Dream Vacations is an award-winning company with more than 1,000 franchise locations in 48 states and Mexico servicing customers throughout the world. The company is an active member of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran initiative since 2009, and is consistently recognized as a military-friendly franchise for its dedication to veteran employment. Dream Vacations is extremely military-friendly with nearly 35 percent of its network comprised of military veterans and active-duty spouses, and all veterans are given a veteran’s enlistment package when they join Dream Vacations.

The most popular part of the Dream Vacations veteran recruitment program is the “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General” contest, which awards five free franchises to U.S. military veterans who demonstrate strong business acumen and a passion for travel. Since the program began in 2012, Dream Vacations has given away 25 free franchises worth a total of $317,500. The contest will launch again on Memorial Day in 2017 and applications will be accepted through the fall.

**Passion and Partnership**

Michael Richards opened his franchise in January 2016 alongside his wife Teri. Before becoming a franchisee, Michael served for 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. This experience imparted skills like punctuality, leadership skills, customer service, and knowledge of databases, all of which help him today. Below, Michael tells us a little more about how his experience in the military has helped with his success.

How do the skills you learned in the military help you on the job?

*The military teaches discipline and how to handle situations on your own. These traits are valuable in owning a franchise, especially a home-based franchise. You have to be disciplined to get up every morning and continue to market your business, even when business is slow. And when working for yourself, sometimes situations come up that you have to be able to act on and make the command decision to do what is right.*

What advice do you have for servicemembers who are leaving the military and looking for civilian opportunities?

*Take advantage of all the training you acquired in the military and make sure it is all listed on your resume. After that, if you are able, advance your education. I find that many of the skills learned in school have increased my knowledge and I have been able to immediately implement these new skills in my business. The more education on your resume the better.*

What advice do you have for transitioning/veteran military who are trying to land a position with Dream Vacations?

*Do all your research first and make sure franchise ownership is what you really want to do. You are basically on your own, so you have to be self-motivated to keep moving forward. Dream Vacations provides their franchise owners with all the tools needed to succeed, but it is up to each individual franchise owner to use them. It is important to reach out to other veterans who have bought a franchise and see what advice they can provide you.*


Website: [www.DreamVacations.com/MRichards](http://mrichards.dreamvacations.com/travel/HomePage.html)

Military Careers Page: [www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com/Veterans](http://www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com/Veterans/)