The story of the janitor who invented Hot Cheetos will motivate you
As brazy of a time as it is in America today, you have to keep ya head up and find hope in any way possible.
There’s still all types of dope shit happening all around us. Motivated ass people are out there strategizing the next great idea, artists are still creating, and sundress season is upon us!
This is, after all, a country built off immigrants, a testament to how lit the American dream still is, it’s the story of the motherf*cking janitor who invented Hot Cheetos.
Yup, that snack you end up copping every time you’re smacked out your mind at the store and totally forgot why you went there in the first place, was made by a custodian.
Think about that. The janitor who deadass cleaned the toilets at the Frito-Lay factory in Rancho Cucamonga, California came up harder than anyone else in that bum ass place.
Richard Montanez, who immigrated from Mexico in the 70s and had the dream of one day being a trash man in the great country of the United States, is now an executive at the company, leading multicultural sales across Pepsi North America and getting this bread.
For him, it was a simple moment at the factory that made him look at things differently and envision something bigger. In a message from the company’s president at the time, he urged all employees to “act like an owner.” In an interview with (f*ck) Fox News he recalled,
“I looked around and didn’t see a lot of reaction from my co-workers, but for me it was the opportunity to do something different.”
This right there tells you a lot. The same message being relayed to a room full of people but only one man took it seriously. A man who had virtually nothing but never complained. F*ck these other overprivileged assholes who constantly complain in corporate America but never want to do anything about it!
Anyways, one day at the young factory, there was a spill and some of the uncoated Cheetos got all over the place. Montanez picked them shits up, brought them to the crib and gave them some real flavor.
Mimicking the traditional Mexican dish elote, he had his wife add real chili instead of that fake ass cheese shit and soon everyone at the crib started f*cking with it. It was actually so poppin’ that it didn’t seem like too crazy of an idea to show these fools at corporate.
So with about two weeks to prepare, he set up the presentation, borrowed a book on business strategies at the local library, made sure his English was as Gucci as possible, and pulled up on these suits with a tie he copped for $3. He also put some of his own swag into it and mad this shit extra hot.
“I had two weeks to prepare a presentation for the company executives. I’m a little bit of an artist so I even designed the bags and put the Cheetos in it.”
Of course the proof was in the pudding and Hot Cheetos were an instant hit. Shout out to the peeps at Frito-Lay for letting this man rock and not stealing his idea too!
Fast forward to 2017 and he’s holding it down for all Hispanic workers at Frito-Lay.
When it comes to hiring and marketing to his the Spanish community, Montanez has led the charge when it comes to keeping his people into the picture.
The fact that he’s dealing with a food brand and is coming up with strategies to actually feed his people is something that means a lot to him.
“Latinos who have made it like myself have a responsibility to open doors to younger generations and teach them that they can do it. I do it because I can and I know what it is like to be hungry.”
It’s a beautiful thing when a man with nothing can come to this country, work his ass off, get a position he’s perfect for, and be able to affect other people’s lives.
But no shout out to white people who’ve been taking his creation and legacy and turning it into some funky ass shit.
They really putting this on salads bruh.
And turning this into rice crispy treats. WTF!
Nah you know they’re wildin’ when they’re drinking this shit with tequila.
Leave it to Katy Perry to kill it completely. I’m done.
Eternal shoutsout to Richard Montanez, King of the Hot Cheetos.
