedia.com/book-consultation/ [https://triedandtruemedia.com/book-consultation/]