The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan
517 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 557 ratingsWe interview hard to reach entrepreneurs. (Mark Cuban, Tim Ferriss, Sophia Amoruso, Tony Robbins, Barbara Corcoran, Gary Vaynerchuk, & many more).
Unlike most podcast interview series Nathan Chan literally started from knowing nothing. He was just an average guy working in a 9-5 job he utterly hated. He knew nothing about entrepreneurship, nothing about startups, nothing about marketing, and nothing about online or how to build a business. So from launching Foundr Magazine he's gone out and spoken to some of the most successful entrepreneurs and founders in the world to find out exactly what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur, so YOU can learn from them.
Why this podcast? Because we're asking the same questions you want to know as an entrepreneur on their journey to building an extremely successful business. We're on the front-lines facing the daily battles you are. How do I get more customers? How do I scale my business? I want to start a business, but just don't know where to start? How did this person get millions of customers and make millions of dollars and have a such a massive impact on the world?
Some of these entrepreneurs are very well known, and some not known at all and that’s the cool part! Here we will share with you our best interviews from Foundr magazine showcasing this persons processes, failures, critical lessons learnt and actionable strategies showing YOU how to build a successful business. This is NOT your AVERAGE everyday entrepreneurship podcast.
We've also interviewed many successful game changing podcasters like Jim Kwik, Pat Flynn, Lewis Howes, Jordan Harbinger, Joel Brown & many more!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
508: How Hexclad Hooked Gordon Ramsay as a Partner | Daniel Winer
April 19, 2024 16:00 - 44 minutesWhen Gordon Ramsay follows your Instagram account, you take notice. That’s how Daniel Winer, co-founder of Hexclad, started his business relationship with the superstar TV chef, which has become a full-fledged partnership. Winer launched Hexclad in 2016 by maxing out credit cards and emptying his savings. Today, the $400 million business is a DTC darling in the cookware industry, endorsed by celebrities and Michelin star chefs. In this interview, you’ll learn: How Winer lost hundreds of t...
507: Wix Co-Founder Shares Website Tips from 250M+ Users | Avishai Abrahami
April 12, 2024 16:00 - 54 minutesIf you want to build a website for your business that stands out, Avishai Abrahami believes that you need to care about what your customers are trying to do. Avishai is the CEO and co-founder of the website platform Wix. Founded in 2006, under Abrahami's leadership, Wix has grown to 254M users in 191 countries and 22 languages and went public in 2013 with a $800M valuation. In this episode, Chan and Abrahami break down the fundamentals of business websites and how AI speeds up development for...
506: I Ignored Investors and Built a $975M Company | Joe Thomas
April 05, 2024 15:00 - 44 minutesAn investor told Joe Thomas and his co-founders that they could exit to Salesforce for millions if they made their video recording software for sales teams. Thomas and his co-founder said no. Instead, they built Loom into a globally used tool with five million users in 230+ countries. In November of 2023, Atlassian acquired Loom for $975 million. Learn how Thomas trusted his gut and made Loom a must-have for the digital workforce. In this episode, you’ll learn: The 8-year overnight success...
505: “The Bear” Inspired Restaurant Owner on Anger as Fuel | Will Guidara
March 29, 2024 15:00 - 45 minutesHow do you go from dead last to the No. 1 restaurant in the world? By channeling your anger. Listen to Nathan Chan and restaurateur-founder Will Guidara discuss the strategy behind making Eleven Madison Park into an icon and the stories that inspired the hit television show The Bear. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Guidara went from restaurateur to consultant founder Why he gamified everything for his team About the fueling power of anger Why coming in last changed everything for Gui...
504: The State of Email Marketing in 2024 | Email Expert Chase Dimond
March 22, 2024 15:00 - 39 minutesEmail is still the highest converting and cheapest marketing channel for ecommerce. But how can you scale your program, protect against unsubs, and stay engaged with your audience? Ecommerce email marketer Chase Dimond returns to the podcast for a state of email marketing in 2024, including what AI tools are helping brands reach their audience efficiently. Dimond is an ecommerce email marketer and partner at Structured. Since launching in June 2018, Structured has helped clients send over a b...
