From outsider to industry leader: how authentic leadership and organizational “health” drive performance.

In this episode of How Do I?, Matt Putra sits down with Emily Yueh, President at Sneex and former COO of David Yurman, where she led a 25% growth turnaround and international expansion. Drawing on 15 years as a McKinsey partner, Emily shares a rare, practical framework for transforming culture from a vague buzzword into a measurable business advantage. She breaks down how to identify when culture is capping growth, how to fix it, and how to scale teams globally without losing alignment or performance. If you’re a founder or executive looking to drive healthy, sustainable growth—this one’s for you.

• How to move from an outsider to an insider in leadership
• Why culture and organizational “health” directly impact performance
• The difference between compliance and true alignment
• How to measure cultural health beyond employee satisfaction
• What makes international expansion succeed or fail
• Why the best culture champions are always your top performers
• 
  

00:00 – Matt’s intro and why this conversation matters

01:30 – Emily’s journey from China to leading global brands

05:10 – How education and curiosity shaped her career path

10:40 – Lessons from 15 years at McKinsey

18:00 – Feeling like an outsider at the top

20:30 – Culture as a silent cap on growth

22:00 – How to diagnose “organizational health”

26:00 – Data-driven ways to assess team health

29:30 – Why satisfaction ≠ performance

31:00 – Designing the right interventions for culture change

34:00 – How to connect culture and profit

36:00 – Structuring teams for global expansion

38:30 – The balance between global consistency and local flexibility

41:00 – Corporate vs local decision-making

42:00 – Final reflections and how to reach Emily

Follow Emily Yueh

Website: sneex.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/emilyyueh

Sneex is a leading luxury brand known for its commitment to craftsmanship, innovation, and global growth. Under Emily Yueh’s leadership, the company focuses on building high-performing, resilient cultures that scale internationally without losing their creative edge.

What Emily shared:

• Focus on organizational health as a measurable driver of performance
• Link culture initiatives directly to business outcomes
• Champion growth through authentic leadership and alignment
• 
  

The How Do I? Podcast gives you 60 minutes with industry experts who teach their expertise to eCommerce founders and business operators. Each episode centers on a single "How do I...?" question, providing actionable tactics you can implement immediately.

Host: Matt Putra, Founder & CEO of Eightx

Eightx helps eCommerce, CPG, and SaaS companies scale profitably with expert CFO services and financial architecture. Founded by Matt Putra, Eightx specializes in cash flow optimization, financial planning, and strategic growth guidance for businesses between $5–80MM in annual revenue or venture-backed companies. Their team of experienced CFOs provides the knowledge and proven strategies that make scaling, growing, and lasting effortless.

Services include:

• Fractional CFO and financial leadership

• Cash flow

How Do I Build a Prospecting System That Scales? w/ Gabe Lullo

Turning cold calls into warm conversations: Gabe Lullo’s blueprint for scalable prospecting success.

In this episode of How Do I?, host Matt Putra, Founder & CEO of Eightx, sits down with Gabe Lullo, CEO of Alō, the world’s largest cold-calling firm. Gabe has built and scaled SDR teams for major brands like ZoomInfo, Peloton, and Microsoft, delivering over 11 million cold calls per year. He shares his proven frameworks for building prospecting systems that actually scale — including how to find the right audience, structure SDR compensation, and make cold calling effective in a digital-first world. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow your outbound sales without burning cash or patience, this episode is your playbook.

• How to identify and understand your ideal buyer before building your system
• 
  
• Why cold calling still works — and how to make it scale
• 
  
• The tech stack, data, and KPIs you need for predictable outbound success
• 
  
• How to recruit, train, and motivate world-class SDR teams
• 
  
• Why “prospecting is not a light switch” — and how long to give it before pivoting
• 
  
• How to blend LinkedIn thought leadership with multi-touch outreach for real results
• 
  

00:00 – Matt introduces Gabe and Alō

02:10 – How Gabe got into sales at age 13

04:00 – The evolution of prospecting in 2025 and beyond

05:40 – Why LinkedIn is still the best B2B platform

07:00 – Cold calling vs. email: what really works

09:25 – How Gabe’s team makes 11 million cold calls a year

11:45 – Knowing your numbers and KPIs for fundraising and scaling

13:55 – How to incentivize SDRs and structure compensation

16:10 – The 3-stage hiring process for elite SDRs

18:30 – Why asynchronous video interviews reveal top performers

20:00 – The “bag of popcorn” analogy for consistent prospecting

22:30 – How long it really takes to see results

25:00 – When cold calling makes sense — and when it doesn’t

28:00 – Understanding ROI and ACV before scaling outbound

30:20 – Building multi-channel campaigns (calls, LinkedIn, email)

31:30 – Humanizing your outreach and standing out online

33:00 – Gabe’s offer for startups and how to connect with him

Follow Gabe Lullo

Website: www.aloai.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gabelullo

Alō is the world’s leading sales development and cold-calling agency, managing over 150 SDRs worldwide and generating millions of qualified leads for B2B companies. The firm provides end-to-end prospecting services — from data sourcing and messaging to full SDR enablement and management.

