Are you looking to get your eCommerce brand to the next level in 2026?

Yeah? Well then this post is for you.

Last week, I moderated an Ugly Talk panel at eCom North’s Miami Summit featuring four incredible founders who've collectively built multi-million dollar brands:

• Keida Dervishi from Soulmate Customs (3B+ organic views)

• Eitan Katz from Huug (performance marketing scaled to 8 figures)

• Illie Balaj from Live Healthillie (founder-led wellness brand reaching millions)

• Charlotte Trecartin from CharCharms ($10M in four years, featured on Shark Tank)

All four founders pulled back the curtain on:

• how they're breaking through on organic social when paid ads are getting more expensive and crowded

• the unglamorous reality of scaling from solo founder to managing teams

• why authenticity and "cringey" vulnerability are actually competitive advantages

• the specific metrics that matter (and why focusing of vanity metrics can kill your bottom line)

• and the persistent gap between founder-led brands and faceless corporations

The TLDR version: there's no secret sauce—just consistency, showing up, and the willingness to be real with your audience. Oh, and ditch the vanity metrics and focus on what actually converts.

Below are five key takeaways that will help you build an authentic, viral brand in a crowded social media landscape…

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1. The primacy of authentic, organic storytelling over polished marketing.

This came up repeatedly during the panel —from founder-led brands generating billions of views through genuine vulnerability, to the surprising success of static, user-generated-looking ads over high-production content, to the emphasis on being "cringe" and real rather than trying to appear like an authority figure.

The message was consistent: audiences connected with authenticity in 2025 and will continue to do so in 2026.

2. The shift from paid/performance marketing to organic social as a necessity.

Multiple panelists discussed the limitations and rising costs of relying on Facebook and Google ads, the need to diversify revenue channels, and the increasing importance of organic reach.

This reflects a broader market reality that paid channels alone aren't sustainable long-term.

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3. Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics; focus on metrics that actually matter

Whether discussing influencer partnerships (link clicks vs. views), content strategy (actual conversions vs. impressions), or personal branding (genuine connections vs. follower counts), vanity metrics typically don’t drive sales - yet so many of us are obsessed with trying to go viral.

There was a consistent thread of cutting through the noise and measuring what truly drives revenue.

4. The reality is scaling an eCommerce business is unglamorous most of the time

While the panelists' origin stories are inspiring, they emphasized the hard work of team management, hiring, systems building, and handling the messy human elements of growth—not just the exciting part of building something from scratch.

While seeing your business grow is exciting, what comes with that success is a lot of work and a lot of personal and professional growth opportunities.

5. Vulnerability and personal brand as competitive advantages.

Rather than hiding behind corporate messaging, the most successful founders share their struggles, show their real selves, and use their personal stories as differentiators.

This runs counter to traditional marketing playbooks but clearly resonates with Gen Z consumers.

Which theme above resonated with you the most?

Shoot me an email ([email protected]) and let’s chat about it.

See you next week ✌️