503: The Billion Views YouTuber You’ve Never Heard Of | Justin Flom
March 15, 2024 15:00 - 1 hourFrom the age of two, Justin Flom has performed magic tricks. But the trick he never expected to do was turn a performance career into a social entertainment empire. In 2020, the pandemic forced Flom to go all-in on the internet, and within three months, he hit six figures in revenue. In this episode, Flom reveals how he approaches his content creation, which has amassed 30 billion views on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. Surprisingly, his success started by making himself disappear. In this ...
502: Stop Sending Thank You Cards with Products | Anaita Sarkar
March 08, 2024 15:00 - 39 minutesIncluding thank you cards in your packaging could hurt your business. Find out why from Hero Packaging’s Anaita Sarkar as she discusses the myths around sustainable and eco-friendly packaging with Nathan Chan. Plus, she’ll share advice from starting two companies from scratch, covering TikTok marketing, packaging, demand generation, and more. Sarkar is the CEO and co-founder of Hero Packaging, author of Sell Anything Online, and ecommerce advisor. In this episode, you’ll learn: Anaita’s ba...
501: Neil Patel Thinks Free Products Are the Best Marketing Tactic
March 02, 2024 15:00 - 37 minutesMarketing is expensive. But you can get your brand in front of people much cheaper–by giving something away for free. In Neil Patel’s return to the podcast, he’ll share lessons from years of marketing consulting and explain why free products are cheaper for your business in the long run. If you haven’t seen Patel on social media, he’s the co-founder of Crazy Egg and Hello Bar and helps companies like NBC, GM, HP, and Viacom grow their revenue. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to generate ...
500: Horror Stories and Surprises from 500 Interviews | Nathan Chan AMA
February 23, 2024 15:00 - 42 minutesForgetting to hit record, the power going out, meeting heroes, and gaining friends. 500 episodes in, and Nathan Chan is still hungry for the next open-book conversation. In a special 500th episode of the Foundr Podcast, Chan lays everything on the table for a special AMA (ask me anything) from his favorite founders–YOU! In this episode, you’ll learn: The workplace horror story that shaped Nathan The origin of the podcast What makes the best and worst interview guest About successful ...
498: He Lost Millions in Facebook Stock Then Built a $300M Tech Company | Noah Kagan
February 16, 2024 15:00 - 1 hourIf Noah Kagan hadn’t gotten fired at Facebook, his stock would be worth millions. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. In his return to the podcast, Kagan and Nathan Chan commiserate over shared founder struggles, hot takes on entrepreneurship, and how to get out of the way of your own success. Noah Kagan founded AppSumo, a digital marketplace where you can discover, buy, and sell the products you need to grow your business. He’s also the author of the book Million Dollar Weekend and runs...
497: He Used AI to Gain 100K Followers in 30 Days | Domenic Ashburn AKA Mr. Grateful
February 09, 2024 15:00 - 43 minutesHow do you go from zero to 100,000 followers in 30 days? By removing ego. After multiple failed business ideas, Domenic Ashburn ran an AI experiment to gain 100K social followers in 30 days. He did it in 22 days. By sharing his learnings, Ashburn developed a cult following and placed himself as an influencer in AI implementation. He is also the founder of Grateful Labs, an AI teaching platform. Nathan Chan talks with Ashburn, AKA Mr. Grateful, about embracing AI and using it to change your li...
496: Outthink Amazon with AI | Melisa Vong
February 02, 2024 15:00 - 29 minutesWhether you like it or not, your competitors use AI to sell on Amazon. Melisa Fong says don’t get left behind. Vong is a founder, mentor, and investor in multiple 6-figure and 7-figure ecommerce brands. She’s also the instructor of our Infinite Amazon course. Vong returns to the podcast to teach how to incorporate AI into your Amazon strategy. In this interview, you’ll learn: The state of Amazon selling in 2024 Why you have to build a brand to make money How to do a photoshoot for super...
