In this episode of VistaTalks, Host Simon Hodgkins sits down with Giulia Greco, founder of Giulia Greco Consulting and Globalization Consultant at Nimdzi Insights, to unpack the evolving landscape of international expansion, localization strategy, and the role of AI in shaping the future of global business. Drawing on her rich experience leading localization at Shopify and consulting for global clients, Giulia offers a refreshingly candid and insightful perspective on what it takes to succeed in going global today.

From Corporate to Consultant

Giulia begins the conversation with an honest reflection on what led her to leave Shopify and establish her own consultancy. The decision, she reveals, was driven by a mix of areas, including a long-held aspiration to work independently.

More than just a career shift, this move enabled Giulia to reconnect with what excited her most: problem-solving across diverse scenarios, navigating different industries, and constantly learning. Consulting, she says, keeps things "fresh and interesting," in a way that in-house roles sometimes can't.

It's Not Just About Language: Localization vs. True Globalization

"Anybody can just translate a website and put it up online and call it a day. Is that going to be enough to be successful? Probably not."

In North America, particularly the U.S., Giulia argues, there is a tendency to oversimplify global expansion as merely a linguistic challenge. But for her, true globalization is about structural internationalization, cultural empathy, and strategic foresight. It means thinking about customer journeys, UX design, tone of voice, brand identity, and more, before a single word is translated.

The Strategic Questions Most Companies Miss

Throughout the conversation, Giulia emphasizes that successful international expansion starts with asking the right questions:

• What content is essential to localize?

• What can remain in English?

• What are the highest priority markets?

• Have you designed your product for localization from the start?

She notes that many companies jump straight into translation without having a clear understanding of content prioritization, market segmentation, or even their ultimate business goals. The result is often bloated processes, inefficiencies, and inconsistent performance across regions.

"Content is an asset. It should be treated like a product. And multilingual content should be treated like a product too.”

Compliance as a Growth Opportunity: The Case of Bill 96

Giulia speaks about compliance and regulation, including Canada's Bill 96, which requires French-language content in Quebec. While some companies view this as a legal burden, Giulia sees it as a strategic opportunity.
"If you're actually targeting people that live in that region… It's worth really learning it and figuring out how culturally different it is."
Her approach blends compliance with creativity, helping companies not just meet legal requirements but also resonate with local audiences. That, she says, is the hallmark of effective localization.

Aligning Global Teams: The Archeologist Mindset

With global teams increasingly remote and diverse, Giulia emphasizes the importance of understanding internal stakeholders just as deeply as external audiences. She calls this the "archeologist" approach, digging into each team's unique values, workflows, and priorities.

"You have to figure out the identity of each one of your internal clients and work with that. That's good intel that will help you be better at your job."

Whether it's marketing, legal, engineering, or product teams, she tailors her communication and approach to meet them where they are, while guiding them toward a shared globalization vision.

AI: Your New Team Member With Caveats

Giulia is clear-eyed about AI's pros and cons. For her, AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are now "teammates" that she relies on daily to work efficiently.

She sees enormous potential for AI to augment workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and even aid transcreation. However, she also warns of its limitations, particularly the risk of "hallucinated" translations that look perfect but aren't.

"It's fantastic at making things up… It can very convincingly tell you this is a perfect translation, and you're going to believe it, unless you know better."

The key, she argues, is human-AI collaboration, not replacement.

Choosing the Right Vendor: Needs, Not Names

When selecting an LSP or global content partner, Giulia stresses one crucial factor: match your partner to your business stage.

She shares her experience at Shopify, moving from freelancers, to a large LSP, to a boutique agency, each choice driven by changing internal capabilities and strategic priorities.

"Vendors may be fine for a certain stage and not fine for another. This is understood and needs to be accepted. It's not personal. It's business."

The takeaway: look for flexibility, scalability, and a willingness to innovate, especially as your own localization maturity evolves.

Stay Open, Stay Curious

Giulia leaves listeners with a powerful piece of advice:

"It's important to remain open and adaptable… Clinging to the past and the way things were is not a recipe for success."

In a world where technology, culture, and work dynamics are constantly evolving, the most resilient professionals and companies will be those who stay curious, willing to learn, and open to experimentation.

Giulia Greco offers more than just technical expertise in localization; she brings strategic vision, human insight, and refreshing candor to an increasingly complex and fast-moving field. Whether you're a startup looking to go global or a multinational navigating compliance and AI disruption, her message is clear: localization isn't just a support function. Done right, it's a driver of growth, connection, and long-term success.