The Business Model by Inc.

The AI cloud-computing company CoreWeave is at an inflection point. It's brought on ex-Amazon executive Jon Jones as its chief revenue officer to hyperscale the company. But can he deliver?     For a recent Inc. story, senior staff writer Melissa Angell chatted with Jones to learn more about his strategic approach. On this episode of The Business Model, Angell joins Inc. staff reporter Chloe Aiello to share insights from that conversation and what they reveal about the company’s customer opportunities, infrastructure challenges, and the potential impact of local politics on its ability to scale.

It can feel impossible to get the word out about your company. Social media audiences are fragmented. Email can feel as old-school as a TV or radio commercial. Plus, advertising anywhere is so expensive, you can’t afford to get it wrong.   If you’re not sure where to go, you’re not alone. But this week’s Founder Group Chat gets some answers from Mizizi’s Paakow Essandoh, Arey’s Allison Conrad, and Hugh & Grace’s Sara Jensen.   They discuss paid social, user-generated content, events, and a big question: What do you do when social media buzz dies off?

Many people are familiar with private equity, but private credit is largely unknown. Award-winning business journalist and author Bethany McLean recently investigated the private credit boom and reported why she’s worried about what she discovered.     On this episode of The Business Model, Bethany joins Inc. staff reporter Ali Donaldson to explain what private credit is, the incentives that propelled its popularity, and the risks that come with it.

If you want to scale your company and get in front of new audiences, there are two cheat codes: Brand collaborations and retail partnerships.   However, these are some of the trickiest deals to land.  On this Founder Group Chat, we learn how from three founders who have figured it out: Mizizi’s Paakow Essandoh, Arey’s Allison Conrad, and Hugh & Grace’s Sara Jensen.  As you’ll hear, sometimes the side door is the best way into a deal — if you don’t just go crashing through the front.

The biggest threat to the human resources status quo is a podcast.     Not just any podcast, though. The HR Besties podcast is hosted by three HR veterans — Ashley Herd, Jamie Jackson, and Leigh Henderson.     The three have built an audience by telling the oft-hidden truth that HR professionals see inside corporate America. It led to HR’s most powerful trade group asking the court to issue a gag order.     Inc.’s Kayla Webster got the whole story on the Besties and joins Chloe on this episode of 1 Smart Business Story.

What do a fashion label, a hair care brand, and a wellness retailer have in common? Supply chain woes, of course!   On this Founder Group Chat, Mizizi’s Paakow Essandoh, Arey’s Allison Conrad, and Hugh & Grace’s Sara Jensen explain how they have scaled their companies.   While their companies are more cult-favorites than household names, they face the same challenges that bigger companies do. From building a supply chain to managing logistics to getting investment

Schoolhouse made a name for itself selling vintage-styled lights from its headquarters in Portland. It then expanded from three employees to 150 with storefronts in New York and Pittsburgh, selling home hardware, furniture, and textiles in addition to lighting.     All the while, its motto was “work hard and be nice to people.” Then came private equity.   Freelance journalist Yelena Alpert joins host Rob Verger on this episode of 1 Smart Business Story to discuss her in-depth piece on Schoolhouse’s downfall for Inc. Listen to hear how the brand's private equity-backed acquisition led to its bankruptcy.

Anybody can have a good idea. It’s taking the next step that gives people more trouble.   On this Founder Group Chat, we have three founders who have turned their big idea into eight-figure-revenue businesses:  Paakow Essandoh of clothing brand Mizizi  Sara Jensen of wellness company Hugh & Grace  Allison Conrad of hair care brand Arey  Each of these founders has a personal story that inspired their company. With host Jennifer Conrad, they share how they took that initial spark and made it into something much bigger.

At the beginning of this year, you may have noticed a dip in the valuation of tech companies. It’s not all tech companies, but software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies specifically. But why?     Inc. staff writer Brian Contreras recently investigated this phenomenon and spoke with several industry experts to better understand exactly what’s happening with these companies. It’s what the industry is calling a SaaSpocalypse.     On this episode of The Business Model, Brian joins Inc. staff reporter Chloe Aiello to discuss why this trend is happening, what potential avenues are available for these companies to combat the dip in their valuations, and the implications for the industry.

