Hey Cowboys,
Happy Tuesday! Far from the weekend but we will bring forth a new round of DTC, retail, tech, and ecommerce news for you.
Today’s lineup 👇 and stories.
Today’s Squad: Three Corners of Commerce
Today we’re chatting with a media buyer scaling brands to seven figures, a founder modernizing one of retail's most regulated categories, and a beverage founder building the next social drink.
TJ Bongiorno - Founder, The Outgoing Co.
Joy Sharma - Director, Common Thread Collective
Jeff Bridges - Founder, Master FLL
YouTube Is Deleting Peptide Influencer Channels?
Days after Eli Lilly filed six US lawsuits over the alleged unlawful sale of retatrutide and referred more than 200 individuals and businesses to regulators, the YouTube channels of two of the biggest peptide creators, Josh Holyfield and Trevor Bachmeyer, disappeared. Meanwhile, Australia's TGA seized more than A$120,000 in peptides and steroids allegedly tied to a social media influencer, warning that promoters, not just sellers, can now be held accountable.
The Rundown:
Lilly's six lawsuits target the alleged unlawful sale of retatrutide, with the company urging social media platforms, payment processors, and shipping companies to act
Holyfield says YouTube removed his channel without warning or a cited policy violation; he has appealed, filed a complaint with the Georgia Attorney General, and is rebuilding on Rumble and X
There is no evidence Lilly caused the YouTube removals, and YouTube hasn't publicly explained the decisions
On August 4, Australia's TGA and NSW Police executed search warrants at two residential properties, seizing retatrutide, CJC-1295, and the BPC-157/TB-500 "Wolverine Stack" allegedly linked to an influencer who had previously been warned
The TGA explicitly warned that influencers, affiliates, and online sellers promoting unapproved peptide products may be held accountable for unlawful advertising
Affiliate links, discount codes, and promotional content can connect a creator to the commercial chain even when someone else supplies the product
Regulators in both Australia and the US say "research use only" disclaimers don't change a product's regulatory status when marketing shows intended human use
The enforcement perimeter around the gray-market peptide economy is expanding fast, from vendors and pharmacies to the creators and platforms driving demand. The events aren't provably coordinated, but they all point the same direction: social media promotion is no longer the safe part of the supply chain, it's becoming the evidence.
Top Stories: Jams vs. Uncrustables, Reddit Goes Video, Summerween Takes Over
Jams Takes on Uncrustables - Jams, the protein-packed PB&J backed by Pat McAfee, JJ Watt and other athletes, is taking on Smucker’s Uncrustables. The brand launched in 2025 and is now sold nationwide at Walmart and Target, with 10 grams of protein per sandwich. Uncrustables generates more than $1 billion in annual sales, giving Jams a massive market to target.
Reddit Brings Its Stories to Video Similar to Tiktok - Reddit is testing narrated video and audio versions of posts across select communities. The new formats turn Reddit stories and conversations into content designed for watching or background listening, a format already popular on TikTok and Reels. The test could give Reddit a new way to drive engagement and monetize its vast library of user-generated content.
Summerween Makes Halloween a Five-Month Season - Summerween has stretched Halloween into a nearly five-month retail season, with Mars now beginning its rollout in June. The company says Halloween has become its biggest season of the year, with more than 120 themed products launching this year. Mars is also producing and preparing half of its Halloween inventory by early May to meet the longer demand window.
Discover What’s Worth Testing with Intelligems
The AI-powered testing platform for your next big idea.
What's the one change that could move your business — a price test, a subscription offer, a new bundle? The hard part was never running the test. It's knowing which test is worth running.
That's exactly what Intelligems is built for. Its AI-powered audit reads your store and surfaces the high-growth opportunities actually worth testing — in just a few minutes.
The audit is completely free. A few minutes in, you'll walk away with three ideas you can test today.
→ Get your free audit at intelligems.io/audit
Ecomm Cowboy is the go-to live show for ecommerce operators, breaking down the latest DTC, retail, and AI news while interviewing the founders and executives building today's fastest-growing brands.
We’re live every Monday to Friday at 12PM CT.
Have questions or want to come on the show? Simply reply to this email, we’re happy to chat.
Made Possible By:
Seguno - the Shopify-native marketing suite for brands that run it themselves.
Insense - The all-in-one UGC and influencer marketing platform.
Postscript - Make more money from every SMS message.
Proxima - Use real conversion data to power your creative briefs.
Northbeam - Measure the “unmeasurable,” make your marketing profitable.
Rokt Aftersell - More profit from the orders you’re already getting.
Universal Ads - TV ads that deliver for performance marketers.
Richpanel - The AI helpdesk that saves you headaches (and money).
SATHI - Affiliate attribution beyond last-click commissions.
Slash - A better business banking platform.
Trendtrack - Track competitors' winning marketing strategies daily.
Tie - The internet’s #1 shopper ID platform.
Proppel - The best recruitment agency for ecom brands and agencies.
See you on the stream,
Ecomm Cowboy Team