Successful founders share the decisions that can make or break your business, so you can anticipate what's coming and build your own competitive advantage.
What To Do Next
Claim This Podcastby Highbeam
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12 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Successful founders share the decisions that can make or break your business, so you can anticipate what's coming and build your own competitive advantage.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/19/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 21, 2026
How HigherDose Built A Luxury Brand In A Commodity Market | Katie Kaps
<p>HigherDOSE began as a single infrared sauna spa. Today, it's a multi-channel wellness brand with products sold online and through high-end retailers.</p><p>In this episode of What to Do Next, Katie Kaps, co-founder of HigherDOSE, joins host David Segal to discuss how that transformation happened. They explore the decisions that shaped the company's growth, from launching the sauna blanket and positioning a premium brand to choosing debt over additional venture capital, expanding into retail, managing inventory, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship.</p><p>—</p><p><strong>Brought to you by:</strong></p><p><strong>Highbeam</strong>—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: <a href="https://www.highbeam.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.highbeam.com/</a></p><p>—</p><p><strong>Where to find Katie Kaps:</strong></p><p>• Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ktkaps" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/ktkaps</a></p><p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiekaps" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiekaps</a></p><p>• Website: <a href="https://katiekaps.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://katiekaps.com</a><br></p><p><strong>Where to find David Segal: </strong></p><p>• Website: <a href="https://www.highbeam.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.highbeam.com/</a> </p><p>• YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast</a> </p><p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079</a> </p><p>—</p><p><strong>Timestamps:</strong></p><p>(00:00) Intro</p><p>(01:02) HigherDOSE overview</p><p>(02:13) Launching HigherDOSE</p><p>(03:32) Retail partnerships</p><p>(04:25) First location business model</p><p>(05:50) The sauna blanket</p><p>(08:02) Why products won</p><p>(10:32) Pandemic product shift</p><p>(13:07) Debt vs. equity</p><p>(15:18) Raising prices</p><p>(19:04) Brand over design</p><p>(23:50) Saying yes</p><p>(26:18) Landing in Sephora</p><p>(29:03) Cash flow vs. inventory</p><p>(31:42) Choosing products</p><p>(35:37) Measuring product success</p><p>(36:48) Why physical locations mattered</p><p>(37:50) What's next</p><p>(39:00) Entrepreneurship</p><p>(42:48) Lightning round</p><p>—</p><p><strong>Referenced:</strong> </p><p>• HigherDOSE: <a href="https://higherdose.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://higherdose.com</a></p><p>• Sephora: <a href="https://www.sephora.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.sephora.com</a></p><p>• Bluemercury: <a href="https://bluemercury.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bluemercury.com</a></p><p>• Nordstrom: <a href="https://www.nordstrom.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.nordstrom.com</a></p><p>• Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com</a></p><p>• abc carpet & home: <a href="https://abchome.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://abchome.com</a></p><p>• 11 Howard: <a href="https://www.11howard.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.11howard.com</a></p><p>• Equinox: <a href="https://www.equinox.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.equinox.com</a></p><p>• Clearlight: <a href="https://infraredsauna.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://infraredsauna.com</a> </p><p>• BIOHACK-HERS: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtt3Vc8Sfqz2rWmxlkgDdcqUJp4fkWY1v" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtt3Vc8Sfqz2rWmxlkgDdcqUJp4fkWY1v</a></p><p>• TD: <a href="https://www.tdsecurities.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.tdsecurities.com</a></p><p>• QVC: <a href="https://www.qvc.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.qvc.com</a></p><p>• Ben Greenfield’s website: <a href="https://bengreenfieldlife.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://bengreenfieldlife.com</a></p><p>• Tough Mudder: <a href="https://toughmudder.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://toughmudder.com</a></p><p>• Will Dean on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foundingmudder" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/foundingmudder</a></p><p>• The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307887898" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307887898</a><br></p>
