e.l.f. Cosmetics: Joey Shamah. The Dollar Store Formula That Built a Cosmetics Giant

Catalina Crunch: Krishna Kaliannan. From Homemade Keto Cocoa Puffs to Breakfast Aisle Breakthrough

Jul 6, 20261h 3mSummary

In this episode of How I Built This, host Guy Raz sits down with Krishna Kaliannan, the founder of Catalina Crunch. Kaliannan shares his personal journey from managing type 1 diabetes and epilepsy to building a 200-million-dollar health-conscious food brand. Faced with severe health challenges that required a strict ketogenic diet, he struggled to find breakfast cereals that were low in sugar and carbohydrates but still satisfying. The conversation explores how Kaliannan, an entrepreneur with a background in software, began experimenting with ingredients like pea protein and monk fruit in his own kitchen. What started as a personal quest to replace sugary staples like Cocoa Puffs evolved into a business after a friend paid him for a homemade batch, signaling a market demand for healthier alternatives in the massive breakfast cereal aisle. Kaliannan discusses the technical hurdles of food science, the importance of iterative product development, and his motivation to create products that improve health outcomes. The episode highlights his transition from failed tech startups to finding his true passion in the food industry, proving that identifying a genuine consumer need can lead to transformative success.

Advice Line with Ronnen Harary of Spin Master/PAW Patrol

Jul 2, 202643 minSummary

In this episode of How I Built This, host Guy Raz welcomes back Ronnen Harary, co-founder of the global toy powerhouse Spin Master. Transitioning from his long tenure as CEO to his current role as chairman, Harary reflects on the evolution of his company and offers strategic advice to budding entrepreneurs. He highlights the critical balance between internal innovation—the lifeblood of hits like PAW Patrol—and the strategic acquisition of legacy brands, such as Melissa and Doug, to ensure long-term stability and recurring revenue. The episode also serves as an advice session for emerging business owners. Harary engages with founders facing common hurdles, such as rising material costs and the complexities of scaling family-owned businesses. He encourages one entrepreneur to view volatile commodity prices as a catalyst for creative product diversification rather than a constraint. For another caller, he emphasizes the importance of storytelling and branding to elevate a local artisan product into a premium national brand. Throughout the conversation, Harary underscores that while the strategies for success shift over time, the fundamental need for innovation, adaptability, and clear brand identity remains constant in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Advice Line with Susan Griffin-Black of EO Products

Jun 25, 202643 minSummary

In this episode of How I Built This, host Guy Raz welcomes back Susan Griffin-Black, co-founder of the natural personal care brand EO Products. Since her last appearance, Griffin-Black has navigated the significant turbulence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including extreme supply chain challenges and the first round of layoffs in her company’s history. During the conversation, she reflects on the unique, successful decision she and her co-founder—who is also her former spouse—made to continue running the business together after their divorce. The episode features an advice segment where Griffin-Black and Raz consult with two entrepreneurs. The first caller, a pediatrician and founder of a probiotic skincare line, seeks guidance on balancing direct-to-consumer sales with professional distribution channels like medical offices. The hosts emphasize the power of storytelling and building trust through medical expertise. Later, they advise the founder of an importer specializing in premium South African wines on navigating market expansion. The discussion highlights the importance of leveraging existing industry relationships and focusing on targeted regional growth rather than spreading resources too thin while establishing a new product category.

STARR Restaurants: Stephen Starr. How a Non-Foodie Built Thriving Restaurants on Gut Instinct

Jun 22, 20261h 14mSummary

In this episode of How I Built This, host Guy Raz sits down with Stephen Starr, the visionary behind one of the most successful and influential restaurant groups in the United States. Despite managing a portfolio of nearly forty high-grossing establishments, including renowned names like Pastis and The Diplomat, Starr admits to a surprising truth: he is not a chef, nor does he consider himself a foodie. Instead, he attributes his success to gut instinct and a relentless obsession with the "theatrical" elements of dining, such as lighting, acoustics, and interior design. The conversation explores Starr’s unconventional path, starting as a self-taught comedy and concert promoter in Philadelphia. He shares how his early experiences—learning to read human nature on the Atlantic City boardwalk and building local venues from scratch—shaped his entrepreneurial spirit. Starr candidly reflects on the high-risk, low-margin reality of the restaurant industry, emphasizing that his resilience is rooted in a desire to constantly evolve and avoid stagnation. By focusing on creating immersive, transportive environments, Starr has consistently built restaurants that remain popular destinations long after their opening, proving that sometimes the best business strategy is trusting your own creative vision.

Advice Line with Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics

Jun 18, 202645 minSummary

In this episode of the Advice Line, host Guy Raz sits down with entrepreneur Shazi Visram, founder of Happy Family Organics and her current venture, Healthy Baby. The conversation centers on the realities of modern entrepreneurship, the challenges of building a brand, and the importance of mission-driven innovation. Visram shares her transition from the baby food industry to her current focus on high-performance, toxin-free baby products, highlighting how she uses research and scientific validation to build consumer trust in a crowded marketplace. The episode features two business founders who seek advice on scaling their operations. Daisy from Freet Barefoot discusses navigating the U.S. market and leveraging authentic PR and user-generated content to differentiate her brand. Meanwhile, Rachel, co-founder of Sprinkle Pop, explores the strategic dilemma of private labeling versus maintaining brand independence for her functional protein-based sprinkles. Throughout the episode, Visram provides tactical advice on utilizing artificial intelligence for market discovery, prioritizing high-retention customer bases, and the necessity of leveraging earned media to maintain momentum. The discussion serves as a masterclass for founders balancing creative product development with the practical demands of growth and cash flow management.

Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire

Jun 15, 20261h 4mSummary

In this episode, Guy Raz explores the entrepreneurial journey of Maxine Clark, the visionary behind the global retail phenomenon Build-A-Bear Workshop. After a successful twenty-year career climbing the ranks of the May Department Store Company, including a stint as president of Payless ShoeSource, Clark walked away from her corporate role to pursue a business that seemed unusual to many of her peers. Drawing on her deep expertise in retail and a genuine desire to create an interactive experience for children, Clark launched the first Build-A-Bear store in 1997. The discussion highlights how Clark turned a simple observation during the Beanie Baby craze into a robust business model based on craft and customization. She emphasizes the importance of listening to children, overcoming skepticism from industry doubters, and leveraging her deep understanding of mall dynamics. Beyond the store’s success, Clark shares insights from her formative years, including her mother’s social justice work with Eleanor Roosevelt and the influence of her own early retail experiences. Ultimately, the episode showcases how Clark’s "customer-first" mentality and her ability to blend nostalgia with modern retail created a brand that defied expectations to become a lasting success.

Advice Line with Christina Tosi of Milk Bar

Jun 11, 202645 minSummary

In this episode of How I Built This, host Guy Raz sits down with Christina Tosi, the visionary founder of Milk Bar. The conversation kicks off with an update on Tosi’s career shift; after stepping down as CEO to focus on her true passion—culinary creativity—she describes how she now leads from a home garage in Nashville, constantly experimenting with new flavors and textures. Tosi shares her philosophy on brand growth, emphasizing that Milk Bar’s reach is built through authentic collaborations and unexpected experiences rather than traditional advertising. She argues that in a modern business landscape, these creative partnerships serve as invaluable brand-building tools that foster trust and connection with consumers. The episode then shifts into an advice session for two growing businesses. First, Whitney from The Bow Collective, a fitness and retail hybrid, seeks guidance on securing bridge capital for expansion. Tosi and Raz suggest creative strategies like pre-selling memberships or crowdsourcing funds from loyal customers to avoid the constraints of institutional capital. Later, they consult with Chloe of Cotton Clara, a UK-based craft kit company, offering insights on refining her target audience. The discussion centers on the importance of community, staying nimble in retail, and keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive by focusing on what makes a brand uniquely human and connected.

Shopify: Tobias Lütke. How a snowboarder built a $150 billion business (2019)

Jun 8, 202658 minSummary

In this episode, Tobias Lütke shares the origin story of Shopify, the e-commerce giant that now powers over a trillion dollars in sales. The conversation traces his journey from a young programmer in Germany struggling with traditional schooling to moving to Canada, where his passion for snowboarding led him to co-found Snowdevil, an online snowboard store. Lütke explains how his frustration with the lack of high-quality, user-friendly e-commerce software in 2004 prompted him to build his own platform using the Ruby on Rails language. What began as an internal tool to sell snowboards quickly gained traction when others began asking to license the software for their own businesses. This realization led to the pivot from retail to software, with the official launch of Shopify in 2005. Lütke discusses the technical challenges, the importance of storytelling in e-commerce, and the pivotal decision to move away from retail to build a foundation for other entrepreneurs. The episode provides a fascinating look at how a programmer’s personal project evolved into a global platform, emphasizing that successful innovation often stems from solving a problem you encounter yourself.

Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025)

Jun 4, 202647 minSummary

In this episode of the advice line, host Guy Raz welcomes entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss to discuss the evolving nature of building a business. Reflecting on his own career, Ferriss highlights the value of identity diversification, advising founders to pursue multiple interests rather than tethering their entire self-worth to a single company. He explains that exploring diverse projects—even those that fail—can recharge one’s energy and offer valuable life lessons. Ferriss also emphasizes the importance of balancing digital engagement with real-world experiences, noting that he designs his own projects, such as a new analog tabletop game, to combat screen-time fatigue. The episode features two business owners seeking guidance on growth strategy. Lauren Menard, founder of a sustainable personal care brand, asks how to scale two distinct business models—direct-to-consumer and event-based partnerships—simultaneously. Later, accessory brand owner Emily discusses how to balance a booming wholesale business against her successful retail stores. Ferriss and Raz offer strategic insights, suggesting that founders should prioritize efficiency, delegate appropriately, and lean into the growth channels that offer the most sustainable leverage for their specific stage of development.

UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.

Jun 1, 20261h 28mSummary

In this episode of How I Built This, host Guy Raz interviews Brian Smith, the entrepreneur who brought Australian sheepskin boots to the United States. Smith, a chartered accountant living in California, experienced a life-changing realization that pushed him away from a traditional career path and toward entrepreneurship. Inspired by the popularity of sheepskin footwear in his native Australia, he identified an opportunity to introduce these boots to the American market, despite the product being virtually unknown to local consumers at the time. The episode chronicles Smith’s long and challenging journey, marked by initial failures, limited capital, and the constant struggle to gain traction in retail. Smith candidly discusses his early errors in marketing, including using professional models that alienated his target surf demographic. It was only after pivoting to authentic, grassroots marketing—featuring real surfers—that the brand began to gain momentum. The discussion covers the immense persistence required to maintain a business through years of slow growth, seasonal pivots, and the logistical hurdles of managing inventory. Ultimately, Smith’s story is one of unwavering conviction, highlighting how a simple product and a deep belief in its value can eventually evolve into a global cultural phenomenon.