School of Hard Knocks Podcast

Alison and Stephen Ellsworth, founders of Poppi, share how they went from early-stage struggles and personal health challenges to building and exiting a $2 billion beverage company. They discuss risking financial stability, validating their product through real customers, leveraging viral content for growth, and navigating the realities of scaling a business as a married couple. This episode explo...

Bill Gurley, legendary venture capitalist and early investor in Uber and Zillow, shares the principles behind identifying billion-dollar companies. He reflects on missing the Google opportunity, lessons from evaluating thousands of founders, and why execution consistently beats ideas. The conversation explores network effects, founder psychology, venture capital decision-making, and how young inve...

John Caudwell, founder of Phones 4u, built a billion-pound empire from scratch and exited for £1.5 billion after two decades of relentless growth. Starting with monthly losses and facing near collapse after losing 95% of his supply, he rebuilt through sharp commercial instincts and strategic hiring. In this episode, he shares lessons on scaling to 10,000 employees, hiring elite talent, navigating...

Robert Croak is the founder of Sillybandz, the global toy brand that exploded into one of the biggest product crazes of the 2010s, selling billions of units worldwide. In this episode he shares the story behind discovering the idea in China, scaling from 17 to over 3,000 employees, and building a brand that reached hundreds of thousands of retail stores. Croak also breaks down lessons on entrepren...

Ben Pogue is the CEO of one of America’s fastest growing construction companies, generating over $1.5 billion in annual revenue . After unexpectedly taking over the business at age 29, he navigated personal hardship, public industry controversy, and massive leadership pressure. In this episode, Ben shares how culture, faith, and people-first leadership transformed his company into a powerhouse wit...

Forbes Riley is the “Pitch Queen,” known for selling over $2.5B in products across TV, infomercials, and live demonstrations, including 64,000 units in 24 hours and $1.2M in a day. In this episode, she breaks down the pitch structure that creates instant desire, third-party proof, urgency, and closes without over explaining. She also shares the personal adversity that shaped her obsession with com...

Vic Tipnes is a healthcare entrepreneur who built a dominant sleep testing company after starting with almost nothing. In this episode, he breaks down the low point of having $78 in his account, the long grind before the breakthrough, and the aggressive deal-making that helped him take market share fast. He also explains why service is a competitive weapon, why “money loves speed,” and how leaders...

Myron Golden is a renowned business consultant and sales strategist known for turning content into cash flow through offers, authority, and value-based selling. In this episode, he breaks down why income follows value—not effort—why “time is money” is a trap, and how to use the law of averages to win in sales. He also shares his faith-based framework for decision-making, mentorship, and building a...

Jim Keyes led some of the most iconic companies in the world, including serving as CEO of 7 Eleven during one of the most volatile periods in its history. He breaks down how growing up dirt poor shaped his leadership edge, why 7 Eleven’s bankruptcy nearly ended the company, and how seeing crisis as opportunity changed the trajectory of his career. We also cover what actually saves companies in fre...

Vic Keller founded 17 companies and exited 9 of them, including three sales to Berkshire Hathaway. He breaks down how growing up blue collar shaped his edge, why getting punched in the mouth early almost killed his first business, and how rebuilding instead of quitting changed everything. We also cover what real buyers look for, why cheap deals are not worth the pain, how to deleverage the founder...

Kirt Linington is a South Africa–born entrepreneur who came to the U.S. with $700, started door knocking at 42, and sold his roofing company in 2022 for a nine-figure exit. He breaks down how he built $62M in revenue while still working his corporate job, why sales must come before systems, and how to think about rejection as a skill—not a personality trait. We also cover what private equity looks...

Daniel Lubetzky is the founder of KIND and one of the most influential entrepreneurs in modern consumer brands. In this episode, we break down how he went from a $24,000 salary after Stanford Law School to building a $5 billion company, why long term thinking matters more than early wins, and how purpose driven capitalism can create both impact and scale. Daniel shares how embracing setbacks shape...

