169: Billionaire Business Lessons with Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban

How can you build a sustainability-driven business? By solving a global problem. Jordy and Julia Kay’s former careers in winemaking and architecture led to recognizing plastic waste’s impact on the planet. In 2019, the couple launched Great Wrap, working with Monash University to create the only compostable stretch wrap made from food waste. In 2022, they received $24 million in series A funding to help reach their 10-year vision of a world where plastic doesn’t exist.  Listen to Nathan discuss with Jory and Julia about:  Falling hard into a personal and business relationship Partnering with a university for commercial product research  How licensing and partnering helped Great Wrap scale faster Building a pilot factory from scratch The benefits of being both a B2B and DTC business The risk and reward of being an impact-driven business Advice for going into business with a significant other How to raise funding as a manufacturing startup  And much more impact-driven business advice… This episode is powered by 99designs by Vista, a global creative platform that makes it easy for you to work with professional freelance designers from around the world.  Together with 99designs, we’re offering you a $30 discount on your first design contest. Head to 99designs.com/foundr to learn more or get started on your project today.  Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.  Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...  For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

24 Maalis 202359min

Ten years ago, Nathan Chan started Foundr Magazine to discover what it takes to build a successful business. A decade on, he’s learned the sacrifice, victories, and obstacles that it takes to create a company of value for a global community of students. In this special episode, foundr’s contributing editor, Luke Ferris, puts Chan on the hot seat to reflect on the 10-year anniversary of foundr.  Listen to Luke and Nathan discuss:  Nathan’s childhood and first jobs The origins of foundr Discovering a feeling of euphoria with foundr How he overcame burnout Memorable interviews over the decade What he’s learned from foundr students  How he’s changed as a person and leader What’s next for foundr And more founder advice… This episode is powered by 99designs by Vista, a global creative platform that makes it easy for you to work with professional freelance designers from around the world.  Together with 99designs, we’re offering you a $30 discount on your first design contest. Head to 99designs.com/foundr to learn more or get started on your project today.  Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.  Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...  For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

17 Maalis 202356min

Kathryn Finney started her first business at age nine, selling friendship bracelets to her older brother’s friends. She’s a Yale graduate and started and exited multiple media companies, including her groundbreaking The Budget Fashionista. Even with her resume of accolades, Finney faced prejudice in the startup world just because of her gender and race. So in 2020, she used her two decades of entrepreneurship experience to start Genius Guild. This venture fund invests in black entrepreneurs building scalable businesses that serve black communities and beyond. Finney is also the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Build the Damn Thing: How to Build a Successful Company When You’re Not a Rich White Guy. In addition, she was the first black woman business author at Portfolio/Penguin Books. Listen to Nathan and Kathryn discuss:  Making $75 per week selling bracelets as a 9-year-old What her rugby career taught her about building teams Building and exiting her fashion blog during web 1.0  How digitalundivided served as the MVP of Genius Guild How the pandemic and George Floyd’s death led to Genius Guild What she looks for in potential founders Building your own rules of entrepreneurship How to go through periods of adversity And much more advice for founders… This episode is powered by 99designs by Vista, a global creative platform that makes it easy for you to work with professional freelance designers from around the world.  Together with 99designs, we’re offering you a $30 discount on your first design contest. Head to 99designs.com/foundr to learn more or get started on your project today.  Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.  Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...  For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

10 Maalis 202343min

Jess Hatzis is the co-founder of frank body, the world's leading coffee-based skincare company, and ad agency Willow & Blake. In 10 years, Jess has built frank body from “that brand on Instagram” to a global beauty brand with over 6 million customers. Learn the origins of the #frankeffect brand voice, starting a business with friends, and shifting from ecommerce to retail. Listen to Nathan and Jess discuss:  Quitting her job and starting Willow & Blake with her best friend Starting frank body as a case study Creating the first-person #frankeffect brand voice Does influencer marketing still work? The challenge of adapting to TikTok  Mixing business and friendships When Ariana Grande copied them Moving from the “Instagram brand” stereotype  Advice for working founder moms  Copywriting fundamentals And much more beauty business advice… This episode is powered by 99designs by Vista, a global creative platform that makes it easy for you to work with professional freelance designers from around the world.  Together with 99designs, we’re offering you a $30 discount on your first design contest. Head to 99designs.com/foundr to learn more or get started on your project today.  Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.  Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...  For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

