The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan
Foundr Media
Hear the stories, learn the proven methods, and accelerate your growth and future through entrepreneurship. Welcome to The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan.
About the show:
For over a decade, The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan has been a leading entrepreneurship podcast for open-book conversations with, by, and for founders. Whether you're starting, building, or dreaming about your business, The Foundr Podcast is where you can access experienced founders who've been in your shoes to learn their proven methods, lessons from failure, and inspirational stories.
Past guests include Emma Grede, Mark Cuban, Neil Patel, Kendra Scott, Alex Hormozi, Trinny Woodall, Tim Ferriss, Sophia Amoruso, Simon Sinek, Tony Robbins, Amy Porterfield, Ed Mylett, Michelle Zatlyn, Reid Hoffman, Scooter Braun, Dany Garcia, Marc Lore, Ariana Huffington, Pat Flynn, Lewis Howes, Jordan Harbinger, and many more.
About the host:
Nathan Chan is the CEO of Foundr and the creator of The Foundr Podcast. Chan literally started from knowing nothing. He was just an average guy working in a 9-5 job he utterly hated. He knew nothing about entrepreneurship, nothing about startups, nothing about marketing, and nothing about online or how to build a business. In the past decade, Chan's built Foundr into a global leader in entrepreneurial education, helping tens of thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs start and scale their businesses.
Need help with your business?
Visit foundr.com/foundrplustrial to join a global community of entrepreneurs, gain access to proven strategies, and fast-track your business growth confidently.
About the show:
For over a decade, The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan has been a leading entrepreneurship podcast for open-book conversations with, by, and for founders. Whether you're starting, building, or dreaming about your business, The Foundr Podcast is where you can access experienced founders who've been in your shoes to learn their proven methods, lessons from failure, and inspirational stories.
Past guests include Emma Grede, Mark Cuban, Neil Patel, Kendra Scott, Alex Hormozi, Trinny Woodall, Tim Ferriss, Sophia Amoruso, Simon Sinek, Tony Robbins, Amy Porterfield, Ed Mylett, Michelle Zatlyn, Reid Hoffman, Scooter Braun, Dany Garcia, Marc Lore, Ariana Huffington, Pat Flynn, Lewis Howes, Jordan Harbinger, and many more.
About the host:
Nathan Chan is the CEO of Foundr and the creator of The Foundr Podcast. Chan literally started from knowing nothing. He was just an average guy working in a 9-5 job he utterly hated. He knew nothing about entrepreneurship, nothing about startups, nothing about marketing, and nothing about online or how to build a business. In the past decade, Chan's built Foundr into a global leader in entrepreneurial education, helping tens of thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs start and scale their businesses.
Need help with your business?
Visit foundr.com/foundrplustrial to join a global community of entrepreneurs, gain access to proven strategies, and fast-track your business growth confidently.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 1, 2026 • 49min
619: Airline Charged Me $65 - So I built a $250M Competitor | Adam Ewart
Adam Ewart, founder of Send My Bag, shares how a £50 excess baggage fee led him to create a global logistics powerhouse generating over $250 million annually. He dives into his guerrilla PR tactics that landed TV coverage for free and how a lean team of 32 manages 250,000 shipments worldwide. Adam discusses scaling operations without VC funding, navigating crises like Brexit and COVID, and emphasizes the importance of customer referrals in driving growth. His insights offer a roadmap for building a successful, automated service business.
Dec 30, 2025 • 11min
618: (Solo) What 5 World-Class Founders Taught Me This Year
This conversation dives into the world of resilience, featuring founders who faced immense challenges. Christina Karlsson shares how losing her brand twice led to clarity and rebirth. Phoebe Gates discusses building credibility from scratch, proving that one's journey matters more than last names. Jake Kassan reveals the unexpected emotional toll of exiting his brand. Tori Gill showcases a scrappy launch of a regulated sunscreen, while Amy Smilovic emphasizes community over copycats. Together, they highlight that failure often ignites new beginnings.
