How I Built This with Guy Raz

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 o...

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 S...

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 experienc...

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 —...

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, Alex...

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 ti...

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, a...

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 batte...

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 a...

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 cu...

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 ...

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 ...

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 busi...

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 worl...

Plus, how candor has been a more effective press strategy than talking points for (the literal) Mrs. Meyers.

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 a...

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 location...

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 T...

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...

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 ...