OPERATORS

8 Failed Businesses Before Kitsch’s +$500M Beauty Empire

How did a married couple with $30k in savings and no business plan build one of the biggest beauty and accessories brands in America? Cassandra Thurswell (Founder & CEO of Kitsch) and Jeremy Thurswell (COO), join hosts Mike Beckham and Matt Bertulli for their first-ever joint podcast interview. Together, they unpack the full story of building a bootstrapped empire from a living room apartment to over 30,000 retail doors and more than 10 million ecommerce orders. Cassandra and Jeremy open up about eight failed businesses before Kitsch, catching their manufacturer stealing IP on their “honeymoon” in China, and navigating a terrifying pivot that led to 70 million face masks. They share how they’ve protected their marriage while running a company together, the reality of balancing motherhood with being a CEO, and why scarcity — not funding — created the focus that made Kitsch unstoppable. Learn more about Latinas in Beauty, where Cassandra serves on the Advisory Board: https://latinasinbeauty.org  Operators Titans is brought to you by AppLovin. Get access to the our channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits here: https://9ops.co/channels 

The Next $100B “Switch”: Inside COMFRT’s Affiliate Playbook

How does a bootstrapped brand go from $0 to $600 million in three years — without raising a single dollar? Sean Frank, CEO of Ridge, and Matt Bertulli, CEO of Pela Case, break down the explosive rise of COMFRT, the anti-anxiety travel brand founded by Hudson Leogrande that has shattered every assumption about what’s possible in ecommerce. They unpack the tactics, the mindset, and the cashflow mechanics behind one of the fastest-scaling bootstrapped brands in history. The conversation dives into COMFRT’s radical affiliate strategy — recruiting thousands of zero-follower creators and turning them into brand missionaries through Discord communities, weekly coaching calls, and a grueling “1,000 videos in a month” challenge. Sean and Matt debate why TikTok Shop is a top-of-funnel awareness play that no one profits from as a standalone channel, how paying affiliates after the sale creates a massive cashflow advantage, and why having a selfish mission — one that directly helps the buyer — is the secret ingredient most brands are missing. Powered ByFulfilhttps://bit.ly/3pAp2vuAftersellhttps://9ops.co/4i3bb5Richpanelhttps://9ops.co/richpanelNorthbeamhttps://www.northbeam.io/Saras Analyticshttps://bit.ly/9OP-YtdescPostscripthttps://9ops.co/postscriptOperators Newsletterhttps://9operators.com/

Thrasio Bought It, Ben Bought It Back: A Founder Who Lived It Tells All

More than the incredible (true) story of one founder’s journey to turn around the company he created, this is a public coaching session on what it takes to win as a 6–7 figure brand. Sean Frank and Matt Bertulli sit down with Ben Leonard, founder of Beast Gear, a strength and conditioning brand he built from scratch in Scotland, sold to Thrasio in 2019, and bought back after watching it decline for years. Together, they dig into what went wrong, what Ben is doing to resurrect it, and why he’s launching a new product at the same time. The conversation covers the rise and fall of the Amazon aggregator model and the brutal math of earn-outs when a buyer stops investing in your brand. Ben walks through how Beast Gear went from $6 million in revenue to barely $500k after Thrasio killed the website, email marketing, and social media. The hosts also guide Ben through their turnaround playbook, from TikTok Shop and founder-led content to reclaiming damaged Amazon listings. Connect with Ben Leonardhttps://www.youtube.com/@benleonardprohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/benjleonard/https://www.beastgear.co.uk/Powered ByFulfilhttps://bit.ly/3pAp2vuAftersellhttps://9ops.co/4i3bb5Richpanelhttps://9ops.co/richpanelNorthbeamhttps://www.northbeam.io/Saras Analyticshttps://bit.ly/9OP-YtdescPostscripthttps://9ops.co/postscriptOperators Newsletterhttps://9operators.com/

Execution Monsters: True Classic’s Ryan Bartlett & Ben Diamond

Brought to you by Applovin. Get access to the Operators channel expansion playbook, online masterclass, and up to $5k in ad credits. https://www.9operators.com/applovin What does it take to build a ~$300M apparel brand from scratch? Matt Bertulli and Mike Beckham sit down with Ryan Bartlett, Co-Founder, and Ben Diamond, CEO of True Classic, for their first-ever joint interview. Together, they unpack how a professional poker player and a Meta executive became one of the most formidable partnerships in DTC + built a men’s and women’s wear empire on the back of white t-shirts. From the early days of consulting on Facebook ads to their obsessive focus on fit, speed, and customer value, Ryan and Ben reveal why they cut 80% of their product catalog, how tariffs forced their most profitable quarter ever, and what it really means to “seek the truth” instead of being right. Plus, they get into AI-generated creative, why big brand activations are overrated, and the surprising power of giving away $100 poker chips to Uber drivers.

“Fame Is Not a Business Model”: Celebrity Brands Exposed

What separates billion-dollar celebrity brands from total flopsSean, Matt, and Katy Mimari (CEO of Caden Lane) break down why some partnerships become massive exits like Rhode and Skims, while others like The Honest Company and Kylie Cosmetics struggle to survive. They dive deep into deal structures, red flags to watch for, and the real math behind putting famous names into your brand.The crew debates whether fame equals influence (spoiler: it doesn’t), why alcohol brands have an unfair advantage, and how Gordon Ramsay became the blueprint for celebrity integration. Sean shares the inside story of his MKBHD partnership at Ridge — including how they structured the deal, why YouTubers beat traditional celebrities for DTC brands, and whether Guy Fieri might be showing up in a Ridge ad soon.Powered ByFulfilhttps://bit.ly/3pAp2vuRichpanelhttps://9ops.co/richpanelNorthbeamhttps://www.northbeam.io/Saras Analyticshttps://bit.ly/9OP-YtdescPostscripthttps://9ops.co/postscriptAftersell⁠https://9ops.co/4i3bb5⁠Operators Newsletterhttps://9operators.com/