Debbi Fields (INDS Assignment #1)

The entrepreneurial venture in itself is inspirational because it allows individuals the freedom to capitalize on their personal dreams and aspirations. Many Americans define success as the accumulation of monetary wealth. This desire for financial prosperity can be achieved through various means. Entrepreneurship offers the possibility for immense personal fulfillment, and success, in the face of financial risk. There have been many great entrepreneurs that have shaped American society. One in particular, Debbi Fields, built a successful business through passion and dedication. Her relentless desire for personal fulfillment drove her to establish Mrs. Fields Bakeries in 1977, a company that today has over 2,300 locations around the world.

Debbi Fields is one of my favorite entrepreneurs because she built a thriving business from a simple idea. She faced many obstacles including an unsupportive husband and family, lack of business experience and a need for financial backing. She was married to Randy Fields at the age of nineteen and took on the role of a housewife. Baking cookies was a hobby that she passionately enjoyed. Social gatherings were not of particular interest to Fields because she felt her role as a housewife was met with condescension. One particular eye-opening experience occurred at such a gathering. Fields found herself in the library with a successful man who inquired as to what she wanted to do with her life. Her response was that she “wanted to get orientated.” He walked over to the bookshelf, threw the dictionary at her and said “if you cannot speak the English language, then just don’t. The word is not orientated it’s oriented.” Fields felt humiliated and went about changing her status within society. She knew her talent was baking and became determined to achieve personal success doing something she enjoyed.

Life is an emotional roller coaster. One day we are invincible and the next we feel insignificant and worthless. The key to success is not accepting defeat. According to Debbi Fields, “the greatest failure is not to try.” Her family felt that she would not succeed and that she “had no business in the cookie business.” Financial backing was very difficult to secure. After searching the yellow pages and being repeatedly turned down, she found an investor. Fields agreed to pay 21% interest on a loan for the chance to open her own business. When Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery opened on August 16, 1977 it was not an immediate success. Fields faced further discouragement from her husband when he bet that she would not make $50 in sales by the end of the day. Toward mid-afternoon, Fields was losing the bet so she decided to go into the streets, handing out free samples and personally promoting the business. By the end of the night she reached $75 in sales. Mrs. Fields expanded during the next six years, operating 160 cookie outlets by 1984.

Debbi Fields did not have a college education or any business experience when her venture began. She decided to capitalize on the thing she knew best, cookies. The technical skills required to bake cookies are very limited. Human skills and the insistent desire to achieve success were the primary components to Mrs. Fields. Debbi Fields had a unique way of hiring employees. Her hiring strategy included, making the applicant sing Happy Birthday in the middle of a crowded store. She wanted to ensure that her employees were personable “cookie people.” Fields unknowingly utilized many management practices that are studied today. The bottom line is that she made millions of dollars selling cookies. Debbi Fields is the embodiment of entrepreneurship at its best. America is a symbol of freedom and opportunity. Even those without formal education and elaborate technical skills can develop into a national icon and achieve personal success.

WORKS CITED:

Carmichael, Evan. 2008. Debbi Fields: The Cookie Connoisseur. Famous Entrepreneurs. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/1558/summary.php