When John Schnatter was a Ball State student in the early 1980s, he prayed he would be good at something in life.
"I remember being in your shoes," he said to students in Ball State's packed Emens Auditorium Wednesday night. "I remember being scared to death and not knowing what I'm going to do the rest of my life."
After 20 years, Schnatter's prayer has been answered.
The founder, chairman and chief executive of Papa John's International Inc. spoke Wednesday in a presentation sponsored by the Miller College of Business. Schnatter, who graduated from Ball State in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in business administration, was inducted into the Miller College of Business' Hall of Fame in October.
Schnatter donated $30,000 to the college Wednesday night as well, handing a large check to Lynne Richardson, dean of the Miller College of Business, to the applause of the audience.
Richardson said she was pleased to have one of Ball State's respected alumni back on campus.
"We're delighted someone who has close ties to Ball State was on campus to share his knowledge with us," Richardson said. "I hope students gained inspiration that they can do great things after they graduate from Ball State."
Schnatter said when he began his Ball State career, he majored in criminal justice.
"But after a while, that just wasn't for me," he said.
When he learned his roommate was studying business, Schnatter said the work seemed interesting and decided to switch his major to business. At the time, he also worked at Greek's Pizzeria. He said studying business and working at Greek's enhanced his knowledge about the business world and boosted his confidence when he prepared to graduate.
"When I left Ball State, I felt extremely fortunate and very versatile in my abilities to start a business," Schnatter said.
Schnatter created the Papa John's concept in 1984 when he knocked out a broom closet in the back of his father's tavern in Jeffersonville, sold his 1972 Z28 Camaro, purchased $1,600 worth of used restaurant equipment and sold pizzas to the tavern's customers, according to his Web site.
"My mom inspired me to get into the pizza business because at first she said it wouldn't work," Schnatter said. "I was out early on to prove her wrong."
Schnatter later moved into an adjoining space, opening the first Papa John's restaurant in 1985. He said his father's experience in business inspired him to take the risk he did.
"My dad had 20 businesses, and all 20 were failures," Schnatter said. "Yet he was not afraid to take a risk."
Today, Papa John's has about 3,000 restaurants in 49 states and 15 international markets, with more than 100 other restaurants in the United Kingdom operating under the Perfect Pizza name, according to the site.
Schnatter said one of the reasons his business succeeds is because customers always take priority.
"Customers are the basis for our business," Schnatter said. "Papa John's customers will pay a little bit more, will expect a little more and they like our quality."
Schnatter said good leadership is also the key to business success.
"I think leadership is easy-set the directions, give your team the resources it needs to follow the directions, and, when your team wins, you celebrate," Schnatter said.
He said integrity is one of Papa John's core values. Having focus, accountability, constantly striving to improve and overcoming negative comments are also pivotal, he said.
"People are going to tell you you can't make it," Schnatter said. "People are going to tell you you can't be successful. That's why I'm here today, because I thought that was bologna."
Following Schnatter's speech, Ben Tietz, president of the Student Government Association, shook hands with Schnatter on stage and presented him with the top 10 reasons Ball State students love Papa John's.
"The number one reason people like Papa John's pizza better than any other is because you are our Papa John's," he said with a smile to the applause and laughter of the audience.
Junior James Hueston, a telecommunications major, said he enjoyed Schnatter's presentation Wednesday because it instilled within him a sense of pride and re-emphasized a valuable lesson that can apply to students of all majors.
"Keep your eyes on your goals, even when everyone around you extinguishes your dreams," he said. "It was inspiring to know Papa John was an average student who just had a passion and pursued that passion."
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