How I Built This with Guy Raz
by Guy Raz | Vox Media
Latest episode
Panera: Ron Shaich. The Big Bet That Changed Fast Food (2018)
Panera: Ron Shaich. The Big Bet That Changed Fast Food (2018)
About this podcast
Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.
How I Built This is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 885 episodes
- Panera: Ron Shaich. The Big Bet That Changed Fast Food (2018) · 41 minIn the early 1980s, Ron Shaich took over Au Bon Pain, a struggling group of Boston bakeries, and helped grow it into a national chain with 250 locations. But Ron saw an even…
- Dr. Squatch: Jack Haldrup. From a Closet Full of Soap to a $1.5 Billion Brand · 1 h 20 minJack Haldrup didn’t set out to build a billion-dollar company. He just wanted a way out of consulting and a bar of soap he actually liked. After developing psoriasis, Jack…
- Dell Computers: Michael Dell. The College Dropout Who Took on IBM (2018) · 47 minMichael Dell was building a tech business in his dorm room long before it became a familiar startup story. In 1983, the UT Austin student began selling PC upgrade kits. Within…
- Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky: “I Was a Great Founder and a Terrible CEO” · 1 h 15 minThis episode is available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ZYf-DfxJg1c Brian Chesky was 26 when he and his co-founders launched Airbnb, turning a few air mattresses in a San…
- Advice Line with Tope Awotona of Calendly · 1 h 0 minToday’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…
- FIGS: Trina Spear and Heather Hasson. The $2.5 Billion Scrubs Brand That Investors Said Would Never Work · 1 h 11 minHeather 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…
- Advice Line with Seth Berkowitz of Insomnia Cookies · 44 min · Episode 881Today’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…
- Sweet Loren’s: Loren Castle. How A Recipe Makeover Built a National Cookie Brand · 1 h 8 min · Episode 880Loren 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…
- Advice Line with Tara Bosch of SmartSweets · 48 min · Episode 879Today’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…
- Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League (2023) · 1 h 21 min · Episode 878In 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…
- Advice Line with Nick Green of Thrive Market · 45 min · Episode 877Today’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…
- 10 Years of How I Built This: A Decade of Innovation, Risk and Reinvention · 1 h 15 min · Episode 876Stories 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…
- Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring (2025) · 47 min · Episode 875CEO 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…
- Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender. A Partnership that Flourished—until it Failed. (2021) · 1 h 35 min · Episode 874With 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…
- Advice Line with Danny Meyer of Shake Shack · 44 min · Episode 873Today’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…
- Banza: Brian Rudolph. The Chickpea Pasta That Nearly Turned to Mush · 1 h 2 min · Episode 872Brian 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…
- Advice Line with Michelle Wahler of Beyond Yoga · 43 min · Episode 871Today'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…
- Thrive Causemetics: Karissa Bodnar. How a Beauty Business Made Millions for a Mission · 52 min · Episode 870Karissa 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…
- Advice Line with Kip Tindell of The Container Store · 44 min · Episode 869Today’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…
- Bogg Bag: Kim Vaccarella. The $100 Million Business She Almost Abandoned · 1 h 27 min · Episode 868Kim’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…
- Advice Line with Ben Goodwin of Olipop · 51 min · Episode 867Today’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…
- Late July Snacks: Nicole Bernard Dawes. Crackers and Cookies were Failing… Tortilla Chips Saved Them · 1 h 24 min · Episode 866Nicole 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…
- Advice Line with Daymond John of FUBU · 45 min · Episode 865Today’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…
- YETI: Roy and Ryan Seiders. How Two Brothers Turned a $400 Cooler Into a $2 Billion Brand · 1 h 29 min · Episode 864Roy 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…
- Advice Line with Carlton Calvin of Razor · 45 min · Episode 863Today’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…
- Bobbie: Laura Modi. How a Baby Formula Startup Took Market Share From Two Industry Giants · 1 h 23 min · Episode 862Laura Modi set out to build a better infant formula. What followed was years of setbacks: a crippling dispute with the FDA, a frustrating search for a manufacturer, and the…
- Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty (September 2025) · 51 min · Episode 861Today'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…
