This episode is a bit of a throwback to the OG Coffee & Grit style.

There is no formal introduction. No perfectly crafted opening. No roadmap. No "let's start here and work our way there."

Terry Bean and I sat down, hit record, and started talking. The funny thing is, that ended up becoming one of the biggest lessons of the entire conversation.

In a world where everyone seems to be chasing the perfect content strategy, the perfect social media post, the perfect networking approach, the perfect sales script, and the perfect personal brand, we spend this conversation exploring a much simpler idea:

People connect with what's real.

What starts as a conversation between two friends quickly turns into a discussion about communication, self awareness, blind spots, behavior, storytelling, leadership, relationships, and why so many people struggle to connect with others despite being more connected than ever.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Why authenticity beats production
• The stories we're most afraid to tell and why they're often the ones people need to hear
• Blind spots, self awareness, and the feedback we don't always want
• Why bad communicators often don't realize they're bad communicators
• The difference between personality and behavior
• How understanding behavior can improve leadership, sales, and relationships
• Why people don't buy bricks, they buy the cathedral
• The power of meeting people where they are instead of where you wish they were
• Why specificity creates connection and "everybody" is never your audience

One of the things I've always appreciated about Terry is his ability to take complex ideas and make them practical. His work with Behavioral Elements is centered around helping people better understand themselves and the people around them so they can communicate more effectively, lead more intentionally, and build stronger relationships.

However, underneath all of that is a message that aligns perfectly with what Coffee & Grit has always been about.The goal isn't to impress people.The goal is to connect with them.

Sometimes the best conversations aren't the ones we plan. They're the ones that happen when we stop performing, stop trying to sound smart, and simply show up as ourselves.

This episode is a reminder that authenticity isn't a strategy.It's the strategy.

Additional Show Notes Learn more about Terry Bean and Behavioral Elements:

BehavioralElements.com

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I love this episode because it is a perfect example of what the Difference Maker Bootcamp series is all about.

When Chad Krumrei first joined Bootcamp, I immediately saw someone who cared deeply about people. Over the course of 12 weeks, I watched him encourage others, invest in relationships, and show up consistently to Make A Difference. It became very clear why he and his wife Elena have built such a successful real estate business.

What makes this conversation so powerful is that it really is not about real estate. It is about service, trust, and about putting relationships ahead of transactions.

In a world where many people think sales is about persuasion, Chad and Elena have built their business by educating, guiding, and protecting people through one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Elena's journey from middle school math teacher to Realtor
• Building a husband and wife business together
• Why communication wins more deals than sales tactics
• The biggest mistakes buyers and sellers make • The hidden risks of For Sale By Owner transactions
• Why your reputation matters long before the closing table
• Faith, family, and building a business with purpose
• How putting relationships first creates long-term success

One of my favorite moments is when Chad talks about trying to talk buyers out of houses. Not because he wants them to walk away. Because he wants them to slow down, think clearly, and make decisions they will feel good about long after closing day. That philosophy says everything you need to know about who Chad and Elena are.

If you're an entrepreneur, leader, home buyer, home seller, or simply someone who believes business should be built on trust and relationships, I think you're going to enjoy this conversation. Because at the end of the day, this episode is not about houses.

It's about helping people move into their best life.

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When most people hear the word connection, they think about networking. This conversation goes much deeper than that!

In this episode of Coffee & Grit, I sit down with Toby Brazwell for a powerful conversation about relationships, leadership, vulnerability, sales, parenting, personal growth, and why connection may be the most important skill any of us can develop.

Toby has built a successful career in insurance, leadership, and coaching, but what became clear throughout this conversation is that insurance is simply the vehicle. His true passion is helping people build stronger connections with themselves, their families, their teams, and their communities. 

We talk about:

• Why connection is so much bigger than networking
• Growing up constantly moving and learning how to build relationships quickly
• The power of vulnerability in leadership and parenting
• Why men do not need to have all the answers
• Teaching our sons and daughters that strength is not perfection
• How role playing can improve relationships just as much as sales
• Why hard conversations are rarely as bad as the stories we create in our heads
• The importance of building trust before you need it
• How connection impacts marriage, parenting, business, and community
• Why "no" often just means "not right now"
• The lessons hidden inside failure, rejection, and resilience
• What surrender really means and why it is often a sign of strength, not weakness

One of the most powerful ideas in this episode is something Toby says repeatedly:

People are ionizable. 

In other words, we are built for connection.
We need relationships.
We need community.
We need people who challenge us, support us, believe in us, and help us become more than we could become on our own.

Throughout the conversation, Toby shares incredible analogies, stories from his career, lessons from sales and leadership, and the inspiration behind the new book he is currently writing on connection and human relationships.

