#231 William Rosenberg (Founder of Dunkin Donuts)

**David Senra** (0:00)
I want to tell you about a one time only limited event that I don't think you're going to want to miss. I am doing a live show with Patrick O'Shaughnessy from the Invest Like The Best podcast in New York City on October 19th. Patrick has interviewed over 300 of the world's best investors and founders for his podcast. I've read over 300 biographies of history's greatest entrepreneurs for my podcast. We'll be talking about what we learned from seven years of podcasting, sharing our favorite ideas and stories, and doing a live Q&A. There will also be special event-only swag. If you live in New York City, I think it's a no-brainer. But if not, I think it's a great excuse to fly in. I've already heard from a bunch of people that bought tickets. They're flying in from other cities. Some people are flying in from other countries. That's setting the bar really high. So I will have at least four shots of espresso or four energy drinks before or during the show. So we can make it a night that you'll never forget. If you're interested in attending this unique live event, I will leave a link down below. I highly recommend you get your tickets today. And I hope I get to see you in New York on October 19th. Back in the late 1960s, Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather, said to me, Bill, I want to write your life story. You've got a hell of a story to tell. I said, thanks, Mario, but I'm too busy right now. I was growing Dunkin Donuts, which I had founded in 1950, and the business was expanding so fast, I didn't have time to stop and reflect about my life. I had too much going on. At the heart of things, I'm a man of action. I like results. But Mario's offer tempted me because I had read some of his earlier books and thought he was a fantastic writer. But there's a right time for everything. In the year 2000, I finally sat down to write this book. At 84 years old, I've had more than enough time to reflect on what works and doesn't work in business and life, and I want to share this knowledge with you. Everything in this book is based on what I know to be true and what I believe to be the facts. It's my opportunity to show you the struggles that are part of any successful venture and impart the wisdom gained, the principles and philosophies that I've developed over the years so that you may benefit as well. This is my story, as I see it, of all that led up to the founding of Dunkin Donuts and its phenomenal growth. It's about everything that I achieved, my personal triumphs and trials and my multiple bouts with cancer. Take advantage of my experiences and use them to your greatest benefit. Nothing is brand new. Whether it's franchising, the internet, or something else that we haven't even considered yet coming down the pike in the future, the basic tenets still apply. My successes came from hard work, born out of determination and risk-taking, persistence, innovation, vision, and passion. How did I do it? How did a poor kid who dropped out of school at the age of 14 to deliver telegrams in the height of the Great Depression become a self-made multimillionaire? In all that I accomplished, you will notice that I established a method for success that has taken me to the top. I have faced obstacles that I have had to overcome, complications that might have stopped someone less determined. But I can assure you this, if you really want to be successful, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort. Most of the luckiest people I have ever met are the hardest working and most determined. Winning takes effort. I started my first company, Industrial Lunch Service, with one truck, and I built it into a multi-state fleet of 200 trucks and the largest food service business in New England. From there, I opened a store called The Open Kettle, selling coffee and donuts. We renamed the store Dunkin Donuts, and the rest is history. In 1960, when franchising was in its infancy, most people looked upon it as an outcast or misfit. But I believed it was the epitome of entrepreneurship and free enterprise. In all these ventures, I made progress by taking one step at a time. Life will test you. That's a promise. It's what you do with the challenges that determines your failure or your success. I fought lung cancer in 1971 I battled lymphoma six years later. I prepared for my death and got a reprieve. I had three hip replacements. I went through a divorce and remarried.