Vicky Nguyen was just eight months old when she fled Vietnam as a refugee. Today, she's an Emmy-winning journalist, anchor and Chief Consumer Investigative Correspondent for NBC News, now seen on the TODAY Show. Her experiences inspired her new book, "Boat Baby." She joins us this week to discuss: | 00:00 — Introduction | 02:35 — Vicky's early life, escaping Vietnam | 04:53 — Encountering pirates at sea | 05:55 — Taking her first steps on the beach at a refugee camp | 07:16 — Getting sponsored to the US by churches and a family in Oregon | 09:50 — Lessons of resilience from her parents, who never complained or used the word "trauma" | 10:31 — Growing up between cultures | 11:50 — Early career lessons | 14:41 — First internship at CNN and learning to speak up in the workplace | 19:42 — Investigative reporting highlights, including probing conditions for bus drivers and food safety | 26:16 — Reflecting on mistakes and a story about a "hot intern" | 28:52 — Focus on avoiding comparison or jealousy in a brutally competitive industry | 32:50 — The pressure and joys of working in live TV + setting herself up for success behind the scenes | 34:10 — Knowing your worth and negotiating with confidence | 35:57 — Pay transparency: The surprising moment her colleague pulled out their contract to help her advocate for herself | 37:28 — Turning down a dream job at a top network | 40:00 — Coming to redefine personal success | 41:55 — Covering anti-Asian hate during Covid | 43:53 — Writing the book, "Boat Baby," and opening up about her personal life | 45:44 — Vicky's long-term vision | 47:42 — Representation in media and reflections on the "American dream" | 49:45 — Audience question from a young journalist | 52:26 — Rapid-fire round | About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in person across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday.

| About Michelle Toh:

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter based in Hong Kong appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post.

| Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/YTBTB | Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bymichelletoh | Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindthebusinessshow

#BehindTheBusiness #Podcast #Leadership #WomeninMedia #ImmigrantStories #AAPI

| Many thanks to our fantastic partner for this season of Behind the Business: Factor! Use code BTB50OFF to get 50% OFF your first Factor box plus free breakfast for 1 year at http://factormeals.com/btb50off

Joining us this week is Adam Park, CEO and managing director of Factor US — one of the fastest-growing names in health and nutrition that bills itself as the No. 1 ready-to-eat meal company in America.

You might have seen them around delivering meals to people's doors that emphasize high-protein, veggie-forward, low-calorie or even GLP-1 supportive options, making it easier to eat clean at home.

Since being acquired in 2020 by one of Europe's best-known consumer brands, HelloFresh, Factor has grown more than 20 times, fending off fierce competition to capture about 75% of the US market.

Adam is the former CEO of HelloFresh UK and a former partner at Boston Consulting Group. Outside of work, he's also a passionate endurance athlete who's completed ultramarathons and expeditions all over the world.

In this conversation, we get into:

| 00:00 – Introduction

| 02:38 – Early life from South Korea to the UK

| 04:11 – Lessons from moving between cultures

| 04:11 – Growing up in South Korea during economic boom

| 05:04 – Adam's takeaways from watching his mother run a business

| 07:47 – Lessons in grit and perseverance

| 08:11 – Consulting at BCG

| 09:55 – Transition to HelloFresh and Factor

| 14:01 – Scaling HelloFresh UK

| 15:08 – Opening new factories overnight, problem-solving, all-nighters

| 16:36 – Becoming CEO of Factor US: initial mandate and growth opportunity

| 19:10 – How the company has scaled so quickly: leveraging HelloFresh efficiencies

| 20:24 – Unique operational model: fresh meals, large variety, complex fulfillment

| 24:01 – The company's subscription model and focus on enticing repeat customers

| 26:09 – Factor's "bold bet" on its biggest menu expansion yet

| 28:15 – Industry competition

| 30:29 – Consumer trends: GLP-1, healthier treats, treating food as medicine

| 33:55 – Company roadmap and best-sellers

| 34:26 – Tackling the stress of meal planning

| 35:45 – Tapping into the convenience factor

| 36:44 – Eating Factor every day

| 37:26 – Diving into supplements

| 39:17 – Using food as fuel in Adam's endurance athlete journey

| 41:38 – Adam's toughest day as a leader

| 43:25 – Goal to reduce food waste

| 46:53 – Mid and long-term vision for Factor

| 47:42 – Audience question

| 50:03 – Rapid-fire round

Disclosure: Factor is a partner of Behind the Business, and this is a branded conversation. We're grateful for their support this season. | About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in person across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday.

