How I Built This with Guy Raz artwork

Aug 3, 2026 · 1h 15m, Episode 858

Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It

From How I Built This with Guy Raz

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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...

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