The Grit to Growth Podcast

In this episode, Levi sits down with Sarah Vicunia, founder of Top Talent Connections, a new recruiting agency based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Sarah shares her journey from a successful career in corporate HR to an unexpected job loss that led her to launch her own business. She opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of losing a job, the courage it takes to pivot, and the drive to create meaningful connections between companies and candidates.
Sarah dives deep into how small businesses struggle with hiring, and how her firm is uniquely positioned to bring "big company" recruiting experience to smaller teams that need it most. Her story is honest, inspiring, and a great listen for anyone considering entrepreneurship or navigating a career transition.
What You'll Learn:
The inspiration and story behind Top Talent Connections
How Sarah turned job loss into a business opportunity
Why smaller companies benefit from outsourced recruiting
The emotional highs and lows of starting a business
Sarah’s “triple win” recruiting philosophy
The power of staying connected and building community
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Te Slaa sits down with Shaine Anderson, a dynamic entrepreneur from Aberdeen, South Dakota, who’s thriving in not one—but two—distinct industries. As the founder of Anderson Electric and Wired Coffee Company, Shaine shares how he transitioned from managing a retail floor to wiring homes and troubleshooting industrial systems, all while brewing up some of the region's best coffee.
Shaine talks candidly about his journey into the trades, discovering his family's multi-generational legacy in electrical work, and how mentorship and apprenticeships shaped his path. He dives into the challenges of running two businesses, balancing leadership and hands-on work, and why community service and communication are at the heart of everything he does.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 the best cultures are built by design.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, 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 think about airspace, leadership, and innovation.
Russ shares his journey from small-town South Dakota to leading a team of 80+ engineers at Aerostar. He opens up about the lessons he’s learned growing into leadership, the mindset needed to guide technical teams, and how embracing challenges can spark world-changing solutions.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 passion, purpose, and perseverance.
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 pandemic, the value of taking calculated risks, and why learning to ask for help has been one of the most important lessons of his entrepreneurial journey. He also shares his go-to tools, family traditions, and how staying connected to his community fuels his purpose.
Whether you're dreaming of starting your own business or just love a good story about food, family, and grit—you won’t want to miss this episode.
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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.