1)
Ray Kroc was a very interesting entrepreneur to
read about in his autobiography, Grinding it Out. What shocked me the most about him was how well he did selling
paper cups. Furthermore, his involvement in the creation of the metal sleeve
for paper cups to mix milkshakes was amazing to me. I mostly admired the fact
that he constantly saw opportunity. Two examples include his sale of paper cups
to Walgreen’s soda stand and his idea to sell milkshakes for 12 cents instead of
10 cents. Both of these ideas worked greatly for him. However, what I did not
admire (other than the obvious situation with McDonald’s) was the attitude he
held towards teamwork and family. He seemed to only ask his wife for
forgiveness and for going along with his plans, and when his entire company
suffered a pay cut, he refused to accept it, even though his own boss had to
suffer through it, too. Despite my disagreement with this action, he did work
for what he wanted. He basically quit and searched for work elsewhere until he
received the pay that he deserved. Another challenge he faced was that of
working as a piano player. He had to play very long hours, and learned how to
derive the most rest from when he slept.
2)
Kroc was extremely proficient at sales. He knew
exactly how to relate to people and level with them, ultimately getting them to
spend money. Furthermore, he knew that by having a clean-cut and organized appearance,
he would create better relationships with his customers.
3)
Something that confused me about the reading is
the constant work Kroc had. I found it hard to keep up with his many jobs in his
youth, always having to remind myself what he was actually doing.
4)
If I was able to speak with Kroc, I would ask
him if 1) he had any regrets in life, and 2) if he thinks his life would be
different if he never learned to play the piano.
5)
I believe 110% that Ray Kroc is a strong
proponent of hard work. His autobiography is literally titled “Grinding it Out.”
He touches upon sleepless night, trudging through a bad business deal, and chasing
opportunities until something stuck. I do share this opinion, because I believe
that if you want anything substantial in life, you have to work hard at it.
Nothing great comes easy.
Hi, Sophia! I liked your post because I did not read the same book but felt that I was able to learn a little about Ray Kroc from your writing. It seems that you found him really interesting and were surprised by his work ethic and persistence to succeed. I liked that you included little examples such as his ideas regarding the pricing of milkshakes to display his skillfulness in sales. I think we both understand the value of hard work and I hope to read this book in the future to learn more about such an entrepreneur.
ReplyDeleteHi, Sophia! I like how you included the good and bad aspects of Ray Croc's story, and your personal disagreements with things he did. Sometimes we look up to people who have created something within society so much that we sometimes overlook bad things they have done. We can all reflect upon the good of bad of one another in order to learn and improve. I enjoyed your reading reflection, great job!
ReplyDeleteHey Sophia, I had never heard of Kroc before this assignment but your reflection on his autobiography makes him out to be very impressive. It sounds like he was good at identifying problems that the people around him were facing and finding a way to make money from them. Your question kind of makes me want to know what impact his piano playing had on his life that would make you ask that.
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