Welcome to part two of this amazing conversation that Sean and I got to have with Mike Wallace.
Here we continue to explore the theme of growth, excellence, and leadership from a Christian
perspective.
Mike shares insights into his journey, emphasizing the importance of faith, purpose, and relationships.
He discusses the transformative power of Jesus in his life and highlights key influencers,
such as his wife and parents.
The conversation delves into the significance of leading children and the role of mentors
in fostering growth.
Guys, get ready because we're going in.
See you in there.
As you went into the aggacative role, as you went into amplify, what role did that inner
circle play in your life?
Wow.
Yeah, that's a really good call out.
Yeah, we're not meant to do this life alone, right?
There's nothing that we're going to accomplish on our own that is going to see the fruit
that we know it could and that God intends for it to.
I would say first and foremost, Jesus, I mean, that's without being said, just having an
understanding that every single day that I wake up with breath in my lungs, that he has
purpose for me.
You know, and it's not about me.
It's about him and it's about bringing people to him and bringing heaven to earth and building
the church and building the kingdom.
Outside of Jesus, I would definitely have to say my wife, 100%.
You know, she's my best friend.
She's my soulmate.
She's my person.
I wouldn't even maybe be alive if it wasn't for her just to put it to that extreme.
Just having her in my home, sharing a home together and being able to, in the moments
of weakness and the times that maybe you want to give up or decisions that you want to make
and being able to have somebody to talk to about it that you can fully trust, even just
to listen, even just to say them out loud.
She might not have to say anything, you know, just listening to me rant or whatever, you
know, what have you.
But just seeing me from the time that we were kids, you know, 15 years old until now and
just she's been that consistent person in my life.
Only my parents, my mom and my dad, my stepdad, they are just second to none parents in life.
I think everyone's objective as a parent is for your kids to have a better life than you
had.
And I'm not, you know, we're praying and believing for it, but that's the mission as a father
figure, as a mother figure.
If you bring children into this world and all you want is for them to have a better
life than you.
So they have absolutely already achieved that mission, I believe, by making sure that whatever
it is that I did, you know, even though I went to school for this and I shifted out
of it and I shifted into a completely different industry and I grinded that industry and I
worked my way all the way up almost to the top of the ladder, so to speak.
And now I'm working in the church and they still support me.
You know, there's nothing more powerful than having that love and support from your own
family.
But I will say there have also been individuals that are not maybe my wife or my parents,
right?
Having somebody very early on, you know, within a place, maybe it's somebody that interviewed
you initially, right?
And then they see the growth that happens within you.
They see where God is elevating you to and just still having that relationship with that
person even when you go from entry level to senior leadership and still having that person
to talk to and still having that person to seek counsel with, still having your co-op
student teacher to reach out to, even though I'm not even in the profession anymore.
Still having those people that saw you grow and that were in your corner and that had
your back even when you had nothing.
My inner circle hasn't changed tremendously.
I have a group of friends that I've been close with since elementary school.
Not a lot of people can say that.
Life has taken us our separate ways, but God has replaced that void in my life with people
from our church.
Outers are huge.
If you don't have someone that's an elder in your life that has been there, done that,
that has seen the good, the bad, the ugly, that has stayed faithful through the storms,
I would implore every single person to find an elder, whoever that person might be in
their life, then that is absolutely necessary.
We have a few within our church that I'm not going to name them, but I'm sure they know
who they are that have impact on me every single day.
Pat and Keith.
Yeah, there's definitely a couple right there.
But there's certainly more than that, whether they realize it or not.
Just little conversations here and there, or somebody that I can pick my phone up and
say, hey, I need your help.
We need to talk.
Or just by the way they live their life, just seeing that example of what it is that I do
want to continue to grow into.
We're never really done growing.
We're never really done learning.
We're never really done with excellence.
It's an ever evolving process and ever evolving theory, really.
Yeah.
And that brings me to something I wrote this down just based off of what I had earlier
today.
Because we can't strive for pure excellence because the purest amount of excellence is
God.
Yes.
And we're also called to be Christ-like, to move in a way that...
Man, I'm trying to formulate this, but every time we exceed an expectation, we're still
not going to hit the mark.
Every time...
This is not to be a discouragement to anybody.
It means that there's an infinite amount of growth for us to happen for us.
And growth in general, I find it exciting because that means if I can look at who I
am now and look back at who I was, and if I'm not the same person, if I'm the same person,
that's just...
