How to Go From Nothing to a Multimillion-Dollar Brand Without Outside Funding

In this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Lior Ohayon. Lior is a serial entrepreneur from Toronto, now based in Miami with his family. Finding early success in the internet marketing world, he eventually transitioned into tech and landed on e-commerce. His most recent co-founded business Hush, sold to a publicly traded company for a landmark $48M deal. Now he spends his time helping other startups find their voice and refine their story for a major exit.

Lior Ohayon shares how he went from dropping out of school to building Hush into one of North America's top weighted blanket brands. He breaks down the key decisions that shaped his path, from leveraging SEO to fund his early ventures, taking calculated risks, and scaling a product-based business from the ground up.

He reflects on the turning points that defined his journey, from struggling with seasonality, to launching a record-breaking Kickstarter and ultimately exiting the company. This conversation gets into the mindset and strategies behind real business growth. Be sure to rate the podcast and follow on your favourite platform, so you never miss a new episode every Wednesday!

Chapters:
03:07 The Decision to Drop Out of School
06:02 First Steps into Entrepreneurship
08:55 Transitioning to Software and SEO
11:54 The Birth of Hush and Partnership Dynamics
14:54 Navigating Challenges and Scaling the Business
17:54 The Kickstarter Success Story
21:07 Building Trust and Collaboration
23:56 Celebrating Small Wins and Validation
26:50 Overcoming Seasonal Challenges
30:06 The Power of Belief and Support
32:59 Lessons Learned from Partnership
38:12 The Power of Problem Solving
39:46 Goal Setting: A Catalyst for Success
42:52 The Importance of Hard Work and Team Dynamics
45:15 Learning Through Experience: The Journey of Entrepreneurship
48:46 The Role of Preparation in Business Success
51:48 Navigating Growth and Change During COVID-19
54:34 The Importance of Values in Business
01:01:16 Reflections on Personal Growth and Future Aspirations

Guest Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lior-ohayon

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