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School of Hard Knocks Podcast

School of Hard Knocks Podcast

The School of Hard Knocks 60 episodes Latest May 30, 2026

Featuring the world's top entrepreneurs and creators, this podcast is brought to you by The School of Hard Knocks. Each episode shares insights and stories from successful business leaders and innovators. The show aims to provide valuable lessons learned through real-world experience.

Episodes

Lynnwood Bibbens | He Sold Cutco Knives In College… Then Built A $2 Billion Empire Jun 12, 2026 55:25 Lynnwood Bibbens is the founder of ReachTV and an entrepreneur who has built billions of dollars in business across tech, media, retail, film finance, and distribution. In this episode, he breaks down how he went from selling knives in college to building major companies, creating new rights windows, and acquiring CNN Airport during the pandemic. Lynnwood shares his philosophy on serving customers
Peter Tuchman | He Survived Every Stock Market Crash… Now He Trades $1 Billion/Day Jun 6, 2026 1:07:56 Peter Tuchman, known globally as the “Einstein of Wall Street,” is the longest-standing trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and one of the most recognizable figures in finance. After starting as a $47-a-week runner in 1985, he built a decades-long career through Black Monday, the internet bubble, the 2008 financial crisis, Covid, and today’s AI-driven market boom. In this episode, P
Greg LaVecchia | He Had a 2.5 GPA… Now He’s Got a $1 Billion Brand May 30, 2026 59:30 Greg La Vecchia is the founder of Bloom, one of America’s fastest-growing supplement and energy drink brands, now sold across 70,000 retail doors. After bootstrapping the company to $180 million with no investors, mentors, or traditional playbook, Greg helped turn Bloom into a category-defining brand doing $23 million in weekly net sales.In this episode, Greg breaks down the early days of selling
Patrick Terry | It’s Never Too Late… He Started At 47 And Beat McDonald’s Out May 21, 2026 1:04:56 Patrick Terry is the co-founder of P. Terry’s, the Texas burger brand that grew from a 527-square-foot Austin stand into 38 locations and 1,800 employees.In this episode, Patrick shares how he built the company with his wife Kathy, competed directly against national fast food giants, protected the brand’s culture, and refused franchising or private equity to preserve quality.We discuss leadership,
Andy Frisella | He Made $58K In 10 Years… Now His Portfolio Is Worth $1B May 13, 2026 1:08:20 Andy Frisella is the founder of 1st Phorm, creator of 75 Hard, and one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the fitness and personal development space. After making only $58,380 total across his first ten years in business, he built a vertically integrated supplement empire and a personal portfolio worth over $1 billion.In this episode, Andy shares the early years of struggle, the mindset behi
Eric Spofford | He Was Addicted To Drugs... Now He's Sold A $115 Million Company May 7, 2026 1:00:30 Eric Spofford is an entrepreneur, investor, and founder who overcame heroin addiction before building and selling his treatment business for $115 million. After dropping out of high school at 15 and getting sober with almost nothing, he launched his state’s first sober living house and scaled it into a major operation.In this episode, Eric breaks down addiction, entrepreneurship, building a sellab
Lucy Guo | How She Became The World's Youngest Self Made Woman Billionaire May 1, 2026 41:01 Go try Agent Opus and start making your own videos today! Get 600 free credits using our link: https://agent.opus.pro/home?special_credit=SOHK Lucy Guo is the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world and the co-founder of Scale AI, one of the most important infrastructure companies behind the artificial intelligence boom. After dropping out of college through the Thiel Fellowship, she he
RJ Jain | He Left India, Sold a Startup to Google, Now He’s Building a $200M Company Apr 23, 2026 46:28 Go try Agent Opus and start making your own videos today! Get 600 free credits using our link: https://agent.opus.pro/home?special_credit=SOHK RJ Jain is the founder of Price.com, an AI-powered shopping platform valued at around $200 million, and previously sold his last startup to Google for nine figures. In this episode, he shares his journey from growing up in India and studying in Michigan to
Richard Harpin | He Was $10K From Bankruptcy… Then Built a $4B Company Apr 15, 2026 33:55 Richard built HomeServe into a £4.1 billion global company operating in 10 countries, starting with just £50,000 and multiple early failures.In this episode, he breaks down the near-collapse moments, the pivot that changed everything, and the exact business model that scaled globally.He also shares his 9-step framework for building a billion-pound company, insights on bootstrapping vs. raising cap
Simon Squibb | He Was Homeless at 15… Now He’s Worth Hundreds of Millions Apr 8, 2026 1:11:46 Simon Squibb is a self-made entrepreneur worth hundreds of millions who has invested in over 80 companies. After becoming homeless at 15, he built his first business with just £200 and no formal education in business. In this episode, he shares the raw truth about failure, survival, and building from nothing. He breaks down why traditional education fails, why purpose matters more than money, and
Poppi Founders | How They Built Poppi Into A $500 Million A Year Soda Company In 4 Years (Then Sold For $2 Billion) Apr 2, 2026 56:32 Alison and Stephen Ellsworth, founders of Poppi, share how they went from early-stage struggles and personal health challenges to building and exiting a $2 billion beverage company. They discuss risking financial stability, validating their product through real customers, leveraging viral content for growth, and navigating the realities of scaling a business as a married couple. This episode explo
Bill Gurley | Legendary Investor on Missing Google, Backing Uber, and What Makes Billion-Dollar Founders Mar 26, 2026 57:16 Bill Gurley, legendary venture capitalist and early investor in Uber and Zillow, shares the principles behind identifying billion-dollar companies. He reflects on missing the Google opportunity, lessons from evaluating thousands of founders, and why execution consistently beats ideas. The conversation explores network effects, founder psychology, venture capital decision-making, and how young inve

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