Get All Access for $5/mo

How the Subscription Model Upended (and Helped Realign) This Startup The Bulu Box founders talk about the need to pivot their business.

By Gary Bredow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Paul Jarrett grew up in a trailer park in Lincoln, Nebraska. By the third grade, he was selling novelty items to classmates. He met his wife, Stephanie, in college, and they worked together at several advertising agencies. After finishing a half-marathon in San Francisco, Stephanie and Paul noticed that the companies that were giving away promotional items to runners were not collecting any information, which sparked the idea for Bulu Box, one of the very first subscription boxes. Within 60 days of conception, Stephanie and Paul deposited their first million from a group of Nebraska based angel investors. Today, Bulu Box offers private label subscription boxes for major companies like GNC, Disney and Crayola, bringing in over $50 million in annual gross revenue, with that number expected to double by 2020.

Related: How This Husband-and-Wife Team Grew a B&B Empire

Join host Gary Bredow as he travels around the country interviewing over 26 small business owners to hear their personal stories and find out what it really takes to start a successful business from the ground up. Energetic, inspirational and educational, Start Up is a fast paced new series sure to capture the imagination and hearts of the nearly 50 percent of Americans who dream of starting their own business.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

'We Pulled Off An SEO Heist': Entrepreneur Stole 3.6 Million Pageviews From Competitors — And Your Business Could Be Next.

This has huge implications for businesses that rely on Google's organic traffic for revenue.

Business News

Wells Fargo Reportedly Fired More Than a Dozen Employees for Faking Keyboard Activity

The bank told Bloomberg that it "does not tolerate unethical behavior."

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Starting a Business

Spend Less Time Worrying About Your Company's Runway — And More Time Rethinking Your Strategy. Here's How.

Perceived short runways leave founders in angst. It does not have to be this way; the best way to extend the runway is the right strategy.

Innovation

The Key to Real Innovation Is Cross-Pollination — Here Are 10 Ways to Implement It in Your Business

Transform your business with this unique approach to sparking innovation.