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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:
Ice cream covered with chocolate.
Inspiration:
Christian Nelson supplemented his income by managing an Iowa candy store. One day a boy with a nickel came in and asked, “Should I buy a candy bar? Or an ice cream sandwich?” This inspired Nelson decided to combine the two. He tried adhering melted chocolate to bricks of ice cream, but it wouldn’t stick. He kept failing until he added a little coco butter – and voila – the Eskimo Pie.
About the business:
Nelson’s idea was rejected by seven regional dairies, then he met ice cream executive Russell Stover. Stover named the treat Eskimo Pie and helped Nelson patent it. Nelson and Stover licensed manufacturing of the Eskimo Pie to thousands of companies coast to coast splitting the royalties.
Here’s an entrepreneur who wouldn’t take no for an answer. It’s the story of Berlin, New York style cheesecake, and a woman who wouldn’t let naysayers sway her confidence.
Join us for the World Premiere of this new 90-second Why Didn’t I Think of That?® feature, Café Barcomi.
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.
While flavors like vanilla, cookie-dough, and rocky road may never go out of style, there’s no end to the possibilities when it comes to tickling taste buds. But… Riesling Poached Pear? Queen City Cayenne?
Why would anyone just let people use their product… for free? Well, for Connecticut clockmaker Eli Terry, it was a matter of getting his product into the hands of people who might not have realized they wanted it.
It’s probably the most popular carbonated beverage in the world, but it wasn’t always an easy sell. Enter Asa Griggs Candler, the man who would take Coca-cola from drug-store remedy to a brand recognized around the world.
