The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan
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 Ferris...
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613: Why Most Beauty Brands Fail - and How to Beat The Rest | DIBS Beauty Founder
<p>DIBS Beauty went from zero to one of America’s fastest-growing makeup brands in just four years, with founder Jeff Lee scaling the business into the mid–8 figures and landing a top spot on the Inc. 5000. In this interview, Jeff breaks down the strategy behind their explosive growth, the creator-led launch that built a 20,000-person waitlist, and how DIBS is winning in one of the most competitive categories in ecommerce. You’ll hear exactly how Jeff built a 50-state beauty brand, expanded into retail with precision, and created a customer base with a 60%+ 90-day repurchase rate — all while keeping a founde...
612: (Solo) Funding vs Bootstrapping - The Real Tradeoffs EVERY Founders Needs To Know
<p>Should you raise money or bootstrap your business? It’s one of the biggest questions every founder faces — and the wrong decision can shape the entire future of your company.</p> <p>In this episode, I share the lessons I’ve learned from speaking with hundreds of founders about funding, and what I’ve personally applied in building Foundr and my ecommerce brand, Healthish. </p> <p><br></p> <p>You’ll learn when it makes sense to take on capital, when to stay independent, and how to make this decision from a position of strength — not pressure.</p> <p><br></p> <p>H...
611: From Homeless to Multi-Billionaire - His Success Habits | John Paul DeJoria
<p>John Paul DeJoria went from being homeless twice to building two global billion-dollar brands, Paul Mitchell and Patrón Tequila, using nothing but resilience, sales mastery, and a refusal to quit. This interview breaks down how he launched Paul Mitchell with just $700 while living in his car, created the ultra-premium tequila category from scratch, and built companies that now operate in 130 countries. For any entrepreneur, ecommerce founder, or business builder searching for lessons in persistence, sales, brand building, and navigating adversity, this conversation is a masterclass in turning nothing into something extraordinary. What you’ll learn: • How John Paul DeJor...
610: (Solo) The Secret to Finding Agencies That Don’t Burn You
<p>When you’re just starting out, the fastest way to grow isn’t automation, ads, or scaling systems — it’s doing things that don’t scale.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In this episode, I share why the most successful founders — from billion-dollar startups to small ecommerce brands — all begin by leaning into the unscalable. </p> <p><br></p> <p>From replying personally to every email, to sending hundreds of Instagram DMs, to handwriting thank-you cards for early customers, these strategies create the kind of emotional connection that big brands can’t compete with.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Here’s what you’...
609: From $0 to $20M in 3 Years Selling Suppliments | Damien Fitzpatrick
<p>From professional rugby player to successful entrepreneur, Damien Fitzpatrick built a sports recovery brand trusted by elite athletes around the world. In this interview, Damien shares how he went from the highs and lows of a professional sports career to creating Pillar Performance, a multimillion-dollar supplement company now used by Olympians and major sports teams. Discover how he turned an untapped niche into a global opportunity, scaled distribution in Australia and the U.S., and built a brand that dominates the high-performance nutrition category. What you’ll learn in this interview: • How Damien transitioned from athlete to entrepreneur • The painfu...
608: (Solo) Why Short-Term Wins Can Quietly Kill Your Business
<p>When I first started Foundr, I made a lot of short-term decisions — and most of them hurt us more than they helped. It took years (and a few hard lessons) to understand that sustainable growth only comes when you play the long game.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In this episode, I break down what it means to win deep, not shallow, and why short-term thinking keeps so many founders stuck in a constant cycle of rebuilding. </p> <p><br></p> <p>From scaling ads too fast, to chasing promotions instead of strategy, I’ll share how shifting my mind...
607: How I Built a $120M/Year Cookie Business From My Appartment | Loren Castle
<p>Loren Castle turned a life-threatening cancer diagnosis at 22 into the spark that built Sweet Loren’s, a $120M-a-year clean food brand now sold in over 5,000 supermarkets nationwide. </p> <p><br></p> <p>In this interview, Loren shares how she bootstrapped her way from baking cookies in a tiny New York apartment to landing Whole Foods without packaging, rebranding her entire product line to be allergen-free, and scaling a household name—all while staying profitable and purpose-driven. </p> <p><br></p> <p>From surviving adversity to mastering product-market fit, Loren’s story is proof that a personal mission can grow into a...
606: (Solo) The Week Before Black Friday: What Smart Ecommerce Founders Are Doing Differently
<p>It’s not too late to win Black Friday. Even if you’re behind, there’s still time to drive serious results—if you focus on the right moves.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In this episode, I share my final Black Friday checklist after 10 years of running campaigns for Foundr and other brands. You’ll learn exactly what the most successful ecommerce stores are doing one week out to build anticipation, maximize conversions, and protect their margins without relying on panic discounts.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Here’s what you’ll take away: • How to build hype and anticipation...
605: He Bought an Airline for $0.30 (and made BILLIONS) | Tony Fernendes (Best of Foundr)
<p>Tony Fernandes turned a failing airline into a billion-dollar business and built AirAsia into one of the most recognized brands in Asia. In this interview, Tony explains how he bought AirAsia for just 30 cents and $10M of debt, scaled it into the fourth largest airline in Asia, and created a culture that transformed 24,000 employees into a unified team. From building a brand with global impact to navigating failures, scaling fast against competitors, and leading digital transformation, Tony’s story is packed with actionable lessons for founders ready to think bigger and move faster. What you’ll learn from this inte...
604: (Solo) What Labubu and Apple Can Teach You About Scarcity Marketing
<p>Think scarcity is just a marketing gimmick? Used properly, it’s one of the fastest ways to increase perceived value, build community, and grow sales—without racing to the bottom on discounts.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In this episode, I break down the scarcity and drop-model strategies I’ve seen work at the highest level—from Apple launches and cult collectible brands to Greta Van Riel’s Fifth Watches—and how we’ve used similar principles at Foundr and with our students. You’ll learn how to create authentic urgency that customers trust (and respond to), not the fake scarcity th...
