Gelcomm

On Friday, Jimmy Sun gave me a video tour of his newest venture, Nexgen Distro Inc.—his third company, and he's still in his twenties.

He started young, sold his first business, and then invested in a beverage company. A year later, he shut it down—not because it was failing, but because he saw a bigger opportunity: rethinking how consumer goods are distributed. His new warehouse system uses robotics to reduce costs for early-stage brands. It's brilliant.

Jimmy's not lucky. He's disciplined.

He spent countless hours studying automation, even writing custom code to operate a massive system he discovered in the Netherlands. Now, his robots retrieve products stored 60 feet high.

Discipline's been on my mind lately. Scott Empringham, a friend of 28 years, taught me to create systems when my brain feels scattered. Writing in three languages, tracking multiple campaigns—it gets chaotic. For years, I misunderstood the lack of focus as a weakness when, in reality, it was a signal: fix the system, not the self.

Naps help. So does movement. So does compassion.

People with ADD are constantly experimenting with structure, routines, workouts, and even neuroscience. It's a dance with distraction. You don't win. You learn how to partner with it.

One of my closest friends is 35 years sober. He tells me sobriety is held together by discipline. Without it, he says, everything falls apart. But with it? Everything is possible, including a beautiful life.

Discipline is what aligns us with freedom.

That's why I'm re-reading Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday. I'm underlining forgotten gems and finding new ones. It's a reminder that clarity, performance, and peace aren't accidents. They're outcomes.

I've also been using a new app called Gritapp.net; I've no affiliation—just a fan. It's the best habit tracker I've found for organizing days around what matters.

And writing this post? It was today's task because showing up daily is a form of discipline, too.

What do you do to improve discipline in the form of a system or daily habits?

We've had several international businesses recently ask us to develop in-store displays that include a monitor to promote their products.

It sounds like a great idea—especially when you're trying to inspire that critical First Moment of Truth.

But more often than not, it backfires.

Here's what U.S. retailers won't tell you until it's too late:

🧯 Monitors break.
🔇 Audio gets lost in the noise.
💸 Videos go stale.
🚫 And no one's stopping to watch a 2-minute brand film—especially if it's not merchandised well or placed in the right part of the store.

Worse? You usually don't control where the store manager places your display.
Putting a video on a standee and letting it "do the selling" sounds smart.

But in reality, the costs are high—and most international ventures don't have the boots on the ground to monitor whether anything's working.

And let's be honest:

American store staff won't care about your product as much as you do.

Then there's tone.

A video produced overseas might be polished—but the pacing, storytelling, or humor might fall flat in the U.S. market.

What feels persuasive in Asia or Latin America might come across as awkward or irrelevant in the States.

This isn't about translation. It's about transcreation—adapting your message with cultural nuance in mind.

If you're going to include a video, follow these rules:

→ Keep it short, captioned, and focused on benefits.
→ Design for silence—Audio is a luxury.
→ Place the screen with the product, not five feet away.
→ Make sure it supports the sale, not distracts from it.

Because in America, it all comes down to one thing:

Does your display turn attention into action?

If not, it's just an expensive decoration.

We help international brands launch successfully in the U.S.—from packaging and retail displays to shopper psychology and more.

Schedule a complimentary 60-minute Readiness Assessment with Patricio Fuentes and the Gel + Provisor Marketing team. We'll help you translate your brilliance for the American aisle.

"...companies don’t need to choose between ESG and growth. They can achieve both simultaneously by employing a thoughtful, fact-based, consumer-centric ESG strategy.”

recyclingtoday.com

Gel was tasked with creating a vibrant, energy-packed new look to inject new life into Danimals. Delicious, fresh imagery of wholesome ingredients played a big part in our refresh, maximizing taste appeal across all brand segments.

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