The Grit to Growth Podcast

From Burnout to Breakthrough: How Nurse Coaching is Changing Healthcare | Sarah Johnson

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'll Hear: Sarah walks through her early years in nursing, where patient care was deeply personal—sitting bedside, building relationships, and truly understanding people beyond their symptoms. Over time, she watched that connection fade as technology and systems took over, leaving both patients and providers feeling disconnected. A turning point came when Sarah realized she could no longer operate within a system that felt misaligned with her values. From hospital roles to home visits to navigating the challenges of COVID-era healthcare, she continued searching for a better way to serve people. That search led her to nurse coaching—a model that blends medical expertise with deep, human-centered coaching. Within months of discovering it, Sarah fully committed, completed her training, and launched her own private practice in 2024. Now, she helps people regulate their nervous system, reduce anxiety, overcome addiction, and reconnect with themselves—without relying solely on medication or rushed doctor visits. Her approach focuses on true, lasting wellness by addressing mind, body, and lifestyle together. Sarah also breaks down what nurse coaching actually is, why it’s still relatively unknown, and why she believes it’s the future of healthcare as more people seek personalized, holistic support. If you’ve ever felt like the healthcare system is missing something—or you’re looking for a more human approach to wellness—this episode will completely reframe how you think about healing and support.

FroFamily Shop to 150+ Employees: Scaling, Selling, and What Comes Next | Matt Erfman

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 company through major growth, mergers, and ultimately a majority sale, Matt walks through every stage of the process. What You'll Hear: Matt shares how he got his start working in the business during high school, learning hands-on manufacturing before bringing in formal business strategy after college. What began as a small operation with just a handful of employees evolved through consistent customer outreach, strategic growth, and a willingness to adapt. A key part of the story is how the company found its footing early on—starting with a niche in sheet metal fabrication and landing foundational contracts that helped them survive and grow. From cold outreach and local relationships to landing larger clients, Matt explains how momentum was built step by step. The conversation also dives into the realities of running a family business. Matt shares the challenges that come with mixing family and business decisions, and how their team eventually reframed their approach—shifting from a “family business” mindset to becoming a “business family,” where decisions are made in the best interest of the company first. You’ll hear how pivotal moments—like the 2008 recession and achieving ISO certification—opened the door to major growth opportunities, leading to multi-million dollar customer relationships and long-term scalability. Matt also breaks down the strategic decisions that led to a merger in 2015, bringing in outside leadership and creating a more structured organization. That evolution ultimately set the stage for selling a majority stake in 2023, allowing for both continued growth and a transition into the next chapter. Now serving on the board, Matt reflects on life after stepping out of day-to-day operations—focusing on health, family, and giving back to the community. If you’re building something long-term, navigating a family business, or thinking about your eventual exit, this episode gives a clear, real-world look at what that journey actually involves—and what to think about when you reach the finish line.

Why Most Marketing Fails (And How Storytelling Fixes It) | Jeff Pickett

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 video production, Jeff brings a unique perspective on how strategy and creativity work together to produce real ROI. What You'll Hear: Jeff shares his journey from working in consumer marketing and healthcare to launching his own video company and eventually co-founding Forefront Studios. What started with small projects like weddings and freelance work evolved into a full-scale studio helping businesses clarify their message and grow through video. A major focus of the conversation is what businesses consistently get wrong: they make themselves the center of the story. Jeff explains why the customer should always be the “hero,” while the business plays the role of the guide. This shift, rooted in proven storytelling frameworks, is what turns marketing from noise into something that actually connects. You’ll also hear how Forefront approaches strategy differently. Instead of jumping straight into content creation, they start with deep discovery, identifying whether a client actually needs what they’re asking for, or something entirely different. That clarity allows them to focus on outcomes, not just deliverables. Jeff also dives into ROI, sharing how intentional video strategy can generate 10x+ returns when done right, and why they won’t take on clients unless they believe that level of impact is possible. The conversation touches on current trends, including the rise of AI-generated content. While it’s fast and accessible, Jeff explains why it often lacks authenticity and why audiences can quickly recognize it. In a world full of noise, genuine human storytelling is what still stands out. If you’re a business owner struggling to clarify your message or justify your marketing spend, Jeff offers a simple starting point: listen to your customers, understand their problems, and build your story around them. This episode is a practical look at how to create marketing that actually works, by making your customer the focus and using story as the vehicle for growth.

From Medicine to the Skies: Building a Specialized Practice for Pilots | Dr. Jill Kruse

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 ensure people in the cockpit are safe, healthy, and ready to fly. What You'll Hear: Jill walks through her journey from growing up in northwest Iowa to becoming a physician and eventually discovering aviation medicine. What started as a casual conversation about flying turned into earning her pilot’s license and stepping into a critical role as an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), helping pilots meet strict FAA medical standards. You’ll also hear a breakdown of how aviation medical certifications work, why they’re essential for safety, and how few specialists actually exist in this space, especially in smaller states like South Dakota. Jill shares what it means to be one of only a handful of senior AMEs in the state and the growing demand as many providers retire. Beyond her clinical work, Jill talks about balancing multiple roles, running her own practice, working in the hospital, and hosting Prairie Doc, a long-running public health show focused on making medical information accessible and trustworthy. She also shares practical advice for healthcare entrepreneurs: don’t wait until everything is figured out. Start, learn as you go, and lean on others who have already done it. This episode is a powerful look at how following curiosity can lead to unexpected opportunities, and how building a niche can create both impact and flexibility in your career.

Building a Better Product Through Frustration & Persistence | Loren Heesch

What happens when you get tired of fixing the same problem over and over again? Loren Heesch turned that frustration into a business. In this episode, Loren joins Levi to share how decades working in plastic manufacturing led him to spot a costly, overlooked issue: cheap, failure-prone components that constantly shut down production lines. Instead of accepting it, he decided to build something better. That decision eventually became Black Widow Valves, a company focused on creating durable, high-performance check valves that actually last. What You'll Hear: Loren walks through his background, including over 30 years in manufacturing and how repeated equipment failures pushed him to start experimenting with his own solution. He explains how a difficult season in life became the catalyst for building his product and how solving one specific problem turned into a real business. You’ll also hear a simple breakdown of what his valves actually do, why most alternatives fail, and how improving a “small” component can save companies significant time and money by preventing costly downtime. Beyond the product, Loren shares the reality of starting a business from scratch: figuring out naming, legal setup, marketing, and sales without a roadmap. He talks about learning everything on the fly, the importance of persistence when no one is paying attention, and why passion is essential when early support is limited. This episode is a real look at entrepreneurship in its raw form, solving problems, staying consistent, and building something meaningful one step at a time.