People tend only buy one or two different types of wine, and one company is on a mission to change that. Winc uses machine learning to give subscribers personalized wine recommendations and deliver those recommendations to their doorsteps. In this episode, we chat with Xander Oxman, co-founder and CEO of Winc, about his experience building the wine recommendation service, and what advice he’d give other entrepreneurs on starting a company around their personal passions.
Aug 11, 2016•24 min•Season 1Ep. 93
In high school, Danielle Morrill started working at her father's business. After spending time as an analyst and the Head of Marketing for Twilio, she founded Mattermark, a business that helps companies uncover actionable insights in the wealth of data at their fingertips. In this episode, Danielle talks about expanding Mattermark’s target market, finding “work-life balance” when you start a company with close friends, and building a team when you’re early on in your startup’s journey.
Aug 09, 2016•37 min•Season 1Ep. 92
In 2011, IBM Watson beat Jeopardy mega-champion Ken Jennings, signaling a seismic shift in computing. Like the human mind, Watson can process massive amounts of information --- but in a fraction of the time it would take a normal person. In this episode, Zachary Walchuk, developer evangelist at IBM Watson, shares how computers are starting to think a lot more like humans and what it means for our future.
Aug 04, 2016•16 min•Season 1Ep. 91
During her time as Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, Patty McCord created the famous Netflix Culture Deck - one Sheryl Sandberg refers to as “...the most important document ever to come out of the Valley.” It comes as no surprise that Patty is a trusted advisor among bigwigs at places like Warby Parker, Bigcommerce, and Simply Hired. In today’s episode, Patty shares her firsthand advice on hiring invaluable teams, building a company culture, and dealing with the growing pains of scale.
Aug 02, 2016•48 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Katie Doyle and Jay Adams, the co-founders of Brass Clothing, met when they were 14 years old. It’s on that foundation that they began Brass Clothing. With $25,000 in the bank from a Kickstarter campaign, they set out to build a company to rival fast fashion giants like H&M and Forever 21. They’re estimating $5M in revenue by end of 2017. In this episode, Katie and Jay share their perspective on fundraising and customer feedback, and how their evolving friendship has accelerated their compan...
Jul 26, 2016•19 min•Season 1Ep. 89
What if everything around you was connected? That is our future, and Linden Tibbets, CEO of IFTTT, is at the center of it. IFTTT users have complete creative control over how they connect apps and products -- and the possibilities are endless. In this episode, Linden shares his predictions on the future of connectivity and the possible implications for humanity.
Jul 19, 2016•30 min•Season 1Ep. 88
Jon Westenberg is arguably one of the top writers on Medium. He has over 50 thousand followers, and his content receives over 300 thousand views in a month. By any measure, Jon is incredibly successful - but he’s also taken his fair share of knocks. In this episode, Jon talks about some of the secrets to his success on Medium - and how a few important failures shaped who he is today.
Jul 12, 2016•27 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Imagine starting a company with your significant other. Does that sound like a dream...or a nightmare? For married couple Anna and Nathan Bond, it seemed only natural to start a business together. Years ago, they began Rifle Paper Co., a stationery company, out of their garage. In this episode, Anna and Nathan share the real implications of having your business partner and romantic partner be the same person in your life - and how their relationship has been a key to growing Rifle Paper Co.
Jul 05, 2016•20 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Over 3 million educated women in the U.S. are looking to re-enter the workforce after taking a career break - yet only 40% secure full-time jobs, according to the Center for Talent Innovation. That’s where Jennifer Gefsky, founder of Après, comes in. In this episode, Jennifer shares advice on how to prepare for a career break, what to do during the gap to ensure an easy transition back, and what businesses around the world have to gain from hiring these valuable candidates.
Jun 28, 2016•28 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Suhail Doshi, the founder of Mixpanel, is not afraid to question the way things are done. It all started in 2009. Suhail challenged the “golden metric” of website success and opened the door to more detailed analytics. Today, Mixpanel has nearly 4,000 customers at companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Venmo. In this episode, Suhail shares how he managed to grow his company during a recession using his passion, discipline, luck, and unconventional way of thinking all along the way.
