Starting out as a stockroom clerk at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York in the 1950s, Amos began at the bottom tier and has managed to climb his way up the entrepreneurial ladder over the years, taking himself to the tops of his numerous companies.
In this book, Amos points out that all successes start out as dreams. He had a dream to start a company that sold cookies like the ones he baked with his Aunt Della when he was young. After taking the time to develop some promotion skills as a talent agent in the entertainment industry, Amos planned out the course of his first company and took action.
No stranger to bumps in the road to success, Amos also emphasizes that sticking with one's goals and ambitions is key to enjoying life, no matter what obstacles may come along. In the first few sections of the book, Amos talks a lot about how things will always be worse if you quit, so it is important to keep trying and stay committed to goals and projects...until you are no longer having fun with them. If that happens, it may be time to move on.
In the mid 1980s, Amos began to lose—and eventually lost—control of his first cookie company, The Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Store, because he forgot about one principle of achieving success: teamwork. In this book and in his personal and professional training, Amos focuses on the basic principle that no matter how important or smart you think you are, it takes a well-oiled team to bring a company success.
Amos also touches on the importance of generosity and gratitude—discovering the power of "please" and "thank you," appreciating each day, helping others, and giving to others.
One theme that sums up the book's message is Amos's focus on thoughts and ideas and how they affect reality. If a person has a negative outlook and believes he or she will fail, he or she will fail.
A whole world of opportunities and options can open up when a person makes a conscious effort to look for the good in life. Doing this causes positive thoughts to flow more freely. Of course negative things will happen in life, but if one has a positive mental route, "bumps" in the road will only be minor potholes—not major roadblocks.
Still baking cookies and running his newest cookie store, Chip & Cookie, and his reading foundation, The Chip & Cookie Read Aloud Foundation, Amos is enthusiastic about life and cannot wait for the next journey. His life's story exemplifies that if you are optimistic and look for the good in all situations, success and opportunity will always be just around the corner.
