Le Labo : Why Didn't I Think of That? ®

Le Labo

Le Labo Fragrances

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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:
Make a perfume on the spot for every individual customer

Inspiration:
Just-time-inventory and a no-fuss packaging approach gave Fabrice Penot a unique competitive advantage in the world of perfume.

About the business:
Fabrice Penot and co-founder Eddie Roschi create on the spot perfumes for each individual customer. They named their perfume line Le Labo, which means "the lab" in French. The pricey ingredients are un-glamoursly poured into plain glass bottles for the customer, whose name and expiration date go on the label. Within 4 years, Penot had a $4.5 million dollar business, with four global boutiques, and counter space at 12 retail stores.

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.

Snappy Socks - September 9, 2011

Here’s a mom-turned-entrepreneur who solved a common frustration that most of us just take for granted: Matching Socks.

Podcast Episode #2: “Amazing Cosmetics” - August 8, 2011

It’s an Amazing story about an Amazing company. In this week’s Why Didn’t I Think of That? ® Podcast the Why Guys have a chat with Sue Katz and Lisa Thurman of Amazing Cosmetics.

Made to Order - April 5, 2011

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.