How I Built This with Guy Raz https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz?sid=644861 en Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds. How I Built This is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/0c36921a-c8b9-11f1-9bb5-c3ba2f4daa29/image/208e047865f4a69316c33e1fc4b6fd1b.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress How I Built This with Guy Raz https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz?sid=644861 no episodic Guy Raz | Vox Media Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds. How I Built This is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.

How I Built This is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

]]> Guy Raz | Vox Media podcasting+hibt@voxmedia.com Advice Line with Tope Awotona of Calendly Today’s callers: Dominic in London faces challenges with profitability and scaling for his foldable bike helmet. Then, Ivana in Vancouver wonders how to maintain the momentum of her pet gear brand as she prepares for the arrival of her first child. Danny in South Carolina wants to expand her nail salon concept without making major trade-offs in her family life. And Justin in Boston grapples with prioritizing the many channels in which he sells his customized footwear.  Plus, Tope discusses Calendly’s new AI-powered scheduling assistant and how advances in technology are making it easier than ever to get new software applications off the ground.  Thank you to the founders of Newlane, Playfield, the Nail Room, and ISlide for being a part of our show. Be sure to listen to Calendly's founding story as told by Tope on the show in 2020. Some news: This is the final episode of the Advice Line. Thanks to all of the callers and returning guests who were a part of its run, and to all of you who tuned in — you make How I Built This great. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Oct 2026 07:10:00 -0000 full Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Dominic in London faces challenges with profitability and scaling for his foldable bike helmet. Then, Ivana in Vancouver wonders how to maintain the momentum of her pet gear brand as she prepares for the arrival of her first child. Danny in South Carolina wants to expand her nail salon concept without making major trade-offs in her family life. And Justin in Boston grapples with prioritizing the many channels in which he sells his customized footwear.  Plus, Tope discusses Calendly’s new AI-powered scheduling assistant and how advances in technology are making it easier than ever to get new software applications off the ground.  Thank you to the founders of Newlane, Playfield, the Nail Room, and ISlide for being a part of our show. Be sure to listen to Calendly's founding story as told by Tope on the show in 2020. Some news: This is the final episode of the Advice Line. Thanks to all of the callers and returning guests who were a part of its run, and to all of you who tuned in — you make How I Built This great. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Dominic in London faces challenges with profitability and scaling for his foldable bike helmet. Then, Ivana in Vancouver wonders how to maintain the momentum of her pet gear brand as she prepares for the arrival of her first child. Danny in South Carolina wants to expand her nail salon concept without making major trade-offs in her family life. And Justin in Boston grapples with prioritizing the many channels in which he sells his customized footwear. 


Plus, Tope discusses Calendly’s new AI-powered scheduling assistant and how advances in technology are making it easier than ever to get new software applications off the ground. 


Thank you to the founders of Newlane, Playfield, the Nail Room, and ISlide for being a part of our show.


Be sure to listen to Calendly's founding story as told by Tope on the show in 2020.


Some news: This is the final episode of the Advice Line. Thanks to all of the callers and returning guests who were a part of its run, and to all of you who tuned in — you make How I Built This great.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3648 FIGS: Trina Spear and Heather Hasson. The $2.5 Billion Scrubs Brand That Investors Said Would Never Work Heather Hasson and Trina Spear saw an opportunity nobody else seemed to notice: millions of healthcare workers were spending long days in uncomfortable, ill-fitting scrubs. So they set out to reinvent them. Heather was a designer with almost no money. To join her, Trina left a prestigious job at Blackstone and cashed out her retirement. They sold scrubs out of a car, got rejected by hundreds of investors, and eventually built FIGS into a multibillion-dollar public company. Along the way, they paid $40 million to fight a lawsuit, navigated a pandemic, and watched their company’s valuation swing by billions. This week, Heather and Trina share how they built the “Lululemon of Scrubs”—and why your net worth is not the same thing as self worth.  What you’ll learn  How a trip to Kenya changed Heather’s view of uniforms–and led her to start her own scarf and tie business  How Heather spotted an opportunity in a stale category: healthcare workers want comfortable clothes, too How free coffee became a tool for customer growth How the founders endured hundreds of investor rejections and learned to pursue a quick no How FIGS built a community that is “diehard obsessed” with their products How it pays–and what it costs– to defend your company against competitor lawsuits Why net worth shouldn’t determine self-worth How Heather and Trina think about resilience, luck, and building a company that lasts Timestamps: 07:05 - Heather’s dreams to become a surgeon and launch a handbag business fall through, so she takes a life-changing trip to Kenya 13:53 - Heather meets a healthcare friend for coffee: “What are you wearing?... This is garbage.”   20:46 - Trina beats Heather in a tennis match, and the two become business partners 29:38 - Trina walks away from Blackstone to join Heather, and everyone asks, “What are you doing?”  35:05 - FIGS launches: Healthcare workers get it, but investors don’t 47:56 - A big-time investor comes on board—from the movie business  52:17 - A competitor sues for $800 million, and Heather and Trina use anger to their advantage 59:46 - COVID hits… and a year later, FIGS goes public 1:08:22 - No major plans to diversify: FIGS is all-in on scrubs for now  This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:10:00 -0000 full Guy Raz | Vox Media Heather Hasson and Trina Spear saw an opportunity nobody else seemed to notice: millions of healthcare workers were spending long days in uncomfortable, ill-fitting scrubs. So they set out to reinvent them. Heather was a designer with almost no money. To join her, Trina left a prestigious job at Blackstone and cashed out her retirement. They sold scrubs out of a car, got rejected by hundreds of investors, and eventually built FIGS into a multibillion-dollar public company. Along the way, they paid $40 million to fight a lawsuit, navigated a pandemic, and watched their company’s valuation swing by billions. This week, Heather and Trina share how they built the “Lululemon of Scrubs”—and why your net worth is not the same thing as self worth.  What you’ll learn  How a trip to Kenya changed Heather’s view of uniforms–and led her to start her own scarf and tie business  How Heather spotted an opportunity in a stale category: healthcare workers want comfortable clothes, too How free coffee became a tool for customer growth How the founders endured hundreds of investor rejections and learned to pursue a quick no How FIGS built a community that is “diehard obsessed” with their products How it pays–and what it costs– to defend your company against competitor lawsuits Why net worth shouldn’t determine self-worth How Heather and Trina think about resilience, luck, and building a company that lasts Timestamps: 07:05 - Heather’s dreams to become a surgeon and launch a handbag business fall through, so she takes a life-changing trip to Kenya 13:53 - Heather meets a healthcare friend for coffee: “What are you wearing?... This is garbage.”   20:46 - Trina beats Heather in a tennis match, and the two become business partners 29:38 - Trina walks away from Blackstone to join Heather, and everyone asks, “What are you doing?”  35:05 - FIGS launches: Healthcare workers get it, but investors don’t 47:56 - A big-time investor comes on board—from the movie business  52:17 - A competitor sues for $800 million, and Heather and Trina use anger to their advantage 59:46 - COVID hits… and a year later, FIGS goes public 1:08:22 - No major plans to diversify: FIGS is all-in on scrubs for now  This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Heather Hasson and Trina Spear saw an opportunity nobody else seemed to notice: millions of healthcare workers were spending long days in uncomfortable, ill-fitting scrubs.

So they set out to reinvent them.

Heather was a designer with almost no money. To join her, Trina left a prestigious job at Blackstone and cashed out her retirement. They sold scrubs out of a car, got rejected by hundreds of investors, and eventually built FIGS into a multibillion-dollar public company.

Along the way, they paid $40 million to fight a lawsuit, navigated a pandemic, and watched their company’s valuation swing by billions.

This week, Heather and Trina share how they built the “Lululemon of Scrubs”—and why your net worth is not the same thing as self worth. 


What you’ll learn 

  • How a trip to Kenya changed Heather’s view of uniforms–and led her to start her own scarf and tie business 

  • How Heather spotted an opportunity in a stale category: healthcare workers want comfortable clothes, too

  • How free coffee became a tool for customer growth

  • How the founders endured hundreds of investor rejections and learned to pursue a quick no

  • How FIGS built a community that is “diehard obsessed” with their products

  • How it pays–and what it costs– to defend your company against competitor lawsuits

  • Why net worth shouldn’t determine self-worth

  • How Heather and Trina think about resilience, luck, and building a company that lasts


Timestamps:

07:05 - Heather’s dreams to become a surgeon and launch a handbag business fall through, so she takes a life-changing trip to Kenya

13:53 - Heather meets a healthcare friend for coffee: “What are you wearing?... This is garbage.”  

20:46 - Trina beats Heather in a tennis match, and the two become business partners

29:38 - Trina walks away from Blackstone to join Heather, and everyone asks, “What are you doing?” 

35:05 - FIGS launches: Healthcare workers get it, but investors don’t

47:56 - A big-time investor comes on board—from the movie business 

52:17 - A competitor sues for $800 million, and Heather and Trina use anger to their advantage

59:46 - COVID hits… and a year later, FIGS goes public

1:08:22 - No major plans to diversify: FIGS is all-in on scrubs for now 


This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4297 Advice Line with Seth Berkowitz of Insomnia Cookies Today’s callers: Kahindo from New York is looking to reboot her African-rooted fashion brand after losing a few key retailers. Then Tara from San Diego considers avenues to educate consumers about the benefits of her wool sauna hats. And Carol from Houston wonders whether to market her collegiate purses and accessories l to students or their gift-giving family members.  Plus, Seth lays out his ambitions to quadruple Insomnia’s locations and become a global chain — without turning to franchising. Thank you to the founders of Kahindo, Sauna Societé, and Desden for being a part of our show. Be sure to listen to Insomnia Cookies’ founding story as told by Seth on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:57:00 -0000 Advice Line with Seth Berkowitz of Insomnia Cookies full 881 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Kohindo from New York is looking to reboot her African-rooted fashion brand after losing a few key retailers. Then Tara from San Diego considers avenues to educate consumers about the benefits of her wool sauna hats. And Carol from Houston wonders whether to market her collegiate purses and accessories l to students or their gift-giving family members. Plus, Seth lays out his ambitions to quadruple Insomnia’s locations and become a global chain — without turning to franchising.Thank you to the founders of Kohindo, Sauna Societé, and Desden for being a part of our show.Be sure to listen to Insomnia Cookies’ founding story as told by Seth on the show in 2024.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Kahindo from New York is looking to reboot her African-rooted fashion brand after losing a few key retailers. Then Tara from San Diego considers avenues to educate consumers about the benefits of her wool sauna hats. And Carol from Houston wonders whether to market her collegiate purses and accessories l to students or their gift-giving family members.  Plus, Seth lays out his ambitions to quadruple Insomnia’s locations and become a global chain — without turning to franchising. Thank you to the founders of Kahindo, Sauna Societé, and Desden for being a part of our show. Be sure to listen to Insomnia Cookies’ founding story as told by Seth on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Kahindo from New York is looking to reboot her African-rooted fashion brand after losing a few key retailers. Then Tara from San Diego considers avenues to educate consumers about the benefits of her wool sauna hats. And Carol from Houston wonders whether to market her collegiate purses and accessories l to students or their gift-giving family members. 


Plus, Seth lays out his ambitions to quadruple Insomnia’s locations and become a global chain — without turning to franchising.


Thank you to the founders of Kahindo, Sauna Societé, and Desden for being a part of our show.


Be sure to listen to Insomnia Cookies’ founding story as told by Seth on the show in 2024.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2628 no Sweet Loren’s: Loren Castle. How A Recipe Makeover Built a National Cookie Brand Loren Castle started baking cookies after surviving cancer in her early twenties. Five years later, Sweet Loren’s refrigerated cookie dough was generating just $350,000 a year. But instead of giving up, she listened to customers, and reinvented the dough without gluten, dairy, eggs or nuts.  That transformation turned a small regional business into a national brand sold in more than 30,000 stores. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN How surviving cancer at 22 inspired Loren to rethink her career and develop a passion for healthier food. What working at New York’s Levain Bakery taught her about the enormous appeal—and profitability—of cookies. Why Loren decided to sell ready-made cookie dough instead of cookies  Why she was totally unprepared for her first Whole Foods meeting—but went anyway  Why raising her first $1 million from friends and family was much harder than she expected. Why hundreds of customer requests revealed an unmet need for allergen-free cookie dough. Why growing slowly may have saved the company. Why Loren isn't rushing to sell Sweet Loren’s TIMESTAMPS:  8:40 – After her mother's leukemia diagnosis, Loren is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 22.  13:12 – Watching people line up for cookies at Levain Bakery: “I think this is America’s favorite food.”  14:54 – Selling baked goods at Smorgasburg: customers ask if they can just buy the dough  26:52 – Just as Whole Foods agrees to carry her cookie dough, Loren loses her mom   37:41 – What happens after Sweet Loren’s gets on The Today Show:  “The whole country is excited by this.”  50:19 – Loren reconsiders her recipes after customers ask for dough without gluten, dairy, eggs.  56:24 – Loren takes the leap: discontinuing her original product line and going allergen-free for all.  1:05:41 – From one Whole Foods to 30,000 stores–the company expands nationally.  1:07:46 – After years of struggle, Loren explains why she wants to keep building the company instead of pursuing an exit. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.  It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.  Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Oct 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Sweet Loren’s: Loren Castle. How A Recipe Makeover Built a National Cookie Brand full 880 Guy Raz | Vox Media Loren Castle started baking cookies after surviving cancer in her early twenties. Five years later, Sweet Loren’s refrigerated cookie dough was generating just $350,000 a year. But instead of giving up, she listened to customers, and reinvented the dough without gluten, dairy, eggs or nuts.  That transformation turned a small regional business into a national brand sold in more than 30,000 stores.WHAT YOU'LL LEARNHow surviving cancer at 22 inspired Loren to rethink her career and develop a passion for healthier food.What working at New York’s Levain Bakery taught her about the enormous appeal—and profitability—of cookies.Why Loren decided to sell ready-made cookie dough instead of cookies Why she was totally unprepared for her first Whole Foods meeting—but went anyway Why raising her first $1 million from friends and family was much harder than she expected.Why hundreds of customer requests revealed an unmet need for allergen-free cookie dough.Why growing slowly may have saved the company.Why Loren isn't rushing to sell Sweet Loren’sTIMESTAMPS: 8:40 – After her mother's leukemia diagnosis, Loren is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 22. 13:12 – Watching people line up for cookies at Levain Bakery: “I think this is America’s favorite food.” 14:54 – Selling baked goods at Smorgasburg: customers ask if they can just buy the dough 26:52 – Just as Whole Foods agrees to carry her cookie dough, Loren loses her mom  37:41 – What happens after Sweet Loren’s gets on The Today Show:  “The whole country is excited by this.” 50:19 – Loren reconsiders her recipes after customers ask for dough without gluten, dairy, eggs. 56:24 – Loren takes the leap: discontinuing her original product line and going allergen-free for all. 1:05:41 – From one Whole Foods to 30,000 stores–the company expands nationally. 1:07:46 – After years of struggle, Loren explains why she wants to keep building the company instead of pursuing an exit.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.  It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Loren Castle started baking cookies after surviving cancer in her early twenties. Five years later, Sweet Loren’s refrigerated cookie dough was generating just $350,000 a year. But instead of giving up, she listened to customers, and reinvented the dough without gluten, dairy, eggs or nuts.  That transformation turned a small regional business into a national brand sold in more than 30,000 stores. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN How surviving cancer at 22 inspired Loren to rethink her career and develop a passion for healthier food. What working at New York’s Levain Bakery taught her about the enormous appeal—and profitability—of cookies. Why Loren decided to sell ready-made cookie dough instead of cookies  Why she was totally unprepared for her first Whole Foods meeting—but went anyway  Why raising her first $1 million from friends and family was much harder than she expected. Why hundreds of customer requests revealed an unmet need for allergen-free cookie dough. Why growing slowly may have saved the company. Why Loren isn't rushing to sell Sweet Loren’s TIMESTAMPS:  8:40 – After her mother's leukemia diagnosis, Loren is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 22.  13:12 – Watching people line up for cookies at Levain Bakery: “I think this is America’s favorite food.”  14:54 – Selling baked goods at Smorgasburg: customers ask if they can just buy the dough  26:52 – Just as Whole Foods agrees to carry her cookie dough, Loren loses her mom   37:41 – What happens after Sweet Loren’s gets on The Today Show:  “The whole country is excited by this.”  50:19 – Loren reconsiders her recipes after customers ask for dough without gluten, dairy, eggs.  56:24 – Loren takes the leap: discontinuing her original product line and going allergen-free for all.  1:05:41 – From one Whole Foods to 30,000 stores–the company expands nationally.  1:07:46 – After years of struggle, Loren explains why she wants to keep building the company instead of pursuing an exit. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.  It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.  Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Loren Castle started baking cookies after surviving cancer in her early twenties. Five years later, Sweet Loren’s refrigerated cookie dough was generating just $350,000 a year. But instead of giving up, she listened to customers, and reinvented the dough without gluten, dairy, eggs or nuts.  That transformation turned a small regional business into a national brand sold in more than 30,000 stores.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • How surviving cancer at 22 inspired Loren to rethink her career and develop a passion for healthier food.
  • What working at New York’s Levain Bakery taught her about the enormous appeal—and profitability—of cookies.
  • Why Loren decided to sell ready-made cookie dough instead of cookies 
  • Why she was totally unprepared for her first Whole Foods meeting—but went anyway 
  • Why raising her first $1 million from friends and family was much harder than she expected.
  • Why hundreds of customer requests revealed an unmet need for allergen-free cookie dough.
  • Why growing slowly may have saved the company.
  • Why Loren isn't rushing to sell Sweet Loren’s


TIMESTAMPS: 

8:40 – After her mother's leukemia diagnosis, Loren is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 22. 

13:12 – Watching people line up for cookies at Levain Bakery: “I think this is America’s favorite food.” 

14:54 – Selling baked goods at Smorgasburg: customers ask if they can just buy the dough 

26:52 – Just as Whole Foods agrees to carry her cookie dough, Loren loses her mom  

37:41 – What happens after Sweet Loren’s gets on The Today Show:  “The whole country is excited by this.” 

50:19 – Loren reconsiders her recipes after customers ask for dough without gluten, dairy, eggs. 

56:24 – Loren takes the leap: discontinuing her original product line and going allergen-free for all. 

1:05:41 – From one Whole Foods to 30,000 stores–the company expands nationally. 

1:07:46 – After years of struggle, Loren explains why she wants to keep building the company instead of pursuing an exit.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.  It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz


X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4134 no Advice Line with Tara Bosch of SmartSweets Today’s callers: Lindzi from Chicago wants to expand her gourmet marshmallow brand into retail without cannibalizing her high-margin DTC sales. Then, Vivi from Hawaii considers how to best tell her sustainable swimwear brand’s story to a digital audience. And Aly from Los Angeles wonders whether a subscription model is best for her whimsical curated experiences.  Plus, Tara talks about her latest entrepreneurial venture, Snackish, and how starting a new company feels different the second time around...  Thank you to the founders of XO Marshmallows, Vivi’s Vacation, and Romanticize Collective for being a part of our show. Be sure to listen to SmartSweets’ founding story as told by Tara on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Oct 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Tara Bosch of SmartSweets full 879 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Lindzi from Chicago wants to expand her gourmet marshmallow brand into retail without cannibalizing her high-margin DTC sales. Then, Vivi from Hawaii considers how to best tell her sustainable swimwear brand’s story to a digital audience. And Aly from Los Angeles wonders whether a subscription model is best for her whimsical curated experiences. Plus, Tara talks about her latest entrepreneurial venture, Snackish, and how starting a new company feels different the second time around... Thank you to the founders of XO Marshmallows, Vivi’s Vacation, and Romanticize Collective for being a part of our show.Be sure to listen to SmartSweets’ founding story as told by Tara on the show in 2024.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Lindzi from Chicago wants to expand her gourmet marshmallow brand into retail without cannibalizing her high-margin DTC sales. Then, Vivi from Hawaii considers how to best tell her sustainable swimwear brand’s story to a digital audience. And Aly from Los Angeles wonders whether a subscription model is best for her whimsical curated experiences.  Plus, Tara talks about her latest entrepreneurial venture, Snackish, and how starting a new company feels different the second time around...  Thank you to the founders of XO Marshmallows, Vivi’s Vacation, and Romanticize Collective for being a part of our show. Be sure to listen to SmartSweets’ founding story as told by Tara on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Lindzi from Chicago wants to expand her gourmet marshmallow brand into retail without cannibalizing her high-margin DTC sales. Then, Vivi from Hawaii considers how to best tell her sustainable swimwear brand’s story to a digital audience. And Aly from Los Angeles wonders whether a subscription model is best for her whimsical curated experiences. 


Plus, Tara talks about her latest entrepreneurial venture, Snackish, and how starting a new company feels different the second time around... 


Thank you to the founders of XO Marshmallows, Vivi’s Vacation, and Romanticize Collective for being a part of our show.


Be sure to listen to SmartSweets’ founding story as told by Tara on the show in 2024.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2868 no Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League (2023) In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain. As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has dozens of locations across the country, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Oct 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League (2023) full 878 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain. As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has dozens of locations across the country, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain. As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has dozens of locations across the country, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain. As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has dozens of locations across the country, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic.

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4865 no Advice Line with Nick Green of Thrive Market Today’s callers: Mercedes in Utah tries to find harmony between quality and speed as she scales her concert attire brand for musicians. Then Danny in Colorado grapples with the tradeoffs of growing his sustainable and functional coffee brand. And Riya in Illinois wonders how to build awareness for her app that aids people affected by speech loss. Plus, Nick’s insights on how AI is changing the way we fill our grocery carts — and how grocers respond to food and nutrition trends. Thank you to the founders of Blackstrad Concert Attire, Peak State Coffee, and Voice Back for being a part of our show. And be sure to listen to Thrive Market’s founding story as told by Nick in 2024. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Nick Green of Thrive Market full 877 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Mercedes in Utah tries to find harmony between quality and speed as she scales her concert attire brand for musicians. Then Danny in Colorado grapples with the tradeoffs of growing his sustainable and functional coffee brand. And Riya in Illinois wonders how to build awareness for her app that aids people affected by speech loss.Plus, Nick’s insights on how AI is changing the way we fill our grocery carts — and how grocers respond to food and nutrition trends.Thank you to the founders of Blackstrad Concert Attire, Peak State Coffee, and Voice Back for being a part of our show.And be sure to listen to Thrive Market’s founding story as told by Nick in 2024.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Mercedes in Utah tries to find harmony between quality and speed as she scales her concert attire brand for musicians. Then Danny in Colorado grapples with the tradeoffs of growing his sustainable and functional coffee brand. And Riya in Illinois wonders how to build awareness for her app that aids people affected by speech loss. Plus, Nick’s insights on how AI is changing the way we fill our grocery carts — and how grocers respond to food and nutrition trends. Thank you to the founders of Blackstrad Concert Attire, Peak State Coffee, and Voice Back for being a part of our show. And be sure to listen to Thrive Market’s founding story as told by Nick in 2024. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Mercedes in Utah tries to find harmony between quality and speed as she scales her concert attire brand for musicians. Then Danny in Colorado grapples with the tradeoffs of growing his sustainable and functional coffee brand. And Riya in Illinois wonders how to build awareness for her app that aids people affected by speech loss.

Plus, Nick’s insights on how AI is changing the way we fill our grocery carts — and how grocers respond to food and nutrition trends.


Thank you to the founders of Blackstrad Concert Attire, Peak State Coffee, and Voice Back for being a part of our show.

And be sure to listen to Thrive Market’s founding story as told by Nick in 2024.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2702 no 10 Years of How I Built This: A Decade of Innovation, Risk and Reinvention Stories about starting a business are almost always full of drama. They’re about ambition, loss, triumph, catastrophe, resilience. And they’re also full of life lessons – which is why Guy Raz launched How I Built This 10 years ago: He wanted to host a free master class in entrepreneurship, one conversation at a time. Ten years on, he’s conducted over 600 interviews with some of the world’s most successful founders, and on today’s show, he replays some of the most memorable moments and lessons. Joining him is Jamie Siminoff, the founder of RING and a former guest on the show. Why Jamie? He’s a friend, a fan, and – as you may remember from his first interview - he doesn’t hide his emotions. Timestamps: 5:10 A lightbulb switches on at an NYC bodega: “Oh my God, look at all those cherries!”  9:33 The moment Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake realized she should start her own business. 12:04 The difference between scary and dangerous, and why it matters for founders 19:35 Eileen Fisher’s first, terrifying trade show: “I couldn’t speak. I just stood there.” 22:59 “Everything was on one computer?” The chaotic launch of Instagram 27:32 How Sara Blakely sold her first Spanx 31:16 The marketing genius behind Liquid Death 39:40 Why 2008 was the worst year of Joe Gebbia’s life 44:51 How the co-founder of Banana Republic fell asleep at the wheel—literally 53:40 Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown on selling to Estee Lauder: “I am not a follow-the- leader-kind of person.” 1:01:59 Luck, skill, and staying on the surfboard This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Oct 2026 07:10:00 -0000 10 Years of How I Built This: A Decade of Innovation, Risk and Reinvention full 876 Guy Raz | Vox Media Stories about starting a business are almost always full of drama. They’re about ambition, loss, triumph, catastrophe, resilience. And they’re also full of life lessons – which is why Guy Raz launched How I Built This 10 years ago: He wanted to host a free master class in entrepreneurship, one conversation at a time. Ten years on, he’s conducted over 600 interviews with some of the world’s most successful founders, and on today’s show, he replays some of the most memorable moments and lessons. Joining him is Jamie Siminoff, the founder of RING and a former guest on the show. Why Jamie? He’s a friend, a fan, and – as you may remember from his first interview - he doesn’t hide his emotions.Timestamps:5:10 A lightbulb switches on at an NYC bodega: “Oh my God, look at all those cherries!” 9:33 The moment Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake realized she should start her own business.12:04 The difference between scary and dangerous, and why it matters for founders19:35 Eileen Fisher’s first, terrifying trade show: “I couldn’t speak. I just stood there.”22:59 “Everything was on one computer?” The chaotic launch of Instagram27:32 How Sara Blakely sold her first Spanx31:16 The marketing genius behind Liquid Death39:40 Why 2008 was the worst year of Joe Gebbia’s life44:51 How the co-founder of Banana Republic fell asleep at the wheel—literally53:40 Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown on selling to Estee Lauder: “I am not a follow-the- leader-kind of person.”1:01:59 Luck, skill, and staying on the surfboardThis episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Stories about starting a business are almost always full of drama. They’re about ambition, loss, triumph, catastrophe, resilience. And they’re also full of life lessons – which is why Guy Raz launched How I Built This 10 years ago: He wanted to host a free master class in entrepreneurship, one conversation at a time. Ten years on, he’s conducted over 600 interviews with some of the world’s most successful founders, and on today’s show, he replays some of the most memorable moments and lessons. Joining him is Jamie Siminoff, the founder of RING and a former guest on the show. Why Jamie? He’s a friend, a fan, and – as you may remember from his first interview - he doesn’t hide his emotions. Timestamps: 5:10 A lightbulb switches on at an NYC bodega: “Oh my God, look at all those cherries!”  9:33 The moment Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake realized she should start her own business. 12:04 The difference between scary and dangerous, and why it matters for founders 19:35 Eileen Fisher’s first, terrifying trade show: “I couldn’t speak. I just stood there.” 22:59 “Everything was on one computer?” The chaotic launch of Instagram 27:32 How Sara Blakely sold her first Spanx 31:16 The marketing genius behind Liquid Death 39:40 Why 2008 was the worst year of Joe Gebbia’s life 44:51 How the co-founder of Banana Republic fell asleep at the wheel—literally 53:40 Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown on selling to Estee Lauder: “I am not a follow-the- leader-kind of person.” 1:01:59 Luck, skill, and staying on the surfboard This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Stories about starting a business are almost always full of drama. They’re about ambition, loss, triumph, catastrophe, resilience. And they’re also full of life lessons – which is why Guy Raz launched How I Built This 10 years ago: He wanted to host a free master class in entrepreneurship, one conversation at a time. Ten years on, he’s conducted over 600 interviews with some of the world’s most successful founders, and on today’s show, he replays some of the most memorable moments and lessons. Joining him is Jamie Siminoff, the founder of RING and a former guest on the show. Why Jamie? He’s a friend, a fan, and – as you may remember from his first interview - he doesn’t hide his emotions.


Timestamps:

5:10 A lightbulb switches on at an NYC bodega: “Oh my God, look at all those cherries!” 

9:33 The moment Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake realized she should start her own business.

12:04 The difference between scary and dangerous, and why it matters for founders

19:35 Eileen Fisher’s first, terrifying trade show: “I couldn’t speak. I just stood there.”

22:59 “Everything was on one computer?” The chaotic launch of Instagram

27:32 How Sara Blakely sold her first Spanx

31:16 The marketing genius behind Liquid Death

39:40 Why 2008 was the worst year of Joe Gebbia’s life

44:51 How the co-founder of Banana Republic fell asleep at the wheel—literally

53:40 Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown on selling to Estee Lauder: “I am not a follow-the- leader-kind of person.”

1:01:59 Luck, skill, and staying on the surfboard


This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4545 no Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring (2025) CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good.   First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people. Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions.  If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll & Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring (2025) full 875 Guy Raz | Vox Media CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good.  First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people.Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll & Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good.   First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people. Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions.  If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll & Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good.  

First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people.

Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll & Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2836 no Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender. A Partnership that Flourished—until it Failed. (2021) With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to hit the market. But in the early 1990s, its two founders had a bitter falling out. Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender have barely spoken since that time, but they both agreed to come on the show to talk about the business they were both passionate about, and the delicate nature of partnership. What you'll learn:  Why Alan says his great strength—and his greatness weakness—is his tendency to say “yes.” How Jeffrey and Alan lost their friendship and business partnership after only three years. How Jeffrey grew Seventh Generation into a household name—and then got fired. How two formerly estranged partners feel about partnership now. Timestamps: 5:30 - Jeffrey makes it big in Canada selling adult-learning courses… before he’s forced to leave the country 11:50 - Alan moves to Vermont on a whim, and winds up in a mail-order catalog business 24:31 - Alan and Jeffrey meet for the first time and find common ground: Alan needs capital and Jeffrey has it  30:13 - An atypical office for 1989: Ping pong table, nap room, and employees get prizes when they make mistakes  40:35 - Crisis hits… and tears Alan and Jeffrey’s friendship apart 45:41 - Jeffrey sends Alan a “Dear John” letter, and Alan leaves the company 50:00 - Seventh Generation grows to new heights… then Jeffrey is fired as CEO 82:56 - Jeffrey and Alan reflect on why their partnership failed, and what it takes to have a good one   This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.  It was edited by Neva Grant. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender. A Partnership that Flourished—until it Failed. (2021) full 874 Guy Raz | Vox Media With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to hit the market. But in the early 1990s, its two founders had a bitter falling out.Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender have barely spoken since that time, but they both agreed to come on the show to talk about the business they were both passionate about, and the delicate nature of partnership.What you'll learn: Why Alan says his great strength—and his greatness weakness—is his tendency to say “yes.”How Jeffrey and Alan lost their friendship and business partnership after only three years.How Jeffrey grew Seventh Generation into a household name—and then got fired.How two formerly estranged partners feel about partnership now.Timestamps:5:30 - Jeffrey makes it big in Canada selling adult-learning courses… before he’s forced to leave the country11:50 - Alan moves to Vermont on a whim, and winds up in a mail-order catalog business24:31 - Alan and Jeffrey meet for the first time and find common ground: Alan needs capital and Jeffrey has it 30:13 - An atypical office for 1989: Ping pong table, nap room, and employees get prizes when they make mistakes 40:35 - Crisis hits… and tears Alan and Jeffrey’s friendship apart45:41 - Jeffrey sends Alan a “Dear John” letter, and Alan leaves the company50:00 - Seventh Generation grows to new heights… then Jeffrey is fired as CEO82:56 - Jeffrey and Alan reflect on why their partnership failed, and what it takes to have a good one  This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to hit the market. But in the early 1990s, its two founders had a bitter falling out. Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender have barely spoken since that time, but they both agreed to come on the show to talk about the business they were both passionate about, and the delicate nature of partnership. What you'll learn:  Why Alan says his great strength—and his greatness weakness—is his tendency to say “yes.” How Jeffrey and Alan lost their friendship and business partnership after only three years. How Jeffrey grew Seventh Generation into a household name—and then got fired. How two formerly estranged partners feel about partnership now. Timestamps: 5:30 - Jeffrey makes it big in Canada selling adult-learning courses… before he’s forced to leave the country 11:50 - Alan moves to Vermont on a whim, and winds up in a mail-order catalog business 24:31 - Alan and Jeffrey meet for the first time and find common ground: Alan needs capital and Jeffrey has it  30:13 - An atypical office for 1989: Ping pong table, nap room, and employees get prizes when they make mistakes  40:35 - Crisis hits… and tears Alan and Jeffrey’s friendship apart 45:41 - Jeffrey sends Alan a “Dear John” letter, and Alan leaves the company 50:00 - Seventh Generation grows to new heights… then Jeffrey is fired as CEO 82:56 - Jeffrey and Alan reflect on why their partnership failed, and what it takes to have a good one   This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.  It was edited by Neva Grant. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to hit the market. But in the early 1990s, its two founders had a bitter falling out.

Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender have barely spoken since that time, but they both agreed to come on the show to talk about the business they were both passionate about, and the delicate nature of partnership.

What you'll learn: 

  • Why Alan says his great strength—and his greatness weakness—is his tendency to say “yes.”
  • How Jeffrey and Alan lost their friendship and business partnership after only three years.
  • How Jeffrey grew Seventh Generation into a household name—and then got fired.
  • How two formerly estranged partners feel about partnership now.


Timestamps:

5:30 - Jeffrey makes it big in Canada selling adult-learning courses… before he’s forced to leave the country

11:50 - Alan moves to Vermont on a whim, and winds up in a mail-order catalog business

24:31 - Alan and Jeffrey meet for the first time and find common ground: Alan needs capital and Jeffrey has it 

30:13 - An atypical office for 1989: Ping pong table, nap room, and employees get prizes when they make mistakes 

40:35 - Crisis hits… and tears Alan and Jeffrey’s friendship apart

45:41 - Jeffrey sends Alan a “Dear John” letter, and Alan leaves the company

50:00 - Seventh Generation grows to new heights… then Jeffrey is fired as CEO

82:56 - Jeffrey and Alan reflect on why their partnership failed, and what it takes to have a good one  


This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. 

It was edited by Neva Grant.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5701 no Advice Line with Danny Meyer of Shake Shack Today’s callers: Janell from Kentucky wonders how to build a sense of hospitality into her canned bourbon cocktail brand. Jade from South Carolina considers the upsides and risks of shipping her smoked salmon directly to customers. And Bar from Colorado considers strategies for bringing his protein-packed cous cous to quick service restaurants. Plus Danny talks about the elements of a strong company culture as described in his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? Thank you to the founders of Ponyboy Slings, Angel Oak Smokehouse, and Boostcous for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.  And be sure to listen to Shake Shack’s founding story as told by Danny on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 24 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Danny Meyer of Shake Shack full 873 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Janell from Kentucky wonders how to build a sense of hospitality into her canned bourbon cocktail brand. Jade from South Carolina considers the upsides and risks of shipping her smoked salmon directly to customers. And Bar from Colorado considers strategies for bringing his protein-packed cous cous to quick service restaurants.Plus Danny talks about the elements of a strong company culture as described in his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right?Thank you to the founders of Ponyboy Slings, Angel Oak Smokehouse, and Boostcous for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Shake Shack’s founding story as told by Danny on the show in 2020.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Janell from Kentucky wonders how to build a sense of hospitality into her canned bourbon cocktail brand. Jade from South Carolina considers the upsides and risks of shipping her smoked salmon directly to customers. And Bar from Colorado considers strategies for bringing his protein-packed cous cous to quick service restaurants. Plus Danny talks about the elements of a strong company culture as described in his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right? Thank you to the founders of Ponyboy Slings, Angel Oak Smokehouse, and Boostcous for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.  And be sure to listen to Shake Shack’s founding story as told by Danny on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Janell from Kentucky wonders how to build a sense of hospitality into her canned bourbon cocktail brand. Jade from South Carolina considers the upsides and risks of shipping her smoked salmon directly to customers. And Bar from Colorado considers strategies for bringing his protein-packed cous cous to quick service restaurants.


Plus Danny talks about the elements of a strong company culture as described in his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right?


Thank you to the founders of Ponyboy Slings, Angel Oak Smokehouse, and Boostcous for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 


And be sure to listen to Shake Shack’s founding story as told by Danny on the show in 2020.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2651 no Banza: Brian Rudolph. The Chickpea Pasta That Nearly Turned to Mush Brian Rudolph started making chickpea pasta in his Detroit apartment because wheat made him feel sick. A decade later, Banza was in more than 25,000 stores, and today, it’s one of the most popular pasta brands in the country. Success was not automatic: The business barely got off the ground because the cooked pasta was turning to mush—and as Banza became known for its health benefits, a food-safety scare sent sales plunging by 30%. In this episode, Brian explains why he was inspired to create a whole new category, how he turned chickpea skeptics into fans, and how the company rebuilt trust after a public relations disaster.  What you’ll learn  How Brian and his brother Scott launched Banza with only $100,000. How they learned to stop chasing perfection and to ship something that was “good enough.”  How crowdfunding and reality TV helped Banza land its first retail accounts.  How packaging can become an important growth engine for a new brand.  How transparency can rebuild trust after a PR debacle–but can’t restore it overnight.  Timestamps: 05:50 - Brian uncovers the unexpected culprit behind his health issues: Wheat 07:27 - From Chewy bars and Chipotle to pasta made of… beans? 16:24 - Banza gets a big break on national TV 20:51 - The 192-store order that Banza wasn’t ready for, and why retreating to a smaller manufacturer helped them meet it   26:12 - Banza’s first production run turns to mush when cooked. The solution? “Steep it like tea” 34:04 - The origin of the distinctive orange box 39:13 - Pizza anyone? Banza expands into thousands of stores and launches new products  41:00 - The food safety scare that Brian never saw coming 52:13 - Even in the midst of a crisis, Brian says to “assume positive intent” This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Banza: Brian Rudolph. The Chickpea Pasta That Nearly Turned to Mush full 872 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brian Rudolph started making chickpea pasta in his Detroit apartment because wheat made him feel sick. A decade later, Banza was in more than 25,000 stores, and today, it’s one of the most popular pasta brands in the country. Success was not automatic: The business barely got off the ground because the cooked pasta was turning to mush—and as Banza became known for its health benefits, a food-safety scare sent sales plunging by 30%.In this episode, Brian explains why he was inspired to create a whole new category, how he turned chickpea skeptics into fans, and how the company rebuilt trust after a public relations disaster. What you’ll learn How Brian and his brother Scott launched Banza with only $100,000.How they learned to stop chasing perfection and to ship something that was “good enough.” How crowdfunding and reality TV helped Banza land its first retail accounts. How packaging can become an important growth engine for a new brand. How transparency can rebuild trust after a PR debacle–but can’t restore it overnight. Timestamps:05:50 - Brian uncovers the unexpected culprit behind his health issues: Wheat07:27 - From Chewy bars and Chipotle to pasta made of… beans?16:24 - Banza gets a big break on national TV20:51 - The 192-store order that Banza wasn’t ready for, and why retreating to a smaller manufacturer helped them meet it  26:12 - Banza’s first production run turns to mush when cooked. The solution? “Steep it like tea”34:04 - The origin of the distinctive orange box39:13 - Pizza anyone? Banza expands into thousands of stores and launches new products 41:00 - The food safety scare that Brian never saw coming52:13 - Even in the midst of a crisis, Brian says to “assume positive intent”This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Brian Rudolph started making chickpea pasta in his Detroit apartment because wheat made him feel sick. A decade later, Banza was in more than 25,000 stores, and today, it’s one of the most popular pasta brands in the country. Success was not automatic: The business barely got off the ground because the cooked pasta was turning to mush—and as Banza became known for its health benefits, a food-safety scare sent sales plunging by 30%. In this episode, Brian explains why he was inspired to create a whole new category, how he turned chickpea skeptics into fans, and how the company rebuilt trust after a public relations disaster.  What you’ll learn  How Brian and his brother Scott launched Banza with only $100,000. How they learned to stop chasing perfection and to ship something that was “good enough.”  How crowdfunding and reality TV helped Banza land its first retail accounts.  How packaging can become an important growth engine for a new brand.  How transparency can rebuild trust after a PR debacle–but can’t restore it overnight.  Timestamps: 05:50 - Brian uncovers the unexpected culprit behind his health issues: Wheat 07:27 - From Chewy bars and Chipotle to pasta made of… beans? 16:24 - Banza gets a big break on national TV 20:51 - The 192-store order that Banza wasn’t ready for, and why retreating to a smaller manufacturer helped them meet it   26:12 - Banza’s first production run turns to mush when cooked. The solution? “Steep it like tea” 34:04 - The origin of the distinctive orange box 39:13 - Pizza anyone? Banza expands into thousands of stores and launches new products  41:00 - The food safety scare that Brian never saw coming 52:13 - Even in the midst of a crisis, Brian says to “assume positive intent” This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Brian Rudolph started making chickpea pasta in his Detroit apartment because wheat made him feel sick. A decade later, Banza was in more than 25,000 stores, and today, it’s one of the most popular pasta brands in the country. Success was not automatic: The business barely got off the ground because the cooked pasta was turning to mush—and as Banza became known for its health benefits, a food-safety scare sent sales plunging by 30%.

In this episode, Brian explains why he was inspired to create a whole new category, how he turned chickpea skeptics into fans, and how the company rebuilt trust after a public relations disaster. 

What you’ll learn 

  • How Brian and his brother Scott launched Banza with only $100,000.
  • How they learned to stop chasing perfection and to ship something that was “good enough.” 
  • How crowdfunding and reality TV helped Banza land its first retail accounts. 
  • How packaging can become an important growth engine for a new brand. 
  • How transparency can rebuild trust after a PR debacle–but can’t restore it overnight. 


Timestamps:

05:50 - Brian uncovers the unexpected culprit behind his health issues: Wheat

07:27 - From Chewy bars and Chipotle to pasta made of… beans?

16:24 - Banza gets a big break on national TV

20:51 - The 192-store order that Banza wasn’t ready for, and why retreating to a smaller manufacturer helped them meet it  

26:12 - Banza’s first production run turns to mush when cooked. The solution? “Steep it like tea”

34:04 - The origin of the distinctive orange box

39:13 - Pizza anyone? Banza expands into thousands of stores and launches new products 

41:00 - The food safety scare that Brian never saw coming

52:13 - Even in the midst of a crisis, Brian says to “assume positive intent”


This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.



Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3735 no Advice Line with Michelle Wahler of Beyond Yoga Today's callers: Carrie from Paris wants to turn interest into bookings for her boutique study-abroad programs for adults. Then, Grace from Nashville considers how to re-build relationships with interior designers she may have let down early on in her furniture upholstery business. And Angel from Indiana explores how to translate the emotional appeal of her self-care soap kits into stronger online sales. Plus, Michelle explains why founders don't always need to raise outside capital, and why they shouldn’t go into business with an exit plan.  Thank you to the founders of Elective Study Abroad, Grace Ann Upholstery, and Sacred Pause Soap Company for being part of our show.  If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.  And be sure to listen to Beyond Yoga’s founding story as told by Michelle in 2025. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Michelle Wahler of Beyond Yoga full 871 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today's callers: Carrie from Paris wants to turn interest into bookings for her boutique study-abroad programs for adults. Then, Grace from Nashville considers how to re-build relationships with interior designers she may have let down early on in her furniture upholstery business. And Angel from Indiana explores how to translate the emotional appeal of her self-care soap kits into stronger online sales.Plus, Michelle explains why founders don't always need to raise outside capital, and why they shouldn’t go into business with an exit plan. Thank you to the founders of Elective Study Abroad, Grace Ann Upholstery, and Sacred Pause Soap Company for being part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Beyond Yoga’s founding story as told by Michelle in 2025.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today's callers: Carrie from Paris wants to turn interest into bookings for her boutique study-abroad programs for adults. Then, Grace from Nashville considers how to re-build relationships with interior designers she may have let down early on in her furniture upholstery business. And Angel from Indiana explores how to translate the emotional appeal of her self-care soap kits into stronger online sales. Plus, Michelle explains why founders don't always need to raise outside capital, and why they shouldn’t go into business with an exit plan.  Thank you to the founders of Elective Study Abroad, Grace Ann Upholstery, and Sacred Pause Soap Company for being part of our show.  If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.  And be sure to listen to Beyond Yoga’s founding story as told by Michelle in 2025. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today's callers: Carrie from Paris wants to turn interest into bookings for her boutique study-abroad programs for adults. Then, Grace from Nashville considers how to re-build relationships with interior designers she may have let down early on in her furniture upholstery business. And Angel from Indiana explores how to translate the emotional appeal of her self-care soap kits into stronger online sales.

Plus, Michelle explains why founders don't always need to raise outside capital, and why they shouldn’t go into business with an exit plan. 

Thank you to the founders of Elective Study Abroad, Grace Ann Upholstery, and Sacred Pause Soap Company for being part of our show. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Beyond Yoga’s founding story as told by Michelle in 2025.

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2602 no Thrive Causemetics: Karissa Bodnar. How a Beauty Business Made Millions for a Mission Karissa Bodnar had a dream job at L'Oréal when a close friend died from cancer at age 24. It shook her up and made her reassess what she really wanted to do with her life. The answer? Build her own beauty business with a mission of “giving back.” The problem? Nobody seemed to want to carry her products. She pitched Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, and others—and kept hearing no. She stuck it out, pouring tens of thousands of dollars of her own savings into it, and worked a full-time job to fund the formulation of new cosmetics. Two years in, another life-changing event. Karissa posted a video of herself teaching make-up application to domestic violence survivors, and it went viral. In this episode Karissa explains why mission alone will never save a bad product, how scarcity helped her build a better company, why she resisted raising too much money, and how she turned a deeply personal loss into one of the most distinctive brands in beauty. What You’ll Learn: How Karissa's childhood experimenting with fruits and flowers led her to researching and formulating her own makeup How Karissa’s experiences at Nordstrom and Sephora set her up for a plum job in product development The importance of attracting an influential mentor or guide to career development, as Karissa did at L’Oreal How Karissa developed her unique line — like false eyelashes for people who had lost their natural lashes during cancer treatment Why the decision to keep sales DTC and ONLY online can be a great business move Why Karissa believes “scarcity drives focus” How to handle operations when sales explode Why mission helps customer loyalty — but performance drives the initial and repeat purchases Timestamps: 03:05 – Making makeup in the kitchen at age 10 and Karissa’s first steps into research 06:30 – Learning the beauty business from the ground up 08:57 – How Karissa landed her dream job in product development at L'Oréal 12:23 – The career lessons that got Karissa noticed at L'Oréal 17:23 – How a tragedy made Karissa leave a dream job to start a company “with purpose” 26:56 – The one-person-at-a-time marketing strategy 28:21 – The viral moment that changed Thrive Causemetics 32:26 – Why failing to raise money became an advantage 36:23 – Mission versus product: which really matters? 38:24 – Why Thrive Causemetics stayed direct-to-consumer This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineer was Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Thrive Causemetics: Karissa Bodnar. How a Beauty Business Made Millions for a Mission full 870 Guy Raz | Vox Media Karissa Bodnar had a dream job at L'Oréal when a close friend died from cancer at age 24. It shook her up and made her reassess what she really wanted to do with her life. The answer? Build her own beauty business with a mission of “giving back.”The problem? Nobody seemed to want to carry her products. She pitched Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, and others—and kept hearing no.She stuck it out, pouring tens of thousands of dollars of her own savings into it, and worked a full-time job to fund the formulation of new cosmetics.Two years in, another life-changing event. Karissa posted a video of herself teaching make-up application to domestic violence survivors, and it went viral.In this episode Karissa explains why mission alone will never save a bad product, how scarcity helped her build a better company, why she resisted raising too much money, and how she turned a deeply personal loss into one of the most distinctive brands in beauty.What You’ll Learn:How Karissa's childhood experimenting with fruits and flowers led her to researching and formulating her own makeupHow Karissa’s experiences at Nordstrom and Sephora set her up for a plum job in product developmentThe importance of attracting an influential mentor or guide to career development, as Karissa did at L’OrealHow Karissa developed her unique line — like false eyelashes for people who had lost their natural lashes during cancer treatmentWhy the decision to keep sales DTC and ONLY online can be a great business moveWhy Karissa believes “scarcity drives focus”How to handle operations when sales explodeWhy mission helps customer loyalty — but performance drives the initial and repeat purchasesTimestamps:03:05 – Making makeup in the kitchen at age 10 and Karissa’s first steps into research06:30 – Learning the beauty business from the ground up08:57 – How Karissa landed her dream job in product development at L'Oréal12:23 – The career lessons that got Karissa noticed at L'Oréal17:23 – How a tragedy made Karissa leave a dream job to start a company “with purpose”26:56 – The one-person-at-a-time marketing strategy28:21 – The viral moment that changed Thrive Causemetics32:26 – Why failing to raise money became an advantage36:23 – Mission versus product: which really matters?38:24 – Why Thrive Causemetics stayed direct-to-consumerThis episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineer was Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Karissa Bodnar had a dream job at L'Oréal when a close friend died from cancer at age 24. It shook her up and made her reassess what she really wanted to do with her life. The answer? Build her own beauty business with a mission of “giving back.” The problem? Nobody seemed to want to carry her products. She pitched Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, and others—and kept hearing no. She stuck it out, pouring tens of thousands of dollars of her own savings into it, and worked a full-time job to fund the formulation of new cosmetics. Two years in, another life-changing event. Karissa posted a video of herself teaching make-up application to domestic violence survivors, and it went viral. In this episode Karissa explains why mission alone will never save a bad product, how scarcity helped her build a better company, why she resisted raising too much money, and how she turned a deeply personal loss into one of the most distinctive brands in beauty. What You’ll Learn: How Karissa's childhood experimenting with fruits and flowers led her to researching and formulating her own makeup How Karissa’s experiences at Nordstrom and Sephora set her up for a plum job in product development The importance of attracting an influential mentor or guide to career development, as Karissa did at L’Oreal How Karissa developed her unique line — like false eyelashes for people who had lost their natural lashes during cancer treatment Why the decision to keep sales DTC and ONLY online can be a great business move Why Karissa believes “scarcity drives focus” How to handle operations when sales explode Why mission helps customer loyalty — but performance drives the initial and repeat purchases Timestamps: 03:05 – Making makeup in the kitchen at age 10 and Karissa’s first steps into research 06:30 – Learning the beauty business from the ground up 08:57 – How Karissa landed her dream job in product development at L'Oréal 12:23 – The career lessons that got Karissa noticed at L'Oréal 17:23 – How a tragedy made Karissa leave a dream job to start a company “with purpose” 26:56 – The one-person-at-a-time marketing strategy 28:21 – The viral moment that changed Thrive Causemetics 32:26 – Why failing to raise money became an advantage 36:23 – Mission versus product: which really matters? 38:24 – Why Thrive Causemetics stayed direct-to-consumer This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineer was Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Karissa Bodnar had a dream job at L'Oréal when a close friend died from cancer at age 24. It shook her up and made her reassess what she really wanted to do with her life. The answer? Build her own beauty business with a mission of “giving back.”

The problem? Nobody seemed to want to carry her products. She pitched Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, and others—and kept hearing no.

She stuck it out, pouring tens of thousands of dollars of her own savings into it, and worked a full-time job to fund the formulation of new cosmetics.

Two years in, another life-changing event. Karissa posted a video of herself teaching make-up application to domestic violence survivors, and it went viral.

In this episode Karissa explains why mission alone will never save a bad product, how scarcity helped her build a better company, why she resisted raising too much money, and how she turned a deeply personal loss into one of the most distinctive brands in beauty.


What You’ll Learn:

  • How Karissa's childhood experimenting with fruits and flowers led her to researching and formulating her own makeup
  • How Karissa’s experiences at Nordstrom and Sephora set her up for a plum job in product development
  • The importance of attracting an influential mentor or guide to career development, as Karissa did at L’Oreal
  • How Karissa developed her unique line — like false eyelashes for people who had lost their natural lashes during cancer treatment
  • Why the decision to keep sales DTC and ONLY online can be a great business move
  • Why Karissa believes “scarcity drives focus”
  • How to handle operations when sales explode
  • Why mission helps customer loyalty — but performance drives the initial and repeat purchases


Timestamps:

03:05 – Making makeup in the kitchen at age 10 and Karissa’s first steps into research

06:30 – Learning the beauty business from the ground up

08:57 – How Karissa landed her dream job in product development at L'Oréal

12:23 – The career lessons that got Karissa noticed at L'Oréal

17:23 – How a tragedy made Karissa leave a dream job to start a company “with purpose”

26:56 – The one-person-at-a-time marketing strategy

28:21 – The viral moment that changed Thrive Causemetics

32:26 – Why failing to raise money became an advantage

36:23 – Mission versus product: which really matters?

38:24 – Why Thrive Causemetics stayed direct-to-consumer


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3123 no Advice Line with Kip Tindell of The Container Store Today’s callers: Juliette in France wonders how to raise awareness of her “magical” cooling device—without a costly ad campaign. Then David in North Carolina looks to grow the wholesale channel of his engraved gifts business in light of thinning retail margins. And Kaitlin in California wants to leverage the virality of her supportive, bordered sheets and create an enduring sleep brand. Plus, Kip reflects on The Container Store’s bankruptcy and acquisition, and plugs patience and persistence as the keys to sustainable growth. Thank you to the folks at CoolaWand, Hazel Grove Customs, and Kaomi Sleep for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to The Container Store’s founding story as told by Kip and his wife Sharon in 2024. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Kip Tindell of The Container Store full 869 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Juliette in France wonders how to raise awareness of her “magical” cooling device—without a costly ad campaign. Then David in North Carolina looks to grow the wholesale channel of his engraved gifts business in light of thinning retail margins. And Kaitlin in California wants to leverage the virality of her supportive, bordered sheets and create an enduring sleep brand.Plus, Kip reflects on The Container Store’s bankruptcy and acquisition, and plugs patience and persistence as the keys to sustainable growth.Thank you to the folks at CoolaWand, Hazel Grove Customs, and Kaomi Sleep for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to The Container Store’s founding story as told by Kip and his wife Sharon in 2024.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Juliette in France wonders how to raise awareness of her “magical” cooling device—without a costly ad campaign. Then David in North Carolina looks to grow the wholesale channel of his engraved gifts business in light of thinning retail margins. And Kaitlin in California wants to leverage the virality of her supportive, bordered sheets and create an enduring sleep brand. Plus, Kip reflects on The Container Store’s bankruptcy and acquisition, and plugs patience and persistence as the keys to sustainable growth. Thank you to the folks at CoolaWand, Hazel Grove Customs, and Kaomi Sleep for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to The Container Store’s founding story as told by Kip and his wife Sharon in 2024. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Juliette in France wonders how to raise awareness of her “magical” cooling device—without a costly ad campaign. Then David in North Carolina looks to grow the wholesale channel of his engraved gifts business in light of thinning retail margins. And Kaitlin in California wants to leverage the virality of her supportive, bordered sheets and create an enduring sleep brand.

Plus, Kip reflects on The Container Store’s bankruptcy and acquisition, and plugs patience and persistence as the keys to sustainable growth.

Thank you to the folks at CoolaWand, Hazel Grove Customs, and Kaomi Sleep for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to The Container Store’s founding story as told by Kip and his wife Sharon in 2024.

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2630 no Bogg Bag: Kim Vaccarella. The $100 Million Business She Almost Abandoned Kim’s inspiration to launch a business came from an unlikely source: Her son’s Crocs. She thought the durable, washable material would make a great beach bag. So she designed one. But after investing her savings—inlcuding some of her kids’ college fund—Kim was crushed when her first major shipment of Bogg bags was defective. It knocked her so off balance, that she put the entire business on hold.  Then something unexpected happened.The few thousand customers who already had a bag….clamored for more. So Kim decided to start over. She borrowed $120,000, found another factory, shared trade show booths with four other founders, and slowly built Bogg Bag into a $100 million phenomenon.  What you'll learn: How getting nowhere with Crocs gave Kim the motivation to make Bogg Bag herself. Why her first $30,000 production run nearly killed the company.  Why a founder isn’t always the best judge of her product  How Superstorm Sandy gave new life to Bogg Bag  How Kim built Bogg Bag for years while keeping her full-time job and raising two kids. How COVID turned Bogg Bag from a beach product into a “beach and beyond” product. How Kim got a massive acquisition offer–and why she turned it down.  Why Kim thinks Bogg Bag can eventually become a billion-dollar brand. Chapters: 04:11 - Growing up without financial security 05:52 - From high-school dropout to a six-figure career 14:54 - Reading “Mommy Millionaire” and dreaming of inventing something  17:16 - The Crocs-on-the-beach moment   22:31 - Kim hits a wall with Crocs, so she decides to make Bogg Bag herself 28:53 - The early prototypes and a nervous visit to a boutique: “I don’t know what this is, but I think I need it.”  36:36 - The first big shipment, a $30,000 defect, and a decision to pull the plug   42:33 - A massive natural disaster presents an opportunity  47:35 - “Now I gotta make this damn bag” 50:05 - A factory showdown in China 53:42 - Starting over with $120,000 55:41 - The trade-show “timeshare” in a tiny booth  01:01:02 - Finally quitting her day job 01:04:32 - COVID boosts the business 01:07:18 - The acquisition offer that could have changed everything 01:17:30 - Learning to lead a much bigger company 01:20:03 - The dream of a family legacy This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Bogg Bag: Kim Vaccarella. The $100 Million Business She Almost Abandoned full 868 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kim’s inspiration to launch a business came from an unlikely source: Her son’s Crocs. She thought the durable, washable material would make a great beach bag. So she designed one. But after investing her savings—inlcuding some of her kids’ college fund—Kim was crushed when her first major shipment of Bogg bags was defective. It knocked her so off balance, that she put the entire business on hold. Then something unexpected happened.The few thousand customers who already had a bag….clamored for more. So Kim decided to start over. She borrowed $120,000, found another factory, shared trade show booths with four other founders, and slowly built Bogg Bag into a $100 million phenomenon. What you'll learn:How getting nowhere with Crocs gave Kim the motivation to make Bogg Bag herself.Why her first $30,000 production run nearly killed the company. Why a founder isn’t always the best judge of her product How Superstorm Sandy gave new life to Bogg Bag How Kim built Bogg Bag for years while keeping her full-time job and raising two kids.How COVID turned Bogg Bag from a beach product into a “beach and beyond” product.How Kim got a massive acquisition offer–and why she turned it down. Why Kim thinks Bogg Bag can eventually become a billion-dollar brand.Chapters:04:11 - Growing up without financial security05:52 - From high-school dropout to a six-figure career14:54 - Reading “Mommy Millionaire” and dreaming of inventing something 17:16 - The Crocs-on-the-beach moment  22:31 - Kim hits a wall with Crocs, so she decides to make Bogg Bag herself28:53 - The early prototypes and a nervous visit to a boutique: “I don’t know what this is, but I think I need it.” 36:36 - The first big shipment, a $30,000 defect, and a decision to pull the plug  42:33 - A massive natural disaster presents an opportunity 47:35 - “Now I gotta make this damn bag”50:05 - A factory showdown in China53:42 - Starting over with $120,00055:41 - The trade-show “timeshare” in a tiny booth 01:01:02 - Finally quitting her day job01:04:32 - COVID boosts the business01:07:18 - The acquisition offer that could have changed everything01:17:30 - Learning to lead a much bigger company01:20:03 - The dream of a family legacyThis episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Kim’s inspiration to launch a business came from an unlikely source: Her son’s Crocs. She thought the durable, washable material would make a great beach bag. So she designed one. But after investing her savings—inlcuding some of her kids’ college fund—Kim was crushed when her first major shipment of Bogg bags was defective. It knocked her so off balance, that she put the entire business on hold.  Then something unexpected happened.The few thousand customers who already had a bag….clamored for more. So Kim decided to start over. She borrowed $120,000, found another factory, shared trade show booths with four other founders, and slowly built Bogg Bag into a $100 million phenomenon.  What you'll learn: How getting nowhere with Crocs gave Kim the motivation to make Bogg Bag herself. Why her first $30,000 production run nearly killed the company.  Why a founder isn’t always the best judge of her product  How Superstorm Sandy gave new life to Bogg Bag  How Kim built Bogg Bag for years while keeping her full-time job and raising two kids. How COVID turned Bogg Bag from a beach product into a “beach and beyond” product. How Kim got a massive acquisition offer–and why she turned it down.  Why Kim thinks Bogg Bag can eventually become a billion-dollar brand. Chapters: 04:11 - Growing up without financial security 05:52 - From high-school dropout to a six-figure career 14:54 - Reading “Mommy Millionaire” and dreaming of inventing something  17:16 - The Crocs-on-the-beach moment   22:31 - Kim hits a wall with Crocs, so she decides to make Bogg Bag herself 28:53 - The early prototypes and a nervous visit to a boutique: “I don’t know what this is, but I think I need it.”  36:36 - The first big shipment, a $30,000 defect, and a decision to pull the plug   42:33 - A massive natural disaster presents an opportunity  47:35 - “Now I gotta make this damn bag” 50:05 - A factory showdown in China 53:42 - Starting over with $120,000 55:41 - The trade-show “timeshare” in a tiny booth  01:01:02 - Finally quitting her day job 01:04:32 - COVID boosts the business 01:07:18 - The acquisition offer that could have changed everything 01:17:30 - Learning to lead a much bigger company 01:20:03 - The dream of a family legacy This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Kim’s inspiration to launch a business came from an unlikely source: Her son’s Crocs. She thought the durable, washable material would make a great beach bag. So she designed one. But after investing her savings—inlcuding some of her kids’ college fund—Kim was crushed when her first major shipment of Bogg bags was defective. It knocked her so off balance, that she put the entire business on hold. 

Then something unexpected happened.The few thousand customers who already had a bag….clamored for more. So Kim decided to start over. She borrowed $120,000, found another factory, shared trade show booths with four other founders, and slowly built Bogg Bag into a $100 million phenomenon. 


What you'll learn:

  • How getting nowhere with Crocs gave Kim the motivation to make Bogg Bag herself.
  • Why her first $30,000 production run nearly killed the company. 
  • Why a founder isn’t always the best judge of her product 
  • How Superstorm Sandy gave new life to Bogg Bag 
  • How Kim built Bogg Bag for years while keeping her full-time job and raising two kids.
  • How COVID turned Bogg Bag from a beach product into a “beach and beyond” product.
  • How Kim got a massive acquisition offer–and why she turned it down. 
  • Why Kim thinks Bogg Bag can eventually become a billion-dollar brand.


Chapters:

04:11 - Growing up without financial security

05:52 - From high-school dropout to a six-figure career

14:54 - Reading “Mommy Millionaire” and dreaming of inventing something 

17:16 - The Crocs-on-the-beach moment  

22:31 - Kim hits a wall with Crocs, so she decides to make Bogg Bag herself

28:53 - The early prototypes and a nervous visit to a boutique: “I don’t know what this is, but I think I need it.” 

36:36 - The first big shipment, a $30,000 defect, and a decision to pull the plug  

42:33 - A massive natural disaster presents an opportunity 

47:35 - “Now I gotta make this damn bag”

50:05 - A factory showdown in China

53:42 - Starting over with $120,000

55:41 - The trade-show “timeshare” in a tiny booth 

01:01:02 - Finally quitting her day job

01:04:32 - COVID boosts the business

01:07:18 - The acquisition offer that could have changed everything

01:17:30 - Learning to lead a much bigger company

01:20:03 - The dream of a family legacy


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.



Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5231 no Advice Line with Ben Goodwin of Olipop Today’s callers: Darin from North Carolina seeks guidance on consumer education as his ghee-based snack brand grows into major retailers. Then Sarah from Massachusetts explores scaling pathways for her ‘never-frozen’ gluten-free baked goods. And John from Ohio considers whether online sales can turn around his local food co-op.  Plus, Ben comments on the drivers of Olipop’s nearly $2 billion valuation, and critiques a common piece of business advice that often holds founders back.  Thank you to the founders of Gheelish, Sarah’s Gluten Free Goods, and Bexley’s Natural Foods for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Olipop’s founding story as told by Ben in 2024. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Cena Loffredo and Robert Rodriguez.  You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Ben Goodwin of Olipop full 867 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Darin from North Carolina seeks guidance on consumer education as his ghee-based snack brand grows into major retailers. Then Sarah from Massachusetts explores scaling pathways for her ‘never-frozen’ gluten-free baked goods. And John from Ohio considers whether online sales can turn around his local food co-op. Plus, Ben comments on the drivers of Olipop’s nearly $2 billion valuation, and critiques a common piece of business advice that often holds founders back. Thank you to the founders of Gheelish, Sarah’s Gluten Free Goods, and Bexley’s Natural Foods for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Olipop’s founding story as told by Ben in 2024.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Cena Loffredo and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Darin from North Carolina seeks guidance on consumer education as his ghee-based snack brand grows into major retailers. Then Sarah from Massachusetts explores scaling pathways for her ‘never-frozen’ gluten-free baked goods. And John from Ohio considers whether online sales can turn around his local food co-op.  Plus, Ben comments on the drivers of Olipop’s nearly $2 billion valuation, and critiques a common piece of business advice that often holds founders back.  Thank you to the founders of Gheelish, Sarah’s Gluten Free Goods, and Bexley’s Natural Foods for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Olipop’s founding story as told by Ben in 2024. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Cena Loffredo and Robert Rodriguez.  You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Darin from North Carolina seeks guidance on consumer education as his ghee-based snack brand grows into major retailers. Then Sarah from Massachusetts explores scaling pathways for her ‘never-frozen’ gluten-free baked goods. And John from Ohio considers whether online sales can turn around his local food co-op. 

Plus, Ben comments on the drivers of Olipop’s nearly $2 billion valuation, and critiques a common piece of business advice that often holds founders back. 

Thank you to the founders of Gheelish, Sarah’s Gluten Free Goods, and Bexley’s Natural Foods for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Olipop’s founding story as told by Ben in 2024.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Cena Loffredo and Robert Rodriguez. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3083 no Late July Snacks: Nicole Bernard Dawes. Crackers and Cookies were Failing… Tortilla Chips Saved Them Nicole Bernard Dawes spent much of her childhood hanging out in her dad’s potato chip factory on Cape Cod.  She liked his kettle-cooked chips a lot more than the flavorless snacks in her mom’s health food store. But when she started her own business, she wanted the best of both worlds: a snack made with natural, organic ingredients…that still tasted good.   Nicole launched Late July Snacks in 2003, when most consumers barely knew what “organic” meant. For years, sales limped along. Then, in a moment of crisis, she made a company-saving pivot by launching a brand new product – organic tortilla chips. Within just a few years, Late July grew to over $100M in sales, and Nicole decided to launch a new brand in an even more challenging category: soda.  You Will Learn: How growing up in a family business can help–and hurt–when you launch your own The pros and cons of financial vs. strategic investors When to cut a product that isn’t working Why the fine print in a contract is so important How the hardest decision might be the best one for your family and the business Timestamps: 04:57 - The car crash that launched a potato chip company 18:53 - Pregnant and craving crackers: The birth of Late July Snacks 32:14 - The organic cookies that tasted great but nearly sunk the business 36:09 - Tragedy and crisis: a father’s death and a $3 million loan in default 45:51 - A tortilla chip Hail Mary 52:49 - Nicole’s first big sales call… and her last chance to save the company 1: 02:39 - “The big fish eats the small fish.” A food giant acquisition 1:07:26 - Nicole launches a new brand, moving from a hard category–to an even harder one  This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Robert Rodriguez.  Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Late July Snacks: Nicole Bernard Dawes. Crackers and Cookies were Failing… Tortilla Chips Saved Them full 866 Guy Raz | Vox Media Nicole Bernard Dawes spent much of her childhood hanging out in her dad’s potato chip factory on Cape Cod. She liked his kettle-cooked chips a lot more than the flavorless snacks in her mom’s health food store. But when she started her own business, she wanted the best of both worlds: a snack made with natural, organic ingredients…that still tasted good.  Nicole launched Late July Snacks in 2003, when most consumers barely knew what “organic” meant. For years, sales limped along. Then, in a moment of crisis, she made a company-saving pivot by launching a brand new product – organic tortilla chips. Within just a few years, Late July grew to over $100M in sales, and Nicole decided to launch a new brand in an even more challenging category: soda. You Will Learn:How growing up in a family business can help–and hurt–when you launch your ownThe pros and cons of financial vs. strategic investorsWhen to cut a product that isn’t workingWhy the fine print in a contract is so importantHow the hardest decision might be the best one for your family and the businessTimestamps:04:57 - The car crash that launched a potato chip company18:53 - Pregnant and craving crackers: The birth of Late July Snacks32:14 - The organic cookies that tasted great but nearly sunk the business36:09 - Tragedy and crisis: a father’s death and a $3 million loan in default45:51 - A tortilla chip Hail Mary52:49 - Nicole’s first big sales call… and her last chance to save the company1: 02:39 - “The big fish eats the small fish.” A food giant acquisition1:07:26 - Nicole launches a new brand, moving from a hard category–to an even harder one This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Nicole Bernard Dawes spent much of her childhood hanging out in her dad’s potato chip factory on Cape Cod.  She liked his kettle-cooked chips a lot more than the flavorless snacks in her mom’s health food store. But when she started her own business, she wanted the best of both worlds: a snack made with natural, organic ingredients…that still tasted good.   Nicole launched Late July Snacks in 2003, when most consumers barely knew what “organic” meant. For years, sales limped along. Then, in a moment of crisis, she made a company-saving pivot by launching a brand new product – organic tortilla chips. Within just a few years, Late July grew to over $100M in sales, and Nicole decided to launch a new brand in an even more challenging category: soda.  You Will Learn: How growing up in a family business can help–and hurt–when you launch your own The pros and cons of financial vs. strategic investors When to cut a product that isn’t working Why the fine print in a contract is so important How the hardest decision might be the best one for your family and the business Timestamps: 04:57 - The car crash that launched a potato chip company 18:53 - Pregnant and craving crackers: The birth of Late July Snacks 32:14 - The organic cookies that tasted great but nearly sunk the business 36:09 - Tragedy and crisis: a father’s death and a $3 million loan in default 45:51 - A tortilla chip Hail Mary 52:49 - Nicole’s first big sales call… and her last chance to save the company 1: 02:39 - “The big fish eats the small fish.” A food giant acquisition 1:07:26 - Nicole launches a new brand, moving from a hard category–to an even harder one  This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Robert Rodriguez.  Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Nicole Bernard Dawes spent much of her childhood hanging out in her dad’s potato chip factory on Cape Cod. 


She liked his kettle-cooked chips a lot more than the flavorless snacks in her mom’s health food store. But when she started her own business, she wanted the best of both worlds: a snack made with natural, organic ingredients…that still tasted good.  


Nicole launched Late July Snacks in 2003, when most consumers barely knew what “organic” meant. For years, sales limped along. Then, in a moment of crisis, she made a company-saving pivot by launching a brand new product – organic tortilla chips. Within just a few years, Late July grew to over $100M in sales, and Nicole decided to launch a new brand in an even more challenging category: soda. 


You Will Learn:

  • How growing up in a family business can help–and hurt–when you launch your own
  • The pros and cons of financial vs. strategic investors
  • When to cut a product that isn’t working
  • Why the fine print in a contract is so important
  • How the hardest decision might be the best one for your family and the business


Timestamps:

04:57 - The car crash that launched a potato chip company

18:53 - Pregnant and craving crackers: The birth of Late July Snacks

32:14 - The organic cookies that tasted great but nearly sunk the business

36:09 - Tragedy and crisis: a father’s death and a $3 million loan in default

45:51 - A tortilla chip Hail Mary

52:49 - Nicole’s first big sales call… and her last chance to save the company

1: 02:39 - “The big fish eats the small fish.” A food giant acquisition

1:07:26 - Nicole launches a new brand, moving from a hard category–to an even harder one 


This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Robert Rodriguez. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5064 no Advice Line with Daymond John of FUBU Today’s callers: Cristopher from Chicago wants to expand his family’s salsa brand from farmers markets into retail. Next, Darcy in Australia considers adapting his protein bar brand’s messaging to reach beyond his core enthusiasts. Finally, Seema in Canada seeks strategies to increase B2B sales for her ethical kitchen linen company.  Plus, Daymond and Guy talk about what makes a great Shark Tank pitch, and why Guy decided to start How I Built This 10 years ago.  Thank you to the founders of Sabor a Mexico, Raised Nutrition and Cooks Who Feed for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.  And be sure to listen to FUBU’s founding story as told by Daymond on the show in 2018.   This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Daymond John of FUBU full 865 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Cristopher from Chicago wants to expand his family’s salsa brand from farmers markets into retail. Next, Darcy in Australia considers adapting his protein bar brand’s messaging to reach beyond his core enthusiasts. Finally, Seema in Canada seeks strategies to increase B2B sales for her ethical kitchen linen company. Plus, Daymond and Guy talk about what makes a great Shark Tank pitch, and why Guy decided to start How I Built This 10 years ago. Thank you to the founders of Sabor a Mexico, Raised Nutrition and Cooks Who Feed for joining us on the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to FUBU’s founding story as told by Daymond on the show in 2018.  This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Cristopher from Chicago wants to expand his family’s salsa brand from farmers markets into retail. Next, Darcy in Australia considers adapting his protein bar brand’s messaging to reach beyond his core enthusiasts. Finally, Seema in Canada seeks strategies to increase B2B sales for her ethical kitchen linen company.  Plus, Daymond and Guy talk about what makes a great Shark Tank pitch, and why Guy decided to start How I Built This 10 years ago.  Thank you to the founders of Sabor a Mexico, Raised Nutrition and Cooks Who Feed for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.  And be sure to listen to FUBU’s founding story as told by Daymond on the show in 2018.   This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Cristopher from Chicago wants to expand his family’s salsa brand from farmers markets into retail. Next, Darcy in Australia considers adapting his protein bar brand’s messaging to reach beyond his core enthusiasts. Finally, Seema in Canada seeks strategies to increase B2B sales for her ethical kitchen linen company. 

Plus, Daymond and Guy talk about what makes a great Shark Tank pitch, and why Guy decided to start How I Built This 10 years ago. 

Thank you to the founders of Sabor a Mexico, Raised Nutrition and Cooks Who Feed for joining us on the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to FUBU’s founding story as told by Daymond on the show in 2018.  

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2712 no YETI: Roy and Ryan Seiders. How Two Brothers Turned a $400 Cooler Into a $2 Billion Brand Roy and Ryan were avid outdoorsmen who wanted a cooler that wouldn’t break.&nbsp; So they built one themselves. The result was YETI: a high-end cooler that early retailers thought nobody would buy. But serious outdoorsmen did—and eventually YETI escaped its niche, becoming a status symbol at tailgates, beaches, and soccer fields. In this episode, Roy and Ryan explain how they bootstrapped YETI,&nbsp;survived the sudden loss of their only manufacturing partner, and later stumbled onto the $30 product that supercharged the business.&nbsp; WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why solving a problem you personally experience can be more powerful than chasing a huge market. How YETI convinced people accustomed to $40 coolers to spend $300–$400. Why the brothers deliberately started with small independent retailers instead of chasing major chains. Why Roy and Ryan chose not to aggressively fight copycats&nbsp; How the sudden loss of their only manufacturer nearly destroyed YETI—but ultimately made the company stronger. How the brothers bootstrapped YETI for years without venture capital Why a simple $30 stainless-steel cup—not the famous $400 cooler— transformed YETI into a mass-market brand. TIMESTAMPS&nbsp; 6:10 — A free-range childhood of hunting and exploring 10:02 —&nbsp;Early businesses: fishing rods and boats&nbsp;&nbsp; 15:30 — Roy’s early frustrations with coolers. “The hinges would break, the latches would snap.”&nbsp; 31:20 — The last-minute flight to the Philippines that led to YETI 40:53 — People didn’t love the name–but they remembered it&nbsp; 47:49 — Why people were willing to spend $400 on a cooler&nbsp; 1:01:18 — The phone call that nearly pulled the plug on the business 1:06:30 — How Roy and Ryan turned a catastrophe into a stronger company 1:22:27 — From coolers to cups: A $30 product changed the trajectory of the brand&nbsp;&nbsp; 1:25:44 — Why the founders eventually moved on from YETI&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 YETI: Roy and Ryan Seiders. How Two Brothers Turned a $400 Cooler Into a $2 Billion Brand full 864 Guy Raz | Vox Media <p>Roy and Ryan were avid outdoorsmen who wanted a cooler that wouldn’t break.&nbsp;</p><p>So they built one themselves.</p><p>The result was YETI: a high-end cooler that early retailers thought nobody would buy. But serious outdoorsmen did—and eventually YETI escaped its niche, becoming a status symbol at tailgates, beaches, and soccer fields.</p><p>In this episode, Roy and Ryan explain how they bootstrapped YETI,&nbsp;survived the sudden loss of their only manufacturing partner, and later stumbled onto the $30 product that supercharged the business.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><strong>WHAT YOU'LL LEARN</strong></p><ul><li>Why solving a problem <strong>you personally experience</strong> can be more powerful than chasing a huge market.</li><li>How YETI convinced people accustomed to $40 coolers to spend $300–$400.</li><li>Why the brothers deliberately started with <strong>small independent retailers</strong> instead of chasing major chains.</li><li>Why Roy and Ryan chose not to aggressively fight copycats&nbsp;</li><li>How the sudden loss of their only manufacturer nearly destroyed YETI—but ultimately made the company stronger.</li><li>How the brothers bootstrapped YETI for years without venture capital</li><li>Why a simple $30 stainless-steel cup—not the famous $400 cooler— transformed YETI into a mass-market brand.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>TIMESTAMPS&nbsp;</strong></p><p>6:10 — A free-range childhood of hunting and exploring</p><p>10:02 —&nbsp;Early businesses: fishing rods and boats&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>15:30 — Roy’s early frustrations with coolers. “The hinges would break, the latches would snap.”&nbsp;</p><p>31:20 — The last-minute flight to the Philippines that led to YETI</p><p>40:53 — People didn’t love the name–but they remembered it&nbsp;</p><p>47:49 — Why people were willing to spend $400 on a cooler&nbsp;</p><p>1:01:18 — The phone call that nearly pulled the plug on the business</p><p>1:06:30 — How Roy and Ryan turned a catastrophe into a stronger company</p><p>1:22:27 — From coolers to cups: A $30 product changed the trajectory of the brand&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>1:25:44 — Why the founders eventually moved on from YETI&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley.</p><p><br></p><p>Follow How I Built This:</p><p>Instagram → <a href="https://www.instagram.com/howibuiltthis/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@howibuiltthis</a></p><p>X → <a href="https://x.com/howibuiltthis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HowIBuiltThis</a></p><p>Facebook → <a href="https://www.facebook.com/howibuiltthis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How I Built This</a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow Guy Raz:</p><p>Instagram → <a href="https://www.instagram.com/guy.raz/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@guy.raz</a></p><p>Youtube →<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNSfrxNEmCruNtjIzxCBHjg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> guy_raz</a></p><p>X → <a href="https://x.com/guyraz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@guyraz</a></p><p>Substack →<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/guyraz.substack.com__;!!Iwwt!RZoD751oWzUzoqqdJiqaoL6HdJfRHDUO1TKvYJ424d3Udn7-Pw9Nj6nEsauh9zcgEvLjUEc$" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://guyraz.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">guyraz.substack.com</a></p><p>Website → <a href="http://guyraz.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">guyraz.com</a></p> Roy and Ryan were avid outdoorsmen who wanted a cooler that wouldn’t break.&nbsp; So they built one themselves. The result was YETI: a high-end cooler that early retailers thought nobody would buy. But serious outdoorsmen did—and eventually YETI escaped its niche, becoming a status symbol at tailgates, beaches, and soccer fields. In this episode, Roy and Ryan explain how they bootstrapped YETI,&nbsp;survived the sudden loss of their only manufacturing partner, and later stumbled onto the $30 product that supercharged the business.&nbsp; WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why solving a problem you personally experience can be more powerful than chasing a huge market. How YETI convinced people accustomed to $40 coolers to spend $300–$400. Why the brothers deliberately started with small independent retailers instead of chasing major chains. Why Roy and Ryan chose not to aggressively fight copycats&nbsp; How the sudden loss of their only manufacturer nearly destroyed YETI—but ultimately made the company stronger. How the brothers bootstrapped YETI for years without venture capital Why a simple $30 stainless-steel cup—not the famous $400 cooler— transformed YETI into a mass-market brand. TIMESTAMPS&nbsp; 6:10 — A free-range childhood of hunting and exploring 10:02 —&nbsp;Early businesses: fishing rods and boats&nbsp;&nbsp; 15:30 — Roy’s early frustrations with coolers. “The hinges would break, the latches would snap.”&nbsp; 31:20 — The last-minute flight to the Philippines that led to YETI 40:53 — People didn’t love the name–but they remembered it&nbsp; 47:49 — Why people were willing to spend $400 on a cooler&nbsp; 1:01:18 — The phone call that nearly pulled the plug on the business 1:06:30 — How Roy and Ryan turned a catastrophe into a stronger company 1:22:27 — From coolers to cups: A $30 product changed the trajectory of the brand&nbsp;&nbsp; 1:25:44 — Why the founders eventually moved on from YETI&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Roy and Ryan were avid outdoorsmen who wanted a cooler that wouldn’t break. 

So they built one themselves.

The result was YETI: a high-end cooler that early retailers thought nobody would buy. But serious outdoorsmen did—and eventually YETI escaped its niche, becoming a status symbol at tailgates, beaches, and soccer fields.

In this episode, Roy and Ryan explain how they bootstrapped YETI, survived the sudden loss of their only manufacturing partner, and later stumbled onto the $30 product that supercharged the business. 


WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Why solving a problem you personally experience can be more powerful than chasing a huge market.
  • How YETI convinced people accustomed to $40 coolers to spend $300–$400.
  • Why the brothers deliberately started with small independent retailers instead of chasing major chains.
  • Why Roy and Ryan chose not to aggressively fight copycats 
  • How the sudden loss of their only manufacturer nearly destroyed YETI—but ultimately made the company stronger.
  • How the brothers bootstrapped YETI for years without venture capital
  • Why a simple $30 stainless-steel cup—not the famous $400 cooler— transformed YETI into a mass-market brand.


TIMESTAMPS 

6:10 — A free-range childhood of hunting and exploring

10:02 — Early businesses: fishing rods and boats  

15:30 — Roy’s early frustrations with coolers. “The hinges would break, the latches would snap.” 

31:20 — The last-minute flight to the Philippines that led to YETI

40:53 — People didn’t love the name–but they remembered it 

47:49 — Why people were willing to spend $400 on a cooler 

1:01:18 — The phone call that nearly pulled the plug on the business

1:06:30 — How Roy and Ryan turned a catastrophe into a stronger company

1:22:27 — From coolers to cups: A $30 product changed the trajectory of the brand  

1:25:44 — Why the founders eventually moved on from YETI 


This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5349 no Advice Line with Carlton Calvin of Razor Today’s callers: Shawn from Saskatchewan weighs whether brand-building or licensing is best for his card-based party game. Then Shirin in Texas wants to differentiate her graphic stationery in a crowded Etsy marketplace. And Mark from New Jersey works through refocusing his line of craft spirits.&nbsp; Plus, Carlton’s recent efforts to pass on his trendspottting talent to the next generation. Thank you to the founders of Youlogy, Honey Bespoke Stationery & Paper Goods, and Little Water Distillery for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the Razor founding story as told by Carlton Calvin in 2025. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Carlton Calvin of Razor full 863 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Shawn from Saskatchewan weighs whether brand-building or licensing is best for his card-based party game. Then Shirin in Texas wants to differentiate her graphic stationery in a crowded Etsy marketplace. And Mark from New Jersey works through refocusing his line of craft spirits. Plus, Carlton’s recent efforts to pass on his trendspottting talent to the next generation.Thank you to the founders of Youlogy, Honey Bespoke Stationery &amp; Paper Goods, and Little Water Distillery for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to the Razor founding story as told by Carlton Calvin in 2025.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Shawn from Saskatchewan weighs whether brand-building or licensing is best for his card-based party game. Then Shirin in Texas wants to differentiate her graphic stationery in a crowded Etsy marketplace. And Mark from New Jersey works through refocusing his line of craft spirits.&nbsp; Plus, Carlton’s recent efforts to pass on his trendspottting talent to the next generation. Thank you to the founders of Youlogy, Honey Bespoke Stationery & Paper Goods, and Little Water Distillery for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the Razor founding story as told by Carlton Calvin in 2025. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Shawn from Saskatchewan weighs whether brand-building or licensing is best for his card-based party game. Then Shirin in Texas wants to differentiate her graphic stationery in a crowded Etsy marketplace. And Mark from New Jersey works through refocusing his line of craft spirits. 

Plus, Carlton’s recent efforts to pass on his trendspottting talent to the next generation.

Thank you to the founders of Youlogy, Honey Bespoke Stationery & Paper Goods, and Little Water Distillery for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to the Razor founding story as told by Carlton Calvin in 2025.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2717 no Bobbie: Laura Modi. How a Baby Formula Startup Took Market Share From Two Industry Giants Laura Modi set out to build a better infant formula. What followed was years of setbacks: a crippling dispute with the FDA, a frustrating search for a manufacturer, and the constant fear that the company would run out of money before it reached customers. But today, Bobbie generates over $100 million a year and has captured nearly 4% of the U.S. infant formula market by challenging one of the most protected industries in America. In this conversation, Laura explains how she made it through—and why many of the moments that looked like disasters ultimately built a better company, and made her a better entrepreneur. You'll learn: Why Laura left a great job to launch one of the most heavily regulated products in America How she spent nearly $200,000 of her own savings before raising outside capital How 64 investor pitches helped her tell a better story How a public apology changed the trajectory of the company Why Bobbie turned away thousands of customers during its fastest period of growth Why Laura moved to Washington, D.C., and how she thinks about federal oversight Timestamps: 10:52 – The emotional experience that revealed a massive business opportunity 20:44 – Laura learns about the two companies that had a lock on U.S. formula 23:27 – Quitting Airbnb, starting Bobbie while pregnant, risking her savings 34:12 – Pitching 64 investors—and the brutal feedback that fueled her to keep going 45:24 – The FDA shuts the company down after two weeks 56:34 – Building a community while waiting nearly two years for approval 1:03:01 – Launch day, and selling out faster than expected 1:07:49 – Why Laura shut off new customer orders during the infant formula shortage 1:11:02 – Buying her own manufacturing plant to control Bobbie's future 1:14:09 – Navigating Washington, regulation, and building a mission-driven brand This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Bobbie: Laura Modi. How a Baby Formula Startup Took Market Share From Two Industry Giants full 862 Guy Raz | Vox Media Laura Modi set out to build a better infant formula. What followed was years of setbacks: a crippling dispute with the FDA, a frustrating search for a manufacturer, and the constant fear that the company would run out of money before it reached customers.But today, Bobbie generates over $100 million a year and has captured nearly 4% of the U.S. infant formula market by challenging one of the most protected industries in America.In this conversation, Laura explains how she made it through—and why many of the moments that looked like disasters ultimately built a better company, and made her a better entrepreneur.You'll learn:Why Laura left a great job to launch one of the most heavily regulated products in AmericaHow she spent nearly $200,000 of her own savings before raising outside capitalHow 64 investor pitches helped her tell a better storyHow a public apology changed the trajectory of the companyWhy Bobbie turned away thousands of customers during its fastest period of growthWhy Laura moved to Washington, D.C., and how she thinks about federal oversightTimestamps:10:52 – The emotional experience that revealed a massive business opportunity20:44 – Laura learns about the two companies that had a lock on U.S. formula23:27 – Quitting Airbnb, starting Bobbie while pregnant, risking her savings34:12 – Pitching 64 investors—and the brutal feedback that fueled her to keep going45:24 – The FDA shuts the company down after two weeks56:34 – Building a community while waiting nearly two years for approval1:03:01 – Launch day, and selling out faster than expected1:07:49 – Why Laura shut off new customer orders during the infant formula shortage1:11:02 – Buying her own manufacturing plant to control Bobbie's future1:14:09 – Navigating Washington, regulation, and building a mission-driven brandThis episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Laura Modi set out to build a better infant formula. What followed was years of setbacks: a crippling dispute with the FDA, a frustrating search for a manufacturer, and the constant fear that the company would run out of money before it reached customers. But today, Bobbie generates over $100 million a year and has captured nearly 4% of the U.S. infant formula market by challenging one of the most protected industries in America. In this conversation, Laura explains how she made it through—and why many of the moments that looked like disasters ultimately built a better company, and made her a better entrepreneur. You'll learn: Why Laura left a great job to launch one of the most heavily regulated products in America How she spent nearly $200,000 of her own savings before raising outside capital How 64 investor pitches helped her tell a better story How a public apology changed the trajectory of the company Why Bobbie turned away thousands of customers during its fastest period of growth Why Laura moved to Washington, D.C., and how she thinks about federal oversight Timestamps: 10:52 – The emotional experience that revealed a massive business opportunity 20:44 – Laura learns about the two companies that had a lock on U.S. formula 23:27 – Quitting Airbnb, starting Bobbie while pregnant, risking her savings 34:12 – Pitching 64 investors—and the brutal feedback that fueled her to keep going 45:24 – The FDA shuts the company down after two weeks 56:34 – Building a community while waiting nearly two years for approval 1:03:01 – Launch day, and selling out faster than expected 1:07:49 – Why Laura shut off new customer orders during the infant formula shortage 1:11:02 – Buying her own manufacturing plant to control Bobbie's future 1:14:09 – Navigating Washington, regulation, and building a mission-driven brand This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Laura Modi set out to build a better infant formula.

What followed was years of setbacks: a crippling dispute with the FDA, a frustrating search for a manufacturer, and the constant fear that the company would run out of money before it reached customers.

But today, Bobbie generates over $100 million a year and has captured nearly 4% of the U.S. infant formula market by challenging one of the most protected industries in America.

In this conversation, Laura explains how she made it through—and why many of the moments that looked like disasters ultimately built a better company, and made her a better entrepreneur.


You'll learn:

  • Why Laura left a great job to launch one of the most heavily regulated products in America
  • How she spent nearly $200,000 of her own savings before raising outside capital
  • How 64 investor pitches helped her tell a better story
  • How a public apology changed the trajectory of the company
  • Why Bobbie turned away thousands of customers during its fastest period of growth
  • Why Laura moved to Washington, D.C., and how she thinks about federal oversight


Timestamps:

10:52 – The emotional experience that revealed a massive business opportunity

20:44 – Laura learns about the two companies that had a lock on U.S. formula

23:27 – Quitting Airbnb, starting Bobbie while pregnant, risking her savings

34:12 – Pitching 64 investors—and the brutal feedback that fueled her to keep going

45:24 – The FDA shuts the company down after two weeks

56:34 – Building a community while waiting nearly two years for approval

1:03:01 – Launch day, and selling out faster than expected

1:07:49 – Why Laura shut off new customer orders during the infant formula shortage

1:11:02 – Buying her own manufacturing plant to control Bobbie's future

1:14:09 – Navigating Washington, regulation, and building a mission-driven brand


This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5013 no Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty (September 2025) Today's callers: Bob in Chicago looks to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his orthopedic practice. Then Abby in Dallas wonders whether her popular social media livestreams are a sustainable way to market her trendy phone cases. And Henry in Charlotte wants to turn his mouth rinse for coffee drinkers into a mainstream oral care brand. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company—Jones Road—at the age of 62. Thank you to the founders of Cabbage Labs, AbbyRose, and Tannin Oral Care for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ founding story as told by Bobbi on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty (September 2025) full 861 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today's callers: Bob in Chicago looks to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his orthopedic practice. Then Abby in Dallas wonders whether her popular social media livestreams are a sustainable way to market her trendy phone cases. And Henry in Charlotte wants to turn his mouth rinse for coffee drinkers into a mainstream oral care brand.Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company—Jones Road—at the age of 62.Thank you to the founders of Cabbage Labs, AbbyRose, and Tannin Oral Care for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ founding story as told by Bobbi on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today's callers: Bob in Chicago looks to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his orthopedic practice. Then Abby in Dallas wonders whether her popular social media livestreams are a sustainable way to market her trendy phone cases. And Henry in Charlotte wants to turn his mouth rinse for coffee drinkers into a mainstream oral care brand. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company—Jones Road—at the age of 62. Thank you to the founders of Cabbage Labs, AbbyRose, and Tannin Oral Care for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ founding story as told by Bobbi on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today's callers: Bob in Chicago looks to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his orthopedic practice. Then Abby in Dallas wonders whether her popular social media livestreams are a sustainable way to market her trendy phone cases. And Henry in Charlotte wants to turn his mouth rinse for coffee drinkers into a mainstream oral care brand.

Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company—Jones Road—at the age of 62.

Thank you to the founders of Cabbage Labs, AbbyRose, and Tannin Oral Care for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ founding story as told by Bobbi on the show in 2018.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3040 no MadeGood: Salma and Nima Fotovat Lost Their First Business.They Grew Their Next One Into a Snack Giant. What do you do when the family business you've spent decades building... gets bought out from under you?&nbsp; That’s what happened to Nima and Salma Fotovat. Devastated, the family rebuilt a new company from the ground up. This time they set out with a new idea: build an allergen-free, organic snack brand not just for kids, but their parents.&nbsp;&nbsp; Their new brand: MadeGood. Today, the Canadian brand’s parent company does hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. But getting there meant rebuilding from scratch, fixing 200,000 mislabeled snack bars by hand, and turning a family of co-packers into branding experts. What you'll learn: How owning manufacturing can be a competitive edge How they grew a national brand with almost no marketing.&nbsp; Why it can be a winning strategy to say "yes" before you know how&nbsp; Introducing new products: the tension between research and emotion&nbsp;&nbsp; The mindset that can help you rebuild after a devastating setback Timestamps: 3:40 - Growing up in Iran during wartime, and emigrating to Canada&nbsp; 09:30 - Their dad’s new business: “Why are North Americans not eating nougat?”&nbsp;&nbsp; 17:00 - Building the family’s first snack bar brand—and losing it overnight 29:40 - The next business: going all in on healthier school snacks 37:50 - Fixing a 200,000-bar production error with alcohol wipes&nbsp; 42:20 - Landing MadeGood’s first retail store 45:00 - The 100-mile radius marketing strategy&nbsp; 51:00 - The lure of new products: from human treats to dog treats&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Aug 2026 07:10:00 -0000 MadeGood: Salma and Nima Fotovat Lost Their First Business.They Grew Their Next One Into a Snack Giant. full 860 Guy Raz | Vox Media What do you do when the family business you've spent decades building... gets bought out from under you? That’s what happened to Nima and Salma Fotovat.Devastated, the family rebuilt a new company from the ground up. This time they set out with a new idea: build an allergen-free, organic snack brand not just for kids, but their parents.  Their new brand: MadeGood.Today, the Canadian brand’s parent company does hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. But getting there meant rebuilding from scratch, fixing 200,000 mislabeled snack bars by hand, and turning a family of co-packers into branding experts.What you'll learn:How owning manufacturing can be a competitive edgeHow they grew a national brand with almost no marketing. Why it can be a winning strategy to say "yes" before you know how Introducing new products: the tension between research and emotion  The mindset that can help you rebuild after a devastating setbackTimestamps:3:40 - Growing up in Iran during wartime, and emigrating to Canada 09:30 - Their dad’s new business: “Why are North Americans not eating nougat?”  17:00 - Building the family’s first snack bar brand—and losing it overnight29:40 - The next business: going all in on healthier school snacks37:50 - Fixing a 200,000-bar production error with alcohol wipes 42:20 - Landing MadeGood’s first retail store45:00 - The 100-mile radius marketing strategy 51:00 - The lure of new products: from human treats to dog treats  What do you do when the family business you've spent decades building... gets bought out from under you?&nbsp; That’s what happened to Nima and Salma Fotovat. Devastated, the family rebuilt a new company from the ground up. This time they set out with a new idea: build an allergen-free, organic snack brand not just for kids, but their parents.&nbsp;&nbsp; Their new brand: MadeGood. Today, the Canadian brand’s parent company does hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. But getting there meant rebuilding from scratch, fixing 200,000 mislabeled snack bars by hand, and turning a family of co-packers into branding experts. What you'll learn: How owning manufacturing can be a competitive edge How they grew a national brand with almost no marketing.&nbsp; Why it can be a winning strategy to say "yes" before you know how&nbsp; Introducing new products: the tension between research and emotion&nbsp;&nbsp; The mindset that can help you rebuild after a devastating setback Timestamps: 3:40 - Growing up in Iran during wartime, and emigrating to Canada&nbsp; 09:30 - Their dad’s new business: “Why are North Americans not eating nougat?”&nbsp;&nbsp; 17:00 - Building the family’s first snack bar brand—and losing it overnight 29:40 - The next business: going all in on healthier school snacks 37:50 - Fixing a 200,000-bar production error with alcohol wipes&nbsp; 42:20 - Landing MadeGood’s first retail store 45:00 - The 100-mile radius marketing strategy&nbsp; 51:00 - The lure of new products: from human treats to dog treats&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What do you do when the family business you've spent decades building... gets bought out from under you? 

That’s what happened to Nima and Salma Fotovat.

Devastated, the family rebuilt a new company from the ground up. This time they set out with a new idea: build an allergen-free, organic snack brand not just for kids, but their parents.  

Their new brand: MadeGood.

Today, the Canadian brand’s parent company does hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. But getting there meant rebuilding from scratch, fixing 200,000 mislabeled snack bars by hand, and turning a family of co-packers into branding experts.


What you'll learn:

  • How owning manufacturing can be a competitive edge
  • How they grew a national brand with almost no marketing. 
  • Why it can be a winning strategy to say "yes" before you know how 
  • Introducing new products: the tension between research and emotion  
  • The mindset that can help you rebuild after a devastating setback


Timestamps:

3:40 - Growing up in Iran during wartime, and emigrating to Canada 

09:30 - Their dad’s new business: “Why are North Americans not eating nougat?”  

17:00 - Building the family’s first snack bar brand—and losing it overnight

29:40 - The next business: going all in on healthier school snacks

37:50 - Fixing a 200,000-bar production error with alcohol wipes 

42:20 - Landing MadeGood’s first retail store

45:00 - The 100-mile radius marketing strategy 

51:00 - The lure of new products: from human treats to dog treats 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4168 no Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions" Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is exploring the best way to reach style-conscious parents with her line of children’s clothes. And Sandy in Colorado is seeking the ideal pricing strategy to bring his adaptive test prep platform to schools nationwide. Thank you to the founders of Hearsay Brewing and Theater, Tres London and Brain Buffs for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to our Advice Line episodes with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Sarah LaFleur of M.M LaFleur and Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions" full 859 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is exploring the best way to reach style-conscious parents with her line of children’s clothes. And Sandy in Colorado is seeking the ideal pricing strategy to bring his adaptive test prep platform to schools nationwide.Thank you to the founders of Hearsay Brewing and Theater, Tres London and Brain Buffs for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to our Advice Line episodes with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Sarah LaFleur of M.M LaFleur and Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is exploring the best way to reach style-conscious parents with her line of children’s clothes. And Sandy in Colorado is seeking the ideal pricing strategy to bring his adaptive test prep platform to schools nationwide. Thank you to the founders of Hearsay Brewing and Theater, Tres London and Brain Buffs for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to our Advice Line episodes with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Sarah LaFleur of M.M LaFleur and Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is exploring the best way to reach style-conscious parents with her line of children’s clothes. And Sandy in Colorado is seeking the ideal pricing strategy to bring his adaptive test prep platform to schools nationwide.

Thank you to the founders of Hearsay Brewing and Theater, Tres London and Brain Buffs for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 


And be sure to listen to our Advice Line episodes with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Sarah LaFleur of M.M LaFleur and Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2876 no Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It Many founders think the hardest thing about business is finding customers. It's not. It's surviving success. When Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan launched a luxury baby linen business, they had no manufacturing experience, no inventory, and barely any capital. But after their first catalog landed just as a major competitor left the market, orders flooded in almost overnight. The problem? They hadn’t made the products yet.&nbsp; Today, Serena and Lily has grown into one of the best known luxury home goods brands in the country.&nbsp;But getting there was a grind.&nbsp; This is one of the most revealing conversations we've ever had about unplanned opportunities,&nbsp;and the hidden cost of taking outside investment. From financing their first inventory with customer deposits... to walking away from a disastrous investment deal... to nearly losing control of the company they built,&nbsp;this episode is a masterclass in what happens when rapid growth collides with the realities of cash flow. You Will Learn:&nbsp; The clever way Serena & Lily financed its first production run How one perfectly timed opportunity launched the business Why "smart money" isn't always smart How investor and founder incentives can be completely misaligned The warning signs hidden inside a term sheet Timestamps: 03:46 – Lily's years at Microsoft, and the money that helped launch a business 09:30 – Serena repaints an old table and discovers people will pay for her designs&nbsp; 21:56 – “No bunnies, ducks or choo choo trains.”&nbsp;Lily and Serena meet, and decide to sell high-end baby linen:&nbsp; 31:21 – $100,000 in orders... for products that didn't exist yet 32:58 – The cash-flow hack that kept the company afloat&nbsp; 41:34 – “They patted us on the head.”&nbsp;Patronizing investors,&nbsp;and a predatory term sheet&nbsp; 46:48 – The financial crisis forces a complete reinvention of the business 52:37 – The lawsuit, the boardroom battle, and the investor who nearly brought Serena & Lily down 57:16 – Why acquisition offers couldn't save the company—and the lesson every founder should hear This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It full 858 Guy Raz | Vox Media Many founders think the hardest thing about business is finding customers.It's not.It's surviving success.When Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan launched a luxury baby linen business, they had no manufacturing experience, no inventory, and barely any capital. But after their first catalog landed just as a major competitor left the market, orders flooded in almost overnight.The problem? They hadn’t made the products yet. Today, Serena and Lily has grown into one of the best known luxury home goods brands in the country. But getting there was a grind. This is one of the most revealing conversations we've ever had about unplanned opportunities, and the hidden cost of taking outside investment. From financing their first inventory with customer deposits... to walking away from a disastrous investment deal... to nearly losing control of the company they built, this episode is a masterclass in what happens when rapid growth collides with the realities of cash flow.You Will Learn: The clever way Serena &amp; Lily financed its first production runHow one perfectly timed opportunity launched the businessWhy "smart money" isn't always smartHow investor and founder incentives can be completely misalignedThe warning signs hidden inside a term sheetTimestamps:03:46 – Lily's years at Microsoft, and the money that helped launch a business09:30 – Serena repaints an old table and discovers people will pay for her designs 21:56 – “No bunnies, ducks or choo choo trains.” Lily and Serena meet, and decide to sell high-end baby linen: 31:21 – $100,000 in orders... for products that didn't exist yet32:58 – The cash-flow hack that kept the company afloat 41:34 – “They patted us on the head.” Patronizing investors, and a predatory term sheet 46:48 – The financial crisis forces a complete reinvention of the business52:37 – The lawsuit, the boardroom battle, and the investor who nearly brought Serena &amp; Lily down57:16 – Why acquisition offers couldn't save the company—and the lesson every founder should hearThis episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Many founders think the hardest thing about business is finding customers. It's not. It's surviving success. When Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan launched a luxury baby linen business, they had no manufacturing experience, no inventory, and barely any capital. But after their first catalog landed just as a major competitor left the market, orders flooded in almost overnight. The problem? They hadn’t made the products yet.&nbsp; Today, Serena and Lily has grown into one of the best known luxury home goods brands in the country.&nbsp;But getting there was a grind.&nbsp; This is one of the most revealing conversations we've ever had about unplanned opportunities,&nbsp;and the hidden cost of taking outside investment. From financing their first inventory with customer deposits... to walking away from a disastrous investment deal... to nearly losing control of the company they built,&nbsp;this episode is a masterclass in what happens when rapid growth collides with the realities of cash flow. You Will Learn:&nbsp; The clever way Serena & Lily financed its first production run How one perfectly timed opportunity launched the business Why "smart money" isn't always smart How investor and founder incentives can be completely misaligned The warning signs hidden inside a term sheet Timestamps: 03:46 – Lily's years at Microsoft, and the money that helped launch a business 09:30 – Serena repaints an old table and discovers people will pay for her designs&nbsp; 21:56 – “No bunnies, ducks or choo choo trains.”&nbsp;Lily and Serena meet, and decide to sell high-end baby linen:&nbsp; 31:21 – $100,000 in orders... for products that didn't exist yet 32:58 – The cash-flow hack that kept the company afloat&nbsp; 41:34 – “They patted us on the head.”&nbsp;Patronizing investors,&nbsp;and a predatory term sheet&nbsp; 46:48 – The financial crisis forces a complete reinvention of the business 52:37 – The lawsuit, the boardroom battle, and the investor who nearly brought Serena & Lily down 57:16 – Why acquisition offers couldn't save the company—and the lesson every founder should hear This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Many founders think the hardest thing about business is finding customers.

It's not.

It's surviving success.

When Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan launched a luxury baby linen business, they had no manufacturing experience, no inventory, and barely any capital. But after their first catalog landed just as a major competitor left the market, orders flooded in almost overnight.

The problem? They hadn’t made the products yet. 

Today, Serena and Lily has grown into one of the best known luxury home goods brands in the country. But getting there was a grind. 

This is one of the most revealing conversations we've ever had about unplanned opportunities, and the hidden cost of taking outside investment. From financing their first inventory with customer deposits... to walking away from a disastrous investment deal... to nearly losing control of the company they built, this episode is a masterclass in what happens when rapid growth collides with the realities of cash flow.


You Will Learn: 

  • The clever way Serena & Lily financed its first production run
  • How one perfectly timed opportunity launched the business
  • Why "smart money" isn't always smart
  • How investor and founder incentives can be completely misaligned
  • The warning signs hidden inside a term sheet


Timestamps:

03:46 – Lily's years at Microsoft, and the money that helped launch a business

09:30 – Serena repaints an old table and discovers people will pay for her designs 

21:56 – “No bunnies, ducks or choo choo trains.” Lily and Serena meet, and decide to sell high-end baby linen: 

31:21 – $100,000 in orders... for products that didn't exist yet

32:58 – The cash-flow hack that kept the company afloat 

41:34 – “They patted us on the head.” Patronizing investors, and a predatory term sheet 

46:48 – The financial crisis forces a complete reinvention of the business

52:37 – The lawsuit, the boardroom battle, and the investor who nearly brought Serena & Lily down

57:16 – Why acquisition offers couldn't save the company—and the lesson every founder should hear


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.



Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4769 no Advice Line with Chris Riccobono of UNTUCKit Today’s callers: Adrian from California wants to grow his apparel company to complete with big-name athletic brands. Then, Preet from the Rockies looks for strategies to reach seniors and their children with his daily check-in app. And Derek from Virginia considers social media and professional partnerships to advertise his hockey equipment brand.&nbsp; Plus, Chris talks about launching a new athletic apparel brand while continuing to grow UNTUCKit. Thank you to the founders of Eras Shorts, Snug Safety, and Hockey Ninja for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to UNTUCKit’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Chris Riccobono of UNTUCKit full 857 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Adrian from California wants to grow his apparel company to complete with big-name athletic brands. Then, Preet from the Rockies looks for strategies to reach seniors and their children with his daily check-in app. And Derek from Virginia considers social media and professional partnerships to advertise his hockey equipment brand. Plus, Chris talks about launching a new athletic apparel brand while continuing to grow UNTUCKit.Thank you to the founders of Eras Shorts, Snug Safety, and Hockey Ninja for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to UNTUCKit’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Adrian from California wants to grow his apparel company to complete with big-name athletic brands. Then, Preet from the Rockies looks for strategies to reach seniors and their children with his daily check-in app. And Derek from Virginia considers social media and professional partnerships to advertise his hockey equipment brand.&nbsp; Plus, Chris talks about launching a new athletic apparel brand while continuing to grow UNTUCKit. Thank you to the founders of Eras Shorts, Snug Safety, and Hockey Ninja for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to UNTUCKit’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Adrian from California wants to grow his apparel company to complete with big-name athletic brands. Then, Preet from the Rockies looks for strategies to reach seniors and their children with his daily check-in app. And Derek from Virginia considers social media and professional partnerships to advertise his hockey equipment brand. 


Plus, Chris talks about launching a new athletic apparel brand while continuing to grow UNTUCKit.


Thank you to the founders of Eras Shorts, Snug Safety, and Hockey Ninja for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 


And be sure to listen to UNTUCKit’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2838 no Sweetwater: Chuck Surack. How a Customer Service Strategy Built a Billion Dollar Online Pro Audio and Music Company. Chuck Surack never planned to build one of America's largest online retailers. He just wanted to be a musician. So right after high school, he took his sax and drove off in his old VW van to play gigs around the country.&nbsp; It didn’t work out. But with the audio and mixing skills Chuck learned gigging, he decided to convert his van into a mobile recording studio - and started making money fast by making recordings of local bands, businesses, and schools. The game-changer came as a one-two-three punch: first, he created a new product&nbsp;- digitized sound libraries - to sell nationally; second, he started selling high end pro audio gear; third, he instituted a sales culture hyper-focused on customers and relationship-building that resulted in Sweetwater’s enormous and super loyal online customer base.&nbsp; In this episode, Chuck shares how he built a retail giant from his garage, why customer service became his greatest competitive advantage, and why, even in the age of AI, human relationships remain one of the most valuable assets any business can build.&nbsp; What you'll learn The hiring philosophy that transformed customer service into a competitive moat and has helped Sweetwater fend off much larger competitors Why under-cutting competitor prices and offering discounts isn’t always the answer to fuel sales and growth&nbsp; Why the best salespeople aren’t always don’t think of themselves as salespeople - and don’t have to come from sales or marketing backgrounds Why training people—not technology—may be the biggest, best investment a company can make How saying "no" to bad products strengthened customer trust The leadership principle: empowering employees to solve problems without asking permission Timestamps 03:14 — The saxophone player who never meant to build a billion-dollar company 06:46 — How turning his VW van into a mobile recording studio was the first step in building a business 12:12 — The $20,000 keyboard synthesizer that changed his life forever 19:02 — Chuck gets into retail - almost in spite of himself 29:59 — Why Sweetwater refused to compete on price 33:11 — How Chuck and his early team started to learn the power of customer service 40:05 — Inside "Sweetwater University" and being a Sales Engineer: 13 weeks of training before an employee answers the phone 42:15 — Leadership rule for employees: Never ask permission to do the right thing 57:09 — Why Amazon hasn’t stopped him This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Carla Esteves. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Sweetwater: Chuck Surack. How a Customer Service Strategy Built a Billion Dollar Online Pro Audio and Music Company. full 856 Guy Raz | Vox Media Chuck Surack never planned to build one of America's largest online retailers. He just wanted to be a musician. So right after high school, he took his sax and drove off in his old VW van to play gigs around the country. It didn’t work out. But with the audio and mixing skills Chuck learned gigging, he decided to convert his van into a mobile recording studio - and started making money fast by making recordings of local bands, businesses, and schools.The game-changer came as a one-two-three punch: first, he created a new product - digitized sound libraries - to sell nationally; second, he started selling high end pro audio gear; third, he instituted a sales culture hyper-focused on customers and relationship-building that resulted in Sweetwater’s enormous and super loyal online customer base. In this episode, Chuck shares how he built a retail giant from his garage, why customer service became his greatest competitive advantage, and why, even in the age of AI, human relationships remain one of the most valuable assets any business can build. What you'll learnThe hiring philosophy that transformed customer service into a competitive moat and has helped Sweetwater fend off much larger competitorsWhy under-cutting competitor prices and offering discounts isn’t always the answer to fuel sales and growth Why the best salespeople aren’t always don’t think of themselves as salespeople - and don’t have to come from sales or marketing backgroundsWhy training people—not technology—may be the biggest, best investment a company can makeHow saying "no" to bad products strengthened customer trustThe leadership principle: empowering employees to solve problems without asking permissionTimestamps03:14 — The saxophone player who never meant to build a billion-dollar company06:46 — How turning his VW van into a mobile recording studio was the first step in building a business12:12 — The $20,000 keyboard synthesizer that changed his life forever19:02 — Chuck gets into retail - almost in spite of himself29:59 — Why Sweetwater refused to compete on price33:11 — How Chuck and his early team started to learn the power of customer service40:05 — Inside "Sweetwater University" and being a Sales Engineer: 13 weeks of training before an employee answers the phone42:15 — Leadership rule for employees: Never ask permission to do the right thing57:09 — Why Amazon hasn’t stopped himThis episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Carla Esteves.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Chuck Surack never planned to build one of America's largest online retailers. He just wanted to be a musician. So right after high school, he took his sax and drove off in his old VW van to play gigs around the country.&nbsp; It didn’t work out. But with the audio and mixing skills Chuck learned gigging, he decided to convert his van into a mobile recording studio - and started making money fast by making recordings of local bands, businesses, and schools. The game-changer came as a one-two-three punch: first, he created a new product&nbsp;- digitized sound libraries - to sell nationally; second, he started selling high end pro audio gear; third, he instituted a sales culture hyper-focused on customers and relationship-building that resulted in Sweetwater’s enormous and super loyal online customer base.&nbsp; In this episode, Chuck shares how he built a retail giant from his garage, why customer service became his greatest competitive advantage, and why, even in the age of AI, human relationships remain one of the most valuable assets any business can build.&nbsp; What you'll learn The hiring philosophy that transformed customer service into a competitive moat and has helped Sweetwater fend off much larger competitors Why under-cutting competitor prices and offering discounts isn’t always the answer to fuel sales and growth&nbsp; Why the best salespeople aren’t always don’t think of themselves as salespeople - and don’t have to come from sales or marketing backgrounds Why training people—not technology—may be the biggest, best investment a company can make How saying "no" to bad products strengthened customer trust The leadership principle: empowering employees to solve problems without asking permission Timestamps 03:14 — The saxophone player who never meant to build a billion-dollar company 06:46 — How turning his VW van into a mobile recording studio was the first step in building a business 12:12 — The $20,000 keyboard synthesizer that changed his life forever 19:02 — Chuck gets into retail - almost in spite of himself 29:59 — Why Sweetwater refused to compete on price 33:11 — How Chuck and his early team started to learn the power of customer service 40:05 — Inside "Sweetwater University" and being a Sales Engineer: 13 weeks of training before an employee answers the phone 42:15 — Leadership rule for employees: Never ask permission to do the right thing 57:09 — Why Amazon hasn’t stopped him This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Carla Esteves. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Chuck Surack never planned to build one of America's largest online retailers. He just wanted to be a musician. So right after high school, he took his sax and drove off in his old VW van to play gigs around the country. 

It didn’t work out. But with the audio and mixing skills Chuck learned gigging, he decided to convert his van into a mobile recording studio - and started making money fast by making recordings of local bands, businesses, and schools.

The game-changer came as a one-two-three punch: first, he created a new product - digitized sound libraries - to sell nationally; second, he started selling high end pro audio gear; third, he instituted a sales culture hyper-focused on customers and relationship-building that resulted in Sweetwater’s enormous and super loyal online customer base. 

In this episode, Chuck shares how he built a retail giant from his garage, why customer service became his greatest competitive advantage, and why, even in the age of AI, human relationships remain one of the most valuable assets any business can build. 

What you'll learn

  • The hiring philosophy that transformed customer service into a competitive moat and has helped Sweetwater fend off much larger competitors
  • Why under-cutting competitor prices and offering discounts isn’t always the answer to fuel sales and growth 
  • Why the best salespeople aren’t always don’t think of themselves as salespeople - and don’t have to come from sales or marketing backgrounds
  • Why training people—not technology—may be the biggest, best investment a company can make
  • How saying "no" to bad products strengthened customer trust
  • The leadership principle: empowering employees to solve problems without asking permission


Timestamps

  • 03:14 — The saxophone player who never meant to build a billion-dollar company
  • 06:46 — How turning his VW van into a mobile recording studio was the first step in building a business
  • 12:12 — The $20,000 keyboard synthesizer that changed his life forever
  • 19:02 — Chuck gets into retail - almost in spite of himself
  • 29:59 — Why Sweetwater refused to compete on price
  • 33:11 — How Chuck and his early team started to learn the power of customer service
  • 40:05 — Inside "Sweetwater University" and being a Sales Engineer: 13 weeks of training before an employee answers the phone
  • 42:15 — Leadership rule for employees: Never ask permission to do the right thing
  • 57:09 — Why Amazon hasn’t stopped him


This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Carla Esteves.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4566 no Advice Line with Curt Richardson of OtterBox Today’s callers: Andy from Sarasota weighs whether the path to scalability for his live game show business is through personality or product. Then, Marissa from Tampa wants to recapture sales for her fairy tale-inspired teas after taking a hiatus to focus on her family. And Vince from New Jersey wonders how to allocate marketing dollars for&nbsp; his sustainable baby gear company.. Plus, Curt reflects on the importance of focus in sustaining OtterBox as a leading tech accessories brand over 30 years. Thank you to the founders of Mr GameShow, Gilded Coach Teas, and Evrloop for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to OtterBox's founding story as told by Curt on the show in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Curt Richardson of OtterBox full 855 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Andy from Sarasota weighs whether the path to scalability for his live game show business is through personality or product. Then, Marissa from Tampa wants to recapture sales for her fairy tale-inspired teas after taking a hiatus to focus on her family. And Vince from New Jersey wonders how to allocate marketing dollars for  his sustainable baby gear company..Plus, Curt reflects on the importance of focus in sustaining OtterBox as a leading tech accessories brand over 30 years.Thank you to the founders of Mr GameShow, Gilded Coach Teas, and Evrloop for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to OtterBox's founding story as told by Curt on the show in 2019.  This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Andy from Sarasota weighs whether the path to scalability for his live game show business is through personality or product. Then, Marissa from Tampa wants to recapture sales for her fairy tale-inspired teas after taking a hiatus to focus on her family. And Vince from New Jersey wonders how to allocate marketing dollars for&nbsp; his sustainable baby gear company.. Plus, Curt reflects on the importance of focus in sustaining OtterBox as a leading tech accessories brand over 30 years. Thank you to the founders of Mr GameShow, Gilded Coach Teas, and Evrloop for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to OtterBox's founding story as told by Curt on the show in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Andy from Sarasota weighs whether the path to scalability for his live game show business is through personality or product. Then, Marissa from Tampa wants to recapture sales for her fairy tale-inspired teas after taking a hiatus to focus on her family. And Vince from New Jersey wonders how to allocate marketing dollars for  his sustainable baby gear company..


Plus, Curt reflects on the importance of focus in sustaining OtterBox as a leading tech accessories brand over 30 years.


Thank you to the founders of Mr GameShow, Gilded Coach Teas, and Evrloop for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 


And be sure to listen to OtterBox's founding story as told by Curt on the show in 2019.  


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2557 no Toast: Aman Narang. How a Long Wait for the Dinner Check Launched a $2 Billion Business. After waiting too long to pay his restaurant bill, Aman Narang thought there had to be a better way. His first idea—a mobile payment app—flopped. But that failure revealed a much bigger opportunity. Restaurants were struggling with outdated software that many owners hated. Payment systems were expensive, unreliable, and trapped on servers hidden in back offices. Replacing them cost time and money. But that’s exactly what Aman and his co-founders set out to do: create an entirely new POS&nbsp;system for restaurants—from scratch. They worked from an unfinished basement, answered customer calls on their own phones, crashed their first restaurant on day one, survived years of rejection from investors—and eventually grew Toast into a business that generates more than $2 billion in annual revenue. In this episode, Aman shares how a failed product became a billion-dollar company. What you'll learn: How to know when it's time to pivot Why investors rejected Toast again and again How to convince customers to replace mission-critical software Why Toast intentionally stayed small before scaling The leadership lesson Aman learned after almost breaking the company How Toast survived COVID after restaurants shut down What founders should look for when choosing a co-founder Timestamps: 9:00 — The frustrating restaurant experience that inspires Toast 13:16 — The first product fails—and reveals a bigger opportunity 14:18 — Building Toast: “We grossly underappreciated what it would take.” 23:40 — Why nearly every investor said “No.” 27:51 — Toast’s disastrous first launch: writing credit card numbers by hand 29:38 — Pitching hundreds of restaurant owners before finding believers 33:28 — Why customer obsession beats competitor obsession 38:07 — Bringing in a new CEO: “We need to rethink how we do things here.”&nbsp; 46:21 — The biggest lessons from building a $2 billion company This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz YouTube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Toast: Aman Narang. How a Long Wait for the Dinner Check Launched a $2 Billion Business. full 854 Guy Raz | Vox Media After waiting too long to pay his restaurant bill, Aman Narang thought there had to be a better way. His first idea—a mobile payment app—flopped.But that failure revealed a much bigger opportunity.Restaurants were struggling with outdated software that many owners hated. Payment systems were expensive, unreliable, and trapped on servers hidden in back offices. Replacing them cost time and money.But that’s exactly what Aman and his co-founders set out to do: create an entirely new POS system for restaurants—from scratch.They worked from an unfinished basement, answered customer calls on their own phones, crashed their first restaurant on day one, survived years of rejection from investors—and eventually grew Toast into a business that generates more than $2 billion in annual revenue.In this episode, Aman shares how a failed product became a billion-dollar company.What you'll learn:How to know when it's time to pivotWhy investors rejected Toast again and againHow to convince customers to replace mission-critical softwareWhy Toast intentionally stayed small before scalingThe leadership lesson Aman learned after almost breaking the companyHow Toast survived COVID after restaurants shut downWhat founders should look for when choosing a co-founderTimestamps:9:00 — The frustrating restaurant experience that inspires Toast13:16 — The first product fails—and reveals a bigger opportunity14:18 — Building Toast: “We grossly underappreciated what it would take.”23:40 — Why nearly every investor said “No.”27:51 — Toast’s disastrous first launch: writing credit card numbers by hand29:38 — Pitching hundreds of restaurant owners before finding believers33:28 — Why customer obsession beats competitor obsession38:07 — Bringing in a new CEO: “We need to rethink how we do things here.” 46:21 — The biggest lessons from building a $2 billion companyThis episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYouTube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com After waiting too long to pay his restaurant bill, Aman Narang thought there had to be a better way. His first idea—a mobile payment app—flopped. But that failure revealed a much bigger opportunity. Restaurants were struggling with outdated software that many owners hated. Payment systems were expensive, unreliable, and trapped on servers hidden in back offices. Replacing them cost time and money. But that’s exactly what Aman and his co-founders set out to do: create an entirely new POS&nbsp;system for restaurants—from scratch. They worked from an unfinished basement, answered customer calls on their own phones, crashed their first restaurant on day one, survived years of rejection from investors—and eventually grew Toast into a business that generates more than $2 billion in annual revenue. In this episode, Aman shares how a failed product became a billion-dollar company. What you'll learn: How to know when it's time to pivot Why investors rejected Toast again and again How to convince customers to replace mission-critical software Why Toast intentionally stayed small before scaling The leadership lesson Aman learned after almost breaking the company How Toast survived COVID after restaurants shut down What founders should look for when choosing a co-founder Timestamps: 9:00 — The frustrating restaurant experience that inspires Toast 13:16 — The first product fails—and reveals a bigger opportunity 14:18 — Building Toast: “We grossly underappreciated what it would take.” 23:40 — Why nearly every investor said “No.” 27:51 — Toast’s disastrous first launch: writing credit card numbers by hand 29:38 — Pitching hundreds of restaurant owners before finding believers 33:28 — Why customer obsession beats competitor obsession 38:07 — Bringing in a new CEO: “We need to rethink how we do things here.”&nbsp; 46:21 — The biggest lessons from building a $2 billion company This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz YouTube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices After waiting too long to pay his restaurant bill, Aman Narang thought there had to be a better way. His first idea—a mobile payment app—flopped.

But that failure revealed a much bigger opportunity.

Restaurants were struggling with outdated software that many owners hated. Payment systems were expensive, unreliable, and trapped on servers hidden in back offices. Replacing them cost time and money.

But that’s exactly what Aman and his co-founders set out to do: create an entirely new POS system for restaurants—from scratch.

They worked from an unfinished basement, answered customer calls on their own phones, crashed their first restaurant on day one, survived years of rejection from investors—and eventually grew Toast into a business that generates more than $2 billion in annual revenue.

In this episode, Aman shares how a failed product became a billion-dollar company.


What you'll learn:

  • How to know when it's time to pivot
  • Why investors rejected Toast again and again
  • How to convince customers to replace mission-critical software
  • Why Toast intentionally stayed small before scaling
  • The leadership lesson Aman learned after almost breaking the company
  • How Toast survived COVID after restaurants shut down
  • What founders should look for when choosing a co-founder


Timestamps:

  • 9:00 — The frustrating restaurant experience that inspires Toast
  • 13:16 — The first product fails—and reveals a bigger opportunity
  • 14:18 — Building Toast: “We grossly underappreciated what it would take.”
  • 23:40 — Why nearly every investor said “No.”
  • 27:51 — Toast’s disastrous first launch: writing credit card numbers by hand
  • 29:38 — Pitching hundreds of restaurant owners before finding believers
  • 33:28 — Why customer obsession beats competitor obsession
  • 38:07 — Bringing in a new CEO: “We need to rethink how we do things here.” 
  • 46:21 — The biggest lessons from building a $2 billion company


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

YouTube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3287 no Advice Line with Kenneth Cole Today’s callers: Matt from New York City unpacks the stigma working against his line of foot wellness products. Then Emefa in Toronto seeks a direct relationship with customers of her fashion brand in the wake of a key retailer going out of business. Finally, Levi in Rhode Island explores new audiences and product lines for his commemorative golf sculpture business. Plus, Kenneth and Guy discuss how to make social impact a real part of your business model. Thank you to the founders of Pedestrian Project, ISRAELLA KOBLA, and Swing Sculpt for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Kenneth Cole’s founding story as told on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Kenneth Cole full 853 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Matt from New York City unpacks the stigma working against his line of foot wellness products. Then Emefa in Toronto seeks a direct relationship with customers of her fashion brand in the wake of a key retailer going out of business. Finally, Levi in Rhode Island explores new audiences and product lines for his commemorative golf sculpture business.Plus, Kenneth and Guy discuss how to make social impact a real part of your business model.Thank you to the founders of Pedestrian Project, ISRAELLA KOBLA, and Swing Sculpt for joining us on the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Kenneth Cole’s founding story as told on the show in 2020.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Matt from New York City unpacks the stigma working against his line of foot wellness products. Then Emefa in Toronto seeks a direct relationship with customers of her fashion brand in the wake of a key retailer going out of business. Finally, Levi in Rhode Island explores new audiences and product lines for his commemorative golf sculpture business. Plus, Kenneth and Guy discuss how to make social impact a real part of your business model. Thank you to the founders of Pedestrian Project, ISRAELLA KOBLA, and Swing Sculpt for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Kenneth Cole’s founding story as told on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Matt from New York City unpacks the stigma working against his line of foot wellness products. Then Emefa in Toronto seeks a direct relationship with customers of her fashion brand in the wake of a key retailer going out of business. Finally, Levi in Rhode Island explores new audiences and product lines for his commemorative golf sculpture business.

Plus, Kenneth and Guy discuss how to make social impact a real part of your business model.

Thank you to the founders of Pedestrian Project, ISRAELLA KOBLA, and Swing Sculpt for joining us on the show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Kenneth Cole’s founding story as told on the show in 2020.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2784 no Sun Bum: Tom Rinks. The Secrets of a Master Brand Builder (2023) Tom Rinks got his start in the commission-only "shark tank" of midwestern furniture sales. That’s where he learned what makes customers buy. Decades later, those instincts helped him grow a joke of a side hustle into a $400 million success. In 2009, he created the iconic branding for an obscure sun tan lotion, drawing on a mish-mash of surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. Sun Bum became a huge success, but even before that, Tom helped boost a wildly diverse range of brands: a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and the ubiquitous “Yo quiero Taco Bell” campaign. All were successful, though it took a prolonged legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell chihuahua.&nbsp; In this episode, Tom reveals how he learned to manipulate consumer psychology, survive the brutal warfare of a stolen idea, and engineer a brand explosion on his own terms.&nbsp; WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Chihuahuas and Apes: How the Right Mascot can Transform a Brand&nbsp; What it takes to survive a five-year legal battle against a corporate titan. The "Elvis Principle:”&nbsp;How combining unexpected design elements can create an unforgettable package&nbsp; The "Trojan Horse" Strategy: Why forcing retailers to buy a massive display creates the illusion of a brand overnight. TIMESTAMPS 05:50 - What selling furniture taught Tom about customer psychology 07:00 - How the Slogan“Surf Michigan” got him into the T-shirt Business&nbsp; 22:42 - Psycho Chihuahua, Taco Bell, and the Branding Deal that Wasn’t&nbsp; 29:09 - Inside the grueling battle over a chihuahua mascot. “I was the guy suing Taco Bell.” 34:55 - A dramatic legal verdict, and Tom’s branding business takes off with fancy Tequila&nbsp; 45:07 - The sun screen opportunity: “I saw a gigantic hole that you could drive through.”&nbsp;&nbsp; 50:23 - How Tom and his partner came up with their “badass ape” logo&nbsp; 1:01:26 - Opening&nbsp;(fake) Sun Bum headquarters in Cocoa Beach, Fla 1:04:21- Early store displays and making the brand seem bigger than it was&nbsp;&nbsp; 1:08:46 - A $400M sale to SC Johnson, and Tom starts a new company This episode was researched by Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Sun Bum: Tom Rinks. The Secrets of a Master Brand Builder (2023) full 852 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tom Rinks got his start in the commission-only "shark tank" of midwestern furniture sales. That’s where he learned what makes customers buy. Decades later, those instincts helped him grow a joke of a side hustle into a $400 million success.In 2009, he created the iconic branding for an obscure sun tan lotion, drawing on a mish-mash of surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. Sun Bum became a huge success, but even before that, Tom helped boost a wildly diverse range of brands: a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and the ubiquitous “Yo quiero Taco Bell” campaign. All were successful, though it took a prolonged legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell chihuahua. In this episode, Tom reveals how he learned to manipulate consumer psychology, survive the brutal warfare of a stolen idea, and engineer a brand explosion on his own terms. WHAT YOU'LL LEARNChihuahuas and Apes: How the Right Mascot can Transform a Brand What it takes to survive a five-year legal battle against a corporate titan.The "Elvis Principle:” How combining unexpected design elements can create an unforgettable package The "Trojan Horse" Strategy: Why forcing retailers to buy a massive display creates the illusion of a brand overnight.TIMESTAMPS05:50 - What selling furniture taught Tom about customer psychology07:00 - How the Slogan“Surf Michigan” got him into the T-shirt Business 22:42 - Psycho Chihuahua, Taco Bell, and the Branding Deal that Wasn’t 29:09 - Inside the grueling battle over a chihuahua mascot. “I was the guy suing Taco Bell.”34:55 - A dramatic legal verdict, and Tom’s branding business takes off with fancy Tequila 45:07 - The sun screen opportunity: “I saw a gigantic hole that you could drive through.”  50:23 - How Tom and his partner came up with their “badass ape” logo 1:01:26 - Opening (fake) Sun Bum headquarters in Cocoa Beach, Fla1:04:21- Early store displays and making the brand seem bigger than it was  1:08:46 - A $400M sale to SC Johnson, and Tom starts a new companyThis episode was researched by Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Tom Rinks got his start in the commission-only "shark tank" of midwestern furniture sales. That’s where he learned what makes customers buy. Decades later, those instincts helped him grow a joke of a side hustle into a $400 million success. In 2009, he created the iconic branding for an obscure sun tan lotion, drawing on a mish-mash of surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. Sun Bum became a huge success, but even before that, Tom helped boost a wildly diverse range of brands: a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and the ubiquitous “Yo quiero Taco Bell” campaign. All were successful, though it took a prolonged legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell chihuahua.&nbsp; In this episode, Tom reveals how he learned to manipulate consumer psychology, survive the brutal warfare of a stolen idea, and engineer a brand explosion on his own terms.&nbsp; WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Chihuahuas and Apes: How the Right Mascot can Transform a Brand&nbsp; What it takes to survive a five-year legal battle against a corporate titan. The "Elvis Principle:”&nbsp;How combining unexpected design elements can create an unforgettable package&nbsp; The "Trojan Horse" Strategy: Why forcing retailers to buy a massive display creates the illusion of a brand overnight. TIMESTAMPS 05:50 - What selling furniture taught Tom about customer psychology 07:00 - How the Slogan“Surf Michigan” got him into the T-shirt Business&nbsp; 22:42 - Psycho Chihuahua, Taco Bell, and the Branding Deal that Wasn’t&nbsp; 29:09 - Inside the grueling battle over a chihuahua mascot. “I was the guy suing Taco Bell.” 34:55 - A dramatic legal verdict, and Tom’s branding business takes off with fancy Tequila&nbsp; 45:07 - The sun screen opportunity: “I saw a gigantic hole that you could drive through.”&nbsp;&nbsp; 50:23 - How Tom and his partner came up with their “badass ape” logo&nbsp; 1:01:26 - Opening&nbsp;(fake) Sun Bum headquarters in Cocoa Beach, Fla 1:04:21- Early store displays and making the brand seem bigger than it was&nbsp;&nbsp; 1:08:46 - A $400M sale to SC Johnson, and Tom starts a new company This episode was researched by Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tom Rinks got his start in the commission-only "shark tank" of midwestern furniture sales. That’s where he learned what makes customers buy. Decades later, those instincts helped him grow a joke of a side hustle into a $400 million success.

In 2009, he created the iconic branding for an obscure sun tan lotion, drawing on a mish-mash of surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. Sun Bum became a huge success, but even before that, Tom helped boost a wildly diverse range of brands: a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and the ubiquitous “Yo quiero Taco Bell” campaign. All were successful, though it took a prolonged legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell chihuahua. 

In this episode, Tom reveals how he learned to manipulate consumer psychology, survive the brutal warfare of a stolen idea, and engineer a brand explosion on his own terms. 


WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Chihuahuas and Apes: How the Right Mascot can Transform a Brand 
  • What it takes to survive a five-year legal battle against a corporate titan.
  • The "Elvis Principle:” How combining unexpected design elements can create an unforgettable package 
  • The "Trojan Horse" Strategy: Why forcing retailers to buy a massive display creates the illusion of a brand overnight.


TIMESTAMPS

  • 05:50 - What selling furniture taught Tom about customer psychology
  • 07:00 - How the Slogan“Surf Michigan” got him into the T-shirt Business 
  • 22:42 - Psycho Chihuahua, Taco Bell, and the Branding Deal that Wasn’t 
  • 29:09 - Inside the grueling battle over a chihuahua mascot. “I was the guy suing Taco Bell.”
  • 34:55 - A dramatic legal verdict, and Tom’s branding business takes off with fancy Tequila 
  • 45:07 - The sun screen opportunity: “I saw a gigantic hole that you could drive through.”  
  • 50:23 - How Tom and his partner came up with their “badass ape” logo 
  • 1:01:26 - Opening (fake) Sun Bum headquarters in Cocoa Beach, Fla
  • 1:04:21- Early store displays and making the brand seem bigger than it was  
  • 1:08:46 - A $400M sale to SC Johnson, and Tom starts a new company


This episode was researched by Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz


X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4759 no Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (2025) Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber.&nbsp; First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats. Thank you to the founders of Jesse & Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (2025) full 851 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber. First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats.Thank you to the founders of Jesse &amp; Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber.&nbsp; First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats. Thank you to the founders of Jesse & Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber. 

First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats.

Thank you to the founders of Jesse & Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2982 no Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough Krishna Kaliannan wanted to start a tech company but failed at every attempt.&nbsp; On the side, he was teaching himself how to cook with high-protein, low-sugar ingredients. Not just out of interest, but out of necessity. As a teenager, Krishna had been diagnosed with diabetes and epilepsy, meaning he adopted a keto diet long before it was trendy.&nbsp; Krishna’s home experiments with pea powder and monk fruit eventually became Catalina Crunch, one of the country’s most popular high-protein, low-carb breakfast cereals and snacks.&nbsp; In this episode, Krishna shares how a life-changing health condition sparked an obsession with healthy baking— and a brand that reimagined snacking. What You’ll Learn How to turn a health challenge into a business opportunity&nbsp; The art and science of baking with esoteric ingredients When to trust partners and when it’s best to take charge yourself Why the DTC model is great for some industries and disastrous for others Timestamps: 00:03:51 - Dealing with diabetes and epilepsy as a college student 00:10:13 - What Krishna learns from his early failures in tech 00:20:18 - The first, low-sugar cocoa puffs: “Rocks that tasted like soil.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 00:22:56 - His homemade cereal gets good enough to sell 00:28:02 - Naming the brand: classy alliteration and a nod to a Will Ferrell movie&nbsp; 00:40:11 - Learning to make cereal like the pros at Texas A&M 00:48:33 - Krishna moves from NYC to Indiana to make sure the cereal is made right 00:54:54 - Whole Foods, Costco, and becoming a household brand This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough full 850 Guy Raz | Vox Media Krishna Kaliannan wanted to start a tech company but failed at every attempt. On the side, he was teaching himself how to cook with high-protein, low-sugar ingredients. Not just out of interest, but out of necessity. As a teenager, Krishna had been diagnosed with diabetes and epilepsy, meaning he adopted a keto diet long before it was trendy. Krishna’s home experiments with pea powder and monk fruit eventually became Catalina Crunch, one of the country’s most popular high-protein, low-carb breakfast cereals and snacks. In this episode, Krishna shares how a life-changing health condition sparked an obsession with healthy baking— and a brand that reimagined snacking.What You’ll LearnHow to turn a health challenge into a business opportunity The art and science of baking with esoteric ingredientsWhen to trust partners and when it’s best to take charge yourselfWhy the DTC model is great for some industries and disastrous for othersTimestamps:00:03:51 - Dealing with diabetes and epilepsy as a college student00:10:13 - What Krishna learns from his early failures in tech00:20:18 - The first, low-sugar cocoa puffs: “Rocks that tasted like soil.”   00:22:56 - His homemade cereal gets good enough to sell00:28:02 - Naming the brand: classy alliteration and a nod to a Will Ferrell movie 00:40:11 - Learning to make cereal like the pros at Texas A&amp;M00:48:33 - Krishna moves from NYC to Indiana to make sure the cereal is made right00:54:54 - Whole Foods, Costco, and becoming a household brandThis episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Krishna Kaliannan wanted to start a tech company but failed at every attempt.&nbsp; On the side, he was teaching himself how to cook with high-protein, low-sugar ingredients. Not just out of interest, but out of necessity. As a teenager, Krishna had been diagnosed with diabetes and epilepsy, meaning he adopted a keto diet long before it was trendy.&nbsp; Krishna’s home experiments with pea powder and monk fruit eventually became Catalina Crunch, one of the country’s most popular high-protein, low-carb breakfast cereals and snacks.&nbsp; In this episode, Krishna shares how a life-changing health condition sparked an obsession with healthy baking— and a brand that reimagined snacking. What You’ll Learn How to turn a health challenge into a business opportunity&nbsp; The art and science of baking with esoteric ingredients When to trust partners and when it’s best to take charge yourself Why the DTC model is great for some industries and disastrous for others Timestamps: 00:03:51 - Dealing with diabetes and epilepsy as a college student 00:10:13 - What Krishna learns from his early failures in tech 00:20:18 - The first, low-sugar cocoa puffs: “Rocks that tasted like soil.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 00:22:56 - His homemade cereal gets good enough to sell 00:28:02 - Naming the brand: classy alliteration and a nod to a Will Ferrell movie&nbsp; 00:40:11 - Learning to make cereal like the pros at Texas A&M 00:48:33 - Krishna moves from NYC to Indiana to make sure the cereal is made right 00:54:54 - Whole Foods, Costco, and becoming a household brand This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Krishna Kaliannan wanted to start a tech company but failed at every attempt. 


On the side, he was teaching himself how to cook with high-protein, low-sugar ingredients. Not just out of interest, but out of necessity. As a teenager, Krishna had been diagnosed with diabetes and epilepsy, meaning he adopted a keto diet long before it was trendy. 


Krishna’s home experiments with pea powder and monk fruit eventually became Catalina Crunch, one of the country’s most popular high-protein, low-carb breakfast cereals and snacks. 


In this episode, Krishna shares how a life-changing health condition sparked an obsession with healthy baking— and a brand that reimagined snacking.


What You’ll Learn

  • How to turn a health challenge into a business opportunity 
  • The art and science of baking with esoteric ingredients
  • When to trust partners and when it’s best to take charge yourself
  • Why the DTC model is great for some industries and disastrous for others


Timestamps:

00:03:51 - Dealing with diabetes and epilepsy as a college student

00:10:13 - What Krishna learns from his early failures in tech

00:20:18 - The first, low-sugar cocoa puffs: “Rocks that tasted like soil.”   

00:22:56 - His homemade cereal gets good enough to sell

00:28:02 - Naming the brand: classy alliteration and a nod to a Will Ferrell movie 

00:40:11 - Learning to make cereal like the pros at Texas A&M

00:48:33 - Krishna moves from NYC to Indiana to make sure the cereal is made right

00:54:54 - Whole Foods, Costco, and becoming a household brand


This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4062 no Advice Line with Ronnen Harary of Spin Master/PAW Patrol Today’s callers: Ann from Nashville asks how to adapt her jewelry business in the face of rising gold prices. Then Felix in Martha’s Vineyard considers strategies for growing his family’s legacy honey and skincare company. Finally, Matt in Massachusetts seeks strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance at his grief-inspired brewing project.&nbsp; Plus, Ronnen and Guy discuss why your 20s are the best time to start a business.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Yearly Company, Island Bee Company and Wandering Soul Beer for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Spin Master and PAW Patrol’s founding story as told by Ronnen on the show in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Ronnen Harary of Spin Master/PAW Patrol full 849 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Ann from Nashville asks how to adapt her jewelry business in the face of rising gold prices. Then Felix in Martha’s Vineyard considers strategies for growing his family’s legacy honey and skincare company. Finally, Matt in Massachusetts seeks strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance at his grief-inspired brewing project. Plus, Ronnen and Guy discuss why your 20s are the best time to start a business. Thank you to the founders of Yearly Company, Island Bee Company and Wandering Soul Beer for joining us on the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Spin Master and PAW Patrol’s founding story as told by Ronnen on the show in 2021.  This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Ann from Nashville asks how to adapt her jewelry business in the face of rising gold prices. Then Felix in Martha’s Vineyard considers strategies for growing his family’s legacy honey and skincare company. Finally, Matt in Massachusetts seeks strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance at his grief-inspired brewing project.&nbsp; Plus, Ronnen and Guy discuss why your 20s are the best time to start a business.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Yearly Company, Island Bee Company and Wandering Soul Beer for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Spin Master and PAW Patrol’s founding story as told by Ronnen on the show in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Ann from Nashville asks how to adapt her jewelry business in the face of rising gold prices. Then Felix in Martha’s Vineyard considers strategies for growing his family’s legacy honey and skincare company. Finally, Matt in Massachusetts seeks strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance at his grief-inspired brewing project. 

Plus, Ronnen and Guy discuss why your 20s are the best time to start a business. 

Thank you to the founders of Yearly Company, Island Bee Company and Wandering Soul Beer for joining us on the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Spin Master and PAW Patrol’s founding story as told by Ronnen on the show in 2021.  

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2689 no e.l.f. Cosmetics: Joey Shamah. The Dollar Store Formula That Built a Cosmetics Giant In 2004, Joey Shamah and his partner launched a cosmetics company built on an idea that made almost no sense: Sell high-quality makeup for just $1. At the time, high quality beauty products were supposed to be expensive. The biggest brands spent fortunes on celebrity endorsements, glossy ads, and premium shelf space. And every major retailer told Joey the same thing: Your idea will never work. But Joey believed he'd found a wormhole in the beauty business: spend money on the product, not fancy packaging, marketing, or celebrity endorsements.&nbsp;Then, pass those savings on to your customers.&nbsp; The brand&nbsp;grew slowly, but Joey knew he was onto something when a bizarre rumor spread that Bloomingdale's was buying e.l.f. and raising prices. Within days, the tiny company went from a few hundred orders a week to 18,000 orders a day. What followed was a journey from a scrappy warehouse operation in New Jersey to one of the most disruptive brands in the beauty business. You'll learn: The surprising economics behind $1 lipstick Why retailers initially rejected e.l.f. How a single magazine mention launched e.l.f.'s online business The retail insight that unlocked national expansion How a false rumor generated 18,000 orders a day The emotional toll of a $225 million acquisition that collapsed at the eleventh hour&nbsp; Timestamps: 00:10:28 — How to make (decent)&nbsp;makeup for just $1 00:18:35 — The dollar stores say no 00:24:32 — Glamour comes calling, and e.l.f has 30 days to build a website 00:38:27 — The question from a Target buyer that leaves Joey speechless&nbsp; 00:39:56 — The H-E-B test that proves everyone wrong 00:46:36 — “That’s news to me!” The viral rumor that sends Joey back to China&nbsp; 00:59:42 — Scaling to tens of millions in revenue 01:07:15 — “It was crushing.” The L’oreal sale that never happened&nbsp; 01:12:02 — After e.l.f: Joey stops watching House of Cards and gets back to business This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Olivia Rockman. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 e.l.f. Cosmetics: Joey Shamah. The Dollar Store Formula That Built a Cosmetics Giant full 848 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2004, Joey Shamah and his partner launched a cosmetics company built on an idea that made almost no sense:Sell high-quality makeup for just $1.At the time, high quality beauty products were supposed to be expensive. The biggest brands spent fortunes on celebrity endorsements, glossy ads, and premium shelf space.And every major retailer told Joey the same thing:Your idea will never work.But Joey believed he'd found a wormhole in the beauty business: spend money on the product, not fancy packaging, marketing, or celebrity endorsements. Then, pass those savings on to your customers. The brand grew slowly, but Joey knew he was onto something when a bizarre rumor spread that Bloomingdale's was buying e.l.f. and raising prices. Within days, the tiny company went from a few hundred orders a week to 18,000 orders a day.What followed was a journey from a scrappy warehouse operation in New Jersey to one of the most disruptive brands in the beauty business.You'll learn:The surprising economics behind $1 lipstickWhy retailers initially rejected e.l.f.How a single magazine mention launched e.l.f.'s online businessThe retail insight that unlocked national expansionHow a false rumor generated 18,000 orders a dayThe emotional toll of a $225 million acquisition that collapsed at the eleventh hour Timestamps:00:10:28 — How to make (decent) makeup for just $100:18:35 — The dollar stores say no00:24:32 — Glamour comes calling, and e.l.f has 30 days to build a website00:38:27 — The question from a Target buyer that leaves Joey speechless 00:39:56 — The H-E-B test that proves everyone wrong00:46:36 — “That’s news to me!” The viral rumor that sends Joey back to China 00:59:42 — Scaling to tens of millions in revenue01:07:15 — “It was crushing.” The L’oreal sale that never happened 01:12:02 — After e.l.f: Joey stops watching House of Cards and gets back to businessThis episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Olivia Rockman. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com In 2004, Joey Shamah and his partner launched a cosmetics company built on an idea that made almost no sense: Sell high-quality makeup for just $1. At the time, high quality beauty products were supposed to be expensive. The biggest brands spent fortunes on celebrity endorsements, glossy ads, and premium shelf space. And every major retailer told Joey the same thing: Your idea will never work. But Joey believed he'd found a wormhole in the beauty business: spend money on the product, not fancy packaging, marketing, or celebrity endorsements.&nbsp;Then, pass those savings on to your customers.&nbsp; The brand&nbsp;grew slowly, but Joey knew he was onto something when a bizarre rumor spread that Bloomingdale's was buying e.l.f. and raising prices. Within days, the tiny company went from a few hundred orders a week to 18,000 orders a day. What followed was a journey from a scrappy warehouse operation in New Jersey to one of the most disruptive brands in the beauty business. You'll learn: The surprising economics behind $1 lipstick Why retailers initially rejected e.l.f. How a single magazine mention launched e.l.f.'s online business The retail insight that unlocked national expansion How a false rumor generated 18,000 orders a day The emotional toll of a $225 million acquisition that collapsed at the eleventh hour&nbsp; Timestamps: 00:10:28 — How to make (decent)&nbsp;makeup for just $1 00:18:35 — The dollar stores say no 00:24:32 — Glamour comes calling, and e.l.f has 30 days to build a website 00:38:27 — The question from a Target buyer that leaves Joey speechless&nbsp; 00:39:56 — The H-E-B test that proves everyone wrong 00:46:36 — “That’s news to me!” The viral rumor that sends Joey back to China&nbsp; 00:59:42 — Scaling to tens of millions in revenue 01:07:15 — “It was crushing.” The L’oreal sale that never happened&nbsp; 01:12:02 — After e.l.f: Joey stops watching House of Cards and gets back to business This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Olivia Rockman. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2004, Joey Shamah and his partner launched a cosmetics company built on an idea that made almost no sense:

Sell high-quality makeup for just $1.

At the time, high quality beauty products were supposed to be expensive. The biggest brands spent fortunes on celebrity endorsements, glossy ads, and premium shelf space.

And every major retailer told Joey the same thing:

Your idea will never work.

But Joey believed he'd found a wormhole in the beauty business: spend money on the product, not fancy packaging, marketing, or celebrity endorsements. Then, pass those savings on to your customers. 

The brand grew slowly, but Joey knew he was onto something when a bizarre rumor spread that Bloomingdale's was buying e.l.f. and raising prices. Within days, the tiny company went from a few hundred orders a week to 18,000 orders a day.

What followed was a journey from a scrappy warehouse operation in New Jersey to one of the most disruptive brands in the beauty business.


You'll learn:

  • The surprising economics behind $1 lipstick
  • Why retailers initially rejected e.l.f.
  • How a single magazine mention launched e.l.f.'s online business
  • The retail insight that unlocked national expansion
  • How a false rumor generated 18,000 orders a day
  • The emotional toll of a $225 million acquisition that collapsed at the eleventh hour 


Timestamps:

  • 00:10:28 — How to make (decent) makeup for just $1
  • 00:18:35 — The dollar stores say no
  • 00:24:32 — Glamour comes calling, and e.l.f has 30 days to build a website
  • 00:38:27 — The question from a Target buyer that leaves Joey speechless 
  • 00:39:56 — The H-E-B test that proves everyone wrong
  • 00:46:36 — “That’s news to me!” The viral rumor that sends Joey back to China 
  • 00:59:42 — Scaling to tens of millions in revenue
  • 01:07:15 — “It was crushing.” The L’oreal sale that never happened 
  • 01:12:02 — After e.l.f: Joey stops watching House of Cards and gets back to business


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Olivia Rockman. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4714 no Advice Line with Susan Griffin-Black of EO Products Today’s callers: Ruchi from Chicago looks for advice on which channels to focus distribution for her probiotic skincare line. Then Peter in San Francisco considers strategies to champion his line of organic South African wines. And Dominic from Barbados asks about expanding his specialty coffee brand into international markets like the United States. Plus, Susan discusses how people and relationships can make or break your business. Thank you to the founders of Yobee, Culture Wine, and Wyndhams Bajan Coffee Roasters for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to EO Products founding story as told by Susan Griffin-Black and Brad Black in 2019. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Susan Griffin-Black of EO Products full 847 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Ruchi from Chicago looks for advice on which channels to focus distribution for her probiotic skincare line. Then Peter in San Francisco considers strategies to champion his line of organic South African wines. And Dominic from Barbados asks about expanding his specialty coffee brand into international markets like the United States.Plus, Susan discusses how people and relationships can make or break your business.Thank you to the founders of Yobee, Culture Wine, and Wyndhams Bajan Coffee Roasters for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to EO Products founding story as told by Susan Griffin-Black and Brad Black in 2019.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Ruchi from Chicago looks for advice on which channels to focus distribution for her probiotic skincare line. Then Peter in San Francisco considers strategies to champion his line of organic South African wines. And Dominic from Barbados asks about expanding his specialty coffee brand into international markets like the United States. Plus, Susan discusses how people and relationships can make or break your business. Thank you to the founders of Yobee, Culture Wine, and Wyndhams Bajan Coffee Roasters for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to EO Products founding story as told by Susan Griffin-Black and Brad Black in 2019. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Ruchi from Chicago looks for advice on which channels to focus distribution for her probiotic skincare line. Then Peter in San Francisco considers strategies to champion his line of organic South African wines. And Dominic from Barbados asks about expanding his specialty coffee brand into international markets like the United States.

Plus, Susan discusses how people and relationships can make or break your business.

Thank you to the founders of Yobee, Culture Wine, and Wyndhams Bajan Coffee Roasters for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to EO Products founding story as told by Susan Griffin-Black and Brad Black in 2019.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2843 no STARR Restaurants: Stephen Starr. How a Non-Foodie Built Thriving Restaurants on Gut Instinct Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business. He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter. Along the way, he booked a young Jerry Seinfeld for $75, promoted shows for U2 and Madonna, and spent years pretending to be more successful than he really was. Then, in his late 30s, Stephen walked into a glitzy martini bar in New York. He was so taken with it, he decided to start his own version in Philadelphia. Today, Starr Restaurant Group generates nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue and includes some of the most successful independent restaurants in America: Pastis, Buddakan, Le Diplomate, Parc, Makoto, and dozens more. The surprising part? Stephen did not start out as a foodie. Instead, he became obsessed with the theatre of dining: design, upholstery, lighting, music. A “wow!” feeling when you walk in the door. In this conversation with Guy, Stephen talks about the hard lessons he learned in the comedy and music business, and the unexpected path he took to redefining dining. What You'll Learn: The unglamorous economics of rock concerts and restaurants How rejection, romantic heartbreak, and failure can become powerful motivators Why he believes he's spent his career "throwing the party" without attending it How building the right team of designers can make a restaurant feel magical Why Stephen says today's entrepreneurs have a much harder path than his generation did The model Stephen says new restaurateurs should follow today Timestamps: 00:03:38 — A lonely childhood: Making up skits in his room 00:07:24 — Losing his mother at age 19 00:08:52 — Starting a comedy club: Deli by day. Stand up at night 00:18:24 — Going broke and reneging on a bank loan 00:26:01 — Music promotion: Feeling like a fraud while promoting U2, Madonna 00:34:27 — A New York martini bar inspires Stephen to start his own 00:37:40 — The bold design behind a line-out-the-door restaurant 00:57:21 — Opening Buddakan in New York: “I can’t do anything better. This is Sgt. Pepper” 01:02:58 — Starting a restaurant today: “I would say don’t do it … but if you do, keep it smaller” This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 STARR Restaurants: Stephen Starr. How a Non-Foodie Built Thriving Restaurants on Gut Instinct full 846 Guy Raz | Vox Media Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business.He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter.Along the way, he booked a young Jerry Seinfeld for $75, promoted shows for U2 and Madonna, and spent years pretending to be more successful than he really was.Then, in his late 30s, Stephen walked into a glitzy martini bar in New York.He was so taken with it, he decided to start his own version in Philadelphia.Today, Starr Restaurant Group generates nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue and includes some of the most successful independent restaurants in America: Pastis, Buddakan, Le Diplomate, Parc, Makoto, and dozens more.The surprising part?Stephen did not start out as a foodie.Instead, he became obsessed with the theatre of dining: design, upholstery, lighting, music. A “wow!” feeling when you walk in the door.In this conversation with Guy, Stephen talks about the hard lessons he learned in the comedy and music business, and the unexpected path he took to redefining dining.What You'll Learn:The unglamorous economics of rock concerts and restaurantsHow rejection, romantic heartbreak, and failure can become powerful motivatorsWhy he believes he's spent his career "throwing the party" without attending itHow building the right team of designers can make a restaurant feel magicalWhy Stephen says today's entrepreneurs have a much harder path than his generation didThe model Stephen says new restaurateurs should follow todayTimestamps:00:03:38 — A lonely childhood: Making up skits in his room00:07:24 — Losing his mother at age 1900:08:52 — Starting a comedy club: Deli by day. Stand up at night00:18:24 — Going broke and reneging on a bank loan00:26:01 — Music promotion: Feeling like a fraud while promoting U2, Madonna00:34:27 — A New York martini bar inspires Stephen to start his own00:37:40 — The bold design behind a line-out-the-door restaurant00:57:21 — Opening Buddakan in New York: “I can’t do anything better. This is Sgt. Pepper”01:02:58 — Starting a restaurant today: “I would say don’t do it … but if you do, keep it smaller”This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business. He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter. Along the way, he booked a young Jerry Seinfeld for $75, promoted shows for U2 and Madonna, and spent years pretending to be more successful than he really was. Then, in his late 30s, Stephen walked into a glitzy martini bar in New York. He was so taken with it, he decided to start his own version in Philadelphia. Today, Starr Restaurant Group generates nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue and includes some of the most successful independent restaurants in America: Pastis, Buddakan, Le Diplomate, Parc, Makoto, and dozens more. The surprising part? Stephen did not start out as a foodie. Instead, he became obsessed with the theatre of dining: design, upholstery, lighting, music. A “wow!” feeling when you walk in the door. In this conversation with Guy, Stephen talks about the hard lessons he learned in the comedy and music business, and the unexpected path he took to redefining dining. What You'll Learn: The unglamorous economics of rock concerts and restaurants How rejection, romantic heartbreak, and failure can become powerful motivators Why he believes he's spent his career "throwing the party" without attending it How building the right team of designers can make a restaurant feel magical Why Stephen says today's entrepreneurs have a much harder path than his generation did The model Stephen says new restaurateurs should follow today Timestamps: 00:03:38 — A lonely childhood: Making up skits in his room 00:07:24 — Losing his mother at age 19 00:08:52 — Starting a comedy club: Deli by day. Stand up at night 00:18:24 — Going broke and reneging on a bank loan 00:26:01 — Music promotion: Feeling like a fraud while promoting U2, Madonna 00:34:27 — A New York martini bar inspires Stephen to start his own 00:37:40 — The bold design behind a line-out-the-door restaurant 00:57:21 — Opening Buddakan in New York: “I can’t do anything better. This is Sgt. Pepper” 01:02:58 — Starting a restaurant today: “I would say don’t do it … but if you do, keep it smaller” This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business.

He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter.

Along the way, he booked a young Jerry Seinfeld for $75, promoted shows for U2 and Madonna, and spent years pretending to be more successful than he really was.

Then, in his late 30s, Stephen walked into a glitzy martini bar in New York.

He was so taken with it, he decided to start his own version in Philadelphia.

Today, Starr Restaurant Group generates nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue and includes some of the most successful independent restaurants in America: Pastis, Buddakan, Le Diplomate, Parc, Makoto, and dozens more.

The surprising part?

Stephen did not start out as a foodie.

Instead, he became obsessed with the theatre of dining: design, upholstery, lighting, music. A “wow!” feeling when you walk in the door.

In this conversation with Guy, Stephen talks about the hard lessons he learned in the comedy and music business, and the unexpected path he took to redefining dining.


What You'll Learn:

  • The unglamorous economics of rock concerts and restaurants
  • How rejection, romantic heartbreak, and failure can become powerful motivators
  • Why he believes he's spent his career "throwing the party" without attending it
  • How building the right team of designers can make a restaurant feel magical
  • Why Stephen says today's entrepreneurs have a much harder path than his generation did
  • The model Stephen says new restaurateurs should follow today


Timestamps:

  • 00:03:38 — A lonely childhood: Making up skits in his room
  • 00:07:24 — Losing his mother at age 19
  • 00:08:52 — Starting a comedy club: Deli by day. Stand up at night
  • 00:18:24 — Going broke and reneging on a bank loan
  • 00:26:01 — Music promotion: Feeling like a fraud while promoting U2, Madonna
  • 00:34:27 — A New York martini bar inspires Stephen to start his own
  • 00:37:40 — The bold design behind a line-out-the-door restaurant
  • 00:57:21 — Opening Buddakan in New York: “I can’t do anything better. This is Sgt. Pepper”
  • 01:02:58 — Starting a restaurant today: “I would say don’t do it … but if you do, keep it smaller”


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4665 no Advice Line with Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics Today’s callers: Daisy in the United Kingdom looks to grow her barefoot shoe brand across the pond in the United States. Then Rachel in Pennsylvania considers private labeling for her protein-packed sprinkles. And Andrew in California wonders whether he should seek investment for his pleasantly-scented soil additive. Plus, Shazi discusses why entrepreneurship is one of the most creative outlets a person can have. Thank you to the founders of Freet Barefoot, SprinkleBites, and PlantAmika for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Happy Family Organics’ founding story as told by Shazi in 2020. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics full 845 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Daisy in the United Kingdom looks to grow her barefoot shoe brand across the pond in the United States. Then Rachel in Pennsylvania considers private labeling for her protein-packed sprinkles. And Andrew in California wonders whether he should seek investment for his pleasantly-scented soil additive.Plus, Shazi discusses why entrepreneurship is one of the most creative outlets a person can have.Thank you to the founders of Freet Barefoot, SprinkleBites, and PlantAmika for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Happy Family Organics’ founding story as told by Shazi in 2020.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Daisy in the United Kingdom looks to grow her barefoot shoe brand across the pond in the United States. Then Rachel in Pennsylvania considers private labeling for her protein-packed sprinkles. And Andrew in California wonders whether he should seek investment for his pleasantly-scented soil additive. Plus, Shazi discusses why entrepreneurship is one of the most creative outlets a person can have. Thank you to the founders of Freet Barefoot, SprinkleBites, and PlantAmika for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Happy Family Organics’ founding story as told by Shazi in 2020. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Daisy in the United Kingdom looks to grow her barefoot shoe brand across the pond in the United States. Then Rachel in Pennsylvania considers private labeling for her protein-packed sprinkles. And Andrew in California wonders whether he should seek investment for his pleasantly-scented soil additive.

Plus, Shazi discusses why entrepreneurship is one of the most creative outlets a person can have.

Thank you to the founders of Freet Barefoot, SprinkleBites, and PlantAmika for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Happy Family Organics’ founding story as told by Shazi in 2020.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2928 yes Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind.&nbsp; Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail experts couldn't understand how it would scale. But drawing on more than 20 years as a retail executive, Maxine built a massively&nbsp; successful shopping “experience,”&nbsp; where kids could stuff, dress and personalize their own stuffed animals.&nbsp; Today, Build-A-Bear has generated billions in sales, survived the decline of malls, weathered the financial crisis, and become a global brand. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN&nbsp; How a failed errand—and an offhand comment by a kid–inspired a business plan&nbsp; How Maxine leveraged two decades of retail experience to launch Build-a-Bear&nbsp; How Willy Wonka and Walt Disney were early inspirations&nbsp; How she built a wedge against competitors&nbsp; How she got through the financial crisis How she knew when to step down as CEO– and how to collaborate with her successor&nbsp;&nbsp; TIMESTAMPS: &nbsp; 03:27 - A mom Who Worked for Eleanor Roosevelt 06:53 - The Impromptu Interview That Changed Maxine’s Career 14:00 - Becoming One of the Few Female Fortune 500 Executives 16:18 - Why She Walked Away From Payless 19:02 - The Beanie Baby Disappointment That Sparked Build-A-Bear 23:49 - Designing the First Store: “Make it Like Willy Wonka.” 33:13 - Opening Day — and a Line Out the Door 35:13 - Defending the Brand Against Copycats and Lawsuits 41:13 - Scaling to Hundreds of Stores and Going Public 52:15 - Letting Go: Stepping Down as CEO and Building a Legacy This episode was researched by Rommel Wood and produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire full 844 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind. Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail experts couldn't understand how it would scale.But drawing on more than 20 years as a retail executive, Maxine built a massively  successful shopping “experience,”  where kids could stuff, dress and personalize their own stuffed animals. Today, Build-A-Bear has generated billions in sales, survived the decline of malls, weathered the financial crisis, and become a global brand.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN How a failed errand—and an offhand comment by a kid–inspired a business plan How Maxine leveraged two decades of retail experience to launch Build-a-Bear How Willy Wonka and Walt Disney were early inspirations How she built a wedge against competitors How she got through the financial crisisHow she knew when to step down as CEO– and how to collaborate with her successor  TIMESTAMPS:  03:27 - A mom Who Worked for Eleanor Roosevelt 06:53 - The Impromptu Interview That Changed Maxine’s Career14:00 - Becoming One of the Few Female Fortune 500 Executives16:18 - Why She Walked Away From Payless19:02 - The Beanie Baby Disappointment That Sparked Build-A-Bear23:49 - Designing the First Store: “Make it Like Willy Wonka.”33:13 - Opening Day — and a Line Out the Door35:13 - Defending the Brand Against Copycats and Lawsuits41:13 - Scaling to Hundreds of Stores and Going Public52:15 - Letting Go: Stepping Down as CEO and Building a LegacyThis episode was researched by Rommel Wood and produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind.&nbsp; Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail experts couldn't understand how it would scale. But drawing on more than 20 years as a retail executive, Maxine built a massively&nbsp; successful shopping “experience,”&nbsp; where kids could stuff, dress and personalize their own stuffed animals.&nbsp; Today, Build-A-Bear has generated billions in sales, survived the decline of malls, weathered the financial crisis, and become a global brand. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN&nbsp; How a failed errand—and an offhand comment by a kid–inspired a business plan&nbsp; How Maxine leveraged two decades of retail experience to launch Build-a-Bear&nbsp; How Willy Wonka and Walt Disney were early inspirations&nbsp; How she built a wedge against competitors&nbsp; How she got through the financial crisis How she knew when to step down as CEO– and how to collaborate with her successor&nbsp;&nbsp; TIMESTAMPS: &nbsp; 03:27 - A mom Who Worked for Eleanor Roosevelt 06:53 - The Impromptu Interview That Changed Maxine’s Career 14:00 - Becoming One of the Few Female Fortune 500 Executives 16:18 - Why She Walked Away From Payless 19:02 - The Beanie Baby Disappointment That Sparked Build-A-Bear 23:49 - Designing the First Store: “Make it Like Willy Wonka.” 33:13 - Opening Day — and a Line Out the Door 35:13 - Defending the Brand Against Copycats and Lawsuits 41:13 - Scaling to Hundreds of Stores and Going Public 52:15 - Letting Go: Stepping Down as CEO and Building a Legacy This episode was researched by Rommel Wood and produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind. 

Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail experts couldn't understand how it would scale.

But drawing on more than 20 years as a retail executive, Maxine built a massively  successful shopping “experience,”  where kids could stuff, dress and personalize their own stuffed animals. 

Today, Build-A-Bear has generated billions in sales, survived the decline of malls, weathered the financial crisis, and become a global brand.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN 

How a failed errand—and an offhand comment by a kid–inspired a business plan 

How Maxine leveraged two decades of retail experience to launch Build-a-Bear 

How Willy Wonka and Walt Disney were early inspirations 

How she built a wedge against competitors 

How she got through the financial crisis

How she knew when to step down as CEO– and how to collaborate with her successor  


TIMESTAMPS:

 

  • 03:27 - A mom Who Worked for Eleanor Roosevelt
  • 06:53 - The Impromptu Interview That Changed Maxine’s Career
  • 14:00 - Becoming One of the Few Female Fortune 500 Executives
  • 16:18 - Why She Walked Away From Payless
  • 19:02 - The Beanie Baby Disappointment That Sparked Build-A-Bear
  • 23:49 - Designing the First Store: “Make it Like Willy Wonka.”
  • 33:13 - Opening Day — and a Line Out the Door
  • 35:13 - Defending the Brand Against Copycats and Lawsuits
  • 41:13 - Scaling to Hundreds of Stores and Going Public
  • 52:15 - Letting Go: Stepping Down as CEO and Building a Legacy


This episode was researched by Rommel Wood and produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant. 



Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3979 no Advice Line with Christina Tosi of Milk Bar Today’s callers: Whitney in Utah&nbsp; wonders how to bridge the gap between pre-seed and institutional investment for her fitness/retail combo space. Then Chloe in the U.K. considers which markets to target for her at-home crafting kits. And Christy in Washington wants to convert gifters into repeat customers for her coffee flavoring brand. Plus, Christina’s take on why Milk Bar is better served with her as Chief Experimenter rather than Chief Executive.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of The Beau Collective, Cotton Clara, and Vashon Island Coffee Dust.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to the story of how Christina founded Milk Bar from our episode back in 2019. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Christina Tosi of Milk Bar full 843 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Whitney in Utah  wonders how to bridge the gap between pre-seed and institutional investment for her fitness/retail combo space. Then Chloe in the U.K. considers which markets to target for her at-home crafting kits. And Christy in Washington wants to convert gifters into repeat customers for her coffee flavoring brand.Plus, Christina’s take on why Milk Bar is better served with her as Chief Experimenter rather than Chief Executive.  Thank you to the founders of The Beau Collective, Cotton Clara, and Vashon Island Coffee Dust. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the story of how Christina founded Milk Bar from our episode back in 2019.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Whitney in Utah&nbsp; wonders how to bridge the gap between pre-seed and institutional investment for her fitness/retail combo space. Then Chloe in the U.K. considers which markets to target for her at-home crafting kits. And Christy in Washington wants to convert gifters into repeat customers for her coffee flavoring brand. Plus, Christina’s take on why Milk Bar is better served with her as Chief Experimenter rather than Chief Executive.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of The Beau Collective, Cotton Clara, and Vashon Island Coffee Dust.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to the story of how Christina founded Milk Bar from our episode back in 2019. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Whitney in Utah  wonders how to bridge the gap between pre-seed and institutional investment for her fitness/retail combo space. Then Chloe in the U.K. considers which markets to target for her at-home crafting kits. And Christy in Washington wants to convert gifters into repeat customers for her coffee flavoring brand.

Plus, Christina’s take on why Milk Bar is better served with her as Chief Experimenter rather than Chief Executive.  

Thank you to the founders of The Beau Collective, Cotton Clara, and Vashon Island Coffee Dust. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to the story of how Christina founded Milk Bar from our episode back in 2019.

This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2942 no Shopify: Tobias Lütke. How a snowboarder built a $150 billion business (2019) In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend. An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce software available at the time to be clunky and expensive. So he decided to write his own e-commerce software. After he launched his online snowboard business, called Snowdevil, other online merchants were so impressed with what he built that they started asking to license Tobi's software to run their own stores. Tobi and his co-founder realized that software had more potential than snowboards, so they launched the e-commerce platform Shopify in 2006. Since then, it has grown into a publicly-traded company with over 7,000 employees and $11 billion in revenue. Timestamps:&nbsp; 04:55 - Tobi discovers snowboarding–and meets his future wife–on vacation in Canada 09:00 - Building a new kind of snowboarding company 24:55 - Pivot point: skateboards or software? 29:45 - The night before Tobi’s wedding, Shopify switches business models 39:15 - The 2008 financial crisis hits… revealing a huge opportunity&nbsp; 52:45 - After a decade, Shopify goes public This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. This archive episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Shopify: Tobias Lütke. How a snowboarder built a $150 billion business (2019) full 842 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend.An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce software available at the time to be clunky and expensive.So he decided to write his own e-commerce software.After he launched his online snowboard business, called Snowdevil, other online merchants were so impressed with what he built that they started asking to license Tobi's software to run their own stores.Tobi and his co-founder realized that software had more potential than snowboards, so they launched the e-commerce platform Shopify in 2006.Since then, it has grown into a publicly-traded company with over 7,000 employees and $11 billion in revenue.Timestamps: 04:55 - Tobi discovers snowboarding–and meets his future wife–on vacation in Canada09:00 - Building a new kind of snowboarding company24:55 - Pivot point: skateboards or software?29:45 - The night before Tobi’s wedding, Shopify switches business models39:15 - The 2008 financial crisis hits… revealing a huge opportunity 52:45 - After a decade, Shopify goes publicThis episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. This archive episode was produced by Katherine Sypher.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend. An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce software available at the time to be clunky and expensive. So he decided to write his own e-commerce software. After he launched his online snowboard business, called Snowdevil, other online merchants were so impressed with what he built that they started asking to license Tobi's software to run their own stores. Tobi and his co-founder realized that software had more potential than snowboards, so they launched the e-commerce platform Shopify in 2006. Since then, it has grown into a publicly-traded company with over 7,000 employees and $11 billion in revenue. Timestamps:&nbsp; 04:55 - Tobi discovers snowboarding–and meets his future wife–on vacation in Canada 09:00 - Building a new kind of snowboarding company 24:55 - Pivot point: skateboards or software? 29:45 - The night before Tobi’s wedding, Shopify switches business models 39:15 - The 2008 financial crisis hits… revealing a huge opportunity&nbsp; 52:45 - After a decade, Shopify goes public This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. This archive episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend.

An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce software available at the time to be clunky and expensive.

So he decided to write his own e-commerce software.

After he launched his online snowboard business, called Snowdevil, other online merchants were so impressed with what he built that they started asking to license Tobi's software to run their own stores.

Tobi and his co-founder realized that software had more potential than snowboards, so they launched the e-commerce platform Shopify in 2006.

Since then, it has grown into a publicly-traded company with over 7,000 employees and $11 billion in revenue.

Timestamps: 

  • 04:55 - Tobi discovers snowboarding–and meets his future wife–on vacation in Canada
  • 09:00 - Building a new kind of snowboarding company
  • 24:55 - Pivot point: skateboards or software?
  • 29:45 - The night before Tobi’s wedding, Shopify switches business models
  • 39:15 - The 2008 financial crisis hits… revealing a huge opportunity 
  • 52:45 - After a decade, Shopify goes public

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. This archive episode was produced by Katherine Sypher.

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3753 no Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025) Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote—a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family. First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale&nbsp;is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberly in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of GOB, EB & Co, and K. Becker Designs for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Tim Ferriss’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Tim on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 May 2026 07:00:00 -0000 Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025) full 841 Guy Raz | Vox Media Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote—a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family.First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberly in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing. Thank you to the founders of GOB, EB &amp; Co, and K. Becker Designs for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Tim Ferriss’s founding story as told by Tim on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote—a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family. First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale&nbsp;is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberly in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of GOB, EB & Co, and K. Becker Designs for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Tim Ferriss’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Tim on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote—a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family.


First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberly in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing. 


Thank you to the founders of GOB, EB & Co, and K. Becker Designs for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Tim Ferriss’s founding story as told by Tim on the show in 2020. 


This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3070 no UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company. In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was where he’d find an idea or a product to bring back home to Australia to build a business. A year in, he was still looking.. But then he saw an advertisement in a surfing magazine for Australian sheepskin boots. Uggs were so widespread in Australia at the time, the name was a generic term - like flip flops - not a brand.&nbsp;Brian was immediately stoked: these boots were virtually unknown in America. If he could get ugg boots for sale in the U.S., they would be a huge success! Almost nobody else agreed. For years, Brian lived on the edge of collapse. He sold boots from the back of his van and worked construction and golf course maintenance jobs to survive. Retailers laughed him out of stores. He lost control of his company twice. At one point, he literally crawled across the floor from stress, ready to walk away forever. And yet…he kept going. What followed was one of the most unlikely brand-building stories in modern retail history — involving surf culture, trademark wars, miraculous timing, brutal financing mistakes, and a product the fashion world initially dismissed. Today, UGG generates more than $2.5 billion a year in sales. You’ll hear how Brian: Turned rejection into problems to solve Discovered marketing insights that changed UGG forever Survived years of cash-flow disasters Lost control of the company and regained it a couple of times. Used surf culture to build an emotional connection with customers Nearly quit… over and over again… And how he eventually sold UGG to footwear giant, Decker Timestamps: 07:26 Brian's eureka moment that led to the birth of UGG 10:16 The first sales trip results in ZERO sales 18:45 The mantra that kept Brian going while doing odd summer jobs to survive 26:07 Brian gets a critical lesson in marketing…from some 12-year-old kids 47:19 Brian’s most effective strategy for retail: the “Six-Pair Stocking Plan” 52:02 On track to regain his ownership - Brian hits a huge snag 57:17 A midnight phone call from Australia saves the business 01:05:18 Brian gets the last laugh in the trademark dispute - and acquires a boot factory 01:08:44 Pamela Anderson wears UGGs on the set of Baywatch 01:17:29 A chance meeting in the Atlanta airport leads to a deal to sell UGG This episode was researched and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000 UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company. full 840 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was where he’d find an idea or a product to bring back home to Australia to build a business. A year in, he was still looking..But then he saw an advertisement in a surfing magazine for Australian sheepskin boots. Uggs were so widespread in Australia at the time, the name was a generic term - like flip flops - not a brand. Brian was immediately stoked: these boots were virtually unknown in America. If he could get ugg boots for sale in the U.S., they would be a huge success! Almost nobody else agreed.For years, Brian lived on the edge of collapse. He sold boots from the back of his van and worked construction and golf course maintenance jobs to survive. Retailers laughed him out of stores. He lost control of his company twice. At one point, he literally crawled across the floor from stress, ready to walk away forever.And yet…he kept going.What followed was one of the most unlikely brand-building stories in modern retail history — involving surf culture, trademark wars, miraculous timing, brutal financing mistakes, and a product the fashion world initially dismissed.Today, UGG generates more than $2.5 billion a year in sales.You’ll hear how Brian:Turned rejection into problems to solveDiscovered marketing insights that changed UGG foreverSurvived years of cash-flow disastersLost control of the company and regained it a couple of times.Used surf culture to build an emotional connection with customersNearly quit… over and over again…And how he eventually sold UGG to footwear giant, DeckerTimestamps:07:26 Brian's eureka moment that led to the birth of UGG10:16 The first sales trip results in ZERO sales18:45 The mantra that kept Brian going while doing odd summer jobs to survive26:07 Brian gets a critical lesson in marketing…from some 12-year-old kids47:19 Brian’s most effective strategy for retail: the “Six-Pair Stocking Plan”52:02 On track to regain his ownership - Brian hits a huge snag57:17 A midnight phone call from Australia saves the business01:05:18 Brian gets the last laugh in the trademark dispute - and acquires a boot factory01:08:44 Pamela Anderson wears UGGs on the set of Baywatch01:17:29 A chance meeting in the Atlanta airport leads to a deal to sell UGGThis episode was researched and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was where he’d find an idea or a product to bring back home to Australia to build a business. A year in, he was still looking.. But then he saw an advertisement in a surfing magazine for Australian sheepskin boots. Uggs were so widespread in Australia at the time, the name was a generic term - like flip flops - not a brand.&nbsp;Brian was immediately stoked: these boots were virtually unknown in America. If he could get ugg boots for sale in the U.S., they would be a huge success! Almost nobody else agreed. For years, Brian lived on the edge of collapse. He sold boots from the back of his van and worked construction and golf course maintenance jobs to survive. Retailers laughed him out of stores. He lost control of his company twice. At one point, he literally crawled across the floor from stress, ready to walk away forever. And yet…he kept going. What followed was one of the most unlikely brand-building stories in modern retail history — involving surf culture, trademark wars, miraculous timing, brutal financing mistakes, and a product the fashion world initially dismissed. Today, UGG generates more than $2.5 billion a year in sales. You’ll hear how Brian: Turned rejection into problems to solve Discovered marketing insights that changed UGG forever Survived years of cash-flow disasters Lost control of the company and regained it a couple of times. Used surf culture to build an emotional connection with customers Nearly quit… over and over again… And how he eventually sold UGG to footwear giant, Decker Timestamps: 07:26 Brian's eureka moment that led to the birth of UGG 10:16 The first sales trip results in ZERO sales 18:45 The mantra that kept Brian going while doing odd summer jobs to survive 26:07 Brian gets a critical lesson in marketing…from some 12-year-old kids 47:19 Brian’s most effective strategy for retail: the “Six-Pair Stocking Plan” 52:02 On track to regain his ownership - Brian hits a huge snag 57:17 A midnight phone call from Australia saves the business 01:05:18 Brian gets the last laugh in the trademark dispute - and acquires a boot factory 01:08:44 Pamela Anderson wears UGGs on the set of Baywatch 01:17:29 A chance meeting in the Atlanta airport leads to a deal to sell UGG This episode was researched and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was where he’d find an idea or a product to bring back home to Australia to build a business. A year in, he was still looking..

But then he saw an advertisement in a surfing magazine for Australian sheepskin boots. Uggs were so widespread in Australia at the time, the name was a generic term - like flip flops - not a brand. Brian was immediately stoked: these boots were virtually unknown in America. If he could get ugg boots for sale in the U.S., they would be a huge success! Almost nobody else agreed.

For years, Brian lived on the edge of collapse. He sold boots from the back of his van and worked construction and golf course maintenance jobs to survive. Retailers laughed him out of stores. He lost control of his company twice. At one point, he literally crawled across the floor from stress, ready to walk away forever.

And yet…he kept going.

What followed was one of the most unlikely brand-building stories in modern retail history — involving surf culture, trademark wars, miraculous timing, brutal financing mistakes, and a product the fashion world initially dismissed.

Today, UGG generates more than $2.5 billion a year in sales.

You’ll hear how Brian:

  • Turned rejection into problems to solve
  • Discovered marketing insights that changed UGG forever
  • Survived years of cash-flow disasters
  • Lost control of the company and regained it a couple of times.
  • Used surf culture to build an emotional connection with customers
  • Nearly quit… over and over again…
  • And how he eventually sold UGG to footwear giant, Decker


Timestamps:

  • 07:26 Brian's eureka moment that led to the birth of UGG
  • 10:16 The first sales trip results in ZERO sales
  • 18:45 The mantra that kept Brian going while doing odd summer jobs to survive
  • 26:07 Brian gets a critical lesson in marketing…from some 12-year-old kids
  • 47:19 Brian’s most effective strategy for retail: the “Six-Pair Stocking Plan”
  • 52:02 On track to regain his ownership - Brian hits a huge snag
  • 57:17 A midnight phone call from Australia saves the business
  • 01:05:18 Brian gets the last laugh in the trademark dispute - and acquires a boot factory
  • 01:08:44 Pamela Anderson wears UGGs on the set of Baywatch
  • 01:17:29 A chance meeting in the Atlanta airport leads to a deal to sell UGG


This episode was researched and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5528 no Advice Line with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation Today’s callers: Kristina in Ohio looks for avenues beyond organic social media to market her furniture designed for toddlers and parents alike. Then Phil in Michigan considers the best messaging to brew interest in his farm-made cherry vinegar. And Caroline in California scouts new ways to cultivate curiosity around her plant-based dog food. Plus, Jeffrey discusses the quiet momentum of social businesses as they navigate ‘greenhushing’ and a polarized political climate. Thank you to the founders of Twenty Five and Pine, Red Truck Orchards, and Petaluma for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Seventh Generation’s founding story as told by Jeffrey and his co-founder Alan in 2021. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation full 839 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Kristina in Ohio looks for avenues beyond organic social media to market her furniture designed for toddlers and parents alike. Then Phil in Michigan considers the best messaging to brew interest in his farm-made cherry vinegar. And Caroline in California scouts new ways to cultivate curiosity around her plant-based dog food.Plus, Jeffrey discusses the quiet momentum of social businesses as they navigate ‘greenhushing’ and a polarized political climate.Thank you to the founders of Twenty Five and Pine, Red Truck Orchards, and Petaluma for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Seventh Generation’s founding story as told by Jeffrey and his co-founder Alan in 2021.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Kristina in Ohio looks for avenues beyond organic social media to market her furniture designed for toddlers and parents alike. Then Phil in Michigan considers the best messaging to brew interest in his farm-made cherry vinegar. And Caroline in California scouts new ways to cultivate curiosity around her plant-based dog food. Plus, Jeffrey discusses the quiet momentum of social businesses as they navigate ‘greenhushing’ and a polarized political climate. Thank you to the founders of Twenty Five and Pine, Red Truck Orchards, and Petaluma for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Seventh Generation’s founding story as told by Jeffrey and his co-founder Alan in 2021. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Kristina in Ohio looks for avenues beyond organic social media to market her furniture designed for toddlers and parents alike. Then Phil in Michigan considers the best messaging to brew interest in his farm-made cherry vinegar. And Caroline in California scouts new ways to cultivate curiosity around her plant-based dog food.

Plus, Jeffrey discusses the quiet momentum of social businesses as they navigate ‘greenhushing’ and a polarized political climate.

Thank you to the founders of Twenty Five and Pine, Red Truck Orchards, and Petaluma for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Seventh Generation’s founding story as told by Jeffrey and his co-founder Alan in 2021.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2990 no Justin’s Nut Butter: Justin Gold. He Was Waiting Tables, Then...He Reinvented Peanut Butter. At 25, Justin Gold was making experimental peanut butter in his home kitchen with a food processor and a stack of recipe journals. His singular obsession: bring new life to a tired lunchtime staple. What started as late-night experiments with honey, cinnamon and banana eventually became Justin's — one of the most influential natural food brands of the last two decades. At first, Justin got rejected by most grocery stores he approached. He worked overnight in a shared industrial kitchen, hand-filling jars one at a time. He couldn’t get a distributor, so he stocked the shelves at the Boulder Whole Foods himself. And when growth stalled… he had an idea during a mountain bike ride that would transform the company: What if peanut butter came in a squeeze pack? In this episode, Justin explains how relentless experimentation and stubbornness helped him build a category-defining brand — and how, with each entrepreneurial milestone, an even more challenging one emerged. YOU’LL LEARN:&nbsp;&nbsp; How Justin reverse-engineered flavored peanut butter in his apartment How launching in Boulder gave him a big advantage How he learned when to listen to feedback, and when to ignore it&nbsp; The deal he made with Whole Foods: “I’ll stock the shelves myself.” How the squeeze pack transformed the business, and why it almost didn’t work&nbsp; The power of naïve persistence in entrepreneurship Timestamps: 00:07:10 — The obsessive recipe experiments that became Justin’s edge 00:14:00 — Getting support from Boulder’s startup food community&nbsp; 00:19:03 — Raising $35,000– and shocking his family: “I wanna make peanut butter!”&nbsp; 00:38:11 —&nbsp;The farmers market feedback that changed the product line 00:42:16 —&nbsp;Justin talks his way into the first Whole Foods&nbsp; 00:47:07 —&nbsp;Justin’s gets into more stores, but sales start to stagnate&nbsp; 00:48:55 —&nbsp;The mountain bike ride that sparked the squeeze-pack idea&nbsp; 01:13:33 —&nbsp;The brand gets sold, Justin gets fired…and invited back This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Justin’s Nut Butter: Justin Gold. He Was Waiting Tables, Then...He Reinvented Peanut Butter. full 838 Guy Raz | Vox Media At 25, Justin Gold was making experimental peanut butter in his home kitchen with a food processor and a stack of recipe journals. His singular obsession: bring new life to a tired lunchtime staple.What started as late-night experiments with honey, cinnamon and banana eventually became Justin's — one of the most influential natural food brands of the last two decades.At first, Justin got rejected by most grocery stores he approached. He worked overnight in a shared industrial kitchen, hand-filling jars one at a time. He couldn’t get a distributor, so he stocked the shelves at the Boulder Whole Foods himself.And when growth stalled… he had an idea during a mountain bike ride that would transform the company: What if peanut butter came in a squeeze pack?In this episode, Justin explains how relentless experimentation and stubbornness helped him build a category-defining brand — and how, with each entrepreneurial milestone, an even more challenging one emerged.YOU’LL LEARN:  How Justin reverse-engineered flavored peanut butter in his apartmentHow launching in Boulder gave him a big advantageHow he learned when to listen to feedback, and when to ignore it The deal he made with Whole Foods: “I’ll stock the shelves myself.”How the squeeze pack transformed the business, and why it almost didn’t work The power of naïve persistence in entrepreneurshipTimestamps:00:07:10 — The obsessive recipe experiments that became Justin’s edge00:14:00 — Getting support from Boulder’s startup food community 00:19:03 — Raising $35,000– and shocking his family: “I wanna make peanut butter!” 00:38:11 — The farmers market feedback that changed the product line00:42:16 — Justin talks his way into the first Whole Foods 00:47:07 — Justin’s gets into more stores, but sales start to stagnate 00:48:55 — The mountain bike ride that sparked the squeeze-pack idea 01:13:33 — The brand gets sold, Justin gets fired…and invited backThis episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com At 25, Justin Gold was making experimental peanut butter in his home kitchen with a food processor and a stack of recipe journals. His singular obsession: bring new life to a tired lunchtime staple. What started as late-night experiments with honey, cinnamon and banana eventually became Justin's — one of the most influential natural food brands of the last two decades. At first, Justin got rejected by most grocery stores he approached. He worked overnight in a shared industrial kitchen, hand-filling jars one at a time. He couldn’t get a distributor, so he stocked the shelves at the Boulder Whole Foods himself. And when growth stalled… he had an idea during a mountain bike ride that would transform the company: What if peanut butter came in a squeeze pack? In this episode, Justin explains how relentless experimentation and stubbornness helped him build a category-defining brand — and how, with each entrepreneurial milestone, an even more challenging one emerged. YOU’LL LEARN:&nbsp;&nbsp; How Justin reverse-engineered flavored peanut butter in his apartment How launching in Boulder gave him a big advantage How he learned when to listen to feedback, and when to ignore it&nbsp; The deal he made with Whole Foods: “I’ll stock the shelves myself.” How the squeeze pack transformed the business, and why it almost didn’t work&nbsp; The power of naïve persistence in entrepreneurship Timestamps: 00:07:10 — The obsessive recipe experiments that became Justin’s edge 00:14:00 — Getting support from Boulder’s startup food community&nbsp; 00:19:03 — Raising $35,000– and shocking his family: “I wanna make peanut butter!”&nbsp; 00:38:11 —&nbsp;The farmers market feedback that changed the product line 00:42:16 —&nbsp;Justin talks his way into the first Whole Foods&nbsp; 00:47:07 —&nbsp;Justin’s gets into more stores, but sales start to stagnate&nbsp; 00:48:55 —&nbsp;The mountain bike ride that sparked the squeeze-pack idea&nbsp; 01:13:33 —&nbsp;The brand gets sold, Justin gets fired…and invited back This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices At 25, Justin Gold was making experimental peanut butter in his home kitchen with a food processor and a stack of recipe journals. His singular obsession: bring new life to a tired lunchtime staple.

What started as late-night experiments with honey, cinnamon and banana eventually became Justin's — one of the most influential natural food brands of the last two decades.

At first, Justin got rejected by most grocery stores he approached. He worked overnight in a shared industrial kitchen, hand-filling jars one at a time. He couldn’t get a distributor, so he stocked the shelves at the Boulder Whole Foods himself.

And when growth stalled… he had an idea during a mountain bike ride that would transform the company: What if peanut butter came in a squeeze pack?


In this episode, Justin explains how relentless experimentation and stubbornness helped him build a category-defining brand — and how, with each entrepreneurial milestone, an even more challenging one emerged.

YOU’LL LEARN:  

  • How Justin reverse-engineered flavored peanut butter in his apartment
  • How launching in Boulder gave him a big advantage
  • How he learned when to listen to feedback, and when to ignore it 
  • The deal he made with Whole Foods: “I’ll stock the shelves myself.”
  • How the squeeze pack transformed the business, and why it almost didn’t work 
  • The power of naïve persistence in entrepreneurship


Timestamps:

  • 00:07:10 — The obsessive recipe experiments that became Justin’s edge
  • 00:14:00 — Getting support from Boulder’s startup food community 
  • 00:19:03 — Raising $35,000– and shocking his family: “I wanna make peanut butter!” 
  • 00:38:11 — The farmers market feedback that changed the product line
  • 00:42:16 — Justin talks his way into the first Whole Foods 
  • 00:47:07 — Justin’s gets into more stores, but sales start to stagnate 
  • 00:48:55 — The mountain bike ride that sparked the squeeze-pack idea 
  • 01:13:33 — The brand gets sold, Justin gets fired…and invited back



This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz


X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5467 no Advice Line with Sarah LaFleur of M.M. LaFleur Today’s callers: David from New Jersey struggles with self-doubt as he works to grow his muscle-scraping soap brand. Then, Marnie from Australia wants to convince customers that her colorful tick-repellent socks are worth the premium price. And David from New York wants his company to end the practice of throwing away burned out candles.&nbsp; Plus, Sarah recounts rebuilding her brand in the wake of the pandemic and the changing fashion preferences of professional women.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Sorsoap, Tick Socks, and Siblings for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to M.M. LaFleur’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Sarah LaFleur of M.M. LaFleur full 837 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: David from New Jersey struggles with self-doubt as he works to grow his muscle-scraping soap brand. Then, Marnie from Australia wants to convince customers that her colorful tick-repellent socks are worth the premium price. And David from New York wants his company to end the practice of throwing away burned out candles. Plus, Sarah recounts rebuilding her brand in the wake of the pandemic and the changing fashion preferences of professional women. Thank you to the founders of Sorsoap, Tick Socks, and Siblings for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to M.M. LaFleur’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020.  This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: David from New Jersey struggles with self-doubt as he works to grow his muscle-scraping soap brand. Then, Marnie from Australia wants to convince customers that her colorful tick-repellent socks are worth the premium price. And David from New York wants his company to end the practice of throwing away burned out candles.&nbsp; Plus, Sarah recounts rebuilding her brand in the wake of the pandemic and the changing fashion preferences of professional women.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Sorsoap, Tick Socks, and Siblings for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to M.M. LaFleur’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: David from New Jersey struggles with self-doubt as he works to grow his muscle-scraping soap brand. Then, Marnie from Australia wants to convince customers that her colorful tick-repellent socks are worth the premium price. And David from New York wants his company to end the practice of throwing away burned out candles. 


Plus, Sarah recounts rebuilding her brand in the wake of the pandemic and the changing fashion preferences of professional women. 


Thank you to the founders of Sorsoap, Tick Socks, and Siblings for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 


And be sure to listen to M.M. LaFleur’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020.  


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3134 no NVIDIA: Jensen Huang. From near collapse to becoming the world’s biggest company NVIDIA is one of the most valuable companies in human history. Its chips run the AI systems transforming everything from entertainment to warfare. But for years, almost nobody believed in co-founder Jensen Huang’s vision. Jensen spent nearly a decade pouring billions into a technology called CUDA, long before AI made it profitable. In this deeply personal conversation, Jensen tells Guy why NVIDIA’s very first chip was a catastrophic failure … and how at one point, the company was 30 days away from going out of business.&nbsp; Jensen also explains why he thinks fears about AI are overblown, and why he believes the next generation will have more opportunity — not less — because of AI. What You’ll Learn: Why NVIDIA nearly collapsed before becoming an AI giant How researchers sparked the AI boom using NVIDIA gaming chips How to lead through uncertainty when a huge bet hasn’t yet paid off How Jensen approaches hard decisions like an engineer We’re “doing ourselves a disservice” by being afraid: Jensen on AI and job loss How Jensen defends his demanding management style Why past failures still haunt him Key Moments From the Interview: 00:05:26 — Jensen Huang’s childhood at an unusual Kentucky boarding school 00:12:25 — Why Jensen left a stable career to help start NVIDIA 00:14:49 — NVIDIA’s first failure: the NV1 disaster 00:17:26 — The desperate trip to Japan that gave the company a lifeline 00:20:46 — “The only idea we had” for prototyping: the emulator Hail Mary 00:26:13 — The book that shaped Jensen’s thinking about innovation 00:30:24 — Why NVIDIA kept investing in CUDA while Wall Street lost faith 00:36:58 — The moment AI researchers discovered the power of NVIDIA’s chips&nbsp; 00:47:07 — Jensen on fear of job loss from AI, and why America risks falling behind 00:55:46 — Knowing what he knows now, would he do it again? Yes — and no This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000 NVIDIA: Jensen Huang. From near collapse to becoming the world’s biggest company full 836 Guy Raz | Vox Media NVIDIA is one of the most valuable companies in human history. Its chips run the AI systems transforming everything from entertainment to warfare. But for years, almost nobody believed in co-founder Jensen Huang’s vision. Jensen spent nearly a decade pouring billions into a technology called CUDA, long before AI made it profitable.In this deeply personal conversation, Jensen tells Guy why NVIDIA’s very first chip was a catastrophic failure … and how at one point, the company was 30 days away from going out of business. Jensen also explains why he thinks fears about AI are overblown, and why he believes the next generation will have more opportunity — not less — because of AI.What You’ll Learn:Why NVIDIA nearly collapsed before becoming an AI giantHow researchers sparked the AI boom using NVIDIA gaming chipsHow to lead through uncertainty when a huge bet hasn’t yet paid offHow Jensen approaches hard decisions like an engineerWe’re “doing ourselves a disservice” by being afraid: Jensen on AI and job lossHow Jensen defends his demanding management styleWhy past failures still haunt himKey Moments From the Interview:00:05:26 — Jensen Huang’s childhood at an unusual Kentucky boarding school00:12:25 — Why Jensen left a stable career to help start NVIDIA00:14:49 — NVIDIA’s first failure: the NV1 disaster00:17:26 — The desperate trip to Japan that gave the company a lifeline00:20:46 — “The only idea we had” for prototyping: the emulator Hail Mary00:26:13 — The book that shaped Jensen’s thinking about innovation00:30:24 — Why NVIDIA kept investing in CUDA while Wall Street lost faith00:36:58 — The moment AI researchers discovered the power of NVIDIA’s chips 00:47:07 — Jensen on fear of job loss from AI, and why America risks falling behind00:55:46 — Knowing what he knows now, would he do it again? Yes — and noThis episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com NVIDIA is one of the most valuable companies in human history. Its chips run the AI systems transforming everything from entertainment to warfare. But for years, almost nobody believed in co-founder Jensen Huang’s vision. Jensen spent nearly a decade pouring billions into a technology called CUDA, long before AI made it profitable. In this deeply personal conversation, Jensen tells Guy why NVIDIA’s very first chip was a catastrophic failure … and how at one point, the company was 30 days away from going out of business.&nbsp; Jensen also explains why he thinks fears about AI are overblown, and why he believes the next generation will have more opportunity — not less — because of AI. What You’ll Learn: Why NVIDIA nearly collapsed before becoming an AI giant How researchers sparked the AI boom using NVIDIA gaming chips How to lead through uncertainty when a huge bet hasn’t yet paid off How Jensen approaches hard decisions like an engineer We’re “doing ourselves a disservice” by being afraid: Jensen on AI and job loss How Jensen defends his demanding management style Why past failures still haunt him Key Moments From the Interview: 00:05:26 — Jensen Huang’s childhood at an unusual Kentucky boarding school 00:12:25 — Why Jensen left a stable career to help start NVIDIA 00:14:49 — NVIDIA’s first failure: the NV1 disaster 00:17:26 — The desperate trip to Japan that gave the company a lifeline 00:20:46 — “The only idea we had” for prototyping: the emulator Hail Mary 00:26:13 — The book that shaped Jensen’s thinking about innovation 00:30:24 — Why NVIDIA kept investing in CUDA while Wall Street lost faith 00:36:58 — The moment AI researchers discovered the power of NVIDIA’s chips&nbsp; 00:47:07 — Jensen on fear of job loss from AI, and why America risks falling behind 00:55:46 — Knowing what he knows now, would he do it again? Yes — and no This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices NVIDIA is one of the most valuable companies in human history. Its chips run the AI systems transforming everything from entertainment to warfare. But for years, almost nobody believed in co-founder Jensen Huang’s vision. Jensen spent nearly a decade pouring billions into a technology called CUDA, long before AI made it profitable.

In this deeply personal conversation, Jensen tells Guy why NVIDIA’s very first chip was a catastrophic failure … and how at one point, the company was 30 days away from going out of business. 

Jensen also explains why he thinks fears about AI are overblown, and why he believes the next generation will have more opportunity — not less — because of AI.


What You’ll Learn:

  • Why NVIDIA nearly collapsed before becoming an AI giant
  • How researchers sparked the AI boom using NVIDIA gaming chips
  • How to lead through uncertainty when a huge bet hasn’t yet paid off
  • How Jensen approaches hard decisions like an engineer
  • We’re “doing ourselves a disservice” by being afraid: Jensen on AI and job loss
  • How Jensen defends his demanding management style
  • Why past failures still haunt him


Key Moments From the Interview:

  • 00:05:26 — Jensen Huang’s childhood at an unusual Kentucky boarding school
  • 00:12:25 — Why Jensen left a stable career to help start NVIDIA
  • 00:14:49 — NVIDIA’s first failure: the NV1 disaster
  • 00:17:26 — The desperate trip to Japan that gave the company a lifeline
  • 00:20:46 — “The only idea we had” for prototyping: the emulator Hail Mary
  • 00:26:13 — The book that shaped Jensen’s thinking about innovation
  • 00:30:24 — Why NVIDIA kept investing in CUDA while Wall Street lost faith
  • 00:36:58 — The moment AI researchers discovered the power of NVIDIA’s chips 
  • 00:47:07 — Jensen on fear of job loss from AI, and why America risks falling behind
  • 00:55:46 — Knowing what he knows now, would he do it again? Yes — and no


This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4263 no Advice Line: New Offerings, Bigger Markets Today’s callers: Kristina in Florida wants to take her local pottery workshops&nbsp;nationwide. Then Jim from Colorado wonders if retail is right for his quick release camera straps. And Will in Ohio hopes his business will change what consumers expect from tool rental services.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Seagrass Pottery, Lemur Strap and Tool Club for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to our episodes with Chieh Huang of Boxed, Hernan Lopez of Wondery and David Neeleman of Jet Blue.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line: New Offerings, Bigger Markets full 835 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Kristina in Florida wants to take her local pottery workshops nationwide. Then Jim from Colorado wonders if retail is right for his quick release camera straps. And Will in Ohio hopes his business will change what consumers expect from tool rental services. Thank you to the founders of Seagrass Pottery, Lemur Strap and Tool Club for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to our episodes with Chieh Huang of Boxed, Hernan Lopez of Wondery and David Neeleman of Jet Blue. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack Today’s callers: Kristina in Florida wants to take her local pottery workshops&nbsp;nationwide. Then Jim from Colorado wonders if retail is right for his quick release camera straps. And Will in Ohio hopes his business will change what consumers expect from tool rental services.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Seagrass Pottery, Lemur Strap and Tool Club for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to our episodes with Chieh Huang of Boxed, Hernan Lopez of Wondery and David Neeleman of Jet Blue.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Kristina in Florida wants to take her local pottery workshops nationwide. Then Jim from Colorado wonders if retail is right for his quick release camera straps. And Will in Ohio hopes his business will change what consumers expect from tool rental services. 

Thank you to the founders of Seagrass Pottery, Lemur Strap and Tool Club for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to our episodes with Chieh Huang of Boxed, Hernan Lopez of Wondery and David Neeleman of Jet Blue. 

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2732 no Room & Board: John Gabbert. A Broken Deal, a Family Rift, and the Birth of a Furniture Giant John Gabbert built a massive furniture brand. But in order to do it, he had to defy his family.&nbsp; John grew up working at his dad’s furniture store in the suburbs of Minneapolis. It sold classic, American-made furniture, with flowery prints and curved legs. But in 1972, John took a life-changing trip to Sweden, where he discovered an obscure store called IKEA. It was selling an entirely different type of furniture: simple, modern, and inexpensive, with a manufacturing process they controlled. To John, it looked like the future of furniture. The only problem, his dad didn’t agree.&nbsp; That disagreement led to a 10-year family rift—but also a new business.&nbsp; In 1980—zafter a deal to buy out his dad broke down—John spun out his own furniture brand, Room & Board. Today, it sells hundreds of millions of dollars of furniture in its own classic designs, mostly made by small American manufacturers.&nbsp; This is the story of how John did it, without outside investors, and without chasing growth for growth’s sake. What You’ll Learn Why the right thing for your business might be the hardest thing for your family How John connected with young boomers—not their parents&nbsp; The key to long-term success: growing slow and saying “no” Why John refused private equity money Why Room & Board transitioned to employee ownership Timestamps: 00:03:45 - Gabberts: flowery furniture in a fake living room 00:07:16 - Becoming president of the family business at age 23 00:11:08 - A fateful trip to IKEA in Sweden: “That's what the future needed to be” 00:16:11 - John tries to buy out the family business… until his dad backs out 00:31:07 - Design inspiration from modern art—and steel frames 00:40:28 - Why making furniture in America makes sense 00:49:17 - Investors come to call… and John says no 00:55:38 - The decision that transferred ownership to employees This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 May 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Room & Board: John Gabbert. A Broken Deal, a Family Rift, and the Birth of a Furniture Giant full 834 Guy Raz | Vox Media John Gabbert built a massive furniture brand. But in order to do it, he had to defy his family. John grew up working at his dad’s furniture store in the suburbs of Minneapolis. It sold classic, American-made furniture, with flowery prints and curved legs. But in 1972, John took a life-changing trip to Sweden, where he discovered an obscure store called IKEA. It was selling an entirely different type of furniture: simple, modern, and inexpensive, with a manufacturing process they controlled. To John, it looked like the future of furniture. The only problem, his dad didn’t agree. That disagreement led to a 10-year family rift—but also a new business. In 1980—zafter a deal to buy out his dad broke down—John spun out his own furniture brand, Room &amp; Board. Today, it sells hundreds of millions of dollars of furniture in its own classic designs, mostly made by small American manufacturers. This is the story of how John did it, without outside investors, and without chasing growth for growth’s sake.What You’ll LearnWhy the right thing for your business might be the hardest thing for your familyHow John connected with young boomers—not their parents The key to long-term success: growing slow and saying “no”Why John refused private equity moneyWhy Room &amp; Board transitioned to employee ownershipTimestamps:00:03:45 - Gabberts: flowery furniture in a fake living room00:07:16 - Becoming president of the family business at age 2300:11:08 - A fateful trip to IKEA in Sweden: “That's what the future needed to be”00:16:11 - John tries to buy out the family business… until his dad backs out00:31:07 - Design inspiration from modern art—and steel frames00:40:28 - Why making furniture in America makes sense00:49:17 - Investors come to call… and John says no00:55:38 - The decision that transferred ownership to employeesThis episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com John Gabbert built a massive furniture brand. But in order to do it, he had to defy his family.&nbsp; John grew up working at his dad’s furniture store in the suburbs of Minneapolis. It sold classic, American-made furniture, with flowery prints and curved legs. But in 1972, John took a life-changing trip to Sweden, where he discovered an obscure store called IKEA. It was selling an entirely different type of furniture: simple, modern, and inexpensive, with a manufacturing process they controlled. To John, it looked like the future of furniture. The only problem, his dad didn’t agree.&nbsp; That disagreement led to a 10-year family rift—but also a new business.&nbsp; In 1980—zafter a deal to buy out his dad broke down—John spun out his own furniture brand, Room & Board. Today, it sells hundreds of millions of dollars of furniture in its own classic designs, mostly made by small American manufacturers.&nbsp; This is the story of how John did it, without outside investors, and without chasing growth for growth’s sake. What You’ll Learn Why the right thing for your business might be the hardest thing for your family How John connected with young boomers—not their parents&nbsp; The key to long-term success: growing slow and saying “no” Why John refused private equity money Why Room & Board transitioned to employee ownership Timestamps: 00:03:45 - Gabberts: flowery furniture in a fake living room 00:07:16 - Becoming president of the family business at age 23 00:11:08 - A fateful trip to IKEA in Sweden: “That's what the future needed to be” 00:16:11 - John tries to buy out the family business… until his dad backs out 00:31:07 - Design inspiration from modern art—and steel frames 00:40:28 - Why making furniture in America makes sense 00:49:17 - Investors come to call… and John says no 00:55:38 - The decision that transferred ownership to employees This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices John Gabbert built a massive furniture brand. But in order to do it, he had to defy his family. 


John grew up working at his dad’s furniture store in the suburbs of Minneapolis. It sold classic, American-made furniture, with flowery prints and curved legs. But in 1972, John took a life-changing trip to Sweden, where he discovered an obscure store called IKEA. It was selling an entirely different type of furniture: simple, modern, and inexpensive, with a manufacturing process they controlled. To John, it looked like the future of furniture. The only problem, his dad didn’t agree. 


That disagreement led to a 10-year family rift—but also a new business. 


In 1980—zafter a deal to buy out his dad broke down—John spun out his own furniture brand, Room & Board. Today, it sells hundreds of millions of dollars of furniture in its own classic designs, mostly made by small American manufacturers. 


This is the story of how John did it, without outside investors, and without chasing growth for growth’s sake.


What You’ll Learn


Why the right thing for your business might be the hardest thing for your family

How John connected with young boomers—not their parents 

The key to long-term success: growing slow and saying “no”

Why John refused private equity money

Why Room & Board transitioned to employee ownership


Timestamps:

00:03:45 - Gabberts: flowery furniture in a fake living room

00:07:16 - Becoming president of the family business at age 23

00:11:08 - A fateful trip to IKEA in Sweden: “That's what the future needed to be”

00:16:11 - John tries to buy out the family business… until his dad backs out

00:31:07 - Design inspiration from modern art—and steel frames

00:40:28 - Why making furniture in America makes sense

00:49:17 - Investors come to call… and John says no

00:55:38 - The decision that transferred ownership to employees


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3934 no Advice Line with Jonah Peretti of Buzzfeed Today’s callers: Anthony from Miami considers the best method to grow his pop-up outdoor movie theater business. Then Andrew in San Francisco asks how to set his cat wrestling toy apart from competitors. Finally, Melissa in Massachusetts seeks strategies for getting busy parents excited about her healthy frozen muffins.&nbsp; Plus, Jonah shares what’s next for Buzzfeed as the company marks 20 years of business. Thank you to the founders of Motion Flix, CATSUMO, and Unrefined Foods for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Buzzfeed’s founding story as told by Jonah on the show in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jonah Peretti of Buzzfeed full 833 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Anthony from Miami considers the best method to grow his pop-up outdoor movie theater business. Then Andrew in San Francisco asks how to set his cat wrestling toy apart from competitors. Finally, Melissa in Massachusetts seeks strategies for getting busy parents excited about her healthy frozen muffins. Plus, Jonah shares what’s next for Buzzfeed as the company marks 20 years of business.Thank you to the founders of Motion Flix, CATSUMO, and Unrefined Foods for joining us on the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Buzzfeed’s founding story as told by Jonah on the show in 2017.  This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Anthony from Miami considers the best method to grow his pop-up outdoor movie theater business. Then Andrew in San Francisco asks how to set his cat wrestling toy apart from competitors. Finally, Melissa in Massachusetts seeks strategies for getting busy parents excited about her healthy frozen muffins.&nbsp; Plus, Jonah shares what’s next for Buzzfeed as the company marks 20 years of business. Thank you to the founders of Motion Flix, CATSUMO, and Unrefined Foods for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Buzzfeed’s founding story as told by Jonah on the show in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Anthony from Miami considers the best method to grow his pop-up outdoor movie theater business. Then Andrew in San Francisco asks how to set his cat wrestling toy apart from competitors. Finally, Melissa in Massachusetts seeks strategies for getting busy parents excited about her healthy frozen muffins. 

Plus, Jonah shares what’s next for Buzzfeed as the company marks 20 years of business.

Thank you to the founders of Motion Flix, CATSUMO, and Unrefined Foods for joining us on the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Buzzfeed’s founding story as told by Jonah on the show in 2017.  

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2805 no Beautycounter: Gregg Renfrew. She Built Beautycounter to $1B… Then Got Fired From Her Own Company Gregg Renfrew started a movement by making better-for-you cosmetics, then enlisted an army of women to build the business through direct sales. But after selling Beautycounter, she was pushed out of the company she created. Then she got to do something almost no founder gets to do:&nbsp; She bought her company back. Then lost it again. Then took the risky step of rebuilding it into a new brand, now called Counter.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a story about ambition, humility, and second chances.&nbsp;&nbsp; Gregg learned her first lessons by launching an early online wedding registry and selling it to Martha Stewart. She briefly led a clothing company and was summarily fired— by messenger. In this candid conversation, Gregg talks about the bold innovation she brought to the beauty industry, and the lessons she learned from working with difficult people—including, at times,&nbsp;herself.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn: How to build a movement—not just a product The hidden risks of “growth at all costs” Why direct sales (done right) can outperform traditional DTC The emotional toll of being fired from your own company How to rebuild your identity after losing your business What it takes to come back—and do it differently the second time Timestamps: (00:03:50) – Selling Xerox machines and getting doors slammed in her face (00:05:44) – The early inspiration for an online wedding registry. (00:14:19) – The brutal lesson of the dot-com crash: “growth at all costs” (00:19:33) – Standing up to Martha Stewart:&nbsp;“I was cocky.”&nbsp; (00:21:25) – Getting fired as CEO… by messenger… in front of her team (00:28:07) – The moment she realized the beauty industry had a massive gap (00:30:45) – “Clean beauty didn’t exist”—and why that made it so hard (00:42:24) – Building a 60,000-person sales force, scaling to hundreds of millions in sales (00:46:40) – Selling Beautycounter for $1B… and losing control months later (00:54:03) – The emotional aftermath of being pushed out—and what came next This episode was produced by John Isabella with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Beautycounter: Gregg Renfrew. She Built Beautycounter to $1B… Then Got Fired From Her Own Company full 832 Guy Raz | Vox Media Gregg Renfrew started a movement by making better-for-you cosmetics, then enlisted an army of women to build the business through direct sales. But after selling Beautycounter, she was pushed out of the company she created.Then she got to do something almost no founder gets to do: She bought her company back. Then lost it again. Then took the risky step of rebuilding it into a new brand, now called Counter.  This is a story about ambition, humility, and second chances.  Gregg learned her first lessons by launching an early online wedding registry and selling it to Martha Stewart. She briefly led a clothing company and was summarily fired— by messenger.In this candid conversation, Gregg talks about the bold innovation she brought to the beauty industry, and the lessons she learned from working with difficult people—including, at times, herself. What You’ll Learn:How to build a movement—not just a productThe hidden risks of “growth at all costs”Why direct sales (done right) can outperform traditional DTCThe emotional toll of being fired from your own companyHow to rebuild your identity after losing your businessWhat it takes to come back—and do it differently the second timeTimestamps:(00:03:50) – Selling Xerox machines and getting doors slammed in her face(00:05:44) – The early inspiration for an online wedding registry.(00:14:19) – The brutal lesson of the dot-com crash: “growth at all costs”(00:19:33) – Standing up to Martha Stewart: “I was cocky.” (00:21:25) – Getting fired as CEO… by messenger… in front of her team(00:28:07) – The moment she realized the beauty industry had a massive gap(00:30:45) – “Clean beauty didn’t exist”—and why that made it so hard(00:42:24) – Building a 60,000-person sales force, scaling to hundreds of millions in sales(00:46:40) – Selling Beautycounter for $1B… and losing control months later(00:54:03) – The emotional aftermath of being pushed out—and what came nextThis episode was produced by John Isabella with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Gregg Renfrew started a movement by making better-for-you cosmetics, then enlisted an army of women to build the business through direct sales. But after selling Beautycounter, she was pushed out of the company she created. Then she got to do something almost no founder gets to do:&nbsp; She bought her company back. Then lost it again. Then took the risky step of rebuilding it into a new brand, now called Counter.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a story about ambition, humility, and second chances.&nbsp;&nbsp; Gregg learned her first lessons by launching an early online wedding registry and selling it to Martha Stewart. She briefly led a clothing company and was summarily fired— by messenger. In this candid conversation, Gregg talks about the bold innovation she brought to the beauty industry, and the lessons she learned from working with difficult people—including, at times,&nbsp;herself.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn: How to build a movement—not just a product The hidden risks of “growth at all costs” Why direct sales (done right) can outperform traditional DTC The emotional toll of being fired from your own company How to rebuild your identity after losing your business What it takes to come back—and do it differently the second time Timestamps: (00:03:50) – Selling Xerox machines and getting doors slammed in her face (00:05:44) – The early inspiration for an online wedding registry. (00:14:19) – The brutal lesson of the dot-com crash: “growth at all costs” (00:19:33) – Standing up to Martha Stewart:&nbsp;“I was cocky.”&nbsp; (00:21:25) – Getting fired as CEO… by messenger… in front of her team (00:28:07) – The moment she realized the beauty industry had a massive gap (00:30:45) – “Clean beauty didn’t exist”—and why that made it so hard (00:42:24) – Building a 60,000-person sales force, scaling to hundreds of millions in sales (00:46:40) – Selling Beautycounter for $1B… and losing control months later (00:54:03) – The emotional aftermath of being pushed out—and what came next This episode was produced by John Isabella with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Gregg Renfrew started a movement by making better-for-you cosmetics, then enlisted an army of women to build the business through direct sales. But after selling Beautycounter, she was pushed out of the company she created.

Then she got to do something almost no founder gets to do: 

She bought her company back. Then lost it again. Then took the risky step of rebuilding it into a new brand, now called Counter.  

This is a story about ambition, humility, and second chances.  

Gregg learned her first lessons by launching an early online wedding registry and selling it to Martha Stewart. She briefly led a clothing company and was summarily fired— by messenger.

In this candid conversation, Gregg talks about the bold innovation she brought to the beauty industry, and the lessons she learned from working with difficult people—including, at times, herself. 


What You’ll Learn:

How to build a movement—not just a product

The hidden risks of “growth at all costs”

Why direct sales (done right) can outperform traditional DTC

The emotional toll of being fired from your own company

How to rebuild your identity after losing your business

What it takes to come back—and do it differently the second time


Timestamps:

(00:03:50) – Selling Xerox machines and getting doors slammed in her face

(00:05:44) – The early inspiration for an online wedding registry.

(00:14:19) – The brutal lesson of the dot-com crash: “growth at all costs”

(00:19:33) – Standing up to Martha Stewart: “I was cocky.” 

(00:21:25) – Getting fired as CEO… by messenger… in front of her team

(00:28:07) – The moment she realized the beauty industry had a massive gap

(00:30:45) – “Clean beauty didn’t exist”—and why that made it so hard

(00:42:24) – Building a 60,000-person sales force, scaling to hundreds of millions in sales

(00:46:40) – Selling Beautycounter for $1B… and losing control months later

(00:54:03) – The emotional aftermath of being pushed out—and what came next


This episode was produced by John Isabella with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4592 no Advice Line with David Neeleman of JetBlue Today’s callers: Barbara in Massachusetts wonders how her nutrition education theater company might live on past her own involvement. Then Jeff in Illinois looks to carry the momentum from his Ninja Warrior-inspired gyms to form a professional league around the sport. And Vince in Virginia weighs the risks from introducing new SKUs for his men’s organic underwear brand. Plus, David breaks down the resource management necessary to keep an airline aloft as rising fuel prices grip the industry. Thank you to the founders of FoodPlay Productions, Ultimate Ninjas, and Gotchies for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to JetBlue’s founding story as told by David in 2019. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with David Neeleman of JetBlue full 831 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Barbara in Massachusetts wonders how her nutrition education theater company might live on past her own involvement. Then Jeff in Illinois looks to carry the momentum from his Ninja Warrior-inspired gyms to form a professional league around the sport. And Vince in Virginia weighs the risks from introducing new SKUs for his men’s organic underwear brand.Plus, David breaks down the resource management necessary to keep an airline aloft as rising fuel prices grip the industry.Thank you to the founders of FoodPlay Productions, Ultimate Ninjas, and Gotchies for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to JetBlue’s founding story as told by David in 2019.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Barbara in Massachusetts wonders how her nutrition education theater company might live on past her own involvement. Then Jeff in Illinois looks to carry the momentum from his Ninja Warrior-inspired gyms to form a professional league around the sport. And Vince in Virginia weighs the risks from introducing new SKUs for his men’s organic underwear brand. Plus, David breaks down the resource management necessary to keep an airline aloft as rising fuel prices grip the industry. Thank you to the founders of FoodPlay Productions, Ultimate Ninjas, and Gotchies for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to JetBlue’s founding story as told by David in 2019. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Barbara in Massachusetts wonders how her nutrition education theater company might live on past her own involvement. Then Jeff in Illinois looks to carry the momentum from his Ninja Warrior-inspired gyms to form a professional league around the sport. And Vince in Virginia weighs the risks from introducing new SKUs for his men’s organic underwear brand.

Plus, David breaks down the resource management necessary to keep an airline aloft as rising fuel prices grip the industry.

Thank you to the founders of FoodPlay Productions, Ultimate Ninjas, and Gotchies for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to JetBlue’s founding story as told by David in 2019.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2889 no Shep and Ian Murray: Vineyard Vines. A Stale Product Transforms into a Lifestyle Brand. In the late 1990s, Shep and Ian Murray looked at a shrinking category–men’s ties–and saw an opportunity: a necktie isn’t just functional. It’s expressive. It can signal identity, taste, aspiration.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With no fashion experience and no outside investors, the Murray brothers started making colorful ties inspired by their childhoods in Martha’s Vineyard — tiny whales, sailboats, island street signs.&nbsp;What began as a small, improbable tie business grew into Vineyard Vines: a half-billion-dollar lifestyle brand with more than 100 stores and major department store distribution.&nbsp; In this episode, Shep and Ian talk about why they quit their stable jobs to turn a sleepy product into a national brand, which began as a family business and remains so to this day.&nbsp; What you’ll learn:&nbsp; Why a great business can start in a category that everyone thinks is dying How to build distribution when you have no roadmap and few connections&nbsp; What bootstrapping teaches founders that outside capital often doesn’t How improvised marketing can create outsized attention Knowing the difference between a fashion brand and a “brand” brand Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:10:22 - The brothers both hate their desk jobs: “How was your day?” “It sucked.” &nbsp;00:11:20 - Vineyard Vines starts on a family trip, with a nudge from a hotel manager 00:13:46 - Early designs: whales, fish, jeeps, street signs&nbsp; 00:25:39 - Finally quitting their jobs– they’re thrilled, their parents–not so much 00:30:42 - Landing their first order for $1800. “We’re never gonna have to work anymore!” 00:34:40 - The brand gets a boost from a PR stunt during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal 00:47:00 - The&nbsp;“Get to $5 million” mentor advice that kept them focused&nbsp; 00:49:23 - The brothers open their first store - and realize they have a lot to learn&nbsp;&nbsp; 01:01:18 - The 2008 financial crisis, and the brutal inventory decisions that help save the business 01:09:06 - Why stepping back from the CEO role didn’t work — and what it taught them about brand culture This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Shep and Ian Murray: Vineyard Vines. A Stale Product Transforms into a Lifestyle Brand. full 830 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1990s, Shep and Ian Murray looked at a shrinking category–men’s ties–and saw an opportunity: a necktie isn’t just functional. It’s expressive. It can signal identity, taste, aspiration.   With no fashion experience and no outside investors, the Murray brothers started making colorful ties inspired by their childhoods in Martha’s Vineyard — tiny whales, sailboats, island street signs. What began as a small, improbable tie business grew into Vineyard Vines: a half-billion-dollar lifestyle brand with more than 100 stores and major department store distribution. In this episode, Shep and Ian talk about why they quit their stable jobs to turn a sleepy product into a national brand, which began as a family business and remains so to this day. What you’ll learn: Why a great business can start in a category that everyone thinks is dyingHow to build distribution when you have no roadmap and few connections What bootstrapping teaches founders that outside capital often doesn’tHow improvised marketing can create outsized attentionKnowing the difference between a fashion brand and a “brand” brandTimestamps: 00:10:22 - The brothers both hate their desk jobs: “How was your day?” “It sucked.” 00:11:20 - Vineyard Vines starts on a family trip, with a nudge from a hotel manager00:13:46 - Early designs: whales, fish, jeeps, street signs 00:25:39 - Finally quitting their jobs– they’re thrilled, their parents–not so much00:30:42 - Landing their first order for $1800. “We’re never gonna have to work anymore!”00:34:40 - The brand gets a boost from a PR stunt during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal00:47:00 - The “Get to $5 million” mentor advice that kept them focused 00:49:23 - The brothers open their first store - and realize they have a lot to learn  01:01:18 - The 2008 financial crisis, and the brutal inventory decisions that help save the business01:09:06 - Why stepping back from the CEO role didn’t work — and what it taught them about brand cultureThis episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com In the late 1990s, Shep and Ian Murray looked at a shrinking category–men’s ties–and saw an opportunity: a necktie isn’t just functional. It’s expressive. It can signal identity, taste, aspiration.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With no fashion experience and no outside investors, the Murray brothers started making colorful ties inspired by their childhoods in Martha’s Vineyard — tiny whales, sailboats, island street signs.&nbsp;What began as a small, improbable tie business grew into Vineyard Vines: a half-billion-dollar lifestyle brand with more than 100 stores and major department store distribution.&nbsp; In this episode, Shep and Ian talk about why they quit their stable jobs to turn a sleepy product into a national brand, which began as a family business and remains so to this day.&nbsp; What you’ll learn:&nbsp; Why a great business can start in a category that everyone thinks is dying How to build distribution when you have no roadmap and few connections&nbsp; What bootstrapping teaches founders that outside capital often doesn’t How improvised marketing can create outsized attention Knowing the difference between a fashion brand and a “brand” brand Timestamps:&nbsp; 00:10:22 - The brothers both hate their desk jobs: “How was your day?” “It sucked.” &nbsp;00:11:20 - Vineyard Vines starts on a family trip, with a nudge from a hotel manager 00:13:46 - Early designs: whales, fish, jeeps, street signs&nbsp; 00:25:39 - Finally quitting their jobs– they’re thrilled, their parents–not so much 00:30:42 - Landing their first order for $1800. “We’re never gonna have to work anymore!” 00:34:40 - The brand gets a boost from a PR stunt during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal 00:47:00 - The&nbsp;“Get to $5 million” mentor advice that kept them focused&nbsp; 00:49:23 - The brothers open their first store - and realize they have a lot to learn&nbsp;&nbsp; 01:01:18 - The 2008 financial crisis, and the brutal inventory decisions that help save the business 01:09:06 - Why stepping back from the CEO role didn’t work — and what it taught them about brand culture This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the late 1990s, Shep and Ian Murray looked at a shrinking category–men’s ties–and saw an opportunity: a necktie isn’t just functional. It’s expressive. It can signal identity, taste, aspiration.   

With no fashion experience and no outside investors, the Murray brothers started making colorful ties inspired by their childhoods in Martha’s Vineyard — tiny whales, sailboats, island street signs. What began as a small, improbable tie business grew into Vineyard Vines: a half-billion-dollar lifestyle brand with more than 100 stores and major department store distribution. 

In this episode, Shep and Ian talk about why they quit their stable jobs to turn a sleepy product into a national brand, which began as a family business and remains so to this day. 


What you’ll learn: 

  • Why a great business can start in a category that everyone thinks is dying
  • How to build distribution when you have no roadmap and few connections 
  • What bootstrapping teaches founders that outside capital often doesn’t
  • How improvised marketing can create outsized attention
  • Knowing the difference between a fashion brand and a “brand” brand


Timestamps: 

  • 00:10:22 - The brothers both hate their desk jobs: “How was your day?” “It sucked.”
  •  00:11:20 - Vineyard Vines starts on a family trip, with a nudge from a hotel manager
  • 00:13:46 - Early designs: whales, fish, jeeps, street signs 
  • 00:25:39 - Finally quitting their jobs– they’re thrilled, their parents–not so much
  • 00:30:42 - Landing their first order for $1800. “We’re never gonna have to work anymore!”
  • 00:34:40 - The brand gets a boost from a PR stunt during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal
  • 00:47:00 - The “Get to $5 million” mentor advice that kept them focused 
  • 00:49:23 - The brothers open their first store - and realize they have a lot to learn  
  • 01:01:18 - The 2008 financial crisis, and the brutal inventory decisions that help save the business
  • 01:09:06 - Why stepping back from the CEO role didn’t work — and what it taught them about brand culture


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz


X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4309 no Advice Line with Eric Ryan of Method returns Today’s callers: Christina from California wonders how to build trust with her fragrance brand formulated without allergens. Then, James, also from California, assesses how he can create more brand awareness for his kids' flip flop company. And Ben from Florida evaluates whether he should raise outside capital for his light-up jewelry products.&nbsp; Plus, Eric’s philosophy on identifying strong founders and the brands now that he’s moved from being an entrepreneur to being an investor.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Havyn, Pidgin Toes, and Reserved for Humans for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry on the show in 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000 Advice Line with Eric Ryan of Method returns full 829 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Christina from California wonders how to build trust with her fragrance brand formulated without allergens. Then, James, also from California, assesses how he can create more brand awareness for his kids' flip flop company. And Ben from Florida evaluates whether he should raise outside capital for his light-up jewelry products. Plus, Eric’s philosophy on identifying strong founders and the brands now that he’s moved from being an entrepreneur to being an investor. Thank you to the founders of Havyn, Pidgin Toes, and Reserved for Humans for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry on the show in 2018.  This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Christina from California wonders how to build trust with her fragrance brand formulated without allergens. Then, James, also from California, assesses how he can create more brand awareness for his kids' flip flop company. And Ben from Florida evaluates whether he should raise outside capital for his light-up jewelry products.&nbsp; Plus, Eric’s philosophy on identifying strong founders and the brands now that he’s moved from being an entrepreneur to being an investor.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Havyn, Pidgin Toes, and Reserved for Humans for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry on the show in 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Christina from California wonders how to build trust with her fragrance brand formulated without allergens. Then, James, also from California, assesses how he can create more brand awareness for his kids' flip flop company. And Ben from Florida evaluates whether he should raise outside capital for his light-up jewelry products. 

Plus, Eric’s philosophy on identifying strong founders and the brands now that he’s moved from being an entrepreneur to being an investor. 

Thank you to the founders of Havyn, Pidgin Toes, and Reserved for Humans for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry on the show in 2018.  

This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2658 no KIND bars: Daniel Lubetzky. From peace in the Middle East to a $5 billion snack bar What if the thing you care about most ... might be what’s holding your business back? Daniel Lubetzky didn’t leave his law job to build a straightforward business. He left it to build a company he believed would support peace in the Middle East. Daniel named it, aptly, PeaceWorks. It partnered with Israeli and Arab businesses across the region to make and sell gourmet foods—together. But Daniel ran into a big problem: he discovered that lots of people don’t shop for a “cause”. Most people buy things they like—especially when it comes to food. Soon, Daniel was scrambling to find new revenue streams to support PeaceWorks. When he got the chance to sell an Australian snack bar in the U.S., he jumped on it—and did really well! But when Daniel's ONE big retailer dropped it, profits tanked. Daniel faced a brutal choice: Walk away… or start over. What came next was a leap of faith. He decided to create his OWN bar. It was almost completely unlike the competition at the time: It was made of whole nuts, fruits, sea salt, and a little chocolate—all easy to see in a novel, transparent wrapping.&nbsp; Daniel named his company KIND, and when he sold it to Mars in 2020, it was valued at $5 billion! This is a story about why mission alone doesn't sell, how failure forces clarity, and the moment every founder faces when they must decide: Do I keep going ... or do I quit? What you’ll learn: Why customers don’t buy your mission—they buy your product The hidden danger of being “too purpose-driven” How to pivot without abandoning what matters to you Why control over manufacturing can make or break your business The surprising power of retail placement (and why checkout counters changed everything) How scarcity thinking can limit growth—even when you’re winning Why saying “yes” to the wrong opportunity (like Walmart too early) can hurt you Timestamps: 00:03:53 – “It really did shape almost all of my decisions”: How Daniel's father survived the Holocaust and built a new life in Mexico 00:15:15 – A landmark meeting of world leaders—and a dramatic career change 00:17:05 – From a bankrupt sun-dried tomato spread to PeaceWorks 00:22:04 – “They think you're adorable”: Why a mission isn’t enough to grow a business 00:28:34 – Overnight collapse: Finding a big, new revenue stream—then losing it 00:32:07 – The creation of the KIND bar 00:42:56 – “You couldn't say no to Walmart”: Entering big box too early 00:44:48 – The investment that pulled Daniel away from PeaceWorks 00:49:33 – Starbucks and sampling: How KIND became a household name 00:56:55 – An acquisition worth billions 01:00:15 – Daniel's new mission: Builders vs. destroyers This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000 KIND bars: Daniel Lubetzky. From peace in the Middle East to a $5 billion snack bar full 828 Guy Raz | Vox Media What if the thing you care about most ... might be what’s holding your business back?Daniel Lubetzky didn’t leave his law job to build a straightforward business. He left it to build a company he believed would support peace in the Middle East. Daniel named it, aptly, PeaceWorks. It partnered with Israeli and Arab businesses across the region to make and sell gourmet foods—together.But Daniel ran into a big problem: he discovered that lots of people don’t shop for a “cause”. Most people buy things they like—especially when it comes to food.Soon, Daniel was scrambling to find new revenue streams to support PeaceWorks. When he got the chance to sell an Australian snack bar in the U.S., he jumped on it—and did really well! But when Daniel's ONE big retailer dropped it, profits tanked.Daniel faced a brutal choice: Walk away… or start over.What came next was a leap of faith. He decided to create his OWN bar. It was almost completely unlike the competition at the time: It was made of whole nuts, fruits, sea salt, and a little chocolate—all easy to see in a novel, transparent wrapping. Daniel named his company KIND, and when he sold it to Mars in 2020, it was valued at $5 billion!This is a story about why mission alone doesn't sell, how failure forces clarity, and the moment every founder faces when they must decide: Do I keep going ... or do I quit?What you’ll learn:Why customers don’t buy your mission—they buy your productThe hidden danger of being “too purpose-driven”How to pivot without abandoning what matters to youWhy control over manufacturing can make or break your businessThe surprising power of retail placement (and why checkout counters changed everything)How scarcity thinking can limit growth—even when you’re winningWhy saying “yes” to the wrong opportunity (like Walmart too early) can hurt youTimestamps:00:03:53 – “It really did shape almost all of my decisions”: How Daniel's father survived the Holocaust and built a new life in Mexico00:15:15 – A landmark meeting of world leaders—and a dramatic career change00:17:05 – From a bankrupt sun-dried tomato spread to PeaceWorks00:22:04 – “They think you're adorable”: Why a mission isn’t enough to grow a business00:28:34 – Overnight collapse: Finding a big, new revenue stream—then losing it00:32:07 – The creation of the KIND bar00:42:56 – “You couldn't say no to Walmart”: Entering big box too early00:44:48 – The investment that pulled Daniel away from PeaceWorks00:49:33 – Starbucks and sampling: How KIND became a household name00:56:55 – An acquisition worth billions01:00:15 – Daniel's new mission: Builders vs. destroyersThis episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com What if the thing you care about most ... might be what’s holding your business back? Daniel Lubetzky didn’t leave his law job to build a straightforward business. He left it to build a company he believed would support peace in the Middle East. Daniel named it, aptly, PeaceWorks. It partnered with Israeli and Arab businesses across the region to make and sell gourmet foods—together. But Daniel ran into a big problem: he discovered that lots of people don’t shop for a “cause”. Most people buy things they like—especially when it comes to food. Soon, Daniel was scrambling to find new revenue streams to support PeaceWorks. When he got the chance to sell an Australian snack bar in the U.S., he jumped on it—and did really well! But when Daniel's ONE big retailer dropped it, profits tanked. Daniel faced a brutal choice: Walk away… or start over. What came next was a leap of faith. He decided to create his OWN bar. It was almost completely unlike the competition at the time: It was made of whole nuts, fruits, sea salt, and a little chocolate—all easy to see in a novel, transparent wrapping.&nbsp; Daniel named his company KIND, and when he sold it to Mars in 2020, it was valued at $5 billion! This is a story about why mission alone doesn't sell, how failure forces clarity, and the moment every founder faces when they must decide: Do I keep going ... or do I quit? What you’ll learn: Why customers don’t buy your mission—they buy your product The hidden danger of being “too purpose-driven” How to pivot without abandoning what matters to you Why control over manufacturing can make or break your business The surprising power of retail placement (and why checkout counters changed everything) How scarcity thinking can limit growth—even when you’re winning Why saying “yes” to the wrong opportunity (like Walmart too early) can hurt you Timestamps: 00:03:53 – “It really did shape almost all of my decisions”: How Daniel's father survived the Holocaust and built a new life in Mexico 00:15:15 – A landmark meeting of world leaders—and a dramatic career change 00:17:05 – From a bankrupt sun-dried tomato spread to PeaceWorks 00:22:04 – “They think you're adorable”: Why a mission isn’t enough to grow a business 00:28:34 – Overnight collapse: Finding a big, new revenue stream—then losing it 00:32:07 – The creation of the KIND bar 00:42:56 – “You couldn't say no to Walmart”: Entering big box too early 00:44:48 – The investment that pulled Daniel away from PeaceWorks 00:49:33 – Starbucks and sampling: How KIND became a household name 00:56:55 – An acquisition worth billions 01:00:15 – Daniel's new mission: Builders vs. destroyers This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What if the thing you care about most ... might be what’s holding your business back?

