ere al , ▁p ine apple , ▁t una ▁fish , ▁and ▁inspir ational ▁t apes . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁man aging ▁fert il izer ▁accounts ▁but ▁was ▁dismiss ed . ▁ ▁Corpor ate ▁consult ant ▁Pet erman ▁became ▁a ▁corpor ate ▁consult ant ▁after ▁dec iding ▁“ that ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁last ▁time ▁I ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁fired .” ▁As ▁a ▁corpor ate ▁special ty - fo ods ▁sales ▁consult ant , ▁he ▁helped ▁people ▁make ▁de als ▁with ▁other ▁companies , ▁and ▁it ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁travel . ▁During ▁a ▁meeting ▁to ▁help ▁a ▁client ▁find ▁an ▁advert ising ▁company , ▁Pet erman ▁met ▁Donald ▁St ale y ▁and ▁they ▁began ▁to ▁work ▁closely ▁together . ▁They ▁agreed ▁to ▁collabor ate ▁on ▁any ▁entrepr ene ur ial ▁ideas ▁they ▁en vision ed , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁several ▁business es . ▁ ▁Entre pr ene ur ▁T ogether , ▁Pet erman ▁and ▁St ale y ▁started ▁a ▁mail - order ▁company ▁to ▁he al ▁sick ▁house pl ants ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁manufact uring ▁business ▁making ▁be er ▁che ese ; ▁both ▁were ▁successful . ▁The ▁be er ▁che ese ▁business ▁was ▁originally ▁Hall ' s ▁Be er ▁Che ese ▁and ▁Pet erman ▁bought ▁half ▁the ▁company . ▁While ▁he ▁was ▁s elling ▁be er ▁che ese , ▁he ▁found ▁a ▁hors eman ' s ▁d uster ▁that ▁would ▁prop el ▁him ▁into ▁the ▁ret ail ▁business . ▁The ▁be er ▁che ese ▁was