From Grit to Growth

Dundee Growth Partners
  • 5.0 (4)
  • BUSINESS

Welcome to From Grit to Growth! With a combined 50+ years of executive experience in retail, technology, and financial services, Mark and Jennifer have played pivotal roles in the success of several Fortune 500 companies. In this podcast, they'll talk about the key factors of successful founders, what holds them back from growth, how to find the why behind what they do, and much more. 

  1. 14H AGO

    24. The Power of Collective Buying with Bill Smithers

    At a conceptual level, most business owners understand that more volume should mean better pricing. In reality, turning that idea into something that actually works is a lot harder. In this episode of From Grit to Growth, Mark Hasebroock and Jennifer DiMotta sit down with Bill Smithers, founder of CBUSA, to talk about how independent home builders discovered the power of collective buying. Bill shares the story of moving from a large national builder with massive purchasing leverage to running a small custom building company that suddenly had none. That experience sparked the idea behind CBUSA, a network that helps independent builders band together to gain real negotiating power with suppliers. But the journey from theory to execution wasn’t simple. It required convincing builders to trust each other, suppliers to rethink how they sold, and an entire industry to reconsider how purchasing power works. The conversation explores the challenges of scaling a network-driven business, navigating the housing downturn, and eventually selling the company during the COVID era. One takeaway: sometimes the biggest advantage isn’t scale alone, it’s collaboration. Connect with us: Jennifer DiMotta on LinkedInMark Hasebroock on LinkedInAbout Dundee Growth Partners  Dundee Growth Partners provides E-commerce leaders with the strategy, systems, and tools they need to face growth challenges and scale with confidence. With deep industry experience and AI-powered platforms, we help leadership teams scale in a sustainable way. Interested in learning more? Click the link below to get started.  Visit the Dundee Growth Partners website

    25 min

  2. MAR 12

    23. Three Minutes With a Customer Can Change Your Business

    There’s a weird thing that happens as companies grow: founders start farther away from their customers. Early on, you talk to them all the time. You hear what they like, what annoys them, why they chose you in the first place. Then the business grows, dashboards appear, teams expand, and suddenly “customer feedback” shows up as a report instead of a conversation. Mark Hasebroock and Jennifer DiMotta talk about why that shift creates blind spots for founders. Data matters. Reviews matter. Metrics matter. But none of them replace hearing directly from the person buying your product. A few short phone calls can reveal more insight than weeks of internal analysis, and this episode of From Grit to Growth deepens into it. One takeaway: call your customers. Connect with us: Jennifer DiMotta on LinkedInMark Hasebroock on LinkedInAbout Dundee Growth Partners  Dundee Growth Partners provides E-commerce leaders with the strategy, systems, and tools they need to face growth challenges and scale with confidence. With deep industry experience and AI-powered platforms, we help leadership teams scale in a sustainable way. Interested in learning more? Click the link below to get started.  Visit the Dundee Growth Partners website

    20 min

  3. MAR 5

    22. Koio: The Sneaker Brand That Survived the Retail Collapse with Chris Wichert

    Chris Wichert didn’t set out to build just another sneaker brand. He and his co-founder wanted to take real Italian craftsmanship and make it accessible, modern, and wearable for everyday life. So they went to Italy, knocked on factory doors, launched pop-ups in New York, and slowly built Koio from the ground up. For a while, things moved fast. Retail stores opened. The team grew. The brand expanded into more styles. Then everything tightened up. Stores closed during COVID. Online ads got expensive. Investors became more careful. And Koio had to take a hard look at itself. Chris talks about that stretch without dressing it up. Cutting back product lines. Letting people go. Admitting the brand had drifted. Getting back to what customers actually cared about. It was uncomfortable, but it forced clarity. This episode feels like a real look at what building a brand actually requires once the early momentum wears off. Connect with us: Chris Wichert on LinkedInJennifer DiMotta on LinkedInMark Hasebroock on LinkedIn About Dundee Growth Partners  Dundee Growth Partners provides E-commerce leaders with the strategy, systems, and tools they need to face growth challenges and scale with confidence. With deep industry experience and AI-powered platforms, we help leadership teams scale in a sustainable way. Interested in learning more? Click the link below to get started.  Visit the Dundee Growth Partners website

    37 min

  4. FEB 19

    21. You’re Busy, But Are You Actually Profitable?

    If someone asked you today how profitable your business is, would you have a real answer or a rough feeling? That gap is where a lot of growing companies get into trouble, even the ones that look successful from the outside. In this episode, Jennifer and Mark share a real client story that shows how missing financial visibility can drain a business while everyone stays busy. They break down what actually helps a company scale without burning cash, and how clarity around the P&L becomes a decision-making tool, not a report you avoid. Connect with us: Jennifer DiMotta on LinkedInMark Hasebroock on LinkedInAbout Dundee Growth Partners  Dundee Growth Partners provides E-commerce leaders with the strategy, systems, and tools they need to face growth challenges and scale with confidence. With deep industry experience and AI-powered platforms, we help leadership teams scale in a sustainable way. Interested in learning more? Click the link below to get started.  Visit the Dundee Growth Partners website

