Written By Nicholas Cardot25 Comments
You Can Seize Only What You Can See (Part 1)
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In 1930, two brothers overcome with the entrepreneurial spirit that drives so many Americans, picked up their lives and moved from New Hampshire to California.
Fresh out of High School, Dick and Maurice saw few opportunities to make it big in their hometown so they headed West to chase after the American dream.
After a little while in California, their desire to own a business drove them to open a small theater a few miles from Hollywood in Glendale, CA. Five years later, however, they were still struggling to consistently make the $100 that was necessary to pay the rent for their theater so they closed the doors and set out to find new opportunities.
They were determined to succeed and so they kept searching for new avenues to achieve success. In 1937, they found something that worked.
A Changing Culture Presented New Opportunities
Drive in diners were a brand new concept in the 1930’s. With the growing use of the automobile, these park-and-dine restaurants quickly exploded in popularity. Instead of going into the dining room, customers could park outside the diner and carhops would take their orders and deliver the food on trays right to their car windows.
Dick and Maurice embraced this new change in American culture and opened a small drive-in diner in Pasadena just east of Glendale.
The tiny restaurant was an instant success and so in 1940, they moved their operation to San Bernardino to take advantage of the larger population just outside of Los Angeles. Their success exploded. They made $200,000 at their diner that year and they split over $50,000 in profits.
In 1948, they revamped their business model. They eliminated the carhops and started catering to walk-up customers. They streamlined their food production by creating an assembly line style food delivery system. They made it their goal to be able to serve every customer in 30 seconds or less…and they nailed that goal.
In the 1950’s, Dick and Maurice plateaued at $350,000 in annual revenue and they were splitting $100,000 in take-home profits each year. They had arrived. They had achieved their goals and they had no desire to go any higher.
So what was the name of their restaurant? Back in the 1950’s, you could have driven by their small restaurant in San Bernardino. On the front of the building was a sign that read simply, “McDonald’s Hamburgers.” Dick and Maurice McDonald had found the American dream.
Today we enjoy cheap hamburgers and delicious Oreo McFlurries from the world’s largest drive-through restaurant because of the amazing vision and leadership of these two brothers…right?
WRONG.
It Took A Partnership With A Great Visionary
Dick and Maurice were financially secure and never worked to grow their business any farther. They never expanded their franchise. They never grew their business model. And if it weren’t for the amazing vision of another man, the McDonald’s name would never have left San Bernerdino, CA.
In 1954, Dick and Maurice were introduced to a man named Ray Kroc who had an amazing vision for what their restaurant could become. Kroc owned a small company that did business with McDonald’s. His company sold machines that made milkshakes. On his first visit to their thriving diner, he immediately envisioned colossal potential.
In 1955, McDonald’s System Inc (later the McDonald’s Corporation) was formed. Kroc partnered with McDonald’s to pursue a dream of creating a national franchise. He foresaw great things and immediately began working long hours to expand the business until ultimately in 1961, he purchased the company for $2.7 million.
Ray Kroc’s extraordinary vision and leadership led him to transform this small company into a global household name. By 1959, Kroc had opened over 100 restaurants. By 1963, he had over 500. Today, McDonald’s has over 21,000 restaurants worldwide.
Dick and Maurice McDonald were limited because they had no vision for creating a global corporation whereas Ray Kroc’s potential was driven sky-high by his limitless vision for success.
I believe that success can be achieved by almost anyone. Although we are certainly born with certain traits, gifts, and characteristics that define who we are, many of the concepts and principles that fuel success can be learned, practiced and developed.
Vision is one of the cornerstone principles at the heart of this. Vision is everything to a motivated professional. It’s what leads a leader. It creates the target and inspires those who would be followers. A man without a vision is destined to travel in circles.
Group Discussion
Ray Kroc was fueled with a passionate vision that propelled him and his company to great heights. What is your vision? What is your vision driving you and inspiring you to do? Is it propelling you to learn, explore and grow? If so, in what ways?
Can you see how Vision was essential to the success of the McDonald’s Corporation? Can you see how it is essential to your success at your website, your blog, your business and your life ventures?
A Personal Note from the Author:
Vision is so incredibly important and yet as I wrote this article I’ve had a strange dread. I have this fear that because the topic of this article is not a simple 30-second blog tip or a concept that would traditionally be covered on a site like this that many people would miss this important principle.
I could really use your help. Would you help me calm that fear by stumbling, tweeting and digging this article for me? I would personally appreciate it and I truly believe that many of our friends could greatly benefit from it. Thanks for reading, helping and supporting.
Nicholas Cardot
Nick uses his blog Site Sketch 101 to express his passion for helping bloggers and webmasters connect with real people through brilliant designs, unique content, and genuine creativity. Nicholas Cardot has 187 post(s) at Site Sketch 101
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Ron Boracay said:
An eye opener story Nick! Thanks for this, I never knew the real story behind McDo’s success. Until I read your post.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Ron Boracay –> Now take the lesson of vision with you. Don’t just enjoy the story, but let’s learn from it.
Roschelle said:
There’s nothing to fear about the reader or visitor missing the point of this article. While one may settle for comfortable mediocrity. There exists someone, somewhere, with a vision to go above and beyond what’s expected, what’s planned, what’s projected….and achieve what we all stake all on hopes on as young kids…OUR DREAMS.
My advice…never stop dreaming!
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Roschelle –> I certainly like that advice and I hope that everyone will take that away from this article. I hope that many will be inspired to develop a vision for their own websites, blogs, and even their lives.
