This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. The best time to recommit to your gut health goals? Right now. Take charge of your gut with NatureMade.
Our clinically studied ingredients support digestive health. Digestive enzymes break down nutrients. Probiotic and prebiotic fiber nourish good gut bacteria. And supergreens with probiotics empower daily digestive health. Try the full lineup of gut health support from NatureMade, the number one pharmacist-recommended vitamin and supplement brand.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected.
That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skincancer.com. Yeah. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans.
It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues.
Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. Warning. The following song has been rated dangerously catchy and may not be suitable for grown-ups. One.
Two. Three, four. One, two, three, four. Knock, knock, knockin' at the door. Knock, knock, knockin' at the door.
Five, six, who is it? Five, six, who is it? It's Callie and Ellie. It's Callie and L. Lingo kids, only suitable for kids.
If it gets stuck in mom's head, that's not our problem. Everything kids love. Download now for free. Labor Day savings are happening now at the Home Depot with select appliances starting at $399. Plus, save up to an extra $1,000 and get free delivery on appliance purchases of $998 or more.
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A true story of David Klein, an eccentric candy inventor from LA, who's the creator and founder of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, my personal favorite candy. Here's David Klein to share the story of how he lost his beans. but kept his soul. I was born in Syracuse, New York. We left there when I was three and a half.
And I remember nothing about it. We came to California. My dad uh was The best furniture salesman in the world. And he knew more about furniture than anybody alive. And when I was growing up, I worked in a liquor store.
That my Aunt and grandmother owned It was in Van Euys, Right next to a Union 76 station. that was owned by Joe Punicello, Annette Punicello's father. And in those days, if your family owned the liquor store, you could work in there. And from the age of about seven To thirteen. Ha.
I worked in the liquor store all during the summer. And after school, And I got quite an experience. Dealing with the public. I learned how to count money at the age of seven. Make change?
And all the things that I learned there. I wanted to put into a book one day And the title of the book would be Everything I Knew in Life. I learned working in a liquor store. And what happened was We had a candy section there. And I would go with my aunt once a week to Smart and Final.
which was one of the wholesale candy places. Most of the candy bars back in that those days Uh let's see, it was nineteen forty-six plus seven. 46 for 7, 5 for 9, 51, 2. 1953. Yeah.
Sounds great for 9512. Yeah, 1953. Smart and final will display The bars The candy bar is 24. In a box. And if There was no shrink shrunk shrink wrap.
on any of the boxes If you wanted to taste one of the bars to see if You like it? You would put a nickel right in the box. And then take a bar out. And that way, whoever bought that box would already have a sale. And It was I made a study of candy.
At the starting at the age of seven, I would study every bar, See where it was made. See the company who made it. And then go to the library. I did a study on Uh standard and pores guide. In the Re financial reference section.
and I would look to see For example, uh baby Ruth Butterfinger? Those were made in those days by the Curtis Candy Company. And then I followed the company when it was acquired by Standard Brands. And then when it was acquired by Nabisco, Yeah, through all of the I would learn the history of every Candy bar. When I was in school, And the teacher had to leave the room for a few minutes.
She would ask me, or she or he would ask me, to come up. in the front and talk about candy. And kids would yell out names of candy bars. And I would tell them. the history behind that particular bar.
I went to Van Euys High. In Vanuys, California. I graduated Van Nuys High with honors. and went to UCLA, graduated with a degree in economics, which is a fantastic Major? While I was at UCLA, I used to sell popcorn.
I was in the popcorn business with my uncle. where I would go after school. I had already taken the back seat out of my car. I loaded The car with bags of popped popcorn. And I was selling those primarily to liquor stores.
Because you can go into a liquor store till Actually two in the morning and In California, you cannot sell liquor legally after two in the morning.