495: Wild SEO Hacks to Boost Ecom Traffic in 2024 | Ronnie Teja
January 30, 2024 11:25 - 37 minutesRonnie Teja has a strong personality, and he knows it. That’s why he’s not afraid to give his opinions on the state of SEO. Teja returns to the podcast to break down how to use SEO to gain traffic and the AI tools to scale at speeds. He is a self-taught digital marketer, entrepreneur, and founder of Branzio watches, with a portfolio of 14 other brands. In this interview, you’ll learn: The state of SEO marketing Why Google is valuing old-school forums To use Bing and ChatGPT to create S...
494: Tales from a Crazy Decade on the Internet with Cody Ko and Noel Miller
January 19, 2024 15:00 - 54 minutesHow did two former co-workers turned content creators find themselves partying at Elon Musk’s house? Listen to find out. Cody Ko and Noel Miller are the creators of the Tiny Meat Gang Podcast as well as the production company TMG Studios. The duo first rose to internet fame on Vine. They’re now some of the most successful YouTubers in the world, with close to 12 million subscribers across their channels. We chatted with the content creators to learn how they navigated the past decade of i...
493: Media Buying Is Like Dating with Phoenix Ha of Ad Beacon
January 12, 2024 15:00 - 43 minutesPhoenix Ha says media buying is like dating because there’s so much noise. So, how can you create an ad that makes the audience feel like they’ve found the one? Get ready for a media buying crash course. Phoenix Ha is the CEO of Ad Beacon, a leading data company that helps founders stop burning ad spend and start scaling faster in a post-iOS 14 environment. She’s also one of the new instructors of our updated course, How to Run Facebook Ads 2.0. Listen to Nathan and Phoenix discuss: The tr...
492: How Branding Reduces Acquisition Costs with Richard Li of July
January 05, 2024 15:00 - 29 minutesWe last chatted with Richard Li, the founder of the luggage brand July, right before the pandemic changed travel forever. In Li’s return to the podcast, we’ll hear how he survived the past three years and created a luxury brand coveted by travelers. He’ll also break down how to implement AI tools in your ecommerce business and why brand is your strongest competitive advantage. Listen to Nathan and Li discuss: Losing 100% of their revenue in 2020 Why retail is cheaper than digital ads N...
491: Build Better Ads Using AI with Nick Schakelford of Structured Social
December 22, 2023 15:00 - 43 minutesListener favorite Nick Shackelford returns to the podcast to share the current state of paid ads and how to incorporate AI in building them. Shackelford is the co-founder and managing partner at Structured Social, co-founder of Brez, and co-founder of Constant Creative. He’s spent the last ten years immersed in the performance marketing world. After working with legacy brands Pepsico and Apple, he quickly found his groove, going direct consumer with viral products like Fidget Spinners and Mag...
490: Why Trinny Woodall Still Replies to DMs
December 15, 2023 15:00 - 55 minutesTrinny Woodall returns to the podcast for a deep dive into AI and how she’s evolving Trinny London in a changing DTC landscape. Woodall is confident, direct, ambitious, and fabulous before fabulous was cool. She knows what she’s doing because she knows her customers. After a 20-year career in television and styling, she established Trinny London as a brand that gives everyone the tools they need to feel their best. Since launching in 2017, Trinny London has had 120% year-over-year growth, sel...
489: Creating Humanized Automations Using AI with Nat Choprasert of Future AI Lab
December 08, 2023 15:00 - 51 minutesNat Choprasert, founder of Brand Nat and Future AI Lab, is an AI and automation specialist for businesses on a mission to demystify AI. After starting and exiting her successful ecommerce tea business, she's now helping companies implement "Humanized Automation" to save time and grow revenue. Nat has 400,000 followers across her platforms. Listen to Nathan and Nat discuss: Starting her tea business and the loneliness of solopreneurship Gaining organic momentum by sharing business advice...
488: Crafting Virality on TikTok with Talia Datt of The Social CliQ
December 01, 2023 15:00 - 38 minutesTalia Datt returns to the podcast to share how her agency uses AI to produce viral content on TikTok. Talia Datt is the CEO and founder of The Social CliQ, a full-service digital marketing agency with a social media-first approach to online platforms. They leverage their group of 3,000 TikTok creators worldwide via their sister agency, The Content CliQ, to help plan, create, and execute so founders can easily harness the fastest-growing social media platform in the world. She’s also the instr...
