How I Built This with Guy Raz
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.
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Recent Episodes
Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It
Aug 03, 2026Summary Preview
Lily Cantor and Serena Dugan share the dramatic story of building Serena & Lily from a small baby boutique into a luxury home goods empire. Their journey includes navigating explosive early growth, a devastating cash crisis, toxic investors, lawsuits, and board battles—all while creating one of America's most beloved design brands. The episode offers crucial lessons about raising capital, the importance of choosing the right investors, and the resilience required to survive near-catastrophic challenges in entrepreneurship.
- The Founding Story: When Microsoft Money Met Artistic Talent
- The Perfect Storm: Memorial Day Weekend 2004
Advice Line with Chris Riccobono of UNTUCKit
Jul 30, 2026Processing failed
Sweetwater: Chuck Surack. How a Customer Service Strategy Built a Billion Dollar Online Pro Audio and Music Company.
Jul 27, 2026Summary Preview
Chuck Surak built Sweetwater from a mobile recording studio in a VW bus into America's largest online retailer of musical instruments and pro audio equipment, generating over $2 billion in annual sales. His unconventional approach focused on exceptional customer service through highly trained 'sales engineers' rather than competing on price, creating lasting relationships that turned a Fort Wayne, Indiana operation into a billion-dollar empire while staying true to his roots and community.
- From Touring Musician to Mobile Recording Studio
- The Kurzweil K-250: A $20,000 Bet That Changed Everything
Advice Line with Curt Richardson of OtterBox
Jul 23, 2026Summary Preview
This episode of the Advice Line features Otterbox founder Kurt Richardson helping three entrepreneurs tackle challenges in their businesses. The callers seek guidance on scaling a live game show business, reigniting sales momentum for a fairy tale-inspired tea company, and determining the right marketing strategy for a sustainable baby gear startup. Kurt shares insights from growing Otterbox from $5M to $575M in five years, emphasizing the importance of focus, customer understanding, and testing before scaling.
- Kurt Richardson's Journey and Philosophy on Growth
- Scaling a Game Show Business Through People, Not Just Content
Toast: Aman Narang. How a Long Wait for the Dinner Check Launched a $2 Billion Business.
Jul 20, 2026Summary Preview
Aman Narang co-founded Toast, transforming it from a failed mobile payment app into a $15 billion restaurant technology platform serving one in five U.S. restaurants. The journey began in 2012 when frustration with slow restaurant payments led to building an app, which failed but revealed a bigger opportunity: replacing the entire outdated point-of-sale infrastructure that restaurants desperately needed but couldn't easily switch. Through basement-stage bootstrapping, near-death moments during COVID, and relentless customer obsession, Toast became the operating system for America's busiest restaurants.
- The Genesis: From Endeca to Entrepreneurship
- The Failed First Idea: Mobile Payment App
Advice Line with Kenneth Cole
Jul 16, 2026Summary Preview
In this episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line, host Guy Raz is joined by legendary fashion designer Kenneth Cole to help three entrepreneurs navigate business challenges. They advise Matt Jacobs of Pedestrian Project on balancing market share versus category expansion in foot care, Emma Fakwade of Israel Acabla on leveraging wholesale partnerships to build direct-to-consumer relationships, and Levi Case of SwingSculpt on reducing friction for a novel custom product while exploring expansion opportunities beyond golf.
- Introduction to Kenneth Cole's Legacy and Modern Brand Building
- Pedestrian Project: Modernizing Foot Care and Category Strategy
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Tom Rinks shares his unlikely journey from furniture salesman to creating one of the most recognizable sunscreen brands in the world. Starting with t-shirt designs, moving through a legendary lawsuit against Taco Bell over the Chihuahua mascot, and eventually building SunBum into a $400 million brand, Tom's story demonstrates how design thinking, relentless work ethic, and strategic branding can transform simple products into cultural phenomena. The episode reveals his philosophy on brand building, the importance of knowing when to step aside, and why he deliberately stayed out of the spotlight despite massive success.