Daniel Lubetzky didn’t leave his law job to build a straightforward business. He left it to build a company he believed would support peace in the Middle East. Daniel named it, aptly, PeaceWorks. It partnered with Israeli and Arab businesses across the region to make and sell gourmet foods—together.

But Daniel ran into a big problem: he discovered that lots of people don’t shop for a “cause”. Most people buy things they like—especially when it comes to food.

Soon, Daniel was scrambling to find new revenue streams to support PeaceWorks. When he got the chance to sell an Australian snack bar in the U.S., he jumped on it—and did really well! But when Daniel's ONE big retailer dropped it, profits tanked.

Daniel faced a brutal choice: Walk away… or start over.

What came next was a leap of faith. He decided to create his OWN bar. It was almost completely unlike the competition at the time: It was made of whole nuts, fruits, sea salt, and a little chocolate—all easy to see in a novel, transparent wrapping. 

Daniel named his company KIND, and when he sold it to Mars in 2020, it was valued at $5 billion!

This is a story about why mission alone doesn't sell, how failure forces clarity, and the moment every founder faces when they must decide: Do I keep going ... or do I quit?


What you’ll learn:

Why customers don’t buy your mission—they buy your product

The hidden danger of being “too purpose-driven”

How to pivot without abandoning what matters to you

Why control over manufacturing can make or break your business

The surprising power of retail placement (and why checkout counters changed everything)

How scarcity thinking can limit growth—even when you’re winning

Why saying “yes” to the wrong opportunity (like Walmart too early) can hurt you


Timestamps:

00:03:53 – “It really did shape almost all of my decisions”: How Daniel's father survived the Holocaust and built a new life in Mexico

00:15:15 – A landmark meeting of world leaders—and a dramatic career change

00:17:05 – From a bankrupt sun-dried tomato spread to PeaceWorks

00:22:04 – “They think you're adorable”: Why a mission isn’t enough to grow a business

00:28:34 – Overnight collapse: Finding a big, new revenue stream—then losing it

00:32:07 – The creation of the KIND bar

00:42:56 – “You couldn't say no to Walmart”: Entering big box too early

00:44:48 – The investment that pulled Daniel away from PeaceWorks

00:49:33 – Starbucks and sampling: How KIND became a household name

00:56:55 – An acquisition worth billions

01:00:15 – Daniel's new mission: Builders vs. destroyers


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4156 no Advice Line with Chieh Huang of Boxed Today’s callers: Alec from California wonders if it’s time to bring production for&nbsp;his beef tallow skincare brand out of his kitchen to a co-manufacturer. Then, Jessica from California has a hit horse care product on her hands: is a major pet distributor a dream partnership or a brand-killer? And Eli in Minnesota is curious if he should tweak his signature anti-inflammatory coffee blend for bulk brewing or protect the original taste? Plus, Chieh reflects on his exit from Boxed and how his latest venture, Pelgo, helps people through similarly significant career transitions. Thank you to the founders of Surfing Cow, Tail Cinch, and Makor Coffee for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to the founding story of Boxed as told by Chieh on the show in 2021.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp;&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000 Advice Line with Chieh Huang of Boxed full 827 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Alec from California wonders if it’s time to bring production for his beef tallow skincare brand out of his kitchen to a co-manufacturer. Then, Jessica from California has a hit horse care product on her hands: is a major pet distributor a dream partnership or a brand-killer? And Eli in Minnesota is curious if he should tweak his signature anti-inflammatory coffee blend for bulk brewing or protect the original taste?Plus, Chieh reflects on his exit from Boxed and how his latest venture, Pelgo, helps people through similarly significant career transitions.Thank you to the founders of Surfing Cow, Tail Cinch, and Makor Coffee for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the founding story of Boxed as told by Chieh on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.  You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Alec from California wonders if it’s time to bring production for&nbsp;his beef tallow skincare brand out of his kitchen to a co-manufacturer. Then, Jessica from California has a hit horse care product on her hands: is a major pet distributor a dream partnership or a brand-killer? And Eli in Minnesota is curious if he should tweak his signature anti-inflammatory coffee blend for bulk brewing or protect the original taste? Plus, Chieh reflects on his exit from Boxed and how his latest venture, Pelgo, helps people through similarly significant career transitions. Thank you to the founders of Surfing Cow, Tail Cinch, and Makor Coffee for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to the founding story of Boxed as told by Chieh on the show in 2021.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp;&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Alec from California wonders if it’s time to bring production for his beef tallow skincare brand out of his kitchen to a co-manufacturer. Then, Jessica from California has a hit horse care product on her hands: is a major pet distributor a dream partnership or a brand-killer? And Eli in Minnesota is curious if he should tweak his signature anti-inflammatory coffee blend for bulk brewing or protect the original taste?

Plus, Chieh reflects on his exit from Boxed and how his latest venture, Pelgo, helps people through similarly significant career transitions.

Thank you to the founders of Surfing Cow, Tail Cinch, and Makor Coffee for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to the founding story of Boxed as told by Chieh on the show in 2021. 

This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.  

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3302 no iRobot: Colin Angle. How The Roomba Became a Household Icon Colin Angle didn’t start out trying to clean people’s floors. He started out trying to shape the future–with robots.&nbsp; In the early days of iRobot, there was no business model. No steady funding. No clear customer. Just a belief that robotic technology would one day make the world a better place.&nbsp; In the early days, the company built babbling toy dolls for Hasbro, and roving bomb-detectors for the military. But for more than a decade… nothing truly took off.&nbsp; Until one idea—a robot vacuum—finally did.&nbsp; With the Roomba, iRobot created a category from scratch, and a product that felt almost like a member of the family.&nbsp;Tens of millions of units sold, and the Roomba became part of popular culture.&nbsp; But to avoid stagnation, iRobot had to sell to a bigger company. When a lucrative deal with Amazon fell through, the company hit a wall–and never recovered.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a story about building a business in survival mode, creating a household icon, and eventually getting bested by forces beyond your control.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn&nbsp; How to launch a company when you’re not sure who your customers are Why iRobot engineers underestimated marketing (and paid for it later) How piles of Cheerios helped sell the Roomba How iRobot shored up customer loyalty when the Roomba faltered&nbsp; Why even a hero product is not enough to sustain a company How competition–and regulation–can unravel a business Timestamps&nbsp; 5:00 - “What have you built?”: The robotics lab job application. 10:00 - iRobot’s early business model: contracts, not consumers. 20:25 - Breaking into the toy market: The doll with a mind of its own. 31:30 - A key cleaning insight: people will pay hundreds—but only if it vacuums. 34:30 - The office Cheerios demo that won a retailer. 39:40 - A soaring launch, then stagnation: 250,000 vacuums stuck in inventory. 41:30 - The ad (for Pepsi!) that turbocharged Roomba.&nbsp;&nbsp; 49:45 - The need to diversify: robotic scrubbers, mops, pool cleaners?&nbsp; 51:50 - The $1.7 billion offer from Amazon–and how it unraveled. 57:30 - Life after Roomba.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000 iRobot: Colin Angle. How The Roomba Became a Household Icon full 826 Guy Raz | Vox Media Colin Angle didn’t start out trying to clean people’s floors.He started out trying to shape the future–with robots. In the early days of iRobot, there was no business model. No steady funding. No clear customer.Just a belief that robotic technology would one day make the world a better place. In the early days, the company built babbling toy dolls for Hasbro, and roving bomb-detectors for the military.But for more than a decade… nothing truly took off. Until one idea—a robot vacuum—finally did. With the Roomba, iRobot created a category from scratch, and a product that felt almost like a member of the family. Tens of millions of units sold, and the Roomba became part of popular culture. But to avoid stagnation, iRobot had to sell to a bigger company. When a lucrative deal with Amazon fell through, the company hit a wall–and never recovered.   This is a story about building a business in survival mode, creating a household icon, and eventually getting bested by forces beyond your control. What You’ll Learn How to launch a company when you’re not sure who your customers areWhy iRobot engineers underestimated marketing (and paid for it later)How piles of Cheerios helped sell the RoombaHow iRobot shored up customer loyalty when the Roomba faltered Why even a hero product is not enough to sustain a companyHow competition–and regulation–can unravel a businessTimestamps 5:00 - “What have you built?”: The robotics lab job application.10:00 - iRobot’s early business model: contracts, not consumers.20:25 - Breaking into the toy market: The doll with a mind of its own.31:30 - A key cleaning insight: people will pay hundreds—but only if it vacuums.34:30 - The office Cheerios demo that won a retailer.39:40 - A soaring launch, then stagnation: 250,000 vacuums stuck in inventory.41:30 - The ad (for Pepsi!) that turbocharged Roomba.  49:45 - The need to diversify: robotic scrubbers, mops, pool cleaners? 51:50 - The $1.7 billion offer from Amazon–and how it unraveled.57:30 - Life after Roomba. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Colin Angle didn’t start out trying to clean people’s floors. He started out trying to shape the future–with robots.&nbsp; In the early days of iRobot, there was no business model. No steady funding. No clear customer. Just a belief that robotic technology would one day make the world a better place.&nbsp; In the early days, the company built babbling toy dolls for Hasbro, and roving bomb-detectors for the military. But for more than a decade… nothing truly took off.&nbsp; Until one idea—a robot vacuum—finally did.&nbsp; With the Roomba, iRobot created a category from scratch, and a product that felt almost like a member of the family.&nbsp;Tens of millions of units sold, and the Roomba became part of popular culture.&nbsp; But to avoid stagnation, iRobot had to sell to a bigger company. When a lucrative deal with Amazon fell through, the company hit a wall–and never recovered.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a story about building a business in survival mode, creating a household icon, and eventually getting bested by forces beyond your control.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn&nbsp; How to launch a company when you’re not sure who your customers are Why iRobot engineers underestimated marketing (and paid for it later) How piles of Cheerios helped sell the Roomba How iRobot shored up customer loyalty when the Roomba faltered&nbsp; Why even a hero product is not enough to sustain a company How competition–and regulation–can unravel a business Timestamps&nbsp; 5:00 - “What have you built?”: The robotics lab job application. 10:00 - iRobot’s early business model: contracts, not consumers. 20:25 - Breaking into the toy market: The doll with a mind of its own. 31:30 - A key cleaning insight: people will pay hundreds—but only if it vacuums. 34:30 - The office Cheerios demo that won a retailer. 39:40 - A soaring launch, then stagnation: 250,000 vacuums stuck in inventory. 41:30 - The ad (for Pepsi!) that turbocharged Roomba.&nbsp;&nbsp; 49:45 - The need to diversify: robotic scrubbers, mops, pool cleaners?&nbsp; 51:50 - The $1.7 billion offer from Amazon–and how it unraveled. 57:30 - Life after Roomba.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Colin Angle didn’t start out trying to clean people’s floors.

He started out trying to shape the future–with robots. 

In the early days of iRobot, there was no business model. No steady funding. No clear customer.

Just a belief that robotic technology would one day make the world a better place. 

In the early days, the company built babbling toy dolls for Hasbro, and roving bomb-detectors for the military.

But for more than a decade… nothing truly took off. 

Until one idea—a robot vacuum—finally did. 

With the Roomba, iRobot created a category from scratch, and a product that felt almost like a member of the family. Tens of millions of units sold, and the Roomba became part of popular culture. 

But to avoid stagnation, iRobot had to sell to a bigger company. When a lucrative deal with Amazon fell through, the company hit a wall–and never recovered.   

This is a story about building a business in survival mode, creating a household icon, and eventually getting bested by forces beyond your control. 

What You’ll Learn 

  • How to launch a company when you’re not sure who your customers are
  • Why iRobot engineers underestimated marketing (and paid for it later)
  • How piles of Cheerios helped sell the Roomba
  • How iRobot shored up customer loyalty when the Roomba faltered 
  • Why even a hero product is not enough to sustain a company
  • How competition–and regulation–can unravel a business

Timestamps 

5:00 - “What have you built?”: The robotics lab job application.

10:00 - iRobot’s early business model: contracts, not consumers.

20:25 - Breaking into the toy market: The doll with a mind of its own.

31:30 - A key cleaning insight: people will pay hundreds—but only if it vacuums.

34:30 - The office Cheerios demo that won a retailer.

39:40 - A soaring launch, then stagnation: 250,000 vacuums stuck in inventory.

41:30 - The ad (for Pepsi!) that turbocharged Roomba.  

49:45 - The need to diversify: robotic scrubbers, mops, pool cleaners? 

51:50 - The $1.7 billion offer from Amazon–and how it unraveled.

57:30 - Life after Roomba. 

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. 

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4018 no Advice Line with Steve Ells of Chipotle Today’s callers: Rebecca from Australia wants to make her small-batch spirits stand out in a crowded market. Then, Sri from England wonders how to balance commercial and humanitarian interests for her heated mats. And John from Pennsylvania hopes to reach younger customers with his Italian wines despite declining alcohol consumption.&nbsp;&nbsp; Plus, Steve talks about the evolving role of robots in food service—and how he hopes to find his next rocketship in a fresh take on the sandwich shop. Thank you to the founders of Streaky Bay Distillers, Mat Zero, and Cantina Di Rosina for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Chipotle’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Steve Ells of Chipotle full 825 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Rebecca from Australia wants to make her small-batch spirits stand out in a crowded market. Then, Sri from England wonders how to balance commercial and humanitarian interests for her heated mats. And John from Pennsylvania hopes to reach younger customers with his Italian wines despite declining alcohol consumption.  Plus, Steve talks about the evolving role of robots in food service—and how he hopes to find his next rocketship in a fresh take on the sandwich shop.Thank you to the founders of Streaky Bay Distillers, Mat Zero, and Cantina Di Rosina for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Chipotle’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.  This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Rebecca from Australia wants to make her small-batch spirits stand out in a crowded market. Then, Sri from England wonders how to balance commercial and humanitarian interests for her heated mats. And John from Pennsylvania hopes to reach younger customers with his Italian wines despite declining alcohol consumption.&nbsp;&nbsp; Plus, Steve talks about the evolving role of robots in food service—and how he hopes to find his next rocketship in a fresh take on the sandwich shop. Thank you to the founders of Streaky Bay Distillers, Mat Zero, and Cantina Di Rosina for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Chipotle’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Rebecca from Australia wants to make her small-batch spirits stand out in a crowded market. Then, Sri from England wonders how to balance commercial and humanitarian interests for her heated mats. And John from Pennsylvania hopes to reach younger customers with his Italian wines despite declining alcohol consumption.  


Plus, Steve talks about the evolving role of robots in food service—and how he hopes to find his next rocketship in a fresh take on the sandwich shop.


Thank you to the founders of Streaky Bay Distillers, Mat Zero, and Cantina Di Rosina for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 


And be sure to listen to Chipotle’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.  


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2793 no Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit A lot of founders spend their lives chasing one big idea. Antonio Swad had two. The first? Migrating chicken wings from the Happy Hour buffet to the center of the plate. The second? Building a pizza business that catered to a very specific demographic: Latinos. That first idea became Wingstop, a deep-fried wing concept that grew to 3,000 stores. The second became Pizza Patron, a franchise that rewarded customers for ordering in Spanish, and let them pay in pesos. This is the story of how Antonio got there. He was a kid from Columbus, Ohio, working at a steakhouse straight out of high school…who eventually saw two big opportunities where no one else did. Wingstop was the breakout idea, but just as it was exploding, Antonio made a surprising decision. He sold the company. A $22 million deal. Only…the money did not materialize. What follows is one of the most surprising—and cautionary—tales we’ve told on this show: a single word buried in a contract that cost millions…and the moment Antonio realized he might never see the money he’d been promised. This episode is about instinct, risk, conviction—and why sometimes…your biggest success can lead to your biggest mistake. What you’ll learn: Why simplicity can beat variety in building scalable restaurants The power—and peril—of franchising as a growth engine How identifying an underserved customer segment can unlock explosive growth Why your hero product isn’t always what you think it is (hint: it’s not the chicken) How one word in a contract can cost millions Timestamps: 00:06:46 – Fired from bartending for being “too intense” 00:12:01 – Starting a pizza shop in Dallas with $11,000 00:16:16 – Discovering an underserved customer base, and the power of word-of-mouth 00:20:42 – Why franchising can be the ultimate scaling strategy 00:21:44 – How Antonio realized wings could be a massive business 00:31:57 – A bend in the road: Why the first Wingstop struggled 00:45:49 – A bizarre vision at a football game: What if this stadium were full of chickens? 01:00:59 – The $22M purchase… the missing $12M, and suing to get his money 01:13:59 – Living in the moment post Pizza Patron and Wingstop This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit full 824 Guy Raz | Vox Media A lot of founders spend their lives chasing one big idea.Antonio Swad had two.The first? Migrating chicken wings from the Happy Hour buffet to the center of the plate.The second? Building a pizza business that catered to a very specific demographic: Latinos.That first idea became Wingstop, a deep-fried wing concept that grew to 3,000 stores.The second became Pizza Patron, a franchise that rewarded customers for ordering in Spanish, and let them pay in pesos.This is the story of how Antonio got there.He was a kid from Columbus, Ohio, working at a steakhouse straight out of high school…who eventually saw two big opportunities where no one else did.Wingstop was the breakout idea, but just as it was exploding, Antonio made a surprising decision. He sold the company.A $22 million deal.Only…the money did not materialize.What follows is one of the most surprising—and cautionary—tales we’ve told on this show: a single word buried in a contract that cost millions…and the moment Antonio realized he might never see the money he’d been promised.This episode is about instinct, risk, conviction—and why sometimes…your biggest success can lead to your biggest mistake.What you’ll learn:Why simplicity can beat variety in building scalable restaurantsThe power—and peril—of franchising as a growth engineHow identifying an underserved customer segment can unlock explosive growthWhy your hero product isn’t always what you think it is (hint: it’s not the chicken)How one word in a contract can cost millionsTimestamps:00:06:46 – Fired from bartending for being “too intense”00:12:01 – Starting a pizza shop in Dallas with $11,00000:16:16 – Discovering an underserved customer base, and the power of word-of-mouth00:20:42 – Why franchising can be the ultimate scaling strategy00:21:44 – How Antonio realized wings could be a massive business00:31:57 – A bend in the road: Why the first Wingstop struggled00:45:49 – A bizarre vision at a football game: What if this stadium were full of chickens?01:00:59 – The $22M purchase… the missing $12M, and suing to get his money01:13:59 – Living in the moment post Pizza Patron and WingstopThis episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com A lot of founders spend their lives chasing one big idea. Antonio Swad had two. The first? Migrating chicken wings from the Happy Hour buffet to the center of the plate. The second? Building a pizza business that catered to a very specific demographic: Latinos. That first idea became Wingstop, a deep-fried wing concept that grew to 3,000 stores. The second became Pizza Patron, a franchise that rewarded customers for ordering in Spanish, and let them pay in pesos. This is the story of how Antonio got there. He was a kid from Columbus, Ohio, working at a steakhouse straight out of high school…who eventually saw two big opportunities where no one else did. Wingstop was the breakout idea, but just as it was exploding, Antonio made a surprising decision. He sold the company. A $22 million deal. Only…the money did not materialize. What follows is one of the most surprising—and cautionary—tales we’ve told on this show: a single word buried in a contract that cost millions…and the moment Antonio realized he might never see the money he’d been promised. This episode is about instinct, risk, conviction—and why sometimes…your biggest success can lead to your biggest mistake. What you’ll learn: Why simplicity can beat variety in building scalable restaurants The power—and peril—of franchising as a growth engine How identifying an underserved customer segment can unlock explosive growth Why your hero product isn’t always what you think it is (hint: it’s not the chicken) How one word in a contract can cost millions Timestamps: 00:06:46 – Fired from bartending for being “too intense” 00:12:01 – Starting a pizza shop in Dallas with $11,000 00:16:16 – Discovering an underserved customer base, and the power of word-of-mouth 00:20:42 – Why franchising can be the ultimate scaling strategy 00:21:44 – How Antonio realized wings could be a massive business 00:31:57 – A bend in the road: Why the first Wingstop struggled 00:45:49 – A bizarre vision at a football game: What if this stadium were full of chickens? 01:00:59 – The $22M purchase… the missing $12M, and suing to get his money 01:13:59 – Living in the moment post Pizza Patron and Wingstop This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices A lot of founders spend their lives chasing one big idea.

Antonio Swad had two.

The first? Migrating chicken wings from the Happy Hour buffet to the center of the plate.

The second? Building a pizza business that catered to a very specific demographic: Latinos.

That first idea became Wingstop, a deep-fried wing concept that grew to 3,000 stores.

The second became Pizza Patron, a franchise that rewarded customers for ordering in Spanish, and let them pay in pesos.

This is the story of how Antonio got there.

He was a kid from Columbus, Ohio, working at a steakhouse straight out of high school…who eventually saw two big opportunities where no one else did.

Wingstop was the breakout idea, but just as it was exploding, Antonio made a surprising decision. He sold the company.

A $22 million deal.

Only…the money did not materialize.

What follows is one of the most surprising—and cautionary—tales we’ve told on this show: a single word buried in a contract that cost millions…and the moment Antonio realized he might never see the money he’d been promised.

This episode is about instinct, risk, conviction—and why sometimes…your biggest success can lead to your biggest mistake.


What you’ll learn:

  • Why simplicity can beat variety in building scalable restaurants
  • The power—and peril—of franchising as a growth engine
  • How identifying an underserved customer segment can unlock explosive growth
  • Why your hero product isn’t always what you think it is (hint: it’s not the chicken)
  • How one word in a contract can cost millions


Timestamps:

  • 00:06:46 – Fired from bartending for being “too intense”
  • 00:12:01 – Starting a pizza shop in Dallas with $11,000
  • 00:16:16 – Discovering an underserved customer base, and the power of word-of-mouth
  • 00:20:42 – Why franchising can be the ultimate scaling strategy
  • 00:21:44 – How Antonio realized wings could be a massive business
  • 00:31:57 – A bend in the road: Why the first Wingstop struggled
  • 00:45:49 – A bizarre vision at a football game: What if this stadium were full of chickens?
  • 01:00:59 – The $22M purchase… the missing $12M, and suing to get his money
  • 01:13:59 – Living in the moment post Pizza Patron and Wingstop


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4960 no Advice Line with Angie & Dan Bastian of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP Today’s callers: Michelle from California assesses the trade offs of accepting outside investment to scale her organic granola brand. Then, Gloria from Connecticut wonders how to overcome stigma and get more people talking about her pelvic floor therapy device. And Eric from Australia evaluates new markets for his maple-based sports nutrition products.&nbsp; Plus, Dan and Angie’s take on why even the busiest entrepreneur should find time to turn off their phone at the dinner table...&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Nana Joes Granola, Elidah, and mapleROO for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to BOOMCHICKAPOP’S founding story as told by Angie and Dan on the show in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Mar 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Angie & Dan Bastian of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP full 823 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Michelle from California assesses the trade offs of accepting outside investment to scale her organic granola brand. Then, Gloria from Connecticut wonders how to overcome stigma and get more people talking about her pelvic floor therapy device. And Eric from Australia evaluates new markets for his maple-based sports nutrition products. Plus, Dan and Angie’s take on why even the busiest entrepreneur should find time to turn off their phone at the dinner table... Thank you to the founders of Nana Joes Granola, Elidah, and mapleROO for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to BOOMCHICKAPOP’S founding story as told by Angie and Dan on the show in 2019.  This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Michelle from California assesses the trade offs of accepting outside investment to scale her organic granola brand. Then, Gloria from Connecticut wonders how to overcome stigma and get more people talking about her pelvic floor therapy device. And Eric from Australia evaluates new markets for his maple-based sports nutrition products.&nbsp; Plus, Dan and Angie’s take on why even the busiest entrepreneur should find time to turn off their phone at the dinner table...&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Nana Joes Granola, Elidah, and mapleROO for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to BOOMCHICKAPOP’S founding story as told by Angie and Dan on the show in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Michelle from California assesses the trade offs of accepting outside investment to scale her organic granola brand. Then, Gloria from Connecticut wonders how to overcome stigma and get more people talking about her pelvic floor therapy device. And Eric from Australia evaluates new markets for his maple-based sports nutrition products. 

Plus, Dan and Angie’s take on why even the busiest entrepreneur should find time to turn off their phone at the dinner table... 

Thank you to the founders of Nana Joes Granola, Elidah, and mapleROO for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to BOOMCHICKAPOP’S founding story as told by Angie and Dan on the show in 2019.  

This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3221 no diapers.com: Marc Lore. The ecommerce visionary who lost to Amazon but still made billions (2021) Back in the early days of ecommerce,&nbsp;Marc Lore took a classic retail loss leader–diapers– and turned it into a DTC giant– Diapers.com. It did so well that it attracted the attention of Amazon,&nbsp;which slashed prices on its own diapers until Marc was forced&nbsp;to sell them his business.&nbsp;&nbsp; It was not a happy moment, but it was a galvanizing one: Marc went on to launch another ecommerce company, jet.com. Within a year,&nbsp;it was bought by Walmart in a deal valued at $3.3 billion.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a story about a devastating corporate surrender,&nbsp;a multi-million dollar comeback, and a founder with a relentless ability to re-invent himself.&nbsp;&nbsp; Timestamps:&nbsp; 10:04 – Marc’s “boost-your-grades” bet with his college coach&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 14:21 – A job on Wall Street and a Master Plan: 8 figures by age 48 16:28 –&nbsp;How a lunchtime lark turned into a spot on the U.S. Bobsled Team 27:44 – How random Google searches led Marc to diapers 35:29 – Guerilla tactic: Buying all of P&G’s diapers to get their attention 40:07 – The simple packaging hack that boosted sales&nbsp;&nbsp; 45:53 – Building a retail empire (and getting on Amazon’s radar) 47:52 – Amazon’s scorched earth strategy forces Marc to sell&nbsp; 1:00:11 – Raising $750M to take on Jeff Bezos 1:03:02 – A brand new business and a $3.3 billion exit: Walmart’s record-breaking deal This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000 diapers.com: Marc Lore. The ecommerce visionary who lost to Amazon but still made billions (2021) full 822 Guy Raz | Vox Media Back in the early days of ecommerce, Marc Lore took a classic retail loss leader–diapers– and turned it into a DTC giant– Diapers.com. It did so well that it attracted the attention of Amazon, which slashed prices on its own diapers until Marc was forced to sell them his business.  It was not a happy moment, but it was a galvanizing one: Marc went on to launch another ecommerce company, jet.com. Within a year, it was bought by Walmart in a deal valued at $3.3 billion.  This is a story about a devastating corporate surrender, a multi-million dollar comeback, and a founder with a relentless ability to re-invent himself.  Timestamps: 10:04 – Marc’s “boost-your-grades” bet with his college coach   14:21 – A job on Wall Street and a Master Plan: 8 figures by age 4816:28 – How a lunchtime lark turned into a spot on the U.S. Bobsled Team27:44 – How random Google searches led Marc to diapers35:29 – Guerilla tactic: Buying all of P&amp;G’s diapers to get their attention40:07 – The simple packaging hack that boosted sales  45:53 – Building a retail empire (and getting on Amazon’s radar)47:52 – Amazon’s scorched earth strategy forces Marc to sell 1:00:11 – Raising $750M to take on Jeff Bezos1:03:02 – A brand new business and a $3.3 billion exit: Walmart’s record-breaking dealThis episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Back in the early days of ecommerce,&nbsp;Marc Lore took a classic retail loss leader–diapers– and turned it into a DTC giant– Diapers.com. It did so well that it attracted the attention of Amazon,&nbsp;which slashed prices on its own diapers until Marc was forced&nbsp;to sell them his business.&nbsp;&nbsp; It was not a happy moment, but it was a galvanizing one: Marc went on to launch another ecommerce company, jet.com. Within a year,&nbsp;it was bought by Walmart in a deal valued at $3.3 billion.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a story about a devastating corporate surrender,&nbsp;a multi-million dollar comeback, and a founder with a relentless ability to re-invent himself.&nbsp;&nbsp; Timestamps:&nbsp; 10:04 – Marc’s “boost-your-grades” bet with his college coach&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 14:21 – A job on Wall Street and a Master Plan: 8 figures by age 48 16:28 –&nbsp;How a lunchtime lark turned into a spot on the U.S. Bobsled Team 27:44 – How random Google searches led Marc to diapers 35:29 – Guerilla tactic: Buying all of P&G’s diapers to get their attention 40:07 – The simple packaging hack that boosted sales&nbsp;&nbsp; 45:53 – Building a retail empire (and getting on Amazon’s radar) 47:52 – Amazon’s scorched earth strategy forces Marc to sell&nbsp; 1:00:11 – Raising $750M to take on Jeff Bezos 1:03:02 – A brand new business and a $3.3 billion exit: Walmart’s record-breaking deal This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Back in the early days of ecommerce, Marc Lore took a classic retail loss leader–diapers– and turned it into a DTC giant– Diapers.com. It did so well that it attracted the attention of Amazon, which slashed prices on its own diapers until Marc was forced to sell them his business.  

It was not a happy moment, but it was a galvanizing one: Marc went on to launch another ecommerce company, jet.com. Within a year, it was bought by Walmart in a deal valued at $3.3 billion.  

This is a story about a devastating corporate surrender, a multi-million dollar comeback, and a founder with a relentless ability to re-invent himself.  

Timestamps: 

10:04 – Marc’s “boost-your-grades” bet with his college coach   

14:21 – A job on Wall Street and a Master Plan: 8 figures by age 48

16:28 – How a lunchtime lark turned into a spot on the U.S. Bobsled Team

27:44 – How random Google searches led Marc to diapers

35:29 – Guerilla tactic: Buying all of P&G’s diapers to get their attention

40:07 – The simple packaging hack that boosted sales  

45:53 – Building a retail empire (and getting on Amazon’s radar)

47:52 – Amazon’s scorched earth strategy forces Marc to sell 

1:00:11 – Raising $750M to take on Jeff Bezos

1:03:02 – A brand new business and a $3.3 billion exit: Walmart’s record-breaking deal

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. 

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4618 no Advice Line with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie (June 2025) Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap & Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk.&nbsp; Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being part of our show.&nbsp; And stick around to hear a brief update on all three callers at the end! If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie (June 2025) full 821 Guy Raz | Vox Media Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap &amp; Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk. Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum. Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being part of our show.  And stick around to hear a brief update on all three callers at the end!If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap & Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk.&nbsp; Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being part of our show.&nbsp; And stick around to hear a brief update on all three callers at the end! If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap & Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk. 

Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum. 

Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being part of our show.  And stick around to hear a brief update on all three callers at the end!

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018. 

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2660 no Vital Farms: Matt O’Hayer. How a serial entrepreneur re-branded the egg For decades, a dozen eggs was just… a dozen eggs. No story. No real branding. No reason to care who produced them. Then Matt O’Hayer came along and asked a question almost nobody in America was asking: what if store-bought eggs could be different? What if they tasted better, looked better, and came from hens raised in a much more humane way?&nbsp; The business he launched– with 20 hens and some used trailers– is now the number-one pasture-raised egg producer in the US, with a network of 600 farms, and a projected revenue of nearly $1B this year.&nbsp;&nbsp; When he started Vital Farms, Matt was in his 50s, living in an RV on the farm, and trying to convince people to pay premium prices for eggs.&nbsp; Before that, his passion for business drove him to pursue an astonishing range of ideas: carpet-cleaning, a barter-exchange franchise, a stint as a charter-boat captain and broker.&nbsp;One of his businesses left him nearly broke after 9-11, and there were many other hard lessons along the way.&nbsp; This is a story about metabolizing failure into success, and turning one of the most overlooked shelves in the grocery store… into a billion dollar opportunity.&nbsp;&nbsp; What you’ll learn:&nbsp; The hard lessons Matt learned from 3 (+) decades of founding businesses How 9/11 changed his life What 4 years as a boat captain taught him about leading–and serving How “conscious capitalism” became the blueprint for Vital Farms Why pasture-raised eggs were a branding opportunity hiding in plain sight How Whole Foods became an early and critical partner Why great products grow faster when customers do your work for you Timestamps:&nbsp; 05:23 –&nbsp; “I didn’t have 300 dollars.” Matt starts a carpet-cleaning company with no real plan 09:06 – The barter business that taught Matt how to scale complex ideas 15:33 – Building a travel company, taking it public, and growing it to roughly $50 million in sales 20:32 –&nbsp; The morning of 9/11: Matt watches his business collapse in real time 23:34 – Starting over, Matt becomes a charter boat captain –plus chef, teacher, and toilet-fixer 28:51 – The blog essay that transformed how Matt thought about business 31:54 – The lightbulb conversation: pasture-raised eggs could become a real company 36:23 – Starting the farm in Austin: “I bought a thousand baby chicks.”&nbsp; 39:18 – The first eggs taste great, but nobody wants to pay for them 45:13 – Finally: The first Whole Foods pallet&nbsp; 46:12 – A label mistake gets Vital Farms pulled from shelves 56:59 – How the egg carton became one of Vital Farms’ most powerful branding tools 1:02:14 – Why humane eggs cost more—and why Matt believes they should This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman. —----------------- Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Vital Farms: Matt O’Hayer. How a serial entrepreneur re-branded the egg full 820 Guy Raz | Vox Media For decades, a dozen eggs was just… a dozen eggs.No story. No real branding. No reason to care who produced them.Then Matt O’Hayer came along and asked a question almost nobody in America was asking: what if store-bought eggs could be different? What if they tasted better, looked better, and came from hens raised in a much more humane way? The business he launched– with 20 hens and some used trailers– is now the number-one pasture-raised egg producer in the US, with a network of 600 farms, and a projected revenue of nearly $1B this year.  When he started Vital Farms, Matt was in his 50s, living in an RV on the farm, and trying to convince people to pay premium prices for eggs. Before that, his passion for business drove him to pursue an astonishing range of ideas: carpet-cleaning, a barter-exchange franchise, a stint as a charter-boat captain and broker. One of his businesses left him nearly broke after 9-11, and there were many other hard lessons along the way. This is a story about metabolizing failure into success, and turning one of the most overlooked shelves in the grocery store… into a billion dollar opportunity.  What you’ll learn: The hard lessons Matt learned from 3 (+) decades of founding businessesHow 9/11 changed his lifeWhat 4 years as a boat captain taught him about leading–and servingHow “conscious capitalism” became the blueprint for Vital FarmsWhy pasture-raised eggs were a branding opportunity hiding in plain sightHow Whole Foods became an early and critical partnerWhy great products grow faster when customers do your work for youTimestamps: 05:23 –  “I didn’t have 300 dollars.” Matt starts a carpet-cleaning company with no real plan09:06 – The barter business that taught Matt how to scale complex ideas15:33 – Building a travel company, taking it public, and growing it to roughly $50 million in sales20:32 –  The morning of 9/11: Matt watches his business collapse in real time23:34 – Starting over, Matt becomes a charter boat captain –plus chef, teacher, and toilet-fixer28:51 – The blog essay that transformed how Matt thought about business31:54 – The lightbulb conversation: pasture-raised eggs could become a real company36:23 – Starting the farm in Austin: “I bought a thousand baby chicks.” 39:18 – The first eggs taste great, but nobody wants to pay for them45:13 – Finally: The first Whole Foods pallet 46:12 – A label mistake gets Vital Farms pulled from shelves56:59 – How the egg carton became one of Vital Farms’ most powerful branding tools1:02:14 – Why humane eggs cost more—and why Matt believes they shouldThis episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman.—-----------------Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com For decades, a dozen eggs was just… a dozen eggs. No story. No real branding. No reason to care who produced them. Then Matt O’Hayer came along and asked a question almost nobody in America was asking: what if store-bought eggs could be different? What if they tasted better, looked better, and came from hens raised in a much more humane way?&nbsp; The business he launched– with 20 hens and some used trailers– is now the number-one pasture-raised egg producer in the US, with a network of 600 farms, and a projected revenue of nearly $1B this year.&nbsp;&nbsp; When he started Vital Farms, Matt was in his 50s, living in an RV on the farm, and trying to convince people to pay premium prices for eggs.&nbsp; Before that, his passion for business drove him to pursue an astonishing range of ideas: carpet-cleaning, a barter-exchange franchise, a stint as a charter-boat captain and broker.&nbsp;One of his businesses left him nearly broke after 9-11, and there were many other hard lessons along the way.&nbsp; This is a story about metabolizing failure into success, and turning one of the most overlooked shelves in the grocery store… into a billion dollar opportunity.&nbsp;&nbsp; What you’ll learn:&nbsp; The hard lessons Matt learned from 3 (+) decades of founding businesses How 9/11 changed his life What 4 years as a boat captain taught him about leading–and serving How “conscious capitalism” became the blueprint for Vital Farms Why pasture-raised eggs were a branding opportunity hiding in plain sight How Whole Foods became an early and critical partner Why great products grow faster when customers do your work for you Timestamps:&nbsp; 05:23 –&nbsp; “I didn’t have 300 dollars.” Matt starts a carpet-cleaning company with no real plan 09:06 – The barter business that taught Matt how to scale complex ideas 15:33 – Building a travel company, taking it public, and growing it to roughly $50 million in sales 20:32 –&nbsp; The morning of 9/11: Matt watches his business collapse in real time 23:34 – Starting over, Matt becomes a charter boat captain –plus chef, teacher, and toilet-fixer 28:51 – The blog essay that transformed how Matt thought about business 31:54 – The lightbulb conversation: pasture-raised eggs could become a real company 36:23 – Starting the farm in Austin: “I bought a thousand baby chicks.”&nbsp; 39:18 – The first eggs taste great, but nobody wants to pay for them 45:13 – Finally: The first Whole Foods pallet&nbsp; 46:12 – A label mistake gets Vital Farms pulled from shelves 56:59 – How the egg carton became one of Vital Farms’ most powerful branding tools 1:02:14 – Why humane eggs cost more—and why Matt believes they should This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman. —----------------- Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices For decades, a dozen eggs was just… a dozen eggs.

No story. No real branding. No reason to care who produced them.

Then Matt O’Hayer came along and asked a question almost nobody in America was asking: what if store-bought eggs could be different? What if they tasted better, looked better, and came from hens raised in a much more humane way? 

The business he launched– with 20 hens and some used trailers– is now the number-one pasture-raised egg producer in the US, with a network of 600 farms, and a projected revenue of nearly $1B this year.  

When he started Vital Farms, Matt was in his 50s, living in an RV on the farm, and trying to convince people to pay premium prices for eggs. 

Before that, his passion for business drove him to pursue an astonishing range of ideas: carpet-cleaning, a barter-exchange franchise, a stint as a charter-boat captain and broker. One of his businesses left him nearly broke after 9-11, and there were many other hard lessons along the way. 

This is a story about metabolizing failure into success, and turning one of the most overlooked shelves in the grocery store… into a billion dollar opportunity.  

What you’ll learn: 

  • The hard lessons Matt learned from 3 (+) decades of founding businesses
  • How 9/11 changed his life
  • What 4 years as a boat captain taught him about leading–and serving
  • How “conscious capitalism” became the blueprint for Vital Farms
  • Why pasture-raised eggs were a branding opportunity hiding in plain sight
  • How Whole Foods became an early and critical partner
  • Why great products grow faster when customers do your work for you


Timestamps: 

  • 05:23 –  “I didn’t have 300 dollars.” Matt starts a carpet-cleaning company with no real plan
  • 09:06 – The barter business that taught Matt how to scale complex ideas
  • 15:33 – Building a travel company, taking it public, and growing it to roughly $50 million in sales
  • 20:32 –  The morning of 9/11: Matt watches his business collapse in real time
  • 23:34 – Starting over, Matt becomes a charter boat captain –plus chef, teacher, and toilet-fixer
  • 28:51 – The blog essay that transformed how Matt thought about business
  • 31:54 – The lightbulb conversation: pasture-raised eggs could become a real company
  • 36:23 – Starting the farm in Austin: “I bought a thousand baby chicks.” 
  • 39:18 – The first eggs taste great, but nobody wants to pay for them
  • 45:13 – Finally: The first Whole Foods pallet 
  • 46:12 – A label mistake gets Vital Farms pulled from shelves
  • 56:59 – How the egg carton became one of Vital Farms’ most powerful branding tools

1:02:14 – Why humane eggs cost more—and why Matt believes they should


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman.

—-----------------

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz


X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4320 no Advice Line: What’s Your Value? In today’s special episode, Guy and four former show guests talk with callers about how they can prove the value of their products—and themselves. First, Meagan from Vermont questions whether an experiential pop-up concept for her reusable gift wrap and bags is worth the effort. Then, Amanda from Wisconsin seeks new ways to explain her deck of dog enrichment activities to potential customers. And finally, Mark from New York looks for a complement to help grow his artisanal pesto business. Thank you to the founders of Shiki Wrap, Woofsie, and In Mark’s Kitchen for coming on the show. Also thanks to WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey, Paperless Post co-founder Alexa Hirschfeld, and Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes: Miguel's original episode / Miguel's HIBT Lab episode / Miguel's Advice Line episode Alexa's original episode / Alexa's Advice Line episode Pete and Rashid's original episode / Pete and Rashid's Advice Line episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line: What’s Your Value? full 819 Guy Raz | Vox Media In today’s special episode, Guy and four former show guests talk with callers about how they can prove the value of their products—and themselves.First, Meagan from Vermont questions whether an experiential pop-up concept for her reusable gift wrap and bags is worth the effort. Then, Amanda from Wisconsin seeks new ways to explain her deck of dog enrichment activities to potential customers. And finally, Mark from New York looks for a complement to help grow his artisanal pesto business.Thank you to the founders of Shiki Wrap, Woofsie, and In Mark’s Kitchen for coming on the show. Also thanks to WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey, Paperless Post co-founder Alexa Hirschfeld, and Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes:Miguel's original episode / Miguel's HIBT Lab episode / Miguel's Advice Line episodeAlexa's original episode / Alexa's Advice Line episodePete and Rashid's original episode / Pete and Rashid's Advice Line episode In today’s special episode, Guy and four former show guests talk with callers about how they can prove the value of their products—and themselves. First, Meagan from Vermont questions whether an experiential pop-up concept for her reusable gift wrap and bags is worth the effort. Then, Amanda from Wisconsin seeks new ways to explain her deck of dog enrichment activities to potential customers. And finally, Mark from New York looks for a complement to help grow his artisanal pesto business. Thank you to the founders of Shiki Wrap, Woofsie, and In Mark’s Kitchen for coming on the show. Also thanks to WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey, Paperless Post co-founder Alexa Hirschfeld, and Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes: Miguel's original episode / Miguel's HIBT Lab episode / Miguel's Advice Line episode Alexa's original episode / Alexa's Advice Line episode Pete and Rashid's original episode / Pete and Rashid's Advice Line episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In today’s special episode, Guy and four former show guests talk with callers about how they can prove the value of their products—and themselves.

First, Meagan from Vermont questions whether an experiential pop-up concept for her reusable gift wrap and bags is worth the effort. Then, Amanda from Wisconsin seeks new ways to explain her deck of dog enrichment activities to potential customers. And finally, Mark from New York looks for a complement to help grow his artisanal pesto business.


Thank you to the founders of Shiki Wrap, Woofsie, and In Mark’s Kitchen for coming on the show. Also thanks to WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey, Paperless Post co-founder Alexa Hirschfeld, and Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.


To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes:

Miguel's original episode / Miguel's HIBT Lab episode / Miguel's Advice Line episode

Alexa's original episode / Alexa's Advice Line episode

Pete and Rashid's original episode / Pete and Rashid's Advice Line episode

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2480 no Scrub Daddy: Aaron Krause. How a Failed Experiment Became a Billion-Dollar Sponge Aaron Krause did not set out to reinvent the kitchen sponge. He was a car detailer, building buffing pads and the machines that made them. To clean his greasy hands, he made a makeshift hand scrubber out of extra-rough foam, and it worked so well he decided to sell it.&nbsp; But nobody wanted it. He shelved the product for years. Then one day while cleaning up around the house, he accidentally discovered the foam’s “magic” properties and realized it would make the perfect kitchen sponge. Scrub Daddy was born.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; As a friend advised him, nobody goes to the supermarket to discover new innovations in sponges. So Aaron did a furious round of in-store demos and eventually wound up on QVC (where he nearly got kicked off) and finally Shark Tank, where he made $1M the night it aired. In this episode, Aaron breaks down the unglamorous mechanics of building a consumer brand—negotiation, patents, and the obsession needed to keep going when no one believes in your vision. You’ll learn: How Aaron’s many patents helped drive his car-detailing business&nbsp; The hidden downside of “great” deals: exclusivity traps and corporate bureaucracy How Aaron forced 3M to rethink value during acquisition negotiations&nbsp; How to sell a product no one is shopping for&nbsp; How Scrub Daddy built a brand block (Scrub Mommy & more) to become a category leader How to defend against copycats—patents, trade dress and aggressive enforcement Timestamps: 04:59 — “You get to buy your own sneakers”—the childhood lesson that shapes Aaron’s hustle 06:38 — The brutal factory internship that sends him back to washing cars 15:25 — The mirror snaps off a Mercedes… leading to a buffing pad breakthrough 17:33 — The parable of the DIY patent: “If you had a toothache, would you drill your own tooth?” 25:11 — Dirty factory hands inspire Aaron to invent a special hand scrubber… which no one wants 36:55 — Aaron hangs up on a corporate powerhouse: refusing to sell to 3M based on EBITDA 46:36 — The shelved scrubbers come out of storage and Aaron discovers their “magical” properties&nbsp;&nbsp; 57:51 — Retail won’t bite—so he demos in ShopRite and sells 100 sponges a day 1:07:33 — Shark Tank → $1M in one night… and retailers suddenly call back Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Scrub Daddy: Aaron Krause. How a Failed Experiment Became a Billion-Dollar Sponge full 818 Guy Raz | Vox Media Aaron Krause did not set out to reinvent the kitchen sponge. He was a car detailer, building buffing pads and the machines that made them. To clean his greasy hands, he made a makeshift hand scrubber out of extra-rough foam, and it worked so well he decided to sell it. But nobody wanted it.He shelved the product for years. Then one day while cleaning up around the house, he accidentally discovered the foam’s “magic” properties and realized it would make the perfect kitchen sponge. Scrub Daddy was born.   As a friend advised him, nobody goes to the supermarket to discover new innovations in sponges. So Aaron did a furious round of in-store demos and eventually wound up on QVC (where he nearly got kicked off) and finally Shark Tank, where he made $1M the night it aired.In this episode, Aaron breaks down the unglamorous mechanics of building a consumer brand—negotiation, patents, and the obsession needed to keep going when no one believes in your vision.You’ll learn:How Aaron’s many patents helped drive his car-detailing business The hidden downside of “great” deals: exclusivity traps and corporate bureaucracyHow Aaron forced 3M to rethink value during acquisition negotiations How to sell a product no one is shopping for How Scrub Daddy built a brand block (Scrub Mommy &amp; more) to become a category leaderHow to defend against copycats—patents, trade dress and aggressive enforcementTimestamps:04:59 — “You get to buy your own sneakers”—the childhood lesson that shapes Aaron’s hustle06:38 — The brutal factory internship that sends him back to washing cars15:25 — The mirror snaps off a Mercedes… leading to a buffing pad breakthrough17:33 — The parable of the DIY patent: “If you had a toothache, would you drill your own tooth?”25:11 — Dirty factory hands inspire Aaron to invent a special hand scrubber… which no one wants36:55 — Aaron hangs up on a corporate powerhouse: refusing to sell to 3M based on EBITDA46:36 — The shelved scrubbers come out of storage and Aaron discovers their “magical” properties  57:51 — Retail won’t bite—so he demos in ShopRite and sells 100 sponges a day1:07:33 — Shark Tank → $1M in one night… and retailers suddenly call backFollow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Aaron Krause did not set out to reinvent the kitchen sponge. He was a car detailer, building buffing pads and the machines that made them. To clean his greasy hands, he made a makeshift hand scrubber out of extra-rough foam, and it worked so well he decided to sell it.&nbsp; But nobody wanted it. He shelved the product for years. Then one day while cleaning up around the house, he accidentally discovered the foam’s “magic” properties and realized it would make the perfect kitchen sponge. Scrub Daddy was born.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; As a friend advised him, nobody goes to the supermarket to discover new innovations in sponges. So Aaron did a furious round of in-store demos and eventually wound up on QVC (where he nearly got kicked off) and finally Shark Tank, where he made $1M the night it aired. In this episode, Aaron breaks down the unglamorous mechanics of building a consumer brand—negotiation, patents, and the obsession needed to keep going when no one believes in your vision. You’ll learn: How Aaron’s many patents helped drive his car-detailing business&nbsp; The hidden downside of “great” deals: exclusivity traps and corporate bureaucracy How Aaron forced 3M to rethink value during acquisition negotiations&nbsp; How to sell a product no one is shopping for&nbsp; How Scrub Daddy built a brand block (Scrub Mommy & more) to become a category leader How to defend against copycats—patents, trade dress and aggressive enforcement Timestamps: 04:59 — “You get to buy your own sneakers”—the childhood lesson that shapes Aaron’s hustle 06:38 — The brutal factory internship that sends him back to washing cars 15:25 — The mirror snaps off a Mercedes… leading to a buffing pad breakthrough 17:33 — The parable of the DIY patent: “If you had a toothache, would you drill your own tooth?” 25:11 — Dirty factory hands inspire Aaron to invent a special hand scrubber… which no one wants 36:55 — Aaron hangs up on a corporate powerhouse: refusing to sell to 3M based on EBITDA 46:36 — The shelved scrubbers come out of storage and Aaron discovers their “magical” properties&nbsp;&nbsp; 57:51 — Retail won’t bite—so he demos in ShopRite and sells 100 sponges a day 1:07:33 — Shark Tank → $1M in one night… and retailers suddenly call back Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Aaron Krause did not set out to reinvent the kitchen sponge. He was a car detailer, building buffing pads and the machines that made them. To clean his greasy hands, he made a makeshift hand scrubber out of extra-rough foam, and it worked so well he decided to sell it. 


But nobody wanted it.


He shelved the product for years. Then one day while cleaning up around the house, he accidentally discovered the foam’s “magic” properties and realized it would make the perfect kitchen sponge. Scrub Daddy was born.  

 

As a friend advised him, nobody goes to the supermarket to discover new innovations in sponges. So Aaron did a furious round of in-store demos and eventually wound up on QVC (where he nearly got kicked off) and finally Shark Tank, where he made $1M the night it aired.

In this episode, Aaron breaks down the unglamorous mechanics of building a consumer brand—negotiation, patents, and the obsession needed to keep going when no one believes in your vision.


You’ll learn:

  • How Aaron’s many patents helped drive his car-detailing business 
  • The hidden downside of “great” deals: exclusivity traps and corporate bureaucracy
  • How Aaron forced 3M to rethink value during acquisition negotiations 
  • How to sell a product no one is shopping for 
  • How Scrub Daddy built a brand block (Scrub Mommy & more) to become a category leader
  • How to defend against copycats—patents, trade dress and aggressive enforcement


Timestamps:

  • 04:59 — “You get to buy your own sneakers”—the childhood lesson that shapes Aaron’s hustle
  • 06:38 — The brutal factory internship that sends him back to washing cars
  • 15:25 — The mirror snaps off a Mercedes… leading to a buffing pad breakthrough
  • 17:33 — The parable of the DIY patent: “If you had a toothache, would you drill your own tooth?”
  • 25:11 — Dirty factory hands inspire Aaron to invent a special hand scrubber… which no one wants
  • 36:55 — Aaron hangs up on a corporate powerhouse: refusing to sell to 3M based on EBITDA
  • 46:36 — The shelved scrubbers come out of storage and Aaron discovers their “magical” properties  
  • 57:51 — Retail won’t bite—so he demos in ShopRite and sells 100 sponges a day
  • 1:07:33 — Shark Tank → $1M in one night… and retailers suddenly call back


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5597 no Advice Line with Hernan Lopez of Wondery Today’s callers: Heather from Ontario talks through a DTC strategy for her retail pain relief tape and patches. Then Nawal in Michigan considers a rebrand for her uniforms designed for Muslim students. Finally, Casey in Idaho seeks new revenue streams for her farmer and worker-owned seed cooperative.&nbsp; Plus, Hernan’s take on the future of podcasting and the sweet relief of vindication...&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Heali Medical, Studyous Monday, and Snake River Seed Cooperative for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Wondery’s founding story as told by Hernan on the show in 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Hernan Lopez of Wondery full 816 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Heather from Ontario talks through a DTC strategy for her retail pain relief tape and patches. Then Nawal in Michigan considers a rebrand for her uniforms designed for Muslim students. Finally, Casey in Idaho seeks new revenue streams for her farmer and worker-owned seed cooperative. Plus, Hernan’s take on the future of podcasting and the sweet relief of vindication... Thank you to the founders of Heali Medical, Studyous Monday, and Snake River Seed Cooperative for joining us on the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Wondery’s founding story as told by Hernan on the show in 2023.  This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Heather from Ontario talks through a DTC strategy for her retail pain relief tape and patches. Then Nawal in Michigan considers a rebrand for her uniforms designed for Muslim students. Finally, Casey in Idaho seeks new revenue streams for her farmer and worker-owned seed cooperative.&nbsp; Plus, Hernan’s take on the future of podcasting and the sweet relief of vindication...&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Heali Medical, Studyous Monday, and Snake River Seed Cooperative for joining us on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Wondery’s founding story as told by Hernan on the show in 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Heather from Ontario talks through a DTC strategy for her retail pain relief tape and patches. Then Nawal in Michigan considers a rebrand for her uniforms designed for Muslim students. Finally, Casey in Idaho seeks new revenue streams for her farmer and worker-owned seed cooperative. 

Plus, Hernan’s take on the future of podcasting and the sweet relief of vindication... 

Thank you to the founders of Heali Medical, Studyous Monday, and Snake River Seed Cooperative for joining us on the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Wondery’s founding story as told by Hernan on the show in 2023.  

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2912 no Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford. A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford.&nbsp;A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business At 40, Beryl Stafford’s life cracked open. Her marriage ended, she hadn’t worked in years, and she had two daughters to raise. She needed income—fast.&nbsp; So she did the only thing that felt real: she baked. What started as 4-ingredient oat bars— hastily placed in a&nbsp;Boulder coffee shop—became Bobo’s, a national brand built in the Silicon Valley of natural foods.&nbsp;&nbsp; In this episode, Beryl walks us through the scrappy early days: buying ingredients at full retail, a risky $25K packaging machine, the Whole Foods breakthrough, the burnout, and the pressure shift that comes with outside capital—and Costco. It’s a story powered by community support, relentless demos, and a founder who kept saying “yes” before she knew how. What you’ll learn:&nbsp; Why “survival” can be a powerful founder advantage How to sell your product before you feel ready (and why that’s often the point) The unglamorous truth of early CPG: shelf life, shared kitchens, endless demos In a trend-driven category, the value of sticking to a recipe “your grandmother could have made.”&nbsp; The two faces of Costco: growth rocket and operational trap Timestamps: 06:10 —Divorced at 40… “I was trying to survive.”&nbsp; 09:37—The baking project with her daughter… and the unexpected product-market signal 14:56—The first sale: snack bars in cellophane; making up a price 23:58—Sharing a kitchen with Justin’s Nut Butters: scrappy collaboration + conflict 27:09—The first-time founder playbook: sell first, learn the rest later 29:14—Whole Foods says yes… before she knows what “freezer safe packaging” even means 34:30—Getting into national distribution: “What just happened?”&nbsp; 44:09—Burnout, hiring a CEO, raising outside money—and what changes when investors arrive 52:06—The Costco conundrum: huge upside, real downside —------------------ This episode was produced by Noor Gill, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. —---------------------&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford. A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business full 815 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford. A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M BusinessAt 40, Beryl Stafford’s life cracked open. Her marriage ended, she hadn’t worked in years, and she had two daughters to raise. She needed income—fast. So she did the only thing that felt real: she baked.What started as 4-ingredient oat bars— hastily placed in a Boulder coffee shop—became Bobo’s, a national brand built in the Silicon Valley of natural foods.  In this episode, Beryl walks us through the scrappy early days: buying ingredients at full retail, a risky $25K packaging machine, the Whole Foods breakthrough, the burnout, and the pressure shift that comes with outside capital—and Costco.It’s a story powered by community support, relentless demos, and a founder who kept saying “yes” before she knew how.What you’ll learn: Why “survival” can be a powerful founder advantageHow to sell your product before you feel ready (and why that’s often the point)The unglamorous truth of early CPG: shelf life, shared kitchens, endless demosIn a trend-driven category, the value of sticking to a recipe “your grandmother could have made.” The two faces of Costco: growth rocket and operational trapTimestamps:06:10 —Divorced at 40… “I was trying to survive.” 09:37—The baking project with her daughter… and the unexpected product-market signal14:56—The first sale: snack bars in cellophane; making up a price23:58—Sharing a kitchen with Justin’s Nut Butters: scrappy collaboration + conflict27:09—The first-time founder playbook: sell first, learn the rest later29:14—Whole Foods says yes… before she knows what “freezer safe packaging” even means34:30—Getting into national distribution: “What just happened?” 44:09—Burnout, hiring a CEO, raising outside money—and what changes when investors arrive52:06—The Costco conundrum: huge upside, real downside —------------------This episode was produced by Noor Gill, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.—--------------------- Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford.&nbsp;A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business At 40, Beryl Stafford’s life cracked open. Her marriage ended, she hadn’t worked in years, and she had two daughters to raise. She needed income—fast.&nbsp; So she did the only thing that felt real: she baked. What started as 4-ingredient oat bars— hastily placed in a&nbsp;Boulder coffee shop—became Bobo’s, a national brand built in the Silicon Valley of natural foods.&nbsp;&nbsp; In this episode, Beryl walks us through the scrappy early days: buying ingredients at full retail, a risky $25K packaging machine, the Whole Foods breakthrough, the burnout, and the pressure shift that comes with outside capital—and Costco. It’s a story powered by community support, relentless demos, and a founder who kept saying “yes” before she knew how. What you’ll learn:&nbsp; Why “survival” can be a powerful founder advantage How to sell your product before you feel ready (and why that’s often the point) The unglamorous truth of early CPG: shelf life, shared kitchens, endless demos In a trend-driven category, the value of sticking to a recipe “your grandmother could have made.”&nbsp; The two faces of Costco: growth rocket and operational trap Timestamps: 06:10 —Divorced at 40… “I was trying to survive.”&nbsp; 09:37—The baking project with her daughter… and the unexpected product-market signal 14:56—The first sale: snack bars in cellophane; making up a price 23:58—Sharing a kitchen with Justin’s Nut Butters: scrappy collaboration + conflict 27:09—The first-time founder playbook: sell first, learn the rest later 29:14—Whole Foods says yes… before she knows what “freezer safe packaging” even means 34:30—Getting into national distribution: “What just happened?”&nbsp; 44:09—Burnout, hiring a CEO, raising outside money—and what changes when investors arrive 52:06—The Costco conundrum: huge upside, real downside —------------------ This episode was produced by Noor Gill, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. —---------------------&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford. A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business

At 40, Beryl Stafford’s life cracked open. Her marriage ended, she hadn’t worked in years, and she had two daughters to raise. She needed income—fast. 

So she did the only thing that felt real: she baked.

What started as 4-ingredient oat bars— hastily placed in a Boulder coffee shop—became Bobo’s, a national brand built in the Silicon Valley of natural foods.  

In this episode, Beryl walks us through the scrappy early days: buying ingredients at full retail, a risky $25K packaging machine, the Whole Foods breakthrough, the burnout, and the pressure shift that comes with outside capital—and Costco.

It’s a story powered by community support, relentless demos, and a founder who kept saying “yes” before she knew how.

What you’ll learn: 

  • Why “survival” can be a powerful founder advantage
  • How to sell your product before you feel ready (and why that’s often the point)
  • The unglamorous truth of early CPG: shelf life, shared kitchens, endless demos
  • In a trend-driven category, the value of sticking to a recipe “your grandmother could have made.” 
  • The two faces of Costco: growth rocket and operational trap


Timestamps:

  • 06:10 —Divorced at 40… “I was trying to survive.” 
  • 09:37—The baking project with her daughter… and the unexpected product-market signal
  • 14:56—The first sale: snack bars in cellophane; making up a price
  • 23:58—Sharing a kitchen with Justin’s Nut Butters: scrappy collaboration + conflict
  • 27:09—The first-time founder playbook: sell first, learn the rest later
  • 29:14—Whole Foods says yes… before she knows what “freezer safe packaging” even means
  • 34:30—Getting into national distribution: “What just happened?” 
  • 44:09—Burnout, hiring a CEO, raising outside money—and what changes when investors arrive
  • 52:06—The Costco conundrum: huge upside, real downside

—------------------

This episode was produced by Noor Gill, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.

—--------------------- 

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz


X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3768 no Advice Line with Miguel McKelvey of WeWork Today’s callers: Jane in Minnesota wants to scale her artful pants brand while staying true to her locally-made mission. Then Melissa in New Mexico wonders how to respond to diminishing returns on digital advertising for her grief care packages. And Lee in Massachusetts hopes to decrease customer acquisition costs for his history merch brand ahead of America’s 250th anniversary. Plus, Miguel reflects on his WeWork experience and the similarities he sees in today’s AI-dominated tech industry. Miguel’s latest venture, Unbound, seeks to disrupt healthcare in the United Kingdom. Thank you to the founders of Copa Threads, Good Grief, and The History List Store for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to WeWork’s founding story as told by Miguel in 2017, as well as his second appearance on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Miguel McKelvey of WeWork full 814 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Jane in Minnesota wants to scale her artful pants brand while staying true to her locally-made mission. Then Melissa in New Mexico wonders how to respond to diminishing returns on digital advertising for her grief care packages. And Lee in Massachusetts hopes to decrease customer acquisition costs for his history merch brand ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.Plus, Miguel reflects on his WeWork experience and the similarities he sees in today’s AI-dominated tech industry. Miguel’s latest venture, Unbound, seeks to disrupt healthcare in the United Kingdom.Thank you to the founders of Copa Threads, Good Grief, and The History List Store for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to WeWork’s founding story as told by Miguel in 2017, as well as his second appearance on the show in 2022.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Today’s callers: Jane in Minnesota wants to scale her artful pants brand while staying true to her locally-made mission. Then Melissa in New Mexico wonders how to respond to diminishing returns on digital advertising for her grief care packages. And Lee in Massachusetts hopes to decrease customer acquisition costs for his history merch brand ahead of America’s 250th anniversary. Plus, Miguel reflects on his WeWork experience and the similarities he sees in today’s AI-dominated tech industry. Miguel’s latest venture, Unbound, seeks to disrupt healthcare in the United Kingdom. Thank you to the founders of Copa Threads, Good Grief, and The History List Store for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to WeWork’s founding story as told by Miguel in 2017, as well as his second appearance on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Jane in Minnesota wants to scale her artful pants brand while staying true to her locally-made mission. Then Melissa in New Mexico wonders how to respond to diminishing returns on digital advertising for her grief care packages. And Lee in Massachusetts hopes to decrease customer acquisition costs for his history merch brand ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

Plus, Miguel reflects on his WeWork experience and the similarities he sees in today’s AI-dominated tech industry. Miguel’s latest venture, Unbound, seeks to disrupt healthcare in the United Kingdom.

Thank you to the founders of Copa Threads, Good Grief, and The History List Store for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to WeWork’s founding story as told by Miguel in 2017, as well as his second appearance on the show in 2022.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2930 no Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a Brand Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a Brand Most founders expand the “right” way: local → regional → national → international. Cameron Healy totally skipped the “national” part.&nbsp; When Kettle Chips was still an upstart regional brand, Cameron made a move that seems almost reckless: he launched his thick-cut, kettle-cooked chips to the United Kingdom — one of the most competitive “crisps” markets on earth — before conquering the U.S. And that wasn’t his first risky move.&nbsp; Before Kettle, Cameron was a turban-wearing Sikh entrepreneur in 1970s Salem, Oregon, building a natural foods business…until he was abruptly fired. He started again from scratch with a $10,000 bank loan.&nbsp;Inspired by the extra thick, crunchy potato chips that he sampled on a trip to Hawaii, he taught himself how to fry sliced potatoes through trial-and-error.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then, just as Kettle started taking off overseas, another trip to Hawaii sparked a second act: Kona Brewing — a craft beer brand that initially lost $20K a month — for years — before Cameron was able to make it work. Meanwhile, buoyed by its UK success, Kettle chips eventually spread across the US, becoming the top-selling natural chip in the country.&nbsp; What you’ll learn The hidden details (like cooking-oil quality control) that can make or break a chip How curiosity about British “crisp” culture fueled a risky UK rollout The decision that turned Kona Brewing from a money pit into a scalable brand Timestamps 04:56 — “You had to get up at 3 a.m.”: building a life in a Sikh community in Salem 07:46 — Fired with four kids and no severance: the moment Cameron is forced to rebuild 09:39 — The $10K loan (helped along by the offer of ski passes) 11:41 — The 1980 peanut crop gamble that suddenly capitalized Cameron’s business 18:34 — “Pot Chips” was the original name…until friends told him how bad it was 20:08 — Hand-feeding potatoes into vats of oil: inventing a process with zero playbook 24:30 — The Safeway disaster: rancid oil, a rejected order, and demand evaporating overnight 27:12 — The car crash that jolted Cameron out of despair 40:25 — UK word-of-mouth “switches on”--with an extra boost from Lady Di 49:53 — Kona Brewing bleeds money…until one decision turns things around *** Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. *** This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Feb 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a Brand full 813 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a BrandMost founders expand the “right” way: local → regional → national → international.Cameron Healy totally skipped the “national” part. When Kettle Chips was still an upstart regional brand, Cameron made a move that seems almost reckless: he launched his thick-cut, kettle-cooked chips to the United Kingdom — one of the most competitive “crisps” markets on earth — before conquering the U.S.And that wasn’t his first risky move. Before Kettle, Cameron was a turban-wearing Sikh entrepreneur in 1970s Salem, Oregon, building a natural foods business…until he was abruptly fired. He started again from scratch with a $10,000 bank loan. Inspired by the extra thick, crunchy potato chips that he sampled on a trip to Hawaii, he taught himself how to fry sliced potatoes through trial-and-error.  Then, just as Kettle started taking off overseas, another trip to Hawaii sparked a second act: Kona Brewing — a craft beer brand that initially lost $20K a month — for years — before Cameron was able to make it work.Meanwhile, buoyed by its UK success, Kettle chips eventually spread across the US, becoming the top-selling natural chip in the country. What you’ll learnThe hidden details (like cooking-oil quality control) that can make or break a chipHow curiosity about British “crisp” culture fueled a risky UK rolloutThe decision that turned Kona Brewing from a money pit into a scalable brandTimestamps04:56 — “You had to get up at 3 a.m.”: building a life in a Sikh community in Salem07:46 — Fired with four kids and no severance: the moment Cameron is forced to rebuild09:39 — The $10K loan (helped along by the offer of ski passes)11:41 — The 1980 peanut crop gamble that suddenly capitalized Cameron’s business18:34 — “Pot Chips” was the original name…until friends told him how bad it was20:08 — Hand-feeding potatoes into vats of oil: inventing a process with zero playbook24:30 — The Safeway disaster: rancid oil, a rejected order, and demand evaporating overnight27:12 — The car crash that jolted Cameron out of despair40:25 — UK word-of-mouth “switches on”--with an extra boost from Lady Di49:53 — Kona Brewing bleeds money…until one decision turns things around***Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.***This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a Brand Most founders expand the “right” way: local → regional → national → international. Cameron Healy totally skipped the “national” part.&nbsp; When Kettle Chips was still an upstart regional brand, Cameron made a move that seems almost reckless: he launched his thick-cut, kettle-cooked chips to the United Kingdom — one of the most competitive “crisps” markets on earth — before conquering the U.S. And that wasn’t his first risky move.&nbsp; Before Kettle, Cameron was a turban-wearing Sikh entrepreneur in 1970s Salem, Oregon, building a natural foods business…until he was abruptly fired. He started again from scratch with a $10,000 bank loan.&nbsp;Inspired by the extra thick, crunchy potato chips that he sampled on a trip to Hawaii, he taught himself how to fry sliced potatoes through trial-and-error.&nbsp;&nbsp; Then, just as Kettle started taking off overseas, another trip to Hawaii sparked a second act: Kona Brewing — a craft beer brand that initially lost $20K a month — for years — before Cameron was able to make it work. Meanwhile, buoyed by its UK success, Kettle chips eventually spread across the US, becoming the top-selling natural chip in the country.&nbsp; What you’ll learn The hidden details (like cooking-oil quality control) that can make or break a chip How curiosity about British “crisp” culture fueled a risky UK rollout The decision that turned Kona Brewing from a money pit into a scalable brand Timestamps 04:56 — “You had to get up at 3 a.m.”: building a life in a Sikh community in Salem 07:46 — Fired with four kids and no severance: the moment Cameron is forced to rebuild 09:39 — The $10K loan (helped along by the offer of ski passes) 11:41 — The 1980 peanut crop gamble that suddenly capitalized Cameron’s business 18:34 — “Pot Chips” was the original name…until friends told him how bad it was 20:08 — Hand-feeding potatoes into vats of oil: inventing a process with zero playbook 24:30 — The Safeway disaster: rancid oil, a rejected order, and demand evaporating overnight 27:12 — The car crash that jolted Cameron out of despair 40:25 — UK word-of-mouth “switches on”--with an extra boost from Lady Di 49:53 — Kona Brewing bleeds money…until one decision turns things around *** Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. *** This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a Brand

Most founders expand the “right” way: local → regional → national → international.

Cameron Healy totally skipped the “national” part. 

When Kettle Chips was still an upstart regional brand, Cameron made a move that seems almost reckless: he launched his thick-cut, kettle-cooked chips to the United Kingdom — one of the most competitive “crisps” markets on earth — before conquering the U.S.

And that wasn’t his first risky move. 

Before Kettle, Cameron was a turban-wearing Sikh entrepreneur in 1970s Salem, Oregon, building a natural foods business…until he was abruptly fired. He started again from scratch with a $10,000 bank loan. Inspired by the extra thick, crunchy potato chips that he sampled on a trip to Hawaii, he taught himself how to fry sliced potatoes through trial-and-error.  

Then, just as Kettle started taking off overseas, another trip to Hawaii sparked a second act: Kona Brewing — a craft beer brand that initially lost $20K a month — for years — before Cameron was able to make it work.

Meanwhile, buoyed by its UK success, Kettle chips eventually spread across the US, becoming the top-selling natural chip in the country. 

What you’ll learn

  • The hidden details (like cooking-oil quality control) that can make or break a chip
  • How curiosity about British “crisp” culture fueled a risky UK rollout
  • The decision that turned Kona Brewing from a money pit into a scalable brand


Timestamps

  • 04:56 — “You had to get up at 3 a.m.”: building a life in a Sikh community in Salem
  • 07:46 — Fired with four kids and no severance: the moment Cameron is forced to rebuild
  • 09:39 — The $10K loan (helped along by the offer of ski passes)
  • 11:41 — The 1980 peanut crop gamble that suddenly capitalized Cameron’s business
  • 18:34 — “Pot Chips” was the original name…until friends told him how bad it was
  • 20:08 — Hand-feeding potatoes into vats of oil: inventing a process with zero playbook
  • 24:30 — The Safeway disaster: rancid oil, a rejected order, and demand evaporating overnight
  • 27:12 — The car crash that jolted Cameron out of despair
  • 40:25 — UK word-of-mouth “switches on”--with an extra boost from Lady Di
  • 49:53 — Kona Brewing bleeds money…until one decision turns things around

***

Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.

***

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3864 no Advice Line with Alexa Hirschfeld of Paperless Post Today’s callers: Jess from Washington seeks counsel on structuring a collaboration between her sympathy cards company and a pet products brand. Then, Caroline from Colorado wonders if she should build an in-house production team or outsource manufacturing for her decorative garland company. And Sayuri from California is looking to drive sales of her Japanese tatami mats through a unique approach to yoga practice. Plus, Alexa shares how Paperless Post is responding to advancements in AI and the prevalence of post-pandemic loneliness. Thank you to the founders of Five Dot Post, The Creative Garland Company, and Sumo Yoga&nbsp;for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Paperless Post as told by Alexa and her brother James on the show in 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Debbie Daughtry and Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 Advice Line with Alexa Hirschfeld of Paperless Post full 812 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Jess from Washington seeks counsel on structuring a collaboration between her sympathy cards company and a pet products brand. Then, Caroline from Colorado wonders if she should build an in-house production team or outsource manufacturing for her decorative garland company. And Sayuri from California is looking to drive sales of her Japanese tatami mats through a unique approach to yoga practice.Plus, Alexa shares how Paperless Post is responding to advancements in AI and the prevalence of post-pandemic loneliness.Thank you to the founders of Five Dot Post, The Creative Garland Company, and Sumo Yoga for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Paperless Post as told by Alexa and her brother James on the show in 2024.  This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Debbie Daughtry and Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Jess from Washington seeks counsel on structuring a collaboration between her sympathy cards company and a pet products brand. Then, Caroline from Colorado wonders if she should build an in-house production team or outsource manufacturing for her decorative garland company. And Sayuri from California is looking to drive sales of her Japanese tatami mats through a unique approach to yoga practice. Plus, Alexa shares how Paperless Post is responding to advancements in AI and the prevalence of post-pandemic loneliness. Thank you to the founders of Five Dot Post, The Creative Garland Company, and Sumo Yoga&nbsp;for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Paperless Post as told by Alexa and her brother James on the show in 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Debbie Daughtry and Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Jess from Washington seeks counsel on structuring a collaboration between her sympathy cards company and a pet products brand. Then, Caroline from Colorado wonders if she should build an in-house production team or outsource manufacturing for her decorative garland company. And Sayuri from California is looking to drive sales of her Japanese tatami mats through a unique approach to yoga practice.

Plus, Alexa shares how Paperless Post is responding to advancements in AI and the prevalence of post-pandemic loneliness.

Thank you to the founders of Five Dot Post, The Creative Garland Company, and Sumo Yoga for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Paperless Post as told by Alexa and her brother James on the show in 2024.  

This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Debbie Daughtry and Cena Loffredo. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2715 yes Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 Sale, Then Built a $10 Billion Company Most entrepreneurs think the hardest part of building a company is the product. For Jim McKelvey — co-founder of Square — the hardest part was the system around the product. Because Square wasn’t just competing with other startups … It was competing with regulations, middlemen, entrenched networks, and monopolies designed to keep outsiders out. In this episode, Jim shares the mindset and tactics that helped Square go from a tiny card reader that processed credit card payments … to a company—now known as Block— that generates over $10 billion in gross profit. What You’ll Learn: Why the market is often “locked” on purpose How a simple hack can solve a seemingly complex problem How candor can sway investors more than confidence How Square survived by building something Amazon couldn’t copy Timestamps: 00:10:01 – Engineering and art: Balancing an IBM job with glassblowing 00:13:21 – The family trauma that rewired Jim 00:34:01 – Losing a $2,000 sale — the moment Square was born 00:38:26 – Breaking into the credit card club: “We were violating 17 rules” 00:43:51 – The headphone jack hack that sidestepped Apple’s control 00:53:23 – The “140 reasons we might fail” pitch that won over investors 01:00:16 – The taxi ride that convinced Jim he had product-market fit 01:03:18 – Amazon attacks, and why copying doesn’t always work 01:07:08 – The founder’s job after success: choosing hard problems *** Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. *** This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 Sale, Then Built a $10 Billion Company full 811 Guy Raz | Vox Media Most entrepreneurs think the hardest part of building a company is the product.For Jim McKelvey — co-founder of Square — the hardest part was the system around the product.Because Square wasn’t just competing with other startups …It was competing with regulations, middlemen, entrenched networks, and monopolies designed to keep outsiders out.In this episode, Jim shares the mindset and tactics that helped Square go from a tiny card reader that processed credit card payments … to a company—now known as Block— that generates over $10 billion in gross profit.What You’ll Learn:Why the market is often “locked” on purposeHow a simple hack can solve a seemingly complex problemHow candor can sway investors more than confidenceHow Square survived by building something Amazon couldn’t copyTimestamps:00:10:01 – Engineering and art: Balancing an IBM job with glassblowing00:13:21 – The family trauma that rewired Jim00:34:01 – Losing a $2,000 sale — the moment Square was born00:38:26 – Breaking into the credit card club: “We were violating 17 rules”00:43:51 – The headphone jack hack that sidestepped Apple’s control00:53:23 – The “140 reasons we might fail” pitch that won over investors01:00:16 – The taxi ride that convinced Jim he had product-market fit01:03:18 – Amazon attacks, and why copying doesn’t always work01:07:08 – The founder’s job after success: choosing hard problems***Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.***This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Most entrepreneurs think the hardest part of building a company is the product. For Jim McKelvey — co-founder of Square — the hardest part was the system around the product. Because Square wasn’t just competing with other startups … It was competing with regulations, middlemen, entrenched networks, and monopolies designed to keep outsiders out. In this episode, Jim shares the mindset and tactics that helped Square go from a tiny card reader that processed credit card payments … to a company—now known as Block— that generates over $10 billion in gross profit. What You’ll Learn: Why the market is often “locked” on purpose How a simple hack can solve a seemingly complex problem How candor can sway investors more than confidence How Square survived by building something Amazon couldn’t copy Timestamps: 00:10:01 – Engineering and art: Balancing an IBM job with glassblowing 00:13:21 – The family trauma that rewired Jim 00:34:01 – Losing a $2,000 sale — the moment Square was born 00:38:26 – Breaking into the credit card club: “We were violating 17 rules” 00:43:51 – The headphone jack hack that sidestepped Apple’s control 00:53:23 – The “140 reasons we might fail” pitch that won over investors 01:00:16 – The taxi ride that convinced Jim he had product-market fit 01:03:18 – Amazon attacks, and why copying doesn’t always work 01:07:08 – The founder’s job after success: choosing hard problems *** Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. *** This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Most entrepreneurs think the hardest part of building a company is the product.

For Jim McKelvey — co-founder of Square — the hardest part was the system around the product.

Because Square wasn’t just competing with other startups …

It was competing with regulations, middlemen, entrenched networks, and monopolies designed to keep outsiders out.

In this episode, Jim shares the mindset and tactics that helped Square go from a tiny card reader that processed credit card payments … to a company—now known as Block— that generates over $10 billion in gross profit.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why the market is often “locked” on purpose
  • How a simple hack can solve a seemingly complex problem
  • How candor can sway investors more than confidence
  • How Square survived by building something Amazon couldn’t copy

Timestamps:

  • 00:10:01 – Engineering and art: Balancing an IBM job with glassblowing
  • 00:13:21 – The family trauma that rewired Jim
  • 00:34:01 – Losing a $2,000 sale — the moment Square was born
  • 00:38:26 – Breaking into the credit card club: “We were violating 17 rules”
  • 00:43:51 – The headphone jack hack that sidestepped Apple’s control
  • 00:53:23 – The “140 reasons we might fail” pitch that won over investors
  • 01:00:16 – The taxi ride that convinced Jim he had product-market fit
  • 01:03:18 – Amazon attacks, and why copying doesn’t always work
  • 01:07:08 – The founder’s job after success: choosing hard problems

***

Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.

***

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4554 no Advice Line with Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali of Chomps Today’s callers: Yadi from New York thinks through an expansion strategy for her college campus-based empanada business. Then, Zachary from New York looks for ways to break into big retailers with his fresh-made frozen pies. And Josh from Indiana wonders how to go all-in on his small mouth bass lifestyle brand without overhauling his family’s lifestyle. Plus, Pete and Rashid reflect on the ‘protein-ification’ of our food, and how a scare last year reaffirmed the importance of doing right by the customer — no matter the cost.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Yadi’s Artisanal Empanadas, Noble Pies, and Achigan for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Chomps founding story as told by Pete and Rashid on the show in 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali of Chomps full 810 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Yadi from New York thinks through an expansion strategy for her college campus-based empanada business. Then, Zachary from New York looks for ways to break into big retailers with his fresh-made frozen pies. And Josh from Indiana wonders how to go all-in on his small mouth bass lifestyle brand without overhauling his family’s lifestyle.Plus, Pete and Rashid reflect on the ‘protein-ification’ of our food, and how a scare last year reaffirmed the importance of doing right by the customer — no matter the cost. Thank you to the founders of Yadi’s Artisanal Empanadas, Noble Pies, and Achigan for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Chomps founding story as told by Pete and Rashid on the show in 2023.  This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Yadi from New York thinks through an expansion strategy for her college campus-based empanada business. Then, Zachary from New York looks for ways to break into big retailers with his fresh-made frozen pies. And Josh from Indiana wonders how to go all-in on his small mouth bass lifestyle brand without overhauling his family’s lifestyle. Plus, Pete and Rashid reflect on the ‘protein-ification’ of our food, and how a scare last year reaffirmed the importance of doing right by the customer — no matter the cost.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Yadi’s Artisanal Empanadas, Noble Pies, and Achigan for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Chomps founding story as told by Pete and Rashid on the show in 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Yadi from New York thinks through an expansion strategy for her college campus-based empanada business. Then, Zachary from New York looks for ways to break into big retailers with his fresh-made frozen pies. And Josh from Indiana wonders how to go all-in on his small mouth bass lifestyle brand without overhauling his family’s lifestyle.

Plus, Pete and Rashid reflect on the ‘protein-ification’ of our food, and how a scare last year reaffirmed the importance of doing right by the customer — no matter the cost. 

Thank you to the founders of Yadi’s Artisanal Empanadas, Noble Pies, and Achigan for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Chomps founding story as told by Pete and Rashid on the show in 2023.  

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3163 no Spinbrush: John Osher. The Electric Toothbrush That Sold for $475M Before Spinbrush became the top selling toothbrush in the U.S—and before Procter & Gamble paid $475M for it—John Osher was a teenager selling earrings for $4.99.&nbsp; In this episode, John walks through the strange, scrappy, but disciplined path that led to one of the fastest consumer-product breakouts ever: from a six-year stint in a commune (where he learned plumbing and carpentry), to selling baby products and battery-powered spinning lollipops. Finally, the big bet: a $5 electric toothbrush that was cheap enough to compete with manual brushes, and good enough to become a best-seller. You’ll hear the make-or-break moment that many founders can’t survive: the decision to scrap 400,000 defective brushes before they hit the shelves. And then, the stealth move that turned a “licensing pitch” into a buyout —with one perfectly timed bluff. What you’ll learn: Why pricing is about what the market will pay, not what your product costs The hidden power of packaging (How “Try Me” changed everything) How to recover from “entrepreneurial terror”&nbsp; Why scrapping inventory can be the most important decision you’ll ever make The acquisition formula: you get a lot more money when they want to buy… than when you want to sell Timestamps:&nbsp; 4:36 - A pricing lesson that John used forever: The 19-cent earrings that sold for $4.99. 9:39 - Six years in a commune and the unexpected skill stack: plumbing and construction. 19:44 - “Entrepreneurial terror” and a lifeline from Toys R Us&nbsp; 24:31 - Spinning lollipops lead to a $166 million Hasbro exit. 31:14 - What’s the real competition: $80 electric toothbrushes, or cheap manual ones? 34:02 - The design breakthrough: fixed + oscillating bristles. 49:33 - P&G admits: “We’ve bought three companies like yours… and ruined them all.” 51:57 - The earnout problem: What happens when Spinbrush performs much better than expected?&nbsp; Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Rommel Wood.&nbsp; Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Spinbrush: John Osher. The Electric Toothbrush That Sold for $475M full 809 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before Spinbrush became the top selling toothbrush in the U.S—and before Procter &amp; Gamble paid $475M for it—John Osher was a teenager selling earrings for $4.99. In this episode, John walks through the strange, scrappy, but disciplined path that led to one of the fastest consumer-product breakouts ever: from a six-year stint in a commune (where he learned plumbing and carpentry), to selling baby products and battery-powered spinning lollipops. Finally, the big bet: a $5 electric toothbrush that was cheap enough to compete with manual brushes, and good enough to become a best-seller.You’ll hear the make-or-break moment that many founders can’t survive: the decision to scrap 400,000 defective brushes before they hit the shelves. And then, the stealth move that turned a “licensing pitch” into a buyout —with one perfectly timed bluff.What you’ll learn:Why pricing is about what the market will pay, not what your product costsThe hidden power of packaging (How “Try Me” changed everything)How to recover from “entrepreneurial terror” Why scrapping inventory can be the most important decision you’ll ever makeThe acquisition formula: you get a lot more money when they want to buy… than when you want to sellTimestamps: 4:36 - A pricing lesson that John used forever: The 19-cent earrings that sold for $4.99.9:39 - Six years in a commune and the unexpected skill stack: plumbing and construction.19:44 - “Entrepreneurial terror” and a lifeline from Toys R Us 24:31 - Spinning lollipops lead to a $166 million Hasbro exit.31:14 - What’s the real competition: $80 electric toothbrushes, or cheap manual ones?34:02 - The design breakthrough: fixed + oscillating bristles.49:33 - P&amp;G admits: “We’ve bought three companies like yours… and ruined them all.”51:57 - The earnout problem: What happens when Spinbrush performs much better than expected?  Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.  Before Spinbrush became the top selling toothbrush in the U.S—and before Procter & Gamble paid $475M for it—John Osher was a teenager selling earrings for $4.99.&nbsp; In this episode, John walks through the strange, scrappy, but disciplined path that led to one of the fastest consumer-product breakouts ever: from a six-year stint in a commune (where he learned plumbing and carpentry), to selling baby products and battery-powered spinning lollipops. Finally, the big bet: a $5 electric toothbrush that was cheap enough to compete with manual brushes, and good enough to become a best-seller. You’ll hear the make-or-break moment that many founders can’t survive: the decision to scrap 400,000 defective brushes before they hit the shelves. And then, the stealth move that turned a “licensing pitch” into a buyout —with one perfectly timed bluff. What you’ll learn: Why pricing is about what the market will pay, not what your product costs The hidden power of packaging (How “Try Me” changed everything) How to recover from “entrepreneurial terror”&nbsp; Why scrapping inventory can be the most important decision you’ll ever make The acquisition formula: you get a lot more money when they want to buy… than when you want to sell Timestamps:&nbsp; 4:36 - A pricing lesson that John used forever: The 19-cent earrings that sold for $4.99. 9:39 - Six years in a commune and the unexpected skill stack: plumbing and construction. 19:44 - “Entrepreneurial terror” and a lifeline from Toys R Us&nbsp; 24:31 - Spinning lollipops lead to a $166 million Hasbro exit. 31:14 - What’s the real competition: $80 electric toothbrushes, or cheap manual ones? 34:02 - The design breakthrough: fixed + oscillating bristles. 49:33 - P&G admits: “We’ve bought three companies like yours… and ruined them all.” 51:57 - The earnout problem: What happens when Spinbrush performs much better than expected?&nbsp; Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Rommel Wood.&nbsp; Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Before Spinbrush became the top selling toothbrush in the U.S—and before Procter & Gamble paid $475M for it—John Osher was a teenager selling earrings for $4.99. 

In this episode, John walks through the strange, scrappy, but disciplined path that led to one of the fastest consumer-product breakouts ever: from a six-year stint in a commune (where he learned plumbing and carpentry), to selling baby products and battery-powered spinning lollipops. Finally, the big bet: a $5 electric toothbrush that was cheap enough to compete with manual brushes, and good enough to become a best-seller.

You’ll hear the make-or-break moment that many founders can’t survive: the decision to scrap 400,000 defective brushes before they hit the shelves. And then, the stealth move that turned a “licensing pitch” into a buyout —with one perfectly timed bluff.

What you’ll learn:

  • Why pricing is about what the market will pay, not what your product costs
  • The hidden power of packaging (How “Try Me” changed everything)
  • How to recover from “entrepreneurial terror” 
  • Why scrapping inventory can be the most important decision you’ll ever make
  • The acquisition formula: you get a lot more money when they want to buy… than when you want to sell


Timestamps: 

4:36 - A pricing lesson that John used forever: The 19-cent earrings that sold for $4.99.

9:39 - Six years in a commune and the unexpected skill stack: plumbing and construction.

19:44 - “Entrepreneurial terror” and a lifeline from Toys R Us 

24:31 - Spinning lollipops lead to a $166 million Hasbro exit.

31:14 - What’s the real competition: $80 electric toothbrushes, or cheap manual ones?

34:02 - The design breakthrough: fixed + oscillating bristles.

49:33 - P&G admits: “We’ve bought three companies like yours… and ruined them all.”

51:57 - The earnout problem: What happens when Spinbrush performs much better than expected? 


Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.


This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Rommel Wood. 

Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3892 no Advice Line with Julia Hartz of Eventbrite Today’s callers: Mia from Germany wants to know how to balance her pottery business between an online shop and a YouTube channel. Then, Jen from Connecticut is looking for ways to reach more families with her print magazine for tweens and teens. And Anagha from California wonders how to convince people to embrace the time required for&nbsp;her globally-inspired baking kits. Plus, Julia reflects on Eventbrite’s recent acquisition announcement, and how in-person events can help brands and creators build community in today’s digital world.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Pottery to the People, Anyway Magazine, and Aunty Misri for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s founding story as told by Julia on the show in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Feb 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Julia Hartz of Eventbrite full 808 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today’s callers: Mia from Germany wants to know how to balance her pottery business between an online shop and a YouTube channel. Then, Jen from Connecticut is looking for ways to reach more families with her print magazine for tweens and teens. And Anagha from California wonders how to convince people to embrace the time required for her globally-inspired baking kits.Plus, Julia reflects on Eventbrite’s recent acquisition announcement, and how in-person events can help brands and creators build community in today’s digital world.  Thank you to the founders of Pottery to the People, Anyway Magazine, and Aunty Misri for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s founding story as told by Julia on the show in 2020.  This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Today’s callers: Mia from Germany wants to know how to balance her pottery business between an online shop and a YouTube channel. Then, Jen from Connecticut is looking for ways to reach more families with her print magazine for tweens and teens. And Anagha from California wonders how to convince people to embrace the time required for&nbsp;her globally-inspired baking kits. Plus, Julia reflects on Eventbrite’s recent acquisition announcement, and how in-person events can help brands and creators build community in today’s digital world.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Pottery to the People, Anyway Magazine, and Aunty Misri for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s founding story as told by Julia on the show in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Today’s callers: Mia from Germany wants to know how to balance her pottery business between an online shop and a YouTube channel. Then, Jen from Connecticut is looking for ways to reach more families with her print magazine for tweens and teens. And Anagha from California wonders how to convince people to embrace the time required for her globally-inspired baking kits.


Plus, Julia reflects on Eventbrite’s recent acquisition announcement, and how in-person events can help brands and creators build community in today’s digital world.  


Thank you to the founders of Pottery to the People, Anyway Magazine, and Aunty Misri for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 


And be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s founding story as told by Julia on the show in 2020.  


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3003 no Netflix: Reed Hastings. “We’re Not a Family.” The Provocative Idea That Helped Build a Streaming Giant Netflix shouldn’t have survived. In 1997, Blockbuster owned home entertainment—9,000 stores, a business fueled by late fees, and a brand that felt untouchable. Netflix was a scrappy DVD-by-mail experiment that almost sold itself off to stay alive. So how did Netflix win? In this conversation, Reed Hastings breaks down the behind-the-scenes decisions that helped the business thrive: the uncomfortable leadership choices, the culture blueprint that surprised corporate America, and a near-catastrophic misstep that could have blown the whole thing up. Reed also talks about what shaped him long before Netflix: being a late-bloomer, teaching in the Peace Corps, learning humility from a former boss, and the painful management mistakes he made while building his first company. This is a masterclass in: challenging the status quo, choosing a culture on purpose, and making big bets without pretending you’re always right. What you’ll learn:&nbsp; Why Netflix’s early “obvious” advantages weren’t enough—and how close it came to dying The leadership lesson Reed learned from a CEO who was admirable… but strategically wrong Why Reed says the best companies are like championship sports teams: if you can’t perform at peak, leave The “keeper test” and how it changed corporate culture The Qwikster fiasco: what went wrong, and how Netflix moved to prevent future missteps Building a House of Cards: How Netflix made the leap to original content Reed on the media landscape: The remote-control moment of truth, rival streamers, and the rise of AI Timestamps: 00:05:41 — “I was a late bloomer.” Reed on why no one saw greatness coming 00:07:05 — Peace Corps in Swaziland, and the moment he nearly quit 00:08:58 — An unforgettable lesson learned from the CEO who washed Reed’s coffee cups 00:12:14 — Building his first company in a cold cabin—no internet, just obsession and proof of concept 00:14:23 — Reed’s early struggles as a manager: “Too busy chopping wood to sharpen the axe.” 00:21:46 — Blockbuster’s late-fee pain and an early bet on DVDs 00:40:07 — The dot-com crash… and the $50M LVMH round that saved Netflix (barely) 00:42:32 — A possible Blockbuster buyout: “We probably would’ve taken any offer.” 00:51:38 — The Netflix culture deck: “We’re not a family,” and why that shook people up 01:00:27 — The Qwikster crisis, and the backlash that humbled Reed 01:13:23 — The competition: Netflix is just <10% of TV viewing—and the real threat is YouTube Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced and researched by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Netflix: Reed Hastings. “We’re Not a Family.” The Provocative Idea That Helped Build a Streaming Giant full 807 Guy Raz | Vox Media Netflix shouldn’t have survived.In 1997, Blockbuster owned home entertainment—9,000 stores, a business fueled by late fees, and a brand that felt untouchable. Netflix was a scrappy DVD-by-mail experiment that almost sold itself off to stay alive.So how did Netflix win?In this conversation, Reed Hastings breaks down the behind-the-scenes decisions that helped the business thrive: the uncomfortable leadership choices, the culture blueprint that surprised corporate America, and a near-catastrophic misstep that could have blown the whole thing up.Reed also talks about what shaped him long before Netflix: being a late-bloomer, teaching in the Peace Corps, learning humility from a former boss, and the painful management mistakes he made while building his first company.This is a masterclass in: challenging the status quo, choosing a culture on purpose, and making big bets without pretending you’re always right.What you’ll learn: Why Netflix’s early “obvious” advantages weren’t enough—and how close it came to dyingThe leadership lesson Reed learned from a CEO who was admirable… but strategically wrongWhy Reed says the best companies are like championship sports teams: if you can’t perform at peak, leaveThe “keeper test” and how it changed corporate cultureThe Qwikster fiasco: what went wrong, and how Netflix moved to prevent future misstepsBuilding a House of Cards: How Netflix made the leap to original contentReed on the media landscape: The remote-control moment of truth, rival streamers, and the rise of AITimestamps:00:05:41 — “I was a late bloomer.” Reed on why no one saw greatness coming00:07:05 — Peace Corps in Swaziland, and the moment he nearly quit00:08:58 — An unforgettable lesson learned from the CEO who washed Reed’s coffee cups00:12:14 — Building his first company in a cold cabin—no internet, just obsession and proof of concept00:14:23 — Reed’s early struggles as a manager: “Too busy chopping wood to sharpen the axe.”00:21:46 — Blockbuster’s late-fee pain and an early bet on DVDs00:40:07 — The dot-com crash… and the $50M LVMH round that saved Netflix (barely)00:42:32 — A possible Blockbuster buyout: “We probably would’ve taken any offer.”00:51:38 — The Netflix culture deck: “We’re not a family,” and why that shook people up01:00:27 — The Qwikster crisis, and the backlash that humbled Reed01:13:23 — The competition: Netflix is just &lt;10% of TV viewing—and the real threat is YouTubeHey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.This episode was produced and researched by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Netflix shouldn’t have survived. In 1997, Blockbuster owned home entertainment—9,000 stores, a business fueled by late fees, and a brand that felt untouchable. Netflix was a scrappy DVD-by-mail experiment that almost sold itself off to stay alive. So how did Netflix win? In this conversation, Reed Hastings breaks down the behind-the-scenes decisions that helped the business thrive: the uncomfortable leadership choices, the culture blueprint that surprised corporate America, and a near-catastrophic misstep that could have blown the whole thing up. Reed also talks about what shaped him long before Netflix: being a late-bloomer, teaching in the Peace Corps, learning humility from a former boss, and the painful management mistakes he made while building his first company. This is a masterclass in: challenging the status quo, choosing a culture on purpose, and making big bets without pretending you’re always right. What you’ll learn:&nbsp; Why Netflix’s early “obvious” advantages weren’t enough—and how close it came to dying The leadership lesson Reed learned from a CEO who was admirable… but strategically wrong Why Reed says the best companies are like championship sports teams: if you can’t perform at peak, leave The “keeper test” and how it changed corporate culture The Qwikster fiasco: what went wrong, and how Netflix moved to prevent future missteps Building a House of Cards: How Netflix made the leap to original content Reed on the media landscape: The remote-control moment of truth, rival streamers, and the rise of AI Timestamps: 00:05:41 — “I was a late bloomer.” Reed on why no one saw greatness coming 00:07:05 — Peace Corps in Swaziland, and the moment he nearly quit 00:08:58 — An unforgettable lesson learned from the CEO who washed Reed’s coffee cups 00:12:14 — Building his first company in a cold cabin—no internet, just obsession and proof of concept 00:14:23 — Reed’s early struggles as a manager: “Too busy chopping wood to sharpen the axe.” 00:21:46 — Blockbuster’s late-fee pain and an early bet on DVDs 00:40:07 — The dot-com crash… and the $50M LVMH round that saved Netflix (barely) 00:42:32 — A possible Blockbuster buyout: “We probably would’ve taken any offer.” 00:51:38 — The Netflix culture deck: “We’re not a family,” and why that shook people up 01:00:27 — The Qwikster crisis, and the backlash that humbled Reed 01:13:23 — The competition: Netflix is just <10% of TV viewing—and the real threat is YouTube Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced and researched by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Netflix shouldn’t have survived.

In 1997, Blockbuster owned home entertainment—9,000 stores, a business fueled by late fees, and a brand that felt untouchable. Netflix was a scrappy DVD-by-mail experiment that almost sold itself off to stay alive.

So how did Netflix win?

In this conversation, Reed Hastings breaks down the behind-the-scenes decisions that helped the business thrive: the uncomfortable leadership choices, the culture blueprint that surprised corporate America, and a near-catastrophic misstep that could have blown the whole thing up.

Reed also talks about what shaped him long before Netflix: being a late-bloomer, teaching in the Peace Corps, learning humility from a former boss, and the painful management mistakes he made while building his first company.

This is a masterclass in: challenging the status quo, choosing a culture on purpose, and making big bets without pretending you’re always right.


What you’ll learn: 

  • Why Netflix’s early “obvious” advantages weren’t enough—and how close it came to dying
  • The leadership lesson Reed learned from a CEO who was admirable… but strategically wrong
  • Why Reed says the best companies are like championship sports teams: if you can’t perform at peak, leave
  • The “keeper test” and how it changed corporate culture
  • The Qwikster fiasco: what went wrong, and how Netflix moved to prevent future missteps
  • Building a House of Cards: How Netflix made the leap to original content
  • Reed on the media landscape: The remote-control moment of truth, rival streamers, and the rise of AI


Timestamps:

  • 00:05:41 — “I was a late bloomer.” Reed on why no one saw greatness coming
  • 00:07:05 — Peace Corps in Swaziland, and the moment he nearly quit
  • 00:08:58 — An unforgettable lesson learned from the CEO who washed Reed’s coffee cups
  • 00:12:14 — Building his first company in a cold cabin—no internet, just obsession and proof of concept
  • 00:14:23 — Reed’s early struggles as a manager: “Too busy chopping wood to sharpen the axe.”
  • 00:21:46 — Blockbuster’s late-fee pain and an early bet on DVDs
  • 00:40:07 — The dot-com crash… and the $50M LVMH round that saved Netflix (barely)
  • 00:42:32 — A possible Blockbuster buyout: “We probably would’ve taken any offer.”
  • 00:51:38 — The Netflix culture deck: “We’re not a family,” and why that shook people up
  • 01:00:27 — The Qwikster crisis, and the backlash that humbled Reed
  • 01:13:23 — The competition: Netflix is just <10% of TV viewing—and the real threat is YouTube


Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.


This episode was produced and researched by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5339 no Advice Line with Jon Stein of Betterment Plus, Jon’s take on why now is a good time to start a business — in spite of market uncertainty.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Today’s callers: Dan from Washington considers new offerings beyond his core loose leaf yerba mate product. Then, Mike from New Hampshire wants to expand his woodworking business beyond his basement, without taking on debt. And Maggie from Georgia wonders how to respond to rising customer acquisition costs for her soccer-themed dog&nbsp;brand. Thank you to the founders of Heretic Yerba, MTS Woodworking, and Floofball for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Betterment’s founding story as told by Jon on the show in 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jon Stein of Betterment full 806 Guy Raz | Vox Media Plus, Jon’s take on why now is a good time to start a business — in spite of market uncertainty.   Today’s callers: Dan from Washington considers new offerings beyond his core loose leaf yerba mate product. Then, Mike from New Hampshire wants to expand his woodworking business beyond his basement, without taking on debt. And Maggie from Georgia wonders how to respond to rising customer acquisition costs for her soccer-themed dog brand.Thank you to the founders of Heretic Yerba, MTS Woodworking, and Floofball for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Betterment’s founding story as told by Jon on the show in 2018.  This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Plus, Jon’s take on why now is a good time to start a business — in spite of market uncertainty.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Today’s callers: Dan from Washington considers new offerings beyond his core loose leaf yerba mate product. Then, Mike from New Hampshire wants to expand his woodworking business beyond his basement, without taking on debt. And Maggie from Georgia wonders how to respond to rising customer acquisition costs for her soccer-themed dog&nbsp;brand. Thank you to the founders of Heretic Yerba, MTS Woodworking, and Floofball for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Betterment’s founding story as told by Jon on the show in 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Plus, Jon’s take on why now is a good time to start a business — in spite of market uncertainty.   

Today’s callers: Dan from Washington considers new offerings beyond his core loose leaf yerba mate product. Then, Mike from New Hampshire wants to expand his woodworking business beyond his basement, without taking on debt. And Maggie from Georgia wonders how to respond to rising customer acquisition costs for her soccer-themed dog brand.

Thank you to the founders of Heretic Yerba, MTS Woodworking, and Floofball for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Betterment’s founding story as told by Jon on the show in 2018.  

This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3026 no HOKA: Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud. The “Clown Shoe” That Became a $2B Bonanza In the late 2000s, two French mountain athletes set out to build a running shoe that captured the feeling of flying.&nbsp; Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas “Nico” Mermoud had spent decades inside the innovation engine at Salomon—where product was obsession. In 2007, as Nico recovered from a brutal ultramarathon around Mont Blanc, the founders fixed on a problem that Big Footwear didn’t care about: downhill running was destroying bodies. Their solution: make the shoe bigger, softer, and shaped like a rocker. At first, their prototypes looked like clown shoes. Runners who preferred minimalist footwear laughed at them.&nbsp;Retailers said no. But the founders kept doing the one thing that they knew could reverse things: they made people try them. HOKA went from under $3M in sales in 2012 to more than $2B a year—and in this episode, you’ll hear how it happened: the risky design, the early cash crunch, and the strategic partnership that helped them win the U.S. market. What you’ll learn: How to think of a shoe as a machine, not just a piece of apparel The go-to-market weapon that worked: relentless demo-ing&nbsp; Why outside money can’t always solve a cash flow bottleneck (and what does) How HOKA used performance proof to avoid being dismissed as a gimmick Why HOKA partnered with Deckers—and why it wasn’t just about capital How to keep a “rebel” mindset as competitors start copying you Timestamps: (Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.) [07:12] George Salomon’s leadership lesson: the CEO who sought advice from an intern [11:11] Nico’s first day at Salomon: testing ski prototypes on a glacier [18:42] The ultramarathon race where Nico’s legs crumbled (and why) [21:29] A breakthrough insight: performance changes with surface (leaves, lava, snow) [31:25] Designing a sneaker as if it were a car: engine, tires, seat [40:00] The “clown shoe” prototype—and the first successful run&nbsp; [47:22] Elite runners kickstart the brand&nbsp; [49:02] The hard part nobody glamorizes: factory minimums, bank demands, anemic cash flow [53:31] Deckers enters: the minority investment that unlocks the U.S. (without killing the brand) Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. *** This episode was produced and researched by Rommel Wood with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:10:00 -0000 HOKA: Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud. The “Clown Shoe” That Became a $2B Bonanza full 805 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 2000s, two French mountain athletes set out to build a running shoe that captured the feeling of flying. Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas “Nico” Mermoud had spent decades inside the innovation engine at Salomon—where product was obsession. In 2007, as Nico recovered from a brutal ultramarathon around Mont Blanc, the founders fixed on a problem that Big Footwear didn’t care about: downhill running was destroying bodies. Their solution: make the shoe bigger, softer, and shaped like a rocker.At first, their prototypes looked like clown shoes. Runners who preferred minimalist footwear laughed at them. Retailers said no. But the founders kept doing the one thing that they knew could reverse things: they made people try them.HOKA went from under $3M in sales in 2012 to more than $2B a year—and in this episode, you’ll hear how it happened: the risky design, the early cash crunch, and the strategic partnership that helped them win the U.S. market.What you’ll learn:How to think of a shoe as a machine, not just a piece of apparelThe go-to-market weapon that worked: relentless demo-ing Why outside money can’t always solve a cash flow bottleneck (and what does)How HOKA used performance proof to avoid being dismissed as a gimmickWhy HOKA partnered with Deckers—and why it wasn’t just about capitalHow to keep a “rebel” mindset as competitors start copying youTimestamps:(Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.)[07:12] George Salomon’s leadership lesson: the CEO who sought advice from an intern[11:11] Nico’s first day at Salomon: testing ski prototypes on a glacier[18:42] The ultramarathon race where Nico’s legs crumbled (and why)[21:29] A breakthrough insight: performance changes with surface (leaves, lava, snow)[31:25] Designing a sneaker as if it were a car: engine, tires, seat[40:00] The “clown shoe” prototype—and the first successful run [47:22] Elite runners kickstart the brand [49:02] The hard part nobody glamorizes: factory minimums, bank demands, anemic cash flow[53:31] Deckers enters: the minority investment that unlocks the U.S. (without killing the brand)Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.***This episode was produced and researched by Rommel Wood with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.  In the late 2000s, two French mountain athletes set out to build a running shoe that captured the feeling of flying.&nbsp; Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas “Nico” Mermoud had spent decades inside the innovation engine at Salomon—where product was obsession. In 2007, as Nico recovered from a brutal ultramarathon around Mont Blanc, the founders fixed on a problem that Big Footwear didn’t care about: downhill running was destroying bodies. Their solution: make the shoe bigger, softer, and shaped like a rocker. At first, their prototypes looked like clown shoes. Runners who preferred minimalist footwear laughed at them.&nbsp;Retailers said no. But the founders kept doing the one thing that they knew could reverse things: they made people try them. HOKA went from under $3M in sales in 2012 to more than $2B a year—and in this episode, you’ll hear how it happened: the risky design, the early cash crunch, and the strategic partnership that helped them win the U.S. market. What you’ll learn: How to think of a shoe as a machine, not just a piece of apparel The go-to-market weapon that worked: relentless demo-ing&nbsp; Why outside money can’t always solve a cash flow bottleneck (and what does) How HOKA used performance proof to avoid being dismissed as a gimmick Why HOKA partnered with Deckers—and why it wasn’t just about capital How to keep a “rebel” mindset as competitors start copying you Timestamps: (Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.) [07:12] George Salomon’s leadership lesson: the CEO who sought advice from an intern [11:11] Nico’s first day at Salomon: testing ski prototypes on a glacier [18:42] The ultramarathon race where Nico’s legs crumbled (and why) [21:29] A breakthrough insight: performance changes with surface (leaves, lava, snow) [31:25] Designing a sneaker as if it were a car: engine, tires, seat [40:00] The “clown shoe” prototype—and the first successful run&nbsp; [47:22] Elite runners kickstart the brand&nbsp; [49:02] The hard part nobody glamorizes: factory minimums, bank demands, anemic cash flow [53:31] Deckers enters: the minority investment that unlocks the U.S. (without killing the brand) Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. *** This episode was produced and researched by Rommel Wood with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the late 2000s, two French mountain athletes set out to build a running shoe that captured the feeling of flying. 

Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas “Nico” Mermoud had spent decades inside the innovation engine at Salomon—where product was obsession. In 2007, as Nico recovered from a brutal ultramarathon around Mont Blanc, the founders fixed on a problem that Big Footwear didn’t care about: downhill running was destroying bodies. Their solution: make the shoe bigger, softer, and shaped like a rocker.

At first, their prototypes looked like clown shoes. Runners who preferred minimalist footwear laughed at them. Retailers said no. But the founders kept doing the one thing that they knew could reverse things: they made people try them.

HOKA went from under $3M in sales in 2012 to more than $2B a year—and in this episode, you’ll hear how it happened: the risky design, the early cash crunch, and the strategic partnership that helped them win the U.S. market.

What you’ll learn:

  • How to think of a shoe as a machine, not just a piece of apparel
  • The go-to-market weapon that worked: relentless demo-ing 
  • Why outside money can’t always solve a cash flow bottleneck (and what does)
  • How HOKA used performance proof to avoid being dismissed as a gimmick
  • Why HOKA partnered with Deckers—and why it wasn’t just about capital
  • How to keep a “rebel” mindset as competitors start copying you


Timestamps:

(Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.)

  • [07:12] George Salomon’s leadership lesson: the CEO who sought advice from an intern
  • [11:11] Nico’s first day at Salomon: testing ski prototypes on a glacier
  • [18:42] The ultramarathon race where Nico’s legs crumbled (and why)
  • [21:29] A breakthrough insight: performance changes with surface (leaves, lava, snow)
  • [31:25] Designing a sneaker as if it were a car: engine, tires, seat
  • [40:00] The “clown shoe” prototype—and the first successful run 
  • [47:22] Elite runners kickstart the brand 
  • [49:02] The hard part nobody glamorizes: factory minimums, bank demands, anemic cash flow
  • [53:31] Deckers enters: the minority investment that unlocks the U.S. (without killing the brand)


Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.

***

This episode was produced and researched by Rommel Wood with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant. 

Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3581 no Advice Line with Serial Entrepreneur Mark Cuban Plus, Mark on his most challenging venture yet: revolutionizing the prescription drug market in America. First we meet Lucy from Washington DC, considering an opportunity to bring her upside-down peanut butter brand into a big box retailer. Then Macy from Utah, wondering if her youth-safe skincare products are better marketed to kids or their parents. Then Dan from North Carolina, looking to reboot his pre-pandemic business selling hand-crafted wooden razors. And finally Kristen from Michigan, questioning if she should expand her children’s winter wear brand with gear for other seasons. Thank you to the founders of One Trick Pony, Girlyish Skincare, Imperium Shaving, and Northern Classics for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Mark Cuban’s original episode on the show from back in 2016. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Jan 2026 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Serial Entrepreneur Mark Cuban full 804 Guy Raz | Vox Media Plus, Mark on his most challenging venture yet: revolutionizing the prescription drug market in America.First we meet Lucy from Washington DC, considering an opportunity to bring her upside-down peanut butter brand into a big box retailer. Then Macy from Utah, wondering if her youth-safe skincare products are better marketed to kids or their parents. Then Dan from North Carolina, looking to reboot his pre-pandemic business selling hand-crafted wooden razors. And finally Kristen from Michigan, questioning if she should expand her children’s winter wear brand with gear for other seasons.Thank you to the founders of One Trick Pony, Girlyish Skincare, Imperium Shaving, and Northern Classics for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Mark Cuban’s original episode on the show from back in 2016.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Plus, Mark on his most challenging venture yet: revolutionizing the prescription drug market in America. First we meet Lucy from Washington DC, considering an opportunity to bring her upside-down peanut butter brand into a big box retailer. Then Macy from Utah, wondering if her youth-safe skincare products are better marketed to kids or their parents. Then Dan from North Carolina, looking to reboot his pre-pandemic business selling hand-crafted wooden razors. And finally Kristen from Michigan, questioning if she should expand her children’s winter wear brand with gear for other seasons. Thank you to the founders of One Trick Pony, Girlyish Skincare, Imperium Shaving, and Northern Classics for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Mark Cuban’s original episode on the show from back in 2016. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Plus, Mark on his most challenging venture yet: revolutionizing the prescription drug market in America.

First we meet Lucy from Washington DC, considering an opportunity to bring her upside-down peanut butter brand into a big box retailer. Then Macy from Utah, wondering if her youth-safe skincare products are better marketed to kids or their parents. Then Dan from North Carolina, looking to reboot his pre-pandemic business selling hand-crafted wooden razors. And finally Kristen from Michigan, questioning if she should expand her children’s winter wear brand with gear for other seasons.

Thank you to the founders of One Trick Pony, Girlyish Skincare, Imperium Shaving, and Northern Classics for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Mark Cuban’s original episode on the show from back in 2016.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3493 no Taylor Guitars: Kurt Listug and Bob Taylor. From $3,700 Shop to Global Icon A bright blue guitar covered in orange koi fish vanished from a museum display … and Swifties immediately knew what it meant. That distinctive guitar—the one Taylor Swift used to record Speak Now—had been a gift. Hand crafted, by the founders of Taylor Guitars. When she brought it back on stage during her Eras tour, the fans went wild. In this episode, Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug tell the unlikely story behind one of the world’s most respected acoustic guitar brands—how it grew from a tiny San Diego repair shop doing $30,000/year into a global business with nine-figure revenue. And how it survived every challenge that should’ve ended it: a distributor deal that didn’t add up, a brutal market crash in the disco era, and such slow growth that—five years into the business—the founders could barely pay themselves a salary ($15/week). It’s a story about serendipity, obsession, and the quiet power of a partnership where each person knows their lane—Bob with relentless craftsmanship, Kurt with the discipline to turn it into a massive business. Plus: the purple 12-string featured in Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” … the MTV Unplugged boom that boosted the business … and why the founders eventually chose to convert the business to 100% employee ownership. What you’ll learn: The operating principle that changed Taylor’s production: one finished guitar beats 10 half-finished ones How to make a slow-growth business survivable (and why Bob saw it as “education”) How to recognize a bad distribution deal The design innovations that drew musicians to Taylor guitars Why Bob got a call from Taylor Swift’s dad when she was 14—and the iconic guitar her fans grew to love How the business managed demand shocks during COVID Why an ESOP can be a founder’s best “succession plan” decision What a great partnership looks like in practice Timestamps: (Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.) 00:04:14 – The high school moment: “I didn’t have $175 … so I thought, I’ll just make a guitar.” 00:04:49 – The American Dream shop: the hippie setup that became a launchpad 00:07:55 – The “baseball bat neck” problem with guitars—and Bob’s happy-accident innovation 00:09:34 – Buying the shop for $3,700 … then realizing it didn’t include the name (or phone number) 00:20:06 – The sentence that changed everything: “Would you rather have 10 half-done guitars or one done guitar?” 00:24:03 – The distributor deal that ended in layoffs: good sell job, bad math, and what they learned 00:33:50 – Buying out the third partner: why the business doubled when “the brakes were off” 00:53:42 – Before Taylor Swift was Taylor Swift: a phone call from a proud dad, and a promotional concert that almost went unheard 01:03:26 – The inflation economics of guitar building *** Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. *** This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Taylor Guitars: Kurt Listug and Bob Taylor. From $3,700 Shop to Global Icon full 803 Guy Raz | Vox Media A bright blue guitar covered in orange koi fish vanished from a museum display … and Swifties immediately knew what it meant.That distinctive guitar—the one Taylor Swift used to record Speak Now—had been a gift. Hand crafted, by the founders of Taylor Guitars. When she brought it back on stage during her Eras tour, the fans went wild.In this episode, Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug tell the unlikely story behind one of the world’s most respected acoustic guitar brands—how it grew from a tiny San Diego repair shop doing $30,000/year into a global business with nine-figure revenue. And how it survived every challenge that should’ve ended it: a distributor deal that didn’t add up, a brutal market crash in the disco era, and such slow growth that—five years into the business—the founders could barely pay themselves a salary ($15/week).It’s a story about serendipity, obsession, and the quiet power of a partnership where each person knows their lane—Bob with relentless craftsmanship, Kurt with the discipline to turn it into a massive business.Plus: the purple 12-string featured in Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” … the MTV Unplugged boom that boosted the business … and why the founders eventually chose to convert the business to 100% employee ownership.What you’ll learn:The operating principle that changed Taylor’s production: one finished guitar beats 10 half-finished onesHow to make a slow-growth business survivable (and why Bob saw it as “education”)How to recognize a bad distribution dealThe design innovations that drew musicians to Taylor guitarsWhy Bob got a call from Taylor Swift’s dad when she was 14—and the iconic guitar her fans grew to loveHow the business managed demand shocks during COVIDWhy an ESOP can be a founder’s best “succession plan” decisionWhat a great partnership looks like in practiceTimestamps:(Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.)00:04:14 – The high school moment: “I didn’t have $175 … so I thought, I’ll just make a guitar.”00:04:49 – The American Dream shop: the hippie setup that became a launchpad00:07:55 – The “baseball bat neck” problem with guitars—and Bob’s happy-accident innovation00:09:34 – Buying the shop for $3,700 … then realizing it didn’t include the name (or phone number)00:20:06 – The sentence that changed everything: “Would you rather have 10 half-done guitars or one done guitar?”00:24:03 – The distributor deal that ended in layoffs: good sell job, bad math, and what they learned00:33:50 – Buying out the third partner: why the business doubled when “the brakes were off”00:53:42 – Before Taylor Swift was Taylor Swift: a phone call from a proud dad, and a promotional concert that almost went unheard01:03:26 – The inflation economics of guitar building***Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.***This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. A bright blue guitar covered in orange koi fish vanished from a museum display … and Swifties immediately knew what it meant. That distinctive guitar—the one Taylor Swift used to record Speak Now—had been a gift. Hand crafted, by the founders of Taylor Guitars. When she brought it back on stage during her Eras tour, the fans went wild. In this episode, Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug tell the unlikely story behind one of the world’s most respected acoustic guitar brands—how it grew from a tiny San Diego repair shop doing $30,000/year into a global business with nine-figure revenue. And how it survived every challenge that should’ve ended it: a distributor deal that didn’t add up, a brutal market crash in the disco era, and such slow growth that—five years into the business—the founders could barely pay themselves a salary ($15/week). It’s a story about serendipity, obsession, and the quiet power of a partnership where each person knows their lane—Bob with relentless craftsmanship, Kurt with the discipline to turn it into a massive business. Plus: the purple 12-string featured in Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” … the MTV Unplugged boom that boosted the business … and why the founders eventually chose to convert the business to 100% employee ownership. What you’ll learn: The operating principle that changed Taylor’s production: one finished guitar beats 10 half-finished ones How to make a slow-growth business survivable (and why Bob saw it as “education”) How to recognize a bad distribution deal The design innovations that drew musicians to Taylor guitars Why Bob got a call from Taylor Swift’s dad when she was 14—and the iconic guitar her fans grew to love How the business managed demand shocks during COVID Why an ESOP can be a founder’s best “succession plan” decision What a great partnership looks like in practice Timestamps: (Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.) 00:04:14 – The high school moment: “I didn’t have $175 … so I thought, I’ll just make a guitar.” 00:04:49 – The American Dream shop: the hippie setup that became a launchpad 00:07:55 – The “baseball bat neck” problem with guitars—and Bob’s happy-accident innovation 00:09:34 – Buying the shop for $3,700 … then realizing it didn’t include the name (or phone number) 00:20:06 – The sentence that changed everything: “Would you rather have 10 half-done guitars or one done guitar?” 00:24:03 – The distributor deal that ended in layoffs: good sell job, bad math, and what they learned 00:33:50 – Buying out the third partner: why the business doubled when “the brakes were off” 00:53:42 – Before Taylor Swift was Taylor Swift: a phone call from a proud dad, and a promotional concert that almost went unheard 01:03:26 – The inflation economics of guitar building *** Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. *** This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices A bright blue guitar covered in orange koi fish vanished from a museum display … and Swifties immediately knew what it meant.

That distinctive guitar—the one Taylor Swift used to record Speak Now—had been a gift. Hand crafted, by the founders of Taylor Guitars. When she brought it back on stage during her Eras tour, the fans went wild.

In this episode, Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug tell the unlikely story behind one of the world’s most respected acoustic guitar brands—how it grew from a tiny San Diego repair shop doing $30,000/year into a global business with nine-figure revenue. And how it survived every challenge that should’ve ended it: a distributor deal that didn’t add up, a brutal market crash in the disco era, and such slow growth that—five years into the business—the founders could barely pay themselves a salary ($15/week).

It’s a story about serendipity, obsession, and the quiet power of a partnership where each person knows their lane—Bob with relentless craftsmanship, Kurt with the discipline to turn it into a massive business.

Plus: the purple 12-string featured in Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” … the MTV Unplugged boom that boosted the business … and why the founders eventually chose to convert the business to 100% employee ownership.


What you’ll learn:

  • The operating principle that changed Taylor’s production: one finished guitar beats 10 half-finished ones
  • How to make a slow-growth business survivable (and why Bob saw it as “education”)
  • How to recognize a bad distribution deal
  • The design innovations that drew musicians to Taylor guitars
  • Why Bob got a call from Taylor Swift’s dad when she was 14—and the iconic guitar her fans grew to love
  • How the business managed demand shocks during COVID
  • Why an ESOP can be a founder’s best “succession plan” decision
  • What a great partnership looks like in practice


Timestamps:

(Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.)

  • 00:04:14 – The high school moment: “I didn’t have $175 … so I thought, I’ll just make a guitar.”
  • 00:04:49 – The American Dream shop: the hippie setup that became a launchpad
  • 00:07:55 – The “baseball bat neck” problem with guitars—and Bob’s happy-accident innovation
  • 00:09:34 – Buying the shop for $3,700 … then realizing it didn’t include the name (or phone number)
  • 00:20:06 – The sentence that changed everything: “Would you rather have 10 half-done guitars or one done guitar?”
  • 00:24:03 – The distributor deal that ended in layoffs: good sell job, bad math, and what they learned
  • 00:33:50 – Buying out the third partner: why the business doubled when “the brakes were off”
  • 00:53:42 – Before Taylor Swift was Taylor Swift: a phone call from a proud dad, and a promotional concert that almost went unheard
  • 01:03:26 – The inflation economics of guitar building

***

Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.

***

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4412 no Advice Line with Monica Nassif of Mrs. Meyer's Plus, how candor has been a more effective press strategy than talking points for (the literal) Mrs. Meyer. First we meet Allison in California, seeking marketing ideas for her novel wig designs which aren’t done justice by photos alone. Next, Nick in Idaho wonders whether retail expansion or content development is best to grow his children’s toy and book franchise. And finally, Ben in Virginia considers options like acquiring a nearby company to grow his chandelier cleaning business.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Encelia Hair, Randimals and Chandelier Cleaning VA, for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode — where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders — leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the founding story of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day as told by Monica on the show in 2025. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce and John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Monica Nassif of Mrs. Meyer's full 802 Guy Raz | Vox Media Plus, how candor has been a more effective press strategy than talking points for (the literal) Mrs. Meyer.First we meet Allison in California, seeking marketing ideas for her novel wig designs which aren’t done justice by photos alone. Next, Nick in Idaho wonders whether retail expansion or content development is best to grow his children’s toy and book franchise. And finally, Ben in Virginia considers options like acquiring a nearby company to grow his chandelier cleaning business. Thank you to the founders of Encelia Hair, Randimals and Chandelier Cleaning VA, for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode — where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders — leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to the founding story of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day as told by Monica on the show in 2025.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce and John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Plus, how candor has been a more effective press strategy than talking points for (the literal) Mrs. Meyer. First we meet Allison in California, seeking marketing ideas for her novel wig designs which aren’t done justice by photos alone. Next, Nick in Idaho wonders whether retail expansion or content development is best to grow his children’s toy and book franchise. And finally, Ben in Virginia considers options like acquiring a nearby company to grow his chandelier cleaning business.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Encelia Hair, Randimals and Chandelier Cleaning VA, for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode — where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders — leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the founding story of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day as told by Monica on the show in 2025. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce and John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Plus, how candor has been a more effective press strategy than talking points for (the literal) Mrs. Meyer.

First we meet Allison in California, seeking marketing ideas for her novel wig designs which aren’t done justice by photos alone. Next, Nick in Idaho wonders whether retail expansion or content development is best to grow his children’s toy and book franchise. And finally, Ben in Virginia considers options like acquiring a nearby company to grow his chandelier cleaning business. 

Thank you to the founders of Encelia Hair, Randimals and Chandelier Cleaning VA, for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode — where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders — leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to the founding story of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day as told by Monica on the show in 2025.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce and John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2680 no Gymboree: Joan Barnes. How Building a Beloved Brand Nearly Destroyed Its Founder Before Gymboree became a cultural icon in the 80s and 90s, it was just one lonely new mom trying to find connection. Joan Barnes started hosting weekly playgroups for parents… and demand exploded. What began as a diversion became a business. Then a franchise. Then a brand everyone seemed to know, with its padded playrooms and parachute games.&nbsp; From the outside, it looked like a runaway success: hundreds of locations, glowing press coverage, celebrity buzz. But inside, the franchise model was failing. A potential Hasbro rescue vanished overnight. And Joan—while smiling for the world—was breaking under the pressure. Then came a major pivot that helped turn Gymboree around. The company was going to survive, but Joan realized she might not. She stepped away for good, to fight for her health.&nbsp; In this episode, Joan talks frankly about building Gymboree, losing control of it, and learning some vital lessons about ambition, balance, and humility.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn The hidden math of franchising: when scale makes you weaker, not stronger How—years before social media—Joan used the media as her marketing engine&nbsp; The moment Gymboree nearly died—and the brilliant pivot that saved it What it feels like to be celebrated publicly while privately falling apart Why “more hustle” can be a trap Timestamps:&nbsp; (Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.) [05:55]&nbsp;“Lonely and isolated”—The new-mom need that sparked Joan’s first playgroup [11:18]&nbsp;The early days: parachute games, circle songs, and connecting with other parents [14:34] The first, $3,000 investment, and expanding to new venues. [20:43] Learning the hard way: “I didn’t even know what franchise meant.”&nbsp; [34:00] Joan discovers her business model has a terrifying Catch-22 [40:25] A humiliating gut punch: Hasbro calls off a life-saving deal&nbsp; [45:35] The pivot to profitability: play centers + clothing stores [56:50] Success on the outside, collapse on the inside: panic, addiction, treatment&nbsp; [1:08:07] After Gymboree: yoga studios, recovery, and redefining success Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Patrick Murray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Gymboree: Joan Barnes. How Building a Beloved Brand Nearly Destroyed Its Founder full 801 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before Gymboree became a cultural icon in the 80s and 90s, it was just one lonely new mom trying to find connection. Joan Barnes started hosting weekly playgroups for parents… and demand exploded. What began as a diversion became a business. Then a franchise. Then a brand everyone seemed to know, with its padded playrooms and parachute games. From the outside, it looked like a runaway success: hundreds of locations, glowing press coverage, celebrity buzz. But inside, the franchise model was failing. A potential Hasbro rescue vanished overnight. And Joan—while smiling for the world—was breaking under the pressure.Then came a major pivot that helped turn Gymboree around. The company was going to survive, but Joan realized she might not. She stepped away for good, to fight for her health. In this episode, Joan talks frankly about building Gymboree, losing control of it, and learning some vital lessons about ambition, balance, and humility. What You’ll LearnThe hidden math of franchising: when scale makes you weaker, not strongerHow—years before social media—Joan used the media as her marketing engine The moment Gymboree nearly died—and the brilliant pivot that saved itWhat it feels like to be celebrated publicly while privately falling apartWhy “more hustle” can be a trapTimestamps: (Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.)[05:55] “Lonely and isolated”—The new-mom need that sparked Joan’s first playgroup[11:18] The early days: parachute games, circle songs, and connecting with other parents[14:34] The first, $3,000 investment, and expanding to new venues.[20:43] Learning the hard way: “I didn’t even know what franchise meant.” [34:00] Joan discovers her business model has a terrifying Catch-22[40:25] A humiliating gut punch: Hasbro calls off a life-saving deal [45:35] The pivot to profitability: play centers + clothing stores[56:50] Success on the outside, collapse on the inside: panic, addiction, treatment [1:08:07] After Gymboree: yoga studios, recovery, and redefining successHey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Rommel Wood.Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Patrick Murray. Before Gymboree became a cultural icon in the 80s and 90s, it was just one lonely new mom trying to find connection. Joan Barnes started hosting weekly playgroups for parents… and demand exploded. What began as a diversion became a business. Then a franchise. Then a brand everyone seemed to know, with its padded playrooms and parachute games.&nbsp; From the outside, it looked like a runaway success: hundreds of locations, glowing press coverage, celebrity buzz. But inside, the franchise model was failing. A potential Hasbro rescue vanished overnight. And Joan—while smiling for the world—was breaking under the pressure. Then came a major pivot that helped turn Gymboree around. The company was going to survive, but Joan realized she might not. She stepped away for good, to fight for her health.&nbsp; In this episode, Joan talks frankly about building Gymboree, losing control of it, and learning some vital lessons about ambition, balance, and humility.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn The hidden math of franchising: when scale makes you weaker, not stronger How—years before social media—Joan used the media as her marketing engine&nbsp; The moment Gymboree nearly died—and the brilliant pivot that saved it What it feels like to be celebrated publicly while privately falling apart Why “more hustle” can be a trap Timestamps:&nbsp; (Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.) [05:55]&nbsp;“Lonely and isolated”—The new-mom need that sparked Joan’s first playgroup [11:18]&nbsp;The early days: parachute games, circle songs, and connecting with other parents [14:34] The first, $3,000 investment, and expanding to new venues. [20:43] Learning the hard way: “I didn’t even know what franchise meant.”&nbsp; [34:00] Joan discovers her business model has a terrifying Catch-22 [40:25] A humiliating gut punch: Hasbro calls off a life-saving deal&nbsp; [45:35] The pivot to profitability: play centers + clothing stores [56:50] Success on the outside, collapse on the inside: panic, addiction, treatment&nbsp; [1:08:07] After Gymboree: yoga studios, recovery, and redefining success Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Patrick Murray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Before Gymboree became a cultural icon in the 80s and 90s, it was just one lonely new mom trying to find connection. Joan Barnes started hosting weekly playgroups for parents… and demand exploded. What began as a diversion became a business. Then a franchise. Then a brand everyone seemed to know, with its padded playrooms and parachute games. 


From the outside, it looked like a runaway success: hundreds of locations, glowing press coverage, celebrity buzz. But inside, the franchise model was failing. A potential Hasbro rescue vanished overnight. And Joan—while smiling for the world—was breaking under the pressure.


Then came a major pivot that helped turn Gymboree around. The company was going to survive, but Joan realized she might not. She stepped away for good, to fight for her health. 


In this episode, Joan talks frankly about building Gymboree, losing control of it, and learning some vital lessons about ambition, balance, and humility. 


What You’ll Learn

  • The hidden math of franchising: when scale makes you weaker, not stronger
  • How—years before social media—Joan used the media as her marketing engine 
  • The moment Gymboree nearly died—and the brilliant pivot that saved it
  • What it feels like to be celebrated publicly while privately falling apart
  • Why “more hustle” can be a trap


Timestamps: 

(Timecodes are approximate and may shift depending on platform.)

  • [05:55] “Lonely and isolated”—The new-mom need that sparked Joan’s first playgroup
  • [11:18] The early days: parachute games, circle songs, and connecting with other parents
  • [14:34] The first, $3,000 investment, and expanding to new venues.
  • [20:43] Learning the hard way: “I didn’t even know what franchise meant.” 
  • [34:00] Joan discovers her business model has a terrifying Catch-22
  • [40:25] A humiliating gut punch: Hasbro calls off a life-saving deal 
  • [45:35] The pivot to profitability: play centers + clothing stores
  • [56:50] Success on the outside, collapse on the inside: panic, addiction, treatment 
  • [1:08:07] After Gymboree: yoga studios, recovery, and redefining success


Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Rommel Wood.

Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Patrick Murray.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5061 no Advice Line with Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how AI integrations with glasses are helping us see the world in a whole new way. First we meet Kimber in Utah, who wants to take her chewable toothpaste gummies mainstream. Then Brian in California, who’s wondering how to vet franchisees for his light therapy studios. And Tanner in Tennessee, who needs help building a team he can trust to scale his country club-inspired lifestyle brand. Thank you to the founders of Pearl Pop, Salt and Light Wellness, and Cowboy Country Club for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Warby Parker’s founding story as told by Neil and his co-founder Dave on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker full 800 Guy Raz | Vox Media Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how AI integrations with glasses are helping us see the world in a whole new way.First we meet Kimber in Utah, who wants to take her chewable toothpaste gummies mainstream. Then Brian in California, who’s wondering how to vet franchisees for his light therapy studios. And Tanner in Tennessee, who needs help building a team he can trust to scale his country club-inspired lifestyle brand.Thank you to the founders of Pearl Pop, Salt and Light Wellness, and Cowboy Country Club for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Warby Parker’s founding story as told by Neil and his co-founder Dave on the show in 2016.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how AI integrations with glasses are helping us see the world in a whole new way. First we meet Kimber in Utah, who wants to take her chewable toothpaste gummies mainstream. Then Brian in California, who’s wondering how to vet franchisees for his light therapy studios. And Tanner in Tennessee, who needs help building a team he can trust to scale his country club-inspired lifestyle brand. Thank you to the founders of Pearl Pop, Salt and Light Wellness, and Cowboy Country Club for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Warby Parker’s founding story as told by Neil and his co-founder Dave on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how AI integrations with glasses are helping us see the world in a whole new way.

First we meet Kimber in Utah, who wants to take her chewable toothpaste gummies mainstream. Then Brian in California, who’s wondering how to vet franchisees for his light therapy studios. And Tanner in Tennessee, who needs help building a team he can trust to scale his country club-inspired lifestyle brand.

Thank you to the founders of Pearl Pop, Salt and Light Wellness, and Cowboy Country Club for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Warby Parker’s founding story as told by Neil and his co-founder Dave on the show in 2016.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2984 no La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti. A Brotherhood Built on Coffee (2020) When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the third wave of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks are sold in stores across the country, and in 2023, La Colombe was acquired by Chobani for $900M.&nbsp;&nbsp; TIMESTAMPS:&nbsp; 0:08:57 - Learning barista basics: like being a DJ&nbsp;&nbsp; 0:23:00 - Todd squats at JP’s place, they set out to sell coffee 0:25:08 - How La Colombe gets its name 0:28:00 - Launching the business in a city they've never visited 0:31:09 - The first roastery: no ventilation, visits from the fire department 0:35:49 - Pitching the coffee–uninvited–at a top French restaurant&nbsp; 0:40:38 - The trick to making a perfect espresso 0:47:20 - Todd takes a sabbatical: “I was suffering from my brain.”&nbsp; 0:51:30 - Expanding to more cafes and a shift from roasting to hosting 0:55:07 - An impasse with investors, and a bailout from Chobani’s founder&nbsp; 1:03:28 - Small Business Spotlight Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?&nbsp;&nbsp; If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth ? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, A previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now.&nbsp;Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.&nbsp; Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.&nbsp; So—give us a call.&nbsp;We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Sarah Sarasohn. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:10:00 -0000 La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti. A Brotherhood Built on Coffee (2020) full 799 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the third wave of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks are sold in stores across the country, and in 2023, La Colombe was acquired by Chobani for $900M.  TIMESTAMPS: 0:08:57 - Learning barista basics: like being a DJ  0:23:00 - Todd squats at JP’s place, they set out to sell coffee0:25:08 - How La Colombe gets its name0:28:00 - Launching the business in a city they've never visited0:31:09 - The first roastery: no ventilation, visits from the fire department0:35:49 - Pitching the coffee–uninvited–at a top French restaurant 0:40:38 - The trick to making a perfect espresso0:47:20 - Todd takes a sabbatical: “I was suffering from my brain.” 0:51:30 - Expanding to more cafes and a shift from roasting to hosting0:55:07 - An impasse with investors, and a bailout from Chobani’s founder 1:03:28 - Small Business SpotlightHey—want to be a guest on HIBT?  If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth ?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, A previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Sarah Sarasohn. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the third wave of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks are sold in stores across the country, and in 2023, La Colombe was acquired by Chobani for $900M.&nbsp;&nbsp; TIMESTAMPS:&nbsp; 0:08:57 - Learning barista basics: like being a DJ&nbsp;&nbsp; 0:23:00 - Todd squats at JP’s place, they set out to sell coffee 0:25:08 - How La Colombe gets its name 0:28:00 - Launching the business in a city they've never visited 0:31:09 - The first roastery: no ventilation, visits from the fire department 0:35:49 - Pitching the coffee–uninvited–at a top French restaurant&nbsp; 0:40:38 - The trick to making a perfect espresso 0:47:20 - Todd takes a sabbatical: “I was suffering from my brain.”&nbsp; 0:51:30 - Expanding to more cafes and a shift from roasting to hosting 0:55:07 - An impasse with investors, and a bailout from Chobani’s founder&nbsp; 1:03:28 - Small Business Spotlight Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?&nbsp;&nbsp; If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth ? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, A previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now.&nbsp;Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.&nbsp; Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.&nbsp; So—give us a call.&nbsp;We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Sarah Sarasohn. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the third wave of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks are sold in stores across the country, and in 2023, La Colombe was acquired by Chobani for $900M.  


TIMESTAMPS: 

  • 0:08:57 - Learning barista basics: like being a DJ  
  • 0:23:00 - Todd squats at JP’s place, they set out to sell coffee
  • 0:25:08 - How La Colombe gets its name
  • 0:28:00 - Launching the business in a city they've never visited
  • 0:31:09 - The first roastery: no ventilation, visits from the fire department
  • 0:35:49 - Pitching the coffee–uninvited–at a top French restaurant 
  • 0:40:38 - The trick to making a perfect espresso
  • 0:47:20 - Todd takes a sabbatical: “I was suffering from my brain.” 
  • 0:51:30 - Expanding to more cafes and a shift from roasting to hosting
  • 0:55:07 - An impasse with investors, and a bailout from Chobani’s founder 
  • 1:03:28 - Small Business Spotlight


Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?  

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth ?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, A previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. 

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. 

So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Sarah Sarasohn. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4356 no Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon (December 2024) Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community. First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers. And stick around to the end to hear whether the callers took Guy and Jack's advice. Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon (December 2024) full 798 Guy Raz | Vox Media Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community.First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers.And stick around to the end to hear whether the callers took Guy and Jack's advice.Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community. First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers. And stick around to the end to hear whether the callers took Guy and Jack's advice. Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community.

First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers.

And stick around to the end to hear whether the callers took Guy and Jack's advice.

Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021.

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3450 no Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin, From Zero to a Billion Dollar Exit in Five Years (December 2018) It started with a massive pile of razors sitting in a Rancho Cucomonga warehouse, and Michael Dubin’s chance meeting of the man who wanted to get rid of them. In 2010, Michael was working in marketing in Los Angeles, producing online video content. As a hobby, Michael took improv comedy classes. At a holiday party, he met a man named Mark Levine. Mark was looking for ideas to sell razors he had imported, but didn’t know how to unload. Michael’s background in video and comedy helped him create a viral launch video for his spontaneous idea: an internet razor subscription brand called Dollar Shave Club. Five years after launching, Dollar Shave Club sold to consumer products behemoth Unilever for a reported $1 billion in cash. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience in Los Angeles. What you’ll learn: How Michael’s early career at NBC in New York exposed him to a world of video production - and comedy The fateful party where Michael had to decide whether to start a company to sell razors - or to sell cake slicers How Michael’s gut feeling was that shaving was a sector that could use disruption - even though it meant facing down daunting incumbent players like Gillette Michael’s viral launch video was so good, it brought investors on board How to DIY fulfillment to keep an overnight success on track How expanding their offerings into other men’s grooming products caught the attention of Unilever and led to an acquisition offer Listen now to hear the amazing backstory of one of the best-known early DTC brands. ------------ Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. —----------- This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin, From Zero to a Billion Dollar Exit in Five Years (December 2018) full 797 Guy Raz | Vox Media It started with a massive pile of razors sitting in a Rancho Cucomonga warehouse, and Michael Dubin’s chance meeting of the man who wanted to get rid of them.In 2010, Michael was working in marketing in Los Angeles, producing online video content. As a hobby, Michael took improv comedy classes.At a holiday party, he met a man named Mark Levine. Mark was looking for ideas to sell razors he had imported, but didn’t know how to unload.Michael’s background in video and comedy helped him create a viral launch video for his spontaneous idea: an internet razor subscription brand called Dollar Shave Club.Five years after launching, Dollar Shave Club sold to consumer products behemoth Unilever for a reported $1 billion in cash.This episode was recorded in front of a live audience in Los Angeles.What you’ll learn:How Michael’s early career at NBC in New York exposed him to a world of video production - and comedyThe fateful party where Michael had to decide whether to start a company to sell razors - or to sell cake slicersHow Michael’s gut feeling was that shaving was a sector that could use disruption - even though it meant facing down daunting incumbent players like GilletteMichael’s viral launch video was so good, it brought investors on boardHow to DIY fulfillment to keep an overnight success on trackHow expanding their offerings into other men’s grooming products caught the attention of Unilever and led to an acquisition offerListen now to hear the amazing backstory of one of the best-known early DTC brands.------------Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call.We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.—-----------This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It started with a massive pile of razors sitting in a Rancho Cucomonga warehouse, and Michael Dubin’s chance meeting of the man who wanted to get rid of them. In 2010, Michael was working in marketing in Los Angeles, producing online video content. As a hobby, Michael took improv comedy classes. At a holiday party, he met a man named Mark Levine. Mark was looking for ideas to sell razors he had imported, but didn’t know how to unload. Michael’s background in video and comedy helped him create a viral launch video for his spontaneous idea: an internet razor subscription brand called Dollar Shave Club. Five years after launching, Dollar Shave Club sold to consumer products behemoth Unilever for a reported $1 billion in cash. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience in Los Angeles. What you’ll learn: How Michael’s early career at NBC in New York exposed him to a world of video production - and comedy The fateful party where Michael had to decide whether to start a company to sell razors - or to sell cake slicers How Michael’s gut feeling was that shaving was a sector that could use disruption - even though it meant facing down daunting incumbent players like Gillette Michael’s viral launch video was so good, it brought investors on board How to DIY fulfillment to keep an overnight success on track How expanding their offerings into other men’s grooming products caught the attention of Unilever and led to an acquisition offer Listen now to hear the amazing backstory of one of the best-known early DTC brands. ------------ Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. —----------- This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices It started with a massive pile of razors sitting in a Rancho Cucomonga warehouse, and Michael Dubin’s chance meeting of the man who wanted to get rid of them.

In 2010, Michael was working in marketing in Los Angeles, producing online video content. As a hobby, Michael took improv comedy classes.

At a holiday party, he met a man named Mark Levine. Mark was looking for ideas to sell razors he had imported, but didn’t know how to unload.

Michael’s background in video and comedy helped him create a viral launch video for his spontaneous idea: an internet razor subscription brand called Dollar Shave Club.

Five years after launching, Dollar Shave Club sold to consumer products behemoth Unilever for a reported $1 billion in cash.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience in Los Angeles.


What you’ll learn:

  • How Michael’s early career at NBC in New York exposed him to a world of video production - and comedy
  • The fateful party where Michael had to decide whether to start a company to sell razors - or to sell cake slicers
  • How Michael’s gut feeling was that shaving was a sector that could use disruption - even though it meant facing down daunting incumbent players like Gillette
  • Michael’s viral launch video was so good, it brought investors on board
  • How to DIY fulfillment to keep an overnight success on track
  • How expanding their offerings into other men’s grooming products caught the attention of Unilever and led to an acquisition offer


Listen now to hear the amazing backstory of one of the best-known early DTC brands.

------------

Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call.

We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.

—-----------

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3380 no Advice Line: Tapping AI as a Resource for Your Business This week, Guy is joined by TRX exercise straps founder Randy Hetrick, chicken restaurant giant Raising Cane’s Todd Graves, and Chesapeake Bay Candle Company founder Mei Xu in a special episode of the Advice Line. We talk about how to navigate today’s crowded social media landscape... And ways founders can start thinking about AI.&nbsp;&nbsp; First, Shireen from Pennsylvania wants to know how to do better getting customers to attend her cooking demos… Then, Valerie from Idaho wonders whether separate social media accounts amount to the best path for her brand... And finally, Avani from New Jersey needs help scaling her business.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Moji Masala , Large as Life puzzles, and Modi Toys for coming on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for my free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes: TRX: Randy Hetrick | Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRX Raising Cane's: Todd Graves | Advice Line with Todd Graves of Raising Cane's Chesapeake Bay Candle: Mei Xu | Advice Line with Mei Xu of Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Dec 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line: Tapping AI as a Resource for Your Business full 796 Guy Raz | Vox Media This week, Guy is joined by TRX exercise straps founder Randy Hetrick, chicken restaurant giant Raising Cane’s Todd Graves, and Chesapeake Bay Candle Company founder Mei Xu in a special episode of the Advice Line. We talk about how to navigate today’s crowded social media landscape... And ways founders can start thinking about AI.  First, Shireen from Pennsylvania wants to know how to do better getting customers to attend her cooking demos… Then, Valerie from Idaho wonders whether separate social media accounts amount to the best path for her brand... And finally, Avani from New Jersey needs help scaling her business. Thank you to the founders of Moji Masala , Large as Life puzzles, and Modi Toys for coming on the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for my free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes:TRX: Randy Hetrick | Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRXRaising Cane's: Todd Graves | Advice Line with Todd Graves of Raising Cane'sChesapeake Bay Candle: Mei Xu | Advice Line with Mei Xu of Chesapeake Bay Candle and BluemeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info This week, Guy is joined by TRX exercise straps founder Randy Hetrick, chicken restaurant giant Raising Cane’s Todd Graves, and Chesapeake Bay Candle Company founder Mei Xu in a special episode of the Advice Line. We talk about how to navigate today’s crowded social media landscape... And ways founders can start thinking about AI.&nbsp;&nbsp; First, Shireen from Pennsylvania wants to know how to do better getting customers to attend her cooking demos… Then, Valerie from Idaho wonders whether separate social media accounts amount to the best path for her brand... And finally, Avani from New Jersey needs help scaling her business.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Moji Masala , Large as Life puzzles, and Modi Toys for coming on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for my free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes: TRX: Randy Hetrick | Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRX Raising Cane's: Todd Graves | Advice Line with Todd Graves of Raising Cane's Chesapeake Bay Candle: Mei Xu | Advice Line with Mei Xu of Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices This week, Guy is joined by TRX exercise straps founder Randy Hetrick, chicken restaurant giant Raising Cane’s Todd Graves, and Chesapeake Bay Candle Company founder Mei Xu in a special episode of the Advice Line. We talk about how to navigate today’s crowded social media landscape... And ways founders can start thinking about AI.  

First, Shireen from Pennsylvania wants to know how to do better getting customers to attend her cooking demos… Then, Valerie from Idaho wonders whether separate social media accounts amount to the best path for her brand... And finally, Avani from New Jersey needs help scaling her business. 

Thank you to the founders of Moji Masala , Large as Life puzzles, and Modi Toys for coming on the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for my free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes:


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2864 no SkinnyDipped: Breezy and Val Griffith. The Flourishing Snack Company That Almost Failed For decades, snack companies believed Americans wanted everything sweeter. More sugar. More chocolate. More indulgence. But what if that assumption was wrong? In this episode, a mother-daughter team set out to make a sleeker version of a chocolate almond— and nearly lose everything in the process. Val Griffith was a longtime TV producer in Seattle. Her daughter Breezy was bouncing between failing business ideas in Miami and New York. When a family tragedy brought Breezy back home, the two began talking about food, snacking, and why chocolate-covered almonds were always so… overdone. Their insight was deceptively simple: what if you used less sugar, not fake sugar — and a thin coating of chocolate instead of a fat one?&nbsp; Turning that idea into SkinnyDipped meant years of failed experiments, dipping almonds by hand, manufacturing out of a converted chicken coop, and demoing almonds one by one.&nbsp; When they finally got a breakthrough order from Target, they faced a near-disaster: 40,000 pounds of rancid almonds.&nbsp; What followed was a frantic race to save the deal — and later, a far more dangerous question: is this business ever going to make it? WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:&nbsp; How failing at micro-businesses quietly builds founder skill Why manufacturing is often the biggest obstacle in food startups The nail-biting risk of saying yes to Target too early How growth can mask deeply broken economics What it takes to fix a business when funding disappears TIMESTAMPS:&nbsp; 00:05:00 - How Breezy’s early forays into the food business failed — and why they mattered. 00:09:00 - How a family loss brought Breezy and her mom together — and changed the direction of their lives&nbsp; 00:18:42 - Reinventing a stale bulk-bin snack: The road-trip conversations that sparked a new recipe:&nbsp; 00:28:55 - The Home Depot paint sprayer experiment: A brilliant idea that failed spectacularly. 00:34:16 -&nbsp; SkinnyDipped’s first “facility:” one oven, no heat, no hot water &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 00:44:48 - How a chance meeting in a bar changed the company’s trajectory 00:51:01 - Target takes the plunge and SkinnyDipped nearly drowns: how a chain-wide launch almost breaks the business 01:01:37 - Growth without profit: How the founders recover after hitting rock bottom 01:15:34 - The mother-daughter equation: wisdom + jet fuel 01:20:08 - Small Business Spotlight —----------------------- Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. —----------- This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Chris Maccini . Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:10:00 -0000 SkinnyDipped: Breezy and Val Griffith. The Flourishing Snack Company That Almost Failed full 795 Guy Raz | Vox Media For decades, snack companies believed Americans wanted everything sweeter.More sugar. More chocolate. More indulgence.But what if that assumption was wrong?In this episode, a mother-daughter team set out to make a sleeker version of a chocolate almond— and nearly lose everything in the process.Val Griffith was a longtime TV producer in Seattle. Her daughter Breezy was bouncing between failing business ideas in Miami and New York. When a family tragedy brought Breezy back home, the two began talking about food, snacking, and why chocolate-covered almonds were always so… overdone.Their insight was deceptively simple: what if you used less sugar, not fake sugar — and a thin coating of chocolate instead of a fat one? Turning that idea into SkinnyDipped meant years of failed experiments, dipping almonds by hand, manufacturing out of a converted chicken coop, and demoing almonds one by one. When they finally got a breakthrough order from Target, they faced a near-disaster: 40,000 pounds of rancid almonds. What followed was a frantic race to save the deal — and later, a far more dangerous question: is this business ever going to make it?WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: How failing at micro-businesses quietly builds founder skillWhy manufacturing is often the biggest obstacle in food startupsThe nail-biting risk of saying yes to Target too earlyHow growth can mask deeply broken economicsWhat it takes to fix a business when funding disappearsTIMESTAMPS: 00:05:00 - How Breezy’s early forays into the food business failed — and why they mattered.00:09:00 - How a family loss brought Breezy and her mom together — and changed the direction of their lives 00:18:42 - Reinventing a stale bulk-bin snack: The road-trip conversations that sparked a new recipe: 00:28:55 - The Home Depot paint sprayer experiment: A brilliant idea that failed spectacularly.00:34:16 -  SkinnyDipped’s first “facility:” one oven, no heat, no hot water             00:44:48 - How a chance meeting in a bar changed the company’s trajectory00:51:01 - Target takes the plunge and SkinnyDipped nearly drowns: how a chain-wide launch almost breaks the business01:01:37 - Growth without profit: How the founders recover after hitting rock bottom01:15:34 - The mother-daughter equation: wisdom + jet fuel01:20:08 - Small Business Spotlight —-----------------------Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call.We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.—-----------This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Chris Maccini . Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. For decades, snack companies believed Americans wanted everything sweeter. More sugar. More chocolate. More indulgence. But what if that assumption was wrong? In this episode, a mother-daughter team set out to make a sleeker version of a chocolate almond— and nearly lose everything in the process. Val Griffith was a longtime TV producer in Seattle. Her daughter Breezy was bouncing between failing business ideas in Miami and New York. When a family tragedy brought Breezy back home, the two began talking about food, snacking, and why chocolate-covered almonds were always so… overdone. Their insight was deceptively simple: what if you used less sugar, not fake sugar — and a thin coating of chocolate instead of a fat one?&nbsp; Turning that idea into SkinnyDipped meant years of failed experiments, dipping almonds by hand, manufacturing out of a converted chicken coop, and demoing almonds one by one.&nbsp; When they finally got a breakthrough order from Target, they faced a near-disaster: 40,000 pounds of rancid almonds.&nbsp; What followed was a frantic race to save the deal — and later, a far more dangerous question: is this business ever going to make it? WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:&nbsp; How failing at micro-businesses quietly builds founder skill Why manufacturing is often the biggest obstacle in food startups The nail-biting risk of saying yes to Target too early How growth can mask deeply broken economics What it takes to fix a business when funding disappears TIMESTAMPS:&nbsp; 00:05:00 - How Breezy’s early forays into the food business failed — and why they mattered. 00:09:00 - How a family loss brought Breezy and her mom together — and changed the direction of their lives&nbsp; 00:18:42 - Reinventing a stale bulk-bin snack: The road-trip conversations that sparked a new recipe:&nbsp; 00:28:55 - The Home Depot paint sprayer experiment: A brilliant idea that failed spectacularly. 00:34:16 -&nbsp; SkinnyDipped’s first “facility:” one oven, no heat, no hot water &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 00:44:48 - How a chance meeting in a bar changed the company’s trajectory 00:51:01 - Target takes the plunge and SkinnyDipped nearly drowns: how a chain-wide launch almost breaks the business 01:01:37 - Growth without profit: How the founders recover after hitting rock bottom 01:15:34 - The mother-daughter equation: wisdom + jet fuel 01:20:08 - Small Business Spotlight —----------------------- Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. —----------- This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Chris Maccini . Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices For decades, snack companies believed Americans wanted everything sweeter.

More sugar. More chocolate. More indulgence.

But what if that assumption was wrong?

In this episode, a mother-daughter team set out to make a sleeker version of a chocolate almond— and nearly lose everything in the process.

Val Griffith was a longtime TV producer in Seattle. Her daughter Breezy was bouncing between failing business ideas in Miami and New York. When a family tragedy brought Breezy back home, the two began talking about food, snacking, and why chocolate-covered almonds were always so… overdone.

Their insight was deceptively simple: what if you used less sugar, not fake sugar — and a thin coating of chocolate instead of a fat one? 

Turning that idea into SkinnyDipped meant years of failed experiments, dipping almonds by hand, manufacturing out of a converted chicken coop, and demoing almonds one by one. 

When they finally got a breakthrough order from Target, they faced a near-disaster: 40,000 pounds of rancid almonds. 

What followed was a frantic race to save the deal — and later, a far more dangerous question: is this business ever going to make it?

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

  • How failing at micro-businesses quietly builds founder skill
  • Why manufacturing is often the biggest obstacle in food startups
  • The nail-biting risk of saying yes to Target too early
  • How growth can mask deeply broken economics
  • What it takes to fix a business when funding disappears


TIMESTAMPS: 

  • 00:05:00 - How Breezy’s early forays into the food business failed — and why they mattered.
  • 00:09:00 - How a family loss brought Breezy and her mom together — and changed the direction of their lives 
  • 00:18:42 - Reinventing a stale bulk-bin snack: The road-trip conversations that sparked a new recipe: 
  • 00:28:55 - The Home Depot paint sprayer experiment: A brilliant idea that failed spectacularly.
  • 00:34:16 -  SkinnyDipped’s first “facility:” one oven, no heat, no hot water
  •              
  • 00:44:48 - How a chance meeting in a bar changed the company’s trajectory
  • 00:51:01 - Target takes the plunge and SkinnyDipped nearly drowns: how a chain-wide launch almost breaks the business
  • 01:01:37 - Growth without profit: How the founders recover after hitting rock bottom
  • 01:15:34 - The mother-daughter equation: wisdom + jet fuel
  • 01:20:08 - Small Business Spotlight



—-----------------------

Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call.

We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.

—-----------

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Chris Maccini . Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5294 no Advice Line with Todd Graves of Raising Cane's Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders who are each considering a big, next step to grow their businesses. First, Evan in Texas wants to know if he should franchise drive-thrus for his coffee business. Then, David in St. Louis is trying to get around dents in his financial history to secure financing for his pasta company. And finally, Shane in Los Angeles is weighing the pros and cons of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant for his focaccia sandwich retail and catering concept. Thank you to the founders of Whiskey Morning Coffee, Midwest Pasta Company, and Vesti for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the founding story of Raising Cane’s as told by Todd on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Todd Graves of Raising Cane's full 794 Guy Raz | Vox Media Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders who are each considering a big, next step to grow their businesses.First, Evan in Texas wants to know if he should franchise drive-thrus for his coffee business. Then, David in St. Louis is trying to get around dents in his financial history to secure financing for his pasta company. And finally, Shane in Los Angeles is weighing the pros and cons of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant for his focaccia sandwich retail and catering concept.Thank you to the founders of Whiskey Morning Coffee, Midwest Pasta Company, and Vesti for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to the founding story of Raising Cane’s as told by Todd on the show in 2022.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders who are each considering a big, next step to grow their businesses. First, Evan in Texas wants to know if he should franchise drive-thrus for his coffee business. Then, David in St. Louis is trying to get around dents in his financial history to secure financing for his pasta company. And finally, Shane in Los Angeles is weighing the pros and cons of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant for his focaccia sandwich retail and catering concept. Thank you to the founders of Whiskey Morning Coffee, Midwest Pasta Company, and Vesti for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the founding story of Raising Cane’s as told by Todd on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders who are each considering a big, next step to grow their businesses.

First, Evan in Texas wants to know if he should franchise drive-thrus for his coffee business. Then, David in St. Louis is trying to get around dents in his financial history to secure financing for his pasta company. And finally, Shane in Los Angeles is weighing the pros and cons of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant for his focaccia sandwich retail and catering concept.

Thank you to the founders of Whiskey Morning Coffee, Midwest Pasta Company, and Vesti for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to the founding story of Raising Cane’s as told by Todd on the show in 2022.

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3283 no Exploding Kittens: Elan Lee. How cat-themed Russian Roulette changed game night forever Exploding Kittens began as a jerry-rigged version of Russian Roulette — a deck of cards hastily modified with a Sharpie. But what happened next is one of the most improbable success stories in the creator economy: a $10,000 Kickstarter goal that ballooned into nearly $9 million, a community that rewrote the rules of crowdfunding, and a company that has now sold over 60 million card and board games. Co-founder Elan Lee shares the story behind Exploding Kittens — from dismantling his brother’s toys as a kid, to helping design Halo, to walking away from Microsoft…twice. He reveals how burnout, curiosity, and an obsession with interactive storytelling set the stage for one of the most successful game launches of all time. This is a story about the genius behind good marketing, and how creative storytelling can build a cult-like audience — without spending millions. If you’ve ever wondered how a strange idea becomes a global phenomenon — this is that story. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:&nbsp; How burnout can be a creative turning point How a Sharpie and a deck of cards can unlock breakthrough ideas The storytelling strategy that powered one of Kickstarter’s biggest launches How to treat your fans like collaborators, not just customers Why marketing should feel like play Unit economics to die for: make it for $2, sell it for $20 How to power through the threat of a one-hit-wonder TIMESTAMPS: 00:06:05 — The physics teacher who changed Elan’s life 00:08:10 — How Elan touched up the floating door scene in Titanic 00:10:38 — “You’re the worst program manager I’ve ever seen” — and the pivot to game design 00:13:08 — Meeting Spielberg, riffing on the movie AI, and inventing a new kind of storytelling 00:19:17 — Promoting Halo 2 with payphones&nbsp; 00:26:55 — The Hawaii getaway that sparked Exploding Kittens 00:37:32 — The Kickstarter launch: most backers on record 00:44:02 — Suddenly a real company — 700,000 decks and a manufacturing crisis 00:49:05 — Marketing genius: a kitty-cat vending machine that dispensed burritos and more 00:56:18 — New games that bombed — the one-hit-wonder dread 01:00:54 — Throw Throw Burrito, and the road to stability 01:12:55 — Elan’s 4-year-old daughter helps design new games 01:24:21 — Small Business Spotlight Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Exploding Kittens: Elan Lee. How cat-themed Russian Roulette changed game night forever full 793 Guy Raz | Vox Media Exploding Kittens began as a jerry-rigged version of Russian Roulette — a deck of cards hastily modified with a Sharpie. But what happened next is one of the most improbable success stories in the creator economy: a $10,000 Kickstarter goal that ballooned into nearly $9 million, a community that rewrote the rules of crowdfunding, and a company that has now sold over 60 million card and board games.Co-founder Elan Lee shares the story behind Exploding Kittens — from dismantling his brother’s toys as a kid, to helping design Halo, to walking away from Microsoft…twice. He reveals how burnout, curiosity, and an obsession with interactive storytelling set the stage for one of the most successful game launches of all time.This is a story about the genius behind good marketing, and how creative storytelling can build a cult-like audience — without spending millions.If you’ve ever wondered how a strange idea becomes a global phenomenon — this is that story.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: How burnout can be a creative turning pointHow a Sharpie and a deck of cards can unlock breakthrough ideasThe storytelling strategy that powered one of Kickstarter’s biggest launchesHow to treat your fans like collaborators, not just customersWhy marketing should feel like playUnit economics to die for: make it for $2, sell it for $20How to power through the threat of a one-hit-wonderTIMESTAMPS:00:06:05 — The physics teacher who changed Elan’s life00:08:10 — How Elan touched up the floating door scene in Titanic00:10:38 — “You’re the worst program manager I’ve ever seen” — and the pivot to game design00:13:08 — Meeting Spielberg, riffing on the movie AI, and inventing a new kind of storytelling00:19:17 — Promoting Halo 2 with payphones 00:26:55 — The Hawaii getaway that sparked Exploding Kittens00:37:32 — The Kickstarter launch: most backers on record00:44:02 — Suddenly a real company — 700,000 decks and a manufacturing crisis00:49:05 — Marketing genius: a kitty-cat vending machine that dispensed burritos and more00:56:18 — New games that bombed — the one-hit-wonder dread01:00:54 — Throw Throw Burrito, and the road to stability01:12:55 — Elan’s 4-year-old daughter helps design new games01:24:21 — Small Business SpotlightHey—want to be a guest on HIBT?If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.So—give us a call.We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Kwesi Lee. Exploding Kittens began as a jerry-rigged version of Russian Roulette — a deck of cards hastily modified with a Sharpie. But what happened next is one of the most improbable success stories in the creator economy: a $10,000 Kickstarter goal that ballooned into nearly $9 million, a community that rewrote the rules of crowdfunding, and a company that has now sold over 60 million card and board games. Co-founder Elan Lee shares the story behind Exploding Kittens — from dismantling his brother’s toys as a kid, to helping design Halo, to walking away from Microsoft…twice. He reveals how burnout, curiosity, and an obsession with interactive storytelling set the stage for one of the most successful game launches of all time. This is a story about the genius behind good marketing, and how creative storytelling can build a cult-like audience — without spending millions. If you’ve ever wondered how a strange idea becomes a global phenomenon — this is that story. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:&nbsp; How burnout can be a creative turning point How a Sharpie and a deck of cards can unlock breakthrough ideas The storytelling strategy that powered one of Kickstarter’s biggest launches How to treat your fans like collaborators, not just customers Why marketing should feel like play Unit economics to die for: make it for $2, sell it for $20 How to power through the threat of a one-hit-wonder TIMESTAMPS: 00:06:05 — The physics teacher who changed Elan’s life 00:08:10 — How Elan touched up the floating door scene in Titanic 00:10:38 — “You’re the worst program manager I’ve ever seen” — and the pivot to game design 00:13:08 — Meeting Spielberg, riffing on the movie AI, and inventing a new kind of storytelling 00:19:17 — Promoting Halo 2 with payphones&nbsp; 00:26:55 — The Hawaii getaway that sparked Exploding Kittens 00:37:32 — The Kickstarter launch: most backers on record 00:44:02 — Suddenly a real company — 700,000 decks and a manufacturing crisis 00:49:05 — Marketing genius: a kitty-cat vending machine that dispensed burritos and more 00:56:18 — New games that bombed — the one-hit-wonder dread 01:00:54 — Throw Throw Burrito, and the road to stability 01:12:55 — Elan’s 4-year-old daughter helps design new games 01:24:21 — Small Business Spotlight Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT? If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth? Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free. Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive. So—give us a call. We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Exploding Kittens began as a jerry-rigged version of Russian Roulette — a deck of cards hastily modified with a Sharpie. But what happened next is one of the most improbable success stories in the creator economy: a $10,000 Kickstarter goal that ballooned into nearly $9 million, a community that rewrote the rules of crowdfunding, and a company that has now sold over 60 million card and board games.

Co-founder Elan Lee shares the story behind Exploding Kittens — from dismantling his brother’s toys as a kid, to helping design Halo, to walking away from Microsoft…twice. He reveals how burnout, curiosity, and an obsession with interactive storytelling set the stage for one of the most successful game launches of all time.

This is a story about the genius behind good marketing, and how creative storytelling can build a cult-like audience — without spending millions.

If you’ve ever wondered how a strange idea becomes a global phenomenon — this is that story.


WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

  • How burnout can be a creative turning point
  • How a Sharpie and a deck of cards can unlock breakthrough ideas
  • The storytelling strategy that powered one of Kickstarter’s biggest launches
  • How to treat your fans like collaborators, not just customers
  • Why marketing should feel like play
  • Unit economics to die for: make it for $2, sell it for $20
  • How to power through the threat of a one-hit-wonder


TIMESTAMPS:

  • 00:06:05 — The physics teacher who changed Elan’s life
  • 00:08:10 — How Elan touched up the floating door scene in Titanic
  • 00:10:38 — “You’re the worst program manager I’ve ever seen” — and the pivot to game design
  • 00:13:08 — Meeting Spielberg, riffing on the movie AI, and inventing a new kind of storytelling
  • 00:19:17 — Promoting Halo 2 with payphones 
  • 00:26:55 — The Hawaii getaway that sparked Exploding Kittens
  • 00:37:32 — The Kickstarter launch: most backers on record
  • 00:44:02 — Suddenly a real company — 700,000 decks and a manufacturing crisis
  • 00:49:05 — Marketing genius: a kitty-cat vending machine that dispensed burritos and more
  • 00:56:18 — New games that bombed — the one-hit-wonder dread
  • 01:00:54 — Throw Throw Burrito, and the road to stability
  • 01:12:55 — Elan’s 4-year-old daughter helps design new games
  • 01:24:21 — Small Business Spotlight


Hey—want to be a guest on HIBT?

If you’re building a business, why not get advice from some of the greatest entrepreneurs on Earth?

Every Thursday on the HIBT Advice Line, a previous HIBT guest helps new entrepreneurs work through the challenges they’re facing right now. Advice that’s smart, actionable, and absolutely free.

Just call 1-800-433-1298, leave a message, and you may soon get guidance from someone who started where you did, and went on to build something massive.

So—give us a call.

We can’t wait to hear what you’re working on.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Kwesi Lee.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5513 no Advice Line with Bobby Trussell of Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Pedic founder Bobby Trussell joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Bobby talks about his new book, The Logic That God Exists. First, Lyf from Oregon asks about how to expand his fresh seafood business. Then, Colleen from Colorado has questions about where to focus her efforts in growing her whitewater paddleboarding company. And finally, Amanda from Illinois looks for advice on fundraising for her lifejacket brand.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Flying Fish Company, Hala Gear, and Line + Cleat for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Tempur-Pedic’s founding story as told by Bobby on the show in 2018.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Bobby Trussell of Tempur-Pedic full 792 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tempur-Pedic founder Bobby Trussell joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Bobby talks about his new book, The Logic That God Exists.First, Lyf from Oregon asks about how to expand his fresh seafood business. Then, Colleen from Colorado has questions about where to focus her efforts in growing her whitewater paddleboarding company. And finally, Amanda from Illinois looks for advice on fundraising for her lifejacket brand. Thank you to the founders of Flying Fish Company, Hala Gear, and Line + Cleat for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Tempur-Pedic’s founding story as told by Bobby on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Tempur-Pedic founder Bobby Trussell joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Bobby talks about his new book, The Logic That God Exists. First, Lyf from Oregon asks about how to expand his fresh seafood business. Then, Colleen from Colorado has questions about where to focus her efforts in growing her whitewater paddleboarding company. And finally, Amanda from Illinois looks for advice on fundraising for her lifejacket brand.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Flying Fish Company, Hala Gear, and Line + Cleat for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Tempur-Pedic’s founding story as told by Bobby on the show in 2018.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tempur-Pedic founder Bobby Trussell joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Bobby talks about his new book, The Logic That God Exists.

First, Lyf from Oregon asks about how to expand his fresh seafood business. Then, Colleen from Colorado has questions about where to focus her efforts in growing her whitewater paddleboarding company. And finally, Amanda from Illinois looks for advice on fundraising for her lifejacket brand. 

Thank you to the founders of Flying Fish Company, Hala Gear, and Line + Cleat for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Tempur-Pedic’s founding story as told by Bobby on the show in 2018. 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2882 no 93 Rejections, One Revolution: How Indiegogo Changed Crowdfunding Forever What happens when three outsiders try to reinvent access to money… during the worst financial crisis in decades? Before Kickstarter. Before GoFundMe. Before crowdfunding became a thing, there was Indiegogo, an idea born from frustration, inequity, and more than 93 rejections from investors. It was a funding platform built not for banks, studios or gatekeepers… but for everybody else. In this episode, co-founders Danae Ringelmann and Slava Rubin reveal the unpolished and often painful story behind Indiegogo — from digging into savings accounts, to fighting over strategy, to grinning and bearing it when their idea was dismissed as “cute.”&nbsp; You’ll hear how their mission was shaped by loss of parents, financial instability, and a fundamental belief in fairness. How the 2008 crash nearly killed the company before it began. And how in the end, Indiegogo helped spark a massive cultural shift—proving that anyone, anywhere, could bring an idea to life. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:&nbsp; How gatekeepers underestimate outsiders’ ideas How grief and personal history shape entrepreneurial courage How to recover from 93 “no’s”&nbsp; Why making money matters, but maintaining your values matters even more&nbsp; How co-founder conflict can sharpen (or break) a company Why Indiegogo didn’t become Kickstarter — and what founders can learn from that How to know when it’s time to walk away from your own company TIMESTAMPS:&nbsp; 0:05:34 - Slava’s childhood, and the deep loss that shaped his worldview 0:09:00 - Danae’s first lesson in leadership… from her dad’s moving business 0:12:43 - “Hollywood Meets Wall Street:” the emotional spark that led to Indiegogo 0:18:43 - The Golden Gate conversation where Slava asked, “Why not put this on the internet?“&nbsp; 0:32:56 - Building Indiegogo: mismatched personalities, big arguments, and the first 10 campaigns 0:40:22 - The 2008 crash hits: 93 investor rejections and many moments of truth 0:46:53 - Expanding beyond film: the inevitable pivot that ignited explosive growth 0:54:04 - Internal evolution: roles, titles, hires, and the first taste of real scale&nbsp; 0:59:56 - Why the founders eventually stepped away — and why some opportunities were squandered 1:05:19 - The legacy: how Indiegogo reshaped culture, creativity, and opportunity 1:09:44 - Bonus: Small Business Spotlight&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz YouTube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:10:00 -0000 93 Rejections, One Revolution: How Indiegogo Changed Crowdfunding Forever full 791 Guy Raz | Vox Media What happens when three outsiders try to reinvent access to money… during the worst financial crisis in decades?Before Kickstarter.Before GoFundMe.Before crowdfunding became a thing, there was Indiegogo, an idea born from frustration, inequity, and more than 93 rejections from investors.It was a funding platform built not for banks, studios or gatekeepers… but for everybody else.In this episode, co-founders Danae Ringelmann and Slava Rubin reveal the unpolished and often painful story behind Indiegogo — from digging into savings accounts, to fighting over strategy, to grinning and bearing it when their idea was dismissed as “cute.” You’ll hear how their mission was shaped by loss of parents, financial instability, and a fundamental belief in fairness.How the 2008 crash nearly killed the company before it began.And how in the end, Indiegogo helped spark a massive cultural shift—proving that anyone, anywhere, could bring an idea to life.WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: How gatekeepers underestimate outsiders’ ideasHow grief and personal history shape entrepreneurial courageHow to recover from 93 “no’s” Why making money matters, but maintaining your values matters even more How co-founder conflict can sharpen (or break) a companyWhy Indiegogo didn’t become Kickstarter — and what founders can learn from thatHow to know when it’s time to walk away from your own companyTIMESTAMPS: 0:05:34 - Slava’s childhood, and the deep loss that shaped his worldview0:09:00 - Danae’s first lesson in leadership… from her dad’s moving business0:12:43 - “Hollywood Meets Wall Street:” the emotional spark that led to Indiegogo0:18:43 - The Golden Gate conversation where Slava asked, “Why not put this on the internet?“ 0:32:56 - Building Indiegogo: mismatched personalities, big arguments, and the first 10 campaigns0:40:22 - The 2008 crash hits: 93 investor rejections and many moments of truth0:46:53 - Expanding beyond film: the inevitable pivot that ignited explosive growth0:54:04 - Internal evolution: roles, titles, hires, and the first taste of real scale 0:59:56 - Why the founders eventually stepped away — and why some opportunities were squandered1:05:19 - The legacy: how Indiegogo reshaped culture, creativity, and opportunity1:09:44 - Bonus: Small Business Spotlight This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYouTube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com What happens when three outsiders try to reinvent access to money… during the worst financial crisis in decades? Before Kickstarter. Before GoFundMe. Before crowdfunding became a thing, there was Indiegogo, an idea born from frustration, inequity, and more than 93 rejections from investors. It was a funding platform built not for banks, studios or gatekeepers… but for everybody else. In this episode, co-founders Danae Ringelmann and Slava Rubin reveal the unpolished and often painful story behind Indiegogo — from digging into savings accounts, to fighting over strategy, to grinning and bearing it when their idea was dismissed as “cute.”&nbsp; You’ll hear how their mission was shaped by loss of parents, financial instability, and a fundamental belief in fairness. How the 2008 crash nearly killed the company before it began. And how in the end, Indiegogo helped spark a massive cultural shift—proving that anyone, anywhere, could bring an idea to life. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:&nbsp; How gatekeepers underestimate outsiders’ ideas How grief and personal history shape entrepreneurial courage How to recover from 93 “no’s”&nbsp; Why making money matters, but maintaining your values matters even more&nbsp; How co-founder conflict can sharpen (or break) a company Why Indiegogo didn’t become Kickstarter — and what founders can learn from that How to know when it’s time to walk away from your own company TIMESTAMPS:&nbsp; 0:05:34 - Slava’s childhood, and the deep loss that shaped his worldview 0:09:00 - Danae’s first lesson in leadership… from her dad’s moving business 0:12:43 - “Hollywood Meets Wall Street:” the emotional spark that led to Indiegogo 0:18:43 - The Golden Gate conversation where Slava asked, “Why not put this on the internet?“&nbsp; 0:32:56 - Building Indiegogo: mismatched personalities, big arguments, and the first 10 campaigns 0:40:22 - The 2008 crash hits: 93 investor rejections and many moments of truth 0:46:53 - Expanding beyond film: the inevitable pivot that ignited explosive growth 0:54:04 - Internal evolution: roles, titles, hires, and the first taste of real scale&nbsp; 0:59:56 - Why the founders eventually stepped away — and why some opportunities were squandered 1:05:19 - The legacy: how Indiegogo reshaped culture, creativity, and opportunity 1:09:44 - Bonus: Small Business Spotlight&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz YouTube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What happens when three outsiders try to reinvent access to money… during the worst financial crisis in decades?

Before Kickstarter.

Before GoFundMe.

Before crowdfunding became a thing, there was Indiegogo, an idea born from frustration, inequity, and more than 93 rejections from investors.

It was a funding platform built not for banks, studios or gatekeepers… but for everybody else.

In this episode, co-founders Danae Ringelmann and Slava Rubin reveal the unpolished and often painful story behind Indiegogo — from digging into savings accounts, to fighting over strategy, to grinning and bearing it when their idea was dismissed as “cute.” 

You’ll hear how their mission was shaped by loss of parents, financial instability, and a fundamental belief in fairness.

How the 2008 crash nearly killed the company before it began.

And how in the end, Indiegogo helped spark a massive cultural shift—proving that anyone, anywhere, could bring an idea to life.


WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

  • How gatekeepers underestimate outsiders’ ideas
  • How grief and personal history shape entrepreneurial courage
  • How to recover from 93 “no’s” 
  • Why making money matters, but maintaining your values matters even more 
  • How co-founder conflict can sharpen (or break) a company
  • Why Indiegogo didn’t become Kickstarter — and what founders can learn from that
  • How to know when it’s time to walk away from your own company


TIMESTAMPS: 

0:05:34 - Slava’s childhood, and the deep loss that shaped his worldview

0:09:00 - Danae’s first lesson in leadership… from her dad’s moving business

0:12:43 - “Hollywood Meets Wall Street:” the emotional spark that led to Indiegogo

0:18:43 - The Golden Gate conversation where Slava asked, “Why not put this on the internet?“ 

0:32:56 - Building Indiegogo: mismatched personalities, big arguments, and the first 10 campaigns

0:40:22 - The 2008 crash hits: 93 investor rejections and many moments of truth

0:46:53 - Expanding beyond film: the inevitable pivot that ignited explosive growth

0:54:04 - Internal evolution: roles, titles, hires, and the first taste of real scale 

0:59:56 - Why the founders eventually stepped away — and why some opportunities were squandered

1:05:19 - The legacy: how Indiegogo reshaped culture, creativity, and opportunity

1:09:44 - Bonus: Small Business Spotlight 


This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

YouTube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4276 no Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good.&nbsp;&nbsp; First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people. Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll & Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring full 790 Guy Raz | Vox Media CEO and co-founder of Boll &amp; Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good.  First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people.Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll &amp; Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good.&nbsp;&nbsp; First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people. Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll & Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good.  

First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people.

Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll & Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2846 no Khan Academy: Sal Khan. From Tutoring His Cousins to Teaching the World For Free (September 2020) Khan Academy offers hundreds of free tutorials in fifty languages, and has 170 million monthly global users.&nbsp; It all began in 2009 when Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money.&nbsp; His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was sparked while helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer.&nbsp; When he started posting his tutorials on Youtube, the world took notice.&nbsp;&nbsp; You will learn:&nbsp; Not just cat videos: How Sal discovered the early power of YouTube.&nbsp; How a book by Isaac Asimov lay the foundation for Khan Academy Why Sal said no to a for-profit business model How Sal got discovered by Bill Gates–and other wealthy donors&nbsp;&nbsp; How Sal defines ambition: Free world class education for anyone, anywhere&nbsp; Listen now to hear how Khan Academy has grown to become one of the most trusted teaching tools around the world.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Jed Anderson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 Khan Academy: Sal Khan. From Tutoring His Cousins to Teaching the World For Free (September 2020) full 789 Guy Raz | Vox Media Khan Academy offers hundreds of free tutorials in fifty languages, and has 170 million monthly global users. It all began in 2009 when Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money. His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was sparked while helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer. When he started posting his tutorials on Youtube, the world took notice.  You will learn: Not just cat videos: How Sal discovered the early power of YouTube. How a book by Isaac Asimov lay the foundation for Khan AcademyWhy Sal said no to a for-profit business modelHow Sal got discovered by Bill Gates–and other wealthy donors  How Sal defines ambition: Free world class education for anyone, anywhere Listen now to hear how Khan Academy has grown to become one of the most trusted teaching tools around the world. This episode was produced by Jed Anderson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Khan Academy offers hundreds of free tutorials in fifty languages, and has 170 million monthly global users.&nbsp; It all began in 2009 when Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money.&nbsp; His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was sparked while helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer.&nbsp; When he started posting his tutorials on Youtube, the world took notice.&nbsp;&nbsp; You will learn:&nbsp; Not just cat videos: How Sal discovered the early power of YouTube.&nbsp; How a book by Isaac Asimov lay the foundation for Khan Academy Why Sal said no to a for-profit business model How Sal got discovered by Bill Gates–and other wealthy donors&nbsp;&nbsp; How Sal defines ambition: Free world class education for anyone, anywhere&nbsp; Listen now to hear how Khan Academy has grown to become one of the most trusted teaching tools around the world.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Jed Anderson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Khan Academy offers hundreds of free tutorials in fifty languages, and has 170 million monthly global users. 


It all began in 2009 when Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money. 


His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was sparked while helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer. 


When he started posting his tutorials on Youtube, the world took notice.  


You will learn: 

  • Not just cat videos: How Sal discovered the early power of YouTube. 
  • How a book by Isaac Asimov lay the foundation for Khan Academy
  • Why Sal said no to a for-profit business model
  • How Sal got discovered by Bill Gates–and other wealthy donors  
  • How Sal defines ambition: Free world class education for anyone, anywhere 


Listen now to hear how Khan Academy has grown to become one of the most trusted teaching tools around the world. 


This episode was produced by Jed Anderson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4936 no Advice Line with Jane Wurwand of Dermalogica (December 2024) Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand.&nbsp; First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of&nbsp;new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Nov 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jane Wurwand of Dermalogica (December 2024) full 788 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand. First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.  Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand.&nbsp; First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of&nbsp;new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand. 

First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.  

Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016. 

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3380 no Meridith Baer Home: Meridith Baer. She Started Over at 50 and Put Home Staging on the Map. Meridith Baer grew up on the grounds of San Quentin prison, acted in TV and movies, wrote scripts in Hollywood … and then, at 50, started over – and built one of the best known home-staging companies in real estate. Meridith’s life unfolds like a movie: As a teenager, she was forced to give up her baby for adoption. In her twenties, she was a writer for Penthouse. In her thirties and forties, she was a&nbsp;screenwriter in Hollywood, hobnobbing with Sally Field and dating Patrick Stewart. But in her late forties, Meridith hit a wall. Her writing career stalled, so she poured her energy into fixing up the house she was renting. When the owner sold that house almost immediately, she stumbled onto a strange new idea: why not stage homes for a living? From there, Meridith turned a few pieces of thrift-store furniture and potted plants into a full-blown business: trucks, warehouses, hundreds of employees, and high-end homes across Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and beyond. Along the way, she weathered the pressures of scaling a creative service into an operational machine—without ever raising outside capital. What you’ll learn: How to reshape a career at 50 (or any age) without a master plan How Meridith priced her work based on value created, not hours worked Why you don’t always need investors to grow a multi-million-dollar service business The psychology of home staging: designing spaces that make buyers fall in love in the first 10 seconds How Meridith thinks about legacy, stepping back, and seizing new opportunities Timestamps:&nbsp; 03:43 – Growing up as a warden’s daughter inside San Quentin 08:36 – Teen pregnancy, forced adoption, and reunion decades later 10:18 – From Pepsi commercials to Penthouse magazine 17:33 – Selling a major movie script, recoiling at the finished product 20:22 – How a breakup with Patrick Stewart totally reshaped Meridith’s life 25:16 – The accidental first staging job at age 50 30:37 – Early days of the business: vans, day laborers from Home Depot, and naming her price 42:38 – Unexpected struggles: tax trouble, a cancer diagnosis 44:57 – The business expands to New York and beyond 54:12 – Running a 320-person company at 78—and what comes next 59:46 – Small Business Spotlight This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Meridith Baer Home: Meridith Baer. She Started Over at 50 and Put Home Staging on the Map. full 787 Guy Raz | Vox Media Meridith Baer grew up on the grounds of San Quentin prison, acted in TV and movies, wrote scripts in Hollywood … and then, at 50, started over – and built one of the best known home-staging companies in real estate.Meridith’s life unfolds like a movie: As a teenager, she was forced to give up her baby for adoption. In her twenties, she was a writer for Penthouse. In her thirties and forties, she was a screenwriter in Hollywood, hobnobbing with Sally Field and dating Patrick Stewart.But in her late forties, Meridith hit a wall. Her writing career stalled, so she poured her energy into fixing up the house she was renting. When the owner sold that house almost immediately, she stumbled onto a strange new idea: why not stage homes for a living?From there, Meridith turned a few pieces of thrift-store furniture and potted plants into a full-blown business: trucks, warehouses, hundreds of employees, and high-end homes across Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and beyond. Along the way, she weathered the pressures of scaling a creative service into an operational machine—without ever raising outside capital.What you’ll learn:How to reshape a career at 50 (or any age) without a master planHow Meridith priced her work based on value created, not hours workedWhy you don’t always need investors to grow a multi-million-dollar service businessThe psychology of home staging: designing spaces that make buyers fall in love in the first 10 secondsHow Meridith thinks about legacy, stepping back, and seizing new opportunitiesTimestamps: 03:43 – Growing up as a warden’s daughter inside San Quentin08:36 – Teen pregnancy, forced adoption, and reunion decades later10:18 – From Pepsi commercials to Penthouse magazine17:33 – Selling a major movie script, recoiling at the finished product20:22 – How a breakup with Patrick Stewart totally reshaped Meridith’s life25:16 – The accidental first staging job at age 5030:37 – Early days of the business: vans, day laborers from Home Depot, and naming her price42:38 – Unexpected struggles: tax trouble, a cancer diagnosis44:57 – The business expands to New York and beyond54:12 – Running a 320-person company at 78—and what comes next59:46 – Small Business SpotlightThis episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com Meridith Baer grew up on the grounds of San Quentin prison, acted in TV and movies, wrote scripts in Hollywood … and then, at 50, started over – and built one of the best known home-staging companies in real estate. Meridith’s life unfolds like a movie: As a teenager, she was forced to give up her baby for adoption. In her twenties, she was a writer for Penthouse. In her thirties and forties, she was a&nbsp;screenwriter in Hollywood, hobnobbing with Sally Field and dating Patrick Stewart. But in her late forties, Meridith hit a wall. Her writing career stalled, so she poured her energy into fixing up the house she was renting. When the owner sold that house almost immediately, she stumbled onto a strange new idea: why not stage homes for a living? From there, Meridith turned a few pieces of thrift-store furniture and potted plants into a full-blown business: trucks, warehouses, hundreds of employees, and high-end homes across Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and beyond. Along the way, she weathered the pressures of scaling a creative service into an operational machine—without ever raising outside capital. What you’ll learn: How to reshape a career at 50 (or any age) without a master plan How Meridith priced her work based on value created, not hours worked Why you don’t always need investors to grow a multi-million-dollar service business The psychology of home staging: designing spaces that make buyers fall in love in the first 10 seconds How Meridith thinks about legacy, stepping back, and seizing new opportunities Timestamps:&nbsp; 03:43 – Growing up as a warden’s daughter inside San Quentin 08:36 – Teen pregnancy, forced adoption, and reunion decades later 10:18 – From Pepsi commercials to Penthouse magazine 17:33 – Selling a major movie script, recoiling at the finished product 20:22 – How a breakup with Patrick Stewart totally reshaped Meridith’s life 25:16 – The accidental first staging job at age 50 30:37 – Early days of the business: vans, day laborers from Home Depot, and naming her price 42:38 – Unexpected struggles: tax trouble, a cancer diagnosis 44:57 – The business expands to New York and beyond 54:12 – Running a 320-person company at 78—and what comes next 59:46 – Small Business Spotlight This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Meridith Baer grew up on the grounds of San Quentin prison, acted in TV and movies, wrote scripts in Hollywood … and then, at 50, started over – and built one of the best known home-staging companies in real estate.

Meridith’s life unfolds like a movie: As a teenager, she was forced to give up her baby for adoption. In her twenties, she was a writer for Penthouse. In her thirties and forties, she was a screenwriter in Hollywood, hobnobbing with Sally Field and dating Patrick Stewart.

But in her late forties, Meridith hit a wall. Her writing career stalled, so she poured her energy into fixing up the house she was renting. When the owner sold that house almost immediately, she stumbled onto a strange new idea: why not stage homes for a living?

From there, Meridith turned a few pieces of thrift-store furniture and potted plants into a full-blown business: trucks, warehouses, hundreds of employees, and high-end homes across Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and beyond. Along the way, she weathered the pressures of scaling a creative service into an operational machine—without ever raising outside capital.


What you’ll learn:

How to reshape a career at 50 (or any age) without a master plan

How Meridith priced her work based on value created, not hours worked

Why you don’t always need investors to grow a multi-million-dollar service business

The psychology of home staging: designing spaces that make buyers fall in love in the first 10 seconds

How Meridith thinks about legacy, stepping back, and seizing new opportunities


Timestamps: 

03:43 – Growing up as a warden’s daughter inside San Quentin

08:36 – Teen pregnancy, forced adoption, and reunion decades later

10:18 – From Pepsi commercials to Penthouse magazine

17:33 – Selling a major movie script, recoiling at the finished product

20:22 – How a breakup with Patrick Stewart totally reshaped Meridith’s life

25:16 – The accidental first staging job at age 50

30:37 – Early days of the business: vans, day laborers from Home Depot, and naming her price

42:38 – Unexpected struggles: tax trouble, a cancer diagnosis

44:57 – The business expands to New York and beyond

54:12 – Running a 320-person company at 78—and what comes next

59:46 – Small Business Spotlight


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4046 no Advice Line with Bill Creelman of Spindrift Bill Creelman, CEO and founder of Spindrift,&nbsp;joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bill and Guy talk about the importance of solving one problem at a time.&nbsp; First, we hear from Josh in West Hollywood, California - a pickle beer maker - who's wondering whether to drop his home-made brine to save money by using a manufactured flavor instead. Then Zac in Marshfield, Massachusetts, is trying to figure out how to get marketing help for his Hawaiian themed Flannel shirt company. And Jean Pierre in Portland is wondering about the best way to get his Kombucha business back on track.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Donna’s Pickle Beer, Kona Brand and Soma Kombucha.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Spindrift’s Founding Story as told by Bill on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Bill Creelman of Spindrift full 786 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bill Creelman, CEO and founder of Spindrift, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bill and Guy talk about the importance of solving one problem at a time. First, we hear from Josh in West Hollywood, California - a pickle beer maker - who's wondering whether to drop his home-made brine to save money by using a manufactured flavor instead. Then Zac in Marshfield, Massachusetts, is trying to figure out how to get marketing help for his Hawaiian themed Flannel shirt company. And Jean Pierre in Portland is wondering about the best way to get his Kombucha business back on track. Thank you to the founders of Donna’s Pickle Beer, Kona Brand and Soma Kombucha. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Spindrift’s Founding Story as told by Bill on the show in 2020.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. Bill Creelman, CEO and founder of Spindrift,&nbsp;joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bill and Guy talk about the importance of solving one problem at a time.&nbsp; First, we hear from Josh in West Hollywood, California - a pickle beer maker - who's wondering whether to drop his home-made brine to save money by using a manufactured flavor instead. Then Zac in Marshfield, Massachusetts, is trying to figure out how to get marketing help for his Hawaiian themed Flannel shirt company. And Jean Pierre in Portland is wondering about the best way to get his Kombucha business back on track.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Donna’s Pickle Beer, Kona Brand and Soma Kombucha.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Spindrift’s Founding Story as told by Bill on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bill Creelman, CEO and founder of Spindrift, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bill and Guy talk about the importance of solving one problem at a time. 

First, we hear from Josh in West Hollywood, California - a pickle beer maker - who's wondering whether to drop his home-made brine to save money by using a manufactured flavor instead. Then Zac in Marshfield, Massachusetts, is trying to figure out how to get marketing help for his Hawaiian themed Flannel shirt company. And Jean Pierre in Portland is wondering about the best way to get his Kombucha business back on track. 

Thank you to the founders of Donna’s Pickle Beer, Kona Brand and Soma Kombucha. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Spindrift’s Founding Story as told by Bill on the show in 2020.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3179 no Hydro Flask: Travis Rosbach. How a thirsty surfer changed the water bottle industry What if the idea that changes your life… starts with something as ordinary as being thirsty? In 2007, Travis Rosbach walked into a sporting goods store looking for a water bottle—and stumbled onto a problem no one had solved. Plastic, BPA-lined bottles dominated the market. Metal alternatives leaked, dented, or couldn’t keep drinks cold enough.&nbsp; Travis’s solution? A double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel bottle. His expertise? Non-existent.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is the improbable story of how Hydro Flask was built—from scavenging metal parts in China, to selling bottles at outdoor markets, to getting into Whole Foods by sheer timing and luck, to a last-minute investor who walked in on the day Travis planned to shut the company down. Hydro Flask would go on to become one of the most recognizable and popular bottles in the country.&nbsp; This is the story behind it. What You'll Learn How paying attention to trends can lead to new business ideas How a novice learns the ropes by obsessively comparing existing products&nbsp; How the lessons from past ventures can fuel future success&nbsp; Why perseverance and timing can be just as important as know-how Timestamps:&nbsp; 03:21 - Building a fence, and a first business:&nbsp;“I had no clue.”&nbsp; 07:08 - A one-way trip to Hawaii : The surprising detour that leads Travis to his biggest invention 12:48 - How Travis gets inspired—then obsessed—after trying to buy a water bottle&nbsp;&nbsp; 19:43 - Searching for a manufacturer: a here-goes-nothing trip to China 27:18 - The first prototype: two colors, sharp edges 31:03 - Bootstrapping Hydro Flask: moving in with mom, storing bottles in grandpa’s garage&nbsp;&nbsp; 32:34 - Farmer’s markets, ice tests and the first buyers 46:17 - The crisis that almost kills the company 50:20 - An eleventh-hour visitor: “I might want to invest” 52:24 - Leaving the company he built: why Travis walked away 59:57 - Small Business Spotlight This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Hydro Flask: Travis Rosbach. How a thirsty surfer changed the water bottle industry full 785 Guy Raz | Vox Media What if the idea that changes your life… starts with something as ordinary as being thirsty?In 2007, Travis Rosbach walked into a sporting goods store looking for a water bottle—and stumbled onto a problem no one had solved. Plastic, BPA-lined bottles dominated the market. Metal alternatives leaked, dented, or couldn’t keep drinks cold enough. Travis’s solution? A double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel bottle. His expertise? Non-existent.  This is the improbable story of how Hydro Flask was built—from scavenging metal parts in China, to selling bottles at outdoor markets, to getting into Whole Foods by sheer timing and luck, to a last-minute investor who walked in on the day Travis planned to shut the company down.Hydro Flask would go on to become one of the most recognizable and popular bottles in the country. This is the story behind it.What You'll LearnHow paying attention to trends can lead to new business ideasHow a novice learns the ropes by obsessively comparing existing products How the lessons from past ventures can fuel future success Why perseverance and timing can be just as important as know-howTimestamps: 03:21 - Building a fence, and a first business: “I had no clue.” 07:08 - A one-way trip to Hawaii : The surprising detour that leads Travis to his biggest invention12:48 - How Travis gets inspired—then obsessed—after trying to buy a water bottle  19:43 - Searching for a manufacturer: a here-goes-nothing trip to China27:18 - The first prototype: two colors, sharp edges31:03 - Bootstrapping Hydro Flask: moving in with mom, storing bottles in grandpa’s garage  32:34 - Farmer’s markets, ice tests and the first buyers46:17 - The crisis that almost kills the company50:20 - An eleventh-hour visitor: “I might want to invest”52:24 - Leaving the company he built: why Travis walked away59:57 - Small Business SpotlightThis episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com What if the idea that changes your life… starts with something as ordinary as being thirsty? In 2007, Travis Rosbach walked into a sporting goods store looking for a water bottle—and stumbled onto a problem no one had solved. Plastic, BPA-lined bottles dominated the market. Metal alternatives leaked, dented, or couldn’t keep drinks cold enough.&nbsp; Travis’s solution? A double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel bottle. His expertise? Non-existent.&nbsp;&nbsp; This is the improbable story of how Hydro Flask was built—from scavenging metal parts in China, to selling bottles at outdoor markets, to getting into Whole Foods by sheer timing and luck, to a last-minute investor who walked in on the day Travis planned to shut the company down. Hydro Flask would go on to become one of the most recognizable and popular bottles in the country.&nbsp; This is the story behind it. What You'll Learn How paying attention to trends can lead to new business ideas How a novice learns the ropes by obsessively comparing existing products&nbsp; How the lessons from past ventures can fuel future success&nbsp; Why perseverance and timing can be just as important as know-how Timestamps:&nbsp; 03:21 - Building a fence, and a first business:&nbsp;“I had no clue.”&nbsp; 07:08 - A one-way trip to Hawaii : The surprising detour that leads Travis to his biggest invention 12:48 - How Travis gets inspired—then obsessed—after trying to buy a water bottle&nbsp;&nbsp; 19:43 - Searching for a manufacturer: a here-goes-nothing trip to China 27:18 - The first prototype: two colors, sharp edges 31:03 - Bootstrapping Hydro Flask: moving in with mom, storing bottles in grandpa’s garage&nbsp;&nbsp; 32:34 - Farmer’s markets, ice tests and the first buyers 46:17 - The crisis that almost kills the company 50:20 - An eleventh-hour visitor: “I might want to invest” 52:24 - Leaving the company he built: why Travis walked away 59:57 - Small Business Spotlight This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What if the idea that changes your life… starts with something as ordinary as being thirsty?

In 2007, Travis Rosbach walked into a sporting goods store looking for a water bottle—and stumbled onto a problem no one had solved. Plastic, BPA-lined bottles dominated the market. Metal alternatives leaked, dented, or couldn’t keep drinks cold enough. 

Travis’s solution? A double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel bottle. His expertise? Non-existent.  

This is the improbable story of how Hydro Flask was built—from scavenging metal parts in China, to selling bottles at outdoor markets, to getting into Whole Foods by sheer timing and luck, to a last-minute investor who walked in on the day Travis planned to shut the company down.

Hydro Flask would go on to become one of the most recognizable and popular bottles in the country. 

This is the story behind it.


What You'll Learn

  • How paying attention to trends can lead to new business ideas
  • How a novice learns the ropes by obsessively comparing existing products 
  • How the lessons from past ventures can fuel future success 
  • Why perseverance and timing can be just as important as know-how


Timestamps: 

  • 03:21 - Building a fence, and a first business: “I had no clue.” 
  • 07:08 - A one-way trip to Hawaii : The surprising detour that leads Travis to his biggest invention
  • 12:48 - How Travis gets inspired—then obsessed—after trying to buy a water bottle  
  • 19:43 - Searching for a manufacturer: a here-goes-nothing trip to China
  • 27:18 - The first prototype: two colors, sharp edges
  • 31:03 - Bootstrapping Hydro Flask: moving in with mom, storing bottles in grandpa’s garage  
  • 32:34 - Farmer’s markets, ice tests and the first buyers
  • 46:17 - The crisis that almost kills the company
  • 50:20 - An eleventh-hour visitor: “I might want to invest”
  • 52:24 - Leaving the company he built: why Travis walked away
  • 59:57 - Small Business Spotlight


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4088 no Advice Line with Anthony Casalena of Squarespace Squarespace founder Anthony Casalena joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Anthony shares how Squarespace is leveraging AI to help people bolster their sites and digital presence more effectively. First we meet Bob in Connecticut, who’s wondering how to pump up awareness for his custom-made mattresses. Then Stacy in California asks how her new first aid products can stand out in a category dominated by legacy brands. And Mehek in New York strategizes about how to best launch a new digital companion she’s building: an app that supports people recovering from eating disorders. Thank you to the founders of Custom Sleep Technology, All Better Co., and Kahani for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Squarespace’s founding story as told by Anthony on the show in 2019. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Anthony Casalena of Squarespace full 784 Guy Raz | Vox Media Squarespace founder Anthony Casalena joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Anthony shares how Squarespace is leveraging AI to help people bolster their sites and digital presence more effectively.First we meet Bob in Connecticut, who’s wondering how to pump up awareness for his custom-made mattresses. Then Stacy in California asks how her new first aid products can stand out in a category dominated by legacy brands. And Mehek in New York strategizes about how to best launch a new digital companion she’s building: an app that supports people recovering from eating disorders.Thank you to the founders of Custom Sleep Technology, All Better Co., and Kahani for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Squarespace’s founding story as told by Anthony on the show in 2019.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Squarespace founder Anthony Casalena joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Anthony shares how Squarespace is leveraging AI to help people bolster their sites and digital presence more effectively. First we meet Bob in Connecticut, who’s wondering how to pump up awareness for his custom-made mattresses. Then Stacy in California asks how her new first aid products can stand out in a category dominated by legacy brands. And Mehek in New York strategizes about how to best launch a new digital companion she’s building: an app that supports people recovering from eating disorders. Thank you to the founders of Custom Sleep Technology, All Better Co., and Kahani for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Squarespace’s founding story as told by Anthony on the show in 2019. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Squarespace founder Anthony Casalena joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Anthony shares how Squarespace is leveraging AI to help people bolster their sites and digital presence more effectively.

First we meet Bob in Connecticut, who’s wondering how to pump up awareness for his custom-made mattresses. Then Stacy in California asks how her new first aid products can stand out in a category dominated by legacy brands. And Mehek in New York strategizes about how to best launch a new digital companion she’s building: an app that supports people recovering from eating disorders.

Thank you to the founders of Custom Sleep Technology, All Better Co., and Kahani for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Squarespace’s founding story as told by Anthony on the show in 2019.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3136 no Gymshark: Ben Francis. From pizza delivery to billion-dollar fitness brand. At 19, Ben Francis was lifting weights during the day and delivering pizza at night. He didn’t have money. He didn’t have fashion experience. He didn’t even know how to sew. What he did have was a front-row seat… to a new online trend. Before Instagram and influencers became a strategy, a handful of YouTubers were redefining gym culture — building identity and community online.&nbsp; With his gymwear brand Gymshark, Ben didn’t try to compete with Nike. He didn’t try to buy ads. He did something much more powerful: He built relationships. He sent free T-shirts to the Youtubers he admired. He learned what gym-goers actually wanted to wear: tapered tracksuits, and shirts that emphasized their muscles. Today, Gymshark is valued at more than a billion dollars, and Ben is the youngest billionaire in the UK. But his story is not just about business. It’s about identity, discipline, humility—and learning to grow as fast as you can learn.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn:&nbsp; How to build a brand by building community first&nbsp; How to hire smart people without losing control of your company Avoiding imposter syndrome by creating your own apprenticeship program&nbsp; How to get stronger by staying in your lane&nbsp; Timestamps:&nbsp; 03:50 - The IT education that changed Ben’s life 15:23 - Gymshark’s first sale: a £2 profit that had him dancing in his bedroom 17:41 - Early apparel—Screen-printing T shirts, a single sewing machine&nbsp; 21:25 - How YouTube bodybuilders became their best marketers&nbsp; 36:08 - How Ben hired his own boss–and what he learned from him 43:04 - Expanding to the US: a bone-chilling trip to Ohio&nbsp;&nbsp; 45:55 - The bodybuilder’s aesthetic:&nbsp;big shoulders, narrow waist 49:18 - The painful breakup between Ben and his co-founder&nbsp; 58:39 - Why he earned the nickname “Hurricane Ben.”&nbsp; 1:06:20 - A legacy company: Resisting the urge to grow beyond the gym&nbsp; 1:13:09 - Small Business Spotlight&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. &nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Gymshark: Ben Francis. From pizza delivery to billion-dollar fitness brand. full 783 Guy Raz | Vox Media At 19, Ben Francis was lifting weights during the day and delivering pizza at night. He didn’t have money. He didn’t have fashion experience. He didn’t even know how to sew. What he did have was a front-row seat… to a new online trend. Before Instagram and influencers became a strategy, a handful of YouTubers were redefining gym culture — building identity and community online. With his gymwear brand Gymshark, Ben didn’t try to compete with Nike. He didn’t try to buy ads. He did something much more powerful: He built relationships. He sent free T-shirts to the Youtubers he admired. He learned what gym-goers actually wanted to wear: tapered tracksuits, and shirts that emphasized their muscles.Today, Gymshark is valued at more than a billion dollars, and Ben is the youngest billionaire in the UK. But his story is not just about business. It’s about identity, discipline, humility—and learning to grow as fast as you can learn. What You’ll Learn: How to build a brand by building community first How to hire smart people without losing control of your companyAvoiding imposter syndrome by creating your own apprenticeship program How to get stronger by staying in your lane Timestamps: 03:50 - The IT education that changed Ben’s life15:23 - Gymshark’s first sale: a £2 profit that had him dancing in his bedroom17:41 - Early apparel—Screen-printing T shirts, a single sewing machine 21:25 - How YouTube bodybuilders became their best marketers 36:08 - How Ben hired his own boss–and what he learned from him43:04 - Expanding to the US: a bone-chilling trip to Ohio  45:55 - The bodybuilder’s aesthetic: big shoulders, narrow waist49:18 - The painful breakup between Ben and his co-founder 58:39 - Why he earned the nickname “Hurricane Ben.” 1:06:20 - A legacy company: Resisting the urge to grow beyond the gym 1:13:09 - Small Business Spotlight This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com At 19, Ben Francis was lifting weights during the day and delivering pizza at night. He didn’t have money. He didn’t have fashion experience. He didn’t even know how to sew. What he did have was a front-row seat… to a new online trend. Before Instagram and influencers became a strategy, a handful of YouTubers were redefining gym culture — building identity and community online.&nbsp; With his gymwear brand Gymshark, Ben didn’t try to compete with Nike. He didn’t try to buy ads. He did something much more powerful: He built relationships. He sent free T-shirts to the Youtubers he admired. He learned what gym-goers actually wanted to wear: tapered tracksuits, and shirts that emphasized their muscles. Today, Gymshark is valued at more than a billion dollars, and Ben is the youngest billionaire in the UK. But his story is not just about business. It’s about identity, discipline, humility—and learning to grow as fast as you can learn.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn:&nbsp; How to build a brand by building community first&nbsp; How to hire smart people without losing control of your company Avoiding imposter syndrome by creating your own apprenticeship program&nbsp; How to get stronger by staying in your lane&nbsp; Timestamps:&nbsp; 03:50 - The IT education that changed Ben’s life 15:23 - Gymshark’s first sale: a £2 profit that had him dancing in his bedroom 17:41 - Early apparel—Screen-printing T shirts, a single sewing machine&nbsp; 21:25 - How YouTube bodybuilders became their best marketers&nbsp; 36:08 - How Ben hired his own boss–and what he learned from him 43:04 - Expanding to the US: a bone-chilling trip to Ohio&nbsp;&nbsp; 45:55 - The bodybuilder’s aesthetic:&nbsp;big shoulders, narrow waist 49:18 - The painful breakup between Ben and his co-founder&nbsp; 58:39 - Why he earned the nickname “Hurricane Ben.”&nbsp; 1:06:20 - A legacy company: Resisting the urge to grow beyond the gym&nbsp; 1:13:09 - Small Business Spotlight&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. &nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices At 19, Ben Francis was lifting weights during the day and delivering pizza at night. He didn’t have money. He didn’t have fashion experience. He didn’t even know how to sew. What he did have was a front-row seat… to a new online trend. Before Instagram and influencers became a strategy, a handful of YouTubers were redefining gym culture — building identity and community online. 

With his gymwear brand Gymshark, Ben didn’t try to compete with Nike. He didn’t try to buy ads. He did something much more powerful: He built relationships. He sent free T-shirts to the Youtubers he admired. He learned what gym-goers actually wanted to wear: tapered tracksuits, and shirts that emphasized their muscles.

Today, Gymshark is valued at more than a billion dollars, and Ben is the youngest billionaire in the UK. But his story is not just about business. It’s about identity, discipline, humility—and learning to grow as fast as you can learn. 


What You’ll Learn: 

  • How to build a brand by building community first 
  • How to hire smart people without losing control of your company
  • Avoiding imposter syndrome by creating your own apprenticeship program 
  • How to get stronger by staying in your lane 


Timestamps: 

03:50 - The IT education that changed Ben’s life

15:23 - Gymshark’s first sale: a £2 profit that had him dancing in his bedroom

17:41 - Early apparel—Screen-printing T shirts, a single sewing machine 

21:25 - How YouTube bodybuilders became their best marketers 

36:08 - How Ben hired his own boss–and what he learned from him

43:04 - Expanding to the US: a bone-chilling trip to Ohio  

45:55 - The bodybuilder’s aesthetic: big shoulders, narrow waist

49:18 - The painful breakup between Ben and his co-founder 

58:39 - Why he earned the nickname “Hurricane Ben.” 

1:06:20 - A legacy company: Resisting the urge to grow beyond the gym 

1:13:09 - Small Business Spotlight 


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.

 

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4844 no Advice Line with Chet Pipkin of Belkin International Chet Pipkin, former CEO and founder of the electronic goods company Belkin International, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Chet and Guy drill into why solving problems for consumers is the key to success. First, we hear from Daniel in Toronto, who’s wondering how to educate customers about his company’s plastic-free, dissolvable shampoo and conditioner tablets. Then Meredith in Long Island asks how to manage inventory for her booming backpack organizer business that keeps selling out to female athletes. And Ryan in San Diego asks for strategies to grow the B2B side of his therapeutic massage tool company. Thank you to the founders of EarthSuds, Sideline Bags and Rolflex for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Belkin International’s founding story as told by Chet on the show in 2019. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Chet Pipkin of Belkin International full 782 Guy Raz | Vox Media Chet Pipkin, former CEO and founder of the electronic goods company Belkin International, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Chet and Guy drill into why solving problems for consumers is the key to success.First, we hear from Daniel in Toronto, who’s wondering how to educate customers about his company’s plastic-free, dissolvable shampoo and conditioner tablets. Then Meredith in Long Island asks how to manage inventory for her booming backpack organizer business that keeps selling out to female athletes. And Ryan in San Diego asks for strategies to grow the B2B side of his therapeutic massage tool company.Thank you to the founders of EarthSuds, Sideline Bags and Rolflex for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Belkin International’s founding story as told by Chet on the show in 2019.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. Chet Pipkin, former CEO and founder of the electronic goods company Belkin International, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Chet and Guy drill into why solving problems for consumers is the key to success. First, we hear from Daniel in Toronto, who’s wondering how to educate customers about his company’s plastic-free, dissolvable shampoo and conditioner tablets. Then Meredith in Long Island asks how to manage inventory for her booming backpack organizer business that keeps selling out to female athletes. And Ryan in San Diego asks for strategies to grow the B2B side of his therapeutic massage tool company. Thank you to the founders of EarthSuds, Sideline Bags and Rolflex for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Belkin International’s founding story as told by Chet on the show in 2019. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Chet Pipkin, former CEO and founder of the electronic goods company Belkin International, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Chet and Guy drill into why solving problems for consumers is the key to success.

First, we hear from Daniel in Toronto, who’s wondering how to educate customers about his company’s plastic-free, dissolvable shampoo and conditioner tablets. Then Meredith in Long Island asks how to manage inventory for her booming backpack organizer business that keeps selling out to female athletes. And Ryan in San Diego asks for strategies to grow the B2B side of his therapeutic massage tool company.

Thank you to the founders of EarthSuds, Sideline Bags and Rolflex for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Belkin International’s founding story as told by Chet on the show in 2019.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3088 no Backroads: Tom Hale. How a desk worker became a trailblazer in active travel In his 20’s, working an office job he hated, Tom woke up in the middle of the night with a wild idea: why not take people on bike trips? No playbook. No investors. Just a sense that he could make a living doing what he loved. His first trip? Four guests riding through Death Valley, pitching their own tents. From there, Backroads scaled to hotels, while weathering a bike burglary, a van rollover in the desert, 9/11, the Great Recession, and a pandemic that brought tourism to a halt.&nbsp; Today, Backroads runs 5,000+ trips a year in 60+ countries. This is a masterclass in savvy cash flow, scrupulous quality control, and dogged iteration. If you care about travel, brand, or building a services business at scale—listen to this. What you’ll learn: How a 5,000 mile solo bike trip laid the groundwork for Backroads&nbsp; The first guided trip in Death Valley: four people, high winds, 50 miles/day&nbsp; How to get your stolen bikes back: confront the thief yourself&nbsp; The “collect early, pay late” flywheel that powered growth without investors How Backroads survived 9/11, 2008, and COVID—and what changed after each shock Avoiding the Instagram trap and delivering peak, uncrowded experiences TImestamps: 4:59 – Tom’s epiphany and the eight pages of notes that started Backroads 7:50 – From cubicle to road bike: the solo trip that shaped the company’s DNA 10:21 – Trip #1:&nbsp;Making mistakes in Death Valley—and learning fast 20:07 – Tom’s DIY recovery operation after a warehouse burglary 24:41 – Cash without capital: spend your deposits, pay hotels later&nbsp; 26:15 – The Nevada rollover: walking out of the ER…and running the next trips 33:56 – Recovering after 9/11 and the financial crisis—and rebuilding the company’s value prop 39:36 – Post-COVID surge, and avoiding the tyranny of the travel selfie&nbsp; This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Nov 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Backroads: Tom Hale. How a desk worker became a trailblazer in active travel full 781 Guy Raz | Vox Media In his 20’s, working an office job he hated, Tom woke up in the middle of the night with a wild idea: why not take people on bike trips? No playbook. No investors. Just a sense that he could make a living doing what he loved. His first trip? Four guests riding through Death Valley, pitching their own tents. From there, Backroads scaled to hotels, while weathering a bike burglary, a van rollover in the desert, 9/11, the Great Recession, and a pandemic that brought tourism to a halt. Today, Backroads runs 5,000+ trips a year in 60+ countries.This is a masterclass in savvy cash flow, scrupulous quality control, and dogged iteration. If you care about travel, brand, or building a services business at scale—listen to this.What you’ll learn:How a 5,000 mile solo bike trip laid the groundwork for Backroads The first guided trip in Death Valley: four people, high winds, 50 miles/day How to get your stolen bikes back: confront the thief yourself The “collect early, pay late” flywheel that powered growth without investorsHow Backroads survived 9/11, 2008, and COVID—and what changed after each shockAvoiding the Instagram trap and delivering peak, uncrowded experiencesTImestamps:4:59 – Tom’s epiphany and the eight pages of notes that started Backroads7:50 – From cubicle to road bike: the solo trip that shaped the company’s DNA10:21 – Trip #1: Making mistakes in Death Valley—and learning fast20:07 – Tom’s DIY recovery operation after a warehouse burglary24:41 – Cash without capital: spend your deposits, pay hotels later 26:15 – The Nevada rollover: walking out of the ER…and running the next trips33:56 – Recovering after 9/11 and the financial crisis—and rebuilding the company’s value prop39:36 – Post-COVID surge, and avoiding the tyranny of the travel selfie This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com In his 20’s, working an office job he hated, Tom woke up in the middle of the night with a wild idea: why not take people on bike trips? No playbook. No investors. Just a sense that he could make a living doing what he loved. His first trip? Four guests riding through Death Valley, pitching their own tents. From there, Backroads scaled to hotels, while weathering a bike burglary, a van rollover in the desert, 9/11, the Great Recession, and a pandemic that brought tourism to a halt.&nbsp; Today, Backroads runs 5,000+ trips a year in 60+ countries. This is a masterclass in savvy cash flow, scrupulous quality control, and dogged iteration. If you care about travel, brand, or building a services business at scale—listen to this. What you’ll learn: How a 5,000 mile solo bike trip laid the groundwork for Backroads&nbsp; The first guided trip in Death Valley: four people, high winds, 50 miles/day&nbsp; How to get your stolen bikes back: confront the thief yourself&nbsp; The “collect early, pay late” flywheel that powered growth without investors How Backroads survived 9/11, 2008, and COVID—and what changed after each shock Avoiding the Instagram trap and delivering peak, uncrowded experiences TImestamps: 4:59 – Tom’s epiphany and the eight pages of notes that started Backroads 7:50 – From cubicle to road bike: the solo trip that shaped the company’s DNA 10:21 – Trip #1:&nbsp;Making mistakes in Death Valley—and learning fast 20:07 – Tom’s DIY recovery operation after a warehouse burglary 24:41 – Cash without capital: spend your deposits, pay hotels later&nbsp; 26:15 – The Nevada rollover: walking out of the ER…and running the next trips 33:56 – Recovering after 9/11 and the financial crisis—and rebuilding the company’s value prop 39:36 – Post-COVID surge, and avoiding the tyranny of the travel selfie&nbsp; This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In his 20’s, working an office job he hated, Tom woke up in the middle of the night with a wild idea: why not take people on bike trips? No playbook. No investors. Just a sense that he could make a living doing what he loved. His first trip? Four guests riding through Death Valley, pitching their own tents. From there, Backroads scaled to hotels, while weathering a bike burglary, a van rollover in the desert, 9/11, the Great Recession, and a pandemic that brought tourism to a halt. 

Today, Backroads runs 5,000+ trips a year in 60+ countries.

This is a masterclass in savvy cash flow, scrupulous quality control, and dogged iteration. If you care about travel, brand, or building a services business at scale—listen to this.

What you’ll learn:

  • How a 5,000 mile solo bike trip laid the groundwork for Backroads 
  • The first guided trip in Death Valley: four people, high winds, 50 miles/day 
  • How to get your stolen bikes back: confront the thief yourself 
  • The “collect early, pay late” flywheel that powered growth without investors
  • How Backroads survived 9/11, 2008, and COVID—and what changed after each shock
  • Avoiding the Instagram trap and delivering peak, uncrowded experiences


TImestamps:

  • 4:59 – Tom’s epiphany and the eight pages of notes that started Backroads
  • 7:50 – From cubicle to road bike: the solo trip that shaped the company’s DNA
  • 10:21 – Trip #1: Making mistakes in Death Valley—and learning fast
  • 20:07 – Tom’s DIY recovery operation after a warehouse burglary
  • 24:41 – Cash without capital: spend your deposits, pay hotels later 
  • 26:15 – The Nevada rollover: walking out of the ER…and running the next trips
  • 33:56 – Recovering after 9/11 and the financial crisis—and rebuilding the company’s value prop
  • 39:36 – Post-COVID surge, and avoiding the tyranny of the travel selfie 


This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3290 no Advice Line with Tariq Farid of Edible Arrangements Tariq Farid the founder of Edible Arrangements joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tariq updates Guy on how he’s pivoting into a new industry while ushering in the next generation of leadership at the company.&nbsp; First, we hear from Jake in Virginia who’s wondering how he can make his Filipino-inspired banana ketchup mainstream in America. Then, Heather in Sweden wants to know if she should change the name of her luxury polar voyage company to distance themselves from cruises. And, Ryan in Texas wants to know how he can bump up his revenue without losing his company’s highly personalized customer service.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Fila Manila, Minimal Impact Cruises, and Kong Screen Printing for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Edible Arrangement’s founding story as told by Tariq on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Tariq Farid of Edible Arrangements full 780 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tariq Farid the founder of Edible Arrangements joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tariq updates Guy on how he’s pivoting into a new industry while ushering in the next generation of leadership at the company. First, we hear from Jake in Virginia who’s wondering how he can make his Filipino-inspired banana ketchup mainstream in America. Then, Heather in Sweden wants to know if she should change the name of her luxury polar voyage company to distance themselves from cruises. And, Ryan in Texas wants to know how he can bump up his revenue without losing his company’s highly personalized customer service. Thank you to the founders of Fila Manila, Minimal Impact Cruises, and Kong Screen Printing for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Edible Arrangement’s founding story as told by Tariq on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info Tariq Farid the founder of Edible Arrangements joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tariq updates Guy on how he’s pivoting into a new industry while ushering in the next generation of leadership at the company.&nbsp; First, we hear from Jake in Virginia who’s wondering how he can make his Filipino-inspired banana ketchup mainstream in America. Then, Heather in Sweden wants to know if she should change the name of her luxury polar voyage company to distance themselves from cruises. And, Ryan in Texas wants to know how he can bump up his revenue without losing his company’s highly personalized customer service.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Fila Manila, Minimal Impact Cruises, and Kong Screen Printing for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Edible Arrangement’s founding story as told by Tariq on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tariq Farid the founder of Edible Arrangements joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tariq updates Guy on how he’s pivoting into a new industry while ushering in the next generation of leadership at the company. 

First, we hear from Jake in Virginia who’s wondering how he can make his Filipino-inspired banana ketchup mainstream in America. Then, Heather in Sweden wants to know if she should change the name of her luxury polar voyage company to distance themselves from cruises. And, Ryan in Texas wants to know how he can bump up his revenue without losing his company’s highly personalized customer service. 

Thank you to the founders of Fila Manila, Minimal Impact Cruises, and Kong Screen Printing for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Edible Arrangement’s founding story as told by Tariq on the show in 2017.

This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3242 no Babylist: Natalie Gordon. How a new mom used nap time to build a $500M business. In 2010, software engineer Natalie Gordon was pregnant– and fed up with the overwhelming baby aisles in big box stores.&nbsp;So she quit her computer job to code the registry she wished existed. No pink-and-blue giraffes. No allegiance to a single store. Just a universal list that let friends give the real help that new parents need—from strollers to diaper services to dog-walking. Natalie coded the first lines of Babylist during her son’s nap time. She managed customer support, pitched bloggers from coffee shops, and learned growth the hard way—first through affiliates, then with a pivotal Pinterest bet, and finally by taking on her own inventory (and all the headaches that come with it). Along the way she wrestled with hiring, firing, fundraising, and the identity shift from founder to CEO. Today, Babylist is one of the most trusted parenting platforms in the U.S., with a retail arm, editorial content, and a program for providing breast pumps.&nbsp; This is a masterclass in living a problem–and building a solution.&nbsp; You’ll learn: How to spot a customer pain point and design an MVP around it The power of slow virality How to use a small seed round without losing control The painful path from affiliate revenue to first-party e-commerce Stumbles with hiring – and firing– as a first-time CEO How paid growth works on visual platforms like Pinterest How “controlling your destiny” justifies a hard shift in business model How coaching and feedback helps you evolve from founder to leader Timestamps: 03:07 - Learning to solve hard problems at Amazon - 06:03 - Sabbatical in Latin America: Natalie’s first (failed) business and what it taught her 15:25 - A meltdown in a superstore → the Babylist “aha” moment 17:15 - Designing a universal registry, dog-walking included 22:17 - Blitzing the mommy blogs, a&nbsp; “pregnant hacker” post on Hacker News 27:36 - Why $140/month revenue felt like a victory 34:38 - Going solo at an Accelerator, and the agony of early hiring and firing 44:49 - From “slowly viral” to real scale, and how Pinterest helped 51:59 - Affiliate links to in-house inventory → piles of bassinets in the office&nbsp; 55:47 - COVID’s unexpected windfall,&nbsp; the health wedge (breast pumps & beyond) This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. &nbsp;Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000 Babylist: Natalie Gordon. How a new mom used nap time to build a $500M business. full 779 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, software engineer Natalie Gordon was pregnant– and fed up with the overwhelming baby aisles in big box stores. So she quit her computer job to code the registry she wished existed. No pink-and-blue giraffes. No allegiance to a single store. Just a universal list that let friends give the real help that new parents need—from strollers to diaper services to dog-walking.Natalie coded the first lines of Babylist during her son’s nap time. She managed customer support, pitched bloggers from coffee shops, and learned growth the hard way—first through affiliates, then with a pivotal Pinterest bet, and finally by taking on her own inventory (and all the headaches that come with it). Along the way she wrestled with hiring, firing, fundraising, and the identity shift from founder to CEO. Today, Babylist is one of the most trusted parenting platforms in the U.S., with a retail arm, editorial content, and a program for providing breast pumps. This is a masterclass in living a problem–and building a solution. You’ll learn:How to spot a customer pain point and design an MVP around itThe power of slow viralityHow to use a small seed round without losing controlThe painful path from affiliate revenue to first-party e-commerceStumbles with hiring – and firing– as a first-time CEOHow paid growth works on visual platforms like PinterestHow “controlling your destiny” justifies a hard shift in business modelHow coaching and feedback helps you evolve from founder to leaderTimestamps:03:07 - Learning to solve hard problems at Amazon -06:03 - Sabbatical in Latin America: Natalie’s first (failed) business and what it taught her15:25 - A meltdown in a superstore → the Babylist “aha” moment17:15 - Designing a universal registry, dog-walking included22:17 - Blitzing the mommy blogs, a  “pregnant hacker” post on Hacker News27:36 - Why $140/month revenue felt like a victory34:38 - Going solo at an Accelerator, and the agony of early hiring and firing44:49 - From “slowly viral” to real scale, and how Pinterest helped51:59 - Affiliate links to in-house inventory → piles of bassinets in the office 55:47 - COVID’s unexpected windfall,  the health wedge (breast pumps &amp; beyond)This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com In 2010, software engineer Natalie Gordon was pregnant– and fed up with the overwhelming baby aisles in big box stores.&nbsp;So she quit her computer job to code the registry she wished existed. No pink-and-blue giraffes. No allegiance to a single store. Just a universal list that let friends give the real help that new parents need—from strollers to diaper services to dog-walking. Natalie coded the first lines of Babylist during her son’s nap time. She managed customer support, pitched bloggers from coffee shops, and learned growth the hard way—first through affiliates, then with a pivotal Pinterest bet, and finally by taking on her own inventory (and all the headaches that come with it). Along the way she wrestled with hiring, firing, fundraising, and the identity shift from founder to CEO. Today, Babylist is one of the most trusted parenting platforms in the U.S., with a retail arm, editorial content, and a program for providing breast pumps.&nbsp; This is a masterclass in living a problem–and building a solution.&nbsp; You’ll learn: How to spot a customer pain point and design an MVP around it The power of slow virality How to use a small seed round without losing control The painful path from affiliate revenue to first-party e-commerce Stumbles with hiring – and firing– as a first-time CEO How paid growth works on visual platforms like Pinterest How “controlling your destiny” justifies a hard shift in business model How coaching and feedback helps you evolve from founder to leader Timestamps: 03:07 - Learning to solve hard problems at Amazon - 06:03 - Sabbatical in Latin America: Natalie’s first (failed) business and what it taught her 15:25 - A meltdown in a superstore → the Babylist “aha” moment 17:15 - Designing a universal registry, dog-walking included 22:17 - Blitzing the mommy blogs, a&nbsp; “pregnant hacker” post on Hacker News 27:36 - Why $140/month revenue felt like a victory 34:38 - Going solo at an Accelerator, and the agony of early hiring and firing 44:49 - From “slowly viral” to real scale, and how Pinterest helped 51:59 - Affiliate links to in-house inventory → piles of bassinets in the office&nbsp; 55:47 - COVID’s unexpected windfall,&nbsp; the health wedge (breast pumps & beyond) This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. &nbsp;Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2010, software engineer Natalie Gordon was pregnant– and fed up with the overwhelming baby aisles in big box stores. So she quit her computer job to code the registry she wished existed. No pink-and-blue giraffes. No allegiance to a single store. Just a universal list that let friends give the real help that new parents need—from strollers to diaper services to dog-walking.

Natalie coded the first lines of Babylist during her son’s nap time. She managed customer support, pitched bloggers from coffee shops, and learned growth the hard way—first through affiliates, then with a pivotal Pinterest bet, and finally by taking on her own inventory (and all the headaches that come with it). Along the way she wrestled with hiring, firing, fundraising, and the identity shift from founder to CEO. Today, Babylist is one of the most trusted parenting platforms in the U.S., with a retail arm, editorial content, and a program for providing breast pumps. 

This is a masterclass in living a problem–and building a solution. 

You’ll learn:

  • How to spot a customer pain point and design an MVP around it
  • The power of slow virality
  • How to use a small seed round without losing control
  • The painful path from affiliate revenue to first-party e-commerce
  • Stumbles with hiring – and firing– as a first-time CEO
  • How paid growth works on visual platforms like Pinterest
  • How “controlling your destiny” justifies a hard shift in business model
  • How coaching and feedback helps you evolve from founder to leader


Timestamps:

  • 03:07 - Learning to solve hard problems at Amazon -
  • 06:03 - Sabbatical in Latin America: Natalie’s first (failed) business and what it taught her
  • 15:25 - A meltdown in a superstore → the Babylist “aha” moment
  • 17:15 - Designing a universal registry, dog-walking included
  • 22:17 - Blitzing the mommy blogs, a  “pregnant hacker” post on Hacker News
  • 27:36 - Why $140/month revenue felt like a victory
  • 34:38 - Going solo at an Accelerator, and the agony of early hiring and firing
  • 44:49 - From “slowly viral” to real scale, and how Pinterest helped
  • 51:59 - Affiliate links to in-house inventory → piles of bassinets in the office 
  • 55:47 - COVID’s unexpected windfall,  the health wedge (breast pumps & beyond)


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

 Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz


X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4303 no Advice Line with Niraj Shah of Wayfair Wayfair co-founder Niraj Shah joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about how to bet on themselves – and define themselves to consumers. Plus, Niraj explains why Wayfair is expanding into large-format brick-and-mortar stores. First up, Valerie in Washington, D.C., is looking for a better way to educate consumers about her dehydrated chicken stock. Then, Bree in Utah wants to know when to seek investment in her improved mineral sunscreen brand. And finally, Tess in San Antonio is wondering if she should quit her day job and go all-in on her networking and accommodation app for solo women travelers. Thank you to the founders of Cookstix, Daily Shade, and HerHouse for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to go back and listen to Niraj’s original episode from 2018, where he shares how he and his college roommate Steve Conine turned 250 single-product websites into one giant billion-dollar brand. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Niraj Shah of Wayfair full 778 Guy Raz | Vox Media Wayfair co-founder Niraj Shah joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about how to bet on themselves – and define themselves to consumers. Plus, Niraj explains why Wayfair is expanding into large-format brick-and-mortar stores.First up, Valerie in Washington, D.C., is looking for a better way to educate consumers about her dehydrated chicken stock. Then, Bree in Utah wants to know when to seek investment in her improved mineral sunscreen brand. And finally, Tess in San Antonio is wondering if she should quit her day job and go all-in on her networking and accommodation app for solo women travelers.Thank you to the founders of Cookstix, Daily Shade, and HerHouse for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to go back and listen to Niraj’s original episode from 2018, where he shares how he and his college roommate Steve Conine turned 250 single-product websites into one giant billion-dollar brand.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Wayfair co-founder Niraj Shah joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about how to bet on themselves – and define themselves to consumers. Plus, Niraj explains why Wayfair is expanding into large-format brick-and-mortar stores. First up, Valerie in Washington, D.C., is looking for a better way to educate consumers about her dehydrated chicken stock. Then, Bree in Utah wants to know when to seek investment in her improved mineral sunscreen brand. And finally, Tess in San Antonio is wondering if she should quit her day job and go all-in on her networking and accommodation app for solo women travelers. Thank you to the founders of Cookstix, Daily Shade, and HerHouse for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to go back and listen to Niraj’s original episode from 2018, where he shares how he and his college roommate Steve Conine turned 250 single-product websites into one giant billion-dollar brand. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Wayfair co-founder Niraj Shah joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about how to bet on themselves – and define themselves to consumers. Plus, Niraj explains why Wayfair is expanding into large-format brick-and-mortar stores.

First up, Valerie in Washington, D.C., is looking for a better way to educate consumers about her dehydrated chicken stock. Then, Bree in Utah wants to know when to seek investment in her improved mineral sunscreen brand. And finally, Tess in San Antonio is wondering if she should quit her day job and go all-in on her networking and accommodation app for solo women travelers.


Thank you to the founders of Cookstix, Daily Shade, and HerHouse for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to go back and listen to Niraj’s original episode from 2018, where he shares how he and his college roommate Steve Conine turned 250 single-product websites into one giant billion-dollar brand.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2887 no Nuts.com: Jeff Braverman. From Corner Store to Snacktime Powerhouse A century ago, Jeff Braverman’s grandfather opened a peanut shop in Newark, New Jersey. By the early 2000s, the family business was doing $1M in sales and struggling to stay afloat. Jeff had a high-paying job in finance, but walked away from it to reinvent the business. His strategy? The internet. Something his dad and uncle knew nothing about. What happened next is wild: an AdWords experiment that blew the doors off the budding online business; a slip on national TV where Rachael Ray accidentally renamed the company; 40,000 pounds of protest peanuts that crashed servers and landed them in the New York Times; a hilariously polarizing rap jingle; and a COVID surge that tested leadership—and humanity—every single day. This is the blueprint for transforming a dusty, low-margin business into a profitable, $100M+ direct-to-consumer brand—while keeping it family-owned. It’s also a masterclass in earning trust, making risky bets, and scaling without losing your soul. You’ll learn: The mechanics of a paid-search playbook that 10x’d orders overnight How to win over skeptical family members (and when to demand the keys to the store) The exploding-deal etiquette of buying a premium domain How an improvised rap-jingle can be stickier than a professional ad&nbsp;&nbsp; How Nuts.com built a robust B2B business alongside DTC Crisis leadership lessons from the COVID floor&nbsp; When and how a leader should hire their replacement Timestamps: 00:04:43 — Cash registers, code words, and a Newark childhood inside the peanut shop 00:11:17 — The “build a website” pitch at a Jersey diner&nbsp; 00:27:15 — December 4, 2003: from 3 orders/day to 30&nbsp; 00:28:54 — Dad panics –”shut it off!”– Jeff doubles down on demand and ops 00:30:46 — Losing the storefront to a hockey arena—and going all-in online 00:37:49 — Jericho fans send 40,000 lbs of peanuts to CBS: press, links, and leverage 00:43:58 — Rachael Ray calls them “Nuts.com” by accident… and the $700k domain deal that followed 00:54:41 — The notorious Nuts.com rap jingle: how an earworm took hold 00:57:01 — Offices, microbreweries, and building a sticky B2B engine 00:58:58 — COVID hits: 70% call-outs, factory safety, and leading from the floor 01:04:08 — Handing the reins to a new CEO: leaning into strengths, not ego This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Nuts.com: Jeff Braverman. From Corner Store to Snacktime Powerhouse full 777 Guy Raz | Vox Media A century ago, Jeff Braverman’s grandfather opened a peanut shop in Newark, New Jersey. By the early 2000s, the family business was doing $1M in sales and struggling to stay afloat. Jeff had a high-paying job in finance, but walked away from it to reinvent the business. His strategy? The internet. Something his dad and uncle knew nothing about.What happened next is wild: an AdWords experiment that blew the doors off the budding online business; a slip on national TV where Rachael Ray accidentally renamed the company; 40,000 pounds of protest peanuts that crashed servers and landed them in the New York Times; a hilariously polarizing rap jingle; and a COVID surge that tested leadership—and humanity—every single day.This is the blueprint for transforming a dusty, low-margin business into a profitable, $100M+ direct-to-consumer brand—while keeping it family-owned. It’s also a masterclass in earning trust, making risky bets, and scaling without losing your soul.You’ll learn:The mechanics of a paid-search playbook that 10x’d orders overnightHow to win over skeptical family members (and when to demand the keys to the store)The exploding-deal etiquette of buying a premium domainHow an improvised rap-jingle can be stickier than a professional ad  How Nuts.com built a robust B2B business alongside DTCCrisis leadership lessons from the COVID floor When and how a leader should hire their replacementTimestamps:00:04:43 — Cash registers, code words, and a Newark childhood inside the peanut shop00:11:17 — The “build a website” pitch at a Jersey diner 00:27:15 — December 4, 2003: from 3 orders/day to 30 00:28:54 — Dad panics –”shut it off!”– Jeff doubles down on demand and ops00:30:46 — Losing the storefront to a hockey arena—and going all-in online00:37:49 — Jericho fans send 40,000 lbs of peanuts to CBS: press, links, and leverage00:43:58 — Rachael Ray calls them “Nuts.com” by accident… and the $700k domain deal that followed00:54:41 — The notorious Nuts.com rap jingle: how an earworm took hold00:57:01 — Offices, microbreweries, and building a sticky B2B engine00:58:58 — COVID hits: 70% call-outs, factory safety, and leading from the floor01:04:08 — Handing the reins to a new CEO: leaning into strengths, not egoThis episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com A century ago, Jeff Braverman’s grandfather opened a peanut shop in Newark, New Jersey. By the early 2000s, the family business was doing $1M in sales and struggling to stay afloat. Jeff had a high-paying job in finance, but walked away from it to reinvent the business. His strategy? The internet. Something his dad and uncle knew nothing about. What happened next is wild: an AdWords experiment that blew the doors off the budding online business; a slip on national TV where Rachael Ray accidentally renamed the company; 40,000 pounds of protest peanuts that crashed servers and landed them in the New York Times; a hilariously polarizing rap jingle; and a COVID surge that tested leadership—and humanity—every single day. This is the blueprint for transforming a dusty, low-margin business into a profitable, $100M+ direct-to-consumer brand—while keeping it family-owned. It’s also a masterclass in earning trust, making risky bets, and scaling without losing your soul. You’ll learn: The mechanics of a paid-search playbook that 10x’d orders overnight How to win over skeptical family members (and when to demand the keys to the store) The exploding-deal etiquette of buying a premium domain How an improvised rap-jingle can be stickier than a professional ad&nbsp;&nbsp; How Nuts.com built a robust B2B business alongside DTC Crisis leadership lessons from the COVID floor&nbsp; When and how a leader should hire their replacement Timestamps: 00:04:43 — Cash registers, code words, and a Newark childhood inside the peanut shop 00:11:17 — The “build a website” pitch at a Jersey diner&nbsp; 00:27:15 — December 4, 2003: from 3 orders/day to 30&nbsp; 00:28:54 — Dad panics –”shut it off!”– Jeff doubles down on demand and ops 00:30:46 — Losing the storefront to a hockey arena—and going all-in online 00:37:49 — Jericho fans send 40,000 lbs of peanuts to CBS: press, links, and leverage 00:43:58 — Rachael Ray calls them “Nuts.com” by accident… and the $700k domain deal that followed 00:54:41 — The notorious Nuts.com rap jingle: how an earworm took hold 00:57:01 — Offices, microbreweries, and building a sticky B2B engine 00:58:58 — COVID hits: 70% call-outs, factory safety, and leading from the floor 01:04:08 — Handing the reins to a new CEO: leaning into strengths, not ego This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices A century ago, Jeff Braverman’s grandfather opened a peanut shop in Newark, New Jersey. By the early 2000s, the family business was doing $1M in sales and struggling to stay afloat. Jeff had a high-paying job in finance, but walked away from it to reinvent the business. His strategy? The internet. Something his dad and uncle knew nothing about.

