Problem Solvers

Latest Episodes:

Start A Company, Figure Out The Business Model Later? Oct 01, 2018

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When Ari and Gavi started Indiewalls, a company that wanted to manage sales of art on cafe walls, they hadn't fully thought through just how difficult it would be. But that turned out to be for the better: Because they were willing to dive into this crazy industry, they were able to meet people who wanted art, understand the marketplace, and then transform into an entirely different company. This is the story of how they began with an idea that didn't work, and pivoted into one that does.

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How Comedian Nicole Arbour Thrived Despite Chronic Pain Sep 24, 2018

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Millions of people know Nicole Arbour as a comedian, actor, model, YouTube celebrity, and Instagram influencer—but until recently, she was afraid to reveal another side to her: Years ago, a car accident had left her with chronic, debilitating pain. She worried that if people knew, they wouldn’t want to work with her. Or, she feared, she’d become defined by her disability. But now she’s talking. This is the story of how Nicole learned to cope with the pain, surround herself with positivity, launch a new career, and be funnier and more popular than ever.

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The Difference Between "Any Sales" And "The Right Sales" Sep 17, 2018

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How Malcolm Gladwell Solves Problems Sep 10, 2018

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Why It Took Dunkin' Donuts 10 Years to Build the Perfect New Cup Sep 03, 2018

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Sometimes, the simplest ideas turn out to be the hardest. That was the case at Dunkin' Donuts, where the company wanted to eliminate its Styrofoam cups and replace them with something more environmentally friendly. They thought it would be easy -- but the change took 10 years, countless prototyes, meetings with competitors, and a deep study of how people hold cups. This is the inside story of that quest, and how Dunkin' finally got it right.

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The New Product Doesn't Work. Do We Scrap It? Aug 27, 2018

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Should Entrepreneurs Lie? (And How A Lie Saved Stonyfield Farm) Aug 20, 2018

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Here at Entrepreneur magazine, we hear a lot of stories about how entrepreneurs founded their companies. Many tend to follow a similar format. Someone has an idea. They take a bold risk to make it a reality, often sacrificing a fair amount of time, money, and relationships in the process. They become incredibly resourceful. They outsmart their competition. And at some point... they lie. It's so common to hear about an entrepreneur's lie -- to win over a first client, say, or to bring in resources when they're needed the most -- that we forget to pause and ask: Where's the line? On this episode, we consider the question with the cofounder of Stonyfield Yogurt, who saved his company in its early days with a particularly clever and daring bend of the truth.

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How Tony Hawk Learned To Protect His Brand Aug 13, 2018

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Why This CEO Fired Himself Aug 06, 2018

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When Matt Bodnar became CEO of Fresh Technologies, he took over a failing company and saved it from disaster. That felt great. Then he hit a wall: He couldn’t seem to get this company to grow, or to fix its internal culture. He began suffering from self-doubt. He’d always wanted to be a CEO, and he initially seemed good at it, but now here he was… failing! After a lot of soul-searching, Matt came to an important realization: He needed to identify what he was good at, and then use those strengths. And that meant no longer being a CEO. In this episode, we explore how Matt came to that conclusion -- and why it supercharged his career.

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Her Company Was Growing, So Why Was It Failing? Jul 30, 2018

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Just Between Friends is a nationwide franchise that runs consignment events. About a decade ago, it experienced a crazy jolt: It sold more franchise units than it ever had... and that fast growth nearly bankrupted the company. Why? Because here’s the difficult truth about growing a business: Not all growth is equal. Sometimes, growth in one part of your business can harm another part of your business. So to fix the problem, Just Between Friends had to hit pause and consider some very important questions: What’s the right way to grow? And what does it really take to get there?

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