Connect with Michael Moore and Bob Wierema

The Climb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-climb-podcast/
Bob Wierema: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wierema/
Michael Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/

Connect with Michael Davidson

Gen Next: https://gennext.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpdavidson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpdavidson

Michael Davidson: From the founding of our country up to the eighties was like conflict after conflict and adversity after adversity. Like we really had to fight to be free over and over and over again. And first in the sixties, and then in the nineties, you just started to see the lack of pressure combined with the complacency that comes with comfort wealth; you started to see a deterioration of these institutions that drew people together and then technology through fire at them. And threw gas on. 

And so now I think you're seeing this sort of collective temper tantrum, and that's happening today. And so, it's a time for  renewal, which is a good opportunity, but we just don't take a little too kata. When you're at sort of like lowest common denominator, That person's identity is associated with their politics.

And that's not true. Human beings are complicated. 

Michael Moore: Bob and I are joined this afternoon on The Climb with a new really good friend of mine, Michael Davidson. I got the honor to meet him this summer up in Telluride. And it has been a whirlwind journey since getting to know him, getting to know Gen next, becoming a member of Gen Next.

And we'll talk all about the mission of Gen Next around education, economic growth and global security. Bob and I are really excited. Michael's one of the most dynamic individuals I've ever met. So, we're going to dive into a lot of different categories and life and pursuits and happiness.

Listen to the client.

Michael Moore: We’re just thrilled to have you today, Michael. Welcome. 

Michael Davidson: I love it. Thank you. Thank you. 

Bob Wierema: You got a lot to live up to with that intro there. 

[00:02:00] Michael Davidson: No pressure. ‘Pursuits’? I mean, you end with, ‘pursuits and happiness’… 

Michael Moore: We’re gonna set the bar high. 

Michael Davidson: Right. America’s on the line! 

Michael Moore: Then just go higher before we jump into your passions around Gen Next, we want to know about you. So just give us a little background where you grew up, what defines you along the way and got you to where you are today? 

Michael Davidson: Now I thought I was going to get away. I’ll give you a simple, quick bio. 

Michael Moore: No softballs here. 

Michael Davidson: Let me give you your current state.

My wife and I are living in Southern California. She's from North Carolina. I lived in Texas for a while, but I split between California and Texas. I always felt like I was the bumper sticker. I wasn't born in Texas, but I got there as fast as I could. 

So, we have four kids. I have a son who's almost 11 and I have two six-year-old girls and I have a one-year-old, baby boy. And so, I think one of the biggest things about me is I've always wanted to be a dad. I've always wanted to be an awesome dad. One of the greatest purposes in life is if you care about the world, care about doing good things, it's just an incredible opportunity.

So, I'm very blessed. And then before that though, I grew up doing wrestling, judo, pretty competitively. I have five siblings. I moved to Texas sort of abruptly when I was 16-years-old. And then I got to work and live on a ranch. And so, in Texas, I did a lot with draft horses, almost everything you can imagine to a horse I did. And that was just awesome. I mean, super awesome. That was a tough time in my life, or it was at least leading up to it, and just working with your hands and working with the animals – that was incredible. And I had some great experiences in Texas. I got into ranching. I wrestled at Arlington High School for a year, transferred to Richland High School and I made a massive turn, did some theater. And then I got really into theater. I was [00:04:00] ranching, wrestler, judo, jock, martial arts, and then this theater there. I got exposed to people I never thought I would have been exposed to in my time in Texas, just all across the board. 

Bob Wierema: Where do you fall in the lineup of five siblings?

Michael Davidson: I'm number four. 

Bob Wierema: Okay. So wrestling and judo was probably really important in the lineup of the kids, right?

Michael Davidson: It was a dominant role in the family growing up. It was very, very dominant. I thought for the bulk of my life, that was all I was going to do for my entire life. I never even considered anything different, to be honest. 

It goes, girl, boy, girl, me, and then girl, boy. I think from the oldest to youngest, about 20 years apart and it was super cool. I'm very blessed. I have got awesome siblings. but what was interesting for me is for a long time, I was the youngest and I guess I take on some of those qualities. And then I was the middle-ish for a period of time. Then I was like the oldest of the youngest, especially when we moved to Texas. I moved with my mom and little brother and sister, and so, took on sort of a large role in my younger siblings’ life at that time. So, getting to experience – I think if you're into family of origin stuff, there were a lot of ups and downs, but I'm super blessed because I experienced so much of family of origin from so many different angles.

I guess one of the things is after getting into theater, and then I did a program at TCC that was in the Tarrant County College in the humanities and just the power of ideas and leadership and the role that a person could play in other people's lives and in bending history, it just captivated me. And [00:06:00] so that became a real seed that was planted or maybe watered. When I was wrestling, I'd have this experience in Russia. I got to go compete in Russia. I went twice. We went to Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan – and we went before and after following the birth of the Soviet Union. And so being exposed at a young age to people who had no freedom, no idea of freedom, and here I am homesick and obsessed with this idea of going to McDonald's and Red Square. And this is something that was just totally removed from their reality. That really blew my mind. And then I was wearing some Russian warmups and I'm in the Red Square walking around, and this military officer was asking, he says ‘Americanski’ and he's asking something in Russian. I asked the translator, ‘what's he asking me?’ And he says, ‘he wants to know if you're an American’. I'm wearing my Russian digs. How did he know? And he says, ‘Americans get t...