famous founders

A quick bit that brings a tad more light into why the method vroom brand went bye-bye, from the article Seven famous founders share money mistakes, smart moves By Laura Petrecca, at USA Today:

"Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, the Method co-founders (notice in the article, they get the names on the above photo confused. "Adam Lowry, left..." really, now? Is that my left, or your left?)

In 2000, two roommates had a brainstorm: eco-friendly cleaning products. They whipped up some samples in their bathtub and handed them out to friends. Method was born. The company in 2008 reached $100 million in sales and is sold in retail outlets such as Target.

+ Money mistake "As an entrepreneur, you just feel a desire to just grow, grow, grow and show top-line (increases)," Ryan says. "Sometimes it leads you astray."

After the founders expanded their brand into the car-cleaning marketplace with a product called Vroom, they realized they moved a bit too fast.

"We ultimately ended up selling the line (to another company), but it was a big distraction from our business at the time," Ryan says. "There are times that you need to preserve fuel and be careful about how many growth opportunities you pursue, because you burn capital."

+ Savvy move "Hiring a CEO as our first employee was one of the best money moves we made," Lowry says.

The more-experienced Alastair Dorward helped the founders make better management and financial decisions. Dorward had the acumen "to grow smart rather than just grow fast," Lowry says.

+

I still say an auto line would rock, and sell well!

pardon me, do you have any q+a?

Oh, get ready for something fun! - And new! - But not improved! Cause well, we've never done it before, so how can you improve something before it really exists? I don't know! Ask your science teacher, and get back to me on that! Until then, let's move on, ok? Alright!

Let's get ready for the first ever method lust q+a session! I'm always seeing comments with questions, thoughts, rants, raves, and it got me to thinking! (Which is sorta rare.) Why not take'em to the experts? Great idea, Nathan! Why thank you, I couldn't have thought it up without your help! Oh pish posh, but I do appreciate a good pat on the back every now and then! Well, pat pat to you, my good sir!

Are you ready, cause here's your chance! I want you, oh yes, YOU, to give me your questions! Anything! Good, bad, happy or sad! Mean or pleasant! Don't hold back! Carte blanche, baby, carte blanche! Throw method lust your questions in the comments section of this post; once we've rounded up a bunch, I'm going to sift through them, selecting a wide variety, and send seven or so on over to those method advocate experts! Then they're going to ANSWER your questions, and I'll post the results here on method lust's first ever (did I already say that?) q+a session!

Sound like fun? So get to askin' already! And like I said, don't hold back! This is your chance to be heard! If this goes well, we might make it a semi-regular thing here on ole' method lust! Oh wait, those experts don't know that yet, do they? Shh, I won't tell anyone if you won't.

Now get! Why haven't you asked a question yet? (OH, you're thinking of one! Well, ok, in that case...)

method quickies

UPDATED

Thought I'd answer a couple various comments section questions/concerns real quick here! I think I'll start doing that from time to time, in case some of you might not always read the comments section, etc. So, here we go!

+ The method pro chef line has just been announced, and it's already got some people up in arms over the pricing of the products. I stepped into one of my local Bed, Bath & Beyonds tonight, and indeed found both the granite and the stainless steel cleaner. Apparently they had yet to get in any shipments of the multi-surface spray cleaner.

The multi-surface cleaner comes in citrus cilantro; while the stainless steel and the granite appear to (as I gave them both a sniff test!) come in their orchard blossom scent (the same scent the small bottles sold at Target come in.)

Apparently these are specialty exclusives made for method lusters who are also foodies supposedly professional versions of method's three cleaning sprays; At first glance it appears they have a higher price point! Each bottle (28 oz.) comes at a cost of $8.99!

But then I started doing some breakdowns. Math isn't my strong suit, but I figured this one out. (Clap for me, clap for me!) The target bottles of stainless steel and granite cleaner both come in 12 oz. at $3.99. So two bottles at 24 oz. would be $8.00. Break down the 12 oz. price per ounce, and you get 3 oz. for $1.00. 12 oz + 12 oz. + 3 oz. = 27 oz. at a cost of $9.00 Target price. So you're actually getting a deal with the Bed, Bath and Beyond bottles; receiving an extra ounce for free! Cool!

