One of the biggest questions we get from our customers is why we’re so committed to helping veterans start the next stage of their lives as business owners. Some of the reasons are obvious: I mean, if you’ve navigated our site even a little bit, I’m sure you’ve seen us post about how military veterans make the perfect fit for the franchising model. But, did you know that our commitment to military veterans runs even deeper than that?
When CEO Dave Schwartz founded VeteransFranchise.com, he didn’t just do so because he knew veterans made great franchisees. He did so because if there’s one thing Dave knows, it’s franchising: and he has a special soft spot for military veterans. To him, starting VeteransFranchise.com was the best way he could think of to give back to the brave men and women to whom we owe our freedom. The way he saw it, they’ve served us all in more ways than we can count… this was the least he could do to serve them back.
In fact, Dave has always had a certain soft spot for military veterans ever since he was a little boy. Growing up, one of Dave’s greatest inspirations was his best friend’s dad, Ross Glatzer: a successful CEO and Vietnam veteran. His two philosophies?
- Pay significant attention to detail &
- Never take anything for granted
Young Dave took this philosophy to heart and adopted the same philosophy in his own life. Another one of Dave’s greatest inspirations was his grandmother, who also had a soft spot for military veterans and made sure to impart on her grandson the importance of always thanking them for their service, even if it means going out of your way to do so. “We’d be going for a walk and she’d see someone with a veterans hat on or something, and she would literally turn around and walk like two blocks to catch up with them just to stop and thank them for their service,” Dave recalled, “that really stuck with me.”
So nowadays, Dave always makes a point to go out of his way to thank a veteran every chance he gets. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gained a much greater appreciation for their service and their sacrifices,” Dave explained, “especially WWII veterans, since there are so few of them left. What they’ve sacrificed for our country, what those sacrifices provide for us every day… they deserve to know how much their sacrifice truly means, and I feel honored every time I get a chance to learn a piece of their stories.”
One regret that always sticks with him, Dave described, was one day a couple of years back. He was coming out of Costco with arms full of groceries in famously-hot Charleston, SC, and was in a rush for whatever reason. He happened to see a man walk by with a WWII veteran hat on, and he was in such a rush that he didn’t stop to say hello.
“It might sound stupid, but it’s seriously one of my biggest regrets and it really sticks with me,” Dave explained. “I mean, I can’t believe I was so selfish. I wish I knew who that man was, I wish I’d gotten a chance to hear his story… I was literally in my car driving away and I KNEW I should’ve gone back, but I didn’t. And I regret it to this day.” he said.
“And I think this applies not just to our veterans, but to people in general: just take the time. I mean, what’s a couple of minutes out of your day? It’s such an easy thing to do, just stopping to say hello: in fact, it’s the absolute least you can do,” Dave said. “This also applies to being truly PRESENT in life. You may have a day that’s all mapped out; you may be the busiest person in the world. But in order to be truly present, you can always make time. Sometimes it’s the little things that can really make the biggest difference.”