Ben Macpherson

Scaling With Boundaries: Consent-Based Growth at SX Fusion Link In Bio. Too many agencies treat creators like content machines—optimizing for growth at the cost of personal autonomy. At SX Fusion, we do things differently. Every strategy—whether it’s DM automation, PPV pricing, content cadence, or A/B testing—starts with one question: What does the creator actually want? Our model is built on consent-based growth. That means: No pressure to perform beyond your comfort zone Full transparency around monetization experiments Collaborative decisions on fan engagement style Respect for pacing, tone, and personal brand integrity Boundaries aren't obstacles—they're frameworks. And when creators feel safe, respected, and in control, the results speak for themselves: higher retention, deeper fan loyalty, and long-term success. We’re not just growing brands. We’re protecting people. #SXFusion #CreatorEconomy #OnlyFansManagement #DigitalEthics #ConsentCulture #CreatorWellness #ContentWithBoundaries #InfluencerStrategy #FanMonetization #SexualWellnessLeadership #RespectFirst #SustainableGrowth #CreatorSupport

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After 2,500 closed transactions, Andy Allaway (CEO of Empire Flippers) has seen it all. During the company’s early days, Empire Flippers was focused on small online businesses, but has grown to support a broad range of acquisitions. Here are a few takeaways from our conversation: 1️⃣ Verify the buyer can replace the seller – Multiples compress fast when the owner works 40-50 hrs/week or holds unique know-how. Price in a professional salary and make sure buyers expect (and are able) to work full-time post close. This is especially true when pricing a business based on SDE vs. EBITDA. 2️⃣ Protectable IP drives pricing power – In SaaS, review the code repository (or find someone who can); in e-com, check trademarks, brand registry and traffic diversification. Weak protection can often result in less sustainable earnings. 3️⃣ Transparency helps close deals – Most busted deals trace back to surprises in diligence. Both buyers and sellers who share openly and communicate clearly build credibility and trust with one another. 4️⃣ Match skill set to business model – Buying a paid-traffic-driven store without marketing chops is like inheriting a CNC shop you can’t operate. Buyers need to fit the business and value creation strategy - and have the right people supporting them. Even if e-commerce or SaaS isn’t your lane, Andy lays out transferable advice every small business buyer and investor should keep in mind. Full episode below: 🎥 Watch → https://lnkd.in/eJVPUvJF 🎧 Audio → https://lnkd.in/eUvsASDZ

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In this episode of Higher Exchanges, Ron Gershoni shares how Jetty became one of California’s most enduring cannabis brands and what it takes to expand nationally. We cover: • 🚀 Jetty’s founding story and lessons from brand building • 💨 Product evolution: from vapes to solventless and pre-rolls • 🛡 Navigating “Vape Gate” and setting clean product standards • 📊 California market challenges and Jetty’s growth strategy • 🌎 Lessons from expansion into NJ, NY, and NV Thanks for tuning in!

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Beyond DMs: The Emerging Role of Smart Contracts and Web3 in Subscription-Based Intimacy Link In Bio. As the creator economy evolves, so does the infrastructure that supports it. What began with basic subscriptions and private messages is now moving toward something far more advanced: Web3 technology and smart contracts that could revolutionize digital intimacy and ownership. In the context of platforms like OnlyFans, Web3 opens the door to decentralized content control, blockchain-based tipping, and even NFTs representing exclusive fan interactions. Smart contracts could enable creators to automate revenue splits, protect their IP, and lock in consent frameworks that are transparent and immutable. It’s not just about monetization—it’s about security, sovereignty, and freedom from centralized platforms that often change rules mid-game. The V For Vibes x SX Fusion collaboration is watching this space closely, with a focus on how creators can integrate these tools while preserving safety, brand integrity, and emotional connection. The goal is not to chase trends but to build resilient, self-directed creator ecosystems. As we move beyond DMs into a world where intimacy, creativity, and compensation can be autonomously managed, it’s clear that the next evolution of adult content won’t be just about what you see—it’ll be about how it’s governed. #Web3 #SexTech #SmartContracts #CreatorEconomy #OnlyFans #DigitalSovereignty #VForVibes #SXFusion #BlockchainIntimacy #SubscriptionModels #FutureOfErotica

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A great FT-Lex column on DTC businesses, which boomed in 2020-2021 but today looks quite bust Not from the article, this is the reason why: “E-commerce 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗧𝗖 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘂𝗽𝘀. Shelf-space was no longer a cornered resource of the strongest brands but rather, shelf space became an infinite resource in the world of e-commerce leaving distribution wide open to "Indie" or "Instagram" brands. […] However, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁. In a world of infinite shelf space, the reality for most DTC brands was 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 "𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁" 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁. Brands needed to pay Google and Facebook to generate demand. Not only was this expensive but Google and Facebook didn't increase brand awareness or brand affinity leaving most DTC brands fighting it out in a hyper competitive market. 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗧𝗖 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵. Harry's began selling to Costco, Casper began selling to Mattress Firm, and many of the brands above are available on Amazon. Unless you are a celebrity DTC brand (the passages above were specifically about the beauty industry) where you can directly and cheaply reach millions of fans, the cost of advertising/promotion for DTC is much higher than for established brands “𝗙𝗧 𝗟𝗲𝘅 - 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁-𝘁𝗼-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗣𝗢𝘀 𝗴𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘁” https://lnkd.in/d2BYWiTV