But beneath all of that is a simple truth: The quality of our lives is often determined by the quality of our connections. With our spouse, our children, our teams, our communities, and ultimately with ourselves.

This is one of those conversations that will make you think differently about the people around you and the relationships you may be taking for granted.

If you are a leader, entrepreneur, parent, salesperson, coach, or simply someone looking to create deeper relationships and a more meaningful life, this episode is for you.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/coffee-grit--5708348/support.

What happens when you retire from the family business… but your brain refuses to stop building?

This week on Coffee & Grit, I sit down with Todd Bailey for a conversation about entrepreneurship, reinvention, creativity, fantasy football, app development, and what it looks like to finally pursue the ideas that have been sitting in your head for years.

Todd spent decades in the family dealership business before stepping into a completely different season of life after the business sold. Instead of slowing down, he found himself diving headfirst into writing, game creation, fantasy football formats, and building something he genuinely wished existed himself.

And honestly… that’s what makes this episode great.

This is a real conversation with real stories about testing ideas, taking expensive punches, learning from setbacks, listening to feedback, and continuing to move forward anyway. We talk about:

• What happens after the family business chapter ends
• Why most people never pursue the ideas they keep thinking about
• The hard lessons of app development and entrepreneurial pivots
• Why Todd completely reimagined fantasy football
• Creating fantasy football formats without drafts and with stock-market style player values
• The importance of listening to customer feedback without taking it personally
• Turning passion into a business opportunity
• The difference between having ideas and actually executing them
• Why action creates clarity faster than overthinking ever will
• Leaving your worries at the “worry tree” before walking into your home

One of the biggest themes throughout this conversation is simple: Just make it happen.

Todd openly talks about building things before having all the answers, learning as he goes, making mistakes, pivoting, and realizing that the only way to know if an idea works is to put it into the world.

And beneath all the fantasy football talk is a much deeper message about reinvention, creativity, and refusing to let curiosity die just because one chapter of life ends. Because sometimes the next thing you are supposed to build is hiding inside the thing you’ve loved your whole life.

If you are someone with ideas sitting in your head, a business you keep talking yourself out of starting, or a creative itch you have been ignoring… this episode will hit home.

Connect with Todd Bailey & Extreme Fantasy Football 🏈 Website: ExtremeFF.com
📲 App coming soon to Apple & Google devices
🎙️ Podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & iHeartRadio

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Last August, Hayden Larance sat down with me for an impromptu episode of Coffee & Grit. At the time, he was just getting started.  Trying to figure things out, building his business, making cold calls, and chasing the feeling that there had to be more than the “normal” path everyone told him he was supposed to follow.

Since then, a lot has changed. This episode is not some polished “I made it” success story. It’s a real conversation about what happens in the lonely chapter of entrepreneurship. The chapter where you leave behind comfort and certainty, but you have not yet fully arrived at the life you are trying to build.

Hayden shares the story of moving to Central America to go all in on building his business, thinking it would be beaches, adventure, and productivity… only to land in Costa Rica during rainy season with empty streets, isolation, emotional battles, and the harsh reality of having nobody around to save him from himself. And honestly, that’s where the real growth started.

We talk about:

• Why the work changes you before the business changes
• Learning to do the work even when you don’t feel good emotionally
• The loneliness that comes with entrepreneurship and growth
• Why “reps” are the real secret behind confidence and momentum
• Hayden committing to 100 cold calls a day for 30 days
• Building community while building a business
• The power of documenting the real journey instead of pretending you already won
• Why relationships are still the greatest business asset in a world obsessed with automation and AI
• Client retention, communication, and taking the transaction out of the interaction
• Learning how to delegate and stop being the bottleneck in your own business
• What happens when you stop accepting other people’s limitations as your reality

One of the most powerful themes throughout this episode is the idea that you can create your own version of the “real world.” Hayden talks about people telling him after college that “the best years of your life are behind you.” He refused to believe that. Instead of accepting the script he was handed, he decided to go build a different life. And this conversation is really about that decision. The decision to keep going when it’s hard.

The decision to keep showing up when nobody sees the work yet.

The decision to stop letting fear and other people’s ceilings define your future. This is one of those episodes that will deeply resonate with entrepreneurs, creators, and Difference Makers who know they are capable of more, but are still somewhere in the middle of becoming.

Because the truth is… Most people never fail because they aren’t capable. They fail because they quit before the reps start compounding.

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Last year humbled Jake Freeland.

