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The man who made a billion off blueberries

From My First Million · Published Oct 7, 2025 · Watch on YouTube

TL;DR

John Bragg built two billion-dollar businesses: Oxford Frozen Foods (controls ~40-50% of global blueberry supply) and the largest private telecom company in Canada, starting from picking blueberries in high school. When a blueberry glut crashed prices, he built a freezing plant; after a frost left it empty, he pivoted to making onion rings for McCain to survive.

Key insights

  • Bragg's "no reverse gear" mindset led him to pivot to onion rings when his blueberry freezing plant was empty after a frost, rather than declare bankruptcy.
  • He intentionally overpays for acquisitions when opportunities are scarce, believing "you can't buy a reputation" — overpaying builds a reputation for fair, quick deals.
  • He shares blueberry-picking innovations freely with other farmers, reasoning "what's good for one is good for all" and competing against other fruits, not other blueberry farms.

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