"We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well."

S. Truett Cathy

S. Truett Cathy is the founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A, Inc. which created the chicken sandwich. The Chick-fil-A logo is "We didn't invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich."  In 1946 Cathy launched his business working alongside his brother Ben and named their Atlanta diner The Dwarf Grill. After twenty years of working in the restaurant business, Cathy decided to do something different and he founded and opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta's Greenbriar Shopping Center.  His dedication to help Chick-fil-A prosper, when coupled with his many charitable contributions, has demonstrated time and again that Cathy deserves a gold star for a lifetime working to do his best so that others may do their best.

The MEAPA Way suggests that individuals, business, schools, communities and other organizations can learn a variety of lessons from this story by watching this 50 minute video and answering the following questions:

• How does Chick-fil-A communicate its value? Are you comfortable communicating your value?
• What is the vision for life that Truett and his son Dan have?
• What self-promotion techniques do the Cathys use in the video?
• As you seek to further your personal and professional development, what lesson/s can you take from this story and apply it to your ability to communicate your value, develop a vision for your life and engage in self-promotion.

You can also watch one of these brief videos and answer these questions:

• What does Cathy mean when he says he puts principles before profits?
• What is the benefit of staying as a private company for Chick-fil-A?
• How important are people to Cathy?
• Why is Cathy's Chick-fil-A closed on Sundays?
• How does Cathy demonstrate that he has, and continues to, communicate his value and the value of working at Chick-fil-A?
• What is the best decision Cathy ever made?
• What kind of school does Cathy teach?
• What lessons can others take from his life and approach to business?