Business Unusual

Zoho Enterprise

The stories of successful entrepreneurs and leaders who don’t follow conventional business wisdom. From showing financial restraint to valuing people above profit, we tell the stories of mavericks who grew their empires the right way, leaving you inspired to do the same.

  1. 12/07/2021

    S3 E6: Yvon Chouinard - Patagonia

    When Yvon Chouinard started making climbing pitons in a chicken coop behind his parent's house, he had no interest in creating one of the world's most iconic outdoor brands. He and his fellow climbers just wanted higher quality tools that left a smaller environmental footprint. But the 83-year-old did more than create a $1 billion brand known around the world from professional climbers to runway models. He created a company that has become synonymous with fighting climate change and supporting environmental issues. In our season 3 finale, the story of Patagonia that's as wild and beautiful as the landscape that inspired its name.

  2. 11/30/2021

    S3 E5: Sara Blakely - SPANX

    In 2000, no one would've expected that an industry like women's undergarments had room for breakthrough innovation, let alone one worth over a billion dollars. And despite people laughing in her face, Sara Blakely had dreams of building SPANX in to a $20 million company.  In this week's episode, we reveal how this former door-to-door fax machine saleswoman eclipsed ever her own goals, building SPANX to a $1.2B+ brand.

  3. 11/16/2021

    S3 E4 - How Zola Conquered the Wedding Industry

    Growing up in Australia, Shan-Lyn Ma felt cut off from the excitement of the early 2000s tech boom in Silicon Valley. So she got there as soon as possible. After getting her MBA at Stanford, working at her dream company, Yahoo, and building her skills as a product developer, Shan-Lyn decided to optimize an industry she and many of her friends took part in multiple weekends a year—weddings. In this week's episode we learn how Zola became a one-stop shop for wedding planning, honeymoon ...

  4. 11/09/2021

    S3 E3: Whitney Wolfe Herd - Bumble

    Sometimes you need to break the rules in order to create a new societal reality. And when Whitney Wolfe Heard created Bumble, that's exactly what she did. In this week's episode, we reveal how Wolfe Heard took traditional dating and product development concepts and turned them upside down to create one of the world's leading online dating apps, and became the world's youngest self-made female billionaire.

  5. 11/02/2021

    S3 E2: Wolfgang Puck and the Rise of the Celebrity Chef

    Before Wolfgang Puck, the words "celebrity" and "chef" were never found in the same sentence. That all changed in 1982 when Puck opened Spago in West Hollywood. With its open kitchen, delicious food, parade of A-list celebrities, and ebullient chef, Spago catapulted Puck into worldwide stardom while his cookware, cookbooks, and regular television appearances made him a household name.  In this week's episode, we learn how a boy from Austria, who never felt good enough, conquered the culinary world with hard work, perseverance, and a perfect partnership.

  6. 10/26/2021

    S3 E1: Ingvar Kamprad - IKEA

    IKEA is a $45.5 billion global conglomerate. But did you know this furniture empire was all started by a 17-year-old boy from a small Swedish town? In our kickoff to Season 3, we're diving into learn how Ingvar Kamprad, a small-town Swedish boy, went from a modest upbringing selling pens to his neighbors to founding one of the world's biggest and most recognizable furniture stores.

  7. 08/03/2021

    S2 E6: How Kendra Scott is Designing a Better World One Piece of Jewelry at a Time

    You don’t have to be a fashion insider to know the name Kendra Scott. It’s inscribed in gold letters over the door of more than 100 stores where customers not only find a perfect piece of jewelry but an experience like no other. But jewelry is only half the story of the woman who Forbes recently ranked ahead of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé on a list of the country’s “richest self-made women.” The $1 billion-dollar brand that started as a $500 side project when she was pregnant and on bed rest is driven by Scott’s ambition to make a lasting impact on the world. In our Season 2 finale, the story of Kendra Scott’s unlikely rise and why designing and selling jewelry isn’t what gets her out of bed every morning.

  8. 07/27/2021

    S2 E5: How Keller Williams Transferred Power to Their Agents to Become a Real Estate Giant

    Being in an established industry doesn't mean that there's no room for innovation. And Gary Keller did just that when he left the real estate brokerage he worked for, partnered with Joe Williams, and launched Keller Williams Realty. In this episode, Arun shares how thinking differently allowed Keller Williams to attract top real estate agents and grow the company into one of the largest in the Unites States.

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About

The stories of successful entrepreneurs and leaders who don’t follow conventional business wisdom. From showing financial restraint to valuing people above profit, we tell the stories of mavericks who grew their empires the right way, leaving you inspired to do the same.

Information

  • Creator
    Zoho Enterprise
  • Years Active
    2021
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Business Unusual
  • Show Website
    Business Unusual