What 10 Years in Ecommerce Teaches You About Agencies, Ads & Scaling (w/ Ben Dickshinski)

What 10 Years in Ecommerce Teaches You About Agencies, Ads & Scaling (w/ Ben Dickshinski)

Want to scale your DTC brand the right way? Learn hard-earned lessons from 10 years in ecommerce on agencies, ad platforms, and what actually drives growth. Schedule a strategy call with me: https://lionmediaad.co/youtube Watch this next - https://youtu.be/MmID3M9d2Lg FOLLOW BEN https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendickshinski/ https://instagr.am/ben_dickshinski Timestamps 0:00 What Makes a Great Agency + Guest Introduction & Career Start   7:00 Career Progression: Agencies, In-House, and Building Experience   14:00 Starting and Scaling E-commerce Brands + Channel Strategy   20:00 Metrics That Matter: CAC, Contribution Margin, and Forecasting   31:00 Meta Evolution, Incrementality, and the Future of Media Buying 40:17 — Agency Onboarding, Positioning & Initial Client Audit Process 41:40 — Account Turnaround Strategy & Managing Performance Risk With Clients 44:40 — Creative Strategy, Andromeda Update & Demand for Creative Volume 46:54 — Creative Testing Frameworks, Metrics & Performance Signals 49:29 — AI in Creative Production & Brand Control vs Automation Tradeoffs 51:31 — Applovin, CTV, YouTube & Emerging Ad Platforms Discussion 53:41 — Measuring CTV Performance, Incrementality & Attribution Challenges 54:27 — What Makes a Good vs Bad Agency (Structure, People & Delivery) 59:06 — Hiring, Team Structure & Managing Account Load in Agencies 1:04:50 — AI in Media Buying, Growth Bottlenecks & Future of Agencies

Why Google Ads Works for Some Brands and Fails for Others

Google Ads can drive massive volume—but that same volume comes with intense competition and rising costs. For many brands, the problem isn’t execution. It’s choosing the wrong channel for their business model. In this episode, we break down how to evaluate whether Google Ads actually makes sense for your brand, using the volume vs competition framework and explaining where Performance Max fits into the picture. You’ll learn: -How to think about Google Ads through the volume vs competition axis -When Google Ads is a strong growth channel—and when it’s not -Why higher intent doesn’t always mean higher profitability -Where Performance Max works best (and where it struggles) -How to decide if Google Ads should be a core channel or a supporting one -If you’re considering scaling Google Ads or wondering why results feel harder than expected, this episode will help you make a smarter, more strategic decision before investing more budget. Want help deciding if Google Ads is right for your brand? Book a free strategy call and we’ll review your business model, margins, and growth goals to determine whether Google Ads, Performance Max, or another channel is the best path forward. Book your free strategy call here: https://www.lionmediaad.com/pages/contact If this episode helped you rethink your channel strategy, hit 👍, subscribe, and comment “GOOGLE” below. I read and reply to every comment.

Stop Tweaking Bids. This Is What Actually Makes Min ROAS & Cost Caps Work

Choosing the wrong bid strategy can quietly kill performance on Meta—even when your ads and targeting look fine. In this episode, we break down the core Meta Ads bidding strategies and explain how to use Min ROAS, Cost Cap, and Bid Cap the right way, depending on your goals, budget, and data maturity. This is a practical, no-hype walkthrough of how bidding actually works inside the auction. You’ll learn: -What Min ROAS, Cost Cap, and Bid Cap really mean -When each bidding strategy makes sense (and when it doesn’t) -How budget size and account history affect bid performance -Why bidding alone won’t fix weak results—but can amplify strong ones -How creatives, offers, and bidding work together at a foundational level If you’ve been stuck tweaking bids without seeing consistent results, this episode will help you build a smarter bidding foundation before scaling spend. Want help choosing the right bid strategy for your Ecommerce brand? Book a free strategy call and we’ll review your current Meta campaigns, identify which bidding approach fits your growth stage, and map out a plan to scale profitably. Book your free strategy call here: https://www.lionmediaad.com/pages/contact If this breakdown helped clarify Meta bidding strategies, hit 👍, subscribe, and comment “BIDDING” below. I read and reply to every comment.

Most DTC Brands Lose Money by Missing These Email Flows

If you’re running an Ecommerce or DTC brand and email isn’t driving consistent revenue, it’s usually not your platform or your list. It’s your flows. In this video, I break down the essential email marketing flows every Ecommerce business should have and why missing even one of these can quietly cost you sales every single day. You’ll learn: -The core email flows that actually drive Ecommerce revenue -Which flows matter most at different stages of growth -Common mistakes DTC brands make with email marketing -How to prioritize flows for quick wins -Why campaigns alone won’t scale your store These are the same flows I look for when auditing Ecommerce accounts that want predictable, sustainable revenue from email not just open rates. Want help setting this up for your store? Book a free strategy call and I’ll walk through which flows you’re missing and where your biggest revenue opportunities are. Book your free call here: https://www.lionmediaad.com/pages/con... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDVuWnFFRnBQaTlFTFNoSjhZVUFFYnYxZjlJQXxBQ3Jtc0ttRnZwbkczUFdXOWc4cTd6OXVOaEhUa1diWGtERlNnckVBdmpKZmMwWENSeTI3YjlPUmp6QWQ2U19iN3BfMUtiWThidlRXRTk5T0c4b0Z3SXJxZU1iYUYwb0E5RzhfNVV2R2xZNWFKeVBkQ0R6RjJISQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lionmediaad.com%2Fpages%2Fcontact&v=teRf0zRC1hk]

DTC Upsells & Downsells: Add 20–30% More Revenue Without More Traffic

Most businesses focus on getting more traffic. The fastest revenue wins usually come from getting more value from buyers you already have.In this video, I break down how to add 20–30% more revenue using smart upsells and downsells without increasing ad spend or traffic.If you already have sales but feel like your funnel could be doing more, this is for you. Want help implementing this in your funnel? Visit our website and we’ll walk through where you’re leaving money on the table and how to fix it. Book your consultation here: https://lionmediaad.com [https://lionmediaad.com/]