In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, we go deep into what actually works in social commerce today — and what doesn’t.

From London, former Meta & TikTok executive Dave Morrissey joins Renee (in Portugal) and Chris (in Shanghai) for a candid conversation about live shopping, the role of creators, why most brands are doing content wrong — and what the smartest brands are already doing next.

• Live shopping is not the answer for everyone — and most brands are doing it wrong.

• The TikTok Shop winners are founder-led, community-first brands.

• Why 40+ videos a month is becoming the new baseline for e-commerce success.

• AI should power creativity — not replace it.

• The rise of video search and why TikTok is quietly becoming a rival to Google.

• TikTok Shop: do you need affiliates, creators, paid ads… or all three?

• The secret moat now? 👉 Doing the hard things your competitors won’t.

“Content is the game. The algorithms will do the delivery. Your only job is to get great at content.”

00:00 – Introductions across Portugal, Shanghai & London 04:00 – From music industry → Meta → TikTok Shop 09:45 – Live shopping: what’s working & what isn’t 16:30 – Why discount-led TikTok strategies are dangerous 22:10 – Content at scale: how brands should build it 28:00 – The role of AI — and where it shouldn’t be used 34:20 – Affiliates vs creators: who actually drives sales? 41:10 – TikTok as a search engine 46:30 – What Western brands can learn from China 52:00 – The principle that doesn’t change: be real, be useful

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts 🎧 Subscribe to Commerce Beyond Borders for global perspectives on the future of retail & commerce.

Palmstreet is building what they call the world’s online “Main Street”—and the engagement is wild. In this episode, Chen Li (Founder & CEO, Palmstreet) joins Renee and Chris to unpack the metrics behind their growth: shoppers spend an average of 2.5 hours per day on the app, first-year buyers make ~50–55 purchases, and a $26,000 plant sold live shows how trust plus logistics unlock high-ticket conversions.

We dig into the formula—entertainment + community + trust + operations—and how Palmstreet productized the “unsexy” bits (shipping, weather checks, protection) to turn livestreams into a dependable channel. Chen also shares which categories win, why repeat purchase frequency matters, and what’s next (hint: beauty is heating up).

• 2.5 hours/day average time spent per shopper

• ~50–55 purchases in year one (per shopper)

• 95% shipped / 5% local; typical U.S. shipping $8–$18

• Platform trust & logistics: even weather checks pre-ship

• $26,000 plant sold live—proof that confidence converts

• Category patterns: uniqueness, repeat purchase, and showmanship

• Why brands think livestream “doesn’t work” (and how to fix it)

• The origin story: from plant ID app to live shopping marketplace

• “Shop for the drop, stay for the vibes”: community as a growth engine

• What actually entertains in a live: hosts, education, and the hunt

• The operations layer that makes live shopping repeatable

• Winning categories now (plants, handmade, vintage) and next (beauty)

• Building trust fast if you’re a new brand (and when to borrow it via creators)

• The TikTok question: coexistence vs. competition

• Shipping reality in North America—and how it shapes category fit

• “On average, a shopper spends two and a half hours a day on Palmstreet.”

• “Our users make 50–55 purchases in their first year.”

• “We sold a $26,000 plant live.”

• “Live is entertainment first—but operations make it scalable.”

Palmstreet is the online Main Street for plants, handmade, vintage, and unique goods, connecting passionate buyers with charismatic sellers through live shopping.

Chen Li — Founder & CEO, Palmstreet

Renee Hartmann & Chris Baker, Commerce Beyond Borders

In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, host Renee Hartmann and co-host Chris Baker sit down with communications leader Scott Kronick (ex–Ogilvy & Mather) for an energizing tour through three decades of brand building across Asia, the Olympics, and today’s AI-driven marketing landscape. Scott shares why he’s still a dyed-in-the-wool globalist, how China’s “can-do” culture shaped his leadership, and the mindset he teaches students at USC: expand your surface area of luck—meet more people, talk about your passion, and be generous with your help.

• The “surface area of luck”: a practical framework for creating opportunity

• Lessons from hyper-growth China: optimism, speed, and execution

• Agencies: why boutiques can outmaneuver quarterly-driven giants

• AI, influencers, and the new media mix (what’s changed, what hasn’t)

• Chinese brands going global: strengths, gaps, and playing by local rules

• Risk, regulation, and communications alignment in the U.S. market

• Olympic storytelling: building a specialized practice and finding your lane

• Career advice for young marketers: do hard things, take the meeting, think critically

• “The more people you meet and talk about what you’re passionate about, the more opportunities come your way.”

• “That meeting you don’t want to leave the house for? Take it. That might be the life-changer.”