Now the down side is, (according to reader Josh (getting mixed reports at the moment. Ha ha! Wow, this sounds like live coverage!) the multi-surface cleaner is $5.99; which would match the pricing of the Whole Foods exclusive ginger yuzu cleaning spray (but is still $3.00 more than any of the method cleaning sprays available at Target.) Apparently BB&B decided to just hit that price point line wide; giving the multi-surface spray cleaner the $8.99 price point, as well (according to method luster Jamison.)

+ Reader Karin mentioned having no idea what method was thinking when they went and recolored their lil' bowl blu bottle, turning it into a somewhat garish blue! And I sorta have to agree! They've kept the original color with their le scrub; perhaps they're testing both versions to see which sells better. But I have to say, I really liked the nice, spa like, clean blue they originally had. So YES, to answer your question Karin, you CAN pour the contents of the new bottles, into the old ones. I did a test just today! The squeeze top twists off (don't be afraid if it feels like it won't give) and then there's this little piece inside you just pop out, pour the contents of the new (not pretty) blue bottle into the old blue bottle; pop the piece back in, twist the cap back on (the cap is exactly like the dish soap, if you've ever taken that off. It also has the little piece in the center) and tada, you're ready to go! So, yes, perhaps we're a BIT insane to do this just so we can keep a bottle color/design we like. But I say, be insane! Design (and color taste) matter!

All for now!

ring-a-ding-done?

Curious what everyone is doing (or about to be doing, if you're not out yet) when it comes to aroma ring refills? Since method has apparently discontinued them, leaving the only option at Target stores to purchase the full set (ring and refill) each time you want more refills (though the refills are at this moment still available on their method home store site).

Are you just gonna hang up your aroma ring lust? Break down and buy the full sets? Discuss!

now you can be the pro chef!

Ugh, I've had one heck of a weekend (you don't even WANT to know!), which ended with me being sick and feeling rather crappy; which has lead me to taking today off in an attempt to kick this thing! But never let it be said I won't sacrifice my health and happiness for method lusters! Ok, so perhaps that's a SLIGHT exaggeration? Who knows, I'm too stuffed up to think it through clearly...

I just had to take a moment to crawl out of bed and let you know about method's new pro chef line! The new line features, well, let's just let method do the talking (and me do the sneezing):

"whether you’re a serious cook or you think cooking involves a phone and a take-out menu our newest pro chef line will be sure to please you. kitchens tend to be the central gathering place in the home and pro chef is just the right line to get your kitchen ready to greet guests or make a sandwich.

the pro chef line is now available exclusively at Bed Bath and Beyond stores.

the line includes a stainless steel cleaner that is a whopping 28 oz. of superpowered formula to avoid leaving any streaks behind. so not only can you purchase less often you can also finally wipe those nasty fingerprints off the fridge.

also included is a 28 oz. spray bottle of granite cleaner, specially designed for granite, marble and other natural stone countertops and surfaces. natural stone is classic and durable, but it needs special care to be sure you don’t strip the sealer and allow water to get in the stone.

lastly, we have a special multi-surface cleaner to get rid of grease and food splatters while leaving behind a yummy citrus cilantro scent. it smells so good people will think you’ve been chopping fresh herbs and lemon wedges with a touch of lime."

Cool! I'm curious if the method line of products will continue to expand in Bed, Bath and Beyond stores. Some people find method products there already; but mine are (currently) method free. So perhaps this new line will help get them jump started in all their stores!

You can head on over to method's people against dirty blog, and have a chance at winning this new line! Contest ends October 2nd, so hurry!

+

And uhm, can I just be the (only one, probably) to say UGH! to citrus cilantro. I know there are plenty of fans out there that lust this scent; but method is loving reusing old scents this year, and between citrus cilantro and citron leaf (two scents I feel are very, very similar; and neither one do I really lust) I'm hoping next year shows them bringing us some new scents to sniff! Cause I for one am citrus cilantro/citron leaf/citrus leaf'ed out! (But I still lust you, method!)

surprise finds!

I've noticed my exclamation point over usage has seeped into my post titles now! They're everywhere! Everywhere, I tell you! Ah!)