July 7, 2026
Bala's Max Kislevitz: How We Sold 3.5 Million Bangles After Almost Going Broke
<p>Max Kislevitz is the co-founder of Bala, the fitness brand that reimagined workout equipment through thoughtful design. Before launching Bala with his wife, Natalie, Max spent more than a decade in advertising, working with global brands, and applied those lessons to his own business.</p><p>In this episode of What to Do Next, host David Segal speaks with Max about building Bala from a side project into a category-defining fitness brand. They discuss the company's early days selling weighted bangles, the momentum that followed its Shark Tank appearance, its expansion beyond its first product, and the lessons learned about branding, inventory, retail partnerships, and sustainable growth.</p><p>—</p><p><strong>Brought to you by:</strong></p><p><strong>Highbeam</strong>—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: <a href="https://www.highbeam.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.highbeam.com/</a></p><p>—</p><p><strong>Where to find Max Kislevitz:</strong></p><p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximilian-kislevitz-12b147b" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximilian-kislevitz-12b147b</a></p><p>• Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mkislevitz" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/mkislevitz</a></p><p>• Website: <a href="https://shopbala.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://shopbala.com</a><br></p><p><strong>Where to find David Segal: </strong></p><p>• Website: <a href="https://www.highbeam.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.highbeam.com/</a> </p><p>• YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast</a> </p><p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079</a> </p><p>—</p><p><strong>Timestamps:</strong></p><p>(00:00) Intro</p><p>(01:04) An overview of Bala</p><p>(03:42) Bootstrapping Bala as a side project</p><p>(11:24) Being proactive vs. being reactive </p><p>(13:27) Dealing with knockoffs</p><p>(16:44) The limits of design patents</p><p>(18:29) Finding Bala's early customers</p><p>(21:22) Knowing who your customer isn’t</p><p>(23:55) Why they were comfortable with slow growth</p><p>(24:52) How Shark Tank and COVID accelerated Bala</p><p>(28:20) Working with Maria Sharapova and Mark Cuban</p><p>(31:58) Bala's biggest early inventory mistake</p><p>(35:09) Managing inventory and retailer relationships</p><p>(37:49) Running a business with your spouse</p><p>(40:23) From Bala Bangles to Bala</p><p>(42:15) Knowing when to go full-time</p><p>(45:22) Lightning round </p><p>—</p><p><strong>Referenced:</strong> </p><p>• Bala: <a href="https://shopbala.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://shopbala.com</a></p><p>• 72andSunny: <a href="https://www.72andsunny.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.72andsunny.com</a></p><p>• Kickstarter: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.kickstarter.com</a></p><p>• Shopify: <a href="https://www.shopify.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.shopify.com</a> </p><p>• Murphy’s law: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law</a></p><p>• Goop: <a href="https://goop.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://goop.com</a></p><p>• Free People: <a href="https://www.freepeople.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.freepeople.com</a></p><p>• Anthropologie: <a href="https://www.anthropologie.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.anthropologie.com</a></p><p>• Hermes: <a href="https://www.hermes.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.hermes.com</a></p><p>• Shark Tank: <a href="https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23</a></p><p>• Mark Cuban on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-cuban-06a0755b" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-cuban-06a0755b</a> </p><p>• Maria Sharapova on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-sharapova" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-sharapova</a></p><p>• Seth Godin’s website: <a href="https://www.sethgodin.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.sethgodin.com</a><br></p>
June 23, 2026
The Community Flywheel Behind Spikeball’s Massive Growth | Chris Ruder