- MadeGood: Salma and Nima Fotovat Lost Their First Business.They Grew Their Next One Into a Snack Giant. · 1 h 9 min · Episode 860What 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…
- Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions" · 48 min · Episode 859Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is exploring the best way…
- Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It · 1 h 19 min · Episode 858Many 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…
- Advice Line with Chris Riccobono of UNTUCKit · 47 min · Episode 857Today’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…
- Sweetwater: Chuck Surack. How a Customer Service Strategy Built a Billion Dollar Online Pro Audio and Music Company. · 1 h 16 min · Episode 856Chuck 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…
- Advice Line with Curt Richardson of OtterBox · 43 min · Episode 855Today’s callers: Andy from Sarasota weighs whether the path to scalability for his live game show business is through personality or product. Then, Marissa from Tampa wants to…
- Toast: Aman Narang. How a Long Wait for the Dinner Check Launched a $2 Billion Business. · 55 min · Episode 854After waiting too long to pay his restaurant bill, Aman Narang thought there had to be a better way. His first idea—a mobile payment app—flopped. But that failure revealed a much…
- Advice Line with Kenneth Cole · 46 min · Episode 853Today’s callers: Matt from New York City unpacks the stigma working against his line of foot wellness products. Then Emefa in Toronto seeks a direct relationship with customers…
- Sun Bum: Tom Rinks. The Secrets of a Master Brand Builder (2023) · 1 h 19 min · Episode 852Tom Rinks got his start in the commission-only "shark tank" of midwestern furniture sales. That’s where he learned what makes customers buy. Decades later, those instincts helped…
- Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (2025) · 50 min · Episode 851Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is…
- Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough · 1 h 7 min · Episode 850Krishna Kaliannan wanted to start a tech company but failed at every attempt. On the side, he was teaching himself how to cook with high-protein, low-sugar ingredients. Not just…
- Advice Line with Ronnen Harary of Spin Master/PAW Patrol · 45 min · Episode 849Today’s callers: Ann from Nashville asks how to adapt her jewelry business in the face of rising gold prices. Then Felix in Martha’s Vineyard considers strategies for growing his…
- e.l.f. Cosmetics: Joey Shamah. The Dollar Store Formula That Built a Cosmetics Giant · 1 h 18 min · Episode 848In 2004, Joey Shamah and his partner launched a cosmetics company built on an idea that made almost no sense: Sell high-quality makeup for just $1. At the time, high quality…
- Advice Line with Susan Griffin-Black of EO Products · 47 min · Episode 847Today’s callers: Ruchi from Chicago looks for advice on which channels to focus distribution for her probiotic skincare line. Then Peter in San Francisco considers strategies to…
- STARR Restaurants: Stephen Starr. How a Non-Foodie Built Thriving Restaurants on Gut Instinct · 1 h 17 min · Episode 846Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business. He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter. Along the way, he booked a young Jerry…
- Advice Line with Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics · 49 min · Episode 845Today’s callers: Daisy in the United Kingdom looks to grow her barefoot shoe brand across the pond in the United States. Then Rachel in Pennsylvania considers private labeling…
- Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire · 1 h 6 min · Episode 844When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind. Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail…
- Advice Line with Christina Tosi of Milk Bar · 49 min · Episode 843Today’s callers: Whitney in Utah wonders how to bridge the gap between pre-seed and institutional investment for her fitness/retail combo space. Then Chloe in the U.K. considers…
- Shopify: Tobias Lütke. How a snowboarder built a $150 billion business (2019) · 1 h 2 min · Episode 842In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend. An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce…
- Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025) · 51 min · Episode 841Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his…
- UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company. · 1 h 32 min · Episode 840In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was where he’d find an idea…
- Advice Line with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation · 50 min · Episode 839Today’s callers: Kristina in Ohio looks for avenues beyond organic social media to market her furniture designed for toddlers and parents alike. Then Phil in Michigan considers…
- Justin’s Nut Butter: Justin Gold. He Was Waiting Tables, Then...He Reinvented Peanut Butter. · 1 h 31 min · Episode 838At 25, Justin Gold was making experimental peanut butter in his home kitchen with a food processor and a stack of recipe journals. His singular obsession: bring new life to a…