What happened next is wild: an AdWords experiment that blew the doors off the budding online business; a slip on national TV where Rachael Ray accidentally renamed the company; 40,000 pounds of protest peanuts that crashed servers and landed them in the New York Times; a hilariously polarizing rap jingle; and a COVID surge that tested leadership—and humanity—every single day.

This is the blueprint for transforming a dusty, low-margin business into a profitable, $100M+ direct-to-consumer brand—while keeping it family-owned. It’s also a masterclass in earning trust, making risky bets, and scaling without losing your soul.


You’ll learn:

  • The mechanics of a paid-search playbook that 10x’d orders overnight
  • How to win over skeptical family members (and when to demand the keys to the store)
  • The exploding-deal etiquette of buying a premium domain
  • How an improvised rap-jingle can be stickier than a professional ad  
  • How Nuts.com built a robust B2B business alongside DTC
  • Crisis leadership lessons from the COVID floor 
  • When and how a leader should hire their replacement


Timestamps:

  • 00:04:43 — Cash registers, code words, and a Newark childhood inside the peanut shop
  • 00:11:17 — The “build a website” pitch at a Jersey diner 
  • 00:27:15 — December 4, 2003: from 3 orders/day to 30 
  • 00:28:54 — Dad panics –”shut it off!”– Jeff doubles down on demand and ops
  • 00:30:46 — Losing the storefront to a hockey arena—and going all-in online
  • 00:37:49 — Jericho fans send 40,000 lbs of peanuts to CBS: press, links, and leverage
  • 00:43:58 — Rachael Ray calls them “Nuts.com” by accident… and the $700k domain deal that followed
  • 00:54:41 — The notorious Nuts.com rap jingle: how an earworm took hold
  • 00:57:01 — Offices, microbreweries, and building a sticky B2B engine
  • 00:58:58 — COVID hits: 70% call-outs, factory safety, and leading from the floor
  • 01:04:08 — Handing the reins to a new CEO: leaning into strengths, not ego


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4576 no Advice Line with John Zimmer of Lyft Lyft co-founder John Zimmer joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, John talks about his recent decision to step away from the company he founded in 2012. First, Alan from England asks about the best strategy for expanding his patented shower innovation to the U.S. Then, Teri from California looks for advice on raising money because her weighted “rucking” vest for women keeps selling out. And finally, Kobi from New York wants to know how to prioritize work-life balance while growing his craft chocolate company.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of ShowerSpaah, RUKSTR, and slowcocoa for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Lyft’s founding story as told by John on the show in 2017.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with John Zimmer of Lyft full 776 Guy Raz | Vox Media Lyft co-founder John Zimmer joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, John talks about his recent decision to step away from the company he founded in 2012.First, Alan from England asks about the best strategy for expanding his patented shower innovation to the U.S. Then, Teri from California looks for advice on raising money because her weighted “rucking” vest for women keeps selling out. And finally, Kobi from New York wants to know how to prioritize work-life balance while growing his craft chocolate company. Thank you to the founders of ShowerSpaah, RUKSTR, and slowcocoa for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Lyft’s founding story as told by John on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Lyft co-founder John Zimmer joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, John talks about his recent decision to step away from the company he founded in 2012. First, Alan from England asks about the best strategy for expanding his patented shower innovation to the U.S. Then, Teri from California looks for advice on raising money because her weighted “rucking” vest for women keeps selling out. And finally, Kobi from New York wants to know how to prioritize work-life balance while growing his craft chocolate company.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of ShowerSpaah, RUKSTR, and slowcocoa for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Lyft’s founding story as told by John on the show in 2017.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Lyft co-founder John Zimmer joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, John talks about his recent decision to step away from the company he founded in 2012.


First, Alan from England asks about the best strategy for expanding his patented shower innovation to the U.S. Then, Teri from California looks for advice on raising money because her weighted “rucking” vest for women keeps selling out. And finally, Kobi from New York wants to know how to prioritize work-life balance while growing his craft chocolate company. 


Thank you to the founders of ShowerSpaah, RUKSTR, and slowcocoa for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Lyft’s founding story as told by John on the show in 2017. 


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3282 no Magnolia: Chip & Joanna Gaines. From House Flipping to Household Name What happens when a charismatic home renovator marries a budding design whiz? You get the billion-dollar powerhouse that is Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Gaines’ TV show Fixer Upper became a cultural obsession, turning shiplap and farmhouse sinks into a lifestyle movement that swept America. When they walked away from that show at peak popularity, everyone thought they were crazy. Instead, they turned their business Magnolia into a thriving lifestyle brand, which includes a network, retail, restaurants, books, and a magazine. The Silos, their Waco headquarters, became an unlikely tourist destination, drawing millions. Chip and Joanna proved that faith, small-town values and authentic storytelling could compete with coastal glitz. And they did it all while raising five kids.&nbsp;&nbsp; You’ll learn: What Chip and Joanna saw in each other—as business and life partners. How a miserable semester in New York sparked the idea for Joanna’s first store. How the Gaines’ almost went bankrupt after the 2008 housing crash—and refused to quit.&nbsp; Why walking away from their TV show turned out to be a brilliant move. Why faith is as important as luck. Why betting on your hometown can be a superpower. Time Stamps: 5:55 Chip’s failed dream of becoming a pro baseball player—and the unexpected path that followed. 10:45 How running a laundry in college taught Chip the economics of entrepreneurship. 17:00 Joanna’s Korean-American childhood, identity struggles, and how a toxic newsroom internship changed the course of her life. 26:35 The day Chip walked into her dad’s tire shop—and never left. 37:35 How Joanna’s first $25 “sale” encouraged her to open the first Magnolia store. 49:55 The housing crash that nearly ended their renovation business—and how they scraped their way back. 59:55 The moment HGTV called—and why Chip thought it was a scam. 1:15:20 How saying “no” to Fixer Upper opened the door to owning their own network—and their future. 1:19:19 The cultural backlash and the lessons that came with becoming America’s most famous fixer-uppers. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Magnolia: Chip & Joanna Gaines. From House Flipping to Household Name full 775 Guy Raz | Vox Media What happens when a charismatic home renovator marries a budding design whiz? You get the billion-dollar powerhouse that is Chip and Joanna Gaines.The Gaines’ TV show Fixer Upper became a cultural obsession, turning shiplap and farmhouse sinks into a lifestyle movement that swept America.When they walked away from that show at peak popularity, everyone thought they were crazy. Instead, they turned their business Magnolia into a thriving lifestyle brand, which includes a network, retail, restaurants, books, and a magazine. The Silos, their Waco headquarters, became an unlikely tourist destination, drawing millions.Chip and Joanna proved that faith, small-town values and authentic storytelling could compete with coastal glitz. And they did it all while raising five kids.  You’ll learn:What Chip and Joanna saw in each other—as business and life partners.How a miserable semester in New York sparked the idea for Joanna’s first store.How the Gaines’ almost went bankrupt after the 2008 housing crash—and refused to quit. Why walking away from their TV show turned out to be a brilliant move.Why faith is as important as luck.Why betting on your hometown can be a superpower.Time Stamps:5:55 Chip’s failed dream of becoming a pro baseball player—and the unexpected path that followed.10:45 How running a laundry in college taught Chip the economics of entrepreneurship.17:00 Joanna’s Korean-American childhood, identity struggles, and how a toxic newsroom internship changed the course of her life.26:35 The day Chip walked into her dad’s tire shop—and never left.37:35 How Joanna’s first $25 “sale” encouraged her to open the first Magnolia store.49:55 The housing crash that nearly ended their renovation business—and how they scraped their way back.59:55 The moment HGTV called—and why Chip thought it was a scam.1:15:20 How saying “no” to Fixer Upper opened the door to owning their own network—and their future.1:19:19 The cultural backlash and the lessons that came with becoming America’s most famous fixer-uppers.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com What happens when a charismatic home renovator marries a budding design whiz? You get the billion-dollar powerhouse that is Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Gaines’ TV show Fixer Upper became a cultural obsession, turning shiplap and farmhouse sinks into a lifestyle movement that swept America. When they walked away from that show at peak popularity, everyone thought they were crazy. Instead, they turned their business Magnolia into a thriving lifestyle brand, which includes a network, retail, restaurants, books, and a magazine. The Silos, their Waco headquarters, became an unlikely tourist destination, drawing millions. Chip and Joanna proved that faith, small-town values and authentic storytelling could compete with coastal glitz. And they did it all while raising five kids.&nbsp;&nbsp; You’ll learn: What Chip and Joanna saw in each other—as business and life partners. How a miserable semester in New York sparked the idea for Joanna’s first store. How the Gaines’ almost went bankrupt after the 2008 housing crash—and refused to quit.&nbsp; Why walking away from their TV show turned out to be a brilliant move. Why faith is as important as luck. Why betting on your hometown can be a superpower. Time Stamps: 5:55 Chip’s failed dream of becoming a pro baseball player—and the unexpected path that followed. 10:45 How running a laundry in college taught Chip the economics of entrepreneurship. 17:00 Joanna’s Korean-American childhood, identity struggles, and how a toxic newsroom internship changed the course of her life. 26:35 The day Chip walked into her dad’s tire shop—and never left. 37:35 How Joanna’s first $25 “sale” encouraged her to open the first Magnolia store. 49:55 The housing crash that nearly ended their renovation business—and how they scraped their way back. 59:55 The moment HGTV called—and why Chip thought it was a scam. 1:15:20 How saying “no” to Fixer Upper opened the door to owning their own network—and their future. 1:19:19 The cultural backlash and the lessons that came with becoming America’s most famous fixer-uppers. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What happens when a charismatic home renovator marries a budding design whiz? You get the billion-dollar powerhouse that is Chip and Joanna Gaines.

The Gaines’ TV show Fixer Upper became a cultural obsession, turning shiplap and farmhouse sinks into a lifestyle movement that swept America.

When they walked away from that show at peak popularity, everyone thought they were crazy. Instead, they turned their business Magnolia into a thriving lifestyle brand, which includes a network, retail, restaurants, books, and a magazine. The Silos, their Waco headquarters, became an unlikely tourist destination, drawing millions.

Chip and Joanna proved that faith, small-town values and authentic storytelling could compete with coastal glitz. And they did it all while raising five kids.  


You’ll learn:

  • What Chip and Joanna saw in each other—as business and life partners.
  • How a miserable semester in New York sparked the idea for Joanna’s first store.
  • How the Gaines’ almost went bankrupt after the 2008 housing crash—and refused to quit. 
  • Why walking away from their TV show turned out to be a brilliant move.
  • Why faith is as important as luck.
  • Why betting on your hometown can be a superpower.


Time Stamps:

5:55 Chip’s failed dream of becoming a pro baseball player—and the unexpected path that followed.

10:45 How running a laundry in college taught Chip the economics of entrepreneurship.

17:00 Joanna’s Korean-American childhood, identity struggles, and how a toxic newsroom internship changed the course of her life.

26:35 The day Chip walked into her dad’s tire shop—and never left.

37:35 How Joanna’s first $25 “sale” encouraged her to open the first Magnolia store.

49:55 The housing crash that nearly ended their renovation business—and how they scraped their way back.

59:55 The moment HGTV called—and why Chip thought it was a scam.

1:15:20 How saying “no” to Fixer Upper opened the door to owning their own network—and their future.

1:19:19 The cultural backlash and the lessons that came with becoming America’s most famous fixer-uppers.


This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5867 no Advice Line with Stacy Madison of Stacy’s Pita Chips Stacy’s Pita Chips co-founder Stacy Madison joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Stacy talks about her hard-won experience of knowing when to stick with an idea… and when to walk away. First up, Sam wants to figure out how to leverage his popular pizza instagram account into the go-to place for men to learn how to bake. Then, Alex wants to know how to make his Peruvian pisco brand stand out in a relatively unknown liquor category. And finally, Stephanie is eager to learn how she can rejuvenate what had been her family’s 88-year-old candy business.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Dough Guy, SUYO, and Stuckey’s for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to go back and listen to Stacy’s episode from 2019 where she shares how a decision to make chips with the leftover pita from her sandwich cart led to a multi-million dollar snack category that didn’t exist before her.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Stacy Madison of Stacy’s Pita Chips full 774 Guy Raz | Vox Media Stacy’s Pita Chips co-founder Stacy Madison joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Stacy talks about her hard-won experience of knowing when to stick with an idea… and when to walk away.First up, Sam wants to figure out how to leverage his popular pizza instagram account into the go-to place for men to learn how to bake. Then, Alex wants to know how to make his Peruvian pisco brand stand out in a relatively unknown liquor category. And finally, Stephanie is eager to learn how she can rejuvenate what had been her family’s 88-year-old candy business. Thank you to the founders of Dough Guy, SUYO, and Stuckey’s for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to go back and listen to Stacy’s episode from 2019 where she shares how a decision to make chips with the leftover pita from her sandwich cart led to a multi-million dollar snack category that didn’t exist before her. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.  Stacy’s Pita Chips co-founder Stacy Madison joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Stacy talks about her hard-won experience of knowing when to stick with an idea… and when to walk away. First up, Sam wants to figure out how to leverage his popular pizza instagram account into the go-to place for men to learn how to bake. Then, Alex wants to know how to make his Peruvian pisco brand stand out in a relatively unknown liquor category. And finally, Stephanie is eager to learn how she can rejuvenate what had been her family’s 88-year-old candy business.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Dough Guy, SUYO, and Stuckey’s for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to go back and listen to Stacy’s episode from 2019 where she shares how a decision to make chips with the leftover pita from her sandwich cart led to a multi-million dollar snack category that didn’t exist before her.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Stacy’s Pita Chips co-founder Stacy Madison joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Stacy talks about her hard-won experience of knowing when to stick with an idea… and when to walk away.

First up, Sam wants to figure out how to leverage his popular pizza instagram account into the go-to place for men to learn how to bake. Then, Alex wants to know how to make his Peruvian pisco brand stand out in a relatively unknown liquor category. And finally, Stephanie is eager to learn how she can rejuvenate what had been her family’s 88-year-old candy business. 

Thank you to the founders of Dough Guy, SUYO, and Stuckey’s for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to go back and listen to Stacy’s episode from 2019 where she shares how a decision to make chips with the leftover pita from her sandwich cart led to a multi-million dollar snack category that didn’t exist before her. 

This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. 

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3488 no Faherty Brand: Alex and Mike Faherty. How Jersey Shore + Manhattan Chic grew to 80 stores. When identical twins Mike and Alex Faherty launched their clothing brand, they made a daring move– launching wholesale, retail, and online, pretty much at the same time.&nbsp; Investors said it was outdated, maybe even doomed. But that contrarian bet helped grow Faherty into a hugely popular brand, built on family, ingenuity, and obsession with detail. The two brothers spent 12 years preparing for launch—Mike at Ralph Lauren learning the craft of fashion, Alex in finance learning the mechanics of business. In the early days they traveled the country in a beach house on wheels, pulling over on the PCH to sell bathing suits and board shorts. Mike’s designs—surf culture meets big-city chic—took hold online, in department stores, and even swanky boutiques in Japan, giving Faherty the momentum it needed to eventually grew to $250 million in sales.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn: Why the “all channels” strategy (wholesale + retail + online) can actually be a competitive advantage. The power of 12 years of preparation prior to launch. How to leverage factory relationships and suppliers as true partners. Why old-school, in-person sales can be a killer marketing tool&nbsp; How family, trust, and resilience became a core advantage of the Faherty brand. Timestamps: (05:41) Mike discovers Bergdorf’s, cashmere, and fashion inspiration as a teenager in NYC (08:19) Mike gets grief from his basketball teammates for studying fashion at Wash U (13:38) Mike lands a job at Ralph Lauren to learn fashion from the inside (21:28) The moment Alex’s mentor tells him that starting a clothing brand is “the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard” (31:41) The brothers launch Faherty online from a borrowed apartment in Puerto Rico (35:00) Roaming the country in a mobile beach house that doubles as their first store (41:34) Early wins with specialty shops (59:14) The brand nearly runs out of money and gets rescued by a man from Nantucket&nbsp; (1:07:14) A Covid-era gamble that pays off in massive growth&nbsp; (1:15:04) How the identical-twin bond became a superpower for the brand Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Faherty Brand: Alex and Mike Faherty. How Jersey Shore + Manhattan Chic grew to 80 stores. full 773 Guy Raz | Vox Media When identical twins Mike and Alex Faherty launched their clothing brand, they made a daring move– launching wholesale, retail, and online, pretty much at the same time.  Investors said it was outdated, maybe even doomed.But that contrarian bet helped grow Faherty into a hugely popular brand, built on family, ingenuity, and obsession with detail.The two brothers spent 12 years preparing for launch—Mike at Ralph Lauren learning the craft of fashion, Alex in finance learning the mechanics of business. In the early days they traveled the country in a beach house on wheels, pulling over on the PCH to sell bathing suits and board shorts. Mike’s designs—surf culture meets big-city chic—took hold online, in department stores, and even swanky boutiques in Japan, giving Faherty the momentum it needed to eventually grew to $250 million in sales. What You’ll Learn:Why the “all channels” strategy (wholesale + retail + online) can actually be a competitive advantage.The power of 12 years of preparation prior to launch.How to leverage factory relationships and suppliers as true partners.Why old-school, in-person sales can be a killer marketing tool How family, trust, and resilience became a core advantage of the Faherty brand.Timestamps:(05:41) Mike discovers Bergdorf’s, cashmere, and fashion inspiration as a teenager in NYC(08:19) Mike gets grief from his basketball teammates for studying fashion at Wash U(13:38) Mike lands a job at Ralph Lauren to learn fashion from the inside(21:28) The moment Alex’s mentor tells him that starting a clothing brand is “the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard”(31:41) The brothers launch Faherty online from a borrowed apartment in Puerto Rico(35:00) Roaming the country in a mobile beach house that doubles as their first store(41:34) Early wins with specialty shops(59:14) The brand nearly runs out of money and gets rescued by a man from Nantucket (1:07:14) A Covid-era gamble that pays off in massive growth (1:15:04) How the identical-twin bond became a superpower for the brandFollow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com When identical twins Mike and Alex Faherty launched their clothing brand, they made a daring move– launching wholesale, retail, and online, pretty much at the same time.&nbsp; Investors said it was outdated, maybe even doomed. But that contrarian bet helped grow Faherty into a hugely popular brand, built on family, ingenuity, and obsession with detail. The two brothers spent 12 years preparing for launch—Mike at Ralph Lauren learning the craft of fashion, Alex in finance learning the mechanics of business. In the early days they traveled the country in a beach house on wheels, pulling over on the PCH to sell bathing suits and board shorts. Mike’s designs—surf culture meets big-city chic—took hold online, in department stores, and even swanky boutiques in Japan, giving Faherty the momentum it needed to eventually grew to $250 million in sales.&nbsp; What You’ll Learn: Why the “all channels” strategy (wholesale + retail + online) can actually be a competitive advantage. The power of 12 years of preparation prior to launch. How to leverage factory relationships and suppliers as true partners. Why old-school, in-person sales can be a killer marketing tool&nbsp; How family, trust, and resilience became a core advantage of the Faherty brand. Timestamps: (05:41) Mike discovers Bergdorf’s, cashmere, and fashion inspiration as a teenager in NYC (08:19) Mike gets grief from his basketball teammates for studying fashion at Wash U (13:38) Mike lands a job at Ralph Lauren to learn fashion from the inside (21:28) The moment Alex’s mentor tells him that starting a clothing brand is “the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard” (31:41) The brothers launch Faherty online from a borrowed apartment in Puerto Rico (35:00) Roaming the country in a mobile beach house that doubles as their first store (41:34) Early wins with specialty shops (59:14) The brand nearly runs out of money and gets rescued by a man from Nantucket&nbsp; (1:07:14) A Covid-era gamble that pays off in massive growth&nbsp; (1:15:04) How the identical-twin bond became a superpower for the brand Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When identical twins Mike and Alex Faherty launched their clothing brand, they made a daring move– launching wholesale, retail, and online, pretty much at the same time.  Investors said it was outdated, maybe even doomed.

But that contrarian bet helped grow Faherty into a hugely popular brand, built on family, ingenuity, and obsession with detail.

The two brothers spent 12 years preparing for launch—Mike at Ralph Lauren learning the craft of fashion, Alex in finance learning the mechanics of business. In the early days they traveled the country in a beach house on wheels, pulling over on the PCH to sell bathing suits and board shorts. Mike’s designs—surf culture meets big-city chic—took hold online, in department stores, and even swanky boutiques in Japan, giving Faherty the momentum it needed to eventually grew to $250 million in sales. 

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why the “all channels” strategy (wholesale + retail + online) can actually be a competitive advantage.
  • The power of 12 years of preparation prior to launch.
  • How to leverage factory relationships and suppliers as true partners.
  • Why old-school, in-person sales can be a killer marketing tool 
  • How family, trust, and resilience became a core advantage of the Faherty brand.


Timestamps:

(05:41) Mike discovers Bergdorf’s, cashmere, and fashion inspiration as a teenager in NYC

(08:19) Mike gets grief from his basketball teammates for studying fashion at Wash U

(13:38) Mike lands a job at Ralph Lauren to learn fashion from the inside

(21:28) The moment Alex’s mentor tells him that starting a clothing brand is “the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard”

(31:41) The brothers launch Faherty online from a borrowed apartment in Puerto Rico

(35:00) Roaming the country in a mobile beach house that doubles as their first store

(41:34) Early wins with specialty shops

(59:14) The brand nearly runs out of money and gets rescued by a man from Nantucket 

(1:07:14) A Covid-era gamble that pays off in massive growth 

(1:15:04) How the identical-twin bond became a superpower for the brand


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4641 no Advice Line with Michael Dubin of Dollar Shave Club Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Michael shares his latest career pivot into the screenwriting world. First, Benita from New Jersey asks how to create a “guerilla-style” marketing campaign to introduce customers to her specialty Syrian Cheese. Then, Brandon from California&nbsp;wonders how he can encourage his mobile mini golf employees to become more emotionally invested in his business. And finally, Bria from Kansas wants to know the best way to scale her custom wildland firefighter uniforms.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Kasbo’s Middle Eastern Kitchen, Parrs Mobile Mini Golf, and Incidental Wildland for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Dollar Shave Club’s founding story as told by Michael on the show in 2018.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Oct 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Michael Dubin of Dollar Shave Club full 772 Guy Raz | Vox Media Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Michael shares his latest career pivot into the screenwriting world.First, Benita from New Jersey asks how to create a “guerilla-style” marketing campaign to introduce customers to her specialty Syrian Cheese. Then, Brandon from California wonders how he can encourage his mobile mini golf employees to become more emotionally invested in his business. And finally, Bria from Kansas wants to know the best way to scale her custom wildland firefighter uniforms. Thank you to the founders of Kasbo’s Middle Eastern Kitchen, Parrs Mobile Mini Golf, and Incidental Wildland for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Dollar Shave Club’s founding story as told by Michael on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Michael shares his latest career pivot into the screenwriting world. First, Benita from New Jersey asks how to create a “guerilla-style” marketing campaign to introduce customers to her specialty Syrian Cheese. Then, Brandon from California&nbsp;wonders how he can encourage his mobile mini golf employees to become more emotionally invested in his business. And finally, Bria from Kansas wants to know the best way to scale her custom wildland firefighter uniforms.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Kasbo’s Middle Eastern Kitchen, Parrs Mobile Mini Golf, and Incidental Wildland for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Dollar Shave Club’s founding story as told by Michael on the show in 2018.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Michael shares his latest career pivot into the screenwriting world.

First, Benita from New Jersey asks how to create a “guerilla-style” marketing campaign to introduce customers to her specialty Syrian Cheese. Then, Brandon from California wonders how he can encourage his mobile mini golf employees to become more emotionally invested in his business. And finally, Bria from Kansas wants to know the best way to scale her custom wildland firefighter uniforms. 

Thank you to the founders of Kasbo’s Middle Eastern Kitchen, Parrs Mobile Mini Golf, and Incidental Wildland for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Dollar Shave Club’s founding story as told by Michael on the show in 2018. 

This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3437 no Pressbox and Tide Cleaners: Vijen Patel. The $1.99 Gamble That Built a National Brand What if the best startup isn’t sexy at all? In 2013, Vijen Patel left private equity to pursue “the least-worst idea”: dry cleaning. No patents. No app wizardry. Just laundry lockers in high-rises, ruthless unit economics, and a $1.99-a-shirt price that was seared into America’s brain. From bootstrapping routes at 5 a.m. to breaking even in 6 weeks, Vijen and co-founder Drew McKenna scaled Pressbox to hundreds of locations, stared down well-funded competitors, and ultimately sold to Procter & Gamble, where Pressbox became Tide Cleaners (now ~1,200 locations). After the exit, Vijen launched The 81 Collection, a VC fund backing “boring” businesses that quietly power the economy. This episode is a masterclass in building profit first, creating user behavior (not changing it), and protecting customer retention like your life depends on it. What you’ll learn: How the “least-worst idea” found product-market fit How sidestepping rent + labor can flip margins from 15% to ~40% The efficiency insight that beat “Uber-for-X” rivals The new-residence edge: creating customer habits with a welcome-kit Why Pressbox had to set crazy-high retention goals (98%!) How to keep competitors close—and turn a Goliath into your buyer The post-exit premise: “boring” businesses are engines of the middle class Timestamps: Choosing dry cleaning with a private equity lens: don’t do it for passion–focus on practicality — 00:07:05 The SMS “app”: low tech, high convenience — 00:11:49 Unit economics breakthrough: lockers (26 transactions per hr) versus scheduled pickup (4-6) — 00:16:30 The $1.99 insight: a price everyone expected — 00:22:33 How getting into Chicago’s top high-rise was a game-changer — 00:26:31 Margins that work: if you’re a high-rise “amenity,” you don’t pay rent — 00:28:28 Competing with Washio: convenience wins — 00:34:27 Vertical integration: building the plant, staffing via Spanish newspapers — 00:37:08 P&G looms: head-to-head, then the acquisition dance — 00:45:15 Burnout, trade-offs, and life after exit: launching a VC fund that specializes in boring businesses — 00:57:18 This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockeman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Pressbox and Tide Cleaners: Vijen Patel. The $1.99 Gamble That Built a National Brand full 771 Guy Raz | Vox Media What if the best startup isn’t sexy at all? In 2013, Vijen Patel left private equity to pursue “the least-worst idea”: dry cleaning. No patents. No app wizardry. Just laundry lockers in high-rises, ruthless unit economics, and a $1.99-a-shirt price that was seared into America’s brain.From bootstrapping routes at 5 a.m. to breaking even in 6 weeks, Vijen and co-founder Drew McKenna scaled Pressbox to hundreds of locations, stared down well-funded competitors, and ultimately sold to Procter &amp; Gamble, where Pressbox became Tide Cleaners (now ~1,200 locations). After the exit, Vijen launched The 81 Collection, a VC fund backing “boring” businesses that quietly power the economy.This episode is a masterclass in building profit first, creating user behavior (not changing it), and protecting customer retention like your life depends on it.What you’ll learn:How the “least-worst idea” found product-market fitHow sidestepping rent + labor can flip margins from 15% to ~40%The efficiency insight that beat “Uber-for-X” rivalsThe new-residence edge: creating customer habits with a welcome-kitWhy Pressbox had to set crazy-high retention goals (98%!)How to keep competitors close—and turn a Goliath into your buyerThe post-exit premise: “boring” businesses are engines of the middle classTimestamps:Choosing dry cleaning with a private equity lens: don’t do it for passion–focus on practicality — 00:07:05The SMS “app”: low tech, high convenience — 00:11:49Unit economics breakthrough: lockers (26 transactions per hr) versus scheduled pickup (4-6) — 00:16:30The $1.99 insight: a price everyone expected — 00:22:33How getting into Chicago’s top high-rise was a game-changer — 00:26:31Margins that work: if you’re a high-rise “amenity,” you don’t pay rent — 00:28:28Competing with Washio: convenience wins — 00:34:27Vertical integration: building the plant, staffing via Spanish newspapers — 00:37:08P&amp;G looms: head-to-head, then the acquisition dance — 00:45:15Burnout, trade-offs, and life after exit: launching a VC fund that specializes in boring businesses — 00:57:18This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockeman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com What if the best startup isn’t sexy at all? In 2013, Vijen Patel left private equity to pursue “the least-worst idea”: dry cleaning. No patents. No app wizardry. Just laundry lockers in high-rises, ruthless unit economics, and a $1.99-a-shirt price that was seared into America’s brain. From bootstrapping routes at 5 a.m. to breaking even in 6 weeks, Vijen and co-founder Drew McKenna scaled Pressbox to hundreds of locations, stared down well-funded competitors, and ultimately sold to Procter & Gamble, where Pressbox became Tide Cleaners (now ~1,200 locations). After the exit, Vijen launched The 81 Collection, a VC fund backing “boring” businesses that quietly power the economy. This episode is a masterclass in building profit first, creating user behavior (not changing it), and protecting customer retention like your life depends on it. What you’ll learn: How the “least-worst idea” found product-market fit How sidestepping rent + labor can flip margins from 15% to ~40% The efficiency insight that beat “Uber-for-X” rivals The new-residence edge: creating customer habits with a welcome-kit Why Pressbox had to set crazy-high retention goals (98%!) How to keep competitors close—and turn a Goliath into your buyer The post-exit premise: “boring” businesses are engines of the middle class Timestamps: Choosing dry cleaning with a private equity lens: don’t do it for passion–focus on practicality — 00:07:05 The SMS “app”: low tech, high convenience — 00:11:49 Unit economics breakthrough: lockers (26 transactions per hr) versus scheduled pickup (4-6) — 00:16:30 The $1.99 insight: a price everyone expected — 00:22:33 How getting into Chicago’s top high-rise was a game-changer — 00:26:31 Margins that work: if you’re a high-rise “amenity,” you don’t pay rent — 00:28:28 Competing with Washio: convenience wins — 00:34:27 Vertical integration: building the plant, staffing via Spanish newspapers — 00:37:08 P&G looms: head-to-head, then the acquisition dance — 00:45:15 Burnout, trade-offs, and life after exit: launching a VC fund that specializes in boring businesses — 00:57:18 This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockeman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What if the best startup isn’t sexy at all? In 2013, Vijen Patel left private equity to pursue “the least-worst idea”: dry cleaning. No patents. No app wizardry. Just laundry lockers in high-rises, ruthless unit economics, and a $1.99-a-shirt price that was seared into America’s brain.

From bootstrapping routes at 5 a.m. to breaking even in 6 weeks, Vijen and co-founder Drew McKenna scaled Pressbox to hundreds of locations, stared down well-funded competitors, and ultimately sold to Procter & Gamble, where Pressbox became Tide Cleaners (now ~1,200 locations). After the exit, Vijen launched The 81 Collection, a VC fund backing “boring” businesses that quietly power the economy.

This episode is a masterclass in building profit first, creating user behavior (not changing it), and protecting customer retention like your life depends on it.


What you’ll learn:

  • How the “least-worst idea” found product-market fit
  • How sidestepping rent + labor can flip margins from 15% to ~40%
  • The efficiency insight that beat “Uber-for-X” rivals
  • The new-residence edge: creating customer habits with a welcome-kit
  • Why Pressbox had to set crazy-high retention goals (98%!)
  • How to keep competitors close—and turn a Goliath into your buyer
  • The post-exit premise: “boring” businesses are engines of the middle class


Timestamps:

  • Choosing dry cleaning with a private equity lens: don’t do it for passion–focus on practicality — 00:07:05
  • The SMS “app”: low tech, high convenience — 00:11:49
  • Unit economics breakthrough: lockers (26 transactions per hr) versus scheduled pickup (4-6) — 00:16:30
  • The $1.99 insight: a price everyone expected — 00:22:33
  • How getting into Chicago’s top high-rise was a game-changer — 00:26:31
  • Margins that work: if you’re a high-rise “amenity,” you don’t pay rent — 00:28:28
  • Competing with Washio: convenience wins — 00:34:27
  • Vertical integration: building the plant, staffing via Spanish newspapers — 00:37:08
  • P&G looms: head-to-head, then the acquisition dance — 00:45:15
  • Burnout, trade-offs, and life after exit: launching a VC fund that specializes in boring businesses — 00:57:18


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockeman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4224 no Advice Line with Tony Xu of Doordash Tony Xu, founder of DoorDash, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tony updates Guy on his latest ventures: expanding into grocery and retail delivery - and taking on international markets. First, we hear from Ron in Portland, who’s wondering about the right time to expand his product line - from kitchen knives to cutting boards. Then Kathryn in Raleigh, North Carolina asks if it’s time to raise outside money to expand her line of date sweetened dark Chocolate bars. Finally, Yori in Stanford, Connecticut - wants to know the best way to educate customers about the benefits of buying grass raised beef.&nbsp; Thanks to the founders of Steelport Knife Company, Spring and Mulberry and Route 22 Meats for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Doordash’s founding story, as told by Tony on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000 Advice Line with Tony Xu of Doordash full 770 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tony Xu, founder of DoorDash, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tony updates Guy on his latest ventures: expanding into grocery and retail delivery - and taking on international markets.First, we hear from Ron in Portland, who’s wondering about the right time to expand his product line - from kitchen knives to cutting boards. Then Kathryn in Raleigh, North Carolina asks if it’s time to raise outside money to expand her line of date sweetened dark Chocolate bars. Finally, Yori in Stanford, Connecticut - wants to know the best way to educate customers about the benefits of buying grass raised beef. Thanks to the founders of Steelport Knife Company, Spring and Mulberry and Route 22 Meats for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Doordash’s founding story, as told by Tony on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. Tony Xu, founder of DoorDash, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tony updates Guy on his latest ventures: expanding into grocery and retail delivery - and taking on international markets. First, we hear from Ron in Portland, who’s wondering about the right time to expand his product line - from kitchen knives to cutting boards. Then Kathryn in Raleigh, North Carolina asks if it’s time to raise outside money to expand her line of date sweetened dark Chocolate bars. Finally, Yori in Stanford, Connecticut - wants to know the best way to educate customers about the benefits of buying grass raised beef.&nbsp; Thanks to the founders of Steelport Knife Company, Spring and Mulberry and Route 22 Meats for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Doordash’s founding story, as told by Tony on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tony Xu, founder of DoorDash, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tony updates Guy on his latest ventures: expanding into grocery and retail delivery - and taking on international markets.

First, we hear from Ron in Portland, who’s wondering about the right time to expand his product line - from kitchen knives to cutting boards. Then Kathryn in Raleigh, North Carolina asks if it’s time to raise outside money to expand her line of date sweetened dark Chocolate bars. Finally, Yori in Stanford, Connecticut - wants to know the best way to educate customers about the benefits of buying grass raised beef. 

Thanks to the founders of Steelport Knife Company, Spring and Mulberry and Route 22 Meats for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Doordash’s founding story, as told by Tony on the show in 2018.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3156 no Craigslist: Craig Newmark — The Forrest Gump of the Internet What if the founder of one of the internet’s most enduring brands… never wanted to run a company? In 1995, Craig Newmark was a 42-year-old computer programmer in San Francisco who simply wanted to share local tech meetups with friends. He started an email list that became Craigslist—a website that reshaped how we find jobs, apartments, and community. In this conversation, Craig opens up about how not having a grand vision (or a taste for power) led to one of the most popular platforms in the world. With fewer than 50 employees, Craigslist still generates hundreds of millions in revenue—while looking like a website frozen in 1996. This is the story of an “accidental entrepreneur” who built a global brand by being in the right place at the right time—and why he now calls himself the Forrest Gump of the Internet. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why keeping things simple is often the smartest design choice. How knowing your weaknesses can be the ultimate superpower. Why community beats marketing every time. How to monetize minimally—and still build a wildly profitable company. Why luck and timing matter more than you might think. Timestamps: 04:45 Craig’s childhood struggles with social situations—and how local Holocaust survivors shaped his worldview 13:50 Discovering the early internet and becoming an “evangelist” at Charles Schwab 17:42 The simple email list that broke at 240 addresses—and became “Craig’s List” 24:36 Why Craig refused banner ads and said no to early monetization 30:20 Handing the CEO role to Jim Buckmaster—and how that decision led to Craigslist’s success 43:34 eBay buys a stake in Craigslist, then launches a competitor—sparking a messy legal battle 47:36 Was Craigslist really responsible for killing newspaper classifieds? Craig reveals his opinion 51:58 Why Craig gave hundreds of millions of dollars to support journalism, veterans, and… pigeons 57:00 Craig on money, meaning, and why billionaires are often miserable Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com &nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Kevin Leahy with research by Sam Paulson.&nbsp; Our engineers were Patrick Murray, Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Sep 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Craigslist: Craig Newmark — The Forrest Gump of the Internet full 769 Guy Raz | Vox Media What if the founder of one of the internet’s most enduring brands… never wanted to run a company?In 1995, Craig Newmark was a 42-year-old computer programmer in San Francisco who simply wanted to share local tech meetups with friends. He started an email list that became Craigslist—a website that reshaped how we find jobs, apartments, and community.In this conversation, Craig opens up about how not having a grand vision (or a taste for power) led to one of the most popular platforms in the world. With fewer than 50 employees, Craigslist still generates hundreds of millions in revenue—while looking like a website frozen in 1996.This is the story of an “accidental entrepreneur” who built a global brand by being in the right place at the right time—and why he now calls himself the Forrest Gump of the Internet.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why keeping things simple is often the smartest design choice.How knowing your weaknesses can be the ultimate superpower.Why community beats marketing every time.How to monetize minimally—and still build a wildly profitable company.Why luck and timing matter more than you might think.Timestamps:04:45 Craig’s childhood struggles with social situations—and how local Holocaust survivors shaped his worldview13:50 Discovering the early internet and becoming an “evangelist” at Charles Schwab17:42 The simple email list that broke at 240 addresses—and became “Craig’s List”24:36 Why Craig refused banner ads and said no to early monetization30:20 Handing the CEO role to Jim Buckmaster—and how that decision led to Craigslist’s success43:34 eBay buys a stake in Craigslist, then launches a competitor—sparking a messy legal battle47:36 Was Craigslist really responsible for killing newspaper classifieds? Craig reveals his opinion51:58 Why Craig gave hundreds of millions of dollars to support journalism, veterans, and… pigeons57:00 Craig on money, meaning, and why billionaires are often miserableFollow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Kevin Leahy with research by Sam Paulson. Our engineers were Patrick Murray, Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez. What if the founder of one of the internet’s most enduring brands… never wanted to run a company? In 1995, Craig Newmark was a 42-year-old computer programmer in San Francisco who simply wanted to share local tech meetups with friends. He started an email list that became Craigslist—a website that reshaped how we find jobs, apartments, and community. In this conversation, Craig opens up about how not having a grand vision (or a taste for power) led to one of the most popular platforms in the world. With fewer than 50 employees, Craigslist still generates hundreds of millions in revenue—while looking like a website frozen in 1996. This is the story of an “accidental entrepreneur” who built a global brand by being in the right place at the right time—and why he now calls himself the Forrest Gump of the Internet. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why keeping things simple is often the smartest design choice. How knowing your weaknesses can be the ultimate superpower. Why community beats marketing every time. How to monetize minimally—and still build a wildly profitable company. Why luck and timing matter more than you might think. Timestamps: 04:45 Craig’s childhood struggles with social situations—and how local Holocaust survivors shaped his worldview 13:50 Discovering the early internet and becoming an “evangelist” at Charles Schwab 17:42 The simple email list that broke at 240 addresses—and became “Craig’s List” 24:36 Why Craig refused banner ads and said no to early monetization 30:20 Handing the CEO role to Jim Buckmaster—and how that decision led to Craigslist’s success 43:34 eBay buys a stake in Craigslist, then launches a competitor—sparking a messy legal battle 47:36 Was Craigslist really responsible for killing newspaper classifieds? Craig reveals his opinion 51:58 Why Craig gave hundreds of millions of dollars to support journalism, veterans, and… pigeons 57:00 Craig on money, meaning, and why billionaires are often miserable Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com &nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Kevin Leahy with research by Sam Paulson.&nbsp; Our engineers were Patrick Murray, Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What if the founder of one of the internet’s most enduring brands… never wanted to run a company?

In 1995, Craig Newmark was a 42-year-old computer programmer in San Francisco who simply wanted to share local tech meetups with friends. He started an email list that became Craigslist—a website that reshaped how we find jobs, apartments, and community.

In this conversation, Craig opens up about how not having a grand vision (or a taste for power) led to one of the most popular platforms in the world. With fewer than 50 employees, Craigslist still generates hundreds of millions in revenue—while looking like a website frozen in 1996.

This is the story of an “accidental entrepreneur” who built a global brand by being in the right place at the right time—and why he now calls himself the Forrest Gump of the Internet.


In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why keeping things simple is often the smartest design choice.
  • How knowing your weaknesses can be the ultimate superpower.
  • Why community beats marketing every time.
  • How to monetize minimally—and still build a wildly profitable company.
  • Why luck and timing matter more than you might think.


Timestamps:

  • 04:45 Craig’s childhood struggles with social situations—and how local Holocaust survivors shaped his worldview
  • 13:50 Discovering the early internet and becoming an “evangelist” at Charles Schwab
  • 17:42 The simple email list that broke at 240 addresses—and became “Craig’s List”
  • 24:36 Why Craig refused banner ads and said no to early monetization
  • 30:20 Handing the CEO role to Jim Buckmaster—and how that decision led to Craigslist’s success
  • 43:34 eBay buys a stake in Craigslist, then launches a competitor—sparking a messy legal battle
  • 47:36 Was Craigslist really responsible for killing newspaper classifieds? Craig reveals his opinion
  • 51:58 Why Craig gave hundreds of millions of dollars to support journalism, veterans, and… pigeons
  • 57:00 Craig on money, meaning, and why billionaires are often miserable


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Kevin Leahy with research by Sam Paulson. 

Our engineers were Patrick Murray, Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4146 no Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRX Randy Hetrick, former Navy SEAL and founder of the suspension training company TRX, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Randy updates Guy on his latest venture, a mobile gym called Outfit that brings the workout to you. First, we hear from Paige in Toronto, who’s wondering how to best capitalize on a major new retail account for her caffeine-conscious energy drink company. Then Kerri in British Columbia asks how to select the right strategic investor for her Australian-style meat pie bakery chain. And Katharine in Ontario wonders whether it's best to expand or narrow the focus of her adaptive clothing brand. Thank you to the founders of Benny, Peaked Pies and Adaptt Apparel for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to TRX’s founding story as told by Randy on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRX full 768 Guy Raz | Vox Media Randy Hetrick, former Navy SEAL and founder of the suspension training company TRX, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Randy updates Guy on his latest venture, a mobile gym called Outfit that brings the workout to you.First, we hear from Paige in Toronto, who’s wondering how to best capitalize on a major new retail account for her caffeine-conscious energy drink company. Then Kerri in British Columbia asks how to select the right strategic investor for her Australian-style meat pie bakery chain. And Katharine in Ontario wonders whether it's best to expand or narrow the focus of her adaptive clothing brand.Thank you to the founders of Benny, Peaked Pies and Adaptt Apparel for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to TRX’s founding story as told by Randy on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. Randy Hetrick, former Navy SEAL and founder of the suspension training company TRX, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Randy updates Guy on his latest venture, a mobile gym called Outfit that brings the workout to you. First, we hear from Paige in Toronto, who’s wondering how to best capitalize on a major new retail account for her caffeine-conscious energy drink company. Then Kerri in British Columbia asks how to select the right strategic investor for her Australian-style meat pie bakery chain. And Katharine in Ontario wonders whether it's best to expand or narrow the focus of her adaptive clothing brand. Thank you to the founders of Benny, Peaked Pies and Adaptt Apparel for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to TRX’s founding story as told by Randy on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Randy Hetrick, former Navy SEAL and founder of the suspension training company TRX, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Randy updates Guy on his latest venture, a mobile gym called Outfit that brings the workout to you.

First, we hear from Paige in Toronto, who’s wondering how to best capitalize on a major new retail account for her caffeine-conscious energy drink company. Then Kerri in British Columbia asks how to select the right strategic investor for her Australian-style meat pie bakery chain. And Katharine in Ontario wonders whether it's best to expand or narrow the focus of her adaptive clothing brand.

Thank you to the founders of Benny, Peaked Pies and Adaptt Apparel for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to TRX’s founding story as told by Randy on the show in 2017.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3346 no Poppi: Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. From Farmers Market Vinegar Drink to $2B Soda Sensation A decade ago, Allison Ellsworth was drinking apple cider vinegar for health reasons and doctoring it with fruit so she could stand the taste. Her husband Stephen helped her turn it into a&nbsp;business by adding carbonation on a hacked soda line in their Dallas townhouse. They called it “Mother Beverage,” and sold out every week at the farmers market…but then heard the words no founder forgets: “Your branding is…sh*t.”&nbsp; What happens next is one of the wildest CPG glow-ups of the 2010s: a Shark Tank deal with brand whisperer Rohan Oza, a full rebrand to Poppi, colored cans that jumped off the shelf, a launch derailed by Covid—and finally, an explosion fueled by Amazon, TikTok, and a Super Bowl moment that planted the flag: We’re soda–and we’ve left the farmers market for good.&nbsp;&nbsp; Five years after its rebrand, &nbsp;Poppi was acquired by Pepsi for nearly $2B. This is the story of the messy bottling line, saying no to “dumb money,” baptism by Shark Tank, and building a generational brand while staying married. In this episode, you’ll learn: How rebranding can rescue a beverage, and when to avoid early eye-rolls&nbsp; The hit-and-miss of carbonating on a small scale (and why co-packers said no). How the risky decision to call Poppi “soda” unlocked a new retail set (functional soda). What a Shark Tank partner does during a rebrand window. How Allison seized on TikTok to spike sales during Covid&nbsp; Timestamps: 07:49 Meeting cute at a snowboard shop → engagement in 7 months&nbsp; 11:34 How apple cider vinegar helped Allison’s health…but tasted terrible (early flavor hacks)&nbsp; 20:11 DIY carbonation disasters: exploding bottles & the 40°F lesson&nbsp; 22:50 Selling out at the Dallas Farmers Market&nbsp; 37:48 Appearing on Shark Tank while nine months pregnant and the deal with Rohan: “your branding is sh*t.” 42:21 The nail-biting rebrand from “Mother”&nbsp;to Poppi: colored cans vs. white, and winning the shelf&nbsp; 47:34 Expo West canceled by Covid → a massive turnaround fueled by Amazon, Shark Tank,&nbsp;and TikTok 59:40 Super Bowl ad– “We’re soda!”--and the road to a ~$2B Pepsi acquisition&nbsp; 01:01:48 Growing a business while managing a marriage&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com This episode was produced by Rommel Wood&nbsp;with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Sep 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Poppi: Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. From Farmers Market Vinegar Drink to $2B Soda Sensation full 767 Guy Raz | Vox Media A decade ago, Allison Ellsworth was drinking apple cider vinegar for health reasons and doctoring it with fruit so she could stand the taste. Her husband Stephen helped her turn it into a business by adding carbonation on a hacked soda line in their Dallas townhouse. They called it “Mother Beverage,” and sold out every week at the farmers market…but then heard the words no founder forgets: “Your branding is…sh*t.” What happens next is one of the wildest CPG glow-ups of the 2010s: a Shark Tank deal with brand whisperer Rohan Oza, a full rebrand to Poppi, colored cans that jumped off the shelf, a launch derailed by Covid—and finally, an explosion fueled by Amazon, TikTok, and a Super Bowl moment that planted the flag: We’re soda–and we’ve left the farmers market for good.  Five years after its rebrand,  Poppi was acquired by Pepsi for nearly $2B. This is the story of the messy bottling line, saying no to “dumb money,” baptism by Shark Tank, and building a generational brand while staying married.In this episode, you’ll learn:How rebranding can rescue a beverage, and when to avoid early eye-rolls The hit-and-miss of carbonating on a small scale (and why co-packers said no).How the risky decision to call Poppi “soda” unlocked a new retail set (functional soda).What a Shark Tank partner does during a rebrand window.How Allison seized on TikTok to spike sales during Covid Timestamps:07:49 Meeting cute at a snowboard shop → engagement in 7 months 11:34 How apple cider vinegar helped Allison’s health…but tasted terrible (early flavor hacks) 20:11 DIY carbonation disasters: exploding bottles &amp; the 40°F lesson 22:50 Selling out at the Dallas Farmers Market 37:48 Appearing on Shark Tank while nine months pregnant and the deal with Rohan: “your branding is sh*t.”42:21 The nail-biting rebrand from “Mother” to Poppi: colored cans vs. white, and winning the shelf 47:34 Expo West canceled by Covid → a massive turnaround fueled by Amazon, Shark Tank, and TikTok59:40 Super Bowl ad– “We’re soda!”--and the road to a ~$2B Pepsi acquisition 01:01:48 Growing a business while managing a marriage Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comThis episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. A decade ago, Allison Ellsworth was drinking apple cider vinegar for health reasons and doctoring it with fruit so she could stand the taste. Her husband Stephen helped her turn it into a&nbsp;business by adding carbonation on a hacked soda line in their Dallas townhouse. They called it “Mother Beverage,” and sold out every week at the farmers market…but then heard the words no founder forgets: “Your branding is…sh*t.”&nbsp; What happens next is one of the wildest CPG glow-ups of the 2010s: a Shark Tank deal with brand whisperer Rohan Oza, a full rebrand to Poppi, colored cans that jumped off the shelf, a launch derailed by Covid—and finally, an explosion fueled by Amazon, TikTok, and a Super Bowl moment that planted the flag: We’re soda–and we’ve left the farmers market for good.&nbsp;&nbsp; Five years after its rebrand, &nbsp;Poppi was acquired by Pepsi for nearly $2B. This is the story of the messy bottling line, saying no to “dumb money,” baptism by Shark Tank, and building a generational brand while staying married. In this episode, you’ll learn: How rebranding can rescue a beverage, and when to avoid early eye-rolls&nbsp; The hit-and-miss of carbonating on a small scale (and why co-packers said no). How the risky decision to call Poppi “soda” unlocked a new retail set (functional soda). What a Shark Tank partner does during a rebrand window. How Allison seized on TikTok to spike sales during Covid&nbsp; Timestamps: 07:49 Meeting cute at a snowboard shop → engagement in 7 months&nbsp; 11:34 How apple cider vinegar helped Allison’s health…but tasted terrible (early flavor hacks)&nbsp; 20:11 DIY carbonation disasters: exploding bottles & the 40°F lesson&nbsp; 22:50 Selling out at the Dallas Farmers Market&nbsp; 37:48 Appearing on Shark Tank while nine months pregnant and the deal with Rohan: “your branding is sh*t.” 42:21 The nail-biting rebrand from “Mother”&nbsp;to Poppi: colored cans vs. white, and winning the shelf&nbsp; 47:34 Expo West canceled by Covid → a massive turnaround fueled by Amazon, Shark Tank,&nbsp;and TikTok 59:40 Super Bowl ad– “We’re soda!”--and the road to a ~$2B Pepsi acquisition&nbsp; 01:01:48 Growing a business while managing a marriage&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com This episode was produced by Rommel Wood&nbsp;with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices A decade ago, Allison Ellsworth was drinking apple cider vinegar for health reasons and doctoring it with fruit so she could stand the taste. Her husband Stephen helped her turn it into a business by adding carbonation on a hacked soda line in their Dallas townhouse. They called it “Mother Beverage,” and sold out every week at the farmers market…but then heard the words no founder forgets: “Your branding is…sh*t.” 

What happens next is one of the wildest CPG glow-ups of the 2010s: a Shark Tank deal with brand whisperer Rohan Oza, a full rebrand to Poppi, colored cans that jumped off the shelf, a launch derailed by Covid—and finally, an explosion fueled by Amazon, TikTok, and a Super Bowl moment that planted the flag: We’re soda–and we’ve left the farmers market for good.  

Five years after its rebrand,  Poppi was acquired by Pepsi for nearly $2B. This is the story of the messy bottling line, saying no to “dumb money,” baptism by Shark Tank, and building a generational brand while staying married.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How rebranding can rescue a beverage, and when to avoid early eye-rolls 
  • The hit-and-miss of carbonating on a small scale (and why co-packers said no).
  • How the risky decision to call Poppi “soda” unlocked a new retail set (functional soda).
  • What a Shark Tank partner does during a rebrand window.
  • How Allison seized on TikTok to spike sales during Covid 


Timestamps:

  • 07:49 Meeting cute at a snowboard shop → engagement in 7 months 
  • 11:34 How apple cider vinegar helped Allison’s health…but tasted terrible (early flavor hacks) 
  • 20:11 DIY carbonation disasters: exploding bottles & the 40°F lesson 
  • 22:50 Selling out at the Dallas Farmers Market 
  • 37:48 Appearing on Shark Tank while nine months pregnant and the deal with Rohan: “your branding is sh*t.”
  • 42:21 The nail-biting rebrand from “Mother” to Poppi: colored cans vs. white, and winning the shelf 
  • 47:34 Expo West canceled by Covid → a massive turnaround fueled by Amazon, Shark Tank, and TikTok
  • 59:40 Super Bowl ad– “We’re soda!”--and the road to a ~$2B Pepsi acquisition 
  • 01:01:48 Growing a business while managing a marriage 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4248 no Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road Beauty, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company — Jones Road — at the age of 62. First we meet Mark in Chicago, an orthopedic surgeon who’s looking to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his practice. Then Abby in Dallas, who’s wondering whether her popular social media livestreams are a sustainable way to market her trendy phone cases. And Henry in Charlotte, who wants to turn his mouth rinse for coffee drinkers into a mainstream oral care brand. Thank you to the founders of Cabbage Labs, AbbyRose, and Tannin Oral Care for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ founding story as told by Bobbi on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Sep 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty full 766 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road Beauty, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company — Jones Road — at the age of 62.First we meet Mark in Chicago, an orthopedic surgeon who’s looking to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his practice. Then Abby in Dallas, who’s wondering whether her popular social media livestreams are a sustainable way to market her trendy phone cases. And Henry in Charlotte, who wants to turn his mouth rinse for coffee drinkers into a mainstream oral care brand.Thank you to the founders of Cabbage Labs, AbbyRose, and Tannin Oral Care for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ founding story as told by Bobbi on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road Beauty, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company — Jones Road — at the age of 62. First we meet Mark in Chicago, an orthopedic surgeon who’s looking to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his practice. Then Abby in Dallas, who’s wondering whether her popular social media livestreams are a sustainable way to market her trendy phone cases. And Henry in Charlotte, who wants to turn his mouth rinse for coffee drinkers into a mainstream oral care brand. Thank you to the founders of Cabbage Labs, AbbyRose, and Tannin Oral Care for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ founding story as told by Bobbi on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road Beauty, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found her new company — Jones Road — at the age of 62.

First we meet Mark in Chicago, an orthopedic surgeon who’s looking to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his practice. Then Abby in Dallas, who’s wondering whether her popular social media livestreams are a sustainable way to market her trendy phone cases. And Henry in Charlotte, who wants to turn his mouth rinse for coffee drinkers into a mainstream oral care brand.

Thank you to the founders of Cabbage Labs, AbbyRose, and Tannin Oral Care for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Bobbi Brown Cosmetics’ founding story as told by Bobbi on the show in 2018.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2946 no Nirav Tolia: Nextdoor. How neighborhood chatter went global Many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore — and Nirav Tolia wanted to change that. He walked away from millions in stock options at Yahoo and eventually co-founded Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social network where neighbors share local news and recommendations. Along the way, he learned that for a digital service, Nextdoor demanded a ton of manual work: drawing neighborhood boundaries with Sharpies, sending individual “invite” postcards by snail mail, talking to neighbors about the information they wanted.&nbsp;After 8 years of grind, Nirav stepped away as CEO, only to return 6 years later to spearhead an ambitious rebrand of Nextdoor, which now has 100 million users around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Nirav walked away from millions in stock options to launch his own business&nbsp; How the failure of an early business helped fuel Nextdoor’s success&nbsp; How not having an initial vision for your brand can be a superpower.&nbsp;&nbsp; Why apps that focus on “local” are so hard to master&nbsp; Why Nirav believes” local” is a massive untapped opportunity in tech. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Kwesi Lee and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Sep 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Nirav Tolia: Nextdoor. How neighborhood chatter went global full 765 Guy Raz | Vox Media Many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore — and Nirav Tolia wanted to change that. He walked away from millions in stock options at Yahoo and eventually co-founded Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social network where neighbors share local news and recommendations. Along the way, he learned that for a digital service, Nextdoor demanded a ton of manual work: drawing neighborhood boundaries with Sharpies, sending individual “invite” postcards by snail mail, talking to neighbors about the information they wanted. After 8 years of grind, Nirav stepped away as CEO, only to return 6 years later to spearhead an ambitious rebrand of Nextdoor, which now has 100 million users around the world.    In this episode, you’ll learn:Why Nirav walked away from millions in stock options to launch his own business How the failure of an early business helped fuel Nextdoor’s success How not having an initial vision for your brand can be a superpower.  Why apps that focus on “local” are so hard to master Why Nirav believes” local” is a massive untapped opportunity in tech.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Kwesi Lee and Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram→ @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook→ How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram→ @guy.razX → @guyrazSubstack→ guyraz.substack.comWebsite→ guyraz.com Many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore — and Nirav Tolia wanted to change that. He walked away from millions in stock options at Yahoo and eventually co-founded Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social network where neighbors share local news and recommendations. Along the way, he learned that for a digital service, Nextdoor demanded a ton of manual work: drawing neighborhood boundaries with Sharpies, sending individual “invite” postcards by snail mail, talking to neighbors about the information they wanted.&nbsp;After 8 years of grind, Nirav stepped away as CEO, only to return 6 years later to spearhead an ambitious rebrand of Nextdoor, which now has 100 million users around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Nirav walked away from millions in stock options to launch his own business&nbsp; How the failure of an early business helped fuel Nextdoor’s success&nbsp; How not having an initial vision for your brand can be a superpower.&nbsp;&nbsp; Why apps that focus on “local” are so hard to master&nbsp; Why Nirav believes” local” is a massive untapped opportunity in tech. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Kwesi Lee and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore — and Nirav Tolia wanted to change that. He walked away from millions in stock options at Yahoo and eventually co-founded Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social network where neighbors share local news and recommendations. Along the way, he learned that for a digital service, Nextdoor demanded a ton of manual work: drawing neighborhood boundaries with Sharpies, sending individual “invite” postcards by snail mail, talking to neighbors about the information they wanted. After 8 years of grind, Nirav stepped away as CEO, only to return 6 years later to spearhead an ambitious rebrand of Nextdoor, which now has 100 million users around the world.    

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why Nirav walked away from millions in stock options to launch his own business 
  • How the failure of an early business helped fuel Nextdoor’s success 
  • How not having an initial vision for your brand can be a superpower.  
  • Why apps that focus on “local” are so hard to master 
  • Why Nirav believes” local” is a massive untapped opportunity in tech.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Kwesi Lee and Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram

→ @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook

→ How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram

→ @guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack

→ guyraz.substack.com

Website

→ guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4325 no Advice Line with Dave Weiner of Priority Bicycles Priority Bicycles founder and CEO Dave Weiner joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Dave shares his strategy for keeping sales steady and positioning Priority Bicycles for continued growth in uncertain times.&nbsp; First, we meet Dave from Rhode Island who’s trying to figure out how to bring his oft-misunderstood coffee milk product to the national market. Then, Alex from Buffalo who is deliberating whether to scale up her lavender farm and barn events venue or stay small while trying to reclaim more work-life balance. And finally, Sabrina from Boise who’s looking for creative ways to get her custom dog treats noticed by larger corporate brands and hospitality groups.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Dave’s Coffee, Kin Loch Farmstead, and Idaho Barkery for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Priority Bicycle’s founding story as told by Dave on the show in 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Dave Weiner of Priority Bicycles full 764 Guy Raz | Vox Media Priority Bicycles founder and CEO Dave Weiner joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Dave shares his strategy for keeping sales steady and positioning Priority Bicycles for continued growth in uncertain times. First, we meet Dave from Rhode Island who’s trying to figure out how to bring his oft-misunderstood coffee milk product to the national market. Then, Alex from Buffalo who is deliberating whether to scale up her lavender farm and barn events venue or stay small while trying to reclaim more work-life balance. And finally, Sabrina from Boise who’s looking for creative ways to get her custom dog treats noticed by larger corporate brands and hospitality groups. Thank you to the founders of Dave’s Coffee, Kin Loch Farmstead, and Idaho Barkery for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Priority Bicycle’s founding story as told by Dave on the show in 2023.  This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Priority Bicycles founder and CEO Dave Weiner joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Dave shares his strategy for keeping sales steady and positioning Priority Bicycles for continued growth in uncertain times.&nbsp; First, we meet Dave from Rhode Island who’s trying to figure out how to bring his oft-misunderstood coffee milk product to the national market. Then, Alex from Buffalo who is deliberating whether to scale up her lavender farm and barn events venue or stay small while trying to reclaim more work-life balance. And finally, Sabrina from Boise who’s looking for creative ways to get her custom dog treats noticed by larger corporate brands and hospitality groups.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Dave’s Coffee, Kin Loch Farmstead, and Idaho Barkery for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Priority Bicycle’s founding story as told by Dave on the show in 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Priority Bicycles founder and CEO Dave Weiner joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Dave shares his strategy for keeping sales steady and positioning Priority Bicycles for continued growth in uncertain times. 


First, we meet Dave from Rhode Island who’s trying to figure out how to bring his oft-misunderstood coffee milk product to the national market. Then, Alex from Buffalo who is deliberating whether to scale up her lavender farm and barn events venue or stay small while trying to reclaim more work-life balance. And finally, Sabrina from Boise who’s looking for creative ways to get her custom dog treats noticed by larger corporate brands and hospitality groups. 


Thank you to the founders of Dave’s Coffee, Kin Loch Farmstead, and Idaho Barkery for being a part of our show. 


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Priority Bicycle’s founding story as told by Dave on the show in 2023.  


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and James Willetts. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3586 no Carlton Calvin: Razor. The wild rise, collapse, and reinvention of a mobile toy empire. In the summer of 2000, Razor scooters were everywhere—on sidewalks, in schools, even in Silicon Valley offices. At the center of it all was Carlton Calvin, an ex-lawyer turned toy mogul who had already ridden—and crashed—multiple crazes, from Pogs to yo-yos. Carlton knew how to spot what kids wanted before the world caught on. But when Razor went from selling a million scooters a month to zero almost overnight, his business teetered on collapse. This is a story about timing, obsession and instinct: knowing kids would snap up Slammers with scorpions inside, seeing the potential of a sleek new scooter from Taiwan, and learning how to turn a craze into a lasting global brand. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why most “overnight successes” collapse as quickly as they rise The power of partnerships– and trust– in scaling quickly How to think like your customer (in Carlton’s case, a 10-year-old boy) This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Sep 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Carlton Calvin: Razor. The wild rise, collapse, and reinvention of a mobile toy empire. full 763 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the summer of 2000, Razor scooters were everywhere—on sidewalks, in schools, even in Silicon Valley offices. At the center of it all was Carlton Calvin, an ex-lawyer turned toy mogul who had already ridden—and crashed—multiple crazes, from Pogs to yo-yos.Carlton knew how to spot what kids wanted before the world caught on. But when Razor went from selling a million scooters a month to zero almost overnight, his business teetered on collapse.This is a story about timing, obsession and instinct: knowing kids would snap up Slammers with scorpions inside, seeing the potential of a sleek new scooter from Taiwan, and learning how to turn a craze into a lasting global brand.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why most “overnight successes” collapse as quickly as they riseThe power of partnerships– and trust– in scaling quicklyHow to think like your customer (in Carlton’s case, a 10-year-old boy)This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar.Follow How I Built This:Instagram→ @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook→ How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram→ @guy.razX → @guyrazSubstack→ guyraz.substack.comWebsite→ guyraz.com In the summer of 2000, Razor scooters were everywhere—on sidewalks, in schools, even in Silicon Valley offices. At the center of it all was Carlton Calvin, an ex-lawyer turned toy mogul who had already ridden—and crashed—multiple crazes, from Pogs to yo-yos. Carlton knew how to spot what kids wanted before the world caught on. But when Razor went from selling a million scooters a month to zero almost overnight, his business teetered on collapse. This is a story about timing, obsession and instinct: knowing kids would snap up Slammers with scorpions inside, seeing the potential of a sleek new scooter from Taiwan, and learning how to turn a craze into a lasting global brand. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why most “overnight successes” collapse as quickly as they rise The power of partnerships– and trust– in scaling quickly How to think like your customer (in Carlton’s case, a 10-year-old boy) This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the summer of 2000, Razor scooters were everywhere—on sidewalks, in schools, even in Silicon Valley offices. At the center of it all was Carlton Calvin, an ex-lawyer turned toy mogul who had already ridden—and crashed—multiple crazes, from Pogs to yo-yos.

Carlton knew how to spot what kids wanted before the world caught on. But when Razor went from selling a million scooters a month to zero almost overnight, his business teetered on collapse.

This is a story about timing, obsession and instinct: knowing kids would snap up Slammers with scorpions inside, seeing the potential of a sleek new scooter from Taiwan, and learning how to turn a craze into a lasting global brand.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why most “overnight successes” collapse as quickly as they rise
  • The power of partnerships– and trust– in scaling quickly
  • How to think like your customer (in Carlton’s case, a 10-year-old boy)


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram

→ @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook

→ How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram

→ @guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack

→ guyraz.substack.com

Website

→ guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4670 no Advice Line: Playing to Your Strengths This week, Guy is joined by Lady Gaga’s former manager Troy Carter, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, and Sadie Lincoln of barre3 in a special mashup episode of the Advice Line about playing to your business’s strengths. First, Honor from Australia wants to partner with a celebrity in a way that actually boosts her pill organizer brand. Then, Arvy from Johannesburg digs into what makes his sporting and outdoor optics company special. And finally, Genevieve from Montana discovers all the different ways her customers can help her sailing instruction business grow. Thank you to the founders of Dosey, ProltUp Optics, and Go Sail Virgin Islands and Flathead Lake for coming on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. This episode was produced by Noor Gill and Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were James Willetts and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes: Lady Gaga & Atom Factory: Troy Carter | Advice Line with Troy Carter Airbnb: Joe Gebbia | Advice Line with Joe Gebbia Barre3: Sadie Lincoln | Advice Line with Sadie Lincoln Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Aug 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line: Playing to Your Strengths full 762 Guy Raz | Vox Media This week, Guy is joined by Lady Gaga’s former manager Troy Carter, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, and Sadie Lincoln of barre3 in a special mashup episode of the Advice Line about playing to your business’s strengths.First, Honor from Australia wants to partner with a celebrity in a way that actually boosts her pill organizer brand. Then, Arvy from Johannesburg digs into what makes his sporting and outdoor optics company special. And finally, Genevieve from Montana discovers all the different ways her customers can help her sailing instruction business grow.Thank you to the founders of Dosey, ProltUp Optics, and Go Sail Virgin Islands and Flathead Lake for coming on the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.This episode was produced by Noor Gill and Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were James Willetts and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes:Lady Gaga &amp; Atom Factory: Troy Carter | Advice Line with Troy CarterAirbnb: Joe Gebbia | Advice Line with Joe GebbiaBarre3: Sadie Lincoln | Advice Line with Sadie Lincoln This week, Guy is joined by Lady Gaga’s former manager Troy Carter, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, and Sadie Lincoln of barre3 in a special mashup episode of the Advice Line about playing to your business’s strengths. First, Honor from Australia wants to partner with a celebrity in a way that actually boosts her pill organizer brand. Then, Arvy from Johannesburg digs into what makes his sporting and outdoor optics company special. And finally, Genevieve from Montana discovers all the different ways her customers can help her sailing instruction business grow. Thank you to the founders of Dosey, ProltUp Optics, and Go Sail Virgin Islands and Flathead Lake for coming on the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. This episode was produced by Noor Gill and Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were James Willetts and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes: Lady Gaga & Atom Factory: Troy Carter | Advice Line with Troy Carter Airbnb: Joe Gebbia | Advice Line with Joe Gebbia Barre3: Sadie Lincoln | Advice Line with Sadie Lincoln Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices This week, Guy is joined by Lady Gaga’s former manager Troy Carter, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, and Sadie Lincoln of barre3 in a special mashup episode of the Advice Line about playing to your business’s strengths.

First, Honor from Australia wants to partner with a celebrity in a way that actually boosts her pill organizer brand. Then, Arvy from Johannesburg digs into what makes his sporting and outdoor optics company special. And finally, Genevieve from Montana discovers all the different ways her customers can help her sailing instruction business grow.

Thank you to the founders of Dosey, ProltUp Optics, and Go Sail Virgin Islands and Flathead Lake for coming on the show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

This episode was produced by Noor Gill and Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineers were James Willetts and Maggie Luthar.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.


To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes:

Lady Gaga & Atom Factory: Troy Carter | Advice Line with Troy Carter

Airbnb: Joe Gebbia | Advice Line with Joe Gebbia

Barre3: Sadie Lincoln | Advice Line with Sadie Lincoln

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2516 no Don Vultaggio: AriZona Beverage Company - The Snap Decision That Outsmarted Snapple What does it take to turn a Brooklyn beer salesman into the king of iced tea? In the early 1990s, the iced tea market was dominated by Lipton, Nestea, and Snapple. But Don Vultaggio saw an opening. A single moment—watching Snapple cases fly off a truck in winter—sparked an idea that would change his life: why not sell tea in a tallboy can?&nbsp; AriZona exploded—outselling Snapple and becoming a multi-billion-dollar brand.&nbsp; Behind the success was struggle: Don fought to keep the company private. and faced a painful 10-year legal battle with his former friend and co-founder. In this episode, Don reveals: How he stayed independent in an industry dominated by giants.&nbsp; Why Snapple stumbled after being acquired—and how AriZona avoided the same fate. Why he wants AriZona to remain a multi-generational family business. Why packaging can be more powerful than advertising. How AriZona holds onto its 99c price tag Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com This episode was produced by Rommel Wood&nbsp; with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Gilly Moon.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Aug 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Don Vultaggio: AriZona Beverage Company - The Snap Decision That Outsmarted Snapple full 761 Guy Raz | Vox Media What does it take to turn a Brooklyn beer salesman into the king of iced tea?In the early 1990s, the iced tea market was dominated by Lipton, Nestea, and Snapple. But Don Vultaggio saw an opening. A single moment—watching Snapple cases fly off a truck in winter—sparked an idea that would change his life: why not sell tea in a tallboy can? AriZona exploded—outselling Snapple and becoming a multi-billion-dollar brand. Behind the success was struggle: Don fought to keep the company private. and faced a painful 10-year legal battle with his former friend and co-founder. In this episode, Don reveals:How he stayed independent in an industry dominated by giants. Why Snapple stumbled after being acquired—and how AriZona avoided the same fate.Why he wants AriZona to remain a multi-generational family business.Why packaging can be more powerful than advertising.How AriZona holds onto its 99c price tagFollow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comThis episode was produced by Rommel Wood  with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani.Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Gilly Moon.  What does it take to turn a Brooklyn beer salesman into the king of iced tea? In the early 1990s, the iced tea market was dominated by Lipton, Nestea, and Snapple. But Don Vultaggio saw an opening. A single moment—watching Snapple cases fly off a truck in winter—sparked an idea that would change his life: why not sell tea in a tallboy can?&nbsp; AriZona exploded—outselling Snapple and becoming a multi-billion-dollar brand.&nbsp; Behind the success was struggle: Don fought to keep the company private. and faced a painful 10-year legal battle with his former friend and co-founder. In this episode, Don reveals: How he stayed independent in an industry dominated by giants.&nbsp; Why Snapple stumbled after being acquired—and how AriZona avoided the same fate. Why he wants AriZona to remain a multi-generational family business. Why packaging can be more powerful than advertising. How AriZona holds onto its 99c price tag Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com This episode was produced by Rommel Wood&nbsp; with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Gilly Moon.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What does it take to turn a Brooklyn beer salesman into the king of iced tea?

In the early 1990s, the iced tea market was dominated by Lipton, Nestea, and Snapple. But Don Vultaggio saw an opening. A single moment—watching Snapple cases fly off a truck in winter—sparked an idea that would change his life: why not sell tea in a tallboy can? 

AriZona exploded—outselling Snapple and becoming a multi-billion-dollar brand. 

Behind the success was struggle: Don fought to keep the company private. and faced a painful 10-year legal battle with his former friend and co-founder.

In this episode, Don reveals:

  • How he stayed independent in an industry dominated by giants. 
  • Why Snapple stumbled after being acquired—and how AriZona avoided the same fate.
  • Why he wants AriZona to remain a multi-generational family business.
  • Why packaging can be more powerful than advertising.
  • How AriZona holds onto its 99c price tag


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com


This episode was produced by Rommel Wood  with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani.

Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Gilly Moon. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3815 no Advice Line with Tim Ferriss Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote—&nbsp;a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family. First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale&nbsp;is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberley in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Gob, EB & Co, and K. Becker Designs for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Tim Ferriss’s founding story as told by Tim on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Tim Ferriss full 760 Guy Raz | Vox Media Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote— a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family.First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberley in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing. Thank you to the founders of Gob, EB &amp; Co, and K. Becker Designs for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Tim Ferriss’s founding story as told by Tim on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote—&nbsp;a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family. First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale&nbsp;is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberley in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Gob, EB & Co, and K. Becker Designs for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Tim Ferriss’s founding story as told by Tim on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote— a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family.

First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberley in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing. 

Thank you to the founders of Gob, EB & Co, and K. Becker Designs for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Tim Ferriss’s founding story as told by Tim on the show in 2020. 


This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3006 no (July 2021) Ben Chestnut: From Side Business to $12 Billion – The Accidental Triumph of Mailchimp In 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp. It wasn’t their main business. It wasn’t even meant to make real money. For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design gigs, while Mailchimp earned just enough to cover lunch. Then…one surprising spreadsheet changed everything. In this episode, Ben reveals: The decision that tripled their revenue overnight How a mispronunciation on the world's biggest podcast turned into a marketing masterstroke How a painful wake-up call about leadership reshaped the company’s culture Listen now to hear how guerrilla billboards, a monkey logo, and a string of improbable breaks built one of the most recognizable names in tech.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Aug 2025 07:10:00 -0000 (July 2021) Ben Chestnut: From Side Business to $12 Billion – The Accidental Triumph of Mailchimp full 759 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp.It wasn’t their main business.It wasn’t even meant to make real money.For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design gigs, while Mailchimp earned just enough to cover lunch.Then…one surprising spreadsheet changed everything.In this episode, Ben reveals:The decision that tripled their revenue overnightHow a mispronunciation on the world's biggest podcast turned into a marketing masterstrokeHow a painful wake-up call about leadership reshaped the company’s cultureListen now to hear how guerrilla billboards, a monkey logo, and a string of improbable breaks built one of the most recognizable names in tech. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com In 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp. It wasn’t their main business. It wasn’t even meant to make real money. For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design gigs, while Mailchimp earned just enough to cover lunch. Then…one surprising spreadsheet changed everything. In this episode, Ben reveals: The decision that tripled their revenue overnight How a mispronunciation on the world's biggest podcast turned into a marketing masterstroke How a painful wake-up call about leadership reshaped the company’s culture Listen now to hear how guerrilla billboards, a monkey logo, and a string of improbable breaks built one of the most recognizable names in tech.&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp.

It wasn’t their main business.

It wasn’t even meant to make real money.

For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design gigs, while Mailchimp earned just enough to cover lunch.

Then…one surprising spreadsheet changed everything.

In this episode, Ben reveals:

  • The decision that tripled their revenue overnight
  • How a mispronunciation on the world's biggest podcast turned into a marketing masterstroke
  • How a painful wake-up call about leadership reshaped the company’s culture


Listen now to hear how guerrilla billboards, a monkey logo, and a string of improbable breaks built one of the most recognizable names in tech. 

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5008 no Exclusive Update: The Chef Who Shocked the Culinary World and Why He’s Changing Course Again—Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park In 2021, Daniel Humm shook up the dining world by making&nbsp;his 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, 100% plant-based. No meat. No butter. No cream. It was a first in fine dining, igniting global headlines, industry backlash, and endless debate. Now, in an exclusive podcast conversation with Guy Raz, Daniel shares his next bold decision—he's reintroducing animal products. Daniel shares what he learned from his years of plant-based cooking and how the experiment forever changed his creative vision. This is a story about risk, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. In this episode: How a creative rut at the peak of his career sparked a radical transformation. The hidden economics of running a world-class restaurant without meat. The backlash—and surprising supporters—of the plant-based pivot. Why EMP will remain 90% plant-based, but welcome more people back to the table. What Daniel believes is the future of fine dining. Listen to the original 2021 HIBT episode with Daniel Humm: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-eleven-madison-park-daniel-humm/&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Exclusive Update: The Chef Who Shocked the Culinary World and Why He’s Changing Course Again—Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park full 758 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2021, Daniel Humm shook up the dining world by making his 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, 100% plant-based.No meat. No butter. No cream.It was a first in fine dining, igniting global headlines, industry backlash, and endless debate.Now, in an exclusive podcast conversation with Guy Raz, Daniel shares his next bold decision—he's reintroducing animal products. Daniel shares what he learned from his years of plant-based cooking and how the experiment forever changed his creative vision.This is a story about risk, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.In this episode:How a creative rut at the peak of his career sparked a radical transformation.The hidden economics of running a world-class restaurant without meat.The backlash—and surprising supporters—of the plant-based pivot.Why EMP will remain 90% plant-based, but welcome more people back to the table.What Daniel believes is the future of fine dining.Listen to the original 2021 HIBT episode with Daniel Humm: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-eleven-madison-park-daniel-humm/ Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.com  In 2021, Daniel Humm shook up the dining world by making&nbsp;his 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, 100% plant-based. No meat. No butter. No cream. It was a first in fine dining, igniting global headlines, industry backlash, and endless debate. Now, in an exclusive podcast conversation with Guy Raz, Daniel shares his next bold decision—he's reintroducing animal products. Daniel shares what he learned from his years of plant-based cooking and how the experiment forever changed his creative vision. This is a story about risk, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. In this episode: How a creative rut at the peak of his career sparked a radical transformation. The hidden economics of running a world-class restaurant without meat. The backlash—and surprising supporters—of the plant-based pivot. Why EMP will remain 90% plant-based, but welcome more people back to the table. What Daniel believes is the future of fine dining. Listen to the original 2021 HIBT episode with Daniel Humm: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-eleven-madison-park-daniel-humm/&nbsp; Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2021, Daniel Humm shook up the dining world by making his 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, 100% plant-based.

No meat. No butter. No cream.

It was a first in fine dining, igniting global headlines, industry backlash, and endless debate.

Now, in an exclusive podcast conversation with Guy Raz, Daniel shares his next bold decision—he's reintroducing animal products. Daniel shares what he learned from his years of plant-based cooking and how the experiment forever changed his creative vision.

This is a story about risk, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

In this episode:

  • How a creative rut at the peak of his career sparked a radical transformation.
  • The hidden economics of running a world-class restaurant without meat.
  • The backlash—and surprising supporters—of the plant-based pivot.
  • Why EMP will remain 90% plant-based, but welcome more people back to the table.
  • What Daniel believes is the future of fine dining.


Listen to the original 2021 HIBT episode with Daniel Humm: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-eleven-madison-park-daniel-humm/ 


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2828 no Madison Reed: Amy Errett Amy Errett had a successful career in finance and venture capital before taking a leap into an entirely new business: hair color. When her wife complained about the indignities of coloring her hair at home, Amy realized the sector was ripe for a makeover. At age 56, she dove into the minutiae of dyes and developers, launching her own formula in 2013, and naming it after her daughter. Madison Reed’s early successes were marred by a management meltdown, when Amy had to break with three of her co-founders—an experience she describes as one of the most difficult of her life. Today Madison Reed is available in thousands of stores across the US, and runs nearly 100 of its own salons. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Iman Maani. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Madison Reed: Amy Errett full 757 Guy Raz | Vox Media Amy Errett had a successful career in finance and venture capital before taking a leap into an entirely new business: hair color. When her wife complained about the indignities of coloring her hair at home, Amy realized the sector was ripe for a makeover. At age 56, she dove into the minutiae of dyes and developers, launching her own formula in 2013, and naming it after her daughter. Madison Reed’s early successes were marred by a management meltdown, when Amy had to break with three of her co-founders—an experience she describes as one of the most difficult of her life. Today Madison Reed is available in thousands of stores across the US, and runs nearly 100 of its own salons.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Iman Maani. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Amy Errett had a successful career in finance and venture capital before taking a leap into an entirely new business: hair color. When her wife complained about the indignities of coloring her hair at home, Amy realized the sector was ripe for a makeover. At age 56, she dove into the minutiae of dyes and developers, launching her own formula in 2013, and naming it after her daughter. Madison Reed’s early successes were marred by a management meltdown, when Amy had to break with three of her co-founders—an experience she describes as one of the most difficult of her life. Today Madison Reed is available in thousands of stores across the US, and runs nearly 100 of its own salons. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Iman Maani. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Amy Errett had a successful career in finance and venture capital before taking a leap into an entirely new business: hair color. When her wife complained about the indignities of coloring her hair at home, Amy realized the sector was ripe for a makeover. At age 56, she dove into the minutiae of dyes and developers, launching her own formula in 2013, and naming it after her daughter. Madison Reed’s early successes were marred by a management meltdown, when Amy had to break with three of her co-founders—an experience she describes as one of the most difficult of her life. Today Madison Reed is available in thousands of stores across the US, and runs nearly 100 of its own salons.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Iman Maani. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4927 no Advice Line with Jamie Siminoff of Ring (August 2024) Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals.&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pursue small-business certifications for her motivational classroom posters. Thank you to the founders of ErgoFlex Desk, Luji's Chocolate, and Thrive12 for being a part of a show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Ring’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Jamie on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jamie Siminoff of Ring (August 2024) full 756 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals.  Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pursue small-business certifications for her motivational classroom posters.Thank you to the founders of ErgoFlex Desk, Luji's Chocolate, and Thrive12 for being a part of a show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Ring’s founding story as told by Jamie on the show in 2020.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals.&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pursue small-business certifications for her motivational classroom posters. Thank you to the founders of ErgoFlex Desk, Luji's Chocolate, and Thrive12 for being a part of a show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Ring’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Jamie on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals.  

Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pursue small-business certifications for her motivational classroom posters.

Thank you to the founders of ErgoFlex Desk, Luji's Chocolate, and Thrive12 for being a part of a show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Ring’s founding story as told by Jamie on the show in 2020.

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3354 no Crumbl: Jason McGowan Crumbl may be a cookie business – but Jason McGowan turned it into a fast-growing restaurant chain by building it like a tech startup. He and co-founder Sawyer Hemsley meticulously A/B tested the recipe, launched a delivery app early on, and went viral with weekly drops of wild new flavors like bubblegum and Almost Everything Bagel. In just eight years, Crumbl has opened over 1,000 stores, and has dominated the cookie conversation on social media, with more TikTok followers than Starbucks, Domino’s, and Taco Bell combined. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Estevez. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Crumbl: Jason McGowan full 755 Guy Raz | Vox Media Crumbl may be a cookie business – but Jason McGowan turned it into a fast-growing restaurant chain by building it like a tech startup. He and co-founder Sawyer Hemsley meticulously A/B tested the recipe, launched a delivery app early on, and went viral with weekly drops of wild new flavors like bubblegum and Almost Everything Bagel. In just eight years, Crumbl has opened over 1,000 stores, and has dominated the cookie conversation on social media, with more TikTok followers than Starbucks, Domino’s, and Taco Bell combined.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Estevez. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Crumbl may be a cookie business – but Jason McGowan turned it into a fast-growing restaurant chain by building it like a tech startup. He and co-founder Sawyer Hemsley meticulously A/B tested the recipe, launched a delivery app early on, and went viral with weekly drops of wild new flavors like bubblegum and Almost Everything Bagel. In just eight years, Crumbl has opened over 1,000 stores, and has dominated the cookie conversation on social media, with more TikTok followers than Starbucks, Domino’s, and Taco Bell combined. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Estevez. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Crumbl may be a cookie business – but Jason McGowan turned it into a fast-growing restaurant chain by building it like a tech startup. He and co-founder Sawyer Hemsley meticulously A/B tested the recipe, launched a delivery app early on, and went viral with weekly drops of wild new flavors like bubblegum and Almost Everything Bagel. In just eight years, Crumbl has opened over 1,000 stores, and has dominated the cookie conversation on social media, with more TikTok followers than Starbucks, Domino’s, and Taco Bell combined.

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Estevez. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4114 no Advice Line with Mei Xu of Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme founder Mei Xu joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Mei shares the importance of businesses meeting people everywhere they shop. First, Sasha, who started a gourmet pot pie company in Brooklyn, New York, asks how to find the right co-founder who can do the things she can’t. Then, Tara from Dubai, Saudi Arabia wants to know whether to market her towel dress directly to consumers. And finally, Lindsay in Grand Rapids, Michigan needs advice on how to get her online curriculum in front of more school districts.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies, Dry Dolly, and Math Medic for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the Chesapeake Bay Candle story as told by Mei on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 Advice Line with Mei Xu of Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme full 754 Guy Raz | Vox Media Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme founder Mei Xu joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Mei shares the importance of businesses meeting people everywhere they shop.First, Sasha, who started a gourmet pot pie company in Brooklyn, New York, asks how to find the right co-founder who can do the things she can’t. Then, Tara from Dubai, Saudi Arabia wants to know whether to market her towel dress directly to consumers. And finally, Lindsay in Grand Rapids, Michigan needs advice on how to get her online curriculum in front of more school districts.  Thank you to the founders of Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies, Dry Dolly, and Math Medic for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to the Chesapeake Bay Candle story as told by Mei on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme founder Mei Xu joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Mei shares the importance of businesses meeting people everywhere they shop. First, Sasha, who started a gourmet pot pie company in Brooklyn, New York, asks how to find the right co-founder who can do the things she can’t. Then, Tara from Dubai, Saudi Arabia wants to know whether to market her towel dress directly to consumers. And finally, Lindsay in Grand Rapids, Michigan needs advice on how to get her online curriculum in front of more school districts.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies, Dry Dolly, and Math Medic for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the Chesapeake Bay Candle story as told by Mei on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme founder Mei Xu joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Mei shares the importance of businesses meeting people everywhere they shop.

First, Sasha, who started a gourmet pot pie company in Brooklyn, New York, asks how to find the right co-founder who can do the things she can’t. Then, Tara from Dubai, Saudi Arabia wants to know whether to market her towel dress directly to consumers. And finally, Lindsay in Grand Rapids, Michigan needs advice on how to get her online curriculum in front of more school districts.  

Thank you to the founders of Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies, Dry Dolly, and Math Medic for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to the Chesapeake Bay Candle story as told by Mei on the show in 2017.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2748 no Simon Cowell: Music Mogul Long before he became famous as the sharp-tongued TV personality who launched the careers of pop stars, Simon Cowell was a rebellious teenager who dropped out of school and started his career in the mailroom at EMI. After a failed business left him nearly bankrupt, he found success by zigging where others zagged—initially by selling hit records based on TV shows like Power Rangers and WrestleMania. Eventually Simon got behind the TV camera himself, where his brutally honest feedback on shows like American Idol and The X Factor made him a household name. Today, through his company Syco Entertainment, Simon continues to discover new talent.&nbsp;His latest challenge: an upcoming Netflix show where he’ll try to build a boy band from scratch. This episode was produced by Josh Lash, and edited by Neva Grant, with research by Iman Maani. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com.&nbsp;Sign up for Guy's newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;or Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Jul 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Simon Cowell: Music Mogul full 753 Guy Raz | Vox Media Long before he became famous as the sharp-tongued TV personality who launched the careers of pop stars, Simon Cowell was a rebellious teenager who dropped out of school and started his career in the mailroom at EMI. After a failed business left him nearly bankrupt, he found success by zigging where others zagged—initially by selling hit records based on TV shows like Power Rangers and WrestleMania. Eventually Simon got behind the TV camera himself, where his brutally honest feedback on shows like American Idol and The X Factor made him a household name. Today, through his company Syco Entertainment, Simon continues to discover new talent. His latest challenge: an upcoming Netflix show where he’ll try to build a boy band from scratch.This episode was produced by Josh Lash, and edited by Neva Grant, with research by Iman Maani. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's newsletter at guyraz.com or Substack. Long before he became famous as the sharp-tongued TV personality who launched the careers of pop stars, Simon Cowell was a rebellious teenager who dropped out of school and started his career in the mailroom at EMI. After a failed business left him nearly bankrupt, he found success by zigging where others zagged—initially by selling hit records based on TV shows like Power Rangers and WrestleMania. Eventually Simon got behind the TV camera himself, where his brutally honest feedback on shows like American Idol and The X Factor made him a household name. Today, through his company Syco Entertainment, Simon continues to discover new talent.&nbsp;His latest challenge: an upcoming Netflix show where he’ll try to build a boy band from scratch. This episode was produced by Josh Lash, and edited by Neva Grant, with research by Iman Maani. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com.&nbsp;Sign up for Guy's newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;or Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Long before he became famous as the sharp-tongued TV personality who launched the careers of pop stars, Simon Cowell was a rebellious teenager who dropped out of school and started his career in the mailroom at EMI. After a failed business left him nearly bankrupt, he found success by zigging where others zagged—initially by selling hit records based on TV shows like Power Rangers and WrestleMania. Eventually Simon got behind the TV camera himself, where his brutally honest feedback on shows like American Idol and The X Factor made him a household name. Today, through his company Syco Entertainment, Simon continues to discover new talent. His latest challenge: an upcoming Netflix show where he’ll try to build a boy band from scratch.

This episode was produced by Josh Lash, and edited by Neva Grant, with research by Iman Maani. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's newsletter at guyraz.com or Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4340 no Advice Line with Isaac Larian of MGA Entertainment Isaac Larian is the founder of MGA Entertainment, the company behind Bratz and LOL Surprise dolls. This week, he joins Guy on Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Isaac talks about the effects of tariffs on the toy industry.&nbsp; First, we meet Meghan from Nashville, who finds that the customer for her educational toys may not be who she thought. Then, Libie from New York wants to grow her orthopedic cork insole business and to expand her customer base. And finally, Robin from Steamboat Springs gets advice about first impressions for her kid-exclusive outdoor apparel company. Thank you to the founders of T is for Tot, Fulton, and Town Hall Outdoor Co. for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Isaac tell the story of how MGA Entertainment was founded during his first visit to the show back in 2024. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 24 Jul 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Isaac Larian of MGA Entertainment full 752 Guy Raz | Vox Media Isaac Larian is the founder of MGA Entertainment, the company behind Bratz and LOL Surprise dolls. This week, he joins Guy on Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Isaac talks about the effects of tariffs on the toy industry. First, we meet Meghan from Nashville, who finds that the customer for her educational toys may not be who she thought. Then, Libie from New York wants to grow her orthopedic cork insole business and to expand her customer base. And finally, Robin from Steamboat Springs gets advice about first impressions for her kid-exclusive outdoor apparel company.Thank you to the founders of T is for Tot, Fulton, and Town Hall Outdoor Co. for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Isaac tell the story of how MGA Entertainment was founded during his first visit to the show back in 2024.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Isaac Larian is the founder of MGA Entertainment, the company behind Bratz and LOL Surprise dolls. This week, he joins Guy on Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Isaac talks about the effects of tariffs on the toy industry.&nbsp; First, we meet Meghan from Nashville, who finds that the customer for her educational toys may not be who she thought. Then, Libie from New York wants to grow her orthopedic cork insole business and to expand her customer base. And finally, Robin from Steamboat Springs gets advice about first impressions for her kid-exclusive outdoor apparel company. Thank you to the founders of T is for Tot, Fulton, and Town Hall Outdoor Co. for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Isaac tell the story of how MGA Entertainment was founded during his first visit to the show back in 2024. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Isaac Larian is the founder of MGA Entertainment, the company behind Bratz and LOL Surprise dolls. This week, he joins Guy on Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Isaac talks about the effects of tariffs on the toy industry. 

First, we meet Meghan from Nashville, who finds that the customer for her educational toys may not be who she thought. Then, Libie from New York wants to grow her orthopedic cork insole business and to expand her customer base. And finally, Robin from Steamboat Springs gets advice about first impressions for her kid-exclusive outdoor apparel company.

Thank you to the founders of T is for Tot, Fulton, and Town Hall Outdoor Co. for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Isaac tell the story of how MGA Entertainment was founded during his first visit to the show back in 2024.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2810 no Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka Long before founding Torchy’s Tacos, Mike Rypka was a troubled teenager trying to outrun his own self-destruction. Growing up around addiction and falling into heavy drug use himself, Mike’s future looked bleak—until he got clean and found refuge in kitchens. Cooking gave him structure, purpose, and eventually, a career. After years working in restaurants and corporate kitchens, Mike decided to take a risk on something smaller: a food truck on a street corner in Austin. In 2006, he launched Torchy’s with nothing but a dream, a fiery logo, and a menu full of bold flavors. That humble truck became the start of something much bigger. Today, Torchy’s is a national chain with more than 130 locations and annual sales topping $300 million. And through all of it, Mike has remained sober—more than three decades and counting. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Katherine Sypher and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Jul 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka full 751 Guy Raz | Vox Media Long before founding Torchy’s Tacos, Mike Rypka was a troubled teenager trying to outrun his own self-destruction. Growing up around addiction and falling into heavy drug use himself, Mike’s future looked bleak—until he got clean and found refuge in kitchens. Cooking gave him structure, purpose, and eventually, a career.After years working in restaurants and corporate kitchens, Mike decided to take a risk on something smaller: a food truck on a street corner in Austin. In 2006, he launched Torchy’s with nothing but a dream, a fiery logo, and a menu full of bold flavors. That humble truck became the start of something much bigger. Today, Torchy’s is a national chain with more than 130 locations and annual sales topping $300 million. And through all of it, Mike has remained sober—more than three decades and counting.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Katherine Sypher and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.  Long before founding Torchy’s Tacos, Mike Rypka was a troubled teenager trying to outrun his own self-destruction. Growing up around addiction and falling into heavy drug use himself, Mike’s future looked bleak—until he got clean and found refuge in kitchens. Cooking gave him structure, purpose, and eventually, a career. After years working in restaurants and corporate kitchens, Mike decided to take a risk on something smaller: a food truck on a street corner in Austin. In 2006, he launched Torchy’s with nothing but a dream, a fiery logo, and a menu full of bold flavors. That humble truck became the start of something much bigger. Today, Torchy’s is a national chain with more than 130 locations and annual sales topping $300 million. And through all of it, Mike has remained sober—more than three decades and counting. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Katherine Sypher and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Long before founding Torchy’s Tacos, Mike Rypka was a troubled teenager trying to outrun his own self-destruction. Growing up around addiction and falling into heavy drug use himself, Mike’s future looked bleak—until he got clean and found refuge in kitchens. Cooking gave him structure, purpose, and eventually, a career.


After years working in restaurants and corporate kitchens, Mike decided to take a risk on something smaller: a food truck on a street corner in Austin. In 2006, he launched Torchy’s with nothing but a dream, a fiery logo, and a menu full of bold flavors. That humble truck became the start of something much bigger. Today, Torchy’s is a national chain with more than 130 locations and annual sales topping $300 million. And through all of it, Mike has remained sober—more than three decades and counting.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Katherine Sypher and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5313 no Advice Line with Troy Carter of Atom Factory Former manager of Lady Gaga and Atom Factory founder Troy Carter joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Troy’s advice for reaching new audiences when digital ads struggle to perform. First we meet Madelyn in Arizona, who’s trying to grow her postpartum frozen meal delivery service while preserving its focus on her local community. Then Tyler in Oregon, who wants to strengthen connections with influencers endorsing his water purification systems. And Gina in Minnesota, who’s looking to better market her matching dog and human clothing sets. Thank you to the founders of The Nest Prep, Guzzle H2O, and Good Thomas for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Atom Factory’s founding story as told by Troy on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 17 Jul 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Troy Carter of Atom Factory full 750 Guy Raz | Vox Media Former manager of Lady Gaga and Atom Factory founder Troy Carter joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Troy’s advice for reaching new audiences when digital ads struggle to perform.First we meet Madelyn in Arizona, who’s trying to grow her postpartum frozen meal delivery service while preserving its focus on her local community. Then Tyler in Oregon, who wants to strengthen connections with influencers endorsing his water purification systems. And Gina in Minnesota, who’s looking to better market her matching dog and human clothing sets.Thank you to the founders of The Nest Prep, Guzzle H2O, and Good Thomas for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Atom Factory’s founding story as told by Troy on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Former manager of Lady Gaga and Atom Factory founder Troy Carter joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Troy’s advice for reaching new audiences when digital ads struggle to perform. First we meet Madelyn in Arizona, who’s trying to grow her postpartum frozen meal delivery service while preserving its focus on her local community. Then Tyler in Oregon, who wants to strengthen connections with influencers endorsing his water purification systems. And Gina in Minnesota, who’s looking to better market her matching dog and human clothing sets. Thank you to the founders of The Nest Prep, Guzzle H2O, and Good Thomas for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Atom Factory’s founding story as told by Troy on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Former manager of Lady Gaga and Atom Factory founder Troy Carter joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Troy’s advice for reaching new audiences when digital ads struggle to perform.

First we meet Madelyn in Arizona, who’s trying to grow her postpartum frozen meal delivery service while preserving its focus on her local community. Then Tyler in Oregon, who wants to strengthen connections with influencers endorsing his water purification systems. And Gina in Minnesota, who’s looking to better market her matching dog and human clothing sets.

Thank you to the founders of The Nest Prep, Guzzle H2O, and Good Thomas for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Atom Factory’s founding story as told by Troy on the show in 2017.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2848 no WHOOP: Will Ahmed As a Harvard squash player, Will Ahmed discovered his game improved when he focused on&nbsp;things like sleep, diet, and time spent recovering from training. He was convinced that granular health and heart data would become invaluable to other athletes if it could be bundled into a wearable wrist strap. In 2012, Will founded WHOOP, and after three years the company launched its first model, with Lebron James and Michael Phelps as advocates. But WHOOP struggled to gain traction with mere mortals, and spent years overhauling its business model and fending off big name competitors. Eventually it became one of the most popular wearables on the market, with a valuation well above $3 billion.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by Neva Grant, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineer was Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Jul 2025 07:10:00 -0000 WHOOP: Will Ahmed full 749 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a Harvard squash player, Will Ahmed discovered his game improved when he focused on things like sleep, diet, and time spent recovering from training. He was convinced that granular health and heart data would become invaluable to other athletes if it could be bundled into a wearable wrist strap. In 2012, Will founded WHOOP, and after three years the company launched its first model, with Lebron James and Michael Phelps as advocates. But WHOOP struggled to gain traction with mere mortals, and spent years overhauling its business model and fending off big name competitors. Eventually it became one of the most popular wearables on the market, with a valuation well above $3 billion. This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by Neva Grant, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineer was Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. As a Harvard squash player, Will Ahmed discovered his game improved when he focused on&nbsp;things like sleep, diet, and time spent recovering from training. He was convinced that granular health and heart data would become invaluable to other athletes if it could be bundled into a wearable wrist strap. In 2012, Will founded WHOOP, and after three years the company launched its first model, with Lebron James and Michael Phelps as advocates. But WHOOP struggled to gain traction with mere mortals, and spent years overhauling its business model and fending off big name competitors. Eventually it became one of the most popular wearables on the market, with a valuation well above $3 billion.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by Neva Grant, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineer was Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a Harvard squash player, Will Ahmed discovered his game improved when he focused on things like sleep, diet, and time spent recovering from training. He was convinced that granular health and heart data would become invaluable to other athletes if it could be bundled into a wearable wrist strap. In 2012, Will founded WHOOP, and after three years the company launched its first model, with Lebron James and Michael Phelps as advocates. But WHOOP struggled to gain traction with mere mortals, and spent years overhauling its business model and fending off big name competitors. Eventually it became one of the most popular wearables on the market, with a valuation well above $3 billion. 

This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by Neva Grant, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineer was Patrick Murray.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4183 no Advice Line with Justin McLeod of Hinge Hinge founder and CEO Justin McLeod joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Justin describes Hinge’s new initiatives around intentional dating. First, Jessica in Toronto, Canada asks about opening new markets for her self-guided mystery road trip packages. Then Nick from Auckland, New Zealand wonders about strategies to drive word-of-mouth referrals for his designer security screen door company. And finally, Chandler from Minnesota discusses the challenge of getting his story across to customers as he sells hand-drawn posters that celebrate the history of golf and hockey. Thank you to the founders of Guess Where Trips, Framework Doors, and Archive 22 for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the Hinge founding story as told by Justin on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 10 Jul 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Justin McLeod of Hinge full 748 Guy Raz | Vox Media Hinge founder and CEO Justin McLeod joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Justin describes Hinge’s new initiatives around intentional dating.First, Jessica in Toronto, Canada asks about opening new markets for her self-guided mystery road trip packages. Then Nick from Auckland, New Zealand wonders about strategies to drive word-of-mouth referrals for his designer security screen door company. And finally, Chandler from Minnesota discusses the challenge of getting his story across to customers as he sells hand-drawn posters that celebrate the history of golf and hockey.Thank you to the founders of Guess Where Trips, Framework Doors, and Archive 22 for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to the Hinge founding story as told by Justin on the show in 2021.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Hinge founder and CEO Justin McLeod joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Justin describes Hinge’s new initiatives around intentional dating. First, Jessica in Toronto, Canada asks about opening new markets for her self-guided mystery road trip packages. Then Nick from Auckland, New Zealand wonders about strategies to drive word-of-mouth referrals for his designer security screen door company. And finally, Chandler from Minnesota discusses the challenge of getting his story across to customers as he sells hand-drawn posters that celebrate the history of golf and hockey. Thank you to the founders of Guess Where Trips, Framework Doors, and Archive 22 for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the Hinge founding story as told by Justin on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hinge founder and CEO Justin McLeod joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Justin describes Hinge’s new initiatives around intentional dating.

First, Jessica in Toronto, Canada asks about opening new markets for her self-guided mystery road trip packages. Then Nick from Auckland, New Zealand wonders about strategies to drive word-of-mouth referrals for his designer security screen door company. And finally, Chandler from Minnesota discusses the challenge of getting his story across to customers as he sells hand-drawn posters that celebrate the history of golf and hockey.

Thank you to the founders of Guess Where Trips, Framework Doors, and Archive 22 for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to the Hinge founding story as told by Justin on the show in 2021.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2626 no Chobani: Hamdi Ulukaya (2022) As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up. In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is. He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he’d grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey. With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up. A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle. This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Jul 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Chobani: Hamdi Ulukaya (2022) full 747 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up. In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is. He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he’d grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey. With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up. A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle.This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up. In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is. He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he’d grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey. With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up. A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle. This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up. In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is. He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he’d grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey. With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up. A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle.


This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5532 no Advice Line with Norma Kamali of Norma Kamali (November 2024) Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the financial realities of building a worldwide brand.&nbsp; First we meet Ahmed in the U.K,, who’s refining a narrative for his eyeglass store concept in hopes of attracting investors. Then Bob in Chicago, who wants to change how people view lunch&nbsp;with his fast casual soup restaurants. And Adreana in Sacramento, who’s wondering if outside investment is the best way to scale her inclusive activewear business.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Cambridge Spectacle Company, Sunny Bowls and the Love Her Shop for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Norma Kamali’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Norma on the show in 2021.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Norma Kamali of Norma Kamali (November 2024) full 746 Guy Raz | Vox Media Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the financial realities of building a worldwide brand. First we meet Ahmed in the U.K,, who’s refining a narrative for his eyeglass store concept in hopes of attracting investors. Then Bob in Chicago, who wants to change how people view lunch with his fast casual soup restaurants. And Adreana in Sacramento, who’s wondering if outside investment is the best way to scale her inclusive activewear business.  Thank you to the founders of Cambridge Spectacle Company, Sunny Bowls and the Love Her Shop for being part of the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Norma Kamali’s founding story as told by Norma on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the financial realities of building a worldwide brand.&nbsp; First we meet Ahmed in the U.K,, who’s refining a narrative for his eyeglass store concept in hopes of attracting investors. Then Bob in Chicago, who wants to change how people view lunch&nbsp;with his fast casual soup restaurants. And Adreana in Sacramento, who’s wondering if outside investment is the best way to scale her inclusive activewear business.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Cambridge Spectacle Company, Sunny Bowls and the Love Her Shop for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Norma Kamali’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Norma on the show in 2021.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the financial realities of building a worldwide brand. 


First we meet Ahmed in the U.K,, who’s refining a narrative for his eyeglass store concept in hopes of attracting investors. Then Bob in Chicago, who wants to change how people view lunch with his fast casual soup restaurants. And Adreana in Sacramento, who’s wondering if outside investment is the best way to scale her inclusive activewear business.  


Thank you to the founders of Cambridge Spectacle Company, Sunny Bowls and the Love Her Shop for being part of the show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Norma Kamali’s founding story as told by Norma on the show in 2021. 


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3274 no Rick Steves' Europe: Rick Steves (2021) Rick Steves spent the summer after high school backpacking through Europe on two dollars a day—sleeping on the floor, sneaking into museums, and subsisting on a diet of bread and jam. When he came home, he found people were hungry for tips on how to visit Europe on the cheap, so he began teaching classes, and was soon hawking a self-published guidebook out of his car. Eventually, he started leading minibus tours and hosting a travel show on Public TV, steadily growing his business even though he was giving away most of his content. His no-frills approach to travel has persisted as a powerful brand, with 70 guidebooks, an ever-popular travel show, and—in 2024—an annual revenue of $120 million. This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner-White, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Rick Steves' Europe: Rick Steves (2021) full 745 Guy Raz | Vox Media Rick Steves spent the summer after high school backpacking through Europe on two dollars a day—sleeping on the floor, sneaking into museums, and subsisting on a diet of bread and jam. When he came home, he found people were hungry for tips on how to visit Europe on the cheap, so he began teaching classes, and was soon hawking a self-published guidebook out of his car. Eventually, he started leading minibus tours and hosting a travel show on Public TV, steadily growing his business even though he was giving away most of his content. His no-frills approach to travel has persisted as a powerful brand, with 70 guidebooks, an ever-popular travel show, and—in 2024—an annual revenue of $120 million.This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner-White, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Rick Steves spent the summer after high school backpacking through Europe on two dollars a day—sleeping on the floor, sneaking into museums, and subsisting on a diet of bread and jam. When he came home, he found people were hungry for tips on how to visit Europe on the cheap, so he began teaching classes, and was soon hawking a self-published guidebook out of his car. Eventually, he started leading minibus tours and hosting a travel show on Public TV, steadily growing his business even though he was giving away most of his content. His no-frills approach to travel has persisted as a powerful brand, with 70 guidebooks, an ever-popular travel show, and—in 2024—an annual revenue of $120 million. This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner-White, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Rick Steves spent the summer after high school backpacking through Europe on two dollars a day—sleeping on the floor, sneaking into museums, and subsisting on a diet of bread and jam. When he came home, he found people were hungry for tips on how to visit Europe on the cheap, so he began teaching classes, and was soon hawking a self-published guidebook out of his car. Eventually, he started leading minibus tours and hosting a travel show on Public TV, steadily growing his business even though he was giving away most of his content. His no-frills approach to travel has persisted as a powerful brand, with 70 guidebooks, an ever-popular travel show, and—in 2024—an annual revenue of $120 million.


This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner-White, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4894 no Advice Line with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company (August 2024) Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit. Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company in Florida is venturing into the rum market. Then Llance from Washington, who is taking his tea-bag-soup-broth business national. And Ami, who wants potential customers to know that her Ontario-based electrical contracting company has some of the best service out there. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Boston Beer Company’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Jim on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Jun 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company (August 2024) full 744 Guy Raz | Vox Media Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit.Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company in Florida is venturing into the rum market. Then Llance from Washington, who is taking his tea-bag-soup-broth business national. And Ami, who wants potential customers to know that her Ontario-based electrical contracting company has some of the best service out there.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Boston Beer Company’s founding story as told by Jim on the show in 2016.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit. Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company in Florida is venturing into the rum market. Then Llance from Washington, who is taking his tea-bag-soup-broth business national. And Ami, who wants potential customers to know that her Ontario-based electrical contracting company has some of the best service out there. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Boston Beer Company’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Jim on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit.

Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company in Florida is venturing into the rum market. Then Llance from Washington, who is taking his tea-bag-soup-broth business national. And Ami, who wants potential customers to know that her Ontario-based electrical contracting company has some of the best service out there.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Boston Beer Company’s founding story as told by Jim on the show in 2016.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3311 no Talenti: Josh Hochschuler After falling in love with the gelato shops of Buenos Aires, Josh Hochschuler came home to Dallas with a bold idea: bring authentic Argentine gelato to the U.S. He raised $600,000 from friends and family and opened a gelato shop called Talenti. The product was a hit - but the retail model wasn’t. Faced with mounting losses, Josh shut down the store and moved into a warehouse to pivot to wholesale. With time, tenacity, and a now-iconic clear jar, Talenti became a national sensation, and in 2014, was acquired by Unilever. Today, it’s the best-selling gelato brand in America. This episode was produced by Casey Herman and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Kerry Thompson and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Jun 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Talenti: Josh Hochschuler full 743 Guy Raz | Vox Media After falling in love with the gelato shops of Buenos Aires, Josh Hochschuler came home to Dallas with a bold idea: bring authentic Argentine gelato to the U.S. He raised $600,000 from friends and family and opened a gelato shop called Talenti. The product was a hit - but the retail model wasn’t. Faced with mounting losses, Josh shut down the store and moved into a warehouse to pivot to wholesale. With time, tenacity, and a now-iconic clear jar, Talenti became a national sensation, and in 2014, was acquired by Unilever. Today, it’s the best-selling gelato brand in America.This episode was produced by Casey Herman and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Kerry Thompson and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. After falling in love with the gelato shops of Buenos Aires, Josh Hochschuler came home to Dallas with a bold idea: bring authentic Argentine gelato to the U.S. He raised $600,000 from friends and family and opened a gelato shop called Talenti. The product was a hit - but the retail model wasn’t. Faced with mounting losses, Josh shut down the store and moved into a warehouse to pivot to wholesale. With time, tenacity, and a now-iconic clear jar, Talenti became a national sensation, and in 2014, was acquired by Unilever. Today, it’s the best-selling gelato brand in America. This episode was produced by Casey Herman and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Kerry Thompson and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices After falling in love with the gelato shops of Buenos Aires, Josh Hochschuler came home to Dallas with a bold idea: bring authentic Argentine gelato to the U.S. He raised $600,000 from friends and family and opened a gelato shop called Talenti. The product was a hit - but the retail model wasn’t. Faced with mounting losses, Josh shut down the store and moved into a warehouse to pivot to wholesale. With time, tenacity, and a now-iconic clear jar, Talenti became a national sensation, and in 2014, was acquired by Unilever. Today, it’s the best-selling gelato brand in America.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Kerry Thompson and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4595 no Advice Line with Eric Ryan of Method Method co-founder and serial entrepreneur Eric Ryan joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Eric shares his strategies for entering new market categories, and gives an update on his latest venture, Tandy, a functional candy company. First, Aubrey in Tennessee asks how to find a mentor to help her and her husband with their expanding line of bakeries and restaurants. Then Maggie from Chicago weighs whether it’s time to take on an outside investor for her unique travel luggage. And finally, Matt in Arizona wonders how to best scale his three-in-one adventure gloves in retail.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders Transparent Hospitality, Props Luggage and Flipmits for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric and his co-founder Adam Lowry on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Jun 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Eric Ryan of Method full 742 Guy Raz | Vox Media Method co-founder and serial entrepreneur Eric Ryan joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Eric shares his strategies for entering new market categories, and gives an update on his latest venture, Tandy, a functional candy company.First, Aubrey in Tennessee asks how to find a mentor to help her and her husband with their expanding line of bakeries and restaurants. Then Maggie from Chicago weighs whether it’s time to take on an outside investor for her unique travel luggage. And finally, Matt in Arizona wonders how to best scale his three-in-one adventure gloves in retail. Thank you to the founders Transparent Hospitality, Props Luggage and Flipmits for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric and his co-founder Adam Lowry on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Method co-founder and serial entrepreneur Eric Ryan joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Eric shares his strategies for entering new market categories, and gives an update on his latest venture, Tandy, a functional candy company. First, Aubrey in Tennessee asks how to find a mentor to help her and her husband with their expanding line of bakeries and restaurants. Then Maggie from Chicago weighs whether it’s time to take on an outside investor for her unique travel luggage. And finally, Matt in Arizona wonders how to best scale his three-in-one adventure gloves in retail.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders Transparent Hospitality, Props Luggage and Flipmits for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric and his co-founder Adam Lowry on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Method co-founder and serial entrepreneur Eric Ryan joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Eric shares his strategies for entering new market categories, and gives an update on his latest venture, Tandy, a functional candy company.

First, Aubrey in Tennessee asks how to find a mentor to help her and her husband with their expanding line of bakeries and restaurants. Then Maggie from Chicago weighs whether it’s time to take on an outside investor for her unique travel luggage. And finally, Matt in Arizona wonders how to best scale his three-in-one adventure gloves in retail. 

Thank you to the founders Transparent Hospitality, Props Luggage and Flipmits for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric and his co-founder Adam Lowry on the show in 2018.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3045 no UNTUCKit: Chris Riccobono On a trip to Las Vegas, Chris Riccobono found himself wearing the same J.Crew shirt over and over; it was the only dress shirt he had that looked good untucked. All of his other button-downs were too long and looked sloppy. His buddies all said they had the same problem, so Chris decided to seize the opportunity and launch UNTUCKit with a friend. Keeping his day job as a&nbsp; GE salesman, he embarked on a crash course in how not to make a shirt. Thousands of defective button-downs later, UNTUCKit hit its stride, and the big fashion brands began to copy the untucked look. In 2020, UNTUCKit came within inches of a lucrative acquisition, then nearly went bankrupt, but today has grown into a thriving brand.&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Kerry Thompson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Jun 2025 07:10:00 -0000 UNTUCKit: Chris Riccobono full 741 Guy Raz | Vox Media On a trip to Las Vegas, Chris Riccobono found himself wearing the same J.Crew shirt over and over; it was the only dress shirt he had that looked good untucked. All of his other button-downs were too long and looked sloppy. His buddies all said they had the same problem, so Chris decided to seize the opportunity and launch UNTUCKit with a friend. Keeping his day job as a  GE salesman, he embarked on a crash course in how not to make a shirt. Thousands of defective button-downs later, UNTUCKit hit its stride, and the big fashion brands began to copy the untucked look. In 2020, UNTUCKit came within inches of a lucrative acquisition, then nearly went bankrupt, but today has grown into a thriving brand.  This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Kerry Thompson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. On a trip to Las Vegas, Chris Riccobono found himself wearing the same J.Crew shirt over and over; it was the only dress shirt he had that looked good untucked. All of his other button-downs were too long and looked sloppy. His buddies all said they had the same problem, so Chris decided to seize the opportunity and launch UNTUCKit with a friend. Keeping his day job as a&nbsp; GE salesman, he embarked on a crash course in how not to make a shirt. Thousands of defective button-downs later, UNTUCKit hit its stride, and the big fashion brands began to copy the untucked look. In 2020, UNTUCKit came within inches of a lucrative acquisition, then nearly went bankrupt, but today has grown into a thriving brand.&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Kerry Thompson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices On a trip to Las Vegas, Chris Riccobono found himself wearing the same J.Crew shirt over and over; it was the only dress shirt he had that looked good untucked. All of his other button-downs were too long and looked sloppy. His buddies all said they had the same problem, so Chris decided to seize the opportunity and launch UNTUCKit with a friend. Keeping his day job as a  GE salesman, he embarked on a crash course in how not to make a shirt. Thousands of defective button-downs later, UNTUCKit hit its stride, and the big fashion brands began to copy the untucked look. In 2020, UNTUCKit came within inches of a lucrative acquisition, then nearly went bankrupt, but today has grown into a thriving brand. 


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Kerry Thompson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4667 no Advice Line with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap & Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk.&nbsp; Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie full 740 Guy Raz | Vox Media Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap &amp; Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk. Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum. Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap & Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk.&nbsp; Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap & Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk. 


Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum. 


Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being part of our show. 


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018. 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2632 no Figma: Dylan Field The dashboard in your car – the interface on your Zoom screen … many of the products we interact with every day were created with the collaborative software Figma. Figma is a kind of Google Docs for design, created by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace after they won a Thiel fellowship in 2012. Dylan was just 20 when he became CEO. The only other job he’d had before that….? was college intern. He eventually figured out how to manage his team, and grew the company enough to attract a 20 billion dollar acquisition bid from Adobe. The deal fell through, but Figma continued to grow, and recently filed for an IPO. This episode was researched and produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000 Figma: Dylan Field full 739 Guy Raz | Vox Media The dashboard in your car – the interface on your Zoom screen … many of the products we interact with every day were created with the collaborative software Figma. Figma is a kind of Google Docs for design, created by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace after they won a Thiel fellowship in 2012. Dylan was just 20 when he became CEO. The only other job he’d had before that….? was college intern. He eventually figured out how to manage his team, and grew the company enough to attract a 20 billion dollar acquisition bid from Adobe. The deal fell through, but Figma continued to grow, and recently filed for an IPO.This episode was researched and produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. The dashboard in your car – the interface on your Zoom screen … many of the products we interact with every day were created with the collaborative software Figma. Figma is a kind of Google Docs for design, created by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace after they won a Thiel fellowship in 2012. Dylan was just 20 when he became CEO. The only other job he’d had before that….? was college intern. He eventually figured out how to manage his team, and grew the company enough to attract a 20 billion dollar acquisition bid from Adobe. The deal fell through, but Figma continued to grow, and recently filed for an IPO. This episode was researched and produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The dashboard in your car – the interface on your Zoom screen … many of the products we interact with every day were created with the collaborative software Figma. Figma is a kind of Google Docs for design, created by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace after they won a Thiel fellowship in 2012. Dylan was just 20 when he became CEO. The only other job he’d had before that….? was college intern. He eventually figured out how to manage his team, and grew the company enough to attract a 20 billion dollar acquisition bid from Adobe. The deal fell through, but Figma continued to grow, and recently filed for an IPO.

This episode was researched and produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4727 no Advice Line with Perry Chen of Kickstarter Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about what they really want from investment deals and acquisitions. Today we meet Jesse in Dallas, who's debating whether or not he should sell part or all of his cold plunge tub business. Then Catharine in Oregon, who's trying to figure out how to move on from the daily grind of her hot sauce brand. And Joe in Chicago, who has an ambitious vision for his chicken sandwich chain. Thank you to the founders of Modtub, HYCH, and Fry the Coop for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Kickstarter’s founding story as told by Perry on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Perry Chen of Kickstarter full 738 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about what they really want from investment deals and acquisitions.Today we meet Jesse in Dallas, who's debating whether or not he should sell part or all of his cold plunge tub business. Then Catharine in Oregon, who's trying to figure out how to move on from the daily grind of her hot sauce brand. And Joe in Chicago, who has an ambitious vision for his chicken sandwich chain.Thank you to the founders of Modtub, HYCH, and Fry the Coop for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Kickstarter’s founding story as told by Perry on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about what they really want from investment deals and acquisitions. Today we meet Jesse in Dallas, who's debating whether or not he should sell part or all of his cold plunge tub business. Then Catharine in Oregon, who's trying to figure out how to move on from the daily grind of her hot sauce brand. And Joe in Chicago, who has an ambitious vision for his chicken sandwich chain. Thank you to the founders of Modtub, HYCH, and Fry the Coop for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Kickstarter’s founding story as told by Perry on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about what they really want from investment deals and acquisitions.

Today we meet Jesse in Dallas, who's debating whether or not he should sell part or all of his cold plunge tub business. Then Catharine in Oregon, who's trying to figure out how to move on from the daily grind of her hot sauce brand. And Joe in Chicago, who has an ambitious vision for his chicken sandwich chain.

Thank you to the founders of Modtub, HYCH, and Fry the Coop for being a part of our show. 


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Kickstarter’s founding story as told by Perry on the show in 2017.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3054 no Perfect Snacks: Bill and Leigh Keith Bill and Leigh Keith had an extraordinary childhood, travelling the country in a school bus with their parents and ten siblings. Along the way, their dad fed them a homemade concoction of peanut butter, honey and supplements rolled into bite-sized snacks. When the family fell on hard times, the older siblings decided to sell their home and bet everything on turning their family recipe into a refrigerated energy bar.&nbsp; The family hand-rolled millions of bars and gave out samples at festivals and grocery stores in Northern California. They eventually got Perfect Bars into Whole Foods, Costco, and major retailers throughout the country, and in 2019, the company was acquired by Mondelēz International.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Ko Takasugi-Czernowin.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Jun 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Perfect Snacks: Bill and Leigh Keith full 737 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bill and Leigh Keith had an extraordinary childhood, travelling the country in a school bus with their parents and ten siblings. Along the way, their dad fed them a homemade concoction of peanut butter, honey and supplements rolled into bite-sized snacks. When the family fell on hard times, the older siblings decided to sell their home and bet everything on turning their family recipe into a refrigerated energy bar. The family hand-rolled millions of bars and gave out samples at festivals and grocery stores in Northern California. They eventually got Perfect Bars into Whole Foods, Costco, and major retailers throughout the country, and in 2019, the company was acquired by Mondelēz International. This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Ko Takasugi-Czernowin. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Bill and Leigh Keith had an extraordinary childhood, travelling the country in a school bus with their parents and ten siblings. Along the way, their dad fed them a homemade concoction of peanut butter, honey and supplements rolled into bite-sized snacks. When the family fell on hard times, the older siblings decided to sell their home and bet everything on turning their family recipe into a refrigerated energy bar.&nbsp; The family hand-rolled millions of bars and gave out samples at festivals and grocery stores in Northern California. They eventually got Perfect Bars into Whole Foods, Costco, and major retailers throughout the country, and in 2019, the company was acquired by Mondelēz International.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Ko Takasugi-Czernowin.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bill and Leigh Keith had an extraordinary childhood, travelling the country in a school bus with their parents and ten siblings. Along the way, their dad fed them a homemade concoction of peanut butter, honey and supplements rolled into bite-sized snacks. When the family fell on hard times, the older siblings decided to sell their home and bet everything on turning their family recipe into a refrigerated energy bar. 


The family hand-rolled millions of bars and gave out samples at festivals and grocery stores in Northern California. They eventually got Perfect Bars into Whole Foods, Costco, and major retailers throughout the country, and in 2019, the company was acquired by Mondelēz International. 


This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Ko Takasugi-Czernowin. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5430 no Advice Line with Mark Ramadan of Sir Kensington's (June 2024) Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders. Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear&nbsp;the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 May 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Mark Ramadan of Sir Kensington's (June 2024) full 736 Guy Raz | Vox Media Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders.Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And to hear the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders. Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear&nbsp;the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders.

Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And to hear the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3300 no Tatcha: Vicky Tsai (July 2020) In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. But as she contemplated selling those products in the U.S., experts on both sides of the Pacific told her it would never work. Strapped for money and juggling multiple jobs, Vicky worked out of her parents' garage, pitching her new brand—Tatcha—on QVC and steadily growing it. In 2019, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million. This episode was produced by Jed Anderson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 May 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Tatcha: Vicky Tsai (July 2020) full 735 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. But as she contemplated selling those products in the U.S., experts on both sides of the Pacific told her it would never work. Strapped for money and juggling multiple jobs, Vicky worked out of her parents' garage, pitching her new brand—Tatcha—on QVC and steadily growing it. In 2019, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million.This episode was produced by Jed Anderson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. But as she contemplated selling those products in the U.S., experts on both sides of the Pacific told her it would never work. Strapped for money and juggling multiple jobs, Vicky worked out of her parents' garage, pitching her new brand—Tatcha—on QVC and steadily growing it. In 2019, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million. This episode was produced by Jed Anderson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp;and on&nbsp;Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. But as she contemplated selling those products in the U.S., experts on both sides of the Pacific told her it would never work. Strapped for money and juggling multiple jobs, Vicky worked out of her parents' garage, pitching her new brand—Tatcha—on QVC and steadily growing it. In 2019, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million.

This episode was produced by Jed Anderson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4871 no Advice Line with Steve Holmes of goba Sports Group Springfree Trampoline founder Steve Holmes joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Steve’s tariff navigation guidance for businesses manufacturing products outside of the U.S. First we meet Ikechukwu in Maryland, who’s trying to lean into a core demographic&nbsp;without alienating customers from his activewear brand. Then Cody in Nevada, who’s building a year-round advertising strategy for a largely seasonal product: DEET-free bug repellant. And Kenesha in Ontario, who’s looking to maintain the momentum of a viral moment for her Caribbean-inspired chocolate. Thank you to the founders of Veii Apparel, Grand Tongo, and One More Cocoa for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Springfree Trampoline’s founding story as told by Steve and the trampoline’s inventor Keith on the show in 2019. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 May 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Steve Holmes of goba Sports Group full 734 Guy Raz | Vox Media Springfree Trampoline founder Steve Holmes joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Steve’s tariff navigation guidance for businesses manufacturing products outside of the U.S.First we meet Ikechukwu in Maryland, who’s trying to lean into a core demographic without alienating customers from his activewear brand. Then Cody in Nevada, who’s building a year-round advertising strategy for a largely seasonal product: DEET-free bug repellant. And Kenesha in Ontario, who’s looking to maintain the momentum of a viral moment for her Caribbean-inspired chocolate.Thank you to the founders of Veii Apparel, Grand Tongo, and One More Cocoa for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Springfree Trampoline’s founding story as told by Steve and the trampoline’s inventor Keith on the show in 2019.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Springfree Trampoline founder Steve Holmes joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Steve’s tariff navigation guidance for businesses manufacturing products outside of the U.S. First we meet Ikechukwu in Maryland, who’s trying to lean into a core demographic&nbsp;without alienating customers from his activewear brand. Then Cody in Nevada, who’s building a year-round advertising strategy for a largely seasonal product: DEET-free bug repellant. And Kenesha in Ontario, who’s looking to maintain the momentum of a viral moment for her Caribbean-inspired chocolate. Thank you to the founders of Veii Apparel, Grand Tongo, and One More Cocoa for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Springfree Trampoline’s founding story as told by Steve and the trampoline’s inventor Keith on the show in 2019. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Springfree Trampoline founder Steve Holmes joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Steve’s tariff navigation guidance for businesses manufacturing products outside of the U.S.

First we meet Ikechukwu in Maryland, who’s trying to lean into a core demographic without alienating customers from his activewear brand. Then Cody in Nevada, who’s building a year-round advertising strategy for a largely seasonal product: DEET-free bug repellant. And Kenesha in Ontario, who’s looking to maintain the momentum of a viral moment for her Caribbean-inspired chocolate.

Thank you to the founders of Veii Apparel, Grand Tongo, and One More Cocoa for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Springfree Trampoline’s founding story as told by Steve and the trampoline’s inventor Keith on the show in 2019.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3079 no Calm: Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith As a young entrepreneur in the Wild West days of the internet, Alex Tew was drawn to meditation for its simple calming power. Together with fellow tech founder Michael Acton Smith–known for hits like Moshi Monsters–the two brainstormed ways to bring the ancient practice of meditation into the 21st century. In 2011, they bought the domain calm.com, built an app, and started producing meditations and Sleep Stories, narrated by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba. Despite initial pushback from investors who insisted no one would want to meditate on their phone–let alone pay for it– the Calm app grew to a valuation of nearly $2 billion, with 180 million total downloads.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 May 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Calm: Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith full 733 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a young entrepreneur in the Wild West days of the internet, Alex Tew was drawn to meditation for its simple calming power. Together with fellow tech founder Michael Acton Smith–known for hits like Moshi Monsters–the two brainstormed ways to bring the ancient practice of meditation into the 21st century. In 2011, they bought the domain calm.com, built an app, and started producing meditations and Sleep Stories, narrated by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba. Despite initial pushback from investors who insisted no one would want to meditate on their phone–let alone pay for it– the Calm app grew to a valuation of nearly $2 billion, with 180 million total downloads. This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. As a young entrepreneur in the Wild West days of the internet, Alex Tew was drawn to meditation for its simple calming power. Together with fellow tech founder Michael Acton Smith–known for hits like Moshi Monsters–the two brainstormed ways to bring the ancient practice of meditation into the 21st century. In 2011, they bought the domain calm.com, built an app, and started producing meditations and Sleep Stories, narrated by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba. Despite initial pushback from investors who insisted no one would want to meditate on their phone–let alone pay for it– the Calm app grew to a valuation of nearly $2 billion, with 180 million total downloads.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a young entrepreneur in the Wild West days of the internet, Alex Tew was drawn to meditation for its simple calming power. Together with fellow tech founder Michael Acton Smith–known for hits like Moshi Monsters–the two brainstormed ways to bring the ancient practice of meditation into the 21st century. In 2011, they bought the domain calm.com, built an app, and started producing meditations and Sleep Stories, narrated by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba. Despite initial pushback from investors who insisted no one would want to meditate on their phone–let alone pay for it– the Calm app grew to a valuation of nearly $2 billion, with 180 million total downloads. 

This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4903 no Advice Line: Scaling Strategies This week, Guy is joined by Travis Boersma of Dutch Bros. Coffee, Michael Preysman of Everlane and Chris Ruder of Spikeball in a special “mashup” episode of&nbsp;Advice Line. First, Andy from Nashville is wondering if a brick and mortar burger joint will supercharge growth for his food truck business. Then, Tiffany from Cape Cod is looking to break into large retailers with her inspirational jewelry brand. And finally, Peter from South Dakota is evaluating whether to expand his ice skating apparel to overseas markets. Thank you to the founders of Bad Luck Burger Club, T. Jazelle and Rink Rabbit.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. &nbsp;You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. To hear our guests previous episodes: Dutch Bros. Coffee: Travis Boersma | Advice Line with Travis Boersma Everlane: Michael Preysman | Advice Line with Michael Preysman Spikeball: Chris Ruder | Advice Line with Chris Ruder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 May 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line: Scaling Strategies full 732 Guy Raz | Vox Media This week, Guy is joined by Travis Boersma of Dutch Bros. Coffee, Michael Preysman of Everlane and Chris Ruder of Spikeball in a special “mashup” episode of Advice Line.First, Andy from Nashville is wondering if a brick and mortar burger joint will supercharge growth for his food truck business. Then, Tiffany from Cape Cod is looking to break into large retailers with her inspirational jewelry brand. And finally, Peter from South Dakota is evaluating whether to expand his ice skating apparel to overseas markets.Thank you to the founders of Bad Luck Burger Club, T. Jazelle and Rink Rabbit. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.To hear our guests previous episodes:Dutch Bros. Coffee: Travis Boersma | Advice Line with Travis BoersmaEverlane: Michael Preysman | Advice Line with Michael PreysmanSpikeball: Chris Ruder | Advice Line with Chris Ruder This week, Guy is joined by Travis Boersma of Dutch Bros. Coffee, Michael Preysman of Everlane and Chris Ruder of Spikeball in a special “mashup” episode of&nbsp;Advice Line. First, Andy from Nashville is wondering if a brick and mortar burger joint will supercharge growth for his food truck business. Then, Tiffany from Cape Cod is looking to break into large retailers with her inspirational jewelry brand. And finally, Peter from South Dakota is evaluating whether to expand his ice skating apparel to overseas markets. Thank you to the founders of Bad Luck Burger Club, T. Jazelle and Rink Rabbit.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. &nbsp;You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. To hear our guests previous episodes: Dutch Bros. Coffee: Travis Boersma | Advice Line with Travis Boersma Everlane: Michael Preysman | Advice Line with Michael Preysman Spikeball: Chris Ruder | Advice Line with Chris Ruder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices This week, Guy is joined by Travis Boersma of Dutch Bros. Coffee, Michael Preysman of Everlane and Chris Ruder of Spikeball in a special “mashup” episode of Advice Line.

First, Andy from Nashville is wondering if a brick and mortar burger joint will supercharge growth for his food truck business. Then, Tiffany from Cape Cod is looking to break into large retailers with her inspirational jewelry brand. And finally, Peter from South Dakota is evaluating whether to expand his ice skating apparel to overseas markets.

Thank you to the founders of Bad Luck Burger Club, T. Jazelle and Rink Rabbit. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

 You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

To hear our guests previous episodes:

Dutch Bros. Coffee: Travis Boersma | Advice Line with Travis Boersma

Everlane: Michael Preysman | Advice Line with Michael Preysman

Spikeball: Chris Ruder | Advice Line with Chris Ruder


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2899 no Tecovas: Paul Hedrick Western wear is having a moment – and so is the upstart Western brand Tecovas. Founder Paul Hedrick is a Texan who realized that cowboy boots were either too expensive or too cheap, so he decided to create a premium brand with an attainable price. He traveled repeatedly to the cowboy boot capital of the world – León, Mexico – to obsess over every detail, and later he expanded his DTC business to make a surprising bet on brick-and-mortar stores. Today, beyond boots, Tecovas sells jeans, shirts, dresses, hats, and bags, and this year, the company expects to do more than $300 million in sales. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 May 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Tecovas: Paul Hedrick full 731 Guy Raz | Vox Media Western wear is having a moment – and so is the upstart Western brand Tecovas. Founder Paul Hedrick is a Texan who realized that cowboy boots were either too expensive or too cheap, so he decided to create a premium brand with an attainable price. He traveled repeatedly to the cowboy boot capital of the world – León, Mexico – to obsess over every detail, and later he expanded his DTC business to make a surprising bet on brick-and-mortar stores. Today, beyond boots, Tecovas sells jeans, shirts, dresses, hats, and bags, and this year, the company expects to do more than $300 million in sales.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Western wear is having a moment – and so is the upstart Western brand Tecovas. Founder Paul Hedrick is a Texan who realized that cowboy boots were either too expensive or too cheap, so he decided to create a premium brand with an attainable price. He traveled repeatedly to the cowboy boot capital of the world – León, Mexico – to obsess over every detail, and later he expanded his DTC business to make a surprising bet on brick-and-mortar stores. Today, beyond boots, Tecovas sells jeans, shirts, dresses, hats, and bags, and this year, the company expects to do more than $300 million in sales. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Western wear is having a moment – and so is the upstart Western brand Tecovas. Founder Paul Hedrick is a Texan who realized that cowboy boots were either too expensive or too cheap, so he decided to create a premium brand with an attainable price. He traveled repeatedly to the cowboy boot capital of the world – León, Mexico – to obsess over every detail, and later he expanded his DTC business to make a surprising bet on brick-and-mortar stores. Today, beyond boots, Tecovas sells jeans, shirts, dresses, hats, and bags, and this year, the company expects to do more than $300 million in sales.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Iman Maani. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4573 no Advice Line with RJ Scaringe with Rivian Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. He also gets into how trade policies and shifting tariffs are impacting the automotive supply chain.&nbsp; First, we meet Ashley from Southern California, who’s deciding whether to take outside capital to take her altruistic ice cream brand worldwide. Next, Kwadwo in North Carolina is debating leaving his full-time job to go all in on his handcrafted furniture brand. Then Robert in British Columbia is looking to grow his backcountry skiing invention beyond the early adopters. Thank you to the founders of Vedder’s Organic Ice Cream, Crafted Glory and Zoa Engineering for being part of the show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Rivian's founding story as told by RJ on How I Built This in 2022. This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 May 2025 04:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with RJ Scaringe with Rivian full 730 Guy Raz | Vox Media Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. He also gets into how trade policies and shifting tariffs are impacting the automotive supply chain. First, we meet Ashley from Southern California, who’s deciding whether to take outside capital to take her altruistic ice cream brand worldwide. Next, Kwadwo in North Carolina is debating leaving his full-time job to go all in on his handcrafted furniture brand. Then Robert in British Columbia is looking to grow his backcountry skiing invention beyond the early adopters.Thank you to the founders of Vedder’s Organic Ice Cream, Crafted Glory and Zoa Engineering for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Rivian's founding story as told by RJ on How I Built This in 2022.This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. He also gets into how trade policies and shifting tariffs are impacting the automotive supply chain.&nbsp; First, we meet Ashley from Southern California, who’s deciding whether to take outside capital to take her altruistic ice cream brand worldwide. Next, Kwadwo in North Carolina is debating leaving his full-time job to go all in on his handcrafted furniture brand. Then Robert in British Columbia is looking to grow his backcountry skiing invention beyond the early adopters. Thank you to the founders of Vedder’s Organic Ice Cream, Crafted Glory and Zoa Engineering for being part of the show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.&nbsp; And be sure to listen to Rivian's founding story as told by RJ on How I Built This in 2022. This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. He also gets into how trade policies and shifting tariffs are impacting the automotive supply chain. 

First, we meet Ashley from Southern California, who’s deciding whether to take outside capital to take her altruistic ice cream brand worldwide. Next, Kwadwo in North Carolina is debating leaving his full-time job to go all in on his handcrafted furniture brand. Then Robert in British Columbia is looking to grow his backcountry skiing invention beyond the early adopters.

Thank you to the founders of Vedder’s Organic Ice Cream, Crafted Glory and Zoa Engineering for being part of the show. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Rivian's founding story as told by RJ on How I Built This in 2022.

This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3363 no Substack: Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie Substack was founded to create an escape vehicle for writers: Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie imagined a world where writers didn’t have to rely on legacy publications or corporate advertisers, but could instead create a more direct and meaningful relationship with their audience. Despite early skepticism, Chris and Hamish were confident that many people would pay a few dollars a month to subscribe to their favorite newsletters, on subjects ranging from politics to sports to tech. Today, Substack has over 35 million active users, and while many of its offerings are free, a number of its content-creators make upwards of $500,000 a year. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Iman Maani. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 May 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Substack: Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie full 729 Guy Raz | Vox Media Substack was founded to create an escape vehicle for writers: Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie imagined a world where writers didn’t have to rely on legacy publications or corporate advertisers, but could instead create a more direct and meaningful relationship with their audience. Despite early skepticism, Chris and Hamish were confident that many people would pay a few dollars a month to subscribe to their favorite newsletters, on subjects ranging from politics to sports to tech. Today, Substack has over 35 million active users, and while many of its offerings are free, a number of its content-creators make upwards of $500,000 a year.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Iman Maani.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Substack was founded to create an escape vehicle for writers: Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie imagined a world where writers didn’t have to rely on legacy publications or corporate advertisers, but could instead create a more direct and meaningful relationship with their audience. Despite early skepticism, Chris and Hamish were confident that many people would pay a few dollars a month to subscribe to their favorite newsletters, on subjects ranging from politics to sports to tech. Today, Substack has over 35 million active users, and while many of its offerings are free, a number of its content-creators make upwards of $500,000 a year. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Iman Maani. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Substack was founded to create an escape vehicle for writers: Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie imagined a world where writers didn’t have to rely on legacy publications or corporate advertisers, but could instead create a more direct and meaningful relationship with their audience. Despite early skepticism, Chris and Hamish were confident that many people would pay a few dollars a month to subscribe to their favorite newsletters, on subjects ranging from politics to sports to tech. Today, Substack has over 35 million active users, and while many of its offerings are free, a number of its content-creators make upwards of $500,000 a year.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Iman Maani.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4939 no Advice Line with Richard Branson of Virgin Virgin Group founder Richard Branson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Richard’s recent adventures in bungee jumping, ziplining, space exploration and more—all in the name of promoting some of his brand’s latest offerings.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First we meet Lola from New York City, who’s looking to maintain a personal touch as she scales her travel accessory brand. Then Ross from Phoenix, who’s wondering how to make a splash with his above-ground&nbsp;pool rental business. And Andrew from Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, who wants to start selling his small-batch granola in locations beyond his juice bar. Thank you to the founders of Silver & Riley, Now Pools, and The Juice Spot/Lone Wolf Granola for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Virgin's founding story as told by Richard Branson on How I Built This in 2017. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 May 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Richard Branson of Virgin full 728 Guy Raz | Vox Media Virgin Group founder Richard Branson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Richard’s recent adventures in bungee jumping, ziplining, space exploration and more—all in the name of promoting some of his brand’s latest offerings.   First we meet Lola from New York City, who’s looking to maintain a personal touch as she scales her travel accessory brand. Then Ross from Phoenix, who’s wondering how to make a splash with his above-ground pool rental business. And Andrew from Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, who wants to start selling his small-batch granola in locations beyond his juice bar.Thank you to the founders of Silver &amp; Riley, Now Pools, and The Juice Spot/Lone Wolf Granola for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Virgin's founding story as told by Richard Branson on How I Built This in 2017.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Richard’s recent adventures in bungee jumping, ziplining, space exploration and more—all in the name of promoting some of his brand’s latest offerings.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First we meet Lola from New York City, who’s looking to maintain a personal touch as she scales her travel accessory brand. Then Ross from Phoenix, who’s wondering how to make a splash with his above-ground&nbsp;pool rental business. And Andrew from Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, who wants to start selling his small-batch granola in locations beyond his juice bar. Thank you to the founders of Silver & Riley, Now Pools, and The Juice Spot/Lone Wolf Granola for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Virgin's founding story as told by Richard Branson on How I Built This in 2017. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Virgin Group founder Richard Branson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Richard’s recent adventures in bungee jumping, ziplining, space exploration and more—all in the name of promoting some of his brand’s latest offerings.   


First we meet Lola from New York City, who’s looking to maintain a personal touch as she scales her travel accessory brand. Then Ross from Phoenix, who’s wondering how to make a splash with his above-ground pool rental business. And Andrew from Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, who wants to start selling his small-batch granola in locations beyond his juice bar.


Thank you to the founders of Silver & Riley, Now Pools, and The Juice Spot/Lone Wolf Granola for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Virgin's founding story as told by Richard Branson on How I Built This in 2017.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2795 no Whisker/Litter-Robot: Brad Baxter Brad Baxter sidelined a promising career in the car industry to build a better cat litter box – an undertaking that embarrassed his kids and eventually prompted his wife to ask "what’s the endgame here?” That endgame turned out to be Litter-Robot, an automated self-cleaning litter-remover that helped propel Brad’s company, Whisker, to roughly $300 million in sales this year. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Carla Esteves. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Apr 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Whisker/Litter-Robot: Brad Baxter full 727 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brad Baxter sidelined a promising career in the car industry to build a better cat litter box – an undertaking that embarrassed his kids and eventually prompted his wife to ask "what’s the endgame here?” That endgame turned out to be Litter-Robot, an automated self-cleaning litter-remover that helped propel Brad’s company, Whisker, to roughly $300 million in sales this year.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Carla Esteves. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Brad Baxter sidelined a promising career in the car industry to build a better cat litter box – an undertaking that embarrassed his kids and eventually prompted his wife to ask "what’s the endgame here?” That endgame turned out to be Litter-Robot, an automated self-cleaning litter-remover that helped propel Brad’s company, Whisker, to roughly $300 million in sales this year. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Carla Esteves. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Brad Baxter sidelined a promising career in the car industry to build a better cat litter box – an undertaking that embarrassed his kids and eventually prompted his wife to ask "what’s the endgame here?” That endgame turned out to be Litter-Robot, an automated self-cleaning litter-remover that helped propel Brad’s company, Whisker, to roughly $300 million in sales this year.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Carla Esteves. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4093 no Advice Line with Luis von Ahn of Duolingo Duolingo co-founder Luis von Ahn joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Luis shares insights on how data can help entrepreneurs understand what their customers really want. First, Steph in Chicago wonders how to manage expansion opportunities for her art-filled vending machines. Then Blair from Atlanta discusses his challenge of selecting which products to focus on with his tech accessories brand. And finally, Stephanie in Indiana considers the best way to fund more employees for her growing business designing living plant walls.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Good Things Vending, Bair, and Naturspire for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Duolingo’s founding story as told by Luis on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 24 Apr 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Luis von Ahn of Duolingo full 726 Guy Raz | Vox Media Duolingo co-founder Luis von Ahn joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Luis shares insights on how data can help entrepreneurs understand what their customers really want.First, Steph in Chicago wonders how to manage expansion opportunities for her art-filled vending machines. Then Blair from Atlanta discusses his challenge of selecting which products to focus on with his tech accessories brand. And finally, Stephanie in Indiana considers the best way to fund more employees for her growing business designing living plant walls. Thank you to the founders of Good Things Vending, Bair, and Naturspire for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Duolingo’s founding story as told by Luis on the show in 2020.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Duolingo co-founder Luis von Ahn joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Luis shares insights on how data can help entrepreneurs understand what their customers really want. First, Steph in Chicago wonders how to manage expansion opportunities for her art-filled vending machines. Then Blair from Atlanta discusses his challenge of selecting which products to focus on with his tech accessories brand. And finally, Stephanie in Indiana considers the best way to fund more employees for her growing business designing living plant walls.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Good Things Vending, Bair, and Naturspire for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Duolingo’s founding story as told by Luis on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Duolingo co-founder Luis von Ahn joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Luis shares insights on how data can help entrepreneurs understand what their customers really want.

First, Steph in Chicago wonders how to manage expansion opportunities for her art-filled vending machines. Then Blair from Atlanta discusses his challenge of selecting which products to focus on with his tech accessories brand. And finally, Stephanie in Indiana considers the best way to fund more employees for her growing business designing living plant walls. 

Thank you to the founders of Good Things Vending, Bair, and Naturspire for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Duolingo’s founding story as told by Luis on the show in 2020.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3086 no Hexclad: Danny Winer Cookware is a $73 billion global industry - awash in all kinds of pots and pans. Like, if you’ve ever cooked scrambled eggs, you've probably used a non-stick frying pan. They’re inexpensive and everywhere. But they’ve been dogged by complaints: many can’t handle high heat, like broiling or searing, and they&nbsp;scratch easily.&nbsp;So, when Danny Winer came across a new non-stick technology at a trade show overseas, he jumped on it, co-founding Hexclad with a buddy. Danny was convinced it could be adapted to the U.S. market - and be a hit. He was right! In just under ten years, Hexclad grew into a $500 million company. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Gilly Moon.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Apr 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Hexclad: Danny Winer full 725 Guy Raz | Vox Media Cookware is a $73 billion global industry - awash in all kinds of pots and pans. Like, if you’ve ever cooked scrambled eggs, you've probably used a non-stick frying pan. They’re inexpensive and everywhere. But they’ve been dogged by complaints: many can’t handle high heat, like broiling or searing, and they scratch easily. So, when Danny Winer came across a new non-stick technology at a trade show overseas, he jumped on it, co-founding Hexclad with a buddy. Danny was convinced it could be adapted to the U.S. market - and be a hit. He was right! In just under ten years, Hexclad grew into a $500 million company.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Cookware is a $73 billion global industry - awash in all kinds of pots and pans. Like, if you’ve ever cooked scrambled eggs, you've probably used a non-stick frying pan. They’re inexpensive and everywhere. But they’ve been dogged by complaints: many can’t handle high heat, like broiling or searing, and they&nbsp;scratch easily.&nbsp;So, when Danny Winer came across a new non-stick technology at a trade show overseas, he jumped on it, co-founding Hexclad with a buddy. Danny was convinced it could be adapted to the U.S. market - and be a hit. He was right! In just under ten years, Hexclad grew into a $500 million company. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Gilly Moon.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Cookware is a $73 billion global industry - awash in all kinds of pots and pans. Like, if you’ve ever cooked scrambled eggs, you've probably used a non-stick frying pan. They’re inexpensive and everywhere. But they’ve been dogged by complaints: many can’t handle high heat, like broiling or searing, and they scratch easily. So, when Danny Winer came across a new non-stick technology at a trade show overseas, he jumped on it, co-founding Hexclad with a buddy. Danny was convinced it could be adapted to the U.S. market - and be a hit. He was right! In just under ten years, Hexclad grew into a $500 million company.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Gilly Moon. 

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4784 no Advice Line with Jonathan Neman of Sweetgreen Sweetgreen’s co-founder Jonathan Neman joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Sweetgreen’s plans to automate salad assembly in the coming years.&nbsp; First, we meet Dini from Maryland, who's learning how to maintain her brand’s character and product quality as her pie company scales. Next we hear from Matt in Massachusetts, who’s leaning into success growing premium mushrooms for local chefs without getting too big, too fast. Then Joey in Chicago, owner of a restaurant specializing in fried chicken wings and fresh-cut fries, who’s deciding whether to introduce new products or double down on what’s already working. Thank you to the founders of Dini’s Divine Pies, Underground Mushroom Co. and Dak Dak Korean Wings for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear the founding story of Sweetgreen, check out Jonathan’s first appearance on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 17 Apr 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jonathan Neman of Sweetgreen full 724 Guy Raz | Vox Media Sweetgreen’s co-founder Jonathan Neman joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Sweetgreen’s plans to automate salad assembly in the coming years. First, we meet Dini from Maryland, who's learning how to maintain her brand’s character and product quality as her pie company scales. Next we hear from Matt in Massachusetts, who’s leaning into success growing premium mushrooms for local chefs without getting too big, too fast. Then Joey in Chicago, owner of a restaurant specializing in fried chicken wings and fresh-cut fries, who’s deciding whether to introduce new products or double down on what’s already working.Thank you to the founders of Dini’s Divine Pies, Underground Mushroom Co. and Dak Dak Korean Wings for being part of the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And to hear the founding story of Sweetgreen, check out Jonathan’s first appearance on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Sweetgreen’s co-founder Jonathan Neman joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Sweetgreen’s plans to automate salad assembly in the coming years.&nbsp; First, we meet Dini from Maryland, who's learning how to maintain her brand’s character and product quality as her pie company scales. Next we hear from Matt in Massachusetts, who’s leaning into success growing premium mushrooms for local chefs without getting too big, too fast. Then Joey in Chicago, owner of a restaurant specializing in fried chicken wings and fresh-cut fries, who’s deciding whether to introduce new products or double down on what’s already working. Thank you to the founders of Dini’s Divine Pies, Underground Mushroom Co. and Dak Dak Korean Wings for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear the founding story of Sweetgreen, check out Jonathan’s first appearance on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sweetgreen’s co-founder Jonathan Neman joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Sweetgreen’s plans to automate salad assembly in the coming years. 

First, we meet Dini from Maryland, who's learning how to maintain her brand’s character and product quality as her pie company scales. Next we hear from Matt in Massachusetts, who’s leaning into success growing premium mushrooms for local chefs without getting too big, too fast. Then Joey in Chicago, owner of a restaurant specializing in fried chicken wings and fresh-cut fries, who’s deciding whether to introduce new products or double down on what’s already working.

Thank you to the founders of Dini’s Divine Pies, Underground Mushroom Co. and Dak Dak Korean Wings for being part of the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And to hear the founding story of Sweetgreen, check out Jonathan’s first appearance on the show in 2020. 

This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3132 no Snap: Evan Spiegel What started as a design project for Stanford student Evan Spiegel quickly flourished into one of the most-used social media platforms in the world: Snapchat. It only took two years for Mark Zuckerberg to make a multi-billion offer for the company. But Evan turned it down — convinced of Snap’s potential to disrupt human communication in an even bigger way. And while Evan’s path has been anything but smooth, today Snap is valued at more than $13 billion, with ambitions beyond its hero mobile app. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Apr 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Snap: Evan Spiegel full 723 Guy Raz | Vox Media What started as a design project for Stanford student Evan Spiegel quickly flourished into one of the most-used social media platforms in the world: Snapchat. It only took two years for Mark Zuckerberg to make a multi-billion offer for the company. But Evan turned it down — convinced of Snap’s potential to disrupt human communication in an even bigger way. And while Evan’s path has been anything but smooth, today Snap is valued at more than $13 billion, with ambitions beyond its hero mobile app.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. What started as a design project for Stanford student Evan Spiegel quickly flourished into one of the most-used social media platforms in the world: Snapchat. It only took two years for Mark Zuckerberg to make a multi-billion offer for the company. But Evan turned it down — convinced of Snap’s potential to disrupt human communication in an even bigger way. And while Evan’s path has been anything but smooth, today Snap is valued at more than $13 billion, with ambitions beyond its hero mobile app. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What started as a design project for Stanford student Evan Spiegel quickly flourished into one of the most-used social media platforms in the world: Snapchat. It only took two years for Mark Zuckerberg to make a multi-billion offer for the company. But Evan turned it down — convinced of Snap’s potential to disrupt human communication in an even bigger way. And while Evan’s path has been anything but smooth, today Snap is valued at more than $13 billion, with ambitions beyond its hero mobile app.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4248 no Advice Line with Andy Dunn of Bonobos Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Andy shares the motivation for his latest venture, Pie—a new social app that fosters in-person friendships and experiences. First, Michele in Connecticut asks about the best way to position her tennis-inspired athletic brand. Then Alek from Chicago, who’s wondering how to reach more health-conscious drinkers with his naturally-flavored vodka. And finally, Sabrina in Philadelphia weighs whether a DTC or wholesale strategy is best for her handmade biscotti. Thank you to the founders Top Banana, Broda Beverage Company and Haus of Biscotti for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Bonobos’ founding story as told by Andy on the show in 2019. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 10 Apr 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Andy Dunn of Bonobos full 722 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Andy shares the motivation for his latest venture, Pie—a new social app that fosters in-person friendships and experiences.First, Michele in Connecticut asks about the best way to position her tennis-inspired athletic brand. Then Alek from Chicago, who’s wondering how to reach more health-conscious drinkers with his naturally-flavored vodka. And finally, Sabrina in Philadelphia weighs whether a DTC or wholesale strategy is best for her handmade biscotti.Thank you to the founders Top Banana, Broda Beverage Company and Haus of Biscotti for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Bonobos’ founding story as told by Andy on the show in 2019.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Andy shares the motivation for his latest venture, Pie—a new social app that fosters in-person friendships and experiences. First, Michele in Connecticut asks about the best way to position her tennis-inspired athletic brand. Then Alek from Chicago, who’s wondering how to reach more health-conscious drinkers with his naturally-flavored vodka. And finally, Sabrina in Philadelphia weighs whether a DTC or wholesale strategy is best for her handmade biscotti. Thank you to the founders Top Banana, Broda Beverage Company and Haus of Biscotti for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Bonobos’ founding story as told by Andy on the show in 2019. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Andy shares the motivation for his latest venture, Pie—a new social app that fosters in-person friendships and experiences.

First, Michele in Connecticut asks about the best way to position her tennis-inspired athletic brand. Then Alek from Chicago, who’s wondering how to reach more health-conscious drinkers with his naturally-flavored vodka. And finally, Sabrina in Philadelphia weighs whether a DTC or wholesale strategy is best for her handmade biscotti.

Thank you to the founders Top Banana, Broda Beverage Company and Haus of Biscotti for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Bonobos’ founding story as told by Andy on the show in 2019.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3133 no Vizio: William Wang When Wiliam Wang started selling flat-screen TV’s, he used a winning playbook: partner with an efficient manufacturer, cut out the middlemen, and price your product as low as you can. William used a similar strategy at his first company–making computer monitors–and he built it into a multimillion dollar business. But he wound up mismanaging it into the ground, and spent years working to pay off millions of dollars in debt. After surviving a catastrophic plane crash, William embarked on a new venture, Vizio, and returned to his “cut-out-the-middlemen” playbook to sell one of the world’s first internet-connected televisions. Today, Vizio is one of the top-selling TV’s in the US, and in 2024, sold to Walmart for $2.3 billion. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Apr 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Vizio: William Wang full 721 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Wiliam Wang started selling flat-screen TV’s, he used a winning playbook: partner with an efficient manufacturer, cut out the middlemen, and price your product as low as you can. William used a similar strategy at his first company–making computer monitors–and he built it into a multimillion dollar business. But he wound up mismanaging it into the ground, and spent years working to pay off millions of dollars in debt. After surviving a catastrophic plane crash, William embarked on a new venture, Vizio, and returned to his “cut-out-the-middlemen” playbook to sell one of the world’s first internet-connected televisions. Today, Vizio is one of the top-selling TV’s in the US, and in 2024, sold to Walmart for $2.3 billion.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com  When Wiliam Wang started selling flat-screen TV’s, he used a winning playbook: partner with an efficient manufacturer, cut out the middlemen, and price your product as low as you can. William used a similar strategy at his first company–making computer monitors–and he built it into a multimillion dollar business. But he wound up mismanaging it into the ground, and spent years working to pay off millions of dollars in debt. After surviving a catastrophic plane crash, William embarked on a new venture, Vizio, and returned to his “cut-out-the-middlemen” playbook to sell one of the world’s first internet-connected televisions. Today, Vizio is one of the top-selling TV’s in the US, and in 2024, sold to Walmart for $2.3 billion. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Wiliam Wang started selling flat-screen TV’s, he used a winning playbook: partner with an efficient manufacturer, cut out the middlemen, and price your product as low as you can. William used a similar strategy at his first company–making computer monitors–and he built it into a multimillion dollar business. But he wound up mismanaging it into the ground, and spent years working to pay off millions of dollars in debt. After surviving a catastrophic plane crash, William embarked on a new venture, Vizio, and returned to his “cut-out-the-middlemen” playbook to sell one of the world’s first internet-connected televisions. Today, Vizio is one of the top-selling TV’s in the US, and in 2024, sold to Walmart for $2.3 billion.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3708 no Advice Line with Peter Rahal of RXBAR RXBAR co-founder Peter Rahal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning new products in competitive markets. Plus, Peter’s take on getting back in the game with his newest venture, David Protein.&nbsp; First we meet Kristi from Calgary, who’s considering digital ads as her women’s supplements brand maxes out on organic growth. Then Erik from Los Angeles, who’s wondering if Amazon is a necessary channel&nbsp;for his exercise accessories. And April from New York, who’s hoping to find the right messaging for her line of cocktail mixers. Thank you to the founders of Inner Wellth, SquatWedgiez, and Cheeky Cocktails for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to RXBAR's founding story as told by Peter in a special live episode of How I Built This from 2018. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 03 Apr 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Peter Rahal of RXBAR full 720 Guy Raz | Vox Media RXBAR co-founder Peter Rahal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning new products in competitive markets. Plus, Peter’s take on getting back in the game with his newest venture, David Protein. First we meet Kristi from Calgary, who’s considering digital ads as her women’s supplements brand maxes out on organic growth. Then Erik from Los Angeles, who’s wondering if Amazon is a necessary channel for his exercise accessories. And April from New York, who’s hoping to find the right messaging for her line of cocktail mixers.Thank you to the founders of Inner Wellth, SquatWedgiez, and Cheeky Cocktails for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to RXBAR's founding story as told by Peter in a special live episode of How I Built This from 2018.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. RXBAR co-founder Peter Rahal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning new products in competitive markets. Plus, Peter’s take on getting back in the game with his newest venture, David Protein.&nbsp; First we meet Kristi from Calgary, who’s considering digital ads as her women’s supplements brand maxes out on organic growth. Then Erik from Los Angeles, who’s wondering if Amazon is a necessary channel&nbsp;for his exercise accessories. And April from New York, who’s hoping to find the right messaging for her line of cocktail mixers. Thank you to the founders of Inner Wellth, SquatWedgiez, and Cheeky Cocktails for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to RXBAR's founding story as told by Peter in a special live episode of How I Built This from 2018. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices RXBAR co-founder Peter Rahal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning new products in competitive markets. Plus, Peter’s take on getting back in the game with his newest venture, David Protein. 


First we meet Kristi from Calgary, who’s considering digital ads as her women’s supplements brand maxes out on organic growth. Then Erik from Los Angeles, who’s wondering if Amazon is a necessary channel for his exercise accessories. And April from New York, who’s hoping to find the right messaging for her line of cocktail mixers.


Thank you to the founders of Inner Wellth, SquatWedgiez, and Cheeky Cocktails for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to RXBAR's founding story as told by Peter in a special live episode of How I Built This from 2018.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2805 no Title Nine: Missy Park (October 2021) As a college basketball player, Missy Park was lucky to grow up during the early era of Title IX, the 1972 law that created new opportunities for young women in sports. But in the years before Lululemon and Athleta, activewear for women was either ill-fitting or non-existent. So in 1989—with little experience in apparel or retail—Missy launched a female version of Nike. She sent out a mail-order catalog of running shorts, tights, and (at the last minute) sports bras, naming her company for the law that had opened doors for her to compete. Over the years, Title Nine kept "hitting singles," eventually growing into a $100 million business without ever taking outside investment. Today, Missy remains the sole owner. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Mar 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Title Nine: Missy Park (October 2021) full 719 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a college basketball player, Missy Park was lucky to grow up during the early era of Title IX, the 1972 law that created new opportunities for young women in sports. But in the years before Lululemon and Athleta, activewear for women was either ill-fitting or non-existent. So in 1989—with little experience in apparel or retail—Missy launched a female version of Nike. She sent out a mail-order catalog of running shorts, tights, and (at the last minute) sports bras, naming her company for the law that had opened doors for her to compete. Over the years, Title Nine kept "hitting singles," eventually growing into a $100 million business without ever taking outside investment. Today, Missy remains the sole owner.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Claire Murashima.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. As a college basketball player, Missy Park was lucky to grow up during the early era of Title IX, the 1972 law that created new opportunities for young women in sports. But in the years before Lululemon and Athleta, activewear for women was either ill-fitting or non-existent. So in 1989—with little experience in apparel or retail—Missy launched a female version of Nike. She sent out a mail-order catalog of running shorts, tights, and (at the last minute) sports bras, naming her company for the law that had opened doors for her to compete. Over the years, Title Nine kept "hitting singles," eventually growing into a $100 million business without ever taking outside investment. Today, Missy remains the sole owner. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com&nbsp;and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a college basketball player, Missy Park was lucky to grow up during the early era of Title IX, the 1972 law that created new opportunities for young women in sports. But in the years before Lululemon and Athleta, activewear for women was either ill-fitting or non-existent. So in 1989—with little experience in apparel or retail—Missy launched a female version of Nike. She sent out a mail-order catalog of running shorts, tights, and (at the last minute) sports bras, naming her company for the law that had opened doors for her to compete. Over the years, Title Nine kept "hitting singles," eventually growing into a $100 million business without ever taking outside investment. Today, Missy remains the sole owner.

This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Claire Murashima.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5064 no Advice Line with Jeff and Curran Dandurand of Jack Black Skin Care Jack Black Skin Care co-founders Jeff and Curran Dandurand join Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, how the Dandurands are passing the entrepreneurial torch one carbonated beverage at a time. First we meet Inga from Maine, who’s navigating the role advisors can play for her kelp farm and skincare business. Next we hear from Ashley in Utah, who’s on a quest to find her target market for her luxury home and tableware brand. Then Brent in British Columbia, who’s learning how to build a strong culture around his camping cookware business. Thank you to the founders of Cold Current Kelp, Âme Atendre and GOSO Cookware for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear the founding story of Jack Back Skin Care, check out Jeff and Curran’s first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Mar 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jeff and Curran Dandurand of Jack Black Skin Care full 718 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jack Black Skin Care co-founders Jeff and Curran Dandurand join Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, how the Dandurands are passing the entrepreneurial torch one carbonated beverage at a time.First we meet Inga from Maine, who’s navigating the role advisors can play for her kelp farm and skincare business. Next we hear from Ashley in Utah, who’s on a quest to find her target market for her luxury home and tableware brand. Then Brent in British Columbia, who’s learning how to build a strong culture around his camping cookware business.Thank you to the founders of Cold Current Kelp, Âme Atendre and GOSO Cookware for being part of the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And to hear the founding story of Jack Back Skin Care, check out Jeff and Curran’s first appearance on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Jack Black Skin Care co-founders Jeff and Curran Dandurand join Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, how the Dandurands are passing the entrepreneurial torch one carbonated beverage at a time. First we meet Inga from Maine, who’s navigating the role advisors can play for her kelp farm and skincare business. Next we hear from Ashley in Utah, who’s on a quest to find her target market for her luxury home and tableware brand. Then Brent in British Columbia, who’s learning how to build a strong culture around his camping cookware business. Thank you to the founders of Cold Current Kelp, Âme Atendre and GOSO Cookware for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear the founding story of Jack Back Skin Care, check out Jeff and Curran’s first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Jack Black Skin Care co-founders Jeff and Curran Dandurand join Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, how the Dandurands are passing the entrepreneurial torch one carbonated beverage at a time.


First we meet Inga from Maine, who’s navigating the role advisors can play for her kelp farm and skincare business. Next we hear from Ashley in Utah, who’s on a quest to find her target market for her luxury home and tableware brand. Then Brent in British Columbia, who’s learning how to build a strong culture around his camping cookware business.


Thank you to the founders of Cold Current Kelp, Âme Atendre and GOSO Cookware for being part of the show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And to hear the founding story of Jack Back Skin Care, check out Jeff and Curran’s first appearance on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Iman Maani. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3126 no Misfits Market: Abhi Ramesh While apple picking on a farm near Philadelphia, Abhi Ramesh learned that a massive amount of “misfit” produce goes to waste. He started running ads on Facebook to see if people would pay a discount for subscription boxes filled with twisted carrots and oddly-shaped squash. &nbsp; Demand was so strong that Abhi soon hired drivers on Craigslist to deliver produce around Philly from a rented warehouse. Four months in, Misfits Market had thousands of customers and landed $2 million in venture capital to expand. The pandemic turbocharged its growth and the business evolved into an online grocery store offering 1100+ items. Today Misfits Market operates in 48 states, and was most recently valued at $2 billion. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez, James Willets, and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Mar 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Misfits Market: Abhi Ramesh full 717 Guy Raz | Vox Media While apple picking on a farm near Philadelphia, Abhi Ramesh learned that a massive amount of “misfit” produce goes to waste. He started running ads on Facebook to see if people would pay a discount for subscription boxes filled with twisted carrots and oddly-shaped squash.   Demand was so strong that Abhi soon hired drivers on Craigslist to deliver produce around Philly from a rented warehouse. Four months in, Misfits Market had thousands of customers and landed $2 million in venture capital to expand. The pandemic turbocharged its growth and the business evolved into an online grocery store offering 1100+ items. Today Misfits Market operates in 48 states, and was most recently valued at $2 billion.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez, James Willets, and Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. While apple picking on a farm near Philadelphia, Abhi Ramesh learned that a massive amount of “misfit” produce goes to waste. He started running ads on Facebook to see if people would pay a discount for subscription boxes filled with twisted carrots and oddly-shaped squash. &nbsp; Demand was so strong that Abhi soon hired drivers on Craigslist to deliver produce around Philly from a rented warehouse. Four months in, Misfits Market had thousands of customers and landed $2 million in venture capital to expand. The pandemic turbocharged its growth and the business evolved into an online grocery store offering 1100+ items. Today Misfits Market operates in 48 states, and was most recently valued at $2 billion. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez, James Willets, and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices While apple picking on a farm near Philadelphia, Abhi Ramesh learned that a massive amount of “misfit” produce goes to waste. He started running ads on Facebook to see if people would pay a discount for subscription boxes filled with twisted carrots and oddly-shaped squash.   Demand was so strong that Abhi soon hired drivers on Craigslist to deliver produce around Philly from a rented warehouse. Four months in, Misfits Market had thousands of customers and landed $2 million in venture capital to expand. The pandemic turbocharged its growth and the business evolved into an online grocery store offering 1100+ items. Today Misfits Market operates in 48 states, and was most recently valued at $2 billion.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez, James Willets, and Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4165 no Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber.&nbsp; First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats. Thank you to the founders of Jesse & Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Mar 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams full 716 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber. First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats.Thank you to the founders of Jesse &amp; Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber.&nbsp; First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats. Thank you to the founders of Jesse & Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber. 

First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats.

Thank you to the founders of Jesse & Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3008 no Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare: Dennis and Carrie Gross Dr. Dennis Gross was worried about putting his name on his skincare brand: would the word “gross” turn shoppers away? But Dennis and his wife and business partner, Carrie, realized that the key to the brand’s success lay in another part of the name – “Dr.” Dennis was able to use his experience as a dermatologist to develop effective skincare products, starting with a peel that could be done at home without causing blotchy skin. Later, the brand introduced an LED face mask, which looked like C-3P0 and lit up TikTok in glowing red and blue. In 2023, after being bootstrapped for much of its existence, the business was sold to cosmetics giant Shiseido in a deal worth $450 million. This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng and edited by Neva Grant, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Mar 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare: Dennis and Carrie Gross full 715 Guy Raz | Vox Media Dr. Dennis Gross was worried about putting his name on his skincare brand: would the word “gross” turn shoppers away? But Dennis and his wife and business partner, Carrie, realized that the key to the brand’s success lay in another part of the name – “Dr.” Dennis was able to use his experience as a dermatologist to develop effective skincare products, starting with a peel that could be done at home without causing blotchy skin. Later, the brand introduced an LED face mask, which looked like C-3P0 and lit up TikTok in glowing red and blue. In 2023, after being bootstrapped for much of its existence, the business was sold to cosmetics giant Shiseido in a deal worth $450 million.This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng and edited by Neva Grant, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Dr. Dennis Gross was worried about putting his name on his skincare brand: would the word “gross” turn shoppers away? But Dennis and his wife and business partner, Carrie, realized that the key to the brand’s success lay in another part of the name – “Dr.” Dennis was able to use his experience as a dermatologist to develop effective skincare products, starting with a peel that could be done at home without causing blotchy skin. Later, the brand introduced an LED face mask, which looked like C-3P0 and lit up TikTok in glowing red and blue. In 2023, after being bootstrapped for much of its existence, the business was sold to cosmetics giant Shiseido in a deal worth $450 million. This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng and edited by Neva Grant, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Dr. Dennis Gross was worried about putting his name on his skincare brand: would the word “gross” turn shoppers away? But Dennis and his wife and business partner, Carrie, realized that the key to the brand’s success lay in another part of the name – “Dr.” Dennis was able to use his experience as a dermatologist to develop effective skincare products, starting with a peel that could be done at home without causing blotchy skin. Later, the brand introduced an LED face mask, which looked like C-3P0 and lit up TikTok in glowing red and blue. In 2023, after being bootstrapped for much of its existence, the business was sold to cosmetics giant Shiseido in a deal worth $450 million.


This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng and edited by Neva Grant, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3265 no Advice Line with Leah Solivan of Taskrabbit (September 2024) Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three tech founders working to identify and grow their core customer base.&nbsp; First we meet Kate in Los Angeles, who wants her digital greeting cards to stand out in app stores. Then Shahn in Australia, who’s rethinking user acquisition for his couples coaching app. And Allen in Hawaii, who’s wondering about product-market fit for his online platform that teaches kids to play instruments. Thanks to the founders of Poppy Notes, My Love Your Love and Dynabuddy for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Taskrabbit's founding story as told by Leah on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Mar 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Leah Solivan of Taskrabbit (September 2024) full 714 Guy Raz | Vox Media Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three tech founders working to identify and grow their core customer base. First we meet Kate in Los Angeles, who wants her digital greeting cards to stand out in app stores. Then Shahn in Australia, who’s rethinking user acquisition for his couples coaching app. And Allen in Hawaii, who’s wondering about product-market fit for his online platform that teaches kids to play instruments.Thanks to the founders of Poppy Notes, My Love Your Love and Dynabuddy for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Taskrabbit's founding story as told by Leah on the show in 2022.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three tech founders working to identify and grow their core customer base.&nbsp; First we meet Kate in Los Angeles, who wants her digital greeting cards to stand out in app stores. Then Shahn in Australia, who’s rethinking user acquisition for his couples coaching app. And Allen in Hawaii, who’s wondering about product-market fit for his online platform that teaches kids to play instruments. Thanks to the founders of Poppy Notes, My Love Your Love and Dynabuddy for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Taskrabbit's founding story as told by Leah on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three tech founders working to identify and grow their core customer base. 

First we meet Kate in Los Angeles, who wants her digital greeting cards to stand out in app stores. Then Shahn in Australia, who’s rethinking user acquisition for his couples coaching app. And Allen in Hawaii, who’s wondering about product-market fit for his online platform that teaches kids to play instruments.

Thanks to the founders of Poppy Notes, My Love Your Love and Dynabuddy for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Taskrabbit's founding story as told by Leah on the show in 2022.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3201 no Skype and Kazaa: Niklas Zennström In the early 2000s, one of the most popular pieces of software in the world was a free peer-to-peer file-sharing network called Kazaa. It was launched by two Scandinavian entrepreneurs, Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, with the simple idea that internet users should be able to share anything with anyone in the world.&nbsp; After being knee-capped by lawsuits from the music industry, Niklas and Janus applied peer-to-peer technology to a new business: Skype, a service that allowed anyone with an internet connection and a microphone to talk to anyone else in the world… for free. At its peak,&nbsp; Skype connected hundreds of millions of global users, and in 2011, it was purchased by Microsoft for $8.5 billion.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathryn Sypher. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Mar 2025 07:10:00 -0000 Skype and Kazaa: Niklas Zennström full 713 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 2000s, one of the most popular pieces of software in the world was a free peer-to-peer file-sharing network called Kazaa. It was launched by two Scandinavian entrepreneurs, Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, with the simple idea that internet users should be able to share anything with anyone in the world. After being knee-capped by lawsuits from the music industry, Niklas and Janus applied peer-to-peer technology to a new business: Skype, a service that allowed anyone with an internet connection and a microphone to talk to anyone else in the world… for free. At its peak,  Skype connected hundreds of millions of global users, and in 2011, it was purchased by Microsoft for $8.5 billion. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathryn Sypher. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. In the early 2000s, one of the most popular pieces of software in the world was a free peer-to-peer file-sharing network called Kazaa. It was launched by two Scandinavian entrepreneurs, Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, with the simple idea that internet users should be able to share anything with anyone in the world.&nbsp; After being knee-capped by lawsuits from the music industry, Niklas and Janus applied peer-to-peer technology to a new business: Skype, a service that allowed anyone with an internet connection and a microphone to talk to anyone else in the world… for free. At its peak,&nbsp; Skype connected hundreds of millions of global users, and in 2011, it was purchased by Microsoft for $8.5 billion.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathryn Sypher. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the early 2000s, one of the most popular pieces of software in the world was a free peer-to-peer file-sharing network called Kazaa. It was launched by two Scandinavian entrepreneurs, Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, with the simple idea that internet users should be able to share anything with anyone in the world. 


After being knee-capped by lawsuits from the music industry, Niklas and Janus applied peer-to-peer technology to a new business: Skype, a service that allowed anyone with an internet connection and a microphone to talk to anyone else in the world… for free. At its peak,  Skype connected hundreds of millions of global users, and in 2011, it was purchased by Microsoft for $8.5 billion. 


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathryn Sypher. Our engineers were Jimmy Keeley and Patrick Murray.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4461 no Advice Line with Jenn Hyman of Rent The Runway Rent the Runway co-founder and CEO Jenn Hyman joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jenn’s take on how letting go of ego helps business leaders stay in the game.&nbsp; First, we meet Sara near Cape Cod, who’s wondering how much her customers actually value local artisans making her apparel. Then Carrie from New York, who’s trying to unlock seven-figure revenue to attract investors to her active haircare brand. And finally, fellow New Yorker Chabella talks with Jenn about raising capital for her sustainable fashion brand. Thank you to the founders of Easkey Right, Swair Hair, and Chabella for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Jenn tell the story of how Rent the Runway was founded during her first visit to the show back in 2017. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Mar 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jenn Hyman of Rent The Runway full 712 Guy Raz | Vox Media Rent the Runway co-founder and CEO Jenn Hyman joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jenn’s take on how letting go of ego helps business leaders stay in the game. First, we meet Sara near Cape Cod, who’s wondering how much her customers actually value local artisans making her apparel. Then Carrie from New York, who’s trying to unlock seven-figure revenue to attract investors to her active haircare brand. And finally, fellow New Yorker Chabella talks with Jenn about raising capital for her sustainable fashion brand.Thank you to the founders of Easkey Right, Swair Hair, and Chabella for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Jenn tell the story of how Rent the Runway was founded during her first visit to the show back in 2017.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Rent the Runway co-founder and CEO Jenn Hyman joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jenn’s take on how letting go of ego helps business leaders stay in the game.&nbsp; First, we meet Sara near Cape Cod, who’s wondering how much her customers actually value local artisans making her apparel. Then Carrie from New York, who’s trying to unlock seven-figure revenue to attract investors to her active haircare brand. And finally, fellow New Yorker Chabella talks with Jenn about raising capital for her sustainable fashion brand. Thank you to the founders of Easkey Right, Swair Hair, and Chabella for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Jenn tell the story of how Rent the Runway was founded during her first visit to the show back in 2017. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Rent the Runway co-founder and CEO Jenn Hyman joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jenn’s take on how letting go of ego helps business leaders stay in the game. 

First, we meet Sara near Cape Cod, who’s wondering how much her customers actually value local artisans making her apparel. Then Carrie from New York, who’s trying to unlock seven-figure revenue to attract investors to her active haircare brand. And finally, fellow New Yorker Chabella talks with Jenn about raising capital for her sustainable fashion brand.

Thank you to the founders of Easkey Right, Swair Hair, and Chabella for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Jenn tell the story of how Rent the Runway was founded during her first visit to the show back in 2017.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2994 no SpotHero: Mark Lawrence After racking up thousands of dollars in fines, Chicago roommates Mark Lawrence and Jeremy Smith figured there had to be an easier way to park. So in 2011, they launched SpotHero as a peer-to-peer service, where people who lived near Wrigley Field might rent out their driveway on a game night.&nbsp; But that strategy wasn’t scalable, so SpotHero soon partnered with garages to sell excess inventory. Over the years, the startup faced intense pressure from investors to expand quickly and copy whatever the competition was doing. But Mark insisted on slow, strategic growth, and today, SpotHero is one of the largest digital parking platforms in North America, servicing about 300 cities. This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Mar 2025 08:10:00 -0000 SpotHero: Mark Lawrence full 711 Guy Raz | Vox Media After racking up thousands of dollars in fines, Chicago roommates Mark Lawrence and Jeremy Smith figured there had to be an easier way to park. So in 2011, they launched SpotHero as a peer-to-peer service, where people who lived near Wrigley Field might rent out their driveway on a game night.  But that strategy wasn’t scalable, so SpotHero soon partnered with garages to sell excess inventory. Over the years, the startup faced intense pressure from investors to expand quickly and copy whatever the competition was doing. But Mark insisted on slow, strategic growth, and today, SpotHero is one of the largest digital parking platforms in North America, servicing about 300 cities.This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com After racking up thousands of dollars in fines, Chicago roommates Mark Lawrence and Jeremy Smith figured there had to be an easier way to park. So in 2011, they launched SpotHero as a peer-to-peer service, where people who lived near Wrigley Field might rent out their driveway on a game night.&nbsp; But that strategy wasn’t scalable, so SpotHero soon partnered with garages to sell excess inventory. Over the years, the startup faced intense pressure from investors to expand quickly and copy whatever the competition was doing. But Mark insisted on slow, strategic growth, and today, SpotHero is one of the largest digital parking platforms in North America, servicing about 300 cities. This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices After racking up thousands of dollars in fines, Chicago roommates Mark Lawrence and Jeremy Smith figured there had to be an easier way to park. So in 2011, they launched SpotHero as a peer-to-peer service, where people who lived near Wrigley Field might rent out their driveway on a game night.  But that strategy wasn’t scalable, so SpotHero soon partnered with garages to sell excess inventory. Over the years, the startup faced intense pressure from investors to expand quickly and copy whatever the competition was doing. But Mark insisted on slow, strategic growth, and today, SpotHero is one of the largest digital parking platforms in North America, servicing about 300 cities.

This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Patrick Murray.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4297 no Advice Line with Alberto Perlman of Zumba Zumba co-founder and CEO Alberto Perlman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Alberto’s take on the value of partnerships for growing brands — and why entrepreneurs should say ‘yes’ more often. First we meet Stefanie in Michigan, who’s looking for the smartest route to raise capital for her non-slip workout shoes. Then Jack in New Hampshire, who wants to broaden the appeal of his protein powders for sensitive stomachs. And Peter in Colorado, who needs help evaluating which opportunities to chase for his plant-based ski wax. Thank you to the founders of Barreletics, Drink Wholesome, and mountainFLOW for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Zumba’s founding story as told by Alberto and his co-founder Beto on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Alberto Perlman of Zumba full 710 Guy Raz | Vox Media Zumba co-founder and CEO Alberto Perlman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Alberto’s take on the value of partnerships for growing brands — and why entrepreneurs should say ‘yes’ more often.First we meet Stefanie in Michigan, who’s looking for the smartest route to raise capital for her non-slip workout shoes. Then Jack in New Hampshire, who wants to broaden the appeal of his protein powders for sensitive stomachs. And Peter in Colorado, who needs help evaluating which opportunities to chase for his plant-based ski wax.Thank you to the founders of Barreletics, Drink Wholesome, and mountainFLOW for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Zumba’s founding story as told by Alberto and his co-founder Beto on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Zumba co-founder and CEO Alberto Perlman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Alberto’s take on the value of partnerships for growing brands — and why entrepreneurs should say ‘yes’ more often. First we meet Stefanie in Michigan, who’s looking for the smartest route to raise capital for her non-slip workout shoes. Then Jack in New Hampshire, who wants to broaden the appeal of his protein powders for sensitive stomachs. And Peter in Colorado, who needs help evaluating which opportunities to chase for his plant-based ski wax. Thank you to the founders of Barreletics, Drink Wholesome, and mountainFLOW for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Zumba’s founding story as told by Alberto and his co-founder Beto on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Zumba co-founder and CEO Alberto Perlman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Alberto’s take on the value of partnerships for growing brands — and why entrepreneurs should say ‘yes’ more often.

First we meet Stefanie in Michigan, who’s looking for the smartest route to raise capital for her non-slip workout shoes. Then Jack in New Hampshire, who wants to broaden the appeal of his protein powders for sensitive stomachs. And Peter in Colorado, who needs help evaluating which opportunities to chase for his plant-based ski wax.

Thank you to the founders of Barreletics, Drink Wholesome, and mountainFLOW for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Zumba’s founding story as told by Alberto and his co-founder Beto on the show in 2017.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3192 no PayPal: Max Levchin (June 2022) During its formative years in the late 1990's, Paypal attracted an extraordinary group of young entrepreneurs, who then went on to build some of the best known companies in tech.&nbsp;They became known as The PayPal Mafia—and Max Levchin was one of the leaders.&nbsp;A computer genius from Soviet Ukraine, Max joined Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and&nbsp;others as they grew PayPal into a massively successful online payment service.&nbsp;Along the way, they encountered almost every start-up challenge imaginable, including the emotional ouster of Elon Musk as CEO.&nbsp;After PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, Max couldn't sit still, so he launched a startup lab that eventually led to another successful fintech company: Affirm. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000 PayPal: Max Levchin (June 2022) full 709 Guy Raz | Vox Media During its formative years in the late 1990's, Paypal attracted an extraordinary group of young entrepreneurs, who then went on to build some of the best known companies in tech. They became known as The PayPal Mafia—and Max Levchin was one of the leaders. A computer genius from Soviet Ukraine, Max joined Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and others as they grew PayPal into a massively successful online payment service. Along the way, they encountered almost every start-up challenge imaginable, including the emotional ouster of Elon Musk as CEO. After PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, Max couldn't sit still, so he launched a startup lab that eventually led to another successful fintech company: Affirm.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Claire Murashima.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com During its formative years in the late 1990's, Paypal attracted an extraordinary group of young entrepreneurs, who then went on to build some of the best known companies in tech.&nbsp;They became known as The PayPal Mafia—and Max Levchin was one of the leaders.&nbsp;A computer genius from Soviet Ukraine, Max joined Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and&nbsp;others as they grew PayPal into a massively successful online payment service.&nbsp;Along the way, they encountered almost every start-up challenge imaginable, including the emotional ouster of Elon Musk as CEO.&nbsp;After PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, Max couldn't sit still, so he launched a startup lab that eventually led to another successful fintech company: Affirm. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices During its formative years in the late 1990's, Paypal attracted an extraordinary group of young entrepreneurs, who then went on to build some of the best known companies in tech. They became known as The PayPal Mafia—and Max Levchin was one of the leaders. A computer genius from Soviet Ukraine, Max joined Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and others as they grew PayPal into a massively successful online payment service. Along the way, they encountered almost every start-up challenge imaginable, including the emotional ouster of Elon Musk as CEO. After PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, Max couldn't sit still, so he launched a startup lab that eventually led to another successful fintech company: Affirm.

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Claire Murashima.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5251 no Advice Line with Lyndon Cormack of Herschel Supply Co. Herschel Supply Co. co-founder Lyndon Cormack joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about leveraging brand stories to reach new customers. Today we meet Lauren in Michigan, a former journalist now capturing family histories in bespoke commemorative books. Then Jon in London, whose creation might be a solution for the pile of clothes on your chair. And Virginia in Alaska, who designed a bra that stays comfortable through a 12-hour nursing shift—and now wants to expand to the lower 48. Thank you to the founders of Memory Lane Jane, Floordrobe, and SWOOP for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Herschel Supply Co.’s founding story as told by Lyndon and his brother Jamie on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Lyndon Cormack of Herschel Supply Co. full 708 Guy Raz | Vox Media Herschel Supply Co. co-founder Lyndon Cormack joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about leveraging brand stories to reach new customers.Today we meet Lauren in Michigan, a former journalist now capturing family histories in bespoke commemorative books. Then Jon in London, whose creation might be a solution for the pile of clothes on your chair. And Virginia in Alaska, who designed a bra that stays comfortable through a 12-hour nursing shift—and now wants to expand to the lower 48.Thank you to the founders of Memory Lane Jane, Floordrobe, and SWOOP for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Herschel Supply Co.’s founding story as told by Lyndon and his brother Jamie on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Herschel Supply Co. co-founder Lyndon Cormack joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about leveraging brand stories to reach new customers. Today we meet Lauren in Michigan, a former journalist now capturing family histories in bespoke commemorative books. Then Jon in London, whose creation might be a solution for the pile of clothes on your chair. And Virginia in Alaska, who designed a bra that stays comfortable through a 12-hour nursing shift—and now wants to expand to the lower 48. Thank you to the founders of Memory Lane Jane, Floordrobe, and SWOOP for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Herschel Supply Co.’s founding story as told by Lyndon and his brother Jamie on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Herschel Supply Co. co-founder Lyndon Cormack joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about leveraging brand stories to reach new customers.

Today we meet Lauren in Michigan, a former journalist now capturing family histories in bespoke commemorative books. Then Jon in London, whose creation might be a solution for the pile of clothes on your chair. And Virginia in Alaska, who designed a bra that stays comfortable through a 12-hour nursing shift—and now wants to expand to the lower 48.

Thank you to the founders of Memory Lane Jane, Floordrobe, and SWOOP for being a part of our show. 


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Herschel Supply Co.’s founding story as told by Lyndon and his brother Jamie on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3008 no Lenny & Larry’s Protein Snacks: Barry Turner When Barry Turner co-founded Lenny & Larry’s, the idea of selling a protein-packed breakfast muffin was practically unheard of: it was the early 1990’s, and protein-fortified food was not yet a thing. But when Barry was sidelined from a promising gig as an American Gladiator, he and his bodybuilding buddy Benny Graham decided to infuse baked goods with protein powder and sell them around L.A. Soon they were selling brownies, cookies, and cinnamon rolls, but mostly anonymously, as a white label business.&nbsp;Barry eventually sold the company, but returned years later to build the brand he’d always wanted, and to focus on one product, The Complete Cookie. Today a majority of Lenny and Larry’s belongs to Lion Capital, and the high-protein cookies—and other treats—can be found in over 30 countries worldwide. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Lenny & Larry’s Protein Snacks: Barry Turner full 707 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Barry Turner co-founded Lenny &amp; Larry’s, the idea of selling a protein-packed breakfast muffin was practically unheard of: it was the early 1990’s, and protein-fortified food was not yet a thing. But when Barry was sidelined from a promising gig as an American Gladiator, he and his bodybuilding buddy Benny Graham decided to infuse baked goods with protein powder and sell them around L.A. Soon they were selling brownies, cookies, and cinnamon rolls, but mostly anonymously, as a white label business. Barry eventually sold the company, but returned years later to build the brand he’d always wanted, and to focus on one product, The Complete Cookie. Today a majority of Lenny and Larry’s belongs to Lion Capital, and the high-protein cookies—and other treats—can be found in over 30 countries worldwide.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com  When Barry Turner co-founded Lenny & Larry’s, the idea of selling a protein-packed breakfast muffin was practically unheard of: it was the early 1990’s, and protein-fortified food was not yet a thing. But when Barry was sidelined from a promising gig as an American Gladiator, he and his bodybuilding buddy Benny Graham decided to infuse baked goods with protein powder and sell them around L.A. Soon they were selling brownies, cookies, and cinnamon rolls, but mostly anonymously, as a white label business.&nbsp;Barry eventually sold the company, but returned years later to build the brand he’d always wanted, and to focus on one product, The Complete Cookie. Today a majority of Lenny and Larry’s belongs to Lion Capital, and the high-protein cookies—and other treats—can be found in over 30 countries worldwide. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Barry Turner co-founded Lenny & Larry’s, the idea of selling a protein-packed breakfast muffin was practically unheard of: it was the early 1990’s, and protein-fortified food was not yet a thing. But when Barry was sidelined from a promising gig as an American Gladiator, he and his bodybuilding buddy Benny Graham decided to infuse baked goods with protein powder and sell them around L.A. Soon they were selling brownies, cookies, and cinnamon rolls, but mostly anonymously, as a white label business. Barry eventually sold the company, but returned years later to build the brand he’d always wanted, and to focus on one product, The Complete Cookie. Today a majority of Lenny and Larry’s belongs to Lion Capital, and the high-protein cookies—and other treats—can be found in over 30 countries worldwide.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4138 no Advice Line with Ariel Kaye of Parachute Home (August 2024) Parachute Home founder Ariel Kaye joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders on being mindful and strategic in their next expansion steps.&nbsp; Today, we meet Daen, an entrepreneur in Australia considering investment for his line of men’s grooming products after ten years of self-funding. Then Deanna, a former educator in New Jersey seeking new press for the emotional health tool she designed for children. And Meaghan, a Florida-based hard seltzer maker trying to gut-check biases in her male-dominated industry. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Parachute Home’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Ariel on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Ariel Kaye of Parachute Home (August 2024) full 706 Guy Raz | Vox Media Parachute Home founder Ariel Kaye joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders on being mindful and strategic in their next expansion steps. Today, we meet Daen, an entrepreneur in Australia considering investment for his line of men’s grooming products after ten years of self-funding. Then Deanna, a former educator in New Jersey seeking new press for the emotional health tool she designed for children. And Meaghan, a Florida-based hard seltzer maker trying to gut-check biases in her male-dominated industry.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Parachute Home’s founding story as told by Ariel on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Parachute Home founder Ariel Kaye joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders on being mindful and strategic in their next expansion steps.&nbsp; Today, we meet Daen, an entrepreneur in Australia considering investment for his line of men’s grooming products after ten years of self-funding. Then Deanna, a former educator in New Jersey seeking new press for the emotional health tool she designed for children. And Meaghan, a Florida-based hard seltzer maker trying to gut-check biases in her male-dominated industry. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Parachute Home’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Ariel on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Parachute Home founder Ariel Kaye joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders on being mindful and strategic in their next expansion steps. 

Today, we meet Daen, an entrepreneur in Australia considering investment for his line of men’s grooming products after ten years of self-funding. Then Deanna, a former educator in New Jersey seeking new press for the emotional health tool she designed for children. And Meaghan, a Florida-based hard seltzer maker trying to gut-check biases in her male-dominated industry.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Parachute Home’s founding story as told by Ariel on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3316 no Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day: Monica Nassif Mrs. Meyer’s is a hugely successful line of soaps and cleansers named for a real Mrs. Meyer: a no-nonsense Iowa homemaker who raised nine kids, including the brand’s founder. When Monica Nassif started Mrs. Meyer’s, she’d already launched an upscale cleaning brand, but it was too pricey for the mass market.&nbsp;Worried that another company might muscle into her lane,&nbsp;Monica decided to knock herself off: she launched Mrs. Meyer’s with an elegant design and exotic fragrances– but at a price point that allowed her to target Target. Monica’s mom Thelma became a beloved mascot for the brand, which–after spreading to sinks across America — was eventually acquired by S.C. Johnson. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day: Monica Nassif full 705 Guy Raz | Vox Media Mrs. Meyer’s is a hugely successful line of soaps and cleansers named for a real Mrs. Meyer: a no-nonsense Iowa homemaker who raised nine kids, including the brand’s founder. When Monica Nassif started Mrs. Meyer’s, she’d already launched an upscale cleaning brand, but it was too pricey for the mass market. Worried that another company might muscle into her lane, Monica decided to knock herself off: she launched Mrs. Meyer’s with an elegant design and exotic fragrances– but at a price point that allowed her to target Target. Monica’s mom Thelma became a beloved mascot for the brand, which–after spreading to sinks across America — was eventually acquired by S.C. Johnson.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com  Mrs. Meyer’s is a hugely successful line of soaps and cleansers named for a real Mrs. Meyer: a no-nonsense Iowa homemaker who raised nine kids, including the brand’s founder. When Monica Nassif started Mrs. Meyer’s, she’d already launched an upscale cleaning brand, but it was too pricey for the mass market.&nbsp;Worried that another company might muscle into her lane,&nbsp;Monica decided to knock herself off: she launched Mrs. Meyer’s with an elegant design and exotic fragrances– but at a price point that allowed her to target Target. Monica’s mom Thelma became a beloved mascot for the brand, which–after spreading to sinks across America — was eventually acquired by S.C. Johnson. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mrs. Meyer’s is a hugely successful line of soaps and cleansers named for a real Mrs. Meyer: a no-nonsense Iowa homemaker who raised nine kids, including the brand’s founder. When Monica Nassif started Mrs. Meyer’s, she’d already launched an upscale cleaning brand, but it was too pricey for the mass market. Worried that another company might muscle into her lane, Monica decided to knock herself off: she launched Mrs. Meyer’s with an elegant design and exotic fragrances– but at a price point that allowed her to target Target. Monica’s mom Thelma became a beloved mascot for the brand, which–after spreading to sinks across America — was eventually acquired by S.C. Johnson.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com 



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5118 no Advice Line with Travis Boersma of Dutch Bros Dutch Bros co-founder and former CEO Travis Boersma joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Travis reflects on the baby steps that scaled his initial espresso cart into a 900+ location national business. First we meet Sean in Atlanta, who’s trying to reach new customers for his Korean fried chicken as delivery apps cut into margins. Then Trenton in Central Pennsylvania, who’s considering whether to grow his coffee roastery through DTC or wholesale. And Yasmin in Austin, who wants to bring her social tonics to the mainstream as an alternative to alcohol. Thank you to the founders of Mukja Korean Fried Chicken, Pine Ridge Coffee, and Altar Native Bar for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Dutch Bros’ founding story as told by Travis on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Travis Boersma of Dutch Bros full 704 Guy Raz | Vox Media Dutch Bros co-founder and former CEO Travis Boersma joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Travis reflects on the baby steps that scaled his initial espresso cart into a 900+ location national business.First we meet Sean in Atlanta, who’s trying to reach new customers for his Korean fried chicken as delivery apps cut into margins. Then Trenton in Central Pennsylvania, who’s considering whether to grow his coffee roastery through DTC or wholesale. And Yasmin in Austin, who wants to bring her social tonics to the mainstream as an alternative to alcohol.Thank you to the founders of Mukja Korean Fried Chicken, Pine Ridge Coffee, and Altar Native Bar for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Dutch Bros’ founding story as told by Travis on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Dutch Bros co-founder and former CEO Travis Boersma joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Travis reflects on the baby steps that scaled his initial espresso cart into a 900+ location national business. First we meet Sean in Atlanta, who’s trying to reach new customers for his Korean fried chicken as delivery apps cut into margins. Then Trenton in Central Pennsylvania, who’s considering whether to grow his coffee roastery through DTC or wholesale. And Yasmin in Austin, who wants to bring her social tonics to the mainstream as an alternative to alcohol. Thank you to the founders of Mukja Korean Fried Chicken, Pine Ridge Coffee, and Altar Native Bar for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Dutch Bros’ founding story as told by Travis on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Dutch Bros co-founder and former CEO Travis Boersma joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Travis reflects on the baby steps that scaled his initial espresso cart into a 900+ location national business.

First we meet Sean in Atlanta, who’s trying to reach new customers for his Korean fried chicken as delivery apps cut into margins. Then Trenton in Central Pennsylvania, who’s considering whether to grow his coffee roastery through DTC or wholesale. And Yasmin in Austin, who wants to bring her social tonics to the mainstream as an alternative to alcohol.

Thank you to the founders of Mukja Korean Fried Chicken, Pine Ridge Coffee, and Altar Native Bar for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Dutch Bros’ founding story as told by Travis on the show in 2023.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2946 no Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler When Michelle Wahler and Jodi Guber Brufsky set out to launch a yoga wear brand in 2005, they had no idea that it would eventually be acquired—for hundreds of millions of dollars—by one of the most iconic apparel brands in the world.&nbsp; But it took years for Beyond Yoga to get to that point. It grew slowly by partnering with yoga studios and mom-and-pop boutiques, and apart from some initial seed money, it never took on any outside investment. With an obsessive focus on soft fabrics, inclusive sizing and U.S.-based manufacturing, Beyond Yoga eventually began competing with more established brands like Lululemon and Athleta. And in 2021, the brand was acquired by Levi’s for $400 million.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathryn Sypher. Our engineers were James Willetts, Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Feb 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Beyond Yoga: Michelle Wahler full 703 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Michelle Wahler and Jodi Guber Brufsky set out to launch a yoga wear brand in 2005, they had no idea that it would eventually be acquired—for hundreds of millions of dollars—by one of the most iconic apparel brands in the world. But it took years for Beyond Yoga to get to that point. It grew slowly by partnering with yoga studios and mom-and-pop boutiques, and apart from some initial seed money, it never took on any outside investment. With an obsessive focus on soft fabrics, inclusive sizing and U.S.-based manufacturing, Beyond Yoga eventually began competing with more established brands like Lululemon and Athleta. And in 2021, the brand was acquired by Levi’s for $400 million. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathryn Sypher. Our engineers were James Willetts, Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com When Michelle Wahler and Jodi Guber Brufsky set out to launch a yoga wear brand in 2005, they had no idea that it would eventually be acquired—for hundreds of millions of dollars—by one of the most iconic apparel brands in the world.&nbsp; But it took years for Beyond Yoga to get to that point. It grew slowly by partnering with yoga studios and mom-and-pop boutiques, and apart from some initial seed money, it never took on any outside investment. With an obsessive focus on soft fabrics, inclusive sizing and U.S.-based manufacturing, Beyond Yoga eventually began competing with more established brands like Lululemon and Athleta. And in 2021, the brand was acquired by Levi’s for $400 million.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathryn Sypher. Our engineers were James Willetts, Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Michelle Wahler and Jodi Guber Brufsky set out to launch a yoga wear brand in 2005, they had no idea that it would eventually be acquired—for hundreds of millions of dollars—by one of the most iconic apparel brands in the world. 


But it took years for Beyond Yoga to get to that point. It grew slowly by partnering with yoga studios and mom-and-pop boutiques, and apart from some initial seed money, it never took on any outside investment. With an obsessive focus on soft fabrics, inclusive sizing and U.S.-based manufacturing, Beyond Yoga eventually began competing with more established brands like Lululemon and Athleta. And in 2021, the brand was acquired by Levi’s for $400 million. 


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathryn Sypher. Our engineers were James Willetts, Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3658 no Advice Line with Vicky Tsai of Tatcha (September 2024) Tatcha co-founder and former CEO Vicky Tsai joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Vicky explains her decision to briefly step back into, and then out of again, the CEO role. First we meet Jessica in Newport Beach, who’s wondering how to increase brand awareness for her handcrafted fine jewelry. Then Brittany in New York City, who’s looking to prioritize sales channels for her growing fem care brand. And Devon in Cleveland, who wants to generate buzz around the launch of&nbsp;her creative cake company.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Petit Anjou, Beia Beauty, and Mugsy Bakes for being a part of our show.&nbsp; Since this episode first aired, Mugsy Bakes' officially debuted their website and will be launching into their first regional chain in April 2025.&nbsp;Plus, a Petit Anjou necklace appeared in multiple episodes of Netflix's "No Good Deed." If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered.&nbsp;Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Tatcha’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Vicky on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Vicky Tsai of Tatcha (September 2024) full 702 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tatcha co-founder and former CEO Vicky Tsai joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Vicky explains her decision to briefly step back into, and then out of again, the CEO role.First we meet Jessica in Newport Beach, who’s wondering how to increase brand awareness for her handcrafted fine jewelry. Then Brittany in New York City, who’s looking to prioritize sales channels for her growing fem care brand. And Devon in Cleveland, who wants to generate buzz around the launch of her creative cake company. Thank you to the founders of Petit Anjou, Beia Beauty, and Mugsy Bakes for being a part of our show. Since this episode first aired, Mugsy Bakes' officially debuted their website and will be launching into their first regional chain in April 2025. Plus, a Petit Anjou necklace appeared in multiple episodes of Netflix's "No Good Deed."If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Tatcha’s founding story as told by Vicky on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Tatcha co-founder and former CEO Vicky Tsai joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Vicky explains her decision to briefly step back into, and then out of again, the CEO role. First we meet Jessica in Newport Beach, who’s wondering how to increase brand awareness for her handcrafted fine jewelry. Then Brittany in New York City, who’s looking to prioritize sales channels for her growing fem care brand. And Devon in Cleveland, who wants to generate buzz around the launch of&nbsp;her creative cake company.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Petit Anjou, Beia Beauty, and Mugsy Bakes for being a part of our show.&nbsp; Since this episode first aired, Mugsy Bakes' officially debuted their website and will be launching into their first regional chain in April 2025.&nbsp;Plus, a Petit Anjou necklace appeared in multiple episodes of Netflix's "No Good Deed." If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered.&nbsp;Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;Tatcha’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Vicky on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tatcha co-founder and former CEO Vicky Tsai joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Vicky explains her decision to briefly step back into, and then out of again, the CEO role.

First we meet Jessica in Newport Beach, who’s wondering how to increase brand awareness for her handcrafted fine jewelry. Then Brittany in New York City, who’s looking to prioritize sales channels for her growing fem care brand. And Devon in Cleveland, who wants to generate buzz around the launch of her creative cake company. 

Thank you to the founders of Petit Anjou, Beia Beauty, and Mugsy Bakes for being a part of our show. 

Since this episode first aired, Mugsy Bakes' officially debuted their website and will be launching into their first regional chain in April 2025. Plus, a Petit Anjou necklace appeared in multiple episodes of Netflix's "No Good Deed."

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Tatcha’s founding story as told by Vicky on the show in 2020. 

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3191 no Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mariah Calagione (2022) Sam and Mariah Calagione started dating in high school, and have been on a wild ride ever since. Their biggest, craziest adventure? Founding Dogfish Head Brewery and forever changing the landscape of American craft beer. From the moment Sam started home-brewing in his NYC apartment, he infused his beer with unusual ingredients like cherries, maple syrup, roasted chicory, and licorice. When he and Mariah officially launched Dogfish Head in 1995, it was the smallest brewery in America’s smallest state. 24 years (and countless pints) later, it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company for $300 million. Along the way, Sam and Mariah had one random experience after another: writing a bill to legalize their own brew-pub, winning best recipe at the Delaware Punkin Chunkin, and inviting Ricki Lake to their first tasting at Sam's apartment (spoiler alert: she showed up). This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mariah Calagione (2022) full 701 Guy Raz | Vox Media Sam and Mariah Calagione started dating in high school, and have been on a wild ride ever since. Their biggest, craziest adventure? Founding Dogfish Head Brewery and forever changing the landscape of American craft beer. From the moment Sam started home-brewing in his NYC apartment, he infused his beer with unusual ingredients like cherries, maple syrup, roasted chicory, and licorice. When he and Mariah officially launched Dogfish Head in 1995, it was the smallest brewery in America’s smallest state. 24 years (and countless pints) later, it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company for $300 million. Along the way, Sam and Mariah had one random experience after another: writing a bill to legalize their own brew-pub, winning best recipe at the Delaware Punkin Chunkin, and inviting Ricki Lake to their first tasting at Sam's apartment (spoiler alert: she showed up).This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Sam and Mariah Calagione started dating in high school, and have been on a wild ride ever since. Their biggest, craziest adventure? Founding Dogfish Head Brewery and forever changing the landscape of American craft beer. From the moment Sam started home-brewing in his NYC apartment, he infused his beer with unusual ingredients like cherries, maple syrup, roasted chicory, and licorice. When he and Mariah officially launched Dogfish Head in 1995, it was the smallest brewery in America’s smallest state. 24 years (and countless pints) later, it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company for $300 million. Along the way, Sam and Mariah had one random experience after another: writing a bill to legalize their own brew-pub, winning best recipe at the Delaware Punkin Chunkin, and inviting Ricki Lake to their first tasting at Sam's apartment (spoiler alert: she showed up). This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sam and Mariah Calagione started dating in high school, and have been on a wild ride ever since. Their biggest, craziest adventure? Founding Dogfish Head Brewery and forever changing the landscape of American craft beer. From the moment Sam started home-brewing in his NYC apartment, he infused his beer with unusual ingredients like cherries, maple syrup, roasted chicory, and licorice. When he and Mariah officially launched Dogfish Head in 1995, it was the smallest brewery in America’s smallest state. 24 years (and countless pints) later, it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company for $300 million. Along the way, Sam and Mariah had one random experience after another: writing a bill to legalize their own brew-pub, winning best recipe at the Delaware Punkin Chunkin, and inviting Ricki Lake to their first tasting at Sam's apartment (spoiler alert: she showed up).

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5032 no Advice Line with Joe Gebbia of Airbnb Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Joe shares an update on his latest entrepreneurial adventure: Samara. Today we meet Marina in Texas, who’s wondering if her language-teaching singing books need to be on Amazon. Then Ray in California, who’s seeking fundraising guidance for his self-distributed Mexican-style beer brand. And Jael in South Dakota, who’s navigating her women’s collegiate sports apparel brand to the next $10 million dollars in revenue.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Lufi & Friends, Norwalk Brewhouse and Gameday Social for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Airbnb’s founding story as told by Joe on the show in 2016.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Joe Gebbia of Airbnb full 700 Guy Raz | Vox Media Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Joe shares an update on his latest entrepreneurial adventure: Samara.Today we meet Marina in Texas, who’s wondering if her language-teaching singing books need to be on Amazon. Then Ray in California, who’s seeking fundraising guidance for his self-distributed Mexican-style beer brand. And Jael in South Dakota, who’s navigating her women’s collegiate sports apparel brand to the next $10 million dollars in revenue. Thank you to the founders of Lufi &amp; Friends, Norwalk Brewhouse and Gameday Social for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Airbnb’s founding story as told by Joe on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Joe shares an update on his latest entrepreneurial adventure: Samara. Today we meet Marina in Texas, who’s wondering if her language-teaching singing books need to be on Amazon. Then Ray in California, who’s seeking fundraising guidance for his self-distributed Mexican-style beer brand. And Jael in South Dakota, who’s navigating her women’s collegiate sports apparel brand to the next $10 million dollars in revenue.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Lufi & Friends, Norwalk Brewhouse and Gameday Social for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Airbnb’s founding story as told by Joe on the show in 2016.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Joe shares an update on his latest entrepreneurial adventure: Samara.


Today we meet Marina in Texas, who’s wondering if her language-teaching singing books need to be on Amazon. Then Ray in California, who’s seeking fundraising guidance for his self-distributed Mexican-style beer brand. And Jael in South Dakota, who’s navigating her women’s collegiate sports apparel brand to the next $10 million dollars in revenue. 


Thank you to the founders of Lufi & Friends, Norwalk Brewhouse and Gameday Social for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Airbnb’s founding story as told by Joe on the show in 2016. 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3338 no Fanatics: Michael Rubin If you’ve ever bought sports merch or bet on a big-league game, you’ve likely spent money on Fanatics. It’s a massive one-stop-shop for sports, founded by a guy who could barely read growing up. What Michael Rubin did know was how to spin a deal: by 15, he was making thousands of dollars trading in closeout sporting goods, and by his early 20’s, he was CEO of a public company. Since 2011, when he acquired Fanatics, Michael has focused his relentless energy into building his $25 billion sports branding business. Michael says he’ll run the company until he dies, but first has to figure out how to sleep.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Chris Maccini.&nbsp;Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Fanatics: Michael Rubin full 699 Guy Raz | Vox Media If you’ve ever bought sports merch or bet on a big-league game, you’ve likely spent money on Fanatics. It’s a massive one-stop-shop for sports, founded by a guy who could barely read growing up. What Michael Rubin did know was how to spin a deal: by 15, he was making thousands of dollars trading in closeout sporting goods, and by his early 20’s, he was CEO of a public company. Since 2011, when he acquired Fanatics, Michael has focused his relentless energy into building his $25 billion sports branding business. Michael says he’ll run the company until he dies, but first has to figure out how to sleep.  This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. If you’ve ever bought sports merch or bet on a big-league game, you’ve likely spent money on Fanatics. It’s a massive one-stop-shop for sports, founded by a guy who could barely read growing up. What Michael Rubin did know was how to spin a deal: by 15, he was making thousands of dollars trading in closeout sporting goods, and by his early 20’s, he was CEO of a public company. Since 2011, when he acquired Fanatics, Michael has focused his relentless energy into building his $25 billion sports branding business. Michael says he’ll run the company until he dies, but first has to figure out how to sleep.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Chris Maccini.&nbsp;Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you’ve ever bought sports merch or bet on a big-league game, you’ve likely spent money on Fanatics. It’s a massive one-stop-shop for sports, founded by a guy who could barely read growing up. What Michael Rubin did know was how to spin a deal: by 15, he was making thousands of dollars trading in closeout sporting goods, and by his early 20’s, he was CEO of a public company. Since 2011, when he acquired Fanatics, Michael has focused his relentless energy into building his $25 billion sports branding business. Michael says he’ll run the company until he dies, but first has to figure out how to sleep.  


This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Chris Maccini. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3648 no Advice Line with Katlin Smith of Simple Mills Simple Mills founder Katlin Smith joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three founders about knowing how, when, and where to go “all-in.” First, we meet Scott in Minnesota, who’s looking to revive his beer grain pretzel concept in a more manufacturer-friendly way. Then Tim from Kentucky, who wants to grow his hot sauce side hustle into a full-time, family-providing business. And then Marissa in New York, whose silicon pet products may be useful for more than just your pups. Thank you to the founders of Upcycle Foods Co., Grumpy Dad Sauce Company, and Sweet Paws for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Katlin tell the story of how Simple Mills was founded during her first visit to the show back in 2021. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Katlin Smith of Simple Mills full 698 Guy Raz | Vox Media Simple Mills founder Katlin Smith joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three founders about knowing how, when, and where to go “all-in.”First, we meet Scott in Minnesota, who’s looking to revive his beer grain pretzel concept in a more manufacturer-friendly way. Then Tim from Kentucky, who wants to grow his hot sauce side hustle into a full-time, family-providing business. And then Marissa in New York, whose silicon pet products may be useful for more than just your pups.Thank you to the founders of Upcycle Foods Co., Grumpy Dad Sauce Company, and Sweet Paws for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Katlin tell the story of how Simple Mills was founded during her first visit to the show back in 2021.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Simple Mills founder Katlin Smith joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three founders about knowing how, when, and where to go “all-in.” First, we meet Scott in Minnesota, who’s looking to revive his beer grain pretzel concept in a more manufacturer-friendly way. Then Tim from Kentucky, who wants to grow his hot sauce side hustle into a full-time, family-providing business. And then Marissa in New York, whose silicon pet products may be useful for more than just your pups. Thank you to the founders of Upcycle Foods Co., Grumpy Dad Sauce Company, and Sweet Paws for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Katlin tell the story of how Simple Mills was founded during her first visit to the show back in 2021. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Simple Mills founder Katlin Smith joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three founders about knowing how, when, and where to go “all-in.”

First, we meet Scott in Minnesota, who’s looking to revive his beer grain pretzel concept in a more manufacturer-friendly way. Then Tim from Kentucky, who wants to grow his hot sauce side hustle into a full-time, family-providing business. And then Marissa in New York, whose silicon pet products may be useful for more than just your pups.

Thank you to the founders of Upcycle Foods Co., Grumpy Dad Sauce Company, and Sweet Paws for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Katlin tell the story of how Simple Mills was founded during her first visit to the show back in 2021.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3232 no Resy and Eater: Ben Leventhal When Ben Leventhal first started blogging about New York City’s restaurant scene in the early 2000s, he was doing it as a hobby. But as the website Eater gained weight and spread to other cities, it became a snarkily influential voice in the dining world. Recognizing that many restaurants struggle to survive, Ben then co-founded Resy, a booking app that squeezed more value into seats by charging diners higher rates for a hot table. When this business model flopped, Resy made a rapid pivot that eventually paid off, with an acquisition by American Express for $200 million in 2019. This episode was researched and produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Resy and Eater: Ben Leventhal full 697 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Ben Leventhal first started blogging about New York City’s restaurant scene in the early 2000s, he was doing it as a hobby. But as the website Eater gained weight and spread to other cities, it became a snarkily influential voice in the dining world. Recognizing that many restaurants struggle to survive, Ben then co-founded Resy, a booking app that squeezed more value into seats by charging diners higher rates for a hot table. When this business model flopped, Resy made a rapid pivot that eventually paid off, with an acquisition by American Express for $200 million in 2019.This episode was researched and produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. When Ben Leventhal first started blogging about New York City’s restaurant scene in the early 2000s, he was doing it as a hobby. But as the website Eater gained weight and spread to other cities, it became a snarkily influential voice in the dining world. Recognizing that many restaurants struggle to survive, Ben then co-founded Resy, a booking app that squeezed more value into seats by charging diners higher rates for a hot table. When this business model flopped, Resy made a rapid pivot that eventually paid off, with an acquisition by American Express for $200 million in 2019. This episode was researched and produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Ben Leventhal first started blogging about New York City’s restaurant scene in the early 2000s, he was doing it as a hobby. But as the website Eater gained weight and spread to other cities, it became a snarkily influential voice in the dining world. Recognizing that many restaurants struggle to survive, Ben then co-founded Resy, a booking app that squeezed more value into seats by charging diners higher rates for a hot table. When this business model flopped, Resy made a rapid pivot that eventually paid off, with an acquisition by American Express for $200 million in 2019.

This episode was researched and produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3597 no Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community. First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers. Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon full 696 Guy Raz | Vox Media Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community.First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers.Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community. First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers. Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community.


First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers.


Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3375 no Bombas: David Heath and Randy Goldberg (2022) David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their 20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together. Randy and David didn’t initially intend to get into the sock business, but in 2011, David read that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. That led them to start a company they called Bombas based on a promise: for each pair of socks a customer bought, another would be donated to the homeless. Within about ten years, their one-for-one start-up turned into a quarter of a billion dollar business that has expanded into sweatshirts, underwear, and t-shirts. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Bombas: David Heath and Randy Goldberg (2022) full 695 Guy Raz | Vox Media David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their 20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together. Randy and David didn’t initially intend to get into the sock business, but in 2011, David read that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. That led them to start a company they called Bombas based on a promise: for each pair of socks a customer bought, another would be donated to the homeless. Within about ten years, their one-for-one start-up turned into a quarter of a billion dollar business that has expanded into sweatshirts, underwear, and t-shirts.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their 20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together. Randy and David didn’t initially intend to get into the sock business, but in 2011, David read that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. That led them to start a company they called Bombas based on a promise: for each pair of socks a customer bought, another would be donated to the homeless. Within about ten years, their one-for-one start-up turned into a quarter of a billion dollar business that has expanded into sweatshirts, underwear, and t-shirts. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their 20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together. Randy and David didn’t initially intend to get into the sock business, but in 2011, David read that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. That led them to start a company they called Bombas based on a promise: for each pair of socks a customer bought, another would be donated to the homeless. Within about ten years, their one-for-one start-up turned into a quarter of a billion dollar business that has expanded into sweatshirts, underwear, and t-shirts.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5138 no Advice Line with Lara Merriken of LÄRABAR (October 2024) LÄRABAR founder Lara Merriken joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Lara discusses her latest venture: a coaching service for entrepreneurs. First we meet Alison in Denver, who’s hoping to maintain her body care brand’s edge and authenticity as it expands to new retailers. Then Mariano in Miami, who’s wondering how to market his caffeinated gum to corporate buyers. And Lauretta on Long Island, a one-woman-show who’s looking to fundraise for her ginger tea brand. Thank you to the founders of Joy Breeders, Maax Brands, and Lauretta’s British Ginger T for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to LÄRABAR’s founding story as told by Lara on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Lara Merriken of LÄRABAR (October 2024) full 694 Guy Raz | Vox Media LÄRABAR founder Lara Merriken joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Lara discusses her latest venture: a coaching service for entrepreneurs.First we meet Alison in Denver, who’s hoping to maintain her body care brand’s edge and authenticity as it expands to new retailers. Then Mariano in Miami, who’s wondering how to market his caffeinated gum to corporate buyers. And Lauretta on Long Island, a one-woman-show who’s looking to fundraise for her ginger tea brand.Thank you to the founders of Joy Breeders, Maax Brands, and Lauretta’s British Ginger T for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to LÄRABAR’s founding story as told by Lara on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. LÄRABAR founder Lara Merriken joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Lara discusses her latest venture: a coaching service for entrepreneurs. First we meet Alison in Denver, who’s hoping to maintain her body care brand’s edge and authenticity as it expands to new retailers. Then Mariano in Miami, who’s wondering how to market his caffeinated gum to corporate buyers. And Lauretta on Long Island, a one-woman-show who’s looking to fundraise for her ginger tea brand. Thank you to the founders of Joy Breeders, Maax Brands, and Lauretta’s British Ginger T for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to LÄRABAR’s founding story as told by Lara on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices LÄRABAR founder Lara Merriken joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Lara discusses her latest venture: a coaching service for entrepreneurs.

First we meet Alison in Denver, who’s hoping to maintain her body care brand’s edge and authenticity as it expands to new retailers. Then Mariano in Miami, who’s wondering how to market his caffeinated gum to corporate buyers. And Lauretta on Long Island, a one-woman-show who’s looking to fundraise for her ginger tea brand.

Thank you to the founders of Joy Breeders, Maax Brands, and Lauretta’s British Ginger T for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to LÄRABAR’s founding story as told by Lara on the show in 2018.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3286 no Raising Cane's: Todd Graves (2022) By his early 20s, Todd Graves knew exactly what he wanted to do—open a restaurant near Louisiana State University that would make four things better than anyone else: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. After he and his partner Craig Silvey got rejected from every bank in Baton Rouge, Todd set out to fund his dream by working two treacherous jobs; first at an oil refinery and then on an Alaskan fishing boat. With roughly $150,000, he remodeled an old bike shop and opened his first restaurant in 1996. As word spread, Todd began building more restaurants, fueling the expansion on a rickety system of loans, and dreaming of making Cane’s as ubiquitous as McDonald's. Over the years, he has retained ownership of the business and watched it grow to over 600 stores, with 3 billion dollars in sales projected this year. This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Dec 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Raising Cane's: Todd Graves (2022) full 693 Guy Raz | Vox Media By his early 20s, Todd Graves knew exactly what he wanted to do—open a restaurant near Louisiana State University that would make four things better than anyone else: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. After he and his partner Craig Silvey got rejected from every bank in Baton Rouge, Todd set out to fund his dream by working two treacherous jobs; first at an oil refinery and then on an Alaskan fishing boat. With roughly $150,000, he remodeled an old bike shop and opened his first restaurant in 1996. As word spread, Todd began building more restaurants, fueling the expansion on a rickety system of loans, and dreaming of making Cane’s as ubiquitous as McDonald's. Over the years, he has retained ownership of the business and watched it grow to over 600 stores, with 3 billion dollars in sales projected this year.This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. By his early 20s, Todd Graves knew exactly what he wanted to do—open a restaurant near Louisiana State University that would make four things better than anyone else: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. After he and his partner Craig Silvey got rejected from every bank in Baton Rouge, Todd set out to fund his dream by working two treacherous jobs; first at an oil refinery and then on an Alaskan fishing boat. With roughly $150,000, he remodeled an old bike shop and opened his first restaurant in 1996. As word spread, Todd began building more restaurants, fueling the expansion on a rickety system of loans, and dreaming of making Cane’s as ubiquitous as McDonald's. Over the years, he has retained ownership of the business and watched it grow to over 600 stores, with 3 billion dollars in sales projected this year. This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices By his early 20s, Todd Graves knew exactly what he wanted to do—open a restaurant near Louisiana State University that would make four things better than anyone else: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. After he and his partner Craig Silvey got rejected from every bank in Baton Rouge, Todd set out to fund his dream by working two treacherous jobs; first at an oil refinery and then on an Alaskan fishing boat. With roughly $150,000, he remodeled an old bike shop and opened his first restaurant in 1996. As word spread, Todd began building more restaurants, fueling the expansion on a rickety system of loans, and dreaming of making Cane’s as ubiquitous as McDonald's. Over the years, he has retained ownership of the business and watched it grow to over 600 stores, with 3 billion dollars in sales projected this year.


This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. 


Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima. 


You can follow HIBT on You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5145 no Advice Line with Brett Schulman of CAVA (July 2024) CAVA co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders experiencing growing pains as they scale their companies.&nbsp; Today we meet Devin, who’s navigating imposter syndrome as his spiked root beer gets picked up by stores across Texas. Then Sophia, a Los Angeles mom exploring new sales channels for the accessories she designed to support children’s allergy needs. And Sean, who’s weighing whether outside investment is the best way to grow his Michigan-based coffee roastery into a national brand.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;CAVA’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Brett and his co-founder Ted Xenohristos on the show in 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Brett Schulman of CAVA (July 2024) full 692 Guy Raz | Vox Media CAVA co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders experiencing growing pains as they scale their companies. Today we meet Devin, who’s navigating imposter syndrome as his spiked root beer gets picked up by stores across Texas. Then Sophia, a Los Angeles mom exploring new sales channels for the accessories she designed to support children’s allergy needs. And Sean, who’s weighing whether outside investment is the best way to grow his Michigan-based coffee roastery into a national brand. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to CAVA’s founding story as told by Brett and his co-founder Ted Xenohristos on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. CAVA co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders experiencing growing pains as they scale their companies.&nbsp; Today we meet Devin, who’s navigating imposter syndrome as his spiked root beer gets picked up by stores across Texas. Then Sophia, a Los Angeles mom exploring new sales channels for the accessories she designed to support children’s allergy needs. And Sean, who’s weighing whether outside investment is the best way to grow his Michigan-based coffee roastery into a national brand.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to&nbsp;CAVA’s founding story&nbsp;as told by Brett and his co-founder Ted Xenohristos on the show in 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices CAVA co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders experiencing growing pains as they scale their companies. 

Today we meet Devin, who’s navigating imposter syndrome as his spiked root beer gets picked up by stores across Texas. Then Sophia, a Los Angeles mom exploring new sales channels for the accessories she designed to support children’s allergy needs. And Sean, who’s weighing whether outside investment is the best way to grow his Michigan-based coffee roastery into a national brand. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to CAVA’s founding story as told by Brett and his co-founder Ted Xenohristos on the show in 2023. 

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3211 no Hero Cosmetics: Ju Rhyu and Dwight Lee The company behind the blockbuster acne fighter, Mighty Patch, was launched in 2017 with a single product sold exclusively on Amazon. It was inspired by similar patches Ju Rhyu had seen while living in Korea. Ju struggled with breakouts herself, and when she tried a patch and saw how well they worked, she was inspired to tailor a patch for the U.S. market. So, while the product wasn’t new, Ju recognized a niche to be filled. Over the next five years, Ju and her co-founders—brothers Dwight and Andy Lee—grew Mighty Patch from a niche product to a cosmetics industry sensation. Seemingly overnight, teens and young adults across America and all over social media could be seen proudly wearing patches on their faces. The Mighty Patch became so successful that in 2022 Hero Cosmetics sold for $630 million. And today, Hero is the number one selling acne treatment brand in the United States. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from Olivia Rockeman.&nbsp; Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Dec 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Hero Cosmetics: Ju Rhyu and Dwight Lee full 691 Guy Raz | Vox Media The company behind the blockbuster acne fighter, Mighty Patch, was launched in 2017 with a single product sold exclusively on Amazon. It was inspired by similar patches Ju Rhyu had seen while living in Korea. Ju struggled with breakouts herself, and when she tried a patch and saw how well they worked, she was inspired to tailor a patch for the U.S. market. So, while the product wasn’t new, Ju recognized a niche to be filled.Over the next five years, Ju and her co-founders—brothers Dwight and Andy Lee—grew Mighty Patch from a niche product to a cosmetics industry sensation. Seemingly overnight, teens and young adults across America and all over social media could be seen proudly wearing patches on their faces. The Mighty Patch became so successful that in 2022 Hero Cosmetics sold for $630 million. And today, Hero is the number one selling acne treatment brand in the United States.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from Olivia Rockeman. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com The company behind the blockbuster acne fighter, Mighty Patch, was launched in 2017 with a single product sold exclusively on Amazon. It was inspired by similar patches Ju Rhyu had seen while living in Korea. Ju struggled with breakouts herself, and when she tried a patch and saw how well they worked, she was inspired to tailor a patch for the U.S. market. So, while the product wasn’t new, Ju recognized a niche to be filled. Over the next five years, Ju and her co-founders—brothers Dwight and Andy Lee—grew Mighty Patch from a niche product to a cosmetics industry sensation. Seemingly overnight, teens and young adults across America and all over social media could be seen proudly wearing patches on their faces. The Mighty Patch became so successful that in 2022 Hero Cosmetics sold for $630 million. And today, Hero is the number one selling acne treatment brand in the United States. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from Olivia Rockeman.&nbsp; Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The company behind the blockbuster acne fighter, Mighty Patch, was launched in 2017 with a single product sold exclusively on Amazon. It was inspired by similar patches Ju Rhyu had seen while living in Korea. Ju struggled with breakouts herself, and when she tried a patch and saw how well they worked, she was inspired to tailor a patch for the U.S. market. So, while the product wasn’t new, Ju recognized a niche to be filled.


Over the next five years, Ju and her co-founders—brothers Dwight and Andy Lee—grew Mighty Patch from a niche product to a cosmetics industry sensation. Seemingly overnight, teens and young adults across America and all over social media could be seen proudly wearing patches on their faces. The Mighty Patch became so successful that in 2022 Hero Cosmetics sold for $630 million. And today, Hero is the number one selling acne treatment brand in the United States.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.


Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from Olivia Rockeman. 


Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4695 no Advice Line with Serial Entrepreneur Marc Lore Serial entrepreneur and U.S. National Bobsled Team qualifier Marc Lore joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Marc also discusses his latest venture - Wonder - and its recent shift away from food prep and delivery vans; plus, what founders should consider when making their own strategic pivots.&nbsp; First we meet Ben in Oregon, who’s wondering if his chocolate factory should double down on an experiential offering in light of increased cocoa prices. Then Lindsey in Utah, who’s looking for ways to convince retailers to carry her portable diaper kits. And Ryan in Colorado, who’s weighing whether to focus on national expansion for his whiskey brand, or deepening market penetration in the Rockies.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Chomp Chocolate, Baby a GoGo and 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirit Company for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Marc Lore’s founding story as told by Marc on the show in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Dec 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Serial Entrepreneur Marc Lore full 690 Guy Raz | Vox Media Serial entrepreneur and U.S. National Bobsled Team qualifier Marc Lore joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Marc also discusses his latest venture - Wonder - and its recent shift away from food prep and delivery vans; plus, what founders should consider when making their own strategic pivots. First we meet Ben in Oregon, who’s wondering if his chocolate factory should double down on an experiential offering in light of increased cocoa prices. Then Lindsey in Utah, who’s looking for ways to convince retailers to carry her portable diaper kits. And Ryan in Colorado, who’s weighing whether to focus on national expansion for his whiskey brand, or deepening market penetration in the Rockies. Thank you to the founders of Chomp Chocolate, Baby a GoGo and 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirit Company for being part of the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Marc Lore’s founding story as told by Marc on the show in 2021.  This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Serial entrepreneur and U.S. National Bobsled Team qualifier Marc Lore joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Marc also discusses his latest venture - Wonder - and its recent shift away from food prep and delivery vans; plus, what founders should consider when making their own strategic pivots.&nbsp; First we meet Ben in Oregon, who’s wondering if his chocolate factory should double down on an experiential offering in light of increased cocoa prices. Then Lindsey in Utah, who’s looking for ways to convince retailers to carry her portable diaper kits. And Ryan in Colorado, who’s weighing whether to focus on national expansion for his whiskey brand, or deepening market penetration in the Rockies.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Chomp Chocolate, Baby a GoGo and 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirit Company for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Marc Lore’s founding story as told by Marc on the show in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Serial entrepreneur and U.S. National Bobsled Team qualifier Marc Lore joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Marc also discusses his latest venture - Wonder - and its recent shift away from food prep and delivery vans; plus, what founders should consider when making their own strategic pivots. 

First we meet Ben in Oregon, who’s wondering if his chocolate factory should double down on an experiential offering in light of increased cocoa prices. Then Lindsey in Utah, who’s looking for ways to convince retailers to carry her portable diaper kits. And Ryan in Colorado, who’s weighing whether to focus on national expansion for his whiskey brand, or deepening market penetration in the Rockies. 

Thank you to the founders of Chomp Chocolate, Baby a GoGo and 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirit Company for being part of the show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Marc Lore’s founding story as told by Marc on the show in 2021.  


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3046 no The Container Store: Kip and Sharon Tindell When Kip Tindell co-founded The Container Store in 1978, people laughed at him for wanting to sell empty boxes. But Kip and his partners had identified a clear problem—the tyranny of household clutter—and a new category of solutions: metal crates, stackable wicker baskets, sleek lucite canisters. The Container Store’s promise of affordable organization made it an instant hit, and Kip’s wife Sharon soon joined the partnership. Decades later, as online shopping took off, the business faltered; and in 2013, when The Container Store went public,&nbsp;Kip and Sharon came to regret it. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:10:00 -0000 The Container Store: Kip and Sharon Tindell full 689 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Kip Tindell co-founded The Container Store in 1978, people laughed at him for wanting to sell empty boxes. But Kip and his partners had identified a clear problem—the tyranny of household clutter—and a new category of solutions: metal crates, stackable wicker baskets, sleek lucite canisters. The Container Store’s promise of affordable organization made it an instant hit, and Kip’s wife Sharon soon joined the partnership. Decades later, as online shopping took off, the business faltered; and in 2013, when The Container Store went public, Kip and Sharon came to regret it.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Kip Tindell co-founded The Container Store in 1978, people laughed at him for wanting to sell empty boxes. But Kip and his partners had identified a clear problem—the tyranny of household clutter—and a new category of solutions: metal crates, stackable wicker baskets, sleek lucite canisters. The Container Store’s promise of affordable organization made it an instant hit, and Kip’s wife Sharon soon joined the partnership. Decades later, as online shopping took off, the business faltered; and in 2013, when The Container Store went public,&nbsp;Kip and Sharon came to regret it. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Kip Tindell co-founded The Container Store in 1978, people laughed at him for wanting to sell empty boxes. But Kip and his partners had identified a clear problem—the tyranny of household clutter—and a new category of solutions: metal crates, stackable wicker baskets, sleek lucite canisters. The Container Store’s promise of affordable organization made it an instant hit, and Kip’s wife Sharon soon joined the partnership. Decades later, as online shopping took off, the business faltered; and in 2013, when The Container Store went public, Kip and Sharon came to regret it.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3998 no Advice Line with Steve Case of AOL AOL co-founder and former CEO Steve Case joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Steve reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s nascent tech companies. First we meet Silvia in San Francisco, who’s wondering how to engage more men with her homelife management app. Then Mindy in St. Louis, who’s considering new models for her online concierge for college students. And Jason in Las Vegas, who wants to convert a key demographic into customers for his music education products. Thank you to the founders of Coexist, mindyKNOWS, and Kidenza for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to AOL’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Dec 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Steve Case of AOL full 688 Guy Raz | Vox Media AOL co-founder and former CEO Steve Case joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Steve reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s nascent tech companies.First we meet Silvia in San Francisco, who’s wondering how to engage more men with her homelife management app. Then Mindy in St. Louis, who’s considering new models for her online concierge for college students. And Jason in Las Vegas, who wants to convert a key demographic into customers for his music education products.Thank you to the founders of Coexist, mindyKNOWS, and Kidenza for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to AOL’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. AOL co-founder and former CEO Steve Case joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Steve reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s nascent tech companies. First we meet Silvia in San Francisco, who’s wondering how to engage more men with her homelife management app. Then Mindy in St. Louis, who’s considering new models for her online concierge for college students. And Jason in Las Vegas, who wants to convert a key demographic into customers for his music education products. Thank you to the founders of Coexist, mindyKNOWS, and Kidenza for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to AOL’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices AOL co-founder and former CEO Steve Case joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Steve reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s nascent tech companies.

First we meet Silvia in San Francisco, who’s wondering how to engage more men with her homelife management app. Then Mindy in St. Louis, who’s considering new models for her online concierge for college students. And Jason in Las Vegas, who wants to convert a key demographic into customers for his music education products.

