Fireside America with Ryan Robbins

Some partnerships start with a business plan. This one started with trust.
Dillon founded Patriot Payments in 2018 and was out in Arizona building the business from the ground up when he and Ryan first connected through online coaching groups.
After Dillon moved to North Carolina, he made the trip north to one of Ryan’s events. That relationship continued to grow, and eventually they saw an opportunity to bring two worlds together: Dillon’s experience in the payment processing industry and the ecosystem Ryan had spent years building.
This conversation pulls back the curtain on an industry that most business owners know very little about.
They get into the technical side of processing, how the industry really works, where businesses can get taken advantage of, and why transparency matters.
No smoke and mirrors. No hiding behind complicated statements or industry jargon.
Just a different way of doing business, built around transparency, integrity, and actually doing right by the people you work with.

Michael Natale has been involved in business since he was 17 years old.
Today, he and his son Pete are part of a serious blue-collar operation on Long Island. Between A Lot Maintenance, Lake Landscape & Mason Supplies, and A Lot Equipment, their businesses cover everything from commercial property maintenance and snow removal to masonry materials, heavy equipment sales, and rentals.
What stood out during this conversation was their mindset.
These guys don’t just talk about growth. They buy equipment, build divisions, reinvest into the operation, and make decisions knowing the move that hurts profitability today might make the entire business stronger tomorrow.
Because a great idea means nothing if you can’t execute.
Michael and Pete gave us an honest look inside the risks, responsibilities, and relentless decision-making required to keep multiple businesses moving forward.

Scott is 26 years old, helping run a pretty damn big landscaping company with three separate divisions: commercial, construction, and residential.
But what I really respect about this story is the father-son dynamic behind it.
His father built this business through hard work, sacrifice, and years of figuring shit out the hard way. And I can only imagine how difficult it is to build something from the ground up and eventually have to loosen your grip and trust that your son truly understands what it took to get there.
One thing Scott’s father has done an incredible job of is over-communicating the difficult parts of running a business like this.
More importantly, he’s put Scott in uncomfortable positions and forced him to figure things out. Whether he realized it at the time or not, he was forcing growth.
Now Scott is 26 years old, boots on the ground helping run all three divisions.
The kid answers his phone. He shows up. He works his ass off. And he’s open-minded enough to take constructive criticism and actually learn from it.
I don’t see many 26-year-olds moving at this pace, especially in a blue-collar business where nothing is handed to you.
The business continues to thrive and grow under his father’s leadership, with Scott becoming a bigger part of carrying it forward.
This is what succession looks like while it’s actually happening.

We sat down with Dan Catena, owner of ADL.
Dan dropped out of high school and eventually went to work for the Township of Middletown, NJ, where he worked his way up to Assistant Director and Supervisor.
But in 2011, he realized that if he wanted to build a bigger life for himself and his family, he had to make a move.
So while still working full time for the township, Dan started a dumpster and demolition company on the side.
A year later, Hurricane Sandy hit. Business took off, but Dan still didn’t have enough years in to secure his pension. So he kept going.
He worked both jobs while being a husband and father, doing whatever it took to make his dream a reality.
Today, ADL is doing well over seven figures in annual revenue and continues to grow.
We share stories like Dan’s not only to promote hardworking, good people, but to inspire the next guy or girl who might be working a state or municipal job right now knowing deep down they want something more.
Dan bet on himself, put in the years, and built something real.
He’s an inspiration, a great American, and I’m proud to call him a friend.

Some guys are just wired to build.
Tommy Mullen spent nearly two decades helping build The Renaissance before deciding it was time to build something of his own.
With the backing of his mentor and boss, Bob, the owner of The Renaissance, Tommy started Excavating Services in 2007 while continuing his work with Renaissance and IPlay America.
Then came North American Pipeline in 2012, D&D Trenchless in 2013, Allstate in 2017, and by 2020, a merger with Vortex and a company with 53 employees.
There were plenty of risks, bumps and bruises, but Tommy kept building.
And behind all of it for 30 years has been his wife, Eileen. She became the foundation that allowed Tommy to put in what was necessary to build these companies while raising their three daughters, Madeline, Gracie and Brooke. Her support is a huge part of Tommy’s success.
Today, Tommy is back in the utility construction world, helping shape the next chapter of a company with decades of history.
We talked about mentorship, partnerships, acquisitions, relationships, hiring, succession planning, family, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Jake Gergues has a real American story.
Both of his parents were immigrants from Egypt, and Jake grew up in Jersey City with 12 other people under one roof. His father and grandfather owned a laundromat, and after his parents separated, Jake spent his summers down in Stafford Township.
His dad was old-school. He taught Jake toughness, grit, discipline, and the value of hard work lessons that clearly stuck with him.
Today, Jake and his team own 10 locations, along with an equipment distribution business that handles leasing and service.
But beyond the business success, Jake is just as genuine as the day is long. He’s the kind of guy you can sit down with and immediately feel like you’ve known him for years.
This was a really good podcast, and I think you’re going to enjoy his story.

