He Made Millions by Following His Heart
With the advanced scientific studies of this era, we often read and hear news that presents the various benefits of observing a vegetarian or vegan diet. This has been proven by extensive scientific research done by hardworking and kind researchers who believe in their work and its benefits.
Observing a vegan diet does not only help to ameliorate our health and well-being but at the same time, we are also saving hundreds and thousands of animals from being brutally slaughtered for the satisfaction of our taste buds.
I’m so pleased to read this feature about Mr Bob Goldberg who is a pioneer in the vegan and vegetarian food industry. Mr Goldberg is a thought leader who stuck to his guns even when most didn’t believe that he would succeed. I applaud Mr Goldberg for his tenacity, persistence and most of all, for being brave enough to stand up for his ideals, ethics and for saving millions of animal lives .
Please rejoice and share this amazing article with your friends. Inspire them to make a difference in their lives.
Tsem Rinpoche
The Vegan Boss Who Followed His Heart and Made Millions
By Regan Morris
Los Angeles
19 December 2016 | Business
Bob Goldberg says he is thrilled that vegan food is now mainstream.
Follow your heart. It’s easier said than done when it comes to business.
But for entrepreneur Bob Goldberg, the name of his vegan food company – Follow Your Heart – is a constant reminder that it’s possible to be profitable and stay true to your company’s idealistic, founding principles.
And that idealism has paid off. When a then 25-year-old Mr Goldberg and three male friends started selling vegetarian food out of their Los Angeles cafe in 1970, it was to a hippie, counterculture crowd.
Now the company manufactures and distributes millions of jars of Vegenaise, its egg-free mayonnaise substitute, plus numerous vegan cheeses, and a host of other vegan and gluten-free products.
With the firm expected to turn over between $40m (£32m) and $50m (£40m) this financial year, clearly vegan food, and meat and dairy alternatives, are no longer counterculture.
That cafe in the Canoga Park suburb of Los Angeles was in the back of a grocery store, and catered to a crowd eager for sprout and avocado sandwiches, and maybe a wind chime and some incense.
Bob Goldberg (left) and his three co-founders were part of the late 1960s counterculture crowd.
Soon the four men took over the store as well, and followed their hearts by removing all the meat products. People told them they were crazy and that the business would never survive.
“Instead of crashing and burning immediately the store became very successful,” says Mr Goldberg, who is now 71.
“I think what people hadn’t realised was how comfortable it is for somebody who doesn’t want to be around those [meat] products to go to a store where they can eat anything.”
Earthquake Damage
From the very beginning Mr Goldberg’s corporate mission was to be environmental, compassionate, vegetarian – and profitable.
His founding ideals also included “not spending half my life on an airplane”, so opening dozens of other shops was not going to be on the agenda.
The company is mainly a wholesaler, but still has one store of its own.
So while a cafe and store in Canoga Park is thriving after 46 years, the main part of Follow Your Heart is its wholesale business, based in a manufacturing facility a few miles away.
Products are made here and distributed to retailers both across the US and worldwide.
However, things did not always go smoothly at the business.
An attempt to open a second cafe and store in Santa Barbara, 100 miles (160km) north of Los Angeles failed, and in the mid-1980s two of the founders left the business because they didn’t get backing for their wish to open a network of shops.
The business even sells a vegan egg substitute.
The pair were ultimately bought out by Mr Goldberg and the other remaining co-founder Paul Lewin, who continue to run the company between them.
The company also had to cope with the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake badly damaging the cafe.
On a recent tour through the expanding factory, Mr Goldberg points out the skylights and solar power, and talks about strategies for managing the firm’s global footprint.
Workers in white lab coats and hairnets stir vast batches of Vegenaise and vegan cheese. By the loading dock, a tanker truck unloads 10,000 gallons of grapeseed oil into a tank.
“We can go through one of these tanks in a shift,” says Mr Goldberg, who now employs about 225 people and sells products in 17 countries outside the US including the UK, Israel and Mexico. Exports account for more than 10% of their total sales.
