🚀 On this episode of The Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen sits down with entrepreneur Chaitan Fahnestock, founder of Sportsmo, the “gamified giving” app changing how fans support their teams. From growing up in Wichita and working in the family heating & air business to building a his own companies, Chaitan shares his biggest lessons, setbacks, and what grit really means to him. 💪 Discover how patience, tenacity, and the love of building led him to launch Sportsmo.
Stay Gritty!

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:30 Matt intros Chaitan Fahnestock the founder of Sportsmo
1:00 What is Sportsmo explainer "it is gamified giving"
1:30 Examples of the Sportsmo app and how to use it play by play
2:30 Host Matt Rosen is ready with rooting on his Aggies!
2:45 With Oklahoma State in mind, Chaitan was problem solving in his own mind with Universities calling on their wealthiest donors to be successful. Chaitan says this is the "easy" button
4:00 Host Matt Rosen asks "What led you down the path through your life to become an entrepreneur"
4:10 Chaitan grew up in Wichita Kansas and he had a desire to take a high school entrepreneur class and it got his wheels turning of what could be
6:00 Chaitan was a worker at an early age! He worked in heating and air, golf corse, restaurant and a family business Fahnestock Heating and Air
6:30 Fahnestock Heating and Air details working for family and how one particular summer taught him what he didn't want to do.
7:15 Chaitan's College days at Oklahoma State, minor in French and major in Accounting.. happily falling into accounting.
8:00 Ernst & Young (EY) was his first firm, he describes being on site with clients and the excitement of this real world experience as a young man in business for 5 years
10:00 Chaitan's Accounting to Sales story, managing teams and he shares the skills that were different with rolling up his sleeves.
11:30 The changing business landscape
12:00 In 2005, Chaitan is approached to start a business and this was a wonderful decision. Chaitan had quite the journey building a company to 300 million!
13:00 Host Matt Rosen asks Chaitan about his greatest adversities he has faced in business. Chaitan shares moments of grit from the earliest days such as collecting invoices to make payroll. Growing pains as a small company are much different from the larger company problems. Chaitan shares moments of everyone getting checks and illustrates angst in digging the company out of the earth with blood sweat and tears.
14:58 Chaitan shares a story about recruiting faster than selling and becoming overstaffed. This was a business issue that caused pain and suffering for Chaitan. Business growth was put on hold and this was not his favorite chapter of his story.
16:00 Matt asks what Chaitan would "do over" and Chaitan shares he would have tapped the breaks on hiring and would have avoided this pain all together however his perspective is
17:00 Host Matt Rosen asks his famous question: What does Grit mean to you? Chaitan's response is heartwarming about his daughter's team is named Grit. He shares his personal perspective on grit means patience and tenacity.
18:00 Matt asks Chaitan what adventure he is on now in business, Chaitan shares there was some freedom however he is not built to play golf everyday. He loves the beach but he has aspirations of building.... and that is why he started the Sportsmo app!
20:00-25:00 Matt asks Chaitan about his personal hobbies. Chaitan surprises us with mountain climbing! He has climbed the snow capped mountain of Mt. Rainier. He shares an incredible story about the challenges along the way of hiking and climbing a variety of mountains like Mount Kilimanjaro which was 6 nights on the mountain along with the journey to get there. "You get to learn more about yourself than you thought you needed to know"
 25:00 Chaitan has a revelation about the adventure of the climb and he starts thinking about the first Fahnestock from the 1700's and the grit to get to America. He has flashes from his past and the grit of his parents who he says are the ultra adventurers. He shares where his name came from.
27:35 Matt asks in closing Chaitan's words of advice to listeners, Chaitan says "do your homework but JUST DO IT"

In this episode of The Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen welcomes Eli Goldaris, Managing Director at Isagani Yorke Capital Partners. With years of experience guiding businesses through complex deals, Eli has built a reputation for helping owners position their companies for growth and long-term success as a seasoned entrepreneur.

Eli shares why so many businesses and M&A deals fall apart, what strategic buyers are really looking for, and how his firm supports companies through these high-stakes transitions. He also opens up about his personal journey into entrepreneurship—why questioning whether you should be an entrepreneur usually means it’s not for you, and the defining moment he knew he had to take the leap.

In a powerful story, Eli recalls leaving his corporate role to start his own company—only to suffer a stroke two weeks later—and how that life-altering experience reshaped his mindset, resilience, and commitment to forging his own path. Matt and Eli also dive into the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face today and how politics ripple through the economy, impacting business strategy and deal-making at every level.

