O que é preciso para transformar uma marca icônica brasileira em uma potência global?

Neste episódio, conversamos com Sandro Ribeiro, President at Havaianas North America, sobre os bastidores da expansão internacional de uma das marcas mais reconhecidas do Brasil.

Falamos sobre como a Havaianas está construindo relevância nos Estados Unidos e Canadá, equilibrando brand, distribuição e experiência digital, além dos desafios reais de competir em mercados altamente maduros.

Se você atua em varejo, moda, CPG ou e-commerce, este episódio é um playbook sobre crescimento global, posicionamento de marca e execução em novos mercados. Você vai aprender:

• Como adaptar uma marca brasileira para mercados internacionais
• Estratégias de crescimento na América do Norte
• O papel do e-commerce e DTC na expansão global
• Como construir brand equity fora do país de origem
• Desafios reais de operação e go-to-market internacional

#Varejo #Ecommerce #Moda #Havaianas #ExpansãoGlobal #Branding #DTC #Retail #Inovação #Estratégia #LATAM #FashionBusiness #Marketing #Negócios

En medio del NRF 2026, el epicentro global del retail, nos sentamos con uno de los líderes que realmente está ejecutando la transformación digital en Latinoamérica.

En este episodio conversamos con Israel Enríquez, líder de tecnología en Grupo Axo, operador de marcas como Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Victoria's Secret, Guess y más, con presencia en múltiples países y más de 35 ecommerce activos.

Es una conversación sobre lo que hace que la transformación funcione o fracase.

Hablamos sobre:

• Por qué el primer problema NO es tecnología, sino alineación organizacional • El error de empezar por herramientas en lugar de estrategia • Cómo priorizar cuando tienes infinitas iniciativas • Por qué los proyectos largos murieron • La realidad de construir omnicanalidad de verdad • Cómo conectar tiendas físicas, ecommerce, apps y marketplaces • El futuro del retail físico como experiencia

Además, Israel comparte su sistema personal para manejar presión extrema, liderar equipos en momentos críticos y sostener rendimiento de alto nivel durante años.

Si lideras ecommerce, retail, tecnología o transformación digital en LATAM, este episodio te va a ahorrar años de errores.

⏱ En este episodio:

00:00 – NRF: el retail se volvió tecnología 02:00 – El verdadero primer problema en transformación digital 05:00 – Alineación organizacional: el punto de partida 08:00 – Priorizar en medio del caos 11:00 – Por qué los proyectos largos ya no funcionan 15:00 – Tecnología sin propósito: el error más común 18:00 – Caso Grupo Axo: omnicanalidad real 24:00 – Cómo conectar tiendas, ecommerce y marketplaces 30:00 – Retail físico como experiencia vs transacción 35:00 – Manejo del estrés en proyectos de alto impacto 42:00 – El concepto del "atleta corporativo"

🔗 Conecta con los invitados:

• Israel Enríquez (Grupo Axo): https://www.linkedin.com/in/israel-enr%C3%ADquez-reynoso-a64b9823/

• Santiago Naranjo (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-naranjo-alvarez/

🔔 Suscríbete para más conversaciones con líderes globales de retail, ecommerce y tecnología

In this episode, we talk with Linda Johanson James, CEO of International Retail Group, who has overseen over $1.7 billion in revenue by connecting the digital world with physical stores.

Linda tells us the raw reality of building an empire: from starting as a part-time worker in the dress department at Dillard's out of necessity as a single mother, to building and operating over 600 store locations and 1,500 automated retail spots globally.

We dive deep into:

• Real Retail: Why selling online, in a mall cart, a kiosk, or a pop-up store requires the same foundation, and the importance of not assuming a brand will just sell itself without marketing.

• The Human Factor and AI: Why artificial intelligence will never replace human connection, but will instead serve as a support tool so salespeople can do their real job: taking care of the customer.

• True Loyalty: The mistake of C-level executives who look for short-term wins by squeezing brands, and why real loyalty is about recognizing the customer rather than just giving them discounts.

• Failures and Lessons: The harsh reality of trying to open 120 pop-up stores in 60 days in the unfamiliar food industry, and learning that not all brands are meant for physical retail or fit every operational skillset.

