UGLY TALK: GOING FROM 7 TO 8 FIGURES
Ecommerce grew—but it also got louder.
More channels. More “best practices.” More conflicting signals. What worked at $3–5M started breaking under the weight of scale, complexity, and competition.
This session cuts through the noise: candid post-mortems from the climb to eight figures—missed bets, costly near-misses, hard pivots—paired with clear perspective on what actually matters next.
No recycled growth hacks. Just what really happened between seven and eight figures—and what will truly move the needle going forward.
🎯 Why You Should Attend
Learn from founders who rebuilt their systems, teams, and acquisition engines to move from seven to eight figures—so you can avoid the scaling traps that stall growth.
Get practical insight into the real operational shifts required at $10M+, including hiring strategy, capital allocation, channel diversification, and tool stack optimization.
Gain clarity on what actually drives revenue at scale beyond paid ads—and what stops working once you hit growth ceilings.
Set realistic expectations for margin, headcount, inventory risk, and founder workload as you transition from scrappy growth to structured scale.
🙋 Who You'll Meet
Founders scaling DTC brands from $3M to $20M+
Operators responsible for growth, retention, and margin
Ecommerce leaders rethinking paid-heavy acquisition models
Builders navigating hiring, inventory, and systems complexity at scale
🎤 Who’s on the Panel
A DTC founder who successfully scaled from seven to eight figures
An operator who navigated the $3–5M to $10M+ transition and rebuilt what broke
An ecommerce leader who has helped multiple brands cross eight figures
Moderator:
Brandon Blum - Managing Partner at New Edition
Brandon is the Managing Partner of New Edition, a fractional Head of Content shop for eCommerce brands, thought-leaders and service providers looking to launch, maintain, grow and monetize their content marketing efforts.
Brandon has spent over a decade in Digital Marketing, working at companies such as Atlantic Media, Meredith Corporation and Axios before starting his own ventures.
Brandon possesses a blend of experiences spanning entrepreneurship, eCommerce, branding, digital marketing, digital media, content and storytelling.
💬 What We’ll Talk About
The Breaking Point
When did the 7-figure playbook stop working—and what broke first?
Team & Org Design at Scale
How hiring strategy shifts from $3–5M to $10M+. Which roles actually unlock growth?
Systems & Stack Evolution
What tools and infrastructure become non-negotiable at eight figures—and what gets abandoned?
Revenue Mix Beyond Paid
How acquisition changes at $10M+. What channels become meaningful outside paid social?
The Expensive Lessons
The biggest “oh sh*t” moments between $1M and $10M+—and what founders would rebuild earlier.
🤝 Co-Hosted By:
New Edition – Fractional Head of Content for eComm brands & thought-leaders
🤝 Supported By:
GREY Journal – Media partner spotlighting modern entrepreneurs (Apple News + Google News)
🤝 Venue Partner
Shopify New York – Powering millions of sellers around the world
⭐ About Ugly Talk:
Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been transforming business setbacks into breakthrough “aha!” moments by hosting unfiltered, no-nonsense events where battle-tested entrepreneurs share their raw lessons and insights.
With a growing presence in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami, we’ve built a vibrant community of thousands of founders and industry leaders making a profound impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.
Official Website: UglyTalk.com