This conversation is not one of those “everything worked immediately” entrepreneur stories. It’s the real story of what happens when you feel called to build something, step into the unknown, struggle through the messy middle, and slowly start finding the clarity that changes everything. In this episode of Coffee & Grit, I sit down with Jake Freeland of Admin Handyman to talk about entrepreneurship, patience, faith, operational systems, and what it looks like to finally lock into the thing you were built to do.

Jake shares how Admin Handyman evolved from a rough idea into a growing business helping roofing companies handle the back-end operational chaos that keeps jobs from moving efficiently. From invoicing and permits to warranties, scheduling, CRM management, and customer communication, Jake helps roofers focus on what they actually want to do—build roofs and grow their business. But this episode goes much deeper than admin work.

We talk about:
-Why most entrepreneurs cannot plan for what they do not yet know
-The hard lessons that come from a “growth year”
-Having raw conversations with God when things are not working
-Why clarity creates momentum in business
-How changing one pricing model changed everything
-The power of strategic partnerships and trusted relationships
-Why CRMs and automations still need human leadership behind them
-How communication becomes one of the biggest differentiators in business
-The hidden money sitting inside broken operational systems
-Learning to stop being ashamed of the thing you are naturally good at

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is Jake embracing something he used to wrestle with internally:

He realized God made him a “professional box checker.” While others want to be on the roof swinging hammers, Jake thrives in systems, workflows, organization, follow-up, and making sure the details get handled. 

This is a conversation about finding your lane, building the right partnerships, creating systems that actually work, and realizing that sometimes the thing you thought made you different is actually the thing your market needs most.

If you are an entrepreneur trying to figure things out, stuck in the messy middle, or learning how to scale without drowning in the details… this episode will hit home.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/coffee-grit--5708348/support.

John and Danette Bell of Empowering Futures are not just talking about mindset. They are talking about identity, programming, transformation, and what it looks like to stop living on autopilot.

This conversation goes deep into the patterns we inherit, the stories we rehearse, and the ways we unknowingly give our power away in our relationships, leadership, businesses, parenting, sales conversations, and everyday lives.

At the center of this entire episode is one powerful idea:

You are not the program. You are the programmer.

Most people spend their lives reacting to the conditioning, beliefs, pain, fear, rejection, and experiences that shaped them. They live in cycles they do not fully understand, repeating the same emotional patterns while wondering why nothing changes.

John and Danette challenge that completely.

This episode is about recognizing the program, interrupting the pattern, and realizing that transformation is possible when you stop tying your identity to your performance, your past, or other people’s opinions of you.

We get into:
-Why victim mindset is really about giving your power away
-The neuroscience behind how your brain reinforces the patterns you rehearse
-Why your “I am” statements matter more than you think
-The difference between performance and identity
-How entrepreneurs and leaders unknowingly build their worth around achievement
-Why sales becomes difficult when you believe you have to become someone else to succeed
-How transformation starts with “who you are being,” not just what you are doing
-The difference between change and true transformation

This conversation also gets deeply personal.

We talk about family wounds, forgiveness, abuse, leadership, marriage, and the responsibility we have to stop passing unhealthy patterns down to the next generation. There are moments in this episode that are emotional, convicting, healing, and incredibly human.

And one of the biggest takeaways is this:

You cannot create a different future while staying committed to the same internal story.

If you have ever felt stuck in cycles, trapped in old thinking, exhausted from trying to perform your way into feeling enough, or disconnected from who you truly are… this conversation will hit deep. This is not surface-level motivation.

This is a conversation about freedom.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/coffee-grit--5708348/support.

Barbara Walker has spent decades building Hartland Insurance into something much bigger than an insurance agency.

This conversation is about what it really looks like to build a business that lasts—through hard seasons, changing times, family dynamics, growth, adversity, and the daily responsibility of taking care of people.

Barbara takes us all the way back to the early days, when building the business meant living on chicken noodle soup and macaroni and cheese, and walks through the journey of growing from a small family operation into three locations and 38 employees. But what makes this episode powerful is not the growth, it’s the heart behind it.

We talk about learning the business from her father, carrying forward the values he taught her, and why one of the most important lessons in business is simple: never judge the person walking through your door. You never know what they are carrying.

This episode also gives a real look into leadership. Not the polished social media version, the real version. The pressure of making payroll. The responsibility of leading a team. The challenge of balancing work, family, and your own well-being while others depend on you.

Barbara also shares one of the most powerful moments in her business journey—when their office building burned down. Instead of folding, the team pulled together, worked side by side out of a construction trailer, and came back stronger. It’s an incredible reminder that adversity can either divide you or deepen you.

And then there are the moments that define what true service looks like.

