From the Ground Up

Hello and welcome to our first episode of this year's From the Ground Up summer programming.Today, we have a panel from the most recent South by Southwest, where staff reporter Chloe Aiello sat down with actor, producer, and entrepreneur Lili Reinhart. They discussed how her struggle with acne inspired her to launch a new skincare company called Personal Day.

Panera Bread co-founder Ron Shaich coached John Yarusi, founder of Johnny's Pork Roll and Coffee Too, on clearing one of entrepreneurship’s greatest hurdles: proof of concept.

Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea, coaches Ron Holloway, co-founder of Woofbowl, on expansion and how to market a growing food brand.

If you grew up in the ’90s, the “¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!" chihuahua commercial was inescapable. Remember the vital-to-surfers sunscreen Sun Bum? Both of these memorable branding moments were created by serial entrepreneur Tom Rinks.   Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom sat down with Tom for this episode of From the Ground Up to discuss his unusual path to becoming a branding whiz—and what he’s learned about identifying human desire along the way. His early job of selling furniture taught him how to read people, and his first branding deal, with the University of Michigan’s Fab Five, immersed him in the skills needed to identify talent. Diana and Tom discuss the complex art of brand-creation, company-building, and finding the niche audience who will fiercely love your product. They also discuss Tom’s most recent branding venture, the oral-care line Made by Dentists. Additional research and information: Visit: ⁠Made By Dentists ⁠ Visit: ⁠Made by Dentists’s profile ⁠ Visit: ⁠Made by Dentists’s educational page⁠ Visit:⁠ Sun Bum⁠ Visit: ⁠Sun Bum’s profile (Original Air Date 12-16-2024)

Boston is more than just cobblestone streets and championship banners—it's a thriving ecosystem of innovators, dreamers, and entrepreneurs. Since the early days of American history, Boston has been a hub for entrepreneurial activity. However, the secret of Boston’s thriving local business scene lies in the strong sense of community support and collaboration. From neighborhood business associations and grassroots initiatives to vibrant networking events, Bostonians take pride in lifting one another up. In this episode, we’ll hear from Alafia Spencer, founder of Boston-based Dream Kid Spa, as she shares how some key community partnerships have helped her build her business and the role creativity plays for small-business owners when reaching customers and solving challenges. We’ll also hear from Johnny Charles, senior business consultant and VP of Business Banking at Chase, who will delve into the role of community-driven initiatives, how cultural diversity stemming from the unique neighborhoods scattered across the city fuels creativity, and what’s next for small businesses in a city that blends tradition with transformation. And finally, you'll get the latest economic insights and strategic guidance from Chase for Business CEO Ben Walter, to help your business navigate the second half of 2025.

In 2009, Mitch Fusek and Bill Bronsord, founders of Tunaskin, an aquatic apparel company, turned their passion for the ocean and aquatic sports into a now thriving business. What once started out as an online retail store nearly 15 years ago has grown into a flourishing brick-and-mortar business with four locations across the state of Florida. In this episode, Bronsord will describe how they’ve transformed their passion into a profitable business – sharing the good, the bad and the ugly. He will be joined by Chase executive Michele Grace, who will explain how mentorship and guidance are the building blocks to any business. This episode will provide practical insights, motivational stories, and actionable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to monetize their passions.

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 ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠  (Original Air Date  10-07-2024 )

Karen Robinovitz and Sara Schiller had each been through multiple traumas when they found reinvention and joy through the unlikeliest of substances: slime. Yes, slime. They explain to hosts Diana Ransom and Christine Lagorio-Chafkin how they channeled their newfound joy, and passion for sensory play, into a business, the Sloomoo Institute. Sloomoo is a growing slime-museum business with four locations that makes some 600 gallons of slime each day. This episode was recorded live on-site in SoHo, New York, at the Sloomoo Institute. Links: ⁠Inc.com⁠ article: ⁠www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/from-the-ground-up-sloomoo-institute-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller-grief-as-startup-fuel.html⁠ Episode transcript: ⁠www.inc.com/transcript-from-the-ground-up-podcast-sloomoo-institute-founders-karen-robinovitz-sara-schiller.html⁠ The Sloomoo Institute: ⁠https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/new-york-2-0?utm_source=google.com&utm_medium=organic⁠ Slime play and care (PSA about slime removal!): ⁠https://sloomooinstitute.com/pages/slime-care⁠ *note to listeners: The concepts of death and depression, are mentioned in this episode, as is the fact of a school shooting, though none are discussed in depth. (Original Air Date 04-04-2024)

According to a recent study from Fundera by NerdWallet, women now make up nearly half (44 percent) of Seattle’s self-employed business owners. Despite this impressive statistic, women-owned startups often face significant challenges when attempting to secure capital. While venture capital is one of the best-known ways to fund a business, it doesn't always offer the best path to success. It often comes with tradeoffs such as loss of control and equity dilution, and in 2024 only 1 percent of women-led companies received VC funding. Self-funding, on the other hand, can be a powerful alternative, allowing entrepreneurs to maintain full control of their companies and make decisions independently. In this bonus episode of From the Ground Up in partnership with Chase for Business, Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and Shelia Winston, a Seattle-based Senior Business Consultant at Chase, explain how self-funding can be a powerful alternative for growth that can also put founders in a stronger position to weather uncertainty. Listen as Walter and Winston share insights on the evolving economic climate and how women founders can avoid the VC bubble and find long-term success.

Lucy Guo, the youngest self-made female billionaire and CEO of Passes, shares her entrepreneurial journey from AI to consumer ventures. She reflects humorously on her billionaire status, highlighting the challenges of launching a platform for creators inspired by models like OnlyFans and Patreon. Guo emphasizes the complexities of monetizing creator content while facing ethical dilemmas and the importance of human judgment in AI. Her transition from a B2B environment to consumer engagement reveals the tough roads of startup culture and innovation.