Julian Reis is the CEO and Founder of SuperOrdinary– a company that manages 2.8 million TikTok Shop affiliates and has watched hundreds of creators cross six figures in a single year. In this solo episode, Julian breaks down exactly how the TikTok Shop opportunity works, what separates creators who convert from those who don't, and why he believes 2026 will produce the platform's first millionaires.

He's not theorizing. He's sitting on the data. From how to hit your first 5,000 followers to why your call to action is the most underrated part of any video, Julian walks through the 7 tips his team has distilled from studying conversion across millions of creator posts. Discover what's coming next as the US catches up to what China has been doing for years.

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Why TikTok Shop Is the Biggest Opportunity Right Now

1:15 How to Become an Affiliate 

2:00 Tip 1: Study What's Converting

2:20 Tip 2: How to Pick Your Hook

2:35 Tip 3: Be Authentic

2:50 Tip 4: Make Your Call to Action Crystal Clear

3:05 Tip 5: Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself

3:20 Tip 6: Check Your Data Every Day

3:35 Tip 7: Have Fun With It

3:50 SuperOrdinary's 2026 Predictions

4:30 Why Live Shopping Is About to Go Highly Produced

5:10 Turning Creators Into Brand Shareholders 

6:30 The Reality of Creator Earnings Today

7:15 What's Coming: Billion-Dollar Live Streams

Julian Reis sits down with Jen Yu and Alex Penfold, the husband-and-wife cofounders of Jaxon Lane, the men's skincare brand born from a stolen sheet mask and a Korea trade show trip. Eight years in, they're still bootstrapped and building toward becoming the household name in men's skincare.

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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introducing Jen Yu & Alex Penfold, Cofounders of Jaxon Lane
1:45 The Origin of Jaxon Lane (and the Name)
3:36 No Beauty Background? Here's How They Figured It Out
7:01 Sourcing in South Korea & the K-Beauty Edge
11:17 The Bro Mask Launch & First Press Hits
14:11 Building Distribution: Amazon, Retail & DTC
16:11 TikTok Shop: A Journey
22:21 Gen Z & the Rise of Male Skincare
24:25 Content That Actually Performs & Converts
26:58 What It’s Really Like Running a Business with Your Spouse
30:22 The Future of Jaxon Lane
31:32 Cutting Ad Spend & Growing 25%: The EOS System
34:10 How to Name Your Products & Tackle the Trademark Problem

The Best Business Advice You Need for 2026

What happens when investors fall asleep during your pitch? When everyone tells you to hide who you really are? In this special compilation episode, Julian Reis sits down with 12 extraordinary founders who share their most vulnerable moments and the decisions that changed everything.

From Rocky Xu starting at Nike for $20K a year, to Amy Liu challenging the 2% statistic on women founders getting funded, these aren't your typical success stories. This compilation features raw, honest conversations about rejection, resilience, and the leaps of faith that define each entrepreneur's journey.

Featuring Rocky Xu, Samyra Miller, Amy Liu, Alan Chikin Chow, Carina Chaz, Jean-Francois Sberro, Alli Webb, Justice Buys, Richard Christiansen, Anthony Choe, The Lipstick Lesbians, and Natalie Holloway.

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here - ttps://www.youtube.com/@OntheRecordwithJulianReis

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introducing Julian Reis & How to Bounce Back from Rejection

00:30 Why Discomfort Is Your Advantage + How to Embrace Uncertainty

1:30 Rocky Xu: Starting at $20K and Just Doing It

2:00 Samyra Miller: STOP Trying to Prove Yourself…Be Cocky Instead

3:10 Amy Liu: The Importance of Sharing Your Dreams & Challenging the 2% Statistic

4:14 Alan Chikin Chow: How Your Content Diet Shapes Your Reality…

6:16 Carina Chaz: Bootstrapping from Zero Followers to Millions in Revenue

7:27 Jean-Francois Sberro: Why Complacency Is the Enemy

8:13 Alli Webb: How to Get Out of a Dark Mental Place

9:10 Justice Buys: What You Should Post for Your First Video

9:28 Richard Christiansen: Jump and the Net Will Appear

10:30 Anthony Choe: How to Run Smart Operations & Avoid Rushing the Outcome

10:47 Bobbi Brown: How to Calm Down & Focus on What You Do Next

11:00 The Lipstick Lesbians: Conquer Your Biggest Fear & All Your Dreams will Follow

