Advice Line with Kip Tindell of The Container Store

September 10, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Kip Tindell, co-founder of The Container Store, returned to the Advice Line with a perspective shaped by 43 years of building a business, then watching it struggle after his departure. The episode’s three callers—each at a different stage—tested his core operating philosophy: patient, humble growth, obsessive customer service, and avoiding the seduction of speed.

The Growth Principle: 20% as a Ceiling, Not a Floor

Tindell revealed a deliberate growth cap he imposed on The Container Store for over four decades: 20% per year. In the retail environment of the 1970s and 80s, 20% was already "astronomically fast," but the discipline was in stopping there. Going faster, he said, would be like pushing the RPM needle into the red. He still reads articles advocating for no growth at all, but he believes a modest pace (enough to account for inflation and reward employees) is the sweet spot. The real killer of companies, he argued, is excessive growth: "be humble enough to figure out what your limitations are, grow at that rate, and then do it for a long, long time."

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of How I Built This with Guy Raz

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (05:46) **The Container Store's Decline and Kip's Reflections** - Kip discusses the painful experience of watching the company struggle after his retirement and eventual sale to Bed Bath & Beyond.
2 (08:03) **The Disruption of High-Service Retail** - Kip explains how the rise of frictionless, low-personnel retail has undermined the value proposition of service-driven stores.
3 (10:18) **Kip's Philosophy on Growth: Patience and Limits** - Kip shares his core philosophy on sustainable growth, emphasizing the danger of expanding too quickly.
4 (11:42) **The Joys of Retirement and a Life Well-Built** - Kip reflects on his post-retirement life and the importance of building a business with people you love.
5 (13:32) **Caller 1: Juliet Bruce and the Cooler Wand** - Juliet introduces her product, a reusable magic wand with a detachable frozen star that cools hot food and drinks.
6 (17:18) **Juliet's Core Challenge: Creating Discovery Without a Budget** - Juliet asks how to create opportunities for people to discover a new product category when she lacks the budget for a large awareness campaign.
7 (19:56) **On Authenticity and the Virtue of Patience** - Kip and Guy discuss the value of authentic, organic marketing and the importance of being patient with slow, steady growth.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Today’s callers: Juliette in France wonders how to raise awareness of her “magical” cooling device—without a costly ad campaign. Then David in North Carolina looks to grow the wholesale channel of his engraved gifts business in light of thinning retail margins. And Kaitlin in California wants to leverage the virality of her supportive, bordered sheets and create an enduring sleep brand.

Plus, Kip reflects on The Container Store’s bankruptcy and acquisition, and plugs patience and persistence as the keys to sustainable growth.

Thank you to the folks at CoolaWand, Hazel Grove Customs, and Kaomi Sleep for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to [email protected] or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to The Container Store’s founding story as told by Kip and his wife Sharon in 2024.

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.