The Grit to Growth Podcast

In this energizing conversation, Vaney Hariri shares his journey from Buffalo, NY, to becoming a culture architect in Sioux Falls, SD. Co-founder of Think3D Solutions, Vaney talks with Levi about building company culture on purpose, not by accident.

You’ll hear why culture happens whether you plan for it or not—and why investing in it matters. Vaney shares how Think3D helps organizations develop leadership at all levels, and why th...

In this episode of The Grit to Growth Podcast, host Levi Te Slaa sits down with Russel Van Der Werff, an executive and technical leader at Aerostar, to explore the cutting-edge world of stratospheric ballooning. From launching high-altitude balloons in partnership with Google to fighting wildfires with real-time data and aerial connectivity, Russ takes us inside a world most people don’t even know exists—yet it’s reshaping how we t...

In this inspiring episode, host Levi Te Slaa sits down with Trisha Dohn, founder of Well365, a workplace wellness company on a mission to transform how businesses support their employees' physical and mental health.

Trisha shares her journey from working in major health systems to launching Well365 from her basement, all while navigating personal challenges including infertility and financial uncertainty. Her story is one of passio...

In this heartfelt episode of The Grit to Growth Podcast, Levi Te Slaa sits down with Alex Peterson, the culinary mastermind behind Baking Up a Storm at Lake Lorraine in Sioux Falls. From humble roots in Iowa to becoming a staple in the Sioux Falls baking scene, Alex shares how his lifelong passion for baking turned into a thriving business.

Alex opens up about the challenges and triumphs of launching his own bakery during a pandemi...

In this powerful and personal episode, Levi Te Slaa talks with Tim Winders—executive coach, author, and host of the Seek Go Create podcast. From building a $20M real estate portfolio to living in a 39-foot motorcoach after financial collapse, Tim shares the deeply human story behind his reinvention.

Tim opens up about his early entrepreneurial journey, his drive for success, and how 2008’s crash forced him to confront his ego, fait...

What happens when grit, service, and small-town values meet leadership and innovation? Christine Vinatieri-Erickson knows the answer firsthand.

In this episode of The Grit to Growth Podcast, Levi Te Slaa sits down with Christine, a lifelong South Dakotan who’s worn many hats—from small business owner and City Council member to her current leadership roles with the South Dakota Auto Dealers Association and the South Dakota Trucking ...

In this episode, Levi sits down with Anders Barton, whose journey has taken him from a childhood rooted in faith, through the ups and downs of sales in Austin, Texas, to stepping into leadership roles in his family’s business, and finally to co-founding Temple—a faith-forward health and fitness company with his brothers.

Anders shares a powerful early-life experience that sparked his walk with God, the lessons he learned in the tre...

On this episode of The Grit to Growth Podcast, host Levi Te Slaa sits down with Seth Uschuk and Melissa Anderson, co-founders of Cubby — a childcare communication platform built with heart and hustle in Sioux Falls. What started with a conversation at a daycare open house turned into a four-year journey combining Melissa’s deep experience in childcare with Seth’s tech expertise.

Together, they’ve built Cubby from the ground up to s...

What happens when 30 years of leadership experience meets humor, wisdom, and a deep passion for helping people? In this episode, Levi sits down with Jason Boutwell, a seasoned business leader who’s navigated corporate roles, embraced failure, and now leads with intention at Pro Resources—a growing HR outsourcing firm rooted in the Midwest.

Jason shares his journey from college football at NDSU to becoming a trusted advisor in HR an...

What happens when you take a personal trainer with a deep love for movement and hand him the reins to a rapidly growing golf and fitness brand? You get Nick Ovenden—an operations leader who’s just as comfortable helping clients do sandbag workouts as he is guiding a company through an ESOP transition.

In this episode, Nick shares his journey from personal trainer to operations leader at Great Life, a unique fitness and lifestyle br...

In this episode, host Levi Te Slaa sits down with Mason Leiseth—a South Dakota native, mechanical engineer, and manufacturing leader—to explore how the U.S. can reclaim its place in the global industrial economy.

Mason shares how his upbringing on a family farm and early exposure to fabrication set the stage for his passion for manufacturing. From his work at Twin City Fan to growing a machine shop in Huron, SD, Mason has worn many...

In this episode, Levi Te Slaa sits down with Meg McNeese — South Dakota rancher turned organizational change expert — to explore what leadership really means in today’s fast-moving world. Drawing from her deep experience across industries like mining, construction, and hospitality, Meg shares how she’s learned to balance the “in-the-dirt” work with high-level strategy.

She opens up about how Rose Group International began almost by...

From small-town roots in Minnesota to high-tech entrepreneurship in Sioux Falls, Noah Vandal shares how his hands-on curiosity and engineering background led him into the world of AI and healthcare. Joined by Dr. Joseph Yoon — a physician and health informatics expert — the two reveal how faith, shared vision, and innovation led to the creation of Speech Sage, a company using AI-powered conversational tools to improve patient commu...

In this episode, Levi Te Slaa sits down with Jacob Limmer, founder of Cottonwood Coffee in Brookings, South Dakota, and consultant with The Prosper Group. Jacob shares how a passion for sustainability led to farming, which eventually brewed into a successful coffee business. He opens up about the early struggles with funding, lessons learned from expanding too quickly, and how he evolved from barista to business strategist.

Jacob a...

In this powerful episode, Levi sits down with Nick Yost, the founder and medical director of BodyOpt, to explore her extraordinary path from a small-town South Dakota farm to launching one of the region’s fastest-growing wellness and aesthetics clinics. Nick shares how her early days living on yachts, flipping homes, and running a craft beer bar evolved into a full-blown commitment to functional medicine and regenerative health.

Yo...

Kelly Ewart grew up in Texas, served as an Army nurse, and later put down roots in western South Dakota. In 2019 she took a leap from ER shifts to business ownership, investing her savings into a Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Spearfish so she could build something alongside her kids. She walks us through validating a rural market, leveraging a veteran franchise discount, battling through an SBA loan (and a major injury), insisting on a...

In this uplifting conversation, Tia walks us through her unconventional career path—from selling jeans on commission to landing an entry-level dental assistant role with zero experience, then earning credentials at night and stepping into leadership. She explains how Neighborhood Dental Care scaled to 11 locations while keeping patient-first care and quality at the center. Tia also opens up about sending her oldest to college, why ...

Host Levi Te Slaa sits down with Barry Sackett, managing partner and long-time advisor to business owners across the Midwest. Barry traces his path from a family of lawyers to roles as in-house counsel, controller, CFO, and now managing partner. He explains why his work is really about building trust in every transaction—often before legal issues turn into lawsuits.

Barry digs into the realities entrepreneurs face: scaling themselv...

Joel breaks down how Five Star Call Centers supports companies as a true BPO partner—sometimes supplying full-stack customer experience (recruiting, training, tech, QA), other times filling specific gaps like staffing or process design. He explains the five traits they look for in great partners, why seasonality matters, and how their 99% work-from-home team across small-town America delivers world-class care. We dig into practical...