Happy Thursday!

In 5 minutes, you'll be learning about the following:

1. AI Is Coming for Your Marketing Job (But Not How You Think)
2. ​David Protein’s Genius Launch Move: Make Your Waitlist Work Overtime
3. ​Meet GARY: The AI Dashboard That Thinks Like a Growth Marketer
4. ​How to Build a $25M+ Business Without Raising a Dime (Jesse Pujji’s Playbook)
5. ​Grok Imagine: Elon’s New AI Video Tool We’re Eager to Test

What did everyone enjoy last week?

The most clicked link was ... The Shopify Growth School​

Jim Huffman, GrowthHit & Neat Apparel CEO
​(Want a friend? Let's connect on Twitter or LinkedIn)

​AI Is Coming for Your Marketing Job (But Not How You Think)​

Microsoft’s AI Report Shows Why Marketers Shouldn’t Panic - They Should Pivot

You’ve seen the headlines: “AI will steal your job.” But Microsoft just dropped some data that tells a different story. After analyzing 200,000 real workplace conversations, they found that AI isn’t replacing marketers and sales pros - it’s reshaping how we work.

AI is Your New Intern, Not Your Replacement

If you’re in marketing or sales, you’re already working alongside AI. According to Microsoft’s research, roles like Sales Reps, Content Writers, and Customer Service pros are seeing the biggest AI impact. Why? Because AI crushes tasks like:

• Gathering info fast
• Writing and editing (hello, blog posts!)
• Teaching you things on the fly

But here’s the twist: in 40% of cases, AI didn’t do exactly what users asked. Instead, it pivoted - offering advice, coaching, or alternative answers. That’s because AI’s sweet spot isn’t replacing humans; it’s augmenting us. Think of it as the best intern you’ve ever had - fast, tireless, but still needs guidance.

Where AI Still Sucks (For Now)

Not every marketing task is AI-ready. Things like:

• Visual design and creative branding
• Strategy-heavy data analysis
• …still need the human touch.

AI might get you 80% there, but the last 20% - the “make it pop” moments? That’s on you.

Job Security? It’s About How You Pivot

The study found no clear link between AI impact and wages. Whether you’re making six figures or freelancing, AI’s creeping into your workflow. But this isn’t about losing jobs. It’s about shifting roles.

The marketers who thrive will be the ones who:

• Master creativity and strategy (AI’s blind spots)
• Use AI to kill repetitive tasks (freeing up time for high-value work)
• Become the “AI whisperers” who know how to get the best from these tools

The Smart Move? Learn to Co-Work with AI

The future marketer won’t be the one who resists AI. It’ll be the one who knows how to collaborate with it.

That’s exactly what we’re unpacking over at Shopify Growth School.

If you want to sharpen your AI-powered growth skills (without wading through fluff), this is where we’re teaching real strategies for Shopify and DTC brands.

​We're Looking for 10 Shopify Stores Ready to Scale with AI​

Work 1-on-1 with GrowthHit’s team to uncover what’s blocking sales, launch AI-powered growth tactics, and scale fast - risk-free.

Trying to break through that next revenue ceiling? Want to add $100K+ in sales before the end of the year?

We’re opening up 10 spots for our August AI Growth Sprint - an 8-week program built to help Shopify brands scale smarter using real AI-backed strategies.

This isn’t a course. It’s not a DIY YouTube rabbit hole. And it’s not some vague “done-for-you” offer that leaves you guessing.

You’ll work directly with the GrowthHit team - the same crew that scaled Neat Apparel, our sweat-proof Shopify brand, to 7 figures in 12 months. We’ve done this across 150+ DTC brands and now we’re handing you the playbook.

Expect AI-powered email flows, high-converting landing pages, smarter ad creative, and a step-by-step plan tailored to your brand.

You should apply if:

• You’re doing at least $10K/month on Shopify
• You’ve got consistent traffic (organic or paid)
• You’re ready to make bold, high-impact changes
• You’re open to coaching and want real traction
• You’re willing to share your numbers so we can get to work

And yes - there’s a 100% money-back guarantee. If you show up, implement, and don’t see results, you get your money back. No drama.

👉 Only 10 brands will be accepted into the August cohort. Apply here if you want in.

