Google Answers Logo
View Question
 
Q: Childhood ideas applied to succesful businesses ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Childhood ideas applied to succesful businesses
Category: Business and Money
Asked by: dtnl42-ga
List Price: $200.00
Posted: 30 Apr 2005 08:17 PDT
Expires: 30 May 2005 08:17 PDT
Question ID: 516183
What businesses have applied any or all of the following wonders of
childhoosd into their organisations? Innocence, Passion, Unconditional
love and trust, Bravery and persistence, Ideas and imagination, Total
self-belief, and Wonder itself. I know this is a big one, hence the
big price.

Clarification of Question by dtnl42-ga on 06 May 2005 23:13 PDT
For the researcher answering this question - if possible can you do
your answer by 8am Sunday 8th May please (PST)

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 09 May 2005 09:49 PDT
Hi dtnl42-ga!

I know that the ideal time you want this question answered has
elapsed. But I would like to know if you still want this one answered
at this particular point in time?

If YES, what would be the new deadline?

Thanks!

Clarification of Question by dtnl42-ga on 09 May 2005 10:08 PDT
YES PLEASE!

However I need it asap - within the next 14 hours if possible - i.e.
by 8am British time Tuesday! If you can do this please let me know by
return

Thank you

dtnl42

Clarification of Question by dtnl42-ga on 09 May 2005 10:38 PDT
Hi easterangel-ga - that's midnight your time, I think!

Thanks

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 09 May 2005 11:03 PDT
Ok. I am doing this right now. 

Thank you for your speedy reply.

Clarification of Question by dtnl42-ga on 09 May 2005 11:04 PDT
Thank you!
Answer  
Subject: Re: Childhood ideas applied to succesful businesses
Answered By: easterangel-ga on 09 May 2005 13:02 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi! Thanks for another question.

Please take note that before providing a rating; please ask for
clarification if you will need further assistance in the answers I
have provided below.

I was able to find the following articles discussing about aspects of
childhood dreams or concepts that shaped a particular business.


------------------------
Build-A-Bear Workshop:

?Her idea: Create a place where children build and dress their own
bears or bunnies or other stuffed animals. She calls herself Chief
Executive Bear and her company is Build-A-Bear Workshop.?

?Former Payless chief hits pay dirt with Build-A-Bear?
http://www.post-gazette.com/businessnews/20010803bears0803bnp1.asp 


?Build-A-Bear Workshop®, a teddy bear-themed experience retail store
that combines the universal appeal of plush animals with an
interactive process that allows children from 3-103 to create their
own huggable companions. The first Build-A-Bear Workshop store opened
in Saint Louis Galleria in the fall of 1997 to a resounding success.
Guests of all ages are shopping at the innovative retail store that
promotes creativity and encourages family entertainment in a fun and
unique environment.?

?MAXINE CLARK?
http://www.buildabear.com/aboutUs/OurCompany/ourFounder.aspx 


-------------------------
LEGO:

?They decided that a good name for their company would be LEGO, which
means ?play well? in Danish, and also, they discovered, happens to
mean ?put together? in Latin! ?

?In fact, it was Godtfred who perfected the special design that makes
every single LEGO brick fit together in any combination, over and over
again.?

"Bricks & Pieces: The LEGO Story"
http://www.canlearn.com/legohist.htm 

?A Chronological History of the LEGO Company and LEGO Toys?
http://www.lugnet.com/pause/chronology.html 


-------------------------
Leapfrog:

?At LeapFrog our vision is to inspire in children and families a
lifelong love of learning. That's why we're committed to developing
the highest quality educational toys??

Leapfrog
http://www.leapfroginvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131670&p=irol-irhome 


---------------------------
Disney:

?Walt became interested in drawing at an early age, selling his first
sketches to neighbors when he was only seven years old. At McKinley
High School in Chicago, Disney divided his attention between drawing
and photography, contributing both to the school paper. At night he
attended the Academy of Fine Arts.?

?In August 1923, Walt Disney left Kansas City for Hollywood with
nothing but a few drawing materials, $40 in his pocket, and a
completed animated and live-action film.?

?Walt Disney: A Biography?
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/index.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p2.html 
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p3.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p4.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p5.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p6.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p7.html


-----------------------------
SUPERMAN Comics:

?Jerome Siegel was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 17, 1914. An
avid reader with a great interest in science fiction & fantasy, he
published his own fanzine in 1929 called Cosmic Stories, a
"hectographic" booklet with stories written by himself. It is
recognized as the first sci-fi fanzine, and it was just a prelude to
future accomplishments. He published several other booklets over the
next few years.?

