Meet Mike Kelley

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mike Kelley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mike below.

Mike, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Finding my purpose was a long journey with many twists and turns. Like many people, I went through periods of life where I thought I knew what I wanted and what I was supposed to do. Each phase helped me stay driven, focused, and overcome many setbacks and difficult moments, but they were more skill-based than purpose-driven. It wasn’t until I hit a particularly tough period of time in my life that I had to dig deep into self-discovery and, eventually, things started to become clear.

In my teens and early 20s, baseball was my main focus. I was determined to make a career out of it somehow. When that didn’t pan out, I shifted to marketing and worked in that field for about 13 years. I earned a Bachelor’s in Advertising and later an MBA in Marketing. Over the years, I held various roles in marketing, working for both agencies and in-house across different industries. For a while, the work felt interesting and exciting, and I thought that was what I was meant to do. But over time, it became clear that it was just something I was good at, not something I found fulfilling.

No matter the role or the company, something always felt missing. The joy of being creative or developing a new strategy was often drowned by rounds of edits, catering to different opinions, or an approval process that slowed things down. After a while, I began to question why I chose that industry. Was I really doing anything beneficial beyond helping people sell more things and make more money? That questioning turned out to be incredibly helpful in the end, but at the time, it felt awful. I often changed where I worked or what I did, but I always felt like I was settling with marketing.

During the pandemic I hit a rough patch that affected my physical and mental health, and in turn, my work. To be honest, I was unhappy and frustrated with nearly every area of my life. It was a low point but also a turning point for me, and it really accelerated the process of finding my purpose. After several months of being miserable and feeling like everything was against me, I had an experience that really made me think about what was happening, why, and what role I played in everything. I had pretty much given up and felt there was no hope left, but a song played on my shuffle and for some reason, for the first time, I actually gave the lyrics the attention they deserved.

At that moment, I was reminded that it was all a choice. Right then, I made a conscious decision to shift my mindset. I remembered who I was, everything I had overcome, and all of the work I had done to get where I was. Instead of continuing to see myself as a victim of my circumstances, I started to embrace a growth mindset again and began viewing challenges as opportunities for growth. I took back my power, realizing that I had more control over my life than I’d previously though. This shift in perspective allowed me to get clear on my values, goals, and what I truly wanted in life.

I started making some big changes which included leaving the company I was with at the time. I explored different options and opportunities, looking something that could make a meaningful impact, was an industry that aligned with my values, and would allow me to help people in some way. I even made a list of over 20 qualities I wanted in an ideal next step and eventually, I found a marketing job that seemed to check off nearly all the boxes, so I took it. But once again, it was the same story. There was much more concern about profit than purpose, and it became a chaotic environment with different decision-makers wanting different things. There were some great moments, but overall, the day to day felt soul-sucking.

Fortunately, I was let go after about nine months. I say “fortunately” because it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I felt initial shock, then a brief moment of frustration, but that quickly turned into relief and joy after just a couple of minutes. I knew something better was out there for me, I realized marketing was not it, and I began to feel genuinely excited about a new road ahead. People close to me were shocked at how happy and hopeful I was considering what had just happened. That’s the wild thing about really knowing what you want. If something doesn’t align with it you are actually happy to see it go and it can’t get out of your life fast enough.

I took the next few weeks to live life as fully as I could and see what I could come up with. I spent more time with friends, took short trips, and enjoyed as much live music as possible. All signs seemed to point to one main thing: helping others. I noticed that friends were asking me questions about how I’d made positive changes over the years and was able to keep an optimistic outlook on life, even through difficult times. I realized that guiding others toward improving themselves and living more meaningful lives was something I truly enjoyed. That’s when I started exploring Life Coaching as a career, and I’ve never felt more aligned.

The feeling I get after a session when my client has an “aha” moment or starts to make impactful changes is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’ve made some big plays in baseball, I’ve had some really successful marketing campaigns, and I’ve been incredible fortunate to have experienced many beautiful moments in life. None of those come anywhere close to what I feel when helping clients make real progress. That’s how I knew I’d finally found my purpose.

That was a pretty long answer, but I want people to know that finding your purpose isn’t like finding an Easter egg. It’s a process that might take some time and definitely requires some real, honest conversations either with yourself or someone like a Mindset Coach who is helping you along the way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My business is Reworking Mindsets, and I offer 1-on-1 Mindset Coaching sessions for adults in the U.S., primarily via Zoom. I help my clients get out of their own head, get unstuck, and start to thrive again. My approach involves deep self-awareness, self-discovery, and perspective shifts. Through that process, I’m able to guide my clients in reaching that next level and getting more out of life. A lot of times that includes overcoming a lot of their self-doubt, limiting beliefs, negative self-talk, and other mental obstacles that are in their way. We set goals, create action plans, and work on building habits, discipline, and consistency.

That might sound like a lot to some people, but it’s really just a conversation filled with learning about yourself and “aha” moments. The most exciting part for me is when my clients realize something that will make a profound impact in their lives. That can anything from what’s been in their way to a new way of approaching something or even seeing life in a different lens. There is no better feeling than witnessing someone figure out some key piece and implement it into lasting change.

I’ve been working on a course for a few months now and hope to launch it before the end of 2024. It’s essentially a blueprint to becoming your best self in 8 modules that focus on the foundational pieces of where you are now to where you want to be and how to get there. It’s great for those who maybe shy away from 1-on-1 coaching for whatever reason, and it’s also a great addition to coaching for those people who want to make a major shift!

