Grenade Gloves : Why Didn't I Think of That? ®

Grenade Gloves

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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:
Created a new glove style for snowboarders that would give them a more edgy look.

Inspiration:
Brothers Danny and Matt Kass thought that their fellow snowboarders needed a funkier look, so they created glovesl with a para-military, irreverent, in-your-face look.

About the business:
When the snowboarding brothers competed in the 2002 Olympics, they put their logo all over the Olympic Village. Even without a product, it got a buzz going fast. When they were ready with products like Dishonorable Mittens and Shrapnel Gloves, their extreme sports customers were waiting. Within 4 years, the brothers had $5.5 million in sales.

Axioms:

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How a flailing Florida football team led to the most popular sports drink of all time.

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The Sweet Stench of Success - November 17, 2009

Mark had a problem. He used moisture-wicking running clothes, but when it came to odor, the clothes seemed insusceptible to the charms of washing machines and even the most liberal doses of detergent.

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Tony Hawk: Pro Skater - October 23, 2009

Today, skateboarding is a 4.8 billion dollar industry. But it wasn’t always that way. Back in Hawk’s high school years, relatively few people knew or cared about the sport. But there was definitely an underground scene, with competitions, and prize money available to those with enough skill. Needless to say, Hawk had enough skill. In fact, he won so many skateboarding competitions that, by the time he was a senior in high school, he bought his own house.