A divorcee in Portland just wanted a hug, but all the men she met assumed that meant sex. It didn’t, and the only way she figured anyone would take her seriously is if she charged money to cuddle. It worked. It’s weird. It’s Portland. 

Strange Success with Jane Wells

Cuddle Up To Me

Combat veterans, many of them from Special Ops, have found success in Las Vegas, where they’ve created a business that allows people to battle zombies in a global apocalypse. It all happens inside a massive facility east of the Strip—bringing in about $2 million a year—and it’s all strangely real. But to the men who created it, these battles are not just about money. They’re therapy. 

Adventure Combat Ops

Combat veterans, many of them from Special Ops, have found success in Las Vegas, where they’ve created a business that allows people to battle zombies in a global apocalypse. It all happens inside a massive facility east of the Strip—bringing in about $2 million a year—and it’s all strangely real. But to the men who created it, these battles are not just about money. They’re therapy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two bored realtors in Calgary, Alberta, kept trying to come up with a “big idea” to make money. One day they were looking at a bottle of Fiji water and wondered, “If people will buy water from Fiji, will they buy air from Canada?” Apparently they will, especially if the air come from one of the cleanest, most beautiful places on the planet, Canada’s Banff National Park. 

Vitality Air

Two bored realtors in Calgary, Alberta, kept trying to come up with a “big idea” to make money. One day they were looking at a bottle of Fiji water and wondered, “If people will buy water from Fiji, will they buy air from Canada?” Apparently they will, especially if the air come from one of the cleanest, most beautiful places on the planet, Canada’s Banff National Park.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CitiKitty

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ed Currie was so miserable he wanted to die. Then an angel appeared and told him to live. Now he runs a hellish enterprise, growing the hottest peppers on Earth. How hot? “Stupid hot.” It’s made him rich. It’s also made this reporter sorry she ever took him up on the offer to taste one. 

PuckerButt Pepper Co.

Ed Currie was so miserable he wanted to die. Then an angel appeared and told him to live. Now he runs a hellish enterprise, growing the hottest peppers on Earth. How hot? “Stupid hot.” It’s made him rich. It’s also made this reporter sorry she ever took him up on the offer to taste one.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A divorcee in Portland just wanted a hug, but all the men she met assumed that meant sex. It didn’t, and the only way she figured anyone would take her seriously is if she charged money to cuddle. It worked. It’s weird. It’s Portland.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A guy in Colorado working in the pet food industry saw a huge gap, and filled it, with wine. Except it’s not really wine. He also won on “Shark Tank,” except he didn’t really win on “Shark Tank.” It’s strange. 

Apollo Peak Cat Wines

A guy in Colorado working in the pet food industry saw a huge gap, and filled it, with wine. Except it’s not really wine. He also won on “Shark Tank,” except he didn’t really win on “Shark Tank.” It’s strange.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How two best friends living in a small apartment in LA with dreams of making it big in Hollywood instead came up with a $33 million dollar product to save lives. Hint: one nearly died. Reveal: they still live in the small apartment. 

Drop Stop

How two best friends living in a small apartment in LA with dreams of making it big in Hollywood instead came up with a $33 million dollar product to save lives. Hint: one nearly died. Reveal: they still live in the small apartment.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How a dog lover near Kansas City, MO, came up with a product for neutered dogs to let them keep their “God given look.” Neuticles are testicular implants for dogs, though inventor Gregg Miller has made custom implants for a variety of other animals...including an elephant. It’s made him a multi-millionaire, even though Neuticles are “banned in three countries.”

Neuticles

Strange Success with Jane Wells. CNBC’s Jane Wells finds rags-to-riches stories with a twist.,Strange Success is about people who come up with crazy ideas to solve a problems you may not even realize exist. They take an even crazier journey to success, filled with failures, rejection, and stupidity. If you like weird stories with profitable outcomes, Strange Success is for you.