I took a quickity-quick trip into Ross today (a store in the same vein as Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc.) because I knew they carried clearance Target items every once in a while. Specifically Target brand candles, etc. So as I wondered down the candle/fragrance aisle, what did I stumble upon but some lavender + lemongrass candles! In the new glass bowls! Now, these were the old "hard to burn" formula, so I sorta passed, but they were only $2.99! Then I noticed around five cut grass aroma pills (the whole set, pill and refill) for a mere $4.49! And finally I saw two cinnamon bark aroma stick sets for $4.99 each! (A perfect find for the upcoming holidays! Especially since we won't be getting aroma sticks in this year's holiday line.) Wow!

If you have a Ross near you, a trip to the store might be in order! Let me know if you happen to find anything different, or what you pick up, method style! (You can also tell me what you pick up non-method style, but then I don't want you to think I'm straight up nosey, so really, you don't have to, alright? Cool.)

holiday sneak peek!

Yeah, yeah, you read right lusters! We're being treated to a method holiday sneak peek! (I mean, can you believe the holidays are almost upon us? Geesh! I still haven't finished eating all of last year's Christmas candy! Oh right, I should probably just uh, throw that away now, shouldn't I? Ok. Goodbye candy canes. So long peppermint bark. Oh, look, now I can buy new holiday candy! Yay!)

So, without delay, some good news, and some (bad?) news!

+ The good! method holiday 2009 will see three big returns! This year's scents will be hollyberry, peppermint vanilla, and cinnamon bark! Can you believe peppermint vanilla is making a return? I know there are a lot of peppermint vanilla fans who have been waiting for this! And all three scents come back to us from their previous 2007 visit!

These scents will be available in soy candles, and our ever faithful gel hand wash! (Are you not just lusting after those colored soy candle bowls! I can't wait to pick some up! Drool!) Look for them to hit stores in late October/early November. The hand wash will actually be available to any retail stores that carry method products; while the candles are a Target exclusive!

+ And (the bad?) No new scents this year! And the product line has been slashed! We're talking no dish soap, no aroma sticks, aroma rings, pills, sprays, spray cleaners, or limited edition products! Nada! I'm really surprised at this, as I always thought these products (at least dish soap, and spray cleaners) were always big sellers during the holidays! I know method said they wanted to return to some of their product roots; and their original line usually only consisted of hand wash, maybe lotion, and candles. But over the last few years we've been treated to quite a grand expansion of the holiday products, and I couldn't wait to fill my house with all the wonderful goodies!

What do you think of this? Excited! Drooling with anticipation! Disappointed that there are no new scents this year? Gonna miss your favorite holiday products? Comment away! And let the holiday countdown... begin! (Wait, it's not even Halloween yet? What'evah!)

messy guys make millions

...and you can, too! Here's how! No wait, this isn't that kind of post. No self help get rich tips here. If only! But what I do have for you is this nifty Reader's Digest article on those two grand co-founders of a little company we like to obsess over... and over, and over, and over, and over, and over and...!

"Messy Guys Make Millions Selling Green Cleaning Products
- By Margaret Heffernan

Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry were having dinner with their new investors. The 27-year-old entrepreneurs had finally gotten a million dollars in venture capital to kick-start their company, but it came with stiff financial targets. It turned out this was the least of their problems that night. "We were passing our credit cards under the table to each other," Ryan recalls, "but none of them worked, because we had maxed them out. Eventually, we persuaded the restaurant owner we were good for the money."

In the eight years since that embarrassing moment, Ryan and Lowry have built Method into the world's largest eco-friendly cleaning brand. Their green products use natural ingredients like corn, coconut oil, and palm oil and are packed in attractive, recyclable containers. In the process, the two changed the perception of green home-care products—and the industry too.

Ryan and Lowry had been friends since high school, but it wasn't until after college that they hit on the idea of a home-care-products company. "We were shocked to learn how toxic cleaning products were," says Ryan. Why couldn't they create green products that would be just as stylish, fragrant, and environmentally pure as Aveda's skin- and hair-care lines?

When Ryan's mom heard about the plan, she stared at him blankly: "I've never even seen you clean your room!" Undeterred, Lowry, the chemical engineer, experimented with nontoxic ways to clean, while Ryan, the ad guy, focused on marketing. In February 2001, they mixed their first four cleaning sprays and convinced the managers of 20 independent grocers to try them. Once they had their approval, they tapped friends and family and pooled their savings to come up with $90,000 in seed money.

