Michael Maloney Shares His Journey to Building His 6-Figure Landscape Business

Kevin Harrington
Hi, I’m Kevin Harrington, an original shark from the hit television show Shark Tank and you’re listening to the underdog podcast.

Pamela Bardhi
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of underdog today. I have an incredible guest here with me Michael, how are you, my friend?

Michael Maloney
I’m doing great. Pamela, how are you today?

Pamela Bardhi
I am doing lovely. I can’t complain, you struck me so much. And I love your story and who you are and what you’re about. So I can’t wait to get into that today. Michael. Honestly, I’m going to start with this question which I love. Which is what inspired you on your journey to where you are today, my friend?

Michael Maloney
Wow, what a deep question that inspired me on my journey to where I am today? I know exactly what it is to know that I think about it, I will get into this. But I’m an entrepreneur, I own a landscaping construction company here in the state of Iowa. And there was a time about five years into the business when we were doing very well. And a lot of things going for us the company was doing very well. But I started to become complacent. Because I was really focused on like, what I wanted to become next. Like what the next client was going to be like what equipment we were going to buy. You know, just so future-focused that as I said, I was complacent. I couldn’t appreciate everything that I had right in front of me.

And so thank God, I found some motivational content that kind of like made me think differently. It inspired me and it really changed the way that I lived my life. I started to meditate more, I just took time every day to think about what I had created. The hard work that I put in and how it came to fruition. I would think about my life as in, like, I have arms, I can see I can hear, you know, I can breathe, all those wonderful things. So, that realization kind of motivated me to become a motivational speaker and get out. And share my message and hopefully inspire other people to see kind of the same way.

That’s literally what inspired me, it was the realization that I was living my life in a very complacent way. And I was taking for granted everything that I had created. Still, I run and operate the business, we’re doing phenomenal. The guys, our crews are just kicking butt right now. But I’m working really hard to kind of get the business to not run on its own. I don’t want to just run away from it. But just so that it can kind of work on itself so that I can really focus on this public speaking career. That’s really what inspired me to get on this path. You know, I don’t think I would have ever met you if it wasn’t for that realization. I need to step back and appreciate myself which led me on this path of self-improvement and growth in these mastermind groups.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that, I love that I’m gonna back it up just a little bit. Because I know there’s definitely a story you mentioned that you’re an entrepreneur. So what did you do when you grew up as a kid?

Michael Maloney
You know, I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My parents, the year I was born, started a company, a janitorial company. They did commercial janitorial work. They started with carpet cleaning. I grew up my whole life, seeing the ups and downs of businesses, but I definitely identified the UPS. And I was like, Man, I want to be a business owner. So I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. When I was little I wanted to be an astronaut just like everyone else. But, I didn’t have anything specific. I just knew that I wanted to do something where I was in charge. Where I had the ownership, where I was the one creating what I did. And so throughout high school I worked a couple different jobs that gave me some background in the construction and landscaping industry.

That kind of allowed me to have the tools to be able to trust in myself and just kind of go out and do it. So that’s what made me want to do landscaping. I had some background, but it’s not like was just easier barrier of entry in a way you know. At first I just needed a lawn mower truck trailer and some weed eaters, it was a little more than that. But it’s in simple terms. That’s basically what I needed and I developed a work ethic throughout my childhood. So those two together are what got me into the business. But I never really had anything in mind growing up. What about you? Did you know that you wanted to be in real estate?

Pamela Bardhi
No, actually. So when I was a little kid, I just wanted to entertain, like, that was my big thing. Like I would always have visions of me being on stage. And I thought it was because I’d be like performing like singing and dancing. This is what I used to do when I was little and you know now it’s just interesting because now it’s public speaking. So it’s like it translates somehow, which is really funny, you know, go from one experience to public speaker.

Michael Maloney
You know, it’s funny because I can remember when I was a kid I grew up in a Catholic school system. So every week we would go every Wednesday we would have mass. And a few times after mass I would go up to the priest and I would say hey, thank you for what you do. I just really appreciate it and a lot of the reason why I did that was that I admired what they did and how they Did it. And like, I could see myself doing that. And I’ve had this conversation with a few people, it’s like, I never, I’ve never wanted to actually be a priest. Because as a Catholic priest, you have to give up a lot. You can’t get married, you know, those kinds of things.

