Cold Call

Disrupting the Freezer Aisle: Dr. Bombay Ice Cream

When Happi Co. CEO Sam Rockwell partnered with Snoop Dogg and his son, Cordell Broadus, to launch Dr. Bombay Ice Cream, the team set out to disrupt a stagnant market with innovative flavors and culturally resonant branding. By combining Happi Co.’s operational expertise with Snoop Dogg’s global influence, the brand quickly secured placement in 80% of U.S. national grocery retailers and projected $20 million in first-year sales. Now, as Rockwell considers strategic next steps for marketing, fundraising, and diversification into new markets, he must also navigate the complexities of a creator-led brand. That includes balancing roles and responsibilities while keeping the company nimble and culturally relevant to reach its goals. Rockwell and Harvard Business School professor Bill Kerr join host Brian Kenny to discuss Kerr’s HBS case “Dr. Bombay Ice Cream,” which explores the creation, growth, and strategic decisions behind a lifestyle brand fueled by bold ideas and storytelling.

Shake Shack’s Digital Playbook: More Tech, Same Hospitality?

Shake Shack started in 2001 as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park. It’s now a global fast-casual restaurant chain renowned for both quality and hospitality. In 2024, following a rapid rollout of digital tools like kiosks and mobile ordering, Chief Growth Officer Stephanie So found herself asking, had Shake Shack built a model that could truly scale, or one that still needed work? That question came during a leadership transition and amid ambitious plans for growth. Digital orders were up, and average check sizes were higher, but the shift also raised new challenges. Would automation undermine the guest experience or change what it meant to work at Shake Shack? Could personalization and operational efficiency coexist with the company’s hallmark hospitality ethos? Harvard Business School professor Chris Stanton joins So and host Brian Kenny to discuss the case “Shake Shack’s Playbook for the Digital Era.” Together, they explore what it means to scale hospitality in a tech-driven industry and how Shake Shack is balancing brand values, digital adoption, and the evolving role of its frontline team.

At Booking.com, Innovation Means Constant Failure (Summer Repeat)

During a busy travel season, digital travel platform Booking.com wanted to try an experiment that would mean changing the site’s landing page. The CEO at the time, Gillian Tans, made the decision to lean into the company’s “test everything” culture—even if it meant failure. In this episode from 2019, Harvard Business School Professor Stefan Thomke and host Brian Kenny discuss how past experience and intuition can be misleading when attempting to launch an innovative new product, service, business model, or process. Instead, Booking.com and other innovative firms embrace a culture where testing, experimentation, and even failure are at the heart of what they do. As you plan your summer travels, enjoy this episode about cultivating an experimental mindset with insights from the case Booking.com and Professor Thomke’s book Experimentation Works.

Ensuring Boston Ballet Stays Relevant

Ming Min Hui, executive director of Boston Ballet, is unique in her field. As a young, Asian American woman with a Harvard Business School MBA and a background in finance, she has focused her tenure on ensuring the ballet company stays true to its art form and simultaneously relevant to its times. Hui had worked for eight years at Boston Ballet as chief of staff and chief financial officer before taking the helm. Now leading one of the foremost ballet companies in the United States, she confronted evolving demographics, shifting audience habits, and an increasingly challenging financial environment. Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Edward Chang and Hui join host Brian Kenny to discuss the case Ming Min Hui at Boston Ballet. They explore how she balances the past, present, and future—and how these lessons translate from this nonprofit arts organization to any company, anywhere.

How Bill Wilson Cofounded Alcoholics Anonymous and Created a Lasting Social Movement

Bill Wilson was an incredibly entrepreneurial young man with tremendous potential. He was also a drunk who had hit rock bottom. Then an epiphany led him to enduring sobriety. With his personal drive and fellowship with former drinking buddies, Wilson built a social movement and worldwide organization. Founded in 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous has helped millions of “friends of Bill” recover from alcohol addiction. In this episode of Cold Call, Harvard Business School Professor Robert Simons joins host Brian Kenny to discuss the case, Bill Wilson: Changing the World. They explore how Wilson navigated life’s choices, transformed his life and those of others, and left a lasting impact on the world.