Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen

Veronica Schnitzius grew up in Medellín, Colombia, during a time when violence and uncertainty were part of everyday life. Years later, she arrived in Dallas with $500, determined to build something different. Her path took her from industrial engineer to president of American Leather—but that journey was filled with moments that tested her confidence, resilience, and ability to lead. In this epis...

Shane Spillers learned about entrepreneurship long before he became an entrepreneur himself. He watched his parents build a business—and later watched that business collapse. Years later, after leaving the corporate world to join his family's restaurant business, Shane experienced another lesson: early success doesn't guarantee that you're ready to scale. Two restaurants were home runs. The third...

Matt McGaughey had already built a successful career when life forced him to reconsider what mattered most. When he and his wife faced a difficult season trying to grow their family, Matt made the decision to step away and focus on home. That choice eventually helped lead him down a new path—entrepreneurship. Today, Spinakr Solutions has grown from Matt simply raising his hand and asking, “How can...

Gabe Moreno thought he was ready to lead the school that had already been such a big part of his life. They told him he wasn't. Instead of letting that rejection define him, Gabe left, gained new experience, developed as a leader, and kept moving forward. Years later, Bishop Dunne called him back—this time to become president. In this episode of The Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen , Gabe talks about...

At 18, Ted Clouser arrived in Arkansas with $400 in his pocket and faxed his résumé to every computer company he could find. One hired him. Twenty years later, he owned it. But becoming the owner exposed a problem Ted never saw coming: he had spent two decades building a company around himself. Every question led to the same answer— “Ask Ted.” When he tried to step into a different role, the busin...

Homero Gonzalez grew up just 13 miles from downtown Dallas in a neighborhood with no grocery store and no restaurants. Decades later, his path would take him through the Dallas Museum of Art, SMU, sales, the West Texas oilfields, and eventually entrepreneurship. Then he put everything he had on the line to buy half of his father-in-law’s struggling painting company. In Homero’s words, the business...

Seven years ago, Jeff Crilley told Matt Rosen he needed a podcast. Matt said no. This episode exists because Jeff didn’t give up—which turns out to be a theme throughout his life. Jeff grew up a poor kid in Detroit before spending 25 years in TV news. He stretched a ten-week internship to fifteen until he got caught, then talked his way into a job that didn’t exist. Years later, he left the only c...

Success isn't built by avoiding failure—it's built by getting back up every time life knocks you down. John Humphrey has experienced more than his share of adversity. From overcoming childhood trauma and navigating failed businesses to surviving a devastating car accident and rebuilding after personal heartbreak, he's learned that resilience isn't about avoiding challenges—it's about refusing to s...

Rick Hopper's story is a powerful reminder that where you start doesn't determine where you finish. He spent two and a half years addicted to meth, lost everything, and hit rock bottom. After getting sober, he rebuilt his life one step at a time—starting with a job at Home Depot. That fresh start eventually led him to build and sell two companies, appear on Shark Tank , and dedicate his time to he...

Every entrepreneur has a moment when they wonder if they're going to make it. For Brian Childers, it was staring at payroll on Wednesday... with no idea how he'd pay his employees on Friday. He shares what got him through that moment, what he learned from building and selling his business, and why discipline—not motivation—is what keeps you moving forward. Watch the full episode of The Grit Mindse...

By the time Ashley Lowrance left for college, she'd lived in 11 houses. Eleven new schools. Eleven rooms where everyone already knew each other. The daughter of an Air Force brigadier general and B-52 pilot, she learned to do one thing extremely well: walk in, observe, figure out what mattered to these people, and find her seat at the table. Years later, with no sales experience and no network in...

They said his dog food was killing dogs. He ate it for 30 days to prove them wrong. Mitch Felderhoff turned a competitor-backed smear into a 400% sales jump—and later, a moment with his kids that changed how he defines success. His definition of grit: knowing it has to be done, and doing it anyway. A conversation about conviction, family, and building something big on purpose. Watch the full episo...

Failure doesn't define great leaders. How they respond does. Kent Taggart lived through his family company's bankruptcy from the inside, launched a business five months before COVID shut the world down, and built Mender on a mission bigger than margins. His definition of grit: the intersection of passion and persistence. This conversation is loaded with lessons on leadership, resilience, and build...

