The Grit Blueprint

What if doubling your speed didn’t require a new machine, just fewer steps? We sat down on site at the Do it Best Fall Market with Scott Morrison to unpack how simple, evidence‑based changes turn door shops, warehouses, and lumberyards into faster, safer, and more profitable operations.

Scott walks us through his on‑site approach: capture the current state with brutal honesty, map the “dance steps” between machines, and ta...

A workforce crunch won’t solve itself, and the answer might be hiding in plain sight. From the floor of GlassBuild, I sit down with the National Glass Association’s new CEO, Lakisha Woods, for a fast-moving conversation about elevating women, the workforce gap in glass and construction, and building the kind of partnerships that turn trade show energy into real business.

We talk about the first-time magic of GlassBuild, co...

Price pressure is loud at the counter, especially when a local roll former can make a panel that looks identical to a premium option. I spoke with Gary Davidson from Metal Sales to cut through the noise and explain how dealers and contractors turn “why does it cost more here?” into a confident YES using proof, not hype. From Texas Windstorm and UL impact ratings to paint chemistry that actually resists fade and chalk, Gary lays out...

What if one setback could rewire how you lead forever? That’s where Steve’s story begins: a blown knee, a chance conversation, and a walk to a boathouse that forged a lifelong blueprint for excellence, belief, and team-first leadership. From the stern-led cadence of the Blue Boat at Cambridge to the complex reality of general counsel at a fifth-generation manufacturer, Steve shows how grit becomes a system. Train hard, trust the pr...

From a live conversation at Rough Creek Ranch with Amber Little, Chief Human Resources Officer at Nation’s Best, we get real about what it takes to support women in a male-dominated industry, attract the next generation, and turn everyday work into a story people want to join. This is a candid look at leadership you can feel: intentional retreats, strengths-based development, and the kind of fellowship that happens when you make sp...

What if the fastest way to grow your business is to stop forcing people into boxes they don’t fit? We sit down with general manager Jody Brixie, whose family turned a 700-square-foot lumber shop into two thriving California locations, one a community hub with seasonal retail, nursery, gifts, apparel, and even live bait, the other a contractor-centric powerhouse. Jody shares how she left a high-pressure nursing career, returned home...

Want to make more margin where others see only risk? We sat down on the Do it Best Market show floor with Terry Bailey of DW Distribution to map out how independents turn the complexity of millwork into a durable, competitive edge. From deep inventory to guided e‑commerce and premium door systems, Terry shows how dealers can simplify ordering, avoid costly mistakes, and sell with confidence at the counter or the kitchen table.
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What if the most overlooked parts of your house are the biggest levers for comfort, safety, and long-term value? I sit down with John Crosby, president and CEO of the Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA), to unpack how high-performance windows, doors, and skylights can shift from commodity to everyday upgrade, and what it will take to get there.

We trace the path from policy to performance, revealing why stan...

What does it take to lead a team through real change in an industry that prides itself on tradition? We sit down with Kelly Scott, raised on a lumberyard, seasoned through multiple acquisitions, and now running a complex specialty distribution branch, to map the human side of operational excellence and the strategic moves that separate stagnant dealers from standout brands.

Kelly’s story begins with family: a Canadian mill...

What if your website quietly drove five to nine times more sales through your front door than it took online? We sit down with Allison Flatjord, Vice President of Marketing and Ecommerce at Do It Best, to unpack how independent hardware and lumber dealers can use digital to fuel local dominance without losing what makes them unique.

Allison brings a rare blend of engineering rigor and brand instinct from Bath & Body Wo...

Want proof that local retail can be both high-tech and deeply human? We sat down with Meg Taylor, a fourth-generation leader behind 21 hardware stores in Virginia, to unpack how a family business blends community events, clear messaging, and practical AI to save time, grow sales, and earn lasting loyalty. Her journey, from Capitol Hill to marketing services to advocacy, builds a toolkit any independent retailer can use without losi...

Buyers have changed the rules, and the window and door industry is racing to catch up. We sit down with Paradigm’s VP of MDR Sales, Lisa Cooley, to unpack how AI, data, and a new generation of talent are rewriting everything from product discovery to the last mile of sales—and why grit still beats hype.

On the buyer side, the shift is dramatic. Homeowners now use long-tail searches and visual matching to find exactly what ...

What if your store didn’t try to be the biggest in town and became the most unforgettable instead? We sit down with Bob Taylor, President Emeritus at Do it Best Corp, a fourth-generation retailer and former Do it Best CEO, to unpack how independents outmaneuver giants by pairing co-op scale with local soul. From a family business nearing 100 years to leading a national organization through major integrations, Bob shares the decisio...

Speed without soul never lasts. From the buzzing floor of the Do It Best market in Indianapolis, we sit down with Anthony Bogucki, CEO of Bogucki Enterprises, a Do it Best member who grew a family business from a basement startup into a national e‑commerce operation, to map out how independents can compete and win against retail giants. We unpack the co‑op advantages that matter most: small‑parcel distribution that reaches 230 mill...

What if getting paid didn’t depend on business hours, paper checks, or a lucky round of phone tag? In this episode of The Grit Blueprint Podcast, I sit down with Erik Bornstein, Founder and CEO of TOOLBX, to explore how technology is transforming the lumber and building materials industry.

From sweeping job sites at 16 to leading one of Toronto’s top luxury homebuilding firms, Erik’s journey from contractor to tech founder gives him...

The market floor in Indy buzzed, but the real energy came from a simple idea: winning sales teams keep score and remove friction. Sitting with Eric Knox, Director of LBM Sales, we pull back the curtain on how a regional structure, clear metrics, and a new mindset around “no” transformed a team from scattered effort to compounding momentum. Eric’s story, from hauling bag goods to leading a hungry, data-driven crew, shows how clarity...

The market may be down in Q3 2025, but the data tells a different story about what's coming in 2026. 

Stefanie and Todd unpack why home‑equity access is up 38% this year, why that capital hasn’t hit jobsites yet, and how a surge in windows and doors could create a 2021-style scramble as early as next year. If you sell to or through pros, this is the map for what’s about to move. 

Stefanie shares her five-part BLEN...

I sit down with Do it Best’s Executive Vice President of Transformation and Integration, Marianne Thompson, live from a packed Market floor to unpack how vision-led change, AI, and co-op scale help independents out-execute giants. From last minute 2x4 runs to smarter planograms, service remains the moat while data becomes the drawbridge.

Topics we cover:
• Why transformation beats simple integration
• Aligning team...

Forklifts buzzing and mics rolling, that’s the spirit of this conversation with our friend Russ Cathrine, Vice President of Lumber & Building Materials at Do it Best. We dig into a simple idea with outsized returns: reduce friction from the moment a project is imagined to the moment the last unit is delivered, and you’ll win more often at better margins.

Russ brings a rare vantage point: family yard operator, corporate...