Coffee & Grit

In this episode of  Coffee & Grit, Jason Tracey interviews Shane Merem, a serial entrepreneur and dedicated Taekwondo coach/owner at Storm Taekwondo, to uncover the mindset and philosophy that have driven his success. Shane opens up about the pivotal role processes play in business, sharing how learning from failure has been key to his entrepreneurial journey. With personal anecdotes, he highl...

In this episode of Coffee & Grit, Jason Tracey welcomes mortgage professional and content creator Steven Betel to discuss the power of building connections and the impact of engaging content on business growth. With over 11 years in the mortgage industry, Steven shares how he’s transitioned from cold calling to focusing on networking, referrals, and creative content creation that goes beyond t...

In this episode of Coffee & Grit, host Jason Tracey sits down with Jeanine Yancy, founder of Yancy Interior Design, to discuss the journey of starting and growing her first-generation business. With 15 years of experience specializing in kitchen and bath design, Jeanine shares valuable insights on the importance of meticulous planning, honest communication, and realistic budgeting in successfu...

In this insightful episode of Coffee & Grit, Jason Tracey is joined by Mary Neumann, owner of Renovation Sells, to explore the transformative power of relationships, both in business and in life. Mary shares her inspiring journey from corporate America to entrepreneurship, where she found her passion in improving homes and communities through cosmetic renovations. Together, they dive into the...

In this episode of Coffee & Grit, Jason Tracey sits down with Cyndee Sparre, a Difference Maker in the world of networking and mentorship, to explore how building genuine relationships is at the core of business success. From her early career in HR at Walgreens to launching My Collective Network and My Christian Business Network, Cyndee shares her incredible journey of stepping into entreprene...

Being driven can be a gift and a curse.  While driven people, like our guest this week, are blessed with superpowers such as stamina, strength, focus and they are the creators of most things on the planet. However, we often tend to do a lot of damage to ourselves and others as we seek to be enough for everyone.    Does this sound familiar? Then this is the episode for you!  Join us as we dive into...

What would the world look like if everyone communicated openly, honestly, yet respectful?  Lets dial it in a little...How would it impact your world if you were able to communicate your desires openly within your relationships?  What kind of life would you live?  How much stress would be lifted off your shoulders?  Most importantly how many more opportunities would you discover? Join us this week...

What is it like to have complete freedom, and how do you create it?  Listen in to Coffee & Grit this week as retired Sherpa, and most recently 4 time Triathlon champion, Dan Powers shares his soulful stories filled with data to creating entrepreneurial freedom.    It has been a true pleasure getting the opportunity to observe Dan out in the wild within my community of Brighton.  It is rare to...

What time of the week is it? You guessed it! Time for another episode of Coffee and Grit... Wherever you go there you are.  The grass isn't greener on the other side.  The same place you can meet your demons you can also find your savior.  For Matt Parks, Lead Pastor at Hidden Springs Church, the same place he found his friends that drank and drugged was the same place he met Jesus. Learn about hi...

Because building upon relationships is so important to me one of my favorite things is to catch up with past guests.  This week we are in for a treat as John Manwiller is back by popular demand!  That is right OG guest John Manwiller, whom was way back at episode 14 and has been a Top 5 most listened to episode THIS YEAR, joins us with his incredible wife Hannah.  These two share with us how they...

My first time meeting Perry Green at a Bigby coffee we slipped into a highly entertaining 2 hour conversation that kept getting related back to Perry's catch phrase "Beer Is Good,  God Is Great, & People are crazy."  Feeling uplifted and energized it was clearl Perry is a Difference Maker, and we had a killer episode title ready to go, so naturaly the next step was to schedule him on Coffee &a...

This week on Coffee and Grit we are getting the opportunity to learn INVALUABLE Details to build a successful business from a 17 year old, that every entrepreneur should implement.  Listen in as I sit down for a conversation with a second-generation Coffee & Grit guest and Entrepreneurial Prodigy Lincoln Brown. At only 17 years old, Lincoln is CEO of LCB Auto Detailing, while also being the so...

One day it hit him...So he told his partner Catherine Juon "you and I need to go for a walk."  As they did laps around the orphanage in South Africa he looked at her and said "Catherine, are we helping are hurting?"  They had successful allowed the team at Care Village to dream big dreams, but were they really possible? For Lee Willwerth if the answer to that was yes than great, but if they weren'...

What happens when two podcasters walk into a studio?!  Find out by tuning in as Ron Jess of "Jess for 30" joins us to share a powerful lesson that it is never too late to find our calling. Facing retirement from the company that he built, Jess Instrument Company in Brighton Michigan, Ron decided to shift his focus in order to prevent from losing his identity.  As a result he created something that...

New This Week On Coffee & Grit... Join Jason and special guests Mike and Cara Ehinger from Superior Integration LLC on this episode of Coffee & Grit. Discover how this couple navigates both business and love, emphasizing the power of forgiveness and gratitude in their journey. As a retired teacher and now professional integrator, Mike shares insights on streamlining business operations, wh...

This week on Coffee and Grit, Jason has a high-flying conversation with Matt and Andrea Dahline. The owners of Crosswinds Aviation, a flight school in Livingston County, the Dahlines share with us how they built a business they love, serving the people the love, while creating the life of their dreams.  A flight school may not have been on the radar, however the day they opened Matt & Andrea d...

Being a collector and connector of people made working for the Chamber of Commerce a natural fit for our guest this week Katie Chuba, President of the Novi Chamber of Commerce.  Because she has a passion for small business with a drive to shake things up it is only natural she has found herself leading the revitalization of the Novi Chamber.  Dive in this week as we welcome Katie Chuba and she sha...

Join Jason and returning guest Kevin Brown, owner of Garrett Auto & Truck Repair as well as Motor City Truck Collision, for a behind-the-scenes look at small business life on this latest episode! Discover the secrets of staying ahead in a fast-paced world, navigating pitfalls, and the art of making quick decisions. Dive into Kevin's journey, from problem-solving to constant pivoting, and explo...

Join us as we enter the gloom! This one is dedicated to the men out there! We promise we will leave no man behind, but will leave no man where we found him in this episode. This week Jeff Ogden and Sam LaGrow join us from F3 Southeast Michigan. Known as "Dinghy" and "Schlitz" respectively, Jeff and Sam lead group workouts with F3 Nation, a group workout organization for men with 3 main tenets: fit...

What makes us become the people we become?  How do we discover our difference and truly embrace our authentic selves? These are the stories that made me and developed the Grit needed to become a Difference Maker...the Raw & Vulnerable nothing is held back in this episode of Coffee & Grit.  I have to admit I may have blacked out in the studio as I railed through this marathon episode, becau...

Time to jump into the Growth Zone both literally and figuratively as I sit down with returning guest Trisha Turner, Owner and Landscape Designer at Turner Design Group for a raw and inspiring conversation. This episode dives into the reality of running a business with your name on the truck and the passion that fuels her success. On this entrepreneurial journey Trisha shares some of the sacrifices...

Numbers aren't scary, and you don't have to be a slave to your business. These are 2 myths that are busted this week on Coffee and Grit as James Lippens, Fractional CFO & Founder pf Mill Town Consulting, joins us to share how we can be intentional with building our business to create a life that truly makes us happy.  In this highly engaging conversation we also talk about: Being miserable in...

We never know what people are going through.  While my friend Shasta was consistently being named by her peers as the person they most looked up to, she was mired in a rough marriage, depression, and anxiety that left her crying in the shower in the morning askingi herself "why am I so stupid?" Listen in as Shasta Grifka, Community Relations Coordinator at WAVE (Western Washtenaw Area Value Expres...

Grab a cup of Lions Breath coffee and prepare to get grounded...okay okay electrical pun and dad joke aside this episode is a game changer! It only took 1 year for Mike Noonan to know that, while he loved playing baseball, college was not for him. This week on Coffee & Grit, I sit down with Mike Noonan, owner of Noonan Electrical Services, to discuss his path from electrician to entrepreneur a...

Guess whose back...Back again again...Kevin Brown is back and he brought a friend 🎵 Thats right this week on Coffee and Grit Kevin Brown returns to the studio along with Co-Owner of Motor City Truck Collision, Jim Gray.  This is an incredibly inspiring as well as entertaining episode as Kevin & Jim join Jason to talk about building a small business the right way, work ethic, raising a family...