Mike Skrypnek, or “Coach Mike” as his clients affectionately call him, is determined to make a big impact, each and every day, in every way, with every entrepreneur with whom he connects.
In his very first book - “Philanthropy; An Inspired Process” published in 2010, Coach Mike announced an ambitious personal goal – to help guide the families and the entrepreneurs he advised to consistently redirect one million dollars per year to charitable causes.
Coach Mike not only achieved that goal, he exceeded it.
His follow-up book, “Big Impact Giving,” guides people on how to give. More importantly, it demonstrates that it is realistic and possible to plan for a zero-tax estate while giving back and making a difference.
“In the past five years alone, we have helped guide families to redirect over ten million dollars to charity. In the next ten years, I am committed to helping a new group of business owners to produce more profits and to shift as much as one hundred million dollars earmarked for taxes, to charitable causes. I firmly believe the people most capable of doing this are entrepreneurs and that is the next milestone I, and the incredible people I work with, are focused on,” the business coach and author says.
Throughout his career, Mike has been a trusted advisor and confidant to successful, independent, multi-millionaire business owners, and families with respect to their money, financial investments, and succession and legacy. Since 2009, he made his biggest impact as Director, Wealth Management at Richardson GMP Limited. After managing investments for twenty-two years, Coach Mike is now focusing all his attention to his role as the Founder and Chief Strategist at Big Growth Big Impact Business Coaching.
His quick learning style and innovative marketing ideas helped him grow a dominant niche financial advisory business in a heavily commoditized industry. A long list of committed clients proves that Coach Mike’s advice helps entrepreneurs succeed in competitive business environments. “I have a very unique combination of technical financial as well as practical skills like teaching, communication, and emotional intelligence,” Coach Mike says.
“My Clients tell me that one of the things I do best for them is to distill all of the experiences, education, advice and coaching that I have invested in heavily, and implemented proactively over the past three decades, into actionable, measurable, and clear advice they can use today. My Clients also appreciate the fact that in every one of our telephone calls, emails or meetings, I strive to provide at least one concrete, actionable insight to help them realize their Grow-Get-Give lives,” the business coach and author says.
“When entrepreneurs are fired up, motivated and have clarity, they do powerful, impactful things. A Grow-Get-Give lifestyle ensures my Clients grow their wealth and their businesses, get more freedom for themselves and their families, and give back through their business and personal activities. This has a positive effect on their families, employees and the community at large. Imagine how wonderful it is to do what you love to do, with the people you love to do it with, and to make the biggest possible impact while you are on this earth. This is what motivates and inspires me to do what I do,” Coach Mike adds.
In 2014, Mike decided to focus all of his energy on helping others experience big growth in life, in business, and with their wealth and wrote his third book – “Big Growth Big Impact, 57 secrets to GROW your business, GET more freedom, and GIVE back.
Mike’s “Grow-Get-Give” philosophy of life underpins his Big Growth/Big Impact Coaching Program. Many testimonials confirm the value of his counsel. One Client says, “Having Mike Skrypnek as my business coach is a lot like having an experienced travel guide along if you were going to hike to Machu Picchu. You would want someone to show you exactly what trails to take, which to avoid, how to get there at exactly the right moment, and what to pack to make the hike easier. You would never attempt hiking to Machu Picchu without someone who knew the way.”
Another coaching Client says, “Because he’s been in my shoes, Mike understands where I’m coming from…it’s refreshing to not have to explain the intricacies of wealth management and planning (which saves time and energy), to my coach. There is no requirement to get up to speed, and we focus on strategic issues from the get-go.”
According to Coach Mike, there are five keys to a successful Grow-Get-Give life. These are:
1. Passion: Mike describes Passion as your WHY. Your values and heartfelt Passion for who you are must be visible in everything you do. Your Passion is your motivation to serve others each day. Clearly communicating your Passion to others, and living by it guides your unique business and attracts people to you. “Passion alone can make you poor,” Mike says with a smile. “It is not enough for success. You need structure to move forward.”
