I went to high school with Mike, at Chaminade Madonna College Prepatory in Hollywood, FL. Last time I saw him he was 250+ lbs. This is a transformed human being drenched in personal development wisdom. He is an individual who grew the courage to stand up for what he believed in. And ultimately, at the end of the day, Mike believes in himself. He's not motivated. He's driven. To have the discipline to do the things he has done is very admirable. I loved this Podcast. I wish I had more than 30-40 minutes. His story will resonate with so many different people. Yes, veterans for sure. But Mike has a very macro approach to his thinking and he makes a lot of sense of what veterans are going through in the big picture. How does this impact the citizens and culture? When veterans return to the civilian world how do they integrate? How do we help them integrate? How do we create a welcoming environment that presents opportunity. 

Opportunism is the big word I leave with on almost all my interviews. Mike is an opportunist. He sees an opportunity, he jumps on it. That is what "standing up" is all about. You can hate on our country and criticize but who are the people that are standing up and trying to make an impact in a positive way. Mike takes a "stop the whining" approach towards personal and career development. More people need to hear his candid message. That's why I interviewed him. I hope you enjoy this episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

To learn more about Mike Blanco go to his website: www.michaelanthonyblanco.com