Episode 250: Scaling Regulated Brands & Building What You Believe In
Release Date: 11/24/2025
Episode 269: Meta Ads Q&A: Creative, Budgets, and What’s Actually Working Right Now
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 269: Meta Ads Q&A: Creative, Budgets, and What’s Actually Working Right Now Episode Description In this episode of the Smart Marketer Podcast, Molly Pittman, CEO of Smart Marketer, and Denis Paskalev, Director of Advertising, answer real questions from marketers navigating the shift in Meta ads, starting with one of the biggest concerns right now: can small businesses still win? They break down the reality behind creative demands, including whether you really need dozens of new ads every week, and what actually drives performance when budgets are limited. “The information that...
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Episode 268: Axon Ads - How to Diversify Beyond Meta and Find New Customers
The Smart Marketer Podcast
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Episode 267: Meta Ads Q&A - What’s Actually Working in 2026
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description In this episode of the Smart Marketer Podcast, Molly Pittman is joined by Smart Marketer’s Director of Advertising, Denis Paskalev, for a live Meta Ads Q&A where they answer real questions from marketers about what is actually working with Meta ads in 2026. From campaign structure and creative testing to scaling strategies and performance metrics, this conversation breaks down the modern approach to Meta ads in a world where targeting is driven more by creative, messaging, and landing pages than traditional audience targeting. If you are running ads for ecommerce,...
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Episode 266: The New Andromeda Playbook: The State of Meta Ads
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description In this episode of the Smart Marketer Podcast, we’re sharing the first lesson from our free mini class: Learn to Run Meta Ads the 2026 Way. If you’ve been running Meta ads recently, you’ve probably felt the shift. With Meta’s new AI driven system often referred to as Andromeda, the platform has fundamentally changed how ads are delivered, optimized, and scaled. Smart Marketer CEO Molly Pittman breaks down what is actually happening inside the platform, why many advertisers believe Meta ads are “broken,” and what it really takes to win with paid traffic in 2026....
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Episode 265: The Merchandising Calendar Blueprint: Turn Email & SMS Into 30–40% of Your Revenue
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description Most eCommerce brands are obsessed with traffic. But what if the real growth lever isn’t more clicks? What if it’s better monetization of the audience you already have? In this special training, originally delivered live in partnership with Omnisend, Ezra Firestone breaks down the exact framework he uses across his 8-figure brands to turn email and SMS into 30–40% of total revenue. This episode goes far beyond “send more emails.” You’ll learn how to structure a merchandising calendar with major campaigns, micro-offers, product launches, live events, and...
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Episode 264: The Next Big Ad Platform? How AppLovin Is Quietly Scaling eCommerce Brands
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 264: The Next Big Ad Platform? How AppLovin Is Quietly Scaling eCommerce Brands Episode Description There’s a new advertising channel with over a billion daily users and most eCommerce brands haven’t tested it yet. In this episode, Pep Hufen, CEO of Smart Marketer Agency, breaks down why AppLovin’s Axon Ads platform is becoming one of the fastest growing acquisition channels for DTC brands. Opened to eCommerce in 2024, this mobile gaming network is already helping brands scale from a few hundred dollars a day to thousands, sometimes in a matter of weeks. Pep explains what makes...
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Episode 263: Shopify’s Product Network: The Quiet Update That Could Change E-Commerce Forever
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode Description Shopify just released a feature that most brands have not noticed yet, but it could completely change how eCommerce stores grow, monetize traffic, and increase conversion rates. In this episode, Pep Hufen, CEO of Smart Marketer Agency, breaks down Shopify’s new Product Network, a system that lets your store sell other brands’ products directly inside your own site without inventory, fulfillment, or losing the customer relationship. “This isn’t an ad network. Shopify is building an ecosystem flywheel.” - Pep Hufen If you run a Shopify store or work with brands...
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Episode 262: Why Most Meta Ads Fail: The 7 Psychological Layers Behind Scalable Campaigns
The Smart Marketer Podcast
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Episode 261: Overview of 2026
The Smart Marketer Podcast
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Episode 260: Creative Is the New Currency: Winning Smart Marketer Ad Strategies for 2026
The Smart Marketer Podcast
Episode 260: Creative Is the New Currency: Winning Smart Marketer Ad Strategies for 2026 Episode Description In this tactical episode, Molly Pittman breaks down everything you need to know to stay competitive in 2026, including why your creative could be costing you 50% more (or less). You’ll learn the new campaign structures, targeting tactics, and why Smart Marketer Agency is moving away from media buyers and toward paid performance specialists. “If you have really bad creative that's not well thought out, you are haphazardly using AI, you are not thinking about foundational marketing...
info_outlineEpisode 250: Scaling Regulated Brands & Building What You Believe In
Episode Description
What happens when you mix a viral beverage, a high-compliance industry, and one of the sharpest minds in performance marketing?
In this episode, recorded live at Smart Marketer Live 2025, Nick Shackelford joins Zach Dampier for a candid behind-the-scenes look at building BRĒZ a microdose beverage brand blending THC, functional mushrooms, and adaptogens. From navigating paid media challenges to retail expansion, Nick shares real talk on scaling products you care about, retention strategies that actually work, and why creative still trumps targeting on Meta.
“Our mission is to reduce human suffering and maximize human potential through a better beverage.” – Nick Shackelford
You Will Learn:
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How to scale a product in a highly regulated category like THC
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The exact creative that outperforms for BRĒZ (hint: it’s not what you expect)
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Why retail is still essential, even for DTC brands
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A smarter way to build LTV from first purchase to loyal customer
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Why "broad targeting" is Meta’s new reality
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Nick’s bold prediction about AI-generated content and Meta’s next big move
Links & Resources
- Smart Marketer Black Friday / Cyber Monday Sale – smartmarketer.com/BFCM-2025
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BRĒZ Beverage – drinkbrez.com
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Nick Shackelford on Instagram – @iamnickshackelford
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Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com
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Instagram – @smartmarketerig – Follow Us
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Instagram – @mollypittmandigital – Follow Molly
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Omnisend (Email & SMS Tool) – smartmarketer.com/omnisend – Use code SMART for 50% off
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Nick Shackelford joins live at Smart Marketer Live
02:46 – Nick’s journey & how BRĒZ was born
04:08 – From agency life to brand ownership
05:27 – Navigating compliance in regulated industries (like THC)
07:19 – Cultural shifts: The rise of non-alcoholic social beverages
09:35 – Why retail still wins: “Cans in hands” matters
10:42 – The creative that outperformed all ads: A real customer call
12:35 – LTV & retention: How to optimize post-purchase flow
14:21 – The most common mistake in paid ads (and what Meta reps say now)
16:25 – What fuels Nick’s team: Mission, movement, and remote hustle
19:10 – Full-circle moment: How pirated Ezra content sparked Nick’s career
22:51 – Purpose & product: Nick’s take on meaningful business
24:38 – Bold prediction: Meta’s new “Vibes” AI feed & where it’s heading
27:28 – Closing thoughts: Reaffirmation bubbles, dual realities & what’s next
Call to Action
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