Podcast
From the Ground Up
Hosted by Inc. Magazine · EN
It takes audacity to start a company, grit to grow it, and community to survive the ordeal. From the Ground Up features frank and unfiltered conversations—with some of the most successful founders in the world—about navigating the role of the founder, the tips and tricks entrepreneurs need to know to be successful, and the secrets that nobody really tells you before you start a business.
72episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
1 Smart Business Story: How to Optimize Your Sleep Like an Olympian
Mar 200:24:23Summary readyWhether you’re an Olympic athlete or a business leader, sleep optimization is key to improving performance. Inc. staff reporter Chloe Aiello recently spoke with performance coach Sam Neame, who shared six strategies for sleep optimization. “Something I found interesting about Sam’s recommendations [was] that your best night of sleep actually starts first thing in the morning,” says Chloe. Chloe weighs in on unexpected practices that could lead to better rest. On this episode of The Business Model, she shares with Inc. senior editor Rebecca Deczynski why this topic resonated with her, what business leaders can learn from Olympic athletes about sleep for peak performance, and how they can apply these strategies in their business.
SummaryBuilding the Future of Work
Dec 2200:18:59Summary readyOn today's episode, Josh Christensen talks with Room’s managing director Thierry Ondet about the company's line of soundproofed, sleekly designed meeting pods and easy-to-assemble phone booths. They discuss designing the modern office, meeting the needs of employees in 2025 and beyond, and how ROOM thinks about sustainability.
SummaryHow brands can win in 2026
Dec 1200:31:13Summary readyIn 2026, brands must contend with a lot: AI slop. Copycats. A sea of influencers and content and competitors. Breaking through to consumers has always been a struggle for every company, but the ever-changing media landscape makes it even tougher. So how can brands win in the year to come? On this episode of The Business Model by Inc., deputy editor Michelle Legro kicks off a new Founder Group Chat with experts in brand building: Tyler Fish, co-founder of Sun Home Saunas Sanja Komljenovic, CEO of ONA Creative Tyler has built a brand that has broken through. Sanja helps companies get there. And they’re sharing their insights with you.
SummaryCo-Founders in Sync: Balancing Passion, Partnership, and Purpose - FROM INC. STUDIO AND CHASE FOR BUSINESS
Dec 800:48:59Summary readyIn this special episode of From the Ground Up, we sit down with Rica and Tasha Kendrick-Palmer, co-founders of Black Phlox, to hear how they’ve navigated the intertwined dynamics of partnership in both business and life. They share candid insights on dividing responsibilities, making tough decisions together, and maintaining a strong personal connection as their company grows. Robert Hines, South Region Area Manager at Chase, also joins the conversation to discuss how Chase for Business resources and mentorship help co-founders like Rica and Tasha stay collaborative, resilient, and focused on long-term growth—even when facing the unique challenges of entrepreneurship as a couple.
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Exit strategy: Learn from a founder who sold her company
Dec 500:30:17Summary readyThe mere idea of selling or exiting their businesses can bring out all kinds of reactions in founders. Some don’t want to even think about it. Others are putting a target sale price into their launch plans — the exit is the goal. Wherever you fall on the exit-strategy spectrum, this Founder Group Chat has something for you. On this episode, Inc.’s Graham Winfrey finishes his conversation with three founders: Fany Gerson, founder of Mexican ice cream and sweets brand La Newyorkina, Sarah LaFleur, CEO of women’s clothing company M.M. LaFleur, and Ariela Safira, founder of recently acquired mental health startup Zeera. Watch and listen for their thoughts on exits. The Business Model will be back on Monday, and we’ll start another Founder Group Chat series next Friday with a new group of business leaders.
SummaryFrom Pandemic Pivot to National Expansion: How Toss & Spin Is Making Racket Sports More Accessible
Nov 1700:22:35Summary readyLaunched during the pandemic to bring people together outdoors, Toss & Spin is now scaling across the U.S. through smart growth decisions, strategic partnerships, and strong financial discipline supported by Chase for Business
SummaryWhen disaster strikes, what do successful founders do?
Nov 1400:27:26Summary readyA few years ago, Ariela Safira’s Zeera was set to launch a brick-and-mortar mental health concept in New York. The opening month was set to be April 2020. As you might’ve guessed, things didn’t go as planned. Still, Ariela led her company through the hardships, a rebrand, and an acquisition. It’s something of a storybook ending for a founder. But how did Ariela cope with the challenges? And how did she take care of herself along the way? On this Founder Group Chat, Inc.’s Graham Winfrey continues his conversation with three founders. Fany Gerson, founder of Mexican ice cream and sweets brand La Newyorkina Sarah LaFleur, CEO of women’s clothing company M.M. LaFleur Ariela Safira, founder of recently acquired mental health startup Zeera Watch and listen to hear how they’ve successfully thrived and grown through adversity, plus how they look after their mental health along the way.
SummaryArt Meets Ambition: How One Artist Turned Passion Into a Global Business
Nov 1300:39:02Summary readyFrom selling prints made at Kinko’s to global art exhibitions and collaborations with major brands like New Balance and Netflix, Chicago-based artist Louis de Guzman shares the leap-of-faith decisions and business tools that helped transform his creative vision into a thriving enterprise
SummaryHow to scale the right way
Nov 700:24:57Summary readyAs a founder, trying to scale your business can feel like walking on a knife’s edge. Go too fast or too early, you’ll fall off. Move too slowly and you’ll get left behind. Every Friday on The Business Model, we’re hosting a Founder Group Chat. Each episode will feature a candid, in-depth conversation about one of the many pressing topics entrepreneurs are facing. On this first group chat, our topic is scaling. Specifically, how do you scale in the right way? Three founders from very different industries share lessons on scaling that can apply across business. Our roundtable is: Fany Gerson, founder of Mexican ice cream and sweets brand La Newyorkina Sarah LaFleur, CEO of women’s clothing company M.M. LaFleur Ariela Safira, founder of recently acquired mental health startup Zeera Graham Winfrey, deputy digital editor for Inc.
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Circling Back: Private Clubs Keep Popping Up—and Savvy Founders Are Using Them to Launch Their Companies
Nov 300:33:58Summary readyThe top 10 percent of earners account for half of consumer spending. To target those big spenders, brands are meeting them where they are: behind closed doors. Host Chloe Aiello talks with Inc. staff reporter Ali Donaldson about why brands are trying to get their products -- not on the shelves of major retailers, like Walmart, Target, or REI -- but behind the closed doors of private, members-only clubs. This means, putting products in the bars, restaurants, and gift shops of places that people have to pay tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, just to walk into.
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