On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
Listen to “#608 How A $4 Billion Investment Doomed WeWork” on Spreaker.
SEGMENT 1 with Reeves Wiedeman, starting at 0:00: Not too long ago, we looked at WeWork as another unicorn success story like Google, Facebook and Instagram. But The New York Times called the company’s failed effort to go public and related turmoil, “an implosion unlike any other in the history of start-ups.” How did this happen?
SEGMENT 2 with Evian Gutman, starting at 18:15: For most of us, COVID-19 has been the biggest problem that has ever happened to our small business. But COVID-19 also presents a once in a lifetime opportunity. How can our businesses capitalize on this?
SEGMENT 3 with Robin Wilson, starting at 34:00: The home remodeling and design segment is hot hot hot as people nest and work to improve their homes. What’s it like to work in this industry and what does it take to succeed?
Sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group
More on each segment below.
Segment 1: Reeves Wiedeman is a contributing editor at New York Magazine and has written for the New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Harper’s. He is the author of the new book “Billion Dollar Loser.”
1:15 – Tell us about the early days of WeWork. What did they promise consumers?
3:30 – Where did WeWork go wrong? What was their fatal moment?
6:30 – What is WeWork’s founder, Adam Neumann, like?
8:00 – At what point did the wheels start to come off?
9:45 – What business owners can learn from WeWork’s failure.
12:00 – What is the status of WeWork? What is Adam Neumann doing now?
Segment 2: Evian Gutman is the Founder and CEO of two start-ups. The first, Padlifter, is the world’s largest marketplace of short-term rental service providers. The second, Ringcommend, is Australia’s leading marketplace for engagement rings.
18:15 – In what ways does COVID represent an opportunity for small businesses?
21:30 – How can you start to take advantage of these opportunities?
23:45 – Now is the time to recalibrate focus from crisis management to business re-building.
26:00 – COVID won’t be the last challenge businesses have to face.
29:30 – What quick wins can small business owners consider pursuing to extricate themselves from the impacts of COVID?
Segment 3: Robin Wilson is a lifestyle expert in eco-friendly design, sustainability and hypoallergenic issues. Robin Wilson Home has a licensed brand of textiles sold at retail and hospitality. She is also the first woman with a branded line of custom cabinetry that was sold by over 400 independent kitchen dealers nationwide.
34:00 – How did you get started in the home remodeling and design space?
37:00 – How a narrow niche allowed Robin to grow her business.
39:30 – What do you wish you knew when you started your business?
42:45 – What has been your experience as a women of color with getting loans and VC funding?
47:30 – What are the problems with and pitfalls of securing capital?
50:00 – What has helped you on your business journey over the last 20 years?
Sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group
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