Like climbing through a fallen tree and into a damaged home to get an elderly client the medication she needed. Because when people are having one of the worst days of their lives, they don’t just need a policy—they need someone who cares.

In this episode, we get into:
-The real early struggles of entrepreneurship that nobody talks about
-How to build a family business without losing the family
-Why culture is created through small moments, not big speeches
-What leadership feels like when others depend on you
-How adversity can strengthen a team instead of break it
-Why service businesses succeed when they truly serve
-The importance of protecting your time and recharging your own battery

This is a conversation about community, legacy, leadership, and building something you can be proud of. If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, leader, or someone trying to build a life that means something—this one is for you.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/coffee-grit--5708348/support.

This is one of the most important conversations I’ve ever had on Coffee & Grit… and it’s been sitting in the vault since January 14th.

I didn’t rush this one out, because some conversations you don’t just post. You sit with them. You respect them. And when the time is right—you release them. This is that conversation.

Before anything else, this is a conversation with a dad. Robbie Parker is Emilie’s dad. Before the headlines, before the narratives, before the world decided what his story meant, he was a father sitting in a room, waiting, hoping, holding onto the only thing he had left in that moment—hope.

What unfolds in this episode is not the story you think you know. It’s what it actually felt like to live it. Because after losing his daughter Emilie in the Sandy Hook school shooting, Robbie didn’t just have to face unimaginable grief… he had to face a world that started telling a story about him before he even had the chance to process his own.

This episode is about what happens when grief gets taken from you.  When your pain becomes public, when your identity gets questioned, when people who have never met you decide who you are. And in the middle of all of it, you’re still just trying to figure out how to breathe. 

In this conversation, we get into:

• What those first moments actually felt like confusion, waiting, and not knowing what was real
• How quickly narratives were created before the truth even had a chance
• The emotional and psychological weight of having your grief questioned and attacked
• What it feels like to be seen by the world… but not actually understood
• How identity can get pulled away from you when you’re at your most vulnerable

There’s something else running through this entire conversation that you may not fully see yet, but you’ll feel it. Connection. How I got connected to Becca, how Becca connected me to Robbie, and how this conversation is now connecting to you. And a simple truth Emilie shared that carries through everything you’re about to hear:

Everything is connected.

This is Part 1 of a conversation that doesn’t stay on the surface and it only gets deeper from here.

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I hope you all love this episode as much as I do!

This is the official kick off to the Difference Maker Bootcamp series of interviews and I knew these episodes were going to go another level. After all, these are people Making A Difference, and because we go beyond the surface in bootcamp I know these Difference Makers very intimately. 

Going back to my first conversation with Brian he told me he believes everyone has an artist inside them. The only Difference between he and them is no one ever told him he couldn't. That comment stuck with me and I knew in that exact moment that he is a Difference Maker. Thank You Brian Fritz for setting the bar, quite fittingly, with this masterpiece!

On the surface, this might look like a conversation about art, birds, or murals. It’s not. This is about identity, healing, mindfulness, and what it really looks like to build a life and a business that actually means something. Brian is someone who has used art, nature, and creativity to survive hard things, to make sense of life, and to help other people experience more meaning in the spaces they live in.

At the highest level, this episode is about reclaiming soul.

Brian is pushing back against the lifeless, mass-produced, “fill the wall” version of how most people live. The safe choices. The things that look fine but don’t feel like anything. And in its place, he’s creating something more human, more intentional, and more emotionally alive. Not just putting paintings on walls, but helping people build environments that actually reflect who they are and what they care about.

Brian makes a powerful case that your home is a canvas, and whether you realize it or not every single thing in it is a choice. Every color, every object, every piece on the wall is either adding to your life or just taking up space. If you have the opportunity to surround yourself with things that make your heart sing, why would you settle for the fast food version?

What makes this conversation hit even deeper is the story behind the art. There’s a moment in this episode where Brian shares the meaning behind one of his paintings, and it stops you. It forces you to slow down, to feel, and to realize that what you’re looking at isn’t just a piece of art. It’s a lived experience, processed and expressed in a way that impacts other people.

If you’re someone who feels like you’re going through the motions… if you know there’s more depth, more meaning, more intention available in your life… this conversation is going to hit home.

In this episode, we get into:
-How Brian used art and creativity to process grief, anxiety, and real life experiences
-Why most people disconnect from their creativity and what it actually looks like to reclaim it
-The connection between mindfulness, presence, and creating a life that feels aligned
-How your environment directly impacts your energy, your mindset, and how you show up
-What it looks like to build a business rooted in purpose instead of just selling a product

This is one of those episodes that lingers with you. The kind that makes you look at your life, your space, and your choices a little differently.

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