When I first stood behind a microphone to share my story, I had no idea what it would become.
Back then, I wasn’t “Mike Michalowicz, speaker and author.” I was just a guy who had built businesses, made a lot of mistakes, and, more importantly, learned a few things the hard way. If you had told me then that speaking would become a major part of my life’s work, I probably would have laughed and said, “I’m not cut out for that.”
But life has a way of nudging you toward your purpose. Sometimes with a whisper, sometimes with a shove.
The accidental beginning
Candidly, I didn’t set out to become a speaker. I set out to fix my own broken business habits. After selling two companies, one to private equity and another to a Fortune 500, I thought I had everything figured out.
Then came my downfall: I became overconfident and deeply disconnected from the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. I crashed hard, lost nearly everything, and fell into a deep financial and emotional tailspin.
You know it’s bad when your daughter offers you her piggy bank to pay the bills.
As I was creating financial systems to get back to stability, I wasn’t interested in pretending I was perfect. I wanted to tell the real story. The messy one, the painful one, the one so many entrepreneurs live but so few talk about.
That’s when the speaking invitations started. A friend asked if I would come share my experience with a small group of entrepreneurs. I said yes, reluctantly. But that day changed everything.
Standing in front of those people, telling my story raw and unvarnished, I saw something happen in the room: heads nodding. Pens furiously taking notes. Eyes widened, some tearing up. And afterward, the flood of conversations — “Mike, that’s exactly what I’m going through.” “Mike, I thought I was the only one.” “Mike, now I know what to do next.”
I realized then: speaking wasn’t about putting myself on a stage. It was about pulling other people out of their isolation. It was about giving entrepreneurs the tools I never had or ignored when I needed them most.
Why keynote speaking matters
Writing books is a deep, solitary process. Speaking, by contrast, is immediate, visceral, and alive. It allows for something that no other medium offers: instant connection. When you’re on a stage and you’re vulnerable, honest, and invested, you can watch transformations happen in real time.
It’s one thing to read Profit First, for example. It’s another thing entirely to have someone stand in front of you, share their failure, their triumph, and say, “Here’s exactly how you can fix this starting today.”
My goal every time I step onto a stage is simple: leave people better than I found them. That’s it. Sometimes, that means giving them tactical strategies they can apply immediately. Sometimes, it means giving them hope when they’re running on fumes. Sometimes, it’s just showing them that they’re not crazy and that the roller coaster they’re riding is normal, and survivable, and even, someday, enjoyable.
Real world impact
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of hearing how these talks have impacted real businesses and real lives.
I’ve met the entrepreneur who emailed me six months after a talk to say, “Implementing Profit First saved my business. I was two months away from shutting down. Now, I’m profitable and thriving.”
I’ve heard from the business owner who shared, “Your story about losing everything gave me the courage to face my debt instead of hiding from it.”
I’ve even had people come up after events with tears in their eyes, saying, “Today, you gave me permission to believe in myself again.”
That’s not something I take lightly. Every time someone shares those words, I remember why I do this. Speaking isn’t about me. It’s about service. It’s about showing up fully so someone else can rise.
Lessons through speaking events
Being a speaker has taught me more than I ever anticipated. It’s taught me that authenticity beats polish every time. It’s taught me that vulnerability is magnetic. And it’s taught me that people don’t need another guru. They need a guide who’s been there, stumbled, and found a way forward.
It’s also taught me humility. You never know whose life you might impact with a story you’re scared to tell. You never know which throwaway line will become someone else’s lifeline.
And you never know how showing up with sweaty palms, a dry mouth, racing heart can start a ripple effect that changes more lives than you’ll ever see.
Why I keep showing up for speaking events
These days, I say yes to speaking engagements not because I want to build my platform but because I want to build yours. I want every entrepreneur who hears me to walk away believing in their own ability to win and be empowered with the tools to make it happen.
If sharing my failures and frameworks means that even one person avoids the same mistakes or climbs out of the same dark hole faster than I did, it’s worth every second on that stage.
If you decide to be a speaker, show up with your heart wide open and be ready to serve.
-Mike