In this episode, Sanjay sits down with Nisha Karna to explore what it really takes to scale brands across markets.​

From her early career at BCG to roles in global beauty like Frank Body and Estee Lauder, Amazon-first businesses and now as co-founder of GLOWPATH, Nisha has seen firsthand why international expansion requires more than replicating what worked at home.

The conversation also covers Nisha’s career journey from consulting to operating, what she learned building brands in the US, the role of Amazon in reshaping retail, how AI is changing the brand playbook, and how she is navigating entrepreneurship and family life.

Topics covered:

• Differences between the Australian and US markets
• The importance of understanding local customers, channels and operating models
• Why founders need to be clear on the problem they are solving before pursuing growth offshore.

Chapter markers:

00:00 — Introducing Nisha Karna​

01:28 — Early lessons in retail, pricing and customers​

04:34 — Finding her way into BCG​

06:52 — Moving to New York and joining global beauty​

11:02 — From business school plans to a startup opportunity​

12:22 — Why international expansion is not copy-paste​

15:40 — Building a brand in the US from the ground up​

16:59 — The underestimated challenge of hiring the right team​

20:06 — Why focus matters in brand building​

21:39 — Understanding Amazon-first brands and marketplace growth​

29:12 — How Amazon can level the playing field for challenger brands​

33:09 — Returning to Australia and launching GLOWPATH​

38:07 — AI, humanity and the future of brand building​

41:51 — Launching a business while seven months pregnant