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Guy Raz | Wondery

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.

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Today’s callers: Barbara in Massachusetts wonders how her nutrition education theater company might live on past her own involvement. Then Jeff in Illinois looks to carry the momentum from his Ninja Warrior-inspired gyms to form a professional league around the sport. And Vince in Virginia weighs the risks from introducing new SKUs for his men’s organic underwear brand.

Plus, David breaks down the resource management necessary to keep an airline aloft as rising fuel prices grip the industry.

Thank you to the founders of FoodPlay Productions, Ultimate Ninjas, and Gotchies for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to JetBlue’s founding story as told by David in 2019.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Advice Line with David Neeleman of JetBlue

In the late 1990s, Shep and Ian Murray looked at a shrinking category–men’s ties–and saw an opportunity: a necktie isn’t just functional. It’s expressive. It can signal identity, taste, aspiration. 

With no fashion experience and no outside investors, the Murray brothers started making colorful ties inspired by their childhoods in Martha’s Vineyard — tiny whales, sailboats, island street signs. What began as a small, improbable tie business grew into Vineyard Vines: a half-billion-dollar lifestyle brand with more than 100 stores and major department store distribution. 

In this episode, Shep and Ian talk about why they quit their stable jobs to turn a sleepy product into a national brand, which began as a family business and remains so to this day. 

What you’ll learn: 

 • Why a great business can start in a category that everyone thinks is dying
 • How to build distribution when you have no roadmap and few connections 
 • What bootstrapping teaches founders that outside capital often doesn’t
 • How improvised marketing can create outsized attention
 • Knowing the difference between a fashion brand and a “brand” brand

Timestamps: 

 • 00:10:22 - The brothers both hate their desk jobs: “How was your day?” “It sucked.”
 • 00:11:20 - Vineyard Vines starts on a family trip, with a nudge from a hotel manager
 • 00:13:46 - Early designs: whales, fish, jeeps, street signs 
 • 00:25:39 - Finally quitting their jobs– they’re thrilled, their parents–not so much
 • 00:30:42 - Landing their first order for $1800. “We’re never gonna have to work anymore!”
 • 00:34:40 - The brand gets a boost from a PR stunt during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal
 • 00:47:00 - The “Get to $5 million” mentor advice that kept them focused 
 • 00:49:23 - The brothers open their first store - and realize they have a lot to learn 
 • 01:01:18 - The 2008 financial crisis, and the brutal inventory decisions that help save the business
 • 01:09:06 - Why stepping back from the CEO role didn’t work — and what it taught them about brand culture

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. 

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shep and Ian Murray: Vineyard Vines. A Stale Product Transforms into a Lifestyle Brand.

Today’s callers: Christina from California wonders how to build trust with her fragrance brand formulated without allergens. Then, James, also from California, assesses how he can create more brand awareness for his kids' flip flop company. And Ben from Florida evaluates whether he should raise outside capital for his light-up jewelry products. 

Plus, Eric’s philosophy on identifying strong founders and the brands now that he’s moved from being an entrepreneur to being an investor. 

Thank you to the founders of Havyn, Pidgin Toes, and Reserved for Humans for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Method’s founding story as told by Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry on the show in 2018. 

This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Advice Line with Eric Ryan of Method returns

What if the thing you care about most ... might be what’s holding your business back?

Daniel Lubetzky didn’t leave his law job to build a straightforward business. He left it to build a company he believed would support peace in the Middle East. Daniel named it, aptly, PeaceWorks. It partnered with Israeli and Arab businesses across the region to make and sell gourmet foods—together.

But Daniel ran into a big problem: he discovered that lots of people don’t shop for a “cause”. Most people buy things they like—especially when it comes to food.

Soon, Daniel was scrambling to find new revenue streams to support PeaceWorks. When he got the chance to sell an Australian snack bar in the U.S., he jumped on it—and did really well! But when Daniel's ONE big retailer dropped it, profits tanked.

Daniel faced a brutal choice: Walk away… or start over.

What came next was a leap of faith. He decided to create his OWN bar. It was almost completely unlike the competition at the time: It was made of whole nuts, fruits, sea salt, and a little chocolate—all easy to see in a novel, transparent wrapping. 

Daniel named his company KIND, and when he sold it to Mars in 2020, it was valued at $5 billion!

This is a story about why mission alone doesn't sell, how failure forces clarity, and the moment every founder faces when they must decide: Do I keep going ... or do I quit?