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John Craven, the BevNET.com team, & exhibiting brands did a great job in LA last week. Good venue, qualified speakers, lots of of face-time with exhibitors, easy 1-on-1 meeting bookings with industry leaders, & plenty of networking space. Greenhouse Ventures (GHV) has been investing into (and our port-cos have been operating in) functional CPG for nearly a decade. Here's a few personal takeaways from the show: 1. I don't envy startup beverage brands - especially under capitalized ones. It's OK to bootstrap a company (I actually prefer it in most situations), but it's HARD to do in beverage without the right strategic partners & a lot of balls breaking your way in the first 24 months. 2. The "functional" category is loud & proud (in marketing language and in public/private conversations) about product outcomes, ingredient benefits, and unique IP without a lot of independent 3rd party data to back up claims. I spoke to nearly every exhibiting brand and only a few had conducted longitudinal studies to investigate how consumers report using their products over a multi-week period. This is low-hanging fruit for brands to execute on and shows a lack of seriousness about product performance if they haven't executed already. It's not good enough to rely on published research about raw ingredients - you need your own longitudinal #realworlddata. 3. Historically GHV has stayed away from canned & large bottle formats (for all the obvious reasons), while leaning into non-refrigeration, small formats, and front-of-counter products (shots, mixes, edibles, other oral formats). This small format category seemed to be largely missing from the show. 4. The TH🌊 category was a big part of the buzz at the show. It was great to see MoreBetter, Ltd. clients Uncle Arnie's BRĒZ Hippie Water & NOWADAYS and get face time with Avin Kline Theo Terris Sasha Sheaffer and Jon Halper. Also - Top Ten Liquors continue to lead from the front re: TH🌊 category and willingness to collaborate, share insights, and educate consumers. 5. What excites me in functional looking into 2026: Nootropics, adaptogens, and sectors: energy, sleep, & focus.

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 Proprietary deal flow is the most misunderstood currency in venture. It’s not just about being early, it’s about being trusted. In this edition of the HealthVC newsletter, I explore: • Why proprietary access beats reactive sourcing • How to build real founder-first relationships • The LP lens on deal quality, not just quantity As a GP, this is the edge we work for. As an LP, it’s the best signal of long-term relevance.

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Please don't waste food. AMPLE update : Juniper Ventures Signs up to AMPLE Marketplace AMPLE : B2B Marketplace for Fresh Food. Impact Investment. See https://www.ample.shop Steve Thomas - CEO/Co-Founder of AMPLE provides an update on a most recent business partnership: "...Juniper Ventures, which supplies over 23,000 meals daily to students in the London Borough of Newham, has become a keen buyer on the Ample Marketplace. Incorporated in April 2018 from the council’s catering and cleaning service, Juniper aims to operate with the social aspects of the local authority but with the business acumen and autonomy of the limited company that it is. Michael Hales, chief executive of Juniper Ventures and vice-chair-elect of LACA, said: “It is shocking that in the UK we waste 13m tonnes of food every year. As a hospitality business we are determined to do all we are able to help reduce this figure....".   Read the full update. https://lnkd.in/ecwQaT9f REMINDER Ample Marketplace is a new B2B channel for unsold fresh food integrating e-commerce, logistics, and digital marketing. Ample is the UK’s first smart marketplace for wholesale food (with expansion plans for the US, EMEA and APAC). Ample creates value by shortening the supply chain, giving more control to sellers and value for buyers.  AMPLE is a portfolio company of XSS Capital. Join us on this investment journey? DM me for more info. #e-commerce #logistics #Impact Investing Join our mailing list at www.xss-capital.com

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Three fashion retailers have partnered to launch 'Ella', a new AI tool offering personalized styling across rental, resale, and retail platforms.

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A founder told me he was spending $8K/month on a “fractional CMO” to “build their brand” ahead of raising capital. I asked two questions: 1. How is the brand defined, measured, and improved? 2. What exactly are you raising for—and when? Silence. Here’s the thing most founders miss: buyers and serious investors don’t care how modern your logo looks. They care how tight your unit economics are. They care about cash conversion. Customer concentration. Systems. Leadership maturity. Predictability. “Brand” is useful, but only if your business fundamentals don’t collapse under inspection. Buyers don’t acquire hype. They buy machinery. And value it based on how well it runs without you. So before you spend another dime on feel-good marketing strategy, ask yourself: If someone pulled the P&L today, would I look like a business… or a storytelling experiment? The right sequence matters. Narrative grows enterprise value—only when it’s anchored in a real, functioning company. Otherwise, it’s lipstick on a spreadsheet. Send this to the founder who needs a wake-up call.

