Tag Archives: military

Insights from CEO Dave Schwartz on Thanking Our Veterans

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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?

  1. Pay significant attention to detail &
  2. 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.”

Memorial Day Tribute to the Veterans in Our Families

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Happy Memorial Day from your friends at VeteransFranchise.com In observance of this special day and in honor of all those who’ve served, we wanted to do something a little different this year.

We asked each of our team members to tell us about any veterans in their lives in an attempt to share as many stories of these courageous individuals as possible. So, without further ado: meet the veterans that are extra near and dear to our hearts here at VeteransFranchise.com

Aldred Leon Millman

June’s grandfather, the late Aldred Leon Millman (1919-2019) served in the United States Army as a pilot during World War II. During his time in service and throughout his personal life, he was involved in theatre and was the leader of a big band orchestra. Mr. Millman is survived by four sons, eleven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

We thank you for your service, Mr. Millman!

Captain James L.D. Monroe

Reeves’ grandfather, James aka “Capn Jim” Monroe, served in the United States Navy Supply Corps for 30 years, providing supply and logistics support for several US Navy ships. Throughout his time of service, Captain Jim was stationed on the U.S.S. Fletcher as a junior electronics supply officer. He also served on the famed U.S.S. Kitty Hawk as a supply officer during the Vietnam War. Lastly, Jim was stationed on the U.S.S. Saipan, also as a supply officer, before his retirement.

We thank you for your service, Capn Jim!

Colonel Clinton D. Summerfield

Reeves’ grandfather, Colonel Clint Summerfield, was drafted into the United States Air Force in 1962. He then went into officer training school and, following his graduation, did his first tour in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Following this, Colonel Summerfield returned stateside and was stationed at the Pentagon, where he worked for the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force as the Legislative Liaison. His job as Liaison was to work closely with those on Capitol Hill and, as his job title suggests, acted as the liaison between the USAF and Congress. As his career progressed, he spent time working with the United States Foreign Services Committee, the Colonels Group, and did two tours at the Military Personnel Center. He then went on to complete a second tour at the Pentagon, this time assigned to the Office of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. In this role, he served as the Secretary of the Air Staff Board and was in charge of budget allocation for the entire USAF. When asked to reflect on his time spent in the USAF, Clint had this to say:

“Being drafted turned out to be a wonderful experience because, in the military, you get to work with an incredibly diverse group of people from all different backgrounds and from all over the world. For me especially, it was an incredible opportunity to get out and explore the world, being that I was just a boy who grew up in a small town in Wyoming. It was an experience that I never would’ve had if I’d just stayed in my hometown and my military service has given me a unique insight on people and on life.”

We thank you for your service, Colonel Summerfield! 

Captain Vanessa Summerfield

Reeves’ grandmother, Vanessa Summerfield, enlisted in the United States Army and served as a Behavioral Health Technician from 1974-1977, retiring from the army as an E4 rank. Vanessa then went on to serve in the United States Air Force, joining in 1981 and rising to the rank of Captain by the time she retired in 1993. Vanessa’s first assignment in the Air Force was at MWR Headquarters, where she piloted the Air Force Family Daycare Program. She worked in this role for several years before the Air Force sent her to Georgetown Law School to complete her J.D. After her graduation from Georgetown in 1987, Vanessa then served as a JAG Officer, also known as a Judge Advocate General, until her retirement from the USAF in 1993. When asked to reflect on her time spent in the armed forces, Vanessa had this to say: 

“Five of my siblings followed me into one kind of service or another, so it makes me proud to know that my service inspired them to do the same.” 

We thank you for your service, Captain Summerfield! 

Colonel McGinn

Reeves’ great-grandfather, Colonel McGinn, served in the United States Army from 1941-1968. During his time of service, Colonel McGinn was stationed in the Philippines and the Aleutian Islands during the Korean War, for which he earned a bronze star. He was also stationed in Panama twice, as well as Puerto Rico. He later served as Nuclear Inspector General for all of Europe in the early 1960s and was stationed in the Dominican Republic, later serving as Nuclear Liaison to Spain and various other Spanish-speaking countries due to his fluency in Spanish.

We thank you for your service, Colonel McGinn!

If you have any stories of a special veteran in your life that you’d like to highlight, feel free to send them our way! We’d love to feature as many stories as possible: not just on Memorial Day, but every day.

5 Business Lessons Military Veteran Franchisees Have For You

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I recently read a great article on Entrepreneur.com (find here) about veterans currently in the franchising industry. The veterans interviewed give advice about the lessons they’ve learned in the military and the way in which those lessons translate to their business. Here of some of my favorites:

1. YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Amit Kleinberger, the CEP of Menchie’s, a frozen yogurt franchise, discusses how the military shaped his unique leadership style. He says that “Often what I explain to people is that the military is considered by many as the finest institution in the world for leadership because it really places people in tough situations. When you’re in combat in tough situations, people don’t follow you because you tell them to follow you, they follow you because they believe who you are.”
2. YOUR ABILITY TO TAKE INTIATIVE
While in the military there is a very set way of doing things; there are also opportunities for taking initiative and making decisions within those boundaries. Gordon Logan, the founder of Sports Clips, comments that “You can’t always call home to get instructions when you’re in a combat situation or a stressful situation. Those same skills transfer quite readily to franchising.”

3. PLANNING AND THEN BEING WILLING TO CHANGE THE PLAN
This is a crucial skill that the military teaches. Adaptability is important in any job, including the franchising industry. Veterans learn how to set goals, and execute the plan during their service, but just as with any plan in life, things are going to go wrong, and you will have to be flexible.

4. TAKING A LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE
It’s a crucial skill, in the military and in business, to while paying attention to details of the task at hand, not losing sight of the main objective. Jenna Bazdaric, a tropical smoothie owner in Poughkeepsie, NY, says “In the military you learn to manage a lot of things at one time because there are a lot of moving parts involved in missions… As an owner-operator, I have to know what’s going on on a day-to-day basis but also keep my eye on the bigger picture.”

5. CONFIDENCE IS KEY
Vinay Chadha, a Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee and Smoothies owner in San Diego, CA says “One of the most important traits I developed while in the military is confidence. What I found was that nothing is out of reach as long as you work hard, continually feed your mind with knowledge, and know yourself and what you are capable of nothing can get in the way of your goals.” When you trust yourself and your abilities, you are a whole lot more likely to succeed.

What lessons have you learned in the military that translate to your business skills? Share your lessons in our comments section below!