Nuts.com: Jeff Braverman. From Corner Store to Snacktime Powerhouse

Nuts.com: Jeff Braverman. From Corner Store to Snacktime Powerhouse

A century ago, Jeff Braverman’s grandfather opened a peanut shop in Newark, New Jersey. By the early 2000s, the family business was doing $1M in sales and struggling to stay afloat. Jeff had a high-paying job in finance, but walked away from it to reinvent the business. His strategy? The internet. Something his dad and uncle knew nothing about.

What happened next is wild: an AdWords experiment that blew the doors off the budding online business; a slip on national TV where Rachael Ray accidentally renamed the company; 40,000 pounds of protest peanuts that crashed servers and landed them in the New York Times; a hilariously polarizing rap jingle; and a COVID surge that tested leadership—and humanity—every single day.

This is the blueprint for transforming a dusty, low-margin business into a profitable, $100M+ direct-to-consumer brand—while keeping it family-owned. It’s also a masterclass in earning trust, making risky bets, and scaling without losing your soul.


You’ll learn:

  • The mechanics of a paid-search playbook that 10x’d orders overnight
  • How to win over skeptical family members (and when to demand the keys to the store)
  • The exploding-deal etiquette of buying a premium domain
  • How an improvised rap-jingle can be stickier than a professional ad
  • How Nuts.com built a robust B2B business alongside DTC
  • Crisis leadership lessons from the COVID floor
  • When and how a leader should hire their replacement


Timestamps:

  • 00:07:08 — Cash registers, code words, and a Newark childhood inside the peanut shop
  • 00:13:42 — The “build a website” pitch at a Jersey diner
  • 00:29:40 — December 4, 2003: from 3 orders/day to 30
  • 00:31:19 — Dad panics –”shut it off!”– Jeff doubles down on demand and ops
  • 00:35:26 — Losing the storefront to a hockey arena—and going all-in online
  • 00:42:29 — Jericho fans send 40,000 lbs of peanuts to CBS: press, links, and leverage
  • 00:48:38 — Rachael Ray calls them “Nuts.com” by accident… and the $700k domain deal that followed
  • 01:00:51 — The notorious Nuts.com rap jingle: how an earworm took hold
  • 01:03:11 — Offices, microbreweries, and building a sticky B2B engine
  • 01:05:08 — COVID hits: 70% call-outs, factory safety, and leading from the floor
  • 01:10:18 — Handing the reins to a new CEO: leaning into strengths, not ego


This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Olivia Rockman. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This


Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → 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.

Jaksot(789)

Angie's List: Angie Hicks

Angie's List: Angie Hicks

In 1996, Angie Hicks spent hours reading contractor reviews to members over the phone. Today, the online review and referral service, Angie's List, is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Marras 201629min

Southwest Airlines: Herb Kelleher

Southwest Airlines: Herb Kelleher

In 1968, competitors sued to keep Herb Kelleher's new airline grounded. After a 3-year court fight, the first plane took off from Dallas. Today Southwest Airlines operates nearly 4,000 flights a day. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

21 Marras 201633min

Celebrity Chef: José Andrés

Celebrity Chef: José Andrés

As a kid, José Andrés tended fires for his father's backyard paella cookouts. Later, he trained with the best Spanish chefs, and began building a restaurant empire that would transform the way many Americans dine out. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

14 Marras 201627min

Music Mogul: L.A. Reid

Music Mogul: L.A. Reid

L.A. Reid began his music career as a drummer. Then he co-founded LaFace Records, discovering dozens of future pop superstars. Reid is now one of the most influential executives in the music industry. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

7 Marras 201631min

Samuel Adams: Jim Koch

Samuel Adams: Jim Koch

In 1984, Jim Koch felt suffocated by his cushy but boring corporate job. So he left, dusted off an old family beer recipe, started Sam Adams, and helped kickstart the craft beer movement in America. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

31 Loka 201633min

Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand

Dermalogica: Jane Wurwand

Jane Wurwand moved to Los Angeles with a suitcase and a beauty school diploma. She started what would become Dermalogica, an international beauty empire that set the standard for skin care. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

24 Loka 201638min

Airbnb: Joe Gebbia

Airbnb: Joe Gebbia

A chance encounter with a stranger gave Joe Gebbia an idea to help pay his rent. That idea turned into Airbnb — a company that now has more rooms than the biggest hotel chain in the world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 Loka 201641min

VICE: Suroosh Alvi

VICE: Suroosh Alvi

Suroosh Alvi was a recovering addict when he started a scrappy underground magazine in Montreal. It grew into VICE Media — a multi-billion dollar company that has shaken up the world of journalism. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

10 Loka 201635min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
psykopodiaa-podcast
mimmit-sijoittaa
rss-rahapodi
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
lakicast
rss-lahtijat
rss-lentopaivakirjat
pomojen-suusta
rss-sensuroimaton-kukkonen-kausi-3
herrasmieshakkerit
leadcast
rss-rahamania
rss-startup-ministerio
syo-nuku-saasta
kasvun-kipuja
pelkkana-korvana
hyva-paha-johtaminen
maaltavastaajat
rss-kohti-unelmia