• “Be optimistic—find the green shoots and lean in.”

Scott Kronick led PR and integrated communications across Asia for Ogilvy, launching and scaling offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Now back in Los Angeles, he teaches at USC, advises global brands, and continues his long-standing work around the Olympic movement and Special Olympics.

In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, hosts Renee Hartmann and Chris Baker sit down with Lynn Power, a former advertising executive turned entrepreneur behind several innovative beauty ventures.

After decades in the ad world, Lynn took the leap into entrepreneurship — launching MASAMI, a premium clean haircare brand rooted in Japanese seaweed ingredients, and Isle de Nature, a luxury bee-powered home fragrance line. Most recently, she founded the Power Beauty Collab, a collective of 65+ indie clean beauty brands that work together on retail activations, co-marketing, and content creation.

We cover:

• 🌿 How Lynn built MASAMI and the Japanese ingredient story behind the brand

• 🐝 Why she launched Isle de Nature and the role of luxury home fragrance in her portfolio

• 🛍 How the Power Beauty Collab is rewriting the rules for indie brands through shared shelves, events, and campaigns

• 📣 Lessons learned from live shopping, influencer partnerships, and content strategies

• 💡 What really matters to today’s beauty consumers (spoiler: results > founder stories)

• ⚖️ The realities and challenges indie brands face in the current retail environment

Whether you’re growing a beauty brand, exploring new retail models, or curious about what it takes to build with integrity and innovation, Lynn’s story offers both inspiration and practical insight.

🔗 Tune in to hear how indie brands are proving that collaboration is the new competition.

In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, Renee Hartmann and Chris Baker sit down with Michael Zakkour—founder of Five New Digital and Managing Director at The Sell Side Group—to unpack the biggest transformations shaping global commerce.

From platform commerce and immersive video strategies, to the rise of creator-driven retail and the collapse of traditional loyalty, Michael offers a sharp, forward-looking view of what’s next in retail, marketing, and digital strategy.

• Why retail is no longer a place—it’s everywhere

• The rise of platform commerce: Netflix, Roblox, TikTok, and beyond

• The two “margin monsters” brands face today: CAC & logistics

• What Western brands can (and can’t) copy from the Chinese retail playbook

• Why trust is the new loyalty, and how creators are reshaping retail influence

• The shift from paid media to organic UGC and influencer marketing

• Michael’s Venn diagram: attention economy, creator economy, automation economy

• What it means to build a video commerce strategy, not just livestreams

• Advice for the next generation of retail professionals (and what his teenage son taught him about the funnel)

In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, hosts Renee Hartmann and Chris Baker sit down with Vincent Diallo, venture capitalist, Investment Partner at Progression and General Partner at Interlace Ventures, to explore how commerce is being transformed—from the inside out.

Vincent shares his insights on:

• 🤖 The real impact of agentic AI on every layer of the retail value chain

• 🛍️ Why hyper-personalization and intimate data are reshaping the consumer experience

• 🌐 How cultural mindset, regulation, and legacy tech shape innovation across China, the U.S., and Europe

• 📺 The rise of live shopping and niche commerce communities (like exotic plant lovers!)

• 🚚 What autonomous logistics and spatial computing could mean for the future of retail

With examples from Y Combinator Demo Day to real-world investments like Palm Street, Vincent offers a global, VC-level perspective on where retail innovation is happening—and what brands and retailers must do to keep up.

If you're a brand leader, investor, or startup looking to future-proof your strategy, this episode is your fast pass to what's next.

In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, hosts Chris Baker (Vancouver, Canada) and Renee Hartmann (Sintra, Portugal) sit down with Swagat Choudhury, Global Digital Commerce Director of the Perfect Store at Mars. With a background that includes years of global digital leadership at Diageo, Swagat brings a deep perspective on the evolution of e-commerce and how Mars is embracing the future.

They unpack what it really means to create a "perfect store" online — from building frictionless customer journeys to leveraging AI and data for personalization, global content strategies, and omnichannel excellence.

Topics discussed include:

• What "Perfect Store" means in a digital context

• Balancing global consistency with local relevance across markets

• The rise of social commerce, on-demand delivery, and conversational shopping

• How written content, reviews, and voice search are transforming product discovery

• Why Mars prioritizes customer-first thinking in every innovation initiative

• Practical advice for brands navigating the AI transformation

“Be very clear on your outcome, and find the best path to it. Sometimes the answer might not be AI — but increasingly, it is.” — Swagat Choudhury, Mars

Whether you're a global brand builder or a startup navigating commerce at speed, this episode will help you rethink the way you engage consumers in a fast-evolving digital landscape.