So I would use the Have my route till about 11 o'clock at night. Uh would go in all kinds of areas that I've really Should not have been in at night. Uh but I I was Yeah, nothing ever happened to me. And then I would go home. And I get up at.
six, seven o'clock in the morning and go to UCLA. Uh School, I would go pop the popcorn. Uh in hot water. And I really learned about the food business By doing that. Ah, you in order to learn a business It's, I mean, it's nice.
Tell me. to read about it, but unless you really get in there, And get your hands. Uh dirty? You really need to experience the business. Here's what happened in law school.
I always knew that I would never want to be an attorney. I went there. Because my parents wanted me to? And I also went there.
so that I would have a legal background. If we ever had any legal problems. I graduated. In the top of my class, When it came to take the bar, Uh the bar was in two parts. Uh the first part Was in the morning?
And then the second part It was a true and false Test And Legal responsibility. And I never went back for the second part. I went to get a haircut instead. I knew. That if I had passed the bar, which I'm sure I would have.
I would have become an attorney. And it wasn't for me. It wasn't what I personally wanted to do in my life. And it was almost as if I'm not I knew I would be in the candy business someday. It was almost like it was There was nothing else for me to do.
I would be in the candy business. And There was something about candy. I like the idea. That you could always come up with a new idea, a new creation. And when I was in The wholesale candy and Not business.
One day, I came up with the idea of creating a gourmet. Jelly bean. I was watching television at 8.15. Happy days. Happy Days was on the air when I was talking to a buddy on the phone.
We were talking about new businesses. Because I always love to talk love to talk about new businesses. And I said, I think I'm going to open up a candy store and only sell jelly beans. Nothing else. And he said, Jelly beans?
I said, yes. Jelly beans. No jawbreakers, no gumballs. Just jelly beans, and I knew that if that's what I concentrated on. They would have to be special jelly beans.
And that's when the idea started. I had $800 to my name. No credit cards back then. The only credit card that was available was Diners Club. The year was nineteen seventy six.
And you've been listening to David Klein tell the story of Jelly Belly. And what a story it is. His father, as he said, was the best furniture salesman in the world. He learns so much about life. Simply working the register.
and working In essence, at the local family liquor store, where we would buy supplies, buy products and services and goods, and he learned how to run a business. or be a part of a business run by a family when we come back. We're going to find out what happens next. As one man pursues his dream. David Klein's story: The Story of Jelly Belly, here on Our American Stories.
The best time to recommit to your gut health goals? Right now. Take charge of your gut with NatureMade. Our clinically studied ingredients support digestive health. Digestive enzymes break down nutrients.
Probiotic and prebiotic fiber nourish good gut bacteria. And supergreens with probiotics empower daily digestive health. Try the full lineup of gut health support from NatureMade, the number one pharmacist's recommended vitamin and supplement brand. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs.
Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatology. annually at let's get real about skin cancer dot com. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way.
The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q.
Warning. The following song has been rated dangerously catchy and may not be suitable for grown-ups. One. Two, three, four. One, two, three, four.
Knock, knock, knocking at the door. Knock, knock, knocking at the door. Five, six, who is it? Five, six, who is it? It's Callie and Elliott.
It's Callie and Elliott. Lingo kids, only suitable for kids. If it gets stuck in mom's head, that's not our problem. Everything kids love. Download now for free.
You've watched racing.
Now get behind the wheel. At Kaizen Autosport Racing School at VIR, professional race drivers teach you how to drive faster, safer, and with more confidence on one of America's legendary racetracks. Never driven on track? We'll get you started. Already experienced, we'll take you to the next level.
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And we continue with David Klein's story. And he is the founder and inventor of Jelly Belly. And when we last left off, He had $800 to his name. And he set out to create The world's first gourmet jelly bean. Let's pick up.
Where we last left off, here's David Klein. I approached The company That was in Oakland, California. Their name was Herman Golitz. G-O-E-L-I-T-Z. And I asked them if they would be my contract.
Manufacture. And I told him what the idea was. And they said, sure. Let's give it a shot. And in the beginning, We had a very hard time selling the product.
