The idea for Pillow Pets dawned on Jennifer Telfer after watching her young sons smash down their stuffed animals in order to sleep on them like a pillow. So she set about creating stuffed animals that unfolded into plush pillows.
Telfer and her husband, Clint, decided to wholesale the products themselves in 2003 through their company, CJ Products. She began by hawking them at a mall kiosk during the holiday season, and then at a home show two weeks after Christmas. When the products nearly sold out, Telfer realized she was onto something. The cuddly toy has since exploded into the marketplace, bringing in $300 million in sales in 2010.
Bert and John Jacobs, Life is good
Bert and John Jacobs designed their first T-shirts in 1989 and hawked them on the streets of Boston and at colleges along the East Coast. But for five years, success eluded them. Then, in 1994, they struck upon the idea to use a design of a cartoon figure called Jake and the motto “Life is good.”
People seemed to embrace the simple message of optimism—the shirts were a hit at a local street fair and retailers soon became interested. Now, Jake’s face and motto are on more than just shirts. You can find him and other characters smiling on products from towels and totes to coffee mugs and dog leashes. And life sure is good now for Bert and John Jacobs. Business is booming, with 2010 sales coming in at about $100 million.
Jim Koch, Boston Beer Company
The beer business is in Jim Koch’s blood. His father was a fifth-generation brewer, but left the business as the big brewers moved to mass-produced beer. In 1984, however, Koch felt people were starting to crave something different. So he left his job as a management consultant, dug out his great-great grandfather’s recipe and started brewing in his kitchen.
Once his sample brew was perfected, he went door-to-door to Boston bars trying to sell Samuel Adams Boston Beer Lager. Today, the company is the largest craft beer brewer, with more than 30 different beer styles. It still uses all-natural ingredients, which Koch travels around the world to hand select, and brews its beer using traditional brewing methods.
The hard work has paid off. The company says it has won more awards in the international beer-tasting competitions than any other brewery in the world. It’s also a money maker—pulling in $102.2 million in net revenue in the first quarter of 2011.
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