Podcast
How I Built This with Guy Raz
Guy Raz | Wondery
Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.New episodes release on Mondays and Thursdays.
— All episodes
EPISODES
- 01
Oct 8, 2026 · 44m E877
Advice Line with Nick Green of Thrive Market
Today’s callers: Mercedes in Utah tries to find harmony between quality and speed as she scales her concert attire brand for musicians. Then Danny in Colorad...
- 02
Oct 5, 2026 · 1h 10m E876
10 Years of How I Built This: A Decade of Innovation, Risk and Reinvention
Stories about starting a business are almost always full of drama. They’re about ambition, loss, triumph, catastrophe, resilience. And they’re also full of l...
- 03
Oct 1, 2026 · 46m E875
Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring (2025)
CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage ent...
- 04
Sep 28, 2026 · 1h 31m E874
Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender. A Partnership that Flourished—until it Failed. (2021)
With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to hit the mar...
- 05
Sep 24, 2026 · 41m E873
Advice Line with Danny Meyer of Shake Shack
Today’s callers: Janell from Kentucky wonders how to build a sense of hospitality into her canned bourbon cocktail brand. Jade from South Carolina considers...
- 06
Sep 21, 2026 · 58m E872
Banza: Brian Rudolph. The Chickpea Pasta That Nearly Turned to Mush
Brian Rudolph started making chickpea pasta in his Detroit apartment because wheat made him feel sick. A decade later, Banza was in more than 25,000 stores,...
- 07
Sep 17, 2026 · 41m E871
Advice Line with Michelle Wahler of Beyond Yoga
Today's callers: Carrie from Paris wants to turn interest into bookings for her boutique study-abroad programs for adults. Then, Grace from Nashville conside...
- 08
Sep 14, 2026 · 48m E870
Thrive Causemetics: Karissa Bodnar. How a Beauty Business Made Millions for a Mission
Karissa Bodnar had a dream job at L'Oréal when a close friend died from cancer at age 24. It shook her up and made her reassess what she really wanted to do...
- 09
Sep 10, 2026 · 38m E869
Advice Line with Kip Tindell of The Container Store
Today’s callers: Juliette in France wonders how to raise awareness of her “magical” cooling device—without a costly ad campaign. Then David in North Carolina...
- 10
Sep 7, 2026 · 1h 23m E868
Bogg Bag: Kim Vaccarella. The $100 Million Business She Almost Abandoned
Kim’s inspiration to launch a business came from an unlikely source: Her son’s Crocs. She thought the durable, washable material would make a great beach bag...
- 11
Sep 3, 2026 · 48m E867
Advice Line with Ben Goodwin of Olipop
Today’s callers: Darin from North Carolina seeks guidance on consumer education as his ghee-based snack brand grows into major retailers. Then Sarah from Mas...
- 12
Aug 31, 2026 · 1h 20m E866
Late July Snacks: Nicole Bernard Dawes. Crackers and Cookies were Failing… Tortilla Chips Saved Them
Nicole Bernard Dawes spent much of her childhood hanging out in her dad’s potato chip factory on Cape Cod. She liked his kettle-cooked chips a lot more than...
- 13
Aug 27, 2026 · 42m E865
Advice Line with Daymond John of FUBU
Today’s callers: Cristopher from Chicago wants to expand his family’s salsa brand from farmers markets into retail. Next, Darcy in Australia considers adapti...
- 14
Aug 24, 2026 · 1h 25m E864
YETI: Roy and Ryan Seiders. How Two Brothers Turned a $400 Cooler Into a $2 Billion Brand
Roy and Ryan were avid outdoorsmen who wanted a cooler that wouldn’t break. So they built one themselves. The result was YETI: a high-end cooler that early r...
- 15
Aug 20, 2026 · 42m E863
Advice Line with Carlton Calvin of Razor
Today’s callers: Shawn from Saskatchewan weighs whether brand-building or licensing is best for his card-based party game. Then Shirin in Texas wants to diff...
- 16
Aug 17, 2026 · 1h 19m E862
Bobbie: Laura Modi. How a Baby Formula Startup Took Market Share From Two Industry Giants
Laura Modi set out to build a better infant formula. What followed was years of setbacks: a crippling dispute with the FDA, a frustrating search for a manufa...
- 17
Aug 13, 2026 · 48m E861
Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty (September 2025)
Today's callers: Bob in Chicago looks to promote his cabbage-based muscle and joint rub beyond the walls of his orthopedic practice. Then Abby in Dallas wond...
- 18
Aug 10, 2026 · 1h 5m E860
MadeGood: Salma and Nima Fotovat Lost Their First Business. They Grew Their Next One Into a Snack Giant.
What do you do when the family business you've spent decades building... gets bought out from under you? That’s what happened to Nima and Salma Fotovat. Deva...
