Episodes
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Mattel is a classic American Dream story. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, start a company, invent iconic toys and make oodles of money. But of course nothing is ever that simple. This story has it all... young love, a woman a head of her time, a dark moment of fraud, and some truly iconic toys. But... does it have a happy ending?
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For Bizography’s first international episode, we brave a few hard to pronounce German names to bring you the story of the Dassler Brothers. Adi and Rudi started out all cool...brothers and partners in a shoe company that would change the sports world. Alas - their story turned ugly during WWII. Let's just say the Gestapo was involved. In the aftermath of the actual war and the brotherly war, Adidas was born, and yeah, another big name shoe company too.
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Missing episodes?
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Sewing seems like a pretty wholesome hobby, but the most famous sewing machine brand had a founder who was anything but. He was an inventor and successful, savvy businessman, but his true passion was acting, and er... women. Isaac Merritt Singer makes the bad boy CEOs of our time look pretty tame. In this episode of Bizography we dig into the personal story of Isaac Singer, AND we give him credit for furthering an invention that changed consumer behavior. HINT: It wasn't the sewing machine.
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Remember Pong? Breakout? Combat? PAC-MAN? That was all Atari. So, was Atari the OG of gaming? Or did they just do it better than the rest? And if they were so great, what the heck happened? In this episode of Bizography we go back to the 70s and 80s, and get all cultural on ya!
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Would you let your 14 year old travel to another city without you? Would you let him take all your inventory with him and trust him with a huge sale? Well, that's how J. Willard Marriott Sr. got his start. Times were different then to be sure, but it was that audacious confidence, strong work ethic, and family unity that he passed on to his sons and that formed the cornerstone of one of the world's most well-known and well-loved brands.
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It's easy to start a business empire with family money, and stolen(ish) land. At least it was for James Dole, The Pineapple King. It seems less likely that Dole pineapple would be on every grocery store shelf around the world, if James Dole's cousin Sanford hadn't essentially stolen Hawaii. In this episode of Bizography we examine the not-so-humble history of Dole Foods, the history of Hawaii, and the sweet and juicy goodness of right time, right place, right vision that allowed Dole to grow into what it is today.
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RCA was once a brand in every American household; it's leaders exalted, it's contributions lauded. But ask a anyone under the age of 40 if they've heard of RCA and they'll look at you like a deer in headlights. In fact, RCA was more than just a brand here and gone, it was the linchpin for many of the icons of today. In this episode of Bizography we dig into the history of a company that gave us modern radio and television, and is directly connected to everyone from GE, NBC, ABC, and BMG to Rockefeller Center, Lifesavers, and Hertz.
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Chipotle went from a food craze with rabid fans to a cautionary tale of mismanagement and sick customers. So, are they iconic or were they just timely? And will they survive? In this episode of Bizography we not only examine the story of founder Steve Ells, but the history of Mexican food in America and the two other iconic companies that laid the groundwork for Chipotle to come to life.
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We'd never suggest sitting around and waiting for a great business idea to land in your lap, but that's kinda the story behind Levi Strauss & Co. In this week's episode of Bizography, we dig into the family, the philosophy, and first-ness that helped Levi's become the iconic brand it is today.
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Earl Tupper deserves all the credit for the invention of Tupperware, but it's possible that without the work of Brownie Wise, it might have languished on the shelf. And yet Brownie's story has largely been buried. In fact, if Earl had his way, her story would remain buried in an airtight wonder bowl as if it never happened. This episode of Bizography is the story of a determined inventor, a clash of egos, and a woman ahead of her time.
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Can you take a less than average product and make it into an iconic brand? Sure. It's happened more than once. But can you do it with the same product twice? You can if your products initials are PBR! From a questionable blue ribbon in the early days to the embrace of hipsters in the early 2000s, this episode of Bizography tells the story of Pabst Blue Ribbon from the early days through today. Cheers!
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Henry Wells and William Fargo built a business based on trust, reliability, hard work and their good names, but now the company they built is muddling through scandals, investigations and lawsuits. Who were these men and what would they think if they could see the Wells Fargo of today? In this episode of Bizography we get to know the men that built this iconic business and why the culture they created didn't stick.
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Love, Sex, and Bad Jokes. Tinder has swiped its way to icon status in an amazingly short amount of time, but mating and technology go back hundreds of years. In this episode of Bizogprahy we explore the history of technology enhanced love from the 1600s to Tinder, and we look at the bro culture and mishaps of a company that could be here to stay or is maybe just a cultural moment.
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Starting with a single product, a forward thinking entrepreneur opens for business, and grows to become the largest reatailer in the world. But the man's name wasn't Jeff Bezos, and the year wasn't 1994. It was 1886 when Richard Warren Sears sold his first product, and eventually grew to become the world's first Everything Store. Amazon 1.0. But this episode of Bizography is not just about innovation and growth. It's also a story of ego, missed opportunities, and corporate raiders. Could it also be a cautionary tale for Amazon? You decide.
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Can you see treasure in another man's trash? Maybe. Can you turn no into yes? Lots of salespeople do it everyday. But - would you spend a decade trying to turn black smelly stuff into a useable household product? Robert Chesebrough did. And that's just the beginning of his story. The history of Vaseline is the story of a crazy genius, self-mutilating salesman, and savvy businessman all rolled into one.
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The reason Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield started their business is one you won't hear at any startup pitch competition in 2019. But maybe it should be. In this episode we put on our bell bottoms, go back to the 70s and share the history behind Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings and why doing business for the right reasons can have sweet results.
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Whether they’re a current shining star, in the midst of a massive dumpster fire or settling into the dust heap of history, iconic companies all have a past worth knowing. Hosts Dana Barrett and Nick Bean dive into their strange but true stories. Some are inspiring, some get our blood boiling and some show just how weird American consumers truly are. Bizography with Dana Barrett, the newest iHeartRadio business podcast, launches July 17, 2019.
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