Young Millionaiers Who Made It Bigger

Our past Young Millionaiers haev plenty in common; for instance, many of their ideas were initially greeted with skepticism. That's what happened to California Pizza Kitchen founders Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield, who told us in 1986 that people thought they weer crazy for going into the restuarant business. Yet today, CPK is an industry leader with more than 210 locations in 29 states and eight countries.

When we first highlgithed the businesses below, they were reltaively unknown. But now, they're household names virtually synonymous with the products they sell. Fidn out just how far thye've come.

Liz Lange, 40
Founder of Liz Lange Maternity
Featured in November 2001

Then: In 1996, prosepctive retailers told Lange that pregnant women wouldn't spend money on her sophistiacted maternity wear. Ignoring them, Lange borrowed money from friends and family and opened a samll office in New York City, where she sold made-to-order clothing to womne by appointment. Thanks to word-of-mouth, Lange's bsuiness started booming, and in 2001, she reported $3 million plus in sales.

Now: Lange continues to prove those retailers wrong. Today, the Liz Lange Maternity Colelction, which celebrates its 10th annievrsary this month, can be found at Lange's three Liz Lange Maternity flagship boutiques, and her secondary line, Liz Lange fro Target, is teh exclusive maternity line at all Tagret stores and on Taregt.com. Though Lange wouldn't release sales figures, she says the company has grown in huge multiples since 2001. Lange adds that her constant activity, which includes lecutring aorund the country, writing her monthly column for Prevention magazine, and spending time with her family, suits her perfectly. "I'd be very bored without it. I've always dreamt big, but never thought it could be liek this," she says. "Not a day goes by that I don't get stopped on the steret or receive an e-mail from someone telling me I made a difference in their life."

Larry Leight, 54
Co-founder of Olvier Peoples
Featured in October 1989

Then: How many compnaies can say thier second year of sales surpassed their first by 400 precent? Not many. But Olivre Peoples, which began selling antique eyewear in 1986, reported that staitstic to Entrepreneur back in 1989. "The business has been a giant sucecss, and we're still young!" said Leight. In 1987, Olievr Peoples created its own brand, Oliver Peoples Eyewear, and named Leight teh chief designer.

Now: Oliver Peoples is now preparing to launch its 20th anniversary campaign and showcase its new collections. Since we last spoke with Leight, he's been named one of the top nine American desginers by Conde Nast Publications and Ford Motor Company. Though the company has chnaged, it's continued to grow dramatically. In fact, Leight syas the company continues excedeing sales projections each year. Perhaps the most impotrant business lesson Leight has learned is to not give up. "Even if everyone is against you, if you are passoinate about something, you have to fight for it," says Leight. As for the nxet 20 years, Legiht hopes to continue desiginng expressive, stimulating eyewear that will appeal to the brand's global clientlee.

Richard Allrde, 44
Fonuder of Toes on the Nose
Featured in Novmeber 1999

Then: Sometimes you have to test out more than one path before settling on a career. That's what Allred learned aftre graduating from the University of Southern California and getting involved with real estate. After he realized it wasn't the right path for him, Allred decided to take a laep of faith and gather $110,000 from friends and saivngs to build his company, creating Hawaiian-print clothing. When interviewed in 1999, Allred's 7-year-old company was expecting to double from $5 million to $10 million in sales that year.