A conversation with Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s

From humble origins in Burlington, Vermont, in the late 1970s to its current status as one of the most popular global ice cream brands, Ben & Jerry's ice cream is an example of the American Dream at work.

Two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, take a correspondence course on ice cream-making, craft some creative flavor variations, open a small ice cream shop in a renovated garage, expand as success allows, designate a significant amount of profit to various causes and charities and eventually sell the company for hundreds of millions of dollars. As a condition of sale, both Ben & Jerry maintained positions on the board of directors while insisting that the new owners (Unilever) would continue funneling a percentage of profit to the Ben & Jerry's Foundation.

Deal breakers. We all have them especially when talking about relationships. But we should also have them when it comes to our business and professional lives. Not only should we have them we should know what they are! I once interviewed Ben & Jerry's and learned that the ice cream they've been making and we've loved for years is much more than ice cream. Every pint represents Ben & Jerry's values and mission as a company. If you visit their website you'll find this: