How did Dan Cholewinski's business partnership at Vast Commercial Finance come about, and how does it actually work day to day?
Dan Cholewinski and his co-founder both came from the same motor finance lending business, knew each other well, and chose to leave at the same time — a shared departure that established a foundation of genuine trust from day one. That pre-existing relationship meant Vast Commercial Finance was never built on strangers trying to figure each other out: the trust was already there before the business even started trading.
Their backgrounds are broadly similar — both transitioned from sales into management and leadership — yet Cholewinski is clear that similarity doesn't mean sameness. On peripheral matters, the two co-founders hold different views, and he sees that productive disagreement as something that adds real value rather than creating friction. The partnership is anchored by one shared principle he describes as fundamental: every small business is in sales. That belief shapes how they operate together and how they approach Vast Commercial Finance's clients.
At the time of this episode, Vast Commercial Finance had been trading for 4.5 years — a meaningful runway that reflects how the partnership has held up in practice, not just in theory. Hear the full conversation on The Purpose People Podcast on Listenly.
"If I feel I'm not making enough sales, it's because I'm not talking to enough strangers — as simple as that. Being sat behind the desk being really good at something isn't gonna bring you a whole load of sales."
— Dan Cholewinski, Co-founder, Vast Commercial FinanceAbout Dan Cholewinski
Dan Cholewinski's career in financial services spans nearly two decades, starting at 18 in data administration and progressing through underwriting and telesales before he was 21. He joined a growing motor finance lender at 21, and by 23 was the first salesperson hired into a new national accounts division targeting the top 100 UK motor dealer groups. At 26, he stepped into his first formal leadership role managing a field sales team — the beginning of a shift from individual contributor to business builder. He spent 15 years at that same company, watching it scale from around 65–70 employees to approximately 600 by the time he left. That experience — seeing a business grow nearly tenfold from the inside, across sales, management and leadership — is what directly underpins his authority on commercial finance, business development, and partnership dynamics. He co-founded Vast Commercial Finance with a colleague from that same employer, and the business has been trading for 4.5 years at the time of this episode.
See also
Dan Cholewinski describes networking as central to Vast Commercial Finance's growth over its first four and a half years, encompassing regular networking events and relationship-building as core to the business development strategy.
According to Dan Cholewinski, there is genuine market appetite for M&A funding and it is more accessible than many business owners assume. He notes that lenders are actively looking to support acquisition-led growth for SMEs.
Vast Commercial Finance advises on commercial finance and real estate finance, working with businesses of all sizes when they need to borrow money to unlock growth or investment opportunities.