The Grit Files with Loralyn Mears & Guest Michael Norring
Release Date: 05/18/2022
What Ticketmaster Gets Wrong and a New Solution by Fanfare Founder Michael Dodsworth
Small Business Stories
S6:E7 Loralyn Mears, PhD, aka “Dr. LL,” brings you thoughtful conversations with entrepreneurs and small business leaders navigating visibility, leadership, and growth. Thank you for being here. Overview There’s a specific kind of fatigue that comes from “doing the right things” and still feeling ignored. You show up consistently, you post, you refine the offer, you keep building, and yet traction stays unpredictable. Often the issue is not effort, it’s misalignment: the message is landing in the wrong place, or the experience is quietly breaking trust before people ever become...
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Building a Values-First Franchise: 180 Water Founder Jack Clark on Work-Life Balance and Growth
Small Business Stories
S6:E6 Loralyn Mears, PhD, aka “Dr. LL,” brings you thoughtful conversations with entrepreneurs and small business leaders navigating visibility, leadership, and growth. Thank you for being here. When the world feels heavy and your business still needs you to show up, it’s easy to live in a constant state of pressure. This episode is a calm conversation about building something real, staying steady through uncertainty, and creating structure that supports your life instead of consuming it. 👤 Guest: Jack Clark founder of 180Water Water well and filtration services, manufacturing,...
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Emotional Intelligence at Work: How Clarity and Self-Awareness Help Leaders Navigate Uncertainty with Luz Gonzalez
Small Business Stories
S6:E5 Loralyn Mears, PhD, aka, "Dr. LL," loves bringing you entrepreneurs, small business owners, and actionable advice to you every week. Thank you for joining us! When the world feels overwhelming, clarity isn’t a luxury. It’s a survival skill. This conversation is for anyone trying to lead, build, or simply stay grounded in uncertain times. 👤 Guest: Luz Gonzalez Founder, EQ Refined Emotional intelligence educator, leadership and communication coach ⚠️ Core Problems Discussed Navigating emotional overwhelm in the workplace Misunderstanding assertiveness as aggression Losing...
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From Scientist to Small Business Owner: What Trial, Error, and Patience Teach You About Growth with Dr. Nivedita Lahiri
Small Business Stories
S6:E4 Starting a business can feel overwhelming, especially when the rules keep changing and the pressure never lets up. This conversation is a reminder that growth doesn’t come from shortcuts, it comes from patience, learning, and staying human. 👤 Guest: Nivedita Lahiri, PhD Founder, Counsel Academy STEM educator and small business owner helping students build strong foundations in science, math, and critical thinking ⚠️ Core Problems Discussed Transitioning from academia into entrepreneurship Losing money on marketing that doesn’t deliver results Trying to do...
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Staying True to Your Values Builds a Profitable Business When Growth Gets Hard with Jessica Lowery
Small Business Stories
S6:E3 When growth gets hard, shortcuts start to look tempting. This conversation is about what happens when you don’t cave into the pressure to take shortcuts. Dr. LL chats about wellness in keeping with January's theme. 👤 Guest: Jessica Lowery Founder, The Power of Elderberries Values-driven wellness entrepreneur and product innovator ⚠️ Core Problems Discussed Growing a product business without compromising integrity Navigating debt, lawsuits, and emotional burnout Standing out in crowded wellness and supplement markets 🥡 Practical Takeaways Why clarity of values matters more...
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Bodybuilding Fitness & Mindset: Stan Radomski on Consistency and Starting Again
Small Business Stories
S6:E2 If you’re carrying a lot right now, like work stress, business pressure, and "life stuff," this episode is a breath of steady encouragement. Season 6 is focused on health & wellness for real-world entrepreneurs, and this conversation is about something deeper than the gym: it's about how community and consistency keep you going when motivation disappears. In this episode, we talk about what actually builds trust over time: showing up, staying connected, and doing the next right thing, especially when life gets loud. 👤Guest: Stan Radomski Fitness Instructor • Mr. New Jersey...
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Herbal Medicine: Practical Health & Wellness for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs with Lily Kunning
Small Business Stories
S6:E1 When everything feels like too much, small business owners don’t need more noise. They need steadier conversations they can trust. In this episode, we sit down with Lily Kunning, founder of Haven Herbs, to talk about wellness and business driving connections in a way that’s practical, grounded, and genuinely human. If people don’t trust you, they won’t buy from you. If they don’t remember you, they can't look for you. 👤Guest: Lily Kunning / Haven Herbs / Herbalist, educator, wellness founder focused on ethical, sustainable, customer-centered care ⚠️Core Problems...
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How Storytelling Builds Trust, Visibility, and Sales for Small Businesses with Robert Kennedy III
Small Business Stories
S5:E40 If people don’t trust you, they won’t buy from you. If they don’t remember you, they won’t find you again. In this episode of Small Biz Stories, Robert Kennedy III breaks down how storytelling, video, and authentic communication help small businesses move from invisible to influential. 👤Guest: Robert Kennedy III CEO, Kinetic Communications Storytelling, video, and communication strategist ⚠️Core Problems Discussed Business owners relying on data instead of connection Fear of visibility and vulnerability on camera Confusing “stage” with “stadium” ...
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Be a Lighthouse: Latino Student Success Through Belonging & Better Schools with Edgar Palacios
Small Business Stories
S5:E39 When education and society feels tense, the leaders who make the biggest difference aren’t the loudest -- they’re the clearest. In this episode, Edgar Palacios shares what it means to build belonging, representation, and opportunity for Latino students and why that work improves outcomes for everyone. Edgar is the founder of RevED (Revolución Educativa) & is a positive force in Latino education anchored in community leadership. What we cover (practical takeaways): 🔹Why “being seen and heard” is reciprocal and what belonging really requires 🔹What schools miss when they...
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Most Small Businesses Struggle With Marketing Because They Can't Find Their Audience by Nathan Yeung
Small Business Stories
E5:S38 Most small businesses don’t have a marketing problem: they have an audience clarity problem. In this episode of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Nathan Yeung, founder of Find Your Audience, to break down why perfectionism, feature overload, and poor framing keep brands invisible and how to fix it. 🔹 What You’ll Learn Nathan shares practical insights on: Why 80% execution beats 99% perfection every time How consumer psychology influences buying decisions (even when customers can’t articulate their needs) Why pricing, framing, and choice matter more than...
info_outlineLearn. Teach. Serve. That's a powerful motto and corporate culture that GCSIT's CEO, Michael Norring, has instilled in the workplace. It's more than a motto - people stand behind it - and employees are proud of the culture that they're helping create. Michael joins our show and shares some insights around digital transformation and how to lead an organization for growth. Here's the TL;DR - build awesome teams!