In this episode, Nick Smoot sits down with Susan Paley, the powerhouse behind the early days of Beats by Dre. Before Beats became a global icon, it was Susan — employee one, founding CEO — who brokered the partnerships, built the business model, and turned the brand from an idea into a global force.
Susan shares how she navigated the chaos of startup life at the highest stakes, made the deals that fueled a cultural movement, and why simplicity is the hidden lever behind every great company. From early internet ventures to hardware innovation, her career is a blueprint for building in uncertain environments.
Today, Susan leads Beacon, where she has pulled together the best minds in global hardware manufacturing to help the next generation of founders build faster and smarter. We also dive into her perspective on innovation, leadership under pressure, and how places like Coeur d’Alene are becoming new frontiers for bold builders.
If you want to understand what it takes to create real momentum — and survive the pressure — this is a conversation you will not want to miss.
Highlights:
How Susan built Beats into a company with no map, no playbook, and no safety net
Lessons in deal-making: why listening wins and aggression loses
Why hardware matters again — and how Beacon is helping founders scale
How Build_ Coeur d’Alene is laying the groundwork for 100 new companies
The mindset required to build when the rules are being written in real time
Want to meet Susan in person?
She will be live at Build_ Coeur d’Alene on April 30 and May 1, sharing more stories, lessons, and energy with the builders of North Idaho. Request your invite today at [Build_ Coeur d’Alene].
Chapters
00:00 The Love for Volleyball
11:14 The Evolution of Sports and Gaming
14:17 From Chicago to LA: A Journey into Film
17:11 The Internet Boom and Early Innovations
20:13 Navigating the Audio Industry
26:15 The Art of Deal-Making
33:20 Life in Los Angeles: A Dual Perspective
34:39 The Traffic Dilemma in LA
37:01 Resilience and Reinvention in Los Angeles
41:24 The Evolution of Beats by Dre
47:46 Lessons from the Beats Experience
51:17 Empowering the Next Generation of Hardware Entrepreneurs
56:55 Unlocking Hidden Innovations in Research