What do horse manure, pilot school, Paulownia trees, and billion-dollar investments have in common? Steve Distante. In this episode of On The Homefront, Jeff Dudan sits down with Steve Distante—impact investor, founder of Vanderbilt Financial Group, and author of Entrepreneur Land. From starting his first hustle selling horse poop to building a sustainable empire focused on purpose over profit, Steve opens up about leadership, culture, and navigating risk as an entrepreneur. Discover how he turned frustration with corporate greed into a mission to change the world through sustainable finance. He shares lessons from building a 400-acre Paulownia farm, stories about entrepreneurial betrayal, the DNA of impact-driven businesses, and how to harness your full potential at any stage in life. 💥 Get ready for real talk on: Impact investing vs. traditional finance Why born entrepreneurs are different than made ones How to start a business at 50 and win Building culture that outlasts crisis When it’s time to bet on yourself 📚 Learn more about Steve

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00:00:00 – Intro: Who Is Steve Distante? 00:01:38 – Born vs. Made Entrepreneurs 00:03:36 – Immersion & Learning Fast 00:05:00 – Why I Wrote Entrepreneur Land 00:08:05 – Meta Glasses & Be My Eyes 00:11:06 – Betrayal in Business 00:15:40 – Obsession & Entrepreneur DNA 00:20:08 – Farming Paulownia Trees 00:23:43 – Capitalism With Heart 00:26:34 – Bite, Growl, Lick Leadership 00:28:37 – Betting on Yourself 00:31:20 – Family, Jealousy & Success 00:34:01 – When to Take Big Risks 00:37:49 – Focus & Discipline 00:42:19 – Design a Life You Love 00:48:42 – Culture & ESOPs 00:52:40 – Leadership vs. Management 00:56:29 – Power of Peer Groups 01:00:47 – Cutting Costs vs. Growing 01:02:07 – Dream Business Idea 01:04:22 – Final Advice from Steve #Entrepreneurship #ImpactInvesting #Leadership #BusinessTips #SteveDistante #JeffDudan #Franchising #PurposeDrivenBusiness #OnTheHomefront

Smart Ways to Fund Your Franchise (And What Most People Miss) Most people think franchising is too expensive—until they learn how the smartest owners fund their businesses. In this Franchise Fridays episode, Jeff Dudan breaks down 6 proven ways to finance your franchise—including strategies you’ve likely never considered. Whether you're working with savings, exploring SBA loans, or curious about using your 401(k) without penalties, this is the playbook you didn’t know you needed. ✅ You’ll learn: The pros and cons of paying cash How HELOCs and SBA loans really work A creative strategy called ROBS that lets you use retirement funds And why choosing the wrong funding method could crush your business before it opens 🎯 Ready to start your franchise journey the smart way? Click the links below to: 📘 Get a FREE copy of Jeff’s book Discernment below 🏠 Explore franchise opportunities with HomeFront Brands 💡 Learn how to build something scalable, profitable, and built to last 👇 Let’s build your future—starting now.

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FREE COPY of Jeff's Book DISCERNMENT

Check out Jeff's AI Clone!

Also check out this super rad software to make an AI clone of yourself! We made one of Jeff Dudan and everyone loves it at the office. Design your clone here!

🔗 Homefront Brands

Other Helpful Links:
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💻Join and be a part of On The Homefront

Connect with Jeff Dudan

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Join us at Homefront Brands. Build your own business starting here: 🔗 Homefront Brands

Here are a list of Homefront Brands: Temporary Wall Systems

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00:00:00 How Most People Get Franchise Funding Wrong 00:00:40 Why Funding Strategy Matters 00:01:25 Option 1: Cash – Quick but Risky 00:02:20 Option 2: HELOC – Using Home Equity 00:03:15 Option 3: Traditional Bank Loans 00:04:10 Option 4: SBA Loans for First-Time Owners 00:05:10 Option 5: ROBS – Use Your 401(k) Without Penalties 00:06:25 Option 6: Creative + Alternative Funding Methods 00:07:25 Final Thoughts + Free Resources #FranchiseFridays #JeffDudan #FranchiseFunding #Entrepreneurship #FranchiseTips #FranchiseOpportunity #BusinessOwnership #HomeFrontBrands #StartupFunding #SmallBusinessTips

From Scrappy Startup to Powering Brands Like Nike | Mark Michael's DevHub Story In this episode of On The Homefront, Jeff Dudan sits down with Mark Michael, CEO and Co-Founder of DevHub. What started as a scrappy startup running on empty grew into a digital platform trusted by global brands like Nike and Chanel. Mark shares the real journey: how they burned through $2M fast, faced massive setbacks, stuck together, and built a multi-location web platform that’s redefining how brands show up online. They dig into startup lessons, franchise growth, the future of SEO and AI, and why building your brand — not just your business — will separate the winners from the rest. If you're an entrepreneur, a franchisor, a digital marketer, or anyone chasing big dreams, this raw conversation will hit home. ✅ Learn how to survive startup struggles ✅ Understand why the future of search is changing fast ✅ Find out why owning your digital front door matters more than ever ✅ Hear the real lessons behind scaling DevHub into a brand powerhouse 👉 Subscribe and stay connected for more authentic conversations about business, leadership, franchising, and scaling with purpose! Mark's website

DevHub Mark's Social

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FREE COPY of Jeff's Book DISCERNMENT

Check out Jeff's AI Clone!

Also check out this super rad software to make an AI clone of yourself! We made one of Jeff Dudan and everyone loves it at the office. Design your clone here!

🔗 Homefront Brands

Other Helpful Links:
🌎Visit us on LinkedIn

💻Join and be a part of On The Homefront

Connect with Jeff Dudan

Follow Jeff Dudan on Instagram

Join us at Homefront Brands. Build your own business starting here: 🔗 Homefront Brands

Here are a list of Homefront Brands: Temporary Wall Systems

Top Rail Fences

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00:00:00 Welcome and Mark Michael’s Introduction 00:02:00 DevHub’s Early Days: $2M, Mistakes, and Hard Lessons 00:06:00 Staying Alive When Everyone Said to Quit 00:08:00 Who DevHub Was Really Built For 00:11:00 Betting on Tech and the Early Internet Boom 00:14:00 Culture Shift: From Offices to Remote Work 00:18:00 Why Every Employee Should Be on Social Media 00:23:00 Building a Personal Brand in Business 00:28:00 What Makes DevHub Different for Multi-Location Brands 00:32:00 Preparing for the Future of AI and Search 00:38:00 Integrating AI into DevHub’s Platform 00:42:00 Why Websites Are More Important Than Ever 00:48:00 Mobile Search, Voice Tech, and User Behavior 00:53:00 Building Trust and Future-Proofing Brands 00:58:00 Mark Michael’s Other Creative Ventures 01:02:00 Curveball: What Business Mark Would Launch Next 01:06:00 Fastball: Mark’s One Piece of Life Advice 01:09:00 Final Thoughts and How to Connect #Entrepreneurship #StartupJourney #FranchiseGrowth #BrandBuilding #BusinessLeadership #AIinBusiness #SEOtrends #StartupStory #DevHub #MarkMichael #JeffDudan #BusinessPodcast