?Inspired in part by Philip Wylie's novel "Gladiator", and in part by
the Samson & Hercules legends, the redesigned "Superman" was put
together in comic strip form as early as 1932, and then as a comic
book in 1933.?

?Jerome Siegel Co-creator of Superman?
http://www.comic-art.com/bios-1/siegel01.htm 

?Jerry Siegel?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Siegel 
------------------------------
The Erector Set:

?Watching out the train window as some workmen positioned and riveted
the steel beams of an electrical power-line tower, Gilbert decided to
create a children's construction kit: not just a toy, but an
assemblage of metal beams with evenly spaced holes for bolts to pass
through, screws, bolts, pulleys, gears and eventually even engines.?

?Gilbert began selling the "Mysto Erector Structural Steel Builder" in
1913, backed by the first major American ad campaign for a toy. The
Erector set quickly became one of the most popular toys of all time:
living rooms across the country were transformed into miniature
metropoles, filled with skyscrapers, bridges and railways.?

?A.C. Gilbert?
http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/gilbert.html 


------------------------------
Hershey?s Chocolates

?Milton was in the fourth grade when his Mennonite father, Henry
Hershey, found his son a position as an printer's apprentice in Gap,
Pennsylvania. Milton later became an apprentice to a candy-maker in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and candy-making became a passion which
Milton grew to love. In 1876, when Milton was only eighteen-years old,
he opened his own candy shop in Philadelphia.?

?In 1894, Milton started the Hershey Chocolate Company??

?The History of Hershey Chocolate - Milton Hershey?
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blchocolatehershey.htm 


-----------------------------
Wendy?s Restaurant:

My colleague bobbie7-ga included Wendy?s and the story of Dave Thomas
in one of your answered questions. I am repeating it here since I feel
that this example is particularly suitable to this question as well.

?In his troubled childhood, there was one bright joy in his life. His
love of visiting family restaurants. He loved to sit and watch as
families interacted with each other, their happy laughter filling the
room.?

?Right then and there, at the age of eight, he knew what he was going
to do when he grew up. He was going to own his own business; opening a
family restaurant.?

?History behind Family Restaurant- 'Wendy's?
http://www.marriageromance.com/stories/11069339460.htm 


-----------------------------
Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment & Dreamworks:

?Born in Cincinnati on December 18, 1946, and raised in the suburbs of
Haddonfield New Jersey and Scottsdale Arizona, Spielberg always had a
love and fascination for the movie industry. As a pre-teen, he charged
admission to his home movies (which involved wrecks he staged with his
Lionel train set) while his sister sold popcorn. At the age of 12, his
first production was complete, including script and actors. Just one
year later at the age of 13, Spielberg won a prize for a 40-minute war
movie he titled Escape to Nowhere.?

?Steven Spielberg Biography?
http://www.filmmakers.com/artists/spielberg/biography/ 


------------------------------
The Barbie Doll:

?Handler sensed that it was just as important for girls to imagine
what they themselves might grow up to become as it was for them to
focus on what caring for children might be like.?

?Handler decided to create a three-dimensional adult female doll, one
lifelike enough to serve as an inspiration for her daughter's dreams
of her future.?

?RUTH HANDLER?
http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/handler.html 



Search terms used: 
History biography of ?childhood dreams? business build-a-bear lego
leapfrog ?Walt Disney? ?Jerry Siegel? Superman ?Steven Spielberg?
?Ruth Handler? ?Erector Set? ?Dave Thomas? Wendy?s

I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
                 
Thanks for visiting us.                
                 
Regards,                 
Easterangel-ga                 
Google Answers Researcher

Request for Answer Clarification by dtnl42-ga on 09 May 2005 22:19 PDT
Thanks for this - I would have hoped for a few more examples, and
specficically the answer being split between innocence / bravery
(different categories) as different topica, for a $200 payment - so a
bit more if possible, please

Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 10 May 2005 00:01 PDT
Hi again!

I am just going to repeat some of the posts in categories without the
quotes. I will be also adding some more businesses in the list.