If you’re a founder who’s early in your journey, or maybe you haven’t even started yet, this is the podcast for you.   Inc.’s Sarah Lynch gets advice on all kinds of topics — from fundraising through building company culture — from three successful founders, in three very different industries.   It’s time for the final installment of our Founder Group Chat with honorees from Inc.’s Female Founders 500: Rachel Liverman, founder and CEO of Glowbar; Angela Vranich, co-founder and chief product officer of Little Spoon; and Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy.

As workers worry that AI will automate their jobs away, LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman, argues something different: AI is going to remove barriers for entrepreneurship and help accelerate self-employment and ownership.    In a new segment on the Business Model, Ramen joins Inc. staff reporter Kayla Webster to talk about his take on AI and the job market and his new book, Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI, which he co-wrote with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky.

Move over, golf. The new sport of the business world is padel.   The racket sport has exploded in popularity among the Oura-ring-wearing, cold-pressed-juice crowd, as Inc.’s Ali Donaldson reports. Padel clubs are opening en masse across the U.S., providing an opportunity for founders to network and build new wellness-focused ventures.    Donaldson joins Inc.’s Ben Sherry on this episode of 1 Smart Business Story to dig into the trend and whether it’ll last.

Many founders engage their customers with some type of membership or subscription model. But what’s perhaps more important is building a community.   On this episode of The Business Model, we present a Founder Group Chat of women who have made real relationships around their brands.  Inc.’s Sarah Lynch is joined by a trio of Female Founders 500 honorees who have done just that—Rachel Liverman, founder and CEO of Glowbar; Angela Vranich, co-founder and chief product officer of Little Spoon; and Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy.   Each of these founders has gone beyond the basics of community building. Listen and watch for their insights on why a strong community makes a strong brand.

It’s been nearly a year since President Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” tariffs, making the markets go haywire and creating sky-high duties for all kinds of businesses.    “It was stunning for a lot of founders,” says Inc.’s Melissa Angell, who recently filed a deep report on the first year of Trump’s tariff agenda. While the Supreme Court eventually struck down Trump’s initial tariff slate, he hasn’t given up the fight and businesses are still reeling.     Angell joined host Chloe Aiello on this edition of The Business Model to review how businesses have responded to the year of uncertainty and discuss what comes next — including potential refunds and a new practice of “tariff stacking.”

Women manage $32 trillion in global spending and three-quarters of discretionary spending. Still, women are really dissatisfied with the products and services available to them, according to a 2024 BCG study.   This presents a unique opportunity for businesses founded by — and focused on — women.  On this episode of The Business Model, we’ve brought back three of this year’s Female Founders 500 honorees who are taking advantage of this moment: Rachel Liverman, founder and CEO of Glowbar; Angela Vranich, co-founder and chief product officer of Little Spoon; and Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy.

If you’re an early-stage founder, striking the right balance between building a sustainable business model and raising capital to get there is one of the hardest challenges you’ll face.    Inc. editorial assistant Annabel Burba recently spoke with Tovala founder and CEO David Rabie about exactly that topic. Rabie opens up about how his startup nearly ran out of runway and how a series of pivots and emergency funding rounds saved it. His big takeaway? “I no longer count my chickens the way I used to.”    On this episode of The Business Model, Annabel joins Inc. senior editor Tim Crino to discuss why Rabie’s story stuck with her and what early-stage founders need to know about fundraising, including why the timing of when you raise can matter just as much as how much you raise.    *In the interest of full disclosure, Joe Mansueto, who owns Inc., is an investor in Tovala.

Last year, female-founded companies got barely over 1 percent of venture capital investment. It’s a shocking statistic, but not a surprising one to this week’s Founder Group Chat.   For this round, our panel includes three of this year’s Female Founders 500 honorees: Rachel Liverman, founder and CEO of Glowbar; Angela Vranich, co-founder and chief product officer of Little Spoon; and Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy.   With Inc.’s Sarah Lynch moderating, these three tell their own fundraising stories and share how they cleared one of the biggest hurdles women face when starting a business.

