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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 [...]
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.
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.
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.
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.
What they do:
Make lightweight ear warmers.
Inspiration:
Chester Greenwood was a fifteen year old boy with cold ears. While ice skating one day in 1873, a bolt of inspiration struck him. He had his grandmother sew tufts of fur between some wire loops he had made, and the earmuffs were born.
About the business:
Greenwood's lightweight ear-warmers were so effective, he kept getting requests from friends and family for their own pairs. When he turned 18, he patented the idea. It wasn't long before he had his own factory with dozens of employees. Through the course of his life, Greenwood's invention would provide work--and warmth--for the people of Farmington, Maine. By the time he died in 1937, his company was making 400,000 earmuffs annually.
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.
Here’s a mom-turned-entrepreneur who solved a common frustration that most of us just take for granted: Matching Socks.
Sure, it only takes one company or product to revolutionize an industry, but selling people something they’ve never seen before isn’t easy. The general public tends to shy away from cutting edge technologies and trends, waiting for them to become more commonplace before adapting them. Your job is to change their minds. But how? Luckily, many before us have made bold, world-changing moves that have dramatically shifted the courses of industries, and made the people behind the companies filthy rich. One such example is Apple Computers.
Can you imagine ordering a book and having to wait while it was printed and bound? Of course not. But some small businesses across the country are starting to realize that having well-stocked inventories isn’t necessary for their business.
This entrepreneur went downhill fast. He applied leading edge technology to invent a radically new, high speed snow sled – for adults!