What they offer:

• Fractional and fully managed SDR teams
• Cold-calling and multi-channel outbound systems
• Intent data and KPI-driven analytics
• Recruiting, onboarding, and SDR training frameworks
• 
  

Alō helps both startups and enterprise brands build scalable, high-performing outbound teams without the overhead of hiring in-house.

The How Do I? Podcast gives you 60 minutes with industry experts who teach their expertise to eCommerce founders and business operators. Each episode centers on a single "How do I...?" question, providing actionable tactics you can implement immediately.

Host: Matt Putra, Founder & CEO of

Lennart Winqvist, CEO and founder of Arctic Collagen, shares the two-year, half-million-dollar journey of creating a premium liquid marine collagen supplement specifically designed for men's aging joints. Drawing from his entrepreneurial background as founder of Socuza Corporation, Lennart explains how he transformed personal frustration with existing collagen products into a gender-agnostic solution that delivers 8,000mg of marine collagen in convenient, portable sachets. Joined by co-founders Jazan and Rayhan Winqvist, the team breaks down everything from product formulation and bioavailability science to packaging design and strategic market positioning for health-conscious male consumers.

◽️ Why gender-agnostic packaging design is critical for men's supplement adoption and market success

◽️ How liquid marine collagen achieves up to 95% absorption versus 40% for powder supplements

◽️ The scientific rationale behind 8,000mg dosing combined with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C

◽️ Why wild-caught Norwegian cod scales produce superior collagen compared to bovine or Asian sources

◽️ The real timeline and investment required: two years and $500K from concept to market launch

◽️ How to navigate early retail opportunities like QVC and Target without destroying your emerging brand

00:00 Intro

02:22 The collagen journey begins

04:40 Creating supplements without scientific background

07:00 Solving men's joint pain perception problem

09:25 Recovery improvements at 39 versus 60

11:47 73-year-old tennis player's transformation story

13:59 Marine collagen versus bovine explained

16:24 The 8,000mg dosing research process

18:48 Bioavailability: liquid versus powder absorption rates

21:13 Cold processing preserves collagen efficacy

23:14 Finding the right food scientists

25:43 The real cost: half million dollars

27:54 The two-page flyer strategy

30:03 Building a multigenerational team advantage

32:27 Turning down QVC and Target deals

34:54 Social media and influencer challenges

Follow Lennart Winqvist

Website: arcticcollagen.com

LinkedIn: [Not provided in transcript]

Arctic Collagen is a premium liquid marine collagen supplement launched in 2024, specifically formulated to address joint pain and recovery while maintaining gender-agnostic appeal. The product delivers 8,000mg of hydrolyzed marine collagen sourced from wild-caught Norwegian cod scales, enhanced with hyaluronic acid and vitamin C for optimal absorption. Each convenient sachet provides a honey-like texture that can be consumed directly or mixed into beverages and food.

Key Features:

• Up to 95% bioavailability through cold-process liquidization
• Sustainably sourced from pristine Arctic waters
• Manufactured to EU standards in Norway, final production in Long Island, NY
• Available in strawberry and lemon flavors
• 14-day supply boxes with subscription options (20% discount + free nationwide shipping)

Where to Purchase:

• Direct: arcticcollagen.com
• Amazon (recently launched)
• OneLavi.com (health platform)

Shawn Johnston, founder and CEO of a 14-year-old agency, shares his personal journey of being diagnosed with ADHD and autism later in life and how it transformed his approach to building workplace culture. After discovering his own neurodivergence while supporting his son's diagnosis, Shawn rebuilt his entire company around neurodiversity-friendly practices. Now leading a team that's approximately one-third neurodiverse, he reveals the specific accommodations, communication strategies, and cultural shifts that not only support neurodivergent employees but create stronger, more productive teams for everyone.

