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

After his first startup went public in 2016, Tony Jamous took time off to align what he does with what he believes in. In his previous company, Nexmo, he saw the power of distributed hiring worldwide and how it changed people’s lives. So in January of 2020, he started Oyster, a software company that helps make it possible for companies everywhere to hire people anywhere. The timing of Oyster was perfect, 2 months later, remote work changed forever. Oyster’s raised 230M in 2 years, and its network includes 100 nationalities distributed across 70 countries. The business grew 20x last year and is in the top 2% of all VC-backed companies in employee engagement.   Listen to Nathan and Tony discuss: Growing up during a civil war in Lebanon  What living in 10 different countries taught him about people Taking 10 flights to Casablanca to pay his first employee  Strategies for leading a global and remote business  The perfect timing of Oyster’s launch in 2020 The importance of risk management in decision making

In 2011, Lauryn Evarts Bosstick was in college and looking for a community. When a sorority came knocking, Lauryn turned to blogging instead, asking herself the questions every entrepreneur asks: How can I create this and do it better? After 3 years of blogging 7 days a week, Lauryn built Skinny Confidential into a community and a full-time business.    Today, The Skinny Confidential brand garners more than 2 million monthly impressions, and the podcast currently boasts more than 90 million downloads. In addition, Lauryn, alongside her partner Michael, launched a podcast incubator called Dear Media, which focuses on women's voices and narratives.    Listen to Nathan discuss with Lauryn and Michael about: How Lauryn built a loyal following as a college student  The early days of podcasting and how it's evolved Launching the HIM & HER spinoff podcast Launching their first branded product  Strategies to focus on your core audience  Why they've never missed a bi-weekly show Lauryn's book The Skinny Confide

What's the secret to sustain healthy behaviors like exercise, diet, and stress management? Coaching.    Rishi Mandal discovered this while researching the challenges of America's health crisis. So, he started Future, an online coaching platform that connects everyday people to coaches to receive custom one-on-one health training. Since 2017, Rishi and his team have raised $120M in funding and built Future into the largest employer of coaches and trainers in America. Most importantly, they've garnered a retention rate unheard of in the health and exercise industry.    Listen to Nathan and Rishi discuss:  Why his childhood was all about inventing  Lessons from his first 2 businesses, Slide and Sosh  Getting the price point to work for Future Building the company in problem-solving phases  Why retention is the most critical factor for success  Why customers pay for people's time, not software The decision to vertically integrate with their coaches  And much more subscription business advice…     Who do

In 2014, Erin Deering gifted Triangl swimwear to relatively unknown legacy celebrities Hailey Bieber ( Baldwin) and Bella Hadid. Their friend, Kendall Jenner, loved the products and reached out to Erin directly to get Triangl samples. Then Jenner posted on Instagram and tagged Triangl–that’s when everything went mad.    But the success of Triangl didn’t come from just celebrity endorsements. It came from developing a product that looked and felt like nothing else before. In 2018, Erin exited the business, but that’s when she stepped back and learned more about who she is as an entrepreneur and person outside of the multi-million dollar brand she built.  Listen to Nathan and Erin discuss:  How Triangl started on a second date at the beach When their manufacturer stole their idea  Why businesses undervalue word of mouth  Their “one bikini sale a day” mindset  Connecting with Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid, and the Kardashians  Dealing with copycats and competitors  How they stayed lean amongst extreme growt

Are you ready to leverage the popularity of TikTok to grow your business? Gerardo Perez is the founder of Marketing&, one of the world's leading digital agencies focused on driving paid results on TikTok. Gerardo has 11.2M likes, 323,000 followers, and generated over 100M organic views. He's spent more than $2M in advertising on the platform and is ready to share his strategies with you.    Listen to Nathan and Gerardo deep-dive on: The rise of his marketing agency Marketing& Examples of dramatic results for his clients  Why it's a good time to start investing in TikTok ads  The unique language of TikTok content  Creating native content on TikTok  Producing creative entirely on mobile  TikTok's targeting capabilities  Why brands should still post organic content  TikTok trends and their attachment to audio  Researching the TikTok ad library Mix and match creative  And much more TikTok ad strategies…   Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave

Harley Finkelstein is an entrepreneur, lawyer, and president of Shopify. Harley was store #137 when he started on Shopify as a merchant in 2009. After law school, he joined the team at Shopify and helped build it into the world’s #1 ecommerce platform. In 2021, the Shopify ecosystem generated $440B in economic value. For Harley, the success of Shopify all comes down to a belief that entrepreneurship is the greatest equalizer on the planet.    Listen to Nathan and Harley discuss:  Starting his first business at 17  How he supported his family by selling t-shirts  Why he went to law school to be a better entrepreneur Meeting Tobias Lütke at a coffee shop in Ottawa  The early days of Shopify and the Build a Business Competition Why he started a tea business on Shopify store in 2021 Why he looks for obsessiveness when angel investing in companies  The importance of self-awareness as an entrepreneur And much more ecommerce wisdom…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know!

Jamie Kern Lima spent 2 years pitching QVC for a segment to promote her business, IT Cosmetics. She was about to go bankrupt when she finally got her shot on the network. But moments before going on air, she went off-script. The decision changed her business and the beauty industry forever. Jamie built IT Cosmetics into a multi-billion dollar empire centered on authenticity before it was a buzzword. She became the first woman CEO in L’Oréal’s history and has written a book, Believe IT: How to Go From Underestimated to Unstoppable, about her incredible journey from the brink of bankruptcy to billionaire CEO.    Listen to Nathan and Jamie discuss:  Creating IT Cosmetics as a solution for her skin condition rosacea Sketching out a business plan while on her honeymoon  How to dig deep into your “why”  Creating a brand around an approachable beauty image Going off-script on her first QVC segment  The importance of her authenticity as a spokesperson Transition planning and selling to L’Oréal  And more femal

How did Ed Mylett gain 3 million social media followers without spending a dollar on ads? Authenticity. Ed is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, performance coach, and speaker. He landed on the Forbes 50 wealthiest under 50, and was recognized as one of the wealthiest self-made people in the world in his 30s. His recently published book, The Power of One More, will help you learn why you're closer to your dreams and goals than you think.    Listen to Nathan and Ed discuss: How to read people and listen intently  Learning the "power of one" philosophy from his father's sobriety journey Overcoming imposter syndrome and failure in the finance world Lessons from his new book, The Power of One More Becoming friends with his hero Tony Robbins Building a media empire from scratch  Balancing 17 different companies And much more business mindset advice…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait,

Everyone kept telling Phil Hutcheon “that's just how it is” when it comes to the absurd processing fees for concert tickets. That's why Phil started Dice, a platform for fans to see the musicians they love in the most hassle-free way possible. Since its launch in 2013, Dice has raised over $100M in capital, has more than 380 workers, and is expanding its services globally. From testing the business idea with a fake company to phone calls with Kayne West, Hutcheon built Dice into a commerce engine for the music industry.   Listen to Nathan and Phil discuss:  Why he rejected a promotion to start a career in music  Building the Modular Records sound through legendary parties Bootstrapping his music management company Deadly People  Testing a ticketing model with a fake company Scoring the first contracts for Dice Why it took 3.5 years to build out Dice’s discovery feature Working with artists like Adele and Kayne West Raising over $100M in capital after a slow start And much more fundraising advice…  

Brittany Stewart is the cofounder of BURST Oral Care, one of the fastest-growing ecommerce businesses in the United States. She met her cofounder, Hamish Khayat, through a mutual friend, and it was a match made in startup heaven. Hamish had a revolutionary toothbrush prototype, and Brittany had the skills to make it a business.    After 3 years of attending dental conventions across the country, Brittany built BURST into a community of 30K dental ambassadors. Her ultimate goal–put a BURST product in every bathroom in America.    Listen to Nathan and Brittany discuss:  Bringing Hamish’s electric toothbrush prototype to life Why they felt like rock stars at their first dental convention How showcasing their ambassadors in ads doubled their growth Why customer service is the most important part of their business Working with influencers like the Kardashians Why clarity is the most valuable leadership trait  Hiring people based on personality over skills Why the giving is an investment in the business  A

