Irrational Persistence

3 Search for the Holy Grail

“There is no substitute for being in the right industry at the right time.”

–John Chambers, CEO, Cisco, Inc., Wall Street Journal interview, August 9, 2014

So how did Garden Fresh grow from roughly $4 million when I first partnered with Jack and Annette to roughly $104 million in only ten years?

For a bankrupt startup in the food industry, that’s shockingly rapid growth.

What was the most critical factor involved?

The answer might surprise you.

For while Annette was right, our products are great, I learned a very painful lesson during my lost decade—in those years between the time I founded American Connoisseur and met Jack at that food show in New York.

Being a great product isn’t enough. In fact, far from it.

I can’t think of a better example of a great product not being enough than my beloved Mucky Duck Mustard.

On the surface, Mucky Duck has it all.

It differentiates itself on the shelf from other American mustards by being a British pub style mustard.

Its ingredient list is unique. Unlike most American mustards, which consist of simply white vinegar, mustard flour, and turmeric, Mucky Duck is made with cider vinegar, imported mustard flour, real eggs, and sugar. And just as we did at Garden Fresh, I refused the temptation to compromise Mucky Duck’s flavor profile by employing less expensive ingredients such as domestic mustard flour and pasteurized eggs.

Its manufacturing process is unique, too, employing a time-sensitive, labor-intensive ...