Foundr Magazine Podcast | Learn From Successful Founders & Proven Entrepreneurs, The Ultimate Startup Podcast For Business

In this episode, Matteo Franceschetti, founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, shares his incredible journey of transforming sleep into a science-backed, performance-enhancing tool. Matteo, a former athlete, speaks about the inspiration behind Eight Sleep and the importance of optimizing sleep for peak performance. He takes us through the product development journey, from the first iterations to the game-changing Pod, and discusses how the company achieved product-market fit by listening to customers. Matteo also dives into the challenges of building a hardware startup, the importance of team dynamics, and how Eight Sleep is expanding globally. Listen to Nathan and Matteo discuss: - The journey from athlete to sleep tech pioneer - The development of Eight Sleep’s Pod and its unique features - How customer feedback shaped product innovation - The challenges and rewards of scaling a hardware startup - Navigating the sleep tech industry and global expansion - The future of sleep technology and its impact on wellness an

We're diving into another episode from the Foundr Archives to revisit our interview John Mackey, co-founder of Whole Foods. In this episode, John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, shares the story of building one of the most recognized brands in the organic and natural food industry. From humble beginnings to being acquired by Amazon, John discusses the evolution of Whole Foods, the principles of conscious leadership that shaped its growth, and the challenges of leading a company through the COVID-19 crisis. He provides insights into how businesses can create value for all stakeholders, the importance of leading with purpose, and why love and integrity are essential in business. This episode is packed with wisdom for entrepreneurs on how to build a brand that resonates with both customers and employees. In this interview you will learn: - The founding of Whole Foods and its rise in the natural foods industry - The principles of conscious capitalism and leadership - Leading during challenging times

In this episode, Lindsay Shearer, founder of BrandRanx Media, takes us through her journey from running a holistic medical clinic to becoming an SEO powerhouse in the e-commerce world. Lindsay shares the story of how a chance encounter led her to help build the marketing strategy for Manscaped, sparking her passion for SEO. She discusses the importance of validating your product before diving into SEO, the best practices for on-page and off-page SEO, and how to maximize your SEO budget for long-term growth. Lindsay also reveals her approach to finding high-value keywords, the impact of AI on SEO, and the essential tools every e-commerce brand should be using. This episode is packed with actionable insights and strategies for anyone looking to scale their e-commerce business through SEO. In this interview you will learn: - Lindsay’s journey from running a holistic medical clinic to leading an SEO agency - How she helped develop the marketing strategy for Manscaped - Best practices for on-page and off-page SEO

In this episode, Allison Ellsworth, founder of Poppi, takes us through her incredible journey from humble beginnings at farmers markets to achieving national recognition with her modern soda brand. Allison shares the challenges she faced in the early days, including the pivotal decision to appear on Shark Tank, where she secured a deal that helped propel Poppi to success. She discusses the strategic rebranding that transformed her business, the impact of her Super Bowl commercial, and how she’s built a brand that resonates deeply with consumers through authentic, community-first marketing. In this episode, you'll learn: - Allison’s journey from kitchen experiments to a successful Shark Tank pitch - The rebranding process that led to Poppi’s breakthrough - How a last-minute Super Bowl ad tripled Poppi's brand awareness overnight - Leveraging TikTok and social media to build a strong, engaged community - Key strategies for scaling a beverage brand in a competitive market - Allison’s advice for founders on navi

In this episode, Sheena Zadeh-Daly, founder of Kosas, shares her journey from selling lipsticks from her home to building a clean beauty brand that’s taken the industry by storm. Sheena discusses the early challenges of launching Kosas, including her hands-on approach to everything from product development to shipping orders in the early days. She reveals the moment when Kosas was first recognized by Sephora and the strategy behind positioning her brand as a prestige color line. Sheena also talks about the importance of brand DNA, the power of obsession in business, and how she balances creativity with the demands of scaling a successful company. Listeners will gain valuable insights into building a brand that resonates with consumers, the role of innovation in product development, and the importance of staying true to your vision. Listen to Nathan and Sheena discuss: - Starting and scaling a clean beauty brand from scratch - The importance of brand DNA in building a successful brand - Leveraging personal pa

