Chilly Thoughts

This week I'm attending the Food for Thought Conference in Greenville, SC hosted by ad agency Erwin-Penland. Last night I was fortunate to hear a presentation on business, life, struggles, humanity, and ice cream. By whom? Jerry and Ben of Ben & Jerry's. What stood out to me included:

• They did not know how to make ice cream when they founded the business. They took a $5 correspondence ($2.50 each) through Penn State.
• They copied the business plan of a NYC pizza parlor, changing the word 'slice' to 'scoop.'
• They took on Pillsbury, owner of Haagen-Dazs, who'd told distributors to stop trucking B&J ice cream. The campaign was "What's the Dough Boy Afraid Of?" It was kicked off with a one-person picket by Ben.
• One frigid VT winter, they started a campaign, Penny Off Per Celsius Degree Below Zero or POPCDBZ.
• They gave 7.5 of pre-tax profits to causes they believed in.

They have a great story. Obviously. But the mutual admiration of two business partners for each other, their joint mission to make business a better practice, and their mark on making the world a better place was a great dessert. Before dinner.