The Choc Full of Peanut Butter Story

Ever thought YOU were so RIGHT,

But found out YOU were so WRONG?

I believed this many times. One time in particular it changed me and my perspective on life!

How? All from how I viewed  a smoothie called the Chocful of Peanut Butter……

Sure, I like chocolate and peanut butter just as much as the next person. But I realized that I didn’t know how much EVERYONE loves both of them together.

Our family started a smoothie business called 9 Fruits smoothies and while developing the 9 smoothies we were going to place on the menu, we got to number 9. Number 9 would turn out to be a huge debate with what “that” smoothie would be!

The first eight smoothies were all traditional “fruit-based” smoothies created with the help of Kevin and Kyle’s mom, Kim. She influenced their flavor choices with her nutrition background and experience of harvesting the many fruits from our Newcastle, CA fruit farm. They chose Strawberry/Banana, Peach/Mango, Pineapple/Banana, Blueberries/Raspberries, etc. rounding out a traditional “fruit” smoothie menu. 

When we got to #9, our twin sons who were leading the start-up of 9 Fruits smoothies, stated “Dad, #9 needs to be a Chocolate & Peanut Butter smoothie”. I immediately shot down their “suggestion” with the full force of my all knowing wisdom, experience, and knowledge of the smoothie business. (Sic)

I didn't know it at that time, but I was afflicted with the worst case of “know it all” disease known to mankind!

I truly thought that ALL smoothies should be made from fruit alone. Not from chocolate or peanut butter. How could a smoothie be called a smoothie if it wasn’t made from pure fruit?

Over the next few hours I literally did everything I could to talk Kevin and Kyle “out of” a decision to make the #9 smoothie a “Chocful of Peanut Butter.” I used every ounce of passion, knowledge, and fact I could muster up to counter their reasons for making the #9 smoothie a Chocful.

We went round and round arguing and debating my points versus their points. They were not buying any of my points and I was not buying any of their points. I felt like I was right and they felt like they were right. Neither of us wanted to give in to the other’s point of view. It was the ultimate stalemate. 

With all of their hearts, Kevin and Kyle knew they were right about this idea. And, with all my heart, I knew I was right about my position. “Who would EVER buy a smoothie with chocolate and peanut butter in it? That is not a fruit smoothie!” I lambasted with enough passion and force to convince them I was the one who was right about this monumental debate.

Complicating the strife from this vigorous and heated debate were a couple more factors that were important.

1. Pride - By this time in the overall debate each of us “wanted” to be right more than the other.

2. Authority - I wanted to be RIGHT because I was their father and they should just accept my position in obedience to that authority.

Retrospectively, and in total admission, I was much more driven on the “pride” issue than they were. I remember vividly wondering why they were so adamant about their position. They were sincere, honest, and forthright with their stated position. I just could not understand why they could believe something so outrageous as chocolate and peanut butter in a smoothie. 

After hours and hours of tension-filled debate, I finally gave in. I realized they were not going to capitulate to my position. They stood firm. I figured it was the two of them against me, and the 2-to-1 one majority left me in a weak position to carry on this fight.

So, reluctantly I conceded. I wanted to say what I was feeling-they will just have to learn from their mistakes and it will be a difficult lesson to learn. Having to spend all that money on menus, signs, and marketing, all to be proven wrong. And eat their own words. Or drink, I suppose is the more correct term! Those were merely my thoughts - I never voiced it to them.

Well, when they opened the doors to 9 Fruits smoothies, only ONE smoothie became the immediate fan favorite - the Chocful of Peanut Butter! It was so popular that it quickly garnered over 50% of sales. Far surpassing any of the other 8 smoothies on the menu. Of course, Kevin and Kyle were quick to proclaim the first week’s smoothie sales. 

To burrow in the lameness of my “wrongness” even further, older men my age began coming in to order a Chocful of Peanut Butter. Four men specifically came in almost every day for 10 years to really cement how wrong I was. Jeff Walker, Dr. Jeff Cook, Jim Patton and Mark Baker. 

Parallel to the story of how I forgot to place the blender lid on the first smoothie I made in the store, causing the smoothie to blow up in my face - now I was facing the first week's sales numbers with MORE smoothie “in my face”!

Was I EVER WRONG!!! Way Wrong! Not just a little bit wrong. But totally WRONG! 

As a 50 year old college graduate, MBA, Procter & Gamble marketing expert trained in many corporate experiences to fully understand social norms, I had to face the fact that I was completely wrong. Ouch! This really bruised my ego. Actually, it shattered my ego. Which is what this experience NEEDED to teach an old “know-it-all” Dad!

From that point on and when I took over the reins of the business, every time someone ordered a Chocful of Peanut Butter, I received a vivid reminder of how afflicted I was with the “know-it-all” disease. More and more people kept ordering the Chocful of Peanut Butter until I was healed from my disease!

Now, I welcome a debate. I go out of my way to fully understand other views. Acknowledging that I will probably be wrong. AND, that I may actually learn something very beneficial in my life if I remain OPEN to other people's points of view.

Ironically and as a fun way to slurp the end of the smoothie, I became a Chocful of Peanut Butter fan adopting it as my favorite smoothie. It was just too delicious!