Dec 25, 2025 • 55min
617: How A Failing Skincare Brand Became An 8-Figure Makeup Empire | Aliett Buttelman
Aliett Buttelman, co-founder of Fazit Beauty, went from struggling with skincare patches to creating a viral makeup brand after a Taylor Swift moment catapulted her into the spotlight. In this engaging conversation, she shares how they pivoted strategies, identified product-market fit, and developed a social media playbook that garners over 500K daily views. Aliett also discusses the importance of cautious fundraising, the dangers of bad retail deals, and her insights on building an aspirational brand in a competitive market.
5 snips
Dec 23, 2025 • 9min
616: (Solo) 5 Honest Business Lessons I’m Taking Into 2026
In a candid reflection, valuable lessons from a transformative year are explored. Repeat customers emerge as the true profit drivers, reshaping business growth strategies. AI and automation are highlighted as essential tools for staying competitive and drastically improving efficiency. A mindset shift emphasizes confronting avoidance to overcome barriers. Negotiation tactics reveal the power of walking away to gain leverage. Lastly, the importance of patience and data-driven iteration in achieving sustainable growth is underscored.
12 snips
Dec 18, 2025 • 1h
615: Stop Chasing Sexy Businesses - This Boring One Made Me $500M+ | David Royce
David Royce, a serial entrepreneur known for scaling Aptive Environmental to over $500M, shares his journey from a door-to-door pest control job to making nine-figure exits. He discusses how he turned a seemingly dull industry into a lucrative business through systematized sales training and a vibrant company culture. Royce emphasizes the importance of following unsexy markets, leveraging AI for efficiency, and preparing companies for successful sales. His insights serve as a guide for founders aiming to thrive in service-based industries.
Dec 16, 2025 • 10min
614: (Solo) Running on Fumes? Reset Your Mindset Before The Year Ends
Feeling burnt out as the year winds down? Learn how to recognize the signs of founder burnout before it hits hard. Discover practical reset routines like float tanks, journaling, and taking time off to recharge. Embrace the power of saying no and prioritizing mental health. Explore how micro-habits like grounding and daily movement can restore your energy. This insightful discussion emphasizes that you can't build greatness on empty and offers strategies to help you enter the new year renewed and ready to thrive.
Dec 11, 2025 • 54min
613: Why Most Beauty Brands Fail - and How to Beat The Rest | DIBS Beauty Founder
Jeff Lee, co-founder of DIBS Beauty, shares insights on building a booming makeup brand that achieved mid-eight figures in just four years. He discusses their innovative strategy of a 20,000-person waitlist pre-launch, emphasizing the power of creator-led marketing over traditional ads. Jeff reveals how DIBS maintains a 60%+ repurchase rate and successfully penetrated retail with a focus on customer behavior. He candidly explores the challenges of rapid growth, the importance of community, and his visionary approach to leveraging AI for future success.
10 snips
Dec 9, 2025 • 12min
612: (Solo) Funding vs Bootstrapping - The Real Tradeoffs EVERY Founders Needs To Know
The podcast dives into the critical decision every founder faces: raising money versus bootstrapping. It explores the trade-offs of speed and control, emphasizing how funding can amplify both strengths and weaknesses. Real-life founder stories, including a cautionary tale from Toy Guru, illustrate the risks involved. Creative alternatives to equity funding are discussed, alongside five essential questions to guide investment decisions. This insightful conversation aims to empower founders to make confident choices aligned with their business goals.
21 snips
Dec 4, 2025 • 1h 2min
611: From Homeless to Multi-Billionaire - His Success Habits | John Paul DeJoria
John Paul DeJoria, a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist, shares his inspiring journey from homelessness to co-founding billion-dollar brands like Paul Mitchell and Patrón Tequila. He discusses the power of resilience and how $700 launched his first business while living in his car. DeJoria emphasizes the importance of door-to-door sales training, building a kind and loyal company culture, and his unique 'reorder business' philosophy. He also shares his unconventional stress management techniques and thoughts on philanthropy as a cornerstone of success.
Dec 2, 2025 • 9min
610: (Solo) The Secret to Finding Agencies That Don’t Burn You
Discover why the most successful founders focus on unscalable strategies to grow their brands. Personal touches like handwritten notes and direct communication create deep customer connections. Learn how to identify trustworthy contractors and the red flags to avoid. Get practical advice on vetting potential hires and the benefits of referrals. Plus, find out when it's best to walk away or tackle challenges yourself. This is your guide to building momentum and nurturing genuine relationships in your early stages.