3 Maalis 20231h

Brian Littlefield is the co-founder and chief product officer of JOCKO FUEL, which creates nutritional supplements and beverages in partnership with retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink. Littlefield and his business partner first met Jocko through their business, Origin US, which was planning to launch a line of health supplements. Jocko wanted in. Learn how Littlefield led the product development process and created a standout supplement business around Willink’s powerful personal brand.  Listen to Nathan and Brian discuss: How obesity changed his life His first impressions of Jocko Willink  How to make business partnerships work Building a business around a personal brand Dealing with the crazy growth of Jacko Fuel  How to advertise health supplements  Why you shouldn’t put value in follower count  Why he embraced the “mad scientist” label Skills from jiu-jitsu that translates to business How to develop a strong mentality And much more product development advice…  This episode is powered by 99designs by Vista, a global creative platform that makes it easy for you to work with professional freelance designers from around the world.  Together with 99designs, we’re offering you a $30 discount on your first design contest. Head to 99designs.com/foundr to learn more or get started on your project today.  Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.  Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...  For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

24 Helmi 202350min

Suneera Madhani is the CEO and founder of the all-in-platform transaction platform Stax. She’s listed on Fortune’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list, a recipient of EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year award, and host of CEO School, a top 25 entrepreneur podcast with a 300,000 female-listener community. Last year, Stax became a unicorn startup with a billion-dollar valuation. But for Madhani, it’s not about milestones–it’s the journey. Learn about her incredible journey from the daughter of immigrants to a CEO breaking barriers in a male-dominated fintech startup industry.  Listen to Nathan and Suneera discuss: Her upbringing with entrepreneurial immigrant parents  What she learned from working at her family businesses  Her subscription pitch getting rejected by her bosses  Starting a business with family and friend's capital  Proving out a hypothesis with a scrappy MVP Fundraising in a male-dominated fintech community  Her “3 minds” for decision making  Mentorship and building a trusted team  Starting her podcast and supporting female founders And much more fintech and startup advice… This episode is powered by 99designs by Vista, a global creative platform that makes it easy for you to work with professional freelance designers from around the world.  Together with 99designs, we’re offering you a $30 discount on your first design contest. Head to 99designs.com/foundr to learn more or get started on your project today.  Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.  Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...  For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

17 Helmi 202355min

Is advertising spending sucking your business dry? Ronnie Teja knows the feeling. He is a self-taught digital marketer, entrepreneur, and founder of Branzio watches. In 2018, Teja lost $2 million because of a freeze on his advertising accounts. So, he quickly learned to divest his business and developed an organic SEO framework that, within 2 years, boosted website visitors from zero to 2 million per month.  Listen to Nathan and Ronnie discuss:  From picking blueberries to the managing ad campaigns The unexpected journey of starting Branzio watches When PayPal banned his accounts The 30-30-30 divestment strategy  Demystifying SEO for ecommerce  Why SEO strategy isn’t instant gratification  Why Reddit is a secret SEO tool Direct-response vs. brand marketing The importance of first-party data Burnout and imposter syndrome And much more SEO strategies… Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.  Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...  For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

10 Helmi 202346min

Leadership doesn’t have to be complicated. Garie Dooley has over 15 years of experience helping founders and business leaders build phenomenal teams. After a career in education and corporate leadership, Garie discovered his passion for creating environments with high levels of trust and clarity of purpose that deliver sustainable success. He’s worked with Amazon, Redcape, Cricket NSW, AFL clubs, Foxtel, Johnson and Johnson, and our team at foundr. So if you’re looking for strategies to move your business from surviving to thriving, this episode is for you.  Listen to Nathan and Garie discuss:  The early days of his career leading business teams Working with sporting teams and corporations   Are great leaders naturally born?  Where to start if you want to become a leader What a phenomenal team looks like Winning deep, not shallow  How to build a high sense of trust  Identifying talent internally and externally Thinking differently about difficult conversations And much more leadership advice… Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode. Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.  Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...  For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

3 Helmi 202350min