Summary of How I Built This with Guy Raz: Lululemon Athletica - Chip Wilson (2018)

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

Chip Wilson founded Lululemon Athletica in 1998 and grew it into one of the largest athletic apparel companies in the world. He attributes much of the company's success to his own intelligence and hard work, but also credits luck for his early successes.

• 00:00:00 Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon Athletica, tells the story of how he saw a trend in the late 1990s and created a successful yoga clothing company. He ran into some major problems along the way, but is still open to discussion.
• 00:05:00 Guy Raz explains how he built the Lululemon Athletica brand from scratch, starting with selling barbecue shorts in Calgary. He later expanded to selling the shorts nationwide in Canada, and eventually to other countries around the world.
• 00:10:00 Guy Raz discusses how he built Lululemon Athletica, starting with opening a store in Toronto and then moving on to opening stores in other major Canadian cities. He talks about how he recognized the growth potential in the snowboarding market and decided to invest in the company, eventually selling it to a public company.
• 00:15:00 Chip Wilson started his own yoga company in 1998, and by extrapolation, he saw the potential for a market for stylish, athletic clothing that would never before been seen. In 2001, he founded Lululemon Athletica, and the company quickly became one of the largest athletic apparel companies in the world.
• 00:20:00 Guy Raz tells the story of how he came up with the idea for Lululemon Athletica, which combined his experience in the clothing industry and his passion for yoga. He opened his first store in Vancouver in 1998, and the company has since become a global phenomenon.
• 00:25:00 Guy Raz talks about how he founded Lululemon Athletica, starting with a name and logo idea that resonated with young women. He shares that it was a slow burn for the company to take off, but eventually it became a success. He shares that he was lucky to have talented people working for him, and that he used wholesaling to help keep the company afloat during difficult times. Shannon Grey, his wife, eventually became the CEO of Lululemon Athletica.
• 00:30:00 Chip Wilson, CEO of Lululemon Athletica, talks about how he built the company from scratch. He discusses how he got permission to leave with a $50,000 severance package, how he developed the company's market strategy, and how he grew the company quickly.
• 00:35:00 Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon Athletica, sold half of the company to private investors in 2005 and then stepped down as CEO in order to focus on his role as chairman and chief innovation officer. In 2011, Lululemon was listed among Canada's billionaires. This achievement was important to Wilson because it helped him achieve financial security and allow him to focus on his other goals, such as developing his family and the company.
• 00:40:00 Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon Athletica, was criticized for comments he made in an interview about how some women's bodies don't fit into the company's pants. He later resigned from his position as chairman of the company due to the backlash.
• 00:45:00 Chip Wilson founded Lululemon Athletica in 1998. In 2015, he left the company and now serves as the executive director of his family's holding company, Hold It All, Inc. He attributes much of Lululemon's success to his intelligence and work, but also credits luck for his early successes.