13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

I read Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s, by Ray Kroc.

1. .
1. I did not know that McDonald's was not even really made by the McDonald brothers. The original store was, but Ray Kroc kind of took the brand from them and made it huge.
2. Ray Kroc never knew when to quit. He knew what he wanted and he got it, no matter what adversity stood in his way. Even though it took him until his 50s to make it big, he never stopped trying.
3. Kroc did not treat the original McDonald brothers very well, I don't think. He kind of bullied them into franchising and selling their name and brand. 
4. Kroc did encounter a lot of adversity and failure. He worked during the depression, and worked a lot of jobs that didn't really get him anywhere, before hitting McDonald's.
2. Ray Kroc knew how to sell - anything. He knew how to sell things and how to grow a business, no matter what the decade was, or economic climate. He made his company profitable even during one of the worst economic downturns in the country.
3. Much of the Chicago-specific nomenclature and references were lost on me, but I figure someone who has lived in Chicago would know what those mean. It did not detract from my overall understanding of the book or the entrepreneurial story.
4. I would ask Kroc what he thought of McDonald's competition which has majorly sprung up since his death. I would also ask him what other modern business he sees a bright future for.
5. Kroc's whole shtick was hard work. He worked hard from the age of 15 all the way up until his death. I usually think working smarter is better than working hard, because you can be the hardest worker on something that isn't valuable, and your hard work is wasted.