Thank you to the founders of Coexist, mindyKNOWS, and Kidenza for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to AOL’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2935 no Marucci Sports - Kurt Ainsworth No athlete wishes for an injury, but when Kurt Ainsworth’s bad shoulder derailed his professional pitching career, it created a big opportunity. Kurt and two partners started a wooden bat company in his backyard, bringing their intimate knowledge of baseball to every bat they sold. Soon, big-name players like Sammy Sosa were swinging them, but Kurt knew they had to expand to aluminum bats to reach the wider field of non-professional players. The company faced a near death experience when the NCAA decertified its bats for being too powerful, but eventually regained its footing. In 2013, Marucci Sports was acquired for over half a billion dollars; and next year, Marucci will slide past Louisville Slugger to become the official bats of Major League Baseball.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Katherine Sypher.&nbsp; Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Dec 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Marucci Sports - Kurt Ainsworth full 687 Guy Raz | Vox Media No athlete wishes for an injury, but when Kurt Ainsworth’s bad shoulder derailed his professional pitching career, it created a big opportunity. Kurt and two partners started a wooden bat company in his backyard, bringing their intimate knowledge of baseball to every bat they sold. Soon, big-name players like Sammy Sosa were swinging them, but Kurt knew they had to expand to aluminum bats to reach the wider field of non-professional players. The company faced a near death experience when the NCAA decertified its bats for being too powerful, but eventually regained its footing. In 2013, Marucci Sports was acquired for over half a billion dollars; and next year, Marucci will slide past Louisville Slugger to become the official bats of Major League Baseball. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. No athlete wishes for an injury, but when Kurt Ainsworth’s bad shoulder derailed his professional pitching career, it created a big opportunity. Kurt and two partners started a wooden bat company in his backyard, bringing their intimate knowledge of baseball to every bat they sold. Soon, big-name players like Sammy Sosa were swinging them, but Kurt knew they had to expand to aluminum bats to reach the wider field of non-professional players. The company faced a near death experience when the NCAA decertified its bats for being too powerful, but eventually regained its footing. In 2013, Marucci Sports was acquired for over half a billion dollars; and next year, Marucci will slide past Louisville Slugger to become the official bats of Major League Baseball.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Katherine Sypher.&nbsp; Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices No athlete wishes for an injury, but when Kurt Ainsworth’s bad shoulder derailed his professional pitching career, it created a big opportunity. Kurt and two partners started a wooden bat company in his backyard, bringing their intimate knowledge of baseball to every bat they sold. Soon, big-name players like Sammy Sosa were swinging them, but Kurt knew they had to expand to aluminum bats to reach the wider field of non-professional players. The company faced a near death experience when the NCAA decertified its bats for being too powerful, but eventually regained its footing. In 2013, Marucci Sports was acquired for over half a billion dollars; and next year, Marucci will slide past Louisville Slugger to become the official bats of Major League Baseball. 


This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.


It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Katherine Sypher. 


Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4472 no Advice Line with Jane Wurwand of Dermalogica Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand.&nbsp; First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of&nbsp;new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Dec 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jane Wurwand of Dermalogica full 686 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand. First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.  Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand.&nbsp; First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of&nbsp;new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand. 

First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.  

Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016. 

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3356 no Norma Kamali: Norma Kamali (2021) When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Dec 2024 09:10:00 -0000 Norma Kamali: Norma Kamali (2021) full 685 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5592 no Advice Line with Gary Erickson of Clif Bar (May 2024) Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base. Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out&nbsp;Clif Bar’s founding story&nbsp;from Gary’s first appearance on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Gary Erickson of Clif Bar (May 2024) full 684 Guy Raz | Vox Media Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base.Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out Clif Bar’s founding story from Gary’s first appearance on the show in 2016.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, email us at hibt@id.wondery.com, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base. Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com&nbsp;or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out&nbsp;Clif Bar’s founding story&nbsp;from Gary’s first appearance on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base.


Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And check out Clif Bar’s founding story from Gary’s first appearance on the show in 2016.



This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, email us at hibt@id.wondery.com, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3685 no Dude Perfect: Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney (2021) As Texas A&M students in the mid 2000's, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney and their housemates spent countless hours playing hockey in the living room and attempting trick shots in the backyard. A spontaneous bet over a sandwich led the guys to make a video montage of outrageous basketball shots, which they titled Dude Perfect and posted on a new site called YouTube. After that first video wound up on Good Morning America, the five Dudes challenged themselves to even more outrageous stunts: an impossible shot from the third tier of a stadium, a here-goes-nothing lob from the door of a flying plane. But despite their growing popularity, the group spent five grueling years trying to build ad revenue and brand deals while juggling day jobs and commuting weekly across Texas. In 2014, they finally committed fulltime to building Dude Perfect into a robust entertainment platform, which today includes books, TV, live events, and a YouTube channel that has more subscribers than the NBA, NFL, and NHL combined. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Nov 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Dude Perfect: Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney (2021) full 683 Guy Raz | Vox Media As Texas A&amp;M students in the mid 2000's, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney and their housemates spent countless hours playing hockey in the living room and attempting trick shots in the backyard. A spontaneous bet over a sandwich led the guys to make a video montage of outrageous basketball shots, which they titled Dude Perfect and posted on a new site called YouTube. After that first video wound up on Good Morning America, the five Dudes challenged themselves to even more outrageous stunts: an impossible shot from the third tier of a stadium, a here-goes-nothing lob from the door of a flying plane. But despite their growing popularity, the group spent five grueling years trying to build ad revenue and brand deals while juggling day jobs and commuting weekly across Texas. In 2014, they finally committed fulltime to building Dude Perfect into a robust entertainment platform, which today includes books, TV, live events, and a YouTube channel that has more subscribers than the NBA, NFL, and NHL combined.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. As Texas A&M students in the mid 2000's, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney and their housemates spent countless hours playing hockey in the living room and attempting trick shots in the backyard. A spontaneous bet over a sandwich led the guys to make a video montage of outrageous basketball shots, which they titled Dude Perfect and posted on a new site called YouTube. After that first video wound up on Good Morning America, the five Dudes challenged themselves to even more outrageous stunts: an impossible shot from the third tier of a stadium, a here-goes-nothing lob from the door of a flying plane. But despite their growing popularity, the group spent five grueling years trying to build ad revenue and brand deals while juggling day jobs and commuting weekly across Texas. In 2014, they finally committed fulltime to building Dude Perfect into a robust entertainment platform, which today includes books, TV, live events, and a YouTube channel that has more subscribers than the NBA, NFL, and NHL combined. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As Texas A&M students in the mid 2000's, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney and their housemates spent countless hours playing hockey in the living room and attempting trick shots in the backyard. A spontaneous bet over a sandwich led the guys to make a video montage of outrageous basketball shots, which they titled Dude Perfect and posted on a new site called YouTube. After that first video wound up on Good Morning America, the five Dudes challenged themselves to even more outrageous stunts: an impossible shot from the third tier of a stadium, a here-goes-nothing lob from the door of a flying plane. But despite their growing popularity, the group spent five grueling years trying to build ad revenue and brand deals while juggling day jobs and commuting weekly across Texas. In 2014, they finally committed fulltime to building Dude Perfect into a robust entertainment platform, which today includes books, TV, live events, and a YouTube channel that has more subscribers than the NBA, NFL, and NHL combined.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Claire Murashima.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5563 no Advice Line with Norma Kamali of Norma Kamali Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the financial realities of building a worldwide brand.&nbsp; First we meet Ahmed in the U.K,, who’s refining a narrative for his eyeglass store concept in hopes of attracting investors. Then Bob in Chicago, who wants to change how people view lunch&nbsp;with his fast casual soup restaurants. And Adreana in Sacramento, who’s wondering if outside investment is the best way to scale her inclusive activewear business.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Cambridge Spectacle Company, Sunny Bowls and the Love Her Shop for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Norma Kamali’s founding story as told by Norma on the show in 2021.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Nov 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Norma Kamali of Norma Kamali full 682 Guy Raz | Vox Media Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the financial realities of building a worldwide brand. First we meet Ahmed in the U.K,, who’s refining a narrative for his eyeglass store concept in hopes of attracting investors. Then Bob in Chicago, who wants to change how people view lunch with his fast casual soup restaurants. And Adreana in Sacramento, who’s wondering if outside investment is the best way to scale her inclusive activewear business.  Thank you to the founders of Cambridge Spectacle Company, Sunny Bowls and the Love Her Shop for being part of the show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Norma Kamali’s founding story as told by Norma on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the financial realities of building a worldwide brand.&nbsp; First we meet Ahmed in the U.K,, who’s refining a narrative for his eyeglass store concept in hopes of attracting investors. Then Bob in Chicago, who wants to change how people view lunch&nbsp;with his fast casual soup restaurants. And Adreana in Sacramento, who’s wondering if outside investment is the best way to scale her inclusive activewear business.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Cambridge Spectacle Company, Sunny Bowls and the Love Her Shop for being part of the show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Norma Kamali’s founding story as told by Norma on the show in 2021.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the financial realities of building a worldwide brand. 


First we meet Ahmed in the U.K,, who’s refining a narrative for his eyeglass store concept in hopes of attracting investors. Then Bob in Chicago, who wants to change how people view lunch with his fast casual soup restaurants. And Adreana in Sacramento, who’s wondering if outside investment is the best way to scale her inclusive activewear business.  


Thank you to the founders of Cambridge Spectacle Company, Sunny Bowls and the Love Her Shop for being part of the show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Norma Kamali’s founding story as told by Norma on the show in 2021. 


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3118 no Noosa Yoghurt: Koel Thomae In a small beach town on Australia’s sunshine coast, Koel Thomae tasted a yogurt that would change her life: creamy, infused with honey and piquant with passion fruit, it became an obsession–something she was determined to recreate in her adopted home of Boulder, Colorado. With no knowledge of dairy, Koel forged an 8,000 mile partnership between the Australian yogurt-makers and a Colorado dairyman. Noosa Yoghurt faced a near-death experience as the founders scrambled to meet the pace of demand; but by 2018, the brand was available in 25,000 stores, with over $200M in sales. Today, the company is owned by the food conglomerate Campbell’s. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Noosa Yoghurt: Koel Thomae full 681 Guy Raz | Vox Media In a small beach town on Australia’s sunshine coast, Koel Thomae tasted a yogurt that would change her life: creamy, infused with honey and piquant with passion fruit, it became an obsession–something she was determined to recreate in her adopted home of Boulder, Colorado. With no knowledge of dairy, Koel forged an 8,000 mile partnership between the Australian yogurt-makers and a Colorado dairyman. Noosa Yoghurt faced a near-death experience as the founders scrambled to meet the pace of demand; but by 2018, the brand was available in 25,000 stores, with over $200M in sales. Today, the company is owned by the food conglomerate Campbell’s.This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Olivia Rockeman.Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. In a small beach town on Australia’s sunshine coast, Koel Thomae tasted a yogurt that would change her life: creamy, infused with honey and piquant with passion fruit, it became an obsession–something she was determined to recreate in her adopted home of Boulder, Colorado. With no knowledge of dairy, Koel forged an 8,000 mile partnership between the Australian yogurt-makers and a Colorado dairyman. Noosa Yoghurt faced a near-death experience as the founders scrambled to meet the pace of demand; but by 2018, the brand was available in 25,000 stores, with over $200M in sales. Today, the company is owned by the food conglomerate Campbell’s. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In a small beach town on Australia’s sunshine coast, Koel Thomae tasted a yogurt that would change her life: creamy, infused with honey and piquant with passion fruit, it became an obsession–something she was determined to recreate in her adopted home of Boulder, Colorado. With no knowledge of dairy, Koel forged an 8,000 mile partnership between the Australian yogurt-makers and a Colorado dairyman. Noosa Yoghurt faced a near-death experience as the founders scrambled to meet the pace of demand; but by 2018, the brand was available in 25,000 stores, with over $200M in sales. Today, the company is owned by the food conglomerate Campbell’s.


This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.


It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Olivia Rockeman.


Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4286 no Advice Line with Chris Ruder of Spikeball Spikeball founder and CEO Chris Ruder joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Chris shares an early-days strategy that ended up revealing surprising intel about his core customers. First we meet Jimmy in California, who’s wondering how to find passionate managers as he scales his chain of parkour gyms. Then Cindy in Massachusetts, who’s looking to expand her running brand beyond its niche with a new product. And Nigel in New York, who’s poising himself for a comeback after his Rockaway Beach surf shop went under last year. Thank you to the founders of Freedom in Motion Gym, Pen and Paces, and Station RBNY Surf Shop for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Spikeball’s founding story as told by Chris on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, who also composed the music. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 Nov 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Chris Ruder of Spikeball full 680 Guy Raz | Vox Media Spikeball founder and CEO Chris Ruder joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Chris shares an early-days strategy that ended up revealing surprising intel about his core customers.First we meet Jimmy in California, who’s wondering how to find passionate managers as he scales his chain of parkour gyms. Then Cindy in Massachusetts, who’s looking to expand her running brand beyond its niche with a new product. And Nigel in New York, who’s poising himself for a comeback after his Rockaway Beach surf shop went under last year.Thank you to the founders of Freedom in Motion Gym, Pen and Paces, and Station RBNY Surf Shop for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Spikeball’s founding story as told by Chris on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, who also composed the music. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Spikeball founder and CEO Chris Ruder joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Chris shares an early-days strategy that ended up revealing surprising intel about his core customers. First we meet Jimmy in California, who’s wondering how to find passionate managers as he scales his chain of parkour gyms. Then Cindy in Massachusetts, who’s looking to expand her running brand beyond its niche with a new product. And Nigel in New York, who’s poising himself for a comeback after his Rockaway Beach surf shop went under last year. Thank you to the founders of Freedom in Motion Gym, Pen and Paces, and Station RBNY Surf Shop for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Spikeball’s founding story as told by Chris on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, who also composed the music. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Spikeball founder and CEO Chris Ruder joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Chris shares an early-days strategy that ended up revealing surprising intel about his core customers.

First we meet Jimmy in California, who’s wondering how to find passionate managers as he scales his chain of parkour gyms. Then Cindy in Massachusetts, who’s looking to expand her running brand beyond its niche with a new product. And Nigel in New York, who’s poising himself for a comeback after his Rockaway Beach surf shop went under last year.

Thank you to the founders of Freedom in Motion Gym, Pen and Paces, and Station RBNY Surf Shop for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Spikeball’s founding story as told by Chris on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, who also composed the music. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3143 no Athletic Brewing Company: Bill Shufelt Bill Shufelt founded Athletic Brewing Company to re-invent non-alcoholic beer, but quickly learned that brewers didn’t want to make it, stores didn’t want to sell it, and potential customers didn’t want to buy it. The NA beer that already existed was outdated and foul-tasting, but Bill was convinced that if he could make a good-tasting brew, it would appeal to a growing cohort of people who wanted to enjoy beer without getting buzzed. For a while, Bill’s wife was the only person who supported him, but he eventually found an innovative brewer, and a winning strategy of sampling the beer at athletic events. Today, the company is valued at $800 million and Bill believes they’re just getting started. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Nov 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Athletic Brewing Company: Bill Shufelt full 679 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bill Shufelt founded Athletic Brewing Company to re-invent non-alcoholic beer, but quickly learned that brewers didn’t want to make it, stores didn’t want to sell it, and potential customers didn’t want to buy it. The NA beer that already existed was outdated and foul-tasting, but Bill was convinced that if he could make a good-tasting brew, it would appeal to a growing cohort of people who wanted to enjoy beer without getting buzzed. For a while, Bill’s wife was the only person who supported him, but he eventually found an innovative brewer, and a winning strategy of sampling the beer at athletic events. Today, the company is valued at $800 million and Bill believes they’re just getting started.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Bill Shufelt founded Athletic Brewing Company to re-invent non-alcoholic beer, but quickly learned that brewers didn’t want to make it, stores didn’t want to sell it, and potential customers didn’t want to buy it. The NA beer that already existed was outdated and foul-tasting, but Bill was convinced that if he could make a good-tasting brew, it would appeal to a growing cohort of people who wanted to enjoy beer without getting buzzed. For a while, Bill’s wife was the only person who supported him, but he eventually found an innovative brewer, and a winning strategy of sampling the beer at athletic events. Today, the company is valued at $800 million and Bill believes they’re just getting started. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bill Shufelt founded Athletic Brewing Company to re-invent non-alcoholic beer, but quickly learned that brewers didn’t want to make it, stores didn’t want to sell it, and potential customers didn’t want to buy it. The NA beer that already existed was outdated and foul-tasting, but Bill was convinced that if he could make a good-tasting brew, it would appeal to a growing cohort of people who wanted to enjoy beer without getting buzzed. For a while, Bill’s wife was the only person who supported him, but he eventually found an innovative brewer, and a winning strategy of sampling the beer at athletic events. Today, the company is valued at $800 million and Bill believes they’re just getting started.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4103 no Advice Line with Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Stonyfield co-founder and former CEO Gary Hirshberg joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Gary explains how a social mission can be a competitive advantage for a consumer product. First we meet Cate in Oregon, who’s trying to figure out the best way for her leather goods company to stop cow hides from going to waste. Then Jamie in Santa Barbara, whose gourmet vegan camping meals are speaking to a customer demographic she wasn’t expecting. And Dianna in the Bay Area, who’s ready to hire a right hand for her seeded cracker company but isn’t sure where to look. Thank you to the founders of Range Revolution, Poe & Co. Folk Foods, and Cult Crackers for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Stonyfield’s founding story as told by Gary on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 Nov 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield full 678 Guy Raz | Vox Media Stonyfield co-founder and former CEO Gary Hirshberg joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Gary explains how a social mission can be a competitive advantage for a consumer product.First we meet Cate in Oregon, who’s trying to figure out the best way for her leather goods company to stop cow hides from going to waste. Then Jamie in Santa Barbara, whose gourmet vegan camping meals are speaking to a customer demographic she wasn’t expecting. And Dianna in the Bay Area, who’s ready to hire a right hand for her seeded cracker company but isn’t sure where to look.Thank you to the founders of Range Revolution, Poe &amp; Co. Folk Foods, and Cult Crackers for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Stonyfield’s founding story as told by Gary on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Stonyfield co-founder and former CEO Gary Hirshberg joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Gary explains how a social mission can be a competitive advantage for a consumer product. First we meet Cate in Oregon, who’s trying to figure out the best way for her leather goods company to stop cow hides from going to waste. Then Jamie in Santa Barbara, whose gourmet vegan camping meals are speaking to a customer demographic she wasn’t expecting. And Dianna in the Bay Area, who’s ready to hire a right hand for her seeded cracker company but isn’t sure where to look. Thank you to the founders of Range Revolution, Poe & Co. Folk Foods, and Cult Crackers for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Stonyfield’s founding story as told by Gary on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Stonyfield co-founder and former CEO Gary Hirshberg joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Gary explains how a social mission can be a competitive advantage for a consumer product.

First we meet Cate in Oregon, who’s trying to figure out the best way for her leather goods company to stop cow hides from going to waste. Then Jamie in Santa Barbara, whose gourmet vegan camping meals are speaking to a customer demographic she wasn’t expecting. And Dianna in the Bay Area, who’s ready to hire a right hand for her seeded cracker company but isn’t sure where to look.

Thank you to the founders of Range Revolution, Poe & Co. Folk Foods, and Cult Crackers for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Stonyfield’s founding story as told by Gary on the show in 2017.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2914 no Boll & Branch: Scott and Missy Tannen Scott and Missy Tannen knew nothing about bed linens when they dreamed up the idea of launching a bedding company, but that didn’t stop them from setting ambitious goals: super soft sheets, 100% organic cotton, and a supply chain that was traceable from end to end. Thanks to an article in the Wall Street Journal and a $2 million advertising bet on The Howard Stern Show, Boll & Branch grew rapidly, but also faced crippling cash crunches, forcing the Tannens to scramble for loans and borrow against their own home. Today, Boll & Branch is one of the most popular luxury linen brands in the U.S., with over $200 million in revenue.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Nov 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Boll & Branch: Scott and Missy Tannen full 677 Guy Raz | Vox Media Scott and Missy Tannen knew nothing about bed linens when they dreamed up the idea of launching a bedding company, but that didn’t stop them from setting ambitious goals: super soft sheets, 100% organic cotton, and a supply chain that was traceable from end to end. Thanks to an article in the Wall Street Journal and a $2 million advertising bet on The Howard Stern Show, Boll &amp; Branch grew rapidly, but also faced crippling cash crunches, forcing the Tannens to scramble for loans and borrow against their own home. Today, Boll &amp; Branch is one of the most popular luxury linen brands in the U.S., with over $200 million in revenue. This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Scott and Missy Tannen knew nothing about bed linens when they dreamed up the idea of launching a bedding company, but that didn’t stop them from setting ambitious goals: super soft sheets, 100% organic cotton, and a supply chain that was traceable from end to end. Thanks to an article in the Wall Street Journal and a $2 million advertising bet on The Howard Stern Show, Boll & Branch grew rapidly, but also faced crippling cash crunches, forcing the Tannens to scramble for loans and borrow against their own home. Today, Boll & Branch is one of the most popular luxury linen brands in the U.S., with over $200 million in revenue.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Scott and Missy Tannen knew nothing about bed linens when they dreamed up the idea of launching a bedding company, but that didn’t stop them from setting ambitious goals: super soft sheets, 100% organic cotton, and a supply chain that was traceable from end to end. Thanks to an article in the Wall Street Journal and a $2 million advertising bet on The Howard Stern Show, Boll & Branch grew rapidly, but also faced crippling cash crunches, forcing the Tannens to scramble for loans and borrow against their own home. Today, Boll & Branch is one of the most popular luxury linen brands in the U.S., with over $200 million in revenue. 

This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4392 no Advice Line with Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? 1-800-GOT-JUNK? founder and CEO Brian Scudamore joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.&nbsp;&nbsp; First we meet Theresa in Denver, who’s wondering if she should diversify her edible flower products or double down on a core offering. Then Jake in Los Angeles, who’s seeking clarity on his customizable skincare brand’s target customer. And Theo near Sacramento, who wants to nail a second attempt at drastically scaling up his live poultry sales company. Thank you to the founders of Flouwer Co., Notion Skincare, and Fox & Hen Fine Poultry Co. for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s founding story as told by Brian on the show in 2017.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 31 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? full 676 Guy Raz | Vox Media 1-800-GOT-JUNK? founder and CEO Brian Scudamore joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.  First we meet Theresa in Denver, who’s wondering if she should diversify her edible flower products or double down on a core offering. Then Jake in Los Angeles, who’s seeking clarity on his customizable skincare brand’s target customer. And Theo near Sacramento, who wants to nail a second attempt at drastically scaling up his live poultry sales company.Thank you to the founders of Flouwer Co., Notion Skincare, and Fox &amp; Hen Fine Poultry Co. for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s founding story as told by Brian on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? founder and CEO Brian Scudamore joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.&nbsp;&nbsp; First we meet Theresa in Denver, who’s wondering if she should diversify her edible flower products or double down on a core offering. Then Jake in Los Angeles, who’s seeking clarity on his customizable skincare brand’s target customer. And Theo near Sacramento, who wants to nail a second attempt at drastically scaling up his live poultry sales company. Thank you to the founders of Flouwer Co., Notion Skincare, and Fox & Hen Fine Poultry Co. for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s founding story as told by Brian on the show in 2017.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 1-800-GOT-JUNK? founder and CEO Brian Scudamore joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.  

First we meet Theresa in Denver, who’s wondering if she should diversify her edible flower products or double down on a core offering. Then Jake in Los Angeles, who’s seeking clarity on his customizable skincare brand’s target customer. And Theo near Sacramento, who wants to nail a second attempt at drastically scaling up his live poultry sales company.

Thank you to the founders of Flouwer Co., Notion Skincare, and Fox & Hen Fine Poultry Co. for being a part of our show. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s founding story as told by Brian on the show in 2017. 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3010 no BARK: Matt Meeker When Matt Meeker started sharing a Brooklyn apartment with a Great Dane, he didn’t know it would inspire him to launch a multi-million dollar company. But, disappointed by what pet stores offered for big dogs like his, Matt co-founded BARK, a subscription service for dogs of all sizes. After launching in 2012, the brand expanded to include food, furnishings, and luxury charter flights, where dogs roam free about the cabin. Along the way, Matt applied critical lessons from his past startups, including a failed text-messaging company, and the social platform Meetup. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 BARK: Matt Meeker full 675 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Matt Meeker started sharing a Brooklyn apartment with a Great Dane, he didn’t know it would inspire him to launch a multi-million dollar company. But, disappointed by what pet stores offered for big dogs like his, Matt co-founded BARK, a subscription service for dogs of all sizes. After launching in 2012, the brand expanded to include food, furnishings, and luxury charter flights, where dogs roam free about the cabin. Along the way, Matt applied critical lessons from his past startups, including a failed text-messaging company, and the social platform Meetup.This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. When Matt Meeker started sharing a Brooklyn apartment with a Great Dane, he didn’t know it would inspire him to launch a multi-million dollar company. But, disappointed by what pet stores offered for big dogs like his, Matt co-founded BARK, a subscription service for dogs of all sizes. After launching in 2012, the brand expanded to include food, furnishings, and luxury charter flights, where dogs roam free about the cabin. Along the way, Matt applied critical lessons from his past startups, including a failed text-messaging company, and the social platform Meetup. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Matt Meeker started sharing a Brooklyn apartment with a Great Dane, he didn’t know it would inspire him to launch a multi-million dollar company. But, disappointed by what pet stores offered for big dogs like his, Matt co-founded BARK, a subscription service for dogs of all sizes. After launching in 2012, the brand expanded to include food, furnishings, and luxury charter flights, where dogs roam free about the cabin. Along the way, Matt applied critical lessons from his past startups, including a failed text-messaging company, and the social platform Meetup.


This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Maggie Luthar.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4209 no What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business: Part 2 This is part two of our special series on building food businesses presented by Klaviyo. If you haven't heard part one from last week, go back and check it out. In that episode, three founders of three different food brands – Becca Millstein from Fishwife, Brian Rudolph from Banza, and Caue Suplicy from Barnana – shared how they got their start. Today, you’ll find out how these founders have grown their brands into category-defining businesses. You’ll hear about some challenging moments – and also strategic advice if you’re building your own business. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. Our thanks to Klaviyo for sponsoring today’s episode. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Fri, 25 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business: Part 2 full 674 Guy Raz | Vox Media This is part two of our special series on building food businesses presented by Klaviyo. If you haven't heard part one from last week, go back and check it out.In that episode, three founders of three different food brands – Becca Millstein from Fishwife, Brian Rudolph from Banza, and Caue Suplicy from Barnana – shared how they got their start.Today, you’ll find out how these founders have grown their brands into category-defining businesses. You’ll hear about some challenging moments – and also strategic advice if you’re building your own business.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.Our thanks to Klaviyo for sponsoring today’s episode.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. This is part two of our special series on building food businesses presented by Klaviyo. If you haven't heard part one from last week, go back and check it out. In that episode, three founders of three different food brands – Becca Millstein from Fishwife, Brian Rudolph from Banza, and Caue Suplicy from Barnana – shared how they got their start. Today, you’ll find out how these founders have grown their brands into category-defining businesses. You’ll hear about some challenging moments – and also strategic advice if you’re building your own business. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. Our thanks to Klaviyo for sponsoring today’s episode. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices This is part two of our special series on building food businesses presented by Klaviyo. If you haven't heard part one from last week, go back and check it out.

In that episode, three founders of three different food brands – Becca Millstein from Fishwife, Brian Rudolph from Banza, and Caue Suplicy from Barnana – shared how they got their start.

Today, you’ll find out how these founders have grown their brands into category-defining businesses. You’ll hear about some challenging moments – and also strategic advice if you’re building your own business.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.

Our thanks to Klaviyo for sponsoring today’s episode.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2141 no Advice Line with Angie Hicks of Angi Angie Hicks, founder of Angi (formerly Angie’s List), joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.&nbsp; First we meet Paige, a dirt bike rider in Southern California looking to expand her women’s motocross clothing brand into retail stores. Then Dianne from Massachusetts, who’s wondering how and when to bring on new leadership to help her grow her e-commerce homegoods business. And Keisha from Kansas City, who’s hoping to reach new customers for her online Spanish language learning program. Thank you to the founders of McRey Motocross Co., Weston Table, and Bridge the Gap Spanish for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Angi’s founding story as told by Angie on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 24 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Angie Hicks of Angi full 673 Guy Raz | Vox Media Angie Hicks, founder of Angi (formerly Angie’s List), joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. First we meet Paige, a dirt bike rider in Southern California looking to expand her women’s motocross clothing brand into retail stores. Then Dianne from Massachusetts, who’s wondering how and when to bring on new leadership to help her grow her e-commerce homegoods business. And Keisha from Kansas City, who’s hoping to reach new customers for her online Spanish language learning program.Thank you to the founders of McRey Motocross Co., Weston Table, and Bridge the Gap Spanish for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Angi’s founding story as told by Angie on the show in 2016.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Angie Hicks, founder of Angi (formerly Angie’s List), joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.&nbsp; First we meet Paige, a dirt bike rider in Southern California looking to expand her women’s motocross clothing brand into retail stores. Then Dianne from Massachusetts, who’s wondering how and when to bring on new leadership to help her grow her e-commerce homegoods business. And Keisha from Kansas City, who’s hoping to reach new customers for her online Spanish language learning program. Thank you to the founders of McRey Motocross Co., Weston Table, and Bridge the Gap Spanish for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Angi’s founding story as told by Angie on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Angie Hicks, founder of Angi (formerly Angie’s List), joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. 


First we meet Paige, a dirt bike rider in Southern California looking to expand her women’s motocross clothing brand into retail stores. Then Dianne from Massachusetts, who’s wondering how and when to bring on new leadership to help her grow her e-commerce homegoods business. And Keisha from Kansas City, who’s hoping to reach new customers for her online Spanish language learning program.


Thank you to the founders of McRey Motocross Co., Weston Table, and Bridge the Gap Spanish for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Angi’s founding story as told by Angie on the show in 2016.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3173 no Black Diamond Equipment: Peter Metcalf In 1989, after years of scaling some of the most challenging peaks in the world, Peter Metcalf took on a daunting new risk: resuscitating a bankrupt climbing-equipment company, and putting himself into deep debt to do so.&nbsp;From the defunct assets of Chouinard Equipment, Peter launched Black Diamond Equipment, and capitalized on the growing popularity of sport climbing to grow it into one of the most recognizable outdoor brands in the world. By the way, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Chouinard Equipment, went on to build his next company, Patagonia, into an iconic outdoor apparel brand.&nbsp;It’s a great HIBT story, and you can listen to it HERE. This episode was produced by Josh Lash, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Black Diamond Equipment: Peter Metcalf full 672 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1989, after years of scaling some of the most challenging peaks in the world, Peter Metcalf took on a daunting new risk: resuscitating a bankrupt climbing-equipment company, and putting himself into deep debt to do so. From the defunct assets of Chouinard Equipment, Peter launched Black Diamond Equipment, and capitalized on the growing popularity of sport climbing to grow it into one of the most recognizable outdoor brands in the world. By the way, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Chouinard Equipment, went on to build his next company, Patagonia, into an iconic outdoor apparel brand. It’s a great HIBT story, and you can listen to it HERE.This episode was produced by Josh Lash, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 1989, after years of scaling some of the most challenging peaks in the world, Peter Metcalf took on a daunting new risk: resuscitating a bankrupt climbing-equipment company, and putting himself into deep debt to do so.&nbsp;From the defunct assets of Chouinard Equipment, Peter launched Black Diamond Equipment, and capitalized on the growing popularity of sport climbing to grow it into one of the most recognizable outdoor brands in the world. By the way, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Chouinard Equipment, went on to build his next company, Patagonia, into an iconic outdoor apparel brand.&nbsp;It’s a great HIBT story, and you can listen to it HERE. This episode was produced by Josh Lash, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 1989, after years of scaling some of the most challenging peaks in the world, Peter Metcalf took on a daunting new risk: resuscitating a bankrupt climbing-equipment company, and putting himself into deep debt to do so. From the defunct assets of Chouinard Equipment, Peter launched Black Diamond Equipment, and capitalized on the growing popularity of sport climbing to grow it into one of the most recognizable outdoor brands in the world.

By the way, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Chouinard Equipment, went on to build his next company, Patagonia, into an iconic outdoor apparel brand. It’s a great HIBT story, and you can listen to it HERE.


This episode was produced by Josh Lash, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3516 no What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business: Part 1 Innovation is a constant in the food industry. But it’s incredibly difficult to go from a tasty idea to an actual spot on the grocery store shelves. So if you have an idea for a food business, how do you turn it into reality? In this special two-episode series brought to you by Klaviyo, three founders share what it took to get their products on those shelves – and what it still takes today to keep their brands growing.&nbsp; This episode covers the journey from ideation to production and actual sales. Guy is joined by Becca Millstein from Fishwife, Brian Rudolph from Banza, and Caue Suplicy from Barnana. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. Our thanks to Klaviyo for sponsoring today’s episode.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Fri, 18 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business: Part 1 full 671 Guy Raz | Vox Media Innovation is a constant in the food industry. But it’s incredibly difficult to go from a tasty idea to an actual spot on the grocery store shelves. So if you have an idea for a food business, how do you turn it into reality?In this special two-episode series brought to you by Klaviyo, three founders share what it took to get their products on those shelves – and what it still takes today to keep their brands growing. This episode covers the journey from ideation to production and actual sales. Guy is joined by Becca Millstein from Fishwife, Brian Rudolph from Banza, and Caue Suplicy from Barnana.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.Our thanks to Klaviyo for sponsoring today’s episode. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Innovation is a constant in the food industry. But it’s incredibly difficult to go from a tasty idea to an actual spot on the grocery store shelves. So if you have an idea for a food business, how do you turn it into reality? In this special two-episode series brought to you by Klaviyo, three founders share what it took to get their products on those shelves – and what it still takes today to keep their brands growing.&nbsp; This episode covers the journey from ideation to production and actual sales. Guy is joined by Becca Millstein from Fishwife, Brian Rudolph from Banza, and Caue Suplicy from Barnana. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. Our thanks to Klaviyo for sponsoring today’s episode.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Innovation is a constant in the food industry. But it’s incredibly difficult to go from a tasty idea to an actual spot on the grocery store shelves. So if you have an idea for a food business, how do you turn it into reality?

In this special two-episode series brought to you by Klaviyo, three founders share what it took to get their products on those shelves – and what it still takes today to keep their brands growing. 

This episode covers the journey from ideation to production and actual sales. Guy is joined by Becca Millstein from Fishwife, Brian Rudolph from Banza, and Caue Suplicy from Barnana.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.

Our thanks to Klaviyo for sponsoring today’s episode. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2093 no Advice Line with Michael Preysman of Everlane Everlane co-founder and former CEO Michael Preysman joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.&nbsp;&nbsp; First we meet Todd in the Bay Area, who’s looking to spread the word about his pickleball apparel brand with a younger demographic.&nbsp;Then Anna in Sydney, who wonders if she should expand her eco-friendly kids clothing line to include adults. Then Pall in British Columbia, who wants to change how people think about reusable plastic containers. Thank you to the founders of KTCHN, Earthlings United and Mr. Lid for being part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Everlane’s founding story as told by Michael on the show in 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriquez and Gilly Moon.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 17 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Michael Preysman of Everlane full 670 Guy Raz | Vox Media Everlane co-founder and former CEO Michael Preysman joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.  First we meet Todd in the Bay Area, who’s looking to spread the word about his pickleball apparel brand with a younger demographic. Then Anna in Sydney, who wonders if she should expand her eco-friendly kids clothing line to include adults. Then Pall in British Columbia, who wants to change how people think about reusable plastic containers.Thank you to the founders of KTCHN, Earthlings United and Mr. Lid for being part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Everlane’s founding story as told by Michael on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriquez and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Everlane co-founder and former CEO Michael Preysman joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.&nbsp;&nbsp; First we meet Todd in the Bay Area, who’s looking to spread the word about his pickleball apparel brand with a younger demographic.&nbsp;Then Anna in Sydney, who wonders if she should expand her eco-friendly kids clothing line to include adults. Then Pall in British Columbia, who wants to change how people think about reusable plastic containers. Thank you to the founders of KTCHN, Earthlings United and Mr. Lid for being part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Everlane’s founding story as told by Michael on the show in 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriquez and Gilly Moon.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Everlane co-founder and former CEO Michael Preysman joins Guy on the Advice Line where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.  

First we meet Todd in the Bay Area, who’s looking to spread the word about his pickleball apparel brand with a younger demographic. Then Anna in Sydney, who wonders if she should expand her eco-friendly kids clothing line to include adults. Then Pall in British Columbia, who wants to change how people think about reusable plastic containers.

Thank you to the founders of KTCHN, Earthlings United and Mr. Lid for being part of our show. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Everlane’s founding story as told by Michael on the show in 2023. 


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriquez and Gilly Moon. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3195 no 21 Seeds: Kat Hantas Kat Hantas turned her home hobby of infusing Tequila into a $160 million business. Her story began when her nightly glass of wine started to give her headaches, and her doctor recommended she replace it with a distilled spirit, like Blanco Tequila. To soften its harsh taste, Kat infused it with fruit and herbs, and began sharing it with appreciative fellow-moms. She eventually realized that hyper-targeting to moms was the perfect way to break into the male-dominated Tequila business. In 2018, she recruited her sister and a friend to launch 21 Seeds, and despite multiple challenges, their mom-strategy paid off. Just three years after launch, 21 Seeds sold for $160 million to Diageo, one of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the world.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 21 Seeds: Kat Hantas full 669 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kat Hantas turned her home hobby of infusing Tequila into a $160 million business. Her story began when her nightly glass of wine started to give her headaches, and her doctor recommended she replace it with a distilled spirit, like Blanco Tequila. To soften its harsh taste, Kat infused it with fruit and herbs, and began sharing it with appreciative fellow-moms. She eventually realized that hyper-targeting to moms was the perfect way to break into the male-dominated Tequila business. In 2018, she recruited her sister and a friend to launch 21 Seeds, and despite multiple challenges, their mom-strategy paid off. Just three years after launch, 21 Seeds sold for $160 million to Diageo, one of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the world. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. Kat Hantas turned her home hobby of infusing Tequila into a $160 million business. Her story began when her nightly glass of wine started to give her headaches, and her doctor recommended she replace it with a distilled spirit, like Blanco Tequila. To soften its harsh taste, Kat infused it with fruit and herbs, and began sharing it with appreciative fellow-moms. She eventually realized that hyper-targeting to moms was the perfect way to break into the male-dominated Tequila business. In 2018, she recruited her sister and a friend to launch 21 Seeds, and despite multiple challenges, their mom-strategy paid off. Just three years after launch, 21 Seeds sold for $160 million to Diageo, one of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the world.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Kat Hantas turned her home hobby of infusing Tequila into a $160 million business. Her story began when her nightly glass of wine started to give her headaches, and her doctor recommended she replace it with a distilled spirit, like Blanco Tequila. To soften its harsh taste, Kat infused it with fruit and herbs, and began sharing it with appreciative fellow-moms. She eventually realized that hyper-targeting to moms was the perfect way to break into the male-dominated Tequila business. In 2018, she recruited her sister and a friend to launch 21 Seeds, and despite multiple challenges, their mom-strategy paid off. Just three years after launch, 21 Seeds sold for $160 million to Diageo, one of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the world. 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4222 no Advice Line with Lara Merriken of LÄRABAR LÄRABAR founder Lara Merriken joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Lara discusses her latest venture: a coaching service for entrepreneurs. First we meet Alison in Denver, who’s hoping to maintain her body care brand’s edge and authenticity as it expands to new retailers. Then Mariano in Miami, who’s wondering how to market his caffeinated gum to corporate buyers. And Lauretta on Long Island, a one-woman-show who’s looking to fundraise for her ginger tea brand. Thank you to the founders of Joy Breeders, Maax Brands, and Lauretta’s British Ginger T for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to LÄRABAR’s founding story as told by Lara on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 10 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Lara Merriken of LÄRABAR full 668 Guy Raz | Vox Media LÄRABAR founder Lara Merriken joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Lara discusses her latest venture: a coaching service for entrepreneurs.First we meet Alison in Denver, who’s hoping to maintain her body care brand’s edge and authenticity as it expands to new retailers. Then Mariano in Miami, who’s wondering how to market his caffeinated gum to corporate buyers. And Lauretta on Long Island, a one-woman-show who’s looking to fundraise for her ginger tea brand.Thank you to the founders of Joy Breeders, Maax Brands, and Lauretta’s British Ginger T for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to LÄRABAR’s founding story as told by Lara on the show in 2018.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. LÄRABAR founder Lara Merriken joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Lara discusses her latest venture: a coaching service for entrepreneurs. First we meet Alison in Denver, who’s hoping to maintain her body care brand’s edge and authenticity as it expands to new retailers. Then Mariano in Miami, who’s wondering how to market his caffeinated gum to corporate buyers. And Lauretta on Long Island, a one-woman-show who’s looking to fundraise for her ginger tea brand. Thank you to the founders of Joy Breeders, Maax Brands, and Lauretta’s British Ginger T for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to LÄRABAR’s founding story as told by Lara on the show in 2018. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices LÄRABAR founder Lara Merriken joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Lara discusses her latest venture: a coaching service for entrepreneurs.

First we meet Alison in Denver, who’s hoping to maintain her body care brand’s edge and authenticity as it expands to new retailers. Then Mariano in Miami, who’s wondering how to market his caffeinated gum to corporate buyers. And Lauretta on Long Island, a one-woman-show who’s looking to fundraise for her ginger tea brand.

Thank you to the founders of Joy Breeders, Maax Brands, and Lauretta’s British Ginger T for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to LÄRABAR’s founding story as told by Lara on the show in 2018.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3246 no Viator: Rod Cuthbert Clicking a button to book vacation tours might feel normal today, but Rod Cuthbert helped create that future through his company, Viator. Founded in the early days of the internet boom, Viator emerged almost by accident from a failed partnership with another company. As online booking grew, Rod correctly predicted that travel agents would become outmoded, and began working with local providers to help travelers book anything from skip-the-line tours of the Sistine Chapel to cooking lessons in a Thai kitchen. Viator was purchased in 2014 by Tripadvisor for $200 million–and remains a top virtual destination for anyone headed to a real one. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Viator: Rod Cuthbert full 667 Guy Raz | Vox Media Clicking a button to book vacation tours might feel normal today, but Rod Cuthbert helped create that future through his company, Viator. Founded in the early days of the internet boom, Viator emerged almost by accident from a failed partnership with another company. As online booking grew, Rod correctly predicted that travel agents would become outmoded, and began working with local providers to help travelers book anything from skip-the-line tours of the Sistine Chapel to cooking lessons in a Thai kitchen. Viator was purchased in 2014 by Tripadvisor for $200 million–and remains a top virtual destination for anyone headed to a real one.This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Clicking a button to book vacation tours might feel normal today, but Rod Cuthbert helped create that future through his company, Viator. Founded in the early days of the internet boom, Viator emerged almost by accident from a failed partnership with another company. As online booking grew, Rod correctly predicted that travel agents would become outmoded, and began working with local providers to help travelers book anything from skip-the-line tours of the Sistine Chapel to cooking lessons in a Thai kitchen. Viator was purchased in 2014 by Tripadvisor for $200 million–and remains a top virtual destination for anyone headed to a real one. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Clicking a button to book vacation tours might feel normal today, but Rod Cuthbert helped create that future through his company, Viator. Founded in the early days of the internet boom, Viator emerged almost by accident from a failed partnership with another company. As online booking grew, Rod correctly predicted that travel agents would become outmoded, and began working with local providers to help travelers book anything from skip-the-line tours of the Sistine Chapel to cooking lessons in a Thai kitchen. Viator was purchased in 2014 by Tripadvisor for $200 million–and remains a top virtual destination for anyone headed to a real one.


This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. This episode was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Olivia Rockeman. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4390 no Advice Line: Growing Beyond Your Niche This week, Guy is joined by Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Andrew Abraham of Orgain, and Brett Schulman of CAVA to give advice to three early-stage founders in this special “mashup” episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line. First, Oni from Fort Worth has developed a two-in-one game designed to strengthen relationships through deeper conversations. Then, Ken from Minneapolis whose vision for better eye health starts with dry-eye relief, without the drops. And finally, Adam in Tampa is looking to scale his ‘pet project’ into a nationwide photography business. Thank you to the founders of The WAMO Game, Tear Restore, and A Gold Photo for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. &nbsp; To hear our guests’ previous episodes: Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver | Advice Line with Fawn Weaver Orgain: Andrew Abraham | Advice Line with Andrew Abraham&nbsp; CAVA: Ted Xenohristos and Brett Schulman | Advice Line with Brett Schulman&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 03 Oct 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line: Growing Beyond Your Niche full 666 Guy Raz | Vox Media This week, Guy is joined by Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Andrew Abraham of Orgain, and Brett Schulman of CAVA to give advice to three early-stage founders in this special “mashup” episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line.First, Oni from Fort Worth has developed a two-in-one game designed to strengthen relationships through deeper conversations. Then, Ken from Minneapolis whose vision for better eye health starts with dry-eye relief, without the drops. And finally, Adam in Tampa is looking to scale his ‘pet project’ into a nationwide photography business.Thank you to the founders of The WAMO Game, Tear Restore, and A Gold Photo for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. To hear our guests’ previous episodes:Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver | Advice Line with Fawn WeaverOrgain: Andrew Abraham | Advice Line with Andrew Abraham CAVA: Ted Xenohristos and Brett Schulman | Advice Line with Brett Schulman   This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. This week, Guy is joined by Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Andrew Abraham of Orgain, and Brett Schulman of CAVA to give advice to three early-stage founders in this special “mashup” episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line. First, Oni from Fort Worth has developed a two-in-one game designed to strengthen relationships through deeper conversations. Then, Ken from Minneapolis whose vision for better eye health starts with dry-eye relief, without the drops. And finally, Adam in Tampa is looking to scale his ‘pet project’ into a nationwide photography business. Thank you to the founders of The WAMO Game, Tear Restore, and A Gold Photo for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. &nbsp; To hear our guests’ previous episodes: Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver | Advice Line with Fawn Weaver Orgain: Andrew Abraham | Advice Line with Andrew Abraham&nbsp; CAVA: Ted Xenohristos and Brett Schulman | Advice Line with Brett Schulman&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices This week, Guy is joined by Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Andrew Abraham of Orgain, and Brett Schulman of CAVA to give advice to three early-stage founders in this special “mashup” episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line.

First, Oni from Fort Worth has developed a two-in-one game designed to strengthen relationships through deeper conversations. Then, Ken from Minneapolis whose vision for better eye health starts with dry-eye relief, without the drops. And finally, Adam in Tampa is looking to scale his ‘pet project’ into a nationwide photography business.

Thank you to the founders of The WAMO Game, Tear Restore, and A Gold Photo for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

 

To hear our guests’ previous episodes:

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver | Advice Line with Fawn Weaver

Orgain: Andrew Abraham | Advice Line with Andrew Abraham 

CAVA: Ted Xenohristos and Brett Schulman | Advice Line with Brett Schulman  

 

This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2703 no Paperless Post: James and Alexa Hirschfeld In 2007, when James Hirschfeld got the idea to start an online invitation company, the first person he turned to for help was his older sister, Alexa. Together, they were inspired to create a brand that combined the ease of digital correspondence with the beauty of paper. Along the way, the founders faced myriad challenges: convincing investors that people would pay for virtual paper, settling on the right business model, and—worst of all-- the existential threat of Covid. 15 years after launch - Paperless Post has sent over 650 million invitations, and has even been parodied on Saturday Night Live. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by J.C Howard. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Paperless Post: James and Alexa Hirschfeld full 665 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2007, when James Hirschfeld got the idea to start an online invitation company, the first person he turned to for help was his older sister, Alexa. Together, they were inspired to create a brand that combined the ease of digital correspondence with the beauty of paper.Along the way, the founders faced myriad challenges: convincing investors that people would pay for virtual paper, settling on the right business model, and—worst of all-- the existential threat of Covid. 15 years after launch - Paperless Post has sent over 650 million invitations, and has even been parodied on Saturday Night Live.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by J.C Howard. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. In 2007, when James Hirschfeld got the idea to start an online invitation company, the first person he turned to for help was his older sister, Alexa. Together, they were inspired to create a brand that combined the ease of digital correspondence with the beauty of paper. Along the way, the founders faced myriad challenges: convincing investors that people would pay for virtual paper, settling on the right business model, and—worst of all-- the existential threat of Covid. 15 years after launch - Paperless Post has sent over 650 million invitations, and has even been parodied on Saturday Night Live. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by J.C Howard. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2007, when James Hirschfeld got the idea to start an online invitation company, the first person he turned to for help was his older sister, Alexa. Together, they were inspired to create a brand that combined the ease of digital correspondence with the beauty of paper.

Along the way, the founders faced myriad challenges: convincing investors that people would pay for virtual paper, settling on the right business model, and—worst of all-- the existential threat of Covid. 15 years after launch - Paperless Post has sent over 650 million invitations, and has even been parodied on Saturday Night Live.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by J.C Howard. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4225 no Advice Line: Reaching New Customers This week, Guy is joined by Leah Solivan of TaskRabbit, Scott and Ally Svenson of MOD Pizza, and Holly Thaggard of Supergoop! to answer questions about reaching new customers from three early-stage founders in this special “mashup” episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line. &nbsp; First, Erin from Alameda, California wants to introduce users to an online divorce platform so the legal process isn’t any harder than it has to be. Then, Kaveh in San Diego seeks to bring his olive oil beyond the farmers market and into kitchens nationwide. And finally, Erik from New Jersey offers on-the-go medical kits to make travel prep that much easier. &nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Hello Divorce, aficio22 and JetSet Meds for being a part of our show. &nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. &nbsp; To hear our guests’ previous episodes: TaskRabbit: Leah Solivan | Advice Line with Leah Solivan &nbsp; MOD Pizza & Seattle Coffee Company: Scott and Ally Svenson | Advice Line with Scott and Ally Svenson&nbsp; &nbsp; Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard | Advice Line with Holly Thaggard&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. &nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line: Reaching New Customers full 664 Guy Raz | Vox Media This week, Guy is joined by Leah Solivan of TaskRabbit, Scott and Ally Svenson of MOD Pizza, and Holly Thaggard of Supergoop! to answer questions about reaching new customers from three early-stage founders in this special “mashup” episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line. First, Erin from Alameda, California wants to introduce users to an online divorce platform so the legal process isn’t any harder than it has to be. Then, Kaveh in San Diego seeks to bring his olive oil beyond the farmers market and into kitchens nationwide. And finally, Erik from New Jersey offers on-the-go medical kits to make travel prep that much easier. Thank you to the founders of Hello Divorce, aficio22 and JetSet Meds for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. To hear our guests’ previous episodes:TaskRabbit: Leah Solivan | Advice Line with Leah Solivan MOD Pizza &amp; Seattle Coffee Company: Scott and Ally Svenson | Advice Line with Scott and Ally Svenson  Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard | Advice Line with Holly Thaggard   This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's freenewsletter at guyraz.com. This week, Guy is joined by Leah Solivan of TaskRabbit, Scott and Ally Svenson of MOD Pizza, and Holly Thaggard of Supergoop! to answer questions about reaching new customers from three early-stage founders in this special “mashup” episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line. &nbsp; First, Erin from Alameda, California wants to introduce users to an online divorce platform so the legal process isn’t any harder than it has to be. Then, Kaveh in San Diego seeks to bring his olive oil beyond the farmers market and into kitchens nationwide. And finally, Erik from New Jersey offers on-the-go medical kits to make travel prep that much easier. &nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Hello Divorce, aficio22 and JetSet Meds for being a part of our show. &nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. &nbsp; To hear our guests’ previous episodes: TaskRabbit: Leah Solivan | Advice Line with Leah Solivan &nbsp; MOD Pizza & Seattle Coffee Company: Scott and Ally Svenson | Advice Line with Scott and Ally Svenson&nbsp; &nbsp; Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard | Advice Line with Holly Thaggard&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. &nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices This week, Guy is joined by Leah Solivan of TaskRabbit, Scott and Ally Svenson of MOD Pizza, and Holly Thaggard of Supergoop! to answer questions about reaching new customers from three early-stage founders in this special “mashup” episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line.

 

First, Erin from Alameda, California wants to introduce users to an online divorce platform so the legal process isn’t any harder than it has to be. Then, Kaveh in San Diego seeks to bring his olive oil beyond the farmers market and into kitchens nationwide. And finally, Erik from New Jersey offers on-the-go medical kits to make travel prep that much easier.

 

Thank you to the founders of Hello Divorce, aficio22 and JetSet Meds for being a part of our show.

 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

 

To hear our guests’ previous episodes:


TaskRabbit: Leah Solivan | Advice Line with Leah Solivan

 

MOD Pizza & Seattle Coffee Company: Scott and Ally Svenson | Advice Line with Scott and Ally Svenson 

 

Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard | Advice Line with Holly Thaggard  

 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.

 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free

newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2504 no Lily’s Sweets: Cynthia Tice When it comes to launching a multi-million dollar brand, Cynthia Tice was a late bloomer. Nearly 60 and looking for a healthy way to satisfy her love of chocolate, she set out to make an indulgent, sugar-free version, sweetened with stevia. After some disastrous early recipes, Lily’s Sweets launched nationally in Whole Foods, with just four employees. Cynthia correctly predicted that a growing number of shoppers would willingly pay for healthier treats, and just ten years after launch, Lily’s Sweets caught the eye of Hershey’s, which acquired it for $425 million. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Lily’s Sweets: Cynthia Tice full 663 Guy Raz | Vox Media When it comes to launching a multi-million dollar brand, Cynthia Tice was a late bloomer. Nearly 60 and looking for a healthy way to satisfy her love of chocolate, she set out to make an indulgent, sugar-free version, sweetened with stevia. After some disastrous early recipes, Lily’s Sweets launched nationally in Whole Foods, with just four employees. Cynthia correctly predicted that a growing number of shoppers would willingly pay for healthier treats, and just ten years after launch, Lily’s Sweets caught the eye of Hershey’s, which acquired it for $425 million.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. When it comes to launching a multi-million dollar brand, Cynthia Tice was a late bloomer. Nearly 60 and looking for a healthy way to satisfy her love of chocolate, she set out to make an indulgent, sugar-free version, sweetened with stevia. After some disastrous early recipes, Lily’s Sweets launched nationally in Whole Foods, with just four employees. Cynthia correctly predicted that a growing number of shoppers would willingly pay for healthier treats, and just ten years after launch, Lily’s Sweets caught the eye of Hershey’s, which acquired it for $425 million. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When it comes to launching a multi-million dollar brand, Cynthia Tice was a late bloomer. Nearly 60 and looking for a healthy way to satisfy her love of chocolate, she set out to make an indulgent, sugar-free version, sweetened with stevia. After some disastrous early recipes, Lily’s Sweets launched nationally in Whole Foods, with just four employees. Cynthia correctly predicted that a growing number of shoppers would willingly pay for healthier treats, and just ten years after launch, Lily’s Sweets caught the eye of Hershey’s, which acquired it for $425 million.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4274 no Advice Line with Vicky Tsai of Tatcha Tatcha co-founder and former CEO Vicky Tsai joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Vicky explains her decision to briefly step back into, and then out of again, the CEO role. First we meet Jessica in Newport Beach, who’s wondering how to increase brand awareness for her handcrafted fine jewelry. Then Brittany in New York City, who’s looking to prioritize sales channels for her growing fem care brand. And Devon in Cleveland, who wants to generate buzz around the launch of&nbsp;her creative cake company.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Petit Anjou, Beia Beauty, and Mugsy Bakes for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered.&nbsp;Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Tatcha’s founding story as told by Vicky on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Vicky Tsai of Tatcha full 662 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tatcha co-founder and former CEO Vicky Tsai joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Vicky explains her decision to briefly step back into, and then out of again, the CEO role.First we meet Jessica in Newport Beach, who’s wondering how to increase brand awareness for her handcrafted fine jewelry. Then Brittany in New York City, who’s looking to prioritize sales channels for her growing fem care brand. And Devon in Cleveland, who wants to generate buzz around the launch of her creative cake company. Thank you to the founders of Petit Anjou, Beia Beauty, and Mugsy Bakes for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Tatcha’s founding story as told by Vicky on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Tatcha co-founder and former CEO Vicky Tsai joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Vicky explains her decision to briefly step back into, and then out of again, the CEO role. First we meet Jessica in Newport Beach, who’s wondering how to increase brand awareness for her handcrafted fine jewelry. Then Brittany in New York City, who’s looking to prioritize sales channels for her growing fem care brand. And Devon in Cleveland, who wants to generate buzz around the launch of&nbsp;her creative cake company.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Petit Anjou, Beia Beauty, and Mugsy Bakes for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered.&nbsp;Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Tatcha’s founding story as told by Vicky on the show in 2020.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tatcha co-founder and former CEO Vicky Tsai joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Vicky explains her decision to briefly step back into, and then out of again, the CEO role.

First we meet Jessica in Newport Beach, who’s wondering how to increase brand awareness for her handcrafted fine jewelry. Then Brittany in New York City, who’s looking to prioritize sales channels for her growing fem care brand. And Devon in Cleveland, who wants to generate buzz around the launch of her creative cake company. 

Thank you to the founders of Petit Anjou, Beia Beauty, and Mugsy Bakes for being a part of our show. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Tatcha’s founding story as told by Vicky on the show in 2020. 

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3147 no Graduate Hotels: Ben Weprin In 2014, Ben Weprin decided to take people’s best college memories and spin them into a new business: Graduate Hotels. Each of the chain’s properties was decorated to reflect the character of the college town in which it was based, with photos of famous alums or life-sized sports mascots in the lobby. After 13 years in commercial real estate, Ben got the idea for Graduate after renovating a dilapidated Days Inn in Chicago, and realizing that a hotel can tell a story as well as—maybe even better than—a box of cereal or a pair of shoes. Although the Covid lockdowns threatened to bankrupt Graduate, Ben was able to secure the chain’s future by selling it to Hilton, and today the 35 (+) chain is expected to add dozens more properties. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research assistance from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Graduate Hotels: Ben Weprin full 661 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2014, Ben Weprin decided to take people’s best college memories and spin them into a new business: Graduate Hotels. Each of the chain’s properties was decorated to reflect the character of the college town in which it was based, with photos of famous alums or life-sized sports mascots in the lobby. After 13 years in commercial real estate, Ben got the idea for Graduate after renovating a dilapidated Days Inn in Chicago, and realizing that a hotel can tell a story as well as—maybe even better than—a box of cereal or a pair of shoes. Although the Covid lockdowns threatened to bankrupt Graduate, Ben was able to secure the chain’s future by selling it to Hilton, and today the 35 (+) chain is expected to add dozens more properties.This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research assistance from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. In 2014, Ben Weprin decided to take people’s best college memories and spin them into a new business: Graduate Hotels. Each of the chain’s properties was decorated to reflect the character of the college town in which it was based, with photos of famous alums or life-sized sports mascots in the lobby. After 13 years in commercial real estate, Ben got the idea for Graduate after renovating a dilapidated Days Inn in Chicago, and realizing that a hotel can tell a story as well as—maybe even better than—a box of cereal or a pair of shoes. Although the Covid lockdowns threatened to bankrupt Graduate, Ben was able to secure the chain’s future by selling it to Hilton, and today the 35 (+) chain is expected to add dozens more properties. This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research assistance from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2014, Ben Weprin decided to take people’s best college memories and spin them into a new business: Graduate Hotels. Each of the chain’s properties was decorated to reflect the character of the college town in which it was based, with photos of famous alums or life-sized sports mascots in the lobby. After 13 years in commercial real estate, Ben got the idea for Graduate after renovating a dilapidated Days Inn in Chicago, and realizing that a hotel can tell a story as well as—maybe even better than—a box of cereal or a pair of shoes. Although the Covid lockdowns threatened to bankrupt Graduate, Ben was able to secure the chain’s future by selling it to Hilton, and today the 35 (+) chain is expected to add dozens more properties.

This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research assistance from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4191 no Advice Line with Sadie Lincoln of barre3 barre3 co-founder and CEO Sadie Lincoln joins Guy on the Advice line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Sadie breaks down how she introduced her novel fitness concept to new customers. &nbsp; First we meet Dustin in Texas, who’s working on a brand identity for his ketchup-mustard combo condiment. Then Andrew in Missouri, who wants to convey the value of his newly-created yard game. And Randi in Alabama, who’s wondering if she should step back from being the sole face of her soon-to-be community gathering space.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Ketchustard, Pizzy Products and Ruffner Treehouse Village for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to barre3’s founding story as told by Sadie on the show in 2017.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Sadie Lincoln of barre3 full 660 Guy Raz | Vox Media barre3 co-founder and CEO Sadie Lincoln joins Guy on the Advice line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Sadie breaks down how she introduced her novel fitness concept to new customers. First we meet Dustin in Texas, who’s working on a brand identity for his ketchup-mustard combo condiment. Then Andrew in Missouri, who wants to convey the value of his newly-created yard game. And Randi in Alabama, who’s wondering if she should step back from being the sole face of her soon-to-be community gathering space. Thank you to the founders of Ketchustard, Pizzy Products and Ruffner Treehouse Village for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to barre3’s founding story as told by Sadie on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.  barre3 co-founder and CEO Sadie Lincoln joins Guy on the Advice line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Sadie breaks down how she introduced her novel fitness concept to new customers. &nbsp; First we meet Dustin in Texas, who’s working on a brand identity for his ketchup-mustard combo condiment. Then Andrew in Missouri, who wants to convey the value of his newly-created yard game. And Randi in Alabama, who’s wondering if she should step back from being the sole face of her soon-to-be community gathering space.&nbsp; Thank you to the founders of Ketchustard, Pizzy Products and Ruffner Treehouse Village for being a part of our show.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to barre3’s founding story as told by Sadie on the show in 2017.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices barre3 co-founder and CEO Sadie Lincoln joins Guy on the Advice line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Sadie breaks down how she introduced her novel fitness concept to new customers.

 

First we meet Dustin in Texas, who’s working on a brand identity for his ketchup-mustard combo condiment. Then Andrew in Missouri, who wants to convey the value of his newly-created yard game. And Randi in Alabama, who’s wondering if she should step back from being the sole face of her soon-to-be community gathering space. 


Thank you to the founders of Ketchustard, Pizzy Products and Ruffner Treehouse Village for being a part of our show. 


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to barre3’s founding story as told by Sadie on the show in 2017. 



This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3463 no Barefoot Wine: Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan started Barefoot Wine with $300,000 in debt and almost no knowledge of wine. What they did understand was how to sell it—with a carefree name and label that evoked the beach, and a consistent flavor and low price point that attracted shoppers who normally rejected wine as being too snooty.&nbsp;But winning over that audience took extreme patience, and years of pavement-pounding by Michael. In 2005—twenty years after launch—Barefoot had become ubiquitous, and was acquired by E & J Gallo, one of the biggest wine brands in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Olivia Rockeman. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Barefoot Wine: Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan full 659 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan started Barefoot Wine with $300,000 in debt and almost no knowledge of wine. What they did understand was how to sell it—with a carefree name and label that evoked the beach, and a consistent flavor and low price point that attracted shoppers who normally rejected wine as being too snooty. But winning over that audience took extreme patience, and years of pavement-pounding by Michael. In 2005—twenty years after launch—Barefoot had become ubiquitous, and was acquired by E &amp; J Gallo, one of the biggest wine brands in the world.  This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Olivia Rockeman.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan started Barefoot Wine with $300,000 in debt and almost no knowledge of wine. What they did understand was how to sell it—with a carefree name and label that evoked the beach, and a consistent flavor and low price point that attracted shoppers who normally rejected wine as being too snooty.&nbsp;But winning over that audience took extreme patience, and years of pavement-pounding by Michael. In 2005—twenty years after launch—Barefoot had become ubiquitous, and was acquired by E & J Gallo, one of the biggest wine brands in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Olivia Rockeman. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan started Barefoot Wine with $300,000 in debt and almost no knowledge of wine. What they did understand was how to sell it—with a carefree name and label that evoked the beach, and a consistent flavor and low price point that attracted shoppers who normally rejected wine as being too snooty. But winning over that audience took extreme patience, and years of pavement-pounding by Michael. In 2005—twenty years after launch—Barefoot had become ubiquitous, and was acquired by E & J Gallo, one of the biggest wine brands in the world.  


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Olivia Rockeman.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4750 no Advice Line with Leah Solivan of Taskrabbit Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three tech founders working to identify and grow their core customer base.&nbsp; First we meet Kate in Los Angeles, who wants her digital greeting cards to stand out in app stores. Then Shahn in Australia, who’s rethinking user acquisition for his couples coaching app. And Allen in Hawaii, who’s wondering about product-market fit for his online platform that teaches kids to play instruments. Thanks to the founders of Poppy Notes, My Love Your Love and Dynabuddy for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Taskrabbit's founding story as told by Leah on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Leah Solivan of Taskrabbit full 658 Guy Raz | Vox Media Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three tech founders working to identify and grow their core customer base. First we meet Kate in Los Angeles, who wants her digital greeting cards to stand out in app stores. Then Shahn in Australia, who’s rethinking user acquisition for his couples coaching app. And Allen in Hawaii, who’s wondering about product-market fit for his online platform that teaches kids to play instruments.Thanks to the founders of Poppy Notes, My Love Your Love and Dynabuddy for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Taskrabbit's founding story as told by Leah on the show in 2022.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three tech founders working to identify and grow their core customer base.&nbsp; First we meet Kate in Los Angeles, who wants her digital greeting cards to stand out in app stores. Then Shahn in Australia, who’s rethinking user acquisition for his couples coaching app. And Allen in Hawaii, who’s wondering about product-market fit for his online platform that teaches kids to play instruments. Thanks to the founders of Poppy Notes, My Love Your Love and Dynabuddy for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Taskrabbit's founding story as told by Leah on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Taskrabbit founder Leah Solivan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three tech founders working to identify and grow their core customer base. 


First we meet Kate in Los Angeles, who wants her digital greeting cards to stand out in app stores. Then Shahn in Australia, who’s rethinking user acquisition for his couples coaching app. And Allen in Hawaii, who’s wondering about product-market fit for his online platform that teaches kids to play instruments.


Thanks to the founders of Poppy Notes, My Love Your Love and Dynabuddy for being a part of our show.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Taskrabbit's founding story as told by Leah on the show in 2022.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3174 no Groupon and Descript: Andrew Mason Andrew Mason was a 27-year-old with a degree in music when he co-founded one of the fastest growing companies of all time: Groupon. Its deep discounts on everything from sushi rolls to plastic surgery soon became a ubiquitous part of life in cities across the world. In 2011, just three years after launching, Groupon had the largest internet IPO since Google, with a valuation of $12.7 billion. But people began to complain that Andrew was not up to the role of CEO: he was quirky and unpredictable, and unable to navigate the company’s rocket-ship growth and the surge of copycats that threatened it. Soon, Groupon’s revenue slumped, and Andrew was fired from the company he’d started. But like many of the best entrepreneurs, he learned from his failure. Today, Andrew runs a new startup, an audio and video editing platform called Descript. In fact, we use Descript to make this show!&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathrine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Sep 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Groupon and Descript: Andrew Mason full 657 Guy Raz | Vox Media Andrew Mason was a 27-year-old with a degree in music when he co-founded one of the fastest growing companies of all time: Groupon. Its deep discounts on everything from sushi rolls to plastic surgery soon became a ubiquitous part of life in cities across the world. In 2011, just three years after launching, Groupon had the largest internet IPO since Google, with a valuation of $12.7 billion.But people began to complain that Andrew was not up to the role of CEO: he was quirky and unpredictable, and unable to navigate the company’s rocket-ship growth and the surge of copycats that threatened it. Soon, Groupon’s revenue slumped, and Andrew was fired from the company he’d started. But like many of the best entrepreneurs, he learned from his failure. Today, Andrew runs a new startup, an audio and video editing platform called Descript. In fact, we use Descript to make this show! This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathrine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Andrew Mason was a 27-year-old with a degree in music when he co-founded one of the fastest growing companies of all time: Groupon. Its deep discounts on everything from sushi rolls to plastic surgery soon became a ubiquitous part of life in cities across the world. In 2011, just three years after launching, Groupon had the largest internet IPO since Google, with a valuation of $12.7 billion. But people began to complain that Andrew was not up to the role of CEO: he was quirky and unpredictable, and unable to navigate the company’s rocket-ship growth and the surge of copycats that threatened it. Soon, Groupon’s revenue slumped, and Andrew was fired from the company he’d started. But like many of the best entrepreneurs, he learned from his failure. Today, Andrew runs a new startup, an audio and video editing platform called Descript. In fact, we use Descript to make this show!&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathrine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Andrew Mason was a 27-year-old with a degree in music when he co-founded one of the fastest growing companies of all time: Groupon. Its deep discounts on everything from sushi rolls to plastic surgery soon became a ubiquitous part of life in cities across the world. In 2011, just three years after launching, Groupon had the largest internet IPO since Google, with a valuation of $12.7 billion.


But people began to complain that Andrew was not up to the role of CEO: he was quirky and unpredictable, and unable to navigate the company’s rocket-ship growth and the surge of copycats that threatened it. Soon, Groupon’s revenue slumped, and Andrew was fired from the company he’d started. But like many of the best entrepreneurs, he learned from his failure. Today, Andrew runs a new startup, an audio and video editing platform called Descript. In fact, we use Descript to make this show! 


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.


Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Kathrine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4525 no Advice Line with Scott and Ally Svenson of MOD Pizza MOD Pizza founders Scott and Ally Svenson join Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about strategic expansion, plus discuss MOD’s recent acquisition. Today we meet Evan, who recently turned his Richmond-based pizza restaurant into a vegan frozen pizza company. Then Zebbie, a restaurateur in Birmingham who's looking to take his hot chicken concept on the road. And Christiane, a Los Angeles area tequila-maker on a mission to improve her industry’s labor conditions.&nbsp; Thanks to the founders of Udderless Plant-based Pizza, Eugene’s Hot Chicken and Valor Bebidas for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to MOD Pizza’s founding story as told by Scott and Ally on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Scott and Ally Svenson of MOD Pizza full 656 Guy Raz | Vox Media MOD Pizza founders Scott and Ally Svenson join Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about strategic expansion, plus discuss MOD’s recent acquisition.Today we meet Evan, who recently turned his Richmond-based pizza restaurant into a vegan frozen pizza company. Then Zebbie, a restaurateur in Birmingham who's looking to take his hot chicken concept on the road. And Christiane, a Los Angeles area tequila-maker on a mission to improve her industry’s labor conditions. Thanks to the founders of Udderless Plant-based Pizza, Eugene’s Hot Chicken and Valor Bebidas for being a part of our show.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to MOD Pizza’s founding story as told by Scott and Ally on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. MOD Pizza founders Scott and Ally Svenson join Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about strategic expansion, plus discuss MOD’s recent acquisition. Today we meet Evan, who recently turned his Richmond-based pizza restaurant into a vegan frozen pizza company. Then Zebbie, a restaurateur in Birmingham who's looking to take his hot chicken concept on the road. And Christiane, a Los Angeles area tequila-maker on a mission to improve her industry’s labor conditions.&nbsp; Thanks to the founders of Udderless Plant-based Pizza, Eugene’s Hot Chicken and Valor Bebidas for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to MOD Pizza’s founding story as told by Scott and Ally on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices MOD Pizza founders Scott and Ally Svenson join Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about strategic expansion, plus discuss MOD’s recent acquisition.

Today we meet Evan, who recently turned his Richmond-based pizza restaurant into a vegan frozen pizza company. Then Zebbie, a restaurateur in Birmingham who's looking to take his hot chicken concept on the road. And Christiane, a Los Angeles area tequila-maker on a mission to improve her industry’s labor conditions. 

Thanks to the founders of Udderless Plant-based Pizza, Eugene’s Hot Chicken and Valor Bebidas for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to MOD Pizza’s founding story as told by Scott and Ally on the show in 2023.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2991 no Olipop: Ben Goodwin When Ben Goodwin was growing up, the concept of healthy soda seemed as oxymoronic as jumbo shrimp. But for Ben, that presented an irresistible challenge: to create a beverage that evoked the colas and root beers of his youth, but was low in sugar and good for the gut. After years of painstaking effort and one failed brand, Ben and his partner launched Olipop in 2018. Made with fiber and prebiotics and sweetened with Stevia, it joined the growing ranks of “functional sodas,” launching first in natural food stores and spreading quickly to the big chains. This year, the brand is expected to do nearly $500 million in sales, and, as younger consumers drift away from legacy soda, Ben says Olipop will only get bigger. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Olipop: Ben Goodwin full 655 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Ben Goodwin was growing up, the concept of healthy soda seemed as oxymoronic as jumbo shrimp. But for Ben, that presented an irresistible challenge: to create a beverage that evoked the colas and root beers of his youth, but was low in sugar and good for the gut. After years of painstaking effort and one failed brand, Ben and his partner launched Olipop in 2018. Made with fiber and prebiotics and sweetened with Stevia, it joined the growing ranks of “functional sodas,” launching first in natural food stores and spreading quickly to the big chains. This year, the brand is expected to do nearly $500 million in sales, and, as younger consumers drift away from legacy soda, Ben says Olipop will only get bigger.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. When Ben Goodwin was growing up, the concept of healthy soda seemed as oxymoronic as jumbo shrimp. But for Ben, that presented an irresistible challenge: to create a beverage that evoked the colas and root beers of his youth, but was low in sugar and good for the gut. After years of painstaking effort and one failed brand, Ben and his partner launched Olipop in 2018. Made with fiber and prebiotics and sweetened with Stevia, it joined the growing ranks of “functional sodas,” launching first in natural food stores and spreading quickly to the big chains. This year, the brand is expected to do nearly $500 million in sales, and, as younger consumers drift away from legacy soda, Ben says Olipop will only get bigger. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Ben Goodwin was growing up, the concept of healthy soda seemed as oxymoronic as jumbo shrimp. But for Ben, that presented an irresistible challenge: to create a beverage that evoked the colas and root beers of his youth, but was low in sugar and good for the gut. After years of painstaking effort and one failed brand, Ben and his partner launched Olipop in 2018. Made with fiber and prebiotics and sweetened with Stevia, it joined the growing ranks of “functional sodas,” launching first in natural food stores and spreading quickly to the big chains. This year, the brand is expected to do nearly $500 million in sales, and, as younger consumers drift away from legacy soda, Ben says Olipop will only get bigger.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4385 no Advice Line with Ariel Kaye of Parachute Home Parachute Home founder Ariel Kaye joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders on being mindful and strategic in their next expansion steps.&nbsp; Today, we meet Daen, an entrepreneur in Australia considering investment for his line of men’s grooming products after ten years of self-funding. Then Deanna, a former educator in New Jersey seeking new press for the emotional health tool she designed for children. And Meaghan, a Florida-based hard seltzer maker trying to gut-check biases in her male-dominated industry. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Parachute Home’s founding story as told by Ariel on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Ariel Kaye of Parachute Home full 654 Guy Raz | Vox Media Parachute Home founder Ariel Kaye joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders on being mindful and strategic in their next expansion steps. Today, we meet Daen, an entrepreneur in Australia considering investment for his line of men’s grooming products after ten years of self-funding. Then Deanna, a former educator in New Jersey seeking new press for the emotional health tool she designed for children. And Meaghan, a Florida-based hard seltzer maker trying to gut-check biases in her male-dominated industry.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Parachute Home’s founding story as told by Ariel on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Parachute Home founder Ariel Kaye joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders on being mindful and strategic in their next expansion steps.&nbsp; Today, we meet Daen, an entrepreneur in Australia considering investment for his line of men’s grooming products after ten years of self-funding. Then Deanna, a former educator in New Jersey seeking new press for the emotional health tool she designed for children. And Meaghan, a Florida-based hard seltzer maker trying to gut-check biases in her male-dominated industry. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Parachute Home’s founding story as told by Ariel on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Parachute Home founder Ariel Kaye joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders on being mindful and strategic in their next expansion steps. 

Today, we meet Daen, an entrepreneur in Australia considering investment for his line of men’s grooming products after ten years of self-funding. Then Deanna, a former educator in New Jersey seeking new press for the emotional health tool she designed for children. And Meaghan, a Florida-based hard seltzer maker trying to gut-check biases in her male-dominated industry.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Parachute Home’s founding story as told by Ariel on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3289 no Insomnia Cookies: Seth Berkowitz When Seth Berkowitz was in college, he was the cookie guy on campus. He’d grown frustrated that the only food he could get delivered late at night were standards like pizza or Chinese food. He had a sweet tooth, and he craved warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies. So he took matters into his own hands and started making and delivering cookies to students at his school. The operation soon went from a silly side hustle to a real business - and then an all-consuming struggle. But today, after decades of detours, long-shot decisions, and near-bankruptcies, Insomnia Cookies is now a $350 million dollar business. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Insomnia Cookies: Seth Berkowitz full 653 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Seth Berkowitz was in college, he was the cookie guy on campus. He’d grown frustrated that the only food he could get delivered late at night were standards like pizza or Chinese food. He had a sweet tooth, and he craved warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies. So he took matters into his own hands and started making and delivering cookies to students at his school. The operation soon went from a silly side hustle to a real business - and then an all-consuming struggle. But today, after decades of detours, long-shot decisions, and near-bankruptcies, Insomnia Cookies is now a $350 million dollar business.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. When Seth Berkowitz was in college, he was the cookie guy on campus. He’d grown frustrated that the only food he could get delivered late at night were standards like pizza or Chinese food. He had a sweet tooth, and he craved warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies. So he took matters into his own hands and started making and delivering cookies to students at his school. The operation soon went from a silly side hustle to a real business - and then an all-consuming struggle. But today, after decades of detours, long-shot decisions, and near-bankruptcies, Insomnia Cookies is now a $350 million dollar business. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Seth Berkowitz was in college, he was the cookie guy on campus. He’d grown frustrated that the only food he could get delivered late at night were standards like pizza or Chinese food. He had a sweet tooth, and he craved warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies. So he took matters into his own hands and started making and delivering cookies to students at his school. The operation soon went from a silly side hustle to a real business - and then an all-consuming struggle. But today, after decades of detours, long-shot decisions, and near-bankruptcies, Insomnia Cookies is now a $350 million dollar business.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Maggie Luthar.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4876 no Advice Line with Jamie Siminoff of Ring Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals.&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pursue small-business certifications for her motivational classroom posters. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Ring’s founding story as told by Jamie on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jamie Siminoff of Ring full 652 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals.  Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pursue small-business certifications for her motivational classroom posters.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Ring’s founding story as told by Jamie on the show in 2020.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals.&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pursue small-business certifications for her motivational classroom posters. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Ring’s founding story as told by Jamie on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals.  

Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in southern California who's launching a crowdfunding campaign for his patented ergonomic desk. Then Iyin, a Baltimore-based product specialist seeking to balance accessibility and profitability for her ethically-sourced chocolate brand. And Franchesca, an Atlanta area educator deliberating whether to pursue small-business certifications for her motivational classroom posters.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Ring’s founding story as told by Jamie on the show in 2020.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3306 no Banana Republic: Mel and Patricia Ziegler With $1500 in savings and no experience in retail, Mel and Patricia Ziegler stumbled upon a clever idea: buy inexpensive Army surplus gear, refashion it into stylish clothes, and sell them in a setting that felt more like a safari than a store. With a retro- feel catalog that turned shopping into an adventure, Banana Republic caught the attention of the media, and sales grew.&nbsp;But so did the headaches of running the business, and in 1983, the Zieglers sold the brand to The Gap. Over the years, Banana Republic lost its distinctive, retro-Safari feel, and the Zieglers departed to start another brand, The Republic of Tea. Today, Banana Republic remains a multi-million dollar business, with hundreds of stores around the world. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Banana Republic: Mel and Patricia Ziegler full 651 Guy Raz | Vox Media With $1500 in savings and no experience in retail, Mel and Patricia Ziegler stumbled upon a clever idea: buy inexpensive Army surplus gear, refashion it into stylish clothes, and sell them in a setting that felt more like a safari than a store. With a retro- feel catalog that turned shopping into an adventure, Banana Republic caught the attention of the media, and sales grew. But so did the headaches of running the business, and in 1983, the Zieglers sold the brand to The Gap. Over the years, Banana Republic lost its distinctive, retro-Safari feel, and the Zieglers departed to start another brand, The Republic of Tea. Today, Banana Republic remains a multi-million dollar business, with hundreds of stores around the world.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. With $1500 in savings and no experience in retail, Mel and Patricia Ziegler stumbled upon a clever idea: buy inexpensive Army surplus gear, refashion it into stylish clothes, and sell them in a setting that felt more like a safari than a store. With a retro- feel catalog that turned shopping into an adventure, Banana Republic caught the attention of the media, and sales grew.&nbsp;But so did the headaches of running the business, and in 1983, the Zieglers sold the brand to The Gap. Over the years, Banana Republic lost its distinctive, retro-Safari feel, and the Zieglers departed to start another brand, The Republic of Tea. Today, Banana Republic remains a multi-million dollar business, with hundreds of stores around the world. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices With $1500 in savings and no experience in retail, Mel and Patricia Ziegler stumbled upon a clever idea: buy inexpensive Army surplus gear, refashion it into stylish clothes, and sell them in a setting that felt more like a safari than a store. With a retro- feel catalog that turned shopping into an adventure, Banana Republic caught the attention of the media, and sales grew. But so did the headaches of running the business, and in 1983, the Zieglers sold the brand to The Gap. Over the years, Banana Republic lost its distinctive, retro-Safari feel, and the Zieglers departed to start another brand, The Republic of Tea. Today, Banana Republic remains a multi-million dollar business, with hundreds of stores around the world.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5709 no Advice Line with Holly Thaggard of Supergoop! Supergoop! founder Holly Thaggard joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding the right audience and introducing their brands. Today, we meet Christina, the founder of a Cincinnati cookie business who is trying to bake her business to the next level. Then Philadelphia-based engineer Andy introduces a shaving product he developed with his Navy bunkmate while they were deployed. And Erin in Illinois, who wants to make water sports safer with a&nbsp;life jacket upgrade. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Holly tell the story of how Supergoop! was founded from her first visit to the show back in 2020. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Holly Thaggard of Supergoop! full 650 Guy Raz | Vox Media Supergoop! founder Holly Thaggard joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding the right audience and introducing their brands.Today, we meet Christina, the founder of a Cincinnati cookie business who is trying to bake her business to the next level. Then Philadelphia-based engineer Andy introduces a shaving product he developed with his Navy bunkmate while they were deployed. And Erin in Illinois, who wants to make water sports safer with a life jacket upgrade.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Holly tell the story of how Supergoop! was founded from her first visit to the show back in 2020.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Supergoop! founder Holly Thaggard joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding the right audience and introducing their brands. Today, we meet Christina, the founder of a Cincinnati cookie business who is trying to bake her business to the next level. Then Philadelphia-based engineer Andy introduces a shaving product he developed with his Navy bunkmate while they were deployed. And Erin in Illinois, who wants to make water sports safer with a&nbsp;life jacket upgrade. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Holly tell the story of how Supergoop! was founded from her first visit to the show back in 2020. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Supergoop! founder Holly Thaggard joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding the right audience and introducing their brands.

Today, we meet Christina, the founder of a Cincinnati cookie business who is trying to bake her business to the next level. Then Philadelphia-based engineer Andy introduces a shaving product he developed with his Navy bunkmate while they were deployed. And Erin in Illinois, who wants to make water sports safer with a life jacket upgrade.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Holly tell the story of how Supergoop! was founded from her first visit to the show back in 2020.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3081 no Thrive Market: Nick Green In 2013, Nick Green set out to solve a vexing problem: in many parts of the country, it’s hard to get access to healthy groceries. As a solution, Nick and his co-founders launched an e-commerce mashup of Whole Foods and Costco, where members purchase healthy foods online at a discount. When it came time to ask venture capitalists for funding, dozens of VC’s said no–but thanks to hundreds of small checks written by health bloggers, Thrive Market pulled together enough money to launch in 2014. Within a year, the founders had proven the VC’s wrong, but still scrambled to fuel the pace of growth, while keeping the business afloat. Today, Thrive Market has over 1.5 million paid members and, last year, brought in over $500 million in sales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Thrive Market: Nick Green full 649 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2013, Nick Green set out to solve a vexing problem: in many parts of the country, it’s hard to get access to healthy groceries. As a solution, Nick and his co-founders launched an e-commerce mashup of Whole Foods and Costco, where members purchase healthy foods online at a discount.When it came time to ask venture capitalists for funding, dozens of VC’s said no–but thanks to hundreds of small checks written by health bloggers, Thrive Market pulled together enough money to launch in 2014. Within a year, the founders had proven the VC’s wrong, but still scrambled to fuel the pace of growth, while keeping the business afloat. Today, Thrive Market has over 1.5 million paid members and, last year, brought in over $500 million in sales. In 2013, Nick Green set out to solve a vexing problem: in many parts of the country, it’s hard to get access to healthy groceries. As a solution, Nick and his co-founders launched an e-commerce mashup of Whole Foods and Costco, where members purchase healthy foods online at a discount. When it came time to ask venture capitalists for funding, dozens of VC’s said no–but thanks to hundreds of small checks written by health bloggers, Thrive Market pulled together enough money to launch in 2014. Within a year, the founders had proven the VC’s wrong, but still scrambled to fuel the pace of growth, while keeping the business afloat. Today, Thrive Market has over 1.5 million paid members and, last year, brought in over $500 million in sales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2013, Nick Green set out to solve a vexing problem: in many parts of the country, it’s hard to get access to healthy groceries. As a solution, Nick and his co-founders launched an e-commerce mashup of Whole Foods and Costco, where members purchase healthy foods online at a discount.

When it came time to ask venture capitalists for funding, dozens of VC’s said no–but thanks to hundreds of small checks written by health bloggers, Thrive Market pulled together enough money to launch in 2014. Within a year, the founders had proven the VC’s wrong, but still scrambled to fuel the pace of growth, while keeping the business afloat. Today, Thrive Market has over 1.5 million paid members and, last year, brought in over $500 million in sales.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3533 no Advice Line with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit. Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company in Florida is venturing into the rum market. Then Llance from Washington, who is taking his tea-bag-soup-broth business national. And Ami, who wants potential customers to know that her Ontario-based electrical contracting company has some of the best service out there. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Boston Beer Company’s founding story as told by Jim on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Aug 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company full 648 Guy Raz | Vox Media Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit.Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company in Florida is venturing into the rum market. Then Llance from Washington, who is taking his tea-bag-soup-broth business national. And Ami, who wants potential customers to know that her Ontario-based electrical contracting company has some of the best service out there.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Boston Beer Company’s founding story as told by Jim on the show in 2017.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit. Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company in Florida is venturing into the rum market. Then Llance from Washington, who is taking his tea-bag-soup-broth business national. And Ami, who wants potential customers to know that her Ontario-based electrical contracting company has some of the best service out there. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Boston Beer Company’s founding story as told by Jim on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit.


Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company in Florida is venturing into the rum market. Then Llance from Washington, who is taking his tea-bag-soup-broth business national. And Ami, who wants potential customers to know that her Ontario-based electrical contracting company has some of the best service out there.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to Boston Beer Company’s founding story as told by Jim on the show in 2017.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3297 no SmartSweets: Tara Bosch Tara Bosch wasn’t always considered a likely contender for success. At 21 years old, she dropped out of college the summer before her junior year and moved in to her grandmother’s basement. But, with a gummy bear mold from Amazon and a sugar-free candy recipe she tinkered to perfection, Tara got to work on a wild vision: she would create a global company called SmartSweets that would revolutionize the candy aisle and become a top seller of low-sugar candies. In 2020, Tara achieved her goal and sold SmartSweets for $360 million — a mere five years after creating the brand.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 SmartSweets: Tara Bosch full 647 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tara Bosch wasn’t always considered a likely contender for success. At 21 years old, she dropped out of college the summer before her junior year and moved in to her grandmother’s basement. But, with a gummy bear mold from Amazon and a sugar-free candy recipe she tinkered to perfection, Tara got to work on a wild vision: she would create a global company called SmartSweets that would revolutionize the candy aisle and become a top seller of low-sugar candies. In 2020, Tara achieved her goal and sold SmartSweets for $360 million — a mere five years after creating the brand.  This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Tara Bosch wasn’t always considered a likely contender for success. At 21 years old, she dropped out of college the summer before her junior year and moved in to her grandmother’s basement. But, with a gummy bear mold from Amazon and a sugar-free candy recipe she tinkered to perfection, Tara got to work on a wild vision: she would create a global company called SmartSweets that would revolutionize the candy aisle and become a top seller of low-sugar candies. In 2020, Tara achieved her goal and sold SmartSweets for $360 million — a mere five years after creating the brand.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tara Bosch wasn’t always considered a likely contender for success. At 21 years old, she dropped out of college the summer before her junior year and moved in to her grandmother’s basement. But, with a gummy bear mold from Amazon and a sugar-free candy recipe she tinkered to perfection, Tara got to work on a wild vision: she would create a global company called SmartSweets that would revolutionize the candy aisle and become a top seller of low-sugar candies. In 2020, Tara achieved her goal and sold SmartSweets for $360 million — a mere five years after creating the brand.  


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4728 no Advice Line with Jeff Raider of Harry's Harry’s and Warby Parker co-founder Jeff Raider joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they talk with three founders grappling with strategic decisions. Today we meet Uli, who’s trying to balance multiple revenue streams for her Los Angeles-based gelato business. Then Travis in Boulder, who just hired his first employee for his upstart package delivery service. And Karly from southern California, who’s launching a children’s book subscription that makes the full moon more magical. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear the founding story of Harry’s, check out Jeff's first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Jeff Raider of Harry's full 646 Guy Raz | Vox Media Harry’s and Warby Parker co-founder Jeff Raider joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they talk with three founders grappling with strategic decisions.Today we meet Uli, who’s trying to balance multiple revenue streams for her Los Angeles-based gelato business. Then Travis in Boulder, who just hired his first employee for his upstart package delivery service. And Karly from southern California, who’s launching a children’s book subscription that makes the full moon more magical.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And to hear the founding story of Harry’s, check out Jeff's first appearance on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Harry’s and Warby Parker co-founder Jeff Raider joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they talk with three founders grappling with strategic decisions. Today we meet Uli, who’s trying to balance multiple revenue streams for her Los Angeles-based gelato business. Then Travis in Boulder, who just hired his first employee for his upstart package delivery service. And Karly from southern California, who’s launching a children’s book subscription that makes the full moon more magical. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear the founding story of Harry’s, check out Jeff's first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Harry’s and Warby Parker co-founder Jeff Raider joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they talk with three founders grappling with strategic decisions.

Today we meet Uli, who’s trying to balance multiple revenue streams for her Los Angeles-based gelato business. Then Travis in Boulder, who just hired his first employee for his upstart package delivery service. And Karly from southern California, who’s launching a children’s book subscription that makes the full moon more magical.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And to hear the founding story of Harry’s, check out Jeff's first appearance on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3018 no Specialized Bicycle Components: Mike Sinyard Mike Sinyard helped put mountain biking on the map. In the 1970’s, he founded Specialized Bicycle Components to do exactly what the name suggests: sell high-quality bike parts. He eventually decided to make his own models, becoming a pioneer in the industry by designing the first mass-produced mountain bikes. By the 1990’s, Specialized was pulling in tens of millions of dollars in revenue, and Mike brought in outside experts to help grow the business. That turned out to be a huge mistake; Mike spent the next few years recovering from bad business decisions, and recalibrating the company after near bankruptcy. Today, Specialized has regained its reputation as an industry leader, and does around $500 million in sales per year.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Specialized Bicycle Components: Mike Sinyard full 645 Guy Raz | Vox Media Mike Sinyard helped put mountain biking on the map. In the 1970’s, he founded Specialized Bicycle Components to do exactly what the name suggests: sell high-quality bike parts. He eventually decided to make his own models, becoming a pioneer in the industry by designing the first mass-produced mountain bikes. By the 1990’s, Specialized was pulling in tens of millions of dollars in revenue, and Mike brought in outside experts to help grow the business. That turned out to be a huge mistake; Mike spent the next few years recovering from bad business decisions, and recalibrating the company after near bankruptcy. Today, Specialized has regained its reputation as an industry leader, and does around $500 million in sales per year.  This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Mike Sinyard helped put mountain biking on the map. In the 1970’s, he founded Specialized Bicycle Components to do exactly what the name suggests: sell high-quality bike parts. He eventually decided to make his own models, becoming a pioneer in the industry by designing the first mass-produced mountain bikes. By the 1990’s, Specialized was pulling in tens of millions of dollars in revenue, and Mike brought in outside experts to help grow the business. That turned out to be a huge mistake; Mike spent the next few years recovering from bad business decisions, and recalibrating the company after near bankruptcy. Today, Specialized has regained its reputation as an industry leader, and does around $500 million in sales per year.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mike Sinyard helped put mountain biking on the map. In the 1970’s, he founded Specialized Bicycle Components to do exactly what the name suggests: sell high-quality bike parts. He eventually decided to make his own models, becoming a pioneer in the industry by designing the first mass-produced mountain bikes. By the 1990’s, Specialized was pulling in tens of millions of dollars in revenue, and Mike brought in outside experts to help grow the business. That turned out to be a huge mistake; Mike spent the next few years recovering from bad business decisions, and recalibrating the company after near bankruptcy. Today, Specialized has regained its reputation as an industry leader, and does around $500 million in sales per year.  


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3611 no BONUS: Brand Building Live at Cannes Lions What does it take to successfully market a brand today? Last month, Guy sat down with marketing expert Jim Stengel to find out. Jim spent more than two decades at Procter & Gamble, where he managed international brands like Jif and Pampers. He spent seven years as P&G’s Global Marketing Officer. Today, he consults with businesses large and small, and interviews marketing leaders on his show, The CMO Podcast. This interview was recorded in front of a live audience on the Amazon stage at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and was supported by Wondery. This episode was produced by John Isabella with music by Sam Paulson. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Cena Loffredo and Debbie Daughtry.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Fri, 19 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 BONUS: Brand Building Live at Cannes Lions full 644 Guy Raz | Vox Media Guy Raz sits down with marketing expert Jim Stengel to discuss what it takes to successfully market a brand today. What does it take to successfully market a brand today? Last month, Guy sat down with marketing expert Jim Stengel to find out. Jim spent more than two decades at Procter & Gamble, where he managed international brands like Jif and Pampers. He spent seven years as P&G’s Global Marketing Officer. Today, he consults with businesses large and small, and interviews marketing leaders on his show, The CMO Podcast. This interview was recorded in front of a live audience on the Amazon stage at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and was supported by Wondery. This episode was produced by John Isabella with music by Sam Paulson. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Cena Loffredo and Debbie Daughtry.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What does it take to successfully market a brand today? Last month, Guy sat down with marketing expert Jim Stengel to find out.

Jim spent more than two decades at Procter & Gamble, where he managed international brands like Jif and Pampers. He spent seven years as P&G’s Global Marketing Officer.

Today, he consults with businesses large and small, and interviews marketing leaders on his show, The CMO Podcast.

This interview was recorded in front of a live audience on the Amazon stage at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and was supported by Wondery.

This episode was produced by John Isabella with music by Sam Paulson. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Cena Loffredo and Debbie Daughtry. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1865 no Advice Line with Joe Kudla of Vuori Vuori founder Joe Kudla joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders. Today we meet Laurie, a Florida-based physician with savings to invest back into her fashionable scrubs company. Then Brendan, who wants to bring his Irish handbags to the American luxury market. And Steve in Colorado, who’s exploring wholesale opportunities for his colorful skins for ski gloves. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear Vuori’s founding story, check out Joe's first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Joe Kudla of Vuori full 643 Guy Raz | Vox Media Vuori founder Joe Kudla joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders.Today we meet Laurie, a Florida-based physician with savings to invest back into her fashionable scrubs company. Then Brendan, who wants to bring his Irish handbags to the American luxury market. And Steve in Colorado, who’s exploring wholesale opportunities for his colorful skins for ski gloves.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And to hear Vuori’s founding story, check out Joe's first appearance on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Vuori founder Joe Kudla joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders. Today we meet Laurie, a Florida-based physician with savings to invest back into her fashionable scrubs company. Then Brendan, who wants to bring his Irish handbags to the American luxury market. And Steve in Colorado, who’s exploring wholesale opportunities for his colorful skins for ski gloves. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear Vuori’s founding story, check out Joe's first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Vuori founder Joe Kudla joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders.

Today we meet Laurie, a Florida-based physician with savings to invest back into her fashionable scrubs company. Then Brendan, who wants to bring his Irish handbags to the American luxury market. And Steve in Colorado, who’s exploring wholesale opportunities for his colorful skins for ski gloves.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And to hear Vuori’s founding story, check out Joe's first appearance on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2879 no On athletic shoes: Olivier Bernhard and Caspar Coppetti Swiss triathlete and Ironman champion Olivier Bernhard was warned not to challenge the goliaths in the sneaker industry. But, inspired by the cloud-like sensation of a prototype running shoe made with strips of garden hose, Olivier set out to make a new sneaker for elite runners. He initially tried to pitch the design to “big guys” like Nike and Puma, but they weren’t interested. He soon partnered with two fellow Swiss with backgrounds in branding, and gradually, their highly technical shoe found its way to the feet of top runners, and eventually caught the eye of one of the best athletes in the world: Roger Federer. When he became an investor, On transcended running to become a full-fledged sneaker company that in 2023, netted $2 billion in sales.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 On athletic shoes: Olivier Bernhard and Caspar Coppetti full 642 Guy Raz | Vox Media Swiss triathlete and Ironman champion Olivier Bernhard was warned not to challenge the goliaths in the sneaker industry. But, inspired by the cloud-like sensation of a prototype running shoe made with strips of garden hose, Olivier set out to make a new sneaker for elite runners. He initially tried to pitch the design to “big guys” like Nike and Puma, but they weren’t interested. He soon partnered with two fellow Swiss with backgrounds in branding, and gradually, their highly technical shoe found its way to the feet of top runners, and eventually caught the eye of one of the best athletes in the world: Roger Federer. When he became an investor, On transcended running to become a full-fledged sneaker company that in 2023, netted $2 billion in sales. This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. Swiss triathlete and Ironman champion Olivier Bernhard was warned not to challenge the goliaths in the sneaker industry. But, inspired by the cloud-like sensation of a prototype running shoe made with strips of garden hose, Olivier set out to make a new sneaker for elite runners. He initially tried to pitch the design to “big guys” like Nike and Puma, but they weren’t interested. He soon partnered with two fellow Swiss with backgrounds in branding, and gradually, their highly technical shoe found its way to the feet of top runners, and eventually caught the eye of one of the best athletes in the world: Roger Federer. When he became an investor, On transcended running to become a full-fledged sneaker company that in 2023, netted $2 billion in sales.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Swiss triathlete and Ironman champion Olivier Bernhard was warned not to challenge the goliaths in the sneaker industry. But, inspired by the cloud-like sensation of a prototype running shoe made with strips of garden hose, Olivier set out to make a new sneaker for elite runners. He initially tried to pitch the design to “big guys” like Nike and Puma, but they weren’t interested. He soon partnered with two fellow Swiss with backgrounds in branding, and gradually, their highly technical shoe found its way to the feet of top runners, and eventually caught the eye of one of the best athletes in the world: Roger Federer. When he became an investor, On transcended running to become a full-fledged sneaker company that in 2023, netted $2 billion in sales. 

This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and James Willetts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4800 no Advice Line with Pete Maldonado of Chomps (April 2024) In case you missed it, we’re rerunning one of our first Advice Line episodes. Chomps co-founder and co-CEO Pete Maldonado joins Guy to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about growing their businesses.&nbsp; In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out how Pete and his partner Rashid scaled the Chomps brand, from his first appearance on the show last year. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Pete Maldonado of Chomps (April 2024) full 641 Guy Raz | Vox Media In case you missed it, we’re rerunning one of our first Advice Line episodes. Chomps co-founder and co-CEO Pete Maldonado joins Guy to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about growing their businesses. In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out how Pete and his partner Rashid scaled the Chomps brand, from his first appearance on the show last year.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In case you missed it, we’re rerunning one of our first Advice Line episodes. Chomps co-founder and co-CEO Pete Maldonado joins Guy to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about growing their businesses.&nbsp; In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out how Pete and his partner Rashid scaled the Chomps brand, from his first appearance on the show last year. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In case you missed it, we’re rerunning one of our first Advice Line episodes. Chomps co-founder and co-CEO Pete Maldonado joins Guy to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about growing their businesses. 

In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And check out how Pete and his partner Rashid scaled the Chomps brand, from his first appearance on the show last year.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3344 no KAYAK: Paul English (2021) Paul English is a perpetual founder. Since high school, he's started 3 philanthropies and 8 companies—ranging from e-commerce, to gaming, to GetHuman, a site that helps users access human customer support. His best-known venture is probably KAYAK, a travel website launched in 2004 over two gin-and-tonics with co-founder Steve Hafner. Using a simple interface, KAYAK specialized in search; and it made partners out of potential rivals like Orbitz and Expedia by charging them a fee to send users to their sites. Eventually KAYAK became one of the most-searched "K" words on Google, and in 2012, it sold to Priceline for $1.8 billion. A few years later, Paul started yet another company, Lola.com—and says he plans to launch many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 KAYAK: Paul English (2021) full 640 Guy Raz | Vox Media Paul English is a perpetual founder. Since high school, he's started 3 philanthropies and 8 companies—ranging from e-commerce, to gaming, to GetHuman, a site that helps users access human customer support. His best-known venture is probably KAYAK, a travel website launched in 2004 over two gin-and-tonics with co-founder Steve Hafner. Using a simple interface, KAYAK specialized in search; and it made partners out of potential rivals like Orbitz and Expedia by charging them a fee to send users to their sites. Eventually KAYAK became one of the most-searched "K" words on Google, and in 2012, it sold to Priceline for $1.8 billion. A few years later, Paul started yet another company, Lola.com—and says he plans to launch many more. Paul English is a perpetual founder. Since high school, he's started 3 philanthropies and 8 companies—ranging from e-commerce, to gaming, to GetHuman, a site that helps users access human customer support. His best-known venture is probably KAYAK, a travel website launched in 2004 over two gin-and-tonics with co-founder Steve Hafner. Using a simple interface, KAYAK specialized in search; and it made partners out of potential rivals like Orbitz and Expedia by charging them a fee to send users to their sites. Eventually KAYAK became one of the most-searched "K" words on Google, and in 2012, it sold to Priceline for $1.8 billion. A few years later, Paul started yet another company, Lola.com—and says he plans to launch many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Paul English is a perpetual founder. Since high school, he's started 3 philanthropies and 8 companies—ranging from e-commerce, to gaming, to GetHuman, a site that helps users access human customer support. His best-known venture is probably KAYAK, a travel website launched in 2004 over two gin-and-tonics with co-founder Steve Hafner. Using a simple interface, KAYAK specialized in search; and it made partners out of potential rivals like Orbitz and Expedia by charging them a fee to send users to their sites. Eventually KAYAK became one of the most-searched "K" words on Google, and in 2012, it sold to Priceline for $1.8 billion. A few years later, Paul started yet another company, Lola.com—and says he plans to launch many more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4474 no Advice Line with Tony Lamb of Kona Ice Kona Ice co-founder and CEO Tony Lamb joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Today we meet Dylan, who’s wondering how to tell if his small town Illinois candy store is a winning franchise idea. Then Zach, a Wall Street trader trying to bring a popular Asian craft to the U.S. And Jennifer, a designer in San Diego looking to promote her home decor brand on social media—without paying big bucks to influencers. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Kona Ice’s founding story on the show from November 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Tony Lamb of Kona Ice full 639 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kona Ice co-founder and CEO Tony Lamb joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.Today we meet Dylan, who’s wondering how to tell if his small town Illinois candy store is a winning franchise idea. Then Zach, a Wall Street trader trying to bring a popular Asian craft to the U.S. And Jennifer, a designer in San Diego looking to promote her home decor brand on social media—without paying big bucks to influencers.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Kona Ice’s founding story on the show from November 2023. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Kona Ice co-founder and CEO Tony Lamb joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Today we meet Dylan, who’s wondering how to tell if his small town Illinois candy store is a winning franchise idea. Then Zach, a Wall Street trader trying to bring a popular Asian craft to the U.S. And Jennifer, a designer in San Diego looking to promote her home decor brand on social media—without paying big bucks to influencers. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Kona Ice’s founding story on the show from November 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Kona Ice co-founder and CEO Tony Lamb joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders.

Today we meet Dylan, who’s wondering how to tell if his small town Illinois candy store is a winning franchise idea. Then Zach, a Wall Street trader trying to bring a popular Asian craft to the U.S. And Jennifer, a designer in San Diego looking to promote her home decor brand on social media—without paying big bucks to influencers.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Kona Ice’s founding story on the show from November 2023. 

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3111 no Ouidad hair products: Ouidad Wise Ouidad Wise found the inspiration for her multi-million-dollar business right on top of her own head. She turned her passion for curly hair into a bustling New York City salon - and then a national hair care brand, splitting the responsibilities of running the business with her husband Peter. Juggling finances and family, the couple lived apart during the week for 16 years, all while raising two kids. Eventually, in 2018, after 40 years in the hair industry, Ouidad sold the brand, and now volunteers as a consultant for people launching their own salons. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Jul 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Ouidad hair products: Ouidad Wise full 638 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ouidad Wise found the inspiration for her multi-million-dollar business right on top of her own head. She turned her passion for curly hair into a bustling New York City salon - and then a national hair care brand, splitting the responsibilities of running the business with her husband Peter. Juggling finances and family, the couple lived apart during the week for 16 years, all while raising two kids. Eventually, in 2018, after 40 years in the hair industry, Ouidad sold the brand, and now volunteers as a consultant for people launching their own salons.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Ouidad Wise found the inspiration for her multi-million-dollar business right on top of her own head. She turned her passion for curly hair into a bustling New York City salon - and then a national hair care brand, splitting the responsibilities of running the business with her husband Peter. Juggling finances and family, the couple lived apart during the week for 16 years, all while raising two kids. Eventually, in 2018, after 40 years in the hair industry, Ouidad sold the brand, and now volunteers as a consultant for people launching their own salons. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Ouidad Wise found the inspiration for her multi-million-dollar business right on top of her own head. She turned her passion for curly hair into a bustling New York City salon - and then a national hair care brand, splitting the responsibilities of running the business with her husband Peter. Juggling finances and family, the couple lived apart during the week for 16 years, all while raising two kids. Eventually, in 2018, after 40 years in the hair industry, Ouidad sold the brand, and now volunteers as a consultant for people launching their own salons.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Kwesi Lee. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4103 no Advice Line with Brett Schulman of CAVA CAVA co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders experiencing growing pains as they scale their companies.&nbsp; Today we meet Devin, who’s navigating imposter syndrome as his spiked root beer gets picked up by stores across Texas. Then Sophia, a Los Angeles mom exploring new sales channels for the accessories she designed to support children’s allergy needs. And Sean, who’s weighing whether outside investment is the best way to grow his Michigan-based coffee roastery into a national brand.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to CAVA’s founding story as told by Brett and his co-founder Ted Xenohristos on the show in 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Jun 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Brett Schulman of CAVA full 637 Guy Raz | Vox Media CAVA co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders experiencing growing pains as they scale their companies. Today we meet Devin, who’s navigating imposter syndrome as his spiked root beer gets picked up by stores across Texas. Then Sophia, a Los Angeles mom exploring new sales channels for the accessories she designed to support children’s allergy needs. And Sean, who’s weighing whether outside investment is the best way to grow his Michigan-based coffee roastery into a national brand. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to CAVA’s founding story as told by Brett and his co-founder Ted Xenohristos on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. CAVA co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders experiencing growing pains as they scale their companies.&nbsp; Today we meet Devin, who’s navigating imposter syndrome as his spiked root beer gets picked up by stores across Texas. Then Sophia, a Los Angeles mom exploring new sales channels for the accessories she designed to support children’s allergy needs. And Sean, who’s weighing whether outside investment is the best way to grow his Michigan-based coffee roastery into a national brand.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to CAVA’s founding story as told by Brett and his co-founder Ted Xenohristos on the show in 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices CAVA co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders experiencing growing pains as they scale their companies. 

Today we meet Devin, who’s navigating imposter syndrome as his spiked root beer gets picked up by stores across Texas. Then Sophia, a Los Angeles mom exploring new sales channels for the accessories she designed to support children’s allergy needs. And Sean, who’s weighing whether outside investment is the best way to grow his Michigan-based coffee roastery into a national brand. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to CAVA’s founding story as told by Brett and his co-founder Ted Xenohristos on the show in 2023. 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. 


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3166 no American Giant: Bayard Winthrop Bayard Winthrop founded American Giant in 2011 with the simple idea to sell clothes made entirely in America at a time when most apparel manufacturing had moved overseas. The first struggle was finding all the components—the cotton, the buttons, the zippers, the rivets; the next was finding people to actually do the work—the dying, the napping, the sewing and the finishing. Once Bayard did all that he ended up with his first product, a plain hooded sweatshirt. But soon after a viral article proclaimed it “the greatest hoodie ever made” Bayard faced a&nbsp; backlog of orders that took him almost three years to fulfill. Today, American Giant has expanded their line to include all the basics: t-shirts, denim, flannel, and accessories, still entirely produced in the U.S. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Jun 2024 07:10:00 -0000 American Giant: Bayard Winthrop full 636 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bayard Winthrop founded American Giant in 2011 with the simple idea to sell clothes made entirely in America at a time when most apparel manufacturing had moved overseas. The first struggle was finding all the components—the cotton, the buttons, the zippers, the rivets; the next was finding people to actually do the work—the dying, the napping, the sewing and the finishing. Once Bayard did all that he ended up with his first product, a plain hooded sweatshirt. But soon after a viral article proclaimed it “the greatest hoodie ever made” Bayard faced a  backlog of orders that took him almost three years to fulfill. Today, American Giant has expanded their line to include all the basics: t-shirts, denim, flannel, and accessories, still entirely produced in the U.S.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Casey Herman, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Bayard Winthrop founded American Giant in 2011 with the simple idea to sell clothes made entirely in America at a time when most apparel manufacturing had moved overseas. The first struggle was finding all the components—the cotton, the buttons, the zippers, the rivets; the next was finding people to actually do the work—the dying, the napping, the sewing and the finishing. Once Bayard did all that he ended up with his first product, a plain hooded sweatshirt. But soon after a viral article proclaimed it “the greatest hoodie ever made” Bayard faced a&nbsp; backlog of orders that took him almost three years to fulfill. Today, American Giant has expanded their line to include all the basics: t-shirts, denim, flannel, and accessories, still entirely produced in the U.S. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bayard Winthrop founded American Giant in 2011 with the simple idea to sell clothes made entirely in America at a time when most apparel manufacturing had moved overseas. The first struggle was finding all the components—the cotton, the buttons, the zippers, the rivets; the next was finding people to actually do the work—the dying, the napping, the sewing and the finishing. Once Bayard did all that he ended up with his first product, a plain hooded sweatshirt. But soon after a viral article proclaimed it “the greatest hoodie ever made” Bayard faced a  backlog of orders that took him almost three years to fulfill. Today, American Giant has expanded their line to include all the basics: t-shirts, denim, flannel, and accessories, still entirely produced in the U.S.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5145 no Advice Line with Mark Ramadan of Sir Kensington's Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders. Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Mark Ramadan of Sir Kensington's full 635 Guy Raz | Vox Media Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders.Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And to hear the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders. Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And to hear the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders.

Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And to hear the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3287 no Spin Master/PAW Patrol: Ronnen Harary (2021) Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Buddy, a chia-pet-like novelty gift made of pantyhose, sawdust, and grass seed. Today, it's a publicly traded company with a portfolio that includes TV shows, video games, and toys ranging from puzzles to plush. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Jun 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Spin Master/PAW Patrol: Ronnen Harary (2021) full 634 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Buddy, a chia-pet-like novelty gift made of pantyhose, sawdust, and grass seed. Today, it's a publicly traded company with a portfolio that includes TV shows, video games, and toys ranging from puzzles to plush.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Buddy, a chia-pet-like novelty gift made of pantyhose, sawdust, and grass seed. Today, it's a publicly traded company with a portfolio that includes TV shows, video games, and toys ranging from puzzles to plush. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Buddy, a chia-pet-like novelty gift made of pantyhose, sawdust, and grass seed. Today, it's a publicly traded company with a portfolio that includes TV shows, video games, and toys ranging from puzzles to plush.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Claire Murashima.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4203 no Advice Line with Sarah Kauss of S'well S’well founder Sarah Kauss joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning their products in competitive markets.&nbsp; Today we meet Chiara, a recent college grad who invented a protein-packed chickpea hot cereal. Then Jesús, who left his tech job to go all-in on a line of greeting cards inspired by his Latino heritage. And Adam, a former X Games gold medalist who launched a brand of razors for men who shave their legs. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to S’well’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Jun 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Sarah Kauss of S'well full 633 Guy Raz | Vox Media S’well founder Sarah Kauss joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning their products in competitive markets. Today we meet Chiara, a recent college grad who invented a protein-packed chickpea hot cereal. Then Jesús, who left his tech job to go all-in on a line of greeting cards inspired by his Latino heritage. And Adam, a former X Games gold medalist who launched a brand of razors for men who shave their legs.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to S’well’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. S’well founder Sarah Kauss joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning their products in competitive markets.&nbsp; Today we meet Chiara, a recent college grad who invented a protein-packed chickpea hot cereal. Then Jesús, who left his tech job to go all-in on a line of greeting cards inspired by his Latino heritage. And Adam, a former X Games gold medalist who launched a brand of razors for men who shave their legs. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to S’well’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices S’well founder Sarah Kauss joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning their products in competitive markets. 


Today we meet Chiara, a recent college grad who invented a protein-packed chickpea hot cereal. Then Jesús, who left his tech job to go all-in on a line of greeting cards inspired by his Latino heritage. And Adam, a former X Games gold medalist who launched a brand of razors for men who shave their legs.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And be sure to listen to S’well’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3190 no The Cronut and Dominique Ansel Bakery: Dominique Ansel Dominique Ansel’s invention of the Cronut — an inspired liaison between croissant and donut — was supposed to be a one-time indulgence for Mother’s Day. But once word spread about the perfect hybrid pastry, his Manhattan bakery was overwhelmed by endless lines and Cronut scalpers. Dominique eventually learned to manage the hype and grow his business while maintaining his craft. Named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017, he has found an entrepreneurial sweet spot in three brick-and-mortar locations and a mail-order business, which will overnight a Cronut to your door, sans the line, and scalpers be damned.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Jun 2024 07:10:00 -0000 The Cronut and Dominique Ansel Bakery: Dominique Ansel full 632 Guy Raz | Vox Media Dominique Ansel’s invention of the Cronut — an inspired liaison between croissant and donut — was supposed to be a one-time indulgence for Mother’s Day. But once word spread about the perfect hybrid pastry, his Manhattan bakery was overwhelmed by endless lines and Cronut scalpers. Dominique eventually learned to manage the hype and grow his business while maintaining his craft. Named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017, he has found an entrepreneurial sweet spot in three brick-and-mortar locations and a mail-order business, which will overnight a Cronut to your door, sans the line, and scalpers be damned.  This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Dominique Ansel’s invention of the Cronut — an inspired liaison between croissant and donut — was supposed to be a one-time indulgence for Mother’s Day. But once word spread about the perfect hybrid pastry, his Manhattan bakery was overwhelmed by endless lines and Cronut scalpers. Dominique eventually learned to manage the hype and grow his business while maintaining his craft. Named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017, he has found an entrepreneurial sweet spot in three brick-and-mortar locations and a mail-order business, which will overnight a Cronut to your door, sans the line, and scalpers be damned.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Dominique Ansel’s invention of the Cronut — an inspired liaison between croissant and donut — was supposed to be a one-time indulgence for Mother’s Day. But once word spread about the perfect hybrid pastry, his Manhattan bakery was overwhelmed by endless lines and Cronut scalpers. Dominique eventually learned to manage the hype and grow his business while maintaining his craft. Named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017, he has found an entrepreneurial sweet spot in three brick-and-mortar locations and a mail-order business, which will overnight a Cronut to your door, sans the line, and scalpers be damned.  


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4043 no Advice Line with Randy Goldberg of Bombas Bombas co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Randy Goldberg joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about building brands and reaching new communities. Today we meet Rivky, an Orthodox Jewish woman who's redefining modest clothing for plus-size women. Then Shyam, a rocket engineer who wants to introduce Americans to a popular South Asian tabletop game. And Änna, a boutique owner who wants to translate her hip brick-and-mortar vibes into the digital space. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out Bombas's founding story from Randy’s first appearance on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Jun 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Randy Goldberg of Bombas full 631 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bombas co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Randy Goldberg joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about building brands and reaching new communities.Today we meet Rivky, an Orthodox Jewish woman who's redefining modest clothing for plus-size women. Then Shyam, a rocket engineer who wants to introduce Americans to a popular South Asian tabletop game. And Änna, a boutique owner who wants to translate her hip brick-and-mortar vibes into the digital space.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out Bombas's founding story from Randy’s first appearance on the show in 2022.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Bombas co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Randy Goldberg joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about building brands and reaching new communities. Today we meet Rivky, an Orthodox Jewish woman who's redefining modest clothing for plus-size women. Then Shyam, a rocket engineer who wants to introduce Americans to a popular South Asian tabletop game. And Änna, a boutique owner who wants to translate her hip brick-and-mortar vibes into the digital space. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out Bombas's founding story from Randy’s first appearance on the show in 2022. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Bombas co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Randy Goldberg joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about building brands and reaching new communities.

Today we meet Rivky, an Orthodox Jewish woman who's redefining modest clothing for plus-size women. Then Shyam, a rocket engineer who wants to introduce Americans to a popular South Asian tabletop game. And Änna, a boutique owner who wants to translate her hip brick-and-mortar vibes into the digital space.


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And check out Bombas's founding story from Randy’s first appearance on the show in 2022.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3183 no Dave’s Hot Chicken: Arman Oganesyan Dave’s Hot Chicken began as a tiny pop-up, selling spicy chicken tenders and fries from a tent in East Hollywood. Their homemade take on Nashville Hot Chicken was an overnight sensation in a city that had barely heard of it, and within days, co-founder Arman Oganesyan and his partners were working frantically to serve the long lines out front. Since launching seven years ago, the pop-up has grown into a chain of 200 stores, with franchises across the country, and a beloved rubber chicken mascot. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Jun 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Dave’s Hot Chicken: Arman Oganesyan full 630 Guy Raz | Vox Media Dave’s Hot Chicken began as a tiny pop-up, selling spicy chicken tenders and fries from a tent in East Hollywood. Their homemade take on Nashville Hot Chicken was an overnight sensation in a city that had barely heard of it, and within days, co-founder Arman Oganesyan and his partners were working frantically to serve the long lines out front. Since launching seven years ago, the pop-up has grown into a chain of 200 stores, with franchises across the country, and a beloved rubber chicken mascot.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Dave’s Hot Chicken began as a tiny pop-up, selling spicy chicken tenders and fries from a tent in East Hollywood. Their homemade take on Nashville Hot Chicken was an overnight sensation in a city that had barely heard of it, and within days, co-founder Arman Oganesyan and his partners were working frantically to serve the long lines out front. Since launching seven years ago, the pop-up has grown into a chain of 200 stores, with franchises across the country, and a beloved rubber chicken mascot. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Dave’s Hot Chicken began as a tiny pop-up, selling spicy chicken tenders and fries from a tent in East Hollywood. Their homemade take on Nashville Hot Chicken was an overnight sensation in a city that had barely heard of it, and within days, co-founder Arman Oganesyan and his partners were working frantically to serve the long lines out front. Since launching seven years ago, the pop-up has grown into a chain of 200 stores, with franchises across the country, and a beloved rubber chicken mascot.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Patrick Murray.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4214 no Advice Line with Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey (April 2024) In case you missed it, we’re rerunning our Advice Line launch episode from a few weeks ago. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey founder Fawn Weaver joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about telling their brand story.&nbsp; In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out the origin story of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, told by Fawn on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey (April 2024) full 629 Guy Raz | Vox Media In case you missed it, we’re rerunning our Advice Line launch episode from a few weeks ago. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey founder Fawn Weaver joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about telling their brand story. In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out the origin story of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, told by Fawn on the show in 2021.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. In case you missed it, we’re rerunning our Advice Line launch episode from a few weeks ago. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey founder Fawn Weaver joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about telling their brand story.&nbsp; In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out the origin story of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, told by Fawn on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In case you missed it, we’re rerunning our Advice Line launch episode from a few weeks ago. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey founder Fawn Weaver joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about telling their brand story. 


In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business. 


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And check out the origin story of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, told by Fawn on the show in 2021.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2484 no ECKO UNLTD and COMPLEX: Marc Ecko Growing up in the ‘80s in New Jersey, Marc Ecko loved hip hop, graffiti art, and painting t-shirts for friends. His passion soon bloomed into a full-on business: ECKO UNLTD, a streetwear brand known for its iconic rhino logo. By the 1990’s, the brand had become a cultural force, but not without its share of bad deals, daunting debt, and a close brush with bankruptcy.&nbsp; Eager to keep innovating, Marc launched COMPLEX, a media company hyper-focused on “convergence” culture: hip hop, fashion, sports and pop culture. Within a decade, COMPLEX had weathered the financial crisis, and emerged profitable. After being bought–and sold–by Buzzfeed, it was purchased by a video shopping company for over $100 million, and ECKO UNLTD just celebrated its 30th anniversary.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 ECKO UNLTD and COMPLEX: Marc Ecko full 628 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up in the ‘80s in New Jersey, Marc Ecko loved hip hop, graffiti art, and painting t-shirts for friends. His passion soon bloomed into a full-on business: ECKO UNLTD, a streetwear brand known for its iconic rhino logo. By the 1990’s, the brand had become a cultural force, but not without its share of bad deals, daunting debt, and a close brush with bankruptcy. Eager to keep innovating, Marc launched COMPLEX, a media company hyper-focused on “convergence” culture: hip hop, fashion, sports and pop culture. Within a decade, COMPLEX had weathered the financial crisis, and emerged profitable. After being bought–and sold–by Buzzfeed, it was purchased by a video shopping company for over $100 million, and ECKO UNLTD just celebrated its 30th anniversary. This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Kwesi Lee. Growing up in the ‘80s in New Jersey, Marc Ecko loved hip hop, graffiti art, and painting t-shirts for friends. His passion soon bloomed into a full-on business: ECKO UNLTD, a streetwear brand known for its iconic rhino logo. By the 1990’s, the brand had become a cultural force, but not without its share of bad deals, daunting debt, and a close brush with bankruptcy.&nbsp; Eager to keep innovating, Marc launched COMPLEX, a media company hyper-focused on “convergence” culture: hip hop, fashion, sports and pop culture. Within a decade, COMPLEX had weathered the financial crisis, and emerged profitable. After being bought–and sold–by Buzzfeed, it was purchased by a video shopping company for over $100 million, and ECKO UNLTD just celebrated its 30th anniversary.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Kwesi Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Growing up in the ‘80s in New Jersey, Marc Ecko loved hip hop, graffiti art, and painting t-shirts for friends. His passion soon bloomed into a full-on business: ECKO UNLTD, a streetwear brand known for its iconic rhino logo. By the 1990’s, the brand had become a cultural force, but not without its share of bad deals, daunting debt, and a close brush with bankruptcy. 

Eager to keep innovating, Marc launched COMPLEX, a media company hyper-focused on “convergence” culture: hip hop, fashion, sports and pop culture. Within a decade, COMPLEX had weathered the financial crisis, and emerged profitable. After being bought–and sold–by Buzzfeed, it was purchased by a video shopping company for over $100 million, and ECKO UNLTD just celebrated its 30th anniversary. 

This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Kwesi Lee.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5315 no Advice Line with Maureen Kelly of Tarte Cosmetics Tarte cosmetics founder and CEO Maureen Kelly joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about their marketing strategies. Today we meet Kristina, who’s designed sweat-wicking underwear that's both functional and stylish. Then Ashley, who recently launched a&nbsp;line of chemical-free hair care products. And Marcelle, the owner of an international&nbsp;career coaching service. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out Tarte’s founding story from Maureen’s first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Maureen Kelly of Tarte Cosmetics full 627 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tarte cosmetics founder and CEO Maureen Kelly joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about their marketing strategies.Today we meet Kristina, who’s designed sweat-wicking underwear that's both functional and stylish. Then Ashley, who recently launched a line of chemical-free hair care products. And Marcelle, the owner of an international career coaching service.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out Tarte’s founding story from Maureen’s first appearance on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Tarte cosmetics founder and CEO Maureen Kelly joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about their marketing strategies. Today we meet Kristina, who’s designed sweat-wicking underwear that's both functional and stylish. Then Ashley, who recently launched a&nbsp;line of chemical-free hair care products. And Marcelle, the owner of an international&nbsp;career coaching service. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out Tarte’s founding story from Maureen’s first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tarte cosmetics founder and CEO Maureen Kelly joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about their marketing strategies.

Today we meet Kristina, who’s designed sweat-wicking underwear that's both functional and stylish. Then Ashley, who recently launched a line of chemical-free hair care products. And Marcelle, the owner of an international career coaching service.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And check out Tarte’s founding story from Maureen’s first appearance on the show in 2023.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3063 no Concept2 Rowing Machines: Dick and Peter Dreissigacker Brothers Dick and Peter Dreissigacker used their experience as Olympic-level rowers to build a&nbsp;rowing machine that captured the sensation of being on the water. Initially made of bicycle parts in a Vermont barn, the machines had a limited market at first: mostly rowing clubs and schools that competed in the sport. But in the 2000’s, business began to take off when Greg Glassman, the founder of Crossfit, began putting the machines into his gyms. Today Concept2 sells rowing machines to thousands of gyms and teams around the world, plus rowers, stationary bikes and skiing machines for people who train at home. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Concept2 Rowing Machines: Dick and Peter Dreissigacker full 626 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brothers Dick and Peter Dreissigacker used their experience as Olympic-level rowers to build a rowing machine that captured the sensation of being on the water. Initially made of bicycle parts in a Vermont barn, the machines had a limited market at first: mostly rowing clubs and schools that competed in the sport. But in the 2000’s, business began to take off when Greg Glassman, the founder of Crossfit, began putting the machines into his gyms. Today Concept2 sells rowing machines to thousands of gyms and teams around the world, plus rowers, stationary bikes and skiing machines for people who train at home.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Brothers Dick and Peter Dreissigacker used their experience as Olympic-level rowers to build a&nbsp;rowing machine that captured the sensation of being on the water. Initially made of bicycle parts in a Vermont barn, the machines had a limited market at first: mostly rowing clubs and schools that competed in the sport. But in the 2000’s, business began to take off when Greg Glassman, the founder of Crossfit, began putting the machines into his gyms. Today Concept2 sells rowing machines to thousands of gyms and teams around the world, plus rowers, stationary bikes and skiing machines for people who train at home. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Brothers Dick and Peter Dreissigacker used their experience as Olympic-level rowers to build a rowing machine that captured the sensation of being on the water. Initially made of bicycle parts in a Vermont barn, the machines had a limited market at first: mostly rowing clubs and schools that competed in the sport. But in the 2000’s, business began to take off when Greg Glassman, the founder of Crossfit, began putting the machines into his gyms. Today Concept2 sells rowing machines to thousands of gyms and teams around the world, plus rowers, stationary bikes and skiing machines for people who train at home.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3882 no Advice Line with Tom Rinks of Sun Bum Sun Bum co-founder Tom Rinks joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about refining their brand identities.&nbsp; Today we meet Wendy, a former comedian whose sugar scrub takes the sticky-icky off your hands. Then Allyson, who went from producing reality television to trucker hats designed for women’s heads. And Zephyrus, an opera performer with a new way for kids to hear their favorite bedtime stories. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Sun Bum’s founding story as told by Tom on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Tom Rinks of Sun Bum full 625 Guy Raz | Vox Media Sun Bum co-founder Tom Rinks joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about refining their brand identities. Today we meet Wendy, a former comedian whose sugar scrub takes the sticky-icky off your hands. Then Allyson, who went from producing reality television to trucker hats designed for women’s heads. And Zephyrus, an opera performer with a new way for kids to hear their favorite bedtime stories.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And be sure to listen to Sun Bum’s founding story as told by Tom on the show in 2023.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Sun Bum co-founder Tom Rinks joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about refining their brand identities.&nbsp; Today we meet Wendy, a former comedian whose sugar scrub takes the sticky-icky off your hands. Then Allyson, who went from producing reality television to trucker hats designed for women’s heads. And Zephyrus, an opera performer with a new way for kids to hear their favorite bedtime stories. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Sun Bum’s founding story as told by Tom on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sun Bum co-founder Tom Rinks joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about refining their brand identities. 

Today we meet Wendy, a former comedian whose sugar scrub takes the sticky-icky off your hands. Then Allyson, who went from producing reality television to trucker hats designed for women’s heads. And Zephyrus, an opera performer with a new way for kids to hear their favorite bedtime stories.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Sun Bum’s founding story as told by Tom on the show in 2023.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2847 no Therabody: Jason Wersland The Theragun was born out of a late-night experiment with a Makita jigsaw, by a man searching desperately for pain relief in his arm. Jason Wersland was studying to become a chiropractor when he got injured in a motorcycle accident. While casting about for solutions, he discovered that the percussive massage from his jury-rigged power tool helped ease his pain and increase range of motion. Jason soon discovered the device worked on his patients, so he MacGyvered hundreds more jigsaws, initially using fence posts and cat toys as add-ons.&nbsp; Over time, with endorsements from top athletes and celebrities, Jason grew his business into Therabody, a wellness brand with revenue in the hundred of millions of dollars. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Therabody: Jason Wersland full 624 Guy Raz | Vox Media The Theragun was born out of a late-night experiment with a Makita jigsaw, by a man searching desperately for pain relief in his arm. Jason Wersland was studying to become a chiropractor when he got injured in a motorcycle accident. While casting about for solutions, he discovered that the percussive massage from his jury-rigged power tool helped ease his pain and increase range of motion.Jason soon discovered the device worked on his patients, so he MacGyvered hundreds more jigsaws, initially using fence posts and cat toys as add-ons.  Over time, with endorsements from top athletes and celebrities, Jason grew his business into Therabody, a wellness brand with revenue in the hundred of millions of dollars.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com The Theragun was born out of a late-night experiment with a Makita jigsaw, by a man searching desperately for pain relief in his arm. Jason Wersland was studying to become a chiropractor when he got injured in a motorcycle accident. While casting about for solutions, he discovered that the percussive massage from his jury-rigged power tool helped ease his pain and increase range of motion. Jason soon discovered the device worked on his patients, so he MacGyvered hundreds more jigsaws, initially using fence posts and cat toys as add-ons.&nbsp; Over time, with endorsements from top athletes and celebrities, Jason grew his business into Therabody, a wellness brand with revenue in the hundred of millions of dollars. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The Theragun was born out of a late-night experiment with a Makita jigsaw, by a man searching desperately for pain relief in his arm. Jason Wersland was studying to become a chiropractor when he got injured in a motorcycle accident. While casting about for solutions, he discovered that the percussive massage from his jury-rigged power tool helped ease his pain and increase range of motion.


Jason soon discovered the device worked on his patients, so he MacGyvered hundreds more jigsaws, initially using fence posts and cat toys as add-ons.  Over time, with endorsements from top athletes and celebrities, Jason grew his business into Therabody, a wellness brand with revenue in the hundred of millions of dollars.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Melia Agudelo. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

And sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4508 no Advice Line with Andrew Abraham of Orgain Orgain founder and CEO Andrew Abraham joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about strategically positioning their products.&nbsp;&nbsp; Today we meet Brynn, who’s tackling cavities and dental anxiety with an electric flosser. Then Turner, a radiologist mixing up craft cocktails for the golf course. And Catherine, whose pasta sauces and dressings help ease the weeknight dinner juggle.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out Orgain’s founding story from Andrew’s first appearance on the show in 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Andrew Abraham of Orgain full 623 Guy Raz | Vox Media Orgain founder and CEO Andrew Abraham joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about strategically positioning their products.  Today we meet Brynn, who’s tackling cavities and dental anxiety with an electric flosser. Then Turner, a radiologist mixing up craft cocktails for the golf course. And Catherine, whose pasta sauces and dressings help ease the weeknight dinner juggle. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out Orgain’s founding story from Andrew’s first appearance on the show in 2023. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Orgain founder and CEO Andrew Abraham joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about strategically positioning their products.&nbsp;&nbsp; Today we meet Brynn, who’s tackling cavities and dental anxiety with an electric flosser. Then Turner, a radiologist mixing up craft cocktails for the golf course. And Catherine, whose pasta sauces and dressings help ease the weeknight dinner juggle.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out Orgain’s founding story from Andrew’s first appearance on the show in 2023.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Orgain founder and CEO Andrew Abraham joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about strategically positioning their products.  

Today we meet Brynn, who’s tackling cavities and dental anxiety with an electric flosser. Then Turner, a radiologist mixing up craft cocktails for the golf course. And Catherine, whose pasta sauces and dressings help ease the weeknight dinner juggle. 


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And check out Orgain’s founding story from Andrew’s first appearance on the show in 2023. 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3348 no nutpods: Madeline Haydon When Madeline Haydon decided to turn her homemade, plant-based coffee creamer into a business, she didn’t fit the mold of a typical founder. She was a woman of color, pregnant with her second child, and had no experience in the food industry. At first, almost all of her sales were through Amazon, and she struggled to convince investors to take a risk on her. But over 10 years, she grew nutpods from a $30,000 Kickstarter campaign into a leading coffee creamer brand, now available in 15,000 stores across the US.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray. You can subscribe to Guy’s brand new newsletter at guyraz.com. You can also follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 nutpods: Madeline Haydon full 622 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Madeline Haydon decided to turn her homemade, plant-based coffee creamer into a business, she didn’t fit the mold of a typical founder. She was a woman of color, pregnant with her second child, and had no experience in the food industry. At first, almost all of her sales were through Amazon, and she struggled to convince investors to take a risk on her. But over 10 years, she grew nutpods from a $30,000 Kickstarter campaign into a leading coffee creamer brand, now available in 15,000 stores across the US. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray.You can subscribe to Guy’s brand new newsletter at guyraz.com.You can also follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Madeline Haydon decided to turn her homemade, plant-based coffee creamer into a business, she didn’t fit the mold of a typical founder. She was a woman of color, pregnant with her second child, and had no experience in the food industry. At first, almost all of her sales were through Amazon, and she struggled to convince investors to take a risk on her. But over 10 years, she grew nutpods from a $30,000 Kickstarter campaign into a leading coffee creamer brand, now available in 15,000 stores across the US.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray. You can subscribe to Guy’s brand new newsletter at guyraz.com. You can also follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Madeline Haydon decided to turn her homemade, plant-based coffee creamer into a business, she didn’t fit the mold of a typical founder. She was a woman of color, pregnant with her second child, and had no experience in the food industry. At first, almost all of her sales were through Amazon, and she struggled to convince investors to take a risk on her. But over 10 years, she grew nutpods from a $30,000 Kickstarter campaign into a leading coffee creamer brand, now available in 15,000 stores across the US. 


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray.


You can subscribe to Guy’s brand new newsletter at guyraz.com.

You can also follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3639 no Advice Line with Gary Erickson of Clif Bar Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base. Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out Clif Bar’s founding story from Gary’s first appearance on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, email us at hibt@id.wondery.com, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 May 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Gary Erickson of Clif Bar full 621 Guy Raz | Vox Media Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base.Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints.If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out Clif Bar’s founding story from Gary’s first appearance on the show in 2016.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, email us at hibt@id.wondery.com, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com. Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base. Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out Clif Bar’s founding story from Gary’s first appearance on the show in 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, email us at hibt@id.wondery.com, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at&nbsp;guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base.

Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And check out Clif Bar’s founding story from Gary’s first appearance on the show in 2016.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, email us at hibt@id.wondery.com, and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3520 no Twitter, Medium and Blogger: Ev Williams As co-founder of Twitter and founder of Blogger and Medium, Evan Williams literally helped change the conversation: he understood that real-time connectivity—being able to write a post and have people read it seconds later—was the future of engagement online.&nbsp;A Nebraska farm boy who dropped out of college, Ev ran into several business failures before starting Blogger, and—after it sold to Google—launching Twitter with Jack Dorsey and others.&nbsp;Ev also came to learn that he understood product better than people, a trait that would contribute to his eventual ouster as Twitter CEO.&nbsp;After that crushing blow, he returned to his first love by starting Medium, a blogging site for posts that are neither too short or too long. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Josh Newell and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Apr 2024 19:47:42 -0000 Twitter, Medium and Blogger: Ev Williams full 620 Guy Raz | Vox Media As co-founder of Twitter and founder of Blogger and Medium, Evan Williams literally helped change the conversation: he understood that real-time connectivity—being able to write a post and have people read it seconds later—was the future of engagement online. A Nebraska farm boy who dropped out of college, Ev ran into several business failures before starting Blogger, and—after it sold to Google—launching Twitter with Jack Dorsey and others. Ev also came to learn that he understood product better than people, a trait that would contribute to his eventual ouster as Twitter CEO. After that crushing blow, he returned to his first love by starting Medium, a blogging site for posts that are neither too short or too long.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Josh Newell and Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. As co-founder of Twitter and founder of Blogger and Medium, Evan Williams literally helped change the conversation: he understood that real-time connectivity—being able to write a post and have people read it seconds later—was the future of engagement online.&nbsp;A Nebraska farm boy who dropped out of college, Ev ran into several business failures before starting Blogger, and—after it sold to Google—launching Twitter with Jack Dorsey and others.&nbsp;Ev also came to learn that he understood product better than people, a trait that would contribute to his eventual ouster as Twitter CEO.&nbsp;After that crushing blow, he returned to his first love by starting Medium, a blogging site for posts that are neither too short or too long. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Josh Newell and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As co-founder of Twitter and founder of Blogger and Medium, Evan Williams literally helped change the conversation: he understood that real-time connectivity—being able to write a post and have people read it seconds later—was the future of engagement online. A Nebraska farm boy who dropped out of college, Ev ran into several business failures before starting Blogger, and—after it sold to Google—launching Twitter with Jack Dorsey and others. Ev also came to learn that he understood product better than people, a trait that would contribute to his eventual ouster as Twitter CEO. After that crushing blow, he returned to his first love by starting Medium, a blogging site for posts that are neither too short or too long.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Josh Newell and Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4775 no Advice Line with Pete Maldonado of Chomps Former guest Pete Maldonado, co-founder and co-CEO of Chomps, joins Guy for another “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab.&nbsp; In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out how Pete and his partner Rashid scaled the Chomps brand, from his first appearance on the show last year. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Pete Maldonado of Chomps full 619 Guy Raz | Vox Media Former guest Pete Maldonado, co-founder and co-CEO of Chomps, joins Guy for another “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab. In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out how Pete and his partner Rashid scaled the Chomps brand, from his first appearance on the show last year.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Former guest Pete Maldonado, co-founder and co-CEO of Chomps, joins Guy for another “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab.&nbsp; In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out how Pete and his partner Rashid scaled the Chomps brand, from his first appearance on the show last year. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Former guest Pete Maldonado, co-founder and co-CEO of Chomps, joins Guy for another “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab. 

In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake. 

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And check out how Pete and his partner Rashid scaled the Chomps brand, from his first appearance on the show last year.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3293 no Dhar Mann Studios: Dhar Mann Five years before he became a massively successful content creator, Dhar Mann was nearly broke and living in a studio apartment. It’s the kind of story he might tell in one of his videos: bite-sized, live-action morality tales that have earned 60 billion views across YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. Raised in an Indian Sikh family, Dhar had a strong entrepreneurial drive, which led to early business success, but also a spectacular downfall when he got pulled into a Ponzi scheme. A few years after losing nearly everything, he began making short, dramatic videos that conveyed life lessons. Nobody watched at first and critics called them cheesy, but today, Dhar has a huge production studio in Burbank, where dozens of&nbsp; employees make content for tens of millions of subscribers. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Apr 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Dhar Mann Studios: Dhar Mann full 618 Guy Raz | Vox Media Five years before he became a massively successful content creator, Dhar Mann was nearly broke and living in a studio apartment. It’s the kind of story he might tell in one of his videos: bite-sized, live-action morality tales that have earned 60 billion views across YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. Raised in an Indian Sikh family, Dhar had a strong entrepreneurial drive, which led to early business success, but also a spectacular downfall when he got pulled into a Ponzi scheme. A few years after losing nearly everything, he began making short, dramatic videos that conveyed life lessons. Nobody watched at first and critics called them cheesy, but today, Dhar has a huge production studio in Burbank, where dozens of  employees make content for tens of millions of subscribers.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Five years before he became a massively successful content creator, Dhar Mann was nearly broke and living in a studio apartment. It’s the kind of story he might tell in one of his videos: bite-sized, live-action morality tales that have earned 60 billion views across YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. Raised in an Indian Sikh family, Dhar had a strong entrepreneurial drive, which led to early business success, but also a spectacular downfall when he got pulled into a Ponzi scheme. A few years after losing nearly everything, he began making short, dramatic videos that conveyed life lessons. Nobody watched at first and critics called them cheesy, but today, Dhar has a huge production studio in Burbank, where dozens of&nbsp; employees make content for tens of millions of subscribers. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Five years before he became a massively successful content creator, Dhar Mann was nearly broke and living in a studio apartment. It’s the kind of story he might tell in one of his videos: bite-sized, live-action morality tales that have earned 60 billion views across YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. Raised in an Indian Sikh family, Dhar had a strong entrepreneurial drive, which led to early business success, but also a spectacular downfall when he got pulled into a Ponzi scheme. A few years after losing nearly everything, he began making short, dramatic videos that conveyed life lessons. Nobody watched at first and critics called them cheesy, but today, Dhar has a huge production studio in Burbank, where dozens of  employees make content for tens of millions of subscribers.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5334 no Advice Line with Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Former guest Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, joins Guy for an “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab. Three early-stage entrepreneurs call in for advice on telling their brand story.&nbsp; In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out the origin story of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, told by Fawn on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Advice Line with Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey full 617 Guy Raz | Vox Media Former guest Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, joins Guy for an “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab. Three early-stage entrepreneurs call in for advice on telling their brand story. In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.And check out the origin story of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, told by Fawn on the show in 2021.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Former guest Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, joins Guy for an “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab. Three early-stage entrepreneurs call in for advice on telling their brand story.&nbsp; In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business.&nbsp; If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And check out the origin story of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, told by Fawn on the show in 2021. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Former guest Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, joins Guy for an “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab. Three early-stage entrepreneurs call in for advice on telling their brand story. 


In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business. 


If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.


And check out the origin story of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, told by Fawn on the show in 2021.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2443 no YouTube Creator and Cookbook Author: Rosanna Pansino With over 14.5 million subscribers, Rosanna Pansino has one of the most popular baking channels on YouTube&nbsp;But she never would have imagined her success back in 2010 when she started making videos as a hobby. At the time, she was a working actor in Hollywood with dreams of landing a leading role, but after receiving an ultimatum from her agent, she was forced to choose between a career in traditional television or the nascent digital world of YouTube. More than a decade after her fateful choice, Rosanna has come full circle with her dreams in entertainment as she hosts her own shows on The Food Network — while continuing to post on YouTube and adding to her catalog of over 1,400 videos with more than 4.7 billion views. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant and Casey Herman, with research help from Melia Agudelo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Apr 2024 07:10:00 -0000 YouTube Creator and Cookbook Author: Rosanna Pansino full 616 Guy Raz | Vox Media With over 14.5 million subscribers, Rosanna Pansino has one of the most popular baking channels on YouTube But she never would have imagined her success back in 2010 when she started making videos as a hobby. At the time, she was a working actor in Hollywood with dreams of landing a leading role, but after receiving an ultimatum from her agent, she was forced to choose between a career in traditional television or the nascent digital world of YouTube. More than a decade after her fateful choice, Rosanna has come full circle with her dreams in entertainment as she hosts her own shows on The Food Network — while continuing to post on YouTube and adding to her catalog of over 1,400 videos with more than 4.7 billion views.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant and Casey Herman, with research help from Melia Agudelo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. With over 14.5 million subscribers, Rosanna Pansino has one of the most popular baking channels on YouTube&nbsp;But she never would have imagined her success back in 2010 when she started making videos as a hobby. At the time, she was a working actor in Hollywood with dreams of landing a leading role, but after receiving an ultimatum from her agent, she was forced to choose between a career in traditional television or the nascent digital world of YouTube. More than a decade after her fateful choice, Rosanna has come full circle with her dreams in entertainment as she hosts her own shows on The Food Network — while continuing to post on YouTube and adding to her catalog of over 1,400 videos with more than 4.7 billion views. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant and Casey Herman, with research help from Melia Agudelo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices With over 14.5 million subscribers, Rosanna Pansino has one of the most popular baking channels on YouTube But she never would have imagined her success back in 2010 when she started making videos as a hobby. At the time, she was a working actor in Hollywood with dreams of landing a leading role, but after receiving an ultimatum from her agent, she was forced to choose between a career in traditional television or the nascent digital world of YouTube. More than a decade after her fateful choice, Rosanna has come full circle with her dreams in entertainment as she hosts her own shows on The Food Network — while continuing to post on YouTube and adding to her catalog of over 1,400 videos with more than 4.7 billion views.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant and Casey Herman, with research help from Melia Agudelo.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3828 no Healing through food with Danielle Walker of Against All Grain (2022) Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more.&nbsp; As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog called Against All Grain. Before long, the self-taught chef became a bestselling cookbook author, more recently branching out with her own product lines and cooking courses.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Danielle talks with Guy about being an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ as she chronicles her journey to building a multifaceted business centered around healthy eating. Plus, Danielle shares her advice for other creators looking to build an audience and discusses food’s potential to help millions suffering from autoimmune diseases. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Apr 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Healing through food with Danielle Walker of Against All Grain (2022) full 615 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more. As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog called Against All Grain. Before long, the self-taught chef became a bestselling cookbook author, more recently branching out with her own product lines and cooking courses. This week on How I Built This Lab, Danielle talks with Guy about being an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ as she chronicles her journey to building a multifaceted business centered around healthy eating. Plus, Danielle shares her advice for other creators looking to build an audience and discusses food’s potential to help millions suffering from autoimmune diseases.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more.&nbsp; As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog called Against All Grain. Before long, the self-taught chef became a bestselling cookbook author, more recently branching out with her own product lines and cooking courses.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Danielle talks with Guy about being an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ as she chronicles her journey to building a multifaceted business centered around healthy eating. Plus, Danielle shares her advice for other creators looking to build an audience and discusses food’s potential to help millions suffering from autoimmune diseases. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more. 

As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog called Against All Grain. Before long, the self-taught chef became a bestselling cookbook author, more recently branching out with her own product lines and cooking courses. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Danielle talks with Guy about being an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ as she chronicles her journey to building a multifaceted business centered around healthy eating. Plus, Danielle shares her advice for other creators looking to build an audience and discusses food’s potential to help millions suffering from autoimmune diseases.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3109 no CrunchLabs: Mark Rober As one of the most successful creators on YouTube,&nbsp;Mark Rober doesn’t see what he does as a business. Instead, it’s a way to celebrate science in the most joyful way possible. While working as an engineer at NASA, he made his YouTube debut with a tutorial on how to make a gory Halloween costume with two iPads and a lot of duct tape. Over time, his videos became more elaborate, including a belly flop into a pool full of Jello, and a demo of a glitter-fart bomb to get revenge on porch pirates. Within a few years, Mark was teaching online science classes and selling subscription boxes for kids. Today, his YouTube channel has 5.5 billion views, 48 million subscribers…and–astonishingly, given that audience–less than 150 videos. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:10:00 -0000 CrunchLabs: Mark Rober full 614 Guy Raz | Vox Media As one of the most successful creators on YouTube, Mark Rober doesn’t see what he does as a business. Instead, it’s a way to celebrate science in the most joyful way possible. While working as an engineer at NASA, he made his YouTube debut with a tutorial on how to make a gory Halloween costume with two iPads and a lot of duct tape. Over time, his videos became more elaborate, including a belly flop into a pool full of Jello, and a demo of a glitter-fart bomb to get revenge on porch pirates. Within a few years, Mark was teaching online science classes and selling subscription boxes for kids. Today, his YouTube channel has 5.5 billion views, 48 million subscribers…and–astonishingly, given that audience–less than 150 videos. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. As one of the most successful creators on YouTube,&nbsp;Mark Rober doesn’t see what he does as a business. Instead, it’s a way to celebrate science in the most joyful way possible. While working as an engineer at NASA, he made his YouTube debut with a tutorial on how to make a gory Halloween costume with two iPads and a lot of duct tape. Over time, his videos became more elaborate, including a belly flop into a pool full of Jello, and a demo of a glitter-fart bomb to get revenge on porch pirates. Within a few years, Mark was teaching online science classes and selling subscription boxes for kids. Today, his YouTube channel has 5.5 billion views, 48 million subscribers…and–astonishingly, given that audience–less than 150 videos. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As one of the most successful creators on YouTube, Mark Rober doesn’t see what he does as a business. Instead, it’s a way to celebrate science in the most joyful way possible. While working as an engineer at NASA, he made his YouTube debut with a tutorial on how to make a gory Halloween costume with two iPads and a lot of duct tape. Over time, his videos became more elaborate, including a belly flop into a pool full of Jello, and a demo of a glitter-fart bomb to get revenge on porch pirates. Within a few years, Mark was teaching online science classes and selling subscription boxes for kids. Today, his YouTube channel has 5.5 billion views, 48 million subscribers…and–astonishingly, given that audience–less than 150 videos.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4397 no AI is smarter than you think with Shane Legg of Google DeepMind For decades, Shane Legg has anticipated the arrival of “artificial general intelligence” or AGI.&nbsp; In other words: an artificial agent that can do all the kinds of cognitive tasks that people can typically do, and possibly more... Now as the Chief AGI Scientist and a co-founder of Google DeepMind, he stands by that prediction and is calling on the world to prepare.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Shane’s path to becoming an early AI expert and the work he and his team are doing to prepare for the technological revolution ahead.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Apr 2024 07:10:00 -0000 AI is smarter than you think with Shane Legg of Google DeepMind full 613 Guy Raz | Vox Media For decades, Shane Legg has anticipated the arrival of “artificial general intelligence” or AGI. In other words: an artificial agent that can do all the kinds of cognitive tasks that people can typically do, and possibly more...Now as the Chief AGI Scientist and a co-founder of Google DeepMind, he stands by that prediction and is calling on the world to prepare. This week on How I Built This Lab, Shane’s path to becoming an early AI expert and the work he and his team are doing to prepare for the technological revolution ahead. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. For decades, Shane Legg has anticipated the arrival of “artificial general intelligence” or AGI.&nbsp; In other words: an artificial agent that can do all the kinds of cognitive tasks that people can typically do, and possibly more... Now as the Chief AGI Scientist and a co-founder of Google DeepMind, he stands by that prediction and is calling on the world to prepare.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Shane’s path to becoming an early AI expert and the work he and his team are doing to prepare for the technological revolution ahead.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices For decades, Shane Legg has anticipated the arrival of “artificial general intelligence” or AGI. 

In other words: an artificial agent that can do all the kinds of cognitive tasks that people can typically do, and possibly more...

Now as the Chief AGI Scientist and a co-founder of Google DeepMind, he stands by that prediction and is calling on the world to prepare. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Shane’s path to becoming an early AI expert and the work he and his team are doing to prepare for the technological revolution ahead. 


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2479 no Mythical: Rhett and Link Best friends Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal started out as “comedians for Christ,” and grew their partnership into one of the most successful YouTube platforms in existence. During college they created silly videos and songs for Christian events, and later built a following on YouTube before most people knew what it was. After struggling to find stardom in Hollywood, they continued to build a presence on YouTube: sampling punishingly hot peppers, writing ear-wormy songs about random things, showing off glasses that turned the world upside down. Nowadays, their entertainment company, Mythical, reports over 75 million subscribers and 25 billion lifetime views. This episode was produced and researched by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Apr 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Mythical: Rhett and Link full 612 Guy Raz | Vox Media Best friends Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal started out as “comedians for Christ,” and grew their partnership into one of the most successful YouTube platforms in existence. During college they created silly videos and songs for Christian events, and later built a following on YouTube before most people knew what it was. After struggling to find stardom in Hollywood, they continued to build a presence on YouTube: sampling punishingly hot peppers, writing ear-wormy songs about random things, showing off glasses that turned the world upside down. Nowadays, their entertainment company, Mythical, reports over 75 million subscribers and 25 billion lifetime views.This episode was produced and researched by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Best friends Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal started out as “comedians for Christ,” and grew their partnership into one of the most successful YouTube platforms in existence. During college they created silly videos and songs for Christian events, and later built a following on YouTube before most people knew what it was. After struggling to find stardom in Hollywood, they continued to build a presence on YouTube: sampling punishingly hot peppers, writing ear-wormy songs about random things, showing off glasses that turned the world upside down. Nowadays, their entertainment company, Mythical, reports over 75 million subscribers and 25 billion lifetime views. This episode was produced and researched by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Best friends Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal started out as “comedians for Christ,” and grew their partnership into one of the most successful YouTube platforms in existence. During college they created silly videos and songs for Christian events, and later built a following on YouTube before most people knew what it was. After struggling to find stardom in Hollywood, they continued to build a presence on YouTube: sampling punishingly hot peppers, writing ear-wormy songs about random things, showing off glasses that turned the world upside down. Nowadays, their entertainment company, Mythical, reports over 75 million subscribers and 25 billion lifetime views.

This episode was produced and researched by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4930 no Less competition, more creation with Renée Mauborgne Best-selling author and economics professor Renée Mauborgne thinks that too many entrepreneurs focus on the wrong things—consumed with making their companies outperform one another as they fight for a greater share of a crowded market space.&nbsp;But what if entrepreneurs focused on creating new markets instead of fighting over old ones? This week on How I Built This Lab, Renée shares insights from her Blue Ocean Strategy series to help founders crack open new opportunities. Plus, what is non-disruptive innovation and can it offset job displacement in the age of AI? This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Less competition, more creation with Renée Mauborgne full 611 Guy Raz | Vox Media Best-selling author and economics professor Renée Mauborgne thinks that too many entrepreneurs focus on the wrong things—consumed with making their companies outperform one another as they fight for a greater share of a crowded market space. But what if entrepreneurs focused on creating new markets instead of fighting over old ones?This week on How I Built This Lab, Renée shares insights from her Blue Ocean Strategy series to help founders crack open new opportunities. Plus, what is non-disruptive innovation and can it offset job displacement in the age of AI?This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Best-selling author and economics professor Renée Mauborgne thinks that too many entrepreneurs focus on the wrong things—consumed with making their companies outperform one another as they fight for a greater share of a crowded market space.&nbsp;But what if entrepreneurs focused on creating new markets instead of fighting over old ones? This week on How I Built This Lab, Renée shares insights from her Blue Ocean Strategy series to help founders crack open new opportunities. Plus, what is non-disruptive innovation and can it offset job displacement in the age of AI? This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Best-selling author and economics professor Renée Mauborgne thinks that too many entrepreneurs focus on the wrong things—consumed with making their companies outperform one another as they fight for a greater share of a crowded market space. But what if entrepreneurs focused on creating new markets instead of fighting over old ones?

This week on How I Built This Lab, Renée shares insights from her Blue Ocean Strategy series to help founders crack open new opportunities. Plus, what is non-disruptive innovation and can it offset job displacement in the age of AI?

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1992 no Whole30: Melissa Urban Whole30 began as a dietary experiment: For 30 days, Melissa Urban went without grains, dairy, legumes, alcohol and added sugar. She was trying to address several health problems, and the results were so extraordinary that she decided to share the diet with others.&nbsp; What followed was a blog, a series of seminars, a best-selling book and eventually a wide-ranging wellness brand that’s helped millions of people identify the best diet for their own body. But in 2015, Melissa had to rethink everything—even her own name—when she split up with her husband and business partner, Dallas Hartwig. She retained ownership of the business, and today, the “Whole30 Approved” logo appears on a range of brands, from La Croix water to Chipotle salad bowls.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray, Gilly Moon, and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Mar 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Whole30: Melissa Urban full 610 Guy Raz | Vox Media Whole30 began as a dietary experiment: For 30 days, Melissa Urban went without grains, dairy, legumes, alcohol and added sugar. She was trying to address several health problems, and the results were so extraordinary that she decided to share the diet with others. What followed was a blog, a series of seminars, a best-selling book and eventually a wide-ranging wellness brand that’s helped millions of people identify the best diet for their own body. But in 2015, Melissa had to rethink everything—even her own name—when she split up with her husband and business partner, Dallas Hartwig. She retained ownership of the business, and today, the “Whole30 Approved” logo appears on a range of brands, from La Croix water to Chipotle salad bowls. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray, Gilly Moon, and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Whole30 began as a dietary experiment: For 30 days, Melissa Urban went without grains, dairy, legumes, alcohol and added sugar. She was trying to address several health problems, and the results were so extraordinary that she decided to share the diet with others.&nbsp; What followed was a blog, a series of seminars, a best-selling book and eventually a wide-ranging wellness brand that’s helped millions of people identify the best diet for their own body. But in 2015, Melissa had to rethink everything—even her own name—when she split up with her husband and business partner, Dallas Hartwig. She retained ownership of the business, and today, the “Whole30 Approved” logo appears on a range of brands, from La Croix water to Chipotle salad bowls.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray, Gilly Moon, and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Whole30 began as a dietary experiment: For 30 days, Melissa Urban went without grains, dairy, legumes, alcohol and added sugar. She was trying to address several health problems, and the results were so extraordinary that she decided to share the diet with others. 


What followed was a blog, a series of seminars, a best-selling book and eventually a wide-ranging wellness brand that’s helped millions of people identify the best diet for their own body. But in 2015, Melissa had to rethink everything—even her own name—when she split up with her husband and business partner, Dallas Hartwig. She retained ownership of the business, and today, the “Whole30 Approved” logo appears on a range of brands, from La Croix water to Chipotle salad bowls. 


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray, Gilly Moon, and Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4211 no “Beaming” people anywhere in the world with David Nussbaum of Proto The popular science fiction idea of beaming someone instantly to another location was part of David Nussbaum’s inspiration to design a “holoportation box.” His company, Proto, invented a device the size of a telephone booth that projects a hologram-type image so realistic it appears someone is standing inside... This week on How I Built This Lab, how Proto’s technology is used today to virtually transport professors, doctors, speakers, and celebrities to classrooms, hospitals, and events around the world. But in the future, David believes Proto’s technology will end up in everyone’s living room—and will transform the way we communicate with each other. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Mar 2024 07:10:00 -0000 “Beaming” people anywhere in the world with David Nussbaum of Proto full 609 Guy Raz | Vox Media The popular science fiction idea of beaming someone instantly to another location was part of David Nussbaum’s inspiration to design a “holoportation box.” His company, Proto, invented a device the size of a telephone booth that projects a hologram-type image so realistic it appears someone is standing inside...This week on How I Built This Lab, how Proto’s technology is used today to virtually transport professors, doctors, speakers, and celebrities to classrooms, hospitals, and events around the world. But in the future, David believes Proto’s technology will end up in everyone’s living room—and will transform the way we communicate with each other.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. The popular science fiction idea of beaming someone instantly to another location was part of David Nussbaum’s inspiration to design a “holoportation box.” His company, Proto, invented a device the size of a telephone booth that projects a hologram-type image so realistic it appears someone is standing inside... This week on How I Built This Lab, how Proto’s technology is used today to virtually transport professors, doctors, speakers, and celebrities to classrooms, hospitals, and events around the world. But in the future, David believes Proto’s technology will end up in everyone’s living room—and will transform the way we communicate with each other. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The popular science fiction idea of beaming someone instantly to another location was part of David Nussbaum’s inspiration to design a “holoportation box.” His company, Proto, invented a device the size of a telephone booth that projects a hologram-type image so realistic it appears someone is standing inside...

This week on How I Built This Lab, how Proto’s technology is used today to virtually transport professors, doctors, speakers, and celebrities to classrooms, hospitals, and events around the world. But in the future, David believes Proto’s technology will end up in everyone’s living room—and will transform the way we communicate with each other.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2329 no MGA Entertainment: Isaac Larian Isaac Larian moved from Iran to Los Angeles at age 17 with just a few hundred dollars, and went on to build one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Along the way, he took on Barbie with a wildly successful line of punky dolls called Bratz — a success that touched off an epic legal battle with Mattel. Today, at age 70, Isaac is still the CEO of MGA Entertainment, and says he still has the fighter’s instinct that he learned in the slums of Tehran. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research assistance and fact-checking from Carla Esteves and Zazil Davis-Vazquez. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:10:00 -0000 MGA Entertainment: Isaac Larian full 608 Guy Raz | Vox Media Isaac Larian moved from Iran to Los Angeles at age 17 with just a few hundred dollars, and went on to build one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Along the way, he took on Barbie with a wildly successful line of punky dolls called Bratz — a success that touched off an epic legal battle with Mattel. Today, at age 70, Isaac is still the CEO of MGA Entertainment, and says he still has the fighter’s instinct that he learned in the slums of Tehran.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research assistance and fact-checking from Carla Esteves and Zazil Davis-Vazquez.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Isaac Larian moved from Iran to Los Angeles at age 17 with just a few hundred dollars, and went on to build one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Along the way, he took on Barbie with a wildly successful line of punky dolls called Bratz — a success that touched off an epic legal battle with Mattel. Today, at age 70, Isaac is still the CEO of MGA Entertainment, and says he still has the fighter’s instinct that he learned in the slums of Tehran. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research assistance and fact-checking from Carla Esteves and Zazil Davis-Vazquez. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Isaac Larian moved from Iran to Los Angeles at age 17 with just a few hundred dollars, and went on to build one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Along the way, he took on Barbie with a wildly successful line of punky dolls called Bratz — a success that touched off an epic legal battle with Mattel. Today, at age 70, Isaac is still the CEO of MGA Entertainment, and says he still has the fighter’s instinct that he learned in the slums of Tehran.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research assistance and fact-checking from Carla Esteves and Zazil Davis-Vazquez.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4684 Weee!: Larry Liu If you told 19-year-old Larry Liu that his hobby re-selling used electronics “for fun” would someday help him build a multi-billion-dollar company, he probably would have laughed. He was an electrical engineering student in Shanghai at the time.&nbsp;His goals were to land a corporate job and go to grad school in the U.S.&nbsp;He did both, starting with a job at Intel.&nbsp;But his passion for e-commerce stayed with him through his MBA and other corporate jobs. And when he moved to Northern California, Larry noticed&nbsp;other&nbsp;Chinese immigrants using WeChat to source what they needed locally - even organizing in groups to buy familiar foods and products. Larry immediately saw this as a business opportunity.&nbsp;And in under ten years, after facing down bankruptcy and&nbsp;re-orienting&nbsp;his business, Larry&nbsp;grew&nbsp;his&nbsp;e-commerce platform&nbsp;Weee! into a company&nbsp;now valued at over $4 billion. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Weee!: Larry Liu full 606 Guy Raz | Vox Media If you told 19-year-old Larry Liu that his hobby re-selling used electronics “for fun” would someday help him build a multi-billion-dollar company, he probably would have laughed. He was an electrical engineering student in Shanghai at the time. His goals were to land a corporate job and go to grad school in the U.S. He did both, starting with a job at Intel. But his passion for e-commerce stayed with him through his MBA and other corporate jobs. And when he moved to Northern California, Larry noticed other Chinese immigrants using WeChat to source what they needed locally - even organizing in groups to buy familiar foods and products. Larry immediately saw this as a business opportunity. And in under ten years, after facing down bankruptcy and re-orienting his business, Larry grew his e-commerce platform Weee! into a company now valued at over $4 billion.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Katherine Sypher.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. If you told 19-year-old Larry Liu that his hobby re-selling used electronics “for fun” would someday help him build a multi-billion-dollar company, he probably would have laughed. He was an electrical engineering student in Shanghai at the time.&nbsp;His goals were to land a corporate job and go to grad school in the U.S.&nbsp;He did both, starting with a job at Intel.&nbsp;But his passion for e-commerce stayed with him through his MBA and other corporate jobs. And when he moved to Northern California, Larry noticed&nbsp;other&nbsp;Chinese immigrants using WeChat to source what they needed locally - even organizing in groups to buy familiar foods and products. Larry immediately saw this as a business opportunity.&nbsp;And in under ten years, after facing down bankruptcy and&nbsp;re-orienting&nbsp;his business, Larry&nbsp;grew&nbsp;his&nbsp;e-commerce platform&nbsp;Weee! into a company&nbsp;now valued at over $4 billion. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices If you told 19-year-old Larry Liu that his hobby re-selling used electronics “for fun” would someday help him build a multi-billion-dollar company, he probably would have laughed. He was an electrical engineering student in Shanghai at the time. His goals were to land a corporate job and go to grad school in the U.S. He did both, starting with a job at Intel. But his passion for e-commerce stayed with him through his MBA and other corporate jobs. And when he moved to Northern California, Larry noticed other Chinese immigrants using WeChat to source what they needed locally - even organizing in groups to buy familiar foods and products. Larry immediately saw this as a business opportunity. And in under ten years, after facing down bankruptcy and re-orienting his business, Larry grew his e-commerce platform Weee! into a company now valued at over $4 billion.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Katherine Sypher.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5330 no Achieving greater things with Adam Grant “Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop.”&nbsp; That’s what organizational psychologist and podcast host Adam Grant believes, and he offers a new framework on how we can elevate ourselves and others in his latest book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things. This week on How I Built This Lab, insights on what great entrepreneurs have in common and the steps anyone can take to develop these skills. Plus, redesigning workplace systems to foster greater collaboration, and cultivating untapped potential in the generations to come.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:10:00 -0000 Achieving greater things with Adam Grant full 607 Guy Raz | Vox Media “Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop.” That’s what organizational psychologist and podcast host Adam Grant believes, and he offers a new framework on how we can elevate ourselves and others in his latest book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things.This week on How I Built This Lab, insights on what great entrepreneurs have in common and the steps anyone can take to develop these skills. Plus, redesigning workplace systems to foster greater collaboration, and cultivating untapped potential in the generations to come. This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. “Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop.”&nbsp; That’s what organizational psychologist and podcast host Adam Grant believes, and he offers a new framework on how we can elevate ourselves and others in his latest book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things. This week on How I Built This Lab, insights on what great entrepreneurs have in common and the steps anyone can take to develop these skills. Plus, redesigning workplace systems to foster greater collaboration, and cultivating untapped potential in the generations to come.&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices “Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop.” 

That’s what organizational psychologist and podcast host Adam Grant believes, and he offers a new framework on how we can elevate ourselves and others in his latest book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things.

This week on How I Built This Lab, insights on what great entrepreneurs have in common and the steps anyone can take to develop these skills. Plus, redesigning workplace systems to foster greater collaboration, and cultivating untapped potential in the generations to come. 


This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2465 no AI that can be your second brain with Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri of Humane Imran Chaudhri and his wife Bethany Bongiorno are responsible for bringing some of the most widely-used screened products to market—like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.&nbsp; And while these devices have connected humans like never before, Imran and Bethany couldn’t help but wonder about the downsides of spending so much time tethered to screens. After leaving Apple, they eventually brought a new tool to life; something screenless... This week on How I Built This Lab, Imran and Bethany’s wearable pin capable of being your personal assistant. Plus, how they believe that AI can be regulated without stifling innovation. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Kerry Thompson.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 Mar 2024 08:10:00 -0000 AI that can be your second brain with Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri of Humane full 605 Guy Raz | Vox Media Imran Chaudhri and his wife Bethany Bongiorno are responsible for bringing some of the most widely-used screened products to market—like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. And while these devices have connected humans like never before, Imran and Bethany couldn’t help but wonder about the downsides of spending so much time tethered to screens. After leaving Apple, they eventually brought a new tool to life; something screenless...This week on How I Built This Lab, Imran and Bethany’s wearable pin capable of being your personal assistant. Plus, how they believe that AI can be regulated without stifling innovation.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Kerry Thompson. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Imran Chaudhri and his wife Bethany Bongiorno are responsible for bringing some of the most widely-used screened products to market—like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.&nbsp; And while these devices have connected humans like never before, Imran and Bethany couldn’t help but wonder about the downsides of spending so much time tethered to screens. After leaving Apple, they eventually brought a new tool to life; something screenless... This week on How I Built This Lab, Imran and Bethany’s wearable pin capable of being your personal assistant. Plus, how they believe that AI can be regulated without stifling innovation. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Kerry Thompson.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Imran Chaudhri and his wife Bethany Bongiorno are responsible for bringing some of the most widely-used screened products to market—like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. 

And while these devices have connected humans like never before, Imran and Bethany couldn’t help but wonder about the downsides of spending so much time tethered to screens. After leaving Apple, they eventually brought a new tool to life; something screenless...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Imran and Bethany’s wearable pin capable of being your personal assistant. Plus, how they believe that AI can be regulated without stifling innovation.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. 

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Kerry Thompson. 


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2991 no Primal Kitchen: Mark Sisson Mark Sisson made a big bet on mayonnaise, and won: four years after launching his Paleo-friendly condiment company Primal Kitchen, he sold it for $200 million. He succeeded&nbsp;partly because he drew lessons from his previous failures and accomplishments - as a marathon runner, Ironman triathlete and coach, frozen yogurt proprietor, sports supplement founder, TV show host, and Paleo book author. But Mark’s biggest business came at an age when most people contemplate retirement. He developed a recipe for avocado-oil based mayonnaise, then added ketchups and other condiments.&nbsp;After Primal Kitchen was sold to Kraft Heinz Corporation in 2019, Mark launched a totally new business: minimalist shoes. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Primal Kitchen: Mark Sisson full 604 Guy Raz | Vox Media Mark Sisson made a big bet on mayonnaise, and won: four years after launching his Paleo-friendly condiment company Primal Kitchen, he sold it for $200 million. He succeeded partly because he drew lessons from his previous failures and accomplishments - as a marathon runner, Ironman triathlete and coach, frozen yogurt proprietor, sports supplement founder, TV show host, and Paleo book author. But Mark’s biggest business came at an age when most people contemplate retirement. He developed a recipe for avocado-oil based mayonnaise, then added ketchups and other condiments. After Primal Kitchen was sold to Kraft Heinz Corporation in 2019, Mark launched a totally new business: minimalist shoes.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Melia Agudelo.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Mark Sisson made a big bet on mayonnaise, and won: four years after launching his Paleo-friendly condiment company Primal Kitchen, he sold it for $200 million. He succeeded&nbsp;partly because he drew lessons from his previous failures and accomplishments - as a marathon runner, Ironman triathlete and coach, frozen yogurt proprietor, sports supplement founder, TV show host, and Paleo book author. But Mark’s biggest business came at an age when most people contemplate retirement. He developed a recipe for avocado-oil based mayonnaise, then added ketchups and other condiments.&nbsp;After Primal Kitchen was sold to Kraft Heinz Corporation in 2019, Mark launched a totally new business: minimalist shoes. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Melia Agudelo. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mark Sisson made a big bet on mayonnaise, and won: four years after launching his Paleo-friendly condiment company Primal Kitchen, he sold it for $200 million. He succeeded partly because he drew lessons from his previous failures and accomplishments - as a marathon runner, Ironman triathlete and coach, frozen yogurt proprietor, sports supplement founder, TV show host, and Paleo book author. But Mark’s biggest business came at an age when most people contemplate retirement. He developed a recipe for avocado-oil based mayonnaise, then added ketchups and other condiments. After Primal Kitchen was sold to Kraft Heinz Corporation in 2019, Mark launched a totally new business: minimalist shoes.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Melia Agudelo.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4311 no Supercharging Lithium-Ion Batteries with Gene Berdichevsky of Sila Nanotechnologies Gene Berdichevsky and his team have been working for over a decade to solve a major problem: Lithium-ion batteries are not getting any better. They power our cell phones and laptops and nearly every other modern, rechargeable device—and at this point have reached their energy-storing limit. This week on How I Built This Lab, Gene discusses a new approach that could eventually make lithium-ion batteries 40% more efficient, unlocking a future where electric vehicles and other battery-powered products are cheaper, recharge faster and last longer on a single charge. This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Supercharging Lithium-Ion Batteries with Gene Berdichevsky of Sila Nanotechnologies full 603 Guy Raz | Vox Media Gene Berdichevsky and his team have been working for over a decade to solve a major problem: Lithium-ion batteries are not getting any better. They power our cell phones and laptops and nearly every other modern, rechargeable device—and at this point have reached their energy-storing limit.This week on How I Built This Lab, Gene discusses a new approach that could eventually make lithium-ion batteries 40% more efficient, unlocking a future where electric vehicles and other battery-powered products are cheaper, recharge faster and last longer on a single charge.This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Gene Berdichevsky and his team have been working for over a decade to solve a major problem: Lithium-ion batteries are not getting any better. They power our cell phones and laptops and nearly every other modern, rechargeable device—and at this point have reached their energy-storing limit. This week on How I Built This Lab, Gene discusses a new approach that could eventually make lithium-ion batteries 40% more efficient, unlocking a future where electric vehicles and other battery-powered products are cheaper, recharge faster and last longer on a single charge. This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Gene Berdichevsky and his team have been working for over a decade to solve a major problem: Lithium-ion batteries are not getting any better. They power our cell phones and laptops and nearly every other modern, rechargeable device—and at this point have reached their energy-storing limit.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Gene discusses a new approach that could eventually make lithium-ion batteries 40% more efficient, unlocking a future where electric vehicles and other battery-powered products are cheaper, recharge faster and last longer on a single charge.

This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2650 no Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver (2021) In 2016, Fawn Weaver became fixated on a New York Times article telling the little-known story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel—yes,&nbsp;that&nbsp;Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey. &nbsp;After diving deeper into the story, Fawn ended up purchasing the farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee where Nearest had taught Jack how to distill; and she began meeting the descendants of both men. She eventually decided the best way to preserve Nearest’s legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. &nbsp;With no background in distilling, she threw herself into the insular world of spirit-making, an industry mostly dominated by white men. In the eight years since Fawn first discovered his story, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world, and one of the most awarded American whiskeys. This episode of How I Built This was produced by Liz Metzger and edited by Neva Grant. Research help from Claire Murashima, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver (2021) full 602 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2016, Fawn Weaver became fixated on a New York Times article telling the little-known story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel—yes, that Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey. After diving deeper into the story, Fawn ended up purchasing the farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee where Nearest had taught Jack how to distill; and she began meeting the descendants of both men. She eventually decided the best way to preserve Nearest’s legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. With no background in distilling, she threw herself into the insular world of spirit-making, an industry mostly dominated by white men. In the eight years since Fawn first discovered his story, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world, and one of the most awarded American whiskeys.This episode of How I Built This was produced by Liz Metzger and edited by Neva Grant. Research help from Claire Murashima, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 2016, Fawn Weaver became fixated on a New York Times article telling the little-known story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel—yes,&nbsp;that&nbsp;Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey. &nbsp;After diving deeper into the story, Fawn ended up purchasing the farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee where Nearest had taught Jack how to distill; and she began meeting the descendants of both men. She eventually decided the best way to preserve Nearest’s legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. &nbsp;With no background in distilling, she threw herself into the insular world of spirit-making, an industry mostly dominated by white men. In the eight years since Fawn first discovered his story, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world, and one of the most awarded American whiskeys. This episode of How I Built This was produced by Liz Metzger and edited by Neva Grant. Research help from Claire Murashima, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2016, Fawn Weaver became fixated on a New York Times article telling the little-known story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel—yes, that Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey.

 After diving deeper into the story, Fawn ended up purchasing the farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee where Nearest had taught Jack how to distill; and she began meeting the descendants of both men. She eventually decided the best way to preserve Nearest’s legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make.

 With no background in distilling, she threw herself into the insular world of spirit-making, an industry mostly dominated by white men. In the eight years since Fawn first discovered his story, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world, and one of the most awarded American whiskeys.


This episode of How I Built This was produced by Liz Metzger and edited by Neva Grant. Research help from Claire Murashima, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4574 no The peril (and promise) of AI with Tristan Harris: Part 2 What if you could no longer trust the things you see and hear? Because the signature on a check, the documents or videos presented in court, the footage you see on the news, the calls you receive from your family … They could all be perfectly forged by artificial intelligence. That’s just one of the risks posed by the rapid development of AI. And that’s why Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology is sounding the alarm. This week on How I Built This Lab: the second of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy discuss how we can upgrade the fundamental legal, technical, and philosophical frameworks of our society to meet the challenge of AI. To learn more about the Center for Humane Technology, text “AI” to 55444. This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 The peril (and promise) of AI with Tristan Harris: Part 2 full 601 Guy Raz | Vox Media What if you could no longer trust the things you see and hear?Because the signature on a check, the documents or videos presented in court, the footage you see on the news, the calls you receive from your family … They could all be perfectly forged by artificial intelligence.That’s just one of the risks posed by the rapid development of AI. And that’s why Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology is sounding the alarm.This week on How I Built This Lab: the second of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy discuss how we can upgrade the fundamental legal, technical, and philosophical frameworks of our society to meet the challenge of AI.To learn more about the Center for Humane Technology, text “AI” to 55444.This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. What if you could no longer trust the things you see and hear? Because the signature on a check, the documents or videos presented in court, the footage you see on the news, the calls you receive from your family … They could all be perfectly forged by artificial intelligence. That’s just one of the risks posed by the rapid development of AI. And that’s why Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology is sounding the alarm. This week on How I Built This Lab: the second of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy discuss how we can upgrade the fundamental legal, technical, and philosophical frameworks of our society to meet the challenge of AI. To learn more about the Center for Humane Technology, text “AI” to 55444. This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What if you could no longer trust the things you see and hear?

Because the signature on a check, the documents or videos presented in court, the footage you see on the news, the calls you receive from your family … They could all be perfectly forged by artificial intelligence.

That’s just one of the risks posed by the rapid development of AI. And that’s why Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology is sounding the alarm.

This week on How I Built This Lab: the second of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy discuss how we can upgrade the fundamental legal, technical, and philosophical frameworks of our society to meet the challenge of AI.

To learn more about the Center for Humane Technology, text “AI” to 55444.


This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2177 no Poshmark: Manish Chandra When the iPhone 4 was released in 2010, Manish Chandra was dazzled by its picture quality, and saw an opportunity for a new type of mobile marketplace.&nbsp;A year later, he and three co-founders launched Poshmark, a shopping app for second-hand clothes and accessories, meant to capture the feel of going thrifting with your friends. The online community grew quickly and vocally—when Poshmark raised shipping fees, users lobbied furiously to lower them, and won.&nbsp;The company faced many more growing pains before being acquired by the Naver Corporation for $1.2 billion in 2023. It now has over 100 million registered users around the world. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Poshmark: Manish Chandra full 600 Guy Raz | Vox Media When the iPhone 4 was released in 2010, Manish Chandra was dazzled by its picture quality, and saw an opportunity for a new type of mobile marketplace. A year later, he and three co-founders launched Poshmark, a shopping app for second-hand clothes and accessories, meant to capture the feel of going thrifting with your friends. The online community grew quickly and vocally—when Poshmark raised shipping fees, users lobbied furiously to lower them, and won. The company faced many more growing pains before being acquired by the Naver Corporation for $1.2 billion in 2023. It now has over 100 million registered users around the world.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher.Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When the iPhone 4 was released in 2010, Manish Chandra was dazzled by its picture quality, and saw an opportunity for a new type of mobile marketplace.&nbsp;A year later, he and three co-founders launched Poshmark, a shopping app for second-hand clothes and accessories, meant to capture the feel of going thrifting with your friends. The online community grew quickly and vocally—when Poshmark raised shipping fees, users lobbied furiously to lower them, and won.&nbsp;The company faced many more growing pains before being acquired by the Naver Corporation for $1.2 billion in 2023. It now has over 100 million registered users around the world. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When the iPhone 4 was released in 2010, Manish Chandra was dazzled by its picture quality, and saw an opportunity for a new type of mobile marketplace. A year later, he and three co-founders launched Poshmark, a shopping app for second-hand clothes and accessories, meant to capture the feel of going thrifting with your friends. The online community grew quickly and vocally—when Poshmark raised shipping fees, users lobbied furiously to lower them, and won. The company faced many more growing pains before being acquired by the Naver Corporation for $1.2 billion in 2023. It now has over 100 million registered users around the world.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher.

Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4222 no The peril (and promise) of AI with Tristan Harris: Part 1 When Tristan Harris co-founded the Center for Humane Technology in 2018, he was trying to educate tech leaders and policymakers about the harms of social media. But today, he’s sounding the alarm about a different technology — one that he says could pose an existential threat to the entire world … Artificial intelligence. This week on How I Built This Lab: the first of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy examine the serious risks posed by the rapid development and deployment of AI — and what we can do to make sure this powerful technology is used for good. You can learn more about “The Social Dilemma,” the 2020 Emmy-winning docudrama featuring Tristan, here: https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/. This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 The peril (and promise) of AI with Tristan Harris: Part 1 full 599 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Tristan Harris co-founded the Center for Humane Technology in 2018, he was trying to educate tech leaders and policymakers about the harms of social media.But today, he’s sounding the alarm about a different technology — one that he says could pose an existential threat to the entire world …Artificial intelligence.This week on How I Built This Lab: the first of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy examine the serious risks posed by the rapid development and deployment of AI — and what we can do to make sure this powerful technology is used for good.You can learn more about “The Social Dilemma,” the 2020 Emmy-winning docudrama featuring Tristan, here: https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/.This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Tristan Harris co-founded the Center for Humane Technology in 2018, he was trying to educate tech leaders and policymakers about the harms of social media. But today, he’s sounding the alarm about a different technology — one that he says could pose an existential threat to the entire world … Artificial intelligence. This week on How I Built This Lab: the first of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy examine the serious risks posed by the rapid development and deployment of AI — and what we can do to make sure this powerful technology is used for good. You can learn more about “The Social Dilemma,” the 2020 Emmy-winning docudrama featuring Tristan, here: https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/. This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Tristan Harris co-founded the Center for Humane Technology in 2018, he was trying to educate tech leaders and policymakers about the harms of social media.

But today, he’s sounding the alarm about a different technology — one that he says could pose an existential threat to the entire world …

Artificial intelligence.

This week on How I Built This Lab: the first of a two-episode series in which Tristan and Guy examine the serious risks posed by the rapid development and deployment of AI — and what we can do to make sure this powerful technology is used for good.

You can learn more about “The Social Dilemma,” the 2020 Emmy-winning docudrama featuring Tristan, here: https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/.


This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1956 no Sonos: John MacFarlane In 2002, John MacFarlane and his co-founders began tinkering on what was then an ambitious idea: create a new way to enjoy music throughout the home, without wires. At the time, streaming and the iPod were brand new, and smart speakers were over a decade away. But the team at Sonos engineered a top-quality wireless sound system, and–with many fits and starts–integrated it with mobile technology and, eventually, Siri and Alexa. Along the way, John and his team contended with the early unreliability of WiFi, and faced stiff competition from much bigger companies. But today, Sonos is an established player in music, with projected sales of over $1.5 billion this year.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Sonos: John MacFarlane full 598 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2002, John MacFarlane and his co-founders began tinkering on what was then an ambitious idea: create a new way to enjoy music throughout the home, without wires. At the time, streaming and the iPod were brand new, and smart speakers were over a decade away. But the team at Sonos engineered a top-quality wireless sound system, and–with many fits and starts–integrated it with mobile technology and, eventually, Siri and Alexa. Along the way, John and his team contended with the early unreliability of WiFi, and faced stiff competition from much bigger companies. But today, Sonos is an established player in music, with projected sales of over $1.5 billion this year. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 2002, John MacFarlane and his co-founders began tinkering on what was then an ambitious idea: create a new way to enjoy music throughout the home, without wires. At the time, streaming and the iPod were brand new, and smart speakers were over a decade away. But the team at Sonos engineered a top-quality wireless sound system, and–with many fits and starts–integrated it with mobile technology and, eventually, Siri and Alexa. Along the way, John and his team contended with the early unreliability of WiFi, and faced stiff competition from much bigger companies. But today, Sonos is an established player in music, with projected sales of over $1.5 billion this year.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2002, John MacFarlane and his co-founders began tinkering on what was then an ambitious idea: create a new way to enjoy music throughout the home, without wires. At the time, streaming and the iPod were brand new, and smart speakers were over a decade away. But the team at Sonos engineered a top-quality wireless sound system, and–with many fits and starts–integrated it with mobile technology and, eventually, Siri and Alexa. Along the way, John and his team contended with the early unreliability of WiFi, and faced stiff competition from much bigger companies. But today, Sonos is an established player in music, with projected sales of over $1.5 billion this year. 

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Sam Paulson.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3860 no Powering cars with solar energy with Steve Fambro of Aptera Motors (2023) There’s a new car coming to market that will probably make its owners search out the sunniest spots in the parking lot… Aptera Motors is designing and manufacturing this car: a plug-in electric hybrid that can run up to 40 miles on a single, solar-powered charge.&nbsp;This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Fambro shares how he and his co-CEO revived their once-defunct auto company thanks to the promise of solar energy. Plus, Steve’s take on why today’s vehicles require so much energy, and how Aptera’s novel design could change the way we think about cars forever… This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Powering cars with solar energy with Steve Fambro of Aptera Motors (2023) full 597 Guy Raz | Vox Media There’s a new car coming to market that will probably make its owners search out the sunniest spots in the parking lot… Aptera Motors is designing and manufacturing this car: a plug-in electric hybrid that can run up to 40 miles on a single, solar-powered charge. This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Fambro shares how he and his co-CEO revived their once-defunct auto company thanks to the promise of solar energy. Plus, Steve’s take on why today’s vehicles require so much energy, and how Aptera’s novel design could change the way we think about cars forever…This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. There’s a new car coming to market that will probably make its owners search out the sunniest spots in the parking lot… Aptera Motors is designing and manufacturing this car: a plug-in electric hybrid that can run up to 40 miles on a single, solar-powered charge.&nbsp;This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Fambro shares how he and his co-CEO revived their once-defunct auto company thanks to the promise of solar energy. Plus, Steve’s take on why today’s vehicles require so much energy, and how Aptera’s novel design could change the way we think about cars forever… This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices There’s a new car coming to market that will probably make its owners search out the sunniest spots in the parking lot… Aptera Motors is designing and manufacturing this car: a plug-in electric hybrid that can run up to 40 miles on a single, solar-powered charge. This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Fambro shares how he and his co-CEO revived their once-defunct auto company thanks to the promise of solar energy. Plus, Steve’s take on why today’s vehicles require so much energy, and how Aptera’s novel design could change the way we think about cars forever…

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2630 no Magic Spoon & Exo: Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz founded Magic Spoon to create a sugary breakfast cereal without the sugar. If that sounds daunting, consider their first business: protein bars made with cricket flour. Riffing on an idea that began as a college assignment, the founders ordered live crickets to roast at home, and worked with a top-rated chef to perfect their recipes. The only problem: getting people to eat a snack made of ground-up bugs. When Exo protein bars eventually stalled, the pair pivoted to another ambitious idea: breakfast cereal that tasted like the Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs of childhood–but minus the sugar and grains. Drawing on their roller-coaster experience with Exo, Gabi and Greg revisited winning strategies, and scrapped the plays that didn’t work, eventually building Magic Spoon into a nationwide brand. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Magic Spoon & Exo: Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz full 596 Guy Raz | Vox Media Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz founded Magic Spoon to create a sugary breakfast cereal without the sugar. If that sounds daunting, consider their first business: protein bars made with cricket flour. Riffing on an idea that began as a college assignment, the founders ordered live crickets to roast at home, and worked with a top-rated chef to perfect their recipes. The only problem: getting people to eat a snack made of ground-up bugs. When Exo protein bars eventually stalled, the pair pivoted to another ambitious idea: breakfast cereal that tasted like the Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs of childhood–but minus the sugar and grains. Drawing on their roller-coaster experience with Exo, Gabi and Greg revisited winning strategies, and scrapped the plays that didn’t work, eventually building Magic Spoon into a nationwide brand.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz founded Magic Spoon to create a sugary breakfast cereal without the sugar. If that sounds daunting, consider their first business: protein bars made with cricket flour. Riffing on an idea that began as a college assignment, the founders ordered live crickets to roast at home, and worked with a top-rated chef to perfect their recipes. The only problem: getting people to eat a snack made of ground-up bugs. When Exo protein bars eventually stalled, the pair pivoted to another ambitious idea: breakfast cereal that tasted like the Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs of childhood–but minus the sugar and grains. Drawing on their roller-coaster experience with Exo, Gabi and Greg revisited winning strategies, and scrapped the plays that didn’t work, eventually building Magic Spoon into a nationwide brand. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz founded Magic Spoon to create a sugary breakfast cereal without the sugar. If that sounds daunting, consider their first business: protein bars made with cricket flour. Riffing on an idea that began as a college assignment, the founders ordered live crickets to roast at home, and worked with a top-rated chef to perfect their recipes. The only problem: getting people to eat a snack made of ground-up bugs. When Exo protein bars eventually stalled, the pair pivoted to another ambitious idea: breakfast cereal that tasted like the Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs of childhood–but minus the sugar and grains. Drawing on their roller-coaster experience with Exo, Gabi and Greg revisited winning strategies, and scrapped the plays that didn’t work, eventually building Magic Spoon into a nationwide brand.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4545 no Building a decarbonization army with Shashank Samala of Heirloom Cutting emissions alone will not be enough. To avoid the worst effects of global climate change, Heirloom CEO and co-founder Shashank Samala believes we’ll also need to pull a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere... This week on How I Built This Lab, Shashank’s leap into climate entrepreneurship, launching&nbsp;the company that, in just four years, built North America’s first operational carbon capture facility. Plus, Heirloom’s novel approach to carbon removal—one tray of limestone at a time. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Building a decarbonization army with Shashank Samala of Heirloom full 595 Guy Raz | Vox Media Cutting emissions alone will not be enough. To avoid the worst effects of global climate change, Heirloom CEO and co-founder Shashank Samala believes we’ll also need to pull a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere...This week on How I Built This Lab, Shashank’s leap into climate entrepreneurship, launching the company that, in just four years, built North America’s first operational carbon capture facility. Plus, Heirloom’s novel approach to carbon removal—one tray of limestone at a time.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Cutting emissions alone will not be enough. To avoid the worst effects of global climate change, Heirloom CEO and co-founder Shashank Samala believes we’ll also need to pull a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere... This week on How I Built This Lab, Shashank’s leap into climate entrepreneurship, launching&nbsp;the company that, in just four years, built North America’s first operational carbon capture facility. Plus, Heirloom’s novel approach to carbon removal—one tray of limestone at a time. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Cutting emissions alone will not be enough. To avoid the worst effects of global climate change, Heirloom CEO and co-founder Shashank Samala believes we’ll also need to pull a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Shashank’s leap into climate entrepreneurship, launching the company that, in just four years, built North America’s first operational carbon capture facility. Plus, Heirloom’s novel approach to carbon removal—one tray of limestone at a time.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1868 no Parachute Home: Ariel Kaye In 2012, Ariel Kaye saw a tantalizing opportunity, but wasn’t sure she was the one to seize it. She’d never started a brand and didn’t think of herself as an entrepreneur, until she noticed how frustrating it was to buy bed linens in a big box store. Taking inspiration from Warby Parker and Everlane, Ariel quit her day job to launch a brand of DTC luxury sheets, made in Europe but exuding a California vibe, with photos of models lounging in semi-rumpled beds. As a solo founder, Ariel had to figure out everything herself, from manufacturing to supply chains to how to get through to investors. Today, Parachute Home offers a wide range of home goods and has expanded beyond its website to 26 physical stores across the U.S.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher. Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Parachute Home: Ariel Kaye full 594 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2012, Ariel Kaye saw a tantalizing opportunity, but wasn’t sure she was the one to seize it. She’d never started a brand and didn’t think of herself as an entrepreneur, until she noticed how frustrating it was to buy bed linens in a big box store. Taking inspiration from Warby Parker and Everlane, Ariel quit her day job to launch a brand of DTC luxury sheets, made in Europe but exuding a California vibe, with photos of models lounging in semi-rumpled beds. As a solo founder, Ariel had to figure out everything herself, from manufacturing to supply chains to how to get through to investors. Today, Parachute Home offers a wide range of home goods and has expanded beyond its website to 26 physical stores across the U.S. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher.Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 2012, Ariel Kaye saw a tantalizing opportunity, but wasn’t sure she was the one to seize it. She’d never started a brand and didn’t think of herself as an entrepreneur, until she noticed how frustrating it was to buy bed linens in a big box store. Taking inspiration from Warby Parker and Everlane, Ariel quit her day job to launch a brand of DTC luxury sheets, made in Europe but exuding a California vibe, with photos of models lounging in semi-rumpled beds. As a solo founder, Ariel had to figure out everything herself, from manufacturing to supply chains to how to get through to investors. Today, Parachute Home offers a wide range of home goods and has expanded beyond its website to 26 physical stores across the U.S.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher. Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2012, Ariel Kaye saw a tantalizing opportunity, but wasn’t sure she was the one to seize it. She’d never started a brand and didn’t think of herself as an entrepreneur, until she noticed how frustrating it was to buy bed linens in a big box store. Taking inspiration from Warby Parker and Everlane, Ariel quit her day job to launch a brand of DTC luxury sheets, made in Europe but exuding a California vibe, with photos of models lounging in semi-rumpled beds. As a solo founder, Ariel had to figure out everything herself, from manufacturing to supply chains to how to get through to investors. Today, Parachute Home offers a wide range of home goods and has expanded beyond its website to 26 physical stores across the U.S. 


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher.

Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4571 no 3D printing a housing revolution with Jason Ballard of ICON “If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, then we’re going to get what we’ve got—and what we got ain’t working.” ICON Co-founder/CEO and proud Texan Jason Ballard believes that a radically different approach to construction holds the key to creating affordable housing and solving homelessness for the entire globe.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Jason’s venturesome path to inventing advanced technology that prints disaster-resilient homes from concrete—at a fraction of the traditional time and cost. Plus, a look at the Moon for more of Earth’s building solutions...&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 3D printing a housing revolution with Jason Ballard of ICON full 593 Guy Raz | Vox Media “If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, then we’re going to get what we’ve got—and what we got ain’t working.”ICON Co-founder/CEO and proud Texan Jason Ballard believes that a radically different approach to construction holds the key to creating affordable housing and solving homelessness for the entire globe. This week on How I Built This Lab, Jason’s venturesome path to inventing advanced technology that prints disaster-resilient homes from concrete—at a fraction of the traditional time and cost. Plus, a look at the Moon for more of Earth’s building solutions... This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. “If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, then we’re going to get what we’ve got—and what we got ain’t working.” ICON Co-founder/CEO and proud Texan Jason Ballard believes that a radically different approach to construction holds the key to creating affordable housing and solving homelessness for the entire globe.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Jason’s venturesome path to inventing advanced technology that prints disaster-resilient homes from concrete—at a fraction of the traditional time and cost. Plus, a look at the Moon for more of Earth’s building solutions...&nbsp; This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices “If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, then we’re going to get what we’ve got—and what we got ain’t working.”

ICON Co-founder/CEO and proud Texan Jason Ballard believes that a radically different approach to construction holds the key to creating affordable housing and solving homelessness for the entire globe. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Jason’s venturesome path to inventing advanced technology that prints disaster-resilient homes from concrete—at a fraction of the traditional time and cost. Plus, a look at the Moon for more of Earth’s building solutions... 


This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2765 no Drunk Elephant: Tiffany Masterson Tiffany Masterson was a stay-at-home mom in her 40s when she launched her skin care brand, Drunk Elephant, in 2013. Six years later, she sold it for $845 million to the Japanese beauty giant Shiseido. Just six years! And she did it all with little to no experience in skin care, retail, or business. The professional branding and skin care world thought she was making huge mistakes: They panned her brand's name, product design, and strategy of focusing on only one high-end retailer. But Tiffany proved them wrong with great strategic instincts, incredible determination, and an unwavering belief in her products - and herself. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from&nbsp;Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Drunk Elephant: Tiffany Masterson full 592 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tiffany Masterson was a stay-at-home mom in her 40s when she launched her skin care brand, Drunk Elephant, in 2013. Six years later, she sold it for $845 million to the Japanese beauty giant Shiseido. Just six years! And she did it all with little to no experience in skin care, retail, or business. The professional branding and skin care world thought she was making huge mistakes: They panned her brand's name, product design, and strategy of focusing on only one high-end retailer. But Tiffany proved them wrong with great strategic instincts, incredible determination, and an unwavering belief in her products - and herself.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from Katherine Sypher.Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Tiffany Masterson was a stay-at-home mom in her 40s when she launched her skin care brand, Drunk Elephant, in 2013. Six years later, she sold it for $845 million to the Japanese beauty giant Shiseido. Just six years! And she did it all with little to no experience in skin care, retail, or business. The professional branding and skin care world thought she was making huge mistakes: They panned her brand's name, product design, and strategy of focusing on only one high-end retailer. But Tiffany proved them wrong with great strategic instincts, incredible determination, and an unwavering belief in her products - and herself. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from&nbsp;Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tiffany Masterson was a stay-at-home mom in her 40s when she launched her skin care brand, Drunk Elephant, in 2013. Six years later, she sold it for $845 million to the Japanese beauty giant Shiseido. Just six years! And she did it all with little to no experience in skin care, retail, or business. The professional branding and skin care world thought she was making huge mistakes: They panned her brand's name, product design, and strategy of focusing on only one high-end retailer. But Tiffany proved them wrong with great strategic instincts, incredible determination, and an unwavering belief in her products - and herself.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from Katherine Sypher.

Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5712 no Brewing creativity with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company When Jim Koch created Samuel Adams Boston Lager in 1984, American craft beer was still in its infancy. But forty years and thousands of new craft breweries later, both the competition and Jim’s drive to innovate are fiercer than ever... This week on How I Built This Lab, Jim reveals how thinking beyond paradigms and exploring aberrations has kept Boston Beer Company a leader in the alcoholic beverage industry. From hard teas to nitrogenated ales to non-alcoholic IPAs, Jim also shares the stories behind his company’s biggest hits — and biggest flops. Also, check out Boston Beer Company’s founding story told by Jim in October 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Brewing creativity with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company full 591 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Jim Koch created Samuel Adams Boston Lager in 1984, American craft beer was still in its infancy. But forty years and thousands of new craft breweries later, both the competition and Jim’s drive to innovate are fiercer than ever...This week on How I Built This Lab, Jim reveals how thinking beyond paradigms and exploring aberrations has kept Boston Beer Company a leader in the alcoholic beverage industry. From hard teas to nitrogenated ales to non-alcoholic IPAs, Jim also shares the stories behind his company’s biggest hits — and biggest flops.Also, check out Boston Beer Company’s founding story told by Jim in October 2016.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Jim Koch created Samuel Adams Boston Lager in 1984, American craft beer was still in its infancy. But forty years and thousands of new craft breweries later, both the competition and Jim’s drive to innovate are fiercer than ever... This week on How I Built This Lab, Jim reveals how thinking beyond paradigms and exploring aberrations has kept Boston Beer Company a leader in the alcoholic beverage industry. From hard teas to nitrogenated ales to non-alcoholic IPAs, Jim also shares the stories behind his company’s biggest hits — and biggest flops. Also, check out Boston Beer Company’s founding story told by Jim in October 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Jim Koch created Samuel Adams Boston Lager in 1984, American craft beer was still in its infancy. But forty years and thousands of new craft breweries later, both the competition and Jim’s drive to innovate are fiercer than ever...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Jim reveals how thinking beyond paradigms and exploring aberrations has kept Boston Beer Company a leader in the alcoholic beverage industry. From hard teas to nitrogenated ales to non-alcoholic IPAs, Jim also shares the stories behind his company’s biggest hits — and biggest flops.

Also, check out Boston Beer Company’s founding story told by Jim in October 2016.




This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2500 no Liquid Death: Mike Cessario Mike Cessario came up with the idea for a viral water brand by asking himself “What is the dumbest possible idea we could have?” His answer was Liquid Death: an aluminum can of water that looks like a cross between beer and poison. While it seemed self-destructive, the idea turned out to be brilliant: Liquid Death connected with customers who don’t typically buy bottled water, and built a moat around itself by being entertaining and edgy—something most brands struggle with. As a former ad-man with one failed business behind him, Mike initially sidelined his idea when he couldn't find a co-packer to put spring water in aluminum cans. But seven years after launch, Liquid Death is both a water&nbsp;and&nbsp;an entertainment company, with annual revenue well above $100M. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Casey Herman. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Liquid Death: Mike Cessario full 590 Guy Raz | Vox Media Mike Cessario came up with the idea for a viral water brand by asking himself “What is the dumbest possible idea we could have?” His answer was Liquid Death: an aluminum can of water that looks like a cross between beer and poison. While it seemed self-destructive, the idea turned out to be brilliant: Liquid Death connected with customers who don’t typically buy bottled water, and built a moat around itself by being entertaining and edgy—something most brands struggle with. As a former ad-man with one failed business behind him, Mike initially sidelined his idea when he couldn't find a co-packer to put spring water in aluminum cans. But seven years after launch, Liquid Death is both a water and an entertainment company, with annual revenue well above $100M.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Casey Herman.Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Mike Cessario came up with the idea for a viral water brand by asking himself “What is the dumbest possible idea we could have?” His answer was Liquid Death: an aluminum can of water that looks like a cross between beer and poison. While it seemed self-destructive, the idea turned out to be brilliant: Liquid Death connected with customers who don’t typically buy bottled water, and built a moat around itself by being entertaining and edgy—something most brands struggle with. As a former ad-man with one failed business behind him, Mike initially sidelined his idea when he couldn't find a co-packer to put spring water in aluminum cans. But seven years after launch, Liquid Death is both a water&nbsp;and&nbsp;an entertainment company, with annual revenue well above $100M. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Casey Herman. Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mike Cessario came up with the idea for a viral water brand by asking himself “What is the dumbest possible idea we could have?” His answer was Liquid Death: an aluminum can of water that looks like a cross between beer and poison. While it seemed self-destructive, the idea turned out to be brilliant: Liquid Death connected with customers who don’t typically buy bottled water, and built a moat around itself by being entertaining and edgy—something most brands struggle with. As a former ad-man with one failed business behind him, Mike initially sidelined his idea when he couldn't find a co-packer to put spring water in aluminum cans. But seven years after launch, Liquid Death is both a water and an entertainment company, with annual revenue well above $100M.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Casey Herman.

Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4994 yes Doing the bees’ work with Thai Sade of BloomX Thai Sade is the co-founder and CEO of BloomX, a company that has developed crop-pollinating technology to replicate natural pollinators like bees and other insects.&nbsp; So much of what we eat depends on bees, which have been used for centuries to pollinate crops. But today, the world’s growing appetite and other environmental stressors are pushing bee populations to the brink and threatening our food supply. This week on How I Built This Lab, how Thai’s company is helping farmers ease the burden on bees. Plus, how Thai’s upbringing on a kibbutz inspired him to tackle global challenges in agriculture, and how BloomX is contributing to rainforest conservation in Latin America. &nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Doing the bees’ work with Thai Sade of BloomX full 589 Guy Raz | Vox Media Thai Sade is the co-founder and CEO of BloomX, a company that has developed crop-pollinating technology to replicate natural pollinators like bees and other insects. So much of what we eat depends on bees, which have been used for centuries to pollinate crops. But today, the world’s growing appetite and other environmental stressors are pushing bee populations to the brink and threatening our food supply.This week on How I Built This Lab, how Thai’s company is helping farmers ease the burden on bees. Plus, how Thai’s upbringing on a kibbutz inspired him to tackle global challenges in agriculture, and how BloomX is contributing to rainforest conservation in Latin America. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Thai Sade is the co-founder and CEO of BloomX, a company that has developed crop-pollinating technology to replicate natural pollinators like bees and other insects.&nbsp; So much of what we eat depends on bees, which have been used for centuries to pollinate crops. But today, the world’s growing appetite and other environmental stressors are pushing bee populations to the brink and threatening our food supply. This week on How I Built This Lab, how Thai’s company is helping farmers ease the burden on bees. Plus, how Thai’s upbringing on a kibbutz inspired him to tackle global challenges in agriculture, and how BloomX is contributing to rainforest conservation in Latin America. &nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thai Sade is the co-founder and CEO of BloomX, a company that has developed crop-pollinating technology to replicate natural pollinators like bees and other insects. 

So much of what we eat depends on bees, which have been used for centuries to pollinate crops. But today, the world’s growing appetite and other environmental stressors are pushing bee populations to the brink and threatening our food supply.

This week on How I Built This Lab, how Thai’s company is helping farmers ease the burden on bees. Plus, how Thai’s upbringing on a kibbutz inspired him to tackle global challenges in agriculture, and how BloomX is contributing to rainforest conservation in Latin America.

 

This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. 

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2169 no Primary: Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard The apparel industry - be it high fashion or everyday wear - is a crowded and noisy market to crack. Just think about the sheer number of athletic shoes or jeans available at both ends of the price spectrum! So conventional wisdom is: to stand out, branding is really important.&nbsp;But for Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, the co-founders of the children's clothing line Primary, branding was the last thing they wanted on their designs. The two women bucked other industry conventions, too:&nbsp;they only sell basic building-block pieces, using bright colors, in styles that hardly change year after year. No glitter. No cartoons. No pithy sayings. And no gender differentiation: the clothes are categorized as either babies or kids. Despite early struggles, eight years after launching in 2015, Primary is now a profitable company with annual sales over $50 million. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Chris Maccini. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Primary: Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard full 588 Guy Raz | Vox Media The apparel industry - be it high fashion or everyday wear - is a crowded and noisy market to crack. Just think about the sheer number of athletic shoes or jeans available at both ends of the price spectrum! So conventional wisdom is: to stand out, branding is really important. But for Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, the co-founders of the children's clothing line Primary, branding was the last thing they wanted on their designs. The two women bucked other industry conventions, too: they only sell basic building-block pieces, using bright colors, in styles that hardly change year after year. No glitter. No cartoons. No pithy sayings. And no gender differentiation: the clothes are categorized as either babies or kids. Despite early struggles, eight years after launching in 2015, Primary is now a profitable company with annual sales over $50 million.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Chris Maccini.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. The apparel industry - be it high fashion or everyday wear - is a crowded and noisy market to crack. Just think about the sheer number of athletic shoes or jeans available at both ends of the price spectrum! So conventional wisdom is: to stand out, branding is really important.&nbsp;But for Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, the co-founders of the children's clothing line Primary, branding was the last thing they wanted on their designs. The two women bucked other industry conventions, too:&nbsp;they only sell basic building-block pieces, using bright colors, in styles that hardly change year after year. No glitter. No cartoons. No pithy sayings. And no gender differentiation: the clothes are categorized as either babies or kids. Despite early struggles, eight years after launching in 2015, Primary is now a profitable company with annual sales over $50 million. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Chris Maccini. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The apparel industry - be it high fashion or everyday wear - is a crowded and noisy market to crack. Just think about the sheer number of athletic shoes or jeans available at both ends of the price spectrum! So conventional wisdom is: to stand out, branding is really important. But for Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, the co-founders of the children's clothing line Primary, branding was the last thing they wanted on their designs. The two women bucked other industry conventions, too: they only sell basic building-block pieces, using bright colors, in styles that hardly change year after year. No glitter. No cartoons. No pithy sayings. And no gender differentiation: the clothes are categorized as either babies or kids. Despite early struggles, eight years after launching in 2015, Primary is now a profitable company with annual sales over $50 million.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Chris Maccini.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4598 no Designing shoes for women's feet with Wes and Allyson Felix of Saysh (2023) Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike.&nbsp; Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn. Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Designing shoes for women's feet with Wes and Allyson Felix of Saysh (2023) full 587 Guy Raz | Vox Media Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike. Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh. This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike.&nbsp; Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn. Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike. 

Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that. 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.

Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3321 no Calendly: Tope Awotona (2020) After emigrating from Nigeria to the US to attend college, Tope Awotona worked as a door-to-door salesman and eventually set out to become a tech entrepreneur. He launched a series of e-commerce businesses that quickly fizzled when he realized he had no passion for them. But then he landed on an idea he was truly excited about: designing software that would minimize the hassle and headache of scheduling meetings. In 2013, he cashed in his 401k and went into debt to build Calendly, a scheduling service reportedly doing over $100 million in revenue. This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner-White, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Jan 2024 08:10:00 -0000 Calendly: Tope Awotona (2020) full 586 Guy Raz | Vox Media After emigrating from Nigeria to the US to attend college, Tope Awotona worked as a door-to-door salesman and eventually set out to become a tech entrepreneur. He launched a series of e-commerce businesses that quickly fizzled when he realized he had no passion for them. But then he landed on an idea he was truly excited about: designing software that would minimize the hassle and headache of scheduling meetings. In 2013, he cashed in his 401k and went into debt to build Calendly, a scheduling service reportedly doing over $100 million in revenue.This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner-White, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. After emigrating from Nigeria to the US to attend college, Tope Awotona worked as a door-to-door salesman and eventually set out to become a tech entrepreneur. He launched a series of e-commerce businesses that quickly fizzled when he realized he had no passion for them. But then he landed on an idea he was truly excited about: designing software that would minimize the hassle and headache of scheduling meetings. In 2013, he cashed in his 401k and went into debt to build Calendly, a scheduling service reportedly doing over $100 million in revenue. This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner-White, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices After emigrating from Nigeria to the US to attend college, Tope Awotona worked as a door-to-door salesman and eventually set out to become a tech entrepreneur. He launched a series of e-commerce businesses that quickly fizzled when he realized he had no passion for them. But then he landed on an idea he was truly excited about: designing software that would minimize the hassle and headache of scheduling meetings. In 2013, he cashed in his 401k and went into debt to build Calendly, a scheduling service reportedly doing over $100 million in revenue.


This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner-White, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4449 no Sharing the 2023 HIBT Lab Highlight Reel A special look back at some of our favorite How I Built This Lab episodes of 2023. Hear how Pinky Cole built the vegan fast food chain Slutty Vegan after a devastating fire destroyed her first restaurant. Then, Nuseir Yassin turns a 1000-day social media travelog into a multi-dimensional business called The Nas Company. And finally, Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble, returns to the show to talk with Guy about the future of dating. Stay tuned for fresh episodes in 2024. Happy New Year!&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Sharing the 2023 HIBT Lab Highlight Reel full 585 Guy Raz | Vox Media A special look back at some of our favorite How I Built This Lab episodes of 2023. Hear how Pinky Cole built the vegan fast food chain Slutty Vegan after a devastating fire destroyed her first restaurant. Then, Nuseir Yassin turns a 1000-day social media travelog into a multi-dimensional business called The Nas Company. And finally, Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble, returns to the show to talk with Guy about the future of dating.Stay tuned for fresh episodes in 2024. Happy New Year! This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. A special look back at some of our favorite How I Built This Lab episodes of 2023. Hear how Pinky Cole built the vegan fast food chain Slutty Vegan after a devastating fire destroyed her first restaurant. Then, Nuseir Yassin turns a 1000-day social media travelog into a multi-dimensional business called The Nas Company. And finally, Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble, returns to the show to talk with Guy about the future of dating. Stay tuned for fresh episodes in 2024. Happy New Year!&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices A special look back at some of our favorite How I Built This Lab episodes of 2023. Hear how Pinky Cole built the vegan fast food chain Slutty Vegan after a devastating fire destroyed her first restaurant. Then, Nuseir Yassin turns a 1000-day social media travelog into a multi-dimensional business called The Nas Company. And finally, Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble, returns to the show to talk with Guy about the future of dating.

Stay tuned for fresh episodes in 2024. Happy New Year! 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3613 no Aviator Nation: Paige Mycoskie In 2006, Paige Mycoskie walked into one of the most exclusive boutiques in LA, wearing her handmade clothes and hoping to get a meeting with the buyer. And why not? On the street, people seemed to love her boldly striped shirts and sweats, always asking “Where can I get that?” whenever she wore them. Three years later, Paige opened her first store in Venice Beach, and then she relied on word of mouth – and shrewd negotiating tactics with landlords – to launch more new locations. Despite early struggles with managing her team and a costly scam, Paige grew Aviator Nation into a multi-million dollar brand - that still makes all its clothes in California. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood. Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Dec 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Aviator Nation: Paige Mycoskie full 584 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2006, Paige Mycoskie walked into one of the most exclusive boutiques in LA, wearing her handmade clothes and hoping to get a meeting with the buyer. And why not? On the street, people seemed to love her boldly striped shirts and sweats, always asking “Where can I get that?” whenever she wore them. Three years later, Paige opened her first store in Venice Beach, and then she relied on word of mouth – and shrewd negotiating tactics with landlords – to launch more new locations. Despite early struggles with managing her team and a costly scam, Paige grew Aviator Nation into a multi-million dollar brand - that still makes all its clothes in California.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood.Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 2006, Paige Mycoskie walked into one of the most exclusive boutiques in LA, wearing her handmade clothes and hoping to get a meeting with the buyer. And why not? On the street, people seemed to love her boldly striped shirts and sweats, always asking “Where can I get that?” whenever she wore them. Three years later, Paige opened her first store in Venice Beach, and then she relied on word of mouth – and shrewd negotiating tactics with landlords – to launch more new locations. Despite early struggles with managing her team and a costly scam, Paige grew Aviator Nation into a multi-million dollar brand - that still makes all its clothes in California. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood. Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2006, Paige Mycoskie walked into one of the most exclusive boutiques in LA, wearing her handmade clothes and hoping to get a meeting with the buyer. And why not? On the street, people seemed to love her boldly striped shirts and sweats, always asking “Where can I get that?” whenever she wore them. Three years later, Paige opened her first store in Venice Beach, and then she relied on word of mouth – and shrewd negotiating tactics with landlords – to launch more new locations. Despite early struggles with managing her team and a costly scam, Paige grew Aviator Nation into a multi-million dollar brand - that still makes all its clothes in California.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood.

Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4377 no Charging up the electric vehicle market with RJ Scaringe of Rivian Rivian’s all-electric vehicles have been in high demand thanks to their unique look and handy features. But soon after hitting the market, a series of supply chain snarls led to a backlog of orders and a retreat by key investors. Undeterred, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has focused on ramping up production and has big plans for the company’s future — including the release of a new mid-size SUV in 2026. This week on How I Built This Lab, how Rivian continues to shape the rapidly evolving electric vehicle market. Plus, Rivian’s plans to expand charging infrastructure across the U.S. and RJ’s strategies for leading through challenging times.&nbsp; And don’t forget to check out Rivian’s origin story from September 2022. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Dec 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Charging up the electric vehicle market with RJ Scaringe of Rivian full 583 Guy Raz | Vox Media Rivian’s all-electric vehicles have been in high demand thanks to their unique look and handy features. But soon after hitting the market, a series of supply chain snarls led to a backlog of orders and a retreat by key investors. Undeterred, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has focused on ramping up production and has big plans for the company’s future — including the release of a new mid-size SUV in 2026.This week on How I Built This Lab, how Rivian continues to shape the rapidly evolving electric vehicle market. Plus, Rivian’s plans to expand charging infrastructure across the U.S. and RJ’s strategies for leading through challenging times. And don’t forget to check out Rivian’s origin story from September 2022.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Rivian’s all-electric vehicles have been in high demand thanks to their unique look and handy features. But soon after hitting the market, a series of supply chain snarls led to a backlog of orders and a retreat by key investors. Undeterred, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has focused on ramping up production and has big plans for the company’s future — including the release of a new mid-size SUV in 2026. This week on How I Built This Lab, how Rivian continues to shape the rapidly evolving electric vehicle market. Plus, Rivian’s plans to expand charging infrastructure across the U.S. and RJ’s strategies for leading through challenging times.&nbsp; And don’t forget to check out Rivian’s origin story from September 2022. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Rivian’s all-electric vehicles have been in high demand thanks to their unique look and handy features. But soon after hitting the market, a series of supply chain snarls led to a backlog of orders and a retreat by key investors. Undeterred, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has focused on ramping up production and has big plans for the company’s future — including the release of a new mid-size SUV in 2026.

This week on How I Built This Lab, how Rivian continues to shape the rapidly evolving electric vehicle market. Plus, Rivian’s plans to expand charging infrastructure across the U.S. and RJ’s strategies for leading through challenging times. 

And don’t forget to check out Rivian’s origin story from September 2022.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research by Katherine Sypher. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2307 no KiwiCo: Sandra Oh Lin KiwiCo founder Sandra Oh Lin took an after-school pastime and turned it into a multi-million-dollar business. After quitting a high-powered job in tech, she dived into doing after-school projects with her kids, like making puppets out of Styrofoam or combining baking soda and vinegar to see what happens. When she discovered that other parents liked these projects too, she decided to create a subscription box company that sent out science and crafts kits every month. She gathered kids in her garage to test-market her ideas, and pitched her plan over and over to investors in Silicon Valley, where her car was “the only minivan in the parking lot.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Today KiwiCo is the leading subscription box for kids, and has shipped over 50 million crates worldwide. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:10:00 -0000 KiwiCo: Sandra Oh Lin full 582 Guy Raz | Vox Media KiwiCo founder Sandra Oh Lin took an after-school pastime and turned it into a multi-million-dollar business. After quitting a high-powered job in tech, she dived into doing after-school projects with her kids, like making puppets out of Styrofoam or combining baking soda and vinegar to see what happens. When she discovered that other parents liked these projects too, she decided to create a subscription box company that sent out science and crafts kits every month. She gathered kids in her garage to test-market her ideas, and pitched her plan over and over to investors in Silicon Valley, where her car was “the only minivan in the parking lot.”  Today KiwiCo is the leading subscription box for kids, and has shipped over 50 million crates worldwide.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. KiwiCo founder Sandra Oh Lin took an after-school pastime and turned it into a multi-million-dollar business. After quitting a high-powered job in tech, she dived into doing after-school projects with her kids, like making puppets out of Styrofoam or combining baking soda and vinegar to see what happens. When she discovered that other parents liked these projects too, she decided to create a subscription box company that sent out science and crafts kits every month. She gathered kids in her garage to test-market her ideas, and pitched her plan over and over to investors in Silicon Valley, where her car was “the only minivan in the parking lot.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Today KiwiCo is the leading subscription box for kids, and has shipped over 50 million crates worldwide. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices KiwiCo founder Sandra Oh Lin took an after-school pastime and turned it into a multi-million-dollar business. After quitting a high-powered job in tech, she dived into doing after-school projects with her kids, like making puppets out of Styrofoam or combining baking soda and vinegar to see what happens. When she discovered that other parents liked these projects too, she decided to create a subscription box company that sent out science and crafts kits every month. She gathered kids in her garage to test-market her ideas, and pitched her plan over and over to investors in Silicon Valley, where her car was “the only minivan in the parking lot.”  Today KiwiCo is the leading subscription box for kids, and has shipped over 50 million crates worldwide.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. 

It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3122 no Shooting for the moon with Steve Altemus of Intuitive Machines Our modern way of life requires more resources than ever before — resources that are becoming increasingly scarce and environmentally taxing to extract.&nbsp; Intuitive Machines co-founder and CEO Steve Altemus believes a solution to this problem could be waiting in the cosmos. This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve breaks down the logistics and economics of sending the first-ever commercial spacecraft to the moon. Plus, an overview of today’s newfound global space race, and how Steve embraces failure as part of working on hard technological problems. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 Dec 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Shooting for the moon with Steve Altemus of Intuitive Machines full 581 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our modern way of life requires more resources than ever before — resources that are becoming increasingly scarce and environmentally taxing to extract. Intuitive Machines co-founder and CEO Steve Altemus believes a solution to this problem could be waiting in the cosmos.This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve breaks down the logistics and economics of sending the first-ever commercial spacecraft to the moon. Plus, an overview of today’s newfound global space race, and how Steve embraces failure as part of working on hard technological problems.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Our modern way of life requires more resources than ever before — resources that are becoming increasingly scarce and environmentally taxing to extract.&nbsp; Intuitive Machines co-founder and CEO Steve Altemus believes a solution to this problem could be waiting in the cosmos. This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve breaks down the logistics and economics of sending the first-ever commercial spacecraft to the moon. Plus, an overview of today’s newfound global space race, and how Steve embraces failure as part of working on hard technological problems. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Our modern way of life requires more resources than ever before — resources that are becoming increasingly scarce and environmentally taxing to extract. 

Intuitive Machines co-founder and CEO Steve Altemus believes a solution to this problem could be waiting in the cosmos.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve breaks down the logistics and economics of sending the first-ever commercial spacecraft to the moon. Plus, an overview of today’s newfound global space race, and how Steve embraces failure as part of working on hard technological problems.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2341 no reCAPTCHA and Duolingo: Luis von Ahn (2020) In 2000, Luis von Ahn was starting his PhD in computer science when he attended a talk and happened to learn about one of Yahoo's biggest problems: automated bots were signing up for millions of free Yahoo email accounts, and generating tons of spam. Luis' idea to solve this problem became CAPTCHA, the squiggly letters we type into a website to prove we're human. He gave away that idea for free, but years later, that same idea had evolved into a new way to monetize language learning on the web, and became Duolingo. Today, Duolingo is a publicly-traded company with a market cap of $9 billion. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:10:00 -0000 reCAPTCHA and Duolingo: Luis von Ahn (2020) full 580 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2000, Luis von Ahn was starting his PhD in computer science when he attended a talk and happened to learn about one of Yahoo's biggest problems: automated bots were signing up for millions of free Yahoo email accounts, and generating tons of spam. Luis' idea to solve this problem became CAPTCHA, the squiggly letters we type into a website to prove we're human. He gave away that idea for free, but years later, that same idea had evolved into a new way to monetize language learning on the web, and became Duolingo. Today, Duolingo is a publicly-traded company with a market cap of $9 billion.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 2000, Luis von Ahn was starting his PhD in computer science when he attended a talk and happened to learn about one of Yahoo's biggest problems: automated bots were signing up for millions of free Yahoo email accounts, and generating tons of spam. Luis' idea to solve this problem became CAPTCHA, the squiggly letters we type into a website to prove we're human. He gave away that idea for free, but years later, that same idea had evolved into a new way to monetize language learning on the web, and became Duolingo. Today, Duolingo is a publicly-traded company with a market cap of $9 billion. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;X&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2000, Luis von Ahn was starting his PhD in computer science when he attended a talk and happened to learn about one of Yahoo's biggest problems: automated bots were signing up for millions of free Yahoo email accounts, and generating tons of spam. Luis' idea to solve this problem became CAPTCHA, the squiggly letters we type into a website to prove we're human. He gave away that idea for free, but years later, that same idea had evolved into a new way to monetize language learning on the web, and became Duolingo. Today, Duolingo is a publicly-traded company with a market cap of $9 billion.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4158 no Framing the future of eyecare with Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa of Warby Parker Warby Parker co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa broke their scrappy startup into the eyewear industry in 2010—putting legacy manufacturers on notice by offering stylish glasses at much lower prices. But having since gone public and facing pressure from digital landlords and changing technology, Warby Parker now faces a new set of challenges and unknowns... This week on How I Built This Lab, Neil and Dave share insights on leading a public for-profit company with a social mission. Plus, why brick and mortar is essential to the business, despite starting as a direct-to-consumer brand, and how artificial intelligence will change eyecare as we know it. Also, check out Warby Parker’s founding story told by Neil and Dave in December 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 Dec 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Framing the future of eyecare with Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa of Warby Parker full 579 Guy Raz | Vox Media Warby Parker co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa broke their scrappy startup into the eyewear industry in 2010—putting legacy manufacturers on notice by offering stylish glasses at much lower prices. But having since gone public and facing pressure from digital landlords and changing technology, Warby Parker now faces a new set of challenges and unknowns...This week on How I Built This Lab, Neil and Dave share insights on leading a public for-profit company with a social mission. Plus, why brick and mortar is essential to the business, despite starting as a direct-to-consumer brand, and how artificial intelligence will change eyecare as we know it.Also, check out Warby Parker’s founding story told by Neil and Dave in December 2016.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Warby Parker co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa broke their scrappy startup into the eyewear industry in 2010—putting legacy manufacturers on notice by offering stylish glasses at much lower prices. But having since gone public and facing pressure from digital landlords and changing technology, Warby Parker now faces a new set of challenges and unknowns... This week on How I Built This Lab, Neil and Dave share insights on leading a public for-profit company with a social mission. Plus, why brick and mortar is essential to the business, despite starting as a direct-to-consumer brand, and how artificial intelligence will change eyecare as we know it. Also, check out Warby Parker’s founding story told by Neil and Dave in December 2016. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Warby Parker co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa broke their scrappy startup into the eyewear industry in 2010—putting legacy manufacturers on notice by offering stylish glasses at much lower prices. But having since gone public and facing pressure from digital landlords and changing technology, Warby Parker now faces a new set of challenges and unknowns...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Neil and Dave share insights on leading a public for-profit company with a social mission. Plus, why brick and mortar is essential to the business, despite starting as a direct-to-consumer brand, and how artificial intelligence will change eyecare as we know it.

Also, check out Warby Parker’s founding story told by Neil and Dave in December 2016.




This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2602 no Wondery: Hernan Lopez When Hernan Lopez founded Wondery in 2016, podcasts were just starting to go mainstream. Five years later, his team had scored a number of hit shows and sold to Amazon for a reported $300 million. Not bad for an immigrant from Argentina who moved to the U.S. in his late 20s with “terrible” English skills.&nbsp;&nbsp; Before launching Wondery, Hernan worked his way up in television, eventually becoming CEO of Fox International Channels. But despite his experience and connections, he struggled to attract investors and break through in an emerging industry. After the success of shows like Dirty John, Wondery began to take off, and today it’s one of the largest podcast networks in the world, with hundreds of shows in comedy, crime, sports, history and business—including this one!&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Wondery: Hernan Lopez full 578 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Hernan Lopez founded Wondery in 2016, podcasts were just starting to go mainstream. Five years later, his team had scored a number of hit shows and sold to Amazon for a reported $300 million. Not bad for an immigrant from Argentina who moved to the U.S. in his late 20s with “terrible” English skills.  Before launching Wondery, Hernan worked his way up in television, eventually becoming CEO of Fox International Channels. But despite his experience and connections, he struggled to attract investors and break through in an emerging industry. After the success of shows like Dirty John, Wondery began to take off, and today it’s one of the largest podcast networks in the world, with hundreds of shows in comedy, crime, sports, history and business—including this one! This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Hernan Lopez founded Wondery in 2016, podcasts were just starting to go mainstream. Five years later, his team had scored a number of hit shows and sold to Amazon for a reported $300 million. Not bad for an immigrant from Argentina who moved to the U.S. in his late 20s with “terrible” English skills.&nbsp;&nbsp; Before launching Wondery, Hernan worked his way up in television, eventually becoming CEO of Fox International Channels. But despite his experience and connections, he struggled to attract investors and break through in an emerging industry. After the success of shows like Dirty John, Wondery began to take off, and today it’s one of the largest podcast networks in the world, with hundreds of shows in comedy, crime, sports, history and business—including this one!&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Hernan Lopez founded Wondery in 2016, podcasts were just starting to go mainstream. Five years later, his team had scored a number of hit shows and sold to Amazon for a reported $300 million. Not bad for an immigrant from Argentina who moved to the U.S. in his late 20s with “terrible” English skills.  

Before launching Wondery, Hernan worked his way up in television, eventually becoming CEO of Fox International Channels. But despite his experience and connections, he struggled to attract investors and break through in an emerging industry. After the success of shows like Dirty John, Wondery began to take off, and today it’s one of the largest podcast networks in the world, with hundreds of shows in comedy, crime, sports, history and business—including this one! 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4635 no Full body preventive health care with Andrew Lacy of Prenuvo Andrew Lacy is the co-founder and CEO of Prenuvo, a company offering full body scans that have the potential to detect disease early and before symptoms.&nbsp; When Andrew was introduced to radiologist Rajpaul Attariwala, he had already built and sold two tech companies. So after stepping out of Attariwala’s MRI machine, Andrew saw the same opportunity he’d seen years earlier in the iPhone…&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, how Prenuvo is working to change the health care industry one scan at a time. Plus, Andrew responds to medical establishment criticism and outlines the problems in health care that Prenuvo helps solve.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Full body preventive health care with Andrew Lacy of Prenuvo full 577 Guy Raz | Vox Media Andrew Lacy is the co-founder and CEO of Prenuvo, a company offering full body scans that have the potential to detect disease early and before symptoms. When Andrew was introduced to radiologist Rajpaul Attariwala, he had already built and sold two tech companies. So after stepping out of Attariwala’s MRI machine, Andrew saw the same opportunity he’d seen years earlier in the iPhone… This week on How I Built This Lab, how Prenuvo is working to change the health care industry one scan at a time. Plus, Andrew responds to medical establishment criticism and outlines the problems in health care that Prenuvo helps solve.  This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Andrew Lacy is the co-founder and CEO of Prenuvo, a company offering full body scans that have the potential to detect disease early and before symptoms.&nbsp; When Andrew was introduced to radiologist Rajpaul Attariwala, he had already built and sold two tech companies. So after stepping out of Attariwala’s MRI machine, Andrew saw the same opportunity he’d seen years earlier in the iPhone…&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, how Prenuvo is working to change the health care industry one scan at a time. Plus, Andrew responds to medical establishment criticism and outlines the problems in health care that Prenuvo helps solve.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Andrew Lacy is the co-founder and CEO of Prenuvo, a company offering full body scans that have the potential to detect disease early and before symptoms. 

When Andrew was introduced to radiologist Rajpaul Attariwala, he had already built and sold two tech companies. So after stepping out of Attariwala’s MRI machine, Andrew saw the same opportunity he’d seen years earlier in the iPhone… 

This week on How I Built This Lab, how Prenuvo is working to change the health care industry one scan at a time. Plus, Andrew responds to medical establishment criticism and outlines the problems in health care that Prenuvo helps solve.  


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. 

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2499 no Briogeo Hair Care: Nancy Twine (2020) In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more. Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she once made with her mom, Nancy created a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as a Black entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money. Finally, in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo and eventually landed it in Sephora. Today the company’s sales revenue is $100M a year. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gales. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Nov 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Briogeo Hair Care: Nancy Twine (2020) full 576 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more.Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she once made with her mom, Nancy created a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as a Black entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money.Finally, in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo and eventually landed it in Sephora. Today the company’s sales revenue is $100M a year.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gales. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more. Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she once made with her mom, Nancy created a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as a Black entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money. Finally, in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo and eventually landed it in Sephora. Today the company’s sales revenue is $100M a year. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gales. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more.

Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she once made with her mom, Nancy created a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as a Black entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money.

Finally, in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo and eventually landed it in Sephora. Today the company’s sales revenue is $100M a year.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gales. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4339 no The surprise that's saving food with Lucie Basch of Too Good To Go (2023) Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app.&nbsp; Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S. This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Nov 2023 08:10:00 -0000 The surprise that's saving food with Lucie Basch of Too Good To Go (2023) full 575 Guy Raz | Vox Media Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app. Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S.This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app.&nbsp; Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S. This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app. 

Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.

Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2733 no CAVA: Ted Xenohristos and Brett Schulman When Ted Xenohristos and two childhood friends opened their first sit-down Greek restaurant in 2006, they had no idea it would eventually grow into CAVA, a sprawling national chain that serves stuffed pita sandwiches and salads. Raised by Greek immigrants, the three founders understood how to make great food, but were rookies at running a restaurant–maxing out their credit cards, and learning the hard way that you should never write dinner orders on sticky-notes. As the restaurant tried to raise its profile by selling its hummus and tzatziki to grocery stores, it continued to lose money. But eventually the founders decided to hire Brett Schulman as their boss. Brett had invaluable experience in the snack food industry, and predicted that CAVA’s Mediterranean cooking would take off among health-conscious diners. He was right. Today, CAVA is a publicly-traded company with over 280 restaurants across the country. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:10:00 -0000 CAVA: Ted Xenohristos and Brett Schulman full 574 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Ted Xenohristos and two childhood friends opened their first sit-down Greek restaurant in 2006, they had no idea it would eventually grow into CAVA, a sprawling national chain that serves stuffed pita sandwiches and salads. Raised by Greek immigrants, the three founders understood how to make great food, but were rookies at running a restaurant–maxing out their credit cards, and learning the hard way that you should never write dinner orders on sticky-notes. As the restaurant tried to raise its profile by selling its hummus and tzatziki to grocery stores, it continued to lose money. But eventually the founders decided to hire Brett Schulman as their boss. Brett had invaluable experience in the snack food industry, and predicted that CAVA’s Mediterranean cooking would take off among health-conscious diners. He was right. Today, CAVA is a publicly-traded company with over 280 restaurants across the country.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Ted Xenohristos and two childhood friends opened their first sit-down Greek restaurant in 2006, they had no idea it would eventually grow into CAVA, a sprawling national chain that serves stuffed pita sandwiches and salads. Raised by Greek immigrants, the three founders understood how to make great food, but were rookies at running a restaurant–maxing out their credit cards, and learning the hard way that you should never write dinner orders on sticky-notes. As the restaurant tried to raise its profile by selling its hummus and tzatziki to grocery stores, it continued to lose money. But eventually the founders decided to hire Brett Schulman as their boss. Brett had invaluable experience in the snack food industry, and predicted that CAVA’s Mediterranean cooking would take off among health-conscious diners. He was right. Today, CAVA is a publicly-traded company with over 280 restaurants across the country. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Ted Xenohristos and two childhood friends opened their first sit-down Greek restaurant in 2006, they had no idea it would eventually grow into CAVA, a sprawling national chain that serves stuffed pita sandwiches and salads. Raised by Greek immigrants, the three founders understood how to make great food, but were rookies at running a restaurant–maxing out their credit cards, and learning the hard way that you should never write dinner orders on sticky-notes. As the restaurant tried to raise its profile by selling its hummus and tzatziki to grocery stores, it continued to lose money. But eventually the founders decided to hire Brett Schulman as their boss. Brett had invaluable experience in the snack food industry, and predicted that CAVA’s Mediterranean cooking would take off among health-conscious diners. He was right. Today, CAVA is a publicly-traded company with over 280 restaurants across the country.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4588 no The future of driving is autonomous with Dmitri Dolgov of Waymo Waymo Co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov is convinced that his company’s vehicles are better at driving than any human. Dmitri has spent thousands of hours riding in them, and recently Guy had the chance to try one out as well... This week on How I Built This Lab, Dmitri recounts the decade-plus journey of building Waymo into the world’s first company to operate a fully-autonomous ride hailing service. Plus, how Waymo’s approach differs from Tesla’s, and Dmitri’s take on when we’ll see more AV’s on the roads than human-driven cars (spoiler: sooner than you may think!) This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Nov 2023 08:10:00 -0000 The future of driving is autonomous with Dmitri Dolgov of Waymo full 573 Guy Raz | Vox Media Waymo Co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov is convinced that his company’s vehicles are better at driving than any human. Dmitri has spent thousands of hours riding in them, and recently Guy had the chance to try one out as well...This week on How I Built This Lab, Dmitri recounts the decade-plus journey of building Waymo into the world’s first company to operate a fully-autonomous ride hailing service. Plus, how Waymo’s approach differs from Tesla’s, and Dmitri’s take on when we’ll see more AV’s on the roads than human-driven cars (spoiler: sooner than you may think!)This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Waymo Co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov is convinced that his company’s vehicles are better at driving than any human. Dmitri has spent thousands of hours riding in them, and recently Guy had the chance to try one out as well... This week on How I Built This Lab, Dmitri recounts the decade-plus journey of building Waymo into the world’s first company to operate a fully-autonomous ride hailing service. Plus, how Waymo’s approach differs from Tesla’s, and Dmitri’s take on when we’ll see more AV’s on the roads than human-driven cars (spoiler: sooner than you may think!) This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Waymo Co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov is convinced that his company’s vehicles are better at driving than any human. Dmitri has spent thousands of hours riding in them, and recently Guy had the chance to try one out as well...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Dmitri recounts the decade-plus journey of building Waymo into the world’s first company to operate a fully-autonomous ride hailing service. Plus, how Waymo’s approach differs from Tesla’s, and Dmitri’s take on when we’ll see more AV’s on the roads than human-driven cars (spoiler: sooner than you may think!)