Walter said:
First, understand your fear is a reaction for digressing your usual topic. The way I see it, you fear venturing a vision that is brewing on your mind.
You’ve got a nice topic here but it seems you are overwhelmed. I say it is natural. Expand your vision Sir, something much better might be waiting for you.
InternetHow Blog said:
You have to interact with your dreams and goals. I don’t know where, but I read about this architec, who always used to close his eyes and walk around the area, where he intends to build his project. To onlookers, it looked so crazy to see someone walking around with closed eyes, acting as opening doors, climbing stairs, etc. When they asked this architect, “What the hell are you doing?” He replied: “I am visualising my objectives and interacting with them. Without these I couldn’t be able to built more than 200 buildings”. Wheteher he build more than 200 buildings or not, but story shows you the importance of the visualisation of your dreams.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
InternetHow Blog –> It does make sense. That’s an interesting story and I think that it’s right on. We have to do whatever it takes to see our visions.
Seth W said:
Powerful story and even better application of the principles taught in it. I can understand your fear, many readers want to have an easy tip and walk away to do their thing. Success comes from more than that. It comes from seeing the big picture. Doing the difficult things, and being the best person.
Fantastic article and it definitely delivered as promised. Stumbled!
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Seth W –> Thanks for stumbling and I’m glad that you like it. I really do think that a lot of people may have missed the importance of this amazing principle.
Gabe | freebloghelp.com said:
Vision is one of the top four things people look for in a leader. The problem with blogging is that it’s hard to focus on strategy when the tactics get in the way.
Generally speaking, I’ve found excellent resources to work on the tactics for my businesses. Now if I can only find someone to take on my daily blog activities… j/k
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Gabe | freebloghelp.com –> Ha ha. You’re right. But sometimes it’s so important for us to step back and focus on the big picture.
Jo said:
I think that your point about vision being essential is absolutely spot on. However … surely we don’t all need a vision as big as Ray Kroc’s. Dick and Maurice had their own vision and achieved that. Surely it is ok to have smaller visions as well as global ones.
How do we define success? Bigger isn’t always better.
Nicholas Cardot said:
Jo –> Yes. That is true, but the main reason that I wrote this article was because I believe that many people are limiting their visions because they don’t believe that they could accomplish anything more. My dream is to inspire people to want greatness and to do what it takes to achieve it.
Mary E. Ulrich said:
Joel Barker made a series of videos about the power of vision and paradigm shifts.
He told the Ray Kroc story, not with as many details as you, but in the context of paradigms.
He called the McDonald Brothers the paradigm shifters because they got the idea. But Ray Kroc was the paradigm pioneer, he saw how to take the idea and make it into a new way of doing business. Because the McDonald’s model of fast and cheap was copied by Burger King, Wendy’s… it really was a paradigm shift from the mom and pop restaurant.
Joel Barker’s video looked at many other companies which were also paradigm pioneers, taking someone else’s idea and giving it wings.
His challenge was to look around at the paradigm shifters in our lives, the Daniel Boone’s who are blazing new trails. Then rework the idea and become a paradigm pioneer that build the towns, schools and hospitals for the third group, the paradigm settlers.
Hope this makes sense. The concept of paradigm shifters, pioneers and settlers was important in my life and inspires me daily.
Nicholas Cardot said:
Mary E. Ulrich –> I like that analogy that you create. Would you classify my as a paradigm shifter, a pioneer, or a settler?
Diane C said:
Vision is needed in every aspect of our lives. As a little child you dream about your future. Granted most children change one thing that they see in their future.
As a parent you have a vision for your child to grow up and do something with their lives.
I love watching my husband as he jots down ideas for this site. He always has several papers on his desk that contain ideas for posts, contests, etc.
For all you bloggers out there you started your site with a vision now keep moving forward with it!
Gimme A Dream said:
I must admit that I enjoyed your post but I also have to agree with Jo…, surely success to the extreme is not necessary to achieve total contentment in what one does. The vision doesn’t have to be the size of MicroSoft or McDonalds. What is wrong with mediocre when it is between having nothing and having the McDonalds franchise?
Wynn
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Nicholas Cardot said:
Gimme A Dream –> I think the main reason that I focus on the over-the-top dream is because that’s who I am. I’m simply trying to share my passion to the readers here. I want to accomplish great things and I want to help others do the same. I don’t want to look back on my life and think that I did anything less than my best.
jan geronimo said:
What is there to fear? Your article is a splendid read. Sure, you depart from your usual snackable morsels of useful tips. But serving your readers a great story that’s both meaty and inspirational is even better. Much appreciated, Nicholas.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
jan geronimo –> You’re welcome and thanks for the reassurance. I just fear that often people are looking for the quick fix and that they won’t be interested in the meatier pieces like this. It reminds me of the email that Darren Rowse got the other day…”Can you help me make money with zero effort?” I think that it sums up a lot of people’s attitudes.
izzat aziz said:
it truly remarkable story, it is the story of three entrepreneur work they will to the top mcdonald did have vision that why the build good business in first place, but their vision is limited, and for kroc he have higher vission and how to make the oppurtunity a reality. inspired story, thanks.
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scheng1 said:
When we did the case studies in college, I did ponder the point about Ray Kroc and the McDonald’s brothers.
It seems that buying over a business is better than starting a new business for some people.
Maybe that’s the reason many successful bloggers get offers from people who want to buy their websites.
Nicholas Cardot said:
scheng1 –> That’s an interesting point and I’ve heard it made before.
gautam hans said:
I think vision, is the most important. If you don’t have any vision, you don’t have any goals or aspirations. And if you don’t have any goals, you will not work hard
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