#74 The Rise of AI Agents in Consumer Shopping: A New Era | Matt Hunter & Philip Qiu

In this episode, I get the chance to sit down with Jen Goodwin, a powerhouse with 17 years of experience driving growth across e-commerce and affiliate marketing. Jen has helped scale some of the biggest brands in the space and played a major role in two successful exits — the acquisition of Coupons.com (Quotient) and Honey’s $4B sale to PayPal.She’s worked at every level of an organization, mentoring new talent, partnering with the C-suite, and leading teams through transformation and growth. Today, she co-leads Hi Energy Agency, where she helps publishers scale faster through smarter affiliate partnerships and more efficient monetization strategies across major networks.Our conversation digs into what real leadership looks like inside high-growth environments — the tough decisions, the clarity required, the importance of operational discipline, and the mindset shifts that separate good teams from great ones. Jen brings a level of honesty and practical insight that operators will immediately recognize and appreciate.

In this episode of Always Be Testing, I sit down with Howard Schaffer — a 25-year performance marketing leader, former CMO and VP across major wellness, fitness, and tech brands, and now the founder of HOS Performance — for a deep dive into what really holds companies back from scaling. Howard and I unpack why so many teams are still operating on shaky data foundations, from broken UTM structures to inaccurate attribution and reporting gaps, and he shares the exact diagnostic framework he uses when he steps into an organization. We talk about what every new CMO should evaluate in their first 30–60 days, how to assess channel performance without bias, and why disciplined tracking and clean measurement matter far more than adding another fancy analytics tool. We also get into AI’s growing role in competitive research and creative iteration, how SEO is evolving, and why creator-led partnerships are becoming more valuable than traditional influencer deals. This conversation is full of practical insights for CMOs, performance marketers, analysts, and founders who want to understand what’s slowing down their growth — and how to fix it.

In this episode, we sit down with Scott Ginsberg — VP of Performance Marketing at Penske Media, the powerhouse behind brands like Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, and Robb Report. With two decades in affiliate and performance marketing (including leadership roles at BrandCycle, CJ, and Yahoo), Scott breaks down how the industry evolved from “coupons and last-click” into one of the most strategic levers in modern growth.We explore how top publishers balance editorial integrity with monetization, the rise of content-commerce, how AI is reshaping traffic and attribution, why brand-publisher relationships win long-term, and the underrated leadership principles that drive great teams.This episode is a masterclass for marketers, operators, and leaders navigating a shifting ecosystem.

This episode features Adam Robinson, Founder & CEO of Retention.com, who shares his journey from finance into tech and how he built Retention.com from the ground up into a lean, high-margin SaaS serving both e-commerce and B2B brands. He talks about hitting a growth plateau around ~$3M ARR and the breakthrough that followed, the role of continuous product innovation, and how founder-led brand building on LinkedIn became a core distribution and trust engine for the company. The conversation also explores defining what “enough” truly means, designing work around the life you want to live, and his decision to relocate to Aspen to raise his family in a more intentional environment.

In this episode of Always Be Testing, host Tye DeGrange sits down with Amro Naddy, VP of Product and General Manager at U.S. News & World Report, where he leads digital transformation, innovation, and audience growth initiatives across one of the most trusted names in media.With a background spanning product strategy, growth, and media leadership, Amro brings a thoughtful lens to how legacy brands can evolve without losing credibility. He shares how U.S. News balances data-driven optimization with editorial integrity — and why connecting product, marketing, and content strategy is crucial for long-term success.Together, they dive into the future of product-led growth, what it takes to lead cross-functional teams in a complex organization, and how to measure what really matters when building products for millions of users. Amro also reflects on leadership lessons — from building psychologically safe teams to navigating change in organizations that have been around for decades.This episode is a masterclass in modern leadership, where innovation meets trust and experimentation meets purpose.

In this episode of Always Be Testing, host Tye DeGrange sits down with Michael Cole, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Everflow and active member of the Performance Marketing Association’s Measurement Council. With a decade of experience leading growth and analytics in the partner and affiliate space, Michael helps brands unlock performance marketing efficiency through better data, smarter attribution, and stronger relationships between advertisers and publishers.Their conversation dives deep into how affiliate marketing and partnerships are rapidly evolving in the age of AI and advanced measurement. Michael shares how Everflow empowers marketers to see the full picture of affiliate performance — from first click to repeat purchase — while debunking the biggest myths holding brands back. Together, they unpack how AI is reshaping discovery, what most marketers still misunderstand about attribution, and how partner programs can deliver growth that’s both scalable and sustainable.

