In this special compilation episode of On the Record, you’ll hear host Julian Reis, alongside founders, creatives, investors, and industry leaders, share the best advice on building brands, making big decisions, finding your point of view, and adapting to a rapidly changing consumer landscape.

From knowing when to trust your gut to understanding why great brands take years – not months – to build, this episode explores the lessons that matter most. You'll also hear why community can come before product, why founders need to sell a vision rather than just a business plan, and how social media, creators, and entertainment are reshaping the way consumers discover and buy brands.

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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CHAPTERS: 

00:00 – Alli Webb: Happiness Is A Choice 

01:42 – Richard Christiansen: Burnout, Starting Over, & Creativity 

03:13 – Jean-Francois Sberro: Selling Your Vision As A Leader

04:35 – Carina Chaz: Building With Your Gut

05:41 – Anthony Choe: Consumer Behavior & The Adolescent Phase Of A Brand

06:58 – Rocky Xu: Building Brands Takes 5 Years, Minimum

07:51 – Sophie Blowfield: Building a Community And A Point Of View

09:42 – Sammi Cohen: Edutainment Is The Future For Successful Brands

12:16 – Dr. Julie Chung & Kent Yu: Growth of New Distribution Channels

13:36 – Natalie Holloway: TikTok Shop & Micro Dramas

TAGS: 

creators, content, commerce, SuperOrdinary, JulianReis, e-commerce, sales, business, podcast, entrepreneurship, founder stories, startup advice, overcoming rejection, imposter syndrome, bootstrapping, fundraising advice, women founders, resilience, mindset, motivation, business podcast, venture capital, authenticity in business, content creation, morning routine, choosing happiness, taking risks, career change, small business tips, tiktok, tiktok shop, live selling, social commerce

A year ago, SuperOrdinary's live team was two people. Today, they're running six-hour "Mega Lives," working with 12 brands, and generating record-breaking GMV.

In this episode, you’ll hear from the team behind the scenes. They’ll break down what actually separates a daily live from a Mega Live, the split-second calls that turn a stalled cart into a sales spike, and why they believe live commerce is about to become the next major content format after TV and streaming.

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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CHAPTERS: 

00:00 – Meet the Team

01:57 – Daily Live vs. Mega Live

05:34 – The Preparation & Problem Solving Behind Every Live

08:40 – What Makes a Great Live Host

10:01 – Why Live Selling Works: Authenticity & Connection

14:39 – The Data & Metrics Perspective 

16:50 – Guest Hosts: The Kevin Wu Auction 

19:22 – The Future of Live Commerce

21:59 – Brands That Need To Go Live

22:37 – What The Team Last Bought On Live

TAGS: 

creators, content, commerce, SuperOrdinary, JulianReis, e-commerce, sales, business, podcast, TikTok Shop, live shopping, livestream commerce, Mega Live, creator economy, social commerce, TikTok Live, live selling, GMV, behind the scenes, On the Record, Kevin Wu, beauty ecommerce, live host tips, brand strategy, TikTok algorithm, future of ecommerce

Catch the best moments from Julian Reis's conversation with entrepreneur and marketing icon Gary Vee. Gary will break down why live commerce is the biggest shift since the early internet, why so many Fortune 500 brands are still clinging to outdated marketing strategies, and what it will take for them to catch up. Learn about what “brand” really means and why just 20 hours of your time could change your life if you're willing to go live. 

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Why Most Brands Still Misunderstand Live Commerce

02:03 – Marketing Is All About Attention 

03:12 – Humans Buy From Humans 

04:17 – The Origin Story of SuperOrdinary

06:10 – Gary & Julian: “We Told You So!”

