Henrys Humdingers Founder Joins Us On the Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing Henrys Humdingers Founder
Henrys Humdingers founder Henry Miller is today’s guest joining us on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots podcast.
He is officially the youngest person that I have had on the show…but wow what an entrepreneur Henry Miller is.
When he was 12 years old instead of asking for a Xbox, or bike like most kids his age, he instead asked for a beehive.
You see he had learnt about Colony Collapse Disorder from a beekeeper and wanted to make a difference.
Yes, Henry Miller did grow up on a farm, but that is still something that lets be honest is a strange thing to ask for even from such a well grounded and well raised lad.
How The Dots Joined Up For Henry
So he started selling honey by the side of the road to raise money and from that one beehive, our guest has created an industry that is now present in across the United States of America.
Like all the best ideas its a simple one.
Having too much honey for his family to consume he started experimenting with the substance by adding spices…and BAM he created Henrys Humdingers.
But how did he do it?
How did he at such an early age take on the business world and win?
What made him so caring to the plight of an insect that for many of us, we just flip away with our hands whenever they come near?
Well let’s bring onto the show to start joining up dots, as we discuss the words of Steve Jobs with the one and only Henry Miller.
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics such as:
How moving from California to Washington state was such a difficult transition for him to deal with as a child!
How the plights of the honey bees is so unbelievably serious to the survival of mankind!
How after his appearance on Shark Tank he got marriage proposals on twitter!
How he doesn’t believe in settling and will always go out and try his hardest to achieve!
And finally…
How he has worn orange socks everyday since he was two years old…(I hope they aren’t the same pair of socks though!)
How To Connect With Henrys Humdingers Founder
If you would like to contribute to the bee charity that Henry spoke about in the episode them please click here
Return To The Top Of Henrys Humdingers
If you enjoyed this episode of Join Up Dots then why not listen to some of our favourite podcast episodes such as Christine Hassler Ted Yoder, Jason Womack or the amazing Alfie Best
Or if you prefer just pop over to our podcast archive for thousands of amazing episodes to choose from.
Audio Transcprtion Of Henrys Humdingers Founder Interview
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling. Join Up Dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK, David Ralph.
David Ralph [0:24]
Yes, hello, everybody. How are we or I hope you all right. I’m really good. I’ve got a chap on today and I’m going to be honest with you, because I like to be honest, but um, I had him on recently, you haven’t heard the episode. But we went through it, and we recorded everything. And then when I put it into the editing, it didn’t come out. So he’s kind enough to come back for a second go. Even my wife doesn’t come back for a second go. So um, I salute you, sir. So let me introduce you to him. He is officially the youngest person I’ve had on the show. But Wow, what an entrepreneur he is. When you was 12 years old. Instead of asking for an Xbox or bike like most kitties, he instead asked for a beehive. You see, he’d learned about colony collapse disorder from a beekeeper and wanted to make a difference. And yes, he did grow up on a farm. But that is still something that let’s be honest, a strange thing to ask for, for even the most well grounded and well raised lead. So he started sending honey by the side of the road to raise money. And from that one beehive, our guest has created an industry that is now present across the United States of America. Like all the best ideas is a simple one. having too much honey for his family to consume. He started experimenting with the substance by adding spices and bam, he created Henry’s humdingers. But how did he do it? How did he at such an early age take on the business world and when? And what made him so caring to the plight of an insect that for many of us, were just flip away with our hands whenever they come there? Well, let’s find out as we start Join Up Dots with the inspirational Henry Miller. How are you today, sir? I’m great. I’m just glad to be here. Well, we’re glad we’re glad to have you here again. And it was a bit of a shock the last time wasn’t it?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [2:09]
Oh, yeah, it was really weird. I thought it was really great round, but we’ll make this one. Just as good
David Ralph [2:14]
we are we’re gonna put pressure on ourselves. But we’re gonna go double whammy on this one. So it’s true. I can do it. I think we can do it as well. Yeah, we’re professionals. So it is true, isn’t it when you know in the introduction, you asking for a beehive right at the early age of 11, or 12 is kind of unusual to me. But is it unusual to you, I do all your friends sort of happy hives where you where you grew up?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [2:41]
Well, I actually grew up in California. And then when I was 10, my mom and I moved up to Washington State. And we went for living in the city to being on a rural farm in Washington, with 40 acres in the middle of nowhere with no salsa service on a 14 Mile Road seven miles in. And we had cows and sheep and goats and all these dogs and chickens and geese and, and a donkey and after sitting on a plane with this man, and then I asked my mom for a beehive. She thought, Hey, I mean, we already have for the rest of the animals. Why not some bees too. And that’s really where that came from? Did you like the change in your life? Because I imagine being a kid growing up in a city in California to be pulled into a farm. I think most kids, we sort of resent the fact that they’re being pulled away from their friends and that they they’re left with a load of cows. How did you feel about that? It was different. It was very, very different. Moving from California to Washington. There was it was weird because I I live 40 minutes away from my school. So it was hard because no, my friends really would come over that often. Because no, no parents are willing to drive their kids really 40 minutes to go to another kids house and then pick them back up and like a couple hours. So I mostly would stay to myself on a farm.
