Most people know how it feels to be down in the dumps at some point in their lives. So did Ray Kroc. Ray Kroc lived through several professional setbacks by the age of 52. All through life, he tried to get some financial stability, but the attempts failed time and time again. However, the prospect of transforming his financial life kept Ray searching for the next best thing or anything that might turn his plight. He found it aged 52!
Living life results in experiences
Although Ray Kroc seemingly failed at first, each experience enriched his corporate wisdom. Somehow, he learned what it was to sell something, what it took to make a profit, and when something bright had potential. And this lifetime of experiences that started out as failing, landed him a success.
Whether you like or dislike McDonald’s, the energy of the person behind this global fast-food chain is inspiring. Ray stayed open to new ideas and took the idea of a qualitative burger to the next level. As happens more in life, he saw something and optimized that original idea by giving it his personal twist. The two original McDonald brothers made a great burger, but Ray Kroc realized there was more to it than the quality itself. If he could optimize quality control for all burgers by creating ‘the best’ burgers given a specific qualitative process, the route to a franchise was wide open. As he thought about it (pushed by his intense wish to succeed), he turned a basic hamburger process into an innovative idea, building a fast-food chain known in multiple countries.
Transforming his financial life
Ray created a business success story seemingly from scratch while in his fifties. However, he relied on his previous experiences, combining what he had learned in previous walks of life. As long as we live our lives, we pile up our experiences and turn them into lifelong lessons. Ray Kroc’s life has been fictionalized in the 2016 movie The Founder, which I found an entertaining movie to watch.
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