487: Why Ambassadors are Better Than Ads with Brittany Stewart of BURST Oral Care
November 24, 2023 15:00 - 36 minutesBrittany Stewart returns to the podcast to share how she’s building one of the fastest-growing ecommerce businesses in the United States using a stalwart ambassador program. Stewart co-founded BURST Oral Care, which sells double-digit millions on Amazon, has 30,000 ambassadors, and 800,000 members to their subscription program. Burst is currently stocked in 2,000 Walmarts and is launching in CVS this year. Listen to Nathan and Brittany discuss: How Brittany teamed up with her co-founder Ham...
486: What AI Will NOT Replace in Business with Michael Fenech of SKUdrop
November 17, 2023 15:00 - 33 minutesMichael Fenech is ready to give back. After decades of building ecommerce businesses and getting mentorship from top executives, he’s passing on his wisdom to people like you. Fenech is an Australian entrepreneur, writer, startup advisor, and ecommerce expert. Fenech is the co-founder of SKUdrop, and VoiceByte, and an official member of the Fast Company executive board and Entrepreneur.com, where he writes about ecommerce and tech startups and shares his insights and experience for entreprene...
485: How to Use AI to Source Products Faster and Better with Kian Golzari
November 10, 2023 15:00 - 37 minutesSourcing specialist Kian Golzari returns to the podcast to share how to use AI tools when sourcing and developing products. Golzari has sourced over 3,000 products, and his global clients include the NBA, Olympics, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Tesco, Argos, and Aldi. He’s also an instructor on our foundr+ platform, teaching courses on product sourcing and product development. Listen to Nathan and Kian discuss: The difference between innovating and imitating products Sourcing products for the NBA,...
484: Replicating Ecommerce Success Using AI with Tony Matusiak of Velocity
November 03, 2023 15:00 - 40 minutesWhy start from scratch when you replicate what’s already working? Tony Matusiak is the founder of Velocity, an AI ecommerce savant with over a million followers on social media. Since dropping out of college in 2019, he’s built nearly a dozen ecommerce brands selling everything from TikTok lighting to eco-friendly straws. He’s also developed a method for using AI to quickly adapt, launch, and scale ecommerce businesses using AI. Listen to Nathan and Tony discuss: Dropping out of school to...
483: How to Interrupt an Audience with Shark Tank’s Sabri Suby
October 27, 2023 15:00 - 59 minutesSabri Suby returns to the podcast to share what’s working in digital marketing right now and his advice for early-stage ecommerce founders taking the first steps in digital marketing. Suby is the founder of Australia’s fastest-growing digital marketing agency, King Kong, and a featured Shark on Australia’s Shark Tank. In 10 years, King Kong has generated over $7.8 Billion in sales for its clients in 136 different countries. Listen to Nathan and Sabri discuss: How his humble upbringing gave...
482: TikTok’s Royal Family: The D’Amelios
October 20, 2023 15:00 - 49 minutesThe D’Amelio family—Marc, Heidi, Dixie, and Charli — have taken their social media fame and passion for content creation and parlayed it into a lifestyle media empire. The family members have a combined Instagram following of 72.1 million and 228.7 million on TikTok (and counting). They recently launched their own venture and cross-platform company, D’Amelio Brands, with their first brand launch, D’Amelio Footwear, debuting in May with plans to launch a skincare line ZitsAllright soon. List...
481: Find the Right Partners, Influencers, and Co-founders
October 13, 2023 15:00 - 44 minutesToday, instead of listening to one guest, you’re going to hear from multiple renowned founders about a specific challenge that we all face on our entrepreneurship journey. The guests will share their stories, solutions, and how you can learn to build your business better. In this episode, we’re focusing on the challenge of finding the right business partners– everything from co-founders to influences–featuring: Jean Oelwang, founding CEO and President of Virgin Unite and author of Partner...
