42 episodes

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur struggling to find timeless principles to apply to build your business, the True Grit Podcast will help. Building a company and life with meaning takes True Grit. Every week it’s Craig’s job to tease out the effective strategies top performers employ to build their businesses and live a balanced life. Craig Kautsch is an entrepreneur in the real estate space. He’s the owner of a portfolio investment company that has bought, restored, and financed almost 1,000 homes. He also founded two mortgage companies and a real estate brokerage with over 100 agents. At 47 he keeps himself busy with his wife of 25 years, two twenty-something children, yoga, 4 motorcycles, mountain bikes, and an electric skateboard (25 mph.) Learn more at: craigkautsch.com

True Grit with Craig Kautsch Craig Kautsch

    • Business
    • 4.8 • 21 Ratings

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur struggling to find timeless principles to apply to build your business, the True Grit Podcast will help. Building a company and life with meaning takes True Grit. Every week it’s Craig’s job to tease out the effective strategies top performers employ to build their businesses and live a balanced life. Craig Kautsch is an entrepreneur in the real estate space. He’s the owner of a portfolio investment company that has bought, restored, and financed almost 1,000 homes. He also founded two mortgage companies and a real estate brokerage with over 100 agents. At 47 he keeps himself busy with his wife of 25 years, two twenty-something children, yoga, 4 motorcycles, mountain bikes, and an electric skateboard (25 mph.) Learn more at: craigkautsch.com

    Bill Kraftson

    Bill Kraftson

    My next guest is Bill Kraftson.  Bill is a well-known apologist and has spent the past several decades helping people discover the meaning of life.  He uses the open forum platform to give room for the questioners of God’s existence.  


    For over 45 years Bill has enjoyed the privilege of facilitating hundreds of large and small group discussions as well as interacting with countless individuals on the ‘life and God’ issues that matter most to all of us – questions like if there’s a loving God, why would He let bad things happen to good people?  What about the intolerance and hypocrisy of religion?  How well does one have to be to get to heaven?”  He loves the close, personal relationships that frequently emerge from these vigorous, but respectful, intellectual exchanges.  

    Useful Links and Book Mentions:
    "Meaning of Marriage" by Tim Keller
    The Search For Meaning
    bkraftson@searchnational.org

    • 1 hr 5 min
    Jeff Crawford

    Jeff Crawford

    How did the car business get whacked by Covid?  


    My next guest is Jeff Crawford. He cut his teeth in the car business with Hilliard Ford back in 1990 and went from a salesman to the training director, used car manager, new car sales manager for Ford, Buick, and Mazda for a 7yr period.  Then he was the sales manager for 5 Star Ford a year before opening the Camp Bowie Location for RLB in ‘98. He’s sold over 5,000 cars over the past 3 decades and I can only imagine what kind of scar tissue that can cause.  He’s been our “car guy” for over 20 years and has become a great friend.


    We have a super great discussion about how “real salesmanship” isn’t selling at all.  Enjoy our fun discussion and learn from one of the best salesmen in town.

    Jeff Crawford Cell: 
    817-994-5333

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Dr. Phillip Shero

    Dr. Phillip Shero

    Ever make a deal with God? Listen to this wide ranging conversation with Dr. Philip Shero.  He’s the president of Mastermind Leadership, a cutting-edge executive coaching, team development, and strategic planning consultancy.


    Dr. Shero holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University, as well as a Masters from TCU


    Helping others grow as leaders is Dr. Shero’s driving force. He brings two decades of leadership development and strategic planning expertise to some of the most well-known medium-sized finance, non-profit, and construction companies in Texas. 


    With a long track record of success in coaching existing and emerging leaders at the CEO, partner, and senior management levels, he has become known as one of the most dynamic and engaged leadership and strategic planning coaches in DFW. His national reputation is growing through his expert leadership training seminars; senior leadership retreat facilitation; strategic planning services; and a full line of job benchmarking products. 


    Over the years he’s created a dynamic duo with his wife Laura who is working on her doctorate in Quantitative Behavior from Baylor...Philip has dedicated his life to developing leaders and is firing on all cylinders right here in Cowtown.


    I hope you enjoy this episode!

    Useful Links and Book Mentions:
    "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni
    Masterminds Leadership

    • 1 hr 5 min
    Todd Tarver

    Todd Tarver

    Ever wonder how to turn your hobby into a passion? 


    My next guest is Todd Tarver.  A motorcycle racer slash mechanic turned entrepreneur.  Todd owns Straight Line Motorsports which he founded almost 20 years ago. Over the years he has grown his company into one of the top 3 largest KTM dealers in the country. He was a professional racer in the 90s and won the famed enduro race from Vegas to Reno in 1998.


    His friends describe him as a teenager caught in a 40yr old body.  


    Enjoy our fun conversation about the adventure of owning an extremely successful motorcycle store!

    Useful Links:
    Straight Line Motorsports
    KTM

    • 59 min
    Darrell Bevelhymer

    Darrell Bevelhymer

    Want to hear what the founder of a 9 billion dollar company thinks about?
    ScalingCultureMarketingBuying and selling companies (he’s lost count)C.S. Lewis

    My next guest is Darrell Bevelhymer who is a private investor and considered a Founder of Tenaska, Inc., one of the top 25 largest privately-held companies in the United States at over 9 Billion dollars in revenue; and one of the largest private, independent, energy companies in the United States. 


    Tune in while we have a really cool discussion about faith, business, and giving.  Darrell oozes wisdom and you don’t want to miss this episode of the True Grit Podcast!


    Useful Links:
    Thoughts From the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter Henrichsen
    Tenaska
    Coltala Holdings

    • 1 hr 12 min
    Brian Byrd

    Brian Byrd

    My next guest is Dr. Brian Byrd a true entrepreneur who has decided to run for Mayor!  He comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and earned a degree at UT in Marketing and International Business.  


    His life changed forever because of a knee injury in college. He was introduced to the medical field through having surgery. The lightbulb went off and he immediately started shadowing physicians while he was still in college.


    He followed through and opened Texas Family Medicine right out of medical school.  Then he launched Texas Hospice in 2007 and sold it in 2013. 


    What Next??


    He successfully ran for City Council and served for 4 years and is now running for Mayor of Cowtown!

    Useful Links and Book Mentions:
    Brian Byrd
    "Surprised by Oxford" by Carolyn  Weber

    • 1 hr 9 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
21 Ratings

21 Ratings

John in The Fort ,

Great for personal growth!

Craig is a super-talented entrepreneur with a wide range of interests and a deep love for life. He has always had a passion for encouraging others to excel and has found a unique way to do so via the True Grit Podcast. I’m hooked.

07C ,

True visionary !

Craig is a true visionary and is addicted to personal growth and encouraging that growth in everyone he meets. So much wisdom and experience will be found in this podcast. It is a must listen !

Top Podcasts In Business

Money Stuff: The Podcast
Bloomberg
In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen
Norges Bank Investment Management
Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin
Money News Network
REAL AF with Andy Frisella
Andy Frisella #100to0
The Ramsey Show
Ramsey Network
Habits and Hustle
Jen Cohen and Habit Nest