11:52 Natalie Holloway: How to Find your Next Million Dollar Idea

Jean-Francois Sberro spent 14 years at Hublot helping scale it from $30M to nearly $1B before joining Jacques Marie Mage as President. In this highlights episode, he breaks down how JMM disrupted luxury eyewear by doing the exact opposite of every industry convention—thick acetate when everyone went minimal, limited drops of 450 pieces, zero advertising spend, and storefronts with no visible branding. JF shares insider perspective on LVMH's current slowdown across multiple categories, why "quiet luxury" isn't a trend but a business strategy, and how restraint and scarcity built one of the most obsessed-over brands in fashion.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Growing Up in Marseille: Why Every French Kid Dreams of Luxury

1:00 A Hublot Masterclass: $30M to $180M in 4 Years

1:30 Scaling to Nearly $1 Billion

2:01 Understanding Luxury's Nuance: Hard vs Soft, Counter-Cycles

3:09 The Cognac Crisis, Champagne Struggles, and China's Impact

4:48 How to Nail The Limited Drop Strategy

6:14 Build a Cult Following Without Spending on Advertising

6:59 Why Tom Ford Loves JMM

8:12 How to Master Production: The Art of Design

8:42 How to Know You’re on The Right Path

Why "Messy Hair" Is the Future with Alli Webb

From building one of the most recognizable beauty brands on the planet to launching something completely new, Alli Webb’s journey is bold, vulnerable, and deeply human.  Julian sits down with the entrepreneur who helped reshape modern beauty experiences to talk about what happens when success and real life collide. Alli opens up about the whirlwind years behind Drybar’s rise, the lessons she poured into her memoir The Messy Truth, and the very real personal challenges she faced while the brand was at its peak—divorce, loss, family struggles, and learning to tell the truth about what success really costs.

She also dives into launching her newest venture, Messy, and what it means to build today versus a decade ago. Alli talks candidly about how beauty retail has changed, why launching in 700 Sephora doors was both thrilling and overwhelming, and what founders need to understand about margins, influencers, timing, and differentiation in a saturated market. This episode is part raw life story, part masterclass in entrepreneurship, and part reminder that even at the top, everything can fall apart—and you can still build again.

You’ll Learn:

• Why vulnerability and honesty matter just as much as strategy in entrepreneurship

• The real differences between building a beauty brand then vs. now

• How to think about timing, retail partners, and market saturation

• What it takes to launch at massive scale—and survive it

• Why resilience, reinvention, and “messiness” may be your greatest strengths

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introducing Alli Webb, Founder of Drybar and Messy + Reconnecting After a Decade

4:40 The Big Mistake That Almost Killed Skin Laundry

6:40 Building a Beauty Brand Today vs. 10+ Years Ago

9:45 The Messy Launch: 700 Sephora Doors on Day One

11:40 Is Retail Dead? Fresh Data on Who Shops When

15:30 How to Get your Dream Job Working in Beauty

20:15 Why Alli's Ready to Leave LA After 20+ Years 

22:00 How to Balance a “Messy” Life

29:00 Affirmations on Products: The Neuroscience Behind It 

30:45 Joe Dispenza, Neuroplasticity & Choosing Happiness 

32:20 Why Messy is a Love Letter to Herself 

34:15 How to Unlock Your Talents

What Happens When a Harvard Grad Goes Viral on TikTok

From Harvard football player to 3M TikTok followers—Samyra Miller's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In this energetic conversation Julian sits down with the multi-talented creator who's redefining what it means to blend artistry with advocacy. Samyra takes us through her childhood, growing from her New Orleans roots through Hurricane Katrina to becoming the first girl on her high school football team. She went on to sing in Harvard's acapella groups, drop one-of-a-kind originals, and continues to build a vibrant platform that's changing conversations around body positivity and size inclusivity in fashion and beyond.

She shares the real story behind going viral, clapping back at haters (even Cardi B) for the 12-year-olds reading the comments, and why authenticity beats algorithm-chasing every time. The interview covers everything from the origins of her "unbridled courage" to the nonnegotiables in her night and morning routines. Discover how Samyra gained a million followers in just seven months, and the mindset shift that changed everything for her.