In this episode, Hudson Leogrande, the founder of Purely White Deluxe and Comfrt, shares his remarkable journey from packing products in his mother's basement to building two multimillion-dollar brands. Hudson discusses the early struggles of launching Purely White Deluxe, including the challenges of marketing a teeth whitening product with no prior experience and the breakthrough moment when he discovered the untapped potential of Snapchat. He also dives into the creation of Comfrt, a brand born from his personal struggles with anxiety, and how he used the same influencer-driven strategy to scale the business rapidly. - Hudson’s journey from a basement startup to a global brand - The challenges and successes of launching Purely White Deluxe - How he leveraged Snapchat to build a strong customer base - The creation of Comfrt and its unique approach to alleviating anxiety through clothing - Hudson’s approach to influencer marketing and how it drove massive growth - Insights into scaling an e-commerce bran

Today, we're diving into another episode from the Foundr Archives to revisit our interview with marketing guru and multiple New York Times bestselling author Seth Godin, who explains why you should focus less on doing what you're told and more on doing work that's worth doing. In order to take advantage of the unique opportunities afforded by our times, some rules just have to be broken. Some people just get it. They grasp the spirit of the times in ways that ordinary people don't. They understand the patterns and progression of history, and can interpret current events and trends with rare wisdom and insight. Seth Godin is one such person. You might say his knowledge about the world of business borders on the prophetic. You could also safely say Seth Goden is a man who sees the world not for what it is, but for what it could be. He's in the business of change: predicting it, implementing it, and watching it unfold. You've probably seen his TED talks, his books, his blog, his podcast; he's the one of those

In this interview, Rina Gocaj and Floriye Elmazi, the co-founders of SISTERWOULD, share their inspiring journey of creating a beauty brand that prioritizes inclusivity and purpose. From struggling with postpartum hair loss to discovering the need for better hair care solutions, Rina and Floriye explain how their personal experiences led to the creation of SISTERWOULD. They dive into the challenges of developing their innovative products, including the decision not to patent their tactile imprinting system to encourage industry-wide inclusivity. The duo also discusses their strategic pre-launch efforts, which included building a community and leveraging their backgrounds as influencers. In this episode, learn learn: - How to leverage personal experiences to create innovative products - The importance of inclusivity in the beauty industry - How to build a brand with purpose with a focus on community - Strategic pre-launch marketing and influencer collaborations - Overcoming challenges in product development a

Today, we're diving back into the Foundr Podcast archive to bring back a true highlight of an interview with Airbnb co-founder, Joe Gebbia. How do you raise capital for your startup? Well, if you ask the co-founder of Airbnb Joe Gebbia, he’ll tell you what worked for him: Cereal. That’s right, the company that started with a single air mattress and grew to a $100 billion empire was kept afloat by selling custom cereal boxes. It was bizarre but it worked. Gebbia muses in this episode of the Foundr podcast: “We made $20,000 in breakfast cereal, and we're able to basically pay off our credit card debt...The cereal, funnily enough, was how we were able to help keep the options open for us until eventually, the invitation came for Y Combinator.” In undoubtedly one of our most riveting episodes, Gebbia recounts his incredible journey from struggling to pay rent, to Airbnb’s first angel investor, to one of the biggest brands in the world and Gebbia’s incredible charity work. Gebbia is candid about how he overcame

In this episode, Cesar Carvalho, founder and CEO of Wellhub (formerly, Gympass), a corporate wellness platform that connects companies and their employees to top partners in fitness, nutrition, sleep, and mindfulness. Cesar shares his journey from consulting at McKinsey to founding a global corporate wellness platform. Cesar discusses the personal struggles that led him to prioritize well-being and the pivotal moment when he decided to create Wellhub. He reveals the challenges of building the business, including his decision to drop out of his MBA program to focus on the startup. Cesar also talks about the innovative strategies that helped Wellhub secure its first major client and scale to 15,000 corporate clients across 11 countries. In this episode, you'll learn: Leveraging personal challenges to fuel entrepreneurial success The importance of employee well-being and its impact on productivity Innovative strategies for securing major clients Building a scalable business model in a new market Practical ad

Alex Neist is the founder of Hostage Tape, a revolutionary product designed to improve sleep quality by promoting nasal breathing. A serial entrepreneur with a background in sports video analytics, Alex's journey includes overcoming personal and professional challenges to create a life-changing product. In this interview, Alex shares his compelling journey from the depths of personal and professional struggles to creating a product that has revolutionized sleep health. Alex opens up about his darkest moments, including the impact of his divorce and poor sleep on his life. He recounts the transformative experience of discovering nasal breathing through James Nestor's book "Breath," which led to the inception of Hostage Tape. Alex describes the early challenges of developing the product, the innovative marketing strategies that set Hostage Tape apart, and the crucial partnerships that helped propel the brand to success. He also shares an emotional story about how Hostage Tape played a key role in reconnecti

Raquel and Adam Bouris are the co-founders of Who Is Elijah, an independently owned fragrance house known for its unique scents and innovative marketing strategies. Starting from humble beginnings, they have built a successful business that has made a significant impact in the fragrance industry. In this interview, you’ll learn: How a chance encounter at Coachella inspired a $20M Perfume Brand Breaking into the fragrance industry - from their garage Overcoming significant challenges and setbacks Innovative marketing and influencer partnerships Importance of customer feedback and product development Their marketing strategies and the role of social media Advice and motivational insights for aspiring entrepreneurs And many more valuable entrepreneurial insights... Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders. If you loved this c

DTC brands have had it hard. But AllBirds co-founder Tim Brown doesn’t care. For him, his business isn’t about labels, trends, or headlines—it’s about striving toward a mission that took seven years to develop. In this episode, Nathan Chan chats to Brown about what gave him the confidence to take on the uber-competitive shoe industry and how the brand plans to bounce back after a challenging year. In this interview, you’ll learn:  How Brown’s sporting career helped him bring AllBirds to life The slow seven years burn of AllBirds as a side hustle  How doubt can be an advantage in business  Why Kiwi culture keeps Brown grounded The benefits of criticism  Tackling the competitive shoewear industry  Why celebrating the little wins leads to long-term success  How Brown’s reacted to recent setbacks at AllBirds  Why “DTC” doesn’t matter  The best parts of entrepreneurship  Why founders need to refresh their vision over time  And much more founder and brand advice…  Click here to start your business fo

Today, we're going deep into the Foundr Podcast archive to bring back possibly one of my most memorable interviews with Tony Robbins, featured way back in episode 60 of the Foundr Podcast. Tony Robbins talks fast. Conversing with him is like riding Space Mountain: You get in, you hang on, and before you know it, it’s over and you’re left feeling bewildered, slightly euphoric, and wanting to smooth your hair. Robbins has become a household name as the man who popularized life coaching. Imagine your client list including Oprah, Princess Diana, and Bill Clinton—all before you hit your mid- 30s. He’s spoken to more than 50 million people in 100 countries. To call Tony Robbins just a self-help guru would be like calling Muhammad Ali just a boxer. It doesn’t quite cut it. He is a force of nature, an industry, and a global brand. His advice is still sought by the likes of professional athletes, CEOs, movie stars, rappers and world leaders. When Foundr interrupted Robbins’ schedule for an interview, he was 40 mile

I love a crazy story, and if you’re building a business, these stories will happen all the time. I’ve had a few myself, and it always makes me feel better when I hear from fellow founders who go through a wild experience and end up learning something. That’s why before we record every episode of the podcast, I always ask our guests to share crazy stories from their journeys.  Today, you’re going to hear some of those stories.  In this episode, you’ll learn from:  Guy Kawasaki, chief evangelist at Canva  Daniel Winer, CEO and co-founder of Hexclad Holly Thaggard, founder of Supergoop! Suneera Madhani, founder and CEO of Stax Payments Michelle Zatlyn, co-founder, president, and COO of Cloudflare  Jessica Rolph, co-founder of Lovevery and Happy Family Organics  Cody Ko and Noel Miller, founders of TMG Studios Alight, it’s time to get crazy… Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today an