Success isn't always about talent—it's about showing up, serving others, and refusing to be outworked. In this re-released episode of The Grit Mindset , Matt Rosen sits down with Wes Keyes , CEO of Brother Bill's Helping Hand, to discuss the leadership lessons that shaped his career, the mindset that helped him build one of Dallas' most impactful nonprofits, and why hustle is a choice anyone can m...

What does it take to build a business, overcome personal tragedy, and keep moving forward when life changes overnight? In this episode of The Grit Mindset , Matt Rosen sits down with entrepreneur and business advisor Dave Casey to discuss the defining moments that shaped his life and career. From growing up in a small rural town and working on farms as a child to building and selling a successful...

What does it take to leave stability behind, bet on yourself, and build a career through uncertainty? In this re-released episode of The Grit Mindset , Matt Rosen sits down with data center industry veteran and entrepreneur Michael Carnes to discuss the lessons he's learned from nearly three decades of growth, setbacks, and reinvention. From leaving Blockbuster during its peak years to helping bui...

For Scott Harper, grit isn't about avoiding failure—it's about learning from it, pushing through it, and staying in the game long enough to win. In this episode of The Grit Mindset , Scott shares the lessons that helped him build Dialexa from the ground up, navigate major setbacks, overcome near-disasters, and ultimately lead the company to a successful acquisition by IBM. He reflects on the role...

For Scott Levy, grit is simple: keep betting on yourself and your team when there are plenty of reasons to quit.  In this re-run episode, the founder of Result Maps shares how building a business while raising young children, managing demanding clients, and leading distributed teams inspired him to create a platform that helps founders stay aligned, build better habits, and scale with purpose. Sco...

In this special re-run episode of The Grit Mindset , entrepreneur John Hudson shares his powerful definition of grit: “discipline on steroids.” Through decades of experience building a successful logistics company, leading teams, and even launching a gym during the uncertainty of COVID, John opens up about the realities of perseverance, failure, leadership, and knowing when it’s time to pivot. Thi...

Season 1 of The Grit Mindset is complete, and before Season 2 launches, I’m revisiting the episodes that shaped the show most. There was no better place to start than Episode 1 with Michelle Johnson, former CIO at Freeman, with Fortium when we recorded, and now CIO at Associa. She took a chance on a brand new podcast with a host who had no idea what he was doing yet.  She gave me two ideas in that...

After 60 episodes, Matt Rosen is putting the Grit Mindset on hiatus — not from burnout, but to break through a craft ceiling. In this Season 1 finale, he shares three specific lessons from three guests who changed how he thinks about interviewing, vulnerability, and the people closest to him. Plus: what's coming in Season 2, when the show returns, and how listeners can shape the next chapter. Stay...

Character isn't built in a boardroom; it’s forged in the quiet, grueling moments of showing up when it would be easier to stay down. On this episode of The Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen pays tribute to the unwavering resolve of energy executive and close family friend Cindy Jaggi. Cindy’s journey is a masterclass in what it means to be steadfast—serving as the anchor for her family and her company thro...

Melvin Bullitt didn't just walk onto an NFL roster; he fought his way from undrafted free agent to Super Bowl Captain for the Indianapolis Colts. But for Melvin, the gridiron was only the first half. In this episode of The Grit Mindset, the Texas A&M legend gets raw about the "silent season" following retirement and the mental fortitude required to pivot from professional athlete to elite entr...

Your 10-year plan is likely taking too long because you’re staying too comfortable. In this episode, George Digianni joins Matt Rosen to break down the framework of “Strategic Discomfort” —the intentional pursuit of friction that transforms slow growth into massive momentum. George pulls back the curtain on his journey from a $487K first year to a seven-figure powerhouse, proving that scaling a bu...

In this episode of The Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen sits down with Grant Miller, CEO of Grant Miller Photography. Grant’s journey didn't start in a boardroom—it started with a passion for the lens that landed him a life-changing internship at the White House under President George W. Bush. But the real story is what happened after the West Wing. Grant discusses how observing leadership at the highest...