Start strong and finish well

Someone reminded me we're just days away from another New Year.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

I checked my calendar and had to laugh-I'm already booked for several "start-of-the-year" rallies for different companies.Those rallies always emphasize the same idea: Start strong, finish well.

Every time I hear that phrase, two names come to mind - two army buddies who once slept on bunks just a few feet apart, got up early together, marched together, and then went their separate ways when new orders came.

Their names? Walt and Ray. Back then, they were just soldiers. No one knew that each of them carried a gift that would reshape global business and entertainment. Their rare ability was simple: they could see the finish line.

Walt, who was always sketching during his spare time, was a fast starter. He saw more in those drawings than anyone else. He saw Mickey Mouse, then a studio, then Disneyland. Before he died, he already had the vision for Disney World and EPCOT. He wasn't just drawing cartoons; he was drawing the future.

Ray, on the other hand, wasn't a fast starter. He sold milkshake machines. He became his company's top salesman, but by most standards, he was a late bloomer. Yet Ray Kroc had a vision.

He bought a small burger operation from the McDonald brothers, saw what it could become, and built the world's largest fast-food chain.

Today, we watch The Lion King and Pocahontas, then drive out for a Big Mac-thanks to two former bunkmates who learned to see beyond their current assignment.

Nobody in the barracks could have guessed who they would become. That's how vision works. It often looks unimpressive at the start.