07:28 – Every Brand Needs A Chief Attention Officer

08:26 – Why Live Shopping Beats Old-School E-Commerce

10:56 – What Brand Actually Means (And Why Gary Has Mastered It)

13:32 – Helping Creators Build Wealth & Gary's 20-Hour Advice 

TAGS:  creators, content, commerce, SuperOrdinary, JulianReis, e-commerce, sales, business, podcast, Gary Vaynerchuk, Gary Vee, TikTok live commerce, live shopping, social commerce, TikTok shop, creator economy, affiliate marketing, e-commerce strategy, content creators, Vayner Media, live streaming commerce, QVC, affiliates, Austin Li, VeeFriends, live selling, personal brand, marketing strategy, DTC brands, attention economy, chief marketing officer, corporate marketing, brand equity

Julian Reis goes solo to lay out his boldest prediction yet: TikTok Shop is about to go from a $15 billion business to a $500 billion one, and most brands aren't ready for it. He breaks down why China is still four years ahead of the US, the two consumer categories he's most excited about next, and why he thinks the first $10 million live stream is happening this year.

From why brand websites are becoming obsolete to the industries sleeping on the biggest opportunity of the decade, Julian gets into it all – including why Superordinary is leading the charge, and why he believes every brand needs to start thinking like a media company.

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 What is Social Commerce?

3:10 The Future of Live Selling & Why You Should Start

4:30 Working With Brands & Affiliates 

5:27 Why Brands Shouldn't Be Precious: The Dr. Groot Example

6:20 The Key Element to Live Selling 

7:08 The Untapped Opportunity in Music 

7:41 Start Working with Affiliates 

8:43 Why Every Brand Should Be a Media Business 

9:28 Budgeting For Creator Commissions 

10:30 Why There's No Time Like the Present to Launch on TikTok

11:48 Fashion Brands Are Sleeping on THIS

12:47 The Next Big Categories: Digital Products & Ticket Sales

13:34 Why TikTok Is Replacing Brand Websites 

TAGS: creators, content, SuperOrdinary, JulianReis, e-commerce, On The Record, sales, business, podcast, TikTok Shop, social commerce, live streaming, live selling, creator economy, affiliate marketing, K-beauty, Dr. Groot, TikTok GMV, influencer marketing, branded content, digital products, ticketing, vinyls, creator equity, China ecommerce, future of retail, TikTok predictions, vertical content, micro drama, micro series 

Ryan Babenzien didn't follow the playbook. He's managed celebrity talent, ran marketing at Puma and K-Swiss, and pioneered men’s footwear with Greats (which he sold to Steve Madden). Ryan’s non-linear career path has given him unparalleled knowledge of what it means to be a successful entrepreneur. 

Now, Ryan is running Jolie, a beauty wellness company that's made $120 million in revenue in four years, profitably, with only a 5-person core team. Julian and Ryan get into the literal shower thought that changed everything and the full journey from entertainment to footwear to beauty. They’ll share what the future of brand building looks like, and why growing faster isn’t always better for the longevity of a business. 

CHAPTERS:

• 0:00 Introducing Ryan Babenzien

• 3:29 Ryan's Early Career Path: Hollywood, Puma, & K-Swiss

• 9:56 Why Ryan Started Greats & Selling to Steven Madden

• 12:52 Ryan’s Jump from Footwear to Beauty

• 14:44 The Shower Thought That Began Jolie

• 16:25 Pioneering the Water Filtration Market 

• 17:20 How Jolie Saves Hair and Skin From Chlorine and Heavy Metals

• 20:27 Educating the Market on a New Category in Beauty 

• 24:02 The 5-Person Team Behind Jolie: Fractional Groups & AI Tools

• 30:19 Moving to London & Launching Jolie in the UK

• 33:26 Retail Expansion: Erewhon, Ulta, Target, & Costco

• 37:15 Profitability & Longevity – Ryan’s Perspective on Growth 

• 41:40 The Future of Wellness, Beauty, and Brand Building

• 44:08 The Jolie Sauna Concept

• 47:07 What to Expect from the Jolie Experience 

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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TAGS: creators, content, commerce, SuperOrdinary, Julian Reis, e-commerce, sales, business, podcast, Ryan Babenzien, Jolie Beauty, Jolie showerhead, On the Record podcast, D2C brands, direct to consumer, beauty brand founder, entrepreneur interview, bootstrapped business, profitable startup, beauty wellness, shower filter, hair shedding, skin health, chlorine water, hard water, soft water, Greats sneakers, Steve Madden, Puma, K-Swiss, AI tools, fractional teams, UGC marketing, Nectar AI, Erewhon, Ulta Beauty, Target beauty, Costco, Space NK, UK beauty launch, sauna wellness, brand building strategy, entrepreneurship, bootstrapped brand

