Roar Consulting, Brighton, MI (2026)

09/14/2026

Coffee & Grit normally stays away from politics. This episode is different because, for me, this isn’t really about politics. It’s about a Difference Maker in our community who I’ve known for years and who has decided to step forward and serve.

Dean Ditto first joined me way back on Episode 80, and if you listened then, you already know there isn’t much fake about this guy. Dean is authentically Dean. He’s a Marine veteran, a husband, a father, a longtime member of the Brighton community, and someone who has spent years pouring into kids. Now he’s running for Brighton Area School Board.

We talk about why he decided to run, what he believes our schools need, the importance of listening before assuming you have all the answers, and why our schools belong to the entire community, not one side or another. But like most Coffee & Grit conversations, this goes well beyond the reason Dean came into the studio. We talk about his story, his family, the impact kids have had on his life, leadership, service, authenticity, and what happens when you decide you’re willing to step into the arena instead of sitting on the sidelines.

I don’t expect everyone listening to agree on every issue. Dean doesn’t either. That’s actually part of the point.

We can disagree and still listen. We can ask better questions. We can care about the same kids and the same community without turning everyone who sees something differently into the enemy.

We Are All In This Together: Dean Ditto For School Board

Coffee & Grit Episode 270 is live this morning.

09/11/2026

“I’ve thought about starting a podcast, but I don’t know if I could actually do it.”

If that thought has crossed your mind, let’s talk.

One of the biggest reasons we limited the first Difference Maker Influence Builder Workshop cohort to just six people is because this isn’t supposed to be a class where I show you some equipment, give you a bunch of information, and send you on your way.

We’re going to work together. We’re going to get clear on your voice, your audience and what you have to say. We’re going to get you comfortable in the studio, help you create the content, and give you the confidence and framework to keep doing it after the workshop is over.

And if you’re still wondering whether this is right for you, don’t try to figure it out by yourself.

Schedule 15 minutes with me.

Tell me what you’ve been thinking about, what you’d like to create and what’s been holding you back. We’ll have a conversation and figure out whether the workshop starting September 23rd is the right fit for you.

No big pitch. Just a conversation.

Shoot me a message and I’ll send you the link to grab 15 minutes.

09/10/2026

In business, to be terrific, you’ve got to be specific.

It’s all about the niche. Who are you talking to? Who are you trying to serve? What do they actually need to hear from you?

You can have all the experience, wisdom, and value in the world, but if your content is trying to speak to everybody, it becomes really hard for anybody to feel like you’re speaking directly to them.

That clarity is a big part of what we’ll be working through in the Difference Maker Influence Builder Workshop, starting September 23rd at the Livingston Business Hub.

We’re not just teaching you how to turn on a camera or start a podcast. We’re getting crystal clear on your audience, your message, and the difference you make, then helping you turn that clarity into content that builds influence, trust, and business.

The first cohort is limited to just 6 people so we can really dig into each person’s message and content.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast or know it’s time to get serious about creating content, shoot me a message and I’ll send you the details.

09/09/2026

What if people already knew who you were before you walked into the room?

When I first started networking, I was the new guy. I’d walk into an event and nobody knew me, what I did, what I believed in, or the difference I could make.

I wanted to change that.

That became one of the most powerful things content did for my business. It allowed me to build know, like, and trust before the handshake.

Now when I meet someone, the relationship doesn’t have to end when the networking event does. We connect online, they enter my world, and they start seeing my content. They hear my stories. They see how I think. They understand what I stand for.

And eventually, something resonates.

That is influence.

And it’s exactly what we’re going to teach you how to intentionally build through the Difference Maker Influence Builder Workshop, starting September 23rd at the Livingston Business Hub.

Not content just to say you posted something. Content that helps the right people know you before they need you.

The first cohort is limited to just 6 people. If you’ve been thinking about podcasting or creating content and want to learn how to turn it into real influence for your business, shoot me a message and I’ll send you the details.

09/07/2026

New this week on Coffee & Grit...

How many ideas never make it into the world because someone talks themselves out of starting?

In this episode of Coffee & Grit, I sit down with Perry Hamilton and Taurence Hill, co-founders of Euphoric Clothing, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, mental health, friendship, social media, rapid growth, and everything they have learned by continually stepping outside of their comfort zones.

