Don Dwyer's dream of success began in New York when he sold his cherished convertible to buy a paper route so that he could earn money to pay for his college education. By the time he graduated from college, Don was earning more from his part-time paper route than he could earn working full-time for someone else. Ultimately, by today's standards, Don earned more than $2 million from the paper route.

After a brief stint in the military, and a successful but short-lived career as a Hollywood talent agent, Don purchased a franchise to market and sell management and motivational materials. He was so successful that the franchisor recruited him to join the home office in Waco, Texas, where he quickly rose to the position of Senior Vice President. "I am convinced," he would later write in his widely publicized book, Target Success, "that franchise ownership is the best way for the first-time entrepreneur to get started in business."

Don's quest for personal achievement and business success led him to other franchise business opportunities, one of which became Rainbow International® Carpet Dyeing & Cleaning Company, one of the world's largest organizations of its kind and the flagship of The Dwyer Group® companies.

"I don't see you for what you are," Don would tell his associates. "I see you for what you could be." Don saw himself as one of franchising's most successful practitioners and his election to the Board of Directors of the International Franchise Association, as well as numerous awards and media exposure, confirmed his vision. Early on, Don became a target-setter, working hard to succeed in numerous business enterprises. He continually motivated himself and those he touched through his personal life and business. As a result, Don Dwyer created one of the largest and most admired franchise organizations in the world. His untimely death in 1994, when he was just 60, created a void in the world of franchising. But his dream lives on!