The Grit to Growth Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What does it take to help people navigate their hardest moments and come out stronger on the other side? Kristal Steeves has built a career doing exactly that.
In this episode, Kristal joins Levi to share her journey from decades in Denver working with homeless populations and child welfare systems to launching her own private practice in South Dakota. As a mental and behavioral health clinician, she has spent years working with children, families, and individuals in crisis, helping them rebuild stability, reconnect with themselves, and move forward with purpose.
What You'll Hear:Kristal walks through her early career working with high-acuity populations, including leading transitional housing programs for women experiencing homelessness and spending over a decade in child welfare helping families reunify. She shares powerful stories of resilience, including what it takes to support individuals through trauma, addiction, and systemic challenges while still seeing the human behind the situation.
You’ll also hear how her work has evolved into private practice, where she now focuses on helping people through trauma, major life transitions, and mental health challenges. Kristal explains her approach to therapy, why regulating the nervous system is the first step before changing thoughts or behaviors, and how small practices like breathwork can create immediate, meaningful change.
This episode is both deeply insightful and highly practical, offering real tools you can use to manage stress, improve resilience, and better understand what’s happening in your mind and body.

What does it look like to build a career that blends business leadership with meaningful, life-changing work? Jason Schoolmeester has taken a path through agriculture, staffing, and corporate HR before landing in a role that brings it all together.
In this episode, Jason joins Levi to share his journey from growing up on a farm near the Minnesota–South Dakota border to becoming Chief Human Resource Officer at Lifescape in Sioux Falls. After studying psychology at Dordt University, his early experience working directly with individuals with developmental and behavioral needs sparked an interest that would later come full circle. His career took him through high-volume staffing, relocation to Alabama, and HR leadership roles supporting complex operations before ultimately returning to the Midwest to join Lifescape.
What You'll Hear:Jason shares how his early hands-on experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities shaped his perspective on meaningful work. He walks through his transition into human resources, including managing large-scale hiring operations and working in high-stakes environments that required strict procedures and accountability. He also explains what Lifescape does, supporting children and adults across all stages of life with developmental, behavioral, and complex medical needs through a combination of healthcare, education, and residential services.
You’ll gain insight into the challenges of building culture and retaining talent in a highly competitive job market, especially in a mission-driven organization. Jason also discusses the importance of listening to employees, understanding the real issues behind workplace concerns, and balancing operational demands with purpose-driven work. He also shares a personal story of how Lifescape impacted his own family, reinforcing the real-world impact of the organization’s services.

What does it take to move from hands-on clinical work into leadership within a healthcare system? Tom Johnson has built his career across pharmacy, education, and healthcare operations, offering a unique perspective on that transition.
In this episode, Tom joins Levi to share his journey from growing up on a dairy farm in Brainerd, Minnesota, to becoming Vice President of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services at Avera Health. After earning his PharmD from North Dakota State University and completing a residency in acute care, Tom began his career in a dual role with South Dakota State University and Avera, working in the ICU while also teaching. Over time, his path evolved from clinical practice into leadership, expanding his responsibilities across pharmacy, laboratory, and imaging services.
What You'll Hear:Tom shares how his early experiences in farming shaped his work ethic and decision to pursue a career outside of agriculture. He walks through his progression from clinical pharmacist to faculty member and eventually into administrative leadership, highlighting how each role built on the last. He also discusses the importance of maintaining a clinical perspective while making leadership decisions and the balance required to support teams without losing sight of day-to-day realities.
You’ll gain insight into the challenges healthcare systems face today, including funding, operational complexity, and decision-making in patient care. Tom also explains how healthcare has shifted toward shared decision-making, where providers guide patients through options rather than making decisions for them. For those early in their careers, he emphasizes the importance of saying yes to opportunities and being open to paths that may not be obvious at the start.

What systems keep emergency services and local governments running behind the scenes, and what happens when they fail? Eric Nyhaug works in public safety technology, supporting the software that many cities and agencies rely on every day.
In this episode, Eric joins Levi to share his journey from growing up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to building a career across healthcare and technology. After earning a degree in healthcare administration from USD and spending years in healthcare tech, Eric made a shift in his career path, eventually earning his MBA from the University of Sioux Falls. About nine years ago, he transitioned into the public safety space, a field closely connected to his family’s background in law enforcement.
What You'll Hear:Eric explains his role at CentralSquare Technologies, a company that provides software used by public safety agencies and local governments across North America. He shares how these systems support everything from law enforcement operations to administrative functions like utility billing and property taxes. He also talks about the importance of building relationships with agencies and how his work helps them get the most out of the technology they depend on.
You’ll gain insight into how public safety software operates behind the scenes, how career paths can evolve across industries, and why the systems most people never see play a critical role in everyday life.

What does food security really mean, and why does it matter beyond agriculture? Jeff Lochner has spent his life working in farming, ranching, and agricultural finance, giving him a unique perspective on that question.
In this episode, Jeff joins Levi to share his journey as a fourth-generation farmer and rancher in eastern South Dakota. After graduating from South Dakota State, Jeff began his career as a farm credit system lender in Iowa and Nebraska before returning to his family’s diversified crop and livestock operation. His decision to come back was shaped by a family turning point, ultimately leading him to help carry on and grow a multigenerational farm.
What You'll Hear:Jeff shares what it’s like to operate a large, diversified farm and ranch, including crops like wheat, corn, soybeans, and managing a sizable cow herd. He talks about the realities of returning to a family operation, working alongside multiple generations, and how roles evolve over time. He also reflects on his experience in agricultural lending and how it shaped his understanding of the broader ag industry.
You’ll gain insight into the challenges and responsibilities of multigenerational farming, the connection between agriculture and financial systems, and why Jeff believes food security is not just an agricultural issue, but a national one.