In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson sits down with entrepreneur and expat founder Chad Smalley to explore what it really takes to build and scale businesses in Panama and Colombia.

Chad shares how his journey began in Panama in 2007, where he built and scaled a Spanish-language CRM serving nearly the entire real estate market. From there, the conversation moves into Colombia — comparing Bogotá vs Medellín, discussing hiring, cultural loyalty, startup opportunities, and why Latin America can offer a strategic advantage for founders.

The episode also dives deep into the rapid rise of influencer marketing, UGC, and TikTok Shop, including why TikTok Shop generated $500 million in a single day on Black Friday and what that signals for the future of social commerce — especially in Latin America.

If you’re an entrepreneur, investor, operator, or exploring nearshoring and LATAM market expansion, this episode is packed with practical insight.

🎧 Host | Brian Samson – Founder of 💻 Plugg Technologies
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansamson/

🎙️ Sponsored by Plugg Technologies – Connecting U.S. companies with top-tier software developers across Latin America.
🌐 https://www.plugg.tech

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