​Grok Imagine: Elon’s AI Video Tool We’re Eager to Test​

LilHumansBigImpact @BigImpactHumans Grok Imagine made a photo of me and my uncles come to life and I’m about to cry 🥹 3:27 AM • Aug 4, 2025 73 Retweets 1303 Likes Read 76 replies

​

Think Vine, but on AI steroids. Here’s why we’re lining up to try it.

We’ve been neck-deep in AI video tools this year (if you haven’t seen our Google Veo 3 tests, you should watch this). Now, Elon Musk and xAI are dropping something that feels like AI’s version of Vine and we’re here for it.

It’s called Grok Imagine.

Here’s the pitch: Type a prompt. Get a 6-second video with sound. Share it before your coffee gets cold. It’s messy. It’s fast. It’s built for viral moments, not polished productions.

Musk even said it himself - this isn’t about perfect visuals. It’s about “fastest time to make a fun, shareable video.”

Why This Has Our Attention at GrowthHit

We’re already using Google Veo 3 to create slick AI videos for Shopify brands. Veo gives us high-quality visuals for ads and product launches. But Grok? Grok is raw energy.

This feels like the AI playground for quick-hit TikToks, UGC-style product videos, or just weird, thumb-stopping content.

For DTC brands, the idea of churning out lo-fi, authentic-feeling content at scale? That’s a growth marketer’s dream.

We’re hopping on the Grok waitlist, and once we get access, we’re going to stress test it. We’ll see how quickly we can crank out video-first ads, experiment with UGC-style product videos for Shopify stores, and let’s be honest - figure out which ideas flop and which ones go viral.

Every win (and faceplant) will get shared right here in this newsletter. No filters. Just real tests, real results.

​Meet GARY: The AI Dashboard That Thinks Like a Growth Marketer​

The Shopify AI Dashboard that knows your numbers, talks strategy, and helps you figure out what to do next.

We were tired of staring at five dashboards and still not knowing what to test, fix, or scale.

So we built GARY - The AI Dashboard

It pulls in all your data - Shopify, Meta, Google Ads, Klaviyo and actually understands it.

But here’s the magic: you can talk to it. Ask why your CAC jumped. Ask what’s holding back conversion. Ask what to do next. And GARY answers - like a strategist who’s already looked at your store, knows your numbers, and isn’t afraid to give direction.

It doesn’t just report. It thinks.

It flags inventory issues before you sell out. It analyzes every review and spits out customer insights, ad angles, and email subject lines.

It compares your metrics to industry benchmarks. It even remembers what your team said in the last growth meeting and turns it into to-dos.

We’ve been using it on our Shopify brand Neat Apparel and testing it with a few clients. And yeah - it’s a game changer.

GARY is still in beta. But if you want to stop guessing and start scaling smarter, we’re opening up a waitlist.

This is the dashboard we wish we had years ago. So we built it. Now we’re letting a few more people in.

👉 Join the waitlist here​

​The Newsletter That’s Turning 1M+ Pros into AI Power Users​

AI won’t replace you. But the person who knows how to use AI will.

And here's how to stay ahead with AI:

1- ​Sign up​ for Superhuman AI. The AI newsletter read by 1M+ pros.

2- Master AI tools, tutorials, and news in just 3 minutes a day.

3- Become 10X more productive using AI.

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​David Protein’s Genius Launch Move: Make Your Waitlist Work Overtime​

They didn’t just collect emails. They created a viral loop that sold out product before launch day.

In 2024, David Protein (founded by RX Bar’s Peter Rahal) pulled off a product launch masterclass. They didn’t just build hype; they created a viral loop that turned their waitlist into a full-blown content engine.

Here’s exactly how they did it and how you can steal this play for your Shopify brand.

The Pre-Launch Move: Turn Your Waitlist into Your Marketing Team

Instead of collecting emails and calling it “launch prep,” David Protein gave away 20,000 protein bars before launch.

Not to influencers. Not to VIPs.

To anyone willing to try the product and share their experience.

Here’s why it worked:

• Massive giveaway = massive email list. Their Instagram giveaway filled their CRM with thousands of engaged leads.
• Strategic gifting to creators their audience already trusted. They didn’t spray and pray. They placed the product in the hands of people who could spark conversations.

This move flooded TikTok and Instagram with unboxings, taste tests, and honest reviews. Some videos hit 200k+ views. The result?