Fireside America — Episode DescriptionLegacy, Grit, and the Butcher Block: Brandon & Billy Arms of Colonial Ranch Market

Colonial Ranch Market has been feeding Point Pleasant Beach, NJ since 1960 — first under grandfather Lenny, then under Darren Arms, who built it into the community fixture it is today. When Darren passed away suddenly, his sons Brandon and Billy were just 25 and 26. No handoff, no warning — just a business, a town, and a decision to show up.

Fifteen years later, they've kept every promise that name carries and then some: a second location in Manasquan built into a full-blown market, a brand with a real following, and a work ethic that hasn't softened a day since their father ran the counter himself.

This episode is a masterclass in what it actually takes to build something meant to outlast you — not the highlight reel version, the real one.

In this episode:

• Why "if you wake up and do the best you can do every day, you'll never fail" is the whole business plan
• Building a pricing philosophy around being the cheapest guy on the street — even when they don't have to be
• What it actually takes to hire, train, and hold a work ethic in the next generation
• Running a family business on "often imitated, never duplicated" recipes and zero written-down systems
• Turning an obsession with Yelp reviews into a full marketing engine — and how "Howdy Ho" became a brand
• Why collaboration, not competition, is what's grown Manasquan's Main Street
• The new custom Colonial Ranch app, and what's next for the brand

This one's for anyone building a business they hope to hand down — and anyone who's had to learn the hard way that showing up is the strategy.

Fireside America branded description

On this episode of Fireside America, we sit down with Ryan Curran, a New Jersey land broker who's closed deals as big as $130 million with Rockefeller and Mitsubishi. Ryan breaks down how he spotted Amazon's next warehouse site before anyone else, how he built relationships that turned into eight- and nine-figure deals, and what most people get wrong about industrial real estate, farmland value, and building wealth through land. We dig into deal structure, reading the market before it moves, and the strategy behind some of the biggest warehouse and data center developments in the state.

This is Fireside America. Family. Country. Financial Freedom

FIREISIDE is back. 🎙️
We’re bringing you real stories from people who found freedom by building businesses on their own terms. No overnight success. No fake gurus. Just honest conversations about what it really takes.
We’re also looking to spotlight business owners who are still in the fight and chasing their own version of freedom. If that’s you, reach out.
🎙️ Episode 124 | Season 6 features @alex_donofrio.
Alex took an unconventional path to business ownership, and his story proves there isn’t just one roadmap to success. This conversation was packed with lessons on betting on yourself, taking calculated risks, and building a life that aligns with your values.
Go give Alex a follow, check out the episode, and let us know what resonates most.

Two generations of business leaders talk faith, fear, and what it takes to rebuild America.In this rebrand debut episode of Fireside America, host Ryan Robbins and co-host Mark Montenero— CEO of AutoLand in Springfield, NJ — sit down for an unfiltered, old-school-meets-new-school conversation about entrepreneurship, faith, leadership, risk, and the values that built America.Ryan and Mark dive deep into the mindset behind growth — from sales to service, fear to faith, and business to community. They tackle tough topics: why America’s gone soft, how politics are dividing families, why mentorship matters more than management, and why tough love leadership is the cure this country needs.From personal stories about failure and risk to Mark’s decades of experience leading over 270 employees, this episode brings raw insight into what it takes to build something that lasts — not just in business, but in life.If you’re an entrepreneur, a salesperson, or just someone trying to level up and give back — this one’s for you.⏱ Timestamps:00:00:00 — Welcome to Fireside America00:03:29 — How Ryan and Mark met and decided to launch the show00:06:38 — What leadership really means in 202500:09:45 — “People know when you give a sh*t” — authenticity in sales00:17:13 — Politics, business, and the state of American conversation00:19:19 — Are families being torn apart by politics?00:20:00 — Faith, common sense, and believing in the “big guy upstairs”00:26:19 — Why young people need to fail — and how to handle rejection00:27:44 — The 20% rule — and why hard work always wins00:32:04 — How to reflect, pivot, and level up after failure00:33:00 — Supporting local businesses and community growth00:50:00 — The debate: Tough love vs. empathy in leadership01:00:05 — Fear, anxiety, and how to find purpose through struggle01:03:41 — Faith, giving back, and leading with heart01:06:01 — Open dialogue, cancel culture, and free speech in America01:09:57 — Old-school marketing vs. new-school media01:12:39 — The future of Fireside America🤝 Connect:Ryan Robbins: https://www.instagram.com/ryandrobbins/Mark Montanaro: https://www.instagram.com/monte_1980/Fireside America: https://www.instagram.com/firesideamerica/AutoLand: https://www.1800autoland.comPatriot Payments: https://patriotspayments.com/🔖 Tags:#FiresideAmerica #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Faith #Politics #Mentorship #AmericanDream #Freedom #SmallBusiness #Philanthropy #WorkEthic #Community #ToughLove #BusinessPodcast #Sales #RyanRobbins #MarkMontanaro