Over 25 years ago, Butch Mogavero, CEO of Boulder Designs, crossed paths with a man who changed his life. Mogavero shared how he made a lifelong friend and gained a mentor while working at one of the world’s largest franchising companies, The Dwyer Group®, Inc., now Neighborly®. By  Heidi Lubrani

Over 25 years ago, Butch Mogavero, CEO of Boulder Designs, crossed paths with a man who changed his life. Mogavero shared how he made a lifelong friend and gained a mentor while working at one of the world’s largest franchising companies, The Dwyer Group®, Inc., now Neighborly®.

“My first real boss at The Dwyer Group was John Appel. He was the president of Rainbow International®, a global franchise organization.

“Coming from the streets like I did, I was not the easiest person to manage, and he was one of the few people in my life I listened to. I trusted him. He became a father figure to me and still is to this day. He counseled me through marriage, business, kids, everything. He’s not my blood father, but as far as relationships go, he’s as close as I’ve ever had. I’ve learned so much from him that I now try to pass it on to my son, Seth,” Mogavero said.

Little did Mogavero know how far-reaching the effects of Appel’s advice would be on him and his son years down the road.

“My son would get out of school and come help during the summer. Seth has done everything from sweeping floors and cleaning toilets, all the way up to selling $100,000 jobs. He’s done it from the ground up, and so have I. He’s made it easy for me to let him work with the franchisees because he leads by example. He’s not here because he is the owner’s son; he has absolutely earned that spot. I expect more out of him, and he has lived up to that,” said Mogavero.

Boulder Designs has nearly 125 franchisees throughout the U.S. who are equipped with a bright and promising future, thanks to the solid foundation the company was built upon. “John is a really good coach and mentor to a lot of people throughout the entire franchise industry. I am really lucky to have somebody at that level to mentor me,” said Mogavero.

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Heidi Lubrani