You’ve probably heard about Anthropic’s ongoing battle with the Trump administration. It started with disputes over the federal government using Anthropic’s technology to kill autonomously and spy on Americans en masse. Then Trump deemed the leading AI firm a “supply chain risk,” prompting a countersuit from Anthropic and a sea of questions from users of Anthropic products, like Claude.     On this edition of The Business Model, Inc. AI reporter Ben Sherry joins Inc. host Chloe Aiello to explain the latest news, and how businesses and solopreneurs are responding to the government’s blacklisting of a top technology firm.

President Trump has ousted Kirsti Noem, the Department of Homeland Security secretary. The man tapped to replace her is Republican U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin.    Mullin has established himself as the most influential business owner in Trump’s Washington.     On this bonus episode of 1 Smart Business Story, our guest is journalist Issie Lapowsky. She’s been tracking Mullin’s ascent and just happened to be finishing up a feature on the senator when this news broke.     Lapowsky joined Inc. senior editor Rob Verger to explain how Mullin went from blue-collar businessman to nominee to inherit the most divisive and politically explosive federal agency.

Whether 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.

As a founder, chances are that you’re the best possible spokesperson for your brand. You’re its face and voice.  But you’re also in charge of running a business, managing people, developing the brand—the list goes on. How’s one person supposed to balance everything?    On this episode of Founder Group Chat, we’re giving you an insider’s take on how to do it all from three women who know how to do it all.    Inc. senior editor Rebecca Deczynski is joined by Sarah Paiji Yoo of Blueland, Dianna Cohen of Crown Affair, and Elly Ross of Lil Sweet Treat for the final installment of this Founder Group Chat.

The next big thing in artificial intelligence probably won’t look like OpenAI or Anthropic.   "Companies aren't really attempting to make their own big, foundational AI models anymore," says Ben Sherry, lead AI reporter at Inc. “Where founders are at today is saying, 'I don't have the money to make an AI model because it costs billions and billions of dollars and months and months of time and thousands of people. But I can use the AI that's available and create a really killer application or  collection of services that will kind of help me stand apart or solve a really specific, niche issue.’”    Ben recently hand-picked eight companies that are poised for massive growth this year. On this episode of The Business Model, he shares with Inc. reporter Chloe Aiello how he made his list and why these companies could be the next big thing — even if they’re not the next OpenAI.

When you’re a founder building your brand in public, things can get messy as the lines blur between your personal brand and your company’s brand. How do you keep them separate? When does it matter to do so?    Tough questions, but this Founder Group Chat has answers. Inc. senior editor Rebecca Deczynski gets the scoop from Dianna Cohen of Crown Affair; Sarah Paiji Yoo of Blueland; and Elly Ross of Lil Sweet Treat.

If the phrases “small business” and “email marketing” sound right for a company built in the past, think again.     Flodesk, which built a platform for small businesses and solopreneurs to create branded emails, has taken its idea to the bank. Once a Y Combinator reject, the company recently passed $36 million in annual recurring revenue and appointed co-founder Rebecca Shostak as CEO.    Shostak spent months in Vietnam working with the company’s tech team to build new AI features. Her next move aims to have the company competing with the likes of Canva, vibe-coding its own design and design elements.     Inc. reporter Jennifer Conrad joins senior editor Rob Verger to show how Flodesk is making the old technology of email new again.

It seems like there are endless options for platforms on which you can build your brand. Substack. TikTok. Email newsletters. LinkedIn. Instagram Reels. The list goes on. So, how’s a founder supposed to decide which one is right for them?     Inc.’s Rebecca Deczynski is back for another installment of Founder Group Chat with Sarah Paiji Yoo of Blueland, Dianna Cohen of Crown Affair, and Elly Ross of Lil Sweet Treat.   Each of these founders has built their brand on a different platform and on this episode, they share how they decided which one fit them best — and why it’s not a good idea to be everywhere all at once.

