Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen

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...

What happens when you mix the analytical rigor of a nuclear physicist with the creative intuition of an artist? You get the leadership style of Andrew Brock. In this episode, Matt Rosen sits down with the Global CIO of Associa and CEO of HOAM Ventures to deconstruct a career path that defies the standard corporate trajectory. From his early days in East Tennessee to high-stakes finance roles at Kr...

Everyone talks about "grit" until they’re cold, wet, and failing. Real resilience isn’t a feeling—it’s a tactical decision made when your body is begging you to stop. Nate Wisan didn’t just survive the transition from Marine Corps Infantry to the Green Berets; he mastered the psychological discipline required to lead where most people quit. The Intel: In this episode, we strip away the Hollywood v...

How do you go from an "accidental technologist" at Pizza Hut to leading world-class organizations like Clario? In this episode of The Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen sits down with Jay Ferro—CTO, CIO, and Allata board member—to deconstruct a career defined by evolution and a life defined by resilience. Jay pulls back the curtain on the high-stakes world of global technology, discussing the impact of AI i...

Most CEOs talk about their wins. Ryan Blair, CEO of Alloy Automotive, is here to talk about the scars. Ryan didn’t climb a corporate ladder—he built one out of scrap metal. In this episode of Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen digs into the transition from a struggling student and Audi technician to the head of a multi-location automotive powerhouse. This isn't a story about luck; it’s a masterclass in what...

What does it take to walk away from a stable career at a Big Four firm to build a consulting empire during an economic meltdown? In this episode of The Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen sits down with Landon Smith—a "recovering accountant" who traded the corporate ladder for the grit of entrepreneurship. From his humble beginnings in West Texas to founding and scaling Riveron, Landon reveals the raw realit...

How does an elite "Horse Soldier" transition from the rugged mountains of Afghanistan to the strategic halls of Washington, D.C.? Jeremy Thompson spent 22 years as a Special Forces Intelligence Analyst, but his journey of resilience began long before the military. In this episode of The Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen sits down with the Executive Director of the Special Operations Association of America...

In this episode of Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen sits down with serial entrepreneur and owner-operator of Flatout Logistics, Donnie Lopez. Donnie isn't just a business owner; he’s a master of the pivot. From a turbulent childhood to the high-stakes worlds of the oil patch, professional arm wrestling, and global event production—including Will Smith’s legendary 50th birthday jump in the Grand Canyon—Don...

In this episode of Grit Mindset, host Matt Rosen sits down with speaker, leadership coach, and author Mike Rose to unpack the concept of Return on Energy (ROE) and the driving forces behind his entrepreneurial journey. Mike shares vivid stories of his early hustles—from charging tolls in his Texas neighborhood to buying his first business at 18—and how these adventures shaped his unique perspectiv...

In this episode of Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen, host Matt Rosen goes solo to dive deep into the realities of setting and sticking to New Year's resolutions and goals. He shares his personal journey, including his mission to do 10 pull-ups, how dwindling gym crowds inspired his thoughts on perseverance, and why writing down specific, actionable goals is key to success. Matt discusses strategies fr...

In this episode of Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen, host Matt Rosen goes solo to explore the age-old question: Is grit something you’re born with, or can it be built through life’s challenges? Matt dives into his own upbringing as a military kid constantly adapting to new environments, shares stories from his formative paper route job, and reflects on the lessons that tough, hands-on work instills. H...

“I was fired.” It’s a sentence most leaders are terrified to say out loud. But for Andrew Snow, getting fired from a major leadership role wasn't the end of his career—it was the birth of his company, Track15. The secret to his rebound? It wasn't "white-knuckling" it or grinding harder. It was learning how to lean on others. In this episode of Grit Mindset, we’re tearing down the myth of the "Lone...

In this episode of Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen, Matt Rosen sits down with special guest Eric Winton, former CEO of The Bridge, to explore the real meaning of grit through candid storytelling and valuable life lessons. Eric Winton reflects on his journey from a humble, hardworking upbringing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to climbing the ladder in consulting and tech, successfully navigating major career piv...