Wonder & Innocence:

Disney Company
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/index.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p2.html 
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p3.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p4.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p5.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p6.html
http://disney.go.com/vault/read/walt/waltbio_p7.html

Build-A-Bear
http://www.post-gazette.com/businessnews/20010803bears0803bnp1.asp 
http://www.buildabear.com/aboutUs/OurCompany/ourFounder.aspx 

Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment & Dreamworks
http://www.filmmakers.com/artists/spielberg/biography/ 


------------
Ingenuity

LEGO
http://www.canlearn.com/legohist.htm 
http://www.lugnet.com/pause/chronology.html 

Leapfrog
http://www.leapfroginvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131670&p=irol-irhome

The Erector Set
http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/gilbert.html 

Toys?R?Us
?Toys "R" Us traces its roots to 1948 when founder Charles Lazarus
opened a baby furniture store in Washington, D.C. Lazarus quickly
realized the incredible potential of filling his customers' orders for
baby toys and toys for older children. In 1957, the Toys "R" Us name
made its debut when Lazarus introduced a "supermarket environment, " a
revolutionary concept featuring specialty retailing and off-price
positioning.?
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=120622&p=irol-history 


BigIdea Productions
?Big Idea was founded in a spare bedroom by computer animator and
storyteller Phil Vischer in July of 1993. With one computer, little
capital and no connections, Phil set out with the goal of creating
values-based family media products.?

?Working with two young art school grads and friends volunteering on
weekends, Phil completed the first half-hour episode of VeggieTales,
Where's God When I'm S-Scared? before Christmas, 1993. It was the
nation's first entirely computer animated video.?
http://www.bigidea.com/company/ourstory.htm 

Baseball Cards
?The Trade Cards distributed by Peck and Snyder are generally regarded
as the first baseball cards. They were the first 'mass produced'
advertising cards with a baseball theme. Peck and Snyder was a
manufacturer of baseball equipment, and their cards featured prominent
teams of the day. They are the size and style of a Carte de Viste with
a paper team photograph pasted to a cardboard mount. The backs can be
found with advertisement for Peck and Snyder, other companies or are
blank.?
http://www.cycleback.com/1800s/trade.htm 

------------
Courage:

Superman Comic Books
http://www.comic-art.com/bios-1/siegel01.htm 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Siegel 

Wendy's Restaurant
http://www.marriageromance.com/stories/11069339460.htm 

Barbie Doll
http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/handler.html 

Nickelodeon
" When Nickelodeon first launched on April Fools Day, 1979, our goal
was to give kids a place on television just for them. We began as the
kids' programming block of the Qube Network and we were available to
just 600,000 subscribers in Columbus, Ohio. "
http://www.nick.com/all_nick/everything_nick/history_home.jhtml

Sesame Street
"The original format of the show called for the humans to be shown in
plots on the street, intermixed with the segments of animation, live
action shorts and Muppets. These segments were created to be like
commercials: quick, catchy and memorable. This format would make the
learning seem fun, and were the stepping stones in creating the now
common edutainment-based program."

"To make sure that this revolutionary new format was going to work,
CTW aired the program for test groups. The test watchers were
entranced when the ad-like segments, especially those with the jovial
puppets, but were then seriously uninterested by the street scenes. It
was a quick and easy choice for the producers to add Muppets to the
street scenes, although psychologists had warned against this mixing
of fantasy and reality elements."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street


ALEX G. SPANOS (San Diego Chargers Owner)
?In his early years, Alex Spanos worked night and day, seven days a
week in his father's bakery. His growing family was struggling to make
ends meet on $40 a week. In 1951, at the age of 27, the time came for
Spanos to make the toughest business decision of his life - to stay in
the family business or strike out on his own.?

?The success of the A.G. Spanos Companies has allowed him to pursue
many dreams, including owning a National Football League team.?
http://www.chargers.com/team/fo_bio_alex_spanos.cfm 


I hope these additional companies will be of help.

Request for Answer Clarification by dtnl42-ga on 10 May 2005 00:05 PDT
Thank you - perfect

Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 10 May 2005 09:27 PDT
Thanks as well. I am glad you liked the reseaerch.

Easterangel
dtnl42-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars

Comments  
There are no comments at this time.

Important Disclaimer: Answers and comments provided on Google Answers are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Google does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. Please read carefully the Google Answers Terms of Service.

If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by emailing us at answers-support@google.com with the question ID listed above. Thank you.
Search Google Answers for
Google Answers  


Google Home - Answers FAQ - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy