From Crushing Rejection to YouTube Glory: Michael Ashie’s Relentless Rise
🎧 Episode Overview
Think rejection’s the end? Think again. On this Grace in the Grind, Jim Burgoon dives deep with Michael Ashie, the fire behind Leadership with Mike (55K+ subs), who turned career smackdowns into a YouTube empire. No fluffy pep talks here—just raw truths about crushing fear, owning your grind, and building something epic. From nearly losing it on his first video to leading newbies with no-nonsense hacks, Michael’s story is a wake-up call for anyone stuck waiting for permission. Grab your coffee—this one’s a gut punch of grit and grace!
💡 Key Takeaways from This Episode
✅ From Rejection to Ruler
- How workplace “no’s” lit Michael’s fire to dominate YouTube
- Why waiting for validation is a trap—and how to break free
- Turning fury into 55K subs with relentless hustle
✅ Fear? Crush It.
- The sweaty panic of hitting “record”—and why it’s worth it
- How 500+ videos turned terror into total confidence
- Ugly starts beat perfect plans every time
✅ No-Nonsense Leadership
- Why corporate ladders are broken—and how to climb your own
- Real leadership isn’t handed out; it’s seized
- Helping new leaders thrive with grit, not gimmicks
✅ Grit Over Quit
- Facing doubters who mocked his hustle—and proving them wrong
- The stubborn streak that kept him going through dry spells
- One view can change a life—numbers don’t define impact
💬 Wisdom from Michael Ashie
“Forget permission—claim it. Waiting for approval? You’re already losing.” – Michael Ashie
📚 Resources Mentioned
📖 Leadership & Creator Gold by Michael:
- Leadership with Mike YouTube Channel: Mike on YouTube
- Leadership Bootcamp at https://www.mikeashie.com/bootcamp
🔍 Further Learning:
- Ed Lawrence’s Creator Booth for YouTube hacks
- Using AI to sharpen your leadership edge
🎧 Connect with Michael Ashie
🌍 Website: leadershipwithmike.com
📸 YouTube: @LeadershipWithMike
📲 Socials: @LeadershipWithMike
💥 Action Igniter Wisdom
✨ Rejection’s your fuel—burn it to build something fierce.
✨ Fear’s loud but weak—crush it with action.
✨ Leadership isn’t a title; it’s a takeover.
✨ Grit trumps doubt—keep swinging, win big.
✨ One life changed is worth more than a million views.
🎯 Take the Next Step!
💡 Ready to lead or create without apology? Hit up Michael Ashie’s Leadership with Mike for no-nonsense tips and training that deliver.
💡 Connect with Jim! Grab a free resource from the show and ignite your grind at www.leadwithjim.com—don’t just listen, act!
🎧 Enjoyed this? Subscribe, drop a review, and share it with someone who needs a shove!
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Copyright 2025 Jim Burgoon
Transcript
Welcome to Grace and the Grind, the podcast where we dive deep into the journeys of heart centered and purpose driven leaders and entrepreneurs.
Speaker A:We're here to equip and encourage you on your journey.
Speaker A:So let's get started and find the grace within the grind.
Speaker A:This is Grace in the Grind.
Speaker A:And now your host, Jim Burgoon.
Speaker B:Welcome to Grace in the Grind where we're here to tell the inspiring stories behind some of the most successful entrepreneurs out there.
Speaker B:And today, a really good friend of mine, we've been friend actually for a few years now, Michael Ashy.
Speaker B:Welcome to the show, Michael.
Speaker C:Thank you, Jim, appreciate it.
Speaker B:So why don't you tell the listener, take about 30 to not 30, like 60 to 90 seconds and just tell us what you do and who you are.
Speaker C:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker C:So I've created or I'm the creator of the YouTube channel Leadership with Mike.
Speaker C:The idea there is to help what I would call everyday green team leaders, new managers, people that have just recently been promoted, trying to help them find their way in this world of leadership.
Speaker C:There is a lot of leadership advice out there and I'm not sure that all of it is practical.
Speaker C:So that's where I really try to drill down and give practical advice.
Speaker C:Recently I've taken on a role as the head of strategy for an AI company called One Click.
Speaker C:And those two have been quite complementary.
Speaker C:So they keep me quite busy, I bet.
Speaker B:Thank you for that.
Speaker B:So let's dive into some of this.
Speaker B:The process of you getting just for the viewer to know.
Speaker B:I do want to, you know, tell the viewer go check his channel out.
Speaker B:Very powerful stuff on there.
Speaker B:You have, you're north of 50,000 subscribers.
Speaker B:So it's by all YouTube standards that's successful.
Speaker B:So let's talk about that because as a creator and a lot of my listeners are creators, what was some of the process it took to even get to half of that?
Speaker B:Like the struggles, like the frustrations.
Speaker B:Talk us through some of that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So the here's the biggest hurdle is just turning on the camera and recording.
Speaker C:That's the first one.
Speaker C:And the second one is actually publishing.
Speaker C:It took me, I would say probably took me a few years to make the decision that I was going to start on YouTube, start a YouTube channel.
Speaker C:The push for me was that I wasn't getting recognized for my leadership ability and I was getting denied what I believe were promotions that I should have received or been considered more for.
Speaker C:So I realized or I decided that I wasn't waiting for permission.
Speaker C:I, I have stuff, leadership skills, knowledge, I have a way of delivering things where it's very direct but comes from a good place and can be sarcastic and can be funny.
Speaker C:And I thought, screw it, we're going on YouTube and I pooped my pants a little bit trying to get that first video out there and multiple after that.
Speaker C:But the thing is that whether it's your first hundred subscribers.
Speaker C:Thousand, fifty thousand.
Speaker C:To me, it hasn't changed any.
Speaker C:I'm still trying to develop more.
Speaker C:I'm still bothered by videos that aren't performing the way I think that they should perform.
Speaker C:You can't really let that get in the way because the numbers, if you're consistent and you've found your core audience, the numbers come.
Speaker C:So it doesn't feel like, oh, you're winning the race.
Speaker C:That's at least in my experience.
Speaker C:We're north of 55, 000 subscribers.
Speaker C:I still feel like I'm trying to catch up.
Speaker C:I still feel like it's a grind.
Speaker C:I still feel that I'm missing something.
Speaker C:So that just hasn't gone away.
Speaker C:But my videos are getting way more views than when I first started.
Speaker B:So thank you for that.
Speaker B:So here's a.
Speaker B:You've unpacked a few things.
Speaker B:Like number one, you poo.
Speaker B:You almost pooped yourself.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker B:100% love that.
Speaker C:Love that.
Speaker B:Not waiting for permission.
Speaker B:You weren't getting recognized.
Speaker B:So there's a lot of frustration there.
Speaker B:And here you are on the other side of some decisions.
Speaker B:So let's really dive into that because first and foremost, not being recognized and taking action based on not being recognized as opposed to giving into the system or as opposed to just doing your job.
Speaker B:Speak to that a little bit because I know there's a lot of people that are listening that may feel those frustrations may have a 9 to 5 and they're not getting recognition.
Speaker B:They don't know what to do next.
Speaker B:What were some of the things that made that decision to say?
Speaker B:Since I didn't get X, I'm going to do Y.
Speaker C:So here's the thing.
Speaker C:And, and I.
Speaker C:I hope your audience doesn't take this the wrong way.
Speaker C:I'm better than everybody.
Speaker C:That's my default.
Speaker C:I think I can do everything well and I think that I deserve the.
Speaker C:The opportunities that I want.
Speaker C:That may not be true, but that's how I feel.
Speaker C:So it was really upsetting to me where I applied literally seven times for a promotion at the company I was working for.
Speaker C:And I hospitality management was where I went to college.
Speaker C:I've had multiple leadership roles in hospitality.
Speaker C:I'm a Very strong spoken person.
Speaker C:I believe I carry myself well for the most part.
Speaker C:So it was very frustrating for me to be in a position where I'm asking you, and this is not to be rude, but I don't respect their leadership.
Speaker C:I didn't respect.
Speaker C:I didn't believe.
Speaker C:Oh, they're very wise.
Speaker C:They really know what they're doing.
Speaker C:The operation itself didn't.
Speaker C:I didn't have that respect for that.
Speaker C:And maybe that was part of my downfall.
Speaker C:But I'm like, I'm, look, I'm listening to you who you bleed like me, you have problems like me, you have wins like me.
Speaker C:Why am I letting you decide whether or not I'm worthy of leadership, whether or not I'm worthy of advancing my career?
Speaker C:It really, for a lack of better words, it pissed me off.
Speaker C:Who are you to tell me I am not good enough?
Speaker C:Because that's the message I was receiving, whether that was right or wrong.
Speaker C:Maybe I wasn't in the proper mindset or the.
Speaker C:What the company was looking for, but I used it really to.
Speaker C:It really.
Speaker C:It fired me up.
Speaker C:It ticked me off.
Speaker C:And it was a.
Speaker C:I'll show you.
Speaker C:But that came with a lot of doubt because if you're starting a YouTube channel and you start trying to share leadership advice, who are you?
Speaker C:You're starting at zero.
Speaker C:Everybody starts at zero.
Speaker C:So that's very.
Speaker C:It's a very daunting task to sit there and say, I'm going to create a video for nobody.
Speaker C:Nobody's going to see this.
Speaker C:Nobody's going to see my first 50 videos.
Speaker C:And you have the question of your colleagues, your co workers, people around you starting a YouTube channel.
Speaker C:You're not a manager.
Speaker C:I was in the past, but right now you're not.
Speaker C:Why would anybody listen to you about leadership?
Speaker C:So I really had to lean on the fact that I know what I know and I also know what I don't know.
Speaker C:And I believe I have a way of presenting that people will get, people will understand.
Speaker C:So it was very much saying, I don't accept the position you are allowing me to have and I'm going to make my own.
Speaker B:So this brings up two questions for me.
Speaker B:Number one, you mentioned I didn't respect them.
Speaker B:How did you navigate that if you were expecting a promotion based on your merit and how good you are?
Speaker B:And yet you didn't respect them.
Speaker C:Yeah, let me respect them as people.
Speaker C:I didn't respect them as leaders.
Speaker C:They were making a.
Speaker C:They were.
Speaker C:They were really, in my opinion, they were making a lot of silly errors.
Speaker C:They were making a lot of.
Speaker C:I would call it.
Speaker C:They were mismanaging more than they were managing.
Speaker C:And we.
Speaker C:It was at the.
Speaker C:The Toronto's international airport.
Speaker C:It's people driven.
Speaker C:And they had people.
Speaker C:They had supervisors and managers in positions that didn't know how to work with people.
Speaker C:A lot of them were promoted because they were programmers.
Speaker C:They were able to run the computer system of the airport, but they weren't able to connect with the people who actually had to do the work.
Speaker C:So I didn't respect their process of how they were mismanaging.
Speaker B:That makes a lot of sense.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:But the people themselves, great people.
Speaker C:They weren't great leaders.
Speaker C:And I felt in my soul I could do so much better for.
Speaker C:For everybody, including them.
Speaker C:And that's where that kind of came from.
Speaker B:Thank you for the clarity, because that's a great way to look at it, because there's a lot of people out there who will say, I just don't respect this, or I don't respect them and not really make the demarcation between I don't respect the job they're doing versus I don't respect them.
Speaker B:And I really appreciate you packing that.
Speaker B:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:Yeah, I, I.
Speaker C:Thanks for catching that, because I feel like a real.
Speaker C:What I worked with so many people and great people.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Not everybody is great at the job that they have.
Speaker C:And that was the fire behind leadership with Mike is I'm going to teach you one way or another, I'm gonna share what I know.
Speaker C:And the blessing that kind of came to me after, once I hit that 10,000, 15,000 subscriber mark.
Speaker C:I have colleagues, I have my managers saying how they're watching my content and saying how they're learning and how they're grateful because they didn't get that training when they got that job.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:So then this brings up the other question.
Speaker B:So at what point did it change from I'll show you to the love of creation?
Speaker C:So I've always been a creator.
Speaker C:I've always dabbled in entrepreneurship.
Speaker C:I'm.
Speaker C:I always have ideas.
Speaker C:So it was a natural step to.
Speaker C:Once I stopped being scared, like, I have videos out there.
Speaker C:No, no harm came to me.
Speaker C:No threats.
Speaker C:Like, it was just, okay, I'm doing this.
Speaker C:Some people are listening.
Speaker C:Most people aren't.
Speaker C:But now I'm comfortable.
Speaker C:And so it was just a natural progression where I just started to get more comfortable in my message that I'm sharing.
Speaker C:There's nothing new to me.
Speaker C:There's nothing new in leadership that's being shared.
Speaker C:It's just do.
Speaker C:Does somebody like the way I say it?
Speaker C:Does somebody prefer the way Jim says it?