But so I was always kind of a little bit disappointed, like, especially when I started a landscaping company. Our lawn care, it was like, Oh, I’m just gonna be mowing grass, the rest of my life. Well, as I’ve gotten the success and learn, you know, as I’ve gotten into these groups, it’s really come into my life in a way. Now I can become a public speaker and impact people in that way. So similar to you, I had no idea that it was going to come back in this way.

But like, one of my good friends, Jake timer told me he’s like you have to use like, your business as a stepping stone in a way. So like, the landscape, construction business is like a stepping stone for me to get into the professional career of speaking just like you. I mean, your real estate company is amazing, just kicking ass. And I think that’s obviously a lot of the reason why people shut up and listen to you. You’ve created credibility and that’s what it’s all about.

Pamela Bardhi
Thank you, you mentioned something super important, which I, entrepreneurship being the vehicle to financial freedom. Like, I feel like a lot of the time, entrepreneurs get so lost in their business. So lost in it, and it becomes like a full-time job. And it’s hard to work on the business and to think about, like the operator mindset. You know, there’s they’re in operator mindset, trying to get into the freedom side, the financial, become an actual owner. So it’s really interesting seeing those parallels and I love that you said that you’ve been an entrepreneur your whole life, as well. So did you like sell lemonade as a kid? Because I know I did. Like, and I crushed it. Yeah, kool-aid with those Kool-Aid loads I used to sell

Michael Maloney
Seriously, I was a hell of a kid entrepreneur. I’m not bragging but I was like. I was the first kid in my grade to have a cell phone, I think I was nine or 10 years old. I would go into Word and do affordable lawn care, and then put my number on there. And I would print two on a page, so I could cut them in half. Then I would just go out and hand them out. And I remember we had a summer camp. Camp. wapsie is what it was called, I sold so many cookies and chocolate to save up for that. There’s numerous stories, I remember, we sold these $20 fundraiser cards for our baseball team.

And I sold the most out of all of them i made over like, it was over $500 in extra cash because of incentives. And I got to pick up any baseball glove out of this magazine. It was like a $400 Kangaroos skin glove. But I needed a new glove that season two. So that’s a lot of where the work ethic came. I’m so grateful for everything in my past, every single component of my past. I guess what I was getting as my parents got divorced when I was in eighth grade. You know, I think it was the best thing for them. It was the best thing for us. Because yes, I would like my parents would be together and I want so much for that family atmosphere.

But I learned so much through those tough times that it forced me to live my life in a way that I had to. Like, creating things for me, I didn’t have to go out and work a lot and my mom and dad were supportive very. And I need I could get everything I really truly wanted, I get kind of. But if I wanted extra money on the weekends. Or if I wanted my own vehicle or stuff like that I was gonna have to work for it. And so because that added pressure was there along the way it. It forced me to develop those traits that without those traits. There’s no way I’d be 28 years old and running a multimillion-dollar company. It’s just there’s multiple components to it.

A lot of people, go through life. They have these pitfalls and these negative things like divorce or death or whatever it might be. They can never get back from it. It’s just all about mindset. Like if you think about if you can learn from it. Or if you think about life’s happening to you and, or for you not to you I’m sure you’re familiar with that. I guess the moral of the story is it’s you can learn so much from what you go through. That’s the only way you should look at it. I’m grateful for every experience that I’ve had. And it’s not like I’ve been drugged to the dirt my whole childhood, but it hasn’t been perfect. You know, and I’m grateful for that.

Pamela Bardhi
Right. Thank you so much for sharing that Michael, honestly. And I mean, what have been some of your biggest challenges? And what were the biggest lessons that you learned from them? It could be personal, it could be business could be any of that throughout your life journey.

Michael Maloney
Well, I’ll go back to I know I already kind of touched on but I think it’s really important for people to think about. I think one of the biggest challenges I had was I’m so like, progress-oriented. Like type A, I just have to go go go and like get as much done and achieve as much as I can. And I expect the most out of myself. One of the biggest hurdles and one of the biggest takeaways that I’ve learned in my life so far as like I’ve said earlier, just the gratitude aspect. Like it sounds so corny. And some people when like when I’m explaining this to them, I don’t even think they fully grasp what I’m saying. Like when I say you have to take time to think about what you have I literally mean you have to.

So if you haven’t been doing this exercise, what I’d recommend doing is for like 10 or 15 days in a row right away. In the morning on a piece of paper write out 10 things that you’re grateful for. Okay, so the first time you do it, you’re probably going write things like your family, your job, your house, your car. Your ability to breathe, you know, see here I walk, you know, whatever, whatever you, fortunately, have in your life. But then the trick is, every day you can’t repeat. So then day two, you’re like, Okay, well, I already said my family. So then you start thinking about, Okay, I have my nice office, I have my desk, I have friends, I have my uncle Tim, you know.

When you start thinking of more, and then after day, 10, or 15, whenever you’re starting to think of all these new things. And after a while, it becomes more difficult to think of things. But the beautiful thing about that is, throughout the day, you will be thinking. Okay, tomorrow I’m gonna be, I’m gonna have to write 10 More things that I’m great. Or I get to write them are things that I’m grateful for. What am I going to write, then you’ll just start to see beauty in life? I’m getting jittery and excited right now talking about there’s only good and great days. We only experience good and great days.

And a lot of people, most people 99% of the population that people walking out on the earth, don’t realize that. There’s only good and great days, it’s just a mindset thing. It’s just like, if you focus on the bad, you’re going to think about the bad. But if you focus on that, there’s only good and great days, you realize that. And then it’s like this extra power in me and as an entrepreneur. As a high achiever, or just as anyone you need to have that gratitude aspect. Can you relate? Do you do anything? You know, to help with gratitude? I’m sure you do. Is that something that you could work on yourself? Do you think that’d make you happier?

Pamela Bardhi
Yeah, so the whole gratitude thing, like for me, it’s always about like sitting down and really like celebrating the wins. Because a lot of the time I am so forward-thinking I am Taipei. I’m like, go go go all the time where I’m traveling, or I’m doing this, or I’m doing that. I’m always thinking about the future and kind of what’s ahead, what’s ahead. And I found myself in my younger years, kind of stuck in not being grateful. Because I was so forward-thinking because here I am thinking about the things that I want. And then not celebrating what I have right now and being grateful for what I have right now. So I always it’s almost like a reminder because I still am very forward-thinking I still am Oh, yeah.

And moving forward, like now, it’s kind of more about, okay, Pam, make sure that you’re celebrating the wins now. So I have to literally block that time out. And remember, like the gratitude, that reminders and like, do all the things. Because my schedule can get so crazy and hectic. It’s like having those reminders is really, really critical. Like you know, one day a week going out to dinner with your significant other and celebrating. Celebrating life and wins and just being grateful for all the things.

Because this life can get so difficult and it’s if you’re not grateful for what you have now. I just feel like you’re going to be in this constant loop of unhappiness. Which is what I often see in the world where people are just stuck and stuck and stuck. And I’m like, Are you celebrating your wins now? Or are you not? Because there’s a huge difference when you do. And it’s crazy like gratitude can change everything.

Michael Maloney
Absolutely everything. When I was at that point where I needed to find it was Tony Robbins. I think you and I have talked about this was a Tony Robbins conference that I went to. It was sent from God, in my own opinion, I wasn’t running my business the way I could have been at that point. Like, I mean, it was still running operational. You know, we had employees, but I wasn’t like I didn’t have that extra motivation. I wasn’t positive, there were times when I like wasn’t excited to get out of bed. It was weird. That’s not like me, like my whole life. I’ve been this upbeat, internally motivated guy. And it all came from that forward focus. And it’s like you said, I mean, you’re still that way, I’m still that way.

And it’s important to be that way, especially as an entrepreneur, you have to predict the future. In order to create it, like you said, it’s just about scheduling time. You know, I think that’s the biggest thing literally saying, okay, every morning, I’m gonna do it at this time. My wife and I, every Wednesday night, go out on dates, it’s like scheduling specific times to appreciate each other and appreciate life. So that’s probably like the biggest takeaway that I’ve had in my life. I guess one of the next biggest takeaways that I’ll share with people that I think might help a few people in life and society. It’s natural to hook up with another person and get married and have kids and grow a family.

And it’s a wonderful thing. It’s just one of the most beautiful things I think we can have in life. After a while, a relationship isn’t the same as when it first started in a lot of people’s sense. And I think that has to do with what we expect out of our partner. What I’m trying to get out here is I think a lot of times people have unrealistic expectations for what their partner should be in their life. One of the problems I had with my specific relationship with my wife is. I thought that she needed to be my cheerleader. Not even necessarily my cheerleader, but the person to like, push me out of bed when I didn’t want to get up in the morning.

Or, you know, like yell at me when I didn’t work out like those things. I mean, it’s important to have an accountability partner like it’s important to have them still care about you doing that. But if you’re not able to hold yourself accountable for working out or for reading your books or doing your job. Whatever it is, look inside yourself and say what if I take accountability for it? For me, what I did is I hired a fitness trainer and then I hired a business coach, or like, I’m working with motivational people. Because we’re in a relationship with someone doesn’t mean that they are responsible for motivating us.

And because I think, at least in our realm, and a lot of the people that we deal with, you know, we’re all like, go, go high achievers. And unfortunately, it’s hard to find people that are exactly that way. Some people are really good mothers are really good employees, or really good at being organized. But they might not be, they might not have this abundance of internal motivation, or, whatever. So it’s just about realizing the goods and people. I like to tell people if you’re going to look at someone’s bad if you’re gonna hold up their bat against them hold their good against them.

That’s kind of the moral of the story kind of got deep there. But that brought a lot of peace to my life. Because for the longest time, I thought that I was beating myself up. And I was truly questioning if I was in the right relationship. And when I took this different mindset of like, it’s not about that. Like, we love each other so much, you know, like, we’re beautifully attracted to each other, like, we work so well together. Like, you know what I’m saying,

Pamela Bardhi
I totally get you were like, basically, you were kind of leaning on her as the support system and expecting her to do certain things. And then you figure it out, like, hey, no, that’s my responsibility. We’re supposed to both bring something to the table together. With no expectations when it comes to anything personal. So that makes total sense. No, thank you so much for sharing them, Michael. Thank you. So, so much for sharing. I love your story of how you came to realizations of like gratitude and all that stuff. When you mentioned to me that you scrolled across you. I think you were on Facebook, you scrolled across a Tony Robbins event. You signed up for it, and that, as you said, it was like a gift given by God. And you went to that, and it’s transformed everything.

So I definitely want to know about your transformation and your process on how that happened. You know, like you went to this event, and then what happened? How did you implement, right? Because sometimes a lot of us walk through life, and we want change, and we want all the things. But don’t know how to necessarily do that? How do you actually make it happen?

So like, yeah, people can say a lot of things I want to change, I want to do this I want to do. But how do you actually implement it in your life and manifest it and make it come true? And like you said, now you’re a multimillion-dollar landscaping company and like scaling that now getting into your dreams. Which is public speaking, and all these things. So I’d love to hear how you implemented change in your life and how that event helped you.

Michael Maloney
What’s great about Tony Robbin’s events is that just the exercises that you go through help you to find a lot of like your core values. And like why you do what you do in your life and your why which is so important. I think anyone listening goes to a Tony Robbins UPW it just helps with clarity, it helps you to find your mission. When I came home from those events. I knew that I no longer was seeking the financial dollar, but I was seeking fulfillment. And I knew that fulfillment was going to come through helping people. So once I knew that then I had like crystal focus on what I was going to try to accomplish. Which was putting myself into a position where I could contribute to people, which would then offer me the highest level of fulfillment.

So to answer your question, How did I incorporate what I learned? Well, I just kept it in the front of my mind, like, I just hired an operations manager. I’m super excited about him, he’s gonna be a great addition to our team. And I knew I needed to do that. And I know, I’m up for the challenge of bringing this individual into the business. Training them and letting them, give them the risk of running my company. Because I know that that is in line with my why and what I’m trying to create. So it’s just a matter of like, keeping that ultimate realization. Which is I’m on this earth to help as many people as I can.

