In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, Brian Samson speaks with Joe Helleny, Founder & CEO of CourtMoney, about building a 24-hour nearshore call center in Central America.

Joe shares how his background in ATMs, online payments, and government software led him to outsource customer support — first in the U.S., then nearshore in Nicaragua. He discusses the challenges of English proficiency, professionalism, background checks, handling financial transactions, and knowing when founders need to step out of day-to-day support.

Topics include:

• When to outsource customer support
• U.S. vs. international call centers
• Why Central America became the right solution
• Managing complex payment calls
• SaaS, AI, and automation in utility billing
• Expanding nearshore beyond call centers

If you're evaluating nearshore staffing or building a remote support team, this episode offers a practical founder perspective.

🎧 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

🌎 Follow The Nearshore Cafe Podcast
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KYcgpmN77fJm6B25469B8
🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nearshore-cafe/id1775525954
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nearshore-cafe
🌐 Website: https://www.nearshorecafepodcast.com
🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/nearshorecafepodcast

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

🌎 Follow The Nearshore Cafe Podcast
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KYcgpmN77fJm6B25469B8
🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nearshore-cafe/id1775525954
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nearshore-cafe
🌐 Website: https://www.nearshorecafepodcast.com
🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/nearshorecafepodcast

In this episode of The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, host Brian Samson is joined by JP Trouillot, Deal Advisory Partner and Regional Advisory Leader for the Americas at KPMG, and Alan Riddell, Head of Deal Advisory for Brazil and South America at KPMG Brazil.

Together, they explore the evolving M&A landscape in Latin America and why investor confidence is rising heading into 2026. Drawing from KPMG’s global executive research and real-world deal experience, this conversation unpacks how sophisticated investors are approaching risk, valuation, and growth in a region long known for volatility.

This episode covers:

• The current and future M&A outlook in Latin America
• Why Brazil and Argentina are attracting renewed foreign investment
• How high interest rates are reshaping deal structures, earnouts, and valuations
• The shift from risk avoidance to risk architecture in cross-border M&A
• Nearshoring, supply chain realignment, and buy-versus-build strategies
• Infrastructure, energy, data centers, and technology as key growth sectors
• Post-merger integration, leadership, culture, and talent considerations

If you’re a founder, investor, executive, or operator looking to understand where capital is moving and how deals are actually getting done in Latin America, this episode delivers practical insight you can apply immediately.

🎧 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

🌎 Follow The Nearshore Cafe Podcast
🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KYcgpmN77fJm6B25469B8
🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nearshore-cafe/id1775525954
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nearshore-cafe
🌐 Website: https://www.nearshorecafepodcast.com
🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/nearshorecafepodcast