How I Built This with Guy Raz

Atlassian: Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2001, Mike Cannon-Brookes sent an email to his college classmates in Sydney, asking if anyone was interested in helping him launch a tech startup a...

How I Built Resilience: M. Night Shyamalan

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

M. Night Shyamalan spoke with Guy as part of NPR's Storytelling Lounge at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Night is known for writing, producing an...

Norma Kamali: Norma Kamali

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Norma Kamali studied fashion illustration in the 1960s, she never expected to become a designer. So when a job as an airline clerk came along, sh...

How I Built Resilience: Loren and Lisa Poncia of Stemple Creek Ranch

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Fourth generation cattle rancher Loren Poncia and his wife Lisa transformed Stemple Creek Ranch into one of the few carbon neutral livestock ranches i...

Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With its eco-friendly paper towels, diapers, and cleansers, Seventh Generation was one of the first—and most successful—green household brands to ...

How I Built Resilience: Elisa Villanueva Beard of Teach For America

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After starting her career at Teach For America in 1998, Elisa Villanueva Beard has served as the CEO of the non-profit for the last five and a half ye...

Jazzercise: Judi Sheppard Missett

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Judi Sheppard Missett wandered into her first dance class when she was 2, and hasn't stopped dancing since. In the late 1960s, she was teaching jazz d...

Patreon: Jack Conte and Sam Yam

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As part of the band Pomplamoose, musician Jack Conte had a sizeable fan base in the late 2000s and was making thousands of dollars a month from iTunes...

Chipotle: Steve Ells (2017)

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1992, Steve Ells was a classically trained chef working in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco. But after eating a burrito at a local taqueria, ...

ActOne Group: Janice Bryant Howroyd (2018)

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 1970s Janice Bryant Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and began temping as a secretary. She soon realized there were many other young people in...

How I Built Resilience: Morra Aarons-Mele of Women Online

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of Women Online and hosts The Anxious Achiever podcast. Morra shares how her agency pivoted during the pandemic after...

Author and Podcaster: Tim Ferriss

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

By the time he turned 30, Tim Ferriss had figured out how to succeed at things that many people fail at—from growing a business to dancing the tango...

How I Built Resilience: Daniela Corrente of Reel

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Reel is a digital savings platform that helps people people make big purchases without racking up credit card debt. CEO and co-founder Daniela Corrent...

Riot Games: Bonus Episode

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There were so many interesting moments in Guy's conversation with the co-founders of Riot Games that we decided to put them into this short bonus epis...

Riot Games: Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At USC in the late 1990s, Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck were bonding over video games and noticing that free, player-made modifications for the game W...

How I Built Resilience: Emily Powell of Powell's Books

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Emily Powell is the third generation owner and president of Portland, Oregon's iconic independent bookseller, Powell's Books. After having to let go o...

Kodiak Cakes: Joel Clark

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When he was 8 years old, Joel Clark loaded bags of his mom's whole grain pancake mix into a red wagon to sell door-to-door. By the mid-90s, he and his...

Remembering Tony Hsieh of Zappos

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The former CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh has died. He was 46 years old. We are grateful that Tony shared his story with us in 2017 and we are republishing...

How I Built Resilience: Dr. Iman Abuzeid of Incredible Health

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Iman Abuzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, a digital platform that helps streamline the hiring process for nurses and recruiting...

The Lip Bar: Melissa Butler

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While working long hours as a Wall Street analyst, Melissa Butler started making lipstick in her kitchen as a hobby. But it soon turned into an obsess...

How I Built Resilience: Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Father Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, one of the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry programs in the world. He...

Kenneth Cole: Kenneth Cole

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kenneth Cole launched his shoe business out of a forty-foot truck in midtown Manhattan and quickly became known as an up-and-coming designer with an e...

Dropbox: Drew Houston

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2006, Drew Houston got on a bus from Boston heading to New York. He planned to use the three-hour ride to get some work done, so he opened his lapt...

How I Built Resilience: Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Guy talks with Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement, a grassroots organization that's fighting to make climate change a top priority in th...

Famous Dave's: Dave Anderson

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memo...

How I Built Resilience: Justin Gold of Justin's

31 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Justin Gold is the founder of Justin's, known for its nut butters and chocolate peanut butter cups. He talks about how he started by pulverizing peanu...