If you are an entrepreneur, want to expand your brand to the United States, or want to deeply understand the fundamentals of omnichannel strategies and customer service, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode:

00:00 - Introduction: Who is Linda Johanson James and how did she reach $1.7 billion in revenue? 04:30 - Starting in retail out of necessity and falling in love with customer service.

06:00 - From working in a mall cart to scaling the company to 600 stores.

09:40 - AI as a support tool and why team training must be continuous.

14:35 - The big failure: trying to open 120 pop-ups in 60 days in the food industry.

20:20 - The biggest success: changing lives with Proactiv and revolutionizing automated retail.

24:20 - The brand trap and the common mistakes made by CEOs and CFOs.

32:20 - How to build true loyalty and the Ulta success story.

34:30 - Vital advice for expanding to the US and for young female entrepreneurs.

🔗 Connect with the guests:

Linda Johanson James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-johansen-james-03048813/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-naranjo-alvarez/

🔔 Subscribe for more stories of global transformation!

#Retail #Omnichannel #Entrepreneurship #FemaleLeadership #CustomerService #Sales #CustomerLoyalty #Ecommerce #VTEX

En este episodio conversamos con Juan Franco, CEO Global de Getnet, compañía de pagos del grupo Santander, uno de los mayores adquirentes del planeta, procesando más de €200 mil millones al año y trabajando con 1.3 millones de comercios.

Juan nos cuenta su recorrido completo:

De finanzas corporativas en Silicon Valley, a lanzar el juego social más descargado de Brasil. De fundar Paymentez y venderla por Zoom en plena pandemia, a liderar la expansión de Nuvei en Asia. Y ahora, asumir el reto de escalar globalmente a Getnet.

Pero esta conversación va mucho más allá de la biografía.

Hablamos en profundidad sobre el impacto real de la inteligencia artificial en el comercio y los pagos:

🔹 Qué significa realmente el Comercio Agéntico 🔹 Cómo los LLM se convertirán en nuevos marketplaces 🔹 Por qué los catálogos deben estar listos para interactuar con agentes 🔹 Qué es "Know Your Agent" y por qué será clave en pagos 🔹 Cómo evolucionará el checkout en los próximos años 🔹 La integración de millones de comercios físicos al mundo autónomo 🔹 Cuándo podremos pagar directamente dentro de un LLM

También hablamos del lado humano:

• Perder la confianza después del éxito

• Burnout y presión emprendedora

• Clientes difíciles que te obligan a mejorar

• Familia, disciplina y ambición global

Si lideras ecommerce, retail, grocery o fintech, este episodio te da claridad estratégica sobre lo que viene.

La transformación ya empezó. La pregunta es si tu infraestructura está lista.

En este episodio:

00:00 – De Colombia al Top 10 Mundial en Pagos | Juan Franco (Getnet – Grupo Santander)

02:30 – De Finanzas a Ventas: El Cambio que Transformó su Carrera en Fintech

05:30 – Cómo Crear un Unicornio en Juegos en Brasil (42M de Usuarios)

10:00 – Vender una Startup por Zoom en COVID | El Exit de Paymentez

12:45 – Qué es Getnet (Grupo Santander) y Cómo Funciona un Adquirente de Pagos

14:05 – Cómo Balancear Familia y Ambición Global como CEO

18:00 – El Futuro de los Pagos con Inteligencia Artificial

22:00 – Qué es el Comercio Agéntico y Por Qué Cambiará el Ecommerce

23:30 – LLM como Marketplaces: ChatGPT, Gemini y el Nuevo Discovery

28:00 – Know Your Agent: Regulación, Fraude y Riesgo en Pagos con IA

30:00 – El Futuro del Checkout: Cómo Será Pagar en 2026

31:30 – Cómo Integrar Comercios Físicos al Comercio con IA (1.3M Merchants)

37:30 – ¿Cuándo Podremos Pagar Dentro de ChatGPT o Gemini? Predicción 2026

46:00 – Burnout Emprendedor: Perder la Confianza y Volver a Empezar

50:30 – Cómo Quiere Ser Recordado Juan Franco

🔗 Conecta con los invitados:

Juan Franco (Getnet): https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanfranco/

Santiago Naranjo (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-naranjo-alvarez/

🔔 Suscríbete para más conversaciones con líderes globales.

