Mitch Durfee
I'm Mitch Durfee, an Army veteran, entrepreneur, real estate investor, and author. Some people know me as Mitchel Durfee. My work today runs on one idea I learned in uniform and relearned in business: build something useful for the people you serve, then take responsibility for delivering it.
Army service
I joined the U.S. Army after high school and served in the Army and Army Reserve from 2003 to 2008, with time in Korea, Iraq, Colorado Springs, and Vermont. From 2012 to 2013 I went back overseas as a government contractor in Kuwait and Afghanistan. Those years taught me how to execute when the plan changes and the information is incomplete. I still use that every week.
Purpose.
Ownership.
Action.
Building and selling a business
After the Army, I earned an associate's degree from Saint Leo University and studied business management at Champlain College while launching my first companies. I co-founded Grunts Move Junk, a moving and junk-removal company built to give returning veterans a "landing zone" as they moved into civilian work. Growing it taught me hard lessons about focus. Saying yes to every kind of job left us stretched thin and hard to sell. Narrowing back to what we did best is what made the company sellable. I sold Grunts Move Junk in June 2018, and the new owner kept the mission of hiring veterans. I also co-founded Online Startup Box, a digital marketing agency.
Real estate
Real estate has been part of my path from the start. I've worked as a Realtor in Vermont, and I invest in Vermont real estate, including flips, rentals, and land, through Green Rock Investments. Through Vacant Lot Hero I buy vacant land directly from owners. What interests me most is what happens after the deal closes. Who does the work, what has to be maintained, and were the assumptions right?
MD Capital Partners
Today my main company is MD Capital Partners LLC, a VA-verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), CAGE 12C60. We provide federal and commercial construction services, including HVAC, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, demolition, and site work. It brings me back to the same world I served in, now as a contractor and business owner.
Books
I wrote Serve 2 Win: Eight Steps to Making a Living & a Life, which puts service at the center of entrepreneurship. I coauthored The Millionaire Business Mindset with Chris Kelly, contributed as a coauthor to the 2018 edition of Military House Hacking, and wrote The Millionaire 90 Day Planner. You can find them all in the book library.
Coaching
I work with business owners on the decisions that keep landing back on their desk: what deserves their attention, how to build a team that owns the work, and which opportunity is worth a yes. The coaching page has the details.
Interviews and speaking
I've told the Grunts Move Junk story on Built to Sell Radio (2019), Veteran on the Move (2018), Grow Your Moving Company (2018), and Self Talk Radio (2017). I also spoke at Ignite Burlington in 2016 with a talk called "Charlie Mike."
Find me online
Connect with me on LinkedIn, watch my real estate videos on YouTube, or browse my author page on Amazon. If you have a business challenge, a real estate question, or an interview request, start a conversation.
Let’s talk about your next move.
Bring the business challenge, idea, or opportunity you’re working through. We can start with the context that matters.