How the Hell Did this Happen, with Mike Robbins

Money Tales

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Mike Robbins. In 2005, pressured by the rising housing market, Mike and his wife, Michelle, bought a home with no money down and no savings. That was a thing you could do back then. The negative amortization loan they secured seemed manageable at first, but Mike and Michelle soon realized they were sinking deeper and deeper into debt with no equity to show for it.

They were getting by, and life was getting good for the couple. Mike’s business was starting to thrive. Then the housing market crashed. By 2009, Mike’s business had halved, and they were hundreds of thousands of dollars underwater. With two young children and a declining business, they were left asking, “How did this happen?” That’s when they hunkered down and started chipping away at the problem to change their situation.

Mike is the author of five books, Focus on the Good Stuff, Be Yourself Everyone Else is Already Taken, Nothing Changes Until You Do, Bring Your Whole Self to Work and We’re All in This Together. He’s an expert in leadership, team performance, and company culture who delivers keynotes and seminars around the world that empower people, leaders, teams, and organizations to be more successful.

Prior to his speaking and writing career, Mike was drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school but turned them down and chose to play baseball at Stanford University where he pitched in the College World Series. After college, Mike signed with the Kansas City Royals. He played three seasons in the Royals organization before arm injuries ended his playing career while he was still in the minor leagues.

After his athletic career was cut short by injuries, Mike worked in sales and business development for two tech companies, before starting his own consulting business in 2001.

Mike’s clients include some of the top organizations and institutions in the world, such as Google, Wells Fargo, eBay, Gap, Microsoft, Schwab, Airbnb, the Oakland A’s, Harvard University, Coca-Cola, and many others.

Mike and his work have been featured on NPR, ABC News, the Oprah radio network, and in Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He’s a regular contributor to Forbes, hosts a weekly podcast, and his books have been translated into fifteen different languages.

For more information about Mike and his work, visit www.Mike-Robbins.com.