Jeff Kearl: Secrets to Building Iconic Companies

In this live Case Studies event, Casey Baugh sits down with Jeff Kearl—entrepreneur, investor, and brand builder behind Skullcandy and Stance—to unpack the foundational principles of long-term business success. From early mentorship to building culture-first companies, Jeff shares the pivotal moments and hard-won lessons that shaped his journey.Jeff dives into the power of believing in young talent, the pain of early failure during the dot-com crash, and why he swore never to build a business dependent on outside capital again. He shares frameworks for hiring based on cultural alignment, building leadership without ego, and how customer conviction drives real investment decisions. With personal stories, investment insights, and startup war stories, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, intentionality, and brand-building.Chapters:00:00 | Opening & Setting the Stage00:45 | Early Days at Covey Leadership Center02:30 | Lessons from Early Mentors05:15 | Founding Freeport & The Dot-Com Crash08:00 | Building Culture as a Differentiator10:30 | Brand Strength Starts Inside13:00 | From Operator to Venture Capitalist15:00 | Building LogoWorks & Getting Acquired by HP17:45 | The Skullcandy Bet & Power of Counter Positioning20:30 | Pelion Capital & Investing in Digital Scarecrows23:00 | Frameworks for Long-Term Leadership26:00 | Building Stance and Redefining Culture31:00 | Operating Without Ego and Hiring Right37:00 | Fundraising and Bootstrapping Philosophy42:00 | Building Boards and Governance the Right Way48:00 | Investing with Conviction, Not Consensus54:00 | Identifying the Next Big Consumer Trends01:00:00 | Lessons from Failures and Personal Growth01:07:00 | What Makes a Founder Exceptional01:14:00 | Personal Operating System and Decision Frameworks01:21:00 | Jeff’s Advice for Young Builders and Investors01:30:00 | Final Reflections and Jeff’s Legacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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