The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Nathan Chan

Learn from some of the greatest startup founders & entrepreneurs of our generation

  • 59 minutes 4 seconds
    543: How She Made $50M Buying Boring Businesses | Codie Sanchez [VIDEO]

    In this episode, Codie Sanchez, founder of Contrarian Thinking, reveals how she built a media company that inspires millions to think differently about wealth. Codie shares her journey from journalist to investment executive and now entrepreneur, owning over 25 cash-flowing businesses. She dives into the strategies behind her acquisitions, the importance of owning "boring businesses," and how she turned Contrarian Thinking into a thriving community. Entrepreneurs will learn actionable insights about identifying opportunities, scaling unconventional business ideas, and creating wealth through innovative approaches.


    Listen to Nathan and Codie discuss:

    - Codie’s transition from corporate finance to entrepreneurship

    - The strategy of buying "boring businesses" and turning them into cash cows

    - How Contrarian Thinking became a platform for alternative financial education

    - Tips on identifying undervalued businesses and scaling them for profitability

    - The role of mindset and resilience in building financial freedom

    And much more business advice…


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    20 December 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 34 minutes 20 seconds
    542: In Retrospect - How I Built Dropbox Into a $12B Unicorn | Drew Houston

    By now, the story is legend.


    When Drew Houston boarded a bus from Boston to New York and discovered that he had—yet again—forgotten to bring his thumb drive, he was frustrated. So frustrated that he sat down and began writing the first lines of code of what would eventually become Dropbox.


    After over a decade of changing the way files are stored, synced, and shared, Houston is changing the way people work, once again. This time, to solve a problem that likely plagues every single knowledge worker today: our fragmented, overcomplicated workspaces.


    In this episode, you’ll learn more about Houston’s journey—from ideation to launch—with Dropbox Spaces, as well as the most important lessons he’s collected while building a multibillion-dollar company.


    Listen to Nathan and Drew discuss:

    The relatable experience that inspired Houston to come up with the idea for Dropbox

    Why Houston doesn’t believe there’s any “magic” involved in building a multibillion-dollar company

    The importance of decision making and learning continuously on the job

    How a conversation with a SpaceX engineer sparked the vision behind Dropbox Spaces

    Houston’s advice on “harvesting” versus “planting” when it comes to your business

    Why Houston is such a huge believer in intentionally designing your environment—at work and with your personal relationships


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    13 December 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 1 hour 14 minutes
    541: They Sell 1 Million Bottles of Alcohol a Year | Matt Jones

    Join us as we dive into the world of craft gin with Matt Jones, co-founder of Four Pillars Gin. Matt shares the origins of the brand, born from a passion for storytelling and a commitment to craft. Discover how Four Pillars has grown from a small distillery in the Yarra Valley to a globally recognized name in spirits. Learn about the early challenges, the decision to focus solely on gin, and the strategic moves that set the company apart, including their innovative crowdfunding approach and partnerships. Entrepreneurs will gain insights into building a brand with purpose, scaling without losing authenticity, and leveraging community to drive success.


    Listen to Nathan and Matt discuss:

    - The decision to focus exclusively on gin and its impact on branding

    - Leveraging crowdfunding to build a passionate community of early adopters

    - Strategies for maintaining authenticity while scaling a craft brand

    - Insights into brand storytelling and creating emotional connections with customers

    - The role of partnerships in scaling and navigating growth challenges


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    6 December 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 1 hour 5 seconds
    540: In Retrospect - They Made $1 BILLION Selling Toothpaste | HiSmile

    In just nine years, Nik Mirkovic and Alex Tomic built their smile care brand into a category disruptor on track to earn over a billion in annual revenue by next year. Mirkovic and Tomic don’t want shortcuts, so they’ve remained bootstrapped since they started Hismile at ages 19 and 20. Hismile’s teeth-whitening kit has become an internet sensation, making the brand a favorite among influencers and celebrities. But the co-founders aren’t resting on success. They want to make Hismile a category champion and take on businesses with an extra century of experience.


    Listen to Nathan, Nik, and Alex discuss:

    Why living on the Gold Coast keeps them focused

    Growing up together and having a passion for competition

    Narrowing in on teeth whitening as a problem to solve

    Formulating their first product and its overnight success

    Bringing R&D in-house and shifting their business model

    Why character matters more than experience

    Taking on category giants like Colgate and Crest

    Why they have no plans to sell

    And much more product development advice...


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    29 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 52 minutes 10 seconds
    539: How to Build a Million Dollar Beauty Brand | Alicia Scott [VIDEO]

    In this episode, Alicia Scott, founder of Range Beauty, shares her journey from fashion professional to beauty entrepreneur. Alicia reveals how her own skin struggles led to the creation of a brand focused on inclusivity and clean beauty. Discover how Alicia bootstrapped her business with just $150, overcame challenges like a cease-and-desist, and navigated pivotal moments such as appearing on Shark Tank and landing a deal with Emma Grede.


    Listen to Nathan and Alicia discuss:

    - Starting Range Beauty with minimal capital and scaling to a multi million-dollar brand

    - Alicia’s strategy for developing inclusive and clean beauty products

    - Navigating setbacks like trademark issues and rebranding

    - The impact of social media and influencer marketing in driving early sales

    - Insights into retail partnerships with Target and Sephora and the importance of accelerators

    And much more beauty brand advice…


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    22 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 58 minutes 58 seconds
    538: He Built a $2.9B Home Fitness Empire | Carl Daikeler [VIDEO]

    In this episode, Carl Daikeler, founder of Bodi, shares his journey from creating fitness infomercials to building a brand synonymous with home workouts. Carl reveals his path to success, from collaborating with fitness experts like Tony Horton to launching iconic programs like P90X and Insanity. He discusses the power of understanding consumer psychology, evolving with the digital age, and fostering a community of fitness enthusiasts. Entrepreneurs will gain insights into Carl’s approach to creating and marketing products that truly resonate, and the importance of resilience and adapting business models for long-term growth..


