Grit and Growth

What if men were made for more than simply being good? More than following the rules. More than trying to keep everything together.

In our latest episode of Grit & Growth, Justin and Shane sit down with author and ministry leader Hugh Halter to explore what it really means to be a man of purpose. We talk about the crisis of isolation among men and why genuine faith is meant to be lived out in the real world.

Hugh challenges us to rethink masculinity, leadership, the way we develop the next generation of men, and more.

Be sure to catch this conversation that challenges men to move beyond good intentions and consider the influence they're having on the lives of others.

When does pushing someone to improve start causing harm? In part two, coach Brett White joins Justin and Shane to explore how the pressure to succeed affects the way we lead. Their own coaching experiences bring a personal edge to the conversation as they consider how disappointment can shift our focus away from the people counting on us. Building on part one’s discussion of struggle, this episode turns the attention inward: what are others experiencing under our leadership?

Eight straight losses forced Brett White to confront a painful question: was it time for his team to replace him as coach? The Australian football coach and author joins Justin and Shane for part one of a conversation about the pressure to succeed and what it asks of those who lead. Drawing on their own experiences behind the bench, Justin and Shane explore Brett’s changing understanding of success. For anyone who has questioned themselves when things weren’t going well, this conversation offers a reason to look more closely at what’s taking shape.

Life's storms are inevitable. But what determines how we respond when they arrive? As Season 4 makes room for more conversations drawn from their own lives, Justin and Shane explore what it means to prepare for adversity before it happens. Reflecting on recent personal challenges, they share candid insights into how these experiences have tested their resolve and changed the way they approach uncertainty. Join Justin and Shane for a transformative conversation about the foundations we build when life is good, and whether they'll hold when things get difficult.

In Part Two with Andrew Ladd, Justin and Shane explore how a difficult stretch late in his NHL career helped uncover a new sense of purpose. That experience eventually became 1616, a program Andrew and his wife Brandy created to help young athletes build the mental skills to handle what sport and life will ask of them. The conversation also challenges a familiar idea in youth sport: that winning shouldn’t matter. Andrew sees it differently. The question isn’t whether we should want kids to win, but what we’re ultimately preparing them to become. This is an essential episode for anyone invested in youth sport.

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Andrew Ladd joins Justin and Shane to talk about the moments that shaped him beyond his NHL success. He remembers being cut as a young player and explains how asking for help changed the way he leads. Now he and his wife, Brandy, bring those lessons to 1616, a program that helps young hockey players handle challenges on and off the ice. In part one, Andrew challenges parents and coaches to look beyond wins and goals when helping young athletes grow.

Welcome to Season 4 of Grit & Growth. Justin and Shane will return this season with more thoughtful conversations about the challenges that shape who we become. Along with compelling guests, they’ll sit down together more often to dig deeper into leadership, faith, health, family and what it means to show up well in every part of life. Join them for the thought-provoking conversations ahead.

In Part Two of the conversation, strength coach Andrew Baker joins Justin and Shane to look more closely at what’s really driving the choices we make. Why can it be so difficult to invest in ourselves, even when we know something needs to change? Andrew challenges some familiar thinking around motivation and what happens when taking care of ourselves keeps falling to the bottom of the list. Listen as the conversation moves beyond fitness and into a much bigger question about how we show up in our own lives.

Andrew Baker is a strength coach and founder of Ottawa-based LiveVirtu, whose career has taken him from working with professional athletes to helping everyday people make lasting changes in their health.But making a change and making it last are very different things. In Part One of the conversation, Andrew joins Justin and Shane to explore why lasting change may have less to do with what we do and more to do with who we believe we are.Join us for a conversation about the stories we tell ourselves and what can happen when we begin to change them.

In Part 2 with Angel Elderkin, the conversation with Justin and Shane turns to what happens when growth gets uncomfortable. Angel reflects on what she learned working under legendary coach Pat Summitt, and how leadership changes when the final decision is yours to make. Now an executive coach, she brings those lessons into a new arena while continuing to rethink what success looks like beyond the scoreboard.