| About Michelle Toh:

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter based in Hong Kong appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post.

| Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/YTBTB

| Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bymichelletoh

| Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindthebusinessshow

#BehindTheBusiness #Podcast #BusinessLeadership

Our latest guest is Justin Wang, who, back in 2017, decided that the way we drink water could use an upgrade.

Justin left a successful corporate career to tackle an everyday problem all of us face at some point: icky water bottles.

He is the co-founder & CEO of LARQ, the company behind the world's first self-cleaning water bottle that it says can eliminate up to 99.9% of harmful bacteria and is meant to ensure you're not worrying about how clean the water is when you're traveling.

What started as a crowdfunded product quickly turned into a multinational brand, earning a spot on Shark Tank, where he walked in with the highest valuation seen in the show's history, and most recently, being acquired by BRITA. Prior to LARQ, Justin served as president of FOREO, the beauty tech company, and earlier as an investor with L Catterton, one of the world's top PE firms. In this interview, we get into:

| 00:00:00 — Introduction | 00:01:27 — Early beginnings that shaped Justin's resilience | 00:03:45 — Working with people who share your vision | 00:05:16 — Tackling 100 investor conversations to close their Series A back in the day | 00:06:04 — How a cabinet full of dusty bottles sparked the concept | 00:11:21 — What it really takes to launch and 10x a Kickstarter campaign | 00:16:35 — How to make it in a hardware business | 00:18:30 — Existential crisis during COVID | 00:23:52 — What it's really like to pitch on Shark Tank — and tips for fellow entrepreneur | 00:28:52 — Breaking into dream stores, from MoMA to Target to Apple | 00:29:35 — Knowing when your startup is truly ready for retail | 00:34:39 — Manoeuvring tariffs and supply chain chaos | 00:37:36 — Justin's best day: the rush when your Kickstarter campaign goes through the roof | 00:38:36 — Leaving behind the so-called "golden handcuffs" to build something new | 00:45:54 — How a cold email led to LARQ's acquisition by BRITA | 00:47:59 — Long-term vision | 00:49:04 — Where LARQ is headed next | 00:49:57 — Competition: BRITA vs. BRITA | 00:55:20 — Audience question + advice for founders on having conviction, not chasing an exit | 00:57:45 — Rapid-fire round

About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in person across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday.

About Michelle Toh:

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter based in Hong Kong appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post.

| Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/YTBTB | Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bymichelletoh | Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindthebusinessshow

#BehindTheBusiness #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #Entrepreneurship

This week, we're joined by Touchland co-founder & CEO Andrea Lisbona, who turned an overlooked essential into a brand with $100 million in annual sales. Now, her company is being acquired for up to a whopping $880 million. From rebuilding after a "rock-bottom moment" to landing in Sephora and Ulta, Lisbona shares how she made people want to use hand sanitizer. With a cult following and expansion into all kinds of personal care products, Touchland now says one of its items sells roughly every two seconds. In this interview, we get into:

