Hey Bizography listeners, we wanted to introduce a new show to you all! The John Roa Show explores the gray areas of success through honest, raw and entertaining conversations with the most interesting celebrities, creative leaders and entrepre

MATTEL: Games People Play... From Barbie, to Hot Wheels, to Er... Fraud?

Oct 23rd, 2019 50m 51s

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 tim

ADIDAS: 2 German Brothers + 2 Wars = Not 1, But 2 Famous Shoe Brands

Oct 16th, 2019 56m 6s

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

SINGER: The Sordid History of the Sewing Machine Magnate

Oct 9th, 2019 45m 19s

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 Singe

ATARI: From the OG of Gaming, to Game Over

Oct 2nd, 2019 44m 46s

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 an

MARRIOTT: The Top Is A Rewarding Place To Stay

Sep 25th, 2019 44m 30s

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,

DOLE: How A Tasteless Start And Soured Relationships Turned Fruitful

Sep 18th, 2019 45m 6s

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 c

RCA: From 20th Century Linchpin To All But Forgotten

Sep 11th, 2019 50m 39s

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

CHIPOTLE: "Fresh & Delicious" Or "Sick & Tired"

Sep 4th, 2019 54m 29s

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 founde

LEVI'S: The Patent Advantage of Being First

Aug 28th, 2019 56m 2s

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

TUPPERWARE: Odd Inventor, Timeless Product, And A Woman Ahead Of Her Time

Aug 21st, 2019 58m 22s

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

PBR: So Bad, It's Good?

Aug 14th, 2019 41m 20s

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

WELLS FARGO: From Trusted to Busted

Aug 7th, 2019 41m 22s

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

TINDER: Flash in the Pan, or Slow Burn

Jul 31st, 2019 45m 33s

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

SEARS: The Rise & Fall of the First Everything Store

Jul 24th, 2019 46m 28s

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 so

VASELINE: The Goop That Keeps on Giving

Jul 17th, 2019 34m 4s

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 tha

BEN & JERRY'S: 5 Bucks + 2 Best Friends = Sweet Success

Jul 17th, 2019 38m 35s

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

Trailer

Introducing Bizography with Dana Barrett

Jul 10th, 2019 1m 29s

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

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