Under Armour's Attack on Nike | Sweat Equity | 1

Under Armour's Attack on Nike | Sweat Equity | 1

Author: Audible March 18, 2026 Duration: 43:43
It’s 1995 and college football player Kevin Plank is frustrated with the way the cotton t-shirt he wears under his pads gets drenched with sweat. He begins designing a t-shirt made from a different kind of material - one that will wick away sweat and keep him cool and dry on the field. Upon graduating, Plank uses his life savings and maxes out his credit cards to launch Under Armour. And within ten years of its founding, Plank sets his sights on the biggest prize of all: taking on Nike.   Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Behind every product you use and every brand you recognize, there's a hidden history of rivalry and strategic gambles. Business Wars, from Audible, pulls back the curtain on these epic corporate clashes that quietly define our daily lives. It’s not just about quarterly earnings; it’s a deep narrative exploration where ambition, innovation, and sometimes sheer ego collide. Hosted by David Brown, whose experience as a former Marketplace anchor brings a seasoned clarity to complex stories, each series within this podcast dissects a famous business feud. You’ll hear the tense boardroom decisions, the disruptive marketing campaigns, and the personal rivalries that pushed companies like Nike and Adidas or Netflix and HBO to the brink. The storytelling goes beyond the official press releases to uncover the unauthorized maneuvers and human dramas that led to monumental triumphs or stunning downfalls. By weaving together elements of history, management theory, and pure suspense, this series reveals how these battles for your wallet and attention ultimately shape the cultural and commercial landscape we all navigate. Tune in for a compelling chronicle of what it really takes to win, or lose, in the high-stakes arena of modern business.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Business Wars
Podcast Episodes
The Whole Foods Rebellion | Tiny Acorns, Mighty Oaks | 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:01
CEO John Mackey is on a mission to take Whole Foods national. But he is about to run into major opposition. And to succeed in his quest, he must face down rebellious employees, ambitious rivals, animal rights activists a…
The Whole Foods Rebellion | Vision Quest | 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:38
When Texas hippie John Mackey opens an organic supermarket, he gets high on running a business. But when his ambitions sink its profits, sparks fly between him and his co-founders. They clash over the question of whether…
Price Wars: The Fall of Dollar Stores | Duped | 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:05
Not everything you buy from the dollar store is going to be a winner, and Wirecutter editor Annemarie Conte knows this firsthand. Today, Annemarie joins David to share tips for shopping smarter at these discounters, and…
Price Wars: The Fall of Dollar Stores | Shrinkage | 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:30
After 10 years of rapid growth, the dollar stores hit big trouble. Rats, burglars, unhappy workers, online agitators and inflation erode their profits. And a new online dollar store makes inroads. Can they survive these…
Price Wars: The Fall of Dollar Stores | Billionaire Tug of War | 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:40
We’re exploring how dollar stores went from Wall Street darlings to the problem children of the stock market. But first, we track how a re-energized Dollar General figures out how to make billions from small change, and…
Spanx vs Skims | Kim-Oh-No | 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:07
For over a decade, reality star Kim Kardashian was one of Spanx’s biggest boosters. She frequently spoke of wearing the product on the red carpet and on her social media pages, even if she was cutting it, dying it, and s…
Spanx vs Skims | Not Your Grandmother’s Girdle | 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:34
In 1998, a young office equipment sales rep named Sara Blakely can’t find anything to wear under a pair of tight fitting white pants. Everything she tries on makes her feel unattractive. In a moment of inspiration, she c…
What Killed Red Lobster? | Chain Reaction | 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:37
Chain restaurants are making a comeback — from Chili’s to Red Lobster, the spots we once passed over are cool once more. But why? Is it due to TikTok? Inflation? Millennial nostalgia? Eater reporter Amy McCarthy joins Da…
What Killed Red Lobster? | Swimming with Sharks | 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:13
Red Lobster’s new owners dream up a bold plan to revitalize the chain. And they’ve got a Hail Mary — the lure of endless shrimp. But they’ve failed to recognize just how much shrimp Americans can down in one sitting. Cel…
What Killed Red Lobster? | Caught in the Net | 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:46
Red Lobster redefined American dining habits by making seafood accessible to people living outside the coasts. But its heyday didn’t last. Casual observers believe Red Lobster’s demise was an open-and-shut case of an all…