Perry and Taurence have been friends since pre K, and the entrepreneurial bug showed up early. Years later, conversations about mental health and what they saw missing in their community became the foundation for Euphoric. They wanted to create clothing people their age would actually want to wear while carrying messages capable of starting conversations, including one simple but powerful question: Are You Really Happy?

But one of the most interesting parts of their story is how close some of it came to never happening. Taurence worried about putting himself on camera and what people would think. Eventually, they posted an imperfect video anyway. At first, it appeared to go nowhere. Then the notifications started coming, demand exploded, and a business they were still figuring out suddenly had an audience.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Turning mental health conversations into a brand with purpose
• Why inner doubt can kill an idea before failure ever gets the chance
• Starting before you feel ready and learning by doing
• Going viral and discovering that attention is only the beginning
• The expensive lessons that come with rapid business growth
• Building a company, community and friendship at the same time

This isn't just a story about building a clothing company. It's about what can exist on the other side of comfort when you're willing to move before you have all the answers, make mistakes, adapt, and keep going. Perry and Taurence are building something that gives people permission to talk about what they're really experiencing while learning in real time what it takes to turn an idea between two childhood friends into something much bigger.

08/23/2026

This Is An Episode You Absolutely Do NOT Want To Miss!

Most of us have an idea of who we think we are and what we believe our life is supposed to look like.

But what happens when life takes that person away?

In this episode of Coffee & Grit, I sit down with Adam Powell for an incredibly powerful conversation about being diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, losing the ability to walk, grieving the person he used to be, and ultimately making the decision to find out what was still possible.

Before MS, Adam was an athlete, a workaholic, and an on road supervisor for UPS. Within a relatively short period of time, he lost his career, his independence, his ability to drive, and eventually the use of his legs. During COVID, he found himself living almost entirely inside a bedroom at his parents’ house and confronting a question much bigger than whether he would ever walk again.

Who was he if he could no longer be the person he had always known?

Adam had to grieve that person. He had to accept that his old life was gone without accepting that his life was over.

And then he had to ask:

Now what?

Today, Adam walks. He drives. He works out. He rides a bike. He speaks publicly and shares his story with others.

Not because MS disappeared.

Not because positive thinking magically changed his circumstances.

But because Adam decided to keep discovering what he could do instead of allowing a diagnosis to make that decision for him.

One of the most powerful moments in our conversation comes near the end when Adam talks about how easily his story could have gone in another direction.

Instead, he says:

“I made the choice to live.”

This episode is about MS, but it is also so much bigger than MS.

Eventually, life gives all of us a moment when the person we were, the plan we had, or the future we expected is no longer available to us.

We may not get to choose what happened.

But we still have to answer the question that comes next.

Now what?

08/17/2026

This one is another Difference Maker Bootcamp episode, and it’s exactly why I love doing these.

April Dertian didn’t start The Dertian Ranch because she sat down one day and decided she wanted to build a business.

It started with something she cared deeply about.

Then she kept going.

She learned. She adapted. She listened to the people around her. And somewhere along the way, passion started turning into purpose.

Episode 266 of Coffee & Grit is From Passion To Purpose: Growing Something That Matters.

April and I talk about what happens when the thing you love starts becoming something bigger than you originally imagined. The challenges of growing it. Learning to treat it like a business without losing the heart behind it. Building community. Asking for help. And figuring out what you actually want all of this to become.

That’s one of the things I love about Difference Maker Bootcamp.

It isn’t about trying to turn people into something they’re not.

It’s about helping people get clear on what they already have inside of them, recognize the difference they can make, and then start building something around it.

April is doing exactly that.

She’s growing something that matters.

And I think there’s a lesson in her story for anyone sitting on an idea, passion, business, or purpose that they know could become more.

Coffee & Grit Podcast | Episode 266
From Passion To Purpose: Growing Something That Matters
Featuring April Dertian, Founder of The Dertian Ranch.

07/27/2026

Kick Off Your Week With A New Episode of Coffee & Grit...
Most people would rather avoid talking about bathroom problems.

Daniel Johnson built an entire business by refusing to ignore them.

In this episode of Coffee & Grit, I sit down with Daniel, founder of Many Bidets, for a raw, funny, and unexpectedly meaningful conversation about turning a painful personal experience into a company built around dignity, education, and service.

Daniel spent years dealing with IBS, hemorrhoids, excessive wiping, pain, bleeding, and the anxiety of using anyone else’s bathroom. When he finally discovered a bidet, it dramatically improved his quality of life. He quickly realized that millions of other people were quietly living with the same pain, embarrassment, mobility challenges, and loss of independence.