What you’ll learn:

Why customers don’t buy your mission—they buy your product

The hidden danger of being “too purpose-driven”

How to pivot without abandoning what matters to you

Why control over manufacturing can make or break your business

The surprising power of retail placement (and why checkout counters changed everything)

How scarcity thinking can limit growth—even when you’re winning

Why saying “yes” to the wrong opportunity (like Walmart too early) can hurt you

Timestamps:

00:06:18 – “It really did shape almost all of my decisions”: How Daniel's father survived the Holocaust and built a new life in Mexico

00:17:40 – A landmark meeting of world leaders—and a dramatic career change

00:19:30 – From a bankrupt sun-dried tomato spread to PeaceWorks

00:24:29 – “They think you're adorable”: Why a mission isn’t enough to grow a business

00:30:59 – Overnight collapse: Finding a big, new revenue stream—then losing it

00:36:47 – The creation of the KIND bar

00:47:36 – “You couldn't say no to Walmart”: Entering big box too early

00:49:28 – The investment that pulled Daniel away from PeaceWorks

00:55:43 – Starbucks and sampling: How KIND became a household name

01:03:05 – An acquisition worth billions

01:06:25 – Daniel's new mission: Builders vs. destroyers

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Robert Rodriguez.

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

KIND bars: Daniel Lubetzky. From peace in the Middle East to a $5 billion snack bar

Today’s callers: Alec from California wonders if it’s time to bring production for his beef tallow skincare brand out of his kitchen to a co-manufacturer. Then, Jessica from California has a hit horse care product on her hands: is a major pet distributor a dream partnership or a brand-killer? And Eli in Minnesota is curious if he should tweak his signature anti-inflammatory coffee blend for bulk brewing or protect the original taste?

Plus, Chieh reflects on his exit from Boxed and how his latest venture, Pelgo, helps people through similarly significant career transitions.

Thank you to the founders of Surfing Cow, Tail Cinch, and Makor Coffee for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to the founding story of Boxed as told by Chieh on the show in 2021. 

This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Advice Line with Chieh Huang of Boxed

Colin Angle didn’t start out trying to clean people’s floors.

He started out trying to shape the future–with robots. 

In the early days of iRobot, there was no business model. No steady funding. No clear customer.

Just a belief that robotic technology would one day make the world a better place. 

In the early days, the company built babbling toy dolls for Hasbro, and roving bomb-detectors for the military.

But for more than a decade… nothing truly took off. 

Until one idea—a robot vacuum—finally did. 

With the Roomba, iRobot created a category from scratch, and a product that felt almost like a member of the family. Tens of millions of units sold, and the Roomba became part of popular culture. 

But to avoid stagnation, iRobot had to sell to a bigger company. When a lucrative deal with Amazon fell through, the company hit a wall–and never recovered. 

This is a story about building a business in survival mode, creating a household icon, and eventually getting bested by forces beyond your control. 

What You’ll Learn 

 • How to launch a company when you’re not sure who your customers are
 • Why iRobot engineers underestimated marketing (and paid for it later)
 • How piles of Cheerios helped sell the Roomba
 • How iRobot shored up customer loyalty when the Roomba faltered 
 • Why even a hero product is not enough to sustain a company
 • How competition–and regulation–can unravel a business

Timestamps 

7:25 - “What have you built?”: The robotics lab job application.

12:25 - iRobot’s early business model: contracts, not consumers.

25:05 - Breaking into the toy market: The doll with a mind of its own.

36:10 - A key cleaning insight: people will pay hundreds—but only if it vacuums.

39:10 - The office Cheerios demo that won a retailer.

44:20 - A soaring launch, then stagnation: 250,000 vacuums stuck in inventory.

46:10 - The ad (for Pepsi!) that turbocharged Roomba. 

55:55 - The need to diversify: robotic scrubbers, mops, pool cleaners? 

58:00 - The $1.7 billion offer from Amazon–and how it unraveled.

1:03:40 - Life after Roomba. 

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee. 

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

iRobot: Colin Angle. How The Roomba Became a Household Icon

Today’s callers: Rebecca from Australia wants to make her small-batch spirits stand out in a crowded market. Then, Sri from England wonders how to balance commercial and humanitarian interests for her heated mats. And John from Pennsylvania hopes to reach younger customers with his Italian wines despite declining alcohol consumption. 

