How I Built This with Guy Raz

What do you do when the family business you've spent decades building... gets bought out from under you? 

That’s what happened to Nima and Salma Fotovat.

Devastated, the family rebuilt a new company from the ground up. This time they set out with a new idea: build an allergen-free, organic snack brand not just for kids, but their parents.  

Their new brand: MadeGood.

Today, the Canadian brand’s parent company does hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. But getting there meant rebuilding from scratch, fixing 200,000 mislabeled snack bars by hand, and turning a family of co-packers into branding experts.

What you'll learn:

• How owning manufacturing can be a competitive edge
• How they grew a national brand with almost no marketing. 
• Why it can be a winning strategy to say "yes" before you know how 
• Introducing new products: the tension between research and emotion  
• The mindset that can help you rebuild after a devastating setback

Timestamps:

6:05 - Growing up in Iran during wartime, and emigrating to Canada 

11:55 - Their dad’s new business: “Why are North Americans not eating nougat?”  

19:25 - Building the family’s first snack bar brand—and losing it overnight

34:20 - The next business: going all in on healthier school snacks

42:30 - Fixing a 200,000-bar production error with alcohol wipes 

48:30 - Landing MadeGood’s first retail store

51:10 - The 100-mile radius marketing strategy 

56:50 - The lure of new products: from human treats to dog treats 

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

Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is exploring the best way to reach style-conscious parents with her line of children’s clothes. And Sandy in Colorado is seeking the ideal pricing strategy to bring his adaptive test prep platform to schools nationwide.

Thank you to the founders of Hearsay Brewing and Theater, Tres London and Brain Buffs 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 our Advice Line episodes with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Sarah LaFleur of M.M LaFleur and Shazi Visram of Happy Family Organics.

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

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.

Many founders think the hardest thing about business is finding customers.

It's not.

It's surviving success.

When Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan launched a luxury baby linen business, they had no manufacturing experience, no inventory, and barely any capital. But after their first catalog landed just as a major competitor left the market, orders flooded in almost overnight.

The problem? They hadn’t made the products yet. 

Today, Serena and Lily has grown into one of the best known luxury home goods brands in the country. But getting there was a grind. 

This is one of the most revealing conversations we've ever had about unplanned opportunities, and the hidden cost of taking outside investment. From financing their first inventory with customer deposits... to walking away from a disastrous investment deal... to nearly losing control of the company they built, this episode is a masterclass in what happens when rapid growth collides with the realities of cash flow.

You Will Learn: 

• The clever way Serena & Lily financed its first production run
• How one perfectly timed opportunity launched the business
• Why "smart money" isn't always smart
• How investor and founder incentives can be completely misaligned
• The warning signs hidden inside a term sheet

Timestamps:

06:11 – Lily's years at Microsoft, and the money that helped launch a business

11:55 – Serena repaints an old table and discovers people will pay for her designs 

24:21 – “No bunnies, ducks or choo choo trains.” Lily and Serena meet, and decide to sell high-end baby linen: 

36:01 – $100,000 in orders... for products that didn't exist yet

37:38 – The cash-flow hack that kept the company afloat 

46:14 – “They patted us on the head.” Patronizing investors, and a predatory term sheet 

51:28 – The financial crisis forces a complete reinvention of the business

58:47 – The lawsuit, the boardroom battle, and the investor who nearly brought Serena & Lily down

1:03:26 – Why acquisition offers couldn't save the company—and the lesson every founder should hear

This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.

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.

Today’s callers: Adrian from California wants to grow his apparel company to complete with big-name athletic brands. Then, Preet from the Rockies looks for strategies to reach seniors and their children with his daily check-in app. And Derek from Virginia considers social media and professional partnerships to advertise his hockey equipment brand. 

Plus, Chris talks about launching a new athletic apparel brand while continuing to grow UNTUCKit.

Thank you to the founders of Eras Shorts, Snug Safety, and Hockey Ninja 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 UNTUCKit’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 Annlie Huang.

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.

Chuck Surack never planned to build one of America's largest online retailers. He just wanted to be a musician. So right after high school, he took his sax and drove off in his old VW van to play gigs around the country. 

It didn’t work out. But with the audio and mixing skills Chuck learned gigging, he decided to convert his van into a mobile recording studio - and started making money fast by making recordings of local bands, businesses, and schools.