<p>Chris Ruder didn't invent Spikeball. He resurrected it.</p><p>After discovering that the game had disappeared from store shelves, Chris and a group of friends set out to bring it back as a side project. Eighteen years later, Spikeball has grown into a global brand, a thriving community, and a sport played everywhere from college campuses to ESPN tournaments.</p><p>In this episode of What to Do Next, host David Segal talks with Chris about the decision to bootstrap the company, the challenges of navigating Spikeball's post-COVID inventory crisis, and what he's learned from nearly two decades of building the business. They discuss the psychology of entrepreneurship, what Shark Tank was really like behind the scenes, why community matters more than competition, and why Chris ultimately chose to separate the sport of roundnet from the Spikeball brand.</p><p>—</p><p><strong>Brought to you by:</strong></p><p><strong>Highbeam</strong>—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: <a href="https://www.highbeam.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.highbeam.com/</a></p><p>—</p><p><strong>Where to find Chris Ruder:</strong></p><p>• X: <a href="https://x.com/spikeballchris" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://x.com/spikeballchris</a></p><p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisruder" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisruder</a> </p><p>• Website: <a href="https://www.spikeball.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.spikeball.com</a><br /></p><p><strong>Where to find David Segal: </strong></p><p>• Website: <a href="https://www.highbeam.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.highbeam.com/</a> </p><p>• YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast</a> </p><p>• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079</a> </p><p>—</p><p><strong>Timestamps:</strong></p><p>(00:00) Intro</p><p>(01:13) How Chris resurrected Spikeball after it disappeared for 17 years</p><p>(04:07) Why Chris chose slow, bootstrapped growth over outside capital</p><p>(05:56) From record growth to excess inventory: Spikeball's post-COVID reckoning</p><p>(11:20) Why Spikeball rewards community builders instead of winners</p><p>(14:07) Why casual players are critical to growing the sport</p><p>(15:46) From side hustle to going all in on Spikeball</p><p>(20:03) Managing the highs and lows of entrepreneurship</p><p>(25:29) Spikeball on Shark Tank</p><p>(29:58) Lessons from managing inventory</p><p>(32:40) The debate over discounting and brand value</p><p>(35:38) How to build community by facilitating, not controlling it</p><p>(43:48) Why Chris separated the sport from the Spikeball brand</p><p>(49:57) Lightning round </p><p>—</p><p><strong>Referenced:</strong> </p><p>• Spikeball: <a href="https://www.spikeball.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.spikeball.com</a></p><p>• Warren Buffett on X: <a href="https://x.com/WarrenBuffett" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://x.com/WarrenBuffett</a></p><p>• Live Nation: <a href="https://www.livenation.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.livenation.com</a></p><p>• Graham Weaver’s website: <a href="https://www.grahamweaver.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.grahamweaver.com</a></p><p>• Shark Tank: <a href="https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23</a></p><p>• Mark Cuban on LinkedIn: <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/mark-cuban-06a0755b" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">linkedin.com/in/mark-cuban-06a0755b</a> </p><p>• Daymond John on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daymondjohn" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/daymondjohn</a></p><p>• Shark Tank Season 6 Finale: Spikeball, Shark Wheel & More: <a href="https://www.sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/shark-tank-episodes/shark-tank-season-6-episodes/episode-623-season-6-finale" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/shark-tank-episodes/shark-tank-season-6-episodes/episode-623-season-6-finale</a></p><p>• NYC Roundnet on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nycroundnet" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/nycroundnet</a></p><p>• SD Roundnet: <a href="https://sandiegosocialleagues.org/spikeball" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://sandiegosocialleagues.org/spikeball</a></p><p>• Titan set: <a href="https://www.spikeball.com/products/titan-set" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.spikeball.com/products/titan-set</a></p><p>• Paris Saint-Germain: <a href="https://www.psg.fr" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.psg.fr</a></p><p>• CrossFit: <a href="https://www.crossfit.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.crossfit.com</a> </p><p>• Rollerblade: <a href="https://www.rollerblade.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.rollerblade.com</a></p><p>• Mary Horwath’s website: <a href="https://www.maryhorwath.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.maryhorwath.com</a> </p><p>• James Naismith: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Naismith" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Naismith</a> </p><p>• Yeti: <a href="https://www.yeti.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.yeti.com</a><br /></p>
12 total episodes available
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