Award-winning podcast host Guy Raz partners with Square to spotlight journeys and lessons from growing, thriving businesses across America

Today, Square announced the launch of “The Way Up,” a new video series hosted by Guy Raz that celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and showcases the real stories of grit, vision, growth, and heart behind some of America's most innovative local businesses. The series features in-depth conversations with business owners who have transformed their dreams into thriving enterprises, sharing their pivotal moments and the lessons learned along the way.

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Award-winning podcast host Guy Raz partners with Square to spotlight journeys and lessons from growing, thriving businesses across America (Graphic: Square)

Made in collaboration with Guy Raz, the acclaimed interviewer and creator of “How I Built This,” the series features six remarkable Square-powered businesses that represent the diversity and resilience of American business ownership as they use technology and ingenuity to grow:

• Nixta Taqueria, featuring Chef Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi, evolved from a pop-up to a James Beard Award-winning 50-seat restaurant in Austin, Texas, showcasing the power of culinary innovation.
• Charles Pan-Fried Chicken, helmed by two-time James Beard Award nominee Chef Charles Gabriel and Chef Quie Slobert, brings Harlem's soul food legacy to new audiences across their three locations.
• The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, founded by Jenny Nguyen and the first-ever sports bar dedicated to women's sports, is expanding its footprint and giving back to advance future generations of women athletes.
• Vala's Pumpkin Patch, featuring Tim and Kelsey Vala, has grown from a modest 17-acre rental to a 450-acre cultural landmark in Gretna, Nebraska, with 20,000 people visiting per day during peak season, run by the Vala family for over 40 years.
• Green Apple Books, a San Francisco institution since 1967 owned by Pete Mulvihill, demonstrates how independent bookstores can adapt and thrive in the digital age.
• Rustler Hat Co., founded by Alex Samuels in Nashville, Tennessee, transforms hat-making into an experience, crafting up to 200 custom hats daily.

“Throughout my career, I've been drawn to the human stories behind successful businesses – the moments of truth, the critical decisions, and the community connections that shape their journeys,” said Guy Raz. “With ‘The Way Up,’ we're going deeper into these stories, showing how local businesses across America are reimagining their industries and using technology to bring their unique visions to life. These aren't just business stories – they're stories about human ingenuity, perseverance, and the transformative power of successful businesses on their broader communities.”

“At Square, we’re proud to support the millions of bold, imaginative sellers redefining what local business looks like today,” said Lindsey Irvine, Head of Marketing at Square. “‘The Way Up’ shines a light on their stories – of resilience, reinvention, and impact. Through Guy Raz’s lens, we see how empowered business owners don’t just build successful companies – they shape the future of their communities.”

The series will be distributed across multiple platforms, including full episodes on Square's YouTube channel, audio versions on Raz's “Wisdom From the Top” podcast, and exclusive content through The Bottom Line, Square's publication for business owners and operators. Each episode explores how these businesses navigate change and challenge, implement solutions, and scale their operations using Square.

The first episode of "The Way Up" launches today on The Bottom Line. Learn more about how Square can power your growth at www.squareup.com.

About Square

Square makes commerce and financial services easy and accessible with its integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions. Square offers purpose-built software to run complex restaurant, retail, and professional services operations, versatile e-commerce tools, embedded financial services and banking products, buy now, pay later functionality through Afterpay, staff management and payroll capabilities, and much more – all of which work together to save sellers time and effort. Millions of sellers across the globe trust Square to power their business and help them thrive in the economy. For more information, visit www.squareup.com.

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