Author And Entrepreneur Joe Sugarman, Known For Founding BluBlocker Sunglasses, Passes Away at 83 Joe Sugarman, the entrepreneur known for his company BluBlocker Sunglasses, has died aged 83. Sugarman's story is considered as an inspiration for budding entrepreneurs and small business owners.
By Kabir Singh Bhandari •
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Joe Sugarman, the entrepreneur known for his company BluBlocker Sunglasses, has died aged 83. Sugarman's story is considered as an inspiration for budding entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Sugarman had to leave his electrical engineering degree midway when drafted by the army in 1962. He went on to serve three years in Germany, serving first with army intelligence and then with the CIA. It was when he returned to Illinois that he dove into entrepreneurship with a small company that marketed Austrian ski lift in America.
Then in 1971 he founded JS&A, via which he operated from his family's basement selling electronics. Its success is associated to his marketing genius and perceptiveness towards customer service. Even in the books he wrote, Sugarman spoke about the importance of knowing your customers likes and dislikes and keeping in tune with what was of interest to them. As stated in the press statement about his passing:
"The company's [JS&A] success was credited to Joe's unique long-form copy approach to advertising and his priority towards customer service. In the early 80's, Joe held seminars at his vacation home in Minocqua, Wisconsin, teaching his advertising techniques to other rising businesses, including The Sharper Image and Victoria's Secret."
But the brand he came to be known for, BluBlocker Sunglasses, was founded in 1986. Through a highly successful infomercial, he made people aware about the dangers of blue light, which made the sunglasses a rage.
Like most entrepreneurs, he diversified into other businesses, launching The Maui Weekly newspaper in 1993. He also delivered lectures on marketing and advertising all over the world, authoring a total of seven books on marketing and advertising. His habit of infusing humour in-between his business lessons is what made so many of his books an enjoyable read.
However, he always stressed about the importance of learning from failure, admitting that he had failed more than he had succeeded.
