ALASKA! Such a majestic beauty of wonder. There were glaciers, whales, sea lions, and nearly endless sun. So much to do and so much to see and do. So why would I be watching a movie in the cabin of my wonderful cruise ship? Well it was 2am and at that time there are no glaciers, whales, sea lions, or nearly endless sun to see. So when I found myself unable to sleep I turned on the TV to one of the two movie channels available. A movie called The Founder was about to come on. I had no idea what this movie was, something related to McDonald’s since I saw the golden arches but other than that it was a mystery.

After a few minutes I believed I was watching the story of the two brothers who founded McDonalds. The more I watched I realized I was watching the story of the man who usurped McDonald’s from the brothers and made it his own. I won’t go into the details because it is worth a watch if you are a business minded person or if you are just curious about America’s favorite fast food restaurant.

There were some important takeaways from that movie that I am always stressing to clients and people in general:

1. You cannot go into business with just anyone. I see this a lot. People wanting to do business with their BFF or crazy cousin Ricky. Nope. Just because you are friends/family doesn’t mean you are good business partners. Many small businesses or entrepreneurs get dazzled by some stranger coming in and wanting to invest in your business. Don’t get desperate. If it sounds too good to be true than it is.
2. GET.IT.IN.WRITING. I don’t know why this isn’t common sense yet but it should be. Get everything you are doing or someone else is doing for you in writing. That is the best way to protect not only yourself but your business as well.
3. Know your worth. I see several small businesses either underestimate or over estimate what they think their business is worth. Hire a professional and value accordingly. You don’t want to look like an idiot if someone wants your business you don’t know how much it is worth. That can bite you in more ways than one.
4. How far will you go? There is no question that the business decision paid off in the end for Michael Keaton’s character but there is a huge question as to whether it was moral, well maybe not that huge of a question. It is important to know yourself, your values, and your limits. What will you do to further your business? Your pockets? Your status?

I don’t know how accurate this movie is and I really don’t care. This isn’t about whether this is the truth but more so about the business that took place in the movie. Fact or fiction it is interesting.