The other day, I attended the live taping of the radio show, Michigan Business Rap. This show features a panel of small business owners, including my bosses, Jim Trebilcock & Scott Danek, of Equanimity Wealth Management. They have weekly guests on the show that share their experiences and answer questions that the panelists propose.
This show in particular included David Thomas & Andre Hutson, former MSU basketball players, now owners of Evergreen Car Wash. Hutson also owns Eagle Eye Fitness Center. They had an interesting discussion on the transition from sports stars to entrepreneurs. Tom Izzo also called the show and proudly answered questions about these former athletes.
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| (Left to right) David Thomas, Andre Hutson, Scott Danek, Jim Trebilcock. |
During the show, I was able to talk with Michael Patrick Shiels, a syndicated radio host who is now the host of his own television program called Michigan Big Show. He has traveled the globe and interviewed some of the most interesting people. He has also written a book called Invite Yourself to the Party and as I talked with him, I would like to share what he told me.
Me: "What is the secret to your success?"
MPS: "Well, that's an interesting question...(he paused for a second) I would say, writing a lot of hand-written thank you notes. After I would meet someone, I would write a thank you note. They seemed to really appreciate that. Also, I kept my friends as true friends, not just contacting them when I needed something. Valuing their friendship, I cultivated it, not just calling on them when I needed something."
Me: "How have you gotten to where you are today?"
MPS: "Well, I wrote a lot of letters. Ever since I was young, I always wrote letters asking for opportunities. For example, I wrote the Detroit Tigers, asking if they needed a bat boy. I received a lot of declines, a lot of people said no. But I just kept on asking. I didn't get discouraged. I have actually kept all of the letters I received, I have them in a book. Ya know, a lot of what you are asking is written in my book."
I really enjoyed our conversation, this is just a small part of what contributed to his success. He didn't wait for opportunity to knock, he went out and created his own opportunities. In life, you cannot wait for opportunities to present themselves, sometimes you just have to create them. He saw the importance of people and the value of friendship. It was a pleasure speaking with him and I think we all can learn from him by taking initiative and create the life we want.
Visit his website at:
Check out his book:
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