Sophie Blowfield has been inside some of the most iconic beauty brands in the world, before the beauty marketing playbooks existed. From joining Charlotte Tilbury as part of the founding social team to heading up global content at Soap & Glory, she's watched the industry transform from newsletter culture to TikTok virality in real time. 

Now running her own consultancy, Sophie works with founders and global brands on storytelling, their launch strategies, and building real community. Julian and Sophie get into what it actually took to build Charlotte Tilbury's social presence from scratch and everything she learned along the way. They’ll share why the beauty industry is drowning in product launches and what truly separates the brands that last from the ones that fade… 

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introducing Sophie Blowfield, Brand & Influencer Consultant

2:00 How to Get a Job in Beauty

4:30 The Magazine Golden Age & London as a Cultural Capital

6:00 Getting Headhunted for Charlotte Tilbury's Founding Team

11:30 What made Charlotte Tilbury's Brand Magic Work

15:00 How Brands can Win Social-First Consumers

16:00 US vs. UK Beauty Consumers

18:30 This Is What Makes a Brand Last

29:30 Taking a Leap of Faith to Go Freelance 

31:00 How to Tell Amazing Stories in Beauty Marketing

41:00 The #1 Influencer Strategy Today (Why Transactional is Over)

45:30 The Last Piece of Content that Stopped Sophie Mid-Scroll

TAGS: creators, content, commerce, SuperOrdinary, JulianReis, e-commerce, sales, business, podcast, Sophie Blowfield, Charlotte Tilbury, brand building, beauty marketing, social media strategy, beauty founder, influencer marketing, community building, Merit Beauty, Rhode Beauty, Summer Fridays, Heaven Mayhem, Victoria Beckham Beauty, BYREDO, beauty branding, founder story, beauty consultant, beauty podcast, luxury beauty, quiet luxury, micro influencers, Substack, brand strategy, beauty business

What does it actually take to build a brand on TikTok Shop?

Today the SuperOrdinary executive team sits down to cover how to build success on the platform from viral moments to sustainable, long-term brand growth.

You'll hear from Emma Rafalski, Director of Brand Success, and Gary Sang, VP of TikTok Operations (and the person who sold the very first item on TikTok Shop in the US). Together, they break down what brands consistently get wrong, how to course correct, and why the right product and creator match is everything.

Discover how SuperOrdinary helped a single skincare launch become one of the most successful new arrivals campaigns in TikTok Shop history, and what it takes to 5X sales on the platform. Whether you're considering launching on TikTok Shop, already are on it trying to scale, or you’re just looking for your next move, this is the playbook to help you succeed.

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here.

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome to SuperOrdinary HQ

1:30 Introducing Emma Rafalski: Director of Brand Success

3:20 Is Your Product Right for TikTok Shop?

4:34 Why the First 3 Seconds Of Your Video are Everything

5:50 Peter Thomas Roth: A Viral Relaunch Case Study

8:07 How Does the Halo Effect Work? How TikTok Drives DTC & In-Store Sales

10:05 What Emma Is Watching (and Buying) on TikTok Right Now

11:30 Introducing Gary Sang, VP of TikTok Operations + The Man Who Sold TikTok's First Item

11:45 Why He Bet on Social Commerce Before Anyone Else

12:10 How to Bridge the Gap Between Brands & Creators

14:50 How to Use Your TikTok Data to Identify New Audiences

18:00 Why Authenticity Is the Long-Term Recipe for Brands

21:00 How to Go From a Viral Moment to Sustained Growth

22:20 When Should a Brand Start Live Shopping?