David Ralph [4:15]
It reminds me of that film. Have you seen that film? We bought a zoo? We have Matt Damon Yes. Is it? Is it that kind of situation that you get pulled away? And you’re in lovely countryside with cows and sheep and god knows what. But you kind of lonely I suppose.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [4:30]
Yes. Anyway, I would say
David Ralph [4:33]
well, we won’t dwell too much on loneliness, because that’s not a good place to be. Well actually made you want a beehive in Henry. So you learn about colony collapse disorder. I haven’t got a clue what that is. I’ll be absolutely honest with you. So can you remember when that come into your life? And who told you and what made you so passionate to actually get a beehive at such an early age?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [4:56]
Well, I was visiting California with my mom, man, we are flying back up to Washington. And then we sat next to this man and I started talking to him about the farm we had in Washington. And he told me he had beehives. And the more he talked about his beehives, the more interesting I got and interested I got and he told me about colony collapse disorder and the bees were dying. And I was astounded by this. And after the plane, the plane ride I went online and I was searching about it. And it turns out his bees died. The whole food chain collapse within seven years and everything would be dead.
David Ralph [5:40]
What do you mean, everything would be dead? Well, us as well.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [5:43]
Yes, because there’d be no more food bees pollinate all the flowers. Um, and without that, then the seeds wouldn’t be able to get out and new seeds wouldn’t be taking root. And then without that there wouldn’t be any fruit for the herbivores and I’m a carnivore would go and then eventually we just run out of food. Being devil’s advocate, why wouldn’t we just genetically make food, we wouldn’t be able to do it on the scale that bees can, I mean, we can genetically modified food and make it easier to like, sprout and stuff. But in the end, they get they get those mass fields. And then they put a bunch of beehives in them, and they still have bees pollinate them. Because without the pollination, it just doesn’t work.
David Ralph [6:32]
Now this, this is amazing to me, because as I say, I am not aware of this. But you would think that I should be aware of it, and everyone should be aware of it. And when you see a bee buzzing around you, you should sort of be more protective about it instead of getting it under a job and trapping it. So it doesn’t bother you.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [6:50]
I mean, individual bees you it doesn’t, it doesn’t hurt not that you shouldn’t go after them with a passion and try to always kill them like many people do. For the most if you leave the bees alone, then they won’t sting you. And you still just do their own thing. Because if they sting you, then they die. And they don’t want to do that. But the main problem is when people have a beehive in their backyard or something, and their immediate thought is to call the exterminator and have them kill the beehive. When that’s just a waste of life, what they really should do is call someone that come and relocate the beehive to somewhere where it can live safely and actually help.
David Ralph [7:30]
So easy type of the that causes this problem the colony collapse or is it all bs?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [7:36]
It’s happening to all these it’s going on because of well, now we think it’s because of systemic pesticides, where they soak the seeds of new plants, and pesticides. And then they plant them. So the pesticide lives in the plant. So when the bees start pollinating the plants, then they start making like they have it in their system, because that’s what they’re eating. And then it kind of messes with their heads, and then eventually the whole hive is infected. Guys out,
David Ralph [8:11]
you know, I could talk about this for the whole episode, I find it absolutely fascinating. And as I said earlier, I find it fascinating that we’re not having this drummed into us, because, you know, we hear about global warming, we hear about all the other things that could affect us. But this is something that is is affecting us and could really affect us quite easily.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [8:32]
Oh, yeah. It’s a whole cocktail things, actually. I mean, is partly because of the pesticides. And it’s because of other factors that human humans have just caused over the years. But it’s definitely a major problem that the world should be focusing on. But it because it’s not who’s dating who in the acting world, no one really cares.
David Ralph [8:57]
Yes. It’s sad, isn’t it? He said, he said, right, stop, stop protecting the bees. That’s what I want to do. This is going to be called join up bees from that. No, it’s not. But I’m, obviously that the information is online. And I assume there must be charities and stuff that help to protect the bees is, is it?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [9:13]
Oh, yeah, I actually donate a portion of my profits to the foundation for the preservation of honeybees. Because I it’s ever since day one part of my goal has been to help bees.
