Thursday, January 22, 2015

01/22 ROBERT POWELLS, ROCKET FIZZ SODA POP AND CANDY SHOPS, UNDERCOVER BOSS, RICK STEVES

ROBERT POWELLS - THE PRESIDENT OF THE ROCKET FIZZ SODA POP AND CANDY SHOPS GETS A GOOD TASTE OF WHAT MAKES HIS STORES SWEET, ON “UNDERCOVER BOSS” FRIDAY, JAN. 23

“Rocket Fizz” – Robert Powells, President and Co-Founder of The Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops, the largest candy and soda shop franchise in America, embarks on an emotional journey to discover what keeps his candy shops sweet, on UNDERCOVER BOSS, Friday, Jan. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  The boss discovers that the inventory system is as old-fashioned as his stores’ classic candies, and he fizzles out while working the assembly line at his bottling plant.

Robert Powells , Co-Founder/President Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop, will appear on UNDERCOVER BOSS on Friday, Jan. 23.

Rocket Fizz, headquartered in Camarillo, CA, is the largest candy and soda shop franchise in America , where Robert’s co-founder, Ryan Morgan is based.  Robert runs the company from his home office in northern Nevada (Robert lives in Lake Tahoe) – and their CEO is based out of Palo Alto.

They have 54 stores in 18 states and over 1,000 employees.  Their annual revenue is over $35 million.

This company sells thousands of candy varieties -- and about 500  soda pop flavors, of which 105 are Rocket Fizz flavors. They have soda flavors like Bacon, S’mores, Key Lime Pie.  They have some celebrity flavors too – like (Former Pro Wrestler) Rowdy Roddy Piper Bubble Gum soda.  (Roddy makes a cameo in this episode at Robert’s home.)  Rocket Fizz specializes in old-fashioned candy, which is nostalgic for a lot of their adult customers.

Robert wasn’t a good student in high school, but after working for seven years he enrolled in U.C. Berkeley, where he ended up earning a degree.

In 2007 Robert Powells and Ryan Morgan went on a road trip and came up with the idea for Rocket Fizz.  They  were rejected by 13 banks when they wanted to start this business, so they flew to Asia where they found and purchased 10,000 packages of fake dog poop.  They sold all the dog poop within six months – so, per Robert, Rocket Fizz was partially funded by fake dog poop.


TRAVEL EXPERT RICK STEVES - HE HAS COLLECTED A LIFETIME OF TRAVEL LESSONS INTO THE NEWLY UPDATED EDITION OF HIS BOOK, EUROPE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR 2015: THE TRAVEL SKILLS HANDBOOK

Rick Steves has collected a lifetime of travel lessons into the newly updated edition of his book, Europe Through the Back Door 2015: The Travel Skills Handbook.

American vacations are becoming shorter and shorter while travelers look for ways to save time and money in every aspect of their lives. In order to encourage Americans to travel internationally and create life-changing memories, travel expert Rick Steves’ is offering his top 15 travel tips for 2015.

Talk to travel expert Rick Steves about:
How To Travel: what to know before you go
Sage Advice: Top 15 Travel Tips for 2015
Timely Topics:  finding cheap airfares online, using your smartphone in Europe, top mobile travel apps, digital maps and navigation, using social media, and calling over the internet.
All the Essentials:  step-by-step advice on packing, itinerary planning, budgeting your time and money, ATMs, credit cards, phones, internet, languages, eating, sleeping, sightseeing, safety, staying healthy, traveling with kids, and getting around Europe by car, train and air.

Travel Expert Rick Steves Offers His Top 15 Travel Tips for 2015

Summary: American vacations are becoming shorter and shorter while travelers look for ways to save time and money in every aspect of their lives. In order to encourage Americans to travel internationally and create life-changing memories, travel expert Rick Steves’ is offering his top 15 travel tips for 2015.

For most Americans, time and money are precious resources. The average American worker is entitled to sixteen days of paid leave, but her average vacation lasts just over four days! International travel advocate Rick Steves is staging an intervention. In the new edition of Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door 2015: The Travel Skills Handbook, Steves urges Americans to venture afar in the new year. To help travelers engage with other cultures in meaningful ways while saving time and money, he is equipping readers with expert advice gleaned from his thirty years of experience exploring Europe and the wider world. Here are Rick’s top travel tips for 2015.