The game-changer came as a one-two-three punch: first, he created a new product - digitized sound libraries - to sell nationally; second, he started selling high end pro audio gear; third, he instituted a sales culture hyper-focused on customers and relationship-building that resulted in Sweetwater’s enormous and super loyal online customer base. 

In this episode, Chuck shares how he built a retail giant from his garage, why customer service became his greatest competitive advantage, and why, even in the age of AI, human relationships remain one of the most valuable assets any business can build. 

What you'll learn

• The hiring philosophy that transformed customer service into a competitive moat and has helped Sweetwater fend off much larger competitors
• Why under-cutting competitor prices and offering discounts isn’t always the answer to fuel sales and growth 
• Why the best salespeople aren’t always don’t think of themselves as salespeople - and don’t have to come from sales or marketing backgrounds
• Why training people—not technology—may be the biggest, best investment a company can make
• How saying "no" to bad products strengthened customer trust
• The leadership principle: empowering employees to solve problems without asking permission

Timestamps

• 05:39 — The saxophone player who never meant to build a billion-dollar company
• 09:11 — How turning his VW van into a mobile recording studio was the first step in building a business
• 14:37 — The $20,000 keyboard synthesizer that changed his life forever
• 21:27 — Chuck gets into retail - almost in spite of himself
• 34:39 — Why Sweetwater refused to compete on price
• 37:51 — How Chuck and his early team started to learn the power of customer service
• 44:45 — Inside "Sweetwater University" and being a Sales Engineer: 13 weeks of training before an employee answers the phone
• 46:55 — Leadership rule for employees: Never ask permission to do the right thing
• 1:03:19 — Why Amazon hasn’t stopped him

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce with research help from Carla Esteves.

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.

Today’s callers: Andy from Sarasota weighs whether the path to scalability for his live game show business is through personality or product. Then, Marissa from Tampa wants to recapture sales for her fairy tale-inspired teas after taking a hiatus to focus on her family. And Vince from New Jersey wonders how to allocate marketing dollars for  his sustainable baby gear company..

Plus, Curt reflects on the importance of focus in sustaining OtterBox as a leading tech accessories brand over 30 years.

Thank you to the founders of Mr GameShow, Gilded Coach Teas, and Evrloop 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 OtterBox's founding story as told by Curt on the show in 2019.  

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves 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.

After waiting too long to pay his restaurant bill, Aman Narang thought there had to be a better way. His first idea—a mobile payment app—flopped.

But that failure revealed a much bigger opportunity.

Restaurants were struggling with outdated software that many owners hated. Payment systems were expensive, unreliable, and trapped on servers hidden in back offices. Replacing them cost time and money.

But that’s exactly what Aman and his co-founders set out to do: create an entirely new POS system for restaurants—from scratch.

They worked from an unfinished basement, answered customer calls on their own phones, crashed their first restaurant on day one, survived years of rejection from investors—and eventually grew Toast into a business that generates more than $2 billion in annual revenue.

In this episode, Aman shares how a failed product became a billion-dollar company.

What you'll learn:

• How to know when it's time to pivot
• Why investors rejected Toast again and again
• How to convince customers to replace mission-critical software
• Why Toast intentionally stayed small before scaling
• The leadership lesson Aman learned after almost breaking the company
• How Toast survived COVID after restaurants shut down
• What founders should look for when choosing a co-founder

Timestamps:

• 11:25 — The frustrating restaurant experience that inspires Toast
• 15:41 — The first product fails—and reveals a bigger opportunity
• 16:43 — Building Toast: “We grossly underappreciated what it would take.”
• 26:05 — Why nearly every investor said “No.”
• 32:31 — Toast’s disastrous first launch: writing credit card numbers by hand
• 34:18 — Pitching hundreds of restaurant owners before finding believers
• 38:08 — Why customer obsession beats competitor obsession
• 44:17 — Bringing in a new CEO: “We need to rethink how we do things here.” 
• 52:31 — The biggest lessons from building a $2 billion company

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman. Our engineer was 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.

Today’s callers: Matt from New York City unpacks the stigma working against his line of foot wellness products. Then Emefa in Toronto seeks a direct relationship with customers of her fashion brand in the wake of a key retailer going out of business. Finally, Levi in Rhode Island explores new audiences and product lines for his commemorative golf sculpture business.

Plus, Kenneth and Guy discuss how to make social impact a real part of your business model.