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2755 no Everlane: Michael Preysman When Michael Preysman founded Everlane, he knew nothing about fashion–he just wanted to see if he could build an online platform that would generate buzz around anything. He started with a cotton T-shirt, and taught himself every stage of production, from sourcing the fabric, to cutting, dyeing, and finishing. When Michael realized that some luxury brands charged as much as seven times the actual cost of a T-shirt, he decided to sell his for $15, and soon caused a stir by telling the world exactly what it cost to make. Eventually the brand shifted its focus to sustainability and social responsibility, a strategy that invited harsh criticism, especially during the Covid era. Today, Everlane is a multi-million dollar business that has expanded to sweaters, denim, outerwear, and accessories. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Nov 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Everlane: Michael Preysman full 572 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Michael Preysman founded Everlane, he knew nothing about fashion–he just wanted to see if he could build an online platform that would generate buzz around anything. He started with a cotton T-shirt, and taught himself every stage of production, from sourcing the fabric, to cutting, dyeing, and finishing. When Michael realized that some luxury brands charged as much as seven times the actual cost of a T-shirt, he decided to sell his for $15, and soon caused a stir by telling the world exactly what it cost to make. Eventually the brand shifted its focus to sustainability and social responsibility, a strategy that invited harsh criticism, especially during the Covid era. Today, Everlane is a multi-million dollar business that has expanded to sweaters, denim, outerwear, and accessories.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Michael Preysman founded Everlane, he knew nothing about fashion–he just wanted to see if he could build an online platform that would generate buzz around anything. He started with a cotton T-shirt, and taught himself every stage of production, from sourcing the fabric, to cutting, dyeing, and finishing. When Michael realized that some luxury brands charged as much as seven times the actual cost of a T-shirt, he decided to sell his for $15, and soon caused a stir by telling the world exactly what it cost to make. Eventually the brand shifted its focus to sustainability and social responsibility, a strategy that invited harsh criticism, especially during the Covid era. Today, Everlane is a multi-million dollar business that has expanded to sweaters, denim, outerwear, and accessories. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Michael Preysman founded Everlane, he knew nothing about fashion–he just wanted to see if he could build an online platform that would generate buzz around anything. He started with a cotton T-shirt, and taught himself every stage of production, from sourcing the fabric, to cutting, dyeing, and finishing. When Michael realized that some luxury brands charged as much as seven times the actual cost of a T-shirt, he decided to sell his for $15, and soon caused a stir by telling the world exactly what it cost to make. Eventually the brand shifted its focus to sustainability and social responsibility, a strategy that invited harsh criticism, especially during the Covid era. Today, Everlane is a multi-million dollar business that has expanded to sweaters, denim, outerwear, and accessories.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.

Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4308 no Literally unearthing a climate solution with Cody Finke of Brimstone When it comes to carbon emissions, there’s a major culprit you might not have heard about: cement. The production of cement emits almost as much carbon dioxide as cars do - but Brimstone CEO and co-founder Cody Finke says they’ve found a way to change that. This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody explains where all that carbon dioxide is coming from, and how swapping out a key ingredient in the production of cement could take it from carbon-intensive … to carbon-negative. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from J.C. Howard. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Nov 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Literally unearthing a climate solution with Cody Finke of Brimstone full 571 Guy Raz | Vox Media When it comes to carbon emissions, there’s a major culprit you might not have heard about: cement. The production of cement emits almost as much carbon dioxide as cars do - but Brimstone CEO and co-founder Cody Finke says they’ve found a way to change that.This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody explains where all that carbon dioxide is coming from, and how swapping out a key ingredient in the production of cement could take it from carbon-intensive … to carbon-negative.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from J.C. Howard. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When it comes to carbon emissions, there’s a major culprit you might not have heard about: cement. The production of cement emits almost as much carbon dioxide as cars do - but Brimstone CEO and co-founder Cody Finke says they’ve found a way to change that. This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody explains where all that carbon dioxide is coming from, and how swapping out a key ingredient in the production of cement could take it from carbon-intensive … to carbon-negative. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from J.C. Howard. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When it comes to carbon emissions, there’s a major culprit you might not have heard about: cement. The production of cement emits almost as much carbon dioxide as cars do - but Brimstone CEO and co-founder Cody Finke says they’ve found a way to change that.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody explains where all that carbon dioxide is coming from, and how swapping out a key ingredient in the production of cement could take it from carbon-intensive … to carbon-negative.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. 

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from J.C. Howard. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. 

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1998 no Priority Bicycles: Dave Weiner Priority Bicycles founder Dave Weiner quit his job as a software CEO to pursue a risky idea: building a new kind of bike.&nbsp;In 2014, he started sourcing parts to make his first low-maintenance model, with a rust-proof aluminum frame and a carbon fiber belt drive instead of a chain.&nbsp;Dave was able to keep costs down by selling DTC, but had to scramble to meet demand when his first Kickstarter campaign yielded 1500 orders.&nbsp;From there, Priority pedaled forward steadily, adding new models, and partnering with hotels to provide low-maintenance bikes for guests.&nbsp;Today, after weathering the extreme whiplash of Covid and a debilitating bike accident, Dave is optimistic that Priority will keep growing, with 25 current models and sales of roughly 25,000 bikes a year. This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves . Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Priority Bicycles: Dave Weiner full 570 Guy Raz | Vox Media Priority Bicycles founder Dave Weiner quit his job as a software CEO to pursue a risky idea: building a new kind of bike. In 2014, he started sourcing parts to make his first low-maintenance model, with a rust-proof aluminum frame and a carbon fiber belt drive instead of a chain. Dave was able to keep costs down by selling DTC, but had to scramble to meet demand when his first Kickstarter campaign yielded 1500 orders. From there, Priority pedaled forward steadily, adding new models, and partnering with hotels to provide low-maintenance bikes for guests. Today, after weathering the extreme whiplash of Covid and a debilitating bike accident, Dave is optimistic that Priority will keep growing, with 25 current models and sales of roughly 25,000 bikes a year.This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves .Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Priority Bicycles founder Dave Weiner quit his job as a software CEO to pursue a risky idea: building a new kind of bike.&nbsp;In 2014, he started sourcing parts to make his first low-maintenance model, with a rust-proof aluminum frame and a carbon fiber belt drive instead of a chain.&nbsp;Dave was able to keep costs down by selling DTC, but had to scramble to meet demand when his first Kickstarter campaign yielded 1500 orders.&nbsp;From there, Priority pedaled forward steadily, adding new models, and partnering with hotels to provide low-maintenance bikes for guests.&nbsp;Today, after weathering the extreme whiplash of Covid and a debilitating bike accident, Dave is optimistic that Priority will keep growing, with 25 current models and sales of roughly 25,000 bikes a year. This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves . Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Priority Bicycles founder Dave Weiner quit his job as a software CEO to pursue a risky idea: building a new kind of bike. In 2014, he started sourcing parts to make his first low-maintenance model, with a rust-proof aluminum frame and a carbon fiber belt drive instead of a chain. Dave was able to keep costs down by selling DTC, but had to scramble to meet demand when his first Kickstarter campaign yielded 1500 orders. From there, Priority pedaled forward steadily, adding new models, and partnering with hotels to provide low-maintenance bikes for guests. Today, after weathering the extreme whiplash of Covid and a debilitating bike accident, Dave is optimistic that Priority will keep growing, with 25 current models and sales of roughly 25,000 bikes a year.

This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves .

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3957 no When a robot cooks your lunch with Steve Ells of Chipotle and Kernel Steve Ells changed the restaurant industry once when he founded Chipotle in 1993. His idea for fast, freshly prepared food became the model for today’s “fast casual” format. It’s a story he told when he was first on the show back in 2017. Now, he hopes to revolutionize the industry again with a new chain of small, highly automated, vegan restaurants called Kernel.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Ells returns to reflect on stepping away from the company he spent decades building and how his concern for climate change inspired his new restaurant concept. Plus, how he thinks that robotic restaurants could be good for workers, customers, owners and the environment.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Nov 2023 07:10:00 -0000 When a robot cooks your lunch with Steve Ells of Chipotle and Kernel full 569 Guy Raz | Vox Media Steve Ells changed the restaurant industry once when he founded Chipotle in 1993. His idea for fast, freshly prepared food became the model for today’s “fast casual” format. It’s a story he told when he was first on the show back in 2017. Now, he hopes to revolutionize the industry again with a new chain of small, highly automated, vegan restaurants called Kernel. This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Ells returns to reflect on stepping away from the company he spent decades building and how his concern for climate change inspired his new restaurant concept. Plus, how he thinks that robotic restaurants could be good for workers, customers, owners and the environment. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Steve Ells changed the restaurant industry once when he founded Chipotle in 1993. His idea for fast, freshly prepared food became the model for today’s “fast casual” format. It’s a story he told when he was first on the show back in 2017. Now, he hopes to revolutionize the industry again with a new chain of small, highly automated, vegan restaurants called Kernel.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Ells returns to reflect on stepping away from the company he spent decades building and how his concern for climate change inspired his new restaurant concept. Plus, how he thinks that robotic restaurants could be good for workers, customers, owners and the environment.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Steve Ells changed the restaurant industry once when he founded Chipotle in 1993. His idea for fast, freshly prepared food became the model for today’s “fast casual” format. It’s a story he told when he was first on the show back in 2017. Now, he hopes to revolutionize the industry again with a new chain of small, highly automated, vegan restaurants called Kernel. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Ells returns to reflect on stepping away from the company he spent decades building and how his concern for climate change inspired his new restaurant concept. Plus, how he thinks that robotic restaurants could be good for workers, customers, owners and the environment. 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2707 no Kona Ice: Tony Lamb Kona Ice founder Tony Lamb had a knack for sales since he was a teenager - a skill that served him well when he decided to sell Hawaiian-style shaved ice in Kentucky, where people had barely heard of it. After thirteen successful years as a vacuum cleaner salesman, Tony launched his first shaved ice truck in 2007. Fueled by a bad experience buying freezer-burned popsicles off a battered ice cream truck, he built a custom-made vehicle with a tropical vibe and a built-in “Flavorwave” that let customers dispense their own syrups. Two decades after surrendering his salesman’s suit for a Hawaiian shirt, Tony has grown Kona Ice into a sprawling franchise with 1500 trucks across North America. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Ko Takasugi-Czernowin and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Oct 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Kona Ice: Tony Lamb full 568 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kona Ice founder Tony Lamb had a knack for sales since he was a teenager - a skill that served him well when he decided to sell Hawaiian-style shaved ice in Kentucky, where people had barely heard of it. After thirteen successful years as a vacuum cleaner salesman, Tony launched his first shaved ice truck in 2007. Fueled by a bad experience buying freezer-burned popsicles off a battered ice cream truck, he built a custom-made vehicle with a tropical vibe and a built-in “Flavorwave” that let customers dispense their own syrups. Two decades after surrendering his salesman’s suit for a Hawaiian shirt, Tony has grown Kona Ice into a sprawling franchise with 1500 trucks across North America.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher.Our engineers were Ko Takasugi-Czernowin and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Kona Ice founder Tony Lamb had a knack for sales since he was a teenager - a skill that served him well when he decided to sell Hawaiian-style shaved ice in Kentucky, where people had barely heard of it. After thirteen successful years as a vacuum cleaner salesman, Tony launched his first shaved ice truck in 2007. Fueled by a bad experience buying freezer-burned popsicles off a battered ice cream truck, he built a custom-made vehicle with a tropical vibe and a built-in “Flavorwave” that let customers dispense their own syrups. Two decades after surrendering his salesman’s suit for a Hawaiian shirt, Tony has grown Kona Ice into a sprawling franchise with 1500 trucks across North America. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher. Our engineers were Ko Takasugi-Czernowin and Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Kona Ice founder Tony Lamb had a knack for sales since he was a teenager - a skill that served him well when he decided to sell Hawaiian-style shaved ice in Kentucky, where people had barely heard of it. After thirteen successful years as a vacuum cleaner salesman, Tony launched his first shaved ice truck in 2007. Fueled by a bad experience buying freezer-burned popsicles off a battered ice cream truck, he built a custom-made vehicle with a tropical vibe and a built-in “Flavorwave” that let customers dispense their own syrups. Two decades after surrendering his salesman’s suit for a Hawaiian shirt, Tony has grown Kona Ice into a sprawling franchise with 1500 trucks across North America.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher.

Our engineers were Ko Takasugi-Czernowin and Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4470 no The art of letting go with Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn of Dang Foods How does a brand live on after its founders leave the company – especially one that was inspired by their family and their culture? That’s the question Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn have had to answer since their original appearance on How I Built This in January 2022.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Vincent and Andrew share their aspirations for Dang Foods after a difficult and heartfelt departure. Plus, how they navigated changes in consumer demand post-pandemic and the resources that helped buoy their mental health in the face of consequential entrepreneurial decisions. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:10:00 -0000 The art of letting go with Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn of Dang Foods full 567 Guy Raz | Vox Media How does a brand live on after its founders leave the company – especially one that was inspired by their family and their culture? That’s the question Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn have had to answer since their original appearance on How I Built This in January 2022. This week on How I Built This Lab, Vincent and Andrew share their aspirations for Dang Foods after a difficult and heartfelt departure. Plus, how they navigated changes in consumer demand post-pandemic and the resources that helped buoy their mental health in the face of consequential entrepreneurial decisions.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. How does a brand live on after its founders leave the company – especially one that was inspired by their family and their culture? That’s the question Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn have had to answer since their original appearance on How I Built This in January 2022.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Vincent and Andrew share their aspirations for Dang Foods after a difficult and heartfelt departure. Plus, how they navigated changes in consumer demand post-pandemic and the resources that helped buoy their mental health in the face of consequential entrepreneurial decisions. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How does a brand live on after its founders leave the company – especially one that was inspired by their family and their culture? That’s the question Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn have had to answer since their original appearance on How I Built This in January 2022. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Vincent and Andrew share their aspirations for Dang Foods after a difficult and heartfelt departure. Plus, how they navigated changes in consumer demand post-pandemic and the resources that helped buoy their mental health in the face of consequential entrepreneurial decisions.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2647 no Etsy: Rob Kalin Rob Kalin founded Etsy for people like him: makers and hobbyists. In 2005, he was kicking around New York trying to find buyers for his hand-made furniture, when he noticed that other craftspeople had the same need. So he and a few friends built a website where makers could sell a wide range of goods. Rob named it after an Italian phrase he heard in a Fellini film, and within three years, Etsy passed $10 million in sales. But as a young founder, Rob struggled to manage the rapidly-growing company; and in 2011, after being fired without warning, he returned to a quieter life as a maker and small-businessman. Meanwhile, Etsy has become one of the most popular online marketplaces in the world, with $2.5 billion in revenue. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Sam Paulson. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luther. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at&nbsp;Canva&nbsp;– the home for every brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000 Etsy: Rob Kalin full 566 Guy Raz | Vox Media Rob Kalin founded Etsy for people like him: makers and hobbyists. In 2005, he was kicking around New York trying to find buyers for his hand-made furniture, when he noticed that other craftspeople had the same need. So he and a few friends built a website where makers could sell a wide range of goods. Rob named it after an Italian phrase he heard in a Fellini film, and within three years, Etsy passed $10 million in sales. But as a young founder, Rob struggled to manage the rapidly-growing company; and in 2011, after being fired without warning, he returned to a quieter life as a maker and small-businessman. Meanwhile, Etsy has become one of the most popular online marketplaces in the world, with $2.5 billion in revenue.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Sam Paulson.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luther.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand. Rob Kalin founded Etsy for people like him: makers and hobbyists. In 2005, he was kicking around New York trying to find buyers for his hand-made furniture, when he noticed that other craftspeople had the same need. So he and a few friends built a website where makers could sell a wide range of goods. Rob named it after an Italian phrase he heard in a Fellini film, and within three years, Etsy passed $10 million in sales. But as a young founder, Rob struggled to manage the rapidly-growing company; and in 2011, after being fired without warning, he returned to a quieter life as a maker and small-businessman. Meanwhile, Etsy has become one of the most popular online marketplaces in the world, with $2.5 billion in revenue. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Sam Paulson. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luther. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at&nbsp;Canva&nbsp;– the home for every brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Rob Kalin founded Etsy for people like him: makers and hobbyists. In 2005, he was kicking around New York trying to find buyers for his hand-made furniture, when he noticed that other craftspeople had the same need. So he and a few friends built a website where makers could sell a wide range of goods. Rob named it after an Italian phrase he heard in a Fellini film, and within three years, Etsy passed $10 million in sales. But as a young founder, Rob struggled to manage the rapidly-growing company; and in 2011, after being fired without warning, he returned to a quieter life as a maker and small-businessman. Meanwhile, Etsy has become one of the most popular online marketplaces in the world, with $2.5 billion in revenue.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Sam Paulson.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luther.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4749 no Love’s next chapter with Whitney Wolfe Herd of Bumble The past few years have challenged Whitney Wolfe Herd like never before. The Bumble CEO kept the company afloat as the pandemic halted in-person meetups, then became the youngest female founder ever to take a company public...all while in the throes of first-time motherhood!&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Whitney offers perspective on leading and learning in extraordinary times. Plus, how social media may be fueling a loneliness epidemic and Whitney’s current obsession: harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in the name of love.&nbsp; And check out Bumble’s origin story told in October 2017. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Love’s next chapter with Whitney Wolfe Herd of Bumble full 565 Guy Raz | Vox Media The past few years have challenged Whitney Wolfe Herd like never before. The Bumble CEO kept the company afloat as the pandemic halted in-person meetups, then became the youngest female founder ever to take a company public...all while in the throes of first-time motherhood! This week on How I Built This Lab, Whitney offers perspective on leading and learning in extraordinary times. Plus, how social media may be fueling a loneliness epidemic and Whitney’s current obsession: harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in the name of love. And check out Bumble’s origin story told in October 2017.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. The past few years have challenged Whitney Wolfe Herd like never before. The Bumble CEO kept the company afloat as the pandemic halted in-person meetups, then became the youngest female founder ever to take a company public...all while in the throes of first-time motherhood!&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Whitney offers perspective on leading and learning in extraordinary times. Plus, how social media may be fueling a loneliness epidemic and Whitney’s current obsession: harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in the name of love.&nbsp; And check out Bumble’s origin story told in October 2017. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The past few years have challenged Whitney Wolfe Herd like never before. The Bumble CEO kept the company afloat as the pandemic halted in-person meetups, then became the youngest female founder ever to take a company public...all while in the throes of first-time motherhood! 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Whitney offers perspective on leading and learning in extraordinary times. Plus, how social media may be fueling a loneliness epidemic and Whitney’s current obsession: harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in the name of love. 

And check out Bumble’s origin story told in October 2017.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2990 no Sir Kensington's: Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan were only college students when they created Sir Kensington’s, a&nbsp;$140-million-dollar condiment brand – with a backstory that’s completely made up. These days, it seems like every brand – every start-up – is trying to tell a story about its authentic and humble beginnings. Scott and Mark went in the opposite direction when they had the idea to create a gourmet ketchup in 2008. They wanted to take on a juggernaut: Heinz. So, to stand out, they told a story about their ketchup that differentiated it from Heinz in every way. Sir Kensington was a fictional luminary of imperial Britain who invented his eponymous ketchup one night while dining with Catherine the Great. And the true story of how Scott and Mark grew&nbsp;and then sold the company to Unilever – it’s a real yarn in its own right. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Andrea Bruce. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Sir Kensington's: Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan full 564 Guy Raz | Vox Media Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan were only college students when they created Sir Kensington’s, a $140-million-dollar condiment brand – with a backstory that’s completely made up.These days, it seems like every brand – every start-up – is trying to tell a story about its authentic and humble beginnings. Scott and Mark went in the opposite direction when they had the idea to create a gourmet ketchup in 2008. They wanted to take on a juggernaut: Heinz. So, to stand out, they told a story about their ketchup that differentiated it from Heinz in every way. Sir Kensington was a fictional luminary of imperial Britain who invented his eponymous ketchup one night while dining with Catherine the Great. And the true story of how Scott and Mark grew and then sold the company to Unilever – it’s a real yarn in its own right.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Andrea Bruce.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan were only college students when they created Sir Kensington’s, a&nbsp;$140-million-dollar condiment brand – with a backstory that’s completely made up. These days, it seems like every brand – every start-up – is trying to tell a story about its authentic and humble beginnings. Scott and Mark went in the opposite direction when they had the idea to create a gourmet ketchup in 2008. They wanted to take on a juggernaut: Heinz. So, to stand out, they told a story about their ketchup that differentiated it from Heinz in every way. Sir Kensington was a fictional luminary of imperial Britain who invented his eponymous ketchup one night while dining with Catherine the Great. And the true story of how Scott and Mark grew&nbsp;and then sold the company to Unilever – it’s a real yarn in its own right. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Andrea Bruce. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan were only college students when they created Sir Kensington’s, a $140-million-dollar condiment brand – with a backstory that’s completely made up.

These days, it seems like every brand – every start-up – is trying to tell a story about its authentic and humble beginnings. Scott and Mark went in the opposite direction when they had the idea to create a gourmet ketchup in 2008. They wanted to take on a juggernaut: Heinz. So, to stand out, they told a story about their ketchup that differentiated it from Heinz in every way. Sir Kensington was a fictional luminary of imperial Britain who invented his eponymous ketchup one night while dining with Catherine the Great. And the true story of how Scott and Mark grew and then sold the company to Unilever – it’s a real yarn in its own right.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Andrea Bruce.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5612 no Leading through radical change with Julia Hartz of Eventbrite Back as the show’s first-ever ‘three-peat’ guest is Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite. The events industry has been transformed by the past three years, giving Julia the opportunity to evolve Eventbrite to better serve its key customers — event creators.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Julia goes back in time to review how she kept a ticketing service afloat when no one was buying tickets. Plus, thoughts on effective leadership from a public company CEO, and Julia’s tips for designing meetings that your colleagues actually want to go to.&nbsp; Be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s origin story told in February 2020, and Julia’s Resilience series dispatch from July 2020. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Leading through radical change with Julia Hartz of Eventbrite full 563 Guy Raz | Vox Media Back as the show’s first-ever ‘three-peat’ guest is Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite. The events industry has been transformed by the past three years, giving Julia the opportunity to evolve Eventbrite to better serve its key customers — event creators. This week on How I Built This Lab, Julia goes back in time to review how she kept a ticketing service afloat when no one was buying tickets. Plus, thoughts on effective leadership from a public company CEO, and Julia’s tips for designing meetings that your colleagues actually want to go to. Be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s origin story told in February 2020, and Julia’s Resilience series dispatch from July 2020.This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on X &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Back as the show’s first-ever ‘three-peat’ guest is Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite. The events industry has been transformed by the past three years, giving Julia the opportunity to evolve Eventbrite to better serve its key customers — event creators.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Julia goes back in time to review how she kept a ticketing service afloat when no one was buying tickets. Plus, thoughts on effective leadership from a public company CEO, and Julia’s tips for designing meetings that your colleagues actually want to go to.&nbsp; Be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s origin story told in February 2020, and Julia’s Resilience series dispatch from July 2020. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research by Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Back as the show’s first-ever ‘three-peat’ guest is Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite. The events industry has been transformed by the past three years, giving Julia the opportunity to evolve Eventbrite to better serve its key customers — event creators. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Julia goes back in time to review how she kept a ticketing service afloat when no one was buying tickets. Plus, thoughts on effective leadership from a public company CEO, and Julia’s tips for designing meetings that your colleagues actually want to go to. 

Be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s origin story told in February 2020, and Julia’s Resilience series dispatch from July 2020.


This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research by Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3137 no Herschel Supply Co.: Jamie and Lyndon Cormack Brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack founded Herschel Supply Co to sell modern bags with a timeless feel. While working in the sports and apparel industry, they realized they couldn’t find backpacks and totes with the same stylish but simplified vibe as their favorite sneakers and shirts. With no background in manufacturing, they learned to make bags partly by ripping old ones apart. Then they Googled their way to finding a factory and scrambled to catch up as orders started to roll in.&nbsp;&nbsp; Since launching in 2009, Jamie and Lyndon have grown Herschel Supply Co. from a handful of samples at a trade show in New York, to a global travel goods brand whose backpacks, luggage, and clothing are sold in more than 9,000 locations. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Herschel Supply Co.: Jamie and Lyndon Cormack full 562 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack founded Herschel Supply Co to sell modern bags with a timeless feel. While working in the sports and apparel industry, they realized they couldn’t find backpacks and totes with the same stylish but simplified vibe as their favorite sneakers and shirts. With no background in manufacturing, they learned to make bags partly by ripping old ones apart. Then they Googled their way to finding a factory and scrambled to catch up as orders started to roll in.  Since launching in 2009, Jamie and Lyndon have grown Herschel Supply Co. from a handful of samples at a trade show in New York, to a global travel goods brand whose backpacks, luggage, and clothing are sold in more than 9,000 locations.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack founded Herschel Supply Co to sell modern bags with a timeless feel. While working in the sports and apparel industry, they realized they couldn’t find backpacks and totes with the same stylish but simplified vibe as their favorite sneakers and shirts. With no background in manufacturing, they learned to make bags partly by ripping old ones apart. Then they Googled their way to finding a factory and scrambled to catch up as orders started to roll in.&nbsp;&nbsp; Since launching in 2009, Jamie and Lyndon have grown Herschel Supply Co. from a handful of samples at a trade show in New York, to a global travel goods brand whose backpacks, luggage, and clothing are sold in more than 9,000 locations. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack founded Herschel Supply Co to sell modern bags with a timeless feel. While working in the sports and apparel industry, they realized they couldn’t find backpacks and totes with the same stylish but simplified vibe as their favorite sneakers and shirts. With no background in manufacturing, they learned to make bags partly by ripping old ones apart. Then they Googled their way to finding a factory and scrambled to catch up as orders started to roll in.  

Since launching in 2009, Jamie and Lyndon have grown Herschel Supply Co. from a handful of samples at a trade show in New York, to a global travel goods brand whose backpacks, luggage, and clothing are sold in more than 9,000 locations.

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3677 no Unlocking the renewable energy revolution with Ramya Swaminathan of Malta Inc. Ramya Swaminathan is the CEO of Malta Inc, a company that spun out of Google’s moonshot factory in 2018 to work on an energy storage solution using the existing power grid.&nbsp;One thing holding the world back from a transition to clean energy: electricity generated from sources like the sun and wind has to be used right away or it disappears…but one possible answer might be—salt. This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramya recounts how she got into the renewable energy industry with two previous companies focused on hydropower. She also explains how molten salt and coolant might be better than batteries as a low-cost, long-duration and job-preserving energy storage solution. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Unlocking the renewable energy revolution with Ramya Swaminathan of Malta Inc. full 561 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ramya Swaminathan is the CEO of Malta Inc, a company that spun out of Google’s moonshot factory in 2018 to work on an energy storage solution using the existing power grid. One thing holding the world back from a transition to clean energy: electricity generated from sources like the sun and wind has to be used right away or it disappears…but one possible answer might be—salt.This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramya recounts how she got into the renewable energy industry with two previous companies focused on hydropower. She also explains how molten salt and coolant might be better than batteries as a low-cost, long-duration and job-preserving energy storage solution.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Ramya Swaminathan is the CEO of Malta Inc, a company that spun out of Google’s moonshot factory in 2018 to work on an energy storage solution using the existing power grid.&nbsp;One thing holding the world back from a transition to clean energy: electricity generated from sources like the sun and wind has to be used right away or it disappears…but one possible answer might be—salt. This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramya recounts how she got into the renewable energy industry with two previous companies focused on hydropower. She also explains how molten salt and coolant might be better than batteries as a low-cost, long-duration and job-preserving energy storage solution. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei.&nbsp; It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Ramya Swaminathan is the CEO of Malta Inc, a company that spun out of Google’s moonshot factory in 2018 to work on an energy storage solution using the existing power grid. One thing holding the world back from a transition to clean energy: electricity generated from sources like the sun and wind has to be used right away or it disappears…but one possible answer might be—salt.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramya recounts how she got into the renewable energy industry with two previous companies focused on hydropower. She also explains how molten salt and coolant might be better than batteries as a low-cost, long-duration and job-preserving energy storage solution.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. 

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. 


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2143 no Freshpet: Scott Morris Freshpet co-founder Scott Morris helped transform pet food by sidestepping traditional kibble and cans, and making slice-and-serve meals that almost looked palatable enough for humans. When Scott and his partners launched the business in 2006, the concept of fresh pet food was so novel that retailers balked at installing special refrigerators for it. So Freshpet provided its own refrigerators, a logistical nightmare that nearly ground the business to a halt. More than 30,000 refrigerators later, Freshpet has a 96% share of the fresh pet food sector, with a customer base of 10 million dog and cat households. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Freshpet: Scott Morris full 560 Guy Raz | Vox Media Freshpet co-founder Scott Morris helped transform pet food by sidestepping traditional kibble and cans, and making slice-and-serve meals that almost looked palatable enough for humans. When Scott and his partners launched the business in 2006, the concept of fresh pet food was so novel that retailers balked at installing special refrigerators for it. So Freshpet provided its own refrigerators, a logistical nightmare that nearly ground the business to a halt. More than 30,000 refrigerators later, Freshpet has a 96% share of the fresh pet food sector, with a customer base of 10 million dog and cat households.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Freshpet co-founder Scott Morris helped transform pet food by sidestepping traditional kibble and cans, and making slice-and-serve meals that almost looked palatable enough for humans. When Scott and his partners launched the business in 2006, the concept of fresh pet food was so novel that retailers balked at installing special refrigerators for it. So Freshpet provided its own refrigerators, a logistical nightmare that nearly ground the business to a halt. More than 30,000 refrigerators later, Freshpet has a 96% share of the fresh pet food sector, with a customer base of 10 million dog and cat households. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Freshpet co-founder Scott Morris helped transform pet food by sidestepping traditional kibble and cans, and making slice-and-serve meals that almost looked palatable enough for humans. When Scott and his partners launched the business in 2006, the concept of fresh pet food was so novel that retailers balked at installing special refrigerators for it. So Freshpet provided its own refrigerators, a logistical nightmare that nearly ground the business to a halt. More than 30,000 refrigerators later, Freshpet has a 96% share of the fresh pet food sector, with a customer base of 10 million dog and cat households.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4182 no A biometric smart gun with Kai Kloepfer of Biofire Biofire founder and CEO Kai Kloepfer believes there’s at least one way to decrease gun deaths in America. Early next year, his company will begin shipping the world’s first handgun with an electronic firing system that unlocks instantaneously upon fingerprint or facial verification. This week on How I Built This Lab, how Kai spent the past decade designing a firearm intended to prevent unauthorized use, particularly by children and adolescents. Plus, why past efforts to bring a smart gun to market have failed and an assessment of the changing U.S. gun market. This episode was produced by Casey Herman and edited by John Isabella, with research by Alex Cheng. Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Sep 2023 07:10:00 -0000 A biometric smart gun with Kai Kloepfer of Biofire full 559 Guy Raz | Vox Media Biofire founder and CEO Kai Kloepfer believes there’s at least one way to decrease gun deaths in America. Early next year, his company will begin shipping the world’s first handgun with an electronic firing system that unlocks instantaneously upon fingerprint or facial verification.This week on How I Built This Lab, how Kai spent the past decade designing a firearm intended to prevent unauthorized use, particularly by children and adolescents. Plus, why past efforts to bring a smart gun to market have failed and an assessment of the changing U.S. gun market.This episode was produced by Casey Herman and edited by John Isabella, with research by Alex Cheng.Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Biofire founder and CEO Kai Kloepfer believes there’s at least one way to decrease gun deaths in America. Early next year, his company will begin shipping the world’s first handgun with an electronic firing system that unlocks instantaneously upon fingerprint or facial verification. This week on How I Built This Lab, how Kai spent the past decade designing a firearm intended to prevent unauthorized use, particularly by children and adolescents. Plus, why past efforts to bring a smart gun to market have failed and an assessment of the changing U.S. gun market. This episode was produced by Casey Herman and edited by John Isabella, with research by Alex Cheng. Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Biofire founder and CEO Kai Kloepfer believes there’s at least one way to decrease gun deaths in America. Early next year, his company will begin shipping the world’s first handgun with an electronic firing system that unlocks instantaneously upon fingerprint or facial verification.

This week on How I Built This Lab, how Kai spent the past decade designing a firearm intended to prevent unauthorized use, particularly by children and adolescents. Plus, why past efforts to bring a smart gun to market have failed and an assessment of the changing U.S. gun market.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman and edited by John Isabella, with research by Alex Cheng.

Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2358 no Vuori: Joe Kudla Vuori founder Joe Kudla built a 4-billion-dollar company on a risky idea: that men actually cared about the clothes they worked out in. When Joe launched Vuori in 2015, women’s athleisure brands like Lululemon were exploding, but there wasn’t a similar brand that catered to men. So Joe set out to sell men’s workout clothes that didn’t scream “hey, these are workout clothes!” and tried to place them into yoga studios and other small stores. At first Vuori didn’t get much traction – so Joe made a quick pivot to DTC, soon learning that men were more likely to buy activewear if it worked for everything: yoga, running, hiking, or just hanging out. After risking its dwindling cash on a major marketing campaign, Vuori hit its stride, becoming profitable within two years after launch. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Sep 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Vuori: Joe Kudla full 558 Guy Raz | Vox Media Vuori founder Joe Kudla built a 4-billion-dollar company on a risky idea: that men actually cared about the clothes they worked out in. When Joe launched Vuori in 2015, women’s athleisure brands like Lululemon were exploding, but there wasn’t a similar brand that catered to men. So Joe set out to sell men’s workout clothes that didn’t scream “hey, these are workout clothes!” and tried to place them into yoga studios and other small stores. At first Vuori didn’t get much traction – so Joe made a quick pivot to DTC, soon learning that men were more likely to buy activewear if it worked for everything: yoga, running, hiking, or just hanging out. After risking its dwindling cash on a major marketing campaign, Vuori hit its stride, becoming profitable within two years after launch.This episode was produced by Rommel Wood, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Vuori founder Joe Kudla built a 4-billion-dollar company on a risky idea: that men actually cared about the clothes they worked out in. When Joe launched Vuori in 2015, women’s athleisure brands like Lululemon were exploding, but there wasn’t a similar brand that catered to men. So Joe set out to sell men’s workout clothes that didn’t scream “hey, these are workout clothes!” and tried to place them into yoga studios and other small stores. At first Vuori didn’t get much traction – so Joe made a quick pivot to DTC, soon learning that men were more likely to buy activewear if it worked for everything: yoga, running, hiking, or just hanging out. After risking its dwindling cash on a major marketing campaign, Vuori hit its stride, becoming profitable within two years after launch. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Vuori founder Joe Kudla built a 4-billion-dollar company on a risky idea: that men actually cared about the clothes they worked out in. When Joe launched Vuori in 2015, women’s athleisure brands like Lululemon were exploding, but there wasn’t a similar brand that catered to men. So Joe set out to sell men’s workout clothes that didn’t scream “hey, these are workout clothes!” and tried to place them into yoga studios and other small stores. At first Vuori didn’t get much traction – so Joe made a quick pivot to DTC, soon learning that men were more likely to buy activewear if it worked for everything: yoga, running, hiking, or just hanging out. After risking its dwindling cash on a major marketing campaign, Vuori hit its stride, becoming profitable within two years after launch.


This episode was produced by Rommel Wood, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.

Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4036 no When your dinner is printed with Eshchar Ben-Shitrit of Redefine Meat Redefine Meat co-founder and CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit long had aspirations to lead a company, though he never imagined taking the risk to start his own. But learning about the environmental harms of mass beef production, plus having to answer his kids’ questions about what happens to baby cows at certain farms, was enough to convince him to say goodbye to corporate life and join the plant-based revolution. This week on How I Built This Lab, Eshchar recounts his path from product manager to marketing executive to Redefine Meat — the company he launched in 2018 to commercialize 3D-printed, plant-based steaks. Today the company’s printed beef, lamb and pig alternatives can be found across Israel and Europe, with imminent plans to enter the U.S. market. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with research by Chris Maccini. Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Sep 2023 07:10:00 -0000 When your dinner is printed with Eshchar Ben-Shitrit of Redefine Meat full 557 Guy Raz | Vox Media Redefine Meat co-founder and CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit long had aspirations to lead a company, though he never imagined taking the risk to start his own. But learning about the environmental harms of mass beef production, plus having to answer his kids’ questions about what happens to baby cows at certain farms, was enough to convince him to say goodbye to corporate life and join the plant-based revolution.This week on How I Built This Lab, Eshchar recounts his path from product manager to marketing executive to Redefine Meat — the company he launched in 2018 to commercialize 3D-printed, plant-based steaks. Today the company’s printed beef, lamb and pig alternatives can be found across Israel and Europe, with imminent plans to enter the U.S. market.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with research by Chris Maccini.Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Redefine Meat co-founder and CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit long had aspirations to lead a company, though he never imagined taking the risk to start his own. But learning about the environmental harms of mass beef production, plus having to answer his kids’ questions about what happens to baby cows at certain farms, was enough to convince him to say goodbye to corporate life and join the plant-based revolution. This week on How I Built This Lab, Eshchar recounts his path from product manager to marketing executive to Redefine Meat — the company he launched in 2018 to commercialize 3D-printed, plant-based steaks. Today the company’s printed beef, lamb and pig alternatives can be found across Israel and Europe, with imminent plans to enter the U.S. market. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with research by Chris Maccini. Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Redefine Meat co-founder and CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit long had aspirations to lead a company, though he never imagined taking the risk to start his own. But learning about the environmental harms of mass beef production, plus having to answer his kids’ questions about what happens to baby cows at certain farms, was enough to convince him to say goodbye to corporate life and join the plant-based revolution.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Eshchar recounts his path from product manager to marketing executive to Redefine Meat — the company he launched in 2018 to commercialize 3D-printed, plant-based steaks. Today the company’s printed beef, lamb and pig alternatives can be found across Israel and Europe, with imminent plans to enter the U.S. market.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with research by Chris Maccini.

Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2295 no Yasso: Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington are childhood friends, and co-founders of Yasso; they defied the advice of experts by creating a recipe for frozen Greek yogurt treats, and building Yasso into a $200 million dollar brand. When Amanda got the idea in 2009 to freeze Greek yogurt into popsicles, she reached out to Drew, who had already started a business selling—and there’s no way you could guess this—inflatable beer pong tables. The two friends set out to make a high protein, low-calorie yogurt bar, and despite initial bad reviews from family, and a series of “No’s” from prospective manufacturers, they eventually landed Yasso onto the shelves of Costco and BJ’s. It wasn’t long before they faced competition from the top players in the freezer aisle, but Yasso continued to grow, and was recently acquired by one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world. &nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Sep 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Yasso: Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington full 556 Guy Raz | Vox Media Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington are childhood friends, and co-founders of Yasso; they defied the advice of experts by creating a recipe for frozen Greek yogurt treats, and building Yasso into a $200 million dollar brand. When Amanda got the idea in 2009 to freeze Greek yogurt into popsicles, she reached out to Drew, who had already started a business selling—and there’s no way you could guess this—inflatable beer pong tables. The two friends set out to make a high protein, low-calorie yogurt bar, and despite initial bad reviews from family, and a series of “No’s” from prospective manufacturers, they eventually landed Yasso onto the shelves of Costco and BJ’s. It wasn’t long before they faced competition from the top players in the freezer aisle, but Yasso continued to grow, and was recently acquired by one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world.   This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington are childhood friends, and co-founders of Yasso; they defied the advice of experts by creating a recipe for frozen Greek yogurt treats, and building Yasso into a $200 million dollar brand. When Amanda got the idea in 2009 to freeze Greek yogurt into popsicles, she reached out to Drew, who had already started a business selling—and there’s no way you could guess this—inflatable beer pong tables. The two friends set out to make a high protein, low-calorie yogurt bar, and despite initial bad reviews from family, and a series of “No’s” from prospective manufacturers, they eventually landed Yasso onto the shelves of Costco and BJ’s. It wasn’t long before they faced competition from the top players in the freezer aisle, but Yasso continued to grow, and was recently acquired by one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world. &nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Amanda Klane and Drew Harrington are childhood friends, and co-founders of Yasso; they defied the advice of experts by creating a recipe for frozen Greek yogurt treats, and building Yasso into a $200 million dollar brand. When Amanda got the idea in 2009 to freeze Greek yogurt into popsicles, she reached out to Drew, who had already started a business selling—and there’s no way you could guess this—inflatable beer pong tables. The two friends set out to make a high protein, low-calorie yogurt bar, and despite initial bad reviews from family, and a series of “No’s” from prospective manufacturers, they eventually landed Yasso onto the shelves of Costco and BJ’s. It wasn’t long before they faced competition from the top players in the freezer aisle, but Yasso continued to grow, and was recently acquired by one of the biggest consumer goods companies in the world.  


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4280 no A climate-resilient ancient grain with Pierre Thiam of Yolélé (2022) Pierre Thiam is a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to fonio, an ancient West African grain built for climate change. But it hasn't been all sunshine and good harvests for Pierre. In fact, he was robbed just days after he first arrived in New York City from Senegal. It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course. This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work circulating fonio, a nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:10:00 -0000 A climate-resilient ancient grain with Pierre Thiam of Yolélé (2022) full 555 Guy Raz | Vox Media Pierre Thiam is a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to fonio, an ancient West African grain built for climate change.But it hasn't been all sunshine and good harvests for Pierre. In fact, he was robbed just days after he first arrived in New York City from Senegal.It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course.This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work circulating fonio, a nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Pierre Thiam is a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to fonio, an ancient West African grain built for climate change. But it hasn't been all sunshine and good harvests for Pierre. In fact, he was robbed just days after he first arrived in New York City from Senegal. It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course. This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work circulating fonio, a nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Pierre Thiam is a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to fonio, an ancient West African grain built for climate change.

But it hasn't been all sunshine and good harvests for Pierre. In fact, he was robbed just days after he first arrived in New York City from Senegal.

It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work circulating fonio, a nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems.


This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2692 no ARRAY: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay (2021) By her early thirties, Ava DuVernay was already a successful entrepreneur, having founded her own film publicity agency in Los Angeles. But after years of watching other people make films, she started to get an itch to tell her own stories onscreen. Ava's first films were rooted in deeply personal experiences: growing up with her sisters in Compton, performing Hip Hop at Open Mic Night at the Good Life Café in L.A. Her self-funded and self-distributed projects began to draw attention, and in 2012, Ava won the award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct powerful projects like Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them. This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Liz Metzger. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Sep 2023 07:10:00 -0000 ARRAY: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay (2021) full 554 Guy Raz | Vox Media By her early thirties, Ava DuVernay was already a successful entrepreneur, having founded her own film publicity agency in Los Angeles. But after years of watching other people make films, she started to get an itch to tell her own stories onscreen. Ava's first films were rooted in deeply personal experiences: growing up with her sisters in Compton, performing Hip Hop at Open Mic Night at the Good Life Café in L.A. Her self-funded and self-distributed projects began to draw attention, and in 2012, Ava won the award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct powerful projects like Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them.This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Liz Metzger.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. By her early thirties, Ava DuVernay was already a successful entrepreneur, having founded her own film publicity agency in Los Angeles. But after years of watching other people make films, she started to get an itch to tell her own stories onscreen. Ava's first films were rooted in deeply personal experiences: growing up with her sisters in Compton, performing Hip Hop at Open Mic Night at the Good Life Café in L.A. Her self-funded and self-distributed projects began to draw attention, and in 2012, Ava won the award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct powerful projects like Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them. This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Liz Metzger. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices By her early thirties, Ava DuVernay was already a successful entrepreneur, having founded her own film publicity agency in Los Angeles. But after years of watching other people make films, she started to get an itch to tell her own stories onscreen. Ava's first films were rooted in deeply personal experiences: growing up with her sisters in Compton, performing Hip Hop at Open Mic Night at the Good Life Café in L.A. Her self-funded and self-distributed projects began to draw attention, and in 2012, Ava won the award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct powerful projects like Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them.


This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Liz Metzger.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5613 no Reclaiming food waste with Jasmine Crowe-Houston of Goodr (2022) Millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat — a startling fact considering 40% of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. And a lot of that food… from restaurants, supermarkets, office buildings and more… is perfectly safe to eat. What’s worse is that this discarded food waste produces harmful methane emissions that contribute to global climate change. Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an entrepreneur who became obsessed with these problems. In 2017, she founded Goodr, which works with businesses to take unused food and deliver it to those who need it. Instead of paying waste management companies to throw surplus food into landfills, businesses can work with Goodr to deliver that food to local nonprofits that get it to people in need.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Jasmine talks with Guy about solving the logistical challenge of delivering surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity. Plus, the two discuss Jasmine’s decision to launch Goodr as a for-profit organization, and the growing corporate focus on sustainability that’s led to Goodr’s rapid growth. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 Sep 2023 04:10:00 -0000 Reclaiming food waste with Jasmine Crowe-Houston of Goodr (2022) full 553 Guy Raz | Vox Media Millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat — a startling fact considering 40% of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. And a lot of that food… from restaurants, supermarkets, office buildings and more… is perfectly safe to eat. What’s worse is that this discarded food waste produces harmful methane emissions that contribute to global climate change.Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an entrepreneur who became obsessed with these problems. In 2017, she founded Goodr, which works with businesses to take unused food and deliver it to those who need it. Instead of paying waste management companies to throw surplus food into landfills, businesses can work with Goodr to deliver that food to local nonprofits that get it to people in need. This week on How I Built This Lab, Jasmine talks with Guy about solving the logistical challenge of delivering surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity. Plus, the two discuss Jasmine’s decision to launch Goodr as a for-profit organization, and the growing corporate focus on sustainability that’s led to Goodr’s rapid growth.This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat — a startling fact considering 40% of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. And a lot of that food… from restaurants, supermarkets, office buildings and more… is perfectly safe to eat. What’s worse is that this discarded food waste produces harmful methane emissions that contribute to global climate change. Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an entrepreneur who became obsessed with these problems. In 2017, she founded Goodr, which works with businesses to take unused food and deliver it to those who need it. Instead of paying waste management companies to throw surplus food into landfills, businesses can work with Goodr to deliver that food to local nonprofits that get it to people in need.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Jasmine talks with Guy about solving the logistical challenge of delivering surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity. Plus, the two discuss Jasmine’s decision to launch Goodr as a for-profit organization, and the growing corporate focus on sustainability that’s led to Goodr’s rapid growth. This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat — a startling fact considering 40% of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. And a lot of that food… from restaurants, supermarkets, office buildings and more… is perfectly safe to eat. What’s worse is that this discarded food waste produces harmful methane emissions that contribute to global climate change.

Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an entrepreneur who became obsessed with these problems. In 2017, she founded Goodr, which works with businesses to take unused food and deliver it to those who need it. Instead of paying waste management companies to throw surplus food into landfills, businesses can work with Goodr to deliver that food to local nonprofits that get it to people in need. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Jasmine talks with Guy about solving the logistical challenge of delivering surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity. Plus, the two discuss Jasmine’s decision to launch Goodr as a for-profit organization, and the growing corporate focus on sustainability that’s led to Goodr’s rapid growth.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2983 no Jack Black Skin Care: Curran and Jeff Dandurand In 1998, Curran Dandurand and a colleague from Mary Kay Cosmetics came up with an unorthodox idea: a premium skincare brand for men. Despite the prevailing wisdom that&nbsp;American men would never want to moisturize and exfoliate - and a total lack of interest from investors - Curran and Emily Dalton forged ahead, with the help of Curran’s husband Jeff. Their brand, Jack Black, launched in 2000, and eventually landed in major department stores, with some unexpected boosts from the Dallas Cowboys and Matthew McConaughey. The brand became a leader in men’s skincare, and eventually sold to Edgewell Personal Care for just under $100 million. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Jack Black Skin Care: Curran and Jeff Dandurand full 552 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1998, Curran Dandurand and a colleague from Mary Kay Cosmetics came up with an unorthodox idea: a premium skincare brand for men. Despite the prevailing wisdom that American men would never want to moisturize and exfoliate - and a total lack of interest from investors - Curran and Emily Dalton forged ahead, with the help of Curran’s husband Jeff. Their brand, Jack Black, launched in 2000, and eventually landed in major department stores, with some unexpected boosts from the Dallas Cowboys and Matthew McConaughey. The brand became a leader in men’s skincare, and eventually sold to Edgewell Personal Care for just under $100 million.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 1998, Curran Dandurand and a colleague from Mary Kay Cosmetics came up with an unorthodox idea: a premium skincare brand for men. Despite the prevailing wisdom that&nbsp;American men would never want to moisturize and exfoliate - and a total lack of interest from investors - Curran and Emily Dalton forged ahead, with the help of Curran’s husband Jeff. Their brand, Jack Black, launched in 2000, and eventually landed in major department stores, with some unexpected boosts from the Dallas Cowboys and Matthew McConaughey. The brand became a leader in men’s skincare, and eventually sold to Edgewell Personal Care for just under $100 million. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 1998, Curran Dandurand and a colleague from Mary Kay Cosmetics came up with an unorthodox idea: a premium skincare brand for men. Despite the prevailing wisdom that American men would never want to moisturize and exfoliate - and a total lack of interest from investors - Curran and Emily Dalton forged ahead, with the help of Curran’s husband Jeff. Their brand, Jack Black, launched in 2000, and eventually landed in major department stores, with some unexpected boosts from the Dallas Cowboys and Matthew McConaughey. The brand became a leader in men’s skincare, and eventually sold to Edgewell Personal Care for just under $100 million.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3888 no Threading the future of circular fashion with Peter Majeranowski of Circ Over one hundred billion garments will be produced this year, but they don’t have to be.&nbsp; Peter Majeranowski says we have all the clothes we need to make all the clothing we’ll ever need, and his company, Circ, has pioneered the technology to prove it.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Peter shares how trying to create fuel from tobacco unintentionally led to the creation of a different material — pulp that could go back to the beginning of the supply chain and close the loop on fast fashion. Plus, the future of sustainability in the industry and the impact brands can have on the environment simply by changing their fabric sources.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with research help from J.C. Howard.&nbsp; Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Threading the future of circular fashion with Peter Majeranowski of Circ full 551 Guy Raz | Vox Media Over one hundred billion garments will be produced this year, but they don’t have to be. Peter Majeranowski says we have all the clothes we need to make all the clothing we’ll ever need, and his company, Circ, has pioneered the technology to prove it. This week on How I Built This Lab, Peter shares how trying to create fuel from tobacco unintentionally led to the creation of a different material — pulp that could go back to the beginning of the supply chain and close the loop on fast fashion. Plus, the future of sustainability in the industry and the impact brands can have on the environment simply by changing their fabric sources. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with research help from J.C. Howard. Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Over one hundred billion garments will be produced this year, but they don’t have to be.&nbsp; Peter Majeranowski says we have all the clothes we need to make all the clothing we’ll ever need, and his company, Circ, has pioneered the technology to prove it.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Peter shares how trying to create fuel from tobacco unintentionally led to the creation of a different material — pulp that could go back to the beginning of the supply chain and close the loop on fast fashion. Plus, the future of sustainability in the industry and the impact brands can have on the environment simply by changing their fabric sources.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with research help from J.C. Howard.&nbsp; Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Over one hundred billion garments will be produced this year, but they don’t have to be. 

Peter Majeranowski says we have all the clothes we need to make all the clothing we’ll ever need, and his company, Circ, has pioneered the technology to prove it. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Peter shares how trying to create fuel from tobacco unintentionally led to the creation of a different material — pulp that could go back to the beginning of the supply chain and close the loop on fast fashion. Plus, the future of sustainability in the industry and the impact brands can have on the environment simply by changing their fabric sources. 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with research help from J.C. Howard. 

Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2010 no Air Lease Corporation: Steven Udvar-Hazy Before Steven Udvar-Hazy was out of high school, he started working as an airline consultant. You could do that sort of thing back in the 1960’s, if you knew the industry—which indisputably, he did. Born in Communist Hungary, Steven was obsessed with aviation at an early age, memorizing plane serial numbers and schedules for fun.&nbsp; In his early 20’s he started his own small airline in California.&nbsp; But he quickly learned the big money was in aircraft leasing, so at the dawn of the jet age, he started his own leasing company. Today he runs Air Lease Corporation, which has made him a billionaire, and given him the resources to finance the dazzling extension to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Virginia - named of course, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Air Lease Corporation: Steven Udvar-Hazy full 550 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before Steven Udvar-Hazy was out of high school, he started working as an airline consultant. You could do that sort of thing back in the 1960’s, if you knew the industry—which indisputably, he did. Born in Communist Hungary, Steven was obsessed with aviation at an early age, memorizing plane serial numbers and schedules for fun.  In his early 20’s he started his own small airline in California.  But he quickly learned the big money was in aircraft leasing, so at the dawn of the jet age, he started his own leasing company. Today he runs Air Lease Corporation, which has made him a billionaire, and given him the resources to finance the dazzling extension to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Virginia - named of course, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Before Steven Udvar-Hazy was out of high school, he started working as an airline consultant. You could do that sort of thing back in the 1960’s, if you knew the industry—which indisputably, he did. Born in Communist Hungary, Steven was obsessed with aviation at an early age, memorizing plane serial numbers and schedules for fun.&nbsp; In his early 20’s he started his own small airline in California.&nbsp; But he quickly learned the big money was in aircraft leasing, so at the dawn of the jet age, he started his own leasing company. Today he runs Air Lease Corporation, which has made him a billionaire, and given him the resources to finance the dazzling extension to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Virginia - named of course, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Before Steven Udvar-Hazy was out of high school, he started working as an airline consultant. You could do that sort of thing back in the 1960’s, if you knew the industry—which indisputably, he did. Born in Communist Hungary, Steven was obsessed with aviation at an early age, memorizing plane serial numbers and schedules for fun.  In his early 20’s he started his own small airline in California.  But he quickly learned the big money was in aircraft leasing, so at the dawn of the jet age, he started his own leasing company. Today he runs Air Lease Corporation, which has made him a billionaire, and given him the resources to finance the dazzling extension to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Virginia - named of course, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant with research help from Sam Paulson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4242 no When your headphones listen to you with Ramses Alcaide of Neurable Our brain activity can reveal a lot about our physical and mental health. And thanks to Ramses Alcaide and his team at Neurable, we’ll soon be able to glean insights from our brainwaves in our own homes — without ever stepping foot in a laboratory... This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramses recounts the inspiration behind launching a brain computer interface company, and previews his company’s first product: headphones that detect and interpret your brain activity to help you do your best work. Plus, Ramses’ vision of a future with frictionless communication — where you’ll be able to send a text, look up a restaurant or random factoid, and control your playlist entirely with your mind. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood and edited by John Isabella and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 When your headphones listen to you with Ramses Alcaide of Neurable full 549 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our brain activity can reveal a lot about our physical and mental health. And thanks to Ramses Alcaide and his team at Neurable, we’ll soon be able to glean insights from our brainwaves in our own homes — without ever stepping foot in a laboratory...This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramses recounts the inspiration behind launching a brain computer interface company, and previews his company’s first product: headphones that detect and interpret your brain activity to help you do your best work. Plus, Ramses’ vision of a future with frictionless communication — where you’ll be able to send a text, look up a restaurant or random factoid, and control your playlist entirely with your mind.This episode was produced by Rommel Wood and edited by John Isabella and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Our brain activity can reveal a lot about our physical and mental health. And thanks to Ramses Alcaide and his team at Neurable, we’ll soon be able to glean insights from our brainwaves in our own homes — without ever stepping foot in a laboratory... This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramses recounts the inspiration behind launching a brain computer interface company, and previews his company’s first product: headphones that detect and interpret your brain activity to help you do your best work. Plus, Ramses’ vision of a future with frictionless communication — where you’ll be able to send a text, look up a restaurant or random factoid, and control your playlist entirely with your mind. This episode was produced by Rommel Wood and edited by John Isabella and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Our brain activity can reveal a lot about our physical and mental health. And thanks to Ramses Alcaide and his team at Neurable, we’ll soon be able to glean insights from our brainwaves in our own homes — without ever stepping foot in a laboratory...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramses recounts the inspiration behind launching a brain computer interface company, and previews his company’s first product: headphones that detect and interpret your brain activity to help you do your best work. Plus, Ramses’ vision of a future with frictionless communication — where you’ll be able to send a text, look up a restaurant or random factoid, and control your playlist entirely with your mind.


This episode was produced by Rommel Wood and edited by John Isabella and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2357 no Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard (2020) In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that most people weren't taking sunscreen seriously, so she sidelined her vocation as a harpist to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar world of SPF. After a false start trying to market her sunscreen to elementary schools, Holly pivoted to retail, hiring a publicist she could barely afford. She eventually got her products into Sephora, a success that helped turn Supergoop! into a multi-million dollar brand. This episode was produced by James Delahoussaye, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. See Privacy Policy at&nbsp;https://art19.com/privacy&nbsp;and California Privacy Notice at&nbsp;https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard (2020) full 548 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that most people weren't taking sunscreen seriously, so she sidelined her vocation as a harpist to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar world of SPF. After a false start trying to market her sunscreen to elementary schools, Holly pivoted to retail, hiring a publicist she could barely afford. She eventually got her products into Sephora, a success that helped turn Supergoop! into a multi-million dollar brand.This episode was produced by James Delahoussaye, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that most people weren't taking sunscreen seriously, so she sidelined her vocation as a harpist to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar world of SPF. After a false start trying to market her sunscreen to elementary schools, Holly pivoted to retail, hiring a publicist she could barely afford. She eventually got her products into Sephora, a success that helped turn Supergoop! into a multi-million dollar brand. This episode was produced by James Delahoussaye, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. See Privacy Policy at&nbsp;https://art19.com/privacy&nbsp;and California Privacy Notice at&nbsp;https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that most people weren't taking sunscreen seriously, so she sidelined her vocation as a harpist to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar world of SPF. After a false start trying to market her sunscreen to elementary schools, Holly pivoted to retail, hiring a publicist she could barely afford. She eventually got her products into Sephora, a success that helped turn Supergoop! into a multi-million dollar brand.


This episode was produced by James Delahoussaye, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4533 no Electrifying aviation with Kyle Clark of BETA Technologies Not only is BETA Technologies completely changing the flying experience with its all-electric aircraft, it’s upending the logistics of shipping altogether...&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, founder and CEO Kyle Clark shares how BETA is building zero-emission, battery-powered aircraft, as well as a national charging network. Also, how the transition to electric will address aviation’s emissions problem, and how a chance encounter with United Therapeutics founder Martine Rothblatt started it all.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Electrifying aviation with Kyle Clark of BETA Technologies full 547 Guy Raz | Vox Media Not only is BETA Technologies completely changing the flying experience with its all-electric aircraft, it’s upending the logistics of shipping altogether... This week on How I Built This Lab, founder and CEO Kyle Clark shares how BETA is building zero-emission, battery-powered aircraft, as well as a national charging network. Also, how the transition to electric will address aviation’s emissions problem, and how a chance encounter with United Therapeutics founder Martine Rothblatt started it all. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Not only is BETA Technologies completely changing the flying experience with its all-electric aircraft, it’s upending the logistics of shipping altogether...&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, founder and CEO Kyle Clark shares how BETA is building zero-emission, battery-powered aircraft, as well as a national charging network. Also, how the transition to electric will address aviation’s emissions problem, and how a chance encounter with United Therapeutics founder Martine Rothblatt started it all.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Not only is BETA Technologies completely changing the flying experience with its all-electric aircraft, it’s upending the logistics of shipping altogether... 

This week on How I Built This Lab, founder and CEO Kyle Clark shares how BETA is building zero-emission, battery-powered aircraft, as well as a national charging network. Also, how the transition to electric will address aviation’s emissions problem, and how a chance encounter with United Therapeutics founder Martine Rothblatt started it all. 


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.

Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2670 no Kinko’s: Paul Orfalea Kinko’s copy shops were once so ubiquitous that the name became a kind of shorthand for photocopying. Paul Orfalea started the first shop in 1970 in a tiny converted hamburger stand&nbsp;near UC Santa Barbara, called it Kinko’s after his childhood nickname, and eventually grew it into a sprawling global chain.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rather than relying on a franchise model, Paul partnered with co-owners, which often made it hard to keep the business on track. Far-flung owners couldn’t agree about the basics of logo design or the complexities of keeping stores open 24 hours. In 2004, Kinko’s was acquired for $2.4 billion by FedEx, which eventually shed the name and transformed the shops into today’s FedEx Office locations. This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by Neva Grant, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Kinko’s: Paul Orfalea full 546 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kinko’s copy shops were once so ubiquitous that the name became a kind of shorthand for photocopying. Paul Orfalea started the first shop in 1970 in a tiny converted hamburger stand near UC Santa Barbara, called it Kinko’s after his childhood nickname, and eventually grew it into a sprawling global chain.   Rather than relying on a franchise model, Paul partnered with co-owners, which often made it hard to keep the business on track. Far-flung owners couldn’t agree about the basics of logo design or the complexities of keeping stores open 24 hours. In 2004, Kinko’s was acquired for $2.4 billion by FedEx, which eventually shed the name and transformed the shops into today’s FedEx Office locations.This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by Neva Grant, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Kinko’s copy shops were once so ubiquitous that the name became a kind of shorthand for photocopying. Paul Orfalea started the first shop in 1970 in a tiny converted hamburger stand&nbsp;near UC Santa Barbara, called it Kinko’s after his childhood nickname, and eventually grew it into a sprawling global chain.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rather than relying on a franchise model, Paul partnered with co-owners, which often made it hard to keep the business on track. Far-flung owners couldn’t agree about the basics of logo design or the complexities of keeping stores open 24 hours. In 2004, Kinko’s was acquired for $2.4 billion by FedEx, which eventually shed the name and transformed the shops into today’s FedEx Office locations. This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by Neva Grant, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Kinko’s copy shops were once so ubiquitous that the name became a kind of shorthand for photocopying. Paul Orfalea started the first shop in 1970 in a tiny converted hamburger stand near UC Santa Barbara, called it Kinko’s after his childhood nickname, and eventually grew it into a sprawling global chain.   

Rather than relying on a franchise model, Paul partnered with co-owners, which often made it hard to keep the business on track. Far-flung owners couldn’t agree about the basics of logo design or the complexities of keeping stores open 24 hours. In 2004, Kinko’s was acquired for $2.4 billion by FedEx, which eventually shed the name and transformed the shops into today’s FedEx Office locations.

This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by Neva Grant, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. 

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3935 no Making garbage useful with Tom Szaky of TerraCycle Tom Szaky runs a recycling company, but he’d rather live in a world where recycling was obsolete...&nbsp; Today, his company recycles everything from shampoo bottles and makeup containers to snack wrappers and cigarette butts. And through their recent Loop initiative, TerraCycle works with consumer brands to develop packaging that is actually reusable -- an even more effective waste-reduction tactic than recyclable packaging.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Tom recounts his entrepreneurial journey launching a worm poop fertilizer company from his college dorm room, then transforming that company into a multimillion dollar recycling business. Also, why Tom’s ultimate goal is to put himself out of business, and how our actual path to eliminating waste is radically reducing consumption.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard and edited by John Isabella, with research by Kerry Thompson and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Making garbage useful with Tom Szaky of TerraCycle full 545 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tom Szaky runs a recycling company, but he’d rather live in a world where recycling was obsolete... Today, his company recycles everything from shampoo bottles and makeup containers to snack wrappers and cigarette butts. And through their recent Loop initiative, TerraCycle works with consumer brands to develop packaging that is actually reusable -- an even more effective waste-reduction tactic than recyclable packaging. This week on How I Built This Lab, Tom recounts his entrepreneurial journey launching a worm poop fertilizer company from his college dorm room, then transforming that company into a multimillion dollar recycling business. Also, why Tom’s ultimate goal is to put himself out of business, and how our actual path to eliminating waste is radically reducing consumption.  This episode was produced by J.C. Howard and edited by John Isabella, with research by Kerry Thompson and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Tom Szaky runs a recycling company, but he’d rather live in a world where recycling was obsolete...&nbsp; Today, his company recycles everything from shampoo bottles and makeup containers to snack wrappers and cigarette butts. And through their recent Loop initiative, TerraCycle works with consumer brands to develop packaging that is actually reusable -- an even more effective waste-reduction tactic than recyclable packaging.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Tom recounts his entrepreneurial journey launching a worm poop fertilizer company from his college dorm room, then transforming that company into a multimillion dollar recycling business. Also, why Tom’s ultimate goal is to put himself out of business, and how our actual path to eliminating waste is radically reducing consumption.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by J.C. Howard and edited by John Isabella, with research by Kerry Thompson and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tom Szaky runs a recycling company, but he’d rather live in a world where recycling was obsolete... 

Today, his company recycles everything from shampoo bottles and makeup containers to snack wrappers and cigarette butts. And through their recent Loop initiative, TerraCycle works with consumer brands to develop packaging that is actually reusable -- an even more effective waste-reduction tactic than recyclable packaging. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Tom recounts his entrepreneurial journey launching a worm poop fertilizer company from his college dorm room, then transforming that company into a multimillion dollar recycling business. Also, why Tom’s ultimate goal is to put himself out of business, and how our actual path to eliminating waste is radically reducing consumption.  


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard and edited by John Isabella, with research by Kerry Thompson and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. 


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2863 no Solo Stove: Spencer and Jeff Jan Over a nine-year period, Spencer and Jeff Jan grew Solo Stove from a DIY project into a 9-figure brand. Their original idea was modest: work a four-hour week and earn a passive income from a DTC camping stove, which was easy to use and as sleek as a spaceship. When they launched the business in 2010, the brothers lived thousands of miles away from each other: Spencer in Shanghai, where he located the manufacturer for the stove, and Jeff in Dallas, where he managed logistics out of his garage. Using all the tools at their disposal—Kickstarter, Amazon, and Starbucks for office meetings—the brothers grew the brand to where it attracted a 9-figure acquisition. Which actually happened twice—making them both wealthy enough to enjoy a 0-hour work week. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Ko Takasugi-Czernowin. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Solo Stove: Spencer and Jeff Jan full 544 Guy Raz | Vox Media Over a nine-year period, Spencer and Jeff Jan grew Solo Stove from a DIY project into a 9-figure brand. Their original idea was modest: work a four-hour week and earn a passive income from a DTC camping stove, which was easy to use and as sleek as a spaceship. When they launched the business in 2010, the brothers lived thousands of miles away from each other: Spencer in Shanghai, where he located the manufacturer for the stove, and Jeff in Dallas, where he managed logistics out of his garage. Using all the tools at their disposal—Kickstarter, Amazon, and Starbucks for office meetings—the brothers grew the brand to where it attracted a 9-figure acquisition. Which actually happened twice—making them both wealthy enough to enjoy a 0-hour work week.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Ko Takasugi-Czernowin.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Over a nine-year period, Spencer and Jeff Jan grew Solo Stove from a DIY project into a 9-figure brand. Their original idea was modest: work a four-hour week and earn a passive income from a DTC camping stove, which was easy to use and as sleek as a spaceship. When they launched the business in 2010, the brothers lived thousands of miles away from each other: Spencer in Shanghai, where he located the manufacturer for the stove, and Jeff in Dallas, where he managed logistics out of his garage. Using all the tools at their disposal—Kickstarter, Amazon, and Starbucks for office meetings—the brothers grew the brand to where it attracted a 9-figure acquisition. Which actually happened twice—making them both wealthy enough to enjoy a 0-hour work week. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Ko Takasugi-Czernowin. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Over a nine-year period, Spencer and Jeff Jan grew Solo Stove from a DIY project into a 9-figure brand. Their original idea was modest: work a four-hour week and earn a passive income from a DTC camping stove, which was easy to use and as sleek as a spaceship. When they launched the business in 2010, the brothers lived thousands of miles away from each other: Spencer in Shanghai, where he located the manufacturer for the stove, and Jeff in Dallas, where he managed logistics out of his garage. Using all the tools at their disposal—Kickstarter, Amazon, and Starbucks for office meetings—the brothers grew the brand to where it attracted a 9-figure acquisition. Which actually happened twice—making them both wealthy enough to enjoy a 0-hour work week.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Ko Takasugi-Czernowin.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3911 no When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light Most of us are dependent on our smartphones. In fact, Americans spend an average of three hours a day on these devices — devices that only came into existence relatively recently.&nbsp; Designers Kai Tang and Joe Hollier have long believed that it’s not normal for humans to be so attached to their phones. So they launched their own company in 2014 to create an alternative...called the Light Phone. This week on How I Built This Lab, Kai and Joe talk about their work to build a simpler mobile phone - without apps or tracking of personal data - which has been adopted by users across generations. Plus, the duo discuss the impact of society’s growing reliance on tech and their hopes for a less-connected future. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with editing by John Isabella, research by Kerry Thompson, and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:10:00 -0000 When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light full 541 Guy Raz | Vox Media Most of us are dependent on our smartphones. In fact, Americans spend an average of three hours a day on these devices — devices that only came into existence relatively recently. Designers Kai Tang and Joe Hollier have long believed that it’s not normal for humans to be so attached to their phones. So they launched their own company in 2014 to create an alternative...called the Light Phone.This week on How I Built This Lab, Kai and Joe talk about their work to build a simpler mobile phone - without apps or tracking of personal data - which has been adopted by users across generations. Plus, the duo discuss the impact of society’s growing reliance on tech and their hopes for a less-connected future.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with editing by John Isabella, research by Kerry Thompson, and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Most of us are dependent on our smartphones. In fact, Americans spend an average of three hours a day on these devices — devices that only came into existence relatively recently.&nbsp; Designers Kai Tang and Joe Hollier have long believed that it’s not normal for humans to be so attached to their phones. So they launched their own company in 2014 to create an alternative...called the Light Phone. This week on How I Built This Lab, Kai and Joe talk about their work to build a simpler mobile phone - without apps or tracking of personal data - which has been adopted by users across generations. Plus, the duo discuss the impact of society’s growing reliance on tech and their hopes for a less-connected future. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with editing by John Isabella, research by Kerry Thompson, and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Most of us are dependent on our smartphones. In fact, Americans spend an average of three hours a day on these devices — devices that only came into existence relatively recently. 

Designers Kai Tang and Joe Hollier have long believed that it’s not normal for humans to be so attached to their phones. So they launched their own company in 2014 to create an alternative...called the Light Phone.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Kai and Joe talk about their work to build a simpler mobile phone - without apps or tracking of personal data - which has been adopted by users across generations. Plus, the duo discuss the impact of society’s growing reliance on tech and their hopes for a less-connected future.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman with editing by John Isabella, research by Kerry Thompson, and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2182 no Orgain: Andrew Abraham A life-threatening diagnosis changed the course of Andrew Abraham’s career and led him to found some of the most popular nutritional drinks and powders on the market. After recovering from his illness and attending med school, Andrew noticed that some of his patients—just as he had—struggled with keeping food down.&nbsp;So during his first year of residency, he developed the same kind of organic nutritional shakes that he’d made for himself when he was sick. Andrew launched Orgain in 2009 as a side business, but after he got a big order from Whole Foods, the business quickly grew, despite the fact that he was running it pretty much on his own—while practicing medicine.&nbsp;Only after joining his father’s clinic did Andrew realize his side business needed his full-time attention.&nbsp;He has continued to grow Orgain&nbsp;into a substantial wellness company, in which Nestle acquired a majority stake in 2022. This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Jul 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Orgain: Andrew Abraham full 540 Guy Raz | Vox Media A life-threatening diagnosis changed the course of Andrew Abraham’s career and led him to found some of the most popular nutritional drinks and powders on the market. After recovering from his illness and attending med school, Andrew noticed that some of his patients—just as he had—struggled with keeping food down. So during his first year of residency, he developed the same kind of organic nutritional shakes that he’d made for himself when he was sick. Andrew launched Orgain in 2009 as a side business, but after he got a big order from Whole Foods, the business quickly grew, despite the fact that he was running it pretty much on his own—while practicing medicine. Only after joining his father’s clinic did Andrew realize his side business needed his full-time attention. He has continued to grow Orgain into a substantial wellness company, in which Nestle acquired a majority stake in 2022.This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. A life-threatening diagnosis changed the course of Andrew Abraham’s career and led him to found some of the most popular nutritional drinks and powders on the market. After recovering from his illness and attending med school, Andrew noticed that some of his patients—just as he had—struggled with keeping food down.&nbsp;So during his first year of residency, he developed the same kind of organic nutritional shakes that he’d made for himself when he was sick. Andrew launched Orgain in 2009 as a side business, but after he got a big order from Whole Foods, the business quickly grew, despite the fact that he was running it pretty much on his own—while practicing medicine.&nbsp;Only after joining his father’s clinic did Andrew realize his side business needed his full-time attention.&nbsp;He has continued to grow Orgain&nbsp;into a substantial wellness company, in which Nestle acquired a majority stake in 2022. This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices A life-threatening diagnosis changed the course of Andrew Abraham’s career and led him to found some of the most popular nutritional drinks and powders on the market. After recovering from his illness and attending med school, Andrew noticed that some of his patients—just as he had—struggled with keeping food down. So during his first year of residency, he developed the same kind of organic nutritional shakes that he’d made for himself when he was sick. Andrew launched Orgain in 2009 as a side business, but after he got a big order from Whole Foods, the business quickly grew, despite the fact that he was running it pretty much on his own—while practicing medicine. Only after joining his father’s clinic did Andrew realize his side business needed his full-time attention. He has continued to grow Orgain into a substantial wellness company, in which Nestle acquired a majority stake in 2022.


This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4621 no Powering cars with solar energy with Steve Fambro of Aptera Motors There’s a new car coming to market that will probably make its owners search out the sunniest spots in the parking lot... Aptera Motors is designing and manufacturing this car: a plug-in electric hybrid that can run up to 40 miles on a single, solar-powered charge.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Fambro shares how he and his co-CEO revived their once-defunct auto company thanks to the promise of solar energy. Plus, Steve’s take on why today’s vehicles require so much energy, and how Aptera’s novel design could change the way we think about cars forever... This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000 Powering cars with solar energy with Steve Fambro of Aptera Motors full 539 Guy Raz | Vox Media There’s a new car coming to market that will probably make its owners search out the sunniest spots in the parking lot...Aptera Motors is designing and manufacturing this car: a plug-in electric hybrid that can run up to 40 miles on a single, solar-powered charge. This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Fambro shares how he and his co-CEO revived their once-defunct auto company thanks to the promise of solar energy. Plus, Steve’s take on why today’s vehicles require so much energy, and how Aptera’s novel design could change the way we think about cars forever...This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. There’s a new car coming to market that will probably make its owners search out the sunniest spots in the parking lot... Aptera Motors is designing and manufacturing this car: a plug-in electric hybrid that can run up to 40 miles on a single, solar-powered charge.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Fambro shares how he and his co-CEO revived their once-defunct auto company thanks to the promise of solar energy. Plus, Steve’s take on why today’s vehicles require so much energy, and how Aptera’s novel design could change the way we think about cars forever... This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices There’s a new car coming to market that will probably make its owners search out the sunniest spots in the parking lot...

Aptera Motors is designing and manufacturing this car: a plug-in electric hybrid that can run up to 40 miles on a single, solar-powered charge. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Fambro shares how he and his co-CEO revived their once-defunct auto company thanks to the promise of solar energy. Plus, Steve’s take on why today’s vehicles require so much energy, and how Aptera’s novel design could change the way we think about cars forever...

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. 


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2635 no The Tetris Company: Henk Rogers Tetris is one of the most popular video games of all time, and Henk Rogers helped make it happen. He first discovered the game at a convention in 1988, and immediately saw how elegant and addictive it was. As a software developer based in Japan, Henk set out to obtain selected publishing rights, but waded into a tangle of red tape that stretched from Japan to the U.S. to the Soviet Union. He eventually ventured behind the Iron Curtain to bluster his way into the obscure government office that managed Tetris. While in Moscow, Henk also met the game’s inventor, Alexey Pajitnov, and the two of them hit it off. After much legal wrangling across many time zones, Henk and Alexey won the worldwide rights to the game; and today, Tetris has sold over 500 million copies. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Jul 2023 07:10:00 -0000 The Tetris Company: Henk Rogers full 538 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tetris is one of the most popular video games of all time, and Henk Rogers helped make it happen. He first discovered the game at a convention in 1988, and immediately saw how elegant and addictive it was. As a software developer based in Japan, Henk set out to obtain selected publishing rights, but waded into a tangle of red tape that stretched from Japan to the U.S. to the Soviet Union. He eventually ventured behind the Iron Curtain to bluster his way into the obscure government office that managed Tetris. While in Moscow, Henk also met the game’s inventor, Alexey Pajitnov, and the two of them hit it off. After much legal wrangling across many time zones, Henk and Alexey won the worldwide rights to the game; and today, Tetris has sold over 500 million copies.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Tetris is one of the most popular video games of all time, and Henk Rogers helped make it happen. He first discovered the game at a convention in 1988, and immediately saw how elegant and addictive it was. As a software developer based in Japan, Henk set out to obtain selected publishing rights, but waded into a tangle of red tape that stretched from Japan to the U.S. to the Soviet Union. He eventually ventured behind the Iron Curtain to bluster his way into the obscure government office that managed Tetris. While in Moscow, Henk also met the game’s inventor, Alexey Pajitnov, and the two of them hit it off. After much legal wrangling across many time zones, Henk and Alexey won the worldwide rights to the game; and today, Tetris has sold over 500 million copies. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tetris is one of the most popular video games of all time, and Henk Rogers helped make it happen. He first discovered the game at a convention in 1988, and immediately saw how elegant and addictive it was. As a software developer based in Japan, Henk set out to obtain selected publishing rights, but waded into a tangle of red tape that stretched from Japan to the U.S. to the Soviet Union. He eventually ventured behind the Iron Curtain to bluster his way into the obscure government office that managed Tetris. While in Moscow, Henk also met the game’s inventor, Alexey Pajitnov, and the two of them hit it off. After much legal wrangling across many time zones, Henk and Alexey won the worldwide rights to the game; and today, Tetris has sold over 500 million copies.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4273 no When AI is your personal tutor with Sal Khan of Khan Academy The COVID-19 pandemic changed education forever. But Sal Khan says an even bigger educational revolution is just around the corner … This week on How I Built This Lab, Sal returns to the show to talk about a new learning platform he’s building at Khan Academy. It’s called Khanmigo, and it uses the same generative AI technology behind OpenAI’s world-changing ChatGPT to help students with their schoolwork. The technology isn’t without its risks, but Sal thinks Khanmigo could act as a personal tutor for every student and a teaching assistant for every educator - reshaping the classroom for good. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:10:00 -0000 When AI is your personal tutor with Sal Khan of Khan Academy full 537 Guy Raz | Vox Media The COVID-19 pandemic changed education forever. But Sal Khan says an even bigger educational revolution is just around the corner …This week on How I Built This Lab, Sal returns to the show to talk about a new learning platform he’s building at Khan Academy. It’s called Khanmigo, and it uses the same generative AI technology behind OpenAI’s world-changing ChatGPT to help students with their schoolwork. The technology isn’t without its risks, but Sal thinks Khanmigo could act as a personal tutor for every student and a teaching assistant for every educator - reshaping the classroom for good.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. The COVID-19 pandemic changed education forever. But Sal Khan says an even bigger educational revolution is just around the corner … This week on How I Built This Lab, Sal returns to the show to talk about a new learning platform he’s building at Khan Academy. It’s called Khanmigo, and it uses the same generative AI technology behind OpenAI’s world-changing ChatGPT to help students with their schoolwork. The technology isn’t without its risks, but Sal thinks Khanmigo could act as a personal tutor for every student and a teaching assistant for every educator - reshaping the classroom for good. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The COVID-19 pandemic changed education forever. But Sal Khan says an even bigger educational revolution is just around the corner …

This week on How I Built This Lab, Sal returns to the show to talk about a new learning platform he’s building at Khan Academy. It’s called Khanmigo, and it uses the same generative AI technology behind OpenAI’s world-changing ChatGPT to help students with their schoolwork. The technology isn’t without its risks, but Sal thinks Khanmigo could act as a personal tutor for every student and a teaching assistant for every educator - reshaping the classroom for good.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2507 no MOD Pizza & Seattle Coffee Company: Scott and Ally Svenson A relentless hunt for their favorite foods and drinks led Scott and Ally Svenson into launching not one but two multi-million dollar businesses. The first came about in 1990s London when they discovered that British coffee meant instant coffee. So, the Washington natives decided to start the Seattle Coffee Company in the U.K, inspired by their love of Starbucks—which was still only in the U.S. But, once Starbucks started to go global, Scott and Ally decided to sell and move back to Seattle. They soon found themselves looking for quick, affordable, crowd-pleasers to feed their growing boys on busy nights; pizza is a good solution, but it can also be slow and expensive. So Scott and Ally wondered if they could figure out how to make individual, fast-casual pizza work; and they started MOD pizza as a one-store experiment. 15 years and more than 500 locations later, Scott and Ally have their answer: they can make it work. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Casey Herman. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:10:00 -0000 MOD Pizza & Seattle Coffee Company: Scott and Ally Svenson full 536 Guy Raz | Vox Media A relentless hunt for their favorite foods and drinks led Scott and Ally Svenson into launching not one but two multi-million dollar businesses. The first came about in 1990s London when they discovered that British coffee meant instant coffee. So, the Washington natives decided to start the Seattle Coffee Company in the U.K, inspired by their love of Starbucks—which was still only in the U.S. But, once Starbucks started to go global, Scott and Ally decided to sell and move back to Seattle. They soon found themselves looking for quick, affordable, crowd-pleasers to feed their growing boys on busy nights; pizza is a good solution, but it can also be slow and expensive. So Scott and Ally wondered if they could figure out how to make individual, fast-casual pizza work; and they started MOD pizza as a one-store experiment. 15 years and more than 500 locations later, Scott and Ally have their answer: they can make it work.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Casey Herman.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. A relentless hunt for their favorite foods and drinks led Scott and Ally Svenson into launching not one but two multi-million dollar businesses. The first came about in 1990s London when they discovered that British coffee meant instant coffee. So, the Washington natives decided to start the Seattle Coffee Company in the U.K, inspired by their love of Starbucks—which was still only in the U.S. But, once Starbucks started to go global, Scott and Ally decided to sell and move back to Seattle. They soon found themselves looking for quick, affordable, crowd-pleasers to feed their growing boys on busy nights; pizza is a good solution, but it can also be slow and expensive. So Scott and Ally wondered if they could figure out how to make individual, fast-casual pizza work; and they started MOD pizza as a one-store experiment. 15 years and more than 500 locations later, Scott and Ally have their answer: they can make it work. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Casey Herman. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices A relentless hunt for their favorite foods and drinks led Scott and Ally Svenson into launching not one but two multi-million dollar businesses. The first came about in 1990s London when they discovered that British coffee meant instant coffee. So, the Washington natives decided to start the Seattle Coffee Company in the U.K, inspired by their love of Starbucks—which was still only in the U.S. But, once Starbucks started to go global, Scott and Ally decided to sell and move back to Seattle. They soon found themselves looking for quick, affordable, crowd-pleasers to feed their growing boys on busy nights; pizza is a good solution, but it can also be slow and expensive. So Scott and Ally wondered if they could figure out how to make individual, fast-casual pizza work; and they started MOD pizza as a one-store experiment. 15 years and more than 500 locations later, Scott and Ally have their answer: they can make it work.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Casey Herman.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5490 no When trucks drive themselves with Chris Urmson of Aurora Chris Urmson is one of the founding fathers of the autonomous vehicle industry. He participated in three DARPA self-driving vehicle challenges before joining the team that launched Google’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo. Eventually though, Chris saw an opportunity to scratch an entrepreneurial itch and bring his expertise to an industry that was ripe for it: trucking. This week on How I Built This Lab, Chris talks about launching and scaling Aurora, a company that is developing autonomous systems to safely drive semitrucks on America’s freeways. Plus, Chris and Guy discuss the impact that this technology could have on the U.S. economy, as well as the millions of truck drivers working in the industry today.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:10:00 -0000 When trucks drive themselves with Chris Urmson of Aurora full 535 Guy Raz | Vox Media Chris Urmson is one of the founding fathers of the autonomous vehicle industry. He participated in three DARPA self-driving vehicle challenges before joining the team that launched Google’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo. Eventually though, Chris saw an opportunity to scratch an entrepreneurial itch and bring his expertise to an industry that was ripe for it: trucking.This week on How I Built This Lab, Chris talks about launching and scaling Aurora, a company that is developing autonomous systems to safely drive semitrucks on America’s freeways. Plus, Chris and Guy discuss the impact that this technology could have on the U.S. economy, as well as the millions of truck drivers working in the industry today. This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Chris Urmson is one of the founding fathers of the autonomous vehicle industry. He participated in three DARPA self-driving vehicle challenges before joining the team that launched Google’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo. Eventually though, Chris saw an opportunity to scratch an entrepreneurial itch and bring his expertise to an industry that was ripe for it: trucking. This week on How I Built This Lab, Chris talks about launching and scaling Aurora, a company that is developing autonomous systems to safely drive semitrucks on America’s freeways. Plus, Chris and Guy discuss the impact that this technology could have on the U.S. economy, as well as the millions of truck drivers working in the industry today.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Chris Urmson is one of the founding fathers of the autonomous vehicle industry. He participated in three DARPA self-driving vehicle challenges before joining the team that launched Google’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo. Eventually though, Chris saw an opportunity to scratch an entrepreneurial itch and bring his expertise to an industry that was ripe for it: trucking.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Chris talks about launching and scaling Aurora, a company that is developing autonomous systems to safely drive semitrucks on America’s freeways. Plus, Chris and Guy discuss the impact that this technology could have on the U.S. economy, as well as the millions of truck drivers working in the industry today. 

This episode was produced by Chis Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. 

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2641 no Grindr: Joel Simkhai On the premise that a smartphone could vastly improve his love life, Joel Simkhai built one of the most popular dating apps in the world.&nbsp; In 2008 he was living in LA and looking for an easy way to meet other gay men.&nbsp; He saw the early potential of the GPS-enabled iPhone, and a year later, launched Grindr: an app where users could determine if a potential date - or a quick hookup - was down the block or ten miles away.&nbsp; With no background in coding or app design, Joel bootstrapped Grindr into a global phenomenon –all the while dealing with technical meltdowns, safety issues, and criticism about toxicity on the app. Grindr was eventually sold, and Joel moved on; but last year launched another queer hookup app “for today” - called Motto. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Grindr: Joel Simkhai full 534 Guy Raz | Vox Media On the premise that a smartphone could vastly improve his love life, Joel Simkhai built one of the most popular dating apps in the world.  In 2008 he was living in LA and looking for an easy way to meet other gay men.  He saw the early potential of the GPS-enabled iPhone, and a year later, launched Grindr: an app where users could determine if a potential date - or a quick hookup - was down the block or ten miles away.  With no background in coding or app design, Joel bootstrapped Grindr into a global phenomenon –all the while dealing with technical meltdowns, safety issues, and criticism about toxicity on the app. Grindr was eventually sold, and Joel moved on; but last year launched another queer hookup app “for today” - called Motto.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. On the premise that a smartphone could vastly improve his love life, Joel Simkhai built one of the most popular dating apps in the world.&nbsp; In 2008 he was living in LA and looking for an easy way to meet other gay men.&nbsp; He saw the early potential of the GPS-enabled iPhone, and a year later, launched Grindr: an app where users could determine if a potential date - or a quick hookup - was down the block or ten miles away.&nbsp; With no background in coding or app design, Joel bootstrapped Grindr into a global phenomenon –all the while dealing with technical meltdowns, safety issues, and criticism about toxicity on the app. Grindr was eventually sold, and Joel moved on; but last year launched another queer hookup app “for today” - called Motto. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices On the premise that a smartphone could vastly improve his love life, Joel Simkhai built one of the most popular dating apps in the world.  In 2008 he was living in LA and looking for an easy way to meet other gay men.  He saw the early potential of the GPS-enabled iPhone, and a year later, launched Grindr: an app where users could determine if a potential date - or a quick hookup - was down the block or ten miles away.  With no background in coding or app design, Joel bootstrapped Grindr into a global phenomenon –all the while dealing with technical meltdowns, safety issues, and criticism about toxicity on the app. Grindr was eventually sold, and Joel moved on; but last year launched another queer hookup app “for today” - called Motto.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4397 no Delivering the future in drones with Keller Rinaudo Cliffton of Zipline Keller Rinaudo Cliffton thinks we’re already experiencing the technology of tomorrow, just that it’s not evenly distributed... About a decade ago, Keller transformed his smartphone robot company into Zipline, which today orchestrates on-demand drone deliveries all over the world. Zipline got its start delivering critical medical supplies to hospitals in Rwanda: a testament to Keller’s belief that innovation is already improving lives outside the U.S. This week on How I Built This Lab, Keller recounts the ongoing and often challenging development of Zipline’s delivery drones. Plus, how Zipline is now chasing the commercial market, and could soon be delivering packages from stores like Walmart within an hour of a customer clicking “purchase.”&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Delivering the future in drones with Keller Rinaudo Cliffton of Zipline full 533 Guy Raz | Vox Media Keller Rinaudo Cliffton thinks we’re already experiencing the technology of tomorrow, just that it’s not evenly distributed...About a decade ago, Keller transformed his smartphone robot company into Zipline, which today orchestrates on-demand drone deliveries all over the world. Zipline got its start delivering critical medical supplies to hospitals in Rwanda: a testament to Keller’s belief that innovation is already improving lives outside the U.S.This week on How I Built This Lab, Keller recounts the ongoing and often challenging development of Zipline’s delivery drones. Plus, how Zipline is now chasing the commercial market, and could soon be delivering packages from stores like Walmart within an hour of a customer clicking “purchase.” This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Keller Rinaudo Cliffton thinks we’re already experiencing the technology of tomorrow, just that it’s not evenly distributed... About a decade ago, Keller transformed his smartphone robot company into Zipline, which today orchestrates on-demand drone deliveries all over the world. Zipline got its start delivering critical medical supplies to hospitals in Rwanda: a testament to Keller’s belief that innovation is already improving lives outside the U.S. This week on How I Built This Lab, Keller recounts the ongoing and often challenging development of Zipline’s delivery drones. Plus, how Zipline is now chasing the commercial market, and could soon be delivering packages from stores like Walmart within an hour of a customer clicking “purchase.”&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell.&nbsp; You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Keller Rinaudo Cliffton thinks we’re already experiencing the technology of tomorrow, just that it’s not evenly distributed...

About a decade ago, Keller transformed his smartphone robot company into Zipline, which today orchestrates on-demand drone deliveries all over the world. Zipline got its start delivering critical medical supplies to hospitals in Rwanda: a testament to Keller’s belief that innovation is already improving lives outside the U.S.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Keller recounts the ongoing and often challenging development of Zipline’s delivery drones. Plus, how Zipline is now chasing the commercial market, and could soon be delivering packages from stores like Walmart within an hour of a customer clicking “purchase.” 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell. 

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2559 no Mary's Gone Crackers: Mary Waldner While working as a psychologist in the Bay Area helping people with their problems, Mary Waldner discovered one of her own; at the age of 43, she was diagnosed with celiac disease. The foods she’d been eating all her life had been making her sick, so Mary came up with a solution. She decided to create a healthy gluten-free snack cracker that she could make at home, and eat in restaurants when her friends were eating bread. As it turns out, lots of people loved Mary’s crackers and they encouraged her to start her own company, which Mary turned into a multi-million dollar business. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Mary's Gone Crackers: Mary Waldner full 532 Guy Raz | Vox Media While working as a psychologist in the Bay Area helping people with their problems, Mary Waldner discovered one of her own; at the age of 43, she was diagnosed with celiac disease. The foods she’d been eating all her life had been making her sick, so Mary came up with a solution. She decided to create a healthy gluten-free snack cracker that she could make at home, and eat in restaurants when her friends were eating bread. As it turns out, lots of people loved Mary’s crackers and they encouraged her to start her own company, which Mary turned into a multi-million dollar business.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. While working as a psychologist in the Bay Area helping people with their problems, Mary Waldner discovered one of her own; at the age of 43, she was diagnosed with celiac disease. The foods she’d been eating all her life had been making her sick, so Mary came up with a solution. She decided to create a healthy gluten-free snack cracker that she could make at home, and eat in restaurants when her friends were eating bread. As it turns out, lots of people loved Mary’s crackers and they encouraged her to start her own company, which Mary turned into a multi-million dollar business. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices While working as a psychologist in the Bay Area helping people with their problems, Mary Waldner discovered one of her own; at the age of 43, she was diagnosed with celiac disease. The foods she’d been eating all her life had been making her sick, so Mary came up with a solution. She decided to create a healthy gluten-free snack cracker that she could make at home, and eat in restaurants when her friends were eating bread. As it turns out, lots of people loved Mary’s crackers and they encouraged her to start her own company, which Mary turned into a multi-million dollar business.


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Sam Paulson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4231 no When robots recycle with Matanya Horowitz of AMP Robotics Matanya Horowitz is not above dumpster diving in the name of innovation. His company, AMP Robotics, has developed robots to help waste management facilities better sort through incoming trash and separate recyclables. AMP has tested and refined their technology since launching in 2014, in part with materials that Matanya and his team personally picked from the garbage. Today, their robots can be found in hundreds of facilities worldwide, including some of their own. This week on How I Built This Lab, Matanya talks about the business of recycling and his company’s work to increase global recycling rates. Plus, Matanya explains how investors have come to see the value in garbage and dives into the reasons why so much recyclable material ends up in landfills. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 When robots recycle with Matanya Horowitz of AMP Robotics full 531 Guy Raz | Vox Media Matanya Horowitz is not above dumpster diving in the name of innovation. His company, AMP Robotics, has developed robots to help waste management facilities better sort through incoming trash and separate recyclables. AMP has tested and refined their technology since launching in 2014, in part with materials that Matanya and his team personally picked from the garbage. Today, their robots can be found in hundreds of facilities worldwide, including some of their own.This week on How I Built This Lab, Matanya talks about the business of recycling and his company’s work to increase global recycling rates. Plus, Matanya explains how investors have come to see the value in garbage and dives into the reasons why so much recyclable material ends up in landfills.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Matanya Horowitz is not above dumpster diving in the name of innovation. His company, AMP Robotics, has developed robots to help waste management facilities better sort through incoming trash and separate recyclables. AMP has tested and refined their technology since launching in 2014, in part with materials that Matanya and his team personally picked from the garbage. Today, their robots can be found in hundreds of facilities worldwide, including some of their own. This week on How I Built This Lab, Matanya talks about the business of recycling and his company’s work to increase global recycling rates. Plus, Matanya explains how investors have come to see the value in garbage and dives into the reasons why so much recyclable material ends up in landfills. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Matanya Horowitz is not above dumpster diving in the name of innovation. His company, AMP Robotics, has developed robots to help waste management facilities better sort through incoming trash and separate recyclables. AMP has tested and refined their technology since launching in 2014, in part with materials that Matanya and his team personally picked from the garbage. Today, their robots can be found in hundreds of facilities worldwide, including some of their own.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Matanya talks about the business of recycling and his company’s work to increase global recycling rates. Plus, Matanya explains how investors have come to see the value in garbage and dives into the reasons why so much recyclable material ends up in landfills.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2179 no The Lip Bar (TLB): Melissa Butler (2020) While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on&nbsp;Shark Tank&nbsp;with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar—rebranded in 2021 as TLB—has expanded to stores nationwide and is now the largest Black-owned makeup brand sold in Target stores. This episode was produced by James Delahoussaye, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 The Lip Bar (TLB): Melissa Butler (2020) full 530 Guy Raz | Vox Media While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on Shark Tank with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar—rebranded in 2021 as TLB—has expanded to stores nationwide and is now the largest Black-owned makeup brand sold in Target stores.This episode was produced by James Delahoussaye, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on&nbsp;Shark Tank&nbsp;with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar—rebranded in 2021 as TLB—has expanded to stores nationwide and is now the largest Black-owned makeup brand sold in Target stores. This episode was produced by James Delahoussaye, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on Shark Tank with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar—rebranded in 2021 as TLB—has expanded to stores nationwide and is now the largest Black-owned makeup brand sold in Target stores.


This episode was produced by James Delahoussaye, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4530 no Reimagining seafood production with Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck of Wildtype (2022) When Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck met in 2011, they had no intention of starting a business. Aryé was a cardiologist, and Justin was a diplomat who had lived in countries all over the world. But their chance meeting at a dinner party led to a deep friendship focused on working together to change the world. Through regular Saturday morning brainstorming sessions, they settled on pursuing a scientific approach to growing meat for human consumption. This week on How I Built This Lab, Aryé and Justin discuss the problems with modern seafood production and how their company, Wildtype, hopes to revolutionize the industry by using stem cells to cultivate real, sushi-grade salmon... without harming any actual fish. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Reimagining seafood production with Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck of Wildtype (2022) full 529 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck met in 2011, they had no intention of starting a business. Aryé was a cardiologist, and Justin was a diplomat who had lived in countries all over the world. But their chance meeting at a dinner party led to a deep friendship focused on working together to change the world. Through regular Saturday morning brainstorming sessions, they settled on pursuing a scientific approach to growing meat for human consumption.This week on How I Built This Lab, Aryé and Justin discuss the problems with modern seafood production and how their company, Wildtype, hopes to revolutionize the industry by using stem cells to cultivate real, sushi-grade salmon... without harming any actual fish.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck met in 2011, they had no intention of starting a business. Aryé was a cardiologist, and Justin was a diplomat who had lived in countries all over the world. But their chance meeting at a dinner party led to a deep friendship focused on working together to change the world. Through regular Saturday morning brainstorming sessions, they settled on pursuing a scientific approach to growing meat for human consumption. This week on How I Built This Lab, Aryé and Justin discuss the problems with modern seafood production and how their company, Wildtype, hopes to revolutionize the industry by using stem cells to cultivate real, sushi-grade salmon... without harming any actual fish. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck met in 2011, they had no intention of starting a business. Aryé was a cardiologist, and Justin was a diplomat who had lived in countries all over the world. But their chance meeting at a dinner party led to a deep friendship focused on working together to change the world. Through regular Saturday morning brainstorming sessions, they settled on pursuing a scientific approach to growing meat for human consumption.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Aryé and Justin discuss the problems with modern seafood production and how their company, Wildtype, hopes to revolutionize the industry by using stem cells to cultivate real, sushi-grade salmon... without harming any actual fish.

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2814 no Dutch Bros. Coffee: Travis Boersma From a coffee cart parked uneasily in a grocery parking lot, Travis and Dane Boersma grew Dutch Bros into a sprawling chain of 700-plus beverage restaurants. Before they got started in Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1992, Dane had never tried espresso, and neither brother knew how to make it. But with the help of nearby experts, they learned the craft—and even improvised their own recipes, like mocha made with chocolate milk from a local dairy. Eventually, Dutch Bros would go from pushcarts to drive-throughs, and from small-town Oregon to Wall Street—with a nearly $500-million IPO in 2021. Along the way, the brothers’ special connection carried them through good times and bad, until an unexpected family tragedy shook the business to its core. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Dutch Bros. Coffee: Travis Boersma full 528 Guy Raz | Vox Media From a coffee cart parked uneasily in a grocery parking lot, Travis and Dane Boersma grew Dutch Bros into a sprawling chain of 700-plus beverage restaurants. Before they got started in Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1992, Dane had never tried espresso, and neither brother knew how to make it. But with the help of nearby experts, they learned the craft—and even improvised their own recipes, like mocha made with chocolate milk from a local dairy. Eventually, Dutch Bros would go from pushcarts to drive-throughs, and from small-town Oregon to Wall Street—with a nearly $500-million IPO in 2021. Along the way, the brothers’ special connection carried them through good times and bad, until an unexpected family tragedy shook the business to its core.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. From a coffee cart parked uneasily in a grocery parking lot, Travis and Dane Boersma grew Dutch Bros into a sprawling chain of 700-plus beverage restaurants. Before they got started in Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1992, Dane had never tried espresso, and neither brother knew how to make it. But with the help of nearby experts, they learned the craft—and even improvised their own recipes, like mocha made with chocolate milk from a local dairy. Eventually, Dutch Bros would go from pushcarts to drive-throughs, and from small-town Oregon to Wall Street—with a nearly $500-million IPO in 2021. Along the way, the brothers’ special connection carried them through good times and bad, until an unexpected family tragedy shook the business to its core. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices From a coffee cart parked uneasily in a grocery parking lot, Travis and Dane Boersma grew Dutch Bros into a sprawling chain of 700-plus beverage restaurants. Before they got started in Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1992, Dane had never tried espresso, and neither brother knew how to make it. But with the help of nearby experts, they learned the craft—and even improvised their own recipes, like mocha made with chocolate milk from a local dairy. Eventually, Dutch Bros would go from pushcarts to drive-throughs, and from small-town Oregon to Wall Street—with a nearly $500-million IPO in 2021. Along the way, the brothers’ special connection carried them through good times and bad, until an unexpected family tragedy shook the business to its core.


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4828 no Reinvesting in our cities with renewable energy with Donnel Baird of BlocPower (2022) When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment -- a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Reinvesting in our cities with renewable energy with Donnel Baird of BlocPower (2022) full 527 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment -- a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups. This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment -- a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment -- a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3096 no Spikeball: Chris Ruder When Chris Ruder set out to revive a ball-and-net game from his childhood, he was pretty sure he would fail. He wasn’t really into sports and had never run a business. But after 15 years, Spikeball has grown into a thriving brand with a global following. Spikeball is a two-on-two game where players hit a rubber ball onto a circular net. Invented in 1989, it never took off. But in 2003, when childhood friends dusted off a duct-taped set, Chris began daydreaming about bringing it back to life. For a few years, it was just a crazy idea, until Chris dug deeper and discovered it was never patented. Chris ran the business by himself for six years and discovered Spikeball was taking off with PE teachers and Christian youth groups. When he was offered a deal on Shark Tank, he turned it down because he didn’t want Spikeball to be marketed as a toy, and instead focused on growing it as a competitive sport. Now, the game is popular around the world and its international governing body has Olympic ambitions.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Spikeball: Chris Ruder full 526 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Chris Ruder set out to revive a ball-and-net game from his childhood, he was pretty sure he would fail. He wasn’t really into sports and had never run a business. But after 15 years, Spikeball has grown into a thriving brand with a global following. Spikeball is a two-on-two game where players hit a rubber ball onto a circular net. Invented in 1989, it never took off. But in 2003, when childhood friends dusted off a duct-taped set, Chris began daydreaming about bringing it back to life. For a few years, it was just a crazy idea, until Chris dug deeper and discovered it was never patented. Chris ran the business by himself for six years and discovered Spikeball was taking off with PE teachers and Christian youth groups. When he was offered a deal on Shark Tank, he turned it down because he didn’t want Spikeball to be marketed as a toy, and instead focused on growing it as a competitive sport. Now, the game is popular around the world and its international governing body has Olympic ambitions. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini. You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Chris Ruder set out to revive a ball-and-net game from his childhood, he was pretty sure he would fail. He wasn’t really into sports and had never run a business. But after 15 years, Spikeball has grown into a thriving brand with a global following. Spikeball is a two-on-two game where players hit a rubber ball onto a circular net. Invented in 1989, it never took off. But in 2003, when childhood friends dusted off a duct-taped set, Chris began daydreaming about bringing it back to life. For a few years, it was just a crazy idea, until Chris dug deeper and discovered it was never patented. Chris ran the business by himself for six years and discovered Spikeball was taking off with PE teachers and Christian youth groups. When he was offered a deal on Shark Tank, he turned it down because he didn’t want Spikeball to be marketed as a toy, and instead focused on growing it as a competitive sport. Now, the game is popular around the world and its international governing body has Olympic ambitions.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Chris Ruder set out to revive a ball-and-net game from his childhood, he was pretty sure he would fail. He wasn’t really into sports and had never run a business. But after 15 years, Spikeball has grown into a thriving brand with a global following. Spikeball is a two-on-two game where players hit a rubber ball onto a circular net. Invented in 1989, it never took off. But in 2003, when childhood friends dusted off a duct-taped set, Chris began daydreaming about bringing it back to life. For a few years, it was just a crazy idea, until Chris dug deeper and discovered it was never patented. Chris ran the business by himself for six years and discovered Spikeball was taking off with PE teachers and Christian youth groups. When he was offered a deal on Shark Tank, he turned it down because he didn’t want Spikeball to be marketed as a toy, and instead focused on growing it as a competitive sport. Now, the game is popular around the world and its international governing body has Olympic ambitions. 


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4399 no Saving the f#$%ing rainforests with Shara Ticku of C16 Biosciences Palm oil is a wonder ingredient, used in almost everything from toothpaste and oat milk to biodiesel and laundry detergent. But to keep pace with rising global demand, producers have burned down millions of acres of rainforests to create more palm oil plantations, worsening climate change and making the air hazardous for entire countries in the process.&nbsp; C16 Biosciences has a plan to save those rainforests – and to shake up the behemoth palm oil industry while doing it. Since founding the company in 2018, Shara Ticku and her co-founders have cracked the code on its first beauty product made with lab-generated palm oil. And once they brought it to market? It sold out immediately! This week on How I Built This Lab, Shara talks to Guy about how introducing C16’s initial product to a secondary market laid the foundation for even greater commercial success. Plus, Shara shares how a tight budget, scrappy science, and home-brewed beer were the keys to unlocking substantial funding. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Saving the f#$%ing rainforests with Shara Ticku of C16 Biosciences full 525 Guy Raz | Vox Media Palm oil is a wonder ingredient, used in almost everything from toothpaste and oat milk to biodiesel and laundry detergent. But to keep pace with rising global demand, producers have burned down millions of acres of rainforests to create more palm oil plantations, worsening climate change and making the air hazardous for entire countries in the process. C16 Biosciences has a plan to save those rainforests – and to shake up the behemoth palm oil industry while doing it. Since founding the company in 2018, Shara Ticku and her co-founders have cracked the code on its first beauty product made with lab-generated palm oil. And once they brought it to market? It sold out immediately!This week on How I Built This Lab, Shara talks to Guy about how introducing C16’s initial product to a secondary market laid the foundation for even greater commercial success. Plus, Shara shares how a tight budget, scrappy science, and home-brewed beer were the keys to unlocking substantial funding.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Palm oil is a wonder ingredient, used in almost everything from toothpaste and oat milk to biodiesel and laundry detergent. But to keep pace with rising global demand, producers have burned down millions of acres of rainforests to create more palm oil plantations, worsening climate change and making the air hazardous for entire countries in the process.&nbsp; C16 Biosciences has a plan to save those rainforests – and to shake up the behemoth palm oil industry while doing it. Since founding the company in 2018, Shara Ticku and her co-founders have cracked the code on its first beauty product made with lab-generated palm oil. And once they brought it to market? It sold out immediately! This week on How I Built This Lab, Shara talks to Guy about how introducing C16’s initial product to a secondary market laid the foundation for even greater commercial success. Plus, Shara shares how a tight budget, scrappy science, and home-brewed beer were the keys to unlocking substantial funding. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Palm oil is a wonder ingredient, used in almost everything from toothpaste and oat milk to biodiesel and laundry detergent. But to keep pace with rising global demand, producers have burned down millions of acres of rainforests to create more palm oil plantations, worsening climate change and making the air hazardous for entire countries in the process. 


C16 Biosciences has a plan to save those rainforests – and to shake up the behemoth palm oil industry while doing it. Since founding the company in 2018, Shara Ticku and her co-founders have cracked the code on its first beauty product made with lab-generated palm oil. And once they brought it to market? It sold out immediately!


This week on How I Built This Lab, Shara talks to Guy about how introducing C16’s initial product to a secondary market laid the foundation for even greater commercial success. Plus, Shara shares how a tight budget, scrappy science, and home-brewed beer were the keys to unlocking substantial funding.



This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2796 no Harry’s Razors: Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider Two college-era friends set out to change the face of shaving—and in the process, took on one of the biggest companies in the world. In 2011, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider realized they shared a common frustration with an everyday purchase: razors. Locked behind counters like diamond bracelets, they were inconvenient to buy and expensive to replace, with branding that seemed more suited to James Bond than a regular guy.&nbsp;So Andy and Jeff took on the Goliath of the shaving industry, Gillette—and its parent company, P&G—to launch a direct-to-consumer&nbsp;razor company with a friendly name.&nbsp;As a co-founder of Warby Parker, Jeff had some experience with D-to-C, but nothing prepared either founder for the rigors of razor research, and the culture shock of partnering with a factory in a remote part of Germany. After weathering a failed merger, Harry’s Inc. has grown into a force in the shaving industry both online and in-store, and has begun expanding into other household products.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Harry’s Razors: Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider full 524 Guy Raz | Vox Media Two college-era friends set out to change the face of shaving—and in the process, took on one of the biggest companies in the world. In 2011, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider realized they shared a common frustration with an everyday purchase: razors. Locked behind counters like diamond bracelets, they were inconvenient to buy and expensive to replace, with branding that seemed more suited to James Bond than a regular guy. So Andy and Jeff took on the Goliath of the shaving industry, Gillette—and its parent company, P&amp;G—to launch a direct-to-consumer razor company with a friendly name. As a co-founder of Warby Parker, Jeff had some experience with D-to-C, but nothing prepared either founder for the rigors of razor research, and the culture shock of partnering with a factory in a remote part of Germany. After weathering a failed merger, Harry’s Inc. has grown into a force in the shaving industry both online and in-store, and has begun expanding into other household products. This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Two college-era friends set out to change the face of shaving—and in the process, took on one of the biggest companies in the world. In 2011, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider realized they shared a common frustration with an everyday purchase: razors. Locked behind counters like diamond bracelets, they were inconvenient to buy and expensive to replace, with branding that seemed more suited to James Bond than a regular guy.&nbsp;So Andy and Jeff took on the Goliath of the shaving industry, Gillette—and its parent company, P&G—to launch a direct-to-consumer&nbsp;razor company with a friendly name.&nbsp;As a co-founder of Warby Parker, Jeff had some experience with D-to-C, but nothing prepared either founder for the rigors of razor research, and the culture shock of partnering with a factory in a remote part of Germany. After weathering a failed merger, Harry’s Inc. has grown into a force in the shaving industry both online and in-store, and has begun expanding into other household products.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Two college-era friends set out to change the face of shaving—and in the process, took on one of the biggest companies in the world. In 2011, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider realized they shared a common frustration with an everyday purchase: razors. Locked behind counters like diamond bracelets, they were inconvenient to buy and expensive to replace, with branding that seemed more suited to James Bond than a regular guy. So Andy and Jeff took on the Goliath of the shaving industry, Gillette—and its parent company, P&G—to launch a direct-to-consumer razor company with a friendly name. As a co-founder of Warby Parker, Jeff had some experience with D-to-C, but nothing prepared either founder for the rigors of razor research, and the culture shock of partnering with a factory in a remote part of Germany. After weathering a failed merger, Harry’s Inc. has grown into a force in the shaving industry both online and in-store, and has begun expanding into other household products. 


This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4583 no Tapping the heat beneath your feet with Kathy Hannun of Dandelion Energy Millions of American households rely on oil for heat. Growing up in New Hampshire, Kathy Hannun was familiar with this decades-old and environmentally-taxing approach. As part of Google’s innovation lab, X, she began unearthing a solution — indeed from underground... This week on How I Built This Lab, Kathy discusses how her company, Dandelion Energy, has made geothermal energy accessible for heating and cooling homes across the northeastern United States. Plus, Kathy explains why widespread adoption of geothermal heat pumps is important if we want to reach our climate goals. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Tapping the heat beneath your feet with Kathy Hannun of Dandelion Energy full 523 Guy Raz | Vox Media Millions of American households rely on oil for heat. Growing up in New Hampshire, Kathy Hannun was familiar with this decades-old and environmentally-taxing approach. As part of Google’s innovation lab, X, she began unearthing a solution — indeed from underground...This week on How I Built This Lab, Kathy discusses how her company, Dandelion Energy, has made geothermal energy accessible for heating and cooling homes across the northeastern United States. Plus, Kathy explains why widespread adoption of geothermal heat pumps is important if we want to reach our climate goals.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Millions of American households rely on oil for heat. Growing up in New Hampshire, Kathy Hannun was familiar with this decades-old and environmentally-taxing approach. As part of Google’s innovation lab, X, she began unearthing a solution — indeed from underground... This week on How I Built This Lab, Kathy discusses how her company, Dandelion Energy, has made geothermal energy accessible for heating and cooling homes across the northeastern United States. Plus, Kathy explains why widespread adoption of geothermal heat pumps is important if we want to reach our climate goals. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Millions of American households rely on oil for heat. Growing up in New Hampshire, Kathy Hannun was familiar with this decades-old and environmentally-taxing approach. As part of Google’s innovation lab, X, she began unearthing a solution — indeed from underground...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Kathy discusses how her company, Dandelion Energy, has made geothermal energy accessible for heating and cooling homes across the northeastern United States. Plus, Kathy explains why widespread adoption of geothermal heat pumps is important if we want to reach our climate goals.


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2132 no Tory Burch: Tory Burch Tory Burch didn’t set out to make her name into a brand; she didn’t even set out to get into fashion. As a matter of fact, she sort of gave up any fashion ambitions when her first designs were rejected by Ralph Lauren. But after noticing there were plenty luxury brands and plenty of affordable brands but nothing in between, Tory began to see a gap that she could fill. She tried to revive a dormant brand from the 1960’s, until one phone call put an end to that idea. So in 2004, with the help of her husband—a fashion entrepreneur in his own right—Tory Burch launched Tory Burch, a lifestyle brand with everything from shoes and swimwear, to handbags and home goods. Despite a rift in the relationship with her husband, that also bled over into the business, Tory has built a global brand with over 300 stores worldwide. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 May 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Tory Burch: Tory Burch full 522 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tory Burch didn’t set out to make her name into a brand; she didn’t even set out to get into fashion. As a matter of fact, she sort of gave up any fashion ambitions when her first designs were rejected by Ralph Lauren. But after noticing there were plenty luxury brands and plenty of affordable brands but nothing in between, Tory began to see a gap that she could fill. She tried to revive a dormant brand from the 1960’s, until one phone call put an end to that idea. So in 2004, with the help of her husband—a fashion entrepreneur in his own right—Tory Burch launched Tory Burch, a lifestyle brand with everything from shoes and swimwear, to handbags and home goods. Despite a rift in the relationship with her husband, that also bled over into the business, Tory has built a global brand with over 300 stores worldwide.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Tory Burch didn’t set out to make her name into a brand; she didn’t even set out to get into fashion. As a matter of fact, she sort of gave up any fashion ambitions when her first designs were rejected by Ralph Lauren. But after noticing there were plenty luxury brands and plenty of affordable brands but nothing in between, Tory began to see a gap that she could fill. She tried to revive a dormant brand from the 1960’s, until one phone call put an end to that idea. So in 2004, with the help of her husband—a fashion entrepreneur in his own right—Tory Burch launched Tory Burch, a lifestyle brand with everything from shoes and swimwear, to handbags and home goods. Despite a rift in the relationship with her husband, that also bled over into the business, Tory has built a global brand with over 300 stores worldwide. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tory Burch didn’t set out to make her name into a brand; she didn’t even set out to get into fashion. As a matter of fact, she sort of gave up any fashion ambitions when her first designs were rejected by Ralph Lauren. But after noticing there were plenty luxury brands and plenty of affordable brands but nothing in between, Tory began to see a gap that she could fill. She tried to revive a dormant brand from the 1960’s, until one phone call put an end to that idea. So in 2004, with the help of her husband—a fashion entrepreneur in his own right—Tory Burch launched Tory Burch, a lifestyle brand with everything from shoes and swimwear, to handbags and home goods. Despite a rift in the relationship with her husband, that also bled over into the business, Tory has built a global brand with over 300 stores worldwide.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4352 no Cultivating a creative community with Tina Roth-Eisenberg of CreativeMornings “Who you hang out with determines what you dream about and what you collide with.” - Seth Godin Yearning to find community as a Swiss transplant in New York City, Tina Roth-Eisenberg was so moved by these words that she transformed an old office into a fresh co-working space for creatives. From that space, Tina would incubate her would-be biggest project yet: CreativeMornings, an event series that brings local creatives together, which has since grown&nbsp;to over 200 chapters around the world&nbsp;And best of all? It’s totally free to attend.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Tina shared how her design career morphed into an unintentional, yet completely inspired path to entrepreneurship that spawned several successful businesses. Plus, she shares her perspectives on why community and collaboration are key when it comes to building new things. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Brian Jarboe. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 May 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Cultivating a creative community with Tina Roth-Eisenberg of CreativeMornings full 521 Guy Raz | Vox Media “Who you hang out with determines what you dream about and what you collide with.” - Seth GodinYearning to find community as a Swiss transplant in New York City, Tina Roth-Eisenberg was so moved by these words that she transformed an old office into a fresh co-working space for creatives. From that space, Tina would incubate her would-be biggest project yet: CreativeMornings, an event series that brings local creatives together, which has since grown to over 200 chapters around the world And best of all? It’s totally free to attend. This week on How I Built This Lab, Tina shared how her design career morphed into an unintentional, yet completely inspired path to entrepreneurship that spawned several successful businesses. Plus, she shares her perspectives on why community and collaboration are key when it comes to building new things.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Brian Jarboe.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. “Who you hang out with determines what you dream about and what you collide with.” - Seth Godin Yearning to find community as a Swiss transplant in New York City, Tina Roth-Eisenberg was so moved by these words that she transformed an old office into a fresh co-working space for creatives. From that space, Tina would incubate her would-be biggest project yet: CreativeMornings, an event series that brings local creatives together, which has since grown&nbsp;to over 200 chapters around the world&nbsp;And best of all? It’s totally free to attend.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Tina shared how her design career morphed into an unintentional, yet completely inspired path to entrepreneurship that spawned several successful businesses. Plus, she shares her perspectives on why community and collaboration are key when it comes to building new things. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Brian Jarboe. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices “Who you hang out with determines what you dream about and what you collide with.” - Seth Godin


Yearning to find community as a Swiss transplant in New York City, Tina Roth-Eisenberg was so moved by these words that she transformed an old office into a fresh co-working space for creatives. From that space, Tina would incubate her would-be biggest project yet: CreativeMornings, an event series that brings local creatives together, which has since grown to over 200 chapters around the world And best of all? It’s totally free to attend. 


This week on How I Built This Lab, Tina shared how her design career morphed into an unintentional, yet completely inspired path to entrepreneurship that spawned several successful businesses. Plus, she shares her perspectives on why community and collaboration are key when it comes to building new things.



This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Brian Jarboe.



You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2731 no Chef and Restaurateur: Thomas Keller Thomas Keller is one of the best—and best known—chefs in America, but it took him 40 years to get there. He took a long, winding path through the culinary arts;&nbsp;from whisking his first hollandaise sauce at the Palm Beach Yacht Club, to learning the painstaking art of pastry at one of the finest restaurants in France.&nbsp;He also worked in some of America’s most demanding kitchens, and failed at two of his own restaurants before purchasing The French Laundry in Napa Valley—a place he would transform into an international destination.&nbsp;Thomas has grown his business to include 10 restaurants and bakeries, and is one of the few chefs to hold three Michelin stars in two restaurants.&nbsp;He has also mentored countless younger chefs, passing along a lesson that was once taught to him: cooking is nurturing.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000 Chef and Restaurateur: Thomas Keller full 520 Guy Raz | Vox Media Thomas Keller is one of the best—and best known—chefs in America, but it took him 40 years to get there. He took a long, winding path through the culinary arts; from whisking his first hollandaise sauce at the Palm Beach Yacht Club, to learning the painstaking art of pastry at one of the finest restaurants in France. He also worked in some of America’s most demanding kitchens, and failed at two of his own restaurants before purchasing The French Laundry in Napa Valley—a place he would transform into an international destination. Thomas has grown his business to include 10 restaurants and bakeries, and is one of the few chefs to hold three Michelin stars in two restaurants. He has also mentored countless younger chefs, passing along a lesson that was once taught to him: cooking is nurturing. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Thomas Keller is one of the best—and best known—chefs in America, but it took him 40 years to get there. He took a long, winding path through the culinary arts;&nbsp;from whisking his first hollandaise sauce at the Palm Beach Yacht Club, to learning the painstaking art of pastry at one of the finest restaurants in France.&nbsp;He also worked in some of America’s most demanding kitchens, and failed at two of his own restaurants before purchasing The French Laundry in Napa Valley—a place he would transform into an international destination.&nbsp;Thomas has grown his business to include 10 restaurants and bakeries, and is one of the few chefs to hold three Michelin stars in two restaurants.&nbsp;He has also mentored countless younger chefs, passing along a lesson that was once taught to him: cooking is nurturing.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thomas Keller is one of the best—and best known—chefs in America, but it took him 40 years to get there. He took a long, winding path through the culinary arts; from whisking his first hollandaise sauce at the Palm Beach Yacht Club, to learning the painstaking art of pastry at one of the finest restaurants in France. He also worked in some of America’s most demanding kitchens, and failed at two of his own restaurants before purchasing The French Laundry in Napa Valley—a place he would transform into an international destination. Thomas has grown his business to include 10 restaurants and bakeries, and is one of the few chefs to hold three Michelin stars in two restaurants. He has also mentored countless younger chefs, passing along a lesson that was once taught to him: cooking is nurturing. 


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4714 no HIBT Lab! Google: Sundar Pichai (2022) Drive. Docs. Chrome. Maps. Gmail. Android. What do these products have in common? Of course, they’re all Google, but what you may not know is that they all came to fruition under the management of the same person: Sundar Pichai. This track record in product development ultimately landed Sundar the CEO role at one of the biggest, most innovative companies in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Sundar reflects on the unique journey that led him to Google, and the values that inspire and drive his leadership today. He and Guy also discuss Google’s recent advances in artificial intelligence, and how the company is reimagining the workplace as offices across the globe reopen. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 May 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Google: Sundar Pichai (2022) full 519 Guy Raz | Vox Media Drive. Docs. Chrome. Maps. Gmail. Android. What do these products have in common? Of course, they’re all Google, but what you may not know is that they all came to fruition under the management of the same person: Sundar Pichai. This track record in product development ultimately landed Sundar the CEO role at one of the biggest, most innovative companies in the world.  This week on How I Built This Lab, Sundar reflects on the unique journey that led him to Google, and the values that inspire and drive his leadership today. He and Guy also discuss Google’s recent advances in artificial intelligence, and how the company is reimagining the workplace as offices across the globe reopen.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by John Isabella.Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Drive. Docs. Chrome. Maps. Gmail. Android. What do these products have in common? Of course, they’re all Google, but what you may not know is that they all came to fruition under the management of the same person: Sundar Pichai. This track record in product development ultimately landed Sundar the CEO role at one of the biggest, most innovative companies in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Sundar reflects on the unique journey that led him to Google, and the values that inspire and drive his leadership today. He and Guy also discuss Google’s recent advances in artificial intelligence, and how the company is reimagining the workplace as offices across the globe reopen. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Drive. Docs. Chrome. Maps. Gmail. Android. What do these products have in common? Of course, they’re all Google, but what you may not know is that they all came to fruition under the management of the same person: Sundar Pichai. This track record in product development ultimately landed Sundar the CEO role at one of the biggest, most innovative companies in the world.  

This week on How I Built This Lab, Sundar reflects on the unique journey that led him to Google, and the values that inspire and drive his leadership today. He and Guy also discuss Google’s recent advances in artificial intelligence, and how the company is reimagining the workplace as offices across the globe reopen.

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by John Isabella.

Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2423 no Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain.&nbsp;As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly.&nbsp;Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has 40 locations across the country and a revenue of over $300 million, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 May 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League full 518 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain. As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has 40 locations across the country and a revenue of over $300 million, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain.&nbsp;As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly.&nbsp;Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has 40 locations across the country and a revenue of over $300 million, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain. As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has 40 locations across the country and a revenue of over $300 million, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic.


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4893 no HIBT Lab! Cotopaxi: Davis Smith Davis Smith has spent the last nine years building the outdoor gear and clothing brand, Cotopaxi. The company’s slogan, Gear for Good, encapsulates everything about the way they do business, from using recycled and remnant materials to donating a portion of their revenue to nonprofits that fight poverty. It’s a story that Davis told when he was first on How I Built This in 2020. This week on How I Built This Lab, Davis returns to give Guy an update on how Cotopaxi weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and transitioned to a remote-first workplace. Plus, why Davis is stepping down from his role as CEO to pursue another passion: serving his church for three years as a mission leader in Brazil.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 May 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Cotopaxi: Davis Smith full 517 Guy Raz | Vox Media Davis Smith has spent the last nine years building the outdoor gear and clothing brand, Cotopaxi. The company’s slogan, Gear for Good, encapsulates everything about the way they do business, from using recycled and remnant materials to donating a portion of their revenue to nonprofits that fight poverty. It’s a story that Davis told when he was first on How I Built This in 2020.This week on How I Built This Lab, Davis returns to give Guy an update on how Cotopaxi weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and transitioned to a remote-first workplace. Plus, why Davis is stepping down from his role as CEO to pursue another passion: serving his church for three years as a mission leader in Brazil. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Davis Smith has spent the last nine years building the outdoor gear and clothing brand, Cotopaxi. The company’s slogan, Gear for Good, encapsulates everything about the way they do business, from using recycled and remnant materials to donating a portion of their revenue to nonprofits that fight poverty. It’s a story that Davis told when he was first on How I Built This in 2020. This week on How I Built This Lab, Davis returns to give Guy an update on how Cotopaxi weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and transitioned to a remote-first workplace. Plus, why Davis is stepping down from his role as CEO to pursue another passion: serving his church for three years as a mission leader in Brazil.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Davis Smith has spent the last nine years building the outdoor gear and clothing brand, Cotopaxi. The company’s slogan, Gear for Good, encapsulates everything about the way they do business, from using recycled and remnant materials to donating a portion of their revenue to nonprofits that fight poverty. It’s a story that Davis told when he was first on How I Built This in 2020.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Davis returns to give Guy an update on how Cotopaxi weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and transitioned to a remote-first workplace. Plus, why Davis is stepping down from his role as CEO to pursue another passion: serving his church for three years as a mission leader in Brazil. 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2924 no Mielle Organics: Monique Rodriguez For Monique Rodriguez, hair care was a hobby; she never thought she could build a business. In fact, after high school, Monique followed her mother’s advice to find a solid, recession-proof career, and she went into nursing. However, Monique realized it was not for her, and she pursued side gigs selling everything from Mary Kay to cable subscriptions. But when a devastating loss turned Monique’s world upside down, she found joy in her hobby. What started as Monique’s homegrown haircare experiments posted on Instagram eventually became Mielle Organics, a line of products made for textured hair with natural and organic ingredients. Educating herself through internet research, going to trade shows and conferences, and learning from some big mistakes, Monique and her husband Melvin turned her hobby into a massive global haircare and beauty brand. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 May 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Mielle Organics: Monique Rodriguez full 516 Guy Raz | Vox Media For Monique Rodriguez, hair care was a hobby; she never thought she could build a business. In fact, after high school, Monique followed her mother’s advice to find a solid, recession-proof career, and she went into nursing. However, Monique realized it was not for her, and she pursued side gigs selling everything from Mary Kay to cable subscriptions. But when a devastating loss turned Monique’s world upside down, she found joy in her hobby. What started as Monique’s homegrown haircare experiments posted on Instagram eventually became Mielle Organics, a line of products made for textured hair with natural and organic ingredients. Educating herself through internet research, going to trade shows and conferences, and learning from some big mistakes, Monique and her husband Melvin turned her hobby into a massive global haircare and beauty brand.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Alex Cheng.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. For Monique Rodriguez, hair care was a hobby; she never thought she could build a business. In fact, after high school, Monique followed her mother’s advice to find a solid, recession-proof career, and she went into nursing. However, Monique realized it was not for her, and she pursued side gigs selling everything from Mary Kay to cable subscriptions. But when a devastating loss turned Monique’s world upside down, she found joy in her hobby. What started as Monique’s homegrown haircare experiments posted on Instagram eventually became Mielle Organics, a line of products made for textured hair with natural and organic ingredients. Educating herself through internet research, going to trade shows and conferences, and learning from some big mistakes, Monique and her husband Melvin turned her hobby into a massive global haircare and beauty brand. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices For Monique Rodriguez, hair care was a hobby; she never thought she could build a business. In fact, after high school, Monique followed her mother’s advice to find a solid, recession-proof career, and she went into nursing. However, Monique realized it was not for her, and she pursued side gigs selling everything from Mary Kay to cable subscriptions. But when a devastating loss turned Monique’s world upside down, she found joy in her hobby. What started as Monique’s homegrown haircare experiments posted on Instagram eventually became Mielle Organics, a line of products made for textured hair with natural and organic ingredients. Educating herself through internet research, going to trade shows and conferences, and learning from some big mistakes, Monique and her husband Melvin turned her hobby into a massive global haircare and beauty brand.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Alex Cheng.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4474 no HIBT Lab! Landed: Alex Lofton Pricey down payments have put homeownership out of reach for many Americans, especially those who don’t have access to intergenerational wealth. This issue is particularly acute in cities, where the salaries of essential workers like educators, healthcare professionals, and municipal service providers haven’t kept pace with skyrocketing home values.&nbsp;&nbsp; An introductory finance course got Alex Lofton thinking about his own experience with this issue — and creative ways to address it. In 2015, he and two co-founders launched Landed, a for-profit company that offers down payment assistance in exchange for a share in a home’s eventual appreciation. This week on How I Built This Lab, Alex talks with Guy about his company’s work to help more Americans build wealth by purchasing homes. Alex also recounts how working for the Obama for America campaign in 2008 influenced his approach to organizational leadership, plus he and Guy discuss the potential consequences of capitalism unchecked.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 May 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Landed: Alex Lofton full 515 Guy Raz | Vox Media Pricey down payments have put homeownership out of reach for many Americans, especially those who don’t have access to intergenerational wealth. This issue is particularly acute in cities, where the salaries of essential workers like educators, healthcare professionals, and municipal service providers haven’t kept pace with skyrocketing home values.  An introductory finance course got Alex Lofton thinking about his own experience with this issue — and creative ways to address it. In 2015, he and two co-founders launched Landed, a for-profit company that offers down payment assistance in exchange for a share in a home’s eventual appreciation.This week on How I Built This Lab, Alex talks with Guy about his company’s work to help more Americans build wealth by purchasing homes. Alex also recounts how working for the Obama for America campaign in 2008 influenced his approach to organizational leadership, plus he and Guy discuss the potential consequences of capitalism unchecked. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Pricey down payments have put homeownership out of reach for many Americans, especially those who don’t have access to intergenerational wealth. This issue is particularly acute in cities, where the salaries of essential workers like educators, healthcare professionals, and municipal service providers haven’t kept pace with skyrocketing home values.&nbsp;&nbsp; An introductory finance course got Alex Lofton thinking about his own experience with this issue — and creative ways to address it. In 2015, he and two co-founders launched Landed, a for-profit company that offers down payment assistance in exchange for a share in a home’s eventual appreciation. This week on How I Built This Lab, Alex talks with Guy about his company’s work to help more Americans build wealth by purchasing homes. Alex also recounts how working for the Obama for America campaign in 2008 influenced his approach to organizational leadership, plus he and Guy discuss the potential consequences of capitalism unchecked.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Pricey down payments have put homeownership out of reach for many Americans, especially those who don’t have access to intergenerational wealth. This issue is particularly acute in cities, where the salaries of essential workers like educators, healthcare professionals, and municipal service providers haven’t kept pace with skyrocketing home values.  

An introductory finance course got Alex Lofton thinking about his own experience with this issue — and creative ways to address it. In 2015, he and two co-founders launched Landed, a for-profit company that offers down payment assistance in exchange for a share in a home’s eventual appreciation.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Alex talks with Guy about his company’s work to help more Americans build wealth by purchasing homes. Alex also recounts how working for the Obama for America campaign in 2008 influenced his approach to organizational leadership, plus he and Guy discuss the potential consequences of capitalism unchecked. 

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Katherine Silva.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2801 no Hinge: Justin McLeod (2021) In 2010, Justin McLeod was in business school, still trying to get over a bad breakup that had happened years before. Determined to solve his own problem and convinced that the best way to meet people was through friends of friends, he built an app to replicate that experience. Gradually, Hinge grew into a streamlined swiping platform that yielded mixed results: good dates, bad hookups, mismatched swipes, and missed opportunities. Disappointed with this outcome and inspired by a sudden twist in his own love life, Justin redesigned Hinge as an app for finding meaningful relationships, with the tag line "designed to be deleted." Today, Hinge is owned by Match Group and is one of the most popular dating apps in the U.S. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 May 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Hinge: Justin McLeod (2021) full 514 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, Justin McLeod was in business school, still trying to get over a bad breakup that had happened years before. Determined to solve his own problem and convinced that the best way to meet people was through friends of friends, he built an app to replicate that experience. Gradually, Hinge grew into a streamlined swiping platform that yielded mixed results: good dates, bad hookups, mismatched swipes, and missed opportunities. Disappointed with this outcome and inspired by a sudden twist in his own love life, Justin redesigned Hinge as an app for finding meaningful relationships, with the tag line "designed to be deleted." Today, Hinge is owned by Match Group and is one of the most popular dating apps in the U.S.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 2010, Justin McLeod was in business school, still trying to get over a bad breakup that had happened years before. Determined to solve his own problem and convinced that the best way to meet people was through friends of friends, he built an app to replicate that experience. Gradually, Hinge grew into a streamlined swiping platform that yielded mixed results: good dates, bad hookups, mismatched swipes, and missed opportunities. Disappointed with this outcome and inspired by a sudden twist in his own love life, Justin redesigned Hinge as an app for finding meaningful relationships, with the tag line "designed to be deleted." Today, Hinge is owned by Match Group and is one of the most popular dating apps in the U.S. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2010, Justin McLeod was in business school, still trying to get over a bad breakup that had happened years before. Determined to solve his own problem and convinced that the best way to meet people was through friends of friends, he built an app to replicate that experience. Gradually, Hinge grew into a streamlined swiping platform that yielded mixed results: good dates, bad hookups, mismatched swipes, and missed opportunities. Disappointed with this outcome and inspired by a sudden twist in his own love life, Justin redesigned Hinge as an app for finding meaningful relationships, with the tag line "designed to be deleted." Today, Hinge is owned by Match Group and is one of the most popular dating apps in the U.S.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5727 no HIBT Lab! Babcock Ranch: Syd Kitson What would it take to build America’s first solar-powered town? What about a town that could withstand a direct hit from a hurricane? In the early 2000s, Syd Kitson, a former NFL football player and real estate developer, set out to do both at the same time. The result was a community in southwest Florida called Babcock Ranch. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Syd about how he negotiated the purchase of a 91,000 acre parcel of land, conserved 80% as a nature preserve, and developed the remainder into an innovative planned community. Plus, how advance planning enabled Babcock Ranch to survive Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm in 2022, with minimal damage. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Apr 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Babcock Ranch: Syd Kitson full 513 Guy Raz | Vox Media What would it take to build America’s first solar-powered town? What about a town that could withstand a direct hit from a hurricane? In the early 2000s, Syd Kitson, a former NFL football player and real estate developer, set out to do both at the same time. The result was a community in southwest Florida called Babcock Ranch.This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Syd about how he negotiated the purchase of a 91,000 acre parcel of land, conserved 80% as a nature preserve, and developed the remainder into an innovative planned community. Plus, how advance planning enabled Babcock Ranch to survive Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm in 2022, with minimal damage.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. What would it take to build America’s first solar-powered town? What about a town that could withstand a direct hit from a hurricane? In the early 2000s, Syd Kitson, a former NFL football player and real estate developer, set out to do both at the same time. The result was a community in southwest Florida called Babcock Ranch. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Syd about how he negotiated the purchase of a 91,000 acre parcel of land, conserved 80% as a nature preserve, and developed the remainder into an innovative planned community. Plus, how advance planning enabled Babcock Ranch to survive Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm in 2022, with minimal damage. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices What would it take to build America’s first solar-powered town? What about a town that could withstand a direct hit from a hurricane? In the early 2000s, Syd Kitson, a former NFL football player and real estate developer, set out to do both at the same time. The result was a community in southwest Florida called Babcock Ranch.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Syd about how he negotiated the purchase of a 91,000 acre parcel of land, conserved 80% as a nature preserve, and developed the remainder into an innovative planned community. Plus, how advance planning enabled Babcock Ranch to survive Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm in 2022, with minimal damage.

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was James Willetts.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2628 no Suitsupply: Fokke de Jong When Fokke de Jong started selling suits out of his dorm room in Amsterdam in the late 90's, he wasn’t planning on becoming the next Tom Ford—he just wanted to supply luxury suits at an affordable price. But he was so successful that around 2000, Suitsupply went from his side hustle to his full-time gig. Fokke sourced the best fabrics and production in Italy, and grew the business by selling his wares online long before that was the norm. Suitsupply thrived on Fokke's unorthodox ideas, like when he opened his first physical shop by the side of a highway, or when he goaded competition into suing him over ads. By 2011, Suitsupply had grown beyond Holland, opening stores in cities like London, Milan, and New York. Today, they have over 150 locations worldwide. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Apr 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Suitsupply: Fokke de Jong full 512 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Fokke de Jong started selling suits out of his dorm room in Amsterdam in the late 90's, he wasn’t planning on becoming the next Tom Ford—he just wanted to supply luxury suits at an affordable price. But he was so successful that around 2000, Suitsupply went from his side hustle to his full-time gig. Fokke sourced the best fabrics and production in Italy, and grew the business by selling his wares online long before that was the norm. Suitsupply thrived on Fokke's unorthodox ideas, like when he opened his first physical shop by the side of a highway, or when he goaded competition into suing him over ads. By 2011, Suitsupply had grown beyond Holland, opening stores in cities like London, Milan, and New York. Today, they have over 150 locations worldwide.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Casey Herman, with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Fokke de Jong started selling suits out of his dorm room in Amsterdam in the late 90's, he wasn’t planning on becoming the next Tom Ford—he just wanted to supply luxury suits at an affordable price. But he was so successful that around 2000, Suitsupply went from his side hustle to his full-time gig. Fokke sourced the best fabrics and production in Italy, and grew the business by selling his wares online long before that was the norm. Suitsupply thrived on Fokke's unorthodox ideas, like when he opened his first physical shop by the side of a highway, or when he goaded competition into suing him over ads. By 2011, Suitsupply had grown beyond Holland, opening stores in cities like London, Milan, and New York. Today, they have over 150 locations worldwide. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Fokke de Jong started selling suits out of his dorm room in Amsterdam in the late 90's, he wasn’t planning on becoming the next Tom Ford—he just wanted to supply luxury suits at an affordable price. But he was so successful that around 2000, Suitsupply went from his side hustle to his full-time gig. Fokke sourced the best fabrics and production in Italy, and grew the business by selling his wares online long before that was the norm. Suitsupply thrived on Fokke's unorthodox ideas, like when he opened his first physical shop by the side of a highway, or when he goaded competition into suing him over ads. By 2011, Suitsupply had grown beyond Holland, opening stores in cities like London, Milan, and New York. Today, they have over 150 locations worldwide.


This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Casey Herman, with research help from Sam Paulson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4904 no HIBT Lab! Hevesh5: Lily Hevesh Lily Hevesh never could have imagined that the videos of domino tricks she started posting for fun at 10 years old would eventually evolve into a thriving business. Fast forward to today and Lily’s YouTube channel, Hevesh5, has almost 4 million subscribers. Her videos, which showcase the toppling of countless intricately designed domino setups, have more than a billion views and counting... This week on How I Built This Lab, Lily recalls her path to becoming one of the best-known domino artists in the world. Plus, more on Lily’s recent expansion beyond digital creation — launching her own line of dominoes and starting her own agency to take on large-scale domino projects. Also, Lily explains why she will prioritize her craft over business objectives as she looks to the future.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Hevesh5: Lily Hevesh full 511 Guy Raz | Vox Media Lily Hevesh never could have imagined that the videos of domino tricks she started posting for fun at 10 years old would eventually evolve into a thriving business.Fast forward to today and Lily’s YouTube channel, Hevesh5, has almost 4 million subscribers. Her videos, which showcase the toppling of countless intricately designed domino setups, have more than a billion views and counting...This week on How I Built This Lab, Lily recalls her path to becoming one of the best-known domino artists in the world. Plus, more on Lily’s recent expansion beyond digital creation — launching her own line of dominoes and starting her own agency to take on large-scale domino projects. Also, Lily explains why she will prioritize her craft over business objectives as she looks to the future. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Lily Hevesh never could have imagined that the videos of domino tricks she started posting for fun at 10 years old would eventually evolve into a thriving business. Fast forward to today and Lily’s YouTube channel, Hevesh5, has almost 4 million subscribers. Her videos, which showcase the toppling of countless intricately designed domino setups, have more than a billion views and counting... This week on How I Built This Lab, Lily recalls her path to becoming one of the best-known domino artists in the world. Plus, more on Lily’s recent expansion beyond digital creation — launching her own line of dominoes and starting her own agency to take on large-scale domino projects. Also, Lily explains why she will prioritize her craft over business objectives as she looks to the future.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Lily Hevesh never could have imagined that the videos of domino tricks she started posting for fun at 10 years old would eventually evolve into a thriving business.

Fast forward to today and Lily’s YouTube channel, Hevesh5, has almost 4 million subscribers. Her videos, which showcase the toppling of countless intricately designed domino setups, have more than a billion views and counting...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Lily recalls her path to becoming one of the best-known domino artists in the world. Plus, more on Lily’s recent expansion beyond digital creation — launching her own line of dominoes and starting her own agency to take on large-scale domino projects. Also, Lily explains why she will prioritize her craft over business objectives as she looks to the future. 

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2738 no Manduka: Peter Sterios Peter Sterios discovered yoga by accident when he was in college, and wound up—also by accident—launching a multimillion-dollar business around it. He used yoga to ease neck strain and loosen his hamstrings, but eventually became a serious practitioner and teacher, running his own studio in central California. In the late 1990’s, before the proliferation of yoga brands, Peter came across a mat that was thicker and more durable than any he’d seen.&nbsp;He anticipated there would be growing demand for quality yoga gear, and decided to take a risk: ordering $25,000-worth of mats to store in his garage and sell to yoga studios and students. Over the years, he grew the business by targeting prominent yoga teachers who became IRL influencers, effectively spreading the mat by spreading the mat.&nbsp;Despite early cash flow issues and many personal challenges, Peter helped grow Manduka into one of the best known yoga accessory brands in the U.S. This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Apr 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Manduka: Peter Sterios full 510 Guy Raz | Vox Media Peter Sterios discovered yoga by accident when he was in college, and wound up—also by accident—launching a multimillion-dollar business around it. He used yoga to ease neck strain and loosen his hamstrings, but eventually became a serious practitioner and teacher, running his own studio in central California. In the late 1990’s, before the proliferation of yoga brands, Peter came across a mat that was thicker and more durable than any he’d seen. He anticipated there would be growing demand for quality yoga gear, and decided to take a risk: ordering $25,000-worth of mats to store in his garage and sell to yoga studios and students. Over the years, he grew the business by targeting prominent yoga teachers who became IRL influencers, effectively spreading the mat by spreading the mat. Despite early cash flow issues and many personal challenges, Peter helped grow Manduka into one of the best known yoga accessory brands in the U.S.This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Peter Sterios discovered yoga by accident when he was in college, and wound up—also by accident—launching a multimillion-dollar business around it. He used yoga to ease neck strain and loosen his hamstrings, but eventually became a serious practitioner and teacher, running his own studio in central California. In the late 1990’s, before the proliferation of yoga brands, Peter came across a mat that was thicker and more durable than any he’d seen.&nbsp;He anticipated there would be growing demand for quality yoga gear, and decided to take a risk: ordering $25,000-worth of mats to store in his garage and sell to yoga studios and students. Over the years, he grew the business by targeting prominent yoga teachers who became IRL influencers, effectively spreading the mat by spreading the mat.&nbsp;Despite early cash flow issues and many personal challenges, Peter helped grow Manduka into one of the best known yoga accessory brands in the U.S. This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Peter Sterios discovered yoga by accident when he was in college, and wound up—also by accident—launching a multimillion-dollar business around it. He used yoga to ease neck strain and loosen his hamstrings, but eventually became a serious practitioner and teacher, running his own studio in central California. In the late 1990’s, before the proliferation of yoga brands, Peter came across a mat that was thicker and more durable than any he’d seen. He anticipated there would be growing demand for quality yoga gear, and decided to take a risk: ordering $25,000-worth of mats to store in his garage and sell to yoga studios and students. Over the years, he grew the business by targeting prominent yoga teachers who became IRL influencers, effectively spreading the mat by spreading the mat. Despite early cash flow issues and many personal challenges, Peter helped grow Manduka into one of the best known yoga accessory brands in the U.S.


This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4400 no HIBT Lab! Ursa Major: Joe Laurienti Joe Laurienti, a former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineer, launched Ursa Major in 2015 with the idea that 3D printing could revolutionize the production of rocket engines. The timing was right: Russia had invaded Crimea the previous year. American sanctions and strained political relationships threatened the supply of Russian rocket engines, which the U.S. had relied on for space missions since the end of the Cold War. American companies like Ursa Major have now begun providing rocket engines for both government and private space endeavors.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Joe talks with Guy about the journey of launching and scaling a multimillion dollar aerospace company. Plus, how Joe has dealt with the infamous “startup valley of death” and how Ursa Major’s engines are helping the U.S. catch up to Russia and China in the development of hypersonic weapons.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Apr 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Ursa Major: Joe Laurienti full 509 Guy Raz | Vox Media Joe Laurienti, a former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineer, launched Ursa Major in 2015 with the idea that 3D printing could revolutionize the production of rocket engines.The timing was right: Russia had invaded Crimea the previous year. American sanctions and strained political relationships threatened the supply of Russian rocket engines, which the U.S. had relied on for space missions since the end of the Cold War. American companies like Ursa Major have now begun providing rocket engines for both government and private space endeavors. This week on How I Built This Lab, Joe talks with Guy about the journey of launching and scaling a multimillion dollar aerospace company. Plus, how Joe has dealt with the infamous “startup valley of death” and how Ursa Major’s engines are helping the U.S. catch up to Russia and China in the development of hypersonic weapons. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Joe Laurienti, a former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineer, launched Ursa Major in 2015 with the idea that 3D printing could revolutionize the production of rocket engines. The timing was right: Russia had invaded Crimea the previous year. American sanctions and strained political relationships threatened the supply of Russian rocket engines, which the U.S. had relied on for space missions since the end of the Cold War. American companies like Ursa Major have now begun providing rocket engines for both government and private space endeavors.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Joe talks with Guy about the journey of launching and scaling a multimillion dollar aerospace company. Plus, how Joe has dealt with the infamous “startup valley of death” and how Ursa Major’s engines are helping the U.S. catch up to Russia and China in the development of hypersonic weapons.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Joe Laurienti, a former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineer, launched Ursa Major in 2015 with the idea that 3D printing could revolutionize the production of rocket engines.

The timing was right: Russia had invaded Crimea the previous year. American sanctions and strained political relationships threatened the supply of Russian rocket engines, which the U.S. had relied on for space missions since the end of the Cold War. American companies like Ursa Major have now begun providing rocket engines for both government and private space endeavors. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Joe talks with Guy about the journey of launching and scaling a multimillion dollar aerospace company. Plus, how Joe has dealt with the infamous “startup valley of death” and how Ursa Major’s engines are helping the U.S. catch up to Russia and China in the development of hypersonic weapons. 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2559 no Halo Top Ice Cream: Justin Woolverton In one of the most remarkable feats ever performed by a frozen dessert, Halo Top ice cream became the best-selling pint in America just six years after launch. Its founder Justin Woolverton was a frustrated lawyer who developed the recipe in his Cuisinart, mixing Stevia, egg whites and fruit into a low-calorie treat that tasted good enough to sell. Many recipes later—some runny, some rock-hard—Justin got the ice cream into stores; and soon, social media was flooded with images of people polishing off the 300-calorie pints.&nbsp;After outselling Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s in 2017, Halo Top’s charisma faded, and a slew of new competitors entered the field. In 2019, Justin sold the company for an undisclosed amount, and now enjoys his ice cream at a less frenetic pace.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Apr 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Halo Top Ice Cream: Justin Woolverton full 508 Guy Raz | Vox Media In one of the most remarkable feats ever performed by a frozen dessert, Halo Top ice cream became the best-selling pint in America just six years after launch. Its founder Justin Woolverton was a frustrated lawyer who developed the recipe in his Cuisinart, mixing Stevia, egg whites and fruit into a low-calorie treat that tasted good enough to sell. Many recipes later—some runny, some rock-hard—Justin got the ice cream into stores; and soon, social media was flooded with images of people polishing off the 300-calorie pints. After outselling Häagen-Dazs and Ben &amp; Jerry’s in 2017, Halo Top’s charisma faded, and a slew of new competitors entered the field. In 2019, Justin sold the company for an undisclosed amount, and now enjoys his ice cream at a less frenetic pace. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In one of the most remarkable feats ever performed by a frozen dessert, Halo Top ice cream became the best-selling pint in America just six years after launch. Its founder Justin Woolverton was a frustrated lawyer who developed the recipe in his Cuisinart, mixing Stevia, egg whites and fruit into a low-calorie treat that tasted good enough to sell. Many recipes later—some runny, some rock-hard—Justin got the ice cream into stores; and soon, social media was flooded with images of people polishing off the 300-calorie pints.&nbsp;After outselling Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s in 2017, Halo Top’s charisma faded, and a slew of new competitors entered the field. In 2019, Justin sold the company for an undisclosed amount, and now enjoys his ice cream at a less frenetic pace.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In one of the most remarkable feats ever performed by a frozen dessert, Halo Top ice cream became the best-selling pint in America just six years after launch. Its founder Justin Woolverton was a frustrated lawyer who developed the recipe in his Cuisinart, mixing Stevia, egg whites and fruit into a low-calorie treat that tasted good enough to sell. Many recipes later—some runny, some rock-hard—Justin got the ice cream into stores; and soon, social media was flooded with images of people polishing off the 300-calorie pints. After outselling Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s in 2017, Halo Top’s charisma faded, and a slew of new competitors entered the field. In 2019, Justin sold the company for an undisclosed amount, and now enjoys his ice cream at a less frenetic pace. 


This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4708 no HIBT Lab! New Culture: Matt Gibson and Inja Radman It’s hard not to love cheese: feta, brie, gruyère, parmesan, pepper jack, mozzarella, asiago...it’s all delicious! But there’s a downside — cheese production is quite taxing on the environment, with dairy cows being one of the leading contributors to carbon emissions worldwide.&nbsp; That’s where Matt Gibson and Inja Radman step in. They’re the founders of New Culture, a company developing real dairy cheese, but without using cows or any other animal product.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Matt and Inja discuss their innovative and sustainable approach to cheese-making, and the partnerships they’ve secured with major food distributors to roll out their product starting next year. Plus, we hear how Matt and Inja first connected on LinkedIn, deciding to launch a company together from across the world before ever meeting in person.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Apr 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! New Culture: Matt Gibson and Inja Radman full 507 Guy Raz | Vox Media It’s hard not to love cheese: feta, brie, gruyère, parmesan, pepper jack, mozzarella, asiago...it’s all delicious! But there’s a downside — cheese production is quite taxing on the environment, with dairy cows being one of the leading contributors to carbon emissions worldwide. That’s where Matt Gibson and Inja Radman step in. They’re the founders of New Culture, a company developing real dairy cheese, but without using cows or any other animal product. This week on How I Built This Lab, Matt and Inja discuss their innovative and sustainable approach to cheese-making, and the partnerships they’ve secured with major food distributors to roll out their product starting next year. Plus, we hear how Matt and Inja first connected on LinkedIn, deciding to launch a company together from across the world before ever meeting in person. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. It’s hard not to love cheese: feta, brie, gruyère, parmesan, pepper jack, mozzarella, asiago...it’s all delicious! But there’s a downside — cheese production is quite taxing on the environment, with dairy cows being one of the leading contributors to carbon emissions worldwide.&nbsp; That’s where Matt Gibson and Inja Radman step in. They’re the founders of New Culture, a company developing real dairy cheese, but without using cows or any other animal product.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Matt and Inja discuss their innovative and sustainable approach to cheese-making, and the partnerships they’ve secured with major food distributors to roll out their product starting next year. Plus, we hear how Matt and Inja first connected on LinkedIn, deciding to launch a company together from across the world before ever meeting in person.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices It’s hard not to love cheese: feta, brie, gruyère, parmesan, pepper jack, mozzarella, asiago...it’s all delicious! But there’s a downside — cheese production is quite taxing on the environment, with dairy cows being one of the leading contributors to carbon emissions worldwide. 

That’s where Matt Gibson and Inja Radman step in. They’re the founders of New Culture, a company developing real dairy cheese, but without using cows or any other animal product. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Matt and Inja discuss their innovative and sustainable approach to cheese-making, and the partnerships they’ve secured with major food distributors to roll out their product starting next year. Plus, we hear how Matt and Inja first connected on LinkedIn, deciding to launch a company together from across the world before ever meeting in person. 


This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2503 no Orangetheory Fitness: Ellen Latham Ellen Latham would probably have been happy teaching classes at her popular fitness studio in south Florida until she turned ninety. After being fired from her dream job as a spa director, she’d found stability with her own small business, and began developing a workout program that incorporated strength and cardio for all fitness levels.&nbsp;But then, well into her fifties, Ellen was offered an unexpected opportunity for a second act beyond anything she had imagined. With two partners, she grew her workout concept into Orangetheory Fitness, a franchise that today has over 1,500 locations around the world.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Apr 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Orangetheory Fitness: Ellen Latham full 506 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ellen Latham would probably have been happy teaching classes at her popular fitness studio in south Florida until she turned ninety. After being fired from her dream job as a spa director, she’d found stability with her own small business, and began developing a workout program that incorporated strength and cardio for all fitness levels. But then, well into her fifties, Ellen was offered an unexpected opportunity for a second act beyond anything she had imagined. With two partners, she grew her workout concept into Orangetheory Fitness, a franchise that today has over 1,500 locations around the world. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Ellen Latham would probably have been happy teaching classes at her popular fitness studio in south Florida until she turned ninety. After being fired from her dream job as a spa director, she’d found stability with her own small business, and began developing a workout program that incorporated strength and cardio for all fitness levels.&nbsp;But then, well into her fifties, Ellen was offered an unexpected opportunity for a second act beyond anything she had imagined. With two partners, she grew her workout concept into Orangetheory Fitness, a franchise that today has over 1,500 locations around the world.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Ellen Latham would probably have been happy teaching classes at her popular fitness studio in south Florida until she turned ninety. After being fired from her dream job as a spa director, she’d found stability with her own small business, and began developing a workout program that incorporated strength and cardio for all fitness levels. But then, well into her fifties, Ellen was offered an unexpected opportunity for a second act beyond anything she had imagined. With two partners, she grew her workout concept into Orangetheory Fitness, a franchise that today has over 1,500 locations around the world. 


This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4102 no HIBT Lab! Nas Company: Nuseir Yassin In 2016, Nuseir Yassin quit his cushy tech job to embark on a journey around the globe. The idea was simple: post a one-minute video every day for 1,000 days to show the world from his perspective.&nbsp; The execution, of course, was much more challenging... This week on How I Built This Lab, Nuseir recaps his experience building a worldwide following as the creator behind Nas Daily, and how Nas Company has since raised $23 million to build content creation services and software that bring people together. Plus, how Nuseir navigates the self-doubt tied to his Palestinian identity, and why he chooses to spotlight positive stories from around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Mar 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Nas Company: Nuseir Yassin full 505 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2016, Nuseir Yassin quit his cushy tech job to embark on a journey around the globe. The idea was simple: post a one-minute video every day for 1,000 days to show the world from his perspective. The execution, of course, was much more challenging...This week on How I Built This Lab, Nuseir recaps his experience building a worldwide following as the creator behind Nas Daily, and how Nas Company has since raised $23 million to build content creation services and software that bring people together. Plus, how Nuseir navigates the self-doubt tied to his Palestinian identity, and why he chooses to spotlight positive stories from around the world.  This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In 2016, Nuseir Yassin quit his cushy tech job to embark on a journey around the globe. The idea was simple: post a one-minute video every day for 1,000 days to show the world from his perspective.&nbsp; The execution, of course, was much more challenging... This week on How I Built This Lab, Nuseir recaps his experience building a worldwide following as the creator behind Nas Daily, and how Nas Company has since raised $23 million to build content creation services and software that bring people together. Plus, how Nuseir navigates the self-doubt tied to his Palestinian identity, and why he chooses to spotlight positive stories from around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2016, Nuseir Yassin quit his cushy tech job to embark on a journey around the globe. The idea was simple: post a one-minute video every day for 1,000 days to show the world from his perspective. 

The execution, of course, was much more challenging...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Nuseir recaps his experience building a worldwide following as the creator behind Nas Daily, and how Nas Company has since raised $23 million to build content creation services and software that bring people together. Plus, how Nuseir navigates the self-doubt tied to his Palestinian identity, and why he chooses to spotlight positive stories from around the world.  


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson and edited by John Isabella, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2887 no Twilio: Jeff Lawson When Jeff Lawson co-founded Twilio in 2008, he had already been through a series of start-ups.&nbsp;Some succeeded, others fizzled out—but each provided insights that led him to build one of the most extensive communication platforms in business.&nbsp;Fueled by his frustration juggling customer calls while trying to run a surf and skate store in LA, Lawson realized he could use his coding skills and knowledge of cloud computing to help companies connect with customers. Twilio’s early communications technology quickly gained traction with developers at other start-ups like Uber, which used it to text riders that their car had arrived.&nbsp;Despite early skepticism from investors, Twilio eventually grew into a $4 billion business, with customers like Nike, Toyota, OpenAI, and Airbnb.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Mar 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Twilio: Jeff Lawson full 504 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Jeff Lawson co-founded Twilio in 2008, he had already been through a series of start-ups. Some succeeded, others fizzled out—but each provided insights that led him to build one of the most extensive communication platforms in business. Fueled by his frustration juggling customer calls while trying to run a surf and skate store in LA, Lawson realized he could use his coding skills and knowledge of cloud computing to help companies connect with customers. Twilio’s early communications technology quickly gained traction with developers at other start-ups like Uber, which used it to text riders that their car had arrived. Despite early skepticism from investors, Twilio eventually grew into a $4 billion business, with customers like Nike, Toyota, OpenAI, and Airbnb. This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. When Jeff Lawson co-founded Twilio in 2008, he had already been through a series of start-ups.&nbsp;Some succeeded, others fizzled out—but each provided insights that led him to build one of the most extensive communication platforms in business.&nbsp;Fueled by his frustration juggling customer calls while trying to run a surf and skate store in LA, Lawson realized he could use his coding skills and knowledge of cloud computing to help companies connect with customers. Twilio’s early communications technology quickly gained traction with developers at other start-ups like Uber, which used it to text riders that their car had arrived.&nbsp;Despite early skepticism from investors, Twilio eventually grew into a $4 billion business, with customers like Nike, Toyota, OpenAI, and Airbnb.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Jeff Lawson co-founded Twilio in 2008, he had already been through a series of start-ups. Some succeeded, others fizzled out—but each provided insights that led him to build one of the most extensive communication platforms in business. Fueled by his frustration juggling customer calls while trying to run a surf and skate store in LA, Lawson realized he could use his coding skills and knowledge of cloud computing to help companies connect with customers. Twilio’s early communications technology quickly gained traction with developers at other start-ups like Uber, which used it to text riders that their car had arrived. Despite early skepticism from investors, Twilio eventually grew into a $4 billion business, with customers like Nike, Toyota, OpenAI, and Airbnb. 


This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4681 no ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Climeworks: Jan Wurzbacher According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year by 2050.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and CEO of Climeworks. They discuss how Jan and his team built the world’s largest direct air capture facility, which filters carbon dioxide from the air and stores it permanently underground. Plus, Jan’s optimistic vision of how humans can achieve the goal of reversing climate change. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Mar 2023 07:10:00 -0000 ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Climeworks: Jan Wurzbacher full 503 Guy Raz | Vox Media According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year by 2050. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and CEO of Climeworks. They discuss how Jan and his team built the world’s largest direct air capture facility, which filters carbon dioxide from the air and stores it permanently underground. Plus, Jan’s optimistic vision of how humans can achieve the goal of reversing climate change.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by John Isabella.Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year by 2050.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and CEO of Climeworks. They discuss how Jan and his team built the world’s largest direct air capture facility, which filters carbon dioxide from the air and stores it permanently underground. Plus, Jan’s optimistic vision of how humans can achieve the goal of reversing climate change. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year by 2050. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and CEO of Climeworks. They discuss how Jan and his team built the world’s largest direct air capture facility, which filters carbon dioxide from the air and stores it permanently underground. Plus, Jan’s optimistic vision of how humans can achieve the goal of reversing climate change.

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by John Isabella.

Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2571 no Sun Bum: Tom Rinks Tom Rinks not only understands the art of branding, he can explain it with the passion and precision of a master teacher. In 2009, he came up with the look of Sun Bum sunscreen, drawing on influences as disparate as American surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. He then mashed them up into a brand represented by a stone-faced gorilla staring out from a woodgrain background. Within ten years, Sun Bum was acquired by SC Johnson at a reported valuation of $400 million. But even before that, Tom helped launch a wildly diverse range of brands, including a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and even the “Yo quiero Taco Bell” chihuahua campaign. All were huge successes, though it took a five-year legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell mascot. This month, yet another brand he designed—Made by Dentists—launched in 1,800 Target stores across the U.S. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Mar 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Sun Bum: Tom Rinks full 502 Guy Raz | Vox Media Tom Rinks not only understands the art of branding, he can explain it with the passion and precision of a master teacher. In 2009, he came up with the look of Sun Bum sunscreen, drawing on influences as disparate as American surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. He then mashed them up into a brand represented by a stone-faced gorilla staring out from a woodgrain background. Within ten years, Sun Bum was acquired by SC Johnson at a reported valuation of $400 million. But even before that, Tom helped launch a wildly diverse range of brands, including a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and even the “Yo quiero Taco Bell” chihuahua campaign. All were huge successes, though it took a five-year legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell mascot. This month, yet another brand he designed—Made by Dentists—launched in 1,800 Target stores across the U.S.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Tom Rinks not only understands the art of branding, he can explain it with the passion and precision of a master teacher. In 2009, he came up with the look of Sun Bum sunscreen, drawing on influences as disparate as American surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. He then mashed them up into a brand represented by a stone-faced gorilla staring out from a woodgrain background. Within ten years, Sun Bum was acquired by SC Johnson at a reported valuation of $400 million. But even before that, Tom helped launch a wildly diverse range of brands, including a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and even the “Yo quiero Taco Bell” chihuahua campaign. All were huge successes, though it took a five-year legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell mascot. This month, yet another brand he designed—Made by Dentists—launched in 1,800 Target stores across the U.S. This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tom Rinks not only understands the art of branding, he can explain it with the passion and precision of a master teacher. In 2009, he came up with the look of Sun Bum sunscreen, drawing on influences as disparate as American surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. He then mashed them up into a brand represented by a stone-faced gorilla staring out from a woodgrain background. Within ten years, Sun Bum was acquired by SC Johnson at a reported valuation of $400 million. But even before that, Tom helped launch a wildly diverse range of brands, including a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and even the “Yo quiero Taco Bell” chihuahua campaign. All were huge successes, though it took a five-year legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell mascot. This month, yet another brand he designed—Made by Dentists—launched in 1,800 Target stores across the U.S.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4755 no HIBT Lab! Slutty Vegan: Pinky Cole It’s hard to miss a Slutty Vegan when you’re driving past one.&nbsp; No, we’re not talking about a person… We’re talking about a fast-casual burger chain — and a vegan one at that!&nbsp; Since launching Slutty Vegan in 2017, Pinky has seen her plant-based brand through several iterations: a ghost kitchen, then a food truck, then eventually several brick and mortar locations that continue to pop up across the east coast. And with a valuation of $100 million and expansion into other sectors, Pinky is only getting started...&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Pinky talks with Guy about her journey as a TV producer-turned-restaurateur, and how Slutty Vegan is a prime example of Seth Godin’s Purple Cow theory: companies must build things worth noticing into their products and services. Plus, Pinky reflects on her roots, sharing the valuable lessons about discipline and work ethic that she learned from her parents.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Mar 2023 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Slutty Vegan: Pinky Cole full 501 Guy Raz | Vox Media It’s hard to miss a Slutty Vegan when you’re driving past one. No, we’re not talking about a person… We’re talking about a fast-casual burger chain — and a vegan one at that! Since launching Slutty Vegan in 2017, Pinky has seen her plant-based brand through several iterations: a ghost kitchen, then a food truck, then eventually several brick and mortar locations that continue to pop up across the east coast. And with a valuation of $100 million and expansion into other sectors, Pinky is only getting started... This week on How I Built This Lab, Pinky talks with Guy about her journey as a TV producer-turned-restaurateur, and how Slutty Vegan is a prime example of Seth Godin’s Purple Cow theory: companies must build things worth noticing into their products and services. Plus, Pinky reflects on her roots, sharing the valuable lessons about discipline and work ethic that she learned from her parents. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. It’s hard to miss a Slutty Vegan when you’re driving past one.&nbsp; No, we’re not talking about a person… We’re talking about a fast-casual burger chain — and a vegan one at that!&nbsp; Since launching Slutty Vegan in 2017, Pinky has seen her plant-based brand through several iterations: a ghost kitchen, then a food truck, then eventually several brick and mortar locations that continue to pop up across the east coast. And with a valuation of $100 million and expansion into other sectors, Pinky is only getting started...&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Pinky talks with Guy about her journey as a TV producer-turned-restaurateur, and how Slutty Vegan is a prime example of Seth Godin’s Purple Cow theory: companies must build things worth noticing into their products and services. Plus, Pinky reflects on her roots, sharing the valuable lessons about discipline and work ethic that she learned from her parents.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices It’s hard to miss a Slutty Vegan when you’re driving past one. 

No, we’re not talking about a person… We’re talking about a fast-casual burger chain — and a vegan one at that! 

Since launching Slutty Vegan in 2017, Pinky has seen her plant-based brand through several iterations: a ghost kitchen, then a food truck, then eventually several brick and mortar locations that continue to pop up across the east coast. And with a valuation of $100 million and expansion into other sectors, Pinky is only getting started... 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Pinky talks with Guy about her journey as a TV producer-turned-restaurateur, and how Slutty Vegan is a prime example of Seth Godin’s Purple Cow theory: companies must build things worth noticing into their products and services. Plus, Pinky reflects on her roots, sharing the valuable lessons about discipline and work ethic that she learned from her parents. 

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by John Isabella, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3441 yes Food52: Amanda Hesser (2021) In the early 1990s, as Amanda Hesser's college friends were interviewing for their first cubicle jobs, she chose a different path; one that led straight into the kitchens of Europe, where she cooked traditional recipes and learned the rhythm of the seasons from a crusty French gardener. By 24, she had landed a book deal and one of the most coveted jobs in journalism: writing about food for the New York Times. But over time she grew restless, and in 2008, gave up that dream job—and the stability that went with it—to become an entrepreneur. When her first business fizzled out, Amanda took a financial risk by pivoting again to launch a new company: Food52. Part food blog, part e-commerce site for all things kitchen and home, Food52 is now valued around $300 million and achieved profitability for the first time during the pandemic. This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Mar 2023 07:10:00 -0000 Food52: Amanda Hesser (2021) full 500 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 1990s, as Amanda Hesser's college friends were interviewing for their first cubicle jobs, she chose a different path; one that led straight into the kitchens of Europe, where she cooked traditional recipes and learned the rhythm of the seasons from a crusty French gardener. By 24, she had landed a book deal and one of the most coveted jobs in journalism: writing about food for the New York Times. But over time she grew restless, and in 2008, gave up that dream job—and the stability that went with it—to become an entrepreneur. When her first business fizzled out, Amanda took a financial risk by pivoting again to launch a new company: Food52. Part food blog, part e-commerce site for all things kitchen and home, Food52 is now valued around $300 million and achieved profitability for the first time during the pandemic.This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. In the early 1990s, as Amanda Hesser's college friends were interviewing for their first cubicle jobs, she chose a different path; one that led straight into the kitchens of Europe, where she cooked traditional recipes and learned the rhythm of the seasons from a crusty French gardener. By 24, she had landed a book deal and one of the most coveted jobs in journalism: writing about food for the New York Times. But over time she grew restless, and in 2008, gave up that dream job—and the stability that went with it—to become an entrepreneur. When her first business fizzled out, Amanda took a financial risk by pivoting again to launch a new company: Food52. Part food blog, part e-commerce site for all things kitchen and home, Food52 is now valued around $300 million and achieved profitability for the first time during the pandemic. This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin Arablouei Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the early 1990s, as Amanda Hesser's college friends were interviewing for their first cubicle jobs, she chose a different path; one that led straight into the kitchens of Europe, where she cooked traditional recipes and learned the rhythm of the seasons from a crusty French gardener. By 24, she had landed a book deal and one of the most coveted jobs in journalism: writing about food for the New York Times. But over time she grew restless, and in 2008, gave up that dream job—and the stability that went with it—to become an entrepreneur. When her first business fizzled out, Amanda took a financial risk by pivoting again to launch a new company: Food52. Part food blog, part e-commerce site for all things kitchen and home, Food52 is now valued around $300 million and achieved profitability for the first time during the pandemic.


This episode was produced by Rachel Faulkner, with music by Ramtin Arablouei

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gayles.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5663 no HIBT Lab! Saysh: Wes and Allyson Felix Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike.&nbsp; Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn. Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Saysh: Wes and Allyson Felix full 499 Guy Raz | Vox Media Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike. Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh. This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike.&nbsp; Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that.&nbsp; This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn. Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike. 

Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that. 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.

Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3273 no Xero Shoes: Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix In 2007, Steven Sashen went on a 5K run in his bare feet, an experience that felt so surprisingly natural that it led him to launch one of the best-known minimalist shoe brands in the world.&nbsp;After reading the best-seller Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and fashioning his own, thin-soled sandals that helped him fully feel the ground, Steven noticed he was running faster and having fewer injuries.&nbsp;His friends began asking him to make sandals for them, and soon enough, he convinced his wife Lena to help him launch a do-it-yourself sandal kit business.&nbsp;As their minimalist shoe line slowly expanded to ready-to-wear sandals and closed-toe shoes,&nbsp;Steven and Lena faced every imaginable obstacle for a small business: manufacturing meltdowns,&nbsp;a mountain of debt, anxious investors, a trade war with China, and an appearance on Shark Tank that resulted in an insulting offer.&nbsp;But more than a decade after launch, Xero Shoes are sold around the world, with nearly $50 million in sales and a near-evangelical following.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Mar 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Xero Shoes: Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix full 498 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2007, Steven Sashen went on a 5K run in his bare feet, an experience that felt so surprisingly natural that it led him to launch one of the best-known minimalist shoe brands in the world. After reading the best-seller Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and fashioning his own, thin-soled sandals that helped him fully feel the ground, Steven noticed he was running faster and having fewer injuries. His friends began asking him to make sandals for them, and soon enough, he convinced his wife Lena to help him launch a do-it-yourself sandal kit business. As their minimalist shoe line slowly expanded to ready-to-wear sandals and closed-toe shoes, Steven and Lena faced every imaginable obstacle for a small business: manufacturing meltdowns, a mountain of debt, anxious investors, a trade war with China, and an appearance on Shark Tank that resulted in an insulting offer. But more than a decade after launch, Xero Shoes are sold around the world, with nearly $50 million in sales and a near-evangelical following.  In 2007, Steven Sashen went on a 5K run in his bare feet, an experience that felt so surprisingly natural that it led him to launch one of the best-known minimalist shoe brands in the world.&nbsp;After reading the best-seller Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and fashioning his own, thin-soled sandals that helped him fully feel the ground, Steven noticed he was running faster and having fewer injuries.&nbsp;His friends began asking him to make sandals for them, and soon enough, he convinced his wife Lena to help him launch a do-it-yourself sandal kit business.&nbsp;As their minimalist shoe line slowly expanded to ready-to-wear sandals and closed-toe shoes,&nbsp;Steven and Lena faced every imaginable obstacle for a small business: manufacturing meltdowns,&nbsp;a mountain of debt, anxious investors, a trade war with China, and an appearance on Shark Tank that resulted in an insulting offer.&nbsp;But more than a decade after launch, Xero Shoes are sold around the world, with nearly $50 million in sales and a near-evangelical following.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2007, Steven Sashen went on a 5K run in his bare feet, an experience that felt so surprisingly natural that it led him to launch one of the best-known minimalist shoe brands in the world. After reading the best-seller Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and fashioning his own, thin-soled sandals that helped him fully feel the ground, Steven noticed he was running faster and having fewer injuries. His friends began asking him to make sandals for them, and soon enough, he convinced his wife Lena to help him launch a do-it-yourself sandal kit business. As their minimalist shoe line slowly expanded to ready-to-wear sandals and closed-toe shoes, Steven and Lena faced every imaginable obstacle for a small business: manufacturing meltdowns, a mountain of debt, anxious investors, a trade war with China, and an appearance on Shark Tank that resulted in an insulting offer. But more than a decade after launch, Xero Shoes are sold around the world, with nearly $50 million in sales and a near-evangelical following. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5310 no HIBT Lab! Too Good To Go: Lucie Basch Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app.&nbsp; Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S. This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Mar 2023 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Too Good To Go: Lucie Basch full 497 Guy Raz | Vox Media Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app. Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S.This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter &amp; Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app.&nbsp; Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S. This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations. This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;&&nbsp;Instagram, and email us at&nbsp;hibt@id.wondery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app. 

Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.

Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2657 no Michael Kors: Michael Kors As a teenager, Michael Kors filled his notebooks with dress designs and doodles of his own initials—casual sketches that would eventually fuel the launch of a global fashion brand. Michael grew up with a love of fashion; by the time he was 19, his designs were on display on 5th Avenue, and by 22, his collection was getting attention from the fashion editor of New York Magazine, a young upstart named Anna Wintour. In the early days, he designed thousand-dollar dresses in his bedroom and delivered them in his aunt’s car. As the business grew, he launched a new line with an unproven partner that would eventually lead him to bankruptcy; then, after he recovered, he successfully branched out into eyewear, fragrances, and handbags, all branded with his now famous “MK” initials. Today, Michael still heads Creative at Michael Kors, and the brand has grown into a massive company that includes Jimmy Choo and Versace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Feb 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Michael Kors: Michael Kors full 496 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a teenager, Michael Kors filled his notebooks with dress designs and doodles of his own initials—casual sketches that would eventually fuel the launch of a global fashion brand. Michael grew up with a love of fashion; by the time he was 19, his designs were on display on 5th Avenue, and by 22, his collection was getting attention from the fashion editor of New York Magazine, a young upstart named Anna Wintour. In the early days, he designed thousand-dollar dresses in his bedroom and delivered them in his aunt’s car. As the business grew, he launched a new line with an unproven partner that would eventually lead him to bankruptcy; then, after he recovered, he successfully branched out into eyewear, fragrances, and handbags, all branded with his now famous “MK” initials. Today, Michael still heads Creative at Michael Kors, and the brand has grown into a massive company that includes Jimmy Choo and Versace. As a teenager, Michael Kors filled his notebooks with dress designs and doodles of his own initials—casual sketches that would eventually fuel the launch of a global fashion brand. Michael grew up with a love of fashion; by the time he was 19, his designs were on display on 5th Avenue, and by 22, his collection was getting attention from the fashion editor of New York Magazine, a young upstart named Anna Wintour. In the early days, he designed thousand-dollar dresses in his bedroom and delivered them in his aunt’s car. As the business grew, he launched a new line with an unproven partner that would eventually lead him to bankruptcy; then, after he recovered, he successfully branched out into eyewear, fragrances, and handbags, all branded with his now famous “MK” initials. Today, Michael still heads Creative at Michael Kors, and the brand has grown into a massive company that includes Jimmy Choo and Versace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a teenager, Michael Kors filled his notebooks with dress designs and doodles of his own initials—casual sketches that would eventually fuel the launch of a global fashion brand. Michael grew up with a love of fashion; by the time he was 19, his designs were on display on 5th Avenue, and by 22, his collection was getting attention from the fashion editor of New York Magazine, a young upstart named Anna Wintour. In the early days, he designed thousand-dollar dresses in his bedroom and delivered them in his aunt’s car. As the business grew, he launched a new line with an unproven partner that would eventually lead him to bankruptcy; then, after he recovered, he successfully branched out into eyewear, fragrances, and handbags, all branded with his now famous “MK” initials. Today, Michael still heads Creative at Michael Kors, and the brand has grown into a massive company that includes Jimmy Choo and Versace.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4877 no HIBT Lab! The Confess Project: Lorenzo Lewis Barbers have played a central role in the Black community throughout American history. Haircutting was one of the first jobs that Black men were allowed to hold after the Civil War, and barbershops were often a hub for organizing during the civil rights movement. More recently, barbershops have played an instrumental role administering vaccines in the wake of Covid-19.&nbsp; And now, Lorenzo Lewis imagines a new role for barbers: a first line of defense in addressing mental health challenges for Black men. This week on How I Built This Lab, Lorenzo talks with Guy about the work of his social enterprise, The Confess Project, to train thousands of barbers across the country to support the mental health of their clients. He also recounts some of the experiences that led him to this work: growing up with incarcerated parents, his own struggles with anxiety and depression, and a gang-related incident that almost changed his life forever... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Feb 2023 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! The Confess Project: Lorenzo Lewis full 495 Guy Raz | Vox Media Barbers have played a central role in the Black community throughout American history. Haircutting was one of the first jobs that Black men were allowed to hold after the Civil War, and barbershops were often a hub for organizing during the civil rights movement. More recently, barbershops have played an instrumental role administering vaccines in the wake of Covid-19. And now, Lorenzo Lewis imagines a new role for barbers: a first line of defense in addressing mental health challenges for Black men.This week on How I Built This Lab, Lorenzo talks with Guy about the work of his social enterprise, The Confess Project, to train thousands of barbers across the country to support the mental health of their clients. He also recounts some of the experiences that led him to this work: growing up with incarcerated parents, his own struggles with anxiety and depression, and a gang-related incident that almost changed his life forever... Barbers have played a central role in the Black community throughout American history. Haircutting was one of the first jobs that Black men were allowed to hold after the Civil War, and barbershops were often a hub for organizing during the civil rights movement. More recently, barbershops have played an instrumental role administering vaccines in the wake of Covid-19.&nbsp; And now, Lorenzo Lewis imagines a new role for barbers: a first line of defense in addressing mental health challenges for Black men. This week on How I Built This Lab, Lorenzo talks with Guy about the work of his social enterprise, The Confess Project, to train thousands of barbers across the country to support the mental health of their clients. He also recounts some of the experiences that led him to this work: growing up with incarcerated parents, his own struggles with anxiety and depression, and a gang-related incident that almost changed his life forever... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Barbers have played a central role in the Black community throughout American history. Haircutting was one of the first jobs that Black men were allowed to hold after the Civil War, and barbershops were often a hub for organizing during the civil rights movement. More recently, barbershops have played an instrumental role administering vaccines in the wake of Covid-19. 

And now, Lorenzo Lewis imagines a new role for barbers: a first line of defense in addressing mental health challenges for Black men.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Lorenzo talks with Guy about the work of his social enterprise, The Confess Project, to train thousands of barbers across the country to support the mental health of their clients. He also recounts some of the experiences that led him to this work: growing up with incarcerated parents, his own struggles with anxiety and depression, and a gang-related incident that almost changed his life forever...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2406 no Politico & Axios: Jim VandeHei Before Jim VandeHei co-founded the media company Politico,&nbsp;the only thing he’d managed was the night shift at Little Caesar’s pizza in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.&nbsp;An early passion for politics and journalism led him to Washington, D.C., where he became a political reporter for Roll Call, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.&nbsp;But by 2006, he could see how the internet was transforming journalism, so he walked away from the Post to co-found a digital publication—Politico—with the goal of setting the daily agenda for Washington’s power elite.&nbsp;With the financial backing of a local media mogul, Politico took off, but Jim eventually grew frustrated managing a company he didn’t own.&nbsp;So in 2017, he took another leap and co-founded Axios, a news website that gained a following for its bullet-point brevity, ready-made for the internet. Both companies have landed well: last year Axios was acquired by Cox Enterprises for over $500 million, and in 2021, Politico was purchased by Axel Springer for a reported $1 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Feb 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Politico & Axios: Jim VandeHei full 494 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before Jim VandeHei co-founded the media company Politico, the only thing he’d managed was the night shift at Little Caesar’s pizza in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. An early passion for politics and journalism led him to Washington, D.C., where he became a political reporter for Roll Call, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. But by 2006, he could see how the internet was transforming journalism, so he walked away from the Post to co-found a digital publication—Politico—with the goal of setting the daily agenda for Washington’s power elite. With the financial backing of a local media mogul, Politico took off, but Jim eventually grew frustrated managing a company he didn’t own. So in 2017, he took another leap and co-founded Axios, a news website that gained a following for its bullet-point brevity, ready-made for the internet. Both companies have landed well: last year Axios was acquired by Cox Enterprises for over $500 million, and in 2021, Politico was purchased by Axel Springer for a reported $1 billion. Before Jim VandeHei co-founded the media company Politico,&nbsp;the only thing he’d managed was the night shift at Little Caesar’s pizza in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.&nbsp;An early passion for politics and journalism led him to Washington, D.C., where he became a political reporter for Roll Call, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.&nbsp;But by 2006, he could see how the internet was transforming journalism, so he walked away from the Post to co-found a digital publication—Politico—with the goal of setting the daily agenda for Washington’s power elite.&nbsp;With the financial backing of a local media mogul, Politico took off, but Jim eventually grew frustrated managing a company he didn’t own.&nbsp;So in 2017, he took another leap and co-founded Axios, a news website that gained a following for its bullet-point brevity, ready-made for the internet. Both companies have landed well: last year Axios was acquired by Cox Enterprises for over $500 million, and in 2021, Politico was purchased by Axel Springer for a reported $1 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Before Jim VandeHei co-founded the media company Politico, the only thing he’d managed was the night shift at Little Caesar’s pizza in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. An early passion for politics and journalism led him to Washington, D.C., where he became a political reporter for Roll Call, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. But by 2006, he could see how the internet was transforming journalism, so he walked away from the Post to co-found a digital publication—Politico—with the goal of setting the daily agenda for Washington’s power elite. With the financial backing of a local media mogul, Politico took off, but Jim eventually grew frustrated managing a company he didn’t own. So in 2017, he took another leap and co-founded Axios, a news website that gained a following for its bullet-point brevity, ready-made for the internet. Both companies have landed well: last year Axios was acquired by Cox Enterprises for over $500 million, and in 2021, Politico was purchased by Axel Springer for a reported $1 billion.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5042 no HIBT Lab! Boom Supersonic: Blake Scholl Commercial air travel has been stuck below the sound barrier for about 20 years, since the Concorde’s last flight in 2003. While the technology exists to fly about twice as fast as we do now, conventional wisdom in the aerospace industry is that supersonic flight simply doesn’t make economic sense. Blake Scholl disagrees... This week on How I Built This Lab, Blake tells Guy how Boom Supersonic is working to revive the dream of supersonic air travel—and already has orders from major airlines like United and American for their first supersonic aircraft, the Overture. Plus, Blake describes his transformation from tech startup founder to aviation leader and discusses how founder-led companies can foster innovation in commercial flight.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Feb 2023 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Boom Supersonic: Blake Scholl full 493 Guy Raz | Vox Media Commercial air travel has been stuck below the sound barrier for about 20 years, since the Concorde’s last flight in 2003. While the technology exists to fly about twice as fast as we do now, conventional wisdom in the aerospace industry is that supersonic flight simply doesn’t make economic sense. Blake Scholl disagrees...This week on How I Built This Lab, Blake tells Guy how Boom Supersonic is working to revive the dream of supersonic air travel—and already has orders from major airlines like United and American for their first supersonic aircraft, the Overture. Plus, Blake describes his transformation from tech startup founder to aviation leader and discusses how founder-led companies can foster innovation in commercial flight.  Commercial air travel has been stuck below the sound barrier for about 20 years, since the Concorde’s last flight in 2003. While the technology exists to fly about twice as fast as we do now, conventional wisdom in the aerospace industry is that supersonic flight simply doesn’t make economic sense. Blake Scholl disagrees... This week on How I Built This Lab, Blake tells Guy how Boom Supersonic is working to revive the dream of supersonic air travel—and already has orders from major airlines like United and American for their first supersonic aircraft, the Overture. Plus, Blake describes his transformation from tech startup founder to aviation leader and discusses how founder-led companies can foster innovation in commercial flight.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Commercial air travel has been stuck below the sound barrier for about 20 years, since the Concorde’s last flight in 2003. While the technology exists to fly about twice as fast as we do now, conventional wisdom in the aerospace industry is that supersonic flight simply doesn’t make economic sense. Blake Scholl disagrees...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Blake tells Guy how Boom Supersonic is working to revive the dream of supersonic air travel—and already has orders from major airlines like United and American for their first supersonic aircraft, the Overture. Plus, Blake describes his transformation from tech startup founder to aviation leader and discusses how founder-led companies can foster innovation in commercial flight. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2661 no Osprey Packs: Mike Pfotenhauer With a passion for design and a skill for sewing, Mike Pfotenhauer grew a bespoke backpack business into one of the world’s most popular outdoor brands. He got his start in the 1970’s, when it was hard to find a pack that wasn’t clunky and uncomfortable. Operating out of a little shop in Santa Cruz, California, Mike started making better-fitting packs for hikers, and—with no advertising except for a sign out front—began to get noticed. As demand for the packs grew,&nbsp;Mike was forced to shift production twice: first to a tiny town in Colorado, where Navajo craftsmen helped with the sewing; then, to a sprawling city in South East Asia, where Mike moved his family so he could stay close to the design process. It took more than 25 years, but Osprey eventually grew into a massive global brand, which was sold in 2021 for over 400 million dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Feb 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Osprey Packs: Mike Pfotenhauer full 492 Guy Raz | Vox Media With a passion for design and a skill for sewing, Mike Pfotenhauer grew a bespoke backpack business into one of the world’s most popular outdoor brands. He got his start in the 1970’s, when it was hard to find a pack that wasn’t clunky and uncomfortable. Operating out of a little shop in Santa Cruz, California, Mike started making better-fitting packs for hikers, and—with no advertising except for a sign out front—began to get noticed. As demand for the packs grew, Mike was forced to shift production twice: first to a tiny town in Colorado, where Navajo craftsmen helped with the sewing; then, to a sprawling city in South East Asia, where Mike moved his family so he could stay close to the design process. It took more than 25 years, but Osprey eventually grew into a massive global brand, which was sold in 2021 for over 400 million dollars. With a passion for design and a skill for sewing, Mike Pfotenhauer grew a bespoke backpack business into one of the world’s most popular outdoor brands. He got his start in the 1970’s, when it was hard to find a pack that wasn’t clunky and uncomfortable. Operating out of a little shop in Santa Cruz, California, Mike started making better-fitting packs for hikers, and—with no advertising except for a sign out front—began to get noticed. As demand for the packs grew,&nbsp;Mike was forced to shift production twice: first to a tiny town in Colorado, where Navajo craftsmen helped with the sewing; then, to a sprawling city in South East Asia, where Mike moved his family so he could stay close to the design process. It took more than 25 years, but Osprey eventually grew into a massive global brand, which was sold in 2021 for over 400 million dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices With a passion for design and a skill for sewing, Mike Pfotenhauer grew a bespoke backpack business into one of the world’s most popular outdoor brands. He got his start in the 1970’s, when it was hard to find a pack that wasn’t clunky and uncomfortable. Operating out of a little shop in Santa Cruz, California, Mike started making better-fitting packs for hikers, and—with no advertising except for a sign out front—began to get noticed. As demand for the packs grew, Mike was forced to shift production twice: first to a tiny town in Colorado, where Navajo craftsmen helped with the sewing; then, to a sprawling city in South East Asia, where Mike moved his family so he could stay close to the design process. It took more than 25 years, but Osprey eventually grew into a massive global brand, which was sold in 2021 for over 400 million dollars.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3830 no ICYMI... HIBT Lab! OpenAI: Sam Altman Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction. But over the last several years, advances in machine learning and deep neural networks have moved us closer to a reality where computers can learn and solve problems independently, the way a human does. From art and music to medicine and politics, the potential applications of AI are nearly endless, and the technology just keeps getting better. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with one of the leaders in the field of AI development, Sam Altman. Sam talks about his journey from Stanford dropout and teenage entrepreneur to president of the legendary startup incubator Y Combinator and co-founder of the nonprofit OpenAI. Plus, Sam shares his hopes and fears for the future of AI and how his company is working to ensure it ultimately benefits all of humanity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:10:00 -0000 ICYMI... HIBT Lab! OpenAI: Sam Altman full 491 Guy Raz | Vox Media Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction. But over the last several years, advances in machine learning and deep neural networks have moved us closer to a reality where computers can learn and solve problems independently, the way a human does. From art and music to medicine and politics, the potential applications of AI are nearly endless, and the technology just keeps getting better.This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with one of the leaders in the field of AI development, Sam Altman. Sam talks about his journey from Stanford dropout and teenage entrepreneur to president of the legendary startup incubator Y Combinator and co-founder of the nonprofit OpenAI. Plus, Sam shares his hopes and fears for the future of AI and how his company is working to ensure it ultimately benefits all of humanity. Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction. But over the last several years, advances in machine learning and deep neural networks have moved us closer to a reality where computers can learn and solve problems independently, the way a human does. From art and music to medicine and politics, the potential applications of AI are nearly endless, and the technology just keeps getting better. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with one of the leaders in the field of AI development, Sam Altman. Sam talks about his journey from Stanford dropout and teenage entrepreneur to president of the legendary startup incubator Y Combinator and co-founder of the nonprofit OpenAI. Plus, Sam shares his hopes and fears for the future of AI and how his company is working to ensure it ultimately benefits all of humanity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction. But over the last several years, advances in machine learning and deep neural networks have moved us closer to a reality where computers can learn and solve problems independently, the way a human does. From art and music to medicine and politics, the potential applications of AI are nearly endless, and the technology just keeps getting better.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with one of the leaders in the field of AI development, Sam Altman. Sam talks about his journey from Stanford dropout and teenage entrepreneur to president of the legendary startup incubator Y Combinator and co-founder of the nonprofit OpenAI. Plus, Sam shares his hopes and fears for the future of AI and how his company is working to ensure it ultimately benefits all of humanity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3751 no The Ringer: Bill Simmons Wherever Bill Simmons is, he’s obsessed with helping his team win. During 14 tumultuous years as a creative force at ESPN, that meant launching a slew of influential projects that blended sports and pop culture—including the documentary series 30 for 30, the podcast The B.S. Report, and the multimedia blog Grantland. Today, it means growing his own company, The Ringer, into a major player in the media landscape, with over 50 sports and pop culture podcasts.&nbsp;From his earliest days as one of the most popular sports writers in America, Bill’s journey has had all the drama and conflict of a memorable game, with plenty of good and bad behaviors to learn from...including his own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Feb 2023 08:10:00 -0000 The Ringer: Bill Simmons full 490 Guy Raz | Vox Media Wherever Bill Simmons is, he’s obsessed with helping his team win. During 14 tumultuous years as a creative force at ESPN, that meant launching a slew of influential projects that blended sports and pop culture—including the documentary series 30 for 30, the podcast The B.S. Report, and the multimedia blog Grantland. Today, it means growing his own company, The Ringer, into a major player in the media landscape, with over 50 sports and pop culture podcasts. From his earliest days as one of the most popular sports writers in America, Bill’s journey has had all the drama and conflict of a memorable game, with plenty of good and bad behaviors to learn from...including his own. Wherever Bill Simmons is, he’s obsessed with helping his team win. During 14 tumultuous years as a creative force at ESPN, that meant launching a slew of influential projects that blended sports and pop culture—including the documentary series 30 for 30, the podcast The B.S. Report, and the multimedia blog Grantland. Today, it means growing his own company, The Ringer, into a major player in the media landscape, with over 50 sports and pop culture podcasts.&nbsp;From his earliest days as one of the most popular sports writers in America, Bill’s journey has had all the drama and conflict of a memorable game, with plenty of good and bad behaviors to learn from...including his own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Wherever Bill Simmons is, he’s obsessed with helping his team win. During 14 tumultuous years as a creative force at ESPN, that meant launching a slew of influential projects that blended sports and pop culture—including the documentary series 30 for 30, the podcast The B.S. Report, and the multimedia blog Grantland. Today, it means growing his own company, The Ringer, into a major player in the media landscape, with over 50 sports and pop culture podcasts. From his earliest days as one of the most popular sports writers in America, Bill’s journey has had all the drama and conflict of a memorable game, with plenty of good and bad behaviors to learn from...including his own.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5117 no HIBT Lab! Biobot Analytics: Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli Biobot Analytics founders Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli first met in a poop lab. Yep, you read that correctly... Their company has been working with government and corporate clients since 2017 to analyze disease levels and other biomarkers in our wastewater. Their insights have been used to predict spikes in Covid and other infections, help local officials address drug use in their communities, and much more.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Mariana and Newsha talk with Guy about the innovation that can happen at the intersection of disciplines — Mariana is a scientist from Mexico, Newsha an architect from Canada. The women also share their vision for a future where cities better leverage the ‘data centers’ of our sewers to address chronic health issues and prepare for future pandemics.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Feb 2023 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Biobot Analytics: Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli full 489 Guy Raz | Vox Media Biobot Analytics founders Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli first met in a poop lab. Yep, you read that correctly...Their company has been working with government and corporate clients since 2017 to analyze disease levels and other biomarkers in our wastewater. Their insights have been used to predict spikes in Covid and other infections, help local officials address drug use in their communities, and much more. This week on How I Built This Lab, Mariana and Newsha talk with Guy about the innovation that can happen at the intersection of disciplines — Mariana is a scientist from Mexico, Newsha an architect from Canada. The women also share their vision for a future where cities better leverage the ‘data centers’ of our sewers to address chronic health issues and prepare for future pandemics.  Biobot Analytics founders Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli first met in a poop lab. Yep, you read that correctly... Their company has been working with government and corporate clients since 2017 to analyze disease levels and other biomarkers in our wastewater. Their insights have been used to predict spikes in Covid and other infections, help local officials address drug use in their communities, and much more.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Mariana and Newsha talk with Guy about the innovation that can happen at the intersection of disciplines — Mariana is a scientist from Mexico, Newsha an architect from Canada. The women also share their vision for a future where cities better leverage the ‘data centers’ of our sewers to address chronic health issues and prepare for future pandemics.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Biobot Analytics founders Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli first met in a poop lab. Yep, you read that correctly...

Their company has been working with government and corporate clients since 2017 to analyze disease levels and other biomarkers in our wastewater. Their insights have been used to predict spikes in Covid and other infections, help local officials address drug use in their communities, and much more. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Mariana and Newsha talk with Guy about the innovation that can happen at the intersection of disciplines — Mariana is a scientist from Mexico, Newsha an architect from Canada. The women also share their vision for a future where cities better leverage the ‘data centers’ of our sewers to address chronic health issues and prepare for future pandemics. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2468 no Zumiez: Tom Campion Working as a manager for nine years at JCPenney, Tom Campion learned a critical lesson about how to succeed in retail: you have to keep close track of inventory. Tom’s experience navigating the ebb and flow of style, color, and size—all without the benefit of computers—gave him the confidence to launch his own retail business, aimed at teenagers.&nbsp;In 1978, he and his partner Gary Haakenson opened their first store, Above the Belt, in Seattle, and soon tapped into the hot new “action sports” category and the growing popularity of surf, skateboard, and snowboard culture.&nbsp;Tom placed his stores in shopping malls, and created spaces where teenagers would want to hang out, by leaning into “organized chaos” as a design principle. Today, with roughly 750 stores, Zumiez is the largest action sports retailer in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Zumiez: Tom Campion full 488 Guy Raz | Vox Media Working as a manager for nine years at JCPenney, Tom Campion learned a critical lesson about how to succeed in retail: you have to keep close track of inventory. Tom’s experience navigating the ebb and flow of style, color, and size—all without the benefit of computers—gave him the confidence to launch his own retail business, aimed at teenagers. In 1978, he and his partner Gary Haakenson opened their first store, Above the Belt, in Seattle, and soon tapped into the hot new “action sports” category and the growing popularity of surf, skateboard, and snowboard culture. Tom placed his stores in shopping malls, and created spaces where teenagers would want to hang out, by leaning into “organized chaos” as a design principle. Today, with roughly 750 stores, Zumiez is the largest action sports retailer in the world. Working as a manager for nine years at JCPenney, Tom Campion learned a critical lesson about how to succeed in retail: you have to keep close track of inventory. Tom’s experience navigating the ebb and flow of style, color, and size—all without the benefit of computers—gave him the confidence to launch his own retail business, aimed at teenagers.&nbsp;In 1978, he and his partner Gary Haakenson opened their first store, Above the Belt, in Seattle, and soon tapped into the hot new “action sports” category and the growing popularity of surf, skateboard, and snowboard culture.&nbsp;Tom placed his stores in shopping malls, and created spaces where teenagers would want to hang out, by leaning into “organized chaos” as a design principle. Today, with roughly 750 stores, Zumiez is the largest action sports retailer in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Working as a manager for nine years at JCPenney, Tom Campion learned a critical lesson about how to succeed in retail: you have to keep close track of inventory. Tom’s experience navigating the ebb and flow of style, color, and size—all without the benefit of computers—gave him the confidence to launch his own retail business, aimed at teenagers. In 1978, he and his partner Gary Haakenson opened their first store, Above the Belt, in Seattle, and soon tapped into the hot new “action sports” category and the growing popularity of surf, skateboard, and snowboard culture. Tom placed his stores in shopping malls, and created spaces where teenagers would want to hang out, by leaning into “organized chaos” as a design principle. Today, with roughly 750 stores, Zumiez is the largest action sports retailer in the world.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3623 no HIBT Lab! The Sioux Chef: Sean Sherman Chef Sean Sherman is on a mission to revitalize and reimagine Native American cuisine.&nbsp; Growing up on a reservation in South Dakota, Sean ate a lot of highly processed foods provided by the U.S. government. It wasn’t until he started working in restaurants as a teenager that he began to learn about fresh ingredients and how to prepare them. But as Sean climbed the kitchen ranks, learning the techniques and recipes of European-style fine dining, he began to wonder what happened to the culinary traditions of his Native American ancestors.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Sean talks with Guy about establishing a modern North American indigenous cuisine by cutting out non-native ingredients such as pork, chicken, beef, dairy, wheat and cane sugar. Instead, he cooks with heirloom varieties of corn, wild rice, foraged plants and native animals such as bison, salmon, duck and beaver. Under The Sioux Chef brand, Sean has hosted pop-up dinners, published a cookbook, operated a food truck, and in 2021, he opened Owamni, which won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! The Sioux Chef: Sean Sherman full 487 Guy Raz | Vox Media Chef Sean Sherman is on a mission to revitalize and reimagine Native American cuisine. Growing up on a reservation in South Dakota, Sean ate a lot of highly processed foods provided by the U.S. government. It wasn’t until he started working in restaurants as a teenager that he began to learn about fresh ingredients and how to prepare them. But as Sean climbed the kitchen ranks, learning the techniques and recipes of European-style fine dining, he began to wonder what happened to the culinary traditions of his Native American ancestors. This week on How I Built This Lab, Sean talks with Guy about establishing a modern North American indigenous cuisine by cutting out non-native ingredients such as pork, chicken, beef, dairy, wheat and cane sugar. Instead, he cooks with heirloom varieties of corn, wild rice, foraged plants and native animals such as bison, salmon, duck and beaver. Under The Sioux Chef brand, Sean has hosted pop-up dinners, published a cookbook, operated a food truck, and in 2021, he opened Owamni, which won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. Chef Sean Sherman is on a mission to revitalize and reimagine Native American cuisine.&nbsp; Growing up on a reservation in South Dakota, Sean ate a lot of highly processed foods provided by the U.S. government. It wasn’t until he started working in restaurants as a teenager that he began to learn about fresh ingredients and how to prepare them. But as Sean climbed the kitchen ranks, learning the techniques and recipes of European-style fine dining, he began to wonder what happened to the culinary traditions of his Native American ancestors.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Sean talks with Guy about establishing a modern North American indigenous cuisine by cutting out non-native ingredients such as pork, chicken, beef, dairy, wheat and cane sugar. Instead, he cooks with heirloom varieties of corn, wild rice, foraged plants and native animals such as bison, salmon, duck and beaver. Under The Sioux Chef brand, Sean has hosted pop-up dinners, published a cookbook, operated a food truck, and in 2021, he opened Owamni, which won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Chef Sean Sherman is on a mission to revitalize and reimagine Native American cuisine. 

Growing up on a reservation in South Dakota, Sean ate a lot of highly processed foods provided by the U.S. government. It wasn’t until he started working in restaurants as a teenager that he began to learn about fresh ingredients and how to prepare them. But as Sean climbed the kitchen ranks, learning the techniques and recipes of European-style fine dining, he began to wonder what happened to the culinary traditions of his Native American ancestors. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Sean talks with Guy about establishing a modern North American indigenous cuisine by cutting out non-native ingredients such as pork, chicken, beef, dairy, wheat and cane sugar. Instead, he cooks with heirloom varieties of corn, wild rice, foraged plants and native animals such as bison, salmon, duck and beaver. Under The Sioux Chef brand, Sean has hosted pop-up dinners, published a cookbook, operated a food truck, and in 2021, he opened Owamni, which won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2386 no Chomps: Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali When steaks don’t sell you shift to sticks; that’s how Chomps was born. After several failed ventures—one of which left him bankrupt—Pete Maldonado decided to take&nbsp;another chance on launching a business. He partnered with Rashid Ali to start a mail-order service similar to Omaha Steaks, but with grass-fed meat that was more suited to the Paleo diet. When the partners couldn’t get that off the ground, they shifted to individually-wrapped meat sticks; one of the first in a long line of ‘healthier for you’ protein snacks.&nbsp;For several years, each co-founder tried to manage the business as a side-hustle, but the sausage hit the fan in 2016 when a surprise order from Trader Joe’s left them scrambling to produce a million sticks.&nbsp;Today, Chomps is available in major chains across the country and pulls in more than $100 million a year.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Chomps: Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali full 486 Guy Raz | Vox Media When steaks don’t sell you shift to sticks; that’s how Chomps was born. After several failed ventures—one of which left him bankrupt—Pete Maldonado decided to take another chance on launching a business. He partnered with Rashid Ali to start a mail-order service similar to Omaha Steaks, but with grass-fed meat that was more suited to the Paleo diet. When the partners couldn’t get that off the ground, they shifted to individually-wrapped meat sticks; one of the first in a long line of ‘healthier for you’ protein snacks. For several years, each co-founder tried to manage the business as a side-hustle, but the sausage hit the fan in 2016 when a surprise order from Trader Joe’s left them scrambling to produce a million sticks. Today, Chomps is available in major chains across the country and pulls in more than $100 million a year.  When steaks don’t sell you shift to sticks; that’s how Chomps was born. After several failed ventures—one of which left him bankrupt—Pete Maldonado decided to take&nbsp;another chance on launching a business. He partnered with Rashid Ali to start a mail-order service similar to Omaha Steaks, but with grass-fed meat that was more suited to the Paleo diet. When the partners couldn’t get that off the ground, they shifted to individually-wrapped meat sticks; one of the first in a long line of ‘healthier for you’ protein snacks.&nbsp;For several years, each co-founder tried to manage the business as a side-hustle, but the sausage hit the fan in 2016 when a surprise order from Trader Joe’s left them scrambling to produce a million sticks.&nbsp;Today, Chomps is available in major chains across the country and pulls in more than $100 million a year.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When steaks don’t sell you shift to sticks; that’s how Chomps was born. After several failed ventures—one of which left him bankrupt—Pete Maldonado decided to take another chance on launching a business. He partnered with Rashid Ali to start a mail-order service similar to Omaha Steaks, but with grass-fed meat that was more suited to the Paleo diet. When the partners couldn’t get that off the ground, they shifted to individually-wrapped meat sticks; one of the first in a long line of ‘healthier for you’ protein snacks. For several years, each co-founder tried to manage the business as a side-hustle, but the sausage hit the fan in 2016 when a surprise order from Trader Joe’s left them scrambling to produce a million sticks. Today, Chomps is available in major chains across the country and pulls in more than $100 million a year. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5357 no HIBT Lab! Osmo Salt: Nick DiGiovanni Do you know who holds the record for making the world’s largest chicken nugget? How about the world’s largest sushi roll? If you know Nick DiGiovanni, then you know the answer to those questions. Each week, more than 15 million followers across YouTube and TikTok gawk and drool over Nick’s masterful and over-the-top culinary creations. Nick is at the helm of some analog business ventures too, including a DTC salt and seasoning company and his debut cookbook, Knife Drop, which publishes later this year.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Nick talks with Guy about overcoming shyness to become an on-camera personality, and his recent decision to forego Harvard Business School to continue on his path as a creator. Nick also opens up about his struggles to set strong work-life boundaries and speculates about his professional future.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Osmo Salt: Nick DiGiovanni full 485 Guy Raz | Vox Media Do you know who holds the record for making the world’s largest chicken nugget? How about the world’s largest sushi roll?If you know Nick DiGiovanni, then you know the answer to those questions. Each week, more than 15 million followers across YouTube and TikTok gawk and drool over Nick’s masterful and over-the-top culinary creations. Nick is at the helm of some analog business ventures too, including a DTC salt and seasoning company and his debut cookbook, Knife Drop, which publishes later this year. This week on How I Built This Lab, Nick talks with Guy about overcoming shyness to become an on-camera personality, and his recent decision to forego Harvard Business School to continue on his path as a creator. Nick also opens up about his struggles to set strong work-life boundaries and speculates about his professional future.  Do you know who holds the record for making the world’s largest chicken nugget? How about the world’s largest sushi roll? If you know Nick DiGiovanni, then you know the answer to those questions. Each week, more than 15 million followers across YouTube and TikTok gawk and drool over Nick’s masterful and over-the-top culinary creations. Nick is at the helm of some analog business ventures too, including a DTC salt and seasoning company and his debut cookbook, Knife Drop, which publishes later this year.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Nick talks with Guy about overcoming shyness to become an on-camera personality, and his recent decision to forego Harvard Business School to continue on his path as a creator. Nick also opens up about his struggles to set strong work-life boundaries and speculates about his professional future.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Do you know who holds the record for making the world’s largest chicken nugget? How about the world’s largest sushi roll?

If you know Nick DiGiovanni, then you know the answer to those questions. Each week, more than 15 million followers across YouTube and TikTok gawk and drool over Nick’s masterful and over-the-top culinary creations. Nick is at the helm of some analog business ventures too, including a DTC salt and seasoning company and his debut cookbook, Knife Drop, which publishes later this year. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Nick talks with Guy about overcoming shyness to become an on-camera personality, and his recent decision to forego Harvard Business School to continue on his path as a creator. Nick also opens up about his struggles to set strong work-life boundaries and speculates about his professional future. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2804 no Tarte Cosmetics: Maureen Kelly Let’s say you had a passion but thought of it only as a hobby; certainly never the seed of a billion-dollar company. Plus, you are studying&nbsp;for a career in something unrelated to business. That’s Maureen Kelly’s story, CEO of Tarte Cosmetics. She was pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and already had TWO Master’s degrees when she realized she didn't want that to be her career.&nbsp;What she wanted was to&nbsp;launch a makeup company—despite having no significant start-up money, no experience, and no connections.&nbsp;How she did it is a story of pure moxie. She relentlessly knocked on the doors of chemists, manufacturers, retailers, and the fashion&nbsp;press. She maxed out her credit cards and enlisted the help of friends and family, turning Tarte into a wildly successful brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Tarte Cosmetics: Maureen Kelly full 484 Guy Raz | Vox Media Let’s say you had a passion but thought of it only as a hobby; certainly never the seed of a billion-dollar company. Plus, you are studying for a career in something unrelated to business. That’s Maureen Kelly’s story, CEO of Tarte Cosmetics. She was pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and already had TWO Master’s degrees when she realized she didn't want that to be her career. What she wanted was to launch a makeup company—despite having no significant start-up money, no experience, and no connections. How she did it is a story of pure moxie. She relentlessly knocked on the doors of chemists, manufacturers, retailers, and the fashion press. She maxed out her credit cards and enlisted the help of friends and family, turning Tarte into a wildly successful brand. Let’s say you had a passion but thought of it only as a hobby; certainly never the seed of a billion-dollar company. Plus, you are studying&nbsp;for a career in something unrelated to business. That’s Maureen Kelly’s story, CEO of Tarte Cosmetics. She was pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and already had TWO Master’s degrees when she realized she didn't want that to be her career.&nbsp;What she wanted was to&nbsp;launch a makeup company—despite having no significant start-up money, no experience, and no connections.&nbsp;How she did it is a story of pure moxie. She relentlessly knocked on the doors of chemists, manufacturers, retailers, and the fashion&nbsp;press. She maxed out her credit cards and enlisted the help of friends and family, turning Tarte into a wildly successful brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Let’s say you had a passion but thought of it only as a hobby; certainly never the seed of a billion-dollar company. Plus, you are studying for a career in something unrelated to business. That’s Maureen Kelly’s story, CEO of Tarte Cosmetics. She was pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and already had TWO Master’s degrees when she realized she didn't want that to be her career. What she wanted was to launch a makeup company—despite having no significant start-up money, no experience, and no connections. How she did it is a story of pure moxie. She relentlessly knocked on the doors of chemists, manufacturers, retailers, and the fashion press. She maxed out her credit cards and enlisted the help of friends and family, turning Tarte into a wildly successful brand.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5128 no HIBT Lab! Nuro: Dave Ferguson When you think about self-driving cars, you might imagine relaxing in the back seat while a vehicle carries you to your destination. But according to Dave Ferguson, nearly half of all car tips that Americans take don’t actually need any passengers at all. That’s because we spend a lot of our time driving around just to pick things up, like groceries and takeout. This week on How I Built This Lab, Dave talks with Guy about his vision of a future where many of these everyday errands could be done by robots. Dave’s company, Nuro, builds autonomous vehicles that are meant to deliver goods rather than carry passengers. Already they’ve run pilot deliveries with big-name partners like Domino’s Pizza, Uber Eats, and Kroger Grocery stores, and in the next few years, they aim to expand their service to cities all across the country.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Nuro: Dave Ferguson full 483 Guy Raz | Vox Media When you think about self-driving cars, you might imagine relaxing in the back seat while a vehicle carries you to your destination. But according to Dave Ferguson, nearly half of all car tips that Americans take don’t actually need any passengers at all. That’s because we spend a lot of our time driving around just to pick things up, like groceries and takeout.This week on How I Built This Lab, Dave talks with Guy about his vision of a future where many of these everyday errands could be done by robots. Dave’s company, Nuro, builds autonomous vehicles that are meant to deliver goods rather than carry passengers. Already they’ve run pilot deliveries with big-name partners like Domino’s Pizza, Uber Eats, and Kroger Grocery stores, and in the next few years, they aim to expand their service to cities all across the country.  When you think about self-driving cars, you might imagine relaxing in the back seat while a vehicle carries you to your destination. But according to Dave Ferguson, nearly half of all car tips that Americans take don’t actually need any passengers at all. That’s because we spend a lot of our time driving around just to pick things up, like groceries and takeout. This week on How I Built This Lab, Dave talks with Guy about his vision of a future where many of these everyday errands could be done by robots. Dave’s company, Nuro, builds autonomous vehicles that are meant to deliver goods rather than carry passengers. Already they’ve run pilot deliveries with big-name partners like Domino’s Pizza, Uber Eats, and Kroger Grocery stores, and in the next few years, they aim to expand their service to cities all across the country.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When you think about self-driving cars, you might imagine relaxing in the back seat while a vehicle carries you to your destination. But according to Dave Ferguson, nearly half of all car tips that Americans take don’t actually need any passengers at all. That’s because we spend a lot of our time driving around just to pick things up, like groceries and takeout.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Dave talks with Guy about his vision of a future where many of these everyday errands could be done by robots. Dave’s company, Nuro, builds autonomous vehicles that are meant to deliver goods rather than carry passengers. Already they’ve run pilot deliveries with big-name partners like Domino’s Pizza, Uber Eats, and Kroger Grocery stores, and in the next few years, they aim to expand their service to cities all across the country. 



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2582 no Complexly: Hank and John Green In 2007, brothers Hank and John Green lived thousands of miles apart, so they started posting video blogs to each other on a strange new platform called YouTube. People began tuning in, and the daily Vlogbrothers posts became an early viral hit. Over time, the brothers grew that single channel into a sprawling collection of businesses, including a production studio—Complexly—that makes some of the most entertaining educational content on the internet.&nbsp;They’re also both hugely successful authors; John’s young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best-selling books of all time.&nbsp;With every success,&nbsp;Hank says he’s asked himself, “What’s exciting? What’s causing you the most stress? Head in that direction.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Complexly: Hank and John Green full 482 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2007, brothers Hank and John Green lived thousands of miles apart, so they started posting video blogs to each other on a strange new platform called YouTube. People began tuning in, and the daily Vlogbrothers posts became an early viral hit. Over time, the brothers grew that single channel into a sprawling collection of businesses, including a production studio—Complexly—that makes some of the most entertaining educational content on the internet. They’re also both hugely successful authors; John’s young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best-selling books of all time. With every success, Hank says he’s asked himself, “What’s exciting? What’s causing you the most stress? Head in that direction.” In 2007, brothers Hank and John Green lived thousands of miles apart, so they started posting video blogs to each other on a strange new platform called YouTube. People began tuning in, and the daily Vlogbrothers posts became an early viral hit. Over time, the brothers grew that single channel into a sprawling collection of businesses, including a production studio—Complexly—that makes some of the most entertaining educational content on the internet.&nbsp;They’re also both hugely successful authors; John’s young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best-selling books of all time.&nbsp;With every success,&nbsp;Hank says he’s asked himself, “What’s exciting? What’s causing you the most stress? Head in that direction.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2007, brothers Hank and John Green lived thousands of miles apart, so they started posting video blogs to each other on a strange new platform called YouTube. People began tuning in, and the daily Vlogbrothers posts became an early viral hit. Over time, the brothers grew that single channel into a sprawling collection of businesses, including a production studio—Complexly—that makes some of the most entertaining educational content on the internet. They’re also both hugely successful authors; John’s young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best-selling books of all time. With every success, Hank says he’s asked himself, “What’s exciting? What’s causing you the most stress? Head in that direction.”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5307 no ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Malala Fund and Our Place: Shiza Shahid On October 9, 2012, Shiza Shahid’s life changed forever. It was on that day that 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, capturing the world’s attention. Before long, 22-year-old Shiza found herself leaving her corporate job to join a recovering Malala and her father in launching the Malala Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for girls’ education across the globe.&nbsp; Little did Shiza know, this venture was actually just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey... This week on How I Built This Lab, Shiza recounts the childhood experiences that forged her commitment to public service and advocacy—ultimately shaping her worldview and leading to her first encounter with Malala. She also discusses her pivot to the for-profit world with Our Place, the cookware company she co-founded in 2019 that’s both profitable and making an impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Malala Fund and Our Place: Shiza Shahid full 481 Guy Raz | Vox Media On October 9, 2012, Shiza Shahid’s life changed forever. It was on that day that 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, capturing the world’s attention. Before long, 22-year-old Shiza found herself leaving her corporate job to join a recovering Malala and her father in launching the Malala Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for girls’ education across the globe. Little did Shiza know, this venture was actually just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey...This week on How I Built This Lab, Shiza recounts the childhood experiences that forged her commitment to public service and advocacy—ultimately shaping her worldview and leading to her first encounter with Malala. She also discusses her pivot to the for-profit world with Our Place, the cookware company she co-founded in 2019 that’s both profitable and making an impact. On October 9, 2012, Shiza Shahid’s life changed forever. It was on that day that 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, capturing the world’s attention. Before long, 22-year-old Shiza found herself leaving her corporate job to join a recovering Malala and her father in launching the Malala Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for girls’ education across the globe.&nbsp; Little did Shiza know, this venture was actually just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey... This week on How I Built This Lab, Shiza recounts the childhood experiences that forged her commitment to public service and advocacy—ultimately shaping her worldview and leading to her first encounter with Malala. She also discusses her pivot to the for-profit world with Our Place, the cookware company she co-founded in 2019 that’s both profitable and making an impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices On October 9, 2012, Shiza Shahid’s life changed forever. It was on that day that 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, capturing the world’s attention. Before long, 22-year-old Shiza found herself leaving her corporate job to join a recovering Malala and her father in launching the Malala Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for girls’ education across the globe. 


Little did Shiza know, this venture was actually just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey...


This week on How I Built This Lab, Shiza recounts the childhood experiences that forged her commitment to public service and advocacy—ultimately shaping her worldview and leading to her first encounter with Malala. She also discusses her pivot to the for-profit world with Our Place, the cookware company she co-founded in 2019 that’s both profitable and making an impact.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3003 no Health-Ade Kombucha: Daina Trout (2020) In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Their biggest contender seemed to be a natural product to treat hair loss. Turns out, it's harder than they thought to make one, so they landed on something completely different: a brand of homemade kombucha they called Health-Ade. After nine months of brewing kombucha in their kitchen and selling it at local farmer's markets, the three co-founders quit their jobs to pursue Health-Ade full time. In just seven years, Health-Ade brewed 120,000 bottles of Kombucha every day, and did close to $200 million in retail sales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Jan 2023 08:10:00 -0000 Health-Ade Kombucha: Daina Trout (2020) full 480 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Their biggest contender seemed to be a natural product to treat hair loss. Turns out, it's harder than they thought to make one, so they landed on something completely different: a brand of homemade kombucha they called Health-Ade. After nine months of brewing kombucha in their kitchen and selling it at local farmer's markets, the three co-founders quit their jobs to pursue Health-Ade full time. In just seven years, Health-Ade brewed 120,000 bottles of Kombucha every day, and did close to $200 million in retail sales. In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Their biggest contender seemed to be a natural product to treat hair loss. Turns out, it's harder than they thought to make one, so they landed on something completely different: a brand of homemade kombucha they called Health-Ade. After nine months of brewing kombucha in their kitchen and selling it at local farmer's markets, the three co-founders quit their jobs to pursue Health-Ade full time. In just seven years, Health-Ade brewed 120,000 bottles of Kombucha every day, and did close to $200 million in retail sales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Their biggest contender seemed to be a natural product to treat hair loss. Turns out, it's harder than they thought to make one, so they landed on something completely different: a brand of homemade kombucha they called Health-Ade. After nine months of brewing kombucha in their kitchen and selling it at local farmer's markets, the three co-founders quit their jobs to pursue Health-Ade full time. In just seven years, Health-Ade brewed 120,000 bottles of Kombucha every day, and did close to $200 million in retail sales.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3710 no ICYMI... HIBT Lab! The Financial Diet: Chelsea Fagan Chelsea Fagan got her first credit card when she was a senior in high school. She quickly maxed it out, racking up debt that would burden her through her early twenties. Then, in 2014, Chelsea started a blog as a way to keep track of her spending habits and get her financial life back on track. She called it “The Financial Diet.” This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Chelsea about how she turned that blog into the multimedia personal finance business it is today. Plus, Chelsea shares why she prioritizes employee satisfaction over growth and explains her judicious approach to brand partnerships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 ICYMI... HIBT Lab! The Financial Diet: Chelsea Fagan full 479 Guy Raz | Vox Media Chelsea Fagan got her first credit card when she was a senior in high school. She quickly maxed it out, racking up debt that would burden her through her early twenties. Then, in 2014, Chelsea started a blog as a way to keep track of her spending habits and get her financial life back on track. She called it “The Financial Diet.”This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Chelsea about how she turned that blog into the multimedia personal finance business it is today. Plus, Chelsea shares why she prioritizes employee satisfaction over growth and explains her judicious approach to brand partnerships. Chelsea Fagan got her first credit card when she was a senior in high school. She quickly maxed it out, racking up debt that would burden her through her early twenties. Then, in 2014, Chelsea started a blog as a way to keep track of her spending habits and get her financial life back on track. She called it “The Financial Diet.” This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Chelsea about how she turned that blog into the multimedia personal finance business it is today. Plus, Chelsea shares why she prioritizes employee satisfaction over growth and explains her judicious approach to brand partnerships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Chelsea Fagan got her first credit card when she was a senior in high school. She quickly maxed it out, racking up debt that would burden her through her early twenties. Then, in 2014, Chelsea started a blog as a way to keep track of her spending habits and get her financial life back on track. She called it “The Financial Diet.”

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Chelsea about how she turned that blog into the multimedia personal finance business it is today. Plus, Chelsea shares why she prioritizes employee satisfaction over growth and explains her judicious approach to brand partnerships.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2650 no Kodiak Cakes: Joel Clark (2020) When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his older brother had upgraded to selling the mix out of a Mazda sedan and calling it Kodiak Cakes. As he tried to scale the business, Joel made some risky business decisions and almost went bankrupt, but eventually got the brand into Target—a major turning point. Today, Kodiak Cakes is one of the best-selling pancake mixes in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 Kodiak Cakes: Joel Clark (2020) full 478 Guy Raz | Vox Media When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his older brother had upgraded to selling the mix out of a Mazda sedan and calling it Kodiak Cakes. As he tried to scale the business, Joel made some risky business decisions and almost went bankrupt, but eventually got the brand into Target—a major turning point. Today, Kodiak Cakes is one of the best-selling pancake mixes in America. When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his older brother had upgraded to selling the mix out of a Mazda sedan and calling it Kodiak Cakes. As he tried to scale the business, Joel made some risky business decisions and almost went bankrupt, but eventually got the brand into Target—a major turning point. Today, Kodiak Cakes is one of the best-selling pancake mixes in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his older brother had upgraded to selling the mix out of a Mazda sedan and calling it Kodiak Cakes. As he tried to scale the business, Joel made some risky business decisions and almost went bankrupt, but eventually got the brand into Target—a major turning point. Today, Kodiak Cakes is one of the best-selling pancake mixes in America.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4710 no ICYMI... HIBT Lab! The Sorry Girls: Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright YouTubers Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright – better known as The Sorry Girls – have always had an affinity for production. When they met as film students back in 2010, little did they know that the DIY videos they were creating for fun would eventually lead to full-fledged careers co-founding and leading their own media company. But building to where they are now, with over 2 million subscribers and counting, didn’t exactly come with a blueprint… This week on How I Built This Lab, Kelsey and Becky talk to Guy about pursuing the uncharted territory of a YouTube career, their philosophies on navigating brand deals, and their take on growing a business in the creator economy without compromising on values. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 ICYMI... HIBT Lab! The Sorry Girls: Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright full 477 Guy Raz | Vox Media YouTubers Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright – better known as The Sorry Girls – have always had an affinity for production. When they met as film students back in 2010, little did they know that the DIY videos they were creating for fun would eventually lead to full-fledged careers co-founding and leading their own media company. But building to where they are now, with over 2 million subscribers and counting, didn’t exactly come with a blueprint…This week on How I Built This Lab, Kelsey and Becky talk to Guy about pursuing the uncharted territory of a YouTube career, their philosophies on navigating brand deals, and their take on growing a business in the creator economy without compromising on values. YouTubers Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright – better known as The Sorry Girls – have always had an affinity for production. When they met as film students back in 2010, little did they know that the DIY videos they were creating for fun would eventually lead to full-fledged careers co-founding and leading their own media company. But building to where they are now, with over 2 million subscribers and counting, didn’t exactly come with a blueprint… This week on How I Built This Lab, Kelsey and Becky talk to Guy about pursuing the uncharted territory of a YouTube career, their philosophies on navigating brand deals, and their take on growing a business in the creator economy without compromising on values. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices YouTubers Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright – better known as The Sorry Girls – have always had an affinity for production. When they met as film students back in 2010, little did they know that the DIY videos they were creating for fun would eventually lead to full-fledged careers co-founding and leading their own media company. But building to where they are now, with over 2 million subscribers and counting, didn’t exactly come with a blueprint…

This week on How I Built This Lab, Kelsey and Becky talk to Guy about pursuing the uncharted territory of a YouTube career, their philosophies on navigating brand deals, and their take on growing a business in the creator economy without compromising on values.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2897 no I.R.S. Records: Miles Copeland As a music industry mogul and founder of I.R.S. Records, Miles Copeland prided himself on making deals that were easy to say “yes” to. With a mixture of shrewd business skills, swagger, good taste and great timing, Miles signed or managed some of the most popular bands of the 1980's, including R.E.M., The Go-Go's, and The Police.&nbsp;After getting his start booking little-known British bands in the early 1970's and nearly going bankrupt after a failed tour, Miles eased back into the business by promoting punk groups—who didn’t care that he was broke.&nbsp;He then landed one of the most important deals of his career by convincing A&M Records to take a chance on The Police (whose drummer, Stewart Copeland, was Miles' brother).&nbsp;After I.R.S. dissolved in the mid 1990's, Miles remained a force in entertainment, launching new labels, branching out into world music, and managing Sting’s career until 2001.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 I.R.S. Records: Miles Copeland full 476 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a music industry mogul and founder of I.R.S. Records, Miles Copeland prided himself on making deals that were easy to say “yes” to. With a mixture of shrewd business skills, swagger, good taste and great timing, Miles signed or managed some of the most popular bands of the 1980's, including R.E.M., The Go-Go's, and The Police. After getting his start booking little-known British bands in the early 1970's and nearly going bankrupt after a failed tour, Miles eased back into the business by promoting punk groups—who didn’t care that he was broke. He then landed one of the most important deals of his career by convincing A&amp;M Records to take a chance on The Police (whose drummer, Stewart Copeland, was Miles' brother). After I.R.S. dissolved in the mid 1990's, Miles remained a force in entertainment, launching new labels, branching out into world music, and managing Sting’s career until 2001.   As a music industry mogul and founder of I.R.S. Records, Miles Copeland prided himself on making deals that were easy to say “yes” to. With a mixture of shrewd business skills, swagger, good taste and great timing, Miles signed or managed some of the most popular bands of the 1980's, including R.E.M., The Go-Go's, and The Police.&nbsp;After getting his start booking little-known British bands in the early 1970's and nearly going bankrupt after a failed tour, Miles eased back into the business by promoting punk groups—who didn’t care that he was broke.&nbsp;He then landed one of the most important deals of his career by convincing A&M Records to take a chance on The Police (whose drummer, Stewart Copeland, was Miles' brother).&nbsp;After I.R.S. dissolved in the mid 1990's, Miles remained a force in entertainment, launching new labels, branching out into world music, and managing Sting’s career until 2001.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a music industry mogul and founder of I.R.S. Records, Miles Copeland prided himself on making deals that were easy to say “yes” to. With a mixture of shrewd business skills, swagger, good taste and great timing, Miles signed or managed some of the most popular bands of the 1980's, including R.E.M., The Go-Go's, and The Police. After getting his start booking little-known British bands in the early 1970's and nearly going bankrupt after a failed tour, Miles eased back into the business by promoting punk groups—who didn’t care that he was broke. He then landed one of the most important deals of his career by convincing A&M Records to take a chance on The Police (whose drummer, Stewart Copeland, was Miles' brother). After I.R.S. dissolved in the mid 1990's, Miles remained a force in entertainment, launching new labels, branching out into world music, and managing Sting’s career until 2001.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4281 no HIBT Lab! Immunai: Noam Solomon According to the CDC, 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease like cancer or diabetes. Meanwhile, the process for discovering new drug treatments is critically expensive and inefficient. About 90% of drug candidates fail to gain FDA approval; the average cost to develop a new drug is over $1 billion; and testing can take over 10 years. Noam Solomon is on a mission to change this. His company, Immunai, is using artificial intelligence to create an atlas of the human immune system.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Noam about how Immunai’s immune system mapping is accelerating the development of new personalized drug therapies. Plus, Noam shares how Immunai’s culture of ‘not knowing’ drives scientific innovation.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Immunai: Noam Solomon full 475 Guy Raz | Vox Media According to the CDC, 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease like cancer or diabetes. Meanwhile, the process for discovering new drug treatments is critically expensive and inefficient. About 90% of drug candidates fail to gain FDA approval; the average cost to develop a new drug is over $1 billion; and testing can take over 10 years.Noam Solomon is on a mission to change this. His company, Immunai, is using artificial intelligence to create an atlas of the human immune system. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Noam about how Immunai’s immune system mapping is accelerating the development of new personalized drug therapies. Plus, Noam shares how Immunai’s culture of ‘not knowing’ drives scientific innovation.  According to the CDC, 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease like cancer or diabetes. Meanwhile, the process for discovering new drug treatments is critically expensive and inefficient. About 90% of drug candidates fail to gain FDA approval; the average cost to develop a new drug is over $1 billion; and testing can take over 10 years. Noam Solomon is on a mission to change this. His company, Immunai, is using artificial intelligence to create an atlas of the human immune system.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Noam about how Immunai’s immune system mapping is accelerating the development of new personalized drug therapies. Plus, Noam shares how Immunai’s culture of ‘not knowing’ drives scientific innovation.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices According to the CDC, 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease like cancer or diabetes. Meanwhile, the process for discovering new drug treatments is critically expensive and inefficient. About 90% of drug candidates fail to gain FDA approval; the average cost to develop a new drug is over $1 billion; and testing can take over 10 years.


Noam Solomon is on a mission to change this. His company, Immunai, is using artificial intelligence to create an atlas of the human immune system. 


This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Noam about how Immunai’s immune system mapping is accelerating the development of new personalized drug therapies. Plus, Noam shares how Immunai’s culture of ‘not knowing’ drives scientific innovation. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2257 no Beautyblender: Rea Ann Silva Working as a Hollywood makeup artist in the early 2000s, Rea Ann Silva designed a sponge that reshaped the face of beauty. She'd been looking for a technique to simplify makeup touch-ups without worrying about the smudges or streaks that were easily detected on HDTV. Her solution?&nbsp;A teardrop-shaped sponge—hand-cut from a foam wedge—that could apply makeup from any angle, and absorb just enough water to be extra-efficient.&nbsp;Actors and fellow makeup artists raved about the sponge, so Rea Ann cold-called an industry insider—who almost hung up on her before agreeing to listen to her idea.&nbsp;That call led to a fruitful partnership that helped Rea Ann launch Beautyblender in Hollywood pro shops, then Ulta and Sephora.&nbsp;Today, the bright pink teardrop sponge is at the center of a multi-million-dollar beauty brand, available in over 50 countries.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 Beautyblender: Rea Ann Silva full 474 Guy Raz | Vox Media Working as a Hollywood makeup artist in the early 2000s, Rea Ann Silva designed a sponge that reshaped the face of beauty. She'd been looking for a technique to simplify makeup touch-ups without worrying about the smudges or streaks that were easily detected on HDTV. Her solution? A teardrop-shaped sponge—hand-cut from a foam wedge—that could apply makeup from any angle, and absorb just enough water to be extra-efficient. Actors and fellow makeup artists raved about the sponge, so Rea Ann cold-called an industry insider—who almost hung up on her before agreeing to listen to her idea. That call led to a fruitful partnership that helped Rea Ann launch Beautyblender in Hollywood pro shops, then Ulta and Sephora. Today, the bright pink teardrop sponge is at the center of a multi-million-dollar beauty brand, available in over 50 countries.   Working as a Hollywood makeup artist in the early 2000s, Rea Ann Silva designed a sponge that reshaped the face of beauty. She'd been looking for a technique to simplify makeup touch-ups without worrying about the smudges or streaks that were easily detected on HDTV. Her solution?&nbsp;A teardrop-shaped sponge—hand-cut from a foam wedge—that could apply makeup from any angle, and absorb just enough water to be extra-efficient.&nbsp;Actors and fellow makeup artists raved about the sponge, so Rea Ann cold-called an industry insider—who almost hung up on her before agreeing to listen to her idea.&nbsp;That call led to a fruitful partnership that helped Rea Ann launch Beautyblender in Hollywood pro shops, then Ulta and Sephora.&nbsp;Today, the bright pink teardrop sponge is at the center of a multi-million-dollar beauty brand, available in over 50 countries.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Working as a Hollywood makeup artist in the early 2000s, Rea Ann Silva designed a sponge that reshaped the face of beauty. She'd been looking for a technique to simplify makeup touch-ups without worrying about the smudges or streaks that were easily detected on HDTV. Her solution? A teardrop-shaped sponge—hand-cut from a foam wedge—that could apply makeup from any angle, and absorb just enough water to be extra-efficient. Actors and fellow makeup artists raved about the sponge, so Rea Ann cold-called an industry insider—who almost hung up on her before agreeing to listen to her idea. That call led to a fruitful partnership that helped Rea Ann launch Beautyblender in Hollywood pro shops, then Ulta and Sephora. Today, the bright pink teardrop sponge is at the center of a multi-million-dollar beauty brand, available in over 50 countries.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4486 no HIBT Lab! mitú and SUMA Wealth: Beatriz Acevedo It was a love for Ricky Martin that started it all... Beatriz Acevedo thought that if she could only become a DJ, she could get his attention and marry him. While marriage to Ricky was not in the cards, an illustrious career in radio, TV, and eventually digital media was. Beatriz is now a serial entrepreneur: her first venture, mitú, is published content for a growing young Latino market. Soon after selling mitú in 2020, she launched Suma Wealth to help young Latinos build wealth and navigate the complex American financial system. This week on How I Built This Lab, Beatriz takes Guy on a journey through her career in media production and her more recent pivot to financial services. She also discusses the importance of a culture-first approach to serving Latino customers, and the interactive and educational approach her new company is taking to close the Latino wealth gap.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! mitú and SUMA Wealth: Beatriz Acevedo full 473 Guy Raz | Vox Media It was a love for Ricky Martin that started it all...Beatriz Acevedo thought that if she could only become a DJ, she could get his attention and marry him. While marriage to Ricky was not in the cards, an illustrious career in radio, TV, and eventually digital media was. Beatriz is now a serial entrepreneur: her first venture, mitú, is published content for a growing young Latino market. Soon after selling mitú in 2020, she launched Suma Wealth to help young Latinos build wealth and navigate the complex American financial system.This week on How I Built This Lab, Beatriz takes Guy on a journey through her career in media production and her more recent pivot to financial services. She also discusses the importance of a culture-first approach to serving Latino customers, and the interactive and educational approach her new company is taking to close the Latino wealth gap.  It was a love for Ricky Martin that started it all... Beatriz Acevedo thought that if she could only become a DJ, she could get his attention and marry him. While marriage to Ricky was not in the cards, an illustrious career in radio, TV, and eventually digital media was. Beatriz is now a serial entrepreneur: her first venture, mitú, is published content for a growing young Latino market. Soon after selling mitú in 2020, she launched Suma Wealth to help young Latinos build wealth and navigate the complex American financial system. This week on How I Built This Lab, Beatriz takes Guy on a journey through her career in media production and her more recent pivot to financial services. She also discusses the importance of a culture-first approach to serving Latino customers, and the interactive and educational approach her new company is taking to close the Latino wealth gap.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices It was a love for Ricky Martin that started it all...

