SCHOOL OF GRIT

work at a corporate job, and by society’s standards, led a rather cushy lifestyle. Then, one day in 2013, when he was in his early 30’s, he had what he calls a ‘man in the mirror’ moment when he questioned whether he was living up to his God-given purpose. He began searching the internet for guidance when he came across a TED Talk by Angela Duckworth called “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” which changed his life. Research shows that grit is a leading predictor of success in life. Curious to learn how gritty he was, Ritter took Duckworth’s quiz and was irked to score 2.2 out of 5 on the grit scale. That was good enough to be grittier than 20% of Americans who took the quiz, but not good enough for Ritter.

“I thought, ‘that can’t be right. I’m tough!’” Ritter says. “Then I looked back at the questions and realized it was spot on. Up to that point, I’d start something but not finish it.”

Determined to grow his grit, Ritter enrolled in SEALFit’s Kokoro Camp, which is modeled after Navy SEAL “Hell Week”. The camp is considered the most challenging and tranformative training available to civilians in the world. It’s designed to break you down, expose your weaknesses, then build you back up.

“I felt in my bones that I needed to go to this camp,” says Ritter, who told his wife, Leslie, that she wouldn’t hear from him while he was away. “I had the mindset that I was coming home with my shield or on it because I was not going to give up.”

Kokoro Camp is over 50 hours of continuous physical movement with no sleep and very little food. It pushes participants to and past their limits physically, mentally and emotionally. Ritter, 35 at the time, was nicknamed Gramps by the others. Despite being the oldest participant, he secured the crucible. Of the 50 who started the program, only half graduated.

“After that experience, I was reborn. Ritter, version 2.0,” he says. “Up until that point, I’d never really been tested. I guess you could say that I met myself for the first time.”

People in his sphere noticed the change and commented that something was different about him.

Indeed there was and it was a transformation he wanted to share with others. One of the things he learned at Kokoro Camp is that we can’t make it through life without working as a team. Even when we feel we can’t take another step, by helping others, we, in turn, help ourselves.

Ritter wanted to find a way to replicate that attitude in the real world, so he became certified as an Unbeatable Mind coach. He also wrote “School of Grit: Unlock Your Potential Through Purposeful Adversity,” which became an Amazon bestselling book. Then, in January 2022, he launched School of Grit, an online program for men and women of any age, at any stage of life. Although people from all walks of life can join, it generally attracts those between 30 and 65 who live a more active lifestyle.

“They like to work out, be part of a team, serve others, and have a growth mindset,” says Ritter, who is now 43. “They’re looking to be the best version of themselves so they’re open to trying new things.”

Members enroll in School of Grit and Ritter gives a free 30-day trial. It’s run like a school in that Ritter presents a class schedule at the beginning of each month. He enlists the help of guest coaches and speakers who talk to the group every month. Ritter also teaches 90 minute workouts on Saturday mornings from his garage gym. In addition, he incorporates four to five crucible-style experiences a year. These represent quarterly tests for the community. For instance, they might do a 4x4x48, which involves running four miles every four hours for 48 hours. They also do an annual ‘long walk’ during which they walk for 24 hours with mini breaks.

“Doing these things tests your body and also tests your mind,” Ritter says. “You want to quit, but persevering is how you grow.”

Ritter has found that with online coaching, people are more willing to open up.

“You wouldn’t believe how quickly a person’s guard goes down when you’re online and it’s just a camera,” says Ritter, who has heard it all – divorce, bankruptcy, drugs and other addictions, and more. Ritter appreciates the authenticity. “I want people to be real,” he says.

“What we teach here is a lifestyle, and it’s not just the physical area we train, we go deep into the other areas like mental toughness and emotional resiliency. We even touch on spiritual. Nothing is out of bounds. It’s really about training the whole person. All of my coaches are hand selected and we eat our own dog food. We won’t teach something that we haven’t experienced ourselves.”

“We have members from New York to California and everywhere in between. My dream is to bring this training to my own backyard by partnering with the local community right here in Center Grove and surrounding areas. Conducting live events and training will be the next evolution with School of Grit.”

Ritter is developing what he calls a ‘warrior class’.

“Everyone has a warrior in them,” he says. “That’s the ability to take care of yourself, take care of others and tap into your full potential. It’s realizing your God-given purpose and going after it.”

He notes that warriors are not afraid to fail. In fact, they look to lean into a bit of discomfort. This is where the idea of doing something everyday that sucks comes into play.

“We’ve gotten too soft in society,” says Ritter. This is the most comfortable generation that has ever existed. Comfort can be a slow death. We need to get back to the joy of hard work.”

