Tom Monaghan was born in Michigan in 1937. An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Monaghan’s desire as a young boy was to become a catholic priest, a baseball player, or an architect. Even in his wildest dreams, Monaghan did not see himself becoming the architect of a multi-billion dollar company dealing in pizza. However, that was what fate would bring on Monaghan’s way. At the age of only four years, Monaghan and his brother were placed under the care of an orphanage when it became hard for his mother to raise them single-handedly. The two stayed in the orphanage from 1943 to 1949 when their mother collected them. It was at the orphanage that was run by catholic sisters where Monaghan got his devotion to the Catholic faith. After failing to secure good grades in school that would enable him to join college, Monaghan joined the U.S. Marine corps in 1956 where he served for three years (Monaghan & Anderson, p. 5).
After being discharged from the army in 1959, Monaghan joined the University of Michigan where he trained to be an architect. A few years later, he and his brother borrowed money that they used to purchase a small store that was dealing in pizza deliveries in the neighborhoods. The two brothers named the business Domino’s Pizza. After a few years of operation, his brother sold Tom his share of the business in exchange for a Volkswagen car. This trade transferred the ownership of the business to Monaghan. After this, Monaghan improved the packaging for the pizzas by introducing a box that could allow more pizzas to be transported per trip. This technique proved to be very effective as more people began placing orders for Domino’s pizzas. In the mid-1980s, Monaghan was opening close to three new branches all over the country on any given day (Ave Maria).
As Domino’s Pizza continued its unparalleled growth, Monaghan faced many challenges that he had to overcome. In 1967, his main store in Ypsilanti was gut down by a fire that also destroyed the building that housed the company’s offices. Insurance companies refused to compensate him for most of the damages done by the fire. Owing to losses brought by the fire and Domino’s unchecked expansion, the company ran into financial constraints in the early 1970s. He was forced to turn his company to financiers to avoid filing for bankruptcy. Monahan also had to contend with lawsuits that challenged his Domino’s Pizza brand. However, he was able to rise from these challenges to become one of the biggest entrepreneurs of our time (Monaghan & Anderson, p. 25).
Tom Monaghan was unique in the way he handled challenges. Having come from a poor family and being raised by a single parent were reasons enough for him to give up on life. However, he decided to hold on to life in the face of stiff competition. Even at a time when his business seemed to be going under, he worked harder and brought it back to its feet. Monaghan was also a person who knew how to stay with his dreams. As a young person, Monaghan had dreamt of owning the Detroit Tigers. Although this seemed impossible at the time, he was able to achieve the dream in 1983 after he bought it for $53 million. Owing to his great love for architecture, Monaghan created his own collection of artifacts that remain unrivaled up to date. Although he lives a luxurious life, he has remained committed to the Catholic Church and to various charity organizations that he helped to create. His success and experience are a great inspiration to many of us who might have a dream but do not know how to execute it. Monaghan’s experience teaches us to always stay with our dreams (Ave Maria).
References
- Ave Maria. I am Focusing on God, Family and Domino’s Pizza. n.d. Web. 2010.
- Monaghan, Tom & Anderson, Robert. Pizza Tiger. Random House. 1986.1-50. Print.