Some it is better to be lucky than good. Success is waking up in the morning, whoever you are, whoever you are, however old or young, and bounding out of bed because there is something out there that you love to you, that you believe in, that you are good at—something that is bigger than you are, and you can hardly wait to get at it again today. Sometimes mistakes are blessings in disguise. Will Keith Kellogg was born 7 April 1860, and Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, co-invented flaked cereal. Although Will Keith Kellogg lacked a formal education beyond the sixth grade, he helped change the way people ate breakfast. In 1894, the two brothers were working on an experiment to introduce grain into the diet of sanitarium patients. Some of the grain got too wet, but they decided to roll it and toast it anyway. Voila—the Kellogg brothers had just invented flaked cereal. At first, they sold it by mail order, but in 1906 William Kellogg, believing he could serve a larger market, started his own company, the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company.  

Today Kellogg produces 12 of the World’s top 15 most popular cereals. It sells 40% of the consumed in the World. How did it become so dominant? Kellogg’s entrepreneurial vision was grounded in a clever marketing strategy. For example, one early promotion promised a box of cereal to any woman who winked at her grocer. Marketing had been a priority: Think about how man of Kellogg’s cereal, slogans, or advertising jingles are in grained in your memory such as Tony the Tiger (Frosted Flakes) and Snap! Crackle! And Pop! (Rice Krispies). It is almost impossible to imagine growing up without Rice Krispies Treats—those gooey globs of rice are a rite of passage for nearly every American child. However, it takes more than marketing to build a dominant company. Kellogg’s success has also come from careful planning. Management must make many decisions: where to locate, how to finance current operations and expansion, and what new products to sell. Kellogg’s 29,790 employees manufacture its products in 18 countries and distribute them in 180 countries, with more than $14.59 billion in sales. Managing such a colossal business requires vast amounts of accounting information. Kellogg’s is the 59 World’s most valuable brands and is listed as one of American’s best employers.