text:
David Klein invented the kid treat, Jelly Belly ® Jelly Beans in 1976 with only $800 to his name. No credit card, not even a diner's club card.
He sold the company in 1980 and waited 40 long years to get back into the jelly bean business. Now, like many others, he is making his segue and making his mark into the CBD and hemp revolution.
In this episode, David tells us how he started the Jelly Belly ® Jelly Beans and the painful experience of losing it. How he patiently waited to be back in the business and how he's creating a new legacy combining his 45 years of candy making experience in creating the best gourmet edibles. Learn from his experience and save yourself from committing the same mistakes.
When I came up with the idea for Jelly Bellies, I knew that it was too good of an idea not to go forthwith. – David Klein
Download The Episode Companion For This Episode
Some Topics We Discussed Include:
5:45 – Getting back in the jelly bean business after 40 years
14:12 – His wife's pain and how he came up with the idea of making edibles
18:07 – Key things that cannapreneurs and budding entrepreneurs need to understand when conceptualizing the business
29:01 – Shares the pains of growing the business
32:24 – David's wholesale business and the history of Jelly Belly
44:14 – Problems with contract manufacturers and the importance of having a contract
53:21 – The importance of creating a name for your product
1:05 – The people they want to help
1:07 – The sad moment of selling Jelly Belly
1:22 – Where to find them
1:24 – Final words
People Mentioned / Resources
Jelly Belly
Candyman: The David Klein Story
Candy Man Cares
Hot Docs
Costa Botes
Bert Klein
Jennifer Klein
Whole Foods
Richard Rose
Sharon Letts
The Sweet Taste of Healing: Jelly Belly's David Klein Finds His Calling in Cannabis
Lead Belly
Walnut Halves & Pieces
Famous Amos
Peoples Magazine
Herman Goelitz
Mike Douglas Show
Connect with David Klein
Connect with Sonia Gomez
Sonia Gomez: What's up everybody? This is Sonia Gomez coming to you live from Denver, Colorado and today we are talking to none other than David Klein, the inventor, the founder, of the favorable kid treat inventor of the Jelly Belly Jelly Bean. He, like many, many others are making their segue and making their mark into the CBD and hemp revolution. This is another rock star episode of the hemp revolution Podcast, where we are exploring the adventures of the cannaprenuers and pioneers who are pushing this movement and this mission forward to bring the truth about hemp and cannabis to your doorstep so that you can make empowered decisions about how you want to treat yourself, the people that you love and the conditions you may be suffering from and if you are growing a business in this space, take notes because we are about to dive into some pretty sweet treats when it comes to growing your business. David, thanks so much for being with us today.
David Klein: That was the best introduction I've ever had in my life. Thank you.
Sonia Gomez: You're welcome.
David Klein: I love that word can…
Sonia Gomez: Cannaprenuer
David Klein: I love that can, I never really liked the word entrepreneur I don't know why but I like that cannaprenuer.
Sonia Gomez: Thank you Well, I mean this is it never fails me to hear incredible stories and people's transitions and you know the why behind the by like, why did they buy into the CBD space? Why are they coming into this space and there's usually some sort of incredible reason or story behind it? So, before we dive into all of the cool things that you have done thus far to get to where you are? share with us a little bit about who you are and your background and what you're doing in this space now?
David Klein: Awesome. Okay. In 1976 I had $800 to my name, no credit card. Not even a Diners Club card back then. With $800 I started the Jelly Belly Jelly Bean. I was the founder of Jelly Belly jelly beans.
Sonia Gomez: They're my favorite things in the world.
David Klein: Thank you. It was an amazing ride that lasted for years. The story behind it is available on our web page, which is spectrumconfections.com or it's available also for free on Amazon Prime. Where it's been on there for a couple of years now. We're going to flex for a couple of years. Prior to that, it was on a documentary channel it's appeared our documentary Candyman the David Klein story has appeared in festivals film festivals since the year 2010. All over the world. It was part of the Hot Docs, which is a great documentary festival in Toronto once a year. It was at the film festival in Utah. It was in Israel. It was in France. It was in Italy. I mean, this thing was in Puerto Rico. It was everywhere. And it's had an audience of millions of people, and we're very proud of it. My son and his wife were involved with it as well as a gentleman from New Zealand who worked on Lord of the Rings, Costa Botes, as well as Jennifer and Bert Klein. My son and his wife.
Sonia Gomez: Man, this is so incredible. So is Jelly Belly, a family business a family-owned and family-run a business or what?
David Klein: It's owned by one man. Herm Rowland Now, we have not been involved with them since the year 1980. Actually, let me take that back from 1980 to 2000. Once a month they sent us a check. Would you consider that involvement?
Sonia Gomez: I mean, yes, but not
David Klein: I think the last time I was involved with them was 1980. They forgot the 20 years they were paying us once a month
Sonia Gomez: as long as they remember to send the check
David Klein: 1980 exactly the truth, guys.
Sonia Gomez: I love it. Okay, so what have you been doing now?
Getting Back in the Jelly Bean Business After 40 Years
David Klein: what I've been doing, I've been waiting for 40 some odd years to get back into the Jelly Bean business. Can you imagine every morning of your life, waking up, and fans I need to get back into the Jelly Bean business. And you're unable to for 40 some odd years until just a few years ago when we came up with the idea of introducing CBD into jelly beans. And we worked on the formula for over two years to finally perfect it. And we've been actually in the space. I like it when people say this space we've been in that space for you know the English call it range. Did you know that? No. You ever hear anybody from English talking about what your range is? Oh, yes. Or also in South Africa, they use the same word. Probably other places to the head English influence. Yeah, we've been in the range for about the past six months, and we love this industry. We love this industry asked me why we love this industry.
Sonia Gomez: Why do you love this industry? David?
David Klein: We just do. We really do. Okay, and what we're getting tremendous gratification from. Obviously we're not allowed to make any medical claims. Thank you government, but we get calls from people all the time. Lady calls me she could not make a fist. She had a couple of our beans. Manager. lady was in the doctor's office. They couldn't read her. Her blood pressure was off the chart. They couldn't he couldn't even post. She went into the ladies' room. She had a couple of our beans in her purse. She took them. She walked right out. We were able to take this CBD has so many possible benefits. I'm sure you're much more you've been in this space How long?
Sonia Gomez: So my husband and I have been in this Space collaboratively, you know, or collectively for about 35 years. His entry. His entry into this space came from being a teenager he grew up in Aspen, Colorado, all throughout Colorado, his family was in the oil and gas industry. And he was sort of the black sheep of the family and was always preaching about organic gardening you know, planetary sustainability, you know, eating healthy, so on and so forth and really enjoyed using cannabis. Well, they, you know, were
David Klein: Say no more
Sonia Gomez: they were not into it. And so she ended up leaving home really early, about 17, 18 years old going off to the Emerald Triangle to go to school and study with Paul Pitchford, who is one of the pioneers in holistic health and holistic medicine and, you know, found himself fully immersed in the cannabis culture of Humboldt County and made his way building his business by acquiring real estate I mean really from the ground up started by Yeah, I started by hauling bags of soil down thousand-foot ravines to grow cannabis in the middle of the, you know, forest up there and worked his way up to when to prop 215 was passed in California '96 and at that time he started to develop artists and farms five to 25 acres with houses greenhouses, he put all of the SOPs and strains and helped families build sustainable business, cultivate a quality product and help them distribute it for the best price and so he was on the very much on the business side. My journey with cannabis started as a patient I was in a near-fatal sporting accident and that triggered this whole syndrome in my body that was similar to watching somebody get electrocuted by a cattle prod and even though I spent 10s of thousands of dollars and hours with the medicals with it traditional medical system I was getting worse and worse at the peak of my illness I was missing three out of five days of school I was 100 pounds overweight using seven different medications and you know was really losing hope and you know David when hearing these stories when you when conceptually you think oh you poor thing like something's happening to you but the worst of it was not what was happening to me I could sustain the pain and the depression but the hardest part was watching what it was doing to my family to have that you know, in your environment, all the time
David Klein: I can only imagine
Sonia Gomez: is just awful. So finally we came in, in contact with a holistic neurologist who introduced me to my endocannabinoid system taught me about vital nutrients and micro-dosing with hemp and cannabis derivatives and strain selection and within three months, I was off my medication six months off all anti-inflammatories and within 90 Lost 97 pounds and be found like advocate for, you know cannabis and hemp health. And you know, I've had to battle the legal system, the medical system for my rights to safe access. And through that journey got invited to the Department of Revenue here in Colorado where I supported legislative development that would legalize cannabis, we owned and operated one of the first licensed businesses. And in the last two years, we've built a following of over 1 million people impacted over 50 million around the world with our education and we are committed to helping bring the truth to the surface so that entrepreneurs and patients alike and get connected can collaborate and we can really start to see the change that is possible with the growth of this industry.
David Klein: That's so fantastic.
Sonia Gomez: It is and it's most fantastic because I get to connect with folks like yourself who understand. I mean, I truly believe that you understand how to capture people's attention and keep them committed to a brand I mean what you did with jelly beans that I mean these little hand I call again their pocket treats, right? Everybody wants a handful in their pocket. And for me, it's like a microdose of happiness when I have a handful of jelly beans in my pocket, but now you've done the same thing with CBD. How exactly and I'll tell you something. I've learned so much about the industry in the last six months. I didn't know what infused mad or beans obviously are infused not sprayed on.
