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Good morning to all new and old readers! Here is your Saturday edition of Faster Than Normal, exploring the stories, ideas, and frameworks of the world’s most prolific people and companies—and how you can apply them to build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself. 

Today, we’re covering Kellogg's and their journey to global cereal dominance.

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The Kellogg's story begins in a place you might not expect: a sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. 

It was here, in 1894, that Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother Will Keith Kellogg were trying to create a digestible, plant-based breakfast food for the sanitarium's patients. They accidentally left some cooked wheat to sit out overnight. The next morning, they found the wheat had gone stale. They decided to force the wheat through rollers, hoping to get long sheets of dough. Instead, they got flakes.

Serendipity.

The patients loved these flakes. Will saw an opportunity. He knew there was a market beyond the sanitarium walls. But his brother didn't share his vision. John was content with the status quo.

Will wasn't. He believed in the product. He believed in its potential. In 1906, he struck out on his own, founding the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. The company started small, with just 44 employees. But Will had big plans.

"I'll invest my last dollar in the possibilities of these flakes," Will said at the time.

The early years were tough. Competitors quickly emerged, trying to capitalize on the growing cereal market. Will faced legal battles with his own brother over the use of the Kellogg name. Money was tight.

But Will persevered. He believed in quality. He believed in marketing. He put his signature on every package, a personal guarantee of excellence. It worked. By 1909, Will was selling over a million cases of Corn Flakes per day.

The company continued to grow, but it wasn't all smooth sailing. The Great Depression hit hard. Many businesses folded. Kellogg's could have been one of them.

Instead, Will doubled down. While other companies cut back, Kellogg's increased its advertising budget. It introduced new products. It expanded internationally.

The gamble paid off. By the end of the 1930s, Kellogg's was the world's largest producer of breakfast cereals.

But Will wasn't content to rest on his laurels. He continued to innovate. In 1969, Kellogg's cereals were chosen to feed the Apollo 11 astronauts on their historic moon mission. Talk about out of this world.

The company faced challenges in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Changing consumer preferences. Increased competition. Health concerns about sugar content.

Again, Kellogg's adapted. It diversified its product line. It invested in healthier options. It expanded into new markets.

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing," said John Bryant, Kellogg's CEO from 2011 to 2017.

Today, Kellogg's is a global powerhouse. Its products are manufactured in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries. Not bad for a company that started with a batch of accidental wheat flakes.

The lesson? Sometimes, the biggest successes come from the most unexpected places. And with enough perseverance, even the humblest beginnings can lead to extraordinary ends.

As Will Kellogg once said, "I'll tell you the secret of success. It's very simple. You stick to the thing you believe in."

Flaky advice? Maybe. But it worked for Kellogg's.

Lesson 1: Make your signature your brand. Will Kellogg put his signature on every package as a personal guarantee of quality. This simple act turned a commodity into a branded product. It created trust and a personal connection with consumers. Your brand is your promise. Make it personal.

Lesson 2: Make things easy. Before Kellogg's, breakfast was a chore. It often involved hours of cooking. Kellogg's changed that. They made breakfast simple. Pour it from a box. Add milk. Done. Will Kellogg understood that convenience sells. Make your product solve a real problem for people. Make their lives easier.

Lesson 3: Double down when others retreat. During the Great Depression, most companies cut back. Kellogg's did the opposite. They increased their advertising budget and introduced new products. Will Kellogg famously told his staff, "Double our advertising!" This bold move paid off. By the end of the 1930s, Kellogg's was the world's largest producer of breakfast cereals. It's a reminder that sometimes, the best defense is a good offense.

Lesson 4: Find ways to build trust with consumers. Kellogg's was one of the first companies to display nutritional information on their boxes. This wasn't required at the time. It was a bold move that built trust with consumers. It showed confidence in their product. Today, it's standard practice. But Kellogg's did it first.

Lesson 5: Turn your weakness into your strength. Will Kellogg was nearly deaf. Instead of letting this hold him back, he used it to his advantage. He'd turn off his hearing aid during negotiations, forcing the other party to write down their offers. This gave him time to think and often resulted in better deals. As he once quipped, "Sometimes, not hearing is an advantage."

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That’s all for today, folks. As always, please give me your feedback. Which section is your favourite? What do you want to see more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.

Have a wonderful rest of week, all.

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