I chose to read about Ray Kroc because he founded McDonalds,
which is a company that I think is a little evil. Because of this I thought it
would be fun to read about the man who started it and see what sort of person
he was compared to his lasting legacy. I was surprised to learn that he was
actually a pretty admirable person. He served his country in WW1 and after that
became a salesman with a ton of perseverance. I even have things in common with
him, like we both play piano.
I really admire the way that he didn’t let anything thwart
him in his path to success. Like he continued to sell milkshake machines even
after his old paper cup company started taking 60% of his profits. One thing I definitely
don’t admire about him is the company that he helped to create. Anyone who has
seen Supersize Me understands that there really isn’t a lot positive to say
about what McDonalds is doing today. Their food is incredibly unhealthy. Their burgers
don’t even rot. However, I would like to hope that when Kroc was in the early
stages of getting this company going he wasn’t aware of what a monstrosity it
would become.
Ray Kroc had many of the traits that you would expect to see
in an entrepreneur. He was strong and unwavering in his belief in his products.
He had a knack for seeing what would be big in the future, for example he
predicted the rise in use of disposable goods and that’s why he got started
selling paper cups. When he faced adversity from others he powered right
through. He demonstrated this even in his youth when he wanted to fight for his
country but he was too young and his parents wouldn’t let him. Eventually he
convinced them to let him join as a medic so he lied about his age to join and
went off to serve.
I would like to ask Kroc how he identified a winning idea. He
was right about the disposable products and about McDonalds. So how did he
decide that these things were going to be big? I would also like to know his
opinion about how his company is doing today. Would he consider them a success
or a monstrosity?
I am sure that Kroc believed in working hard. He worked hard
his whole life and was an older man with many health problems before he even got
started with the McDonald brothers. I also believe in hard work but balanced
with giving yourself free time to enjoy your life. If you are working really hard
and having a terrible time then what’s the point? I think a healthy balance
between work and play is best.
Hi Emma, I also wrote about Ray Kroc in my post. I agree with your post in that Ray Kroc is a very polarizing figure. On one hand he created one of the most successful businesses in history, but on the other hand he has a lot of ethical problems associated with his success. I think that nowadays Ray Kroc would not be able to get away with how he grew his business because there is a greater emphasis on business ethics for entrepreneurs now. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt's cool that you read it for the reason I avoided it. I've read the the Supersize Me results from the documentary were actual faked because no one has been able to recreate it with results to the extent that he did. I definitely still recognize that McDonalds is super unhealthy and I don't go there myself. I'd like to know if he cares about the impact that his disposable products have on the environment.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I totally agree that McDonald's probably isn't the best company out there, but their network and business model is something to behold. Instantly recognizable branding is something few companies achieve. It does seem to me though in reading a few people's posts that maybe he was a milkshake machine salesman that maybe got lucky or bullied his way to where he was. I'll have to do some more research.
ReplyDelete