What makes the most successful business people on the planet different from the rest of us? Are they simply more driven, smarter, perhaps more ruthless or just blessed with charisma? Are they born with a hidden talent that makes them a force of nature? Or was it developed? Business journalist and best-selling author Farnoosh Torabi is on a mission to find out. In each 30 minute episode of FOLLOW THE LEADER,premiering Wednesday, April 6 at 10PM ET/PT, Torabi spends 48 hours embedded with a superstar entrepreneur to learn how these wildly successful business people operate. Torabi’s mission is to dig deep and discover unique philosophies, methods and practices that earned them their status and their fortunes – and help viewers apply this knowledge to their own lives.
Featured entrepreneurs and air order (subject to change):
Episode #1: Series Premiere: Wednesday, April 6 at 10PM ET/PT
John Paul DeJoria – Co-founder & Chairman of the Board, John Paul Mitchell Systems and The Patrón Spirits Company
Business journalist Farnoosh Torabi embeds for 48 hours with billionaire entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria to discover the secrets to his success. From John Paul’s corporate digs in LA to his home office in Texas, Farnoosh follows JP as he attempts to build his third billion dollar brand, Aubio Life Science. When JP faces a critical business decision and asks his daughter for advice, how will he react when she doesn’t sugarcoat her thoughts?
Episode #2: Wednesday, April 13 at 10PM ET/PT
Lyor Cohen – Co-Founder 300 Entertainment
Business journalist Farnoosh Torabi spends 48 hours in New York with music mogul Lyor Cohen to find out how his new label makes a profit in an era of massive change in the industry. She’ll see how Lyor leaves no stone unturned to increase sales for his artists. Will Lyor persuade the mega-successful rapper Young Thug to let up and coming Australian singer, Conrad Sewell, add vocals to his latest song?
Episode #3: Wednesday, April 20 at 10PM ET/PT
Gary Vaynerchuck – Co-founder and CEO of VaynerMedia, and partner in Vayner/RSE
Business journalist Farnoosh Torabi tracks social media ad whiz and visionary Gary Vaynerchuk over several days to learn his secrets to digital sales and marketing. Vaynerchuk became an internet phenomenon when he increased the value of his parent’s three million dollar wine business by over 20 times in just five years using techniques he developed via the Internet. Now helming VaynerMedia, with assets of over 100 million bucks and clients like GE, the NHL and Dove, Gary answers the question on everyone’s mind — what are his secrets to making money using social media?
Episode #4: Wednesday, April 27 at 10PM ET/PT
Katia Beauchamp – CEO and Co-Founder Birchbox
Business journalist Farnoosh Torabi spends 48 hours with Katia Beauchamp, founder of Birchbox, a beauty retailer that delivers custom boxes of product samples to over a million subscribers every month. Katia is determined to change the perception that Birchbox is just a subscription service and get more users to shop on their site. Will Katia choose a more aggressive approach and risk affecting Birchbox’s relationship with its long-term customers?
Episode #5: Wednesday, May 4 at 10PM ET/PT
Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa – Co-CEOs and Co-Founders of Warby Parker
Business journalist Farnoosh Torabi goes in-depth with Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa, Co-CEOs and Co-Founders of Warby Parker, the online eyeglasses powerhouse which has lately been expanding into brick and mortar stores. For a company that sells most of their eyeglasses for just $95 – including lenses –they’ve managed to grow into a billion dollar business in just five years. Now, Blumenthal and Gilboa are faced with a big decision – whether or not to open yet another retail location – this time in Brooklyn. Are they reaching too far, too fast?
Episode #6: Wednesday, May 11 at 10PM ET/PT
Tracy Anderson – Founder & Creator of the Tracy Anderson Method
Business journalist Farnoosh Torabi follows fitness mogul Tracy Anderson for several days to see first-hand how this former fitness trainer has transformed into an ultra-successful businesswoman. Starting from humble roots, Tracy created a multi-million dollar brand through determination and moxie. Recently, she hired a new CEO and received an exclusive deal with Target to sell organic energy bars. However, it’s expensive to include the top-notch ingredients Tracy demands and her CEO has reservations. Will Tracy be willing to cut costs and possibly not deliver the high-quality her customers expect?
“Follow the Leader” host Farnoosh Torabi is an award winning personal finance expert, bestselling author, TV personality, and sought-after speaker. She is a frequent contributor for DailyWorth, Yahoo! and The Today Show and former contributing editor at Money Magazine. Her latest book is an Amazon #1 Best Seller, entitled When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women. Her work and advice has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, Real Simple, Marie Claire, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, All You, People, Entrepreneur, The Daily Beast, Huffington Post, USA Today, The New York Daily News and The New York Post.
For more information, visit followtheleader.cnbcprime.com. Like us on Facebook FollowTheLeaderCNBC and follow @FollowLeaderTV on twitter.
FOLLOW THE LEADER is produced for CNBC by Critical Content and The Jay and Tony Show with Tom Forman, Jay Blumenfield, Anthony Marsh, Brad Bishop as executive producers. Jim Ackerman and Marshall Eisen are the executive producers for CNBC.