In this episode of The Grit Mindset, Matt Rosen takes us back to 2002, when the tech bubble burst and he traded IT sales for bar ownership in Dallas’ Lower Greenville. He shares the wild ride of opening Dirty Daves—from build-out headaches, parking problems, and too many free drinks… to debt before opening day, missing daiquiri machines, and hiring the DJ as manager.

Matt gets real about the mistakes, the lessons learned, and how those early challenges shaped his move into consulting. Along the way, he reflects on working with his brother, why personal guarantees can be risky, and the dos and don’ts of going into business with friends. It’s an honest, entertaining, and educational look at grit, risk, and finding the silver lining when things don’t go as planned.

In this episode of The Grit Mindset, the roles are reversed—Matt Rosen welcomes Ollie Chandhok, President and Publisher of the Dallas Business Journal, to the hot seat. After being featured himself in DBJ, Matt now gets to interview the man behind the headlines.

Ollie shares his unique journey from selling nuts and bolts in warehouses to leading one of the most respected business publications in the country. With a team of 25, the Dallas Business Journal plays a vital role in informing and connecting the local business community, as part of the American City Business Journals network across 44 U.S. cities.

🔗 Learn more about the Dallas Business Journal: bizjournals.com/dallas

What happens when a 5-year-old boy believes moms are supposed to go find dads? That’s how Larry Hagner began his journey—a journey marked by absence, abuse, discovery, and ultimately, purpose.

In this powerful episode of The Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen, Larry opens up about his early childhood—growing up without a father, surviving a toxic step-parent relationship, and the life-changing moment when he met his birth father at age 12 and reconnecting when he himself, became a Dad in his 30's. 

Larry founded The Dad Edge movement in 2012 to help men become better husbands, fathers, and leaders. Since launching The Dad Edge Podcast in 2015, he’s coached thousands and interviewed over 1,400 guests—yet this is the first time he gets this raw about his personal story.

Now a father of four boys (ages 9, 11, 17, and 19) and celebrating 22 years of marriage, Larry is proof that you don’t have to repeat your past—you can rewrite it.

🎙 “Most men think, ‘I’m married. I should just know how to be a great dad and husband.’ But the truth is—it’s a skill. It takes reps. It takes community. And it’s never too late to start.”

👉 Watch the full episode to hear how Larry turned childhood pain into a mission to build stronger men—and stronger families.

🔗 Learn more: thedadedge.com/mastermind
📲 IG: @thedadedge | FB: The Dad Edge
Book: thedadedge.com/legendarybook
Mastermind: thedadedge.com/mastermind

In this episode of Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen, host Matt Rosen takes the mic solo to share his own journey of resilience, entrepreneurship, and personal growth for the very first time on the show. Tune in for candid advice and real-world strategies to help you harness your own grit and pursue your goals with confidence.

What does it take to rise from the chaos of a war-torn childhood to leading a successful furniture company? Join Matt Rosen as he sits down with Veronica Schnitzius, President of American Leather, who shares her incredible journey from Medellín, Colombia, to the heart of Dallas. Discover how grit, resilience, and the power of community shaped her path to success. Tune in for actionable insights that will inspire you to embrace your own challenges and push forward!

Unlock the secrets of entrepreneurial success with Shane Spillers on this week’s episode of Grit Mindset! As a seasoned entrepreneur and EOS implementer, Shane shares invaluable insights on overcoming challenges and building resilient teams with host Matt Rosen. Discover how clarity in goals and the right people in the right seats can transform your business journey. Tune in for actionable strategies that can help you cultivate your own grit and achieve your dreams!

What does it take to transform challenges into opportunities? In this episode of Grit Mindset, host Matt Rosen sits down with Matt McGaughey, founder of Spinakr Solutions, to explore the grit behind building a global consulting firm from the ground up. Discover how embracing vulnerability and fostering trust can empower your team to thrive in a fast-paced world. Tune in for actionable insights that will inspire you to cultivate resilience in your personal and professional life!

How do you cultivate grit in today’s fast-paced world? In this episode of Grit Mindset with Matt Rosen, Matt chats with Gabe Moreno, president of Bishop Dunne Catholic School, about his inspiring journey from student to leader. Gabe shares valuable insights on transforming challenges into opportunities, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and building confidence through competence in education. Tune in to discover how to inspire the next generation to embrace resilience and grow through their experiences!