Articles
I write about books, business, habits, and ideas that age well — the kind of insights that compound over time.
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Latest Articles
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Ray Kroc’s McDonald’s Success: The System That Built an Empire
In 1954, Ray Kroc’s McDonald’s success story almost didn’t happen. At the time, he was a 52-year-old milkshake machine salesman with diabetes and arthritis—and very little to show for it. Most people his age were slowing down. Kroc was just getting started. That year, he visited a small restaurant run by the McDonald brothers in…
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Ray Kroc Business Strategy That Built McDonald’s
A McDonald’s franchisee in Knoxville once called Ray Kroc with a problem. A competitor down the street was selling hamburgers for a lower price. The franchisee wanted permission to match the price. Kroc said no. If a competitor could win on price alone, Kroc said, McDonald’s deserved to lose. It sounded irrational. It wasn’t. The…
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Ray Kroc Lessons: The Risk That Built McDonald’s
In 1954, Ray Kroc received an order that made no sense—an order that would later become one of the most famous Ray Kroc lessons in entrepreneurship. One hamburger stand in San Bernardino wanted eight milkshake machines. Eight. Kroc had spent years selling the machines and rarely convinced anyone to buy even one. Most restaurant owners…
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Howard Schultz Leadership Style: Conviction Built Starbucks
It’s the early 1980s. Milan. Howard Schultz is in town for a housewares show. The city’s espresso bars stop him cold. They are community gathering spots, a “third place” between home and work. This is the seed of the Howard Schultz leadership style. Baristas knew customers by name. Coffee wasn’t a transaction. It was a…
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Starbucks Pricing Strategy: Why Howard Schultz Refused to Discount
Howard Schultz stops mid-stride on a Manhattan sidewalk and stares at a bright red “80% off” sign screaming from a boutique window. The world is on clearance. It’s the peak of the financial crisis. Storefronts are plastered with “For Sale” signs. Even Madison Avenue is begging customers to buy. Retailers are cutting prices at any…
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