| 00:00 — Introduction | 05:00 — Growing up in an entrepreneurial family and early influences in Spain | 09:10 — Coming up with the idea for Touchland | 11:40 - Financial crisis and deciding to help family rebuild | 14:00 — Lessons from Apple, Dyson and Nespresso — applying inspiration across industries | 15:50 — Moving to America and deciding to go all in on the US market | 19:00 — Financing the business and finding first investors | 21:40 — Finding success on Kickstarter and sharing crowdfunding tips | 23:15 — Designing the product | 25:10 — Why Touchland doesn't see itself as a direct competitor to Purell or Dettol | 27:34 — Strategic positioning in retail | 28:01 — Pitching Sephora and Ulta | 29:50 — Gaining traction as personal gifts | 32:14 — Disciplined approach to growth | 32:45 — Reaching $100M in annual sales | 33:30 — Managing the pressure of always looking to what's next | 36:00 — Running a lean team of 13 full-time employees and working to scale efficiently | 38:30 — Team culture and hiring philosophy | 40:46 — Building a waitlist of nearly 35,000 customers | 41:20 — Post-Covid growth — revenue jump from ~$16M in 2022 to over $100M in 2024 | 42:00 — Supply chain crisis that left it without product for a year | 43:37 — Rebuilding from scratch after a "rock-bottom moment" | 46:00 — Pushing back on the misconception that Touchland only took off because of Covid | 46:58 — Partnerships with Disney, Blackpink, and Sanrio/Hello Kitty | 48:42 — Celebrity shoutouts and social strategy | 50:00 — Dealing with copycats | 52:00 — Hardest moments of the journey: overcoming judgment and skepticism | 53:20 — Company roadmap and new product launches | 53:50 — Social media listening and always reading all the comments | 55:00 — International plans — Canada & Middle East expansions | 56:00 – Long-term vision: building a legacy brand | 57:03 – Working with her husband, a Touchland co-founder | 58:15 — Audience question and advice to entrepreneurs on retail expansion | 01:01:22 – Rapid-fire round: stress management, sleep, mental prep and lessons learned Note: This interview was recorded before the announcement of Touchland's sale to Church & Dwight for up to $880 million.

🎙️ About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in person across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday.

About Michelle Toh:

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter based in Hong Kong appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post.

Follow for episode clips and updates:Instagram: https://instagram.com/bymichelletoh TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindthebusinessshow SUBSCRIBE + FOLLOW: - YouTube: https://bit.ly/YTBTB - Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/3IFGuIA - Spotify: https://bit.ly/SpotiBTB - Amazon Music: http://bit.ly/4pPZZPp

#BehindTheBusiness #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #Entrepreneurship

Tom O'Leary is on a mission to reshape how we fly.

He's the co-founder and CEO of JetZero, an aviation startup building a blended-wing body aircraft that aims to use up to 50% less fuel than today's commercial jets.

That means it could, in theory, cut both fuel burn and emissions in half — making it cheaper and greener for airlines to operate.

The pitch? Helping carriers dramatically reduce costs on what's typically their single biggest expense — fuel — while helping them hit emissions targets more easily.

Sounds simple, right? Not quite.

JetZero is trying to take flight in an industry long dominated by a duopoly — Boeing and Airbus — where new entrants face enormous technical, financial and regulatory barriers for obvious reasons. Yet the California-based company is backed by the US Air Force and United Airlines, and targeting commercial service in the early 2030s.

Before launching JetZero, Tom worked at Tesla and aviation startup BETA Technologies. In this conversation, we get into:

| 00:20 — Introduction | 01:58 — Early life – growing up in New England | 02:46 — Entrepreneurial drive in childhood | 03:40 — Early spark – thinking about the environment as a kid | 04:32 — O'Leary's career – learning from incumbents vs. new market entrants, like Ford and Tesla | 06:54 — Working at Tesla in its early days and lessons from Elon Musk | 08:24 — Leadership lessons from O'Leary's first job as a school teacher and coach | 13:51 — Breaking down the Z4's blended-wing body design | 15:00 — Catering to aviation's underserved "middle market" - flights of 200 to 250 passengers | 18:07 — Founding JetZero and meeting his co-founder through Beta Technologies | 21:58 — Navigating industry red tape | 25:31 — Partnerships & funding

| 29:12 — Industry pain points |30:51 — Company milestones and a "pinch-me moment" – $300M raised, winning the US Air Force grant, working with NASA | 32:58 — Teaming up with airlines like United, Alaska and Delta | 34:48 — The passenger experience – what it would be like to travel on a JetZero plane, with a reimagined cabin | 36:39 — Airframe first — Why improving the plane's design matters more to JetZero for now vs. focusing on sustainable fuel | 38:00 — Industry outlook — what stops Boeing & Airbus from doing this themselves? | 39:10 — Planned timeline for commercial service | 39:51 — Audience question | 41:03 — Rapid-fire round

About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in person across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday.

About Michelle Toh:

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter based in Hong Kong appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post.

