How I Built This with Guy Raz

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how Jeni’s newest venture Floura is tackling one of America’s largest dietary needs—fiber. 

First, we meet Jesse in Washington, D.C., who’s wondering how to best focus marketing efforts for his frozen french fry company. Then Casey from Boston, who's questioning the pressure she's feeling to pursue outside capital for her frozen pierogi brand. And finally, Callie from Los Angeles asks about the pros and cons of contracting a PR firm to promote her purple sweet potato pet treats.

Thank you to the founders of Jesse & Ben’s, Jaju Pierogi and Ubae.co for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ founding story as told by Jeni on the show in 2018.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Krishna Kaliannan wanted to start a tech company but failed at every attempt. 

On the side, he was teaching himself how to cook with high-protein, low-sugar ingredients. Not just out of interest, but out of necessity. As a teenager, Krishna had been diagnosed with diabetes and epilepsy, meaning he adopted a keto diet long before it was trendy. 

Krishna’s home experiments with pea powder and monk fruit eventually became Catalina Crunch, one of the country’s most popular high-protein, low-carb breakfast cereals and snacks. 

In this episode, Krishna shares how a life-changing health condition sparked an obsession with healthy baking— and a brand that reimagined snacking.

What You’ll Learn

• How to turn a health challenge into a business opportunity 
• The art and science of baking with esoteric ingredients
• When to trust partners and when it’s best to take charge yourself
• Why the DTC model is great for some industries and disastrous for others

Timestamps:

00:06:16 - Dealing with diabetes and epilepsy as a college student

00:12:38 - What Krishna learns from his early failures in tech

00:22:43 - The first, low-sugar cocoa puffs: “Rocks that tasted like soil.”   

00:27:36 - His homemade cereal gets good enough to sell

00:32:42 - Naming the brand: classy alliteration and a nod to a Will Ferrell movie 

00:44:51 - Learning to make cereal like the pros at Texas A&M

00:54:43 - Krishna moves from NYC to Indiana to make sure the cereal is made right

01:01:04 - Whole Foods, Costco, and becoming a household brand

This episode was researched and produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineer was Kwesi Lee. 

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Today’s callers: Ann from Nashville asks how to adapt her jewelry business in the face of rising gold prices. Then Felix in Martha’s Vineyard considers strategies for growing his family’s legacy honey and skincare company. Finally, Matt in Massachusetts seeks strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance at his grief-inspired brewing project. 

Plus, Ronnen and Guy discuss why your 20s are the best time to start a business. 

Thank you to the founders of Yearly Company, Island Bee Company and Wandering Soul Beer for joining us on the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. 

And be sure to listen to Spin Master and PAW Patrol’s founding story as told by Ronnen on the show in 2021.  

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2004, Joey Shamah and his partner launched a cosmetics company built on an idea that made almost no sense:

Sell high-quality makeup for just $1.

At the time, high quality beauty products were supposed to be expensive. The biggest brands spent fortunes on celebrity endorsements, glossy ads, and premium shelf space.

And every major retailer told Joey the same thing:

Your idea will never work.

But Joey believed he'd found a wormhole in the beauty business: spend money on the product, not fancy packaging, marketing, or celebrity endorsements. Then, pass those savings on to your customers. 

The brand grew slowly, but Joey knew he was onto something when a bizarre rumor spread that Bloomingdale's was buying e.l.f. and raising prices. Within days, the tiny company went from a few hundred orders a week to 18,000 orders a day.

What followed was a journey from a scrappy warehouse operation in New Jersey to one of the most disruptive brands in the beauty business.

You'll learn:

• The surprising economics behind $1 lipstick
• Why retailers initially rejected e.l.f.
• How a single magazine mention launched e.l.f.'s online business
• The retail insight that unlocked national expansion
• How a false rumor generated 18,000 orders a day
• The emotional toll of a $225 million acquisition that collapsed at the eleventh hour 

Timestamps:

• 00:10:28 — How to make (decent) makeup for just $1
• 00:18:35 — The dollar stores say no
• 00:24:32 — Glamour comes calling, and e.l.f has 30 days to build a website
• 00:38:27 — The question from a Target buyer that leaves Joey speechless 
• 00:39:56 — The H-E-B test that proves everyone wrong
• 00:46:36 — “That’s news to me!” The viral rumor that sends Joey back to China 
• 00:59:42 — Scaling to tens of millions in revenue
• 01:07:15 — “It was crushing.” The L’oreal sale that never happened 
• 01:12:02 — After e.l.f: Joey stops watching House of Cards and gets back to business

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Olivia Rockman. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. 

Follow How I Built This:

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Today’s callers: Ruchi from Chicago looks for advice on which channels to focus distribution for her probiotic skincare line. Then Peter in San Francisco considers strategies to champion his line of organic South African wines. And Dominic from Barbados asks about expanding his specialty coffee brand into international markets like the United States.

Plus, Susan discusses how people and relationships can make or break your business.

Thank you to the founders of Yobee, Culture Wine, and Wyndhams Bajan Coffee Roasters for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to EO Products founding story as told by Susan Griffin-Black and Brad Black in 2019.

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business.

He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter.

Along the way, he booked a young Jerry Seinfeld for $75, promoted shows for U2 and Madonna, and spent years pretending to be more successful than he really was.

Then, in his late 30s, Stephen walked into a glitzy martini bar in New York.

He was so taken with it, he decided to start his own version in Philadelphia.

Today, Starr Restaurant Group generates nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue and includes some of the most successful independent restaurants in America: Pastis, Buddakan, Le Diplomate, Parc, Makoto, and dozens more.

The surprising part?

Stephen did not start out as a foodie.

Instead, he became obsessed with the theatre of dining: design, upholstery, lighting, music. A “wow!” feeling when you walk in the door.

In this conversation with Guy, Stephen talks about the hard lessons he learned in the comedy and music business, and the unexpected path he took to redefining dining.

What You'll Learn:

• The unglamorous economics of rock concerts and restaurants
• How rejection, romantic heartbreak, and failure can become powerful motivators
• Why he believes he's spent his career "throwing the party" without attending it
• How building the right team of designers can make a restaurant feel magical
• Why Stephen says today's entrepreneurs have a much harder path than his generation did
• The model Stephen says new restaurateurs should follow today

Timestamps:

• 00:06:03 — A lonely childhood: Making up skits in his room
• 00:09:49 — Losing his mother at age 19
• 00:11:17 — Starting a comedy club: Deli by day. Stand up at night
• 00:20:49 — Going broke and reneging on a bank loan
• 00:28:26 — Music promotion: Feeling like a fraud while promoting U2, Madonna
• 00:36:52 — A New York martini bar inspires Stephen to start his own
• 00:42:20 — The bold design behind a line-out-the-door restaurant
• 01:03:31 — Opening Buddakan in New York: “I can’t do anything better. This is Sgt. Pepper”
• 01:09:08 — Starting a restaurant today: “I would say don’t do it … but if you do, keep it smaller”

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.

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