In this episode of Always Be Testing, host Tye DeGrange sits down with Bob Feist — known as the Godfather of Team Roping — a legendary cowboy, entrepreneur, and rodeo announcer. A Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee and PRCA Pioneer Award winner, Bob is also the founder of Ropers Sports News, the first-ever newspaper dedicated to team roping, and the creator of The Bob Feist Invitational (BFI), the richest one-day open team roping event in the world.In this inspiring conversation, Bob and Tye explore the Cowboy Code — a timeless set of values centered on courage, integrity, and doing what’s right — and how these principles apply to today’s business and marketing world. Bob shares stories and lessons from decades of entrepreneurship, from building a publication out of nothing to growing one of the most prestigious events in rodeo history.They dive into how the Cowboy Code influences leadership, business ethics, and branding, as well as the importance of trust, humility, and staying true to your brand identity. Bob also discusses key entrepreneurial lessons on starting small, adapting to change, and rewarding loyalty, offering timeless wisdom on integrity, perseverance, and leading with purpose.

In this episode of Always Be Testing, host Tye DeGrange sits down with Bryn Jones, Co-founder and CEO of PartnerStack, a leading B2B SaaS partner marketing platform. Bryn has spent the past decade redefining how companies scale through partnerships, drawing from his experience growing PartnerStack from its early days at Y Combinator to becoming an industry leader. The conversation dives into the evolution of B2B partnerships and how PartnerStack is helping companies move beyond traditional sales and marketing models toward sustainable, efficient growth. Bryn shares lessons from the company’s journey—emphasizing the importance of customer feedback, culture, and adaptability—and highlights how partner teams can align closer with revenue goals. They also explore the growing role of AI and automation in partnerships, the creation of generational wealth within partner ecosystems, and why partnerships are beginning to look more like marketing in the years ahead. The episode wraps with Bryn’s reflections on leadership, humility, family, and even gardening—where he draws parallels between patience, growth, and building something that lasts.

In this episode of Always Be Testing, host Tye DeGrange sits down with Nicole Leffer, an AI consultant, speaker, and founder of her own AI consultancy helping marketing teams and organizations understand, adopt, and integrate generative AI tools effectively. With a background as Head of Marketing for a B2B SaaS company, Nicole began experimenting with AI tools in 2021—long before the ChatGPT boom—and has since become a trusted voice in AI strategy, training, and implementation.Nicole shares her journey from early AI adoption in marketing to launching her consultancy, offering practical insights for brands navigating this fast-evolving landscape. The conversation explores how AI can transform marketing workflows and team productivity, why organizations should start with one tool before expanding, and the risks of “cognitive offloading” or trusting AI too much. Nicole emphasizes the importance of maintaining human oversight, communication, and critical thinking, while debunking common misconceptions about AI’s limitations and potential.They also discuss how to train teams to use AI responsibly and creatively, the role of experimentation and continuous learning in the AI era, and why smaller, agile teams often see greater success with implementation than larger, more rigid organizations. Beyond strategy, Nicole shares her creative side—her passion for travel, music, and using tools like Sunno to compose songs—illustrating how AI can enhance both professional workflows and personal expression.

In this episode of Always Be Testing, host Tye DeGrange sits down with John Toskey, a seasoned marketing leader with over 25 years of experience in global partner and performance marketing. Having held senior roles at eBay, Affirm, and Opera Software, and now running his own consulting practice, John unpacks lessons from decades of leading high-performing global marketing teams. He shares valuable insights on building diverse and sustainable teams, creating a culture of experimentation, and the importance of asking the right questions when testing. The conversation dives into why diversity in location, experience, and seniority strengthens team performance, how to avoid “talent logjams” and keep growth pathways open, and what it takes to scale a test-and-learn culture while ensuring results are properly shared. John and Tye also explore the balance between data, intuition, and executive alignment in decision-making, the evolving future of performance marketing—from BNPL to retail media to influencer backlash—and the promise and risks of AI in marketing, including generational differences in its adoption. Adding a personal touch, John opens up about his passion for cooking, vegan living, and even bird-watching apps, making this conversation both insightful and relatable.