Ray Kroc

McDonald's franchise builder

Modern influential 92 sayings

Sayings by Ray Kroc

I've always been an optimist.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I think it's important to have fun in what you do.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm a big believer in continuous improvement.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm a firm believer in setting goals.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I've always been a very resourceful person.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm a big believer in staying hungry.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I've always been a very persistent person.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm a firm believer in never giving up.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm a big believer in taking action.

1977 — Grinding It Out: The Making Of McDonald's
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

If any of my competitors were drowning, I’d stick a hose in their mouth.

1970s — On business ruthlessness
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

If you're not a risk taker, you should get the hell out of business.

1970s — Speech
Humorous Unverifiable

Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.

1977 — Autobiography, 'Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's'
Humorous Confirmed

If you're not growing, you're dying.

1970s — Speech
Humorous Unverifiable

The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.

1977 — Autobiography, 'Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's'
Humorous Unverifiable

When I saw the McDonald's operation, I felt like some latter-day Newton who'd just had an apple land on his head. For the first time in my life, I saw the future.

1977 — Autobiography, 'Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's'
Humorous Unverifiable

No self-respecting businessman with a lick of sense would ever call himself a 'burger flipper.'

1977 — Autobiography, 'Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's'
Humorous Unverifiable

I didn't invent the hamburger. I just took it from a greasy spoon to a golden arch.

1970s — Interview
Humorous Unverifiable

You'll never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with him.

1970s — Interview
Humorous Unverifiable

It's easy to have principles when you're rich. The important thing is to have principles when you're poor.

1977 — Autobiography, 'Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's'
Humorous Unverifiable

When you're green, you're growing. When you're ripe, you rot.

1970s — Speech
Humorous Unverifiable