Many innovations extend beyond one invention or improvement. They happen thanks to combined changes in attitude, economics, technology, and society. In this week’s episode of This Week in Business History we see this dynamic play out in home kitchens – starting with the patenting of the first electric stove by William S. Hadaway on June 30, 1896…
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This Week in Business History LIVE with Scott and Kelly
When did the word “robot” enter the English language? When did the famous Sears catalog finally bid us all adieu? This Week in Business History just made a little bit of history of its own… this week! Scott Luton and Kelly Barner went LIVE to take a journey down memory lane, shining a light on some of the most significant leaders, companies, innovations…
This Week in Business History for June 14th: Economics in the Age of Enlightenment: Adam Smith (1723-1790)
During the Enlightenment, humanity experienced huge increases in understanding, and free thinkers that were so impactful we still study their works today. It was also a time of revolution: the American, French, Scientific, and Industrial. One of the greatest minds the world has ever known was born into the midst of all this change: Adam Smith. His book…
This Week in Business History for May 31st: 18th Century Supply Chain Disruption- The Boston Port Act
Over the last few years, we have seen ports closed for labor strikes, COVID, and the Ever Given getting stuck sideways in the Suez Canal. Every time a port is closed, it disrupts the flow of materials for a whole region and creates hardships for vast areas and communities that count on that port to supply them with all kinds of things. But can a closed port be a…
This Week in Business History for May 24th: Transforming American Advertising with Mary Wells Lawrence
In this installment of our popular “This Week in Business History” series, host Scott W. Luton profiles a living legend in the advertising industry and global business world: Mary Wells Lawrence. We share her rise from her first role as a copywriter – – to eventually being inducted into the Hall of Fame. She would go on to create some of the most iconic advertising…
This Week in Business History Crossover: Dewey Hecht & Levi Strauss
In today’s crossover episode of This Week in Business History on Supply Chain Now, we’re sharing two episodes in one! Listen as host Scott Luton shares the story and journey of Dewey Hecht and then host Kelly Barner shares the story of the Levi Strauss company.
This Week in Business History for May 17th: Quality That Never Goes Out of Style- The Levi’s Story
Levis may well have been the pants that won the West, but it wasn’t the pants themselves that put Levi Strauss & Company on the map, it was the rivets that held them together under the strain of hard labor. And the rivets weren’t Strauss’ invention – that came from Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada, who had a great idea but not $69 for a patent. So he partnered…
This Week in Business History for May 10th: Dewey Hecht – The Intriguing Mind Behind Books on Tape
In this episode of “This Week in Business History”, host Scott W. Luton dives into the story of Duvall “Dewey” Hecht, the founder of Books on Tape – – which is only one chapter of his fascinating journey. An Olympic gold medalist, a long-haul truck driver, a Marine fighter pilot and a lot more, there are many diverse chapters of Dewey Hecht’s journey. Take a listen to learn…
This Week in Business History for May 3rd: Unions, Censorship, & Sound- The Genesis of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Is there anything more glamorous than Hollywood in the 1920s? The furs, the diamonds, the Duesenbergs, and – of course – the red carpet. But the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is more business than it is art or science. From an attempt to block censorship nationwide to the complications presented by the rise of labor unions, there was…
This Week in Business History for April 19th: Cross-word Mamma You Puzzle Me
Cruciverbalists gather ‘round… this week’s podcast is something you’re not going to want to miss. On April 18th, 1924, the first crossword puzzle book was published by Simon and Schuster. It included a pencil and eraser, but no answers. Nearly 100 years later, approximately half of all Americans aged 18 and older do crosswords, 60% of them in newspapers. Listen to…
This Week in Business History for April 12th: Kickin’ A Big Ol’ Dent in the Universe:- Steve Jobs & John Sculley
In this episode of “This Week in Business History”, your host Scott W. Luton dives into the early, but critical days of Apple. In particular, Scott covers some of the story between Steve Jobs and John Sculley. The good, the bad & some of the ugly. But both leaders were a big part of the journey that led the company to where it stands today: one of the most iconic…
This Week in Business History for April 5th: The Sweetest Comeback in the History Of Ever
What sweet treat started as banana flavored, moved to vanilla because of a World War II supply chain disruption, and contains an ingredient also found in rocket fuel? It’s the Twinkie! In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner tells the story of the Twinkie from the heart of the Depression, through two bankruptcies, and to a race to push the limits…