Episodes

Guy Raz brings Eric Ryan back to the Advice Line alongside founders Christina Peng of Haven Beauty and James Chambliss of Pigeon Toes for a masterclass in turning setbacks into comebacks. Eric reveals how Method weathered near-bankruptcy before its eco-cleaning revolution, while Christina confronts the fear of scaling beauty without losing soul. James unpacks the emotional labor behind founding a toy company that makes childhood magic. Three raw conversations about what happens when the vision meets reality—and why some brands survive the collision.

Daniel Lubetzky turned a simple snack bar into a $5 billion empire by making kindness central to every business decision. Starting with a car full of KIND bars and scaling to a cultural movement, Lubetzky's journey shows how purpose can reshape an industry. This episode covers the make-or-break moments, including a Whole Foods rejection that nearly ended everything, and how staying true to his mission eventually attracted Mars, Inc. to acquire the brand.

Guy Raz and Boxed co-founder Chieh Huang tackle real business challenges from three founders in this Advice Line episode. Alec from Surfing Cow wrestles with scaling his beef tallow skincare brand without losing its soul, Jessica from Tail Cinch debates selling through major pet retailers, and Eli from Makor Coffee balances product formulation with mass-market brewing. Chieh shares hard-won lessons from Boxed's rise and fall, focusing on co-manufacturer partnerships, capital strategy, and finding product-market fit.

iRobot CEO Colin Angle tells Guy Raz how a failed military robot project accidentally birthed the Roomba—a quirky cleaning bot that became a cultural icon. From near-abandonment to 30 million homes worldwide, the story reveals how listening to customers turned a clunky prototype into a household name. Colin shares the hard lessons of scaling a robotics company, why Roomba succeeded where others failed, and why the dream of full home automation remains just out of reach.

Join Chipotle founder Steve Ells for this Advice Line episode, where he answers questions from early-stage founders: Rebecca Smith of Streaky Bay Distillers shares tips for standing out in a crowded small-batch spirits market, Sri Hollema of Mat Zero discusses balancing commercial and humanitarian goals for heated mats, and John Rarick of Cantina Di Rosina asks how to reach younger customers for his Italian wines amid declining alcohol consumption. Steve also weighs in on the evolving role of robots in food service and his search for his next big venture in the innovative sandwich shop space.

Antonio Swad turned a simple chicken wing restaurant into a nationwide franchise empire, then made the shocking decision to walk away just as it peaked. His story reveals how an Italian immigrant built Wingstop from a single North Carolina location to over 1,400 restaurants worldwide, leveraging a laser focus on one iconic product and relentless operational discipline. The exit came when private equity offered a life-changing sum—but the real lesson is in knowing when to sell, and what comes after.

Angie and Dan Bastian, the founders behind Angie's Boom Chicka Pop, return to The Advice Line to guide founders through the messy middle of growth. In this episode, they counsel Michelle Pusateri of Nana Joe's Granola on raising capital without selling out, Gloria Kolb of Elida on breaking the stigma around pelvic health, and Eric Poulin of MapleRoo on scaling authentically in a crowded market. Their advice? Stay rooted in mission, let your passion show, and remember that slow, steady wins the race.

Marc Lore turned diapers into a billion-dollar empire with Diapers.com, only to be forced into a $545 million sale to Amazon after a brutal price war. Rather than walk away, he launched Jet.com, raised $750 million, and sold it to Walmart for $3.3 billion. Lore explains how he built two e-commerce giants, why competing with Amazon requires more than just capital, and what it takes to reinvent yourself after a devastating corporate surrender.

In this Advice Line episode, serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore, founder of Beauty Pie, guides three early-stage founders through pressing business challenges. Victor Garcia of Sol Dias Ice Cream weighs expanding retail versus wholesale. Lydia Welsh of Clerstory struggles with fear of rejection in marketing her skincare line. Jack Boland of Wompy Bikes aims to optimize his custom bike bag sales funnel. Marcia offers a masterclass in practical founder coaching with advice on testing with ads, simplifying choices, and creating flagship experiences.

Matt O'Hayer turned 20 hens on a Texas scrub patch into Vital Farms, a nearly $1 billion pasture-raised egg empire. After a chance encounter with deeply orange yolks sparked his obsession, he built a business that treats farmers as partners and eggs as a story. The episode explores how he scaled conscious capitalism, pioneered radical transparency through traceability, and proved that even commodities can command premium when you educate the market first. His lesson: re-branding something as humble as an egg requires relentless education and unwavering standards.

Guy Raz hosts an Advice Line mashup with WeWork's Miguel McKelvey, Paperless Post's Alexa Hirschfeld, and Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali. Three founders call in with value-proposition dilemmas: Megan Downey needs to prove the ROI of her Shiki Wrap pop-up demos, Amanda Ballweg can't make Woofsie's dog enrichment cards click with online shoppers, and Mark Goldfarb wants to hire without compromising his artisanal pesto brand. Together they reveal how to translate product features into clear customer value, turn live experiences into scalable content, and hire people who embody the brand's mission.

Aaron Krause turned a shelved car-detailing sponge into Scrub Daddy, Shark Tank's most successful product ever. After 3M acquired his buffing pad company but left a box of unused foam sponges behind, Krause accidentally discovered their temperature-changing texture while cleaning his house. The smiley-face scrubber launched in 2012, earned Lori Greiner's $200,000 investment, and built a $926 million retail empire. From QVC blowouts to 257,000 retail locations, Scrub Daddy proves that the right market fit can resurrect even the most forgotten invention.