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How I Built This with Guy Raz
By NPR
Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built. Pre-order the How I Built This book at https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis.
Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built. Pre-order the How I Built This book at https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis.
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The Lip Bar: Melissa Butler
While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsession, costing thousands of dollars. She was frustrated by the lack of diversity in the cosmetics industry, and as a Black woman, wanted to create lipstick colors that complimented her complexion and style. So in 2010, she launched The Lip Bar, with bold colors like green and purple, and boozy names like "Cosmo" and "Sour Apple Martini." Undeterred by a disastrous appearance on Shark Tank with her partner Rosco Spears, Melissa was motivated to pitch her lipstick to Target, and in 2016, launched a new color on Target's online store. Today, The Lip Bar has expanded to 500 Target stores, and has continued to grow a following, despite the pain points of the pandemic. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
23 Nov 2020
1 HR 22 MINS
1:22:43
23 Nov 2020
How I Built Resilience: Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries
Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, one of the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry programs in the world. He speaks with Guy about how the Los Angeles based organization has adapted to continue training and employing people during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
19 Nov 2020
25 MINS
25:55
19 Nov 2020
Kenneth Cole: Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole launched his shoe business out of a forty-foot truck in midtown Manhattan and quickly became known as an up-and-coming designer with an eye for street fashion. In 1986, he made a bold move by associating his nascent brand with a controversial issue at the time: the AIDS crisis, and the vital need for research. Through the 1990s and 2000s, Kenneth grew the company into a $500M brand, leading it through downturns, department store consolidation, an IPO and a return to private ownership. Throughout, he stayed committed to AIDS research and many other social causes. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
16 Nov 2020
1 HR 17 MINS
1:17:38
16 Nov 2020
Dropbox: Drew Houston
In 2006, Drew Houston got on a bus from Boston heading to New York. He planned to use the three-hour ride to get some work done, so he opened his laptop, and realized he had left his thumb drive with all of his work files at home. Drew decided he never wanted to have that problem again. On that bus ride, he started writing the code to build a cloud-based file storage and sharing service he called Dropbox. Fourteen years later, Drew and his co-founder, Arash Ferdowsi, have built Dropbox into a public company worth close to $8 billion. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis
09 Nov 2020
49 MINS
49:54
09 Nov 2020
How I Built Resilience: Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement
Guy talks with Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement, a grassroots organization that's fighting to make climate change a top priority in the US. The group launched in 2017 and has since grown into one of the largest youth movements in the country. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
05 Nov 2020
23 MINS
23:46
05 Nov 2020
Famous Dave's: Dave Anderson
Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him. For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin. The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has around 125 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
02 Nov 2020
1 HR 17 MINS
1:17:39
02 Nov 2020
How I Built Resilience: Justin Gold of Justin's
Justin Gold is the founder of Justin's, known for its nut butters and chocolate peanut butter cups. He talks about how he started by pulverizing peanuts in his home blender, and describes how his customers are shopping differently during the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
31 Oct 2020
22 MINS
22:17
31 Oct 2020
How I Built Resilience: Cheryl Contee of Do Big Things
Do Big Things is a Black woman-led, mission-driven digital agency that works with companies like Google, Etsy, and the NAACP, and has a staff that's 50% people of color. The agency's CEO and founder Cheryl Contee says having a diverse team is a strategy for authentic engagement. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
29 Oct 2020
20 MINS
20:15
29 Oct 2020
McBride Sisters Wine (Part 2 of 2): Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John
After Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John made the extraordinary discovery that they were half-sisters, they formed a deep bond and discovered a mutual dream: to create a wine company that would demystify wine culture and attract a wider audience. In the mid-2000s, they staked their life savings on an importer's license and began selling New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to high-end restaurants, eventually partnering with larger companies to test out their blends and learn more about the business. In 2016, they decided to take a leap and create their own collection. Today, their wine—including the signature brand Black Girl Magic—is on grocery shelves across the country, and the McBride Sisters Collection is one of the biggest Black-owned wine companies in the world. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