- 19
Aug 6, 2026 · 45m E859
Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions"
Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is e...
- 20
Aug 3, 2026 · 1h 15m E858
Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It
Many founders think the hardest thing about business is finding customers. It's not. It's surviving success. When Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan launched a lux...
- 21
Jul 30, 2026 · 46m E857
Advice Line with Chris Riccobono of UNTUCKit
Today’s callers: Adrian from California wants to grow his apparel company to complete with big-name athletic brands. Then, Preet from the Rockies looks for s...
- 22
Jul 27, 2026 · 1h 12m E856
Sweetwater: Chuck Surack. How a Customer Service Strategy Built a Billion Dollar Online Pro Audio and Music Company.
Chuck Surack never planned to build one of America's largest online retailers. He just wanted to be a musician. So right after high school, he took his sax a...
- 23
Jul 23, 2026 · 41m E855
Advice Line with Curt Richardson of OtterBox
Today’s callers: Andy from Sarasota weighs whether the path to scalability for his live game show business is through personality or product. Then, Marissa f...
- 24
Jul 20, 2026 · 51m E854
Toast: Aman Narang. How a Long Wait for the Dinner Check Launched a $2 Billion Business.
After waiting too long to pay his restaurant bill, Aman Narang thought there had to be a better way. His first idea—a mobile payment app—flopped. But that fa...
- 25
Jul 16, 2026 · 45m E853
Advice Line with Kenneth Cole
Today’s callers: Matt from New York City unpacks the stigma working against his line of foot wellness products. Then Emefa in Toronto seeks a direct relation...
- 26
Jul 13, 2026 · 1h 15m E852
Sun Bum: Tom Rinks. The Secrets of a Master Brand Builder (2023)
Tom Rinks got his start in the commission-only "shark tank" of midwestern furniture sales. That’s where he learned what makes customers buy. Decades later, t...
- 27
Jul 9, 2026 · 48m E851
Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (2025)
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newes...
- 28
Jul 6, 2026 · 1h 3m E850
Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough
Krishna Kaliannan wanted to start a tech company but failed at every attempt. On the side, he was teaching himself how to cook with high-protein, low-sugar i...
- 29
Jul 2, 2026 · 43m E849
Advice Line with Ronnen Harary of Spin Master/PAW Patrol
Today’s callers: Ann from Nashville asks how to adapt her jewelry business in the face of rising gold prices. Then Felix in Martha’s Vineyard considers strat...
- 30
Jun 29, 2026 · 1h 14m E848
e.l.f. Cosmetics: Joey Shamah. The Dollar Store Formula That Built a Cosmetics Giant
In 2004, Joey Shamah and his partner launched a cosmetics company built on an idea that made almost no sense: Sell high-quality makeup for just $1. At the ti...
- 31
Jun 25, 2026 · 43m E847
Advice Line with Susan Griffin-Black of EO Products
Today’s callers: Ruchi from Chicago looks for advice on which channels to focus distribution for her probiotic skincare line. Then Peter in San Francisco con...
- 32
Jun 22, 2026 · 1h 14m E846
STARR Restaurants: Stephen Starr. How a Non-Foodie Built Thriving Restaurants on Gut Instinct
Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business. He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter. Along the way, he...
- 33
Jun 18, 2026 · 45m E845
Advice Line with Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics
Today’s callers: Daisy in the United Kingdom looks to grow her barefoot shoe brand across the pond in the United States. Then Rachel in Pennsylvania consider...
- 34
Jun 15, 2026 · 1h 4m E844
Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire
When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind. Investors doubted it. Friends q...
- 35
Jun 11, 2026 · 45m E843
Advice Line with Christina Tosi of Milk Bar
Today’s callers: Whitney in Utah wonders how to bridge the gap between pre-seed and institutional investment for her fitness/retail combo space. Then Chloe i...
- 36
Jun 8, 2026 · 58m E842
Shopify: Tobias Lütke. How a snowboarder built a $150 billion business (2019)
In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend. An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but foun...
- 37
Jun 4, 2026 · 47m E841
Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025)
Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspir...
- 38
Jun 1, 2026 · 1h 28m E840
UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.
In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was wh...
- 39
May 28, 2026 · 46m E839
Advice Line with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation
Today’s callers: Kristina in Ohio looks for avenues beyond organic social media to market her furniture designed for toddlers and parents alike. Then Phil in...
- 40
May 25, 2026 · 1h 27m E838
Justin’s Nut Butter: Justin Gold. He Was Waiting Tables, Then...He Reinvented Peanut Butter.
At 25, Justin Gold was making experimental peanut butter in his home kitchen with a food processor and a stack of recipe journals. His singular obsession: br...
- 41
May 21, 2026 · 48m E837
Advice Line with Sarah LaFleur of M.M. LaFleur
Today’s callers: David from New Jersey struggles with self-doubt as he works to grow his muscle-scraping soap brand. Then, Marnie from Australia wants to con...
- 42
May 18, 2026 · 1h 7m E836
NVIDIA: Jensen Huang. From near collapse to becoming the world’s biggest company
NVIDIA is one of the most valuable companies in human history. Its chips run the AI systems transforming everything from entertainment to warfare. But for ye...
- 43
May 14, 2026 · 41m E835
Advice Line: New Offerings, Bigger Markets
Today’s callers: Kristina in Florida wants to take her local pottery workshops nationwide. Then Jim from Colorado wonders if retail is right for his quick re...
- 44
May 11, 2026 · 1h 1m E834
Room & Board: John Gabbert. A Broken Deal, a Family Rift, and the Birth of a Furniture Giant
John Gabbert built a massive furniture brand. But in order to do it, he had to defy his family. John grew up working at his dad’s furniture store in the subu...
- 45
May 7, 2026 · 43m E833
Advice Line with Jonah Peretti of Buzzfeed
Today’s callers: Anthony from Miami considers the best method to grow his pop-up outdoor movie theater business. Then Andrew in San Francisco asks how to set...
- 46
May 4, 2026 · 1h 12m E832
Beautycounter: Gregg Renfrew. She Built Beautycounter to $1B… Then Got Fired From Her Own Company
Gregg Renfrew started a movement by making better-for-you cosmetics, then enlisted an army of women to build the business through direct sales. But after sel...
- 47
Apr 30, 2026 · 44m E831
Advice Line with David Neeleman of JetBlue
Today’s callers: Barbara in Massachusetts wonders how her nutrition education theater company might live on past her own involvement. Then Jeff in Illinois l...
- 48
Apr 27, 2026 · 1h 8m E830
Shep and Ian Murray: Vineyard Vines. A Stale Product Transforms into a Lifestyle Brand.
In the late 1990s, Shep and Ian Murray looked at a shrinking category–men’s ties–and saw an opportunity: a necktie isn’t just functional. It’s expressive. It...
- 49
Apr 23, 2026 · 40m E829
Advice Line with Eric Ryan of Method returns
Today’s callers: Christina from California wonders how to build trust with her fragrance brand formulated without allergens. Then, James, also from Californi...
- 50
Apr 20, 2026 · 1h 5m E828
KIND bars: Daniel Lubetzky. From peace in the Middle East to a $5 billion snack bar
What if the thing you care about most ... might be what’s holding your business back? Daniel Lubetzky didn’t leave his law job to build a straightforward bus...
- 51
Apr 16, 2026 · 51m E827
Advice Line with Chieh Huang of Boxed
Today’s callers: Alec from California wonders if it’s time to bring production for his beef tallow skincare brand out of his kitchen to a co-manufacturer. Th...
- 52
Apr 13, 2026 · 1h 3m E826
iRobot: Colin Angle. How The Roomba Became a Household Icon
Colin Angle didn’t start out trying to clean people’s floors. He started out trying to shape the future–with robots. In the early days of iRobot, there was n...
- 53
Apr 9, 2026 · 42m E825
Advice Line with Steve Ells of Chipotle
Today’s callers: Rebecca from Australia wants to make her small-batch spirits stand out in a crowded market. Then, Sri from England wonders how to balance co...
- 54
Apr 6, 2026 · 1h 18m E824
Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit
A lot of founders spend their lives chasing one big idea. Antonio Swad had two. The first? Migrating chicken wings from the Happy Hour buffet to the center o...
- 55
Apr 2, 2026 · 49m E823
Advice Line with Angie & Dan Bastian of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP
Today’s callers: Michelle from California assesses the trade offs of accepting outside investment to scale her organic granola brand. Then, Gloria from Conne...
- 56
Mar 30, 2026 · 1h 13m E822
diapers.com: Marc Lore. The ecommerce visionary who lost to Amazon but still made billions (2021)
Back in the early days of ecommerce, Marc Lore took a classic retail loss leader–diapers– and turned it into a DTC giant– Diapers.com. It did so well that it...
- 57
Mar 26, 2026 · 40m E821
Advice Line with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie (June 2025)
Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap & Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from thre...
- 58
Mar 23, 2026 · 1h 8m E820
Vital Farms: Matt O’Hayer. How a serial entrepreneur re-branded the egg
For decades, a dozen eggs was just… a dozen eggs. No story. No real branding. No reason to care who produced them. Then Matt O’Hayer came along and asked a q...
- 59
Mar 19, 2026 · 37m E819
Advice Line: What’s Your Value?
In today’s special episode, Guy and four former show guests talk with callers about how they can prove the value of their products—and themselves. First, Mea...
