《The Company I Keep》简介：

In his much-anticipated memoir, The Company I Keep: My Life in Beauty, Chairman Emeritus and former CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies Leonard A. Lauder shares the business and life lessons he learned as well as the adventures he had while helping transform the mom-and-pop business his mother founded in 1946 in the family kitchen into the beloved brand and ultimately into the iconic global prestige beauty company it is today.

In its infancy in the 1940s and 50s, the company comprised a handful of products, sold under a single brand in just a few prestigious department stores across the United States. Today, The Estée Lauder Companies constitutes one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of prestige skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. It comprises more than 25 brands, whose products are sold in over 150 countries and territories. This growth and success was led by Leonard A. Lauder, Estée Lauder’s oldest son, who envisioned and effected this expansion during a remarkable 60-year tenure, including leading the company as CEO and Chairman.

In this captivating personal account complete with great stories as only he can tell them, Mr. Lauder, now known as The Estée Lauder Companies’ “Chief Teaching Officer,” reflects on his childhood, growing up during the Great Depression, the vibrant decades of the post-World War II boom, and his work growing the company into the beauty powerhouse it is today. Mr. Lauder pays loving tribute to his mother Estée Lauder, its eponymous founder, and to the employees of the company, both past and present, while sharing inside stories about the company, including tales of cutthroat rivalry with Charles Revson of Revlon and others. The book offers keen insights on honing ambition, leveraging success, learning from mistakes, and growing an international company in an age of economic turbulence, uncertainty, and fierce competition.

《The Company I Keep》摘录：

在1941年的一篇社论中，《VOGUE》杂志问道：“在这样的时刻，女士们关心自己的外表是爱国的表现吗？” 一名士兵这样回答：“在这样的日子里，如果女士们外表不够光鲜，无异于打击士气，应被视为叛国。” 广告也都在提醒女性：“美丽是你的责任。”英国和美国的效率专家称，富有魅力的外表能鼓舞士气，提高效率。工厂也为迎接战争做了充足 的准备，女性开始大量进人劳动力市场，填补了因征兵而造成的大量空缺岗位。许多从事制造业的工厂也重新设计了厂房，将美容沙龙和化妆品柜台都纳人其中。波音公司同时开设了焊接培训班和魅力培训班，西雅图海军造船厂的管理层和工会都就“如何在生产线上看起来更漂亮”提供了建议。马丁飞行器公司的月度员工内刊《马丁之星》还会定期在有关B-26掠夺者轰炸机和B-29超级空中堡垒轰炸机的文章中穿插一些美容小窍门。 战争生产委员会曾试图将美妆产品的产量削减20%，结果遭到了美妆行业生产者和消费者的强烈抗议。不到4个月，战争生产委员会就撒掉了L171号令，默认美妆产品对战争至关重要。 如果有一样东西被认为是不可或缺的，那就是口红。1944年，《妇女家庭杂志》上刊登了一则丹琪牌口红的广告，一名女性空军飞行员正从战斗机的驾驶舱里钻出来，她身穿跳伞装、背着降落伞，还涂上了丹琪牌口红。广告文案是这样说的，口红“象征着我们战斗的理由……在任何情况下女性都有保持女人味和美丽的宝贵权利”。就连1943年5月29日的《六晚邮报》封面上的“铆工罗西”和著名的“我们能做到1”海报上展示二头肌的女性，也都涂了口红。 那些因为战争而独立的劳动女性逐渐形成了新的市场。从事工业的女性数量变得前所未有的庞大一截至1943年，飞机制造业中有65%的员工是女性，与战前仅有的1%形成鲜明对比，而且她们赚的钱比大家听说过的还要多。由于当时对日用品实行定量配给制，衣服、鞋子、尼龙制品、玻璃纸...