Raising the Bar
Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar Inc.
Published on 15. November 2004
368 pages
978-0-7879-7630-9 (ISBN)
Description
In April of 2000, Gary Erickson turned down a $120 million offer tobuy his thriving company. Today, instead of taking it easy for therest of his life and enjoying a luxurious retirement, he's workingharder than ever. Why would any sane person pass up the financialopportunity of a lifetime?
Raising the Bar tells the amazing story of Clif Bar'sGary Erickson and shows that some things are more important thanmoney. Gary Erickson and coauthor Lois Lorentzen tell the unusualand inspiring story about following your passion, the freedom tocreate, sustaining a business over the long haul, and livingresponsibly in your community and on the earth. Raising theBar chronicles Clif Bar's ascent from a homemade energy bar toa $100 million phenomenon with an estimated 35 million consumers,and a company hailed by Inc. magazine as one of thefastest-growing private companies in the U.S. four years in a row.The book is filled with compelling personal stories from Erickson'slife-trekking in the Himalayan mountains, riding his bicycle overroadless European mountain passes, climbing in the Sierra Nevadarange--as inspiration for his philosophy of business. Throughoutthe book, Erickson--a competitive cyclist, jazz musician, worldtraveler, mountain climber, wilderness guide, andentrepreneur--convinces us that sustaining one's employees,community, and environment is good business.
If you are a manager, executive, business owner, or boardmember, Raising the Bar is your personal guide to corporateintegrity. If you are a sports enthusiast, environmentalist,adventure lover, intrigued by a unique corporate culture, or justinterested in a good story, Raising the Bar is for you.
Reviews / Votes
"What makes this book [Raising the Bar] worth reading is that he's [Gary Erickson] as honest about his mistakes as his successes." (Newsweek, October 4, 2004)"Gary Erickson realizes that businesses have tremendous powerto harm or protect the natural world, our common home. I applaudthe efforts of Gary and Clif Bar to develop business practices thatpromote an ethic of global responsibility." --Mikhail S. Gorbachev, chairman, Green Cross International "Gary Erickson believes that doing good and doing businessshould go hand in hand. Raising the Bar tells the inspiringstory of a scrappy company's battle to stay privately ownedand to better its people, the community, and the planet in theprocess." --Ben Cohen, cofounder, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, and president,TrueMajority.org "This is a beautiful book about courage, commitment,integrity, and vision. It is also a story that reminds us that oneperson does make a difference by leading the way through theinspiration of the heart." --Julia Butterfly Hill, author, The Legacy of Luna "Gary Erickson's story is sheer inspiration. Readingit makes you want to ride a bike up a high mountain, dust off yourmusical instrument and join a jazz band, or launch an outrageouscompany. This is a life manual masquerading as a businessbook." --David Batstone, author, Saving the Corporate Soul "In Raising the Bar, Gary Erickson'sincredible journey raises our expectations of corporate America andmost importantly our hope for a better world." --Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., executive director, The Breast CancerFund "My son Gary's awesome true Clif Bar story, as toldin this book, brings tears to my eyes, sends chills up my spine,and gives joy to my heart." --Clifford Erickson "I can relate to a guy who's faced a few challengeson a bike. Reading about Gary's adventures in the mountains,on his bike, and with Clif Bar inspires me. Gary understands themeaning of adventure in life and business." --Tyler Hamilton, professional cyclist "Whether I've been climbing or just visiting withGary, he motivates me to consider what's possible. He has apowerful dreaming mind and a kind of vision to make our world abetter place. It's awesome to see Gary and the people at ClifBar turn their business into a way of life." --Ron Kauk, climberMore details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
Newark
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons
Illustrations
Charts: 12 B&W, 0 Color; Photos: 71 B&W, 0 Color; Maps: 3 B&W, 0 Color; Tables: 0 B&W, 0 Color; Exhibits: 26 B&W, 0 Color
File size
7,79 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-7879-7630-9 (9780787976309)
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Gary Erickson | Lois Lorentzen
Raising the Bar
Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar & Co.
Book
11/2006
Jossey-Bass
€30.50
Shipment within 10-20 days
Gary Erickson | Lois Lorentzen
Raising the Bar
Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar, Inc.
Book
08/2004
Jossey-Bass
€24.90
Article exhausted; check different version
Persons
Gary Erickson is the founder and owner of Clif Bar Inc., acompany that made the Inc. 500--Inc. magazine'slist of the fastestgrowing privately held companies four yearsrunning. Clif Bar Inc. remains one of the nation'sfastest-growing private companies. He has been featured inPeople magazine, Inc. magazine, Health, FortuneSmall Business, the San Francisco Chronicle, Reader'sDigest, and in numerous other publications. Erickson is afrequent speaker in a wide variety of venues and has won numerousawards. He brings his background as a competitive cyclist, jazzmusician, world traveler, gourmet cook, mountain climber,wilderness guide, and father to Raising the Bar. GaryErickson lives in northern California with his wife, children,horses, dogs, and bikes.
Lois Ann Lorentzen is professor of social ethics at theUniversity of San Francisco. She serves on the board of the Leo T.McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, the Centerfor Latino Studies in the Americas, and the Religion andImmigration Project. She has seven books to her credit, contributesfrequently to magazines and journals, and has won numerous academicawards.
Erickson and Lorentzen first met while working for Sierra Treks, awilderness organization. Over the course of their twenty-fiveyearfriendship they have climbed mountains together, bicycled, skied,winter-camped, and talked about the dreams and values that defineClif Bar Inc. and Raising the Bar.
Content
P rologue.
1 Send Them Home
(Or, Why Walk Away From $60 Million?)
2 The Epiphany Ride
(The Early Years of Clif Bar).
3 A Drifting Boat
(Getting Clif Back on Course).
4 White Road / Red Road
(A Philosophy for Life and Business).
5 Tales From the Road
(Nine Lessons and a Love Story).
6 Solo Climbing
(Maintaining Control for the Long Haul).
7 Sustaining Our Living Company
(Five Aspirations Business Model).
8 Moments of Magic
(The Jazz of Business).
Epilogue.
Appendix.
Resources.
Acknowledgments.
Index.
About the Authors.
