How I Built This with Guy Raz

Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore — founder of brands like Beauty Pie and Soap & Glory — joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders managing uncertainty and risk. 

Today, we meet Victor in Fort Worth, the co-founder of a Mexican-style sweets and treats venture who wonders if he should focus on expanding brick-and-mortar operations, retail presence, or both. Then Lydia in Seattle, a former disease researcher who is ready to grow her small batch botanical skincare line, but needs help overcoming her fear of failure to get to the next step. And Jack in San Francisco, the founder of a custom bike bag and accessories brand who’s trying to figure out how to maintain customer excitement throughout the entire purchasing process so as not to lose momentum. 

Thank you to the founders of Sol Dias, Clērstory, and Wompy Bikes for being 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 Marcia Kilgore’s original How I Built This episode as told by Marcia on the show in 2018. 

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

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

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

The dashboard in your car – the interface on your Zoom screen … many of the products we interact with every day were created with the collaborative software Figma. Figma is a kind of Google Docs for design, created by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace after they won a Thiel fellowship in 2012. Dylan was just 20 when he became CEO. The only other job he’d had before that….? was college intern. He eventually figured out how to manage his team, and grew the company enough to attract a 20 billion dollar acquisition bid from Adobe. The deal fell through, but Figma continued to grow, and recently filed for an IPO.

This episode was researched and produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. 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.

Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about what they really want from investment deals and acquisitions.

Today we meet Jesse in Dallas, who's debating whether or not he should sell part or all of his cold plunge tub business. Then Catharine in Oregon, who's trying to figure out how to move on from the daily grind of her hot sauce brand. And Joe in Chicago, who has an ambitious vision for his chicken sandwich chain.

Thank you to the founders of Modtub, HYCH, and Fry the Coop 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 Kickstarter’s founding story as told by Perry on the show in 2017.

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

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.

Bill and Leigh Keith had an extraordinary childhood, travelling the country in a school bus with their parents and ten siblings. Along the way, their dad fed them a homemade concoction of peanut butter, honey and supplements rolled into bite-sized snacks. When the family fell on hard times, the older siblings decided to sell their home and bet everything on turning their family recipe into a refrigerated energy bar. 

The family hand-rolled millions of bars and gave out samples at festivals and grocery stores in Northern California. They eventually got Perfect Bars into Whole Foods, Costco, and major retailers throughout the country, and in 2019, the company was acquired by Mondelēz International. 

This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. Edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Kwesi Lee and Ko Takasugi-Czernowin. 

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

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

Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders.

Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale.

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 to hear the story of how Sir Kensington’s was founded, check out Mark's first appearance on the show in 2023.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson 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 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.

In 2008, Vicky Tsai walked away from a startup job and set out to rediscover herself on a trip to Japan. In Kyoto, she had an unforgettable meeting with a geisha, and learned about the face creams and blotting papers that the traditional Japanese hostesses had used for centuries. But as she contemplated selling those products in the U.S., experts on both sides of the Pacific told her it would never work. Strapped for money and juggling multiple jobs, Vicky worked out of her parents' garage, pitching her new brand—Tatcha—on QVC and steadily growing it. In 2019, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million.

This episode was produced by Jed Anderson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. 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.

Springfree Trampoline founder Steve Holmes joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Steve’s tariff navigation guidance for businesses manufacturing products outside of the U.S.

First we meet Ikechukwu in Maryland, who’s trying to lean into a core demographic without alienating customers from his activewear brand. Then Cody in Nevada, who’s building a year-round advertising strategy for a largely seasonal product: DEET-free bug repellant. And Kenesha in Ontario, who’s looking to maintain the momentum of a viral moment for her Caribbean-inspired chocolate.

Thank you to the founders of Veii Apparel, Grand Tongo, and One More Cocoa 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 Springfree Trampoline’s founding story as told by Steve and the trampoline’s inventor Keith on the show in 2019.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

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.

As a young entrepreneur in the Wild West days of the internet, Alex Tew was drawn to meditation for its simple calming power. Together with fellow tech founder Michael Acton Smith–known for hits like Moshi Monsters–the two brainstormed ways to bring the ancient practice of meditation into the 21st century. In 2011, they bought the domain calm.com, built an app, and started producing meditations and Sleep Stories, narrated by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba. Despite initial pushback from investors who insisted no one would want to meditate on their phone–let alone pay for it– the Calm app grew to a valuation of nearly $2 billion, with 180 million total downloads. 

This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. 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.

This week, Guy is joined by Travis Boersma of Dutch Bros. Coffee, Michael Preysman of Everlane and Chris Ruder of Spikeball in a special “mashup” episode of Advice Line.

First, Andy from Nashville is wondering if a brick and mortar burger joint will supercharge growth for his food truck business. Then, Tiffany from Cape Cod is looking to break into large retailers with her inspirational jewelry brand. And finally, Peter from South Dakota is evaluating whether to expand his ice skating apparel to overseas markets.

Thank you to the founders of Bad Luck Burger Club, T. Jazelle and Rink Rabbit. 

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. 

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

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

To hear our guests previous episodes:

Dutch Bros. Coffee: Travis Boersma | Advice Line with Travis Boersma

Everlane: Michael Preysman | Advice Line with Michael Preysman

Spikeball: Chris Ruder | Advice Line with Chris Ruder

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