Follow for episode clips and updates:Instagram: https://instagram.com/bymichelletoh TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindthebusinessshow

#BehindTheBusiness #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #Entrepreneurship

Arum Kang, co-founder and former longtime CEO of Coffee Meets Bagel, is our guest this week.

She's one of three Korean sisters who, back in 2012, were fed up with how online dating often felt dejecting and demoralizing — especially for women.

Their solution? To create a serious dating app.

From the start, it billed itself as a platform for serious daters, boldly calling the app "the anti-Tinder." This meant that instead of giving users a sea of endless swipes to go through, it sent them just one curated match each day.

Together, the Kangs have turned Coffee Meets Bagel into a household name. But not without plenty of tears, workshopping, sisterly "bickering" and key leadership lessons along the way.

The company reports that 91% of its users are looking for a serious relationship — and have no time to waste. Meanwhile, the Asian American community, along with users in the Asia Pacific region, have become the app's biggest drivers of growth.

We discuss:

| 00:00:00: Introduction | 00:04:51: Growing up between South Korea and Hawaii, and the fear of being "ordinary" that fueled her ambition | 00:07:41: Lessons from Harvard Business School and conceiving the idea for Coffee Meets Bagel | 00:13:13: Convincing her sisters to leave their high-paying jobs to start the company together | 00:16:13: Building early traction through a minimum viable product (MVP), testing, and word of mouth in the online dating space | 00:20:55: Working with family | 00:24:36: The pressure of juggling life as a working mom and shifting her perspective on leadership | 00:28:11: Lessons from early hires and building company culture around trust and candor | 00:32:31: Advice to female and minority founders on fundraising and navigating bias in venture capital | 00:35:23: Choosing profitability over hypergrowth | 00:38:36: Navigating crisis, mass resignations, and leadership lessons | 00:46:01: Why "hi" isn't enough — fixing the small-talk problem in online dating | 00:47:13: Differentiating Coffee Meets Bagel from Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge | 00:49:26: Outlook for Coffee Meets Bagel — doubling down on the Asian American market and expansion into Asia Pacific, the company's biggest source of growth | 00:51:26: Product evolution — tackling ghosting, improving safety, and using AI to foster real connections | 00:54:16: How to stay motivated when your company no longer feels like that "shiny new dream" | 00:56:35: The endgame for Coffee Meets Bagel — thoughts on potential exits, IPO, or long-term independence | 00:57:40: Saying no to a surprising proposition from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank | 00:59:53: Energy management, founder burnout, and implementing a four-day workweek | 01:04:59: Building relationships with investors | 01:06:41: Audience question — advice to young entrepreneurs on fundraising strategy | 01:07:10: Rapid-fire round

| About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in person across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday.

About Michelle Toh:

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter based in Hong Kong appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post.

Follow for episode clips and updates:Instagram: https://instagram.com/bymichelletoh TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindthebusinessshow

#BehindTheBusiness #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #Entrepreneurship

Vivian Tu is the founder and CEO of Your Rich BFF, a leading financial education brand helping millions learn how to build wealth and make smarter money decisions. She left Wall Street and a lucrative career in media sales to become one of the biggest voices in the creator economy, earning over $7 million by age 31 and gaining about 10 million followers across social media. Known online as "your favorite Wall Street girly," Vivian teaches financial literacy lessons you never got in school — from understanding the economic cost of war and the impact of interest rate cuts to mastering budgeting, investing and paycheck management. A former JPMorgan trader, Vivian transitioned from finance to media sales before becoming a full-time content creator and entrepreneur. Today, she runs a seven-figure business that includes a book, podcast, major brand partnerships, and a growing portfolio of content designed to make personal finance simple, relatable and empowering.

In this conversation, we get into:

| 00:00: Introduction | 01:41: Wall Street & BuzzFeed beginnings | 04:25: How immigrant parents shaped her relationship with money | 05:44: The three money rules everyone should know | 06:15: "The most important financial decision" you'll ever make | 07:32: Working with today's job & stock markets| 09:02: Getting started on Wall Street and how it shaped Vivian's path | 12:46: Experiencing bad bosses & injustice in the workplace | 13:50: The story behind the term "Your Favorite Wall Street Girly" | 16:57: Life-changing mentors | 18:00: From Wall Street to BuzzFeed making up to $625k/ year in sales| 19:15: "I rake it up" - Vivian's deal song | 20:41: The viral video that changed everything — and moment she decided to bet on herself | 26:02: Dealing with the social pressure when leaving the "traditional path" | 31:17: Time boxing & structuring her schedule as a new founder | 33:15: The team behind the business of "Rich BFF" | 34:05: Breaking down her workflow & revenue streams to earn $7M/ year | 39:30: Becoming a millionaire at age 27 | 41:04: Being open with your audience & sharing personal stories | 44:34: Handling judgment & internet negativity - "Crabs in a bucket" | 47:34: Upcoming projects & roadmap | 48:03: Long-term vision: becoming the face of finance| 50:33: Managing finances in uncertain times | 52:21: Investing, wealth building & shifting your mindset | 53:41: Audience question from new parents on teaching kids about money | 55:21: Rapid-fire insights: trends, tips & personal habits

| About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in person across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday.

About Michelle Toh:

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter based in Hong Kong appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post.

Follow for episode clips and updates:Instagram: https://instagram.com/bymichelletoh TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindthebusinessshow

#BehindTheBusiness #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #Entrepreneurship

| Many thanks to our fantastic partner for this season of Behind the Business: Factor! Use code BTB50OFF to get 50% OFF your first Factor box plus free breakfast for 1 year at bit.ly/BTB50OFF

| The views and opinions expressed in this episode are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment or other professional advice.

Dave Gilboa is co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, the eyewear brand that started with a pair of lost glasses while he was studying at Wharton Business School.

In 2010, he and three friends pooled their savings and bought the company's URL for $9. Almost everyone they spoke to said the idea would not work.

Dave joins us to talk about the brand's early days, being so frugal they practically refused to buy pens, experimenting with retail, handling rejection, raising more than half a billion dollars before going public, and staying focused on mission and purpose.

He also shares new details about Warby Parker's partnership with Google to develop AI-powered eyewear, and why he believes smart glasses may finally become a reality.

Topics discussed:

| 00:00 – Introduction | 02:14 – Dave Gilboa's early life: from Sweden to San Diego | 03:10 – From pre-med to management consulting at Bain | 04:57 – Working in finance and realizing he wanted more meaning | 05:44 – Losing his glasses and discovering a billion-dollar idea | 07:32 – Turning frustration into the Warby Parker startup | 08:45 – Why glasses are overpriced and ripe for disruption | 11:14 – How "Warby Parker" got its name from Jack Kerouac's journals | 14:49 – Bootstrapping with friends and pooling $120K in savings | 16:13 – Spending every dollar wisely: the three-spend rule | 18:16 – Launch week chaos and the 20,000-person waitlist | 25:36 – Rejection at Wharton and early pushback on pricing | 32:29 – Fundraising journey: from seed round to Series G | 32:58 – Taking Warby Parker public through a direct listing | 34:06 – How to raise capital the right way and keep control | 36:12 – Protecting the mission by walking away from wrong investors | 37:43 – The "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" program: 20 million glasses donated | 40:24 – Home Try-On and inviting customers into their apartments | 41:14 – The yellow school bus pop-up tour that drove national buzz | 44:11 – Scaling brick-and-mortar retail across the U.S. and Canada | 45:13 – Expanding into contacts, exams, and full-service vision care | 45:48 – Partnering with Google to build AI-powered smart glasses | 46:57 – Why Dave believes smart glasses will finally go mainstream | 48:27 – How to grow a brand with no marketing budget | 50:45 – Rapid-fire round: habits, hiring, and advice on focus

About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in studios across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday.

About Michelle Toh

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post..

Follow for episode clips and updates:Instagram: https://instagram.com/bymichelletoh TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@behindthebusinessshow

#BehindTheBusiness #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #Entrepreneurship

Welcome to Behind the Business, a new podcast and video series hosted by CNN and FORTUNE alum Michelle Toh that aims to explore the decisions and philosophies behind some of today's most influential leaders, such as the founders of Warby Parker, Coffee Meets Bagel, "Your Rich BFF" and more. Recorded in studios across the U.S. as a special interview series, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstory of founders, corporate leaders, investors, and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, our guests get into it all. Coming out Fall 2025. New episodes Thursdays.