“Raising the Bar” by Gary Erickson with Lois Lorentzen
It seems like I start so many of my book reviews like this, but this seriously is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I first stumbled upon this book on my trip to San Francisco. I was browsing around a used bookstore in Berkley, and the cover jumped out at me. Clif bar: a sustainable company, run by somebody who shares my love for the outdoors, and makes a delicious bar…ok Gary, I’m in.
The book starts out with an amazing hook; Gary is faced with the dilemma of whether or not he should sell the company. The company was in trouble and Gary needed to come up with the money to pay off his partner or she would dissolve the company. Struggling with this dilemma, Gary resisted selling the company. With the timer running out, Gary simply looked at the potential buyers and said “send them home.”
The story of Clif Bar was born in Gary’s Mom’s kitchen: “Clif Bar exists because I wanted to make a better product for myself and for my friends.” Throughout the entire story of Raising the Bar Gary never strays from this core determination. He refused to sell the company, and was able to overcome all odds and keep the company private. Clif Bar resemble many of the values that Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos shares in his book Delivering Happiness, the idea that you can build a company whose backbone is based on culture, and sticking to their values.
Choose the Red Road or the White Road. It’s not a Matrix reference to “blue pill or red pill”; it’s the model Gary built based on his biking adventure through the Alps. Upon studying the maps of his journey, Gary noticed there are two types of road he could take: red or white. The red roads were laid out, logical, and pre-established. The white roads were less clear, and required the adventurer to use his instinct and gut feeling to make the correct choices.
Red Road
“The red road is predictable, a known entity, safe and conservative. It gets the traveler to the destination in what might be referred to as the most efficient manner. We know how far it is, and how long it will take. The map is marked with mileage, and approximate travel time. There is generally little in the way of risk, and consequently, a parallel lack of reward.”
White Road
“The white road is just the opposite. It is the road less traveled. It is an unknown entity, unpredictable, and there may be danger and hardship along the way. We don’t know how long the road is, and even when we do, we can’t predict time because of the difficulty of travel over the unknown route. 
Most important, there is likely to be adventure. Adventure by definition, implies some level of hardship or danger. But along with this hardship or danger, there is often reward. The reward is a sense of accomplishment – the joy and beauty of the journey along the road less traveled.”
After reading the Gary’s story, I know I am a White Road kind of person. The Red Road of Business school has provided me with much of the information I need, but I’m ready to change paths. There is so much I could say about the story of Clif Bar, but let me leave you with this thought. If you’re looking for inspiration, if you have doubt, if you don’t know how to take what you love and apply it to this world. Pick up this book…seriously… it will open your eyes.
For more information check out:
BikeRadar.com - Interview with Gary Erickson
INC. Magazine - Clif Bar Founder Gary Erickson
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