You’ll Learn:

How to tap into your authenticity to win on social media

Why you should clap back at your haters Clap Back for Others Watching

The key to creating branded assets with the creative vision first

The importance of celebrating your wins when it comes to building confidence

How to grow from 0 to 100K followers

Why Samyra tells everyone to "just be cocky"

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here.

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introducing Samyra Miller

3:00 Surviving Hurricane Katrina & Samyra’s version of the "Start of Something New"

6:00 Samyra ran Harvard’s Campus, Here’s What She Means

7:00 Studying Education During a Global Pandemic

9:00 How to Step Into Your Own Confidence (No Matter What!)

11:00 The Pivot From Harvard to Hollywood

13:00 How to Gain Your First 100K Followers

14:30 Advice for Aspiring Creators: Hitting 1M in 7 Months

20:00 Building Confidence 101

23:00 How to Clap Back at Your Haters

25:00 The JC Penney Turnaround Story

26:30 Creating Iconic Partnerships: Hilton, Grammys & Sol de Janeiro

29:00 Samyra’s Goals: Acting, Broadway & Survival of the Thickest

35:00 Who Inspires Samyra?

Why Collaborations As We Knew Them Are Dead?

Rocky Xu went from earning $20,000 a year at Nike China to building one of the most sought-after matcha brands in America. After taking a shaman's advice to quit coffee he discovered his love for matcha, the daily ritual, and the history and rich culture surrounding it.

In this meaningful conversation the pair dive into how intuition can build some of the world’s best businesses. Discover the networking and team building strategies that scaled Rocky's Matcha into a cult favorite working with iconic names like Louis Vuitton, Lego, and Pharrell Williams.

You’ll Learn:

- Why Rocky's energy healer told him to stop drinking coffee (and how it changed his life)

- The difference between matcha's slow-release caffeine and coffee's anxiety-inducing spikes

- How Rocky got access to Japanese tea farmers who supply the Imperial family

- Why Gen Z females became Rocky's Matcha's core customer

- Why collaboration overload is killing brand authenticity

- How new grocery stores became the 2025 version of sneaker boutiques

- Rocky's full-circle moment working with Nike again after leaving corporate

- The imposter syndrome of naming a brand after yourself

- Why 80% of Rocky's Matcha sales are DTC (and what that means for his future)

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here.

https://www.youtube.com/@OntheRecordwithJulianReis

Comment who you want Julian to interview next!

Connect with Julian on:

Website: ⁠https://superordinary.co/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianreis⁠

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introducing Rocky Xu, Founder of Rocky’s Matcha

2:18 The Career Path From Lehman Brothers → Nike China 

4:07 How China Leapfrogged Credit Cards & Stays Years Ahead

8:00 Why Collaboration is Broken (and How to Fix It)

9:10 The Shaman Who Changed Rocky’s Life Forever!

13:40 Matcha 101 & The Best Tips For Finding Suppliers To Work With 

20:38 Why The Future of Grocery Shopping Is Forever Changed (What to Expect Next) 

26:15 How to Switch Career Paths 

31:00 Building a Lifestyle Brand People Want to Take Part In

35:00 Matcha Hot Takes & Fun Facts 

38:30 Managing International Expansion & Middle East Demand

Jean-Francois Sberro, President of Jacques Marie Mage, shares the playbook behind building luxury's most coveted eyewear brand. From turning around Hublot (scaling from $30M to nearly $1B) to creating $800 sunglasses with waiting lists, Jean Francois reveals what it takes to produce specialty crafted pieces rich with stories.

Jacques Marie Mage creates limited-edition luxury eyewear handcrafted in Japan's Fukui region. With only 7 boutiques worldwide (LA, Paris, London, Milan, Tokyo), the brand has built what JF calls "quiet luxury"—no logos, no mass production, just 10mm acetate frames that collectors obsess over.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why every frame is limited to 450 pieces—and never restocked
• How they spend 0% on traditional advertising yet have celebrity cult following
• The "quiet luxury" strategy that keeps Tom Ford buying their frames
• Why their Tokyo factory marking (hidden on each temple) matters more than logos
• Lessons from LVMH on scaling without losing brand DNA

Follow Jean-Francois Sberro on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-francois-sberro-7b0a62

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jfsberro/

Jacques Marie Mage Website: http://jacquesmariemage.com/

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here.

https://www.youtube.com/@OntheRecordwithJulianReis

Comment who you want Julian to interview next!

