Inspiration When Least Expected

It was just a bottle of shower gel that I received as a gift.  It smelled so good that I wanted body spray to go with it.  While searching the internet for the product, I decided to explore the creator, as well.

Kenneth Cole is the creator and his product is Kenneth Cole Reaction (for Her).  The two body sprays were named White and Black.

Although I was able to get the products, it was Kenneth Cole's life and philosophy of living that attracted me the most.  He inspires me to be pro-active in achieving my goals--just by reading his own story.

Here's the story that hooked me.  In 1982, Cole wanted to start his shoe business (his father was a shoe manufacturer, too, by the way).  Market Week at the Hilton in New York was the place for entrepreneurs to have their products previewed.  Unfortunately, Cole did not have the money to rent a room in the Hilton to display his shoe line.

Instead, Cole requested a permit to put a trailer two blocks down the street where he could display his line of shoes as Kenneth Cole, Inc.

Again, Cole was denied a permit.  He was told that trailers on the street were for "productions," as in filming, and not for selling shoes.

Instead of giving-up, the fashion designer changed his business name from Kenneth Cole Incorporated to Kenneth Cole Productions.  He got his permit.  Next, he hired a filming crew to produce a film entitled, "The Birth of a Shoe Company."

Now, the fashion designer Kenneth Cole was in business.  Not only did he sell 40,000 pairs of shoes, but he had a film chronicling the genesis of his company.

References

Wikipedia contributors. (2019, July 15). Kenneth Cole (designer). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:40, September 22, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenneth_Cole_(designer)&oldid=906450747