Emily Dalton and Curran Dandurand 37, 43, co-founders of Jack Black in Addison, Texas
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Description: High-endmen's grooming products
Start-up: $400,000 in2000
Sales: 2003 projected salesof $5 million
Crossing Gender Lines:Dalton (l.) and Dandurand spent years in branding and marketing formakeup and skin-care giants and met while working at Mary Kay. Theylooked at the world of men's personal care and saw promise."We knew there was a huge opportunity with men. A lot of bigcompanies had tried to [launch] a line but failed to break through.[It had to be] a start-up company with fresh thinking,"reasons Dandurand.
Tall, Dark and Simple: Thepartners did massive research to get inside the minds of men.Targeting "the guy's guy," Dalton reports: "Hecares about how he looks. But he's not going to do afive-step skin-care regimen." To fulfill men's desire forsimplicity, the entire Jack Black line is multifunctional, like theAll-Over Wash for face, hair and body. Inspired by the packagedesign of premium liquor and cigars, they created packagingthat's distinctively masculine and alluringly familiar.
Delivered Male: Besidesselling in Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue and at GetJackBlack.com,the co-founders get innovative by distributing to private countryclubs, resorts and professional sports teams' locker rooms.Says Dalton, "We've been able to connect with guys in away no brand has been able to do."
