今天的来电者：密歇根州的托尼正在考虑引入合伙人，分别管理他的啤酒馆和剧院业务的不同部分。随后，伦敦的莫妮卡正在探索如何以最佳方式触达注重时尚的父母，推广她的童装系列。而科罗拉多州的桑迪则在寻找理想的定价策略，以便将他的自适应备考平台推广至全国学校。感谢Hearsay Brewing and Theater、Tres London和Brain Buffs的创始人参与我们的节目。如果您希望在未来《建议热线》节目中亮相——盖伊和往期节目嘉宾将解答早期创业者的疑问——请给我们留一段一分钟的语音信息，介绍您的业务并提出一个具体问题。将语音备忘录发送至hibt@id.wondery.com，或拨打1-800-433-1298。同时，请务必收听我们与第七代公司杰弗里·霍兰德、M.M LaFleur的莎拉·拉弗勒以及Happy Family Organics的莎齐·维斯拉姆合作的《建议热线》节目。本期节目由凯瑞·汤普森制作，音乐由拉姆廷·阿拉布洛伊创作，约翰·伊莎贝拉编辑，音频工程师吉米·基利。您可以在X和Instagram上关注HIBT，并通过guyraz.com或Substack订阅盖伊的免费新闻通讯。隐私政策详见https://art19.com/privacy，加州隐私声明详见https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info。
48:17
今天的来电者：密歇根州的托尼正在考虑引入合伙人，分别管理他的啤酒馆和剧院业务的不同部分。随后，伦敦的莫妮卡正在探索如何以最佳方式触达注重时尚的父母，推广她的童装系列。而科罗拉多州的桑迪则在寻找理想的定价策略，以便将他的自适应备考平台推广至全国学校。感谢Hearsay Brewing and Theater、Tres London和Brain Buffs的创始人参与我们的节目。如果您希望在未来《建议热线》节目中亮相——盖伊和往期节目嘉宾将解答早期创业者的疑问——请给我们留一段一分钟的语音信息，介绍您的业务并提出一个具体问题。将语音备忘录发送至hibt@id.wondery.com，或拨打1-800-433-1298。同时，请务必收听我们与第七代公司杰弗里·霍兰德、M.M LaFleur的莎拉·拉弗勒以及Happy Family Organics的莎齐·维斯拉姆合作的《建议热线》节目。本期节目由凯瑞·汤普森制作，音乐由拉姆廷·阿拉布洛伊创作，约翰·伊莎贝拉编辑，音频工程师吉米·基利。您可以在X和Instagram上关注HIBT，并通过guyraz.com或Substack订阅盖伊的免费新闻通讯。隐私政策详见https://art19.com/privacy，加州隐私声明详见https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info。
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
1:00:48
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
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
1:11:37
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
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
43:48
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
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
1:08:54
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
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
47:48
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
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
1:21:05
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
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
45:02
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
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
1:15:45
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
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
47:16
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
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
1:35:01
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
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
44:11
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
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
1:02:15
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
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
43:22
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
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
52:03
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
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
43:50
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
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
1:27:11
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
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
51:23
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
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
1:24:24
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
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
45:12
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
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
1:29:09
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
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
45:17
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
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
50:40
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
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
1:09:28
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
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
1:19:29
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
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
47:18
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
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
1:16:06
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