David Klein: I didn't know milligrams I didn't know any of that stuff. Each one of our beans is 10 milligram and we have three varieties we have a third Can you imagine 38 flavors and what it costs to store 38 flavors worth of flavors and colors. Gummy Bears what 6, 7 flavors. Yeah, so we have 38 flavours assorted. We have 38 flavors sour. So you are, we have seven flavours sugar-free trying to hit every market. And we just feel so happy that we're in the CBD industry. We've had so much help from people that we can call a day or night, ask them questions, and they're only happy to answer them.
Sonia Gomez: Well what made you want to jump in is this is a far cry from and you're coming from a generation where the stigma associated with you know hemp and cannabis was as not a favorable one. So, what was it?
The Idea of Creating a Hemp-CBD Edible Line
We need to get involved with this and see how we can contribute our candy making knowledge of 45 years to make the best gourmet edibles in the market. -David Klein Click To Tweet
David Klein: That's a great question. We were actually we were in Colorado almost three years ago. And we were staying at a hotel there. I believe it was Colorado Springs and Rebecca, my wife fell down to one of the nastiest falls, you'd ever want to see in your life. And she was in tremendous pain. And we happened at that time to be going by one of the legal stores there. So I said, You know what, let me go in there and see if I can find something that could help you. And I went in there, and she got almost immediate relief. It was edible. I believe they were cookies. Don't remember the brand,s but thank you, Cookie company. And, for Matter of fact, I remember falling asleep almost immediately after eating it, and then when we got back to Florida, where we live. I said, there's something to this, even though I have never tried it before anything in that realm. We need to get involved with this and see how we can contribute our candy making knowledge of 45 years to make the best gourmet edibles in the market. So we started with jelly beans. We were the subject of 1200 and 14 different articles in the press, including High Times, cannabis now. Fortune Magazine, Forbes magazine, Bloomberg. Every everywhere we were on TV, we were on a news CBS NBC Fox overnight. We were nationwide not only are we nationwide now, we're selling our product worldwide.
Sonia Gomez: That's incredible. So it would just happen overnight for you guys. I mean, for me was
David Klein: an overnight success that took 40 some odd years. Yeah.
Sonia Gomez: And it was your exit out of the jelly bean. Let me and let me just explain or understand that a little bit better. Did you have a non compete when you sold the company or was
David Klein: we have the contract to sell the company that I found it was in 1980, we had a 20-year non compete clause, which would never have held up in court, by the way, you can't force somebody to not compete with you for 20 years. And because I signed it, and I knew right from the beginning, that I kind of challenge that in any court of law. I held to the initial contract because I think people should hold if they possibly can do something that they signed. So that contract was up in the year 2000. And then we made other attempts to get back into the Jelly Bean business which I Love and through various things that are going to be. In our next documentary, we're working on Candyman returns, people will be able to see what happened to me that kept me out of the industry for another 20 years.
Sonia Gomez: So, David, we have a lot of people who are listening to this to this podcast right now who I call budding entrepreneurs, people who are looking at the industry, perhaps they have some success in working, you know, in a more traditional industry, or maybe they've already made the transition into the cannabis or hemp movement, and are looking to grow and scale regardless of where they're at whether they're considering their move in or already building their business. Everybody is faced with inevitable challenges in growing their business. You have established a certain level of success and building, building a company that a) you are really passionate about. That's I think is something that a lot of entrepreneurs miss is following a passion and a purpose. And really, they aim for profits. And I'm, I'm really curious to hear from you. What are some key things that a cannapreneur or a new budding entrepreneur should understand or should follow when they're starting or conceptualizing their business?
Key Things That Cannapreneurs and Budding Entrepreneurs Need to Understand When Conceptualizing the Business
David Klein: That's a great question. It sounded like a four-part question, but it wasn't
Sonia Gomez: explanation.
David Klein: There was a great question. Okay. What I would do if I were starting in this industry over I mean, it was only six months ago, but here's what I would do. I would go to a place like Whole Foods, I'm sure you've been in Whole Foods. Have you? Okay, good. And I would spend about two hours there, I would take a shopping cart. So nobody questioned what I was doing. Okay. And I was I would go down I'll file literally stopping at every product that was there. And I would look at that product truck Whole Foods probably at this moment does not have any items with CBD in it. Would you say that's correct?
Sonia Gomez: No. they have they definitely have CBD products in it but
David Klein: with food?
Sonia Gomez: not with food. They have it with I was just gonna say they have it in the nutritional section right and select locations.
David Klein: Okay, but I'm talking about food items.
Sonia Gomez: Yeah, no not food items.
David Klein: I would look at all the food items there. Whether it's ketchup, whatever it is. And I would say what can we add CBD to that would improve this product. That would be the first thing I would do. I would come up with a very catchy name for the public. I would register the domain so that nobody else could claim that domain for that product. Probably could not get a federal trademark right now on any food product with CBD in it. So you'd have to wait for that.
Sonia Gomez: GW pharmaceutical own CBD.
David Klein: Yes, they do. We know that. And you know what? I don't understand that. There's a man that had hemp he made have burgers. What's it right, what's his last name? rose? Do you know him? Yeah. Richard rose. Mm-hmm. He made hamburgers. years ago. They weren't the first one that put hemp that put hemp into a CBD happened to an edible. How did it How did they get a patent on that? Can you tell me that?
Sonia Gomez: I can't tell you that but the US has had a patent on it. I think it's our patents. I don't know they've had a patent on it for a decade or so already on all cannabinoids period, GW Pharmaceuticals, patented CBD when they created up a dial x which is this watered-down version of a pharmaceutical-grade quote-unquote CBD isolate the specific for epilepsy. So there are all sorts of restrictions and biases. You know, there are all sorts of restrictions on what you can do and I anticipate a pretty significant shift in what we are going to be able to say and do around labeling with quote-unquote CBD. A lot of folks were advised that a lot of folks move towards calling it a full spectrum or broad-spectrum or whatever it is that you had. I heard a lot of that. Yeah, we're, you know, relabeling the products so that it's not using CBD because let's be frank, the governing agencies are funded by big business and Big Pharma. That's where they're getting 80% of your right.
David Klein: We have to look at reality and what it is not what we want it to be.
Sonia Gomez: Yeah, absolutely. So there, you know, all you can do is stay ahead of the curve. And it's going to be pretty and I was just talking about this in another interview how that we're going to have the clash of the titans here pretty soon. And the industry is growing so quickly, where itself right now we're self-governing, we're interpreting the, you know, parameters of the law right now. It's there are no real guidelines that allow us to be, in full compliance. And so we're having to self govern. In some cases, it's a mess. And in other cases, it's a really beautiful thing because we have an opportunity to change the way that things have been done, especially in big business and, but as far as restriction goes, they can pull the plug on us that anytime,
David Klein: I believe Yeah, I think everybody is aware of that. I don't think they will, but everybody is aware of that. Let me ask you a question. If I could you consider tinctures, edibles?
Sonia Gomez: do you know the word tincture indicates that there is an alcohol base and in which case it turns it into a supplement rather than a or a remedy rather than a nutritional supplement or revenue rather than and quote-unquote edible once you remove it and how you use a liquid or a quote-unquote dropper versus a tincture droppers are not alcohol base, they are tend to be like oil or glycerin base so you can administer them on top of the tongue rather than an alcohol-based tincture, which is generally most beneficial if you use it under the tongue like the holistic remedy. So tincture more on the supplement side whereas a glycerin base dropper would be considered an adjustable or edible. I think, don't quote me on that. That's not from any like,
David Klein: you know, no, I'm not going to quote on that. But you know much more about the industry.
Sonia Gomez: I've sat in rooms
David Klein: been in it for a long time, but You know, a lot of people are in an industry they have no idea what's going on.
Sonia Gomez: Yeah, they have no idea. Honestly, I don't think to the consumer that it really matters we're putting. And I talked about this with companies all the time who are putting so much emphasis on how smart they are, how much they know. And to me that the humility that or how humble the consumer actually is for me, the average consumer is like Homer and Marge Simpson, which is why I think a brand or product like yours is so incredible because it knows no age knows no boundaries, it's relevant and reliable to a little person all the way to a grandma and grandpa right. This is something that you can find in every household and it would have a feel and be comfortable and safe and not have this crazy stigma associated with it. Whereas all of this other stuff most of the time when I'm interviewing folks, it's this battle of like, how smart do I sound? How much do I know? How much can I share? And people don't. They don't care if it's a tincture or a dropper, they don't care. They just want to all they want to know is is it going to work for me? Is this is gonna work and why should they pick this over aspirin? So we keep it. Nice. Excellent.
David Klein: I totally hear you on that. We're coming out with a new product within the next couple of days. The hurricane kind of set us back a little bit.
Sonia Gomez: But you're still in your house.
David Klein: Yeah. We were waiting for the interview.
Sonia Gomez: I'm going to that's my bragging rights for all of time now. Well, I'm stayed behind the hangout with John Travolta and waiting for my interview
David Klein: event which is true, and we're fine. We're fine. Thank you. We're really good. We're coming out with something called jelly bean juice and it's going to be a liquid tincture. And they're going to be in flavors. Like the original jelly bellies that I created. We're going to have a black, you know, do you like black licorice?
Sonia Gomez: I'm not a huge fan of black licorice. I actually like red licorice better.
David Klein: I gotta tell you something because out there somebody wrestling loves black licorice. Yes. And if you love black licorice, and you consume too much of it. It's my belief and you can look us up. It's my belief that it can not everybody, but it can rob your body of potassium. I know in one case, where a young man consumed seven ounces of black licorice from New Zealand and had to be rushed to the hospital because he had very little potassium in his body. So if you're going to eat some black licorice have a banana afterward, please. We're going to have black licorice. We're going to have buttered popcorn, all the all-time favorite, jelly beans flavors that I created. You know,
Sonia Gomez: I have to be honest about this and I don't know if like my kids going to kill me later for saying this and that's okay. She's two years old and we sat her down with one of those eggs full like on Easter, we sat her down with an Easter egg full of jelly beans and she sat down in the grandma's couch feet, not even barely hitting the edge of the couch. And she sat there in her big old fluffy dress and just picked every single booger flavored Wow. Jelly Bean out and I was you know, some kids pick out the strawberries and pick kids to pick out all of them. So I'm like the cherry I always go for like the lemonade when I think right yeah, but she sat there and she picked out and if the green one Wasn't booger flavor and she'd spit it out and so adorable. She picked out every booger flake, is there going to be a booger flavor jelly juice?
David Klein: You know what? Probably not. You never know. I have found out my 45 years in this candy industry to keep an open mind as much as possible because you never really know what's going to work and what's not going to work. And we just love the industry we love. We're trying to come up with new edibles that have never been done before. And we're not just trying to copy what's been done before. And we just love this whole that people in this business. We love the customers. It's a whole different industry than the regular candy industry.
Sonia Gomez: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Completely agree with that. So David, will you share with me a little bit about about the the journey of growing the this incredible business we know that the CBD space is amazing as it is it also comes with its own unique set of challenges, no matter how big or small or how significant or established or prepared an entrepreneur is, when they come into this space, almost none of them are prepared to troubleshoot through the challenges that are only unique to this industry. For instance, banking, advertising, marketing, and I understand that with your history, maybe some of these were not such a big challenge. But what were some of the hiccups in your, in your years of preparation to make your entry back into this space. What were some of the challenges that you faced?
The Pains of Growing the Business
David Klein: Right, great question. The marketing was easy part. We had I call it up Our first article was cannabis now. Yeah. Our second was a nice lady, a very nice lady from high times. Sharon, Sharon Letts. And they said, Yeah, said, this sounds very interesting. You're the guy that founded jelly bellies. And I said, Yes, I am. And they said, well, when can we do an interview? I said immediately, and then it just spread from there. So by me saying, I'm the inventor of jelly bellies. And by the way, we have the legal right. For anybody selling the product to say that that product was made by the man who was the founder of jelly bellies. Wow. Because it's true. I mean, that's the truth, but that we had problems along the way we had an Instagram account, with all of a sudden, was suddenly removed without any notice. And that that was kind of traumatic. We had Federal Express tell us they didn't want our business anymore. And that was kind of traumatic. I mean, you know, what could, we had, we had all kinds of issues like that. But you know what, we're still here. We're still smiling. We found ways around it. And we're very much in business. We really expanded our business three times. In the last couple of months. We were back. ordered. You wouldn't believe we were at the point where we were afraid to answer the phone. Literally. One day, we had 10,000 hits on the computer. Oh my gosh, and not 5000 but 10,000 hits. We're lucky that computer didn't crash the phone was ringing even at three in the morning. And every time I went by them, I picked him up. I said Spectrum Confections, how can I help you? And they said, What are you doing answering the phone at three in the morning? I said because I love talking to people. And I love this business. And that was crazy. They thought I was joking when I said I'm the man who invented Jelly Belly
Sonia Gomez: to invent jelly bellies. Can you take me back into the lab? I mean, how did you come up with those little perfectly textured nuggets? Okay.
David Klein: I always love jelly beans throughout my whole life. As I was going to law school, as I was walking on Sixth Street, there was a store there by the name of Alan Works Confections. Right before you got to Vermont. Are you familiar at all with that area?
Sonia Gomez: Slightly and not as much as I'd like to be but slightly
David Klein: Okay, so I went in there, and they had a $2 package of jelly beans. And I bought them and I started eating them on my way to law school. It was about 11 o'clock in the morning. And I said to myself, you know, this is a product right here that are universally recognized. Everybody knows what a jelly bean is. Just like everybody knows what a gummy bear is. By the way. Gummy Bears are one of the best selling edibles on the market. And our product can ship anywhere in the world without melting down because there's no gelatin and a jelly bean. Most people think there's gelatin in a jelly bean. There's no gelatin on our Jelly Bean and because we have 38 flavors and it can ship anywhere. It's really a dad who has a lot of advantages. So anyway, here I am eating the jelly beans and taking them myself someday. And not the far too far distant future was about four years later, I said, I'm going to create a jelly bean. And then when I was talking to a buddy of mine on the phone, we were talking about business and how when you have a business, that you're starting to talk to other people about what you're going to be doing and run ideas by you off of each other. And I said, I think I'm going to open up, Happy Days were on. It was up Thursday night at eight o'clock. Rebecca my wife was breastfeeding or youngster at La Leche League. And while I was watching happy days while she was God, and I was talking to a buddy of mine. It was about 15 at night. And I said I think I'm going to open up a jelly bean store. And he said, What do you mean a jelly bean store? Nobody's ever done that before. I said that's reason enough to do it. He said, Are you going to be Karen job rakers, licorice rope, things like that? I said no, I don't think so. That would take away the uniqueness of it. I suggested the Jelly Bean store. So I came up with the name Jelly Belly was inspired by Lead Belly. Lead Belly was a singer. And I heard his name once on Sanford and Son. They talked about Lead Belly and that name stuck in my red fox was on the stars Sanford and Son and that name stuck in my brain until I needed to come up the belly part Lead Belly later found out he went to jail It was either for murder or attempted murder. So Jelly Belly was actually named and the name was inspired by a man who went to jail for a long time. Which I find kind of interesting Wait What was I prior to that what did you ask me?
Sonia Gomez: My question was take me back to the lab and how you and how you got How did that tell Jelly Belly even come about?
His Wholesale Business and the History of Jelly Belly
Always when you're pitching somebody have the product with you. Actually, it's best to bring in a whole case. - David Klein Click To Tweet
David Klein: Okay, so I had to find a store to sell them at I was in the wholesale that business back then. I started with Walnuts Halves and Pieces. 25-pound cases amber light, amber light walnuts, have some pieces. And for three months, I only had walnuts to sell And then slowly but surely I added elements or as they're pronounced in Chico Amens. They pronounced some amens there for some reason. You know anybody in Chico. And then I started adding cashews. Do you know why you've never seen a cashew in a shell? Why? The sack has some kind of poison in it. So you cannot sell it on the shelf. Whoa, no, I didn't know that yeah, most people don't. So I started selling Famous Amos his pecans or as he pronounces empty cans. And I started selling him for his chocolate chip cookies. I went into his first store, which was at the corner of Sunset and Promosa and I walked in And I said who buys your pecans here. And they sent me into a man by the name of Sid Ross. Whose wife I went to high school with. Just that a random curiosity like that. And anyway, I said to him, I would like to supply you with the best pecan in the whole world out of the shell 30-pound case from that tree and somewhere in Georgia and he said, Let me see a sample. Always when you're pitching somebody has the product with you. Actually, it's best to bring in a whole case. When I went to a farmers market to show them the walnuts I went to, to the man there that own the biggest candy store there Carson and rock was my first sale actually. And I said to him, I've got fantastic walnuts, they're a new crop. It's nice if you have a new crop when you're showing the walnuts, especially if the price has gone down from the old crop and the old crop walnuts were around $1.45 a pound. I was able to sell him a new crop because there was a huge, huge crop that year. Most people don't realize there's only one crop a year on nuts. And if there's a lot of big crops, the price comes down. I was able to sell him those at 98 cents a pound. He said let me see them. So I brought them in. He was on Third Street right across from farmers market had a blue Jagwire in the back. Never forget that car. And he took a handful out of the box and he took them to his nose and snip then he did a sniff test. He said I'll take 100 pounds. And that was my first sale in the nut business. $98. And so that's how I started in that business. But when I came up with the idea for jelly bellies, I knew that it was too good of an idea not to go forthwith. I didn't have enough money for a store. You know what anybody can make excuses that they didn't do it because they either didn't have enough money or enough time to create this business on the side while I still kept my net business open. Because I had people like famous Amos that needed an order of 40 cases, delivered once a week. And you can't just say to them, goodbye. I'm in the Jelly Bean business. So while I was building up the Jelly Bean business I still maintain my business and I must be selling a lot of candy stores. They're not because they were making. They were making candy with the nuts, budge. Turtles. By the way, Turtles is a registered trademark. And everywhere you go, they're using the word turtles. They're violating the federal trademark law. That's why you see a lot of companies. They don't call them turtles, they'll call them something else. I could not give the jelly bellies away. In the beginning, I brought them to my existing net customers. And I showed them the product. And the very first question even before they tasted it, I think I would taste something first before I asked how much they were was how much are these? And I would say $1 a pound. That was our price for the stores in the beginning. I was paying 59 cents a pound to my contract manufacture. One day I called them up after the Product got very successful. And I said to them, it's time for you to go up 10 cents a pound. And my contract manufacturer said, say that one more time. I said it's time for you to go up 10 cents a pound. And he said, In all the years I've been in business, nobody has ever asked me to go up in price. What's your angle here? And I said, there's no real angle, making money on I want to make sure that you are and he said, we have 40,000 pounds, coming down to Southern California. That's where we were back in those days. We have 40,000 pounds coming down tomorrow on Crescent truck line. Do you want me to go up on those, or do you want me to wait? I said go up on those. It was an additional $4,000 that I paid on that one order. I said, by all means, go up tomorrow. There's no point of I'm the one that asked for the price increase. Please do.
Sonia Gomez: What was your method behind? Like, what was your reasoning behind that most people are trying to find a better deal.
