Chick-fil-A is one of the most popular restaurant chains in the country, and over the past fifty years the Chick-fil-A brand has become synonymous with excellent food quality and top-notch customer service. We often here about the man behind the Chick-fil-A brand, S. Truett Cathy, but in her new memoir, A Quiet Strength: The Life and Legacy of Jeannette M. Cathy, Trudy Cathy White the only daughter of Jeannette Cathy and S. Truett Cathy shares the story of her mother’s life, including growing up during the Great Depression and being raised by a struggling single mother, her background in the performing arts, breaking tradition by attending both college and seminary as a woman in the 1940s and helping found the most influential and fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country, Chick-fil-A.
Moms.com recently had the opportunity to speak with the daughter of this powerhouse mom and woman who helped her husband build an empire based on biblical principles.
White states, “My mother was an amazing woman who did it all. She was the spiritual core of our family and taught me how to be a great wife, mother and business leader. She stayed true to her values and biblical beliefs as she raised my brothers and me, all while she helped build the fastest growing fast food chain in the country with my father. My father would often say Jeannette can do and has done anything and everything. All I ever did was put a piece of chicken between a buttered bun!”
In the inspirational interview below, White discusses her mom, some of the secrets to her family’s business success, a few of the words of wisdom that her mother gave her about business principles, marriage and family, and she even offered up valuable advice and inspiration for moms in general.
Chick-fil-A has remained one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in America. How does a family build a business based on Bible-based principles?
From the very beginning when my dad opened his very first restaurant, he wanted to honor God through the business. Something that my mother taught me, and I speak about this in the book is that everything that we have comes from the hand of God. He has blessed us to be a blessing to others. So, what we have to do is learn how to steward well what God has entrusted to us and manage it well. I think God honors our lives when we can approach it that way.
Many people compromise on their faith and pursue the financial success, especially today. Can you talk about instance where your mom or your family was not uncompromising on their path to success?
I think that kind of goes back to this idea of stewardship and managing what God has given you. We have never seen how we could separate our personal life from our professional life. They go hand in hand. Faith has been a big part of our walk with the Lord, and recognizing the fact that He is the one that blesses us. Every time that He blesses us, we want to be a blessing to others. My mother was a powerful prayer warrior for our family. Prayer has been a big part of our life. We just trust God, day to day with not only things that are happening in the home, but things that are happening in our career, and in our work as well. God wants to be integrally involved in our lives, and He wants to glorify himself through our successes.
Your mom Jeannette M. Cathy was a woman of faith and a source of strength for your dad. What are some of the powerful words of wisdom that she passed on to you?
They were so many. When we were growing up as little children, we would walk out the back door, and she would say, “Remember who you are and whose you are. This was so very important. My mom wanted to make sure that we understood that we were not defined by what we had, or even our accomplishments, but that our identity was defined by our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Another piece of advice that my mother often gave is related to her faith. She said that days are long, and life is short. My mother told me this when she was in the hospital. You’re a mom. You understand how some days can feel like two or three days. When we realize the fact that life is short, we have to make the most of every opportunity we’ve been given.
Moms have a very strong impact on the lives of their families and children. We often hear about the man behind the Chick-fil-A brand. What are some things that we don’t know about your mom?
I love to say my mother was like the chief supporting officer to my dad and she was the one that encouraged him through every walk of life or in the business. But very few people realize a little bit about my mother’s background is the fact that she was the only child. She was raised by a single mom. Her father walked out when she was three months old, and she never met her earthly father. But a few years later someone introduced her to her heavenly father, and she realized that her heavenly father could become her perfect father for the rest of her life. Her faith began to grow in that personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
What’s one bit of marriage advice that your mother gave you?
You’re going to love this. She said, now if your spouse to be already knows how to pick up after himself, you don’t need to start doing that for him. Just let him keep picking up his own things. So I thought that was the best advice that she gave me. When I first got married years later in life, she was probably somewhere in her seventies and we were sitting in the car having a conversation and she said, “Trudy, I have decided that I’m not going to have any more expectations of your dad, because I’ve had a lot of expectations about him and he’s not always met those expectations. I’ve decided that maybe I don’t need to have any more expectations. She said that this realization has brought her great fulfillment and great joy. So, managing expectations is a big part of marriage as well.
Can you share some of the business principles that your mom passed on to you?
I think one of the business principles is well carried out in our family, particularly in our business is knowing your ‘why’. You have to understand that God has you here for a purpose and you need to understand what that is. Of course at Chick-fil-A, we’re very clear. We know why we’re in business. We are here to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that’s entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A. So, that’s a great principle for any business to know their why. It’s amazing how many people are in business, and they’re not really sure why they are in business.
You and your family have amassed great wealth. How important is it for you and your family to give back, and how it is manifesting?
Generosity is at the core of our family and we have learned that we want to steward well what God has given us. We’re always looking for opportunities, and how we can invest back into this next generation. In fact, something just recently that happened with Chick-fil-A. On this past Friday, we awarded 12 of our team members from across the nation who work in our Chick-Filet stores, a $25,000 scholarship for them to be able to use. These are a very deserving young people, and young people that need the money and can use it. Investing back into the lives of young boys and girls has been a big part of our giving program.
About The Author:
Trudy Cathy White is a native Georgian and the only daughter of Jeannette and S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, Inc. An ambassador for the family business, Trudy has held various roles within Chick-fil-A including that of restaurant operator at just 19 years old. White and her husband, John, served as missionaries in Brazil and co-founded Lifeshape and Impact 360 Institute. A developer and encourager at heart, White served as the Director of WinShape Camps for Girls from 2003-2017. She is a speaker, author, dedicated wife, mother of four, and grandmother of fifteen. Every day she is fueled by her passion to be intentional with her influence.
Learn more about Cathy Trudy White on her website: https://www.trudycathywhite.com/
This written portion of the interview has been condensed for clarity and readability.
This interview by Lynnette Nicholas originally appeared on March 10, 2020 on Moms.com.
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