Speaker C:So it's just once I learned that I just have to find my people, it became more easy.
Speaker C:It became easier to just be me, turn on the camera, practice and be like, this is what you get.
Speaker B:So the next comes into the next question really is how did you get from.
Speaker B:I poop my pants.
Speaker B:But you didn't poop it.
Speaker B:Literally.
Speaker B:But you know what it is?
Speaker B:So two being a rock star on camera.
Speaker B:Because I do know like I, I speak to a multi passionate creator base that a lot of these guys are struggle getting on camera.
Speaker B:So speak to that for a minute.
Speaker C:Here's the thing.
Speaker C:It's actually, it's not difficult.
Speaker C:It's reps.
Speaker C:I have, I want to say I'm close to, if not over 500 videos on my YouTube channel.
Speaker C:I can talk to a camera like it's my best friend now because it's just practice.
Speaker C:My earlier career, I was a waiter, a bartender, bar manager.
Speaker C:Those are the same thing.
Speaker C:I remember pooping my pants.
Speaker C:I don't have bowel problems.
Speaker C:I remember when I first started in the restaurant industry being terrified to open a bottle of wine because I'd never done it right.
Speaker C:So I'm like, oh my goodness.
Speaker C:There's a table of four adults and I'm 19.
Speaker C:I'm an adult, but I feel like I'm a kid and I have to present a bottle of wine and does it to your liking.
Speaker C:It was terrifying.
Speaker C:You do a few reps and you realize nobody's.
Speaker C:At least at the level I was serving, nobody really cared about the bottle service.
Speaker C:It wasn't like a.
Speaker C:A big deal.
Speaker C:So it really is just the reps get the horrible videos out.
Speaker C:There is no way to make a great video without making crap videos.
Speaker C:I don't care what anybody says.
Speaker C:You are not going to be a natural from day one, maybe day two, maybe you're quick, but just get the videos out there.
Speaker C:And I have one of my videos, which is to me, it's cringy.
Speaker C:It's got 300,000 views.
Speaker C:Oh, wow.
Speaker C:I don't like it.
Speaker C:But then here's my question that I put to myself.
Speaker C:If I create, if I have an idea that brings value, who am I to say that I didn't say it right?
Speaker C:If the audience is watching it, if the platform is serving it to people, it's getting like.
Speaker C:Because it's getting comments.
Speaker C:Clearly my judgment on myself and my performance is not right.
Speaker C:There's value there because this keeps Getting served.
Speaker B:I like how you put that though as I'm taking notes and for you guys who are listening, you will find all of this in the show notes.
Speaker B:So make sure you look below whatever episode you're watching.
Speaker B:There will be show notes or a link to it.
Speaker B:Make sure you grab them because you all have all the links as well.
Speaker B:But here's the thing.
Speaker B:So like I feel versus what they feel like.
Speaker B:I wrote that down because something you're saying is really connecting with me.
Speaker B:I felt it was cringy but they felt it had value.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that was, that's a powerful statement.
Speaker C:If you think about is and coming to terms with that.
Speaker C:Still I put out videos when I'm ah, this isn't going to be a banger.
Speaker C:I'll get one comment that says this was the video I needed today.
Speaker C:So now I ask myself who am I to not provide that to somebody?
Speaker C:That's my gift.
Speaker C:I was able to share a point of view, right or wrong, but it was something that I believe I shared and it connected with, with one person.
Speaker C:That's.
Speaker C:That's to me that's the biggest thing on being a creator.
Speaker C:I have the opportunity to help one person, maybe more, but one person that gives me chills.
Speaker C:One person.
Speaker C:That's a pretty.
Speaker C:That's a good day, I think.
Speaker B:Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker B:So let's dive into Mike the creator.
Speaker B:Not just Mike the leader, but Mike the creator.
Speaker B:So first question that really comes up in in my curiosity is, is why YouTube?
Speaker B:Because there's so many mediums out there.
Speaker B:You could have been a blogger, you could have been all sorts of stuff.
Speaker B:But why YouTube?
Speaker C:So I can't write to save my life.
Speaker C:And when I started AI was not where it is now.
Speaker C:But YouTube made sense to me because it's a search engine.
Speaker C:I'm not going to create a.
Speaker C:A whole lot of written posts on different social platforms for them to be buried and never seen again.
Speaker C:So again one of my cringy video, it's probably five maybe six years old, it's still getting served.