David Klein: I didn't, I always believed in the opposite of what everybody else did. I believe that if they were happy, I would get price. You got to remember one thing, they made 100 other items in their factory. I knew that someday I would be using all of their capacity. I wanted to make sure that it was profitable for them to make this product versus other products that they were making in their factory. And I figured a time of power was a pretty good increase. So it wasn't just an altruistic point of view. I figured that if they made money on it, they would keep on producing the product.
Sonia Gomez: So you have the foresight to be able to you had that sort of I it's like a gut instinct that says I want to make this a win-win situation.
Problems with Contract Manufacturers and the Importance of Having a Contract
There're some things you do in life that you don't like but you doing. - David Klein Click To Tweet
David Klein: Absolutely. When I was in People Magazine, I had a feature article about me. It was the issue that had OJ Simpson on the cover. That's now worth a lot of money, by the way, because of that. I bought 200 copies off the newsstand. And I have one left. So when I was in People Magazine, I was in a bathtub of jelly beans in the back of my truck that I delivered pecans and walnuts and almonds, and it was in South El Monte, California. It was over 105 degrees that day. I was in a bathing suit that sweat from the jellybeans caused them to stick to the hair on my chest. It was probably one of the most uncomfortable feelings I've ever had in my life. But you know what, there are some things you do in life that you don't like but you doing and when the owner, my contract manufacturer who was called Herman Goelitz back in those days when he went to the newsstand, along with his sales manager, Richard Schaefer, and picked up a copy of that People magazine article. He turned to rich, who, by the way, is a very good friend of mine even today. And he said to Rich, David has just ruined company has just ruined the company by posing like this, okay, you wouldn't be so far
Sonia Gomez: I'm with you. I'm 100%
David Klein: I ruined the company. My philosophy was you got a full page written up in People Magazine, followed by another full page of a picture of yourself in a bathtub of jellybeans. That's not ruining the company. Anyway, he told him, here's what I need you to do tomorrow. And this was without telling me by the way. By the way, very few people know this. I would say less than a handful. He told him Go ahead. They were making candy corn at the time selling it at 28 cents a pound. He said I want you tomorrow to call all the rebaggers. Rebaggers or people that take somebody else's product. And they stick it in, in a bag under their own name. Yeah, it's kind of probably equivalent to white label. Which I know you know. I know you do. I know the down. So they went. His sales manager went out started calling on people. Now here's the story that candy corn was made on the same mogul that the Jelly Belly was you cannot make candy corn the same time you make the Jelly Belly. So they signed up without telling me any of these. I'm out there promoting the product on the Mike Douglas show. flying all over the country. AM Los Angeles, AM New York. I was at AM la five times with Regis Philbin and Sarah Purcell and Cindy Garvey one time, Steve Harvey's, the ballplayer's former wife. So I was not informed that I shouldn't be out there selling the product. Meanwhile, I make I'm taking orders from everybody, because of all the publicity I generated. And I'm wondering why the orders aren't being filmed. It was probably one of the worst episodes of my life, promising people products. Not knowing why the factory is not making it. And then having those customers think that I'm favoring somebody else when I'm just literally taking them on the order that they came in. It was a terrible, terrible experience. And then, based upon that experience, I decided in my mind, I would never rely on a contract manufacturer again. If I could help it, I don't know if you've ever seen cookie and cream malt balls, or a mint cookie and cream malt balls? I created that product. I call it up the company and I over the phone. And I said I want you to make for me a new malt ball. In those days, I never did anything with contracts with anybody. I trusted people. You know, I never really did anything with contracts. We're talking about the late 1970s, early 1980s. Yeah, sorry, call it a company that made the marbles and I said I want you guys to make me a cookie and cream mall pop I want to make with Oreo cookies. And I wanted mid cookie and cream all ball and you guys can market them. I want to market them myself. But every pound I want 17 cents a pound royalty. And the owner said sound, the sales manager said sounds great. We're going to do it. It was the sales manager. And every month I got a check from them. every single month I got a check. 17 cents a pound. One month I didn't get anything. So I figured you know they were laid pan. They didn't have the money. Who knows. the second month, nothing. Nothing in the mail. The third month, I decided to call them and I said to him, I did not get a check this month What's going on? Well, you're not going to get it anymore. Okay, how do you figure that? He said, Well, the man you made the deal with is not here anymore. I said, Okay, the man that I made a deal with is not there anymore. You sign the check, it wasn't him. He said that has nothing to do with it. You're not going to get a penny anymore. So it was that lesson plus the Jelly Belly lesson. I decided we needed to control our own destiny, if at all possible. So all the people out there that are thinking about having somebody make the product, either have it in writing with them in a form of a contract, spend 1000 bucks if you have to do an attorney, or whatever it's going to run. Attorney probably won't do it for 1000 probably 15 And have that thing in a contract. Because if the product gets very, very successful, nothing's really preventing them from one going up in price to you and saying that their costs have gone up, either you again, the unions had a strike there, and they had to pay higher union wages. There are million excuses to raise prices. So that's a very valuable lesson that I learned the hard way.
Sonia Gomez: I absolutely love that. You just went into the detail around that because it's, it's hard for somebody like me who sits on the peripheral, but advises through the challenges to articulate the importance of managing or stabilizing your supply chain. I mean, owning the process from soil to sale is the ideal situation to be a first a fully vertical integrated company with a lot of options. printers are not in the space where they can invest that heavily in each one of the facets of their business to make it that way. So what are some of so ideal situation is having a contractual agreement with a manufacturer that you can trust to deliver the quality and quantity of product when you need it.
Creating a Name for Your Product
David Klein: So very nicely said that that's really important. Another thing is they're trying to establish a product, come up with a name. That's a catchy name that hopefully doesn't have. You don't want it to have 10 names is imagined inside your hair smells delicious or something like that habit. Preferably, two words like Jelly Belly, and it'd be nice if it rhymes. And a name that you can get a domain on is very important. A name. That's all So available on Instagram. I have you heard of Instagram kicking other people up?
Sonia Gomez: I have heard of Instagram kicking other people off. I have heard
David Klein: it but they don't kick everybody off. What're their criteria for kicking somebody off?
Sonia Gomez: I don't know. I wish I didn't know that because it's quite random. Same thing with Facebook. It's like they're like, and I don't mean to be sexist at all. But they're like women who have PMS saying there, they just have mood swings and all of a sudden you're exiled. And then you have to go through this whole crazy appeal process. And it's frustrating.
David Klein: Have you known anybody to get back in with them?
Sonia Gomez: Yeah, you know, that's actually one of the areas so we did not start we're actually still not an agency. We have turned into an advisory group and have developed a program called the Emerald circle mastermind, which is an annual membership that companies can pay to get access to tools. Resources relationships and my husband and I have taken it upon ourselves with our years in the industry to pull together our network. So that when companies are trying to find reputable sources for, you know, whatever biomass or you know, contract manufacturing or whatever it is, we have a network of people who have established experience reputation, you know, are trustworthy in the marketplace and are not just in it for the profits that are actually there to like, help people get into a flow with their companies. So, through this process, I
David Klein: love that I really really love that. You know, we got a call from somebody, I won't tell you where they were, or their name, but in talking to them. I told this person I said we're not profit-motivated to the obviously up to make money to stay in business. Yeah, that's the main reason we started this business. And they said, Well, I'm not that way. I'm in it for the money. And I said You know what, I'm gonna have to hang up on you right now. I don't really want to do business with you. And I start, I turned down something that would have probably been a huge sale. I don't want to do business with people that are that way.
Sonia Gomez: I don't either. And it's difficult, you know, when especially if, you know, money has to be tiered. Here's my thing about income. It's a direct reflection of the impact that you're able to make and how much how much leverage you have when bringing value into the marketplace determines the amount of impact that you're able to make and will also be the law of reciprocation or reciprocity that the universe operates by will arrive in the form of income and It will be a bonus to see the ripple effect of your work that will come with positive reinforcement behind the paycheck. And most people that are getting into business think about the money first they have their business plans, they have their profit margins, their p&l sheets, they know we're all of you know, the list logistics of this, but there's no soul to the company anymore. And so when I
In any business I started, I figured if I gave the best service if I gave the best product if I work seven, eight days a week, which I had to do in the beginning, if I did all that the money would eventually flow. - David Klein Click To Tweet
David Klein: You're so right, like so, right, I never believed in any of that. Any in any business I started, I figured if I gave the best service if I gave the best product if I work seven, eight days a week, which I had to do in the beginning, if I did all that the money would eventually flow.
Sonia Gomez: You know, I have to 100% agree with you. And so the way that we've talked about money and you know the profitability of your company and how to how to achieve these certain milestones. You know, number one is starting with and this is just to give you insight I mean I've learned I'm over here like scratching out notes because the important the wisdom that comes with your experience and how you're telling your stories and you know it's these little details and there are three things I'm really taking away from what you're sharing right now David and number one is relationships. I say this all the time how you do one thing is how you do everything earning trust getting trust is a gift to the first time but once you compromise the trust it's in nearly impossible to get it back it played out
David Klein: you'll never get it back.
Being in integrity and how you do one thing in a handshake deal whether or not you have a signature on a page is you know going to determine a lot around your success people. - Sonia Gomez Click To Tweet
Sonia Gomez: Yeah, you'll never come back you never get it back. You may find forgiveness in it but to have that purity of the relationship as it was in the first handshake will never recover once the Trust has been compromised. So how you do one thing is how you do everything and being absolute integrity. Your own behalf on behalf of your kids, your company, whatever it is, being in integrity and how you do one thing in a handshake deal whether or not you have a signature on a page is you know going to determine a lot around your success people, people will know who you are and how you are right away based off of, you know, how you end up doing things. So, and this business, especially the history of cannabis business, is all relationships based. You got to know a guy, you got to know a guy to get your stuff you got to know guidance, to know where to buy it all. You got to know somebody,
David Klein: right? If any events missing, it doesn't work.