David Ralph [9:28]
Well, what I will do, I will put a link to that charity on the show notes for this episode. So if anybody’s out there, who feels passionate as well and wants to contribute, it doesn’t have to be a lot of money can be any money that it makes a difference, then you can go through the link on the show notes and make a difference. So, Henry, so you’ve got your you’ve got your hive now and you experimenting with looking after them? Was was it sort of plain sailing? Do you just put up a hive and when suddenly you are lead with honey? What do you have to do things first of all?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [10:03]
Well, we have the same guy who was actually sitting next to me on the plane, and he gave me my first time. And so we have the beehive. And it turns out, we didn’t need to do much upkeep at first because on the 40 acre farm, we are away from all commercial farming. We had a pond on the farm. So they had basically everything they needed. And they were flourishing like crazy. And then with a couple times a year beehive will produce around 50 pounds of honey.
David Ralph [10:35]
So he twice a year was that 50 pounds of holly? Yes. So 100 pounds of honey a year.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [10:42]
Yeah, that’s ridiculous.
David Ralph [10:44]
And that’s just one hive.
Unknown Speaker [10:47]
Yes, my god.
David Ralph [10:49]
So So no wonder you had to find a way of getting rid of the stuff.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [10:53]
Right? Yeah, it was everywhere. I will tell you one thing, when you own a honey company, you will have to stinky floors. That’s just everything will be sticky. At some point. It’s just unavoidable.
David Ralph [11:07]
But my running a company with obviously honey everywhere. Are you not inundated with wasps and things bothering you?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [11:15]
No, no, not really. I mean, actually not at all. Because then we now in the beginning stages of the company, we were using all our own honey. And we were at our industrial kitchen, putting it in jars. But now we have to since we can’t keep up with the demand as much. We have to buy other local raw honey in Washington State. And then we reach truck that to our factory. And we work with it. So all in all, we don’t get much pest problems.
David Ralph [11:48]
So what we want to do, I want to jump forward a bit to sort of them frame the the industry that you’re in. And then we’re going to sort of step back and start joining up the dots. So for the listeners out there, but right, okay, he’s got a hive. So why is he on this show? Basically, you are a CEO of your own company. And stepping on from that one hive, you created an industry around messing around with the honey and creating recipes and spices which became Henry’s humdingers. And now effectively you are well, you are you’re the CEO of the company, you’re the owner of the company, and you, your mom and dad’s employer.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [12:27]
This is true, this is true.
I am my mom and dad’s boss, which is never I never get tired of saying, ever don’t say
it, I am my mom and dad’s boss.
And so that’s weird, because I mean, it’s funny at school, all you all the teachers ever do is say, if you don’t succeed in school, then how are you going to have a job when they’re older? And it’s weird, because I sometimes have to miss their classes to work on my job.
David Ralph [13:00]
Did I put up with that easily? Or did I go? Henry did this, this might be going well at the moment, but you never know down the line.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [13:09]
I mean, I try at school still, it’s not like I’m going in like whatever, I’ll my own company, honey company and start throwing my papers in the air and walking out. But it I talked to the teachers before I have to go on like a business trip or something. And a lot of them are very understanding. And they’re really proud. And I mean, for the most part, they really cooperate with me and they give me my homework in advance. Or they’ll just let me leave the classroom for like an hour to go do a business call or something. And it’s really, really cool. Actually, did there must be that little voice in your head bow that kind of goes, don’t really need to do this. I’m already sorted. course there is I’m a teenager, of course, I think I don’t need to do it anything. But it’s it’s definitely there. And I’ve learned to just fight it off. I mean, because the mining company is great. And I hope it will become as big as it can. But if something does happen to that, and it doesn’t end up going through, I need a backup plan. So I need to go to college. And by going to school and stuff, I also will be taken more seriously in the business world. I don’t want to be seen as that. When I’m older. If it does go out of business as the teenager started a honey company dropped out of school, then that failed. And then he was just kind of there. He was stuck.
David Ralph [14:38]
Yeah. So you see what I did there, Henry? Yeah, I was stuck in Honey. Yeah, that was good. When it was I
Henrys Humdingers Founder [14:44]
that would be a sticky situation.
David Ralph [14:47]
Absolutely. So you see where we’re cooking. Our newest episode will be better than the first one.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [14:52]
So I know our our punk counts getting higher.
David Ralph [14:55]
So if we jump back again. So now we’ve kind of pictured where you are. You are a school kid still. You’re in college, you’re jumping in and out of classes. You’ve created this cottage industry that is exploding. How did that go from that first? client to that? So you had the honey and you suddenly thought I can’t get rid of this? I need to find a way of getting rid of it? Or could you have just gone honey just dissolved? Somehow? It is is it a big problem? Do you have to get rid of honey?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [15:31]
First, I would think you said I was in college just now. I’m still in high school.
