In this episode, I welcome back to the podcast Sophie Abrahamsson, President of Americas @ Bambuser. With Sophie is Julian Guevara, Senior Vice President of Direct to Consumer with What Goes Around Comes Around. I had the opportunity to visit Julian's store in SoHo recently and was super impressed by the business, their live-streaming studio and the team behind this innovative retailer. One quick note: I had a mic gremlin early in the interview with Shopie's mic, but I resolved it quickly for the majority of our time together. Let's listen in now!Thanks to Stream Commerce for their support in making this episode happen. About SophieEducation: Bachelors Degree in Media & Communications from Università degli Studi di Firenze.Experience: +10yr of international experience from e-commerce and marketing within retail. Marketing manager for LUISAVIAROMA, Head of Digital for & Other Stories and various business development positions at H&M group. About KentI help innovative digital companies tell their story and build relationships with prospective and established clients and partners. I've spent the last twenty years providing market analysis, research & thought leadership, market development and consulting services within the ecommerce technology and digital marketing community.Current focus: Globalization via cross-border ecommerce, marketplaces and international retail expansion. Co-founded the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum to foster community among and provide education to digital professionals with international growth objectives.My 20+ years of experience in the digital commerce and marketing industry and strong personal connections have provided me with opportunities to stay ahead of the curve and explore "what's next" for my clients and our audiences.My research, content marketing & thought leadership skills coupled with my strong client interface skills allow me to define & execute next-generation marketing and commerce strategies & improve business performance. Specialties/Skills: Market Research, Communications, Strategy, Planning, Best Practices, Trend, Data and Competitive Analysis, Public Speaking, Writing and ExpressionAbout JimJim Okamura is Partner with McMillan Doolittle - The Retail Experts. Jim has more than 25 years of consulting experience focused on the retail industry, including 20+ years in digital transformation strategies for retailers, brands and retail-related companies. Specializations include cross-border & global ecommerce and organization design for digital transformations. Through our global alliance, Ebeltoft Group, we have deep retail expertise in more than 20 countries.Clients include Wahl Clipper, Gap, adidas, Hunter Fan, Bassett Furniture, Giant Eagle, Federated Coop, Harley-Davidson, Baccarat, DSW, Tractor Supply Co., MasterCard, Verizon Wireless, Neiman Marcus, Navy Exchange, Lands’ End, Microsoft, The Body Shop International, L Brands, Timberland, Media Markt, Lowe’s Companies, Pep Boys, Crate and Barrel, Loyalty One, VISA, and Cadillac Fairview.Jim is a Co-founder of the Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum, a community and conference series focused on global and cross-border ecommerce. Digital Retail Globalization, such as riding China's ecommerce growth wave, is important for brands, retailers and distribution partners of all sizes.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!