    Listen to Nathan & Carl discuss:

    - How Carl’s initial struggles with fitness shaped his understanding of customer needs

    - The story behind the creation of P90X and its groundbreaking “muscle confusion” technique

    - Navigating challenges in a crowded fitness market and making bold business decisions

    - Insights on shifting from traditional media to digital platforms and subscription models

    - Carl’s take on the role of community in building long-term brand loyalty


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    15 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 53 minutes 31 seconds
    537: He Made $3.6B Selling Fitness Trackers | WHOOP founder Will Ahmed [VIDEO]

    In this episode, Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP, takes us through his journey from a collegiate athlete struggling with overtraining to building one of the most advanced wearable brands in the world. Will shares how he identified gaps in health monitoring, developed early prototypes of WHOOP, and secured partnerships with sports icons like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo.


    Listen to Nathan & Will discuss:

    - Will’s journey from athlete to entrepreneur and the origins of WHOOP

    - How WHOOP evolved from a research project to a leading wearable brand

    - The role of data and physiological metrics in enhancing health and performance

    - Insights into raising capital and securing partnerships with top athletes

    - Lessons on resilience, stress management, and maintaining founder well-being

    And much more entreprenurial advice...


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    8 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 1 hour 10 minutes
    536: He Made $450M Selling TV's for $0.01 | Ruslan Kogan [VIDEO]

    In this episode, Ruslan Kogan, founder and CEO of Kogan.com, dives into his journey from selling electronics out of his parents’ garage to building one of Australia’s most successful e-commerce brands. Ruslan shares key insights on identifying market gaps, the importance of customer focus, and how he scaled Kogan.com by challenging traditional retail norms. He also discusses the power of data-driven decision-making, his early struggles with capital, and the lessons learned from rapidly scaling a business.


    Listen to Nathan & Ruslan discuss:

    - The early days of Kogan.com and starting a business from scratch

    - Identifying market gaps and leveraging customer insights

    - The role of data in guiding business decisions and scaling

    - Strategies for building a customer-first brand in e-commerce

    - Lessons on resilience and navigating challenges as an entrepreneur

    - Strategic growth and Kogan.com’s approach to expanding product offerings

    And much more entreprenurial advice...


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    1 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 1 hour 26 minutes
    535: How a Former Lawyer Built a $450M Global Travel Brand | Adam Schwab [VIDEO]

    In this episode, Adam Schwab, founder and CEO of Luxury Escapes, shares his entrepreneurial journey from humble beginnings to creating one of the leading travel brands in the world. Adam reflects on the strategic decisions that helped him scale the business, including early challenges, pivotal business shifts, and successful acquisitions. He provides insights into how he built Luxury Escapes into a trusted brand known for premium travel experiences and shares advice on maintaining long-term growth in a competitive industry.


    Listen to Nathan and Adam discuss:

    - Adam’s journey from lawyer to entrepreneur

    - Critical pivots that led to Luxury Escapes’ success

    - Strategic acquisitions that helped scale the business

    - Navigating the travel industry during the Covid-19 crisis

    - Building a brand and maintaining customer loyalty in a competitive market

    - Key lessons on resilience and adapting to changes as an entrepreneur

    And much more business advice…


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    25 October 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 53 minutes 16 seconds
    534: In Retrospect - The Netflix Story With Marc Randolph

    We're diving back into another episode from the Foundr Archives to revisit my interview with Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix.


    It’s every entrepreneur’s dream: create a product that is so disruptive to an industry, that it forces a shift in how we do business. Be so good, that they can’t ignore you, and they have to completely reimagine the way they do things in order to compete with you. That’s what Netflix did.


    Randolph has been an entrepreneur for over 40 years before the word “entrepreneur” was even a thing. With an insight into the business game like no other, Randolph knows the importance of action and acceleration colliding with ideas.


    Listen in as Randolph reveals his journey, from failed business ideas and last-minute pivots, to being laughed at during a $50m pitch with Blockbuster. Find out why he believes that the most important step in having an idea is to start.


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:


    18 October 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 47 minutes 19 seconds
    533: How Hyperice Went From $0 to $700M Revolutionising Sports Recovery [VIDEO]

    In this episode, Anthony Katz, founder of Hyperice, shares his incredible journey from being a high school teacher with a passion for sports to building a global recovery brand used by some of the world’s top athletes. Anthony talks about the inspiration behind Hyperice, his early struggles in product development, and the pivotal moment when Kobe Bryant agreed to test his product. He reveals how he leveraged athlete partnerships to build credibility for Hyperice and how the company’s innovations in recovery technology have set them apart in the industry. Listeners will gain insights into the power of networking, the importance of resilience, and the strategies Anthony used to build a nine-figure company from scratch.


    In this episode, listen to Anthony & Nathan discuss:

    - The inspiration and initial development of Hyperice products

    - Working with top athletes like Kobe Bryant and leveraging partnerships for growth

    - The challenges of building a hardware startup from scratch

    - The role of innovation in creating market-leading products

    - Strategies for building credibility and brand recognition in a competitive market

    - The importance of storytelling in building a successful brand

    - Many more valuable insights for entrepreneurs


    Click here to start your business for $1. You’ll get all-access foundr+, where you’ll find more in-depth, proven strategies from founders like our guest today and support and advice from our global community of 30,000 founders.


    If you loved this conversation and learned something new, rate and review this episode.


    Stay in touch with us, follow foundr on your favorite platform:

    11 October 2024, 1:00 pm
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