How I Built Resilience: Cheryl Contee of Do Big Things

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do Big Things is a Black woman-led, mission-driven digital agency that works with companies like Google, Etsy, and the NAACP, and has a staff that's 5...

McBride Sisters Wine (Part 2 of 2): Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John made the extraordinary discovery that they were half-sisters, they formed a deep bond and discovered a mu...

How I Built Resilience: Sonia Gil of Fluenz

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Fluenz helps English speakers learn new languages, both online and with in-person immersion programs. With travel restrictions and a global pandemic, ...

McBride Sisters Wine (Part 1 of 2): Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When we first spoke with Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John, we were so blown away by their story that we decided to turn it into two episodes. Wi...

method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan (2018)

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub witho...

How I Built Resilience: Cynt Marshall of Dallas Mavericks

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When a Sports Illustrated article exposed internal abuse and harassment in the Dallas Mavericks organization, owner Mark Cuban knew he had a culture p...

How I Built Resilience: Aishetu Dozie of Bossy Cosmetics

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Aishetu Dozie had a successful career in finance before she took a leap and launched Bossy, a makeup brand that has exploded in popularity over the pa...

Lush Cosmetics: Mark Constantine

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Working at a high-end beauty salon in the south of England in the early 1970's, Mark Constantine concocted natural shampoos and conditioners in a tiny...

How I Built Resilience: Jennifer Neundorfer of January Ventures

03 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

January Ventures is an investment firm that is trying to address the unique challenges and biases faced by entrepreneurs often under-represented in bu...

How I Built Resilience: Jeremy Stoppelman of Yelp

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Yelp founder Jeremy Stoppelman says his leadership team anticipated a "nuclear winter" after the pandemic hit. But as businesses start to re-open, and...

Health-Ade Kombucha: Daina Trout

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2012, Daina Trout, her husband Justin, and her best friend Vanessa Dew were sitting around a kitchen table spit-balling possible business ideas. Th...

How I Built Resilience: John Zimmer of Lyft

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This year has brought unexpected challenges to Lyft, starting with a 75 percent drop in rideshares at the beginning of the pandemic. But co-founder Jo...

Khan Academy: Sal Khan

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2009, Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money. His idea to launch a non-profit teaching pla...

How I Built Resilience: Whitney Wolfe Herd of Bumble

19 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, the dating app Bumble launched a video chat feature that was initially slow to take off. But that changed after the pandemic hit. Founder W...

How I Built Resilience: Bert and John Jacobs of Life is Good

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bert and John Jacobs had just come off a $100 million year for their Boston-based apparel company, Life is Good. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has up...

Calendly: Tope Awotona

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After emigrating from Nigeria to the US to attend college, Tope Awotona worked as a door-to-door salesman and eventually set out to become a tech entr...

How I Built Resilience (Special Edition): Guy Raz

12 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this special episode, Stacey Vanek Smith interviews Guy about his brand new book, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World'...

How I Built Resilience: Pokimane

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Imane Anys—who goes by the online moniker Pokimane—is the leading female streamer on Twitch, a popular streaming platform for gamers. Pokimane spo...

Rad Power Bikes: Mike Radenbaugh

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up in rural Northern California, Mike Radenbaugh hated biking to high school—it was a 16 mile slog; hilly and tiring. So he scrounged up a b...

How I Built Resilience: Sandra Oh Lin of KiwiCo

05 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

KiwiCo delivers science and arts projects to kids on a monthly basis. Sandra Oh Lin founded the company nine years ago, and her team has scrambled to ...

How I Built Resilience: Luke Holden and Ben Conniff of Luke's Lobster

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

COVID-19's impact on the seafood industry hit Luke Holden and Ben Conniff hard; in March they closed their restaurants and laid off 300 employees. Sin...

Chilewich: Sandy Chilewich

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One night in 1978, for fun, Sandy Chilewich and her friend, Kathy Moskal, tried bleaching their black cotton shoes, and dyeing them a new color. They ...

How I Built Resilience: Niraj Shah and Steve Conine of Wayfair

29 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the economic crisis, Wayfair has seen an 84 percent sales spike, leading them to profitability during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, co-found...

