Ron Shaich, founder of Panera Bread, conducts a 'premortem' ritual every year.Getty ImagesRon Shaich uses 'premortems' to motivate a meaningful life and guide his work.Shaich, Panera's founder, sold the chain for $7.5 billion in 2017.His investment fund, Act III, backs brands like Cava and Tatte Bakery.Panera's former CEO, Ron Shaich, isn't afraid of death — he's inspired by it.Over the years he's realized that the time to review whether or not your life was meaningful was "not in the ninth inning with two outs," he told the Wall Street Journal, referring to the final phase of a baseball game.