Introduction: Cookie King Wally Famous Amos by Jeff MacIntyre

Wally ‘Famous' Amos shines as an example of determination, innovation, and the journey from humble beginnings to entrepreneurial stardom. Cookie King Wally Famous Amos by Jeff MacIntyre offers a unique insight into the life and lessons of a man who left an indelible mark on the cookie industry and beyond. 

Although this book is more than just a biography, it encapsulates the essence of Wally Amos's experiences, from growing up in the segregated South to his rise and fall in the cookie business. Through a series of interviews conducted between 2015 and 2019, we're invited to explore the life of a man who revolutionized the cookie landscape and left a trail of valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Summary of Cookie King Wally Famous Amos by Jeff MacIntyre

Growing Up in Segregated South

As the author says, this book, Cookie King Wally Famous Amos is not really a biography. It’s a transcript of interviews he conducted with the Cookie King between 2015 and 2019. Wally was born on July 1, 1936 to parents Wallace and Ruby Amos.

Ruby was the disciplinarian in the family. She worked as a domestic in Tallahassee,

South Florida. She couldn't read and write. Ruby approached her job with professionalism. Because of her approach to work, she was in demand, and therefore one of the highest paid domestics. Because of this busyness, she was absent from home most days.

Ruby also stayed away from home more because there was a growing distance between her and her husband. Wallace Amos, Sr wasn’t educated. Unlike his wife, ‌he wasn’t very ambitious, accepting his lot in life. His son describes him as being a good person. His father did the best he could with what he had to work with, and his son learned that from him.

Wally Amos had a strict religious upbringing. He grew up in the segregated South. One day, coming from church, they took a segregated bus. White riders complained about where Ruby was sitting. She was dead-tired and refused to move. A couple of black servicemen moved closer, and ultimately, the bus driver left her alone.

Life Changing Move

Wally Amos’ parents were fighting endlessly, and you knew they would be divorcing. At 12, Ruby moved to Orlando, Florida where her mother and younger sister lived. And Wally moved to New York where Aunt Della lived. Imagine a 12-year-old riding a train alone from Florida to New York. His Aunt Della was a more loving person than Ruby. And Wally felt it was a treat to live with her.

Being in such a loving and supportive environment changed Wally, and his fun and loving side emerged. Aunt Della made cookies, not something Ruby did. His aunt used the Toll House Cookie recipe. That impacted him going into the cookie business. His aunt baking cookies for him instilled a great love for cookies.

“So, you never know where it's coming from. You never know when it's coming or how it will impact you. You just need to be open and receptive, because you're always living from your past, you're always living from something you've done before, otherwise there's no today if you don't pick up from yesterday.”

Working

Saks was the first real job he had after leaving the Air Force. At Saks, he asked for a raise from $75/week to $90. They denied him, so he left. He got a job at William Morris for $50/week. There were opportunities for growth there. Wally started in the mailroom. Working in the mailroom was a good training ground for him.

While working, Wally Amos attended secretarial school where he was learning typing.

“Working in the mailroom was a job that required you to listen, be observant, have initiative, plenty of patience, and do what you were told to do as quickly and efficiently as possible. It was also the perfect place to be to see how the agency functioned; you could literally see the business from the ground up. And seeing and meeting all the personnel of the company allowed me to draw my own conclusions and impressions of each one.”

Wally Amos showed initiative and did what needed to be done. Because of his initiative, he was given more responsibility. In no time, he was moved to the Rock & Roll division as a trainee. His typing speed played a factor in his promotion. He was an excellent secretary and eventually became the first African American agent at William Morris.

As an agent, he worked with some big names in the business.

• Simon & Garfunkel
• The Supremes
• Sam Cooke
• Marvin Gaye
• The Rolling Stones
• Bobby Rydell
• Bobby Vee
• Gene Pitney
• Brenda Holloway
• Eric Burdon
• Nancy Wilson

Wally Amos became the second in charge in his division, behind Jerry Brandt. When Brandt left William Morris, they gave the position to another person because they didn’t think people would take direction from him because of his color. Wally left William Morris to start his own management company.

An industry executive invested $110,000 in his Wally Amos’ new venture. He didn’t use the money wisely, letting his ego go unchecked. Amos started another company, Lamplight Productions. He hired Mark Wildey to run the company. The company folded because Wally Amos was living too large.