480: Co-Founders Formed on Friendship with Chris Savage and Brendan Schwartz of Wistia
October 06, 2023 15:00 - 1 hourIf you’re young and looking to start a business with a friend, here’s the pathway to do it successfully. Chris Savage and Brendan Schwartz were friends at Brown University when they began dreaming about working together. After quitting their jobs, they created Wistia, a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, and measure the impact of their videos — all in one place. Now, almost two decades into their business, Chris and Brendan still love working together and are jus...
479: These Founders Failed. Learn How They Bounced Back.
September 29, 2023 16:00 - 48 minutesToday, instead of listening to one guest, you’re going to hear from multiple renowned founders about a specific challenge that we all face on our entrepreneurship journey. The guests will share their stories, solutions, and how you can learn to build your business better. In this episode, we’re focusing on the challenge of overcoming failure featuring: Amy Porterfield, founder, author, and host of the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast. Jessica Rolph, co-founder and CEO of Lovevery. Ad...
478: Why Hope Is a Strategy with Brad Pedersen of Pela and Lomi
September 22, 2023 16:00 - 58 minutesBrad Pedersen says the best gifts come wrapped in ugly paper. And he’s seen some ugly paper. From going bankrupt three times to getting fired from his company after a merger, Pedersen has persevered through eras of defeat. Now, he’s helping lead two startups tackling our world’s greatest challenge–climate change. So, if you’re facing rock bottom in your business, Pedersen knows how you feel. In this episode, he’ll share how he emerged stronger through the darkest moments of his career. List...
477: Why Consistency Beats Recessions with Evan Goldberg of Oracle NetSuite
September 15, 2023 16:00 - 51 minutesEvan Goldberg is the founder of the very first cloud software company, NetSuite. After his first failed attempt at a tech startup, he invested $2,000 into building a cloud accounting software that eventually transformed into the world's leading cloud-based business management software. Evan says his success in businesses through uncertain economic times and 25 years of tech evolution comes down to consistency. Listen to Nathan and Evan discuss: 1998: The craziest year of his life His rela...
476: Design Slow to Go Fast with Phillip Fierlinger of Upstock
September 08, 2023 16:00 - 54 minutesFor over 25 years, Philip Fierlinger has created digital products and experiences that have set new design, business, and technology standards. He was embedded in the Silicon Valley community since it started, crossing paths with the people who created products synonymous with today. In 2006, he co-founded the ASX-listed online accounting platform Xero. Three years ago, he launched the food service marketplace Upstock, a B2B marketplace for the hospitality and food service industry. He shares...
475: TikTok Content Recipe for Founders with Talia Datt
September 01, 2023 16:00 - 56 minutesAre you camera shy? Talia Datt says if you’re a founder, you need to be in front of the camera because it’s the most effective way to build an audience is on social channels like TikTok. In her new foundr course, she’ll teach how to make a social media content strategy that leads to growth and profits. Datt is the CEO and founder of The Social CliQ, a full-service digital marketing agency with a social media-first approach to online platforms. They leverage their group of 3,000 TikTok creator...
474: Why Market Uncertainty Is Good for Founders with Sebastian Siemiatkowski of Klarna
August 25, 2023 16:00 - 57 minutesSebastian Siemiatkowski says financial uncertainty is the best thing that can happen to you. Siemiatkowski is the CEO and co-founder of Klarna, the world’s biggest “buy now pay later” company, bringing consumers a low-cost and low-risk alternative to traditional high-cost credit. Sebastian came from humble beginnings and built Karna into a finance and banking industry disruptor that now has over 150 million users worldwide. Learn how he’s overcome negative public perception, co-founder breaku...
473: From Internet Sensation to Category Contender with the Co-founders of HiSmile
August 18, 2023 16:00 - 1 hourIn just nine years, Nik Mirkovic and Alex Tomic built their smile care brand into a category disruptor on track to earn over a billion in annual revenue by next year. Mirkovic and Tomic don’t want shortcuts, so they’ve remained bootstrapped since they started Hismile at ages 19 and 20. Hismile’s teeth-whitening kit has become an internet sensation, making the brand a favorite among influencers and celebrities. But the co-founders aren’t resting on success. They want to make Hismile a category...
