CRANDALL, Ga. — Get up. Realize your purpose. Open your eyes to new opportunities. Work for it.

Those four principles — known by the acronym GROW — are the ones S. Truett Cathy used to grow Chick-fil-A from a single restaurant in suburban Atlanta to a national chain with some 2,000 locations, according to his daughter, Trudy Cathy White.

White spoke Tuesday at the Chatsworth-Eton-Murray County Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet at the Cohutta Springs Conference Center. She noted her father worked in the restaurant business for almost 20 years and was almost 45 before starting Chick-fil-A.

“Dad was very motivated to serve others, and the restaurant business gave him the opportunity to meet the physical needs of other people,” she said. “He was in the restaurant business for 68 years and there were many times he faced adversity, many times he faced disappointment. But he loved his work, he loved serving others.”

White said early in life her father chose as his “life verse” Proverbs 22:1 from the Bible — “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.”

“He said leadership is 98 percent character and 2 percent skill,” she said. “You can teach people skills but character is something they have to have.”

She said that when Chick-fil-A is looking for people they look for people eager to serve others.

“We focus on the people, not the profits, and that attracts. The thing we appreciate about our owner-operators is that they really care about the people on their staffs. In fact, we don’t call them staff, we call them team members,” she said.

White serves as director of the WinShape Camps for Girls and, with her husband John, established Lifeshape, which funds programs to develop young Christian leaders.

White was introduced at the banquet by state Rep. John Meadows, R-Calhoun.

“Her father was such an inspirational man, and she really carries on his message,” he said.

The following individuals and businesses were recognized at the chamber banquet:

• Business of the Year: Cold Creek Growlers

• Business Man of the Year: Dave Robinson

• Business Woman of the Year: Dawn Gomez

• Chairman’s Award: Steve Anglea

• Delegate of the Year: Robbie Cooper

• Humanitarian of the Year: Randall Richards