Harry’s Razors: Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider
12 June 2023 - 1 hour 15 minsTwo college-era friends set out to change the face of shaving—and in the process, took on one of the biggest companies in the world. In 2011, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider realized they shared a common frustration with an everyday purchase: razors. Locked behind counters like diamond bracelets, they were inconvenient to buy and expensive to replace, with branding that seemed more suited to James Bond than a regular guy. So Andy and Jeff took on the Goliath of the shaving industry, Gillette—and its parent company, P&G—to launch a direct-to-consumer razor company with a friendly name. As a co-founder of Warby Parker, Jeff had some experience with D-to-C, but nothing prepared either founde...
Series Episodes
Exclusive Update: The Chef Who Shocked the Culinary World and Why He’s Changing Course Again—Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park
In 2021, Daniel Humm shook up the dining world by making his 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, 100% plant-based. No meat. No butter. No cream. It was a first in fine dining, igniting global headlines, industry backlash, and endless debate. Now, in an exclusive podcast conversation with Guy Raz, Daniel shares his next bold decision—he's reintroducing animal products. Daniel shares what he learned from his years of plant-based cooking and how the experiment forever changed his creative vision. This is a story about risk, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. In this episode:How a creative rut at the peak of his career sparked a radical transformation.The hidden economics of running a world-class restaurant without meat.The backlash—and surprising supporters—of the plant-based pivot.Why EMP will remain 90% plant-based, but welcome more people back to the table.What Daniel believes is the future of fine dining. Listen to the original 2021 HIBT episode with Daniel Humm: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-eleven-madison-park-daniel-humm/ Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @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.
43 mins
13 August Finished
Crumbl: Jason McGowan
Crumbl may be a cookie business – but Jason McGowan turned it into a fast-growing restaurant chain by building it like a tech startup. He and co-founder Sawyer Hemsley meticulously A/B tested the recipe, launched a delivery app early on, and went viral with weekly drops of wild new flavors like bubblegum and Almost Everything Bagel. In just eight years, Crumbl has opened over 1,000 stores, and has dominated the cookie conversation on social media, with more TikTok followers than Starbucks, Domino’s, and Taco Bell combined. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Carla Estevez. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at [email protected]. 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.
1 hour 4 mins
11 August Finished
Advice Line with Mei Xu of Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme
Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme founder Mei Xu joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Mei shares the importance of businesses meeting people everywhere they shop. First, Sasha, who started a gourmet pot pie company in Brooklyn, New York, asks how to find the right co-founder who can do the things she can’t. Then, Tara from Dubai, Saudi Arabia wants to know whether to market her towel dress directly to consumers. And finally, Lindsay in Grand Rapids, Michigan needs advice on how to get her online curriculum in front of more school districts. Thank you to the founders of Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies, Dry Dolly, and Math Medic 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 [email protected] or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to the Chesapeake Bay Candle story as told by Mei on the show in 2017. This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee. 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.
41 mins
7 August Finished
Simon Cowell: Music Mogul
Long before he became famous as the sharp-tongued TV personality who launched the careers of pop stars, Simon Cowell was a rebellious teenager who dropped out of school and started his career in the mailroom at EMI. After a failed business left him nearly bankrupt, he found success by zigging where others zagged—initially by selling hit records based on TV shows like Power Rangers and WrestleMania. Eventually Simon got behind the TV camera himself, where his brutally honest feedback on shows like American Idol and The X Factor made him a household name. Today, through his company Syco Entertainment, Simon continues to discover new talent. His latest challenge: an upcoming Netflix show where he’ll try to build a boy band from scratch. This episode was produced by Josh Lash, and edited by Neva Grant, with research by Iman Maani. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on X and Instagram, and email us at [email protected]. Sign up for Guy's newsletter at guyraz.com or Substack. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1 hour 8 mins
4 August Finished
Advice Line with Isaac Larian of MGA Entertainment
Isaac Larian is the founder of MGA Entertainment, the company behind Bratz and LOL Surprise dolls. This week, he joins Guy on Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Isaac talks about the effects of tariffs on the toy industry. First, we meet Meghan from Nashville, who finds that the customer for her educational toys may not be who she thought. Then, Libie from New York wants to grow her orthopedic cork insole business and to expand her customer base. And finally, Robin from Steamboat Springs gets advice about first impressions for her kid-exclusive outdoor apparel company. Thank you to the founders of T is for Tot, Fulton, and Town Hall Outdoor 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 [email protected] or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Isaac tell the story of how MGA Entertainment was founded during his first visit to the show back in 2024. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & 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.
42 mins
31 July Finished
Torchy's Tacos: Mike Rypka
Long before founding Torchy’s Tacos, Mike Rypka was a troubled teenager trying to outrun his own self-destruction. Growing up around addiction and falling into heavy drug use himself, Mike’s future looked bleak—until he got clean and found refuge in kitchens. Cooking gave him structure, purpose, and eventually, a career. After years working in restaurants and corporate kitchens, Mike decided to take a risk on something smaller: a food truck on a street corner in Austin. In 2006, he launched Torchy’s with nothing but a dream, a fiery logo, and a menu full of bold flavors. That humble truck became the start of something much bigger. Today, Torchy’s is a national chain with more than 130 locations and annual sales topping $300 million. And through all of it, Mike has remained sober—more than three decades and counting. This episode was produced by Carla Esteves and edited by Kevin Leahy, with research by Katherine Sypher and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at [email protected]. Sign up for Guy’s 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.
1 hour 24 mins
28 July Finished