Slow Growth
When Follow Your Heart started, the word “vegan” wasn’t widely used or known. Now the company markets most of its products as “plant based” to a growing demand for health-conscious consumers.
And along the way, Mr Goldberg – who has the chief executive job title – has chosen to stay independent, shunning increasingly frequent offers from venture capitalists interested in the now hot vegan market.
The shop and cafe is still going strong after 46 years.
“There’s been a lot of interest from investors,” he says, adding that he has never been tempted to accept outside money to grow faster.
“It’s very difficult for companies to grow and maintain their values. And I’m very focused on that,” he says, explaining that he never wants to put shareholder interest above what’s right for his customers, employees and products.
Brian Todd, chief executive of US food industry information service The Food Institute, says Follow Your Heart was uniquely ahead of the curve when it comes to the growing demand for vegan and vegetarian products.
Mr Goldberg is not tempted to sell up.
“They started slowly and built a very good business,” says Mr Todd. He contrasts this with the pressure on newer firms in the sector to grow as quickly as possible, which can be destabilising.
Back at Follow Your Heart, Mr Goldberg says that the now mainstream interest in vegan products is like seeing his dream realised.
But he adds that the best part about the revolution in alternative products for vegetarians and vegans is the big increase in variety.
Being vegetarian is an ethical choice for him, but he remembers the taste of sausages and pot roasts fondly from his Chicago childhood. And he was awfully tired of sprouts.
“I will never eat them again,” he says. “I ate enough of them in the 70s to last a lifetime.”
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38248169
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Wonderful news, ……due to Mr Bob Goldberg’s kindness, he operated a plant-based products wholesale business for environmental , compassionate, vegetarian and profitable benefits. The vegan entrepreneur is a pioneer in the vegan and vegetarian food business. He made millions from his business and he choose to be on vegetarian in order to have a better environment and stay healthy . Now we have more choice to choose from those plant based products like egg-free mayonnaise , vegan cheeses, and so forth. Now more and more people are health conscience , I am sure they are happy to have these plant-based products available for them .
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche loves animals and is passionate against their harm, torture, and abuse.
The few minutes a day we spend on social media creating awareness for animals who cannot speak is purely spiritual and humanistic practice because we are trying to alleviate pain from another sentient beings and that makes us more spiritual, and that makes us more spiritual and more humane.
We can really make a difference when we focus out and find solutions which will help others and reduce suffering. Here is a video I found today on Facebook from Mercy for Animals. Follow your Heart! https://www.facebook.com/mercyforanimals/videos/vb.93565224474/10155253923064475/?type=2&theater
Success stories like this serve to inspire people to dream big and be bold in reaching for such big dreams. Of course, healthy doses of common sense, business acumen, hard work and perseverance are also necessary to tip the odds towards success. It was definitely a gamble for Mr.Goldberg to venture into the unchartered waters of vegan business especially in those early days but having forged on, fuelled by his determination and passion, evidently, becoming a pioneer paid off for him. Another highlight for me in this success story, is how such business will help in lowering, if not diminishing, the demand for animal products and even contribute towards influencing or creating awareness for a more compassionate choice of dining. Thank you for such an interesting article.
It is amazing how Mr. Goldberg stood up for his belifs and benefitted people and animals by doing so.
I believe that the animal food is only tasty because of the herbs and spices and that if we want we can like vegan products in the same way.
I am so happy for Mr. Goldberg and wish that many more people follow their heart as when slaughterhouses would be made of glass and everyone would see what happens there or if we would need to slaughter the animals ourselves… many would be vegetarian or vegan.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this inspiring story.
Vegetarian/Veganism should not be thought of food that is bereft of meat. It should be thought of as just another type of food. Food that is healthy gentle on creatures big and small, and also beneficial towards the environment.
