Frank’s Foibles then Flourishing

Times were tough. At least they were for Frank.

Frank wanted to be in the candy business but the candy business did not want Frank. He’d tried in Tacoma, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Now he was back in Minneapolis.

Again Frank worked in his kitchen, again selling candies door-to-door.

Frank was a tinkerer. He tried salty and sweet. He tried nougat and chocolate. He aimed to figure out how to compete with big companies like Hershey, Cadbury, and Lindt.

His breakthrough was the combination of chocolate, caramel, and nougat. Not only was it delicious, but it was cheap compared to the solid chocolate bars of the 1920s. After its introduction in 1923, the Milky Way became one of the most popular candy bars in the world.

But it took ten years during the second Minneapolis stint.

It’s not easy. It takes work. But the work pays off, maybe not as large as for Mars, but it pays.

The Daily Entrepreneur newsletter delivers brief meditations on the principles & practices of the world's greatest business builders. This newsletter will always remain free and dedicated to helping you get a little better each day.