Thank you to the founders of Pedestrian Project, ISRAELLA KOBLA, and Swing Sculpt for joining us on the 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 Kenneth Cole’s founding story as told on the show in 2020.

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

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.

Tom Rinks got his start in the commission-only "shark tank" of midwestern furniture sales. That’s where he learned what makes customers buy. Decades later, those instincts helped him grow a joke of a side hustle into a $400 million success.

In 2009, he created the iconic branding for an obscure sun tan lotion, drawing on a mish-mash of surf culture, Scandinavian furniture, and Japanese streetwear. Sun Bum became a huge success, but even before that, Tom helped boost a wildly diverse range of brands: a line of tequila, a series of Christian videos, and the ubiquitous “Yo quiero Taco Bell” campaign. All were successful, though it took a prolonged legal battle for Tom to get paid for the Taco Bell chihuahua. 

In this episode, Tom reveals how he learned to manipulate consumer psychology, survive the brutal warfare of a stolen idea, and engineer a brand explosion on his own terms. 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Chihuahuas and Apes: How the Right Mascot can Transform a Brand 
• What it takes to survive a five-year legal battle against a corporate titan.
• The "Elvis Principle:”  How combining unexpected design elements can create an unforgettable package 
• The "Trojan Horse" Strategy: Why forcing retailers to buy a massive display creates the illusion of a brand overnight.

TIMESTAMPS

• 08:15 - What selling furniture taught Tom about customer psychology 
• 10:00 - How the Slogan “Surf Michigan” got him into the T-shirt Business 
• 25:07 - Psycho Chihuahua, Taco Bell, and the Branding Deal that Wasn’t  
• 33:49 - Inside the grueling battle over a chihuahua mascot. “I was the guy suing Taco Bell.” 
• 39:35 - A dramatic legal verdict, and Tom’s branding business takes off with fancy Tequila 
• 49:47 - The sun screen opportunity: “I saw a gigantic hole that you could drive through.” 
• 55:03 - How Tom and his partner came up with their “badass ape” logo 
• 1:07:36 - Opening (fake) Sun Bum headquarters in Cocoa Beach, Fla 
• 1:10:31- Early store displays and making the brand seem bigger than it was 
• 1:14:56 - A $400M sale to SC Johnson, and Tom starts a new company

This episode was researched by Katherine Sypher and Susannah Broun and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and 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.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber. 

First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats.

Thank you to the founders of Jesse & Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co 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 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher 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 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.

Krishna Kaliannan wanted to start a tech company but failed at every attempt. 

On the side, he was teaching himself how to cook with high-protein, low-sugar ingredients. Not just out of interest, but out of necessity. As a teenager, Krishna had been diagnosed with diabetes and epilepsy, meaning he adopted a keto diet long before it was trendy. 

Krishna’s home experiments with pea powder and monk fruit eventually became Catalina Crunch, one of the country’s most popular high-protein, low-carb breakfast cereals and snacks. 

In this episode, Krishna shares how a life-changing health condition sparked an obsession with healthy baking— and a brand that reimagined snacking.

What You’ll Learn

• How to turn a health challenge into a business opportunity 
• The art and science of baking with esoteric ingredients
• When to trust partners and when it’s best to take charge yourself
• Why the DTC model is great for some industries and disastrous for others

Timestamps:

00:06:16 - Dealing with diabetes and epilepsy as a college student

00:12:38 - What Krishna learns from his early failures in tech

00:22:43 - The first, low-sugar cocoa puffs: “Rocks that tasted like soil.”   

00:27:36 - His homemade cereal gets good enough to sell

00:32:42 - Naming the brand: classy alliteration and a nod to a Will Ferrell movie 

00:44:51 - Learning to make cereal like the pros at Texas A&M

00:54:43 - Krishna moves from NYC to Indiana to make sure the cereal is made right

01:01:04 - Whole Foods, Costco, and becoming a household brand

This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was 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.

Today’s callers: Ann from Nashville asks how to adapt her jewelry business in the face of rising gold prices. Then Felix in Martha’s Vineyard considers strategies for growing his family’s legacy honey and skincare company. Finally, Matt in Massachusetts seeks strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance at his grief-inspired brewing project. 

Plus, Ronnen and Guy discuss why your 20s are the best time to start a business. 

Thank you to the founders of Yearly Company, Island Bee Company and Wandering Soul Beer for joining us on the 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 Spin Master and PAW Patrol’s founding story as told by Ronnen on the show in 2021.  