Testosterone is going mainstream. What used to be the stuff of bodybuilders is growing in popularity for everything from treating medical conditions to giving looksmaxxers an edge.     Now, big-name players like Hims and Rugiet are entering the testosterone space, which is rife with gray market providers — including some seemingly faceless, shady companies.     Inc.’s Sam Blum joins Chloe Aiello to take us into the red-pilled world of testosterone replacement therapy.    Then, Sam and Chloe talk over their news obsessions this week including GLP-1s and eating disorders, and a battle between prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket.     Also, an update on our brand: This Monday edition of The Business Model, which we had been calling “Circling Back,” will now be called “1 Smart Business Story.” Why? Well, Inc. just launched a new newsletter on Beehiiv with the same name. Subscribe today to get a can’t-miss business story every week in both newsletter and podcast form.     If you happened to have an affinity for the “Circling Back” brand, don’t worry: Our closing segment at the end of each Monday episode will now be called “Circling Back,” where we fill you in on what we are obsessed with right now.

The idea of getting in front of a camera is intimidating for many people, even nightmare-inducing.   But for many founders in today’s climate, building your brand in public can feel like a necessity. Especially if you’re bootstrapped, serving as both founder and face of the brand saves cash and makes sure you get it right (or as close to right as possible). Still, it’s a daunting job and one that’s bound to lead to some errors.   Fortunately, this Founder Group Chat includes three women who have built their companies while using themselves as both founder and spokesperson. One made a splash on Shark Tank. Another has become a viral TikToker. A third made her breakthrough in an unlikely way: a viral Google Doc.     With Inc. senior editor Rebecca Deczynski as host and moderator, here’s our latest panel of founders:   Sarah Paiji Yoo, co-founder and CEO of Blueland  Elly Ross, founder of Lil Sweet Treat  Dianna Cohen, founder of Crown Affair  They’ll be our group for the next few episodes, starting with Storytelling 101: A lesson on telling your story in an authentic way.   Short text description for thumbnail (8 words or less):  How to share an authentic brand story

Long gone are the days of incessant cold calling or three-martini lunches to close a sale. A new crop of Gen-Z salespeople are turning to what they know better than any other generation: social media.   It’s a new tactic known as social selling. Inc. writer Annabel Burba explains to senior editor Rebecca Deczynski how the economy led to this, and the ins and outs of what makes a good social selling plan.

One of the stickiest parts of leading a business into the age of AI is a human problem: How do you persuade your employees to adopt the new technology?   They might have fears about AI taking their jobs, or the big environmental consequences it has. They might have an ethical issue with AI, or just flat out have no interest in it.     While there are plenty of justifiable fears about AI, it’s hard to deny that it’s not going away any time soon.    On this episode of The Business Model by Inc., senior tech editor Rob Verger continues his Founder Group Chat with Samuel Moses of Sockrates and Natasha Miller of Entire Productions, learning how they are managing the transition to AI at their companies.

This is a special presentation of an excerpt from a new short documentary from Inc. called "The Cost of Coming Back". See full video here: https://youtu.be/9DzxYFLnMzQ After the deadly July 4 flood in Kerr County, Texas, small-business owners face hard choices about debt, survival, and starting over. Inc. Magazine delivers advice, tools, and services to help business owners, entrepreneurs and CEOs grow their businesses more successfully. You'll find information and advice covering virtually every business and management task including marketing, sales, finding capital, managing people, and much more. Visit Inc.com for the latest!

Most influencers and content creators don’t start making videos because they want to run a small business. But as the brand deals, ad revenue, and merch sales start to pile up, many creators run into a problem with their new reality: They haven’t a clue how to run a small business.   Enter a startup appropriately named Boring Stuff. Founded in 2024 and recently out of stealth mode, the outfit provides CPA, bookkeeping, and even fractional CFO services to YouTubers, influencers, and the like.   On this edition of Circling Back, Inc. reporters Brian Contreras and Chloe Aiello go inside Brian’s recent profile of Boring Stuff and what it says about a creator economy that’s apparently here to stay.   Plus, Chloe and Brian close the loop on Gourmet’s journey from storied magazine to defunct trademark to email newsletter, and Ryanair’s “Big Idiot” seat sale.

