NFA Finance

When I read the question, “Which relationship has taught you the most about yourself?” it didn’t take me long to find my answer.

My dad.

His name was Richard, but most people called him Rick. His nickname was “Happy,” and if you knew him, you understood why. He was genuinely happy. He smiled, he laughed, and he had one of those laughs that people remembered. Even today, ten years after he passed away, I can still hear it.

Sometimes I can still hear him talking, too.

There are moments when something happens and I remember what he would have said. Sometimes it makes me laugh. Other times I shake my head and think, “Damn, he was right.”

My dad worked for himself. He built a successful mail-order business and also operated a vending route. He wasn’t somebody who followed the traditional path of getting a job, punching a clock, and allowing somebody else to control his entire life.

He valued his freedom.

Looking back, I realize how much watching him live that way shaped me. He taught me to be independent, think for myself, question everything, and never blindly follow what everyone else is doing.

Those lessons became part of me.

I have spent most of my adult life working for myself. I’ve built businesses, taken chances, made mistakes, started over, and continued searching for my own version of freedom. That independent streak didn’t come from nowhere. I watched my dad live it first.

He also taught me that having a good life doesn’t necessarily mean having the biggest house, the most money, or the most possessions. You don’t have to be ultra-rich to live well. Sometimes the best life is a relatively simple one: take care of your family, enjoy your freedom, laugh often, surround yourself with good people, and appreciate what you have.

Be kind, but be firm.

Be happy, but don’t be naïve.

Think for yourself.

Live life on your own terms.

Those are lessons I still carry with me.

My dad was also a family man. He kept our family together and did everything he could for my mom, my brothers, and me. Like every human being, he experienced ups and downs, but he was solid. He was someone you could count on.

He was a guy’s guy—a man’s man.

We talked every day. Even after I moved out at 19 or 20 years old and bought my own house, we remained close. That relationship didn’t disappear once I became an adult. If anything, I came to understand and appreciate him more.

He was also a motorhead. He wasn’t in the car business like I became, but he loved cars, engines, tools, and working with his hands. Looking back, I’m sure that’s where part of my passion for wrenching came from.

Some of my favorite memories are simply being around him, my grandfather, and all the guys. We would work on things, tell stories, laugh, and smoke cigars. I still smoke an occasional cigar today, and I know part of the reason is that it reconnects me to those moments.

It reminds me of where I came from.

My dad was well-liked, too. When he passed away, his funeral was packed. That tells you something about a man. People showed up because he had made an impression on their lives. They remembered his personality, his friendship, and especially that unmistakable laugh.

Ten years later, I can see how much of him is still alive in me.

I’m independent like he was. I value freedom. I question things. I enjoy working for myself. I love cars, engines, cigars, and being around good people. I try to enjoy life, keep things simple, and find reasons to laugh—even when life gets difficult.

The older I get, the more clearly I recognize his influence.

If I could tell him anything today, it wouldn’t need to be complicated. We were close and we were on good terms when he passed, so I don’t carry the burden of unresolved words. I would simply tell him that I love him. I would tell him how much I appreciate everything he did for our family. I would tell him that I’m proud he was my dad.

And I would make sure he knew that I was paying attention—even during the times when it may not have seemed like it.

A father’s lessons don’t always arrive as formal advice. Sometimes they come from watching how he works, how he treats people, how he takes care of his family, and how he lives his life.

My dad taught me what freedom looked like.

He taught me to think for myself.

He taught me that a simple, happy life can still be a great life.

Most importantly, he helped make me the man I am today.

Ten years after losing him, I still hear his voice. I still hear his laugh. And every once in a while, life reminds me once again:

My dad was right.

Nicholas Francis
NFA Finance | Modern Day Dealer