Do you ever read a story that completely reaffirms why you do what you do? The kind of tale that is too good to be true…but is as real as it gets? That’s what happened when I read an article in Restoration & Remediation Magazine about Rainbow International franchise owner Rick Swango. One sentence that reached out and grabbed me was this line from the editor:

“At the core of his business lie the Soldier Creed and The Dwyer Group’s Code of Ethics.”

It fills my heart with joy when I hear how military veterans have joined our service brands to align the strong values they embraced in the military with the strong values we deliver across our business community. That was the journey Rick took.

“I owe it all to franchising,” he said, about finding his way after his time in the military. “If I could do it all over again, I would have done it much sooner.” Does it get any better than this?

He began with $50 and now has a million-dollar business

When Rick entered civilian life, he started a janitorial business with $50 in his pocket. That led to window cleaning, carpet cleaning and then restoration work. But as his business grew, he hit a roadblock. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t take his business to the next level. That’s when he looked into franchising. He interviewed 22 different franchise opportunities across the spectrum. From carpet cleaning to mitigation services, he investigated it all. But not everyone showed the same interest in Rick until he talked to Rainbow International.

He said, “From the first conversation I had with Rainbow International, I just knew it was something I wanted to be part of. I literally put every single penny we had into making it happen. My wife, Kellie, and I put it all on the line.”

Today, Rick employs 15 full-time people in addition to part-time and subcontractor help. And his ability as a leader has proven to be exceptional with a long string of national awards including Rookie of the Year, Franchisee of the Year and Top Gun Franchisee, among others.

Today, Rick looks at every aspect of his business with a goal to make it the best. That includes hiring quality people. And, it’s no surprise, that has included 10 military veterans, like himself, over the years on his staff.

Rick Swango, you are a wonderful example for Rainbow International, for the VetFran program that my father Don Dwyer started, and for the team you lead today. Thank you for your service.