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Welcome to the 1017 new operators who joined us this week! 🤯
Hey Fastlane Insiders! 👋
We’re now just over a week out from BFCM. Your ads are lined up, inventory’s looking tight, and discount codes are loaded. But here’s what truly separates brands that crush peak season from those still scrambling in January: they aren’t just focused on the sale—they’re already thinking about what happens as soon as those orders (and payouts) roll in.
In conversations with founders this week, one thing keeps coming up: the Q4 winners aren’t just those running the biggest discounts. They’ve built store infrastructure to handle 10x traffic, mapped out exactly what happens after Black Friday, and dialed in fraud protection before the refund wave hits.
You’ll find everything you need in this edition—no matter if you’re aiming for your first $50K BFCM or prepping for another eight-figure marathon. There’s tactical advice on building solid store foundations, managing post-BFCM cash like a pro, and transforming this season’s flood of new customers into loyal regulars.
Here’s what’s inside this week:
🎧 Podcast – Mac King from Domaine on why DIY site tactics stall scaling, how top brands go global in weeks (not months), and his step-by-step Q4 playbook.
💡 Knowledge Drop – A 48-hour cash game plan for after BFCM to help you skip the inventory scramble and dodge a Q1 cash crunch.
🔥 Tool of the Week – Turn Black Friday buyers into repeat fans with loyalty, VIP, and referral tools that launch fast.
📡 Industry Pulse – Shopify's BFCM 2025 blueprint from 13 eight-figure founders, a rapid 25-point tech checklist, proven campaigns that drove $11.5B last year, plus TikTok Shop’s late-season crackdown.
If you’re laser-focused on making every BFCM minute count, determined to set up a holiday season that actually fuels your January and beyond—or just hungry to learn from the real movers and shakers—this issue is built for you.
Let’s use this final stretch to not only win the week but set the tone for everything that comes next.
Let’s dive in. 👇
🔥 Tool of the Week 🔥
Buy once, then disappear? Turn one-time shoppers into loyal repeat buyers — automatically with Trustoo Loyalty
Reward purchases, reviews, and shares with Points & Coupons — gamified incentives that drive engagement.
Launch VIP tiers and Referral programs to turn customers into brand advocates.
Fully customizable widget — 5-minute setup, no coding required.
Click to download Trustoo Loyalty on the Shopify App Store
→ Set points and discount ratio on Program
→ Style your widget on Brand Style
→ Launch in minutes
🎧 New Podcast Episode! 🎧
Skipping the Plateau: Mac King’s Blueprint for Scaling Shopify Without the Tech Headaches
Ever feel like your Shopify site’s holding your growth hostage the moment you start hitting real traction? You’re not alone. Too many brands hit that $2-3M mark and suddenly they’re wading through app overload, slow load times, and international expansion plans that feel way out of reach.
This week, I sat down with Mac King, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Domaine—who, fun fact, played a huge role in my own Shopify journey! Back in the day, Mac was the one encouraging agencies to take a chance with Shopify Plus. Now, he’s helping ambitious brands build for real scale (think 350+ high-performance Shopify storefronts worldwide).
We dug into:
When DIY stops working: That moment when jury-rigged apps and themes start costing you conversions, speed, and flexibility.
Architecture that scales: The exact mindset and strategies top brands use to launch international storefronts—complete with local currencies and languages—in just 8-12 weeks (not 6+ months).
The hidden cost of app bloat: Why too many plugins can secretly sabotage your sales, and how to know what to cut.
When (and if) to go headless: Real talk on decoupling your frontend—when it’s worth it, and when it’s just adding needless complexity.
Holiday and Q4 prep for every stage: The practical “must-dos” for both scrappy up-and-comers and $50M powerhouses right now.
Want to see how top 1% Shopify brands are scaling faster, building-in retention, and turning peak season into a real momentum shift?
[ LISTEN NOW ]→ Catch Mac’s candid advice for brands ready to step up, plus get all the show notes, resources, and his agency’s behind-the-scenes playbook.
🔥 Chargeflow – Protect Your BFCM Revenue Before The January Chargeback Wave Hits
BFCM is the biggest sales event of the year.
It's also the year's biggest fraud event…
While you're focused on conversions this weekend, fraudsters and "friendly" customers are getting ready to strike. Here's what most operators miss: most disputes happen 30–90 days after BFCM, hitting you in January when it's too late to react.
Chargeflow is giving you both protection and peace of mind with their limited-time BFCM bundle (available until December 15th):
$10,000 in FREE Chargeback Automation credits Chargeflow Prevent FREE until December 31, 2025
This is the only time all year you can access both solutions at zero cost—designed to protect you through Q4 and into the new year. Their AI-powered platform delivers 360° fraud prevention with up to 90% fraud reduction, less than 0.1% false positives, and automated chargeback recovery that handles disputes while you sleep.