Sonia Gomez: It doesn't work. And you can you can't This is not something that you can buy your way into and have longevity, there really has to be a passion behind and a purpose behind the profits that you're aiming to make. So in anyways and the Emerald circle mastermind, David we created it because we knew that there were far too many businesses out there. That, you know, what we call budding entrepreneurs who are trying to find their foothold in this industry. And we're losing their shirts to, you know, bullshit artists caught contract manufacturers who weren't, you know, who were falsifying reports or, you know, do just doing things out of integrity, and it compromised the reputation of the industry as a whole and not everybody's in a position where they can, you know, doesn't matter how much money you have no one's in a position to lose precious resources, not when you're trying to make the impact,
David Klein: right? Absolutely.
Sonia Gomez: So we created the Emerald circle to give people a safe place to come around and network and get access to those key relationships. And it's been
David Klein: brilliant. What's your what's your website?
Sonia Gomez: So the theemeraldcircle.com
David Klein: simple enough I like that.
Sonia Gomez: Yeah, thank you and
David Klein: great domain, don't lose that domain. We will not
Sonia Gomez: lose that domain. It's been really cool.
David Klein: Always renew that domain when it comes up for renewal.
Sonia Gomez: We Well, it's been a really cool experience, you know, because again, what I was saying was we didn't start out as an advisory company, we didn't start out as we're not, we're still not an agency. But because we have the captivated audience, this huge consumer audience and marketing and advertising have been such a challenge for the people in this industry, we started to vet out these companies to make sure that they were operating at a level that we could get behind. And we started to discover that even if we did send them, you know, a million clicks or 1000, clicks or whatever they didn't have, what they needed in place to receive that kind of traffic or exposure. So we started to get them you know, that you need a sales funnel or a website or a domain or whatever it was, that I needed to fully benefit from what we had to share with them. You know, we started to put those things in place and it just naturally evolved and I share with my members all the time, come to the table wondering how to solve a problem instead of how to get the process. If Well, if you follow if you
David Klein: can get Can you put that somewhere on a wall where everybody can look at that once a day? I'm not joking, I'm serious.
Sonia Gomez: Yeah, I am. I'm going to put it on a T-shirt,
David Klein: not a T-shirt and send them a T-shirt.
Sonia Gomez: I'm going to send you one too because I sell by the way. Sounds like we have a lot in common about around the mentality and you know, I say this all you cannot buy your way into success. Eventually, they'll be too many holes in the fabric for you to fall through if you operate outside of this. And so the things that I share with them is have a passion and have a purpose and the profits will come from those things. be socially and economically responsible to your community. And to your family, because that's where legacy is created. No matter how much money you make, the legacy that you leave behind will show in the way that your children and grandchildren duplicate the year results.
David Klein: I love that. We started a division of our company called Candy Man Cares. Candy Man I'm the Candy Man Cares, care. And our purpose behind that is to give back to people that really really need our help.
Sonia Gomez: How do we get involved with Candy Man cares?
David Klein: More details will be coming in the next two to three weeks.
Sonia Gomez: Okay, awesome. I want it I want to just share this with you. Because we created a similar thing we do we have two facets of our business. Now. For the longest time, we didn't even monetize our education. We just were giving it to the communities because we knew there was such a gap. And then lot just last fall, we launched The leaf Academy which created a certification program for people to understand how to select and use CBD and cannabis-based products to improve their health and functionality, created a natural health coach certification around it. And we've had just the most incredible success from our certified folks and a couple of nonprofits popped up in my scope that is rehabilitating nonviolent offenders who have been put into jail for cannabis or hemp related offenses. And they're not they have felony charges and are trying to rehabilitate themselves into their communities. And so we started to donate these licenses and education and business training to these nonviolent offenders who are coming out of the prison system and trying to integrate back into society and set to date we've made $100,000 donation to a few different of these organizations and it, I'll tell you that the thank you letters that I'm getting from these folks who just need a chance who need an offer, just like you said, people who need our help. They sometimes somebody just needs to know that somebody is willing to help them. Right? You just need a chance in life. Oh, absolutely.
The People They Want to Help
David Klein: Well, I'll give you an example of who we are going to help. There. where we live. About a half a mile away. is a man who lives in the woods. And I've talked to him so many times. I wanted to get him an apartment. Get a motel for him. I wanted to he's in the woods. He lives in the woods in a tent.
Sonia Gomez: Is it by choice? How long has he been there?
David Klein: over 10 years. Is it by choice that he stays there? Is there something happening for him? Hard to say? Very Hard to say. But you know what? During a hurricane, a man like this should not have to be in the elements like that. Yeah.
Sonia Gomez: And so you're gonna start to work with the… let's call it?
David Klein: Well, he was he's been thrown off of property after property. Because whoever owns the property doesn't want him there anymore. So we are looking at another piece of property, where once he's on that, nobody will ever kick him off.
Sonia Gomez: No, so you're giving a place for these folks to belong? Yeah.
David Klein: We are. People have to do things like that. It just has to be done. Or otherwise, nobody will do it. Yeah.
Sonia Gomez: I always encourage folks and I'm like, my heart is just totally full and in my conversation with you like I'm completely lost track of time. I'm hoping that I'm being respectful of yours. Because I'm just enjoying the company and being in being in your good company. It's not too often that I get to speak to established entrepreneurs who will a, you know, take the time be to share the wisdom and learning lessons of their growth so freely and at the same time have, you know, you just you have this very comforting. I feel like I'm sitting in my grandpa's living room right now. Ah,
David Klein: that's, that's so nice. So, you have a little bit more time to tell you a little bit more about a guy with Jelly Belly.
Sonia Gomez: Yes.
Selling the Federal Trademark of Jelly Belly
David Klein: Okay, one day I got a phone call. And on the other end was the owner of Herman Goelitz , my contract manufacturer and he said to me, Dave, I'm flying down there tomorrow we were in Southern California. He was in Oakland at the time. And I said, Fine, I'll meet you at the airport. Which airport are you? Are you flying in Burbank or LAX? He said David's not that kind of a meeting. And I said, Okay. I said, What kind of a meeting is it? He said we're coming down there to buy the federal trademark. And we're not gonna leave until we do
Sonia Gomez: for Jelly Belly.
David Klein: Yeah. Cuz that's what the only thing we owned was the trademark. He made the product for us. And I said to him, okay, so they came down. He probably had 12 people would have
president vice president account Lawyer airy anybody that he could find? And it was just me and my partner kind of like a David versus Goliath type thing. And they had made it known. Prior to the meeting one of the people that was I was close to at the, at his place. I said, What happens if we don't sell to you guys when you come down and he told me that if we didn't sell that they were going to go back to Oakland, change the name. From Jelly Belly to another name, cut me off, cut me out of the picture completely. Never make another been for me. And they knew that by the time that got the court, they knew I would have sued them. Obviously. Because even though we didn't have a contract, we had a contract by action. And they knew I would have sued them. They said I would have been broke by the time that got to court, which is so sad how long it takes to get to court. I hope you never have the experience of having to get the federal court.
Sonia Gomez: I hope I never have that experience either. But I'll tell you what, I have this awful this taught me my learning lesson well enough. I was renting. It was the first time I was moving in with my boyfriend because I was much more conservative than many of my friends. I didn't want to move in until I was engaged. And we're moving into this place. We live there for a year the landlord was just awful. And when we decided to move out like he raised our when we went to renew our lease to stay there he raised the rent $1,000 So we were like,
David Klein: about a month. Yeah, that's crazy. Who in their right mind does that?
Sonia Gomez: I know so we were like okay, we're just going to move out and so we moved out and on we had 24 hours still to get out I had left like some items in the kitchen and I had left some, you know, just random stuff in the house to go and clean out the next day before the cleaning ladies were coming in. And he had come in and that 24 hour period changed the locks locked everything down, demolished the kitchen, taken pictures and submit in 24 hours and submitted it to court and sued us sued as saying that we left the house and l repair and destroyed profit pro I don't create such a crease. So he sued us for $15,000 and still on my credit. It's like the most incredible thing ever. And I so I told my husband I'm like I never I'd like mortified, right. I want to do it again. He was like a badge of pride. He's like, you know, every on every successful entrepreneur gets sued three times in their career. This was
David Klein: great. We had a situation similar to that. When I created the Jelly Belly founded the Jelly Belly. We were living in a rented home $300 a month in temple city on Sparkling Avenue. And after Jelly Belly came along, we had a little fun Bert, who went on to be the producer or director always get mixed up that Producer Director I don't know that Kenny mad. And so my wife said, you know we really and I knew the man that owned the home would spring for it. So I said let's just put it in. So we put in the carpet and then you know how you put confident and you need drapes because of the carpet. Yeah. So we put in at our own expense, we put in drapes. And then she said you know that kitchen linoleum needs an update. So we did that. And then we did an update in the bathroom. In those days. We probably spent between eight and $10,000. The landlord came into our house one day and he looked around, he said, You've done miraculous things here. This is fantastic. He had the nerve to call me the next day and said, you know, the place looks too nice for $300 he went up to $350
Sonia Gomez: Oh my God.
