Dexa/Guy Raz

Building Iconic Brands

Alan reflects on his journey of building two iconic brands, Magic Hat and 7th generation, and the pride he feels in creating opportunities for others. However, he also shares his sadness over the financial struggles of Magic Hat and the realization that it may not survive.

In this clip
From this podcast
How I Built This
Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender
Related Questions
- I have a question about this episode 388: Should I Bail Out My In-Laws? | Feedback Friday and the clip Rediscovering Passion. I've come to realize that for most of my life, I had a narrative playing in my consciousness that I was supposed to be an artist or an entrepreneur because I’m objectively high in trait openness. I drew for most of my life and was a professional graphic designer specializing in marketing. I enjoyed how my designs affected people, and the idea of starting a business felt good in the moment. However, I now realize that I was only able to create art if promoted, and I actually dislike the process of creating art. I only really like the validation of my skill after a piece of art is complete. This revelation seems to apply to the notion of being an entrepreneur as well. I don’t know if I necessarily want to be one, but I want to be able to say I made something of myself to those who doubt me. I’m beginning to think that my narrative about being an artist or entrepreneur is causing me harm and preventing me from moving forward into something I genuinely enjoy. What should I do with this realization about my narrative and interests?