The Birth of a Brand
Brian Smith
Mentioned 1 month ago
UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.
Book Recommendations
How I Built This with Guy Raz
Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership an...
Episodes
924
Books
251
Recently mentioned
Latest Recommendations
The Debugger's Handbook
J.F. DiMarzio
Mentioned 4 months ago
Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 Sale, Then Built a $10 Billion Company
Wow in the World
Mindy Thomas
Mentioned 6 months ago
Advice Line with Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker
Super Fandom (Korean Edition)
Joe Friedblanner
Mentioned 6 months ago
Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon (December 2024)
The Logic That God Exists
Robert B. Trussell
Mentioned 7 months ago
Advice Line with Bobby Trussell of Tempur-Pedic
Foundation 3-Book Bundle
Isaac Asimov
Mentioned 7 months ago
(September 2020) Khan Academy: Sal Khan. From Tutoring His Cousins to Teaching the World For Free
Aesop's Fables Hardcover
Aesop
Mentioned 8 months ago
Advice Line with Chet Pipkin of Belkin International
What Color Is Your Parachute?
Richard N. Bolles
Mentioned 8 months ago
Backroads: Tom Hale. How a desk worker became a trailblazer in active travel
Buy Low, Sell High, Collect Early and Pay Late
D. Levin
Mentioned 8 months ago
Backroads: Tom Hale. How a desk worker became a trailblazer in active travel
Monkey Business
John Rolfe
Mentioned 8 months ago
Nuts.com: Jeff Braverman. From Corner Store to Snacktime Powerhouse
Homebody
Joanna Gaines
Mentioned 9 months ago
Magnolia: Chip & Joanna Gaines. From House Flipping to Household Name
Internet for the People
Ben Tarnoff
Mentioned 9 months ago
Craigslist: Craig Newmark — The Forrest Gump of the Internet
Most Recommended
Rise and Grind
Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life
This was Daymond John's latest book at the time of the podcast, showing his continued dedication to sharing his entrepreneurial journey and insights.
"
Damon John, founder of FUBU, he's got a new book out. It's called Rise and Grind.
— Episode: FUBU: Daymond John
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Episode: FUBU: Daymond John
This was Daymond John's latest book at the time of the podcast, showing his continued dedication to sharing his entrepreneurial journey and insights.
"
Damon John, founder of FUBU, he's got a new book out. It's called Rise and Grind.
On The Road (Classics of Modern Literature Series)
It was mentioned as the first book written by Jack Kerouac, before he wrote 'The Dharma Bums' a year later, which was instrumental in the naming of Warby Parker.
"
So a year after Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road, he came out with his second book.
— Episode: Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blument...
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Episode: Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal (2016)
It was mentioned as the first book written by Jack Kerouac, before he wrote 'The Dharma Bums' a year later, which was instrumental in the naming of Warby Parker.
"
So a year after Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road, he came out with his second book.
Dharma Bums
It was mentioned as the second book written by Jack Kerouac, a year after 'On the Road', and was the inspiration for the name of the company, Warby Parker, as two of its characters were named Warby and Parker.
"
It was called The Dharma Bombs, and two of its characters actually inspired the name of a real life company. One character was Warby and the other was Parker, and the company is, well, I think you can...
— Episode: Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blument...
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Episode: Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal (2016)
It was mentioned as the second book written by Jack Kerouac, a year after 'On the Road', and was the inspiration for the name of the company, Warby Parker, as two of its characters were named Warby and Parker.
"
It was called The Dharma Bombs, and two of its characters actually inspired the name of a real life company. One character was Warby and the other was Parker, and the company is, well, I think you can guess.
And now everybody that joins Warby Parker on their first day on their desk, they get a copy of Dharma Bones along with a few other goodies.
Let My People Go Surfing
The Education of a Reluctant Businessman
It was discussed as a book about Patagonia's company culture, focusing on policies like allowing employees to surf during work hours, and promoting a more independent work environment.
"
And I mean, I wrote a book called Let My People Go Surfing.
— Episode: Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard (2016)
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Episode: Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard (2016)
It was discussed as a book about Patagonia's company culture, focusing on policies like allowing employees to surf during work hours, and promoting a more independent work environment.
"
And I mean, I wrote a book called Let My People Go Surfing.
And it's all about, we have a policy that when the surf comes up, you drop work and you go surfing. I don't care when you work as long as the job gets done.
I and Thou (Scribner Classics)
It was mentioned as a book that offered fantastic insights and was a source of motivation for Tom Chappell during his time at Harvard Divinity School.
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I was learning things from philosophers like Martin Buber, who had some fantastic things to offer in his book I and Thou.
— Episode: Tom's Of Maine: Tom Chappell
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Episode: Tom's Of Maine: Tom Chappell
It was mentioned as a book that offered fantastic insights and was a source of motivation for Tom Chappell during his time at Harvard Divinity School.
"
I was learning things from philosophers like Martin Buber, who had some fantastic things to offer in his book I and Thou.
Common LISP
A Gentle Introduction to Symbolic Computation (Dover Books on Engineering)
It was mentioned by Alexis Ohanian as the book he had with him when meeting Paul Graham for the first time, as it was a dog-eared copy of Paul Graham's Lisp programming book.
