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Selena Gomez’s latest venture, Serendipity Ice Cream, is shaking up the frozen treats industry—and today, we break down exactly how. Host Jordan West teams up with Miguel Garcia Castillo (Co Studios) to explore the brand strategy, product distribution hurdles, and the marketing playbook behind this consumer product's zero to one journey.

What does it take to go from concept to cart in the competitive world of CPG? In this Fast Track episode of Ecommerce OS, Jordan and Miguel tackle the realities of launching Serendipity—an emotionally-driven, mission-aligned brand backed by Selena Gomez. From regional distribution pain points to the power of localized influencer marketing, this is a masterclass in turning a pop culture idea into a lifestyle product.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome to Fast Track + Jordan introduces the episode
01:45 – Meet Miguel Garcia Castillo of Co Studios
04:12 – The origin story of Serendipity Ice Cream with Selena Gomez
08:50 – From nostalgic NYC vibes to mental health advocacy
12:35 – The biggest constraint: Product availability & brand awareness
16:20 – The logistics nightmare of DTC frozen products
19:05 – Hyper-local awareness strategies: YouTube + TikTok creators
24:10 – Why brand is your moat, not just your marketing
28:30 – Profitability, commodity pricing & long-term strategy
32:00 – Closing thoughts + how to join Ecommerce OS

Key Takeaways:

• Brand is a moat: In crowded markets, your brand values are your defense.
  
  
• Localized marketing > national awareness: DTC is important, but retail-first brands must win regionally.
  
  
• Celebrity-driven brands need more than a name: Product, price, and purpose must all deliver.
  
  
• Frozen DTC = hard mode: Logistics, costs, and timing matter more than ever.
  
  
• Storytelling wins: Emotional connection and authenticity help Serendipity stand out.
  
  
  

Guest Info:
Miguel Garcia Castillo
Founder & Principal, Co Studios
— Early-stage consumer venture builder
— Brand strategist + growth architect for Selena Gomez’s Serendipity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgarcast/

Website: https://www.costudios.co/

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Still just using ChatGPT for copy and a few product images?

You’re 10% of the way there.

In this episode of Secrets to Scaling Your Ecommerce Brand, I’m joined by Debarshi — co-founder of Maverick and one of the leading builders of AI tools for ecommerce.

We break down how top brands like Dr. Squatch and Bruce Bolt are using AI to increase engagement, LTV, and conversions — while actually feeling more human.

Time Stamps:

• 00:01 – 03:00 → Intro & founder backstory
• 04:00 – 09:00 → How AI video works and results from brands like Dr. Squatch
• 06:00 – 08:00 → Jordan’s story: 20% LTV lift from personalized videos
• 17:25 – 25:00 → What is Optimizr and how it improves email campaigns
• 19:30 – 23:30 → Why inbox placement (Primary vs Promotions) is critical
• 28:00 – 30:00 → Shift from attributed to incremental revenue
• 31:00 – 34:00 → Biggest failure: 15 product flops before first $10 sale
• 35:00 – 36:30 → Secret to scaling: Great product + clear ROI

What you’ll learn:
– The best AI tools for e-commerce right now (and what to avoid)
– Real examples of how AI is used in e-commerce businesses for 3–5x engagement
– Why sender identity is the secret weapon in your email performance
– The death of “attributed revenue” — and what incremental revenue actually means
– How to scale human connection with AI… without losing trust

Connect with Debarshi:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debarshi-chaudhuri
Website: https://www.trymaverick.com/optimizer
Email: debarshi@themavericklab.com

If you're an ecommerce expert, founder, or marketer trying to cut through the noise, this episode will completely reshape how you think about AI.

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You spent thousands on influencer marketing… and barely got a sale.

The problem isn’t the creator.

It’s your system.

In this video, I break down why most brands fail with influencers—and how the top-performing brands are building performance-based creator funnels that actually move revenue.

This is for you if:

You’ve run influencer campaigns and saw little-to-no return


You’re still paying flat fees with no tracking or affiliate backend


You want to build a repeatable influencer model that scales with your brand


What you’ll learn:

The 3 biggest reasons influencer campaigns flop


How to structure hybrid affiliate deals with upside for both sides


Why Spark Ads should come after performance proof—not before


How to stop treating creators like props—and start treating them like partners

👇 Reference Data

Sprout Social: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-pricing/#impact

Timestamps:
00:00 - You spent $5K… and got 3 comments
01:10 - The real problem with most influencer campaigns
02:44 - Followers ≠ customers
04:05 - The product/creator misalignment mistake
05:30 - Why one-time posts don’t build brand equity
07:00 - Flat fee deals are killing your performance
08:36 - The biggest reason your campaign flatlined
10:15 - What top-performing brands do differently
12:00 - How to treat creators like partners
13:40 - Segmenting creators like a sales team
15:05 - The Spark Ads playbook (that actually works)
16:50 - The UGC comp model that drives volume
18:10 - How to build an always-on influencer engine
19:40 - Your next move: structure, spark, system
21:00 - Final thoughts + audit your past campaigns

If you’re serious about scaling influencer the right way, hit subscribe for weekly content on systems, scale, and TikTok Shop performance.

Let’s build the machine. Not just the moment.