Mike Fry

Mike Fry is an American entrepreneur, entertainer, trainer and marketing expert. He was the original Happy the Hobo on the children’s television series Happy’s Place, and is the creative mind behind and owner of Fancy Fortune Cookies.

By the age of 17 he was juggling for audiences in his local area. Mike was accepted to the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College, in Venice, CA at the age of 19, graduating in 1981. He then toured with the circus for the 1981 and 1982 seasons. He left Ringling Brothers in 1982 and made the transition to television, where he wrote and co-produced and starred in Happy’s Place one of America’s highest-rated children’s television shows from 1982 to 1990. Happy’s Place aired on Fox affiliate Channel 55 in 207 cities for eight years.

After leaving Happy’s Place Mike trained at the Second City sketch comedy group in Chicago, Illinois. While in Chicago he also auditioned to play the role of Bozo the Clown, and did some writing for the show as a result. He was also an instructor at the Illinois Juggling Institute for one year while he lived in Chicago.

During his role as Happy the Hobo, Mike became interested in inventing. In 1988 he started marketing his first viable invention, America’s first gourmet-flavored fortune cookies. Since 1988 the company has greatly expanded on his original concept of gourmet-flavored fortune cookies, specializing in flavored, chocolate dipped, giant, and decorated fortune cookies.

In 1990 Mike started developing and marketing another of his inventions, the “Always There Bear.” He spent twelve years developing, marketing and refining the idea, culminating in his invention being purchased by Hasbro toys in 2002. His story is featured in the book The One Minute Millionaire, by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen. Mike worked with both Mark and Robert on the deal with Hasbro. The toy is, as they say, still in development.

After many years as a student of Linda Chandler, in 2004 Mike joined up with his long-time friend and mentor as a part of her Core Value Training Program. He uses his experiences as a marketer, entrepreneur and entertainer to teach internet marketing strategies to thousands of international business owners around the world. Mike is especially popular in Asia, where they appreciate his lack of inhibitions.