From the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, I was blessed to work in McDonald's Corporate Marketing. I learned a tremendous amount working inside the McFamily and worked with and learned from some amazing people.
One person I'm sorry to say I never had the pleasure to meet was Ray Kroc. During my tenure I was always so impressed with how Kroc built McDonald's and that hasn't changed to this day.
Now Ray didn't start McDonald's in a Recession, but he certainly did some amazing things to kickoff the business despite several challenges. For example, he mortgaged his home and invested his entire life savings to
become the exclusive distributor of a five-spindled milk shake maker
called the Multimixer. Once he heard about the McDonald's hamburger stand in
California running eight Multimixers at a time, he packed up his car
and headed West. It was 1954, he was 52 years old and the rest is history!
Ray was a colorful guy and was famous for his many quotes. One of my favorites is, "To be successful, you must be daring, be first and be different."
I don't necessarily agree that you need to be first to succeed (it sure helps though), but being daring and different are critical!
If you're daring and differently good, then you become REMARKABLE!
And, if you're REMARKABLE – note the root word – people will REMARK about you!
My firm recently did the publicity launch for the first fully automated storage system (see video) from Boomerang Systems which is truly REMARKABLE! See a SUPER REMARK here!
To survive and thrive throughout these tough times, focus on doing REMARKABLE things.
Remarkable things don't have to be new things, but could simply be keeping your promises, doing what you said you were going to do, being nice, having manners etc.,
Heck – Ray Kroc built a billion dollar business by stressing QSC&V – Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value and grabbing a bucket and mop was never a job that was beneath him!
Focus on doing REMARKABLE things. Focus Now!
STRIVE TO BE FIRST, BE DARING AND BE DIFFERENT and watch your business grow!
Here are a few more pearls of wisdom from the late, great Ray Kroc.
I hope they inspire you as much as they continue to inspire me.
