Meet Mike Komara

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

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Mike with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I was lucky to have parents that helped instill a strong work ethic in me when I was growing up. When I wanted to buy something, I had to go shovel snow or mow lawns. If I wanted to go somewhere or do something, I had to get good grades. Don’t get me wrong I was still a little spoiled, but I understood what it meant to work for what you want. I internalized that as I got older and when I became involved with competitive fly fishing in my teens, I developed a stronger and stronger work ethic as I realized that was the only way I’d improve and be successful- there were no shortcuts or alternatives. What I learned then still serves me very well today in my business.

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?

I have been involved with competitive fly fishing for almost twelve years now, competing and medalling at the world championship level. In that time I’ve been fortunate to learn from the best anglers across the globe. I love teaching myself, and decided that I wanted to share what I’ve learned with anglers in the US. In July, I left my full time job as a research chemist and set out to do this full time. My business, Innovative Angling, is a fly fishing guide service focused on instruction and education. My aim with this venture is to teach anglers of any skill level how to improve their game, catch more fish, and have a better time on the water. Our main service is on the water instruction, where I take anglers to the local rivers to introduce them to the sport or show them new techniques. I also offer virtual lessons, written and visual media via my blog, and most recently group clinics. So far, I’ve been having a blast and consider pursuing this line of work the best decision I’ve ever made.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think the most important thing thats helped me succeed is a desire to learn. A good friend of mine calls it a student mindset. Whether it be fly fishing, or running a business, or how best to teach people, I stay curious about what makes things tick. Always wanting to understand the why behind things and how to improve has given me a leg up on others who stay at a more surface level understanding. A close second is a strong work ethic and the tenacity to put my ideas in motion and follow them through. Finally, being passionate about what I’m doing is whats kept me at it and engaged. I want to see what I’m doing succeed because I love it and I think it’s important. I don’t know of any way to develop these better than just doing them. Start a project and see it through, improve on it, and see what works for you.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

I think I get overwhelmed pretty easily actually, which is surprising to a lot of people. The best strategy I’ve found for dealing with it is taking it one task at a time. I know that’s a bit of cliche advice, but it really does work. I list out everything I have to do, I pick the easiest, fastest thing to get done, and I do it. Then I take a break, and repeat it with the next easiest task. Just getting a thing or two accomplished is usually enough to break me out of the sort of slump you get in when overwhelmed, and makes doing the harder tasks a bit easier.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://innovativeangling.com
• Instagram: @Innovative_angling
• Youtube: Innovative_angling

Image Credits

George Daniel