From the Ground Up
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Top 10 From the Ground Up Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best From the Ground Up episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to From the Ground Up for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite From the Ground Up episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
AI Tools, 'Weird Economy,' and Reddit's Unusual IPO: This Year In News For Founders
From the Ground Up
06/13/24 • 33 min
From a business news standpoint, the first few months of 2024 had it all: the rare IPO of a social media company, a very strange economic situation facing founders, and enough developments in artificial intelligence to train a new LLM. Inc.'s editors have been chewing over all of it.
In this roundtable episode of From the Ground Up, we hear from Inc. reporter Ben Sherry about the state of AI use in the American workforce, the latest in the AI safety debate out of Silicon Valley, and what's going on within OpenAI.
Inc.'s new Editor-in-Chief, Mike Hofman, discusses the unusual state of the American economy, and how entrepreneurs are feeling amid wildly mixed signals from the Fed, consumers, and what seems like a cooling labor market.
We also examine what's happened at Reddit since its March IPO--and how the massive community-based social network finally, after years of false starts, made its unusual public debut.
Finding Your Footing
From the Ground Up
10/21/24 • 52 min
Before Monte Deere joined Kizik, the hands-free shoe brand, as chief executive, he had zero experience in selling consumer products–—and no experience in footwear. Heck, he’d never been a CEO before.
But Kizik’s Kizik founder Mike Pratt had worked with Deere previously– and took a bet on him. Deere was tasked with recruiting a dream team of executives with experience at brands such as Hoka, Converse, and Nike--"—“shoe dogs,”" as he likes to call them, a reference to Nike founder Phil Knight's Knight’s memoir--—to complement the “"cool contingency of innovators”" led by Pratt.
This year, Kizik is #No. 407 on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest fastest-growing companies in America. In 2023, its revenue was more thanover $100 million. In an interview with Inc. editor editor-at at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, Deere explains Kizik’s pandemic-era brand transformation, how it found its loyal customers, and its expansion into DTC and wholesale–—plus its fascinating collaborations. Monte believes that soon 10% percent of the global footwear market could soon be hands hands-free.
Following our regular episode, we have a special segment in collaboration with our partner at Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Inc. Editor-in-Chief Mike Hoffman spoke with Smarsh Founder Stephen Marsh about his remarkable journey, the legacy he has built, and the honor of being the first recipient of the inaugural Legacy Award presented by Glenfiddich at this year's Inc. 5000 gala. Skillfully Crafted, Enjoy Responsibly. Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky ©2024 Imported by William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY.
Additional research and information:
Read on Inc.com: Is Kizik Building the Next Billion-Dollar Sneaker Brand?
Read on Inc.com: Kizik Inc 5000 profile
Visit Kizik website:
https://kizik.com/pages/about-us
Visit Hands Free Labs Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/handsfreelabs/
Visit Kizik’s YouTube:
Find Your Fans
From the Ground Up
05/02/24 • 45 min
Build it and they will come? It’s not so simple. Hosts Diana Ransom and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin spoke with founders who took two totally different approaches to a core business concept: finding product-market fit. They spoke with Michelle Cordeiro Grant, founder of the sugar-free energy drink Gorgie, and Brittany and Steven Yeng, founders of the peanut butter liquor brand Skrewball whiskey, about how they identified their markets, strategies they used to get their items on shelves, and how they applied consumer feedback to adjust what they were selling.
Learn more:
Passion Overdrive: A Founder's Guide To Mental Health And Wellness
From the Ground Up
08/01/24 • 35 min
Welcome to Inc's From the Ground Up Summer programming! While we’re hard at work on season two of the show, we wanted to keep bringing you astute conversations , courtesy of our live events throughout the year.
In this panel at this year's SXSW, Inc's Editor At Large, Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan talks to Brittany Driscoll, co-founder and CEO, Squeeze; Jason Wersland, founder and chief wellness officer, Therabody; and Isa Watson, founder and CEO, Squad about being an entrepreneur wearing many hats, and while having passion and enthusiasm can fuel success, they can also lead to burnout, stress, and exhaustion. These struggles not only impact performances but also can trickle down to interacting with teams and loved ones. Listen to these three entrepreneurs on a honest discussion on navigating the demands of entrepreneurship while prioritizing your own mental well-being.
How Cult Brands Capture Imaginations–and Wallets
From the Ground Up
10/07/24 • 40 min
This week, we kick off our Inc. feature coverage by exploring the making of–and proliferation of–cult brands. In this episode, executive editor Diana Ransom and editor-at-large Christine Lagorio-Chafkin invite Inc. staff writer Ali Donaldson to talk about an article she wrote that broke open a lot of consumer trends we’ve seen over recent years–and explained the anatomy of consumer-product virality. Certain brands seem to grow cult followings almost overnight. Turns out that’s no happy accident–it’s all in the plan. And Ali lays out precisely what that plan looks like for brands that achieve cult status.
