The other day, somebody mentioned to me that he had just learned that Paul Mitchell and Patron were owned by the same person. True? Partially. Let me explain….
Paul Mitchell was founded by two young entrepreneurs in 1980. The iconic hairstylist, Cyril Mitchell (who later went by the name Paul Mitchell) and John Paul DeJoria started the world-famous Paul Mitchell hair product line with just 700$ and a dream. The business office originally consisted of just a P.O. Box and a message recording. They sold only the most basic products: shampoo one, shampoo two and the conditioner.
Shortly into their venture, they established a self-sustaining, solar-powered Awapuhi farm in Hawaii (which is where they still harvest all of their Awapuhi for today’s products.) They also became the first company in the beauty industry to announce that they will not test their products on animals. By 1987, they introduced the first form of tea-tree shampoo and continued to broaden their product line with many new, innovative products.
Sadly, in 1989, Paul Mitchell passes on, leaving the company to his son, Angus and beloved friend John Paul. They decided to work harder than ever to uphold their company name. By 1993, Paul Mitchell had become available to 30 different countries across the globe. By 2001, the tea tree line had expanded into many different products, including tea tree soap, and the first Paul Mitchell beauty school opened its’ doors in Costa Mesa, California. Shortly after, they introduced their professional hair color line (which is amazing, by the way). As the company grew, so did their commitment to be a green company and help preserve the world.
This company has expanded into so many different ever-popular product lines, and continues to grow each year.
What About Paul Mitchell and Patron?
A true entrepreneur at heart, John Paul DeJoria co-founded the Patron spirits company with Martin Crowley in 1989, just 9 years after starting Paul Mitchell. In case you didn’t know, Patron sells more than two-million cases of tequila each year. John Paul says that he got into the tequila industry on a “whim.” While Martin Crowley was in Mexico on a work assignment, John Paul had asked him to bring back some authentic Tequila. Crowley brought back a hand-blown glass bottle and pitched the idea of Patron to John Paul.
Still not impressed? John Paul also co-founded the “House of Blues” nightclub, and has his roots dug into other various companies such as Pyrat Rum, Ultimat Vodka, Sun King Solar, Touchstone Natural Gas, DeJoria Diamonds and much more. Forbes estimates that he is worth about 3 billion dollars (with 100-250 million dollars of revenue each year) and is ranked the 66th richest person in America.
Did you know about this connection between Paul Mitchell and Patron? Were you surprised to learn how much John Paul DeJoria is really involved in? Please leave your feedback in the comments section below.