What they did: : Some men may never stray from traditional shaving cream brands like Gillette Foamy. But a growing number are trying pricier fare such as L'Oréal's Kiehl's and Estée Lauder's Lab Series. Jack Black, a Carrollton, Texas, manufacturer with only 25 full-time employees, is taking on the cosmetics giants with products like Beard Lube: a macadamia-nut-oil-infused shaving cream and skin treatment that retails for about $16 for a six-ounce bottle. The company was founded 11 years ago by former cosmetics industry executives Emily Dalton, now 46; Curran Dandurand, 52; and her husband, Jeff Dandurand, 50. Jack Black, which expects 2011 sales of $35 million to $40 million, peddles its line in stores such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks.
You can't control the economy, but you can control what you spend on your company.
