The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

When Alli Webb founded Drybar in 2010, it started as one small salon in Brentwood, California that was designed to do one thing and do it well: blowouts. 

Today, her brand has grown to over150 stores in 33 states, a hair care product line that she sold for over $250 million, her own podcast Raising The Bar, and a NY Times best-selling book Good Hair For All

Best of all, Webb is Foundr magazine’s cover girl for issue 95 (check it out, it’s a good one!)

Guess you could say that Alli Webb is an entrepreneurial genius. 

This week’s interview gives you an insight into Webb’s journey from working as a receptionist in a hair salon during high school to the decision to chase her passion for hairstyling. 

That decision to pursue her passion is what has led Webb to a $100m empire. Find out how she took the leap, and what advice she has for those looking to pursue their passion, too.

Key Takeaways

  • Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, and how that shaped Alli Webb’s idea of business
  • Realised she had a passion for hair and styling, and worked as a receptionist in a hair salon where she became mesmorised by the craft
  • Her journey through “a hot-minute” in college, to working in fashion in New York
  • Starting her own business styling client’s hair at home, and growing her business
  • How she started “Drybar” and what makes her brand unique
  • Franchising Drybar, and learning to operate her business on a global scale
  • How Webb developed her own product line, and how she sold it for $250m to beauty powerhouse, Helen of Troy.
  • How Webb continues to raise the bar, launching her own podcast: Raising The Bar, and authoring NY Times Best Seller Good Hair For All
  • Webb’s advice for all budding entrepreneurs, especially women in business, and why they need to follow their passion and what they love doing.
Direct download: FP342_Alli_Webb.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00am AEST

If you want to start a business, you sure as hell better be made of the right stuff. Because Joe De Sena is here to tell you that in business, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”, and you need to be mentally tough enough to handle it. 

In this Foundr interview like no other, Nathan Chan speaks with Spartan Race creator, best-selling author, and badass CEO Joe De Sena on why you need manufactured adversity. 

De Sena has faced mountains of failure in business and continues to rise, everything from losing someone during the first ever race and finding them marooned on a desert island a week later, to not turning a profit for 15 years. Nevertheless, this machine of a man bounces back and continues to rise.

This interview is just a snapshot of what you can expect in Foundr’s newest course, Mental Toughness. Touted as the ultimate entrepreneurs field guide to building mental toughness, this is not one to be missed. 

Find out why the Olympic wrestling teams are sent to De Sena shape up, why billionaires send their children to him to learn discipline, and why active military personnel flock to him to learn grit.

Direct download: FP341_Joe_De_Sena.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00am AEST

Gabi Lewis, Co-Founder, The Magic Spoon

In this yummy episode, Gabi Lewis, Co-Founder of The Magic Spoon, sits down with Nathan Chan to discuss his journey from founding the revolutionary EXO protein snack made from crickets, to dominating the $40billion a year cereal industry. 

Listen in as Lewis reveals how he managed to get Tim Ferris and Nas as angel-investors onboard for EXO snacks, his journey into the competitive world of cereal, and how Magic Spoon continues to stay ahead of the competition.

In this deep-dive interview, you’ll find out why Lewis swears by agencies, the opportunities in influencer marketing, and why product-fit is an absolute essential for any founder. 

Lewis’ incredible journey from crickets to cereal is a not-to-be-missed lesson in entrepreneurship and the importance of saying “no”.

Key Takeaways

  • How Lewis started Exo Protein, selling cricket protein bars
  • Recognizing the paleo food trend and targeting that market
  • How Lewis got angel investors such as Tim Ferris and Nas
  • His decision to sell the company and launch Magic Spoon cereal
  • Why Magic Spoon is a direct-to-consumer product and the advantages of ecommerce
  • The successful launch of Magic Spoon and the power of influencers
  • Why product-market fit is the most important aspect of launching a business
  •  How Magic Spoon was affected by Covid and the evolution of hiring and scaling
  • The decision to not sell Magic Spoon on Amazon, and the power of customer-brand loyalty 
  • Why Lewis believes that a high-quality product is the most important aspect of any business
  • Lewis’ advice to others that as a founder, you should never be distracted, and why your job is to say “no”
Direct download: FP340_Gabi_Lewis.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00am AEST

In this interview, Nathan Chan sits down with GT Dave, Founder and CEO of GT's Living Foods. GT discusses how he built a $1B empire from his bedroom and his journey of being the first seller of Kombucha in the United States.

In this interview, GT Dave discusses how he first began selling Kombucha, entering the market with a completely new category of product, and the challenges he faced in educating the market on what his product was. 

GT Dave is a firm believer in passion before profit, and his integrity and commitment to health shine through as he discusses his childhood and nutrition, how Kombucha helped his mother through medical issues, and the proven benefits of Kombucha.

With a personal net worth estimated at $1Billion, GT Dave’s journey will inspire you to follow your passion and begin building your future, today.

Key Takeaways

  • How GT Dave found an interest in Kombucha and how he began marketing it
  • Launching his company from his bedroom, and selling his product using his Dad’s Amex card
  • The challenge of entering the market with a new product and how he went about educating others on an unfamiliar health beverage
  • How GT Dave helped Kombucha to become the global trend it is today
  • GT Dave’s commitment to passion over profit, and what health means to him
  • The importance of validating your product and communicating with consumers
  • His key advice to those who are just getting started, and the questions you need to ask yourself
Direct download: FP339_GT_Dave.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00am AEST

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