How Success Happens

A native of New Zealand, Tim Brown was always well versed in the magical qualities of merino wool. He was always inherently curious. That's why while he was playing professional soccer he began asking himself why such a remarkable, sustainable resource was virtually absent in the footwear industry. And with that spirit of wonder, Tim's Allbirds journey began. It was a journey that officially launched in 2016 and one that has quickly seen Tim create a billion dollar business.

Daniel Lubetzky, founder and Executive Chairman of KIND, is on a mission to make the world a little kinder one snack and act at a time. He started KIND in 2004 and created a new healthy snacking category. Daniel was always inspired by his father who left an indelible mark on him to do good in the world. He has been committed to using his business as a vehicle for social change. Its KIND Movement inspires everyday acts of kindness and The KIND Foundation works to create kinder, more empathetic communities.

In 2009 Alexia Brue launched what has become wellness digital media power house, Well + Good. Alexia started Well + Good after identifying a need for information and resources on the emerging trends in nutrition, fitness, beauty, and overall wellness lifestyle. Without raising any outside capital she bootstrapped the launch and growth of Well+Good eventually growing the company to reach over 20M wellness-conscious women monthly via the web. In 2018 she sold the company to the Leaf Group (NYSE: LEAF).

While at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Fluhr entered the annual business plan competition with the idea of creating a trusted marketplace to buy and sell tickets for sporting events and concerts. Fluhr dropped out of school and co-founded StubHub in March 2000. By 2007, StubHub had over 400 employees, more than $600 million of gross merchandise volume and partnerships with many professional and college sports teams. Fluhr served as CEO until StubHub was acquired by eBay for $310 million in 2007.

Robert Tuchman talks with Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, a transformative lifestyle brand that offers designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. Prior to launching Warby Parker in 2010, Neil served as director of VisionSpring, a nonprofit social enterprise that trains low-income women to start their own businesses selling affordable eyeglasses to individuals living on less than $4 per day in developing countries.

Robert Tuchman sits down with Sweetgreen Co-Founder & Chief Concept Officer Nicolas Jammet to discuss how the restaurant chain is facing the challenges of Covid. Nicolas also discusses the incredible growth of the company as America's leading healthy fast casual chain as well as Sweetgreen's focus on maintaining its authenticity and transparency as it expands.

Many people know Betty Liu as an award-winning business journalist. She anchored the Bloomberg Television “Daybreak Asia” program for many years and she also co-created and anchored “In the Loop” for 8 years. But many people don't realize that Betty is also a successful entrepreneur who started a company called Radiate. Radiate developed and distributed content of empowering leaders offering expert advice. In fact it did so well it was acquired by the New York Stock Exchange in 2018.

Howard Mittman is the CEO of Bleacher Report the premiere digital destination for millennial and Gen Z sports fans. While many sports media companies have been hurting without live sports, Bleacher Report has been able to not only survive but thrive. In May, the broadcaster topped more than 1 billion video views for the third consecutive month across its social media channels. Mittman has helped BR disrupt and revolutionize content experiences for sports fans around the globe in good times and bad.

Suri Kasirer is a born New Yorker and advocate. She founded Kasirer in 1997 out of a studio apartment on the Upper West Side—and a lifelong commitment to championing people, progress and policy in the city. Suri and her team have established an unparalleled record of success in New York City a place that some might say can be difficult to get things done.

Jon Oringer is a billionaire businessman, best known as the founder of Shutterstock, a stock photography content and editing tools provider. But Jon actually started over ten companies before Shutterstock. In 2003, Shutterstock was born out of Jon's own need for affordable marketing content as an entrepreneur. Today Shutterstock is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company now 16 years old just paid out over $1 billion to photographers, musicians and videographers around the world.

Retail is changing fast and COVID-19 will change the landscape further. Traditional big box stores and malls are shrinking or closing, while Amazon grows. But not everyone is running scared. Mark Ghermezian's mega malls and businesses are moving away from traditional retail stores and into more experiential offerings like food, entertainment and unique experiences. And now Mark has taken it one step further starting a new concept called "Fourpost", a curated collection of micro stores and eateries.

Josh Luber founded StockX with fellow entrepreneur and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert after they both literally came up with the same idea separately. Amazingly enough they found each other and they decided to go at it together building StockX into a billion dollar "Stock Market" for sneakers. Josh shows us how following your passion while never giving up can eventually lead to incredible success.

Marc Forgione is a Celebrity Chef, Iron Chef, and a man who launched a restaurant in downtown New York City six months prior to the Great Financial Crisis. Marc never wavered and eventually his restaurant thrived. Today he is navigating an even more difficult time for restaurants during the world's current pandemic. It's an awful time for restaurant owners and so many small businesses in our country. Listening to Marc you will see why he offers a ray of hope for so many owners of small businesses right now.

James Daunt is the CEO of Barnes & Noble, who was brought in to lead the company last August to help with what was already a challenging situation for the bookseller even before the Coronavirus pandemic hit. Prior to coming on board at Barnes & Noble, Daunt had turned around Waterstones one of the largest bookselling chains in all of Europe. Today, he faces incredible challenges but like any great entrepreneur he is pushing ahead and continuing to focus on his plan through the current crisis.

Stoney Clover Lane was founded by sisters Kendall and Libby Glazer from their Rochester, New York bedroom when they were just 17 and 15 respectively. Ten years later their candy-colored classics and personalized patches have become well-known for bringing some much-needed personality to the highly uniform category of travel accessories has reimagined everyday organization through their line of travel accessories designed to spark self-expression.