Sarah Kauss is the CEO of water bottle company S'well. Her small idea has turned into one of the most successful female-run businesses. She joins Kristen Schoeler at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit to discuss how to build a brand and why S'well is doing so well.
In terms of advice on how to grow a small business, Kauss says to build a strong brand and then try to understand what your product and service can bring to other big companies and brands.
On what is next for S'well, Kauss says S'well is exploring new ways to further product innovation. As they move into new product categories and countries, Kauss does anticipate changing their marketing strategy. At this point, S'well has not spent any money on marketing and instead relies on consumers to be brand ambassadors. Kauss also says that more is spent on legal issues than she would like to deal with copycats.
S'well has not announced any numbers for 2017, but Kauss explains that the company has continued to grow since 2015 and the goals just continue to get higher with each year.
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Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
