Back in 2005 I saw Gary Erickson, founder of Clif Bar, speak at one of MEBSR’s Fall Conferences. At the time I didn’t realize there was a philosophical difference between Clif Bars and PowerBars; they were just unyielding blocks of calories presented in the shape of a bar.

By the time I had left I had a new found respect for Clif Bar and Gary, the man who had declined a $120 million offer (split two ways) to buy him out because he felt he still had things to accomplish with Clif Bar and that he could compete against the big guys.

His book (co-written by Lois Lorentzen), Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business, goes into greater detail about his decision to walk away from $60 million and how he had to buy out his partner (who didn’t agree that they could compete against PowerBar and other competitors) and get his company back on track.

The book touches on a lot of the themes that have become interesting to me as we creep up on our ten year anniversary, including profitability (it’s not a bad word), sustainability, environmental impact, and the purpose of one’s business.

I found myself turning down a number of page corners, and pulling out my pen on especially inspirational bits that I felt could translate well to flyte’s business practices.

While Clif Bar is very aware of their environmental foot print, how they treat their customers, vendors and employees, and their social responsibilities, it’s still a very competitive company that hates to lose and loves to make a profit.

This book is a must-read for all small business owners no matter what business you find yourself in. It’s going on my office shelf right between Good to Great and Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big.

Rich Brooks
Taking Flyte (the working title of my book which I’m not currently working on)