A Career in News—and a Growing Disconnect
Before he became one of the most recognizable voices in podcasting, Guy Raz built his career as a hard news reporter. He worked for NPR as a foreign correspondent, covering conflict zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. His reporting was respected, but over time, he began to feel a growing disconnect. The stories he was telling were important—but often dark, rigid, and draining. Raz started asking himself if there was a different way to inform people that didn’t require constant exposure to crisis.
A Year of Reflection That Sparked Change
In 2008, Raz took a year off as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard. That sabbatical became a turning point. He stepped away from war reporting and immersed himself in studying storytelling, creativity, and narrative theory. It was the first time in his adult life that he had paused to consider not just what he reported—but how he reported it. That year gave him the clarity to begin shifting his voice from hard-edged journalism to something more human and story-driven.
A Personal Breaking Point
In 2012, Raz covered the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The experience left him deeply shaken—more than any war zone ever had. He later shared that the emotional toll of reporting on such profound tragedy forced him to reconsider what kind of work he wanted to do. It wasn’t just about career satisfaction—it was about preserving his sense of meaning and well-being. He began to think more seriously about stories that inspired hope, creativity, and resilience.
From Reporter to Storyteller
After years as a host of news programs like Weekend All Things Considered and The TED Radio Hour, Raz noticed something: audiences were drawn to stories that centered on people, not just events. He began crafting interviews around moments of doubt, small decisions, and personal breakthroughs. The deeper he leaned into storytelling, the more he felt aligned with his work. That shift set the stage for the project that would define his next chapter.
Creating How I Built This
In 2016, Raz launched How I Built This—a podcast featuring the stories of entrepreneurs and business leaders. It wasn’t about valuations or headlines. It was about failure, persistence, and the human journey behind the brand. The show was an immediate success because it combined Raz’s journalistic instincts with emotional storytelling. Each episode revealed the vulnerable moments that shaped major companies—and listeners connected to that honesty.
A New Kind of Influence
How I Built This quickly became one of the most popular business podcasts in the world. But for Raz, it was more than a hit show—it was a personal reinvention. It allowed him to use his voice to uplift rather than unsettle, to inform through connection rather than conflict. In the process, he helped redefine what business storytelling could sound like.
Conclusion
Guy Raz’s career didn’t change overnight. It evolved through burnout, reflection, and a willingness to listen to himself as closely as he listened to others. The emotional weight of traditional reporting pushed him to find new meaning—and through How I Built This, he created a platform that doesn’t just tell business stories, but human ones. His journey proves that transformation often starts when we pause long enough to ask what truly matters.