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The best founders I’ve backed had no pitch deck.  One just had a napkin.  One had a threat.  No animations. No slide transitions. No 80-page Google Docs titled “V1_FINAL_REVISED_MARCH”. Just raw, terrifying clarity. The napkin guy sketched out the whole business model over lunch.  By dessert, I wired the money. The threat guy said,  “You’re either in, or I’ll make sure you regret it when we IPO.” Best investment I’ve made. Also, mildly traumatizing. Point is:  Decks don’t convince investors.  Conviction does. If you need a pitch deck to explain it, maybe you’re not clear on it yet. And if you can explain it without one, maybe you’re dangerous enough to build it. Founders, your job isn’t to make pretty slides.  It’s to make people believe. Or fear missing out. Or both. I invest in that energy.  Bonus points if there’s napkins involved.

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Cvent just acquired Goldcast for $300M. All cash deal that shows the massive bet on AI-led event marketing👇 For context: Cvent is a major B2B platform for events, meetings, and hospitality. B2B buying is seeing a change... It's now video-first and digital-led. And events are slowly turning into always-on content engines. So what's in it for Cvent? Simple: the best way to capture and grow their webinar arm. This is why the Goldcast deal comes in. An AI-first webinars and event platform that turns recordings into usable video content across marketing, sales, and social channels. This strategic acquisition is Cvent's clear bet on AI-led growth. > Cvent brings scale: ~30,000 customers and deep enterprise relationships. > Goldcast brings speed: AI that turns live events into clips, summaries & recaps. And the video/audio industry is moving in the same direction: - Hume AI raised $50M for developing AI podcasting tools - Riverside.fm is investing in AI for short form video + podcasting - Synthesia raised $200M to build AI-native video creation infrastructure Even Oscar Hamilton Podcasting (acquired via FE International) grew 45% before its acquisition. The data is clear. AI-powered podcasting, webinars, and video content are growing fast. Events are shifting from single experiences to reusable media assets that support websites, email, social, and sales without adding manual work or new tools. The future of events is still human connection delivered at AI scale. News source: Cvent Press Release

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When it comes to selling your business, what role do patents really play? In this podcast clip, Kurt shares why patents are often underestimated and how they can make a real difference to buyer confidence and valuation. It raises an important question: are business owners thinking about IP early enough in their journey, or only when it’s too late? 👉 We’ll share the full podcast in the comments.

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🚨 Big shake-up for indie labels & artists on Bandcamp New U.S. tariff rules mean many carriers have stopped shipping into the U.S. Vinyl, CDs & books are technically exempt, but delays are still happening. Apparel (shirts, hoodies, totes) is affected. Bandcamp now lets you pause U.S. merch sales per origin and recommends talking directly with fans. 👉 Curious how other labels are adapting — finding U.S. fulfillment, pausing merch, or going more digital? #Bandcamp #IndieLabels #MusicBusiness #VinylCommunity #Merch #Tariffs

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Today marks an important step forward for Nabis and for the future of cannabis supply chains to be able to smoothly usher in the next chapter of industry growth brought forth by federal rescheduling. We’ve acquired key distribution assets from Humble Cannabis Solutions in California, and welcomed a strategic investment that strengthens our operational footprint across the largest legal cannabis market in the world under a single regulatory body at a pivotal moment for cannabis regulation. This deal comprises of over $33M in accretive value, consisting of approximately $13M in cash plus assets, and generating roughly $20M in additional sales per year. Furthermore, we will be able to expand our capacity, deepen our operational backbone, and create new service opportunities that help brands and retailers grow with confidence nationwide. As federal legislation eases, the companies that thrive will be the ones supported by reliable, compliant, and scalable infrastructure. We are gearing up to do our part for the next era of market expansion by investing further in technology and operational infrastructure, enabling regulated, compliant cannabis products to reach more everyday consumers. Most importantly, it reinforces our mission to build a more connected, efficient, and resilient cannabis supply chain built for cannabis operators, one that fuels the industry, improves consumer safety, strengthens compliance, and supports criminal justice reform. I’m proud of our team at NABIS, and grateful to the Humble partners who share our long-term vision. Special shoutout to Annie Christel Alyssa Abigail Sal Daniel for all the help! There is significant work ahead, and we’re just getting started. The link to the full announcement is in the comments.

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Belief is the substrate In business, especially distribution - everything starts there. Not tech Not process Not budget Trust Lay that foundation thick enough and second-order effects kick in. That’s why G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and UGC aren’t “nice to have.” They’re strategy People follow footprints We believe what our group believes Humans are herd-oriented We want to belong We want acceptance We want reasons to believe Building a product taught me this the hard way: If you want users to trust it, you have to first Your team has to Your systems have to reflect it But internal belief isn’t sufficient If only you believe, the product stands still Customers need to see why they should A small circle believes first, tries first, shares first That creates the initial trust loop Trust reinforced becomes easier to trust again It becomes organic pull Then, at some point, the flywheel starts to turn on its own After years of building, breaking, and rebuilding, here’s the part that stuck: Growth strategies can change The trust foundation shouldn’t If that layer is strong, the rest finds a way to lock in If a product can run on trust - team, community, real users the rest is just a matter of time

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