Stanley, Kendra Scott, and Bogg Bag are extremely different companies–aside from the fact that each has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. And it turns out, they are all fascinating case studies in appealing to customers, both online and offline. Bogg Bag, founded by Kim Vaccarella, out of Lodi, New Jersey, landed on the Inc. 5000 this year and expects to book over $100 million in revenue by the end of 2024. Kendra Scott, the Texas-based jewelry brand, continues to evolve with its customers online–and meets them where they are on campuses, too. And the Stanley cup stans are seriously engaged and proudly express it through TikTok and other social media channels. They might wonder: How on earth is this a 110-year-old company? Donaldson explains, and also dishes about her interview with the marketing genius behind both the Stanley brand shift that brought it to a new generation and the proliferation of Crocs.
Source notes and additional research and information:
Read: How Preppy Cult Brands Captured the Imagination and Wallets of Female Consumers, by Ali Donaldson, on Inc.com
Read: How This Marketing Pro Got Crocs on Every Celebrity–and Also Was Behind the Stanley Tumbler Trend
Listen: Kendra Scott interviewed on Inc.’s What I Know podcast
Read: How Kendra Scott Crafted a Remarkably Wholesome Customer Service Philosophy
Read: A history of Stanley Cups, via Stanley1813.com
Read: Dive into the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America
Visit: Kendra Scott
Visit: Bogg Bag
10/14/24 • 52 min
Dilip Rao had what he would call “the perfect life” until he was in a car accident on July 5, 2014, in New York City. What followed changed his outlook—and his values. That same year, he founded Sharebite to change the way workplaces bring their employees together for, and show them appreciation through, meals. And he built in a mission that has helped bolster struggling restaurants—and combat food insecurity.
The company, of which Dilip is now CEO, is a meal benefit platform built for the modern workforce—one in which some workers are hybrid, some fully in-person, some fully remote—and all want to feel appreciated. It specializes in feeding in-office and remote employees food they want from local restaurants–and lets companies chip in, to make each meal feel like a real benefit for workers. The chipping in goes further than that, though: Through Sharebite, each meal bought is equal to one meal donated.
Over the past three years, the company has had a growth rate of 4,914 percent, and it landed at No. 56 on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. For this episode of “From the Ground Up,” Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom spoke with Dilip about his accident and recovery process, his stoic philosophy, and Sharebite’s lightning-fast growth.
Source notes and additional research and information:
Read: How This Food-Ordering Platform Gave Restaurants a Lifeline During Covid https://www.inc.com/magazine/202112/diana-ransom/sharebite-food-ordering-restaurants-covid-community.html by Diana Ransom, on Inc.com
Read: Sharebite’s Inc. 5000 profile
https://www.inc.com/profile/sharebite
Visit Sharebite’s website
Preparing for Demand Shocks
From the Ground Up
06/06/24 • 20 min
There is such a wide range of shocks that can happen to your supply chain and to the demand for what you’re making. Can you ever truly prepare? What kinds of projections are most useful, and how can you set yourself up for success if you do have the ability to anticipate a surge in demand?
We decided to ask someone who has worked with many companies, large and small, to make their supply chains more diversified and flexible. She’s also something of a supply chain influencer (the LinkedIn variety, not TikTok!). She’s Lisa Anderson, president of LMA Consulting Group.
FROM INC STUDIO AND META - The Secret Leads Goldmine: How Savvy Companies Capitalize on Q5
From the Ground Up
12/11/23 • 14 min
The so-called “fifth quarter” could be your opportunity to give your business a competitive edge. Hear directly from successful small business owners Lauren Petrullo, of Mongoose Media, and John Wai of John Wai Martial Arts Academy about how they use the post-holiday season to grow their businesses. In this podcast, the entrepreneurs are joined by Meta executive Becky Bui to explain how this so-called “fifth quarter”—a period often overlooked by businesses as a slow season—can be the key to unlocking new cost-effective, quality leads that lead to sales, while building meaningful connections with customers.
Cracking the TikTok Code Part 2: How We Got Here
From the Ground Up
04/25/24 • 34 min
During her time at SXSW this year, Diana Ransom sat down with Shira Lazar, video blogger, personality, and founder/host of the web series “What’s Trending,” to discuss her journey in the creator economy space. Shira also gave Diana personal tips and strategies on how to capitalize on trends, using vlogging as a creative outlet, and how to be the face of a brand through social media outlets.
Glenfiddich presents the inaugural Legacy Award to Smarsh - FROM INC. STUDIO AND GLENFIDDICH
From the Ground Up
11/14/24 • 9 min
This is a special segment in collaboration with our partner at Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Inc. Editor-in-Chief Mike Hoffman spoke with Smarsh Founder Stephen Marsh about his remarkable journey, the legacy he has built, and the honor of being the first recipient of the inaugural Legacy Award presented by Glenfiddich at this year's Inc. 5000 gala.
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FAQ
How many episodes does From the Ground Up have?
From the Ground Up currently has 48 episodes available.
What topics does From the Ground Up cover?
The podcast is about Management, Entrepreneurship, Podcasts and Business.
What is the most popular episode on From the Ground Up?
The episode title 'Cracking the TikTok Code' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on From the Ground Up?
The average episode length on From the Ground Up is 37 minutes.
How often are episodes of From the Ground Up released?
Episodes of From the Ground Up are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of From the Ground Up?
The first episode of From the Ground Up was released on Oct 12, 2023.
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