Although Wally Amos dedicated a significant portion of his adulthood to promoting the advantages of maintaining a positive mindset, he was ironically raised in an environment filled with negativity.
Growing up in the “colored” neighborhood of Tallahassee, Florida, during the late 1930s and 1940s, he experienced a childhood marked by economic hardship. His mother, Ruby, worked tirelessly as a domestic worker for most of her life. Nevertheless, she held high aspirations for her son and often reminded him of his shortcomings. While Amos frequently faced harsh critiques and strict discipline, the lessons of perseverance and hard work instilled by his mother proved invaluable later in his journey.
In his book The Cookie Never Crumbles: Practical Recipes for Everyday Living, Amos shared that although his mother never verbally expressed her love with the words “I love you,” he has come to realize that her way of demonstrating love was through her intense discipline. In later years, he employed his optimistic outlook to address their unresolved tensions, resulting in a relationship grounded in love and acceptance before his mother’s passing in 1994.
Championing Positivity
Amos’s infectious enthusiasm and bright outlook on life empowered him to navigate numerous challenges. He was easily recognizable by his colorful Hawaiian shirts and iconic funky watermelon hats. As the creator of Famous Amos cookies and co-founder of Uncle Wally’s Muffin Company, Amos imparted wisdom on hope, self-esteem, and positive thinking through his motivational speeches and nine published works, such as Watermelon Magic: Seeds of Wisdom, Slices of Life, Man with No Name: Turn Lemons into Lemonade, The Road to Success Is Paved with Positive Thinking, and Watermelon Credo: The Book.
“No matter how dire things may appear or what the surface suggests,” Amos expressed at the age of 73, “As long as I keep moving forward—taking one breath at a time—that’s all that matters. The future and the past are illusions; they are not destinations you can reach. If I maintain enthusiasm and excitement about my present actions and sustain a positive attitude, I truly believe success will follow. My life serves as proof of that.”
A Passion for Cookies—and Aspiration
Following his parents’ separation in 1948, 12-year-old Amos relocated to New York to stay with his Aunt Della, who regularly baked chocolate chip cookies from the recipe that Amos would eventually modify for his signature Famous Amos crispy cookies.
Though he showed a keen interest in cooking from a young age, Amos decided to leave Food Trades Vocational High School in New York to enlist in the Air Force, where he completed high school equivalency requirements before receiving an honorable discharge.
A strong proponent of literacy and education, Amos conveyed to SUCCESS that he views his lack of formal education not as a setback, but as an essential component of his life journey. Had he not made the decision to drop out and join the Air Force, he reflected, he would likely never have experienced the beauty of Hawaii or enjoyed such an extended residency there.
Transforming Challenges into Opportunities
“It’s feasible to thrive even in the most adverse conditions. My own experiences affirm this. I dropped out of high school, and I’m African American, which clearly indicates that neither factor inhibits one’s potential for success. These are merely experiences, not hindrances,” Amos remarked.
Upon exiting the Air Force, Amos found part-time employment in Saks Fifth Avenue’s supply department. His supervisor, Ernie Riccio, became one of his initial mentors, encouraging him in his outstanding performance and discussing financial and business articles from The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report with him. “He recognized potential in me,” said Amos, “and he provided me with an opportunity to excel, which I was determined to honor by being the best employee possible.”
His diligence bore fruit as Amos transitioned to a permanent role within the supply department and later advanced to a management position following Riccio’s elevation. “Guess who he recommended to fill his vacancy? Wally Amos. That was quite an honor considering other, more senior employees were also in line for the role, but he believed I was the most capable,” he stated.
Charting Routes Around Challenges
After six and a half successful years as an agent, Amos encountered a barrier in corporate advancement. In the late 1960s, he was informed that opportunities to move into film or television were off-limits, as well as managing the music department, due to doubts about whether film executives or other white agents would accept direction from a Black man. Choosing to embrace solutions rather than dwelling on the impediment, Amos relocated to the West Coast to establish himself as a personal manager, but soon devised another plan.
He intended to utilize his promotional skills to market gourmet chocolate chip cookies, even attaching samples of his baked creations to his business proposal. His connections in the music industry helped propel this idea forward.
Founded in 1975, his cookie venture took off rapidly. By 1987, Amos had garnered the Horatio Alger Award for demonstrating determination and purpose. In the 1980s, Famous Amos reportedly achieved $12 million in annual sales, boasting 35 locations in the United States and Asia. However, despite this apparent success, the company faced instability, leading to Amos ultimately losing control due to mismanagement.
“I rushed ahead of my team. I lost sight of the fact that we were a team. I assumed that because I was ‘Famous Amos’… I had all the solutions, but I couldn’t have been more mistaken. This misjudgment ultimately led to my loss of Famous Amos,” he reflected.
At one point, Amos fell behind on his mortgage payments and lost his home in Hawaii. Rather than despair, he sought assistance from a friend and managed to reclaim his home. However, re-entering the business realm proved to be a challenge.
Finding Resilience in Adversity
“The more energy you devote to the challenge, the more it consumes you,” Amos observed. “It’s akin to quicksand: if you fixate too heavily on your circumstances, you’ll perish in an instant, but if you can maintain composure and concentrate on viable solutions… assistance and support will emerge to elevate you.”
Though he regained his home, he still faced hardships. After departing from Famous Amos, he was involved in legal disputes for selling cookies and faced restrictions on using his own name due to a noncompete clause. Consequently, he set aside his cookie passion temporarily to focus on their relative—muffins.
Amos’s dedication to hard work stems from his commitment to honoring those who believe in him, whether they have provided support through time, wisdom, financial backing, or indulged in a multitude of chocolate chip cookies. Passion for one’s work is essential for a fulfilling existence, he affirmed.
Even though his foray into the muffin industry was successful, Amos never forgot his cookie roots. He launched a cookie shop, Chip & Cookie, in Hawaii and explored ventures like The Cookie Kahuna and Aunt Della’s cookies.
Wally Amos’s Vision
Amos was proud of his legacy, aspiring for it to encompass more than just a positive perspective and delectable cookies. He wished to be known for contributing to a more literate society. Through his Read It LOUD! foundation, he initiated a campaign urging parents to read to their children for 10 minutes each day.
“The only genuine solution to adult illiteracy lies in cultivating children who can read—generations of reading-enabled kids,” emphasized Amos, who is a father of four.
His lifelong endeavor to eradicate illiteracy was deeply personal. Both of his parents encountered numerous barriers in their educational journeys. He believed that aiding others enriched him in diverse ways, including refining his public speaking skills while recording educational videos to assist adults in learning to read during his tenure as a spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America.
“While I was engaged in activities for Literacy Volunteers of America, expecting to aid others, I discovered it was more beneficial for me than I could have ever envisioned,” Amos shared. “I encountered a quote stating:
‘Volunteering is extending your hand into the darkness to draw another’s hand back into the light, only to find it’s your own.'”
