Ready Stew : Why Didn't I Think of That? ®

Ready Stew

esthers

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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:
Ready to serve sauce for everything from pizzas to marinades.

Inspiration:
One of Esther Tongo's dinner staples was a homemade stew sauce that she enjoyed as a child in Nigeria. Family and friends loved it, and urged her to sell the scrumptious sauce. Problem was, there never was a recipe -- she never made it the same way twice. Tongo's husband Dwin, formulated the 12-ingredient recipe to the last decimal point, so it could be made in large quantities.

About the business:
Esther's Ready Stew hit her local ethnic market in 2005. To her surprise, the ready-to-serve sauce was a hit with every ethnic group. Tongo expanded her food offerings and today, her vision is to be The World's premier African Food Company. With a Wall-Mart contract and an online global distribution network, she's on her way.

Axioms:

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