Oh, no problem. But for as the honey goes, uh, you don’t have the rid of it. But I figured, hey, I have all this honey, and I’m not able to eat it all. So I should sell it. I mean, that was one of my first thoughts coming up a plane when I found out how much honey we’d actually have was I should sell this. And then I thought, How can I make How can actually sell this though, because I mean, there’s a bunch of in independent beekeepers out there who are selling their regular honey, but I don’t want to be just a regular beekeeper. I want to be the beekeeper. So I figured, hey, maybe I should, I was actually looking at a recipe that required spices and honey in it. And then I was looking through a couple of other recipes that required honey in it. And I saw they also needed spices. So I thought, hey, obviously spices in any kind of work well together. Why not? Try just mixing spices with the honey and see what happens? And it worked?
David Ralph [16:38]
Well, what makes your brain work this way, though, because I wouldn’t have been like that at all at your age. And probably even now, I wouldn’t be like that, to be able to sort of think around issues and create because you created your own market. Have you always been like that. But border honey came along, were you always sort of looking for angles to create some income for yourself.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [17:01]
I don’t know if it’s so much figuring out ways of creating income as it is. I’m always about being different. I want to set my self apart from the crowd. And I’ve always been like that. I mean, I wear orange socks every day of my life. I I’m the kid who wears orange socks, I’ve worn our success. I was two years old. And everyone was asked me why I do it. And I just says because no one else does it. So it’s my thing. And I did I did nine years with genetics, which was also another uncommon sport that many kids boys do not really do. So now then I was the orange socks kid who was able to do backflips at school. And then I all of a sudden on my own honey company. And it was not only that it was a spicy honey company. So I mean, I just kind of confused everyone.
David Ralph [17:54]
Well, I’m confused. Because I mean, isn’t a good colour is it? Especially for so? Whoa. I’ll be folding out now, Henry.
Unknown Speaker [18:03]
I don’t know, I don’t know.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [18:06]
Orange is my signature colour. I wear I have so much orange. I have an orange truck. And the licence plates, those orange socks. I have orange car chargers. I have an orange steering wheel cover. I have so many orange shirts, My room is orange, everything. Everything is orange. I have an orange sports coat, but she would eat
David Ralph [18:29]
yellow with any idea of colour.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [18:33]
But every other company uses that.
David Ralph [18:35]
Dude, I don’t know one ever honey company. You are my number one honey company producer?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [18:43]
Well, I because I use orange.
David Ralph [18:45]
Well, that’s true. That is true. So you so you set yourself apart, you set yourself apart. And you always had the angle of being slightly different. But there must have been at all maybe there wasn’t maybe you were young. So you didn’t perceive what you were getting into. Because I have been speaking to entrepreneurs on a daily basis. And all of them pretty much said, when the idea came to them of how to create a lifestyle create an income, there was an equal balance of fear of Oh my god, can I pull this off? Did you feel that at that stage? You know, how old were you about? Were you 12 at that stage? I was 12. You were 12? So was it just a kind of joyful, basically fun? And that the kind of business element of it didn’t really occur to you? Or are you just somebody that can overcome your fear better than most people?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [19:38]
Well, at that age, I would say it was more, I’m just going to figure out a way to sell this better than anyone else in this area. And I never would have thought at 12 years old, that they would end up being my family’s main source of income, and that this would be my life. But I’ve never but even when it did start to pick up speed. I didn’t get fearful I don’t believe I don’t get afraid of those types of things. Because I don’t get nervous very well at all. I really just don’t believe in that whole mindset. So I’d say at that age, I didn’t get the kind of fear this is this is huge moment.
David Ralph [20:24]
Do you get fearful now because you are going into boardrooms now with experienced established? I don’t like to use the word but sort of adults, does he? Does he frighten you now? Or are you still able to just go in there, present your case and away you go.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [20:45]
Um, I am fearful. I’m always fearful, but I’m never nervous. Because if I decided that you’re fearful, if you’re not afraid, and you’re doing something wrong, if you’re not afraid that if this doesn’t work out, then the business will fail and you will have and then my family will have no way of having any money, then then you you have to do something on it. Because when you know that your whole family’s is riding on it, you have to be afraid. But if you’re nervous, then you all of a sudden you’re compromising your stature and you’re compromising how you’re going to be speaking in front of people because people can see nervousness, they can see if you’re scared to talk to them, or if you don’t know what you’re doing. But if you come in confident and you know what you’re doing, like you act like you should, then people will see that in the respective because ever since I was young, I always told myself, I’m not gonna let my I’m not gonna let nervous this get to me. Because all that does is just affect my performance.