And then I'm like, well, what the heck have I been doing?
But also there's encouragement there, knowing that there's actually room for me to grow.
And like you said with the elders, that's so important because you don't know what you
don't know.
And people are out there who, like he said, have been there, have done that, have put
in the work and it can call you out on your crap and aren't afraid to.
One thing that...
I'm going to focus on growth.
I have a quote in here from John Maxwell, which says, growth demands a temporary surrender
of security.
So like off of that, were there a time in your life where you had to sacrifice your
security in order to grow?
Yes, absolutely, in a lot of ways.
I would say, I mean, the career change was the biggest one.
I literally spent X amount of dollars on education and that was what I knew.
I knew education my entire life, all the way back from when I was a student until I learned
how to teach.
And then having to step into a complete shift, I had no idea what I was doing.
No comfort there whatsoever.
But even then, I was a believer in our Lord and just said, this is a door I believe are
opening and I'm going to step through it.
And I believe there's going to be people that are going to meet me here that you're going
to send that are going to carry me through and just use me in whatever way it is.
And I ended up having six different titles and seven years.
But each time I changed roles, I also had that feeling, even with inside of that.
So I would go from this title, this title, whatever.
And I was letting go of what I was used to, like that daily comfort.
I know exactly what I need to do today.
I know exactly what I have to do today.
But the difference between then and now is now here's what I get to do today, regardless
of what it is.
So just a total shift, but we can get very complacent in what we do.
In our men's group, we have a little phrase that we like to say.
Complacency kills consistency.
Exactly.
So it's very easy to get complacent because we can do that thing without even thinking
about it.
You ever drive somewhere and you're like, you don't even remember it.
You're like, you get there and you're like, I don't even remember hardly driving here
because your muscle memory just kicks in.
You're just so used to doing it.
But that's not what God created us for.
He created us to thrive.
We're more than conquerors.
To be able to serve others, not just ourselves, even if it makes us uncomfortable or step
out and do things, even if it's not comfortable.
I wouldn't have gotten to where I got to in the past and even to where I've gotten to
now presently, if I didn't get uncomfortable and let go of your security blankets or whatever
that looks like in your life.
So it's a really good question.
And I definitely think that we all at times have experienced it.
Sometimes it takes a little longer to accept, but when you look back, I would do it again
every single time.
And it's funny how we're always afraid of the things until we do it.
And then you do it and you're like, I did it.
And that's because we have the Holy Spirit within us.
There's no reason to be afraid.
Don't be afraid.
365 times.
Once enough for every single day of the year.
So yeah, so hopefully that's encouraging for somebody listening, but you know, God is good.
Let's go.
Yeah.
Honestly, man, I just felt like you nailed everything on it on its head for sure.
I want to go back to the point where you were saying that Christianity, I mean, Christ like
being like Christ, like, yeah, because I feel like if a person is truly like Christ, it
will cause growth, but it's also excellent.
So it's like being that.
So my question would be, how do we disciple to the younger generation to lead to excellence?
Yeah.
So that's a really good question.
I'm going to reference something if you guys don't mind.
So I actually was at the Belonging Co. recently in Nashville and they had an entire like segment
set aside that they titled presence over presentation.
One of the things that they talked about, and I never really heard somebody say this
at least out loud before, but it makes so much sense.
And I apologize if this comes across any type of way.
So what they said was, just want to make sure I can find it here.
They were talking about if you can't lead children, you shouldn't lead.
That's so good.
You know, it was really, it was a really interesting thing.
And again, I don't mean that to be discouraging for anybody, right?
But children, they have like a different, they have like another sense, like a sixth
sense where it's like, they know if you are being true or genuine, right?
They know if you care, right?
And hate to say it this way, but they're young, right?
They're inexperienced.
They don't really know any better unless they have had inner circles that at an early
age to be able to really have authority in their lives, right?
So if you can't lead children, right?
That's a really good place to start, like to gauge what it is that you need to do better,
right?
Even from a discipline standpoint, where it's like, am I able to say no?
You know, am I able to correct?
You know, am I able to do this with grace?
Am I able to do this in a way that Jesus would do it, you know, without having to turn to
you know, methods that we shouldn't be turning to, right?
We are called to be set apart.
Regardless of what your title is in the world with whatever, with career or anything, you
should be able to go somewhere and somebody maybe meets you or just see you and kind of
be like, who is that guy?
You know, who's that girl?
Why do they seem, why do I feel like I know them?
Like, you know, why do I feel like I've met you before?
You know, I sometimes get that a lot and I know it's because it's Jesus.
And working through me, you know, and I'll usually just have, you know, oh yeah, you
know, maybe we met here, here, here, but I know the answer is Jesus, you know?
So it's a really good question, Sean.
And again, I would encourage people to, you know, step into some type of leadership position
with children or not even children, just maybe just someone that's younger than you, right?
We're all called to teach, we're all called to disciple.
If there's anything that we're doing on this earth, it's exactly that.
Right?
You know, the reason I want to have kids is because I want to raise disciples.
I want them to then go out and continue the gospel and the good news that is our Lord
and savior, right?
It's not entirely selfish, you know, that's truly what I want to happen.
God bless you and make with kids.
Thank you, brother.
Thank you.
And you know, uh, discipling is what everyone, every single person listening to this, there's
somebody in your life that you can be discipling.
It could be a family member.
It could be somebody that you work with.
It could be somebody that you don't even know, right?
That you could get to know that is been put into your path for purpose, um, for you to
have purpose in their life.
So yeah, that's a great question.
That was good.
And that was really good.
That's how you know, it's a good question.
Do you know what else to say?
Hey, man, there's, um, I will, I'll say, I have one thing to say though.
The if there's every, if there's people that you can be discipling, then there's also people
that can disciple you.
Yes.
Because it goes, it goes both ways.
And if you're looking like I am a person who I look for mentors and if you don't have somebody
mentoring you, like, like start seeking those people out because in like it's like, and
those people are like what we talked about the elders before.
Those are the people who decide, those are people who would disciple you and help, help
you understand what you don't understand.
Like, like what would you do with somebody that was younger than you, you teach them.
You teach, say you teach like a kid right from wrong.
You tell them, you tell them, no, you tell them when they tell you guide them to live
a life.
Like we're saying about parents, raising your children, you, you, you would raise them to
be better than you are.
Yeah.
And if you want to be better than who you are, you look to somebody who's better than
you.
That's right.
That's good, Thomas.
Yeah, absolutely.
You know, it's, it's why we're here and it's definitely twofold.
It absolutely is.
And it's, it's so easy, but we make it so complicated.
Yeah.
You know, I mean, we were students our whole lives.
Yeah.
Yeah, for sure.
You know, wow.
Yeah.
That's, that's definitely one thing that we probably all have in common.
Yeah.
It might look different, but we were all students at one point.
Yeah.
What, what changed, you know, just because it's not school, you know, we, we, we, we
we should be allowing individuals to, to still teach us and parents us regardless of if it's
our actual parents or our actual teachers, you know, so definitely a really good point
of you to bring up.
And I hate to do this, but I'm going to start wrapping it up.
This is, we say this every time I say that, like we, we talk about this almost every episode
that we have.
Every episode, right?
Every episode, every new episode is the favorite episode.
And like, and like, dude, like you brought it today.
Thanks guys.
Well, I, I, that's humbling very much.
So I know some of the individuals that you have had on the show in the past.
So to be in that same, in that, you know, in that same ballpark and that same category
is an honor.
This was tons of fun.
This is my first ever podcast, you know, again.
So it's you guys are great.
Thank you so much for having me.
Yeah.
Thank you for the questions.
Thank you for growing me, you know, in this way.
It's beautiful.
So, you know, let's continue to not shy for excellence, but just let him work through
us in those ways and take something from this and apply it for sure.
Man, this is such amazing.
I've said, can I, I'm going to ask you a couple of, there's some, uh, the final questions
that I like to ask people, um, when it's specifically to what we were talking about leadership and
excellence and growth.
Do you have any resources that pop to the top of your head where people, for people
who want to excel in those areas?
Wow.
Um, I mean, you've mentioned a few times, honestly.
I mean, John Maxwell is, I mean, he's kind of the bar in my opinion.
Yep.
Uh, you know, as far as, as far as like a figure, you know, books, you know, um, you
know, talks or however you want to view that.
Um, if you're not in the word, I would put that above John Maxwell.
If you're not in the word, you know, uh, get in the word, get in the word more.
Uh, there's not a playbook for life.
Yeah.
You know, um, it'd be great if there were, you know, like a diagram, like if this happens
then this, you know, and if no, then do this.
