What A President At Nature's Wild Berry Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Food Industry
Hank's initial projections for Nature's Wild Berry were overly optimistic ("a million dollars in product a year"), a naiveté that, while initially humbling, ultimately fueled a stronger work ethic; the challenges encountered inspired Hank to "go as hard if not harder," proving that overcoming obstacles was integral to their enjoyment of the journey and career success.
Overcoming Challenges, Resilience, Achieving Goals, Motivational Stories, Executive/Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Hank Watt
President
Nature's Wild Berry
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey
NA
Business & Related, Finance
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Food, Beverages & Alcohol
Strategic Management and Executive
Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. The initial projections for sales were overly optimistic, and the reality was a slower growth trajectory than initially anticipated.
2. The challenges faced inspired a stronger work ethic and determination to succeed.
3. Balancing naive optimism with realistic expectations is crucial for navigating the industry's challenges; the initial struggles fueled motivation and persistence.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
When we first started, I had projections that we would sell a million dollars in product in our first year. I imagined it would be a straight line, just going up.
You know, I was being naive. Juliano was much more grounded and said it wasn't going to happen like that. He believed it would take a long time just to get people's attention.
I think if I hadn't been so naive, I wouldn't have been so embarrassed when telling this part of the story. But that naivety also made me jump in headfirst.
It's like a double answer because reality is important, but the objections I received and the reality of the situation inspired me to work even harder.
It's like how I think about sports. If I won every game, I don't know if I would enjoy practicing or being in the gym. I really enjoyed that aspect too.
So, I probably should have known it would be more challenging, but at the same time, figuring out it would be challenging was also a blessing.
Advizer Personal Links
Linktr.ee/natureswildberry