He had to start over. Amos believed in himself because he had been at this stage before and could move up.

Famous Amos Cookies

In 1970, Wally Amos represented Shari Summers, a young actress. After their meeting, Summers took out some cookies. When he tasted the cookies, it transported him back to the time when Aunt Della made cookies for him. She told him it was the Nestle Toll House cookie recipe.

He started making cookies and would take them to meetings with him. He developed a reputation for great-tasting cookies. One day, Quincy Jones' secretary, BJ Gilmore suggested they open a store to sell chocolate chip cookies. The idea made sense to Wally Amos. The previous five years, he made cookies and gave them away.

BJ Gilmore believed she could get the startup money from a friend. Wally started securing used equipment. Gilmore revealed her friend could not give her the money. Wally was disappointed. He created a business plan.

Helen Reddy & Jeff Wald invested $10,000. Artie Mogull, President, United Artists Records invested $5,000. Marvin Gaye was one of the initial investors in Famous Amos Cookies and invested $10,000. Wally Amos was managing jazz singer, Oscar Brown, Jr. and one day he said, “Damn. Famous Amos” and the name was born.

He opened the first chocolate chip cookie store in the world on March 9th, 1975. He used word-of-mouth marketing to let people know about his new enterprise. Wally Amos treated the cookie like any client he managed. His thinking was if he could make the success of the cookies as superstars, no one else could do it for him.

The Cookie Business

No one else was selling, just chocolate chip cookies. There were companies that sold cookies, but not just chocolate chip cookies. Wally Amos sold chocolate chip and butterscotch, chocolate chip and oatmeal, and other combinations.

Wally Amos was great at promoting. He hired unemployed actresses to go to stores to give out cookies. He moved $300,000 in cookies, but he made little profit. Over the years, he got more exposure and his cookies were in department stores. Wally Amos himself made guest appearances in shows like Taxi, the Office, and The Jeffersons. He also appeared on Oprah.

“In 1980, Wally's trademark hat and shirt were inducted into the Smithsonian's Business Americana Collection. Turns out, Wally was the first African-American businessman, to be represented in the collection. Minor detail, it was Wally who sold the idea to the Smithsonian. What Wally lacked in business experience, he made up for in promotional exuberance. He was a marketing maniac.”

Wally’s Cookie Crumbles

After getting to the top, things crumbled. Wally Amos didn’t understand the fundamentals of business.

“Between 1985 and 1988, Famous Amos went through four different owners. Each had their own strategy to save the company. From licensing the Famous Amos brand to candy, hot chocolate, ice cream and soda…all failed.”

The cookies no longer taste like the original ones that Famous Amos made. When he made the cookies, he did so with love. The Shansby Group turned the business around by making it like any other cookie.

When Wally Amos sold the cookie business, he lost the right to use his name and image to promote cookies.

Uncle Noname Cookies

Since Wally Amos couldn’t use his name, he started Uncle Noname Cookies. He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1997. The market was simply too competitive.

Two years later, he negotiated with Keebler to use his name to sell low-fat and fat-free muffins. Uncle Wally’s was born. The company didn’t survive. It wasn’t for lack of passion.

Conclusion: Cookie King Wally Famous Amos by Jeff MacIntyre

The story of Wally ‘Famous' Amos is a tale of tenacity, innovation, and the resilience to navigate the unpredictable waters of entrepreneurship. From his beginnings in the segregated South to his pioneering efforts in the cookie business, Amos's journey is a testament to the power of passion, the importance of adaptability, and the lessons learned from both success and failure.

His experiences underscore the significance of seizing opportunities and understanding the market, while also reinforcing the idea that even the most brilliant ideas need careful business acumen to thrive. As readers, we can draw inspiration from Wally Amos's remarkable journey and apply his invaluable lessons to our own endeavors.

Next Steps

Wondering what to do next, you can do all of:

1. Buy my new book, Leadership Reading: Spilling the Tea on How Top Leaders Read

2. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

3. Join the Art of Learning Membership Site

4. Download Unlock Your Genius Power Reading Tips Sheet

5. Buy me a cup of coffee!

If you want access to my Bookish Notes, please consider joining my membership site, the Art of Learning.

This post contains affiliate links and The Invisible Mentor® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

The post Cookie King, Wally ‘Famous’ Amos by Jeff MacIntyre, Summary appeared first on The Invisible Mentor.