Founders, Fathers, and Yardsticks That Matter

I have a question for you (more on that at the end). But first...

As Father's Day approaches, I find myself reflecting on one of the greatest blessings in my life - starting ROAD iD with my Dad. Dad and I started ROAD iD almost 25 years ago from his leaky basement in Northern Kentucky. At that time, we were both flat broke. BUT, we had a fax machine (yes…a fax machine). Are you jealous?. We also had two maxed-out credit cards and a dream to make an impact - specifically to save lives, provide peace of mind, and fuel adventure. Back then, we looked like this:

Launching ROAD iD with my Dad was more than just a business journey; it's was a profound life journey that taught me many lessons.

One piece of wisdom that I gained is this:

I've come to realize that there are lots of yardsticks by which we humans like to measure other humans.

  1. The Where Yardstick - Where have you've been? Where do you live? Where did you go to school? Where did you go on vacation?
  2. The What Yardstick - What kind of car do you drive? What do you do for a living? What awards/recognitions have you received? What neighborhood do you live in?
  3. The How Much Yardstick - How much money do you make? How much do you donate? How much is your house worth? How much product do you put in your hair? (Just making sure you’re still with me.)

To me, these yardsticks are nonsense. They do nothing to capture the essence of a person. They're just noise, distracting us from what truly matters.

The 'Who' Yardstick - Now, this is a yardstick that I can get behind. Simply put, who do you get to spend your time with? On my list? My Dad (Happy Father’s Day - you're my hero), my wife, my kids, my friends, and the incredible team at ROAD iD.

This Father's Day, I encourage you to consider the 'Who' in your life. Who adds meaning to your days? Who stands by you in the ups…and the downs?

At ROAD iD, we measure our success not by conventional yardsticks, but by the relationships we build, the lives we impact, and the community we nurture.

So, if you ever want to measure me, please use the 'Who' yardstick. But, I’m warning you…you better bring a ladder and a few extra yardsticks.

Here's to celebrating the 'Who' in our lives, today and every day.

Now, back to the question I referenced above. I’d love to hear about the ‘Who’ in your life. Send me an email and tell me this: Who are you lucky enough to spend time with? What makes them special? 

I can’t wait to hear from you,

Signatures of cofounder Edward W.