Beatriz Acevedo thought that if she could only become a DJ, she could get his attention and marry him. While marriage to Ricky was not in the cards, an illustrious career in radio, TV, and eventually digital media was. Beatriz is now a serial entrepreneur: her first venture, mitú, is published content for a growing young Latino market. Soon after selling mitú in 2020, she launched Suma Wealth to help young Latinos build wealth and navigate the complex American financial system.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Beatriz takes Guy on a journey through her career in media production and her more recent pivot to financial services. She also discusses the importance of a culture-first approach to serving Latino customers, and the interactive and educational approach her new company is taking to close the Latino wealth gap. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2489 no Alienware: Frank Azor and Nelson Gonzalez With no formal training in business or computer design, Nelson Gonzalez and his cofounders decided to do what almost no other company was doing in the mid-1990’s: make personal computers specifically for gaming. They started as a tiny custom shop in Miami, and eventually began building PC’s for avid gamers, who were willing to pay top dollar for higher speed, better graphics, and a brightly-colored chassis that looked like the head of an Alien. Despite ongoing challenges with sourcing parts and getting loans, Alienware became one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. In 2006, it was purchased by Dell for an undisclosed amount, and remains one of the most popular gaming PC’s in the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 Alienware: Frank Azor and Nelson Gonzalez full 472 Guy Raz | Vox Media With no formal training in business or computer design, Nelson Gonzalez and his cofounders decided to do what almost no other company was doing in the mid-1990’s: make personal computers specifically for gaming. They started as a tiny custom shop in Miami, and eventually began building PC’s for avid gamers, who were willing to pay top dollar for higher speed, better graphics, and a brightly-colored chassis that looked like the head of an Alien. Despite ongoing challenges with sourcing parts and getting loans, Alienware became one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. In 2006, it was purchased by Dell for an undisclosed amount, and remains one of the most popular gaming PC’s in the country. With no formal training in business or computer design, Nelson Gonzalez and his cofounders decided to do what almost no other company was doing in the mid-1990’s: make personal computers specifically for gaming. They started as a tiny custom shop in Miami, and eventually began building PC’s for avid gamers, who were willing to pay top dollar for higher speed, better graphics, and a brightly-colored chassis that looked like the head of an Alien. Despite ongoing challenges with sourcing parts and getting loans, Alienware became one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. In 2006, it was purchased by Dell for an undisclosed amount, and remains one of the most popular gaming PC’s in the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices With no formal training in business or computer design, Nelson Gonzalez and his cofounders decided to do what almost no other company was doing in the mid-1990’s: make personal computers specifically for gaming. They started as a tiny custom shop in Miami, and eventually began building PC’s for avid gamers, who were willing to pay top dollar for higher speed, better graphics, and a brightly-colored chassis that looked like the head of an Alien. Despite ongoing challenges with sourcing parts and getting loans, Alienware became one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. In 2006, it was purchased by Dell for an undisclosed amount, and remains one of the most popular gaming PC’s in the country.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4737 no HIBT Lab! Gro Intelligence: Sara Menker Growing up in Ethiopia in the 1980s and ‘90s, Sara Menker saw the devastating effects of drought and famine firsthand. Later as a commodities trader on Wall Street, Sara realized that a major driver of food insecurity around the world was a lack of good data to predict weather events, crop yields, and food prices. That realization led Sara to found her company, Gro Intelligence, in 2014.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Sara shares how Gro Intelligence uses a combination of artificial intelligence and human expertise to help private companies, nonprofits, and governments better understand agricultural markets and address global food challenges. Plus, Sara talks about building the Gro team and the importance of founders understanding all of the different jobs within their companies.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Dec 2022 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Gro Intelligence: Sara Menker full 471 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up in Ethiopia in the 1980s and ‘90s, Sara Menker saw the devastating effects of drought and famine firsthand. Later as a commodities trader on Wall Street, Sara realized that a major driver of food insecurity around the world was a lack of good data to predict weather events, crop yields, and food prices. That realization led Sara to found her company, Gro Intelligence, in 2014. This week on How I Built This Lab, Sara shares how Gro Intelligence uses a combination of artificial intelligence and human expertise to help private companies, nonprofits, and governments better understand agricultural markets and address global food challenges. Plus, Sara talks about building the Gro team and the importance of founders understanding all of the different jobs within their companies.  Growing up in Ethiopia in the 1980s and ‘90s, Sara Menker saw the devastating effects of drought and famine firsthand. Later as a commodities trader on Wall Street, Sara realized that a major driver of food insecurity around the world was a lack of good data to predict weather events, crop yields, and food prices. That realization led Sara to found her company, Gro Intelligence, in 2014.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Sara shares how Gro Intelligence uses a combination of artificial intelligence and human expertise to help private companies, nonprofits, and governments better understand agricultural markets and address global food challenges. Plus, Sara talks about building the Gro team and the importance of founders understanding all of the different jobs within their companies.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Growing up in Ethiopia in the 1980s and ‘90s, Sara Menker saw the devastating effects of drought and famine firsthand. Later as a commodities trader on Wall Street, Sara realized that a major driver of food insecurity around the world was a lack of good data to predict weather events, crop yields, and food prices. That realization led Sara to found her company, Gro Intelligence, in 2014. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Sara shares how Gro Intelligence uses a combination of artificial intelligence and human expertise to help private companies, nonprofits, and governments better understand agricultural markets and address global food challenges. Plus, Sara talks about building the Gro team and the importance of founders understanding all of the different jobs within their companies. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2563 no Famous Dave's: Dave Anderson (2020) Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him. For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin. The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has over 100 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Nov 2022 08:10:00 -0000 Famous Dave's: Dave Anderson (2020) full 470 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him.For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin.The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has over 100 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country. Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him. For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin. The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has over 100 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him.

For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin.

The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has over 100 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4793 no ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Babish Culinary Universe: Andrew Rea Growing up, Andrew Rea dreamed of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker. But the special effects production job he landed after college left him feeling…uninspired. After a series of creative defeats and mounting relationship troubles, his therapist suggested he find a new creative outlet. Andrew decided to make a short cooking video inspired by an episode of Parks and Recreation and uploaded it to YouTube... This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy asks Andrew about his journey from TV and movie buff to YouTube cooking sensation. His channel, Babish Culinary Universe now has nearly 10 million subscribers. Plus, Andrew candidly shares how his struggles with mental health have shaped his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 24 Nov 2022 08:10:00 -0000 ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Babish Culinary Universe: Andrew Rea full 469 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up, Andrew Rea dreamed of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker. But the special effects production job he landed after college left him feeling…uninspired. After a series of creative defeats and mounting relationship troubles, his therapist suggested he find a new creative outlet. Andrew decided to make a short cooking video inspired by an episode of Parks and Recreation and uploaded it to YouTube...This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy asks Andrew about his journey from TV and movie buff to YouTube cooking sensation. His channel, Babish Culinary Universe now has nearly 10 million subscribers. Plus, Andrew candidly shares how his struggles with mental health have shaped his career. Growing up, Andrew Rea dreamed of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker. But the special effects production job he landed after college left him feeling…uninspired. After a series of creative defeats and mounting relationship troubles, his therapist suggested he find a new creative outlet. Andrew decided to make a short cooking video inspired by an episode of Parks and Recreation and uploaded it to YouTube... This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy asks Andrew about his journey from TV and movie buff to YouTube cooking sensation. His channel, Babish Culinary Universe now has nearly 10 million subscribers. Plus, Andrew candidly shares how his struggles with mental health have shaped his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Growing up, Andrew Rea dreamed of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker. But the special effects production job he landed after college left him feeling…uninspired. After a series of creative defeats and mounting relationship troubles, his therapist suggested he find a new creative outlet. Andrew decided to make a short cooking video inspired by an episode of Parks and Recreation and uploaded it to YouTube...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy asks Andrew about his journey from TV and movie buff to YouTube cooking sensation. His channel, Babish Culinary Universe now has nearly 10 million subscribers. Plus, Andrew candidly shares how his struggles with mental health have shaped his career.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3057 no Guayakí Yerba Mate: David Karr and Chris Mann In the mid-1990’s most Americans had probably never even heard of yerba mate, but when David Karr and Chris Mann were first introduced to the South American drink, they were hooked. Together with three other friends, they decided to launch a company that would bring mate to the American market. Based in San Luis Obispo, California, the co-founders of Guayakí Yerba Mate spent years living in a van and driving all over the country, brewing up free samples for consumers, and convincing natural food stores to sell their product. It would take almost 15 years of grinding away before the company turned a significant profit, but the founders were powered by a mission to do business in a way that supports communities and the environment. Today, Guayakí has annual revenue of over $100 million, and their canned and bottled beverages are available all across the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Nov 2022 08:10:00 -0000 Guayakí Yerba Mate: David Karr and Chris Mann full 468 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the mid-1990’s most Americans had probably never even heard of yerba mate, but when David Karr and Chris Mann were first introduced to the South American drink, they were hooked. Together with three other friends, they decided to launch a company that would bring mate to the American market. Based in San Luis Obispo, California, the co-founders of Guayakí Yerba Mate spent years living in a van and driving all over the country, brewing up free samples for consumers, and convincing natural food stores to sell their product. It would take almost 15 years of grinding away before the company turned a significant profit, but the founders were powered by a mission to do business in a way that supports communities and the environment. Today, Guayakí has annual revenue of over $100 million, and their canned and bottled beverages are available all across the U.S. In the mid-1990’s most Americans had probably never even heard of yerba mate, but when David Karr and Chris Mann were first introduced to the South American drink, they were hooked. Together with three other friends, they decided to launch a company that would bring mate to the American market. Based in San Luis Obispo, California, the co-founders of Guayakí Yerba Mate spent years living in a van and driving all over the country, brewing up free samples for consumers, and convincing natural food stores to sell their product. It would take almost 15 years of grinding away before the company turned a significant profit, but the founders were powered by a mission to do business in a way that supports communities and the environment. Today, Guayakí has annual revenue of over $100 million, and their canned and bottled beverages are available all across the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In the mid-1990’s most Americans had probably never even heard of yerba mate, but when David Karr and Chris Mann were first introduced to the South American drink, they were hooked. Together with three other friends, they decided to launch a company that would bring mate to the American market. Based in San Luis Obispo, California, the co-founders of Guayakí Yerba Mate spent years living in a van and driving all over the country, brewing up free samples for consumers, and convincing natural food stores to sell their product. It would take almost 15 years of grinding away before the company turned a significant profit, but the founders were powered by a mission to do business in a way that supports communities and the environment. Today, Guayakí has annual revenue of over $100 million, and their canned and bottled beverages are available all across the U.S.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4534 no HIBT Lab! Goodr: Jasmine Crowe-Houston Millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat — a startling fact considering 40% of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. And a lot of that food… from restaurants, supermarkets, office buildings and more… is perfectly safe to eat. What’s worse is that this discarded food waste produces harmful methane emissions that contribute to global climate change. Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an entrepreneur who became obsessed with these problems. In 2017, she founded Goodr, which works with businesses to take unused food and deliver it to those who need it. Instead of paying waste management companies to throw surplus food into landfills, businesses can work with Goodr to deliver that food to local nonprofits that get it to people in need. This week on How I Built This Lab, Jasmine talks with Guy about solving the logistical challenge of delivering surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity. Plus, the two discuss Jasmine’s decision to launch Goodr as a for-profit organization, and the growing corporate focus on sustainability that’s led to Goodr’s rapid growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 17 Nov 2022 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Goodr: Jasmine Crowe-Houston full 467 Guy Raz | Vox Media Millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat — a startling fact considering 40% of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. And a lot of that food… from restaurants, supermarkets, office buildings and more… is perfectly safe to eat. What’s worse is that this discarded food waste produces harmful methane emissions that contribute to global climate change.Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an entrepreneur who became obsessed with these problems. In 2017, she founded Goodr, which works with businesses to take unused food and deliver it to those who need it. Instead of paying waste management companies to throw surplus food into landfills, businesses can work with Goodr to deliver that food to local nonprofits that get it to people in need.This week on How I Built This Lab, Jasmine talks with Guy about solving the logistical challenge of delivering surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity. Plus, the two discuss Jasmine’s decision to launch Goodr as a for-profit organization, and the growing corporate focus on sustainability that’s led to Goodr’s rapid growth. Millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat — a startling fact considering 40% of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. And a lot of that food… from restaurants, supermarkets, office buildings and more… is perfectly safe to eat. What’s worse is that this discarded food waste produces harmful methane emissions that contribute to global climate change. Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an entrepreneur who became obsessed with these problems. In 2017, she founded Goodr, which works with businesses to take unused food and deliver it to those who need it. Instead of paying waste management companies to throw surplus food into landfills, businesses can work with Goodr to deliver that food to local nonprofits that get it to people in need. This week on How I Built This Lab, Jasmine talks with Guy about solving the logistical challenge of delivering surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity. Plus, the two discuss Jasmine’s decision to launch Goodr as a for-profit organization, and the growing corporate focus on sustainability that’s led to Goodr’s rapid growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat — a startling fact considering 40% of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown away. And a lot of that food… from restaurants, supermarkets, office buildings and more… is perfectly safe to eat. What’s worse is that this discarded food waste produces harmful methane emissions that contribute to global climate change.

Jasmine Crowe-Houston is an entrepreneur who became obsessed with these problems. In 2017, she founded Goodr, which works with businesses to take unused food and deliver it to those who need it. Instead of paying waste management companies to throw surplus food into landfills, businesses can work with Goodr to deliver that food to local nonprofits that get it to people in need.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Jasmine talks with Guy about solving the logistical challenge of delivering surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity. Plus, the two discuss Jasmine’s decision to launch Goodr as a for-profit organization, and the growing corporate focus on sustainability that’s led to Goodr’s rapid growth.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2963 no Roku: Anthony Wood Anthony Wood helped transform the media landscape…twice.&nbsp;First, in the early 2000’s, when he invented a device that let you record, pause, and re-watch live TV. The DVR was a game-changer, but the company Anthony built around it—ReplayTV—was eventually out-maneuvered by TiVo.&nbsp;Unfazed, Anthony developed another piece of hardware; one that would tap into the growing power of the internet by letting TV’s stream digital content. In 2008, he launched the Roku box, a $99 device that connected your TV to the internet, with a remote simple enough for your grandmother to use. It’s hard to imagine now, but Anthony initially had a hard time convincing investors and media execs that the Roku—and streaming devices like it—would completely change the way we watch TV. Today, Roku has grown into an expansive media company that creates and distributes content to more than 65 million accounts worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Nov 2022 08:10:00 -0000 Roku: Anthony Wood full 466 Guy Raz | Vox Media Anthony Wood helped transform the media landscape…twice. First, in the early 2000’s, when he invented a device that let you record, pause, and re-watch live TV. The DVR was a game-changer, but the company Anthony built around it—ReplayTV—was eventually out-maneuvered by TiVo. Unfazed, Anthony developed another piece of hardware; one that would tap into the growing power of the internet by letting TV’s stream digital content. In 2008, he launched the Roku box, a $99 device that connected your TV to the internet, with a remote simple enough for your grandmother to use. It’s hard to imagine now, but Anthony initially had a hard time convincing investors and media execs that the Roku—and streaming devices like it—would completely change the way we watch TV. Today, Roku has grown into an expansive media company that creates and distributes content to more than 65 million accounts worldwide. Anthony Wood helped transform the media landscape…twice.&nbsp;First, in the early 2000’s, when he invented a device that let you record, pause, and re-watch live TV. The DVR was a game-changer, but the company Anthony built around it—ReplayTV—was eventually out-maneuvered by TiVo.&nbsp;Unfazed, Anthony developed another piece of hardware; one that would tap into the growing power of the internet by letting TV’s stream digital content. In 2008, he launched the Roku box, a $99 device that connected your TV to the internet, with a remote simple enough for your grandmother to use. It’s hard to imagine now, but Anthony initially had a hard time convincing investors and media execs that the Roku—and streaming devices like it—would completely change the way we watch TV. Today, Roku has grown into an expansive media company that creates and distributes content to more than 65 million accounts worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Anthony Wood helped transform the media landscape…twice. First, in the early 2000’s, when he invented a device that let you record, pause, and re-watch live TV. The DVR was a game-changer, but the company Anthony built around it—ReplayTV—was eventually out-maneuvered by TiVo. Unfazed, Anthony developed another piece of hardware; one that would tap into the growing power of the internet by letting TV’s stream digital content. In 2008, he launched the Roku box, a $99 device that connected your TV to the internet, with a remote simple enough for your grandmother to use. It’s hard to imagine now, but Anthony initially had a hard time convincing investors and media execs that the Roku—and streaming devices like it—would completely change the way we watch TV. Today, Roku has grown into an expansive media company that creates and distributes content to more than 65 million accounts worldwide.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4594 no HIBT Lab! Tala: Shivani Siroya ‘This is not our customer...’&nbsp; That was the common justification banks used to deny loans to the entrepreneurs Shivani Siroya supported through her work with the United Nations. While it’s not unusual for a tech startup to raise millions before ever launching a product, small business owners across the globe are all-too-often deemed unworthy of even just a few hundred dollars by traditional financial institutions.&nbsp;&nbsp; In 2011, Shivani set out to change this at scale. Her company, Tala, has since disbursed more than $3 billion in microloans across India, Kenya, Mexico, and the Philippines. Borrowers simply answer a few questions on a mobile app and — within minutes — they have access to capital. What’s more is that the vast majority of the Tala’s loans are repaid, even with such a frictionless vetting process.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Shivani talks with Guy about the lightbulb moments that drove the creation of this vital credit solution and its potential to uplift entire national economies.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 10 Nov 2022 08:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Tala: Shivani Siroya full 465 Guy Raz | Vox Media ‘This is not our customer...’ That was the common justification banks used to deny loans to the entrepreneurs Shivani Siroya supported through her work with the United Nations. While it’s not unusual for a tech startup to raise millions before ever launching a product, small business owners across the globe are all-too-often deemed unworthy of even just a few hundred dollars by traditional financial institutions.  In 2011, Shivani set out to change this at scale. Her company, Tala, has since disbursed more than $3 billion in microloans across India, Kenya, Mexico, and the Philippines. Borrowers simply answer a few questions on a mobile app and — within minutes — they have access to capital. What’s more is that the vast majority of the Tala’s loans are repaid, even with such a frictionless vetting process. This week on How I Built This Lab, Shivani talks with Guy about the lightbulb moments that drove the creation of this vital credit solution and its potential to uplift entire national economies.  ‘This is not our customer...’&nbsp; That was the common justification banks used to deny loans to the entrepreneurs Shivani Siroya supported through her work with the United Nations. While it’s not unusual for a tech startup to raise millions before ever launching a product, small business owners across the globe are all-too-often deemed unworthy of even just a few hundred dollars by traditional financial institutions.&nbsp;&nbsp; In 2011, Shivani set out to change this at scale. Her company, Tala, has since disbursed more than $3 billion in microloans across India, Kenya, Mexico, and the Philippines. Borrowers simply answer a few questions on a mobile app and — within minutes — they have access to capital. What’s more is that the vast majority of the Tala’s loans are repaid, even with such a frictionless vetting process.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Shivani talks with Guy about the lightbulb moments that drove the creation of this vital credit solution and its potential to uplift entire national economies.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices ‘This is not our customer...’ 

That was the common justification banks used to deny loans to the entrepreneurs Shivani Siroya supported through her work with the United Nations. While it’s not unusual for a tech startup to raise millions before ever launching a product, small business owners across the globe are all-too-often deemed unworthy of even just a few hundred dollars by traditional financial institutions.  

In 2011, Shivani set out to change this at scale. Her company, Tala, has since disbursed more than $3 billion in microloans across India, Kenya, Mexico, and the Philippines. Borrowers simply answer a few questions on a mobile app and — within minutes — they have access to capital. What’s more is that the vast majority of the Tala’s loans are repaid, even with such a frictionless vetting process. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Shivani talks with Guy about the lightbulb moments that drove the creation of this vital credit solution and its potential to uplift entire national economies. 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2301 no Chobani: Hamdi Ulukaya As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would&nbsp;serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up.&nbsp;In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is.&nbsp;He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he’d grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey.&nbsp;With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up.&nbsp;A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Nov 2022 08:10:00 -0000 Chobani: Hamdi Ulukaya full 464 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up. In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is. He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he’d grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey. With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up. A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle.   As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would&nbsp;serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up.&nbsp;In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is.&nbsp;He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he’d grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey.&nbsp;With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up.&nbsp;A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up. In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened upon a piece of junk mail that would change his life: an ad for an abandoned yogurt factory...$700K, as is. He knew if he could get his hands on it, he could bring a new kind of dairy product to the U.S.—the thick, creamy yogurt he’d grown up eating in the mountains of Turkey. With the help of a local bank, Hamdi bought the factory, and sales grew so quickly that he could barely keep up. A few years later, some bad business decisions nearly pushed the company into bankruptcy, but today, Chobani is one of the most popular yogurt brands in the U.S; and Greek-style yogurt has become a staple of the dairy aisle.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5651 no HIBT Lab! Tomorrow.io: Shimon Elkabetz Our planet is warming, and many parts of the world are not equipped to accurately predict the heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and floods that are becoming more frequent and intense due to the changing climate.&nbsp; Former Israeli Air Force pilot Shimon Elkabetz knows the importance of good weather forecasts — they can literally mean the difference between life and death. In 2016, he co-founded Tomorrow.io to improve the weather data available across the world.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Shimon talks with Guy about his company’s work to help businesses, governments and individuals make better decisions in response to increasingly volatile weather. Plus, Shimon recounts some of the challenges he’s faced in fundraising for ‘hard technology’ and stresses the importance of building climate change solutions that generate immediate impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Tomorrow.io: Shimon Elkabetz full 463 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our planet is warming, and many parts of the world are not equipped to accurately predict the heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and floods that are becoming more frequent and intense due to the changing climate. Former Israeli Air Force pilot Shimon Elkabetz knows the importance of good weather forecasts — they can literally mean the difference between life and death. In 2016, he co-founded Tomorrow.io to improve the weather data available across the world. This week on How I Built This Lab, Shimon talks with Guy about his company’s work to help businesses, governments and individuals make better decisions in response to increasingly volatile weather. Plus, Shimon recounts some of the challenges he’s faced in fundraising for ‘hard technology’ and stresses the importance of building climate change solutions that generate immediate impact. Our planet is warming, and many parts of the world are not equipped to accurately predict the heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and floods that are becoming more frequent and intense due to the changing climate.&nbsp; Former Israeli Air Force pilot Shimon Elkabetz knows the importance of good weather forecasts — they can literally mean the difference between life and death. In 2016, he co-founded Tomorrow.io to improve the weather data available across the world.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Shimon talks with Guy about his company’s work to help businesses, governments and individuals make better decisions in response to increasingly volatile weather. Plus, Shimon recounts some of the challenges he’s faced in fundraising for ‘hard technology’ and stresses the importance of building climate change solutions that generate immediate impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Our planet is warming, and many parts of the world are not equipped to accurately predict the heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and floods that are becoming more frequent and intense due to the changing climate. 

Former Israeli Air Force pilot Shimon Elkabetz knows the importance of good weather forecasts — they can literally mean the difference between life and death. In 2016, he co-founded Tomorrow.io to improve the weather data available across the world. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Shimon talks with Guy about his company’s work to help businesses, governments and individuals make better decisions in response to increasingly volatile weather. Plus, Shimon recounts some of the challenges he’s faced in fundraising for ‘hard technology’ and stresses the importance of building climate change solutions that generate immediate impact.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2687 no Ooni Pizza Ovens: Darina Garland and Kristian Tapaninaho When you think of pizza, the first place that comes to mind probably isn’t Finland…or Scotland. But that’s where the two founders of the outdoor pizza oven brand Ooni grew up. In 2012, Kristian Tapaninaho was experimenting with making his own pizza, but he couldn’t get his home oven hot enough to produce an authentic, Neapolitan-style crust. With no background in product design, Kristian decided to design a portable, wood-fired outdoor oven. He used some basic 3D modeling software, enlisted a nearby fence-maker to build a prototype, and raised about $26,000 on Kickstarter. Since launching in 2012, Kristian and his wife Darina have grown Ooni into a $250 million business, accelerated by the home baking boom that happened during COVID. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and sold in 90 countries, Ooni has defined a new product category that has helped transform home pizza making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Ooni Pizza Ovens: Darina Garland and Kristian Tapaninaho full 462 Guy Raz | Vox Media When you think of pizza, the first place that comes to mind probably isn’t Finland…or Scotland. But that’s where the two founders of the outdoor pizza oven brand Ooni grew up. In 2012, Kristian Tapaninaho was experimenting with making his own pizza, but he couldn’t get his home oven hot enough to produce an authentic, Neapolitan-style crust. With no background in product design, Kristian decided to design a portable, wood-fired outdoor oven. He used some basic 3D modeling software, enlisted a nearby fence-maker to build a prototype, and raised about $26,000 on Kickstarter. Since launching in 2012, Kristian and his wife Darina have grown Ooni into a $250 million business, accelerated by the home baking boom that happened during COVID. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and sold in 90 countries, Ooni has defined a new product category that has helped transform home pizza making. When you think of pizza, the first place that comes to mind probably isn’t Finland…or Scotland. But that’s where the two founders of the outdoor pizza oven brand Ooni grew up. In 2012, Kristian Tapaninaho was experimenting with making his own pizza, but he couldn’t get his home oven hot enough to produce an authentic, Neapolitan-style crust. With no background in product design, Kristian decided to design a portable, wood-fired outdoor oven. He used some basic 3D modeling software, enlisted a nearby fence-maker to build a prototype, and raised about $26,000 on Kickstarter. Since launching in 2012, Kristian and his wife Darina have grown Ooni into a $250 million business, accelerated by the home baking boom that happened during COVID. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and sold in 90 countries, Ooni has defined a new product category that has helped transform home pizza making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When you think of pizza, the first place that comes to mind probably isn’t Finland…or Scotland. But that’s where the two founders of the outdoor pizza oven brand Ooni grew up. In 2012, Kristian Tapaninaho was experimenting with making his own pizza, but he couldn’t get his home oven hot enough to produce an authentic, Neapolitan-style crust. With no background in product design, Kristian decided to design a portable, wood-fired outdoor oven. He used some basic 3D modeling software, enlisted a nearby fence-maker to build a prototype, and raised about $26,000 on Kickstarter. Since launching in 2012, Kristian and his wife Darina have grown Ooni into a $250 million business, accelerated by the home baking boom that happened during COVID. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and sold in 90 countries, Ooni has defined a new product category that has helped transform home pizza making.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4425 no HIBT Lab! MKBHD: Marques Brownlee “Right now I have approximately 70-ish subscribers,” declared a teenage Marques Brownlee at the beginning of his 100th YouTube video back in 2009. Marques recorded his first of many product reviews earlier that year, after buying his first laptop. Quite simply, he wanted others to have more information about this computer than he did when he bought it.&nbsp; Since then, Marques has grown his channel, MKBHD, into a full-fledged business with more than 16 million subscribers and over 3 billion total views. He’s expanded beyond reviews too, posting interviews with well-known public figures like Kobe Bryant, Bill Gates and Elon Musk.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Marques reflects on his journey as a content creator and how he turned a love of tech into a lucrative and sustainable business. Plus, he shares his philosophy for building a strong team – which interestingly enough, is inspired by an octopus... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! MKBHD: Marques Brownlee full 461 Guy Raz | Vox Media “Right now I have approximately 70-ish subscribers,” declared a teenage Marques Brownlee at the beginning of his 100th YouTube video back in 2009. Marques recorded his first of many product reviews earlier that year, after buying his first laptop. Quite simply, he wanted others to have more information about this computer than he did when he bought it. Since then, Marques has grown his channel, MKBHD, into a full-fledged business with more than 16 million subscribers and over 3 billion total views. He’s expanded beyond reviews too, posting interviews with well-known public figures like Kobe Bryant, Bill Gates and Elon Musk. This week on How I Built This Lab, Marques reflects on his journey as a content creator and how he turned a love of tech into a lucrative and sustainable business. Plus, he shares his philosophy for building a strong team – which interestingly enough, is inspired by an octopus... “Right now I have approximately 70-ish subscribers,” declared a teenage Marques Brownlee at the beginning of his 100th YouTube video back in 2009. Marques recorded his first of many product reviews earlier that year, after buying his first laptop. Quite simply, he wanted others to have more information about this computer than he did when he bought it.&nbsp; Since then, Marques has grown his channel, MKBHD, into a full-fledged business with more than 16 million subscribers and over 3 billion total views. He’s expanded beyond reviews too, posting interviews with well-known public figures like Kobe Bryant, Bill Gates and Elon Musk.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Marques reflects on his journey as a content creator and how he turned a love of tech into a lucrative and sustainable business. Plus, he shares his philosophy for building a strong team – which interestingly enough, is inspired by an octopus... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices “Right now I have approximately 70-ish subscribers,” declared a teenage Marques Brownlee at the beginning of his 100th YouTube video back in 2009. Marques recorded his first of many product reviews earlier that year, after buying his first laptop. Quite simply, he wanted others to have more information about this computer than he did when he bought it. 

Since then, Marques has grown his channel, MKBHD, into a full-fledged business with more than 16 million subscribers and over 3 billion total views. He’s expanded beyond reviews too, posting interviews with well-known public figures like Kobe Bryant, Bill Gates and Elon Musk. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Marques reflects on his journey as a content creator and how he turned a love of tech into a lucrative and sustainable business. Plus, he shares his philosophy for building a strong team – which interestingly enough, is inspired by an octopus...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3234 no Tripadvisor: Steve Kaufer Steve Kaufer got the idea for Tripadvisor in 1998 after spending way too many hours online, trying to figure out if a resort in Mexico was really as good as its brochure. When he launched a travel guidance site a few years later, his business plan failed spectacularly because he was trying to partner with other websites, rather than engaging directly with travelers. But Steve eventually arrived at a winning formula: make Tripadvisor available to everyone, aggregate tons of information about hotels and attractions, encourage travelers to add their reviews, and earn a fee from travel companies whenever users clicked to their sites. As the company grew, Steve remained at the helm, leading it through a $210 million sale to IAC, followed by a multi-billion dollar IPO in 2011. Today, Tripadvisor gets over 400 million visitors a month; and Steve—who just stepped down after 22 years—is already thinking about his next business.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Tripadvisor: Steve Kaufer full 460 Guy Raz | Vox Media Steve Kaufer got the idea for Tripadvisor in 1998 after spending way too many hours online, trying to figure out if a resort in Mexico was really as good as its brochure. When he launched a travel guidance site a few years later, his business plan failed spectacularly because he was trying to partner with other websites, rather than engaging directly with travelers. But Steve eventually arrived at a winning formula: make Tripadvisor available to everyone, aggregate tons of information about hotels and attractions, encourage travelers to add their reviews, and earn a fee from travel companies whenever users clicked to their sites. As the company grew, Steve remained at the helm, leading it through a $210 million sale to IAC, followed by a multi-billion dollar IPO in 2011. Today, Tripadvisor gets over 400 million visitors a month; and Steve—who just stepped down after 22 years—is already thinking about his next business.  Steve Kaufer got the idea for Tripadvisor in 1998 after spending way too many hours online, trying to figure out if a resort in Mexico was really as good as its brochure. When he launched a travel guidance site a few years later, his business plan failed spectacularly because he was trying to partner with other websites, rather than engaging directly with travelers. But Steve eventually arrived at a winning formula: make Tripadvisor available to everyone, aggregate tons of information about hotels and attractions, encourage travelers to add their reviews, and earn a fee from travel companies whenever users clicked to their sites. As the company grew, Steve remained at the helm, leading it through a $210 million sale to IAC, followed by a multi-billion dollar IPO in 2011. Today, Tripadvisor gets over 400 million visitors a month; and Steve—who just stepped down after 22 years—is already thinking about his next business.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Steve Kaufer got the idea for Tripadvisor in 1998 after spending way too many hours online, trying to figure out if a resort in Mexico was really as good as its brochure. When he launched a travel guidance site a few years later, his business plan failed spectacularly because he was trying to partner with other websites, rather than engaging directly with travelers. But Steve eventually arrived at a winning formula: make Tripadvisor available to everyone, aggregate tons of information about hotels and attractions, encourage travelers to add their reviews, and earn a fee from travel companies whenever users clicked to their sites. As the company grew, Steve remained at the helm, leading it through a $210 million sale to IAC, followed by a multi-billion dollar IPO in 2011. Today, Tripadvisor gets over 400 million visitors a month; and Steve—who just stepped down after 22 years—is already thinking about his next business. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4762 no HIBT Lab! Cruise: Kyle Vogt Most of us are familiar with rideshare apps at this point. We tap a few buttons on a phone and...voila! A vehicle arrives to take you virtually anywhere you want to go. But what if these vehicles could operate entirely without a human driver? Will we one day live in a world where most cars drive themselves? Kyle Vogt believes that autonomous vehicles will fundamentally change how we get from place to place, and soon! After being part of the team that launched the video game streaming platform Twitch, Kyle charted a new course in 2013 by founding Cruise, which was acquired by General Motors just three years later. This week on How I Built This Lab, Kyle talks with Guy about the process of building a fleet of fully driverless ‘robo taxis’—which are now available for service in San Francisco and coming to more cities across the U.S.. Plus, the two discuss the potential of autonomous vehicles to reduce the alarming number of vehicle-related fatalities and injuries experienced every year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Cruise: Kyle Vogt full 459 Guy Raz | Vox Media Most of us are familiar with rideshare apps at this point. We tap a few buttons on a phone and...voila! A vehicle arrives to take you virtually anywhere you want to go. But what if these vehicles could operate entirely without a human driver? Will we one day live in a world where most cars drive themselves?Kyle Vogt believes that autonomous vehicles will fundamentally change how we get from place to place, and soon! After being part of the team that launched the video game streaming platform Twitch, Kyle charted a new course in 2013 by founding Cruise, which was acquired by General Motors just three years later.This week on How I Built This Lab, Kyle talks with Guy about the process of building a fleet of fully driverless ‘robo taxis’—which are now available for service in San Francisco and coming to more cities across the U.S.. Plus, the two discuss the potential of autonomous vehicles to reduce the alarming number of vehicle-related fatalities and injuries experienced every year. Most of us are familiar with rideshare apps at this point. We tap a few buttons on a phone and...voila! A vehicle arrives to take you virtually anywhere you want to go. But what if these vehicles could operate entirely without a human driver? Will we one day live in a world where most cars drive themselves? Kyle Vogt believes that autonomous vehicles will fundamentally change how we get from place to place, and soon! After being part of the team that launched the video game streaming platform Twitch, Kyle charted a new course in 2013 by founding Cruise, which was acquired by General Motors just three years later. This week on How I Built This Lab, Kyle talks with Guy about the process of building a fleet of fully driverless ‘robo taxis’—which are now available for service in San Francisco and coming to more cities across the U.S.. Plus, the two discuss the potential of autonomous vehicles to reduce the alarming number of vehicle-related fatalities and injuries experienced every year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Most of us are familiar with rideshare apps at this point. We tap a few buttons on a phone and...voila! A vehicle arrives to take you virtually anywhere you want to go. But what if these vehicles could operate entirely without a human driver? Will we one day live in a world where most cars drive themselves?

Kyle Vogt believes that autonomous vehicles will fundamentally change how we get from place to place, and soon! After being part of the team that launched the video game streaming platform Twitch, Kyle charted a new course in 2013 by founding Cruise, which was acquired by General Motors just three years later.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Kyle talks with Guy about the process of building a fleet of fully driverless ‘robo taxis’—which are now available for service in San Francisco and coming to more cities across the U.S.. Plus, the two discuss the potential of autonomous vehicles to reduce the alarming number of vehicle-related fatalities and injuries experienced every year.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3289 no Bluemercury: Marla and Barry Beck The story of Bluemercury is packed with business lessons—for starters, it’s always good to have a backup plan. That’s what Marla and Barry Beck discovered in 1999, when they realized their startup online cosmetics business was going nowhere fast. They begged the bank for a second loan so they could invest in a brick-and-mortar store in Washington, D.C., and Bluemercury was born. More lessons followed: as they grew, they distinguished themselves by offering high-end brands and personalized service, and by locating stores in fashionable urban neighborhoods, not malls. Today, Bluemercury is owned by Macy’s, with nearly 200 locations across the U.S. And Barry and Marla—who got married somewhere around the launch of store 4—raised three children along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Bluemercury: Marla and Barry Beck full 458 Guy Raz | Vox Media The story of Bluemercury is packed with business lessons—for starters, it’s always good to have a backup plan. That’s what Marla and Barry Beck discovered in 1999, when they realized their startup online cosmetics business was going nowhere fast. They begged the bank for a second loan so they could invest in a brick-and-mortar store in Washington, D.C., and Bluemercury was born. More lessons followed: as they grew, they distinguished themselves by offering high-end brands and personalized service, and by locating stores in fashionable urban neighborhoods, not malls. Today, Bluemercury is owned by Macy’s, with nearly 200 locations across the U.S. And Barry and Marla—who got married somewhere around the launch of store 4—raised three children along the way. The story of Bluemercury is packed with business lessons—for starters, it’s always good to have a backup plan. That’s what Marla and Barry Beck discovered in 1999, when they realized their startup online cosmetics business was going nowhere fast. They begged the bank for a second loan so they could invest in a brick-and-mortar store in Washington, D.C., and Bluemercury was born. More lessons followed: as they grew, they distinguished themselves by offering high-end brands and personalized service, and by locating stores in fashionable urban neighborhoods, not malls. Today, Bluemercury is owned by Macy’s, with nearly 200 locations across the U.S. And Barry and Marla—who got married somewhere around the launch of store 4—raised three children along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The story of Bluemercury is packed with business lessons—for starters, it’s always good to have a backup plan. That’s what Marla and Barry Beck discovered in 1999, when they realized their startup online cosmetics business was going nowhere fast. They begged the bank for a second loan so they could invest in a brick-and-mortar store in Washington, D.C., and Bluemercury was born. More lessons followed: as they grew, they distinguished themselves by offering high-end brands and personalized service, and by locating stores in fashionable urban neighborhoods, not malls. Today, Bluemercury is owned by Macy’s, with nearly 200 locations across the U.S. And Barry and Marla—who got married somewhere around the launch of store 4—raised three children along the way.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4506 no HIBT Lab! Universal Hydrogen: Paul Eremenko Commercial air travel has connected humans across the globe in extraordinary ways. This connection, however, comes with a cost: about a billion tons of carbon emissions annually. There’s been major progress in other transportation sectors with cars, trains, trucks, buses, and even ships that run entirely on renewable energy. But for planes, the path to flying carbon-free hasn’t been so clear.&nbsp; Paul Eremenko is on a mission to change that. His company, Universal Hydrogen, works with stakeholders across the airline industry to transition to an abundant clean-burning fuel source. You guessed it – it’s hydrogen! This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Paul about the massive challenges the industry faces in updating planes for alternative fuel sources. Paul also shares how his long track record in aviation prepared him to launch his own company, which has now raised more than $85 million to lead the charge in transitioning aviation to green hydrogen fuel.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Universal Hydrogen: Paul Eremenko full 457 Guy Raz | Vox Media Commercial air travel has connected humans across the globe in extraordinary ways. This connection, however, comes with a cost: about a billion tons of carbon emissions annually. There’s been major progress in other transportation sectors with cars, trains, trucks, buses, and even ships that run entirely on renewable energy. But for planes, the path to flying carbon-free hasn’t been so clear. Paul Eremenko is on a mission to change that. His company, Universal Hydrogen, works with stakeholders across the airline industry to transition to an abundant clean-burning fuel source. You guessed it – it’s hydrogen!This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Paul about the massive challenges the industry faces in updating planes for alternative fuel sources. Paul also shares how his long track record in aviation prepared him to launch his own company, which has now raised more than $85 million to lead the charge in transitioning aviation to green hydrogen fuel.  Commercial air travel has connected humans across the globe in extraordinary ways. This connection, however, comes with a cost: about a billion tons of carbon emissions annually. There’s been major progress in other transportation sectors with cars, trains, trucks, buses, and even ships that run entirely on renewable energy. But for planes, the path to flying carbon-free hasn’t been so clear.&nbsp; Paul Eremenko is on a mission to change that. His company, Universal Hydrogen, works with stakeholders across the airline industry to transition to an abundant clean-burning fuel source. You guessed it – it’s hydrogen! This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Paul about the massive challenges the industry faces in updating planes for alternative fuel sources. Paul also shares how his long track record in aviation prepared him to launch his own company, which has now raised more than $85 million to lead the charge in transitioning aviation to green hydrogen fuel.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Commercial air travel has connected humans across the globe in extraordinary ways. This connection, however, comes with a cost: about a billion tons of carbon emissions annually. There’s been major progress in other transportation sectors with cars, trains, trucks, buses, and even ships that run entirely on renewable energy. But for planes, the path to flying carbon-free hasn’t been so clear. 

Paul Eremenko is on a mission to change that. His company, Universal Hydrogen, works with stakeholders across the airline industry to transition to an abundant clean-burning fuel source. You guessed it – it’s hydrogen!

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Paul about the massive challenges the industry faces in updating planes for alternative fuel sources. Paul also shares how his long track record in aviation prepared him to launch his own company, which has now raised more than $85 million to lead the charge in transitioning aviation to green hydrogen fuel. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2496 no Culver's: Craig Culver Craig Culver says that when he opened the first Culver’s restaurant in a small Wisconsin town, there were three cars in the parking lot on a good day – and two of them were his family’s.&nbsp;Those early years of selling frozen custard and ButterBurgers were hard, but the business was in Craig’s blood. He grew up working in restaurants run by his parents, and Culver’s was a family affair too—one that was more challenging to run than a typical burger joint because of its large menu, with pot roast, soups, and fried fish.&nbsp;The restaurant wasn’t supposed to grow into a behemoth chain, but it franchised quickly, and today there are nearly 900 across the country.&nbsp;On a per-restaurant basis, it’s one of the most profitable quick service restaurants in the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Culver's: Craig Culver full 456 Guy Raz | Vox Media Craig Culver says that when he opened the first Culver’s restaurant in a small Wisconsin town, there were three cars in the parking lot on a good day – and two of them were his family’s. Those early years of selling frozen custard and ButterBurgers were hard, but the business was in Craig’s blood. He grew up working in restaurants run by his parents, and Culver’s was a family affair too—one that was more challenging to run than a typical burger joint because of its large menu, with pot roast, soups, and fried fish. The restaurant wasn’t supposed to grow into a behemoth chain, but it franchised quickly, and today there are nearly 900 across the country. On a per-restaurant basis, it’s one of the most profitable quick service restaurants in the country. Craig Culver says that when he opened the first Culver’s restaurant in a small Wisconsin town, there were three cars in the parking lot on a good day – and two of them were his family’s.&nbsp;Those early years of selling frozen custard and ButterBurgers were hard, but the business was in Craig’s blood. He grew up working in restaurants run by his parents, and Culver’s was a family affair too—one that was more challenging to run than a typical burger joint because of its large menu, with pot roast, soups, and fried fish.&nbsp;The restaurant wasn’t supposed to grow into a behemoth chain, but it franchised quickly, and today there are nearly 900 across the country.&nbsp;On a per-restaurant basis, it’s one of the most profitable quick service restaurants in the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Craig Culver says that when he opened the first Culver’s restaurant in a small Wisconsin town, there were three cars in the parking lot on a good day – and two of them were his family’s. Those early years of selling frozen custard and ButterBurgers were hard, but the business was in Craig’s blood. He grew up working in restaurants run by his parents, and Culver’s was a family affair too—one that was more challenging to run than a typical burger joint because of its large menu, with pot roast, soups, and fried fish. The restaurant wasn’t supposed to grow into a behemoth chain, but it franchised quickly, and today there are nearly 900 across the country. On a per-restaurant basis, it’s one of the most profitable quick service restaurants in the country.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4241 no ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Blogilates: Cassey Ho Cassey Ho is the face of Blogilates, best known for its free online workout videos which have more than a billion views on YouTube alone. As impressive as that is, digital content is just one part of Cassey’s multi-million dollar entrepreneurial portfolio, which has grown to include her POPFLEX apparel brand, additional product lines at Target, a Pilates certification program, and more.&nbsp; This week on&nbsp;How I Built This Lab,&nbsp;hear about the risks Cassey took to defy cultural expectations in pursuit of a more fulfilling – and in some ways, forbidden – career, along with her perspective on what it takes to grow a business in the creator economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Blogilates: Cassey Ho full 455 Guy Raz | Vox Media Cassey Ho is the face of Blogilates, best known for its free online workout videos which have more than a billion views on YouTube alone. As impressive as that is, digital content is just one part of Cassey’s multi-million dollar entrepreneurial portfolio, which has grown to include her POPFLEX apparel brand, additional product lines at Target, a Pilates certification program, and more. This week on How I Built This Lab, hear about the risks Cassey took to defy cultural expectations in pursuit of a more fulfilling – and in some ways, forbidden – career, along with her perspective on what it takes to grow a business in the creator economy. Cassey Ho is the face of Blogilates, best known for its free online workout videos which have more than a billion views on YouTube alone. As impressive as that is, digital content is just one part of Cassey’s multi-million dollar entrepreneurial portfolio, which has grown to include her POPFLEX apparel brand, additional product lines at Target, a Pilates certification program, and more.&nbsp; This week on&nbsp;How I Built This Lab,&nbsp;hear about the risks Cassey took to defy cultural expectations in pursuit of a more fulfilling – and in some ways, forbidden – career, along with her perspective on what it takes to grow a business in the creator economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Cassey Ho is the face of Blogilates, best known for its free online workout videos which have more than a billion views on YouTube alone. As impressive as that is, digital content is just one part of Cassey’s multi-million dollar entrepreneurial portfolio, which has grown to include her POPFLEX apparel brand, additional product lines at Target, a Pilates certification program, and more. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, hear about the risks Cassey took to defy cultural expectations in pursuit of a more fulfilling – and in some ways, forbidden – career, along with her perspective on what it takes to grow a business in the creator economy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2306 no Wirecutter: Brian Lam When Brian Lam walked away from a high-profile job at Gizmodo to launch a product review blog, he had no plan for how it would make money. He just knew what he wanted: a user-friendly site with reviews that could be read in a few minutes, with the best products clearly listed, all backed up by meticulous research. But when he launched The Wirecutter in 2011, Brian’s business partners worried that the site’s posts were too brief and too infrequent to build an audience on the web, where clickbait was king.&nbsp;Eventually, Brian’s targeted approach paid off; users trusted his recommendations, he hired more writers, and traffic and revenue grew. In 2016, The Wirecutter was purchased for $30 million by the New York Times, where it was rebranded simply as Wirecutter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Oct 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Wirecutter: Brian Lam full 454 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Brian Lam walked away from a high-profile job at Gizmodo to launch a product review blog, he had no plan for how it would make money. He just knew what he wanted: a user-friendly site with reviews that could be read in a few minutes, with the best products clearly listed, all backed up by meticulous research. But when he launched The Wirecutter in 2011, Brian’s business partners worried that the site’s posts were too brief and too infrequent to build an audience on the web, where clickbait was king. Eventually, Brian’s targeted approach paid off; users trusted his recommendations, he hired more writers, and traffic and revenue grew. In 2016, The Wirecutter was purchased for $30 million by the New York Times, where it was rebranded simply as Wirecutter. When Brian Lam walked away from a high-profile job at Gizmodo to launch a product review blog, he had no plan for how it would make money. He just knew what he wanted: a user-friendly site with reviews that could be read in a few minutes, with the best products clearly listed, all backed up by meticulous research. But when he launched The Wirecutter in 2011, Brian’s business partners worried that the site’s posts were too brief and too infrequent to build an audience on the web, where clickbait was king.&nbsp;Eventually, Brian’s targeted approach paid off; users trusted his recommendations, he hired more writers, and traffic and revenue grew. In 2016, The Wirecutter was purchased for $30 million by the New York Times, where it was rebranded simply as Wirecutter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Brian Lam walked away from a high-profile job at Gizmodo to launch a product review blog, he had no plan for how it would make money. He just knew what he wanted: a user-friendly site with reviews that could be read in a few minutes, with the best products clearly listed, all backed up by meticulous research. But when he launched The Wirecutter in 2011, Brian’s business partners worried that the site’s posts were too brief and too infrequent to build an audience on the web, where clickbait was king. Eventually, Brian’s targeted approach paid off; users trusted his recommendations, he hired more writers, and traffic and revenue grew. In 2016, The Wirecutter was purchased for $30 million by the New York Times, where it was rebranded simply as Wirecutter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4411 no HIBT Lab! Against All Grain: Danielle Walker Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more.&nbsp; As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog called Against All Grain. Before long, the self-taught chef became a bestselling cookbook author, more recently branching out with her own product lines and cooking courses.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Danielle talks with Guy about being an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ as she chronicles her journey to building a multifaceted business centered around healthy eating. Plus, Danielle shares her advice for other creators looking to build an audience and discusses food’s potential to help millions suffering from autoimmune diseases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Sep 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Against All Grain: Danielle Walker full 453 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more. As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog called Against All Grain. Before long, the self-taught chef became a bestselling cookbook author, more recently branching out with her own product lines and cooking courses. This week on How I Built This Lab, Danielle talks with Guy about being an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ as she chronicles her journey to building a multifaceted business centered around healthy eating. Plus, Danielle shares her advice for other creators looking to build an audience and discusses food’s potential to help millions suffering from autoimmune diseases. Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more.&nbsp; As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog called Against All Grain. Before long, the self-taught chef became a bestselling cookbook author, more recently branching out with her own product lines and cooking courses.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Danielle talks with Guy about being an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ as she chronicles her journey to building a multifaceted business centered around healthy eating. Plus, Danielle shares her advice for other creators looking to build an audience and discusses food’s potential to help millions suffering from autoimmune diseases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more. 

As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog called Against All Grain. Before long, the self-taught chef became a bestselling cookbook author, more recently branching out with her own product lines and cooking courses. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Danielle talks with Guy about being an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ as she chronicles her journey to building a multifaceted business centered around healthy eating. Plus, Danielle shares her advice for other creators looking to build an audience and discusses food’s potential to help millions suffering from autoimmune diseases.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3058 no ButcherBox: Mike Salguero Back in 2015, when Mike Salguero set out to buy some grass-fed beef for himself and his wife, he had to meet a farmer in a parking lot, who handed him the beef in a trash bag. Naturally, Mike figured there had to be a better way.&nbsp;At the time, he was running a company that was slowly cratering, and he didn’t know the first thing about sourcing or packaging meat. But he had a hunch that if he could figure it out, he could build a successful home subscription business, shipping humanely-raised meat across the country. Mike connected with farmers and packers, launched a Kickstarter campaign, and began working with food and fitness influencers to promote ButcherBox. Today, without taking on a shred of VC investment or even a bank loan, the company does roughly half a billion dollars in revenue.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Sep 2022 07:00:00 -0000 ButcherBox: Mike Salguero full 452 Guy Raz | Vox Media Back in 2015, when Mike Salguero set out to buy some grass-fed beef for himself and his wife, he had to meet a farmer in a parking lot, who handed him the beef in a trash bag. Naturally, Mike figured there had to be a better way. At the time, he was running a company that was slowly cratering, and he didn’t know the first thing about sourcing or packaging meat. But he had a hunch that if he could figure it out, he could build a successful home subscription business, shipping humanely-raised meat across the country. Mike connected with farmers and packers, launched a Kickstarter campaign, and began working with food and fitness influencers to promote ButcherBox. Today, without taking on a shred of VC investment or even a bank loan, the company does roughly half a billion dollars in revenue.   Back in 2015, when Mike Salguero set out to buy some grass-fed beef for himself and his wife, he had to meet a farmer in a parking lot, who handed him the beef in a trash bag. Naturally, Mike figured there had to be a better way.&nbsp;At the time, he was running a company that was slowly cratering, and he didn’t know the first thing about sourcing or packaging meat. But he had a hunch that if he could figure it out, he could build a successful home subscription business, shipping humanely-raised meat across the country. Mike connected with farmers and packers, launched a Kickstarter campaign, and began working with food and fitness influencers to promote ButcherBox. Today, without taking on a shred of VC investment or even a bank loan, the company does roughly half a billion dollars in revenue.&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Back in 2015, when Mike Salguero set out to buy some grass-fed beef for himself and his wife, he had to meet a farmer in a parking lot, who handed him the beef in a trash bag. Naturally, Mike figured there had to be a better way. At the time, he was running a company that was slowly cratering, and he didn’t know the first thing about sourcing or packaging meat. But he had a hunch that if he could figure it out, he could build a successful home subscription business, shipping humanely-raised meat across the country. Mike connected with farmers and packers, launched a Kickstarter campaign, and began working with food and fitness influencers to promote ButcherBox. Today, without taking on a shred of VC investment or even a bank loan, the company does roughly half a billion dollars in revenue.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5022 no HIBT Lab! OpenAI: Sam Altman Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction. But over the last several years, advances in machine learning and deep neural networks have moved us closer to a reality where computers can learn and solve problems independently, the way a human does. From art and music to medicine and politics, the potential applications of AI are nearly endless, and the technology just keeps getting better. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with one of the leaders in the field of AI development, Sam Altman. Sam talks about his journey from Stanford dropout and teenage entrepreneur to president of the legendary startup incubator Y Combinator and co-founder of the nonprofit OpenAI. Plus, Sam shares his hopes and fears for the future of AI and how his company is working to ensure it ultimately benefits all of humanity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Sep 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! OpenAI: Sam Altman full 451 Guy Raz | Vox Media Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction. But over the last several years, advances in machine learning and deep neural networks have moved us closer to a reality where computers can learn and solve problems independently, the way a human does. From art and music to medicine and politics, the potential applications of AI are nearly endless, and the technology just keeps getting better.This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with one of the leaders in the field of AI development, Sam Altman. Sam talks about his journey from Stanford dropout and teenage entrepreneur to president of the legendary startup incubator Y Combinator and co-founder of the nonprofit OpenAI. Plus, Sam shares his hopes and fears for the future of AI and how his company is working to ensure it ultimately benefits all of humanity. Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction. But over the last several years, advances in machine learning and deep neural networks have moved us closer to a reality where computers can learn and solve problems independently, the way a human does. From art and music to medicine and politics, the potential applications of AI are nearly endless, and the technology just keeps getting better. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with one of the leaders in the field of AI development, Sam Altman. Sam talks about his journey from Stanford dropout and teenage entrepreneur to president of the legendary startup incubator Y Combinator and co-founder of the nonprofit OpenAI. Plus, Sam shares his hopes and fears for the future of AI and how his company is working to ensure it ultimately benefits all of humanity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Artificial Intelligence was once the realm of science fiction. But over the last several years, advances in machine learning and deep neural networks have moved us closer to a reality where computers can learn and solve problems independently, the way a human does. From art and music to medicine and politics, the potential applications of AI are nearly endless, and the technology just keeps getting better.


This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with one of the leaders in the field of AI development, Sam Altman. Sam talks about his journey from Stanford dropout and teenage entrepreneur to president of the legendary startup incubator Y Combinator and co-founder of the nonprofit OpenAI. Plus, Sam shares his hopes and fears for the future of AI and how his company is working to ensure it ultimately benefits all of humanity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3680 no HOORAE: Issa Rae Obsessed with TV and passionate about writing, Issa Rae sent an unsolicited script to CBS’s&nbsp;Cosby&nbsp;when she was still in middle school. By her 20's, she realized there was a certain type of character that was absent from the media landscape—a character she would eventually inhabit in her breakout YouTube series, "Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl." From there, Issa created the five-season HBO hit Insecure, but first went through a bruising gauntlet of rejections and reversals as she learned to navigate Hollywood. Today, Issa has built a company—HOORAE Media—which produces her new HBO show, Rap Sh!t, and multiple other TV and film projects.&nbsp; Listen to&nbsp;The Great Creators&nbsp;launching September 20th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Sep 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HOORAE: Issa Rae full 450 Guy Raz | Vox Media Obsessed with TV and passionate about writing, Issa Rae sent an unsolicited script to CBS’s Cosby when she was still in middle school. By her 20's, she realized there was a certain type of character that was absent from the media landscape—a character she would eventually inhabit in her breakout YouTube series, "Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl." From there, Issa created the five-season HBO hit Insecure, but first went through a bruising gauntlet of rejections and reversals as she learned to navigate Hollywood. Today, Issa has built a company—HOORAE Media—which produces her new HBO show, Rap Sh!t, and multiple other TV and film projects. Listen to The Great Creators launching September 20th Obsessed with TV and passionate about writing, Issa Rae sent an unsolicited script to CBS’s&nbsp;Cosby&nbsp;when she was still in middle school. By her 20's, she realized there was a certain type of character that was absent from the media landscape—a character she would eventually inhabit in her breakout YouTube series, "Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl." From there, Issa created the five-season HBO hit Insecure, but first went through a bruising gauntlet of rejections and reversals as she learned to navigate Hollywood. Today, Issa has built a company—HOORAE Media—which produces her new HBO show, Rap Sh!t, and multiple other TV and film projects.&nbsp; Listen to&nbsp;The Great Creators&nbsp;launching September 20th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Obsessed with TV and passionate about writing, Issa Rae sent an unsolicited script to CBS’s Cosby when she was still in middle school. By her 20's, she realized there was a certain type of character that was absent from the media landscape—a character she would eventually inhabit in her breakout YouTube series, "Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl." From there, Issa created the five-season HBO hit Insecure, but first went through a bruising gauntlet of rejections and reversals as she learned to navigate Hollywood. Today, Issa has built a company—HOORAE Media—which produces her new HBO show, Rap Sh!t, and multiple other TV and film projects. 


Listen to The Great Creators launching September 20th

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5043 no HIBT Lab! Wonder: Marc Lore Picture this: you just wrapped a long day of work and you are starving! You open a delivery app and place an order from your favorite restaurant. About an hour later, you get a notification that your meal has arrived. You’re practically salivating as you tear open the bag, and then...a rude awakening — your dinner became cold and soggy in transit.&nbsp; This frustrating and all-too-common experience is exactly what Marc Lore is trying to solve with his latest venture, Wonder. This week on How I Built This Lab, Marc returns to the show to share how Wonder, recently valued at $3.5 billion, has the potential to disrupt the entire food delivery and home dining industry. Plus, Marc offers advice on how to approach big challenges and discusses several other business ideas he’s been cooking up since leaving Walmart last year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Sep 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Wonder: Marc Lore full 449 Guy Raz | Vox Media Picture this: you just wrapped a long day of work and you are starving! You open a delivery app and place an order from your favorite restaurant. About an hour later, you get a notification that your meal has arrived. You’re practically salivating as you tear open the bag, and then...a rude awakening — your dinner became cold and soggy in transit. This frustrating and all-too-common experience is exactly what Marc Lore is trying to solve with his latest venture, Wonder.This week on How I Built This Lab, Marc returns to the show to share how Wonder, recently valued at $3.5 billion, has the potential to disrupt the entire food delivery and home dining industry. Plus, Marc offers advice on how to approach big challenges and discusses several other business ideas he’s been cooking up since leaving Walmart last year. Picture this: you just wrapped a long day of work and you are starving! You open a delivery app and place an order from your favorite restaurant. About an hour later, you get a notification that your meal has arrived. You’re practically salivating as you tear open the bag, and then...a rude awakening — your dinner became cold and soggy in transit.&nbsp; This frustrating and all-too-common experience is exactly what Marc Lore is trying to solve with his latest venture, Wonder. This week on How I Built This Lab, Marc returns to the show to share how Wonder, recently valued at $3.5 billion, has the potential to disrupt the entire food delivery and home dining industry. Plus, Marc offers advice on how to approach big challenges and discusses several other business ideas he’s been cooking up since leaving Walmart last year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Picture this: you just wrapped a long day of work and you are starving! You open a delivery app and place an order from your favorite restaurant. About an hour later, you get a notification that your meal has arrived. You’re practically salivating as you tear open the bag, and then...a rude awakening — your dinner became cold and soggy in transit. 

This frustrating and all-too-common experience is exactly what Marc Lore is trying to solve with his latest venture, Wonder.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Marc returns to the show to share how Wonder, recently valued at $3.5 billion, has the potential to disrupt the entire food delivery and home dining industry. Plus, Marc offers advice on how to approach big challenges and discusses several other business ideas he’s been cooking up since leaving Walmart last year.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2666 no Bombas: David Heath and Randy Goldberg David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their&nbsp;20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together.&nbsp;Randy and David didn’t initially intend to get into the sock business, but in 2011, David read that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. That led them to start a company they called Bombas based on a promise: for each pair of socks a customer bought, another would be donated to the homeless. Within about ten years, their one-for-one start-up turned into a quarter of a billion dollar business that has expanded into sweatshirts, underwear, and t-shirts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Sep 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Bombas: David Heath and Randy Goldberg full 448 Guy Raz | Vox Media David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their 20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together. Randy and David didn’t initially intend to get into the sock business, but in 2011, David read that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. That led them to start a company they called Bombas based on a promise: for each pair of socks a customer bought, another would be donated to the homeless. Within about ten years, their one-for-one start-up turned into a quarter of a billion dollar business that has expanded into sweatshirts, underwear, and t-shirts. David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their&nbsp;20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together.&nbsp;Randy and David didn’t initially intend to get into the sock business, but in 2011, David read that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. That led them to start a company they called Bombas based on a promise: for each pair of socks a customer bought, another would be donated to the homeless. Within about ten years, their one-for-one start-up turned into a quarter of a billion dollar business that has expanded into sweatshirts, underwear, and t-shirts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their 20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together. Randy and David didn’t initially intend to get into the sock business, but in 2011, David read that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. That led them to start a company they called Bombas based on a promise: for each pair of socks a customer bought, another would be donated to the homeless. Within about ten years, their one-for-one start-up turned into a quarter of a billion dollar business that has expanded into sweatshirts, underwear, and t-shirts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5090 no HIBT Lab! SOURCE Global: Cody Friesen Water is all around us–quite literally, there is enough water in the air we breathe to meet all of humanity’s needs and then some. Engineering professor Cody Friesen invented a solar-powered device that captures this vapor and transforms it into drinking water. Cody began manufacturing these ‘hydropanels’ with his Arizona-based company SOURCE in 2014, and today they’re used in more than 50 countries worldwide. This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody talks with Guy about the prevalence of water scarcity in the U.S. and around the globe, and his company’s work to become the world’s first renewable, fully-digitized drinking water utility. Plus, the two discuss how entrepreneurs should be thinking about the growing renewable energy market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Sep 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! SOURCE Global: Cody Friesen full 447 Guy Raz | Vox Media Water is all around us–quite literally, there is enough water in the air we breathe to meet all of humanity’s needs and then some. Engineering professor Cody Friesen invented a solar-powered device that captures this vapor and transforms it into drinking water. Cody began manufacturing these ‘hydropanels’ with his Arizona-based company SOURCE in 2014, and today they’re used in more than 50 countries worldwide.This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody talks with Guy about the prevalence of water scarcity in the U.S. and around the globe, and his company’s work to become the world’s first renewable, fully-digitized drinking water utility. Plus, the two discuss how entrepreneurs should be thinking about the growing renewable energy market. Water is all around us–quite literally, there is enough water in the air we breathe to meet all of humanity’s needs and then some. Engineering professor Cody Friesen invented a solar-powered device that captures this vapor and transforms it into drinking water. Cody began manufacturing these ‘hydropanels’ with his Arizona-based company SOURCE in 2014, and today they’re used in more than 50 countries worldwide. This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody talks with Guy about the prevalence of water scarcity in the U.S. and around the globe, and his company’s work to become the world’s first renewable, fully-digitized drinking water utility. Plus, the two discuss how entrepreneurs should be thinking about the growing renewable energy market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Water is all around us–quite literally, there is enough water in the air we breathe to meet all of humanity’s needs and then some. Engineering professor Cody Friesen invented a solar-powered device that captures this vapor and transforms it into drinking water. Cody began manufacturing these ‘hydropanels’ with his Arizona-based company SOURCE in 2014, and today they’re used in more than 50 countries worldwide.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody talks with Guy about the prevalence of water scarcity in the U.S. and around the globe, and his company’s work to become the world’s first renewable, fully-digitized drinking water utility. Plus, the two discuss how entrepreneurs should be thinking about the growing renewable energy market.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2557 no Rivian: RJ Scaringe When you consider the risk of doing business, it doesn’t get much bigger than starting a car company: competition is formidable, startup costs are in the billions, and very few people believe you can pull it off. That’s the massive challenge RJ Scaringe walked into in 2009, when he launched his truck and SUV company, Rivian. To add to the risk, RJ wanted to build fully electric vehicles while attracting drivers who’d never bought them, so he knew his trucks had to be fun and sporty: appealing in their own right. Rivian’s journey has taken RJ from an old warehouse in Florida to a massive Midwestern car manufacturing plant; and from years of stealth planning to months of anticipatory buzz from buyers and the industry. Rivian rolled its first trucks off the line in 2021, and is hustling to fulfill tens of thousands of vehicle reservations from excited customers. There have been pivots, sleepless nights, and, of course, multiple supply chain issues, but today, Rivian is valued at $30 billion and is a major player in the electric vehicle industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Sep 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Rivian: RJ Scaringe full 446 Guy Raz | Vox Media When you consider the risk of doing business, it doesn’t get much bigger than starting a car company: competition is formidable, startup costs are in the billions, and very few people believe you can pull it off. That’s the massive challenge RJ Scaringe walked into in 2009, when he launched his truck and SUV company, Rivian. To add to the risk, RJ wanted to build fully electric vehicles while attracting drivers who’d never bought them, so he knew his trucks had to be fun and sporty: appealing in their own right. Rivian’s journey has taken RJ from an old warehouse in Florida to a massive Midwestern car manufacturing plant; and from years of stealth planning to months of anticipatory buzz from buyers and the industry. Rivian rolled its first trucks off the line in 2021, and is hustling to fulfill tens of thousands of vehicle reservations from excited customers. There have been pivots, sleepless nights, and, of course, multiple supply chain issues, but today, Rivian is valued at $30 billion and is a major player in the electric vehicle industry. When you consider the risk of doing business, it doesn’t get much bigger than starting a car company: competition is formidable, startup costs are in the billions, and very few people believe you can pull it off. That’s the massive challenge RJ Scaringe walked into in 2009, when he launched his truck and SUV company, Rivian. To add to the risk, RJ wanted to build fully electric vehicles while attracting drivers who’d never bought them, so he knew his trucks had to be fun and sporty: appealing in their own right. Rivian’s journey has taken RJ from an old warehouse in Florida to a massive Midwestern car manufacturing plant; and from years of stealth planning to months of anticipatory buzz from buyers and the industry. Rivian rolled its first trucks off the line in 2021, and is hustling to fulfill tens of thousands of vehicle reservations from excited customers. There have been pivots, sleepless nights, and, of course, multiple supply chain issues, but today, Rivian is valued at $30 billion and is a major player in the electric vehicle industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When you consider the risk of doing business, it doesn’t get much bigger than starting a car company: competition is formidable, startup costs are in the billions, and very few people believe you can pull it off. That’s the massive challenge RJ Scaringe walked into in 2009, when he launched his truck and SUV company, Rivian. To add to the risk, RJ wanted to build fully electric vehicles while attracting drivers who’d never bought them, so he knew his trucks had to be fun and sporty: appealing in their own right. Rivian’s journey has taken RJ from an old warehouse in Florida to a massive Midwestern car manufacturing plant; and from years of stealth planning to months of anticipatory buzz from buyers and the industry. Rivian rolled its first trucks off the line in 2021, and is hustling to fulfill tens of thousands of vehicle reservations from excited customers. There have been pivots, sleepless nights, and, of course, multiple supply chain issues, but today, Rivian is valued at $30 billion and is a major player in the electric vehicle industry.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4697 no HIBT Lab! Malala Fund and Our Place: Shiza Shahid On October 9, 2012, Shiza Shahid’s life changed forever. It was on that day that 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, capturing the world’s attention. Before long, 22-year-old Shiza found herself leaving her corporate job to join a recovering Malala and her father in launching the Malala Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for girls’ education across the globe.&nbsp; Little did Shiza know, this venture was actually just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey... This week on How I Built This Lab, Shiza recounts the childhood experiences that forged her commitment to public service and advocacy—ultimately shaping her worldview and leading to her first encounter with Malala. She also discusses her pivot to the for-profit world with Our Place, the cookware company she co-founded in 2019 that’s both profitable and making an impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Sep 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Malala Fund and Our Place: Shiza Shahid full 445 Guy Raz | Vox Media On October 9, 2012, Shiza Shahid’s life changed forever. It was on that day that 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, capturing the world’s attention. Before long, 22-year-old Shiza found herself leaving her corporate job to join a recovering Malala and her father in launching the Malala Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for girls’ education across the globe. Little did Shiza know, this venture was actually just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey...This week on How I Built This Lab, Shiza recounts the childhood experiences that forged her commitment to public service and advocacy—ultimately shaping her worldview and leading to her first encounter with Malala. She also discusses her pivot to the for-profit world with Our Place, the cookware company she co-founded in 2019 that’s both profitable and making an impact. On October 9, 2012, Shiza Shahid’s life changed forever. It was on that day that 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, capturing the world’s attention. Before long, 22-year-old Shiza found herself leaving her corporate job to join a recovering Malala and her father in launching the Malala Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for girls’ education across the globe.&nbsp; Little did Shiza know, this venture was actually just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey... This week on How I Built This Lab, Shiza recounts the childhood experiences that forged her commitment to public service and advocacy—ultimately shaping her worldview and leading to her first encounter with Malala. She also discusses her pivot to the for-profit world with Our Place, the cookware company she co-founded in 2019 that’s both profitable and making an impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices On October 9, 2012, Shiza Shahid’s life changed forever. It was on that day that 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, capturing the world’s attention. Before long, 22-year-old Shiza found herself leaving her corporate job to join a recovering Malala and her father in launching the Malala Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for girls’ education across the globe. 

Little did Shiza know, this venture was actually just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Shiza recounts the childhood experiences that forged her commitment to public service and advocacy—ultimately shaping her worldview and leading to her first encounter with Malala. She also discusses her pivot to the for-profit world with Our Place, the cookware company she co-founded in 2019 that’s both profitable and making an impact.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2971 no S'well: Sarah Kauss (2020) In 2009, Sarah Kauss had a well-paying job in real estate development, but she was itching to do something more. On a hike in Tucson with her mom, she got an idea for a business while swigging warm water from a metal thermos: Why not design a water bottle that kept cold things cold and hot things hot, but was also beautiful to look at? Just six years after launch, S'well reportedly made $100 million, and today, Sarah is especially focused on how the brand can help eliminate plastic waste around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 S'well: Sarah Kauss (2020) full 444 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2009, Sarah Kauss had a well-paying job in real estate development, but she was itching to do something more. On a hike in Tucson with her mom, she got an idea for a business while swigging warm water from a metal thermos: Why not design a water bottle that kept cold things cold and hot things hot, but was also beautiful to look at? Just six years after launch, S'well reportedly made $100 million, and today, Sarah is especially focused on how the brand can help eliminate plastic waste around the world. In 2009, Sarah Kauss had a well-paying job in real estate development, but she was itching to do something more. On a hike in Tucson with her mom, she got an idea for a business while swigging warm water from a metal thermos: Why not design a water bottle that kept cold things cold and hot things hot, but was also beautiful to look at? Just six years after launch, S'well reportedly made $100 million, and today, Sarah is especially focused on how the brand can help eliminate plastic waste around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2009, Sarah Kauss had a well-paying job in real estate development, but she was itching to do something more. On a hike in Tucson with her mom, she got an idea for a business while swigging warm water from a metal thermos: Why not design a water bottle that kept cold things cold and hot things hot, but was also beautiful to look at? Just six years after launch, S'well reportedly made $100 million, and today, Sarah is especially focused on how the brand can help eliminate plastic waste around the world.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4102 no HIBT Lab! Bored Ape Yacht Club: Greg Solano and Wylie Aronow You might not expect a deep friendship to bloom from an argument about favorite authors...in a Miami bar...during spring break. Yet that’s exactly how Greg Solano and Wylie Aronow’s long journey to becoming business partners began...&nbsp; Fast forward more than a decade, and Greg and Wylie are now co-founders of Yuga Labs—the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection. Since the collection was unveiled in spring 2021, the value of each digital ape has skyrocketed, with celebrities like Paris Hilton, Snoop Dog and Madonna getting in on the action. Within a year of its founding, Yuga Labs received a whopping $4 billion valuation, making it one of the fastest companies ever to achieve unicorn status.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Greg and Wylie recount their whirlwind success story in one of their first-ever public interviews. We hear how a shared love of storytelling and online gaming helped spawn the idea for the bored apes; plus, Greg and Wylie tell Guy about the next big endeavor for Yuga Labs: expanding into the metaverse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Bored Ape Yacht Club: Greg Solano and Wylie Aronow full 443 Guy Raz | Vox Media You might not expect a deep friendship to bloom from an argument about favorite authors...in a Miami bar...during spring break. Yet that’s exactly how Greg Solano and Wylie Aronow’s long journey to becoming business partners began... Fast forward more than a decade, and Greg and Wylie are now co-founders of Yuga Labs—the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection. Since the collection was unveiled in spring 2021, the value of each digital ape has skyrocketed, with celebrities like Paris Hilton, Snoop Dog and Madonna getting in on the action. Within a year of its founding, Yuga Labs received a whopping $4 billion valuation, making it one of the fastest companies ever to achieve unicorn status. This week on How I Built This Lab, Greg and Wylie recount their whirlwind success story in one of their first-ever public interviews. We hear how a shared love of storytelling and online gaming helped spawn the idea for the bored apes; plus, Greg and Wylie tell Guy about the next big endeavor for Yuga Labs: expanding into the metaverse. You might not expect a deep friendship to bloom from an argument about favorite authors...in a Miami bar...during spring break. Yet that’s exactly how Greg Solano and Wylie Aronow’s long journey to becoming business partners began...&nbsp; Fast forward more than a decade, and Greg and Wylie are now co-founders of Yuga Labs—the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection. Since the collection was unveiled in spring 2021, the value of each digital ape has skyrocketed, with celebrities like Paris Hilton, Snoop Dog and Madonna getting in on the action. Within a year of its founding, Yuga Labs received a whopping $4 billion valuation, making it one of the fastest companies ever to achieve unicorn status.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Greg and Wylie recount their whirlwind success story in one of their first-ever public interviews. We hear how a shared love of storytelling and online gaming helped spawn the idea for the bored apes; plus, Greg and Wylie tell Guy about the next big endeavor for Yuga Labs: expanding into the metaverse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices You might not expect a deep friendship to bloom from an argument about favorite authors...in a Miami bar...during spring break. Yet that’s exactly how Greg Solano and Wylie Aronow’s long journey to becoming business partners began... 

Fast forward more than a decade, and Greg and Wylie are now co-founders of Yuga Labs—the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection. Since the collection was unveiled in spring 2021, the value of each digital ape has skyrocketed, with celebrities like Paris Hilton, Snoop Dog and Madonna getting in on the action. Within a year of its founding, Yuga Labs received a whopping $4 billion valuation, making it one of the fastest companies ever to achieve unicorn status. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Greg and Wylie recount their whirlwind success story in one of their first-ever public interviews. We hear how a shared love of storytelling and online gaming helped spawn the idea for the bored apes; plus, Greg and Wylie tell Guy about the next big endeavor for Yuga Labs: expanding into the metaverse.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4272 no Men's Wearhouse: George Zimmer (2019) In 1970, George Zimmer was a college graduate with no real job prospects and little direction. That's when his father, an executive at a boy's clothing company, asked him to go on an important business trip to Asia. It was that trip that propelled him into the world of men's apparel. In 1973, the first Men's Wearhouse opened in Houston with little fanfare, but by the mid-80s, George Zimmer managed to carve out a distinct niche in the market—a place where men could buy a good quality suit, at "everyday low prices," along with all the shirts, ties, socks, and shoes they need. With George as the face of the brand, Men's Wearhouse became a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of stores across the U.S. But then, in 2013, a bitter battle forced him to give it all up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Men's Wearhouse: George Zimmer (2019) full 442 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1970, George Zimmer was a college graduate with no real job prospects and little direction. That's when his father, an executive at a boy's clothing company, asked him to go on an important business trip to Asia. It was that trip that propelled him into the world of men's apparel. In 1973, the first Men's Wearhouse opened in Houston with little fanfare, but by the mid-80s, George Zimmer managed to carve out a distinct niche in the market—a place where men could buy a good quality suit, at "everyday low prices," along with all the shirts, ties, socks, and shoes they need.With George as the face of the brand, Men's Wearhouse became a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of stores across the U.S. But then, in 2013, a bitter battle forced him to give it all up. In 1970, George Zimmer was a college graduate with no real job prospects and little direction. That's when his father, an executive at a boy's clothing company, asked him to go on an important business trip to Asia. It was that trip that propelled him into the world of men's apparel. In 1973, the first Men's Wearhouse opened in Houston with little fanfare, but by the mid-80s, George Zimmer managed to carve out a distinct niche in the market—a place where men could buy a good quality suit, at "everyday low prices," along with all the shirts, ties, socks, and shoes they need. With George as the face of the brand, Men's Wearhouse became a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of stores across the U.S. But then, in 2013, a bitter battle forced him to give it all up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 1970, George Zimmer was a college graduate with no real job prospects and little direction. That's when his father, an executive at a boy's clothing company, asked him to go on an important business trip to Asia. It was that trip that propelled him into the world of men's apparel. In 1973, the first Men's Wearhouse opened in Houston with little fanfare, but by the mid-80s, George Zimmer managed to carve out a distinct niche in the market—a place where men could buy a good quality suit, at "everyday low prices," along with all the shirts, ties, socks, and shoes they need.

With George as the face of the brand, Men's Wearhouse became a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of stores across the U.S. But then, in 2013, a bitter battle forced him to give it all up.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3853 no HIBT Lab! Yolélé: Pierre Thiam Pierre Thiam was robbed within days of arriving in New York City. It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. from Senegal to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course. Today, he’s a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to an ancient West African grain called fonio. This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work to circulate this nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Yolélé: Pierre Thiam full 441 Guy Raz | Vox Media Pierre Thiam was robbed within days of arriving in New York City. It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. from Senegal to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course. Today, he’s a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to an ancient West African grain called fonio.This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work to circulate this nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems. Pierre Thiam was robbed within days of arriving in New York City. It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. from Senegal to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course. Today, he’s a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to an ancient West African grain called fonio. This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work to circulate this nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Pierre Thiam was robbed within days of arriving in New York City. It was 1989, and he had just traveled to the U.S. from Senegal to study chemistry and physics. This chance incident, however, set Pierre’s life on an entirely different course. Today, he’s a renowned chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and co-founder of Yolélé – a company working to introduce the world to an ancient West African grain called fonio.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Pierre talks with Guy about his company’s work to circulate this nutrient-dense and drought-resistant food source. Pierre also shares how he overcame cultural norms to embrace his cooking career, and his take on the connection between colonization and the vulnerability of our global food systems.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2699 no Jo Loves: Jo Malone CBE (2020) As a girl in 1970s London, Jo Malone learned how to make face creams by going to work with her mom at a private skin care clinic. By the time she was in her 20's, Jo was running her own skin care and cosmetics business, which eventually grew to include bath oils, scented candles, and fragrances under the brand Jo Malone London. Jo sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1999 and then left the business after a life-changing diagnosis. She now has a fragrance company called Jo Loves, where she innovates with new kinds of scents and explores new ways to present them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Jo Loves: Jo Malone CBE (2020) full 440 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a girl in 1970s London, Jo Malone learned how to make face creams by going to work with her mom at a private skin care clinic. By the time she was in her 20's, Jo was running her own skin care and cosmetics business, which eventually grew to include bath oils, scented candles, and fragrances under the brand Jo Malone London. Jo sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1999 and then left the business after a life-changing diagnosis. She now has a fragrance company called Jo Loves, where she innovates with new kinds of scents and explores new ways to present them. As a girl in 1970s London, Jo Malone learned how to make face creams by going to work with her mom at a private skin care clinic. By the time she was in her 20's, Jo was running her own skin care and cosmetics business, which eventually grew to include bath oils, scented candles, and fragrances under the brand Jo Malone London. Jo sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1999 and then left the business after a life-changing diagnosis. She now has a fragrance company called Jo Loves, where she innovates with new kinds of scents and explores new ways to present them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a girl in 1970s London, Jo Malone learned how to make face creams by going to work with her mom at a private skin care clinic. By the time she was in her 20's, Jo was running her own skin care and cosmetics business, which eventually grew to include bath oils, scented candles, and fragrances under the brand Jo Malone London. Jo sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1999 and then left the business after a life-changing diagnosis. She now has a fragrance company called Jo Loves, where she innovates with new kinds of scents and explores new ways to present them.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4850 no HIBT Lab! Babish Culinary Universe: Andrew Rea Growing up, Andrew Rea dreamed of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker. But the special effects production job he landed after college left him feeling…uninspired. After a series of creative defeats and mounting relationship troubles, his therapist suggested he find a new creative outlet. Andrew decided to make a short cooking video inspired by an episode of Parks and Recreation and uploaded it to YouTube... This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy asks Andrew about his journey from TV and movie buff to YouTube cooking sensation. His channel, Babish Culinary Universe now has nearly 10 million subscribers. Plus, Andrew candidly shares how his struggles with mental health have shaped his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Babish Culinary Universe: Andrew Rea full 439 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up, Andrew Rea dreamed of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker. But the special effects production job he landed after college left him feeling…uninspired. After a series of creative defeats and mounting relationship troubles, his therapist suggested he find a new creative outlet. Andrew decided to make a short cooking video inspired by an episode of Parks and Recreation and uploaded it to YouTube...This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy asks Andrew about his journey from TV and movie buff to YouTube cooking sensation. His channel, Babish Culinary Universe now has nearly 10 million subscribers. Plus, Andrew candidly shares how his struggles with mental health have shaped his career. Growing up, Andrew Rea dreamed of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker. But the special effects production job he landed after college left him feeling…uninspired. After a series of creative defeats and mounting relationship troubles, his therapist suggested he find a new creative outlet. Andrew decided to make a short cooking video inspired by an episode of Parks and Recreation and uploaded it to YouTube... This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy asks Andrew about his journey from TV and movie buff to YouTube cooking sensation. His channel, Babish Culinary Universe now has nearly 10 million subscribers. Plus, Andrew candidly shares how his struggles with mental health have shaped his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Growing up, Andrew Rea dreamed of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker. But the special effects production job he landed after college left him feeling…uninspired. After a series of creative defeats and mounting relationship troubles, his therapist suggested he find a new creative outlet. Andrew decided to make a short cooking video inspired by an episode of Parks and Recreation and uploaded it to YouTube...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy asks Andrew about his journey from TV and movie buff to YouTube cooking sensation. His channel, Babish Culinary Universe now has nearly 10 million subscribers. Plus, Andrew candidly shares how his struggles with mental health have shaped his career.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3020 no Roblox: David Baszucki In 2003, David Baszucki wanted to go viral.&nbsp;He had already sold a company that made educational software, and now he wanted to build something with mass appeal; with build-your-own avatars and myriad opportunities for users to compete and connect online.&nbsp;So in 2006, he and his co-founder Erik Cassel launched Roblox, a platform where you can play millions of different games, set in a wide array of virtual worlds. You can adopt a pet, escape from jail, build and run your own restaurant, or solve a murder mystery; you can even create games of your own. During the start of the pandemic in 2020, half of the kids in the US were keeping in touch via Roblox, and today, the company is worth over 28 billion dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Roblox: David Baszucki full 438 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2003, David Baszucki wanted to go viral. He had already sold a company that made educational software, and now he wanted to build something with mass appeal; with build-your-own avatars and myriad opportunities for users to compete and connect online. So in 2006, he and his co-founder Erik Cassel launched Roblox, a platform where you can play millions of different games, set in a wide array of virtual worlds. You can adopt a pet, escape from jail, build and run your own restaurant, or solve a murder mystery; you can even create games of your own. During the start of the pandemic in 2020, half of the kids in the US were keeping in touch via Roblox, and today, the company is worth over 28 billion dollars. In 2003, David Baszucki wanted to go viral.&nbsp;He had already sold a company that made educational software, and now he wanted to build something with mass appeal; with build-your-own avatars and myriad opportunities for users to compete and connect online.&nbsp;So in 2006, he and his co-founder Erik Cassel launched Roblox, a platform where you can play millions of different games, set in a wide array of virtual worlds. You can adopt a pet, escape from jail, build and run your own restaurant, or solve a murder mystery; you can even create games of your own. During the start of the pandemic in 2020, half of the kids in the US were keeping in touch via Roblox, and today, the company is worth over 28 billion dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2003, David Baszucki wanted to go viral. He had already sold a company that made educational software, and now he wanted to build something with mass appeal; with build-your-own avatars and myriad opportunities for users to compete and connect online. So in 2006, he and his co-founder Erik Cassel launched Roblox, a platform where you can play millions of different games, set in a wide array of virtual worlds.

You can adopt a pet, escape from jail, build and run your own restaurant, or solve a murder mystery; you can even create games of your own. During the start of the pandemic in 2020, half of the kids in the US were keeping in touch via Roblox, and today, the company is worth over 28 billion dollars.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3956 no HIBT Lab! Universal Standard: Polina Veksler In 2014, friends Polina Veksler and Alex Waldman went clothes shopping at a major department store. To Polina’s surprise, Alex’s options were quite limited, and tucked away in one of the store’s less-traveled upper levels: the ‘plus-size’ section.&nbsp; This unnerving realization that women could have such completely different shopping experiences at the same store drove Polina into research mode. She found that about 70% of women in the U.S. wear a size 14 or larger, but less than 20% of clothing is made in those sizes. Meanwhile, much of the double-digit-sized clothing available is fast fashion: not particularly well-fitting or built to last. Alex and Polina decided to create Universal Standard: a clothing brand where size was irrelevant – where any woman could shop and ask herself, “do I like this?” – not “does this come in my size?” This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy and Polina discuss the $100 billion opportunity to serve women of all sizes, as well as the challenges that come with building a size inclusive clothing brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Universal Standard: Polina Veksler full 437 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2014, friends Polina Veksler and Alex Waldman went clothes shopping at a major department store. To Polina’s surprise, Alex’s options were quite limited, and tucked away in one of the store’s less-traveled upper levels: the ‘plus-size’ section. This unnerving realization that women could have such completely different shopping experiences at the same store drove Polina into research mode. She found that about 70% of women in the U.S. wear a size 14 or larger, but less than 20% of clothing is made in those sizes. Meanwhile, much of the double-digit-sized clothing available is fast fashion: not particularly well-fitting or built to last.Alex and Polina decided to create Universal Standard: a clothing brand where size was irrelevant – where any woman could shop and ask herself, “do I like this?” – not “does this come in my size?”This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy and Polina discuss the $100 billion opportunity to serve women of all sizes, as well as the challenges that come with building a size inclusive clothing brand. In 2014, friends Polina Veksler and Alex Waldman went clothes shopping at a major department store. To Polina’s surprise, Alex’s options were quite limited, and tucked away in one of the store’s less-traveled upper levels: the ‘plus-size’ section.&nbsp; This unnerving realization that women could have such completely different shopping experiences at the same store drove Polina into research mode. She found that about 70% of women in the U.S. wear a size 14 or larger, but less than 20% of clothing is made in those sizes. Meanwhile, much of the double-digit-sized clothing available is fast fashion: not particularly well-fitting or built to last. Alex and Polina decided to create Universal Standard: a clothing brand where size was irrelevant – where any woman could shop and ask herself, “do I like this?” – not “does this come in my size?” This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy and Polina discuss the $100 billion opportunity to serve women of all sizes, as well as the challenges that come with building a size inclusive clothing brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2014, friends Polina Veksler and Alex Waldman went clothes shopping at a major department store. To Polina’s surprise, Alex’s options were quite limited, and tucked away in one of the store’s less-traveled upper levels: the ‘plus-size’ section. 

This unnerving realization that women could have such completely different shopping experiences at the same store drove Polina into research mode. She found that about 70% of women in the U.S. wear a size 14 or larger, but less than 20% of clothing is made in those sizes. Meanwhile, much of the double-digit-sized clothing available is fast fashion: not particularly well-fitting or built to last.

Alex and Polina decided to create Universal Standard: a clothing brand where size was irrelevant – where any woman could shop and ask herself, “do I like this?” – not “does this come in my size?”

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy and Polina discuss the $100 billion opportunity to serve women of all sizes, as well as the challenges that come with building a size inclusive clothing brand.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3088 no Noom: Saeju Jeong When Saeju Jeong moved from South Korea to the U.S. in his mid-20's, he barely knew anyone, didn't speak much English, and had only $5,000 in savings. Today, he's the CEO of Noom, one of the most popular weight loss/wellness apps in the U.S. Inspired by his late father—a doctor who criticized the profession for treating people only after they got sick—Saeju and his co-founder built their first fitness product in 2007.&nbsp;Several&nbsp;pivots later, they arrived at Noom, an app that carefully tracks what you eat, how you sleep and when you're&nbsp;stressed out. Noom has hinted it may go public this year—if so, the valuation could be as high as $10 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Aug 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Noom: Saeju Jeong full 436 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Saeju Jeong moved from South Korea to the U.S. in his mid-20's, he barely knew anyone, didn't speak much English, and had only $5,000 in savings. Today, he's the CEO of Noom, one of the most popular weight loss/wellness apps in the U.S. Inspired by his late father—a doctor who criticized the profession for treating people only after they got sick—Saeju and his co-founder built their first fitness product in 2007. Several pivots later, they arrived at Noom, an app that carefully tracks what you eat, how you sleep and when you're stressed out. Noom has hinted it may go public this year—if so, the valuation could be as high as $10 billion. When Saeju Jeong moved from South Korea to the U.S. in his mid-20's, he barely knew anyone, didn't speak much English, and had only $5,000 in savings. Today, he's the CEO of Noom, one of the most popular weight loss/wellness apps in the U.S. Inspired by his late father—a doctor who criticized the profession for treating people only after they got sick—Saeju and his co-founder built their first fitness product in 2007.&nbsp;Several&nbsp;pivots later, they arrived at Noom, an app that carefully tracks what you eat, how you sleep and when you're&nbsp;stressed out. Noom has hinted it may go public this year—if so, the valuation could be as high as $10 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Saeju Jeong moved from South Korea to the U.S. in his mid-20's, he barely knew anyone, didn't speak much English, and had only $5,000 in savings. Today, he's the CEO of Noom, one of the most popular weight loss/wellness apps in the U.S. Inspired by his late father—a doctor who criticized the profession for treating people only after they got sick—Saeju and his co-founder built their first fitness product in 2007. Several pivots later, they arrived at Noom, an app that carefully tracks what you eat, how you sleep and when you're stressed out. Noom has hinted it may go public this year—if so, the valuation could be as high as $10 billion.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4467 no HIBT Lab! Quaise Energy: Carlos Araque Growing up in Colombia, Carlos Araque and his father liked to take apart bicycles and motorcycles then put them back together. This love of tinkering led Carlos to study engineering at MIT and eventually launch a career in the oil and gas industry. After 15 years of this work, Carlos realized he was uniquely suited to be a part of the global energy transition away from fossil fuels. He returned to his alma mater to help run a startup accelerator, and soon, Quaise Energy was born. This week on How I Built This Lab, Carlos shares how his company plans to drill the deepest holes ever to unlock the nearly limitless potential of geothermal energy. Carlos explains why he sees such promise with this energy source and how he spread his optimism to investors to raise more than $70 million and counting.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Jul 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Quaise Energy: Carlos Araque full 435 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up in Colombia, Carlos Araque and his father liked to take apart bicycles and motorcycles then put them back together. This love of tinkering led Carlos to study engineering at MIT and eventually launch a career in the oil and gas industry. After 15 years of this work, Carlos realized he was uniquely suited to be a part of the global energy transition away from fossil fuels. He returned to his alma mater to help run a startup accelerator, and soon, Quaise Energy was born.This week on How I Built This Lab, Carlos shares how his company plans to drill the deepest holes ever to unlock the nearly limitless potential of geothermal energy. Carlos explains why he sees such promise with this energy source and how he spread his optimism to investors to raise more than $70 million and counting.  Growing up in Colombia, Carlos Araque and his father liked to take apart bicycles and motorcycles then put them back together. This love of tinkering led Carlos to study engineering at MIT and eventually launch a career in the oil and gas industry. After 15 years of this work, Carlos realized he was uniquely suited to be a part of the global energy transition away from fossil fuels. He returned to his alma mater to help run a startup accelerator, and soon, Quaise Energy was born. This week on How I Built This Lab, Carlos shares how his company plans to drill the deepest holes ever to unlock the nearly limitless potential of geothermal energy. Carlos explains why he sees such promise with this energy source and how he spread his optimism to investors to raise more than $70 million and counting.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Growing up in Colombia, Carlos Araque and his father liked to take apart bicycles and motorcycles then put them back together. This love of tinkering led Carlos to study engineering at MIT and eventually launch a career in the oil and gas industry. After 15 years of this work, Carlos realized he was uniquely suited to be a part of the global energy transition away from fossil fuels. He returned to his alma mater to help run a startup accelerator, and soon, Quaise Energy was born.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Carlos shares how his company plans to drill the deepest holes ever to unlock the nearly limitless potential of geothermal energy. Carlos explains why he sees such promise with this energy source and how he spread his optimism to investors to raise more than $70 million and counting. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2607 no Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mariah Calagione Sam and Mariah Calagione started dating in high school, and have been on a wild ride ever since. Their biggest, craziest adventure? Founding Dogfish Head Brewery and forever changing the landscape of American craft beer. From the moment Sam started home-brewing in his NYC apartment, he infused his beer with unusual ingredients like cherries, maple syrup, roasted chicory, and licorice. When he and Mariah officially launched Dogfish Head in 1995, it was the smallest brewery in America’s smallest state. 24 years (and countless pints) later, it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company for $300 million. Along the way, Sam and Mariah had one random experience after another: writing a bill to legalize their own brew-pub, winning best recipe at the Delaware Punkin Chunkin, and inviting Ricki Lake to their first tasting at Sam's apartment (spoiler alert: she showed up). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Jul 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mariah Calagione full 433 Guy Raz | Vox Media Sam and Mariah Calagione started dating in high school, and have been on a wild ride ever since. Their biggest, craziest adventure? Founding Dogfish Head Brewery and forever changing the landscape of American craft beer. From the moment Sam started home-brewing in his NYC apartment, he infused his beer with unusual ingredients like cherries, maple syrup, roasted chicory, and licorice. When he and Mariah officially launched Dogfish Head in 1995, it was the smallest brewery in America’s smallest state. 24 years (and countless pints) later, it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company for $300 million. Along the way, Sam and Mariah had one random experience after another: writing a bill to legalize their own brew-pub, winning best recipe at the Delaware Punkin Chunkin, and inviting Ricki Lake to their first tasting at Sam's apartment (spoiler alert: she showed up). Sam and Mariah Calagione started dating in high school, and have been on a wild ride ever since. Their biggest, craziest adventure? Founding Dogfish Head Brewery and forever changing the landscape of American craft beer. From the moment Sam started home-brewing in his NYC apartment, he infused his beer with unusual ingredients like cherries, maple syrup, roasted chicory, and licorice. When he and Mariah officially launched Dogfish Head in 1995, it was the smallest brewery in America’s smallest state. 24 years (and countless pints) later, it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company for $300 million. Along the way, Sam and Mariah had one random experience after another: writing a bill to legalize their own brew-pub, winning best recipe at the Delaware Punkin Chunkin, and inviting Ricki Lake to their first tasting at Sam's apartment (spoiler alert: she showed up). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sam and Mariah Calagione started dating in high school, and have been on a wild ride ever since. Their biggest, craziest adventure? Founding Dogfish Head Brewery and forever changing the landscape of American craft beer. From the moment Sam started home-brewing in his NYC apartment, he infused his beer with unusual ingredients like cherries, maple syrup, roasted chicory, and licorice. When he and Mariah officially launched Dogfish Head in 1995, it was the smallest brewery in America’s smallest state. 24 years (and countless pints) later, it was acquired by the Boston Beer Company for $300 million. Along the way, Sam and Mariah had one random experience after another: writing a bill to legalize their own brew-pub, winning best recipe at the Delaware Punkin Chunkin, and inviting Ricki Lake to their first tasting at Sam's apartment (spoiler alert: she showed up).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4995 no HIBT Lab! IDEO: David Kelley It wasn’t unusual for David Kelley to take calls from Steve Jobs in the middle of the night. This came with the territory, as David worked on designing dozens of products for Apple over the years – including their first computer mouse back in 1980.&nbsp; Since then, David and his firm, IDEO, have helped all sorts of companies design new products. David also led the founding of Stanford’s d.school, where students learn to use design principles to solve complex problems. This week on How I Built This Lab, David shares stories from some of the most notable projects of his career. He discusses how diverse perspectives and backgrounds help teams generate new ideas, and explains how organizations can use design thinking to transform culture and foster innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Jul 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! IDEO: David Kelley full 431 Guy Raz | Vox Media It wasn’t unusual for David Kelley to take calls from Steve Jobs in the middle of the night. This came with the territory, as David worked on designing dozens of products for Apple over the years – including their first computer mouse back in 1980. Since then, David and his firm, IDEO, have helped all sorts of companies design new products. David also led the founding of Stanford’s d.school, where students learn to use design principles to solve complex problems.This week on How I Built This Lab, David shares stories from some of the most notable projects of his career. He discusses how diverse perspectives and backgrounds help teams generate new ideas, and explains how organizations can use design thinking to transform culture and foster innovation. It wasn’t unusual for David Kelley to take calls from Steve Jobs in the middle of the night. This came with the territory, as David worked on designing dozens of products for Apple over the years – including their first computer mouse back in 1980.&nbsp; Since then, David and his firm, IDEO, have helped all sorts of companies design new products. David also led the founding of Stanford’s d.school, where students learn to use design principles to solve complex problems. This week on How I Built This Lab, David shares stories from some of the most notable projects of his career. He discusses how diverse perspectives and backgrounds help teams generate new ideas, and explains how organizations can use design thinking to transform culture and foster innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices It wasn’t unusual for David Kelley to take calls from Steve Jobs in the middle of the night. This came with the territory, as David worked on designing dozens of products for Apple over the years – including their first computer mouse back in 1980. 

Since then, David and his firm, IDEO, have helped all sorts of companies design new products. David also led the founding of Stanford’s d.school, where students learn to use design principles to solve complex problems.

This week on How I Built This Lab, David shares stories from some of the most notable projects of his career. He discusses how diverse perspectives and backgrounds help teams generate new ideas, and explains how organizations can use design thinking to transform culture and foster innovation.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2657 no Tumi & Roam Luggage: Charlie Clifford Over nearly 50 years in the luggage business, Charlie Clifford has built two premium brands and weathered three existential crises: the recession of 1982, the travel slowdown post- 9/11, and the extreme aftershocks of Covid. His fist luggage company, Tumi, was inspired by his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. Charlie began by importing hand-crafted leather duffels from South America, but quickly pivoted into more durable and distinctive ballistic nylon bags.&nbsp;Business travelers loved them, and by the 1990’s, Tumi was spreading to Europe and Japan.&nbsp;Today, Tumi is owned by Samsonite and its stores are in airports and shopping malls around the world.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Charlie—unfazed by the challenges he’s faced over the years—has launched another premium luggage brand, Roam.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Jul 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Tumi & Roam Luggage: Charlie Clifford full 430 Guy Raz | Vox Media Over nearly 50 years in the luggage business, Charlie Clifford has built two premium brands and weathered three existential crises: the recession of 1982, the travel slowdown post- 9/11, and the extreme aftershocks of Covid. His fist luggage company, Tumi, was inspired by his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. Charlie began by importing hand-crafted leather duffels from South America, but quickly pivoted into more durable and distinctive ballistic nylon bags. Business travelers loved them, and by the 1990’s, Tumi was spreading to Europe and Japan. Today, Tumi is owned by Samsonite and its stores are in airports and shopping malls around the world. Meanwhile, Charlie—unfazed by the challenges he’s faced over the years—has launched another premium luggage brand, Roam.  Over nearly 50 years in the luggage business, Charlie Clifford has built two premium brands and weathered three existential crises: the recession of 1982, the travel slowdown post- 9/11, and the extreme aftershocks of Covid. His fist luggage company, Tumi, was inspired by his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. Charlie began by importing hand-crafted leather duffels from South America, but quickly pivoted into more durable and distinctive ballistic nylon bags.&nbsp;Business travelers loved them, and by the 1990’s, Tumi was spreading to Europe and Japan.&nbsp;Today, Tumi is owned by Samsonite and its stores are in airports and shopping malls around the world.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Charlie—unfazed by the challenges he’s faced over the years—has launched another premium luggage brand, Roam.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Over nearly 50 years in the luggage business, Charlie Clifford has built two premium brands and weathered three existential crises: the recession of 1982, the travel slowdown post- 9/11, and the extreme aftershocks of Covid. His fist luggage company, Tumi, was inspired by his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. Charlie began by importing hand-crafted leather duffels from South America, but quickly pivoted into more durable and distinctive ballistic nylon bags. Business travelers loved them, and by the 1990’s, Tumi was spreading to Europe and Japan. Today, Tumi is owned by Samsonite and its stores are in airports and shopping malls around the world. Meanwhile, Charlie—unfazed by the challenges he’s faced over the years—has launched another premium luggage brand, Roam. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4273 no ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Colin and Samir: Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry This week on How I Built This Lab, we're throwing it back to our very first Lab episode. In this episode, Guy sits down with Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, or better known as YouTubers Colin and Samir—a pair of creators who create content for other creators. (We know, pretty meta.) The creator economy barely existed a decade ago, but has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry with a massive global reach. Colin and Samir discuss their 10-year business journey, and share insights on how to break into this rapidly-growing industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 Jul 2022 07:10:00 -0000 ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Colin and Samir: Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry full 429 Guy Raz | Vox Media This week on How I Built This Lab, we're throwing it back to our very first Lab episode.In this episode, Guy sits down with Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, or better known as YouTubers Colin and Samir—a pair of creators who create content for other creators. (We know, pretty meta.) The creator economy barely existed a decade ago, but has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry with a massive global reach. Colin and Samir discuss their 10-year business journey, and share insights on how to break into this rapidly-growing industry. This week on How I Built This Lab, we're throwing it back to our very first Lab episode. In this episode, Guy sits down with Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, or better known as YouTubers Colin and Samir—a pair of creators who create content for other creators. (We know, pretty meta.) The creator economy barely existed a decade ago, but has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry with a massive global reach. Colin and Samir discuss their 10-year business journey, and share insights on how to break into this rapidly-growing industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices This week on How I Built This Lab, we're throwing it back to our very first Lab episode.

In this episode, Guy sits down with Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, or better known as YouTubers Colin and Samir—a pair of creators who create content for other creators. (We know, pretty meta.) The creator economy barely existed a decade ago, but has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry with a massive global reach. Colin and Samir discuss their 10-year business journey, and share insights on how to break into this rapidly-growing industry.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2565 no Twitch: Emmett Shear In 2011, when Emmett Shear pivoted the live streaming service Justin.tv into the video game platform Twitch, people warned him that gaming was just a niche. But unlike his first two ventures, video games were something Emmett instinctively understood: he and his co-founder Justin Kan had been playing them together since they were kids.&nbsp;Emmett built a user base on Twitch by asking streamers exactly what they wanted and giving it to them: revenue opportunities, streamer fan clubs, customizable emoji.&nbsp;As it grew, Twitch attracted users from the darker corners of the web,&nbsp;but Emmett believes the site is first and foremost a way for people to come together and build supportive communities.&nbsp;In 2014, Emmett sold Twitch to Amazon for just under a billion dollars but stayed on as the CEO. Today, the platform has 31 million daily visitors who stream trillions of minutes of live video every year. Not bad for a niche business.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Jul 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Twitch: Emmett Shear full 428 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2011, when Emmett Shear pivoted the live streaming service Justin.tv into the video game platform Twitch, people warned him that gaming was just a niche. But unlike his first two ventures, video games were something Emmett instinctively understood: he and his co-founder Justin Kan had been playing them together since they were kids. Emmett built a user base on Twitch by asking streamers exactly what they wanted and giving it to them: revenue opportunities, streamer fan clubs, customizable emoji. As it grew, Twitch attracted users from the darker corners of the web, but Emmett believes the site is first and foremost a way for people to come together and build supportive communities. In 2014, Emmett sold Twitch to Amazon for just under a billion dollars but stayed on as the CEO. Today, the platform has 31 million daily visitors who stream trillions of minutes of live video every year. Not bad for a niche business.  In 2011, when Emmett Shear pivoted the live streaming service Justin.tv into the video game platform Twitch, people warned him that gaming was just a niche. But unlike his first two ventures, video games were something Emmett instinctively understood: he and his co-founder Justin Kan had been playing them together since they were kids.&nbsp;Emmett built a user base on Twitch by asking streamers exactly what they wanted and giving it to them: revenue opportunities, streamer fan clubs, customizable emoji.&nbsp;As it grew, Twitch attracted users from the darker corners of the web,&nbsp;but Emmett believes the site is first and foremost a way for people to come together and build supportive communities.&nbsp;In 2014, Emmett sold Twitch to Amazon for just under a billion dollars but stayed on as the CEO. Today, the platform has 31 million daily visitors who stream trillions of minutes of live video every year. Not bad for a niche business.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In 2011, when Emmett Shear pivoted the live streaming service Justin.tv into the video game platform Twitch, people warned him that gaming was just a niche. But unlike his first two ventures, video games were something Emmett instinctively understood: he and his co-founder Justin Kan had been playing them together since they were kids. Emmett built a user base on Twitch by asking streamers exactly what they wanted and giving it to them: revenue opportunities, streamer fan clubs, customizable emoji. As it grew, Twitch attracted users from the darker corners of the web, but Emmett believes the site is first and foremost a way for people to come together and build supportive communities. In 2014, Emmett sold Twitch to Amazon for just under a billion dollars but stayed on as the CEO. Today, the platform has 31 million daily visitors who stream trillions of minutes of live video every year. Not bad for a niche business. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5165 no HIBT Lab! The Financial Diet: Chelsea Fagan Chelsea Fagan got her first credit card when she was a senior in high school. She quickly maxed it out, racking up debt that would burden her through her early twenties. Then, in 2014, Chelsea started a blog as a way to keep track of her spending habits and get her financial life back on track. She called it “The Financial Diet.” This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Chelsea about how she turned that blog into the multimedia personal finance business it is today. Plus, Chelsea shares why she prioritizes employee satisfaction over growth and explains her judicious approach to brand partnerships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 Jul 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! The Financial Diet: Chelsea Fagan full 427 Guy Raz | Vox Media Chelsea Fagan got her first credit card when she was a senior in high school. She quickly maxed it out, racking up debt that would burden her through her early twenties. Then, in 2014, Chelsea started a blog as a way to keep track of her spending habits and get her financial life back on track. She called it “The Financial Diet.”This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Chelsea about how she turned that blog into the multimedia personal finance business it is today. Plus, Chelsea shares why she prioritizes employee satisfaction over growth and explains her judicious approach to brand partnerships. Chelsea Fagan got her first credit card when she was a senior in high school. She quickly maxed it out, racking up debt that would burden her through her early twenties. Then, in 2014, Chelsea started a blog as a way to keep track of her spending habits and get her financial life back on track. She called it “The Financial Diet.” This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Chelsea about how she turned that blog into the multimedia personal finance business it is today. Plus, Chelsea shares why she prioritizes employee satisfaction over growth and explains her judicious approach to brand partnerships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Chelsea Fagan got her first credit card when she was a senior in high school. She quickly maxed it out, racking up debt that would burden her through her early twenties. Then, in 2014, Chelsea started a blog as a way to keep track of her spending habits and get her financial life back on track. She called it “The Financial Diet.”

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Chelsea about how she turned that blog into the multimedia personal finance business it is today. Plus, Chelsea shares why she prioritizes employee satisfaction over growth and explains her judicious approach to brand partnerships.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2594 no TaskRabbit: Leah Solivan One snowy night in Boston, Leah Solivan ran out of dog food for her 100-pound yellow lab.&nbsp;She wondered: shouldn’t I be able to resupply Kobe without going to the store?&nbsp;That was the origin of TaskRabbit, an online errand service that matches users with “taskers” to do deliveries and other chores. When Leah left her IBM job to start coding the service, the peer-to-peer economy was still in its infancy.&nbsp;But she saw that three important developments—mobile, location services, and social media—were about to converge. She recruited errand-runners from Craigslist, and took an expensive gamble on a 15-minute meeting with Tim Ferriss to get advice and investors. After some management hiccups and a difficult rebranding, TaskRabbit sold to IKEA in 2017.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Jul 2022 07:10:00 -0000 TaskRabbit: Leah Solivan full 426 Guy Raz | Vox Media One snowy night in Boston, Leah Solivan ran out of dog food for her 100-pound yellow lab. She wondered: shouldn’t I be able to resupply Kobe without going to the store? That was the origin of TaskRabbit, an online errand service that matches users with “taskers” to do deliveries and other chores. When Leah left her IBM job to start coding the service, the peer-to-peer economy was still in its infancy. But she saw that three important developments—mobile, location services, and social media—were about to converge. She recruited errand-runners from Craigslist, and took an expensive gamble on a 15-minute meeting with Tim Ferriss to get advice and investors. After some management hiccups and a difficult rebranding, TaskRabbit sold to IKEA in 2017.  One snowy night in Boston, Leah Solivan ran out of dog food for her 100-pound yellow lab.&nbsp;She wondered: shouldn’t I be able to resupply Kobe without going to the store?&nbsp;That was the origin of TaskRabbit, an online errand service that matches users with “taskers” to do deliveries and other chores. When Leah left her IBM job to start coding the service, the peer-to-peer economy was still in its infancy.&nbsp;But she saw that three important developments—mobile, location services, and social media—were about to converge. She recruited errand-runners from Craigslist, and took an expensive gamble on a 15-minute meeting with Tim Ferriss to get advice and investors. After some management hiccups and a difficult rebranding, TaskRabbit sold to IKEA in 2017.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices One snowy night in Boston, Leah Solivan ran out of dog food for her 100-pound yellow lab. She wondered: shouldn’t I be able to resupply Kobe without going to the store? That was the origin of TaskRabbit, an online errand service that matches users with “taskers” to do deliveries and other chores. When Leah left her IBM job to start coding the service, the peer-to-peer economy was still in its infancy. But she saw that three important developments—mobile, location services, and social media—were about to converge. She recruited errand-runners from Craigslist, and took an expensive gamble on a 15-minute meeting with Tim Ferriss to get advice and investors. After some management hiccups and a difficult rebranding, TaskRabbit sold to IKEA in 2017. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4754 no HIBT Lab! BlocPower: Donnel Baird When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment ⁠— a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Jun 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! BlocPower: Donnel Baird full 425 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment ⁠— a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups. This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents. When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment ⁠— a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Donnel Baird was a child, his parents would regularly use the oven to heat their Brooklyn apartment ⁠— a dangerous and energy-inefficient practice that’s unfortunately not unique to New York City. As an adult traveling the country with the Obama for America campaign, Donnel saw countless homes and apartments wasting power and jeopardizing resident safety because of dated infrastructure. He founded BlocPower in 2014 to address this precise problem, focusing on low-income communities so often overlooked by innovative startups. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Donnel talks with Guy about BlocPower’s work to modernize buildings nationwide and transition them to clean energy sources. BlocPower has raised more than $100 million from Wall Street and Silicon Valley investors, and has partnered with cities across the country to create greener, safer spaces for their residents.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3066 no Happy Family Organics: Shazi Visram (2020) While she was a student at business school, Shazi Visram ran into an old friend—a new mother of twins. The friend confided she felt like a bad mom because she had no time to make her kids healthy meals. That gave Shazi her initial idea: why not make organic pureed baby food, and sell it frozen instead of jarred? People told her she was crazy to take on Gerber, but she convinced dozens of friends and family to invest in Happy Baby. Nearly 20 years later, the brand is known as Happy Family Organics and reportedly makes more than $200 million a year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Jun 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Happy Family Organics: Shazi Visram (2020) full 424 Guy Raz | Vox Media While she was a student at business school, Shazi Visram ran into an old friend—a new mother of twins. The friend confided she felt like a bad mom because she had no time to make her kids healthy meals. That gave Shazi her initial idea: why not make organic pureed baby food, and sell it frozen instead of jarred? People told her she was crazy to take on Gerber, but she convinced dozens of friends and family to invest in Happy Baby. Nearly 20 years later, the brand is known as Happy Family Organics and reportedly makes more than $200 million a year. While she was a student at business school, Shazi Visram ran into an old friend—a new mother of twins. The friend confided she felt like a bad mom because she had no time to make her kids healthy meals. That gave Shazi her initial idea: why not make organic pureed baby food, and sell it frozen instead of jarred? People told her she was crazy to take on Gerber, but she convinced dozens of friends and family to invest in Happy Baby. Nearly 20 years later, the brand is known as Happy Family Organics and reportedly makes more than $200 million a year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices While she was a student at business school, Shazi Visram ran into an old friend—a new mother of twins. The friend confided she felt like a bad mom because she had no time to make her kids healthy meals. That gave Shazi her initial idea: why not make organic pureed baby food, and sell it frozen instead of jarred? People told her she was crazy to take on Gerber, but she convinced dozens of friends and family to invest in Happy Baby. Nearly 20 years later, the brand is known as Happy Family Organics and reportedly makes more than $200 million a year.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4345 no HIBT Lab! Climeworks: Jan Wurzbacher According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year by 2050.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and CEO of Climeworks. They discuss how Jan and his team built the world’s largest direct air capture facility, which filters carbon dioxide from the air and stores it permanently underground. Plus, Jan’s optimistic vision of how humans can achieve the goal of reversing climate change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Jun 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Climeworks: Jan Wurzbacher full 423 Guy Raz | Vox Media According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year by 2050. This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and CEO of Climeworks. They discuss how Jan and his team built the world’s largest direct air capture facility, which filters carbon dioxide from the air and stores it permanently underground. Plus, Jan’s optimistic vision of how humans can achieve the goal of reversing climate change. According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year by 2050.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and CEO of Climeworks. They discuss how Jan and his team built the world’s largest direct air capture facility, which filters carbon dioxide from the air and stores it permanently underground. Plus, Jan’s optimistic vision of how humans can achieve the goal of reversing climate change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices According to the 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to cut carbon emissions drastically to avoid the worst effects of global warming. But that’s not all. In addition to reducing emissions, we also need to remove 6 to 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year by 2050. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Guy talks with Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and CEO of Climeworks. They discuss how Jan and his team built the world’s largest direct air capture facility, which filters carbon dioxide from the air and stores it permanently underground. Plus, Jan’s optimistic vision of how humans can achieve the goal of reversing climate change.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2500 no The Tonight Show & Electric Hot Dog: Jimmy Fallon Jimmy Fallon may talk like a comedian, but he thinks like a restless entrepreneur.&nbsp;In addition to his day job as host of The Tonight Show, he runs a TV production company, writes best-selling children’s books, and creates products you never knew you needed, like all-day pajamas and “hands high” jerseys that show the name of your favorite team in the armpit. As a kid, Jimmy was&nbsp;obsessed with perfecting his impressions of Richard Pryor and Steve Martin,&nbsp;with the goal of one day starring on Saturday Night Live.&nbsp;After an incredibly successful 6-year run on that show, he tried to make it in film, only to eventually find his way to one of the most coveted jobs in television.&nbsp;Today, he’s constantly generating new ideas, whether for a new TV show, or a Christmas tchotchke called Elvis on the Shelvis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Jun 2022 07:10:00 -0000 The Tonight Show & Electric Hot Dog: Jimmy Fallon full 422 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jimmy Fallon may talk like a comedian, but he thinks like a restless entrepreneur. In addition to his day job as host of The Tonight Show, he runs a TV production company, writes best-selling children’s books, and creates products you never knew you needed, like all-day pajamas and “hands high” jerseys that show the name of your favorite team in the armpit. As a kid, Jimmy was obsessed with perfecting his impressions of Richard Pryor and Steve Martin, with the goal of one day starring on Saturday Night Live. After an incredibly successful 6-year run on that show, he tried to make it in film, only to eventually find his way to one of the most coveted jobs in television. Today, he’s constantly generating new ideas, whether for a new TV show, or a Christmas tchotchke called Elvis on the Shelvis. Jimmy Fallon may talk like a comedian, but he thinks like a restless entrepreneur.&nbsp;In addition to his day job as host of The Tonight Show, he runs a TV production company, writes best-selling children’s books, and creates products you never knew you needed, like all-day pajamas and “hands high” jerseys that show the name of your favorite team in the armpit. As a kid, Jimmy was&nbsp;obsessed with perfecting his impressions of Richard Pryor and Steve Martin,&nbsp;with the goal of one day starring on Saturday Night Live.&nbsp;After an incredibly successful 6-year run on that show, he tried to make it in film, only to eventually find his way to one of the most coveted jobs in television.&nbsp;Today, he’s constantly generating new ideas, whether for a new TV show, or a Christmas tchotchke called Elvis on the Shelvis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Jimmy Fallon may talk like a comedian, but he thinks like a restless entrepreneur. In addition to his day job as host of The Tonight Show, he runs a TV production company, writes best-selling children’s books, and creates products you never knew you needed, like all-day pajamas and “hands high” jerseys that show the name of your favorite team in the armpit. As a kid, Jimmy was obsessed with perfecting his impressions of Richard Pryor and Steve Martin, with the goal of one day starring on Saturday Night Live. After an incredibly successful 6-year run on that show, he tried to make it in film, only to eventually find his way to one of the most coveted jobs in television. Today, he’s constantly generating new ideas, whether for a new TV show, or a Christmas tchotchke called Elvis on the Shelvis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4552 no HIBT Lab! The Sorry Girls: Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright YouTubers Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright – better known as The Sorry Girls – have always had an affinity for production. When they met as film students back in 2010, little did they know that the DIY videos they were creating for fun would eventually lead to full-fledged careers co-founding and leading their own media company. But building to where they are now, with over 2 million subscribers and counting, didn’t exactly come with a blueprint… This week on How I Built This Lab, Kelsey and Becky talk to Guy about pursuing the uncharted territory of a YouTube career, their philosophies on navigating brand deals, and their take on growing a business in the creator economy without compromising on values.&nbsp; Check out The Sorry Girls on YouTube and try your own hand at DIY: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSorryGirls/featured&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! The Sorry Girls: Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright full 421 Guy Raz | Vox Media YouTubers Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright – better known as The Sorry Girls – have always had an affinity for production. When they met as film students back in 2010, little did they know that the DIY videos they were creating for fun would eventually lead to full-fledged careers co-founding and leading their own media company. But building to where they are now, with over 2 million subscribers and counting, didn’t exactly come with a blueprint…This week on How I Built This Lab, Kelsey and Becky talk to Guy about pursuing the uncharted territory of a YouTube career, their philosophies on navigating brand deals, and their take on growing a business in the creator economy without compromising on values. Check out The Sorry Girls on YouTube and try your own hand at DIY: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSorryGirls/featured  YouTubers Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright – better known as The Sorry Girls – have always had an affinity for production. When they met as film students back in 2010, little did they know that the DIY videos they were creating for fun would eventually lead to full-fledged careers co-founding and leading their own media company. But building to where they are now, with over 2 million subscribers and counting, didn’t exactly come with a blueprint… This week on How I Built This Lab, Kelsey and Becky talk to Guy about pursuing the uncharted territory of a YouTube career, their philosophies on navigating brand deals, and their take on growing a business in the creator economy without compromising on values.&nbsp; Check out The Sorry Girls on YouTube and try your own hand at DIY: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSorryGirls/featured&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices YouTubers Kelsey MacDermaid and Becky Wright – better known as The Sorry Girls – have always had an affinity for production. When they met as film students back in 2010, little did they know that the DIY videos they were creating for fun would eventually lead to full-fledged careers co-founding and leading their own media company. But building to where they are now, with over 2 million subscribers and counting, didn’t exactly come with a blueprint…

This week on How I Built This Lab, Kelsey and Becky talk to Guy about pursuing the uncharted territory of a YouTube career, their philosophies on navigating brand deals, and their take on growing a business in the creator economy without compromising on values. 

Check out The Sorry Girls on YouTube and try your own hand at DIY: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSorryGirls/featured 



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2833 no Affirm: Max Levchin (Part 2 of 2) After PayPal sold to eBay in 2002, Max Levchin could have relaxed on a beach for the rest of his life.&nbsp;But that’s not the kind of person he is. He isn’t happy unless he’s coming up with new ideas and building companies – so much so that he actually fell into a dark place after leaving PayPal.&nbsp;He didn’t fully find himself until years later, when he rediscovered his passion for the “hard, valuable, fun” problems of fintech. Now, Max runs another billion-dollar company: Affirm, a “buy now, pay later” service that’s transforming how we purchase things on credit. This is the second part of a two-part conversation with Max; to hear the story of PayPal, be sure to listen to part 1!&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Jun 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Affirm: Max Levchin (Part 2 of 2) full 420 Guy Raz | Vox Media After PayPal sold to eBay in 2002, Max Levchin could have relaxed on a beach for the rest of his life. But that’s not the kind of person he is. He isn’t happy unless he’s coming up with new ideas and building companies – so much so that he actually fell into a dark place after leaving PayPal. He didn’t fully find himself until years later, when he rediscovered his passion for the “hard, valuable, fun” problems of fintech. Now, Max runs another billion-dollar company: Affirm, a “buy now, pay later” service that’s transforming how we purchase things on credit. This is the second part of a two-part conversation with Max; to hear the story of PayPal, be sure to listen to part 1!   After PayPal sold to eBay in 2002, Max Levchin could have relaxed on a beach for the rest of his life.&nbsp;But that’s not the kind of person he is. He isn’t happy unless he’s coming up with new ideas and building companies – so much so that he actually fell into a dark place after leaving PayPal.&nbsp;He didn’t fully find himself until years later, when he rediscovered his passion for the “hard, valuable, fun” problems of fintech. Now, Max runs another billion-dollar company: Affirm, a “buy now, pay later” service that’s transforming how we purchase things on credit. This is the second part of a two-part conversation with Max; to hear the story of PayPal, be sure to listen to part 1!&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices After PayPal sold to eBay in 2002, Max Levchin could have relaxed on a beach for the rest of his life. But that’s not the kind of person he is. He isn’t happy unless he’s coming up with new ideas and building companies – so much so that he actually fell into a dark place after leaving PayPal. He didn’t fully find himself until years later, when he rediscovered his passion for the “hard, valuable, fun” problems of fintech. Now, Max runs another billion-dollar company: Affirm, a “buy now, pay later” service that’s transforming how we purchase things on credit. This is the second part of a two-part conversation with Max; to hear the story of PayPal, be sure to listen to part 1!  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3717 no HIBT Lab! Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company: Mark Cuban Serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban was one of the very first guests on How I Built This, way back in 2016. Mark has been founding and investing in startups for decades, but he’s never put his name on a company until now.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Mark joins Guy to talk about what he’s been up to since he was last on the show. They discuss his interest in NFTs and how his latest business, the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, is looking to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry.&nbsp; Listen to Mark’s original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/03dc2fc1-e9d7-4880-865c-f92d18b40c92/embed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Jun 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company: Mark Cuban full 419 Guy Raz | Vox Media Serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban was one of the very first guests on How I Built This, way back in 2016. Mark has been founding and investing in startups for decades, but he’s never put his name on a company until now. This week on How I Built This Lab, Mark joins Guy to talk about what he’s been up to since he was last on the show. They discuss his interest in NFTs and how his latest business, the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, is looking to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry. Listen to Mark’s original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/03dc2fc1-e9d7-4880-865c-f92d18b40c92/embed Serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban was one of the very first guests on How I Built This, way back in 2016. Mark has been founding and investing in startups for decades, but he’s never put his name on a company until now.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Mark joins Guy to talk about what he’s been up to since he was last on the show. They discuss his interest in NFTs and how his latest business, the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, is looking to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry.&nbsp; Listen to Mark’s original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/03dc2fc1-e9d7-4880-865c-f92d18b40c92/embed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban was one of the very first guests on How I Built This, way back in 2016. Mark has been founding and investing in startups for decades, but he’s never put his name on a company until now. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Mark joins Guy to talk about what he’s been up to since he was last on the show. They discuss his interest in NFTs and how his latest business, the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, is looking to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry. 

Listen to Mark’s original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/03dc2fc1-e9d7-4880-865c-f92d18b40c92/embed

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2297 no PayPal: Max Levchin (Part 1 of 2) During its formative years in the late 1990's, Paypal attracted an extraordinary group of young entrepreneurs, who then went on to build some of the best known companies in tech.&nbsp;They became known as The PayPal Mafia—and Max Levchin was one of the leaders.&nbsp;A computer genius from Soviet Ukraine, Max joined Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and&nbsp;others as they grew PayPal into a massively successful online payment service.&nbsp;Along the way, they encountered almost every start-up challenge imaginable, including the emotional ouster of Elon Musk as CEO.&nbsp;After PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, Max couldn't sit still, so he launched a startup lab that eventually led to another successful fintech company: Affirm. Guy will talk to Max about Affirm next week, in the second episode of this two-part series.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Jun 2022 07:10:00 -0000 PayPal: Max Levchin (Part 1 of 2) full 418 Guy Raz | Vox Media During its formative years in the late 1990's, Paypal attracted an extraordinary group of young entrepreneurs, who then went on to build some of the best known companies in tech. They became known as The PayPal Mafia—and Max Levchin was one of the leaders. A computer genius from Soviet Ukraine, Max joined Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and others as they grew PayPal into a massively successful online payment service. Along the way, they encountered almost every start-up challenge imaginable, including the emotional ouster of Elon Musk as CEO. After PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, Max couldn't sit still, so he launched a startup lab that eventually led to another successful fintech company: Affirm. Guy will talk to Max about Affirm next week, in the second episode of this two-part series.  During its formative years in the late 1990's, Paypal attracted an extraordinary group of young entrepreneurs, who then went on to build some of the best known companies in tech.&nbsp;They became known as The PayPal Mafia—and Max Levchin was one of the leaders.&nbsp;A computer genius from Soviet Ukraine, Max joined Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and&nbsp;others as they grew PayPal into a massively successful online payment service.&nbsp;Along the way, they encountered almost every start-up challenge imaginable, including the emotional ouster of Elon Musk as CEO.&nbsp;After PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, Max couldn't sit still, so he launched a startup lab that eventually led to another successful fintech company: Affirm. Guy will talk to Max about Affirm next week, in the second episode of this two-part series.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices During its formative years in the late 1990's, Paypal attracted an extraordinary group of young entrepreneurs, who then went on to build some of the best known companies in tech. They became known as The PayPal Mafia—and Max Levchin was one of the leaders. A computer genius from Soviet Ukraine, Max joined Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman and others as they grew PayPal into a massively successful online payment service. Along the way, they encountered almost every start-up challenge imaginable, including the emotional ouster of Elon Musk as CEO. After PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, Max couldn't sit still, so he launched a startup lab that eventually led to another successful fintech company: Affirm. Guy will talk to Max about Affirm next week, in the second episode of this two-part series. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5144 no HIBT Lab! Google: Sundar Pichai Drive. Docs. Chrome. Maps. Gmail. Android. What do these products have in common? Of course, they’re all Google, but what you may not know is that they all came to fruition under the management of the same person: Sundar Pichai. This track record in product development ultimately landed Sundar the CEO role at one of the biggest, most innovative companies in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Sundar reflects on the unique journey that led him to Google, and the values that inspire and drive his leadership today. He and Guy also discuss Google’s recent advances in artificial intelligence, and how the company is reimagining the workplace as offices across the globe reopen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Google: Sundar Pichai full 417 Guy Raz | Vox Media Drive. Docs. Chrome. Maps. Gmail. Android. What do these products have in common? Of course, they’re all Google, but what you may not know is that they all came to fruition under the management of the same person: Sundar Pichai. This track record in product development ultimately landed Sundar the CEO role at one of the biggest, most innovative companies in the world.  This week on How I Built This Lab, Sundar reflects on the unique journey that led him to Google, and the values that inspire and drive his leadership today. He and Guy also discuss Google’s recent advances in artificial intelligence, and how the company is reimagining the workplace as offices across the globe reopen. Drive. Docs. Chrome. Maps. Gmail. Android. What do these products have in common? Of course, they’re all Google, but what you may not know is that they all came to fruition under the management of the same person: Sundar Pichai. This track record in product development ultimately landed Sundar the CEO role at one of the biggest, most innovative companies in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Sundar reflects on the unique journey that led him to Google, and the values that inspire and drive his leadership today. He and Guy also discuss Google’s recent advances in artificial intelligence, and how the company is reimagining the workplace as offices across the globe reopen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Drive. Docs. Chrome. Maps. Gmail. Android. What do these products have in common? Of course, they’re all Google, but what you may not know is that they all came to fruition under the management of the same person: Sundar Pichai. This track record in product development ultimately landed Sundar the CEO role at one of the biggest, most innovative companies in the world.  

This week on How I Built This Lab, Sundar reflects on the unique journey that led him to Google, and the values that inspire and drive his leadership today. He and Guy also discuss Google’s recent advances in artificial intelligence, and how the company is reimagining the workplace as offices across the globe reopen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2338 no Pitchfork: Ryan Schreiber While working at his local record store at age 20, Ryan Schreiber dreamt that his scrappy music review webpage might one day grow into an influential music publication. Working out of his parents’ house, he wrote about indie music because he loved it, and recruited like-minded friends to do the same. In 2000, a rhapsodic review of Radiohead’s “Kid A” got huge attention online, and soon Ryan’s site began to attract tens of thousands of users—building a reputation for pointed reviews that could make or break careers.&nbsp;In 2015, Pitchfork joined The New Yorker and Vogue when it was acquired by Condé Nast, one of the most prestigious magazine publishers in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 May 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Pitchfork: Ryan Schreiber full 416 Guy Raz | Vox Media While working at his local record store at age 20, Ryan Schreiber dreamt that his scrappy music review webpage might one day grow into an influential music publication. Working out of his parents’ house, he wrote about indie music because he loved it, and recruited like-minded friends to do the same. In 2000, a rhapsodic review of Radiohead’s “Kid A” got huge attention online, and soon Ryan’s site began to attract tens of thousands of users—building a reputation for pointed reviews that could make or break careers. In 2015, Pitchfork joined The New Yorker and Vogue when it was acquired by Condé Nast, one of the most prestigious magazine publishers in the world. While working at his local record store at age 20, Ryan Schreiber dreamt that his scrappy music review webpage might one day grow into an influential music publication. Working out of his parents’ house, he wrote about indie music because he loved it, and recruited like-minded friends to do the same. In 2000, a rhapsodic review of Radiohead’s “Kid A” got huge attention online, and soon Ryan’s site began to attract tens of thousands of users—building a reputation for pointed reviews that could make or break careers.&nbsp;In 2015, Pitchfork joined The New Yorker and Vogue when it was acquired by Condé Nast, one of the most prestigious magazine publishers in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices While working at his local record store at age 20, Ryan Schreiber dreamt that his scrappy music review webpage might one day grow into an influential music publication. Working out of his parents’ house, he wrote about indie music because he loved it, and recruited like-minded friends to do the same. In 2000, a rhapsodic review of Radiohead’s “Kid A” got huge attention online, and soon Ryan’s site began to attract tens of thousands of users—building a reputation for pointed reviews that could make or break careers. In 2015, Pitchfork joined The New Yorker and Vogue when it was acquired by Condé Nast, one of the most prestigious magazine publishers in the world.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4852 no HIBT Lab! Wildtype: Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck When Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck met in 2011, they had no intention of starting a business. Aryé was a cardiologist, and Justin was a diplomat who had lived in countries all over the world. But their chance meeting at a dinner party led to a deep friendship focused on working together to change the world. Through regular Saturday morning brainstorming sessions, they settled on pursuing a scientific approach to growing meat for human consumption. This week on How I Built This Lab, Aryé and Justin discuss the problems with modern seafood production and how their company, Wildtype, hopes to revolutionize the industry by using stem cells to cultivate real, sushi-grade salmon...without harming any actual fish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 May 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Wildtype: Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck full 415 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck met in 2011, they had no intention of starting a business. Aryé was a cardiologist, and Justin was a diplomat who had lived in countries all over the world. But their chance meeting at a dinner party led to a deep friendship focused on working together to change the world. Through regular Saturday morning brainstorming sessions, they settled on pursuing a scientific approach to growing meat for human consumption.This week on How I Built This Lab, Aryé and Justin discuss the problems with modern seafood production and how their company, Wildtype, hopes to revolutionize the industry by using stem cells to cultivate real, sushi-grade salmon...without harming any actual fish. When Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck met in 2011, they had no intention of starting a business. Aryé was a cardiologist, and Justin was a diplomat who had lived in countries all over the world. But their chance meeting at a dinner party led to a deep friendship focused on working together to change the world. Through regular Saturday morning brainstorming sessions, they settled on pursuing a scientific approach to growing meat for human consumption. This week on How I Built This Lab, Aryé and Justin discuss the problems with modern seafood production and how their company, Wildtype, hopes to revolutionize the industry by using stem cells to cultivate real, sushi-grade salmon...without harming any actual fish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck met in 2011, they had no intention of starting a business. Aryé was a cardiologist, and Justin was a diplomat who had lived in countries all over the world. But their chance meeting at a dinner party led to a deep friendship focused on working together to change the world. Through regular Saturday morning brainstorming sessions, they settled on pursuing a scientific approach to growing meat for human consumption.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Aryé and Justin discuss the problems with modern seafood production and how their company, Wildtype, hopes to revolutionize the industry by using stem cells to cultivate real, sushi-grade salmon...without harming any actual fish.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2784 no Houzz: Adi Tatarko When Adi Tartako and her husband started the home design and renovation website Houzz in 2009, they had no expectation that it would grow into a global business. In fact, Adi was a hesitant entrepreneur, preferring to foster Houzz as a lifestyle business and pushing back when experts told her it could grow into something much bigger. But as Houzz morphed into a go-to site for users to get ideas for home improvement and connect with industry professionals, Adi decided to go all-in. She walked away from a promising career in finance to become the CEO of Houzz, helping lead it to a platform that now has 65 million users worldwide.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 May 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Houzz: Adi Tatarko full 414 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Adi Tartako and her husband started the home design and renovation website Houzz in 2009, they had no expectation that it would grow into a global business. In fact, Adi was a hesitant entrepreneur, preferring to foster Houzz as a lifestyle business and pushing back when experts told her it could grow into something much bigger. But as Houzz morphed into a go-to site for users to get ideas for home improvement and connect with industry professionals, Adi decided to go all-in. She walked away from a promising career in finance to become the CEO of Houzz, helping lead it to a platform that now has 65 million users worldwide.  When Adi Tartako and her husband started the home design and renovation website Houzz in 2009, they had no expectation that it would grow into a global business. In fact, Adi was a hesitant entrepreneur, preferring to foster Houzz as a lifestyle business and pushing back when experts told her it could grow into something much bigger. But as Houzz morphed into a go-to site for users to get ideas for home improvement and connect with industry professionals, Adi decided to go all-in. She walked away from a promising career in finance to become the CEO of Houzz, helping lead it to a platform that now has 65 million users worldwide.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Adi Tartako and her husband started the home design and renovation website Houzz in 2009, they had no expectation that it would grow into a global business. In fact, Adi was a hesitant entrepreneur, preferring to foster Houzz as a lifestyle business and pushing back when experts told her it could grow into something much bigger. But as Houzz morphed into a go-to site for users to get ideas for home improvement and connect with industry professionals, Adi decided to go all-in. She walked away from a promising career in finance to become the CEO of Houzz, helping lead it to a platform that now has 65 million users worldwide. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4860 no HIBT Lab! Burn Rate: Andy Dunn From the outside, it seemed like Andy Dunn was living the dream. His menswear company, Bonobos, was acquired by Walmart for $310 million in 2017 — the same year he married the love of his life, Manuela. Of course, Andy’s entrepreneurial journey wasn’t without its challenges. Under the surface were much darker struggles that he largely kept hidden… This week on How I Built This Lab, Andy returns to the show to talk to Guy about his new book, Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind. In this radically honest memoir, Andy finally opens up about the struggle with bipolar disorder that nearly cost him everything.&nbsp; Check out Andy’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Rate-Launching-Startup-Losing/dp/0593238265&nbsp; Listen to Andy’s How I Built This interview from 2019 here: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/3d149444-4cf7-4fc3-a874-e711bdd1cbdc/embed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 May 2022 07:00:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Burn Rate: Andy Dunn full 413 Guy Raz | Vox Media From the outside, it seemed like Andy Dunn was living the dream. His menswear company, Bonobos, was acquired by Walmart for $310 million in 2017 — the same year he married the love of his life, Manuela. Of course, Andy’s entrepreneurial journey wasn’t without its challenges. Under the surface were much darker struggles that he largely kept hidden…This week on How I Built This Lab, Andy returns to the show to talk to Guy about his new book, Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind. In this radically honest memoir, Andy finally opens up about the struggle with bipolar disorder that nearly cost him everything. Check out Andy’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Rate-Launching-Startup-Losing/dp/0593238265 Listen to Andy’s How I Built This interview from 2019 here: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/3d149444-4cf7-4fc3-a874-e711bdd1cbdc/embed From the outside, it seemed like Andy Dunn was living the dream. His menswear company, Bonobos, was acquired by Walmart for $310 million in 2017 — the same year he married the love of his life, Manuela. Of course, Andy’s entrepreneurial journey wasn’t without its challenges. Under the surface were much darker struggles that he largely kept hidden… This week on How I Built This Lab, Andy returns to the show to talk to Guy about his new book, Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind. In this radically honest memoir, Andy finally opens up about the struggle with bipolar disorder that nearly cost him everything.&nbsp; Check out Andy’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Rate-Launching-Startup-Losing/dp/0593238265&nbsp; Listen to Andy’s How I Built This interview from 2019 here: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/3d149444-4cf7-4fc3-a874-e711bdd1cbdc/embed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices From the outside, it seemed like Andy Dunn was living the dream. His menswear company, Bonobos, was acquired by Walmart for $310 million in 2017 — the same year he married the love of his life, Manuela. Of course, Andy’s entrepreneurial journey wasn’t without its challenges. Under the surface were much darker struggles that he largely kept hidden…

This week on How I Built This Lab, Andy returns to the show to talk to Guy about his new book, Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind. In this radically honest memoir, Andy finally opens up about the struggle with bipolar disorder that nearly cost him everything. 

Check out Andy’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Rate-Launching-Startup-Losing/dp/0593238265 

Listen to Andy’s How I Built This interview from 2019 here: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/3d149444-4cf7-4fc3-a874-e711bdd1cbdc/embed

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2451 no Nature’s Path: Arran and Ratana Stephens Starting a business with your spouse can either bring you closer together or tear you apart. For Arran and Ratana Stephens, their business has lasted for nearly 40 years, and their marriage has thrived for much longer.&nbsp;As business partners, they seem perfectly matched: he’s the hard-charging visionary, she’s the practical, business-minded one who sometimes has to talk him out of a bad decision.&nbsp;But in 1985, Arran made a very smart move: seeing how organic food was starting to take off, he mixed up his first batch of Manna bread in a bathtub and started selling it, eventually expanding to national distribution.&nbsp;From there, he and Ratana pivoted to breakfast cereal,&nbsp;initially purchasing a factory that couldn’t make a single cornflake.&nbsp;Today, Nature’s Path sells organic cereals, tortilla chips and other snacks in more than 50 countries around the world.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 May 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Nature’s Path: Arran and Ratana Stephens full 412 Guy Raz | Vox Media Starting a business with your spouse can either bring you closer together or tear you apart. For Arran and Ratana Stephens, their business has lasted for nearly 40 years, and their marriage has thrived for much longer. As business partners, they seem perfectly matched: he’s the hard-charging visionary, she’s the practical, business-minded one who sometimes has to talk him out of a bad decision. But in 1985, Arran made a very smart move: seeing how organic food was starting to take off, he mixed up his first batch of Manna bread in a bathtub and started selling it, eventually expanding to national distribution. From there, he and Ratana pivoted to breakfast cereal, initially purchasing a factory that couldn’t make a single cornflake. Today, Nature’s Path sells organic cereals, tortilla chips and other snacks in more than 50 countries around the world.  Starting a business with your spouse can either bring you closer together or tear you apart. For Arran and Ratana Stephens, their business has lasted for nearly 40 years, and their marriage has thrived for much longer.&nbsp;As business partners, they seem perfectly matched: he’s the hard-charging visionary, she’s the practical, business-minded one who sometimes has to talk him out of a bad decision.&nbsp;But in 1985, Arran made a very smart move: seeing how organic food was starting to take off, he mixed up his first batch of Manna bread in a bathtub and started selling it, eventually expanding to national distribution.&nbsp;From there, he and Ratana pivoted to breakfast cereal,&nbsp;initially purchasing a factory that couldn’t make a single cornflake.&nbsp;Today, Nature’s Path sells organic cereals, tortilla chips and other snacks in more than 50 countries around the world.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Starting a business with your spouse can either bring you closer together or tear you apart. For Arran and Ratana Stephens, their business has lasted for nearly 40 years, and their marriage has thrived for much longer. As business partners, they seem perfectly matched: he’s the hard-charging visionary, she’s the practical, business-minded one who sometimes has to talk him out of a bad decision. But in 1985, Arran made a very smart move: seeing how organic food was starting to take off, he mixed up his first batch of Manna bread in a bathtub and started selling it, eventually expanding to national distribution. From there, he and Ratana pivoted to breakfast cereal, initially purchasing a factory that couldn’t make a single cornflake. Today, Nature’s Path sells organic cereals, tortilla chips and other snacks in more than 50 countries around the world. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4897 no HIBT Lab! Stolen Focus: Johann Hari Like so many of us, author Johann Hari noticed that the more time he spent looking at screens and switching from device to device, the harder it became for him to concentrate and achieve his goals. After talking to more than 200 doctors, researchers, and neuroscientists around the world, Johann came to a sobering conclusion: the human race is in the middle of an attention crisis. He examines this societal challenge in his new book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again. This week on How I Built This Lab, Johann and Guy discuss the factors chipping away at our ability to focus, and what we can do to reclaim our attention. They also talk about flow states – how we get into them, and why everyone in the business world should be working to achieve them.&nbsp; Check out Johann’s book here: https://amzn.to/3L3wsMC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 May 2022 07:00:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Stolen Focus: Johann Hari full 411 Guy Raz | Vox Media Like so many of us, author Johann Hari noticed that the more time he spent looking at screens and switching from device to device, the harder it became for him to concentrate and achieve his goals. After talking to more than 200 doctors, researchers, and neuroscientists around the world, Johann came to a sobering conclusion: the human race is in the middle of an attention crisis. He examines this societal challenge in his new book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again.This week on How I Built This Lab, Johann and Guy discuss the factors chipping away at our ability to focus, and what we can do to reclaim our attention. They also talk about flow states – how we get into them, and why everyone in the business world should be working to achieve them. Check out Johann’s book here: https://amzn.to/3L3wsMC Like so many of us, author Johann Hari noticed that the more time he spent looking at screens and switching from device to device, the harder it became for him to concentrate and achieve his goals. After talking to more than 200 doctors, researchers, and neuroscientists around the world, Johann came to a sobering conclusion: the human race is in the middle of an attention crisis. He examines this societal challenge in his new book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again. This week on How I Built This Lab, Johann and Guy discuss the factors chipping away at our ability to focus, and what we can do to reclaim our attention. They also talk about flow states – how we get into them, and why everyone in the business world should be working to achieve them.&nbsp; Check out Johann’s book here: https://amzn.to/3L3wsMC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Like so many of us, author Johann Hari noticed that the more time he spent looking at screens and switching from device to device, the harder it became for him to concentrate and achieve his goals. After talking to more than 200 doctors, researchers, and neuroscientists around the world, Johann came to a sobering conclusion: the human race is in the middle of an attention crisis. He examines this societal challenge in his new book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Johann and Guy discuss the factors chipping away at our ability to focus, and what we can do to reclaim our attention. They also talk about flow states – how we get into them, and why everyone in the business world should be working to achieve them. 

Check out Johann’s book here: https://amzn.to/3L3wsMC

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2021 no HIBT Lab! UNLESS Collective: Eric Liedtke Eric Liedtke spent 26 years at Adidas, working his way up from an entry level position to Executive Board Member and Global Brand President. During that time, he helped revitalize the Adidas brand through high profile partnerships with celebrities like Kanye West and Beyonce. But he was also known for his focus on sustainability. It was Eric who pushed Adidas to commit to using only 100% recycled polyester in its clothing by 2024.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Eric joins Guy to talk about the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Eric shares why he left Adidas and started his own apparel brand, UNLESS Collective, which makes 100% plant-based, biodegradable clothing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 May 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! UNLESS Collective: Eric Liedtke full 410 Guy Raz | Vox Media Eric Liedtke spent 26 years at Adidas, working his way up from an entry level position to Executive Board Member and Global Brand President. During that time, he helped revitalize the Adidas brand through high profile partnerships with celebrities like Kanye West and Beyonce. But he was also known for his focus on sustainability. It was Eric who pushed Adidas to commit to using only 100% recycled polyester in its clothing by 2024. This week on How I Built This Lab, Eric joins Guy to talk about the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Eric shares why he left Adidas and started his own apparel brand, UNLESS Collective, which makes 100% plant-based, biodegradable clothing. Eric Liedtke spent 26 years at Adidas, working his way up from an entry level position to Executive Board Member and Global Brand President. During that time, he helped revitalize the Adidas brand through high profile partnerships with celebrities like Kanye West and Beyonce. But he was also known for his focus on sustainability. It was Eric who pushed Adidas to commit to using only 100% recycled polyester in its clothing by 2024.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Eric joins Guy to talk about the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Eric shares why he left Adidas and started his own apparel brand, UNLESS Collective, which makes 100% plant-based, biodegradable clothing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Eric Liedtke spent 26 years at Adidas, working his way up from an entry level position to Executive Board Member and Global Brand President. During that time, he helped revitalize the Adidas brand through high profile partnerships with celebrities like Kanye West and Beyonce. But he was also known for his focus on sustainability. It was Eric who pushed Adidas to commit to using only 100% recycled polyester in its clothing by 2024. 


This week on How I Built This Lab, Eric joins Guy to talk about the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Eric shares why he left Adidas and started his own apparel brand, UNLESS Collective, which makes 100% plant-based, biodegradable clothing.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1931 no HIBT Lab! ClassPass: Payal Kadakia When Payal Kadakia first appeared on How I Built This in June of 2020, the future of ClassPass, a subscription service for in-person exercise classes, seemed very uncertain. The pandemic had shuttered gyms and fitness studios across the world, and ClassPass was relying on virtual events and wellness offerings in order to stay afloat.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Payal returns to talk with Guy about leading ClassPass through the worst of the pandemic and eventually selling the company to Mindbody in October 2021. Plus, Payal discusses her unique method of goal setting and her new book, LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential. Listen to Payal's original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/255b6c6c-98cf-48d5-be94-2bb9a81269fd/embed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 May 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! ClassPass: Payal Kadakia full 409 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Payal Kadakia first appeared on How I Built This in June of 2020, the future of ClassPass, a subscription service for in-person exercise classes, seemed very uncertain. The pandemic had shuttered gyms and fitness studios across the world, and ClassPass was relying on virtual events and wellness offerings in order to stay afloat. This week on How I Built This Lab, Payal returns to talk with Guy about leading ClassPass through the worst of the pandemic and eventually selling the company to Mindbody in October 2021. Plus, Payal discusses her unique method of goal setting and her new book, LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential.Listen to Payal's original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/255b6c6c-98cf-48d5-be94-2bb9a81269fd/embed When Payal Kadakia first appeared on How I Built This in June of 2020, the future of ClassPass, a subscription service for in-person exercise classes, seemed very uncertain. The pandemic had shuttered gyms and fitness studios across the world, and ClassPass was relying on virtual events and wellness offerings in order to stay afloat.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Payal returns to talk with Guy about leading ClassPass through the worst of the pandemic and eventually selling the company to Mindbody in October 2021. Plus, Payal discusses her unique method of goal setting and her new book, LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential. Listen to Payal's original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/255b6c6c-98cf-48d5-be94-2bb9a81269fd/embed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Payal Kadakia first appeared on How I Built This in June of 2020, the future of ClassPass, a subscription service for in-person exercise classes, seemed very uncertain. The pandemic had shuttered gyms and fitness studios across the world, and ClassPass was relying on virtual events and wellness offerings in order to stay afloat. 


This week on How I Built This Lab, Payal returns to talk with Guy about leading ClassPass through the worst of the pandemic and eventually selling the company to Mindbody in October 2021. Plus, Payal discusses her unique method of goal setting and her new book, LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential.


Listen to Payal's original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/255b6c6c-98cf-48d5-be94-2bb9a81269fd/embed

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2130 no PODS & Red Rover: Pete Warhurst Pete Warhurst probably would not have picked “entrepreneur” as a career when he was growing up.&nbsp;He loved his job as a firefighter and paramedic and might have done it for life, had a colleague not recruited him to help launch a company to build 911 call systems. After that business sold,&nbsp;Pete began to think about new problems to solve – like a better way to move and store our stuff.&nbsp;In 1998, he began disrupting the self-storage industry with PODS, a system that brings storage containers to the consumer, then transfers them to a warehouse. The business quickly spread from Clearwater, Florida to franchises across the country, eventually selling for about $450 million.&nbsp;But Pete still thought there was a better way to schlep your stuff to a storage facility, so he launched yet another business—Red Rover—that now competes with PODS.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 May 2022 07:10:00 -0000 PODS & Red Rover: Pete Warhurst full 408 Guy Raz | Vox Media Pete Warhurst probably would not have picked “entrepreneur” as a career when he was growing up. He loved his job as a firefighter and paramedic and might have done it for life, had a colleague not recruited him to help launch a company to build 911 call systems. After that business sold, Pete began to think about new problems to solve – like a better way to move and store our stuff. In 1998, he began disrupting the self-storage industry with PODS, a system that brings storage containers to the consumer, then transfers them to a warehouse. The business quickly spread from Clearwater, Florida to franchises across the country, eventually selling for about $450 million. But Pete still thought there was a better way to schlep your stuff to a storage facility, so he launched yet another business—Red Rover—that now competes with PODS.  Pete Warhurst probably would not have picked “entrepreneur” as a career when he was growing up.&nbsp;He loved his job as a firefighter and paramedic and might have done it for life, had a colleague not recruited him to help launch a company to build 911 call systems. After that business sold,&nbsp;Pete began to think about new problems to solve – like a better way to move and store our stuff.&nbsp;In 1998, he began disrupting the self-storage industry with PODS, a system that brings storage containers to the consumer, then transfers them to a warehouse. The business quickly spread from Clearwater, Florida to franchises across the country, eventually selling for about $450 million.&nbsp;But Pete still thought there was a better way to schlep your stuff to a storage facility, so he launched yet another business—Red Rover—that now competes with PODS.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Pete Warhurst probably would not have picked “entrepreneur” as a career when he was growing up. He loved his job as a firefighter and paramedic and might have done it for life, had a colleague not recruited him to help launch a company to build 911 call systems. After that business sold, Pete began to think about new problems to solve – like a better way to move and store our stuff. In 1998, he began disrupting the self-storage industry with PODS, a system that brings storage containers to the consumer, then transfers them to a warehouse. The business quickly spread from Clearwater, Florida to franchises across the country, eventually selling for about $450 million. But Pete still thought there was a better way to schlep your stuff to a storage facility, so he launched yet another business—Red Rover—that now competes with PODS. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5039 no HIBT Lab! Blogilates: Cassey Ho Cassey Ho is the face of Blogilates, best known for its free online workout videos which have more than a billion views on YouTube alone. As impressive as that is, digital content is just one part of Cassey’s multi-million dollar entrepreneurial portfolio, which has grown to include her POPFLEX apparel brand, additional product lines at Target, a Pilates certification program and more.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, hear about the risks Cassey took to defy cultural expectations in pursuit of a more fulfilling – and in some ways, forbidden – career, along with her perspective on what it takes to grow a business in the creator economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Blogilates: Cassey Ho full 407 Guy Raz | Vox Media Cassey Ho is the face of Blogilates, best known for its free online workout videos which have more than a billion views on YouTube alone. As impressive as that is, digital content is just one part of Cassey’s multi-million dollar entrepreneurial portfolio, which has grown to include her POPFLEX apparel brand, additional product lines at Target, a Pilates certification program and more. This week on How I Built This Lab, hear about the risks Cassey took to defy cultural expectations in pursuit of a more fulfilling – and in some ways, forbidden – career, along with her perspective on what it takes to grow a business in the creator economy. Cassey Ho is the face of Blogilates, best known for its free online workout videos which have more than a billion views on YouTube alone. As impressive as that is, digital content is just one part of Cassey’s multi-million dollar entrepreneurial portfolio, which has grown to include her POPFLEX apparel brand, additional product lines at Target, a Pilates certification program and more.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, hear about the risks Cassey took to defy cultural expectations in pursuit of a more fulfilling – and in some ways, forbidden – career, along with her perspective on what it takes to grow a business in the creator economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Cassey Ho is the face of Blogilates, best known for its free online workout videos which have more than a billion views on YouTube alone. As impressive as that is, digital content is just one part of Cassey’s multi-million dollar entrepreneurial portfolio, which has grown to include her POPFLEX apparel brand, additional product lines at Target, a Pilates certification program and more. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, hear about the risks Cassey took to defy cultural expectations in pursuit of a more fulfilling – and in some ways, forbidden – career, along with her perspective on what it takes to grow a business in the creator economy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2284 no Strava: Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath were two friends from college with a good idea and bad timing: in 1995, they set out to create a digital community where athletes could chart their progress and actively compete with one another.&nbsp;But it was just too early: software engineers said it couldn't be built, and investors didn't want to take the risk.&nbsp;So the two founders wound up launching an entirely unrelated business, one that was so perfectly timed that it led to a successful IPO a few years later.&nbsp;Still, Michael and Mark couldn't shake their original idea, and in 2008, they launched a website where cyclists could map and monitor their rides, and compete with riders across the country. The prototype was clunky—Mark jokes that "we wanted to make it as hard to use as possible"—but the timing was perfect, and&nbsp;Strava was born. Today, it’s a mobile app used by 100 million athletes in nearly 200 countries around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Strava: Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath full 406 Guy Raz | Vox Media Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath were two friends from college with a good idea and bad timing: in 1995, they set out to create a digital community where athletes could chart their progress and actively compete with one another. But it was just too early: software engineers said it couldn't be built, and investors didn't want to take the risk. So the two founders wound up launching an entirely unrelated business, one that was so perfectly timed that it led to a successful IPO a few years later. Still, Michael and Mark couldn't shake their original idea, and in 2008, they launched a website where cyclists could map and monitor their rides, and compete with riders across the country. The prototype was clunky—Mark jokes that "we wanted to make it as hard to use as possible"—but the timing was perfect, and Strava was born. Today, it’s a mobile app used by 100 million athletes in nearly 200 countries around the world.    Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath were two friends from college with a good idea and bad timing: in 1995, they set out to create a digital community where athletes could chart their progress and actively compete with one another.&nbsp;But it was just too early: software engineers said it couldn't be built, and investors didn't want to take the risk.&nbsp;So the two founders wound up launching an entirely unrelated business, one that was so perfectly timed that it led to a successful IPO a few years later.&nbsp;Still, Michael and Mark couldn't shake their original idea, and in 2008, they launched a website where cyclists could map and monitor their rides, and compete with riders across the country. The prototype was clunky—Mark jokes that "we wanted to make it as hard to use as possible"—but the timing was perfect, and&nbsp;Strava was born. Today, it’s a mobile app used by 100 million athletes in nearly 200 countries around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath were two friends from college with a good idea and bad timing: in 1995, they set out to create a digital community where athletes could chart their progress and actively compete with one another. But it was just too early: software engineers said it couldn't be built, and investors didn't want to take the risk. So the two founders wound up launching an entirely unrelated business, one that was so perfectly timed that it led to a successful IPO a few years later. Still, Michael and Mark couldn't shake their original idea, and in 2008, they launched a website where cyclists could map and monitor their rides, and compete with riders across the country. The prototype was clunky—Mark jokes that "we wanted to make it as hard to use as possible"—but the timing was perfect, and Strava was born. Today, it’s a mobile app used by 100 million athletes in nearly 200 countries around the world.   

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5032 no HIBT Lab! Armbrust American: Lloyd Armbrust Lloyd Armbrust spent the bulk of his career in newspaper operations and advertising...until early 2020 when he started hearing about the spread of a dangerous new virus and a critical shortage of surgical masks. Most masks at the time were made in Asia, and when supply chains started to break down that March, many Americans had a really hard time finding them.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Lloyd walks us through the whirlwind journey of launching a mask manufacturing business at the height of the pandemic, along with some of the factors that hold us back from producing more goods within the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Armbrust American: Lloyd Armbrust full 405 Guy Raz | Vox Media Lloyd Armbrust spent the bulk of his career in newspaper operations and advertising...until early 2020 when he started hearing about the spread of a dangerous new virus and a critical shortage of surgical masks. Most masks at the time were made in Asia, and when supply chains started to break down that March, many Americans had a really hard time finding them. This week on How I Built This Lab, Lloyd walks us through the whirlwind journey of launching a mask manufacturing business at the height of the pandemic, along with some of the factors that hold us back from producing more goods within the United States. Lloyd Armbrust spent the bulk of his career in newspaper operations and advertising...until early 2020 when he started hearing about the spread of a dangerous new virus and a critical shortage of surgical masks. Most masks at the time were made in Asia, and when supply chains started to break down that March, many Americans had a really hard time finding them.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Lloyd walks us through the whirlwind journey of launching a mask manufacturing business at the height of the pandemic, along with some of the factors that hold us back from producing more goods within the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Lloyd Armbrust spent the bulk of his career in newspaper operations and advertising...until early 2020 when he started hearing about the spread of a dangerous new virus and a critical shortage of surgical masks. Most masks at the time were made in Asia, and when supply chains started to break down that March, many Americans had a really hard time finding them. 

This week on How I Built This Lab, Lloyd walks us through the whirlwind journey of launching a mask manufacturing business at the height of the pandemic, along with some of the factors that hold us back from producing more goods within the United States.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2096 no Raising Cane's: Todd Graves By his early 20s, Todd Graves knew exactly what he wanted to do—open a restaurant near Louisiana State University that would make four things better than anyone else: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. After he and his partner Craig Silvey got rejected from every bank in Baton Rouge, Todd set out to fund his dream by working two treacherous jobs; first at an oil refinery and then on an Alaskan fishing boat. With roughly $150,000, he remodeled an old bike shop and opened his first restaurant in 1996. As word spread, Todd began building more restaurants, fueling the expansion on a rickety system of loans, and dreaming of making Cane’s as ubiquitous as McDonald's. Over the years, he has retained ownership of the business and watched it grow to over 600 stores, with 3 billion dollars in sales projected this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Raising Cane's: Todd Graves full 404 Guy Raz | Vox Media By his early 20s, Todd Graves knew exactly what he wanted to do—open a restaurant near Louisiana State University that would make four things better than anyone else: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. After he and his partner Craig Silvey got rejected from every bank in Baton Rouge, Todd set out to fund his dream by working two treacherous jobs; first at an oil refinery and then on an Alaskan fishing boat. With roughly $150,000, he remodeled an old bike shop and opened his first restaurant in 1996. As word spread, Todd began building more restaurants, fueling the expansion on a rickety system of loans, and dreaming of making Cane’s as ubiquitous as McDonald's. Over the years, he has retained ownership of the business and watched it grow to over 600 stores, with 3 billion dollars in sales projected this year. By his early 20s, Todd Graves knew exactly what he wanted to do—open a restaurant near Louisiana State University that would make four things better than anyone else: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. After he and his partner Craig Silvey got rejected from every bank in Baton Rouge, Todd set out to fund his dream by working two treacherous jobs; first at an oil refinery and then on an Alaskan fishing boat. With roughly $150,000, he remodeled an old bike shop and opened his first restaurant in 1996. As word spread, Todd began building more restaurants, fueling the expansion on a rickety system of loans, and dreaming of making Cane’s as ubiquitous as McDonald's. Over the years, he has retained ownership of the business and watched it grow to over 600 stores, with 3 billion dollars in sales projected this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices By his early 20s, Todd Graves knew exactly what he wanted to do—open a restaurant near Louisiana State University that would make four things better than anyone else: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and coleslaw. After he and his partner Craig Silvey got rejected from every bank in Baton Rouge, Todd set out to fund his dream by working two treacherous jobs; first at an oil refinery and then on an Alaskan fishing boat. With roughly $150,000, he remodeled an old bike shop and opened his first restaurant in 1996. As word spread, Todd began building more restaurants, fueling the expansion on a rickety system of loans, and dreaming of making Cane’s as ubiquitous as McDonald's. Over the years, he has retained ownership of the business and watched it grow to over 600 stores, with 3 billion dollars in sales projected this year.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5143 no HIBT Lab! WeWork: Miguel McKelvey When Miguel McKelvey was first featured on How I Built This in 2017, his company was growing at an astounding rate. WeWork was considered the unicorn of unicorns. But after reaching a $47 billion valuation in 2019, WeWork’s tide began to turn. Investors raised concerns about the company’s rapid expansion and unsustainable spending. Miguel’s co-founder Adam Neuman faced accusations of mismanagement and was forced to resign. The company withdrew a long-anticipated IPO filing, and not long after, Miguel left the company he had worked so hard to build. Since then, the cautionary tale of WeWork has become a bit of a cultural obsession, retold on podcasts, a Hulu documentary, and even an Apple TV series this year.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Miguel McKelvey returns to reflect on his experience at WeWork, the lessons he’s learned, and what he’s working on now.&nbsp; Listen to Miguel’s original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/8a630004-341b-435d-a6c2-ef2ef94ca573/embed Listen to the WeCrashed podcast from Wondery: https://wondery.com/shows/we-crashed/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! WeWork: Miguel McKelvey full 403 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Miguel McKelvey was first featured on How I Built This in 2017, his company was growing at an astounding rate. WeWork was considered the unicorn of unicorns. But after reaching a $47 billion valuation in 2019, WeWork’s tide began to turn. Investors raised concerns about the company’s rapid expansion and unsustainable spending. Miguel’s co-founder Adam Neuman faced accusations of mismanagement and was forced to resign. The company withdrew a long-anticipated IPO filing, and not long after, Miguel left the company he had worked so hard to build.Since then, the cautionary tale of WeWork has become a bit of a cultural obsession, retold on podcasts, a Hulu documentary, and even an Apple TV series this year. This week on How I Built This Lab, Miguel McKelvey returns to reflect on his experience at WeWork, the lessons he’s learned, and what he’s working on now. Listen to Miguel’s original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/8a630004-341b-435d-a6c2-ef2ef94ca573/embedListen to the WeCrashed podcast from Wondery: https://wondery.com/shows/we-crashed/ When Miguel McKelvey was first featured on How I Built This in 2017, his company was growing at an astounding rate. WeWork was considered the unicorn of unicorns. But after reaching a $47 billion valuation in 2019, WeWork’s tide began to turn. Investors raised concerns about the company’s rapid expansion and unsustainable spending. Miguel’s co-founder Adam Neuman faced accusations of mismanagement and was forced to resign. The company withdrew a long-anticipated IPO filing, and not long after, Miguel left the company he had worked so hard to build. Since then, the cautionary tale of WeWork has become a bit of a cultural obsession, retold on podcasts, a Hulu documentary, and even an Apple TV series this year.&nbsp; This week on How I Built This Lab, Miguel McKelvey returns to reflect on his experience at WeWork, the lessons he’s learned, and what he’s working on now.&nbsp; Listen to Miguel’s original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/8a630004-341b-435d-a6c2-ef2ef94ca573/embed Listen to the WeCrashed podcast from Wondery: https://wondery.com/shows/we-crashed/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Miguel McKelvey was first featured on How I Built This in 2017, his company was growing at an astounding rate. WeWork was considered the unicorn of unicorns. But after reaching a $47 billion valuation in 2019, WeWork’s tide began to turn. Investors raised concerns about the company’s rapid expansion and unsustainable spending. Miguel’s co-founder Adam Neuman faced accusations of mismanagement and was forced to resign. The company withdrew a long-anticipated IPO filing, and not long after, Miguel left the company he had worked so hard to build.


Since then, the cautionary tale of WeWork has become a bit of a cultural obsession, retold on podcasts, a Hulu documentary, and even an Apple TV series this year. 


This week on How I Built This Lab, Miguel McKelvey returns to reflect on his experience at WeWork, the lessons he’s learned, and what he’s working on now. 


Listen to Miguel’s original How I Built This episode: https://art19.com/shows/831bd173-0992-41b7-b1eb-112db904d947/episodes/8a630004-341b-435d-a6c2-ef2ef94ca573/embed

Listen to the WeCrashed podcast from Wondery: https://wondery.com/shows/we-crashed/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1983 no Zola: Shan-Lyn Ma In a way, Shan-Lyn Ma started attending business school when she was 11 years old and hasn't stopped since. She was hooked on entrepreneurship after winning her first business competition in grade school; and a few years later, she began accumulating lessons from the successes and failures she observed while working at Yahoo and other young companies. In 2013, she and a former colleague applied many of those lessons to their own startup: an online registry designed to make wedding planning easier and more personal. Still, Shan had a lot more to learn—starting with how to convince dubious investors that the world needed another wedding registry. Today, despite the gut-punch of COVID, Zola has grown into a robust wedding-planning platform, valued at $600 million in 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Zola: Shan-Lyn Ma full 402 Guy Raz | Vox Media In a way, Shan-Lyn Ma started attending business school when she was 11 years old and hasn't stopped since. She was hooked on entrepreneurship after winning her first business competition in grade school; and a few years later, she began accumulating lessons from the successes and failures she observed while working at Yahoo and other young companies. In 2013, she and a former colleague applied many of those lessons to their own startup: an online registry designed to make wedding planning easier and more personal. Still, Shan had a lot more to learn—starting with how to convince dubious investors that the world needed another wedding registry. Today, despite the gut-punch of COVID, Zola has grown into a robust wedding-planning platform, valued at $600 million in 2018. In a way, Shan-Lyn Ma started attending business school when she was 11 years old and hasn't stopped since. She was hooked on entrepreneurship after winning her first business competition in grade school; and a few years later, she began accumulating lessons from the successes and failures she observed while working at Yahoo and other young companies. In 2013, she and a former colleague applied many of those lessons to their own startup: an online registry designed to make wedding planning easier and more personal. Still, Shan had a lot more to learn—starting with how to convince dubious investors that the world needed another wedding registry. Today, despite the gut-punch of COVID, Zola has grown into a robust wedding-planning platform, valued at $600 million in 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices In a way, Shan-Lyn Ma started attending business school when she was 11 years old and hasn't stopped since. She was hooked on entrepreneurship after winning her first business competition in grade school; and a few years later, she began accumulating lessons from the successes and failures she observed while working at Yahoo and other young companies. In 2013, she and a former colleague applied many of those lessons to their own startup: an online registry designed to make wedding planning easier and more personal. Still, Shan had a lot more to learn—starting with how to convince dubious investors that the world needed another wedding registry. Today, despite the gut-punch of COVID, Zola has grown into a robust wedding-planning platform, valued at $600 million in 2018.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4483 no HIBT Lab! Colin and Samir: Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry Introducing: How I Built This Lab, a sandbox where we explore all kinds of ideas around entrepreneurship.&nbsp; For our very first episode of How I Built This Lab, Guy sits down with Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, or better known as YouTubers Colin and Samir—a pair of creators who create content for other creators. (We know, pretty meta.) The creator economy barely existed a decade ago, but has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry with a massive global reach. Colin and Samir discuss their 10-year business journey, and share insights on how to break into this rapidly-growing industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0000 HIBT Lab! Colin and Samir: Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry full 401 Guy Raz | Vox Media Introducing: How I Built This Lab, a sandbox where we explore all kinds of ideas around entrepreneurship. For our very first episode of How I Built This Lab, Guy sits down with Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, or better known as YouTubers Colin and Samir—a pair of creators who create content for other creators. (We know, pretty meta.) The creator economy barely existed a decade ago, but has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry with a massive global reach. Colin and Samir discuss their 10-year business journey, and share insights on how to break into this rapidly-growing industry. Introducing: How I Built This Lab, a sandbox where we explore all kinds of ideas around entrepreneurship.&nbsp; For our very first episode of How I Built This Lab, Guy sits down with Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, or better known as YouTubers Colin and Samir—a pair of creators who create content for other creators. (We know, pretty meta.) The creator economy barely existed a decade ago, but has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry with a massive global reach. Colin and Samir discuss their 10-year business journey, and share insights on how to break into this rapidly-growing industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Introducing: How I Built This Lab, a sandbox where we explore all kinds of ideas around entrepreneurship. 

For our very first episode of How I Built This Lab, Guy sits down with Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, or better known as YouTubers Colin and Samir—a pair of creators who create content for other creators. (We know, pretty meta.) The creator economy barely existed a decade ago, but has quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry with a massive global reach. Colin and Samir discuss their 10-year business journey, and share insights on how to break into this rapidly-growing industry.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2481 no Florentine Films: Ken Burns As a boy, Ken Burns was captivated by the power of film and dreamed of being the next Alfred Hitchcock or John Ford. But in college, he discovered that stories about American history could be just as dramatic as any he could make up. Eventually, he set out to make a new kind of documentary, layered with actors’ voices and sound effects; and animated by a gentle panning motion that became known as the Ken Burns Effect. But he also had to run a business: knocking on doors to raise money, managing a small team of producers, and fiercely protecting his creative vision and IP. Today, 40+ years after it was founded, Ken’s company Florentine Films has built one of the most valuable documentary archives in the world, including The Civil War, Jazz, Baseball, The Statue of Liberty, and most recently, Benjamin Franklin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Apr 2022 07:15:00 -0000 Florentine Films: Ken Burns full 400 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a boy, Ken Burns was captivated by the power of film and dreamed of being the next Alfred Hitchcock or John Ford. But in college, he discovered that stories about American history could be just as dramatic as any he could make up. Eventually, he set out to make a new kind of documentary, layered with actors’ voices and sound effects; and animated by a gentle panning motion that became known as the Ken Burns Effect. But he also had to run a business: knocking on doors to raise money, managing a small team of producers, and fiercely protecting his creative vision and IP. Today, 40+ years after it was founded, Ken’s company Florentine Films has built one of the most valuable documentary archives in the world, including The Civil War, Jazz, Baseball, The Statue of Liberty, and most recently, Benjamin Franklin. As a boy, Ken Burns was captivated by the power of film and dreamed of being the next Alfred Hitchcock or John Ford. But in college, he discovered that stories about American history could be just as dramatic as any he could make up. Eventually, he set out to make a new kind of documentary, layered with actors’ voices and sound effects; and animated by a gentle panning motion that became known as the Ken Burns Effect. But he also had to run a business: knocking on doors to raise money, managing a small team of producers, and fiercely protecting his creative vision and IP. Today, 40+ years after it was founded, Ken’s company Florentine Films has built one of the most valuable documentary archives in the world, including The Civil War, Jazz, Baseball, The Statue of Liberty, and most recently, Benjamin Franklin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices As a boy, Ken Burns was captivated by the power of film and dreamed of being the next Alfred Hitchcock or John Ford. But in college, he discovered that stories about American history could be just as dramatic as any he could make up. Eventually, he set out to make a new kind of documentary, layered with actors’ voices and sound effects; and animated by a gentle panning motion that became known as the Ken Burns Effect. But he also had to run a business: knocking on doors to raise money, managing a small team of producers, and fiercely protecting his creative vision and IP. Today, 40+ years after it was founded, Ken’s company Florentine Films has built one of the most valuable documentary archives in the world, including The Civil War, Jazz, Baseball, The Statue of Liberty, and most recently, Benjamin Franklin.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4902 no Bonobos: Andy Dunn (2019) When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' signature flair and innovative e-commerce experience. But within a few years, Andy hit challenging roadblocks, including a struggle with depression and a falling-out with his co-founder and friend. Despite many moments of crisis, Andy steered Bonobos to massive success, and in 2017, it was acquired by Walmart for a reported $310 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Bonobos: Andy Dunn (2019) full 399 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' signature flair and innovative e-commerce experience. But within a few years, Andy hit challenging roadblocks, including a struggle with depression and a falling-out with his co-founder and friend. Despite many moments of crisis, Andy steered Bonobos to massive success, and in 2017, it was acquired by Walmart for a reported $310 million. When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' signature flair and innovative e-commerce experience. But within a few years, Andy hit challenging roadblocks, including a struggle with depression and a falling-out with his co-founder and friend. Despite many moments of crisis, Andy steered Bonobos to massive success, and in 2017, it was acquired by Walmart for a reported $310 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' signature flair and innovative e-commerce experience. But within a few years, Andy hit challenging roadblocks, including a struggle with depression and a falling-out with his co-founder and friend. Despite many moments of crisis, Andy steered Bonobos to massive success, and in 2017, it was acquired by Walmart for a reported $310 million.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4289 no Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home Furnishings: Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams After working in the furniture and home goods industry for over a decade, Mitchell Gold took a risky bet and decided to start his own furniture company. In 1989, he went into business with his romantic partner, Bob Williams, who had been working in advertising as a graphic designer. They contracted with a furniture factory near their home in Taylorsville, North Carolina, and launched a line of boldly-patterned upholstered dining chairs and eclectic dining tables, leveraging Bob’s design skills and Mitchell’s industry experience. Roughly thirty years later, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is a multi-million dollar brand with hundreds of employees, which sells a full range of home furnishings at retail locations nationwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Mar 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home Furnishings: Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams full 398 Guy Raz | Vox Media After working in the furniture and home goods industry for over a decade, Mitchell Gold took a risky bet and decided to start his own furniture company. In 1989, he went into business with his romantic partner, Bob Williams, who had been working in advertising as a graphic designer. They contracted with a furniture factory near their home in Taylorsville, North Carolina, and launched a line of boldly-patterned upholstered dining chairs and eclectic dining tables, leveraging Bob’s design skills and Mitchell’s industry experience. Roughly thirty years later, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is a multi-million dollar brand with hundreds of employees, which sells a full range of home furnishings at retail locations nationwide. After working in the furniture and home goods industry for over a decade, Mitchell Gold took a risky bet and decided to start his own furniture company. In 1989, he went into business with his romantic partner, Bob Williams, who had been working in advertising as a graphic designer. They contracted with a furniture factory near their home in Taylorsville, North Carolina, and launched a line of boldly-patterned upholstered dining chairs and eclectic dining tables, leveraging Bob’s design skills and Mitchell’s industry experience. Roughly thirty years later, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is a multi-million dollar brand with hundreds of employees, which sells a full range of home furnishings at retail locations nationwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices After working in the furniture and home goods industry for over a decade, Mitchell Gold took a risky bet and decided to start his own furniture company. In 1989, he went into business with his romantic partner, Bob Williams, who had been working in advertising as a graphic designer. They contracted with a furniture factory near their home in Taylorsville, North Carolina, and launched a line of boldly-patterned upholstered dining chairs and eclectic dining tables, leveraging Bob’s design skills and Mitchell’s industry experience. Roughly thirty years later, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is a multi-million dollar brand with hundreds of employees, which sells a full range of home furnishings at retail locations nationwide.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4233 no WordPress & Automattic: Matt Mullenweg Matt Mullenweg turned his early passion for blogging into a flourishing business and an unshakeable idea: that users should be able to share and tweak the code that powers their&nbsp;websites, and that most of those tools should be free to use.&nbsp;As far back as college,&nbsp;Matt was collaborating with far-flung fellow-coders to make blogging less clunky and more elegant and intuitive. Around 2005, he pitched the idea for WordPress.com to his bosses at CNET, but they turned him down, so he launched the idea on his own, eventually tucking the service into a nascent umbrella company called Automattic.&nbsp;Today—after many twists and turns—the company has nearly 2000 employees and a valuation of&nbsp;$7 billion;&nbsp;and WordPress powers more than 40% of the websites on the internet.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Mar 2022 07:10:00 -0000 WordPress & Automattic: Matt Mullenweg full 397 Guy Raz | Vox Media Matt Mullenweg turned his early passion for blogging into a flourishing business and an unshakeable idea: that users should be able to share and tweak the code that powers their websites, and that most of those tools should be free to use. As far back as college, Matt was collaborating with far-flung fellow-coders to make blogging less clunky and more elegant and intuitive. Around 2005, he pitched the idea for WordPress.com to his bosses at CNET, but they turned him down, so he launched the idea on his own, eventually tucking the service into a nascent umbrella company called Automattic. Today—after many twists and turns—the company has nearly 2000 employees and a valuation of $7 billion; and WordPress powers more than 40% of the websites on the internet.  Matt Mullenweg turned his early passion for blogging into a flourishing business and an unshakeable idea: that users should be able to share and tweak the code that powers their&nbsp;websites, and that most of those tools should be free to use.&nbsp;As far back as college,&nbsp;Matt was collaborating with far-flung fellow-coders to make blogging less clunky and more elegant and intuitive. Around 2005, he pitched the idea for WordPress.com to his bosses at CNET, but they turned him down, so he launched the idea on his own, eventually tucking the service into a nascent umbrella company called Automattic.&nbsp;Today—after many twists and turns—the company has nearly 2000 employees and a valuation of&nbsp;$7 billion;&nbsp;and WordPress powers more than 40% of the websites on the internet.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Matt Mullenweg turned his early passion for blogging into a flourishing business and an unshakeable idea: that users should be able to share and tweak the code that powers their websites, and that most of those tools should be free to use. As far back as college, Matt was collaborating with far-flung fellow-coders to make blogging less clunky and more elegant and intuitive. Around 2005, he pitched the idea for WordPress.com to his bosses at CNET, but they turned him down, so he launched the idea on his own, eventually tucking the service into a nascent umbrella company called Automattic. Today—after many twists and turns—the company has nearly 2000 employees and a valuation of $7 billion; and WordPress powers more than 40% of the websites on the internet. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4913 no Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Food: Sukhi Singh and Dalbir Singh With no strategic plan and very little money, Sukhi Singh figured out a way to sell Indian food at scale across the U.S.—but it took her almost 20 years to do it.&nbsp;In the early 1990's, she&nbsp;shuttered her faltering café in Oakland, California and enlisted her husband and three children to help her sell&nbsp;bottled curry paste at local stores—and Indian meals at farmers markets.&nbsp;But the real breakthrough came when Sukhi expanded into refrigerated/frozen meals, and landed her chicken tikka masala and samosas in Costco. After growing the family business without a cent of outside investment, Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Food is now one of the biggest Indian food brands in the U.S, with over fifty products available in around 7,000 stores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Mar 2022 07:10:00 -0000 Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Food: Sukhi Singh and Dalbir Singh full 396 Guy Raz | Vox Media With no strategic plan and very little money, Sukhi Singh figured out a way to sell Indian food at scale across the U.S.—but it took her almost 20 years to do it. In the early 1990's, she shuttered her faltering café in Oakland, California and enlisted her husband and three children to help her sell bottled curry paste at local stores—and Indian meals at farmers markets. But the real breakthrough came when Sukhi expanded into refrigerated/frozen meals, and landed her chicken tikka masala and samosas in Costco. After growing the family business without a cent of outside investment, Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Food is now one of the biggest Indian food brands in the U.S, with over fifty products available in around 7,000 stores. With no strategic plan and very little money, Sukhi Singh figured out a way to sell Indian food at scale across the U.S.—but it took her almost 20 years to do it.&nbsp;In the early 1990's, she&nbsp;shuttered her faltering café in Oakland, California and enlisted her husband and three children to help her sell&nbsp;bottled curry paste at local stores—and Indian meals at farmers markets.&nbsp;But the real breakthrough came when Sukhi expanded into refrigerated/frozen meals, and landed her chicken tikka masala and samosas in Costco. After growing the family business without a cent of outside investment, Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Food is now one of the biggest Indian food brands in the U.S, with over fifty products available in around 7,000 stores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices With no strategic plan and very little money, Sukhi Singh figured out a way to sell Indian food at scale across the U.S.—but it took her almost 20 years to do it. In the early 1990's, she shuttered her faltering café in Oakland, California and enlisted her husband and three children to help her sell bottled curry paste at local stores—and Indian meals at farmers markets. But the real breakthrough came when Sukhi expanded into refrigerated/frozen meals, and landed her chicken tikka masala and samosas in Costco. After growing the family business without a cent of outside investment, Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Food is now one of the biggest Indian food brands in the U.S, with over fifty products available in around 7,000 stores.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3937 no Discord: Jason Citron During his early career, Jason Citron stepped away from two stalled businesses and pivoted—twice—to something far more successful.&nbsp;The second time he did it, he created&nbsp;one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It started at age 13 when Jason had a “holy crap” moment, discovering he could make his own video games.&nbsp;His first video game company morphed into a social platform for gamers, and after he sold it, he couldn't resist launching another. When that business failed to get traction, he again re-imagined it as a digital space for gamers to gather, and in 2015, Discord was born.&nbsp;Today, the platform has 150 million monthly users, and is a gathering place not just for gamers, but for anyone who wants to connect with friends.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Mar 2022 08:10:00 -0000 Discord: Jason Citron full 395 Guy Raz | Vox Media During his early career, Jason Citron stepped away from two stalled businesses and pivoted—twice—to something far more successful. The second time he did it, he created one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It started at age 13 when Jason had a “holy crap” moment, discovering he could make his own video games. His first video game company morphed into a social platform for gamers, and after he sold it, he couldn't resist launching another. When that business failed to get traction, he again re-imagined it as a digital space for gamers to gather, and in 2015, Discord was born. Today, the platform has 150 million monthly users, and is a gathering place not just for gamers, but for anyone who wants to connect with friends.  During his early career, Jason Citron stepped away from two stalled businesses and pivoted—twice—to something far more successful.&nbsp;The second time he did it, he created&nbsp;one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It started at age 13 when Jason had a “holy crap” moment, discovering he could make his own video games.&nbsp;His first video game company morphed into a social platform for gamers, and after he sold it, he couldn't resist launching another. When that business failed to get traction, he again re-imagined it as a digital space for gamers to gather, and in 2015, Discord was born.&nbsp;Today, the platform has 150 million monthly users, and is a gathering place not just for gamers, but for anyone who wants to connect with friends.&nbsp; Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices During his early career, Jason Citron stepped away from two stalled businesses and pivoted—twice—to something far more successful. The second time he did it, he created one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It started at age 13 when Jason had a “holy crap” moment, discovering he could make his own video games. His first video game company morphed into a social platform for gamers, and after he sold it, he couldn't resist launching another. When that business failed to get traction, he again re-imagined it as a digital space for gamers to gather, and in 2015, Discord was born. Today, the platform has 150 million monthly users, and is a gathering place not just for gamers, but for anyone who wants to connect with friends. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5340 no Live Episode! Walker & Company: Tristan Walker (2019) The very first time Tristan Walker shaved, he woke up the next morning with razor bumps all over his face. "I was like, what is this?" he remembers saying. "I am never shaving again—ever." He soon discovered that like him, many men of color were frustrated by the lack of shaving products for coarse or curly hair. Fifteen years after that first disastrous shave, and after countless meetings with doubtful investors, Tristan launched Bevel, a subscription shaving system built around a single-blade razor. Eventually his brand Walker & Company grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, used by millions of men and women across the U.S. In 2018, Walker & Company was sold to Proctor & Gamble, and Tristan became P&G's first black CEO. This show was recorded live at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C in September 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Feb 2022 05:10:05 -0000 Live Episode! Walker & Company: Tristan Walker (2019) full 394 Guy Raz | Vox Media The very first time Tristan Walker shaved, he woke up the next morning with razor bumps all over his face. "I was like, what <em>is</em> this?" he remembers saying. "I am never shaving again—ever." He soon discovered that like him, many men of color were frustrated by the lack of shaving products for coarse or curly hair. Fifteen years after that first disastrous shave, and after countless meetings with doubtful investors, Tristan launched Bevel, a subscription shaving system built around a single-blade razor. Eventually his brand Walker &amp; Company grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, used by millions of men and women across the U.S. In 2018, Walker &amp; Company was sold to Proctor &amp; Gamble, and Tristan became P&amp;G's first black CEO. <br><br><em>This show was recorded live at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C in September 2019.</em> The very first time Tristan Walker shaved, he woke up the next morning with razor bumps all over his face. "I was like, what is this?" he remembers saying. "I am never shaving again—ever." He soon discovered that like him, many men of color were frustrated by the lack of shaving products for coarse or curly hair. Fifteen years after that first disastrous shave, and after countless meetings with doubtful investors, Tristan launched Bevel, a subscription shaving system built around a single-blade razor. Eventually his brand Walker & Company grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, used by millions of men and women across the U.S. In 2018, Walker & Company was sold to Proctor & Gamble, and Tristan became P&G's first black CEO. This show was recorded live at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C in September 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices is this?" he remembers saying. "I am never shaving again—ever." He soon discovered that like him, many men of color were frustrated by the lack of shaving products for coarse or curly hair. Fifteen years after that first disastrous shave, and after countless meetings with doubtful investors, Tristan launched Bevel, a subscription shaving system built around a single-blade razor. Eventually his brand Walker & Company grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, used by millions of men and women across the U.S. In 2018, Walker & Company was sold to Proctor & Gamble, and Tristan became P&G's first black CEO.

This show was recorded live at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C in September 2019.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4020 no Live Episode! Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP: Angie & Dan Bastian (2019) Angie and Dan Bastian weren't trying to disrupt an industry or build a massive company, they just wanted to put aside some money for their kids' college fund. In 2001, Dan stumbled across an internet ad touting kettle corn as a lucrative side-business, so he and Angie decided to take the plunge, investing $10,000 in equipment. At first, they popped kettle corn in front of local supermarkets in the Twin Cities and at Minnesota Vikings games. Eventually, they moved indoors to Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco—and got a crash course in how to run a business along the way. Angie's Kettle Corn eventually took on a bold new name: BOOMCHICKAPOP. And in 2017, the company was acquired for a reported $250 million. This show was recorded live at Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota in July 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Feb 2022 05:10:22 -0000 Live Episode! Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP: Angie & Dan Bastian (2019) full 393 Guy Raz | Vox Media Angie and Dan Bastian weren't trying to disrupt an industry or build a massive company, they just wanted to put aside some money for their kids' college fund. In 2001, Dan stumbled across an internet ad touting kettle corn as a lucrative side-business, so he and Angie decided to take the plunge, investing $10,000 in equipment. At first, they popped kettle corn in front of local supermarkets in the Twin Cities and at Minnesota Vikings games. Eventually, they moved indoors to Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco—and got a crash course in how to run a business along the way. Angie's Kettle Corn eventually took on a bold new name: BOOMCHICKAPOP. And in 2017, the company was acquired for a reported $250 million. This show was recorded live at Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota in July 2019. Angie and Dan Bastian weren't trying to disrupt an industry or build a massive company, they just wanted to put aside some money for their kids' college fund. In 2001, Dan stumbled across an internet ad touting kettle corn as a lucrative side-business, so he and Angie decided to take the plunge, investing $10,000 in equipment. At first, they popped kettle corn in front of local supermarkets in the Twin Cities and at Minnesota Vikings games. Eventually, they moved indoors to Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco—and got a crash course in how to run a business along the way. Angie's Kettle Corn eventually took on a bold new name: BOOMCHICKAPOP. And in 2017, the company was acquired for a reported $250 million. This show was recorded live at Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota in July 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This show was recorded live at Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota in July 2019.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4037 no Telfar: Telfar Clemens and Babak Radboy As he started to gain a name as a New York fashion designer in the 2010s, Telfar Clemens often joked that he was "constantly emerging." At least, that's how the establishment fashion press saw him: a child of Liberian immigrants, building a small but devoted following with his deconstructed T-shirts and sandals made from hollowed-out Converse. But after Telfar partnered with Babak Radboy as his creative director in 2013, the brand began to reach a wider audience. There were splashy partnerships with K-Mart and White Castle; and in 2018, the wide release of the Telfar Bag, a vegan-leather shopping bag that became the "it"-accessory for everyone from A-list celebrities to the neighbors next door. Today, Telfar and Babak say they've succeeded by designing exactly what they want—and sidestepping a fashion system that was not always welcoming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Feb 2022 05:10:43 -0000 Telfar: Telfar Clemens and Babak Radboy full 392 Guy Raz | Vox Media As he started to gain a name as a New York fashion designer in the 2010s, Telfar Clemens often joked that he was "constantly emerging." At least, that's how the establishment fashion press saw him: a child of Liberian immigrants, building a small but devoted following with his deconstructed T-shirts and sandals made from hollowed-out Converse. But after Telfar partnered with Babak Radboy as his creative director in 2013, the brand began to reach a wider audience. There were splashy partnerships with K-Mart and White Castle; and in 2018, the wide release of the Telfar Bag, a vegan-leather shopping bag that became the "it"-accessory for everyone from A-list celebrities to the neighbors next door. Today, Telfar and Babak say they've succeeded by designing exactly what they want—and sidestepping a fashion system that was not always welcoming. As he started to gain a name as a New York fashion designer in the 2010s, Telfar Clemens often joked that he was "constantly emerging." At least, that's how the establishment fashion press saw him: a child of Liberian immigrants, building a small but devoted following with his deconstructed T-shirts and sandals made from hollowed-out Converse. But after Telfar partnered with Babak Radboy as his creative director in 2013, the brand began to reach a wider audience. There were splashy partnerships with K-Mart and White Castle; and in 2018, the wide release of the Telfar Bag, a vegan-leather shopping bag that became the "it"-accessory for everyone from A-list celebrities to the neighbors next door. Today, Telfar and Babak say they've succeeded by designing exactly what they want—and sidestepping a fashion system that was not always welcoming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4884 no Goodreads: Otis and Elizabeth Chandler As a young programmer in the mid-2000s, Otis Chandler watched as dozens of niche web sites began to take off. When he decided to launch his own site just for book lovers, a respected colleague told him there was "probably not a very big market there." Otis figured he might prove him wrong, and in 2007, launched Goodreads, a book catalog and review site that he coded from his LA apartment. His soon-to-be-wife Elizabeth joined the project, and they slowly built a following—without an office, a business model, or a single employee. In 2013, Goodreads sold to Amazon for an undisclosed sum; and today, it's the world's largest site for readers, with 125 million users. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Feb 2022 05:10:59 -0000 Goodreads: Otis and Elizabeth Chandler full 391 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a young programmer in the mid-2000s, Otis Chandler watched as dozens of niche web sites began to take off. When he decided to launch his own site just for book lovers, a respected colleague told him there was "probably not a very big market there." Otis figured he might prove him wrong, and in 2007, launched Goodreads, a book catalog and review site that he coded from his LA apartment. His soon-to-be-wife Elizabeth joined the project, and they slowly built a following—without an office, a business model, or a single employee. In 2013, Goodreads sold to Amazon for an undisclosed sum; and today, it's the world's largest site for readers, with 125 million users. As a young programmer in the mid-2000s, Otis Chandler watched as dozens of niche web sites began to take off. When he decided to launch his own site just for book lovers, a respected colleague told him there was "probably not a very big market there." Otis figured he might prove him wrong, and in 2007, launched Goodreads, a book catalog and review site that he coded from his LA apartment. His soon-to-be-wife Elizabeth joined the project, and they slowly built a following—without an office, a business model, or a single employee. In 2013, Goodreads sold to Amazon for an undisclosed sum; and today, it's the world's largest site for readers, with 125 million users. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4418 no Leatherman Tool Group: Tim Leatherman Most entrepreneurs expect it will take at least a few years for their businesses to gain traction. But Tim Leatherman waited 7 years to make a single, $175 sale. In the late 1970s, he had set up shop in his brother-in-law's garage, scavenged some metal from old appliances, and built a tool that he'd dreamed up a few years before: a foldable pair of pliers with several other tools tucked into the handles. Tim worked for years trying to market his design to knife and tool companies, but none of them were interested. Was it a tool? A gadget? A knife? Eventually he was able to convince mail-order catalogs to sell the tool; and within the space of a decade, he went from selling a single knife to a million every year. Today Tim's company is worth over a $100 million and his last name has become a household brand: the Leatherman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Jan 2022 05:10:37 -0000 Leatherman Tool Group: Tim Leatherman full 390 Guy Raz | Vox Media Most entrepreneurs expect it will take at least a few years for their businesses to gain traction. But Tim Leatherman waited 7 years to make a single, $175 sale. In the late 1970s, he had set up shop in his brother-in-law's garage, scavenged some metal from old appliances, and built a tool that he'd dreamed up a few years before: a foldable pair of pliers with several other tools tucked into the handles. Tim worked for years trying to market his design to knife and tool companies, but none of them were interested. Was it a tool? A gadget? A knife? Eventually he was able to convince mail-order catalogs to sell the tool; and within the space of a decade, he went from selling a single knife to a million every year. Today Tim's company is worth over a $100 million and his last name has become a household brand: the Leatherman. Most entrepreneurs expect it will take at least a few years for their businesses to gain traction. But Tim Leatherman waited 7 years to make a single, $175 sale. In the late 1970s, he had set up shop in his brother-in-law's garage, scavenged some metal from old appliances, and built a tool that he'd dreamed up a few years before: a foldable pair of pliers with several other tools tucked into the handles. Tim worked for years trying to market his design to knife and tool companies, but none of them were interested. Was it a tool? A gadget? A knife? Eventually he was able to convince mail-order catalogs to sell the tool; and within the space of a decade, he went from selling a single knife to a million every year. Today Tim's company is worth over a $100 million and his last name has become a household brand: the Leatherman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4105 no Dang Foods: Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn Vincent Kitirattragarn grew up in a Thai-Chinese-American household, which meant eating congee and lemongrass chicken, while also ordering chicken McNuggets with his younger brothers. He dreamed of opening his own Thai restaurant, but an exhausting stint working at one convinced him that his entrepreneurial path would never be in the restaurant industry. Instead Vincent's Asian-inspired snack food brand, Dang Foods, was born in 2011 when a delicious home-cooking experiment led him to start importing coconut chips from Thailand. Vincent's brother Andrew joined a few years later to help grow the brand through a series of snack product successes—and some tasty but colossal flops. Today, the company sells their brightly-packaged coconut chips, rice crackers, and energy bars in over 10,000 stores across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Jan 2022 05:10:54 -0000 Dang Foods: Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn full 389 Guy Raz | Vox Media Vincent Kitirattragarn grew up in a Thai-Chinese-American household, which meant eating congee and lemongrass chicken, while also ordering chicken McNuggets with his younger brothers. He dreamed of opening his own Thai restaurant, but an exhausting stint working at one convinced him that his entrepreneurial path would never be in the restaurant industry. Instead Vincent's Asian-inspired snack food brand, Dang Foods, was born in 2011 when a delicious home-cooking experiment led him to start importing coconut chips from Thailand. Vincent's brother Andrew joined a few years later to help grow the brand through a series of snack product successes—and some tasty but colossal flops. Today, the company sells their brightly-packaged coconut chips, rice crackers, and energy bars in over 10,000 stores across the country. Vincent Kitirattragarn grew up in a Thai-Chinese-American household, which meant eating congee and lemongrass chicken, while also ordering chicken McNuggets with his younger brothers. He dreamed of opening his own Thai restaurant, but an exhausting stint working at one convinced him that his entrepreneurial path would never be in the restaurant industry. Instead Vincent's Asian-inspired snack food brand, Dang Foods, was born in 2011 when a delicious home-cooking experiment led him to start importing coconut chips from Thailand. Vincent's brother Andrew joined a few years later to help grow the brand through a series of snack product successes—and some tasty but colossal flops. Today, the company sells their brightly-packaged coconut chips, rice crackers, and energy bars in over 10,000 stores across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4296 no Discovery Channel and Curiosity Stream: John Hendricks In the 1980s—the early days of cable television—John Hendricks got stuck on an idea he couldn't shake: to create a channel that would teach people cool things in an entertaining way. In college he had seen hours of documentaries on history, science, and outer space; and he figured if he was interested in them, others would be too. So around the age of 30, he left a comfortable consulting business to begin a delicate juggling act: leasing a satellite, licensing content, and wooing cable distributors, all the while pounding the pavement to finance it all. Today, Discovery reaches more than 400 million homes around the world, and John is still in the content business, having launched Curiosity Stream in 2015. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Jan 2022 05:10:38 -0000 Discovery Channel and Curiosity Stream: John Hendricks full 388 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the 1980s—the early days of cable television—John Hendricks got stuck on an idea he couldn't shake: to create a channel that would teach people cool things in an entertaining way. In college he had seen hours of documentaries on history, science, and outer space; and he figured if he was interested in them, others would be too. So around the age of 30, he left a comfortable consulting business to begin a delicate juggling act: leasing a satellite, licensing content, and wooing cable distributors, all the while pounding the pavement to finance it all. Today, Discovery reaches more than 400 million homes around the world, and John is still in the content business, having launched Curiosity Stream in 2015. In the 1980s—the early days of cable television—John Hendricks got stuck on an idea he couldn't shake: to create a channel that would teach people cool things in an entertaining way. In college he had seen hours of documentaries on history, science, and outer space; and he figured if he was interested in them, others would be too. So around the age of 30, he left a comfortable consulting business to begin a delicate juggling act: leasing a satellite, licensing content, and wooing cable distributors, all the while pounding the pavement to finance it all. Today, Discovery reaches more than 400 million homes around the world, and John is still in the content business, having launched Curiosity Stream in 2015. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4656 no M.M.LaFleur: Sarah LaFleur (2020) When she was working corporate jobs in New York City, Sarah LaFleur hated getting dressed in the morning; the choices in her closet felt overwhelming, many items didn't fit right or wore out too quickly. So in 2011 she launched a line of clothing for working women that would be simple, elegant, and well-tailored. She had no experience in fashion but partnered with a top-line designer, Miyako Nakamura, to create M.M.LaFleur. Today it's a multi-million dollar company with loyal customers from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Jan 2022 05:10:49 -0000 M.M.LaFleur: Sarah LaFleur (2020) full 387 Guy Raz | Vox Media When she was working corporate jobs in New York City, Sarah LaFleur hated getting dressed in the morning; the choices in her closet felt overwhelming, many items didn't fit right or wore out too quickly. So in 2011 she launched a line of clothing for working women that would be simple, elegant, and well-tailored. She had no experience in fashion but partnered with a top-line designer, Miyako Nakamura, to create M.M.LaFleur. Today it's a multi-million dollar company with loyal customers from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. When she was working corporate jobs in New York City, Sarah LaFleur hated getting dressed in the morning; the choices in her closet felt overwhelming, many items didn't fit right or wore out too quickly. So in 2011 she launched a line of clothing for working women that would be simple, elegant, and well-tailored. She had no experience in fashion but partnered with a top-line designer, Miyako Nakamura, to create M.M.LaFleur. Today it's a multi-million dollar company with loyal customers from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4326 no Headspace: Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson (2019) Andy Puddicombe is not your typical entrepreneur—in his early twenties, he gave away everything he owned to train as a Buddhist monk. But after ten years, he decided he wanted to bring the benefits of his meditation techniques to more people. While running a meditation clinic in London, Andy met Rich Pierson, who had burned out on his job at a high-powered London ad agency. Together, they founded Headspace in 2010. Over ten years later, Headspace's guided meditation app has users in 190 countries and an annual revenue of over $100 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Jan 2022 05:10:45 -0000 Headspace: Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson (2019) full 386 Guy Raz | Vox Media Andy Puddicombe is not your typical entrepreneur—in his early twenties, he gave away everything he owned to train as a Buddhist monk. But after ten years, he decided he wanted to bring the benefits of his meditation techniques to more people. While running a meditation clinic in London, Andy met Rich Pierson, who had burned out on his job at a high-powered London ad agency. Together, they founded Headspace in 2010. Over ten years later, Headspace's guided meditation app has users in 190 countries and an annual revenue of over $100 million. Andy Puddicombe is not your typical entrepreneur—in his early twenties, he gave away everything he owned to train as a Buddhist monk. But after ten years, he decided he wanted to bring the benefits of his meditation techniques to more people. While running a meditation clinic in London, Andy met Rich Pierson, who had burned out on his job at a high-powered London ad agency. Together, they founded Headspace in 2010. Over ten years later, Headspace's guided meditation app has users in 190 countries and an annual revenue of over $100 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4329 no Tate's Bake Shop: Kathleen King (2019) Kathleen King was 11 years old when she started baking cookies to sell at her family's farm stand on Long Island. After college, she opened a small bake shop, and eventually started selling her cookies to gourmet grocery stores in Manhattan. But after twenty years of running a small business, she wanted more time for herself. She brought in two partners to grow sales, but the partnership was a disaster—and after bitter lawsuits, Kathleen was forced to start over from scratch. 18 years later, Tate's Bake Shop—the second cookie brand that she built out of the crumbs of the first—sold for $500 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Dec 2021 05:10:31 -0000 Tate's Bake Shop: Kathleen King (2019) full 385 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kathleen King was 11 years old when she started baking cookies to sell at her family's farm stand on Long Island. After college, she opened a small bake shop, and eventually started selling her cookies to gourmet grocery stores in Manhattan. But after twenty years of running a small business, she wanted more time for herself. She brought in two partners to grow sales, but the partnership was a disaster—and after bitter lawsuits, Kathleen was forced to start over from scratch. 18 years later, Tate's Bake Shop—the second cookie brand that she built out of the crumbs of the first—sold for $500 million. Kathleen King was 11 years old when she started baking cookies to sell at her family's farm stand on Long Island. After college, she opened a small bake shop, and eventually started selling her cookies to gourmet grocery stores in Manhattan. But after twenty years of running a small business, she wanted more time for herself. She brought in two partners to grow sales, but the partnership was a disaster—and after bitter lawsuits, Kathleen was forced to start over from scratch. 18 years later, Tate's Bake Shop—the second cookie brand that she built out of the crumbs of the first—sold for $500 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3640 no Bonus Episode! Ask Guy Anything: December 2021 What makes a good How I Built This story? Why do our episodes take weeks to produce? How does Guy prepare for an interview? As a bonus this week, Guy wanted to take some time and answer a bunch of your questions! If you have other burning questions about the show, our process, or even just about Guy, you can Ask Guy Anything by submitting a question at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Dec 2021 05:15:06 -0000 Bonus Episode! Ask Guy Anything: December 2021 full Guy Raz | Vox Media What makes a good How I Built This story? Why do our episodes take weeks to produce? How does Guy prepare for an interview? As a bonus this week, Guy wanted to take some time and answer a bunch of your questions! If you have other burning questions about the show, our process, or even just about Guy, you can Ask Guy Anything by submitting a question at guyraz.com. What makes a good How I Built This story? Why do our episodes take weeks to produce? How does Guy prepare for an interview? As a bonus this week, Guy wanted to take some time and answer a bunch of your questions! If you have other burning questions about the show, our process, or even just about Guy, you can Ask Guy Anything by submitting a question at guyraz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices guyraz.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1038 no Spin Master/PAW Patrol: Ronnen Harary Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Buddy, a chia-pet-like novelty gift made of pantyhose, sawdust, and grass seed. Today, it's a publicly traded company with a portfolio that includes TV shows, video games, and toys ranging from puzzles to plush. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Dec 2021 05:10:09 -0000 Spin Master/PAW Patrol: Ronnen Harary full 384 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Buddy, a chia-pet-like novelty gift made of pantyhose, sawdust, and grass seed. Today, it's a publicly traded company with a portfolio that includes TV shows, video games, and toys ranging from puzzles to plush. Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Buddy, a chia-pet-like novelty gift made of pantyhose, sawdust, and grass seed. Today, it's a publicly traded company with a portfolio that includes TV shows, video games, and toys ranging from puzzles to plush. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4226 no Planet: Will Marshall and Robbie Schingler In 2010, rocket scientists Robbie Schingler and Will Marshall set an ambitious goal for themselves: to launch an aerospace mission with the speed and agility of a Silicon Valley startup. They set up shop in their garage, left their NASA jobs, and began pursuing their vision of building small, relatively inexpensive satellites to take daily images of the earth. Today, their company Planet has a fleet of roughly 200 satellites that capture millions of pictures daily, tracking everything from forest fires and oil spills to the health of coral reefs and crops. The company now has hundreds of clients around the world, and just went public on the NYSE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Dec 2021 05:10:15 -0000 Planet: Will Marshall and Robbie Schingler full 383 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, rocket scientists Robbie Schingler and Will Marshall set an ambitious goal for themselves: to launch an aerospace mission with the speed and agility of a Silicon Valley startup. They set up shop in their garage, left their NASA jobs, and began pursuing their vision of building small, relatively inexpensive satellites to take daily images of the earth. Today, their company Planet has a fleet of roughly 200 satellites that capture millions of pictures daily, tracking everything from forest fires and oil spills to the health of coral reefs and crops. The company now has hundreds of clients around the world, and just went public on the NYSE. In 2010, rocket scientists Robbie Schingler and Will Marshall set an ambitious goal for themselves: to launch an aerospace mission with the speed and agility of a Silicon Valley startup. They set up shop in their garage, left their NASA jobs, and began pursuing their vision of building small, relatively inexpensive satellites to take daily images of the earth. Today, their company Planet has a fleet of roughly 200 satellites that capture millions of pictures daily, tracking everything from forest fires and oil spills to the health of coral reefs and crops. The company now has hundreds of clients around the world, and just went public on the NYSE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3868 no Merge Records: Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan As college students in the late 1980s, Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan launched two projects that came to define their trajectories as entrepreneurs: the "punky but poppy" band Chunk, and the scrappy record label, Merge. For decades, the partners juggled the demands of managing their own band while negotiating record deals and recording dates for other indie artists. But the two worlds also collided in happy ways: touring in their own band was a great way for Mac and Laura to discover new talent, and they also learned that musicians tend to trust a label more if its founders play in a band. Today, Chunk is still going strong as Superchunk, and Merge has morphed into one of the most influential labels in indie music, with bands like The Mountain Goats, Spoon, and Arcade Fire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Dec 2021 05:15:18 -0000 Merge Records: Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan full 382 Guy Raz | Vox Media As college students in the late 1980s, Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan launched two projects that came to define their trajectories as entrepreneurs: the "punky but poppy" band Chunk, and the scrappy record label, Merge. For decades, the partners juggled the demands of managing their own band while negotiating record deals and recording dates for other indie artists. But the two worlds also collided in happy ways: touring in their own band was a great way for Mac and Laura to discover new talent, and they also learned that musicians tend to trust a label more if its founders play in a band. Today, Chunk is still going strong as Superchunk, and Merge has morphed into one of the most influential labels in indie music, with bands like The Mountain Goats, Spoon, and Arcade Fire. As college students in the late 1980s, Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan launched two projects that came to define their trajectories as entrepreneurs: the "punky but poppy" band Chunk, and the scrappy record label, Merge. For decades, the partners juggled the demands of managing their own band while negotiating record deals and recording dates for other indie artists. But the two worlds also collided in happy ways: touring in their own band was a great way for Mac and Laura to discover new talent, and they also learned that musicians tend to trust a label more if its founders play in a band. Today, Chunk is still going strong as Superchunk, and Merge has morphed into one of the most influential labels in indie music, with bands like The Mountain Goats, Spoon, and Arcade Fire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4890 no Live Episode! Tofurky: Seth Tibbott (2019) Seth Tibbott may be the only founder in the world who grew his business while living in a barn, a teepee, and a treehouse. His off-the-grid lifestyle helped him save money as he started to sell tempeh, a protein made of fermented soybeans. Throughout the 1980s he barely scraped by, but things took a turn in 1995, when he discovered a stuffed tofu roast made in Portland, Oregon. Knowing vegetarians had few options at Thanksgiving, Seth named the roast Tofurky and started selling it at co-ops in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 25 years later, Tofurky sells plant-based protein around the world, and has estimated sales of $40 million a year. This show was recorded live at Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Nov 2021 05:10:46 -0000 Live Episode! Tofurky: Seth Tibbott (2019) full 381 Guy Raz | Vox Media Seth Tibbott may be the only founder in the world who grew his business while living in a barn, a teepee, and a treehouse. His off-the-grid lifestyle helped him save money as he started to sell tempeh, a protein made of fermented soybeans. Throughout the 1980s he barely scraped by, but things took a turn in 1995, when he discovered a stuffed tofu roast made in Portland, Oregon. Knowing vegetarians had few options at Thanksgiving, Seth named the roast Tofurky and started selling it at co-ops in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 25 years later, Tofurky sells plant-based protein around the world, and has estimated sales of $40 million a year. This show was recorded live at Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon. Seth Tibbott may be the only founder in the world who grew his business while living in a barn, a teepee, and a treehouse. His off-the-grid lifestyle helped him save money as he started to sell tempeh, a protein made of fermented soybeans. Throughout the 1980s he barely scraped by, but things took a turn in 1995, when he discovered a stuffed tofu roast made in Portland, Oregon. Knowing vegetarians had few options at Thanksgiving, Seth named the roast Tofurky and started selling it at co-ops in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 25 years later, Tofurky sells plant-based protein around the world, and has estimated sales of $40 million a year. This show was recorded live at Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3150 no Stasher and Modern Twist: Kat Nouri As a mother of three, Kat Nouri was dismayed at the amount of single-use plastic she was using to pack her kids' school lunches. She had already launched a successful brand called Modern Twist, which sold placemats and baby bibs made of silicone. So Kat wondered: why not use silicone to make durable food storage bags, which—instead of being used once, could be used thousands of times? In 2016 she launched Stasher, and was soon persuading retailers that an $11 reusable bag was better for the planet—and ultimately, more cost-effective for the big-box shopper. Kat successfully sold the brand to S.C. Johnson just a few years after launch, but her short tenure at Stasher's helm was marked by growing pains and gnawing moments of anxiety, including an unexpected scuffle with the sharks on Shark Tank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Nov 2021 05:10:54 -0000 Stasher and Modern Twist: Kat Nouri full 380 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a mother of three, Kat Nouri was dismayed at the amount of single-use plastic she was using to pack her kids' school lunches. She had already launched a successful brand called Modern Twist, which sold placemats and baby bibs made of silicone. So Kat wondered: why not use silicone to make durable food storage bags, which—instead of being used once, could be used thousands of times? In 2016 she launched Stasher, and was soon persuading retailers that an $11 reusable bag was better for the planet—and ultimately, more cost-effective for the big-box shopper. Kat successfully sold the brand to S.C. Johnson just a few years after launch, but her short tenure at Stasher's helm was marked by growing pains and gnawing moments of anxiety, including an unexpected scuffle with the sharks on Shark Tank. As a mother of three, Kat Nouri was dismayed at the amount of single-use plastic she was using to pack her kids' school lunches. She had already launched a successful brand called Modern Twist, which sold placemats and baby bibs made of silicone. So Kat wondered: why not use silicone to make durable food storage bags, which—instead of being used once, could be used thousands of times? In 2016 she launched Stasher, and was soon persuading retailers that an $11 reusable bag was better for the planet—and ultimately, more cost-effective for the big-box shopper. Kat successfully sold the brand to S.C. Johnson just a few years after launch, but her short tenure at Stasher's helm was marked by growing pains and gnawing moments of anxiety, including an unexpected scuffle with the sharks on Shark Tank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4326 no Coinbase: Brian Armstrong Brian Armstrong wanted to be a tech entrepreneur since he was in high school, but his first serious venture—a tutoring website—never quite took off. Around 2010, while looking to get a job in Silicon Valley, he stumbled across an intriguing idea for a peer-to-peer digital currency called Bitcoin, which quickly turned into his obsession. Brian's initial prototype for a hosted Bitcoin wallet got him accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator program, and he launched Coinbase soon thereafter. Many experts warned that cryptocurrency was no more reliable than Monopoly money, but the startup prevailed, surviving wild swings in the crypto market and steadily building a user base. Today, Coinbase is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, with 7.4 million monthly users, 2,700 employees and over 80 cryptocurrencies traded on its platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Nov 2021 05:10:56 -0000 Coinbase: Brian Armstrong full 379 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brian Armstrong wanted to be a tech entrepreneur since he was in high school, but his first serious venture—a tutoring website—never quite took off. Around 2010, while looking to get a job in Silicon Valley, he stumbled across an intriguing idea for a peer-to-peer digital currency called Bitcoin, which quickly turned into his obsession. Brian's initial prototype for a hosted Bitcoin wallet got him accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator program, and he launched Coinbase soon thereafter. Many experts warned that cryptocurrency was no more reliable than Monopoly money, but the startup prevailed, surviving wild swings in the crypto market and steadily building a user base. Today, Coinbase is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, with 7.4 million monthly users, 2,700 employees and over 80 cryptocurrencies traded on its platform. Brian Armstrong wanted to be a tech entrepreneur since he was in high school, but his first serious venture—a tutoring website—never quite took off. Around 2010, while looking to get a job in Silicon Valley, he stumbled across an intriguing idea for a peer-to-peer digital currency called Bitcoin, which quickly turned into his obsession. Brian's initial prototype for a hosted Bitcoin wallet got him accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator program, and he launched Coinbase soon thereafter. Many experts warned that cryptocurrency was no more reliable than Monopoly money, but the startup prevailed, surviving wild swings in the crypto market and steadily building a user base. Today, Coinbase is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, with 7.4 million monthly users, 2,700 employees and over 80 cryptocurrencies traded on its platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5234 no Back to the Roots: Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez In 2009, Berkeley seniors Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started to geek out over something they'd heard in a lecture: you can grow a healthy crop of mushrooms on used coffee grounds. Intrigued by the business potential, the pair set aside jobs in finance and consulting and became urban farmers: salvaging leaky bags of coffee grounds, planting mushroom spawn in an Oakland warehouse, and selling their crop to local grocers. Over time, the partners realized they could help others grow food for themselves, so they stopped farming fungus and took the leap into selling tabletop grow kits, seeds, and potting soil. Since launch, Back to the Roots has become the fastest-growing organic gardening brand in the U.S., with its products sold in 10,000 stores across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Nov 2021 05:15:56 -0000 Back to the Roots: Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez full 378 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2009, Berkeley seniors Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started to geek out over something they'd heard in a lecture: you can grow a healthy crop of mushrooms on used coffee grounds. Intrigued by the business potential, the pair set aside jobs in finance and consulting and became urban farmers: salvaging leaky bags of coffee grounds, planting mushroom spawn in an Oakland warehouse, and selling their crop to local grocers. Over time, the partners realized they could help others grow food for themselves, so they stopped farming fungus and took the leap into selling tabletop grow kits, seeds, and potting soil. Since launch, Back to the Roots has become the fastest-growing organic gardening brand in the U.S., with its products sold in 10,000 stores across the country. In 2009, Berkeley seniors Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started to geek out over something they'd heard in a lecture: you can grow a healthy crop of mushrooms on used coffee grounds. Intrigued by the business potential, the pair set aside jobs in finance and consulting and became urban farmers: salvaging leaky bags of coffee grounds, planting mushroom spawn in an Oakland warehouse, and selling their crop to local grocers. Over time, the partners realized they could help others grow food for themselves, so they stopped farming fungus and took the leap into selling tabletop grow kits, seeds, and potting soil. Since launch, Back to the Roots has become the fastest-growing organic gardening brand in the U.S., with its products sold in 10,000 stores across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5008 no Audible: Don Katz Before mp3 players came along in the mid 1990's, listening to audiobooks was a pain. The number of titles was tiny, narration was dull, and if you wanted to listen on the go, you had to juggle a bunch of clunky cassettes. Don Katz faced these frustrations every day while jogging. He was an accomplished writer who thought there was something special and intimate about hearing an author's words spoken aloud. He wondered: what if audiobooks could be purchased online and downloaded onto a dedicated player? At the time, the concept was so new that few people knew what he was talking about. But in 1997, with no direct experience in tech, Don and his partners launched the first digital player for audiobooks. Audible was slow to gain traction and took a beating during the dot-com bust; but its luck changed with the release of the iPod and a timely partnership with Apple. In 2008, Amazon purchased Audible for $300 million, and today Audible has the largest audiobook catalog in the world, with over 600,000 titles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Nov 2021 04:10:30 -0000 Audible: Don Katz full 377 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before mp3 players came along in the mid 1990's, listening to audiobooks was a pain. The number of titles was tiny, narration was dull, and if you wanted to listen on the go, you had to juggle a bunch of clunky cassettes. Don Katz faced these frustrations every day while jogging. He was an accomplished writer who thought there was something special and intimate about hearing an author's words spoken aloud. He wondered: what if audiobooks could be purchased online and downloaded onto a dedicated player? At the time, the concept was so new that few people knew what he was talking about. But in 1997, with no direct experience in tech, Don and his partners launched the first digital player for audiobooks. Audible was slow to gain traction and took a beating during the dot-com bust; but its luck changed with the release of the iPod and a timely partnership with Apple. In 2008, Amazon purchased Audible for $300 million, and today Audible has the largest audiobook catalog in the world, with over 600,000 titles. Before mp3 players came along in the mid 1990's, listening to audiobooks was a pain. The number of titles was tiny, narration was dull, and if you wanted to listen on the go, you had to juggle a bunch of clunky cassettes. Don Katz faced these frustrations every day while jogging. He was an accomplished writer who thought there was something special and intimate about hearing an author's words spoken aloud. He wondered: what if audiobooks could be purchased online and downloaded onto a dedicated player? At the time, the concept was so new that few people knew what he was talking about. But in 1997, with no direct experience in tech, Don and his partners launched the first digital player for audiobooks. Audible was slow to gain traction and took a beating during the dot-com bust; but its luck changed with the release of the iPod and a timely partnership with Apple. In 2008, Amazon purchased Audible for $300 million, and today Audible has the largest audiobook catalog in the world, with over 600,000 titles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4773 no Live Episode! Milk Bar: Christina Tosi (2019) For Christina Tosi, baking wasn't just a delicious childhood hobby—it was a daily creative outlet and a way to blow off steam. After college, she went to culinary school and honed her pastry technique at high-end restaurants in NYC. But she also craved the opportunity to make unfussy, nostalgic desserts like the ones she grew up eating. So in 2008, Christina opened her first Milk Bar bakery in the East Village, with the help of her mentor, Momofuku chef David Chang. Soon, people from around the country were calling her up, begging for her gooey pies, confetti birthday cakes, and pretzel-potato-chip cookies. Today, Milk Bar has spread to 15 locations, and reportedly brings in tens of millions of dollars a year. This show was recorded live at The Town Hall in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Oct 2021 04:15:31 -0000 Live Episode! Milk Bar: Christina Tosi (2019) full 376 Guy Raz | Vox Media For Christina Tosi, baking wasn't just a delicious childhood hobby—it was a daily creative outlet and a way to blow off steam. After college, she went to culinary school and honed her pastry technique at high-end restaurants in NYC. But she also craved the opportunity to make unfussy, nostalgic desserts like the ones she grew up eating. So in 2008, Christina opened her first Milk Bar bakery in the East Village, with the help of her mentor, Momofuku chef David Chang. Soon, people from around the country were calling her up, begging for her gooey pies, confetti birthday cakes, and pretzel-potato-chip cookies. Today, Milk Bar has spread to 15 locations, and reportedly brings in tens of millions of dollars a year. This show was recorded live at The Town Hall in New York City. For Christina Tosi, baking wasn't just a delicious childhood hobby—it was a daily creative outlet and a way to blow off steam. After college, she went to culinary school and honed her pastry technique at high-end restaurants in NYC. But she also craved the opportunity to make unfussy, nostalgic desserts like the ones she grew up eating. So in 2008, Christina opened her first Milk Bar bakery in the East Village, with the help of her mentor, Momofuku chef David Chang. Soon, people from around the country were calling her up, begging for her gooey pies, confetti birthday cakes, and pretzel-potato-chip cookies. Today, Milk Bar has spread to 15 locations, and reportedly brings in tens of millions of dollars a year. This show was recorded live at The Town Hall in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4159 no Title Nine: Missy Park As an avid athlete and college basketball player, Missy Park was lucky to grow up during the early era of Title IX, the 1972 law that created new opportunities for young women to play sports. But in the years before Lululemon and Athleta, activewear for women was either ill-fitting or non-existent. So in 1989—with little experience in apparel or retail—Missy decided to launch a female version of Nike. She sent out a mail order catalog of running shorts, tights, and (at the last minute) sports bras; naming her company for the law that had opened doors for her to compete: Title Nine. Over the years, the company kept "hitting singles," eventually growing into a $100 million dollar business without ever taking outside investment. Today, Missy remains the sole owner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Oct 2021 04:10:39 -0000 Title Nine: Missy Park full 375 Guy Raz | Vox Media As an avid athlete and college basketball player, Missy Park was lucky to grow up during the early era of Title IX, the 1972 law that created new opportunities for young women to play sports. But in the years before Lululemon and Athleta, activewear for women was either ill-fitting or non-existent. So in 1989—with little experience in apparel or retail—Missy decided to launch a female version of Nike. She sent out a mail order catalog of running shorts, tights, and (at the last minute) sports bras; naming her company for the law that had opened doors for her to compete: Title Nine. Over the years, the company kept "hitting singles," eventually growing into a $100 million dollar business without ever taking outside investment. Today, Missy remains the sole owner. As an avid athlete and college basketball player, Missy Park was lucky to grow up during the early era of Title IX, the 1972 law that created new opportunities for young women to play sports. But in the years before Lululemon and Athleta, activewear for women was either ill-fitting or non-existent. So in 1989—with little experience in apparel or retail—Missy decided to launch a female version of Nike. She sent out a mail order catalog of running shorts, tights, and (at the last minute) sports bras; naming her company for the law that had opened doors for her to compete: Title Nine. Over the years, the company kept "hitting singles," eventually growing into a $100 million dollar business without ever taking outside investment. Today, Missy remains the sole owner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5241 no Moderna and Flagship Pioneering: Noubar Afeyan In the field of bio-tech, it can take 10 years and millions of dollars to see if an experimental idea might turn into a life-saving treatment—if it ever does. Noubar Afeyan fully understood those risks when he co-founded Moderna in 2010. He and his colleagues were looking for a way to deploy the messenger RNA molecule to tackle life-threatening diseases. In January of 2020, an urgent opportunity presented itself in the form of a deadly virus that was spreading across the globe. At a breathtaking pace, Moderna produced a prototype for a COVID-19 vaccine, partnered with the NIH to test it, and produced millions of doses, becoming part of the most rapid vaccine roll-out in human history. While Moderna is the best known of Noubar's companies, he has launched many others in the bio-tech space as part of Flagship Pioneering, his multi-billion dollar venture studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Oct 2021 04:10:54 -0000 Moderna and Flagship Pioneering: Noubar Afeyan full 374 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the field of bio-tech, it can take 10 years and millions of dollars to see if an experimental idea might turn into a life-saving treatment—if it ever does. Noubar Afeyan fully understood those risks when he co-founded Moderna in 2010. He and his colleagues were looking for a way to deploy the messenger RNA molecule to tackle life-threatening diseases. In January of 2020, an urgent opportunity presented itself in the form of a deadly virus that was spreading across the globe. At a breathtaking pace, Moderna produced a prototype for a COVID-19 vaccine, partnered with the NIH to test it, and produced millions of doses, becoming part of the most rapid vaccine roll-out in human history. While Moderna is the best known of Noubar's companies, he has launched many others in the bio-tech space as part of Flagship Pioneering, his multi-billion dollar venture studio. In the field of bio-tech, it can take 10 years and millions of dollars to see if an experimental idea might turn into a life-saving treatment—if it ever does. Noubar Afeyan fully understood those risks when he co-founded Moderna in 2010. He and his colleagues were looking for a way to deploy the messenger RNA molecule to tackle life-threatening diseases. In January of 2020, an urgent opportunity presented itself in the form of a deadly virus that was spreading across the globe. At a breathtaking pace, Moderna produced a prototype for a COVID-19 vaccine, partnered with the NIH to test it, and produced millions of doses, becoming part of the most rapid vaccine roll-out in human history. While Moderna is the best known of Noubar's companies, he has launched many others in the bio-tech space as part of Flagship Pioneering, his multi-billion dollar venture studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4226 no Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver While traveling abroad with her husband in 2016, Fawn Weaver became fixated on a New York Times article telling the little-known story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel—yes, that Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey. After diving deeper into the story, Fawn ended up purchasing the 300-acre farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee where Nearest had taught Jack how to distill; and she began meeting the descendants of both men. She initially thought of honoring Nearest's story with a book or movie, but decided the best way to preserve his legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. With no background in distilling, she threw herself into the insular world of spirit-making, an industry mostly dominated by white men and a few major corporations. In the five years since Fawn first discovered his story, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world, and one of the most awarded American whiskeys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Oct 2021 04:10:06 -0000 Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey: Fawn Weaver full 373 Guy Raz | Vox Media While traveling abroad with her husband in 2016, Fawn Weaver became fixated on a New York Times article telling the little-known story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel—yes, that Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey. After diving deeper into the story, Fawn ended up purchasing the 300-acre farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee where Nearest had taught Jack how to distill; and she began meeting the descendants of both men. She initially thought of honoring Nearest's story with a book or movie, but decided the best way to preserve his legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. With no background in distilling, she threw herself into the insular world of spirit-making, an industry mostly dominated by white men and a few major corporations. In the five years since Fawn first discovered his story, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world, and one of the most awarded American whiskeys. While traveling abroad with her husband in 2016, Fawn Weaver became fixated on a New York Times article telling the little-known story of Nearest Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel—yes, that Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey. After diving deeper into the story, Fawn ended up purchasing the 300-acre farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee where Nearest had taught Jack how to distill; and she began meeting the descendants of both men. She initially thought of honoring Nearest's story with a book or movie, but decided the best way to preserve his legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. With no background in distilling, she threw herself into the insular world of spirit-making, an industry mostly dominated by white men and a few major corporations. In the five years since Fawn first discovered his story, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world, and one of the most awarded American whiskeys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices that Jack Daniel—how to make Tennessee whiskey. After diving deeper into the story, Fawn ended up purchasing the 300-acre farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee where Nearest had taught Jack how to distill; and she began meeting the descendants of both men. She initially thought of honoring Nearest's story with a book or movie, but decided the best way to preserve his legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. With no background in distilling, she threw herself into the insular world of spirit-making, an industry mostly dominated by white men and a few major corporations. In the five years since Fawn first discovered his story, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world, and one of the most awarded American whiskeys.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4808 no KAYAK: Paul English Paul English is a perpetual founder. Since high school, he's started 3 philanthropies and 8 companies—ranging from e-commerce, to gaming, to GetHuman, a site that helps users access human customer support. His best-known venture is probably KAYAK, a travel website launched in 2004 over two gin-and-tonics with co-founder Steve Hafner. Using a simple interface, KAYAK specialized in search; and it made partners out of potential rivals like Orbitz and Expedia by charging them a fee to send users to their sites. Eventually KAYAK became one of the most-searched "K" words on Google, and in 2012, it sold to Priceline for $1.8 billion. A few years later, Paul started yet another company, Lola.com—and says he plans to launch many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Sep 2021 04:10:31 -0000 KAYAK: Paul English full 372 Guy Raz | Vox Media Paul English is a perpetual founder. Since high school, he's started 3 philanthropies and 8 companies—ranging from e-commerce, to gaming, to GetHuman, a site that helps users access human customer support. His best-known venture is probably KAYAK, a travel website launched in 2004 over two gin-and-tonics with co-founder Steve Hafner. Using a simple interface, KAYAK specialized in search; and it made partners out of potential rivals like Orbitz and Expedia by charging them a fee to send users to their sites. Eventually KAYAK became one of the most-searched "K" words on Google, and in 2012, it sold to Priceline for $1.8 billion. A few years later, Paul started yet another company, Lola.com—and says he plans to launch many more. Paul English is a perpetual founder. Since high school, he's started 3 philanthropies and 8 companies—ranging from e-commerce, to gaming, to GetHuman, a site that helps users access human customer support. His best-known venture is probably KAYAK, a travel website launched in 2004 over two gin-and-tonics with co-founder Steve Hafner. Using a simple interface, KAYAK specialized in search; and it made partners out of potential rivals like Orbitz and Expedia by charging them a fee to send users to their sites. Eventually KAYAK became one of the most-searched "K" words on Google, and in 2012, it sold to Priceline for $1.8 billion. A few years later, Paul started yet another company, Lola.com—and says he plans to launch many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4573 no Dude Perfect: Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney As Texas A&M students in the mid 2000's, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney and their housemates spent countless hours playing hockey in the living room and attempting trick shots in the backyard. A spontaneous bet over a sandwich led the guys to make a video montage of outrageous basketball shots, which they titled Dude Perfect and posted on a new site called YouTube. After that first video wound up on Good Morning America, the five Dudes challenged themselves to even more outrageous stunts: an impossible shot from the third tier of a stadium, a here-goes-nothing lob from the door of a flying plane. But despite their growing popularity, the group spent five grueling years trying to build ad revenue and brand deals while juggling day jobs and commuting weekly across Texas. In 2014, they finally committed fulltime to building Dude Perfect into a robust entertainment platform, which today includes books, TV, live events, and a YouTube channel that has more subscribers than the NBA, NFL, and NHL combined. Take the listener survey at: http://npr.org/builtsurvey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Sep 2021 04:15:07 -0000 Dude Perfect: Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney full 371 Guy Raz | Vox Media As Texas A&amp;M students in the mid 2000's, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney and their housemates spent countless hours playing hockey in the living room and attempting trick shots in the backyard. A spontaneous bet over a sandwich led the guys to make a video montage of outrageous basketball shots, which they titled Dude Perfect and posted on a new site called YouTube. After that first video wound up on Good Morning America, the five Dudes challenged themselves to even more outrageous stunts: an impossible shot from the third tier of a stadium, a here-goes-nothing lob from the door of a flying plane. But despite their growing popularity, the group spent five grueling years trying to build ad revenue and brand deals while juggling day jobs and commuting weekly across Texas. In 2014, they finally committed fulltime to building Dude Perfect into a robust entertainment platform, which today includes books, TV, live events, and a YouTube channel that has more subscribers than the NBA, NFL, and NHL combined. <br><br>Take the listener survey at: <a href="http://npr.org/builtsurvey" target="_blank"><em>http://npr.org/builtsurvey</em></a> As Texas A&M students in the mid 2000's, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney and their housemates spent countless hours playing hockey in the living room and attempting trick shots in the backyard. A spontaneous bet over a sandwich led the guys to make a video montage of outrageous basketball shots, which they titled Dude Perfect and posted on a new site called YouTube. After that first video wound up on Good Morning America, the five Dudes challenged themselves to even more outrageous stunts: an impossible shot from the third tier of a stadium, a here-goes-nothing lob from the door of a flying plane. But despite their growing popularity, the group spent five grueling years trying to build ad revenue and brand deals while juggling day jobs and commuting weekly across Texas. In 2014, they finally committed fulltime to building Dude Perfect into a robust entertainment platform, which today includes books, TV, live events, and a YouTube channel that has more subscribers than the NBA, NFL, and NHL combined. Take the listener survey at: http://npr.org/builtsurvey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Take the listener survey at: http://npr.org/builtsurvey