Ari Rastegar is a real estate developer and investor behind some of the most ambitious projects reshaping major U.S. cities. In this episode, we break down how starting with just $3,000 turned into a multi-billion-dollar real estate portfolio, why failure became his greatest advantage, and why most people misunderstand what it actually takes to build long term wealth. Ari explains why zoning, timi...

Dr. De is the CEO of Biohax, a healthcare company focused on optimizing health, performance, and longevity for high performers. In this episode, we break down why burnout is normalized, why modern systems treat symptoms instead of building long-term health, and how hidden stressors quietly drain energy and performance over time. Dr. De shares his framework for reclaiming control over your biology...

Dariush Soudhi is a serial entrepreneur who built — lost — and rebuilt multiple companies after a violent home invasion led to a heart attack, frozen accounts, and total collapse. Starting over in Dubai with just $750, he rebuilt from zero through door-to-door sales, ruthless self-accountability, and value-based pricing. Today, he runs a portfolio of businesses by solving real problems and chargin...

In this episode of the School of Hard Knocks, we sit down with Robert Kiyosaki, legendary author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and real estate investor with over 15,000 rental properties. He shares how he went from Marine helicopter pilot and failed employee to building massive tax-free cash flow and global financial influence. Robert breaks down why he rejects traditional education, why “your house is no...

Tommy Mello, founder of A1 Garage Door, scaled his home-service company to more than $300M in annual revenue and over 1,100 employees. His journey spans two decades of failures, rebuilding, systemizing, and mastering leadership. In this episode, he breaks down talent acquisition, firing top performers, building an owner-mindset workforce, and the philosophy that helped him 10x EBITDA in under two...

In this episode of the School of Hard Knocks Podcast, we sit down with Ken McEelroy, a real estate investor who manages over $2 billion in assets and runs a 300-person company in just 90 minutes a week. He shares how he went from property manager to owner, using distressed properties, billboards, and smart debt to build a massive portfolio. Ken breaks down tax strategies, passive income, hiring ch...

Butch Hartman — creator of The Fairly OddParents , Danny Phantom , and more — reveals how he turned rejection into one of the most successful runs in Nickelodeon history. From his early days as an animator to running his own studio, Hartman shares the formula behind hit shows, building creative teams, learning business in Hollywood, and how faith shaped his success. A masterclass in creativity, pe...

Neil Patel became a millionaire at 17, lost it all by 20, and came back to build a 9-figure global marketing company. In this episode, he reveals the hard truths about fame, money, and the business of content — why followers don’t pay the bills, how AI will redefine marketing, and what it really takes to build lasting success in the new digital era. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for...

Tony Cuccio is a true American entrepreneur — a kid from Brooklyn who started with just $200 selling beauty products on Venice Beach and built a global empire worth over $2 billion in sales across 90 countries. Known as the man who revolutionized the nail industry, Tony invented gel nails and turned a small street business into one of the most recognizable beauty brands in the world. In this episo...

Kendra Scott is a single mom and college dropout who built a billion-dollar brand from her bedroom. With only $500 and a dream, she turned handmade jewelry into one of the most successful fashion empires in America. In this episode, she shares how she went from failure and near bankruptcy to building a company rooted in family, fashion, and philanthropy. From shipping Nordstrom orders out of her k...

Adley Kinsman is one of the most influential creators on the planet, generating over 1.3 billion views every month and proving that virality isn’t luck—it’s a formula. After going bankrupt and starting from scratch, she built an eight-figure media company and became the architect behind some of the internet’s most viral videos. In this episode, Adley reveals how she engineered her success, turned...

Greg Perlman is one of America’s most successful and generous real estate investors. Founder of multiple ventures and one of the largest affordable housing portfolios in the U.S., he built a $2.5 billion empire with over 25,000 apartments nationwide. After decades of building wealth through Section 8 housing, he made a rare decision — to give away 75% of his fortune. In this episode, Greg shares h...

Tom Healy is the world’s youngest self-made billionaire — a Carnegie Mellon dropout who raised $700M, took his company public at 28, and even dethroned Kylie Jenner. From building startups in his dorm room to ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, his story is a masterclass in vision, risk-taking, and resilience. In this episode, Tom shares the wild swings of watching his net worth rise...