Ron Shaich

This wasn't an opportunity for any of the existing investors or the largest ones like me to get money out.

It was an opportunity to support and fuel the company.

And essentially, we only allowed the investment banker 9% of the shares in distribution, which essentially went to their clients and the hedge funds.

We protected 91% of it, of that distribution, so that it ended up in the right hands.

And I think that we serve that company very well in taking a long-term view of the IPO.

To me, an IPO is a little like a wedding celebration.

It's the beginning of the marriage.

It's not the end.

And, you know, having been married, I would say to you,

You want to really contemplate that on your wedding day.

What is it you're going to have to do to have a successful wedding?

That celebration will fall by the wayside if you don't.

Look, one of the lessons I've learned is to believe in yourself.

When I was growing up and coming of age professionally, if you're smart, you're always going to say,

That guy's leaning on me about this or that.

What am I not getting?

What should I do?

And one of the lessons I learned as I look back is to trust myself, that I actually know what I'm doing and I have to believe in it and I have to have the faith to get through the long march.

I have to have the faith to go through the pain of transformation.

One of the really interesting retrospective lessons for me is to actually trust myself.