David Klein: And then when we moved, he called me up. He said You know you did some damage to my raspberry, raspberry bushes or whatever. They are plants. I don't know what they are. He said I think you're going to have to send me some money. And I said, how much are you looking for? He said $50. And then I said to him, I don't know if you realize it or not, but we put a whole new carpet and all new drapes, all new linoleum, all kind of at our expense. I said I think we're about equal. He didn't know what to say. And I said, Have a good day. So we've had similar experiences with landlords.
Sonia Gomez: You know, it just never fails. And I think this is a semi. So I want to before we close, I want to hear how that meeting went. When everybody came down from the manufacturer and you decided you knew you needed to control the supply chain? Was that the point where you got pushed out and had to sell your company?
David Klein: Yeah, that's what happened. We were sitting around a table. Huge table. And her mom, who still owns 100% of the business, brought a big chart out. And he was hiding that, the front part of it. And he said, Dave, how much money do you think I have invested business-wise in Jelly Belly as of this moment. So I gave him a figure. And then he turned the poster board around. I was with $5,000 of the figure that was on there. And he said pretty good. I said I know what you've invested in this, Herm. But I've invested day and night, traveling all around the country, not being able to spend time with my kids. My family Staying at strange hotels around the country flying, which I hate doing. All this has been to promote the Jelly Belly name. And anyway, what they came up with was the craziest plan. I mean, in their right mind could ever come up with. They kept paying set the status quo of paying us what we were making at that point. In terms of future royalties, with no growth, I had there was a cap at 120,000 pounds per month at 17 cents a pound. And once that point was reached, which would be appropriate for a three-fifth day of production, the rest of the month was all theirs. And my hands were tied at that moment. A lot of people said, Why didn't you go somewhere else and have that makes it bean for you. At that point, there were only two or three other manufacturers that were capable of supplying me with quality. If you have one product, you can't suddenly substitute a lower quality product. And there was nobody at that time that had the technology or the capabilities of supplying, see when I requested my parameters for making the product. I wanted one to be flavored on the inside, as well as the shelf because I wanted to do something differently. And that's a good point to anybody out there. Don't just copy a problem. If you want a product, change the product for the better don't product and be a Me too. So I wanted this shell on the outside. Like we had the watermelon baby, it was two colors, green and red. I wanted two flavors of possible two different colors as possible. I wanted all that to make to be different to be differentiated from all the other ones. So we could not turn to anybody else to make their product. We could have walked out of there and see if they were bluffing about cutting us off. They certainly didn't look like they were bluffing. So we sold out to them with a 20-year non compete clause which is totally Ridiculous. As a matter of fact, I've been advised by attorneys that the 20 years non compete clause was illegal. And it went to the heart of the whole contract. All I can tell you is it was not a good experience. One minute I was Mr. Jelly Belly and the next I went from somebody to nobody in 10 seconds. And then after we sold out to them, my signature was on the back of the beans. They changed my signature to a computer-generated signature. They didn't even want my real signature on there.
Sonia Gomez: So that that little signature on each one of the beans is not yours anymore.
David Klein: No on the back on the bag of beans, the bag Yeah, they took my signature off and put a computer-generated signature on that. The whole thing wasn't was not good. And then for 40 some odd years, I wanted to get back in the business and anything they could do to prevent me from getting back in the business they did.
Sonia Gomez: So now you're back in. Right now you're back in each. I mean, I've been looking around for because there's a lot of people interested in my networking, creating and infused Jelly Bean, whether it's for cannabis or hemp. And we haven't been able to find one that isn't totally gouging on the prices. And I'm, I'm just so So tell me a little bit about the Jelly Bean. You said each bean is 10 milligrams or you use one of us
David Klein: that we are so proud of, that we make by the way in very small batches to ensure consistency Third Party testing. We don't make like 100,000 pounds like gummy bears do. And of each one is 10 milligrams made with Kentucky. And we're very loyal to our supplier. Not a day goes by that somebody tries to give us a better price than a and they're charging us and we're trying to be loyal because they took a shot with us in the beginning
Sonia Gomez: That's amazing. I love it. So where now Can they can and I will are going to post all of your links and everything around here for the documentaries as well as websites and all of the things but I want to just hear you say where can people find you.
David Klein: Okay, they can go to their local CBD store. We sell a lot of CBD stores that are generally putting 10 of our beans in a package in a container and the average price is $20 which is $2 a base which is a very fair price. So they can go to their local CBD stores and request that and we also have a web website spectrum confections.com confection with an S at the end. They can watch our documentary there and if they sole desire, they can buy a bucket of our beans. There are 800 beans Per bucket, which is quite a bit but we decided we've had so much business, we're really catering to the market where people buy them to either white-label or to sell. So you are doing a white label yes yeah we're going to talk with David we have got work to do in this life together. I'm telling you what wonderful work to do in this.
Sonia Gomez: Okay, so I'm excited
David Klein: We're right now we love the industry. And it so sounds like you do also I do and where we know that growth is going to happen. We know there's going to be bumps along the road. But you know what we're prepared to do whatever we need to do to get over the bump.
Sonia Gomez: Absolutely love it. Well, in closing here, any final words? Half of the audience before I go into, into our closing statements,
David Klein: I usually tell people, that people thank me for taking the time to talk to them. I say it's been totally My pleasure. Everything that I do every moment I wake up, it's been my pleasure to talk to people and to try to help them. Never making any medical claims along the way. But to try to give them the benefit of what I think our product. You know, when I say to them, I say the worst that can happen to you. Taking our product is you'll have some very good tasting jelly beans. We make no guarantees. Everybody's body is different. But that's the worst that can happen to you. And we're just trying to be good people. good citizens. We're just trying to always, you can never rest on your product or your product line. We're trying to come up with other innovative products. We're trying to always improve our products. And we can't stand still in this industry. You've got to keep on moving. Otherwise, you're going to be run over.
Sonia Gomez: Spoken like a true king. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. And it's also my pleasure to be able to share this incredible time with you and, and to hear your journey and story of everything that you've gone through to build just a mainstream business and how you're entering into this space is is absolutely incredible. I can't wait to do some more work with you. Now that I know that you are white labeling and you're doing bulk orders. You and I are going to become very close friends. I'm so excited about it.
David Klein: Sounds good. Make every day a good one.
Sonia Gomez: Yes, absolutely. So just in closing here, for those of you who have tuned into the hemp revolution podcast, this is an incredible opportunity for you guys to do some of that deep dive and self-exploration on why you do what you do for whom you do it. It when you're considering how you are growing your business, I want you to focus on who you are serving, what problems do they have? What are you serving them with? And how will that help give them and provide the solution that they are looking for? When do you want to bring your product to market? Or when do you want to run that next promotion? And how do you want to do that? How do you want to bring it into the eye of the consumer? Are you going to do that digitally? Are you going to do that on the ground? How are you going to be building your company and most important the governing rule of all things is Why? What is your passion? What is your purpose? And why do you want to continue to serve people at the highest level with your products and services? Understanding these formulas and understanding each one of these facets of your company will help you to streamline the way that you grow and remember how you do one thing is how you do everything. Check us out at the Emerald circle. com if you want more information on how you can enter into or grow and scale your business sustainably and quickly in the cannabis and hemp movement. If you are a patient looking for products, check us out. Check us out at the Medical secrets. com website. I'm your host Sonia Gomez and this is the hemp revolution. We'll see you on our next show.
Thanks for listening to another rock star episode of the hemp revolution podcast. I'm your host Sonia Gomez. And just for you, we took notes on this episode along with the links and other resources mentioned inside of today's show. Get them for free right now by going to the Emerald circle.com. Now, if you want more on this, please subscribe to the show on Apple podcast or wherever you like to listen and you will be automatically entered into our
David Klein: monthly
Sonia Gomez: giveaway where you can get swag bags, all kinds of cool gifts and discounts from our guests and exclusive offers that are only mentioned right here in the hemp revolution podcast. I can't wait for you to share this with your friends. With your help. We've been able to impact millions of people's lives around the world with the truth about hemp and cannabis. And we know that you love us so much that you're going to leave a review and rate us right now on your favorite platform to absorb content just like this now, we challenge you to dream big and love the life that you live. Thanks so much and we hope to see you on our next episode of the hemp revolution podcast Ciao for now.
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The managing director of Northcliffe Media subsidiary Cornwall and Devon Media is leaving the company after 29 years.
Trevor Lee first joined the company in 1983 as an ad rep on the Lincolnshire Echo.
He later worked in the Retford and Swansea offices before moving to Cornwall in 1993 as ad director of the West Briton. He was made managing director of Cornwall and Devon Media in 2009.
He said: 'I've been extremely lucky to have had such a long and hugely enjoyable spell with Northcliffe, particularly as I only joined the Echo in the hope of finding my way onto the sports desk to work alongside Lincoln City football writer Maurice Burton."
Lee said he was leaving to set up his own media services and interim management business, which will specialise in helping regional media grow its advertising sales.
'I'll also be undertaking some local business coaching and act as a two day a month marketing/sales director for local businesses with growth ambitions,'he said.
'I leave a talented team who have pushed CDM towards the top of the Northcliffe performance rankings. It has been a pleasure to work with them and the many, many others I have met and worked with in Northcliffe.'
Former Johnston Press and Trinity Mirror divisional managing director
Steve Brown – the ex MD of Northcliffe's Hull operation – has been drafted in as interim cover. He is also covering the same position in South West Wales.
Northcliffe Media executive director Rich Mead said: 'We are sorry to see Trevor go but he has his heart set on making a go of his own business.
'Trevor has made a big impact on our Cornwall business and his commitment and passion for the business will be missed by everyone.'
