What to read this week 🚀


Happy Thursday!

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

  1. Meet the ChatGPT of fashion.
  2. ​We Replaced Our UGC Ads with AI - Here’s the Verdict
  3. The Shopify AI Dashboard That Knows Your Data and Talks Strategy With You [EVENT]
  4. ​From $10K to $100K: The Unsexy Truth About Scaling Neat
  5. ​Do You Have a Growth Plan For the Rest of 2025?

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)

Is This the ChatGPT of Fashion?

Daydream’s new platform could change how customers find fashion online.

The most dangerous thing in fashion eComm today? Relying on search bars built for another era. Daydream is betting $50M that the fix is AI + conversation.

This isn’t another “recommended for you” feed. It’s a chat-first shopping experience. You don’t search - you talk. You say more. About the event, the vibe, the season. Daydream’s AI sifts through 2M+ products and serves results that actually align with intent.

It’s not just personalization. It’s specificity at scale.

🎯 Think: Spotify Discover Weekly meets a personal stylist, powered by chat.

Founded by Julie Bornstein (ex-Nordstrom, Sephora, The Yes), Daydream’s AI interface blends eComm with a conversational UX. Users build a “style passport,” then start chatting. Results get refined with each upvote, photo upload, or material tweak. And while there’s no in-app checkout yet, Daydream links directly to retailer sites - earning 20% commission per sale.

It’s launching with 8,500 brands and counting. But the edge isn’t the catalog—it’s the engine. As Bornstein puts it: “Google has been at it for a long time, but there’s a lack of understanding in the category. We have the fashion expertise.”

We Replaced Our UGC Ads with AI - Here’s the Verdict

Testing Arcads AI to see if AI-generated creators can actually convert.

We’ve been testing Arcads AI, an AI tool that turns scripts into hyper-realistic, UGC-style video ads and it’s quickly become part of our go-to stack. Write a script, pick an AI actor, adjust the tone and pacing, and you’ve got a ready-to-launch ad in minutes.

But here’s where it gets real: we recently ran a fully AI-generated ad for a client - no actors, no editors, no studio. Just a good idea, ChatGPT for the script, Midjourney for visuals, Arcads for voiceover, and CapCut AI for captions.

Total cost? Less than lunch.

Time to launch? Under an hour.

The result?

That’s not hype. That’s where the market is going. Fast, cheap, and actually high-performing.

For Shopify and DTC brands bottlenecked by creative production, Arcads is a real unlock. It doesn’t just save time - it gives you scale without sacrificing quality.

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Do You Have a Growth Plan For the Rest of 2025?

video preview

A behind-the-scenes look at how we map out campaigns, channels, and momentum.

At GrowthHit, we don’t rely on static growth plans. We use something far more actionable: the Strategic Growth Calendar. It’s a framework we apply internally and with clients to map a full year of scalable growth.

It starts with identifying “Always On” channels - like SEO, ads, email, CRO, and partnerships - that drive consistent performance. Then we layer in “Marketing Moments”: high-impact campaigns like launches, PR stunts, and influencer plays that create momentum.

From there, we match it all to seasonality - dialing into demand capture during peak periods and demand generation when traffic dips. It’s not about guessing what to do next; it’s about seeing the whole year and knowing exactly where to focus.

We just published a full breakdown of the framework - including a video walkthrough and implementation guide.

Check it out here: Strategic Growth Calendar Framework

From $10K to $100K: The Unsexy Truth About Scaling Neat

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.

No viral moment. No outside funding. Just clear messaging, smart offers, and sweat-proof execution.

Twelve months ago, Neat was doing $10K/month.

This month, we passed $100K.

  • We didn’t go viral.
  • We didn’t raise a dime.
  • We didn’t get shouted out by The Rock (still waiting, bro).

Here’s what we did:

👉 Figured out why our shirts are different (they hide sweat)

👉 Wrote ads that say that clearly (no branding jargon, just “you won’t pit out”)

👉 Made a no-brainer offer for first-time buyers (hi, intro packs + guarantees)

👉 Reinvested every dollar into growth (aka more inventory, more content, more sweat-proofing)

Is it sexy? Not really.

