At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious product that turned into a lifeline: squishy-squashy memory foam. He jumped at the chance to distribute Swedish memory foam pillows and mattresses to Americans. Tempur-Pedic USA began by selling to chiropractors ... Show More
Mar 16
Scrub Daddy: Aaron Krause. How a Failed Experiment Became a Billion-Dollar Sponge
Aaron Krause did not set out to reinvent the kitchen sponge. He was a car detailer, building buffing pads and the machines that made them. To clean his greasy hands, he made a makeshift hand scrubber out of extra-rough foam, and it worked so well he decided to sell it. But nobody ... Show More
1h 29m
May 2021
Sponsored: Small Business Stories | Columbia Sportswear | 2
<p>This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small.</p><p>It’s 1970 and Gert Boyle’s life is in ruins. Her husband’s just died, and now, ... Show More
31m 23s
Apr 2020
Amazon vs Walmart - The Big Bang Theory of E-Commerce | 1
<p>Ninety-six percent of Americans now shop online, snapping up everything from rare coins to industrial-sized barrels of hand sanitizer. Almost half of those purchases take place on one website: Amazon. </p><p>But before sales were a click away, Walmart was the top dog, dec ... Show More
23m 28s
Oct 2021
Roaring Twenties | The Great Crash | 4
<p>On a misty morning in May 1927, Charles Lindbergh climbed into the cramped cockpit of his single engine plane, <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>. After a bumpy taxi and takeoff at a New York runway, he took to the skies, on a flight that would break records and make him a natio ... Show More
39m 16s
Feb 2021
Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Buying Spree | 5
<p>It’s 1991, and after the financial crash of 1987, Estée Lauder is looking for a new way to continue expanding without sinking millions of dollars and several years into developing a new brand. The answer lies in acquisitions, and they set their sights on two young, hip, buzzwo ... Show More
25m 18s
Feb 2024
Dianna Cohen: Crown Affair Founder and CEO
<p>Crown Affair is a haircare brand that empowers people to create ritual out of their hair routine. Launched in 2020 with four products (a towel, a brush, an oil, and a comb), Crown Affair has since grown to include a range of hair products and tools; has become one of the buzzi ... Show More
57m 22s