Grant Taylor ’20, who graduated from Shenandoah with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice, was working his first job after college when tragedy struck his family, changing his life forever. In June 2021, Taylor’s stepfather, Scott Spitnale, was critically injured in a motorcycle accident and was told that he would never walk again.
“My stepfather’s accident changed the trajectory of my life,” said Taylor. “After the accident, I felt as though life was stripped down to the bare bones, and I was left with the one thing that truly mattered: My family. I left my job to help my mom and stepdad with the long and winding road of his recovery.”
While Spitnale was receiving rehab for his injuries, Taylor transformed his parents’ home to be more accessible, built a gym in the basement and became a certified personal trainer. He and his stepfather were determined to prove the doctors wrong and with a little bit of “grit” Spitnale took his first steps.
“We will be alright because we have grit,” is one of the first things that Taylor’s stepfather said to him when he woke up from a coma after his motorcycle accident. This stuck with Taylor, and would ultimately be the foundation for his business, Find Your Grit.
“During his recovery, I felt an inherent draw to help others by using the resilience and strength I gained from these hardships,” said Taylor. “I felt a calling to help others go through their own adversities.”
Taylor opened Find Your Grit, a fitness and wellness business that is not just focused on physical transformation, but also mental transformation. He wants to provide his clients with the tools they need to discover their “why” – their reason for living. Once they take these first steps, Find Your Grit uses its curated training programs to help them achieve their goals while also assisting them in finding strength and peace within themselves.
Taylor uses the three words “Grind, Grit and Grace” as a part of his training philosophy, believing growth can’t happen without them.
- Grind – Showing up for every day and being consistent will lead to achieving goals.
- Grit – Pushing through the obstacles and adversities faced on a daily basis.
- Grace – Celebrating accomplishments no matter how big or small.
The most rewarding part of owning Find Your Grit for Taylor is helping others on his own terms. “I get to define my own future and I know that the work and dedication I put in now will pay off in the future,” said Taylor. Starting his own business has also provided a path for his own self-discovery.
Taylor has learned the beauty of balance, understanding that he doesn’t always have to perform at such a fast pace because there isn’t always instant gratification when building a business. He has created his own operations manual for how he works best and trusts himself enough to rely on it through this journey. This also allows Taylor to give himself grace, finding that his best answers come from when he has to pivot and make adjustments to solve an issue.
“I’ve always been someone that strives to be the best version of myself,” said Taylor. “Sometimes, this can lead to me being very hard on myself, but I’ve come to appreciate the whole journey. I’ve learned so much about myself and grown so much; this journey of entrepreneurship makes me want to be a better person.”
Taylor believes that his Shenandoah education helped give him the tools to start his own business by pushing him out of his comfort zone and letting him know there is no wrong way to do something, making possibilities endless.
“College wasn’t necessarily easy for me, but pushing through something that was difficult helped to lay the foundation of resilience that I would come to later rely on,” said Taylor. “My professors always provided steadfast support and helped me learn that there was no wrong direction when you have the courage to believe in yourself and push yourself to do challenging things.”
Taylor’s advice to people who want to start their own business is do something that is uniquely you. “Don’t start a company off of what someone else did because you’ll never be able to follow their footsteps, and that’s the beauty of it,” said Taylor. “Trust your instincts and walk your own path. What you have to offer will only be valuable if you have the courage to be vulnerable.”
Taylor and his family want to continue to help those in need and have started a nonprofit foundation, Trauma to Triumph. The organization focuses on assisting people who are suffering from disabilities, illnesses or injuries to improve their quality of life. Taylor’s wife, Brenna Mauro ’20, has been heavily involved in the effort since she has a Master of Science degree in occupational therapy, making sure that function and well-being are at the forefront of the foundation.
“With the help of our growing, dedicated community, we provide resources to those in need to overcome adversity and to reestablish a new foundation of triumph in the shadow of trauma,” said Taylor. “This includes providing the needed resources, supplies, equipment and community support. Together, we can reestablish a new beginning and redefine our journey for the rest of our lives.”
Taylor and his stepfather were featured on the “Today” show on NBC for using “Grind, Grit and Grace” to defy the odds. While Spitnale’s progress is slow with its daily ups and downs, Taylor says that when looking back at how far his stepfather has come, it’s just beautiful that he’s alive, which is more than enough for him.
“It’s funny how life can feel like a movie, and then you actually watch it like one,” said Taylor. “It was gratifying to see the progress, grit, and love shown through another person’s lens. When you’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to get perspective, and I think that was the blessing the ‘Today’ show offered. It really showed us just how far we’ve come.”
Most recently, Spitnale’s story was highlighted during the 33rd annual Shock Trauma Heroes Celebration on Nov. 18, at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, Maryland.