Bill Smith asked for a briefcase on his 5th birthday, and it’s been all business since. After dropping out of school at age 16, Bill started, built, and sold 3 companies over the past 15 years. His last business, grocery delivery service Shipt, sold to Target in 2019 for half a billion dollars. But Bill didn’t rest on his success. The same year he exited Shipt, he started Landing, a flexible and furnished rental apartment service. So what’s next for this wunderkind turned startup mogul?    Listen to Nathan and Bill discuss Dropping out of school without his parents knowing Figuring out the prepaid technology business  Exiting his first company to Green Dot Corporation  His step-by-step process for proving a business idea Why he never takes breaks between businesses  Proving demand in the early days of Shipt  Selling Shipt to Target for half a billion dollars Why selling Shipt changed his philosophy of business His goal to build Landing into an enduring company And much more business scaling advice…

After multiple near-death experiences, Zeb Evans decided to build a business that was net positive on the world. However, he didn’t realize that a custom internal productivity tool would become the business he was searching for. In 2017, Evans cofounded ClickUp, an all-in-one productivity management tool now valued at $4 billion.    Listen to Nathan and Zeb discuss:  Selling Disney DVDs from his hospital bed How a home invasion motivated him to drop out of school Starting his first company Fast Followerz from customized social tools How an unexpected seizure pushed him to move to Silicon Valley  Building ClickUp as an internal tool and discovering its value The early days of ClickUp and living in a stereotypical startup house Why investors were shocked that ClickUp was profitable  Maintain culture while scaling at a rapid rate  Why Zeb takes a bath every evening And much more tech startup advice…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us

Marco Zappacosta's only professional job has been the cofounder and CEO of Thumbtack. Marco started the home services matchmaking website straight out of university with a dream to find a better solution of hiring a plumber. Since 2009, Thumbtack has raised half a billion dollars in funding and gone from 2 to 1,000 employees. But Thumbtack's success came from years of struggle to discover their perfect market fit.    Listen to Nathan and Marco discuss:  Thumbtack's first users on both sides of the marketplace Enticing pros by creating stylized Craiglist ads The importance of telling the dream and data to investors Why investors are thinking about other investors Why getting a meeting is the easy part of fundraising  The difference between bootstrapped and VC businesses  Seeing values as the best version of your company  Creating "libraries" for their fully-remote workplace And much more VC and remote work advice…     Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forg

Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started Back to the Roots by asking the same question in their business class–how can you grow mushrooms from used coffee grounds? So instead of taking their jobs in investment baking, the 2 friends began their journey of building an organic gardening brand for the next generation.    Back to the Roots is America’s #1 organic gardening company and doubled its business 4 years in a row. They offer a wide range of grow kits, seeds, soil, and more to empower people to experience the magic of growing their food from inside their homes.    Listen to Nathan chat with Nikhil and Alejandro about:   Walking into a Whole Foods and pitching their first product  Growing their first mushrooms in a rented office space Hitting their first million in revenue off sources of waste Why going to a farmer’s market is the best lesson for business Transitioning from selling products to empowering growers  Navigating the accelerated growth of the industry during COVID-19 Their relationship as

Toni Ko's first beauty brand, NYX Cosmetics, made $4 million in year 1, and eventually exited to L'Oréal for $500 million. Craving a new purpose, she started a sunglasses business. It failed after 3.5 years—and Ko says it's one of the best things that ever happened to her. Ko's lessons from that "failure" empowered her to launch her third and current venture: Bespoke Beauty Brands, which partners with influencer entrepreneurs on everything from concept creation to product development, marketing, and fulfillment distribution.    Listen to Nathan and Ko discuss:    Being a third-generation entrepreneur of Korean immigrants  The early days of NYX Cosmetics, when she had 6 job titles Raking in $4 million in retail value in NYX's first year Why she's not good at sales  Selling NYX in 2014 for $500 million to L'Oréal Experiencing depression after exiting her business Starting a sunglasses business and failing  Launching Bespoke Beauty Brand  Working with celebrity influencers like Kim Chi and Jason Wu And

