04 - How Thrive Market Exploded From 1 to 500 Employees in Just 3 Years with Gunnar Lovelace

Today on the podcast, I am interviewing the founder and CEO of Thrive Market, Gunnar Lovelace.

If you’re not familiar with Thrive Market, it is an online delivery service that provides the most popular organic, non-GMO groceries at 25-50% off normal prices. In just three years they have seen a ridiculous amount of growth—going from one to five hundred employees.

Gunnar is a serial entrepreneur, focused on using business and health as vehicles for social change. In addition to Thrive Market, he is also the co-founder and co-owner of Love Heals—a jewelry business with over 75 employees—and he has started two technology companies that he has since sold. He has also started two nonprofits in education and environmental sustainability!

I had dinner with Gunnar three years ago, and I knew right away that we would be lifelong friends. Not only is he a great entrepreneur, but he’s just an amazing dude in general. Check out the podcast for a bunch of awesome lessons and important nuggets.

In this episode, Gunnar and I discuss:

The importance of an MVP Gunnar’s fascinating childhood story Rejection, and lots of it The complexities of being a manager Lessons in accountability Keeping yourself healthy in order to be productive

4:00 - 9:00 - Gunnar’s personal story and motives 

9:00 - 12:00 - Getting the MVP out there

12:00 - 23:00 - Rejection: The story of Thrive Market

23:00 - 29:00 - Being an effective leader

29:00 - 38:00 - Focusing on individual skills

38:00 - 43:00 - Accountability

43:00 - 48:00 - Rapid-fire questions