159: A Lifelong Founder Teaches Critical Lessons for New Entrepreneurs on Products, Investors, and Selling with Jonathan Siegel

Partnerships can be tricky, especially when you’re starting a business. For ​​Jean Oelwang, creating meaningful partnerships has been her focus for nearly 30 years. Oelwang is the founding CEO and President of Virgin Unite, an entrepreneurial foundation that builds collectives, incubates ideas, and re-invents systems for a better world. She’s worked with partners like Richard Branson and Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond and Leah Tutu, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Ben and Jerry, and the co-founders of AirBnB. In her new book Partnering: Forge the Deep Connections That Make Great Things Happen, she shares six principles that have forged 60 extraordinary partnerships and collaborations. Listen to Nathan and Jean discuss:  Pitching Richard Branson on the concept of Virgin Unite What’s it like to work with Richard Branson Why business partnerships fail How she chooses partners to invest into Why co-founders can provide joy  How to set up a board of advisors  The six principles of meaningful partnerships The fear of a partnership not working  Examples of meaningful partnerships And much more partnership 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

12 Touko 202358min

David Lester learned a lot from his first venture. After spending a decade in the beverage marketing industry, he teamed up with his co-founder Ben Goodwin to work on formulating a soda that’s good for you. After three years, they sold their first business but didn’t feel they’d gotten the product correct. So, they returned to their research for two years and discovered the right product market fit. In 2016, Lester and Goodwin launched OLIPOP PBC–a new kind of soda with the benefits of plant-based fiber and prebiotics. OLIPOP started in 24 independent stores in Northern California and now is stocked in 20,000 stores nationally and endorsed by celebrities like Camilla Cabello, Gweynth Paltrow, Nick Jonas, and Priyanka Chopra. Listen to Nathan and David discuss:  What he learned from his first venture Obi Probiotic Soda Starting over to make a better product in OLIPOP How humility can give you confidence as a founder Spending two years perfecting the formula with academic research The manufacturing process for beverage startups  Why you should start with independent retailers first The break one rule and break it hard method  Authentic connection with celebrity partnerships   Why product market fit is more important than marketing And much more beverage startup 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

5 Touko 202352min

David Shein was an entrepreneur before it was in vogue. For over three decades, he’s founded, mentored, and invested in exceptional startups. He sold his first company, COMTECH, for over $1 billion–arguably Australia’s first tech unicorn. In 2021, he published his first book, The Dumbest Guy at the Table: How I Founded Australia’s First Unicorn, drawing on his experience and providing valuable advice to anyone looking to start a company. Listen to Nathan and David discuss: Leaving a stable job in 1987 to start a business  Why this current generation of founders will be the strongest The defining people in any business  Finding a pathway to profitability How to hire for attitude  Identifying the right business partners  Why your actions have to match your words How to make tough decisions Red flags when investing in startups And more lessons for founders… 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

28 Huhti 20231h 8min

Jim McKelvey was a glassblower when he created the idea for the payment platform Square (now Block, Inc.). He was furious that he couldn’t accept certain credit cards as an artist and contacted a former colleague and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey to solve the problem. What took three weeks to build became a three-year journey of creating Square into a banking disruptor inspired by McKelvey’s frustrations. In the 15 years since McKelvey teamed up with Dorsey, Square has grown into a billion-dollar business and beat the world’s best company at absorbing startups—Amazon.  Listen to Nathan and Jim discuss: Hitting it off with Dorsey when he was his summer intern Realizing how many laws they were breaking with Square Convincing the banking industry to accept Square  Taking on Amazon and winning Researching unbeatable companies throughout history  Why he wrote the book The Innovation Stack How to pitch a product Why it’s better to copy than innovate His new foundr course Plus, excerpts from our live community event  And much more innovation 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

21 Huhti 20231h 4min

Kirin Sinha never wanted to run a startup. She was on a secure path in academics when her research into augmented reality (AR) showed her a vision of the future. So, at 25 years old, Sinha launched Illumix, an AR technology and media company focused on developing immersive experiences for mobile. To date, Illumix has secured $31M in venture capital funding, including investment from acclaimed director Michael Bay. In this episode, you’ll learn how to invest in the metaverse and lead a business with a vision toward the future.  Listen to Nathan and Kirin discuss:  Why Illumix is “metaverse insurance”  How Star Wars inspired her research  Getting accepted into Disney’s accelerator Creating a Fright Night at Freddy’s prototype  The hype cycle around the metaverse  Why you should invest in 3D assets over 2D How digital twins can help ecommerce businesses How director Michael Bay became an investor  Why she thinks of fundraising as dating Framing goal setting as learning  Why you should give your opinion last  And much more metaverse business 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

14 Huhti 202349min

Have you felt the pain yet? Eventually, all founders face a battle with burnout or anxiety. So, where do you go when the momentum is drained? How do you stop treading water every day? In this episode, Nathan Chan and Dan Martell open up about the pain they’ve experienced trying to build successful businesses. Martell is an entrepreneur, angel investor, thought leader, and founder of SaaS Academy, the No. 1 coaching program for SaaS companies. He’ll teach you healthy strategies from his new book BUY BACK YOR TIME, so you can learn to integrate your work and life.  Nathan and Dan discuss: How a rehab program saved his life How he first got into SaaS  The three levels of time trades Work/life integration and ​​emotional shrapnel  How to build a perfect week How to work through burnout  The “buyback” principle and loop  4 ways to create leverage in your time  The 1-3-1 method  And much more advice on founder health... 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

7 Huhti 202355min

Roland Peralta was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2010. So, he researched a botanical that could keep his symptoms at bay and inadvertently improved his hair quality. Over dinner, future co-founder and friend Giorgos Tseti shared his hair loss struggles and that he was looking for an organic solution. Their initial research turned into a 10-year relationship that’s built Nutrafol into the #1 dermatology-recommended hair growth supplement in America.  Listen to Nathan and Roland discuss:  The challenges of his businesses in fashion and beauty   What is “biohacking,” and using it for Nutrafol  How stress became the problem and solution for Nutrafol  Self-funding Nutrafol by eating beans and rice Why one vulnerable article 10x Nutrafol’s monthly sales Developing a seeding strategy with health professionals  Why conferences are the best place to get product endorsements  How to temper the expectations of the customers  Fiscal responsibility as a startup  And much more clinical product 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

31 Maalis 202346min

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