The Brand Building Podcast

I just got back from one of the most valuable marketing events I’ve been to in a long time — a private telehealth conference in Miami hosted by some of the top direct response operators in the world.
In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what I saw, what I learned, and why I believe telehealth is becoming one of the biggest opportunities right now for ecommerce brands, media buyers, and anyone in the paid ads space.
We’re talking real numbers, real systems, and what it actually takes to scale in this space — from acquisition and creatives to retention, compliance, and high-LTV subscription models.
If you’re running an ecommerce brand, scaling ads, or looking for the next big opportunity in 2026, this is something you need to understand.
This event completely shifted how I’m thinking about the future of my business — and if you’re paying attention, it might do the same for you.✅ Elevate your brand’s Email & SMS marketing: https://breadloaf.typeform.com/to/rotiGDm7?typeform-source=www.youtube.com 
🚀 Discuss your growth strategy: https://calendly.com/markmilutin/retention-audit-kick-off?month=2025-02 

Big update—Bread Loaf is now an official partner of Applovin
Over the past few months, we’ve been deep in the platform testing their Axon product, and the results have been strong. In this episode, I break down what Applovin actually is, how programmatic advertising works, and why this channel is becoming a serious opportunity for ecommerce brands.
We cover the difference between paid social, search, and programmatic, why programmatic has historically been a black box, and how Applovin is changing that with a conversion-focused approach built for DTC.
If you’re a founder, operator, or media buyer looking to scale beyond Meta and Google, this is a channel you should be paying attention to.
I also break down exactly how to get started, what creatives to use, and how we’re thinking about this as part of a modern multi-channel growth strategy in 2026.
✅ Elevate your brand’s Email & SMS marketing: https://breadloaf.typeform.com/to/rotiGDm7?typeform-source=www.youtube.com 
🚀 Discuss your growth strategy: https://calendly.com/markmilutin/retention-audit-kick-off?month=2025-02 

We just got back from Expo West 2026, and this was easily one of the biggest years yet. In this episode, Sarah and I break down the top trends we’re seeing in health and wellness—from the explosion of creatine (especially for women) to the continued dominance of hydration, clean ingredients, and premium supplements.
We also get into what brands are doing differently, where the CPG space is heading, and what opportunities we see over the next 12–24 months.
If you’re building a brand, investing in wellness, or just want to stay ahead of where the industry is going, this is one you don’t want to miss.
✅ Elevate your brand’s Email & SMS marketing: https://breadloaf.typeform.com/to/rotiGDm7?typeform-source=www.youtube.com 
🚀 Discuss your growth strategy: https://calendly.com/markmilutin/retention-audit-kick-off?month=2025-02 

Mark breaks down a whirlwind 24-hour trip to Denver to meet with the Klaviyo team in person — and why he's never been more fired up about Breadloaf's 10-year partnership with the platform.
He walks through the case studies they presented, including West Coast Saw (a Klaviyo referral now crushing it across full funnel), Key.co's migration from Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and Axle Advanced's journey from MailChimp to Omnisend to Klaviyo — complete with a 91/100 deliverability score through the holiday season. Plus, a recap of dinner with Brad Miller from Yo Colorado, who just landed their National Sea Patrol collection in REI.
If you're an e-commerce brand thinking about Klaviyo or looking for what a real agency-platform partnership looks like, this one's for you.

In this episode, I sit down with fashion industry veteran Jon Levine, founder of Apparel Advisors, to break down what it really takes to build and scale a fashion brand today.
Jonn has been in the apparel industry for decades—building a $40M brand, working with private equity-backed companies, and now advising emerging and established fashion brands. We talk about the biggest mistakes brands make with positioning, why so many companies struggle with identity, and how founders should actually think about brand strategy in today’s DTC landscape.
We also dive into how AI is changing content creation, the role of performance marketing in ecommerce, and why storytelling and brand heritage still matter more than ever.
✅ Elevate your brand’s Email & SMS marketing: https://breadloaf.typeform.com/to/rotiGDm7?typeform-source=www.youtube.com 
🚀 Discuss your growth strategy: https://calendly.com/markmilutin/retention-audit-kick-off?month=2025-02 
Connect with Jon: jlevine@appareladvisors.com  Website: appareladvisors.com   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levinejon/ 

If you’re in DTC and serious about scaling, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
I sat down with Jana, our Head of Growth Partnerships at Bread Loaf, to break down what actually drives growth behind the scenes—how real relationships turn into revenue, when it actually makes sense to hire an agency, and why timing in business is everything.
We get into the reality of sales cycles, what most brands get wrong about scaling, and how the best operators think about retention, paid media, and long-term partnerships.
Plus, we touch on what we’re seeing right now across the ecosystem with platforms like Klaviyo and where AI is starting to change the game.
✅ Elevate your brand’s Email & SMS marketing: https://breadloaf.typeform.com/to/rotiGDm7?typeform-source=www.youtube.com 
🚀 Discuss your growth strategy: https://calendly.com/markmilutin/retention-audit-kick-off?month=2025-02 
Connect with Jana: jana@webakebread.com 

In this episode, we explore how Eikona is reinventing lifecycle marketing with AI-powered adaptive creative. 
Imagine emails and ads that change for every single customer — in real time. Nir, Eikona founder, breaks down the future of personalization, the tech behind it, and why this shift will transform how brands grow.
✅ Elevate your brand’s Email & SMS marketing: https://breadloaf.typeform.com/to/rotiGDm7?typeform-source=www.youtube.com 
🚀 Discuss your growth strategy: https://calendly.com/markmilutin/retention-audit-kick-off?month=2025-02 
Connect with Nir: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nir-zvi-weingarten/ Check out Eikona: https://www.eikona.io/ 

Black Friday 2025 just became the biggest online shopping day in history.
In this episode I break down the key numbers the standout trends and the strategies that helped brands win.
From Shopify’s six point two billion day to Klaviyo’s one billion in attributed sales this is a fast look at what really happened and what operators should focus on for 2026.

In this special Thanksgiving episode, I wanted to slow things down and simply say thank you. This is the busiest and most stressful week of the year for anyone in e-commerce and it has been that way for me for almost sixteen straight Black Fridays. It is long nights, constant changes, nonstop pressure, and a level of expectation that only founders, operators, and agency teams truly understand.
But Thanksgiving has always been the one moment inside all that chaos where I take a breath and reflect. It is a day grounded in gratitude, presence, and shared meals with the people who matter most.
In this episode I share what I am most thankful for this year. My incredible Bread Loaf team who shows up every single day. Our brand partners and clients who trust us during the most important revenue window of their entire year. And my family, especially my wife, whose support makes this crazy season possible.
I talk about the reality of working in e-commerce during BFCM, the history of why Black Friday mattered so much for retail, and how every offer, every campaign, every flow, and every late night is done to help brands hit their goals and finish the year strong.
This episode is a reminder to pause and acknowledge the people, the opportunities, and the moments that make all of this worth it. I hope it inspires you to take a few minutes today to reflect on what you are thankful for as well.
Wishing you and your loved ones a warm and meaningful Thanksgiving.

In this episode I am breaking down one of the most misunderstood and overlooked parts of retention marketing. Email deliverability.
Email used to be simple. You set up an ESP, write a calendar, launch a few campaigns, and revenue shows up. That world is gone. Between iOS changes, Google and Yahoo protocol updates, and rapidly evolving inbox rules, email deliverability has become one of the most important and most complex levers in all of e-commerce.
And as we head into 2026, any brand that does not fully understand deliverability is risking the entire channel.
In this episode I walk through the core fundamentals every operator must know. The protocols, the DNS setup, the importance of a dedicated IP, and why verification across every app matters more than ever. I also break down the tools and processes we use at Bread Loaf when auditing hundreds of Klaviyo accounts each year and why nine out of ten brands we see are struggling with deliverability without even knowing it.
We go deep on list cleaning, list management, how to protect your IP reputation, how to monitor ISP performance, and how to use Klaviyo deliverability scores, Google Postmaster, and segment level reporting to fix issues before they become disasters. I also share why spam traps are one of the biggest hidden threats in e-commerce retention and how list hygiene solves that problem.
If you run email for your brand or your clients, this episode gives you the clear blueprint for understanding deliverability and maintaining a healthy, profitable channel.If you are preparing for 2026, this is the one topic you cannot afford to ignore.
The episode is live now and I hope it gives you clarity on how to approach email the right way.