David Ralph [21:52]
And used to think that when he was doing gymnastics analogy,
Henrys Humdingers Founder [21:56]
oh, yeah. gymnastics, because stop doing gymnastics, I would get made fun of a lot as well. Because people just get especially boys when you’re younger, just make just will find anything to make fun of you for. So I just kind of shrugged it off. I didn’t. I didn’t care really. Um, but also you can’t be nervous in gymnastics. Because if you’re doing a tumbling pass, and you’re doing a bunch of backflips and you’re nervous in the middle of a backflip and all of a sudden you freak out and stop, then you’re that’s not safe. That’s your it’s going to end badly. You can’t you have to just keep going and do what you are supposed to do, or else you’re gonna fall.
David Ralph [22:41]
Have you had any ideas? And since since the honey businesses as sort of become fourth one, do you sort of sit there thinking, Oh, I could do something with carrots or I could do something with anything on that other ideas. I’m going to use this word I can’t think of anything better buzzing around your head at the moment.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [22:59]
I’m, there’s a couple. But the main thing is I’m doing is I currently have four flavours of honey. And we’re working on a fifth one right now. But I don’t want to have too many business ventures because right now I want to wait for the honey company to go as far as it can. And there’s some viewers to become a hopefully an international business. I don’t want to have one company that’s on the rise, and then all of a sudden start another company, and then have that company, if it fails, affects the main company, which is my honey company, I’d rather wait and hold off on that, to see where the honey company goes. And then track for that. Because if you overextend too quickly, then you’re going to run out of money really soon.
David Ralph [23:49]
So what was the first recipe, the first spices that you throw together?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [23:55]
That would be my grumpy grandpa flavour, which is two polar? I mean, that’s probably I’m tired. I’m it was the red cayenne pepper and garlic.
David Ralph [24:06]
And is that a sort of combination that you would instantly think would go together?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [24:12]
Well, we were looking at a chicken recipe. And you needed red cayenne pepper, and he needed garlic and you need the honey. And this was around the same time I was brainstorming for maybe what to try for the honey. And I was like, hey, let’s try using like powdered garlic and red tie and pepper and see what happens. Because I mean, what do we got to lose, except for a little bit of spices and some money. And we mixed it up. And it worked. I mean, of course our final recipe, there are a lot of other secret spices that I can’t tell you. It’s not like if you go in your kitchen and just pop in some garlic powder and some red cayenne pepper, it’ll taste exactly like the Henry humdingers because that would just be bad business.
David Ralph [24:58]
So so it’s like a kind of KFC thing is only the three of you that know the recipe.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [25:04]
We have a spice company that now sends us our dry spices and they know the recipe, so they can send us our pre mixed spice containers. But they are under a loyalty secret. Oh thing, where if they tell anyone we send a dragon in the night after them and make them pay? Yeah.
David Ralph [25:30]
I can’t even begin to think how you can create those those kinds of spices that work? You know, I think I would be there forever and a day creating something because honey is so obviously sweet. And spicy is just it kind of in my head. It doesn’t seem to go. Were you surprised when he did go and you actually tasted info. Ah, this is something that could really
Henrys Humdingers Founder [25:54]
take me places. It was better than I expected. But I mean, we tweaked a long time. It it’s a gruelling process, because you got to just try it and taste it and figure out what went wrong and try it again. And it’s, it’s not a short process. It’s not like we figured it out in a day. Because we wanted to make the product as good as it can be for the consumer. And that takes a long time because consumer can be really picky sometimes. So once we got that it was we decided and we were tasting and we thought it was great. We showed it to our friends and family and they liked it and then all of a sudden we they we thought hey, we should try selling this stuff on a maybe a larger scale.
David Ralph [26:45]
And who who were the first people that you sold it to Was it a local shop or or a wider than that.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [26:51]
Um, at first I we are selling it to like my aunt and uncle my cousins. And then I made the kind of a science favourite project type poster board and was standing on the side of the road with some jars of the honey in my bee suit, like my beekeeper costume, kinda like dancing around trying to get people to buy my honey outside of a local cheese shop. And that it that in Washington was not very fun due to the rain in the cold. I will tell you Yeah. But then after that we moved to a county fair. And that was all right. We got some we got some interest. But the problem was at the county fair, people are looking for deep fried anything. And not exactly Gourmet, spicy honey.
