A live Facebook interview (Business and Burgers) hosted by Scott Duffy on November 22, 2017 in American Fork, Utah featuring Rudy Ruettiger. The conversation covers Rudy’s underdog journey to play briefly for Notre Dame, lessons about belief, perseverance, relationships, and advice for entrepreneurs about vision and starting without all resources. The event setting (Star Mill) and food-truck burgers are mentioned.
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Hey, everybody, this is Scott Duffy with Business and Burgers. And we're coming to you live. And we have an amazing day and amazing guest ahead. We're here with our partners at Microsoft and of course, entrepreneur. And we are live in. Where are we? Grand Fork, Utah.
American Fork. American Fork.
American Fork, Utah. There's a fork in there. American Fork, Utah. To film some amazing special guests. I got Randy Garn here and Nick Greer from. From Scipio. They are our hosts today at the Star Mill. Star Mill. Star Mill here in Utah. And we have our special guest, Rudy Rudiger. And I'm sure so many of you just like me are just huge fans of the movie. Rudy, I've always been like, your story is one of. As just a person and an entrepreneur, one of the most motivational and inspiring films I've ever seen. And I love to ask you, and I want to encourage everyone that's watching us today. If you have questions for Rudy, please chime in and we'd be happy to ask. And we're going to be filming in just a little bit. If we can't get to it today, what we'll do is we'll on this Facebook Live, we'll ask the questions during our business and burgers. What do you think? And by the way, while you're getting your questions ready, with regard to business and burgers, normally, I know you're used to seeing us in a restaurant, but today we kind of flipped the script. We're here at the Star Mill and the restaurants are coming to us. So we've got food trucks with amazing burgers.
Right?
Is that cool?
Oh, yeah. Is that cool?
Tasty. So, Marie, I have to ask you, I've always viewed you as like, the ultimate underdog. And I love to just ask you, what do you see is the role of the underdog in business and entrepreneurship?
Well, look at Randy. Yeah, look at me. Yeah, we're underdogs. We're short, stocky. We're ready to go.
We don't take no for an answer.
And it's amazing because. So you say short, stocky. You played for Notre Dame.
Well, no, you. I participated.
You participated?
Participated, yeah. And played one game.
Played one game.
27 seconds. 20.
27 seconds.
27 years. Played 27 seconds to make one tackle. But that's the story. 27 years to make one tackle. The journey.
So when an entrepreneur has a dream, they have a vision. You know, there's highs and lows, there's ups and downs that we all go through each and every day. What's your advice to those who are watching about sticking to it?
Easy. Yeah. Believe in yourself. You have to work on that belief level. Once you believe in yourself. The vision Company. It's amazing how a vision comes when you're positive. You hang around positive people. All of a sudden it becomes real. It becomes so real, you're doing it. You don't even know what you're doing, but you're doing it. You're not analyzing it. You're not doing a market study. You got smart people around you, so you position yourself with some pretty sharp people. And all you need is a vision. That's what's exciting about an entrepreneur.
One of the things that's always amazed me is every time I see you talk, the people that come up to you and tell you it's amazing. Inspire them in. In their lives.
It could be the girl at Starbucks, say, rudy, Are you Rudy? Because she said your name. I said, rudy, Rudy. We just saw your movie in health class. And they get excited. Are you the real Rudy, that type or you? I met the Super Bowl. Vance Johnson comes up to me, says, you're my hero. I said, really? And he throws down his four super bowl rings and says, we watched your movie before the Super bowl in 1996 when the Denver Broncos, Dan Reed shoulders your movie. And he says, my whole life changed in that moment. Really more because he kept watching the movie. Now we all have that edge. You could be a great entrepreneur, but you still need that common ground, that ability to have that love for your people. And that's what they feel. They want to know how much you really care. And that's what happens.
You know, somebody just asked us here on Facebook. They asked if I have an idea, but I don't have all the resources because, you know, I think one of the reasons that people don't get stuck started, right, because they think they need to have everything in place.
Oh, that's a great point.
Right?
Great point.
Go for it. Go for it.
You need money to go to Notre Dame. I'm one of 14. My dad worked three jobs. We had no money.
14 kids.
14.
That's a fight in itself right there.
And you need high grades to go to Notre Dame. I was third in my class in high school from the bottom. So that was an eventual goal for me and a candidate to go to Notre Dame to play football. Come on. I, you know, they tied me into 40. I heard the coach say, five, eight. I'm five, six. If that's your speed, son. So when you know you're not a candidate but still have that dream. I never use those three things as an excuse because there's another way of getting there. The thing that worked for me was finding my way to find Rudy first. Then that dream is never too late to accomplish that. You're never too old and it's never, you should never quit on that dream. Number one, the Navy gave me the money to go to Notre Dame. Going to Notre Dame, going towards Notre Dame. I embraced positive people. They got me to Notre Dame football, build relationships with former players, players who were playing. They wanted me to stay on the team. So all those things because of relationships, positioning yourself and knowing what you wanted, it take a little longer. But was it worth it? Vance Johnson said I had to win four Super Bowls. Rudy, you made one tackle.
That's right.
And you're here signing autographs just like me. So it's not about how many championships you win, how many times you're going to lose, how many times you're going to get up to have your one moment. That's the key.
That's awesome. Well, thank you for all of us who joined us today with our friends entrepreneur here on Facebook Live. We're going to take your questions and we're going to ask those Rudy during our shoot today for business.
It'S Alexander Alan's Alex.
We're going to eat a burger.
We're going to eat a burger. We're going to eat Rudy. And so keep asking your questions. We're going to ask them throughout the day of Rudy and again, join us. Check out businessandburgers.com for all of our episodes and we will talk to you guys again soon. Have an awesome day.
