21 A

Reading Reflection No. 2



What was the general theme or argument of the book?

The general theme of the book, “Grinding it out, The Making of McDonald’s,” by Ray Kroc is not to giving up on something you believe in. Roy Kroc believed the McDonalds brothers had a great concept that could be franchised.



How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

In this class, my biggest takeaway is if you have a dream, chase it in full force. As an Entrepreneur, you must have a vision and enthusiasm to bring your vision to life. Throughout the book Ray Kroc continuously encountered difficulties and stress. However, he believed in the franchise and persisted. When I first opened the syllabus and saw the amount of course work in this class, I momentarily panicked. I knew I was capable of doing the work, but wondered how I would be able to allot a sufficient time for the class when I also was working. Graduating from University of Florida is my dream, just like Ray Kroc, there were trying times with uploading the correct link or finding the time to complete assignments, I never gave up. This class has taught me how to balance everything in my life.



If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

When I initially reviewed the class syllabus, I was overwhelmed by the amount of course work in this class. I would recommend others to print out a monthly calendar and start putting assignments down based on the day you intend to complete them. This strategy worked for me as it enabled me take all of my class assignments and place them on a schedule that worked for me. I would have student draft and then upload the calendar as an assignment, then at the end of the month have them reflect on what worked for them, what did not work for them, and how they can improve their calendaring for the following month.



What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

My biggest “aha” moment of the book is when everything looked really bad for Ray Kroc. He had no more money, the royalties he was receiving was not enough to pay the bills and the McDonald’s brothers did not want to take risks. The chain began with nine menu items. The chain McDonalds was growing, franchises were everywhere, but the man who was the brains behind it for it was impoverished. Kroc did not give up, this is when he set up a franchise Realty Corporation in which he began to buy land. This is when he began to make money. Kroc realized that receiving 1.4% of the franchise profits did not pay the bills, however if he was receiving rent from franchisees for the land he owned, he would be making a lot more money. This book taught me that the way out of a financially challenging situation is through creative thought.