Ben & Jerry's Ice cream is one of the most well known ice cream brands in the country. With their unique flavors, and rich ice cream, Ben & Jerry's has something for everyone.
On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to listen to a lecture given by Jerry Greenfield, or the Jerry in Ben & Jerry's. The lecture was given at The University of Texas at Austin, and hosted by the Delta Gamma Sorority. Oh, it was also free! (Yay, UT!)
The lecture itself was extremely inspiring. Mr. Greenfield gave background on what him and Ben were doing before they began making ice cream. He talked about the difficulties they faced, the luck they found, and the values they established for the company.
Here are some quotes from the lecture that truly impacted me, and the reason as to why they did:
"If there's something you don't like about the way business is run, why don't you change it?"
The thing about this lecture, is that although it was primarily about business, the ways he approached it can be applicable to anything in life. When he said this, I immediately thought about how everyone has the power to change their own life. Instead of complaining, or giving up, you must take initiative and change the way you do things, in order to be satisfied.
The thing about this lecture, is that although it was primarily about business, the ways he approached it can be applicable to anything in life. When he said this, I immediately thought about how everyone has the power to change their own life. Instead of complaining, or giving up, you must take initiative and change the way you do things, in order to be satisfied.
"There's a spiritual aspect to business, just like there is to individuals. As you give, you receive."
A lot of his lecture revolved around the values the Ben & Jerry's corporation is built upon. They pride themselves on giving back to the community, because the community is what made them become successful in the first place. I loved this quote because the key to any success is gratitude, and the way you show you're grateful is by giving back.
A lot of his lecture revolved around the values the Ben & Jerry's corporation is built upon. They pride themselves on giving back to the community, because the community is what made them become successful in the first place. I loved this quote because the key to any success is gratitude, and the way you show you're grateful is by giving back.
"We are never going to actualize what we believe in if we don't bring it to the place we're most powerful in."
This quote hit me kind of hard. We all have power somewhere, whether it be power in the classroom, in social aspects of life, or your career rank. Although he was talking about how they decided to instill their personal values of gratitude and charity into the business, and how the only way to do so was to ensure they personally embodied those virtues, this can be applied to almost anything. If you don't practice what you preach, your message will never be successful.
This quote hit me kind of hard. We all have power somewhere, whether it be power in the classroom, in social aspects of life, or your career rank. Although he was talking about how they decided to instill their personal values of gratitude and charity into the business, and how the only way to do so was to ensure they personally embodied those virtues, this can be applied to almost anything. If you don't practice what you preach, your message will never be successful.
At the end of the lecture, we had the opportunity to ask Mr. Greenfield some questions. I asked him this:
"You said Ben was more outgoing, how did you get out of your shell and become more involved in the marketing of your business?"
His response was beautiful. He explained how shy he was, and how when him and Ben were in interviews, he would sit there and hear Ben say all these crazy things, and he would just think "Wow, I can't believe he's saying that." Ultimately, he realized that you can't just be in your shell all of the time. You have to be you, but in business you also have to get yourself out there. Although, he said, at home he's still the same old shy Jerry, he has gotten used to being able to speak in front of people, get out of his comfort zone, and be able to market the brand.
Overall, it was a great experience. Jerry Greenfield was hilarious, entertaining, real, humble, and represented his business well. He is a true inspiration and an embodiment of the word perseverance. If there's anything I take away from the lecture it's that no matter how hard you're working, no matter the circumstances, never lose faith and never corrupt your values. Stay true to yourself, give back, and the blessings will begin to pour.
-TBCG
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