    17 min

  5. FEB 12

    20. Why Do CEOs Make the Big Bucks?

    CEO compensation tends to spark strong opinions, especially from the outside, but the reason it exists becomes clearer once you spend time inside the role itself. In this episode of From Grit to Growth, Jennifer DiMotta and Mark Hasebroock talk through what actually sits behind that paycheck, drawing from years of working alongside founders, boards, and leadership teams when decisions carry real weight. They explore how effective CEOs take ownership when the results miss and move forward with conviction long before perfect information shows up. The conversation weaves through moments every organization recognizes, like the decision that drags longer than it should, the weak link everyone senses, or the tension between gathering more data and having the courage to act. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of leadership accountability and why titles or visibility don’t define the role at its highest level. Connect with us: Jennifer DiMotta on LinkedInMark Hasebroock on LinkedInAbout Dundee Growth Partners  Dundee Growth Partners provides E-commerce leaders with the strategy, systems, and tools they need to face growth challenges and scale with confidence. With deep industry experience and AI-powered platforms, we help leadership teams scale in a sustainable way. Interested in learning more? Click the link below to get started.  Visit the Dundee Growth Partners website

    18 min

  6. FEB 5

    19. The 90-Day Test for Real Leadership

    What would happen inside a business if a founder stepped away for 90 days? That question cuts straight to the health of a leadership team, and most leaders know the answer the moment they hear it: things would fall apart.  In this new episode of From Grit to Growth, hosts Mark Hasebroock and Jennifer DiMotta explore what they consistently see inside companies that grow well and those that struggle to sustain the momentum. The conversation moves past org charts and titles and into how leadership teams actually operate day to day, how they make decisions, and how to show alignment when things feel uncomfortable. Accountability, communication, trust under pressure, and warning signs that surface long before results slip. They reflect on all of this and how those signals compound over time, shaping whether a business keeps moving forward or slowly loses its edge. Connect with us: Jennifer DiMotta on LinkedInMark Hasebroock on LinkedInAbout Dundee Growth Partners  Dundee Growth Partners provides E-commerce leaders with the strategy, systems, and tools they need to face growth challenges and scale with confidence. With deep industry experience and AI-powered platforms, we help leadership teams scale in a sustainable way. Interested in learning more? Click the link below to get started.  Visit the Dundee Growth Partners website

    18 min

  7. JAN 29

    18. Founders Burn Out Before the Business Does

    Founders talk endlessly about growth, discipline, and execution, but very few of them stop to ask a more personal question: where does your energy actually come from, and where does it disappear? This conversation explores how daily choices, stress responses, routines, and even the way leaders react in meetings can shape performance way more than ambitious goals ever could. Mark Hasebroock and Jennifer DiMotta challenge the idea that endurance alone drives success, after years of working closely with entrepreneurs and leadership teams. They look at energy as something measurable and deeply tied to our decisions quality, leadership presence, and long-term growth. If you have ever felt productive and depleted at the same time, this episode is an invitation to a different way of thinking about what sustains both you and the business. Connect with us: Jennifer DiMotta on LinkedInMark Hasebroock on LinkedInAbout Dundee Growth Partners  Dundee Growth Partners provides E-commerce leaders with the strategy, systems, and tools they need to face growth challenges and scale with confidence. With deep industry experience and AI-powered platforms, we help leadership teams scale in a sustainable way. Interested in learning more? Click the link below to get started.  Visit the Dundee Growth Partners website

    32 min

  8. JAN 22

    17. 3 Things That Make Strategic Planning Actually Work

    Picture this: you block off two full days for strategic planning. The room is booked, the decks are polished, energy is high… and by hour six, everyone’s half-present, half-checking email, wondering how much of this will actually stick. That frustration is exactly where this conversation begins on this new episode of From Grit to Growth. Instead of stretching planning across marathon sessions, the focus shifts to how a small amount of structure can dramatically change the outcome. What happens when leaders show up already thinking strategically? When the past is reviewed ahead of time instead of debated in the room? When every hour is interactive and anchored to a clear financial destination? Join us for a deeper look at how planning can feel focused, disciplined, and actually useful once the meeting is over. Connect with us: Jennifer DiMotta on LinkedInMark Hasebroock on LinkedInAbout Dundee Growth Partners  Dundee Growth Partners provides E-commerce leaders with the strategy, systems, and tools they need to face growth challenges and scale with confidence. With deep industry experience and AI-powered platforms, we help leadership teams scale in a sustainable way. Interested in learning more? Click the link below to get started.  Visit the Dundee Growth Partners website

    24 min
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to From Grit to Growth! With a combined 50+ years of executive experience in retail, technology, and financial services, Mark and Jennifer have played pivotal roles in the success of several Fortune 500 companies. In this podcast, they'll talk about the key factors of successful founders, what holds them back from growth, how to find the why behind what they do, and much more. 

Information

  • Creator
    Dundee Growth Partners
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 From Grit to Growth
  • Show Website
    From Grit to Growth

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