The Grit Blueprint
The Playbook for Building Unmistakable Brands in the Built World
You can be the best in your market and still get passed over by a competitor who simply shows up better and more consistently where their customers are looking.
The Grit Blueprint Podcast is where visibility, media, customer experience, and creative brand strategy turn trust into growth in the built world.
Hosted by Stefanie Couch, a lifelong building industry expert born and raised in the business, this show explores how companies in building materials, construction, manufacturing, and distribution position themselves to win before the first conversation even starts.
You’ll hear from executives, operators, and decision-makers who are rethinking how they show up in the market. You’ll also hear from Stefanie and the Grit Blueprint team as they share the systems, strategy, and content that make good brands impossible to ignore.
Every episode turns insight into action. Because in this space, great work alone isn’t enough. You have to be seen, be known, be chosen, and ultimately, become unmistakable.
Produced by Grit Media. Powered by Grit Blueprint.
The Grit Blueprint
Pet-Friendly Hardware Stores & Big Business Lessons: Peter’s True Value | Sponsored by Do it Best
Peter, a third-generation hardware store owner, shares how he maintains competitive advantage against big retailers by offering hands-on customer service and creating a pet-friendly environment that Amazon simply can't match.
• Third-generation True Value hardware store owner since 1965
• Recently joined Do it Best, gaining better buying power and product variety
• Differentiates by walking customers to items and offering personalized help
• Creates memorable experiences with pet-friendly stores featuring his golden retriever Winston
• Uses branded vehicles as mobile billboards throughout the community
• Believes in being visible as the owner rather than hiding in a back office
• Follows personal mantras "work harder, dream bigger" and "chase greatness"
• Continues pushing forward despite Parkinson's diagnosis
• Advises new business owners to put their heart and soul into their work
Listen to our future episodes as we continue exploring how to build unmistakable brands in the built world that grow, lead, and last.
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Grit Blueprint is a media and growth company for the building industry. We help ambitious businesses in the building materials and construction industries grow through visibility, storytelling media, and smart systems.
Independent hardware stores. They compete against a lot of big people.
Peter Grebeck:It's nice with a do it best, because I feel we're gonna have much better buying power now, whether it's the cost of goods or the variety. I think a lot of customers still like the hands-on. We still walk our customers to the item to find it. Amazon can't do that.
Stefanie Couch:Being seen and being visible as a business owner is a competitive advantage, and that you can actually build your business around that.
Peter Grebeck:What works really good for us is we have many vehicles. We have box trucks, delivery trucks, tow trucks, rental equipment and everything. We have splattered our name huge.
Stefanie Couch:Is Winston on your vehicle? No, not yet that's a miss, Peter. We got to make that happen.
Peter Grebeck:Yeah, that might be a possibility.
Stefanie Couch:Welcome to the Grit Blueprint Podcast, the playbook for building unmistakable brands that grow, lead and last in the built world. I'm Stefanie Couch, the founder of Grit Blueprint, and I'm a lifelong building industry insider. I was raised here, built my career here, and now my team and I help others win here. The truth is, you can be the best option in your space and still lose to someone else who simply shows up better and more consistently Each week. On the Grit Blueprint, I'm going to show you how to stand out, earn trust and turn your brand into a competitive advantage that lasts. If you're ready to be seen, known, chosen and become unmistakable, you're in the right place. Let's get started. Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Grit Blueprint Podcast. I am your host, Stefanie Couch, and today I'm really excited. I have an amazing business owner and fellow golden retriever lover, Peter. Welcome to the show.
Peter Grebeck:Thank you.
Stefanie Couch:I'm excited to get started talking a little bit about your amazing hardware stores. I love a local hardware store owner business, but we didn't meet until last night when you won an amazing award at the IHI conference, the Beacon Award. So congratulations.
Peter Grebeck:Thank you, that was crazy.
Stefanie Couch:Yeah, it was awesome, so I'm excited to dig in and get started talking about what you're doing in Michigan.
Peter Grebeck:We've been in Michigan forever my whole life. I'm a third generation owner, being with True Value since 1965. Again, we're True Value. Like I said at my meeting last night, True Value is red. I bleed red. I've always been True Value and I've been dedicated to True Value, so I've been doing this my whole life.
Stefanie Couch:This is all I know. Yeah, and True Value is such a strong brand. I mean, when I think about True Value, I can see that scripted font in my mind and it's really. It's been around for a long time. How did your family get into the business?
Peter Grebeck:My grandfather started in with a business in Detroit that he actually was in the bar business, the liquor business, and I'm told that was just a bad business to be in. So he found a store that was for sale and that was early in the 1960s. And then he got approached from Trevelyan 65. And I guess we were the top 200 to be established, from what I'm told. So yeah, we've been around a long time and his name was Peter also, so that's where the name Peter's come from.
Stefanie Couch:Oh well, so it wasn't named after you, but you followed. No one has to know that, but us, Peter, we won't tell anyone that. Okay, well, tell me a little bit about what you're doing now in your stores. You have two stores there in Michigan and you are there every day running it, and I know you're more in one location than the other in person. So tell me about that. What's the business like?
Peter Grebeck:Business is good. I love the challenge of the business, I love growing the business and again, like I said, it's not about growing the money, it's about growing the business. Yeah, I like helping how many. The challenge is how many customers I can satisfy. It's like when I I actually still fix window screens myself and I'd rather have 10 people come in with one window screen than one person with 10, if that makes any sense, because I feel like I'm helping 10 people instead of one person. So the challenge is how many people I can help. I am constantly on the showroom floor. People know my face. So, and again, I've been around everywhere and whether I run to the local restaurant or the bank, somebody always knows me.
Stefanie Couch:Yeah.
Peter Grebeck:Which is crazy. It drives my wife crazy sometimes, but we go on vacation and we run into a customer.
Stefanie Couch:She's like can we go anywhere and no one? Someone just doesn't know. Peter.
Stefanie Couch:Well, you have a very memorable look and last night at the Beacon Awards I met your lovely wife and we were talking a little bit about how. You know it's interesting. You said you bleed true value and you've set up this business. But independent hardware stores they compete against a lot of big people and it's hard to do business with the internet all these crazy things that are going on. What makes you and a partner like True Value and Do it Best now has purchased True Value? What makes that an advantage for a small business owner to have leverage from a big co-op like that?
Peter Grebeck:It's nice with a do it best, because I feel we're going to have much better buying power now, whether it's the cost of goods or the variety. So I think a lot of customers still like the hands-on Again, they want to be walked to the item. I said that last night. We still walk our customers to the item to find it and they still need the help Amazon can't do that. Yeah, I mean, Amazon is always going to be here. They're never going to go away, but we'll still have that customer that needs help fixing something, suggesting something, finding something. So I think I think we're fine.
Stefanie Couch:Yeah, and you also have a what I would call maybe the best competitive advantage in a hardware store. You're pet friendly. So let's talk about that, Peter. Tell me about pet friendly, tell me about your golden retriever, and do your customers just love that? Because obviously, if you can't tell already, I love dogs. I have a golden retriever named Heidi Pearl and she is the best girl and I would probably come and buy whatever you have for whatever price you have it, because you're dog friendly. So tell me a little bit about why you did that and how that started.
Peter Grebeck:I'm selfish because I have a golden retriever, so you know I figure if I let my dog in, I'm going to let everybody else's dog in. Yeah, and that's becoming very popular, at least in Michigan. I mean restaurants in the least in Michigan allow dogs coming in. Grocery stores do. Target does so we do it.
Peter Grebeck:And it's really amazing is that the dogs remember. I mean we have treats and the dogs immediately walk to the front counter, put their paws on the counter and they'll look for the treats. It's like kids. We always said that it was great when Dad would bring the son and daughter in, because those son and daughters eventually get older and they remember coming to Peter Street Valley for the experience. So we're actually starting to see younger people coming to us because they were brought to our store as a child. But yeah, the dogs are crazy. They run around, they know where the treats are at. We have some customers that come in just for the cowhide treats and the dogs know exactly where the treats are at. But it's really cool because the minute the dogs walk in you can tell they remember being there and they come right to the counter.
Stefanie Couch:Yeah, and also for your employees, I'm sure, if they like animals. It makes your day so much better when you see animals and they're happy to be there and I love it, so I think that's a real competitive advantage. When I was working at my job before I worked at a corporate thing we did a Dogs of Dallas calendar. So our location was in Dallas and we took pictures of everyone with their dogs and got their dogs to pose. That was always fun to try to get them to look at the camera, but we did that and people loved it because their dogs got featured in the calendar. So I think people attach to things they care about, and a lot of people now care about their animals?
Peter Grebeck:Oh for sure, again, I do. I love my dog. He's like he's my son.
Stefanie Couch:And what is his name?
Peter Grebeck:Winston.
Stefanie Couch:Okay, and you said that you have a picture of him on the door.
Peter Grebeck:Oh yeah, we took a picture of him and had it laminated on the front of the door and of him and had it laminated on the front of the door and there's this face when you walk in and it says we're pet friendly. And we have a big kiosk out front with electronic sign and we have his picture on that too and it says we're pet friendly. So we definitely advertise it a lot that we're pet friendly golden retrievers convert in marketing.
Stefanie Couch:I think it's like 100 at the time.
Stefanie Couch:So if you can put a golden retriever on something, it's pretty good branding right, right right let's talk a little bit about marketing and being seen because you mentioned that a little bit last night and about being known. You said earlier that you need to be known as a person in your business and you're obviously a founder led business. Your face is everywhere and it sounds like you're pretty famous in your town and maybe towns throughout the US. But tell me how that started for you to the US. But tell me how that started for you. When did you realize that being seen and being visible as a business owner is a competitive advantage and that you can actually really build your business around that? And how do you do that daily?
Peter Grebeck:I actually have a lot of business friends Not all True Value's. Some of them are aces, some of them sell water softener salts, some of them are landscapers. So I've learned throughout the years what they do well and I put them all together and that's helped with others. I mean True Value never really did a great job of advertising for many years and I think they're going to change it now. But as a Michigan True Value, we had a bunch of fellow member hardware stores that we got together and advertised together and we did billboards, things like that, which worked good.
Peter Grebeck:What works really good for us is we have many vehicles. We have box trucks, delivery trucks, tow trucks, rental equipment and everything we have splattered our name huge, just huge. So we have like billboards, like basically driving up and down the roads, and I think that's made a huge difference for us. That's that's helped a lot. I mean we do a lot of the local stuff and Facebook and things like that, but just seeing our vehicles around going through McDonald's, whatever you know, I drive a vehicle that has my name all over it. I can't be hidden.
Stefanie Couch:Is Winston on your vehicle? No, not yet that's a miss, Peter. We got to make that happen.
Peter Grebeck:Yeah, yeah, that might be a possibility. So we try everything. That's the thing is. We try everything, and even with True Value, with all their niches, for years we try everything and I think it's all about change. And I think that's where a lot of stores not even hardware stores, but everything they don't change with the times, and I've always loved change. I love remodeling my stores all the time. It drives my employees crazy because we're bringing in new things, we're moving aisles and it even drives our customers crazy. Sometimes they're like like we just learned your store and now you changed it. So I still believe.
Stefanie Couch:Even though I'm getting older, I still believe in changing. I think change is good. Yeah, I agree, you have something on your arms that I want to talk about a little bit, so show me your tattoos okay all right. So this one says work harder, dream bigger. Yeah and uh, we talked. You talked about that actually a little bit last night. You had you. You had your suit jacket on, so we couldn't see it last night. Why do you have that on your arm and what does it mean to you?
Peter Grebeck:It's just something I wake up and look at. That again, I'll say for the 10th time is it's not about the money, but if I can grow stronger, you know it will make me have more toys down the road Again. I've worked seven days a week my whole life and finally, after meeting my wife Lisa years ago and getting married, she was the one that finally got me into going on vacation. The first few years I just hated it and I couldn't leave without my phone, but now I can actually relax. I've learned to relax. The harder you work, the payoffs will come at the end, and that can be anything. It can be a vacation, a time off, cool toys because I have a lot of cool toys at home in my garage. So that's kind of what it means.
Stefanie Couch:Yeah, what kind of toys do you have in your garage? I'm curious.
Peter Grebeck:Oh, I like cars, I have Camaros and Corvettes and I drive lifted hillbilly trucks.
Stefanie Couch:I love it, hillbilly trucks in Michigan. Okay, I got it.
Peter Grebeck:Trust me. Michigan's a big country place. I love it yeah.
Stefanie Couch:Well, show me the other arm.
Peter Grebeck:The other one says chase greatness, and that one's just again trying to better yourself, Just trying to be a better person, you know.
Stefanie Couch:What does greatness mean to you?
Peter Grebeck:Again, my whole life has been about business and it still, technically is, I guess, if I can be a better person, um, a better boss, a better person in the community, a better husband, I guess, um, that's what it means.
Stefanie Couch:Yeah, you have on the other arm. Dream bigger. Do you feel like you've dreamed big enough?
Peter Grebeck:Financially? Yes, yeah, but, um, something I've always asked myself and I don't know if I've come up with the answer yet is people come to me and they're like you made it, you made it in life, you made it in life. And I always question what does that mean? What does that mean and how do you know if you've made it in life Again, I have a great wife, I have a great house, I have a great family, I have a spectacular dog, I have my toys. Do I need some more toys? Maybe you only live once, can't take it with you. So, after the seminar yesterday and people coming to me saying how great my speech was, I kind of feel like I made it.
Stefanie Couch:Yeah, you crushed it last night. I was really inspired by what you said and you talked a little bit about. You've gone through challenges and you talked about a diagnosis that you have, but you haven't let that stop you and I think that's really inspiring when you, when I look at your arm and I see the words chase greatness, I think about the relentlessness of never giving up, no matter what comes Business. Obviously, you never know what tomorrow's going to bring Life. You never know what tomorrow's going to bring, but allowing yourself to continue to push, no matter what.
Peter Grebeck:How are you doing that today? Yesterday was my one-year anniversary of being diagnosed with Parkinson's, so yesterday was kind of a good day, but it was kind of a bad day.
Peter Grebeck:What beautiful timing, beautifully broken timing that you won an award, oh for sure, yeah, yeah. So that made things a lot better. The first week of being diagnosed, I cried for a week and I looked at people walking down the street with their golden retrievers and I'm like I was jealous, like those people are healthy and they're out doing stuff. But everybody has a story, though. Maybe they weren't, maybe they're not. So now I will look at is that I could have worse things? Yeah, and so I can deal with this, and I got support to team with my wife, so again, it could be worse.
Stefanie Couch:And you're not finished, not even close.
Peter Grebeck:No, and with Parkinson's there's no medication, there's things to put a bandaid on, but the best medicine is exercise.
Stefanie Couch:With challenges like what we've been talking about. I know there's probably a lot of beauty that comes with that and a lot of things that are not as easy, but last night was an awesome moment for you and I know that you inspire a lot of other people in this industry to continue to do amazing things and build their dreams, to dream bigger, as you say, and chase greatness. What would you tell someone who is maybe thinking about getting into an independent business like what you have? That isn't sure if they can do it, if they are smart enough, strong enough and work hard enough. What you tell?
Peter Grebeck:them. I have talked to people about this and I think this is a great business to be into but, like I said before, you have to put your heart and soul into it. But again, you can't let the business run your life. You also have to work and you also have to be a face. I know a lot of businesses that the owners sit in the back office and they never show their face and they're unsuccessful. So I think you have to get your hands dirty. You got to be able to cry about it, you got to be able to sweat about it and you got to work when nobody else wants to work and there is a payoff. It sounds like a lot of work and it is a lot of work, but I found there's a payoff at the end.
Stefanie Couch:Yeah, it's beautiful when you can work so hard for something and then finally feel it successful. And I don't know how long it took you to feel that way, but I know when we you know it's always something new coming up in business, something, a new challenge, a new thing that comes with. You know the pandemic and all the things you've been through with True Value and the way that things have changed. But what's exciting most to you about the future?
Peter Grebeck:I think again with the new True Value, I think again we're going to be much stronger. I think that's going to help us. I think we're going to start advertising more and I'd really love to see the name True Value come back to be a household name Because again, when I was little, true Value was the hardware store in the days. So my goal is I'd love to see True Value get that name out there stronger, yeah, and hopefully it's in my lifetime to tell too.
Stefanie Couch:I think it's going to happen and I'm excited about that. I'm excited about the collaboration between True Value and Do it Best being together by their powers combined, obviously, and now Do it Best group. It's going to be really cool. Are you going to be in the Indianapolis market?
Peter Grebeck:Oh yeah, I already signed up, ready to go.
Stefanie Couch:Okay, well, that's going to be a fun time and it's the 80th year anniversary of Do it Best, so it's always going to be fun to do that. Maybe have some 80s gear ready to go, maybe wear some neon or something, who knows, right? Well, thank you so much for joining me and I'm really excited that you have won the speaking award well-deserved and you are obviously making waves in the industry, doing a lot with your store. So thank you so much and I will see you in Indy.
Peter Grebeck:Thank you.
Stefanie Couch:Thank you for listening to the Grit Blueprint podcast. If this episode helped you think a little differently about how to show up, share it with someone in your building world who needs it. If you're ready to turn visibility into growth, then head to gritblueprintcom to learn more and book a call to talk to us about your growth strategy. Until next time, stay unmistakable.
