The Grit to Growth Podcast

In this heartfelt episode, Levi sits down with Abby Lawrence, founder of Two Pines Therapy and Connection Center, to explore what it really means to heal, connect, and show up for others—and ourselves—when life gets hard.
Abby opens up about her deeply personal journey from corporate America to starting a private practice after the sudden loss of her father. She shares how personal pain shaped her mission and how connection—not just therapy—is at the core of true healing.
Listeners will hear about:
The story behind the name "Two Pines"
Abby’s experience navigating grief, sudden change, and starting a business
The powerful therapies used at Two Pines, including EMDR, EFT, CBT, DBT, and ACT
How Abby helps clients reconnect with themselves and others in a disconnected world
The lessons she's learning as a mental health provider and business owner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be A Guest Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://grittogrowthpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode of The Grit to Growth Podcast, Levi welcomes two powerhouse women in the field of functional medicine: Dr. Cheryl Bones and Dr. Jessica Pearson, co-founders of Prairie Roots Health. From their unexpected connection in South Dakota to launching a thriving clinic together, their journey is anything but ordinary.
Dr. Pearson shares her shift from a high-intensity military career as an OBGYN to embracing holistic health after COVID sparked a personal transformation. Dr. Bones reflects on her path from chiropractor to functional medicine advocate and business owner, driven by her passion to uncover the root causes behind health challenges.
Together, they explain how their clinic focuses on individualized, root-cause care—helping patients optimize health through nutrition, stress management, gut health, lifestyle changes, and personalized plans, not just prescriptions. They also share insights on balancing science and lifestyle, the power of collaboration, and why they don’t want clients to need them forever.
 
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In this heartfelt and insightful episode, Levi Te Slaa sits down with Hope Norland, Operating Director at Cornerstone Caregiving, to talk about the power of support, dignity, and proactive care in the lives of seniors and their families.
Hope shares her personal journey—from being an English major to becoming a leader in home-based senior care. She opens up about her experience in hospice care, the emotional rewards of helping families reclaim time with their loved ones, and the importance of shifting from reactive caregiving to intentional care planning.
They explore:
The emotional and practical toll caregiving can have on families
What “activities of daily living” really mean in a home care context
The qualities that define a great caregiver
Why families should start care conversations early
How Cornerstone Caregiving supports clients in staying home safely and with dignity
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be A Guest Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://grittogrowthpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

From a garage sale Stephen King novel to publishing alongside Stephen King himself, Doug Murano’s creative journey is a masterclass in perseverance, passion, and pivoting when life deals you a “bad hand.”
Doug opens up about his South Dakota roots, how a pandemic-era closet became his first home office, and the early sparks that led him to editing, writing, and eventually founding Bad Hand Books. He shares what it’s really like behind the scenes in indie publishing, how a moment of personal crisis sparked his company’s powerful name, and why horror has always been his home genre.
Key Takeaways:
Why Doug abandoned law school just 9 days before it began
How he pivoted during a layoff with four young kids to create a business
The story behind “Bad Hand Books” and what it stands for
His dream-come-true project collaborating with Stephen King
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be A Guest Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://grittogrowthpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Levi Te Slaa sits down with Dr. Abigail Polzin—ER doc, former AirMed Medical Director, and current program director for the newly launched emergency medicine residency at USD Sanford. They talk about her journey from Utah to Wisconsin to South Dakota, her time in the air as a flight medicine leader, and what it takes to build an innovative training program in a part of the country that has long needed it.
You'll hear about:
Why Abigail fell in love with emergency medicine
How her team handled 14,000+ flight patients over a decade
What makes South Dakota’s new residency program so impactful
How rural healthcare differs from big-city medicine
The emotional toll—and reward—of ER work
What aspiring ER docs need to succeed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be A Guest Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://grittogrowthpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

What happens when a renowned atmospheric scientist turns his attention to cattle ranching? In this episode, Dr. Patrick Zimmerman—founder and CEO of C-Lock Inc.—shares how his journey from environmental research to agricultural innovation is helping reshape animal agriculture around the globe. From pioneering emissions monitoring systems to revolutionizing how ranchers measure efficiency, Dr. Zimmerman opens up about the power of data, science, and respect for ruminant animals.
He discusses how early work at the National Center for Atmospheric Research led him to develop technology that bridges biosphere-atmosphere science with real-world applications for farmers and ranchers. Listeners will hear the fascinating story of how his company, C-Lock, evolved from a carbon accounting concept into a global leader in precision livestock monitoring—with clients across 50 countries and counting.
Whether you’re a rancher, a scientist, or someone curious about sustainable agriculture, this episode unpacks big ideas in an approachable and practical way.
 
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In this episode, host Levi Te Slaa welcomes Carrie Gerlach, founder and owner of Black Hills Adventure Tours. Carrie shares her inspiring story of starting the business with a modest loan, a few kayaks, and a big dream. Now celebrating 20 successful seasons, she’s grown the company into a thriving adventure and tourism service offering customized experiences across the Black Hills and beyond.
Carrie opens up about her early years, how she transitioned from hospitality into entrepreneurship, and what it took to build a seasonal business from the ground up. She also talks about balancing motherhood, creative problem-solving, expanding her offerings with women's travel experiences around the world, and the importance of partnerships in delivering world-class guest experiences.
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a lover of the outdoors, or someone curious about sustainable business growth, this episode is packed with grit, vision, and wisdom.
 
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From dreaming of designing Corvettes to leading a cutting-edge 3D printing company, Shon Anderson’s path is anything but traditional. In this episode, Shon unpacks his journey from small-town South Dakota to CEO of B9Creations and shares what really makes technology stick in today’s business world.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why understanding your gifts might take a great boss—not just time
How technical skills and people skills can collide to create innovation
The three pillars every company needs to consider for successful tech implementation
Why B9Creations’ approach to additive manufacturing is changing how businesses adopt technology
The surprising role of mentorship, mindset, and soft skills in tech success
Whether you're a startup founder, a leader at a growing company, or early in your career, this conversation will give you tools to better align your talents with your goals—and to think differently about how people and tech can grow together.
 
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What happens when an 83-year-old mathematician, entrepreneur, and lifelong problem-solver builds an AI platform to separate fact from fiction online? In this episode, Levi Te Slaa welcomes Brian Dempsey—a seasoned consultant, company founder, and the mind behind hallucinations.cloud—to talk about truth, tech, and the art of knowing what (and who) to trust in the digital age.
Brian shares his fascinating journey from a successful actuarial career to building and selling his own firm, and now to coding and innovating in the AI space. You’ll hear how he’s applying the "wisdom of the crowd" through technology to combat misinformation and why he believes AI is a tool anyone—even those who fear math—can use to solve real-world problems.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be A Guest Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://grittogrowthpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

From the bleachers to the boardroom — Travis Morgan’s journey is a story of grit, growth, and Midwest charm. In this episode, Levi Te Slaa sits down with Travis to unpack his path from small-town Nebraska to CEO of the Sioux City Musketeers. Along the way, Travis shares lessons learned in TV sports, marketing, the symphony, and minor league hockey — including why betting on yourself and taking a leap can change your life.
Travis opens up about:
How a summer internship launched his career in broadcasting
Moving from the newsroom to marketing a casino — and what business lessons he learned
Reinventing how the community saw the Sioux City Symphony
Leading the Musketeers through one of the most successful runs in team history
What it means to lead with heart, build strong relationships, and “reverse the curse” (seriously!)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be A Guest Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://grittogrowthpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.