Rooted Reflections No. 8
What the Demo Derby Taught Me About Branding with Grit
We spent Saturday night at the demolition derby—a family tradition around here.
It’s a full-blown team effort for sure. My great nephew is the mastermind, building the car and driving the car. Very impressive for sure! His mom (my niece) and his grandpa (my oldest brother) is the pit crew, helping him with all that goes into this deep passion he has, actually, they are all very passionate about it. The whole thing? A gritty, muddy, wild family affair.
The air was thick with dust, adrenaline, and the kind of anticipation you only get when the sun sets on a Kansas summer night and the announcer calls out the next heat.
But what hit me hardest wasn’t just the fun of it—it was what I saw in it.
The demolition derby isn’t chaos.
It’s not random.
It’s strategic.
The best drivers don’t just smash and hope.
They hit with intention—knowing when, where, and how to take a car out without wrecking their own too soon.
They drive most of the match in reverse—not because they’re backing down, but because they’re preserving power for the final blow.
It’s not just destruction. It’s design.
And if that doesn’t sound like building a brand, I don’t know what does.
💡 Rooted Reflection:
Whether you’re building a business, raising a family, or launching something new—you’re going to take some hits.
But the winners aren’t the ones who avoid the collisions.
They’re the ones who enter the arena with grit, strategy, and something worth fighting for.
And when it’s down to the last two?
You’d better believe you’ve saved the engine that can take it home.
The Z car in the photo? That’s my great nephew.
He was in the final battle with a 16-year-old who gave it everything he had.
It was a wild, muddy, crowd-on-their-feet kind of moment.
And in the end, it wasn’t just about who hit harder.
It was who knew how to hit.
Who had the strategy to last.
Who showed up to win.
That’s branding with grit. That’s business with backbone.
And that’s what I’m here for.
