Richard Montanez

“People started to audibly cry. He was barely keeping it together. I was overwhelmed. Dr. H. summoned the chief marketing officer and the president of sales to the stage, saying, "Can you two come up here? I need you to hold me up."

He humbled himself beyond anything I could have imagined. Finally, he said, "Richard Montanez, come up here."

Slowly I walked up to the stage. It had been seven years since I had made my presentation at the plant back home for Roger Enrico. Everything was in slow motion again. All one thousand attendees leaped to their feet, everyone crying and applauding as I walked up to get my award. Dr. H gave me the mic and I just thanked him and everyone there. It was surreal, humbling, and wonderful.”
― Richard Montanez, Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive

“I spoke directly to the shareholders. "'Let me tell you something about rocket science.' That's what I said to that person. And I asked him, 'You know who Neil Armstrong is, don't you?' He said yes. And I said, 'You know he went to the moon,' and he said yes. 'Well,' I said to him, 'Neil Armstrong has never been able to put a chip in a bag.'"

Everyone roared.

That was enough of a reception for me to go on. "Ladies and gentlemen, now is not the time to get rid of any stock because I'm telling you from the front line, we are geared up and ready to have a record-setting year ahead."

As it happened, they had the entire meeting playing on the loudspeaker throughout Frito-Lay headquarters. Well over three thousand employees had listened in and heard the line about Neil Armstrong never putting a chip in a bag. Everyone in the entire complex came running out of their offices-from marketing, sales, supplies, and all of the R&D people too.”
― Richard Montanez, Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive