#1
meet me in st louis
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How 'Flamin' Hot Cheetos' transformed immigrant janitor without a high school degree into a corporate executive


Richard Montañez is a walking, talking American Dream.

Working as a janitor at a California factory with no qualifications and barely able to speak English, the Mexican native's simple idea for a snack took him from mopping floors to meeting U.S. presidents and flying in corporate jets.

It all started in 1976 at the Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, when a machine broke in the Cheetos assembly line.

'Some of them were missing the cheese because the machine had broken, so I took some home. I put some chili powder on it, and it tasted good, Montañez said.

So he came up with a recipe that his family, friends and coworkers loved before making the brave decision to take his idea to the CEO of the company.

The father-of-three persuaded the secretary to put his call through to the CEO who, after hearing his idea, invited him to do a demonstration.

Montañez didn't even own a tie, but he rushed out to buy one and picked up a book on marketing from the library to prepare his pitch.

The president loved the idea and since then, the flaming hot line of products was born, including 'Flamin' Hot Cheetos' - which is one of Frito-Lay’s top selling snacks.

The 55-year-old's simple idea also influenced future ethnic products including Hispanic products for KFC and Taco Bell.

Montañez was a keynote speaker on Tuesday at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s annual Power of Diversity event.

During his speech, he told the crowd how his 'PhD' - poor, hungry and determined - lead him to the position of executive vice president, multicultural sales and community activation, for PepsiCo North America, The Kansas City Star reported.

'If you’re leading a company and you don’t have diversity, you don’t have inclusion. I don’t know how you’re going to survive,' he said. 'I don’t know how you got this far.

'My disqualifications are the very things that qualified me. Your own people will hold you back,' he warned them. 'Break ranks. That’s diversity and inclusion. Don’t just hang out with your own.'

His prime message was that 'there’s no such thing as "just a janitor"...if you act like an owner'.

In the last three decades, the former janitor has met U.S. presidents, spoken at the United Nations, teaches leadership to MBA students at a California University and travels in corporate jets.

He was recognized by Hispanic Lifestyle magazine as one of the most influential Hispanics in corporate America and has been featured in News Week and Fortune 500 magazine.

The 55-year-old often tells a story from his childhood, when the other kids in school would stare at him because he brought in a burrito for lunch and they all had bologna sandwiches.

When he asked his mother if she could make him the same lunch as the other kids, she said no and told him, 'This is who you are'.

The next day she gave him two burritos and told him to make a friend. By the end of the week, he was selling them for 25 cent each.

Since becoming a success, he has given back to his community by providing scholarships to young Latinos as well as food, clothing, school supplies and other services for Feed the Children.

The father-of-three still lives in Rancho Cucamonga with his wife of more than 30 years, Judy.

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what an inspiration article. remember, rhizzone, you can succeed if you are poor hungry and determined!
#2
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I have never seen hot cheetos in Canada. wtf
#3
Kurdt
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this here is doritos territory hombre
#4
Mike Nelson here.
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everyone complains about "the 1%" but have you looked around at other people lately. all furries and feminists and other nutbars. if you can't beat 99% of the diaper crowd in business then what are you complaining about.
#5
[account deactivated]
#6
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Janitor at 18!!? That mother fucker got a head start -- !!
#7
political car tune
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How 'Flamin' Hot Cheetos' transformed immigrant janitor without a high school degree into a corporate executive: Using Tom's Girth-Related Hunger to Extract Wealth
#8
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Ah, yes, elevating the janitor to dizzying heights based on a gross culinary novelty that harms humanity. Truly the mark of a great society.
#9
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Meanwhile, a potential classicist who may benefit society continues to shovel snow.
#10
jiggago
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everyone should either be doing pointless manual labor for 100 hours a week or imprisoned

not like you have to pick one, it's randomly assigned

Edited by clanzy ()

#11
meet me in st louis
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clanzy posted:

everyone should either be doing pointless manual labor for 100 hours a week or imprisoned



um wouldnt those imprisoned do just that anyway?

#12
penitent
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this is who you are, richard. you are two burritos. you are a cultural difference ｅｎｔｉｒｅｌｙ ｓｕｂｓｕｍｅｄ ｗｉｔｈｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｓｏｕｌｌｅｓｓ ｍａｔｒｉｃｅｓ ｏｆ ｃａｐｉｔａｌｉｓｍ. a-mom
#13
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Shit, when I was a kid I used to mix a whole bunch of drinks at the soda fountain. With the right connections I could've turned that into a marketable beverage.
#14
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diversity, making mass-produced snacks for the lumpenproles unreasonably spicy
#15
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my cheetos will be intersectional or they will be bullshit
#16
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read all about the success story of this man in FL who changed the world of potato chips by "putting some kraut on it"
#17
Kurdt
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#18
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gyrofry posted:



thats racest

#19
jiggago
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guidoanselmi posted:

clanzy posted:
everyone should either be doing pointless manual labor for 100 hours a week or imprisoned


um wouldnt those imprisoned do just that anyway?



no the imprisoned just sit and rot and degenerate. not even a yard.

#20
Not Your S.H.I.E.L.D.
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getfiscal posted:

everyone complains about "the 1%" but have you looked around at other people lately. all furries and feminists and other nutbars. if you can't beat 99% of the diaper crowd in business then what are you complaining about.



Diapists actually have a distinct advantage in the extremely competitive business world, as they can just poop+pee right at their desks instead of robbing their employers of cumulatively millions of dollars a year in timetheft due to bathroom breaks

#21
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executives so white that it takes a janitor and a freak accident to convince them to maybe try selling something spicy instead of just smearing slightly different types of cheese on everything
#22
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this guy came up with a new product! quick, put him in a suit and take him as far away from the actual product development process as possible!
#23
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Lykourgos posted:

Meanwhile, a potential classicist who may benefit society continues to shovel snow.


i like to shovel snow... UP MY NOSE!!!

#24
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Like the drug "Snow" aka "cough drugs" aka "2 ltrs of that purple potion". Nice.