Culture That Survives the Exit: How Jay Steinfeld Beat the Odds

Culture That Survives the Exit: How Jay Steinfeld Beat the Odds

From Up Arrow Podcast by William Harris

March 24, 2026 · 1h 18m

About this episode

Jay Steinfeld discusses how to build a company culture that thrives during transitions and emphasizes the importance of people and continuous improvement.

Jay Steinfeld is the Founder and former CEO of Blinds.com, the world's largest online retailer of window coverings, which was acquired by The Home Depot in 2014. Under his leadership, Blinds.com grew from a bootstrapped startup in his home to a billion-dollar enterprise, earning a reputation for innovation in e-commerce and technology-driven growth. Jay is also a Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Lead from the Core: The 4 Principles for Profit and Prosperity and the Entrepreneur in Residence at Rice University's Graduate School of Business, where he shares business insights. In this episode… Building a company is challenging, but building one that thrives without losing its soul is even harder. Leaders may talk about culture, growth, and decision-making, yet few manage to scale while keeping people engaged and energized. How can you create a business that grows sustainably, empowers employees, and thrives even after major transitions? According to entrepreneur and leadership expert Jay Steinfeld, the answer lies in focusing on people and constant improvement. He emphasizes creating an environment where teams evolve continuously, experiment without fear of failure, and…

People in this episode

Host: William Harris

Guest: Jay Steinfeld

Topics covered

  • company culture
  • leadership
  • employee empowerment
  • sustainable growth
  • innovation
  • e-commerce

Keywords

  • business growth
  • leadership principles
  • employee engagement
  • innovation in e-commerce
  • company culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Blinds.com, The Home Depot, Rice University's Graduate School of Business

Books & works: Lead from the Core: The 4 Principles for Profit and Prosperity

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