Guy Raz is the creator and host of the popular podcasts How I Built This, Wisdom from the Top; and The Rewind, which is on Spotify. He’s also the co-creator of the acclaimed podcast TED Radio Hour and the children’s programs Wow in the World and Two Whats?! and a Wow! He has finally decided to take all his great interviews from How I Built This and write a book, aptly named, How I Built This.

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Resource

How I Built This – Get Guy’s Book! How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs

3 Value Bombs

1) Break your ideas down into smaller chunks and tackle challenges one at a time.

2) Being an entrepreneur is an incredible and satisfying way to live your life.

3) Through storytelling and narratives, you can truly understand how people successfully navigate all the challenges that go into business.

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Thinkific: Join Thinkific’s first ever 5-day Course Challenge and walk away with a complete blueprint for your online course that you’ll be ready to put into action! Sign-up for this FREE challenge today at Thinkific.com/fire!

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

[1:32] – Guy shares something interesting about himself that most people do not know.

• He can stretch his skin in a freakishly wide way.

[4:11] – What’s the next step after we start developing ourselves and pursuing big ideas?

• Hard work is the next step.
• The easiest part is when you come up with a business idea. The hard work begins the next day when you sit at the table and map out the business plan.
• Think about things the same way as the African proverb, “The best way to eat an elephant is one small bite at a time.”
• Break your ideas down into smaller chunks and tackle challenges one at a time.

[6:32] – What is the difference between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs?

• Entrepreneurs take the lead.
• Learning to accept rejection builds the resilience that you need to start a business.

[8:10] – Guy talks about who his book, How I Built This, is written for.

• It’s for anybody who has a big idea and needs that voice to encourage them and say, “You got this.”
• It’s a business book filled with real wisdom, ideas, mistakes, and challenges that people have dealt with and solved along their journeys.

[10:14] – How much time goes into creating an hour’s worth of finished product?

• They spend a lot of time thinking about who they want to be in their show.
• They make sure that the story is a clear narrative.
• The core of a business is its story.

[12:51] – What is the best way to pivot a business idea?

• Many businesses start out doing one thing and become successful doing something entirely different.

[15:38] – Some people don’t want to start their own business, but want to change something in their own company. How can they think entrepreneurially to effect changes?

• Every single person who works at a big organization can identify challenges in operations or even in products.
• Coming up with solutions can create disruption. But if what you’re trying to do is improve something that your company creates, then you can create solutions in a creative and meaningful way.

[18:50] – A timeout to thank our sponsor, Thinkific!

[21:11] – Why does Guy believe in entrepreneurship so much?

• Being an entrepreneur is an incredible and satisfying way to live your life.
• Small enterprises are the engine of the economy.

[23:53] – When it comes to pursuing our own ideas, why is listening to stories from others so important?

• It reminds us that we are not that different from them.
• One of the things that people find helpful is to hear stories of people they admire or who are going through challenging times. It’s a reminder that you’re not alone.
• Going through challenging times is not the end point. It’s a point along a meaningful journey.

[26:40] – Guy shares what great businesses do better.

• Great businesses bake mission into the idea from day one.
• Great companies define their values and mission. It becomes their North Star and they never lose sight of that.

[28:31] – Every failure is a hidden blessing. What does Guy mean by that?

• Without failure, it’s almost impossible to learn how to improve.
• Those who have found success need to talk about failure and remind people of how many failures they’ve had.
• You have to fail if you’re going to get better at what you do.
• In order to know what to do right, you have to make mistakes.

[31:37] – Where do good ideas come from?

• Good ideas come from talking to a lot of people and keeping your eyes open. Understand that businesses are about solving problems.
• Ultimately, good ideas come from all of us by absorbing, noticing, and identifying problems you may solve.

[33:38] – Guy talks about his book How I Built This.

• People are looking for guidance and ideas on how to navigate building something from scratch.
• This book could be a resource for every mistake – and the solution to those mistakes – in businesses.
• It’s for people who are not sure how to do it and who need that push and guidance.
• Through storytelling and narratives, you’ll truly understand how people have successfully navigated the challenges that go into business.

Killer Resources!

1) The Common Path to Uncommon Success: JLD’s 1st traditionally published book! Over 3000 interviews with the world’s most successful Entrepreneurs compiled into a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!

2) Free Podcast Course: Learn from JLD how to create and launch your podcast!

3) Podcasters’ Paradise: The #1 podcasting community in the world!

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