The Grit to Growth Podcast

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, faith, and purpose. We explore what it means to truly “slow down to speed up,” and how redefining success has led Tim to a more fulfilled life of coaching, creating, and leading with intention.
 
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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 Association.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, 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 trenches of commission-based sales, and how a vision during a long drive changed the direction of his life and career. He opens up about what it means to truly listen for God’s direction, and how we can integrate faith into our work in practical ways.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

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 solve the real, everyday challenges that childcare centers face — from simplifying parent-teacher communication to streamlining admin work so staff can focus on what matters most: the kids.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 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 and business strategy. Along the way, he reflects on how failure shaped his mindset, why the "delegate and elevate" model matters, and why an abundance mindset isn’t just a feel-good phrase—it's a business necessity.
 
 
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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 brand with over 24 locations across South Dakota and Minnesota. He talks about his passion for building teams, helping people live healthier lives, and making fitness fun and accessible—whether through functional gym spaces, creative childcare programs, or family-friendly golf experiences.
 
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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 hats and now helps companies as a consultant focused on scaling, streamlining, and solving complex operational problems.
 
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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 accident, how their proprietary Helix assessment helps teams process change, and why clear succession planning is essential for organizational stability. Meg also talks about humanizing leadership — from wearing jeans on Fridays to having honest conversations that break down hierarchy.
 
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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 communication and clinic efficiency.
 
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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 also shares his philosophy on consulting and how 20 years of entrepreneurial ups and downs have positioned him to help other business owners grow smarter, not harder. They discuss universal business truths, the power of patience, and why the "boring" fundamentals might just be your business’s biggest opportunity.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.