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For sometime now, we’ve had a special project in the works. We wanted to give our listeners and readers a chance to hear a new Why Didn’t I Think of That?® feature every day, even if they’re away from the radio. And that’s exactly what we’ve done. Today marks the beginning phases of a plan [...]


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Hall of Fame Spotlight: Spray Paint

Nobody thought about putting paint in an aerosol can until Ed Seymour. In 1949, Seymour was looking for a novel way to demonstrate a new aluminum paint. His wife suggested putting it in an aerosol can, like ones recently introduced for insecticides. To his surprise, the sprayer — not the paint — became the star of his demonstration.


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Hall of Fame Spotlight: Dole Pineapple

While in Hawaii in the 1800′s, James Dole discovered a fruit most people had never seen or heard of before: The pineapple. He began importing the fruit to the mainland and introduced the country to this exotic, sweet treat. The pineapple became a national favorite, and the Dole Food Company became the largest supplier of fruits and vegetables in the world.


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TOMS Shoes

He started his first business in college. He sold his second business to Clear Channel. He came within four minutes of winning CBS’s the Amazing Race. He’s led an interesting life, but what Blake Mycoskie is best known for is starting TOMS Shoes, the company that has donated well over a million shoes to needy men, women, and children.


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Hall of Fame Spotlight: Gatorade

Today it’s as synonymous with sports as cheerleaders or sweatbands. But not too long ago, Gatorade was just a nameless concoction, cooked up to revitalize the University of Florida’s football team: the Gators. The Gators were losing. A lot. One reason for that was the hot Florida weather dehydrating the players. The “Gator-Aid” not only saved the team, but it has been hydrating and refreshing some of the world’s greatest athletes ever since.

Today’s Hall of Fame Spotlight: The Story of Gatorade.

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What they do:
Website helping people find the best parking locations and lowest rates in major cities.

Inspiration:
In 2004, Benjamin Sann was just 16 when he had an epiphany during an episode of Seinfeld. It was the one where George can't find a cheap parking space. Sann knew the area well and set out on two wheels to find the best parking locations and lowest rates in Manhattan.

About the business:
BestParking.com is a free online parking search engine that steers drivers towards the cheapest, most convenient parking sites. From New York, it has expanded to seven of the nation's largest cities, and all major airports. Sinn offers reservations on daily and monthly parking spots, and gets a financial cut from the deals. Over 100,000 motorists rely on the website each month.

Axioms:

Related Blog Stories:

TOMS Shoes - March 23, 2012

He started his first business in college. He sold his second business to Clear Channel. He came within four minutes of winning CBS’s the Amazing Race. He’s led an interesting life, but what Blake Mycoskie is best known for is starting TOMS Shoes, the company that has donated well over a million shoes to needy men, women, and children.

Crowd-Sourcing Innovation - February 17, 2012

Jake Zien was a 17 year old with a quirky idea for a flexible power strip. Ben Kaufman was a 19 year with a start-up and a vision of harnessing ideas just like Jake’s.

Now, thanks to Kaufman’s invention crowdsourcing site Quirky, Zien and other inventors like him are seeing their products go from sketchpad to store shelf faster than they can say “perpetual royalties.”

Small Business V. Hackers - June 15, 2011

Is it just me, or is the world ending? Hackers recently took down the CIA website and broke into the United States Senate’s public. Last month it was Sony’s Playstation network. Before that it was the still-at-large group of rogue hackers known as Anonymous. Hackers have been around for as long as there have been [...]

The History Factory - May 21, 2011

It’s no secret that businesses and corporations are always looking forward. The next big product, the next big innovation, the next quarterly report. And yet, many businesses have histories as rich and fascinating as anything you’d find in a history book. Is there any money to be made in preserving your company’s legacy?

Internet Cash: The Drudge Report - May 16, 2011

We all use the internet. So why are some people getting paid for it? In this new series, I’ll be taking a look at some of the many ways entrepreneurs and industrious young (and old) capitalists are making money using nothing more than a keyboard and mouse.