- 60
Mar 16, 2026 · 1h 29m E818
Scrub Daddy: Aaron Krause. How a Failed Experiment Became a Billion-Dollar Sponge
Aaron Krause did not set out to reinvent the kitchen sponge. He was a car detailer, building buffing pads and the machines that made them. To clean his greas...
- 61
Mar 12, 2026 · 44m E816
Advice Line with Hernan Lopez of Wondery
Today’s callers: Heather from Ontario talks through a DTC strategy for her retail pain relief tape and patches. Then Nawal in Michigan considers a rebrand fo...
- 62
Mar 9, 2026 · 58m E815
Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford. A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business
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 w...
- 63
Mar 5, 2026 · 44m E814
Advice Line with Miguel McKelvey of WeWork
Today’s callers: Jane in Minnesota wants to scale her artful pants brand while staying true to her locally-made mission. Then Melissa in New Mexico wonders h...
- 64
Mar 2, 2026 · 1h E813
Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a Brand
Kettle Chips: Cameron Healy. The Wild Bet That Made a Brand Most founders expand the “right” way: local → regional → national → international. Cameron Healy...
- 65
Feb 26, 2026 · 41m E812
Advice Line with Alexa Hirschfeld of Paperless Post
Today’s callers: Jess from Washington seeks counsel on structuring a collaboration between her sympathy cards company and a pet products brand. Then, Carolin...
- 66
Feb 23, 2026 · 1h 11m E811
Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 Sale, Then Built a $10 Billion Company
Most entrepreneurs think the hardest part of building a company is the product. For Jim McKelvey — co-founder of Square — the hardest part was the system aro...
- 67
Feb 19, 2026 · 48m E810
Advice Line with Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali of Chomps
Today’s callers: Yadi from New York thinks through an expansion strategy for her college campus-based empanada business. Then, Zachary from New York looks fo...
- 68
Feb 16, 2026 · 1h E809
Spinbrush: John Osher. The Electric Toothbrush That Sold for $475M
Before Spinbrush became the top selling toothbrush in the U.S—and before Procter & Gamble paid $475M for it—John Osher was a teenager selling earrings for $4...
- 69
Feb 12, 2026 · 46m E808
Advice Line with Julia Hartz of Eventbrite
Today’s callers: Mia from Germany wants to know how to balance her pottery business between an online shop and a YouTube channel. Then, Jen from Connecticut...
- 70
Feb 9, 2026 · 1h 24m E807
Netflix: Reed Hastings. “We’re Not a Family.” The Provocative Idea That Helped Build a Streaming Giant
Netflix shouldn’t have survived. In 1997, Blockbuster owned home entertainment—9,000 stores, a business fueled by late fees, and a brand that felt untouchabl...
- 71
Feb 5, 2026 · 46m E806
Advice Line with Jon Stein of Betterment
Plus, Jon’s take on why now is a good time to start a business — in spite of market uncertainty. Today’s callers: Dan from Washington considers new offerings...
- 72
Feb 2, 2026 · 55m E805
HOKA: Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud. The “Clown Shoe” That Became a $2B Bonanza
In the late 2000s, two French mountain athletes set out to build a running shoe that captured the feeling of flying. Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas “Nico” Mermou...
- 73
Jan 29, 2026 · 53m E804
Advice Line with Serial Entrepreneur Mark Cuban
Plus, Mark on his most challenging venture yet: revolutionizing the prescription drug market in America. First we meet Lucy from Washington DC, considering a...
- 74
Jan 26, 2026 · 1h 9m E803
Taylor Guitars: Kurt Listug and Bob Taylor. From $3,700 Shop to Global Icon
A bright blue guitar covered in orange koi fish vanished from a museum display … and Swifties immediately knew what it meant. That distinctive guitar—the one...
- 75
Jan 22, 2026 · 40m E802
Advice Line with Monica Nassif of Mrs. Meyer's
Plus, how candor has been a more effective press strategy than talking points for (the literal) Mrs. Meyer. First we meet Allison in California, seeking mark...
- 76
Jan 19, 2026 · 1h 20m E801
Gymboree: Joan Barnes. How Building a Beloved Brand Nearly Destroyed Its Founder
Before Gymboree became a cultural icon in the 80s and 90s, it was just one lonely new mom trying to find connection. Joan Barnes started hosting weekly playg...
- 77
Jan 15, 2026 · 45m E800
Advice Line with Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker
Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how AI integrat...
- 78
Jan 12, 2026 · 1h 8m E799
La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti. A Brotherhood Built on Coffee (2020)
When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, an...
- 79
Jan 8, 2026 · 53m E798
Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon (December 2024)
Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building...
- 80
Jan 5, 2026 · 52m E797
Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin, From Zero to a Billion Dollar Exit in Five Years (December 2018)
It started with a massive pile of razors sitting in a Rancho Cucomonga warehouse, and Michael Dubin’s chance meeting of the man who wanted to get rid of them...