"How I Built This" Podcast for Entrepreneurs

I was first exposed to podcasts on my tour of the west coast a few summers ago. My tour leader played This American Life and everyone in the van fell asleep. I wasn't impressed at the time, but explored the podcast feature on my phone later when I got home. Listening to podcasts became a mentally stimulating alternative to listening to music in the car or on solo hikes in the woods. I've learned to appreciate This American Life, and have dabbled in Freakonomics, Surprisingly Awesome (now called Every Little Thing), Invisibilia, and Women of the Hour (with Lena Dunham). 

 Patrick travels quite a bit for work, and he listens to podcasts often while on the road. We recommend specific podcast episodes to each other when one really strikes us. On my recent trip back from Ocean City, MD, I reached out to him and asked for a recommendation. He recommended an episode from How I Built This, by NPR. One episode led to two, led to three and guys, I'm hooked. The host, Guy Raz, interviews the founders of successful brands (one per episode) such as: TOMS, Five Guys, Samuel Adams, Spanx and Power Rangers.You get to learn about the brand's journey from fruition to success, including all the bumps and breakthroughs along the road. 

 After listening to several episodes, I've picked up on some themes:

  • All the entrepreneurs held unwavering faith in their product. This belief and passion gave them determination in the face of others' doubt and rejection. They were able to persist despite hardship, because they truly believed in what they were doing.
  • There were lots of rejections. Lots. So many talk about making dozens of cold calls to manufacturers or stores and maybe getting success 1 out of every 12 times. The founder of Spanx was faced with an industry full of men who didn't understand her product, until one manufacturer finally told her that he would do it, because his three daughters convinced him that it was a good idea.
  • It takes time to grow and expand. Some products grew at rapid rates, like Power Rangers being an overnight success, but many slowly grew over time, receiving "big breaks" of exposure at some point, like being featured in a magazine. Some (current millionaire) founders weren't even profitable for years before achieving success. I marvel at the grit and determination needed to keep working day in and day out amidst the uncertainty. 
  • There comes a point when a company gets large enough that it goes from private to public. This can mean that the founder sells the company completely, or that outside investors buy a portion of the company. Five Guys became a franchise, but the family still owns hundreds of stores personally (Did you know the first location was in Arlington, VA?!). It's interesting to hear the reasoning behind the decision to go public or sell, and how the owner knew it was time. 
The overall theme seems to be, if you believe in something enough, it will eventually succeed. You have to put in lots of work, and persevere despite setbacks, but keep at it! The podcast inspires me to develop more grit and determination in my own life (finishing that novel...) and hey, maybe one day I'll think up an idea more brilliant than painting rocks in my childhood driveway.

If you know of any start-ups or small businesses you want to share, tell us in the comments below!

XOXO,
Maria


 You can listen to How I Built This online here: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this


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