American entrepreneur Melville Bissell patented his Bissell sweeper in 1876.

The Bissell sweeper dominated the carpet-cleaning market for the next 40 years.

More memorable than his first actual sweeper, perhaps, is the story of his wife Anna.

Anna helped make “Bissell” a familiar name.

In the time before influencers and social media, she created a successful marketing campaign. She promised women that the newfangled Bissell sweeper would end the drudgery and exhaustion of cleaning carpets.

In 1889, following her husband’s unexpected death, Anna became the first female CEO in American history. She oversaw the production of 1,000 sweepers a day. At this time, Bissell had factories in the United States, Canada and Europe.

And Bissell remains a household name even now.