Jun 21, 2016•30 min•Season 1Ep. 84
On paper, the hiring process appears fairly straightforward: read applications, interview, hire top talent, and then rinse and repeat … right? Well, not exactly. The thing is, the conventional hiring process is broken -- and Jon Bischke, CEO of Entelo, has made it his mission to mend it. In this episode, Jon schools us on the top mistakes managers make in the hiring process and the tactics you can employ to be better at recruiting the right talent to grow your team.
Jun 14, 2016•27 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Are computers replacing humans? In short: not yet. That’s what Ryan Block, co-founder of Begin, believes, anyway - and he knows a thing or two about bots. In fact, his team is building one of their own, one that helps you stay on top of everything you've got going on. Ryan knows better than most what the bot timeline means for humans, and despite huge tech advancements, he’s largely skeptical. In fact, he claims we’re “15 Nobel Prizes away” from anything that could even remotely replace humans.
Jun 07, 2016•35 min•Season 1Ep. 82
People pay for convenience. In fact, the Journal of Economic Perspectives found that consumers are willing to pay 20% more for a product purchased at a convenience store. Kevin Gibbon, the founder of Shyp, experienced this firsthand during his college years as an eBay PowerSeller. During that time, there was one major inhibitor on his business’ scale: the shipping process. Kevin decided to take matters into his own hands, and started Shyp, an uber-convenient shipping service.
May 31, 2016•22 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Victoria Ransom has never been afraid of doing things a little differently than her peers. By never shying away from the risks associated with making big changes, Victoria has reaped the rewards - one of them being an acquisition by Google for a reported $450 million. In this episode, Victoria tells us about the risks and rewards of being acquired by Google and the power of taking a break to unlock career growth.
May 24, 2016•26 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Meet Frank Warren, the person who likely keeps the most secrets in the world. Twelve years ago, Frank asked people to anonymously send their secrets to him on a pre-stamped postcard. More than a decade later, his social experiment turned into one of the most-visited ad-free blogs in the world. In this episode, Frank shares why vulnerability was the key to PostSecret’s growth, and how it can be used to strengthen your core relationships, leadership skills, and business.
May 17, 2016•27 min•Season 1Ep. 79
charity: water’s founder, Scott Harrison, spent 10 years as a club promoter before starting his nonprofit. A decade later, he’s managed to help over 6 million people get access to clean water. How did he rapidly grow charity: water with no experience in the nonprofit sector? He attributes his success to an often-undervalued quality: being naive. In this episode, Scott explains the perspective he’s gained being an outsider in the nonprofit sector and how this has helped him rapidly grow his organ...
May 10, 2016•21 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Bill Walton’s life is one of extremes. Back in the 80s, he was a talented player on the Celtics. He's also experienced some deeply difficult situations with his health. At one point, he didn’t think he’d be able to walk again. To navigate these ups and downs, he’s leaned on lessons from three of the most influential leaders of his life: John Wooden, his basketball coach at UCLA; Larry Bird, his teammate on the Celtics; and Jerry Garcia, his idol in The Grateful Dead.
May 03, 2016•24 min•Season 1Ep. 77
As the Chief Creative Officer of GE, Andy Goldberg led the charge in developing new stories on emerging platforms and broadening General Electric's brand reach in the process. One of Andy's recent efforts was launching a podcast called "The Message." In the few weeks after launch, it shot up to the top of the iTunes charts, beating out hits like "Serial." On today's show, Andy shares advice on how to actually push a brand to explore these new, creative pursuits while still staying true to a comp...
Apr 19, 2016•19 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Part of being an exceptional leader means setting a solid vision for your team - and getting them on board to execute your vision together. But that is easier said than done. Even if you have a great idea, getting your team to understand and support your vision comes with a host of challenges. Enter communications experts Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez. In their new book, "Illuminate," Nancy and Patti dive into research and real examples from companies like Apple, Disney, and IBM.
Apr 12, 2016•25 min•Season 1Ep. 75
For Michael McNally, working at LEGO was destiny. As a kid, he was a die-hard LEGO fanatic. So when he stumbled on a LEGO job listing as an adult, he knew he had to take a chance and apply. Seventeen years later, he couldn't be happier with his choice. In this episode of The Growth Show, Michael shares stories about what it's been like to work for such an iconic company - and his experiences shaping the future of the LEGO brand.