Most of the beans back in those days Our competition They were selling for about $49. 59 cents a pound. And that's exactly what I was paying my contract manufacturer. 59 a pound. But that's what every other bean was retailing for.
Yeah. I realized that in order to get the product off the ground, I would have to. Get some publicity for it.
So one day I called up the Associated Press. Talk to a young man by the name of Steve Fox. He was in charge of the business section. Associated Press was huge back in those days. And I realized that they could make or break the product.
I could have started with a local newspaper, but I figured I'd start at the top. I didn't have enough money to rent a store.
So I called on one of My wholesale customers who I sold Uh Walnuts too. And almonds. That they put in their ice cream. They had an ice cream factory at 1824 West Maine. in Alhambra.
And I said to them, you have your medals from the county fair over in the corner. Mm-hmm. I would like to have that space. This is my new product. It's going to be called Jelly Bellies.
And I would like to put a little stand in there, which I will pay for.
So he said, okay. How much rent do you want to pay? And I said I can't really pay any rent because I I just don't have the funds. And I said, how about if I pay you a dollar? for every pound.
That is sold one dollar. The first dollar goes to you. Mm-hmm. He said, well, how much are they going to sell for? I said, two dollars a pound.
I said, I will split whenever it comes in. You get the first dollar. And he said it sounds good.
So I put the stand in there. I had a um The daughter of one of the men that owned the Ice cream parlor? Was an exceptionally good graphic artist. And she called me up. And said she, needed a project For her Art Center school.
She was at the College of Art. And design? And she would like to use jelly belly as her term paper. And I left it up to her. She was the one that picked out the colors.
And she did a jelly belly logo. that is still in use today. A young lad came in one day. On a bicycle. He said, I would like to try one of your stories.
Strawberry Jelly beans.
So So I had a little spoon there. I spooned out one. And I said here. What do you think of it? And he said that doesn't taste like strawberry.
I said, okay. What does it taste like? He said that tastes like cotton candy. And as soon as he left, I had one of the sign makers there Make me a sign that said cotton candy. And from then on in, there was no strawberry flavor, it was cotton candy.
And I never got a chance to thank that young lad. He's out there somewhere. The First Order Um jelly beans. That I got in? There were eight flavors.
Root Beer was one of them. I always loved root beer. The soda. I loved root beer and I love creamed soda.
So we had a vanilla one. And instead of calling it Vanawa I named it cream soda. I always like to have creative names to all of the The flavors. Instead of calling one chocolate, it was chocolate pudding.
So I tried to create as many names They were different. Just to Distinguish them. from other products.
So when I told them what I wanted, I said, I want to make a miniature jelly bean. I didn't want the big ones like you They used to see in Easter baskets. And I told them that the beans have to be flavored. On the inside. as well as on the outside shell.
That way I could do double flavors. I could do like chocolate banana and do the outside chocolate and the inside banana. Ah. I told them I wanted a watermelon bean. And I wanted it green on the outside.
And Red on the inside. Prior to jelly bellies, Every jelly bean that you used to see used to be white on the inside because they made only one. Center. And then the they put the flavor into the shell. If they put any flavor at all, most jelly beans tasted the same.
except for the black one, the licorice one. And so I was really the first one to come up with the idea. Uh Flavoring the outside as well. as the inside. And that's how Jelly Belly got its start.
And Most days We took in about $20. That was the average day. until the article came out. in the Associated Press. And then I started getting calls.
from department stores. such as martial fields, in Chicago. They said we want to buy your beans. I said, we're here in California. How did you hear about him?
Well, it was just in the Chicago Tribune. It was also in the Detroit Free Press. It was in the New York Times. It was in the LA Times. The article broke on the on the wire And it went everywhere.
And the product really started to take off. It took off to the point where Uh Sales were just incredible. Uh my Contract manufacturer actually could not keep up with the orders. When I initially had talked to them, I asked them, I said, this is going to be big, guys. I said, are you going to be able to keep up with all the orders?