Unlike competitors that only address one type of fraud, Chargeflow's merchant network of 15,000+ stores protects against digital shoplifting, friendly fraud, stolen cards, and refund abuse—so you can sell freely this weekend knowing your post-BFCM disputes are handled.
💡 Knowledge Drop of the Week 💡
💎 The 48 Hours After BFCM: Your Decision Framework For When The Cash Hits
The dashboards are glowing green, Slack is full of screenshots, and your team is running on caffeine and adrenaline. BFCM is in the books, payouts are starting to hit, and for a few hours it feels like anything is possible.
Here's where most operators get it wrong: they treat BFCM revenue as a new baseline for Q1. It's not. According to [Shopify's merchant data], 20 to 50 percent of annual sales land in November to December—but January demand falls off a cliff, returns spike 20 to 30 percent above normal, and payment processors sit on cash for 7 to 14 days.
The pattern repeats across hundreds of founder conversations: operators make big calls on inventory, ad spend, and hiring based on the wrong numbers, then walk straight into a Q1 cash crunch.
Here's what the brands that protect their BFCM wins do differently in those critical 48 hours:
Run the real profit math immediately — Subtract discounts given, COGS, shipping and fulfillment, ad spend, processor fees, and projected returns at a conservative rate. That "monster weekend" may land closer to the profit of a strong normal month once you factor in everything. Get a rough but real directional view before you make any spending decisions.
Answer the learning question, not just the revenue question — Look at first-time versus returning buyers, average order value by segment, and discount depth used. Did you buy a ton of one-time, low AOV, heavy discount shoppers who will never come back? Or did you pull in higher intent customers who match your best-performing cohorts and will buy again at full price?
Separate three critical numbers — Revenue (what Shopify shows), profit (what's left after all expenses including projected returns), and spendable cash (what's actually in the bank and not frozen or already spoken for). Decide on a cash buffer you won't touch—for many brands, that's 2 to 3 months of fixed expenses—then only allocate a slice of true profit above your buffer to growth moves.
Avoid the inventory reorder trap — Use pre-BFCM run rate (60 to 90 days before the event) as your guide for Q1, not your BFCM spike chart. Order more only if you're within days of a true stockout on a proven bestseller, pre-BFCM demand was steady for at least 90 days, and you still have cash after reserving your operating buffer and returns cushion.
The move right now: bookmark the full 48-hour framework and drop a calendar reminder for Tuesday after Cyber Monday to run through it with fresh numbers. The brands that separate from the pack don't just celebrate the win—they protect it with discipline in those first 48 hours.
READ THE FULL BREAKDOWN → Get the complete decision framework and cash flow planning tools for post-BFCM
📡 Industry Pulse 📡
Every week, I come across strategies and insights that are just too good not to share. Here's what caught my attention this week.
Shopify merchants broke Black Friday and Cyber Monday records in 2024, generating $11.5 billion in sales. Top-selling countries included the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Germany. Key winning strategies from 13 eight-figure founders: start sales earlier than feels comfortable (Ridge begins November 15 through December 15), simplify promotional strategies ruthlessly, and master inventory planning before October to avoid stockouts during peak season.
Shopify's 25-point BFCM checklist covers critical technical prep most brands miss until it's too late: mobile-friendliness testing (81% of shoppers use mobile apps), traffic surge preparation, DMARC protection against email spoofing, DDoS protection for server overload, and extended return policies that reduce buyer hesitation. The checklist spans early planning, technical optimization, marketing strategies, conversion tactics, logistics, and post-BFCM analytics.
Proven BFCM campaign strategies that drove billions in 2024 sales include gamified discounts (22 Days Nutrition's randomized codes between 20-50%), mystery boxes with limited quantities, sustainability-focused campaigns (Tentree's Green Friday planted one million trees), and scarcity-driven daily deals. Generic "20% off sitewide" doesn't cut through the noise—brands that created experiences won.
Thriving Through the Rush
As the countdown hits single digits, it's totally normal to feel equal parts excitement and nerves. Whether you're tightening the final bolts on your store, mapping out a Q4 retention play, or just hoping to soak up a win or two next weekend, remember this: the magic is in how you adapt, learn, and keep showing up. Big or small, your progress now—these next eight days and the week ahead—is building the foundation for everything that comes after.
If one of today’s ideas helps you make a smarter call this week—or if you’ve got a lesson worth sharing—hit reply. Your insights and questions are why Fastlane Insider exists.
Stay curious. Stay nimble. And above all—enjoy the ride.
Cheers!
— Steve
P.S. Craving more strategies from past issues? Check out the archive for a deep dive into what’s working across top ecommerce brands.