• What neurodiversity actually is and the common misconceptions that harm inclusive hiring

• How masking behaviors exhaust neurodivergent employees and why authenticity drives performance

• The five key workplace accommodations that transform neurodivergent employee success

• Why documentation and clear communication systems benefit all team members

• How workplace trauma affects neurodivergent individuals and what leaders can do about it

• The business advantages of building sensory-safe environments and flexible work structures

00:00 Introduction to neurodiversity in workplace culture

02:07 Shawn's personal journey with late diagnosis

04:25 What neurodiversity actually means and includes

06:45 How neurodivergent brains process information differently

09:06 Understanding masking behaviors in professional settings

11:15 Common workplace challenges for neurodivergent employees

13:36 The hidden trauma of workplace misunderstanding

16:03 Debunking autism spectrum misconceptions

18:29 The "spiky profile" of neurodivergent strengths

20:49 Why "high functioning" labels are harmful

23:05 Masking behaviors and their emotional toll

25:29 Sensory overwhelm in traditional office environments

27:48 The connection between neurodiversity and PTSD

30:04 Addressing the "superpower" narrative around ADHD

32:20 Essential workplace accommodations for success

34:41 Creating effective documentation systems

36:58 Building sensory-safe work environments

39:13 Communication strategies that work for everyone

44:03 Front-loading information to reduce anxiety

46:27 What neurodiverse employees really want

48:51 Common mistakes to avoid with neurodivergent staff

51:10 Building naturally inclusive company culture

53:31 Organic growth of neurodiverse teams

55:54 Final advice for creating inclusive workplaces

58:13 Shawn's current projects and contact information

Follow Shawn Johnston:

Website: refoundry.io

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shawn-johnston-w

Email: shawn@refoundry.io

Shawn runs a 14-year-old agency and is the founder of Refoundry, a low-code, seamless site builder for WordPress that helps agencies deliver digital projects faster and more efficiently. Refoundry is currently doing a pre-seed raise and showing strong early traction in the market.

• Specializes in systems and process optimization for agencies

• Built around neurodiversity-friendly practices from the ground up

• Approximately one-third of the team is neurodivergent

• Focus on clear documentation, flexible scheduling, and sensory accommodations

• Proven track record of creating inclusive cultures that drive business growth

For more information about Refoundry's SaaS platform, visit refoundry.io

The How Do I? Podcast gives you 60 minutes with industry experts who teach their expertise to eCommerce founders and business operators. Each episode centers on a single "How do I...?" question, providing actionable tactics you can implement immediately.

Host: Matt Putra, Founder & CEO of

In this deep-dive episode, Rafi Ganz, UK chartered accountant and Head of Partnerships at Finaloop, reveals how ecommerce businesses can eliminate financial blind spots and gain complete visibility into their operations. After leading global tax at a multi-billion dollar IT security firm and serving as director at PwC, Rafi now helps entrepreneurs transform their accounting from outdated monthly reports to real-time financial intelligence. If you're tired of making business decisions with stale data and want to join the brands seeing 25%+ EBITDA growth year-over-year, this conversation is essential listening.

• Why ecommerce accounting is 20x more complex than traditional businesses and how this complexity creates opportunity
• The specific integrations and automations that deliver tax-ready financials updated multiple times per day
• How real-time financial visibility helps brands reduce OpEx margins by 5 percentage points on average
• The critical difference between proxy dashboards and actual reconciled financials for decision-making
• Why brands using real-time accounting see 25%+ year-over-year EBITDA improvements consistently
• The exact setup process to go from sign-up to live financials in under 48 hours

• 00:01 – Opening discussion on ecommerce margin vulnerabilities
• 02:02 – Why accountants make unlikely tech innovators
• 04:13 – The failed AI experiments at Big Four firms
• 06:29 – From 80-person finance teams to streamlined solutions
• 08:48 – Why ecommerce accounting breeds unique complexity
• 11:10 – The clearing account nightmare most brands face
• 13:29 – Razor-thin margins demand real-time financial agility
• 15:46 – What "real-time" actually means in practice
• 18:06 – Automated loan document processing demonstration
• 20:13 – Democratizing financial literacy for founders
• 20:55 – Live system demonstration begins
• 23:16 – Three-way reconciliation for payment processors
• 25:41 – Automated transaction spreading and amortization
• 26:39 – KPI dashboard and SKU-level profitability analysis
• 28:59 – Industry benchmarking with real-time data
• 31:21 – Real-time inventory and COGS calculations
• 33:25 – FIFO inventory management and landed costs
• 35:47 – Mission control for financial data gaps
• 38:10 – Five-minute integration setup walkthrough
• 40:22 – Bank and payment processor connections
• 42:42 – Onboarding timeline and balance sheet setup
• 45:11 – Monthly maintenance time requirements
• 47:37 – The discipline effect of daily financial visibility
• 49:59 – Proven results across three-year cohort studies
• 52:18 – TikTok integration and future developments

Follow Rafi Ganz Website:finaloop.com Email: rafi.ganz@finaloop.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rafi-ganz-a23b1a5b

Finaloop revolutionizes ecommerce financial management by combining AI-driven automation with expert accounting teams to deliver real-time, tax-ready financials. Unlike traditional accounting software that requires manual data entry and monthly reconciliation, Finaloop provides native integrations with...