Plus, Steve talks about the evolving role of robots in food service—and how he hopes to find his next rocketship in a fresh take on the sandwich shop.

Thank you to the founders of Streaky Bay Distillers, Mat Zero, and Cantina Di Rosina for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Chipotle’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017. 

This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Advice Line with Steve Ells of Chipotle

A lot of founders spend their lives chasing one big idea.

Antonio Swad had two.

The first? Migrating chicken wings from the Happy Hour buffet to the center of the plate.

The second? Building a pizza business that catered to a very specific demographic: Latinos.

That first idea became Wingstop, a deep-fried wing concept that grew to 3,000 stores.

The second became Pizza Patron, a franchise that rewarded customers for ordering in Spanish, and let them pay in pesos.

This is the story of how Antonio got there.

He was a kid from Columbus, Ohio, working at a steakhouse straight out of high school…who eventually saw two big opportunities where no one else did.

Wingstop was the breakout idea, but just as it was exploding, Antonio made a surprising decision. He sold the company.

A $22 million deal.

Only…the money did not materialize.

What follows is one of the most surprising—and cautionary—tales we’ve told on this show: a single word buried in a contract that cost millions…and the moment Antonio realized he might never see the money he’d been promised.

This episode is about instinct, risk, conviction—and why sometimes…your biggest success can lead to your biggest mistake.

What you’ll learn:

 • Why 
simplicity can beat variety • in building scalable restaurants
 • The power—and peril—of 
franchising as a growth engine • How identifying an 
underserved customer segment • can unlock explosive growth
 • Why your 
hero product isn’t always what you think it is • (hint: it’s not the chicken)
 • How one word in a contract can cost millions

Timestamps:

 • 00:09:11 – Fired from bartending for being “too intense”
 • 00:14:26 – Starting a pizza shop in Dallas with $11,000
 • 00:18:41 – Discovering an underserved customer base, and the power of word-of-mouth
 • 00:23:07 – Why franchising can be the ultimate scaling strategy
 • 00:24:09 – How Antonio realized wings could be a massive business
 • 00:36:37 – A bend in the road: Why the first Wingstop struggled
 • 00:50:29 – A bizarre vision at a football game: What if this stadium were full of chickens?
 • 01:07:09 – The $22M purchase… the missing $12M, and suing to get his money
 • 01:20:09 – Living in the moment post Pizza Patron and Wingstop

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit

Today’s callers: Michelle from California assesses the trade offs of accepting outside investment to scale her organic granola brand. Then, Gloria from Connecticut wonders how to overcome stigma and get more people talking about her pelvic floor therapy device. And Eric from Australia evaluates new markets for his maple-based sports nutrition products. 

Plus, Dan and Angie’s take on why even the busiest entrepreneur should find time to turn off their phone at the dinner table... 

Thank you to the founders of Nana Joes Granola, Elidah, and mapleROO for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to BOOMCHICKAPOP’S founding story as told by Angie and Dan on the show in 2019. 

This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Advice Line with Angie & Dan Bastian of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP

Back in the early days of ecommerce, Marc Lore took a classic retail loss leader–diapers– and turned it into a DTC giant– Diapers.com. It did so well that it attracted the attention of Amazon, which slashed prices on its own diapers until Marc was forced to sell them his business. 

It was not a happy moment, but it was a galvanizing one: Marc went on to launch another ecommerce company, jet.com. Within a year, it was bought by Walmart in a deal valued at $3.3 billion. 

This is a story about a devastating corporate surrender, a multi-million dollar comeback, and a founder with a relentless ability to re-invent himself. 

Timestamps: 

10:04 – Marc’s “boost-your-grades” bet with his college coach 

14:21 – A job on Wall Street and a Master Plan: 8 figures by age 48

16:28 – How a lunchtime lark turned into a spot on the U.S. Bobsled Team

27:44 – How random Google searches led Marc to diapers

35:29 – Guerilla tactic: Buying all of P&G’s diapers to get their attention

40:07 – The simple packaging hack that boosted sales 

45:53 – Building a retail empire (and getting on Amazon’s radar)

47:52 – Amazon’s scorched earth strategy forces Marc to sell 

1:00:11 – Raising $750M to take on Jeff Bezos

1:03:02 – A brand new business and a $3.3 billion exit: Walmart’s record-breaking deal

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. 

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Advice Line with David Neeleman of JetBlue

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