Speaker C:It's still able to provide value.
Speaker C:So that is, that's why YouTube to me is.
Speaker C:YouTube is number one because I can put it out today and it will still be served 10 years from now should.
Speaker C:Assuming it provides value.
Speaker B:Nice, nice.
Speaker B:So, so then now walk us through the.
Speaker B:Because we're going to look into the feelings part of it.
Speaker B:Not so much from the create from the viewer side who is like finding immense value in your channel which I watch it regularly so I can and I'LL link your channel down in the show notes as well.
Speaker B:And so what about as a creator?
Speaker B:Because we go through so much emotion and so many roller coasters of, hey, today I'm creating like 16 things.
Speaker B:Tomorrow I'm quitting life.
Speaker B:What's this compute.
Speaker B:Huge roller coaster.
Speaker B:So walk us through some of that because as a smaller creator versus a larger creator like you, there's different feelings.
Speaker B:So take us on a journey and let's hear some stories behind that.
Speaker C:I.
Speaker C:So the feeling was when I started, it's I, I think I can do this.
Speaker C:And then.
Speaker C:But you get overwhelmed.
Speaker C:At least I did.
Speaker C:Where do you start?
Speaker C:What equipment do I need?
Speaker C:What.
Speaker C:How do I edit these videos?
Speaker C:We, Jim, you and I are in a group, and there's one gentleman who consistently laughed at me in a.
Speaker C:A heartfelt way, laughed at me for using Imovie, for editing my videos.
Speaker C:As I got comfortable with Imovie, which is not a difficult program to be using, it's not great, but it's not bad either.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:So I started to build confidence in myself and just.
Speaker C:It's very much.
Speaker C:I don't know who said this, but it's like driving a car and you see where your headlights are, but you don't see what's around the corner.
Speaker C:You have to drive there.
Speaker C:You don't build a.
Speaker C:Used to.
Speaker C:At least in my experience, you don't build a YouTube channel by knowing exactly how to do everything.
Speaker C:Okay, I'm going to make this video and I'm going to add this.
Speaker C:I put videos where on the bottom it says, this teleprompter is free because I didn't pay for the app.
Speaker C:I just used the free version to see if it's going to work.
Speaker C:Does that provide less value to my audience?
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:Did those who were looking to critique and help point that out?
Speaker C:Yes, but it didn't affect the video's value.
Speaker C:So it's really just learning as you go.
Speaker C:I have this right here, Jim.
Speaker C:This is this framed iPhone.
Speaker C:This is the iPhone SE.
Speaker C:This got me to over 10,000 subscribers.
Speaker C:The front, the.
Speaker C:The other side camera, so I could see myself.
Speaker C:So it's not an equipment thing, which I thought it could be.
Speaker C:It's not.
Speaker C:Sometimes it's even easier for me to use my phone.
Speaker C:It's really for me now I'm continuing.
Speaker C:I have.
Speaker C:I want the vanity of the vanity play button.
Speaker C:So that's my goal, to get a hundred thousand subscribers on my channel.
Speaker C:I want to be able to show my kids.
Speaker C:Dad started a YouTube channel and he Made it to this number because that's what he said he was going to do with the hopes.
Speaker C:That's inspiring because I have no business being on YouTube.
Speaker C:I have no business in having 55 plus thousand subscribers.
Speaker C:But I'm stubborn enough to continue to do it.
Speaker C:I've had breaks in between.
Speaker C:I've taken summers off and decided, you know what, I'm going to focus on family and not worry about content.
Speaker C:None of that killed my channel.
Speaker C:I just keep plugging away.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker B:So for you guys who are listening so far, whatever platform, whether Apple, Iradio or Spotify, Amazon, we're on most of them.
Speaker B:Here's the thing.
Speaker B:I also do have a YouTube channel, www.leadwithjim.live.
Speaker B:it'll be in the show notes if you want to take a see the video version of this and see the frame iPhone that he was showing.
Speaker B:For the rest of you guys, just imagine an iPhone in a frame SE version.
Speaker B:But other than that, you can check it out on the YouTube station.
Speaker B:So with that all being said, this brings up a great question like how did you not quit?
Speaker B:Because you're talking about a lot of different feelings.
Speaker B:Even in the corporate you had these negative voices saying you're not going to do it.
Speaker B:This is this moving over as a creative.
Speaker B:There's some voices even in your own head who I movie and all this stuff.