En este episodio conversamos con mi amigo Santiago Gómez, cofundador y COO de Simetrik, la plataforma que procesa más de mil millones de transacciones diarias y es la columna vertebral financiera de gigantes como Mercado Libre, Rappi y grandes bancos en Asia y LATAM.

Santiago nos cuenta la realidad cruda de emprender: desde el fracaso de su primera startup "Ropeo" y la lección de humildad que eso conllevó, hasta encontrar el "Founder-Product Fit" solucionando un problema crítico para Rappi.

Hablamos profundamente sobre:

El Salto: Cómo pasar de vender ropa usada a crear tecnología financiera de clase mundial. Salud Mental: Por qué el emprendedor debe verse como un atleta de alto rendimiento (y cómo manejar la ansiedad).

Mentalidad Global: Romper el techo mental de "Latinoamérica" y competir contra los mejores del mundo. company culture: Cómo descentralizar la toma de decisiones y crear una cultura de "explosividad".

Si eres emprendedor, trabajas en tecnología o quieres entender cómo se construyen las grandes compañías B2B desde nuestra región, este episodio es obligatorio.

En este episodio:

00:00 - Introducción: ¿Quién es Santiago Gómez?

02:15 - El fracaso de "Ropeo" y la humildad en los negocios.

08:30 - El efecto multiplicador de Endeavor y Rappi.

14:45 - Salud Mental: Burnout y ansiedad en fundadores.

22:00 - De LatAm para el mundo: Rompiendo barreras mentales.

31:10 - Cultura en Simetrik: "Enjoy the Struggle".

40:00 - Consejos para jóvenes emprendedores.

🔗 Conecta con los invitados:

Santiago Gómez (Simetrik): https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiagomezgg/

Santiago Naranjo (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-naranjo-alvarez/

🔔 ¡Suscríbete para más historias de transformación global!

#Simetrik #Fintech #Tecnologia #SoftwareB2B #GoToMarket #Automatizacion #OperacionesFinancieras #LatamTech #MercadoLibre #SantiagoNaranjo #b2bsaas #emprendimiento #saludmental #startups #rappi #endeavor

There are people who perform at a high level. And then people who do it at 100kmh, on water, with seven voices in their ear.

In this episode I sit down with Erik Heil, two time Olympic bronze medalist in the 49er class and driver of the Germany SailGP Team, to talk about what it really means to lead under pressure, trust your team and build performance that holds when the boat is flying.

Erik grew up in a small sailing club on a lake in Berlin. From there he went all the way to the Olympic Games, two bronze medals and now SailGP, often called the Formula 1 of sailing, with foiling catamarans hitting around 100kmh on the water. Along the way he also started studying medicine and helps manage Hof Strande, a farm and sailing hub in northern Germany.

We talk about:

• How he fell in love with sailing, built his career in the 49er class and why he chose sailing over tennis.

• What happens on an Olympic boat when you go from talking all the time to a place where you barely speak. How unconscious trust and shared instinct become your edge.

• The debrief system they use after every event, splitting the group into teams for strategy, speed and communication, then coming back together in workshops to turn feedback into concrete changes for the next race.

• Why trust is the foundation for everything, especially when coaches see one reality from their data screens onshore and the sailors see another one on the water.

We also talk about his life off the water, living on a farm three minutes from the Olympic base in Kiel, building the German SailGP project from scratch and why he still feels lucky every time he gets to race.

If you care about high performance teams, pressure, trust, debriefs and how to lead when everything is moving at full speed, this episode is for you, even if you have never set foot on a boat.

Chapters

02:00, Growing up in a tiny Berlin sailing club, choosing sailing over tennis and building his first dreams on the water

09:00, Building a long term partnership, different personalities and why engineering plus health focused training made their team stronger

13:00, From talking all the time to almost no words, how trust and instinct became their competitive advantage on the Olympic boat

21:00, Reducing noise, learning to say less and building a common language of performance across the whole crew

25:00, How the team debriefs after every event, four sub teams, three or four days of analysis and then one big workshop

36:00, Sustainability trophy, modern sports leagues and why purpose matters as much as pure racing

We talk a lot about AI in retail, but very few people can separate hype from impact.

