How I Built This with Guy Raz

In today’s special episode, Guy and four former show guests talk with callers about how they can prove the value of their products—and themselves.
First, Meagan from Vermont questions whether an experiential pop-up concept for her reusable gift wrap and bags is worth the effort. Then, Amanda from Wisconsin seeks new ways to explain her deck of dog enrichment activities to potential customers. And finally, Mark from New York looks for a complement to help grow his artisanal pesto business.

Thank you to the founders of Shiki Wrap, Woofsie, and In Mark’s Kitchen for coming on the show. Also thanks to WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey, Paperless Post co-founder Alexa Hirschfeld, and Chomps co-founders Pete Maldonado and Rashid Ali.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to [email protected] or call 1-800-433-1298.
This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

To hear our returning guests’ previous episodes:
Miguel's original episode: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-wework-miguel-mckelvey/
Miguel's HIBT Lab episode: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-hibt-lab-wework-miguel-mckelvey/
Miguel's Advice Line episode: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-advice-line-with-miguel-mckelvey-of-wework/
Alexa's original episode: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-paperless-post-james-and-alexa-hirschfeld/
Alexa's Advice Line episode: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-advice-line-with-alexa-hirschfeld-of-paperless-post/
Pete and Rashid's original episode: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-chomps-pete-maldonado-and-rashid-ali/
Pete and Rashid's Advice Line episode: https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/episode/10386-advice-line-with-pete-maldonado-and-rashid-ali-of-chomps/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aaron Krause did not set out to reinvent the kitchen sponge. He was a car detailer, building buffing pads and the machines that made them. To clean his greasy hands, he made a makeshift hand scrubber out of extra-rough foam, and it worked so well he decided to sell it.

But nobody wanted it.

He shelved the product for years. Then one day while cleaning up around the house, he accidentally discovered the foam’s “magic” properties and realized it would make the perfect kitchen sponge. Scrub Daddy was born.

As a friend advised him, nobody goes to the supermarket to discover new innovations in sponges. So Aaron did a furious round of in-store demos and eventually wound up on QVC (where he nearly got kicked off) and finally Shark Tank, where he made $1M the night it aired.
In this episode, Aaron breaks down the unglamorous mechanics of building a consumer brand—negotiation, patents, and the obsession needed to keep going when no one believes in your vision.

You’ll learn:
How Aaron’s many patents helped drive his car-detailing business
The hidden downside of “great” deals: exclusivity traps and corporate bureaucracy
How Aaron forced 3M to rethink value during acquisition negotiations
How to sell a product no one is shopping for
How Scrub Daddy built a brand block (Scrub Mommy & more) to become a category leader
How to defend against copycats—patents, trade dress and aggressive enforcement

Timestamps:
07:24 — “You get to buy your own sneakers”—the childhood lesson that shapes Aaron’s hustle
09:03 — The brutal factory internship that sends him back to washing cars
17:50 — The mirror snaps off a Mercedes… leading to a buffing pad breakthrough
19:58 — The parable of the DIY patent: “If you had a toothache, would you drill your own tooth?”
27:36 — Dirty factory hands inspire Aaron to invent a special hand scrubber… which no one wants
41:35 — Aaron hangs up on a corporate powerhouse: refusing to sell to 3M based on EBITDA
51:16 — The shelved scrubbers come out of storage and Aaron discovers their “magical” properties
1:02:31 — Retail won’t bite—so he demos in ShopRite and sells 100 sponges a day
1:13:43 — Shark Tank → $1M in one night… and retailers suddenly call back

Follow How I Built This:
Instagram → @howibuiltthis
X → @HowIBuiltThis
Facebook → How I Built This
Follow Guy Raz:
Instagram → @guy.raz
Youtube → guy_raz
X → @guyraz
Substack → guyraz.substack.com
Website → guyraz.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s callers: Heather from Ontario talks through a DTC strategy for her retail pain relief tape and patches. Then Nawal in Michigan considers a rebrand for her uniforms designed for Muslim students. Finally, Casey in Idaho seeks new revenue streams for her farmer and worker-owned seed cooperative.
Plus, Hernan’s take on the future of podcasting and the sweet relief of vindication...
Thank you to the founders of Heali Medical, Studyous Monday, and Snake River Seed Cooperative for joining us on the show.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to [email protected] or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to Wondery’s founding story as told by Hernan on the show in 2023.
This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford. A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business
At 40, Beryl Stafford’s life cracked open. Her marriage ended, she hadn’t worked in years, and she had two daughters to raise. She needed income—fast.
So she did the only thing that felt real: she baked.
What started as 4-ingredient oat bars— hastily placed in a Boulder coffee shop—became Bobo’s, a national brand built in the Silicon Valley of natural foods.
In this episode, Beryl walks us through the scrappy early days: buying ingredients at full retail, a risky $25K packaging machine, the Whole Foods breakthrough, the burnout, and the pressure shift that comes with outside capital—and Costco.
It’s a story powered by community support, relentless demos, and a founder who kept saying “yes” before she knew how.
What you’ll learn:
Why “survival” can be a powerful founder advantage
How to sell your product before you feel ready (and why that’s often the point)
The unglamorous truth of early CPG: shelf life, shared kitchens, endless demos
In a trend-driven category, the value of sticking to a recipe “your grandmother could have made.”
The two faces of Costco: growth rocket and operational trap

Timestamps:
08:35—Divorced at 40… “I was trying to survive.”
12:02—The baking project with her daughter… and the unexpected product-market signal
17:21—The first sale: snack bars in cellophane; making up a price
28:38—Sharing a kitchen with Justin’s Nut Butters: scrappy collaboration + conflict
31:49—The first-time founder playbook: sell first, learn the rest later
33:54—Whole Foods says yes… before she knows what “freezer safe packaging” even means
39:10—Getting into national distribution: “What just happened?”
46:34—Burnout, hiring a CEO, raising outside money—and what changes when investors arrive
54:31—The Costco conundrum: huge upside, real downside
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This episode was produced by Noor Gill, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.
Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.
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Follow How I Built This:
Instagram → @howibuiltthis
X → @HowIBuiltThis
Facebook → How I Built This
Follow Guy Raz:
Instagram → @guy.raz
Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz
Substack → guyraz.substack.com
Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s callers: Jane in Minnesota wants to scale her artful pants brand while staying true to her locally-made mission. Then Melissa in New Mexico wonders how to respond to diminishing returns on digital advertising for her grief care packages. And Lee in Massachusetts hopes to decrease customer acquisition costs for his history merch brand ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
Plus, Miguel reflects on his WeWork experience and the similarities he sees in today’s AI-dominated tech industry. Miguel’s latest venture, Unbound, seeks to disrupt healthcare in the United Kingdom.
Thank you to the founders of Copa Threads, Good Grief, and The History List Store for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to [email protected] or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to WeWork’s founding story as told by Miguel in 2017, as well as his second appearance on the show in 2022.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.