- From Furniture Sales to T-Shirt Empire
- The Psycho Chihuahua Phenomenon
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In this Advice Line episode, Guy Raz is joined by Jenny Britton, founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, to help three food entrepreneurs tackle challenges in scaling their businesses. The callers include Jesse Koenig from frozen french fry brand Jesse and Ben's, Casey White from pierogi company Jaju Pierogi, and Callie Saher from purple sweet potato dog treat brand Ube.co. Jenny shares insights from building a national ice cream brand from Columbus, Ohio, and launching her new fiber company Flora, while addressing questions about marketing strategies, fundraising, and sustainable growth in the competitive CPG industry.
- Jenny Britton's Journey and Building Outside Major Markets
- Jesse and Ben's: Marketing Better-for-You French Fries
Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough
Jul 06, 2026Summary Preview
Krishna Kalyanin, founder of Catalina Crunch, shares his journey from Penn graduate with type 1 diabetes and epilepsy to creator of a $100+ million keto-friendly cereal brand. After struggling with limited breakfast options on a ketogenic diet, he began experimenting in his NYC apartment kitchen with protein powders and alternative sweeteners. What started as bags of homemade cereal for friends evolved into a direct-to-consumer business and eventually a major grocery store brand. His story illustrates the challenges of food manufacturing, ingredient innovation, and scaling a CPG brand from a home kitchen to a 125,000 square-foot facility.
- Personal Health Crisis Leads to Dietary Transformation
- From Failed Tech Startups to Kitchen Experiments
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Guy Raz hosts the Advice Line with Ronan Harari, co-founder of Spin Master, the company behind Paw Patrol and numerous successful toys. Ronan, who recently transitioned from co-CEO to chairman, shares insights from his 30-year journey in the toy and entertainment industry. Three entrepreneurs call in seeking guidance: a jewelry designer facing surging gold prices, a third-generation beekeeper looking to scale beyond Martha's Vineyard, and a craft beer maker struggling to maintain work-life boundaries in a grief-driven business. The conversation explores strategic pivots, sustainable growth, innovation versus acquisition, and the personal challenges of entrepreneurship.
- Ronan Harari's Journey: From Co-CEO to Chairman and Author
- Ann Williams: Navigating Gold Price Surges in Fine Jewelry
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Joey Shama shares the story of building Elf Cosmetics from a $1 makeup concept rejected by major retailers to a billion-dollar publicly traded beauty brand. Starting in 2004 with his father's support and partner Scott Vincent Borba, Joey faced constant rejection from dollar stores and big-box retailers who believed quality cosmetics couldn't sell for a dollar. A viral rumor in 2006 about a Bloomingdale's acquisition sparked explosive growth, leading to eventual partnerships with Target and other major retailers. After selling to private equity multiple times and stepping away in 2015, Joey now runs AS Beauty and Fit for Life, having learned that success comes from seizing lucky breaks with relentless determination.
- The Syrian Jewish Entrepreneurial Community and Early Business Exposure
- Meeting Scott Vincent Borba and the Birth of the $1 Cosmetics Concept
Advice Line with Susan Griffin-Black of EO Products
Jun 25, 2026Summary Preview
In this Advice Line episode, Guy Raz teams up with Susan Griffin Black, founder of EO Products, to help three entrepreneurs tackle challenges in scaling their businesses. The callers include Dr. Ruchi Gupta navigating distribution channels for her eczema skincare line, Peter Andrews building demand for South African wines, and Dominic Giddens expanding his Caribbean coffee brand beyond Barbados. Susan shares hard-won wisdom from building EO Products over 25 years, including surviving COVID's dramatic impact on her business and maintaining a successful partnership with her ex-husband.
- Susan Griffin Black's Journey and COVID Impact
- Co-Founding with an Ex-Spouse
STARR Restaurants: Stephen Starr. How a Non-Foodie Built Thriving Restaurants on Gut Instinct
Jun 22, 2026Summary Preview
Stephen Starr, founder of Starr Restaurants, shares his unlikely journey from concert promoter to building one of America's most successful restaurant groups with 46 locations generating nearly half a billion dollars annually. Despite having no culinary background, Starr created iconic establishments like The Continental, Budokan, and Pastis by focusing on design, atmosphere, and experience. His story reveals how timing, instinct, and obsessive attention to detail transformed a music industry outsider into a James Beard Award-winning restaurateur, while candidly discussing why the restaurant business model that made him successful would be nearly impossible to replicate today.
