Grit and Growth
What every entrepreneur needs to know about growing a business with purpose and resilience.
Grit and Growth: Candid Stories and Lessons for Building a Small Business with Purpose is a journey into what entrepreneurship really looks and feels like, packed with insights to help you build your small business toolkit. From doubt and disappointments to passion, purpose, and resolve — all are on the path to starting and growing a successful small business.
About Grit and Growth
Authors Anne Haines, Laura Marrich, and Amber Kani share practical tools alongside real-life stories, drawing on DreamSpring’s 30-year evolution from a tiny startup to a national leader in small business development.
Through real-world lessons, first-person testimonials, reflective exercises, and practical frameworks, this guide lays out the skills and resources that every entrepreneur needs to master, like clarifying your purpose, developing values-driven leadership, amplifying your strengths, and cultivating communities of support. On-the-ground guidance prepares you to meet obstacles head-on and leverage your unique capabilities.
With this book, you will:
• Learn to define and refine your business’s core values and mission for clearer direction and impact.
• Gain insights from real small business owners who have turned their struggles and challenges into steppingstones for success.
• Develop a robust understanding of leadership and self-assessment to enhance your entrepreneurial journey.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR GRIT AND GROWTH
“Destined to quickly become the go-to bible for present and or future entrepreneurs. Priceless advice and counsel to anyone in the business world.”
Ann Rhoades
President, Peopleink
Exec Founder, Jet Blue Airlines
“An inspiring and practical guide that combines entrepreneurial wisdom with deeply human storytelling. An encouraging, insightful companion for anyone seeking to build or grow a business with intention and heart.”
Joyce Klein
Director, Business Ownership Initiative, The Aspen Institute
“Practical wisdom, but also a love letter to future entrepreneurs — a celebration of the human spirit and the will to strive, to risk, and to dream.”
Thomas A. Gougeon
President, Gates Family Foundation
"A masterful account of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Read, learn, be equipped, and be inspired.”
Dr. Brett Theodos
Director, Center for Local Finance and Growth, Urban Institute
Anne Haines
Anne Haines is an award-winning visionary and founder, nationally recognized for helping thousands of people realize their dreams of business ownership. A passionate champion of economic opportunity and the Founding President/CEO of DreamSpring, she is a past Board member of the Denver Branch of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank.
Amber Kani
Amber Kani is passionate about creating opportunities that help people and communities thrive. With 20 years in nonprofit leadership and community development finance, she has worked to expand access to capital, strengthen financial education, and drive economic mobility. As Chief Engagement Officer at DreamSpring, Amber leads efforts in philanthropy, community engagement, and storytelling to support entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Laura Marrich
Laura Marrich is an award-winning writer and editor who serves as DreamSpring’s Senior Communications Specialist. Over her two decades in journalism and marketing — including tours as Food Editor and Editor-in-Chief at the celebrated Weekly Alibi alternative newspaper — Laura’s work has received numerous regional and national honors including recognition from the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Press Women Association, and the American Advertising Awards (the ADDYs).
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Pre-ordered copies come with an exclusive downloadable to help guide your small business journey: A Year of Entrepreneurial Leadership Affirmations. Valued at $12 — yours FREE when you pre-order Grit and Growth today!
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Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, the owner of a growing small business, or the leader of a nonprofit organization, Grit and Growth is an essential guide for navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Get your copy now and start forging your path with grit, growth, and purpose.
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Our dream is to see Grit and Growth spark real change within small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Contact us to schedule an interactive session for your leadership team and staff, led by the people who wrote the playbook.
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