You know, um, that would be great.
But you know, for us as, as Christians, it is the Bible.
It's the word that is the playbook, you know?
Um, so get, get familiar, more familiar.
I myself am getting more familiar with that every single day.
Um, you know, you can read the same thing in different seasons and get different things
out of it.
Um, so, you know, I would encourage people take it a step further.
Don't just have a Bible, you know, uh, get a study Bible, get a, get, have more resources
that are centered around the word that you know what it is that you're reading, you know,
um, and that you're, that you're retaining it.
And then again, in turn, you know, you're, you're allowing that to work out in your life.
You're applying it to your life.
You don't just have the knowledge of it.
That's not what it's, that's not what its intent is.
You know, John Maxwell, yes, get that knowledge.
Let him fill you up the word Jesus, let, let, let him fill you up.
But, but it's, it's a living word.
Yeah.
It's, it's a, it's retaining that and allowing it to then influence, uh, how you live your
life.
Um, beyond that, I really, I really, I mean, there's so many good sources out there.
Um, you know, I, I would encourage people to attend our church if they are in the area.
Yeah.
Our church does a fantastic job of, you know, speaking on a lot of these things.
I would encourage people to step into serving, uh, because I think that we, we as humans
learn by doing, you know, we can read all day long, but until you actually step in and
start doing something, start doing a job, you started doing something.
Um, I wouldn't encourage somebody to start stepping in and serving somewhere, some way,
somehow, regardless of where that is and what it looks like.
Oh man.
That's so powerful.
Oh, so we got the last question.
We're gonna ask you of the night.
Last one.
Who would you like to be on here on our podcast on this?
Who would you like to hear?
Who would I suggest or who would I like to hear?
Yeah.
Man, there's so many beautiful, wonderful people that come to mind.
You've already had a few of them.
Um, I would, I don't know why this person came to mind, but he did.
Actually, I mean, I know why, but, uh, you know, I would say Chaz, Chaz Dubois.
If, if, if, if nobody knows who that is, I would, I would love for them to know who that
is.
Oh, that's a Chaz is fantastic.
Um, his testimony is powerful.
He is a, uh, a father figure of four, two recent twins.
I don't want to take his lightning if he does come on the show, but, um, I would, I would
say Chaz.
Chaz has been somebody even in my life that, that God had placed into my life, even when
I first started stepping into serving and he has, and he still to this day is somebody
that is, that I see that, that he hasn't changed.
You know, I haven't changed and we still have relationship, even if it's, um, here and there,
you know,
I love that Chaz is solid.
He's been consistent in my life ever since I met him.
He's very consistent.
Absolutely.
There's a couple of people who have been consistent.
Chaz is definitely, so that would be my answer.
There are so many names I could say.
Yeah.
Truly are so many names I could say.
Um, if you want me to say more than Chaz, I will, uh, go for it.
Okay.
I would say, um, any of our pastors, any single one of them, um, you know, even so sometimes
we forget about Philly cause it's on the other side, you know, pastor Eden, pastor Dion,
even if you had them together or even individually, you know, pastor Kels, one of our former,
you know, he's down in Atlanta.
These are definitely people that I, that I think, um, if we could figure out how to do
the distance thing, if, if they're not in, you know, in the area, they would be, they
would be fantastic.
They would have so much value added to this, to this, um, you know, podcast.
Um, but Chaz is local, you know, in, um, you know, he's, he's kind of an elder.
He's not, he's not an old man by any means, but, uh, you know, I, I kind of view him for
me.
He's older than me.
You know, just, just by a little bit, but I definitely view him as somebody that has
authority in my life, whether he realizes it or not.
So if this is his first time hearing that, then that's even more beautiful for me.
So powerful.
That's awesome.
We'll reach out some.
Yeah, we will.
Thank you.
Well, well guys, thank you for listening to this episode.
Thank you for listening to the whole episode.
If you made it this far and if you liked it, definitely give it a five star rating.
Yeah.
Give us a five, a five star on Spotify, Apple podcasts, wherever you listen to our pod,
wherever you listen to the pod and share us out on your social medias.
Uh, and also we would really appreciate it if, um, you maybe message Sean or I or Mike
and like, let us know what you thought of this episode.
We love either come up, come up to us in person and like, let us know, like, or let us know
how we can improve or always open to that too.
But all right guys, we'll see you next time.
Love you guys.
Bye Bye.