Lesson #2: Do Not Be Afraid to Go Against the Grain
Lesson #2: Do Not Be Afraid to Go Against the Grain
Kellogg wanted to change all of that. He had been brought up in the Seventh Day Adventist church, which believed in healthy living. They regularly avoided the likes of coffee, tea, tobacco, and meat, instead substituting it with bread, fruits, vegetables and lots of water. It was that line of reasoning that inspired Kellogg’s brother to open up his Sanitarium in Battle Creek, to promote healthy living.
The Sanitarium became a place “where people would learn to stay well,” offering both hospital and spa services. Patients were encouraged to exercise, eat vegetarian diets, take cold-water baths, and were even given a dosage of electroshock therapy. Indeed, Kellogg’s brother once said, “If the whole truth were shown, it would appear that the causes of indigestion are responsible for more deaths than all other causes combined.”
Kellogg had been experimenting with dough one night, when he realized that it had broken into flakes instead of forming a flat sheet. He could have thrown it out and started over again, but instead, he decided to make a go of it. It was not the bread he was hoping for, nor was it a breakfast cereal that most people would be used to. But still, he saw promise in it. It was a healthy alternative for breakfast and it tasted great, a surefire recipe for success as Kellogg saw it.
Kellogg took the flakes to his brother to get permission to serve them at the Sanitarium. Initially, his brother was hesitant. “Dr. Kellogg and others did not seem to believe at the time that the business was susceptible of being developed,” said Kellogg. His brother was doubtful that people would want to eat these plain, albeit healthy, flakes of wheat. Even after he agreed, he wanted his younger brother to crush them into little bits. Kellogg stood firm and served the flakes as they were the next morning at the Sanitarium. The flakes were a huge hit, with patients asking for more throughout the day.
At the time, grains were a rare occurrence in diets, and few foods were promoted on the grounds of being healthy and nutritious. But Kellogg wanted to change all of that. He was not afraid to introduce something new to the market, something that people had never seen before. After all, just because people had never known it before did not mean that they would not want it once they did.
Kellogg was not afraid to go against the grain. “I confess at the time I little realized the extent to which the food business might develop in Battle Creek,” he said. Despite underestimating the possibilities, Kellogg still kept his faith that his product would work. He stood up against his brother, he challenged the industry as it was, and he dared to be different.
Lesson 2 Do Not Be Afraid to Go Against the Grain
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Before Kellogg burst onto the scene, the breakfast food industry was bare to say the least. In fact, the entire prepared foods industry was lacking in depth. There were no canned foods and little refrigeration. People also had little knowledge of nutrition. Residents in Kellogg’s home state of Michigan only knew what they were used to: preserved meat and bread that had been baked over their open fires. Grains, vegetables, and fruits were not a common occurrence in diets.
Kellogg wanted to change all of that. He had been brought up in the Seventh Day Adventist church, which believed in healthy living. They regularly avoided the likes of coffee, tea, tobacco, and meat, instead substituting it with bread, fruits, vegetables and lots of water. It was that line of reasoning that inspired Kellogg’s brother to open up his Sanitarium in Battle Creek, to promote healthy living.
The Sanitarium became a place “where people would learn to stay well,” offering both hospital and spa services. Patients were encouraged to exercise, eat vegetarian diets, take cold-water baths, and were even given a dosage of electroshock therapy. Indeed, Kellogg’s brother once said, “If the whole truth were shown, it would appear that the causes of indigestion are responsible for more deaths than all other causes combined.”
Kellogg had been experimenting with dough one night, when he realized that it had broken into flakes instead of forming a flat sheet. He could have thrown it out and started over again, but instead, he decided to make a go of it. It was not the bread he was hoping for, nor was it a breakfast cereal that most people would be used to. But still, he saw promise in it. It was a healthy alternative for breakfast and it tasted great, a surefire recipe for success as Kellogg saw it.
Kellogg took the flakes to his brother to get permission to serve them at the Sanitarium. Initially, his brother was hesitant. “Dr. Kellogg and others did not seem to believe at the time that the business was susceptible of being developed,” said Kellogg. His brother was doubtful that people would want to eat these plain, albeit healthy, flakes of wheat. Even after he agreed, he wanted his younger brother to crush them into little bits. Kellogg stood firm and served the flakes as they were the next morning at the Sanitarium. The flakes were a huge hit, with patients asking for more throughout the day.
At the time, grains were a rare occurrence in diets, and few foods were promoted on the grounds of being healthy and nutritious. But Kellogg wanted to change all of that. He was not afraid to introduce something new to the market, something that people had never seen before. After all, just because people had never known it before did not mean that they would not want it once they did.
Kellogg was not afraid to go against the grain. “I confess at the time I little realized the extent to which the food business might develop in Battle Creek,” he said. Despite underestimating the possibilities, Kellogg still kept his faith that his product would work. He stood up against his brother, he challenged the industry as it was, and he dared to be different.
Lesson 2 Do Not Be Afraid to Go Against the Grain
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| |||
| No article feedback found. | |||
| Leave Your Feedback | |||
|
|||
|
| |||
| History of money and it's evolution from a New Zealand perspective |
|||
|
| |||
| Clues from past sucesses can help up beat fear of failure. |
|||
|
| |||
| Do you remember making craft glue out of white flour and water at school? Remember how it set like cement when you used it? And how bad it smelled after sitting on the desk for a few hours? Well, every time you eat ... |
|||
|
| |||
| Whenever I hear complaints about not attracting enough new business, I start asking many questions. As a strategic thinking business coach I need to ask those who complain many questions to find out if there is a f... |
|||
|
| |||
| BRAC, the world’s largest NGO with a large microfinance program serving more than
five million Bangladeshi families, is another example demonstrating that microfinance can and
should serve the world’s poorest. |
|||
| |||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
|
![]() |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
![]() |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
![]() | ||
|
| ||
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
![]() |
|
|
![]() | ||
|
Top 50 SEO Posts - 2007
Top SEO Posts of the Year | ||
|
The Top 10 ProBlogger Posts
Best Posts for Bloggers | ||
![]() | ||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||












