"I never thought I would leave the family business." says the 46 year old unemployed heir of a $20 million Texas based light manufacturing and distribution company. "But when Dad got…
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How many times have we heard the expression, "The only constant in business is change?" Enough, probably, to make our ears sore. But like many cliches, this one also rings…
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It was mid-life crisis and an observation by cowboy philosopher Will Rogers that turned Harlan Sanders' life around. In 1930, Rogers observed on his radio show, "Let me tell you…
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A restless curiosity, a love of outdoors, a propensity for risk taking, and the experience from his adventures in Canada led Clarence Birdseye, the son of a New York Supreme…
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In all likelihood, you know of family businesses that have suffered through painful internal struggles or have endured embarrassing revelations. The consequences can range from public humiliation to catastrophic sanctions…
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At a very early age we are taught the virtue of the Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Sound advice. And if everyone…
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Born in Milan, Ohio, in 1847, Thomas Alva Edison's first schoolmaster pronounced him the equivalent of "ADHD" - attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Alva's inquisitiveness and excitement were mistakenly thought to…
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In the 1950s a French businessman decided that the world was about to enter a "throwaway culture." By focusing on inexpensive, reliable and disposable products he was betting on the…
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From the time he was 14 years old W. Atlee Burpee knew what he wanted to do. And what he wanted to do was raise, breed, and sell poultry. At…
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Edward John Noble, a young, ambitious advertising salesman, turned marketing disaster into a quarter of a million dollar marketing success in just two years by capitalizing on an underutilized marketing…
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