We’ve seen through the coronavirus how the future course of history can suddenly turn.

Since the pandemic has shut down global economies, the world is watching how America, which enjoyed arguably the most vibrant economy in global history, is responding. As businesses will be trying to right the economic ship, they can find inspiration from business legends like Dave Thomas, a real American success story.

A Korean War veteran, Thomas was head cook in a small restaurant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when he linked up with a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Thanks to his tireless focus on promoting the brand, he rose through the company ranks and was sent to Columbus, Ohio, where he turned more KFC franchises around.

By 1968, he was able to sell his restaurants back to Harland Sanders for a percentage, which made him a millionaire at age 35.

The next year Thomas started his own chain of hamburger-based restaurants named after his daughter. The fast-food restaurant called Wendy’s struggled before Thomas became its spokesman and the face of the company. Doing the marketing himself, he appeared in over 800 commercials, raising the company profile and becoming the third most popular burger restaurant in the U.S.

At the time of his death in 2002 at the age of 69 from a liver tumor, there were more than 6,000 Wendy’s restaurants operating in North America.

When asked about the secret of his success, Thomas said there was no secret formula. His key ingredients were a winning attitude, honesty and integrity, and a burning desire to succeed.

He also left us with these memorable quotes that can inspire entrepreneurship in today’s challenging economic times:

• There’s no one to stop you but yourself.

• You can do what you want to do. You can be what you want to be.

• I think the harder you work, the more luck you have.

• If there are things you don’t like in the world you grew up in, make your own life different.

• Hard work is good for the soul, and it keeps you from feeling sorry for yourself because you don’t have time.

• Share your success and help others succeed. Give everyone a chance to have a piece of the pie. If the pie’s not big enough, make a bigger pie.

• Whether you sell hamburgers or computers, we’re all in the customer service business. Our goal must be to exceed our customers’ expectations every day.

From this list, the hard work quote is especially revealing. Last week, we heard two vastly different views on the importance of work from politicians in Washington - Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York City.

After Congress passed nearly $500 billion in extra rescue money, bringing the total economic stimulus spending for the coronavirus crisis to nearly $3 trillion, Hawley said it’s vital to reopen the economy and that the new focus should be on protecting “every job” and rehiring those who have lost them due to the pandemic.

“We need to get our economy get back on its feet by getting workers on their feet,” Hawley said.

Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, offered another take. Her advice to Americans, which centered on income inequality, was to protest economic insecurity by refusing to work after coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted.

“When we have this discussion about going back or reopening, I think a lot people should just say ‘no’ - we’re not going back to that,” she said. “We’re not going back to working 70-hour weeks just so that we could put food on the table and not even feel any sort of semblance of security in our lives.”

Earlier in the week, the New York congresswoman seemed overjoyed by the news that global oil prices were collapsing.

“You absolutely love to see it,” she tweeted. Later she explained that the oil price collapse was a turning point in the climate movement and that this, along with low interest rates, means it‘s the right time to create millions of jobs transitioning to renewable and clean energy.

Ocasio-Cortez, who was the only House Democrat to vote against last week’s $484 billion coronavirus relief package, is a disciple of socialist presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Both are out of touch when it comes to gauging the personal values of hard work that guide most Americans.

The economic stimulus money is designed to help businesses get back on their feet, but hopefully it will also inspire entrepreneurs like Dave Thomas write their own success story, enabling them and not the government to have control over their lives.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com