Did you know that Flamin' Hot Cheetos were invented by a Frito-Lay janitor?

In 1976, Richard Montañez landed a janitor job at Frito-Lay, earning $4 an hour—more money than he'd ever made working odd jobs. His curiosity and dedication led him to learn about Frito-Lay’s operations during his breaks and after hours. He studied the manufacturing process, marketing, and sales, even tagging along with salesmen to understand the business better.

In the mid-1980s, Frito-Lay struggled, and CEO Roger Enrico launched an initiative to encourage employees to "act like an owner." Richard seized this opportunity, noticing a gap in the market for a spicy snack catering to Latinos.

Richard mustered the courage to speak directly to Enrico, who was impressed and asked him to prepare a presentation. Richard spent two weeks studying marketing strategies and refining his idea.

When the time came, he pitched his concept to a room of Frito-Lay executives of a spicy snack inspired by Mexican street corn. He presented 100 plastic baggies of Cheetos coated in his own mix of spices, even sealing the bags with a clothing iron and drawing logos on them.

Flamin' Hot Cheetos was born and became one of the most successful launches in Frito-Lay history. Richard rose through the ranks to become a VP at Frito-Lay and amassed a $20 million fortune.

This story is not just about Richard’s determination to learn and grow despite his circumstances but also about the CEO’s open-mindedness to listen to and act on a janitor’s idea. Without Enrico’s willingness to listen, the world might never have known Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

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