We were lucky to catch up with Mike Bauman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mike, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
My Grandpa. I learned so much from him growing up, including generosity, and how to treat other people.
He was one of those people who had that rare ability to make others feel comfortable around him without even trying. He just had a genuinely kind and disarming presence that you gravitated to.
If you saw my Gramp talking to someone from a distance, and you didn’t know them, it would look like they were best friends. In reality, it could be someone he either just met, or a guy he only saw at the gym. That’s just the kind of aura he had.
How I treat people comes first and foremost from how my parents raised me, but I learned a lot from my Gramp, too. Chiefly, how to treat other people and be generous.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
In addition to my day job in the healthcare industry as a Contract Analyst, I also have a podcast called March Forth with Mike Bauman.
The meaning behind my podcast’s name of “March Forth” is perseverance and moving forward. The goal of the podcast is to share conversations that inspire listeners to persevere, overcome obstacles, and chase their dreams in their own lives.
While I have mostly musical guests on the show, I’ve also had business owners, filmmakers, colleagues, and friends of mine as well. I enjoy putting people on to new music, movies, or creative outlets that maybe they weren’t aware of previously.
The podcast’s theme of perseverance and moving forward is one that means a lot to me on a personal level as somebody who struggles with self-doubt and anxiety. I think it’s important for people to know they’re not alone in their struggle, whatever it may be, and that even successful musicians and creatives like the guests on my show go through hard times as well.
So, my podcast is really a vehicle not just to entertain, but to try to connect with people in a positive way.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I would say that the three most impactful qualities on my path have been patience, belief, and consistency.
Nothing happens overnight, but we live in a world where we can access anything in seconds on our smartphones. I think that instant gratification and constant stimulation has made all of us much less patient. People’s attention spans are a lot shorter now, I think, and the idea of silence and/or slowing things down is almost seen as strange or a detriment.
Sure, there are instances where people go viral with one TikTok video or YouTube video, but for most content creators or artists, that’s not going to be the case. You have to put in the work to be great at whatever it is you want to be great at, and not skip steps.
So, I think it’s important to be patient with the process, and really enjoy the process and the work. Additionally, you have to believe in yourself and stay consistent, both with your work ethic and your content.
Don’t compare yourself to people with bigger numbers/followers/streams; just be authentic in who you are and what you do. Do it because you love it, without worrying when it’ll pop, or what other people think. I really believe good things happen in time if you just believe in yourself and don’t quit.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
There’s too many people to thank, really, and I don’t want to forget anybody by listing specific names.
With that, I will definitely say that my close friends and family have been my biggest supporters on this journey with my podcast. They know who they are, and I love them very much.
Additionally, I’ve been able to connect with so many awesome bands, artists, musicians, and just good humans doing this podcast. Many of them are also in that process of building their audience like me, and they’ve expressed their gratitude on numerous occasions for giving them a platform to talk about their art.
I don’t do what I do because I want people to like me or give me a pat on the back. However, in those low moments where I question myself and where I’m going, the positive feedback and gratitude I do get from either listeners or guests of the show really mean a lot to me.
I’m incredibly humbled and grateful for all of my podcast guests and listeners, and also opportunities like this to be featured in a publication that’s looking out for the little guys like me out here.
Thank you so much to all of you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/marchforthpod
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marchforthpod/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marchforthpod
Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Mike Bauman
