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From A Five Dollar Suit to a Million Dollar CompanyMeet Norwegian Fragrance Designer Geir Ness By Beatrice Davis
Geir Ness is a man with spirit and passion! He has the ability to easily draw people into a conversation and a personality that lights up a room.
He is like a magnet and you can't help but love him. His story is unique and still what one would call "The American Dream from Rags to Riches"!
Geir's goal from childhood on was to become an actor. He finalized his dream in his mid-twenties and set sail to Los Angeles, California where he would study acting. Upon arriving he quickly realized life in Los Angeles was a challenge because he had little money and spoke very little English. So how did he manage in fast-paced Los Angeles? After purchasing a used and very old car for $600 and renting a cheap apartment his next challenge was learning to speak English.
To make ends meet, Geir took a job in a department store in the fragrance department. With his magnetic personality he drew people to him and they would often ask why there was no Norwegian Fragrance. That was the beginning of Geir's interest in learning more about the perfume business.
Several years later, Laila and Geir, his line of perfumes and colognes, were introduced. The process of developing Laila took five years from conception to reality. Geir learned a great deal about himself during that time. In particular, never give up and keep going strong with your dream no matter what other people think or tell you. You must learn to believe in yourself.
After years of development and testing, Geir had 1,000 bottles of Laila sitting in his apartment. He had no experience selling a fragrance line and his money had run out. He immediately began to contact department stores and quickly found out that it was going to be an uphill battle. He was not a celebrity and he had no experience in fragrance distribution. He contacted a major department store and though they liked the product, he was told that he would never be successful without money to distribute and market it. Geir challenged the store to order 100 bottles and if they did not sell, he would take them back after three months. They accepted the offer.
Geir was scheduled to appear at the department store the day before Mother's Day. Not knowing anything about the business, his creative thinking kicked in and he decided to market himself. He went to a garage sale and purchased a five-dollar suit and a red carpet. He contacted a photographer friend whose funds were so low that he couldn't afford film for his camera. This didn't stop Geir. When the store opened, the photographer pretended to snap photographs and people began lining up, even a couple celebrities who came in the store at the time stopped by. This was, after all, Hollywood! Geir began signing autographs and selling perfume. As he greeted customers, he felt something biting him on the back but he continued without a flinch. It was a very successful day for Geir. He sold every bottle of fragrance and had a waiting list of 150 people.
Upon returning home after such an exciting day, Geir discovered that his suit had fleas in it. At that time Geir was so poor that he could not afford to have the suit dry cleaned prior to his appearance. Still, it had been a life changing experience for him. His ability to think outside the box created a whole new world of opportunities.
Geir believes that to become successful you have to believe in yourself and your product 110 percent and you have to be willing to make sacrifices, put in the extra hours and never let anyone discourage you from accomplishing your goals. He knows how easy it can be to give up but he chose not to do so.
Geir always had a great appreciation for his parents. His mother Laila is his pride and joy. To show his appreciation for her inspiration and encouragement he secretly copied her signature and placed it on bottles of perfume. He gave his mother her first bottle on Mother's Day. It was one of the best moments of her life to learn that her son cared enough to use her name on his perfume line. She had been his inspiration in the creation of the product.
Geir created Laila out of love and respect for his mother. Geir's dad was a businessman and he taught him that whatever you do in life, stay focused, be determined, work hard and it will lead to success. His dad also taught him to trust in himself and only in himself. "Never hand any part of your business over to someone without some knowledge of what's to be accomplished." Geir's past experience in Norway was working with physically-challenged children and it gave him the passion and patience he needed to succeed.
Geir believes in a hands-on approach and personal touch when it comes to his clientele. He travels over 290 days out of the year to promote his products. He wants his customers to know who the creator is behind the product line and he has found this to be a very successful approach. To keep and to maintain stamina with such a rough travel schedule, Geir exercises regularly and maintains a healthy diet, though this is sometimes difficult when traveling so much but he told me it is all about making wise decisions when ordering your food.
Throughout his travels, Geir often contributes to charitable causes. In 2007 he teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and developed a pink bottle in honor of the Breast Cancer Foundation; he donated 10% of the retail price to the charity and $25,000.00 from his own money for research.
He also takes time to make public appearances to speak on the importance of how to succeed in business, fitness and good health.
Geir's latest business venture was releasing his first book, "Letters from a Son to his Mother" in June, 2009. He dedicated it to his mom to show his love and appreciation.
Geir is a breath of fresh air and his inspiration is contagious. He encourages people to "focus on the good things you have today and appreciate what life gives you." He maintains an upbeat attitude and never-ending patience and these qualities is what make Geir Ness a successful entrepreneur.
If you would like to win a bottle of Laila or Geir here is your chance!
Answer the following questions correctly and you will be entered in the grand drawing.
Email us (vspbea@yahoo.com) your answers, including your name, address, phone number and email address.
The Drawing will be held on November 30, 2009.
You will be notified by email!
We wish you good luck!
Your NSAEN Team
Q: Who is Geir's fragrance, Laila, named after?
Q: In what country was Geir born?
Q: What type of work did Geir's father do?
Q: How many days out of the year is Geir on the road promoting his products?
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COMMENTS:
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by Erin @ Oct 05 2009 08:18 am WOW!! Geir Ness is such an inspiration!! Thank you for a Great article!! Will he be on Oprah soon? 
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