How many times have you been getting ready to walk down to the beach, filling up a tall water bottle of icy cold water, and by the time you make it down to the hot coast that cold refreshing water has turned lukewarm? Or how many long winter hikes have you packed some hot tea to enjoy at the end of the hike, and by the time you get there, the piping hot tea has somehow become iced tea? The issue of water bottles being dependably able to retain the temperature of the liquid inside for extended periods of time has plagued the world for decades. Founders of Hydro Flask, Travis Rosbach and Cindy Morse, set out to eliminate this problem.

Hydro Flask was created to solve the age old problem of insulating travel-ready cups and mugs. For many it was a simple fact that coffee could only be kept hot for up to an hour or two after brewing, and water could only be kept cold for a little while longer. Travis and Cindy were married and spent ample time out in the wilderness, on hikes, camping, or exploring whatever/wherever they felt inclined to. This lifestyle was incredibly enjoyable for them, but they always had the same sad ending to their long trek. Regardless of their beverage of choice; water, tea, etc., when they finally reached their destination and went for a refreshing sip, it was lukewarm.

Thank goodness the story doesn’t end here. This is where Travis and Cindy decided, enough is enough. As many startups do, Hydro Flask has a very bumpy history, filled with a ups and many many downs. In 2009 these entrepreneurs developed their product and released it into the market with little more than the shirts on their backs.

When first released there were a number of issues with their manufacturing process. The original process left negligible amounts of Lead in the double-walled bottles. The mending of two layers of steel gave the bottles insulating properties, and the Lead never would come into contact with the liquid inside. However, Hydro Flask leadership decided that the process had to be adjusted to eliminate the trace amounts of Lead in their products. To accomplish this, the bottles would have to be vacuum-sealed. This is an effective solution, but is extremely expensive and complex relative to the original method. When they began to implement the change, their primary manufacturer had great difficulty getting the process right. incorrectly producing 7 to 8 percent of their total output led to massive losses. As entrepreneurs must, Travis and Cindy pivoted. Shifting their manufacturing to a more experienced company proved to save their product.  Since then, the company has been sold once to a board of investors in 2012, then Travis sold his last bit of ownership to an El Paso, Texas based company, Helen of Troy for $210 million.

Travis has now exemplified the stereotypical millennial lifestyle. Sitting in his lawn chair overlooking his most recent purchase of acres of undisturbed forest land in central Oregon, he spoke to a journalist about the recent sale of Hydro Flask . After years of uncertainty and hard work, he could finally relax.

Andy Katz-Mayfield (left) and Jeff Raider (right) may seem like a couple of jokers. Since meeting in college, these two have come to solve a problem they both struggled with. Shaving. They saw shaving as being inconvenient enough, even without the constant trips to the store to buy complicated razors and overpriced shaving cream. They also found that having smooth, clean cheeks seemed to have become a luxury broke college students simply couldn’t afford. There had to be a better way; there is a better way, Harry’s way.

These college kids got to work and started Harry’s Razors with a vision of providing inexpensive, quality shaving tools that any guy would love. Harry’s has sticks to this vision with each of their products, not investing in the frills and excess, but focusing on simplicity and dependability. These values are seen integrated in each level of the business, principles of simplicity in design, quality manufacturing, and above all else customer satisfaction.

Today, Harry’s has effectively penetrated a largely monopolized industry. Andy and Jeff have invested almost everything in growth and expansion, purchasing a nearly century-old German blade manufacturing facility as well as partnering with Target. Their placement in Target has been characterized by owner Katz-Mayfield as “it’s like 4 feet of an Apple store”.

These acquisitions are only the beginning to this ever expanding company. Principal analysts at e-commerce research firm Slice Intelligence, Ken Casser, estimates Harry’s projects booking 200 million in revenue by the end of 2018. This is a classic example of a small idea being taken to a grand scale.

If you’d like to learn more, check out their company website: www.harrys.com/en/us/our-story

Coffee shops have become a commodity in many ways. There are a few cafes with distinct qualities making them unique, but generally they’re pretty much all the same. An 18 year old high school graduate took that presupposition and directly challenged it.

In a small town in upstate New York, Nick Furnia takes his love of coffee to the next level. Furnia began by opening a small shop, Nomad Coffee & Crepes, selling espresso drinks, matcha, and chai, along with a selection of RTD coffee. Working out of a 200 square foot building he and his father built, Furnia’s shop offers an intentional intimacy with the customers. He does this by using a custom bar built to accommodate for numerous pour over devices and connecting with customers as they wait for their coffee. The location of this shop is key. It sits within just a few miles from his former high school, making it a convenient stop for students and staff on their way to and from the school.

Nick does more than just offer “the world’s best cup of coffee”. He pursues potential customers by bringing his products to them. Just 3 months after graduating, Furnia came back to the halls of his high school, only this time with boxes of cold brew in hand. Selling his product door to door was risky, as he could have easily been removed from the building and effectively damaging his reputation. This risk ended up leading Nomad Coffee & Crepes to having an outstanding product quality and customer orientation and the school continues to welcome him as he enters. He sells to students, staff, and whomever he may see in between.

I think this business is unique to set itself apart from other cafes through it’s involvement in the community, quality of product, and drive to be successful.