Ava Chandler-Matthews and Bec Jefferd spent their entire careers building an unfair advantage before starting Ultra Violette. The former product development colleagues at Mecca spent two and a half years creating their “skinscreen” formula before launching. In 2019, when they launched, the market was ready. In the first six months, they sold 40,000 units and disrupted the medicinal sunscreen category with their sexy and fun branding. Ultra Violette now sells its skincare-infused SPF products in 28 countries, and it recently raised $15M. In this episode, Nathan Chan chats with Chandler-Matthews and Jefferd about developing a regulated beauty product, standout branding advice, and knowing what good looks like. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why they spent two and a half years in the ideation phase How they accidentally overordered their first product batch The origins of their fictional marketing character “Vi” The marketing challenges around a regulated product Why having a global mindset is critical fo

Listener favorite Gretta van Riel returns to the podcast to share the influencer strategies that helped her scale three million-dollar ecommerce brands. Van Riel chats with Nathan Chan about her early days with SkinnyMeTea and ecommerce milestones, including being featured on Oprah’s “Favorite Things” and winning Shopify’s “Build a Business” contest. Then, she reveals the strategies behind her influencer marketing agency, Hey Influencers, and offers practical advice for early-stage founders on using influencer marketing to scale effectively on a lean budget. In this episode, you’ll learn: What happened during the first 60 days of SkinnyMeTea To conduct a product-for-post campaign How to negotiate with influencers The tiered micro influencer approach To track conversions through personalized codes and cost-per-click How to do a return for gifting through Instagram Stories Van Riel’s definition of creator vs. influencer Why working with an influencer co-founder is the fastest way to grow The “

When Kanye calls you on a Sunday night, you pick up. That was Eric Liedtke’s life for years as the head of global brands at Adidas, where he was instrumental in building the Yeezy brand and scaling the Adidas ecommerce platform to a multi-billion dollar business. After a 26-year corporate career, Liedtke gave it up and started from scratch as the CEO and co-founder of UNLESS Collective, a plant-based streetwear brand designed to leave zero plastic waste. Nathan Chan and Liedtke go deep into his war stories from Adidas, working with celebrity talent like Kanye, and why starting UNLESS was a humbling experience. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Liedtke climbed from a sweeper to a board member at Adidas The origins of Yeezy, its growth, and what went wrong That Adidas built Kanye a sample room in Calabasas What Kanye taught him about branding Why UNLESS partnered with skate, surf, and snow influencers The different skills between a corporate leader and an entrepreneur Why he thought starting a busi

Nick Shackelford wants to get soccer moms buzzed. His brand, BRĒZ, targets consumers who want to relax without a hangover in the morning. The challenge is getting BRĒZ sold online to soccer moms when selling the product isn’t fully legal. Shackelford is a managing partner at Structured Social and is Foundr’s How to Run Facebook Ads course instructor. But in this episode, Nathan Chan talks to a different Nick–a partner of the THC beverage brand BRĒZ. He started the business in 2023 to show his clients that Facebook ads work. What happened next is truly extraordinary. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Shackelford started over with a THC beverage product How BRĒZ earned $2.8M in sales in the first 10 months Why BRĒZ came at the highest price point in the market Why did they target soccer moms trying to get a buzz About Shackelford’s sympathy for his advertising clients Competing against the massive alcohol market How Shackelford structures his ad campaigns The grey area around THC product advertisin

When Alex Elias started Qloo, “artificial intelligence” was a dirty word. A decade later, Qloo is a pioneer in AI. Qloo is an AI decision-making platform that helps corporate clients predict audience tastes and preferences. Elias says that we’re still in “the Napster era of AI” and that the hype will eventually become a subtle integration into our lives. In this episode, Elias shares about being an early adopter of AI and how he’s endured the hype to build a trusted business that Twitter once rejected. In this interview, you’ll learn: Why AI brings more problems for entrepreneurs to solve The advantages and disadvantages of being an early adopter When Qloo landed and lost Twitter as a client How not to lose your identity in your business How to develop long-term stamina as a founder Why Elias biked commuted in NYC for years How to use AI for your business beyond generative tools Why AI will become more subtle in the future And much more AI and founder mindset advice… Click here to start your bus