Apr 05, 2016•30 min•Season 1Ep. 74
The best managers aren't always quick to provide a solution. Instead, they ask more questions to help guide their employees to a solution on their own. Sounds simple, right? The thing is, this can be very tough to put into action. And in this episode of The Growth Show, that's exactly what our guest helps us do. We're joined by Michael Bungay Stanier, author of "The Coaching Habit," to learn what separates good managers from great ones - and the tactics you can employ to become a great manager y...
Mar 29, 2016•23 min•Season 1Ep. 73
The first rule of branding is to nail down a solid story. But what if your story is extremely complicated and technical? That's the situation Mike Troiano walked into when he become the CMO of Actifio. His solution? Forget the technicalities - instead, pretend you're talking to a 12-year-old about what your company does. Mike also talks with us about some of the challenges he's run into and the specific growth tactics he's seen work along the way.
Mar 24, 2016•19 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Most people think happiness is a destination. You work hard. You become successful. Then, you're happy. Rinse and repeat for a happy life...right? Not exactly. According to Neil Pasricha, we've got this all backward. In his recently released book, "The Happiness Equation," Neil dives into research about what makes people happy at work and in life. In this episode, Neil joins us to share his findings, including how to avoid burnout, why you should never retire, and how to identify your true passi...
Mar 19, 2016•29 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer-winning journalist for The New York Times and author of "The Power of Habit," has spent years trying to figure out what makes some people and teams more productive than others. Last week, Charles released his findings in a book titled "Smarter Faster Better." In this episode, Charles shares some of his findings on how to build a happier and more productive team, career, and life.
Mar 15, 2016•35 min•Season 1Ep. 70
James DiSabatino didn't set out to build one of Boston's biggest food trucks. In fact, he didn't have much of a plan at all. He just knew he wanted to sell grilled cheese, and a food truck was a relatively cheap way to do so. Since then, his food truck, Roxy's Grilled Cheese, has expanded into multiple brick-and-mortar locations. He's building an arcade in partnership with another local joint. He's even expanding out of his grilled cheese niche with an all-new restaurant theme. How'd he do it?
Mar 08, 2016•21 min•Season 1Ep. 69
At Patagonia, transparency isn't convenient. "Transparency is telling the good and the bad," says Rick Ridgeway, Patagonia's VP of Environmental Affairs. "It is having the moxie to openly tell our customers and other external stakeholders about the harm that we are doing." But how does transparency work in reality? In this episode of The Growth Show, Rick gives us a true behind-the-scenes view of what it's like working at one of the most transparent companies in the world.
Mar 01, 2016•35 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Learning to write is a painful process. Here's how it typically goes: You spend hours crafting something you think will be a good piece. You submit it to someone else who's in charge of giving you feedback. They tear your piece apart. You make changes to your piece based on their suggestions. Rinse and repeat with new pieces until you're a proficient writer. Becoming a better writer isn't easy. Nor is it fast. But what if technology could make this whole process a little easier?
Feb 23, 2016•20 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Some things in life are easy to turn down. Offered a boiling cup of coffee in the middle of the summer? That's an easy thing to pass on. But some decisions in life aren't so clear-cut. In this episode of The Growth Show, we hear about the most difficult situations three of our past guests (Radical Candor's Author Kim Scott, Wistia's Co-Founder Chris Savage, and Everlane's Founder Michael Preysman) have been presented within their careers - and why they walked away from them.
Feb 18, 2016•24 min•Season 1Ep. 66
When Mike Wilner first set out to build his tech startup, there was a huge elephant in the room: He had no idea how to code. To make matters worse, the company didn’t have a technical founder, either. Not one to let his background hold him back, Mike set out to build his dream company using the skills and resources he already had. The result? Six figures in sales, and enough product-market fit to attract a technical co-founder to the team.
Feb 16, 2016•19 min•Season 1Ep. 65
For many, cooking is a chore. After a long day of work, you come home to throw together an easy-yet-healthy-enough meal. After whipping it up and scarfing it down, you're on to the next thing: Family time, unresolved emails, or a quick episode of Netflix before you pass out. ChefSteps wants to change all that. With a vibrant community, a plethora of creative recipes, and most recently, a shiny new piece of hardware, the company plans to change the way regular people feel about cooking at home.
Feb 09, 2016•24 min•Season 1Ep. 64
