Clay Mathile's business career parellels the American Dream. From his beginning as a accountant for Campbell Soup Company to the sale of The Iams Company n 1999 to Procter & Gamble. Dream No Little Dreams is the first time the Iams story has been told by the man who shaped its vision, its culture, its people, its products and ultimately, its success.
"I have always liked my own version of Goethe's declaration, "Dream no little dreams, for they have no magic to move men's souls." But dreaming isn't enough. To be a successful entrepreneur, you must have unwavering faith and commitment to those dreams, no matter how many obstacles are put in your path. One of the most important lessons I learned from my experience at Iams was that when we have a mission, we will always have to prove our devotion to it. What looks like bad luck is actually a test, to see how committed we are to our dream." (Clayton Mathile, Dream No Little Dreams, Page 90)
Billionaire Clayton Mathile gives his story of building the Iams pet food company from a small start-up to a multi-million dollar organization. In the end, he sold this company for billions to Proctor & Gamble. He gives details of this transaction within this book.
The Iams company was not started by Clayton Mathile, It was started by Paul Iams. Clayton Mathile started with Paul Iams as an employee and eventually became the sole owner of the company and built it with his employees. In this book he says that his dream was always to own his own company and be financially independent.
There are many business principles to learn from this book, as well as many mistakes to learn from. He also shares how he handled his wealth within his family in respect to succession and philanthropy. Sometimes we think wealth will solve all our problems, but sometimes it can create more problems. The author shares how he handles them.
The greatest thing I learned from this book is to become someone who goes after mentors and model myself after people I admire, as the author says, "I've always used mentors and modeled myself after people I admired."
Loved reading about the growth of a company from the ground up from the perspective of the one who built it. Clay Mathile is open, honest, and candid in his journey with the Iams Company. Good read for anyone who likes autobiographies, entrepreneurship, or Dayton businesses.
A wonderful biography about the man who made Purina what it is today. A must read for anyone who has dreams of running their own company or becoming a great manager. It's so honestly written. Loved it.