Real-life resilience - Milton Hershey

Happy weekend everyone! This week in The Resilience Brief we’re diving into the story of Milton Hershey who founded the chocolate behemoth that is Hershey’s. It’s a tale of overcoming failure and incredible generosity. Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe here.

It’s estimated that 15 million people lost their jobs throughout the Great Depression (1929-1939). But none of them worked at Hershey’s. That’s because, during the Great Depression, founder Milton Hershey specifically initiated new projects (such as The Hotel Hershey) to keep his workers busy and employed. Admittedly, many employees had to take on a reduced wage throughout those years, but no one was laid off.

This is just one example of Milton Hershey’s commitment to helping others in challenging times.

Milton Hershey’s journey to success was anything but smooth. He was born into a poor family, and moved several times at a young age. While attending 7 schools in total through his educational years, he struggled to find his footing and was fired from his first apprenticeship at age 14. His second stint at apprenticing (this time with a candy maker) gave him the courage to start his own candy businesses shortly after. He tried Philadelphia, Chicago, and even New York, but all of them failed, leaving him broke and demoralized. Even when he finally returned home after his third failure with the New York shop, he was shunned by some family members and locals from the town in which he had grown up.

But Milton wasn’t one to quit. After a separate stint apprenticing with a caramel maker in Denver, he had learned how to use fresh milk to create delicious caramel. He now applied that knowledge to a new venture in his home town, which led to the success of the Lancaster Caramel Company.

That business was a raging success and eventually sold for a cool $1 million in 1900 (about $35m by today’s standards). Hershey then bet everything on a risky dream in which he believed he could provide affordable milk chocolate to the masses. At the time, chocolate was considered a luxury item, but he believed there was a way to produce it at scale and cheap enough so that everyone could enjoy it.

He built his factory in rural Pennsylvania where he was convinced the location would have everything he needed: access to railway lines, a plentiful water supply, fresh milk and hard-working townsfolk.

This would eventually grow to become the town known as Hershey. And it is here that he produced the world’s first mass-market milk chocolate bar and created a thriving community for his workers. Milton built the town of Hershey with features that included a school, a bank, churches, parks, golf courses, a zoo, and eventually a trolley system to serve workers living outside the area.

The Hershey company grew into a global phenomenon and, remembering his roots, Milton’s philanthropic legacy lives on through the Milton Hershey School, which supports underprivileged children. In fact, in the early days of the school, he invested his shares into protecting the school in perpetuity. With the current stock value of $150 a share, the school remains one of the wealthiest schools in the USA, providing free education for ~1800 disadvantaged students every year. A fantastic legacy to leave.

“I could never see what happiness a rich man gets from contemplating a life of acquisition only, with a cold and legal distribution of his wealth after he passes away.” - Milton Hershey

Applying Hershey’s resilience in today’s world

Milton Hershey’s life is a profound story of resilience, not just with the learnings from his failures, but particularly with his lessons of generosity. These simple ideas still remain profoundly relevant today. Here are a couple of takeaways:

1. Prioritize relationships and others: A big piece of Milton Hershey’s success was his trust and loyalty with certain people around him. Resilient people often rely on strong relationships that can support the foundation on which they thrive. It’s much more difficult trying to succeed alone. Hershey’s belief in supporting his workers and community was revolutionary for that time. He wanted people to flourish rather than be considered just another number in a line. Whether we’re leaders or not, we have an opportunity to foster resilience by creating environments where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered.

2. Pay attention: Failure is just data…and a stepping stone. Hershey was fired from his first apprenticeship. That first career wasn’t for him and he knew it. In fact, he likely tried to get fired. It was the same with his business failures in various cities - they didn’t define him; they refined him. We have an opportunity with every setback today. Each misstep is an opportunity to learn, adapt, and improve.

3. Take bold risks, but stay grounded: Hershey’s decision to sell his successful caramel business and bet on milk chocolate was bold, but it was also rooted in careful research and a vision for the future. In today’s world, opportunities are abundant and it’s often more challenging choosing what not to do. Calculated risks often lead to breakthroughs, as long as they are guided by a clear purpose and a solid plan. When we understand what is truly important, we know where to place our energy and action.

Resilience isn’t about avoiding challenges. It’s about accepting them as part of the journey and doing it anyway. Doing it for yourself is one thing, but doing it for others adds a whole new level of joy and positivity to the world. And, when it comes from a genuine place, it helps build more resilience both in ourselves and others.

Until next time friends, stay resilient.

Carre @ Resilient Minds