Rejoice Mr Bob Goldberg made a right choice to operate a vegan food company, Follow Your Heart. Mr Bob Goldberg emphasized that he will never eat the animals again. This is wonderful and due to his kindness and understanding, many animals are saved.
Thank you Rinpoche sharing this inspiring article.
Bob Goldberg could do what he did because more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of going vegan and also that it is cruel to kill animals for food. If awareness and mindfulness are not part of the human psyche, he would not have even thought of this business. So, it’s a reflection of the times. And, as he is filling a niche business, he is also helping more people be vegan or at least, be vegetarian.
Glad that the movement is gaining momentum and as it gives business to the suppliers, it is also making it easier for people to turn vegetarian. What a wonderful cycle.
Thank you for sharing this article as now, I am aware of another major player in the game and know that I have more choices now. It’s getting easier to maintain a vegetarian diet even when travelling.
Looking at how much the business for plant-based products has grown, more and more people are getting more health conscious knowing eating meat can be harmful to our body. Slowly plant-based diet will become the main stream. When we switch to plant-based diet, we are reducing the workload of our body organ to digest the food. It is proven it takes longer and more energy to digest meat than vegetables.
It is very good to adapt a plant-based diet for our wellbeing especially when we get older. If not changing to a complete plant-based diet, at least once or twice a week we don’t consume animal products.
Very encouraging to read the success story of Follow Your Heart where the founders triangulated the winning elements around being environmental, compassionate and vegetarian. Starting up during the years when vegan was quite unheard of, it was daring for Mr Goldberg to venture into this business with a one-track-mind. It goes to show that having passion, consistency and determination, one can succeed in any ventures even if the business is seemingly not popular. Rejoice to Mr Goldberg who is now seeing his dream comes true. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article.
This is another vegan business, in Hawaii, that began in 1977 and now has many stores throughout the isles. What they say in the video seems to be true based on my own observation. The vegan food they sell in the deli is absolutely fresh and delicious.
http://www.downtoearth.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5JHis601Zo
Not many people will be able to follow their heart to have their vision come true as it will always be obstacles and hurdles on the way to success. Bob is someone who stuck to his ground and follow through and we can see his success now. It took him over 40 years to come to where he is now and from a time where vegan food is not main stream. Thank you for his perseverance that let us vegetarians have more variety on the shelves.
It is very heart warming to hear success business stories which help and save the lives of other sentient beings. I am very impressed by Mr Goldberg’s insistence on staying on this vision and will not give it up in exchange of money and growth of the company. I hope Mr Goldberg can live a long and healthy life to continue this business so that it is not just another company which makes money but also to serve the community.
I have also heard that there are many more food companies are now into meat replacement, and it is a big thing now. With this, I pray that the cost of these meat replacement food can be brought down and eventually more and more people will hop onto the bandwagon of vegan. After all, it really does not make sense to plant crops just to feed the cows which will be slaughtered just for food…
Many times we would like to follow our heart to do something, but our mind or something else will stop us. We might feel uncomfortable, uncertain, and maybe even confusing to follow our heart. It will feel awkward and weird at first, but it’s just the battle between our mind & our heart. That’s our mind that always look for comfort & security, that’s why it’s easier to stay in our comfort zone than to follow our heart to step into the unknown.
Mr. Goldberg is a very good example of doing things by following the heart. His success came from trusting his heart continuously and always choosing the best for his customers and employees. We might see others follow their heart & be successful. We may doubt our own ability and think they must have some kind of magical ability. They feel fear, confusion too, but they simply take things one day at a time, one step at a time. The action required to follow our heart is to keep our eyes open and the focus wide, as we never know where our heart will lead us to.
There will always be enough opportunities in life, therefore no rush to jump into an opportunity. We won’t always be right, and the uncertainty is part and parcel of life. Let our feelings and body communicate to us and gradually learn to trust more to find the path that suits us. Who knows our actions will benefit many others too, like what Mr. Goldberg did for the vegans.
