C&C Pod - Scot Wingo, Founder & CEO of ReFiBuy & Retailgentic

This week Bill and I are joined by Scot Wingo, founder and CEO of early-stage agentic commerce start-up, ReFiBuy and the podcast and Substack Retailgentic - where he focuses on Agentic Commerce. When we wanted to focus on the topic of Agentic Commerce, we could think of no one better than Scot to come on and talk about.

Scot is a serial entrepreneur with an impressive and long background in commerce. Scot founded Channel Advisor in 2001, and later took it public in 2013. He later started Spiffy to explore digital car care services and this year he started ReFiBuy. Scot is also active in the VC community in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Besides Retailgentic, Scot co-hosts the Jason & Scot Show - a podcast with friend of Cocktails & Commerce, Jason Goldberg.

We cover a lot of agentic ground on the episode, so please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation with Scot.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* “Wake me up and F*** me up,” introducing the Espresso Martini

* Hey Kai, defining Agentic Commerce

* The Future of Agentic Shopping: Trends and Predictions

* Challenges in Payments and Transactions

* Building trust in Agentic Commerce

* Navigating the new landscape of Retail and AI

* The role of context and authority in Product Discovery

* The future of Retailer-Agent interactions

* Agentic Commerce’s impact: Winners and losers

* Monetization models in Agentic Commerce

* Transforming the marketing tech stack

* Imagining the future of Agentic Commerce

* What’s up with one ‘t’ in “Scot”?

For more on Agentic Commerce see our last C&C newsletter on Substack: Surf’s Up! The Next Wave of Commerce is Here - Amplified and Shaped by AI

Thanks for listening to Cocktails & Commerce! Subscribe to receive all our content - including industry analysis and cocktails!

This week’s cocktail: Espresso Martini

The Espresso Martini’s origin story is as sleek and irreverent as the drink itself. In the late 1980s, Dick Bradsell - then bartending at Fred’s Club in London - was cleaning up after an espresso training in the afternoon when he was approached by a young model with sunglasses on who asked for something that would, “Wake me up, and then f*** me up.”

Bradsell turned back to the espresso machine and went to work - pulling together vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur, and sugar syrup together in a shaker and created what was originally called the “Vodka Espresso.” Served in a V-shaped glass with a creamy head and three coffee beans as garnish (a nod to the traditional Italian garnish symbolizing health, wealth, and happiness), the drink quickly became a London staple. It was later rechristened the “Espresso Martini” during the ’90s martini craze, cementing its place in cocktail history.

Fast forward to today, and the Espresso Martini is having a moment. Many claim it is among the most over-rated of cocktails, but it’s popularity ensures it is everywhere there is a party brewing. The drink bridges two once disparate worlds—caffeine and spirits—and appeals equally to cocktail neophytes and seasoned enthusiasts.

On Instagram feeds, in dive bars, and at high-concept cocktail dens, the Espresso Martini has evolved from a clubbing indulgence to a canvas for mixology: think cold brew riffs, mezcal substitutions, and even non-alcoholic versions for the sober-curious.

Bradsell unfortunately left us early, but his creation didn’t just survive decades of shifting tastes—it influenced them, proving that a well-balanced drink can be both a pick-me-up and a cultural icon. For more on Bradsell and the Espresso Martini see C&C Issue No. 18

Espresso Martini Cocktail Spec

2 oz - vodka (or sub gin or tequila)

1 oz - Kahlua or other coffee liqueur

1 oz - strong, fresh, cooled espresso

1 tsp - simple syrup (optional)

Garnish - 3 coffee beans

Steps

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously until well chilled. (Dry shake optional to increase foam). Serve up in a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with the coffee beans set in the foam.

Please share! There is plenty of room for others at the cocktail party! Thank you!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

REMINDER: SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS! Call or Text our Google Voice number: +1 831-704-6665

Be well, drink well, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocktailsand.substack.com