Episode
UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.
How I Built This with Guy Raz · May 25, 2026 · 1 h 32 min
In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was where he’d find an idea or a product to bring back home to Australia to build a business. A year in, he was still looking.. But then he saw an advertisement in a surfing magazine for Australian sheepskin boots. Uggs were so widespread in…