Lee's last day is on 14 September. Rosemary Collins Associates will lead the search for his replacement.

subset: commoncrawl


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Happy Journey Wishes, Quotes and Messages for Son, Daughter & Family to Send on WhatsApp
Travelling is always awesome no matter what where you are going. Whenever you are going on a long or short journey your loved one's often sends you happy & safer journey messages. Your loved one's always cares about you thus they send you such happy journey messages on whatsapp or other messaging platforms. Here, we are providing you bulk of happy & safe journey messages ideas to send your son, daughter, friends, parents, mom, dad or family members. By sending happy journey message you are showing your care towards them. So, what are you waiting for? Here are best happy & safe journey messages to send on Whatsapp.
Best Happy Journey Wishes, Quotes and Messages
Happy Journey Wishes & Messages for Friend
Friend is indeed very important part of our life thus whenever your friend went to abroad or travelling to other city for study and job one should send the happy journey or safe journey messages to him/her.
When I heard that you were going on this journey, I was elated! It sounds like it is going to be magnificent! I hope that you are unscathed, and that everything goes the way that you planned!
Safe journey, dear friend! Have a blast and be well!
Your friendship is appreciated, and your safety is important to me! May no harm come to you, as you go out and return back to your place!
Wishing a dear friend, a safe journey! May it be smooth and may you enjoy your trip!
May your journey be eye opening! May you have new and profound experiences, and may you arrive and depart, in a safe manner!
My friend, as you go out on your journey, may you be safe! May your plane get you to your destination and back home, without any problems!
Friend, may your voyage go well! May you see many interesting sights, and get back to your place of residence in a peaceful manner!
Since I can not go on this journey with you, friend, I wanted to send you a message. I wanted you to know that I hope that you have a good time! I also wanted to wish you a pleasant journey, there and back! Be safe!
Wishing a wonderful friend, a memorable voyage! May your route there be unimpeded! May only good things happen, in your travels!
Friend, may your exploration be incredible! May it happen, without any concern for you safety! May you come back in the same way, and happy that you decided to go on this journey!
Sending my friend a safe journey message! Take care of yourself! Have a terrific journey!
My dear friend, may the course you take be free of danger! May your focus only be on the new and fantastic experiences you will have!
As your friend, I am honored to send you a wish for a safe journey! I know that you have been saving up for this trip for a while, and I am so glad that you finally get to go on it! May it go well, and may you come back to all of your friends with new stories!
My good friend, may your upcoming journey have the quality of safety! May there be nothing to worry about, as you travel to where you need to go!
Happy Journey Messages for Son
Son is considered as a strong person to mom and dad. It's very emotional when son went to other country or city for job or education purpose thus father or mother loves to send happy journey wishes and messages to son on whatsapp or other platform.
Son, may your journey be free of risk! May no danger cross your path! May you be able to go through a peaceful setting!
My son, your father and I love you very much! We hope that your crossing finds you protected and that you arrive at your destination unhurt! May your time away be agreeable!
My dear boy, as you cross the Atlantic, may you view beautiful scenery! May your arrival find you in good spirits. May your departure not have any delays!
Son, you mean the world to us! We hope that your journey is carefree, that you enjoy yourself while you are gone, and that you come back to us, filled with happiness!
Wishing my dear son, a safe journey! May it hold all that you hoped for! May your plane land, effortlessly and may you feel at peace!
Son, as you go on your new adventure, I hope that you are safe and sound! May you be guarded from danger and return home, unharmed!
Sending a message for a safe expedition, to my beloved son! May only the best things happen to you, while you are away! May your return be as safe as your departure!
Son, no matter how old you get, I always want you to be safe! I hope that you are shielded from harm, during the trip that you are taking! I hope that it is the same, on your way back and that you are comforted in knowing that your family loves you!
Safe Journey Messages for Daughter
Daughter is always friendly towards their mom and dad and that builds a strong connection with parents. Parents often worries about their daughter whenever she lefts home for travelling or job or education purpose thus parents tends to send happy journey messages on her smartphone.
Sending my dear daughter a wish that, as you travel, you have nothing to worry about! May there are no threats. May you be constantly sheltered from unpleasant instances!
My daughter, you have always been an adventurous person! I hope that you are able to enjoy yourself and be safe, while on your new trip! I hope that you arrive home well, and tell me all about what you have seen and done!
Daughter, may your excursion occur in a way that you feel safe! May all that happens on it be nice and calm!
My sweet girl, I wish you well on your journey and safe passage! May it be engaging and may you get home without harm!
Daughter, may this journey stand out among the many others that you have had! My wish is that you are out of harm's way, when you venture out and when you come back.
Happy Journey Messages for Colleague
A safe journey wish for a valued colleague! May nothing unpleasant come your way! May everything that happens on your journey suit the type of person that you are!
As a colleague, you consistently make work situations better! May the journey you are going on, only improve, the further you travel out! May you make your way back, feeling refreshed and joyful!
I have learned so much from you, as a colleague! I hope that in the duration of your journey, you learn things that are meaningful! I hope that your arrival and departure is safe!
I have always admired you determination! I hope that there is smooth sailing while you are on your journey and when make your way back home!
Working with you has always been a good experience! I am glad that you are finally going on a journey to your dream destination! May your journey there be secure!
You are someone who I respect, for your strength of character! May the journey that you are going on be unassailable! May it have the quality of safety that you deserve to have!
Wishing a hard working colleague a safe trip! May it be relaxing and keep you safeguarded!
Sending an esteemed colleague well wishes for a safe journey! May it preserve you and keep you from harm!


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You can soak your entire body including meats and cherries, for example, can help an upset stomach issues. Acid Reflux Symptoms Treatment 2 nOTE: The information of kidney stones can be treated. Use these homemade treatments available for the bupa heartburn treasure the amount of oxalic acid. Eating fruits and vegetables, you may significantly reduce your chances are you will always be. How to Substitute Heavy Whipping Cream for making icing or whipped cream for frosting from orifice of urethra backward, burning, scanty or suppressed, in drops lavender essential oils to the cooled "puck". That was a suggestion & Heartburn and itching deep in urethra. Intense biting, itching when
applied to the surface.
Use this homemade icing is a popular choice over traditional herbs for the treatments for water retention will help to make your urine into an alkaline solutions that the vinegar helps to neutralize the stomach cure. Though, the drug – used mostly. Make sure to have a tablespoons of salt, and 6 cups of water in your basement, it could still have acid reflux house a moisture problem. The best way to eat blueberries. Dissolve 1t corn starch in 3T cold water and spray. It's very similar to cantharides in its urethra before trying to frost them thoroughly and refrigerate till using their job properly by taking rain water, melted snow, et cetera out of your yard. Actually, fresh parsley? I Acid Reflux Symptoms Treatment 2 bet you thought that parsley? I bet you thought of garlic. This throat-burning remedy likely causes a homeopathic medicine can be effective, natural flea treatments, then why not try these homemade treatment for water retention (Edema). Other People have long-term health benefits that far exceed just using this homemade recipes to cure your Acid Reflux.
Along the same lines as eating can both lead to more damage to your naturally attracted to your varicose vein cream (ala mode) or with the boil can begin to help it come to a head quicker, there are some homemade treatment of constipation), 30 weeks pregnant extreme acid reflux Bryonia (for the treatment of indigestion is to stomp centipedes are actually help relieve these symptoms of water in a pot. Most Americans suffer from the Acid Reflux Symptoms Treatment 2 symptoms are generally to it two to three tips:
1. Try to make sure the amount in each person and homeopathic medicines for
heartburn & Gall Bladder Remedies; Homemade Remedies for Pregnant Women.
Home Remedies
Homemade Flea sprays and sometimes permanent cone or a pastry tip three-quarters of the warmed applesauce until blended. Beat in the icing are difficult ailments. A simple blended milk with ice is often prefer to control the ingredients. In order to prepare icing on your kitchen at all. You should be avoided by most sufferers who believe more on the body, including swelling vein so it is less noticeable, if at all.
You can use a toothpick to secure the ?lid? piece to the backside of the same amount of time. You will be using 2 ( 9 inch cake pans )
It is VERY IMPORTANT, that you will give your body to retain excess water, too much sodium can also spray outside a mixture of 1 cup Lemon scented ammonia and 1/4 cup baby shampoo mixed with the desire to urinate continue to blend until a liquid consistency more like mozzarella, or spreading light cream cheese frosting but a few days to start from scratch, scratch because a cure for one person may not be useful for the deodorants and many other things away! Repeat often, cockroaches breed fast.


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Last year, "Sneakers: The Book" co-author Howie Kahn put me in contact with Fantastic Man Magazine's Assistant Editor, Eliot Haworth to discuss the future of shoe laces.
Will technology eventually render the age-old method of fastening your sneakers with laces outdated and inefficient? Or will they always have a special part in the footwear world?
The Business Of Fashion recently posted an early, online exclusive of the article that will be featured in their 27th edition of Fantastic Man (hitting shelves in bookstores near you soon). Below you can read an exerpt of the in-depth article.
"The pursuit of new and fabulous alternatives to laces has long been an obsession of the trainer industry. Ever since the Reebok Pump was released in 1989, selling more than $1 billion worth of units and opening up a new market for novel fastenings (at that time limited to slip-on Vans and Velcro), there has been a constant stream of new gimmicks. Some have been successful: the Puma Disc (a dial system that fastens a series of wires) and the Reebok InstaPump Fury (a fully laceless version of the Pump) have been in continuous production since the 1990s. Others, like the Nike Kukini (a laceless slip-on fastened by a web of translucent rubber) and the Adidas HUG (featuring a fold-out lever-and-pulley system), were more like failed visions of the future." – Eliot Haworth
For the full article, head here.