"
And I had my dog-eared copy of his Lisp programming book.
— Episode: Live Episode! Reddit: Alexis Ohanian & S...
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Episode: Live Episode! Reddit: Alexis Ohanian & Steve Huffm...
It was mentioned by Alexis Ohanian as the book he had with him when meeting Paul Graham for the first time, as it was a dog-eared copy of Paul Graham's Lisp programming book.
"
And I had my dog-eared copy of his Lisp programming book.
Six Degrees
The Science of a Connected Age
It was mentioned in relation to the concept of six degrees of separation and how hard it can be to make things go viral, as the author held a pessimistic view on this topic.
"
And he also had a very pessimistic view and would say, OK, it's hard to make things go viral and it's hard to replicate this.
— Episode: Live Episode! BuzzFeed: Jonah Peretti
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Episode: Live Episode! BuzzFeed: Jonah Peretti
It was mentioned in relation to the concept of six degrees of separation and how hard it can be to make things go viral, as the author held a pessimistic view on this topic.
"
And he also had a very pessimistic view and would say, OK, it's hard to make things go viral and it's hard to replicate this.
Hell's Angels
A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library)
Hunter S. Thompson's book was mentioned, and it was said that Jann Wenner knew of his work prior to starting Rolling Stone and asked him to write for the magazine.
"
He had written a book called The Hell's Angels.
— Episode: Rolling Stone: Jann Wenner
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Episode: Rolling Stone: Jann Wenner
Hunter S. Thompson's book was mentioned, and it was said that Jann Wenner knew of his work prior to starting Rolling Stone and asked him to write for the magazine.
"
He had written a book called The Hell's Angels.
Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks For Dummies
Sara Blakely purchased this book from Barnes & Noble in order to learn how to write a patent for her invention, Spanx.
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I went to Barnes & Noble on Peachtree in Atlanta and bought a book called Patents and Trademarks and I wrote the patent and then my mom's an artist and so I asked her if she would sketch me in the pro...
— Episode: Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Listen on Audible
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Episode: Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Sara Blakely purchased this book from Barnes & Noble in order to learn how to write a patent for her invention, Spanx.
"
I went to Barnes & Noble on Peachtree in Atlanta and bought a book called Patents and Trademarks and I wrote the patent and then my mom's an artist and so I asked her if she would sketch me in the prototype for the patent and that is the picture in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks For Dummies
Sara Blakely purchased this book at Barnes & Noble and used it as a guide to write her own patent for Spanx, after being quoted exorbitant fees by patent attorneys.
"
I went to Barnes & Noble on Peachtree in Atlanta and bought a book called Patents and Trademarks and I wrote the patent and then my mom's an artist and so I asked her if she would sketch me in the pro...
— Episode: Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Listen on Audible
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Episode: Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Sara Blakely purchased this book at Barnes & Noble and used it as a guide to write her own patent for Spanx, after being quoted exorbitant fees by patent attorneys.
"
I went to Barnes & Noble on Peachtree in Atlanta and bought a book called Patents and Trademarks and I wrote the patent and then my mom's an artist and so I asked her if she would sketch me in the prototype for the patent and that is the picture in the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks For Dummies
Sara Blakely purchased this book at Barnes & Noble to learn how to write her own patent after failing to find a female patent attorney, using it as a resource to write the majority of the patent herself.
"
I went to Barnes & Noble on Peachtree in Atlanta and bought a book called Patents and Trademarks and I wrote the patent and then my mom's an artist and so I asked her if she would sketch me in the pro...
— Episode: Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Sara Blakely purchased this book at Barnes & Noble to learn how to write her own patent after failing to find a female patent attorney, using it as a resource to write the majority of the patent herself.
"
I went to Barnes & Noble on Peachtree in Atlanta and bought a book called Patents and Trademarks and I wrote the patent and then my mom's an artist and so I asked her if she would sketch me in the prototype for the patent and that is the picture in the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Franchise Management For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyle))
It was recommended to Jerry Murrell by his sons and discussed the legal aspects of franchising, influencing his decision to franchise Five Guys.
"
they bought me a book called Franchising for Dummies it was written by Dave Thomas
— Episode: Five Guys: Jerry Murrell
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Episode: Five Guys: Jerry Murrell
It was recommended to Jerry Murrell by his sons and discussed the legal aspects of franchising, influencing his decision to franchise Five Guys.
"
they bought me a book called Franchising for Dummies it was written by Dave Thomas
The Jungle Book (Illustrated)
The 1894 Classic Edition with Original Illustrations
Simon Cowell said his son Eric still loved The Jungle Book, highlighting its lasting appeal across generations.
"
when Eric came along ... he still loves The Jungle Book. He loves 101 Dalmatians.
— Episode: Simon Cowell: Music Mogul
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Episode: Simon Cowell: Music Mogul
Simon Cowell said his son Eric still loved The Jungle Book, highlighting its lasting appeal across generations.
"
when Eric came along ... he still loves The Jungle Book. He loves 101 Dalmatians.
