Resilience Lessons from the Flamin' Hot Cheeto Man
No Matter How Hard It Gets, You Got the Fire Inside Just Like the Flamin' Hot Cheeto Man
When the going gets tough, it's easy to think about throwing in the towel. When you are friends with Richard Montañez on LinkedIn like we are, he posts some of the most inspiring things around. His story as the son of a Mexican immigrant who went from a janitor to Vice President of Multicultural Sales and Community Promotions for PepsiCo North America reminds us of the resilience and tenacity of entrepreneurs.
But did you catch the movie Flamin' Hot directed by Eva Longoria? It's worth a watch if you haven't already.
If you have, you will remember Frito-Lay was on the brink of closing down one of their Cheetos manufacturing plants. Richard, a janitor at that plant slated to close, had an epiphany one day to mix chile con limon (that we typically put on fruita or corn) with Cheetos and gave birth to the miracle of Flamin' Hot Cheetos (still one of my fave childhood snacks - those spicy red fingers always gave me away).
When you're feeling low, watch this short clip, bob your head along to this song "You got the fire inside", and heed the words below to dig deep and find that resilience from within, that fire in the belly that every entrepreneur has.
ALWAYS remember we are here in the front row, throwing Cheetos in the air to cheer you on! Estamos aquí contigo deciendo: "You got the fire inside!" "¡Tienes el fuego dentro!"
Resilience for Entrepreneurs
Self-care is paramount: You know that safety instruction on the plane, if the plane is going down, give yourself oxygen first before helping others. That's true for entrepreneurship too. You MUST (this is not optional) take time to rest, renew, and recharge. Entrepreneurs not only juggle the biz but also the kids, the partner/spouse, the household, the pets, the finances, the this and the that all without the assurance of a steady paycheck. You also get the chance to choose your destiny - and THAT is so much sweeter.
Sales growth: Look at new verticals your company could expand into and remember your audience. Lean in to your Hispanic and Black markets and offer products and services that appeal to your customers. Richard convinced Frito-Lay to lean into this new vertical opportunity to reach the Hispanic community with flavors familiar in our culture. If you speak Spanish or have a product or service that might appeal to this community, LEAN IN to that! The Spanish-speaking market has historically been left out of information and marketing and it's time to access this HUGE untapped biz sales opportunity.
Express gratitude: For your customers, for your team, for your supporters, for your network, for building your skills, for growing, learning, and evolving, for the impact your company is making, and for using limited marketing resources strategically to maximize sales, expressing an attitude of gratitude often and from the heart will pay off in dividends. Richard regularly expresses gratitude for his wife, Judy, who was one of his biggest supporters when he drew on her courage to pitch the Flamin' Hot Cheetos concept to executives at Frito-Lay. Remember, acknowledge, and thank your supporters and shoot your shot!
Prepare for business interruptions and have a plan: What would happen if the power goes out and you can't use the register? You're gonna make that sale either by candlelight or a flashlight, right?!? Exactly! That's the kind of thing we're talking about. Have a plan and a backup plan. Make friends with your business neighbors - they might be a good resource to include in your plan and talk to them before the power goes out to build the relationship.
Innovation: Any business big or small has the ability to innovate - the Flamin' Hot Cheeto story is a prime innovation example. Innovation will help your business evolve, stay current, and grow. We want your business to be around for many years to come. Look at product or service innovations that could work and test the market. Embrace technology to streamline processes to increase efficiency and reduce costs to make it better for employees, customers, and your bottom line.
PRO TIP: Need help with operational process improvements and identifying innovation opportunities? We GOT you! We are experts in this space, living and breathing innovation and process improvements for over two decades, so schedule a call today here.
