For the first 39 years of his life, few people ever thought that Leon Leonwood Bean would amount to much. He floated from one undistinguished job to the next, and had little in the way of formal education.

Instead, Bean was a young man happy to retreat to the woods, whiling away his time hunting and trapping instead of reading books. But it was Bean’s love of nature that would eventually become what is today a thriving multimillion dollar business.

Named one of the Wall Street Journals Top Ten Entrepreneurs of the 20th century, Bean turned his passion into the internationally successful outdoor clothing and equipment company L.L. Bean.

When Bean died in 1967, the executives at the company he had founded were not sure if they should publicize his death. Bean’s attachment to the company was such that most customers believed he himself still personally tested each product and tended to each of their orders.

His successors feared that if people knew he was gone, that perception would be eroded and the company would lose ground. They considered keeping his death a secret, until a television news show got wind and broke the story. That was the importance that Bean, at 94, still had on his company.

But just how did this outdoorsman create one of the most successful and innovative mail-order catalogue companies of his time?

Outside of your gun, nothing is so important to your outfit as your foot-wear. You cannot expect success hunting deer or moose if your feet are not properly dressed.  

We consider our customers a part of our organization, and we want them to feel free to make any criticism they see fit in regard to our merchandise or service. A customer is the most important person ever in this office – in person or by mail. We have thrown away the keys to this place.

Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat your customers like human beings, and they will always come back for more. Above all, we wish to avoid having a dissatisfied customer.“

Evan Carmichael
YoungEntrepreneur.com Blog Manager

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