What Color Is Your Parachute?
Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success
Tom Hale read the book and felt it perfectly matched his desire to find work he loved and was good at, influencing his decision to start Backroads.
"
I had got a hold of a book, What Color Is Your Parachute? Which I could summarize by saying, find something you love doing that you're really good at.
— Episode: Backroads: Tom Hale. How a desk worker b...
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Episode: Backroads: Tom Hale. How a desk worker became a tr...
Tom Hale read the book and felt it perfectly matched his desire to find work he loved and was good at, influencing his decision to start Backroads.
"
I had got a hold of a book, What Color Is Your Parachute? Which I could summarize by saying, find something you love doing that you're really good at.
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Sam's father gave him a copy of When Bad Things Happen to Good People after Sam was kicked out of high school.
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And then my dad pulled up in his F150 pickup truck... and she had a book ready for me that was called When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
— Episode: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mari...
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Episode: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mariah Calagio...
Sam's father gave him a copy of When Bad Things Happen to Good People after Sam was kicked out of high school.
"
And then my dad pulled up in his F150 pickup truck... and she had a book ready for me that was called When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
ICYROSE the Forever Bracelet Stainless Steel Starter Charm Bracelet Barrel Snap Clasp Fits European Style Beads
This book was written by Sean Sarekli and his wife in response to people asking how to access relationship advice if their partner was not ready to participate in the app; it is a standalone product that mentions the app and offers a solo journey option.
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So I'm very excited to announce what we did in response to this after we were exhausted finishing the app is we wrote a book and the book's called The Eight Lovelinks.
— Episode: Advice Line with Leah Solivan of Taskrab...
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Episode: Advice Line with Leah Solivan of Taskrabbit
This book was written by Sean Sarekli and his wife in response to people asking how to access relationship advice if their partner was not ready to participate in the app; it is a standalone product that mentions the app and offers a solo journey option.
"
So I'm very excited to announce what we did in response to this after we were exhausted finishing the app is we wrote a book and the book's called The Eight Lovelinks.
So that's going to be out any day now. OK, and people can take the solo journey and the book is a standalone product. But it does mention the app. It says in parts when you're ready, you can take the practical application with your partner.
Aesop's Fables Hardcover
The Classic Edition by acclaimed illustrator, Charles Santore (Charles Santore Children's Classics)
The hosts referenced the classic collection as a design inspiration, noting its beautiful, botanical aesthetic while discussing luxury soap branding.
"
I think they're... you think of Aesop's Fables. The design is so beautiful. They're botanicals.
— Episode: Advice Line with Chet Pipkin of Belkin I...
Listen on Audible
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Episode: Advice Line with Chet Pipkin of Belkin Internation...
The hosts referenced the classic collection as a design inspiration, noting its beautiful, botanical aesthetic while discussing luxury soap branding.
"
I think they're... you think of Aesop's Fables. The design is so beautiful. They're botanicals.
The Relaxation Response
Alex recalled reading the book during his teenage years, noting it introduced him to scientific research on meditation and shaped his early interest in the practice.
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There was this one book I read called The Relaxation Response written by a guy called Dr. Herbert Benson. He was one of the first researchers into meditation from a scientific perspec...
— Episode: Calm: Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith
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Episode: Calm: Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith
Alex recalled reading the book during his teenage years, noting it introduced him to scientific research on meditation and shaped his early interest in the practice.
"
There was this one book I read called The Relaxation Response written by a guy called Dr. Herbert Benson. He was one of the first researchers into meditation from a scientific perspective.
The Debugger's Handbook
The speaker wrote this book out of stubbornness during his freshman year of college as a rewrite of a terrible textbook for his computer science class. It was described as a 'spite book' that cataloged tricks and fixes for common programming mistakes in early languages.
"
So freshman year, out of stubbornness, I wrote what was basically a spite book. I rewrote the textbook for my intern to computer science class from the perspective of a student.
— Episode: Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 S...
Listen on Audible
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Episode: Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 Sale, Then...
The speaker wrote this book out of stubbornness during his freshman year of college as a rewrite of a terrible textbook for his computer science class. It was described as a 'spite book' that cataloged tricks and fixes for common programming mistakes in early languages.
"
So freshman year, out of stubbornness, I wrote what was basically a spite book. I rewrote the textbook for my intern to computer science class from the perspective of a student.
And that book turned out to be pretty popular and actually got me a publisher.
I mean, it wasn't so much a how to program. It was how to fix every mistake that you're about to encounter.
The Wizard of Oz (Puffin in Bloom)
Guy Raz compared a vivid personal moment to the blackandwhite to colour transition in The Wizard of Oz.
"
Last summer, I had one of those black and white to color moments, you know, like in The Wizard of Oz when the black and white film switches to that vivid technicolor when Dorothy gets...
— Episode: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mari...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Sam and Mariah Calagio...
Guy Raz compared a vivid personal moment to the blackandwhite to colour transition in The Wizard of Oz.
"
Last summer, I had one of those black and white to color moments, you know, like in The Wizard of Oz when the black and white film switches to that vivid technicolor when Dorothy gets to Oz.
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.