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Bryce Johnson could have joined his family’s real estate business, but he dreamed of building brands, he says.
Johnson’s first venture was a T-shirt printing business. He planned to launch his own clothing line, but he realized that he needed to strengthen his financial and business operations skills.
The Berkeley-Columbia Executive MBA program was just what he needed. He loved his classes, and the connections he made continue to positively impact his career. “Many of us have stayed in touch and scratched each other’s backs throughout the last 20 years,” he says.
Professional faculty member Maura O’Neill, BCEMBA 04, is no exception. It was O’Neill who gave him encouraging feedback on a business plan for an e-textbook company that would allow students to download textbooks onto their laptops to save money. “She said, ‘I would invest, and you should do this,’” Johnson says. “That vote of confidence is what I needed to make the leap.”
In 2008, Johnson sold his e-textbook company, CafeScribe, to Follett Higher Education Group. Two years later, he became CEO of Zarbee’s Naturals, a natural cough syrup company that Johnson & Johnson acquired in 2018.
Johnson’s latest venture is a touch-free toilet freshener called LooLoo. The freshener works by spritzing essential oils over toilet water to eliminate odors. Good Housekeeping magazine recognized LooLoo in its 2023 Best Cleaning and Organizing Awards in the Brilliant Bathroom category.
The company regularly gets comments from happy customers. Says Johnson, “We got so many emails saying it was a relationship saver that we actually trademarked the term.”
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