And I only have a limited amount of time I need to figure these things out as soon as humanly possible. In a way that’s going to allow my business to continue to grow at the rate that it’s growing and not fall apart. So it’s just those realizations just using them. Keeping them in the front of my mind to help me make my decisions on what I do with my life. And what I do with my business and hope that creates what I want.

And it’s just, it’s the entrepreneur mindset of okay, is this working? Yes. Okay, great. Let’s keep going with it. Okay, is this working? No, then that’s why isn’t it working. Okay, let’s adjust and, and keep going. You know, it’s just, it’s just that back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until it happens. I have this divine belief that I can make it happen. You know, it’s just a matter of, hopefully, the good Lord giving me enough time on this earth.

Pamela Bardhi
Amen. Michael, amen. And I mean, it sounds to me like you’ve built different systems and processes. Throughout the whole thing to basically get you to the next level. Which is what sometimes we don’t think about as entrepreneurs. Like, how do we, how do we elevate and delegate? And how do we Yeah, that’s the next level. Because sometimes it’s like, Oh, my God, I don’t want to hire another employee. Because you start thinking about salaries, and you freak out and all of that. So like, how, what implementations did you put in your business to help you scale up and grow,

Michael Maloney
As I touched on earlier, it’s still a pretty rather young business. We’ve been in business for like, almost eight years, which is not terribly long. But it’s long enough that the first few years were a lot of me. And crews just still in it, like we were talking about earlier. So, once I started to have this realization, although I always knew that I. If I wanted to grow the business, I would have to become on top of it. And I would have to hire the people, then I knew it was necessary. So it was the ways that I’m doing it, I guess, are like, I’ve hired a receptionist who happens to be my mother, she does an awesome job.

And she’s more than a receptionist, she’s more like an accountant, to be honest. But bringing her in and having someone that can screen the calls all day and organized schedule. Help with employees, new employees, and, and all that good stuff. It’s been amazing, we’ve used new accounting software that, helps us track our numbers better. So that we just know that as I step away, we’re still making the margins and all that good stuff. So that’s really about it. I mean, we’ve gotten some organization on the back end, where we’re like tracking more expenses of jobs.

And just a lot more back-end tracking, which is really helping overall picture of the business. It’s funny, I’m sure you can relate, but when you start to realize that your purpose is to inspire and impact people. It’s really fun to like, pull the cords and the levers with the business. To try to just do it as well as you can, while also doing something that you know. Almost maybe it is something bigger like it’ll allow for more impact and more change in the world. You know, it’s just, it’s a beautiful situation.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. When did your realization begin with you wanting to be a public speaker? so you got that you came to a lot of different realizations and all of that, and how did you discover that passion? Because I love that you’re pursuing it now. Like, I think it’s so amazing. And I think it’s your calling, Michael, really, thank you. It’s fascinating to hear how you discovered that passion. And now how you’re sort of implementing that into your life, which is really cool.

Michael Maloney
Like I said, earlier, I’ve known my whole life that I’ve enjoyed it. Like, I was like, student council president and then like, led the pep rallies of the whole school. And I just remember, just like, love and get in front of everyone. But it was really that same, you know, just when I really got into Tony Robbins conferences. And just seeing him up, there is inspiring people and all the impact that he’s making. Then just the opportunistic mindset. I mean, it brings so much value to people that it’s like Tony says, people pay attention to what they pay for.

So I’m not going to sit up here and try to say that it’s all just. That I don’t acknowledge that there, there’s a great opportunity for financial revenue. I mean, I think it’s a beautiful thing to be able to go out and inspire people. It’s like a compounding effect out into the world and then be rewarded for what you’re doing. And I think it was in that same time frame when I realized that. This, like I was in a bad bad place where I was like, thinking about like, Man, I don’t know if I like my business anymore. Like, it was all bullshit thoughts. You know, it was fake. And it was all because of where I was, I was complacent.

And, you know, you hear of the Scrooge out there, whatever the people that just, they’re all over business owners that have all hundreds. Maybe even 1000s of employees, and they’re just unhappy. And all it would take is maybe some talks about, hey, what are you? What is your daily process? how much time are you actually using to like, step back and think about what you have to be grateful for? then, you know, just helping them figure out their why and like, why they do what they do. Maybe they don’t have one and maybe that’s a lot of their issues. So I think it was like when I was in the deepest of my deep.