472: Feel Worthy of Your Business with Amy Porterfield
August 11, 2023 16:00 - 48 minutesAmy Porterfield’s first two years of starting her own business were brutal. She was burnt out, confused, and contemplating going back to her job working for Tony Robbins. 14 years later, her marketing business has earned more than $82 million in revenue, she’s served more than 50,000 students in her online courses, and her Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast receives over one million monthly downloads. Then she decided to write the book she wished she had after going off alone. In the New York...
471: Why Entrepreneurs Will Benefit from AI with Linden Tibbets of IFTTT
August 04, 2023 16:00 - 1 hourLinden Tibbets believes that with each new tech wave, problems will arise for entrepreneurs to solve. He says the recent AI frenzy will create opportunities for startups, creators, and early-stage businesses to differentiate and scale faster. In 2010, Tibbets rode the wave of API technology by creating IFTTT (if now, then later), an online platform that empowers you to do more with your favorite apps and smart devices by helping them automate and integrate so they can work together seamlessly...
470: Why Passion Is Your Advantage with Holly Thaggard of Supergoop!
July 28, 2023 16:00 - 58 minutesHolly Thaggard is passionate about sun protection. That passion drove her to create her multimillion-dollar skincare company, Supergoop!, which started turning the world of suncare products on its end when it launched in 2007. Last year, Supergoop! reached $250 million in sales. She combined her sunscreen with a curriculum on the importance of sun protection, which she launched in private schools. At the same time, she kept building a luxurious yet fun brand that consumers really wanted to ma...
469: How to Beat a Monopoly with James Chin Moody of Sendle
July 21, 2023 16:00 - 1 hourJames Chin Moody became an entrepreneur by accident. While on sabbatical from his engineering career, he developed a donate marketplace inspired by trying to donate outgrown baby clothes to those in need. While optimizing local delivery logistics, he unintentionally created a model that rivaled the national post office. In 2014, out of that happy accident, Sendle was born, unlocking the power of big business delivery networks for small businesses to make delivery simple, reliable, and afforda...
468: How to Fall in Love with a Problem with Uri Levine of Waze
July 14, 2023 16:00 - 1 hourThere are not many interviews where Nathan Chan is speechless, but this is one of them. If you want to learn how to find product market fit, build a successful team, and create a lasting business, then Uri Levine has the map. Levine is the co-founder of two unicorn startups–Waze and Moovit. He’s been a founder, investor, and chairman for more than ten successful startups focusing on solving big problems. His new book “Fall In Love with the Problem, Not the Solution-a Handbook for Entrepreneur...
467: Accelerate Your Marketing Efficiency with Manuel Mueller of Emma
July 07, 2023 16:00 - 43 minutesManuel Mueller started his first mattress company when he was 19 years old, and since then, he has never stopped iterating to create the perfect mattress. In 2013, he launched sleepwear company Emma, one of Europe’s fastest-growing sleep innovation companies, with mattresses, beds, and pillows sold in over 30 countries to 4 million customers. Learn the marketing strategies and mindset that allowed Emma to endure the DTC mattresses boom and continually have 30% year-over-year growth. Listen ...
466: Reshape Free Products into Revenue-Generators with Ali Ghosdi of Databricks
June 30, 2023 16:00 - 48 minutesAli Ghosdi was a reluctant founder. He planned to become an academic researcher and professor, not lead a successful tech startup. In 2013, alongside six other co-founders, Ghosdi helped build an open-source data product called Apache Spark, a best-of-breed future predicting code. The research project eventually became a business called Databricks. In 2016, he was picked as CEO and helped transform the open-source startup into a technology enterprise with a $38 billion valuation. Databricks b...
465: The State of Podcasting with Ex-Spotify Executive and Parcast Founder Max Cutler
June 23, 2023 16:00 - 48 minutesIf your business or brand has a podcast, listen up. In this episode, we’re diving into the current state of podcasting with Max Cutler, Parcast founder, Spotify’s former head of talk creator content, and The Hollywood Reporter’s most powerful people in podcasting. Cutler became a podcast pioneer when he bootstrapped his true crime network, which sold to Spotify in 2019 for $100 million according to the Financial Times. As a Spotify executive, he signed and produced the most popular podcasting...