Speaker B:It's all this like negativity.
Speaker B:How did you not internalize that and then ultimately quit your channel?
Speaker C:Because I am more stubborn than the journey is difficult.
Speaker C:I have more pride in myself by saying I'm doing this and I'm visualizing people who once they found out I had a YouTube channel, were mocking it in a fun manner.
Speaker C:But there's truth.
Speaker C:I believe they had truth behind what they were saying and how they were making fun of it.
Speaker C:I get miserable like that.
Speaker C:So watch me.
Speaker C:I'm very much a when I decide there's something that I can do, listen, I can't go play NBA.
Speaker C:I don't.
Speaker C:There's a lot of stuff I'm missing.
Speaker C:But if it's in the realm of yeah, I can make this happen.
Speaker C:And I've decided I'm going to make this happen.
Speaker C:Who's going to stop me?
Speaker C:Who can tell me?
Speaker C:I can't.
Speaker C:Literally anybody can do this.
Speaker C:You just have to say, I'm going to do it.
Speaker C:It's not a quick journey.
Speaker C:Again, like I said, a hundred thousand subscribers.
Speaker C:That's the, the milestone for myself to say, you did it.
Speaker C:Nobody can say, mike, you're not going to do it.
Speaker C:Prove that I can't because watch me as every day I get an extra subscriber.
Speaker B:Dude.
Speaker B:So then how.
Speaker B:So tell me like something that you are like really frustrated over a lot through all this process, I am always.
Speaker C:Frustrated by the lack of views I believe I should have.
Speaker C:And here's the thing.
Speaker C:Leadership for as a creator, leadership is.
Speaker C:It's not an easy niche from my own experience, but also as I've worked with and reached out to people that I look up to saying, listen, it's not one of those niches that you can really blow up.
Speaker C:Obviously you can succeed.
Speaker C:I know many creators that are way ahead of where I'm at, but it's just, I think that my videos should get more views.
Speaker C:But I accept one they're not.
Speaker C:So a lot of that comes back to me and how I'm packaging them.
Speaker C:The other side is I believe that when I put out a video, I believe I put it out, there's value in it.
Speaker C:So it goes back to, okay, I didn't get a thousand views in the first five days.
Speaker C:But you know what?
Speaker C:I got one and they said this is the video I needed.
Speaker C:So who am I again?
Speaker C:Who am I to say that's not a win, it's a win?
Speaker B:Yeah, it's a refocus as I'm focusing on the one who was really impacted versus the thousand I may not know or the 999.
Speaker C:Exactly.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And I can strive for more views, but that doesn't mean that equals more value.
Speaker B:So now this comes to another question as we start landing this plane today is how do you stay on the cutting edge?
Speaker B:Or how do you stay sharp?
Speaker C:Always learning, always.
Speaker C:I'm.
Speaker C:I don't watch YouTube for the sake of usually just to zone out and waste time.
Speaker C:I usually have a reason.
Speaker C:I'm watching and I'm learning.
Speaker C:How do I do this better?
Speaker C:What's the better way to create hooks?
Speaker C:Is there.
Speaker C:Are there resources that can help me write better titles?
Speaker C:How can I use chat GPT?
Speaker C:How can I use AI to help myself get better, to provide more value?
Speaker C:So it really is always just staying curious and honing your craft.
Speaker B:So what, where are you learning the most right now?
Speaker B:If I was going to say, if you're trying to learn to be a better speaker, a better writer, a better whatever, where is the personal growth?
Speaker B:Like, what is the direction you're going currently?
Speaker C:And what's that, what creators I'm watching.
Speaker B:So you could talk about what creators you're watching because it's every one of us connect with people that will help us grow.
Speaker B:So who's helping you grow?
Speaker C:Ed Lawrence, creator, Booth.
Speaker C:He's.
Speaker C:That's the channel that I'm watching.
Speaker C:Every time there's a video that comes out, I'm watching it and.
Speaker C:And I'm absorbing.
Speaker C:I am Rafiti.
Speaker C:The Rafiti is one of his channels.
Speaker C:Now.
Speaker C:What I believe down to Earth says things that, to me, make sense.
Speaker C:And I think that's the biggest thing about, you know, learning on your journey.
Speaker C:Don't follow somebody because everybody else is following them.
Speaker C:Who's the creator or who's the person in your life where you're like, I get what they're saying.
