Making Money in Hollywood
Spotting a Unique Niche In the 1970s, Rick Washburn wanted to be an actor and landed minor roles as a hitman and an FBI agent in several movies, according to business editor Paul Barrett. But Wasburn discovered that he could make a lot more money in Hollywood by using specialized knowledge from his childhood. While […]
Free Class Quiz
Class Notes Test Your Critical Thinking & Research Skills Read the previous blog post for Nathaniel Hawthorne. What other factor might explain his lack of financial success during his lifetime? What do River Dance, Del’s Lemonade in Rhode Island, and the franchise Mongolian Barbecue have in common? Beside’s being well known in their respective fields. True […]
Campbell Soup
Soup’s Not On In the early 1900’s, the Campbell’s soup product line was first marketed to wealthy people, but they weren’t interested in the convenience of the product. They had servants who prepared their meals. Later, the working-class population was targeted as the consumers who would value the benefits of a quick-cooking meal. Today, some […]
Turkey Soda & Spanx
Strange New Product Ideas When Peter van Stolk decided that he wanted to develop a line of sodas that tasted like holiday meals, the idea didn’t meet with a lot of enthusiasm from friends who thought the idea was nuts. Stolk proved skeptics wrong as he has expanded his specialty soda company into other amusing […]
Music Production & Recording Arts
More Women Needed The music production industry has only a tiny percentage of women and many people know little about the field. These issues inspired the creation of a nonprofit organization that seeks to train more women to enter the specialized industry involved in media and pop culture. A reference book highly recommended by industry […]
The World Needs More Pie
Beth Howard While working at a San Francisco computer company and earning a sizeable salary, Howard was unhappy and quit her job to bake pies in Malibu. “I needed something [work] more tactile, she explained recently on a San Francisco talk show. Howard’s passion for making pies began when she was 17. Howard has her […]
Business Wise
Timeless Advice The single most important decision that will determine whether a business will survive is the choice of a product or service—Thomas Murphy. It’s an uncertain future… It is shortsighted for any college student, regardless of major, not to pursue a minimum of preparation for self-employment in the event of unpredictable economic conditions. —Clifford […]
Moby
Solo Learning Style Musician Moby provided the closing score for the Jason Bourne movie series. His recent explanation of how his personality impacts the way he works is an almost perfect illustration of why some people are suited to solitary work. About twenty-five percent of the population prefers to work alone, according to aptitude experts. […]
Money Matters
Learning from FedEx & Trader Joe Fred Smith, the package delivery company founder resorted to nontraditional tactics to raise much-needed cash to keep his company running. Strapped for cash and with the payroll coming due, Fred Smith used a financing strategy not taught in traditional business schools: he went to Las Vegas, played blackjack, and […]