Artificial intelligence is no longer the domain of tech companies. Even traditionally analog businesses are implementing AI, sometimes in unexpected ways.   On this episode of The Business Model by Inc., senior tech editor Rob Verger kicks off a new Founder Group Chat with two unlikely advocates for AI:   Samuel Moses, founder of Sockrates, a custom sock company based in Florida  Natasha Miller, founder of Entire Productions, a corporate events and entertainment production company  Selling socks and planning events aren’t the most likely AI use cases, but these two have figured out how to implement the technology to allow their teams to punch above their weight.   Short text description for thumbnail (8 words or less): Why old-school businesses are embracing AI

We’ve heard the stories too many times. You’ve invested years in a corporate job, and then one day, a 10-minute meeting pops up on your calendar. Shortly afterward, your computer gets shut down, and you’re turning in your badge. It’s traumatizing and demoralizing. What do you do next?   Seasoned communication executive and author of “Meredith & the Media” Meredith Klein says that “layoffs have sent an elite pool of talent into the consulting world, creating plenty of opportunities for businesses and consultants.” She joins us for this week’s Circling Back to discuss why consultants are no longer chasing the corporate dream and how they’re running their own consultancies instead.

Launching and growing a business is rarely smooth sailing. These founders have been through it all and share their lessons on scaling their businesses, navigating hardships, and even making an exit plan. This is the first Founder Group Chat video marathon featuring Inc.’s Graham Winfrey and 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

Safi Aziz is “grossed out” by the AI boom. “They’re promising to make the movie Her a reality, and they’re trying to do so with swiftness and with deliberation,” he told Inc.’s Ali Donaldson. “That scares me.”  So, Aziz started a company that would lean into something radically different: game nights.   On this edition of Circling Back, Donaldson joins Inc.’s Chloe Aiello to talk about her recent profile on Aziz, Joust, and the many reasons a game night company is thriving with today’s young professionals.

The Tecovas story is almost like a Hallmark movie: Paul Hedrick, a Texan at heart, gets his Harvard degree and lands well-paid jobs with the likes of McKinsey and L Catterton. But he can’t stop looking down at his cowboy boots, so he leaves the corporate world and starts selling boots from the back of his SUV.   This decision wasn’t as quaint as it sounds, though. “I probably wouldn’t have gotten into it if I didn’t think there was a big opportunity to make a difference and—let’s be clear—build a big business,” Hedrick told Inc.’s Rebecca Deczynski.  Hedrick’s business sense paid off. His company, Tecovas, is set to pass $300 million in sales this year, capitalizing on the massive, growing Western apparel marketplace.   On this episode of Circling Back, Deczynski joins Inc. reporter Ali Donaldson to discuss Tecovas’s rise and what it says about today’s fashion and retail worlds.

The best contemporary brands aren’t just brands. They’re communities, each with a distinct voice and feel.  Plus, there’s a whole world of influencers and celebrities that brings a new line of questions for founders: Who fits our brand best? How do we make real relationships and work together beyond one Instagram Reel?  On this episode of The Business Model by Inc., deputy editor Michelle Legro wraps up her Founder Group Chat with two experts in brand building: Tyler Fish, co-founder of Sun Home Saunas, and Sanja Komljenovic, CEO of ONA Creative.  They tackle the tough questions on building a community around your brand and making real connections.

If you ask Inc.’s artificial intelligence reporter Ben Sherry, this year’s most successful founder isn’t a person at all. It’s Claude, Anthropic’s family of AI models.   Ben joined Inc. reporter Chloe Aiello for this week’s Circling Back to talk about why Anthropic stands out from the pack when it comes to enterprise AI. They discuss how Claude sets itself apart, how it has helped launch numerous vibe-coding startups, and how competitors like OpenAI and Google are catching up quickly.   Then, on “Closing the Loop,” Chloe and Ben talk about Australia’s big move to ban kids and teens from social media and Mark Zuckerberg’s building Meta’s new superintelligence team that’s working to build a “machine god.”

In 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.

At age 81, why would Larry Ellison risk so much?   Show notes: For a moment earlier this year, Larry Ellison was the richest man in the world. Although the Oracle co-founder only briefly stole the top spot from Elon Musk, it was a high point in what was a huge — and risky — year for both Ellison and his legacy tech company.   Oracle’s stock price soared as it landed major deals with the biggest AI companies. It also took on a staggering amount of debt (a 500 percent debt-to-equity ratio, in fact), leading some to see Oracle’s dealings as proof of an AI bubble.   Meanwhile, Ellison has had his hands in everything: currying favor with President Trump, negotiating for a stake of TikTok in the U.S., and helping his son, David, become a media mogul.   Today on Circling Back, we have one of the best journalists to talk about this: Bethany McLean. She’s an award-winning business journalist and the author of five books, including one you’ve probably read, or at least seen the documentary, The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron.  Bethany recently dug into the big gambles that Ellison made in 2025 for an excellent Inc. story. She joined Inc. Editor-in-Chief Mike Hofman to go inside her reporting.