In this conversation with Sucharita Kodali (Forrester, VP & Principal Analyst), we break down what actually works: from pricing and planning algorithms to fraud detection and the content/automation workflows retailers already run today and what's still not ready for prime time.

We go deep on generative AI (content ops, smarter chatbots, workforce automation) and why, for now, these are incremental gains valuable.

Sucharita also shares how enterprise guardrails are slowing internal adoption while individual creators speed ahead using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Descript, and Opus Clip — and what that means for ecommerce, content, and brand teams in the next cycle.

If you work in retail, ecommerce, marketing, or product, this episode gives you a sober, practical view of what to do now and what to watch next:

• AI in retail that's proven vs. GenAI that's emerging.

• Trust, privacy, and data as the real competitive edge.

• Why relationships & networks will matter even more in a world full of AI.

00:00 Who is Sucharita Kodali & why retail listens 02:00 From practitioner to analyst: lessons from the floor 04:30 AI in retail that already works (pricing, planning, fraud) 07:10 Generative AI: content ops, chatbots & where it's incremental 09:05 Autonomous/agentic AI: low-risk vs high-risk decisions (trust first) 15:10 Enterprise constraints vs creator speed; tool stack call-outs (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Descript, Opus Clip) 19:10 What the next decade in retail will reward: data, trust, relationships

🎥 Watch the full episode and tell me what you'll test first, content automation, pricing intelligence, or agent-led workflows?

#SucharitaKodali #Retail #Ecommerce #AIinRetail #GenerativeAI #RetailStrategy #SantiagoNaranjo

Hay historias que te recuerdan que el crecimiento real no es lineal.

En esta conversación con Dani, hablamos de cómo construir carrera en tecnología y e-commerce cuando no tienes todo resuelto: pasar de diseño gráfico a liderar transformación digital, crear retail media antes de que existiera el término, y escalar B2B digital a nivel regional.

También fuimos a lo que pocos se atreven a decir: liderar con miedo (pero hacerlo igual), cuidar el diálogo interno, y rodearte de mentores que te empujan cuando dudas.

Además, tocamos temas clave que están redefiniendo la industria en 2025:

• IA sin hype: usar la inteligencia artificial con propósito, no por moda.

• B2B digital: dejar atrás los procesos manuales y crear orquestación real.

• Cultura corporativa global: trabajar con equipos de EE. UU., India y Europa sin perder autenticidad.

• Talento y liderazgo: contratar por hambre de aprender y formar cultura.

• Liderazgo femenino en tecnología: acciones reales para cerrar brechas desde lo cotidiano.

Si estás construyendo tu carrera en e-commerce, retail, B2B o tecnología, este episodio te da herramientas reales para avanzar incluso cuando el miedo aparece.

03:20 — Cómo construir carrera sin tener todo claro.

06:10 — Liderar con miedo (y hacerlo igual).

13:05 — La evolución del B2B digital en LATAM.

16:20 — Cultura corporativa global: cómo trabajar con US, India y Europa.

19:15 — Contratar talento: busca más que la experiencia.

22:00 — El poder de los mentores y las redes de apoyo.

25:40 — IA sin hype: lo que realmente está transformando negocios.

29:10 — Liderazgo femenino: cómo construir espacios que inspiren.

33:00 — Cuidar el diálogo interno y seguir creciendo con propósito.

36:30 — Reflexiones finales: hazlo con miedo, pero hazlo.

Si te inspiran estas conversaciones, sígueme en Instagram @santiagonaranjo.ai para más historias sobre liderazgo, innovación y propósito.

🎥 Mira el episodio completo y cuéntame qué parte te hizo repensar tu forma de liderar.

#Liderazgo #Ecommerce #RetailMedia #B2BCommerce #TransformacionDigital #IA #LATAMTech #SantiagoNaranjo

There are founders who talk about disruption, and founders who actually change the game.

In this episode I sat down with Hamad Mubarak Al Hajri, CEO of Snoonu, the first unicorn from Qatar and one of the fastest profitable tech companies in the region. We talked about ultra apps, AI powered recommendations, loyalty and gamification, and why for him the most valuable currency is not money, it is time.