How I Built Resilience: Ajay Prakash and James Joun of Rinse

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rinse is a laundry and dry-cleaning app started by college friends Ajay Prakash and James Joun in 2013. Since March, Rinse's dry cleaning service has ...

Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine (2018)

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After selling their first small business and shuttering their second, former college roommates Niraj Shah and Steve Conine thought about getting "norm...

Zocdoc: Oliver Kharraz

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2007, three friends set out to address a common frustration: the long waits and scheduling hassles of booking a doctor's appointment. But soon afte...

How I Built Resilience: Samantha Bee of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

15 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Samantha Bee, the host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, has been filming her show from her backyard in upstate New York since March. While Samantha ...

How I Built Resilience: Brian Chesky of Airbnb

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the early stages of the lockdown, Airbnb was in a freefall: it lost 80 percent of its business and laid off a quarter of its staff. But CEO Brian C...

Briogeo: Nancy Twine

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job on the trading floor at Goldman Sachs no lo...

How I Built Resilience: Jessie Woolley-Wilson of DreamBox

08 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Guy speaks with Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO of DreamBox, an online math learning program for K-8 students. The platform has added two million new users...

How I Built Resilience: Alberto Perlman of Zumba

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Within weeks after the pandemic lockdown, the fitness program Zumba rapidly shifted gears and launched its own online workout platform. Co-founder Alb...

Vita Coco: Michael Kirban

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

So—no joke: two guys really do walk into a bar. While sharing a few drinks on a winter night in New York City, best friends Michael Kirban and Ira L...

How I Built Resilience: Sarah Harden and Lauren Neustadter of Hello Sunshine

01 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Sunshine—a production company founded by Reese Witherspoon—has created TV shows Little Fires Everywhere, The Morning Show, and Big Little Li...

How I Built Resilience: Taha Bawa of Goodwall

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As COVID-19 continues to affect the global economy, college graduates are entering a job market reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis. Taha Bawa is...

The Laundress: Lindsey Boyd

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 1990s, while working in high-end fashion in NYC, Lindsey Boyd came to despise the weekly ritual of dry-cleaning; not only was it expensive...

How I Built Resilience: Jeremy Zimmer of United Talent Agency

25 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With live events canceled and sound stages shuttered, the entertainment industry has to look for new ways to create content while cutting costs. Guy t...

How I Built Resilience: Songe LaRon of Squire

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Songe LaRon founded Squire in 2016, his mission was to use modern technology to help run barbershops, which are using his app in the U.S., U.K., ...

La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great cof...

How I Built Resilience: Live with John Foley

18 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While upending many businesses, the pandemic has benefited fitness brands like Peloton, which saw a surge in demand in mid-March. Peloton founder John...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Julia Hartz

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Founder Julia Hartz is reckoning with COVID-19's impact on the live events industry, which uses her company, Eventbrite, to sell tickets and market ev...

Tatcha: Vicky Tsai

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 wi...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Morgan DeBaun

11 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Morgan DeBaun founded Blavity as a media platform for Black millennials to convene and connect online. Today, amidst an economic crisis and a reawaken...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Sharon Chuter

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018, Sharon Chuter left her job at a legacy beauty brand to start UOMA Beauty, a cosmetics company that caters to a wide variety of skin tones. Sh...

Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious p...

ClassPass: Payal Kadakia

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 2000s, Payal Kadakia was working a corporate job and running an Indian dance company on the side. When a search for a ballet class yielded...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Melanie Perkins and Bill Creelman

27 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the online design platform Canva closed a new round of funding, bringing the company's valuation to $6 billion. Founder Melanie Perkins is ...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Deval Patrick

25 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick talks to Guy about how the protests for racial justice have resonated with him personally, and how this mo...

Ring: Jamie Siminoff

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jamie Siminoff spent much of his twenties and thirties as a serial entrepreneur, launching three tech businesses you've probably never heard of. When ...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Sadie Lincoln

20 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While 70 percent of Barre3's locations remain closed, founder Sadie Lincoln is noticing a surge in subscriptions for their online workout platform. Th...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Cathy Hughes

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cathy Hughes is the founder of Urban One, the largest African American-owned broadcast network with 54 radio stations around the United States. Cathy ...

Shake Shack: Danny Meyer

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Back in 2001, as part of an initiative to revitalize Madison Square Park, Danny Meyer set up a simple hot dog cart. At that time, he had been a leader...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Y-Vonne Hutchinson

13 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Y-Vonne Hutchinson is the founder of ReadySet, a consulting firm that helps companies make authentic commitments to diversity and inclusion. Y-Vonne s...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Kevin Hart

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Actor and comedian Kevin Hart speaks to Guy about the Black Lives Matter protests and offers advice to future activists, entertainers and entrepreneur...

Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard

08 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2005, the trajectory of Holly Thaggard's life completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. Holly realized that mos...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Troy Carter

06 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Troy Carter, the founder of Q&A and Atom Factory, speaks to Guy about the painful events of the past few months—and especially the past two week...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Jenn Hyman

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As Rent the Runway faces the economic challenges of the pandemic, co-founder Jenn Hyman is focused on recovery and empowering women's lives through cl...

Sub Pop Records: Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman were two rock-and-roll fans who met at exactly the right time and place: Seattle in the early 1980s, where a raw hyb...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Alli Webb and Andy Puddicombe & Rich Pierson

30 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alli Webb, co-founder of Drybar, talks with Guy about why she believes that investing time into fashion and beauty is still worthwhile, even though ma...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Kyle Connaughton and Daniel Humm

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kyle Connaughton's restaurant has been impacted by wildfires, floods, and now, the COVID-19 pandemic. Kyle spoke with Guy about keeping SingleThread F...

reCAPTCHA and Duolingo: Luis von Ahn

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2000, Luis von Ahn was starting his PhD in computer science when he attended a talk and happened to learn about one of Yahoo's biggest problems: au...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Sarah LaFleur

23 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Sarah LaFleur started M.M.LaFleur, she wanted to help women dress efficiently and comfortably for the office. Now that most of her customers are ...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Tony Xu and Marcia Kilgore

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Tony Xu started DoorDash in 2013, he wanted to help local restaurants stay afloat by introducing them to online delivery. Today, his quest remain...

Jo Loves: Jo Malone CBE

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As a girl in 1970s London, Jo Malone learned how to make face creams by going to work with her mom at a private skin care clinic. By the time she was ...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Tobias Lütke and Jon Stein

16 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Tobias Lütke started Shopify, he wanted to empower merchants to start small and build resilience. Tobi spoke with Guy about the relevance of tho...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Samin Nosrat and Alice Waters & Fanny Singer

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Samin Nosrat, the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, talks with Guy about unintentionally writing the ultimate quarantine cookbook, and how she's been i...

Impossible Foods: Pat Brown

11 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When he was nearly 60, Pat Brown left a dream job to pursue an ambitious mission: to create delicious meat from plants. As a biochemist, he'd become a...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Stewart Butterfield and Steve Holmes

09 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Slack's co-founder Stewart Butterfield wonders what the future of work will look like for his 12 million customers. Springfree Trampoline's co-founder...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Christina Tosi and Gary Erickson & Kit Crawford

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since March, only five of Milk Bar's 18 locations have been up and running, but founder Christina Tosi tells Guy she is determined to bring the joy of...

Cotopaxi: Davis Smith

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

By his mid-30's, Davis Smith had co-founded two businesses. The first ended well, but the second was such a disappointment that he wondered if he shou...

How I Built Resilience: Live with José Andrés

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When chef José Andrés isn't running Michelin-starred restaurants, he's feeding the masses through World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit he founded that...

Fitbit: James Park

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2006, James Park had what he describes as a "lightning bolt" moment when he first used a Nintendo Wii. Fascinated by its motion-tracking controller...

How I Built Resilience: Live with Simon Sinek

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Each week, Guy is hosting online conversations with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating these turbulent times. Today's conversatio...

Brooklinen: Vicki and Rich Fulop

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the first day of their Vegas vacation in 2012, Rich and Vicki Fulop sat down on their hotel bed and immediately had the same thought: "These sheets...

How I Built Resilience: Live with David Neeleman and Tristan Walker

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Each week, Guy will be hosting brief online conversations with founders and members of the How I Built This community about how they're navigating the...