Is it working? Yep.

Not every month will look like this, but today I’m just grateful.

Want to know how we did this? Check out the Sold-Out Playbook

The Shopify AI Dashboard That Knows Your Data and Talks Strategy With You

See how we built an AI dashboard that unifies your marketing stack and tells you exactly where to focus for growth.

Imagine one place where all your most important metrics - Shopify, Meta, Google Ads, Klaviyo, and more – come together, cleanly visualized and tailored to your goals. Now imagine you can actually talk to it. Ask questions. Get strategic suggestions. Drop in your meeting notes. And have it help you figure out what to test, fix, or scale next.

That’s what our AI-powered Shopify dashboard does. It’s not just a reporting tool – it’s your personal growth strategist, built around your data, your store, and your priorities.

We’re giving a behind-the-scenes look at how it works and building it for free for 3 randomly selected attendees.

Join us live. See what your growth could look like with real AI working for you.

  • 🗓️ When: July 10, 2025
  • ⏰ Time: 10:30AM Pacific Time / 1:30 PM Eastern Time
  • 💥 How to Sign Up: LINK HERE

Cut Production Costs by 35%—Before Tariffs Spike on July 9

A faster, smarter way to source products- while you still can.

If you’ve ever wasted days chasing suppliers, coordinating samples, or navigating logistics just to get a product made - Cavela exists to end that. And right now, there’s another reason to rethink your sourcing strategy:

Next week, on July 9, the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs expires for most countries. That means your COGS are about to rise - country-specific increases could range from 11% to 50%.

What smart brands are doing today:

  • Finding alternative suppliers in a few key low-risk countries
  • Implementing strategic short-term hedges (e.g. bonded warehouses, foreign trade zones) to buy time while trade deals catch up
  • Using platforms like Cavela to adapt their sourcing strategy—without disrupting production

Cavela is a virtual sourcing platform that taps into 200,000+ vetted suppliers across 40+ countries. It helps you stay ahead by identifying the most cost-effective manufacturers and freight solutions for your exact product.

The best part? They handle everything - quote collection, sample coordination, on-site QA, freight, tariffs, and more.

Brands using Cavela are already cutting production costs by 35% or more.

Book a free, personalized 1:1 consultation to understand how tariffs could affect your brand - and how to minimize that impact - when you mention GrowthHit.

To find a premium, cost-effective supplier for your next product, head to www.cavela.com and use code GROWTHHIT to get 50% off your first sample order.

We Took Over a Shopify Brand - Here’s the Exact Plug & Play Strategies

We bought a DTC brand. Now we’re putting it through the GrowthHit wringer. This is the actual strategy we’re using to scale Neat Apparel - and yes, we’re sharing everything.

This one’s a solo episode - and it’s personal. I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly how we’re growing Neat Apparel, a sweat-proof clothing brand we just acquired at GrowthHit. I walk through the full growth plan: what we did first, what we’re testing, and what’s actually moving the needle.

I cover everything - from revamping the site and increasing AOV with bundling, to building out email flows and launching paid ads (on a bootstrapped budget, of course). If you want a real, in-the-weeds look at how we’re scaling a Shopify brand in a crowded space, this is the episode.

Key Topics Covered:

  • Why my first move post-acquisition was to shut up and listen
  • How we’re bundling to boost AOV and protect ROAS
  • The 30+ ad angles we’re testing (yes, it’s nerdy)
  • How we’re mixing paid with scrappy growth plays
  • What we’re betting on long-term (hint: SEO + seasonality)

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts

Let’s Fix What’s Blocking Your Growth

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The Shopify Growth Insider by GrowthHit

Your unfair advantage in eCommerce. Every Thursday, you’ll get: Expert Shopify insights from the GrowthHit team, Curated growth tips from top-performing brands, Killer tool to level up your Shopify. I’m Jim - GrowthHit Founder & Neat (sweat-proof shirts) CEO. Expect real wins, tough losses, and the best memes in eCom.

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