Founder's Journal - podcast cover

Founder's Journal

Alex Lieberman, the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew, gives you an insider’s look into building businesses. Alex explores the founder’s journey, from the painful challenges of 0-to-1 to the powerful frameworks that help you scale to millions in revenue as well as the emotional rollercoaster that is present throughout.

Episodes

Shower Thoughts: How to Create Informed Conviction

Welcome to the very first Founder's Journal Shower Thought, a quick mini episode aimed at making you think harder about your career or your business. In this edition, I talk about how to build informed conviction. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 14, 20213 minEp. 268

Feeling Lost & Achieving Your Next Big Win

In this episode, I talk about feeling lost and share how I'm working to find direction as I settle into a new role at Morning Brew. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 13, 202112 minEp. 268

My Mental Health Routine

I discuss my experience with anxiety, how it impacts me at work, and my routine for managing my mental health. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 11, 202112 minEp. 267

Amazing Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso

I describe 4 leadership lessons we can learn from season 1 of the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, and how they can apply to any team–on the field or in business. Also I reference two past episode of Founder's Journal, check those out: How your boss can make or break your professional experience How we try to be nice versus trying to be honest Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbre...

Oct 08, 202116 minEp. 266

What to Learn from a Business That 10x'd in 5 Quarters

In this episode, I discuss the lessons we can learn from Notarize, one of the fastest growing startups I've ever seen. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 06, 202117 minEp. 265

5 Lessons From Devastating Mistakes in Business

In this episode, I discuss five profound mistakes leaders have made in business and what we can learn from them. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 04, 202113 minEp. 264

Building Your Team #6: Ask an HR Executive

Welcome to part 6 of Founder’s Journal's Building Your Team miniseries. In this episode, Morning Brew’s VP, Head of People Operations, Kate Noel, joins me to discuss how to attract and nurture great talent in a business. This episode was recorded for an audience of VIPs from Morning Brew's SHARE THE BREW referral program. For more info subscribe at https://morningbrew.com. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our sh...

Oct 01, 202118 minEp. 263

Building Your Team #5: How to Make Reference Checks Less Terrible (Classic)

Welcome to part 5 of Founder’s Journal's Building Your Team miniseries. Today's episode is all about how to make reference checks actually useful to the hiring process. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 01, 202114 minEp. 263

Building Your Team #4: Nailing the Interview Part II

Welcome to part 4 Founder’s Journal's Building Your Team miniseries. Today, I’m talking about what it looks like for an interviewer to nail an interview process. In this episode, I break down 5 specific strategies that are crucial to hiring great talent. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

Sep 29, 202116 minEp. 262

Building Your Team #3: Nurturing Your Hires (Classic)

Welcome to part 3 of Founder’s Journal's Building Your Team miniseries. I'n this episode, I'm discussing the importance of building relationships with potential employees. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 29, 202115 minEp. 262

Building Your Team #2: Nailing the Interview Part I

Interviewing for a new job can be an arduous & anxiety-provoking process. In this episode, I share a few stories of the best interviews I’ve ever witnessed, so that you can walk away with 5 specific strategies for standing out in the interview process. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

Sep 27, 202114 minEp. 261

Building Your Team #1: Should I Hire My Friend? (Classic)

This week we're dropping our second miniseries here on Founder's Journal called Building Your Team. We'll be bringing back some classic episodes you loved—or if you're a new listener, maybe you haven't heard before—and some new episodes you won't want to miss. Today's classic episode is about whether you should work with friends or family in business. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@m...

Sep 27, 202114 minEp. 261

How to Make Social Media Work for You Part II

Social media should be serve as a friend, not a foe in your life. In this episode, I'm talking about using social media from the perspective of a founder and manager. To learn how to think about social media on a personal level, check out How to Make Social Media Work for You Part I. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about y...

Sep 24, 202114 minEp. 260

How to Make Social Media Work For You Part I

The internet was one of the greatest inventions in human history. It shifted society from being geographically fragmented to globally connected. It led to the advent of social media and platform businesses. It made the supply of connection and knowledge effectively endless. But it also created a whole new set of challenges from social comparison to employee anxiety and procrastination. In this first of this two part series, I talk about how we can have the internet work for us vs. against us. Ch...

Sep 22, 202116 minEp. 259

Mailchimp: The $12 Billion Email Giant

Mailchimp recently sold for $12 billion to Intuit, the small business powerhouse that owns Quickbooks, Turbotax, Credit Karma, and Mint. This deal is the largest ever acquisition of a privately-held bootstrapped business. In this episode, I walk you through the history of the company and lessons we can all learn from its meteoric rise. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com o...

Sep 20, 202122 minEp. 258

Costco's Secret Weapon

It's a $200 billion behemoth and a place I loved frequenting for free food samples growing up. In this episode, I'm talking about Costco and what we can learn from it as business minds. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 17, 202119 minEp. 257

I Call Bullsh*t on "Life Hacks"

In a world where we expect immediacy and efficiency, there’s still a need for repeating the importance of doing the work. In this episode, I’m talking about why we’ve become obsessed with life hacks and why they're all a load of crap. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 15, 202110 minEp. 256

Should You Care About Competition?

How much time should you spend worrying about "the other guy?" In this episode, I’m talking about competition and how much you should focus on it as a founder or an employee. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 13, 202113 minEp. 255

The Power of Perspective and Prioritizing Family & Friends

The 20th anniversary of 9/11 serves as reminder to us all prioritize friends, family and the power of perspective. Without perspective, you can get lost in the day-to-day grind without a reminder of what it is that you’re grinding for. I have found one of the healthiest ways to strive is through experiences that create perspective. You can hear more about how the loss of my dad changed my life in Episode #157 "Losing My Dad" Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.co...

Sep 10, 202117 minEp. 254

The Double-Edged Sword of Being a Perfectionist

"What is your biggest weakness? " One of the most cliche interview questions has an equally cliche answer: "I'm a perfectionist." In this episode, I'm talking about how being a being a perfectionist can be a legitimate career weakness if not understood properly. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...

Sep 08, 202115 minEp. 253

Thoughts on Employees Leaving

On this episode, I'm talking about the unfortunate, but very real experience of losing great workers. Every founder, leader, and manager goes through it and it never gets easier, so I want to give some perspective to help you think about it. As I mentioned in the episode, check out these two Founder's Journal episodes on Elon Musk: How Elon Musk Thinks Part I How Elon Musk Thinks Part II Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any i...

Sep 06, 202117 minEp. 252

5 Lessons from Allbirds' Journey to IPO

Today, I’m talking about Allbirds, the sustainable lifestyle brand that just filed for an IPO. I’m discussing their growth journey and touching on a few major lessons we can learn from it. [Allbirds is not a sponsor of this content in any way, just an interesting company case study] Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about yo...

Sep 03, 202119 minEp. 251

How To Write Better Online With David Perell

Today, I'm talking with David Perell, AKA The Writing Guy, about why online writing is one of the most important skills you can have in 2021 and how you can do it more effectively. David has his own online writing school, called Write of Passage, and shares many of his insights on Twitter. This episode was recorded live in front of an audience of Morning Brew VIPs, who received an invitation as part of our Morning Brew Referral Program. Check out episode transcripts at https://foundersjournal.mo...

Sep 01, 202115 minEp. 250

The Right Way to Take Time Off

In this episode, I'm discussing the steps you should take to properly set yourself up at work before taking time off. As mentioned in the episode, check out two of my previous episodes, How to Unplug From Work and How To Get Your Shit Together, for more helpful tools related to PTO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 30, 202113 minEp. 249

Accelerate Your Career #6: The Rules of Connection (Classic)

This episode is the final part of Founder's Journal's first-ever miniseries, Accelerate Your Career. I'm explaining my 7 rules of connecting and networking in a post-COVID, internet world. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 27, 202112 minEp. 248

Accelerate Your Career #5: How to Get Promoted Faster

This episode is part five of Founder's Journal's first-ever miniseries, Accelerate Your Career. Today, I'm talking about how to climb the ladder at your company faster. I'm walking you through best practices to set yourself up for success when the time comes for a promotion. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad ch...

Aug 27, 202117 minEp. 248

Accelerate Your Career #4: My Process for Productivity (Classic)

Today’s episode is part 4 of Founder’s Journal's first-ever miniseries, Accelerate Your Career. I’m walking you through the process I use to have a productive day. I'm also discussing how I think about the tasks I'm unable to get to by the end of the day. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if you have any ideas for our show, email me at alex@morningbrew.com or my DMs are open @businessbarista Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

Aug 25, 202116 minEp. 247

Accelerate Your Career #3: Superpowers of a Top Performer

Today’s episode is part 3 of Founder’s Journal's first-ever miniseries, Accelerate Your Career. I’m discussing the foundational traits that all top performers have in common, with an emphasis on what it means to be a quality thinker. As I mentioned in the episode, for more information on effective prioritization, check out one of my earlier episodes, How To Prioritize Time & Tasks To Enhance Your Work. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.morningbrew.com to learn more, and if...

Aug 25, 202115 minEp. 247

Accelerate Your Career #2: Learning How to Learn (Classic)

In today's world of information overload and limited time, it is more important than ever to understand how to learn in an effective way. Today, I'm breaking down a four-step process for efficiently learning about any new topic personally or professionally. As I mentioned in the episode, here are some great resources for learning more about effective note-taking: David Perell on Twitter Tiago Forte on Twitter Tiago Forte's online course, Building a Second Brain Check out the full transcript at h...

Aug 23, 202117 minEp. 246

Accelerate Your Career #1: How to Get Unstuck In Your Job

This week, we're dropping our first ever miniseries here on Founder's Journal called Accelerate Your Career, where we'll be bringing back some classic episodes you loved—or if you're a new listener, maybe you haven't heard before—and some new episodes you won't want to miss. In today's episode, I'm discussing feeling stuck at your job and walking through some strategies to help get unstuck and continue moving forward in your career. Check out the full transcript at https://foundersjournal.mornin...

Aug 23, 202116 minEp. 246