Issue #28 Why Pickles Matter

Things were not going great for Ray Kroc.

He traveled the country peddling the next new thing, like today’s affiliate marketer or MSP ownership grinder. He had stuff to sell and worked to sell it.

It was a lot of work. And it wasn’t enriching.  

And then he saw the light, the golden, double-arched light of MSP ownership opportunity that transformed his life and, in many ways, business itself.

(I really wish I could add in a chorus of angels here… imagine it for me, okay?)

Ostensibly he discovered a hamburger restaurant in San Bernardino, California. But it wasn’t the hamburgers that mattered.

It was the machine.

It was the process at McDonald’s that blew him away. Every movement was scripted, the process was laid out perfectly, the menu was trim and easy, and the whole business worked together.

Like a machine.

The process even defined the shape of the pickles on the patty, positioned in just the right way so that they wouldn’t slip out.

And once he got it, he stopped grinding and started building the McDonald’s franchise.

Without the machine, you are just doing work; with the machine, you end up with 40,000 locations spread out around the globe.

See? It works.

Here is how to get started:

• Define whom you serve. McDonald’s serves the hungry in a hurry.
• Create your signature program.  Define the problem you solve, and cut out the stuff that doesn’t matter. If you go to McDonald’s and ask for a filet mignon with peppercorn sauce, they will look you funny. Do what you are good at, not what everybody wants.
• Refine your process so that it is repeatable. Get good at doing the same thing repeatedly. The people producing burgers at McDonald’s were high-school kids, not trained chefs, because the process was defined and repeatable.

The McDonald’s machine broke Ray Kroc out of his grind and, made his work much more, shall we say, enriching.  

It will do the same for you.

You’ve got this.  

Talk Soon,
Jeff

Are You Thriving?

Building a business is different than delivering on the work you are good at. It is a skill.

You could figure it out yourself, but that might take a lifetime, instead, get tools, templates, and education that makes the business building piece work.

Learn more and apply to see if Thrivers is the right fit for you. You can also share this invitation to others so they can be like Ray Kroc.

From Around the Web

• 💤 Are you sleeping well? I can’t function without sleep.  That is because I am human, so I suspect you can’t either. I am looking out for you, so here are some tips on getting a better night’s sleep.
• 🏢 Check out this abandoned McDonald’s. Even machines aren’t perfect – if your target customer moves away, disappears, or is no longer interested, even the best machine can’t survive.  Read more here.
• 📺 What to do with your time? Once your machine is running, you may find yourself with more time on your hands than you know what to do with.  So, maybe you’ll want to browse through this site with television from decades past.  No DVR, no speed settings, just mindless drivel. You are welcome.