2. Purpose: Mike describes your purpose as your WHAT. This is what you do to put your Passion to work and involves everything needed to make it happen. The collective effort to realize your Passion lies in your purposeful application of effort. Leaders inspire and attract people when their Purpose is clear.
3. People: Mike believes the people you listen to, work with, and serve are the ones that matter the most. These individuals help you avoid major pitfalls and help you actualize your Passion and your Purpose. Steven Spielberg once said, “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” Then there are the people you serve - your customers. Your customers are attracted to your business service or products because they share similar values, hopes or dreams. They make it worthwhile for you to do what you do. Mike says, “You want customers, but what you really hope for are fanatics. That is your tribe and, the people that make up your tribe, believe in you, are loyal to you, and buy what you offer.”
4. Positioning: How do others recognize your Passion and Purpose? “If you truly believe that what you offer for sale or the service you provide will help others or will solve a problem, then you have a moral obligation to market to them. Your marketing is as much about filtering out those you don’t want to work with or can’t serve, as it is about attracting the ideal customers who make it all worthwhile,” the three-time author says. “Marketing is not what you do TO people but what you do FOR them,” Coach Mike says.
5. Processes: The amount of chaos in your personal life and/or in your business life is inversely proportionate to the lack of systems. Those who choose entrepreneurship do so for the freedom to earn what they can, to have the time and the geographic flexibility to work when and where they want to work, and to have the flexibility to make quick, effective and innovative decisions. According to Mike, “A business owner will never be free if he or she is always working IN their business. Great Processes help your customers and employees know exactly what you do and how you do it and what they can expect from you. Reliable Processes build trust and confidence and refer-ability. Great systems also give you scale which allows for more growth with less work.”
Coach Mike works with entrepreneurial business owners and their respective teams. In addition to monthly one-on-one coaching calls and meetings, all Grow-Get-Give Coaching Clients (and their teams) are also eligible to participate in as many as three Mastermind group sessions, boot camps and events each year, for no additional investment. One other thing that Mike realized was that although his coaching Clients were excellent at creating wealth and growing a business some, even the more successful business founders, weren’t comfortable with, or even understood, the technical language of trusts, estate, liabilities, investment, insurance or taxes that threatened to sabotage their hard earned wealth.
His newest book, “Oh Sh*t! What if I Die? Worries of Multi-Millionaire Business Founders And The Solutions That Will Save Them,” to be published later this year, addresses the importance of strategic financial thinking, business/family succession, philanthropy, risk management and spells out how to effectively communicate with key stakeholders (like family, trusted advisors, etc.).
An engaging and inspiring speaker, Mike is often called upon to share his insights and knowledge of sales and marketing and he has shared his Grow-Get-Give philosophy with thousands of entrepreneurs, advisors, and charities. These include speaking for the Financial Planning Association of Illinois, The NYC Markets Group’s Private Wealth Canada Forum, The Canadian Association of Gift Planners, The Fi360™ Annual Accredited Investment Fiduciary Conference, The Association of Fundraising Professionals, and some of Canada’s most important charitable organizations.
Coach Mike is currently putting the finishing touches on a, “Big Growth/Big Impact Summit” that will be offered in Calgary on November 9th and 10th which is open to all entrepreneurs with unique businesses. The agenda includes Mike’s secrets to GROW your business bigger and faster, GET more freedom for you and your family, and GIVE back to your life and the causes that matter most to you.
To find out more, or to reserve your seat, please visit:
www.BigGROWTHBigIMPACTSummit.com
or www.mikeskrypnek.com
Suzen Fromstein is the author of Suits and Ladders, Ten Proven Ways to Keep Your Job Safe - with a few jokes thrown in. Suits and Ladders was an Amazon Best Selling Book in the Career Guides Category