Connect with Julian on:

Website: ⁠https://superordinary.co/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianreis⁠

Justice Buys on The Future of AI & Content Creation:

Julian’s latest guest Justice Buys is one of the most trusted product and gadget reviewers around— with over 900+ reviews filmed annually! He reveals his approach to content creation, how he went viral in just three episodes, and why he prioritizes content quality over commission rates.

From accidentally downloading TikTok, to becoming one of the platform’s most trusted product reviewers, Justice’s story is one of a kind. Get inspired by his unconventional path to creator success, unbeatable strategies, and the motivational advice that keeps him growing.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why Justice’s third TikTok video hit 1M views!
• How to build two successful channels in different niches
• Monetization across affiliates, AdSense, and brand deals
• The future of AI content and creator authenticity…
• Wellness and biohacking product trends (that really work)
• How to manage a scrappy creator team

Follow Justice Buys on:

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/justice_buys/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justicebuys?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justicebuys1

Website: https://www.justicebuys.com/

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here.

https://www.youtube.com/@OntheRecordwithJulianReis

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Connect with Julian on:

Website: ⁠https://superordinary.co/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianreis⁠

Julian sits down with Sammi Cohen, Host of chart topping business podcast, Social Currency and one of the leading voices in business media. This conversation goes deep into the seismic shifts destroying traditional retail. Sammi reveals why the Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus merger is a "dumpster fire"—with billions in bonds heading south and year-over-year revenue declines. As a former Amazon Luxury Stores employee, Sammi exposes why Amazon fundamentally cannot crack the luxury consumer, despite partnerships with Saks.

Julian shares his "4-year playbook" theory—that China is exactly four years ahead of the US in social commerce evolution. That same disruption is happening NOW in America with TikTok Shop poised to hit $50 billion, pulling revenue directly from Sephora, Ulta, and traditional retailers. The convo dives into fascinating brand case studies, covering, Skims' shock value strategy with their viral "bush thong," Alo Yoga's $3,000 bag designed purely for social media buzz, and the athleisure wars between Lululemon, Vuori, and TikTok-native brands. Uncover what is really behind the edutainment craze and where the industry is headed next.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

- How Sammi went from Amazon executive to full-time content creator

- The collapse of traditional retail: Saks, Neiman Marcus & luxury e-commerce

- Why legacy brands are losing to TikTok-native challengers

- The 4-year playbook: How China's e-commerce evolution predicts the US future

- Why production costs falling means creators are the new media networks

- The rise of social commerce and the death of traditional marketing funnels

- Outdoor Voices, Skims, and the future of athleisure brands

- Why Amazon's luxury strategy failed spectacularly

- The economics of creator-led brands vs. traditional CPG

- How shock value products (like that $3,000 Alo bag) drive organic media

- Sammi's vision to become the millennial Barbara Walters

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introducing Sammi Cohen & The Rise of Social Currency

1:00 The Internship Advice That Changed Sammi's Career Forever

5:00 From Running Grocery Stores at 21 to Amazon Executive– Sammi’s Career Journey

8:00 Going Viral on TikTok

16:00 Why Traditional Media Is DYING & Legacy Networks Can't Figure Out Social Media

21:00 Building a Full-Time Media Business

24:00 Saks Fifth Avenue's Financial Dumpster Fire & The Neiman Marcus Merger Explained

28:00 Inside Amazon's Luxury Failure

33:00 The China 4-Year Playbook: Will TikTok Shop Destroy Traditional Retail?

38:00 LVMH, Estée Lauder & L'Oréal’s Shrinking Margins

41:00 TikTok Shop's $50 Billion Revolution & Where It’s Headed

44:00 The Shock Value Marketing Behind Skims, Alo & More

59:00 Sammi's "Delusional" 5-Year Plan

Connect with Sammi:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammicohentalks/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammicohentalks

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here.

https://www.youtube.com/@OntheRecordwithJulianReis

Comment who you want Julian to interview next!

Connect with Julian on:

Website: ⁠https://superordinary.co/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianreis⁠