And then when I was like when I came back and I was like holy cow. This is like an amazing realization, this is some really amazing stuff. Tony Robbins isn’t going to be around forever. So someone needs to continue this message. Obviously, there’s tonnes of other people doing it, but I’ll be one of them too. It’s like, holy shit, he’s charging 10 grand for these three-day seminars. It’s like, Man, if I got my stuff together, and it’s somehow, it’s just once again. I hate even talking about the money because to some people. They’re like, Oh, he’s all in it for the money. That’s not it at all, It’s just I’m an opportunistic person. And I believe I have this God-given talent or not even talent. But the perspective that I’ve gained through my life will help me inspire people, you know?

What Would Michael Older Self Tell His Younger Self

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. And all the lessons that you learn to help inspire and that fighter in them to learn something new and be grateful every day, which is incredible. Oh my god, I will Love it. I love it and question for you my goal. So what would this is one of my favorite questions, which is what would your older self tell your younger self? Based on what you know now,

Michael Maloney
Great question probably that we have all the time in the world, but there’s not that much time. So take the time to smell the roses but keep moving forward. Because just as we have a duty to, like I said, stop and smell the roses. We have a duty to move forward to harness our best selves. So that we can create what we were intended to create. And not leave a bunch of potential on the table. It’s a fine line. You know, like we were both saying earlier about how we’re all we’re still very future-focused. You know, it’s important to be that way, like we said. But just a fine line going back and forth.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that. Thank you so much for sharing that, Michael.

Michael Maloney
And can I ask you that question? If you don’t mind?

Pamela Bardhi
Yeah, yeah. Well, my older self tells your younger self. One of my biggest things is definitely to stop giving a shit sooner, to be honest. Other people think they will think yeah, that’s a great one not that I was always living my life for others. And like always paying attention to what they had to say. Do all the things right, and I just cared too much. And I would like over sacrifice certain things for myself. For others, which, you know, could be like, sometimes over sacrificing is a toxic trait. So it’s like it has to do with trauma response and all the things. But like, if I stopped caring sooner, I think I’d be further ahead. And I mean, I am pretty far along, like in any with everything that I’ve done.

And I think I stopped really caring when I was about, I wouldn’t say like 25. But even if I was even sooner. Just like stop caring. What I see is like, people that I interview and I talk to, and like, they just tell me. They’re just like, Oh, I just wish I didn’t feed into it so much. So that would be that’d be my best thing. Because like once you stop caring, what you’re focused on is literally like your source. For some people. It’s God for some people, or whatever you identify with, to say. Like, hey, I want to live my life with the highest and best to serve, nothing else gets in the way. And then everything else kind of falls in line. So it’s like, that’s my biggest focus.

Because like, sometimes there’s just so many external factors that you don’t even realize are affecting your decisions and everything that you do. Stop caring, and you say, Hey, listen, I want to be in alignment. God with all the things that I meant to do in this life helped me get there. And let’s just forget everything else not saying like, fully forget them. Because obviously, like there’s family, there’s friends, there’s all these things. But that being kind of like your core focus is and everything seems to just like align and fall into place once you do that. So yeah, but that, you know, that can get jaded when you’re calculating so many other thoughts and opinions and all.

All of the things I remember, like going shifting from restaurants to real estate. I specifically got certain commentary that like, Pam, you should really stick to restaurants stick to ice cream. Stick to the things that you know. And like, had I listened to that, like, that’s when I started breaking against that. Because if I listened to that movie in that boat, right, and as God knows. So I just think about like him, what if I did this sooner, but you know, I don’t regret my journey at all in any way.

But I think that when you can break free from what other people want for you. Or their expectations, thoughts or all of these things are just like caring what society like society, standard societal standards, and all the things. I think that’s when amazing things happen. So I always push that to anybody. It’s like, you know, how are you living your life? Are you living it for you or somebody else?

