Business on the Brink

A Kickstarter campaign with a $50,000 goal to fund a beverage cooler with lots of bonus features topped 13 million, so why does the Coolest Cooler end up on so many crowdfunding failure lists? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where do you go when you want a steak dinner for an affordable price without all the fancy restaurant trappings? It used to be a place called Steak and Ale. Whatever happened to that chain? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once upon a time, the Borders bookstore chain was the biggest story in the industry. But in 2011, the company would go out of business and that's all she wrote. We look at what happened. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It began as a shop catering to hobbyists and grew into an enormous chain of electronics stores. But despite numerous efforts to stay relevant (including a ridiculed rebranding), RadioShack found itself on the brink of disaster. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave Thomas took a small fortune he earned working with KFC restaurants to found his own hamburger chain, growing it to compete against the likes of McDonald's and Burger King. Ariel and Jonathan ask the immortal question, "Where's the beef?" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was once a powerful video game company that many thought would challenge Nintendo for dominance. So what happened to Sega to make it fall so far? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After establishing an animation studio, Walt Disney faced a new challenge: how to stay relevant in a world where short-form animation was getting less profitable? His solution was to do something his contemporaries said would be impossible -- make the world's first feature-length animated film. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

The Brink looks at how Walt Disney, through inspiration, determination and just plain stubbornness was able to found an animation studio despite numerous challenges.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ride hailing service was on the verge of heading to the scrap heap in the wake of some seriously questionable decisions and toxic corporate culture. This is the story of how things got so bad and how new corporate leadership is working on a major course correction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Between soda pop and sparkling water, there was Clearly Canadian, a collection of fruit-flavored drinks that created a new market. But it's one thing to invent a new category and another entirely to hold onto market share. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kodak was the leader in consumer photography for decades, but the rise of digital cameras would shake the company to its core. This is the story of how the company that invented digital cameras was almost destroyed by them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the popularity of comic books waned, Marvel was in trouble. The company might have gone out of business entirely. But the efforts of some dedicated employees along with a big boost from Disney would change things forever. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Marvel is known for breaking global box office records with blockbuster films. But this multibillion dollar company first got its start from much more humble beginnings. How did Marvel establish itself? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2003, a Stanford drop-out named Elizabeth Holmes started a company with a grand vision of disrupting the clinical diagnostic industry. She sold the idea of democratized healthcare results to investors. Now she just had to make the tech work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What started out as a company that made playing cards grew into a global powerhouse in video games. But along the way, this same company made a lot of mistakes, from taxi services to "love hotels." This is Nintendo! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton hotels, took a lot of risks while building his empire. Despite numerous setbacks and challenges, he was able to forge a powerful company and establish hundreds of hotels across the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1990s, CBS was on a roller coaster. The TV network went from first to worst, leading to a buyout and a big change in programming. How did CBS navigate the difficult transition and emerge as America's most watched network? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's probably a location within an easy walk of where you are, but how did Starbucks become the omnipresent coffee shop? We look at the history of this famous chain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The clothing brand associated with preppy kids established itself early on in the 1980s but found itself floundering after focusing on more high-priced products. This is the story of how a brand nearly priced itself out of the market. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did the Pabst Blue Ribbon beer really win a blue ribbon prize at the Chicago World's Fair? And how did this award-winning brew become associated with cheap beer? How did hipsters revive and then abandon PBR? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those pesky Millennials are at it again. From mayo to diamonds, they're just killing off industries left and right. Where did that idea come from and is it valid? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a move to Durango, Colorado, Frank Crail had a tough decision ahead of him. Should he open up a chocolate factory, or a car wash? Lucky for chocaholics, he picked the sweeter route. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It started off as a galoshes company and evolved into a brand that for many years was an integral component of basketball in the US. We look at the lay ups and smack downs Converse has experienced since 1908. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once it was the king of social media platforms but these days MySpace is nearly forgotten. How did the company go from being on top of the world to a punchline? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This venerable company, whose trademarked name became the generic term for photocopiers, has been through a lot. We look at how some recent major changes have reshaped Xerox. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.