Believe in your dream – Dave Thomas

Dave Thomas starred in 652 commercials for Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, more than any other person in television history.

But, he wasn’t just that friendly face you saw on TV with his white shirts and red ties; Thomas built his multi-billion dollar fast-food restaurant chain from the ground up, earning him a reputation as one of the most successful and loved entrepreneurs in American history.

Thomas’ father once told him, “You’ll never keep a job! I’ll be supporting you for the rest of your life.”

From being an anonymous baby who was unwanted by his birth parents to becoming a multi-million dollar CEO, Thomas made the vision he outlined as a 15 year old come true.

Through a combination of hard work, desire and his unique personality, Thomas rose to the top of the food chain. What were his success factors?

“When I was eight years old, I dreamed that I would one day own the best restaurant in the world. My restaurant would serve great tasting hamburgers made just the way you like them, and all of the customers would love the food and come back again and again. – From a school essay he wrote at 15 yrs called “The Pursuit of happiness.” I thought if I owned a restaurant, I could eat for free.

Only in America would a guy like me, from humble beginnings and without a high school diploma become successful. America gave me a chance to life the life I want and work to make my dreams come true. We should never take our freedoms for granted, and we should seize every opportunity presented to us. 

What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone. Know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed. Take care of your business and your business will take care of you.

It all comes back to the basic. Serve customers the best-tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant, and they’ll keep coming back. Anytime I had any doubts, you know what I would do? I’d have a double cheese with mustard, pickle and onion, a bowl of chili and a Frosty. And I’d say, ‘I know we can sell this. It’s fantastic.’

If we take care of our customers every day and exceed their expectations, we’ll earn their loyalty. It all comes back to the basics: serve customers the best tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant and they’ll keep coming back. 

Hard work is good for the soul, and it keeps you from feeling sorry for yourself because you don’t have time. I think the harder you work, the more luck you have. If you want it bad enough…and try hard enough…you can get it. You can make your dreams come true.

If there are things you don’t like in the world you grew up in, make your own life different. You can do what you want to do. You can be what you want to be. There’s no one to stop you but yourself. Believe in your dream. People may tell you that you won’t make it, that you’re wasting your time. If you keep your dream in mind, have done your research and are willing to work hard, you can make it come true.“