Hardware Podcasts

Tom's Of Maine: Tom Chappell

How I Built This · 11 Dec 2017 · 36m

What this episode covers

Tom Chappell, founder of Tom's of Maine, explains how he used a $5,000 loan to launch natural personal care products in 1970, driven by a desire to integrate business with environmental ethics. He details the strategic pivot to toothpaste, the company's expansion into mainstream retail with help from Harvard MBA consultants, and a major product recall of deodorant in 1992 that caused significant financial loss. After selling the company to Colgate-Palmolive, Chappell founded Rambler's Way, a sustainable apparel brand, applying the philosophical lessons he learned at Harvard Divinity School to create a profitable yet values-driven business model.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up and established companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Tom's of Maine, Colgate-Palmolive, Rambler's Way, Booze Allen Hamilton, Mackenzie and Company, Dr. Bronner, Carbon Cravat, Crooked Branch Studio, Etsy, Kickstarter
Products
Orgene Shampoo

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