How I Built This with Guy Raz – Advice Line with Dave Weiner of Priority Bicycles

Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Guy Raz
Guest: Dave Weiner, Founder & CEO of Priority Bicycles

Episode Overview

In this "Advice Line" edition of How I Built This, host Guy Raz is joined by Dave Weiner, founder and CEO of Priority Bicycles, to field live calls from small business owners seeking advice. The episode centers on practical entrepreneurial problem-solving, with Weiner sharing lessons from his journey creating low-maintenance, belt-drive bicycles and growing from Kickstarter to a national brand. Callers present real-life challenges—from educating markets about niche products to knowing when (or if) to scale—and Weiner delivers candid, actionable guidance, drawing parallels to his own hard-won business experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catch-up with Dave Weiner and the State of the Bicycle Industry

• Dave’s Backstory & Accident Update
  • Weiner reflects on his transition from tech to bikes, and on his recovery after a serious cycling accident.
    • "There's still some lingering aspects and I'm scared to do things that I didn't used to be. And that's probably not a bad thing in life." – Dave Weiner [05:36]
• Shifts in Cycling and E-bike Trends
  • Despite cycling participation increasing, bike sales are down due to shifts in consumer spending and excess industry inventory from COVID.
  • E-bikes are quickly climbing to 50% of industry sales, with strong consumer adoption:
    • "The people that do [own e-bikes] swear by them...we ride much further and we use bikes instead of cars because we have e-bikes..." – Dave Weiner [08:43]
• Strategic Positioning During Economic Headwinds
  • Weiner emphasizes innovation and filling market "white space" as essential for staying competitive amid tough retail and supply chain conditions.
    • "Our sales have been really steady, but that's because we continue to innovate and put out new products... innovation is the only way that we can gain market share in a market that is declining right now." – Dave Weiner [10:48]

2. Caller #1: Dave Lanning of Dave’s Coffee—How to Take Coffee Syrup National

[12:01–26:52]

• Challenge:
  • Dave Lanning of Dave’s Coffee (Rhode Island) seeks advice on expanding his local coffee milk syrup nationally, while educating consumers unfamiliar with the concept.
• Main Points:
  • Coffee milk syrup is a beloved Rhode Island tradition but virtually unknown elsewhere.
  • Lanning’s version uses only coffee and cane sugar (no additives), aiming for a cleaner, premium product.
• Guy’s and Dave’s Advice:
  • Education First:
    • Parallels to how Priority Bicycles had to educate people on belt-drives; invest in PR to teach the market what the product is and why it stands out.
      • "If we didn't educate people on why our product was different, they wouldn't know to come to our site and buy it..." – Dave Weiner [20:12]
  • PR & Branding Investment:
    • Hire a PR firm experienced with specialty foods to help you build national awareness and media coverage.
  • Strategic Activation:
    • Launch pop-up tastings branded with messaging like "What's Coffee Milk?" in hip coffee cities (Portland, Brooklyn, Austin, Seattle).
      • "You just do things like that...and I think having the right kind of PR agency to help could be very helpful." – Guy Raz [21:15]
  • Channel & Messaging Recommendations:
    • Position as a versatile culinary ingredient (not just for coffee milk); highlight cold-brew gut health benefits.
    • Add clear regional branding (e.g., "Crafted in Rhode Island, birthplace of coffee milk") to the label for intrigue.
    • Target bars for espresso martini applications, bakeries, and cafes for beverage/dessert usage.
    • Get local influencers and chefs on board (e.g., connect with Rhode Island-based social chefs).
    • Test multiple sales channels: D2C, upscale retail/wholesale, and national specialty grocers.
      • "If you can find a way to get into major retailers...it is going to help spread the word and that is going to be important together with the PR side of this." – Dave Weiner [25:22]
• Notable Moment:
  • “You could create a segment educating people...and why Dave’s the best is an amazing opportunity for you.” – Dave Weiner [20:53]

3. Caller #2: Alex Plant of Kinloch Farmstead—To Grow or Not to Grow?

[32:01–45:23]

• Challenge:
  • Alex Plant, owner of a lavender farm and wedding venue in upstate New York, grapples with burnout as demand surges. She wonders whether to keep growing or stay small to reclaim time with her family.
• Context:
  • The seven-year-old farm is multifaceted (lavender, wine, events), with a seasonal May–October operation and nine employees. Despite delegating, she's heavily involved, especially with weddings.
• Main Points:
  • Dilemma between taking advantage of growth opportunities (product expansion, fully booked weddings, lavender goods) and achieving work-life balance.
• Guy’s and Dave’s Advice:
  • Conduct a Joy & Margin Audit:
    • List all revenue streams, % of total revenue, % of time and energy, gross margin, and “joy quotient” for each. Drop or delegate low-revenue/high-stress items.
      • "What is the biggest sort of time suck for you?...If something is bringing you a lot of stress, but it’s only bringing in 5% of revenue, maybe it’s not worth doing." – Guy Raz [39:18]
  • Delegate for Growth:
    • Consider hiring a specialized manager to run the events side, allowing a shift toward the (less stressful, higher joy) product business.
      • “You gotta find a way financially to hire the right person...to do that work so you can focus on the next version of the business...” – Dave Weiner [43:24]
  • Lifestyle Business is Valid:
    • Not every business needs to be scaled. Weigh quality of life, family needs, and future flexibility. Scaling can happen later.
      • "Many businesses that I know of are far more successful than massively scaled businesses. They're profitable, they're sustainable, and they enable the founders, the owners, to have a sustainable lifestyle." – Guy Raz [41:08]
• Notable Moment:
  • “There’s no escaping the fact that when you operate a small business, it's hard and it's stressful...but you also need the vision of a pathway to grow to lessen the stress.” – Dave Weiner [37:06]

