Good-N-Plenty Principle

The Good-N-Plenty Principle

The other day, I was on a bike ride with my friend Rebekah, who works at the Hershey Company. She showed up with a little surprise,one of my all-time favorite candies: Good-N-Plenty. You know, those pink and white licorice bites that have been around forever? They’ve changed a bit over the years, used to be long and skinny, but now they’re more like chunky little pills. (That detail becomes very important in a moment.)

As we pedaled along the trails winding through Hershey, I tucked a handful of Good-N-Plenty into the little pouch of my crossbody bag. Perfect ride snack, right?

Mid-ride, I popped one into my mouth and immediately almost swerved off the trail. It was disgusting—bitter, chalky, and absolutely NOT candy. I was spitting and sputtering like I’d licked a battery. Turns out… it wasn’t a Good-N-Plenty at all. It was an Excedrin Migraine pill I had in the same pouch—same shape, same size, but let’s just say it does not belong in your candy rotation.

Now, I love Excedrin Migraine. It’s saved me on days when a headache threatened to take me out of commission. But in that moment, it had no business masquerading as candy. The same way Good-N-Plenty, delightful as they are, would be absolutely useless if I had a pounding headache.

Excedrin has a purpose. Good-N-Plenty has a purpose. But if you confuse the two,if you try to use one for something it wasn’t made to do, you’re in for disappointment (and possibly a near-miss bike crash).

My mom learned this in the 1950s during her college days at BYU. Her mom wanted her to be a secretary, so she took shorthand and typing classes and nearly flunked out. She’s a creative, not a clerical. The next semester? All drama and art classes. Straight A’s. She was the Excedrin in the candy pouch, trying to be something she wasn’t built for until she found her lane and lit it up.

Same goes in business.

A while back I was at The Millworks in Midtown Harrisburg, finalizing a food tour stop. The place was bustling, even on a rainy Wednesday night. I asked the manager, “What’s the secret sauce here?” He said something that stuck with me: “Josh (the owner) has a vision. He knows how to find the right people for the right roles and then he lets them shine.”

As leaders, entrepreneurs, and even family members, our job is to recognize the gifts in the people around us. Put the Excedrin where it belongs. Let the Good-N-Plenty do its job. Don’t confuse the two and expect greatness.