Hamad explains how Snoonu went from a local delivery platform to a Q commerce ultra app, where you can get groceries, medicine, an iPhone, or even laundry picked up and returned in minutes. Behind that, there is a very deliberate engine, AI recommendation systems, personalization and gifting flows that change customer behavior and drive one of the highest conversion rates in the world, around 43 percent on the app.

But this is not just a tech story, it is a purpose story. Hamad shares his goal of building the first global tech champion from the Middle East, the way Sony or Alibaba represent their regions, and why he decided to give 15 percent of the company to employees, creating more than 30 new millionaires after a partial exit. For him, the customer matters, but the team comes first.

03:30, AI recommendations and a 43 percent conversion rate, learning from Netflix 05:10, Gifting, behavior change and how to sell high ticket products online 07:00, Time as the most powerful currency and why premium service wins 10:10, Partial exit, 30 employees become millionaires and 15 percent employee ownership 15:00, Profitability in year three and beating better funded competitors 17:30, Gladiators, common vision and yearly strategy sessions in the mountains 20:10, Vision, strategy, execution, metrics, the model behind Snoonu's growth 22:00, Rappi, Latam talent and why GCC is a launchpad for Latin American founders

This is a conversation about ultra apps, AI, loyalty, purpose, wealth creation for teams and global ambition coming from a region that is still writing its big tech story.

🎥 Watch the full episode and tell me in the comments, what hit you harder, the vision for ultra apps or the way he treats his team as gladiators and owners of the company

#Snoonu #Qatar #Commerce #DigitalTransformation #AI #CustomerExperience #Startup #Entrepreneurship #MiddleEastTech #SantiagoNaranjo

Everyone is talking about AI in retail. Very few people can separate buzzwords from real value.

In this episode I sat down with Alice Antoniazzi, EMEA Head of Retail, Restaurants & Consumer Goods Business Development at AWS, to talk about what actually moves the needle in retail and CPG, and how AI, cloud and supply chain are reshaping the industry in Europe, the Middle East and beyond

Alice did not start in tech. She comes from business and P&G, shifted into enterprise transformation at AWS, and even joined the company remotely during Covid, building a pan EMEA role without meeting her team in person for nearly two years. That experience shaped her view on culture, remote work and what technology really did for small and large companies in the crisis. We talk about:

• Customer obsession vs revenue obsession and how AWS really lives "start from the customer problem" instead of "sell the next tool."

• Why the backbone of great customer experience is still end to end supply chain visibility, not just front end UX.

• Where AI actually creates value in retail and consumer goods content generation, smarter search (like Rufus), "buy for me," store operations and post purchase personalization and where a simple solution might work better than an AI project.

• How AI can radically improve forecasting, inventory, out of stock reduction and waste, impacting both cost and sustainability.

• The pace of change she left on maternity leave and came back six months later to a world already talking about "agentic AI," and what that means for leaders who need to keep learning.

05:00 Joining AWS fully remote during Covid learning culture without ever entering an office

07:30 Inside AWS culture customer obsession, flat hierarchy and why escalation is encouraged

10:30 Operating across EMEA local teams, different cultures, same retail and CPG challenges

13:00 AI in retail without the buzzwords start with the business problem, not the tool

16:30 Customer experience front to back content, campaigns, Rufus, "buy for me" and in store AI use cases.

20:30 Supply chain as the foundation forecasting, availability, cost efficiency and sustainability

24:00 Career and maternity getting promoted while on leave and returning to a bigger role

28:00 Partner support, organization at home and redefining what "balance" really means

31:10 Final advice curiosity, flexibility and speaking openly about fears and doubts

If you work in retail, CPG, ecommerce or tech, or you are building a global career while also wanting a family, this conversation will give you both a clearer view of AI in retail and a very human perspective on leadership, flexibility and balance.

🎥 Watch the full episode and tell me in the comments what resonated more with you Alice's view on AI and supply chain, or her honesty about career and motherhood in tech.

#AliceAntoniazzi #AWS #Retail #ConsumerGoods #Restaurants #DigitalTransformation #WomenInTech #Leadership #EMEA #SantiagoNaranjo #VTEX