Ep46- Wanting it Badly: Bringing McDonald's to 1990's Colombia with Pedro Medina

Colombia was one of the last countries in the western hemisphere to have McDonald's. In the 1990's, it was a very dangerous country. Leftist guerrillas, terrorism, narcos, and a business climate with more bureaucracy and red tape than any US citizen could imagine.

While McDonald's unsuccessfully tried a few years before, Pedro Medina made it happen. And he almost lost his life doing it. McDonald's is still a thriving franchise in Colombia today.  We hear the full story:

• How he convinced McDonald's to grant him the right to launch in Colombia
• Biggest challenges they faced opening 10 locations in the first year
• Why McDonald's could be considered to be a real estate business
• Hindsight: what they would have done differently
• How Pedro and his foundation are changing the perception of Colombia (check out his Ted Talk)

Mentioned in this episode:

Yo Creo en Colombia (I believe in Colombia)

Pedro Medina TedX talk (in Spanish)

Pedro on Twitter