464: Silicon Valley Outsider Michelle Zatlyn on Building a Tech Disruptor
June 17, 2023 16:00 - 57 minutesMichelle Zatlyn and her co-founders were outsiders when they moved to Silicon Valley to launch their web security startup. It was 2009, in the middle of a recession, but the team knew their visceral early-user feedback validated the need to be bold. In 2010, Cloudflare launched its first freemium product and hasn’t looked back. Today, Cloudflare has four million customers worldwide, surpassed a $1 billion revenue run rate, and employs 3,200 team members. Zatlyn currently serves as the publicl...
463: Why Small Customers Matter with Immad Akhund of Mercury
June 09, 2023 16:00 - 43 minutesSince 2006, Immad Akhund has been investing in and building startups. But he always struggled with working with traditional banks to run his startups, especially as a non-US resident. He figured someone else would solve it, but the issue was still on the table by the time he exited his fourth startup in 2017. So, he launched Mercury, a bank for startups that now is a fintech unicorn valued at $1.62 billion. On the side, Akhund also is an angel investor of 240-plus startups, many of which are ...
462: Why Subscription Products Need Purpose with Jessica Rolph of Lovevery
June 02, 2023 16:00 - 57 minutesYour first product won’t always be your best seller. Jessica Rolph’s organic baby food business Happy Family Organics failed twice before finding product market fit and scaling from $0 to $63M in sales. After exiting HappyFamily in 2016, Rolph launched Lovevery, a subscription brand that sells early-childhood development play kits and solutions. Lovevery has 300,000+ active subscribers and has been named one of Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies.” Listen to Nathan and Jessica...
461: Adrian Grenier’s Evolution from Movie Star to Social-Impact Entrepreneur
May 26, 2023 16:00 - 39 minutesAdrian Grenier was a rebellious artist before he was known for his acting roles in Entourage, Devil Wears Prada, and Clickbait. Now he’s a rebellious entrepreneur, investor, and activist. Learn how Grenier’s disenchantment with fame and wealth led him to start and support social impact businesses through DuContra Ventures and Earth Speed Media with co-founder and co-CEO Bia Carminati. Listen to Nathan and Adrian discuss: His trajectory from punk rebel artist to movie star How mortality dr...
460: 4 Stories. 4 Founders. 4 Lives Changed.
May 19, 2023 16:00 - 39 minutesFor ten years, we've interviewed hundreds of elite entrepreneurs who’ve started and grown the world's most successful businesses. The reason we connect with these dynamic founders is to break down their wisdom, experience, and inspirational stories to help accelerate your growth as an entrepreneur. In this episode of The Foundr Podcast, we're instead sharing the stories of everyday founders like you who are students in our foundr+ community. Foundr+ is our comprehensive platform designed to e...
459: Forging Meaningful Business Partnerships with Jean Oelwang of Virgin Unite
May 12, 2023 16:00 - 57 minutesPartnerships can be tricky, especially when you’re starting a business. For Jean Oelwang, creating meaningful partnerships has been her focus for nearly 30 years. Oelwang is the founding CEO and President of Virgin Unite, an entrepreneurial foundation that builds collectives, incubates ideas, and re-invents systems for a better world. She’s worked with partners like Richard Branson and Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond and Leah Tutu, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Ben and Jerry, and the co-foun...
458: Break One Rule and Break It Hard: David Lester of OLIPOP PBC
May 05, 2023 16:00 - 51 minutesDavid Lester learned a lot from his first venture. After spending a decade in the beverage marketing industry, he teamed up with his co-founder Ben Goodwin to work on formulating a soda that’s good for you. After three years, they sold their first business but didn’t feel they’d gotten the product correct. So, they returned to their research for two years and discovered the right product market fit. In 2016, Lester and Goodwin launched OLIPOP PBC–a new kind of soda with the benefits of plant-...