David Ralph [27:42]
And so how did you overcome those sort of obstacles? What Where was the first market that took you away from uncles and aunties and really into Yes, this is a business. Henry’s humdingers is now an official business.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [27:57]
We went to the food experts position. And I’m California. And my parents actually had gone to one before that, but I was not able to go because you had to be 18 or older to go. So that didn’t actually work out too well, because I mean, everyone wanted to see the kid whose face was on everything and who was the owner, but I wasn’t allowed to go. But at our first huge one Anaheim one, out of the thousands of products there, we were named top five new products, and the whole thing. And that was crazy. And then after that, a large food chain called Wegmans on the East Coast, called us and asked us to be you know, in their stores, and that was there, like 70 plus stores on the east coast. And that was huge for us. Because I mean, before this, really we just been selling to maybe a couple local shops, or to our friends. And that really just took it to the next level for us. And how do you deal with that? How
David Ralph [28:59]
do you take things on to the next level without going? Oh, my God, I wasn’t expecting this. Suddenly, we’ve got to stop all this honey, we got to produce it. We got to buy in from other places? How do you actually create fat from from your home? Did you bring in sort of business advisors? Or did you do it all yourself?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [29:16]
We did it. We we dropped all the money and we shifted out because I mean, we because we thought if we don’t do this, then for the rest of our lives, will be regretting not doing it. And if we do it and it doesn’t work out, then at least we can say we tried.
David Ralph [29:38]
And so it was the three of you, Mom, dad in you in the kitchen, when we will lead one with a spoon when we the spice? Was it? Or did did he operate a different way we
Henrys Humdingers Founder [29:47]
mixed up our spices and these giant containers. And then we got this big it and we would turn it open. And we’d have a little jar with on a scale underneath. And we’d wait till it got to the right weight. And then we turn off the spigot. And we charge thousands of dollars like that. And it took for ever. It was a gruelling process. It by the end of the day, we weren’t yelling at each other, it was surprising. And it was but
David Ralph [30:25]
it must have been a passion for it that all three of you felt, what was it? Was it a connexion that you all felt? Or were you leading the way saying, look, Mom and Dad, I want to do this? And you’re the only one that could help me? Or did you all go? Yes, I think that we should really do this. This is something that the family can take to the next level.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [30:44]
My family is amazing. They got behind me. They believed in me and my mom and dad told me, Henry, we, we know you well enough to the point where we can we can trust you with our money. Which I don’t know why they would ever say that, to be honest, from my own personal experience. But they tested me and they invested in the company. And apparently that was a good move. But it yeah, it did bring our family closer. And it’s amazing watching the whole family grow, as well as the business girl along with it’s, it’s crazy. Because I mean, at first we were doing 600 jars in a week. That was our top like thing. And now we’re doing 1000 jars and an hour.
David Ralph [31:36]
Mommy, did you know the interesting thing that you were saying there everything that you’ve said In this episode, you have got total belief in yourself, you you you don’t believe in nervousness, you can confront fear. But when your mom and dad was saying we will invest in you, we believe in you. That seems to be the only time in this episode where you’ve kind of haven’t quite matched up to your own personal belief.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [32:03]
Okay. Uh, I mean, yeah, I believe that myself personally, I can achieve almost anything I put my mind to just do the will of the human spirit. I mean, I’m a very persistent person. And I feel like if I try hard, and if I can succeed, but if it doesn’t work out, or if it fails, and I’m the only one who has anything on it, then it’s just my fault. And it’s I’m the only one who has to live with the consequences. But the second my parents invested money in me, which now they’ve invested $150,000 in me, if this fails, then it’s they have to. I mean, it’s on me. And yeah, that does make me question myself a little bit. But it doesn’t affect how I act, or how I’m going to present myself with businessmen. It just makes everything more real, I guess, you know, like, it’s not, it’s not any, it’s not like a hobby anymore. That Oh, yeah, this is just my tiny company. Once that happened, this became this became my family. Like, if this doesn’t work out, then my family has nothing. I mean,
David Ralph [33:24]
I can see why about your mom and dad invested money into you. Because you should be proud of yourself. Not just what you’ve achieved so far. That’s got nothing to do with it. But you should be proud of yourself how you actually are. Because you are such a well raised individual is it’s, I would love my son and my grandchildren to grow up like you, Henry. So it’s not a surprise that your mom and dad said, Yeah, I can see something in you. Because they know you better than anyone don’t know.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [33:55]
I mean, I guess so. But I mean, the fact that they know me better than anyone means. They are also know me as the ADHD kid who got kicked out of preschool for walking on top of the other children to make them cry. I’m the kid who’s the one who’s willing to throw himself on the ground just to make people laugh. I’m, I see myself as kind of like a clown. But I mean, I guess I do have the ability to step up and be the businessman that I am. But it’s weird, because for me, I live with both sides. And I guess they obviously invested in the business side. But it’s weird, because I know they can they know that I can be my normal teenage self still.
