Todd Graves is one of my favorite living founders. He owns over 90% of Raising Canes — a business that is worth at least $20 billion. Todd's maxim is "Do one thing and do it better than anyone else." It is impossible not to be inspired by his terminator levels of determination. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

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Chapters

(00:00 ) The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Sleep and Business Obsession
(02:13 ) The Birth of Raising Cane's: Overcoming Skepticism
(03:29 ) Inspiration from In-N-Out Burger
(07:17 ) The Importance of Quality and Focus
(14:49 ) The Journey to Success: Hard Work and Sacrifice
(19:21 ) The Early Days: Building Raising Cane's from Scratch
(21:23 ) Financing the Dream: Unconventional Paths
(32:28 ) The Relentless Pursuit of Success
(33:02 ) Commitment and Oaths: The Camping Trip
(34:02 ) Fanaticism and Relentless Focus
(34:53 ) Learning from Others and Continuous Improvement
(35:06 ) The Never-Satisfied Mindset
(36:04 ) The Importance of Founders in Business
(39:55 ) The Purpose Beyond Profit
(51:52 ) Financing the Dream: Credit Cards and SBA Loans
(55:47 ) Building the First Restaurant
(57:56 ) Expanding the Vision
(58:59 ) Positive Motivational Management
(01:00:51 ) Creating a Coaching Culture
(01:01:42 ) Intrinsic Motivation vs. Titles
(01:02:41 ) The Importance of Being Present
(01:06:35 ) Respect, Recognition, and Rewards
(01:09:12 ) The Power of Encouragement
(01:18:10 ) The Myth of Delegation
(01:22:57 ) Focus on What You Do Best
(01:30:07 ) Dining at Jiro in Tokyo
(01:30:59 ) The Franchise Model Debate
(01:32:50 ) Challenges of Franchising
(01:35:21 ) Building a Business Authentic to You
(01:37:07 ) Financing and Expansion Strategies
(01:49:13 ) Surviving Hurricane Katrina
(01:55:48 ) Lessons from Estée Lauder
(01:58:06 ) Final Thoughts and Reflections