Noah Alper is the Founder of Noah’s Bagels, which grew from a one-store location to a large bakery chain that spans across California. Six and a half years after founding his bagel empire, Noah exited the company for $100 million. His expertise in concept creation, marketing, retail, food service, and sales management allowed him to start five other businesses in addition to Noah’s Bagels.
With over 35 years of business and nonprofit management experience, Noah shares his wisdom as a motivational speaker. He has lectured at many places, including Google, The Commonwealth Club, J.P. Morgan, and Stanford University. Noah founded Noah Alper Consulting to help guide entrepreneurs through the startup process. He is also the author of Business Mensch: Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Entrepreneur.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Noah Alper discusses how he developed an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age
- Noah talks about his background, his family, and what it was like growing up in the Vietnam War era
- The lessons Noah learned from his various business startups
- The pros and cons of having a friend or family member as a business partner
- How Noah’s time in Israel impacted his future business ventures
- The start of Noah’s Bagels — and how it became a huge success
- How did Noah overcome the challenges of a difficult startup?
- Noah’s current consulting business — and how he’s helping young entrepreneurs, startups, and businesses in transition
- What Noah is most excited about in his line of work
In this episode…
For many entrepreneurs, starting a business is a celebrated accomplishment. Noah Alper achieved that success — and multiplied it to found six businesses. But how did he successfully start so many companies? And what did he learn from his entrepreneurial endeavors?
The entrepreneurial spirit runs in Noah’s family, and much of what he learned about the food industry came from his father. The most significant piece of advice that’s stuck with him? Learn from everybody. With every business that Noah founded, he had opportunities to work with new people and figure out strategies that lead to success.
In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Noah Alper, Founder of Noah’s Bagels and Noah Alper Consulting, to talk about starting a successful business. Noah describes the lessons learned in his entrepreneurial journey, the trends to look for in the market, and how he’s helping other entrepreneurs and business owners grow and scale their companies. Stay tuned for more!
Resources Mentioned in this episode
Special Mentions:
Book Mentioned:
- Business Mensch: Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Entrepreneur by Noah Alper
- Business Mensch: Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Entrepreneur by Noah Alper on Amazon
Sponsor for this episode
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Cofounders Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran credit podcasting as the best thing they have ever done for their businesses. Podcasting connected them with the founders/CEOs of P90x, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, Rx Bars, YPO, EO, Lending Tree, Freshdesk, and many more.
The relationships you form through podcasting run deep. Jeremy and John became business partners through podcasting. They have even gone on family vacations and attended weddings of guests who have been on the podcast.
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Rise25 was co-founded by Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran who have been podcasting and advising about podcasting since 2008.
Insider Stories from Top Leaders & Entrepreneurs…
Episode Transcript
Intro 0:15
You are listening to Inspired Insider with your host, Dr. Jeremy Weisz.
Jeremy Weisz 0:22
And this inspiredinsider.com interview. What does rustic salad bowls a natural food store that eventually sells the whole foods and import business bagel store that eventually sells dine Stein’s in a kosher Italian vegetarian restaurant have in common? Noah Alper. Listen to this interview, he talks about the highs, the lows, the big mistakes and the lessons learned that and much more coming up now.
Jeremy Weisz here we were hearing Noah Alper who founded Noah’s Bagels in Berkeley, California. He started one store in 1989 built it up to a chain of 38 stores, which he sold to Einstein brothers bagels for $100 million in 1995. He’s founded five other businesses and he is the author of the business Mench. timeless wisdom for today’s entrepreneur. No thanks for being here.
Noah Alper 1:20
It’s great to be with you, Jeremy. Just one minor clarification is actually 96 97 Thank you most close enough.
Jeremy Weisz 1:30
So you know, we often learn our most valuable lessons, we make mistakes. So I’m really excited to hear your highs lows in especially some of the big lessons you learn from this, you know, the mistakes along your journey. And before we get started with some of the great stories you have, I always like to include a fun fact. Fun fact about Noah, which I had no idea. So he when he was born, he didn’t have a name for three months. And he actually changed his name in 1988. Because He always was your old name.
Noah Alper 2:02
My I like to say my sort of slave name like like Kunta Kinte in Roots was a Norman Charles. And I never really cared for it. And so in 1998 I changed my name.
Jeremy Weisz 2:18
So why did you not have a name for three months.
Noah Alper 2:22
Um, I didn’t have a name because my parents were having a debate about what my name should be. My father was in the food commodities business with his father. And this was in the 40s. And they were just breaking into the supermarket industry. And dad got the Skippy peanut butter line. And it was a very exciting thing that he as a result wanted to call me Skippy. For which my mother violently objected, you could
Jeremy Weisz 2:55
thank your mom for that. Right?
Great interview! like most great salesman Noah tells a great story and really paints a clear picture of his life and career. Very inspiring, my favorite one yet. Keep em coming Jeremy!
Thanks Craig! I appreciate the comments and having you as a listener. Any guest suggestions that you have let me know for future episodes of InspiredInsider!?