Chet Pipkin, former CEO and founder of the electronic goods company Belkin International, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Chet and Guy drill into why solving problems for consumers is the key to success.

First, we hear from Daniel in Toronto, who’s wondering how to educate customers about his company’s plastic-free, dissolvable shampoo and conditioner tablets. Then Meredith in Long Island asks how to manage inventory for her booming backpack organizer business that keeps selling out to female athletes. And Ryan in San Diego asks for strategies to grow the B2B side of his therapeutic massage tool company.

Thank you to the founders of EarthSuds, Sideline Bags and Rolflex for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Belkin International’s founding story as told by Chet on the show in 2019.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In his 20’s, working an office job he hated, Tom woke up in the middle of the night with a wild idea: why not take people on bike trips? No playbook. No investors. Just a sense that he could make a living doing what he loved. His first trip? Four guests riding through Death Valley, pitching their own tents. From there, Backroads scaled to hotels, while weathering a bike burglary, a van rollover in the desert, 9/11, the Great Recession, and a pandemic that brought tourism to a halt.

Today, Backroads runs 5,000+ trips a year in 60+ countries.

This is a masterclass in savvy cash flow, scrupulous quality control, and dogged iteration. If you care about travel, brand, or building a services business at scale—listen to this.

What you’ll learn:

• How a 5,000 mile solo bike trip laid the groundwork for Backroads
• The first guided trip in Death Valley: four people, high winds, 50 miles/day
• How to get your stolen bikes back: confront the thief yourself
• The “collect early, pay late” flywheel that powered growth without investors
• How Backroads survived 9/11, 2008, and COVID—and what changed after each shock
• Avoiding the Instagram trap and delivering peak, uncrowded experiences

TImestamps:

• 7:24 – Tom’s epiphany and the eight pages of notes that started Backroads
• 10:15 – From cubicle to road bike: the solo trip that shaped the company’s DNA
• 12:46 – Trip #1: Making mistakes in Death Valley—and learning fast
• 24:47 – Tom’s DIY recovery operation after a warehouse burglary
• 29:21 – Cash without capital: spend your deposits, pay hotels later
• 30:55 – The Nevada rollover: walking out of the ER…and running the next trips
• 40:06 – Recovering after 9/11 and the financial crisis—and rebuilding the company’s value prop
• 45:46 – Post-COVID surge, and avoiding the tyranny of the travel selfie

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tariq Farid the founder of Edible Arrangements joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tariq updates Guy on how he’s pivoting into a new industry while ushering in the next generation of leadership at the company.

First, we hear from Jake in Virginia who’s wondering how he can make his Filipino-inspired banana ketchup mainstream in America. Then, Heather in Sweden wants to know if she should change the name of her luxury polar voyage company to distance themselves from cruises. And, Ryan in Texas wants to know how he can bump up his revenue without losing his company’s highly personalized customer service.

Thank you to the founders of Fila Manila, Minimal Impact Cruises, and Kong Screen Printing for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Edible Arrangement’s founding story as told by Tariq on the show in 2017.

This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.