Ten Secrets of the Secret Society of Entrepreneurs (Paperback) | Released: 24 Apr 2013

Congratulations! You are about to embark upon a journey of discovery guided by G.M.Lowenthal, co-founder and former CEO of The Boyds Collection Ltd., one of the most successful and profitable gift companies in the world. Mr. Lowenthal or 'The Head Bean Hisself' as he is known to thousands of loyal collectors is the embodiment of the American Entrepreneurial Dream. Starting his company in the garage of an 1880's country farmhouse in rural Boyds, Maryland, G.M. and his wife Justina built their little antique shop into a gift and decorative accessory powerhouse with over 200 million dollars in annual sales. After building the company for almost 20 years G.M. went on to sell his creation to New York based investors who took the company public with a market capitalization of over one billion dollars. In his book, The Ten Secrets of the Secret Society of Entrepreneurs, Mr. Lowenthal relates the 10 guiding principals which allowed him to conceive, build, maintain and then sell his endeavor. The 10 Secrets is an easy and fun read and is meant for both the Boyds Bear fan who would like to learn more about the inner workings of Boyds as well as fascinating stories about Bloomingdale's, QVC and adventures in China. It is also an instructive manual for the budding entrepreneur who would like to learn the stories behind and the guiding principles of this very successful businessman. The Secrets is both a 'how to' as well as a motivational book which relates in a unique style of humor and imagination the elements needed to have both a successful business and a satisfying life.
About the Author: About the author: GM Lowenthal affectionately known as 'The Head Bean Hisself' to thousands of Boyds Bear Collectors was born in New York City approximately 10 years after dinosaurs ceased to roam the earth. GM did not have a silver spoon in his mouth upon his birth; he was the son of Siggy, a German Immigrant and Beatrice, a farm girl from Spring Valley, New York. He attended public school in New York and worked in his father's small butcher shop on 172nd Street and Broadway from the age of 10 or so. He attended Stuyvesant High School an all boys' public school specializing in science and was the second in his family (after his older brother Steven) to attend college. He graduated with a degree in Biology and later earned a Masters degree in Education. He served his country by volunteering for two years in the Peace Corps and was assigned as a high school teacher in the Fiji Islands. After serving in the Peace Corps he worked his way around the world in a variety of jobs. He was a bartender in New Zealand as well as a fence pole digger in the outback of Australia. Upon his return to the USA he entered into the Executive Training Program of Bloomingdale's Department Stores based in Manhattan. GM held a number of buying and executive positions during his seven years at Bloomingdale's. He left in 1979 and with his wife Justina started a small antiques shop call The Boyds Collection Ltd, located on the ground floor of his house located appropriately in the small town of Boyds, Maryland. They augmented their inventory of antiques with floral wreaths created by Tina and duck decoys painted by GM. These proved popular enough to wholesale to other stores large and small. Boyds began participating in national gift shows and grew quickly adding lines of brass, dolls, resin sculptures and most notably Teddy Bears. This line of Boyds Bears and Friends quickly achieved great popularity. The company had very high growth and achieved sales volumes of over 200 million dollars per year. After 20 years, the Lowenthals sold their business to an investment firm in New York. GM and Tina currently live on a farm in rural Pennsylvania where she teaches yoga brilliantly and he farms poorly and teaches at a local University.