And they said, yes. And I did not realize that they were primarily a small candy corn. manufacture in open. with about 10 employees. And somehow or another, in my mind, I always picture them as a larger company.
The biggest mistake I ever made was not flying up there in the beginning. to see what their factory looked like. Because if I had seen it, I would have known that they never would have been able to keep up with production. Can't you? And you're listening to David Klein tell the story of Jelly Belly, and he's an innovator.
No other jelly bean I'll eat but jelly belly, and I don't care how much more expensive they are, and I know. A lot of you listening feel the same way. About your beloved beings, when we come back, more of the story of Jelly Belly here. on our American stories. The best time to recommit to your gut health goals?
Right now. Take charge of your gut with NatureMade. Our clinically studied ingredients support digestive health. Digestive enzymes break down nutrients. Probiotic and prebiotic fiber nourish good gut bacteria.
And supergreens with probiotics empower daily digestive health. Try the full lineup of gut health support from NatureMade, the number one pharmacist-recommended vitamin and supplement brand. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the Pledge to see a dermatologist annually at Let's Get Real About SkinCancer.com.
Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way. The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage.
Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q. Warning. The following song has been rated dangerously catchy and may not be suitable for grown-ups.
One. Two Three, four. One, two, three, four. Knock, knock, knocking at the door. Knock, knock, knockin' at the door.
Five, six, who is it? Five, six, who is it? It's Callie and Elliott. It's Callie and Ellie. Lingo kids, only suitable for kids.
If it gets stuck in mom's head, that's not our problem. Everything kids love. Download now for free. You've watched racing.
Now get behind the wheel. At Kaizen Autosport Racing School at VIR, professional race drivers teach you how to drive faster, safer, and with more confidence on one of America's legendary racetracks. Never driven on track? We'll get you started. Already experienced, we'll take you to the next level.
Ready to race? Earn your competition license and learn real wheel-to-wheel racecraft. Stop watching, start driving. Go to racevir.com. That's racevir.com.
And we continue with the story of Jelly Belly and its founder, David Klein. And when we last left off, thanks to Klein's round-the-clock promotion, Jelly Belly sales skyrocketed. but it's contract manufacturer in Oakland. couldn't keep up with the orders. Klein told us, quote, the biggest mistake I ever made was not flying up there in the beginning to see what their factory looked like, because if I'd seen it, I would have known that they would have never been able to keep up with production.
Here's Klein with the final installment of his story. Amen. OJ Simpson was on the cover of People Magazine, the issue that I was in. And When My contract manufacturer saw the picture, I had on bathing shorts and nothing else. He turned to his sales manager.
and said that I had blown the hole. Golden Goose Because nobody would buy a product From somebody It would pose Um Half naked. In a magazine. And so at that point in time He instructed his sales manager They also made candy corn and it was made on the same equipment as the jelly beans. He instructed him without telling me.
to sign as many contracts As he could. to be selling candy corn at 29 cents a pound. just to keep the factory open. And I was never told that.
So here I am trying to promote an item. that I can I'm wondering why there's no production on. And what it did, it created a void in the marketplace. that other manufacturers were just happy to fill. One day.
I got a call. From The owner of my contract Manufacturing company. and he said we're coming to town. And I said, okay, great. I'll pick you up at the airport.
What airport are you flying into? And he said, it's not going to be one of those kind of meetings. And I said, well, what kind of meeting is it? He said, we're coming to buy your trademark. And we're not going to leave until we do.
Okay. As soon as I signed The contract? where we were turning the name over to them. We were driving on Rosemead Boulevard. To the bank to get the contract notarized.
And while on the way there, I was sitting in the back seat. Herm, my contract manufacturer. was in the front seat. And he turned around. And I said, Herm.
I have one question for you. If we were not on Our way. to the bank. to have this contract notarized, what would you have done? And he said, Do you really want to know?
I said, yeah, tell me, what would you have done? He said we would have flown back. Too awkward. And on Monday morning, we would have shut off production. to you.
on jelly bellies. We would have cut you off completely. You would not n not have any more product. We know You would have sued us. But by the time it got to court, you would have been broke.
