Blue Sense Podcast
The Blue Sense Podcast explores how 7, 8, and 9-figure eCommerce brands scale profitably through the intersection of finance, creative strategy, and performance media.
Hosted by Scott Wilkinson, Head of Growth at Blue Sense Digital, the podcast features insights from co-founders, strategists, and industry operators on how to master attribution, creative velocity, forecasting, and operational efficiency in a changing marketing landscape.
Expect unfiltered discussions on financial-led marketing, creative testing frameworks, and what separates resilient brands from those getting squeezed by rising costs and shrinking margins.
Subscribe for conversations that cut through the noise and show you how to grow with clarity, control, and creative discipline.
Episodes
29 episodes
Roundtable on The State of eCommerce - Episode 1 Blue Sense Digital Podcast
In the first episode of the newly relaunched Blue Sense Podcast , filmed in October 2025 while the team got together in Cape Town, South Africa, Scott (Head of Growth) hosts Nathan (Co...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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28:21
The Hidden Death Spiral in eCommerce
In this podcast episode, Nathan discusses the prevalent issue of the 'death spiral' that many e-commerce brands are facing in 2024. He explains how rising customer acquisition costs, coupled with a reliance on returning customers, can mask unde...
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Episode 28
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29:27
Navigating Agency Accountability & Black Friday Projections with Josh Tay
In this episode, Nathan and Josh Tay discuss the importance of accountability in agency relationships, the challenges of forecasting retention and sales, and the necessity of setting realistic goals. They delve into financial transparency, espe...
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Episode 27
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43:49
Round 2 Live eCommerce P&L Teardown with Valentin Kuznetcov
In this episode, Nathan and Val dive into a P&L teardown of a business that operates multiple D2C brands. They discuss the importance of accurately structuring the P&L to understand the business's activities and potential to generate pr...
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Episode 26
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1:02:45
Lessons Learnt Over The Past 6 Months in eCommerce
In this episode, Nathan shares nine lessons learned from working with brands and running a digital marketing agency. The lessons include the importance of cost of delivery, marketing, and operational efficiency, the value of omni-channel distri...
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Episode 25
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24:02
Live eCommerce P&L Teardown with Valentin Kuznetcov
In this episode, Nathan and Valentin dive into a real P&L and discuss the importance of understanding accounting principles and how to read a P&L. They highlight the limitations of a basic P&L structure and the need for a more compr...
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Episode 24
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39:54
Do Email & SMS Create Incremental Profit with Josh Tay
In this episode, Nathan and Josh discuss the incremental revenue available through email and SMS marketing. They emphasise that while email and SMS are important communication channels, the true drivers of retention and revenue are merchandisin...
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Episode 23
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59:44
10 Brutal Truths of eCommerce
In this episode, Nathan discusses 10 brutal truths of e-commerce for DTC brand owners. The first truth is that reducing ad spend is not the solution to higher operating expenses. Understanding how the P&L works and the flow of revenue is cr...
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Episode 22
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28:05
The Future of Marketing in a One-Click World with Caden Thompson
In this episode, Nathan and Caden discuss various topics related to Google Ads and agency land. Caden shares his background in marketing and how he got into the digital marketing industry. They dive into the concept of Google's Performance Max ...
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Episode 21
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43:33
Enabling Profitable eCommerce Growth with Carla Penn-Kahn
Carla Penn-Kahn shares her experience in the e-commerce space, from working in investments at Credit Suisse to starting her own e-commerce businesses. She discusses the challenges of launching perishables by delivery when delivery was primarily...
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Episode 20
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45:22
When to Consider Outsourcing to a 3PL with Valentin Kuznetcov
In this podcast episode, Nathan and Val discuss the topic of 3PLs (third-party logistics providers). They cover the factors to consider when deciding whether to use a 3PL, such as cost, volume, and customer service. They also explore the differ...
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Episode 19
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32:23
Q&A Answering Listeners Questions: LTV, Creative Testing & More
In this episode, Nathan answers questions from listeners about budget allocation for retention, the growth of BlueSense Digital, the effectiveness of Advantage Plus, TikTok advertising, server-side tracking, and the importance of creative testi...
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Episode 18
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33:07
How to Align Google & Meta Ads With Your Business Goals
In this episode, Nathan discusses how to align Google and Meta campaign builds with business and financial goals. He emphasises the importance of understanding the incentive structure of big tech advertising platforms, which is to maximise adve...
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Episode 17
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36:16
How to Scale An eCommerce Brand to $100k per Month
In this episode, Nathan shares his advice for ecommerce brands aiming to reach $100k a month. He covers the fundamentals of scaling, customer acquisition, resource allocation, and the benefits of being under $100k per month. Nathan emphasises t...
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Episode 16
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1:00:03
Mastering Google Ads in 2024 with Michael Nadalin
In this episode, Nathan interviews Michael Nadalin, the founder of Market Lead, a niche Google Ads agency in Australia. They discuss Michael's background and the growth of his agency, as well as the importance of expanding scope beyond Google A...
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Episode 15
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47:23
The State of eCommerce in 2024 with Brendan Gillen
In this episode, Nathan interviews Brendan Gillen, an e-commerce expert and founder of Fight Gear Direct and the e-Commerce Academy. They discuss the performance of e-commerce in 2024 and the importance of innovation and adaptation in the indus...
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Episode 14
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45:02
Building A Word-Class Agency with Kasim Aslam
In this episode, Nathan, Sebastian and Kasim discuss what it takes to build a world-class successful agency. They touch on topics such as the importance of talent acquisition, the transition from artisan thinking to systems thinking, and the ch...
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Episode 13
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53:17
Becoming First Order Profitable with Valentin Kuznetcov
In this episode, Nathan and Val discuss the importance of first-order profitability in e-commerce businesses. The podcast is structured into three sections, firstly setting the scene, secondly how to become first order profitable, and finally h...
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Episode 12
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55:43
The Ego-Driven Mistake Most Service Providers Make
In this episode, Sebastian and Nathan discuss the ego-driven mistake that most service providers make. They emphasise the importance of putting clients above oneself and maintaining an orientation towards the client. They highlight the dangers ...
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Episode 11
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28:10
Storytelling & Branding with Matthew Banks
In this episode, Nathan interviews Matthew Banks, the founder of Merchants of the Sun, a sustainable jewellery brand. They discuss the story behind the brand, the importance of creative direction and branding in the jewellery industry, and how ...
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Episode 10
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37:05
The Death Spiral for Scaling Agencies
SummaryIn this episode, Nathan and Sebastian discuss the two levels of value within an agency and the three major problems that arise during scaling. They emphasise the importance of understanding the agency business model for any...
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51:19
Zero Party Data in D2C eCommerce with Jon Ivanco
In this episode, Nathan and John Ivanco (founder of Formtoro) discuss the concept of D2C as a channel, the cost of retail and ad costs, the commoditisation of products, the role of media figures in pushing brands, the value of zero-party ...
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Episode 8
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1:02:55
Database Marketing and Retail Meets eCommerce with Chris Daly
Chris Daly, an expert in database marketing and retail, discusses various topics related to marketing data, customer segmentation, and customer-generated offers. Chris emphasises the importance of understanding customer value and purpose, as we...
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Episode 7
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1:05:19
eCommerce Analytics, Finances & Operations with Valentin Kuznetcov
In this episode, Nathan interviews Valentin Kuznetcov from Optimizator, a fractional CFO specialising in finance, analytics, and operations for e-commerce businesses. Val shares his background and how he became an expert in the field. They disc...
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Episode 6
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1:05:03
Becoming A Strong eCommerce Financial Operator
In this conversation, Nathan and Thomas (from StoreHero) discuss the importance of contribution margin in e-commerce businesses and the shift away from relying solely on ROAS as a metric. They also delve into the impact of operational issues on...
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Episode 5
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57:24