TRX: Randy Hetrick (2018)

In 2012, Ariel Kaye saw a tantalizing opportunity, but wasn’t sure she was the one to seize it. She’d never started a brand and didn’t think of herself as an entrepreneur, until she noticed how frustrating it was to buy bed linens in a big box store. Taking inspiration from Warby Parker and Everlane, Ariel quit her day job to launch a brand of DTC luxury sheets, made in Europe but exuding a California vibe, with photos of models lounging in semi-rumpled beds. As a solo founder, Ariel had to figure out everything herself, from manufacturing to supply chains to how to get through to investors. Today, Parachute Home offers a wide range of home goods and has expanded beyond its website to 26 physical stores across the U.S. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher.Our engineer was Josephine Nyounai.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Feb 20241h 12min

“If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, then we’re going to get what we’ve got—and what we got ain’t working.”ICON Co-founder/CEO and proud Texan Jason Ballard believes that a radically different approach to construction holds the key to creating affordable housing and solving homelessness for the entire globe. This week on How I Built This Lab, Jason’s venturesome path to inventing advanced technology that prints disaster-resilient homes from concrete—at a fraction of the traditional time and cost. Plus, a look at the Moon for more of Earth’s building solutions... This episode was researched and produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1 Feb 202442min

Tiffany Masterson was a stay-at-home mom in her 40s when she launched her skin care brand, Drunk Elephant, in 2013. Six years later, she sold it for $845 million to the Japanese beauty giant Shiseido. Just six years! And she did it all with little to no experience in skin care, retail, or business. The professional branding and skin care world thought she was making huge mistakes: They panned her brand's name, product design, and strategy of focusing on only one high-end retailer. But Tiffany proved them wrong with great strategic instincts, incredible determination, and an unwavering belief in her products - and herself.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Andrea Bruce, with research from Katherine Sypher.Our audio engineer was Josephine Nyounai.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Jan 20241h 31min

When Jim Koch created Samuel Adams Boston Lager in 1984, American craft beer was still in its infancy. But forty years and thousands of new craft breweries later, both the competition and Jim’s drive to innovate are fiercer than ever...This week on How I Built This Lab, Jim reveals how thinking beyond paradigms and exploring aberrations has kept Boston Beer Company a leader in the alcoholic beverage industry. From hard teas to nitrogenated ales to non-alcoholic IPAs, Jim also shares the stories behind his company’s biggest hits — and biggest flops.Also, check out Boston Beer Company’s founding story told by Jim in October 2016.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 Jan 202437min

Mike Cessario came up with the idea for a viral water brand by asking himself “What is the dumbest possible idea we could have?” His answer was Liquid Death: an aluminum can of water that looks like a cross between beer and poison. While it seemed self-destructive, the idea turned out to be brilliant: Liquid Death connected with customers who don’t typically buy bottled water, and built a moat around itself by being entertaining and edgy—something most brands struggle with. As a former ad-man with one failed business behind him, Mike initially sidelined his idea when he couldn't find a co-packer to put spring water in aluminum cans. But seven years after launch, Liquid Death is both a water and an entertainment company, with annual revenue well above $100M.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Casey Herman.Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22 Jan 20241h 19min

Thai Sade is the co-founder and CEO of BloomX, a company that has developed crop-pollinating technology to replicate natural pollinators like bees and other insects. So much of what we eat depends on bees, which have been used for centuries to pollinate crops. But today, the world’s growing appetite and other environmental stressors are pushing bee populations to the brink and threatening our food supply.This week on How I Built This Lab, how Thai’s company is helping farmers ease the burden on bees. Plus, how Thai’s upbringing on a kibbutz inspired him to tackle global challenges in agriculture, and how BloomX is contributing to rainforest conservation in Latin America. This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

18 Jan 202432min

The apparel industry - be it high fashion or everyday wear - is a crowded and noisy market to crack. Just think about the sheer number of athletic shoes or jeans available at both ends of the price spectrum! So conventional wisdom is: to stand out, branding is really important. But for Christina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard, the co-founders of the children's clothing line Primary, branding was the last thing they wanted on their designs. The two women bucked other industry conventions, too: they only sell basic building-block pieces, using bright colors, in styles that hardly change year after year. No glitter. No cartoons. No pithy sayings. And no gender differentiation: the clothes are categorized as either babies or kids. Despite early struggles, eight years after launching in 2015, Primary is now a profitable company with annual sales over $50 million.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Andrea Bruce, with research help from Chris Maccini.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

15 Jan 20241h 12min

Allyson Felix is the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time. She’s also a mother. Those two identities came into conflict in 2018 when negotiating a contract renewal with her shoe sponsor, Nike. Ultimately, Allyson broke ties with Nike because the new contract presented a significant pay cut and lacked adequate maternal protections. After struggling to find a new shoe sponsor, Allyson and her brother/agent, Wes, decided to take matters into their own hands and start their own shoe company, Saysh. This week on How I Built This Lab, Allyson and Wes talk with Guy about their journey to the top of the track and field world, the decision to leave Nike, and how they built the iconic shoe that Allyson wore during her gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Plus, why most name brand shoes aren’t designed for women’s feet, and how Saysh is working to change that. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.Our audio engineer was Alex Drewenskus.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Jan 202451min