Bob Goldberg followed his heart -he set up a vegan food company, following his sincere wish to only sell food that did not involve any killing of animals. Call it idealism, his commitment to non-killing. But is was an idealism that paid off.He started his first vegetarian cafe in the 1970s in Los Angeles and his first customers were a “hippie counterculture crowd”! Since then, contrary to general popular opinion about the vegan food business, he has never looked back! His food business went from strength to strength! With the firm making up to $5o million this financial year, clearly vegan food, and meat and dairy alternatives, are no longer counterculture!
Mr Goldberg has stayed ahead of the curve . He and his partners even took over the grocery store next to where they had set up their cafe. They removed all the meat and replaced it with food plant products. They were countering a lot of naysayers who said they would never succeed. However , instead of crashing, even their grocery store was a great success. Now the main part of their business is wholesale business. Despite encountering some setbacks, like 2 partners backing out because they did not get support for their wish to create a network of shops, and an earthquake in Los Angeles, which badly damaged the shop , the business thrived.
The demand for vegan food is growing as people are becoming more self-conscious. Goldberg and his partner have remained true to their ideals , and have refused to be swayed by venture capitalists trying to buy into their company. To keep their focus on the values behind veganism, Goldberg and his partner have decided to remain independent.
It is rare and remarkable to see such steadfast holding on to true ideals, especially especially when we remember Goldberg’s being vegan and running the vegan business had been an ethical choice in the first place.
Wow, i can see there are so much vegetarian products display at the shop by just looking at the pictures posted above. I often heard from friends that vegetarian food and products are very common and easily found in America. Even the fast food chain and restaurant will have a special menu dedicated to vegetarian food. I think Mr Bob Goldberg has a huge contribution to the vegetarian trend in America. With lots of education, awareness and good vegetarian products, i believed there will be an increasing supporters and vegetarian food lovers.
This is truly an inspiring story. How someone insist on doing things that others think is wrong or impossible and he make it.
I like Mr Goldberg’s corporate mission -to be environmental, compassionate, vegetarian – and profitable. His corporate mission is so Buddhist feel that we need to practice compassion, to be kind to other being, therefore no killing and be a vegetarian. May Mr Goldberg’s business grow and inspire more people to venture into vegan business. By being vegetarian, many life can be save.
In corporations, I often hear the term “shareholder value” everytime they present the annual financial report and objectives are set for the coming year. I really hate that term. In reality, the shareholders are way more important than the employees.
That is the main reason why these MNCs keep having all these M&A’s, to bring the best value to their shareholders. They acquire and divest cos., add value then sell or get bought over by some other company or investor at a profitable price and the investment co. will continue to do the same. Employees are forever doing “change management”. After so many rounds of M&A, with so many predecessor cos. the culture becomes a very strange mix.
It’s good to hear that Mr Goldberg chose to stay independent and shun the venture capitalists interested in the now hot vegan market. To allow them in would be a mistake. He would get a lot of money, but the company will become no different than those MNCs and after some time, the culture and values would have changed entirely and become far different from what he envisioned. The brand would only be a name.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this beautiful article. The story of Bob Goldberg who held on to his faith, his courage, and never let go, that lead him to his success today. To be honest, opening a vegan/vegetarian business in the 70’s is really like looking for needle in the haystack, people then didn’t have the knowledge of being a vegan/vegetarian as compared with people now. Truly rejoice for Mr. Goldberg who follows his heart and make him a successful man today. Hopefully his product will be sold in Malaysia one day. Or, other than that, hopefully more and more people will follow his footsteps and produce vegan product, so that more people will benefit from that, and the most important is, less animal will be killed each day to fulfill human desire on meat. We don’t need meat to survive. Thank you again Rinpoche _/\_
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article of Bob Goldberg. I wish we could have more vegetarian food and also vegetarian restaurants in Malaysia. I rejoice for Bob Goldberg as he has made his choice not to kill animal for food and has turn it into a profitable business. There are many other alternative ways and food that we can consume rather than just meat alone.
With folded palms,
Vivian