

Inspired with Alexa von Tobel
Inspired Capital
Inspired with Alexa von Tobel dives headfirst into conversations with the most ambitious people on the planet. Host Alexa von Tobel, Founder and Managing Partner of Inspired Capital, gets under the hood of guests’ ambitions, from pivotal childhood moments to the critical advice that shaped their life paths. What does it take to be a true visionary, one who stares down monumental challenges with grit and resilience? Learn directly from those builders and problem-solvers whose determination is shaping a brighter, more inspired future.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 11, 2019 • 32min
How to Solve the Unsolvable, with Doug Hirsch of GoodRx
When you start your career as one of the first employees at Yahoo and go on to launch photo tagging at Facebook, what do you do next? For Doug Hirsch, the answer came from looking around for the most challenging problem to solve next. In 2010, after being quoted an outrageous price for a prescription, he had the idea for GoodRx - a company that now provides millions of Americans with affordable and convenient access to prescription medications. GoodRx is now the #1 rated medical app and has a $2.8 billion valuation. Doug shares why he's obsessed with solving messy problems, the importance of blocking out time each day for thinking, and how he views his career through the lens of wanting to make the world a better place.

Dec 4, 2019 • 32min
How to Grow from Founder to CEO, with Brian Halligan of Hubspot
In 2006, Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah teamed up in Boston to launch Hubspot. Since then, Hubspot has become the leading B2B software for inbound marketing and sales. The company went public in 2014 and continues to grow rapidly, with approx. 70,000 customers today. Along the way, Brian has co-authored two books, is a lecturer at MIT Sloan, and has been named a Top-Rated CEO by Glassdoor four times. Brian shares how he made the switch from delighting prospects to delighting customers, why he believes in being a product-focused org, and why he personally receives a 30+ page 360 degree review to optimize his performance as CEO.Make sure to follow Brian on social at @hubspot and @brian_halligan.

Nov 27, 2019 • 32min
How to Speak to a Niche Audience, with Samantha Fishbein of Betches
In 2011, Samantha Fishbein came together with two college classmates to start an anonymous website, "Betches Love This." When the site took off, Betches quickly went from a fun project to a meaningful business known for deeply resonating with its massive millennial audience. Today, the Betches empire includes New York Times bestselling books, an e-commerce platform, podcasts, and nearly 7 million instagram followers. Samantha shares why bootstrapping helped the company grow at a steady pace, why positive feedback is critical as a manager, and what makes gen z tick.Make sure to follow Samantha on social at @betches and @sami.

Nov 20, 2019 • 36min
How to Craft a Viral Product, with Ivan Zhao of Notion
As we all strive to increase our productivity, it's no wonder that productivity startup Notion has taken off. Since co-founder and CEO Ivan Zhao launched a prototype a few years ago, Notion has gained a cult following of over one million users. With a team of less than 30 employees, the company has already achieved a sky-high valuation of $800M. Ivan shares his approach to democratizing software, why he believes engineers are the scribes of our time, and why he moved to Kyoto to reboot the company in its earliest days. Make sure to follow Ivan on social at @notionhq and @ivanhzhao.

Nov 13, 2019 • 35min
How to Be the Best at One Thing, with Alli Webb and Michael Landau of Drybar
In 2010, professional hairstylist Alli Webb had the idea to open a salon with a simple motto: "No cuts, no color, just blowouts." She teamed up with her brother, and Drybar has since become a clear beauty industry leader, with over 130 salons and full suite of products. Now, a long stream of upstarts claim to be "the Drybar of [insert service here]." Alli and Michael share how they found investors who could add value and not just capital, why Michael joined Alli even though he was skeptical about the market fit, and how they've trained thousands of stylists over the last decade. Make sure to follow Alli and Michael on social at @thedrybar @alliwebb and @mdlandau.

Nov 6, 2019 • 32min
How to Scale Rapidly, with Toby Sun of Lime
The era of cars being our go-to mode of transportation may be behind us. At least, if companies like Lime continue on their trajectories of rapid growth. Since launching in 2017, Lime has revolutionized the first and last mile for people around the world, serving more than 15 million users in just a few short years. Toby shares how growing up in a city of over 20 million people inspired his big idea, how Lime grew 10x last year and achieved profitability in key markets, and why he believes our future cities will be built around people—and not cars. Make sure to follow Toby on social at @lime and @toby.lime.

Oct 30, 2019 • 36min
How to Build an Effective Company Culture, with Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz
In today's world, the success or failure of a company is often attributed to its company culture. But what defines culture? That's the question Ben Horowitz sets out to answer in his new book, What You Do Is Who You Are—drawing on key lessons from history and his own experience co-founding Opsware (which sold to HP for $1.6 billion) and venture firm Andreessen Horowitz (which counts Airbnb, Lyft, and Slack in its portfolio). Ben shares the two things he looks for in founders before backing them, why culture is how people behave when you're not there, and what prison culture has to do with corporate culture.Make sure to follow Ben on social at @bhorowitz0 and @andreessenhorowitz.

Oct 23, 2019 • 34min
How to Foster Collaboration, with Dr. Joseph DeSimone of Carbon
What if 3D printing was 100x faster? That's the big question Dr. Joseph DeSimone posed in his 2015 TED talk, which he gave at the very same moment he unveiled his new company's website. Since then, his company, Carbon, has quickly grown to become the most valuable 3D tech company in the world with a valuation north of $2 billion. Joseph shares how his 20+ years as a professor at UNC lead him to entrepreneurship, what it feels like to have a team counting on you, and how Carbon has achieved an 89 NPS score with the first-ever manufacturing product available via subscription.Be sure to follow Joseph on social at @carbon.

Oct 16, 2019 • 33min
How to Build for the Future, with Everett Cook of Rho Business Banking
Advancements in fintech mean that entrepreneurs are shaking up every aspect of the financial system. Co-founders Everett Cook and Alex Wheldon have just launched their company, Rho, to do exactly that for business banking. They believe a winning formula is a mix of better rates, best-in-class service, and sleek technology. Everett shares why over-communication is key for a strong partnership, how he leverages his Sunday afternoons to make for more productive weeks, and why he believes in hiring employees who have a sense of urgency.Be sure to follow Everett on social at @rhobusiness

Oct 9, 2019 • 42min
How to Be Authentic Storytellers, with Danielle Snyder and Jodie Snyder-Morel of Dannijo
What started as a childhood hobby for sisters Danielle and Jodie has turned into a thriving fashion business, Dannijo. Through a commitment to scrappiness and a knack for marketing via ever-evolving social media channels, Dannijo has managed to stay relevant to its community of super fans for over a decade. Danielle and Jodie share how getting fired gave them the courage to launch, how they put their sisterhood aside in pursuit of a strong business partnership, and why the retail experience needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.Be sure to follow Danielle and Jodi on social at @dannijo, @danielleasnyder, and @jodiesnydermorel.