135: How to Fight Global Poverty with Technology with Leila Janah of Sama Group

Bill Smith asked for a briefcase on his 5th birthday, and it’s been all business since. After dropping out of school at age 16, Bill started, built, and sold 3 companies over the past 15 years. His last business, grocery delivery service Shipt, sold to Target in 2019 for half a billion dollars. But Bill didn’t rest on his success. The same year he exited Shipt, he started Landing, a flexible and furnished rental apartment service. So what’s next for this wunderkind turned startup mogul?    Listen to Nathan and Bill discuss Dropping out of school without his parents knowing Figuring out the prepaid technology business  Exiting his first company to Green Dot Corporation  His step-by-step process for proving a business idea Why he never takes breaks between businesses  Proving demand in the early days of Shipt  Selling Shipt to Target for half a billion dollars Why selling Shipt changed his philosophy of business His goal to build Landing into an enduring company And much more business scaling 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.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine  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... https://foundr.com/bookacallyt

22 Juni 202253min

After multiple near-death experiences, Zeb Evans decided to build a business that was net positive on the world. However, he didn’t realize that a custom internal productivity tool would become the business he was searching for. In 2017, Evans cofounded ClickUp, an all-in-one productivity management tool now valued at $4 billion.    Listen to Nathan and Zeb discuss:  Selling Disney DVDs from his hospital bed How a home invasion motivated him to drop out of school Starting his first company Fast Followerz from customized social tools How an unexpected seizure pushed him to move to Silicon Valley  Building ClickUp as an internal tool and discovering its value The early days of ClickUp and living in a stereotypical startup house Why investors were shocked that ClickUp was profitable  Maintain culture while scaling at a rapid rate  Why Zeb takes a bath every evening And much more tech 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.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

15 Juni 202249min

Marco Zappacosta's only professional job has been the cofounder and CEO of Thumbtack. Marco started the home services matchmaking website straight out of university with a dream to find a better solution of hiring a plumber. Since 2009, Thumbtack has raised half a billion dollars in funding and gone from 2 to 1,000 employees. But Thumbtack's success came from years of struggle to discover their perfect market fit.    Listen to Nathan and Marco discuss:  Thumbtack's first users on both sides of the marketplace Enticing pros by creating stylized Craiglist ads The importance of telling the dream and data to investors Why investors are thinking about other investors Why getting a meeting is the easy part of fundraising  The difference between bootstrapped and VC businesses  Seeing values as the best version of your company  Creating "libraries" for their fully-remote workplace And much more VC and remote work 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.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

9 Juni 202246min

Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started Back to the Roots by asking the same question in their business class–how can you grow mushrooms from used coffee grounds? So instead of taking their jobs in investment baking, the 2 friends began their journey of building an organic gardening brand for the next generation.    Back to the Roots is America’s #1 organic gardening company and doubled its business 4 years in a row. They offer a wide range of grow kits, seeds, soil, and more to empower people to experience the magic of growing their food from inside their homes.    Listen to Nathan chat with Nikhil and Alejandro about:   Walking into a Whole Foods and pitching their first product  Growing their first mushrooms in a rented office space Hitting their first million in revenue off sources of waste Why going to a farmer’s market is the best lesson for business Transitioning from selling products to empowering growers  Navigating the accelerated growth of the industry during COVID-19 Their relationship as cofounders over the past decade  Working with retailers like Home Depot, Target, and Walmart Their “Grow One, Give One” initiative  And much more business scaling 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.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

1 Juni 202252min

Toni Ko's first beauty brand, NYX Cosmetics, made $4 million in year 1, and eventually exited to L'Oréal for $500 million. Craving a new purpose, she started a sunglasses business. It failed after 3.5 years—and Ko says it's one of the best things that ever happened to her. Ko's lessons from that "failure" empowered her to launch her third and current venture: Bespoke Beauty Brands, which partners with influencer entrepreneurs on everything from concept creation to product development, marketing, and fulfillment distribution.    Listen to Nathan and Ko discuss:    Being a third-generation entrepreneur of Korean immigrants  The early days of NYX Cosmetics, when she had 6 job titles Raking in $4 million in retail value in NYX's first year Why she's not good at sales  Selling NYX in 2014 for $500 million to L'Oréal Experiencing depression after exiting her business Starting a sunglasses business and failing  Launching Bespoke Beauty Brand  Working with celebrity influencers like Kim Chi and Jason Wu And much more influencer entrepreneur 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.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

25 Maj 202250min

Did you know that 74% of Americans say they are more likely to trust someone if they have an established personal brand? If you want to build a personal brand that will influence more people, this episode is for you. So strap in for a step-by-step personal branding crash course from Rory Vaden.    Rory is a speaker, business coach, NY Times best-selling author, and cofounder of Brand Builders Group. He’s worked with clients like Lewis Howes, Luvvie Ajayi, and Rose McGowan to discover what makes them unique and how they can serve others.    Listen to Nathan and Rory discuss: Brand Builders Group national research study on personal branding Why personal branding is the digitization of reputation Why 90% of their clients are people you’ve never heard of The 3 different types of content strategies  Why results x reach = reputation  The 5 ways to monetize a personal brand  How to discover your uniqueness And much more personal branding 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.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

18 Maj 202254min

Lisa Bilyeu and her husband built Quest Nutrition into a billion-dollar company, but she never expected to be an entrepreneur and business influencer. But, after years of telling herself that she could only be a stay-at-home wife, Lisa found her self-confidence to help create Quest Nutrition and start her media company, Impact Theory. She now hosts a weekly YouTube show, podcast, and released a book called Radical Confidence, focusing on empowering women in business.    Listen to Nathan and Lisa discuss:  The early days of Quest Nutrition and what worked How their PB&J flavored Quest Bar was created by accident  The decision to sell Quest and invest in Impact Theory How she overcame her fear of public speaking Why she dresses for battle like Wonder Woman Building Impact Theory from home  How to create a “no judgment journal" Tools to combat negative self-talk And much more business mindset 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.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

11 Maj 202253min

Daniel Flynn started his mission-driven business with the simple question of “what if?” 13 years later and $13M donated, Thankyou is changing the way suppliers and consumers select products. From the early days of getting “nos” to competing against the world’s biggest consumer brands, Thankyou is now evolving its model to serve more people at a scalable rate.    Listen to Daniel and Nathan discuss: The early days of Thankyou and the naivety of the business world Creating a viral campaign for a pitch meeting with 7/11  The difficulty of running a business that exists to give Launching into competitive product categories  Donating $10M in 2021 from their most profitable year ever Writing his book Chapter One: You Have the Power to Change Stuff  Getting interviewed by President Obama  Visiting Seth Godin’s house And much more mission and business lessons…   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.    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

4 Maj 202256min