4. Caller #3: Sabrina Garcia of Idaho Barkery—Cracking the Corporate Branded Market

[47:26–57:54]

• Challenge:
  • Sabrina Garcia, founder of Idaho Barkery, makes hypoallergenic, plant-based dog treats customizable with company logos. She wants strategies to expand from local sales to larger corporate/hospitality customers.
• Main Points:
  • Proven local demand with 65 Idaho stores and dog-friendly hotel partners, but wants to break into national chains/brands.
  • Treats are customizable via in-house 3D printing for fully bespoke shapes and branded treats.
• Guy’s and Dave’s Advice:
  • Segment Your Web & Sales Approach:
    • Build a dedicated B2B/Corporate landing page for hospitality partners, separate from consumer sales. Speak directly to the needs of managers/buyers in that sector.
      • “Create a whole new website...talks to fleet buyers...the extra expense to do that is not significant...” – Dave Weiner [53:09]
  • Outbound Marketing:
    • Identify 10–15 dog-friendly brands, hotel chains, subscription boxes, etc. Make sample runs—custom logo treats sent in sample boxes with personal notes.
      • "You make raising canes logos, you punch them out and you send them a box with pre made...you mail it to them with a note and you follow up a week or two later." – Guy Raz [56:15]
  • Start Small & Scrappy:
    • Begin with visuals and mockups if sample production is costly; target hotel industry stakeholders and dog/corporate events.
      • "We often start with an email that is a mockup, a photorealistic of what their custom bike would look like...especially these hotels that are dog friendly and say this would be the treat in your...room." – Dave Weiner [56:54]
• Notable Moment:
  • Dave draws a direct line from Priority's own growth in the B2B/Corporate market (custom bikes for hotels and campuses) to Sabrina's situation, illustrating exactly how repackaging and targeted outreach brings exponential opportunity.

Notable Quotes

• On the Value of Listening as a Leader:

  "Being right isn’t always the best…Effective leaders know when to slow down, when to listen deeply and understand all the perspectives before acting…that shift for me, from needing to be right, to instead striving to get it right has made me a better teammate, a better leader, and a better entrepreneur."
  – Dave Weiner [59:29]

• On Market Education:

  "You could create a segment educating people around the country and around the world of what coffee milk is. And of course, why Dave’s the best is an amazing opportunity for you."
  – Dave Weiner [20:53]

• On Work-Life Balance:

  "Not every business should be scaled…they enable the founders to have a sustainable lifestyle…lifestyle is definitely an important consideration when you’re thinking about what to do with your business."
  – Guy Raz [41:08]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:42] – Dave Weiner joins, reflecting on his journey and accident recovery
• [07:01] – US bike industry trends; the rise of e-bikes
• [10:48] – Innovating during economic downturns
• [11:49] – Caller 1: Dave Lanning of Dave's Coffee ("How to make a niche product national?")
• [16:06] – Belt-drive education parallel; PR investment
• [21:15] – Branding, pop-ups, and market-specific events
• [25:02] – D2C vs. retail channel strategy
• [32:01] – Caller 2: Alex Plant of Kinloch Farmstead ("Scale or stay small for sanity’s sake?")
• [39:18] – Auditing revenue streams versus time, margin, and joy
• [41:08] – Lifestyle business as a legitimate option
• [43:24] – The long march to delegation and management
• [47:26] – Caller 3: Sabrina Garcia of Idaho Barkery ("How to crack corporate & hospitality markets?")
• [53:09] – Separate web presence and messaging for B2B
• [56:15] – Direct, creative outreach with samples
• [59:29] – Dave Weiner's closing advice on leadership

Memorable Moments

• Guy’s Peanuts pop-up branding analogy:
  "You’d literally have a sign like, you know, like in the Peanuts gang...You have a sign that says, what’s coffee milk? With a big question mark." [21:15]

• Dave on evolving leadership:
  "Being right isn’t always the best and isn't...It's sometimes the most knowledgeable and the most confident leaders are the first to admit that they don't know the right answer or that they're even wrong." [59:29]

• Dave on business vs. parenting:
  "As parents, our most meaningful investment is raising kind and capable children. And at the same time, as an entrepreneur, all you want to do is grow your business." [45:25]

Overall Takeaway

This episode showcases the real, gritty side of entrepreneurship—where education, creative branding, channel management, and personal priorities matter as much as product innovation. The advice is rooted in Dave Weiner’s honest reflections: focus on clarity of purpose, know your numbers, trust your team, and build a business that fits the life you want—not just for growth’s sake. The stories and guidance offered are practical for early-stage founders and seasoned entrepreneurs alike.