#290: Mariam Naficy, Founder and Chairman, Minted – See the possibilities in people

How Leaders Lead with David Novak

David Novak Leadership

Entrepreneurship, Business, Management

4.8 • 596 Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2026

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Minted Founder Mariam Naficy was ready to shut it all down. She’d spent nearly all the capital from her angel round, but nothing was selling. Then, she experimented with crowdsourcing stationery and card designs from independent artists, and everything changed. Sales exploded. And 18 years later, Minted is in 75 million homes worldwide, empowering tens of thousands of independent artists and designers to make a living. And it’s a testament to Mariam’s ability to find the potential in people that others miss. Whether it’s with customers, independent artists, or her own team, she leads with the belief that people are full of possibilities, and it’s up to leaders to draw them out. Hit play and see how to become the kind of leader who gets the best out of the people around them. You’ll also learn: The question to ask before you fire someone How to build a competitive moat around your business Why your brand should be a big factor in your approach to AI One surprising strategy that can help you be a better listener Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The How Leaders Lead App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daily Insight Emails⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode of How Leaders Lead with David Noback.
0:04.5	Today we have Mariam Nefisi on the show. She's the founder of Minted, which is a design-driven
0:09.8	crowdsource marketplace that connects artists with consumers to deliver high-end stationary, home decor, and art.
0:16.5	Now, Miriam is the type of leader who knows how to get the very best out of her people.
0:20.6	Whether it's with customers, independent artists, or her own team, she leads with the belief So Miriam is the type of leader who knows how to get the very best out of her people.
0:20.9	Whether it's with customers, independent artists, or her own team, she leads with the belief
0:25.2	that people are full of possibilities.
0:28.1	And in this episode, you'll learn how to embrace that same belief so that you too can get
0:32.8	the very best out of your team.
0:35.3	Enjoy this episode with David and Miriam, and I'll see you at the debrief.
0:44.2	Minted has products in over 75 million homes worldwide. Have you ever walked into someone's
0:51.7	house and spotted a minted piece on the wall without
0:55.6	them knowing who you are?
0:57.4	Yes.
0:58.0	It's happened in public places, like offices that's happened on Samsung frame TVs.
1:05.5	I often see minted art that, you know, those TVs are all over the place, or just an office where there
1:13.2	might be holiday cards that people have pinned up. So yeah, it's fun to encounter the product
1:18.2	in the real world. Yeah, it's going to say, what's that like when you walk in and see something
1:22.9	that you created? It's humbling. It's, sometimes it can be overwhelming, but I guess after,
1:30.6	it's sort of a, almost a lifetime of work, 18 years, you know, so I guess that's what happens
1:36.7	when you spend a lot of time on something. And you've spent a lot of time on some great things.
1:42.3	You know, your mom is an artist, your uncle is a graphic designer, your aunt Mason is a well-known
	...

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