Stephen Semple and David Young
The Empire Builders Podcast
Reverse engineering the success of established business empires.
Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: theempirebuilderspodcast.com
Author
Stephen Semple and David Young
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Oct 28, 2026
Where to listen?
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Episodes
#279: Square – Thinking Inside The Box 28.10.2026 23:43
Jim McKelvey looks at his iPhone and thinks this is a phone, a camera, a map, a music player and a camera… Why not a credit card machine? Audio: Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and...
#278: Down Dating – Part 2 – Doubling Down and Getting Focused 21.10.2026 23:21
Colin understood that being an entrepreneur meant developing muscles you don’t have as an “employee”. Focus, commitment, resilience… Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom ...
#277: Down Dating – Part 1 – Created, Sold and Bought Back Again 07.10.2026 23:38
Colin Hodge created a dating app the took off and got a lot of attention. He just did expect to buy it back after he sold it. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major...
#276: General Mills Fruit Roll-Up – Good Food Marketed as FUN! 30.09.2026 18:32
First they tried to make a cake filling product, but figured out that healthier foods need to be fun for kids to eat them. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major...
#275: Joray Fruit Roll-Up – Yup, They Invented It! 23.09.2026 14:50
Have you ever heard of fruit leather? You know, that famous Syrian treat. Well, let’s learn how that became the iconic Fruit Roll-Up. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop ...
#274: Palm Pilot – Inspired By A Failed Product 16.09.2026 20:16
Apple’s PDA device Newton was a little too ambitious. So Jeff Hawkins, did the opposite and removed capabilities to create Palm Pilot. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to ...
#273: BNI – Part 2 – Continuing The Growth 09.09.2026 29:47
Dr. Misner learned that the law of reciprocity is the strongest form of connection and now “Givers Gain” is the philosophy that all the members of BNI live by. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from...
#272: BNI – Part 1 – The Unexpected Origin 02.09.2026 26:52
Dr. Ivan Misner was looking for more business so he set up a business networking meeting. What happened next he didn’t anticipate. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to...
#271: Hi-C – Scurvy No More 26.08.2026 18:15
Can you believe we didn’t really discover vitamin C until the 1930’s? Well, Nile Foster, knew what to do with it. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major...
#270: Kraft Singles – Keeping Up With The Times 19.08.2026 15:38
When Norman Kraft took over the company he wanted to leave his mark. I think he succeeded. What do you think? Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands....
#269: Shopify – Born of Necessity 12.08.2026 19:08
What do you do when you follow the love of your life to a new country and aren’t legally allowed to work? You start Shopify… Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to...
#268: Chanel – From Orphan to Empire 05.08.2026 20:49
To say that Coco Chanel was influential in fashion would be a huge understatement. Ever heard of the little black dress? Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Stephe...
#267: Swiss Miss – Bye Bye Milkman 29.07.2026 18:33
The Sanna family of Chicago saw the end of the milkman and needed adapt their dairy business for the future. Hello Swiss Miss. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to majo...
#266: Yoohoo – Means I Love You 22.07.2026 18:10
Natale Olivieri wanted to sell bottled drinks so people could take them home. Noticed no premade chocolate milk, so… YooHoo! Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to ...
#264: Ferragamo – Comfortable Luxury 08.07.2026 21:39
Salvatori Ferragamo didn’t make beautiful shoes, he made shoes that work with the human body beautifully. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Steph...
#263: The Beauty Way – Part 2 01.07.2026 21:15
Jyoti Lohman continues to tell us her business journey creating The Beauty Way experience and why it is important. Listen to part 1 first. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop ...
#262: The Beauty Way – Part 1 24.06.2026 19:04
Jyoti Lohman started The Beauty Way, a spa experience and product line to inspire women to pause and be taken care of. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major b...
#261: Scott Paper – Rolling With The Times 17.06.2026 1:01
The Scott brothers saw opportunity when the ‘Crapper’ started to become a household name. Thank you Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands.&...
#260: Auntie Anne’s Pretzels – Rural Pennsylvania to 2000 Stores 10.06.2026 17:31
Anne Beiler want to support her husband’s business by selling some homemade goods at the local food market. I guess it worked. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major...
#259: Cinnabon – Putting The Cart Before The Horse 03.06.2026 17:55
Rich and Greg Komen decided they wanted a empire and then went a built it. Not the normal path, but… Cinnabon! Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major bra...
#258: Xerox – An Empire By Necessity 27.05.2026 25:18
Joseph Wilson was loosing the battle to Kodak when he discovered the xerography machine. Then he made it sellable. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brand...
#256: Hermes – Being Craftsmen 13.05.2026 21:15
From the beginning, the Hermes Family knew they were in the craftsmen business. Making products that last for generations. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Step...
#255: Top Golf – Identity Crisis??? 06.05.2026 22:28
Steve and Dave Jolliffee realized that driving ranges lacked feedback. Golfers need feedback to improve, so they created a way to get feedback. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop&...
#254: Tiffany & Co – Pantone 1847 Is Their Color 29.04.2026 20:43
Tiffany & Co was one of the first companies to introduce fixed pricing. Then became the luxury brand of New York. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. ...
#253: Foxy Box (part 2) – Becoming a Franchise 22.04.2026 23:58
Sometimes you need to listen to the universe when it is trying to help you. Kyla Dufrense listened and survived. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Step...
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