That personal problem became the foundation for Many Bidets, but the business grew because Daniel kept listening. He listened when customers needed better education. He listened when older adults struggled with complicated controls. He listened when people wanted to experience a product before buying it. He also listened to his employees and gave them room to grow into work that matched their strengths.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Turning personal pain into purpose

• Starting before everything is perfect

• Building courage through hard seasons

• Customer service as the real product

• Restoring dignity and independence

• Hiring for passion and ownership

• Trusting your team as the business grows

• Why scarcity leads to bad decisions

One of the strongest ideas in this conversation is Daniel’s description of Many Bidets as a customer service company that sells bidets.

That mindset shapes everything. The goal is not to push the most expensive product or force a sale. It is to understand the customer, remove the shame surrounding the problem, and help them find the solution that genuinely improves their life.

This episode is a reminder that the problems people hide still deserve thoughtful solutions. Sometimes the experience you would rather forget becomes the exact experience that allows you to understand, serve, and make a difference for someone else.

And

07/06/2026

Kick Off Your Week with Coffee & Grit...

Most people think recruiting is about filling positions.

Steve Clark sees it differently.

To him, it's about solving problems, building relationships, and creating opportunities that change the trajectory of businesses and the people behind them.

In this Difference Maker Bootcamp edition of Coffee & Grit, I sit down with Steve Clark, Founder of Bespoken Placement Group, to talk about what happens when you stop treating people like transactions and start building a business around trust, generosity, and genuine connection.

Steve shares the unexpected path that led him into entrepreneurship, how a series of acquisitions pushed him to bet on himself, and why his personal mantra for this year, "Share to be Shared," has become the foundation for how he approaches business and life.

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is hearing how the relationships built through Difference Maker Bootcamp continue long after the sessions end. From referrals and collaborations to simply having a room full of entrepreneurs who are willing to challenge, encourage, and support one another, Steve shares why community has become one of the greatest assets in building his business.

This conversation isn't just for recruiters. It's for every entrepreneur, leader, salesperson, and business owner who wants to build something that lasts.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Share to be shared

• Relationships over transactions

• Betting on yourself

• The power of community

• Hiring the right people

• Clear communication

• Building genuine partnerships

• Why generosity compounds

Listen in when Steve talks about helping people simply because it's the right thing to do, without expecting anything in return. Time and time again, those moments of generosity have come back around in ways he never could have predicted.

That's the thread running through this entire episode.

When you stop asking, "What can I get?" and start asking, "How can I help?" business becomes a whole lot more meaningful.

If you're building a business, growing your network, leading a team, or looking for a community of entrepreneurs who push each other to become bette

06/29/2026

New This Week On Coffee & Grit...Jeff Waterman didn't set out to start another drinkware company.

He set out to answer a question that had been following him ever since a trip to Africa.

After seeing communities without access to clean drinking water and then standing in Paris looking at a $5,000 dress, Jeff couldn't shake the gap between how people experience life around the world. Then, while riding the London Underground, he kept hearing the same announcement over and over:

"Mind the gap."

What started as a subway announcement became a calling.

In this Difference Maker edition of Coffee & Grit, Jeff shares the story behind Alltru, a company built on the belief that business can be a force for good and that the products we already buy every day can create real impact around the world.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The trip to Africa that changed Jeff's perspective forever

• The story behind "Mind the Gap" and how it became the foundation for Alltru

• Why fear, guilt, and shame keep so many people from living out their purpose

• Building a business around significance instead of personal wealth

• Why curiosity is one of the greatest leadership skills you can develop

• The difference between false humility and celebrating the gifts you've been given

• Why surrounding yourself with the right people accelerates every vision

• How faith, purpose, and business can work together to create lasting impact

One of my favorite moments in the conversation is when Jeff says that whether Alltru succeeds or fails doesn't determine whether he was successful.

Success, to him, is being faithful to what he believes God called him to build.

That's a perspective we don't hear nearly enough in business.

This conversation is a reminder that sometimes the biggest ideas don't begin with a business plan. They begin with a burden. A question you can't stop asking. A message you can't ignore. And the courage to take the first step before you have all the answers.

If you're an entrepreneur, leader, Difference Maker, or someone who has ever felt called to build something bigger than yourself, I think you're going to love this conversation.

Roar Consulting

09/14/2026

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