Speaker C:It makes sense because, again, there are so many people that you can learn from.
Speaker C:You might as well learn from the ones that you connect with.
Speaker C:Don't waste time, effort, money on somebody where you don't really vibe with them.
Speaker B:Before we, before I ask you part of the show where we go, this is our wisdom bomb.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:Where do we find you if somebody wants to connect with you on whatever platforms?
Speaker B:Obviously YouTube.
Speaker B:But where do we find you?
Speaker B:Mike.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:Leadership with Mike.
Speaker C:If you Google Leadership with Mike, you will find mikeashi.com you will find the My Leadership boot camp that I've recently released.
Speaker C:You will find me on all socials as Leadership With Mike.
Speaker B:And for you guys who are listening, we will add all of those links down in the comments, including the boot camp.
Speaker B:You're gonna.
Speaker B:If you want to learn how to be a better leader, a better manager, you're going to want to connect with Mike, whether it be through his free content on YouTube or.
Speaker B:Or his paid content behind on his website?
Speaker B:Either one.
Speaker B:They'll both be in the links.
Speaker B:So with that being said, my friend, what is a wisdom bomb or a portable truth that you would say to the listener that they can put in their life today that would create impact here?
Speaker C:This is the biggest one.
Speaker C:This is the one that I share with my kids.
Speaker C:Don't ask permission.
Speaker C:Do what you feel you need to do.
Speaker C:I would say I bullied myself into getting into YouTube to share what I know.
Speaker C:I bullied myself into putting, get going out and reaching an opportunity to become the head of strategy for an AI startup.
Speaker C:I willed myself into their company because I said, I can do this, and here's why.
Speaker C:So you need to include me.
Speaker C:And they said, you know what?
Speaker C:We need to include you.
Speaker C:So don't sit there waiting because if that's the case, I would still be.
Speaker C:I would be rotting at the Toronto Airport.
Speaker C:Feeling unfulfilled and working the.
Speaker C:The grind.
Speaker C:You don't need permission to get out.
Speaker B:Now, I will say I absolutely love how you put that.
Speaker B:Bully yourself into it.
Speaker B:That's awesome.
Speaker C:Eminem has a.
Speaker C:It's a rap verse, but it really connects because if I didn't bully like, I get angry with myself.
Speaker C:Do this.
Speaker C:Why are you not doing.
Speaker C:You have this, that, and the other thing.
Speaker C:Do it.
Speaker C:And I think that it's all too easy to get caught up on just absorbing and soaking in social media bullies.
Speaker C:Push yourself.
Speaker C:Get off of that yourself.
Speaker B:Yeah, I love it.
Speaker B:Because sometimes you're just not gonna have the will.
Speaker B:Sometimes you've gotta fight yourself to get the will.
Speaker B:I love it.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:Love it myself so much sometimes for doing it.
Speaker C:But you know what?
Speaker C:It's working.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:What is it?
Speaker B:Do it.
Speaker B:Take the.
Speaker B:Take the results and the positive consequences.
Speaker B:Then go get ice cream.
Speaker B:Make yourself feel better.
Speaker C:That's all for that.
Speaker B:Michael, thank you for being on the show today.
Speaker B:I been a lifelong friend.
Speaker B:I appreciate you and the value that you dropped today.
Speaker B:So thank you for being here with on the Grace and the Grind, man.
Speaker C:Oh, I appreciate you having me.
Speaker C:This is a great podcast and I hope everybody enjoys.
Speaker B:Yeah, man.
Speaker B:And for you guys who are the listener and you've made it this far in the episode, just remember, wherever you're watching, whether if it's on YouTube, drop a comment, let's have a conversation, hit a subscribe.
Speaker B:If it's on any of the other platforms, whether it be Apple, Iradio or whatever your favorite platform is.
Speaker B:Listening.
Speaker B:Share this episode with a friend who you think is going to need it and then come back and drop a review.
Speaker B:But with that being said, you have been on Grace and the Grind.
Speaker B:We appreciate you and we'll see you on a future episode.
Speaker A:This has been Grace and the Grind.
Speaker A:We hope you've enjoyed the show.
Speaker A:If you did, make sure to like, rate and review and we'll be back soon.
Speaker A:But in the meantime, find.
Speaker A:Find us on social media.
Speaker A:Lead with Jim.
Speaker A:Take care of yourself and we'll see you next time on Grace in the Grind.