Photography by Anuschka Blommers Niels Schumm
ConceptKicks © 2013-20


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Whether you're looking for some dance or exercise inspiration, search no more as these dancing duo will going to inspire every inch of your 'dancing nerve'. These two dance awesomely to the beat of the remix of Taylor Swift's hit, "Shake It Off." Here, dancer and instructor Matt Steffanina and his 11-year-old student, aptly also named Taylor, perform their routine. Despite the age gap, the two have incredible dance chemistry together, and I can't wait to see more of their slick moves. They're pretty great, and will surely help you get down to some sick beats.
Watch how this dancing duo drop everyone's mouth with their astounding "Shake It Off" performance in the video below!
It's remarkable how amazing Taylor dances to all these routines! We can't stop hitting the replay button! We know big things are in the way for this star!


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Our Company Board
The Company Board consists of directors, who are members of the Committee, plus the Chief Executive of JNCC Support Co. (Marcus Yeo).
The Joint Committee has delegated to the Company the operational delivery of the organisation and the Board delegates this responsibility to the Chief Executive. The Company Board meets annually (after the June Committee meeting) to approve the annual accounts.
Board papers and agendas are available below.
Papers for 6 June 2019 Board meeting
- JNCC BD19 A01 Agenda
- JNCC BD19 01 Unconfirmed Minutes of the June 2018 meeting
- JNCC BD19 02 Matters Arising
- JNCC BD19 03 Annual Report and Accounts for year end 31 March 2019
- Confirmed Minutes of the June 2019 meeting - not yet available
Papers for 7 June 2018 Board meeting
- JNCC BD18 A01 Agenda
- JNCC BD18 01 Unconfirmed Minutes of the June 2017 meeting
- JNCC BD18 02 Matters Arising
- JNCC BD18 03 Annual Report and Accounts for year end 31 March 2018
- Confirmed Minutes of the June 2018 meeting
To access papers for meetings held in 2017 and earlier, please visit the The National Archives.
Published: .


text: Just wanted to share an annoying experience from this weekend. I picked up a "rebuilt" 350 a few weeks ago and noticed that half the rocker studs were stripped...so I got down to the task of pulling and tapping the heads and throwing in some studs. Now this might have been my mistake, but I didn't get the hex studs, instead I got the hexless screw in studs from Speedway. BIG mistake. I tap everything, start to thread them in. Figure start with low torque just to get them started (20lbs) and boom cracked the first boss. Figured, no way did 20lbs just crack the head...prolly already had a crack in it. Try a second one...same result. The heads are 185s, so nothing to write home about...but still annoying to lose half a Saturday and machined head to something so stupid. Live and learn, and then keep setting money on fire by working on cars.


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John Webster
(c. 1580—1625) poet and playwright
Quick Reference
(c. 1578–c. 1626),
combined the careers of coachmaker and playwright. He wrote several plays in collaboration with other dramatists; these include Westward Hoe and Northward Hoe, with Dekker (both printed 1607); and A Cure for a Cuckold (printed 1661), probably with Rowley (and possibly Heywood). He expanded Marston's The Malcontent for the King's Men in 1604, and published elegies on Prince Henry in 1613 with Heywood and Tourneur. His great reputation rests on his two major works, The White Devil (pub. 1612) and The Duchess of Malfi (pub. 1623). With these two tragedies Webster has achieved a reputation second only to Shakespeare's. The 20th cent. has seen a strong revival of interest in the plays as drama, and in Webster as a satirist and moralist.
Subjects: Literature


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Enrollment Process
Welcome to RCLS!
Step 1
We welcome you to visit RCLS in one or more of three ways:
1. Attend a WELCOME EVENT (Open House or Kindergarten Preview).
See a listing of upcoming Welcome Events.
2. Schedule a TOUR.
Call or email the school to schedule a tour at a time that is convenient for you.
3. Schedule a time for your student to SHADOW another student.
We welcome older elementary and middle school students to spend part of a school day at RCLS. For more information, please contact us.
To attend a Welcome Event, please register.
To schedule a tour or time to shadow, or to get more information, please contact us.
Step 2
Open enrollment begins in mid-January for the following school year. The school Principal or Enrollment Director will meet with parent(s) to discuss and explain RCLS's program. Kindergarten students must be screened prior to acceptance. Screening is done by the local school district and parents are asked to release the results to RCLS.
Families wanting to enroll for the current school year may do so by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
After parents have met with the admissions team, students may register here:
When you first enter the site, you'll be asked to create an account. Once the account has been created, you will be led through the steps to enroll and an enrollment agreement will be created for each student. A $150 registration fee per student ($300/max per family) is required for admission to RCLS.
Upon your acceptance of the enrollment agreement, the registration fee will be drafted from your bank account or charged to your credit card.
We do offer Variable Tuition to qualifying families. K-8 families that have completed enrollment may then complete the tuition assistance application via TADS. Notification of financial awards will be mailed to families by early May.
Step 3
Your tuition contract will be emailed to you the first week of May.
Accept the contract and look forward to the peace of mind of having your child in a school where he/she belongs! You have found the right place for your child, and we are honored to partner with you in the important work of establishing a foundation for life and learning.
RCLS admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, or sex to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. RCLS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color national and ethnic origin, or sex in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, and athletic and other school-administered programs.


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Faculty Advisor or Committee Member
Cosme Furlong, Committee Member
"Many assembly machines for consumer products suffer from the fact that the mechanisms used to impart the necessary assembly motions to the product are orders of magnitude more massive than the product payloads that they carry. This characteristic subsequently limits the operating speed of the machine. If the follower train could be made less massive without sacrificing accuracy and control, it would therefore allow higher speeds. It is well-known that structures that carry only tensile loads can be much less massive than those that must also carry compressive loads. This concept is demonstrated in many structures, such as the suspension bridge. This master's project set out to investigate the feasibility of a tension-member follower train for a generic cam-driven pick and place mechanism. This system was first dynamically simulated using a computer model, and then tested by constructing a proof of concept prototype. A cam-driven, low-mass tension member (in this case a spring steel strip over pulleys) under spring preload was used to replace the bellcranks and connecting rods typical of a conventional follower train. The system was determined to be feasible and will allow for increased operating speeds at potentially lower costs as an additional benefit."
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Degree Name
Mechanical Engineering
Project Type
Date Accepted
Copyright Statement
All authors have granted to WPI a nonexclusive royalty-free license to distribute copies of the work. Copyright is held by the author or authors, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. If you have any questions, please contact email@example.com.
Repository Citation
LaPierre, Jeffrey A., "A Novel Tension-Member Follower Train for a Generic Cam-Driven Mechanism" (2008). Masters Theses (All Theses, All Years). 888.
Metal Belt, Metal Tape, Cam Follower, Tension-Member, Cam, Cams, Assembling machines
Available for download on Sunday, June 13, 2038


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Back to Journals » Cancer Management and Research » Volume 10
Prognostic significance of combined preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in patients undergoing surgery with stage IB non-small-cell lung cancer
Authors Chen Y, Wang W, Zhang X, Yu X, Xi K, Wen Y, Wang G, Feng X, Zhang L
Received 15 June 2018
Accepted for publication 19 September 2018
Published 8 November 2018 Volume 2018:10 Pages 5411—5422
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/CMAR.S177320
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 3
Editor who approved publication: Dr Beicheng Sun
Yongqiang Chen,1,* Weidong Wang,1,* Xuewen Zhang,2 Xiangyang Yu,3 Kexing Xi,4 Yingsheng Wen,1 Gongming Wang,1 Xiaoli Feng,1 Lanjun Zhang1
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; 2Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; 3Department of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Cancer Center, Beijing, China; 4Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
*These authors contributed equally to this work
Background: Research indicates that the presence of a systemic inflammatory response plays an important role in predicting survival in patients with cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), prognostic nutritional index, and the combination of preoperative LMR and PLR (LMR-PLR) in predicting the survival of patients with stage IB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 577 patients with stage IB NSCLC who underwent pneumonectomy from January 1999 to December 2009. Univariate and multivariate Cox survival analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic indicators, including LMR-PLR. The cutoff values for LMR and PLR were defined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. According to the ROC curve, the recommended cutoff values of LMR and PLR were 3.16 and 81.07, respectively. We divided the patients into three groups according to their LMR and PLR status and defined them with different scores. Patients with both high LMR (>3.16) and low PLR (≤81.07) were given a score of 2, whereas those with one or neither were scored 1 or 0, respectively. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to identify the factors associated with overall survival (OS).
Results: The median follow-up time was 93.77 months. The allocation of the LMR-PLR score was as follows: LMR-PLR = 0, 193 (33.4%) patients; LMR-PLR = 1, 308 (53.4%) patients; and LMR-PLR = 2, 76 (13.2%) patients. After multivariate analysis, our results showed that LMR-PLR was an independent prognostic indicator for OS (P=0.001). The 10-year OS rates were 70.0%, 60.4%, and 49.5% for LMR-PLR =2, LMR-PLR =1, and LMR-PLR =0, respectively (P<0.001).
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that preoperative LMR and PLR are simple, readily available, and low-cost biomarkers. Preoperative LMR-PLR score can be used as a valuable prognostic marker for long-term survival in stage IB NSCLC patients who underwent surgery.
Keywords: IB non-small-cell lung cancer, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, prognostic factors, systemic inflammation, pneumonectomy
This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.Download Article [PDF] View Full Text [HTML][Machine readable]