This episode features Ankita Verma, CEO and co-founder of Pier39.ai, a revolutionary AI-powered platform that helps eCommerce brands monetize their thank you pages. With her background as Head of Product at Amazon AI and AWS, plus an MBA from Wharton, Ankita reveals exactly how to transform your post-checkout experience from a dead-end into a profit center. She breaks down how brands can earn up to $1 per order while rewarding customers with personalized offers, creating a win-win scenario that drives repeat purchases and customer loyalty.

Why less than 5% of retailers currently monetize their thank you pages effectively - The exact AI-powered system that personalizes offers to maximize customer engagement - How to earn $0.45-$1.00 per order through strategic post-checkout monetization - The 40-20-40 revenue split model that benefits brands, customers, and advertisers - Why 55-60% of customers return within 60 days using this approach - The 5-minute installation process that works with both Shopify and custom platforms

00:00 Introduction to thank you page monetization

02:18 Ankita's background at Amazon AI and AWS

04:39 Live demo of Pier39.ai widget functionality

07:03 Revenue earning potential per order explanation

09:22 Installation process and Shopify App Store

11:43 Brand safety controls and offer selection

14:10 AI personalization engine and customer targeting

16:34 Advertiser onboarding and Pixel app setup

18:44 Additional placement options beyond thank you pages

Follow Ankita Verma:

Website: pier39.ai

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ankita-pier39ai

Pier39.ai revolutionizes post-checkout monetization by turning thank you pages into revenue-generating growth engines. The platform uses AI-powered personalization to display relevant sponsored offers from over 150+ partner brands, helping eCommerce stores earn additional revenue while rewarding customers with valuable discounts. Pier39Pier39.ai Blog The company launched in October 2023 and has already demonstrated significant results, with brands earning up to $100,000 in additional revenue per 100,000 orders. Customers receive an average of $22 in store credit per offer conversion, with 55-60% returning to shop again within 60 days. Top Strategies for Post-Purchase Monetization | Pier39.ai Blog | Pier39.ai Blog

Special Offer: Pier39.ai offers a completely free setup process that takes just 5 minutes to implement. The platform operates on a revenue-sharing model where brands keep 40% of advertising revenue, Pier39.ai takes 40%, and 20% is allocated to customer rewards. Pier39.ai

The How Do I? Podcast gives you 60 minutes with industry experts who teach their expertise to eCommerce founders and business operators. Each episode centers on a single "How do I...?" question, providing actionable tactics you can implement immediately.

Host: Matt Putra, Founder & CEO of Eightx

**Eightx** helps eCommerce, CPG, and SaaS companies scale profitably with expert CFO services and financial architecture. Founded by Matt Putra,...

Episode Overview

This episode tackles one of the most critical challenges in startup leadership: repairing damaged co-founder relationships. Ryan Vaughn, executive coach and founder of Inside Out Leadership, brings his experience as a 3x serial entrepreneur and coach to over 100 founders worth $10+ billion in equity value. Having navigated co-founder tensions in each of his three companies, Ryan shares his proven "Clearing Conversation Framework" - a simple but challenging 3-step process that eliminates relational debt and restores open communication between business partners.

Ryan Explains

• What relational "cruft" is and why it inevitably builds up between co-founders over time
• How withholding small grievances creates communication debt that destroys business performance
• The "speaking inarguably" technique to present facts without triggering defensiveness
• Why taking 100% responsibility is the key to unlocking change and preventing blame cycles
• How to identify your role in creating dysfunction using the "adjunct professor" exercise
• The complete 3-step Clearing Conversation Framework for rebuilding co-founder trust

Timestamps

00:53 - Introduction and audio setup discussion

01:46 - Hampton community background and revenue criteria

03:09 - Co-founder relationship challenges overview

05:51 - Matt's podcast evolution and format

07:14 - Ryan's multi-faceted co-founder experience

08:22 - Defining relational "cruft" and communication debt

10:02 - Marriage comparison and inevitable relationship buildup

12:00 - Three-step clearing conversation framework introduction

13:18 - Step 1: Observing what's true

15:36 - Speaking inarguably technique explained

16:10 - Emotional literacy for leaders discussion

17:33 - Step 2A: Taking 100% responsibility

20:19 - The adjunct professor thought experiment

21:08 - Ego resistance to taking responsibility

23:38 - Step 2B: Acknowledging impact on others

25:23 - Step 3: Making commitments for change

25:53 - Why no apology is required

28:33 - Framework frequency and maintenance

30:07 - Implementation success rates and outcomes

31:34 - Inside Out Leadership introduction and contact

Follow Ryan Vaughn:

Website: leadinsideout.io

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryanhvaughn

About Ryan's Company

Inside Out Leadership is a boutique executive coaching firm staffed entirely by post-exit founders who have transitioned into coaching. Founded by Ryan Vaughn after scaling and exiting VNN (a media company), the firm specializes in helping founders transform their companies into their masterpieces while stepping fully into their lives. Ryan's unique background includes founding and serving as CEO of three companies over 15 years, with experience raising venture capital, scaling operations, and navigating complex co-founder dynamics. The firm focuses on the personal growth process of startup leadership, working with founders at all scales on both individual development and organizational transformation.

About How Do I?

The How Do I? Podcast gives you 60 minutes with industry experts who teach their expertise to eCommerce founders and business operators. Each episode centers on a single "How do I...?" question, providing actionable tactics you can implement immediately.

Host: Matt Putra, Founder & CEO of Eightx

Our Sponsors

Eightx helps eCommerce, CPG, and SaaS companies scale profitably with expert CFO services and financial architecture. Founded by Matt Putra, Eightx specializes in cash flow optimization, financial planning, and strategic growth guidance for businesses between $5-80MM in annual revenue or venture-backed companies....

Episode Overview

Jeff Brewer, CEO of Cornerstone Insurance and a US Coast Guard veteran, breaks down everything you need to know about business insurance for eCommerce companies. With over 25 years of experience and licensed in all 50 states, Jeff explains how to select the right coverage, choose reliable agents, and avoid costly mistakes that could bankrupt your business. This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic liability to cyber insurance, helping entrepreneurs protect their companies without overpaying for unnecessary coverage.

Jeff Explains

Why business insurance is like a compass - how it pools risk and protects against unintended consequences that could destroy your company

The 5 essential types of commercial insurance - errors & omissions, cyber liability, employment practices, general liability, and property coverage

How to choose between captive vs. independent agents - and why shopping with 3-5 different agents can save you thousands

The critical factors that affect insurance pricing - including industry type, revenue size, claims history, and coverage limits

When to make a claim vs. paying out of pocket - strategic decisions that impact your future premiums and risk profile

Red flags to avoid when selecting insurance partners - how to verify agent credentials and spot inadequate coverage

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Jeff's Coast Guard background

02:20 - What is insurance and how it works

04:44 - Common insurance terms business owners need to know

07:00 - The bad stuff: events, losses, and claims

09:17 - Types of insurance explained

11:41 - Errors and omissions insurance deep dive

16:12 - Data and cyber liability coverage

21:19 - Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI)

23:39 - Directors and officers insurance (D&O)

25:29 - General liability and property insurance

28:21 - Workers compensation requirements

30:08 - What affects insurance pricing

32:29 - Compliance triggers and requirements

34:52 - How to choose the right insurance partner

42:29 - Captive vs. independent agents explained

46:59 - Tips for avoiding under-insurance

51:38 - Annual policy reviews and relationship building

53:32 - Cornerstone Insurance services overview

56:12 - Contact information and next steps

Follow Jeff

Follow Jeff Brewer

Website: coveredbycornerstone.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffreyabrewer

About Jeff's Company

Cornerstone Insurance (operating as Integrity First Insurance) is a premier provider of commercial insurance solutions specializing in financial services, fintech, and regulated industries. Founded over 25 years ago, the company serves thousands of clients nationwide with expertise in complex compliance requirements and risk management. Jeff's team offers full market access across 14 different carriers, providing transparent pricing and coverage comparisons to help businesses make informed decisions. For podcast listeners, they offer dedicated agent support through Donna Talbot at D.Talbot@coveredbycornerstone.com or 888-846-4192.

Services include:

Errors & omissions insurance for professional services

Cyber liability coverage for data protection

Employment practices liability insurance

Directors and officers insurance

General liability and property coverage

Workers compensation insurance

Transparent pricing across multiple carriers

About How Do I?

The How Do I? Podcast gives you