In this episode of The Orita Podcast, Aaron Schwartz goes international with Jason Anderson (COO, Andzen) and David Visser (CEO, Zyber) for an honest look at what it really takes to run a high-performing agency in 2025, from the APAC POV where budgets are tighter, brands move faster, and the bar for strategy is way higher.

They break down:

• The real reason APAC brands outpace the U.S. on innovation (and why “you can’t phone it in” down under)

• How great agencies audit CRM, UX, data, deliverability, tech stacks, and customer journeys and the shocking misses they still see • Shopify + Klaviyo ecosystems: the tools they love, the ones they avoid, and the ones brands misuse the most

• What makes a world-class retention or lifecycle program and why most brands are leaving millions in unused data

• The truth about AI: what agencies should automate, what they never should, and how MCP access unlocks a new era of hybrid strategy

• Why the future of agencies isn’t hours, it’s outcomes, IP, community, and leverage

This one is packed with candid stories, tactical frameworks, and real-world examples from two leaders who’ve seen hundreds of brands up close. Whether you run an agency, hire one, or are trying to scale a brand with fewer people and more impact, this is a masterclass in how to stay sharp in an increasingly crowded ecosystem.

👥 Meet the guests

Jason Anderson: COO at Andzen | CRM, personalization & loyalty expert | Klaviyo Elite Master Partner

David Visser: CEO at Zyber | Shopify Premier Partner & Klaviyo Master Platinum Partner | Community builder at Unlocked

🎙 Hosted by Aaron Schwartz, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Orita.ai

🎧 Chapters [00:00] Going Global: Why APAC Brands Play a Different Game [03:57] The Power of Niching Down: Why Agencies Went All-In on E-com [06:55] Agency Life Unfiltered: Chaos, Opportunity, and the Dark Side [10:00] “You Think You Know the Problem… But You Don’t” [11:56] Data Over Opinions: How Retail Brands Win Faster [18:27] 10,000 Data Points an Hour: The Magic of E-com Behavior [19:08] The $10M Brand Audit: Where CRM Breaks (and How Pros Fix It) [20:01] Deliverability, Infrastructure & List Health: The Hidden Revenue Leaks [21:29] Email Benchmarks That Don’t Lie: What Top Brands Do Differently [22:47] Your Tools Don’t Matter… Unless They Talk to Each Other [23:50] Reviews, Loyalty, Quizzes: Picking Tools That Make You Money [24:44] The App Graveyard: Cutting the 70 Tools You Don’t Need [28:58] The Shopify Deep Dive: How Elite Teams Audit a Storefront [33:16] Shiny Tools vs. Real Impact: How Experts Vet New Tech [38:09] Building Big Brands in Small Markets: The NZ Playbook [39:40] Stop Sending Flyers via Email: What Modern Retention Really Requires [41:04] Why Products Fail Without People (and People Fail Without Strategy) [42:03] Agencies in 2026: Less Headcount, More Impact [43:04] AI at Work: What to Automate, What to Never Automate [51:11] Requests for Startups: The Problems Begging to Be Solved

🌐 Check out Orita.ai for more episodes of The Orita Podcast, where we sit down with the most interesting operators, marketers, and founders in e-commerce to talk about what’s working right now. Hosted by the Orita team. Orita uses machine learning to help brands send smarter, more profitable marketing, by figuring out who actually wants to hear from you and when.

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