David Ralph [34:37]
Yeah, but we all have found I’m 44 years old, and I can still go back into teenage self, I can go back into it very easily. And probably even even younger than that. So you, you put those kind of personality traits into boxes, and you bring them out when you can, and then you put them back in. And that’s what life is, isn’t it? It’s about playing the heart that’s expected of you. But hopefully you’re playing those parts. But tapping into your unique self, your authentic self.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [35:09]
But yeah, because I mean, I can be the businessman, I am but I bring up my teenage traits. Because, I mean, I people like talking to me like that. I mean, it’s more fun, because that’s part of the thing that makes me different is that I am a teenager, I don’t want to be talking to a businessman and then acting like I’m 35 because in the end is still him. 16 going on 17 I’m gonna be I’m going to use teenager, sometimes language. And that helps me I feel like because they say, Oh, he’s a teenager, and he comes off as a teenager yet. He knows what he’s doing. Yeah, not just a teenager.
David Ralph [35:51]
Do you remember the Tom Hanks film big? Many years ago?
Unknown Speaker [35:55]
Yes.
David Ralph [35:56]
I never could quite get it. But when he became an adult, he was still a kid. And all the time he was just playing around with toys and mucking around. And I could go with that totally. Because, okay, he looked like an adult, but he was a kid. But then at the end of the film, he was suddenly doing business meetings and taking things all seriously like adults do. And I could never grasp back part of it. And so for what you’re saying, where you’re you’re being your absolute unique self, you’re being what you should be. And you should never allow anyone to say anything differently. Because once you get into your 30s, and your 40s, and your 50s back just flips away, and I don’t know where it goes, but it does. So while you’ve got the chance to be who you are, be who you are every minute of the day, Henry.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [36:44]
Yeah, I mean, you You’re the only you out there. So why try to be anyone else. Because if you try to be someone else, then you your own personality gets lost in the process.
David Ralph [36:56]
And your unique selling point is you and the vet, you’re young with the greatest respect, you are young, and that’s the sort of QPR factor, isn’t it?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [37:06]
Yeah, people say one of two things happens when it when it happened when people find out that I’m this young, and they started my own company, they’re a have a lot of respect for me. And they say, hey, this kids pretty awesome. He knows what he’s doing. I respect that. Or be, they just automatically assume without even talking to me that I have no idea what I’m doing. And I’m a puppet for my parents. And they’re actually making all the decisions, and I actually don’t do anything.
David Ralph [37:35]
That obviously gets up your nose.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [37:38]
Yeah, that one. That one bothers me if they talk to me, and they actually have a conversation with me. And then they think, this kid, it’s all show. I don’t like this kid. I mean, even though they’re wrong, but it at least they can form the opinion based on personal experience, if they just see that I’m a kid and then just shut me before they even talked to me. That’s just, that’s just bad manners. Yeah, no, absolutely. And
David Ralph [38:07]
so let’s put you into a situation now. But for many people, they would have found daunting being, quote unquote, an adult, but you actually got to take part of the American TV show Shark Tank, which is like the English version of Dragons Den. And so when you got the call to go in front of them, was that something that you thought, yes, this is going to be exciting. This is going to be fun. I’m still going to be Henry Miller. Or did you think at that moment all, I better change who I actually am at that time in front of the cameras,
Henrys Humdingers Founder [38:43]
I decided that I was going to be myself every step of the way through sending in all of our audition tapes, even though even though we found out 35,000 people audition each year, and 125 yet on not for a second that I thought did I think, hey, maybe I should try to act different or something. Because the second and as I was myself every step of the way, because if you try to act different than people can tell that people have a way of being able to tell the difference between genuine reactions or fake reactions, or at least I feel that way. So I thought I’d rather be myself and if they don’t like who I am, and they don’t want to invest in that person, then like, then it I at least know that but if they just if they decided they liked the person that I was pretending to be, and later where to find out that I wasn’t actually that like, bit like super always uptight business person that I would pretend to be then that would just be bad. So I said, I’m going to come in being the quirky teenage business guy I am and see if they respond to that.
David Ralph [39:56]
And did they did they respond to that? Where did it work? Well, the sharks exactly the same as they are always or did they sort of change because of you?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [40:06]
I mean, in a way they were the one of the sharks, Robert Hirschbeck told me money sees no age. And I completely understood that. And he they’re basically saying, Yeah, you’re a kid, we will. We’re not going to cut you any slack, though. Because in the end, this is still real money. I mean, just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean that I’m going to invest money in you because you’re a kid. That doesn’t make any sense. In the end, you still need to prove that you deserve the money. And in the end, I I got offered $300,000 from for dirty for 25. I am so tired. For 75% of my company, from Mark Cuban and Robert Hirsch today. And on I took it on air. But in the end six months after we shot the episode with negotiations, the deal did not go through.
