Doing Business in Medellín, Colombia (Expat Founder Story) 🎙 The Nearshore Cafe Podcast скачать в хорошем качестве

Doing Business in Medellín, Colombia (Expat Founder Story) 🎙 The Nearshore Cafe Podcast

Welcome to The Nearshore Cafe Podcast, hosted by Brian Samson and sponsored by 💻 Plugg Technologies (plugg.tech) — a nearshore talent partner connecting U.S. companies with English-speaking software engineers and digital talent across Latin America. In this episode, Brian sits down with Chad Smalley, an entrepreneur and longtime expat who has built businesses across Panama and Colombia—including time in Bogotá, Medellín, and now Mexico City. Chad shares how his expat journey began in Boquete, Panama (2007), where he spotted a real market gap and built a Spanish-language CRM for Panama’s booming real estate industry—scaling to a team of 15 and serving nearly the entire market. From there, the conversation moves into what it takes to operate and grow in Colombia, why Bogotá vs Medellín feel like two different business environments, and how cultural dynamics shape hiring, loyalty, and execution. The episode also pivots into Chad’s newest venture: a platform connecting global brands with Latin American influencers and UGC creators, built to solve cross-border challenges like creator trust, communication, payments, and product delivery—especially as TikTok Shop and social commerce accelerate worldwide. ✅ What you’ll learn in this episode: • Texas → Panama → Colombia: Chad’s expat founder story • Building and exiting a SaaS CRM business in Panama • Hiring in Latin America: culture, loyalty, and leadership • Bogotá vs Medellín: business pace, talent, and lifestyle • Credibility + referrals: how enterprise deals happen in LATAM • TikTok Shop, social commerce, and influencer marketing in Latin America • UGC vs affiliate campaigns + real unit economics (LATAM vs U.S.) • Medellín weekend trips, scuba diving, and local food picks 🎧 If you’re an entrepreneur exploring Colombia, building teams in Latin America, or interested in influencer marketing + social commerce in LATAM, this episode is a must-watch. 💻 Sponsored by Plugg Technologies Connecting U.S. companies with vetted software engineers and digital talent across Latin America. 👉 https://www.plugg.tech ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Welcome & Sponsor: Plugg Technologies 00:39 – Meet Chad Smalley (Medellín, Bogotá, Mexico City) 00:54 – From Texas to Colombia: the expat origin story 01:15 – Why Panama (2007) and what expat life looked like 02:45 – Building a Spanish CRM for Panama real estate (team of 15) 03:15 – SaaS billing before subscriptions (motorcycle invoices) 04:11 – Panama lifestyle, costs, and the free trade zone 05:09 – Recruiting and leading teams in Panama vs Colombia 06:23 – Dollar stability vs currency volatility in Colombia 07:01 – Best practice: why you need a strong local accountant 07:44 – Exiting Panama and starting over in Colombia 08:37 – Colombia’s tech lag: challenges + opportunities (Groupon era) 09:32 – Rappi and the rise of last-mile delivery apps 10:22 – Bogotá: expat community + investment environment 11:13 – Bogotá vs Medellín: culture and climate differences 11:45 – Medellín growth + digital nomads impact on costs 12:37 – Scaling SaaS sales in Bogotá (regional director experience) 14:16 – Hiring in LATAM: LinkedIn, referrals, hiring partners 15:12 – Credibility + trust: winning enterprise buyers in LATAM 17:09 – Language + local support = huge SaaS opportunity 18:32 – Startups vs big companies: employment preferences 19:19 – Medellín startup life: building while living cheaper 20:13 – Why influencer marketing is exploding (TikTok Shop) 21:28 – Chad’s new platform: LATAM creators + global brands 22:46 – Education, trust, payments, and product delivery challenges 23:23 – Why brands want LATAM without legal entities 24:05 – Amazon direct shipping arriving in Colombia 24:49 – Why influencer communities sell even better in LATAM 26:12 – Unit economics: UGC rates + affiliate commissions 28:08 – Medellín lifestyle: weekend trips + scuba diving 28:56 – Food recommendations in Medellín 29:48 – How to reach Chad (LinkedIn) 30:16 – Wrap-up + Sponsor thanks 🔗 Guest Chad Smalley Connect on LinkedIn (shared in episode) 🌎 Follow The Nearshore Cafe Podcast Website: https://www.nearshorecafepodcast.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nearshorecafepodcast #NearshoreCafePodcast #Colombia #Medellin #Bogota #Panama #Entrepreneurship #Nearshoring #TikTokShop #InfluencerMarketing #UGC #PluggTechnologies