The 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.

After fish are caught, they can suffer for hours. This makes them release stress hormones, which can lead to a rancid taste and shortened shelf life.   Shinkei Systems wants to change that. It is one of the many startups based in the burgeoning robotics capital of El Segundo, California.   Shinkei’s main offering is a robot fish-killer that processes the catch right on the boat using a technology inspired by ike jime, a traditional Japanese method that produces some of the world’s finest seafood.   Inc. reporter Jennifer Conrad recently paid a visit to Shinkei HQ, and she shares what it was like with host Ben Sherry on this episode of Circling Back.   Plus, Ben and Jennifer talk about two major AI stories on Closing the Loop.

You can’t scale a company alone. As you’re building, you’ll need to hire the right people for the job.    Those first hires are critical. But as your company grows, the initial staff aren’t necessarily the ones to take it to the next stage. Or are they? It’s a conundrum for founders.     Fortunately, this week’s Founder Group Chat contains real-life experience and advice. We continue with our trio of 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. They’re joined by Inc.’s Graham Winfrey as moderator and host.      Listen to learn how these successful founders built the human infrastructure of their companies.    Inc. Magazine delivers advice, tools, and services to help business owners, entrepreneurs and CEOs grow their businesses more successfully. You'll find information and advice covering virtually every business and management task including marketing, sales, finding capital, managing people, and much more.  Visit Inc.com for the latest!    Get social with Inc. on:  Facebook: http://on.inc.com/ilqUryJ  Twitter: http://on.inc.com/8FGInRj  LinkedIn: http://on.inc.com/gt7KsIn  Instagram: http://on.inc.com/wLObvE2  Pinterest: http://on.inc.com/8lPoT0r

It would’ve been easy to doubt Grüns. On the surface, it’s just another supplement brand joining the crowded marketplace of pills, powders, and gummies that come with major health claims.   But just two years into its existence, Grüns has hit a $500 million valuation — a figure more on par with that of AI companies than a new consumer brand. The company’s CEO says it’s already profitable, too, and has landed placements in Walmart, Target, and more.  David Lidsky, Inc.’s head of editorial strategy, recently got an inside look at Grüns and its finances. On this week’s Circling Back, he tells reporter Chloe Aiello why he thinks the company is on track to hit $200 million in revenue this year and how it plans to leverage its gummy bear mascot, Barry, to keep growing.   Then, on Closing the Loop, David and Chloe share their news obsessions of the week: the leadership shakeup at Sequoia Capital, and Republican leaders who used the solar subsidies they voted to kill.

A 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.

Blockit promises that in just five minutes, it can learn as much about your schedule, habits, and preferences as a human could in months.   The tool is part of a growing field of new AI agents that want to offer the benefits of an executive assistant at a much lower price tag.   Technology reporter Claire Cameron was curious so she ran an experiment to take Blockit at its word and gave it a try for one week.   Could the app reinvent her working life in just five minutes? Well, no. But as Claire explains to Inc. reporter Ali Donaldson, it’s complicated.   On this week’s Circling Back, Claire and Ali discuss the brave new world of AI scheduling agents, what they’re good for, and where they still need some improvement.

As 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.

The 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.

The Business Model by Inc. is the multi-episode-a-week podcast for small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and startup founders who want to start, run, and grow stronger companies. Each week we deliver a curated mix of business-trend analysis, actionable playbooks, and candid interviews with real founders—from Main Street businesses to cutting-edge startups.  In this video podcast, you’ll learn how to hire and lead, raise capital, market efficiently, manage cash flow, fix operations and supply chains, and leverage new technology and AI to stay ahead. Every episode is built to fit your workweek and help you make smarter decisions, faster.  If you only have time for one business podcast to start, run, and grow your company—this is it.