The Grit to Growth Podcast
The Grit to Growth Podcast is for hardworking business owners and professionals who believe in rolling up their sleeves and getting the job done. This show dives into the real stories of local entrepreneurs—especially in blue-collar and construction industries—who turned grit, determination, and sweat equity into success. Each episode features candid conversations with business owners who’ve faced setbacks, taken risks, and built something lasting through sheer perseverance. Whether you’re running a trades company, a small-town shop, or just looking for inspiration from people who’ve been in the trenches, The Grit to Growth Podcast delivers practical lessons, motivation, and the reminder that growth doesn’t come easy—but it’s always worth the fight. Tune in for raw, relatable stories of hustle, heart, and how the toughest builders and business owners made it happen.
Episodes
Significant Business Results founder Franne McNeal shares how entrepreneurs can increase profitability, reduce owner dependency, and build businesses that create lasting value.
What happens when you've spent decades building a successful company, only to discover it's worth far less than you expected?
Many entrepreneurs build businesses that generate impressive revenue but still depend entirely on their involvement. Instead of crea...
How retired Air Force veteran Lisa Ducharme is helping veterans turn decades of military training, leadership, and resilience into an advantage in entrepreneurship.
Leaving the military doesn't mean leaving behind the skills that made you successful there. For Lisa Ducharme, the bigger challenge is helping veterans recognize just how valuable those skills can be in the business world.
In this episode, Levi sits down with Lisa Ducha...
Andy Fankhauser shares how lessons from banking, business risk, and resilience inspired a new approach to helping local entrepreneurs grow.
For many small business owners, the opportunities that could help them grow are often the same opportunities they can't afford to access.
In this episode, Levi sits down with Andy Fankhauser, founder of Aqua Luxury Consulting and Micro Expo My City, to discuss two sides of entrepreneurship that...
Scientist and health equity leader Dr. Eugene Manley Jr. explains how neurodivergence, life experience, and workplace systems can cause talented people to be misunderstood instead of empowered.
What happens when someone has the talent to succeed, but doesn't fit the expectations of the system around them?
For Dr. Eugene Manley Jr., that question is deeply personal. Growing up in inner-city Detroit as a first-generation scholar wi...
Commercial real estate leader and marathon runner Heather Ewing shares how discipline, resilience, relationships, and continuous improvement shape long-term success.
Success in commercial real estate rarely happens overnight. Deals can take months or even years, unexpected obstacles can derail progress, and there are no guarantees that all the work you put in will result in a closin...
Lane Kawaoka shares how he went from civil engineer to real estate investor and why building wealth starts with consistently buying income-producing assets.
Building wealth doesn't have to be complicated, but it does require moving beyond simply earning a paycheck and saving money.
In this episode, Levi sits down with Lane Kawaoka, a former civil engineer w...
Social psychologist Dr. Andre Walton explains why creativity is one of the most powerful tools for overcoming burnout and becoming a better leader.
Burnout isn't simply feeling tired after a busy week. According to Dr. Andre Walton, it's a serious condition that can fundamentally change how we think, lead, and perform. The good news? Recovery may begin by changing the way we use o...
MIT graduate, Harvard MBA, and startup veteran Stever Robbins shares what it really takes to build successful companies, think creatively, and lead with purpose.
What does it take to build companies from the ground up and become the person others rely on for leadership, innovation, and strategic thinking?
In this episode of the Grit to Growth Podcast, Levi T...
Lucy Kovalova-Woods shares how intentional leadership, strategic philanthropy, and community partnerships can create lasting impact.
Building a successful business is one thing. Using that success to strengthen communities and create opportunities for others is something entirely different.
In this episode, Levi sits down with Lucy Kovalova-Woods, entreprene...
Former dentist Dr. Howard Polansky shares how a life-changing family crisis led him to rethink wealth, debt, and financial freedom.
Success on paper doesn't always mean fulfillment in life. After years as a successful dentist, Dr. Howard Polansky found himself burned out, overwhelmed, and questioning everything. Then a terrifying medical emergency involving his son changed the tra...
PureLogix co-founder Muhammad Atif explains how AI can reduce administrative burdens while improving patient care.
Artificial intelligence is changing healthcare, but its greatest impact may not be replacing doctors. Instead, it's helping them spend less time on paperwork and more time caring for patients.
In this episode, Levi sits down with Muhammad Ati...
How one entrepreneur turned failure into a thriving real estate business by putting people before profits.
Success isn't always built on winning. Sometimes it's built on losing everything first.
In this episode, Levi sits down with Matt Miale, CEO of The Miale Team at Keller Williams, to discuss his journey from corporate advertising into real estate, the ...
How one business owner rebuilt a struggling company by developing leaders from within instead of selling out.
How can a business owner step away without selling the company, sacrificing its culture, or leaving loyal employees behind?
In this episode, Levi sits down with Rich Ashton, a longtime business owner who purchased a nearly bankrupt HVAC company in 1988 and rebuilt it into a successful residential and commercial operation....
How do you know if you're investing with the right real estate operator?
In this episode, Levi sits down with Pat Zingarella, founder of Invest Clearly, to discuss one of the biggest challenges passive investors face: evaluating the people behind the deals. After transitioning from corporate America into real estate investing, Pat built Invest Clearly to bring greater transparency to private real estate investing by helping investo...
What would you do if the company you trusted for your financial security suddenly disappeared?
In this episode, Levi sits down with John Casmon, marketing partner at Casmon Capital Group, multifamily investor, podcast host, and coach who has helped acquire more than $150 million in apartment investments while teaching busy professionals how to build wealth through real estate.
What You'll Hear:
John shares the pivotal moments that ...
What separates great leaders from average ones? And how do the best companies consistently find executives who drive growth, culture, and long-term success?
In this episode, Levi sits down with Kip Knippel, President and CEO of Kip Search, one of the nation's premier executive search firms specializing in C-suite and senior leadership recruiting. Through his work with private equity firms, venture capital groups, family offices, an...
What happens when someone spends 30 years inside the healthcare system… and realizes the system itself is broken?
In this episode, Sarah Johnson joins Levi to share her journey from longtime registered nurse to founder of Growth and Gratitude Coaching. After decades on the frontlines, Sarah saw a major shift in healthcare—from human connection and trust to a system driven by checkboxes, efficiency, and profit.
What You...
What does it actually look like to grow a family business from a small shop into a multi-million dollar operation—and then step away from it?
In this episode, Matt Erfman joins Levi to share the full journey behind Dakota Land Manufacturing, a company that started as a small, family-run operation and grew into a regional manufacturing leader with over 150 employees. From working in the shop as a teenager to helping lead the c...
What separates content that gets ignored from content that actually drives results? Jeff Pickett believes the answer is simple, but often overlooked: stop talking about yourself and start telling better stories.
In this episode, Jeff joins Levi to break down how he built Forefront Studios, a video strategy company focused on helping businesses grow through intentional storytelling. With a background in marketing, healthcare, and vi...
What does it look like to carve out a completely unique niche inside healthcare? Dr. Jill Kruse found her answer at the intersection of medicine and aviation.
In this episode, Jill joins Levi to share how she built Flight Time Medical, a specialized practice focused on aviation physicals and pilot care. With over 20 years of experience as a physician, she combines her medical background with her own experience as a pilot to help en...
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