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5572 no inov-8: Wayne Edy After more than 20 years working in the shoe business, Wayne Edy decided to strike out on his own, risking most of his savings to launch his own brand. Knowing he was entering a crowded field, he focused on a niche sport—trail running—and developed a lightweight shoe with a rubber-cleat sole, well-suited to the terrain near his home in England's Lake District. The unusual design raised eyebrows at first, but after inov-8's launch in 2003, the shoe quickly grew a following among elite trail-runners, which raised its profile and helped the brand expand into CrossFit and hiking. After selling inov-8 and then buying it back, Wayne still leads a multi-million dollar business that's headquartered in a tiny English town, while outfitting athletes from around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Sep 2021 04:15:22 -0000 inov-8: Wayne Edy full 370 Guy Raz | Vox Media After more than 20 years working in the shoe business, Wayne Edy decided to strike out on his own, risking most of his savings to launch his own brand. Knowing he was entering a crowded field, he focused on a niche sport—trail running—and developed a lightweight shoe with a rubber-cleat sole, well-suited to the terrain near his home in England's Lake District. The unusual design raised eyebrows at first, but after inov-8's launch in 2003, the shoe quickly grew a following among elite trail-runners, which raised its profile and helped the brand expand into CrossFit and hiking. After selling inov-8 and then buying it back, Wayne still leads a multi-million dollar business that's headquartered in a tiny English town, while outfitting athletes from around the world. After more than 20 years working in the shoe business, Wayne Edy decided to strike out on his own, risking most of his savings to launch his own brand. Knowing he was entering a crowded field, he focused on a niche sport—trail running—and developed a lightweight shoe with a rubber-cleat sole, well-suited to the terrain near his home in England's Lake District. The unusual design raised eyebrows at first, but after inov-8's launch in 2003, the shoe quickly grew a following among elite trail-runners, which raised its profile and helped the brand expand into CrossFit and hiking. After selling inov-8 and then buying it back, Wayne still leads a multi-million dollar business that's headquartered in a tiny English town, while outfitting athletes from around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3760 no Lynda.com: Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin After falling in love with the first Apple Mac computer in 1984, Lynda Weinman found a new career: using the new technology to teach web graphics. She published a best-selling book on the topic, and then—along with her husband Bruce Heavin—decided to host a web design workshop in the small town of Ojai, California. When the class sold out, the partners realized their straightforward approach to digital design was in high demand. Despite having no business background, Lynda and Bruce continued to expand their vision, eventually offering instructional videos on a range of topics through their streaming platform, Lynda.com. In 2015, the company sold to LinkedIn for 1.5 billion dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Sep 2021 04:10:50 -0000 Lynda.com: Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin full 369 Guy Raz | Vox Media After falling in love with the first Apple Mac computer in 1984, Lynda Weinman found a new career: using the new technology to teach web graphics. She published a best-selling book on the topic, and then—along with her husband Bruce Heavin—decided to host a web design workshop in the small town of Ojai, California. When the class sold out, the partners realized their straightforward approach to digital design was in high demand. Despite having no business background, Lynda and Bruce continued to expand their vision, eventually offering instructional videos on a range of topics through their streaming platform, Lynda.com. In 2015, the company sold to LinkedIn for 1.5 billion dollars. After falling in love with the first Apple Mac computer in 1984, Lynda Weinman found a new career: using the new technology to teach web graphics. She published a best-selling book on the topic, and then—along with her husband Bruce Heavin—decided to host a web design workshop in the small town of Ojai, California. When the class sold out, the partners realized their straightforward approach to digital design was in high demand. Despite having no business background, Lynda and Bruce continued to expand their vision, eventually offering instructional videos on a range of topics through their streaming platform, Lynda.com. In 2015, the company sold to LinkedIn for 1.5 billion dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4704 no Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019) In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said they were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own—a safer trampoline, without metal springs. He tinkered with and perfected the design over the course of a decade. But he was daunted by the challenge of bringing his invention to market; and he almost gave up. At that point Steve Holmes, a Canadian businessman, bought the patent to Keith's trampoline, and took a big risk to commercialize it. Since the start of the pandemic, sales of Springfree Trampolines doubled, and since their launch, the company has sold nearly 500,000 trampolines worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Aug 2021 04:15:23 -0000 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019) full 368 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said they were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own—a safer trampoline, without metal springs. He tinkered with and perfected the design over the course of a decade. But he was daunted by the challenge of bringing his invention to market; and he almost gave up. At that point Steve Holmes, a Canadian businessman, bought the patent to Keith's trampoline, and took a big risk to commercialize it. Since the start of the pandemic, sales of Springfree Trampolines doubled, and since their launch, the company has sold nearly 500,000 trampolines worldwide. In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said they were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own—a safer trampoline, without metal springs. He tinkered with and perfected the design over the course of a decade. But he was daunted by the challenge of bringing his invention to market; and he almost gave up. At that point Steve Holmes, a Canadian businessman, bought the patent to Keith's trampoline, and took a big risk to commercialize it. Since the start of the pandemic, sales of Springfree Trampolines doubled, and since their launch, the company has sold nearly 500,000 trampolines worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3594 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Rashad Robinson We have our final main stage event from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's conversation with Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change, the nation's largest leading racial justice organization. In this live interview, Rashad talks about finding strength and purpose through activism—an initiative that has no clear end. According to Rashad, activism does not have to center around sadness and tragedy; activism is about the power of the people, recognizing victories, celebrating moments of joy, and implementing self and community care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Aug 2021 06:46:17 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Rashad Robinson full 367 Guy Raz | Vox Media We have our final main stage event from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's conversation with Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change, the nation's largest leading racial justice organization. In this live interview, Rashad talks about finding strength and purpose through activism—an initiative that has no clear end. According to Rashad, activism does not have to center around sadness and tragedy; activism is about the power of the people, recognizing victories, celebrating moments of joy, and implementing self and community care. We have our final main stage event from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's conversation with Rashad Robinson, President of Color Of Change, the nation's largest leading racial justice organization. In this live interview, Rashad talks about finding strength and purpose through activism—an initiative that has no clear end. According to Rashad, activism does not have to center around sadness and tragedy; activism is about the power of the people, recognizing victories, celebrating moments of joy, and implementing self and community care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1739 no Burt's Bees: Roxanne Quimby (2019) In the 1970s, Roxanne Quimby was trying to live a simpler life – one that rejected the pursuit of material comforts. She moved to Maine, built a cabin in the woods, and lived off the grid. By the mid-80s, she met a recluse beekeeper named Burt Shavitz and offered to help him tend to his bees. As partners, Roxanne and Burt soon began selling their "Pure Maine Honey" at local markets, which evolved into candles made out of beeswax, and eventually lip balm and skin care products. Today, Burt's Bees can be found in thousands of grocery stores and drugstores around the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Aug 2021 04:15:00 -0000 Burt's Bees: Roxanne Quimby (2019) full 366 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the 1970s, Roxanne Quimby was trying to live a simpler life – one that rejected the pursuit of material comforts. She moved to Maine, built a cabin in the woods, and lived off the grid. By the mid-80s, she met a recluse beekeeper named Burt Shavitz and offered to help him tend to his bees. As partners, Roxanne and Burt soon began selling their "Pure Maine Honey" at local markets, which evolved into candles made out of beeswax, and eventually lip balm and skin care products. Today, Burt's Bees can be found in thousands of grocery stores and drugstores around the U.S. In the 1970s, Roxanne Quimby was trying to live a simpler life – one that rejected the pursuit of material comforts. She moved to Maine, built a cabin in the woods, and lived off the grid. By the mid-80s, she met a recluse beekeeper named Burt Shavitz and offered to help him tend to his bees. As partners, Roxanne and Burt soon began selling their "Pure Maine Honey" at local markets, which evolved into candles made out of beeswax, and eventually lip balm and skin care products. Today, Burt's Bees can be found in thousands of grocery stores and drugstores around the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3260 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Adam Grant We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with organizational psychology professor and author Adam Grant. He's known for his books Think Again, Give and Take and Originals. Adam is also the host of the podcast WorkLife. In this live conversation, Adam explains why entrepreneurs should take a scientific approach to decision-making and why admitting you're wrong goes a long way to learning what's right. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Aug 2021 04:15:31 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Adam Grant full 365 Guy Raz | Vox Media We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with organizational psychology professor and author Adam Grant. He's known for his books Think Again, Give and Take and Originals. Adam is also the host of the podcast WorkLife. In this live conversation, Adam explains why entrepreneurs should take a scientific approach to decision-making and why admitting you're wrong goes a long way to learning what's right. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with organizational psychology professor and author Adam Grant. He's known for his books Think Again, Give and Take and Originals. Adam is also the host of the podcast WorkLife. In this live conversation, Adam explains why entrepreneurs should take a scientific approach to decision-making and why admitting you're wrong goes a long way to learning what's right. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Think Again, Give and Take and Originals. Adam is also the host of the podcast WorkLife. In this live conversation, Adam explains why entrepreneurs should take a scientific approach to decision-making and why admitting you're wrong goes a long way to learning what's right. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3192 no Logic: Logic & Chris Zarou (2018) In 2010, Logic the rapper—born as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II—released his first official mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous." At 20 years old, Logic certainly was young and broke, and while crashing on a friend's couch, he poured himself into his music. Logic's career could have fizzled if it wasn't for Chris Zarou, a young college athlete-turned-manager who had no more experience in the music business than Logic. Undeterred, the two decided to work together, continuing to use free music and social media to build Logic's reputation as a talented, fast-flowing rapper with a hopeful message. In 2012, Logic signed to Def Jam Records and in 2014 dropped his debut album "Under Pressure," which shot to number 4 on the Billboard charts. His third album in 2017 went platinum and included the breakout single "1 800 273 8255." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Aug 2021 04:10:45 -0000 Logic: Logic & Chris Zarou (2018) full 364 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, Logic the rapper—born as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II—released his first official mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous." At 20 years old, Logic certainly was young and broke, and while crashing on a friend's couch, he poured himself into his music. Logic's career could have fizzled if it wasn't for Chris Zarou, a young college athlete-turned-manager who had no more experience in the music business than Logic. Undeterred, the two decided to work together, continuing to use free music and social media to build Logic's reputation as a talented, fast-flowing rapper with a hopeful message. In 2012, Logic signed to Def Jam Records and in 2014 dropped his debut album "Under Pressure," which shot to number 4 on the Billboard charts. His third album in 2017 went platinum and included the breakout single "1 800 273 8255." In 2010, Logic the rapper—born as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II—released his first official mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous." At 20 years old, Logic certainly was young and broke, and while crashing on a friend's couch, he poured himself into his music. Logic's career could have fizzled if it wasn't for Chris Zarou, a young college athlete-turned-manager who had no more experience in the music business than Logic. Undeterred, the two decided to work together, continuing to use free music and social media to build Logic's reputation as a talented, fast-flowing rapper with a hopeful message. In 2012, Logic signed to Def Jam Records and in 2014 dropped his debut album "Under Pressure," which shot to number 4 on the Billboard charts. His third album in 2017 went platinum and included the breakout single "1 800 273 8255." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4387 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Brené Brown We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with professor, author, and host of the Unlocking Us podcast, Brené Brown. In this live conversation, Brené talks about how vulnerability is vital for good leadership, and how she sees gratitude as a driving force for improving office culture. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Aug 2021 04:15:14 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Brené Brown full 363 Guy Raz | Vox Media We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with professor, author, and host of the Unlocking Us podcast, Brené Brown. In this live conversation, Brené talks about how vulnerability is vital for good leadership, and how she sees gratitude as a driving force for improving office culture. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with professor, author, and host of the Unlocking Us podcast, Brené Brown. In this live conversation, Brené talks about how vulnerability is vital for good leadership, and how she sees gratitude as a driving force for improving office culture. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Unlocking Us podcast, Brené Brown. In this live conversation, Brené talks about how vulnerability is vital for good leadership, and how she sees gratitude as a driving force for improving office culture. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2124 no Stacy's Pita Chips: Stacy Madison (2019) In the 1990's, Stacy Madison and her boyfriend Mark Andrus were selling pita sandwiches from a converted hot dog cart in Boston. They decided to bake the leftover pita into chips, adding a dash of parmesan or cinnamon-sugar. At first they handed them out for free, but soon discovered that people were happy to pay for them. So they eventually decided to leave the sandwich cart behind and launch Stacy's Pita Chips. They hoped the brand might grow into a modest regional business—but it kept growing. Roughly ten years after the launch, Stacy's sold to PepsiCo for $250 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Aug 2021 04:15:20 -0000 Stacy's Pita Chips: Stacy Madison (2019) full 362 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the 1990's, Stacy Madison and her boyfriend Mark Andrus were selling pita sandwiches from a converted hot dog cart in Boston. They decided to bake the leftover pita into chips, adding a dash of parmesan or cinnamon-sugar. At first they handed them out for free, but soon discovered that people were happy to pay for them. So they eventually decided to leave the sandwich cart behind and launch Stacy's Pita Chips. They hoped the brand might grow into a modest regional business—but it kept growing. Roughly ten years after the launch, Stacy's sold to PepsiCo for $250 million. In the 1990's, Stacy Madison and her boyfriend Mark Andrus were selling pita sandwiches from a converted hot dog cart in Boston. They decided to bake the leftover pita into chips, adding a dash of parmesan or cinnamon-sugar. At first they handed them out for free, but soon discovered that people were happy to pay for them. So they eventually decided to leave the sandwich cart behind and launch Stacy's Pita Chips. They hoped the brand might grow into a modest regional business—but it kept growing. Roughly ten years after the launch, Stacy's sold to PepsiCo for $250 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3622 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Gary Vaynerchuk We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with internet content guru Gary Vaynerchuk. In this live conversation, Gary talks about his innovative approaches to marketing and branding, and his belief that you can make money from pretty much anything online, as long as you're passionate about it, and put in the work. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Aug 2021 04:00:45 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Gary Vaynerchuk full 361 Guy Raz | Vox Media We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with internet content guru Gary Vaynerchuk. In this live conversation, Gary talks about his innovative approaches to marketing and branding, and his belief that you can make money from pretty much anything online, as long as you're passionate about it, and put in the work. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. We have another episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit, and it's Guy's interview with internet content guru Gary Vaynerchuk. In this live conversation, Gary talks about his innovative approaches to marketing and branding, and his belief that you can make money from pretty much anything online, as long as you're passionate about it, and put in the work. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit throughout the month of August, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2363 no Serial Entrepreneur: Gary Vaynerchuk Growing up in New Jersey in the 1980's and 90's, Gary Vaynerchuk honed his business skills trading baseball cards and selling wine at his dad's liquor store. He discovered the potential of Youtube early on and launched Wine Library TV, an unfiltered, in-your-face wine review series that boosted the family business and branded Gary as an early social-media guru. From there, his marketing career exploded, and suddenly Gary Vee seemed to be everywhere: consulting, speaking, vlogging, tweeting, and publishing best-selling books, all while growing what is now a sprawling media company, VaynerX. His energy can be exhausting and his critics think he's full of it, but Gary shrugs them off; he credits much of his success to his immigrant upbringing and his parents' strong work ethic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Aug 2021 04:10:20 -0000 Serial Entrepreneur: Gary Vaynerchuk full 360 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up in New Jersey in the 1980's and 90's, Gary Vaynerchuk honed his business skills trading baseball cards and selling wine at his dad's liquor store. He discovered the potential of Youtube early on and launched Wine Library TV, an unfiltered, in-your-face wine review series that boosted the family business and branded Gary as an early social-media guru. From there, his marketing career exploded, and suddenly Gary Vee seemed to be everywhere: consulting, speaking, vlogging, tweeting, and publishing best-selling books, all while growing what is now a sprawling media company, VaynerX. His energy can be exhausting and his critics think he's full of it, but Gary shrugs them off; he credits much of his success to his immigrant upbringing and his parents' strong work ethic. Growing up in New Jersey in the 1980's and 90's, Gary Vaynerchuk honed his business skills trading baseball cards and selling wine at his dad's liquor store. He discovered the potential of Youtube early on and launched Wine Library TV, an unfiltered, in-your-face wine review series that boosted the family business and branded Gary as an early social-media guru. From there, his marketing career exploded, and suddenly Gary Vee seemed to be everywhere: consulting, speaking, vlogging, tweeting, and publishing best-selling books, all while growing what is now a sprawling media company, VaynerX. His energy can be exhausting and his critics think he's full of it, but Gary shrugs them off; he credits much of his success to his immigrant upbringing and his parents' strong work ethic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4455 no Robert Reffkin: Compass Robert Reffkin had a hard time fitting in when he was growing up: raised by a single mom in Berkeley California, he was both bi-racial and Jewish, and had to learn to "feel comfortable with being uncomfortable." Even though he was a self-described C student, he was admitted to Columbia and landed a series of prestigious investment banking jobs, but often felt like he was failing. Then in 2012, Robert was tasked with writing a business plan as part of a job interview, but the plan was so intriguing that he was encouraged to launch it as an actual business. So with a partner, Robert launched Compass, a real estate company that focused on building technology to make agents' jobs easier. Less than ten years after launch, Compass is a publicly traded real estate brokerage with about 20,000 agents, valued at around $6 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Jul 2021 04:10:41 -0000 Robert Reffkin: Compass full 359 Guy Raz | Vox Media Robert Reffkin had a hard time fitting in when he was growing up: raised by a single mom in Berkeley California, he was both bi-racial and Jewish, and had to learn to "feel comfortable with being uncomfortable." Even though he was a self-described C student, he was admitted to Columbia and landed a series of prestigious investment banking jobs, but often felt like he was failing. Then in 2012, Robert was tasked with writing a business plan as part of a job interview, but the plan was so intriguing that he was encouraged to launch it as an actual business. So with a partner, Robert launched Compass, a real estate company that focused on building technology to make agents' jobs easier. Less than ten years after launch, Compass is a publicly traded real estate brokerage with about 20,000 agents, valued at around $6 billion. Robert Reffkin had a hard time fitting in when he was growing up: raised by a single mom in Berkeley California, he was both bi-racial and Jewish, and had to learn to "feel comfortable with being uncomfortable." Even though he was a self-described C student, he was admitted to Columbia and landed a series of prestigious investment banking jobs, but often felt like he was failing. Then in 2012, Robert was tasked with writing a business plan as part of a job interview, but the plan was so intriguing that he was encouraged to launch it as an actual business. So with a partner, Robert launched Compass, a real estate company that focused on building technology to make agents' jobs easier. Less than ten years after launch, Compass is a publicly traded real estate brokerage with about 20,000 agents, valued at around $6 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4924 no Live From HIBT Summit: Payal Kadakia, Tristan Walker, and Perry Chen on Innovation Our second episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit is from our innovation panel with Payal Kadakia of ClassPass, Tristan Walker of Walker and Company, and Perry Chen of Kickstarter. In this live conversation with Guy, the panel talks about how innovation doesn't require newness, but rather, authenticity. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Jul 2021 04:15:09 -0000 Live From HIBT Summit: Payal Kadakia, Tristan Walker, and Perry Chen on Innovation full 358 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our second episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit is from our innovation panel with Payal Kadakia of ClassPass, Tristan Walker of Walker and Company, and Perry Chen of Kickstarter. In this live conversation with Guy, the panel talks about how innovation doesn't require newness, but rather, authenticity. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Our second episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit is from our innovation panel with Payal Kadakia of ClassPass, Tristan Walker of Walker and Company, and Perry Chen of Kickstarter. In this live conversation with Guy, the panel talks about how innovation doesn't require newness, but rather, authenticity. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2657 no Bobbi Brown Cosmetics: Bobbi Brown (2018) Bobbi Brown started out as a makeup artist in New York City, but hated the gaudy color palette of the 1980s. She eventually shook up the industry by introducing "nude makeup" with neutral colors and a natural tone. In 1995, Estée Lauder acquired Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Bobbi remained there for 22 years, until she realized the brand was no longer the one she had built. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Jul 2021 04:15:56 -0000 Bobbi Brown Cosmetics: Bobbi Brown (2018) full 357 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bobbi Brown started out as a makeup artist in New York City, but hated the gaudy color palette of the 1980s. She eventually shook up the industry by introducing "nude makeup" with neutral colors and a natural tone. In 1995, Estée Lauder acquired Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Bobbi remained there for 22 years, until she realized the brand was no longer the one she had built. Bobbi Brown started out as a makeup artist in New York City, but hated the gaudy color palette of the 1980s. She eventually shook up the industry by introducing "nude makeup" with neutral colors and a natural tone. In 1995, Estée Lauder acquired Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Bobbi remained there for 22 years, until she realized the brand was no longer the one she had built. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2981 no Mailchimp: Ben Chestnut In the late 1990s, Ben Chestnut was a struggling young designer interning at an appliance company, when somebody suggested that he try designing for the internet instead. A few years later, Ben and two co-founders launched a web design agency, only to discover that the service they'd included almost as an afterthought—email marketing—was taking off among their small-business clients. The founders named that service Mailchimp and pivoted to it full-time in 2007, choosing a winking monkey as their mascot, and stumbling onto the Freemium model before it became mainstream. But their most impeccable timing came in 2014, when they decided to sponsor a new podcast called Serial, a move that catapulted the winking monkey into popular culture. Over the years, despite management jitters and a public reckoning over office culture, Mailchimp has remained profitable and self-funded, with revenue of $800 million in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Jul 2021 04:10:20 -0000 Mailchimp: Ben Chestnut full 356 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1990s, Ben Chestnut was a struggling young designer interning at an appliance company, when somebody suggested that he try designing for the internet instead. A few years later, Ben and two co-founders launched a web design agency, only to discover that the service they'd included almost as an afterthought—email marketing—was taking off among their small-business clients. The founders named that service Mailchimp and pivoted to it full-time in 2007, choosing a winking monkey as their mascot, and stumbling onto the Freemium model before it became mainstream. But their most impeccable timing came in 2014, when they decided to sponsor a new podcast called Serial, a move that catapulted the winking monkey into popular culture. Over the years, despite management jitters and a public reckoning over office culture, Mailchimp has remained profitable and self-funded, with revenue of $800 million in 2020. In the late 1990s, Ben Chestnut was a struggling young designer interning at an appliance company, when somebody suggested that he try designing for the internet instead. A few years later, Ben and two co-founders launched a web design agency, only to discover that the service they'd included almost as an afterthought—email marketing—was taking off among their small-business clients. The founders named that service Mailchimp and pivoted to it full-time in 2007, choosing a winking monkey as their mascot, and stumbling onto the Freemium model before it became mainstream. But their most impeccable timing came in 2014, when they decided to sponsor a new podcast called Serial, a move that catapulted the winking monkey into popular culture. Over the years, despite management jitters and a public reckoning over office culture, Mailchimp has remained profitable and self-funded, with revenue of $800 million in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Serial, a move that catapulted the winking monkey into popular culture. Over the years, despite management jitters and a public reckoning over office culture, Mailchimp has remained profitable and self-funded, with revenue of $800 million in 2020.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5169 no Numi Organic Tea: Reem Hassani and Ahmed Rahim When they were in their 20s, Reem Hassani and her brother Ahmed Rahim were not the kind of people you'd expect to launch a multi-million dollar business. Reem was a California artist moonlighting as a substitute teacher, and Ahmed had been living the bohemian life of a photojournalist in Europe. But these two children of immigrants from Iraq had an idea: to introduce the dried lime tea they remembered from their childhood to the U.S. Working out of Reem's 600-square-foot apartment in Oakland, the siblings learned all about the challenges of lining up importers, packagers, and retailers to launch a premium loose-leaf tea brand—meant to be slowly steeped and savored. More than twenty years after it's launch in 1999, Numi Organic Tea is a privately held B Corporation that sells tens of millions of dollars of Fair Trade, organic tea every year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Jul 2021 04:10:57 -0000 Numi Organic Tea: Reem Hassani and Ahmed Rahim full 355 Guy Raz | Vox Media When they were in their 20s, Reem Hassani and her brother Ahmed Rahim were not the kind of people you'd expect to launch a multi-million dollar business. Reem was a California artist moonlighting as a substitute teacher, and Ahmed had been living the bohemian life of a photojournalist in Europe. But these two children of immigrants from Iraq had an idea: to introduce the dried lime tea they remembered from their childhood to the U.S. Working out of Reem's 600-square-foot apartment in Oakland, the siblings learned all about the challenges of lining up importers, packagers, and retailers to launch a premium loose-leaf tea brand—meant to be slowly steeped and savored. More than twenty years after it's launch in 1999, Numi Organic Tea is a privately held B Corporation that sells tens of millions of dollars of Fair Trade, organic tea every year. When they were in their 20s, Reem Hassani and her brother Ahmed Rahim were not the kind of people you'd expect to launch a multi-million dollar business. Reem was a California artist moonlighting as a substitute teacher, and Ahmed had been living the bohemian life of a photojournalist in Europe. But these two children of immigrants from Iraq had an idea: to introduce the dried lime tea they remembered from their childhood to the U.S. Working out of Reem's 600-square-foot apartment in Oakland, the siblings learned all about the challenges of lining up importers, packagers, and retailers to launch a premium loose-leaf tea brand—meant to be slowly steeped and savored. More than twenty years after it's launch in 1999, Numi Organic Tea is a privately held B Corporation that sells tens of millions of dollars of Fair Trade, organic tea every year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4418 no Casper: Philip Krim In the early 2000's, Philip Krim launched an e-commerce business out of his college dorm, selling everything from window blinds to eczema cream to yes, mattresses. Years later, inspired by online successes like Warby Parker and Harry's, Philip and his partners launched Casper, a DTC company that designed its own mattresses, compressed them into boxes, and helped turn a mundane purchase into an Instagrammable adventure. Within months, sales began to take off; and soon, copycat brands crowded into the DTC mattress space, creating competition and buzz in a previously sleepy sector. (Pun unavoidable) Despite these challenges, Casper's valuation soared to $1 billion in 2019, only to shrink by half for its 2020 IPO. Today, Philip says he's focused on the future, with ambitions to build Casper into a one-stop-brand for all things sleep-related. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Jun 2021 04:10:56 -0000 Casper: Philip Krim full 354 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 2000's, Philip Krim launched an e-commerce business out of his college dorm, selling everything from window blinds to eczema cream to yes, mattresses. Years later, inspired by online successes like Warby Parker and Harry's, Philip and his partners launched Casper, a DTC company that designed its own mattresses, compressed them into boxes, and helped turn a mundane purchase into an Instagrammable adventure. Within months, sales began to take off; and soon, copycat brands crowded into the DTC mattress space, creating competition and buzz in a previously sleepy sector. (Pun unavoidable) Despite these challenges, Casper's valuation soared to $1 billion in 2019, only to shrink by half for its 2020 IPO. Today, Philip says he's focused on the future, with ambitions to build Casper into a one-stop-brand for all things sleep-related. In the early 2000's, Philip Krim launched an e-commerce business out of his college dorm, selling everything from window blinds to eczema cream to yes, mattresses. Years later, inspired by online successes like Warby Parker and Harry's, Philip and his partners launched Casper, a DTC company that designed its own mattresses, compressed them into boxes, and helped turn a mundane purchase into an Instagrammable adventure. Within months, sales began to take off; and soon, copycat brands crowded into the DTC mattress space, creating competition and buzz in a previously sleepy sector. (Pun unavoidable) Despite these challenges, Casper's valuation soared to $1 billion in 2019, only to shrink by half for its 2020 IPO. Today, Philip says he's focused on the future, with ambitions to build Casper into a one-stop-brand for all things sleep-related. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5084 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Cynt Marshall, Chieh Huang, and Sadie Lincoln on Leadership Our first episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit is from our leadership panel with Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Chieh Huang, CEO and co-founder of Boxed, and Sadie Lincoln, CEO and co-founder of Barre3. In this conversation with Guy, the panel talks about the importance of showing vulnerability, and how leaders can build trust within their teams. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 24 Jun 2021 04:10:23 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Cynt Marshall, Chieh Huang, and Sadie Lincoln on Leadership full 353 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our first episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit is from our leadership panel with Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Chieh Huang, CEO and co-founder of Boxed, and Sadie Lincoln, CEO and co-founder of Barre3. In this conversation with Guy, the panel talks about the importance of showing vulnerability, and how leaders can build trust within their teams. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Our first episode from the 2021 How I Built This Virtual Summit is from our leadership panel with Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Chieh Huang, CEO and co-founder of Boxed, and Sadie Lincoln, CEO and co-founder of Barre3. In this conversation with Guy, the panel talks about the importance of showing vulnerability, and how leaders can build trust within their teams. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Virtual Summit is from our leadership panel with Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Chieh Huang, CEO and co-founder of Boxed, and Sadie Lincoln, CEO and co-founder of Barre3. In this conversation with Guy, the panel talks about the importance of showing vulnerability, and how leaders can build trust within their teams. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2265 no ARRAY: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay By her early thirties, Ava DuVernay was already a successful entrepreneur, having founded her own film publicity agency in Los Angeles. But after years of watching other people make films, she started to get an itch to tell her own stories onscreen. Ava's first films were rooted in deeply personal experiences: growing up with her sisters in Compton, performing Hip Hop at Open Mic Night at the Good Life Café in L.A. Her self-funded and self-distributed projects began to draw attention, and in 2012, Ava won the award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct powerful projects like Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Jun 2021 04:30:25 -0000 ARRAY: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay full 352 Guy Raz | Vox Media By her early thirties, Ava DuVernay was already a successful entrepreneur, having founded her own film publicity agency in Los Angeles. But after years of watching other people make films, she started to get an itch to tell her own stories onscreen. Ava's first films were rooted in deeply personal experiences: growing up with her sisters in Compton, performing Hip Hop at Open Mic Night at the Good Life Café in L.A. Her self-funded and self-distributed projects began to draw attention, and in 2012, Ava won the award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct powerful projects like Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them. By her early thirties, Ava DuVernay was already a successful entrepreneur, having founded her own film publicity agency in Los Angeles. But after years of watching other people make films, she started to get an itch to tell her own stories onscreen. Ava's first films were rooted in deeply personal experiences: growing up with her sisters in Compton, performing Hip Hop at Open Mic Night at the Good Life Café in L.A. Her self-funded and self-distributed projects began to draw attention, and in 2012, Ava won the award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct powerful projects like Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Selma, 13th, and When They See Us; and through her production and distribution company ARRAY, she's created a movement that is helping change how movies are made—and who gets to make them.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5557 no Expedia & Zillow: Rich Barton In the early 90s, Rich Barton arrived to work at Microsoft just as the world wide web was taking off. He wound up pitching Bill Gates on an idea that was transformative at the time: to let everyday travelers book their own flights and hotels by giving them online access to previously hidden reservation systems. Expedia launched from inside Microsoft but was so successful at transforming the travel industry that it was spun out into a public company with Rich as CEO. Then in 2005, Rich moved on to a new idea with some Expedia colleagues, co-founding Zillow as a way to "turn on all the lights" in another sprawling industry: real estate. When the site launched in 2006, so many people tried to look up their home-value "Zestimates" that the site crashed within hours. By 2020, pandemic-era interest in housing saw Zillow accessed almost 10 billion times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Jun 2021 04:10:11 -0000 Expedia & Zillow: Rich Barton full 351 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 90s, Rich Barton arrived to work at Microsoft just as the world wide web was taking off. He wound up pitching Bill Gates on an idea that was transformative at the time: to let everyday travelers book their own flights and hotels by giving them online access to previously hidden reservation systems. Expedia launched from inside Microsoft but was so successful at transforming the travel industry that it was spun out into a public company with Rich as CEO. Then in 2005, Rich moved on to a new idea with some Expedia colleagues, co-founding Zillow as a way to "turn on all the lights" in another sprawling industry: real estate. When the site launched in 2006, so many people tried to look up their home-value "Zestimates" that the site crashed within hours. By 2020, pandemic-era interest in housing saw Zillow accessed almost 10 billion times. In the early 90s, Rich Barton arrived to work at Microsoft just as the world wide web was taking off. He wound up pitching Bill Gates on an idea that was transformative at the time: to let everyday travelers book their own flights and hotels by giving them online access to previously hidden reservation systems. Expedia launched from inside Microsoft but was so successful at transforming the travel industry that it was spun out into a public company with Rich as CEO. Then in 2005, Rich moved on to a new idea with some Expedia colleagues, co-founding Zillow as a way to "turn on all the lights" in another sprawling industry: real estate. When the site launched in 2006, so many people tried to look up their home-value "Zestimates" that the site crashed within hours. By 2020, pandemic-era interest in housing saw Zillow accessed almost 10 billion times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4024 no Jovial Foods: Carla Bartolucci Carla Bartolucci grew up in an Italian-American household, eating fresh gnocchi and ravioli made by her mother, and lobster caught by her father. She met her husband Rodolfo while studying abroad in Italy; and by the early 1990's, the two of them were running a small sandwich shop in Mystic, Connecticut. They eventually partnered with the Italian company Bionaturae to sell whole wheat pastas, sauces and olive oil in the U.S. When that partnership ended in a lawsuit, Carla decided to launch her own brand of pasta, made from gluten-free grains and a prehistoric wheat called Einkorn. Jovial Foods has since grown into a multi-million dollar brand that includes organic tomatoes, olive oil, and snacks.Very sadly, Carla passed away unexpectedly last month after a brief illness. We're sharing this interview in celebration of her remarkable life and career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Jun 2021 04:10:49 -0000 Jovial Foods: Carla Bartolucci full 350 Guy Raz | Vox Media Carla Bartolucci grew up in an Italian-American household, eating fresh gnocchi and ravioli made by her mother, and lobster caught by her father. She met her husband Rodolfo while studying abroad in Italy; and by the early 1990's, the two of them were running a small sandwich shop in Mystic, Connecticut. They eventually partnered with the Italian company Bionaturae to sell whole wheat pastas, sauces and olive oil in the U.S. When that partnership ended in a lawsuit, Carla decided to launch her own brand of pasta, made from gluten-free grains and a prehistoric wheat called Einkorn. Jovial Foods has since grown into a multi-million dollar brand that includes organic tomatoes, olive oil, and snacks.Very sadly, Carla passed away unexpectedly last month after a brief illness. We're sharing this interview in celebration of her remarkable life and career. Carla Bartolucci grew up in an Italian-American household, eating fresh gnocchi and ravioli made by her mother, and lobster caught by her father. She met her husband Rodolfo while studying abroad in Italy; and by the early 1990's, the two of them were running a small sandwich shop in Mystic, Connecticut. They eventually partnered with the Italian company Bionaturae to sell whole wheat pastas, sauces and olive oil in the U.S. When that partnership ended in a lawsuit, Carla decided to launch her own brand of pasta, made from gluten-free grains and a prehistoric wheat called Einkorn. Jovial Foods has since grown into a multi-million dollar brand that includes organic tomatoes, olive oil, and snacks.Very sadly, Carla passed away unexpectedly last month after a brief illness. We're sharing this interview in celebration of her remarkable life and career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Very sadly, Carla passed away unexpectedly last month after a brief illness. We're sharing this interview in celebration of her remarkable life and career.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4868 no JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman (2019) In the mid-90s, David Neeleman wanted to launch a new airline. He had already co-created a regional airline out of Salt Lake City that was acquired by Southwest. And despite his admiration of Southwest's business model, Neeleman felt there was a market for a different kind of budget airline. He envisioned flights to cities other budget airlines avoided and excellent customer service, with high-tech amenities. In 2000, he launched JetBlue and in its first year, the company flew over 1 million people, and cultivated a loyal customer following. Then came the 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 May 2021 04:10:04 -0000 JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman (2019) full 349 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the mid-90s, David Neeleman wanted to launch a new airline. He had already co-created a regional airline out of Salt Lake City that was acquired by Southwest. And despite his admiration of Southwest's business model, Neeleman felt there was a market for a different kind of budget airline. He envisioned flights to cities other budget airlines avoided and excellent customer service, with high-tech amenities. In 2000, he launched JetBlue and in its first year, the company flew over 1 million people, and cultivated a loyal customer following. Then came the 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm. In the mid-90s, David Neeleman wanted to launch a new airline. He had already co-created a regional airline out of Salt Lake City that was acquired by Southwest. And despite his admiration of Southwest's business model, Neeleman felt there was a market for a different kind of budget airline. He envisioned flights to cities other budget airlines avoided and excellent customer service, with high-tech amenities. In 2000, he launched JetBlue and in its first year, the company flew over 1 million people, and cultivated a loyal customer following. Then came the 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4082 no Meet The HIBT Fellows: Dinesh Tadepalli & Jennifer Zeitler As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to all of them. In this episode: Dinesh Tadepalli is the co-founder of Incredible Eats, which he hopes will reduce plastic use, and reinvent the way we eat. Also, Jennifer Zeitler founded Let's Goat Buffalo, to offer a natural alternative to harmful chemicals and heavy machinery for land management; that solution: goats.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tue, 25 May 2021 04:02:50 -0000 Meet The HIBT Fellows: Dinesh Tadepalli & Jennifer Zeitler full 348 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to all of them. In this episode: Dinesh Tadepalli is the co-founder of Incredible Eats, which he hopes will reduce plastic use, and reinvent the way we eat. Also, Jennifer Zeitler founded Let's Goat Buffalo, to offer a natural alternative to harmful chemicals and heavy machinery for land management; that solution: goats.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to all of them. In this episode: Dinesh Tadepalli is the co-founder of Incredible Eats, which he hopes will reduce plastic use, and reinvent the way we eat. Also, Jennifer Zeitler founded Let's Goat Buffalo, to offer a natural alternative to harmful chemicals and heavy machinery for land management; that solution: goats.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1636 no Policygenius: Jennifer Fitzgerald Some of the world's biggest industries sell products that we all need...but don't want to think about. That's what drew Jennifer Fitzgerald to insurance: she wanted to help people understand the often bewildering world of protecting themselves in case of emergencies. In 2013, she and her partner Francois de Lame left their stable and lucrative consulting jobs to create Policygenius, an online marketplace for insurance that lets consumers compare rates and learn everything they need to know to make informed decisions about their financial future. At the beginning, Jennifer couldn't convince investors to take a chance on the company, and faced rejection after rejection as she tried to hold on to a handful of customers. But by building a relationship with the financial blogging community—and leaning in to a few well-placed financial technology puns—Policygenius got a foot in the door. By 2020, Jennifer and her team had raised over $100 million, and the company now has more than 30 million users.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 May 2021 04:01:10 -0000 Policygenius: Jennifer Fitzgerald full 347 Guy Raz | Vox Media Some of the world's biggest industries sell products that we all need...but don't want to think about. That's what drew Jennifer Fitzgerald to insurance: she wanted to help people understand the often bewildering world of protecting themselves in case of emergencies. In 2013, she and her partner Francois de Lame left their stable and lucrative consulting jobs to create Policygenius, an online marketplace for insurance that lets consumers compare rates and learn everything they need to know to make informed decisions about their financial future. At the beginning, Jennifer couldn't convince investors to take a chance on the company, and faced rejection after rejection as she tried to hold on to a handful of customers. But by building a relationship with the financial blogging community—and leaning in to a few well-placed financial technology puns—Policygenius got a foot in the door. By 2020, Jennifer and her team had raised over $100 million, and the company now has more than 30 million users.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Some of the world's biggest industries sell products that we all need...but don't want to think about. That's what drew Jennifer Fitzgerald to insurance: she wanted to help people understand the often bewildering world of protecting themselves in case of emergencies. In 2013, she and her partner Francois de Lame left their stable and lucrative consulting jobs to create Policygenius, an online marketplace for insurance that lets consumers compare rates and learn everything they need to know to make informed decisions about their financial future. At the beginning, Jennifer couldn't convince investors to take a chance on the company, and faced rejection after rejection as she tried to hold on to a handful of customers. But by building a relationship with the financial blogging community—and leaning in to a few well-placed financial technology puns—Policygenius got a foot in the door. By 2020, Jennifer and her team had raised over $100 million, and the company now has more than 30 million users.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4942 no Meet The HIBT Fellows: Kaitlin McGreyes & Nicole Argüelles As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to each of them. In this episode: Kaitlin McGreyes founded Be Her Village to be a gift registry for expectant families that provides more than just...stuff. And Nicole Argüelles founded Alli to address period poverty and provide easy access to personal care and hygiene products in public spaces.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 May 2021 04:10:47 -0000 Meet The HIBT Fellows: Kaitlin McGreyes & Nicole Argüelles full 346 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to each of them. In this episode: Kaitlin McGreyes founded Be Her Village to be a gift registry for expectant families that provides more than just...stuff. And Nicole Argüelles founded Alli to address period poverty and provide easy access to personal care and hygiene products in public spaces.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to each of them. In this episode: Kaitlin McGreyes founded Be Her Village to be a gift registry for expectant families that provides more than just...stuff. And Nicole Argüelles founded Alli to address period poverty and provide easy access to personal care and hygiene products in public spaces.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1664 no Meet The HIBT Fellows: Mark Atlan & Zach Correa As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to each of them. In this episode: Mark Atlan co-founded ZappCare to help make sure that people living on tribal lands have access to health and medical services close to their homes. And Zach Correa hopes to connect users of lemonGRAFT to the people in their own neighborhood that grow fresh produce.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tue, 18 May 2021 04:10:00 -0000 Meet The HIBT Fellows: Mark Atlan & Zach Correa full 345 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to each of them. In this episode: Mark Atlan co-founded ZappCare to help make sure that people living on tribal lands have access to health and medical services close to their homes. And Zach Correa hopes to connect users of lemonGRAFT to the people in their own neighborhood that grow fresh produce.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to each of them. In this episode: Mark Atlan co-founded ZappCare to help make sure that people living on tribal lands have access to health and medical services close to their homes. And Zach Correa hopes to connect users of lemonGRAFT to the people in their own neighborhood that grow fresh produce.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1639 no Diapers.com & Jet.com: Marc Lore Around 2003, after forays into banking, baseball cards, and—believe it or not—bobsledding, Marc Lore landed on an idea for an e-commerce business: a website to make it simple for parents to order diapers. The only problem, as he quickly discovered, was that it's impossible to make money selling diapers on the internet. But Marc and his co-founder had a strategy: they'd lose money on diapers, but make it up by selling other baby products. By 2010, Diapers.com was such a competitive threat that Amazon acquired the company for over $500 million. In 2015, Marc launched another e-commerce venture and Amazon competitor called Jet.com. Walmart bought Jet.com less than a year later in a deal valued at $3.3 billion.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 May 2021 04:10:11 -0000 Diapers.com & Jet.com: Marc Lore full 344 Guy Raz | Vox Media Around 2003, after forays into banking, baseball cards, and—believe it or not—bobsledding, Marc Lore landed on an idea for an e-commerce business: a website to make it simple for parents to order diapers. The only problem, as he quickly discovered, was that it's impossible to make money selling diapers on the internet. But Marc and his co-founder had a strategy: they'd lose money on diapers, but make it up by selling other baby products. By 2010, Diapers.com was such a competitive threat that Amazon acquired the company for over $500 million. In 2015, Marc launched another e-commerce venture and Amazon competitor called Jet.com. Walmart bought Jet.com less than a year later in a deal valued at $3.3 billion.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Around 2003, after forays into banking, baseball cards, and—believe it or not—bobsledding, Marc Lore landed on an idea for an e-commerce business: a website to make it simple for parents to order diapers. The only problem, as he quickly discovered, was that it's impossible to make money selling diapers on the internet. But Marc and his co-founder had a strategy: they'd lose money on diapers, but make it up by selling other baby products. By 2010, Diapers.com was such a competitive threat that Amazon acquired the company for over $500 million. In 2015, Marc launched another e-commerce venture and Amazon competitor called Jet.com. Walmart bought Jet.com less than a year later in a deal valued at $3.3 billion.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4693 no Meet The HIBT Fellows: Katie Mitchell & Celena Gill As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to them over the next couple weeks. In this episode: Katie Mitchell and her mother Katherine opened a book shop in Atlanta called Good Books, that centers Black authors and brings books into the community. And in Washington, D.C., Celena Gill and her three sons, Collin, Ryan, and Austin, started the home fragrance and candle company, Frères Branchiaux.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 May 2021 04:01:31 -0000 Meet The HIBT Fellows: Katie Mitchell & Celena Gill full 343 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to them over the next couple weeks. In this episode: Katie Mitchell and her mother Katherine opened a book shop in Atlanta called Good Books, that centers Black authors and brings books into the community. And in Washington, D.C., Celena Gill and her three sons, Collin, Ryan, and Austin, started the home fragrance and candle company, Frères Branchiaux.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to them over the next couple weeks. In this episode: Katie Mitchell and her mother Katherine opened a book shop in Atlanta called Good Books, that centers Black authors and brings books into the community. And in Washington, D.C., Celena Gill and her three sons, Collin, Ryan, and Austin, started the home fragrance and candle company, Frères Branchiaux.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1540 no Meet The HIBT Fellows: Pierre Paul & Toby Egbuna As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to them over the next couple weeks. In this episode: Pierre Paul, founder of a company called We Hear You that's developing a sign language translator that turns American Sign Language into audible speech and vice versa. Also, Toby Egbuna, co-founder of Chezie, a platform for job seekers aimed at creating career opportunities for people from under-represented groups.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tue, 11 May 2021 04:01:24 -0000 Meet The HIBT Fellows: Pierre Paul & Toby Egbuna full 342 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to them over the next couple weeks. In this episode: Pierre Paul, founder of a company called We Hear You that's developing a sign language translator that turns American Sign Language into audible speech and vice versa. Also, Toby Egbuna, co-founder of Chezie, a platform for job seekers aimed at creating career opportunities for people from under-represented groups.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org As a part of the 2021 How I Built This Summit (At Home) we have selected 10 Fellows, and we'd like to introduce you to them over the next couple weeks. In this episode: Pierre Paul, founder of a company called We Hear You that's developing a sign language translator that turns American Sign Language into audible speech and vice versa. Also, Toby Egbuna, co-founder of Chezie, a platform for job seekers aimed at creating career opportunities for people from under-represented groups.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1914 no Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner (2018) In the pre-Internet 1970's, Sandy Lerner was part of a loosely-knit group of programmers that was trying to get computers to talk to each other. Eventually, she and Len Bosack launched Cisco Systems, making the routing technology that helped forge the plumbing of the Internet. But when things turned sour at the company, she was forced to leave, giving her the chance to start something entirely new: an edgy line of cosmetics called Urban Decay.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 May 2021 08:10:45 -0000 Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner (2018) full 341 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the pre-Internet 1970's, Sandy Lerner was part of a loosely-knit group of programmers that was trying to get computers to talk to each other. Eventually, she and Len Bosack launched Cisco Systems, making the routing technology that helped forge the plumbing of the Internet. But when things turned sour at the company, she was forced to leave, giving her the chance to start something entirely new: an edgy line of cosmetics called Urban Decay.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org In the pre-Internet 1970's, Sandy Lerner was part of a loosely-knit group of programmers that was trying to get computers to talk to each other. Eventually, she and Len Bosack launched Cisco Systems, making the routing technology that helped forge the plumbing of the Internet. But when things turned sour at the company, she was forced to leave, giving her the chance to start something entirely new: an edgy line of cosmetics called Urban Decay.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3551 no Live Episode! Clubhouse: Paul Davison and Rohan Seth After selling both of their social app companies and rethinking their day jobs, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth knew they should not get into the volatile business of social media again. Despite exploring more practical ideas in other industries, they were found themselves drawn to the potential of live social audio, and decided they had to build another social app. What they didn't know was that, as they launched Clubhouse in March 2020, a global pandemic would create a new market of people looking for virtual spaces to connect. Today, despite issues with chat moderation, an invitation-only launch and increasing competition from established media companies, Clubhouse has continued to grow and now has over 10 million users. This interview was recorded live as part of a virtual event in April 2021.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 May 2021 04:01:47 -0000 Live Episode! Clubhouse: Paul Davison and Rohan Seth full 340 Guy Raz | Vox Media After selling both of their social app companies and rethinking their day jobs, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth knew they should not get into the volatile business of social media again. Despite exploring more practical ideas in other industries, they were found themselves drawn to the potential of live social audio, and decided they had to build another social app. What they didn't know was that, as they launched Clubhouse in March 2020, a global pandemic would create a new market of people looking for virtual spaces to connect. Today, despite issues with chat moderation, an invitation-only launch and increasing competition from established media companies, Clubhouse has continued to grow and now has over 10 million users. This interview was recorded live as part of a virtual event in April 2021.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org After selling both of their social app companies and rethinking their day jobs, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth knew they should not get into the volatile business of social media again. Despite exploring more practical ideas in other industries, they were found themselves drawn to the potential of live social audio, and decided they had to build another social app. What they didn't know was that, as they launched Clubhouse in March 2020, a global pandemic would create a new market of people looking for virtual spaces to connect. Today, despite issues with chat moderation, an invitation-only launch and increasing competition from established media companies, Clubhouse has continued to grow and now has over 10 million users. This interview was recorded live as part of a virtual event in April 2021.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3509 no Eleven Madison Park: Daniel Humm Daniel Humm dropped out of school at 14 to become a competitive cyclist, and supported himself by cutting vegetables and making soup stock at fine restaurants in Switzerland. When he eventually realized he'd never become a world-class cyclist, he pivoted to the equally competitive world of fine dining, and soon became a rising young chef in Switzerland, and then San Francisco. In 2006, he was wooed to New York to re-imagine the restaurant Eleven Madison Park, and began drawing raves for his painterly presentations of duck, foie gras, and suckling pig. The restaurant was recognized in 2017 as the world's best, but was forced to shut down during the pandemic. When it reopens in June, it will generate a new buzz in gastronomy: this time by revamping its menu to be entirely plant-based. How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 May 2021 04:01:00 -0000 Eleven Madison Park: Daniel Humm full 339 Guy Raz | Vox Media Daniel Humm dropped out of school at 14 to become a competitive cyclist, and supported himself by cutting vegetables and making soup stock at fine restaurants in Switzerland. When he eventually realized he'd never become a world-class cyclist, he pivoted to the equally competitive world of fine dining, and soon became a rising young chef in Switzerland, and then San Francisco. In 2006, he was wooed to New York to re-imagine the restaurant Eleven Madison Park, and began drawing raves for his painterly presentations of duck, foie gras, and suckling pig. The restaurant was recognized in 2017 as the world's best, but was forced to shut down during the pandemic. When it reopens in June, it will generate a new buzz in gastronomy: this time by revamping its menu to be entirely plant-based. How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Daniel Humm dropped out of school at 14 to become a competitive cyclist, and supported himself by cutting vegetables and making soup stock at fine restaurants in Switzerland. When he eventually realized he'd never become a world-class cyclist, he pivoted to the equally competitive world of fine dining, and soon became a rising young chef in Switzerland, and then San Francisco. In 2006, he was wooed to New York to re-imagine the restaurant Eleven Madison Park, and began drawing raves for his painterly presentations of duck, foie gras, and suckling pig. The restaurant was recognized in 2017 as the world's best, but was forced to shut down during the pandemic. When it reopens in June, it will generate a new buzz in gastronomy: this time by revamping its menu to be entirely plant-based. How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4467 no Live Episode! Wellness Coach and Podcaster: Jay Shetty Jay Shetty was living the life of a rebellious teen in London when a friend talked him into attending a talk by a Hindu monk. It was a life-changing event, and started Jay on a path to become a monk himself and join an ashram in India. He left monastic life after three years, but took many of its lessons with him, and decided to share them with others. His YouTube videos began to spread on social media and eventually evolved into a podcast, and the best-selling book Think Like a Monk. Today Jay runs a wellness and coaching business, and provides life guidance to millions of people around the world. This interview was recorded live as part of a virtual event in March 2021.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Apr 2021 04:01:13 -0000 Live Episode! Wellness Coach and Podcaster: Jay Shetty full 338 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jay Shetty was living the life of a rebellious teen in London when a friend talked him into attending a talk by a Hindu monk. It was a life-changing event, and started Jay on a path to become a monk himself and join an ashram in India. He left monastic life after three years, but took many of its lessons with him, and decided to share them with others. His YouTube videos began to spread on social media and eventually evolved into a podcast, and the best-selling book Think Like a Monk. Today Jay runs a wellness and coaching business, and provides life guidance to millions of people around the world. This interview was recorded live as part of a virtual event in March 2021.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Jay Shetty was living the life of a rebellious teen in London when a friend talked him into attending a talk by a Hindu monk. It was a life-changing event, and started Jay on a path to become a monk himself and join an ashram in India. He left monastic life after three years, but took many of its lessons with him, and decided to share them with others. His YouTube videos began to spread on social media and eventually evolved into a podcast, and the best-selling book Think Like a Monk. Today Jay runs a wellness and coaching business, and provides life guidance to millions of people around the world. This interview was recorded live as part of a virtual event in March 2021.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Think Like a Monk. Today Jay runs a wellness and coaching business, and provides life guidance to millions of people around the world. This interview was recorded live as part of a virtual event in March 2021.

How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4175 no Pipcorn: Jennifer and Jeff Martin While working at a farmers market in Chicago, Jennifer Martin had a Jack-in-the-Beanstalk moment—a chance encounter with some tiny kernels, which wound up growing into a small giant of a business: Pipcorn, snacks made of heirloom corn. Along with her brother Jeff and sister-in-law Teresa, Jennifer launched the brand in 2012, hand-popping mounds of popcorn and hand-stamping the packaging. Within a few months, the team was featured on Oprah, and within a few years, they were on Shark Tank, but each time the publicity nearly derailed them, forcing them to scramble to meet demand. Today, Pipcorn has expanded to include crackers, dippers, and cheese balls, and is sold in more than 10,000 stores across the country.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Apr 2021 04:01:13 -0000 Pipcorn: Jennifer and Jeff Martin full 337 Guy Raz | Vox Media While working at a farmers market in Chicago, Jennifer Martin had a Jack-in-the-Beanstalk moment—a chance encounter with some tiny kernels, which wound up growing into a small giant of a business: Pipcorn, snacks made of heirloom corn. Along with her brother Jeff and sister-in-law Teresa, Jennifer launched the brand in 2012, hand-popping mounds of popcorn and hand-stamping the packaging. Within a few months, the team was featured on Oprah, and within a few years, they were on Shark Tank, but each time the publicity nearly derailed them, forcing them to scramble to meet demand. Today, Pipcorn has expanded to include crackers, dippers, and cheese balls, and is sold in more than 10,000 stores across the country.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org While working at a farmers market in Chicago, Jennifer Martin had a Jack-in-the-Beanstalk moment—a chance encounter with some tiny kernels, which wound up growing into a small giant of a business: Pipcorn, snacks made of heirloom corn. Along with her brother Jeff and sister-in-law Teresa, Jennifer launched the brand in 2012, hand-popping mounds of popcorn and hand-stamping the packaging. Within a few months, the team was featured on Oprah, and within a few years, they were on Shark Tank, but each time the publicity nearly derailed them, forcing them to scramble to meet demand. Today, Pipcorn has expanded to include crackers, dippers, and cheese balls, and is sold in more than 10,000 stores across the country.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 6203 no How I Built Resilience: Bayard Winthrop of American Giant Bayard Winthrop is the CEO and founder of American Giant, known for its American-made hoodies, t-shirts and jeans. When the pandemic brought on production holds and storefront closures, Bayard found himself working from his car parked in front of his house. He speaks with Guy about the growth American Giant saw last year due to the increased demand for comfortable work-from-home clothing, and he offers advice on how to incentivize other companies to produce their clothing in the US. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Apr 2021 04:01:37 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Bayard Winthrop of American Giant full 336 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bayard Winthrop is the CEO and founder of American Giant, known for its American-made hoodies, t-shirts and jeans. When the pandemic brought on production holds and storefront closures, Bayard found himself working from his car parked in front of his house. He speaks with Guy about the growth American Giant saw last year due to the increased demand for comfortable work-from-home clothing, and he offers advice on how to incentivize other companies to produce their clothing in the US. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Bayard Winthrop is the CEO and founder of American Giant, known for its American-made hoodies, t-shirts and jeans. When the pandemic brought on production holds and storefront closures, Bayard found himself working from his car parked in front of his house. He speaks with Guy about the growth American Giant saw last year due to the increased demand for comfortable work-from-home clothing, and he offers advice on how to incentivize other companies to produce their clothing in the US. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1997 no SoulCycle: Julie Rice & Elizabeth Cutler (2019) Before Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice met, they shared a common belief: New York City gyms didn't have the kind of exercise classes they craved, and each of them wanted to change that. A fitness instructor introduced them over lunch in 2005, and before the meal was done they were set on opening a stationary bike studio, with a chic and aspirational vibe. A few months later, the first SoulCycle opened in upper Manhattan. Since then, SoulCycle has cultivated a near-tribal devotion among its clients, with studios across the United States and Canada.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Apr 2021 04:01:08 -0000 SoulCycle: Julie Rice & Elizabeth Cutler (2019) full 335 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice met, they shared a common belief: New York City gyms didn't have the kind of exercise classes they craved, and each of them wanted to change that. A fitness instructor introduced them over lunch in 2005, and before the meal was done they were set on opening a stationary bike studio, with a chic and aspirational vibe. A few months later, the first SoulCycle opened in upper Manhattan. Since then, SoulCycle has cultivated a near-tribal devotion among its clients, with studios across the United States and Canada.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Before Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice met, they shared a common belief: New York City gyms didn't have the kind of exercise classes they craved, and each of them wanted to change that. A fitness instructor introduced them over lunch in 2005, and before the meal was done they were set on opening a stationary bike studio, with a chic and aspirational vibe. A few months later, the first SoulCycle opened in upper Manhattan. Since then, SoulCycle has cultivated a near-tribal devotion among its clients, with studios across the United States and Canada.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3323 no How I Built Resilience: Lindsay Peoples Wagner of The Cut Lindsay Peoples Wagner got her first taste of the fashion industry interning at Teen Vouge, where she cleaned massive closets filled with the season's latest trends. She eventually went on to serve as the publication's editor-in-chief for nearly three years. During this pandemic, she left her job at Teen Vouge and took on two new roles: the editor-in-chief of The Cut, a digital publication, and the co-founder of the Black in Fashion Council. Lindsay shares how the Black in Fashion Council is addressing inequalities within the fashion industry, and offers advice for young journalists trying to break into publishing. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:01:29 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Lindsay Peoples Wagner of The Cut full 334 Guy Raz | Vox Media Lindsay Peoples Wagner got her first taste of the fashion industry interning at Teen Vouge, where she cleaned massive closets filled with the season's latest trends. She eventually went on to serve as the publication's editor-in-chief for nearly three years. During this pandemic, she left her job at Teen Vouge and took on two new roles: the editor-in-chief of The Cut, a digital publication, and the co-founder of the Black in Fashion Council. Lindsay shares how the Black in Fashion Council is addressing inequalities within the fashion industry, and offers advice for young journalists trying to break into publishing. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Lindsay Peoples Wagner got her first taste of the fashion industry interning at Teen Vouge, where she cleaned massive closets filled with the season's latest trends. She eventually went on to serve as the publication's editor-in-chief for nearly three years. During this pandemic, she left her job at Teen Vouge and took on two new roles: the editor-in-chief of The Cut, a digital publication, and the co-founder of the Black in Fashion Council. Lindsay shares how the Black in Fashion Council is addressing inequalities within the fashion industry, and offers advice for young journalists trying to break into publishing. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Teen Vouge, where she cleaned massive closets filled with the season's latest trends. She eventually went on to serve as the publication's editor-in-chief for nearly three years. During this pandemic, she left her job at Teen Vouge and took on two new roles: the editor-in-chief of The Cut, a digital publication, and the co-founder of the Black in Fashion Council. Lindsay shares how the Black in Fashion Council is addressing inequalities within the fashion industry, and offers advice for young journalists trying to break into publishing. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1941 no Robinhood: Vlad Tenev Before Robinhood became one of the most loved and most hated stock trading platforms in the U.S., it was just another tech startup, launched by two mathematicians with an audacious idea: make stock trading mobile, make it fun, and make it free—with no commissions, and no minimum balances. In 2013, Vlad Tenev and Baiju Bhatt decided to pursue this idea full-time. They sidelined their first business—selling software that shaved milliseconds off high-speed trades—and began building an app aimed at anyone with a smartphone and a few extra dollars to invest. After launching in 2015, Robinhood steadily attracted users and rave reviews, but soon drew criticism for its business model, which came under even more scrutiny after the GameStop trading frenzy in January. Despite these challenges, Robinhood has grown to 13 million users and is now poised for a lucrative IPO.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Apr 2021 04:01:19 -0000 Robinhood: Vlad Tenev full 333 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before Robinhood became one of the most loved and most hated stock trading platforms in the U.S., it was just another tech startup, launched by two mathematicians with an audacious idea: make stock trading mobile, make it fun, and make it free—with no commissions, and no minimum balances. In 2013, Vlad Tenev and Baiju Bhatt decided to pursue this idea full-time. They sidelined their first business—selling software that shaved milliseconds off high-speed trades—and began building an app aimed at anyone with a smartphone and a few extra dollars to invest. After launching in 2015, Robinhood steadily attracted users and rave reviews, but soon drew criticism for its business model, which came under even more scrutiny after the GameStop trading frenzy in January. Despite these challenges, Robinhood has grown to 13 million users and is now poised for a lucrative IPO.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Before Robinhood became one of the most loved and most hated stock trading platforms in the U.S., it was just another tech startup, launched by two mathematicians with an audacious idea: make stock trading mobile, make it fun, and make it free—with no commissions, and no minimum balances. In 2013, Vlad Tenev and Baiju Bhatt decided to pursue this idea full-time. They sidelined their first business—selling software that shaved milliseconds off high-speed trades—and began building an app aimed at anyone with a smartphone and a few extra dollars to invest. After launching in 2015, Robinhood steadily attracted users and rave reviews, but soon drew criticism for its business model, which came under even more scrutiny after the GameStop trading frenzy in January. Despite these challenges, Robinhood has grown to 13 million users and is now poised for a lucrative IPO.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5149 no How I Built Resilience: Ethan Diamond of Bandcamp In the early 2000s, the online music community was defined by MySpace, illegally downloaded music, and poorly made band websites. Then came Bandcamp – a music marketplace where fans can directly and easily support their favorite musicians. The company has steadily grown since its launch in 2007, but last year traffic and sales surged. CEO and co-founder Ethan Diamond talks with Guy about launching a virtual concert space in the pandemic and why the company started Bandcamp Friday, a monthly event where all processing fees are waived and all funds go directly to the artists. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Apr 2021 04:01:52 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Ethan Diamond of Bandcamp full 332 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 2000s, the online music community was defined by MySpace, illegally downloaded music, and poorly made band websites. Then came Bandcamp – a music marketplace where fans can directly and easily support their favorite musicians. The company has steadily grown since its launch in 2007, but last year traffic and sales surged. CEO and co-founder Ethan Diamond talks with Guy about launching a virtual concert space in the pandemic and why the company started Bandcamp Friday, a monthly event where all processing fees are waived and all funds go directly to the artists. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. In the early 2000s, the online music community was defined by MySpace, illegally downloaded music, and poorly made band websites. Then came Bandcamp – a music marketplace where fans can directly and easily support their favorite musicians. The company has steadily grown since its launch in 2007, but last year traffic and sales surged. CEO and co-founder Ethan Diamond talks with Guy about launching a virtual concert space in the pandemic and why the company started Bandcamp Friday, a monthly event where all processing fees are waived and all funds go directly to the artists. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2049 no Food52: Amanda Hesser In the early 1990s, as Amanda Hesser's college friends were interviewing for their first cubicle jobs, she chose a different path: one that led straight into the kitchens of Europe, where she cooked traditional recipes and learned the rhythm of the seasons from a crusty French gardener. By 24, she had landed a book deal and one of the most coveted jobs in journalism: writing about food for the New York Times. But over time she grew restless, and in 2008, gave up that dream job—and the stability that went with it—to become an entrepreneur. When her first business fizzled out, Amanda took a financial risk by pivoting again to launch a new company: Food52. Part food blog, part e-commerce site for all things kitchen and home, Food52 is now valued at roughly $100 million and achieved profitability for the first time in 2020—during the pandemic.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Apr 2021 12:07:24 -0000 Food52: Amanda Hesser full 331 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 1990s, as Amanda Hesser's college friends were interviewing for their first cubicle jobs, she chose a different path: one that led straight into the kitchens of Europe, where she cooked traditional recipes and learned the rhythm of the seasons from a crusty French gardener. By 24, she had landed a book deal and one of the most coveted jobs in journalism: writing about food for the New York Times. But over time she grew restless, and in 2008, gave up that dream job—and the stability that went with it—to become an entrepreneur. When her first business fizzled out, Amanda took a financial risk by pivoting again to launch a new company: Food52. Part food blog, part e-commerce site for all things kitchen and home, Food52 is now valued at roughly $100 million and achieved profitability for the first time in 2020—during the pandemic.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org In the early 1990s, as Amanda Hesser's college friends were interviewing for their first cubicle jobs, she chose a different path: one that led straight into the kitchens of Europe, where she cooked traditional recipes and learned the rhythm of the seasons from a crusty French gardener. By 24, she had landed a book deal and one of the most coveted jobs in journalism: writing about food for the New York Times. But over time she grew restless, and in 2008, gave up that dream job—and the stability that went with it—to become an entrepreneur. When her first business fizzled out, Amanda took a financial risk by pivoting again to launch a new company: Food52. Part food blog, part e-commerce site for all things kitchen and home, Food52 is now valued at roughly $100 million and achieved profitability for the first time in 2020—during the pandemic.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5603 no How I Built Resilience: Kara Goldin of Hint After giving up diet soda, Kara Goldin started adding fresh fruit to her drinking water to make it more fun. This inspired her to create Hint water, a line of unsweetened flavored water beverages that are now available in over 30,000 stores nationwide. Kara shares how sales have almost doubled as Hint invested in e-commerce during the pandemic, and offers her advice for entrepreneurs trying to break into saturated market spaces like the beverage industry. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Apr 2021 04:01:26 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Kara Goldin of Hint full 330 Guy Raz | Vox Media After giving up diet soda, Kara Goldin started adding fresh fruit to her drinking water to make it more fun. This inspired her to create Hint water, a line of unsweetened flavored water beverages that are now available in over 30,000 stores nationwide. Kara shares how sales have almost doubled as Hint invested in e-commerce during the pandemic, and offers her advice for entrepreneurs trying to break into saturated market spaces like the beverage industry. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. After giving up diet soda, Kara Goldin started adding fresh fruit to her drinking water to make it more fun. This inspired her to create Hint water, a line of unsweetened flavored water beverages that are now available in over 30,000 stores nationwide. Kara shares how sales have almost doubled as Hint invested in e-commerce during the pandemic, and offers her advice for entrepreneurs trying to break into saturated market spaces like the beverage industry. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1459 no UPPAbaby: Bob and Lauren Monahan As a product developer, Bob Monahan worked with some iconic brands: the Pump at Reebok, the Taurus and Mustang at Ford. When he moved on to work at a baby products company, he happened to discover another set of wheels that caught his eye: a sleek-looking stroller that could accommodate a car-seat or a bassinet. Bob was itching to start his own venture, so in 2006, with the help of his wife Lauren, he launched UPPAbaby and started selling a European-style stroller at an "entry-level luxury" price. As a dad himself, Bob guessed that other dads would be intrigued by UPPAbaby's design; meanwhile, big-name celebrities started to use the stroller, and photos of them pushing it helped accelerate sales. The brand grew quickly, and 15 years after its launch, UPPAbaby employs over 100 people and sells strollers in more than 50 countries.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Mar 2021 04:01:40 -0000 UPPAbaby: Bob and Lauren Monahan full 329 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a product developer, Bob Monahan worked with some iconic brands: the Pump at Reebok, the Taurus and Mustang at Ford. When he moved on to work at a baby products company, he happened to discover another set of wheels that caught his eye: a sleek-looking stroller that could accommodate a car-seat or a bassinet. Bob was itching to start his own venture, so in 2006, with the help of his wife Lauren, he launched UPPAbaby and started selling a European-style stroller at an "entry-level luxury" price. As a dad himself, Bob guessed that other dads would be intrigued by UPPAbaby's design; meanwhile, big-name celebrities started to use the stroller, and photos of them pushing it helped accelerate sales. The brand grew quickly, and 15 years after its launch, UPPAbaby employs over 100 people and sells strollers in more than 50 countries.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org As a product developer, Bob Monahan worked with some iconic brands: the Pump at Reebok, the Taurus and Mustang at Ford. When he moved on to work at a baby products company, he happened to discover another set of wheels that caught his eye: a sleek-looking stroller that could accommodate a car-seat or a bassinet. Bob was itching to start his own venture, so in 2006, with the help of his wife Lauren, he launched UPPAbaby and started selling a European-style stroller at an "entry-level luxury" price. As a dad himself, Bob guessed that other dads would be intrigued by UPPAbaby's design; meanwhile, big-name celebrities started to use the stroller, and photos of them pushing it helped accelerate sales. The brand grew quickly, and 15 years after its launch, UPPAbaby employs over 100 people and sells strollers in more than 50 countries.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3432 no How I Built Resilience: Vivian Ku, Restaurateur Vivian Ku is a Taiwanese-American restaurateur who owns three different Taiwanese restaurants in Los Angeles. After the pandemic halted her plans for expansion, Vivian decided to close her two restaurants until May and pivoted her expansion plans into a breakfast pop-up. Vivian talks to Guy about why she decided to serve Taiwanese food and the pros and cons of opening a restaurant during a pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Mar 2021 04:01:49 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Vivian Ku, Restaurateur full 328 Guy Raz | Vox Media Vivian Ku is a Taiwanese-American restaurateur who owns three different Taiwanese restaurants in Los Angeles. After the pandemic halted her plans for expansion, Vivian decided to close her two restaurants until May and pivoted her expansion plans into a breakfast pop-up. Vivian talks to Guy about why she decided to serve Taiwanese food and the pros and cons of opening a restaurant during a pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Vivian Ku is a Taiwanese-American restaurateur who owns three different Taiwanese restaurants in Los Angeles. After the pandemic halted her plans for expansion, Vivian decided to close her two restaurants until May and pivoted her expansion plans into a breakfast pop-up. Vivian talks to Guy about why she decided to serve Taiwanese food and the pros and cons of opening a restaurant during a pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1575 no Hinge: Justin McLeod In 2010, Justin McLeod was in business school, still trying to get over a bad breakup that had happened years before. Determined to solve his own problem and convinced that the best way to meet people was through friends of friends, he built an app to replicate that experience. Gradually, Hinge grew into a streamlined swiping platform that yielded mixed results: good dates, bad hookups, mismatched swipes, and missed opportunities. Disappointed with this outcome and inspired by a sudden twist in his own love life, Justin redesigned Hinge as an app for finding meaningful relationships, with the tag line "designed to be deleted." Today, Hinge is owned by Match Group and is one of the most popular dating apps in the U.S.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Mar 2021 04:01:22 -0000 Hinge: Justin McLeod full 327 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, Justin McLeod was in business school, still trying to get over a bad breakup that had happened years before. Determined to solve his own problem and convinced that the best way to meet people was through friends of friends, he built an app to replicate that experience. Gradually, Hinge grew into a streamlined swiping platform that yielded mixed results: good dates, bad hookups, mismatched swipes, and missed opportunities. Disappointed with this outcome and inspired by a sudden twist in his own love life, Justin redesigned Hinge as an app for finding meaningful relationships, with the tag line "designed to be deleted." Today, Hinge is owned by Match Group and is one of the most popular dating apps in the U.S.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org In 2010, Justin McLeod was in business school, still trying to get over a bad breakup that had happened years before. Determined to solve his own problem and convinced that the best way to meet people was through friends of friends, he built an app to replicate that experience. Gradually, Hinge grew into a streamlined swiping platform that yielded mixed results: good dates, bad hookups, mismatched swipes, and missed opportunities. Disappointed with this outcome and inspired by a sudden twist in his own love life, Justin redesigned Hinge as an app for finding meaningful relationships, with the tag line "designed to be deleted." Today, Hinge is owned by Match Group and is one of the most popular dating apps in the U.S.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5690 no How I Built Resilience: Lisa Baird of National Women's Soccer League Lisa Baird stepped in as commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League in March 2020 and just two days into her job the entire multi-billion dollar sports industry went dark. Lisa talks with Guy about the difficulties the league overcame to launch their Challenge Cup tournament last summer, and the need for equal coverage of women's sports. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Mar 2021 04:01:57 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Lisa Baird of National Women's Soccer League full 326 Guy Raz | Vox Media Lisa Baird stepped in as commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League in March 2020 and just two days into her job the entire multi-billion dollar sports industry went dark. Lisa talks with Guy about the difficulties the league overcame to launch their Challenge Cup tournament last summer, and the need for equal coverage of women's sports. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Lisa Baird stepped in as commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League in March 2020 and just two days into her job the entire multi-billion dollar sports industry went dark. Lisa talks with Guy about the difficulties the league overcame to launch their Challenge Cup tournament last summer, and the need for equal coverage of women's sports. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1988 no Siete Family Foods: Miguel and Veronica Garza Miguel and Veronica Garza grew up in Laredo, Texas, in the kind of family that did almost everything together. So when Veronica realized that a grain-free diet was helping her cope with debilitating health issues, the rest of the family—all six of them—adopted the same paleo-friendly diet. Soon Veronica was making her own almond flour tortillas at home and selling them at a CrossFit gym that the Garza family had launched in Laredo. The grain-free tortillas were a hit, and by 2016, Siete Family Foods products were being sold in Whole Foods Markets across the country. Today, Veronica and Miguel head the company with the help of the whole family, and Siete has become one of the fastest-growing Mexican-American food brands in the U.S.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Mar 2021 04:01:00 -0000 Siete Family Foods: Miguel and Veronica Garza full 325 Guy Raz | Vox Media Miguel and Veronica Garza grew up in Laredo, Texas, in the kind of family that did almost everything together. So when Veronica realized that a grain-free diet was helping her cope with debilitating health issues, the rest of the family—all six of them—adopted the same paleo-friendly diet. Soon Veronica was making her own almond flour tortillas at home and selling them at a CrossFit gym that the Garza family had launched in Laredo. The grain-free tortillas were a hit, and by 2016, Siete Family Foods products were being sold in Whole Foods Markets across the country. Today, Veronica and Miguel head the company with the help of the whole family, and Siete has become one of the fastest-growing Mexican-American food brands in the U.S.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Miguel and Veronica Garza grew up in Laredo, Texas, in the kind of family that did almost everything together. So when Veronica realized that a grain-free diet was helping her cope with debilitating health issues, the rest of the family—all six of them—adopted the same paleo-friendly diet. Soon Veronica was making her own almond flour tortillas at home and selling them at a CrossFit gym that the Garza family had launched in Laredo. The grain-free tortillas were a hit, and by 2016, Siete Family Foods products were being sold in Whole Foods Markets across the country. Today, Veronica and Miguel head the company with the help of the whole family, and Siete has become one of the fastest-growing Mexican-American food brands in the U.S.How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:http://summit.npr.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How I Built This Summit - information and tickets at:
http://summit.npr.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4955 no How I Built Resilience: Shan-Lyn Ma of Zola With the wedding industry dramatically impacted by the pandemic, co-founder and CEO of Zola, Shan-Lyn Ma decided to pivot. Instead of just wedding planning, Zola would expand to include livestreaming virtual weddings as well as an e-commerce marketplace for home goods. Shan-Lyn talks with Guy about her forecast for the wedding industry this year and how to get more girls interested in entrepreneurship. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Mar 2021 05:01:07 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Shan-Lyn Ma of Zola full 324 Guy Raz | Vox Media With the wedding industry dramatically impacted by the pandemic, co-founder and CEO of Zola, Shan-Lyn Ma decided to pivot. Instead of just wedding planning, Zola would expand to include livestreaming virtual weddings as well as an e-commerce marketplace for home goods. Shan-Lyn talks with Guy about her forecast for the wedding industry this year and how to get more girls interested in entrepreneurship. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. With the wedding industry dramatically impacted by the pandemic, co-founder and CEO of Zola, Shan-Lyn Ma decided to pivot. Instead of just wedding planning, Zola would expand to include livestreaming virtual weddings as well as an e-commerce marketplace for home goods. Shan-Lyn talks with Guy about her forecast for the wedding industry this year and how to get more girls interested in entrepreneurship. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1833 no Rick Steves' Europe: Rick Steves Rick Steves spent the summer after high school backpacking through Europe on two dollars a day—sleeping on the floor, sneaking into museums, and subsisting on a diet of bread and jam. When he came home, he found people were hungry for tips on how to visit Europe on the cheap, so he began teaching classes, and was soon hawking a self-published guidebook out of his car. Eventually, he started leading minibus tours and hosting a travel show on Public TV, steadily growing his business even though he was giving away most of his content. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, his no-frills approach to travel has persisted as a powerful brand, with 70 guidebooks, an ever-popular travel show, and—in 2019—an annual revenue of $100 million. For more information on the HIBT Fellowship visit: https://summit.npr.org/fellows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Mar 2021 05:01:00 -0000 Rick Steves' Europe: Rick Steves full 323 Guy Raz | Vox Media Rick Steves spent the summer after high school backpacking through Europe on two dollars a day—sleeping on the floor, sneaking into museums, and subsisting on a diet of bread and jam. When he came home, he found people were hungry for tips on how to visit Europe on the cheap, so he began teaching classes, and was soon hawking a self-published guidebook out of his car. Eventually, he started leading minibus tours and hosting a travel show on Public TV, steadily growing his business even though he was giving away most of his content. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, his no-frills approach to travel has persisted as a powerful brand, with 70 guidebooks, an ever-popular travel show, and—in 2019—an annual revenue of $100 million. For more information on the HIBT Fellowship visit: https://summit.npr.org/fellows Rick Steves spent the summer after high school backpacking through Europe on two dollars a day—sleeping on the floor, sneaking into museums, and subsisting on a diet of bread and jam. When he came home, he found people were hungry for tips on how to visit Europe on the cheap, so he began teaching classes, and was soon hawking a self-published guidebook out of his car. Eventually, he started leading minibus tours and hosting a travel show on Public TV, steadily growing his business even though he was giving away most of his content. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, his no-frills approach to travel has persisted as a powerful brand, with 70 guidebooks, an ever-popular travel show, and—in 2019—an annual revenue of $100 million. For more information on the HIBT Fellowship visit: https://summit.npr.org/fellows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For more information on the HIBT Fellowship visit:
https://summit.npr.org/fellows

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5170 no How I Built Resilience: Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief of Morning Brew Six years ago, Morning Brew started out as a fun business newsletter Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief wrote for their classmates out of their University of Michigan dorm room. The company now has over 2.5 million subscribers with multiple newsletters and a podcast, and last year Business Insider paid about 75 million dollars for a majority stake in Morning Brew. Alex and Austin talk to Guy about the organic unpaid marketing they relied on in college to build up their readership, and they predict shifts in how we will consume news in the next five years. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Mar 2021 05:01:49 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief of Morning Brew full 322 Guy Raz | Vox Media Six years ago, Morning Brew started out as a fun business newsletter Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief wrote for their classmates out of their University of Michigan dorm room. The company now has over 2.5 million subscribers with multiple newsletters and a podcast, and last year Business Insider paid about 75 million dollars for a majority stake in Morning Brew. Alex and Austin talk to Guy about the organic unpaid marketing they relied on in college to build up their readership, and they predict shifts in how we will consume news in the next five years. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Six years ago, Morning Brew started out as a fun business newsletter Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief wrote for their classmates out of their University of Michigan dorm room. The company now has over 2.5 million subscribers with multiple newsletters and a podcast, and last year Business Insider paid about 75 million dollars for a majority stake in Morning Brew. Alex and Austin talk to Guy about the organic unpaid marketing they relied on in college to build up their readership, and they predict shifts in how we will consume news in the next five years. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1918 no Canva: Melanie Perkins (2019) When she was just 19 years old, Melanie Perkins dreamt of transforming the graphic design and publishing industries. But she started small, launching a site to make yearbook design simpler and more collaborative. Her success with that first venture—and an unexpected meeting with a VC investor—eventually landed her the backing to pursue her original idea, and the chance to take on software industry titans like Adobe and Microsoft. Today, Melanie's online design platform Canva is valued at $6 billion, joining the list of Australia's "unicorn" companies.For more information on the HIBT Fellowship visit: https://npr.org/fellows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Mar 2021 05:01:45 -0000 Canva: Melanie Perkins (2019) full 321 Guy Raz | Vox Media When she was just 19 years old, Melanie Perkins dreamt of transforming the graphic design and publishing industries. But she started small, launching a site to make yearbook design simpler and more collaborative. Her success with that first venture—and an unexpected meeting with a VC investor—eventually landed her the backing to pursue her original idea, and the chance to take on software industry titans like Adobe and Microsoft. Today, Melanie's online design platform Canva is valued at $6 billion, joining the list of Australia's "unicorn" companies.For more information on the HIBT Fellowship visit: https://npr.org/fellows When she was just 19 years old, Melanie Perkins dreamt of transforming the graphic design and publishing industries. But she started small, launching a site to make yearbook design simpler and more collaborative. Her success with that first venture—and an unexpected meeting with a VC investor—eventually landed her the backing to pursue her original idea, and the chance to take on software industry titans like Adobe and Microsoft. Today, Melanie's online design platform Canva is valued at $6 billion, joining the list of Australia's "unicorn" companies.For more information on the HIBT Fellowship visit: https://npr.org/fellows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For more information on the HIBT Fellowship visit:
https://npr.org/fellows

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2659 no How I Built Resilience: Troy Carter of Q&A (June, 2020) Music manager and entrepreneur Troy Carter spoke to Guy last June, as the pandemic was worsening and the country was shaken by racial unrest. Troy spoke about the profound impact of these events on him personally, as well as on the music industry. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Feb 2021 05:01:43 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Troy Carter of Q&A (June, 2020) full 320 Guy Raz | Vox Media Music manager and entrepreneur Troy Carter spoke to Guy last June, as the pandemic was worsening and the country was shaken by racial unrest. Troy spoke about the profound impact of these events on him personally, as well as on the music industry. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Music manager and entrepreneur Troy Carter spoke to Guy last June, as the pandemic was worsening and the country was shaken by racial unrest. Troy spoke about the profound impact of these events on him personally, as well as on the music industry. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1633 no Boxed: Chieh Huang Over the course of ten years as a founder, Chieh Huang bet twice on the ubiquity of the smartphone. The first time was in 2010 with Astro Ape, a mobile gaming company that he founded with a few friends out of an attic. The second time was with Boxed, a mobile bulk-retailer that he co-launched in 2013 out of his New Jersey garage. Chieh and his tiny team scrambled to send out their first boxes of toilet paper and laundry detergent, gambling that they could compete with monster retailers by offering fewer items, competitive prices, and a hand-written note in every box. Since its launch 8 years ago, Boxed has sent out tens of millions of boxes of groceries, and has been valued at over $600M. HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Feb 2021 05:01:36 -0000 Boxed: Chieh Huang full 319 Guy Raz | Vox Media Over the course of ten years as a founder, Chieh Huang bet twice on the ubiquity of the smartphone. The first time was in 2010 with Astro Ape, a mobile gaming company that he founded with a few friends out of an attic. The second time was with Boxed, a mobile bulk-retailer that he co-launched in 2013 out of his New Jersey garage. Chieh and his tiny team scrambled to send out their first boxes of toilet paper and laundry detergent, gambling that they could compete with monster retailers by offering fewer items, competitive prices, and a hand-written note in every box. Since its launch 8 years ago, Boxed has sent out tens of millions of boxes of groceries, and has been valued at over $600M. HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org Over the course of ten years as a founder, Chieh Huang bet twice on the ubiquity of the smartphone. The first time was in 2010 with Astro Ape, a mobile gaming company that he founded with a few friends out of an attic. The second time was with Boxed, a mobile bulk-retailer that he co-launched in 2013 out of his New Jersey garage. Chieh and his tiny team scrambled to send out their first boxes of toilet paper and laundry detergent, gambling that they could compete with monster retailers by offering fewer items, competitive prices, and a hand-written note in every box. Since its launch 8 years ago, Boxed has sent out tens of millions of boxes of groceries, and has been valued at over $600M. HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at:
https://nprpresents.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5562 no How I Built Resilience: Beverly Leon of Local Civics After retiring from professional soccer, Beverly Leon shifted her focus in a big way. In 2018 she founded Local Civics, an ed-tech start-up that uses game-based learning to encourage kids to strengthen their civic leadership skills. Her mission is to get students civically involved long before they're eligible to vote. She talked with Guy about the business model of an education start-up, how her business has responded to today's challenges, and why she thinks we need a more inclusive democracy. These conversations are excerpts from our online How I Built Resilience series, where Guy interviews founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Feb 2021 05:01:12 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Beverly Leon of Local Civics full 318 Guy Raz | Vox Media After retiring from professional soccer, Beverly Leon shifted her focus in a big way. In 2018 she founded Local Civics, an ed-tech start-up that uses game-based learning to encourage kids to strengthen their civic leadership skills. Her mission is to get students civically involved long before they're eligible to vote. She talked with Guy about the business model of an education start-up, how her business has responded to today's challenges, and why she thinks we need a more inclusive democracy. These conversations are excerpts from our online How I Built Resilience series, where Guy interviews founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. After retiring from professional soccer, Beverly Leon shifted her focus in a big way. In 2018 she founded Local Civics, an ed-tech start-up that uses game-based learning to encourage kids to strengthen their civic leadership skills. Her mission is to get students civically involved long before they're eligible to vote. She talked with Guy about the business model of an education start-up, how her business has responded to today's challenges, and why she thinks we need a more inclusive democracy. These conversations are excerpts from our online How I Built Resilience series, where Guy interviews founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1813 no Simple Mills: Katlin Smith In 2012, 22-year-old Katlin Smith was growing restless at her consulting job, so she started experimenting with grain-free, paleo-friendly muffin recipes in her Atlanta kitchen. A buyer at a nearby Whole Foods agreed to sell Katlin's muffin mixes and placed an order for twelve bags. She then hustled to expand the business: hand-mixing almond flour and coconut sugar in food-grade barrels, slinging wardrobe boxes of muffin mix into a rental car, and standing by helplessly while shoppers scarfed down more samples than anticipated. 8 years after launch, Simple Mills has expanded to include cookies and crackers and other treats; it's available in 28,000 stores and does roughly $100M in annual revenue.HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Feb 2021 05:01:44 -0000 Simple Mills: Katlin Smith full 317 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2012, 22-year-old Katlin Smith was growing restless at her consulting job, so she started experimenting with grain-free, paleo-friendly muffin recipes in her Atlanta kitchen. A buyer at a nearby Whole Foods agreed to sell Katlin's muffin mixes and placed an order for twelve bags. She then hustled to expand the business: hand-mixing almond flour and coconut sugar in food-grade barrels, slinging wardrobe boxes of muffin mix into a rental car, and standing by helplessly while shoppers scarfed down more samples than anticipated. 8 years after launch, Simple Mills has expanded to include cookies and crackers and other treats; it's available in 28,000 stores and does roughly $100M in annual revenue.HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org In 2012, 22-year-old Katlin Smith was growing restless at her consulting job, so she started experimenting with grain-free, paleo-friendly muffin recipes in her Atlanta kitchen. A buyer at a nearby Whole Foods agreed to sell Katlin's muffin mixes and placed an order for twelve bags. She then hustled to expand the business: hand-mixing almond flour and coconut sugar in food-grade barrels, slinging wardrobe boxes of muffin mix into a rental car, and standing by helplessly while shoppers scarfed down more samples than anticipated. 8 years after launch, Simple Mills has expanded to include cookies and crackers and other treats; it's available in 28,000 stores and does roughly $100M in annual revenue.HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at:
https://nprpresents.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3793 no How I Built Resilience: Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey of Strava Strava is a social fitness platform with more than 76 million users in nearly every country worldwide. Co-founders Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey spoke with Guy about the recent surge in users joining their virtual fitness community. They share how they've focused on creating new content and features to meet peoples' increased need for connection in a socially distanced world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Feb 2021 05:01:30 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey of Strava full 316 Guy Raz | Vox Media Strava is a social fitness platform with more than 76 million users in nearly every country worldwide. Co-founders Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey spoke with Guy about the recent surge in users joining their virtual fitness community. They share how they've focused on creating new content and features to meet peoples' increased need for connection in a socially distanced world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Strava is a social fitness platform with more than 76 million users in nearly every country worldwide. Co-founders Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey spoke with Guy about the recent surge in users joining their virtual fitness community. They share how they've focused on creating new content and features to meet peoples' increased need for connection in a socially distanced world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2093 no Atlassian: Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar In 2001, Mike Cannon-Brookes sent an email to his college classmates in Sydney, asking if anyone was interested in helping him launch a tech startup after graduation. Back then, entrepreneurship wasn't a popular career path in Australia; and Mike's only taker was Scott Farquhar, a fellow student who shared Mike's passion for computers and his frustration for the corporate grind. Together they launched Atlassian, a two-man tech support service that they managed from their bedrooms at all hours of the night. Unable to make money, Scott and Mike decided to pivot and sell some of the software they'd developed for themselves. Out of that grew Jira, a project-management tool that's used in all sorts of endeavors, from pizza delivery to the exploration of Mars. Today, Atlassian is valued at over $50 billion and Scott and Mike are Australia's first startup-to-IPO tech billionaires. HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Feb 2021 05:01:00 -0000 Atlassian: Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar full 315 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2001, Mike Cannon-Brookes sent an email to his college classmates in Sydney, asking if anyone was interested in helping him launch a tech startup after graduation. Back then, entrepreneurship wasn't a popular career path in Australia; and Mike's only taker was Scott Farquhar, a fellow student who shared Mike's passion for computers and his frustration for the corporate grind. Together they launched Atlassian, a two-man tech support service that they managed from their bedrooms at all hours of the night. Unable to make money, Scott and Mike decided to pivot and sell some of the software they'd developed for themselves. Out of that grew Jira, a project-management tool that's used in all sorts of endeavors, from pizza delivery to the exploration of Mars. Today, Atlassian is valued at over $50 billion and Scott and Mike are Australia's first startup-to-IPO tech billionaires. HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org In 2001, Mike Cannon-Brookes sent an email to his college classmates in Sydney, asking if anyone was interested in helping him launch a tech startup after graduation. Back then, entrepreneurship wasn't a popular career path in Australia; and Mike's only taker was Scott Farquhar, a fellow student who shared Mike's passion for computers and his frustration for the corporate grind. Together they launched Atlassian, a two-man tech support service that they managed from their bedrooms at all hours of the night. Unable to make money, Scott and Mike decided to pivot and sell some of the software they'd developed for themselves. Out of that grew Jira, a project-management tool that's used in all sorts of endeavors, from pizza delivery to the exploration of Mars. Today, Atlassian is valued at over $50 billion and Scott and Mike are Australia's first startup-to-IPO tech billionaires. HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at: https://nprpresents.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
HIBT Virtual Event with Jay Shetty - information and tickets at:
https://nprpresents.org

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4612 no How I Built Resilience: M. Night Shyamalan M. Night Shyamalan spoke with Guy as part of NPR's Storytelling Lounge at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Night is known for writing, producing and directing blockbuster films like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Split. Despite his many successes, Night shares that he still faces self-doubt, fearing every new project may be his last. He spoke with Guy about the production of his new film Old and the new season of his Apple TV Plus show Servant, both of which were filmed during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and industry leaders about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Feb 2021 05:01:53 -0000 How I Built Resilience: M. Night Shyamalan full 314 Guy Raz | Vox Media M. Night Shyamalan spoke with Guy as part of NPR's Storytelling Lounge at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Night is known for writing, producing and directing blockbuster films like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Split. Despite his many successes, Night shares that he still faces self-doubt, fearing every new project may be his last. He spoke with Guy about the production of his new film Old and the new season of his Apple TV Plus show Servant, both of which were filmed during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and industry leaders about how they're navigating turbulent times. M. Night Shyamalan spoke with Guy as part of NPR's Storytelling Lounge at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Night is known for writing, producing and directing blockbuster films like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Split. Despite his many successes, Night shares that he still faces self-doubt, fearing every new project may be his last. He spoke with Guy about the production of his new film Old and the new season of his Apple TV Plus show Servant, both of which were filmed during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and industry leaders about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Split. Despite his many successes, Night shares that he still faces self-doubt, fearing every new project may be his last. He spoke with Guy about the production of his new film Old and the new season of his Apple TV Plus show Servant, both of which were filmed during the pandemic.
These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and industry leaders about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3061 no Norma Kamali: Norma Kamali When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Feb 2021 05:01:11 -0000 Norma Kamali: Norma Kamali full 313 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, she was glad to accept it—along with the perk of dirt-cheap flights from New York to London. On those weekend trips abroad, she discovered fashion that was exuberant and eye-catching, so she started loading her suitcase with clothing to sell in the U.S. By the 1970s, she was designing her own pieces out of a shop in New York; soon she was selling them to celebrities like Cher and Bette Midler. Today, after more than 50 years in the fashion industry, Norma Kamali is known for iconic designs like the sleeping bag coat, and the bold red bathing suit popularized by Farah Fawcett.


Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5645 no How I Built Resilience: Loren and Lisa Poncia of Stemple Creek Ranch Fourth generation cattle rancher Loren Poncia and his wife Lisa transformed Stemple Creek Ranch into one of the few carbon neutral livestock ranches in the United States, and have since made their ranch carbon positive, sequestering more carbon than they emit. Lisa and Loren spoke with Guy about how consumers are helping drive the sustainable farming movement, and how they doubled down on online retail after many restaurants shut down. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Jan 2021 05:01:53 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Loren and Lisa Poncia of Stemple Creek Ranch full 312 Guy Raz | Vox Media Fourth generation cattle rancher Loren Poncia and his wife Lisa transformed Stemple Creek Ranch into one of the few carbon neutral livestock ranches in the United States, and have since made their ranch carbon positive, sequestering more carbon than they emit. Lisa and Loren spoke with Guy about how consumers are helping drive the sustainable farming movement, and how they doubled down on online retail after many restaurants shut down. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Fourth generation cattle rancher Loren Poncia and his wife Lisa transformed Stemple Creek Ranch into one of the few carbon neutral livestock ranches in the United States, and have since made their ranch carbon positive, sequestering more carbon than they emit. Lisa and Loren spoke with Guy about how consumers are helping drive the sustainable farming movement, and how they doubled down on online retail after many restaurants shut down. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1714 no Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to hit the market. But in the early 1990s, just a few years after it began as a scrappy mail-order catalog, its two founders had a bitter falling out. Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender have barely spoken since that time, but they generously agreed to come on the show to talk to Guy about the business they were both passionate about, and the delicate nature of partnership.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Jan 2021 05:01:51 -0000 Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender full 311 Guy Raz | Vox Media With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to hit the market. But in the early 1990s, just a few years after it began as a scrappy mail-order catalog, its two founders had a bitter falling out. Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender have barely spoken since that time, but they generously agreed to come on the show to talk to Guy about the business they were both passionate about, and the delicate nature of partnership.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to hit the market. But in the early 1990s, just a few years after it began as a scrappy mail-order catalog, its two founders had a bitter falling out. Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender have barely spoken since that time, but they generously agreed to come on the show to talk to Guy about the business they were both passionate about, and the delicate nature of partnership.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5840 no How I Built Resilience: Elisa Villanueva Beard of Teach For America After starting her career at Teach For America in 1998, Elisa Villanueva Beard has served as the CEO of the non-profit for the last five and a half years. Elisa spoke with Guy about how the organization has supported its teachers who are working in nearly 2,300 schools across the country, and how educators are finding creative solutions to engage with students during this challenging school year. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Jan 2021 05:01:29 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Elisa Villanueva Beard of Teach For America full 310 Guy Raz | Vox Media After starting her career at Teach For America in 1998, Elisa Villanueva Beard has served as the CEO of the non-profit for the last five and a half years. Elisa spoke with Guy about how the organization has supported its teachers who are working in nearly 2,300 schools across the country, and how educators are finding creative solutions to engage with students during this challenging school year. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. After starting her career at Teach For America in 1998, Elisa Villanueva Beard has served as the CEO of the non-profit for the last five and a half years. Elisa spoke with Guy about how the organization has supported its teachers who are working in nearly 2,300 schools across the country, and how educators are finding creative solutions to engage with students during this challenging school year. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1495 no Jazzercise: Judi Sheppard Missett Judi Sheppard Missett wandered into her first dance class when she was 2, and hasn't stopped dancing since. In the late 1960s, she was teaching jazz dance in Chicago and her students—mostly young moms—complained she was acting too much like a Broadway taskmaster, when all they wanted was get in shape and have a good time. Seeing an opportunity, Judi created Jazzercise: a hybrid of aerobics and dance that ushered in a new culture of spandexed, synchronized movement and became one of the first workout programs for women with mass appeal. With the help of video technology and franchising, Jazzercise eventually spread around the world, growing into the $100 million business it is today. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Jan 2021 05:01:36 -0000 Jazzercise: Judi Sheppard Missett full 309 Guy Raz | Vox Media Judi Sheppard Missett wandered into her first dance class when she was 2, and hasn't stopped dancing since. In the late 1960s, she was teaching jazz dance in Chicago and her students—mostly young moms—complained she was acting too much like a Broadway taskmaster, when all they wanted was get in shape and have a good time. Seeing an opportunity, Judi created Jazzercise: a hybrid of aerobics and dance that ushered in a new culture of spandexed, synchronized movement and became one of the first workout programs for women with mass appeal. With the help of video technology and franchising, Jazzercise eventually spread around the world, growing into the $100 million business it is today. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Judi Sheppard Missett wandered into her first dance class when she was 2, and hasn't stopped dancing since. In the late 1960s, she was teaching jazz dance in Chicago and her students—mostly young moms—complained she was acting too much like a Broadway taskmaster, when all they wanted was get in shape and have a good time. Seeing an opportunity, Judi created Jazzercise: a hybrid of aerobics and dance that ushered in a new culture of spandexed, synchronized movement and became one of the first workout programs for women with mass appeal. With the help of video technology and franchising, Jazzercise eventually spread around the world, growing into the $100 million business it is today. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4847 no Patreon: Jack Conte and Sam Yam As part of the band Pomplamoose, musician Jack Conte had a sizeable fan base in the late 2000s and was making thousands of dollars a month from iTunes sales. But when streaming services like Spotify took over the music scene, Jack's income dwindled. So he called up his college roommate Sam Yam, who had spent his post-college years launching startup after startup. Together, Sam and Jack created Patreon, a platform where artists' most passionate fans can sponsor them for just a few dollars a month. Following a Covid-era surge in new members, Patreon is now valued at over a billion dollars and supports over 200,000 musicians, artists, and content creators. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Jan 2021 05:01:16 -0000 Patreon: Jack Conte and Sam Yam full 308 Guy Raz | Vox Media As part of the band Pomplamoose, musician Jack Conte had a sizeable fan base in the late 2000s and was making thousands of dollars a month from iTunes sales. But when streaming services like Spotify took over the music scene, Jack's income dwindled. So he called up his college roommate Sam Yam, who had spent his post-college years launching startup after startup. Together, Sam and Jack created Patreon, a platform where artists' most passionate fans can sponsor them for just a few dollars a month. Following a Covid-era surge in new members, Patreon is now valued at over a billion dollars and supports over 200,000 musicians, artists, and content creators. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis As part of the band Pomplamoose, musician Jack Conte had a sizeable fan base in the late 2000s and was making thousands of dollars a month from iTunes sales. But when streaming services like Spotify took over the music scene, Jack's income dwindled. So he called up his college roommate Sam Yam, who had spent his post-college years launching startup after startup. Together, Sam and Jack created Patreon, a platform where artists' most passionate fans can sponsor them for just a few dollars a month. Following a Covid-era surge in new members, Patreon is now valued at over a billion dollars and supports over 200,000 musicians, artists, and content creators. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5362 no Chipotle: Steve Ells (2017) In 1992, Steve Ells was a classically trained chef working in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco. But after eating a burrito at a local taqueria, he got an idea: to sell burritos and earn enough money to open his own gourmet restaurant. The first Chipotle opened in Denver the following year. Bringing his culinary training to taqueria-style service, Steve Ells helped transform the way we eat fast food. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Jan 2021 05:01:08 -0000 Chipotle: Steve Ells (2017) full 307 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1992, Steve Ells was a classically trained chef working in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco. But after eating a burrito at a local taqueria, he got an idea: to sell burritos and earn enough money to open his own gourmet restaurant. The first Chipotle opened in Denver the following year. Bringing his culinary training to taqueria-style service, Steve Ells helped transform the way we eat fast food. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis In 1992, Steve Ells was a classically trained chef working in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco. But after eating a burrito at a local taqueria, he got an idea: to sell burritos and earn enough money to open his own gourmet restaurant. The first Chipotle opened in Denver the following year. Bringing his culinary training to taqueria-style service, Steve Ells helped transform the way we eat fast food. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2961 no ActOne Group: Janice Bryant Howroyd (2018) In the late 1970s Janice Bryant Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and began temping as a secretary. She soon realized there were many other young people in situations similar to hers. So with $1,500 in her pocket, Janice rented an office in Beverly Hills and created the staffing company ACT-1. Today, ActOne Group is an international workforce management company, making Janice Bryant Howroyd the first African-American woman to own a billion-dollar business.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Dec 2020 05:01:56 -0000 ActOne Group: Janice Bryant Howroyd (2018) full 306 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1970s Janice Bryant Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and began temping as a secretary. She soon realized there were many other young people in situations similar to hers. So with $1,500 in her pocket, Janice rented an office in Beverly Hills and created the staffing company ACT-1. Today, ActOne Group is an international workforce management company, making Janice Bryant Howroyd the first African-American woman to own a billion-dollar business.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis In the late 1970s Janice Bryant Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and began temping as a secretary. She soon realized there were many other young people in situations similar to hers. So with $1,500 in her pocket, Janice rented an office in Beverly Hills and created the staffing company ACT-1. Today, ActOne Group is an international workforce management company, making Janice Bryant Howroyd the first African-American woman to own a billion-dollar business.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2904 no How I Built Resilience: Morra Aarons-Mele of Women Online Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of Women Online and hosts The Anxious Achiever podcast. Morra shares how her agency pivoted during the pandemic after losing 30% of its business overnight, and how anxious entrepreneurs like herself can lead effectively in a world full of stress and uncertainty. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Wed, 23 Dec 2020 05:01:11 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Morra Aarons-Mele of Women Online full 305 Guy Raz | Vox Media Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of Women Online and hosts The Anxious Achiever podcast. Morra shares how her agency pivoted during the pandemic after losing 30% of its business overnight, and how anxious entrepreneurs like herself can lead effectively in a world full of stress and uncertainty. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of Women Online and hosts The Anxious Achiever podcast. Morra shares how her agency pivoted during the pandemic after losing 30% of its business overnight, and how anxious entrepreneurs like herself can lead effectively in a world full of stress and uncertainty. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The Anxious Achiever podcast. Morra shares how her agency pivoted during the pandemic after losing 30% of its business overnight, and how anxious entrepreneurs like herself can lead effectively in a world full of stress and uncertainty. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2069 no Author and Podcaster: Tim Ferriss By the time he turned 30, Tim Ferriss had figured out how to succeed at things that many people fail at—from growing a business to dancing the tango to marketing a best-selling book. He approached these and numerous other challenges by breaking them down into manageable chunks, carefully documenting his own progress, and taking copious notes. That formula is now wrapped into a hugely successful personal brand that blends optimism with discipline and includes five books and a popular podcast.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Dec 2020 05:01:31 -0000 Author and Podcaster: Tim Ferriss full 304 Guy Raz | Vox Media By the time he turned 30, Tim Ferriss had figured out how to succeed at things that many people fail at—from growing a business to dancing the tango to marketing a best-selling book. He approached these and numerous other challenges by breaking them down into manageable chunks, carefully documenting his own progress, and taking copious notes. That formula is now wrapped into a hugely successful personal brand that blends optimism with discipline and includes five books and a popular podcast.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis By the time he turned 30, Tim Ferriss had figured out how to succeed at things that many people fail at—from growing a business to dancing the tango to marketing a best-selling book. He approached these and numerous other challenges by breaking them down into manageable chunks, carefully documenting his own progress, and taking copious notes. That formula is now wrapped into a hugely successful personal brand that blends optimism with discipline and includes five books and a popular podcast.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5337 no How I Built Resilience: Daniela Corrente of Reel Reel is a digital savings platform that helps people people make big purchases without racking up credit card debt. CEO and co-founder Daniela Corrente says the company has added new savings plans during the pandemic in response to consumers looking for new ways to buy and save. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 17 Dec 2020 05:01:56 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Daniela Corrente of Reel full 303 Guy Raz | Vox Media Reel is a digital savings platform that helps people people make big purchases without racking up credit card debt. CEO and co-founder Daniela Corrente says the company has added new savings plans during the pandemic in response to consumers looking for new ways to buy and save. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Reel is a digital savings platform that helps people people make big purchases without racking up credit card debt. CEO and co-founder Daniela Corrente says the company has added new savings plans during the pandemic in response to consumers looking for new ways to buy and save. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1635 no Riot Games: Bonus Episode There were so many interesting moments in Guy's conversation with the co-founders of Riot Games that we decided to put them into this short bonus episode. In it, Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill talk about kids, screens, and the importance of boredom. They answer Guy's questions about why some gamers engage in toxic behavior, and how Riot Games is trying to address it. To hear the whole story of the founding of Riot Games, search your queue for the main episode, which dropped earlier this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tue, 15 Dec 2020 05:01:45 -0000 Riot Games: Bonus Episode full Guy Raz | Vox Media There were so many interesting moments in Guy's conversation with the co-founders of Riot Games that we decided to put them into this short bonus episode. In it, Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill talk about kids, screens, and the importance of boredom. They answer Guy's questions about why some gamers engage in toxic behavior, and how Riot Games is trying to address it. To hear the whole story of the founding of Riot Games, search your queue for the main episode, which dropped earlier this week. There were so many interesting moments in Guy's conversation with the co-founders of Riot Games that we decided to put them into this short bonus episode. In it, Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill talk about kids, screens, and the importance of boredom. They answer Guy's questions about why some gamers engage in toxic behavior, and how Riot Games is trying to address it. To hear the whole story of the founding of Riot Games, search your queue for the main episode, which dropped earlier this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 793 no Riot Games: Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill At USC in the late 1990s, Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck were bonding over video games and noticing that free, player-made modifications for the game Warcraft III were becoming wildly popular online. The two friends were so impressed by these mods that they decided to create their own multiplayer strategy game with an unusual twist: they'd offer the game for free, but charge players money for new characters or customizable clothing (or "skins"). Many investors balked at the idea, unsure that a free game—created by total novices—would generate enough revenue. After three rocky years of development, Marc and Brandon's company Riot Games launched League of Legends in 2009. Over the past 11 years, it's become one of the most popular PC games of all time, pulling in $1.5 billion in 2019 alone.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Dec 2020 05:01:43 -0000 Riot Games: Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill full 302 Guy Raz | Vox Media At USC in the late 1990s, Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck were bonding over video games and noticing that free, player-made modifications for the game Warcraft III were becoming wildly popular online. The two friends were so impressed by these mods that they decided to create their own multiplayer strategy game with an unusual twist: they'd offer the game for free, but charge players money for new characters or customizable clothing (or "skins"). Many investors balked at the idea, unsure that a free game—created by total novices—would generate enough revenue. After three rocky years of development, Marc and Brandon's company Riot Games launched League of Legends in 2009. Over the past 11 years, it's become one of the most popular PC games of all time, pulling in $1.5 billion in 2019 alone.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis At USC in the late 1990s, Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck were bonding over video games and noticing that free, player-made modifications for the game Warcraft III were becoming wildly popular online. The two friends were so impressed by these mods that they decided to create their own multiplayer strategy game with an unusual twist: they'd offer the game for free, but charge players money for new characters or customizable clothing (or "skins"). Many investors balked at the idea, unsure that a free game—created by total novices—would generate enough revenue. After three rocky years of development, Marc and Brandon's company Riot Games launched League of Legends in 2009. Over the past 11 years, it's become one of the most popular PC games of all time, pulling in $1.5 billion in 2019 alone.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Warcraft III were becoming wildly popular online. The two friends were so impressed by these mods that they decided to create their own multiplayer strategy game with an unusual twist: they'd offer the game for free, but charge players money for new characters or customizable clothing (or "skins"). Many investors balked at the idea, unsure that a free game—created by total novices—would generate enough revenue. After three rocky years of development, Marc and Brandon's company Riot Games launched League of Legends in 2009. Over the past 11 years, it's become one of the most popular PC games of all time, pulling in $1.5 billion in 2019 alone.

Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5746 no How I Built Resilience: Emily Powell of Powell's Books Emily Powell is the third generation owner and president of Portland, Oregon's iconic independent bookseller, Powell's Books. After having to let go of 90% of her staff in early March, Emily is focused on bringing people back and showcasing Powell's Books' unique in-store experience online. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 10 Dec 2020 05:01:45 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Emily Powell of Powell's Books full 301 Guy Raz | Vox Media Emily Powell is the third generation owner and president of Portland, Oregon's iconic independent bookseller, Powell's Books. After having to let go of 90% of her staff in early March, Emily is focused on bringing people back and showcasing Powell's Books' unique in-store experience online. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Emily Powell is the third generation owner and president of Portland, Oregon's iconic independent bookseller, Powell's Books. After having to let go of 90% of her staff in early March, Emily is focused on bringing people back and showcasing Powell's Books' unique in-store experience online. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1662 no Kodiak Cakes: Joel Clark When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his older brother had upgraded to selling the mix out of a Mazda sedan and calling it Kodiak Cakes. As he tried to scale the business, Joel made some risky business decisions and almost went bankrupt, but eventually got the brand into Target—a major turning point. Today, Kodiak Cakes is approaching $200 million in annual revenue as one of the best-selling pancake mixes in America.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Dec 2020 05:01:28 -0000 Kodiak Cakes: Joel Clark full 300 Guy Raz | Vox Media When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his older brother had upgraded to selling the mix out of a Mazda sedan and calling it Kodiak Cakes. As he tried to scale the business, Joel made some risky business decisions and almost went bankrupt, but eventually got the brand into Target—a major turning point. Today, Kodiak Cakes is approaching $200 million in annual revenue as one of the best-selling pancake mixes in America.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his older brother had upgraded to selling the mix out of a Mazda sedan and calling it Kodiak Cakes. As he tried to scale the business, Joel made some risky business decisions and almost went bankrupt, but eventually got the brand into Target—a major turning point. Today, Kodiak Cakes is approaching $200 million in annual revenue as one of the best-selling pancake mixes in America.Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4724 no Remembering Tony Hsieh of Zappos The former CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh has died. He was 46 years old. We are grateful that Tony shared his story with us in 2017 and we are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career. Tony was a computer scientist whose first company made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos—a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Tony stepped down as CEO of Zappos in August 2020; the company is worth over a billion dollars and is known for its unorthodox management style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Nov 2020 05:01:08 -0000 Remembering Tony Hsieh of Zappos full 299 Guy Raz | Vox Media The former CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh has died. He was 46 years old. We are grateful that Tony shared his story with us in 2017 and we are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career. Tony was a computer scientist whose first company made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos—a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Tony stepped down as CEO of Zappos in August 2020; the company is worth over a billion dollars and is known for its unorthodox management style. The former CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh has died. He was 46 years old. We are grateful that Tony shared his story with us in 2017 and we are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career. Tony was a computer scientist whose first company made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos—a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Tony stepped down as CEO of Zappos in August 2020; the company is worth over a billion dollars and is known for its unorthodox management style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1767 no How I Built Resilience: Dr. Iman Abuzeid of Incredible Health Dr. Iman Abuzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, a digital platform that helps streamline the hiring process for nurses and recruiting hospitals. After seeing an increased demand for nurses in April, and a shift to hiring digitally, the platform has now been able to expedite the hiring process to 15 days or less, compared to an industry standard of 90 days. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Wed, 25 Nov 2020 05:01:31 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Dr. Iman Abuzeid of Incredible Health full 298 Guy Raz | Vox Media Dr. Iman Abuzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, a digital platform that helps streamline the hiring process for nurses and recruiting hospitals. After seeing an increased demand for nurses in April, and a shift to hiring digitally, the platform has now been able to expedite the hiring process to 15 days or less, compared to an industry standard of 90 days. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Dr. Iman Abuzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, a digital platform that helps streamline the hiring process for nurses and recruiting hospitals. After seeing an increased demand for nurses in April, and a shift to hiring digitally, the platform has now been able to expedite the hiring process to 15 days or less, compared to an industry standard of 90 days. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1866 no The Lip Bar: Melissa Butler While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on Shark Tank with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar has expanded to 500 Target stores, and has continued to grow a following, despite the pain points of the pandemic. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Nov 2020 05:01:27 -0000 The Lip Bar: Melissa Butler full 297 Guy Raz | Vox Media While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on Shark Tank with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar has expanded to 500 Target stores, and has continued to grow a following, despite the pain points of the pandemic. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on Shark Tank with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar has expanded to 500 Target stores, and has continued to grow a following, despite the pain points of the pandemic. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Shark Tank with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar has expanded to 500 Target stores, and has continued to grow a following, despite the pain points of the pandemic.

Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5079 no How I Built Resilience: Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, one of the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry programs in the world. He speaks with Guy about how the Los Angeles based organization has adapted to continue training and employing people during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Nov 2020 05:01:48 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries full 296 Guy Raz | Vox Media Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, one of the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry programs in the world. He speaks with Guy about how the Los Angeles based organization has adapted to continue training and employing people during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, one of the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry programs in the world. He speaks with Guy about how the Los Angeles based organization has adapted to continue training and employing people during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1700 no Kenneth Cole: Kenneth Cole Kenneth Cole launched his shoe business out of a forty-foot truck in midtown Manhattan and quickly became known as an up-and-coming designer with an eye for street fashion. In 1986, he made a bold move by associating his nascent brand with a controversial issue at the time: the AIDS crisis, and the vital need for research. Through the 1990s and 2000s, Kenneth grew the company into a $500M brand, leading it through downturns, department store consolidation, an IPO and a return to private ownership. Throughout, he stayed committed to AIDS research and many other social causes. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Nov 2020 05:01:15 -0000 Kenneth Cole: Kenneth Cole full 295 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kenneth Cole launched his shoe business out of a forty-foot truck in midtown Manhattan and quickly became known as an up-and-coming designer with an eye for street fashion. In 1986, he made a bold move by associating his nascent brand with a controversial issue at the time: the AIDS crisis, and the vital need for research. Through the 1990s and 2000s, Kenneth grew the company into a $500M brand, leading it through downturns, department store consolidation, an IPO and a return to private ownership. Throughout, he stayed committed to AIDS research and many other social causes. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Kenneth Cole launched his shoe business out of a forty-foot truck in midtown Manhattan and quickly became known as an up-and-coming designer with an eye for street fashion. In 1986, he made a bold move by associating his nascent brand with a controversial issue at the time: the AIDS crisis, and the vital need for research. Through the 1990s and 2000s, Kenneth grew the company into a $500M brand, leading it through downturns, department store consolidation, an IPO and a return to private ownership. Throughout, he stayed committed to AIDS research and many other social causes. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4771 no Dropbox: Drew Houston In 2006, Drew Houston got on a bus from Boston heading to New York. He planned to use the three-hour ride to get some work done, so he opened his laptop, and realized he had left his thumb drive with all of his work files at home. Drew decided he never wanted to have that problem again. On that bus ride, he started writing the code to build a cloud-based file storage and sharing service he called Dropbox. Fourteen years later, Drew and his co-founder, Arash Ferdowsi, have built Dropbox into a public company worth close to $8 billion. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Nov 2020 05:01:00 -0000 Dropbox: Drew Houston full 294 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2006, Drew Houston got on a bus from Boston heading to New York. He planned to use the three-hour ride to get some work done, so he opened his laptop, and realized he had left his thumb drive with all of his work files at home. Drew decided he never wanted to have that problem again. On that bus ride, he started writing the code to build a cloud-based file storage and sharing service he called Dropbox. Fourteen years later, Drew and his co-founder, Arash Ferdowsi, have built Dropbox into a public company worth close to $8 billion. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis In 2006, Drew Houston got on a bus from Boston heading to New York. He planned to use the three-hour ride to get some work done, so he opened his laptop, and realized he had left his thumb drive with all of his work files at home. Drew decided he never wanted to have that problem again. On that bus ride, he started writing the code to build a cloud-based file storage and sharing service he called Dropbox. Fourteen years later, Drew and his co-founder, Arash Ferdowsi, have built Dropbox into a public company worth close to $8 billion. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3051 no How I Built Resilience: Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement Guy talks with Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement, a grassroots organization that's fighting to make climate change a top priority in the US. The group launched in 2017 and has since grown into one of the largest youth movements in the country. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Nov 2020 05:01:31 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement full 293 Guy Raz | Vox Media Guy talks with Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement, a grassroots organization that's fighting to make climate change a top priority in the US. The group launched in 2017 and has since grown into one of the largest youth movements in the country. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Guy talks with Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement, a grassroots organization that's fighting to make climate change a top priority in the US. The group launched in 2017 and has since grown into one of the largest youth movements in the country. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1594 no Famous Dave's: Dave Anderson Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him. For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin. The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has around 125 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Nov 2020 05:01:44 -0000 Famous Dave's: Dave Anderson full 292 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him. For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin. The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has around 125 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him. For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin. The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has around 125 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4794 no How I Built Resilience: Justin Gold of Justin's Justin Gold is the founder of Justin's, known for its nut butters and chocolate peanut butter cups. He talks about how he started by pulverizing peanuts in his home blender, and describes how his customers are shopping differently during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 31 Oct 2020 04:01:47 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Justin Gold of Justin's full 291 Guy Raz | Vox Media Justin Gold is the founder of Justin's, known for its nut butters and chocolate peanut butter cups. He talks about how he started by pulverizing peanuts in his home blender, and describes how his customers are shopping differently during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Justin Gold is the founder of Justin's, known for its nut butters and chocolate peanut butter cups. He talks about how he started by pulverizing peanuts in his home blender, and describes how his customers are shopping differently during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1482 no How I Built Resilience: Cheryl Contee of Do Big Things Do Big Things is a Black woman-led, mission-driven digital agency that works with companies like Google, Etsy, and the NAACP, and has a staff that's 50% people of color. The agency's CEO and founder Cheryl Contee says having a diverse team is a strategy for authentic engagement. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Oct 2020 04:01:12 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Cheryl Contee of Do Big Things full 290 Guy Raz | Vox Media Do Big Things is a Black woman-led, mission-driven digital agency that works with companies like Google, Etsy, and the NAACP, and has a staff that's 50% people of color. The agency's CEO and founder Cheryl Contee says having a diverse team is a strategy for authentic engagement. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Do Big Things is a Black woman-led, mission-driven digital agency that works with companies like Google, Etsy, and the NAACP, and has a staff that's 50% people of color. The agency's CEO and founder Cheryl Contee says having a diverse team is a strategy for authentic engagement. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1359 no McBride Sisters Wine (Part 2 of 2): Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John After Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John made the extraordinary discovery that they were half-sisters, they formed a deep bond and discovered a mutual dream: to create a wine company that would demystify wine culture and attract a wider audience. In the mid-2000s, they staked their life savings on an importer's license and began selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to high-end restaurants, eventually partnering with larger companies to test out their blends and learn more about the business. In 2016, they decided to take a leap and create their own collection. Today, their wine—including the signature brand Black Girl Magic—is on grocery shelves across the country, and the McBride Sisters Collection is one of the biggest Black-owned wine companies in the world. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Oct 2020 04:01:00 -0000 McBride Sisters Wine (Part 2 of 2): Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John full 289 Guy Raz | Vox Media After Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John made the extraordinary discovery that they were half-sisters, they formed a deep bond and discovered a mutual dream: to create a wine company that would demystify wine culture and attract a wider audience. In the mid-2000s, they staked their life savings on an importer's license and began selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to high-end restaurants, eventually partnering with larger companies to test out their blends and learn more about the business. In 2016, they decided to take a leap and create their own collection. Today, their wine—including the signature brand Black Girl Magic—is on grocery shelves across the country, and the McBride Sisters Collection is one of the biggest Black-owned wine companies in the world. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis After Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John made the extraordinary discovery that they were half-sisters, they formed a deep bond and discovered a mutual dream: to create a wine company that would demystify wine culture and attract a wider audience. In the mid-2000s, they staked their life savings on an importer's license and began selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to high-end restaurants, eventually partnering with larger companies to test out their blends and learn more about the business. In 2016, they decided to take a leap and create their own collection. Today, their wine—including the signature brand Black Girl Magic—is on grocery shelves across the country, and the McBride Sisters Collection is one of the biggest Black-owned wine companies in the world. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4470 no How I Built Resilience: Sonia Gil of Fluenz Fluenz helps English speakers learn new languages, both online and with in-person immersion programs. With travel restrictions and a global pandemic, CEO and founder Sonia Gil had to scrap her in-person immersion programs, and create a new system for teaching students remotely. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Oct 2020 04:01:45 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Sonia Gil of Fluenz full 288 Guy Raz | Vox Media Fluenz helps English speakers learn new languages, both online and with in-person immersion programs. With travel restrictions and a global pandemic, CEO and founder Sonia Gil had to scrap her in-person immersion programs, and create a new system for teaching students remotely. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Fluenz helps English speakers learn new languages, both online and with in-person immersion programs. With travel restrictions and a global pandemic, CEO and founder Sonia Gil had to scrap her in-person immersion programs, and create a new system for teaching students remotely. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1334 no McBride Sisters Wine (Part 1 of 2): Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John When we first spoke with Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John, we were so blown away by their story that we decided to turn it into two episodes. With hardly any money or connections, they built one of the biggest Black-owned wine companies in the world — a journey that began with an extraordinary family discovery: Robin and Andréa are half-sisters who didn't know of each other's existence until they were both young women. Robin grew up in California, and at the age of 25, she received a letter with life-changing news: she had a younger sister living in New Zealand. The sisters met for the first time in 1999, formed an instant bond, and soon realized they shared a deep interest in the art of winemaking. They began dreaming about building their own company—one that would open up the wine industry to people who often feel shut out of it. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Oct 2020 04:01:17 -0000 McBride Sisters Wine (Part 1 of 2): Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John full 287 Guy Raz | Vox Media When we first spoke with Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John, we were so blown away by their story that we decided to turn it into two episodes. With hardly any money or connections, they built one of the biggest Black-owned wine companies in the world — a journey that began with an extraordinary family discovery: Robin and Andréa are half-sisters who didn't know of each other's existence until they were both young women. Robin grew up in California, and at the age of 25, she received a letter with life-changing news: she had a younger sister living in New Zealand. The sisters met for the first time in 1999, formed an instant bond, and soon realized they shared a deep interest in the art of winemaking. They began dreaming about building their own company—one that would open up the wine industry to people who often feel shut out of it. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis When we first spoke with Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John, we were so blown away by their story that we decided to turn it into two episodes. With hardly any money or connections, they built one of the biggest Black-owned wine companies in the world — a journey that began with an extraordinary family discovery: Robin and Andréa are half-sisters who didn't know of each other's existence until they were both young women. Robin grew up in California, and at the age of 25, she received a letter with life-changing news: she had a younger sister living in New Zealand. The sisters met for the first time in 1999, formed an instant bond, and soon realized they shared a deep interest in the art of winemaking. They began dreaming about building their own company—one that would open up the wine industry to people who often feel shut out of it. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3293 no method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan (2018) In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub without harming the environment. Adam started experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, and scented oils, while Eric worked on making sleek bottles that looked good on a kitchen counter. Just a few years later, Adam and Eric were selling Method cleaning products in stores throughout the country, after a bold gamble got them on the shelves of Target.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Oct 2020 04:01:00 -0000 method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan (2018) full 286 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub without harming the environment. Adam started experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, and scented oils, while Eric worked on making sleek bottles that looked good on a kitchen counter. Just a few years later, Adam and Eric were selling Method cleaning products in stores throughout the country, after a bold gamble got them on the shelves of Target.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub without harming the environment. Adam started experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, and scented oils, while Eric worked on making sleek bottles that looked good on a kitchen counter. Just a few years later, Adam and Eric were selling Method cleaning products in stores throughout the country, after a bold gamble got them on the shelves of Target.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3391 no How I Built Resilience: Cynt Marshall of Dallas Mavericks When a Sports Illustrated article exposed internal abuse and harassment in the Dallas Mavericks organization, owner Mark Cuban knew he had a culture problem. So he hired Cynt Marshall as CEO, and she tells Guy how she started to turn things around, and how she's leading the organization through this unprecedented moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 10 Oct 2020 04:01:17 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Cynt Marshall of Dallas Mavericks full 285 Guy Raz | Vox Media When a Sports Illustrated article exposed internal abuse and harassment in the Dallas Mavericks organization, owner Mark Cuban knew he had a culture problem. So he hired Cynt Marshall as CEO, and she tells Guy how she started to turn things around, and how she's leading the organization through this unprecedented moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis When a Sports Illustrated article exposed internal abuse and harassment in the Dallas Mavericks organization, owner Mark Cuban knew he had a culture problem. So he hired Cynt Marshall as CEO, and she tells Guy how she started to turn things around, and how she's leading the organization through this unprecedented moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1576 no How I Built Resilience: Aishetu Dozie of Bossy Cosmetics Aishetu Dozie had a successful career in finance before she took a leap and launched Bossy, a makeup brand that has exploded in popularity over the past six months, despite the challenges of the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 08 Oct 2020 04:01:56 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Aishetu Dozie of Bossy Cosmetics full 284 Guy Raz | Vox Media Aishetu Dozie had a successful career in finance before she took a leap and launched Bossy, a makeup brand that has exploded in popularity over the past six months, despite the challenges of the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Aishetu Dozie had a successful career in finance before she took a leap and launched Bossy, a makeup brand that has exploded in popularity over the past six months, despite the challenges of the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1486 no Lush Cosmetics: Mark Constantine Working at a high-end beauty salon in the south of England in the early 1970's, Mark Constantine concocted natural shampoos and conditioners in a tiny room above his kitchen, and soon met another young entrepreneur who was eager to buy his products: Anita Roddick of The Body Shop. Their partnership flourished for a while, then soured; so Mark went on to start a mail-order cosmetics business with his wife and several others. After that business went bust and Mark was nearly broke, he decided to take one more leap to launch Lush, a cosmetics shop whose distinctive soaps and bath bombs developed a passionate following. Today, Lush has about 900 stores around the world and is adapting to pressures of a pandemic economy.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Oct 2020 04:01:24 -0000 Lush Cosmetics: Mark Constantine full 283 Guy Raz | Vox Media Working at a high-end beauty salon in the south of England in the early 1970's, Mark Constantine concocted natural shampoos and conditioners in a tiny room above his kitchen, and soon met another young entrepreneur who was eager to buy his products: Anita Roddick of The Body Shop. Their partnership flourished for a while, then soured; so Mark went on to start a mail-order cosmetics business with his wife and several others. After that business went bust and Mark was nearly broke, he decided to take one more leap to launch Lush, a cosmetics shop whose distinctive soaps and bath bombs developed a passionate following. Today, Lush has about 900 stores around the world and is adapting to pressures of a pandemic economy.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Working at a high-end beauty salon in the south of England in the early 1970's, Mark Constantine concocted natural shampoos and conditioners in a tiny room above his kitchen, and soon met another young entrepreneur who was eager to buy his products: Anita Roddick of The Body Shop. Their partnership flourished for a while, then soured; so Mark went on to start a mail-order cosmetics business with his wife and several others. After that business went bust and Mark was nearly broke, he decided to take one more leap to launch Lush, a cosmetics shop whose distinctive soaps and bath bombs developed a passionate following. Today, Lush has about 900 stores around the world and is adapting to pressures of a pandemic economy.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5370 no How I Built Resilience: Jennifer Neundorfer of January Ventures January Ventures is an investment firm that is trying to address the unique challenges and biases faced by entrepreneurs often under-represented in business, including women and people of color. The firm's co-founder and managing partner Jennifer Neundorfer says that despite more attention in the recent months, great ideas from these diverse groups have always been there. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 03 Oct 2020 04:01:54 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Jennifer Neundorfer of January Ventures full 282 Guy Raz | Vox Media January Ventures is an investment firm that is trying to address the unique challenges and biases faced by entrepreneurs often under-represented in business, including women and people of color. The firm's co-founder and managing partner Jennifer Neundorfer says that despite more attention in the recent months, great ideas from these diverse groups have always been there. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis January Ventures is an investment firm that is trying to address the unique challenges and biases faced by entrepreneurs often under-represented in business, including women and people of color. The firm's co-founder and managing partner Jennifer Neundorfer says that despite more attention in the recent months, great ideas from these diverse groups have always been there. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1544 no How I Built Resilience: Jeremy Stoppelman of Yelp Yelp founder Jeremy Stoppelman says his leadership team anticipated a "nuclear winter" after the pandemic hit. But as businesses start to re-open, and ad revenues on the site creep back up, Yelp is bringing back furloughed employees and adding Covid-conscious features to its listings. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 01 Oct 2020 04:01:50 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Jeremy Stoppelman of Yelp full 281 Guy Raz | Vox Media Yelp founder Jeremy Stoppelman says his leadership team anticipated a "nuclear winter" after the pandemic hit. But as businesses start to re-open, and ad revenues on the site creep back up, Yelp is bringing back furloughed employees and adding Covid-conscious features to its listings. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Yelp founder Jeremy Stoppelman says his leadership team anticipated a "nuclear winter" after the pandemic hit. But as businesses start to re-open, and ad revenues on the site creep back up, Yelp is bringing back furloughed employees and adding Covid-conscious features to its listings. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1724 no Health-Ade Kombucha: Daina Trout In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Their biggest contender seemed to be a natural product to treat hair loss. Turns out, it's harder than they thought to make one, so they landed on something completely different: a brand of homemade kombucha they called Health-Ade. After nine months of brewing kombucha in their kitchen and selling it at local farmer's markets, the three co-founders quit their jobs to pursue Health-Ade full time. Seven years later, Health-Ade brews 120,000 bottles of Kombucha every day, and does close to $200 million in retail sales. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Sep 2020 04:01:31 -0000 Health-Ade Kombucha: Daina Trout full 280 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Their biggest contender seemed to be a natural product to treat hair loss. Turns out, it's harder than they thought to make one, so they landed on something completely different: a brand of homemade kombucha they called Health-Ade. After nine months of brewing kombucha in their kitchen and selling it at local farmer's markets, the three co-founders quit their jobs to pursue Health-Ade full time. Seven years later, Health-Ade brews 120,000 bottles of Kombucha every day, and does close to $200 million in retail sales. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Their biggest contender seemed to be a natural product to treat hair loss. Turns out, it's harder than they thought to make one, so they landed on something completely different: a brand of homemade kombucha they called Health-Ade. After nine months of brewing kombucha in their kitchen and selling it at local farmer's markets, the three co-founders quit their jobs to pursue Health-Ade full time. Seven years later, Health-Ade brews 120,000 bottles of Kombucha every day, and does close to $200 million in retail sales. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3655 no How I Built Resilience: John Zimmer of Lyft This year has brought unexpected challenges to Lyft, starting with a 75 percent drop in rideshares at the beginning of the pandemic. But co-founder John Zimmer says ride-hailing is returning, and the company is continuing to diversify with car, scooter, and bike rentals. John also answers questions about whether app-based drivers should be thought of as part-time employees or independent contractors. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 26 Sep 2020 04:01:25 -0000 How I Built Resilience: John Zimmer of Lyft full 279 Guy Raz | Vox Media This year has brought unexpected challenges to Lyft, starting with a 75 percent drop in rideshares at the beginning of the pandemic. But co-founder John Zimmer says ride-hailing is returning, and the company is continuing to diversify with car, scooter, and bike rentals. John also answers questions about whether app-based drivers should be thought of as part-time employees or independent contractors. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis This year has brought unexpected challenges to Lyft, starting with a 75 percent drop in rideshares at the beginning of the pandemic. But co-founder John Zimmer says ride-hailing is returning, and the company is continuing to diversify with car, scooter, and bike rentals. John also answers questions about whether app-based drivers should be thought of as part-time employees or independent contractors. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1662 no Khan Academy: Sal Khan In 2009, Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money. His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was ignited five years earlier, when he was helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer. They loved his clear explanations and soon he was posting free tutorials on Youtube, where they started to attract the attention of thousands of users around the world. Sal realized he could help democratize learning by building a free platform to teach math, science, and the humanities. Today, Khan Academy offers hundreds of free recorded tutorials in dozens of languages. During the pandemic, its popularity has surged to 30 million users a month. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Sep 2020 04:01:52 -0000 Khan Academy: Sal Khan full 278 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2009, Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money. His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was ignited five years earlier, when he was helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer. They loved his clear explanations and soon he was posting free tutorials on Youtube, where they started to attract the attention of thousands of users around the world. Sal realized he could help democratize learning by building a free platform to teach math, science, and the humanities. Today, Khan Academy offers hundreds of free recorded tutorials in dozens of languages. During the pandemic, its popularity has surged to 30 million users a month. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis In 2009, Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money. His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was ignited five years earlier, when he was helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer. They loved his clear explanations and soon he was posting free tutorials on Youtube, where they started to attract the attention of thousands of users around the world. Sal realized he could help democratize learning by building a free platform to teach math, science, and the humanities. Today, Khan Academy offers hundreds of free recorded tutorials in dozens of languages. During the pandemic, its popularity has surged to 30 million users a month. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5103 no How I Built Resilience: Whitney Wolfe Herd of Bumble Last year, the dating app Bumble launched a video chat feature that was initially slow to take off. But that changed after the pandemic hit. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd tells Guy that many Bumble users are getting to know each other on video before meeting in person—a trend that could change dating for the better. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 19 Sep 2020 04:01:06 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Whitney Wolfe Herd of Bumble full 277 Guy Raz | Vox Media Last year, the dating app Bumble launched a video chat feature that was initially slow to take off. But that changed after the pandemic hit. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd tells Guy that many Bumble users are getting to know each other on video before meeting in person—a trend that could change dating for the better. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Last year, the dating app Bumble launched a video chat feature that was initially slow to take off. But that changed after the pandemic hit. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd tells Guy that many Bumble users are getting to know each other on video before meeting in person—a trend that could change dating for the better. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1383 no How I Built Resilience: Bert and John Jacobs of Life is Good Bert and John Jacobs had just come off a $100 million year for their Boston-based apparel company, Life is Good. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended business as usual, forcing the brothers to invest in a new printing model while trying to encourage optimism during this time of economic and social distress. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 17 Sep 2020 04:01:21 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Bert and John Jacobs of Life is Good full 276 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bert and John Jacobs had just come off a $100 million year for their Boston-based apparel company, Life is Good. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended business as usual, forcing the brothers to invest in a new printing model while trying to encourage optimism during this time of economic and social distress. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Bert and John Jacobs had just come off a $100 million year for their Boston-based apparel company, Life is Good. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended business as usual, forcing the brothers to invest in a new printing model while trying to encourage optimism during this time of economic and social distress. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at:https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1898 no Calendly: Tope Awotona After emigrating from Nigeria to the US to attend college, Tope Awotona worked as a door-to-door salesman and eventually set out to become a tech entrepreneur. He launched a series of e-commerce businesses that quickly fizzled when he realized he had no passion for them. But then he landed on an idea he was truly excited about: designing software that would minimize the hassle and headache of scheduling meetings. In 2013, he cashed in his 401k and went into debt to build Calendly, a scheduling service expected to make about $60 million this year.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Sep 2020 04:01:33 -0000 Calendly: Tope Awotona full 275 Guy Raz | Vox Media After emigrating from Nigeria to the US to attend college, Tope Awotona worked as a door-to-door salesman and eventually set out to become a tech entrepreneur. He launched a series of e-commerce businesses that quickly fizzled when he realized he had no passion for them. But then he landed on an idea he was truly excited about: designing software that would minimize the hassle and headache of scheduling meetings. In 2013, he cashed in his 401k and went into debt to build Calendly, a scheduling service expected to make about $60 million this year.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis After emigrating from Nigeria to the US to attend college, Tope Awotona worked as a door-to-door salesman and eventually set out to become a tech entrepreneur. He launched a series of e-commerce businesses that quickly fizzled when he realized he had no passion for them. But then he landed on an idea he was truly excited about: designing software that would minimize the hassle and headache of scheduling meetings. In 2013, he cashed in his 401k and went into debt to build Calendly, a scheduling service expected to make about $60 million this year.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pre-order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4470 no How I Built Resilience (Special Edition): Guy Raz On this special episode, Stacey Vanek Smith interviews Guy about his brand new book, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs. Stacey asks Guy about growing up with entrepreneurial parents, working overseas as a war reporter, and how elements of entrepreneurship have mirrored the trajectory of his own career. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 12 Sep 2020 04:01:23 -0000 How I Built Resilience (Special Edition): Guy Raz full 274 Guy Raz | Vox Media On this special episode, Stacey Vanek Smith interviews Guy about his brand new book, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs. Stacey asks Guy about growing up with entrepreneurial parents, working overseas as a war reporter, and how elements of entrepreneurship have mirrored the trajectory of his own career. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis On this special episode, Stacey Vanek Smith interviews Guy about his brand new book, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs. Stacey asks Guy about growing up with entrepreneurial parents, working overseas as a war reporter, and how elements of entrepreneurship have mirrored the trajectory of his own career. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs. Stacey asks Guy about growing up with entrepreneurial parents, working overseas as a war reporter, and how elements of entrepreneurship have mirrored the trajectory of his own career. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series.

Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1930 no How I Built Resilience: Pokimane Imane Anys—who goes by the online moniker Pokimane—is the leading female streamer on Twitch, a popular streaming platform for gamers. Pokimane spoke with Guy about garnering more than 20 million followers across several platforms, and how internet personalities can operate their brands like traditional businesses. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 10 Sep 2020 04:01:07 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Pokimane full 273 Guy Raz | Vox Media Imane Anys—who goes by the online moniker Pokimane—is the leading female streamer on Twitch, a popular streaming platform for gamers. Pokimane spoke with Guy about garnering more than 20 million followers across several platforms, and how internet personalities can operate their brands like traditional businesses. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Imane Anys—who goes by the online moniker Pokimane—is the leading female streamer on Twitch, a popular streaming platform for gamers. Pokimane spoke with Guy about garnering more than 20 million followers across several platforms, and how internet personalities can operate their brands like traditional businesses. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1735 no Rad Power Bikes: Mike Radenbaugh Growing up in rural Northern California, Mike Radenbaugh hated biking to high school—it was a 16 mile slog; hilly and tiring. So he scrounged up a battery and a motor, rigged them to an old mountain bike and began cycling to school without breaking a sweat. When Mike's neighbors starting asking him to motorize their bikes, Rad Power Bikes was born. He eventually designed an eye-catching e-bike with fat tires and a throttle that could push any pedaler to 20mph. Today, Rad Power Bikes is the largest e-bike brand in the U.S., and has barely been able to keep up with demand since the pandemic began.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Sep 2020 04:01:48 -0000 Rad Power Bikes: Mike Radenbaugh full 272 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up in rural Northern California, Mike Radenbaugh hated biking to high school—it was a 16 mile slog; hilly and tiring. So he scrounged up a battery and a motor, rigged them to an old mountain bike and began cycling to school without breaking a sweat. When Mike's neighbors starting asking him to motorize their bikes, Rad Power Bikes was born. He eventually designed an eye-catching e-bike with fat tires and a throttle that could push any pedaler to 20mph. Today, Rad Power Bikes is the largest e-bike brand in the U.S., and has barely been able to keep up with demand since the pandemic began.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Growing up in rural Northern California, Mike Radenbaugh hated biking to high school—it was a 16 mile slog; hilly and tiring. So he scrounged up a battery and a motor, rigged them to an old mountain bike and began cycling to school without breaking a sweat. When Mike's neighbors starting asking him to motorize their bikes, Rad Power Bikes was born. He eventually designed an eye-catching e-bike with fat tires and a throttle that could push any pedaler to 20mph. Today, Rad Power Bikes is the largest e-bike brand in the U.S., and has barely been able to keep up with demand since the pandemic began.Pre-order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pre-order the How I Built This book at:
https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4418 no How I Built Resilience: Sandra Oh Lin of KiwiCo KiwiCo delivers science and arts projects to kids on a monthly basis. Sandra Oh Lin founded the company nine years ago, and her team has scrambled to meet demand during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 05 Sep 2020 04:01:46 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Sandra Oh Lin of KiwiCo full 271 Guy Raz | Vox Media KiwiCo delivers science and arts projects to kids on a monthly basis. Sandra Oh Lin founded the company nine years ago, and her team has scrambled to meet demand during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. KiwiCo delivers science and arts projects to kids on a monthly basis. Sandra Oh Lin founded the company nine years ago, and her team has scrambled to meet demand during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1326 no How I Built Resilience: Luke Holden and Ben Conniff of Luke's Lobster COVID-19's impact on the seafood industry hit Luke Holden and Ben Conniff hard; in March they closed their restaurants and laid off 300 employees. Since then, Luke's Lobster has been able to stay afloat by upstarting an e-commerce website, but their focus remains on sustaining the local seafood economy of Maine. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 03 Sep 2020 04:01:42 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Luke Holden and Ben Conniff of Luke's Lobster full 270 Guy Raz | Vox Media COVID-19's impact on the seafood industry hit Luke Holden and Ben Conniff hard; in March they closed their restaurants and laid off 300 employees. Since then, Luke's Lobster has been able to stay afloat by upstarting an e-commerce website, but their focus remains on sustaining the local seafood economy of Maine. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. COVID-19's impact on the seafood industry hit Luke Holden and Ben Conniff hard; in March they closed their restaurants and laid off 300 employees. Since then, Luke's Lobster has been able to stay afloat by upstarting an e-commerce website, but their focus remains on sustaining the local seafood economy of Maine. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1561 no Chilewich: Sandy Chilewich One night in 1978, for fun, Sandy Chilewich and her friend, Kathy Moskal, tried bleaching their black cotton shoes, and dyeing them a new color. They were just fooling around in their Manhattan loft, but that experiment sparked the idea for Hue, a line of colorful shoes, stockings, tights, and accessories. It also launched Sandy on a 40-plus year career as a designer and entrepreneur. After selling Hue in 1991, Sandy built up her current, eponymous business based on an innovative design for placemats and other household items made from woven vinyl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Aug 2020 04:01:30 -0000 Chilewich: Sandy Chilewich full 269 Guy Raz | Vox Media One night in 1978, for fun, Sandy Chilewich and her friend, Kathy Moskal, tried bleaching their black cotton shoes, and dyeing them a new color. They were just fooling around in their Manhattan loft, but that experiment sparked the idea for Hue, a line of colorful shoes, stockings, tights, and accessories. It also launched Sandy on a 40-plus year career as a designer and entrepreneur. After selling Hue in 1991, Sandy built up her current, eponymous business based on an innovative design for placemats and other household items made from woven vinyl. One night in 1978, for fun, Sandy Chilewich and her friend, Kathy Moskal, tried bleaching their black cotton shoes, and dyeing them a new color. They were just fooling around in their Manhattan loft, but that experiment sparked the idea for Hue, a line of colorful shoes, stockings, tights, and accessories. It also launched Sandy on a 40-plus year career as a designer and entrepreneur. After selling Hue in 1991, Sandy built up her current, eponymous business based on an innovative design for placemats and other household items made from woven vinyl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2804 no How I Built Resilience: Niraj Shah and Steve Conine of Wayfair Despite the economic crisis, Wayfair has seen an 84 percent sales spike, leading them to profitability during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, co-founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine have also dealt with unexpected challenges, from hundreds of layoffs in February to employee-staged protests outside Wayfair's office in June. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 29 Aug 2020 04:01:09 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Niraj Shah and Steve Conine of Wayfair full 268 Guy Raz | Vox Media Despite the economic crisis, Wayfair has seen an 84 percent sales spike, leading them to profitability during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, co-founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine have also dealt with unexpected challenges, from hundreds of layoffs in February to employee-staged protests outside Wayfair's office in June. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Despite the economic crisis, Wayfair has seen an 84 percent sales spike, leading them to profitability during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, co-founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine have also dealt with unexpected challenges, from hundreds of layoffs in February to employee-staged protests outside Wayfair's office in June. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1831 no How I Built Resilience: Ajay Prakash and James Joun of Rinse Rinse is a laundry and dry-cleaning app started by college friends Ajay Prakash and James Joun in 2013. Since March, Rinse's dry cleaning service has seen a drop in orders, but their laundry arm has remained steady, allowing them to avoid layoffs during the COVID-19 crisis. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Aug 2020 04:01:01 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Ajay Prakash and James Joun of Rinse full 267 Guy Raz | Vox Media Rinse is a laundry and dry-cleaning app started by college friends Ajay Prakash and James Joun in 2013. Since March, Rinse's dry cleaning service has seen a drop in orders, but their laundry arm has remained steady, allowing them to avoid layoffs during the COVID-19 crisis. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Rinse is a laundry and dry-cleaning app started by college friends Ajay Prakash and James Joun in 2013. Since March, Rinse's dry cleaning service has seen a drop in orders, but their laundry arm has remained steady, allowing them to avoid layoffs during the COVID-19 crisis. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1455 no Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine (2018) After selling their first small business and shuttering their second, former college roommates Niraj Shah and Steve Conine thought about getting "normal" jobs. But in the early 2000s, they stumbled across an unexpected trend: people were buying furniture online to get a wider selection. Within a few years, Niraj and Steve launched 250 different websites, selling everything from barstools to birdhouses. Eventually, they consolidated these sites into one giant brand: Wayfair. The company now carries more than 14 million items for and last year brought in more than $9 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Aug 2020 04:01:31 -0000 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine (2018) full 266 Guy Raz | Vox Media After selling their first small business and shuttering their second, former college roommates Niraj Shah and Steve Conine thought about getting "normal" jobs. But in the early 2000s, they stumbled across an unexpected trend: people were buying furniture online to get a wider selection. Within a few years, Niraj and Steve launched 250 different websites, selling everything from barstools to birdhouses. Eventually, they consolidated these sites into one giant brand: Wayfair. The company now carries more than 14 million items for and last year brought in more than $9 billion. After selling their first small business and shuttering their second, former college roommates Niraj Shah and Steve Conine thought about getting "normal" jobs. But in the early 2000s, they stumbled across an unexpected trend: people were buying furniture online to get a wider selection. Within a few years, Niraj and Steve launched 250 different websites, selling everything from barstools to birdhouses. Eventually, they consolidated these sites into one giant brand: Wayfair. The company now carries more than 14 million items for and last year brought in more than $9 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2643 no Zocdoc: Oliver Kharraz In 2007, three friends set out to address a common frustration: the long waits and scheduling hassles of booking a doctor's appointment. But soon after launching their online scheduling platform Zocdoc, Oliver Kharraz, Cyrus Massoumi and Nick Ganju ran into a classic chicken-and-egg problem: they had to show potential patients that doctors were available for bookings, while frantically convincing reluctant doctors to sign up. The company solved this challenge and started to grow, but then faced an even bigger hurdle: an identity crisis over its business model, which caused a major rift between its partners. Now Zocdoc is going through another transformation: offering video appointments in the age of COVID-19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Aug 2020 04:01:01 -0000 Zocdoc: Oliver Kharraz full 265 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2007, three friends set out to address a common frustration: the long waits and scheduling hassles of booking a doctor's appointment. But soon after launching their online scheduling platform Zocdoc, Oliver Kharraz, Cyrus Massoumi and Nick Ganju ran into a classic chicken-and-egg problem: they had to show potential patients that doctors were available for bookings, while frantically convincing reluctant doctors to sign up. The company solved this challenge and started to grow, but then faced an even bigger hurdle: an identity crisis over its business model, which caused a major rift between its partners. Now Zocdoc is going through another transformation: offering video appointments in the age of COVID-19. In 2007, three friends set out to address a common frustration: the long waits and scheduling hassles of booking a doctor's appointment. But soon after launching their online scheduling platform Zocdoc, Oliver Kharraz, Cyrus Massoumi and Nick Ganju ran into a classic chicken-and-egg problem: they had to show potential patients that doctors were available for bookings, while frantically convincing reluctant doctors to sign up. The company solved this challenge and started to grow, but then faced an even bigger hurdle: an identity crisis over its business model, which caused a major rift between its partners. Now Zocdoc is going through another transformation: offering video appointments in the age of COVID-19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4085 no How I Built Resilience: Samantha Bee of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Samantha Bee, the host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, has been filming her show from her backyard in upstate New York since March. While Samantha remains unsure about returning to the studio, she's optimistic that her team will continue producing a broadcast-quality show remotely. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 15 Aug 2020 04:01:56 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Samantha Bee of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee full 264 Guy Raz | Vox Media Samantha Bee, the host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, has been filming her show from her backyard in upstate New York since March. While Samantha remains unsure about returning to the studio, she's optimistic that her team will continue producing a broadcast-quality show remotely. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Samantha Bee, the host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, has been filming her show from her backyard in upstate New York since March. While Samantha remains unsure about returning to the studio, she's optimistic that her team will continue producing a broadcast-quality show remotely. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, has been filming her show from her backyard in upstate New York since March. While Samantha remains unsure about returning to the studio, she's optimistic that her team will continue producing a broadcast-quality show remotely. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1359 no How I Built Resilience: Brian Chesky of Airbnb In the early stages of the lockdown, Airbnb was in a freefall: it lost 80 percent of its business and laid off a quarter of its staff. But CEO Brian Chesky tells Guy that as people start to travel again—in cars, and closer to home—the company is beginning to recover. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Aug 2020 04:01:49 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Brian Chesky of Airbnb full 263 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early stages of the lockdown, Airbnb was in a freefall: it lost 80 percent of its business and laid off a quarter of its staff. But CEO Brian Chesky tells Guy that as people start to travel again—in cars, and closer to home—the company is beginning to recover. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. In the early stages of the lockdown, Airbnb was in a freefall: it lost 80 percent of its business and laid off a quarter of its staff. But CEO Brian Chesky tells Guy that as people start to travel again—in cars, and closer to home—the company is beginning to recover. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1573 no Briogeo: Nancy Twine In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job on the trading floor at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more. Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she used to make with her mom, Nancy decided to create a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as an African American entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money. Finally in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo, eventually landed it in Sephora, and—even in the midst of an economic crisis—is expecting it to do $40M in sales this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Aug 2020 04:01:17 -0000 Briogeo: Nancy Twine full 262 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job on the trading floor at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more. Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she used to make with her mom, Nancy decided to create a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as an African American entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money. Finally in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo, eventually landed it in Sephora, and—even in the midst of an economic crisis—is expecting it to do $40M in sales this year. In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job on the trading floor at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more. Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she used to make with her mom, Nancy decided to create a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as an African American entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money. Finally in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo, eventually landed it in Sephora, and—even in the midst of an economic crisis—is expecting it to do $40M in sales this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4428 no How I Built Resilience: Jessie Woolley-Wilson of DreamBox Guy speaks with Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO of DreamBox, an online math learning program for K-8 students. The platform has added two million new users during the lockdown, but that rapid growth has created "stretch marks" and new challenges for leadership. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 08 Aug 2020 04:01:05 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Jessie Woolley-Wilson of DreamBox full 261 Guy Raz | Vox Media Guy speaks with Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO of DreamBox, an online math learning program for K-8 students. The platform has added two million new users during the lockdown, but that rapid growth has created "stretch marks" and new challenges for leadership. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Guy speaks with Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO of DreamBox, an online math learning program for K-8 students. The platform has added two million new users during the lockdown, but that rapid growth has created "stretch marks" and new challenges for leadership. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1392 no How I Built Resilience: Alberto Perlman of Zumba Within weeks after the pandemic lockdown, the fitness program Zumba rapidly shifted gears and launched its own online workout platform. Co-founder Alberto Perlman says it's helping keep the community connected, fit, and—for instructors—employed. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Aug 2020 04:01:19 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Alberto Perlman of Zumba full 260 Guy Raz | Vox Media Within weeks after the pandemic lockdown, the fitness program Zumba rapidly shifted gears and launched its own online workout platform. Co-founder Alberto Perlman says it's helping keep the community connected, fit, and—for instructors—employed. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Within weeks after the pandemic lockdown, the fitness program Zumba rapidly shifted gears and launched its own online workout platform. Co-founder Alberto Perlman says it's helping keep the community connected, fit, and—for instructors—employed. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1397 no Vita Coco: Michael Kirban So—no joke: two guys really do walk into a bar. While sharing a few drinks on a winter night in New York City, best friends Michael Kirban and Ira Liran met two young women from Brazil. That chance encounter eventually led to a business idea: to sell Brazilian coconut water in the US, as an alternative to Gatorade. In 2004, Michael and Ira launched Vita Coco, only to discover that another startup—Zico—was selling a nearly identical product. The two companies went to war, using the time-honored tools of corporate sabotage, but eventually Vita Coco emerged as the top selling coconut-water in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Aug 2020 04:01:00 -0000 Vita Coco: Michael Kirban full 259 Guy Raz | Vox Media So—no joke: two guys really do walk into a bar. While sharing a few drinks on a winter night in New York City, best friends Michael Kirban and Ira Liran met two young women from Brazil. That chance encounter eventually led to a business idea: to sell Brazilian coconut water in the US, as an alternative to Gatorade. In 2004, Michael and Ira launched Vita Coco, only to discover that another startup—Zico—was selling a nearly identical product. The two companies went to war, using the time-honored tools of corporate sabotage, but eventually Vita Coco emerged as the top selling coconut-water in the U.S. So—no joke: two guys really do walk into a bar. While sharing a few drinks on a winter night in New York City, best friends Michael Kirban and Ira Liran met two young women from Brazil. That chance encounter eventually led to a business idea: to sell Brazilian coconut water in the US, as an alternative to Gatorade. In 2004, Michael and Ira launched Vita Coco, only to discover that another startup—Zico—was selling a nearly identical product. The two companies went to war, using the time-honored tools of corporate sabotage, but eventually Vita Coco emerged as the top selling coconut-water in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4427 no How I Built Resilience: Sarah Harden and Lauren Neustadter of Hello Sunshine Hello Sunshine—a production company founded by Reese Witherspoon—has created TV shows Little Fires Everywhere, The Morning Show, and Big Little Lies. Fresh off 18 Emmy nominations, Hello Sunshine's CEO Sarah Harden and Head of Television & Film Lauren Neustadter are hopeful they will find a way to begin filming again safely, despite COVID-19's impact on Hollywood this year. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 01 Aug 2020 04:01:26 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Sarah Harden and Lauren Neustadter of Hello Sunshine full 258 Guy Raz | Vox Media Hello Sunshine—a production company founded by Reese Witherspoon—has created TV shows <em>Little Fires Everywhere, The Morning Show, </em>and <em>Big Little Lies. </em>Fresh off 18 Emmy nominations, Hello Sunshine's CEO Sarah Harden and Head of Television &amp; Film Lauren Neustadter are hopeful they will find a way to begin filming again safely, despite COVID-19's impact on Hollywood this year. These conversations are excerpts from our <em>How I Built Resilience</em> series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Hello Sunshine—a production company founded by Reese Witherspoon—has created TV shows Little Fires Everywhere, The Morning Show, and Big Little Lies. Fresh off 18 Emmy nominations, Hello Sunshine's CEO Sarah Harden and Head of Television & Film Lauren Neustadter are hopeful they will find a way to begin filming again safely, despite COVID-19's impact on Hollywood this year. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Little Fires Everywhere, The Morning Show, and Big Little Lies. Fresh off 18 Emmy nominations, Hello Sunshine's CEO Sarah Harden and Head of Television & Film Lauren Neustadter are hopeful they will find a way to begin filming again safely, despite COVID-19's impact on Hollywood this year. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1189 no How I Built Resilience: Taha Bawa of Goodwall As COVID-19 continues to affect the global economy, college graduates are entering a job market reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis. Taha Bawa is hoping to help with Goodwall, the social networking site he co-founded that links students to jobs and opportunities all around the world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Jul 2020 04:01:36 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Taha Bawa of Goodwall full 257 Guy Raz | Vox Media As COVID-19 continues to affect the global economy, college graduates are entering a job market reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis. Taha Bawa is hoping to help with Goodwall, the social networking site he co-founded that links students to jobs and opportunities all around the world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. As COVID-19 continues to affect the global economy, college graduates are entering a job market reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis. Taha Bawa is hoping to help with Goodwall, the social networking site he co-founded that links students to jobs and opportunities all around the world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1294 no The Laundress: Lindsey Boyd In the late 1990s, while working in high-end fashion in NYC, Lindsey Boyd came to despise the weekly ritual of dry-cleaning; not only was it expensive, but it often did damage to her clothes. So she and college friend Gwen Whiting studied up on the science of dirty laundry to create The Laundress: a line of eco-friendly detergents gentle enough to be used at home on "dry-clean only" items like cashmere and silk. For years, the company operated on credit cards and faced hurdles like snoozing investors and counterfeiters. But The Laundress grew a loyal following, and in 2019, it was sold to Unilever for a reported $100 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Jul 2020 04:01:56 -0000 The Laundress: Lindsey Boyd full 256 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1990s, while working in high-end fashion in NYC, Lindsey Boyd came to despise the weekly ritual of dry-cleaning; not only was it expensive, but it often did damage to her clothes. So she and college friend Gwen Whiting studied up on the science of dirty laundry to create The Laundress: a line of eco-friendly detergents gentle enough to be used at home on "dry-clean only" items like cashmere and silk. For years, the company operated on credit cards and faced hurdles like snoozing investors and counterfeiters. But The Laundress grew a loyal following, and in 2019, it was sold to Unilever for a reported $100 million. In the late 1990s, while working in high-end fashion in NYC, Lindsey Boyd came to despise the weekly ritual of dry-cleaning; not only was it expensive, but it often did damage to her clothes. So she and college friend Gwen Whiting studied up on the science of dirty laundry to create The Laundress: a line of eco-friendly detergents gentle enough to be used at home on "dry-clean only" items like cashmere and silk. For years, the company operated on credit cards and faced hurdles like snoozing investors and counterfeiters. But The Laundress grew a loyal following, and in 2019, it was sold to Unilever for a reported $100 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4129 no How I Built Resilience: Jeremy Zimmer of United Talent Agency With live events canceled and sound stages shuttered, the entertainment industry has to look for new ways to create content while cutting costs. Guy talks with Jeremy Zimmer, CEO and co-founder of United Talent Agency, about how the industry is trying to meet the demands of the moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 25 Jul 2020 04:01:14 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Jeremy Zimmer of United Talent Agency full 255 Guy Raz | Vox Media With live events canceled and sound stages shuttered, the entertainment industry has to look for new ways to create content while cutting costs. Guy talks with Jeremy Zimmer, CEO and co-founder of United Talent Agency, about how the industry is trying to meet the demands of the moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. With live events canceled and sound stages shuttered, the entertainment industry has to look for new ways to create content while cutting costs. Guy talks with Jeremy Zimmer, CEO and co-founder of United Talent Agency, about how the industry is trying to meet the demands of the moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1466 no How I Built Resilience: Songe LaRon of Squire When Songe LaRon founded Squire in 2016, his mission was to use modern technology to help run barbershops, which are using his app in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. With a recent funding round of $34 million, Songe is hopeful about expanding Squire's reach, but first, he wants to help barbershops survive the COVID-19 pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Jul 2020 04:01:45 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Songe LaRon of Squire full 254 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Songe LaRon founded Squire in 2016, his mission was to use modern technology to help run barbershops, which are using his app in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. With a recent funding round of $34 million, Songe is hopeful about expanding Squire's reach, but first, he wants to help barbershops survive the COVID-19 pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. When Songe LaRon founded Squire in 2016, his mission was to use modern technology to help run barbershops, which are using his app in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. With a recent funding round of $34 million, Songe is hopeful about expanding Squire's reach, but first, he wants to help barbershops survive the COVID-19 pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1694 no La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything available in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe Coffee Roasters in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the "third wave" of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks are widely available in grocery stores all over the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Jul 2020 04:01:49 -0000 La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti full 253 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything available in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe Coffee Roasters in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the "third wave" of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks are widely available in grocery stores all over the country. When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything available in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe Coffee Roasters in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the "third wave" of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks are widely available in grocery stores all over the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4073 no How I Built Resilience: Live with John Foley While upending many businesses, the pandemic has benefited fitness brands like Peloton, which saw a surge in demand in mid-March. Peloton founder John Foley talks with Guy about the unique challenges and opportunities posed by this moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 18 Jul 2020 04:01:21 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with John Foley full 252 Guy Raz | Vox Media While upending many businesses, the pandemic has benefited fitness brands like Peloton, which saw a surge in demand in mid-March. Peloton founder John Foley talks with Guy about the unique challenges and opportunities posed by this moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. While upending many businesses, the pandemic has benefited fitness brands like Peloton, which saw a surge in demand in mid-March. Peloton founder John Foley talks with Guy about the unique challenges and opportunities posed by this moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1360 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Julia Hartz Founder Julia Hartz is reckoning with COVID-19's impact on the live events industry, which uses her company, Eventbrite, to sell tickets and market events. While her users are quickly pivoting to virtual events, Julia has been making tough decisions, which include laying off 45 percent of her staff. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Jul 2020 04:01:08 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Julia Hartz full 251 Guy Raz | Vox Media Founder Julia Hartz is reckoning with COVID-19's impact on the live events industry, which uses her company, Eventbrite, to sell tickets and market events. While her users are quickly pivoting to virtual events, Julia has been making tough decisions, which include laying off 45 percent of her staff. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Founder Julia Hartz is reckoning with COVID-19's impact on the live events industry, which uses her company, Eventbrite, to sell tickets and market events. While her users are quickly pivoting to virtual events, Julia has been making tough decisions, which include laying off 45 percent of her staff. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1644 no Tatcha: Vicky Tsai In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. But as she contemplated selling those products in the U.S., experts on both sides of the Pacific told her it would never work. Strapped for money and juggling multiple jobs, Vicky worked out of her parents' garage, pitching her new brand—Tatcha—on QVC and steadily growing it. Last year, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million, and Vicky remains confident the company will continue to thrive during the economic crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Jul 2020 04:01:10 -0000 Tatcha: Vicky Tsai full 250 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. But as she contemplated selling those products in the U.S., experts on both sides of the Pacific told her it would never work. Strapped for money and juggling multiple jobs, Vicky worked out of her parents' garage, pitching her new brand—Tatcha—on QVC and steadily growing it. Last year, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million, and Vicky remains confident the company will continue to thrive during the economic crisis. In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. But as she contemplated selling those products in the U.S., experts on both sides of the Pacific told her it would never work. Strapped for money and juggling multiple jobs, Vicky worked out of her parents' garage, pitching her new brand—Tatcha—on QVC and steadily growing it. Last year, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million, and Vicky remains confident the company will continue to thrive during the economic crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4894 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Morgan DeBaun Morgan DeBaun founded Blavity as a media platform for Black millennials to convene and connect online. Today, amidst an economic crisis and a reawakening of concern over racial justice, Blavity's mission is both more urgent and more challenging. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 11 Jul 2020 04:01:26 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Morgan DeBaun full 249 Guy Raz | Vox Media Morgan DeBaun founded Blavity as a media platform for Black millennials to convene and connect online. Today, amidst an economic crisis and a reawakening of concern over racial justice, Blavity's mission is both more urgent and more challenging. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Morgan DeBaun founded Blavity as a media platform for Black millennials to convene and connect online. Today, amidst an economic crisis and a reawakening of concern over racial justice, Blavity's mission is both more urgent and more challenging. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1625 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Sharon Chuter In 2018, Sharon Chuter left her job at a legacy beauty brand to start UOMA Beauty, a cosmetics company that caters to a wide variety of skin tones. She recently launched a social media campaign called Pull Up or Shut Up, which asks beauty brands to publicize statistics on the diversity of their workforce. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Jul 2020 04:01:35 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Sharon Chuter full 248 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2018, Sharon Chuter left her job at a legacy beauty brand to start UOMA Beauty, a cosmetics company that caters to a wide variety of skin tones. She recently launched a social media campaign called Pull Up or Shut Up, which asks beauty brands to publicize statistics on the diversity of their workforce. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. In 2018, Sharon Chuter left her job at a legacy beauty brand to start UOMA Beauty, a cosmetics company that caters to a wide variety of skin tones. She recently launched a social media campaign called Pull Up or Shut Up, which asks beauty brands to publicize statistics on the diversity of their workforce. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1524 no Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018) At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious product that turned into a lifeline: squishy-squashy memory foam. He jumped at the chance to distribute Swedish memory foam pillows and mattresses to Americans. Tempur-Pedic USA began by selling to chiropractors and specialty stores, providing one of the first alternatives to spring mattresses. Today, the company is one of the largest bedding providers in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Jul 2020 04:01:56 -0000 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018) full 247 Guy Raz | Vox Media At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious product that turned into a lifeline: squishy-squashy memory foam. He jumped at the chance to distribute Swedish memory foam pillows and mattresses to Americans. Tempur-Pedic USA began by selling to chiropractors and specialty stores, providing one of the first alternatives to spring mattresses. Today, the company is one of the largest bedding providers in the world. At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious product that turned into a lifeline: squishy-squashy memory foam. He jumped at the chance to distribute Swedish memory foam pillows and mattresses to Americans. Tempur-Pedic USA began by selling to chiropractors and specialty stores, providing one of the first alternatives to spring mattresses. Today, the company is one of the largest bedding providers in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3670 no ClassPass: Payal Kadakia In the late 2000s, Payal Kadakia was working a corporate job and running an Indian dance company on the side. When a search for a ballet class yielded a confusing jumble of computer tabs, she had an idea: create the Open Table of the fitness industry – a search engine where users could sign up for classes in one streamlined place. When that idea failed, Payal pivoted multiple times, eventually landing on the subscription service ClassPass. Today, ClassPass connects users to hundreds of thousands of fitness classes around the world. It was valued at $1 billion earlier this year, but when the pandemic hit, it flattened the fitness industry, forcing Classpass to pivot yet again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Jun 2020 04:01:10 -0000 ClassPass: Payal Kadakia full 246 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 2000s, Payal Kadakia was working a corporate job and running an Indian dance company on the side. When a search for a ballet class yielded a confusing jumble of computer tabs, she had an idea: create the Open Table of the fitness industry – a search engine where users could sign up for classes in one streamlined place. When that idea failed, Payal pivoted multiple times, eventually landing on the subscription service ClassPass. Today, ClassPass connects users to hundreds of thousands of fitness classes around the world. It was valued at $1 billion earlier this year, but when the pandemic hit, it flattened the fitness industry, forcing Classpass to pivot yet again. In the late 2000s, Payal Kadakia was working a corporate job and running an Indian dance company on the side. When a search for a ballet class yielded a confusing jumble of computer tabs, she had an idea: create the Open Table of the fitness industry – a search engine where users could sign up for classes in one streamlined place. When that idea failed, Payal pivoted multiple times, eventually landing on the subscription service ClassPass. Today, ClassPass connects users to hundreds of thousands of fitness classes around the world. It was valued at $1 billion earlier this year, but when the pandemic hit, it flattened the fitness industry, forcing Classpass to pivot yet again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4789 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Melanie Perkins and Bill Creelman This week, the online design platform Canva closed a new round of funding, bringing the company's valuation to $6 billion. Founder Melanie Perkins is also focused on helping her employees work from home, while supporting more than 30 million users worldwide. Also: Spindrift can't sell its sparkling water in many restaurants that are closed because of COVID-19, but founder Bill Creelman has seen a significant uptick in grocery store and e-commerce sales. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 27 Jun 2020 04:01:47 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Melanie Perkins and Bill Creelman full 245 Guy Raz | Vox Media This week, the online design platform Canva closed a new round of funding, bringing the company's valuation to $6 billion. Founder Melanie Perkins is also focused on helping her employees work from home, while supporting more than 30 million users worldwide. Also: Spindrift can't sell its sparkling water in many restaurants that are closed because of COVID-19, but founder Bill Creelman has seen a significant uptick in grocery store and e-commerce sales. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. This week, the online design platform Canva closed a new round of funding, bringing the company's valuation to $6 billion. Founder Melanie Perkins is also focused on helping her employees work from home, while supporting more than 30 million users worldwide. Also: Spindrift can't sell its sparkling water in many restaurants that are closed because of COVID-19, but founder Bill Creelman has seen a significant uptick in grocery store and e-commerce sales. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1823 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Deval Patrick Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick talks to Guy about how the protests for racial justice have resonated with him personally, and how this moment can spark meaningful change for African Americans — in the world of business and beyond. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:02:54 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Deval Patrick full 244 Guy Raz | Vox Media Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick talks to Guy about how the protests for racial justice have resonated with him personally, and how this moment can spark meaningful change for African Americans — in the world of business and beyond. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick talks to Guy about how the protests for racial justice have resonated with him personally, and how this moment can spark meaningful change for African Americans — in the world of business and beyond. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1369 no Ring: Jamie Siminoff Jamie Siminoff spent much of his twenties and thirties as a serial entrepreneur, launching three tech businesses you've probably never heard of. When he finally landed on a breakthrough idea, he didn't realize it at first; he was just trying to solve his own frustration of not being able to hear the doorbell while tinkering in his garage. His jerry-rigged solution evolved into Ring—a doorbell with a camera and microphone that connects to a smart-phone app. After a nail-biting appearance on Shark Tank and a nearly disastrous launch, Jamie was able to rebrand and grow the business, eventually selling to Amazon for roughly $1 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Jun 2020 04:01:34 -0000 Ring: Jamie Siminoff full 243 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jamie Siminoff spent much of his twenties and thirties as a serial entrepreneur, launching three tech businesses you've probably never heard of. When he finally landed on a breakthrough idea, he didn't realize it at first; he was just trying to solve his own frustration of not being able to hear the doorbell while tinkering in his garage. His jerry-rigged solution evolved into Ring—a doorbell with a camera and microphone that connects to a smart-phone app. After a nail-biting appearance on Shark Tank and a nearly disastrous launch, Jamie was able to rebrand and grow the business, eventually selling to Amazon for roughly $1 billion. Jamie Siminoff spent much of his twenties and thirties as a serial entrepreneur, launching three tech businesses you've probably never heard of. When he finally landed on a breakthrough idea, he didn't realize it at first; he was just trying to solve his own frustration of not being able to hear the doorbell while tinkering in his garage. His jerry-rigged solution evolved into Ring—a doorbell with a camera and microphone that connects to a smart-phone app. After a nail-biting appearance on Shark Tank and a nearly disastrous launch, Jamie was able to rebrand and grow the business, eventually selling to Amazon for roughly $1 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5604 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Sadie Lincoln While 70 percent of Barre3's locations remain closed, founder Sadie Lincoln is noticing a surge in subscriptions for their online workout platform. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 20 Jun 2020 04:01:27 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Sadie Lincoln full 242 Guy Raz | Vox Media While 70 percent of Barre3's locations remain closed, founder Sadie Lincoln is noticing a surge in subscriptions for their online workout platform. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. While 70 percent of Barre3's locations remain closed, founder Sadie Lincoln is noticing a surge in subscriptions for their online workout platform. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1712 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Cathy Hughes Cathy Hughes is the founder of Urban One, the largest African American-owned broadcast network with 54 radio stations around the United States. Cathy spoke with Guy about the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement and how Black entrepreneurs can meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:01:57 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Cathy Hughes full 241 Guy Raz | Vox Media Cathy Hughes is the founder of Urban One, the largest African American-owned broadcast network with 54 radio stations around the United States. Cathy spoke with Guy about the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement and how Black entrepreneurs can meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Cathy Hughes is the founder of Urban One, the largest African American-owned broadcast network with 54 radio stations around the United States. Cathy spoke with Guy about the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement and how Black entrepreneurs can meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1680 no Shake Shack: Danny Meyer Back in 2001, as part of an initiative to revitalize Madison Square Park, Danny Meyer set up a simple hot dog cart. At that time, he had been a leader in New York City's fine dining scene for years, and the hot dog cart was just a side project, something fun to do for the summer. But that one temporary hot dog cart led to Shake Shack, a fast casual restaurant chain known for its burgers, its namesake milkshakes, and its lines out the door. Today, Shake Shack is a publicly traded company with over 250 locations in 15 countries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Jun 2020 04:01:12 -0000 Shake Shack: Danny Meyer full 240 Guy Raz | Vox Media Back in 2001, as part of an initiative to revitalize Madison Square Park, Danny Meyer set up a simple hot dog cart. At that time, he had been a leader in New York City's fine dining scene for years, and the hot dog cart was just a side project, something fun to do for the summer. But that one temporary hot dog cart led to Shake Shack, a fast casual restaurant chain known for its burgers, its namesake milkshakes, and its lines out the door. Today, Shake Shack is a publicly traded company with over 250 locations in 15 countries. Back in 2001, as part of an initiative to revitalize Madison Square Park, Danny Meyer set up a simple hot dog cart. At that time, he had been a leader in New York City's fine dining scene for years, and the hot dog cart was just a side project, something fun to do for the summer. But that one temporary hot dog cart led to Shake Shack, a fast casual restaurant chain known for its burgers, its namesake milkshakes, and its lines out the door. Today, Shake Shack is a publicly traded company with over 250 locations in 15 countries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3520 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Y-Vonne Hutchinson Y-Vonne Hutchinson is the founder of ReadySet, a consulting firm that helps companies make authentic commitments to diversity and inclusion. Y-Vonne spoke with Guy about the progress she's starting to see on these issues, and the substantial work that still needs to be done. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 13 Jun 2020 04:01:39 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Y-Vonne Hutchinson full 239 Guy Raz | Vox Media Y-Vonne Hutchinson is the founder of ReadySet, a consulting firm that helps companies make authentic commitments to diversity and inclusion. Y-Vonne spoke with Guy about the progress she's starting to see on these issues, and the substantial work that still needs to be done. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Y-Vonne Hutchinson is the founder of ReadySet, a consulting firm that helps companies make authentic commitments to diversity and inclusion. Y-Vonne spoke with Guy about the progress she's starting to see on these issues, and the substantial work that still needs to be done. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1569 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Kevin Hart Actor and comedian Kevin Hart speaks to Guy about the Black Lives Matter protests and offers advice to future activists, entertainers and entrepreneurs. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:01:22 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Kevin Hart full 238 Guy Raz | Vox Media Actor and comedian Kevin Hart speaks to Guy about the Black Lives Matter protests and offers advice to future activists, entertainers and entrepreneurs. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart speaks to Guy about the Black Lives Matter protests and offers advice to future activists, entertainers and entrepreneurs. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1289 no Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that most people weren't taking sunscreen seriously, so she sidelined her vocation as a harpist to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar world of SPF. After a false start trying to market her sunscreen to elementary schools, Holly pivoted to retail, hiring a publicist she could barely afford. She eventually got her products into Sephora, a success that helped turn Supergoop! into a multi-million dollar brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Jun 2020 04:01:21 -0000 Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard full 237 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that most people weren't taking sunscreen seriously, so she sidelined her vocation as a harpist to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar world of SPF. After a false start trying to market her sunscreen to elementary schools, Holly pivoted to retail, hiring a publicist she could barely afford. She eventually got her products into Sephora, a success that helped turn Supergoop! into a multi-million dollar brand. In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that most people weren't taking sunscreen seriously, so she sidelined her vocation as a harpist to dive headfirst into the unfamiliar world of SPF. After a false start trying to market her sunscreen to elementary schools, Holly pivoted to retail, hiring a publicist she could barely afford. She eventually got her products into Sephora, a success that helped turn Supergoop! into a multi-million dollar brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4480 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Troy Carter Troy Carter, the founder of Q&A and Atom Factory, speaks to Guy about the painful events of the past few months—and especially the past two weeks—and how they've affected the music industry and him personally. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 06 Jun 2020 04:01:10 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Troy Carter full 236 Guy Raz | Vox Media Troy Carter, the founder of Q&amp;A and Atom Factory, speaks to Guy about the painful events of the past few months—and especially the past two weeks—and how they've affected the music industry and him personally. These conversations are excerpts from our <em>How I Built Resilience</em> series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Troy Carter, the founder of Q&A and Atom Factory, speaks to Guy about the painful events of the past few months—and especially the past two weeks—and how they've affected the music industry and him personally. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1617 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Jenn Hyman As Rent the Runway faces the economic challenges of the pandemic, co-founder Jenn Hyman is focused on recovery and empowering women's lives through clothing. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:01:26 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Jenn Hyman full 235 Guy Raz | Vox Media As Rent the Runway faces the economic challenges of the pandemic, co-founder Jenn Hyman is focused on recovery and empowering women's lives through clothing. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. As Rent the Runway faces the economic challenges of the pandemic, co-founder Jenn Hyman is focused on recovery and empowering women's lives through clothing. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1584 no Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman were two rock-and-roll fans who met at exactly the right time and place: Seattle in the early 1980s, where a raw hybrid of metal and punk was finding its voice in dingy clubs. With borrowed money and bounced checks, the two friends started Sub Pop Records, the iconic label that launched Nirvana, defined the grunge movement, and helped transform Seattle into a mecca for music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Jun 2020 04:01:58 -0000 Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman full 234 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman were two rock-and-roll fans who met at exactly the right time and place: Seattle in the early 1980s, where a raw hybrid of metal and punk was finding its voice in dingy clubs. With borrowed money and bounced checks, the two friends started Sub Pop Records, the iconic label that launched Nirvana, defined the grunge movement, and helped transform Seattle into a mecca for music. Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman were two rock-and-roll fans who met at exactly the right time and place: Seattle in the early 1980s, where a raw hybrid of metal and punk was finding its voice in dingy clubs. With borrowed money and bounced checks, the two friends started Sub Pop Records, the iconic label that launched Nirvana, defined the grunge movement, and helped transform Seattle into a mecca for music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5475 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Alli Webb and Andy Puddicombe & Rich Pierson Alli Webb, co-founder of Drybar, talks with Guy about why she believes that investing time into fashion and beauty is still worthwhile, even though many of us aren't going out much. Founders of the meditation app Headspace, Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson, talk about taking their business remote, and give some tips on how to approach meditation, even with an unquiet mind. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 30 May 2020 04:01:24 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Alli Webb and Andy Puddicombe & Rich Pierson full 233 Guy Raz | Vox Media Alli Webb, co-founder of Drybar, talks with Guy about why she believes that investing time into fashion and beauty is still worthwhile, even though many of us aren't going out much. Founders of the meditation app Headspace, Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson, talk about taking their business remote, and give some tips on how to approach meditation, even with an unquiet mind. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Alli Webb, co-founder of Drybar, talks with Guy about why she believes that investing time into fashion and beauty is still worthwhile, even though many of us aren't going out much. Founders of the meditation app Headspace, Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson, talk about taking their business remote, and give some tips on how to approach meditation, even with an unquiet mind. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices , talks with Guy about why she believes that investing time into fashion and beauty is still worthwhile, even though many of us aren't going out much. Founders of the meditation app Headspace, Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson, talk about taking their business remote, and give some tips on how to approach meditation, even with an unquiet mind. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2072 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Kyle Connaughton and Daniel Humm Kyle Connaughton's restaurant has been impacted by wildfires, floods, and now, the COVID-19 pandemic. Kyle spoke with Guy about keeping SingleThread Farms afloat while giving back to his community with free meals. When Eleven Madison Park closed its doors on March 21, nobody expected chef Daniel Humm to turn the Michelin 3-star restaurant into a commissary kitchen. Daniel spoke to Guy about serving 5,000 meals daily and what the future of fine dining could look like in a post-pandemic world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 May 2020 04:01:59 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Kyle Connaughton and Daniel Humm full 232 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kyle Connaughton's restaurant has been impacted by wildfires, floods, and now, the COVID-19 pandemic. Kyle spoke with Guy about keeping SingleThread Farms afloat while giving back to his community with free meals. When Eleven Madison Park closed its doors on March 21, nobody expected chef Daniel Humm to turn the Michelin 3-star restaurant into a commissary kitchen. Daniel spoke to Guy about serving 5,000 meals daily and what the future of fine dining could look like in a post-pandemic world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Kyle Connaughton's restaurant has been impacted by wildfires, floods, and now, the COVID-19 pandemic. Kyle spoke with Guy about keeping SingleThread Farms afloat while giving back to his community with free meals. When Eleven Madison Park closed its doors on March 21, nobody expected chef Daniel Humm to turn the Michelin 3-star restaurant into a commissary kitchen. Daniel spoke to Guy about serving 5,000 meals daily and what the future of fine dining could look like in a post-pandemic world. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1705 no reCAPTCHA and Duolingo: Luis von Ahn In 2000, Luis von Ahn was starting his PhD in computer science when he attended a talk and happened to learn about one of Yahoo's biggest problems: automated bots were signing up for millions of free Yahoo email accounts, and generating tons of spam. Luis' idea to solve this problem became CAPTCHA, the squiggly letters we type into a website to prove we're human. He gave away that idea for free, but years later, that same idea had evolved into a new way to monetize language learning on the web, and became Duolingo. Today, the popular app is valued at $1.5 billion, and is seeing a big spike in growth while people are confined to their homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 May 2020 04:01:48 -0000 reCAPTCHA and Duolingo: Luis von Ahn full 231 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2000, Luis von Ahn was starting his PhD in computer science when he attended a talk and happened to learn about one of Yahoo's biggest problems: automated bots were signing up for millions of free Yahoo email accounts, and generating tons of spam. Luis' idea to solve this problem became CAPTCHA, the squiggly letters we type into a website to prove we're human. He gave away that idea for free, but years later, that same idea had evolved into a new way to monetize language learning on the web, and became Duolingo. Today, the popular app is valued at $1.5 billion, and is seeing a big spike in growth while people are confined to their homes. In 2000, Luis von Ahn was starting his PhD in computer science when he attended a talk and happened to learn about one of Yahoo's biggest problems: automated bots were signing up for millions of free Yahoo email accounts, and generating tons of spam. Luis' idea to solve this problem became CAPTCHA, the squiggly letters we type into a website to prove we're human. He gave away that idea for free, but years later, that same idea had evolved into a new way to monetize language learning on the web, and became Duolingo. Today, the popular app is valued at $1.5 billion, and is seeing a big spike in growth while people are confined to their homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4044 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Sarah LaFleur When Sarah LaFleur started M.M.LaFleur, she wanted to help women dress efficiently and comfortably for the office. Now that most of her customers are working from home, Sarah has to rethink her brand and her marketing to stay relevant. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 23 May 2020 04:01:05 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Sarah LaFleur full 230 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Sarah LaFleur started M.M.LaFleur, she wanted to help women dress efficiently and comfortably for the office. Now that most of her customers are working from home, Sarah has to rethink her brand and her marketing to stay relevant. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. When Sarah LaFleur started M.M.LaFleur, she wanted to help women dress efficiently and comfortably for the office. Now that most of her customers are working from home, Sarah has to rethink her brand and her marketing to stay relevant. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1238 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Tony Xu and Marcia Kilgore When Tony Xu started DoorDash in 2013, he wanted to help local restaurants stay afloat by introducing them to online delivery. Today, his quest remains the same, now that DoorDash has become an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marcia Kilgore's footwear brand, FitFlop, is experiencing a downturn in sales as retail stores stay closed. However, Beauty Pie – her direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand – is thriving as the beauty industry goes digital. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 May 2020 04:01:20 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Tony Xu and Marcia Kilgore full 229 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Tony Xu started DoorDash in 2013, he wanted to help local restaurants stay afloat by introducing them to online delivery. Today, his quest remains the same, now that DoorDash has become an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marcia Kilgore's footwear brand, FitFlop, is experiencing a downturn in sales as retail stores stay closed. However, Beauty Pie – her direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand – is thriving as the beauty industry goes digital. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. When Tony Xu started DoorDash in 2013, he wanted to help local restaurants stay afloat by introducing them to online delivery. Today, his quest remains the same, now that DoorDash has become an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marcia Kilgore's footwear brand, FitFlop, is experiencing a downturn in sales as retail stores stay closed. However, Beauty Pie – her direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand – is thriving as the beauty industry goes digital. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2085 no Jo Loves: Jo Malone CBE As a girl in 1970s London, Jo Malone learned how to make face creams by going to work with her mom at a private skin care clinic. By the time she was in her 20's, Jo was running her own skin care and cosmetics business, which eventually grew to include bath oils, scented candles, and fragrances under the brand Jo Malone London. Jo sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1999 and then left the business after a life-changing diagnosis. She now has a fragrance company called Jo Loves, where she innovates with new kinds of scents and—in the present crisis—is considering and new ways to present them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 May 2020 04:01:55 -0000 Jo Loves: Jo Malone CBE full 228 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a girl in 1970s London, Jo Malone learned how to make face creams by going to work with her mom at a private skin care clinic. By the time she was in her 20's, Jo was running her own skin care and cosmetics business, which eventually grew to include bath oils, scented candles, and fragrances under the brand Jo Malone London. Jo sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1999 and then left the business after a life-changing diagnosis. She now has a fragrance company called Jo Loves, where she innovates with new kinds of scents and—in the present crisis—is considering and new ways to present them. As a girl in 1970s London, Jo Malone learned how to make face creams by going to work with her mom at a private skin care clinic. By the time she was in her 20's, Jo was running her own skin care and cosmetics business, which eventually grew to include bath oils, scented candles, and fragrances under the brand Jo Malone London. Jo sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1999 and then left the business after a life-changing diagnosis. She now has a fragrance company called Jo Loves, where she innovates with new kinds of scents and—in the present crisis—is considering and new ways to present them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5161 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Tobias Lütke and Jon Stein When Tobias Lütke started Shopify, he wanted to empower merchants to start small and build resilience. Tobi spoke with Guy about the relevance of those principles in 2020, as he explains the rise of Shopify sign-ups during the pandemic. Jon Stein spoke with Guy about starting Betterment in the wake of the 2008 recession, and why this economic downturn could be the perfect time to start a company. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 16 May 2020 04:01:21 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Tobias Lütke and Jon Stein full 227 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Tobias Lütke started Shopify, he wanted to empower merchants to start small and build resilience. Tobi spoke with Guy about the relevance of those principles in 2020, as he explains the rise of Shopify sign-ups during the pandemic. Jon Stein spoke with Guy about starting Betterment in the wake of the 2008 recession, and why this economic downturn could be the perfect time to start a company. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. When Tobias Lütke started Shopify, he wanted to empower merchants to start small and build resilience. Tobi spoke with Guy about the relevance of those principles in 2020, as he explains the rise of Shopify sign-ups during the pandemic. Jon Stein spoke with Guy about starting Betterment in the wake of the 2008 recession, and why this economic downturn could be the perfect time to start a company. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1973 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Samin Nosrat and Alice Waters & Fanny Singer Samin Nosrat, the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, talks with Guy about unintentionally writing the ultimate quarantine cookbook, and how she's been inspired by the camaraderie among fellow home cooks. Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters and her daughter Fanny Singer tell Guy some tips for growing a victory garden and helping local farmers stay in business. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 May 2020 04:01:43 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Samin Nosrat and Alice Waters & Fanny Singer full 226 Guy Raz | Vox Media Samin Nosrat, the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, talks with Guy about unintentionally writing the ultimate quarantine cookbook, and how she's been inspired by the camaraderie among fellow home cooks. Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters and her daughter Fanny Singer tell Guy some tips for growing a victory garden and helping local farmers stay in business. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Samin Nosrat, the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, talks with Guy about unintentionally writing the ultimate quarantine cookbook, and how she's been inspired by the camaraderie among fellow home cooks. Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters and her daughter Fanny Singer tell Guy some tips for growing a victory garden and helping local farmers stay in business. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, talks with Guy about unintentionally writing the ultimate quarantine cookbook, and how she's been inspired by the camaraderie among fellow home cooks. Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters and her daughter Fanny Singer tell Guy some tips for growing a victory garden and helping local farmers stay in business. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1777 no Impossible Foods: Pat Brown When he was nearly 60, Pat Brown left a dream job to pursue an ambitious mission: to create delicious meat from plants. As a biochemist, he'd become alarmed at the destructive impact of meat production on the environment, so he set out to make a burger so juicy and flavorful that even meat-lovers would crave it. After some painstaking research, Pat's team created the Impossible Burger, and famous chefs started to feature it in their restaurants. In 2019, the Impossible Whopper launched at Burger King, and today Pat's company, Impossible Foods, is valued at nearly $4 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 May 2020 04:01:55 -0000 Impossible Foods: Pat Brown full 225 Guy Raz | Vox Media When he was nearly 60, Pat Brown left a dream job to pursue an ambitious mission: to create delicious meat from plants. As a biochemist, he'd become alarmed at the destructive impact of meat production on the environment, so he set out to make a burger so juicy and flavorful that even meat-lovers would crave it. After some painstaking research, Pat's team created the Impossible Burger, and famous chefs started to feature it in their restaurants. In 2019, the Impossible Whopper launched at Burger King, and today Pat's company, Impossible Foods, is valued at nearly $4 billion. When he was nearly 60, Pat Brown left a dream job to pursue an ambitious mission: to create delicious meat from plants. As a biochemist, he'd become alarmed at the destructive impact of meat production on the environment, so he set out to make a burger so juicy and flavorful that even meat-lovers would crave it. After some painstaking research, Pat's team created the Impossible Burger, and famous chefs started to feature it in their restaurants. In 2019, the Impossible Whopper launched at Burger King, and today Pat's company, Impossible Foods, is valued at nearly $4 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3989 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Stewart Butterfield and Steve Holmes Slack's co-founder Stewart Butterfield wonders what the future of work will look like for his 12 million customers. Springfree Trampoline's co-founder Steve Holmes says the company has seen a 300 percent increase in demand for its products. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Sat, 09 May 2020 04:01:09 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Stewart Butterfield and Steve Holmes full 224 Guy Raz | Vox Media Slack's co-founder Stewart Butterfield wonders what the future of work will look like for his 12 million customers. Springfree Trampoline's co-founder Steve Holmes says the company has seen a 300 percent increase in demand for its products. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Slack's co-founder Stewart Butterfield wonders what the future of work will look like for his 12 million customers. Springfree Trampoline's co-founder Steve Holmes says the company has seen a 300 percent increase in demand for its products. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1482 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Christina Tosi and Gary Erickson & Kit Crawford Since March, only five of Milk Bar's 18 locations have been up and running, but founder Christina Tosi tells Guy she is determined to bring the joy of baking to the doorsteps of family, friends, and healthcare workers. Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford have donated more than 3 million Clif Bars to doctors and nurses during the COVID-19 crisis. They tell Guy about the importance of morale when running an essential business during a pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 May 2020 04:01:19 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Christina Tosi and Gary Erickson & Kit Crawford full 223 Guy Raz | Vox Media Since March, only five of Milk Bar's 18 locations have been up and running, but founder Christina Tosi tells Guy she is determined to bring the joy of baking to the doorsteps of family, friends, and healthcare workers. Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford have donated more than 3 million Clif Bars to doctors and nurses during the COVID-19 crisis. They tell Guy about the importance of morale when running an essential business during a pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Since March, only five of Milk Bar's 18 locations have been up and running, but founder Christina Tosi tells Guy she is determined to bring the joy of baking to the doorsteps of family, friends, and healthcare workers. Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford have donated more than 3 million Clif Bars to doctors and nurses during the COVID-19 crisis. They tell Guy about the importance of morale when running an essential business during a pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1959 no Cotopaxi: Davis Smith By his mid-30's, Davis Smith had co-founded two businesses. The first ended well, but the second was such a disappointment that he wondered if he should even bother trying again. But he did. In 2014, he launched Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear company with two fluffy llamas as mascots and an expressed mission to do good in the world. The brand is now making tens of millions of dollars a year, and Davis hopes that the current pandemic will not slow its ambitions to grow and to give back generously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 May 2020 04:01:43 -0000 Cotopaxi: Davis Smith full 222 Guy Raz | Vox Media By his mid-30's, Davis Smith had co-founded two businesses. The first ended well, but the second was such a disappointment that he wondered if he should even bother trying again. But he did. In 2014, he launched Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear company with two fluffy llamas as mascots and an expressed mission to do good in the world. The brand is now making tens of millions of dollars a year, and Davis hopes that the current pandemic will not slow its ambitions to grow and to give back generously. By his mid-30's, Davis Smith had co-founded two businesses. The first ended well, but the second was such a disappointment that he wondered if he should even bother trying again. But he did. In 2014, he launched Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear company with two fluffy llamas as mascots and an expressed mission to do good in the world. The brand is now making tens of millions of dollars a year, and Davis hopes that the current pandemic will not slow its ambitions to grow and to give back generously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4139 no How I Built Resilience: Live with José Andrés When chef José Andrés isn't running Michelin-starred restaurants, he's feeding the masses through World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit he founded that brings food to people during humanitarian crises. The COVID-19 crisis has shut down his restaurants indefinitely, but José is busier than ever leading the relief efforts of World Central Kitchen, which has served more than 3 million people to date. José talked to Guy as part of our How I Built Resilience series: weekly online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:01:43 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with José Andrés full 221 Guy Raz | Vox Media When chef José Andrés isn't running Michelin-starred restaurants, he's feeding the masses through World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit he founded that brings food to people during humanitarian crises. The COVID-19 crisis has shut down his restaurants indefinitely, but José is busier than ever leading the relief efforts of World Central Kitchen, which has served more than 3 million people to date. José talked to Guy as part of our How I Built Resilience series: weekly online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. When chef José Andrés isn't running Michelin-starred restaurants, he's feeding the masses through World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit he founded that brings food to people during humanitarian crises. The COVID-19 crisis has shut down his restaurants indefinitely, but José is busier than ever leading the relief efforts of World Central Kitchen, which has served more than 3 million people to date. José talked to Guy as part of our How I Built Resilience series: weekly online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built Resilience series: weekly online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1877 no Fitbit: James Park In 2006, James Park had what he describes as a "lightning bolt" moment when he first used a Nintendo Wii. Fascinated by its motion-tracking controller, James wondered if you could take the technology out of the living room and into the streets. Three years later, he and co-founder Eric Friedman launched the Fitbit Tracker, which allowed users to track their steps and compare progress with others. Sales took off, and Fitbit dominated the wearables market until the Apple Watch came along, forcing James and Eric to re-imagine the brand. Today, against a cloudy economic backdrop, James hopes Fitbit can grow into its role as a health and wellness service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Apr 2020 11:46:38 -0000 Fitbit: James Park full 220 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2006, James Park had what he describes as a "lightning bolt" moment when he first used a Nintendo Wii. Fascinated by its motion-tracking controller, James wondered if you could take the technology out of the living room and into the streets. Three years later, he and co-founder Eric Friedman launched the Fitbit Tracker, which allowed users to track their steps and compare progress with others. Sales took off, and Fitbit dominated the wearables market until the Apple Watch came along, forcing James and Eric to re-imagine the brand. Today, against a cloudy economic backdrop, James hopes Fitbit can grow into its role as a health and wellness service. In 2006, James Park had what he describes as a "lightning bolt" moment when he first used a Nintendo Wii. Fascinated by its motion-tracking controller, James wondered if you could take the technology out of the living room and into the streets. Three years later, he and co-founder Eric Friedman launched the Fitbit Tracker, which allowed users to track their steps and compare progress with others. Sales took off, and Fitbit dominated the wearables market until the Apple Watch came along, forcing James and Eric to re-imagine the brand. Today, against a cloudy economic backdrop, James hopes Fitbit can grow into its role as a health and wellness service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4062 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Simon Sinek Each week, Guy is hosting online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Today's conversation is with Simon Sinek, whose books about business — including "Start with Why," and "The Infinite Game" — offer guidance to founders that is especially timely right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 23 Apr 2020 04:01:37 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Simon Sinek full 219 Guy Raz | Vox Media Each week, Guy is hosting online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Today's conversation is with Simon Sinek, whose books about business — including "Start with Why," and "The Infinite Game" — offer guidance to founders that is especially timely right now. Each week, Guy is hosting online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Today's conversation is with Simon Sinek, whose books about business — including "Start with Why," and "The Infinite Game" — offer guidance to founders that is especially timely right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1287 no Brooklinen: Vicki and Rich Fulop On the first day of their Vegas vacation in 2012, Rich and Vicki Fulop sat down on their hotel bed and immediately had the same thought: "These sheets are really nice!" The fabric was the perfect blend of cool, crisp, and soft, but the sheets turned out to be way too expensive to buy. So, Vicki and Rich wondered if it was possible to make high-end linen at reasonable prices; linen that would appeal to a younger market, "not just our moms." After many stumbles, they built Brooklinen into a $100 million brand, and are hopeful they can withstand today's economic turbulence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Apr 2020 04:01:41 -0000 Brooklinen: Vicki and Rich Fulop full 218 Guy Raz | Vox Media On the first day of their Vegas vacation in 2012, Rich and Vicki Fulop sat down on their hotel bed and immediately had the same thought: "These sheets are really nice!" The fabric was the perfect blend of cool, crisp, and soft, but the sheets turned out to be way too expensive to buy. So, Vicki and Rich wondered if it was possible to make high-end linen at reasonable prices; linen that would appeal to a younger market, "not just our moms." After many stumbles, they built Brooklinen into a $100 million brand, and are hopeful they can withstand today's economic turbulence. On the first day of their Vegas vacation in 2012, Rich and Vicki Fulop sat down on their hotel bed and immediately had the same thought: "These sheets are really nice!" The fabric was the perfect blend of cool, crisp, and soft, but the sheets turned out to be way too expensive to buy. So, Vicki and Rich wondered if it was possible to make high-end linen at reasonable prices; linen that would appeal to a younger market, "not just our moms." After many stumbles, they built Brooklinen into a $100 million brand, and are hopeful they can withstand today's economic turbulence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4336 no How I Built Resilience: Live with David Neeleman and Tristan Walker Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past week, Guy spoke with two former guests: David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways, and Tristan Walker of Walker & Company. David described how Azul Airlines, his Brazil-based company, has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and Tristan explained how he's innovating from home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Apr 2020 04:01:51 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with David Neeleman and Tristan Walker full 217 Guy Raz | Vox Media Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the <em>How I Built This </em>community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past week, Guy spoke with two former guests: David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways, and Tristan Walker of Walker &amp; Company. David described how Azul Airlines, his Brazil-based company, has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and Tristan explained how he's innovating from home. Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past week, Guy spoke with two former guests: David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways, and Tristan Walker of Walker & Company. David described how Azul Airlines, his Brazil-based company, has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and Tristan explained how he's innovating from home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past week, Guy spoke with two former guests: David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways, and Tristan Walker of Walker & Company. David described how Azul Airlines, his Brazil-based company, has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and Tristan explained how he's innovating from home.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1363 no Sweetgreen: Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman met at Georgetown University in 2003 and quickly bonded over their frustration at the lack of healthy food on campus. So during their senior year, along with a third friend, Nathaniel Ru, they decided to open a 500 square-foot restaurant serving fresh salads made with organic produce. They had no idea what they were doing and almost ran out of money five months in. But today, Sweetgreen has over 100 locations, and is using new technology to re-imagine the fast-casual model, even as it faces unprecedented challenges from the coronavirus crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Apr 2020 04:01:26 -0000 Sweetgreen: Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman full 216 Guy Raz | Vox Media Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman met at Georgetown University in 2003 and quickly bonded over their frustration at the lack of healthy food on campus. So during their senior year, along with a third friend, Nathaniel Ru, they decided to open a 500 square-foot restaurant serving fresh salads made with organic produce. They had no idea what they were doing and almost ran out of money five months in. But today, Sweetgreen has over 100 locations, and is using new technology to re-imagine the fast-casual model, even as it faces unprecedented challenges from the coronavirus crisis. Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman met at Georgetown University in 2003 and quickly bonded over their frustration at the lack of healthy food on campus. So during their senior year, along with a third friend, Nathaniel Ru, they decided to open a 500 square-foot restaurant serving fresh salads made with organic produce. They had no idea what they were doing and almost ran out of money five months in. But today, Sweetgreen has over 100 locations, and is using new technology to re-imagine the fast-casual model, even as it faces unprecedented challenges from the coronavirus crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4370 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Susan Griffin-Black Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past Friday, Guy spoke with Susan Griffin-Black, founder of EO Products. Susan's company has made a full pivot by only producing hand sanitizer and hand soap from their facilities in San Rafael, California. As she continues to run her business, Susan told Guy about protecting her employees while trying to make enough hand sanitizer for her community and frontline workers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Apr 2020 04:01:02 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Susan Griffin-Black full 215 Guy Raz | Vox Media Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past Friday, Guy spoke with Susan Griffin-Black, founder of EO Products. Susan's company has made a full pivot by only producing hand sanitizer and hand soap from their facilities in San Rafael, California. As she continues to run her business, Susan told Guy about protecting her employees while trying to make enough hand sanitizer for her community and frontline workers. Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past Friday, Guy spoke with Susan Griffin-Black, founder of EO Products. Susan's company has made a full pivot by only producing hand sanitizer and hand soap from their facilities in San Rafael, California. As she continues to run her business, Susan told Guy about protecting her employees while trying to make enough hand sanitizer for her community and frontline workers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past Friday, Guy spoke with Susan Griffin-Black, founder of EO Products. Susan's company has made a full pivot by only producing hand sanitizer and hand soap from their facilities in San Rafael, California. As she continues to run her business, Susan told Guy about protecting her employees while trying to make enough hand sanitizer for her community and frontline workers.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 993 no S'well: Sarah Kauss In 2009, Sarah Kauss had a well-paying job in real estate development, but she was itching to do something more. On a hike in Tucson with her mom, she got an idea for a business while swigging warm water from a metal thermos: why not design a water bottle that kept cold things cold and hot things hot, but was also beautiful to look at? Just six years after launch, S'well reportedly made $100 million; but today, Sarah is especially focused on how the brand can help eliminate plastic waste around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Apr 2020 04:01:29 -0000 S'well: Sarah Kauss full 214 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2009, Sarah Kauss had a well-paying job in real estate development, but she was itching to do something more. On a hike in Tucson with her mom, she got an idea for a business while swigging warm water from a metal thermos: why not design a water bottle that kept cold things cold and hot things hot, but was also beautiful to look at? Just six years after launch, S'well reportedly made $100 million; but today, Sarah is especially focused on how the brand can help eliminate plastic waste around the world. In 2009, Sarah Kauss had a well-paying job in real estate development, but she was itching to do something more. On a hike in Tucson with her mom, she got an idea for a business while swigging warm water from a metal thermos: why not design a water bottle that kept cold things cold and hot things hot, but was also beautiful to look at? Just six years after launch, S'well reportedly made $100 million; but today, Sarah is especially focused on how the brand can help eliminate plastic waste around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4183 no How I Built Resilience: Live with Jeni Britton Bauer Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past Friday, Guy spoke with Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Jeni's company battled a Listeria outbreak in 2015 that almost broke her business, but she bounced back stronger than ever and is confident her company will survive this crisis, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 02 Apr 2020 04:01:56 -0000 How I Built Resilience: Live with Jeni Britton Bauer full 213 Guy Raz | Vox Media Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past Friday, Guy spoke with Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Jeni's company battled a Listeria outbreak in 2015 that almost broke her business, but she bounced back stronger than ever and is confident her company will survive this crisis, too. Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past Friday, Guy spoke with Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Jeni's company battled a Listeria outbreak in 2015 that almost broke her business, but she bounced back stronger than ever and is confident her company will survive this crisis, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This community about how they're navigating these uncertain times. This past Friday, Guy spoke with Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Jeni's company battled a Listeria outbreak in 2015 that almost broke her business, but she bounced back stronger than ever and is confident her company will survive this crisis, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1014 no Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: Ken Grossman Ken Grossman was experimenting with beer before he was old enough to buy it. As a high school student in the late 1960s, he bought his first home brewing kit and mixed the ingredients in a bucket, hiding his early batches from his mother. About ten years later, before most Americans knew what craft beer was, Ken decided to build a brewery in Chico, California. With $50,000, a few piles of scrap metal and some hand-me-down dairy tanks, Ken and his partner built Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and crafted a beer with a distinctive, hoppy bitterness. Today, as the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – like so many other businesses – faces unprecedented challenges due to the Coronavirus crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Mar 2020 04:01:51 -0000 Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: Ken Grossman full 212 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ken Grossman was experimenting with beer before he was old enough to buy it. As a high school student in the late 1960s, he bought his first home brewing kit and mixed the ingredients in a bucket, hiding his early batches from his mother. About ten years later, before most Americans knew what craft beer was, Ken decided to build a brewery in Chico, California. With $50,000, a few piles of scrap metal and some hand-me-down dairy tanks, Ken and his partner built Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and crafted a beer with a distinctive, hoppy bitterness. Today, as the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – like so many other businesses – faces unprecedented challenges due to the Coronavirus crisis. Ken Grossman was experimenting with beer before he was old enough to buy it. As a high school student in the late 1960s, he bought his first home brewing kit and mixed the ingredients in a bucket, hiding his early batches from his mother. About ten years later, before most Americans knew what craft beer was, Ken decided to build a brewery in Chico, California. With $50,000, a few piles of scrap metal and some hand-me-down dairy tanks, Ken and his partner built Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and crafted a beer with a distinctive, hoppy bitterness. Today, as the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – like so many other businesses – faces unprecedented challenges due to the Coronavirus crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4184 no Ben & Jerry's: Ben Cohen And Jerry Greenfield (2017) In the mid-1970s two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield decided to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Their quirky little shop packaged and sold unusual flavors like Honey Coffee, Mocha Walnut, and Mint with Oreo Cookies. In 1981, the regional brand spread across the country after Time magazine called it the "best ice cream in America." Today, Ben & Jerry's is one of the top selling ice cream brands in the world. And, like the original founders, the company doesn't shy away from speaking out on social issues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Clay McCabe of Zipper Rescue, a repair kit that helps people fix their broken zippers at home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Mar 2020 04:01:10 -0000 Ben & Jerry's: Ben Cohen And Jerry Greenfield (2017) full 211 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the mid-1970s two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield decided to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Their quirky little shop packaged and sold unusual flavors like Honey Coffee, Mocha Walnut, and Mint with Oreo Cookies. In 1981, the regional brand spread across the country after Time magazine called it the "best ice cream in America." Today, Ben & Jerry's is one of the top selling ice cream brands in the world. And, like the original founders, the company doesn't shy away from speaking out on social issues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Clay McCabe of Zipper Rescue, a repair kit that helps people fix their broken zippers at home. In the mid-1970s two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield decided to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Their quirky little shop packaged and sold unusual flavors like Honey Coffee, Mocha Walnut, and Mint with Oreo Cookies. In 1981, the regional brand spread across the country after Time magazine called it the "best ice cream in America." Today, Ben & Jerry's is one of the top selling ice cream brands in the world. And, like the original founders, the company doesn't shy away from speaking out on social issues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Clay McCabe of Zipper Rescue, a repair kit that helps people fix their broken zippers at home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3629 no Birchbox: Katia Beauchamp When Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna launched Birchbox from business school in 2010, they set out to disrupt the beauty industry by delivering monthly samples in a box. Even though people told them the idea would never work, Birchbox attracted hundreds of thousands of subscribers and enthusiastic buzz as a subscription pioneer. But the speedy success was overwhelming for Katia; over the years the company endured plenty of growing pains as it found its distinctive voice in the beauty industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after noticing that many of her female friends hated buying cars, Athena Staton launched SheCar, a personalized online service for used car buyers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Mar 2020 04:01:32 -0000 Birchbox: Katia Beauchamp full 210 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna launched Birchbox from business school in 2010, they set out to disrupt the beauty industry by delivering monthly samples in a box. Even though people told them the idea would never work, Birchbox attracted hundreds of thousands of subscribers and enthusiastic buzz as a subscription pioneer. But the speedy success was overwhelming for Katia; over the years the company endured plenty of growing pains as it found its distinctive voice in the beauty industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after noticing that many of her female friends hated buying cars, Athena Staton launched SheCar, a personalized online service for used car buyers. When Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna launched Birchbox from business school in 2010, they set out to disrupt the beauty industry by delivering monthly samples in a box. Even though people told them the idea would never work, Birchbox attracted hundreds of thousands of subscribers and enthusiastic buzz as a subscription pioneer. But the speedy success was overwhelming for Katia; over the years the company endured plenty of growing pains as it found its distinctive voice in the beauty industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after noticing that many of her female friends hated buying cars, Athena Staton launched SheCar, a personalized online service for used car buyers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4261 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Stacy Madison of Stacy's Pita Chips Our ninth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Stacy Madison, co-founder of Stacy's Pita Chips. In this live conversation with Guy, Stacy explains how pita chips became a passion--even though they didn't start out that way. We'll be releasing one more episode from the Summit in the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Mar 2020 04:01:05 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Stacy Madison of Stacy's Pita Chips full 209 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our ninth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Stacy Madison, co-founder of Stacy's Pita Chips. In this live conversation with Guy, Stacy explains how pita chips became a passion--even though they didn't start out that way. We'll be releasing one more episode from the Summit in the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed. Our ninth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Stacy Madison, co-founder of Stacy's Pita Chips. In this live conversation with Guy, Stacy explains how pita chips became a passion--even though they didn't start out that way. We'll be releasing one more episode from the Summit in the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features Stacy Madison, co-founder of Stacy's Pita Chips. In this live conversation with Guy, Stacy explains how pita chips became a passion--even though they didn't start out that way. We'll be releasing one more episode from the Summit in the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 886 no Stripe: Patrick and John Collison (2018) Brothers Patrick and John Collison founded and sold their first company before they turned 20. They created software to help eBay users manage inventory online, which set them on a path to help make e-commerce frictionless. Today, John and Patrick are the founders of Stripe, a software company that used just a few lines of code to power the payment system of companies like Lyft, Warby Parker, and Target. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Kirby Erdely, who saw a problem with flying beach umbrellas and developed a new kind of tent stake—with a twist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Mar 2020 04:01:41 -0000 Stripe: Patrick and John Collison (2018) full 208 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brothers Patrick and John Collison founded and sold their first company before they turned 20. They created software to help eBay users manage inventory online, which set them on a path to help make e-commerce frictionless. Today, John and Patrick are the founders of Stripe, a software company that used just a few lines of code to power the payment system of companies like Lyft, Warby Parker, and Target. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Kirby Erdely, who saw a problem with flying beach umbrellas and developed a new kind of tent stake—with a twist. Brothers Patrick and John Collison founded and sold their first company before they turned 20. They created software to help eBay users manage inventory online, which set them on a path to help make e-commerce frictionless. Today, John and Patrick are the founders of Stripe, a software company that used just a few lines of code to power the payment system of companies like Lyft, Warby Parker, and Target. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Kirby Erdely, who saw a problem with flying beach umbrellas and developed a new kind of tent stake—with a twist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2760 no Video Artist: Casey Neistat When Casey Neistat was a teenager, the odds were against him; he had dropped out of high school, was washing dishes to pay rent, and was a father by age 17. But he eventually scraped together enough money to buy a camera and an iMac, and began churning out short films that went viral even before YouTube took off. Despite having to start his career over several times – Casey Neistat became a brand name in social media and advertising, and is now one of the biggest names on YouTube, with an audience of nearly 12 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Pat Erley explains how struggling with a perpetually stopped-up sink inspired him to design Dripsie, a no-clog sink strainer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Mar 2020 05:01:00 -0000 Video Artist: Casey Neistat full 207 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Casey Neistat was a teenager, the odds were against him; he had dropped out of high school, was washing dishes to pay rent, and was a father by age 17. But he eventually scraped together enough money to buy a camera and an iMac, and began churning out short films that went viral even before YouTube took off. Despite having to start his career over several times – Casey Neistat became a brand name in social media and advertising, and is now one of the biggest names on YouTube, with an audience of nearly 12 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Pat Erley explains how struggling with a perpetually stopped-up sink inspired him to design Dripsie, a no-clog sink strainer. When Casey Neistat was a teenager, the odds were against him; he had dropped out of high school, was washing dishes to pay rent, and was a father by age 17. But he eventually scraped together enough money to buy a camera and an iMac, and began churning out short films that went viral even before YouTube took off. Despite having to start his career over several times – Casey Neistat became a brand name in social media and advertising, and is now one of the biggest names on YouTube, with an audience of nearly 12 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Pat Erley explains how struggling with a perpetually stopped-up sink inspired him to design Dripsie, a no-clog sink strainer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5782 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams Our eighth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Jeni Britton Bauer, the founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. In this live conversation with Guy, Jeni talks about maintaining authenticity while growing her company, and how Columbus, Ohio played a key role in her company's success. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Feb 2020 05:01:42 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams full 206 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our eighth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Jeni Britton Bauer, the founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. In this live conversation with Guy, Jeni talks about maintaining authenticity while growing her company, and how Columbus, Ohio played a key role in her company's success. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Our eighth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Jeni Britton Bauer, the founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. In this live conversation with Guy, Jeni talks about maintaining authenticity while growing her company, and how Columbus, Ohio played a key role in her company's success. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1101 no Lululemon Athletica: Chip Wilson (2018) After noticing more and more people sign up for yoga in the late 1990s, Chip Wilson bet everything on an athletic apparel company aimed toward young professional women. What started as a small pop-up store in Vancouver eventually became the multibillion-dollar brand Lululemon Athletica, spawning a new fashion trend and forever changing what women wear at the gym. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Kate Westervelt who took an overwhelming experience and turned it into a gift box for new moms--filled with essential items women need to recover from childbirth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Feb 2020 05:01:07 -0000 Lululemon Athletica: Chip Wilson (2018) full 205 Guy Raz | Vox Media After noticing more and more people sign up for yoga in the late 1990s, Chip Wilson bet everything on an athletic apparel company aimed toward young professional women. What started as a small pop-up store in Vancouver eventually became the multibillion-dollar brand Lululemon Athletica, spawning a new fashion trend and forever changing what women wear at the gym. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Kate Westervelt who took an overwhelming experience and turned it into a gift box for new moms--filled with essential items women need to recover from childbirth After noticing more and more people sign up for yoga in the late 1990s, Chip Wilson bet everything on an athletic apparel company aimed toward young professional women. What started as a small pop-up store in Vancouver eventually became the multibillion-dollar brand Lululemon Athletica, spawning a new fashion trend and forever changing what women wear at the gym. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Kate Westervelt who took an overwhelming experience and turned it into a gift box for new moms--filled with essential items women need to recover from childbirth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3493 no Eventbrite: Julia Hartz In the early 2000s, Julia Hartz was helping develop TV shows for MTV and FX Networks, and seemed headed for a promising career in television. All of that changed in 2003 when she went to a wedding and found herself sitting next to a serial entrepreneur named Kevin. They started dating, and Julia eventually quit her job and joined Kevin in the Bay Area. In 2006 they married, and co-founded the online ticketing service Eventbrite out of a warehouse closet. 14 years after launch, Eventbrite is a publicly-traded company with 1,100 employees and offices around the world. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Tomo Delaney describes how raising two picky eaters led him to create Noshi For Kids; brightly colored fruit puree that kids can paint with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Feb 2020 05:01:00 -0000 Eventbrite: Julia Hartz full 204 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 2000s, Julia Hartz was helping develop TV shows for MTV and FX Networks, and seemed headed for a promising career in television. All of that changed in 2003 when she went to a wedding and found herself sitting next to a serial entrepreneur named Kevin. They started dating, and Julia eventually quit her job and joined Kevin in the Bay Area. In 2006 they married, and co-founded the online ticketing service Eventbrite out of a warehouse closet. 14 years after launch, Eventbrite is a publicly-traded company with 1,100 employees and offices around the world. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Tomo Delaney describes how raising two picky eaters led him to create Noshi For Kids; brightly colored fruit puree that kids can paint with. In the early 2000s, Julia Hartz was helping develop TV shows for MTV and FX Networks, and seemed headed for a promising career in television. All of that changed in 2003 when she went to a wedding and found herself sitting next to a serial entrepreneur named Kevin. They started dating, and Julia eventually quit her job and joined Kevin in the Bay Area. In 2006 they married, and co-founded the online ticketing service Eventbrite out of a warehouse closet. 14 years after launch, Eventbrite is a publicly-traded company with 1,100 employees and offices around the world. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Tomo Delaney describes how raising two picky eaters led him to create Noshi For Kids; brightly colored fruit puree that kids can paint with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4088 no Live From The HIBT Summit: David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways Our seventh episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features David Neeleman, the founder of JetBlue Airways. In this live conversation with Guy, David talks about the benefits of having ADD, and why he thinks it's important to talk to the passengers on his airlines. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Feb 2020 05:01:59 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways full 203 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our seventh episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features David Neeleman, the founder of JetBlue Airways. In this live conversation with Guy, David talks about the benefits of having ADD, and why he thinks it's important to talk to the passengers on his airlines. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Our seventh episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features David Neeleman, the founder of JetBlue Airways. In this live conversation with Guy, David talks about the benefits of having ADD, and why he thinks it's important to talk to the passengers on his airlines. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features David Neeleman, the founder of JetBlue Airways. In this live conversation with Guy, David talks about the benefits of having ADD, and why he thinks it's important to talk to the passengers on his airlines. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1141 no Panera Bread/Au Bon Pain: Ron Shaich (2018) In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich bought a small, struggling Boston bakery chain called Au Bon Pain, and built it out to 250 locations nationwide. Ron then saw an opportunity to build something even bigger: Panera Bread. It was the start of "fast casual" – a new kind of eating experience, between fast food and restaurant dining. Today, Panera Bread has over 2,000 stores, and $5 billion in annual sales. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Lisa Dalton, who turned a relationship mishap into a game-changing braille label that solves a daily problem for blind consumers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Feb 2020 05:01:09 -0000 Panera Bread/Au Bon Pain: Ron Shaich (2018) full 202 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich bought a small, struggling Boston bakery chain called Au Bon Pain, and built it out to 250 locations nationwide. Ron then saw an opportunity to build something even bigger: Panera Bread. It was the start of "fast casual" – a new kind of eating experience, between fast food and restaurant dining. Today, Panera Bread has over 2,000 stores, and $5 billion in annual sales. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Lisa Dalton, who turned a relationship mishap into a game-changing braille label that solves a daily problem for blind consumers. In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich bought a small, struggling Boston bakery chain called Au Bon Pain, and built it out to 250 locations nationwide. Ron then saw an opportunity to build something even bigger: Panera Bread. It was the start of "fast casual" – a new kind of eating experience, between fast food and restaurant dining. Today, Panera Bread has over 2,000 stores, and $5 billion in annual sales. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Lisa Dalton, who turned a relationship mishap into a game-changing braille label that solves a daily problem for blind consumers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2769 no M.M.LaFleur: Sarah LaFleur When she was working corporate jobs in New York City, Sarah LaFleur hated getting dressed in the morning; the choices in her closet felt overwhelming, many items didn't fit right or wore out too quickly. So in 2011 she launched a line of clothing for working women that would be simple, elegant, and well-tailored. She had no experience in fashion but partnered with a top-line designer, Miyako Nakamura, to create M.M.LaFleur. Today it's a multi-million dollar company with loyal customers from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Taylor Mali explains how he created Metaphor Dice, which ease the pain of writing the first line of a poem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Feb 2020 05:01:45 -0000 M.M.LaFleur: Sarah LaFleur full 201 Guy Raz | Vox Media When she was working corporate jobs in New York City, Sarah LaFleur hated getting dressed in the morning; the choices in her closet felt overwhelming, many items didn't fit right or wore out too quickly. So in 2011 she launched a line of clothing for working women that would be simple, elegant, and well-tailored. She had no experience in fashion but partnered with a top-line designer, Miyako Nakamura, to create M.M.LaFleur. Today it's a multi-million dollar company with loyal customers from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Taylor Mali explains how he created Metaphor Dice, which ease the pain of writing the first line of a poem. When she was working corporate jobs in New York City, Sarah LaFleur hated getting dressed in the morning; the choices in her closet felt overwhelming, many items didn't fit right or wore out too quickly. So in 2011 she launched a line of clothing for working women that would be simple, elegant, and well-tailored. She had no experience in fashion but partnered with a top-line designer, Miyako Nakamura, to create M.M.LaFleur. Today it's a multi-million dollar company with loyal customers from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Taylor Mali explains how he created Metaphor Dice, which ease the pain of writing the first line of a poem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4723 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Stewart Butterfield Our sixth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Stewart Butterfield, the co-founder of Flickr and Slack. Both companies emerged out of failure. In this live conversation with Guy, Stewart describes how he pivoted from two unsuccessful video games into two multi-million dollar brands. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the HIBT Summit over the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 30 Jan 2020 05:01:49 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Stewart Butterfield full 200 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our sixth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Stewart Butterfield, the co-founder of Flickr and Slack. Both companies emerged out of failure. In this live conversation with Guy, Stewart describes how he pivoted from two unsuccessful video games into two multi-million dollar brands. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the HIBT Summit over the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed. Our sixth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Stewart Butterfield, the co-founder of Flickr and Slack. Both companies emerged out of failure. In this live conversation with Guy, Stewart describes how he pivoted from two unsuccessful video games into two multi-million dollar brands. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the HIBT Summit over the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features Stewart Butterfield, the co-founder of Flickr and Slack. Both companies emerged out of failure. In this live conversation with Guy, Stewart describes how he pivoted from two unsuccessful video games into two multi-million dollar brands. We'll be releasing a few more episodes from the HIBT Summit over the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1075 no Wikipedia: Jimmy Wales (2018) During the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, Jimmy Wales was running an internet search company. That's when he began to experiment with the idea of an online encyclopedia. In 2001, Wales launched Wikipedia, a website where thousands of community members could contribute, edit, and monitor content on just about anything. Today, the non-profit has stayed true to its open source roots and is one of the ten most visited websites in the world. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Leigh D'Angelo, who explains how her sister's break up inspired them to create a dating app—for dog owners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Jan 2020 05:01:00 -0000 Wikipedia: Jimmy Wales (2018) full 199 Guy Raz | Vox Media During the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, Jimmy Wales was running an internet search company. That's when he began to experiment with the idea of an online encyclopedia. In 2001, Wales launched Wikipedia, a website where thousands of community members could contribute, edit, and monitor content on just about anything. Today, the non-profit has stayed true to its open source roots and is one of the ten most visited websites in the world. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Leigh D'Angelo, who explains how her sister's break up inspired them to create a dating app—for dog owners. During the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, Jimmy Wales was running an internet search company. That's when he began to experiment with the idea of an online encyclopedia. In 2001, Wales launched Wikipedia, a website where thousands of community members could contribute, edit, and monitor content on just about anything. Today, the non-profit has stayed true to its open source roots and is one of the ten most visited websites in the world. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Leigh D'Angelo, who explains how her sister's break up inspired them to create a dating app—for dog owners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2791 no Happy Family Organics: Shazi Visram While she was a student at business school, Shazi Visram ran into an old friend-- a new mother of twins. The friend confided she felt like a bad mom because she had no time to make her kids healthy meals. That gave Shazi her initial idea: why not make organic pureed baby food, and sell it frozen instead of jarred? People told her she was crazy to take on Gerber, but she convinced dozens of friends and family to invest in Happy Baby. 15 years later, the brand is known as Happy Family Organics and reportedly makes more than $200 million a year. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," after learning that many restaurants use gallons of running water to defrost food, Dylan Wolff invented CNSRV WTR-- a recirculating tub that keeps water from going down the drain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Jan 2020 05:01:04 -0000 Happy Family Organics: Shazi Visram full 198 Guy Raz | Vox Media While she was a student at business school, Shazi Visram ran into an old friend-- a new mother of twins. The friend confided she felt like a bad mom because she had no time to make her kids healthy meals. That gave Shazi her initial idea: why not make organic pureed baby food, and sell it frozen instead of jarred? People told her she was crazy to take on Gerber, but she convinced dozens of friends and family to invest in Happy Baby. 15 years later, the brand is known as Happy Family Organics and reportedly makes more than $200 million a year. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," after learning that many restaurants use gallons of running water to defrost food, Dylan Wolff invented CNSRV WTR-- a recirculating tub that keeps water from going down the drain. While she was a student at business school, Shazi Visram ran into an old friend-- a new mother of twins. The friend confided she felt like a bad mom because she had no time to make her kids healthy meals. That gave Shazi her initial idea: why not make organic pureed baby food, and sell it frozen instead of jarred? People told her she was crazy to take on Gerber, but she convinced dozens of friends and family to invest in Happy Baby. 15 years later, the brand is known as Happy Family Organics and reportedly makes more than $200 million a year. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," after learning that many restaurants use gallons of running water to defrost food, Dylan Wolff invented CNSRV WTR-- a recirculating tub that keeps water from going down the drain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4650 no Spindrift: Bill Creelman Bill Creelman graduated from college in 1996 with a business plan — to sell smoked fish from Nantucket. But over time, that idea morphed unpredictably into a brand that sold cocktail seasonings and supplies. After selling that company to liquor giant Diageo, Bill wanted to stay in the beverage industry. As a way of kicking his Diet Coke habit, he started making sparkling water with a fresh squeeze of lemon or grapefruit. That deceptively simple idea grew into Spindrift, a beverage that came with huge production challenges. Today, the company has an annual revenue topping $100 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Gaurav Chawla loved home-made chai but hated how long it took to make. So he quit his engineering job and started the five-year process to create Chime — an automatic chai brewer that uses tea and spices from India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Jan 2020 05:01:19 -0000 Spindrift: Bill Creelman full 197 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bill Creelman graduated from college in 1996 with a business plan — to sell smoked fish from Nantucket. But over time, that idea morphed unpredictably into a brand that sold cocktail seasonings and supplies. After selling that company to liquor giant Diageo, Bill wanted to stay in the beverage industry. As a way of kicking his Diet Coke habit, he started making sparkling water with a fresh squeeze of lemon or grapefruit. That deceptively simple idea grew into Spindrift, a beverage that came with huge production challenges. Today, the company has an annual revenue topping $100 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Gaurav Chawla loved home-made chai but hated how long it took to make. So he quit his engineering job and started the five-year process to create Chime — an automatic chai brewer that uses tea and spices from India. Bill Creelman graduated from college in 1996 with a business plan — to sell smoked fish from Nantucket. But over time, that idea morphed unpredictably into a brand that sold cocktail seasonings and supplies. After selling that company to liquor giant Diageo, Bill wanted to stay in the beverage industry. As a way of kicking his Diet Coke habit, he started making sparkling water with a fresh squeeze of lemon or grapefruit. That deceptively simple idea grew into Spindrift, a beverage that came with huge production challenges. Today, the company has an annual revenue topping $100 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Gaurav Chawla loved home-made chai but hated how long it took to make. So he quit his engineering job and started the five-year process to create Chime — an automatic chai brewer that uses tea and spices from India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4106 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Marcia Kilgore Our fifth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore, founder of Bliss, FitFlop, BeautyPie and more. The animating question behind all of Marcia's business ideas is 'So What?'— if she can't answer it, she doesn't pursue it. We'll be releasing more episodes from the HIBT Summit over the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 09 Jan 2020 05:01:06 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Marcia Kilgore full 196 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our fifth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore, founder of Bliss, FitFlop, BeautyPie and more. The animating question behind all of Marcia's business ideas is 'So What?'— if she can't answer it, she doesn't pursue it. We'll be releasing more episodes from the HIBT Summit over the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed! Our fifth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore, founder of Bliss, FitFlop, BeautyPie and more. The animating question behind all of Marcia's business ideas is 'So What?'— if she can't answer it, she doesn't pursue it. We'll be releasing more episodes from the HIBT Summit over the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore, founder of Bliss, FitFlop, BeautyPie and more. The animating question behind all of Marcia's business ideas is 'So What?'— if she can't answer it, she doesn't pursue it. We'll be releasing more episodes from the HIBT Summit over the next few weeks, so keep checking your podcast feed!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1030 no Dell Computers: Michael Dell (2018) Before it became fashionable to start a tech company in your dorm room, Michael Dell did exactly that. In 1983, he began selling upgrade kits for PC's out of his dorm at UT Austin. A few months later he dropped out of school to focus full time on the PC business. At age of 27, he became the youngest CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. Today, Dell has sold roughly 700 million computers. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Vanessa and Casey White, who turned their grandfather's pierogi recipe into Jaju Pierogi, hand-made Polish dumplings that are sold across the Northeast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Jan 2020 05:01:17 -0000 Dell Computers: Michael Dell (2018) full 195 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before it became fashionable to start a tech company in your dorm room, Michael Dell did exactly that. In 1983, he began selling upgrade kits for PC's out of his dorm at UT Austin. A few months later he dropped out of school to focus full time on the PC business. At age of 27, he became the youngest CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. Today, Dell has sold roughly 700 million computers. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Vanessa and Casey White, who turned their grandfather's pierogi recipe into Jaju Pierogi, hand-made Polish dumplings that are sold across the Northeast. Before it became fashionable to start a tech company in your dorm room, Michael Dell did exactly that. In 1983, he began selling upgrade kits for PC's out of his dorm at UT Austin. A few months later he dropped out of school to focus full time on the PC business. At age of 27, he became the youngest CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. Today, Dell has sold roughly 700 million computers. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Vanessa and Casey White, who turned their grandfather's pierogi recipe into Jaju Pierogi, hand-made Polish dumplings that are sold across the Northeast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3054 no Chicken Salad Chick: Stacy Brown (2018) For many of us, chicken salad is just another sandwich filling, but Stacy Brown turned it into a $75 million business. In 2007, she was a divorced mother of three looking for a way to make ends meet. So she started making chicken salad in her kitchen and selling it out of a basket, door-to-door. She eventually turned that home operation into Chicken Salad Chick, a chain that now has close to 150 locations in the U.S. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Ofer and Helene Webman who developed the Tonewood Amp, a device that can change the way an acoustic guitar sounds without bulky pedals and amps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Dec 2019 05:01:25 -0000 Chicken Salad Chick: Stacy Brown (2018) full 194 Guy Raz | Vox Media For many of us, chicken salad is just another sandwich filling, but Stacy Brown turned it into a $75 million business. In 2007, she was a divorced mother of three looking for a way to make ends meet. So she started making chicken salad in her kitchen and selling it out of a basket, door-to-door. She eventually turned that home operation into Chicken Salad Chick, a chain that now has close to 150 locations in the U.S. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Ofer and Helene Webman who developed the Tonewood Amp, a device that can change the way an acoustic guitar sounds without bulky pedals and amps. For many of us, chicken salad is just another sandwich filling, but Stacy Brown turned it into a $75 million business. In 2007, she was a divorced mother of three looking for a way to make ends meet. So she started making chicken salad in her kitchen and selling it out of a basket, door-to-door. She eventually turned that home operation into Chicken Salad Chick, a chain that now has close to 150 locations in the U.S. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Ofer and Helene Webman who developed the Tonewood Amp, a device that can change the way an acoustic guitar sounds without bulky pedals and amps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3702 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Tariq Farid Of Edible Arrangements Our fourth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Tariq Farid, founder of Edible Arrangements. In a live conversation with Guy, Tariq talks about flowers, fruit, and family—and how he wouldn't be where he is without the sacrifices and support of the people he loves the most. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit in the new year, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 26 Dec 2019 05:01:16 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Tariq Farid Of Edible Arrangements full 193 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our fourth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Tariq Farid, founder of Edible Arrangements. In a live conversation with Guy, Tariq talks about flowers, fruit, and family—and how he wouldn't be where he is without the sacrifices and support of the people he loves the most. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit in the new year, so keep checking your podcast feed! Our fourth episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Tariq Farid, founder of Edible Arrangements. In a live conversation with Guy, Tariq talks about flowers, fruit, and family—and how he wouldn't be where he is without the sacrifices and support of the people he loves the most. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit in the new year, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features Tariq Farid, founder of Edible Arrangements. In a live conversation with Guy, Tariq talks about flowers, fruit, and family—and how he wouldn't be where he is without the sacrifices and support of the people he loves the most. We'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit in the new year, so keep checking your podcast feed!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1082 no Steve Madden: Steve Madden (2018) Steve Madden fell in love with the shoe business in the 1970's, when he sold platform shoes at a neighborhood store in Long Island, New York; that was in high school. About 15 years later, he struck out on his own, designing and selling shoes with a high-end look at affordable prices. As his business—and his ambitions—began to grow, he got involved in a securities fraud scheme and wound up serving two and-a-half years in prison. In 2005, he returned to Steve Madden, where he helped the company grow into a business valued at $3 billion. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with "kid-preneur" Gabrielle Goodwin and her mom Rozalynn who invented GaBBY Bows—double snap barrettes that don't slip out of your hair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Dec 2019 05:01:22 -0000 Steve Madden: Steve Madden (2018) full 192 Guy Raz | Vox Media Steve Madden fell in love with the shoe business in the 1970's, when he sold platform shoes at a neighborhood store in Long Island, New York; that was in high school. About 15 years later, he struck out on his own, designing and selling shoes with a high-end look at affordable prices. As his business—and his ambitions—began to grow, he got involved in a securities fraud scheme and wound up serving two and-a-half years in prison. In 2005, he returned to Steve Madden, where he helped the company grow into a business valued at $3 billion. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with "kid-preneur" Gabrielle Goodwin and her mom Rozalynn who invented GaBBY Bows—double snap barrettes that don't slip out of your hair. Steve Madden fell in love with the shoe business in the 1970's, when he sold platform shoes at a neighborhood store in Long Island, New York; that was in high school. About 15 years later, he struck out on his own, designing and selling shoes with a high-end look at affordable prices. As his business—and his ambitions—began to grow, he got involved in a securities fraud scheme and wound up serving two and-a-half years in prison. In 2005, he returned to Steve Madden, where he helped the company grow into a business valued at $3 billion. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with "kid-preneur" Gabrielle Goodwin and her mom Rozalynn who invented GaBBY Bows—double snap barrettes that don't slip out of your hair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3433 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger Of Instagram Our third live episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, co-founders of Instagram. They talk to Guy about what they've been doing since they stepped down from the company, and whether they think social media can still help make a kinder world. In the new year, we'll release more episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 19 Dec 2019 05:01:12 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger Of Instagram full 191 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our third live episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, co-founders of Instagram. They talk to Guy about what they've been doing since they stepped down from the company, and whether they think social media can still help make a kinder world. In the new year, we'll release more episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Our third live episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, co-founders of Instagram. They talk to Guy about what they've been doing since they stepped down from the company, and whether they think social media can still help make a kinder world. In the new year, we'll release more episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, co-founders of Instagram. They talk to Guy about what they've been doing since they stepped down from the company, and whether they think social media can still help make a kinder world. In the new year, we'll release more episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1444 no Tate's Bake Shop: Kathleen King Kathleen King was 11 years old when she started baking cookies to sell at her family's farm stand on Long Island. After college, she opened a small bake shop, and eventually started selling her cookies to gourmet grocery stores in Manhattan. But after twenty years of running a small business, she wanted more time for herself. She brought in two partners to grow sales, but the partnership was a disaster – and after bitter lawsuits, Kathleen was forced to start over from scratch. 18 years later, Tate's Bake Shop – the second cookie brand that she built out of the crumbs of the first – sold for $500 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Thomas Althaus made his wife a bracelet and earrings out of a tin can for their tenth wedding anniversary. What began as a lighthearted gift became Canned Goods—a recycled jewelry company that donates one can of food to charity for each piece sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Dec 2019 05:01:50 -0000 Tate's Bake Shop: Kathleen King full 190 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kathleen King was 11 years old when she started baking cookies to sell at her family's farm stand on Long Island. After college, she opened a small bake shop, and eventually started selling her cookies to gourmet grocery stores in Manhattan. But after twenty years of running a small business, she wanted more time for herself. She brought in two partners to grow sales, but the partnership was a disaster – and after bitter lawsuits, Kathleen was forced to start over from scratch. 18 years later, Tate's Bake Shop – the second cookie brand that she built out of the crumbs of the first – sold for $500 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Thomas Althaus made his wife a bracelet and earrings out of a tin can for their tenth wedding anniversary. What began as a lighthearted gift became Canned Goods—a recycled jewelry company that donates one can of food to charity for each piece sold. Kathleen King was 11 years old when she started baking cookies to sell at her family's farm stand on Long Island. After college, she opened a small bake shop, and eventually started selling her cookies to gourmet grocery stores in Manhattan. But after twenty years of running a small business, she wanted more time for herself. She brought in two partners to grow sales, but the partnership was a disaster – and after bitter lawsuits, Kathleen was forced to start over from scratch. 18 years later, Tate's Bake Shop – the second cookie brand that she built out of the crumbs of the first – sold for $500 million. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," Thomas Althaus made his wife a bracelet and earrings out of a tin can for their tenth wedding anniversary. What began as a lighthearted gift became Canned Goods—a recycled jewelry company that donates one can of food to charity for each piece sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3823 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Troy Carter Our second episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features founder and investor Troy Carter, who re-started his career in the music business after becoming Lady Gaga's manager. In a live conversation with Guy, he offers advice on staying hungry, being humble, and admitting when you don't know the answer. Every Thursday through the new year, we'll release new episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 12 Dec 2019 05:01:25 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Troy Carter full 189 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our second episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features founder and investor Troy Carter, who re-started his career in the music business after becoming Lady Gaga's manager. In a live conversation with Guy, he offers advice on staying hungry, being humble, and admitting when you don't know the answer. Every Thursday through the new year, we'll release new episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Our second episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features founder and investor Troy Carter, who re-started his career in the music business after becoming Lady Gaga's manager. In a live conversation with Guy, he offers advice on staying hungry, being humble, and admitting when you don't know the answer. Every Thursday through the new year, we'll release new episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features founder and investor Troy Carter, who re-started his career in the music business after becoming Lady Gaga's manager. In a live conversation with Guy, he offers advice on staying hungry, being humble, and admitting when you don't know the answer. Every Thursday through the new year, we'll release new episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1121 no Minted: Mariam Naficy (2018) In 2000, Mariam Naficy sold her first company, an online cosmetics store called Eve.com, for $110 million. Several years later, she got the entrepreneurial itch once again: she founded Minted.com, an online stationery store that solicits designs from artists all over the world. Today Minted is one of the biggest crowdsourcing platforms on the Internet. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Christopher Rannefors who created BatBnB, a sleek wooden box that hangs on your house and provides a safe home for mosquito-eating bats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Dec 2019 05:01:10 -0000 Minted: Mariam Naficy (2018) full 188 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2000, Mariam Naficy sold her first company, an online cosmetics store called Eve.com, for $110 million. Several years later, she got the entrepreneurial itch once again: she founded Minted.com, an online stationery store that solicits designs from artists all over the world. Today Minted is one of the biggest crowdsourcing platforms on the Internet. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Christopher Rannefors who created BatBnB, a sleek wooden box that hangs on your house and provides a safe home for mosquito-eating bats. In 2000, Mariam Naficy sold her first company, an online cosmetics store called Eve.com, for $110 million. Several years later, she got the entrepreneurial itch once again: she founded Minted.com, an online stationery store that solicits designs from artists all over the world. Today Minted is one of the biggest crowdsourcing platforms on the Internet. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Christopher Rannefors who created BatBnB, a sleek wooden box that hangs on your house and provides a safe home for mosquito-eating bats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3236 no Live From The HIBT Summit: Sara Blakely Of Spanx Our first episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. In front of a live audience, she tells Guy how she stayed confident in the earliest days of building the business, and why one day she still wound up sobbing on the floor of Office Depot. Every Thursday through the new year, we'll release new episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 05 Dec 2019 05:01:18 -0000 Live From The HIBT Summit: Sara Blakely Of Spanx full 187 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our first episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. In front of a live audience, she tells Guy how she stayed confident in the earliest days of building the business, and why one day she still wound up sobbing on the floor of Office Depot. Every Thursday through the new year, we'll release new episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Our first episode from the 2019 How I Built This Summit features Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. In front of a live audience, she tells Guy how she stayed confident in the earliest days of building the business, and why one day she still wound up sobbing on the floor of Office Depot. Every Thursday through the new year, we'll release new episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. In front of a live audience, she tells Guy how she stayed confident in the earliest days of building the business, and why one day she still wound up sobbing on the floor of Office Depot. Every Thursday through the new year, we'll release new episodes from the HIBT Summit, so keep checking your podcast feed!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1313 no Live Episode! OtterBox: Curt Richardson In the 1980s and 90s, Curt Richardson started making simple plastic boxes in his garage in Fort Collins, Colorado. They were originally designed to keep small items dry while you're fishing or skiing, and Curt and his wife Nancy called them "Otter Boxes." But after the launch of the Blackberry and the iPod, Curt started tailoring the boxes to fit and protect the breakable devices – and OtterBox evolved from an outdoor goods supplier into a company tightly adhered to the tech industry. With the rise of smartphones, Otter Products grew by more than 1000% in just five years. Today, it controls a massive share of the phone case market and sells more than $1 billion in cases each year. This interview was recorded live at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Dec 2019 05:01:28 -0000 Live Episode! OtterBox: Curt Richardson full 186 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the 1980s and 90s, Curt Richardson started making simple plastic boxes in his garage in Fort Collins, Colorado. They were originally designed to keep small items dry while you're fishing or skiing, and Curt and his wife Nancy called them "Otter Boxes." But after the launch of the Blackberry and the iPod, Curt started tailoring the boxes to fit and protect the breakable devices – and OtterBox evolved from an outdoor goods supplier into a company tightly adhered to the tech industry. With the rise of smartphones, Otter Products grew by more than 1000% in just five years. Today, it controls a massive share of the phone case market and sells more than $1 billion in cases each year. This interview was recorded live at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado. In the 1980s and 90s, Curt Richardson started making simple plastic boxes in his garage in Fort Collins, Colorado. They were originally designed to keep small items dry while you're fishing or skiing, and Curt and his wife Nancy called them "Otter Boxes." But after the launch of the Blackberry and the iPod, Curt started tailoring the boxes to fit and protect the breakable devices – and OtterBox evolved from an outdoor goods supplier into a company tightly adhered to the tech industry. With the rise of smartphones, Otter Products grew by more than 1000% in just five years. Today, it controls a massive share of the phone case market and sells more than $1 billion in cases each year. This interview was recorded live at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3929 no Outdoor Voices: Tyler Haney In 2013, Tyler Haney was a 24-year-old graduate of the Parsons School of Design in New York. One day on a jog, she realized that her workout outfits looked, and felt, like they were made for competitive athletes. Tyler envisioned a brand of athletic wear for more everyday activities, like walking the dog or hiking with friends. She launched Outdoor Voices and she got her two-piece "kit" — a crop top and leggings – into a few specialty boutiques. Soon afterward, her brand made it into J. Crew stores and took off. Today, Outdoor Voices has raised close to $60 million from investors and has around 350 employees. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after a lunch with some new moms turned into baby bedlam, Beth Fynbo created Busy Baby Mat — a placemat that would securely stick on any table, keep toys off the floor, and provide a fun surface for babies to eat and draw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Nov 2019 05:01:40 -0000 Outdoor Voices: Tyler Haney full 185 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2013, Tyler Haney was a 24-year-old graduate of the Parsons School of Design in New York. One day on a jog, she realized that her workout outfits looked, and felt, like they were made for competitive athletes. Tyler envisioned a brand of athletic wear for more everyday activities, like walking the dog or hiking with friends. She launched Outdoor Voices and she got her two-piece "kit" — a crop top and leggings – into a few specialty boutiques. Soon afterward, her brand made it into J. Crew stores and took off. Today, Outdoor Voices has raised close to $60 million from investors and has around 350 employees. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after a lunch with some new moms turned into baby bedlam, Beth Fynbo created Busy Baby Mat — a placemat that would securely stick on any table, keep toys off the floor, and provide a fun surface for babies to eat and draw. In 2013, Tyler Haney was a 24-year-old graduate of the Parsons School of Design in New York. One day on a jog, she realized that her workout outfits looked, and felt, like they were made for competitive athletes. Tyler envisioned a brand of athletic wear for more everyday activities, like walking the dog or hiking with friends. She launched Outdoor Voices and she got her two-piece "kit" — a crop top and leggings – into a few specialty boutiques. Soon afterward, her brand made it into J. Crew stores and took off. Today, Outdoor Voices has raised close to $60 million from investors and has around 350 employees. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after a lunch with some new moms turned into baby bedlam, Beth Fynbo created Busy Baby Mat — a placemat that would securely stick on any table, keep toys off the floor, and provide a fun surface for babies to eat and draw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4142 no Remembering Jake Burton Carpenter The founder of Burton Snowboards, Jake Burton Carpenter, has died. He was 65 years old. We are grateful that Jake shared his story with us in 2017 and we are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career in which he elevated snowboarding into an international sport. In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 21 Nov 2019 22:39:31 -0000 Remembering Jake Burton Carpenter full 184 Guy Raz | Vox Media The founder of Burton Snowboards, Jake Burton Carpenter, has died. He was 65 years old. We are grateful that Jake shared his story with us in 2017 and we are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career in which he elevated snowboarding into an international sport. In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. The founder of Burton Snowboards, Jake Burton Carpenter, has died. He was 65 years old. We are grateful that Jake shared his story with us in 2017 and we are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career in which he elevated snowboarding into an international sport. In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2456 no Crate & Barrel: Gordon Segal (2017) In 1962, Gordon Segal—with his wife Carole—opened a scrappy Chicago shop called Crate & Barrel. That store turned into a housewares empire that has shaped the way Americans furnish their homes. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Ashlin Cook, whose love for dogs inspired her to create Winnie Lou: a Colorado business that sells healthy dog treats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Nov 2019 05:01:30 -0000 Crate & Barrel: Gordon Segal (2017) full 183 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1962, Gordon Segal—with his wife Carole—opened a scrappy Chicago shop called Crate & Barrel. That store turned into a housewares empire that has shaped the way Americans furnish their homes. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Ashlin Cook, whose love for dogs inspired her to create Winnie Lou: a Colorado business that sells healthy dog treats. In 1962, Gordon Segal—with his wife Carole—opened a scrappy Chicago shop called Crate & Barrel. That store turned into a housewares empire that has shaped the way Americans furnish their homes. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Ashlin Cook, whose love for dogs inspired her to create Winnie Lou: a Colorado business that sells healthy dog treats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2045 no Evite: Selina Tobaccowala At the height of the first dot-com boom, Selina Tobaccowala and college friend Al Lieb were determined to start a tech company. After a few false starts, they landed on the idea for Evite—an on-line invitation business that within its first year, attracted a million followers and $37 million in investment. When the tech bubble burst, Selina and Al were forced to lay off dozens of employees before selling Evite in 2001. But the company has survived to this day, and Selina remains a role model for women in tech. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Jamia Ramsey describes how her frustration with pink ballerina tights led her to create Blendz, apparel for dancers that matches darker skin tones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Nov 2019 05:01:46 -0000 Evite: Selina Tobaccowala full 182 Guy Raz | Vox Media At the height of the first dot-com boom, Selina Tobaccowala and college friend Al Lieb were determined to start a tech company. After a few false starts, they landed on the idea for Evite—an on-line invitation business that within its first year, attracted a million followers and $37 million in investment. When the tech bubble burst, Selina and Al were forced to lay off dozens of employees before selling Evite in 2001. But the company has survived to this day, and Selina remains a role model for women in tech. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Jamia Ramsey describes how her frustration with pink ballerina tights led her to create Blendz, apparel for dancers that matches darker skin tones. At the height of the first dot-com boom, Selina Tobaccowala and college friend Al Lieb were determined to start a tech company. After a few false starts, they landed on the idea for Evite—an on-line invitation business that within its first year, attracted a million followers and $37 million in investment. When the tech bubble burst, Selina and Al were forced to lay off dozens of employees before selling Evite in 2001. But the company has survived to this day, and Selina remains a role model for women in tech. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Jamia Ramsey describes how her frustration with pink ballerina tights led her to create Blendz, apparel for dancers that matches darker skin tones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4040 no Live Episode! Luke's Lobster: Luke Holden and Ben Conniff Luke Holden grew up in Maine, working on lobster boats and in his father's lobster processing plant. But his parents pushed him to find a more stable career, so after college, he moved to New York and got a job in finance. One of the things he missed most about home was lobster rolls, so he decided to open his own lobster shack as a side project. Luke posted an ad on Craigslist looking for help, and linked up with Ben Conniff, a history major with a passion for food but no restaurant experience. Ben and Luke opened a 200-square-foot take-out restaurant in the East Village in 2009. Ten years later, Luke's Lobster has over 500 employees, and more than 40 locations in the U.S. and in Asia. This show was recorded live at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 07 Nov 2019 05:01:24 -0000 Live Episode! Luke's Lobster: Luke Holden and Ben Conniff full 181 Guy Raz | Vox Media Luke Holden grew up in Maine, working on lobster boats and in his father's lobster processing plant. But his parents pushed him to find a more stable career, so after college, he moved to New York and got a job in finance. One of the things he missed most about home was lobster rolls, so he decided to open his own lobster shack as a side project. Luke posted an ad on Craigslist looking for help, and linked up with Ben Conniff, a history major with a passion for food but no restaurant experience. Ben and Luke opened a 200-square-foot take-out restaurant in the East Village in 2009. Ten years later, Luke's Lobster has over 500 employees, and more than 40 locations in the U.S. and in Asia. This show was recorded live at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston. Luke Holden grew up in Maine, working on lobster boats and in his father's lobster processing plant. But his parents pushed him to find a more stable career, so after college, he moved to New York and got a job in finance. One of the things he missed most about home was lobster rolls, so he decided to open his own lobster shack as a side project. Luke posted an ad on Craigslist looking for help, and linked up with Ben Conniff, a history major with a passion for food but no restaurant experience. Ben and Luke opened a 200-square-foot take-out restaurant in the East Village in 2009. Ten years later, Luke's Lobster has over 500 employees, and more than 40 locations in the U.S. and in Asia. This show was recorded live at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3226 no FUBU: Daymond John (2018) Daymond John grew up during the 1980s in the heart of hip hop culture: Hollis, Queens. In his early 20s, he was working at Red Lobster and trying to figure out how to start a business. Eventually, he stumbled on the idea of making clothes for fans of rap music. In 1992, he started FUBU (For Us By Us) and began selling hats outside of a local mall. Three years later, FUBU was bringing in $350 million in sales. Today, he's a judge on Shark Tank, and a motivational speaker and author. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Loren and Lisa Poncia who turned a 100 year-old family business into an organic beef supplier: Stemple Creek Ranch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Nov 2019 05:01:21 -0000 FUBU: Daymond John (2018) full 180 Guy Raz | Vox Media Daymond John grew up during the 1980s in the heart of hip hop culture: Hollis, Queens. In his early 20s, he was working at Red Lobster and trying to figure out how to start a business. Eventually, he stumbled on the idea of making clothes for fans of rap music. In 1992, he started FUBU (For Us By Us) and began selling hats outside of a local mall. Three years later, FUBU was bringing in $350 million in sales. Today, he's a judge on Shark Tank, and a motivational speaker and author. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Loren and Lisa Poncia who turned a 100 year-old family business into an organic beef supplier: Stemple Creek Ranch. Daymond John grew up during the 1980s in the heart of hip hop culture: Hollis, Queens. In his early 20s, he was working at Red Lobster and trying to figure out how to start a business. Eventually, he stumbled on the idea of making clothes for fans of rap music. In 1992, he started FUBU (For Us By Us) and began selling hats outside of a local mall. Three years later, FUBU was bringing in $350 million in sales. Today, he's a judge on Shark Tank, and a motivational speaker and author. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Loren and Lisa Poncia who turned a 100 year-old family business into an organic beef supplier: Stemple Creek Ranch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3432 no LÄRABAR: Lara Merriken (2018) In 2000, Lara Merriken was 32, recently divorced, and without a job when she decided to make energy bars by mixing cherries, dates, and almonds in her Cuisinart. Eventually, she perfected the recipe and launched her company: LÄRABAR. After just two years, the company was bringing in millions in revenue. In 2008, she sold to General Mills, but stayed on to help grow LÄRABAR into one of the biggest energy bar brands in the U.S. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Gerry Stellenberg who combined his knack for technology with his love of pinball to create a company for modern pinball enthusiasts called Multimorphic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Oct 2019 04:01:06 -0000 LÄRABAR: Lara Merriken (2018) full 179 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2000, Lara Merriken was 32, recently divorced, and without a job when she decided to make energy bars by mixing cherries, dates, and almonds in her Cuisinart. Eventually, she perfected the recipe and launched her company: LÄRABAR. After just two years, the company was bringing in millions in revenue. In 2008, she sold to General Mills, but stayed on to help grow LÄRABAR into one of the biggest energy bar brands in the U.S. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Gerry Stellenberg who combined his knack for technology with his love of pinball to create a company for modern pinball enthusiasts called Multimorphic. In 2000, Lara Merriken was 32, recently divorced, and without a job when she decided to make energy bars by mixing cherries, dates, and almonds in her Cuisinart. Eventually, she perfected the recipe and launched her company: LÄRABAR. After just two years, the company was bringing in millions in revenue. In 2008, she sold to General Mills, but stayed on to help grow LÄRABAR into one of the biggest energy bar brands in the U.S. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Gerry Stellenberg who combined his knack for technology with his love of pinball to create a company for modern pinball enthusiasts called Multimorphic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3495 no Gimlet Media: Alex Blumberg and Matt Lieber Alex Blumberg made his early career by helping build two of the most successful shows in radio and podcasting: Planet Money and This American Life. In 2014, convinced that podcasts could make money, he walked away from the safe umbrella of public media to start a new media company with co-founder Matt Lieber. Every doubt, triumph and humiliation of building the business was documented on the podcast Startup, which included the back-and-forth over how the company got its name: Gimlet. Many more successful podcasts followed, and five years after launch, Gimlet sold to Spotify for roughly $200 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after years of researching how women's shoes wreak havoc on the joints, Casey Kerrigan quit her job in medicine to start 3D printing more comfortable designs: Oesh Shoes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Oct 2019 04:01:01 -0000 Gimlet Media: Alex Blumberg and Matt Lieber full 178 Guy Raz | Vox Media Alex Blumberg made his early career by helping build two of the most successful shows in radio and podcasting: Planet Money and This American Life. In 2014, convinced that podcasts could make money, he walked away from the safe umbrella of public media to start a new media company with co-founder Matt Lieber. Every doubt, triumph and humiliation of building the business was documented on the podcast Startup, which included the back-and-forth over how the company got its name: Gimlet. Many more successful podcasts followed, and five years after launch, Gimlet sold to Spotify for roughly $200 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after years of researching how women's shoes wreak havoc on the joints, Casey Kerrigan quit her job in medicine to start 3D printing more comfortable designs: Oesh Shoes. Alex Blumberg made his early career by helping build two of the most successful shows in radio and podcasting: Planet Money and This American Life. In 2014, convinced that podcasts could make money, he walked away from the safe umbrella of public media to start a new media company with co-founder Matt Lieber. Every doubt, triumph and humiliation of building the business was documented on the podcast Startup, which included the back-and-forth over how the company got its name: Gimlet. Many more successful podcasts followed, and five years after launch, Gimlet sold to Spotify for roughly $200 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after years of researching how women's shoes wreak havoc on the joints, Casey Kerrigan quit her job in medicine to start 3D printing more comfortable designs: Oesh Shoes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 5043 no Live Episode! Milk Bar: Christina Tosi For Christina Tosi, baking wasn't just a delicious childhood hobby – it was a daily creative outlet and a way to blow off steam. After college, she went to culinary school and honed her pastry technique at high-end restaurants in NYC. But she also craved the opportunity to make unfussy, nostalgic desserts like the ones she grew up eating. So in 2008, Christina opened her first Milk Bar bakery in the East Village, with the help of her mentor, Momofuku chef David Chang. Soon, people from around the country were calling her up, begging for her gooey pies, confetti birthday cakes, and pretzel-potato-chip cookies. Today, Milk Bar has spread to 16 locations, and reportedly brings in tens of millions of dollars a year. This show was recorded live at The Town Hall in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Oct 2019 04:01:25 -0000 Live Episode! Milk Bar: Christina Tosi full 177 Guy Raz | Vox Media For Christina Tosi, baking wasn't just a delicious childhood hobby – it was a daily creative outlet and a way to blow off steam. After college, she went to culinary school and honed her pastry technique at high-end restaurants in NYC. But she also craved the opportunity to make unfussy, nostalgic desserts like the ones she grew up eating. So in 2008, Christina opened her first Milk Bar bakery in the East Village, with the help of her mentor, Momofuku chef David Chang. Soon, people from around the country were calling her up, begging for her gooey pies, confetti birthday cakes, and pretzel-potato-chip cookies. Today, Milk Bar has spread to 16 locations, and reportedly brings in tens of millions of dollars a year. This show was recorded live at The Town Hall in New York City. For Christina Tosi, baking wasn't just a delicious childhood hobby – it was a daily creative outlet and a way to blow off steam. After college, she went to culinary school and honed her pastry technique at high-end restaurants in NYC. But she also craved the opportunity to make unfussy, nostalgic desserts like the ones she grew up eating. So in 2008, Christina opened her first Milk Bar bakery in the East Village, with the help of her mentor, Momofuku chef David Chang. Soon, people from around the country were calling her up, begging for her gooey pies, confetti birthday cakes, and pretzel-potato-chip cookies. Today, Milk Bar has spread to 16 locations, and reportedly brings in tens of millions of dollars a year. This show was recorded live at The Town Hall in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4047 no The Knot: Carley Roney & David Liu (2018) When Carley Roney and David Liu got married, they had a seat-of-the-pants celebration on a sweltering Washington rooftop. They never planned to go into the wedding business, but soon saw an opportunity in the market for a fresh approach to wedding planning. In 1996, they founded The Knot, a website with an irreverent attitude about "the big day." The Knot weathered the dot.com bust, a stock market meltdown, and eventually grew into the lifestyle brand XO Group, valued at $500 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Tyson Walters who got so tired of his St. Bernard shedding everywhere that he created a zip-up body suit for dogs: the Shed Defender. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Oct 2019 04:01:31 -0000 The Knot: Carley Roney & David Liu (2018) full 176 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Carley Roney and David Liu got married, they had a seat-of-the-pants celebration on a sweltering Washington rooftop. They never planned to go into the wedding business, but soon saw an opportunity in the market for a fresh approach to wedding planning. In 1996, they founded The Knot, a website with an irreverent attitude about "the big day." The Knot weathered the dot.com bust, a stock market meltdown, and eventually grew into the lifestyle brand XO Group, valued at $500 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Tyson Walters who got so tired of his St. Bernard shedding everywhere that he created a zip-up body suit for dogs: the Shed Defender. When Carley Roney and David Liu got married, they had a seat-of-the-pants celebration on a sweltering Washington rooftop. They never planned to go into the wedding business, but soon saw an opportunity in the market for a fresh approach to wedding planning. In 1996, they founded The Knot, a website with an irreverent attitude about "the big day." The Knot weathered the dot.com bust, a stock market meltdown, and eventually grew into the lifestyle brand XO Group, valued at $500 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Tyson Walters who got so tired of his St. Bernard shedding everywhere that he created a zip-up body suit for dogs: the Shed Defender. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3546 no Live Episode! Walker & Company: Tristan Walker The very first time Tristan Walker shaved, he woke up the next morning with razor bumps all over his face. "I was like, what is this?" he remembers saying. "I am never shaving again—ever." He soon discovered that like him, many men of color were frustrated by the lack of shaving products for coarse or curly hair. Fifteen years after that first disastrous shave, and after countless meetings with doubtful investors, Tristan launched Bevel, a subscription shaving system built around a single-blade razor. Eventually his brand Walker & Company grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, used by millions of men and women across the U.S. In 2018, Walker & Company was sold to Proctor & Gamble, and Tristan became P&G's first black CEO. Recorded live in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Sep 2019 04:01:40 -0000 Live Episode! Walker & Company: Tristan Walker full 175 Guy Raz | Vox Media The very first time Tristan Walker shaved, he woke up the next morning with razor bumps all over his face. "I was like, what <em>is</em> this?" he remembers saying. "I am never shaving again—ever." He soon discovered that like him, many men of color were frustrated by the lack of shaving products for coarse or curly hair. Fifteen years after that first disastrous shave, and after countless meetings with doubtful investors, Tristan launched Bevel, a subscription shaving system built around a single-blade razor. Eventually his brand Walker &amp; Company grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, used by millions of men and women across the U.S. In 2018, Walker &amp; Company was sold to Proctor &amp; Gamble, and Tristan became P&amp;G's first black CEO. Recorded live in Washington, D.C. The very first time Tristan Walker shaved, he woke up the next morning with razor bumps all over his face. "I was like, what is this?" he remembers saying. "I am never shaving again—ever." He soon discovered that like him, many men of color were frustrated by the lack of shaving products for coarse or curly hair. Fifteen years after that first disastrous shave, and after countless meetings with doubtful investors, Tristan launched Bevel, a subscription shaving system built around a single-blade razor. Eventually his brand Walker & Company grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, used by millions of men and women across the U.S. In 2018, Walker & Company was sold to Proctor & Gamble, and Tristan became P&G's first black CEO. Recorded live in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices is this?" he remembers saying. "I am never shaving again—ever." He soon discovered that like him, many men of color were frustrated by the lack of shaving products for coarse or curly hair. Fifteen years after that first disastrous shave, and after countless meetings with doubtful investors, Tristan launched Bevel, a subscription shaving system built around a single-blade razor. Eventually his brand Walker & Company grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, used by millions of men and women across the U.S. In 2018, Walker & Company was sold to Proctor & Gamble, and Tristan became P&G's first black CEO. Recorded live in Washington, D.C.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3854 no Headspace: Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson Andy Puddicombe is not your typical entrepreneur – in his early twenties, he gave away everything he owned to train as a Buddhist monk. But after ten years, he decided he wanted to bring the benefits of his meditation techniques to more people. While running a meditation clinic in London, Andy met Rich Pierson, who had burned out on his job at a high-powered London ad agency. Together, they founded Headspace in 2010. Nine years later, Headspace's guided meditation app has users in 190 countries and an annual revenue of over $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a quick fix to a broken pair of sunglasses inspired Jensen Brehm and Nikolai Paloni to create an armless set of shades: Ombraz Sunglasses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Sep 2019 04:01:44 -0000 Headspace: Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson full 174 Guy Raz | Vox Media Andy Puddicombe is not your typical entrepreneur – in his early twenties, he gave away everything he owned to train as a Buddhist monk. But after ten years, he decided he wanted to bring the benefits of his meditation techniques to more people. While running a meditation clinic in London, Andy met Rich Pierson, who had burned out on his job at a high-powered London ad agency. Together, they founded Headspace in 2010. Nine years later, Headspace's guided meditation app has users in 190 countries and an annual revenue of over $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a quick fix to a broken pair of sunglasses inspired Jensen Brehm and Nikolai Paloni to create an armless set of shades: Ombraz Sunglasses. Andy Puddicombe is not your typical entrepreneur – in his early twenties, he gave away everything he owned to train as a Buddhist monk. But after ten years, he decided he wanted to bring the benefits of his meditation techniques to more people. While running a meditation clinic in London, Andy met Rich Pierson, who had burned out on his job at a high-powered London ad agency. Together, they founded Headspace in 2010. Nine years later, Headspace's guided meditation app has users in 190 countries and an annual revenue of over $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a quick fix to a broken pair of sunglasses inspired Jensen Brehm and Nikolai Paloni to create an armless set of shades: Ombraz Sunglasses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4578 no Stitch Fix: Katrina Lake (2018) In 2010, Katrina Lake recruited 20 friends for an experiment: she wanted to see if she could choose clothes for them that accurately matched their style and personality. That idea sparked Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping service that aims to take the guesswork out of shopping. Today, it has about three million customers and brings in more than a billion dollars in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Justin Li, who created wearable equipment to keep cool and hydrated called IcePlate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Sep 2019 04:01:28 -0000 Stitch Fix: Katrina Lake (2018) full 173 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, Katrina Lake recruited 20 friends for an experiment: she wanted to see if she could choose clothes for them that accurately matched their style and personality. That idea sparked Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping service that aims to take the guesswork out of shopping. Today, it has about three million customers and brings in more than a billion dollars in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Justin Li, who created wearable equipment to keep cool and hydrated called IcePlate. In 2010, Katrina Lake recruited 20 friends for an experiment: she wanted to see if she could choose clothes for them that accurately matched their style and personality. That idea sparked Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping service that aims to take the guesswork out of shopping. Today, it has about three million customers and brings in more than a billion dollars in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Justin Li, who created wearable equipment to keep cool and hydrated called IcePlate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3385 no Dippin' Dots: Curt Jones In the late 1980s, Curt Jones was working in a Kentucky lab, using liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze animal feed. He wondered if he could re-invigorate his favorite dessert by pouring droplets of ice cream into a vat of liquid nitrogen and – voila! – out came cold and creamy pellets that he soon branded Dippin' Dots. The novelty treat spread to fairs, stadiums and shopping malls, and eventually grew into a multi-million dollar brand. But a few years ago, Curt was forced to walk away after the company was hit with debt, recession and a punishing lawsuit. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Nadine Habayeb hopes to popularize puffed water lily seeds from India with her snack brand Bohana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Sep 2019 04:01:50 -0000 Dippin' Dots: Curt Jones full 172 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1980s, Curt Jones was working in a Kentucky lab, using liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze animal feed. He wondered if he could re-invigorate his favorite dessert by pouring droplets of ice cream into a vat of liquid nitrogen and – voila! – out came cold and creamy pellets that he soon branded Dippin' Dots. The novelty treat spread to fairs, stadiums and shopping malls, and eventually grew into a multi-million dollar brand. But a few years ago, Curt was forced to walk away after the company was hit with debt, recession and a punishing lawsuit. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Nadine Habayeb hopes to popularize puffed water lily seeds from India with her snack brand Bohana. In the late 1980s, Curt Jones was working in a Kentucky lab, using liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze animal feed. He wondered if he could re-invigorate his favorite dessert by pouring droplets of ice cream into a vat of liquid nitrogen and – voila! – out came cold and creamy pellets that he soon branded Dippin' Dots. The novelty treat spread to fairs, stadiums and shopping malls, and eventually grew into a multi-million dollar brand. But a few years ago, Curt was forced to walk away after the company was hit with debt, recession and a punishing lawsuit. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Nadine Habayeb hopes to popularize puffed water lily seeds from India with her snack brand Bohana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4239 no The Life Is Good Company: Bert and John Jacobs In the late 80s, brothers Bert and John Jacobs were living as nomads, traveling from college to college selling t-shirts out of their van. It wasn't a sustainable living – until one day, they created a new design. It was a simple sketch of a grinning face, with three words printed underneath: Life Is Good. The optimistic message was deeply personal to the brothers, who grew up in what they describe as a dysfunctional home – and it also resonated with customers, who started buying Life Is Good designs printed on just about anything, from towels to tire covers. Today, the Life Is Good Company has a reported annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Jim Malone of CounterEv Furniture describes how he turns reclaimed wood from bowling alleys into tables and chairs for fast-casual restaurants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Sep 2019 04:01:20 -0000 The Life Is Good Company: Bert and John Jacobs full 171 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 80s, brothers Bert and John Jacobs were living as nomads, traveling from college to college selling t-shirts out of their van. It wasn't a sustainable living – until one day, they created a new design. It was a simple sketch of a grinning face, with three words printed underneath: Life Is Good. The optimistic message was deeply personal to the brothers, who grew up in what they describe as a dysfunctional home – and it also resonated with customers, who started buying Life Is Good designs printed on just about anything, from towels to tire covers. Today, the Life Is Good Company has a reported annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Jim Malone of CounterEv Furniture describes how he turns reclaimed wood from bowling alleys into tables and chairs for fast-casual restaurants. In the late 80s, brothers Bert and John Jacobs were living as nomads, traveling from college to college selling t-shirts out of their van. It wasn't a sustainable living – until one day, they created a new design. It was a simple sketch of a grinning face, with three words printed underneath: Life Is Good. The optimistic message was deeply personal to the brothers, who grew up in what they describe as a dysfunctional home – and it also resonated with customers, who started buying Life Is Good designs printed on just about anything, from towels to tire covers. Today, the Life Is Good Company has a reported annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Jim Malone of CounterEv Furniture describes how he turns reclaimed wood from bowling alleys into tables and chairs for fast-casual restaurants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3945 no Aden + Anais: Raegan Moya-Jones (2019) Cotton muslin baby blankets are commonplace in Australia, where Raegan Moya-Jones grew up. But when she started a new life and family in NYC, she couldn't find them anywhere. So in 2006, she started the baby blanket company Aden + Anais, which now makes more than $100 million in annual revenue. We first ran this episode in 2017 – but about a year later, Raegan's role as leader and co-founder took a dramatic turn. She fills Guy in on what happened in this special updated episode. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Brian Sonia-Wallace, who started the business Rent Poet, and makes a living writing spontaneous poetry at weddings, corporate events, and other gatherings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Aug 2019 04:01:39 -0000 Aden + Anais: Raegan Moya-Jones (2019) full 170 Guy Raz | Vox Media Cotton muslin baby blankets are commonplace in Australia, where Raegan Moya-Jones grew up. But when she started a new life and family in NYC, she couldn't find them anywhere. So in 2006, she started the baby blanket company Aden + Anais, which now makes more than $100 million in annual revenue. We first ran this episode in 2017 – but about a year later, Raegan's role as leader and co-founder took a dramatic turn. She fills Guy in on what happened in this special updated episode. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Brian Sonia-Wallace, who started the business Rent Poet, and makes a living writing spontaneous poetry at weddings, corporate events, and other gatherings. Cotton muslin baby blankets are commonplace in Australia, where Raegan Moya-Jones grew up. But when she started a new life and family in NYC, she couldn't find them anywhere. So in 2006, she started the baby blanket company Aden + Anais, which now makes more than $100 million in annual revenue. We first ran this episode in 2017 – but about a year later, Raegan's role as leader and co-founder took a dramatic turn. She fills Guy in on what happened in this special updated episode. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Brian Sonia-Wallace, who started the business Rent Poet, and makes a living writing spontaneous poetry at weddings, corporate events, and other gatherings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3272 no Stonyfield Yogurt: Gary Hirshberg (2017) In 1983, two hippie farmers decided to sell homemade organic yogurt to help raise money for their educational farm in New Hampshire. As the enterprise grew into a business, it faced one near-death experience after another, but it never quite died. In fact it grew — into one of the most popular yogurt brands in the US. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Carin Luna-Ostaseski, who became the first American woman to start a Scotch whisky company after she created her own blend called SIA Scotch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Aug 2019 04:01:09 -0000 Stonyfield Yogurt: Gary Hirshberg (2017) full 169 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1983, two hippie farmers decided to sell homemade organic yogurt to help raise money for their educational farm in New Hampshire. As the enterprise grew into a business, it faced one near-death experience after another, but it never quite died. In fact it grew — into one of the most popular yogurt brands in the US. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Carin Luna-Ostaseski, who became the first American woman to start a Scotch whisky company after she created her own blend called SIA Scotch. In 1983, two hippie farmers decided to sell homemade organic yogurt to help raise money for their educational farm in New Hampshire. As the enterprise grew into a business, it faced one near-death experience after another, but it never quite died. In fact it grew — into one of the most popular yogurt brands in the US. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Carin Luna-Ostaseski, who became the first American woman to start a Scotch whisky company after she created her own blend called SIA Scotch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3768 no Serial Entrepreneur: Marcia Kilgore (2018) After high school, Marcia Kilgore moved to New York City with $300 in her pocket and no real plan. One step at a time, she became a successful serial entrepreneur. First, she used her high school bodybuilding experience to find work as a personal trainer. Then she taught herself to give facials, and eventually started her own spa and skincare line, Bliss. The spa became so popular that it was booked months in advance with a list of celebrity clientele. After selling her shares in Bliss, Marcia went on to start four new successful companies: Soap & Glory, FitFlop, Soaper Duper, and Beauty Pie. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Emma Cohen, who explains how she helped develop and market The Final Straw, a collapsible metal drinking straw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Aug 2019 04:01:18 -0000 Serial Entrepreneur: Marcia Kilgore (2018) full 168 Guy Raz | Vox Media After high school, Marcia Kilgore moved to New York City with $300 in her pocket and no real plan. One step at a time, she became a successful serial entrepreneur. First, she used her high school bodybuilding experience to find work as a personal trainer. Then she taught herself to give facials, and eventually started her own spa and skincare line, Bliss. The spa became so popular that it was booked months in advance with a list of celebrity clientele. After selling her shares in Bliss, Marcia went on to start four new successful companies: Soap & Glory, FitFlop, Soaper Duper, and Beauty Pie. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Emma Cohen, who explains how she helped develop and market The Final Straw, a collapsible metal drinking straw. After high school, Marcia Kilgore moved to New York City with $300 in her pocket and no real plan. One step at a time, she became a successful serial entrepreneur. First, she used her high school bodybuilding experience to find work as a personal trainer. Then she taught herself to give facials, and eventually started her own spa and skincare line, Bliss. The spa became so popular that it was booked months in advance with a list of celebrity clientele. After selling her shares in Bliss, Marcia went on to start four new successful companies: Soap & Glory, FitFlop, Soaper Duper, and Beauty Pie. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Emma Cohen, who explains how she helped develop and market The Final Straw, a collapsible metal drinking straw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3528 no Shopify: Tobias Lütke In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend. An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce software available at the time to be clunky and expensive. So he decided to write his own e-commerce software. After he launched his online snowboard business, called Snowdevil, other online merchants were so impressed with what he built that they started asking to license Tobi's software to run their own stores. Tobi and his co-founder realized that software had more potential than snowboards, so they launched the e-commerce platform Shopify in 2006. Since then, it has grown into a publicly-traded company with over 4,000 employees and $1 billion in revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after Barb Heilman invented a device that easily releases child car seat buckles, she started a business with her daughter Becca Davison called Unbuckle Me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Aug 2019 04:01:21 -0000 Shopify: Tobias Lütke full 167 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend. An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce software available at the time to be clunky and expensive. So he decided to write his own e-commerce software. After he launched his online snowboard business, called Snowdevil, other online merchants were so impressed with what he built that they started asking to license Tobi's software to run their own stores. Tobi and his co-founder realized that software had more potential than snowboards, so they launched the e-commerce platform Shopify in 2006. Since then, it has grown into a publicly-traded company with over 4,000 employees and $1 billion in revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after Barb Heilman invented a device that easily releases child car seat buckles, she started a business with her daughter Becca Davison called Unbuckle Me. In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend. An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce software available at the time to be clunky and expensive. So he decided to write his own e-commerce software. After he launched his online snowboard business, called Snowdevil, other online merchants were so impressed with what he built that they started asking to license Tobi's software to run their own stores. Tobi and his co-founder realized that software had more potential than snowboards, so they launched the e-commerce platform Shopify in 2006. Since then, it has grown into a publicly-traded company with over 4,000 employees and $1 billion in revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," after Barb Heilman invented a device that easily releases child car seat buckles, she started a business with her daughter Becca Davison called Unbuckle Me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4130 no Live Episode! Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP: Angie & Dan Bastian Angie and Dan Bastian weren't trying to disrupt an industry or build a massive company – they just wanted to put aside some money for their kids' college fund. In 2001, Dan stumbled across an internet ad touting kettle corn as a lucrative side-business, so he and Angie decided to take the plunge, investing $10,000 in equipment. At first, they popped kettle corn in front of local supermarkets in the Twin Cities and at Minnesota Vikings games. Eventually, they moved indoors to Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco – and got a crash course in how to run a business along the way. Angie's Kettle Corn eventually took on a bold new name: BOOMCHICKAPOP. And in 2017, the company was acquired for a reported $250 million. Recorded live in St. Paul, Minnesota. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Jul 2019 04:01:33 -0000 Live Episode! Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP: Angie & Dan Bastian full 166 Guy Raz | Vox Media Angie and Dan Bastian weren't trying to disrupt an industry or build a massive company – they just wanted to put aside some money for their kids' college fund. In 2001, Dan stumbled across an internet ad touting kettle corn as a lucrative side-business, so he and Angie decided to take the plunge, investing $10,000 in equipment. At first, they popped kettle corn in front of local supermarkets in the Twin Cities and at Minnesota Vikings games. Eventually, they moved indoors to Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco – and got a crash course in how to run a business along the way. Angie's Kettle Corn eventually took on a bold new name: BOOMCHICKAPOP. And in 2017, the company was acquired for a reported $250 million. Recorded live in St. Paul, Minnesota. Angie and Dan Bastian weren't trying to disrupt an industry or build a massive company – they just wanted to put aside some money for their kids' college fund. In 2001, Dan stumbled across an internet ad touting kettle corn as a lucrative side-business, so he and Angie decided to take the plunge, investing $10,000 in equipment. At first, they popped kettle corn in front of local supermarkets in the Twin Cities and at Minnesota Vikings games. Eventually, they moved indoors to Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco – and got a crash course in how to run a business along the way. Angie's Kettle Corn eventually took on a bold new name: BOOMCHICKAPOP. And in 2017, the company was acquired for a reported $250 million. Recorded live in St. Paul, Minnesota. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4035 no Dyson: James Dyson (2018) In 1979, James Dyson had an idea for a new vacuum cleaner — one that didn't use bags. It took him five years to perfect the design, building more than 5,000 prototypes in his backyard shed. He then tried to convince the big vacuum brands to license his invention, but most wouldn't even take his calls. Eventually, he started his own company. Today, Dyson is one of the best-selling vacuum brands in the world, and James Dyson is a billionaire. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with television producer Mike Sorrentino, who created an iPhone case called EyePatch that cleans and protects the phone's camera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Jul 2019 04:01:23 -0000 Dyson: James Dyson (2018) full 165 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1979, James Dyson had an idea for a new vacuum cleaner — one that didn't use bags. It took him five years to perfect the design, building more than 5,000 prototypes in his backyard shed. He then tried to convince the big vacuum brands to license his invention, but most wouldn't even take his calls. Eventually, he started his own company. Today, Dyson is one of the best-selling vacuum brands in the world, and James Dyson is a billionaire. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with television producer Mike Sorrentino, who created an iPhone case called EyePatch that cleans and protects the phone's camera. In 1979, James Dyson had an idea for a new vacuum cleaner — one that didn't use bags. It took him five years to perfect the design, building more than 5,000 prototypes in his backyard shed. He then tried to convince the big vacuum brands to license his invention, but most wouldn't even take his calls. Eventually, he started his own company. Today, Dyson is one of the best-selling vacuum brands in the world, and James Dyson is a billionaire. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with television producer Mike Sorrentino, who created an iPhone case called EyePatch that cleans and protects the phone's camera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2877 no EO Products: Susan Griffin-Black & Brad Black In the early 1990s, Susan Griffin-Black was working for Esprit in San Francisco. On a business trip to London, she walked into a Covent Garden apothecary shop, picked up a bottle of lavender oil and took a whiff. The aroma — "like being in a beautiful garden" — literally changed her life. That was the inspiration to develop her own line of essential oil products. For 15 years, she and her husband and co-founder Brad Black barely scraped by, but the business eventually thrived. And though their marriage ultimately ended, their partnership continues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," Lia Heifetz of Barnacle Foods describes how she and her partners turned Alaskan bull kelp into pickles and salsa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Jul 2019 04:01:08 -0000 EO Products: Susan Griffin-Black & Brad Black full 164 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 1990s, Susan Griffin-Black was working for Esprit in San Francisco. On a business trip to London, she walked into a Covent Garden apothecary shop, picked up a bottle of lavender oil and took a whiff. The aroma — "like being in a beautiful garden" — literally changed her life. That was the inspiration to develop her own line of essential oil products. For 15 years, she and her husband and co-founder Brad Black barely scraped by, but the business eventually thrived. And though their marriage ultimately ended, their partnership continues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," Lia Heifetz of Barnacle Foods describes how she and her partners turned Alaskan bull kelp into pickles and salsa. In the early 1990s, Susan Griffin-Black was working for Esprit in San Francisco. On a business trip to London, she walked into a Covent Garden apothecary shop, picked up a bottle of lavender oil and took a whiff. The aroma — "like being in a beautiful garden" — literally changed her life. That was the inspiration to develop her own line of essential oil products. For 15 years, she and her husband and co-founder Brad Black barely scraped by, but the business eventually thrived. And though their marriage ultimately ended, their partnership continues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," Lia Heifetz of Barnacle Foods describes how she and her partners turned Alaskan bull kelp into pickles and salsa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3838 no Teach For America: Wendy Kopp (2017) In 1989, college senior Wendy Kopp was trying to figure out how to improve public education in the US. For her senior thesis, she proposed creating a national teaching corps that would recruit recent college grads to teach in needy schools. One year later, she launched the nonprofit, Teach for America. Today, TFA has close to 60,000 alumni and continues to place thousands of teachers across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with 19-year-old CEO Abby Kircher who turned a peanut butter obsession into Abby's Better Nut Butter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Jul 2019 04:01:35 -0000 Teach For America: Wendy Kopp (2017) full 163 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1989, college senior Wendy Kopp was trying to figure out how to improve public education in the US. For her senior thesis, she proposed creating a national teaching corps that would recruit recent college grads to teach in needy schools. One year later, she launched the nonprofit, Teach for America. Today, TFA has close to 60,000 alumni and continues to place thousands of teachers across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with 19-year-old CEO Abby Kircher who turned a peanut butter obsession into Abby's Better Nut Butter. In 1989, college senior Wendy Kopp was trying to figure out how to improve public education in the US. For her senior thesis, she proposed creating a national teaching corps that would recruit recent college grads to teach in needy schools. One year later, she launched the nonprofit, Teach for America. Today, TFA has close to 60,000 alumni and continues to place thousands of teachers across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with 19-year-old CEO Abby Kircher who turned a peanut butter obsession into Abby's Better Nut Butter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2865 no Dave's Killer Bread: Dave Dahl Dave Dahl's entrepreneurial journey began in prison. In 1987, he was addicted to drugs and incarcerated for home burglary. For 15 years he bounced from one sentence to the next. But in the mid-2000s, Dave returned to his family bakery where he was inspired to make bread – organic, nutty, and slightly sweet. He sold the loaves at farmers markets and shared his story of recovery on the package – a branding decision that attracted fans and media attention. In 2015, the Dahl family sold the business for $275 million dollars. Today, Dave's Killer Bread sells over a dozen types of bread in grocery stores nationwide. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," armpit entrepreneurs Jason and Erica Feucht tell us how they turned whiskey and vodka into the natural deodorant Pit Liquor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Jul 2019 04:01:18 -0000 Dave's Killer Bread: Dave Dahl full 162 Guy Raz | Vox Media Dave Dahl's entrepreneurial journey began in prison. In 1987, he was addicted to drugs and incarcerated for home burglary. For 15 years he bounced from one sentence to the next. But in the mid-2000s, Dave returned to his family bakery where he was inspired to make bread – organic, nutty, and slightly sweet. He sold the loaves at farmers markets and shared his story of recovery on the package – a branding decision that attracted fans and media attention. In 2015, the Dahl family sold the business for $275 million dollars. Today, Dave's Killer Bread sells over a dozen types of bread in grocery stores nationwide. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," armpit entrepreneurs Jason and Erica Feucht tell us how they turned whiskey and vodka into the natural deodorant Pit Liquor. Dave Dahl's entrepreneurial journey began in prison. In 1987, he was addicted to drugs and incarcerated for home burglary. For 15 years he bounced from one sentence to the next. But in the mid-2000s, Dave returned to his family bakery where he was inspired to make bread – organic, nutty, and slightly sweet. He sold the loaves at farmers markets and shared his story of recovery on the package – a branding decision that attracted fans and media attention. In 2015, the Dahl family sold the business for $275 million dollars. Today, Dave's Killer Bread sells over a dozen types of bread in grocery stores nationwide. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," armpit entrepreneurs Jason and Erica Feucht tell us how they turned whiskey and vodka into the natural deodorant Pit Liquor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4265 no Yelp: Jeremy Stoppelman In 2004, two former Paypal engineers, Jeremy Stoppelman and Russ Simmons, were spit-balling new internet ideas. Out of their brainstorm came a site where you would email your friends asking for local business recommendations. The launch was a flop, but they discovered that people seemed to enjoy writing reviews not just for friends, but for the general public. Fifteen years later, Yelp is a publicly traded company with more than 4,000 employees and over 140 million monthly visitors. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Liz Bales explains how putting cat food inside plastic mice became her full-time business and why it could revolutionize the way humans feed their cats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Jun 2019 04:01:34 -0000 Yelp: Jeremy Stoppelman full 161 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2004, two former Paypal engineers, Jeremy Stoppelman and Russ Simmons, were spit-balling new internet ideas. Out of their brainstorm came a site where you would email your friends asking for local business recommendations. The launch was a flop, but they discovered that people seemed to enjoy writing reviews not just for friends, but for the general public. Fifteen years later, Yelp is a publicly traded company with more than 4,000 employees and over 140 million monthly visitors. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Liz Bales explains how putting cat food inside plastic mice became her full-time business and why it could revolutionize the way humans feed their cats. In 2004, two former Paypal engineers, Jeremy Stoppelman and Russ Simmons, were spit-balling new internet ideas. Out of their brainstorm came a site where you would email your friends asking for local business recommendations. The launch was a flop, but they discovered that people seemed to enjoy writing reviews not just for friends, but for the general public. Fifteen years later, Yelp is a publicly traded company with more than 4,000 employees and over 140 million monthly visitors. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," Liz Bales explains how putting cat food inside plastic mice became her full-time business and why it could revolutionize the way humans feed their cats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3832 no Chesapeake Bay Candle: Mei Xu (2017) Twenty-five years ago, after Mei Xu emigrated from China to the U.S., she loved going to Bloomingdale's to gaze at their housewares. She eventually started making candles in her basement with Campbell's Soup cans, an experiment that led to the multi-million dollar company Chesapeake Bay Candle. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Dan Kurzrock and Jordan Schwartz, who turned up-cycled beer grain into a snack bar called ReGrained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Jun 2019 04:01:44 -0000 Chesapeake Bay Candle: Mei Xu (2017) full 160 Guy Raz | Vox Media Twenty-five years ago, after Mei Xu emigrated from China to the U.S., she loved going to Bloomingdale's to gaze at their housewares. She eventually started making candles in her basement with Campbell's Soup cans, an experiment that led to the multi-million dollar company Chesapeake Bay Candle. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Dan Kurzrock and Jordan Schwartz, who turned up-cycled beer grain into a snack bar called ReGrained. Twenty-five years ago, after Mei Xu emigrated from China to the U.S., she loved going to Bloomingdale's to gaze at their housewares. She eventually started making candles in her basement with Campbell's Soup cans, an experiment that led to the multi-million dollar company Chesapeake Bay Candle. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Dan Kurzrock and Jordan Schwartz, who turned up-cycled beer grain into a snack bar called ReGrained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2788 no Allbirds: Tim Brown & Joey Zwillinger Growing up, Tim Brown discovered he was very good at two things: design and soccer. While playing professional soccer in New Zealand, he was turned off by the flashy logos on most athletic gear. He started making simple canvas shoes for his teammates, but soon discovered a better material: soft merino wool from his country's plentiful sheep. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, his future business partner Joey Zwillinger was frustrated that most companies lacked a genuine commitment to sustainability. In 2015, Tim and Joey teamed up to create Allbirds, a company with two ambitious goals: create the world's most comfortable shoes, and do it in a way that was completely carbon-neutral. Today, just three years after launch, Allbirds is worth $1.4 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Kirby Erdely saw a problem with flying beach umbrellas and developed a new kind of tent stake—with a twist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Jun 2019 04:01:09 -0000 Allbirds: Tim Brown & Joey Zwillinger full 159 Guy Raz | Vox Media Growing up, Tim Brown discovered he was very good at two things: design and soccer. While playing professional soccer in New Zealand, he was turned off by the flashy logos on most athletic gear. He started making simple canvas shoes for his teammates, but soon discovered a better material: soft merino wool from his country's plentiful sheep. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, his future business partner Joey Zwillinger was frustrated that most companies lacked a genuine commitment to sustainability. In 2015, Tim and Joey teamed up to create Allbirds, a company with two ambitious goals: create the world's most comfortable shoes, and do it in a way that was completely carbon-neutral. Today, just three years after launch, Allbirds is worth $1.4 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Kirby Erdely saw a problem with flying beach umbrellas and developed a new kind of tent stake—with a twist. Growing up, Tim Brown discovered he was very good at two things: design and soccer. While playing professional soccer in New Zealand, he was turned off by the flashy logos on most athletic gear. He started making simple canvas shoes for his teammates, but soon discovered a better material: soft merino wool from his country's plentiful sheep. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, his future business partner Joey Zwillinger was frustrated that most companies lacked a genuine commitment to sustainability. In 2015, Tim and Joey teamed up to create Allbirds, a company with two ambitious goals: create the world's most comfortable shoes, and do it in a way that was completely carbon-neutral. Today, just three years after launch, Allbirds is worth $1.4 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Kirby Erdely saw a problem with flying beach umbrellas and developed a new kind of tent stake—with a twist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4402 no Live Episode! Tofurky: Seth Tibbott Seth Tibbott may be the only founder in the world who grew his business while living in a barn, a teepee, and a treehouse. His off-the-grid lifestyle helped him save money as he started to sell tempeh, a protein made of fermented soybeans. Throughout the 1980s he barely scraped by, but things took a turn in 1995, when he discovered a stuffed tofu roast made in Portland, Oregon. Knowing vegetarians had few options at Thanksgiving, Seth named the roast Tofurky and started selling it at co-ops in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 25 years later, Tofurky sells plant-based protein around the world, and has estimated sales of $40 million a year. Recorded live in Portland, Oregon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Jun 2019 04:01:39 -0000 Live Episode! Tofurky: Seth Tibbott full 158 Guy Raz | Vox Media Seth Tibbott may be the only founder in the world who grew his business while living in a barn, a teepee, and a treehouse. His off-the-grid lifestyle helped him save money as he started to sell tempeh, a protein made of fermented soybeans. Throughout the 1980s he barely scraped by, but things took a turn in 1995, when he discovered a stuffed tofu roast made in Portland, Oregon. Knowing vegetarians had few options at Thanksgiving, Seth named the roast Tofurky and started selling it at co-ops in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 25 years later, Tofurky sells plant-based protein around the world, and has estimated sales of $40 million a year. Recorded live in Portland, Oregon. Seth Tibbott may be the only founder in the world who grew his business while living in a barn, a teepee, and a treehouse. His off-the-grid lifestyle helped him save money as he started to sell tempeh, a protein made of fermented soybeans. Throughout the 1980s he barely scraped by, but things took a turn in 1995, when he discovered a stuffed tofu roast made in Portland, Oregon. Knowing vegetarians had few options at Thanksgiving, Seth named the roast Tofurky and started selling it at co-ops in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 25 years later, Tofurky sells plant-based protein around the world, and has estimated sales of $40 million a year. Recorded live in Portland, Oregon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2970 no Stacy's Pita Chips: Stacy Madison In the 1990's, Stacy Madison and her boyfriend Mark Andrus were selling pita sandwiches from a converted hot dog cart in Boston. They decided to bake the leftover pita into chips, adding a dash of parmesan or cinnamon-sugar. At first they handed them out for free, but soon discovered that people were happy to pay for them. So they eventually decided to leave the sandwich cart behind and launch Stacy's Pita Chips. They hoped the brand might grow into a modest regional business—but it kept growing. Roughly ten years after the launch, Stacy's sold to PepsiCo for $250 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Prerak Juthani and some friends from college took organic chemistry to the next level with REACT!, a board game that aims to demystify the stigma of molecular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 May 2019 04:04:48 -0000 Stacy's Pita Chips: Stacy Madison full 157 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the 1990's, Stacy Madison and her boyfriend Mark Andrus were selling pita sandwiches from a converted hot dog cart in Boston. They decided to bake the leftover pita into chips, adding a dash of parmesan or cinnamon-sugar. At first they handed them out for free, but soon discovered that people were happy to pay for them. So they eventually decided to leave the sandwich cart behind and launch Stacy's Pita Chips. They hoped the brand might grow into a modest regional business—but it kept growing. Roughly ten years after the launch, Stacy's sold to PepsiCo for $250 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Prerak Juthani and some friends from college took organic chemistry to the next level with REACT!, a board game that aims to demystify the stigma of molecular science. In the 1990's, Stacy Madison and her boyfriend Mark Andrus were selling pita sandwiches from a converted hot dog cart in Boston. They decided to bake the leftover pita into chips, adding a dash of parmesan or cinnamon-sugar. At first they handed them out for free, but soon discovered that people were happy to pay for them. So they eventually decided to leave the sandwich cart behind and launch Stacy's Pita Chips. They hoped the brand might grow into a modest regional business—but it kept growing. Roughly ten years after the launch, Stacy's sold to PepsiCo for $250 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Prerak Juthani and some friends from college took organic chemistry to the next level with REACT!, a board game that aims to demystify the stigma of molecular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4031 no Zappos: Tony Hsieh (2017) Computer scientist Tony Hsieh made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos — a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Now Zappos is worth over a billion dollars and known for its completely unorthodox management style. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Mike Bolos and Jason Grohowski, who brought the office desk closer to the light by creating Deskview, a portable desk that attaches to a sheer window with a suction cup. (Original broadcast date: January 23, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 May 2019 04:01:22 -0000 Zappos: Tony Hsieh (2017) full 156 Guy Raz | Vox Media Computer scientist Tony Hsieh made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos — a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Now Zappos is worth over a billion dollars and known for its completely unorthodox management style. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Mike Bolos and Jason Grohowski, who brought the office desk closer to the light by creating Deskview, a portable desk that attaches to a sheer window with a suction cup. (Original broadcast date: January 23, 2017). Computer scientist Tony Hsieh made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos — a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Now Zappos is worth over a billion dollars and known for its completely unorthodox management style. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Mike Bolos and Jason Grohowski, who brought the office desk closer to the light by creating Deskview, a portable desk that attaches to a sheer window with a suction cup. (Original broadcast date: January 23, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2201 no Belkin International: Chet Pipkin Chet Pipkin was the kind of kid who loved to take things apart and put them back together. As a young man in the early 1980s, he started hanging out in mom-and-pop computer shops, where he realized he could meet a growing need by selling the cables that connect computers to printers. That simple idea became the main ingredient in Chet's secret sauce: instead of making his own computers, he would make the accessories needed to make them work. Belkin International eventually grew into a massive manufacturer of electronic goods — last year, it sold to a subsidiary of Foxconn for more than $800 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Clay McCabe decided to rebrand his dad's zipper repair business into Zipper Rescue, a repair kit that helps people fix their broken zippers at home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 May 2019 04:01:49 -0000 Belkin International: Chet Pipkin full 155 Guy Raz | Vox Media Chet Pipkin was the kind of kid who loved to take things apart and put them back together. As a young man in the early 1980s, he started hanging out in mom-and-pop computer shops, where he realized he could meet a growing need by selling the cables that connect computers to printers. That simple idea became the main ingredient in Chet's secret sauce: instead of making his own computers, he would make the accessories needed to make them work. Belkin International eventually grew into a massive manufacturer of electronic goods — last year, it sold to a subsidiary of Foxconn for more than $800 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Clay McCabe decided to rebrand his dad's zipper repair business into Zipper Rescue, a repair kit that helps people fix their broken zippers at home. Chet Pipkin was the kind of kid who loved to take things apart and put them back together. As a young man in the early 1980s, he started hanging out in mom-and-pop computer shops, where he realized he could meet a growing need by selling the cables that connect computers to printers. That simple idea became the main ingredient in Chet's secret sauce: instead of making his own computers, he would make the accessories needed to make them work. Belkin International eventually grew into a massive manufacturer of electronic goods — last year, it sold to a subsidiary of Foxconn for more than $800 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Clay McCabe decided to rebrand his dad's zipper repair business into Zipper Rescue, a repair kit that helps people fix their broken zippers at home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3393 no Framebridge: Susan Tynan (2017) Susan Tynan's experience in the ephemeral e-market of LivingSocial made her want to start a business that she could touch and feel. After being charged $1600 to frame four posters at her local framing store, she decided to create a mail-order framing company that offers fewer designs at lower prices. Framebridge is now five years old and still feeling growing pains, but is slowly reshaping the rules of a rigid industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Len Testa, who created an app that uses real-time data to help people avoid long lines at Orlando area theme parks. (Original broadcast date: November 27, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 May 2019 04:01:40 -0000 Framebridge: Susan Tynan (2017) full 154 Guy Raz | Vox Media Susan Tynan's experience in the ephemeral e-market of LivingSocial made her want to start a business that she could touch and feel. After being charged $1600 to frame four posters at her local framing store, she decided to create a mail-order framing company that offers fewer designs at lower prices. Framebridge is now five years old and still feeling growing pains, but is slowly reshaping the rules of a rigid industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Len Testa, who created an app that uses real-time data to help people avoid long lines at Orlando area theme parks. (Original broadcast date: November 27, 2017) Susan Tynan's experience in the ephemeral e-market of LivingSocial made her want to start a business that she could touch and feel. After being charged $1600 to frame four posters at her local framing store, she decided to create a mail-order framing company that offers fewer designs at lower prices. Framebridge is now five years old and still feeling growing pains, but is slowly reshaping the rules of a rigid industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Len Testa, who created an app that uses real-time data to help people avoid long lines at Orlando area theme parks. (Original broadcast date: November 27, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3722 no Live Episode! Peloton: John Foley John Foley started climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder at a young age, first as a fast food server and eventually as an e-commerce executive. Still, at 40, he couldn't climb out of bed fast enough to make it to his favorite spin class. John couldn't understand why there wasn't a way to bring the intensity and motivation of a boutique fitness class into the home. Having never worked in the exercise industry, he teamed up with a few friends to create a high-tech stationary bicycle called the Peloton Bike. Today, Peloton has sold close to half a million bikes, with a valuation as high as 4 billion dollars. Recorded live in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Apr 2019 04:01:53 -0000 Live Episode! Peloton: John Foley full 153 Guy Raz | Vox Media John Foley started climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder at a young age, first as a fast food server and eventually as an e-commerce executive. Still, at 40, he couldn't climb out of bed fast enough to make it to his favorite spin class. John couldn't understand why there wasn't a way to bring the intensity and motivation of a boutique fitness class into the home. Having never worked in the exercise industry, he teamed up with a few friends to create a high-tech stationary bicycle called the Peloton Bike. Today, Peloton has sold close to half a million bikes, with a valuation as high as 4 billion dollars. Recorded live in New York City. John Foley started climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder at a young age, first as a fast food server and eventually as an e-commerce executive. Still, at 40, he couldn't climb out of bed fast enough to make it to his favorite spin class. John couldn't understand why there wasn't a way to bring the intensity and motivation of a boutique fitness class into the home. Having never worked in the exercise industry, he teamed up with a few friends to create a high-tech stationary bicycle called the Peloton Bike. Today, Peloton has sold close to half a million bikes, with a valuation as high as 4 billion dollars. Recorded live in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3418 no Bumble: Whitney Wolfe (2017) At age 22, Whitney Wolfe helped launch Tinder, one of the world's most popular dating apps. But a few years later, she left Tinder and filed a lawsuit against the company alleging sexual harassment. The ensuing attention from the media – and cyberbullying from strangers – prompted her to launch Bumble, a dating app where women make the first move. Today, the Bumble app has been downloaded close to 30 million times. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Michael Dixon, whose business Mobile Vinyl Recorders uses portable record lathes to cut vinyl at parties, weddings, and music festivals. (Original broadcast date: October 16, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Apr 2019 07:01:08 -0000 Bumble: Whitney Wolfe (2017) full 152 Guy Raz | Vox Media At age 22, Whitney Wolfe helped launch Tinder, one of the world's most popular dating apps. But a few years later, she left Tinder and filed a lawsuit against the company alleging sexual harassment. The ensuing attention from the media – and cyberbullying from strangers – prompted her to launch Bumble, a dating app where women make the first move. Today, the Bumble app has been downloaded close to 30 million times. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Michael Dixon, whose business Mobile Vinyl Recorders uses portable record lathes to cut vinyl at parties, weddings, and music festivals. (Original broadcast date: October 16, 2017) At age 22, Whitney Wolfe helped launch Tinder, one of the world's most popular dating apps. But a few years later, she left Tinder and filed a lawsuit against the company alleging sexual harassment. The ensuing attention from the media – and cyberbullying from strangers – prompted her to launch Bumble, a dating app where women make the first move. Today, the Bumble app has been downloaded close to 30 million times. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Michael Dixon, whose business Mobile Vinyl Recorders uses portable record lathes to cut vinyl at parties, weddings, and music festivals. (Original broadcast date: October 16, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2751 no Men's Wearhouse: George Zimmer In 1970, George Zimmer was a college graduate with no real job prospects and little direction. That's when his father, an executive at a boy's clothing company, asked him to go on an important business trip to Asia. It was that trip that propelled him into the world of men's apparel. In 1973, the first Men's Wearhouse opened in Houston with little fanfare. But by the mid-80s, George Zimmer managed to carve out a distinct niche in the market – a place where men could buy a good quality suit, at "everyday low prices," along with all the shirts, ties, socks, and shoes they need. With George as the face of the brand, Men's Wearhouse became a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of stores across the U.S. But then, in 2013, a bitter battle forced him to give it all up. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with two brothers from Guinea, West Africa who founded a company that makes Ginjan, a spicy-sweet juice from their childhood that mixes pineapple and ginger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Apr 2019 04:01:04 -0000 Men's Wearhouse: George Zimmer full 151 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1970, George Zimmer was a college graduate with no real job prospects and little direction. That's when his father, an executive at a boy's clothing company, asked him to go on an important business trip to Asia. It was that trip that propelled him into the world of men's apparel. In 1973, the first Men's Wearhouse opened in Houston with little fanfare. But by the mid-80s, George Zimmer managed to carve out a distinct niche in the market – a place where men could buy a good quality suit, at "everyday low prices," along with all the shirts, ties, socks, and shoes they need. With George as the face of the brand, Men's Wearhouse became a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of stores across the U.S. But then, in 2013, a bitter battle forced him to give it all up. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with two brothers from Guinea, West Africa who founded a company that makes Ginjan, a spicy-sweet juice from their childhood that mixes pineapple and ginger. In 1970, George Zimmer was a college graduate with no real job prospects and little direction. That's when his father, an executive at a boy's clothing company, asked him to go on an important business trip to Asia. It was that trip that propelled him into the world of men's apparel. In 1973, the first Men's Wearhouse opened in Houston with little fanfare. But by the mid-80s, George Zimmer managed to carve out a distinct niche in the market – a place where men could buy a good quality suit, at "everyday low prices," along with all the shirts, ties, socks, and shoes they need. With George as the face of the brand, Men's Wearhouse became a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of stores across the U.S. But then, in 2013, a bitter battle forced him to give it all up. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with two brothers from Guinea, West Africa who founded a company that makes Ginjan, a spicy-sweet juice from their childhood that mixes pineapple and ginger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4023 no Chez Panisse: Alice Waters In the 1960s, Alice Waters studied abroad in France – and discovered a culinary world far from the processed food popular in America. When she returned to California, she tried to find restaurants to recreate her experiences abroad, but she couldn't. In 1971, she opened a small restaurant in Berkeley called Chez Panisse, where she focused on serving fresh, local ingredients. Just a few years later, Chez Panisse was named one of the best restaurants in America, and became one of the hottest locations for fine dining in the Bay Area. Despite her success, Alice chose not to turn Chez Panisse into a restaurant empire. Instead, she continued to insist on cooking with food raised locally, sustainably, and ethically. Today, most chefs agree Alice Waters and Chez Panisse sparked the farm-to-table movement in the restaurant industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Piersten Gaines took the trauma out of salon visits for women with highly textured hair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Apr 2019 04:01:44 -0000 Chez Panisse: Alice Waters full 150 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the 1960s, Alice Waters studied abroad in France – and discovered a culinary world far from the processed food popular in America. When she returned to California, she tried to find restaurants to recreate her experiences abroad, but she couldn't. In 1971, she opened a small restaurant in Berkeley called Chez Panisse, where she focused on serving fresh, local ingredients. Just a few years later, Chez Panisse was named one of the best restaurants in America, and became one of the hottest locations for fine dining in the Bay Area. Despite her success, Alice chose not to turn Chez Panisse into a restaurant empire. Instead, she continued to insist on cooking with food raised locally, sustainably, and ethically. Today, most chefs agree Alice Waters and Chez Panisse sparked the farm-to-table movement in the restaurant industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Piersten Gaines took the trauma out of salon visits for women with highly textured hair. In the 1960s, Alice Waters studied abroad in France – and discovered a culinary world far from the processed food popular in America. When she returned to California, she tried to find restaurants to recreate her experiences abroad, but she couldn't. In 1971, she opened a small restaurant in Berkeley called Chez Panisse, where she focused on serving fresh, local ingredients. Just a few years later, Chez Panisse was named one of the best restaurants in America, and became one of the hottest locations for fine dining in the Bay Area. Despite her success, Alice chose not to turn Chez Panisse into a restaurant empire. Instead, she continued to insist on cooking with food raised locally, sustainably, and ethically. Today, most chefs agree Alice Waters and Chez Panisse sparked the farm-to-table movement in the restaurant industry. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Piersten Gaines took the trauma out of salon visits for women with highly textured hair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3817 no Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said trampolines were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own — a safer trampoline, without metal springs. He tinkered with and perfected the design over the course of a decade. But he was daunted by the challenge of bringing his invention to market — and he almost gave up. At that point Steve Holmes, a Canadian businessman, bought the patent to Keith's trampoline, and took a big risk to commercialize it. Today, Springfree Trampoline generates over $50 million in annual sales and has sold over 400,000 trampolines. PLUS in our postscript, "How You Built That," how Cyndi and Chris Hileman created a candle in a planter pot that can later be used to grow wildflowers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Apr 2019 04:01:49 -0000 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes full 149 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said trampolines were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own — a safer trampoline, without metal springs. He tinkered with and perfected the design over the course of a decade. But he was daunted by the challenge of bringing his invention to market — and he almost gave up. At that point Steve Holmes, a Canadian businessman, bought the patent to Keith's trampoline, and took a big risk to commercialize it. Today, Springfree Trampoline generates over $50 million in annual sales and has sold over 400,000 trampolines. PLUS in our postscript, "How You Built That," how Cyndi and Chris Hileman created a candle in a planter pot that can later be used to grow wildflowers. In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said trampolines were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own — a safer trampoline, without metal springs. He tinkered with and perfected the design over the course of a decade. But he was daunted by the challenge of bringing his invention to market — and he almost gave up. At that point Steve Holmes, a Canadian businessman, bought the patent to Keith's trampoline, and took a big risk to commercialize it. Today, Springfree Trampoline generates over $50 million in annual sales and has sold over 400,000 trampolines. PLUS in our postscript, "How You Built That," how Cyndi and Chris Hileman created a candle in a planter pot that can later be used to grow wildflowers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3875 no Compaq Computers: Rod Canion (2019) In 1981, engineer Rod Canion left Texas Instruments and co-founded Compaq, which created the first IBM-compatible personal computer. This opened the door to an entire industry of PCs that could run the same software. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Danica Lause, who turned a knitting hobby into Peekaboos Ponytail Hats: knit caps with strategically placed holes for a ponytail or bun. (Original broadcast date: May 22, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Mar 2019 04:01:50 -0000 Compaq Computers: Rod Canion (2019) full 148 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1981, engineer Rod Canion left Texas Instruments and co-founded Compaq, which created the first IBM-compatible personal computer. This opened the door to an entire industry of PCs that could run the same software. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Danica Lause, who turned a knitting hobby into Peekaboos Ponytail Hats: knit caps with strategically placed holes for a ponytail or bun. (Original broadcast date: May 22, 2017). In 1981, engineer Rod Canion left Texas Instruments and co-founded Compaq, which created the first IBM-compatible personal computer. This opened the door to an entire industry of PCs that could run the same software. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Danica Lause, who turned a knitting hobby into Peekaboos Ponytail Hats: knit caps with strategically placed holes for a ponytail or bun. (Original broadcast date: May 22, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2601 no Away: Jen Rubio In early 2015, Jen Rubio was racing through an airport to catch a flight when her suitcase broke, leaving a trail of clothing behind her. She tried to replace it with a stylish, durable, affordable suitcase — but she couldn't find one. So she decided to create her own. In less than a year, Jen and her co-founder Steph Korey raised $2.5 million to build their dream travel brand: a line of sleek, direct-to-consumer suitcases simply called Away. Jen's hunch that the brand would emotionally resonate with young, jet-setting customers paid off. Today, Away has become a cult luggage brand that has sold more than one million suitcases. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Jon Maroney made sledding easier for adults and more dynamic for kids with a pair of sleds that strap to your legs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Mar 2019 04:01:36 -0000 Away: Jen Rubio full 147 Guy Raz | Vox Media In early 2015, Jen Rubio was racing through an airport to catch a flight when her suitcase broke, leaving a trail of clothing behind her. She tried to replace it with a stylish, durable, affordable suitcase — but she couldn't find one. So she decided to create her own. In less than a year, Jen and her co-founder Steph Korey raised $2.5 million to build their dream travel brand: a line of sleek, direct-to-consumer suitcases simply called Away. Jen's hunch that the brand would emotionally resonate with young, jet-setting customers paid off. Today, Away has become a cult luggage brand that has sold more than one million suitcases. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Jon Maroney made sledding easier for adults and more dynamic for kids with a pair of sleds that strap to your legs. In early 2015, Jen Rubio was racing through an airport to catch a flight when her suitcase broke, leaving a trail of clothing behind her. She tried to replace it with a stylish, durable, affordable suitcase — but she couldn't find one. So she decided to create her own. In less than a year, Jen and her co-founder Steph Korey raised $2.5 million to build their dream travel brand: a line of sleek, direct-to-consumer suitcases simply called Away. Jen's hunch that the brand would emotionally resonate with young, jet-setting customers paid off. Today, Away has become a cult luggage brand that has sold more than one million suitcases. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Jon Maroney made sledding easier for adults and more dynamic for kids with a pair of sleds that strap to your legs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4277 no Logic: Logic & Chris Zarou In 2010, Logic the rapper, born as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, released his first official mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous." At 20 years old, Logic certainly was young and broke, and while crashing on a friend's couch, he poured himself into his music. Logic's career could have fizzled if it wasn't for Chris Zarou, a young college athlete-turned-manager who had no more experience in the music business than Logic. Undeterred, the two decided to work together, continuing to use free music and social media to build Logic's reputation as a talented, fast-flowing rapper with a hopeful message. In 2012, Logic signed to Def Jam Records and in 2014 dropped his debut album "Under Pressure," which shot to number 4 on the Billboard charts. His third album in 2017 went platinum and included the breakout single "1 800 273 8255." PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Cassy Burnvoth who built a skincare company using an unlikely ingredient – beef tallow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Mar 2019 04:01:00 -0000 Logic: Logic & Chris Zarou full 146 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, Logic the rapper, born as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, released his first official mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous." At 20 years old, Logic certainly was young and broke, and while crashing on a friend's couch, he poured himself into his music. Logic's career could have fizzled if it wasn't for Chris Zarou, a young college athlete-turned-manager who had no more experience in the music business than Logic. Undeterred, the two decided to work together, continuing to use free music and social media to build Logic's reputation as a talented, fast-flowing rapper with a hopeful message. In 2012, Logic signed to Def Jam Records and in 2014 dropped his debut album "Under Pressure," which shot to number 4 on the Billboard charts. His third album in 2017 went platinum and included the breakout single "1 800 273 8255." PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Cassy Burnvoth who built a skincare company using an unlikely ingredient – beef tallow. In 2010, Logic the rapper, born as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, released his first official mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous." At 20 years old, Logic certainly was young and broke, and while crashing on a friend's couch, he poured himself into his music. Logic's career could have fizzled if it wasn't for Chris Zarou, a young college athlete-turned-manager who had no more experience in the music business than Logic. Undeterred, the two decided to work together, continuing to use free music and social media to build Logic's reputation as a talented, fast-flowing rapper with a hopeful message. In 2012, Logic signed to Def Jam Records and in 2014 dropped his debut album "Under Pressure," which shot to number 4 on the Billboard charts. His third album in 2017 went platinum and included the breakout single "1 800 273 8255." PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Cassy Burnvoth who built a skincare company using an unlikely ingredient – beef tallow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4530 no Squarespace: Anthony Casalena Like many classic technology stories, Squarespace started in a college dorm room. In 2003, 21-year-old Anthony Casalena created a website-building tool for himself. But after hearing some positive feedback from friends, he decided to put the tool online and start a business. For years, Anthony ran Squarespace almost entirely on his own but the stress took a toll and he reached the limits of what he could accomplish by himself. The journey to hiring a staff and scaling the company had its own set of growing pains for Anthony, including difficulty letting go of control, and learning how to manage other people. Today, Squarespace has grown to more than 800 employees, and valued at $1.7 billion. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kate Westervelt took an overwhelming experience and turned it into a gift box for new moms – filled with essential items women need to recover from childbirth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Mar 2019 05:01:23 -0000 Squarespace: Anthony Casalena full 145 Guy Raz | Vox Media Like many classic technology stories, Squarespace started in a college dorm room. In 2003, 21-year-old Anthony Casalena created a website-building tool for himself. But after hearing some positive feedback from friends, he decided to put the tool online and start a business. For years, Anthony ran Squarespace almost entirely on his own but the stress took a toll and he reached the limits of what he could accomplish by himself. The journey to hiring a staff and scaling the company had its own set of growing pains for Anthony, including difficulty letting go of control, and learning how to manage other people. Today, Squarespace has grown to more than 800 employees, and valued at $1.7 billion. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kate Westervelt took an overwhelming experience and turned it into a gift box for new moms – filled with essential items women need to recover from childbirth. Like many classic technology stories, Squarespace started in a college dorm room. In 2003, 21-year-old Anthony Casalena created a website-building tool for himself. But after hearing some positive feedback from friends, he decided to put the tool online and start a business. For years, Anthony ran Squarespace almost entirely on his own but the stress took a toll and he reached the limits of what he could accomplish by himself. The journey to hiring a staff and scaling the company had its own set of growing pains for Anthony, including difficulty letting go of control, and learning how to manage other people. Today, Squarespace has grown to more than 800 employees, and valued at $1.7 billion. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kate Westervelt took an overwhelming experience and turned it into a gift box for new moms – filled with essential items women need to recover from childbirth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3443 no Eileen Fisher: Eileen Fisher (2017) In 1983, Eileen Fisher signed up for a fashion trade show with no experience, no garments, no patterns or sketches – nothing but a few ideas for a women's clothing line focused on simplicity. Within three weeks, she came up with 12 pieces, a logo, and a name: Eileen Fisher. Today, the Eileen Fisher brand is still known for its elegant and minimalist designs, but it has grown to more than 60 locations and makes over $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Glenn Auerbach who invented nICE mug, a container made entirely from ice that keeps drinks cold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Feb 2019 05:01:30 -0000 Eileen Fisher: Eileen Fisher (2017) full 144 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1983, Eileen Fisher signed up for a fashion trade show with no experience, no garments, no patterns or sketches – nothing but a few ideas for a women's clothing line focused on simplicity. Within three weeks, she came up with 12 pieces, a logo, and a name: Eileen Fisher. Today, the Eileen Fisher brand is still known for its elegant and minimalist designs, but it has grown to more than 60 locations and makes over $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Glenn Auerbach who invented nICE mug, a container made entirely from ice that keeps drinks cold. In 1983, Eileen Fisher signed up for a fashion trade show with no experience, no garments, no patterns or sketches – nothing but a few ideas for a women's clothing line focused on simplicity. Within three weeks, she came up with 12 pieces, a logo, and a name: Eileen Fisher. Today, the Eileen Fisher brand is still known for its elegant and minimalist designs, but it has grown to more than 60 locations and makes over $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Glenn Auerbach who invented nICE mug, a container made entirely from ice that keeps drinks cold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2945 no Burt's Bees: Roxanne Quimby In the 1970s, Roxanne Quimby was trying to live a simpler life – one that rejected the pursuit of material comforts. She moved to Maine, built a cabin in the woods, and lived off the grid. By the mid-80s, she met a recluse beekeeper named Burt Shavitz and offered to help him tend to his bees. As partners, Roxanne and Burt soon began selling their "Pure Maine Honey" at local markets, which evolved into candles made out of beeswax, and eventually lip balm and skin care products. Today Burt's Bees can be found in nearly every grocery store and drugstore around the U.S. PLUS, in our postscript "How You Built That," Leigh Isaacson explains how her sister's break up inspired them to create a dating app – for dog owners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Feb 2019 06:52:52 -0000 Burt's Bees: Roxanne Quimby full 143 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the 1970s, Roxanne Quimby was trying to live a simpler life – one that rejected the pursuit of material comforts. She moved to Maine, built a cabin in the woods, and lived off the grid. By the mid-80s, she met a recluse beekeeper named Burt Shavitz and offered to help him tend to his bees. As partners, Roxanne and Burt soon began selling their "Pure Maine Honey" at local markets, which evolved into candles made out of beeswax, and eventually lip balm and skin care products. Today Burt's Bees can be found in nearly every grocery store and drugstore around the U.S. PLUS, in our postscript "How You Built That," Leigh Isaacson explains how her sister's break up inspired them to create a dating app – for dog owners. In the 1970s, Roxanne Quimby was trying to live a simpler life – one that rejected the pursuit of material comforts. She moved to Maine, built a cabin in the woods, and lived off the grid. By the mid-80s, she met a recluse beekeeper named Burt Shavitz and offered to help him tend to his bees. As partners, Roxanne and Burt soon began selling their "Pure Maine Honey" at local markets, which evolved into candles made out of beeswax, and eventually lip balm and skin care products. Today Burt's Bees can be found in nearly every grocery store and drugstore around the U.S. PLUS, in our postscript "How You Built That," Leigh Isaacson explains how her sister's break up inspired them to create a dating app – for dog owners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3749 no TOMS: Blake Mycoskie (2019) Blake Mycoskie started and sold four businesses before age 30. But only in Argentina did he discover the idea he'd want to pursue long term. After seeing a shoe drive for children, he came up with TOMS — part shoe business, part philanthropy. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Dillon Hill, who built Gamers Gift to help bedbound and disabled patients enjoy a wide range of places and experiences through virtual reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Feb 2019 05:01:00 -0000 TOMS: Blake Mycoskie (2019) full 142 Guy Raz | Vox Media Blake Mycoskie started and sold four businesses before age 30. But only in Argentina did he discover the idea he'd want to pursue long term. After seeing a shoe drive for children, he came up with TOMS — part shoe business, part philanthropy. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Dillon Hill, who built Gamers Gift to help bedbound and disabled patients enjoy a wide range of places and experiences through virtual reality. Blake Mycoskie started and sold four businesses before age 30. But only in Argentina did he discover the idea he'd want to pursue long term. After seeing a shoe drive for children, he came up with TOMS — part shoe business, part philanthropy. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Dillon Hill, who built Gamers Gift to help bedbound and disabled patients enjoy a wide range of places and experiences through virtual reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3456 no JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman In the mid-90s, David Neeleman wanted to launch a new airline. He had already co-created a regional airline out of Salt Lake City that was acquired by Southwest. And despite his admiration of Southwest's business model, Neeleman felt there was a market for a different kind of budget airline. He envisioned flights to cities other budget airlines avoided and excellent customer service, with high-tech amenities. In 2000, he launched JetBlue and in its first year, the company flew over 1 million people, and cultivated a loyal customer following. Then came the 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Lisa Dalton turned a relationship mishap into a game-changing braille label that solves a daily problem for blind consumers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Feb 2019 05:01:43 -0000 JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman full 141 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the mid-90s, David Neeleman wanted to launch a new airline. He had already co-created a regional airline out of Salt Lake City that was acquired by Southwest. And despite his admiration of Southwest's business model, Neeleman felt there was a market for a different kind of budget airline. He envisioned flights to cities other budget airlines avoided and excellent customer service, with high-tech amenities. In 2000, he launched JetBlue and in its first year, the company flew over 1 million people, and cultivated a loyal customer following. Then came the 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Lisa Dalton turned a relationship mishap into a game-changing braille label that solves a daily problem for blind consumers. In the mid-90s, David Neeleman wanted to launch a new airline. He had already co-created a regional airline out of Salt Lake City that was acquired by Southwest. And despite his admiration of Southwest's business model, Neeleman felt there was a market for a different kind of budget airline. He envisioned flights to cities other budget airlines avoided and excellent customer service, with high-tech amenities. In 2000, he launched JetBlue and in its first year, the company flew over 1 million people, and cultivated a loyal customer following. Then came the 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Lisa Dalton turned a relationship mishap into a game-changing braille label that solves a daily problem for blind consumers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4272 no Canva: Melanie Perkins When she was just 19 years old, Melanie Perkins dreamt of transforming the graphic design and publishing industries. But she started small, launching a site to make yearbook design simpler and more collaborative. Her success with that first venture — and an unexpected meeting with a VC investor — eventually landed her the backing to pursue her original idea, and the chance to take on software industry titans like Adobe and Microsoft. Today, Melanie's online design platform Canva is valued at over $1 billion, joining the list of Australia's "unicorn" companies. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Tristan Corriveau collected used bars of soap from a hotel and recycled them into liquid soap with The One Gallon Soap Company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Jan 2019 05:01:52 -0000 Canva: Melanie Perkins full 140 Guy Raz | Vox Media When she was just 19 years old, Melanie Perkins dreamt of transforming the graphic design and publishing industries. But she started small, launching a site to make yearbook design simpler and more collaborative. Her success with that first venture — and an unexpected meeting with a VC investor — eventually landed her the backing to pursue her original idea, and the chance to take on software industry titans like Adobe and Microsoft. Today, Melanie's online design platform Canva is valued at over $1 billion, joining the list of Australia's "unicorn" companies. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Tristan Corriveau collected used bars of soap from a hotel and recycled them into liquid soap with The One Gallon Soap Company. When she was just 19 years old, Melanie Perkins dreamt of transforming the graphic design and publishing industries. But she started small, launching a site to make yearbook design simpler and more collaborative. Her success with that first venture — and an unexpected meeting with a VC investor — eventually landed her the backing to pursue her original idea, and the chance to take on software industry titans like Adobe and Microsoft. Today, Melanie's online design platform Canva is valued at over $1 billion, joining the list of Australia's "unicorn" companies. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Tristan Corriveau collected used bars of soap from a hotel and recycled them into liquid soap with The One Gallon Soap Company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3082 no Bonobos: Andy Dunn When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' signature flair and innovative e-commerce experience. But within a few years, Andy hit challenging roadblocks, including a struggle with depression and a falling-out with his co-founder and friend. Despite many moments of crisis, Andy steered Bonobos to massive success, and in 2017, it was acquired by Walmart for a reported $310 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Amy and Brady King created an easy-to-assemble portable shelter meant to provide natural disaster relief and help house people experiencing homelessness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Jan 2019 05:02:14 -0000 Bonobos: Andy Dunn full 139 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' signature flair and innovative e-commerce experience. But within a few years, Andy hit challenging roadblocks, including a struggle with depression and a falling-out with his co-founder and friend. Despite many moments of crisis, Andy steered Bonobos to massive success, and in 2017, it was acquired by Walmart for a reported $310 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Amy and Brady King created an easy-to-assemble portable shelter meant to provide natural disaster relief and help house people experiencing homelessness. When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' signature flair and innovative e-commerce experience. But within a few years, Andy hit challenging roadblocks, including a struggle with depression and a falling-out with his co-founder and friend. Despite many moments of crisis, Andy steered Bonobos to massive success, and in 2017, it was acquired by Walmart for a reported $310 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Amy and Brady King created an easy-to-assemble portable shelter meant to provide natural disaster relief and help house people experiencing homelessness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4437 no Five Guys: Jerry Murrell (2019) Jerry Murrell's mother used to tell him, you can always make money if you know how to make a good burger. In 1986 — after failing at a number of business ideas — Murrell opened a tiny burger joint in Northern Virginia with his four sons. Five Guys now has more than 1,500 locations worldwide and is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Hannah England, who turned a common parenting problem into Wash. It. Later. — a water-tight bag for soaking soiled baby clothes before they stain. (Original broadcast date: June 5, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Jan 2019 05:01:49 -0000 Five Guys: Jerry Murrell (2019) full 138 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jerry Murrell's mother used to tell him, you can always make money if you know how to make a good burger. In 1986 — after failing at a number of business ideas — Murrell opened a tiny burger joint in Northern Virginia with his four sons. Five Guys now has more than 1,500 locations worldwide and is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Hannah England, who turned a common parenting problem into Wash. It. Later. — a water-tight bag for soaking soiled baby clothes before they stain. (Original broadcast date: June 5, 2017) Jerry Murrell's mother used to tell him, you can always make money if you know how to make a good burger. In 1986 — after failing at a number of business ideas — Murrell opened a tiny burger joint in Northern Virginia with his four sons. Five Guys now has more than 1,500 locations worldwide and is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Hannah England, who turned a common parenting problem into Wash. It. Later. — a water-tight bag for soaking soiled baby clothes before they stain. (Original broadcast date: June 5, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2467 no SoulCycle: Julie Rice & Elizabeth Cutler Before Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice met, they shared a common belief: New York City gyms didn't have the kind of exercise classes they craved, and each of them wanted to change that. A fitness instructor introduced them over lunch in 2005, and before the meal was done they were set on opening a stationary bike studio, with a chic and aspirational vibe. A few months later, the first SoulCycle opened in upper Manhattan. Today, SoulCycle has cultivated a near-tribal devotion among its clients, with studios across the United States and Canada. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how "kid-preneur" Gabrielle Goodwin and her mom Rozalynn invented a double-face double snap barrette that doesn't slip out of little girls' hair, no matter how much they play around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Jan 2019 05:01:20 -0000 SoulCycle: Julie Rice & Elizabeth Cutler full 137 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice met, they shared a common belief: New York City gyms didn't have the kind of exercise classes they craved, and each of them wanted to change that. A fitness instructor introduced them over lunch in 2005, and before the meal was done they were set on opening a stationary bike studio, with a chic and aspirational vibe. A few months later, the first SoulCycle opened in upper Manhattan. Today, SoulCycle has cultivated a near-tribal devotion among its clients, with studios across the United States and Canada. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how "kid-preneur" Gabrielle Goodwin and her mom Rozalynn invented a double-face double snap barrette that doesn't slip out of little girls' hair, no matter how much they play around. Before Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice met, they shared a common belief: New York City gyms didn't have the kind of exercise classes they craved, and each of them wanted to change that. A fitness instructor introduced them over lunch in 2005, and before the meal was done they were set on opening a stationary bike studio, with a chic and aspirational vibe. A few months later, the first SoulCycle opened in upper Manhattan. Today, SoulCycle has cultivated a near-tribal devotion among its clients, with studios across the United States and Canada. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how "kid-preneur" Gabrielle Goodwin and her mom Rozalynn invented a double-face double snap barrette that doesn't slip out of little girls' hair, no matter how much they play around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3604 no Remembering Herb Kelleher The co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, has died. He was 87. We are grateful Herb shared his story with us in 2016. We are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career, in which he transformed the US airline industry. More than 50 years ago, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines is the country's largest domestic airline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Fri, 04 Jan 2019 16:13:00 -0000 Remembering Herb Kelleher full 136 Guy Raz | Vox Media The co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, has died. He was 87. We are grateful Herb shared his story with us in 2016. We are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career, in which he transformed the US airline industry. More than 50 years ago, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines is the country's largest domestic airline. The co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, has died. He was 87. We are grateful Herb shared his story with us in 2016. We are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career, in which he transformed the US airline industry. More than 50 years ago, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines is the country's largest domestic airline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2127 no Kickstarter: Perry Chen (2018) In the early 2000s, Perry Chen was trying to put on a concert in New Orleans when he thought, what if fans could fund this in advance? His idea didn't work at the time, but he and his co-founders spent the next eight years refining the concept of crowdfunding creative projects. Today Kickstarter has funded over 155,000 projects worldwide. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Dustin Hogard who co-designed a survival belt that's full of tiny gadgets and thin enough to wear every day. (Original Broadcast Date: July 31, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Dec 2018 05:01:51 -0000 Kickstarter: Perry Chen (2018) full 135 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 2000s, Perry Chen was trying to put on a concert in New Orleans when he thought, what if fans could fund this in advance? His idea didn't work at the time, but he and his co-founders spent the next eight years refining the concept of crowdfunding creative projects. Today Kickstarter has funded over 155,000 projects worldwide. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Dustin Hogard who co-designed a survival belt that's full of tiny gadgets and thin enough to wear every day. (Original Broadcast Date: July 31, 2017.) In the early 2000s, Perry Chen was trying to put on a concert in New Orleans when he thought, what if fans could fund this in advance? His idea didn't work at the time, but he and his co-founders spent the next eight years refining the concept of crowdfunding creative projects. Today Kickstarter has funded over 155,000 projects worldwide. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Dustin Hogard who co-designed a survival belt that's full of tiny gadgets and thin enough to wear every day. (Original Broadcast Date: July 31, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2696 no The Chipmunks: Ross Bagdasarian Jr. & Janice Karman (2017) Years after his father created a hit singing group of anthropomorphic rodents called The Chipmunks, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. made it his mission to revive his dad's beloved characters. Over the last 40 years, Ross Jr. and his wife Janice have built The Chipmunks into a billion dollar media franchise – run out of their home in Santa Barbara, California. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Alexander Van Dewark, who created a portable mat that helps people mix cement without a wheelbarrow or a paddle. (Original Broadcast Date: September 18, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Dec 2018 05:01:20 -0000 The Chipmunks: Ross Bagdasarian Jr. & Janice Karman (2017) full 134 Guy Raz | Vox Media Years after his father created a hit singing group of anthropomorphic rodents called The Chipmunks, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. made it his mission to revive his dad's beloved characters. Over the last 40 years, Ross Jr. and his wife Janice have built The Chipmunks into a billion dollar media franchise – run out of their home in Santa Barbara, California. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Alexander Van Dewark, who created a portable mat that helps people mix cement without a wheelbarrow or a paddle. (Original Broadcast Date: September 18, 2017.) Years after his father created a hit singing group of anthropomorphic rodents called The Chipmunks, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. made it his mission to revive his dad's beloved characters. Over the last 40 years, Ross Jr. and his wife Janice have built The Chipmunks into a billion dollar media franchise – run out of their home in Santa Barbara, California. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Alexander Van Dewark, who created a portable mat that helps people mix cement without a wheelbarrow or a paddle. (Original Broadcast Date: September 18, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3749 no Lisa Price Of Carol's Daughter At The HIBT Summit It's our final episode in our series from this year's How I Built This Summit! Today, we're featuring Lisa Price of the beauty brand Carol's Daughter. When Lisa sat down with Guy Raz in October, she described how her business expanded well beyond her Brooklyn kitchen. As it grew, she decided "not to sit at the head of the table," and deferred to the experts. She later came to regret that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 20 Dec 2018 05:01:09 -0000 Lisa Price Of Carol's Daughter At The HIBT Summit full 133 Guy Raz | Vox Media It's our final episode in our series from this year's How I Built This Summit! Today, we're featuring Lisa Price of the beauty brand Carol's Daughter. When Lisa sat down with Guy Raz in October, she described how her business expanded well beyond her Brooklyn kitchen. As it grew, she decided "not to sit at the head of the table," and deferred to the experts. She later came to regret that. It's our final episode in our series from this year's How I Built This Summit! Today, we're featuring Lisa Price of the beauty brand Carol's Daughter. When Lisa sat down with Guy Raz in October, she described how her business expanded well beyond her Brooklyn kitchen. As it grew, she decided "not to sit at the head of the table," and deferred to the experts. She later came to regret that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit! Today, we're featuring Lisa Price of the beauty brand Carol's Daughter. When Lisa sat down with Guy Raz in October, she described how her business expanded well beyond her Brooklyn kitchen. As it grew, she decided "not to sit at the head of the table," and deferred to the experts. She later came to regret that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1354 no Live Episode! Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin At the end of 2010, Michael Dubin was working in marketing when he met a guy named Mark Levine at a holiday party. Mark was looking for ideas to get rid of a massive pile of razors he had sitting in a California warehouse. Michael's spontaneous idea for an internet razor subscription service grew into Dollar Shave Club, and his background in improv helped him make a viral video to generate buzz for the new brand. Just five years after launch, Unilever acquired Dollar Shave Club for a reported $1 billion. Recorded live in Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Dec 2018 05:01:45 -0000 Live Episode! Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin full 132 Guy Raz | Vox Media At the end of 2010, Michael Dubin was working in marketing when he met a guy named Mark Levine at a holiday party. Mark was looking for ideas to get rid of a massive pile of razors he had sitting in a California warehouse. Michael's spontaneous idea for an internet razor subscription service grew into Dollar Shave Club, and his background in improv helped him make a viral video to generate buzz for the new brand. Just five years after launch, Unilever acquired Dollar Shave Club for a reported $1 billion. Recorded live in Los Angeles. At the end of 2010, Michael Dubin was working in marketing when he met a guy named Mark Levine at a holiday party. Mark was looking for ideas to get rid of a massive pile of razors he had sitting in a California warehouse. Michael's spontaneous idea for an internet razor subscription service grew into Dollar Shave Club, and his background in improv helped him make a viral video to generate buzz for the new brand. Just five years after launch, Unilever acquired Dollar Shave Club for a reported $1 billion. Recorded live in Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3172 no Stitch Fix's Katrina Lake At The HIBT Summit Today we have another live episode from the How I Built This Summit, featuring Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix. Katrina sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco in October to discuss building culture at a billion-dollar company, and why it's important – even for the CEO – to "rehire" yourself every year. We have one more episode from the Summit coming up next Thursday; stay tuned for Guy's conversation with Lisa Price of Carol's Daughter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 13 Dec 2018 05:02:17 -0000 Stitch Fix's Katrina Lake At The HIBT Summit full 131 Guy Raz | Vox Media Today we have another live episode from the How I Built This Summit, featuring Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix. Katrina sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco in October to discuss building culture at a billion-dollar company, and why it's important – even for the CEO – to "rehire" yourself every year. We have one more episode from the Summit coming up next Thursday; stay tuned for Guy's conversation with Lisa Price of Carol's Daughter. Today we have another live episode from the How I Built This Summit, featuring Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix. Katrina sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco in October to discuss building culture at a billion-dollar company, and why it's important – even for the CEO – to "rehire" yourself every year. We have one more episode from the Summit coming up next Thursday; stay tuned for Guy's conversation with Lisa Price of Carol's Daughter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit, featuring Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix. Katrina sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco in October to discuss building culture at a billion-dollar company, and why it's important – even for the CEO – to "rehire" yourself every year. We have one more episode from the Summit coming up next Thursday; stay tuned for Guy's conversation with Lisa Price of Carol's Daughter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1051 no Burton Snowboards: Jake Carpenter (2017) In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Jane Och, who solved the problem of guacamole turning brown by designing a container that removes air pockets: the Guac-Lock. (Original broadcast date: October 23, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Dec 2018 05:01:20 -0000 Burton Snowboards: Jake Carpenter (2017) full 130 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Jane Och, who solved the problem of guacamole turning brown by designing a container that removes air pockets: the Guac-Lock. (Original broadcast date: October 23, 2017) In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Jane Och, who solved the problem of guacamole turning brown by designing a container that removes air pockets: the Guac-Lock. (Original broadcast date: October 23, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3000 no Airbnb's Joe Gebbia At The HIBT Summit Next in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb. Joe sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco, and talked about why he and his co-founders pursued their idea despite overwhelming feedback that it would never work. We're publishing another two episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 06 Dec 2018 05:01:31 -0000 Airbnb's Joe Gebbia At The HIBT Summit full 129 Guy Raz | Vox Media Next in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb. Joe sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco, and talked about why he and his co-founders pursued their idea despite overwhelming feedback that it would never work. We're publishing another two episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday. Next in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb. Joe sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco, and talked about why he and his co-founders pursued their idea despite overwhelming feedback that it would never work. We're publishing another two episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit: Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb. Joe sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco, and talked about why he and his co-founders pursued their idea despite overwhelming feedback that it would never work. We're publishing another two episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1125 no ActOne Group: Janice Bryant Howroyd In the late 1970s Janice Bryant Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and began temping as a secretary. She soon realized there were many other young people in situations similar to hers. So with $1,500 in her pocket, Janice rented an office in Beverly Hills and created the staffing company ACT-1. Today, ActOne Group is an international workforce management company, making Janice Bryant Howroyd the first African-American woman to own a billion-dollar business. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Ofer and Helene Webman developed a device that can change the way an acoustic guitar sounds without bulky pedals and amps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Dec 2018 05:01:31 -0000 ActOne Group: Janice Bryant Howroyd full 128 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1970s Janice Bryant Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and began temping as a secretary. She soon realized there were many other young people in situations similar to hers. So with $1,500 in her pocket, Janice rented an office in Beverly Hills and created the staffing company ACT-1. Today, ActOne Group is an international workforce management company, making Janice Bryant Howroyd the first African-American woman to own a billion-dollar business. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Ofer and Helene Webman developed a device that can change the way an acoustic guitar sounds without bulky pedals and amps. In the late 1970s Janice Bryant Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and began temping as a secretary. She soon realized there were many other young people in situations similar to hers. So with $1,500 in her pocket, Janice rented an office in Beverly Hills and created the staffing company ACT-1. Today, ActOne Group is an international workforce management company, making Janice Bryant Howroyd the first African-American woman to own a billion-dollar business. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Ofer and Helene Webman developed a device that can change the way an acoustic guitar sounds without bulky pedals and amps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3325 no Lyft's John Zimmer At The HIBT Summit Next up in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft. John sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco last month to talk about Lyft's visions for the future of transportation – and their fierce competition with Uber. Coming up next month: three more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 29 Nov 2018 05:01:23 -0000 Lyft's John Zimmer At The HIBT Summit full 127 Guy Raz | Vox Media Next up in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft. John sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco last month to talk about Lyft's visions for the future of transportation – and their fierce competition with Uber. Coming up next month: three more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday. Next up in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft. John sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco last month to talk about Lyft's visions for the future of transportation – and their fierce competition with Uber. Coming up next month: three more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit: John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft. John sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco last month to talk about Lyft's visions for the future of transportation – and their fierce competition with Uber. Coming up next month: three more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1223 no Live Episode! Glossier: Emily Weiss In 2010, while working as a fashion assistant at Vogue, Emily Weiss started a beauty blog called Into The Gloss. She quickly attracted a following of devoted readers hooked on the blog's intimate snapshots of style makers' beauty routines. Within a few years, Emily realized her readers were hungry for a new beauty brand, one that listened to them directly, and understood their lives. Without any prior business experience, she won over investors and found the perfect chemist to create Glossier, a line of beauty and skincare products with a focus on simplicity. Today, just four years after launch, Glossier is valued at an estimated $400 million. Recorded live in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Nov 2018 05:02:22 -0000 Live Episode! Glossier: Emily Weiss full 126 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, while working as a fashion assistant at Vogue, Emily Weiss started a beauty blog called Into The Gloss. She quickly attracted a following of devoted readers hooked on the blog's intimate snapshots of style makers' beauty routines. Within a few years, Emily realized her readers were hungry for a new beauty brand, one that listened to them directly, and understood their lives. Without any prior business experience, she won over investors and found the perfect chemist to create Glossier, a line of beauty and skincare products with a focus on simplicity. Today, just four years after launch, Glossier is valued at an estimated $400 million. Recorded live in New York City. In 2010, while working as a fashion assistant at Vogue, Emily Weiss started a beauty blog called Into The Gloss. She quickly attracted a following of devoted readers hooked on the blog's intimate snapshots of style makers' beauty routines. Within a few years, Emily realized her readers were hungry for a new beauty brand, one that listened to them directly, and understood their lives. Without any prior business experience, she won over investors and found the perfect chemist to create Glossier, a line of beauty and skincare products with a focus on simplicity. Today, just four years after launch, Glossier is valued at an estimated $400 million. Recorded live in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Vogue, Emily Weiss started a beauty blog called Into The Gloss. She quickly attracted a following of devoted readers hooked on the blog's intimate snapshots of style makers' beauty routines. Within a few years, Emily realized her readers were hungry for a new beauty brand, one that listened to them directly, and understood their lives. Without any prior business experience, she won over investors and found the perfect chemist to create Glossier, a line of beauty and skincare products with a focus on simplicity. Today, just four years after launch, Glossier is valued at an estimated $400 million. Recorded live in New York City.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3315 no Method's Adam Lowry And Eric Ryan At The HIBT Summit This episode from the How I Built This Summit features Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, co-founders of Method cleaning products. Adam and Eric joined Guy Raz live on stage at the Summit in San Francisco, to talk the highs and lows of their business partnership. Every Thursday until mid-December, we'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 22 Nov 2018 05:01:23 -0000 Method's Adam Lowry And Eric Ryan At The HIBT Summit full 125 Guy Raz | Vox Media This episode from the How I Built This Summit features Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, co-founders of Method cleaning products. Adam and Eric joined Guy Raz live on stage at the Summit in San Francisco, to talk the highs and lows of their business partnership. Every Thursday until mid-December, we'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed. This episode from the How I Built This Summit features Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, co-founders of Method cleaning products. Adam and Eric joined Guy Raz live on stage at the Summit in San Francisco, to talk the highs and lows of their business partnership. Every Thursday until mid-December, we'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, co-founders of Method cleaning products. Adam and Eric joined Guy Raz live on stage at the Summit in San Francisco, to talk the highs and lows of their business partnership. Every Thursday until mid-December, we'll be releasing more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1174 no Whole Foods Market: John Mackey (2018) In 1978, college drop-out John Mackey scraped together $45,000 to open his first health food store, "Safer Way." A few years later he co-founded Whole Foods Market — and launched an organic food revolution that helped change the way Americans shop. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Steve Humble, whose company Creative Home Engineering makes hidden secret passageways in people's homes ... just like in the movies. (Original broadcast date: May 15, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Nov 2018 05:01:22 -0000 Whole Foods Market: John Mackey (2018) full 124 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1978, college drop-out John Mackey scraped together $45,000 to open his first health food store, "Safer Way." A few years later he co-founded Whole Foods Market — and launched an organic food revolution that helped change the way Americans shop. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Steve Humble, whose company Creative Home Engineering makes hidden secret passageways in people's homes ... just like in the movies. (Original broadcast date: May 15, 2017.) In 1978, college drop-out John Mackey scraped together $45,000 to open his first health food store, "Safer Way." A few years later he co-founded Whole Foods Market — and launched an organic food revolution that helped change the way Americans shop. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Steve Humble, whose company Creative Home Engineering makes hidden secret passageways in people's homes ... just like in the movies. (Original broadcast date: May 15, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2942 no Rent The Runway's Jenn Hyman At The HIBT Summit Our first episode from the How I Built This Summit features Jenn Hyman, co-founder of Rent The Runway, a designer clothing rental service that pulls in $100 million a year. When Jenn sat down with Guy Raz for a live interview at the Summit in San Francisco, she shared her long term strategy for launching the company in phases, plus her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Every Thursday until mid-December, we'll be releasing episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 15 Nov 2018 05:01:14 -0000 Rent The Runway's Jenn Hyman At The HIBT Summit full 123 Guy Raz | Vox Media Our first episode from the How I Built This Summit features Jenn Hyman, co-founder of Rent The Runway, a designer clothing rental service that pulls in $100 million a year. When Jenn sat down with Guy Raz for a live interview at the Summit in San Francisco, she shared her long term strategy for launching the company in phases, plus her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Every Thursday until mid-December, we'll be releasing episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed. Our first episode from the How I Built This Summit features Jenn Hyman, co-founder of Rent The Runway, a designer clothing rental service that pulls in $100 million a year. When Jenn sat down with Guy Raz for a live interview at the Summit in San Francisco, she shared her long term strategy for launching the company in phases, plus her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Every Thursday until mid-December, we'll be releasing episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices How I Built This Summit features Jenn Hyman, co-founder of Rent The Runway, a designer clothing rental service that pulls in $100 million a year. When Jenn sat down with Guy Raz for a live interview at the Summit in San Francisco, she shared her long term strategy for launching the company in phases, plus her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Every Thursday until mid-December, we'll be releasing episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1123 no DoorDash: Tony Xu In 2013, Tony Xu was brainstorming ideas for a business school project when he identified a problem he wanted to solve: food delivery. For most restaurants, it was too costly and inefficient, leaving most of the market to pizza and Chinese. Tony and his partners believed they could use technology to connect customers to drivers, who would deliver meals in every imaginable cuisine. That idea grew into DoorDash, a company that's now delivered over 100 million orders from over 200,000 restaurants across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we hear from the winner of our 2018 HIBT Summit Pitch Competition: Ashlin Cook. She combined her love for dogs with an entrepreneurial itch to create Winnie Lou: a Colorado business that sells healthy dog treats in independent pet stores and from a food truck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Nov 2018 05:01:24 -0000 DoorDash: Tony Xu full 122 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2013, Tony Xu was brainstorming ideas for a business school project when he identified a problem he wanted to solve: food delivery. For most restaurants, it was too costly and inefficient, leaving most of the market to pizza and Chinese. Tony and his partners believed they could use technology to connect customers to drivers, who would deliver meals in every imaginable cuisine. That idea grew into DoorDash, a company that's now delivered over 100 million orders from over 200,000 restaurants across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we hear from the winner of our 2018 HIBT Summit Pitch Competition: Ashlin Cook. She combined her love for dogs with an entrepreneurial itch to create Winnie Lou: a Colorado business that sells healthy dog treats in independent pet stores and from a food truck. In 2013, Tony Xu was brainstorming ideas for a business school project when he identified a problem he wanted to solve: food delivery. For most restaurants, it was too costly and inefficient, leaving most of the market to pizza and Chinese. Tony and his partners believed they could use technology to connect customers to drivers, who would deliver meals in every imaginable cuisine. That idea grew into DoorDash, a company that's now delivered over 100 million orders from over 200,000 restaurants across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we hear from the winner of our 2018 HIBT Summit Pitch Competition: Ashlin Cook. She combined her love for dogs with an entrepreneurial itch to create Winnie Lou: a Colorado business that sells healthy dog treats in independent pet stores and from a food truck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3260 no Barre3: Sadie Lincoln (2017) Sadie Lincoln and her husband, Chris, had what seemed like the perfect life – well-paying jobs, a house in the Bay Area, two kids. But one day they decided to sell everything and start a new business called Barre3: a studio exercise program that blends ballet with pilates and yoga. Today, Barre3 has more than 100 studios across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Alexander Harik, who turned his mom's recipe for fragrant Middle Eastern za'atar spread into Zesty Z: The Za'atar Company. (Original broadcast date: September 11, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Nov 2018 05:01:37 -0000 Barre3: Sadie Lincoln (2017) full 121 Guy Raz | Vox Media Sadie Lincoln and her husband, Chris, had what seemed like the perfect life – well-paying jobs, a house in the Bay Area, two kids. But one day they decided to sell everything and start a new business called Barre3: a studio exercise program that blends ballet with pilates and yoga. Today, Barre3 has more than 100 studios across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Alexander Harik, who turned his mom's recipe for fragrant Middle Eastern za'atar spread into Zesty Z: The Za'atar Company. (Original broadcast date: September 11, 2017.) Sadie Lincoln and her husband, Chris, had what seemed like the perfect life – well-paying jobs, a house in the Bay Area, two kids. But one day they decided to sell everything and start a new business called Barre3: a studio exercise program that blends ballet with pilates and yoga. Today, Barre3 has more than 100 studios across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Alexander Harik, who turned his mom's recipe for fragrant Middle Eastern za'atar spread into Zesty Z: The Za'atar Company. (Original broadcast date: September 11, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3099 no Betterment: Jon Stein When Jon Stein realized he couldn't stand the sight of blood, he gave up the idea of becoming a doctor. Instead, he went into finance, but soon grew restless with "helping banks make more money." So he decided to build a business where he could help everyday investors make more money: an online service that would use a combination of algorithms and human advisers. Jon launched Betterment at a precarious time — shortly after the financial crash of 2008. But today, the company has roughly 13 billion dollars under management. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Gerry Stellenberg combined his knack for technology and his love for pinball to create the P3: a pinball machine that allows a real-life ball to interact with virtual objects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Oct 2018 04:01:29 -0000 Betterment: Jon Stein full 120 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Jon Stein realized he couldn't stand the sight of blood, he gave up the idea of becoming a doctor. Instead, he went into finance, but soon grew restless with "helping banks make more money." So he decided to build a business where he could help everyday investors make more money: an online service that would use a combination of algorithms and human advisers. Jon launched Betterment at a precarious time — shortly after the financial crash of 2008. But today, the company has roughly 13 billion dollars under management. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Gerry Stellenberg combined his knack for technology and his love for pinball to create the P3: a pinball machine that allows a real-life ball to interact with virtual objects. When Jon Stein realized he couldn't stand the sight of blood, he gave up the idea of becoming a doctor. Instead, he went into finance, but soon grew restless with "helping banks make more money." So he decided to build a business where he could help everyday investors make more money: an online service that would use a combination of algorithms and human advisers. Jon launched Betterment at a precarious time — shortly after the financial crash of 2008. But today, the company has roughly 13 billion dollars under management. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Gerry Stellenberg combined his knack for technology and his love for pinball to create the P3: a pinball machine that allows a real-life ball to interact with virtual objects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3441 no Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious product that turned into a lifeline: squishy-squashy memory foam. He jumped at the chance to distribute Swedish memory foam pillows and mattresses to Americans. Tempur-Pedic USA began by selling to chiropractors and specialty stores, providing one of the first alternatives to spring mattresses. Today, the company is one of the largest bedding providers in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Christopher Rannefors created BatBnB: a sleek wooden box that hangs on your house and provides a home for mosquito-eating bats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Oct 2018 04:01:49 -0000 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell full 119 Guy Raz | Vox Media At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious product that turned into a lifeline: squishy-squashy memory foam. He jumped at the chance to distribute Swedish memory foam pillows and mattresses to Americans. Tempur-Pedic USA began by selling to chiropractors and specialty stores, providing one of the first alternatives to spring mattresses. Today, the company is one of the largest bedding providers in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Christopher Rannefors created BatBnB: a sleek wooden box that hangs on your house and provides a home for mosquito-eating bats. At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious product that turned into a lifeline: squishy-squashy memory foam. He jumped at the chance to distribute Swedish memory foam pillows and mattresses to Americans. Tempur-Pedic USA began by selling to chiropractors and specialty stores, providing one of the first alternatives to spring mattresses. Today, the company is one of the largest bedding providers in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Christopher Rannefors created BatBnB: a sleek wooden box that hangs on your house and provides a home for mosquito-eating bats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3962 no Rent The Runway: Jenn Hyman (2018) Jenn Hyman got the idea for Rent the Runway in 2008, after she watched her sister overspend on a new dress rather than wear an old one to a party. Jenn and her business partner built a web site where women could rent designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price. As the company grew, they dealt with problems that many female entrepreneurs face, including patronizing investors and sexual harassment. Despite these challenges, Rent The Runway now rents dresses to nearly six million women and has a reported annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Monica Mizrachi and her son Solomon who built EzPacking, a business that sells sets of clear squishy plastic packing cubes. (Original broadcast date: August 7, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Oct 2018 04:01:20 -0000 Rent The Runway: Jenn Hyman (2018) full 118 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jenn Hyman got the idea for Rent the Runway in 2008, after she watched her sister overspend on a new dress rather than wear an old one to a party. Jenn and her business partner built a web site where women could rent designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price. As the company grew, they dealt with problems that many female entrepreneurs face, including patronizing investors and sexual harassment. Despite these challenges, Rent The Runway now rents dresses to nearly six million women and has a reported annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Monica Mizrachi and her son Solomon who built EzPacking, a business that sells sets of clear squishy plastic packing cubes. (Original broadcast date: August 7, 2017.) Jenn Hyman got the idea for Rent the Runway in 2008, after she watched her sister overspend on a new dress rather than wear an old one to a party. Jenn and her business partner built a web site where women could rent designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price. As the company grew, they dealt with problems that many female entrepreneurs face, including patronizing investors and sexual harassment. Despite these challenges, Rent The Runway now rents dresses to nearly six million women and has a reported annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Monica Mizrachi and her son Solomon who built EzPacking, a business that sells sets of clear squishy plastic packing cubes. (Original broadcast date: August 7, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3505 no method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub without harming the environment. Adam started experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, and scented oils, while Eric worked on making sleek bottles that looked good on a kitchen counter. Just a few years later, Adam and Eric were selling Method cleaning products in stores throughout the country, after a bold gamble got them on the shelves of Target. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Loren and Lisa Poncia turned a 100 year-old family business into an organic beef supplier: Stemple Creek Ranch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Oct 2018 04:01:55 -0000 method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan full 117 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub without harming the environment. Adam started experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, and scented oils, while Eric worked on making sleek bottles that looked good on a kitchen counter. Just a few years later, Adam and Eric were selling Method cleaning products in stores throughout the country, after a bold gamble got them on the shelves of Target. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Loren and Lisa Poncia turned a 100 year-old family business into an organic beef supplier: Stemple Creek Ranch. In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub without harming the environment. Adam started experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, and scented oils, while Eric worked on making sleek bottles that looked good on a kitchen counter. Just a few years later, Adam and Eric were selling Method cleaning products in stores throughout the country, after a bold gamble got them on the shelves of Target. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Loren and Lisa Poncia turned a 100 year-old family business into an organic beef supplier: Stemple Creek Ranch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3592 no Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner In the pre-Internet 1970's, Sandy Lerner was part of a loosely-knit group of programmers that was trying to get computers to talk to each other. Eventually, she and Len Bosack launched Cisco Systems, making the routing technology that helped forge the plumbing of the Internet. But when things turned sour at the company, she was forced to leave, giving her the chance to start something entirely new: an edgy line of cosmetics called Urban Decay. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Justin Li created a solution for staying cool and hydrated in the heat with IcePlate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Oct 2018 04:07:50 -0000 Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner full 116 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the pre-Internet 1970's, Sandy Lerner was part of a loosely-knit group of programmers that was trying to get computers to talk to each other. Eventually, she and Len Bosack launched Cisco Systems, making the routing technology that helped forge the plumbing of the Internet. But when things turned sour at the company, she was forced to leave, giving her the chance to start something entirely new: an edgy line of cosmetics called Urban Decay. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Justin Li created a solution for staying cool and hydrated in the heat with IcePlate. In the pre-Internet 1970's, Sandy Lerner was part of a loosely-knit group of programmers that was trying to get computers to talk to each other. Eventually, she and Len Bosack launched Cisco Systems, making the routing technology that helped forge the plumbing of the Internet. But when things turned sour at the company, she was forced to leave, giving her the chance to start something entirely new: an edgy line of cosmetics called Urban Decay. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Justin Li created a solution for staying cool and hydrated in the heat with IcePlate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3858 no Power Rangers: Haim Saban (2017) As a refugee growing up in Tel Aviv, Haim Saban remembers not having enough money to eat. As an adult, he hustled his way into the entertainment business, writing theme songs for classic cartoons like Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff. But producing the mega-hit Mighty Morphin Power Rangers put him on track to becoming a billionaire media titan. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Chris Waters who created Constructed Adventures, elaborate scavenger hunts for all occasions. (Original broadcast date: March 27, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Sep 2018 04:01:50 -0000 Power Rangers: Haim Saban (2017) full 115 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a refugee growing up in Tel Aviv, Haim Saban remembers not having enough money to eat. As an adult, he hustled his way into the entertainment business, writing theme songs for classic cartoons like Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff. But producing the mega-hit Mighty Morphin Power Rangers put him on track to becoming a billionaire media titan. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Chris Waters who created Constructed Adventures, elaborate scavenger hunts for all occasions. (Original broadcast date: March 27, 2017.) As a refugee growing up in Tel Aviv, Haim Saban remembers not having enough money to eat. As an adult, he hustled his way into the entertainment business, writing theme songs for classic cartoons like Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff. But producing the mega-hit Mighty Morphin Power Rangers put him on track to becoming a billionaire media titan. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Chris Waters who created Constructed Adventures, elaborate scavenger hunts for all occasions. (Original broadcast date: March 27, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2791 no Bobbi Brown Cosmetics: Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brown started out as a makeup artist in New York City, but hated the gaudy color palette of the 1980s. She eventually shook up the industry by introducing "nude makeup" with neutral colors and a natural tone. In 1995, Estée Lauder acquired Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Bobbi remained there for 22 years, until she realized the brand was no longer the one she had built. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Emma Cohen and Miles Pepper saw a problem with plastics and developed a collapsible, reusable drinking straw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Sep 2018 04:01:49 -0000 Bobbi Brown Cosmetics: Bobbi Brown full 114 Guy Raz | Vox Media Bobbi Brown started out as a makeup artist in New York City, but hated the gaudy color palette of the 1980s. She eventually shook up the industry by introducing "nude makeup" with neutral colors and a natural tone. In 1995, Estée Lauder acquired Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Bobbi remained there for 22 years, until she realized the brand was no longer the one she had built. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Emma Cohen and Miles Pepper saw a problem with plastics and developed a collapsible, reusable drinking straw. Bobbi Brown started out as a makeup artist in New York City, but hated the gaudy color palette of the 1980s. She eventually shook up the industry by introducing "nude makeup" with neutral colors and a natural tone. In 1995, Estée Lauder acquired Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Bobbi remained there for 22 years, until she realized the brand was no longer the one she had built. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Emma Cohen and Miles Pepper saw a problem with plastics and developed a collapsible, reusable drinking straw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3340 no Live Episode! New Belgium Brewing Company: Kim Jordan In 1991 newlyweds Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch took out a second mortgage on their home in Fort Collins, Colorado to start a craft brewery in their basement. Jeff had been inspired by the fruit and spice-infused beers he had tasted on a bike trip to Belgium, so they named their company New Belgium, and launched a beer with the whimsical name, Fat Tire. Today, New Belgium Brewing Company is one of the largest craft brewers in the U.S., and Kim Jordan remains one of the few women founders in a male-dominated industry. Recorded live in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Sep 2018 04:01:49 -0000 Live Episode! New Belgium Brewing Company: Kim Jordan full 113 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1991 newlyweds Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch took out a second mortgage on their home in Fort Collins, Colorado to start a craft brewery in their basement. Jeff had been inspired by the fruit and spice-infused beers he had tasted on a bike trip to Belgium, so they named their company New Belgium, and launched a beer with the whimsical name, Fat Tire. Today, New Belgium Brewing Company is one of the largest craft brewers in the U.S., and Kim Jordan remains one of the few women founders in a male-dominated industry. Recorded live in Boulder, Colorado. In 1991 newlyweds Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch took out a second mortgage on their home in Fort Collins, Colorado to start a craft brewery in their basement. Jeff had been inspired by the fruit and spice-infused beers he had tasted on a bike trip to Belgium, so they named their company New Belgium, and launched a beer with the whimsical name, Fat Tire. Today, New Belgium Brewing Company is one of the largest craft brewers in the U.S., and Kim Jordan remains one of the few women founders in a male-dominated industry. Recorded live in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2908 no WeWork: Miguel McKelvey (2018) In 2007, architect Miguel McKelvey convinced his friend Adam Neumann to share an office space in Brooklyn. That was the beginning of WeWork: a shared workspace for startups and freelancers looking for an inspiring environment to do their work. Today, WeWork has created a "community of creators" valued at nearly $16 billion. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kristel Gordon who invented a solution for easily stuffing a duvet back into its cover – it's called Duvaid. (Original broadcast date: June 19, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Sep 2018 04:01:57 -0000 WeWork: Miguel McKelvey (2018) full 112 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2007, architect Miguel McKelvey convinced his friend Adam Neumann to share an office space in Brooklyn. That was the beginning of WeWork: a shared workspace for startups and freelancers looking for an inspiring environment to do their work. Today, WeWork has created a "community of creators" valued at nearly $16 billion. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kristel Gordon who invented a solution for easily stuffing a duvet back into its cover – it's called Duvaid. (Original broadcast date: June 19, 2017.) In 2007, architect Miguel McKelvey convinced his friend Adam Neumann to share an office space in Brooklyn. That was the beginning of WeWork: a shared workspace for startups and freelancers looking for an inspiring environment to do their work. Today, WeWork has created a "community of creators" valued at nearly $16 billion. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kristel Gordon who invented a solution for easily stuffing a duvet back into its cover – it's called Duvaid. (Original broadcast date: June 19, 2017.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3341 no TRX: Randy Hetrick (2018) In 1997, Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick was deployed in Southeast Asia, where he was stationed in a remote warehouse for weeks with no way to exercise. So he grabbed an old jujitsu belt, threw it over a door, and started doing pull-ups. Today, TRX exercise straps dangle from the ceiling in gyms across the country and are standard workout gear for professional athletes. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with a husband-and-wife team who experimented with fruit, spices and vinegar and came up with a gourmet ketchup line called 'Chups. (Original broadcast date: June 26, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Aug 2018 04:02:16 -0000 TRX: Randy Hetrick (2018) full 111 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1997, Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick was deployed in Southeast Asia, where he was stationed in a remote warehouse for weeks with no way to exercise. So he grabbed an old jujitsu belt, threw it over a door, and started doing pull-ups. Today, TRX exercise straps dangle from the ceiling in gyms across the country and are standard workout gear for professional athletes. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with a husband-and-wife team who experimented with fruit, spices and vinegar and came up with a gourmet ketchup line called 'Chups. (Original broadcast date: June 26, 2017). In 1997, Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick was deployed in Southeast Asia, where he was stationed in a remote warehouse for weeks with no way to exercise. So he grabbed an old jujitsu belt, threw it over a door, and started doing pull-ups. Today, TRX exercise straps dangle from the ceiling in gyms across the country and are standard workout gear for professional athletes. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with a husband-and-wife team who experimented with fruit, spices and vinegar and came up with a gourmet ketchup line called 'Chups. (Original broadcast date: June 26, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2837 no Angie's List: Angie Hicks (2016) In 1995, Angie Hicks spent months going door-to-door in Columbus, Ohio, trying to get people to sign up for a new home services referral business. Today, Angie's List is a household name, referring millions of members to plumbers, painters, and more. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Joel Crites who created the app Micro Fantasy, where fans can make predictions about what will happen next in a baseball game. (Original broadcast date: November 28, 2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Aug 2018 04:01:50 -0000 Angie's List: Angie Hicks (2016) full 110 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1995, Angie Hicks spent months going door-to-door in Columbus, Ohio, trying to get people to sign up for a new home services referral business. Today, Angie's List is a household name, referring millions of members to plumbers, painters, and more. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Joel Crites who created the app Micro Fantasy, where fans can make predictions about what will happen next in a baseball game. (Original broadcast date: November 28, 2016) In 1995, Angie Hicks spent months going door-to-door in Columbus, Ohio, trying to get people to sign up for a new home services referral business. Today, Angie's List is a household name, referring millions of members to plumbers, painters, and more. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Joel Crites who created the app Micro Fantasy, where fans can make predictions about what will happen next in a baseball game. (Original broadcast date: November 28, 2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2181 no Live Episode! RXBAR: Peter Rahal In 2013, Peter Rahal was obsessed with CrossFit, but noticed it didn't sell any snacks to align with its pro-paleo philosophy. So instead of joining his family's business, Rahal Foods, he recruited his friend Jared Smith to start making their own protein bar. They made the first RXBAR in a Cuisinart in Peter's parents' home in suburban Chicago. By 2016, RXBAR was doing over $36 million in sales, and in November 2017, the founders sold the company to Kellogg's for $600 million. Recorded live in Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Aug 2018 04:02:20 -0000 Live Episode! RXBAR: Peter Rahal full 109 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2013, Peter Rahal was obsessed with CrossFit, but noticed it didn't sell any snacks to align with its pro-paleo philosophy. So instead of joining his family's business, Rahal Foods, he recruited his friend Jared Smith to start making their own protein bar. They made the first RXBAR in a Cuisinart in Peter's parents' home in suburban Chicago. By 2016, RXBAR was doing over $36 million in sales, and in November 2017, the founders sold the company to Kellogg's for $600 million. Recorded live in Chicago. In 2013, Peter Rahal was obsessed with CrossFit, but noticed it didn't sell any snacks to align with its pro-paleo philosophy. So instead of joining his family's business, Rahal Foods, he recruited his friend Jared Smith to start making their own protein bar. They made the first RXBAR in a Cuisinart in Peter's parents' home in suburban Chicago. By 2016, RXBAR was doing over $36 million in sales, and in November 2017, the founders sold the company to Kellogg's for $600 million. Recorded live in Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3048 yes Carol's Daughter: Lisa Price (2018) Lisa Price worked in television but had a passion for beauty products. At her mother's suggestion, she began selling her homemade moisturizer at a church flea market. Twenty years later, Carol's Daughter is one of the leading beauty brands catering to African-American women. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Aiden Emilio who, along with her husband Jesse, created RexSpecs — UV-protecting goggles for dogs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Aug 2018 04:01:52 -0000 Carol's Daughter: Lisa Price (2018) full 108 Guy Raz | Vox Media Lisa Price worked in television but had a passion for beauty products. At her mother's suggestion, she began selling her homemade moisturizer at a church flea market. Twenty years later, Carol's Daughter is one of the leading beauty brands catering to African-American women. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Aiden Emilio who, along with her husband Jesse, created RexSpecs — UV-protecting goggles for dogs. Lisa Price worked in television but had a passion for beauty products. At her mother's suggestion, she began selling her homemade moisturizer at a church flea market. Twenty years later, Carol's Daughter is one of the leading beauty brands catering to African-American women. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Aiden Emilio who, along with her husband Jesse, created RexSpecs — UV-protecting goggles for dogs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2753 no Slack & Flickr: Stewart Butterfield In the early 2000s, Stewart Butterfield tried to build a weird, massively multiplayer online game, but the venture failed. Instead, he and his co-founders used the technology they developed to create the photo-sharing site Flickr. After Flickr was acquired by Yahoo in 2005, Butterfield went back to the online game idea, only to fail again. But the office messaging platform Slack rose from the ashes of that second failure — a company which, today, is valued at over $5 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how a peanut butter obsession turned teenager Abby Kircher into a CEO before she was old enough to drive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Jul 2018 04:01:46 -0000 Slack & Flickr: Stewart Butterfield full 107 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 2000s, Stewart Butterfield tried to build a weird, massively multiplayer online game, but the venture failed. Instead, he and his co-founders used the technology they developed to create the photo-sharing site Flickr. After Flickr was acquired by Yahoo in 2005, Butterfield went back to the online game idea, only to fail again. But the office messaging platform Slack rose from the ashes of that second failure — a company which, today, is valued at over $5 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how a peanut butter obsession turned teenager Abby Kircher into a CEO before she was old enough to drive. In the early 2000s, Stewart Butterfield tried to build a weird, massively multiplayer online game, but the venture failed. Instead, he and his co-founders used the technology they developed to create the photo-sharing site Flickr. After Flickr was acquired by Yahoo in 2005, Butterfield went back to the online game idea, only to fail again. But the office messaging platform Slack rose from the ashes of that second failure — a company which, today, is valued at over $5 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how a peanut butter obsession turned teenager Abby Kircher into a CEO before she was old enough to drive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 4025 no Drybar: Alli Webb (2017) A decade ago, full-time mom Alli Webb noticed a gap in the beauty market: there was no place that just focused on blow-drying hair. Now with more than 100 locations, Drybar is testament to Webb's motto: Focus on one thing and be the best at it. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Chris Healy, a long-haired Southern Californian who co-founded The Longhairs and created special hair ties for guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Jul 2018 04:01:47 -0000 Drybar: Alli Webb (2017) full 106 Guy Raz | Vox Media A decade ago, full-time mom Alli Webb noticed a gap in the beauty market: there was no place that just focused on blow-drying hair. Now with more than 100 locations, Drybar is testament to Webb's motto: Focus on one thing and be the best at it. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Chris Healy, a long-haired Southern Californian who co-founded The Longhairs and created special hair ties for guys. A decade ago, full-time mom Alli Webb noticed a gap in the beauty market: there was no place that just focused on blow-drying hair. Now with more than 100 locations, Drybar is testament to Webb's motto: Focus on one thing and be the best at it. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Chris Healy, a long-haired Southern Californian who co-founded The Longhairs and created special hair ties for guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2256 no Steve Madden: Steve Madden Steve Madden fell in love with the shoe business in the 1970's, when he sold platform shoes at a neighborhood store in Long Island, New York. That was in high school. About 15 years later, he struck out on his own, designing and selling shoes with a high-end look at affordable prices. As his business – and his ambitions — began to grow, he got involved in a securities fraud scheme and wound up serving two and-a-half years in prison. In 2005, he returned to Steve Madden, where he helped the company grow into a business valued at $3 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Chris Dimino turned a school design project into the Keyboard Waffle Iron, which makes waffles in the shape of a computer keyboard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Jul 2018 04:01:56 -0000 Steve Madden: Steve Madden full 105 Guy Raz | Vox Media Steve Madden fell in love with the shoe business in the 1970's, when he sold platform shoes at a neighborhood store in Long Island, New York. That was in high school. About 15 years later, he struck out on his own, designing and selling shoes with a high-end look at affordable prices. As his business – and his ambitions — began to grow, he got involved in a securities fraud scheme and wound up serving two and-a-half years in prison. In 2005, he returned to Steve Madden, where he helped the company grow into a business valued at $3 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Chris Dimino turned a school design project into the Keyboard Waffle Iron, which makes waffles in the shape of a computer keyboard. Steve Madden fell in love with the shoe business in the 1970's, when he sold platform shoes at a neighborhood store in Long Island, New York. That was in high school. About 15 years later, he struck out on his own, designing and selling shoes with a high-end look at affordable prices. As his business – and his ambitions — began to grow, he got involved in a securities fraud scheme and wound up serving two and-a-half years in prison. In 2005, he returned to Steve Madden, where he helped the company grow into a business valued at $3 billion. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Chris Dimino turned a school design project into the Keyboard Waffle Iron, which makes waffles in the shape of a computer keyboard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3315 no Lonely Planet: Maureen & Tony Wheeler (2017) In 1972, Maureen and Tony Wheeler bought a beat-up car and drove from London "as far east as we could go." They wound up in Australia, by way of Afghanistan, India and Thailand. Their notes on how to travel on a shoestring became a book, which grew into Lonely Planet — the largest travel guide publisher in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update with Melanie Colón, a frustrated renter who created an easier way to communicate with noisy neighbors, called Apt App. (Original broadcast date: May 8, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Jul 2018 04:01:56 -0000 Lonely Planet: Maureen & Tony Wheeler (2017) full 104 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1972, Maureen and Tony Wheeler bought a beat-up car and drove from London "as far east as we could go." They wound up in Australia, by way of Afghanistan, India and Thailand. Their notes on how to travel on a shoestring became a book, which grew into Lonely Planet — the largest travel guide publisher in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update with Melanie Colón, a frustrated renter who created an easier way to communicate with noisy neighbors, called Apt App. (Original broadcast date: May 8, 2017) In 1972, Maureen and Tony Wheeler bought a beat-up car and drove from London "as far east as we could go." They wound up in Australia, by way of Afghanistan, India and Thailand. Their notes on how to travel on a shoestring became a book, which grew into Lonely Planet — the largest travel guide publisher in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update with Melanie Colón, a frustrated renter who created an easier way to communicate with noisy neighbors, called Apt App. (Original broadcast date: May 8, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2482 no Chicken Salad Chick: Stacy Brown For many of us, chicken salad is just another sandwich filling, but Stacy Brown turned it into a $75 million business. In 2007, she was a divorced mother of three looking for a way to make ends meet. So she started making chicken salad in her kitchen and selling it out of a basket, door-to-door. She eventually turned that home operation into Chicken Salad Chick, and took her recipes to cities across the U.S. Today, Chicken Salad Chick is one of the fastest growing companies in the country. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Dan Kurzrock and Jordan Schwartz up-cycled beer grain into ReGrained nutrition bars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Jul 2018 04:01:23 -0000 Chicken Salad Chick: Stacy Brown full 103 Guy Raz | Vox Media For many of us, chicken salad is just another sandwich filling, but Stacy Brown turned it into a $75 million business. In 2007, she was a divorced mother of three looking for a way to make ends meet. So she started making chicken salad in her kitchen and selling it out of a basket, door-to-door. She eventually turned that home operation into Chicken Salad Chick, and took her recipes to cities across the U.S. Today, Chicken Salad Chick is one of the fastest growing companies in the country. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Dan Kurzrock and Jordan Schwartz up-cycled beer grain into ReGrained nutrition bars. For many of us, chicken salad is just another sandwich filling, but Stacy Brown turned it into a $75 million business. In 2007, she was a divorced mother of three looking for a way to make ends meet. So she started making chicken salad in her kitchen and selling it out of a basket, door-to-door. She eventually turned that home operation into Chicken Salad Chick, and took her recipes to cities across the U.S. Today, Chicken Salad Chick is one of the fastest growing companies in the country. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Dan Kurzrock and Jordan Schwartz up-cycled beer grain into ReGrained nutrition bars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3599 no Lyft: John Zimmer (2017) In 2006, John Zimmer was a college student and ride-hailing wasn't yet "a thing." But a class on green cities got him thinking about the glut of underused cars on the road. Eventually, he co-founded Lyft, a company that has helped make ride-hailing a fixture of American urban living. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update with Kyle Ewing, who almost set fire to his living room making Terraslate, a tough waterproof paper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Jun 2018 04:01:19 -0000 Lyft: John Zimmer (2017) full 102 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2006, John Zimmer was a college student and ride-hailing wasn't yet "a thing." But a class on green cities got him thinking about the glut of underused cars on the road. Eventually, he co-founded Lyft, a company that has helped make ride-hailing a fixture of American urban living. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update with Kyle Ewing, who almost set fire to his living room making Terraslate, a tough waterproof paper. In 2006, John Zimmer was a college student and ride-hailing wasn't yet "a thing." But a class on green cities got him thinking about the glut of underused cars on the road. Eventually, he co-founded Lyft, a company that has helped make ride-hailing a fixture of American urban living. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update with Kyle Ewing, who almost set fire to his living room making Terraslate, a tough waterproof paper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2679 no Lululemon Athletica: Chip Wilson After noticing more and more people sign up for yoga in the late 1990s, Chip Wilson bet everything on an athletic apparel company aimed toward young professional women. What started as a small pop-up store in Vancouver eventually became the multibillion-dollar brand Lululemon Athletica, spawning a new fashion trend and forever changing what women wear at the gym. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Mike Sorentino developed the EyePatch Case, an iPhone case that cleans and protects the phone's built-in cameras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Jun 2018 04:01:20 -0000 Lululemon Athletica: Chip Wilson full 101 Guy Raz | Vox Media After noticing more and more people sign up for yoga in the late 1990s, Chip Wilson bet everything on an athletic apparel company aimed toward young professional women. What started as a small pop-up store in Vancouver eventually became the multibillion-dollar brand Lululemon Athletica, spawning a new fashion trend and forever changing what women wear at the gym. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Mike Sorentino developed the EyePatch Case, an iPhone case that cleans and protects the phone's built-in cameras. After noticing more and more people sign up for yoga in the late 1990s, Chip Wilson bet everything on an athletic apparel company aimed toward young professional women. What started as a small pop-up store in Vancouver eventually became the multibillion-dollar brand Lululemon Athletica, spawning a new fashion trend and forever changing what women wear at the gym. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Mike Sorentino developed the EyePatch Case, an iPhone case that cleans and protects the phone's built-in cameras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3367 no Honest Tea: Seth Goldman (2017) In 1997, after going for a long run, Seth Goldman was frustrated with the sugar-filled drinks at the corner market. So he brewed up a beverage in his kitchen, and turned it into Honest Tea. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Jaya Iyer for an update on Svaha Inc., a unique apparel brand that focuses on STEM-themed clothing for babies, kids, and adults. (Original broadcast date: January 16, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Jun 2018 04:01:48 -0000 Honest Tea: Seth Goldman (2017) full 100 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1997, after going for a long run, Seth Goldman was frustrated with the sugar-filled drinks at the corner market. So he brewed up a beverage in his kitchen, and turned it into Honest Tea. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Jaya Iyer for an update on Svaha Inc., a unique apparel brand that focuses on STEM-themed clothing for babies, kids, and adults. (Original broadcast date: January 16, 2017) In 1997, after going for a long run, Seth Goldman was frustrated with the sugar-filled drinks at the corner market. So he brewed up a beverage in his kitchen, and turned it into Honest Tea. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back in with Jaya Iyer for an update on Svaha Inc., a unique apparel brand that focuses on STEM-themed clothing for babies, kids, and adults. (Original broadcast date: January 16, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1989 no Remembering Kate Spade We are incredibly saddened by the loss of the brilliant designer and entrepreneur Kate Spade. We are grateful she and her husband Andy Spade shared their story with us in 2017. The origins of the Kate Spade brand can be drawn back to a 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant, when Andy asked Kate, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Tue, 05 Jun 2018 20:00:00 -0000 Remembering Kate Spade full 99 Guy Raz | Vox Media We are incredibly saddened by the loss of the brilliant designer and entrepreneur Kate Spade. We are grateful she and her husband Andy Spade shared their story with us in 2017. The origins of the Kate Spade brand can be drawn back to a 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant, when Andy asked Kate, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand. We are incredibly saddened by the loss of the brilliant designer and entrepreneur Kate Spade. We are grateful she and her husband Andy Spade shared their story with us in 2017. The origins of the Kate Spade brand can be drawn back to a 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant, when Andy asked Kate, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2359 no Minted: Mariam Naficy In 2000, Mariam Naficy sold her first company, an online cosmetics store called Eve.com, for $110 million. Several years later, she got the entrepreneurial itch once again: she founded Minted, an online stationery store that solicits designs from artists all over the world. Today Minted is one of the biggest crowdsourcing platforms on the Internet. PLUS for our postscript, "How You Built That," how Vanessa and Casey White turned their grandfather's pierogi recipe into Jaju Pierogi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Jun 2018 04:02:01 -0000 Minted: Mariam Naficy full 98 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2000, Mariam Naficy sold her first company, an online cosmetics store called Eve.com, for $110 million. Several years later, she got the entrepreneurial itch once again: she founded Minted, an online stationery store that solicits designs from artists all over the world. Today Minted is one of the biggest crowdsourcing platforms on the Internet. PLUS for our postscript, "How You Built That," how Vanessa and Casey White turned their grandfather's pierogi recipe into Jaju Pierogi. In 2000, Mariam Naficy sold her first company, an online cosmetics store called Eve.com, for $110 million. Several years later, she got the entrepreneurial itch once again: she founded Minted, an online stationery store that solicits designs from artists all over the world. Today Minted is one of the biggest crowdsourcing platforms on the Internet. PLUS for our postscript, "How You Built That," how Vanessa and Casey White turned their grandfather's pierogi recipe into Jaju Pierogi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3217 no Lady Gaga & Atom Factory: Troy Carter (2018) As a kid, Troy Carter dreamed of being a rapper, but soon discovered he was a better manager than a musician. He took Lady Gaga from obscurity to stardom – helping shape both her music and her brand. Then he turned his gift for spotting talent to spotting investment opportunities with his company Atom Factory. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Robyn Gerber for an update on Parkarr, a mobile app that helps drivers find street-parking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 May 2018 04:01:36 -0000 Lady Gaga & Atom Factory: Troy Carter (2018) full 97 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a kid, Troy Carter dreamed of being a rapper, but soon discovered he was a better manager than a musician. He took Lady Gaga from obscurity to stardom – helping shape both her music and her brand. Then he turned his gift for spotting talent to spotting investment opportunities with his company Atom Factory. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Robyn Gerber for an update on Parkarr, a mobile app that helps drivers find street-parking. As a kid, Troy Carter dreamed of being a rapper, but soon discovered he was a better manager than a musician. He took Lady Gaga from obscurity to stardom – helping shape both her music and her brand. Then he turned his gift for spotting talent to spotting investment opportunities with his company Atom Factory. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Robyn Gerber for an update on Parkarr, a mobile app that helps drivers find street-parking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3110 no Bob's Red Mill: Bob Moore In the 1960s, Bob Moore read a book about an old grain mill and was inspired to start his own. Using giant quartz stones from the 19th century, he made dozens of different cereals and flours, positioning his company at the forefront of the health food boom. Today, Bob's Red Mill has grown into a $100 million business – and at nearly 90, Bob goes to work at the mill every day. PLUS, for our postscript, "How You Built That," how Mike Bolos and Jason Grohowski created the portable desk, Deskview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 May 2018 04:02:03 -0000 Bob's Red Mill: Bob Moore full 96 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the 1960s, Bob Moore read a book about an old grain mill and was inspired to start his own. Using giant quartz stones from the 19th century, he made dozens of different cereals and flours, positioning his company at the forefront of the health food boom. Today, Bob's Red Mill has grown into a $100 million business – and at nearly 90, Bob goes to work at the mill every day. PLUS, for our postscript, "How You Built That," how Mike Bolos and Jason Grohowski created the portable desk, Deskview. In the 1960s, Bob Moore read a book about an old grain mill and was inspired to start his own. Using giant quartz stones from the 19th century, he made dozens of different cereals and flours, positioning his company at the forefront of the health food boom. Today, Bob's Red Mill has grown into a $100 million business – and at nearly 90, Bob goes to work at the mill every day. PLUS, for our postscript, "How You Built That," how Mike Bolos and Jason Grohowski created the portable desk, Deskview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2941 no Real Estate Mogul: Barbara Corcoran (2017) Barbara Corcoran grew up in a working-class Irish Catholic family in Jersey – with nine brothers and sisters. But she used her charisma to conquer the streets of Manhattan and build the real estate company, The Corcoran Group. She then reinvented herself as a shark – on Shark Tank. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Aryel Rivero and Vanessa Clavijo for an update on their business, Gift Wrap My Face, which designs and prints custom gift wrapping featuring the faces of people you love. (Original broadcast date: April 24, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 May 2018 04:01:00 -0000 Real Estate Mogul: Barbara Corcoran (2017) full 95 Guy Raz | Vox Media Barbara Corcoran grew up in a working-class Irish Catholic family in Jersey – with nine brothers and sisters. But she used her charisma to conquer the streets of Manhattan and build the real estate company, The Corcoran Group. She then reinvented herself as a shark – on Shark Tank. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Aryel Rivero and Vanessa Clavijo for an update on their business, Gift Wrap My Face, which designs and prints custom gift wrapping featuring the faces of people you love. (Original broadcast date: April 24, 2017) Barbara Corcoran grew up in a working-class Irish Catholic family in Jersey – with nine brothers and sisters. But she used her charisma to conquer the streets of Manhattan and build the real estate company, The Corcoran Group. She then reinvented herself as a shark – on Shark Tank. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Aryel Rivero and Vanessa Clavijo for an update on their business, Gift Wrap My Face, which designs and prints custom gift wrapping featuring the faces of people you love. (Original broadcast date: April 24, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Shark Tank. PLUS, for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Aryel Rivero and Vanessa Clavijo for an update on their business, Gift Wrap My Face, which designs and prints custom gift wrapping featuring the faces of people you love. (Original broadcast date: April 24, 2017)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3303 yes Stripe: Patrick and John Collison Brothers Patrick and John Collison founded and sold their first company before they turned 20. They created software to help eBay users manage inventory online, which set them on a path to help make e-commerce frictionless. Today, John and Patrick are the founders of Stripe, a software company that uses just a few lines of code to power the payment system of companies like Lyft, Warby Parker and Target. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Robert Armstrong turned his grandma's cookie recipe into "G Mommas," buttery, bite-sized pecan-chocolate-chip cookies that are now sold in stores across the Southeast U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 May 2018 04:01:00 -0000 Stripe: Patrick and John Collison full 94 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brothers Patrick and John Collison founded and sold their first company before they turned 20. They created software to help eBay users manage inventory online, which set them on a path to help make e-commerce frictionless. Today, John and Patrick are the founders of Stripe, a software company that uses just a few lines of code to power the payment system of companies like Lyft, Warby Parker and Target. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Robert Armstrong turned his grandma's cookie recipe into "G Mommas," buttery, bite-sized pecan-chocolate-chip cookies that are now sold in stores across the Southeast U.S. Brothers Patrick and John Collison founded and sold their first company before they turned 20. They created software to help eBay users manage inventory online, which set them on a path to help make e-commerce frictionless. Today, John and Patrick are the founders of Stripe, a software company that uses just a few lines of code to power the payment system of companies like Lyft, Warby Parker and Target. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Robert Armstrong turned his grandma's cookie recipe into "G Mommas," buttery, bite-sized pecan-chocolate-chip cookies that are now sold in stores across the Southeast U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2740 no Panera Bread/Au Bon Pain: Ron Shaich In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich bought a small, struggling Boston bakery chain called Au Bon Pain, and built it out to 250 locations nationwide. Ron then saw an opportunity to build something even bigger: Panera Bread. It was the start of "fast casual" – a new kind of eating experience, between fast food and restaurant dining. Today, Panera Bread has over 2,000 stores, and $5 billion in annual sales. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Tyson Walters got so tired of his St. Bernard shedding everywhere that he created the Shed Defender, a zip-up body suit for dogs that captures loose hair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Apr 2018 04:01:00 -0000 Panera Bread/Au Bon Pain: Ron Shaich full 93 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich bought a small, struggling Boston bakery chain called Au Bon Pain, and built it out to 250 locations nationwide. Ron then saw an opportunity to build something even bigger: Panera Bread. It was the start of "fast casual" – a new kind of eating experience, between fast food and restaurant dining. Today, Panera Bread has over 2,000 stores, and $5 billion in annual sales. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Tyson Walters got so tired of his St. Bernard shedding everywhere that he created the Shed Defender, a zip-up body suit for dogs that captures loose hair. In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich bought a small, struggling Boston bakery chain called Au Bon Pain, and built it out to 250 locations nationwide. Ron then saw an opportunity to build something even bigger: Panera Bread. It was the start of "fast casual" – a new kind of eating experience, between fast food and restaurant dining. Today, Panera Bread has over 2,000 stores, and $5 billion in annual sales. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Tyson Walters got so tired of his St. Bernard shedding everywhere that he created the Shed Defender, a zip-up body suit for dogs that captures loose hair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2758 no Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand (2016) Jane Wurwand moved to Los Angeles with a suitcase and a beauty school diploma. She started what would become Dermalogica, an international beauty empire that set the standard for skin care. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Nick Gilson for an update on his company, Gilson Snowboards, a snowboard & ski company based in Pennsylvania. (Original broadcast date: October 24, 2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Apr 2018 04:01:00 -0000 Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand (2016) full 92 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jane Wurwand moved to Los Angeles with a suitcase and a beauty school diploma. She started what would become Dermalogica, an international beauty empire that set the standard for skin care. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Nick Gilson for an update on his company, Gilson Snowboards, a snowboard & ski company based in Pennsylvania. (Original broadcast date: October 24, 2016) Jane Wurwand moved to Los Angeles with a suitcase and a beauty school diploma. She started what would become Dermalogica, an international beauty empire that set the standard for skin care. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Nick Gilson for an update on his company, Gilson Snowboards, a snowboard & ski company based in Pennsylvania. (Original broadcast date: October 24, 2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2650 no Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine After selling their first small business and shuttering their second, former college roommates Niraj Shah and Steve Conine thought about getting "normal" jobs. But in the early 2000s, they stumbled across an unexpected trend: people were buying furniture online to get a wider selection. Within a few years, Niraj and Steve launched 250 different websites, selling everything from barstools to birdhouses. Eventually, they consolidated these sites into one giant brand: Wayfair. The company now carries more than 10 million items for home and last year brought in more than $4 billion in sales. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Carin Luna-Ostaseski fell in love with scotch and became the first American woman to create a Scotch whisky company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Apr 2018 04:01:00 -0000 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine full 91 Guy Raz | Vox Media After selling their first small business and shuttering their second, former college roommates Niraj Shah and Steve Conine thought about getting "normal" jobs. But in the early 2000s, they stumbled across an unexpected trend: people were buying furniture online to get a wider selection. Within a few years, Niraj and Steve launched 250 different websites, selling everything from barstools to birdhouses. Eventually, they consolidated these sites into one giant brand: Wayfair. The company now carries more than 10 million items for home and last year brought in more than $4 billion in sales. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Carin Luna-Ostaseski fell in love with scotch and became the first American woman to create a Scotch whisky company. After selling their first small business and shuttering their second, former college roommates Niraj Shah and Steve Conine thought about getting "normal" jobs. But in the early 2000s, they stumbled across an unexpected trend: people were buying furniture online to get a wider selection. Within a few years, Niraj and Steve launched 250 different websites, selling everything from barstools to birdhouses. Eventually, they consolidated these sites into one giant brand: Wayfair. The company now carries more than 10 million items for home and last year brought in more than $4 billion in sales. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That," how Carin Luna-Ostaseski fell in love with scotch and became the first American woman to create a Scotch whisky company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3022 no FUBU: Daymond John Daymond John grew up during the 1980s in the heart of hip hop culture: Hollis, Queens. In his early 20s, he was working at Red Lobster and trying to figure out how to start a business. Eventually, he stumbled on the idea of making clothes for fans of rap music. In 1992, he started FUBU (For Us By Us) and began selling hats outside of a local mall. Three years later, FUBU was bringing in $350 million in sales. Today, he's a judge on Shark Tank, and a motivational speaker and author. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how Len Testa created an app that uses real-time data to help people avoid long lines at theme parks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Apr 2018 04:01:00 -0000 FUBU: Daymond John full 90 Guy Raz | Vox Media Daymond John grew up during the 1980s in the heart of hip hop culture: Hollis, Queens. In his early 20s, he was working at Red Lobster and trying to figure out how to start a business. Eventually, he stumbled on the idea of making clothes for fans of rap music. In 1992, he started FUBU (For Us By Us) and began selling hats outside of a local mall. Three years later, FUBU was bringing in $350 million in sales. Today, he's a judge on Shark Tank, and a motivational speaker and author. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how Len Testa created an app that uses real-time data to help people avoid long lines at theme parks. Daymond John grew up during the 1980s in the heart of hip hop culture: Hollis, Queens. In his early 20s, he was working at Red Lobster and trying to figure out how to start a business. Eventually, he stumbled on the idea of making clothes for fans of rap music. In 1992, he started FUBU (For Us By Us) and began selling hats outside of a local mall. Three years later, FUBU was bringing in $350 million in sales. Today, he's a judge on Shark Tank, and a motivational speaker and author. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how Len Testa created an app that uses real-time data to help people avoid long lines at theme parks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3352 no Stitch Fix: Katrina Lake In 2010, Katrina Lake recruited 20 friends for an experiment: she wanted to see if she could choose clothes for them that accurately matched their style and personality. That idea sparked Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping service that aims to take the guesswork out of shopping. Today, it has over two million customers and brings in nearly a billion dollars in annual revenue. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how Brian Sonia-Wallace built "Rent Poet" — a poem-on-demand service for weddings, corporate gatherings, and other events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Apr 2018 04:01:00 -0000 Stitch Fix: Katrina Lake full 89 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2010, Katrina Lake recruited 20 friends for an experiment: she wanted to see if she could choose clothes for them that accurately matched their style and personality. That idea sparked Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping service that aims to take the guesswork out of shopping. Today, it has over two million customers and brings in nearly a billion dollars in annual revenue. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how Brian Sonia-Wallace built "Rent Poet" — a poem-on-demand service for weddings, corporate gatherings, and other events. In 2010, Katrina Lake recruited 20 friends for an experiment: she wanted to see if she could choose clothes for them that accurately matched their style and personality. That idea sparked Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping service that aims to take the guesswork out of shopping. Today, it has over two million customers and brings in nearly a billion dollars in annual revenue. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how Brian Sonia-Wallace built "Rent Poet" — a poem-on-demand service for weddings, corporate gatherings, and other events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3288 no Atari & Chuck E. Cheese's: Nolan Bushnell (2017) Before he turned 40, Nolan Bushnell founded two brands that permanently shaped the way Americans amuse themselves: the iconic video game system Atari, and the frenetic family restaurant Chuck E. Cheese's. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update on H2OPS, a non-alcoholic take on craft-brewed – a fragrant sparkling water made with hops. (Original broadcast date: February 27, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Mar 2018 04:01:00 -0000 Atari & Chuck E. Cheese's: Nolan Bushnell (2017) full 88 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before he turned 40, Nolan Bushnell founded two brands that permanently shaped the way Americans amuse themselves: the iconic video game system Atari, and the frenetic family restaurant Chuck E. Cheese's. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update on H2OPS, a non-alcoholic take on craft-brewed – a fragrant sparkling water made with hops. (Original broadcast date: February 27, 2017) Before he turned 40, Nolan Bushnell founded two brands that permanently shaped the way Americans amuse themselves: the iconic video game system Atari, and the frenetic family restaurant Chuck E. Cheese's. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update on H2OPS, a non-alcoholic take on craft-brewed – a fragrant sparkling water made with hops. (Original broadcast date: February 27, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3196 no LÄRABAR: Lara Merriken In 2000, Lara Merriken was 32, recently divorced, and without a job when she decided to make energy bars by mixing cherries, dates, and almonds in her Cuisinart. Eventually, she perfected the recipe and launched her company: LÄRABAR. After just two years, the company was bringing in millions in revenue. In 2008, she sold to General Mills, but stayed on to help grow LÄRABAR into one of the biggest energy bar brands in the U.S. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how two brothers from Guinea, West Africa founded a company that makes Ginjan, a spicy-sweet juice from their boyhood, which mixes pineapple and ginger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Mar 2018 04:01:00 -0000 LÄRABAR: Lara Merriken full 87 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2000, Lara Merriken was 32, recently divorced, and without a job when she decided to make energy bars by mixing cherries, dates, and almonds in her Cuisinart. Eventually, she perfected the recipe and launched her company: LÄRABAR. After just two years, the company was bringing in millions in revenue. In 2008, she sold to General Mills, but stayed on to help grow LÄRABAR into one of the biggest energy bar brands in the U.S. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how two brothers from Guinea, West Africa founded a company that makes Ginjan, a spicy-sweet juice from their boyhood, which mixes pineapple and ginger. In 2000, Lara Merriken was 32, recently divorced, and without a job when she decided to make energy bars by mixing cherries, dates, and almonds in her Cuisinart. Eventually, she perfected the recipe and launched her company: LÄRABAR. After just two years, the company was bringing in millions in revenue. In 2008, she sold to General Mills, but stayed on to help grow LÄRABAR into one of the biggest energy bar brands in the U.S. Plus, for our postscript "How You Built That", how two brothers from Guinea, West Africa founded a company that makes Ginjan, a spicy-sweet juice from their boyhood, which mixes pineapple and ginger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3464 no The Knot: Carley Roney & David Liu When Carley Roney and David Liu got married, they had a seat-of-the-pants celebration on a sweltering Washington rooftop. They never planned to go into the wedding business, but soon saw an opportunity in the market for a fresh approach to wedding planning. In 1996, they founded The Knot, a website with an irreverent attitude about "the big day." The Knot weathered the dot.com bust, a stock market meltdown, and eventually grew into the lifestyle brand XO Group, valued at $500 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Michael Dixon's business, Mobile Vinyl Recorders, uses portable record lathes to cut vinyl at parties, weddings, and music festivals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Mar 2018 04:01:00 -0000 The Knot: Carley Roney & David Liu full 86 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Carley Roney and David Liu got married, they had a seat-of-the-pants celebration on a sweltering Washington rooftop. They never planned to go into the wedding business, but soon saw an opportunity in the market for a fresh approach to wedding planning. In 1996, they founded The Knot, a website with an irreverent attitude about "the big day." The Knot weathered the dot.com bust, a stock market meltdown, and eventually grew into the lifestyle brand XO Group, valued at $500 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Michael Dixon's business, Mobile Vinyl Recorders, uses portable record lathes to cut vinyl at parties, weddings, and music festivals. When Carley Roney and David Liu got married, they had a seat-of-the-pants celebration on a sweltering Washington rooftop. They never planned to go into the wedding business, but soon saw an opportunity in the market for a fresh approach to wedding planning. In 1996, they founded The Knot, a website with an irreverent attitude about "the big day." The Knot weathered the dot.com bust, a stock market meltdown, and eventually grew into the lifestyle brand XO Group, valued at $500 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Michael Dixon's business, Mobile Vinyl Recorders, uses portable record lathes to cut vinyl at parties, weddings, and music festivals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3531 no 1-800-GOT-JUNK?: Brian Scudamore (2018) Brian Scudamore didn't dream of a life hauling away other people's trash. But when he needed to pay for college, he bought a $700 pickup truck, painted his phone number on the side, and started hauling. Now 1-800-GOT-JUNK? makes close to $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on Bloomerent, an online service that helps couples save wedding costs by letting them share flower arrangements on the same weekend. (Original broadcast date: April 17, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Mar 2018 05:01:00 -0000 1-800-GOT-JUNK?: Brian Scudamore (2018) full 85 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brian Scudamore didn't dream of a life hauling away other people's trash. But when he needed to pay for college, he bought a $700 pickup truck, painted his phone number on the side, and started hauling. Now 1-800-GOT-JUNK? makes close to $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on Bloomerent, an online service that helps couples save wedding costs by letting them share flower arrangements on the same weekend. (Original broadcast date: April 17, 2017) Brian Scudamore didn't dream of a life hauling away other people's trash. But when he needed to pay for college, he bought a $700 pickup truck, painted his phone number on the side, and started hauling. Now 1-800-GOT-JUNK? makes close to $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on Bloomerent, an online service that helps couples save wedding costs by letting them share flower arrangements on the same weekend. (Original broadcast date: April 17, 2017) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2655 no Live Episode! Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Jeni Britton Bauer Even as a kid, Jeni Britton Bauer knew she was going to start a business one day. But she had no idea that her love for perfume would inspire her to start experimenting with ice cream. After years of hustling, she eventually launched Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, a company that now has more than 30 stores nationally and touts unique flavors like Brambleberry Crisp and Lemon Buttermilk. Recorded live in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Wed, 28 Feb 2018 05:01:31 -0000 Live Episode! Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Jeni Britton Bauer full 84 Guy Raz | Vox Media Even as a kid, Jeni Britton Bauer knew she was going to start a business one day. But she had no idea that her love for perfume would inspire her to start experimenting with ice cream. After years of hustling, she eventually launched Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, a company that now has more than 30 stores nationally and touts unique flavors like Brambleberry Crisp and Lemon Buttermilk. Recorded live in Columbus, Ohio. Even as a kid, Jeni Britton Bauer knew she was going to start a business one day. But she had no idea that her love for perfume would inspire her to start experimenting with ice cream. After years of hustling, she eventually launched Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, a company that now has more than 30 stores nationally and touts unique flavors like Brambleberry Crisp and Lemon Buttermilk. Recorded live in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2999 no Wikipedia: Jimmy Wales During the dot com boom of the late 1990s, Jimmy Wales was running an internet search company. That's when he began to experiment with the idea of an online encyclopedia. In 2001, Wales launched Wikipedia, a website where thousands of community members could contribute, edit, and monitor content on just about anything. Today, the non-profit has stayed true to its open source roots and is the fifth most visited website in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Florence Wetterwald created Blabla dolls – eco-friendly knitted dolls made in Peru. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Feb 2018 05:01:00 -0000 Wikipedia: Jimmy Wales full 83 Guy Raz | Vox Media During the dot com boom of the late 1990s, Jimmy Wales was running an internet search company. That's when he began to experiment with the idea of an online encyclopedia. In 2001, Wales launched Wikipedia, a website where thousands of community members could contribute, edit, and monitor content on just about anything. Today, the non-profit has stayed true to its open source roots and is the fifth most visited website in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Florence Wetterwald created Blabla dolls – eco-friendly knitted dolls made in Peru. During the dot com boom of the late 1990s, Jimmy Wales was running an internet search company. That's when he began to experiment with the idea of an online encyclopedia. In 2001, Wales launched Wikipedia, a website where thousands of community members could contribute, edit, and monitor content on just about anything. Today, the non-profit has stayed true to its open source roots and is the fifth most visited website in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Florence Wetterwald created Blabla dolls – eco-friendly knitted dolls made in Peru. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2748 no Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal (2016) In 2008, it was nearly impossible to buy a fashionable, affordable pair of glasses online. That simple frustration inspired the idea behind Warby Parker – and disrupted the eyewear industry. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on Bellyak, a kayak where you lie on your belly and paddle with your hands. (Original broadcast date: December 26, 2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Feb 2018 05:01:00 -0000 Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal (2016) full 82 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2008, it was nearly impossible to buy a fashionable, affordable pair of glasses online. That simple frustration inspired the idea behind Warby Parker – and disrupted the eyewear industry. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on Bellyak, a kayak where you lie on your belly and paddle with your hands. (Original broadcast date: December 26, 2016) In 2008, it was nearly impossible to buy a fashionable, affordable pair of glasses online. That simple frustration inspired the idea behind Warby Parker – and disrupted the eyewear industry. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on Bellyak, a kayak where you lie on your belly and paddle with your hands. (Original broadcast date: December 26, 2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2127 no Dyson: James Dyson In 1979, James Dyson had an idea for a new vacuum cleaner — one that didn't use bags. It took him five years to perfect the design, building more than 5,000 prototypes in his backyard shed. He then tried to convince the big vacuum brands to license his invention, but most wouldn't even take his calls. Eventually, he started his own company. Today, Dyson is one of the best-selling vacuum brands in the world, and James Dyson is a billionaire. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Theresa Stotesbury made a business out of fake blood — a synthetic material that helps create a realistic crime scene for police training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Feb 2018 05:01:00 -0000 Dyson: James Dyson full 81 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1979, James Dyson had an idea for a new vacuum cleaner — one that didn't use bags. It took him five years to perfect the design, building more than 5,000 prototypes in his backyard shed. He then tried to convince the big vacuum brands to license his invention, but most wouldn't even take his calls. Eventually, he started his own company. Today, Dyson is one of the best-selling vacuum brands in the world, and James Dyson is a billionaire. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Theresa Stotesbury made a business out of fake blood — a synthetic material that helps create a realistic crime scene for police training. In 1979, James Dyson had an idea for a new vacuum cleaner — one that didn't use bags. It took him five years to perfect the design, building more than 5,000 prototypes in his backyard shed. He then tried to convince the big vacuum brands to license his invention, but most wouldn't even take his calls. Eventually, he started his own company. Today, Dyson is one of the best-selling vacuum brands in the world, and James Dyson is a billionaire. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Theresa Stotesbury made a business out of fake blood — a synthetic material that helps create a realistic crime scene for police training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2817 no Melissa & Doug: Melissa And Doug Bernstein (2016) Melissa and Doug Bernstein's first success was a wooden 'fuzzy puzzle' of farm animals. Today, Melissa & Doug makes over 2,000 kinds of toys and serves as an antidote to the rise of digital toys. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on The Cut Buddy, a stencil device that helps you cut your own hair. (Original broadcast date: December 19, 2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Feb 2018 05:01:00 -0000 Melissa & Doug: Melissa And Doug Bernstein (2016) full 80 Guy Raz | Vox Media Melissa and Doug Bernstein's first success was a wooden 'fuzzy puzzle' of farm animals. Today, Melissa & Doug makes over 2,000 kinds of toys and serves as an antidote to the rise of digital toys. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on The Cut Buddy, a stencil device that helps you cut your own hair. (Original broadcast date: December 19, 2016) Melissa and Doug Bernstein's first success was a wooden 'fuzzy puzzle' of farm animals. Today, Melissa & Doug makes over 2,000 kinds of toys and serves as an antidote to the rise of digital toys. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," an update on The Cut Buddy, a stencil device that helps you cut your own hair. (Original broadcast date: December 19, 2016) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2499 no Dell Computers: Michael Dell Before it became fashionable to start a tech company in your dorm room, Michael Dell did exactly that. In 1983, he began selling upgrade kits for PC's out of his dorm at UT Austin. A few months later he gave up his plan of being Pre-Med, and dropped out of school to focus on the PC business. At age of 27, he became the youngest CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. Today, Dell has sold more than 650 million computers. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Hannah England turned a common parenting problem into Wash. It. Later. — a water-tight bag for soaking soiled baby clothes before they stain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 Jan 2018 05:01:00 -0000 Dell Computers: Michael Dell full 79 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before it became fashionable to start a tech company in your dorm room, Michael Dell did exactly that. In 1983, he began selling upgrade kits for PC's out of his dorm at UT Austin. A few months later he gave up his plan of being Pre-Med, and dropped out of school to focus on the PC business. At age of 27, he became the youngest CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. Today, Dell has sold more than 650 million computers. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Hannah England turned a common parenting problem into Wash. It. Later. — a water-tight bag for soaking soiled baby clothes before they stain. Before it became fashionable to start a tech company in your dorm room, Michael Dell did exactly that. In 1983, he began selling upgrade kits for PC's out of his dorm at UT Austin. A few months later he gave up his plan of being Pre-Med, and dropped out of school to focus on the PC business. At age of 27, he became the youngest CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. Today, Dell has sold more than 650 million computers. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Hannah England turned a common parenting problem into Wash. It. Later. — a water-tight bag for soaking soiled baby clothes before they stain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3128 no Serial Entrepreneur: Marcia Kilgore After high school, Marcia Kilgore moved to New York City with $300 in her pocket and no real plan. One step at a time, she became a successful serial entrepreneur. First, she used her high school bodybuilding experience to find work as a personal trainer. Then she taught herself to give facials, and eventually started her own spa and skincare line, Bliss. The spa became so popular that it was booked months in advance with a list of celebrity clientele. After selling her shares in Bliss, Marcia went on to start four new successful companies: Soap & Glory, FitFlop, Soaper Duper, and Beauty Pie. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Steve Kral has created a successful business fulfilling a very particular niche: selling TV remotes for outdated television sets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 Jan 2018 05:01:00 -0000 Serial Entrepreneur: Marcia Kilgore full 78 Guy Raz | Vox Media After high school, Marcia Kilgore moved to New York City with $300 in her pocket and no real plan. One step at a time, she became a successful serial entrepreneur. First, she used her high school bodybuilding experience to find work as a personal trainer. Then she taught herself to give facials, and eventually started her own spa and skincare line, Bliss. The spa became so popular that it was booked months in advance with a list of celebrity clientele. After selling her shares in Bliss, Marcia went on to start four new successful companies: Soap & Glory, FitFlop, Soaper Duper, and Beauty Pie. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Steve Kral has created a successful business fulfilling a very particular niche: selling TV remotes for outdated television sets. After high school, Marcia Kilgore moved to New York City with $300 in her pocket and no real plan. One step at a time, she became a successful serial entrepreneur. First, she used her high school bodybuilding experience to find work as a personal trainer. Then she taught herself to give facials, and eventually started her own spa and skincare line, Bliss. The spa became so popular that it was booked months in advance with a list of celebrity clientele. After selling her shares in Bliss, Marcia went on to start four new successful companies: Soap & Glory, FitFlop, Soaper Duper, and Beauty Pie. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Steve Kral has created a successful business fulfilling a very particular niche: selling TV remotes for outdated television sets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3394 no LinkedIn: Reid Hoffman In the early 1990s, Reid Hoffman had a vision for the future of the Internet: people would connect through social networks using their real names, and their online lives would be completely merged with their real ones. After several early attempts, he co-founded LinkedIn – a social network focused on jobs and careers. In 2016, the company sold to Microsoft for $26 billion dollars, helping make Hoffman one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in Silicon Valley. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Danica Lause turned a knitting hobby into Peekaboos Ponytail hats, knit caps with strategically placed holes for a ponytail or bun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 Jan 2018 05:01:00 -0000 LinkedIn: Reid Hoffman full 77 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 1990s, Reid Hoffman had a vision for the future of the Internet: people would connect through social networks using their real names, and their online lives would be completely merged with their real ones. After several early attempts, he co-founded LinkedIn – a social network focused on jobs and careers. In 2016, the company sold to Microsoft for $26 billion dollars, helping make Hoffman one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in Silicon Valley. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Danica Lause turned a knitting hobby into Peekaboos Ponytail hats, knit caps with strategically placed holes for a ponytail or bun. In the early 1990s, Reid Hoffman had a vision for the future of the Internet: people would connect through social networks using their real names, and their online lives would be completely merged with their real ones. After several early attempts, he co-founded LinkedIn – a social network focused on jobs and careers. In 2016, the company sold to Microsoft for $26 billion dollars, helping make Hoffman one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in Silicon Valley. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Danica Lause turned a knitting hobby into Peekaboos Ponytail hats, knit caps with strategically placed holes for a ponytail or bun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2739 no Kate Spade: Kate & Andy Spade (2017) We're hard at work planning our next live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Kate Spade. A 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant led Kate & Andy Spade to ask, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Dennis Darnell and his line of garbage can fly traps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 Jan 2018 05:01:00 -0000 Kate Spade: Kate & Andy Spade (2017) full 76 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning our next live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Kate Spade. A 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant led Kate & Andy Spade to ask, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Dennis Darnell and his line of garbage can fly traps. We're hard at work planning our next live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Kate Spade. A 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant led Kate & Andy Spade to ask, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Dennis Darnell and his line of garbage can fly traps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2590 no Clif Bar: Gary Erickson (2018) We're taking a break for the holidays, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Clif Bar. Gary Erickson asked his mom, "Can you make a cookie without butter, sugar or oil?" The result was an energy bar named after his dad — now one of the most popular energy bars in the U.S. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Alec Avedessian about Rareform, his line of bags made out of old highway billboards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 Jan 2018 05:01:00 -0000 Clif Bar: Gary Erickson (2018) full 75 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're taking a break for the holidays, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Clif Bar. Gary Erickson asked his mom, "Can you make a cookie without butter, sugar or oil?" The result was an energy bar named after his dad — now one of the most popular energy bars in the U.S. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Alec Avedessian about Rareform, his line of bags made out of old highway billboards. We're taking a break for the holidays, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Clif Bar. Gary Erickson asked his mom, "Can you make a cookie without butter, sugar or oil?" The result was an energy bar named after his dad — now one of the most popular energy bars in the U.S. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Alec Avedessian about Rareform, his line of bags made out of old highway billboards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2095 no Live Episode! The Home Depot: Arthur Blank In 1978, Arthur Blank and his business partner Bernie Marcus were running a successful chain of hardware stores called Handy Dan – but then, they were unexpectedly fired. The next year, they conceived and launched a new kind of home improvement store that flopped on opening day, but went on to become one of the biggest private employers in the U.S. The Home Depot now earns annual revenue of almost $100 billion. Recorded live in Atlanta. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Dec 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Live Episode! The Home Depot: Arthur Blank full 74 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1978, Arthur Blank and his business partner Bernie Marcus were running a successful chain of hardware stores called Handy Dan – but then, they were unexpectedly fired. The next year, they conceived and launched a new kind of home improvement store that flopped on opening day, but went on to become one of the biggest private employers in the U.S. The Home Depot now earns annual revenue of almost $100 billion. Recorded live in Atlanta. In 1978, Arthur Blank and his business partner Bernie Marcus were running a successful chain of hardware stores called Handy Dan – but then, they were unexpectedly fired. The next year, they conceived and launched a new kind of home improvement store that flopped on opening day, but went on to become one of the biggest private employers in the U.S. The Home Depot now earns annual revenue of almost $100 billion. Recorded live in Atlanta. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2119 no Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard (2016) We're taking a break for the holidays, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Patagonia. In 1973, Yvon Chouinard started the company to make climbing gear he couldn't find elsewhere. Over decades of growth, he has implemented a unique philosophy about business, leadership and profit. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Brett Johnson of Firedrops — cayenne pepper lozenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Dec 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard (2016) full 73 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're taking a break for the holidays, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Patagonia. In 1973, Yvon Chouinard started the company to make climbing gear he couldn't find elsewhere. Over decades of growth, he has implemented a unique philosophy about business, leadership and profit. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Brett Johnson of Firedrops — cayenne pepper lozenges. We're taking a break for the holidays, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Patagonia. In 1973, Yvon Chouinard started the company to make climbing gear he couldn't find elsewhere. Over decades of growth, he has implemented a unique philosophy about business, leadership and profit. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Brett Johnson of Firedrops — cayenne pepper lozenges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1805 no LearnVest: Alexa von Tobel When Alexa von Tobel was just 14, her father passed away unexpectedly, leaving her mother to manage the family's finances. The tragedy made Alexa determined to understand money – and help others plan for periods of uncertainty. In her mid-twenties, she founded LearnVest, a tool that simplifies financial planning and investing. Within three years, the company was providing support to millions of customers. In 2015, she sold LearnVest for a rumored $250 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Dillon Hill built Gamers Gift to help bed-bound and disabled patients enjoy a wide range of places and experiences —through virtual reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Dec 2017 05:01:00 -0000 LearnVest: Alexa von Tobel full 72 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Alexa von Tobel was just 14, her father passed away unexpectedly, leaving her mother to manage the family's finances. The tragedy made Alexa determined to understand money – and help others plan for periods of uncertainty. In her mid-twenties, she founded LearnVest, a tool that simplifies financial planning and investing. Within three years, the company was providing support to millions of customers. In 2015, she sold LearnVest for a rumored $250 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Dillon Hill built Gamers Gift to help bed-bound and disabled patients enjoy a wide range of places and experiences —through virtual reality. When Alexa von Tobel was just 14, her father passed away unexpectedly, leaving her mother to manage the family's finances. The tragedy made Alexa determined to understand money – and help others plan for periods of uncertainty. In her mid-twenties, she founded LearnVest, a tool that simplifies financial planning and investing. Within three years, the company was providing support to millions of customers. In 2015, she sold LearnVest for a rumored $250 million. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Dillon Hill built Gamers Gift to help bed-bound and disabled patients enjoy a wide range of places and experiences —through virtual reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Dillon Hill built Gamers Gift to help bed-bound and disabled patients enjoy a wide range of places and experiences —through virtual reality.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2638 no Live Episode! Black Entertainment Television: Robert Johnson In 1979, Robert Johnson was a lobbyist for the burgeoning cable industry. That's when he got an idea for a channel called Black Entertainment Television. He started small, just a few hours of programming a week. But by the 1990s BET had become a cultural touchstone. In 2001, he sold BET to Viacom for $2.3 billion, making him the first African-American billionaire in US history. Recorded live in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:26:00 -0000 Live Episode! Black Entertainment Television: Robert Johnson full 71 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1979, Robert Johnson was a lobbyist for the burgeoning cable industry. That's when he got an idea for a channel called Black Entertainment Television. He started small, just a few hours of programming a week. But by the 1990s BET had become a cultural touchstone. In 2001, he sold BET to Viacom for $2.3 billion, making him the first African-American billionaire in US history. Recorded live in Washington, D.C. In 1979, Robert Johnson was a lobbyist for the burgeoning cable industry. That's when he got an idea for a channel called Black Entertainment Television. He started small, just a few hours of programming a week. But by the 1990s BET had become a cultural touchstone. In 2001, he sold BET to Viacom for $2.3 billion, making him the first African-American billionaire in US history. Recorded live in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2640 no Tom's Of Maine: Tom Chappell In 1970, Tom Chappell took out a $5000 loan to launch a natural products company called Tom's of Maine. Working out of a warehouse in Kennebunk, Maine, he created soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste free from added chemicals, and sustainable for the environment. When he sold the company three decades later, Tom's of Maine had become one of the largest natural products brands in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Paul Kaster, who two years ago started a company that makes wooden bowties, and is now starting Carbon Cravat — which makes bowties out of carbon fiber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Dec 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Tom's Of Maine: Tom Chappell full 70 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1970, Tom Chappell took out a $5000 loan to launch a natural products company called Tom's of Maine. Working out of a warehouse in Kennebunk, Maine, he created soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste free from added chemicals, and sustainable for the environment. When he sold the company three decades later, Tom's of Maine had become one of the largest natural products brands in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Paul Kaster, who two years ago started a company that makes wooden bowties, and is now starting Carbon Cravat — which makes bowties out of carbon fiber. In 1970, Tom Chappell took out a $5000 loan to launch a natural products company called Tom's of Maine. Working out of a warehouse in Kennebunk, Maine, he created soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste free from added chemicals, and sustainable for the environment. When he sold the company three decades later, Tom's of Maine had become one of the largest natural products brands in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Paul Kaster, who two years ago started a company that makes wooden bowties, and is now starting Carbon Cravat — which makes bowties out of carbon fiber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2440 no Zumba: Beto Perez & Alberto Perlman (January, 2017) We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Zumba. Zumba began as a mistake: aerobics teacher Beto Perez brought the wrong music to class, then improvised a dance routine to go with it. For his students, it was more fun than work — and it eventually grew into one of the biggest fitness brands in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alex McKenzie is hoping to upgrade the menu of your neighborhood ice cream truck by offering exotic flavors, high fat content, plus low-guilt options for the health-conscious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Dec 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Zumba: Beto Perez & Alberto Perlman (January, 2017) full 69 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Zumba. Zumba began as a mistake: aerobics teacher Beto Perez brought the wrong music to class, then improvised a dance routine to go with it. For his students, it was more fun than work — and it eventually grew into one of the biggest fitness brands in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alex McKenzie is hoping to upgrade the menu of your neighborhood ice cream truck by offering exotic flavors, high fat content, plus low-guilt options for the health-conscious. We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Zumba. Zumba began as a mistake: aerobics teacher Beto Perez brought the wrong music to class, then improvised a dance routine to go with it. For his students, it was more fun than work — and it eventually grew into one of the biggest fitness brands in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alex McKenzie is hoping to upgrade the menu of your neighborhood ice cream truck by offering exotic flavors, high fat content, plus low-guilt options for the health-conscious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2672 no Framebridge: Susan Tynan Susan Tynan's experience in the ephemeral e-market of LivingSocial made her want to start a business that she could touch and feel. She got her idea after experiencing sticker shock at her local framing store: she was charged $1600 to frame four cheap posters and figured there had to be a better way. So she created a mail-order framing company that offers fewer designs at much lower prices. Framebridge is now three years old and still feeling growing pains, but is slowly reshaping the rules of a rigid industry. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alexander Van Dewark created a portable mat that helps people mix cement without a wheelbarrow or a paddle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Nov 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Framebridge: Susan Tynan full 68 Guy Raz | Vox Media Susan Tynan's experience in the ephemeral e-market of LivingSocial made her want to start a business that she could touch and feel. She got her idea after experiencing sticker shock at her local framing store: she was charged $1600 to frame four cheap posters and figured there had to be a better way. So she created a mail-order framing company that offers fewer designs at much lower prices. Framebridge is now three years old and still feeling growing pains, but is slowly reshaping the rules of a rigid industry. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alexander Van Dewark created a portable mat that helps people mix cement without a wheelbarrow or a paddle. Susan Tynan's experience in the ephemeral e-market of LivingSocial made her want to start a business that she could touch and feel. She got her idea after experiencing sticker shock at her local framing store: she was charged $1600 to frame four cheap posters and figured there had to be a better way. So she created a mail-order framing company that offers fewer designs at much lower prices. Framebridge is now three years old and still feeling growing pains, but is slowly reshaping the rules of a rigid industry. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alexander Van Dewark created a portable mat that helps people mix cement without a wheelbarrow or a paddle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3697 no Ben & Jerry's: Ben Cohen And Jerry Greenfield In the mid-1970s two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield decided to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Their quirky little shop packaged and sold unusual flavors like Honey Coffee, Mocha Walnut, and Mint with Oreo Cookies. In 1981, the regional brand spread across the country after Time magazine called it the "best ice cream in America." Today, Ben & Jerry's is one of the top selling ice cream brands in the world. And, like the original founders, the company doesn't shy away from speaking out on social issues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", how David Stover and his team at Bureo turn fishing nets into skateboards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Nov 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Ben & Jerry's: Ben Cohen And Jerry Greenfield full 67 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the mid-1970s two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield decided to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Their quirky little shop packaged and sold unusual flavors like Honey Coffee, Mocha Walnut, and Mint with Oreo Cookies. In 1981, the regional brand spread across the country after Time magazine called it the "best ice cream in America." Today, Ben & Jerry's is one of the top selling ice cream brands in the world. And, like the original founders, the company doesn't shy away from speaking out on social issues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", how David Stover and his team at Bureo turn fishing nets into skateboards. In the mid-1970s two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield decided to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Their quirky little shop packaged and sold unusual flavors like Honey Coffee, Mocha Walnut, and Mint with Oreo Cookies. In 1981, the regional brand spread across the country after Time magazine called it the "best ice cream in America." Today, Ben & Jerry's is one of the top selling ice cream brands in the world. And, like the original founders, the company doesn't shy away from speaking out on social issues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", how David Stover and his team at Bureo turn fishing nets into skateboards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3658 yes Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger (2017) We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Instagram. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched their photo-sharing app with a server that crashed every other hour. Despite a chaotic start, it became one of the most popular apps in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Dave Weiner of Priority Bicycles, a low-maintenance bicycle brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Nov 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger (2017) full 66 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Instagram. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched their photo-sharing app with a server that crashed every other hour. Despite a chaotic start, it became one of the most popular apps in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Dave Weiner of Priority Bicycles, a low-maintenance bicycle brand. We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Instagram. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched their photo-sharing app with a server that crashed every other hour. Despite a chaotic start, it became one of the most popular apps in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Dave Weiner of Priority Bicycles, a low-maintenance bicycle brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2142 no Eileen Fisher: Eileen Fisher In 1983, Eileen Fisher signed up for a fashion trade show with no experience, no garments, no patterns or sketches – nothing but a few ideas for a women's clothing line focused on simplicity. Within three weeks, she came up with 12 pieces, a logo, and a name: Eileen Fisher. Today, the Eileen Fisher brand is still known for its elegant and minimalist designs, but it has grown to more than 60 locations and makes over $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Louisiana butcher Charlie Munford is helping popularize wild boar meat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Nov 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Eileen Fisher: Eileen Fisher full 65 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1983, Eileen Fisher signed up for a fashion trade show with no experience, no garments, no patterns or sketches – nothing but a few ideas for a women's clothing line focused on simplicity. Within three weeks, she came up with 12 pieces, a logo, and a name: Eileen Fisher. Today, the Eileen Fisher brand is still known for its elegant and minimalist designs, but it has grown to more than 60 locations and makes over $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Louisiana butcher Charlie Munford is helping popularize wild boar meat. In 1983, Eileen Fisher signed up for a fashion trade show with no experience, no garments, no patterns or sketches – nothing but a few ideas for a women's clothing line focused on simplicity. Within three weeks, she came up with 12 pieces, a logo, and a name: Eileen Fisher. Today, the Eileen Fisher brand is still known for its elegant and minimalist designs, but it has grown to more than 60 locations and makes over $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Louisiana butcher Charlie Munford is helping popularize wild boar meat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3036 no Chipotle: Steve Ells In 1992, Steve Ells was a classically trained chef working in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco. But after eating a burrito at a local taqueria, he got an idea: to sell burritos and earn enough money to open his own gourmet restaurant. The first Chipotle opened in Denver the following year. Bringing his culinary training to taqueria-style service, Steve Ells helped transform the way we eat fast food. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alexander Harik turned his mom's recipe for za'atar spread—a fragrant Middle Eastern condiment—into Zesty Z: The Za'atar Company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Oct 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Chipotle: Steve Ells full 64 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1992, Steve Ells was a classically trained chef working in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco. But after eating a burrito at a local taqueria, he got an idea: to sell burritos and earn enough money to open his own gourmet restaurant. The first Chipotle opened in Denver the following year. Bringing his culinary training to taqueria-style service, Steve Ells helped transform the way we eat fast food. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alexander Harik turned his mom's recipe for za'atar spread—a fragrant Middle Eastern condiment—into Zesty Z: The Za'atar Company. In 1992, Steve Ells was a classically trained chef working in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco. But after eating a burrito at a local taqueria, he got an idea: to sell burritos and earn enough money to open his own gourmet restaurant. The first Chipotle opened in Denver the following year. Bringing his culinary training to taqueria-style service, Steve Ells helped transform the way we eat fast food. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Alexander Harik turned his mom's recipe for za'atar spread—a fragrant Middle Eastern condiment—into Zesty Z: The Za'atar Company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3286 no Burton Snowboards: Jake Carpenter In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Jane Och solved the problem of guacamole turning brown, with a container that removes air pockets, the Guac-Lock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Oct 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Burton Snowboards: Jake Carpenter full 63 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Jane Och solved the problem of guacamole turning brown, with a container that removes air pockets, the Guac-Lock. In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of wood, trying to create the perfect ride. He eventually helped launch an entirely new sport, while building the largest snowboard brand in the world. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Jane Och solved the problem of guacamole turning brown, with a container that removes air pockets, the Guac-Lock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2940 no Bumble: Whitney Wolfe At age 22, Whitney Wolfe helped launch Tinder, one of the world's most popular dating apps. But a few years later, she left Tinder and filed a lawsuit against the company alleging sexual harassment. The ensuing attention from the media – and cyberbullying from strangers – prompted her to launch Bumble, a new kind of dating app where women make the first move. Today, the Bumble app has been downloaded more than 20 million times. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Michelle Innis invented De-Fishing soap to freshen up her fisherman husband, and how it wound up in WalMart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Oct 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Bumble: Whitney Wolfe full 62 Guy Raz | Vox Media At age 22, Whitney Wolfe helped launch Tinder, one of the world's most popular dating apps. But a few years later, she left Tinder and filed a lawsuit against the company alleging sexual harassment. The ensuing attention from the media – and cyberbullying from strangers – prompted her to launch Bumble, a new kind of dating app where women make the first move. Today, the Bumble app has been downloaded more than 20 million times. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Michelle Innis invented De-Fishing soap to freshen up her fisherman husband, and how it wound up in WalMart. At age 22, Whitney Wolfe helped launch Tinder, one of the world's most popular dating apps. But a few years later, she left Tinder and filed a lawsuit against the company alleging sexual harassment. The ensuing attention from the media – and cyberbullying from strangers – prompted her to launch Bumble, a new kind of dating app where women make the first move. Today, the Bumble app has been downloaded more than 20 million times. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," how Michelle Innis invented De-Fishing soap to freshen up her fisherman husband, and how it wound up in WalMart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2714 no Teach For America: Wendy Kopp In 1989, college senior Wendy Kopp was trying to figure out how to improve American public schools. For her senior thesis, she proposed creating a national teaching corps that would recruit recent college grads to teach in underserved schools. One year later, she launched the nonprofit, Teach for America. Today, TFA has 50,000 alumni, a budget of nearly $300 million, and continues to place thousands of teachers across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a game of Secret Santa led Chris Waters to create Constructed Adventures, elaborate scavenger hunts for all occasions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Oct 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Teach For America: Wendy Kopp full 61 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1989, college senior Wendy Kopp was trying to figure out how to improve American public schools. For her senior thesis, she proposed creating a national teaching corps that would recruit recent college grads to teach in underserved schools. One year later, she launched the nonprofit, Teach for America. Today, TFA has 50,000 alumni, a budget of nearly $300 million, and continues to place thousands of teachers across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a game of Secret Santa led Chris Waters to create Constructed Adventures, elaborate scavenger hunts for all occasions. In 1989, college senior Wendy Kopp was trying to figure out how to improve American public schools. For her senior thesis, she proposed creating a national teaching corps that would recruit recent college grads to teach in underserved schools. One year later, she launched the nonprofit, Teach for America. Today, TFA has 50,000 alumni, a budget of nearly $300 million, and continues to place thousands of teachers across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a game of Secret Santa led Chris Waters to create Constructed Adventures, elaborate scavenger hunts for all occasions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2853 no Stonyfield Yogurt: Gary Hirshberg In 1983, two hippie farmers decided to sell homemade organic yogurt to help raise money for their educational farm in New Hampshire. As the enterprise grew into a business, it faced one near-death experience after another, but it never quite died. In fact it grew — into one of the most popular yogurt brands in the US. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Indiana Jones inspired Steve Humble to sell secret passageways for a living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Oct 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Stonyfield Yogurt: Gary Hirshberg full 60 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1983, two hippie farmers decided to sell homemade organic yogurt to help raise money for their educational farm in New Hampshire. As the enterprise grew into a business, it faced one near-death experience after another, but it never quite died. In fact it grew — into one of the most popular yogurt brands in the US. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Indiana Jones inspired Steve Humble to sell secret passageways for a living. In 1983, two hippie farmers decided to sell homemade organic yogurt to help raise money for their educational farm in New Hampshire. As the enterprise grew into a business, it faced one near-death experience after another, but it never quite died. In fact it grew — into one of the most popular yogurt brands in the US. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Indiana Jones inspired Steve Humble to sell secret passageways for a living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3795 no Live Episode! Starbucks: Howard Schultz During his first visit to Seattle in 1981, Howard Schultz walked into a little coffee bean shop called Starbucks and fell in love with it. A few years later, he bought the six-store chain for almost 4 million dollars, and began to transform it into a ubiquitous landmark, a "third place" between home and work. Today Starbucks is the third largest restaurant chain in the world, serving about 100 million people a week. Recorded live in Seattle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 28 Sep 2017 04:01:26 -0000 Live Episode! Starbucks: Howard Schultz full 59 Guy Raz | Vox Media During his first visit to Seattle in 1981, Howard Schultz walked into a little coffee bean shop called Starbucks and fell in love with it. A few years later, he bought the six-store chain for almost 4 million dollars, and began to transform it into a ubiquitous landmark, a "third place" between home and work. Today Starbucks is the third largest restaurant chain in the world, serving about 100 million people a week. Recorded live in Seattle. During his first visit to Seattle in 1981, Howard Schultz walked into a little coffee bean shop called Starbucks and fell in love with it. A few years later, he bought the six-store chain for almost 4 million dollars, and began to transform it into a ubiquitous landmark, a "third place" between home and work. Today Starbucks is the third largest restaurant chain in the world, serving about 100 million people a week. Recorded live in Seattle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3096 no Southwest Airlines: Herb Kelleher (2016) We're hard at work planning more live shows, so we bring you one of our favorites from last year: Southwest Airlines. In 1968, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines operates nearly 4,000 flights a day. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Monica Mizrachi and her son Solomon built EzPacking, a family business selling packing cubes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 25 Sep 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Southwest Airlines: Herb Kelleher (2016) full 58 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning more live shows, so we bring you one of our favorites from last year: Southwest Airlines. In 1968, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines operates nearly 4,000 flights a day. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Monica Mizrachi and her son Solomon built EzPacking, a family business selling packing cubes. We're hard at work planning more live shows, so we bring you one of our favorites from last year: Southwest Airlines. In 1968, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines operates nearly 4,000 flights a day. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Monica Mizrachi and her son Solomon built EzPacking, a family business selling packing cubes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2388 no The Chipmunks: Ross Bagdasarian Jr. & Janice Karman Years after his father created a hit singing group of anthropomorphic rodents called The Chipmunks, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. made it his mission to revive his dad's beloved characters. Over the last 40 years, Ross Jr. and his wife Janice have built The Chipmunks into a billion dollar media franchise – run out of their home in Santa Barbara, California. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Daniel Clark-Webster and his three friends came up with RompHim – a company specializing in male rompers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 18 Sep 2017 04:01:00 -0000 The Chipmunks: Ross Bagdasarian Jr. & Janice Karman full 57 Guy Raz | Vox Media Years after his father created a hit singing group of anthropomorphic rodents called The Chipmunks, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. made it his mission to revive his dad's beloved characters. Over the last 40 years, Ross Jr. and his wife Janice have built The Chipmunks into a billion dollar media franchise – run out of their home in Santa Barbara, California. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Daniel Clark-Webster and his three friends came up with RompHim – a company specializing in male rompers. Years after his father created a hit singing group of anthropomorphic rodents called The Chipmunks, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. made it his mission to revive his dad's beloved characters. Over the last 40 years, Ross Jr. and his wife Janice have built The Chipmunks into a billion dollar media franchise – run out of their home in Santa Barbara, California. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Daniel Clark-Webster and his three friends came up with RompHim – a company specializing in male rompers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3644 no Barre3: Sadie Lincoln Sadie Lincoln and her husband, Chris, had what seemed like the perfect life – well-paying jobs, a house in the Bay Area, two kids. But one day they decided to sell everything and start a new business called Barre3: a studio exercise program that blends ballet with pilates and yoga. Today, Barre3 has more than 100 studios across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a husband-and-wife team experimented with fruit, spices and vinegar and came up with a gourmet ketchup line called 'Chups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 11 Sep 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Barre3: Sadie Lincoln full 56 Guy Raz | Vox Media Sadie Lincoln and her husband, Chris, had what seemed like the perfect life – well-paying jobs, a house in the Bay Area, two kids. But one day they decided to sell everything and start a new business called Barre3: a studio exercise program that blends ballet with pilates and yoga. Today, Barre3 has more than 100 studios across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a husband-and-wife team experimented with fruit, spices and vinegar and came up with a gourmet ketchup line called 'Chups. Sadie Lincoln and her husband, Chris, had what seemed like the perfect life – well-paying jobs, a house in the Bay Area, two kids. But one day they decided to sell everything and start a new business called Barre3: a studio exercise program that blends ballet with pilates and yoga. Today, Barre3 has more than 100 studios across the country. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a husband-and-wife team experimented with fruit, spices and vinegar and came up with a gourmet ketchup line called 'Chups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3000 no VICE: Suroosh Alvi (2017) We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: VICE. Suroosh Alvi was a recovering addict when he started a scrappy underground magazine in Montreal. It grew into a multi-billion dollar company that has shaken up the world of journalism. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kent Sheridan of Voila Coffee, a company aiming to make instant coffee with the quality of a four-dollar pour over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 04 Sep 2017 04:01:00 -0000 VICE: Suroosh Alvi (2017) full 55 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: VICE. Suroosh Alvi was a recovering addict when he started a scrappy underground magazine in Montreal. It grew into a multi-billion dollar company that has shaken up the world of journalism. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kent Sheridan of Voila Coffee, a company aiming to make instant coffee with the quality of a four-dollar pour over. We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: VICE. Suroosh Alvi was a recovering addict when he started a scrappy underground magazine in Montreal. It grew into a multi-billion dollar company that has shaken up the world of journalism. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kent Sheridan of Voila Coffee, a company aiming to make instant coffee with the quality of a four-dollar pour over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2576 no Live Episode! Reddit: Alexis Ohanian & Steve Huffman With $12,000 and a mascot named Snoo, two former college roommates designed a web site they hoped would become "the front page of the Internet." Today, despite growing pains, personal issues and persistent trolls, Reddit has over 300 million monthly users and is valued at 1.8 billion dollars. Recorded live in San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 31 Aug 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Live Episode! Reddit: Alexis Ohanian & Steve Huffman full 54 Guy Raz | Vox Media With $12,000 and a mascot named Snoo, two former college roommates designed a web site they hoped would become "the front page of the Internet." Today, despite growing pains, personal issues and persistent trolls, Reddit has over 300 million monthly users and is valued at 1.8 billion dollars. Recorded live in San Francisco. With $12,000 and a mascot named Snoo, two former college roommates designed a web site they hoped would become "the front page of the Internet." Today, despite growing pains, personal issues and persistent trolls, Reddit has over 300 million monthly users and is valued at 1.8 billion dollars. Recorded live in San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3320 no Airbnb: Joe Gebbia (2017) We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Airbnb. A chance encounter with a stranger gave Joe Gebbia an idea to help pay his rent. That idea grew into a company that now has more rooms than the biggest hotel chain in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Michael Vennitti of TP Foam, a company that came up with a way to squelch the smell of trash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Aug 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Airbnb: Joe Gebbia (2017) full 53 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Airbnb. A chance encounter with a stranger gave Joe Gebbia an idea to help pay his rent. That idea grew into a company that now has more rooms than the biggest hotel chain in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Michael Vennitti of TP Foam, a company that came up with a way to squelch the smell of trash. We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Airbnb. A chance encounter with a stranger gave Joe Gebbia an idea to help pay his rent. That idea grew into a company that now has more rooms than the biggest hotel chain in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Michael Vennitti of TP Foam, a company that came up with a way to squelch the smell of trash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2819 no Edible Arrangements: Tariq Farid When Tariq Farid was 12, he emigrated from Pakistan to the U.S. – and quickly found a job at a local flower shop. Eventually he opened his own shop, which eventually led to the crazy idea to make flower bouquets out of fruit. Edible Arrangements has now bloomed into a franchise of nearly 1300 locations with an annual revenue of $600 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how the Seattle-based clothing company, Five12, is making athletic wear out of used coffee grounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Aug 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Edible Arrangements: Tariq Farid full 52 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Tariq Farid was 12, he emigrated from Pakistan to the U.S. – and quickly found a job at a local flower shop. Eventually he opened his own shop, which eventually led to the crazy idea to make flower bouquets out of fruit. Edible Arrangements has now bloomed into a franchise of nearly 1300 locations with an annual revenue of $600 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how the Seattle-based clothing company, Five12, is making athletic wear out of used coffee grounds. When Tariq Farid was 12, he emigrated from Pakistan to the U.S. – and quickly found a job at a local flower shop. Eventually he opened his own shop, which eventually led to the crazy idea to make flower bouquets out of fruit. Edible Arrangements has now bloomed into a franchise of nearly 1300 locations with an annual revenue of $600 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how the Seattle-based clothing company, Five12, is making athletic wear out of used coffee grounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3099 no Radio One: Cathy Hughes (2017) We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Radio One. As a kid, Cathy Hughes practiced her DJ routine while her siblings banged on the bathroom door. As an adult, she founded Radio One—now Urban One—the country's largest African-American owned broadcasting company. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Mike Butera, whose digital Instrument One raised a million dollars on Kickstarter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Aug 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Radio One: Cathy Hughes (2017) full 51 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Radio One. As a kid, Cathy Hughes practiced her DJ routine while her siblings banged on the bathroom door. As an adult, she founded Radio One—now Urban One—the country's largest African-American owned broadcasting company. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Mike Butera, whose digital Instrument One raised a million dollars on Kickstarter. We're hard at work planning our upcoming live show, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Radio One. As a kid, Cathy Hughes practiced her DJ routine while her siblings banged on the bathroom door. As an adult, she founded Radio One—now Urban One—the country's largest African-American owned broadcasting company. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Mike Butera, whose digital Instrument One raised a million dollars on Kickstarter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2432 no Rent The Runway: Jenn Hyman Jenn Hyman got the idea for Rent the Runway in 2008, after she watched her sister overspend on a new dress rather than wear an old one to a party. Jenn and her business partner built a web site where women could rent designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price. As the company grew, they dealt with problems that many female entrepreneurs face, including patronizing investors and sexual harassment. Despite these challenges, Rent The Runway now rents dresses to nearly six million women and has an annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Dustin Hogard and his business partner designed a survival belt that's full of tiny gadgets and thin enough to wear every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Aug 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Rent The Runway: Jenn Hyman full 50 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jenn Hyman got the idea for Rent the Runway in 2008, after she watched her sister overspend on a new dress rather than wear an old one to a party. Jenn and her business partner built a web site where women could rent designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price. As the company grew, they dealt with problems that many female entrepreneurs face, including patronizing investors and sexual harassment. Despite these challenges, Rent The Runway now rents dresses to nearly six million women and has an annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Dustin Hogard and his business partner designed a survival belt that's full of tiny gadgets and thin enough to wear every day. Jenn Hyman got the idea for Rent the Runway in 2008, after she watched her sister overspend on a new dress rather than wear an old one to a party. Jenn and her business partner built a web site where women could rent designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price. As the company grew, they dealt with problems that many female entrepreneurs face, including patronizing investors and sexual harassment. Despite these challenges, Rent The Runway now rents dresses to nearly six million women and has an annual revenue of $100 million. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Dustin Hogard and his business partner designed a survival belt that's full of tiny gadgets and thin enough to wear every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3539 no Kickstarter: Perry Chen In the early 2000s, Perry Chen was trying to put on a concert in New Orleans when he thought, what if fans could fund this in advance? His idea didn't work at the time, but he and his co-founders spent the next eight years refining the concept of crowd-funding creative projects. Today Kickstarter has funded over 125,000 projects worldwide. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kristel Gordon invented a solution for easily stuffing a duvet into its cover – it's called Duvaid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Jul 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Kickstarter: Perry Chen full 49 Guy Raz | Vox Media In the early 2000s, Perry Chen was trying to put on a concert in New Orleans when he thought, what if fans could fund this in advance? His idea didn't work at the time, but he and his co-founders spent the next eight years refining the concept of crowd-funding creative projects. Today Kickstarter has funded over 125,000 projects worldwide. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kristel Gordon invented a solution for easily stuffing a duvet into its cover – it's called Duvaid. In the early 2000s, Perry Chen was trying to put on a concert in New Orleans when he thought, what if fans could fund this in advance? His idea didn't work at the time, but he and his co-founders spent the next eight years refining the concept of crowd-funding creative projects. Today Kickstarter has funded over 125,000 projects worldwide. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kristel Gordon invented a solution for easily stuffing a duvet into its cover – it's called Duvaid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2719 no Live Episode! BuzzFeed: Jonah Peretti In 2001, when most of us had no idea what it meant to "go viral," Jonah Peretti shared an email prank among his friends — and saw it spread to millions. That began his fascination with how information spreads, and set him on the path to launch two of the most powerful media organizations of the Internet age: The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed. Recorded live in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 27 Jul 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Live Episode! BuzzFeed: Jonah Peretti full 48 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2001, when most of us had no idea what it meant to "go viral," Jonah Peretti shared an email prank among his friends — and saw it spread to millions. That began his fascination with how information spreads, and set him on the path to launch two of the most powerful media organizations of the Internet age: The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed. Recorded live in New York City. In 2001, when most of us had no idea what it meant to "go viral," Jonah Peretti shared an email prank among his friends — and saw it spread to millions. That began his fascination with how information spreads, and set him on the path to launch two of the most powerful media organizations of the Internet age: The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed. Recorded live in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed. Recorded live in New York City.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3107 no Samuel Adams: Jim Koch (2017) We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Samuel Adams. In 1984, Jim Koch felt suffocated by his cushy but boring corporate job. So he left, dusted off an old family beer recipe, started Sam Adams, and helped kickstart the craft beer movement in America. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kaitlin Mogental who is making packaged snacks out of the leftover fruit and veggie pulp from LA juice bars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Jul 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Samuel Adams: Jim Koch (2017) full 47 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Samuel Adams. In 1984, Jim Koch felt suffocated by his cushy but boring corporate job. So he left, dusted off an old family beer recipe, started Sam Adams, and helped kickstart the craft beer movement in America. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kaitlin Mogental who is making packaged snacks out of the leftover fruit and veggie pulp from LA juice bars. We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Samuel Adams. In 1984, Jim Koch felt suffocated by his cushy but boring corporate job. So he left, dusted off an old family beer recipe, started Sam Adams, and helped kickstart the craft beer movement in America. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Kaitlin Mogental who is making packaged snacks out of the leftover fruit and veggie pulp from LA juice bars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2334 no Aden + Anais: Raegan Moya-Jones Cotton muslin baby blankets are commonplace in Australia, where Raegan Moya-Jones grew up. But when she started a new life and family in NYC, she couldn't find them anywhere. She was sure Americans would love muslin blankets as much as Australians. So in 2006, she started the baby blanket company Aden + Anais, which now makes more than $100 million in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Sam Boyd created Guided Imports, a middleman business to help entrepreneurs find manufacturing and production solutions ... in China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Jul 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Aden + Anais: Raegan Moya-Jones full 46 Guy Raz | Vox Media Cotton muslin baby blankets are commonplace in Australia, where Raegan Moya-Jones grew up. But when she started a new life and family in NYC, she couldn't find them anywhere. She was sure Americans would love muslin blankets as much as Australians. So in 2006, she started the baby blanket company Aden + Anais, which now makes more than $100 million in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Sam Boyd created Guided Imports, a middleman business to help entrepreneurs find manufacturing and production solutions ... in China. Cotton muslin baby blankets are commonplace in Australia, where Raegan Moya-Jones grew up. But when she started a new life and family in NYC, she couldn't find them anywhere. She was sure Americans would love muslin blankets as much as Australians. So in 2006, she started the baby blanket company Aden + Anais, which now makes more than $100 million in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Sam Boyd created Guided Imports, a middleman business to help entrepreneurs find manufacturing and production solutions ... in China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2784 no Rolling Stone: Jann Wenner After being involved in Berkeley's Free Speech Movement, Jann Wenner wanted to start a publication to capture the exploding counterculture scene of the 1960s. The result was Rolling Stone, a gritty music magazine that – for 50 years — has left an indelible mark on rock music and journalism. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Cleveland resident Joel Crites created the app Micro Fantasy, a game where fans can make mini-predictions about what will happen next during a baseball game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Jul 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Rolling Stone: Jann Wenner full 45 Guy Raz | Vox Media After being involved in Berkeley's Free Speech Movement, Jann Wenner wanted to start a publication to capture the exploding counterculture scene of the 1960s. The result was Rolling Stone, a gritty music magazine that – for 50 years — has left an indelible mark on rock music and journalism. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Cleveland resident Joel Crites created the app Micro Fantasy, a game where fans can make mini-predictions about what will happen next during a baseball game. After being involved in Berkeley's Free Speech Movement, Jann Wenner wanted to start a publication to capture the exploding counterculture scene of the 1960s. The result was Rolling Stone, a gritty music magazine that – for 50 years — has left an indelible mark on rock music and journalism. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Cleveland resident Joel Crites created the app Micro Fantasy, a game where fans can make mini-predictions about what will happen next during a baseball game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3050 no Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017) We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Spanx. At 27, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines and desperate to reinvent her life. So she came up with Spanx — hosiery that eliminates panty lines — and set to work building her business. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Chandra Arthur of the friend-matching app Friendish, and how it was recently featured on the show, Planet of the Apps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Jul 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017) full 44 Guy Raz | Vox Media We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Spanx. At 27, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines and desperate to reinvent her life. So she came up with Spanx — hosiery that eliminates panty lines — and set to work building her business. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Chandra Arthur of the friend-matching app Friendish, and how it was recently featured on the show, Planet of the Apps. We're hard at work planning our upcoming live shows, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Spanx. At 27, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines and desperate to reinvent her life. So she came up with Spanx — hosiery that eliminates panty lines — and set to work building her business. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Chandra Arthur of the friend-matching app Friendish, and how it was recently featured on the show, Planet of the Apps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1948 no TRX: Randy Hetrick In 1997, Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick was deployed in Southeast Asia, where he was stationed in a remote warehouse for weeks with no way to exercise. So he grabbed an old jujitsu belt, threw it over a door, and started doing pull-ups. Today, TRX exercise straps dangle from the ceiling in gyms across the country and are standard workout gear for professional athletes. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Whitney Sokol created SproutFit — adjustable onesies and leggings that grow with your baby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Jun 2017 04:01:00 -0000 TRX: Randy Hetrick full 43 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1997, Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick was deployed in Southeast Asia, where he was stationed in a remote warehouse for weeks with no way to exercise. So he grabbed an old jujitsu belt, threw it over a door, and started doing pull-ups. Today, TRX exercise straps dangle from the ceiling in gyms across the country and are standard workout gear for professional athletes. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Whitney Sokol created SproutFit — adjustable onesies and leggings that grow with your baby. In 1997, Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick was deployed in Southeast Asia, where he was stationed in a remote warehouse for weeks with no way to exercise. So he grabbed an old jujitsu belt, threw it over a door, and started doing pull-ups. Today, TRX exercise straps dangle from the ceiling in gyms across the country and are standard workout gear for professional athletes. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Whitney Sokol created SproutFit — adjustable onesies and leggings that grow with your baby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2836 no WeWork: Miguel McKelvey In 2007, architect Miguel McKelvey convinced his friend Adam Neumann to share an office space in Brooklyn. That was the beginning of WeWork: a shared workspace for startups and freelancers looking for an inspiring environment to do their work. Today, WeWork has created a "community of creators" valued at nearly $16 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Jun 2017 04:01:00 -0000 WeWork: Miguel McKelvey full 42 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2007, architect Miguel McKelvey convinced his friend Adam Neumann to share an office space in Brooklyn. That was the beginning of WeWork: a shared workspace for startups and freelancers looking for an inspiring environment to do their work. Today, WeWork has created a "community of creators" valued at nearly $16 billion. In 2007, architect Miguel McKelvey convinced his friend Adam Neumann to share an office space in Brooklyn. That was the beginning of WeWork: a shared workspace for startups and freelancers looking for an inspiring environment to do their work. Today, WeWork has created a "community of creators" valued at nearly $16 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3002 no Carol's Daughter: Lisa Price Lisa Price worked in television but had a passion for beauty products. At her mother's suggestion, she began selling her homemade moisturizer at a church flea market. Twenty years later, Carol's Daughter is one of the leading beauty brands catering to African-American women. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how professional trumpet player Dan Gosling created a special lip balm for musicians called ChopSaver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Jun 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Carol's Daughter: Lisa Price full 41 Guy Raz | Vox Media Lisa Price worked in television but had a passion for beauty products. At her mother's suggestion, she began selling her homemade moisturizer at a church flea market. Twenty years later, Carol's Daughter is one of the leading beauty brands catering to African-American women. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how professional trumpet player Dan Gosling created a special lip balm for musicians called ChopSaver. Lisa Price worked in television but had a passion for beauty products. At her mother's suggestion, she began selling her homemade moisturizer at a church flea market. Twenty years later, Carol's Daughter is one of the leading beauty brands catering to African-American women. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how professional trumpet player Dan Gosling created a special lip balm for musicians called ChopSaver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2747 no Five Guys: Jerry Murrell Jerry Murrell's mother used to tell him, you can always make money if you know how to make a good burger. In 1986 — after failing at a number of business ideas — Murrell opened a tiny burger joint in Northern Virginia with his four sons. Five Guys now has more than 1,400 locations worldwide and is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Aiden Emilio and her husband created RexSpecs — UV-protecting goggles for dogs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Jun 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Five Guys: Jerry Murrell full 40 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jerry Murrell's mother used to tell him, you can always make money if you know how to make a good burger. In 1986 — after failing at a number of business ideas — Murrell opened a tiny burger joint in Northern Virginia with his four sons. Five Guys now has more than 1,400 locations worldwide and is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Aiden Emilio and her husband created RexSpecs — UV-protecting goggles for dogs. Jerry Murrell's mother used to tell him, you can always make money if you know how to make a good burger. In 1986 — after failing at a number of business ideas — Murrell opened a tiny burger joint in Northern Virginia with his four sons. Five Guys now has more than 1,400 locations worldwide and is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Aiden Emilio and her husband created RexSpecs — UV-protecting goggles for dogs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2356 no TOMS: Blake Mycoskie Blake Mycoskie started and sold four businesses before age 30. But only in Argentina did he discover the idea he'd want to pursue long term. After seeing a shoe drive for children, he came up with TOMS — part shoe business, part philanthropy. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a long-haired Southern Californian, Chris Healy, co-founded The Longhairs and created special hair ties for guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 29 May 2017 04:01:00 -0000 TOMS: Blake Mycoskie full 39 Guy Raz | Vox Media Blake Mycoskie started and sold four businesses before age 30. But only in Argentina did he discover the idea he'd want to pursue long term. After seeing a shoe drive for children, he came up with TOMS — part shoe business, part philanthropy. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a long-haired Southern Californian, Chris Healy, co-founded The Longhairs and created special hair ties for guys. Blake Mycoskie started and sold four businesses before age 30. But only in Argentina did he discover the idea he'd want to pursue long term. After seeing a shoe drive for children, he came up with TOMS — part shoe business, part philanthropy. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how a long-haired Southern Californian, Chris Healy, co-founded The Longhairs and created special hair ties for guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3383 no Compaq Computers: Rod Canion In 1981, engineer Rod Canion left Texas Instruments and co-founded Compaq, which created the first IBM-compatible personal computer. This opened the door to an entire industry of PCs that could run the same software. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how frustrated renter Melanie Colón created an easier way to communicate with noisy neighbors, called Apt App. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 22 May 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Compaq Computers: Rod Canion full 38 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1981, engineer Rod Canion left Texas Instruments and co-founded Compaq, which created the first IBM-compatible personal computer. This opened the door to an entire industry of PCs that could run the same software. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how frustrated renter Melanie Colón created an easier way to communicate with noisy neighbors, called Apt App. In 1981, engineer Rod Canion left Texas Instruments and co-founded Compaq, which created the first IBM-compatible personal computer. This opened the door to an entire industry of PCs that could run the same software. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how frustrated renter Melanie Colón created an easier way to communicate with noisy neighbors, called Apt App. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2545 no Whole Foods Market: John Mackey In 1978, college drop-out John Mackey scraped together $45,000 to open his first health food store, "Safer Way." A few years later he co-founded Whole Foods Market — and launched an organic food revolution that helped change the way Americans shop. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kyle Ewing created waterproof paper through his company TerraSlate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 15 May 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Whole Foods Market: John Mackey full 37 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1978, college drop-out John Mackey scraped together $45,000 to open his first health food store, "Safer Way." A few years later he co-founded Whole Foods Market — and launched an organic food revolution that helped change the way Americans shop. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kyle Ewing created waterproof paper through his company TerraSlate. In 1978, college drop-out John Mackey scraped together $45,000 to open his first health food store, "Safer Way." A few years later he co-founded Whole Foods Market — and launched an organic food revolution that helped change the way Americans shop. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Kyle Ewing created waterproof paper through his company TerraSlate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2969 no Lonely Planet: Maureen & Tony Wheeler In 1972, Maureen and Tony Wheeler bought a beat-up car and drove from London "as far east as we could go." They wound up in Australia, by way of Afghanistan, India and Thailand. Their notes on how to travel on a shoestring became a book, which grew into Lonely Planet — the largest travel guide publisher in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how 15-year-old Michael Mendicino, with help from his mom, took a teenage trend and turned it into a board game called Bottle Flip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 08 May 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Lonely Planet: Maureen & Tony Wheeler full 36 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1972, Maureen and Tony Wheeler bought a beat-up car and drove from London "as far east as we could go." They wound up in Australia, by way of Afghanistan, India and Thailand. Their notes on how to travel on a shoestring became a book, which grew into Lonely Planet — the largest travel guide publisher in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how 15-year-old Michael Mendicino, with help from his mom, took a teenage trend and turned it into a board game called Bottle Flip. In 1972, Maureen and Tony Wheeler bought a beat-up car and drove from London "as far east as we could go." They wound up in Australia, by way of Afghanistan, India and Thailand. Their notes on how to travel on a shoestring became a book, which grew into Lonely Planet — the largest travel guide publisher in the world. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how 15-year-old Michael Mendicino, with help from his mom, took a teenage trend and turned it into a board game called Bottle Flip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2644 no Lady Gaga & Atom Factory: Troy Carter As a kid, Troy Carter dreamed of being a rapper, but soon discovered he was a better manager than a musician. He took Lady Gaga from obscurity to stardom – helping shape both her music and her brand. Then he turned his gift for spotting talent to spotting investment opportunities with his company Atom Factory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 01 May 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Lady Gaga & Atom Factory: Troy Carter full 35 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a kid, Troy Carter dreamed of being a rapper, but soon discovered he was a better manager than a musician. He took Lady Gaga from obscurity to stardom – helping shape both her music and her brand. Then he turned his gift for spotting talent to spotting investment opportunities with his company Atom Factory. As a kid, Troy Carter dreamed of being a rapper, but soon discovered he was a better manager than a musician. He took Lady Gaga from obscurity to stardom – helping shape both her music and her brand. Then he turned his gift for spotting talent to spotting investment opportunities with his company Atom Factory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2869 no Real Estate Mogul: Barbara Corcoran Barbara Corcoran grew up in a working-class Irish Catholic family in Jersey – with nine brothers and sisters. But she used her charisma to conquer the streets of Manhattan and build the real estate company, The Corcoran Group. She then reinvented herself as a shark – on Shark Tank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Apr 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Real Estate Mogul: Barbara Corcoran full 34 Guy Raz | Vox Media Barbara Corcoran grew up in a working-class Irish Catholic family in Jersey – with nine brothers and sisters. But she used her charisma to conquer the streets of Manhattan and build the real estate company, The Corcoran Group. She then reinvented herself as a shark – on Shark Tank. Barbara Corcoran grew up in a working-class Irish Catholic family in Jersey – with nine brothers and sisters. But she used her charisma to conquer the streets of Manhattan and build the real estate company, The Corcoran Group. She then reinvented herself as a shark – on Shark Tank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Shark Tank.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3291 yes 1-800-GOT-JUNK?: Brian Scudamore Brian Scudamore didn't dream of a life hauling away other people's trash. But when he needed to pay for college, he bought a $700 pickup truck, painted his phone number on the side, and started hauling. Now 1-800-GOT-JUNK? makes over $200 million in annual revenue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Apr 2017 04:01:00 -0000 1-800-GOT-JUNK?: Brian Scudamore full 33 Guy Raz | Vox Media Brian Scudamore didn't dream of a life hauling away other people's trash. But when he needed to pay for college, he bought a $700 pickup truck, painted his phone number on the side, and started hauling. Now 1-800-GOT-JUNK? makes over $200 million in annual revenue. Brian Scudamore didn't dream of a life hauling away other people's trash. But when he needed to pay for college, he bought a $700 pickup truck, painted his phone number on the side, and started hauling. Now 1-800-GOT-JUNK? makes over $200 million in annual revenue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2643 no Instacart: Apoorva Mehta App developer Apoorva Mehta almost gave up on being an entrepreneur until he figured out what he really wanted to do: find a hassle-free way to buy groceries. Five years after launch, the grocery delivery app Instacart is valued at $3 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Apr 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Instacart: Apoorva Mehta full 32 Guy Raz | Vox Media App developer Apoorva Mehta almost gave up on being an entrepreneur until he figured out what he really wanted to do: find a hassle-free way to buy groceries. Five years after launch, the grocery delivery app Instacart is valued at $3 billion. App developer Apoorva Mehta almost gave up on being an entrepreneur until he figured out what he really wanted to do: find a hassle-free way to buy groceries. Five years after launch, the grocery delivery app Instacart is valued at $3 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2582 no AOL: Steve Case When Steve Case started out in the tech business in the mid-80s, the idea of the internet — as we think of it today — didn't exist. But with AOL, Case saw an opportunity to connect millions of people, through chat rooms, news updates, and the iconic greeting, "You've Got Mail." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Apr 2017 04:01:00 -0000 AOL: Steve Case full 31 Guy Raz | Vox Media When Steve Case started out in the tech business in the mid-80s, the idea of the internet — as we think of it today — didn't exist. But with AOL, Case saw an opportunity to connect millions of people, through chat rooms, news updates, and the iconic greeting, "You've Got Mail." When Steve Case started out in the tech business in the mid-80s, the idea of the internet — as we think of it today — didn't exist. But with AOL, Case saw an opportunity to connect millions of people, through chat rooms, news updates, and the iconic greeting, "You've Got Mail." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2197 no Power Rangers: Haim Saban As a refugee growing up in Tel Aviv, Haim Saban remembers not having enough money to eat. As an adult, he hustled his way into the entertainment business, writing theme songs for classic cartoons like Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff. But producing the mega-hit Mighty Morphin Power Rangers put him on track to becoming a billionaire media titan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Mar 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Power Rangers: Haim Saban full 30 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a refugee growing up in Tel Aviv, Haim Saban remembers not having enough money to eat. As an adult, he hustled his way into the entertainment business, writing theme songs for classic cartoons like Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff. But producing the mega-hit Mighty Morphin Power Rangers put him on track to becoming a billionaire media titan. As a refugee growing up in Tel Aviv, Haim Saban remembers not having enough money to eat. As an adult, he hustled his way into the entertainment business, writing theme songs for classic cartoons like Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff. But producing the mega-hit Mighty Morphin Power Rangers put him on track to becoming a billionaire media titan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2716 no Kendra Scott: Kendra Scott Ever since she was a little girl playing dress-up in her aunt's closet, Kendra Scott loved fashion. Her first business was a hat shop, which she started at 19 – it failed. A few years later, she started a jewelry business out of her spare bedroom. Today the company is reportedly valued at more than a billion dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Mar 2017 04:01:00 -0000 Kendra Scott: Kendra Scott full 29 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ever since she was a little girl playing dress-up in her aunt's closet, Kendra Scott loved fashion. Her first business was a hat shop, which she started at 19 – it failed. A few years later, she started a jewelry business out of her spare bedroom. Today the company is reportedly valued at more than a billion dollars. Ever since she was a little girl playing dress-up in her aunt's closet, Kendra Scott loved fashion. Her first business was a hat shop, which she started at 19 – it failed. A few years later, she started a jewelry business out of her spare bedroom. Today the company is reportedly valued at more than a billion dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2806 no 5-Hour Energy: Manoj Bhargava After living as a monk in India and running a plastics company in Florida, Manoj Bhargava decided to launch something new: a one-shot energy drink in a bright, battery-shaped bottle. Today, 5-Hour ENERGY is one of the most recognizable energy drinks in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Mar 2017 04:01:18 -0000 5-Hour Energy: Manoj Bhargava full 28 Guy Raz | Vox Media After living as a monk in India and running a plastics company in Florida, Manoj Bhargava decided to launch something new: a one-shot energy drink in a bright, battery-shaped bottle. Today, 5-Hour ENERGY is one of the most recognizable energy drinks in the world. After living as a monk in India and running a plastics company in Florida, Manoj Bhargava decided to launch something new: a one-shot energy drink in a bright, battery-shaped bottle. Today, 5-Hour ENERGY is one of the most recognizable energy drinks in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2269 no Chesapeake Bay Candle: Mei Xu Twenty-five years ago, when Mei Xu emigrated from China to the U.S., she loved going to Bloomingdale's to gaze at their housewares. She eventually started making candles in her basement with Campbell's Soup cans, an experiment that led to the multi-million dollar company Chesapeake Bay Candle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Mar 2017 05:01:15 -0000 Chesapeake Bay Candle: Mei Xu full 27 Guy Raz | Vox Media Twenty-five years ago, when Mei Xu emigrated from China to the U.S., she loved going to Bloomingdale's to gaze at their housewares. She eventually started making candles in her basement with Campbell's Soup cans, an experiment that led to the multi-million dollar company Chesapeake Bay Candle. Twenty-five years ago, when Mei Xu emigrated from China to the U.S., she loved going to Bloomingdale's to gaze at their housewares. She eventually started making candles in her basement with Campbell's Soup cans, an experiment that led to the multi-million dollar company Chesapeake Bay Candle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2703 no Atari & Chuck E. Cheese's: Nolan Bushnell Before he turned 40, Nolan Bushnell founded two brands that permanently shaped the way Americans amuse themselves: the iconic video game system Atari, and the frenetic family restaurant Chuck E. Cheese's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 27 Feb 2017 05:01:14 -0000 Atari & Chuck E. Cheese's: Nolan Bushnell full 26 Guy Raz | Vox Media Before he turned 40, Nolan Bushnell founded two brands that permanently shaped the way Americans amuse themselves: the iconic video game system Atari, and the frenetic family restaurant Chuck E. Cheese's. Before he turned 40, Nolan Bushnell founded two brands that permanently shaped the way Americans amuse themselves: the iconic video game system Atari, and the frenetic family restaurant Chuck E. Cheese's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 3186 no Crate & Barrel: Gordon Segal In 1962, Gordon Segal — with his wife Carole — opened a scrappy Chicago shop called Crate & Barrel. That store turned into a housewares empire that has shaped the way Americans furnish their homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 20 Feb 2017 05:01:19 -0000 Crate & Barrel: Gordon Segal full 25 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1962, Gordon Segal — with his wife Carole — opened a scrappy Chicago shop called Crate & Barrel. That store turned into a housewares empire that has shaped the way Americans furnish their homes. In 1962, Gordon Segal — with his wife Carole — opened a scrappy Chicago shop called Crate & Barrel. That store turned into a housewares empire that has shaped the way Americans furnish their homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2027 no Live Episode! Beyond Meat: Ethan Brown As founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, Ethan Brown believes he can turn peas and lentils into protein that tastes — and feels – exactly like beef and chicken. He says they're not quite there yet, but after 8 years in business, their products are sold in 11,000 stores nationwide. Recorded live in Anaheim, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Thu, 16 Feb 2017 05:01:17 -0000 Live Episode! Beyond Meat: Ethan Brown full 24 Guy Raz | Vox Media As founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, Ethan Brown believes he can turn peas and lentils into protein that tastes — and feels – exactly like beef and chicken. He says they're not quite there yet, but after 8 years in business, their products are sold in 11,000 stores nationwide. Recorded live in Anaheim, CA. As founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, Ethan Brown believes he can turn peas and lentils into protein that tastes — and feels – exactly like beef and chicken. He says they're not quite there yet, but after 8 years in business, their products are sold in 11,000 stores nationwide. Recorded live in Anaheim, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1702 no Lyft: John Zimmer Ridesharing wasn't a thing 12 years ago when John Zimmer was in college. But a class on green cities got him thinking about the glut of underused cars on the road, and eventually led him to co-found Lyft, a company that has helped make ridesharing a way of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 13 Feb 2017 05:01:03 -0000 Lyft: John Zimmer full 23 Guy Raz | Vox Media Ridesharing wasn't a thing 12 years ago when John Zimmer was in college. But a class on green cities got him thinking about the glut of underused cars on the road, and eventually led him to co-found Lyft, a company that has helped make ridesharing a way of life. Ridesharing wasn't a thing 12 years ago when John Zimmer was in college. But a class on green cities got him thinking about the glut of underused cars on the road, and eventually led him to co-found Lyft, a company that has helped make ridesharing a way of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2620 no Kate Spade: Kate & Andy Spade A 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant led Kate & Andy Spade to ask, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand: Kate Spade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 06 Feb 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Kate Spade: Kate & Andy Spade full 22 Guy Raz | Vox Media A 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant led Kate & Andy Spade to ask, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand: Kate Spade. A 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant led Kate & Andy Spade to ask, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand: Kate Spade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2634 no Virgin: Richard Branson Richard Branson took a record shop and built it into a label, a bank, an airline, space tourism, and 200 other businesses — all under the name Virgin. But the serial entrepreneur has also had his share of failures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 30 Jan 2017 05:01:28 -0000 Virgin: Richard Branson full 21 Guy Raz | Vox Media Richard Branson took a record shop and built it into a label, a bank, an airline, space tourism, and 200 other businesses — all under the name Virgin. But the serial entrepreneur has also had his share of failures. Richard Branson took a record shop and built it into a label, a bank, an airline, space tourism, and 200 other businesses — all under the name Virgin. But the serial entrepreneur has also had his share of failures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2235 no Zappos: Tony Hsieh Computer scientist Tony Hsieh made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos — a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Now Zappos is worth over a billion dollars and known for its completely unorthodox management style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 23 Jan 2017 05:01:25 -0000 Zappos: Tony Hsieh full 20 Guy Raz | Vox Media Computer scientist Tony Hsieh made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos — a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Now Zappos is worth over a billion dollars and known for its completely unorthodox management style. Computer scientist Tony Hsieh made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos — a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Now Zappos is worth over a billion dollars and known for its completely unorthodox management style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1936 no Honest Tea: Seth Goldman In 1997, after going for a long run, Seth Goldman was frustrated with the sugar-filled drinks at the corner market. So he brewed up a beverage in his kitchen, and turned it into Honest Tea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 16 Jan 2017 05:01:22 -0000 Honest Tea: Seth Goldman full 19 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1997, after going for a long run, Seth Goldman was frustrated with the sugar-filled drinks at the corner market. So he brewed up a beverage in his kitchen, and turned it into Honest Tea. In 1997, after going for a long run, Seth Goldman was frustrated with the sugar-filled drinks at the corner market. So he brewed up a beverage in his kitchen, and turned it into Honest Tea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2012 no Drybar: Alli Webb A decade ago, full-time mom Alli Webb noticed a gap in the beauty market: there was nowhere that just focused on blow-drying hair. Now with 70 locations, Drybar is testament to Webb's motto: Focus on one thing and be the best at it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 09 Jan 2017 05:01:07 -0000 Drybar: Alli Webb full 18 Guy Raz | Vox Media A decade ago, full-time mom Alli Webb noticed a gap in the beauty market: there was nowhere that just focused on blow-drying hair. Now with 70 locations, Drybar is testament to Webb's motto: Focus on one thing and be the best at it. A decade ago, full-time mom Alli Webb noticed a gap in the beauty market: there was nowhere that just focused on blow-drying hair. Now with 70 locations, Drybar is testament to Webb's motto: Focus on one thing and be the best at it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2169 no Zumba: Beto Perez & Alberto Perlman Zumba began as a mistake: aerobics teacher Beto Perez brought the wrong music to class, then improvised a dance routine to go with it. For his students, it was more fun than work — and it eventually grew into one of the biggest fitness brands in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 02 Jan 2017 05:01:00 -0000 Zumba: Beto Perez & Alberto Perlman full 17 Guy Raz | Vox Media Zumba began as a mistake: aerobics teacher Beto Perez brought the wrong music to class, then improvised a dance routine to go with it. For his students, it was more fun than work — and it eventually grew into one of the biggest fitness brands in the world. Zumba began as a mistake: aerobics teacher Beto Perez brought the wrong music to class, then improvised a dance routine to go with it. For his students, it was more fun than work — and it eventually grew into one of the biggest fitness brands in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2497 no Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal In 2008, it was nearly impossible to buy a fashionable, affordable pair of glasses online. That simple frustration inspired the idea behind Warby Parker – and disrupted the eyewear industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Dec 2016 05:01:00 -0000 Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal full 16 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 2008, it was nearly impossible to buy a fashionable, affordable pair of glasses online. That simple frustration inspired the idea behind Warby Parker – and disrupted the eyewear industry. In 2008, it was nearly impossible to buy a fashionable, affordable pair of glasses online. That simple frustration inspired the idea behind Warby Parker – and disrupted the eyewear industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2084 no Melissa & Doug: Melissa And Doug Bernstein Melissa and Doug Bernstein's first success was a wooden 'fuzzy puzzle' of farm animals. Today, Melissa & Doug makes over 2,000 kinds of toys and serves as an antidote to the rise of digital toys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Dec 2016 05:01:28 -0000 Melissa & Doug: Melissa And Doug Bernstein full 15 Guy Raz | Vox Media Melissa and Doug Bernstein's first success was a wooden 'fuzzy puzzle' of farm animals. Today, Melissa & Doug makes over 2,000 kinds of toys and serves as an antidote to the rise of digital toys. Melissa and Doug Bernstein's first success was a wooden 'fuzzy puzzle' of farm animals. Today, Melissa & Doug makes over 2,000 kinds of toys and serves as an antidote to the rise of digital toys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2409 no Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard In 1973, Yvon Chouinard started Patagonia to make climbing gear he couldn't find elsewhere. Over decades of growth, he has implemented a unique philosophy about business, leadership and profit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Dec 2016 05:01:00 -0000 Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard full 14 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1973, Yvon Chouinard started Patagonia to make climbing gear he couldn't find elsewhere. Over decades of growth, he has implemented a unique philosophy about business, leadership and profit. In 1973, Yvon Chouinard started Patagonia to make climbing gear he couldn't find elsewhere. Over decades of growth, he has implemented a unique philosophy about business, leadership and profit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1693 no Serial Entrepreneur: Mark Cuban Mark Cuban made millions off of tech startups, then billions off of stocks — and later went on to buy and revive the Dallas Mavericks. He has come to define the persona of the serial entrepreneur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 05 Dec 2016 05:01:17 -0000 Serial Entrepreneur: Mark Cuban full 13 Guy Raz | Vox Media Mark Cuban made millions off of tech startups, then billions off of stocks — and later went on to buy and revive the Dallas Mavericks. He has come to define the persona of the serial entrepreneur. Mark Cuban made millions off of tech startups, then billions off of stocks — and later went on to buy and revive the Dallas Mavericks. He has come to define the persona of the serial entrepreneur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2256 no Angie's List: Angie Hicks In 1996, Angie Hicks spent hours reading contractor reviews to members over the phone. Today, the online review and referral service, Angie's List, is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 28 Nov 2016 05:01:13 -0000 Angie's List: Angie Hicks full 12 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1996, Angie Hicks spent hours reading contractor reviews to members over the phone. Today, the online review and referral service, Angie's List, is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1996, Angie Hicks spent hours reading contractor reviews to members over the phone. Today, the online review and referral service, Angie's List, is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2001 no Southwest Airlines: Herb Kelleher In 1968, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines operates nearly 4,000 flights a day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 21 Nov 2016 05:01:25 -0000 Southwest Airlines: Herb Kelleher full 11 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1968, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines operates nearly 4,000 flights a day. In 1968, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines operates nearly 4,000 flights a day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2265 no Celebrity Chef: José Andrés As a kid, José Andrés tended fires for his father's backyard paella cookouts. Later, he trained with the best Spanish chefs, and began building a restaurant empire that would transform the way many Americans dine out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 14 Nov 2016 05:01:00 -0000 Celebrity Chef: José Andrés full 10 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a kid, José Andrés tended fires for his father's backyard paella cookouts. Later, he trained with the best Spanish chefs, and began building a restaurant empire that would transform the way many Americans dine out. As a kid, José Andrés tended fires for his father's backyard paella cookouts. Later, he trained with the best Spanish chefs, and began building a restaurant empire that would transform the way many Americans dine out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1880 no Music Mogul: L.A. Reid L.A. Reid began his music career as a drummer. Then he co-founded LaFace Records, discovering dozens of future pop superstars. Reid is now one of the most influential executives in the music industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 07 Nov 2016 05:01:18 -0000 Music Mogul: L.A. Reid full 9 Guy Raz | Vox Media L.A. Reid began his music career as a drummer. Then he co-founded LaFace Records, discovering dozens of future pop superstars. Reid is now one of the most influential executives in the music industry. L.A. Reid began his music career as a drummer. Then he co-founded LaFace Records, discovering dozens of future pop superstars. Reid is now one of the most influential executives in the music industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2154 no Samuel Adams: Jim Koch In 1984, Jim Koch felt suffocated by his cushy but boring corporate job. So he left, dusted off an old family beer recipe, started Sam Adams, and helped kickstart the craft beer movement in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 31 Oct 2016 04:01:24 -0000 Samuel Adams: Jim Koch full 8 Guy Raz | Vox Media In 1984, Jim Koch felt suffocated by his cushy but boring corporate job. So he left, dusted off an old family beer recipe, started Sam Adams, and helped kickstart the craft beer movement in America. In 1984, Jim Koch felt suffocated by his cushy but boring corporate job. So he left, dusted off an old family beer recipe, started Sam Adams, and helped kickstart the craft beer movement in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2239 no Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand Jane Wurwand moved to Los Angeles with a suitcase and a beauty school diploma. She started what would become Dermalogica, an international beauty empire that set the standard for skin care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 24 Oct 2016 04:01:02 -0000 Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand full 7 Guy Raz | Vox Media Jane Wurwand moved to Los Angeles with a suitcase and a beauty school diploma. She started what would become Dermalogica, an international beauty empire that set the standard for skin care. Jane Wurwand moved to Los Angeles with a suitcase and a beauty school diploma. She started what would become Dermalogica, an international beauty empire that set the standard for skin care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2559 no Airbnb: Joe Gebbia A chance encounter with a stranger gave Joe Gebbia an idea to help pay his rent. That idea turned into Airbnb — a company that now has more rooms than the biggest hotel chain in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 17 Oct 2016 04:01:00 -0000 Airbnb: Joe Gebbia full 6 Guy Raz | Vox Media A chance encounter with a stranger gave Joe Gebbia an idea to help pay his rent. That idea turned into Airbnb — a company that now has more rooms than the biggest hotel chain in the world. A chance encounter with a stranger gave Joe Gebbia an idea to help pay his rent. That idea turned into Airbnb — a company that now has more rooms than the biggest hotel chain in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2657 no VICE: Suroosh Alvi Suroosh Alvi was a recovering addict when he started a scrappy underground magazine in Montreal. It grew into VICE Media — a multi-billion dollar company that has shaken up the world of journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 10 Oct 2016 04:01:03 -0000 VICE: Suroosh Alvi full 5 Guy Raz | Vox Media Suroosh Alvi was a recovering addict when he started a scrappy underground magazine in Montreal. It grew into VICE Media — a multi-billion dollar company that has shaken up the world of journalism. Suroosh Alvi was a recovering addict when he started a scrappy underground magazine in Montreal. It grew into VICE Media — a multi-billion dollar company that has shaken up the world of journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2288 no Clif Bar: Gary Erickson Gary Erickson asked his mom, "Can you make a cookie without butter, sugar or oil?" The result was Clif Bar, an energy bar named after his dad — now one of the most popular energy bars in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 03 Oct 2016 04:01:30 -0000 Clif Bar: Gary Erickson full 4 Guy Raz | Vox Media Gary Erickson asked his mom, "Can you make a cookie without butter, sugar or oil?" The result was Clif Bar, an energy bar named after his dad — now one of the most popular energy bars in the U.S. Gary Erickson asked his mom, "Can you make a cookie without butter, sugar or oil?" The result was Clif Bar, an energy bar named after his dad — now one of the most popular energy bars in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1816 no Radio One: Cathy Hughes As a kid, Cathy Hughes practiced her DJ routine while her siblings banged on the bathroom door. As an adult, she founded Radio One, the country's largest African-American owned broadcasting company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 26 Sep 2016 04:01:26 -0000 Radio One: Cathy Hughes full 3 Guy Raz | Vox Media As a kid, Cathy Hughes practiced her DJ routine while her siblings banged on the bathroom door. As an adult, she founded Radio One, the country's largest African-American owned broadcasting company. As a kid, Cathy Hughes practiced her DJ routine while her siblings banged on the bathroom door. As an adult, she founded Radio One, the country's largest African-American owned broadcasting company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 2098 no Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched their photo-sharing app with a server that crashed every other hour. Despite a chaotic start, Instagram became one of the most popular apps in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 19 Sep 2016 04:01:00 -0000 Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger full 2 Guy Raz | Vox Media Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched their photo-sharing app with a server that crashed every other hour. Despite a chaotic start, Instagram became one of the most popular apps in the world. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched their photo-sharing app with a server that crashed every other hour. Despite a chaotic start, Instagram became one of the most popular apps in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1876 no Spanx: Sara Blakely At 27, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines and desperate to reinvent her life. So she came up with Spanx — hosiery that eliminates panty lines — and set to work building her business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Mon, 12 Sep 2016 04:01:00 -0000 Spanx: Sara Blakely full 1 Guy Raz | Vox Media At 27, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines and desperate to reinvent her life. So she came up with Spanx — hosiery that eliminates panty lines — and set to work building her business. At 27, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines and desperate to reinvent her life. So she came up with Spanx — hosiery that eliminates panty lines — and set to work building her business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 1741 no Introducing: How I Built This with Guy Raz Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds. New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays for free. Listen 1-week early and to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Fri, 02 Sep 2016 14:56:00 -0000 Introducing: How I Built This with Guy Raz trailer Guy Raz | Vox Media Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays for free. Listen 1-week early and to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds. New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays for free. Listen 1-week early and to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.

New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays for free. Listen 1-week early and to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

]]> 117 no