Uncle No Name

Are you feeling like you've been knocked down, repeatedly? If so, Zig Ziglar wrote the following which might be an encouragement:

His name was Wally Amos and he built a $100 million business selling his "Famous Amos Cookies." Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, he lost his business. He went from fame and fortune to a debt level of one million dollars.

Even worse, he lost the right to use the name he made famous. He did not, however, lose the things that made him successful in the first place. He maintained his sense of humor and his outgoing, optimistic, confident nature. As might be expected, he bounced back big time.

He started a new venture under the name of "Wally Amos Presents Chip'n Cookie." PEOPLE Magazine did a story and Fitz & Floyd made a Chip'n Cookie Jar. J.C. Penney marketed Chip'n Cookie dolls. Everyone was delighted at Mr. Amos' comeback. Everybody but the new owners of "Famous Amos." A lawsuit resulted and once again he was put out of business.

Wally says he got famous and rich and paid a price for it. . . . He wrote a book, MAN WITH NO NAME, which was enthusiastically received . . .and he is back in the food business. He started a new company by the name of “Uncle No-Name." (In 1999 they changed the name to Uncle Wally’s.) Wally is a good example of a man being knocked down but not out. He is fighting back with the same zest and zeal he demonstrated the first time around. I predict he will continue to do well.

Wally Amos is the classic example of a man who gets up again and again. The old saying that a person who won't be beat can't be beat is certainly true of "Uncle No-Name." Adopt his attitude and I'll See You At The Top!

Adapted from Zig’s book Something to Smile About, published by Thomas Nelson.