From the start, "Go big or go home" was their mantra. Their first financing—that $1 million—was due to be signed on September 11, 2001. By the time they got it, two months later, says Ryan, "we had $16 in the bank and personally owed $300,000."

+

Head on over and read the rest!

(advocacy) kit and kaboodle! + contest!

UPDATE Contest closed! Thanks to all who entered!

+

method lust (and uh, that would be me, Nathan!) is so usually on the ball, it's car-azy! But boy ever have I dropped said ball on method's latest advocacy extravaganza! I bet method thinks I took all the little method bottles and used them up myself! Ha ha, no no. Life gets in the way sometimes, don't you know? (Isn't that a funny saying, life gets in the way, when you're living life, so how can it get in the way, and whoa, too deep...) personal issues, new car purchases, crazy work schedules, well, I'm telling you, it's left me being blogless for too long! So just bare with me at times, ok? Muchas gracias!

Recently (well, as long as your version of recently is a month ago!) method sent out a very cryptic email (see the last paragraph in that post), and peaked everyone's curiosity! And then, a couple weeks later I (and many other advocates) got the above box in the mail! What could it be? Well, only one way to know! Rip that sucker open! And rip it open, I did! And what to my wondering eyes did I discover inside, but four tiny boxes!

Inside each adorable tiny box was four bottles! They contained almond wood for good spray, pink grapefruit dish soap, sweet water hand wash (we'll get to this in a moment!), and french lavender all purpose cleaner! So very cool! Also in the box was a coupon for $1.00 off any method product, and a booklet giving you more information on their lines!

method's intentions for this were for advocates to give out these great goodie boxes to help spread the method word; through advocate's blogs (yeah, I failed on that one this time around!), facebook pages, parties, random method sneak attacks (those times when you think someone just snatched your purse or stole your wallet out of your pocket, and you reach over to find, instead, someone has snuck a method goodie into your purse or pocket! Ok, hmm, I might not actually recommend doing this, but wouldn't that be cool if you were the person finding the method! If you were the person giving the method, you might end up getting maced, so yeah, we'll pass on this idea. Darn!)

So see, method, I am giving them away! Here's my great friend Laury, posing proudly with her box! (And get this, as an on-the-side career, she cleans people's houses! Nifty, eh? I'm working on her, I am! All method products, all the time! We shall see if I can get her to come around to the green side!) She's into design like me, so she just loved the packaging, and was checking it all out!

And now here's where YOU come in! You, yes you, can win one of these adorable boxes! Now, it might be a tad low on the sweet water hand wash; as for SOME reason (call it Nathan Luck) every box but one of mine had leaky sweet water bottles. So your sweet water bottle will be a bit half full, and I don't want you to think I went and washed my hands with it or some such! Ha ha! Apparently I was the only one that had this problem! CAN you believe that? Actually, I totally can.

So drop your name in the comments section with the following statement (in all CAPS!) "I WANT A METHOD ADVOCATE KIT PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP!" and I'll choose a winner! Contest ends September 18th, 2009! Good luck! (And thanks, method, for giving me this advocate kit campaign opportunity! You rock, as always!)

you ask, they answer!

So hey, got a question for method? (Well, particularly, method UK! But hey, they've got the same method products, right? Maybe just no Target questions (cause uh, I don't think they have Targets) and perhaps stick a "bloody" or two in front of all questions. Ok, ok, so stereotypical of me! I should be ashamed! Do me a favor, leave the "bloody"s out, ok?)

Over on the site guardian.co.uk they've got this nifty little Q&A session going on all week long with method! You have a question? They have an answer!

"Green cleaning firm Method joins us this week to answer your questions on its eco credentials and quirky-looking products. Founded in San Francisco in 2000 by Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, it spread to the UK in 2006 and is now a serious rival for the long-standing king of "ecological cleaning", Ecover.

So how does it compare to Ecover on its environmental pedigree? Are the chemicals in everyday cleaning sprays and lotions really "poisons" to the natural world and people too, as Method claims? Want to know what the company thinks of eco labelling schemes, such as the EU Eco Label or organic certification?

Whatever questions you've got about its recycled packaging, "natural" cleaning or baking powder and vinegar, this is your chance. Method will be online from Monday to Friday – just post your questions below."