David Ralph [40:59]
Did you play or did they call it?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [41:02]
Um, it was kind of a mutual agreement, we decided that maybe this just wouldn’t work out. Because they want Mark Cuban wanting to move the company to Dallas, Texas, and then I wouldn’t have any real part of it. And when I was older, I wouldn’t be on the board of executives. And he said that was the only way he could really work with the business. And he didn’t want me to feel like I the company got robbed from me. And my dad had lost his job. So this was our only like source of income. So we weren’t ready to just see it be taken away from us. So we we all decided maybe this wasn’t the best idea.
David Ralph [41:45]
I was talking to a couple of ladies that were on series four of Shark Tank called the grannies, Charlotte Clary and Bev vines Haynes, and they have created a product is a candy which is is ok for kids to eat. And they went on Shark Tank, and they were offered a deal. And they they didn’t take the deal. But they said really afterwards, the publicity bomb exceeds what they would have got from the deal. Anyway, it was an absolute win win.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [42:20]
Oh, yeah, I mean, even though the deal didn’t go through, I mean, I’m still talking to you on it. Don’t get any better than this, Henry. I know, right? This is like this is I’m peaking right now. Anything after this is gonna be a disappointment. Um, but I mean, yeah. After the show. I mean, I got people asking me to marry them on Twitter, that I was getting all these people who wanted to do interviews with me. I mean, even right now I’m at a hotel on my way to go to a business and or a business conference in Idaho, and I missing my junior person. Go.
David Ralph [43:01]
So he’s in England in the UK, we we kind of touch on prom. So he’s not a big thing over here. But is that is that a real big thing that you’ve missed out on? Is that something that will live with you forever?
Henrys Humdingers Founder [43:16]
No, no. I mean, for girls, it is. But for guys, it’s more spending money and wearing
David Ralph [43:21]
a suit and stuff.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [43:23]
Exactly. Which I’m going to be doing here anyway. Absolutely. Yeah. And you could end up with dancing, whoever
David Ralph [43:28]
you want with it in the Boardman?
Unknown Speaker [43:30]
Exactly. My mom Yeah.
David Ralph [43:32]
Well, she she has stopped that happening. I promise you, she will. So just before we let you go, the theme of the show is Steve Jobs speech that he made in 2005. And I normally play this sort of halfway through the episode, I’ve deliberately left it to be end. This is when he talks about looking back and connecting the dots and finding the path that you are on. Only when you reflect and you look back. So I’m going to play it. And then I’m just going to ask you, Henry, whether you actually bill even at where you are. But these words are relevant to the journey that you’ve been on. So this is Steve Jobs, doing his speech back in 2005.
Steve Jobs [44:12]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [44:46]
What you reckon. True.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [44:49]
I feel that it’s definitely true. I mean, as a young kid, right now I can look back. And of course I see mistakes, but they’re stupid, little mistakes, I don’t see any huge mistakes that I feel like will affect me when I’m older. But when I’m like 40, I don’t want to have to look back and think, wow, I should have tried doing more than honey company, I should have maybe done gone to that business meeting instead of going over to my friend’s house. But so I am trying to seize every opportunity I can because I don’t want to regret anything when I’m older. And I feel like that’s a lot of people play everything to safe they think I don’t why why risky, when in actuality, in about 20 years, they could be kicking themselves because they settled on life. I don’t want to settle on my phone, I wanna, I want to do everything that I want to do. And I want to become as successful and as happy as I feel like I can. So don’t think don’t think that your dreams are stupid, you should go for them. I mean, the worst that could happen is that you fail. But I mean, at least I’d be like failing at what you really want to do is better than not trying it all.
David Ralph [46:08]
Henry, I think my other most powerful words that possibly anyone has said in any of the episodes and it really is what I want from these shows on a daily basis. I want people to realise that if I don’t try, when ultimately, they’re the only ones who’ve been let down. You know, no one ever laughs at you for failing. But you got to get up and give it a go, don’t you? Exactly. Well, it’s been an absolute delight having you on the show for the second time, Henry, I think we’ve done a better job. No one heard the first one. But I just know this was a better one, it was more powerful. So I’d like to thank you so much for spending time with us again today joining up those dots. And I really wish you the best of success with Henry’s humdingers and everything else that you go into because I really am proud of of speaking to you and saying about in some way. I know you now because I think you are going to be somebody that in the future, we’re all going to look back and go. Blimey, do you remember that honey boy, look where he is now, probably new Donald Trump or something. So please come back again, when you have more dots to join up because I believe the only way to build our futures is by connecting our past. Henry, thank you so much.
Henrys Humdingers Founder [47:22]
Thanks for letting me come on. It’s been a pleasure.
Outro [47:26]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become. So he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to Join Up Dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on Join Up Dots.