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher 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.

In 2004, Joey Shamah and his partner launched a cosmetics company built on an idea that made almost no sense:

Sell high-quality makeup for just $1.

At the time, high quality beauty products were supposed to be expensive. The biggest brands spent fortunes on celebrity endorsements, glossy ads, and premium shelf space.

And every major retailer told Joey the same thing:

Your idea will never work.

But Joey believed he'd found a wormhole in the beauty business: spend money on the product, not fancy packaging, marketing, or celebrity endorsements. Then, pass those savings on to your customers. 

The brand grew slowly, but Joey knew he was onto something when a bizarre rumor spread that Bloomingdale's was buying e.l.f. and raising prices. Within days, the tiny company went from a few hundred orders a week to 18,000 orders a day.

What followed was a journey from a scrappy warehouse operation in New Jersey to one of the most disruptive brands in the beauty business.

You'll learn:

• The surprising economics behind $1 lipstick
• Why retailers initially rejected e.l.f.
• How a single magazine mention launched e.l.f.'s online business
• The retail insight that unlocked national expansion
• How a false rumor generated 18,000 orders a day
• The emotional toll of a $225 million acquisition that collapsed at the eleventh hour 

Timestamps:

• 00:10:28 — How to make (decent) makeup for just $1
• 00:18:35 — The dollar stores say no
• 00:24:32 — Glamour comes calling, and e.l.f has 30 days to build a website
• 00:38:27 — The question from a Target buyer that leaves Joey speechless 
• 00:39:56 — The H-E-B test that proves everyone wrong
• 00:46:36 — “That’s news to me!” The viral rumor that sends Joey back to China 
• 00:59:42 — Scaling to tens of millions in revenue
• 01:07:15 — “It was crushing.” The L’oreal sale that never happened 
• 01:12:02 — After e.l.f: Joey stops watching House of Cards and gets back to business

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Olivia Rockman. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. 

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.

Today’s callers: Ruchi from Chicago looks for advice on which channels to focus distribution for her probiotic skincare line. Then Peter in San Francisco considers strategies to champion his line of organic South African wines. And Dominic from Barbados asks about expanding his specialty coffee brand into international markets like the United States.

Plus, Susan discusses how people and relationships can make or break your business.

Thank you to the founders of Yobee, Culture Wine, and Wyndhams Bajan Coffee Roasters 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 EO Products founding story as told by Susan Griffin-Black and Brad Black in 2019.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman 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 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.

Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business.

He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter.

Along the way, he booked a young Jerry Seinfeld for $75, promoted shows for U2 and Madonna, and spent years pretending to be more successful than he really was.

Then, in his late 30s, Stephen walked into a glitzy martini bar in New York.

He was so taken with it, he decided to start his own version in Philadelphia.

Today, Starr Restaurant Group generates nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue and includes some of the most successful independent restaurants in America: Pastis, Buddakan, Le Diplomate, Parc, Makoto, and dozens more.

The surprising part?

Stephen did not start out as a foodie.

Instead, he became obsessed with the theatre of dining: design, upholstery, lighting, music. A “wow!” feeling when you walk in the door.

In this conversation with Guy, Stephen talks about the hard lessons he learned in the comedy and music business, and the unexpected path he took to redefining dining.

What You'll Learn:

• The unglamorous economics of rock concerts and restaurants
• How rejection, romantic heartbreak, and failure can become powerful motivators
• Why he believes he's spent his career "throwing the party" without attending it
• How building the right team of designers can make a restaurant feel magical
• Why Stephen says today's entrepreneurs have a much harder path than his generation did
• The model Stephen says new restaurateurs should follow today

Timestamps:

• 00:06:03 — A lonely childhood: Making up skits in his room
• 00:09:49 — Losing his mother at age 19
• 00:11:17 — Starting a comedy club: Deli by day. Stand up at night
• 00:20:49 — Going broke and reneging on a bank loan
• 00:28:26 — Music promotion: Feeling like a fraud while promoting U2, Madonna
• 00:36:52 — A New York martini bar inspires Stephen to start his own
• 00:42:20 — The bold design behind a line-out-the-door restaurant
• 01:03:31 — Opening Buddakan in New York: “I can’t do anything better. This is Sgt. Pepper”
• 01:09:08 — Starting a restaurant today: “I would say don’t do it … but if you do, keep it smaller”

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray 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.