In 1886, David H. McConnell was a door-to-door bookseller in New York who offered a small bottle of perfume as a free gift with each purchase. 

To his surprise, customers seemed far more excited about the fragrance than the books. Realizing he had stumbled onto something bigger, McConnell abandoned the publishing business and focused on cosmetics. 

He founded the California Perfume Company, which would later become Avon. By recruiting women as sales representatives, a bold move for the time, he created a direct-selling empire that gave thousands of women a path to financial independence long before they could vote.

Avon was acquired by Natura & Co on January 3, 2020 for approximately $3.7 billion.