What I Know
Inc. Magazine
The greatest businesses weren’t born from moments of genius. They emerged after years of discovery--and often after years of failure. What I Know from Inc. magazine takes you inside the messy, painful, and--every so often--transcendent journey of starting a company. Through candid interviews, Inc. senior writer Christine Lagorio-Chafkin draws out the real grit and true lessons behind innovative companies and remarkable brands.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 28, 2020 • 39min
Melissa Ben-Ishay: The Faking It Playbook
On today's episode, Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Melissa Ben-Ishay, founder and CEO of Baked by Melissa, about tiny cupcakes, combatting imposter syndrome and stepping into the role of CEO at her company.
Sep 21, 2020 • 39min
John Mackey: The Delicate Balance of Purpose and Profit
On today's episode, Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market. They discuss company culture, learning from mistakes and his new book Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business.
Sep 14, 2020 • 46min
Scott Svenson: Managing the Tension
Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Scott Svenson--co-founder, chairman and CEO of MOD Pizza--about the purpose behind his company’s existence and balancing that motivating mission with fiscal sustainability.
Aug 10, 2020 • 52min
Rich Kleiman: Instill Your Will on Your Future
Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Rich Kleiman, co-founder of Thirty Five Ventures, about his partnership with NBA superstar Kevin Durant, his time at Roc Nation, and how to break out of complacency.
Jul 27, 2020 • 52min
Michael Acton Smith: Vision Without Execution is Just Hallucination
Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Michael Acton Smith, co-founder and co-CEO of Calm, about executing on the day-to-day work of starting a business, serial entrepreneurship and digital monsters.
Jul 20, 2020 • 46min
Neil Blumenthal: Research Your Way out of Risk
Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, about mitigating risk, preparing for business after COVID-19 and a food dehydrator informercial that sparked Neil's entrepreneurial spirit as a child.
Jun 29, 2020 • 37min
Sandra Oh Lin: Be a Transparent Leader During Times of Uncertainty
Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Sandra Oh Lin, founder and CEO of KiwiCo, and leadership during COVID-19,
Jun 22, 2020 • 44min
Tariq Farid: Find a Mentor Who Challenges Your Ideas
Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks to Tariq Farid, founder and CEO of Edible Arrangements, about mentorship, growing a business with a franchise model and how his company has handled the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19.
Jun 15, 2020 • 37min
Eileen Fisher: Find the Voice Behind Your Vision
The founder of the iconic clothing brand Eileen Fisher built a company rooted in creative values and radical simplicity of design. Over the years, the vision frayed--especially when she became less involved in maintaining it. She explains to Christine Lagorio-Chafkin how she found her voice and is using it to bring her brand back to its roots while calling on the industry to adopt sustainability
Jun 8, 2020 • 35min
Shan-Lyn Ma: Take the Time To Build a Rock-Solid Foundation
Zola CEO and co-founder Shan-Lyn Ma speaks with Christine Lagorio-Chafkin about why building and fortifying her vision for a wedding-registry company took four years. Only then was it time to branch out into new products and services.