While it’s human nature to fear making mistakes, the truth is that failure is the greatest teacher. When Ritter’s children, Hallie, 12, and Brody, 9, are at the dinner table, he doesn’t ask them how their day was. Instead, he poses the question, “What did you fail at today?”

“If you’re not failing, you’re not learning,” he says.

If you’re looking to train with a team and become the best version of yourself in service to others, check out Ritter’s School of Grit. Visit www.schoolofgrit.org. Or, find him on social media at www.facebook. com/SchoolofGrit or www.instagram.com/ schoolofgrit_bradritter/

317-458-0743 bargersvillewellness.com with her friend and former colleague, Ashley Auld, to start a business together.

For nearly 14 years, Blythe Potter managed a spa in Greenwood. In 2015 she became a boardcertified massage therapist. After finishing her bachelor’s degree, she earned her Master of Business Administration degree, and this is all in addition to being a veteran and having served in the Army.

Armed with years of experience, earned confidence, oodles of ambition, and a strong desire to make a difference, Potter teamed up

“Neither of us wanted to do this alone and we both had our eye on the same place to rent,” Potter says. They decided to go for it. Auld was adamant that they not leave Bargersville, which ultimately was a fantastic call given that Bargersville is growing rapidly.

In May of 2019, the pair opened Bargersville Wellness, a salon, barber shop and spa that offers massage services and yoga classes. The pair feel strongly that wellness encompasses mind, body and spirit, and that all are equally important and, therefore, should be equally nurtured.

When they first opened their doors, they had just five employees. Now they have 25 employees, 17 service providers, and are looking to expand their square footage in the next few months. They have eight and a half stylists (one is on maternity leave), four estheticians, two massage therapists, four yoga teachers and a Reiki master. In addition, half of their stylists are dual-licensed, which is not very common. Three of them have their barber license, one has an aesthetician license, and another is lash-certified.

“A lot of our staff is invested in education so that they can take better care of their clients,” Potter says.

They want to nurture learning because they know that while beauty school teaches students how to pass the state board, it does not teach finance, business and taxes.

“It’s bare-minimum basics and then you get 90% of your training after you graduate if someone is willing to teach you,” Auld says.

They also want to nurture women in general. Unfortunately, the hair world has a reputation for being cutthroat. Potter and Auld want to change that by supporting others in the business and building one another up.

“Why wouldn’t I want to help others by sharing my knowledge?” Auld says. “It’s about building relationships, not burning bridges. Blythe and I have connections with so many salons, barber shops and spas now. We have more friends in the industry than ever before, which is amazing.”

They also wanted to open a business that is friendly to all.

“If someone doesn’t want to support our business because we are LGBTQIA+ safe, then ‘Bye,’” Potter says. “We want everyone to feel comfortable, heard, seen and taken care of, whether that’s staff, clients or someone passing by.”

They strive to be a sustainable business and are proud to be a Green Circle Salon. This means they collect and recycle almost all of their waste including gloves, hair, foils and leftover color.

Potter, an environmentalist and vegan, calls herself a “big green nerd.”

“We can confidently say that we recycle more than 99% of what we produce, including food now that we have a composter in the building,” she says. “We maybe visit the trash can once a month.”

The majority of BW’s skin and hair products are net positive, as they partake in regenerative farming. This means they are giving more back to the planet than they are taking. Not only are their products environmentally friendly, but their clients have also seen vast improvements in their hair and skin since switching.

“With the growth of Bargersville and the way the Death & Taxes event is growing each year, we want to make sure we’re catering to everyone and that we use the space we have in the best way possible,” Auld says.

The growth BW is experiencing means they now have availability for new clients for hair, makeup applications and lessons (including for prom), facials, massages, lashes, yoga, waxing, barbering, and Reiki.

If you are interested in being a part of the BW team, contact Potter and Auld via email at contact@bargersvillewellness.com. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Instagram @bargersvillewellness. BW is currently hiring a licensed massage therapist and certified yoga teacher.

“It definitely takes a village, but we appreciate and love our staff,” Auld says. “They are some of the most caring, compassionate people I’ve ever met. If one of us is having a bad day, all the loves goes into that person.”

They also feel a tremendous amount of support from fellow business owners in town, as well as clients and community members.

“The town is so supportive,” Potter says. “We have been welcomed with open arms.”

The kindness and productivity of the Bargersville Town Council and other town boards have inspired Potter to run for Town Council at Large this November. She wants to be involved in helping new businesses and families experience the warmth and support of Bargersville.