Last week, in honor of Father’s Day, the International Franchise Association paid tribute to some amazing fathers in franchising and encouraged the franchise community at-large to celebrate leaders across the industry with the special hashtag: #FranDads.

I saw wonderful posts across social media to honor the occasion. And as I reflected on my own father, Don Dwyer, Sr., it brought back magical memories of the incredible impact he had on our family, the VetFran program he founded, and the greater Neighborly organization that exists today from the seeds he first planted so many years ago.

I imagine he is looking down from Heaven in amazement with how far we have come and the unprecedented growth that today’s leadership team at Neighborly has fostered. And while many associates across Neighborly never had the opportunity to know my father, his greatest gift of all lives on: his passion for a strong Code of Values as the foundation to a strong business.

In some ways, every day is like Father’s Day to me. Because every day I am focused on values for my journey forward.

In my mind, my father’s most important contribution will never be measured in dollars. It will always be measured in values.

Don Dwyer gave us more than franchise opportunities. He displayed more than entrepreneurial risk-taking. He succeeded with more than just a mind for business. His Code of Values for our organization that were unique to him became part of the company culture, and that culture soon took hold across our growing worldwide system.

While my father left this earth too soon, I am forever thankful for what he left behind for us to embrace. When we turned his Code of Values into an operationalized version, I quickly realized just how important his approach to business would be as a road map for our future. So, as another Father’s Day has come and gone, I have a daily reminder of my father’s love for living and leading with a strong Code of Values. Our Neighborly values as they are written today continue to attract the very best of the best to our business. And that has made Don Dwyer and invaluable #FranDad to me.