I’m also hoping to team up with another local entrepreneur in late December and early January and host some workshops to help people kickstart their 2025. We’re hoping to make this similar to last year’s vision board workshops where it’s a combination of art and goals, but we have a new concept this year. It will be less time consuming on the artistic side and you’ll get much more as far as Mindset Coaching takeaways.

Recently, I was introduced to the Who I Am Foundation that does a number of different events to give back to the community in a variety of ways. I love what they’re doing and have helped at a couple of events already. I’m not quite sure what it will look like yet, but I am hoping to do much more with them in 2025.

Finally, I plan to be back at the Rise and Vibes Music Festival in May 2025 talking about music and mindset. That was such an amazing experience for everyone involved last year and I can’t wait to do it again!

Keep an eye out for updates on all of these things on my social media pages.

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?

Three impactful skills in my journey have been self-discovery, shifting your mindset, and the willingness to take risks.

Many people overlook the value of self-discovery and self-awareness, but they’re critical to your happiness and quality of life. When I took the time to really understand what I wanted in life and why – my strengths, needs, values, and what was important to me – everything shifted. Decisions became clearer; they either aligned with who I am and want to be, or they didn’t. Self-awareness plays a huge role here because it means understanding whether your actions, habits, emotions, and reactions truly align with you are and what you say you want.

This is a huge part of what I help people with as a Mindset Coach. But, if you aren’t working with me and want too develop your self-awareness and start the process of self-discovery, I would say start with curiosity and self-inventory. Ask yourself “why” about a lot of the things you believe about yourself and what you do. Did you really make those choices because you wanted to or because someone suggested it was the right thing to do? Are you living a life that lights you up inside or just following society’s general plan? Then, make a list of things you genuinely love, are great at, and want in life. Check if your current life is a strong match to that list, and if not, consider how you can make changes. You can absolutely do this on your own, but it’s much easier and quicker when you’re working with someone like me to help guide you though it all.

I’ve also learned that a mindset shift can make a world of difference. Often, what keeps people in a fixed mindset (feeling they HAVE to do things, that things happen TO them, or that they’re “stuck’ as they are) is simply a choice. Shifting to a growth mindset (believing they GET to do things, seeing things happening FOR them, and knowing they have a lot of control) starts with a conscious decision to see things differently.

This is another key piece of what I do when working with my clients. If you’re wanting to make progress on your own though, two ways to start making this shift are by looking for the good in situations and practicing gratitude. Our minds look for evidence to support what we believe. By looking for something positive in every situation, no matter how small, and finding at least one thing to be grateful for each day, you start to rewire your thoughts and shift your perspective. Over time, this becomes a habit and then second nature.

They key is to genuinely believe it too. Even if it’s as simple as appreciating the sun, the sky, or having a roof over your head when practicing gratitude or something seemingly small when trying to find the bright side. Situations are rarely 100% bad, and we often have more to be grateful for than we realize, and this practice will help you see that.

Another thing that has been very impactful on my journey is my willingness to take risks. Once I realized that Life Coaching and Mindset Coaching were what I wanted to do, I dove all in. I invested in myself, learning new skills so I knew how to effectively help others, and after becoming certified, started a business. Sure, it was a little intimidating, but I chose to focus on all the good that could be and how many people I could potentially help rather than dwelling on the “what-ifs” on the negative side. I acknowledged them, but didn’t let that potential “fear” control my thoughts and actions.

I also took a big risks when I announced my first workshops last December and signed up to speak at a music festival last spring. Both were firsts for me, and again, I had the choice to give in to fear and the unknown or trust in myself and believe that I’d find a way. I went full steam ahead, and both experiences were huge successes in terms of the impact they had on the attendees.

For advice, I’d pose a question many have probably heard before: will it hurt more to try, or hurt more knowing you never did? For me, I will choose trying and learning, even if things don’t work out, over not trying and never knowing. Notice I didn’t say “fail”? I believe the only true failure is lack of effort. As long as you make an attempt, you have an opportunity to learn and grow. To me, that’s still a win in my book.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

My ideal client is someone who wants something better for themselves and knows there’s more out there, but isn’t sure how to make it happen. This could relate to their career, relationships, life in general, hobbies, or even a side hustle. They may already have goals and dreams but don’t know how to reach them, or they might feel stuck and want guidance on where to start.

Most importantly, they are ready to put in the work. As a coach, my role is to be a guide, but I can’t do the work for them. I help clients go on a journey of self-discovery, helping them clarify what they want and why. While I can support and encourage, the answers come from within—they have to be willing to put in the work to truly understand themselves.

Once we identify what really matters then we work on their goals. I help them create a plan that covers the big picture down to daily actions and habits. Together, we build a foundation for sustainable change, but it requires commitment on both sides. Mindset and perspective shifts happen all through the process. There isn’t a specific portion focused on mindset because the whole journey is.

An ideal client for me is someone who wants all or part of that, or at least the result of that process. They are willing to invest in themselves, show up and put in a little effort, and is ready for real growth and transformation. There is nothing I want more than seeing people win in life, but my client has to want change and results more than I want it for them. If that sounds like you or someone you know, we should definitely talk!

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