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)