+

So ask away (click on the link and post your question there, not here! Or uh, it won't get answered!) If you do ask them a question, it'd be really grand if you'd let them know "method lust sent you!" Thanks!

live "happily ever after" with method

Wow! Here's your chance to win the ENTIRE line of method products! How great is that?!

Chronicle Books has these three adorable "Little" books - "Little Oink", "Little Pea", and "Little Hoot"! I mean, who doesn't lust a little pea with a cute face! (Well, I do!) And to celebrate their release, they're having a contest! You can win lots of stuff, including:

+ $2,500 in merchandise from Pottery Barn Kids to create your dream bedroom
+ The entire line of eco-friendly Method cleaning products
+ 100 free products from Green Giant®
+ Plus, autographed copies of Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Little Oink!

Two runners-up will receive:
+ A Healthy Home Cleaning Kit from Method
+ $100 in free products from Chronicle Books
+ Autographed copies of Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Little Oink!

And while they all rock, the biggie for us is the entire line of method cleaning products! Can you imagine!? Whoa! So head on over, and sign up! Good luck!

found!

So if you remember, months and months o' go, Big Lots got in a slew of method's original wet dryer sheets! In ALL scents - sweet water, water lily + aloe, go naked, nectarine blossom, and... oh, but WAIT! No lavender + juniper. Only, people, my most favoritest scent of them ALL! What was the deal'e'oh!?

Well, the stars have finally lined up! Walking into my local Big Lots yesterday, what did I just discover, but lavender + juniper wet dryer sheets! In fact I had to do a double take? "Wha? Are those what I think those are?" Why in the world this one scent was "held" for months is beyond me, but uh, I have no clue how this secondary sales market stuff goes. And really, who cares? Cause I got me some lavender + juniper! So I snatched up five packages! I lust me some lavender + juniper!

I also noticed the original method baby laundry detergent sitting on the shelves. So it looks like they've recently received a new small shipment of method laundry products (other users have noticed more water lily + aloe laundry detergent as well.) So head on out and stock on up!

so much ebay, so little time

Remember those great hand wash/candle combo packs, and the amazing "where the crap did this come from years later!?" mistletoe and snowy days hand wash I recently posted about being sold over on ebay?

Well, they have more! Like, tons and tons more! I just lust my mistletoe hand wash, and want to buy everything else up! But then I realize I sorta need money for groceries, and have to step back and take a deep breath. Darn, being an adult sucks! But hey, my greedy loss is your gain!

Looking for (see above pic) these great (and so old school! Like 2005!) holiday three packs of snowy days/hollyberry/mistletoe hand wash? What about some lavender + juniper dryer sheets? Or fig plug-in refills (Karin! Calling Karin!) Well, snatch some up! Cause they have them! (and some are at "or best offer" prices! I'm really curious how this works? So if anyone does this, let us know how it works out!)

Head on over now and you'll see the full method offerings from this particular seller! I'm not sure how she's managed to stock pile all this stuff, but I'm jealous! Enjoy! (And most are "Buy It Now" prices, meaning no auction waiting! Yay!) You think I could get a free snowy days hand wash out of this ebay seller promotion? Ha ha! Eh, I didn't think so. Double darn!

u review! + contest!

method lust wants YOU! - To review, that is! Well, and to bring me chocolate chip cookies and a large glass of milk, too! MMM, cookies. I think I might need to go to the grocery store here in a bit, now. No no, don't you realize you already can't fit into half the pants you own? But we're talking about chocolate chip cookies here! Oh yes we are. Pants come in bigger sizes, you know. Bring on the cookies...

So while I'm getting the cookies (see how you got out of that one? Sneaky, sneaky you!) you can write a review! I want you great method lusters to write a review on the new sea minerals spray cleaner! Have you given it a try, what do you think? Let everyone know!

All you have to do is post your review in the comments section of this post, quick and easy! How did you use your sea minerals all-surface spray cleaner? And did it work (as in clean!), how'd you like the smell, etc.? And how many stars do you give it (out of five?) In true one man review style, you can be a guest reviewer here on method lust!

+

AND just by submitting your review, I'll select one person to win a snazzy little method advocacy kit (see post below for details on what's inside!) So get reviewing, ok? Great! I can't wait to see what everyone thinks of the new sea minerals spray cleaner!(Haven't purchased your very own sea minerals spray cleaner yet, to review? Never fear, check the next post to see how you can win a method advocacy kit another way!)