26 Oct 2020
1 HR 12 MINS
1:12:11
26 Oct 2020
How I Built Resilience: Sonia Gil of Fluenz
Fluenz helps English speakers learn new languages, both online and with in-person immersion programs. With travel restrictions and a global pandemic, CEO and founder Sonia Gil had to scrap her in-person immersion programs, and create a new system for teaching students remotely. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
22 Oct 2020
19 MINS
19:50
22 Oct 2020
McBride Sisters Wine (Part 1 of 2): Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John
When we first spoke with Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John, we were so blown away by their story that we decided to turn it into two episodes. With hardly any money or connections, they built one of the biggest Black-owned wine companies in the world — a journey that began with an extraordinary family discovery: Robin and Andréa are half-sisters who didn't know of each other's existence until they were both young women. Robin grew up in California, and at the age of 25, she received a letter with life-changing news: she had a younger sister living in New Zealand. The sisters met for the first time in 1999, formed an instant bond, and soon realized they shared a deep interest in the art of winemaking. They began dreaming about building their own company—one that would open up the wine industry to people who often feel shut out of it. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
19 Oct 2020
53 MINS
53:10
19 Oct 2020
method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan (2018)
In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub without harming the environment. Adam started experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, and scented oils, while Eric worked on making sleek bottles that looked good on a kitchen counter. Just a few years later, Adam and Eric were selling Method cleaning products in stores throughout the country, after a bold gamble got them on the shelves of Target.Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
12 Oct 2020
54 MINS
54:13
12 Oct 2020
How I Built Resilience: Cynt Marshall of Dallas Mavericks
When a Sports Illustrated article exposed internal abuse and harassment in the Dallas Mavericks organization, owner Mark Cuban knew he had a culture problem. So he hired Cynt Marshall as CEO, and she tells Guy how she started to turn things around, and how she's leading the organization through this unprecedented moment. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
10 Oct 2020
24 MINS
24:18
10 Oct 2020
How I Built Resilience: Aishetu Dozie of Bossy Cosmetics
Aishetu Dozie had a successful career in finance before she took a leap and launched Bossy, a makeup brand that has exploded in popularity over the past six months, despite the challenges of the pandemic. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times.Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
08 Oct 2020
23 MINS
23:04
08 Oct 2020
Lush Cosmetics: Mark Constantine
Working at a high-end beauty salon in the south of England in the early 1970's, Mark Constantine concocted natural shampoos and conditioners in a tiny room above his kitchen, and soon met another young entrepreneur who was eager to buy his products: Anita Roddick of The Body Shop. Their partnership flourished for a while, then soured; so Mark went on to start a mail-order cosmetics business with his wife and several others. After that business went bust and Mark was nearly broke, he decided to take one more leap to launch Lush, a cosmetics shop whose distinctive soaps and bath bombs developed a passionate following. Today, Lush has about 900 stores around the world and is adapting to pressures of a pandemic economy.Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
05 Oct 2020
1 HR 27 MINS
1:27:32
05 Oct 2020
How I Built Resilience: Jennifer Neundorfer of January Ventures
January Ventures is an investment firm that is trying to address the unique challenges and biases faced by entrepreneurs often under-represented in business, including women and people of color. The firm's co-founder and managing partner Jennifer Neundorfer says that despite more attention in the recent months, great ideas from these diverse groups have always been there. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
03 Oct 2020
24 MINS
24:06
03 Oct 2020
How I Built Resilience: Jeremy Stoppelman of Yelp
Yelp founder Jeremy Stoppelman says his leadership team anticipated a "nuclear winter" after the pandemic hit. But as businesses start to re-open, and ad revenues on the site creep back up, Yelp is bringing back furloughed employees and adding Covid-conscious features to its listings. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
01 Oct 2020
27 MINS
27:09
01 Oct 2020
Health-Ade Kombucha: Daina Trout
In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Their biggest contender seemed to be a natural product to treat hair loss. Turns out, it's harder than they thought to make one, so they landed on something completely different: a brand of homemade kombucha they called Health-Ade. After nine months of brewing kombucha in their kitchen and selling it at local farmer's markets, the three co-founders quit their jobs to pursue Health-Ade full time. Seven years later, Health-Ade brews 120,000 bottles of Kombucha every day, and does close to $200 million in retail sales. Order the How I Built This book at: [https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis] (https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis)
28 Sep 2020
59 MINS
59:46
28 Sep 2020