Did you know that 74% of Americans say they are more likely to trust someone if they have an established personal brand? If you want to build a personal brand that will influence more people, this episode is for you. So strap in for a step-by-step personal branding crash course from Rory Vaden.    Rory is a speaker, business coach, NY Times best-selling author, and cofounder of Brand Builders Group. He’s worked with clients like Lewis Howes, Luvvie Ajayi, and Rose McGowan to discover what makes them unique and how they can serve others.    Listen to Nathan and Rory discuss: Brand Builders Group national research study on personal branding Why personal branding is the digitization of reputation Why 90% of their clients are people you’ve never heard of The 3 different types of content strategies  Why results x reach = reputation  The 5 ways to monetize a personal brand  How to discover your uniqueness And much more personal branding advice…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and

Lisa Bilyeu and her husband built Quest Nutrition into a billion-dollar company, but she never expected to be an entrepreneur and business influencer. But, after years of telling herself that she could only be a stay-at-home wife, Lisa found her self-confidence to help create Quest Nutrition and start her media company, Impact Theory. She now hosts a weekly YouTube show, podcast, and released a book called Radical Confidence, focusing on empowering women in business.    Listen to Nathan and Lisa discuss:  The early days of Quest Nutrition and what worked How their PB&J flavored Quest Bar was created by accident  The decision to sell Quest and invest in Impact Theory How she overcame her fear of public speaking Why she dresses for battle like Wonder Woman Building Impact Theory from home  How to create a “no judgment journal" Tools to combat negative self-talk And much more business mindset advice…   Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a

Daniel Flynn started his mission-driven business with the simple question of “what if?” 13 years later and $13M donated, Thankyou is changing the way suppliers and consumers select products. From the early days of getting “nos” to competing against the world’s biggest consumer brands, Thankyou is now evolving its model to serve more people at a scalable rate.    Listen to Daniel and Nathan discuss: The early days of Thankyou and the naivety of the business world Creating a viral campaign for a pitch meeting with 7/11  The difficulty of running a business that exists to give Launching into competitive product categories  Donating $10M in 2021 from their most profitable year ever Writing his book Chapter One: You Have the Power to Change Stuff  Getting interviewed by President Obama  Visiting Seth Godin’s house And much more mission and business lessons…   Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wa

Dee Deng, cofounder of Right Hook, returns to the podcast to discuss his new foundr course Ignite Your Digital Agency. In the new course, Dee will share his blueprints on how to serve a small group of high-paying and happy clients while being highly profitable at the same time.   Right Hook is a digital marketing agency that went from zero to $250,000 in profit in its first year of business. Now the agency has over 115 employees across the globe.    Listen to Dee and Nathan discuss:  Step-by-step advice to build your agency from scratch His “sales machine” that attracts quality clients daily His “client delight system” for making your clients love you How to scale your client load and revenue without “breaking” your business How you sign up for a free course taught by Dee And much more agency advice… Want to learn how to turn your 'One Person Shop' into a highly profitable & sustainable digital agency? Sign-up now, to take your business to the next level... https://foundr.com/iyda-fl-varb-sp/?sl=youtub

Scooter Braun is the music-business mind behind the world’s biggest music stars like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato. Now he’s opening up about his entrepreneurial journey and how he’s reclaimed himself.    Scooter's music career started as a party promoter in Atlanta. After dropping out of college, he worked at So So Def Recordings and eventually started SB Projects. He gave himself 12 months to make it, and that year discovered a 13-year-old Canadian artist named Justin Bieber.    Listen to Nathan and Scooter discuss: His decision to leave So So Def because of the power of social media Why Justin Bieber has made him a better man How Asher Roth’s “I Love College” saved his company from going under  Producing Justin Bieber’s My World EP through friendships and favors Why he works with trustworthy people over great people Why identifying talent like falling in love  How to deal with people disappointing you as a leader How a week at The Hoffman Process changed his life What Jeff Bezos to