How an Entrepreneur Built a $500M Business by Having Fun

How an Entrepreneur Built a $500M Business by Having Fun

From The Next Big Idea Daily by Next Big Idea Club

May 20, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

The episode explores how incorporating fun into daily life can enhance creativity and well-being, featuring insights from Piera Gelardi and Mike Rucker.

Most of us treat fun like a reward we have to earn — but what if play is actually the missing ingredient holding everything else together? First, ⁠Piera Gelardi⁠, creative entrepreneur and co-founder of Refinery29, shares how weaving playfulness into everyday moments can unlock creativity and connection. Then, organizational psychologist ⁠Mike Rucker⁠ makes the case that fun isn't frivolous — it's a habit, and building it into your life can genuinely change everything. 🎁 Save 20% on a Next Big Idea Club membership when you used code PODCAST at⁠ ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠ ✉️ Get big ideas in your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe at⁠ ⁠bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠ Homeserve — Go to ⁠homeserve.com⁠ to find the plan that’s right for you Quince — Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to ⁠quince.com/nbid⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at⁠ ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠

People in this episode

Guests: Piera Gelardi, Mike Rucker

Topics covered

  • entrepreneurship
  • creativity
  • fun
  • psychology
  • self-improvement

Keywords

  • entrepreneur
  • business
  • playfulness
  • creativity
  • fun
  • psychology
  • self-improvement

Sponsors

Homeserve, Quince, Shopify

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Refinery29, Next Big Idea Club

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