Michael Maloney
100% No, that’s deep. Yeah, yeah. Then when you start to realize, you know, yeah, you don’t want to listen, or you don’t want to value everybody’s opinion. Because everybody might not think about your life the way that you want to. Like, your family might look at it from like a safety perspective, you know, like, oh, go, don’t go take that risk. Like, you might fail or some people, your friends, like, as you start to get success, you’re the friends that you grew up with. Unfortunately, oftentimes, people want you to be successful, but they don’t want you to be more successful than them.

You know, it’s an unfortunate natural tendency of people. And when you start to take that into consideration, you realize and maybe I shouldn’t be valuing these people’s opinions. Or maybe I shouldn’t think too hard about why they didn’t ask me about what I’m doing in my life. Because maybe they are jealous or you know, it’s it’s not that I think that they should be jealous, it’s that they’re jealous. You know, it’s I realized that I’m working my ass off creating something beautiful and, and taking risks and believing in myself.

And it feels really good and it looks like I’m flourishing, which I am but there’s still other things that come along with it. But to them it’s just so then you start hanging out with the right people like you like like that mastermind group. We were out there in Arizona. It’s like, that’s when you can really start to like more trust in value the opinions and feedback that you get from people. Because they see the good in you, and want the best for you. That’s why those groups are so powerful too, you know,

Pamela Bardhi
100% I think it always comes down to environment. Like, who are you surrounding yourself with, because there’s certain people we can have conversations with you love them so much. You respect them, you want to honor them, but they’re not the right person type of advice. So you go and you speak to somebody who’s been there done that. Or is working towards the same goal as us that that way you help elevate together so totally, totally agree with you. But again, that has to you know, that’s when that mindset comes in. Like, stop caring what other people think and like, just align with your highest and best with your highest, or, like, everything else falls into place.

That’s the advice that I would always give. My younger self is like, just like, stop caring. Follow your path. Because if it does, I find that so many people I’ve interviewed so many people on this podcast. And then just people that I’ve come across in life. And they always have one of their biggest regrets is like, I wish I started sooner. Then it’s like, okay, well, you wish you started sooner? Why didn’t you start sooner? the roodeplaat comes with what I just said, is that they would always a calculate of other people, thoughts, insecurities, fear, like all of these things. It’s like, how do you combat that? You stop caring. Yeah, when you don’t care, you’re nothing.

So it’s like, that’s, that’s the way that I see it. It is a beautiful thing. That’s been one of my biggest life things. It’s not easy by any means you got to break through a lot of issues to get to that level. But I think once you become unstoppable, which is I think, where you’re at, it’s super exciting. And speaking of where you’re at, Michael, what’s the next year looking like for you? What’s up in the next six to 12 months?

Michael Maloney
Yeah, so I’ve been investing a lot of time and money into working with some different people that are really helping me sharpen the tools. And create the tools to become an impactful speaker. So you know, some of the people that you know, you know, David Fagan rock Thomas. Just a few other people just working on creating a story or not creating but putting up story on paper, you know, my life experiences. So that I can go out and inspire people. At the same time work on building the business and building the systems. That it can continue to grow towards self operation and allow for more fulfillment. Or more contribution to the world, you know, through speaking. That’s really what it’s about just working towards getting on stages more.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that. And Michael, where can everybody find you and your awesomeness?

Michael Maloney
Yeah, so, you know, I haven’t talked about it once. But I have a podcast. It’s called the Michael Maloney show. It’s similar to your podcast family, we talk about just mindset and like what drives people what they do why they do it. So please look us up. We’re on Spotify, iTunes music, YouTube. We have a Facebook page, the Michael Maloney show. And then just Michael Maloney, m a l o n e y on Facebook and Instagram would appreciate the follow. I like to put posts up go live all the time talking about different subjects that I think you know, bring happiness to people. So yeah, it’s been a lot of fun that I’ve been well. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to come on here with you. And you’ll definitely have to come on my podcast and you get some time.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. Michael, thank you so much for being here today and for your inspirational story. And just your awesomeness altogether. Thank you so much, my friend. So that’s it for today’s episode of underdog. Catch us next week, always dropping on Thursdays. And remember, if you’re interested in real estate. Or want to learn how to create more money and magic in your life, check out meetwithpamela.com and let’s chat sending you so so much love.