- From TV Credits to Concert Promotion: The Making of an Unlikely Restaurateur
- The Concert Promotion Years: Building Relationships and Brand Recognition
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This episode of the How I Built This Lab Advice Line features Shazi Visistrom, founder of Happy Family Organics and Healthy Baby, helping entrepreneurs tackle business challenges. Three founders call in seeking guidance: Daisy from barefoot shoe brand Freet, Rachel from protein sprinkles company Sprinkle Bites, and Andrew from scented soil additive brand Plant Amica. The conversation covers strategies for brand scaling, customer acquisition, product positioning, and the critical decision of when to pursue investor funding versus bootstrapping growth.
- Introduction to Shazi Visistrom and Healthy Baby
- Freet Barefoot Shoes: Scaling Strategy and Brand Positioning
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Maxine Clark, former president of Payless Shoes, shares how a simple shopping trip with her neighbor's kids inspired her to create Build-A-Bear Workshop in 1997. Despite skepticism about leaving a prestigious Fortune 500 career for a stuffed animal concept, she built an experiential retail phenomenon that now generates over half a billion dollars in annual sales. The episode explores her retail career at May Department Stores, the inspiration behind Build-A-Bear, navigating the 2008 financial crisis, and successfully transitioning leadership to ensure the brand's longevity.
- From Eleanor Roosevelt's Secretary to Retail Executive
- Breaking Into Retail Through Boldness and Luck
Advice Line with Christina Tosi of Milk Bar
Jun 11, 2026Summary Preview
In this episode of How I Built This Lab's Advice Line, Guy Raz teams up with Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi to help three entrepreneurs tackle growth challenges. They advise Whitney from The Bow Collective on raising bridge capital for expansion, guide Chloe from Cotton Clara on identifying her core customer audience, and help Christy from Vashon Island Coffee Dust create a gifting-to-loyal-buyer flywheel. Throughout the conversation, Christina shares insights from scaling Milk Bar while emphasizing the importance of brand building, knowing your unique value, and staying curious as a founder.
- Christina Tosi's Journey: From CEO to Chief Creative Officer
- The Power of Brand Building Over Revenue
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Toby Lutke, co-founder and CEO of Shopify, shares his journey from a German programmer who couldn't get a work permit in Canada to building a trillion-dollar e-commerce platform. Starting with a snowboard business that needed better software, Lutke created the infrastructure that would eventually power millions of online stores worldwide, transforming the landscape of entrepreneurship.
- From Germany to Canada: Finding Purpose Through Code
- Snow Devil: The Snowboard Business That Changed Everything
Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025)
Jun 04, 2026Summary Preview
Tim Ferriss joins Guy Raz on the Advice Line to help three entrepreneurs navigate growth challenges. The episode features a founder creating biodegradable earplugs weighing venue partnerships versus direct-to-consumer sales, an accessories designer who got a Taylor Swift boost deciding between retail and wholesale expansion, and a fashion designer transitioning from inventory to made-to-order production. Tim shares insights on experimentation, identity diversification, and mental health for founders while discussing his own journey from author to podcaster to card game creator.
- Tim Ferriss Updates: From Podcasting to Card Games and Mental Health
- Lauren's Biodegradable Earplugs: Choosing Between Venue Deals and Direct-to-Consumer
UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.
Jun 01, 2026Summary Preview
Brian Smith brings Australian sheepskin boots to America, building UGG from a van full of samples into a multi-billion dollar brand. After 17 years of financial struggles, lost ownership stakes, and near-death business moments, he sells to Deckers in 1995 for under $15 million—watching them transform it into a global phenomenon generating over $2.5 billion annually.
- The Pink Floyd Epiphany and the Move to California
- The UGG Discovery and Brutal First Sales
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Jeffrey Hollander, co-founder of Seventh Generation, joins Guy Raz to offer advice to three entrepreneurs navigating challenges in purpose-driven businesses. They discuss marketing strategies for sustainable products, from children's furniture to cherry vinegar to plant-based dog food, emphasizing the importance of authentic messaging, social media engagement, and building customer relationships while maintaining a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
- Jeffrey Hollander's Journey and Business Philosophy
- 25 and Pine: Marketing Functional Furniture for Parents and Kids