Shows
Your Brand AmplifiedBeyond the Basics: Sam Piliero's Performance Marketing PlaybookSam Piliero's rise from childhood entrepreneurship to founding the Moonlighters agency wasn't accidental—it was built on years of deliberate skill accumulation. Rather than chasing quick wins, he invested evenings and commute time into mastery while maintaining financial discipline, understanding that sustainable success requires deep expertise before launching independent ventures. This foundation enabled him to identify what actually drives advertising results versus what merely consumes time and resources, crystallizing his philosophy into actionable frameworks that separate high-performing agencies from those stuck in tactical minutiae.
Sam's M3 method and seventy-twenty-ten creative rule solve the core problems plaguing most ad...
2026-01-0542 min
Facebook Ads Breaking News PodcastA Relaxed Facebook Ads Podcast Before the Black Friday Week!In our new episode, I’ll be talking about Cloudflare outage, the results of the week, Black Friday campaigns so far, AI enhancements, Sam Piliero’s video, and lastly, all your burning questions!
2025-11-2217 min
Future Fuzz - The Digital Marketing PodcastEp. 136 - New Customers, Not New Tricks - Sam PilieroIn this episode, host Vince Quinn welcomes Sam Piliero to explore how advertising strategy must evolve to serve today’s digital‑brands. Sam explains his agency’s focus on one‑to‑$10 million e‑commerce companies, how his three‑step “M3 Method” underpins their media buying and execution, and why spending ad budget on new customer acquisition (rather than over‑servicing existing/engaged audiences) is a critical shift. He also discusses how founder‑led content drives growth, how he built his agency culture to support performance, and how aligning content, strategy and operations pays off for both clients and team.Guest BioSam P...
2025-11-1923 min
Agency AlchemyMoonlighting to the Mainstage: Sam Piliero on Reinventing Media Buying for Challenger BrandsIn this episode of Agency Alchemy, we speak with Sam Piliero, founder of The Moonlighters, a fast-growing performance marketing agency built for the $1–$10M e-commerce brand. From scaling BarkBox through an IPO to launching his own agency, Sam shares how he’s rewriting the rules of media buying—eschewing bloated teams, cutting wasted ad spend, and proving that founder-led content can outpace traditional agency marketing.
Sam digs into the challenges small but ambitious DTC brands face, why Facebook and Google’s “easy mode” can cripple growth, and how The Moonlighters’ one-to-one senior talent model is changing client relationships...
2025-09-0426 min
Ecommerce Coffee Break – The Ecom Marketing & Sales Podcast11 Years Of Facebook Advertising Expertise In 30 Minutes — Sam Piliero | Why Scaling Ad Spend Hits Limits, What Role AI Plays In Advertising, Why Behavior Analysis Drives Better Optimization, Why Brands Need Scaling Readiness First (#429)In this episode, we dive into the challenge of scaling ads profitably and avoiding wasted spend. Sam Piliero, CEO and founder of The Moonlighters, shares how his M3 method helps brands break through growth plateaus by betting on the best-performing channels, structuring campaigns the right way, and using cost controls to drive predictable results. He also reveals strategies for scaling faster, creating winning ad creatives, and preparing for Q4 growth.Topics discussed in this episode: Why brands hit scaling walls with ad spend. How doubling down on winning ads...
2025-08-3131 min
Horror HangoutHorror Hangout #399 : FrightFest 2025FrightFest 2025 was one for the history books! Ben Errington and Andy Conduit-Turner attend the horror cinema event at Odeon Leicester Square (London) with interviews and reviews, plus catch-ups with previous guests and new friends.00:00 Day 1 Intro01:32 The Home Review04:26 CognAItive Review08:15 Interview w/ Tommy Savas11:08 Day 2 Intro12:08 Night of Violence Review18:44 The Only Ones Review21:07 The Arbiter Review24:16 Bambi - The Reckoning Review31:53 Interview w/ Sarah Howard35:49 Appofeniacs Review39:50 What She Doesn't Know Review
2025-08-275h 15
Mastering Tech GrowthHow Tech Entrepreneurs Can Turn Clicks into Revenue with Sam PilieroToday, Mike is joined by Sam Piliero, founder of The Moonlighters, a marketing agency helping brands scale profitably. Sam and his team break down why most brands struggle to scale their ads, and how small fixes in strategy can make the difference between them running ads that are burning cash and ads that enable firms to scale profitably. Sam explains how to use AI for marketing, work out what strategy is right for your company and which ad platforms are providing the best exposure and ROI, right now. KEY TAKEAWAYS Small changes in strategy...
2025-04-0958 min
Mastering Tech GrowthHow Tech Entrepreneurs Can Turn Clicks into Revenue with Sam PilieroToday, Mike is joined by Sam Piliero, founder of The Moonlighters, a marketing agency helping brands scale profitably. Sam and his team break down why most brands struggle to scale their ads, and how small fixes in strategy can make the difference between them running ads that are burning cash and ads that enable firms to scale profitably.
Sam explains how to use AI for marketing, work out what strategy is right for your company and which ad platforms are providing the best exposure and ROI, right now.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Small changes in strategy can take you from burning cash...
2025-04-0958 min
eCommerce Fastlane: Shopify Growth Strategies—Where AI Efficiency Meets Human ConnectionThe Best Way To Run Facebook And Google Ads In 2025Are your Facebook and Google ad costs skyrocketing? Feeling like you’re throwing money into a black box with minimal returns? You’re not alone.Today, we’re diving into the trenches of paid advertising with Sam Piliero, the Founder and CEO of The Moonlighters a specialized media buying agency laser-focused on helping Shopify brands conquer Facebook and Google Ads.Sam brings incredible experience to the table, having worked with Gary Vaynerchuk at VaynerMedia and Director of Marketing at BarkBox. With over a decade of experience helping DTC brands grow and scale, Sam’s here to unpac...
2025-03-1144 min
How to Scale an 8 Figure Agency 🚀How Sam Piliero Doubled His 7 Figure Agency and Removed Himself From Client Services With 8F (Jordan Ross Interview)Want to double your business? The best way is to get out of client services.That's exactly what Sam, the founder and CEO of the Moonlighters did with us over the last year.Tune in to learn how!
2024-11-0824 min
2X eCommerce PodcastThe Right Way to Use Google and Meta Ads to Scale Your DTC Sales from $1M to $10M+ → Sam Piliero (2nd Interview)In this second part of the interview with Sam Piliero on the 2X eCommerce Podcast, host Kunle Campbell continues the conversation from last week, shifting focus from strategic to tactical insights. They delve into advanced strategies for optimizing Google Ads and Meta campaigns, providing actionable advice for eCommerce brands. The discussion covers Performance Max campaigns, cost caps, and mastering creative testing. Sam and Kunle also explore the synergy between Google and Meta advertising platforms, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a consistent marketing budget as a percentage of revenue. Sam shares practical tips on building content and engaging with your...
2024-05-211h 08
2X eCommerce PodcastEx-VaynerMedia and BarkBox Exec Explains How to Scale from $1M to $10M+ → Sam PilieroIn this episode of the 2X eCommerce Podcast, I sit down with Sam Piliero, the founder and CEO of The Moonlighters, a demand gen and capture media buying agency. Sam’s journey from selling lemonade as a kid to working with major players like VaynerMedia and BarkBox is truly inspiring. He shares how these experiences paved the way for creating The Moonlighters, where he focuses on delivering comprehensive growth strategies for brands looking to scale.We dive deep into the intricacies of media buying, exploring the critical differences between demand generation and demand capture. Sam offers practical ad...
2024-05-1448 min
How to Scale a BusinessHow Sam Piliero Grew His Business The Moonlighters by Focusing on Client Retention and Mastering their ServiceHow Sam Piliero Grew His Business The Moonlighters by Focusing on Client Retention and Mastering their Service
2023-04-0524 min