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Staff post about: Milton Hershey Become an Author

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Starting From Scratch: The Early Days of Milton Hershey

“A model town, a modern factory, a substantial business, these are the realizations of one businessman’s dreams.” - The Business World, June 1903

Sweetening The Deal: Hershey Tries Chocolate

Back at home in Lancaster, Hershey had no capital to start another business, but he still had the vision and the determination. He managed to convince a former employee, Harry Lebkicher, to back his venture financially. Soon thereafter, his mother’s family also came on board. This support allowed Hershey to begin experimenting once again. In a short time, Hershey had perfected a recipe he called ‘Hershey’s Crystal A’, a caramel candy made with the secret weapon he had learned of in Denver: fresh milk.

Lesson #1: Give Back To Others

“One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy. And only useful as he contributes his influences for the finer callings in life.”

Lesson #2: Try And Try Again

When Hershey first tried his hand at entrepreneurship, it seemed he would forever take after his father, with one failed business attempt after another. Although he had determination and ambition and he had begun working towards his dreams while he was still a teenager, Hershey found himself unemployed and nearly bankrupt by the time he was 30.

Lesson #3: Go On A Quest For Quality

“Give them quality,” said Hershey. “That’s the best kind of advertising in the world.”

Lesson #4: Break The Mold

Hershey didn’t do things the way they had always been done before. He didn’t accept old methods, stale ideas or out-of-date techniques. Instead, Hershey used his imagination to innovate, take his company in new directions and break the molds of the past. It was this characteristic of Hershey’s, and his understanding that attainable rewards required him to take some prudent risks, that drove him to success.

Lesson #5: Stick To Your Guns

Rare is the entrepreneur who has achieved success by simply following the advice of others. Being willing to make unpopular decisions and having the resolve to stick to his decisions even in the face of doubt and criticism was what propelled Hershey to success. His choices were often questioned for their business sense and were thus not always popular with everyone from his wife to his advisors. But, in true entrepreneurial fashion, Hershey stuck to his guns.

His Secret Recipe: How Hershey Achieved Success

From the plain and humble beginnings of his Mennonite family to becoming one of the richest men in America, Hershey’s passion for chocolate was matched by nothing except his love of children. Although he smoked between eight to ten cigars a day until his death in 1945, Hershey lived a long life, filled with both failure and success, lots of hard work and determination, and a concern for his fellow man. What was Hershey’s recipe for success?

Milton Hershey Quotes

Milton Hershey Quotes

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