24:00 The Untapped Categories on TikTok Shop

26:06 The Future of Social Commerce…

In this one-of-a-kind interview Gary Vee and Julian Reis sit down to get to the root of why American brands are still sleeping on live commerce…even as TikTok’s GMV in China crossed $700 billion. 

Gary breaks down the corporate inertia keeping Fortune 500 marketers stuck in TV-era thinking, where the current US commerce market is at, plus where it’s going. 

Together they uncover what the live shopping revolution actually means for individual creators, small businesses, and the future of brand-building. 

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Gary Vee Supports SuperOrdinary 

1:45 What Brands Still get Wrong about TikTok 

3:30 How to Earn Attention Online Today 

5:45 Retail vs. Social Commerce 

7:45 TikTok GMV: $700 billion in China

8:30 What We Can Learn from QVC Today

9:45 The Power of Communal Commerce

13:45 Gary's new book: Your Individual Empire

15:00 Building Creator Infrastructure at SuperOrdinary

16:45 The Power of Pattern Recognition & E-commerce in 1997

21:30 Buying Koi fish on Whatnot 

22:27 Chief Attention Officer: The Role Every Brand Needs

24:45 AI Agents vs. Live Commerce

31:30 Brand Equity in the Age of TikTok

38:00 Gary's #1 Piece of Advice

39:30 The Album that Changed Gary's Life

What does it actually take to win on TikTok Shop: as a creator, as an affiliate, as someone just figuring out where to start? SuperOrdinary’s executive team sits down to get transparent on it all. You’ll hear from the agency behind some of the biggest brand success stories on the platform, to get the real answers.

In Part One, hear from two of SuperOrdinary's leaders, Vivien Wu, Director, Brand Success and Cesar Villavicencio, Executive Producer, on what separates creators who convert from those who don't. They share tips on converting viewers to customers, building long term success, and working with brands.

This episode will leave you with a better understanding of the biggest affiliate opportunity right now, and where the future of social commerce is heading.

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here.

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome to SuperOrdinary HQ

1:08 Introducing Vivien: Director of Brand Success

1:22 Why Bet on Social Commerce?

3:02 3 Things Every Successful Affiliate Has

4:40 What TikTok Consumers Actually Want to See

5:29 The Future of Social Commerce (and AI's Role)

7:33 Rapid Fire q&a: The Next Creator to Blow Up & Last Purchase on TikTok Shop

8:26 Introducing Cesar: Executive Producer of Creator & Livestream

10:23 The Ins & Outs of Building a Livestream Business from Scratch

11:50 This is What Makes the Best Creators 

12:48 Short Video Is the Window to Your Shop

16:23 The Strategic Choices No Other TSP Is Making

17:24 Rapid Fire q&a: The Next Creator to Blow Up & Last Purchase on TikTok Shop

What separates creators who break through from those who never gain traction? Julian sits down with some of the sharpest minds in the creator economy to figure it out. He’s joined by a range of creators: executives managing billions of monthly views, to DTC founders who built brands from a single Instagram page. You’ll get the real playbook for succeeding as a content creator in 2026. 

No fluff. Just the strategies, metrics, and mindset shifts that actually move the needle.

Watch On the Record with Julian Reis on YouTube here. 

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro00:50 What makes content shareable: Sammi Cohen02:39 The Future of Platforms & Hyper-Specific Content: Alan Chikin Chow08:09 The 3 Content Intentions: Educate, Entertain, Emote: Amy Liu10:24 From 200 Followers to Building a Real Brand: Carina Chaz11:36 Advice for Iteration, Niching Down & Posting Day Zero: Justice Buys12:40 The Power of “Document, Don't Create”: The Lipstick Lesbians13:33 Standing Out by Looking Outside TikTok: Toni Bravo14:58 Why Creators Are the New Distribution Channel: Julian Reis