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Brad Grondahl

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I am a second generation hearing aid specialist with over 60 years of exposure along with 47 years of experience in directly serving the hearing impaired.  My father had a hearing loss and wore a hearing aid and eventually two for as long as I can remember.  His hearing impairment was caused from noise exposure on the artillery range while serving in the army. Initially he wore a body, or pocket type hearing aid with an external cord and receiver. Eventually he graduated into eyeglass style hearing aids fit to both ears.  After several different vocational experiences and having a heart attack at the age of thirty-nine, he entered into the profession of what was then called being a hearing aid dealer. The field of directly serving the hearing impaired population back then was dramatically different from what it is today.

My father passed away in 1965 at the young age of 50.  My mother carried on the business as she had worked by his side for years.  Along with running the business, she became very active in the North Dakota Hearing Aid Dealers Association.  She was one of the pioneers organizing the movement and eventual passing of licensing laws for hearing aid dealers in the state of North Dakota in 1969.  I worked with her while attending college at North Dakota State University.  After graduating, I continued working with her.  We began to have generational and professional differences involving the future of the industry as well as the direction the business should take.  She finally said "if you think you're so smart, why don't you put your money where your mouth is and buy me out!"   I did just that.  Mother then continued to work with me until she retired in her late 70’s.  She has now also passed away.

In 2001 I merged my business with the hearing instrument side of Dr. James Frisk's private practice.  Dr. Frisk was a well established otolaryngologist  His son, Matt, had his Masters Degree in Communication Disorders and was his Clinical Audiologist.  He has since gone on to achieve is AuD, or Doctor of Audiology degree.  Together we formed Hearing Solutions, Inc., providing a full range of audiological services along with hearing aid dispensing.   

I do not have a degree in audiology, however I have taken coursework in audiology from North Dakota State University and Moorhead State University, now Minnesota State University Moorhead.  I have been a licensed hearing aid specialist in ND since 1969.  I was Certified by the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences in 1983.  I have been a member of the International Hearing Society since 1973.  I am a member of the ND Hearing Society and have served in the past as President.  I served on the ND State Examining Board for Hearing Instrument Dispensers at one point being Chairman.  I served twice on the ND State Examining Board for Audiology and Speech Language Pathology.  I was also a Board Member of the International Institute for Hearing Instrument Studies, the educational arm of the International Hearing Society.  I am now retired but remain licensed and continue to watch our changing industry.