A review by amymo73
Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar Inc. by Gary Erickson

4.0

This is the story of Gary Erickson and his journey with Clif Bar. It starts with Gary walking away from selling the company for a lot of money and turns into a hodgepodge story (perhaps eclectic is a better word) of business, bike riding, climbing and personal integrity. While he does talk about the negative, about how his company (and he) lost its way, it's not an in-depth read. And he repeats himself. A lot. Perhaps by design because it drives home the central message of the book -- that it's important to stay true to your values and life philosophy, that sometimes the best way to succeed in life is to follow your gut rather than a cookie-cutter approach, that being all-in yourself is often the best way to keep your vision. He motivated and inspired me to create my own vision as a starting point, then develop ways to enhance and stay true to it. His "white road" vs. "red road" (entrepreneurial vs. traditional) analogy can be tweaked not just for any business but for any life plan. And his approach to business and employee relations makes me wish Clif Bar was located in WNY and I had a marketable skill to work there.