Episode 193: Looking Good to Tasting Great

Episode 193 originally broadcast on February 14, 2009

This week we talk to Janet Gurwitch of Laura Mercier Cosmetics & Skincare and how she started her own cosmetics line. Also Katie Laird talks to J.R. Cohen & Jonathan Zadok of Coffee Groundz on how Twitter has helped their business.

School of Business 02/14/09

Russ and John present the better-than-usual school for people in the real world. Includes: BusinessMakers Quote of the Week—forecasting from economist John Kenneth Galbraith; This Week in Business History includes filibusters, Alexander Graham Bell, IBM, Ted Williams, the Beach Boys and Perrier; Navigating Business Jargon—acronyms, technospeak and disclaimers; and Dumbest Moments in Business History—the Feds create a new bureaucracy.

Janet Gurwitch of Laura Mercier Cosmetics & Skincare

In 1996 Janet Gurwitch was one step away from her goal of being CEO of Neiman Marcus when she left to start her own cosmetics company. To be the real thing, she attracted the “make up artist to the stars,” Laura Mercier, to be the face of her company. She systematically grew the brand, and in 2006, with her high-end cosmetics available in 600 stores in over 20 countries, she sold the company to Alticor Inc.

Flashback - Some Social Media With Your Coffee?

Katie Laird visits with two entrepreneurs who launched a coffee shop with a twist. They created a friendly, tech-savvy environment and then attracted and built their own unique community of active customers through Twitter.