Jeremy Barker
Founder and CEO of Murphy Door
Jeremy Barker is an inventor and serial entrepreneur best known for founding Murphy Door, the Utah‑based manufacturer that has become the leading name in hidden‑door furniture. Under Barker’s leadership the company has grown from a firefighter’s side hustle into a $60 million manufacturing powerhouse that Fortune calls America’s leading hidden‑door brand. Murphy Door is now recognized as one of Fortune’s 2025 “America’s Most Innovative Companies” and it has placed on the Inc. 5000 list for several consecutive years. Barker also heads Murphy Ladder LLC, where his patented collapsible ladder design (U.S. Patent No. 12,331,591) folds rail‑to‑rail for compact storage, and he oversees a growing portfolio of businesses, including Purebrand (an AI‑driven customer‑advocacy platform) and a significant real‑estate division.
Public profile and thought leadership
Beyond his companies, Barker engages with the entrepreneurial community through media and writing. He hosts the “90 Proof Wisdom” podcast, where he interviews founders and innovators about startup growth, leadership and personal resilience. His 2025 book “Founder Fallout: 100 Must‑Ask Questions Before You Share the Equity” distills more than a decade of hard‑earned lessons on choosing business partners and surviving “implosions”. Barker is also a sought‑after guest on programs such as UtahPreneur, Business Elevated and Honest Ecommerce, where he shares the Murphy Door story and practical advice for founders.
Guest Appearances on Leading Podcasts
1.UtahPreneur (Buzzsprout) – “Lost $20M, Slept in His Truck, Built a $50M Brand Anyway” – May 1 2025.
Summary: In this UtahPreneur episode, Jeremy Barker recounts losing $20 million before age 22, sleeping in his truck and working as a firefighter while building Murphy Door. He explains how the hidden-door company—now valued over $60 million—took off and shares lessons on resilience, balancing business and family, and why outbound sales drive the bulk of revenue.
Summary: On this episode of Startups With Stu, Jeremy Barker describes earning his first $20 million by age 21, going bankrupt twice and living in his car for a year before building the “Kleenex brand of hidden doors.” He explains how he created a new product category while working full‑time as a firefighter and why Murphy Door is projected to hit $109 million in revenue by 2027.
3. Business Elevated podcast – “Behind the Hidden Door” – Apr 11 2025 (Season 7, Episode 14).
Summary: Pete Codella of Utah’s Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity speaks with Jeremy Barker about his entrepreneurial roots. Barker recounts early ventures (construction and shed‑building), explains how he invented Murphy Door’s patented hidden‑door hardware and discusses manufacturing in the U.S., expansion to multiple states and collaborations with Hollywood productions
4. Honest Ecommerce podcast – “Winning Customer Trust by Owning Early Ecomm Mistakes” (Episode 349) – Sep 29 2025.
Summary: This interview highlights how Jeremy Barker built Murphy Door from a scrappy idea into a multi‑million‑dollar DTC brand recognized on Fortune’s “Most Innovative Companies 2025” list. He discusses transforming bookcases into functional hidden doors, leveraging viral social media, owning mistakes to build customer trust and using patents and early Facebook ads to gain attention.
5. The Hollister Group article – “Jeremy Barker: Discovery of Your True Self” – Well‑Being Walks series.
Summary: This profile notes that Barker lived out of his car before transitioning from firefighter to entrepreneur, built Murphy Door into an industry leader recognized by the NAHB and was a finalist for the 2024 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. The article highlights his commitment to innovation and his 90 Proof Wisdom podcast.
6. Authority Magazine (Medium) – “Jeremy Barker of Murphy Door On 5 Tips for Accelerating Product Ideation & Innovation” – May 27 2025.
Summary: In this in‑depth interview, Barker describes growing Murphy Door into an industry leader (recognized as one of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies 2025) and shares tips on product ideation, resilience and innovation. He recounts his journey from firefighter to 8‑figure entrepreneur and mentions his 90 Proof Wisdom podcast,
7. Entrepreneur magazine – “This Former Firefighter’s ‘Hidden’ Side Hustle Turned Full‑Time Business Helps Keep Homes Safe — and Saw ‘Explosive Growth’ to Over $27 Million Revenue” – May 30 2025 (Side Hustle Spotlight).
Summary: Entrepreneur’s Q&A explains how Barker founded Murphy Door in 2012 while still a firefighter, took the business online in 2013 and grew revenue from $30,000 to $5 million by 2016. The article notes that Murphy Door sells hidden home furnishings and surpassed $27 million in revenue while maintaining 70% year‑over‑year growth.