When Jenny Craig had her second child, she was thrilled. That excitement, however, quickly turned to depression when the weight she had gained during the pregnancy refused to go away. But Craig was not one to sit and while away her time being depressed. Instead, she decided to do something. Not only did she lose her own excess weight, but she created a business empire in the process. Today, with over 650 centres around the world, Jenny Craig Inc. has become one of the largest and most recognized companies in the weight management industry.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” says Craig. “You can do anything and be anything you want.” In starting up a company that helped others conquer their weight issues, Craig did exactly what she wanted to do. She just happened to make millions of dollars along the way, too. How did this one-time overweight mother of two become not only a successful entrepreneur but also the hero of millions of people around the world?

“When I grew up in New Orleans, my mother was a fabulous Creole cook. Everything we ate involved butter and fat, with lots of starches. I just figured that was the way to eat.

My mother was always overweight after having six children. I was the youngest, and I never saw her thin. She died when she was only 49 from a stroke. Looking into that mirror, seeing her there in myself, made me realize that if I wanted to live to raise my two daughters, I had to watch my weight.

With regard to my own weight problem, I was figuring out what to do. I was always one to exercise, and I wasn’t losing weight. You’d talk to a doctor, and he would just say to eat less. That was the standard reply.

Just eat less than you’re eating.

What really started me off in this business was my own research into what kinds of foods I should be eating. I was sure there were a lot of people just like me that want someone to tell them what to do. 

Whoever heard of cholesterol when I first started in this business in 1959? People didn’t pay any attention to what they ate. I noticed a need before it was a whole industry and in that sense, I was entrepreneurial. 

The markets where we had the most competition were our best markets. I realized why. There was greater awareness of the risks of obesity and a major reason is the advertising we and all the other companies were doing. Of course, we didn’t have success stories the first day we opened. So, I said, well, I’ll go out there and do it. And I did, and it seemed to be working so I just continued to do it.

Our timing was good, but as we realized after opening on a Monday with full-page newspaper ads, we had 11 competitors with a foot already in the door. We knew the competition was there, but were surprised at how strong they were in terms of advertising. We realized that we had to do something different. 

That’s when we started researching frozen dinners and found that no other company was offering frozen dinners on the premises. Weight Watchers had frozen dinners in the supermarket, but they were not part of their program. Life should be enjoyed, not wasted counting fat grams and calories.

I can’t wait for tomorrow. You can do anything and be anything you want. I really love what I do. It’s extremely motivating to me.“