People didn’t just want to try David Protein - they felt like they had to.

Launch Day Execution: Gamify Checkout to Boost Cart Size

On launch day, David Protein didn’t just open the floodgates.

They made it fun to buy more.

The mechanic was simple: the more bars you bought, the more free product you got.

It turned checkout into a mini-game and quietly pushed up average order value (AOV) without slapping on discount codes.

Why This Works (and Why You Should Steal It)

Most brands think launching is about making noise. David Protein showed it’s really about creating momentum with:

1. Product-led content creation (the giveaway)
2. UGC as your main growth channel (authentic reviews > polished ads)
3. Gamified checkout mechanics (turning casual buyers into bigger spenders)

​One Simple Angle Shift Turned This Ad from Dead Weight to a Top Performer​

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​We acquired Neat, a sweat-proof apparel Shopify brand, in September 2023, and we’ve been documenting every win, fail, and lesson along the way here.​

We didn’t reshoot. We didn’t add influencers. We just reframed the emotional hook and the results skyrocketed.

Sometimes you don’t need more ad content. You just need to rework what you’ve got.

Most brands are sitting on a gold mine of underused assets. They run 1 version of a video, it underperforms, and they call it quits.

But here’s the thing - it’s usually not the content that’s broken. It’s the angle.

We just proved this at Neat.

We took one of our existing video ads. No new footage. No reshoots.

All we did was:

🎵 Change the music

📝 Rewrite the copy

🎯 Shift the narrative - from extreme demo to emotional benefit

Same shirt. Same footage. But this time, we made it about the feeling.

📈 The result?

It’s now our second-best performing ad.

Not because we created something new. But because we tested a different emotion.

If you’re running ads - don’t just think “more content.”

Think: better context.

You might already be sitting on your next winner.

(Shout out to Angela Brugioni, our Creative Director, for hatching this idea!)

​Steal the AI Ad System That 7x’d Sales (Yes, We’re Giving You the Playbook)​

We rebuilt our entire paid ads process with AI and now we’re handing it to you.

Earlier this week at Shopify Growth School, GrowthHit’s Jordan (Head of Growth) and Andre (Senior Paid Ads Expert) walked through the exact AI workflow we use to create scroll-stopping ads, optimize campaigns, and scale Shopify brands with less guesswork.

We covered:

• How we use AI at every stage of the funnel (from idea to ad launch)
• The strategies that flopped (and what we learned)
• The tactics that 7x’d sales for our Shopify clients
• Plus: The full AI Ads Playbook - every prompt, every framework, no fluff

If you missed it live, no worries. You can catch the full replay and get the exact systems we’re using to scale Shopify brands right now.

👉 Watch the Relay Here​

​How to Build a $25M+ Business Without Raising a Dime (Jesse Pujji’s Playbook)​

What if you could build a $25M+ business without raising a single dime?Jesse Pujji has done it - multiple times.

From bootstrapping his first agency to launching Gateway X and scaling productized services in the DTC world, Jesse has a blueprint for founders who want to build big without giving away equity. In this episode, he shares how you can do the same.​
​
​In this episode, Jim sits down with Jesse Pujji (Founder of Gateway X, Co-Founder of Ampush) to break down how he’s built, scaled, and exited businesses without venture capital. Jesse reveals his “Bootstrap Advantage” framework, why he believes most founders overcomplicate their growth strategy, and the exact levers he focuses on to grow companies from zero to eight figures.
​
​Key Topics Covered:

• The Bootstrap Advantage: Why it’s the best path for most founders
• How Jesse validates new business ideas (quickly and cheaply)
• The difference between “Productized Services” and traditional agencies
• Growth levers bootstrapped founders must focus on
• The psychology of staying lean while scaling big
• Jesse’s personal workflow for launching multiple businesses at once

If you’re a Shopify founder, DTC marketer, or just someone tired of the VC hamster wheel, this episode is your blueprint.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts

​Let’s Fix What’s Blocking Your Growth​

• My Agency - GrowthHit​
• AI Growth Strategies to Sell More On Shopify - GrowthSchool​
• The Sold-Out Shopify Playbook - Get the product​
• Podcast - The Shopify Growth Show​
• Proven AI Prompts for Your Shopify Success - Get the library​
• My Book: The Growth Marketer's Playbook​

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