Danny Winer, cofounder and CEO of HexClad, entered the overcrowded cookware space with one big idea: make a pan that truly solves people’s problems. That insight—paired with relentless iteration, a direct-to-consumer strategy, and a surprise Instagram partnership with Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay—helped HexClad reach more than $550 million in annual revenue.
Danny shares how he turned rejection into marketing gold, why failure is essential for growth, and how he built a team that sticks around. His story is a blueprint for anyone looking to innovate in a mature category—or prove it’s never too late to bet on yourself.
Finding product-market fit in an overlooked category
Before HexClad was a household name, Danny was selling a cold-press juicer—and losing money. “We misjudged the market,” he says, recalling how the early juicing boom shifted from homes to retail chains. “I had to shut my baby down.” It was a hard decision, but it freed up time and capital to focus on cookware, a space Danny knew well from a previous job.
Then he got lucky. While attending a trade show in Asia, Danny met a Korean entrepreneur who had invented a new non-stick pan with a unique laser-etched hexagon-shaped coating. It was a surface that combined the best of stainless steel and nonstick coating. It was durable and dishwasher-safe, and it could withstand heat of up to 900 degrees. Danny saw the potential immediately: “We solved that. We solved that. We solved that,” he remembers thinking about common consumer complaints.
Still, bringing that vision to market was no easy feat. “Everybody laughed at me when I went to try to raise money and said we were going to be a DTC cookware brand,” he says. Instead of giving up, Danny used every failed investor pitch to refine his message—and he turned that skepticism into ad copy. “Eventually, I was able to take the learnings in those rooms and turn those into some good Facebook ads.”
Learning how to build a high-retention team
Once the HexClad pan found its audience, growth came quickly, but Danny’s proudest moment wasn’t tied to revenue. It was hiring his first employee. “To me, the most exciting moment we’ve had as a company was when it went from my cofounder Cole [Mecray] and I doing everything … to providing jobs for people.”
Today, HexClad has extremely low employee turnover. “Culturally, I want to create an environment where the employee is nurtured both professionally and personally,” Danny says. That means work-life balance, team lunches, and leadership by example—even if that means cleaning the bathroom himself. “You gotta be able to roll up your sleeves.”
As HexClad’s reputation has grown, so has the volume of interest from job seekers. “Now really good talent is coming to us,” Danny says. “And we have the benefit of going, Do they fit who we are?” The challenge now isn’t finding qualified candidates—it’s making sure new hires align with the company’s values and culture.
Recovering from failure by embracing the mirror
Danny credits HexClad’s success to learning from the many failures that came before. But what matters, he says, isn’t just failing—it’s how you react to the failure and admit what went wrong. “The fact is, very often, we don’t want to admit the role we played in a failure,” he says. “And the last place people look is in the mirror.”
That self-awareness helped Danny walk away from his juicer business and commit to something new, even when it wasn’t yet clear whether the HexClad pan would succeed. He tested the prototypes with home cooks and chefs, used their feedback to iterate, and stayed focused on long-term impact. “I didn’t want to build something, burn through cash, and try to exit,” he says. “I wanted to build a company that will be around in 50, maybe 100 years.”
Leading with wisdom, not ego
Danny is glad success came later in life. “When a 52-year-old takes a risk, people go, ‘What a dummy!’ But it doesn’t matter how old you are. A good idea is a good idea.”
He believes deeply in intergenerational teams, where experience and curiosity are equally valued. “I’m not saying I’m smarter than a 25-year-old,” he says. “But I’m guaranteeing I’m wiser.” That mindset has shaped how he leads, and how he encourages others to lead.”
He adds, laughing, “There’s no stupid question. Even when it is stupid.” He urges younger founders to find mentors and ask more questions. “Now, if you gotta ask the same thing 10 times to me, I’m gonna get frustrated. But ask for help.”
At HexClad, that humility shows up in everything from internal feedback loops to long-term strategy. “You have to inspire, lead. You need the failures of a lifetime to be able to run a company properly,” Danny says.
Staying curious and doubling down on what works
HexClad’s turning point came not just from product design or timing, but from a surprise DM that led to a celebrity endorsement. One day, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay followed the brand on Instagram. Someone had given him a pan and he liked using it. Danny sent him more pans. Soon a phone call turned into a full-blown strategic partnership. “We were just like two kids talking,” Danny recalls. “He said, ‘Mate, we’re gonna crush it.’”
Today, Ramsay uses HexClad in his restaurants and shows, and serves as a hands-on partner in product and marketing strategy. But the partnership wasn’t about celebrity—it was about shared values. “Gordon works harder than me,” Danny says. “He’s got amazing business sense. He helps everybody that comes into his life.”
That sense of loyalty, curiosity, and long-term thinking is what continues to fuel HexClad’s growth. And it’s what Danny hopes to pass on to the next generation of founders. “We shouldn’t make somebody feel foolish or irresponsible for taking a chance,” he says. He believes risk-taking should be encouraged at any age and that wisdom, not youth, often provides the clarity needed to turn a good idea into a lasting business.
Danny Winer’s journey with HexClad proves that innovation isn’t always about inventing something new—it’s about seeing old problems with fresh eyes. With wisdom earned from failure, a company culture rooted in decency, and a team built to last, Danny shows that legacy brands aren’t born. They’re built one decision at a time.
To hear more of Danny’s insights and the full story behind HexClad’s rise, watch the full interview now on the Shopify Masters YouTube channel.