Those were his exact words. I can remember them today like they were yesterday. we would have cut you off. In fact, they told me As we were going to get it notarized, they had another name already picked out. That he had on the other side of his lap, on a piece of paper on his lap.
He said, You want to see the name? That we would have called it? And I said, sure. And he showed it to me. I don't remember.
What that name was. But anyway, they took over ownership of the name. Uh they paid us Hmm. 17 cents a pound. For the first hundred and twenty thousand pounds per month royalty?
Maximum once The product reached that level? Ah, there was no royalty at all?
So we only got paid on the first £120,000. At 17 cents a pound, which came to 20,000. dollars per month. I split that with my partner. And then Uncle Sam obviously got his own.
His share of it. And right from the beginning, When I sold It was almost like selling a a member of your family. A child. Uh uh jelly belly, I spent four years of my life. going around the country, promoting the product.
Being on radio shows, on talk shows, on television shows. At least once a week. and giving interviews in magazines and all kinds of Uh media. And losing the ownership of it was heartbreaking for me. The minute They took over?
They started. packaging the product And The prior packaging had my signature on there. Uh Mr. Jellybelly. Uh about uh two months later, I went into a supermarket.
And I looked at the package. Uh and there was a computer generated Mr. Jellybelly instead of uh my mr. Jelly Belly signature. When they came out with a book, called the 30-year history of jelly bellies?
I was not even mentioned in the in that at all.
So They pretended that I never existed. As soon as Colonel Sanders sold out, he was still Colonel Sanders. As soon as I sold out, I was nobody.
So they they basically did what they could. to destroy any knowledge. Of me. having anything to do with the product. But for many, many years I I just did not have a good feeling.
about creating the product. But I've come to terms. With a fact That So many people were employed by the company. All I can tell you is it was an experience. Ah Creating a world, a product that's got about 98%.
Name recognition. But Uh You have to recreate yourself. Uh recently We got involved in the CBD Jelly Bean Business? We are making jelly beans with CBD in them, 10 milligrams. Per bean?
So right now Back in to the jelly bean. business after all these years. Uh Last Year? Around September We started A new venture? It's called the gold ticket.
Dot com It's a w a nationwide treasure hunt. We hide a gold Necklace in 50 states different And We give clues, riddles. We give a riddle.
So that they know Where it is? The winner For each of the 50 contests Receive $5,000. All states were claimed. And we receive so much. positive.
feedback on that because while COVID was going on People Didn't have too many activities that they could go to. This, they could pile everybody into a car. and travel all together? And it was extremely successful.
So it was so successful that we're doing another round of that same activity.
So we're very happy doing that. and we feel like we're doing something.
Something really good. For the world. Yeah. The one documentary that's out there now. It's shown on Amazon.
And Uh you can watch it if you're an Amazon member. For free? And it's been seen all over the world. It's called Candyman. The David Klein story.
My son? And his wife And Costa Botez. collaborated on it. They made it into a very good, very great Documentary in my opinion. that will stand the test at times.
So that brings us up to date. And Uh I I g I I love being in a business where you feel that you can help people. This is America. that you come up with a good idea You can run with that idea. Make them happy.
That's the whole idea behind it. And a great job on that piece by Greg. and a special thanks to David Klein for telling his story. David Klein's story, The Story of Jelly Belly. Here.
on our American stories. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected. That's why sun protection and timely detection matter.
Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skincancer.com. Liberty has never been just a word to we Americans. It has guided every one of our endeavors for the past 250 years. And now it takes form in a new way.
The 2026 Semi-Quincentennial Coin and Metal Program from the United States Mint. It celebrates the founding ideals that have long shaped our coinage. Available one year only, this historic collection features new coin designs, limited edition releases, and reissues. Shop new official coins at usmint.gov forward slash semi-q. That's usmint.gov/slash S-E-M-I-Q.
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Yeah.
